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OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of onabotulinumtoxinA (botulinum toxin type A) 100 U in patients with overactive bladder and urinary incontinence. METHODS This was a phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Japanese patients who were inadequately managed with overactive bladder medications (anticholinergics and/or β3 -adrenergic receptor agonists). Eligible patients were randomized 1:1 to receive a single dose of either onabotulinumtoxinA or placebo into the detrusor muscle (n = 124 each). The primary end-point was the change in the number of daily urinary incontinence episodes at week 12 from baseline. Secondary end-points included volume voided per micturition, other symptomatic measures (urinary urgency incontinence, micturition, urgency and nocturia) and patient-reported outcomes. RESULTS In the onabotulinumtoxinA group, there was a significantly greater decrease from baseline in the mean number of daily urinary incontinence episodes compared with the placebo group (2.16; P

Bowel habits affect the quality of life (QOL) of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders. This study evaluated the effects of reduced form coenzyme Q 10 (ubiquinol) intake on defecation frequency and stool form in patients with daily abdominal symptoms. This was a single-center, prospective, double-blind, randomized control study. Forty-one patients who had the daily symptom of constipation or diarrhea were randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to receive either ubiquinol (150 mg/day) or placebo for 12 weeks. Patients completed a daily diary to collect information regarding their numbers of defecations and stool forms according to the Bristol Stool Form (BSF) Scale for 7 days at baseline and 12 weeks. QOL was assessed using the 36-item short-form (SF-36) at baseline and 12 weeks. Twenty-one patients were assigned to the ubiquinol group, and 20 were assigned to the placebo group. At 12 weeks, the mean defecation frequency, compared to baseline, significantly decreased in the ubiquinol group (-0.1 times/day, P = .034) and increased in the placebo group (+0.3 times/day, P = .004). There was no significant change in the 12-week BSF Scale score of the ubiquinol group (+0.2, P = .123), whereas that of the placebo group was increased (+0.5, P .001). The 12-week general health perception SF-36 score was significantly increased in the ubiquinol group (+3.5, P = .045), whereas there was no significant difference in that score in the placebo group (+1.2, P = .178). In conclusion, taking ubiquinol for 12 weeks decreased defecation frequencies and increased the QOL score, suggesting that ubiquinol may change the bowel habits and improve QOL in patients with abdominal distress.

Purpose To evaluate the capability of inspiratory/expiratory Xe-enhanced ADCT for assessment of changes in pulmonary function and regional ventilation of surgically treated NSCLC patients. Method and materials Forty consecutive surgically treated NSCLC patients underwent pre- and postoperative inspiratory/expiratory Xe-enhanced ADCT and pulmonary function tests. For each patient, pre- and post-operative data were analyzed and pre- and post-operative wash-in (WI) and wash-out (WO) indexes and ventilation ratio (VR=[WI-WO]/WI) maps generated by means of pixel-by-pixel analyses. Differences between pre- and postoperative WI (ΔWI), WO (ΔWO) and VR (ΔVR) were also determined. To determine the relationship between all ventilation index changes and pulmonary functional loss, Pearson’s correlation was used to correlate each ventilation index change with the corresponding pulmonary functional parameter change. In addition, stepwise regression analysis was performed for all ventilation index changes and each corresponding pulmonary functional parameter change. Results FEV1/FVC% change showed fair or good and significant correlations with ΔWI (r = 0.39, p = 0.01) and ΔVR (r = 0.68, p = 0.001), %FEV1 change good or moderate and significant correlations with ΔWI (r = 0.56, p = 0.0001) and ΔVR (r = 0.76, p Conclusion Inspiratory/expiratory Xe-enhanced ADCT has the potential to demonstrate that pre- and postoperative ventilation status of surgically treated NSCLC patients correlates with pulmonary function.

The applicability of a simplified procedure, namely mode‐adaptive bidirectional pushover analysis (MABPA), to the prediction of the non‐linear peak response of a multistory asymmetric building subjected to bidirectional excitation is discussed. The first part of the paper summarizes the formulation of 2 independent equivalent single‐degree‐of‐freedom models representing the first and second modal responses. The relationship between the critical assumptions of MABPA and the torsional index defined based on mode shape is then discussed. In the latter part of the paper, non‐linear time‐history analyses of 4‐story torsionally stiff (TS) or torsionally flexible asymmetric buildings are described, and the results are compared with the predictions. The results show that MABPA predicts the peak response displacement of only the TS asymmetric buildings satisfactorily. Therefore, MABPA should be considered applicable only to TS buildings. The applicability of MABPA to a given asymmetric building may be evaluated by using the torsional indices of the first 3 modes.

In this article, the applicability of mode-adaptive bidirectional pushover analysis (MABPA) to base-isolated irregular buildings was evaluated. The point of the updated MABPA is that the peaks of the first and second modal responses are predicted considering the energy balance during a half cycle of the structural response. In the numerical examples, the main building of the former Uto City Hall, which was severely damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, was investigated as a case study for the retrofitting of an irregular reinforced concrete building using the base-isolation technique. The comparisons between the predicted peak response by MABPA and nonlinear time-history analysis results showed that the peak relative displacement can be properly predicted by MABPA. The results also showed that the performance of the retrofitted building models was satisfactory for the ground motion considered in this study, including the recorded motions in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake.

This study aimed to determine age-related differences in thermoregulatory and cardiovascular responses to a wide range of gradual ambient temperature (Ta) changes. Morphologically matched normotensive elderly and young males participated. The participants wearing only shorts rested during the 3-h experiment. After 30 min of baseline at 28 °C, Ta increased linearly to 43 °C in 30 min (warming) and then gradually decreased to 13 °C in 60 min (cooling). Ta was rewarmed to 28 °C in 30 min (rewarming), and that temperature was maintained for an additional 30 min (second baseline). During the warming phase, there were no age-related differences in blood pressure (BP) and rectal temperature (Tre), despite a significantly lower cutaneous vascular conductance and heart rate in the elderly (P

The clinical results of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at the left main trunk (LMT) remain unclear, especially in cases requiring percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS). Twenty seven cases of AMI at the LMT requiring emergent PCPS were retrospectively investigated. These 27 patients were aged 44-83 years (65.6 ± 8.6 years) and 20 (81.5%) were men. Peak creatine kinase (CK) leakage ranged from 538 to 34,010 IU/l (13,553 ± 7656 IU/l). Eight (29.6%) patients were discharged without mechanical support. Ten (37.0%) patients underwent left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, five of whom with preoperative organ failure could not survive more than 6 months after implantation. The other nine (33.3%) patients died of low output syndrome or brain damage. The overall survival rates were 53.7, 41.3, 33.0, and 28.3% at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that Killip class 3/4 at hospital arrival was an independent risk factor for hospital mortality (odds ratio 20.4). Patients with more than 5 days of PCPS support period (n = 6), ≥ 4 h to revascularization (n = 6) or maximum CK leakage ≥20,000 IU/dl (n = 3) were not associated with successful PCPS or IABP weaning. The long-term clinical outcomes of patients with LMT disease requiring PCPS is devastating. Rapid cardiopulmonary resuscitation and coronary revascularization and timely insertion of LVAD before the onset of complications might lead to better survival.

It is very unfortunate that there are some errors in the nonlinear analysis program used for this published article [...]

The seismic capacity of the main Uto City Hall building, which was severely damaged by the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, was evaluated by the proposed pushover-based procedure. In this procedure, the seismic capacity index of the building is defined as the maximum scaling factor of the seismic input, for which the local responses do not exceed their limit values. From the pushover analysis result, the displacement limit of the equivalent single-degree-of-freedom model was determined. Then, the seismic capacity index was evaluated using an equivalent linearization technique. The evaluated index was re-evaluated by considering the bidirectional excitation. The pushover analysis result revealed that the torsional response is significant in the nonlinear behavior of this building. The evaluated seismic capacity implied that some structural damages, including the yielding of the beam-column joint, may have occurred during the first earthquake on 14 April 2016.

When conducting seismic assessment of an asymmetric building, it is essential to carry out three dimensional analysis considering all the possible directions of seismic input. For this purpose, the author proposed a simplified procedure is to predict the largest peak seismic response of an asymmetric building subjected to horizontal bidirectional ground motion acting in an arbitrary angle of incidence in previous study. This simplified procedure has been applied to torsionally stiff (TS) asymmetric buildings with regular elevation. However, the suitability of this procedure to estimate the peak response of an asymmetric building with vertical irregularity, such as an asymmetric building with setback, has not been assessed. In this article, the pushover-based simplified procedure is applied to estimate the peak response of asymmetric buildings with bidirectional setback. Nonlinear dynamic (time-history) analysis of two six-storey asymmetric buildings with bidirectional setback and designed according to strong-column weak beam concept is carried out considering various directions of seismic input, and the results compared with those estimated by the proposed method. The largest peak displacement estimated by the simplified method agrees well with the envelope of the dynamic analysis response. The suitability assessment of the simplified procedure to analysed building models is made as well based on pushover analysis results.

The evaluation of the maximum and cumulative response is an important issue for the seismic design of new base-isolated buildings. This study predicts the maximum and cumulative response of a 14-story reinforced concrete base-isolated building using a set of pushover analyses. In the proposed pushover analysis method, the maximum and cumulative responses of the first and higher modes are evaluated from the nonlinear analysis of equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) models. Then, the maximum local responses are predicted by enveloping the two pushover analysis results by referring to the contribution of the first and higher modal responses, while the cumulative strain energies of the lead-rubber bearings and steel dampers are predicted from the cumulative response of the first mode. The results reveal that the responses predicted by the proposed set of pushover analyses have satisfactory accuracy.

Despite their enhanced marketplace visibility, validity of wearable photoplethysmographic heart rate monitoring is scarce. Forty-seven healthy participants performed seven, 6-min exercise bouts and completed a valid skin type scale. Participants wore an Omron HR500U (OHR) and a Mio Alpha (MA), two commercial wearable photoplethysmographic heart rate monitors. Data were compared to a Polar RS800CX (PRS). Means and error were calculated between devices using minutes 2–5. Compared to PRS, MA data was significantly different in walking, biking (2.41 ± 3.99 bpm and 3.26 ± 11.38 bpm, p

[Purpose] This study examined how exercise capacity and the oxidative stress regulation system are affected by different amounts of dietary Ubiquinol (reduced form of coenzyme Q10, H2CoQ10: QH) over the long term. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-three senescence-accelerated mouse P1 (SAMP1) mice were randomly divided into two groups: one consuming a relatively high amount of QH (300 mg/kg; Group A) and the other a relatively low amount (30 mg/kg, Group B). Food and tap water were provided ad libitum. Both groups were made to run on a treadmill until exhaustion, and total running duration was measured. For the oxidative stress regulation system, the d-ROM test value (degree of oxidative stress) and BAP test value (antioxidant potential) were measured in a resting state, and then the BAP/d-ROM ratio (B/R ratio) was calculated. The values of plasma QH and plasma ubiquinone (plasma oxidized form of CoQ10) were also measured, and the reduced ratio was calculated. Measurements were taken 3 times: at the start of the study when the animals were 39 weeks old (baseline), after consumption of QH for 7 months (7 mo), and after consumption of QH for 10 months (10 mo). [Results] The senescence score at 10 mo was significantly lower in Group A. Comparison of the mean percentage change in running time showed a difference of 15.1% between the 2 groups. At 10 mo, the d-ROM test value was significantly increased and the B/R ratio was significantly decreased in Group B. Significant increases in the plasma QH value and reduced ratio were seen in Group A. [Conclusion] Group A showed a greater decrease in the d-ROM test and increase in the reduced ratio than Group B. Thus, a dose-dependent effect of QH consumption was demonstrated.

A simplified procedure is proposed to predict the largest peak seismic response of an asymmetric building to horizontal bi-directional ground motion, acting at an arbitrary angle of incidence. The main characteristics of the proposed procedure is as follows. (1) The properties of two independent equivalent single-degree-of-freedom models are determined according to the principal direction of the first modal response in each nonlinear stage, rather than according to the fixed axis based on the mode shape in the elastic stage; the principal direction of the first modal response in each nonlinear stage is determined based on pushover analysis results. (2) The bi-directional horizontal seismic input is simulated as identical spectra of the two horizontal components, and the contribution of each modal response is directly estimated based on the unidirectional response in the principal direction of each. (3) The drift demand at each frame is determined based on four pushover analyses considering the combination of bi-directional excitations. In the numerical example, nonlinear time-history analyses of six four-story torsionally stiff (TS) asymmetric buildings are carried out considering various directions of seismic inputs, and these results are compared with the predicted results. The results show that the proposed procedure satisfactorily predicts the largest peak response displacement at the flexible-side frame of a TS asymmetric building.

In this study the “reduced response spectrum” is introduced for the prediction of the “average” response of all possible angle of incidence, and the “average” peak seismic response of an asymmetric building under horizontal bi-directional ground motion, acting at an arbitrary angle of incidence, is predicted based on the procedure proposed in Fujii (Bull Earthq Eng 12:909–938, 2014). In this study, the following two definitions of the “reduced response spectrum” are examined; (A) the geometric mean spectrum of the horizontal major and minor components, and (B) the square root of the average of squares spectrum from all possible angle of incidence. In the numerical example, nonlinear time-history analyses of a four-storey torsionally stiff asymmetric building are carried out considering the various directions of seismic inputs, and these results are compared with the predicted results. The results show that the predicted “average” peak response displacement for the flexible-side frame satisfactorily agrees with the average of the time-history analyses results, either definition of the “reduced response spectrum”.

It is essential to carry out three-dimensional analyses considering all possible directions of seismic input, when conducting seismic assessment of an asymmetric building. For this purpose, the author has proposed a simplified procedure to predict the largest peak seismic response of an asymmetric building subjected to horizontal bi-directional ground motion acting at an arbitrary angle of incidence. In the proposed simplified procedure, the largest peak response is predicted from the response of two independent equivalent single-degree-of-freedom models representing the first and second modes and combination of pushover analyses. However, it is unclear which conditions an asymmetric building should satisfy for the applicability of the proposed procedure. In this study, a torsional index is defined based on each mode shape, and the applicability of the proposed procedure is discussed based on the torsional index. The advantages of the proposed torsional index are as follows: (a) it is related to the effective (equivalent) modal mass ratio which represents the contribution of each modal response to the whole response, and (b) it is easily extended for an multi-storey asymmetric building, and (c) there is the clear relationship between torsional indices of two different modes and the angle between the principal directions of two modes. The numerical results show that the proposed simplified procedure is at least applicable to torsionally stiff systems for both orthogonal directions, while it is questionable for torsionally flexible systems.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) mainly involves large-sized arteries, while microscopic polyangiitis (mPA), characterized by pauci-immune necrotizing vasculitis, mainly affects small-sized vessels. We report a very rare concomitant case of GCA diagnosed by temporal artery biopsy and mPA with a high titer of myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody, exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia, and suspected rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. The patient died by sudden rupture of the gastroepiploic artery (medium-sized vessel), which may have been triggered by GCA and/or mPA.

A 17-year-old woman was previously diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) by liver biopsy. Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) was subsequently diagnosed on the basis of high fever, arthralgia, erythema, leukocytosis (>80% granulocytes), cervical lymph node swelling, splenomegaly, and hyperferritinemia. Her symptoms and liver dysfunction improved with prednisolone of 60 mg daily and subsequently methotrexate was added. However her symptoms and liver dysfunction relapsed when prednisolone was tapered to 20 mg/day. Therefore infliximab was introduced additionally and her symptoms and liver dysfunction subsided. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of AOSD with AIH diagnosed by liver biopsy.

[Purpose] The effects of exercise and food consumption on the oxidative stress regulation system were studied using 45 male ICR mice. [Subjects and Methods] The mice were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (CO group) and a group consuming a reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (H2CoQ10: QH) (QH group). Both groups were made to run on a treadmill for animals (TM) twice and the changes in their running time were measured. For the oxidative stress regulation system, plasma oxidative stresses (d-ROM test) and plasma anti-oxidant potential (BAP test) were measured before and after treadmill running with analytical equipment for reactive oxygen and free radicals, and then the BAP/d-ROM ratio was calculated. [Results] The measurements and calculations showed a significant increase in the running time of the QH group. With respect to the oxidative stress regulation system, no significant change was observed in the BAP/d-ROM ratio. [Conclusion] These results showed that a single consumption of QH produced an effect on exercise, but had no effect on the oxidative stress regulation system.

The present article focuses on a nonlinear static procedure (NSP) for a multi-story asymmetric frame building with regular elevation subjected to bi-directional ground motion. In this procedure, two simplified models—an equivalent single-story model and an equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model—are used to predict the peak response of multi-story asymmetric buildings. The peak response is predicted through pushover analysis of an equivalent single-story model considering the effect of bi-directional excitations and an estimation of the nonlinear response of equivalent SDOF models. The predicted results are compared with the nonlinear dynamic analysis results, and satisfactory predictions can be obtained by the proposed procedure.

Noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) has been used for the detection of early ischemic change (EIC); however, correct interpretation of NCCT findings requires much clinical experience. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of time maximum intensity projection computed tomography technique (tMIP), which reflects the maximum value for the time phase direction from the dynamic volume data for each projected plane, for detection of EIC, against that of NCCT. Retrospective review of NCCT, cerebral blood volume in CT perfusion (CTP-CBV), and tMIP of 186 lesions from 280 regions evaluated by Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) in 14 patients with acute middle cerebral artery stroke who had undergone whole-brain CTP using 320-row area detector CT was performed. Four radiologists reviewed EIC on NCCT, CTP-CBV, and tMIP in each ASPECTS region at onset using the continuous certainty factor method. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to compare the relative performance for detection of EIC. The correlations were evaluated. tMIP-color showed the best discriminative value for detection of EIC. There were significant differences in the area under the curve for NCCT and tMIP-color, CTP-CBV (P

In this paper, a simplified seismic assessment procedure for asymmetric frame building considering the critical direction of seismic input at each nonlinear stage is proposed. In this procedure, the critical direction of seismic input which produces the maximum response at flexible side frame is assumed to coincide with the principal direction of the first modal response, which is evaluated based on pushover analyses results at each nonlinear stage, and the peak response of flexible side frame at each seismic intensity is estimated based on equivalent linearization technique. The results show that the upper bound of peak responses at flexible-side frame by given seismic intensity and arbitrary direction of seismic input can be predicted by the results obtained from proposed procedure.

A seismic response control design procedure of reinforced concrete multi-story asymmetric building using visco-elastic dampers is proposed in this paper. In this procedure, the size of dampers are determined based on equivalent linearization technique and using two idealized model, equivalent single-story model and equivalent SDOF model. The applicability of the proposed procedure is examined through nonlinear time-history analyses of four-story asymmetric frame building models. The results show that the peak story drift of building models with dampers are within the target story drift.

This paper introduces an analytical method to calculate the stiffness of crossed roller bearings. Load distribution analysis of rollers considering combined radial, axial and moment load makes it possible to apply to three dimensional elastic deformation problems. From equilibrium conditions on forces and Hertz contact theory, relational equations are derived. Solving these non-linear equations numerically with Newton-Raphson method, load distribution and inner ring displacement with fixed outer ring are obtained. Also experiment has been conducted to estimate a discrepancy between the analytical and experimental results. Experimental displacement of inner ring is confirmed to be almost coincident with theoretical one under radial load but smaller than theoretical one by about 20% in the case of axial and moment load. On the other hand the difference between the theoretical and experimental stiffness at higher load is found to be almost the same.

Window setting is a very important technique in CT examinations. However, most beginner technologists have difficulty in setting the optimal window. Now, thanks to technical progress, it is easy to obtain a great many CT images. On the other hand, it is impossible to provide the optimal window setting for all images. Therefore, our purpose is to offer optimal CT images for every patient by using the automatic window-level and width-setting system. As a result of this experiment, there was a considerable difference in window setting by an expert technologist and that by a beginner technologist. With our system, we were able always to obtain an optimal window setting, such as that set by an expert technologist, regardless of the CT experience of the radiological technologist. We think that this system will be effective in observing animated examinations even if film is no longer used in the future.

A study on life distribution and reliability for a roller guide with cage type is carried out with total number of 90 test samples of two lots (Ns=38 and 52) and fatigue life distribution functions, such as two and three parameters Weibull distribution and log-normal distribution, are used for discussion. The basic dynamic load rating formula standardized by ISO in 2004 is also compared with the life test data in relation to the effect of crownings of carriage raceway end portions. As a result, (1) the best fit for the life test series is obtained by 3-parameter Weibull distribution introduced a minimum life as a third parameter, having Weibull slope m=27/20 and load life exponent p=10/3, followed by the log-normal distribution as second, and 2-parameter Weibull distribution as the third. (2) The 2-parameter Weibull distribution with Weibull slope m=9/8 as used in ISO linear bearing standard dose not fit with the experimental results. (3) The fatigue failures of roller guide is initiated near the crowning start points of carriage raceway both end portions, and almost 70% of test specimen are uneven and inclined contact situations of rollers. (4) The basic dynamic load ratings between theory and life test result fit well each other, and λbm factors are also fallen into suitable value range.

We report a case of a ruptured aneurysm in a patient in her 90's who was treated by coil embolization and returned to her independent life after discharge. A 95-year-old woman with a diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) of Hunt & Kosnik Grade II was treated by coil embolization, ventricular drainage, and a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. The ventricular drainage was assembled as a closed system using a newly developed one-way ball valve to regulate the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) outflow. With this system the patient was able to assume any posture and perform any movement she wished. The patient was freed from the physical constraint involved in conventional ventricular drainage. Early rehabilitation during the ventricular drainage would be useful to prevent pneumonia and muscle atrophy.

Thermal analysis plays an important role in the structural design of atmospheric reentry vehicles, which are subjected to severe aerodynamic heating. It is sometimes difficult to assess the design safety margin because of uncertainties in the predicted heat flux and the material properties used in the thermal analyses. However, probabilistic techniques allow the effects of uncertainties to be analyzed, and the present study demonstrates the probabilistic thermal analysis of the PARTT reentry vehicle using the Monte Carlo technique to investigate the probabilistic temperature responses. The temperature responses were found to depend significantly on time and location, and reliability was predicted at all locations. The peak temperature of the vehicle's main structure was found to be strongly correlated with heat shield temperature, and analysis of the contributions of random parameters showed that heat flux and heat shield emissivity significantly affect the peak temperature. These results indicate that the thermal design of the heat shield shell is very important for the whole structure. It is expected that such information will provide good insight for the design of a reentry vehicle's structure.

The safety profile of Coenzyme Q10 (Kaneka Q10) at high doses for healthy subjects was assessed in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Kaneka Q10 in capsule form was taken for 4 weeks at doses of 300, 600, and 900 mg/day by a total of eighty-eight adult volunteers. No serious adverse events were observed in any group. Adverse events were reported in 16 volunteers with placebo, in 12 volunteers with the 300 mg dose, in 20 volunteers with the 600 mg, dose and in 16 volunteers with the 900 mg dose. The most commonly reported events included common cold symptoms and gastrointestinal effects such as abdominal pain and soft feces. These events exhibited no dose-dependency and were judged to have no relationship to Kaneka Q10. Changes observed in hematology, blood biochemistry, and urinalysis were not dose-related and were judged not to be clinically significant. The plasma CoQ10 concentration after 8-month withdrawal was almost the same as that before administration. These findings showed that Kaneka Q10 was well-tolerated and safe for healthy adults at intake of up to 900 mg/day.

The SAMP1 strain is a mouse model for accelerated senescence and severe senile amyloidosis. We determined whether supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) could decelerate aging in SAMP1 mice and its potential role in aging. Plasma concentrations of CoQ10 and CoQ9 decreased with age in SAMP1 but not in SAMR1 mice. Supplementation with reduced CoQ10 (CoQH2, 250 mg/kg/day) for one week increased plasma CoQ10 concentrations, with an accompanying decrease in plasma CoQ9 concentrations. In two series of experiments, lifelong supplementation with CoQH2 decreased the senescence grading scores from 10 to 14 months, 7 to 15 months, and at 17 months of age. The body weight of female mice increased from 2 to 10 months of age versus controls in the second series of experiments. Lifelong CoQH2 supplementation did not prolong or shorten the lifespan, nor did it alter the murine senile amyloid (AApoAII) deposition rate or cancer incidence. In the second series of experiments, urinary levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine did not change with age or long-term supplementation with CoQH2. Urinary levels of acrolein (ACR)-lysine adduct increased significantly with age in SAMP1 mice; however, CoQH2 had no effect. Thus, lifelong dietary supplementation with CoQH2 decreased the degree of senescence in middle-aged SAMP1 mice.

A research center in JAXA has recently started research on reusable launch vehicles according to its plan placing emphasis on advanced launch technology. It is planned to demonstrate key technologies using a rocket-powered winged vehicle, and concept studies on the flight demonstrator have been conducted. This paper describes the present research plan and introduces the most compact vehicle concept among some versions under consideration.