Did bankruptcy reform lead to looser mortgage lending standards? Evidence from the U.S. mortgage market 2000-2007

This paper seeks to find an exogenous cause for deterioration in mortgage lending standards  since 2005 that contributed to the subprime mortgage crisis in the U.S. We find that the newmeans test provision in the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act  (BAPCPA) of 2005 was such an exogenous shock in the mortgage market. We show that the means test, which makes Chapter 7 bankruptcy unavailable to relatively better off borrowers, caused a shift in the supply of mortgage credit from better off borrowers to relatively poorer borrowers. Simultaneously, we found borrowers being charged higher interest rates, for all classes of income. Our findings imply that BAPCPA may be a contributing factor toward the deterioration of lending standards in the U.S. mortgage market.El presente trabajo intenta encontrar una causa exógena al deterioro, a partir de 2005, en losestándares de crédito hipotecario que contribuyeron a la crisis subprime en los Estados Unidos.Sostenemos que la nueva provisión de la prueba de medios de la ley Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) de 2005 fue dicho shock exógeno en el mercado hipotecario. Mostramos que la prueba de medios, que impide solicitar la bancarrota bajo Chapter 7 a los deudores con mayores ingresos relativos, causó un desplazamiento de la oferta de crédito hipotecario de deudores con mayores ingresos a deudores con menores ingresos relativos. Simultáneamente, observamos que todos los deudores debieron pagar tasas de interés más altas, independientemente del nivel de ingresos. Nuestros resultados implican que la ley BAPCPA podría ser un factor que contribuyó al deterioro en los estándares de crédito en el mercado hipotecario de los Estados Unidos

Falciform Ligament Abscess after Omphalitis: Report of a Case

A falciform ligament abscess is a rare type of intra-abdominal abscess. A 2-yr-old male, who had omphalitis two months previously, presented with a fever and right upper quadrant abdominal pain. The ultrasound and CT scan showed an abdominal wall abscess located anterior to the liver, which was refractory to conservative management with percutaneous draninage and antibiotics. On the third recurrence, surgical exploration was performed and revealed an abscess arising from the falciform ligament; the falciform ligament was excised. A follow up ultrasound confirmed complete resolution of the abscess with no further recurrence

Nasopharyngeal Salivary Gland Anlage Tumour: A rare cause of neonatal respiratory distress

A salivary gland anlage tumour (SGAT) is a very rare type of benign tumour that usually presents in early infancy with respiratory distress which is exacerbated upon feeding. We report a full-term male neonate who was referred to the Al Nahdha Hospital, Muscat, Oman, in 2015 with severe neonatal respiratory distress due to a nasopharyngeal obstruction immediately after birth. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well-circumscribed mass in the nasopharynx, without intracranial extension. Histopathological analysis of the lesion confirmed a diagnosis of SGAT. Following excision of the tumour, the postoperative period was uneventful. No recurrence was observed over the next two years. This case report highlights the importance of the early recognition of this extremely rare and potentially life-threatening, yet easily curable, condition. Keywords: Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Salivary Gland Neoplasms; Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome; Case Report; Oman

Neonatal brain metabolite concentrations: Associations with age, sex, and developmental outcomes

Age and sex differences in brain metabolite concentrations in early life are not well under- stood. We examined the associations of age and sex with brain metabolite levels in healthy neonates, and investigated the associations between neonatal brain metabolite concentrations and developmental outcomes. Forty-one infants (36–42 gestational weeks at birth; 39% female) of predominantly Hispanic/Latina mothers (mean 18 years of age) underwent MRI scanning approximately two weeks after birth. Multiplanar chemical shift imaging was used to obtain voxel-wise maps of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine, and choline concentrations across the brain. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, a measure of cognitive, language, and motor skills, and mobile conjugate reinforcement paradigm, a measure of learning and memory, were administered at 4 months of age. Findings indicated that postmenstrual age correlated positively with NAA concentrations in multiple subcortical and white matter regions. Creatine and choline concentrations showed similar but less pronounced age related increases. Females compared with males had higher metabolite levels in white matter and subcortical gray matter. Neonatal NAA concentrations were positively associated with learning and negatively associated with memory at 4 months. Age-related increases in NAA, creatine, and choline suggest rapid development of neuronal viability, cel- lular energy metabolism, and cell membrane turnover, respectively, during early life. Females may undergo earlier and more rapid regional developmental increases in the density of viable neurons compared to males

Consanguinity and reproductive health among Arabs

Consanguineous marriages have been practiced since the early existence of modern humans. Until now consanguinity is widely practiced in several global communities with variable rates depending on religion, culture, and geography. Arab populations have a long tradition of consanguinity due to socio-cultural factors. Many Arab countries display some of the highest rates of consanguineous marriages in the world, and specifically first cousin marriages which may reach 25-30% of all marriages. In some countries like Qatar, Yemen, and UAE, consanguinity rates are increasing in the current generation. Research among Arabs and worldwide has indicated that consanguinity could have an effect on some reproductive health parameters such as postnatal mortality and rates of congenital malformations. The association of consanguinity with other reproductive health parameters, such as fertility and fetal wastage, is controversial. The main impact of consanguinity, however, is an increase in the rate of homozygotes for autosomal recessive genetic disorders. Worldwide, known dominant disorders are more numerous than known recessive disorders. However, data on genetic disorders in Arab populations as extracted from the Catalogue of Transmission Genetics in Arabs (CTGA) database indicate a relative abundance of recessive disorders in the region that is clearly associated with the practice of consanguinity

Haemophilus influenzae Type a Meningitis in Immunocompetent Child, Oman, 2015

Meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was eliminated in Oman after the introduction of Hib vaccine in 2001. However, a case of H. influenzae type a meningitis was diagnosed in a child from Oman in 2015, which highlights the need to monitor the incidence of invasive non-Hib H. influenzae disease

Need for further research on environmental factors in the etiology of congenital anomalies in the eastern Mediterranean region (EMR)

Need for further research on environmental factors in the etiology of congenital anomalies in the eastern Mediterranean region (EMR

Evaluation of the effect of Boerhavia diffusa on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

Background: Ayurvedic literature claims that Boerhavia diffusa possesses rejuvenative properties especially related to the urinary system. Objective: To evaluate effect of aqueous extract of root of Boerhavia diffusa in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: Study was conducted in two parts, using 40 rats in each part. Rats were equally divided into five groups for each part. Group 1: Normal control, Group 2: Disease control and Groups 3, 4, and 5: α-lipoic acid (ALA) and 200 and 400 mg/kg of B. diffusa, respectively. All groups, except Group 1, concomitantly received gentamicin 150 mg/kg/day for 10 days. Parameters measured in part I were blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, kidney malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) levels, kidney injury on histopathology; in part II, paraaminohippurate (PAH) clearance . Statistical Analysis: Mean ± SD of body weight, creatinine, BUN, MDA, GSH and PAH clearance were compared using parametric tests. Median histopathology scores were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test. ′P′ value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: High dose of gentamicin caused significant elevation in BUN, serum creatinine and kidney MDA, fall in kidney GSH and histopathological damage in disease control group as compared with normal control (P < 0.05). Treatment with B. diffusa prevented changes in above parameters, comparable to ALA. Effects of both doses of B. diffusa were significantly better than disease control (P < 0.05). B. diffusa did not show significant improvement in PAH clearance, which was reduced due to gentamicin damage. Conclusion: B. diffusa exerted protection against structural and functional damage induced by gentamicin possibly due to its antioxidant properties

Ankyloblepharon-ectodermal dysplasia-clefting syndrome: a novel p63 mutation associated with generalized neonatal erosions.

Ankyloblepharon-ectodermal dysplasia-clefting (AEC) syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by ankyloblepharon (congenital adhesions of the eyelids), ectodermal dysplasia, and orofacial clefts. Here, we report the case of an infant born with severe ectodermal dysplasia including generalized neonatal erosions with scalp involvement, facial clefting but notably without ankyloblepharon. Mutational analysis of the p63 gene showed a novel heterozygous T\u3eC nucleotide substitution on exon 14 (I597T). To our knowledge, this is a novel mutation that has not previously been reported in the pathogenesis of AEC, or other p63-related syndromes. This case further highlights the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of p63 syndromes