Goodness and Desire

Philosoph

The Impending Demise Of LIFO: History, Threats, Implications, And Potential Remedies

Since its approval by congress in 1939, the last-in-last-out (LIFO) inventory cost flow assumption has historically been utilized by a significant portion of U.S. companies for both tax and financial reporting purposes. However, despite its extensive use and wide acceptance in practice, the LIFO inventory method is currently endangered by two powerful movements that make its future existence far from certain. The first of these movements is the ongoing convergence of U.S. and international accounting standards. Whether future global harmonization of accounting practice come from continued convergence or outright adoption of international accounting standards, this harmonization poses a threat to the continued use of LIFO since LIFO is prohibited under international accounting rules. The second movement is grounded in governmental attempts to lessen the current federal budget deficit. The elimination of LIFO has been targeted as a way of reducing the deficit within the Obama administration’s deficit reduction efforts. The momentum of these two threats to LIFO makes the topic of LIFO’s future ripe for discussion. This study discusses the history of LIFO, illuminates the current threats the method faces, and outlines the most common remedies that have been proposed to mitigate the financial impact faced by companies that will be negatively affected by any such elimination of the method

The vow delivered? Experts respond to the publication of theSmith Commission’s recommendations

The Smith Commission, the body tasked with recommending reforms to the governance of Scotland recently released its final report. Democratic Audit asked Scottish constitutional and political experts John Curtice, Katie Boyle and Stephen Tierney, and Sionaidh Douglas-Scott to respond. (Part 1 can be found here

Gana Burrai: applying population data linkage to more accurately measure Aboriginal maternal and infant outcomes in the Goulburn Murray Region

Introduction The Australian 2016 census reported Aboriginal population of Goulburn Murray Region (GMR) as being 3% of the total GMR population is considered a significant under ascertainment. This is supported by the Freemantle et al population data linkage project that reported an underestimation of 51% of Aboriginal births in Hume region. Objectives and Approach The main objective of the Gana Burrai project was to undertake a Proof of Concept (POC) project to address the critical issue the under-ascertainment of data describing Aboriginal maternal and child health outcomes within the GMR. The PoC explored the feasibility of linking a number of population administrative datasets that included information describing Aboriginal babies born and mothers and fathers living in, the GMR. The PoC also enabled an evaluation of the cultural, organisational, practical and technical issues critical to the development of this comprehensive population data set. The linkage was undertaken using GRHANITETM privacy protecting software. Results Population data from seven administrative datasets describing birth years 2005-2015, representing 111862 records were successfully extracted. These data represented 37,338 patients. Following the linkage process, 28,016 patient records were successfully linked. The ever-Aboriginal concept was applied to the linked data. After linkage, there was a significant under ascertainment of Aboriginal births in records maintained by the Shire of Campaspe (16%), less so by Shire of Greater Shepparton (50%); Goulburn Valley Heath (92%), and Echuca Regional Health (86%) demonstrated a more complete ascertainment. However, the linkage showed a strong correlation of patient Indigenous identity collected by the shires’/hospitals’ and the mothers’/fathers’ chance of having a record at the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations. Selected birth outcomes were also analysed and will be reported. Conclusion/Implications 1st Nations Governance combined with a privacy-protecting linkage model underpinned PoC ensuring strong community trust, engagement and control. It is 1st time such extensive data-linkage has been achieved demonstrating feasibility in developing a comprehensive dataset with the potential for evidence-based, targeted population health initiatives to be developed, implemented and evaluated

p53 tumor suppressor gene mutations in fibroblast-like synoviocytes from erosion synovium and non-erosion synovium in rheumatoid arthritis

Abnormalities in the p53 tumor suppressor gene have been detected in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and could contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic disease. To determine whether synoviocytes from invasive synovium in RA have an increased number of mutations compared with non-erosion synoviocytes, p53 cDNA subclones from fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) derived from erosion and non-erosion sites of the same synovium were examined in patients requiring total joint replacement. Ten erosion FLS lines and nine non-erosion FLS lines were established from nine patients with RA. Exons 5–10 from 209 p53 subclones were sequenced (114 from erosion FLS, 95 from non-erosion FLS). Sixty percent of RA FLS cell lines and 8.6% of the p53 subclones isolated from FLS contained p53 mutations. No significant differences were observed between the erosion and non-erosion FLS with regard to the frequency or type of p53 mutation. The majority of the mutations were missense transition mutations, which are characteristic of oxidative damage. In addition, paired intact RA synovium and cultured FLS from the same joints were evaluated for p53 mutations. Matched synovium and cultured synoviocytes contained p53 mutations, although there was no overlap in the specific mutations identified in the paired samples. Clusters of p53 mutations in subclones were detected in some FLS, including one in codon 249, which is a well-recognized 'hot spot' associated with cancer. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that p53 mutations are randomly induced by genotoxic exposure in small numbers of RA synoviocytes localized to erosion and non-erosion regions of RA synovium. The determining factor for invasiveness might be proximity to bone or cartilage rather than the presence of a p53 mutation

Semi-leptonic decays of heavy mesons and the Isgur-Wise function in quenched lattice QCD

The form factors for the semi-leptonic B->D and B->D* decays are evaluated in quenched lattice QCD at two different values of the coupling, beta=6.0 and 6.2. The action and the operators are fully O(a) non-perturbatively improved. The slope of the Isgur-Wise function is evaluated, and found to be rho^2=0.83^{+15+24}_{-11-1} (quoted errors are statistical and systematic respectively). Ratios of form factors are evaluated and compared to experimental determinations.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure

Risk Assessment and Comparative Effectiveness of Left Ventricular Assist Device and Medical Management in Ambulatory Heart Failure Patients The ROADMAP Study 2-Year Results

OBJECTIVES The authors sought to provide the pre-specified primary endpoint of the ROADMAP (Risk Assessment and Comparative Effectiveness of Left Ventricular Assist Device and Medical Management in Ambulatory Heart Failure Patients) trial at 2 years. BACKGROUND The ROADMAP trial was a prospective nonrandomized observational study of 200 patients (97 with a left ventricular assist device [LVAD], 103 on optimal medical management [OMM]) that showed that survival with improved functional status at 1 year was better with LVADs compared with OMM in a patient population of ambulatory New York Heart Association functional class IIIb/IV patients. METHODS The primary composite endpoint was survival on original therapy with improvement in 6-min walk distance \u3e= 75 m. RESULTS Patients receiving LVAD versus OMM had lower baseline health-related quality of life, reduced Seattle Heart Failure Model 1-year survival (78% vs. 84%; p = 0.012), and were predominantly INTERMACS (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support) profile 4 (65% vs. 34%; p \u3c 0.001) versus profiles 5 to 7. More LVAD patients met the primary endpoint at 2 years: 30% LVAD versus 12% OMM (odds ratio: 3.2 [95% confidence interval: 1.3 to 7.7]; p = 0.012). Survival as treated on original therapy at 2 years was greater for LVAD versus OMM (70 +/- 5% vs. 41 +/- 5%; p \u3c 0.001), but there was no difference in intent-to-treat survival (70 +/- 5% vs. 63 +/- 5%; p = 0.307). In the OMM arm, 23 of 103 (22%) received delayed LVADs (18 within 12 months; 5 from 12 to 24 months). LVAD adverse events declined after year 1 for bleeding (primarily gastrointestinal) and arrhythmias. CONCLUSIONS Survival on original therapy with improvement in 6-min walk distance was superior with LVAD compared with OMM at 2 years. Reduction in key adverse events beyond 1 year was observed in the LVAD group. The ROADMAP trial provides risk-benefit information to guide patient- and physician-shared decision making for elective LVAD therapy as a treatment for heart failure. (Risk Assessment and Comparative Effectiveness of Left Ventricular Assist Device and Medical Management in Ambulatory Heart Failure Patients [ROADMAP]; NCT01452802

Chytridiomycosis and Amphibian Population Declines Continue to Spread Eastward in Panama

Chytridiomycosis is a globally emerging disease of amphibians and the leading cause of population declines and extirpations at species-diverse montane sites in Central America. We continued long-term monitoring efforts for the presence of the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and for amphibian populations at two sites in western Panama, and we began monitoring at three new sites to the east. Population declines associated with chytridiomycosis emergence were detected at Altos de Campana National Park. We also detected Bd in three species east of the Panama Canal at Soberanía National Park, and prevalence data suggests that Bd may be enzootic in the lowlands of the park. However, no infected frogs were found further east at Tortí (prevalence <7.5% with 95% confidence). Our results suggest that Panama's diverse and not fully described amphibian communities east of the canal are at risk. Precise predictions of future disease emergence events are not possible until factors underlying disease emergence, such as dispersal, are understood. However, if the fungal pathogen spreads in a pattern consistent with previous disease events in Panama, then detection of Bd at Tortí and other areas east of the Panama Canal is imminent. Therefore, development of new management strategies and increased precautions for tourism, recreation, and biology are urgently neede

Wnt signalling tunes neurotransmitter release by directly targeting Synaptotagmin-1

The functional assembly of the synaptic release machinery is well understood; however, how signalling factors modulate this process remains unknown. Recent studies suggest that Wnts play a role in presynaptic function. To examine the mechanisms involved, we investigated the interaction of release machinery proteins with Dishevelled-1 (Dvl1), a scaffold protein that determines the cellular locale of Wnt action. Here we show that Dvl1 directly interacts with Synaptotagmin-1 (Syt-1) and indirectly with the SNARE proteins SNAP25 and Syntaxin (Stx-1). Importantly, the interaction of Dvl1 with Syt-1, which is regulated by Wnts, modulates neurotransmitter release. Moreover, presynaptic terminals from Wnt signalling-deficient mice exhibit reduced release probability and are unable to sustain high-frequency release. Consistently, the readily releasable pool size and formation of SNARE complexes are reduced. Our studies demonstrate that Wnt signalling tunes neurotransmitter release and identify Syt-1 as a target for modulation by secreted signalling proteins.Fil: Ciani, Lorenza. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Marzo, Aude. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Boyle, Kieran. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Stamatakou, Eleanna. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Lopes, Douglas M.. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Anane, Derek. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: McLeod, Faye. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Rosso, Silvana Beatriz. University College London; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gibb, Alasdair. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Salinas, Patricia C.. University College London; Estados Unido