Abstract: A medium for Bacillus cereus group detection, which is favorable in growth of Bacillus cereus regardless of the temperature condition, and further is excellent in selectivity; and a method for detecting a Bacillus cereus group using the medium. The medium for Bacillus cereus group detection includes a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C substrate having a detectable chromogenic or fluorescent free radical; and trimethoprim. The medium further includes a ?-lactam antibiotic. The medium further includes an antifungal agent. The method for detecting further includes inoculating a sample into the medium to culture the sample; and determining a detectable colony on the medium.

Abstract: A medium containing (A) a chromogenic substance which develops a color when decomposed by ?-glucosidase or a fluorogenic substance which develops a fluorescence when decomposed by ?-glucosidase; (B) a chromogenic substance which develops a color when decomposed by phosphatidyl inositol-specific phospholipase C or a fluorogenic substance which develops a fluorescence when decomposed by phosphatidyl inositol-specific phospholipase C; and (C) a sugar that is useful for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes and/or Listeria ivanovii.

Abstract: An approach for collecting microorganism cells may be simple and highly efficient. A method for collecting cells of one or more microorganisms selected from gram-positive bacteria (excluding mycoplasma), gram-negative bacteria, and fungi in a specimen, may include adding one or more proteins selected from albumin, casein, hydrolyzed casein, milk protein, and gelatin to the specimen; and collecting a resulting flocculate.

Abstract: Provided is means for detecting Listeria monocytogenes and/or Listeria ivanovii in a simple and specific manner. A culture medium for detection of Listeria monocytogenes and/or Listeria ivanovii, provided containing the following components (A), (B), and (C): (A) a chromogenic substance which develops a color when decomposed by ?-glucosidase or a fluorogenic substance which develops a fluorescence when decomposed by ?-glucosidase; (B) a chromogenic substance which develops a color when decomposed by phosphatidyl inositol-specific phospholipase C or a fluorogenic substance which develops a fluorescence when decomposed by phosphatidyl inositol-specific phospholipase C; and (C) a sugar.

Abstract: A testing device is provided which is able to distribute a liquid sample to a plurality of reaction sections by a simple operation without using a tip dispenser, and also achieves individually independent reaction systems without causing reaction sections to be in communication with each other due to a liquid sample. The testing device has a transparent molded body which includes: a storage chamber for injecting/holding a liquid sample; a reaction chamber for causing a reaction of the sample; a receiving chamber for sucking and receiving the sample, with the storage chamber and the reaction chamber being in communication with each other via a distributing flow path, and the reaction chamber and the receiving chamber being in communication with each other via a sucking flow path; and a liquid reservoir between the reaction chamber and the receiving chamber.

Abstract: A microchip, which is used in a diagnostic system using a microfluid system, has a flow path capable of greatly improving the reaction efficiency and realizing a stable measurement with high reproducibility. The microchip has two substrates with at least a flow path 12 formed at the interface between the two substrates, the flow path 12 having a reaction area 14 and a detection area 15 downstream of the reaction area 14, and the flow path 12 at the detection area 15 having a depth which is deeper than the flow path 12 in the reaction area 14.

Abstract: A testing device is provided which is able to distribute a liquid sample to a plurality of reaction sections by a simple operation without using a tip dispenser, and also achieves individually independent reaction systems without causing reaction sections to be in communication with each other due to a liquid sample. The testing device has a transparent molded body which includes: a storage chamber for injecting/holding a liquid sample; a reaction chamber for causing a reaction of the sample; a receiving chamber for sucking and receiving the sample, with the storage chamber and the reaction chamber being in communication with each other via a distributing flow path, and the reaction chamber and the receiving chamber being in communication with each other via a sucking flow path; and a liquid reservoir between the reaction chamber and the receiving chamber.

Abstract: In cases of poor reaction efficiency with the antibody due to inadequate number of epitopes or steric hindrance caused by epitopes being close to each other, this invention provides a direct method of efficiently measuring antigen in a given specimen without the need of pretreating it. Two types of monoclonal antibodies that recognize different epitopes are individually sensitized on separate latex. The specimen and one latex sensitized monoclonal antibody reagent are reacted to produce a reaction solution which is then reacted with the other latex sensitized monoclonal antibody reagent. The antigen can thus be directly measured in an efficient and highly sensitive way without pretreating it.

Abstract: The invention provides an analytical device insusceptible to inactivation or other influences even when exposed to a thermal load or organic compounds contained in an adhesive in the process for manufacturing the same and, more over, allowing an immunological substance or the like to be readily immobilized at a site in the microchannel passage therein. The analytical kit is a combination of the analytical device and a reagent or reagents. The analytical device used in the analytical kit comprises a passage 2, 1 ?m-5mm width and 1 ?m-750 ?m depth in cross-section formed therein and belongs to the category of the so-called microfluidic systems suited for analyzing very small amounts of liquid samples; thus, it is suited for analyzing biological substances.

Abstract: Cyclic peptides comprising, as a constituent chain or chains, one or two amino acid sequences selected from the groups consisting of the amino acid sequence Glu-Ala-Asp-Asp-Arg and the amino acid sequence Ser-Gln-Lys-Glu-Gly, and AIDS vaccines containing the cyclic peptide as an active ingredient. Preferably a cyclic dodecapeptide represented by the formula given below and an AIDS vaccine containing the cyclic dodecapeptide as an active ingredient. From the in vivo absorption and antibody formation viewpoint, active groups selected from among the carboxyl, amino and hydroxyl groups contained in the cyclic peptide is preferably bound to substituent groups.

Abstract: Polynucleotides which are produced by preadipocytes within 12 hours from the start of adipocyte differentiation induction and comprise a base sequence identical or at least 93% homologous to SEQ ID NO:1, or a base sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:9, or polynucleotides complementary to those polynucleotides, and proteins comprising an amino acid sequence identical or at least 96% homologous to the protein shown under SEQ ID NO:2 or comprising the amino acid sequence shown under SEQ ID NO:10 are provided.

Abstract: Cyclic peptides which comprise, as a constituent chain or chains thereof, one or two amino acid sequences selected from the amino acid sequence Asn-Val-Ser-Glu-Ala-Asp-Asp-Arg-Tyr-Ile and the amino acid sequence Arg-Ser-Gln-Lys-Glu-Gly-Leu-His-Tyr-Thr, and AIDS vaccines containing at least one of the cyclic peptides as an active ingredient. From the in vivo absorption and antibody expression viewpoint, a substituent group is preferably bound to at least one active group selected from among the carboxyl, amino and hydroxyl groups contained in the cyclic peptides. The cyclic peptides can neutralize the second receptors which the HIV-1 virus utiliizes in the infection of humans therewith.

Abstract: A housing for an immunochromatography apparatus capable of detecting the concentration of an analyte contained in a sample even if it is relatively low in concentration is provided. In the housing 1 of immunochromatography apparatus having an observation window 5, the observation window 5 of the housing 1 is made of a colored transparent plastic material having a transmittance of at least 20%, preferably at least 40%, so that a detection line displayed on a developing strip 2 contained therewithin can be seen therethrough, the other portion of the housing than the observation window 5 is made of a colored transparent plastic material having a transmittance of at least 12%, and the observation window 5 and the housing 1 are simultaneously and integrally molded out of the same plastic material.

Abstract: A simple culture medium produced by impregnating a fibrous water-absorbent sheet with a suspension formed by suspending in an alcohol (a) an adhesive (0.01-0.4 wt. %) which is soluble in both water and alcohol, (b) a gelling agent which is soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol, and (c) a bacterial nutritive ingredient, the fibrous water-absorbent sheet having a mesh larger than the particle size of the gelling agent and being placed on a waterproof flat plate, and by drying the resultant sheet while suppressing rapid evaporation of the alcohol, to thereby cause the water-absorbent sheet to adhere onto the waterproof flat plate; and a method for producing the medium.

Abstract: Provided are a monoclonal antibody making it possible to detect a native fibrin monomer, which is produced at the initial state of blood coagulation, and soluble fibrin; a hybridoma; and an immunoassay for detecting the initial stage of blood coagulation with high sensitivity, quickly, using the monoclonal antibody. Using a fibrinogen analog in blood as an immune source, cell fusion is carried out to prepare a monoclonal antibody which is not reactive with fibrinogen and is specifically and simultaneously reactive with a native fibrin monomer (that is, a fibrin monomer which is present in a body fluid, in particular in blood, and is not solubilized) and soluble fibrin. The fibrin monomer analog is preferably fibrinogen treated with bathroxobin, which is a snake venom.

Abstract: Providing an assay method capable of simultaneously determining the presence or absence of one or more species of biological substances or assaying the amounts thereof with a single assay device, a kit therefor and an assay device thereof.

Abstract: An anti-HIV agent, an anti-HIV effect-potentiating agent and a prophylactic and remedial agent for AIDS each comprising, as an active ingredient, a vitamin B.sub.1 derivative such as thiamine disulfide, bisbentiamine, bisbutytiamine, bisibutiamine, alitiamine, fursultiamine or octotiamine, or the salt thereof.The agents according to the present invention are useful for prophylaxis of and treatment for AIDS because they have a very preferable nature that they inhibit the growth of HIV without killing cells against primarily infected cells, but exhibit both cell-killing effect and HIV-killing effect at the same time against persistent-production cells which have come to persistently produce HIV.

Abstract: The assay reagent and kit of the present invention suppress non-specific binding of a labeled substance onto a solid phase, and can assay one or more species of antibodies or one or more species of antigens by means of a single reagent in a simple manner. The assay method involves reacting immunological ligands in a test sample with the assay reagent which contains a combination of components (A) and (B), thereby forming complexes, which complexes are captured onto the independently and separately present Solid phases (C), to assay the label contained in the complexes.

Abstract: An immunoagglutination reagent includes liposomes, as a carrier, with a covalently bound antigen or antibody immobilized thereon. The reagent is used to assay an antibody or an antigen on the basis of agglutination. The assaying can be done at a high sensitivity in the short wave region where the change in turbidity caused by the agglutination is enhanced. An antibody or an antigen is immobilized onto the surface of the liposome, and a water-soluble polymer compound or a gelled compound is entrapped in the liposomes. The substance entrapped in the immunoagglutination reagent enhances the change in turbidity via the agglutination caused by the antigen-antibody reaction.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a quantitative determination of pyruvic acid, which comprises reacting oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and coenzyme A to a specimen and measuring the amount of the resulting reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. A quantitative analysis for a component of a living body, in which the quantitative determination is used, is also disclosed. Pyruvic acid or other components existing in a living body or formed in the course of a reaction in the living body can be quantitatively determined simply and precisely.