489 research outputs found
Potentially dysfunctional impacts of harmonising accounting standards: the case of intangible assets
Intangible Assets as a category within accounting and reporting disclosures have become far more
noticeable in recent years, including large amounts associated with brands, mastheads, franchises, and
patents. Many of these items are not purchased but internally generated within the organisation, and
may account for much of the difference in magnitude between book value and market capitalisation.
The International Accounting Standards Committee has recently issued IAS 38 to regulate the reporting
of intangible assets, and includes therein the prohibition of those intangible assets, which have been
internally generated. This prohibition would cut across recently developed practices in Australia and
New Zealand. The problem is compounded by an increasingly close relationship between IASs and the
national standards of both Australia and New Zealand, making it very likely that the problem areas
within IAS 38 will be transferred to the national standards.
This paper examines the areas within IAS 38, which are likely to lead to undesirable consequences,
both for internally generated intangible assets but also in terms of the reinforcement of somewhat
conservative aspects of financial accounting including historical cost and the inhibiting effects on new
developments generally. The possible compounding effects of an expectations gap between the
traditional and expected role of financial statements is briefly examined as a possible explanation of the
divergence of opinion between different groups involved in the development of accounting standards
and reports
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Operating Leverage over the Business Cycle
Operating leverage describes the extent to which a firm's operating costs are fixed in the short run. The effect of operating leverage is to amplify the impact on profit of a change in revenues; an effect which is further amplified by financial leverage and by asymmetry in the tax system. In this paper we provide empirical estimates of operating leverage at the firm level, using a long panel of data on UK quoted firms. We report sectoral differences in operating leverage around the business cycle, and show that these can be partly explained in terms of costly labour adjustment and asymmetric price adjustment
Labeless and reversible immunosensor assay based upon an electrochemical current-transient protocol
A novel labeless and reversible immunoassay based upon an electrochemical
current-transient protocol is reported which offers many advantages in
comparison to classical immuno-biochemical analyses in terms of simplicity,
speed of response, reusability and possibility of multiple determinations.
Conducting polypyrrole films containing antibodies against 1) Bovine Serum
Albumin (BSA) and 2) Digoxin were deposited on the surface of platinum
electrodes to produce conductive affinity matrices having clearly defined
binding characteristics. The deposition process has been investigated using 125I
labelled anti-digoxin to determine optimal fabrication protocols. Antibody
integrity and activity, together with non-specific binding of antigen on the
conducting matrix have also been investigated using tritiated digoxin to probe
polypyrrole/anti-digoxin films. Amperometric responses to digoxin were recorded
in flow conditions using these films, but the technique was limited in use
mainly due to baseline instability. Anti-BSA - polypyrrole matrices were
investigated in more detail in both flow and quiescent conditions. No observable
response was found in flow conditions, however under quiescent conditions (in
non-stirred batch cell), anti-BSA – polypyrrole films have been demonstrated to
function as novel quantitative chronoamperometric immuno-biosensors when
interrogated using a pulsed potential waveform. The behaviour of the electrodes
showed that the antibody/antigen binding and/or interaction process underlying
the response observed was reversible in nature, indicating that the electrodes
could be used for multiple sensing protocols. Calibration profiles for BSA
demonstrated linearity for a concentration range of 0-50 ppm but tended towards
a plateau at higher concentrations. Factors relating to replicate sensor
production, sample measurement and reproducibility are discuss
Noncommutative geometry, topology and the standard model vacuum
As a ramification of a motivational discussion for previous joint work, in
which equations of motion for the finite spectral action of the Standard Model
were derived, we provide a new analysis of the results of the calculations
herein, switching from the perspective of Spectral triple to that of Fredholm
module and thus from the analogy with Riemannian geometry to the pre-metrical
structure of the Noncommutative geometry. Using a suggested Noncommutative
version of Morse theory together with algebraic -theory to analyse the
vacuum solutions, the first two summands of the algebra for the finite triple
of the Standard Model arise up to Morita equivalence. We also demonstrate a new
vacuum solution whose features are compatible with the physical mass matrix.Comment: 24 page
The Baum-Connes Conjecture via Localisation of Categories
We redefine the Baum-Connes assembly map using simplicial approximation in
the equivariant Kasparov category. This new interpretation is ideal for
studying functorial properties and gives analogues of the assembly maps for all
equivariant homology theories, not just for the K-theory of the crossed
product. We extend many of the known techniques for proving the Baum-Connes
conjecture to this more general setting
Graphene-based LbL deposited films: further study of electrical and gas sensing properties
Graphene-surfactant composite materials obtained by the ultrasonic exfoliation of graphite powder in the presence of ionic surfactants (either CTAB or SDS) were utilised to construct thin films using layer-by-layer (LbL) electrostatic deposition technique. A series of graphene-based thin films were made by alternating layers of either graphene-SDS with polycations (PEI or PAH) or graphene-CTAB with polyanions (PSS). Also, graphene-phthalocyanine composite films were produced by alternating layers of graphene-CTAB with tetrasulfonated nickel phthalocyanine. Graphene-surfactant LbL films exhibited good electric conductivity (about 0.1 S/cm) of semiconductor type with a band gap of about 20 meV. Judging from UV-vis spectra measurements, graphene-phthalocyanine LbL films appeared to form joint π-electron system. Gas sensing testing of such composite films combining high conductivity of graphene with the gas sensing abilities of phthalocyanines showed substantial changes (up to 10%) in electrical conductivity upon exposure to electro-active gases such as HCl and NH3
Graphene-based LbL deposited films: further study of electrical and gas sensing properties
Graphene-surfactant composite materials obtained by the ultrasonic exfoliation of graphite powder in the presence of ionic surfactants (either CTAB or SDS) were utilised to construct thin films using layer-by-layer (LbL) electrostatic deposition technique. A series of graphene-based thin films were made by alternating layers of either graphene-SDS with polycations (PEI or PAH) or graphene-CTAB with polyanions (PSS). Also, graphene-phthalocyanine composite films were produced by alternating layers of graphene-CTAB with tetrasulfonated nickel phthalocyanine. Graphene-surfactant LbL films exhibited good electric conductivity (about 0.1 S/cm) of semiconductor type with a band gap of about 20 meV. Judging from UV-vis spectra measurements, graphene-phthalocyanine LbL films appeared to form joint π-electron system. Gas sensing testing of such composite films combining high conductivity of graphene with the gas sensing abilities of phthalocyanines showed substantial changes (up to 10%) in electrical conductivity upon exposure to electro-active gases such as HCl and NH3
The contribution model:a school-level funding model
Over a number of years, as the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)'s funding models became more transparent, Aston University was able to discover how its funding for teaching and research was calculated. This enabled calculations to be made on the funds earned by each school in the University, and Aston Business School (ABS) in turn to develop models to calculate the funds earned by its programmes and academic groups. These models were a 'load' and a 'contribution' model. The 'load' model records the weighting of activities undertaken by individual members of staff; the 'contribution' model is the means by which funds are allocated to academic units. The 'contribution' model is informed by the 'load' model in determining the volume of activity for which each academic unit is to be funded
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