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In 1789, Benjamin Franklin famously observed, '[I]n this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.' Franklin might have been correct about death, but in this [...]

This article discusses the importance of advanced financial planning and analysis (FP&A) practices in a volatile macroeconomic and business environment. The authors highlight six practical steps for better FP&A, including the use of clear probability values, laying out the true momentum case, spelling out the "bear case," making macroeconomic assumptions clear and consistent, disaggregating inflation rates, and relentlessly back testing models to reduce variances. By following these practices, FP&A teams can deliver more accurate forecasts and navigate through uncertainty more effectively. [Extracted from the article]

Theories about the development of life are pitting science and faith against eachother. Articl e examines the battle of creationism against evolution, and examines the separate arguments for both sides.

Internal rate of return is a tool used in capital budgeting decisions. The flaws inherent in this tool are discussed and the other factors that must also be looked into before making investment decisions are discussed.

The next era of private capital will be different from the last, and managers will need to possess five essential capabilities to succeed. These capabilities include sales alpha, which involves raising capital on better terms than competitors; sourcing alpha, which involves creating unique investment opportunities; operational alpha, which involves creating value after acquiring assets; exit alpha, which involves successfully monetizing assets; and organizational alpha, which involves designing a firm's structure and operating model. Firms that develop these capabilities have the potential to outperform in the private investing industry. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the ways in which midtenure CFOs can excel in their role and contribute to the success of their organization. It emphasizes the importance of revitalizing the finance function, collaborating with the CEO to establish a new strategic aspiration, and developing the finance team. The article also discusses the need for CFOs to expand their focus beyond finance and embrace innovation, benchmarking, and collaboration. It addresses the challenge of balancing cost management with long-term growth and dispelling negative perceptions of finance. The article provides insights and advice from former finance leaders, offering valuable perspectives for CFOs seeking to make a lasting impact. [Extracted from the article]

On March 18, 2010, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), P.L. 111-147, was signed into law. FATCA comprises chapter 4 in the Code, consisting of Sees. 1471-1474. This new [...]

Signet Bank's experience with an activity-based costing system provides the bank with strategic views on profitability of product, customer account and business unit but requires data such as relevant activities and cost structure. The system's focus on the actual work process can give a bank cost savings by assessing classes of credits, which is better than taking the greater output demand of laying-off employees. The activity-based system also familiarizes the bank with customer's financial condition, speeding up credit analysis.

Contact tracing is an important tool in managing infectious disease outbreaks and Ireland used a comprehensive contact tracing program to slow the spread of COVID-19. Although the benefits of contact tracing seem obvious, it is difficult to estimate the actual impact contact tracing has on an outbreak because it is hard to separate the effects of contact tracing from other behavioural changes or interventions. To understand the impact contact tracing had in Ireland, we used an agent-based model that is designed to simulate the spread of COVID-19 through Ireland. The model uses real contact tracing data from the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that without contact tracing, and everything else held constant, a larger number of cases, hospital admissions, ICU admissions and deaths would have occurred. The model suggests that without contact tracing deaths from COVID-19 in Ireland during the first year of the pandemic could have increased by 80% (this equates to approximately 5,768 agents in the model). This modelling study is an important step in highlighting the impact that contact tracing had on the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we use a model for Ireland, this method is applicable to any country or region.

An overview of the history of Liverpool, England, the changes that have occurred in recent years and the city's present-day cultural life. The impact of The Beatles and a number of other creative figures from Liverpool is examined.

Janet Bannister, founder and managing partner of Staircase Ventures, discusses how executives can adopt a venture capital (VC) mindset in order to adapt to the disruptive power of new technologies. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on long-term growth and being willing to take risks. Bannister also highlights the role of generative AI in driving technological disruption and urges business leaders to understand its potential impact on their industries. She concludes by emphasizing the need for executives to think seriously about technology and its transformative effects in order to stay competitive. [Extracted from the article]

Indigenous cultures all over the world are working together to build a better future, leaving behind histories riddled with violence and victimization. The way American Indians and other ethnic groups are starting to present themselves to the world on their own terms and stop being defined as victims and forge a new place in the modern world is discussed.

Indeed, PE portfolio companies should design their capability building programs with the essentials of CEO alpha in mind (see sidebar, "The essentials of private equity CEO alpha.") A focus on three essentials of CEO alpha, in particular, could help PE portfolio company CEOs address some of their toughest challenges and realize even greater impact: talent management, PE performance management, and strategic planning. Much more than public company CEOs, PE portfolio company CEOs must build their management teams to execute a specific investment thesis. [Extracted from the article]

An overview of the interest of students at Neston School, a primary school in Wiltshire, in science and technology and the UKPd35,000 geodesic dome that the school built with funding from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. The school uses the dome to teach its students subjects such as science, technology and art.

Background: The aetiology of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and triggers of relapse are poorly understood. Vitamin D (vitD) is an important immunomodulator, potentially responsible for the observed latitudinal differences between granulomatous and non-granulomatous AAV phenotypes. A narrow ultraviolet B spectrum induces vitD synthesis (vitD-UVB) via the skin. We hypothesised that prolonged periods of low ambient UVB (and by extension vitD deficiency) are associated with the granulomatous form of the disease and an increased risk of AAV relapse. Methods: Patients with AAV recruited to the Irish Rare Kidney Disease (RKD) (n= 439) and UKIVAS (n= 1961) registries were studied. Exposure variables comprised latitude and measures of ambient vitD-UVB, including cumulative weighted UVB dose (CW-D-UVB), a well-validated vitD proxy. An n-of-1 study design was used to examine the relapse risk using only the RKD dataset. Multi-level models and logistic regression were used to examine the effect of predictors on AAV relapse risk, phenotype and serotype. Results: Residential latitude was positively correlated (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.14–1.74, p= 0.002) and average vitD-UVB negatively correlated (0.82, 0.70–0.99, p= 0.04) with relapse risk, with a stronger effect when restricting to winter measurements (0.71, 0.57–0.89, p= 0.002). However, these associations were not restricted to granulomatous phenotypes. We observed no clear relationship between latitude, vitD-UVB or CW-D-UVB and AAV phenotype or serotype. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that low winter ambient UVB and prolonged vitD status contribute to AAV relapse risk across all phenotypes. However, the development of a granulomatous phenotype does not appear to be directly vitD-mediated. Further research is needed to determine whether sufficient vitD status would reduce relapse propensity in AAV.

Sir: What is it with the English and Arthur Miller? I knew he had a more exalted reputation in England than in the US, but nothing prepared me for Lloyd [...]

Steps that senior executives should take to handle a presentation to the company board are presented. The ill-preparedness of executives and the lack of understanding on what boards want to hear were often the reasons to make them fail miserably. A feedback from the chair is also recommended to help improve their next board performance.

There is a small anomaly in the new tax rules for depreciating real property that, sooner or later, should save careful property owners and managers some money. It is easy [...]

Equation-based and agent-based models are popular methods in understanding disease dynamics. Although there are many types of equation-based models, the most common is the SIR compartmental model that assumes homogeneous mixing and populations. One way to understand the effects of these assumptions is by agentization. Equation-based models can be agentized by creating a simple agent-based model that replicates the results of the equation-based model, then by adding complexity to these agentized models it is possible to break the assumptions of homogeneous mixing and populations and test how breaking these assumptions results in different outputs. We report a set of experiments comparing the outputs of an SEIR model and a set of agent-based models of varying levels of complexity, using as a case study a measles outbreak in a town in Ireland. We define and use a six level complexity hierarchy for agent-based models to create a set of progressively more complex variants of an agentized SEIR model for the spread of infectious disease. We then compare the results of the agent-based model at each level of complexity with results of the SEIR model to determine when the agentization breaks. Our analysis shows this occurs on the fourth step of complexity, when scheduled movements are added into the model. When agents networks and behaviours are complex the peak of the outbreak is shifted to the right and is lower than in the SEIR model suggesting that heterogeneous populations and mixing patterns lead to slower outbreaks compared homogeneous populations and mixing patterns.

A personal account of a trip to Sri Lanka by a group of teachers. The teachers will use their experiences as the basis for for future lessons.

There is still considerable debate among scientists about the nature of human consciousness. Some scientists believe that consciousness may be some type of quantum activity, while others claim that human minds are basically computers that determine human nature and are themselves moulded by natural selection. Philosophers feel that it may be futile to try to understand consciousness. Gaining an understanding of consciousness could play a significant role in understanding and treating conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

School groups learning about Hinduism can visit Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir in Neasden, London, UK. This Hindu temple, designed to be the most magnificent of modern times, is laid out in accordance with ancient Vedic principles and decorated in marble and gold. It was begun in 1992 and took three years of mainly voluntary labour to build. There is an exhibition centre explaining the Hindu faith and each party has a guide providing further explanation.

Wiping of the mouth and nose at birth is an alternative method to oronasopharyngeal suction in delivery-room management of neonates, but whether these methods have equivalent effectiveness is unclear.

The lack of recognition for women's contributions in photography prompted Signals, a nationwide festival of women's photography in the UK. The two-month festival ranges from large exhibitions to little shows in colleges and libraries. The festival aims to encourage more women to take up photography, make them more competitive and celebrate past and present achievements in photography.

A magazine called 'Index on Censorship,' committed to publishing banned writing, which was launched at the start of the Cold War, will be re-launched as a bi-monthly paperback. The new editor Ursula Owen feels that censorship on pornography or race hate should be abolished.

Annie Leibovitz is an eminent photojournalist, well-known for her notorious photos of famous personalities. Leibovitz's portrayal of actress Demi Moore as naked and pregnant, published in the front cover of the Vanity Fair magazine, evoked anger among the readers. Leibovitz is now focussing on social issues and holds exhibitions of photographs for the benefit of the developing and underdeveloped nations.

The exhibits at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington serve as a reminder of the horrors of the Nazi regime and thereby prevent a recurrence of such episodes. The world's response to the Nazi holocaust was inadequate and the museum exhibits warn of the dangers posed by extreme rightist movements in the post cold war era. Some have criticized the museum for focusing on the suffering of the Jews alone and for reviving painful memories which ought to remain buried in the past.

The article discusses the introduction of assessment of technology in the syllabus of General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) live performance and A-Level examinations in music including composing, listening, and appraising.

The Children's Cancer Group (CCG) 1952 clinical trial for children with standard-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (SR-ALL) compared intrathecal (IT) methotrexate (MTX) with IT triples (ITT) (MTX, cytarabine, and hydrocortisone sodium succinate [HSS]) as presymptomatic central nervous system (CNS) treatment. Following remission induction, 1018 patients were randomized to receive IT MTX and 1009 ITT. Multivariate analysis identified male sex, hepatomegaly, CNS-2 status, and age younger than 2 or older than 6 years as significant predictors of isolated CNS (iCNS) relapse. The 6-year cumulative incidence estimates of iCNS relapse are 3.4% ± 1.0% for ITT and 5.9% ± 1.2% for IT MTX; P = .004. Significantly more relapses occurred in bone marrow (BM) and testicles with ITT than IT MTX, particularly among patients with T-cell phenotype or day 14 BM aspirate containing 5% to 25% blasts. Thus, the estimated 6-year event-free survivals (EFS) with ITT or IT MTX are equivalent at 80.7% ± 1.9% and 82.5% ± 1.8%, respectively (P = .3). Because the salvage rate after BM relapse is inferior to that after CNS relapse, the 6-year overall survival (OS) for ITT is 90.3% ± 1.5% versus 94.4% ± 1.1% for IT MTX (P = .01). It appears that ITT improves presymptomatic CNS treatment but does not improve overall outcome.

Discusses issues on business forecasting. Need for chief executive officers to have a unified view of company performance; Factors that make forecasting difficult; Importance of an integrated approach to financial visibility. INSETS: CIOs Eye Visibility Gains;THE 90-DAY PLAN.

We present the case of an 11.5-year-old girl with M1 acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who had isolated extramedullary relapse develop in both breasts 12 months after diagnosis and 7 months off chemotherapy. She received further chemotherapy, focal radiation therapy, then underwent a matched, unrelated bone marrow transplant and continues in remission 37 months later. Review of the literature revealed 10 cases in other children younger than 21-years-old with AML and breast involvement. These cases are summarized, and potential pathophysiologic mechanisms of spread are discussed. Breast involvement in AML is rare in children. However, regular breast examinations should be performed as part of routine follow-up in all girls with AML.

Hepatic dysfunction is a rare presentation of leukemia in children. Because most chemotherapy agents are metabolized by the liver, this complication may have major adverse consequences and effective treatment could be compromised.

The article presents distance learning model for teaching music. It discusses options for music teachers to teach instrument online using apps such as Skype, FaceTime and Google Hangouts, investment in gear that will transmit and receive quality sound, and payment arrangement for lessons. It also discusses requirements for teaching music theory and General Certificate of Secondary Education and A levels in Music.

Hemoglobin SD-Los Angeles is an uncommon sickle hemoglobinopathy. We describe a boy with dccumented Hb SD-Los Angeles who had experienced acute splenic sequestration, pnelrmococcal sepsis, aplastic crisis and functional asplenia during his first two years of life. We suggest that children with Hb SD-Los Angeles are at similar risks for the 1 if e- t hreatening complications which characterize sickle cell anemia and should receive the same comprehensive medical care currently recommended for children with Hb SS disease.

We have developed a rapid and simple method for the isolation of relatively young cells from ordinary fresh or previously frozen blood units, using the IBM-2991 Blood Cell Processor. Based on in vitro measurements of red cell pyruvate kinase activity, the resolution of the method is excellent, comparable to that of the stractan discontinuous gradient system. In splenectomized patients with thalassemia major, the administration of the “youngest” 50% of blood units yielded 51Cr survival times of 40 and 42 days for fresh packed red cells and 41 and 43 days for previously frozen red cells.

Histiocytosis X of the female genital tract is unusual. Thirty-two cases have been reported to date in the world literature. An additional case is reported herein, presenting as a vulvar ulcer in a 2.5-year-old child with osteolytic lesions of the skull, splenomegaly, and otitis media. The diagnosis of histiocytosis X may be established by identifying the Langerhans histiocyte, characterized by nuclear grooves, immunoreactivity for S-100 protein, and pentalamellar cytoplasmic structures seen by electron microscopy. Prognosis is difficult to determine with certainty. However, age of less than 2 years at presentation, multi-organ involvement, and/ or organ dysfunction appear to be associated with a less favorable prognosis. The patient presented herein is currently receiving vinblastine chemotherapy for recurrence of disease, manifested as an osteolytic lesion in the skull.

This is a longterm retrospective study of eight patients who had undergone little finger to thumb transposition after traumatic thumb loss in order to evaluate the presence of longterm changes in the transposed digit. The transposed little finger, contralateral nontransposed little finger, and contralateral thumb were compared using standardized measurements of size, comparison photographs, xrays, and volume determination using silicone mold impressions of these digits. Significant and marked hypertrophy of the transposed digit was demonstrated in all these patients. Comparison radiographs demonstrated that this enlargement was due to hypertrophy of both softtissue and osseous components. This study demonstrates that the little finger transposed to the thumb position undergoes an adaptive hypertrophy to become more thumblike in appearance as well as function.

Hb Santa Ana (β88 Leu→Pro) was found at a level of 30% of total hemoglobin in red cells from a patient with congenital hemolytic anemia. Since no detailed functional studies of this hemoglobin have been done previously, we determined oxygen equilibrium curves of red cell suspensions, hemolysates, and isolated Hb Santa Ana. The P50 values obtained were 22.5 mm Hg (37°C, pH 7.4) for red cell suspensions (normal mean = 27.0 mm Hg), 10.0 mm Hg (25°C, pH 7.0) for hemolysate (normal = 13.5 mm Hg), and 1.3 mm Hg (25°C, pH 7.0) for isolated Hb Santa Ana. Measurements of mechanical stability of Hb Santa Ana showed that the oxy-form of this hemoglobin was 10 times more unstable than that of Hb S and 100 times more unstable than that of Hb A. The deoxy-form of Hb Santa Ana was as unstable as its oxy-form, indicating that no stabilization (R→T conversion) takes place upon the deoxygenation of Hb Santa Ana.

Chronic thrombocytopenia was noted in two siblings and a first cousin. The initial impression was of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) with decreased megakaryocytes. One patient had splenectomy for presumed chronic ITP but showed no improvement. Bone marrow buffy coat slides were examined in the three children with thrombocytopenia, four normal controls, and five children with “classic” acute ITP. Megakaryocyte size, maturation, and ploidy were determined with Wright-Giemsa and Feulgen-stained material. Mean megakaryocyte diameters were 23.1 μm in the three related patients, 30.8 H-m in normal controls, and 63.1 p-m in children with “classic” acute ITP. Many “micromegakaryocytes” were noted in the three related children with chronic thrombocytopenia. An exhaustive family history was obtained, which showed multiple points of consanguinity. These patients represent an apparently new autosomal recessive disorder of megakaryocytopoiesis, characterized by disturbed megakaryocyte ploidization and maturation. More sensitive recognition of micromegakaryocytes should be attempted in children with atypical chronic thrombocytopenia, familial history of thrombocytopenia, or patients who have ITP and who have not responded to initial therapy.

The definition, clinical manifestations, and causes of anemia in childhood are age-related and reflect the dynamic processes of growth and development during this period. Although the possible causes of anemia in children are extensive, the etiology is usually unifactorial. Thus, systematic evaluation of the anemia will usually result in the diagnosis of a specific anemia, which can then be effectively treated in a gratifying number of children.

• Previous studies have indicated a high incidence of nonanemic iron deficiency in high school runners, but little is known regarding participants in other sports. The hematologic and iron status of 30 high school swimmers was assessed at the beginning and end of a competitive swim season. Iron depletion (serum ferritin level 12 μg/L) was initially present in 46.7% of the girls and none of the boys, yet among those subjects with hypoferritinemia there was no evidence of impaired red blood cell production. Serum haptoglobin levels were normal and did not correlate with serum ferritin levels. No significant change was observed in ferritin, hemoglobin, or haptoglobin concentrations during the course of the season. Dietary intake of iron was poor, particularly in the girls, in whom it averaged 43% of the recommended dietary allowance. Menstrual histories suggested an inverse relationship between the amount of menstrual flow and the serum ferritin level. These findings indicate a high prevalence of nonanemic iron deficiency in female high school swimmers that bears no relationship to swim training. Dietary inadequacies and menstrual blood flow appear to be important contributors to the hypoferritinemia observed in these athletes.(AJDC 1989;143:197-200)

The importance of personality characteristics in the processing of displays is examined. Forty-six people, screened for specific information processing and decision making preferences using the MBTI, learned to classify instances of system data into one of four state categories. System data were presented in one of three types of display formats: a polygon; a bargraph; and a digital display. The experiment involved two sessions: a training session where each person learned the classification task; and an extended practice session with no feedback. The ability of people to accurately classify instances was found to be influenced by both the type of display and their personality type. The importance of individual differences in display research is discussed, with emphasis placed on the implications for training, and selection of display formats.