How do polyunsaturated fatty acids lower plasma cholesterol levels?

For 30 years it has been known that linoleic acid can lower elevated cholesterol levels. Large increases in linoleic acid have been widely recommended as a way of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Such recommendations have resulted in major dietary shifts in some countries, including the USA. Yet the precise characteristics of the linoleic acid molecule which confer on it cholesterol-lowering properties are unknown. gamma-Linolenic acid, the first essential fatty acid metabolite of linoleic acid, has been found to have cholesterol-lowering actions ca. 170 times greater than the parent molecule, suggesting that linoleic acid must be converted to gamma-linolenic acid to exert its desirable effects on cholesterol metabolism. Aging, sex, diabetes mellitus, alcohol, catecholamines and trans fatty acids and saturated fats can all modulate the delta-6-desaturase enzyme which converts linoleic acid to gamma-linolenic acid. This provides a possible unifying explanation for the actions of these known risk factors for cardiovascular disease.     

Measured In-plane hole drift and hall mobility in heavily-doped strained p-type Si1−xGex

Measured in-plane hole drift and Hall mobilities in heavily boron-doped strained Si_1−xGe_x layers are reported. In the range of boron dopings examined (1.5–2.1 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³), the drift mobility is seen to increase with increasing germanium fraction. The Hall mobility decreases with increasing germanium fraction. Presented at the 1992 EMC, Boston.     

Indomethacin inhibits responses to all vasoconstrictors in the rat mesenteric vascular bed: restoration of responses by prostaglandin E2

Saliva half-life of antipyrine was studied in 49 healthy Gambians between 20 and 60 yr of age of whom 27 were male (mean age, 44.5) and 22 female (mean age, 39.1). Body wieght, height, ponderal index, albumin, and hemoglobin were moderately reduced compared to accepted normal values. Antipyrine half-life was 13.6 +/- 0.58 (SEM) hr. Multiple regression analysis showed that sex, cola nut consumption, hemoglobin in women, and height in men were statiscally significant independent predictors of antipyrine half-life. Half-life was shorter in women, decreased with an increase in height in men, and was prolonged by cola nut consumption. Half-life in women increased with hemoglobin. These factors explained 36% of the variation and suggest that geographic differences in the environment could be important in drug metabolism in man.     

The effects of dietary cholesterol on blood and liver polyunsaturated fatty acids and on plasma cholesterol in rats fed various types of fatty acid diet

Male rats were fed on a fat-free diet for 8 weeks and then switched to diets containing 10% hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO), safflower oil (SFO) or evening primrose oil (EPO). Half of each group was also given 1% of cholesterol in the diet. After 5 further weeks, plama, red cell and liver fatty acids were measured in the various lipid fractions. Plasma and liver cholesterol also were estimated. In almost all fractions and on all three diets, feeding cholesterol led to accumulation of the substrates of desaturation reactions and to deficits of the products of these reactions. The results were consistent with inhibition of Δ-6, Δ-5 and Δ-4 desaturation of n−6 essential fatty acids. Since the diets were deficient in n−3 fatty acids, levels were very low but were also consistent with inhibition of desaturation. In contrast, cholesterol had relatively less consistent effects on 20∶3n−9, suggesting that desaturation of n−9 fatty acids was less inhibited. Plasma cholesterol levels rose sharply in the HCO and SFO groups but not at all in the EPO group. EPO contains the product of Δ-6 desaturation, 18∶3n−6, suggesting that conversion of linoleic acid to 18∶3n−6 and possibly to further metabolites may be important for the cholesterol-lowering effect of polyunsaturates.     

哈南阿尔善油藏微裂缝特征及其对开发的影响

哈南油田阿尔善储层发育构造微裂缝.经显微镜薄片观察,微裂缝的开度区间为10～30μm,延伸长度为 l～3 mm,面积密度为每平方毫米0025 mm.微裂缝是大裂缝的前奏,大裂缝发育区也是微裂缝发育区,微裂缝发育受控于断裂构造,与断裂及大裂缝同向,以NE向为主.经模型观察,双重孔隙介质模型的水驱油方式为裂缝-部分基质孔隙驱油.微裂缝对开发具有双重作用,一方面微裂缝可以改善基质渗流能力,另一方面微裂缝与大裂缝、断层形成断裂网络,对汪水产生不利影响.针对这一特点,在微裂缝发育区域,应采用周期性注水以期提高驱油效果.     

Reliability problems of polysilicon/Al contacts due tograin-boundary enhanced thermomigration effects

This paper presents results of a reliability study of n+polysilicon/Al contacts. The contact resistance of this structure ranged dramatically from sample to sample, and in some cases the contact resistance was extremely large (e.g. 80 kΩ.μm²). In addition, important changes in contact resistance were caused by temperature stress. This variation in contact resistance poses a serious problem in the manufacturability of accurate polysilicon resistors. This paper briefly describes the measurement procedures and measurement data. The measurements used to deduce and analyze the reliability problem include differential resistance and thermal stress. The samples were obtained from three industrial 2 μm CMOS sources. Finally, the paper discusses the data in detail and gives a reason for this reliability problem     

Tissue phospholipid fatty acid composition in the diabetic rat

Tissue phospholipid fatty acid compositions in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were studied. The major changes in liver, plasma, erythrocyte and heart were increased proportions of linoleic and dihomo-γ-linolenic acids and a decreased proportion of aracchidonic acid. The latter was not significantly changed in phospholipids of kidney, adrenal gland and testis. Skin fatty acids in diabetic rats showed an increase in the proportion of arachidonic acid and a reduction in the proportion of linoleic acid. The fatty acid desaturating activity in diabetes may be regulated differently in different tissues.