The evolution of monetary policy and the Federal Reserve System over the past thirty years: an overview

Monetary policy ; Monetary policy - United States ; Federal Reserve banks ; Credit control

The merger boom: an overview

Consolidation and merger of corporations ; Corporations ; Public policy

How the commercial real estate boom undid the banks

Real property ; Construction industry ; Regional economics

Are hostile takeovers different?

Consolidation and merger of corporations ; Corporations ; Stockholders

Status of turtle populations in Point Pelee National Park

Loss of biodiversity has been an irrepressible consequence of growing human populations and resource use. Some groups, such as turtles, are especially vulnerable because of their natural history. Turtles are threatened by habitat loss, population isolation, subsidized predators, road mortality, collection as pets, interactions with exotic species, human recreation, disease, and effects of contaminants. Parks are playing an increasingly important role of conserving natural habitats and populations in a mosaic of human development. Point Pelee National Park was historically the location of greatest turtle diversity in Canada. Recently, park staff and researchers have been concerned regarding population declines and possible extirpation for a number of the turtle species found at Point Pelee. My objectives were to determine species present, their population sizes and structure, and to examine possible causes of decline. I used mark-recapture to determine the population sizes and population structure of turtle species present. Captured turtles were marked, measured, sexed, and released at the site of capture. I compared my data to 1972 data on turtles at Point Pelee. I searched for turtle nests during the nesting season (late May to early July) in 2001 and 2002. Nests were randomly assigned to either a predation or a contaminant study. I monitored nests in the predation study to compare predation rates among species and areas. Predator surveys were also conducted along roadsides. Nests in the contaminant study were protected from mammalian predation to examine hatching success and three eggs per nest were collected for contaminant analysis. Nests of turtles designated as ‘species at risk’ were protected but not included in the predation or contaminant study. I examined nest protection effectiveness by comparing predation rates on protected and unprotected nests. Turtles killed by vehicles were recorded and models were created to predict the potential effects of road mortality and nest predation on turtle populations. I marked 1599 turtles (867 painted, 441 snapping, 95 Blanding’s, 172 map, and 24 stinkpot) from 5 May 2001 to 22 August 2002. Two spiny softshells and 3 red-eared sliders were observed. No spotted turtles were observed during this study. Blanding’s and snapping turtles have experienced a clear shift towards larger size classes since 1972, which suggests juvenile recruitment into these populations is limited. I found 178 turtle nests in 2001/2002. Predation rates on nests ranged from 62.5 % to 100 % among areas. Raccoon relative abundance was greatest along park roadsides. Hatching success was significantly lower in contaminated areas compared to other sites. Nest protection methods were highly effective in preventing mammalian predation. Road mortality models suggested that road mortality alone could cause population declines in Blanding’s turtles but not likely in snapping and painted populations. However, high nest predation levels are a much more serious risk to these populations. High nest predation of 70 % predicted serious declines in Blanding’s populations but not snapping and painted populations. However, predation rates of 90 % cannot be sustained by any species. Despite the short duration of this study, substantial evidence suggests that several serious threats to turtle conservation exist at Point Pelee National Park. Of seven native turtle species historically recorded at Point Pelee, six remain extant; but only one has a large healthy population. High levels of nest predation have limited recruitment, causing a shift in age structure. The present community is slightly less diverse than historically, and threats to all species conservation are apparent. Turtle populations at Point Pelee, like many other turtles worldwide, are imperiled by a multitude of threats

Influence of Two Marketing Controllables on the Sale of Branded and Unbranded T-shirts

A study to determine the influence of direct mail and point-of-purchase promotions with price differentials on the sale of branded and unbranded T-shirts. The study was conducted in a multiple-line clothing department store in Edmond, Oklahoma. The brands tested were Hanes and Jockey T-shirts, and the unbranded T-shirts consisted of Hanes and Jockey T-shirts with all brand differentiating labels removed. During Week One, all four brand classifications were the same price and no promotional methods�were used. In Week Two, a direct mail letter sent to a selected sample of the store's credit customers was coordinated with a price reduction of the unbranded products. In Week Three, a point-of-purchase display promotion was coordinated with a price reduction of the unbranded T-shirts. The number of sales of each brand classification in each time period was recorded and tested for significance using chi-square analysis. The results were evaluated with respect to previous brand preference and brand loyalty research. The comparison of results in Week Two and Three with the results in Week One revealed a significant amount of brand switching from Hanes and Jockey branded products. The Hanes unbranded product exhibited the largest increase in sales, although the Jockey unbranded sales also revealed an increase. Price appeared to be a major consideration of consumers, while secondary consideration was given to quality charactersitics. The influence of the direct mail promotion appeared greater than that of the point-of-purchase display promotion and suggested that brand loyalty tendencies toward Hanes and Jockey branded T-shirts were low.Business Administratio

Reinvigorating Springfield's economy: lessons from resurgent cities

As part of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's commitment to supporting efforts to revitalize the economy of Springfield, Massachusetts, this paper analyzes the economic development approaches of other mid-sized manufacturing-oriented cities during the past half century. From among a comparison group of 25 municipalities that were similar to Springfield in 1960, the study identifies 10 "resurgent cities" that have made substantial progress in improving living standards for their residents, and that are recognized as vital communities in a broader sense by experts on urban economic development and policy. These case studies suggest that industry mix, demographic composition, and geographic position are not the key factors distinguishing the resurgent cities from Springfield. Instead, the most important lessons from the resurgent cities concern leadership and collaboration. Initial leadership in these cities came from a variety of key institutions and individuals. In some cases, the turnaround started with efforts on the part of the public sector, while in other cases nongovernmental institutions or private developers were at the forefront. Regardless of who initiated the turnaround, economic redevelopment efforts spanned decades and involved collaborations among numerous organizations and sectors.Cities and towns ; Cities and towns - Massachusetts ; Economic policy - Massachusetts

MicroRNA profiling of the bovine alveolar macrophage response to Mycobacterium bovis infection suggests pathogen survival is enhanced by microRNA regulation of endocytosis and lysosome trafficking

peer-reviewedMycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, a major problem for global agriculture, spreads via an airborne route and is taken up by alveolar macrophages (AM) in the lung. Here, we describe the first next-generation sequencing (RNA-seq) approach to temporally profile miRNA expression in primary bovine AMs post-infection with M. bovis. One, six, and forty miRNAs were identified as significantly differentially expressed at 2, 24 and 48 h post-infection, respectively. The differential expression of three miRNAs (bta-miR-142-5p, bta-miR-146a, and bta-miR-423-3p) was confirmed by RT-qPCR. Pathway analysis of the predicted mRNA targets of differentially expressed miRNAs suggests that these miRNAs preferentially target several pathways that are functionally relevant for mycobacterial pathogenesis, including endocytosis and lysosome trafficking, IL-1 signalling and the TGF-β pathway. Over-expression studies using a bovine macrophage cell-line (Bomac) reveal the targeting of two key genes in the innate immune response to M. bovis, IL-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) and TGF-β receptor 2 (TGFBR2), by miR-146. Taken together, our study suggests that miRNAs play a key role in tuning the complex interplay between M. bovis survival strategies and the host immune response