bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A magyar májátültetési program eredményeit befolyásoló egyes tényezők, különös tekintettel a hepatitis C-vírusrar
Authors: Nemes Balázs
Published: April 2008

Absztrakt

A szerző a magyarországi májátültetési program adatait elemzi (1995–2006 között), retrospektív vizsgálattal. A hepatitis C-vírus (HCV) talaján kialakult cirrhosis miatt végzett májátültetéseket külön elemzi. Összefüggést keres a korai C-vírus-rekurrencia és a szérumban mért HCV-RNS-titer, valamint a graftbiopsziákban észlelt szövettani elváltozások és a PCR-módszerrel vizsgált, endoplazmatikus reticulum stresszt moderáló hepatocellularis chaperonok expressiója között. Ismerteti, hogy a műtétek száma 10 év alatt megnégyszereződött. Az időszakokra bontott 1, 3 és 5 éves kumulatív betegtúlélés 55%, 45% és 39% (1995–1997), 72%, 64% és 61% (1998–2000), illetve 78%, 77% és 77% (2001–2004) volt. A teljes mortalitás 53%-ról 31%-ra, a 60 napon belüli halálozás 24%-ról 5%-ra csökkent. A HCV miatt transzplantált betegek 1, 3 és 5 éves kumulatív túlélése 64%, 55% és 51%, minden más krónikus indikáció esetén ez 73%, 66% és 63% volt. A HCV miatt transzplantáltaknál az 1 éven belül észlelt víruskiújulás aránya 43% volt összességében. A betegtúlélést befolyásoló tényezők Cox-regressziós multivariációs analízise alapján a műtét utáni veseelégtelenség, a hepaticus artéria thrombosisa, epeúti necrosis, cholangitis, valamint a pulmonalis és hasüregi fertőzés, intraoperatív kolloid infúzió (HES) és a vértranszfúzió mennyisége voltak. A HCV miatt májátültetett betegek posztoperatív biopsziáiban az XBP1, ATF6, HSP70, GRP98, GP96, Calnexin és Calreticulin chaperonok expressiója szignifikánsan magasabb volt az interferonkezelés előtt, mint egy év antivirális kezelés után, függetlenül a szérumban mért vírus-RNS-titertől. Acut rejectio esetén a chaperonexpressio szignifikánsan és nagyságrenddel kifejezettebb volt, mint a hepatitis C-vírus reaktivációjának szövettani jelei esetén. Megállapítja, hogy a HCV miatt végzett májátültetések után, a korai víruskiújulás összefüggésbe hozható a májátültetés után a szérumban mért emelkedett vírus-RNS-titerrel. Ez számszerűen is kifejezhető egy határérték formájában, amely felett a szövettani jelek és a klinikum is progresszív májkárosodást jelez. Ezeknél a betegeknél a statisztikai túlélés is rosszabb.
Pacemaker in MR: absolute contraindication?
Authors: Bogner Péter , Tóth Levente , Simor Tamás , Gulyás József , Lukács Gábor , Papp Lajos , Repa Imre
Published: April 2008

Az MR-vizsgálatok elterjedésével és a pacemaker-technológia fejlődésével bizonyos pacemakerimplantált betegekben is lehetőség nyílik az MR-vizsgálat elvégzésére. A pacemakerbeteg MR-vizsgálatának hazai gyakorlata szegényes, ugyanakkor egyre több irodalmi hivatkozás található a vizsgálatok biztonságos elvégezhetőségére. Célunk volt in vitro kísérletek, vizsgálatok alapján kidolgozni a pacemakerbeteg biztonságos vizsgálatának feltételrendszerét, és bizonyítani a vizsgálat potenciális szövődményeit. Megvizsgáltuk a hazánkban gyakran alkalmazott pacemakertípusok működését és az MR-készülékkel való kölcsönhatását 0,35 és 1,5 T térerejű készülékekben. Az ICD-pacemaker in vitro kísérletek alapján a statikus és változó mágneses térrel is interakciót mutatott, ami a készülék működését jelentősen befolyásolja. Pacemakerfüggő betegeknél az MR-vizsgálatot továbbra is abszolút kontraindikációnak kell tekinteni, de nem pacemakerfüggő betegnél az MR-vizsgálat elvégezhető a megfelelő személyi és tárgyi feltételekkel. A beteg széles körű tájékoztatása után a pacemakert az MR-vizsgálat időtartamára át kell programozni, a vizsgálat befejezésével ellenőrizni és az eredeti programot visszaállítani.
Antimicrobial therapy associated with preterm birth
Authors: Kazy Zoltán , Puhó Erzsébet , Czeizel Endre
Published: April 2008

A tanulmány célja 51 antimikrobiális gyógyszer hatásának vizsgálata a koraszülés csökkentésére. A szerzők fejlődési rendellenesség nélküli újszülötteket válogattak ki a Magyar Fejlődési Rendellenességek Eset-Kontroll Kóroki Monitorjának népességre alapozott nagy adatbázisából 1980–1996 között. Az orvosilag jelentett terhességi kort és a koraszülések arányát vizsgálták elsődlegesen, majd az antimikrobiális kezelés nélküli anyák újszülöttjeinek adatait hasonlították össze az antimikrobiális gyógyszert kapott anyák újszülöttjeinek adataival.
Eredmények:
38 151 anyánál 51 antimikrobiális gyógyszer hatását vizsgálták, és csak azokat a csoportokat dolgozták fel, ahol legalább 10 terhest kezeltek ugyanazzal a gyógyszerrel. Csak két gyógyszer: az ampicillin és a clotrimazol mutatott szembetűnő preventív hatást a koraszülésre, ha azt a terhesség első trimeszterében alkalmazták.
Következtetések:
az eredményeik felvetik, hogy az ampicillin és főleg a clotrimazol hatásos lehet a koraszülések számának csökkentésében, amelyek összefüggnek a terhesek fertőző betegségeivel.
Role of apoptosis in the kidney after reperfusion
Authors: Toronyi Éva
Published: April 2008

A szervtranszplantáció klinikai megvalósulása a 20. század orvostudományának egyik legfontosabb vívmánya. Az ischaemiareperfúzió befolyást gyakorol a transzplantált szerv azonnali és hosszú távú működésére. A szervtranszplantáció az ischaemiareperfúzió klinikai modelljének tekinthető.Célkitűzés:Az ischaemiareperfúzió során létrejött károsodások megelőzési lehetőségeinek vizsgálata, melyben az apoptosis kulcsfontosságú szerepet játszik.Módszerek:Humán vesetranszplantációban vizsgálták az apoptosist. Állatkísérletben átmeneti ischaemiát követően elemezték az apoptosis kialakulását, és megkísérelték kalciumantagonisták: verapamil, nifedipin, bepridil, fendilin, valamint a B-típusú monoamino-oxidáz irreverzíbilis szelektív inhibitor (–)-deprenyl (MAO-B) adásával megelőzni kialakulását.Eredmények:Transzplantált humán vesében mind apoptoticus, mind necroticus sejtek előfordulnak, regenerációs sejtproliferációs jelekkel kísérve. Patkányvesében a kalciumantagonisták csökkentették az apoptosis előfordulását. A (–)-deprenylnek preventív hatása volt a renalis tubularis sejtek ischaemiareperfúziót követő apoptosisának kialakulásában.Következtetések:A tubulussejtek funkcionális kapacitása szignifikánsan hozzájárul az adekvát veseműködéshez. A tubularis sejtek apoptosisának csökkentése feltehetően javíthatná a transzplantált vese funkcióját.
Pseudo-Bartter syndrome in a case of cystic fibrosis caused by C1529G and G3978A compound heterozygosity
Authors: Horvatovich Katalin , Örkényi Mária , Bíró Éva , Pongrácz Kálmán , Kisfali Péter , Talián Gábor , Csöngei Veronika , Járomi Luca , Sáfrány Enikő , Harangi Ferenc , Sulyok Endre , Melegh Béla
Published: April 2008

A beteg nyolc hónapos életkorban került vizsgálatra pár napja észlelt étvágytalanság és mérsékelt elesettség miatt. Laboratóriumi eredményei súlyos hypokalaemiát, hyponatraemiát és hypochloraemiás alkalosist mutattak. Mivel az alacsony szérumelektrolit-értékeknek megfelelően alacsony vizeletelektrolit-ürítés és emelkedett renin-, aldoszteronszint volt észlelhető, az állapot pszeudo-Bartter-szindrómának felelt meg. Felvetődött a mucoviscidosis diagnózisa, ezt az emelkedett verejtékkloridszint igazolta. A cisztás fibrosis transzmembrán regulátor gén 27 exonjának szekvenálása során a szerzők két, ritkán előforduló mutációt detektáltak kevert heterozigóta formában, az egyik a 10. exonban talált C1529G-, a másik a 20. exonban azonosított G3978A-mutáció. Ezek a cserék a mutáció helyén stopkodon létrejöttéhez vezetnek mindkét allélon (S466X és W1282X). A mutációk közül az első hordozását az egyébként tünetmentes anyában, az utóbbiét a szintén panaszmentes apában sikerült kimutatni. A gyermekben és az anyában a fentiek mellett a 17-es exonban még egy G3341A-mutációt is találtak, ami elméletileg R1070Q-aminosav-cserével is jár. A gyakorlatban azonban ez nem következhet be a gyermekben a C1529G-mutációval társuló stopkodon kialakulása miatt, így következménnyel sem kell számolni. Ezek az eltérések ΔF508-mutációval kombinálva eltérő súlyosságú tüneteket okoznak a különböző betegekben; együttes előfordulásukról azonban a szerzőknek nincs ismeretük. A beteg másfél éves nyomon követése során a kórlefolyás benignusnak tűnt.
Frequency of coagulopathies in cases with post-tonsillectomy bleeding
Authors: Gerlinger Imre , Török László , Nagy Ágnes , Patzkó Ágnes , Losonczy Hajna , Pytel József
Published: April 2008

A tonsillectomiát követő legsúlyosabb komplikáció az utóvérzés. Primer post-tonsillectomiás vérzésről akkor beszélünk, ha az a műtétet követően a nem megfelelően ellátott artériák vérzése miatt 24 órán belül fordul elő. Szekunder post-tonsillectomiás vérzés esetében a komplikáció az 1–10. posztoperatív nap egyikén, legnagyobb gyakorisággal az 5–8. napon jelentkezik. A szekunder vérzések rizikófaktorait illetően az irodalom rendkívül ellentmondásos.
Célkitűzés:
A szerzők azt a kérdést vizsgálták, hogy a rejtett coagulopathiáknak van-e oki szerepe a post-tonsillectomiás vérzésekben, valamint hogy a műtét előtti általános hematológiai szűrésnek van-e létjogosultsága.
Módszer:
Vizsgálataik során a 2002 és 2004 között a PTE Fül-orr-gégészeti és Fej-nyaksebészeti Klinikájára utóvérzés miatt felvett 115 beteg közül 107 esetben (59 nő, 48 férfi, átlagéletkor 29 év ± 10,9 év) kezdeményeztek utánvizsgálatot a thrombocytaszám, a vérzési idő, a trombinidő (TI), az aktivált parciális tromboplasztinidő (aPTI), a protrombin/INR ráta és a fibrinogénszint meghatározásával.
Eredmények:
Az utánvizsgálaton 58 beteg vett részt, közülük 28 esetben (49%) észleltünk kóros értékeket. A kóros értékeket mutatók számára javasolt izolált faktormeghatározáson 19 beteg (68%) vett részt, végül 2 betegben, az utánvizsgálaton megjelentek 3,4%-ában igazolták a korábban nem ismeretes, rejtett coagulopathiát (egy esetben izolált VII. faktorszintcsökkenést, egy esetben kombinált VII. és XII. faktorszintcsökkenést). Meglepő, hogy 3, anticoncipienst szedő nőbetegben trombózisra hajlamosító IX. faktorszint-emelkedést diagnosztizáltak.
Következtetések:
Vizsgálataikból számos gyakorlati következtetés vonható le: 1. a mindenkire kiterjedő szűrés nem tűnik költséghatékonynak; 2. elsősorban gyermekkorban és pozitív családi anamnézis esetében, valamint pozitív fizikális vizsgálat és gyanút keltő preoperatív anamnesztikus adatok (ismételt orrvérzések!) ismeretében a coagulopathia oka lehet az utóvérzésnek; 3. a legérzékenyebb haemostaseologiai paraméter beteganyagukban az aktivált parciális tromboplasztinidő (aPTI) volt (15/28 kóros érték); 4. a coagulopathia az esetek többségében öröklődő betegség, ezért egy beteg diagnosztizálása segíthet a családtagok vérzékenységének felderítésében is; 5. a szekunder utóvérzések döntő többsége bipoláris olló és bipoláris csipesz használata mellett fordult elő; 6. ugyancsak fontos tanulság, hogy a vérzési idő korrekt vizsgálatára csakis az Ivy-módszer a megbízható technika.
The first case of single pancreas transplantation in Hungary
Authors: Szakály Péter , Kalmár Nagy Károly , Wittmann István
Published: April 2008

Az 1-es típusú inzulindependens cukorbetegség veseelégtelenséggel szövődött esetében a kombinált hasnyálmirigy- és veseátültetés az egyetlen olyan rutineljárás, mely inzulin nélkül normoglycaemiássá teszi a beteget jó vesefunkció mellett. A cukorbetegek egy részénél megtartott vesefunkció mellett is kialakulhat számos szövődmény. Ilyen esetben lehet választandó eljárás a hasnyálmirigy önmagában történő átültetése. 6 évvel hasnyálmirigy-transzplantációs programunk elindítását követően elvégeztük az első szóló hasnyálmirigy-átültetést. A beteg egy 40 éves férfi volt. Enterális drenázst alkalmaztunk portális vénás drenázs mellett. Időben kiterjesztett indukciós kezelésre IL-2-receptor-gátlót használtunk. A műtétből eredő technikai és immunológiai nehézségek ellenére szövődményünk nem volt, illetőleg kilökődést nem észleltünk. 3 évvel a műtét után betegünk életminősége jó, vesefunkciója megtartott, és nem szorul inzulinkezelésre. Összefoglalva megállapíthatjuk, hogy a szoliter hasnyálmirigy-átültetés rutinszerűen jó eredményekkel használható terápiás lehetőség az I-es típusú cukorbetegség veseelégtelenséggel nem komplikált eseteiben.
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
Authors: Vas Tibor , Degrell Péter , Pintér István , Késői István , Kovács Tibor , Nagy Judit
Published: April 2008

A focalis segmentalis glomerulosclerosis fénymikroszkópos vizsgálattal látható jellegzetes morfológiájú glomeruluskárosodás, többféle szövettani altípussal és változó klinikai képpel. A különböző szövettani variánsokat újabban rendszerezték (Columbia-klasszifikáció). A glomeruluskárosodás mindegyik variánsnál a podocytákat érinti, ezért újabban a focalis segmentalis glomerulosclerosist a podocytopathiák fő típusának tartják. A primer (ismeretlen eredetű) formák mellett egyre nő a secunder focalis segmentalis glomerulosclerosisok száma is. A terápiás lehetőségek között új elem az általános vesevédő kezelés kiterjedt alkalmazása és egyes primer idiopathiás esetekben a szteroidkezelés megnyújtása.
Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being among Hong Kong Chinese Older Adults: Exploring the Moderating Role of Self-Construal
Authors: Poon Cecilia Y. M. , Fung Helene H.
Published: April 2008

This study examined the association between physical activity (PA) and psychological well-being—self-esteem and relatedness satisfaction—among 102 Hong Kong Chinese older adults. It also tested whether independent-interdependent self-construal moderated the association. Physical activity, self esteem, relatedness satisfaction, and self-construal were measured by the Yale Physical Activity Scale, the Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, the Relatedness Satisfaction subscale of the Basic Need Satisfaction in General Questionnaire, and Gudykunst, Matsunoto, Ting-Toomey, and Nishida's (1996) Self-Construal Scale respectively. Findings revealed a positive association between PA and relatedness satisfaction, but not self-esteem. Interdependent self-construal moderated the relationship between physical exercise and relatedness satisfaction. These findings suggest that PA may be psychologically beneficial to older adults across cultures, but its benefits may depend on cultural emphasis and individual self-construal.
The Relationship between Grandparent Satisfaction, Meaning, and Generativity
Authors: Thiele Dianne M. , Whelan Thomas A.
Published: April 2008

This study investigated predictors of grandparent satisfaction. Participants were 149 non-custodial grandparents (100 grandmothers, 49 grandfathers) aged up to 80 years. They completed grandparent satisfaction, meaning, and generativity scales, and indicated levels of weekly childcare contact with grandchildren. As expected, increasing levels of generativity predicted greater satisfaction, as did valued elder and centrality meanings. Unexpectedly, reinvolvement, immortality, and indulgence meanings were not predictors, nor was childcare contact. There was only partial support for grandparent gender as a predictor: being a grandmother predicted greater satisfaction, but this effect disappeared when the meaning and generativity variables were included in the analysis. In conclusion, the findings highlight the significance the role can have for many grandparents. Grandparenting can be satisfying because it provides a sense of purpose, and feeling of being valued during middle and later life when generative developmental needs are greatest.
Normative Beliefs about Sharing Housing with an Older Family Member
Authors: Coleman Marilyn , Ganong Lawrence
Published: April 2008

The aims of this study were: a) to examine general perceptions of filial obligations toward sharing housing with older parents and stepparents; and b) to assess the effects of selected contextual factors on those normative beliefs. A national sample of 579 men and 582 women (mean age = 44.6, SD = 17.2) responded to a multiple segment factorial vignette in which an older parent or stepparent was portrayed as needing help with housing. Respondents thought that parents should be helped more than stepparents, younger adults with greater resources were more obligated to help older parents and stepparents than were those with meager resources, and older parents and stepparents with greater need acuity were expected to be helped more than older parents and stepparents with less serious housing needs. Attitudes about co-residence were based on family obligation norms, beliefs about repaying older adults for past help, perceived relationship quality, other demands on the younger adult's resources, the older person's resources, and moral responsibilities to assist.
The Link between Successful Aging and Serious Leisure
Authors: Brown Carroll A. , McGuire Francis A. , Voelkl Judith
Published: April 2008

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine whether engagement in a serious leisure activity provided older adults opportunities for successful aging. Data were collected through in-depth interviews at shag dance festivals in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. To provide structure for the interview, a general interview guide consisting of open-ended questions was used. A total of 31 interviews were conducted with 25 individuals and 6 couples, between 60 and 82 years of age. During the analysis stage, the constant comparative method was used to analyze the data. Themes that emerged support the idea that shag dancing is a form of serious leisure for older adults and support the role of serious leisure in successful aging. The narratives provided by the informants illustrate the powerful role serious leisure can play in an individual's life and point toward the value of serious leisure as an approach that holds promise for recreators working to help older individuals experience successful aging.
Interrelationships of Parapsychological Experiences, Dream Recall, and Lucid Dreams in a Survey with Predominantly Spanish Participants
Authors: Alvarado Carlos S. , Zingrone Nancy L.
Published: April 2008

Previous questionnaire studies of parapsychological experiences have found significant interrelations between the experiences in question and dream experiences. In this study we present a replication of these relationships using a nationality of participants neglected in previous studies, a predominantly Spanish sample. A questionnaire was published in a Spanish New Age magazine. Four hundred and ninety-two questionnaires were received. Most of the parapsychological experiences correlated significantly and positively with each other and with dream recall and lucid dream frequency (Bonferroni-corrected). The results are consistent with the idea discussed in terms of boundary thinness, dissociation, and fantasy proneness that there is a disposition, or openness in some individuals to have or to believe they have had seemingly parapsychological experiences.
Letter to the Editor: “Protective Bystander Effects Simulated with the State-Vector Model”—Hela X Skin Exposure to 137CS not Protective Bystander Response but Mammogram and Diagnostic X-Rays are
Authors: Leonard Bobby E.
Published: April 2008

The recent Dose Response journal article “Protective Bystander Effects Simulated with the State-Vector Model” ( Schollnberger and Eck1 2007 ) identified the suppressive (below natural occurring, zero primer dose, spontaneous level) dose response for HeLa x skin exposure to 137Cs gamma rays ( Redpath et al 2001 ) as a protective Bystander Effect (BE) behavior. I had previously analyzed the Redpath et al (2001) data with a Microdose Model and conclusively showed that the suppressive response was from Adaptive Response (AR) radio-protection ( Leonard 2005 , 2007a ). The significance of my microdose analysis has been that low LET radiation induced single (i.e. only one) charged particle traversals through a cell can initiate a Poisson distributed activation of AR radio-protection. The purpose of this correspondence is to clarify the distinctions relative to the BE and the AR behaviors for the Redpath groups 137Cs data, show conversely however that the Redpath group data for mammography ( Ko et al 2004 ) and diagnostic ( Redpath et al 2003 ) X-rays do conclusively reflect protective bystander behavior and also herein emphasize the need for radio-biologist to apply microdosimetry in planning and analyzing their experiments for BE and AR. Whether we are adamantly pro-LNT, adamantly anti-LNT or, like most of us, just simple scientists searching for the truth in radio-biology, it is important that we accurately identify our results, especially when related to the LNT hypothesis controversy.
An Experimental Investigation of Self-Serving Biases in an Auditing Trust Game: The Effect of Group Affiliation
Authors: King Ronald R.
Published: April 2008

I report the results of an experiment designed to investigate the influence of noncredible communications and group affiliation on auditors' formation of self-serving bias. I find that manager-subjects use noncredible communications to induce auditors to develop an unwarranted trust of managers (i.e., a biased judgment). However, the bias is neutralized when auditor-subjects belong to groups that create social pressure to conform to group norms. Thus, my finding calls into question the Bazerman et al. (1997) conclusion that auditors cannot conduct impartial audits due to self-serving biases resulting from repeated interactions between auditors and their clients.
Do Conference Calls Affect Analysts' Forecasts?
Authors: Bowen Robert M. , Davis Angela K. , Matsumoto Dawn A.
Published: April 2008

In 1998, the SEC expressed concern that conference calls encourage selective disclosure by revealing new information to financial analysts privy to the call. This study investigates whether the regular use of earnings-related conference calls increases the amount of information available to financial analysts by examining the effect of conference calls on analysts' forecast error and dispersion. Results indicate that conference calls increase analysts' ability to forecast earnings accurately, suggesting that these calls increase the total information available about a firm. We also find some evidence that conference calls decrease dispersion among analysts. Given conference calls were generally restricted during our sample period, our evidence suggests that conference calls may have contributed to an information gap between analysts privy to the call and the remainder of the investment community.

We also investigate whether conference calls differentially affect analysts' forecast errors depending on analysts' prior forecasting ability or brokerage-house affiliation. We find evidence suggesting that analysts with relatively weak prior forecasting performance benefit more from conference calls, suggesting that conference calls help “level the playing field” across analysts.
The Effect of Mandated Market Risk Disclosures on Trading Volume Sensitivity to Interest Rate, Exchange Rate, and Commodity Price Movements
Authors: Linsmeier Thomas J. , Thornton Daniel B. , Venkatachalam Mohan , Welker Michael
Published: April 2008

We hypothesize that firms' 10-K market risk disclosures, recently mandated by SEC Financial Reporting Release No. 48 (FRR No. 48), reduce investors' uncertainty and diversity of opinion about the implications, for firm value, of changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, and commodity prices. We argue that this reduced uncertainty and diversity of opinion should dampen trading volume sensitivity to changes in these underlying market rates or prices. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find that after firms disclose FRR No. 48-mandated information about their exposures to interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, and energy prices, trading volume sensitivity to changes in these underlying market rates and prices declines, even after controlling for other factors associated with trading volume. The observed declines in trading volume sensitivity are consistent with FRR No. 48 market risk disclosures providing useful information to investors.
Do Firms Use Restructuring Charge Reversals to Meet Earnings Targets?
Authors: Moehrle Stephen R.
Published: April 2008

Many firms that take restructuring charges reverse a portion of those restructuring charge accruals in a later quarter. These reversals increase net income, often substantially. In this study, I investigate whether restructuring charge reversals are associated with incentives to meet or exceed analysts' forecasts, avoid earnings declines relative to prior-year levels, and avoid losses. I examine both the decision to record a reversal and the amount of the reversal, using a sample of 121 reversals recorded between 1990 and 1999. The results suggest that some firms record reversals to beat analysts' forecasts and to avoid reporting net losses. There is also some evidence that firms record reversals to avoid earnings declines. Overall, the results are consistent with firms using restructuring accrual reversals to manage earnings.
International Diversification and Analysts' Forecast Accuracy and Bias
Authors: Duru Augustine , Reeb David M.
Published: April 2008

We investigate the association between corporate international diversification and the accuracy and bias of consensus analysts' earnings forecasts. We find that greater corporate international diversification is associated with less accurate and more optimistic forecasts. Our results suggest that international diversification reflects unique dimensions of forecasting difficulty that are not captured in previously identified determinants. This evidence suggests that as firms become more geographically diversified, forecasting their earnings becomes more complex.
Do Nonaudit Services Compromise Auditor Independence? Further Evidence
Authors: Ashbaugh Hollis , LaFond Ryan , Mayhew Brian W.
Published: April 2008

This paper challenges the findings of Frankel et al. (2002) (FJN). The results of our discretionary accruals tests differ from FJN's when we adjust discretionary current accruals for firm performance. In our earnings benchmark tests, in contrast to FJN we find no statistically significant association between firms meeting analyst forecasts and auditor fees. Our market reaction tests also provide different results than those reported by FJN. Overall, our study indicates that FJN's results are sensitive to research design choices, and we find no systematic evidence supporting their claim that auditors violate their independence as a result of clients purchasing relatively more nonaudit services.
Earnings Predictability and the Direction of Analysts' Earnings Forecast Errors
Authors: Eames Michael J. , Glover Steven M.
Published: April 2008

Das et al. (1998) suggest that as earnings become less predictable, analysts issue increasingly optimistic forecasts to please managers and consequently gain, or at least limit the loss of, access to managers' private information. We reexamine the association between earnings forecast error and earnings predictability because there is evidence suggesting that deliberate earnings forecast optimism is not an effective mechanism for gaining access to managers' information (e.g., Eames et al. 2002; Matsumoto 2002). We document associations between earnings level and both forecast error and earnings predictability. These associations suggest that earnings level may be an important control variable when examining the association between forecast error and earnings predictability. When we control for the level of earnings we find no significant association between forecast error and earnings predictability. Thus, we find no evidence that analysts intentionally issue optimistically biased earnings forecasts.
Subjectivity and the Weighting of Performance Measures: Evidence from a Balanced Scorecard
Authors: Ittner Christopher D. , Larcker David F. , Meyer Marshall W.
Published: April 2008

This study examines how different types of performance measures were weighted in a subjective balanced scorecard bonus plan adopted by a major financial services firm. Drawing upon economic and psychological studies on performance evaluation and compensation criteria, we develop hypotheses regarding the weights placed on different types of measures. We find that the subjectivity in the scorecard plan allowed superiors to reduce the “balance” in bonus awards by placing most of the weight on financial measures, to incorporate factors other than the scorecard measures in performance evaluations, to change evaluation criteria from quarter to quarter, to ignore measures that were predictive of future financial performance, and to weight measures that were not predictive of desired results. This evidence suggests that psychology-based explanations may be equally or more relevant than economicsbased explanations in explaining the firm's measurement practices. The high level of subjectivity in the balanced scorecard plan led many branch managers to complain about favoritism in bonus awards and uncertainty in the criteria being used to determine rewards. The system ultimately was abandoned in favor of a formulaic bonus plan based solely on revenues.
The Effect of Quality Assessment and Directional Goal Commitment on Auditors' Acceptance of Client-Preferred Accounting Methods
Authors: Kadous Kathryn , Kennedy S. Jane , Peecher Mark E.
Published: April 2008

Previous research demonstrates that auditors' directional goals influence their reporting decisions. For example, when auditors have goals of accepting client-preferred accounting methods, they tend to exploit ambiguity in reporting standards to justify those methods, even when they are aggressive (Hackenbrack and Nelson 1996). We report an experimental investigation of the likely effectiveness of regulation designed to curb this tendency. Specifically, regulators suggest that having auditors identify benchmarks or assess the quality of various methods will “raise the bar” for method acceptability, thereby reducing auditor acceptance of aggressive reporting methods. However, this reasoning ignores the fact that ambiguity typically surrounds quality assessment. Following motivated reasoning theory, we argue that, in order to meet the increased standard for acceptability, auditors with high commitment to directional goals will exploit the ambiguity surrounding the quality of various methods when making quality assessments, with the result that the client-preferred method will be deemed best, or at least of high enough relative quality to be used. This theory suggests that auditor acceptance will increase with goal commitment, and that the increase will be most dramatic when quality assessment is performed. Results of our experiment support our hypotheses that performing a quality assessment amplifies the effects of auditors' directional goals on their acceptance of client-preferred methods and on their ratings of the quality of that method. Moreover, auditors making quality assessments are more likely to identify the client's method as the most appropriate method when they are more committed to their directional goals. An implication of our theory and results is that regulation (such as SAS No. 90) that requires auditors to make quality assessments may decrease auditors' objectivity when auditors have directional goals to accept client methods.
Exploring the Term of the Auditor-Client Relationship and the Quality of Earnings: A Case for Mandatory Auditor Rotation?
Authors: Myers James N. , Myers Linda A. , Omer Thomas C.
Published: April 2008

In this study, we document evidence on the relation between auditor tenure and earnings quality using the dispersion and sign of both absolute Jones-model abnormal accruals and absolute current accruals as proxies for earnings quality. Our study is motivated by calls for “mandatory auditor rotation,” which are based on concerns that longer auditor tenure reduces earnings quality. Multivariate results, controlling for firm age, size, industry growth, cash flows, auditor type (Big N versus non-Big N), industry, and year, generally suggest higher earnings quality with longer auditor tenure. We interpret our results as suggesting that, in the current environment, longer auditor tenure, on average, results in auditors placing greater constraints on extreme management decisions in the reporting of financial performance.
Effects of Authoritative Guidance Availability and Audit Committee Effectiveness on Auditors' Judgments in an Auditor-Client Negotiation Context
Authors: Ng Terence Bu-Peow , Tan Hun-Tong
Published: April 2008

In this paper, we present the results of an experiment that investigates the effects of two contextual features—the availability of authoritative guidance and the effectiveness of the client's audit committee—on auditors' perceived outcome of auditor-client negotiations concerning an audit adjustment that affects the client's ability to meet analysts' forecasts. Results show that auditors' perceived negotiation outcome is jointly influenced by authoritative guidance availability and audit committee effectiveness. Specifically, authoritative guidance availability has a greater effect on auditors' perceived negotiation outcome in the absence of an effective audit committee than in its presence. We also find that concessionary moves by the client increase auditors' propensity to concede to the client's preferred position.
Materiality Uncertainty and Earnings Misstatement
Authors: Patterson Evelyn R. , Smith Reed
Published: April 2008

The concept of materiality provides a basis for auditors to ignore small misstatements, but the definition of “small” in this context is ambiguous. The issue of “materiality-standard-setting” has been raised recently by Arthur Levitt, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. We examine how materiality uncertainty affects the auditor's evaluation of audit evidence and a manager's choice of earnings overstatement in a strategic auditing model where earnings misstatements also include unintentional system error. We find that when the expected cost of accepting financial statements that are materially misstated, which we refer to as an audit failure, is relatively large, an increase in materiality uncertainty results in a more conservative auditor evaluation of the audit evidence and a decrease in the amount of intentional overstatement. Alternatively, if the auditor's expected cost of extending audit procedures is relatively high, then an increase in materiality uncertainty results in a less conservative auditor evaluation of the audit evidence and an increase in the manager's earnings overstatement. The auditor also becomes increasingly conservative as the report increases when the information system is sufficiently noisy. Finally, when the expected cost of audit failure is large, the equilibrium audit risk can increase or decrease in materiality uncertainty despite the corresponding increase in auditor conservatism and decrease in intentional overstatement. Audit risk is the average probability of audit failure across all possible evidence outcomes.
Corporate Tax-Planning Effectiveness: The Role of Compensation-Based Incentives
Authors: Phillips John D.
Published: April 2008

This study investigates whether compensating chief executive officers and business-unit managers using after-tax accounting-based performance measures leads to lower effective tax rates, the empirical surrogate used for tax-planning effectiveness. Utilizing proprietary compensation data obtained in a survey of corporate executives, the relation between effective tax rates and after-tax performance measures is modeled and estimated using a two-step approach that corrects for the endogeneity bias associated with firms' decisions to compensate managers on a pre- versus after-tax basis. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that compensating business-unit managers, but not chief executive officers, on an after-tax basis leads to lower effective tax rates.
The Contribution of Fundamental Analysis after a Currency Devaluation
Authors: Swanson Edward P. , Rees Lynn , Juarez-Valdes Luis Felipe
Published: April 2008

For a sample of companies traded on the Mexican Bolsa, fundamental analysis is used to investigate the value of financial statement information to investors after the December 1994 currency devaluation. Associations with contemporary returns show that earnings in the year of the devaluation lose value relevance, but fundamental signals, which incorporate the more detailed accounting information provided in financial statements, retain considerable explanatory power (R2 is 25 percent). After the devaluation, fundamental signals based on changes in selling and administrative expenses and changes in gross margin are significant in several analyses, including predictions of future earnings, analysts' forecast revisions, and analysts' forecast errors. Because analysts underutilize those signals, an opportunity exists after the devaluation for a substantial profit from a zero investment trading strategy.
Linking Balanced Scorecard Measures to Size and Market Factors: Impact on Organizational Performance
Authors: Hoque Zahirul , James Wendy
Published: April 2008

This paper examines the relationship between organization size, product life-cycle stage, market position, balanced scorecard (BSC) usage and organizational performance. Using financial and nonfinancial measures, the BSC appraises four dimensions of performance: customers, financial (or shareholders), learning and growth, and internal aspects. Based on a survey of 66 Australian manufacturing companies, the paper suggests that larger firms make more use of a BSC. In addition, firms that have a higher proportion of new products have a greater tendency to make use of measures related to new products. A firm's market position has not been found to be associated significantly with greater BSC usage. The paper also suggests that greater BSC usage is associated with improved performance, but this relationship does not depend significantly on organization size, product life cycle, or market position.
Second-Order Uncertainty in Accounting Information and Bilateral Bargaining Costs
Authors: Haka Susan F. , Luft Joan L. , Ballou Brian
Published: April 2008

Bargaining costs have been identified as a key determinant of the organization of economic activity, and accounting information plays a significant role in contracts created through bargaining. Properties of accounting information systems can increase or decrease the uncertainty associated with accounting-based payoffs; we show in a bilateral bargaining setting that increased uncertainty leads to increased delays in reaching agreement and increased premiums for the party bearing the uncertainty. We examine two types of uncertainty: first-order (uncertainty about outcomes) and second-order (uncertainty about the probability distributions of outcomes). At a moderately high level of first-order uncertainty, we find that an accounting information system that lowers second-order uncertainty halves the time bargainers need to reach agreement and decreases the premium paid to the bargainer bearing increased risk by 43 percent. The fact that bargaining efficiency gains can arise from accounting systems that reduce second-order uncertainty can help explain the choices firms make in designing and operating their accounting information systems.
The Cost of System Congestion: Evidence from the Healthcare Sector
Authors: Balakrishnan Ramji , Soderstrom Naomi S.
Published: April 2008

We investigate the cost of system congestion using data from 225,473 maternity admissions at 30 hospitals in the state of Washington. We identify congested days using the distribution of patient admissions for each hospital-year combination and use the rate of Caesarian sections (C-sections) as the proxy for the cost of congestion. We use two separate logistic regressions to investigate the relation between congestion and the decision to operate. The first regression includes data from the full sample of patients. Contrary to expectations, we find that congestion does not increase C-section rates. We estimate the second regression using data only from those patients classified as being at risk for a C-section and find that congestion does lead to increased C-section rates. The difference obtains because our full sample analyses do not control for physician incentives to classify patients as being “at risk,” and whether the patient is “at risk” is included as a control in the regression. The nature of our findings also suggests that the cost of congestion manifests itself in subtle ways, underscoring the importance of understanding the specifics of the process when we examine issues such as the cost of congestion.
Cost Knowledge and Cost-Based Judgment Performance
Authors: Dearman David T. , Shields Michael D.
Published: April 2008

This paper reports evidence on how managers' cost knowledge affects their cost-based judgment performance when a volume-based cost accounting system is used and products have diverse resource consumption. The evidence indicates that managers who have activity-based costing (ABC) knowledge content and/or an activity knowledge structure debias the cost information to have relatively good judgment performance. In contrast, managers with only cost-accounting knowledge content have relatively poor judgment performance. The judgment performance model (Libby and Luft 1993) provides the theoretical framework for this paper. Implications of this paper for future research are discussed.
Interdependencies in Organization Design: A Test in Hospitals
Authors: Abernethy Margaret A. , Lillis Anne M.
Published: April 2008

While there have been numerous empirical and theoretical contributions in both the accounting and management literatures examining independently the implications of strategy and structure on control system design, there has been little research examining the interdependencies among the various elements of organization design. Hospitals represent an empirical setting where a diversity of structural arrangements and strategic orientations are both readily observable and recognized as having implications for other elements of control systems. Using data collected from chief executive officers and medical directors in hospitals, this study examines how strategic choices influence adaptations in structure and performance measurement systems. The findings from this study suggest that there are significant interdependencies between strategic choice, structure, and performance measurement system design and that when the separate elements of organization design complement each other, performance is enhanced.
Exploring Downsizing: A Case Study on the Use of Accounting Information
Authors: Radcliffe Vaughan S. , Campbell David R. , Fogarty Timothy J.
Published: April 2008

The restructuring of large corporations has become a regular part of business in the last two decades. Nonetheless, very little study of this phenomenon has been conducted. This paper reports on qualitative fieldwork conducted at three large corporations. Three ideal types for downsizing efforts are proposed. In addition, common influences upon all three are developed. The role of management accounting in the process and its outcomes is analyzed.
The Impact of Activity-Based Costing Techniques on Firm Performance
Authors: Kennedy Tom , Affleck-Graves John
Published: April 2008

Given the debate in both the professional and scholarly literature on the effectiveness of management accounting systems in the contemporary business environment, there is a need to understand more about the impact of activity-based costing (ABC). In this paper, we show that the choice of a management accounting system, such as ABC, may have a significant impact on firm value. Specifically, for a sample of U.K. firms, we show that firms adopting activity-based costing techniques outperform matched non-ABC firms by approximately 27 percent over the three years beginning on January 1 of the year in which the ABC techniques are first implemented. This result is robust to different matching criteria and for both accounting and market-based measures of performance. Further analysis suggests that ABC adds to firm value through better cost controls and asset utilization, coupled with greater use of financial leverage.
A Critical Overview of the Use of Full-Cost Data for Planning and Pricing
Authors: Balakrishnan Ramji , Sivaramakrishnan K.
Published: April 2008

Surveys show that many firms use full cost to set prices. However, principles of relevant costing imply that product prices should be independent of how a firm allocates fixed manufacturing cost to products. Recent research tries to resolve this conflict between theory and practice by expanding the scope of the problem; pricing is only one part of the larger problem of determining which products to keep and which products to drop, how much capacity to install, and how to allocate available capacity among the products. An emerging view is that we must jointly consider the capacity-planning and product-pricing problems to clarify the role of full costing in these decisions. In this article we provide a critical overview of the results from this research, highlight how a combination of analytic and numerical methods have contributed to our understanding, and suggest directions for future research.
Capacity Planning and Pricing under Uncertainty
Authors: Göx Robert F.
Published: April 2008

This paper analyzes a capacity-planning and pricing problem of a monopolist facing uncertain demand. The model incorporates “soft” and “hard” capacity constraints (soft constraints can be relaxed at a cost while hard constraints cannot be relaxed) and demand uncertainty. The firm receives additional demand information within the plan-ning horizon. The solution to the planning problem depends crucially on what is known about demand at the time of the capacity decision as well as the pricing decision. Historical acquisition costs of capacity are relevant for pricing whenever the same information is available for capacity planning and pricing. However, when the firm re-ceives additional demand information before making the pricing decision, only marginal cost is relevant for pricing. Different types of capacity constraints, i.e., soft vs. hard, affect how much capacity the firm obtains, but not how the firm sets prices.
Product Costing and Pricing under Long-Term Capacity Commitment
Authors: Banker Rajiv D. , Hwang Iny , Mishra Birendra K.
Published: April 2008

We develop a model to analyze optimal product-costing and pricing decisions in a dynamic information environment under long-term-capacity commitment. The arrival of new information about demand and cost parameters each period makes the problem complex. The optimal prices and capacity choices in our model cannot be decoupled as in Banker and Hughes' (1994) single-period model.

The optimal prices are based on product costs that are adjusted each period to reflect changes in expected variable costs as well as utilization of fixed activity resources. The charge for each fixed resource is monotonically increasing in the expected demand for that resource in each state given the optimal capacity choice. The average optimal prices across periods and states are similar to Banker and Hughes' (1994) benchmark prices.

Finally, we investigate a two-period version of the model to explore the optimality of carrying idle capacity. The optimal product-cost charge for fixed capacity is strictly less in the first period than in the second period when the firm expects demand growth.
Factor Choice Distortion under Cost-Based Reimbursement
Authors: Christensen John , Demski Joel S.
Published: April 2008

We study a setting in which a firm faces commercial and cost-reimbursed products, and, following Rogerson (1992), examine the factor choice distortions that are induced by the cost-based reimbursement arrangement. The firm's technology is separable, which allows us to rationalize fully an ABC procedure (given constant returns to scale) and also allows us to document whether the distortions occur in the direct or indirect subcost functions. The location and magnitude of the distortions depend on the precise costing procedure, but the preference for an ABC versus traditional procedure is far more subtle. Absent constant returns, any (linear) accounting procedure invites factor distortions because of the cost-reimbursement feedback, but the economic impact of these distortions depends on the technology, the relative prices, and the costing procedure.