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Background 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is widely used as a first-line treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC), but intolerance sometimes occurs. 5-ASA-intolerance was considered a risk factor for colectomy in UC patients, but no reports have examined which treatment is suitable to avoid colectomy in 5-ASA-intolerant UC patients. This is the first report describing a treatment strategy for 5-ASA-intolerant UC. The aims of this study were to determine the optimal therapeutic strategy in 5-ASA-intolerant UC patients. Methods This retrospective cohort study involved patients who were newly diagnosed as having UC after January 2010 and who received oral 5-ASA agents. Patients were considered 5-ASA-intolerant when they fulfilled two or more of the following conditions: (1) paradoxical aggravation of colitis on introducing oral 5-ASA agents or allergic reactions to the agents; (2) obvious improvement of abdominal symptoms after discontinuation of 5-ASA agents; (3) positive drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test (DLST) for at least two formulations of 5-ASA; (4) adverse events following re-challenge with 5-ASA agents; and (5) severe adverse events owing to 5-ASA agents. Results Of 950 UC patients with a history of 5-ASA administration, 213 (22.4%) were considered 5-ASA-intolerant. Five-year colectomy-free survival was significantly lower in 5-ASA-intolerant patients compared with 5-ASA-tolerant patients (73% vs. 84%, respectively). From the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis in the 5-ASA-intolerant patient cohort, thiopurine use was shown to contribute to avoidance of colectomy in 5-ASA-intolerant patients (hazard ratio = 0.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.13–0.47; P < 0.001); however, 5-ASA-intolerant patients were also likely to be thiopurine-intolerant compared with 5-ASA-tolerant patients (27% vs. 15%, respectively; P = 0.04). Calcineurin inhibitor use was associated with an increased risk of colectomy (hazard ratio = 4.80; 95% confidence interval, 2.24–10.3; P < 0.001), while treatment with systemic corticosteroids and biologics did not affect the colectomy rate (hazard ratio = 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.60–1.91; P = 0.81). Conclusion Treatment with thiopurines demonstrated the potential to improve the prognosis in 5-ASA-intolerant patients. However, it should be noted that thiopurine intolerance was more frequent in 5-ASA-intolerant patients. Compared to biologics, calcineurin inhibitors may not contribute to avoidance of colectomy, and biologics may be preferred for intractable patients with 5-ASA intolerance. This is the first report describing a treatment strategy for 5-ASA-intolerant UC, and we believe it will have many implications in clinical practice.

We used Raman micro-spectroscopy technique to analyze the molecular changes associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells in the form of frozen tissue. Previously, Raman micro-spectroscopy technique on human tissue was mainly based on spectral analysis, but we worked on imaging of molecular structure. In this study, we evaluated the distribution of four components at the cell level (about 10 μm) to describe the changes in protein and molecular structures of protein belonging to malignant tissue. We analyzed ten oral SCC samples of five patients without special pretreatments of the use of formaldehyde. We obtained cell level images of the oral SCC cells at various components (peak at 935 cm−1: proline and valine, 1004 cm−1: phenylalanine, 1223 cm−1: nucleic acids, and 1650 cm−1: amide I). These mapping images of SCC cells showed the distribution of nucleic acids in the nuclear areas, meanwhile, proline and valine, phenylalanine, and amide I were detected in the cytoplasm areas of the SCC cells. Furthermore, the peak of amide I in the cancer area shifts to the higher wavenumber side, which indicates the α-helix component may decrease in its relative amounts of protein in the β-sheet or random coil conformation. Imaging of SCC cells with Raman micro-spectroscopy technique indicated that such a new observation of cancer cells is useful for analyzing the detailed distribution of various molecular conformation within SCC cells.

Introduction The previous reports according to sexual activity of aged woman is limited. Sexual activity of aged women would be related to QOL of them. Recently, sexual dysfunction of aged women recognized as Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD). Objective To clarify the sexual activity of aged Japanese women, sexual activity of the female patients who visited a female urological outpatient clinic was investigated. Methods Between June 2010 and August 2018, 404 aged female patients who visit our female urological outpatient clinic and answered the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) were enrolled in this study. The main chief complaint of these patients was pelvic organ prolapse. Self-reported data of KHQ, question number 5a and 5b which ask the patients about the relationship between urine voiding and sexual activity were reviewed retrospectively. Associations between sexual activity (as reported in the questionnaire) and patients’ background, partners status, and change of sexual activity after treatment for pelvic organ prolapse were analyzed. Results The mean age of the patients was 71.0 years, with 80.9% in their 60s and 70s. Sexual intercourse was practiced by 19.7% (n = 77) of all patients with 40.0% in their under 50s, 27.9% in their under 60s, 15.2% in their 70s, and 0% in their 80s. 31.2% (n = 119/381) of patients had their partners. Among the patients with a partner, the percentage who practiced sexual intercourse was 58.0% of all patients with 65.4% and 55.6% of women in their 60s and 70s, respectively. Among the patients who had sexual intercourse, 64.9% had chief complains of pelvic organ prolapse. 71% of patients who had sexual intercourse received surgery and 91% of them was tension-free vaginal mesh (TVM). After the surgery 63.8% of patients continued sexual activity. Conclusion A patient survey revealed the sexual activity of a Japanese older female population who visited a urological outpatient clinic with the chief complaint of pelvic organ prolapse. Disclosure Work supported by industry: no.

Introduction 5α-reduced inhibitors (5ARIs) are usually administered to patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, however, whether 5ARIs affect sexual function remains a controversial issue for both patients and urologists. Objective In this study, we evaluated the impact of dutasteride treatment for erectile function in patients with once-negative prostate biopsy and benign prostate hyperplasia. Methods 81 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia were enrolled in a one-arm prospective study. They were administrated 0.5 mg/day of dutasteride for 12 months. Patient characteristics, change of IPSS and IIEF-15 scores at baseline and 12 months after dutasteride administration were examined. Results The mean ± SD age of the patients was 69.4 ± 4.9 years and the prostate volume was 56.6 ± 21.3 mL, respectively. The mean ± SD prostate volume and PSA levels were decreased 25.0% and 50.9%, respectively, after 12 months of dutasteride administration. IPSS total, voiding subscore, storage subscore, and QOL score significantly improved after 12 months of dutasteride administration. No significant change was observed in any of the IIEF scores after 12 months. There was no decrease in EF severity. Conclusion Twelve months administration of dutasteride for patients with BPH improved urinary function and did not increase the risk of sexual dysfunction. Disclosure Work supported by industry: no.

Sialoliths are a common occurrence in salivary glands. Here, we report a case of a giant submandibular gland sialolith in a patient presented with dysphagia as the only symptom. The sialolith measured 24 mm in length and weighed 4.7 g. A preoperative computed tomography scan revealed displacement of the hyoid bone at rest position on the non-affected side. The right submandibular gland that contained the sialolith was extirpated under general anesthesia, following which, the symptoms of dysphagia were resolved. However, no improvement in displacement was noted postoperatively. Dysphagia may have occurred due to disturbances in hyoid bone movements caused by the large sialolith. The absence of any changes in the position of the displaced bone at rest after removal of the sialolith may be attributed to the fixation of the bone in the underlying tissues due to the long-term existence of the sialolith.

Summary Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the standard medical approach to the management of prostate cancer. Patients switched from a GnRH antagonist to a GnRH agonist, did not experience a testosterone surge in spite of the occurrence of luteinizing hormone (LH) surge in our protocol of clinical study. To clarify this observation, male mice pre-treated with two different doses of the GnRH antagonist degarelix for 28 days were further administered the GnRH agonist leuprolide or chorionic gonadotropin, and testosterone production of the mice was studied. Serum LH and testosterone levels, the size of Leydig cells, and expression level of steroidogenesis-related genes in the testis were analyzed. Treatment of mice with a high dose of degarelix (0.1 μg/mouse; HDG), but not a low dose (0.05 μg/mouse; LDG), for 28 days reproduced declined steroidogenesis observed in prostate cancer patients during ADT switched from a GnRH antagonist to a GnRH agonist. The size of the Leydig cells in the HDG mice was not significantly different from that in naive mice. Although expression levels of StAR, P450scc, and 17β HSD increased significantly in the LDH testis, those in the HDG testis did not change. Treatment of mice with a high dose of degarelix for 28 days reproduced the decline in steroidogenesis observed in prostate cancer patients during ADT. In this animal model, we demonstrated that initial ADT may inhibit the ability of Leydig cells to produce testosterone by suppressing the expression of genes involved in steroidogenesis, such as StAR, P450scc, and 17βHSD.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the dosimetric aspects of whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) using an irregular surface compensator (ISC) in contrast to conventional radiotherapy techniques.MethodsTreatment plans were devised for 20 patients. The Eclipse treatment planning system (Varian Medical Systems) was used for dose calculation. For the ISC, a fluence editor application was used to extend the range of optimal fluence. The treatment plan with the ISC was compared with the conventional technique in terms of doses in the planning target volume (PTV), dose homogeneity index (DHI), three-dimensional (3D) maximum dose, eye and lens doses and monitor unit (MU) counts required for treatment.ResultsCompared with conventional WBRT, the ISC significantly reduced the DHI, 3D maximum dose and volumes receiving 105% of the prescription dose, in addition to reducing both eye and lens doses (ppConclusionThe ISC technique for WBRT considerably improved the dose homogeneity in the PTV. As patients who receive WBRT have improved survival, the long-term side effects of radiotherapy are highly important.

Irritation fibromas are recognized as fibrous lesions, usually reactive hyperplasias; however, the mechanism of enlargement is unclear. This paper reports on an abnormally large irritation fibroma of extremely gradual growth. The immunohistochemical features (CD34, α-SMA, vimentin, Ki-67, and TGF-α) of this irritation fibroma are presented to distinguish reactive hyperplasia from other true fibrous neoplasm diseases. In the only previous study, it was reported that the expression of TGF-α might be associated with the development of oral fibromas. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between this exceptionally-large fibrous lesion of extremely slow growth and the immunohistochemical reactivity of TGF-α, finding that, in contrast to the previous study, TGF-α was not expressed. This is the first study to evaluate the enlargement mechanism of such a large irritation fibroma using the approach of immunohistochemical analysis, and it indicates that such analysis can help elucidate the diverse causes and enlargement mechanisms of irritation fibromas.

The BaSO4 scales obtained from piping decontamination from oil and gas industries are most often classified as low level radioactive waste. These wastes could be immobilised by stable cement matrix to provide higher safety of handling, transportation, storage and disposal. However, the information available for the effects of the basic formulation such as waste loading on the fundamental properties is still limited. The present study investigated the effect of BaSO4 loading and water content on the properties of OPC–BaSO4 systems containing fine BaSO4 powder and coarse granules. The BaSO4 with different particle size had a marked effect on the compressive strength due to their different effects on hydration products formed. Introduction of fine BaSO4 powder resulted in an increased formation of CaCO3 in the system, which significantly contributed to the compressive strength of the products. Amount of water was important to control the CaCO3 formation, and water to cement ratio of 0.53 was found to be a good level to maintain a low porosity of the products both for fine BaSO4 powder and coarse BaSO4 granule. BaSO4 loading of up to 60 wt% has been achieved satisfying the minimum compressive strength of 5 MPa required for the radioactive wasteforms.

Tunneling measurements of the electron spectrum in the superconducting state have been carried out in Y 2 C 3 samples with the bulk (resistive and diamagnetic) critical temperature T c = 15–16 K. A break-junction technique was crucial to find the intrinsic gap features. The representative gap structure at 4 K reveals distinct BCS-like peaks with the gap value of 2 Δ (4 K) = 3–4 meV. Assuming local T c values of 10–13 K, the characteristic gap to T c ratio 2 Δ / k B T c ( k B is the Boltzmann constant) was found to possess the BCS weak-coupling value 3.5 ± 0.2, appropriate to isotropic s -wave superconductors.

In this study, carbon based nanomaterials such as onion-like carbon (OLC), carbon nanotube and buckminsterfullerene (or buckyball) (C60) have been investigated as nanocolloidal additives for liquid lubricants. When tested under a range of contact pressures from 0·51 to 1·10 GPa, OLC provided the best overall friction reducing property in synthetic lubricant, although the friction reducing properties of all nanocarbon materials were dependent on the contact pressure. Detailed transmission electron microscopy revealed that the OLC kept its original structure intact and induced the formation during sliding of a thin ‘tribofilm’ composed of OLC, nanosized wear debris, amorphous carbon and graphitic layers on the wear debris. This tribofilm seems to be responsible for reduced friction under boundary conditions.

This paper presents a combination system of wind energy conversion and hydrogen production. Hydrogen is expected as an alternative energy source in the future, and this is the best way to produce it from renewable energy like wind energy. On the other hand, the output of a wind generator, in general, fluctuates greatly due to wind speed variations, and thus the output fluctuations can have a serious influence on the power system operation. In the proposed system, a variable speed wind generator is adopted, and an electrolyzer is installed in parallel with it for hydrogen production. Output power from the wind generator is smoothed and supplied to the power system as well as to the electrolyzer based on the cooperative control method. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated by simulation analyses, in which simulations are performed by using PSCAD/EMTDC.

The gap between Japan and both the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) with regard to access to new drugs is becoming a major issue in Japan. We analyzed the time lags involved in new drug application (NDA) and biological license application submissions in Japan, the US, and the EU in order to identify the causes of delayed access. The time lag related to submission of applications ("submission lag") was longer for in-licensed products and for non-Japanese companies. Factors related to costs of clinical studies and potential volumes of sales were not associated with the submission lag. A bridging strategy (extrapolative use of foreign clinical data in the clinical data package based on International Conference on Harmonisation guideline E5) seemed to reduce submission lag, but the association between the two diminished when the cause-and-effect relationship was specifically investigated. These results suggest that multinational companies are likely to place more emphasis on the choice of development strategies that successfully lead to their goal rather than on direct costs and expected sales when deciding to introduce their pharmaceutical products in Japan. Our findings indicate that the clinical development guidances that helps pharmaceutical companies decide on investment and strategies are also the key to narrowing the gap in access to new drugs.

The problem of skill-level-dependent modulation in the joint dynamics of multi-joint arm movements is addressed in this study using piano keystroke performed by expert and novice piano players. Using the measured kinematic and key-force data, the time varying net, gravitational, motion-dependent interaction (INT), key-reaction (REA), and muscular (MUS) torques at the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and metacarpophalangeal (MP) joints were computed using inverse dynamics techniques. INTs generated at the elbow and wrist joints, but not those at the MP joint, were greater for the experts as compared with the novices. REA at the MP joint, but not at the other joints, was less for the experts as compared with the novices. The MUSs at the MP, wrist, and elbow joints were smaller, and that at the shoulder joint was larger for the experts as compared with the novices. The experts also had a lesser inter-strike variability of key striking force and key descending velocity as compared with the novices. These findings indicated that the relationship among the INT, REA, and MUS occurring at the joints of the upper-extremity differed between the expert and novice piano players, suggesting that the organization of multi-joint arm movement is modulated by long-term motor training toward facilitating both physiological efficiency and movement accuracy.

Sialoliths, a cause of the salivary gland infection, are reported to be composed of inorganic and organic substances. However, the precise mechanism of sialolith formation remains unclear. The purpose of this report is to elucidate this mechanism by analyzing the precise distribution of phosphate (an inorganic substance) and amide III (an organic substance) in sialoliths by using Raman microspectroscopy. Sialoliths from the submandibular gland duct were analyzed by this form of observation and by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDX). In Raman microspectroscopy we analyzed the spectral peak of the phosphate (PO4 3− ) symmetric stretching vibrational mode (u1) at 960 cm −1 and that of amide III at 1265 cm −1 to demonstrate the mapping of an image of these elements showing a semiquantitative distribution of phosphate and amide III in the sialoliths. It was found that phosphate and amide III were concentrated at the center of the sialoliths, and the phosphate distribution in the sialoliths showed concentric laminations. These results indicated the possibility that the sialoliths originated from a nidus of organic materials and progressively grew by the deposition of layers of organic and inorganic materials. Copyright  2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

We employed Raman microspectroscopy to measure the Raman spectra of phosphate in sound and carious tooth substance. The peak intensity at 960 cm−1 of the phosphate (PO43−) symmetric stretching vibrational mode (υ1) in sound enamel was stronger than that of sound dentin, which indicated that sound enamel contained more phosphate than sound dentin. Furthermore, the element analysis of phosphate in sound teeth substance, measured using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDX), gave similar results to those of the Raman measurement. In addition, the border between sound enamel and dentin was clearly demonstrated by mapping the image of the Raman spectrum of phosphate. The mapping image of phosphate in the carious enamel region revealed a heterogeneous low Raman spectrum intensity of phosphate in the area surrounding carious enamel; this finding indicates that phosphate had dissolved from the tooth substance in such areas. In contrast with the decrease in the Raman spectrum intensity of phosphate, the intensity of amide I increased mainly in the low-phosphate area. Although it remains very difficult to clinically identify the accurate border between sound and carious tooth substance, this distinction may be enabled by using the Raman spectrum of carious tooth substance. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

We have succeeded in synthesizing a new member of ternary silicide NaAlSi with a superconducting transition temperature T c−onset = 7 K by high pressure technique. The crystal structure of NaAlSi is the layered diamond-like structure with a space group of P 4/ nmm (no. 129, Z = 3) and without inversion symmetry. The superconducting properties in NaAlSi have been investigated by means of DC and AC magnetic susceptibility measurements. These magnetic responses indicate that NaAlSi belongs to a conventional type-II superconductor with a Ginzbrug–Landau parameter κ = 13.8. From the band structure calculations, we found that the hole band of Si p- and electron Al s-orbitals play an important role for the superconductivity in this system.

We have investigated the orbital evolution of planetesimals perturbed by the Galactic tide using analytical expressions. We consider the vertical component of the tidal force from the Galactic disk. The Galactic tide increases or decreases the perihelia and randomizes the inclination of planetesimals with large aphelion distances. We applied the analytical solutions to the orbital evolution of planetesimals that form the Oort Cloud from the planetesimal disk. Due to the Galactic tide, some planetesimals with small angular momentum show substantial inverse variations of the eccentricity and inclination. Also, some planetesimals show libration of the argument of perihelion ω around ω = 90° or 270° (the Lidov-Kozai mechanism). The planetesimals that gain perihelion distances great enough to leave the planetary region become members of the Oort Cloud. We find that due to the Galactic tide, planetesimals with semimajor axes 1000 AU increase their perihelion distances outside the planetary region (100 AU), and planetesimals with semimajor axes 20,000 AU spread their inclinations to the Galactic plane (the Galactic inclinations) over the range 0°-90° in 5 Gyr. We also consider the effect of a dense Galactic environment on the Oort Cloud formation and discuss the comet clouds for other planetary systems with different Galactic inclinations.

Au-Al intermetallic compounds (IMC) grow laterally (Al-rich phases) in a Fickian fashion with an activation energy of 1.0 eV, but vertical IMC thickness (Au-rich phases) grows functionally as a power law on time with a sub-Fickian exponent of 1/4, which is substantially smaller than what would be expected for bulk lattice diffusion (1/2). We conclude from the IMC thickness time exponent that an Au-rich IMC growth process is limited by grain boundary diffusion. The best bond lifetime was seen for an intermediate-thickness Al film. The activation energy and lifetime for Au-rich phase growth are each a strong function of wire impurity concentrations. We find that bond lifetime varies roughly as the square root of Pd, Cu, Pt, and As concentrations, but lifetime is not a function of Be, Ca, Fe, or Cr concentration. We find a mixture of and Au on the Al-rich side of the failing interface.

BackgroundThe mode of onset and the course of schizophrenia illness exhibit substantial individual variations. Previous studies have pointed out that the mode of onset affects the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and clinical outcomes, such as cognitive and social functioning. This study attempted to clarify the association between the DUP and clinical features, taking the different modes of onset into consideration, in a prospective longitudinal study examining patients with first-episode schizophrenia.MethodsThis study was conducted in six areas of Japan. Patients with first-episode schizophrenia were followed for over 18 months. Cognitive function, psychopathology, and social functioning were assessed at baseline and at 6, 12, and 18-month follow-up points.ResultsWe identified 168 patients and sufficient information was available to determine the DUP and the mode of onset for 156 patients (92.9%): 79 had an acute onset, and 77 had an insidious onset. The DUP was significantly associated with quality of life (QOL), social functioning, and cognitive function at most of the follow-up points in the insidious-onset group. The DUP and negative symptoms at baseline were significant predictors of cognitive function at the 18-month follow-up in the insidious-onset group.ConclusionsThe present results further support the hypothesis that the DUP affects QOL, social functioning, and cognitive function over the course of illness, especially in patients with an insidious onset. Effective strategies for detecting and caring for individuals with insidious onset early during the course of schizophrenia will be essential for achieving a full patient recovery.

The in-cylinder flow, spray dynamics, air-spray interaction, and fuel vapour distribution have been characterized in a motorcycle five-valve gasoline engine in terms of their effect on performance and emissions. A five-valve single-cylinder optical engine was employed which operated at speeds up to 3000 r/min in the close spacing configuration, with an early induction injection strategy using a centrally mounted swirl pressure atomizer. Particle image velocimetry, spray imaging in a spray chamber and in the engine, and planar laser-induced fluorescence revealed the importance of a strong and ordered in-cylinder flow for the efficient distribution of the liquid fuel throughout the cylinder volume and its complete evaporation prior to combustion, especially in the relatively low speed regime investigated. Furthermore, in the absence of a large-scale vortex structure during compression, incomplete mixing may still occur, resulting in mixture inhomogeneities and flow instability. Consequently, in contrast to port fuel injected engines, where good mixing could be achieved at high revolution rates, even with an unstructured flow, in direct injection engines an ordered flow structure is a prerequisite for efficient combustion and low exhaust emissions.

The matrix and heat affected zone (HAZ) of welded SUS304 steel has been irradiated in an 1250 kV high voltage electron microscope at 673 K to 5.4 dpa (displacements per atom) to study the effect of electron irradiation on microstructure. In situ observation shows the voids formed by electron-beam irradiation coalescence which grew to larger sizes with irradiation dose. Values of void size, void number density and void swelling in HAZ were larger than those of the matrix, and these increased and saturated gradually with irradiation dose. Non-equilibrium segregation phenomenon involving Cr depletion and Ni enrichment at grain boundaries were also observed in both the HAZ and matrix of welded SUS304 steel.

The water cooled shield blanket made of Type 316L SS for the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) has potential issues related to stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Shroud mock-ups and boat samples taken from the core shroud of the boiling water reactor (BWR) with SCC were investigated from the viewpoint of microstructures and nano-hardness. Fine grains and deformation bands were observed in the hardened surface thin layers of the shroud mock-up, where hardness profiles in the ground portion was different from those in the milled portion. In the fine grain region, crevices were found only in the ground surface. In the core shroud, hardened surface regions were also found. Results showed that the crevices found on the ground surface could be one possible factor for SCC initiation.

This is a case report of chylous ascites caused by performing para-aortic lymph node dissection for a patient with cervical cancer. Postoperative chylous ascites is a rare condition that usually develops as a result of operative trauma to the thoracic duct, cisterna chyli, or their major tributaries. It has mainly occurred in thoracic operations, and chylous ascites has rarely been reported in gynecologic surgery. It is associated with serious nutritional and immunologic consequences due to the constant loss of protein and lymphocytes. Treatment that comprises conservative and surgical procedures is selected based on disease severity. We experienced massive chylous ascites after para-aortic surgery and successfully managed it conservatively with dietary intervention and parenteral nutrition.

This report describes a 37-year-old man with 3 erupted supernumerary teeth in the maxilla and 6 impacted supernumerary teeth in the mandible, 2 of which were fused (a double tooth and a triple tooth).

This note considers the swinging up of a cart-pendulum system with viscous friction by energy control. An experimental result indicates that a complete swinging up of the pendulum cannot be achieved by the control strategy of Lozano et al. when the effects of the friction are not negligible. It is shown that the performance is improved when a slight modification is introduced to the control algorithm by cancellation of the friction term in the closed-loop equation of the pendulum. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is demonstrated experimentally.

We investigated the dynamical evolution of Centaurs moving in the region of the giant planets. Perturbations from four major planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) were included. We have found that 2000QC 2 4 3 is trapped in a 5:4 mean motion resonance with Uranus and 2001XZ 2 5 5 is also locked in a 4:3 resonance. Both Centaurs are moving between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus. They leave the resonances after a few hundred thousand years. Some other Centaurs (10199 Chariklo and 1994TA) also show the resonant character. Their orbital elements (except for Chariklo) are not well determined. However, the region between Saturn and Uranus may play the role of a temporary reservoir for Centaurs.

We perform numerical simulations to investigate the apsidal motion in the planetary systems, v Andromedae, HD 12661 and 55 Cancri. The first two systems are in symmetric apsidal librations about 0° and 180° respectively, and the last appears to be in an asymmetric Δω-libration. We underline that the apsidal librations do play a significant role in maintaining the stability of the planetary systems.

We perform numerical simulations to explore the dynamical evolution of the HD 82943 planetary system. By simulating diverse planetary configurations, we find two mechanisms of stabilizing the system: the 2:1 mean motion resonance between the two planets can act as the first mechanism for all stable orbits. The second mechanism is a dynamical antialignment of the apsidal lines of the orbiting planets, which implies that the difference of the periastron longitudes $\theta_{3}$ librates about $180^{\circ}$ in the simulations. We also use a semi-analytical model to explain the numerical results for the system under study.

Sakuranetin (compound 1) from bark of Prunus jamasakura showed a suppressive effect on umu gene expression of SOS response in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 against the mutagen furylfuramide. Gene expression was suppressed 83% at a concentration of 0.70 μmol/mL. The ID50 value of compound 1 was 0.30 μmol/mL. This compound showed the suppression of 4NQO, MNNG, Trp-P-1, AfB1, activated Trp-P-1, and UV irradiation-induced SOS response. The methylated derivative (compound 2) of compound 1 showed less suppressive effect against all mutagens than compound 1. The antimutagenic activities of compounds 1 and 2 against furylfuramide, Trp-P-1, and activated Trp-P-1 were assayed by the Ames test using the S. typhimurium TA100 strain.