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The article offers information on the enforcement actions taken by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) against the debt buyers under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Consumer Financial Protection Act. Topics discussed include the actions taken against the Encore Capital Group Inc., a debt buyer; a consent order issued against Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC; and a proposal from CFPB to better regulate the debt collection process.

The article focuses on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to remove bevacizumab's current labeled indication for metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Postapproval trials required with the FDA approval for bevacizumab for treatment did not demonstrate an overall survival (OS) advantage. According to the authors, FDA's decision is correct.

Real-time flood forecasting has benefited greatly by the application of physically based hydrological models and real-time rainfall data obtained from weather radar. An application of a distributed hydrological model (Vflo™) to an urban catchment using distributed rainfall data from Nexrad radar images illustrates some important issues. The benefits of using Nexrad data with pixels approximately 1 km2 as opposed to using a single raingauge located at the edge of the catchment are demonstrated through model simulation. It was also possible to improve the model results by developing a new conceptual model of the 10·25km2 Harris Gully catchment (in Houston, Texas) and replacing an earlier model calibrated on the much larger Brays Bayou catchment. In the case of the Harris Gully catchment, flooding has been caused by several factors including heavy rainfall on the catchment exceeding the design capacity of the existing storm sewer system, and backwater effects caused by the larger Brays Bayou (which Harris Gully flows into) running at full capacity. Improving the existing flood forecasting system (FAS, the flood alert system) for Harris Gully is of high priority since the catchment contains the Texas Medical Center and the main campus of Rice University. It is planned to do this through the installation of a state-of-the-art NetRAD weather radar in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited data suggest that physical activity increases postexercise blood pressure in African-American women. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the postexercise blood pressure response to acute exercise in normotensive young adult African-American women.Methods: Eight healthy women (age 22.5+/-.9 years) performed a cycle ergometer bout of 30 minutes at 60% of peak ventilatory oxygen uptake (VO2 peak). Control arterial blood pressure, heart rate, lower leg blood flow, cardiac output, spectral analysis of blood pressure, heart rate variability, and baroreceptor sensitivity were measured for 5 minutes before exercise and were compared to postexercise measurements performed at rest intervals of 15-20, 35-40 and 55-60 minutes after exercise.Results: Exercise performed at 60% VO2 peak produced an arterial pressure of 172+/-10/ 70.1+/-4.0 mm Hg. Postexercise recovery values were not significantly different than the baseline control values.Conclusion: These results do not support the hypothesis that acute physical activity exerts an adverse effect on postexercise blood pressure in African American women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the effects of different climate scenario resolutions on estimates of the impacts of future climate change on agriculture in the United States. Climate scenarios were developed using both a coarse resolution, global scale general circulation model and a spatially more refined regional climate model, nested within the coarse model. The scenarios are similar on a very broad regional scale, but show important differences on a subregional scale. In most areas the fine scale scenario produces a more severe climate change. Simulated changes in crop yields (e.g., cotton, soybean, corn, wheat) were constructed under both the coarse and fine scale scenarios for the conterminous United States. The results demonstrate that the spatial scale of climate scenarios affects the estimates of regional changes in crop yields on several levels of spatial aggregation and the economic impact on the agricultural sector as a whole. For the elevated CO2 case, national economic welfare increased under the coarse scale climate scenario, but remained virtually unchanged under the fine scale scenario. With adaptations, both scenarios showed substantial increases, but these were still considerably larger for the coarse scale scenario. Regional indicators of economic activity were of opposite sign in some regions, based on the scenario scale for both cases. Such differences in economic magnitudes or signs become important in public policy debates concerning climate change. Hence refinement of spatial scale of scenarios should be carefully considered in future regional integrated assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study on the differences of male and female reactions to the television program, "The Day After," in the U.S. Theme of the program; Citation of assumptions from a telephone survey on the show; Percentage of viewership; Discussion on the gender gap.

The adverse effects of ozone and other air pollutants on crop yields are well documented. This paper reports on an assessment of the benefits to agriculture arising from reductions in ambient ozone pollution. Estimates are derived using recent plant science data as input for a spatial equilibrium model of U.S. agriculture. Sensitivity of benefit estimates to biological and economic sources of uncertainty is also investigated. Results suggest that the benefits of a 25 percent reduction in ambient ozone are substantial, amounting to $1.7 billion. The robustness of these estimates varies across alternative assumptions concerning response data and export markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a discursive analysis regarding statesman Edmund Burke's speech on "Conciliation with America." The author questions the relations of the word "policy" in the speech of Burke. She also questions the possibility of the relations between revenue laws and trade laws. Furthermore, she provides a critic about some phrase that were not literary address to a particular person.

How people diagnosed with schizophrenia cope with positive symptoms after their first hospitalization is explored, along with the relationship of their coping strategies to their psychosocial functioning. The strategies most frequently endorsed were cognitive in type, while those considered most helpful were behavioral. Respondents identifying an active strategy as most helpful displayed better psychosocial functioning at 24-month follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]