Exchange-Rate Risk Mitigation with Price-Level-Adjusting Mortgages: The Case of the Mexican UDI

In 1995, Mexico introduced a credit system based on a price-level-adjusting unit of account called the Unidad de Inversion (UDI, pronounced “oo-dee”), which is Spanish for “unit of investment.” The Bank of Mexico maintains an UDI Index, which sets the peso value of an UDI on any given day. Loans denominated in UDIs maintain their purchasing power and provide a real rate of return in the local currency, pesos. The focus of this study is the real rate of return earned by dollar investors in UDI mortgages. Most dollar investors fear exposure to exchange rate losses in unstable currencies. In this paper, we examine the real-dollar rate of return and the extent to which the inflation adjusting aspect of the UDI mitigates the losses from currency devaluations. We also examine exchange-rate patterns relative to purchasing-power-parity to find investment strategies that increase the real-dollar rate of return on investments in Mexico’s UDI mortgages.

Allosteric Control of O2 Reactivity in Rieske Oxygenases

Oxygen is Nature’s perfect reagent. On one hand, it is potentially a very strong oxidant. On the other hand, this potential is caged because the two highest energy valence electrons of the O2 molecule are unpaired. As a result, O2 is relatively unreactive with most other molecules, as almost all of these have paired electrons. Consequently, by modulating the properties of the O2 valence electrons, Nature can generate a reactive species under controlled conditions, catalyzing difficult reactions while still rigorously enforcing specificity. Special sets of enzymes termed oxygenases and oxidases have evolved to perform this task

PHYSIOLOGICALLY-BASED PHARMACOKINETIC (PBPK) MODELS IN TOXICITY TESTING AND RISK ASSESSMENT

Abstract: Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling offers a scientifically-sound framework for integrating mechanistic data on absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination to predict the time-course of parent chemical, metabolite(s) or biomarkers in the exposed organism. A major advantage of PBPK models is their ability to forecast the impact of specific mechanistic processes and determinants on the tissue dose. In this regard, they facilitate integration of data obtained with in vitro and in silico methods, for making predictions of the tissue dosimetry in the whole animal, thus reducing and/or refining the use of animals in pharmacokinetic and toxicity studies. This chapter presents the principles and practice of PBPK modeling, as well as the application of these models in toxicity testing and health risk assessments

Use of kinetic and mechanistic data in species extrapolation of bioactivation: Cytochrome P-450 dependent trichloroethylene metabolism at occupationally relevant concentrations

Abstract: Use of Kinetic and Mechanistic Data in S p e c i e s E x t r a p o l a t i o n o f B i o a c t i v a t i o n : Cytochrome P-450 Dependent Trichloroethylene M e t a b o l i s m a t O c c u p a t i o n a l l y R e l e v a n t Concentrations: John C. LIPSCOMB, et al. United States Air Force, Armstrong Laboratory, Toxicology Division-Trichloroethylene (TRI) is an industrial solvent and environmental contaminant; therefore exposure to TRI occurs in diverse human populations. TRI causes hepatocellular carcinoma in B6C3F1 mice, but not rats; this suggests that TRI may be metabolized differently in the two species. We investigated the metabolism of TRI and the effect of TRI on enzymatic activities indicative of specific cytochrome P450 (CYP) forms in hepatic microsomes from mice, rats and humans. Studies in microsomes estimated MichaelisMenten kinetic parameters by saturation analysis. K m values were 35.4, 55.5 and 24.6 µM and V max values were 5,425, 4,826 and 1,440 pmol/min/mg in pooled mouse, rat and human microsomes, respectively. TRI (1,000 ppm) inhibited CYP2E1 dependent activity in all three species and BROD activity in mice and rats; TRI (1,000 ppm) increased CYP1A1/1A2 activity, and had no effect on CYP2A activity. Inhibition studies with mouse hepatic microsomes demonstrated that TRI was a competitive inhibitor of CYP2E1, with K i of 50 ppm. TRI noncompetitively inhibited CYP2B-dependent activities in the rat and mouse. Preincubation of microsomes with TRI and NADPH decreased the absorbence of CO-bound CYP in all three species, but the dose-dependence was most evident in mouse hepatic microsomes. These results have quantified the interspecies difference in CYP-dependent TRI bioactivation and indicate that under both equivalent and occupationally relevant (hepatic) exposure conditions the human is at less risk of forming toxic Trichloroethylene (TRI) is an unsaturated, chlorinated hydrocarbon widely used as an industrial solvent and is now a relatively common ground water pollutant 1) . TRI produces liver and lung toxicity in mice TRI concentrations as low as 10 µM, in vitro, inhibit gap junction mediated intercellular communication in mouse but not rat hepatocytes, and effect which is blocked by CYP inhibitio

Improving Transferability Case Studies: \u27Building a Better Bridge to the Bachelor\u27s\u27

Many Virginians aspiring to earn a four-year degree intentionally begin their journey at one of the 23 community colleges within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). In concert with those aspirations, the VCCS is committed to providing its residents an affordable and accessible program of study that prepares them to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree at any one of Virginia’s colleges and universities. The establishment of an affordable and accessible pathway was one of the emanating purposes of the community college (Mellow & Heelan, 2015). The dream of affordable transfer education is one of three key legislative efforts of the VCCS, and statute 23.1-907 of the Commonwealth of Virginia mandates transfer agreements between the institutions. With at least 38 transfer agreements and more than 300 articulation agreements developed between the VCCS and the four-year colleges and universities, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) states that up to 32% of transfer students do so under the auspices of guaranteed admission agreements (Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, 2017). Transfer pathway must be accessible and easily achieved in the least amount of time, with the least amount of required credits, and the least amount of cost and debt. To build a better bridge to the bachelor’s degree, Virginia must examine the current situation, consider best practices within the Commonwealth and across the nation, and seek to enact policies and procedures that achieve that goal

Changes in fall prevention training for apprentice carpenters based on a comprehensive needs assessment

PROBLEM: Falls from heights in residential construction are common, especially among inexperienced workers. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive needs assessment to determine gaps in the school-based apprentice carpenters' fall prevention training. A team of carpenter instructors and researchers revised the fall prevention training to fill these gaps. Apprentice evaluation and feedback guided ongoing curricular improvements. RESULTS: Most apprentice carpenters performed work tasks at heights prior to training and fall protection techniques were not commonly used at residential construction sites. Priorities of the revised school-based training included safe ladder habits, truss setting, scaffold use, guarding floor openings, and using personal fall arrest systems. New apprentices were targeted to ensure training prior to exposure at the workplace. We used adult learning principles to emphasize hands-on experiences. A framed portion of a residential construction site was fabricated to practice fall protection behaviors in a realistic setting. The revised curriculum has been delivered consistently and apprentice feedback has been very favorable. CONCLUSIONS: Integration of needs assessment results was invaluable in revising the school-based carpenters apprentice fall prevention curriculum. Working closely with the instructors to tailor learning experiences has provided preliminary positive results. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The fall safety of the residential construction industry continues to lag behind commercial construction and industrial settings. The National Occupational Research Agenda includes a Strategic Goal to strengthen and extend the reach of quality training and education in the construction industry via mechanisms such as construction safety and health training needs assessments. This study demonstrates how a structured process can be used to identify and remedy gaps and improve training effectiveness. We encourage others to take steps to assess and increase the impact of training efforts directed at all residential construction professionals; including both union and non-union workers. The implications are even greater in the non-union sector where most U.S. residential work is done

Exploration of Work and Health Disparities among Black Women Employed in Poultry Processing in the Rural South

We describe an ongoing collaboration that developed as academic investigators responded to a specific request from community members to document health effects on black women of employment in poultry-processing plants in rural North Carolina. Primary outcomes of interest are upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and function as well as quality of life. Because of concerns of community women and the history of poor labor relations, we decided to conduct this longitudinal study in a manner that did not require involvement of the employer. To provide more detailed insights into the effects of this type of employment, the epidemiologic analyses are supplemented by ethnographic interviews. The resulting approach requires community collaboration. Community-based staff, as paid members of the research team, manage the local project office, recruit and retain participants, conduct interviews, coordinate physical assessments, and participate in outreach. Other community members assisted in the design of the data collection tools and the recruitment of longitudinal study participants and took part in the ethnographic component of the study. This presentation provides an example of one model through which academic researchers and community members can work together productively under challenging circumstances. Notable accomplishments include the recruitment and retention of a cohort of low-income rural black women, often considered hard to reach in research studies. This community-based project includes a number of elements associated with community-based participatory research