A New Method for Quality Control of Geological Cores by X-Ray Computed Tomography: Application in IODP Expedition 370

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This research used data provided by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP). We are grateful to the IODP and thank crew, drilling team, geologists and lab technicians on Chikyu and the staff of the Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research for supporting IODP 370-operations. We would like to thank Lucia Mancini for handling the editorial process and the three reviewers for submitting their helpful comments and improving the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Treatment strategy for lymph node metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma using an ICG navigation system: a case report

Abstract Background Since indocyanine green (ICG) accumulates selectively in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, it can be used to detect metastatic lesions. Lymph node metastasis of HCC is rarely observed, both simultaneously and metachronously. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to identify metachronous lymph nodes during salvage surgery because of prior surgery. Herein, we report a case in which lymph node metastasis of HCC was successfully resected using an ICG navigation system. Case presentation The patient was a 62-year-old man who had undergone radical liver resection for HCC 8 years ago. During surveillance, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a mass in the hepatic hilum. Various diagnostic modalities suggested that the patient had a solitary metastatic lymph node of HCC, and extirpation of the tumor was planned. Intraoperative ICG fluorescence imaging allowed surgeons to clearly identify the target lesion. Histopathologically, the tumor was confirmed to be a lymph node metastasis of HCC. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful, and he remains alive without recurrence 2 years after the second surgery. Conclusion Intraoperative navigation surgery by ICG fluorescence imaging was useful for the safe resection of extrahepatic metastasis of HCC in a complicated situation

Strain-Based Design, Direct Macrocyclization, and Metal Complexation of Thiazole-Containing Calix[3]pyrrole Analogues

Coordination chemistry of ring-contracted porphyrins, such as subporphyrin and calix[3]pyrrole, has been largely unexplored due to the synthetic difficulty of their free-base analogues. Here, we report strain-based molecular design and high yield synthesis of thiazole-containing calix[3]pyrrole analogues for metal complexation. The AFIR method and StrainViz analysis were used to perform a conformational search and evaluate/visualize ring strain, respectively. The results indicated that thiazole-containing analogues are less strained than the parent calix[3]pyrrole, while incorporation of imidazole or oxazole unexpectedly leads to an increase in total strain. In fact, calix[1]furan[2]thiazole was obtained in 60% yield by direct macrocyclization between α-bromoketone and bis(thioamide), whereas meso-N(sp2)-bridged analogue, which was calculated to be more strained by 5.1 kcal/mol, was obtained only in a 2% yield. Calix[1]furan[2]thiazole was converted to calix[1]pyrrole[2]thiazole for investigation of metal complexation. Through reaction with Et2Zn, calix[1]pyrrole[2]thiazole bound a Zn(II) ion in a tridentate fashion adopting a cone conformation, furnishing water/air stable organozinc complex that catalyzes polymerization of lactide. Whereas, Ag(I) and Pd(II) ions were chelated by partial cone conformation of calix[1]pyrrole[2]thiazole in a bidentate fashion. Strain-based molecular design has expanded the synthetic access to contracted porphyrinoids and opened up the opportunity of their rich coordination chemistry

A New Method for Quality Control of Geological Cores by X-Ray Computed Tomography: Application in IODP Expedition 370

X-ray computed tomography (XCT) can be used to identify lithologies and deformation structures within geological core, with the potential for the identification processes to be applied automatically. However, because of drilling disturbance and other artifacts, the use of large XCT-datasets in automated processes requires methods of quality control that can be applied systematically. We propose a new systematic method for quality control of XCT data that applies numerical measures to CT slices, and from this obtains data reflective of core quality. Because the measures are numerical they can be applied quickly and consistently between different sections and cores. This quality control processing protocol produces downhole radiodensity profiles from mean CT-values that can be used for geological interpretation. The application of this quality control protocols was applied to XCT data from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 370 Site C0023 located at the toe of the Nankai accretionary complex. The evaluation of core quality based on this protocol was found to be a good fit to standard-evaluations based on the visual description of core, and could be used to select samples free from drilling disturbance or contamination. The quality-controlled downhole mean CT-value profile has features that can be used to identify lithologies within a formation, the presence and type of deformation structures and to distinguish formations