Opposite effects of cholesteryl ester transfer protein and phospholipid transfer protein on the size distribution of plasma high density lipoproteins. Physiological relevance in alcoholic patients

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and the phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) in determining the size distribution of high density lipoproteins (HDL) in human plasma. Whereas both purified CETP and PLTP preparations were able to promote the size redistribution of isolated HDL3, CETP favored the emergence of small HDL, while PLTP induced the formation of both small and large conversion products. When the total plasma lipoprotein fractions isolated from nine distinct subjects were incubated for 24 h at 37 degrees C with either purified PLTP or purified CETP, significant alterations in the relative proportions of the five distinct plasma HDL subpopulations, i.e., HDL2b (9.71-12.90 nm), HDL2a (8.77-9.71 nm), HDL3a (8.17-8.77 nm), HDL3b (7.76-8.17 nm), and HDL3c (7.21-7. 76 nm) were also observed. PLTP induced a significant increase in the relative abundance of HDL2b (8.66 +/- 2.34% versus 7.87 +/- 1. 83% in controls; p < 0.01) and a significant decrease in the relative abundance of HDL3a (32.76 +/- 3.42% versus 37.87 +/- 2.62% in controls; p < 0.05). In contrast, CETP significantly reduced the relative proportion of HDL2a (33.03 +/- 2.53% versus 37.56 +/- 6.43% in controls; p < 0.01) but significantly increased the relative proportion of both HDL3b (21.36 +/- 6.97% versus 15.58 +/- 7.75% in controls; p < 0.01) and HDL3c (3.21 +/- 4.84% versus 1.13 +/- 0.56% in controls; p < 0.05). Finally, in order to assess further the physiological relevance of in vitro observations, CETP activity, PLTP activity, and HDL size distribution were determined in plasmas from 33 alcoholic patients entering a cessation program. Alcohol withdrawal was associated with (i) a significant increase in plasma CETP activity (173.5 +/- 70.5%/h/ml before versus 223.2 +/- 69. 3%/h/ml after alcohol withdrawal, p = 0.0007), (ii) a significant reduction in plasma PLTP activity (473.9 +/- 203.7%/h/ml before versus 312.7 +/- 148.4%/h/ml after alcohol withdrawal, p = 0.0001), and (iii) a significant shift of large HDL2b and HDL2a toward small HDL3b and HDL3c. On the one hand, changes in plasma CETP activity correlated negatively with changes in the proportion of HDL2a (r = -0.597, p = 0.0002) and positively with changes in the proportion of HDL3b (r = 0.457, p = 0.0075). On the other hand, changes in plasma PLTP activity correlated positively with changes in the proportion of HDL2b (r = 0.482, p = 0.0045) and negatively with changes in the proportion of HDL3a (r = -0.418, p = 0.0154). Taken together, data of the present study revealed that plasma PLTP and CETP can exert opposite effects on the size distribution of plasma HDL. PLTP can promote the formation of HDL2b particles at the expense of HDL3a, while CETP can promote the formation of HDL3b particles at the expense of HDL2a.     

Demonstration of a technological prototype of an active‐matrix BiNem liquid‐crystal display

Abstract— The first implementation of active‐matrix addressing on a BiNem bistable nematic liquid‐crystal display has been demonstrated. Compared to previous passive‐matrix addressing, major improvements have been made for the bistable mode: a smoother image refreshment, shorter refreshing frame time compatible with that of high‐resolution e‐book displays, the use of a touch screen for interactive functions such as hand‐writing, a virtual keyboard, improved functionality for scrolling menus, partial refreshment, etc. On the same display but in the monostable mode, by using electrically controlled birefringence (ECB), the potential of displaying moving pictures at a rate of 25 images/sec, at an extended room temperature, has been demonstrated. In the ECB monostable mode, static images can be displayed down to ?20°C. A new transflective single‐polarizer optical mode has been developed to optimize the indoor and outdoor readability of the display. By lowering the surface reflection and enhancing the panel transmission, a contrast ratio of 94:1 and a transmittance of 17% have been achieved.     

Morphological characteristics of the oxidation of niobium II: The role of stresses on high-temperature morphologies

The oxidation of niobium at high temperature (900°C) leads to reaction products with exotic morphologies. Morphological and kinetics analysis have been undertaken with Nb platelets. A growth mechanism of the oxide at the edges of the platelet is proposed.     

Malignant histiocytofibroma. Apropos of 3 cases of cervicofacial localization

We report 3 cases of head and neck malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH). The first case is a xanthomatous subtype of the inferior lip with lymph node metastasis. The two others cases are storiform-pleomorphic MFM of the hypopharynx and Killian area. A summary of actual knowledges about this entity is reviewed.     

Evaluation of emissivity correlations for H2OCO2N2/air mixtures and coupling with solution methods of the radiative transfer equation

This study is directed towards the limitations of applying total emissivity correlations in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer codes for flame modeling. The predictions of nine widely applied total emissivity models for H₂O---CO₂ homogeneous mixtures are compared with the exponential wide band model (EWBM) calculations. The comparison covers a range of total pressures, temperatures and path lengths which are suitable for the use of fine numerical grids in CFD simulations of atmospheric and high pressure combustors.

Attention is paid to coupling of the property models with the radiative transfer equation (RTE) and their performance in non-homogeneous applications. In this respect both the total transmittance non-homogeneous (TTNH) model and the spectral group model (SGM) are used. The latter model is combined with five weighted sum of gray gases models (WSGGM), the single line based sum of gray gases model (SLW) and the k-distribution model. The non-homogeneous validation tests used in situ total radiance measurements in two non-luminous natural gas flames representing two industrial situations, a water cooled furnace and a refractory lined furnace. The main conclusions are as follows. The spectral group model provides an elegant and accurate method of coupling WSGGM, k-distribution and SLW property models to the equation of radiative transfer. Both homogeneous and non-homogeneous tests indicate the advantage of using the Smith, Shen and Friedman weighted sum of gray gases model over polynomial correlations and the SLW model. It has been shown that in the near burner region of a natural gas diffusion flame, the water vapor to carbon dioxide partial pressure ratio departs significantly from the value expected for the complete combustion of methane in air. This finding emphasizes the limitation of existing WSGGM to H₂O to CO₂ partial pressure ratios of one and two only.     

Progress in oesophagoscopy. The role of the conventional oesophagoscope as against the supple fibroscope (author's transl)

In the history of endoscopy, laryngologists have played an important role in knowledge of the oesophagus. For those familiar with gastroscopy, the supple fibroscope represents a diagnostic instrument which may be used for observation of the oesophagus with the exception of natural or pathological areas of stenosis. It offers considerable possibilities in the photographic documentation of lesions. It is relatively easy to perform though not completely harmless. The rigid oesophagoscope remains an effective method of investigation of the whole oesophagus, including the oesophageal opening. It remains the best method for the performance of endoscopic surgery and in particular the extraction of foreign bodies. It is not dangerous in the hands of a competent and trained operator. Rather than opposing each other, the two instruments may be seen to be complementary.     

Direct estimation of maternal mortality in Africa

Direct estimation of maternal mortality is facilitated in Brazzaville, Congo, by a law requiring that all bodies be delivered to a mortuary before burial. The authors investigated all bodies handled by the city's 3 mortuaries in a 4-week period in 1996. 15 maternal deaths were identified among the 138 female adult bodies. Based on the number of live births (27,888) in a 12-month period in 1995-96 and on the age distribution of the mothers, a maternal mortality rate of 645/100,000 was calculated. The lifetime risk for maternal mortality was estimated as 1 in 25 women. This rate is unexpectedly high since 90% of women in Brazzaville have access to prenatal care and most births occur in maternity hospitals. The excess maternal mortality is attributable, in part, to the high number of abortion-related deaths in young women. In this series, 6 deaths were due to abortion-related septicemia or hemorrhage. Maternal mortality is unlikely to decrease in African cities until more safe reproductive choices are available.     

Highly Dense,Transparent α‐Al2O3 Ceramics From Ultrafine Nanoparticles Via a Standard SPS Sintering

Using discrete, ultrafine alumina, highly dense transparent (71% real in‐line transmission, RIT, λ = 640 nm) ceramics were achieved with grain size as small as 260 nm using standard SPS sintering. We show that use of La³⁺ as a dopant greatly reduces sensitivity to the sintering temperatures. Transparent alumina were achieved in a large range of sintering temperatures, 1140°C < T < 1200°C, thus providing better reliability and flexibility into the fabrication of large sintered transparent ceramic bodies.     

Evidence for nonesterified fatty acids as modulators of neutral lipid transfers in normolipidemic human plasma

The relations between the level of plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) and both the mass concentration and activity of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) were studied in fasted normolipidemic subjects. Plasma NEFA correlated positively with both CETP mass concentration (r = .50; P < .01) and the transfer of cholesteryl ester from HDL toward plasma VLDL+LDL (CETHDL-->VLDL+LDL activity) (r = .46; P < .05) but not with the transfer of cholesteryl ester from LDL toward plasma HDL (CETLDL-->HDL activity) (r = .05; NS). The high binding capacity of albumin for NEFA was used to investigate whether lipoprotein-bound NEFAs were implicated in the modulation of the cholesteryl ester transfer reaction. As compared with nonsupplemented controls, the addition of an excess of fatty acid-free albumin (8 g/L) to total normolipidemic plasmas reduced CETHDL-->VLDL+LDL activity (18.3 +/- 5.5% versus 9.8 +/- 3.1%; P < .0001) but not CETLDL-->HDL activity (22.3 +/- 4.5% versus 23.3 +/- 5.1%; NS). Moreover, CETHDL-->VLD+LDL and CETLDL-->HDL activities correlated negatively when measured in native plasma (r = -.45; P < .05) but positively when measured in albumin-supplemented plasma (r = .40; P < .05). In long-term incubation experiments, lipoprotein-bound NEFA increased the net mass transfer of cholesteryl esters from HDL toward VLDL+LDL but reduced the net mass transfer of triglycerides in the opposite direction, from VLDL+LDL toward HDL. Taken together, data of the present study brought strong and concordant arguments in favor of a dual effect of plasma NEFA in modulating both the mass and the activity of CETP in vivo.     

Anisotropie de la decomposition d'un solide I-Existence d'un ellipsoide de reaction pour la transformation du sulfate de cuiver pentahydrate en trihydrate

Monocrystalline platelets of Copper Sulfate pentahydrate, oriented with respect to the crystal lattice are submitted to temperature (45°C) and water vapor pressure (2,5 torr) conditions such that the pentahydrate is converted into trihydrate. Any area that is converted, developped from a site is elliptical. For similar types of platelets, all the ellipses have an identical orientation and their axes a constant ratio. Studies on platelets with different orientations allow an ellipsoid to be reconstituted and we try to locate it with respect to the structure and ellipsoids characterizing the vectorial physical properties of the initial building up.