The 2008 HMDA data: the mortgage market during a turbulent year

The data that mortgage lending institutions reported for 2008 under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 (HMDA) reflect the ongoing difficulties in the housing and mortgage markets. This article presents a number of key findings from a review of the 2008 HMDA data. In particular, it documents a reduction in lending activity that was experienced by all groups of borrowers, highlights the Federal Housing Administration's greatly expanded role in the mortgage market, and examines how atypical changes in the interest rate environment affected the incidence of reported higher-priced lending in 2008 relative to earlier years.Mortgages ; Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Control of lipid organization and actin assembly during clathrin-mediated endocytosis by the cytoplasmic tail of the rhomboid protein Rbd2.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is facilitated by a precisely regulated burst of actin assembly. PtdIns(4,5)P2 is an important signaling lipid with conserved roles in CME and actin assembly regulation. Rhomboid family multipass transmembrane proteins regulate diverse cellular processes; however, rhomboid-mediated CME regulation has not been described. We report that yeast lacking the rhomboid protein Rbd2 exhibit accelerated endocytic-site dynamics and premature actin assembly during CME through a PtdIns(4,5)P2-dependent mechanism. Combined genetic and biochemical studies showed that the cytoplasmic tail of Rbd2 binds directly to PtdIns(4,5)P2 and is sufficient for Rbd2's role in actin regulation. Analysis of an Rbd2 mutant with diminished PtdIns(4,5)P2-binding capacity indicates that this interaction is necessary for the temporal regulation of actin assembly during CME. The cytoplasmic tail of Rbd2 appears to modulate PtdIns(4,5)P2 distribution on the cell cortex. The syndapin-like F-BAR protein Bzz1 functions in a pathway with Rbd2 to control the timing of type 1 myosin recruitment and actin polymerization onset during CME. This work reveals that the previously unstudied rhomboid protein Rbd2 functions in vivo at the nexus of three highly conserved processes: lipid regulation, endocytic regulation, and cytoskeletal function

An Updated genome annotation for the model marine bacterium Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3

When the genome of Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3 was published in 2004, it represented the first sequence from a heterotrophic marine bacterium. Over the last ten years, the strain has become a valuable model for understanding the cycling of sulfur and carbon in the ocean. To ensure that this genome remains useful, we have updated 69 genes to incorporate functional annotations based on new experimental data, and improved the identification of 120 protein-coding regions based on proteomic and transcriptomic data. We review the progress made in understanding the biology of R. pomeroyi DSS-3 and list the changes made to the genome

Wie viel Verfassung braucht Europa?

Dem „Konvent zur Zukunft Europas“ ist unter anderem die Aufgabe zugewiesen worden, eine neue Abgrenzung der wirtschafts- und finanzpolitischen Verantwortlichkeiten zwischen der europäischen und der nationalstaatlichen Ebene vorzunehmen. Brauchen wir eine europäische Wirtschaftsverfassung? Sollte die Finanzverfassung der EU erneuert werden

Video feedback intervention: a case series in the context of childhood hearing impairment

Background: Recent research shows that parental sensitivity can explain a significant and unique amount of growth in speech and language outcomes in children with cochlear implants. In this intervention study we explored the impact of an intervention designed to support parental sensitivity on children's communication development. Aims: This study tests the effect of a complex intervention in the context of childhood hearing impairment using a case study design of three families. Propositions for each case were made using parental report of the child's development in an attempt to identify change in outcome measurements that were not likely to be due to general development in the child or a halo effect from the intervention. Methods and Results: Multiple pre- and post-intervention measures were taken. Outcome measures were mother–child contingencies to vocal utterances, emotional availability and an assessment of early communication in the child. Results for each case showed that improvements in some outcome measurements were found after the intervention and were maintained at follow-up. Conclusions & Implications: Taking account of developmental change in intervention studies with children is challenging. Single-subject intervention studies can be designed to allow research interventions to be tailored to meet families’ specific needs. Video interaction guidance may support pre-linguistic communicative development in children with hearing impairment

Video feedback intervention: a case series in the context of childhood hearing impairment

Background: Recent research shows that parental sensitivity can explain a significant and unique amount of growth in speech and language outcomes in children with cochlear implants. In this intervention study we explored the impact of an intervention designed to support parental sensitivity on children's communication development. Aims: This study tests the effect of a complex intervention in the context of childhood hearing impairment using a case study design of three families. Propositions for each case were made using parental report of the child's development in an attempt to identify change in outcome measurements that were not likely to be due to general development in the child or a halo effect from the intervention. Methods and Results: Multiple pre- and post-intervention measures were taken. Outcome measures were mother–child contingencies to vocal utterances, emotional availability and an assessment of early communication in the child. Results for each case showed that improvements in some outcome measurements were found after the intervention and were maintained at follow-up. Conclusions & Implications: Taking account of developmental change in intervention studies with children is challenging. Single-subject intervention studies can be designed to allow research interventions to be tailored to meet families’ specific needs. Video interaction guidance may support pre-linguistic communicative development in children with hearing impairment

A Remote Sensing-Based Tool for Assessing Rainfall-Driven Hazards

RainyDay is a Python-based platform that couples rainfall remote sensing data with Stochastic Storm Transposition (SST) for modeling rainfall-driven hazards such as floods and landslides. SST effectively lengthens the extreme rainfall record through temporal resampling and spatial transposition of observed storms from the surrounding region to create many extreme rainfall scenarios. Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves are often used for hazard modeling but require long records to describe the distribution of rainfall depth and duration and do not provide information regarding rainfall space-time structure, limiting their usefulness to small scales. In contrast, Rainy Day can be used for many hazard applications with 1-2 decades of data, and output rainfall scenarios incorporate detailed space-time structure from remote sensing. Thanks to global satellite coverage, Rainy Day can be used in inaccessible areas and developing countries lacking ground measurements, though results are impacted by remote sensing errors. Rainy Day can be useful for hazard modeling under nonstationary conditions

Anti-Müllerian hormone levels in girls and adolescents with Turner syndrome are related to karyotype, pubertal development and growth hormone treatment

STUDY QUESTION In girls and adolescents with Turner syndrome (TS), is there a correlation between serum AMH levels and karyotype, spontaneous puberty and other biochemical markers of ovarian function, or growth hormone (GH) therapy? SUMMARY ANSWER Serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) correlates with karyotype, pubertal development, LH, FSH and are measurable in a higher percentage of TS patients under GH therapy. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Most girls with TS suffer from incomplete sexual development, premature ovarian failure and infertility due to abnormal ovarian folliculogenesis. Serum AMH levels reflect the ovarian reserve in females, even in childhood. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Cross-sectional study investigating 270 karyotype proven TS patients aged 0-20 years between 2009 and 2010. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTINGS, METHODS Studies were conducted at three University Children's hospitals in Europe. Main outcome measures were clinical data concerning pubertal development as well as laboratory data including karyotype, serum AMH, LH, FSH, estradiol (E2), inhibin B and IGF. RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Serum AMH was detectable in 21.9% of all TS girls and correlated strongly with karyotypes. A measurable serum AMH was found in 77% of TS girls with karyotype 45,X/46,XX, in 25% with ‘other' karyotypes and in only 10% of 45,X TS girls. A strong relationship was also observed for measurable serum AMH and signs of spontaneous puberty such as breast development [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 19.3; 95% CI 2.1-175.6; P = 0.009] and menarche (crude OR 47.6; 95% CI 4.8-472.9; P = 0.001). Serum AMH correlated negatively with FSH and LH, but did not correlate with E2 and inhibin B. GH therapy increased the odds of having measurable AMH in TS (adjusted OR 4.1; 95% CI 1.9-8.8; P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The cross-sectional design of the study does not allow longitudinal interpretation of the data; for that further studies are needed. High percentage of non-measurable AMH levels in the cohort of TS require categorized analysis. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Serum AMH levels are a useful marker of the follicle pool and thus ovarian function in pediatric patients with TS. These findings are in line with the published literature. The finding that GH therapy may affect AMH levels is novel, but must be confirmed by future longitudinal studie

Correlating microbial community profiles with geochemical data in highly stratified sediments from the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge

Microbial communities and their associated metabolic activity in marine sediments have a profound impact on global biogeochemical cycles. Their composition and structure are attributed to geochemical and physical factors, but finding direct correlations has remained a challenge. Here we show a significant statistical relationship between variation in geochemical composition and prokaryotic community structure within deep-sea sediments. We obtained comprehensive geochemical data from two gravity cores near the hydrothermal vent field Loki’s Castle at the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge, in the Norwegian- Greenland Sea. Geochemical properties in the rift valley sediments exhibited strong centimeter-scale stratigraphic variability. Microbial populations were profiled by pyrosequencing from 15 sediment horizons (59,364 16S rRNA gene tags), quantitatively assessed by qPCR, and phylogenetically analyzed. Although the same taxa were generally present in all samples, their relative abundances varied substantially among horizons and fluctuated between Bacteria- and Archaea-dominated communities. By independently summarizing covariance structures of the relative abundance data and geochemical data, using principal components analysis, we found a significant correlation between changes in geochemical composition and changes in community structure. Differences in organic carbon and mineralogy shaped the relative abundance of microbial taxa. We used correlations to build hypotheses about energy metabolisms, particularly of the Deep Sea Archaeal Group, specific Deltaproteobacteria, and sediment lineages of potentially anaerobic Marine Group I Archaea. We demonstrate that total prokaryotic community structure can be directly correlated to geochemistry within these sediments, thus enhancing our understanding of biogeochemical cycling and our ability to predict metabolisms of uncultured microbes in deep-sea sediments

Modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in adults aged 40–79 years in Germany with and without prior coronary heart disease or stroke

Background Control of modifiable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors has substantially reduced CVD mortality, but risk factor levels in populations may change and need continuous monitoring. This study aims to provide current estimates of the prevalence of these risk factors in Germany according to sex and history of coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke. Methods The analyses were based on data from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1; age 40–79 years, n = 5101), which is a cross-sectional population-based examination survey. CVD risk factors were defined according to recommendations in the European Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice 2012. Results The mean age was 57 years and 52 % were female; 493 participants had prior CHD and 163 participants a prior stroke. The overall prevalence of behavioural risk factors ranged from 17.9 % for high risk alcohol consumption to 90 % for low vegetable intake. Blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg was found in 21 % and 69 % had total cholesterol ≥ 5.0 mmol/l. Only 16 % met the targets for five behavioural factors combined (smoking, physical activity, fruit intake, alcohol intake and obesity), 13 % of those with and 16 % of those without CHD or stroke. The prevalences of most behavioural risk factors were higher among men compared to women. Conclusions There is a high prevention potential from modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in the general population aged 40–79 years in Germany and among those with prior CHD or stroke. Risk factors are often co-occurring, are interrelated and require combined educational, behavioral, medical and policy approaches