Guest-induced symmetry lowering of an ionic clathrate material for carbon capture.

We report a new lattice structure of the ionic clathrate hydrate of tetra-n-butylammonium bromide induced by guest CO2 molecules, which is found to provide high CO2 storage capacity. The structure was characterized by a set of methods, including single crystal X-ray diffraction, NMR, and MD simulations.

A comparison of DNA copy number changes detected by comparative genomic hybridization in malignancies of the liver, biliary tract and pancreas.

Tumors arising from the liver, biliary tract and pancreas, which originate in the foregut and are in close anatomical proximity to each other, sometimes show similar histological features. No studies have focused on genetic similarities and differences between tumors of these organs. To elucidate the similarities and differences in DNA copy number alterations between tumors of these organs, we applied comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to cancers of the liver (31 cases), biliary tract (42 cases) and pancreas (27 cases). Some alterations were common to tumors of all three organs, and some were preferential in certain types of tumor. Gains of 1q and 8q and losses of 8p and 17p were common to all tumors. In contrast, 13q14 and 16q losses were detected exclusively in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs; p < 0.01). The incidence of 17q21 gain and 5q loss was higher in biliary tract cancers than in the other two types (p < 0.05). Pancreatic cancers exhibited higher incidence of 5q14-q23 gain and 19p loss than tumors of other organs (p < 0.01). Gains of 7p, 7q, 12p and 20q and losses of 3p, 6q, 9p and 18q were frequent in both biliary tract and pancreatic cancers but rare in HCCs (p < 0.05). The present results suggest that although genes located at 1q, 8p, 8q and 17p are frequently involved in HCC, biliary tract and pancreatic cancer, at least some of the genes implicated in carcinogenesis are different between these three types. It is also suggested that CGH analysis is useful as a potential adjunct for the diagnosis and management of these tumors of organs that are anatomically close to one another.

Inhibition of Df-protease--induced kinin release by synthetic inhibitors.

A protease (Df-protease) from house dust mite (D. farinae) is closely associated with mite-induced allergy: Df-protease has a similar substrate specificity to blood coagulation factor XIIa and catalyzes the activation of kallikrein-kinin system in human plasma. With the purpose of prevention of kinin-formation in plasma by Df-protease, inhibition of Df-protease with synthetic inhibitors was tested in vivo and in vitro. Among the inhibitors, including amidine and guanidine derivatives, N-allyl-N-[4-(4-amidinophenoxycarbonyl)-alpha-methylcinnamoyl++ +]glycine ethyl ester mesylate was the most effective to inhibit Df-protease with Ki = 9 x 10(-9) M and also to prevent kinin-release from Df-protease in human plasma. Enhancement of vascular permeability in guinea pigs caused by kinin-release was stoichiometrically suppressed by the inhibitor.

Endoscopic pancreatic sphincterotomy--technique and evaluation.

Endoscopic pancreatic sphincterotomy has been developed as a new method of treatment of chronic pancreatitis in our institution since 1982. We introduced pancreatic sphincterotomy as a safe technique, after performing it successfully in 21 cases of chronic pancreatitis without any complications, and relieving both abdominal and back pain in 19 of the cases. Recently, we have added endoscopic elimination of viscid pancreatic juice including protein plugs. This report describes our procedure of pancreatic sphincterotomy in detail, and evaluates it in the endoscopic treatment of chronic pancreatitis.