Effect of oligo(spiroorthocarbonate)s on the volume shrinkage of epoxides during crosslinking by sulfonium salt‐initiated cationic polymerization of epoxides

Oligo(spiroorthocarbonate)s 1, which were synthesized by the polycondensation of pentaerythritol derivatives with tetraethylorthocarbonate, were employed as comonomers in the cationic polymerization of epoxide initiated by sulfonium salt. In the copolymerization, the spiroorthocarbonate moiety of 1 underwent double ring‐opening reaction, leading to the efficient diminution of the volume shrinkage upon the copolymerization. Thermal properties of the resulting networked polymers were evaluated by TGA

Polymer with Zwitterionic Structure in Main Chain via Polyaddition of Bifunctional Cyclic Amidine and Diisothiocyanate

A polymer containing a zwitterionic form in the main chain was synthesized by the polyaddition of a bifunctional cyclic amidine with diisothiocyanate. The ion conductivity of a composite film consisting of the polymer and lithium chloride was evaluated by AC impedance measurements, demonstrating its potential applicability as an ion‐conductive material

Radical Ring‐Opening Polymerization Behavior of 1,1‐Dicyano‐2‐Vinylcyclopropane and Its Copolymerization with 1‐Cyano‐1‐Ester‐2‐Vinylcyclopropane

Radical ring‐opening polymerization of 1,1‐dicyano‐2‐vinylcyclopropane 1 was performed in benzonitrile to find the corresponding homopolymer 2 soluble in organic solvents was successfully obtained while that in other solvents gave crosslinked and thus insoluble homopolymer. In addition, 1 underwent radical copolymerization with 1‐cyano‐1‐ester‐2‐vinylcyclopropanes 3 and 4 to afford the corresponding copolymers 7 and 8. By increasing the content of the 1‐derived unit in the resulting copolymers, the solubility of the copolymers in organic solvents became lower and the residual weights at 600 °C and their glass transition temperatures became higher

Analysis of the anti-tumor mechanism of BRD4 inhibition in hepatocellular carcinoma

Bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) family proteins, which include BRD4, are readers of histone acetyl-lysines and key regulators of gene transcription. BRD4 inhibitors exert anti-tumor effects in various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the mechanism underlying the antitumor effects of BRD4 inhibition in HCC. We first tested the effects of the BRD4 inhibitor JQ1 in a series of 9 HCC cell lines and found that it strongly suppressed HCC cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Gene expression microarray analysis revealed that JQ1 also induced marked changes in the gene expression profiles of HCC cells, and genes associated with cell cycle and apoptosis were significantly enriched among the affected genes. Notably, a number of cancer-related genes, including BCAT1, DDR1, GDF15, FANCD2, SENP1 and TYRO3, were strongly suppressed by JQ1 in HCC cells. We also confirmed BRD4 bound within the promoter regions of these genes, which suggests they are targets of BRD4 in HCC cells. JQ1 thus appears to exert its anti-tumor effects in HCC by suppressing multiple BRD4 target genes

Variants at HLA-A , HLA-C , and HLA-DQB1 Confer Risk of Psoriasis Vulgaris in Japanese

Psoriasis vulgaris (PsV) is an autoimmune disease of skin and joints with heterogeneity in epidemiologic and genetic landscapes of global populations. We conducted an initial genome-wide association study and a replication study of PsV in the Japanese population (606 PsV cases and 2,052 controls). We identified significant associations of the single nucleotide polymorphisms with PsV risk at TNFAIP3-interacting protein 1and the major histocompatibility complex region (P = 3.7 × 10−10 and 6.6 × 10−15, respectively). By updating the HLA imputation reference panel of Japanese (n = 908) to expand HLA gene coverage, we fine-mapped the HLA variants associated with PsV risk. Although we confirmed the PsV risk of HLA-C*06:02 (odds ratio = 6.36, P = 0.0015), its impact was relatively small compared with those in other populations due to rare allele frequency in Japanese (0.4% in controls). Alternatively, HLA-A*02:07, which corresponds to the cysteine residue at HLA-A amino acid position 99 (HLA-A Cys99), demonstrated the most significant association with PsV (odds ratio = 4.61, P = 1.2 × 10–10). In addition to HLA-A*02:07 and HLA-C*06:02, stepwise conditional analysis identified an independent PsV risk of HLA-DQβ1 Asp57 (odds ratio = 2.19, P = 1.9 × 10–6). Our PsV genome-wide association study in Japanese highlighted the genetic architecture of PsV, including the identification of HLA risk variants

Development of an experimental database of EUV spectra from highly charged ions of medium to high Z elements in the Large Helical Device plasmas

We are developing an experimental database of extreme ultraviolet spectra from highly charged ions using optically thin high-temperature plasmas produced in the Large Helical Device. Spectra from a variety of elements with atomic numbers ranging from 36 to 83 have been systematically recorded in the range of 1–20 nm by a grazing incidence spectrometer. For higher Z elements from tin onward, discrete or quasicontinuum spectral features from n=4 (N-shell) ions are mainly observed depending upon the plasma temperature, which leads to some new experimental identifications of spectral lines. On the other hand, major emitters are n=3 (M-shell) ions for medium Z elements from krypton to ruthenium. The calculated wavelengths for Δn≠0 transitions agree well with the measurements and the calculated wavelengths are systematically shifted to shorter wavelengths for Δn=0 transitions associated with inner-subshell excited configurations

The Selective Arterial Calcium Injection Test is a Valid Diagnostic Method for Invisible Gastrinoma with Duodenal Ulcer Stenosis : A Case Report

The localization and diagnosis of microgastrinomas in a patient with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 is difficult preoperatively. The selective arterial calcium injection (SACI) test is a valid diagnostic method for the preoperative diagnosis of these invisible microgastrinomas. We report a rare case of multiple invisible duodenal microgastrinomas with severe duodenal stenosis diagnosed preoperatively by using the SACI test. A 50-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with recurrent duodenal ulcers. His serum gastrin level was elevated to 730 pg/ml. It was impossible for gastrointestinal endoscopy to pass through to visualize the inferior part of the duodenum, because recurrent duodenal ulcers had resulted in severe duodenal stenosis. The duodenal stenosis also prevented additional endoscopic examinations such as endoscopic ultrasonography. Computed tomography did not show any tumors in the duodenum and pancreas. The SACI test provided the evidence for a gastrinoma in the vascular territory of the inferior pancreatic-duodenal artery. We diagnosed a gastrinoma in the peri- ampullary lesion, so we performed Subtotal Stomach-Preserving Pancreatico- duodenectomy with regional lymphadenectomy. Histopathological findings showed multiple duodenal gastrinomas with lymph node metastasis and nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Twenty months after surgery, the patient is alive with no evidence of recurrence and a normal gastrin level. In conclusion, the SACI test can enhance the accuracy of preoperative localization and diagnosis of invisible microgastrinomas, especially in the setting of severe duodenal stenosis