Abstract: A mucosal absorption-enhancing agent is provided that enables oral, nasal or pulmonary administration of peptide drugs whose administration route has heretofore been limited to the injections due to their poor absorption from the mucosa. Specifically, the mucosal absorption of peptide drugs via intestinal, pulmonary or nasal route can be enhanced by allowing the peptide drugs with the C-terminal fragment (C-CPE) of an enterotoxin (CPE) produced by the bacterium Clostridium perfringens of the genus Clostridium, in particular with the C-CPE or its mutants resulting from the substitution and/or deletion of one or several amino acid residues of the C-CPE to act thereon. The composition for mucosal administration of the present invention significantly enhances absorption of peptide drugs, such as human parathyroid hormone hPTH(1-34), human ghrelin and human motilin, through the mucosa of small intestine, lung, nasal cavity and other mucosa.

Abstract: An effective liquid preparation achieves high bioavailability (BA) of physiologically active peptides or proteins, including ghrelins, that are administered as drugs. Also provided is a method for improving the BA of physiologically active peptides or proteins, including ghrelins, that are subcutaneously injected in aqueous solutions. The liquid preparation contains: a physiologically active peptide or protein, such as ghrelins, as an active ingredient; an acid solution including one or a combination of two or more selected form the group consisting of acetic acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid, glycine, citric acid, hydrochloric acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, benzoic acid and salts thereof; an alcohol; and a polar organic liquid including one or a combination of two or more selected from the group consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide and methylparaben.

Abstract: An effective liquid preparation achieves high bioavailability (BA) of physiologically active peptides or proteins, including ghrelins, that are administered as drugs. Also provided is a method for improving the BA of physiologically active peptides or proteins, including ghrelins, that are subcutaneously injected in aqueous solutions. The liquid preparation contains: a physiologically active peptide or protein, such as ghrelins, as an active ingredient; an acid solution including one or a combination of two or more selected form the group consisting of acetic acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid, glycine, citric acid, hydrochloric acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, benzoic acid and salts thereof; an alcohol; and a polar organic liquid including one or a combination of two or more selected from the group consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide and methylparaben.

Abstract: A process for hot working a continuous-cast bloom or a steel ingot, the process comprising the steps of: (1) cooling a bloom produced by continuous casting or a steel ingot produced with a mold to bring the surface temperature thereof to 50.degree. to 150.degree. C. higher than the Ar.sub.3 transformation point thereof; (2) quenching the bloom or the steel ingot in such a way that its interior remains red hot while the surface is transformed to have a bainite structure; and (3) heating the bloom or the steel ingot in a furnace followed by hot shaping.

Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a controlled object including controlled elements comprises a host processor, a plurality of slave modules and a communication network for providing communication between the host processor and the slave modules. The host processor interprets a control program to generate commands for the controlled elements in response to demands send from the slave modules. These commands are sent via the communication network to the respective slave modules. Each slave module is allotted to a controlled element and has a processor which interprets and executes the commands for its allotted controlled element and generates a demand upon finishing the execution of a command. This demand is sent via the communication network to the host processor and causes the next command to be generated.

Abstract: A PWM inverter includes a plurality of arms connected in parallel with a d.c. power source. Each arm is constituted by an upper arm and a lower arm each having a switching element. A plurality of switching control signals are continuously and alternately applied to one and the other of the two switching elements constituting the same arm respectively. In the PWM inverter, shunt resistors are connected between a minus terminal of the d.c. power source and the lower arms respectively. The PWM inverter further comprises a waveform command generating circuit generating commands representative of current waveforms to be supplied to a load, a carrier wave generating circuit and sample-hold circuits. Each of the sample-hold circuits samples and holds a terminal voltage of the associated shunt resistor in synchronism with the period of the carrier wave generated from the carrier wave generating circuit and at specific timing in a conduction period of the associated switching element.