Using Artificial Neural Networks To Examine Semiotic Theories Of Accounting Accruals

Although the primary purpose of accounting is to communicate information, few studies have investigated the communicative nature of accounting.  This study uses semiotics, a theory of signs and signals, to examine the purpose and usefulness of accounting accruals with a popular tool in forecasting--artificial neural networks.  Two primary theories are proposed by this study.  The Theory of the Functions of Accounting Accruals categories accounting accruals by their basic functions and states that two general types of accounting accruals exist: syntactic accruals and semantic accruals.  Syntactic accounting accruals reflect incomplete transactions under a system of cash receipts and cash disbursements.  Semantic accounting accruals present messages in a different format than their counterparts in a system of cash receipts and cash disbursements.  The Theory of the Pragmatic Information of Accounting Accruals states that accounting accruals contain pragmatic information (value) because of their functions.  The pragmatic information (value) of accounting accruals is examined by comparing the ability of accrual accounting data to forecast future cash flows compared to that of cash-flow accounting data.  Forecasts are made using backpropagation neural networks.  The results indicate that both syntactic  and semantic accounting accruals contain pragmatic information (have value when forecasting future cash flows).  The study provides evidence of the pragmatic information (value) of annual accounting accruals.  However, no evidence was found in support of the pragmatic information (value) of quarterly accounting accruals.  This result implies that annual accrual accounting data is a better predictor of future cash flows than cash-flow data while quarterly accrual accounting data is not

Negative Earnings In International Equity Valuation

The openness of international capital markets has encouraged investors to look beyond their own national boundary for investment opportunities.  Foreign direct investment flow has increased in recent years around the world in all major and emerging markets.  International equity valuation, as a result, has gained much attention from practitioners and academic researchers alike.  Motivated by evidence that the price-earnings relation is not homogeneous across profit and loss firms and by the growing body of international accounting literature that documents and compares the value relevance of earnings and book value across national boundaries, this study illustrates the potential impact of negative earnings (loss firms) on comparing the relative value relevance of earnings and book value across national boundaries.   Our results show that removal of negative earnings observations (1) changes the total value relevance of earnings and book value combined (2) changes the relative value relevance of earnings and book value within each country in our study, and (3) changes the relative incremental value relevance of earnings (book value) between the two countries in the study

Mothers' reports of the difficulties that their children experience in taking methotrexate for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and how these impact on quality of life

BACKGROUND: Children who take methotrexate for juvenile idiopathic arthritis may experience side effects, including nausea and vomiting, leading to anticipatory nausea in some children, and fear of injections or blood tests. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and extent of these difficulties and their impact on quality of life. METHODS: Participants were mothers of children with JIA who were currently taking methotrexate (MTX). Mothers completed a questionnaire about MTX that was developed for the study, two questions from the treatment subscale of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Rheumatology scale to assess needle-related problems and the Child Health Questionnaire 50-item parent version (CHQ-PF50) to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL). RESULTS: 171 mothers participated in the study. More than half of children were reported to have experienced one or more of: nausea or vomiting after taking MTX, anticipatory nausea, fear of blood tests or fear of injections. There was no significant difference in reported rates of sickness or needle-related problems between MTX responders (ACR70 or above), partial responders (ACR30 or ACR50) and non-responders. In multivariate analyses, variables that were significant independent predictors of one or more MTX-related difficulties included younger age, taking MTX subcutaneously and having a larger number of currently active joints. Feeling sick after taking MTX was a significant independent predictor of poorer scores on the physical summary scale of the CHQ-PF50. Anxiety about injections and feeling sick after taking MTX were significant independent predictors of poorer scores on the psychosocial summary scale. CONCLUSIONS: Difficulties in taking MTX are experienced by a significant proportion of children with JIA and these have an adverse impact on HRQoL. Approaches to help minimize these difficulties are required

Atmospheric CO2 over the last 1000 years: A high-resolution record from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core

We report a decadally resolved record of atmospheric CO2 concentration for the last 1000 years, obtained from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide shallow ice core. The most prominent feature of the pre‐industrial period is a rapid ∼7 ppm decrease of CO2 in a span of ∼20–50 years at ∼1600 A.D. This observation confirms the timing of an abrupt atmospheric CO2 decrease of ∼10 ppm observed for that time period in the Law Dome ice core CO2 records, but the true magnitude of the decrease remains unclear. Atmospheric CO2 variations over the time period 1000–1800 A.D. are statistically correlated with northern hemispheric climate and tropical Indo‐Pacific sea surface temperature. However, the exact relationship between CO2 and climate remains elusive due to regional climate variations and/or uneven geographical data density of paleoclimate records. We observe small differences of 0 ∼ 2% (0 ∼ 6 ppm) among the high‐precision CO2 records from the Law Dome, EPICA Dronning Maud Land and WAIS Divide Antarctic ice cores. However, those records share common trends of CO2 change on centennial to multicentennial time scales, and clearly show that atmospheric CO2 has been increasing above preindustrial levels since ∼1850 A.D

Clustering, advection and patterns in a model of population dynamics with neighborhood-dependent rates

We introduce a simple model of population dynamics which considers birth and death rates for every individual that depend on the number of particles in its neighborhood. The model shows an inhomogeneous quasistationary pattern with many different clusters of particles. We derive the equation for the macroscopic density of particles, perform a linear stability analysis on it, and show that there is a finite-wavelength instability leading to pattern formation. This is the responsible for the approximate periodicity with which the clusters of particles arrange in the microscopic model. In addition, we consider the population when immersed in a fluid medium and analyze the influence of advection on global properties of the model.Comment: Some typos and some problems with the figures correcte

Domestic ventilation rates, indoor humidity and dust mite allergens : are our homes causing the asthma pandemic?

This paper is concerned with historical changes in domestic ventilation rates, relative humidity and the associated risk of house dust mite colonization. A controlled trial evaluated allergen and water vapour control measures on the level of house dust mite (HDM) Der p1 allergen and indoor humidity, concurrently with changes in lung function in 54 subjects who completed the protocol. Mechanical heat recovery ventilation units significantly reduced moisture content in the active group, while HDM allergen reservoirs in carpets and beds were reduced by circa 96%. Self reported health status confirmed a significant clinical improvement in the active group. The study can form the basis for assessing minimum winter ventilation rates that can suppress RH below the critical ambient equilibrium humidity of 60% and thus inhibit dust mite colonization and activity in temperate and maritime in' uenced climatic regions