An Evaluation of the Standard Setting Performance of the FASB

This paper develops a framework for evaluating the effects of various organizational changes on the performance of a regulatory agency in standard setting. I apply this framework to examine whether numerous Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) modifications influence the performance of the Board during the standard setting process. These modifications include changes in FASB funding, voting, and Board member characteristics, particularly professional backgrounds and political affiliations. To analyze the performance of the Board, I follow the operations management literature to construct a set of variables that capture team effectiveness and managerial performance. A factor analysis on these variables produces three distinct efficiency factors regarding FASB standard setting: thoroughness, timeliness, and consensus. I find evidence that a change in voting rules from super majority to simple majority is associated with an improvement in timeliness but a decline in thoroughness and consensus. I also find that a change in FASB funding from voluntary contributions to mandatory accounting support fees is associated with reduced timeliness but no significant change in thoroughness and consensus. Finally, FASB members’ professional and political characteristics appear to influence the efficiency of the Board in different aspects

Probabilistic causality and idealization

El propósito principal de este artículo consiste en proveer algunas nociones probabilistas sobre la causalidad, propuestas para aplicarlas a enunciados nómicos que pretenden dar cuenta de procesos indeterministas en el dominio de una teoría científica. En general, tales enunciados son, en menor o mayor grado, enunciados idealizados que descansan sobre una variedad de suposiciones irrealistas. Intento mostrar cómo cambia la distribución de probabilidad  sobre los estados finales de un proceso indeterminista en la medida que el enunciado nómico en consideración se desidealiza por medio de la adición de factores causalmente relevantes. Para ilustrar el estudio considero unos cuantos enunciados nómicos de la genética de poblaciones. Además, en el curso, pretendo contrastar las ideas aquí elaboradas con algunas nociones de las concepciones ónticas de la causalidad y la explicación debidas a Humphreys que son contrarias al enfoque epistémico que adopto sobre esas temáticas.The main aim of this paper is to provide some probabilistic notions on causality proposed to be applied to the nomic statements which intend to give account of the indeterministic processes within the domain of a scientific theory. In general, such statements are, in more or less extent, idealized statements which rest on a variety of unrealistic suppositions. I try to show how the probability distribution over the final states of an indeterministic process changes accordingly as the nomic statement in question is de-idealized by means of addition of the causally relevant factors. In order to illustrate the study I take few nomic statements from population genetics. Besides, in the course, I attempt to contrast the ideas embraced here with some of the notions of Humphreys´ ontic conceptions of causality and explanation, which are contrary to the epistemic view adopted here about those subjects

Explanation and Randomness

The aim of this paper is to elaborate a notion of explanation which is applicable to stochastic processes such as quantum processes. The model-theoretic approach was adopted in order to delimit appropriate classes, by defining set-theoretical predicates, of different kinds of physical transformations that quantum systems suffer, either of transitions or of transmutations, by interaction or in a spontaneous manner. To explain a singular quantum process consists in showing that it is feasible to model it as an indeterministic process of certain specified kind

Dr. Tomás Suero : 1915-1963

Fil: Rolleri, Edgardo Orlando. Cátedra de Geología Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de La Plat

Revision of the Genus <i>Christensenia</i>

The present revision of Christensenia is the first for this genus. Observations of exter­ nal and interna!foliar morphology, with particular emphasis on valid taxonomic charac­ ters of pinna indument and epidermis and soral paraphyses have shown that the taxa of the genus are C. aesculifolia Blume subsp. aesculifolia and subsp. korthalsii (de Vriese) Rolleri and C. lobbiana (de Vriese) Rolleri. Synangium outline, number of sporangia per synangium, and spore morphology are not systematically important. The morphology and physiology of adult porocyclocytic stomates and the presence, chemical composition, and density of microprojections of the mesophyll cell walls are adaptive and vary according to ambient humidity.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Revision of the Genus <i>Christensenia</i>

The present revision of Christensenia is the first for this genus. Observations of exter­ nal and interna!foliar morphology, with particular emphasis on valid taxonomic charac­ ters of pinna indument and epidermis and soral paraphyses have shown that the taxa of the genus are C. aesculifolia Blume subsp. aesculifolia and subsp. korthalsii (de Vriese) Rolleri and C. lobbiana (de Vriese) Rolleri. Synangium outline, number of sporangia per synangium, and spore morphology are not systematically important. The morphology and physiology of adult porocyclocytic stomates and the presence, chemical composition, and density of microprojections of the mesophyll cell walls are adaptive and vary according to ambient humidity.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

A new species of <i>Isoetes</i> (Isoetaceae) from Turkey, with a study of microphyll intercellular pectic protuberances and their potential taxonomic value

Isoetes anatolica sp. nov. is described from a population growing in seasonal ponds of a mountain near the southern coast of the Black Sea in Bolu, Turkey. It is a robust, amphibious quillwort, characterized by semiterete, carnose microphylls, semicircular foliar section, smooth cuticle, prominent cuticular pegs, stomata, several collenchymatous strands, abundant pectic filaments and connections in the cells of the translacunar diaphragms, incurved alae, well developed ligula, small carnose labium, no velum, well-formed bulliform megaspores and obscurely muriform microspores. Plants were investigated anatomically and a description with additional diagnostic characters is included. Morphological affinities with other species of the genus are discussed. Intercellular pectic protuberances (IPP) were studied in the cells of the translacunar diaphragms of the microphylls of several species of Isoetes including I. anatolica. The IPP were examined to determine if they could provide diagnostic characters. They were detected with TBO and analysed using light and scanning electron microscopy. Types of IPP and species bearing them were as follows: warts in I. adspersa, I. andina, I. boliviensis, I. duriei, I. engelmannii, I. lechleri, I. longissima, I. melanopoda, I. storkii, I. velata. ssp. velata, and I. velata ssp. asturicense; warts and filaments in I. brochonii, I. lacustris, and I. setacea, and connections in I. anatolica and I. malinverniana. IPP are lacking in I. boryana, I. echinospora, I. histrix and I. novogranadensis. Combination of type, density, and distribution of IPP promises to be a useful vegetative character in a genus in which diagnostic characters are scarce.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse