Compared with standard statin monotherapy, the combination of statin plus ezetimibe showed greater coronary plaque regression, which might be attributed to cholesterol absorption inhibition-induced aggressive lipid lowering. (Plaque Regression With Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitor or Synthesis Inhibitor Evaluated by Intravascular Ultrasound [PRECISE-IVUS]; NCT01043380).

Background-Triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TGLs) are atherogenic. However, their cellular mechanisms remain largely unexplained. This study examined the effects of isolated remnant-like lipoprotein particles (RLPs) on the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and tissue factor (TF), proatherothrombogenic molecules, in cultured human endothelial cells. Methods and Results-RLPs were isolated from plasma of hypertriglyceridemic patients by use of the immunoaffinity gel mixture of anti-apoA-1 and anti-apoB-100 monoclonal antibodies. The incubation of cells with RLPs significantly upregulated mRNA and protein expression of these molecules. Total TGLs (dϽ1.006) and LDL had fewer or minimal effects on expression of these molecules compared with RLPs. RLPs increased intracellular oxidant levels, as assessed with an oxidant-sensitive probe. Combined incubation with ␣-tocopherol or N-acetylcysteine, both antioxidants, suppressed RLP-induced increase in expression of these molecules. In patients with higher plasma levels of RLPs, plasma levels of soluble forms of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were significantly higher than in patients with lower RLP levels. Treatment with ␣-tocopherol for 1 month decreased levels of the soluble adhesion molecules concomitantly with an increase in resistance of RLPs to oxidative modification in patients with high RLP levels. Conclusions-RLPs

Quantum interference is a coherent quantum phenomenon that takes place in confined geometries. Using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy, we found that quantum interference of electrons causes spatial modulation of spin polarization within a single magnetic nanostructure. We observed changes in both the sign and magnitude of the spin polarization on a subnanometer scale. A comparison of our experimental results with ab initio calculations shows that at a given energy, the modulation of the spin polarization can be ascribed to the difference between the spatially modulated local density of states of the majority spin and the nonmodulated minority spin contribution.

We have successfully synthesized the highly c-axis-oriented polycrystals of apatite-type lanthanum silicate by the reactive diffusion technique. When the La 2 SiO 5 /La 2 Si 2 O 7 diffusion couples were isothermally heated at 1773−1873 K for 5−100 h, the apatite polycrystals were readily produced in the form of a layer at the interfacial boundaries. The annealed couples were characterized using optical microscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and electron probe microanalysis. The product layers were composed of the highly c-axis-oriented prismatic crystallites, with their elongation directions being almost parallel to the diffusion direction. The formation of the apatite layer was controlled by volume diffusion, the overall reaction of which is described by (10 + 6x)La 2 SiO 5 + (4−3x)La 2 Si 2 O 7 → 3La 9.33+2x (SiO 4 ) 6 O 2+3x (0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.13). The apatite layer formed at 1873 K was characterized by the steady decrease of the x-value along the diffusion direction from 0.13 at the La 2 SiO 5 /apatite interface to 0.01 at the apatite/La 2 Si 2 O 7 interface. We have also prepared sandwich-type La 2 Si 2 O 7 /La 2 SiO 5 /La 2 Si 2 O 7 diffusion couples and heated them at 1873 K for 100 h. The annealed couple was mechanically processed, and the thin-plate electrolyte consisting of the highly c-axis-oriented polycrystal was obtained. The oxide-ion conductivity was determined from the impedance spectroscopy data at 573−973 K, which steadily increased from 2.4 × 10 −3 S/cm to 2.39 × 10 −2 S/cm with increasing temperature. The empirical activation energy of conduction was 0.35 eV, which compares well with the calculated migration energy of 0.32 eV in a previous study.

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