Abstract: The invention of the present application provides an isolated and purified human mitochondrial protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4, which is a novel human protein promoting aggregation and fusion of mitochondria. The present invention also provides a polynucleotide encoding such a mitochondrial protein, antibody against such a mitochondrial protein, and a proteoliposome composed of such a mitochondrial protein and lipid. Mitochondrial proteins are useful for clarifying causes of mitochondrial diseases as well as for developing preventive and therapeutic methods thereof. Furthermore, antibodies and probes derived from genes encoding such proteins are potentially useful materials for diagnosis of condition of mitochondria in particular diseases. Furthermore, proteoliposomes provide measures for specific transfer of foreign genes or drugs targeted toward mitochondria.

Abstract: A simple always-portable stethoscope for enabling accurate diagnosis. A radiation/light-receiving fiber (11) serving as a probe part for noninvasively irradiating a diseased part with near-infrared light is applied to the diseased part so as to measure, e.g., a change of the cerebral circulation blood flow. The change is hard as sound pulse modulation to examine the change of the cerebral function. For example, a light beam of three wavelengths ?=760, 800, 830 nm from a semiconductor laser light source (22) is applied to the diseased part, the reflection data from the diseased part is processed by a control device (21), and the doctor can make a diagnosis with the doctor's ears by hearing with a receiver (32) the change as the change of the frequency of the sound the pitch and volume of which are constant.

Abstract: Mesophilic methane bacteria obtained from digested sludge are acclimatized in an H2/CO2 medium and the acclimatized methane bacteria are grown on a support inclusive of inorganic nutritional salts of trace metal elements by using an immobilized bed bioreactor. The grown bacteria are allowed to metabolize a mixed gas, prepared by adding hydrogen to at least one of coal gas and biogas, into methane and at the same time, cobalamin contained in the fermented liquor is recovered as an extracellular product in the form of cyanocobalamin by using potassium cyanide to thereby produce vitamin B12 efficiently in a high content and high yield.

Abstract: Capillary columns (102) pass through and are inserted in a rubber plate (14), held and fixed by elastic force of rubber, and two-dimensionally arranged on a sample injection side. It fixes the capillary columns (102) arranged on a plane in close contact by holding the same with a holder plate (6a) from below and with a rubber plate (16) from above on a detection side. In order to press the capillary columns (102) against the holder plate 6a and fix the same with the rubber plate (16), a holder plate (6b) fixing the rubber plate (16) to the holder plate (6a) on both sides of the arrangement of the capillary columns (102) is provided.

Abstract: An image input apparatus has a photoelectric converter element having a flat photosensitive surface and an image formation unit array having a plurality of image formation units arranged in an array. This image formation units individually receive light beams substantially from an identical area and focus the received light beams on different regions of the photosensitive surface of the photoelectric converter element to form images thereon.

Abstract: A gyro wave-activated power generator utilizing wave energy which has, as a component, a control moment gyro, and which comprises a floating body (1), a control moment gyro (5) supported by the floating body, and a power generator (10) connected to the gimbal shaft of the gyro through a gearing to increase speed(9), and is characterized by the gimbal (6) of the gyro being rotated by the movement of the floating body by wave energy to drive the power generator (10) for power generation.

Abstract: There is provided a nonlinear optical crystal which is presented by the formula: K2Al2B2O7. This nonlinear optical crystal is a vacuum ultraviolet light generating nonlinear optical crystal which is easy to grow and of high practical use. There are also provided a wavelength conversion method using this crystal, and an element and a wavelength conversion apparatus for use in the method.

Abstract: A three-dimensional image display system utilizing both a light beam reproducing method and a shadowgraph multi-view parallax method, including a color filter is disposed on an observer side of a white-color point light source array, and, in an area apart from the color filter and white point light source, light beams emitted from the white-color point light source are selectively colored by the color filter for generating an image of each point of an object, while in the region in the vicinity of the point light source and the color filter, the light beams are selectively colored by the color filter so that image data reaching the eye from the white-color point light source through the color filter performs a view-dependent parallax stereoscopic display operation not only laterally but also vertically, and in the intermediate region, these two operations are mixed, so that a stereoscopic image is continuously formed.

Abstract: A novel nucleic acid (aptamer) which binds specifically to the target protein of Ras, more particularly, a novel RNA aptamer which binds specifically to Raf-1; a method for screening an RNA capable of binding specifically to the target protein of Ras which comprises selecting an RNA capable of binding to the target protein of Ras from a pool of RNAs having various base sequences; a method for regulating the signal transduction causing the proliferation or differentiation of cells by using the above-described nucleic acid; and medicinal compositions with the use of the same.

Abstract: A sensor head has a multiplicity of linear image sensors in correspondence with different radial directions of light emitted from a pixel in a pixel line of an LCD panel. The linear image sensors extends in the direction of the axis of an imaginary semi-cylinder. The linear image sensors have light receiving faces that are angularly spaced apart on an imaginary semi-cylinder, with their light receiving faces having normals passing through the axis of the imaginary semi-cylinder. Interposed in the space between the LCD pixel and the linear image sensors is an optical system having a multiplicity of light paths associated with respective angular components of the radiation emitted from the pixel line. Each of the light paths receives a predetermined angular component of light and transmits the light thus reveived to a corresponding one of the linear image sensors.

Abstract: An anti-NAIP monoclonal antibody recognizing a human apoptosis inhibitory protein NAIP having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, which is produced from hybridoma prepared by fusing a myeloma cell line with antibody-producing cell of mammal immunized by antigen containing a polypeptide which comprises amino acid sequence of the 256–586th, the 841–1052nd or parts thereof in SEQ ID NO: 1, NAIP assay method using the antibody, and NAIP assay kits.

Abstract: A method for screening the effect of a segment A (chemical species A) on a substance (for example, a cell) containing DNA or RNA by using artificial chemical species. Namely, a method of detecting or identifying the function of a chemical species A on a substance containing DNA or RNA by using one or more chemical species represented by the following general formula (I) which are capable of recognizing a DNA base sequence; a kit therefor; and a plate to be used therein: B-L-A (I) wherein B represents a chemical structure containing an non-natural base capable of recognizing a DNA base sequence; A represents a chemical structure having an interaction with DNA; and L represents a linker whereby the chemical structures A and B can be linked together.

Abstract: Mesophilic methane bacteria obtained from digested sludge are acclimatized in an H2/CO2 medium and the acclimatized methane bacteria are grown on a support inclusive of inorganic nutritional salts of trace metal elements by using an immobilized bed bioreactor. The grown bacteria are allowed to metabolize a mixed gas, prepared by adding hydrogen to at least one of coal gas and biogas, into methane and at the same time, cobalamin contained in the fermented liquor is recovered as an extracellular product in the form of cyanocobalamin by using potassium cyanide to thereby produce vitamin B12 efficiently in a high content and high yield.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a multi-person shared display device with which a display device can be shared by a plurality of persons. For this purpose, a display device of the present invention is configured by a large screen display 112 and a display mask 114, which covers and hides a portion thereof. The display mask 114 is disposed at a position only an appropriate distance away from a display surface 116. The display mask 114 has a hole 118, and only through that portion can the display surface 116 of display 112 be seen. By introducing such display mask 114, the region visible upon the display surface differs depending on the viewpoint position of the user. As a result, it becomes possible to provide different content for every user.

Abstract: There are provided a point contact array, in which a plurality of point contacts are arranged, each point contact electrically and reversibly controlling conductance between electrodes and being applicable to an arithmetic circuit, a logic circuit, and a memory device, a NOT circuit, and an electronic circuit using the same. A circuit includes a plurality of point contacts each composed of a first electrode made of a compound conductive material having ionic conductivity and electronic conductivity and a second electrode made of a conductive substance. The conductance of each point contact is controlled to realize the circuit. Ag2S, Ag2Se, Cu2S, or Cu2Se is preferably used as the compound conductive material. When a semiconductor or insulator material is interposed between the electrodes, a crystal or an amorphous material of GeSx, GeSex, GeTex, or WOx (0<x<100) is preferably used as the semiconductor or insulator material.

Abstract: An optical microscope of high stability such that the image of a sample does not become obscure during observation, and no movement (drift) of an object point (object) occurs. The optical microscope is characterized by comprising vertical straight movement guide mechanisms (4 and 8) for an objective lens (6) of the microscope symmetrical to the optical axis, and fine adjustment units (10, 11 and 12) for the objective lens.

Abstract: A titanium dioxide.cobalt magnetic film is provided that is useful to make up a photocatalyst having high catalytic capability, a semiconductor material having an optical, an electrical and a magnetic function all in combination, and a transparent magnet. The titanium dioxide.cobalt magnetic film has a composition expressed by chemical formula: Ti1-xCoxO2 where 0<x?0.3, wherein a Ti atom at its lattice position is replaced with a Co atom, and the magnetic film is a film epitaxially grown on a single crystal substrate. The magnetic film has either anatase or rutile crystalline structure, has its band gap energy varying in a range between 3.13 eV and 3.33 eV according to the concentration of Co atoms replaced for Ti atoms at their lattice positions, is capable of retaining its magnetization even at a temperature higher than a room temperature, and is also transparent to a visible light. I the manufacture of the titanium dioxide.

Abstract: A device including a photon emitter, a light source, and a filter with a corresponding method for producing triggered single photons and triggered pairs of polarization-entangled photons are provided. The light source delivers a pulse to a photon emitter and generates pairs of electrons and holes to emit photons. The light source includes a mechanism to tune a pulse wavelength to an excited state-absorption resonance of the photon emitter. The light source could also include a device to selectively choose a polarization to create the pairs of electrons and holes of a particular spin. A filter isolates the last and single photon. Optionally, a micro-cavity is included to direct the emitted photons and couple to one or more optical elements. When the device or the method is used to produce triggered pairs of polarization-entangled photons, it works almost the same as for the single photons, except for modifications to the way the light source excites the photon emitter and how emission filtering is performed.

Abstract: A process for preparing a poly-ethynyl-substituted aromatic compound characterized by reacting a halogenated benzene with an ethynylzinc halide; a process for preparing a poly-ethynyl-substituted aromatic compound characterized by using a halogenated benzene having at least two kinds of halogen atoms as a halogenated benzene, and (A) reacting one kind of the halogen atoms existing in the halogenated benzene with an ethynyl group-containing compound; and (B) reacting the other kind of halogen atoms remaining in the formed compound with an ethynylzinc halide.

Abstract: As a negatively charged lipid that can stably add negative charges to the surface of vesicles without side effects, the carboxyl acid-type lipid of the following general formula [1]: [wherein R1, R2 and R3 represent substituents of which one is represented by the following general formula [X]: (wherein M is a hydrogen atom or monovalent cation, and m is an integer of 1 to 5 that represents the methylene chain length), and the other two are chained hydrocarbon groups; A1, A2 and A3 are the same or different substituents selected from the group consisting of C(O)O, CONH or NHCO; and n is an integer of 1 to 3 that represents the methylene chain length) is provided.