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This article aims to research the major changes in the Conceptual Framework of Financial Reporting; to find out the new gaps in the current document; to group the changes into categories; to analyze the current difficulties and consequences of these changes for a consistent understanding between standard-setters and practitioners. The Onion research model based on the quantitative data collection with elements of descriptive analysis was considered as important contributions to the research methodology of the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting investigation. As a result, a comparative analysis of the financial reporting concepts was made between July 1989, September 2010, and March 2018. The implications of results are two-fold. On the one hand, the revised Conceptual Framework is a more comprehensive set of concepts that enhance the understanding between practitioners and standard-setters. On the other hand, it consists of the new gaps most of them in the ―Updating” category. It is concluded that this innovation complicates the reporting process for practitioners because it requires using of additional judgments. Besides, the investigation shows some IFRS are not justified within only the Conceptual Framework that might be the subject for further research.

Invasive alien species (IAS) is a global problem that largely relates to human activities and human settlements. To prevent the further spread of IAS, we first need to know their pattern of distribution, to determine which constitutes the greatest threat, and understand which habitats and migration pathways they prefer. Our research aimed to identify the main vectors and distribution pattern of IAS of plants in the city environment. We checked the relations between species distribution and such environmental factors as urban soil type and habitat type. We applied data on IAS occurrence (collected in the period 1973–2015) in 515 permanent plots with dimensions of 0.5 × 0.5 km and analyzed by direct ordination methods. In total, we recorded 66 IAS. We found a 27% variance in the IAS distribution pattern, which can be explained by statistically significant soil and habitat types. The most important for species distribution were: river and alluvial soils, forests and related rusty soils, and places of intensive human activities, including areas of urbisols and industriosols. Our results provide details that can inform local efforts for the management and control of invasive species, and they provide evidence of the different associations between natural patterns and human land use.

International audience; A smartphone is a low-cost pocket wireless multichannel multiphysical data acquisition system: the use of such a device for noise and vibration analysis is a challenging task. To what extent is it possible to carry out relevant analysis from it? The Survishno conference, held in Lyon in July 2019, proposed a contest to participants based on this subject. Two challenges were proposed, wherein each a mute video showing an object moving/excited at different frequencies was provided. Due to the frequencies set and the video sampling characteristics, special effects occurred and are visible on both videos. From the first video, participants were asked to estimate the Instantaneous Angular Speed (IAS) of a rotating fan. From the second video, they were asked to perform the modal analysis of a cantilever beam. This paper gathers the interesting ideas proposed by the contestants and proposes a global method to solve these two problems. One major point of the paper might be the advantageous use of the rolling shutter effect, a well-known artefact of smartphone videos, to perform advanced mechanical analyses: the consideration of the unavoidable slight phase shift between the acquisition of each pixel opens up the possibility to perform a dynamic analysis at frequencies that are much higher than the video frame rate.

The Intra–Americas Seas region is known for its relevance to air–sea interaction processes, the contrast between large water masses and a relatively small continental area, and the occurrence of extreme events. The differing weather systems and the influence of variability at different spatio–temporal scales is a characteristic feature of the region. The impact of hydro–meteorological extreme events has played a huge importance for regional livelihood, having a mostly negative impact on socioeconomics. The frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events and droughts are often discussed in terms of their impact on economic activities and access to water. Furthermore, future climate projections suggest that warming scenarios are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme events, which poses a major threat to vulnerable communities. In a region where the economy is largely dependent on agriculture and the population is exposed to the impact of extremes, understanding the climate system is key to informed policymaking and management plans. A wealth of knowledge has been published on regional weather and climate, with a majority of studies focusing on specific components of the system. This study aims to provide an integral overview of regional weather and climate suitable for a wider community. Following the presentation of the general features of the region, a large scale is introduced outlining the main structures that affect regional climate. The most relevant climate features are briefly described, focusing on sea surface temperature, low–level circulation, and rainfall patterns. The impact of climate variability at the intra–seasonal, inter–annual, decadal, and multi–decadal scales is discussed. Climate change is considered in the regional context, based on current knowledge for natural and anthropogenic climate change. The present challenges in regional weather and climate studies have also been included in the concluding sections of this review. The overarching aim of this work is to leverage information that may be transferred efficiently to support decision–making processes and provide a solid foundation on regional weather and climate for professionals from different backgrounds Xunta de Galicia/[ED431C 2017/64–GRC]//España Xunta de Galicia/[PAPIIT IN116120]//España Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades/[RTI2018–095772–B–I00]//España Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades/[IAEA RC–23507 (CRP–F31006)]//España UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigaciones Geofísicas (CIGEFI) UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de Física

Since its accidental introduction in 2003 in France, the yellow-legged Asian hornetVespa velutina nigrithoraxis rapidly spreading through France and Europe. Economic assessments regarding the costs of invasive species often reveal important costs from required control measures or damages. Despite the rapid invasion of the Asian yellow-legged hornet in Europe and potential damage to apiculture and pollination services, the costs of its invasion have not been evaluated yet. Here we aimed at studying the costs arising from the Asian yellow-legged hornet invasion by providing the first estimate of the control cost. Today, the invasion of the Asian yellow-legged hornet is mostly controlled by nest destruction. We estimated that nest destruction cost €23 million between 2006 and 2015 in France. The yearly cost is increasing as the species keeps spreading and could reach €11.9 million in France, €9.0 million in Italy and €8.6 million in the United Kingdom if the species fills its current climatically suitable distribution. Although more work will be needed to estimate the cost of the Asian yellow-legged hornet on apiculture and pollination services, they likely exceed the current costs of control with nest destruction. It could thus be worth increasing control efforts by aiming at destroying a higher percentage of nests.

Ageing is associated with impaired neuromuscular function of the terminal gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which can result in chronic constipation, faecal impaction and incontinence. Interstitial cells of cajal (ICC) play an important role in regulation of intestinal smooth muscle contraction. However, changes in ICC volume with age in the terminal GI tract (the anal canal including the anal sphincter region and rectum) have not been studied. Here, the distribution, morphology and network volume of ICC in the terminal GI tract of 3‐ to 4‐month‐old and 26‐ to 28‐month‐old C57BL/6 mice were investigated. ICC were identified by immunofluorescence labelling of wholemount preparations with an antibody against c‐Kit. ICC network volume was measured by software‐based 3D volume rendering of confocal Z stacks. A significant reduction in ICC network volume per unit volume of muscle was measured in aged animals. No age‐associated change in ICC morphology was detected. The thickness of the circular muscle layer of the anal sphincter region and rectum increased with age, while that in the distal colon decreased. These results suggest that ageing is associated with a reduction in the network volume of ICC in the terminal GI tract, which may influence the normal function of these regions.

The development and configuration of the regulatory framework of the accounting systems in Romania and Hungary took place in different ways. Among the reasons for the diversities in these countries’ accounting systems, the following can be certainly mentioned: different purposes of taxation, legal structure, the accountancy’s connection with the corporate law and family law, diversification on corporate financing policy, and cultural heterogeneity. Both countries quickly caught up with the international accounting harmonization standards. The adaptation of the international accounting standards has many advantages and disadvantages; these have been discussed in several previous researches. This paper aims at comparing the Romanian and Hungarian states’ accounting regulations from the early 1990s, which were implemented in order to harmonize the states’ accountancy regulations with the international standards, and their impact on the economy, based on secondary analysis.

This research sought to establish if International Accounting Standards (IAS), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and regulations in Zimbabwe have been associated with increased financial reporting quality for listed companies. The study adopted mixed research approach. Questionnaires and unstructured interviews were used as research instruments to collect primary data. Content analysis was also adopted to triangulate the results. Target population was the listed companies in Zimbabwe. The study found a significant negative relationship between voluntary adoption of IFRS and earnings management of listed companies in Zimbabwe. The negative relationship may indicate that IFRS does not promote earnings management for voluntary adopters, thereby implying an increased financial reporting quality. It is recommended that top management, external auditors and regulators being the key players in standards, should work together and tighten compliance so that impact of IFRS could be felt more.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in its objectives and preamble, presume that IFRS adoption and perceived compliance to regulatory framework is associated with increased financial reporting quality. Based on these assumptions, this desktop study reviewed several documents to determine whether the IFRS adoption has led to increased financial reporting quality in Zimbabwe. The researchers reviewed literature on how the IAS/IFRS and regulations affect the financial reporting quality of listed companies. The factors around IFRS adoption were identified (mandatory, voluntary and convergence) and discussed in relation to the financial reporting quality. Evidence from previous studies conducted in line with this same issue shows that there is no conclusive evidence on how IFRS and regulations affect the financial reporting quality. Issues to be addressed in further studies include the importance of financial statements prepared under IFRS framework and the importance of compliance with accounting and auditing requirements.

A coherent response to biological invasions involves science-based, up-to-date prioritization tools alongside information transfer to relevantauthorities and stakeholders. Here, we describe how the collaboration between scientists and policy makers in Belgium has allowed the development of decision support tools regarding invasive alien species. We present the environmental impact assessment protocol ISEIA and comment on its applications. Furthermore, we describe and provide metadata for the information system Harmonia which was developed to disseminate this information to a diverse audience. Using several examples of initiatives addressing the threat of invasive alien species in Belgium, we show how these tools have been instrumental in strengthening capacity of the scientific community, authorities and stakeholders in Belgium on addressing the invasive alien species issue. A coherent response to biological invasions involves science-based, up-to-date prioritization tools alongside information transfer to relevantauthorities and stakeholders. Here, we describe how the collaboration between scientists and policy makers in Belgium has allowed the development of decision support tools regarding invasive alien species. We present the environmental impact assessment protocol ISEIA and comment on its applications. Furthermore, we describe and provide metadata for the information system Harmonia which was developed to disseminate this information to a diverse audience. Using several examples of initiatives addressing the threat of invasive alien species in Belgium, we show how these tools have been instrumental in strengthening capacity of the scientific community, authorities and stakeholders in Belgium on addressing the invasive alien species issue.

Rapidly changing environmental conditions and the increasing establishment of invasive alien species present many challenges for policy makers, managers and researchers. The traditional policies for data management, or lack thereof, are obstructing an adequate response to invasive alien species, which requires accurate and up-to-date information. This information can only be provided if data regarding invasive alien species are available and useable by all, irrespective of country, status or purpose. The best way forward is for researchers to publish their data openly, by making use of repositories in which the data are licenced in a permissive manner, while making sure they are credited by the adequate provision of citation. Reducing the barriers to data sharing will improve our ability to respond to the growing issue of biological invasions. Rapidly changing environmental conditions and the increasing establishment of invasive alien species present many challenges for policymakers, managers and researchers. The traditional policies for data management, or lack thereof, are obstructing an adequate response toinvasive alien species, which requires accurate and up-to-date information. This information can only be provided if data regarding invasivealien species are available and useable by all, irrespective of country, status or purpose. The best way forward is for researchers to publishtheir data openly, by making use of repositories in which the data are licenced in a permissive manner, while making sure they are creditedby the adequate provision of citation. Reducing the barriers to data sharing will improve our ability to respond to the growing issue ofbiological invasions.

IAS 41 Agriculture sets out the accounting for agricultural activities and makes differentiation between biological assets (living plants and animals), agricultural produce (harvested product of the company's biological assets) and products that are the outcome of processing that followed harvest. The standard generally requires biological assets to be measured at fair value less estimated costs to sell, but this method can be applied only if the fair value can be estimated reliably. If this requirement does not stand, the asset is measured at cost decreased by the depreciation and the losses of impairment that accumulated. At the point of harvest the value of agricultural produce is its fair value less estimated costs to sell, and at that time this value is considered the cost of the produce(for the purposes of IAS 2 Inventories.

This article discusses some of the issues of preparation of accounting financialreporting in hyperinfl ationary economies, namely, adjustment factors, the purchasing power of money, the adjustment ofboth monetary and non-monetary indicators.

Control over shared communication networks is a key challenge in design and analysis of cyber-physical systems. The quality of control in such systems might be degraded due to the congestion while accessing the scarce communication resources. In this paper, we consider a multiple-loop networked control system (NCS), where all control loops share a communication network. Medium Access Control (MAC) is performed in contention-based fashion using a multi-channel slotted ALOHA protocol, where each control loop decides locally whether to attempt a transmission based on some error thresholds. We further introduce a local event-based resource-aware scheduling design with an adaptive choice of the error thresholds for a transmission. This leads to a hybrid channel access mechanism where the control loops are deterministically categorized into two sets of eligible and ineligible sub-systems for transmission in an event-based fashion, before a random process to select the available channels. In addition, employing the introduced policy, we show the stability of the resulting NCS in terms of Lyapunov stability in probability. We illustrate numerically the efficiency of our proposed approach in terms of reducing the average networked-induced error variance, and show the superiority of the adaptive event-based scheduler compared to the scheduling design with non-adaptive thresholds.

The global economic crisis that first gripped housing market at the USA and then spread to the other parts of the world, pointed out to the necessity of the reforms in all areas. One of the areas where the reforms are necessary is the area of accounting. These reforms are important for all interested users in a way that they provide them with all the necessary information's at the right time. Accounting, as one of the main pillars of society, can strengthen or weaken the confidence of shareholders, institutional investors and economic policy makers of the country. So it is necessary that financial information are accurate and reliable. In order to eliminate the economic phenomena that have arisen as a result of the crisis, like the economic stagnation and reduction of financial resources, we must find out causes of their origin and manifestations. This is possible by using the well-defined economic policies and accounting regulations, which takes place at predefined and prescribed by IAS and IFRS. This paper will highlight the impact of the financial crisis on accounting and the International Accounting Standards, with particular reference to the situation in Serbia. One of the necessary conditions that Serbia has to fulfill to become a member of the EU is to harmonize its accounting policies and practices regulative to those applied in the EU.

Cahier de Recherche du Groupe HEC Paris, n° 826; This study analyzes determinants and effects of differences between Domestic Accounting Standards (DAS) and International Accounting Standards (IAS). We use an extensive list of differences between DAS and IAS to create two indices, absence and divergence. Absence measures the extent to which the rules regarding certain accounting issues are missing in DAS but are covered in IAS. Divergence applies in circumstances where the rules regarding the same accounting issue differ in DAS and IAS. It measures the extent of differences between DAS-based rules and IAS-based rules. Using a sample of 30 countries for 2001, we show that absence is (mainly) determined by the importance of the equity market and ownership concentration, while divergence is positively associated with the level of economic development and the importance of the accounting profession, but is constrained by the importance of equity markets. Our analysis suggests that a higher level of absence implies more opportunities for earnings management and for decreases in firm-specific information to investors. A larger divergence from IAS is associated with richer firm-specific information in capital markets.

In this paper, we investigate the role of culture as an explanatory factor underlying differences between national GAAP and International Accounting Standards (IAS). National GAAP can differ from IAS in two ways: (1) divergence: both national GAAP and IAS cover a specific accounting topic but prescribe different methods; or (2) absence: national GAAP do not cover an accounting issue regulated by IAS. Based on Nobes' [Nobes, C. (Ed.) (2001). Gaap 2001—A Survey of National Accounting Rules Benchmarked Against International Accounting Standards. IFAD.] data, we construct a measure for the level of divergence of national GAAP benchmarked on IAS. We also create a measure (labeled absence) to assess the scope of national accounting rules compared to IAS. Our sample is made up of 52 countries. We show that culture matters more than legal origin (common law/civil-law) in explaining divergences from IAS. This result is robust to two proxies for culture: Hofstede [Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations. Second, Sage Publications (London).] and Schwartz [Schwartz, S. H. (1994). Beyond individualism/collectivism: New cultural dimensions of values. In U. Kim, H. C. Triandis, C. Kagitcibasi, S. C. Choi, & G. Yoon (Eds.), Individualism and collectivism: Theory, method and applications (85–119). Sage.]. Our findings contribute to the ongoing debate on accounting harmonization. More specifically, they suggest that the technical and/or political dimensions of the debate, although essential, are not the only ones involved. Opposition to IAS is not exclusively driven by contractual motives, a claimed technical superiority, or legal origin, but also by diversity in cultural factors. Another contribution of this paper is the development of a two-dimensional score to measure the differences between national GAAP and IAS.

KCA Journal of Business Management > Vol 1, No 1 (2008) This study seeks to establish if the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Kenya has been associated with higher accounting quality for listed companies. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), in its objectives and preamble, supposes that the beneficial effects from IFRS adoption include transparency, accounting quality and reduced cost of capital. Based on these assumptions, this study applied accounting quality measures; earnings management, timely loss recognition and value relevance to find out whether the adoption of IFRS has led to improvements in accounting quality in companies listed in Kenya. The methodology is based on prior literature definition of metrics of accounting quality mainly earnings management, timely loss recognition and value relevance. The study differs from the previous ones by overcoming difficulties in controlling for confounding factors faced in previous studies which could have led to less reliable results. Three out of the eight metrics indicated that quality had marginally improved while five indicated that it had marginally declined. These mixed outcomes are very much in line with findings in other studies and the study contributes to the debate by explaining why accounting quality outcomes are still not consistent with IFRS promises in spite of improved test conditions. This study seeks to establish if the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Kenya has been associated with higher accounting quality for listed companies. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), in its objectives and preamble, supposes that the beneficial effects from IFRS adoption include transparency, accounting quality and reduced cost of capital. Based on these assumptions, this study applied accounting quality measures; earnings management, timely loss recognition and value relevance to find out whether the adoption of IFRS has led to improvements in accounting quality in companies listed in Kenya. The methodology is based on prior literature definition of metrics of accounting quality mainly earnings management, timely loss recognition and value relevance. The study differs from the previous ones by overcoming difficulties in controlling for confounding factors faced in previous studies which could have led to less reliable results. Three out of the eight metrics indicated that quality had marginally improved while five indicated that it had marginally declined. These mixed outcomes are very much in line with findings in other studies and the study contributes to the debate by explaining why accounting quality outcomes are still not consistent with IFRS promises in spite of improved test conditions.

International audience; The discussion raised three major issues: the absence of economic factors as determinants in the paper, the controversy of Hofstede's cultural dimensions and the measures of divergence and absence in the paper. We will respond to the discussant's comments one by one

In this paper, we discuss the progress in the accounting standards in Turkey and provide some insight into the current accounting system as well as the recent regulatory developments following the convergence attempts to the global set of financial accounting standards that is currently referred to as the International Financial Reporting Standards/ International Accounting Standards (IFRS/IAS) in Turkey. The paper emphasises variations from and similarities with the IFRS/IAS and lays out a brief history of global convergence activities. The paper concludes with a discussion of the effects of convergence on the financial reporting and accounting systems of domestic and multinational companies, and audit firms in Turkey.

Introduction Previous studies have suggested that in cardiac surgical patients, TEE provides essential information before and after cardiopulmonary bypass regarding cardiac performance, valve function, and congenital anomalies. Significant residual abnormalities may be missed during TOF surgical repair. The result is often post-operative morbidity and mortality and sometimes the need for reoperation. Objectives To determine impact and accuracy of perioperative TEE in assessment of patients undergoing TOF total repair. Methods The study included 50 patients with TOF referred to Cardiothoracic Surgery Department Ain Shams University Hospitals for total repair. Each patient was subjected to history taking, clinical examination, routine preoperative investigations, preoperative TTE, perioperative TEE and Post recovery TTE. Results Our study population included 45 (90%) pediatric patients and 5(10%) adults. Youngest was 1year 2 months old and oldest was 25 years old. Their weight ranged from 8 to 85 Kg. TEE was feasible in 49 cases (98%) while the pediatric probe failed to be introduced in only one patient. TEE was able to visualize LM coronary artery in 96% of cases, and visualized RCA in 70% of cases. TEE newly detected a case with separate ostea of LAD and LCX. Only one patient developed non sustained runs of SVT There was significant difference between TEE and TTE as regard IAS visualization (P value 0.0001). All our patients had only subaortic VSD except 4 patients. Three had doubly commited subarterial VSD seen by both TTE and TEE, while one patient had subaortic VSD with inlet extension, which was visualized only by TEE. Postoperative TEE detected residual small VSD in 29 cases of whom 14 cases had the VSD closed spontaneously by the time of TTE. TEE missed small residual VSD in 3 cases. In one case postoperative TEE showed a serpignous mid muscular VSD which was not detected preoperatively. There was moderate agreement between TEE and TTE regarding overriding of aortic valve (weighted Kappa 0.580). There was strong agreement between TTE and TEE in assessment of postoperative PR (r o.8594, P 0.0001). Preoperative TEE showed major impact in 2 cases (4%). In one case total repair was decided instead of shunt operation. While in the other TEE newly detected TV chordae attached to IVS crest with inlet extension of VSD. Preoperative TEE had minor impact in 29 cases (59%) by adding new information which did not alter surgical plan, as visualization of coronaries and IAS. TEE showed major postoperative impact in 2 cases (4%) in the form of second run of CPB and RVOT reconstruction. Minor impact in the form of detection of relieved RVOT obstruction, absence of residual shunts, preserved biventricular function in 47 cases (94%). Conclusion TEE imaging is a safe, feasible, and accurate tool for anatomical, hemodynamic, and functional assessment in patients with TOF during surgical repair. TEE offers the advantage of permitting visualization of the operative procedure in real time and provides guidance for the surgeon in making decisions inside the operating room.