The role of platelet microvesicles in intercellular communication.

In recent years, there has been exponential growth in the interest in microvesicles, which is reflected by the number of publications. Initially referred to as platelet dust by Peter Wolf in 1967, platelet microvesicles (PMV) are now recognized as important mediators of intercellular communication. There are examples of PMV exerting physiological effects on almost all hematological and vascular cell types, including monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, T-cells, endothelium cells, and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). PMV can exert these effects by multiple methods: extracellular signaling through receptors, transfer of surface molecules, and delivery of intracellular contents including miRNA. Recent work suggests a complex environment in which cellular contents are being shared multi-directionally between multiple cell types. This review will focus on the communicative properties of PMV

Tunnelling between non-centrosymmetric superconductors with significant spin-orbit splitting studied theoretically within a two-band treatment

Tunnelling between non-centrosymmetric superconductors with significant spin-orbit splitting is studied theoretically in a two-band treatment of the problem. We find that the critical Josephson current may be modulated by changing the relative angle between the vectors describing absence of inversion symmetry on each side of the junction. The presence of two gaps also results in multiple steps in the quasiparticle current-voltage characteristics. We argue that both these effects may help to determine the pairing states in materials like CePt$_3$Si, UIr and Cd$_2$Re$_2$O$_7$. We propose experimental tests of these ideas, including scanning tunnelling microscopy.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. Minor changes. Some new references added. Journal-ref. adde

Supersymmetric Electroweak Cosmic Strings

We study the connection between $N=2$ supersymmetry and a topological bound in a two-Higgs-doublet system with an $SU(2)\times U(1)_Y\times U(1)_{Y^{\prime}}$ gauge group. We derive the Bogomol'nyi equations from supersymmetry considerations showing that they hold provided certain conditions on the coupling constants, which are a consequence of the huge symmetry of the theory, are satisfied. Their solutions, which can be interpreted as electroweak cosmic strings breaking one half of the supersymmetries of the theory, are studied. Certain interesting limiting cases of our model which have recently been considered in the literature are finally analyzed.Comment: 20 pages, RevTe

A topological bound for electroweak vortices from supersymmetry

We study the connection between N=2 supersymmetry and a topological bound in a two-Higgs doublet system having an SU(2)\times U(1)_Y\times U(1)_{Y^{\prime}} gauge group. We derive Bogomol'nyi equations from supersymmetry considerations showing that they hold provided certain conditions on the coupling constants, which are a consequence of the huge symmetry of the theory, are satisfied. Certain interesting limiting cases of our model are analysed

Spontaneous kidney rupture in polyarteritis nodosa presenting as an acute abdomen

CITATION: Edelstein, C. L. & Welke, H. 1991. Spontaneous kidney rupture in polyarteritis nodosa presenting as an acute abdome. South African Medical Journal, 79:52-53.The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.zaAn acute abdomen in a patient with polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a perplexing and challenging problem for both the physician and the surgeon.Publisher’s versio

Real Estate Income and Value Cycles: A Model of Market Dynamics

We develop a theoretical real estate cycles model linking economic fundamentals to real estate income and value. We estimate and test an econometric model specification, based on the theoretical model, using MSA level data for twenty office markets in the United States. Our major conclusion is that cities that exhibit seemingly different cyclical office market behavior may be statistically characterized by our three-parameter econometric specification. The parameters are MSA-specific amplitude, through the CAP rate, cycle duration (peak-to-peak), via the rate of partial adjustments to changing expectations about stabilized NOI and the market trend.

Spontaneous kidney rupture in polyarteritis nodosa presenting as an acute abdomen

CITATION: Edelstein, C. L. & Welke, H. 1991. Spontaneous kidney rupture in polyarteritis nodosa presenting as an acute abdome. South African Medical Journal, 79:52-53.The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.zaAn acute abdomen in a patient with polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a perplexing and challenging problem for both the physician and the surgeon.Publisher’s versio

NMR relaxation rate in non-centrosymmetric superconductors

The spin-lattice relaxation rate of nuclear magnetic resonance in a clean superconductor without inversion center is calculated for arbitrary pairing symmetry and band structure, in the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling.Comment: 4 page

Let's Twist Again: General Metrics of G(2) Holonomy from Gauged Supergravity

We construct all complete metrics of cohomogeneity one G(2) holonomy with S^3 x S^3 principal orbits from gauged supergravity. Our approach rests on a generalization of the twisting procedure used in this framework. It corresponds to a non-trivial embedding of the special Lagrangian three-cycle wrapped by the D6-branes in the lower dimensional supergravity. There are constraints that neatly reduce the general ansatz to a six functions one. Within this approach, the Hitchin system and the flop transformation are nicely realized in eight dimensional gauged supergravity.Comment: 31 pages, latex; v2: minor changes, references adde