Improving the ACCRA U.S. regional cost of living index

The broadest and most commonly used measure of the cost of living across U.S. cities is the American Chamber of Commerce Research Association (ACCRA) index. This index is used by business and government organizations and the media to rank living standards and real wages across U.S. cities. In this study we reduce the aggregation bias in the index by calculating national average prices for the 59 item prices using population weights instead of the equal weight formula used by ACCRA. This correction results in a decline in the index values for all cities and changes in the rankings and bi-variate comparisons between city pairs. In some high-cost cities the index values decrease by over 25 percent, and in 74 percent of the cities the rank changes by greater than one spot.Cost and standard of living ; Wages ; Prices

Have U.S. import prices become less responsive to changes in the dollar?

The failure of the dollar's depreciation to narrow the U.S. trade deficit has driven recent research showing that the transmission of exchange rate changes to import prices has declined sharply in industrial countries. Estimates presented in this study, however, suggest that "pass-through" to U.S. import prices has fallen only modestly, if at all, in the last decade. The authors argue that methodological changes in the collection of import data and the inclusion of commodity prices in pass-through models may have contributed to earlier findings of low pass-through rates.Foreign exchange rates ; Imports - Prices

Athy College and the Garda station plaque 1922 A TY art installation for Kildare Decade of Commemorations

This article describes an art installation in Athy, Co. Kildare created by transition year students of Athy College to commemorate their school’s connection with the centenary of the casting of the first Garda station plaques in 1922 in the Duthie. Large Foundry, Chapel Street Athy. The installation was unveiled on 14 May 2022 on the original foundry site supported by a grant from Kildare County Council’s Decade of Commemorations and mentored by staff of Technological University Dublin. It is included here in Level3 to celebrate fruitful and sustainable collaboration among academia, schools, local knowledge-holders, local public representatives, Gardaí and heritage enthusiasts

The Role Of TKS5 SH3 Domains In Invadopodia Development And Activity

One mechanism by which cancer cells metastasize is through the formation of actin-rich structures called invadopodia. Tks5 is a Src tyrosine kinase substrate and scaffolding protein necessary for invadopodia formation and associated extracellular matrix-remodeling activity. The purpose of this study is to appreciate how the five, protein binding SH3 domains of Tks5 impact its function. Here, Tks5 SH3 domain mutants were introduced into cancer cells to study invadopodia development and activity. Mutant Tks5 constructs were introduced into LNCaP cells to study effects on extracellular matrix degradation based on a microscopic in situ zymography assay. Then, mutant Tks5 constructs were introduced into invadopodia-competent Src-transformed fibroblasts in order to observe their localization by immunofluorescent microscopy. Tks5 constructs with mutations in any of the first three SH3 domains result in an enhancement of invadopodia activity in LNCaP cells while mis-localizing to lipid-rich endosomes in Src-transformed cells and inhibiting their ability to form invadopodia. The loss of invadopodia formation was attributed to a retention of Src kinase in perinuclear endosomes. Current experimentation is focused on elucidating the mechanisms behind the observed results with particular focus on the putative intra and intermolecular Tks5 interactions that would drive the invasive/metastatic behavior of cancer cells

Changing environments and genetic variation: natural variation in inbreeding does not compromise short-term physiological responses

Selfing plant lineages are surprisingly widespread and successful in a broad range of environments, despite showing reduced genetic diversity, which is predicted to reduce their long-term evolutionary potential. However, appropriate short-term plastic responses to new environmental conditions might not require high levels of standing genetic variation. In this study, we tested whether mating system variation among populations, and associated changes in genetic variability, affected short-term responses to environmental challenges. We compared relative fitness and metabolome profiles of naturally outbreeding (genetically diverse) and inbreeding (genetically depauperate) populations of a perennial plant, Arabidopsis lyrata, under constant growth chamber conditions and an outdoor common garden environment outside its native range. We found no effect of inbreeding on survival, flowering phenology or short-term physiological responses. Specifically, naturally occurring inbreeding had no significant effects on the plasticity of metabolome profiles, using either multivariate approaches or analysis of variation in individual metabolites, with inbreeding populations showing similar physiological responses to outbreeding populations over time in both growing environments. We conclude that low genetic diversity in naturally inbred populations may not always compromise fitness or short-term physiological capacity to respond to environmental change, which could help to explain the global success of selfing mating strategies

Changing environments and genetic variation: natural variation in inbreeding does not compromise short-term physiological responses

Selfing plant lineages are surprisingly widespread and successful in a broad range of environments, despite showing reduced genetic diversity, which is predicted to reduce their long-term evolutionary potential. However, appropriate short-term plastic responses to new environmental conditions might not require high levels of standing genetic variation. In this study, we tested whether mating system variation among populations, and associated changes in genetic variability, affected short-term responses to environmental challenges. We compared relative fitness and metabolome profiles of naturally outbreeding (genetically diverse) and inbreeding (genetically depauperate) populations of a perennial plant, Arabidopsis lyrata, under constant growth chamber conditions and an outdoor common garden environment outside its native range. We found no effect of inbreeding on survival, flowering phenology or short-term physiological responses. Specifically, naturally occurring inbreeding had no significant effects on the plasticity of metabolome profiles, using either multivariate approaches or analysis of variation in individual metabolites, with inbreeding populations showing similar physiological responses to outbreeding populations over time in both growing environments. We conclude that low genetic diversity in naturally inbred populations may not always compromise fitness or short-term physiological capacity to respond to environmental change, which could help to explain the global success of selfing mating strategies

Using short dietary questions to develop indicators of dietary behaviour for use in surveys exploring attitudinal and/or behavioural aspects of dietary choices

For countries where nutrition surveys are infrequent, there is a need to have some measure of healthful eating to plan and evaluate interventions. This study shows how it is possible to develop healthful eating indicators based on dietary guidelines from a cross sectional population survey. Adults 18 to 64 years answered questions about the type and amount of foods eaten the previous day, including fruit, vegetables, cereals, dairy, fish or meat and fluids. Scores were based on serves and types of food according to an established method. Factor analysis indicated two factors, confirmed by structural equation modeling: a recommended food healthful eating indicator (RF_HEI) and a discretionary food healthful eating indicator (DF_HEI). Both yield mean scores similar to an established dietary index validated against nutrient intake. Significant associations for the RF_HEI were education, income, ability to save, and attitude toward diet; and for the DF_HEI, gender, not living alone, living in a socially disadvantaged area, and attitude toward diet. The results confirm that short dietary questions can be used to develop healthful eating indicators against dietary recommendations. This will enable the exploration of dietary behaviours for “at risk” groups, such as those with excess weight, leading to more relevant interventions for populations

Aeroallergens in Canada: Distribution, Public Health Impacts, and Opportunities for Prevention

Aeroallergens occur naturally in the environment and are widely dispersed across Canada, yet their public health implications are not well-understood. This review intends to provide a scientific and public health-oriented perspective on aeroallergens in Canada: their distribution, health impacts, and new developments including the effects of climate change and the potential role of aeroallergens in the development of allergies and asthma. The review also describes anthropogenic effects on plant distribution and diversity, and how aeroallergens interact with other environmental elements, such as air pollution and weather events. Increased understanding of the relationships between aeroallergens and health will enhance our ability to provide accurate information, improve preventive measures and provide timely treatments for affected populations