Variety expansion and fertility rates

To investigate how fertility rates interrelate with the modern economy, we construct a simple model in which variety expansion of consumption goods reduces fertility rates. In our model, variety expansion reduces the relative price of a composite of differentiated goods compared to child- rearing costs. Thus, parents raise the expenditure share for differentiated goods and lower the number of children. We show that this model can be applied to a growth model in which economic growth progresses with variety expansion of consumption goods and fertility rates decrease with economic growth. Thus, we show a new mechanism for fertility decline, and this mechanism can be applied to a growth model.Consumerism; Fertility rates; Variety expansion; Economic growth

Exit and Voice in a Marriage Market

In this paper, we present a model in which agents choose voice, exit, or stay options when their marital condition becomes bad. The voice option can be interpreted as a spouses e¤ort or investment in the household to resolve his/her dissatisfaction and improve the marital condition. If a spouse hopes to divorce, he/she chooses the exitoption. If a spouse does not hope to express his/her opinion and divorce, he/she chooses the stayoption. We focus on the role of exitand voicein a marriage and investigate the e¤ects of a divorce law that is based on fault or no-fault on divorce rates. Our study shows that divorce rates tend to be too high under a unilateral divorce law in the non-transferable utility case. On the other hand, mutual-consent divorce law generates multiple equilibria, and divorce rates are then ine ¢ cient even in the transferable utility case. In this multiple equilibrium case

Three dimensional structure of low-density nuclear matter

We numerically explore the pasta structures and properties of low-density nuclear matter without any assumption on the geometry. We observe conventional pasta structures, while a mixture of the pasta structures appears as a metastable state at some transient densities. We also discuss the lattice structure of droplets.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figure

Immunoliposomes bearing polyethyleneglycol-coupled Fab′ fragment show prolonged circulation time and high extravasation into targeted solid tumors in vivo

AbstractWe have developed a new type of long-circulating immunoliposome (Fab′–PEG immunoliposomes) which is efficiently extravasated into the targeted solid tumor in vivo. Small unilamellar liposomes (100–130 nm in diameter) were prepared from distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC), cholesterol (CHOL) and a dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine derivative of PEG with a terminal maleimidyl group (DPPE-PEG-Mal), and conjugated Fab′ fragment of antibody. Inclusion of DPPE-PEG-Mal and linkage of the Fab′ fragment instead of intact antibody to PEG terminals allowed the liposomes to evade RES uptake and remain in the circulation for a long time, resulting in enhanced accumulation of the liposomes in the solid tumor. Because of the ability of such Fab′–PEG immunoliposomes to target solid tumors, they appear highly attractive as carriers of not only chemotherapeutic agents, but also of macromolecular drugs

Association between masticatory ability and oral functions

Mastication is the process of breaking ingested food with the teeth and mixing it with saliva to form a mass that is easy to swallow. However, few studies have reported on oral functions, such as occlusal force, tongue pressure, and mastication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between masticatory function and oral functions, such as occlusal force and tongue pressure. In this study, there were 113 patients (41 men and 72 women; mean age, 68.4 ± 11.3 years) who visited dentists at the Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan between April 2015 and November 2018. Masticatory function of the patients was evaluated using a masticatory ability test system. In addition, occlusal force was measured using a pressure-sensitive film and the maximum tongue pressure was measured with a tongue pressure measuring device according to a conventional method. The relationship of masticatory ability with occlusal force and tongue pressure was examined using multivariate analysis while considering patients? age, gender, and the number of remaining teeth. Masticatory ability was significantly related to occlusal force, maximum tongue pressure, age, body mass index, the number of remaining teeth, and occlusal contact area (p< 0.05). Multiple regression analysis identified that masticatory ability was significantly associated (p< 0.05) with occlusal force and maximum tongue pressure. Masticatory ability was significantly associated with occlusal force and maximum tongue pressure, indicating that the large muscle mass in the oral cavity is indispensable for improving masticatory function