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The aetiology of ulcerative colitis is inadequately understood, and drug therapy has been empirical rather than based on sound understanding of disease aetiology. This has been a major factor for refractoriness and adverse drug effects as additional complications. However, ulcerative colitis by its very nature is exacerbated and perpetuated by inflammatory cytokines, which are released by peripheral granulocytes and monocytes as well. Additionally, active ulcerative colitis is often associated with elevated peripheral granulocytes and monocytes with activation behaviour and are found in vast numbers within the colonic mucosa. Hence, from the clinicopathologic viewpoint, granulocytes and monocytes are appropriate targets for therapy in ulcerative colitis. Based on this thinking, an Adacolumn has been developed for depleting excess granulocytes and monocytes by adsorption.By colonoscopy, biopsy and histology, we investigated the impact of granulocyte and monocyte adsorption (GMA) on the mucosal level of granulocytes and monocytes in patients with active ulcerative colitis. Forty-five patients (26 steroid naïve and 19 steroid-dependent), mean age 44.7 yr, were included. Twenty patients had total colitis and 25 had left-sided colitis. Each patient was given up to 11 GMA sessions over 12 weeks. No patient received additional medications within 4 weeks (steroid) to 8 weeks (other immunosuppressants) prior to entry or during the GMA course. Colonoscopy together with biopsy was done at entry and within 2 weeks after the last GMA session.At entry, the mean clinical activity index was 12.6; range 10-16. A total of 400 colonic biopsies were examined, which revealed massive infiltration of the colonic mucosa by granulocytes, and GMA was associated with striking reduction of granulocytes in the mucosa. At week 12, 33 of 45 patients (73.3%, P0.01) had achieved clinical remission (the mean clinical activity indexor= 4). Colonoscopy revealed that most non-responders had deep colonic ulcers and extensive loss of the mucosal tissue. The response rate in steroid naïve subgroup was 22 of 26 patients (84.6%, P0.005) and in steroid-dependent was 11 of 19 (57.9%, P0.05 and P=0.02154 for steroid naïve vs. steroid-dependent). Patients who achieved remission could continue with their salicylates. On average, remission was sustained for 7.8 months in all 33 responders.This is the first report showing a striking difference in clinical response to GMA between steroid naïve and steroid-dependent patients. Further, patients with deep colonic ulcers together with extensive loss of the mucosal tissue are not like to respond to GMA.

The infrared (IR) and Raman spectra of gaseous Si 2 F 6 have been measured in the spectral range from 150 to 4400 cm −1 and from 30 to 2000 cm −1 , respectively. We have found that the doubly degenerate antisymmetric vibrations are not only IR but also Raman active. The previously assigned D 3 d structure of the molecule is therefore questionable and other possible structures are discussed. The torsional frequency has been indirectly measured to be 38 cm −1 . Values for the harmonic force field constants have been obtained with the Wilson's F-G matrix method and compared with a previous calculation. Coriolis coupling constants, vibrational amplitudes and isotopic shifts have also been estimated.

The comminution process of brittle materials in a continuous impact mill with a screen is discussed. The process being considered to be promoted by impact stress of hammers or lining plates in the mill, the size distributions of products were calculated theoretically under the following assumptions: the equation given by Tanaka can be used to obtain the probability of fracture, the breakage function can be expressed by the form of the Gaudin-Schuhman equation, and the size distribution of particles in the mill is equal to that of the product. The calculated results agreed well in tendency with the experimental results obtained with Soma sand and Toyoura sand. It was found from the size distribution calculated that the product size distribution changed only slightly by varying feed size, open-size of the screen and opening area ratio of the screen when the mean residence time of particles was much larger than the time interval for collision of particles in the mill against the hammers and lining plates.