Hypomagnesemia following correction of metabolic acidosis: a case of hungry bones

Severe symptomatic hypomagnesemia (0.15 mmol/L [0.3 mEq/L]) and hypocalcemia (1.47 mmol/L [5.9 mg/dL]) occurred in a 4-week-old infant coincidental with correction of a severe renal tubular acidosis with alkali therapy. The patient had no evidence of gastrointestinal abnormality and magnesium (Mg) intake was adequate for age and weight. Extreme renal conservation of Mg was observed, supporting the presence of Mg depletion. We suggest that Mg depletion in this infant occurred due to acidosis-induced bone demineralization and that symptomatic hypomagnesemia was precipitated by rapid remineralization accompanying correction of systemic acidosis. This patient represents a novel case of hungry bone syndrome (HBS). Since HBS has not been described previously in patients with acidosis undergoing therapy, several other factors may have contributed to this patient's severe hypomagnesemia, namely, prematurity, twin status, severity of acidosis, rapidity of correction of acidosis, catch-up growth and calcium supplementation. Clinicians should be vigilant for HBS in infants with severe acidosis undergoing alkali therapy.     

Adhesion Effects of Intermediate Layers on the Densification of Ceramic Powders

In the ceramic technology the first step to produce sintered bodies is the manufacturing of powders which then are densified. The adhesion mechanisms between the single particles and the agglomerates produced from them determine the densification process. Starting from theoretical considerations adhesion mechanisms, such as solid bridge formation, adhesive bonding and glide-promoting effects, are discussed in principle. Subsequently, the effects of surface-active substances on the densification behaviour of clay-ceramics and oxide-ceramic bodies are discussed. Further, the evaluation of the action of additives to the powder mixtures on the microstructure of the compacts, such as porsity and texture, leads to a compaction equation which describes the transition from the powder pile to a densified green body.     

Novel dielectrics from IPNs derived from castor oil based polyurethanes

Three series of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) based on a polyurethane (castor oil + toluene diisocyanate) with polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and poly(n-butyl methacrylate) were synthesized and characterized. Dielectric relaxation studies of these IPNs were carried out from ?150 to 100°C in the 100 Hz to 100 kHz range. The effects of structural variables such as composition, type of vinyl monomer, as well as the effect of interaction of the phases on the dielectric properties were studied. A certain degree of phase mixing was observed to exist in all series as detected by the variation of the glass-transition temperatures of the IPNs. Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars polarization at the interface of the two phases was observed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Polyurethane–urea anionomer dispersions. I

Polyurethane–urea anionomer dispersions with different stoichiometric DMPA/polyol and NCO/OH ratios were preapred from poly(oxypropylene)glycol, toluene diisocyanate (TDI), dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA), and ethylenediamine (EDA). The dispersion-cast films were prepared and characterized by mechanical properties, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Increasing the hard-segment content by either increasing the DMPA/polyol or the NCO/OH ratios affects the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the soft segments. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Disruption of epithelial cell-matrix interactions induces apoptosis

Cell-matrix interactions have major effects upon phenotypic features such as gene regulation, cytoskeletal structure, differentiation, and aspects of cell growth control. Programmed cell death (apoptosis) is crucial for maintaining appropriate cell number and tissue organization. It was therefore of interest to determine whether cell-matrix interactions affect apoptosis. The present report demonstrates that apoptosis was induced by disruption of the interactions between normal epithelial cells and extracellular matrix. We have termed this phenomenon "anoikis." Overexpression of bcl-2 protected cells against anoikis. Cellular sensitivity to anoikis was apparently regulated: (a) anoikis did not occur in normal fibroblasts; (b) it was abrogated in epithelial cells by transformation with v-Ha-ras, v-src, or treatment with phorbol ester; (c) sensitivity to anoikis was conferred upon HT1080 cells or v-Ha-ras-transformed MDCK cells by reverse-transformation with adenovirus E1a; (d) anoikis in MDCK cells was alleviated by the motility factor, scatter factor. The results suggest that the circumvention of anoikis accompanies the acquisition of anchorage independence or cell motility.     

HFOLD - A program package for calculating two-body MSSM Higgs decays at full one-loop level

HFOLD (Higgs Full One Loop Decays) is a Fortran program package for calculating all MSSM Higgs two-body decay widths and the corresponding branching ratios at full one-loop level. The package is done in the SUSY Parameter Analysis convention and supports the SUSY Les Houches Accord input and output format.

Program summary

Program title: HFOLDCatalogue identifier: AEJG_v1_0Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEJG_v1_0.htmlProgram obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen?s University, Belfast, N. IrelandLicensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.htmlNo. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 340 621No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 1 760 051Distribution format: tar.gzProgramming language: Fortran 77Computer: Workstation, PCOperating system: LinuxRAM: 524 288 000 BytesClassification: 11.1External routines: LoopTools 2.2 (http://www.feynarts.de/looptools/), SLHALib 2.2 (http://www.feynarts.de/slha/). The LoopTools code is included in the distribution package.Nature of problem: A future high-energy e⁺e⁻ linear collider will be the best environment for the precise measurements of masses, cross sections, branching ratios, etc. Experimental accuracies are expected at the per-cent down to the per-mile level. These must be matched from the theoretical side. Therefore higher order calculations are mandatory.Solution method: This program package calculates all MSSM Higgs two-body decay widths and the corresponding branching ratios at full one-loop level. The renormalization is done in the DR scheme following the SUSY Parameter Analysis convention. The program supports the SUSY Les Houches Accord input and output format.Running time: The example provided takes only a few seconds to run.     

TVD, WENO and blended BDF discretizations for Asian options

In this paper, we discuss topics for a fast and accurate solution of continuous American-style Asian option problems from computational finance. These problems lead to 2D time-dependent convection-dominated partial differential equations with a free boundary. As a pre-study for accurate discretization schemes in “asset price space” and in time, we solve numerically reference problems based on the Black-Scholes equation with small volatility and with discontinuous final conditions.