The effects of local demographic characteristics and state-level legislation on foreclosure rates

Problems in the housing sector have prompted research into the causes of default by borrowers. The terms of the loans that were made, the characteristics of borrowers, and local economic conditions, among other factors, all contributed significantly to differences in default rates. State-level legislation may also have played a role by making it more costly for lenders in some states to proceed to foreclose on defaulted mortgages.Housing ; Foreclosure ; Mortgage loans

Overcoming child malnutrition in developing countries

In 1995, 167 million children under five years old—almost one-third of developing-country children—were malnourished. Malnutrition causes a great deal of human suffering, and it is a violation of a child's human rights. It is associated with more than half of all deaths of children worldwide. People who survive a malnourished childhood are less physically and intellectually productive and suffer from more chronic illness and disability. The costs to society are enormous. Eradicating malnutrition remains a tremendous public policy challenge. Which types of interventions will have the greatest impact in reducing child malnutrition? The study on which this brief is based uses national data for 63 countries over 1970–96 to explore this question. Smith and Hadded examine the determinants of child nutritional status and discuss reductions in child malnutrition during 1970–95. they forecast the status of child malnutrition to the year 2020 and sugest priorities for the future.Malnutrition in children Developing countries History. ,Malnutrition in children Developing countries Forecasting. ,

Explaining child malnutrition in developing countries: a cross-country analysis

"One in three pre-school children in the developing world is undernourished. As a consequence, their human rights are violated. In addition, they are more likely to have impaired immune systems, poorer cognitive development, lower productivity as adults, and greater susceptibility to diet-related chronic diseases such as hypertension and coronary heart disease later in life. Undernourished female preschoolers are likely to grow into undernourished young women who are more likely to give birth to babies who are undernourished even before they are born, thus perpetuating the inter-generational transmission of deprivation. Reducing these unacceptably high numbers remains a tremendous challenge to public policy. As a guide to the direction of future efforts, this research report examines the success of the efforts of the past 25 years to reduce preschooler undernutrition. The report uses an econometric model to identify the factors associated with the reduction in undernutrition. The formulation of the econometric model is guided by the widely accepted food-care-health conceptual model of child growth. The contributions of both underlying and basic determinants to reductions in undernutrition are assessed using the model. The potential of these factors to further reduce undernutrition is evaluated in a region-by-region priority-setting exercise. In addition, projections of child nutrition are made under various scenarios to the year 2020. What will it take to dramatically reduce undernutrition in the next 20 years? The report attempts some broad answers to these questions..." (Forward by Per Pinstrup-Andersen)Malnutrition in children Developing countries., Malnutrition in children Developing countries Prevention., Developing countries., Econometric models., Gender, Health and nutrition,

Explaining child malnutrition in developing countries

"One in three pre school children in the developing world is undernourished. As a consequence, their human rights are violated. In addition, they are more likely to have impaired immune systems, poorer cognitive development, lower productivity as adults, and greater susceptibility to diet-related chronic diseases such as hypertension and coronary heart disease later in life. Undernourished female preschoolers are likely to grow into undernourished young women who are more likely to give birth to babies who are undernourished even before they are born, thus perpetuating the inter-generational transmission of deprivation. Reducing these unacceptably high numbers remains a tremendous challenge to public policy. As a guide to the direction of future efforts, this research report examines the success of the efforts of the past 25 years to reduce preschooler undernutrition. The report uses an econometric model to identify the factors associated with the reduction in undernutrition. The formulation of the econometric model is guided by the widely accepted food-care-health conceptual model of child growth. The contributions of both underlying and basic determinants to reductions in undernutrition are assessed using the model. The potential of these factors to further reduce undernutrition is evaluated in a region-by-region priority-setting exercise. In addition, projections of child nutrition are made under various scenarios to the year 2020. What will it take to dramatically reduce undernutrition in the next 20 years? The report attempts some broad answers to these questions..." (Forward by Per Pinstrup-Andersen)Gender ,Malnutrition in children Developing countries Prevention ,Nutrition ,

Overcoming child malnutrition in developing countries: past achievements and future choices

"About 167 million children under five years of age —almost one-third of the developing world's children —are malnourished. If they survive childhood, many of these children will suffer from poorer cognitive development and lower productivity. As adults, their ability to assure good nutrition for their children could be compromised, perpetuating a vicious cycle. What will it take to eradicate child malnutrition in developing countries? As Lisa Smith and Lawrence Haddad point out in this 2020 Vision discussion paper, Overcoming Child Malnutrition in Developing Countries: Past Achievements and Future Choices, we must first understand the causes of malnutrition and delineate which are the most important before we can identify and act upon those areas of intervention that will be most successful in reducing malnutrition. Toward that end, their path-breaking research identifies and assesses the contribution of each key determinant to reductions in child malnutrition over the past quarter century. The most startling and important finding is that improvements in women's education have contributed by far the most, accounting for 43 percent of the reduction in child malnutrition between 1970 and 1995, while improvements in per capita food availability con tributed about 26 percent. In a signal service to policymakers, Smith and Haddad also evaluate the potential of these factors to further reduce malnutrition durng the next two decades to 2020 and lay out the key policy priorities for each major developing region. By shedding light on which areas of intervention will be most successful in overcoming child malnutrition in developing countries, this research will contribute to realizing the 2020 Vision of a world where hunger and malnutrition are absent." (Forward by Per Pinstrup-Andersen)Malnutrition in children Developing countries History., Malnutrition in children Developing countries Forecasting., Gender, Health and nutrition,

Studies on the early development of mammalian embryos by nuclear transplantation

The early development of mammalian embryos has been investigated using a technique of nuclear transplantation. Studies concentrated on the interactions between donor nuclei and recipient cytoplasm of reconstituted sheep and mouse embryos by analysing their ability to support cell division and to develop further in vitro or in vivo to the blastocyst stage. Sheep experiments showed that some nuclei derived from 16-cell blastomeres (day-4) and cells from the ICM of early blastocysts (day-6) can support development to term and retain similar potential to support development in vivo to the morula-blastocyst stage when fused to 'enucleated' secondary oocytes. The highly beneficial effect of adding cytochalasin B for one hour to the medium immediately after fusion indicated an effect of microfilament-dependent cytoskeletal mechanisms on transplanted nuclei at the time of activation.Cell cycle stage effects were detected for recipient cytoplasm and donor nuclei of reconstituted 1-and 2-cell mouse embryos. Synchronous transplantations enabled higher proportions of embryos to develop in vitro to blastocysts when fusing embryonic fragments from the same cell cycle. However, transplantations using nuclei and cytoplasm from different cell cycles produced more blastocysts when the recipient cytoplasm came from later stages of the either 1st or 2nd cell cycle. Karyoplasts from later stages of the cell cycle were also more able to support development in transplantations to 1-and 2 -cell enucleated embryos.Cleavage time was controlled by interactions between nucleus and cytoplasm already at the 1-cell stage with an indication that it may be necessary for DNA replication to be completed before mitosis and cytokinesis. Karyoplasts from transcriptionally inactive embryos were unable to support development when fused to cytoplasm after transcriptional activation suggesting a role for maternal cytoplasmic m e.ssages in activating transcriptionally inactive embryonic nuclei. Electrofusion parameters for strength and duration of the d .c . pulse were established for fusing mouse and sheep embryos. Preceding a .c. pulses were helpful in aligning 2-cell mouse embryos between the electrodes and improved fusion rates in sheep embryos when using ICM cells.Together, these experiments have enabled a better understanding of the n u cleocytoplasmic control mechanisms during early stages of mammalian development. The results with sheep embryos revealed potential applications for the production of genetically identical farm animals and, assuming that embryonic stem cells can be isolated from farm animals and that these have similar potential as ICM cells, nuclear transplantation may become the most efficient means of producing non-chimaeric transgenic offspring from transformed embryonic stem cells

Apollinaris Waltz

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-ps/2974/thumbnail.jp

Responsiveness of bovine cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COC) to porcine and recombinant human FSH, and the effect of COC quality on gonadotropin receptor and Cx43 marker gene mRNAs during maturation in vitro

Substantially less development to the blastocyst stage occurs in vitro than in vivo and this may be due to deficiencies in oocyte competence. Although a large proportion of bovine oocytes undergo spontaneous nuclear maturation, less is known about requirements for proper cytoplasmic maturation. Commonly, supraphysiological concentrations of FSH and LH are added to maturation media to improve cumulus expansion, fertilization and embryonic development. Therefore, various concentrations of porcine FSH (pFSH) and recombinant human FSH (rhFSH) were investigated for their effect on bovine cumulus expansion in vitro. Expression of FSHr, LHr and Cx43 mRNAs was determined in cumulus-oocyte complexes to determine whether they would be useful markers of oocyte competence. In serum-free media, only 1000 ng/ml pFSH induced marked cumulus expansion, but the effect of 100 ng/ml pFSH was amplified in the presence of 10% serum. In contrast, cumulus expansion occurred with 1 ng/ml rhFSH in the absence of serum. FSHr mRNA was highest at 0–6 h of maturation, then abundance decreased. Similarly, Cx43 mRNA expression was highest from 0–6 h but decreased by 24 h of maturation. However, the relative abundance of LHr mRNA did not change from 6–24 h of maturation. Decreased levels of FSHr, LHr and Cx43 mRNAs were detected in COCs of poorer quality. In conclusion, expansion of bovine cumulus occurred at low doses of rhFSH in serum-free media. In summary, FSHr, LHr and Cx43 mRNA abundance reflects COC quality and FSHr and Cx43 mRNA expression changes during in vitro maturation; these genes may be useful markers of oocyte developmental competence

The Ursinus Weekly, March 16, 1967

Curtain Club presentation of Look back in anger nears • Mardi gras at the Senior Ball • Herb Smith named editor of Weekly • 1967 Cub and Key chosen • Draft system reorganized: National lottery announced; College and graduate deferments may end • Forum: U.S. confrontation with China; Former State Department official to speak April 14 • Editorial: The Murray murder • Living near t-phone no longer such fun • Paperbacks, ramparts, and a good-bye • The sometimes not benign influence of Christianity • Green and white, you\u27re looking good tonight : Demas and Tau Sig win Songfest • History column • Look back in anger a new experience • Letters to the editor: Marine foresees another Dien Bien Phu • Drexel eliminates Bears in MAC playoff, 67-43 • Bearettes continue winning ways: Beat Immaculata and East Stroudsburg • JV\u27s have 6-3 record • Greek gleaningshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1198/thumbnail.jp