The CLSTM system: reducing settlement risk in foreign exchange transactions.

The launch of the CLSTM system on 9 September 2002 marked the completion of an ambitious project undertaken by the banking sector following the G10 central banks’ recommendations on reducing settlement risk in foreign exchange transactions. The CLS system is owned by 66 of the largest foreign exchange-dealing banks, including 4 French banks. In the first phase, 7 currencies (euro, US dollar, sterling, yen, Swiss franc, Canadian dollar and Australian dollar) will be eligible for CLS. The system is bound to establish itself as the standard “market infrastructure” for settling foreign exchange transactions. The first section of this article looks at the CLS system in light of the central banks’ joint efforts with the banking industry to reduce settlement risk in foreign exchange transactions. The second section describes the CLS operating principles and its contribution to controlling settlement risk. The third section discusses the central banks’ role in the oversight of the CLS project. The final section looks at the impact that the implementation of the system may have on payment activities.

Gene regulatory network underlying neural crest formation

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Ambipolar charge carrier transport in mixed organic layers of phthalocyanine and fullerene

Mixed layers of copper-phthalocyanine (p-conductive) and fullerene (n-conductive) are used for the fabrication of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and inverters. Regarding the electrical characteristics of these donor-acceptor blends they show ambipolar charge carrier transport, whereas devices made from only one of the materials show unipolar behavior. Such mixed films are model systems for ambipolar transport with adjustable field-effect mobilities for electrons and holes. By variation of the mixing ratio it is possible to balance the transport of both charge-carrier types. In this paper we discuss the variation of mobility and threshold voltage with the mixing ratio and demonstrate ambipolar inverters as a leadoff application. The gained results were analyzed by simulations using an analytical model for ambipolar transistors and subsequently compared to complementary inverters

Development and evolution of the neural crest: An overview

The neural crest is a multipotent and migratory cell type that forms transiently in the developing vertebrate embryo. These cells emerge from the central nervous system, migrate extensively and give rise to diverse cell lineages including melanocytes, craniofacial cartilage and bone, peripheral and enteric neurons and glia, and smooth muscle. A vertebrate innovation, the gene regulatory network underlying neural crest formation appears to be highly conserved, even to the base of vertebrates. Here, we present an overview of important concepts in the neural crest field dating from its discovery 150 years ago to open questions that will motivate future research

Early- and late-migrating cranial neural crest cell populations have equivalent developmental potential in vivo

We present the first in vivo study of the long-term fate and potential of early-migrating and late-migrating mesencephalic neural crest cell populations, by performing isochronic and heterochronic quail-to-chick grafts. Both early- and late-migrating populations form melanocytes, neurons, glia, cartilage and bone in isochronic, isotopic chimeras, showing that neither population is lineage-restricted. The early-migrating population distributes both dorsally and ventrally during normal development, while the late-migrating population is confined dorsally and forms much less cartilage and bone. When the late-migrating population is substituted heterochronically for the early-migrating population, it contributes extensively to ventral derivatives such as jaw cartilage and bone. Conversely, when the early-migrating population is substituted heterochronically for the late-migrating population, it no longer contributes to the jaw skeleton and only forms dorsal derivatives. When the late-migrating population is grafted into a late-stage host whose neural crest had previously been ablated, it migrates ventrally into the jaws. Thus, the dorsal fate restriction of the late-migrating mesencephalic neural crest cell population in normal development is due to the presence of earlier-migrating neural crest cells, rather than to any change in the environment or to any intrinsic difference in migratory ability or potential between early- and late-migrating cell populations. These results highlight the plasticity of the neural crest and show that its fate is determined primarily by the environment

A community-based survey of posttraumatic stress disorder in the Netherlands

In this study, the lifetime prevalence of stressful events and current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the general adult population in theNetherlands were examined, and risk groups for PTSD were determined. A representative sample of 2,238 adults (≥18 years) in the Netherlands completed digital questionnaires by computer-assisted self-interviewing. In total, 52.2% of the population reported at least one stressful event throughout their life. The estimated prevalence of current PTSD in the total population was 3.8%. Rape and physical assault were the stressful events most likely to be associated with PTSD, witness of injury the least likely. Stressful medical events were moderately associated with PTSD. Prevalence of PTSD was elevated among single women and middle-aged men

Our Parents, Ourselves: Health Care for an Aging Population; A Report of the Dartmouth Atlas Project

The new Dartmouth Atlas, funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation, is a report card that analyzes Medicare data to show us where the United States is making progress in patient-centered, evidence-based care for Medicare beneficiaries and where improvement is still needed. It also offers insight into regional variations in care.Filling in the gaps in our knowledge about the state of care across the country will help health care providers, health systems, and patients and families work together to improve care for all older adults.This Dartmouth Atlas report looks at a number of measures from Medicare data, including:The number of days older adults spend in contact with the health care system;Use of high-risk medications;Cancer screening rates (and how they compare with recommendations);30-day hospital readmission rates;Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) rates;Late hospice referral; andThe number of days spent in intensive care.The report also offers a historical look at key practices, comparing data from 2003-05 and 2012

Role of Pumilio proteins during neural crest development

The neural crest (NC) is a multipotent stem cell‐like population, unique to vertebrates, that is characterized by its migratory behavior and broad ability to differentiate into many diverse derivatives including elements of the cardiovascular system, bone and cartilage of the face, the peripheral nervous system, and melanocytes. After neurulation, neural crest cells (NCC) delaminate, undergo EMT from the neural tube, and migrate both individually and collectively as chains. Various developmental diseases, including craniofacial abnormalities and neural crest‐derived cancers such as melanoma arise due to improper development of NC. While there has been much focus on transcriptional mechanisms in regulation of neural crest specification, the process of cell migration involves rapid changes that likely require post‐transcriptional regulation. In order to uncover novel proteins that might influence NC development, we have performed transcriptional profiling of migrating neural crest cells and found >300 genes that are upregulated in the migrating crest including the sequence specific RNA binding protein Pumilio1 (PUM1). PUM proteins are evolutionarily conserved translational regulators that play essential roles during germline development in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Here, we showed that pum1 and pum2 mRNA is present in both premigratory and migratory NC. Pum loss of function resulted in depletion of NC cells migrating neural tube. Conversely, over expression led to an increase in numbers of migrating cells. This led us to think about the potential role of PUM proteins in modulating the specification of NC cells. To identify potential NC targets of PUM, we carried out a bioinformatics screen focusing on NC relevant genes across multiple species that possessed a Pumilio Response Element (PRE) in their 3'UTR region. The PRE element, 5’‐UGUANAUA‐3,’ is a highly conserved consensus that PUM proteins recognize in the 3’UTRs of their targets. Interestingly, several neural crest markers possess a PRE, thus representing potential targets regulated by Pumilio during NC development. Investigation of the specific mechanism whereby PUM proteins regulate NC development is currently in progress