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We study optimal investment and insurance demand in a continuous-time model that combines risky assets with an insurable background risk. This risk takes the form of a jump-diffusion process that reduces the return rate of the agent's wealth. The main distinctive feature of our model is that the agent's decision on portfolio choice and insurance demand causes nonlinear friction in the dynamics of the wealth process. We use the HJB equation to find the optimal conditions for the agent to fully, partially, or totally insure against the background risk. We consider different types of friction, such as differential borrowing and lending rates. We also show a mutual-fund separation result and provide numerical examples. • We study optimal portfolio allocation and insurance demand in a setting that allows nonlinear wealth frictions. • The main result provides conditions under which the agent assumes the insurable risk entirely, partially, or totally. • We prove a mutual-fund separation result for the case of different interest rates for borrowing and lending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) levels are common in obese Hispanic adults and children. Recently, a PNPLA3 gene variant (I148M) was strongly associated with NAFLD and higher ALT levels in obese adults, including Hispanics. The aims of this study were to estimate the frequency of elevated ALT levels, and to address the influence of obesity and PNPLA3/I148M on ALT levels in a general population sample of Mexican school-aged children. Methods: A total of 1037 non-related Mexican children aged 6 to 12years were genotyped for the I148M variant. Anthropometric, clinical and metabolic parameters were collected from all participants. Results: Elevated ALT levels (>35U/L) were more frequent in obese (26.9%) and overweight (9.3%) than in normal weight children (2.2%). The M148M genotype was significantly associated with elevated ALT levels in this population (OR=3.7, 95% CI 2.3–5.9; P =3.7×10−8), and children carrying the M148M genotype showed significantly lower HDL cholesterol levels and BMI z-core (P =0.036 and 0.015, respectively). On stratifying by BMI percentile, this genotype conferred a much greater risk of elevated ALT levels in normal weight (OR=19.9, 95% CI 2.5–157.7; P =0.005) than overweight and obese children (OR=3.4, 95% CI 1.3–8.9; P =0.014 and OR=3.1, 95% CI 1.7–5.5; P =1.4 x10−4, respectively). Conclusions: The I148M PNPLA3 variant is strongly associated with elevated ALT levels in normal weight and overweight/obese Mexican children. Thus, the M148M genotype may be considered as an important risk factor for liver damage in this population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim: To identify associations among allelic variants of the genes FTO, ABCA1, ADRB3, and PPARG with anthropometric and biochemical traits, metabolic diseases (obesity, T2D or metabolic syndrome) in an adult population from Northwest Mexico.Methods: Blood samples were collected from 846 subjects including 266 normal weight subjects, 285 with obesity, and 295 with T2D. Of the 846 persons in the study, 365 presented metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria. Anthropometric and biochemical traits were recorded and 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): FTO rs9939609 A-allele, ABCA1 rs9282541 A-allele, ADRB3 rs4994 G-allele, and PPARG rs1801282 G-allele were genotyped by real-time PCR.Results: FTO rs9939609 A-allele was significantly associated with obesity (p: 8.3 × 10-4), and metabolic syndrome (p: 0.001), but no individual SNPs were significantly associated with T2D. Finally, the cumulative risk of the four SNPs was significantly associated with obesity (p: 1.95 × 10-4).Conclusion: Associations in FTO, ABCA, ADRB3, and PPARG SNPs presented in this study with obesity and metabolic syndrome could represent a risk for developing metabolic diseases in Northwest Mexican adult subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transmission frequency of small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) through the placenta is controversial and may be associated with breed susceptibility. In Mexico, SRLV infections in sheep have been poorly studied. This work explores the presence of antibodies and proviral DNA in Mexican Pelibuey sheep. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs; three commercial kits and two on the basis of synthetic peptides) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR; amplifying the long terminal repeat and gag segments) were performed to diagnose SRLV infection in 25 adult Pelibuey ewes with an average age of 2.5 years and 32 fetuses with gestational ages ranging from 40 to 90 days without clinical signs of SRLV. Two of the three commercial ELISAs and the synthetic peptide-based ones were positive for SRLV antibody detection in 28% and 24% of the ewes, respectively, whereas none of the fetuses were positive by any of the ELISAs. By PCR, 31% of the ewes and, interestingly, two fetuses were positive. Characteristic SRLV lesions were not found in the fetal and/or ewe tissues, including those with positive PCR results. These findings demonstrate the susceptibility of Pelibuey sheep to SRLV infection and the low transmission frequency through the placenta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]