Proposed revision to the Federal Reserve's discount window lending programs

The Board of Governors' Regulation A currently authorizes the Federal Reserve Banks to operate three main discount window programs: adjustment credit, extended credit, and seasonal credit. On May 17, 2002, the Board published for public comment a proposed amendment to Regulation A that would establish two new discount window programs called primary credit and secondary credit as replacements for adjustment and extended credit. Primary credit would be available for very short terms, ordinarily overnight, to depository institutions that are in generally sound financial condition. Secondary credit would be available, subject to Reserve Bank approval and monitoring, for depository institutions that did not qualify for primary credit. The interest rate on primary credit would usually be above short-term market interest rates, including the federal funds rate, as opposed to the current situation in which the discount rate (the interest rate for adjustment credit) is typically below money market interest rates. Because of the above-market rate, the restrictions currently employed to limit access to adjustment credit will be unnecessary for primary credit. The primary credit program would be broadly similar to mechanisms adopted by many other major central banks to provide credit at the margin at an above-market rate.Discount window ; Regulation A: Extensions of Credit by Federal Reserve Banks

Materials for Briefing on Proposed TAF and TSLF Schedules

These briefing materials were ultimately disseminated to the Board of Governors in a memo preparing for a meeting on Schedules for the TAF and TSLF programs. To view this memo please see the related resource section below

FOMC Meeting Presentation Material

Contains presentation material including slides on Financial Market Developments and Desk Operations, Material for Briefing on FOMC Participants\u27 Economic Projections, and Material for Briefing on Monetary Policy Alternatives

Memo to Board of Governors and FOMC from Brian Madigan and Brian Sack regarding Schedules for TAF and TSLF

Draft of TAF and TSLF September 24th, 2009 Press Release and TAF & TSLF auction schedules are included as attachment. Please see the related resources section below to view a more preliminary draft of the attached briefing materials

Prevalence of reducing carbohydrate intake and fasted training in elite endurance athletes and association with bone injury

There are conflicting reports both within the lay media and scientific literature regarding the use and benefit of dietary practices that aim to reduce CHO intake in endurance athletes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intentional reduction of CHO intake and fasted training in elite endurance-based athletes using a semi-quantitative questionnaire. Bone is a nutritionally modulated tissue; therefore, this study also aimed to explore if these dietary practices are potentially associated with bone injury incidence. The reported reduction of CHO intake was prevalent (28%) with the primary motivation being maintenance or manipulation of body composition. However, discrepancies in athletes' awareness of CHO intake were identified providing a potential avenue of intervention especially within applied practice. The use of fasted training was more prevalent (38%) with athletes using this practice for both body composition manipulation and promoting a desired adaptive response. Forty-four per cent of participants had suffered a radiographically confirmed bone injury at some point in their career. There was no association between reduction in CHO intake and bone injury incidence; however, the incidence of bone injury was 1.61 times higher in those who currently use fasted training compared to those who have never used it or who have used it in the past. Although a direct causal link between these dietary practices and the incidence of bone injury cannot be drawn, it provides robust justification for future investigations of the potential mechanisms that could explain this finding

Quantifying mercury isotope dynamics in captive Pacific Bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis)

Analyses of mercury (Hg) isotope ratios in fish tissues are used increasingly to infer sources and biogeochemical processes of Hg in natural aquatic ecosystems. Controlled experiments that can couple internal Hg isotope behavior with traditional isotope tracers (delta C-13, delta N-15) can improve the applicability of Hg isotopes as natural ecological tracers. In this study, we investigated changes in Hg isotope ratios (delta Hg-202, Delta Hg-199) during bioaccumulation of natural diets in the pelagic Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis; PBFT). Juvenile PBFT were fed a mixture of natural prey and a dietary supplement (60% Loligo opalescens, 31% Sardinops sagax, 9% gel supplement) in captivity for 2914 days, and white muscle tissues were analyzed for Hg isotope ratios and compared to time in captivity and internal turnover of delta C-13 and delta N-15. PBFT muscle tissues equilibrated to Hg isotope ratios of the dietary mixture within similar to 700 days, after which we observed a cessation in further shifts in Delta Hg-199, and small but significant negative delta Hg-202 shifts from the dietary mixture. The internal behavior of Delta Hg-199 is consistent with previous fish studies, which showed an absence of Delta Hg-199 fractionation during Hg bioaccumulation. The negative delta Hg-202 shifts can be attributed to either preferential excretion of Hg with higher delta Hg-202 values or individual variability in captive PBFT feeding preferences and/or consumption rates. The overall internal behavior of Hg isotopes is similar to that described for delta C-13 and delta N-15, though observed Hg turnover was slower compared to carbon and nitrogen. This improved understanding of internal dynamics of Hg isotopes in relation to delta C-13 and delta N-15 enhances the applicability of Hg isotope ratios in fish tissues for tracing Hg sources in natural ecosystems.118Nsciescopu

Src-Mediated Phosphorylation of the Tyrosine Phosphatase PRL-3 Is Required for PRL-3 Promotion of Rho Activation, Motility and Invasion

The metastasis-associated tyrosine phosphatase PRL-3/PTP4A is upregulated in numerous cancers, but the mechanisms modulating PRL-3 activity other than its expression levels have not been investigated. Here we report evidence for both Src-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of PRL-3 and Src-mediated regulation of PRL-3 biological activities. We used structural mutants, pharmacological inhibitors and siRNA to demonstrate Src-dependent phosphorylation of endogenous PRL-3 in SW480 colon cancer cells. We also demonstrated that PRL-3 was not tyrosine phosphorylated in SYF mouse embryo fibroblasts deficient in Src, Yes and Fyn unless Src was re-expressed. Further, we show that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) can stimulate PRL-3 phosphorylation in a Src-dependent manner. Finally, we show that PRL-3-induced cell motility, Matrigel invasion and activation of the cytoskeleton-regulating small GTPase RhoC were abrogated in the presence of the phosphodeficient PRL-3 mutant Y53F, or by use of a Src inhibitor. Thus, PRL-3 requires the activity of a Src kinase, likely Src itself, to promote these cancer-associated phenotypes. Our data establish a model for the regulation of PRL-3 by Src that supports the possibility of their coordinate roles in signaling pathways promoting invasion and metastasis, and supports simultaneous use of novel molecularly targeted therapeutics directed at these proteins