Background: Lysophosphatidylcholines (lysoPCs) are products of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) enzyme activity, and like the enzyme, have a direct role in toxic inflammatory responses in variety of organ systems. Paradoxically, reduced plasma lysoPC levels have been noted in sepsis patients and systemic treatment with lysoPCs is therapeutic in rodent models of sepsis and ischemia. These observations suggest that elevation of plasma levels of these lipids can actually help to relieve serious inflammatory conditions. We demonstrate that specific lysoPCs act as uncompetitive product inhibitors of plasma secreted PLA2 enzymes (sPLA2s), especially under conditions of elevated enzyme activity, thus providing a feedback mechanism for the observed anti-inflammatory effects of these compounds.

The Mario Schenberg gravitational wave detector has been constructed at its site in the Physics Institute of the University of São Paulo as programmed by the Brazilian Graviton Project, under the full support of FAPESP (the São Paulo State Foundation for Research Support). We are preparing it for a first commissioning run of the spherical antenna at 4.2 K with three parametric transducers and an initial target sensitivity of h ∼ 2 × 10−21 Hz−1/2 in a 60 Hz bandwidth around 3.2 kHz. Here we present the status of this project.

Abstract. The first phase of the Brazilian Graviton Project is the construction and operation of the gravitational wave detector Mario Schenberg at the Physics Institute of the University of São Paulo. This gravitational wave spherical antenna is planned to feature a sensitivity better than h = 10 -21 Hz -1/2 at the 3.0-3.4 kHz bandwidth, and to work not only as a detector, but also as a testbed for the development of new technologies. Here we present the status of this detector.

We are building the Schenberg gravitational wave detector at the Physics Institute of the University of São Paulo as programmed by the Brazilian Graviton Project. The antenna and its vibration isolation system are already built, and we have made a first cryogenic run for an overall test, in which we measured the antenna mechanical Q (figure of merit). We also have built a 10.21 GHz oscillator with phase noise performance better than −120 dBc at 3.2 kHz to pump an initial CuAl6% two-mode transducer. We plan to prepare this spherical antenna for a first operational run at 4.2 K with a single transducer and an initial target sensitivity of h ∼ 2 × 10−21 Hz−1/2 in a 50 Hz bandwidth around 3.2 kHz soon. Here we present details of this plan and some recent results of the development of this project.

We are designing microwave parametric transducers to be used in the Brazilian gravitational wave detector. In this paper, we explain the technical constraints used to design the mechanical parts of these transducers. The transducer and the antenna have been modelled by a finite element model (FEM) and the corresponding dynamical equations have been solved using the Msc/Nastran software. We have used the FEM analysis results in an iterative way, adjusting the geometric parameters in each step. Using this procedure we were able to calculate the transducer mechanical structure by positioning its main resonance frequency to the value of the sphere's quadrupolar mode frequency in order to design the best possible mechanical coupling and increasing transducer efficiency.