Income taxes. Income tax expense (or benefit) for each year is allocated to continuing operations, discontinued operations, extraordinary items, other comprehensive income, and other charges or credits recorded directly to stockholders’ equity. This allocation is commonly referred to as intra-period tax allocation as outlined in ASC 740, Income Taxes ("ASC 740"). When considering intra-period tax allocations, a company also should consider the accounting for income taxes in interim periods. ASC 740-20-45-7 requires that the tax effect of pretax income from continuing operations be determined without regard to the tax effects of items not included in continuing operations. This is commonly referred to as the "incremental approach" where the tax provision is generally calculated for continuing operations without regard to other items.

ASC 740 also includes an exception to the general principle of intra-period tax allocation discussed above. This exception requires that all items (i.e., extraordinary items, discontinued operations, and so forth, including items charged or credited directly to other comprehensive income) be considered in determining the amount of tax benefit that results from a loss from continuing operations. That is, when a company has a current period loss from continuing operations, management must consider income recorded in other categories in determining the tax benefit that is allocated to continuing operations.

The exception in ASC 740 applies in all situations in which there is a loss from continuing operations and income from other items outside of continuing operations. This would include situations in which a company has recorded a full valuation allowance at the beginning and end of the period and the overall tax provision for the year is zero (i.e., a benefit would be recognized in continuing operations even though the loss from continuing operations does not provide a current year incremental tax benefit). The ASC 740 exception, however, only relates to the allocation of the current year tax provision (which may be zero) and does not change a company’s overall tax provision. While intra-period tax allocation in general does not change the overall tax provision, it may result in a gross-up of the individual components, thereby changing the amount of tax provision included in each category.

The determination of the consolidated provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances requires management to make judgments and estimates. As a company with subsidiaries in foreign jurisdictions, the process of calculating income taxes involves estimating current tax obligations and exposures in each jurisdiction as well as making judgments regarding the future recoverability of deferred tax assets. Income earned in the United Arab Emirates ("U.A.E.") is not subject to local country income tax. Additionally, the relative proportion of taxable income earned domestically versus internationally can fluctuate significantly from period to period. Changes in the estimated level of annual pre-tax income, tax laws and the results of tax audits can affect the overall effective income tax rate, which impacts the level of income tax expense and net income. Judgments and estimates related to the Company's projections and assumptions are inherently uncertain; therefore, actual results could differ materially from projections.

Changes in tax laws and rates may affect recorded deferred tax assets and liabilities and the Company's effective tax rate in the future. On September 19, 2013, the U.S. Department of Treasury finalized tangible property regulations and reissued in proposed form the regulations addressing accounting for the disposal of components of tangible property. These proposed regulations generally apply to taxable years beginning in 2014, with the option for early adoption. Because changes in tax law are accounted for in the period of enactment, certain provisions of the legislation could impact the Company’s classification of its deferred tax assets and liabilities on the balance sheet but are not expected to have a material effect on the Company’s effective tax rate. The adoption of the regulations is expected to primarily affect timing and is not likely to have a material impact on the financial statements.

The Company periodically reviews the adequacy of its valuation allowance in all of the tax jurisdictions in which it operates and may make further adjustments based on management's outlook for continued profits in each jurisdiction.

The Company's consolidated effective tax rate ("ETR") from continuing operations was (0.7)% and (4.4)% for the nine months ended October 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The October 31, 2013 computation of the ETR was affected primarily by the $0.7 million release of the full valuation allowance related to the Company's deferred tax assets in Saudi Arabia. As a result of two quarters of positive operating income as well as management's expectations of this subsidiary's profitability for the fiscal year 2013, the Company believes the second quarter was the appropriate time to release the valuation allowance. These foreign earnings are considered to be indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S. The Company does not believe that it will be necessary to repatriate equity investments in subsidiaries held outside of the U.S.

At January 31, 2013, the Company established a full valuation allowance on domestic deferred tax assets. A portion was released in the first quarter of 2013 related to the tax on the asset sale of Thermal Care, Inc., a subsidiary. For additional information, see "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 3 Discontinued operations".

The Company files income tax returns in U.S. federal and state jurisdictions. The IRS began an audit of the fiscal year ended January 31, 2012 in the third quarter of 2013. As of October 31, 2013, open tax years in federal and some state jurisdictions date back to 2010. In addition, federal and state tax years January 31, 2002 through January 31, 2009 are subject to adjustment on audit, up to the amount of research tax credits generated in those years. As of January 31, 2013, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards of $7.8 million expiring in various years beginning in January 31, 2030. Additionally, the Company files income tax returns in Denmark, India and Saudi Arabia. As of October 31, 2013, open tax years in foreign jurisdictions vary from three to seven years from the date of filing the income tax returns.