Abstract: This invention provides a heat treatment apparatus for an oxide superconducting wire that is easy to control atmosphere during baking and can realize a high manufacturing speed. A heat treatment apparatus (1) comprises a heat treating furnace (4) and a cylindrical rotator (5), rotatable about a horizontal rotating axis, provided within the heat treating furnace (4). The rotator (5) in its cylindrical body (5a) have a number of through-holes (5b) formed evenly over the whole surface of the cylindrical body (5a). One end of the cylindrical body (5a) is hermetically sealed by a lid. On the other end, a gas discharge pipe (7) for discharging gas within the cylindrical body to the outside of the heat treating furnace (4) is connected to the lid. A plurality of gas supply pipes (8) are symmetrically provided separately from each other on the outer surface of the cylindrical body (5a).

Abstract: A gene encoding a production amount-potentiating factor is introduced into an animal cell to transform the cell. Alternatively, a protein production gene and the gene encoding the production amount-potentiating factor are introduced into the animal cell to transform the cell. Herein, as the production amount potentiating factor, there is used a factor having caspase activity inhibiting activity and/or protein biosynthesis activity potentiating action, for example, baculovirus P35. Further, the animal cell is cultured by a culturing method under a condition that apoptosis is not induced, so that a protein is mass-produced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a humanized anti-human osteopontin antibody having better activities (antigen binding activity, leukocyte migration inhibitory activity and the like) and/or stability (resistance to heat, low-pH conditions, denaturants and the like) than those of conventional anti-human osteopontin antibodies.

Abstract: Tape-shaped superconducting wires, and a superconducting coil formed from said wires, wherein a plurality of electrically separated superconducting film parts, each having a rectangular cross section and arranged in parallel, form parallel conductors, providing superconducting wires capable of containing losses incurred in the presence of alternating current (A/C). A superconducting coil is made by winding the superconducting wires, wherein the coil structure contains at least a part wherein perpendicular interlinkage magnetic fluxes acting among conductor elements of the parallel conductors by the distribution of magnetic fields generated by the superconducting coils cancel mutually in order to contain circulating current within the wires and to make shunt current uniform, thereby providing a low-loss A/C superconducting coil.

Abstract: This invention provides a tape-shaped oxide superconductor which can prevent the diffusion of elements constituting a metallic substrate into a superconducting layer and cracking of an intermediate layer and improve the orientation of the superconducting layer. A 15 to 100 nm-thick Ce—Gd—O-based oxide layer (2) (Ce:Gd=40:60 to 70:30 molar ratio) as a first intermediate layer and a 100 nm-thick Ce—Zr—O-based oxide layer (3) (Ce:Zr=50:50 molar ratio) as a second intermediate layer are formed by an MOD method on an Ni-base alloy substrate (1) having a half value width (FMHW: ??) of 6.5 degrees. A 150 nm-thick CeO2 oxide layer (4) as a third intermediate layer is further formed on the second intermediate layer by an RF sputtering method. A 1 ?m-thick YBCO superconducting layer (5) is formed by a TFA-MOD method on the intermediate layer having a three-layer structure. In the tape-shaped oxide superconductor, the ?? values of the first to third intermediate layers are (6.0 to 6.5) degrees, (6.0 to 6.

Abstract: A human anti-amyloid ? peptide (hereinafter referred to as “A?”) antibody that binds to A? to thereby inhibit aggregation of A? molecules, and a fragment of said antibody are provided. The antibody and a fragment thereof according to the present invention, comprising a variable region of a human-derived anti-A? antibody, strongly reacts with A? to thereby inhibit its aggregation and hence may be used as a medicament for the prophylaxis and treatment of Alzheimer dementia.

Abstract: A safer live smallpox vaccine, which contains a lowered content of revertants, is provided. A process for manufacturing a live smallpox vaccine which comprises steps of: inoculating a master seed solution of an attenuated vaccinia virus to an appropriate number of containers (1 to n wherein n is an integer) of rabbit kidney cells and incubating them; inoculating a portion of the cultured solution obtained from each container to RK-13 cells and to Vero E6 cells and incubating them to thereby select containers which contain a cultured solution that forms plaques in RK-13 cells but not in Vero E6 cells; and preparing a drug substance of vaccine using the aforementioned cultured solution (working seed solution), and a live smallpox vaccine prepared in the aforementioned process.

Abstract: A novel type A botulinum toxin preparation is provided. A neuromuscular transmission blocking agent comprising as an active ingredient a highly purified type A botulinum toxin from Clostridium botulinum as infant botulism pathogen and a medicament for treating a disease with a muscle overactivity comprising as an active ingredient said toxin. In particular, the medicament of the present invention, as compared to the conventional known botulinum toxin preparations, has rapid efficacy of potential and is less diffusive and thus, having a broader safety margin, may be used as therapeutic medicament for decreasing local, muscle overactivity in a disease with a muscle overactivity.

Abstract: A modified Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) having resistance to a protease and a reduced toxicity and a vaccine comprising said modified SEB are provided. A modified SEB which has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 wherein each of the lysine at 97-position and the lysine at 98-position are substituted with any other amino acid, or a derivative thereof and a vaccine comprising said modified SEB or a derivative thereof.

Abstract: When genes encoding three kinds of proteins constituting fibrinogen, an ? chain (or variant of ? chain), a ? chain and a ? chain (or variant of ? chain) are incorporated into an animal cell, a constitutional ratio of respective genes is such that a ? chain (and/or variant of ? chain) gene is an equal amount to a 1000-fold amount relative to an ? chain (and/or variant of ? chain) gene and a ? chain gene and, further, by using a baculovirus P35 gene, a recombinant fibrinogen highly producing cell is prepared.

Abstract: A medicament for improving prognostic survival in therapy of malignant tumor is provided that may improve prognostic survival in DIC patients where the basal disease is malignant tumor, especially malignant tumor in hematopoietic organs. The medicament according to the invention comprises as a main active ingredient Activated Protein C, which is obtained from plasma or prepared by using the genetic recombination technique, and efficiently prolongs life-span of DIC patients where the basal disease is malignant tumor, especially malignant tumor in hematopoietic organs. In particular, the medicament may reduce adverse side effects of chemotherapeutics in chemotherapy of malignant tumor to enhance efficacy of said therapy and improve prognostic survival of patients suffering from malignant tumor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel composition for the treatment of a corneal/conjunctival disease. A prophylactic or therapeutic agent for a corneal/conjunctival disease comprising selenoprotein P as an active ingredient, more specifically a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for a corneal/conjunctival disease such as dry eye, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, superficial punctate keratopathy, corneal erosion or corneal ulcer comprising selenoprotein P as an active ingredient, particularly a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for a corneal/conjuncrtival disease such as dry eye, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, superficial punctate keratopathy, corneal erosion or corneal ulcer accompanied by a corneal/conjunctival epithelial discorder.

Abstract: A novel medicament for treating neurodegenerative diseases, especially for ameliorating dyskinesia, comprising as an active ingredient selenoprotein P and/or a peptide fragment or a series of peptide fragments derived from said protein is provided. The novel medicament for treating neurodegenerative diseases, especially for ameliorating dyskinesia, according to the present invention is suitably applicable to diseases with decrease in motor function.

Abstract: A three-dimensional fractal-structure body partially or entirely comprises a three-dimensional fractal structure, the fractal structure body having a local minimum value at a particular wavelength determined by structural and material factors of the fractal structure in a transmissivity for electromagnetic waves and/or a local minimum value at a particular wavelength determined by structural and material factors of the fractal structure in the reflectivity for electromagnetic waves.

Abstract: A method for purifying a modified major mite allergen obtained by the genetic recombination technique and a purified modified major mite allergen obtained by said method for purification are provided.

Abstract: On a first intermediate layer provided on a substrate and having an excellent surface smoothness, are formed a second intermediate layer and an YBCO superconductor layer having excellent properties. An YBCO superconductor (10) having a critical current density (Jc) of 1 MA/cm2 or higher can be produced by forming a first intermediate layer (2), a second intermediate layer (3), an YBCO superconductor layer (4) and an Ag-stabilized layer (5) on the surface of a tape-shaped biaxially oriented Ni—W alloy substrate (1), wherein the first intermediate layer (2) has a thickness of 5 nm or less, has a surface smoothness, comprises A2Zr2O7, and is formed by repeating coating and provisional burning several times by the MOD method, the second intermediate layer (3) comprises a CeO2 film and is formed by the pulse plating method, the YBCO superconductor layer (4) is formed by the MOD method, and the Ag-stabilized layer (5) is formed on the YBCO superconductor layer (4).

Abstract: A purpose of the present invention is to provide a vaccine for in ovo inoculation effective for prevention of any fowl viral diseases. A fowl vaccine for in ovo inoculation with high efficacy in view of safety as well wherein, by holding such live viruses on a virus-adsorbing agent through adsorption that have been difficult for practical usage as a vaccine for in ovo inoculation, viral growth in embryonated chicken eggs after in ovo inoculation is retarded to thereby reduce pathogenicity of the viruses to embryo to avoid reduction in hatching rate and to alleviate severity in clinical symptoms after hatching. A virus-adsorbing agent to be used in the vaccine includes an aluminum compound such as aluminum hydroxide gel, potassium alum and the like.

Abstract: A genetic recombinant human thrombin is provided. Human thrombin is efficiently prepared by the genetic engineering technique comprising the steps: (1) culturing a transfectant animal cell transfected with an expression vector in which a gene encoding human prethrombin is incorporated to the downstream of a promoter so as to produce and accumulate prethrombin in culture supernatant and recovering the produced human prethrombin; (2) treating a solution containing human prethrombin recovered in step (1) with ecarin so as to convert human prethrombin into human thrombin; and (3) purifying the solution obtained after the above activation process to obtain purified human thrombin. The present invention allows for provision of human thrombin in a large scale in a safe and economical manner due to exclusion of blood-derived components.

Abstract: This invention provides a production process of a thick-film tape-shaped RE-type (123) superconductor having a high critical current value. The production process comprises providing a composite substrate comprising Gd2Zr2O7 and CeO2 stacked in that order onto a Hastelloy substrate, coating a raw material solution prepared by dissolving a trifluoroacetate of Y and Ba and a naphthenate of Cu onto the composite substrate, heat treating the coated composite substrate by calcination, then subjecting the calcined assembly to intermediate heat-treatment at a temperature below the temperature of heat-treatment for superconductor production, and then heat treating the assembly in an argon gas atmosphere under conditions of highest heating temperature 760° C., water vapor partial pressure 13.5%, and oxygen partial pressure 0.09% for superconductor production to produce a tape-shaped RE-type (123) superconductor comprising a YBCO superconducting film having a thickness of more than about 2 ?m.

Abstract: This invention provides a production process of a tape-shaped superconductor which can realize high Jc and Ic values by virtue of the elimination of the cause of generation of cracks and deterioration of an electrical connectivity in crystal grain boundaries. In producing an Re-base (123) superconductor on a substrate by an MAD process, the use of a raw material solution having a Re:Ba:Cu molar ratio of 1:X:3, wherein X is a Ba molar ratio satisfying X<2 (preferably 1.0?X?1.8, especially 1.3?x?1.7), can realize the production of a thick-film tape-shaped superconductor having a superconductivity of Jc=3.20 MA/cm2 and Ic=525 A/cm (X=1.5).