Nonbank Specialty Servicers: What's the Big Deal?

Following the crisis, nonbank specialty servicers rapidly expanded their portfolios of distressed loans. This has contributed to a significant market change: in 2011, the 10 largest mortgage servicers were all banks; by 2013, only five of the top 10 were banks, and the other five were nonbank servicers. The rapid growth and lack of a federal regulator have contributed to significant, heated regulatory scrutiny. This commentary discusses major concerns raised about the largest nonbank servicers, focusing on the three fastest-growing large nonbank servicers. We explore the regulatory and market framework driving their striking growth, then address the major charges against them, in an effort to elevate the debate and inform sound policy

Pkd2 dosage influences cellular repair responses following ischemia-reperfusion injury

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) results from mutations in either PKD1 or PKD2 and accounts for 10% of all patients on renal replacement therapy. The kidney disease phenotype is primarily characterized by cyst formation, but there are also prominent interstitial changes (inflammation, apoptosis, proliferation, and fibrosis). Using a model of unilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury, we tested the hypothesis that Pkd2 heterozygous kidneys are more sensitive to injury and that this could lead to interstitial inflammation and fibrosis. Baseline tubular proliferation in heterozygous kidneys was twofold higher than in wild-type kidneys. The magnitude and duration of tubular and interstitial proliferative responses was consistently greater in injured heterozygous compared with wild-type kidneys at all time points. Conversely, tubular p21 expression in heterozygotes was lower at baseline and following injury at all time points. Significantly more neutrophils and macrophages were detected in injured Pkd2 heterozygous kidneys at 2 days, correlating with increased expression of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 beta and keratinocyte-derived chemokine and resulting in interstitial fibrosis at 28 days. We conclude that Pkd2 dosage influences both susceptibility and nature of the repair responses following injury. Polycystin-2 is therefore likely to play multiple roles in regulating tubular cell viability, repair, and remodeling in the mature kidney

Motor subtype as a predictor of future working memory performance in idiopathic Parkinson\u27s disease

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with reduced spatial and verbal working memory ability. There are two established motor subtypes of PD, tremor dominant (TD) and postural instability and gait difficulty (PIGD). This study used structural equation modelling to explore the longitudinal relationship between the two subtypes and working memory assessed at a 2-year follow-up. The study comprised 84 males and 30 females (N = 114), aged between 39 and 85 (M = 64.82, SD = 9.23) with confirmed PD. There was no significant relationship between motor subtype at Time 1 and working memory at Time 2. Postural symptom severity at Time 1 predicted Time 2 spatial working memory for the PIGD subtype (p = .011) but not the TD subtype. Tremor symptoms were not associated with Time 2 working memory in either subtype. Predictive significance of Time 1 postural symptoms only in the PIGD subtype suggests an interaction between symptom dominance (subtype) and symptom severity that future subtyping should consider. This study demonstrates a predictive relationship between postural difficulties and working memory performance assessed at a 2-year follow-up. Establishing physical symptoms as predictors of cognitive change could have significant clinical importance

Regulating Cryptocurrencies in the United States: Current Issues and Future Directions

This article explores the state of virtual currencies and their regulation in and by the United States and the States. It offers thoughts on which models of regulation might suit virtual currencies best. It also surveys recent enforcement actions brought by the Departments of Treasury, Justice and Homeland Security against providers of virtual currencies or comparable electronic stored value. It concludes that issuers and users of virtual currencies are not being realistic if they think that the United States will not regulate virtual currencies for some purposes

A novel PKD1 variant demonstrates a disease-modifying role in trans with a truncating PKD1 mutation in patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is the most common form of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and occurs at a frequency of 1/800 to 1/1000 affecting all ethnic groups worldwide. ADPKD shows significant intrafamilial phenotypic variability in the rate of disease progression and extra-renal manifestations, which suggests the involvement of heritable modifier genes. Here we show that the PKD1 gene can act as a disease causing and a disease modifier gene in ADPKD patients

Cue Card Media in Reducing The Students Speaking Anxiety

The objective of this research is to find out whether a cue card media impact or not reducing speaking anxiety at grade in MTs Az-Zikra Kota Sorong. Related to the objective of the researcher used pre-experimental quantitative research design. The design of this research is one group pretest posttest. The population of this research was eighth grade students of MTs Az-Zikra Kota Sorong with the sample is 34 students. In the collecting the data, the researcher used anxiety questionnaire which consist of 32 items, and it was applied in pretest and posttest. In analyzed the data, the researcher used SPSS 20 program to calculate the data. The result finding of the research showed that, there is a difference score between the result of the anxiety questionnaire in pretest and posttest. It can be seen from the questionnaire result in pretest was 76,4 % categorized into severe anxiety level reduced become 53,6% in posttest. It can be concluded that cue card media can reduce the speaking anxiety of the students. &nbsp

A novel PKD1 variant demonstrates a disease-modifying role in trans with a truncating PKD1 mutation in patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is the most common form of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and occurs at a frequency of 1/800 to 1/1000 affecting all ethnic groups worldwide. ADPKD shows significant intrafamilial phenotypic variability in the rate of disease progression and extra-renal manifestations, which suggests the involvement of heritable modifier genes. Here we show that the PKD1 gene can act as a disease causing and a disease modifier gene in ADPKD patients

The Impact of Cue Card Media on the Secondary School Students’ Speaking Anxiety

The objective of this research is to find out whether a cue card media given impact or not in reducing speaking anxiety at grade in MTs Az-Zikra Kota Sorong. Related to the objective of the researcher used pre-experimental qualitative research design. The design of this research is pre-experimental research. The population of this research was eighth grades students with total of the sample was 34 students, based on purposive sampling. In the collecting the data, the researcher used 32 items questionnaire for pre-test and posttest. In analyzed the data, the researcher used SPSS 20 program to calculation the data. The result of the research showed that, there is a difference in the scale between the before treatment and after treatment because T-value (6.258) > T-table (1.703) and P value (0.000) < α (0,05). It also indicates that the H0 was rejected and Ha which said Cue card media give impact on the student speaking anxiety was accepted. It can be seen from the mean score from the pre-test questionnaire was 76,4 decreased on post-test questionnaire was 53,6. It can be concluded that cue card media can reduce the students’ speaking anxiety