Abstract: The object of the present invention is to develop a technique for expressing a functional membrane-bound protein by using baculovirus and insect cell expression system. The present invention provides a method for expressing a functional membrane-bound receptor protein which comprises steps of culturing a host infected with at least one type of recombinant baculovirus which contains a gene encoding an interacting protein and a gene encoding a membrane-bound receptor protein which interacts with said interacting protein to perform its function, and co-expressing said interacting protein and said membrane-bound receptor protein in a budded baculovirus released from said host.

Abstract: The object is to isolate and identify human and mouse adiponectin receptors, to provide a novel protein having adiponectin binding ability, and to provide a screening method and screening kit for a ligand, agonist and antagonist to an adiponectin receptor using such protein. To achieve this object, a protein is used, as novel protein having adiponectin binding ability, that is (a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence according to Seq. No. 2, 4, 6 or 8, or (b) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence according to Seq. No. 2, 4, 6 or 8 with one or more amino acids deleted, replaced or added, and having adiponectin binding ability.

Abstract: In the present invention, a method for automatically setting a routing table is provided with the following steps. (1) authenticating consistency of priority for each entry contained in the routing table in the event that there is a change in the table within the node; (2) updating entry(ies) where priority(ies) is(are) to be made high to maintain consistency with high priority(ies); (3) holding old information for a fixed period of time for entry(ies) where the priority becomes low in order to maintain consistency; and (4) acquiring consistency for the priority(ies) after a fixed time has elapsed. The automatic setting method can also be further provided with the following step: (5) before a fixed period of time elapses, sending a routing table that has acquired priority consistency to other nodes in the event that the routing information for the node has been referenced from other nodes. This step can also be executed using a separate step from the processing of the step (3).

Abstract: Gene expression data obtained from a DNA chip or a like chip are analyzed more precisely using a process that includes a sorting/pick-up processing unit that sorts the data values of the obtained array data and picks up a predetermined number of data values from the sorted data values, each at a predetermined interval from each other, a background candidate calculation unit 32 that selects a plurality of background candidates, the values of the background candidates are subtracted from the data values that are picked up, and the subtracted values that are obtained are subjected to a logarithmic conversion, and a difference calculation/comparison processing unit that calculates normal distribution standard values corresponding to the logarithmic values, and calculates indexes of differences between the logarithmic values and the standard values for each of the background candidates.

Abstract: A novel compound and novel gelatinous substance which have high absorbability, uniform expansion, and elasticity. Although conventional gels include chemical gels and physical gels, no novel gels or compounds have been realized which have fracture resistance, high entropic elasticity, and biodegradability. The present invention provides a novel compound and a novel gelatinous substance which each comprises a crosslinked polyrotaxane obtained by chemically bonding two or more polyrotaxane molecules through the cyclic molecules or rotators thereof.

Abstract: Verification of properness of a modeling theory of an uncrystallized substance or an image processing method is made easy. There includes: a first displaying unit 120 for rotationally displaying an simulated three-dimensionally shaded model image, which is a shaded image of the three-dimensional reconstruction image; and a second displaying unit 140 for displaying the three-dimensional image of the substance acquired by experimental structural analysis, which synchronously rotates with the simulated three-dimensionally shaded model image.

Abstract: The object is to isolate and identify human and mouse adiponectin receptors, to provide a novel protein having adiponectin binding ability, and to provide a screening method and screening kit for a ligand, agonist and antagonist to an adiponectin receptor using such protein. To achieve this object, a protein is used, as novel protein having adiponectin binding ability, that is (a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence according to Seq. No. 2, 4, 6 or 8, or (b) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence according to Seq. No. 2, 4, 6 or 8 with one or more amino acids deleted, replaced or added, and having adiponectin binding ability.

Abstract: Calcineurin (CN)-binding regions in the N-terminal domain derived from NF-ATx is disclosed. Also disclosed are CN-binding polypeptide compositions, DNA segments encoding these polypeptides, and methods of use. The CN-binding polypeptides bind to CN, suppressing the interaction between NF-AT and CN. The CN-binding polypeptide compositions can be used for treating pharmacological intervention with Ca2+-dependent signaling events. The CN-binding polypeptide or DNA segments encoding them can be used to assay and screen candidates of pharmaceuticals, in particular, in the evaluation and characterization of immunosuppressants specifically interfering with the interaction between NF-AT and CN.

Abstract: A technique for controlling membrane denaturation reactions other than physical shear force was developed. For example, the present invention provides, a method for causing membrane disruption at a specific site by reacting a stimulus such as light with a compound that is activated by the stimulus, where the reaction occurs on a membrane such as a biomembrane. It also provides a membrane structure such as cells in which a specific site has been disrupted, which are obtained by the present method. Introduction of substances such as genes also became possible by using this membrane structure. Further provided is a membrane-destroying member for disrupting a membrane at a specific site. Thus, the present invention enabled, for example, easy membrane penetration using components constituting microelectrodes, micromanipulators, and microinjectors, which were conventionally hardly usable in penetrating cell membranes.

Abstract: The in vivo siRNA expression system according to this invention is a system that intracellularly expresses small interfering (si) RNAs and comprises antisense and sense code DNAs coding for antisense and sense RNAs targeting any region of a target gene mRNA and one or more promoters that function to express the antisense and sense RNAs from the antisense and sense code DNAs, respectively.

Abstract: An asynchronous digital system, an asynchronous data path circuit, an asynchronous digital signal processing circuit and an asynchronous digital signal processing method, which enables improved processing speed while maintaining high reliability are provided by dividing the overall chip into blocks with a specified area, forming the connection between the blocks by applying thereto a delay insensitive (Dl) model or a quasi delay insensitive (QDI) model, while forming each block by applying thereto a scalable delay insensitive (SDI) model.

Abstract: The present invention provides a suction and injection pump capable of transferring a sufficient amount of viscous liquid even with a very thin suction and injection pipe, thereby enabling suction or injection of a viscous liquid while minimizing invasion into a human body. A pump according to the present invention effectively sucks or injects a viscous liquid by housing a very thin rotor in a cylindrical needle and positively transferring the liquid based on the mechanical configuration of the rotor. The configuration of the present invention reduces the diameter of a pipe while minimizing invasion into a human body.

Abstract: A sketching interface for quickly and easily designing freeform models such as stuffed animals and other rotund objects. The user draws several 2D freeform strokes interactively on the screen and the system automatically constructs plausible 3D polygonal surfaces. The system supports several modeling operations, including the operation to construct a 3D polygonal surface from a 2D silhouette drawn by the user: it inflates the region surrounded by the silhouette making wide areas fat, and narrow areas thin. The system is implemented as a Java(tm) program, and the mesh construction is done in real-time on a standard PC. An informal user study showed that a first-time user typically masters the operations within 10 minutes, and can construct interesting 3D models within minutes.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically measuring minute membrane potential, based on a technique developed for controlling a membrane denaturation reaction without using a physical shearing force, for example, a method of causing the destruction of membrane at a limited portion of a living membrane by making a stimulus, such as light and a compound activated by the stimulus react with each other in a membrane, such as a living membrane, this method being applied to a minute electrode to facilitate the insertion thereof into a cell, which has been difficult in the use of a minute metal electrode, and enable membrane potential in a cell to be measured easily, the minute metal electrode enabling the integration thereof and the development of a neural interface in the barrier-free technology.

Abstract: A novel protein having the activity to suppress proliferation of lympho-hematopoietic cells derived from BNS2.4 cells, its gene, a method for preparing them and their uses are provided. The novel protein has been identified from a stromal cell line BMS2.4 by expression cloning targeting mouse myelomonocytic leukemia cell line WEHI3. This protein and its gene are useful for treating lympho-hematopoietic disorders.

Abstract: The present invention aims to achieve a chip having a construction in which each film of metal, dielectric, and fluorescent material is stacked on a glass substrate 1. Such a construction can enhance the intensity of fluorescence emitted from a fluorescent material owing to the interaction between the fluorescent material and the light propagation mode in that construction.