The Effect of Financial Systems on Earnings Management Among Firms Reporting Under IFRS

This study examines the relation between financing system and earnings management and changes in the patterns of earnings management activities over time. Prior research suggests that managers are more likely to manage earnings in a credit financing system because the purpose of the financial reporting in this credit environment is to protect creditors by prudently calculating distributable profit. In addition, multinational enterprises financial reporting tends to be anchored in their home countrys practices and responsive to their national requirements. Using 121 firm-year observations of non-U.S. firms reporting under IFRS, we find some evidence that firms from credit financing systems manage earnings more than firms from equity financing systems. We find that firms in a credit financing environment report 1.6% higher in absolute discretionary accruals than equity firms. However, we did not find evidence that overall earnings management activities have decreased as the IASBs Comparability/Improvements Project went into effect after 1995. This finding suggests that the IASB has not been effective in narrowing down the international differences in accounting practices and providing comparable financial statements to the public

Preliminary Evidence of the Effects of the Adoption of the Impairment-Only Approach to Goodwill Accounting in Sweden

We examine the effects of the implementation of the impairment-only approach to goodwill accounting on the financial reporting quality in Sweden after the adoption of IFRS. Using accounting data from public companies in Sweden, we test the value relevance and timeliness of the accounting information before and after the switch to IFRS. We compare the value relevance of accounting information between 2004 and 2005 to investigate the effects of the switch from goodwill amortization to the impairment-only approach. We find some weak evidence of an increase in the value relevance of accounting information among companies with substantial goodwill balances in proportion to total assets. However, we find no statistically significance in the incremental value relevance related to amortization charges, impairment charges, or intangible assets, on share prices between the two periods. Moreover, we find no evidence of increased timeliness or any association between timeliness in reported earnings in 2005 and impairment charges made in that year

On the Maximal Excess Charge of the Chandrasekhar-Coulomb Hamiltonian in Two Dimensions

We show that for the straightforward quantized relativistic Coulomb Hamiltonian of a two-dimensional atom -- or the corresponding magnetic quantum dot -- the maximal number of electrons does not exceed twice the nuclear charge. It result is then generalized to the presence of external magnetic fields and atomic Hamiltonians. This is based on the positivity of |\bx| T(\bp) + T(\bp) |\bx| which -- in two dimensions -- is false for the non-relativistic case T(\bp) = \bp^2, but is proven in this paper for T(\bp) = |\bp|, i.e., the ultra-relativistic kinetic energy

Noise correlations of the ultra-cold Fermi gas in an optical lattice

In this paper we study the density noise correlations of the two component Fermi gas in optical lattices. Three different type of phases, the BCS-state (Bardeen, Cooper, and Schieffer), the FFLO-state (Fulde, Ferrel, Larkin, and Ovchinnikov), and BP (breach pair) state, are considered. We show how these states differ in their noise correlations. The noise correlations are calculated not only at zero temperature, but also at non-zero temperatures paying particular attention to how much the finite temperature effects might complicate the detection of different phases. Since one-dimensional systems have been shown to be very promising candidates to observe FFLO states, we apply our results also to the computation of correlation signals in a one-dimensional lattice. We find that the density noise correlations reveal important information about the structure of the underlying order parameter as well as about the quasiparticle dispersions.Comment: 25 pages, 11 figures. Some figures are updated and text has been modifie

Finite-size version of the excitonic instability in graphene quantum dots

By a combination of Hartree-Fock simulations, exact diagonalization, and perturbative calculations, we investigate the ground-state properties of disorder-free circular quantum dots formed in a graphene monolayer. Taking the reference chemical potential at the Dirac point, we study N \leq 15 interacting particles, where the fine structure constant {\alpha} parametrizes the Coulomb interaction. We explore three different theoretical concepts: (i) Sucher's positive projection ("no-pair") approach, (ii) a more general Hamiltonian conserving both N and the number of additional electron-hole pairs, and (iii) the full quantum electrodynamics (QED) problem, where only N is conserved. We find that electron-hole pair production is important for {\alpha} 1. This corresponds to a reconstruction of the filled Dirac sea and is a finite-size version of the bulk excitonic instability. We also address the effects of an orbital magnetic field.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, to appear in PR

Characterization of seedling and adult-plant resistance to stem rust race Ug99 in Iranian bread wheat landraces

The full-length infectious cDNA clone was constructed and sequenced from the strain DM of echovirus 9, which was recently isolated from a 6-week-old child at the clinical onset of type 1 diabetes. Parallel with the isolate DM, the full-length infectious cDNA clone of the prototype strain echovirus 9 Barty (Barty-INF), was constructed and sequenced. Genetic relationships of the sequenced echo 9 viruses to the other members of the human enterovirus type B species were studied by phylogenetic analyses. Comparison of capsid protein sequences showed that the isolate DM was closely related to both prototype strains: Hill and Barty-INF. The only exception was the inner capsid protein VP4 where serotype specificity was not evident and the isolate DM clustered with the strain Hill and the strain Barty-INF with echovirus 30 Bastianni. Likewise, the nonstructural protein coding region, P2P3, of isolate DM was more similar to strain Hill than to strain Barty-INF. However, like echovirus 9 Barty, the isolate DM contained the RGD-motif in the carboxy terminus of capsid protein VP1. By blocking experiments using an RGD-containing peptide and a polyclonal rabbit antiserum to the alpha(v)beta(3)-integrin, it was shown that this molecule works as a cellular receptor for isolate DM. By using primary human islets, it was shown that the isolate DM is capable of infecting insulin-producing beta-cells like the corresponding prototype strains did. However, only isolate DM was clearly cytolytic for beta-cells. The infectious clones that were made allow further investigations of the molecular features responsible for the diabetogenicity of the isolate DM

Refined Phenotyping of Modic Changes: Imaging biomarkers of prolonged severe low back pain and disability

Imaging biomarkers of prolonged severe low back pain and disablitypublished_or_final_versio

3D reflection seismic investigation for mine planning and exploration in the Kevitsa Ni-Cu-PGE deposit, Northern Finland

A 3D reflection seismic survey was conducted over an area of about 9 km2 at the Kevitsa Ni-Cu-PGE (platinum group elements) deposit, Northern Finland. The principal objective of the survey was to image major fault and fracture zones at depth. Understanding the geometry of these zones is important for designing a steep open-pit for mining. Initial processing results suggest that the 3D seismic survey has been successful in imaging both gently dipping and steeply dipping reflections as shallow as 50 ms (or about 150 m), many of which correlate with fault systems and lithological contacts observed at the surface. Several new target areas can be identified in the seismic data that require further investigations for their mineralization potential

Prevalence of autoimmune disorders among bladder pain syndrome patients' relatives

Purpose Possible genetic background and autoimmune etiology of Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS, formerly Interstitial Cystitis, IC) has been suggested. We studied whether familial clustering of BPS, other autoimmune diseases or fibromyalgia exist among BPS patients' genetically close relatives; possibly reflecting some common predisposing genetic background of these diseases. Materials and methods Altogether 420 first- or second-degree relatives of 94 BPS patients fulfilling the NIDDK criteria were asked to fill in a survey on the self-reported diagnosis of urinary tract diseases, fibromyalgia and 23 autoimmune diseases, together with filling the O'Leary-Sant symptom score. The ones with high symptom scores were interviewed and, if necessary, referred to a further clinical consultation. The prevalence of other diseases was compared to previously published prevalence percentages. Results 334 (80%) of 420 family members returned the questionnaire. Only one of the relatives fulfilled the NIDDK criteria, and one sibling pair among the original BPS patients was found. Asthma, ulcerative colitis, fibromyalgia, iritis and rheumatoid arthritis were more common in the study population than in the reference populations. The reported prevalence of atopic dermatitis and rhinoconjunctivitis causing allergies were lower. In addition, the results show that the O'Leary-Sant symptom score is not reliable in screening for new BPS cases. Conclusions Our study suggests that in BPS patients' families, fibromyalgia and autoimmune diseases including asthma, and especially the non-allergic form of asthma, may be over-represented.Peer reviewe

Crystalline Wax Esters Regulate the Evaporation Resistance of Tear Film Lipid Layers Associated with Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome (DES), one of the most common ophthalmological diseases, is typically caused by excessive evaporation of tear fluid from the ocular surface. Excessive evaporation is linked to impaired function of the tear film lipid layer (TFLL) that covers the aqueous tear film. The principles of the evaporation resistance of the TFLL have remained unknown, however. We combined atomistic simulations with Brewster angle microscopy and surface potential experiments to explore the organization and evaporation resistance of films composed of wax esters, one of the main components of the TFLL. The results provide evidence that the evaporation resistance of the TFLL is based on crystalline-state layers of wax esters and that the evaporation rate is determined by defects in the TFLL and its coverage on the ocular surface. On the basis of the results, uncovering the nonequilibrium spreading and crystallization of TFLL films has potential to reveal new means of treating DES.Peer reviewe