Abstract: It is an object to provide a technique useful for embryo transfer and development of reproductive medical care. Provided are a sperm activator containing a disrupted product of one or more cells selected from the group consisting of adipose tissue-derived stem cells, dental pulp-derived stem cells, bone marrow-derived stem cells, and umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells as an active ingredient, and an artificial insemination method utilizing the same.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for measuring the thickness, roughness, and morphology index of the mandibular cortical bone using a dental panorama image to assist in the diagnosis of osteoporosis, wherein the thickness, roughness, and morphological index of the cortical bone is measured more accurately and the diagnosis of osteoporosis can be supported more accurately. An osteoporosis diagnostic support apparatus, wherein the apparatus has a contour extraction unit adapted to extract a mandibular contour from an image of a mandibular cortical bone photographed by a photographic apparatus adapted to photograph the mandibular cortical bone and surroundings thereof, a line segment extraction unit adapted to extract line segments from the image of the mandibular cortical bone photographed by the photographic apparatus; and a cortical bone thickness calculation unit adapted to calculate a thickness of the cortical bone based on the extracted mandibular contour and line segments.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for measuring the thickness, roughness, and morphology index of the mandibular cortical bone using a dental panorama image to assist in the diagnosis of osteoporosis, wherein the thickness, roughness, and morphological index of the cortical bone is measured more accurately and the diagnosis of osteoporosis can be supported more accurately. An osteoporosis diagnostic support apparatus, wherein the apparatus has a contour extraction unit adapted to extract a mandibular contour from an image of a mandibular cortical bone photographed by a photographic apparatus adapted to photograph the mandibular cortical bone and surroundings thereof, a line segment extraction unit adapted to extract line segments from the image of the mandibular cortical bone photographed by the photographic apparatus; and a cortical bone thickness calculation unit adapted to calculate a thickness of the cortical bone based on the extracted mandibular contour and line segments.

Abstract: A nucleoside derivative represented below, or a salt thereof. (In (1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group or a protected group, and in (2), X represent a halogen atom. In (1) and (2), R2 and R4 each represent a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl protecting, phosphate, or protected phosphate group, or —P(?O)nR5R6 (n is 0 or 1, R5 and R6 each representing a hydrogen atom, hydroxyl, protected hydroxyl, mercapto, protected mercapto, lower alkoxy, cyano lower alkoxy, amino or substituted amino group, when n is 1, R5 and R6 are not both hydrogen atoms), R3 represents NHR7 (R7 represents a hydrogen atom, alkyl, alkenyl or protecting group for an amino group), an azide, amidino or guanidino group, each having a linking group (when R7 is hydrogen atom, the linking group is an alkylene group), and B represents any of a purine-9-yl, 2-oxo-pyrimidin-1-yl, substituted purine-9-yl or substituted 2-oxo-pyrimidin-1-yl group.

Abstract: A double-stranded nucleic acid molecule includes a first polynucleotide chain including a base sequence represented by Chemical Formula (1) (SEQ ID NO:1) and a second polynucleotide chain including a base sequence complementary to the first polynucleotide chain. A method for preventing and/or treating a tumor includes a step in which the double-stranded nucleic acid molecule is administered to a test subject.

Abstract: Provided herein is a non plant-pathogenic strain that can stably exhibit a bacterial plant disease control effect at the actual site of crop production, and that can be safely used as a biopesticide against plant. A bacterial plant disease control agent using such a strain is also provided, among others. In the present invention, viable bacteria of a strain belonging to genus Mitsuaria, which was not known to have a control effect against bacterial plant disease, or a culture containing the viable bacteria of such a strain are used as an active component, and the invention provides bacterial plant disease control agents such as a vegetable wilt disease control agent, and a canker control agent.

Abstract: Provided is a hydrogen generating apparatus adaptable to fluctuating hydrogen demand, particularly by enabling large-scale hydrogen production, generating pure hydrogen at a high yield. The hydrogen generating apparatus 1 generates hydrogen gas from a source gas by decomposing the source gas through catalysis and transforming it into plasma through electric discharge. The hydrogen generating apparatus 1 includes a dielectric body 2 defining a source gas flow channel 13, a catalyst 10 that decomposes at least part of the source gas in the source gas flow channel 13 to generate hydrogen gas, an electrode 3 contacting the dielectric body 2, a hydrogen separation membrane 5 facing the electrode 3 across the dielectric body 2, a hydrogen flow channel 18 guiding hydrogen separated by the hydrogen separation membrane 5, and a high-voltage power supply 6 supplying power to cause electric discharge between the hydrogen separation membrane 5 and the electrode 3.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel medical application for use in regenerative medicine that uses pluripotent stem cells (Muse cells). The present invention provides a cell preparation for treating myocardial infarction, and particularly serious massive myocardial infarction and heart failure associated therewith, that contains pluripotent stem cells positive for SSEA-3 isolated from biological mesenchymal tissue or cultured mesenchymal cells. The cell preparation of the present invention is based on a cardiac tissue regeneration mechanism by which Muse cells are made to selectively accumulate in damaged myocardial tissue and differentiate into cardiac muscle in that tissue as a result of intravenous administration of Muse cells to a subject presenting with the aforementioned disorders.

Abstract: Provided is a hydrogen generating apparatus adaptable to fluctuating hydrogen demand, particularly by enabling large-scale hydrogen production, generating pure hydrogen at a high yield. The hydrogen generating apparatus 1 includes a tabular dielectric body 2 having a first surface 11 with a source gas flow channel 13 formed as a recess and a second surface 12 approximately parallel to the first surface 11, a grounding electrode 3, a hydrogen flow channel plate 4 with a hydrogen flow channel 18 and a hydrogen outlet 19, being arranged on a first surface 11 side of dielectric body 2, a hydrogen separation membrane 5 between source gas flow channel 13 and hydrogen flow channel 18, and a high-voltage power supply 6 that causes electric discharge in source gas flow channel 13 between hydrogen separation membrane 5 and grounding electrode 3. Hydrogen separation membrane 5 transmits hydrogen generated by electric discharge in source gas flow channel 13 into hydrogen flow channel 18.

Abstract: There is provided a zeolite membrane which is an MFI-type zeolite membrane formed on an inorganic oxide porous substrate, in which, in a diffraction pattern obtained by X-ray diffraction measurement using a CuK? ray as an X-ray source, when an intensity of a diffraction peak appearing at diffraction angles of 7.3° to 8.4° at which a crystal lattice plane belongs to 011 and/or 101 planes is used as a reference, an intensity of a diffraction peak appearing at diffraction angles of 8.4° to 9.0° at which a crystal lattice plane belongs to 200 and/or 020 planes is preferably 0.3 or more.

Abstract: There is provided a method of producing a separation membrane in which a zeolite membrane is formed on an inorganic oxide porous substrate. The substrate has amorphous SiO2 as a main component of a zeolite formation portion of the substrate, the method includes: a first step of forming a zeolite seed crystal and an alkaline component including a structure directing agent on a surface of the substrate; and a second step of treating a formed product obtained in the first step under a heated steam atmosphere, and the zeolite membrane is formed on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The oligonucleotide derivative of the present invention is represented by Formula (1). This derivative is considered to be introduced into cells by binding of its amino sugar chain moiety to a ligand on cell surfaces, and have selective drug delivery function. The oligonucleotide derivative can be easily synthesized and introduced into cells without using a lipofection reagent. wherein A and B are independently modified or unmodified oligonucleotides whose total chain length is 3 or more, and A and B do not contain hydroxyl groups at 3? and 5? ends of the oligonucleotide; S represents a sugar substituent, a peptide chain, or a tocopherol-binding group; and an alkyl group may be bound instead of hydrogen bound to a benzene ring.

Abstract: A compact fuel battery system is provided that has an integrated hydrogen generator. This fuel battery system 1 is provided with a hydrogen generator 10 and a fuel battery cell 20. The hydrogen generator 10 is provided with a plate-shape dielectric 2 having a raw material gas flow path surface 11 in which a raw material gas flow path 13 is formed. An electrode 3 faces the back surface 12 of the dielectric 2. A hydrogen separation membrane 5, which has a first surface 18 and the second surface 19, closes an opening of the raw material gas flow path 13. Furthermore, the hydrogen generator 10 is provided with a high-voltage power supply 6 which generates electric discharge between the hydrogen separation membrane 5 and the electrode 3. The fuel battery system is characterized in that the second surface 19 of the hydrogen separation membrane 5 of the hydrogen generator is arranged facing the fuel electrode 21 of the fuel battery cell 20.

Abstract: Provided is a hydrogen generating apparatus adaptable to fluctuating hydrogen demand, particularly by enabling large-scale hydrogen production, generating pure hydrogen at a high yield. The hydrogen generating apparatus 1 generates hydrogen gas from a source gas by decomposing the source gas through catalysis and transforming it into plasma through electric discharge. The hydrogen generating apparatus 1 includes a dielectric body 2 defining a source gas flow channel 13, a catalyst 10 that decomposes at least part of the source gas in the source gas flow channel 13 to generate hydrogen gas, an electrode 3 contacting the dielectric body 2, a hydrogen separation membrane 5 facing the electrode 3 across the dielectric body 2, a hydrogen flow channel 18 guiding hydrogen separated by the hydrogen separation membrane 5, and a high-voltage power supply 6 supplying power to cause electric discharge between the hydrogen separation membrane 5 and the electrode 3.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel medical application for use in regenerative medicine that uses pluripotent stem cells (Muse cells). The present invention provides a cell preparation for treating myocardial infarction, and particularly serious massive myocardial infarction and heart failure associated therewith, that contains pluripotent stem cells positive for SSEA-3 isolated from biological mesenchymal tissue or cultured mesenchymal cells. The cell preparation of the present invention is based on a cardiac tissue regeneration mechanism by which Muse cells are made to selectively accumulate in damaged myocardial tissue and differentiate into cardiac muscle in that tissue as a result of intravenous administration of Muse cells to a subject presenting with the aforementioned disorders.

Abstract: An energy carrier system is provided that produces ammonia with high efficiency and that further produces hydrogen as final product and uses the hydrogen as energy. An energy storage transportation method is further provided that is carried out by using energy carrier system. The energy carrier system includes nitric acid production device, an ammonia production device, and hydrogen production device. The nitric acid production device includes a photo-reactor, a gas supply unit that supplies photo-reactor with gas to be treated containing a nitrogen oxide, water, and oxygen, and light source disposed in the photo-reactor. The light source radiates light including ultraviolet of a wavelength shorter than 175 nm. The energy storage transportation method includes nitric acid production step of producing nitric acid from a nitrogen oxide, ammonia production step of producing ammonia through reduction of nitric acid, and hydrogen production step of producing hydrogen through decomposition of the ammonia.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel medical application for use in regenerative medicine that uses pluripotent stem cells (Muse cells). The present invention provides a cell preparation for treating myocardial infarction, and particularly serious massive myocardial infarction and heart failure associated therewith, that contains pluripotent stem cells positive for SSEA-3 isolated from biological mesenchymal tissue or cultured mesenchymal cells. The cell preparation of the present invention is based on a cardiac tissue regeneration mechanism by which Muse cells are made to selectively accumulate in damaged myocardial tissue and differentiate into cardiac muscle in that tissue as a result of intravenous administration of Muse cells to a subject presenting with the aforementioned disorders.

Abstract: To provide a lightweight shaft having excellent strength, a shaft has one or a plurality of fiber reinforced resin layers. At least one of the fiber reinforced resin layers is produced by a filament winding method in which one or a plurality of fiber bundles are wound while tension is applied thereto. The fiber bundles each include a plurality of filaments. The tension applied to the fiber bundles is not less than 0.04 (gf) per filament. The tension is great. Preferably, at least one of the fiber reinforced resin layers is produced by a multi-filament winding method in which a plurality of the fiber bundles are simultaneously wound while being arranged side by side. Preferably, fibers forming the filaments are carbon fibers. Preferably, a resin composition included in each fiber reinforced resin layer is an epoxy resin composition.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for measuring the thickness, roughness, and morphology index of the mandibular cortical bone using a dental panorama image to assist in the diagnosis of osteoporosis, wherein the thickness, roughness, and morphological index of the cortical bone is measured more accurately and the diagnosis of osteoporosis can be supported more accurately. An osteoporosis diagnostic support apparatus, wherein the apparatus has a contour extraction unit adapted to extract a mandibular contour from an image of a mandibular cortical bone photographed by a photographic apparatus adapted to photograph the mandibular cortical bone and surroundings thereof, a line segment extraction unit adapted to extract line segments from the image of the mandibular cortical bone photographed by the photographic apparatus; and a cortical bone thickness calculation unit adapted to calculate a thickness of the cortical bone based on the extracted mandibular contour and line segments.

Abstract: To provide a hydrogen generating apparatus that efficiently generates hydrogen from ammonia, and a fuel cell system that generates power using the efficiently generated hydrogen. [Solution] A hydrogen generating apparatus (1) is provided with a plasma reactor (3), a high-voltage electrode (5), a grounding electrode (7), and a gas supply means (15) that supplies a gas containing ammonia to the plasma reactor. The high-voltage electrode (5) is configured with a hydrogen separation membrane (12) included therein. Under the conditions of room temperature and atmospheric pressure, the hydrogen separation membrane (12) of the high-voltage electrode (5) discharges electricity between the grounding electrode (7) and the hydrogen separation membrane with power supplied from a high-voltage pulse power supply (2), and hydrogen is generated by bringing into the plasma state the ammonia contained in the gas thus supplied.