Abstract: The present invention provides a cesium-lithium-borate crystal, which can be used as a high-performance wavelength converting crystal, having a chemical composition expressed as CsLiB6O10, and substituted cesium-lithium-borate crystals expressed by the following formula: Cs1?xLi1?yMx+yB6O10 or Cs2(1?z)Li2LzB12O20 (where, M is an alkali metal element, and L is an alkali earth metal element); a method for manufacturing same by heating and melting; and an optical apparatus using such crystals.

Abstract: A method of forming a thin film on the surface of a substrate such as silicon, in which a gas cluster (which is a massive atomic or molecular group of a reactive substance taking the gaseous form at room temperature under atmospheric pressure) is formed and then ionized, and the cluster ions are then irradiated onto a substrate surface under an acceleration voltage to cause a reaction. It is possible to form a high quality ultra-thin film having a very smooth interface, without causing any damage to the substrate, even at room temperature.

Abstract: In order to deopsit a high-grade and extra-thin film without causing damage to the substrate at a relatively low temperature, the present invention provides a method for forming a cluster which is a lumpy group of atoms or molecules of a reactive substance at the room temperature under the atmospheric pressure, irradiating electrons onto clusters, irradiating the resulting cluster ions onto a substrate surface by accelerating by an acceleration voltage, and at the same time or alternately, irradiating one or more component gases of the deposit film onto the substrate surface, thereby depositing a thin film on the substrate surface through reaction.

Abstract: A method of forming a particle film on a surface of a solid or liquid substrate involves contacting the substrate, in the presence of a gas, with a liquid medium containing a plurality of particles suspended therein. A liquid meniscus is thereby formed between the substrate and the gas. An edge of the liquid meniscus is moved relative to the substrate, so that said particles in the liquid medium form the particle film on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a biologically active substance secreting hybrid gel, which consists essentially of a biopolymeric gel and cells containing an expression vector with a gene encoding the biologically active substance to produce the substance. According to the present invention, it is possible to develop a gene therapy by skin transplantation allowing stable drug medication for a long time; alleviating pains of patients; and allowing fine adjustment of the dosage and control of genes externally without using retrovirusderived vector that tend to invoke the risk of mutation to wild types as in the conventional prescription.

Abstract: A substrate is heated in a crystal growth vessel evacuated to a ultrahigh vacuum, and gases containing component elements of a crystal to be grown on the substrate are introduced into the vessel under predetermined conditions to cause successive epitaxial growth of single molecular layers, the number of growth cycles being automatically controlled. A mass analyzer is disposed opposite to the substrate in the vessel so that the progress of crystal growth can be incessantly traced and evaluated for each of the molecular layers. An etchant gas introduction nozzle extends into the vessel to make etching treatment of the surface of the substrate in the evacuated vessel prior to the crystal growth.

Abstract: The gene for autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder Spinal Muscular Atrophy has been mapped to a region of chromosome 5. The gene encodes a protein having homology with apoptosis inhibitor proteins of viruses so that the encoded protein has been labelled as a neuronal apoptosis inhibitor protein (NAIP). A deletion in the (NAIP) domain was identified in persons with Type I, II and III Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and not in the normal non-SMA population.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleic acid markers for rice blast resistance genes Pi-ta and Pi-ta2, which hybridize with any RFLP probes isolated from rice genomic DNA and are located within a distance of 2.0 cM from rice blast resistance genes Pi-ta or Pi-ta2. According to the present invention, it becomes possible to easily identify rice blast resistance genes and related genes from rice cultivars containing Pi-ta or Pi-ta2, thus promoting development and breeding of superior cultivars. It becomes also possible to easily carry out a resistance test of rice. This will open up way to create new resistance genes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cesium-lithium-borate crystal, which can be used as a high-performance wavelength converting crystal, having a chemical composition expressed as CsLiB6O10, and substituted cesium-lithium-borate crystals expressed by the following formula: Cs1−xLi1−yMx+yB6O10 or Cs2(1−z)Li2LzB12O20 (where, M is an alkali metal element, and L is an alkali earth metal element); a method for manufacturing same by heating and melting; and an optical apparatus using such crystals

Abstract: Particulates are trapped by laser beam and brought into contact with electrodes to electrochemically and spectroscopically measure the reaction process thereof.Precise measurement of the process of chemical reactions such as electrochemical and photochemical ones of a single particulate is made possible.

Abstract: An ultrafine Al particle consists of an Al multiply twinned particle. The Al multiply twinned particle has a decahedron structure surrounded by {111} planes. The Al multiply twinned decahedral particle has a diameter of 10 to 30 nm. Such an ultrafine Al particle consisting of the Al multiply twinned decahedral particle is obtained as follows. A metastable Al oxide particle is placed on an amorphous carbon substrate having the reduction effect. Then the electron beam is irradiated to the metastable Al oxide particle placed on the amorphous carbon substrate in the vacuum atmosphere. From the metastable Al oxide particle, Al atoms or Al clusters are emitted and adsorbed to the substrate. By adjusting the electron beam intensity so that the ultrafine Al particle in the above procedure has a diameter from 10 to 30 nm, the Al multiply twinned particle having a decahedron is obtained.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide an easy method for detecting a nucleic acid polymer in aqueous phase.The present invention provides a method for detecting the amount of nucleic acid polymer, which comprises the steps of modifying an intercalator to be amphiphilic by using a hydrophobic group, spreading the amphiphilic intercalator on an aqueous solution containing a nucleic acid polymer to form a monolayer of said nucleic acid polymer and said amphiphilic intercalator at the gas-water interface, and measuring surface pressures per unit area of said monolayer.

Abstract: The present invention provides liver parenchymal cells having a clonal growth ability, which possesses at least one of the cell biological properties such as: presence of peroxysome; being positive to hepatocyte-markers; being partially positive to neoplastic hepatocyte-markers or immature hepatocyte-markers; being positive to antibodies against the surface antigens of ovall cells; and being partially positive to bile duct cell-markers. The present invention also provides a method for obtaining such cells and a method for subculturing such cells.With the liver parenchymal cells above, it will be possible to research in detail the process of development and differentiation, the mechanisms of growth and functional expression of hepatic cells, and to open up a new way to clalification of mechanisms or hepatoma and various other diseases and to development of therapeutic method against these disseases.

Abstract: A magneto-impedance element includes an amorphous wire having a spiral magnetic anisotropy. A dc-biased alternating current is supplied to the amorphous wire, whereby a voltage is produced between both ends of the amorphous wire. The amplitude of the voltage varies asymmetrically with a variation in an externally applied magnetic field. The magneto-impedance element is compact, and has a high sensitivity and a high response speed.

Abstract: A chemically bonded olefin block copolymer consists essentially of chemically bonded polypropylene and poly(ethylene-co-propylene). The block copolymer is obtained by a process of (1) introducing a Ziegler polymerization catalyst based on titanium and propylene to a first polymerization zone (a) and polymerizing the propylene in the polymerization zone (a) for a period of 0.01 to 0.130 seconds and withdrawing an effluent stream of polypropylene, catalyst, solvent and unreacted propylene therefrom; (2) introducing the effluent stream to a second polymerization zone (b) together with ethylene dissolved in a solvent and carrying out a polymerization reaction in the second polymerization zone (b) for a period of 0.01 to 0.130 seconds; and (3) recovering the block copolymer.

Abstract: An insulated lattice is prepared with a plurality of lattice oriented atoms to create a substantially planar surface having a lattice arrangement. Any unsatisfied chemical bonds are terminated along the substantially planar surface by placing atoms at the site of the unsatisfied chemical bonds to terminate the unsatisfied chemical bonds and insulate the surface to form an insulated lattice platform. Atoms are placed at predetermined locations on the insulated lattice platform to form a first atomic chain which behaves as one of a conductor, a semiconductor and an insulator. A second chain of atoms is also placed at predetermined locations on the insulated lattice platform so that the second chain behaves as another of a conductor, a semiconductor and an insulator. These placements are made such that the second chain of atoms is electrically coupled to the first chain of atoms, and the second chain of atoms behaves differently than the first chain of atoms.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for culturing microorganisms or cells isolated from a multicellular organism while exposing the microorganism or cells to sound waves of 5 to 100 kHz. This procedure effects the proliferation and the expression of functions of the cells so exposed. An apparatus for culturing the cells according to this process is also disclosed.

Abstract: An onion-like graphite 2 is produced by irradiating an electron beam to an amorphous carbon 3 under an active aluminum nanoparticle 1. By further irradiating the electron beam to the onion-like graphite 2 to intercalate aluminum atoms constituting the aluminum nanoparticle 1 in a space between (001) plane and (002) plane of the onion-like graphite 2 having a layer structure, an intercalation compound 4 is produced. Or, after the aluminum nanoparticles were driven and disposed on the onion-like graphite by electron beam, or the like, by irradiating the electron beam to intercalate aluminum atoms in the space between the (001) plane and the (002) plane of the onion-like graphite having a layer structure, the intercalation compound is produced.

Abstract: An electroluminescence element provided with a luminescent layer sandwiched between two electrodes on an insulating substrate. The luminescent layer is composed of zinc sulfide with a fluoride or a luminescent center element added, wherein the X-ray diffraction spectrum thereof has only a single peak at an X-ray diffraction angle from the luminescent layer, ranging from 25.degree. to 30.degree. according to a thin film X-ray diffraction measurement method using Cu-Kd radiation, and no other peaks of the X-ray diffraction spectrum exist at an X-ray diffraction angle of 27.degree..

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously spot-welding galvanized steel sheets overlapped to be bonded by way of a spot welding machine having a pair of electrodes. The galvanized steel sheets clamp a resistance increasing material including a spacer to ensure a gap between the sheets. Bonding surfaces of the galvanized steel sheets partly contact each other when the pair of electrodes pressurize the galvanized steel sheets such that a part of the gap is retained around the spacer between the bonding surfaces. The retained gap has a size in which zinc melted or vapored when a weld current flows between the electrodes can escape through a weld section of the galvanized steel sheets to outside. The method comprises the step of recording an inter-electrode resistance for each spot when the continuous spot welding is executed by the pair of electrodes.