Soliton solutions and cosmological gravitational waves

We examine plane-symmetric cosmological solutions to Einstein's equations which can be generated by the "soliton" technique, using the homogeneous Bianchi solutions as seeds and arbitrary numbers of real or complex poles. In some circumstances, these solutions can be interpreted as "incipient" gravitational waves on the Bianchi background. At early times they look like nonlinear inhomogeneities propagating at nearly the speed of light ("gravisolitons"), while at late times they look like cosmological gravitational waves.

Cosmic strings and Einstein-Rosen soliton waves

We consider all generalized soliton solutions of the Einstein-Rosen form in the cylindrical context. They are Petrov type-I solutions which describe solitonlike waves interacting with a line source placed on the symmetry axis. Some of the solutions develop a curvature singularity on the axis which is typical of massive line sources, whereas others just have the conical singularity revealing the presence of a static cosmic string. The analysis is based on the asymptotic behavior of the Riemann and metric tensors, the deficit angle, and a C-velocity associated to Thornes C-energy. The C-energy is found to be radiated along the null directions.

Scattering of quantum particles by gravitational plane waves

We consider the coupling of quantum massless and massive scalar particles with exact gravitational plane waves. The cross section for scattering of the quantum particles by the waves is shown to coincide with the classical cross section for scattering of geodesics. The expectation value of the scalar field stress tensor between scattering states diverges at the points where classical test particles focus after colliding with the wave. This indicates that back-reaction effects cannot be ignored for plane waves propagating in the presence of quantum particles and that classical singularities are likely to develop.

Intercellular calcium waves in primary cultured rat mesenteric smooth muscle cells are mediated by connexin43.

Intercellular Ca(2+) wave propagation between vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is associated with the propagation of contraction along the vessel. Here, we characterize the involvement of gap junctions (GJs) in Ca(2+) wave propagation between SMCs at the cellular level. Gap junctional communication was assessed by the propagation of intercellular Ca(2+) waves and the transfer of Lucifer Yellow in A7r5 cells, primary rat mesenteric SMCs (pSMCs), and 6B5N cells, a clone of A7r5 cells expressing higher connexin43 (Cx43) to Cx40 ratio. Mechanical stimulation induced an intracellular Ca(2+) wave in pSMC and 6B5N cells that propagated to neighboring cells, whereas Ca(2+) waves in A7r5 cells failed to progress to neighboring cells. We demonstrate that Cx43 forms the functional GJs that are involved in mediating intercellular Ca(2+) waves and that co-expression of Cx40 with Cx43, depending on their expression ratio, may interfere with Cx43 GJ formation, thus altering junctional communication.

Wideband dual sphere detector of gravitational waves

We present the concept of a sensitive and broadband resonant mass gravitational wave detector. A massive sphere is suspended inside a second hollow one. Short, high-finesse Fabry-Perot optical cavities read out the differential displacements of the two spheres as their quadrupole modes are excited. At cryogenic temperatures, one approaches the standard quantum limit for broadband operation with reasonable choices for the cavity finesses and the intracavity light power. A molybdenum detector, of overall size of 2 m, would reach spectral strain sensitivities of 2x10-23Hz-1/2 between 1000 and 3000 Hz.

Two-step chromatographic purification of human plasma alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein: its application to the purification of rare phenotype samples of the protein and their study by chromatography on immobilized metal chelate affinity adsorbent.

Alpha1-Acid glycoprotein (AAG) or orosomucoid was purified to homogeneity from human plasma by a separate two-step method using chromatography on immobilized Cibacron Blue F3G-A to cross-linked agarose and chromatography on hydroxyapatite. The conditions for the pre-purification of AAG by chromatography on immobilized Cibacron Blue F3G-A were first optimized using different buffer systems with different pH values. The overall yield of the combined techniques was 80% and ca. 12 mg of AAG were purified from an initial total amount of ca. 15 mg in a ca. 40 ml sample of human plasma. This method was applied to the purification of AAG samples corresponding to the three main phenotypes of the protein (FI*S/A, F1/A and S/A), from individual human plasma previously phenotyped for AAG. A study by isoelectric focusing with carrier ampholytes showed that the microheterogeneity of the purified F1*S/A, F1/A and S/A AAG samples was similar to that of AAG in the corresponding plasma, thus suggesting that no apparent desialylation of the glycoprotein occurred during the purification steps. This method was also applied to the purification of AAG samples corresponding to rare phenotypes of the protein (F1/A*AD, S/A*X0 and F1/A*C1) and the interactions of these variants with immobilized copper(II) ions were then studied at pH 7, by chromatography on an iminodiacetate Sepharose-Cu(II) gel. It was found that the different variants encoded by the first of the two genes coding for AAG in humans (i.e. the F1 and S variants) interacted non-specifically with the immobilized ligand, whereas those encoded by the second gene of AAG (i.e. the A, AD, X0 and C1 variants) strongly bound to immobilized Cu(II) ions. These results suggested that chromatography on an immobilized affinity Cu(II) adsorbent could be helpful to distinguish between the respective products of the two highly polymorphic genes which code for human AAG.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of seven psychotropic drugs and four metabolites in human plasma by HPLC-MS.

A simple and sensitive LC-MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of aripiprazole (ARI), atomoxetine (ATO), duloxetine (DUL), clozapine (CLO), olanzapine (OLA), sertindole (STN), venlafaxine (VEN) and their active metabolites dehydroaripiprazole (DARI), norclozapine (NCLO), dehydrosertindole (DSTN) and O-desmethylvenlafaxine (OVEN) in human plasma. The above mentioned compounds and the internal standard (remoxipride) were extracted from 0.5 mL plasma by solid-phase extraction (mix mode support). The analytical separation was carried out on a reverse phase liquid chromatography at basic pH (pH 8.1) in gradient mode. All analytes were monitored by MS detection in the single ion monitoring mode and the method was validated covering the corresponding therapeutic range: 2-200 ng/mL for DUL, OLA, and STN, 4-200 ng/mL for DSTN, 5-1000 ng/mL for ARI, DARI and finally 2-1000 ng/mL for ATO, CLO, NCLO, VEN, OVEN. For all investigated compounds, good performance in terms of recoveries, selectivity, stability, repeatability, intermediate precision, trueness and accuracy, was obtained. Real patient plasma samples were then successfully analysed.

Prospective determination of imipenem concentration of the plasma of critically-ill children

ABSTRACT Imipenem plasma-concentrations were measured in 19 critically-ill children (median 0.8 year, range 0.02-12.9 years). Wide inter-individual variations (2-4x at peak and >10x at through concentrations) resulted in unpredictable plasma-levels in several children. To avoid subtherapeutic drug levels we recommend at least 100 mg/kg/day of imipenem-cilastatin in critically-ill children requiring such therapy.

Plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity in Alzheimer's disease, amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and cognitively healthy elderly subjects: a cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is a circulating enzyme with pro-inflammatory and oxidative activities associated with cardiovascular disease and ischemic stroke. While high plasma Lp-PLA2 activity was reported as a risk factor for dementia in the Rotterdam study, no association between Lp-PLA2 mass and dementia or Alzheimer's disease (AD) was detected in the Framingham study. The objectives of the current study were to explore the relationship of plasma Lp-PLA2 activity with cognitive diagnoses (AD, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and cognitively healthy subjects), cardiovascular markers, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers of AD, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype. METHODS: Subjects with mild AD (n = 78) and aMCI (n = 59) were recruited from the Memory Clinic, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland; cognitively healthy subjects (n = 66) were recruited from the community. Subjects underwent standardised medical, neurological, neuropsychological, imaging, genetic, blood and CSF evaluation. Differences in Lp-PLA2 activity between the cognitive diagnosis groups were tested with ANOVA and in multiple linear regression models with adjustment for covariates. Associations between Lp-PLA2 and markers of cardiovascular disease and AD were explored with Spearman's correlation coefficients. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in plasma Lp-PLA2 activity between AD (197.1 (standard deviation, SD 38.4) nmol/min/ml) and controls (195.4 (SD 41.9)). Gender, statin use and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) were independently associated with Lp-PLA2 activity in multiple regression models. Lp-PLA2 activity was correlated with LDL and inversely correlated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL). AD subjects with APOE-ε4 had higher Lp-PLA2 activity (207.9 (SD 41.2)) than AD subjects lacking APOE-ε4 (181.6 (SD 26.0), P = 0.003) although this was attenuated by adjustment for LDL (P = 0.09). No strong correlations were detected for Lp-PLA2 activity and CSF markers of AD. CONCLUSION: Plasma Lp-PLA2 was not associated with a diagnosis of AD or aMCI in this cross-sectional study. The main clinical correlates of Lp-PLA2 activity in AD, aMCI and cognitively healthy subjects were variables associated with lipid metabolism.

3-Hydroxybutyrate coinfused with noradrenaline decreases resulting plasma levels of noradrenaline in Wistar rats

Pentobarbital-anaesthetized male Wistar rats were infused with 6microgkg-1min-1 of noradrenaline. The infusion was supplemented with 8.5 mgkg-1min-1 of D-3-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB) for 15 min in order to determine its effect on the adrenergic response of the rat. Plasma levels of noradrenaline rose to a plateau of approximately 50 nmoll-1 with infusion. In the group infused with noradrenaline alone, noradrenaline levels were maintained for 1h. Supplementation with 3-OHB induced a decrease in plasma noradrenaline level that was inversely correlated with 3-OHB level. Aortic and interscapular brown adipose tissue temperatures increased with noradrenaline infusion, but the rise was arrested by 3-OHB; replacing 3-OHB with glucose had no effect. Infusion of saline, glucose or 3-OHB in the absence of noradrenaline did not induce a rise in temperature in either tissue. Blood 3-OHB concentration increased to 1.2 mmoll-1 during 3-OHB infusion, decreasing rapidly at the end of infusion. Blood glucose levels increased with noradrenaline infusion; the presence of high 3-OHB levels decreased glucose concentration. The effects observed were transient and dependent on 3-OHB concentration; these effects may help explain most of the other effects of noradrenaline described here. The role of 3-OHB as a regulator of adrenergic responses seems to be part of a complex fail-safe mechanism which prevents wasting.

Plasma leptin turnover rates in lean and obese Zucker rats

Conscious female adult lean and obese Zucker rats were injected through the jugular vein with radioactive iodine-labeled murine leptin; in the ensuing 8 min, four blood samples were sequentially extracted from the carotid artery. The samples were used in a modified RIA for leptin, in which paired tubes received the same amount of either labeled or unlabeled leptin, thus allowing us to estimate both leptin levels and specific radioactivity. The data were used to determine the decay curve parameters from which the half-life of leptin (5.46 ± 0.23 min for lean rats and 6.99 ± 0.75 min for obese rats) as well as the size of its circulating pool (32 pmol/kg for lean rats and 267 pmol/kg for obese rats) and the overall degradation rate (96 fkat/kg for lean rats and 645 fkat/kg for obese rats) were estimated. These values are consistent with the hormonal role of leptin and the need for speedy changes in its levels in response to metabolic challenge.

Use of palm-oil by-products in chicken and rabbit feeds: effect on the fatty acid and tocol composition of meat, liver and plasma

This study was undertaken in the framework of a larger European project dealing with the characterization of fat co- and by-products from the food chain, available for feed uses. In this study, we compare the effects, on the fatty acid (FA) and tocol composition of chicken and rabbit tissues, of the addition to feeds of a palm fatty acid distillate, very low in trans fatty acids (TFA), and two levels of the corresponding hydrogenated by-product, containing intermediate and high levels of TFA. Thus, the experimental design included three treatments, formulated for each species, containing the three levels of TFA defined above. Obviously, due to the use of hydrogenated fats, the levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA) show clear differences between the three dietary treatments. The results show that diets high in TFA (76 g/kg fat) compared with those low in TFA (4.4 g/kg fat) led to a lower content of tocopherols and tocotrienols in tissues, although these differences were not always statistically significant, and show a different pattern for rabbit and chicken. The TFA content in meat, liver and plasma increased from low-to-high TFA feeds in both chicken and rabbit. However, the transfer ratios from feed were not proportional to the TFA levels in feeds, reflecting certain differences according to the animal species. Moreover, feeds containing fats higher in TFA induced significant changes in tissue SFA, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids composition, but different patterns can be described for chicken and rabbit and for each type of tissue.