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Vapor-phase treatment of ZIF-8 membranes with manganese(II) acetylacetonate (Mn(acac)2 ) allows permselectivity tuning. Propylene/propane selectivity increases from 31 to 210 after the Mn(acac)2 treatment at 165 °C for 30 min, while selectivities increase from 14.6 to 242 for H2 /CH4 , from 2.9 to 38 for CO2 /CH4 , from 2.4 to 29 for CO2 /N2 , and from 2.9 to 7.5 for O2 /N2 , after Mn(acac)2 treatment at 175 °C for 30 min. Stable equimolar propylene/propane mixture selectivity of 165 at ambient temperature and 4 bar equimolar feed with a propylene flux of 8.3×10-4 mol m-2 s-1 is established. A control experiment excludes thermal treatment alone causing these changes. XPS analysis reveals the presence of Mn(acac)2 on the outer surface of the vapor-treated ZIF-8 membranes while no other changes are detectable by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy.

Effects of internal spermine on outward single-channel currents through a strongly inwardly rectifying K+ channel (Kir2.1) were studied at asymmetrical K+ concentrations (30 mm external and 150 mm internal K+). The current–voltage (I–V) relation for the single channel was almost linear and reversed at −37 ± 3 mV (VR; n= 19). The channel conductance was 26.3 ± 1.3 pS (n= 24). The open-time and closed-time histograms were fitted with a single exponential function. Internal spermine at a concentration of 1–100 nm reduced the open time of the outward currents in a concentration-dependent manner and produced a blocked state. The steady-state open probability of the outward current decreased with larger depolarizations in both the absence and presence of internal spermine. The steady-state open probability with asymmetrical K+ and symmetrical (150 mm external and internal K+) concentrations plotted against driving force (V−VR) coincided with smaller depolarizations in the absence of spermine and larger depolarizations and higher spermine concentrations in the presence of spermine. The blocking rate constants and unblock rates with 30 mm and 150 mm external K+ were similar at the same driving force. The dissociation constant–membrane potential relation for 30 mm external K+ was shifted in the negative direction from that for 150 mm external K+ by 36 mV. These results suggested that the blocking kinetics depends on driving force to produce driving force-dependent inward rectification when the equilibrium potential for K+ is altered by changing external K+ and that the energy barriers and wells for blocking ions from passing or lodging are not stable but affected by external K+ ions.

We report two cases of primary non-functioning kidney from the same non-heart beating donor (NHBD). A 42-yr-old man received a renal transplant from a NHBD. The donor was a 38-yr-old male who died of neck spinal injury. The warm ischemic time was 61 min. One h after reperfusion, the graft became edematous and congested in the presence of normal and adequate vascular anastomosis and lack of renal vein thrombosis. The one-h biopsy specimen showed acute tubular necrosis and severe congestion with occasional platelet aggregates in glomerular capillaries. The graft was resected on post-transplantation day 6. Graftectomy specimen revealed renal cortical necrosis. The contralateral kidney of the same donor was transplanted into a 54-yr-old male. The one-h biopsy specimen showed tubular degeneration and neutrophil infiltration in peritubular capillaries, but no glomerular congestion or thrombus. The recipient died on post-transplantation day 4. Although the cause of death was unknown, necropsy of the renal graft showed renal cortical necrosis, similar to case 1. Ischemia/ reperfusion injury was considered the cause of non-functioning kidney in both cases, because of long warm ischemic time. The biopsy specimens at zero-h from both grafts showed focal tubular degeneration only without distinct necrosis, indicating it is difficult to predict viability based on the pathological findings at zero-h or one-h biopsies. There is a need for further understanding of clinical and histological patterns in order to define the criteria of viability of kidney transplant.

We report the clinicopathological courses of two recipients of kidneys retrieved from the same non-heart beating donor (NHBD). A 52-year-old man received a renal transplant from an NHBD. The donor was a 66-year-old woman who died of subarachnoid haemorrhage. The recipient was immunosuppressed by basiliximab, tacrolimus (TAC), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), methyl prednisolone (MP), and antilymphocyte globulin (ALG). On post-operative day (POD) 21, haemodialysis therapy was withdrawn, however, their serum creatinine (s-Cr) level failed to improve. Four transplant biopsies were performed (1 h and POD 46, 74, and 114). The biopsy showed tubular degeneration but no evidence of TAC nephrotoxicity. The last biopsy after discontinuation of TAC demonstrated acute rejection of borderline grade. The s-Cr level at discharge was 5.0 mg/dL. The contra-lateral kidney was transplanted into a 31-year-old female and showed early functioning, with an s-Cr level at discharge of 1.8 mg/dL. Biopsy examination on POD 38 showed a recovery of tubular degeneration. The causes of delayed graft function and persistently high level of s-Cr in Case 1 remain unclear. Various factors, including donor-related factors, recipient-related factors, TAC nephrotoxicity, acute rejection, and urinary tract infection could all be associated with this condition.

Embryos of mouse, rabbit, goat, sheep, and cattle were separated into 2 groups on the basis of their morphology when incubated with a male-specific antibody (qualified here as the H-Y antibody) prepared from newborn rat testis. When morula-stage embryos were cultured in the presence of this H-Y antibody, the development of roughly one half of the embryos was arrested at that stage, whereas the other half continued to develop to the blastocyst stage. The developmentally arrested group of embryos resumed their development into blastocysts when cultured in antibody-free medium. Eighty to 90% of cattle embryos whose development was unaffected by the antibody were shown to possess a female karyotype (XX), and close to 80% of those embryos whose development was arrested possessed a male karyotype (XY). Cattle embryos whose sex had been presumptively identified by development in the presence of the H-Y antibody were cryopreserved and transferred, and the sex of the calves was examined. The overt sex of the young born from sexed embryos was found to be the same as that determined by chromosomal analysis.

A series of novel 2,7-disubstituted tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives were designed and synthesized. Among these derivatives, compounds 1 and 2 (JTV-803) exhibited potent inhibitory activity against FXa and good selectivity with respect to other serine proteases (thrombin, plasmin, and trypsin). In addition, compound 2 exhibited potent anti-FXa activity after intravenous and oral administration to cynomolgus monkey, and showed a dose-dependent antithrombotic effect in a rat model of venous thrombosis.