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We develop the first climate risk Stress Test for the Peruvian financial system following a topdown approach. Focusing on the microeconomic channel, we evaluate how heavy rainfall and droughts, under a scenario of pure physical risk, will marginally affect the probability of default (PD) of borrowers by 2050. Using information from the Credit Registry, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and CMIP6 precipitation projections (37 modeling groups), we calibrate the marginal impacts differentiating by economic sector and geographical location. We find that, on average, by December 2050, the probability of default of the Peruvian financial system would increase by 4.9% with respect to December 2020. By geographic area, borrowers located on the northern coast (Piura, Lambayeque) and the southern highlands (Ayacucho, Cusco) would be negatively affected by heavy rainfall, while the rainforest (Madre de Dios, Ucayali) would be negatively affected by droughts. Moreover, the economic sectors affected by heavy rainfall or droughts would be agriculture, commerce, and transportation & communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drafting of the first Código de Derecho Canónico of the Latin Church was established by Pope Pío X in 1904. The codifying task, however, was not the result of a closed group of experts. It considered the opinion of bishops around the world who were consulted in two different moments. In both cases, Chilean bishops were requested to provide their opinions. This work, which is based on documents from the Vatican Secret Archives, studies the contribution of Chilean bishops to the marriage discussion in the first round of consultation of 1904. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the views of Carlos Salinas De Gortari, former president of Mexico, and Roberto Mangabeira Unger, a Harvard law professor, on global capital market. Overview of the world financial crisis; Analysis on the financial crisis; Views on free trade, capital and labor; Insights on privatization, regulation and private-public partnership.

Responds to issues raised by New Perspectives QuarterLy editor Nathan Gardels on the role of Mexico in the world marketplace. Issues on the formation and scope of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); Environmental concerns; Foreign investments; Integration in Europe; NAFTA as component of global free trade; Strategic positioning of Mexico; Open access to countries or trade areas.

Reveals that the global capital market is no savior of the financial crisis spreading out from Asia and affecting countries as diverse as Brazil and Russia. Prospects for sustained and socially inclusive growth; Risk and benefits of globalization; Elements of a progressive alternative.

Discusses the advantages of regional trading blocs strengthened by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Impact on the development of international trading systems; Expansion of free trade zones including European Union agreements with non-European nations; Integration of the Asia Pacific Basin through the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

Epigenomic processes are believed to play a pivotal role for the effect of environmental exposures in early life to modify disease risk throughout the lifespan. Offspring of women with hypertensive complications of pregnancy (HTNPREG) have an increased risk of developing systemic and pulmonary vascular dysfunction in adulthood. In this preliminary report, we sought to determine whether epigenetic modifications of genes involved in the regulation of vascular function were present in HTNPREG offspring. We contrasted DNA methylation and gene expression patterns of peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from young male offspring of HTNPREG (n = 5) to those of normotensive controls (n = 19). In HTNPREG offspring we identified six differentially methylated regions (DMRs) including three genes (SMOC2, ARID1B and CTRHC1) relevant to vascular function. The transcriptional activity of ARID1B and CTRCH1 was inversely related to methylation status. HTNPREG offspring had higher systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPPA) versus controls. Our findings demonstrate that epigenetic marks are altered in offspring of HTNPREG with a modest elevation of sPPA and introduce novel epigenomic targets for further study. On the basis of these findings we speculate that epigenomic mechanisms may be involved in mediating the effect of HTNPREG to raise the risk of vascular disease later in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is a high-altitude (HA) maladaptation syndrome characterised by elevated systemic oxidative-nitrosative stress (OXNOS) due to a free radical-mediated reduction in vascular nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. To better define underlying mechanisms and vascular consequences, this study compared healthy male lowlanders (80 m, n = 10) against age/sex-matched highlanders born and bred in La Paz, Bolivia (3600 m) with (CMS+, n = 10) and without (CMS-, n = 10) CMS. Cephalic venous blood was assayed using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and reductive ozone-based chemiluminescence. Nutritional intake was assessed via dietary recall. Systemic vascular function and structure were assessed via flow-mediated dilatation, aortic pulse wave velocity and carotid intima-media thickness using duplex ultrasound and applanation tonometry. Basal systemic OXNOS was permanently elevated in highlanders (P = <0.001 vs. lowlanders) and further exaggerated in CMS+, reflected by increased hydroxyl radical spin adduct formation (P = <0.001 vs. CMS-) subsequent to liberation of free 'catalytic' iron consistent with a Fenton and/or nucleophilic addition mechanism(s). This was accompanied by elevated global protein carbonylation (P = 0.046 vs. CMS-) and corresponding reduction in plasma nitrite (P = <0.001 vs. lowlanders). Dietary intake of vitamins C and E, carotene, magnesium and retinol were lower in highlanders and especially deficient in CMS + due to reduced consumption of fruit and vegetables (P = <0.001 to 0.028 vs. lowlanders/CMS-). Systemic vascular function and structure were also impaired in highlanders (P = <0.001 to 0.040 vs. lowlanders) with more marked dysfunction observed in CMS+ (P = 0.035 to 0.043 vs. CMS-) in direct proportion to systemic OXNOS (r = −0.692 to 0.595, P = <0.001 to 0.045). Collectively, these findings suggest that lifelong exposure to iron-catalysed systemic OXNOS, compounded by a dietary deficiency of antioxidant micronutrients, likely contributes to the systemic vascular complications and increased morbidity/mortality in CMS+. ClinicalTrials.gov ; No: NCT01182792; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines respiratory nitric oxide (NO) and pulmonary artery pressure in children of Aymara and European ancestry at high altitude. The hypothesis indicate that pulmonary artery pressure will be lower in Aymara children than in children of European ancestry at high altitude. The results indicate that Aymara children are protected from hypoxic pulmonary hypertension at high altitude, which does not appear to be related to increased respiratory NO synthesis.

Key points: Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is a maladaptation syndrome encountered at high altitude (HA) characterised by severe hypoxaemia that carries a higher risk of stroke and migraine and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.We examined if exaggerated oxidative‐inflammatory‐nitrosative stress (OXINOS) and corresponding decrease in vascular nitric oxide bioavailability in patients with CMS (CMS+) is associated with impaired cerebrovascular function and adverse neurological outcome.Systemic OXINOS was markedly elevated in CMS+ compared to healthy HA (CMS−) and low‐altitude controls.OXINOS was associated with blunted cerebral perfusion and vasoreactivity to hypercapnia, impaired cognition and, in CMS+, symptoms of depression.These findings are the first to suggest that a physiological continuum exists for hypoxaemia‐induced systemic OXINOS in HA dwellers that when excessive is associated with accelerated cognitive decline and depression, helping identify those in need of more specialist neurological assessment and targeted support. Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is a maladaptation syndrome encountered at high altitude (HA) characterised by severe hypoxaemia that carries a higher risk of stroke and migraine and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The present cross‐sectional study examined to what extent exaggerated systemic oxidative‐inflammatory‐nitrosative stress (OXINOS), defined by an increase in free radical formation and corresponding decrease in vascular nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, is associated with impaired cerebrovascular function, accelerated cognitive decline and depression in CMS. Venous blood was obtained from healthy male lowlanders (80 m, n = 17), and age‐ and gender‐matched HA dwellers born and bred in La Paz, Bolivia (3600 m) with (CMS+, n = 23) and without (CMS−, n = 14) CMS. We sampled blood for oxidative (electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, HPLC), nitrosative (ozone‐based chemiluminescence) and inflammatory (fluorescence) biomarkers. We employed transcranial Doppler ultrasound to measure cerebral blood flow (CBF) and reactivity. We utilised psychometric tests and validated questionnaires to assess cognition and depression. Highlanders exhibited elevated systemic OXINOS (P < 0.05 vs. lowlanders) that was especially exaggerated in the more hypoxaemic CMS+ patients (P < 0.05 vs. CMS−). OXINOS was associated with blunted cerebral perfusion and vasoreactivity to hypercapnia, impaired cognition and, in CMS+, symptoms of depression. Collectively, these findings are the first to suggest that a physiological continuum exists for hypoxaemia‐induced OXINOS in HA dwellers that when excessive is associated with accelerated cognitive decline and depression, helping identify those in need of specialist neurological assessment and support. Key points: Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is a maladaptation syndrome encountered at high altitude (HA) characterised by severe hypoxaemia that carries a higher risk of stroke and migraine and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.We examined if exaggerated oxidative‐inflammatory‐nitrosative stress (OXINOS) and corresponding decrease in vascular nitric oxide bioavailability in patients with CMS (CMS+) is associated with impaired cerebrovascular function and adverse neurological outcome.Systemic OXINOS was markedly elevated in CMS+ compared to healthy HA (CMS−) and low‐altitude controls.OXINOS was associated with blunted cerebral perfusion and vasoreactivity to hypercapnia, impaired cognition and, in CMS+, symptoms of depression.These findings are the first to suggest that a physiological continuum exists for hypoxaemia‐induced systemic OXINOS in HA dwellers that when excessive is associated with accelerated cognitive decline and depression, helping identify those in need of more specialist neurological assessment and targeted support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perinatal exposures exert a profound influence on physiological function, including developmental processes vital for efficient pulmonary gas transfer throughout the lifespan. We extend the concept of developmental programming to chronic mountain sickness (CMS), a debilitating syndrome marked by polycythemia, ventilatory impairment, and pulmonary hypertension that affects ~10% of male high-altitude residents. We hypothesized that adverse perinatal oxygenation caused abnormalities of ventilatory and/or pulmonary vascular function that increased susceptibility to CMS in adulthood. Subjects were 67 male high-altitude (3,600-4,100 m) residents aged 18-25 yr with excessive erythrocytosis (EE, Hb concentration ≥18.3 g/dl), a preclinical form of CMS, and 66 controls identified from a community-based survey (n = 981). EE subjects not only had higher Hb concentrations and erythrocyte counts, but also lower alveolar ventilation, impaired pulmonary diffusion capacity, higher systolic pulmonary artery pressure, lower pulmonary artery acceleration time, and more frequent right ventricular hypertrophy, than controls. Compared with controls, EE subjects were more often born to mothers experiencing hypertensive complications of pregnancy and hypoxia during the perinatal period, with each increasing the risk of developing EE (odds ratio = 5.25, P = 0.05 and odds ratio = 6.44, P = 0.04, respectively) after other factors known to influence EE status were taken into account. Adverse perinatal oxygenation is associated with increased susceptibility to EE accompanied by modest abnormalities of the pulmonary circulation that are independent of increased blood viscosity. The association between perinatal hypoxia and EE may be due to disrupted alveolarization and microvascular development, leading to impaired gas exchange and/or pulmonary hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which assessed the extravascular lung water, pulmonary artery pressure and left ventricular function in patients with chronic mountain sickness (CMS). The study included 15 patients with CMS and 20 control subjects who were examined at rest and during exercise. It concluded that exercise induces rapid interstitial lung fluid accumulation and hypoxemia in patients with CMS.

The article discusses a study which assessed systemic endothelial function, arterial stiffness and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in mountain dwellers and patients with chronic mountain sickness (CMS) born and permanently living at 3,600 meters. The clinical characteristics of CMS include exaggerated chronic hypoxemia, erythocytosis, changes in the pulmonary circulation, and pulmonary hypertension. Based on results, systemic vascular dysfunction was observed in patients with CMS.

The article presents a study on the association of mild exercise to pulmonary hypertension in chronic mountain sickness (CMS). It says that pulmonary hypertension causes morbidity and mortality of CMS patients which is relatively mild. An echocardiography is made to estimate the pulmonary artery pressure in mild bicycle exercise of 30 male patients. Results explain why pulmonary hypertension is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in CMS patients due to large pulmonary artery pressure.