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Aging is a complex process modulated by multiple interactions between environmental and genetic factors. Myotonic dystrophy (DM 1) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by an unstable (CTG)_n repeat expansion in the DM1 protein kinase (DMPK) gene. The affected male patients' life expectancy at birth (53.2 years) is more than two decades below that observed in most occidental populations. The DMPK gene expression is pleiotropic and includes the premature expression of several agerelated signs, symptoms and metabolic disturbances including hormonal dysfunctions, progressive decrease in muscular mass, presenile cataracts, alopecia, reduced alertness, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, erectile dysfunction and hypogonadism. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between aging covariates and the severity of DM1 expression in 136 DM1 male subjects. DM1 clinical expression was assessed on a validated neuromuscular disability rating scale and was correlated with plasma total testosterone (r_s = -0.31, p < 0.001), luteinizing hormone (LH) (r_s = 0.52, p < 0.001) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (r_s = 0.54, p < 0.001) levels. Following LH releasing hormone stimulation, FSH and LH concentrations increased as a function of DM1 severity (p < 0.05). Muscular disability in DM1 was also positively associated with fasting plasma insulin and triglyceride concentrations (p < 0.05). The association of plasma apolipoprotein B and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels with DM1 was not linear across their distribution and tended to reflect cell membrane damage progression. These results suggest that DM1, a simple M endelian trait, can represent a valuable model to illustrate the complex relationships between variables associated with male aging.     

American Studies in East Asia

Abstract

American Studies as practised in China, Japan, and Korea has some features of its own and reflects the specific conditions and needs of each country. Chinese Americanists have shown keen interest in US economy, politics, and China policy. Japanese Americanists are interested in ethnic studies and contemporary international issues involving the USA, while Korean Americanists are attracted to ethnic writers and politicians. Unlike their colleagues elsewhere, some East Asian Americanists have tended to study the USA in order to find the source of American strength through social sciences more than the American national ethos reflected in American culture, literature, and history.     

Wage change in the late career: A model for the outcomes of job sequences

This paper elaborates a model for the outcomes of job sequences and illustrates its utility by an empirical analysis of the determinants of wage change for men in their late careers. We argue that job sequences represent the basic components of careers and that a focus on these sequences is useful for explaining the determinants of socioeconomic inequality over the life cycle. Our model permits us to estimate the effects on wage change of a wide array of personal resources and measures of the opportunity structure. We further assess how these types of factors differentially affect wage change for various patterns of labor market behavior and for blacks vs whites. Our empirical analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Middle-Aged Men suggests the importance of patterns of job sequences for wage change and for the explanation of racial differentials in career advancement.     

Identification with the Human Species: A Challenge for the Twenty-First Century

The unanticipated proliferation of ethnicconflicts, after the collapse of the Soviet Union andEastern European satellites, poses a perplexingquestion: Can human beings develop an identificationwith more inclusive social units than ethnic/racialgroupings and nation-states? A concentric circle modelis presented of multiple identities, from the self tothe human species. Achieving an identification with the human species — a substantialchallenge for the twenty-first century — wouldhave profound implications for the incidence andresolution of interethnic and internationalconflicts.     

Towards an integrative framework of innovation network for new product development project

The increasing complexity of product and radical changing environment lead companies towards innovation network (IN) collaboration. Although recent researches highlight the importance and benefits of innovation network (IN) to new product development (NPD), this subject is still developing and it has the potential to expand into new dimensions. However, there is a significant lack in the literature regarding holistic, systematic and integrated framework when it comes to manipulating the challenge of true NPD projects. The current researches mainly focus on the strategy level which provides less application guidance for NPD. Thus, in this work, the authors propose an integrative framework of innovation network for NPD based on the literature review. In addition, a case study of new refrigerator development reveals the feasibility and potentials of the overall framework to its broad usage in industry.     

清儒三家《诗》辑佚成就述略

清代三家《诗》辑佚工作分为三期:范家相《三家诗拾遗》、陈氏父子《三家诗遗说考》分别代表了清初及中叶的研究成果,清末王先谦《诗三家义集疏》则为历来搜集、研究三家《诗》的集大成之作。研究这三家的辑轶工作应尽可能联系当时的学术背景,考论诸家著述的成因、得失和承传关系,为清代三家《诗》集佚史理清脉络,并为后世的研究提供参考。     

霍桑对尖角阁的社会历史演绎

霍桑的小说《七个尖角阁的房子》以哥特的黑色传奇式手法演绎了美国早期社会掠夺印第安人土地的罪孽历史,揭示了在19世纪美国早期的社会现实中,既显露有仍处于矛盾状态的要求变革和女性主义等新兴思想,更存在急待解决的诸如奴隶制和社会贫困等严重社会问题。     

呼唤良心──简评比昂逊的《破产》

诺贝尔文学奖得主比昂逊是位与易卜生齐名的挪威作家，他的最有影响的剧作《破产》旨在通过主人公破产前后内心的激烈冲突和几个主要人物的不同表现来阐释他的惩恶扬善的思想。剧中在对人性作洞幽察微的剖析和准确的把握的同时，也不乏对良心和道德的理想化和概念化的图解，但作为一个人道主义者，比昂逊想借文学匡正人心、消弭矛盾、拯救人类的良苦用心无疑是真诚的。