Extended-release niacin increases anti-apolipoprotein A-I antibodies that block the antioxidant effect of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol: the EXPLORE clinical trial.

Extended-release niacin (ERN) is the most effective agent for increasing high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C). Having previously identified anti-HDL antibodies, we investigated whether ERN affected the antioxidant capacity of HDL and whether ERN was associated with the production of antibodies against HDL (aHDL) and apolipoprotein A-I (aApoA-I). METHODS: Twenty-one patients older than 18 years, with HDL-C ≤40 mg dl-1 (men) or ≤50 mg dl-1 (women) were randomly assigned to receive daily ERN (n = 10) or placebo (n = 11) for two sequential 12-week periods, with 4 weeks of wash-out before cross-over. Primary outcome was change of paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activity and secondary outcomes were changes in aHDL and aApoA-I antibodies. Clinical Trial Unique Identifier: EudraCT 2006-006889-42. RESULTS: The effect of ERN on PON1 activity was nonsignificant (coefficient estimate 20.83 U l-1 , 95% confidence interval [CI] -9.88 to 51.53; P = 0.184). ERN was associated with an increase in HDL-C levels (coefficient estimate 5.21 mg dl-1 , 95% CI 1.16 to 9.25; P = 0.012) and its subclasses HDL2 (coefficient estimate 2.46 mg dl-1 , 95% CI 0.57 to 4.34; P = 0.011) and HDL3 (coefficient estimate 2.73 mg dl-1 , 95% CI 0.47 to 4.98; P = 0.018). ERN was significantly associated with the production of aApoA-I antibodies (coefficient estimate 0.25 μg ml-1 , 95% CI 0.09-0.40; P = 0.001). aApoA-I titres at baseline were correlated with decreased PON activity. CONCLUSIONS: The rise in HDL-C achieved with ERN was not matched by improved antioxidant capacity, eventually hampered by the emergence of aApoA-I antibodies. These results may explain why Niacin and other lipid lowering agents fail to reduce cardiovascular risk.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Geometric classical and total correlations via trace distance

We introduce the concepts of geometric classical and total correlations through Schatten 1-norm (trace norm), which is the only Schatten p-norm able to ensure a well-defined geometric measure of correlations. In particular, we derive the analytical expressions for the case of two-qubit Bell-diagonal states, discussing the superadditivity of geometric correlations. As an illustration, we compare our results with the entropic correlations, discussing both their hierarchy and monotonicity properties. Moreover, we apply the geometric correlations to investigate the ground state of spin chains in the thermodynamic limit. In contrast to the entropic quantifiers, we show that the classical correlation is the only source of 1-norm geometric correlation that is able to signaling an infinite-order quantum phase transition.Comment: v2: published versio

Oportunidades que o agronegócio caju oferece: pasta de amêndoa de castanha-de-caju.

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Fatores condicionantes a eficiência técnica e econômica da cajucultura nordestina.

Com base em dados levantados pelo CNPCa/EMBRAPA, relativos a safra 1988/89, testou-se a hipotese de que a baixa eficiencia tecnica e economica da cajucultura nordestina esta condicionada a fatores economicos, sociais e agronomicos. No Estado do Ceara, constatou-se que, dentro as variaveis com maior influencia positiva sobre a eficiencia tecnica e economica, destacaram-se o valor da terra ou qualidade dos solos, mao-de-obra empregada, educacao e montante de credito de custeio. No piaui, as variaveis da maior importancia na explicacao da eficiencia tecnica e economica foram idade do plantio, numero de plantas por hectare, assistencia tecnica e mao-de-obra empregada.bitstream/item/33715/1/Bp-003.pd

Estabilidade de agregados em solos sódicos e salino-sódicos.

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Custos de formação e manutenção de jardins clonais de cajueiro anão precoce.

bitstream/CNPAT-2010/6972/1/Ct-066.pd

Removal efficiency of Cu2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ by waste brewery biomass : pH and cation association effects

In this work two distinct (flocculent and non-flocculent) yeast wastes from Portuguese breweries were used for the selective removal of Cu2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ from aqueous solutions. One of the goals was to establish both the pH profiles for the removal of each metal ion (1.0 mM) and the effect on the biomass biosorption capacity of pH adjustment during the process. The effect of the presence of multiple metal ions, in the 0.1-1.0 mM range, on metal removal efficiency was also studied. The results showed that, in the absence of pH adjustment, the optimum initial pH for the removal of three cations was in the 4.5-5.5 range for both types of biomass. However, a gradual pH increase was observed during the removal process, up to a final equilibrium value of 7.0-8.0. Regarding the biomass efficiency for metal removal in multi-cation systems, it was verified that only Cu2+ was significantly affected by the presence of the other metals in solution and only when the non-flocculent yeast biomass was used as biosorbent. Cd2+ was only slightly affected by the presence of both Cu2+ and Pb2+, and Pb2+ removal was not affected by the presence of any or both of the interferent metals for the two biosorbents used in this work. The highest and lowest metal removal yields were obtained for Pb2+ and Cu2+, respectively.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Praxis XXI 2/2.1/Bio/3 7/94