Abstract: A middle ear sound transmission characteristics evaluation system includes a probe; a measuring probe that includes an actuator that vibrates the probe and a force sensor that outputs a voltage in accordance with a reaction force exerted to the actuator when a tip of the probe is brought into contact with ossicles; an electrode that is installed on or near a round window and detects a potential value of a cochlear microphonic when vibration is applied to the ossicles by the probe; a database that stores a sensor voltage value output by the force sensor before surgical treatment, the potential value detected by the electrode, and surgical details; and a surgical details proposing unit that proposes selected surgical details on the basis of the magnitude of at least one of the sensor voltage value and the potential value measured before surgery with reference to the database.

Abstract: The method for producing a cell aggregate including glial progenitor cells according to the present invention comprises: (1) a step of subjecting pluripotent stem cells to suspension culture in an embryoid-body-forming culture medium containing one or more SMAD signaling inhibitors and one or more Wnt signaling activators in the absence of feeder cells for 5 days to 10 days, to form a cell aggregate; (2) a step of subjecting the cell aggregate obtained in (1) to suspension culture in an embryoid-body-forming culture medium containing retinoic acid; (3) a step of subjecting the cell aggregate obtained in (2) to suspension culture in an embryoid-body-forming culture medium or neuron-and-glia-proliferating culture medium containing retinoic acid and one or more SHH signaling activators; and (4) a step of subjecting the cell aggregate obtained in (3) to suspension culture in a neuron-and-glia-proliferating culture medium containing no retinoic acid and one or more SHH signaling activators.

Abstract: Objects to be achieved are to provide a nerve cell with which it is possible to visualize and quantify the intracellular tau without using the exogenous promoter and to provide a pluripotent stem cell with which the nerve cell can be produced, to provide a method of screening a substance, including using the pluripotent stem cell or nerve cell described above, and a substance screened by the above method, and to provide a kit including a targeting vector and a gRNA. There is provided a pluripotent stem cell including a DNA encoding a reporter molecule, the DNA being introduced adjacent to an endogenous tau gene such that a tau protein is expressed as a fusion protein fused with a reporter molecule.

Abstract: Provided is an endoscope holder capable of turning or swinging an endoscope inserted into a body with the endoscope fixed at a predetermined insertion position. An endoscope holder (1) includes a holder main body (3) having an insertion hole (2), gripping members (7a) and (7b) configured to pinch an endoscope E inserted into the insertion hole (2), first elastic members (12a) and (12b) configured to urge in a direction in which the gripping members (7a) and (7b) are separated from each other, a pressing member (13) configure to press the gripping member (7a) toward the gripping member (7b), a switching mechanism (17) configured to hold or release a pressing state, rollers (10) provided in gripping members (7a) and (7b), and a second elastic member (15) configured to swingably support the gripping member (7b).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a nerve cell in which tau aggregation and cell death are caused; a screening kit and a screening method, in which the nerve cell is used; a drug candidate substance obtained by the screening method; a human pluripotent stem cell for producing the nerve cell; and a method of producing the nerve cell. There is provided a nerve cell having an introduced exogenous wild-type tau gene.

Abstract: A production method for a proliferative liver organoid includes culturing liver stem cells or a tissue fragment including liver stem cells in a growth medium to obtain a proliferative liver organoid, in which the growth medium contains an interleukin-6 family cytokine. A production method for a metabolically activated liver organoid includes culturing the proliferative liver organoid produced by the production method for a proliferative liver organoid in a differentiation medium to obtain a metabolically activated liver organoid, in which the differentiation medium does not substantially contain an interleukin-6 family cytokine.

Abstract: A subject of the present invention is to provide an anti AQP3 antibody specifically recognizing the extracellular domain of aquaporin 3 (AQP3), which is one type of a water channel protein. By selecting a monoclonal antibody which specifically binds to an oligopeptide included in loop C as the extracellular domains of AQP3, anti AQP3 antibodies that are desired in the present invention are provided. An anti AQP3 monoclonal antibody of the present invention can directly bind, from the outside of a cell, to AQP3 present in a cell membrane. Furthermore, as an anti AQP3 monoclonal antibody of the present invention can have an inhibitory activity, the function of permeating a low molecular weight molecule or the like, which is carried by AQP3, can be suppressed.

Abstract: A machining state diagnosis apparatus (10) includes a machining state information estimation device (1), a learning information storage (11) storing information on relationship between estimated machining state information and actual machining state information, and a machining state diagnosis unit (12) diagnosing a machining state in actual machining using control information, based on machining state information obtained during the actual machining, machining state information estimated based on corresponding control information by the machining state information estimation device (1), and the relationship information stored in the learning information storage 11.

Abstract: A production method for parvalbumin-positive nerve cells includes: an expression induction step of inducing expression of Ascl1 gene, Dlx2 gene, and MEF2C gene in a cell, and a differentiation step of culturing the cell after the expression induction to differentiate the cells into parvalbumin-positive nerve cell; a cell into which Ascl1 gene, Dlx2 gene, and MEF2C gene are introduced in an expressible manner; and a differentiation inducer for inducing differentiation of a cell into a parvalbumin-positive nerve cell, including Ascl1 gene, Dlx2 gene, and MEF2C gene, or gene products thereof, as an active ingredient.

Abstract: A position/force controller includes a control unit and an impedance estimation unit. The control unit acquires a parameter that is generated under position and force control that is implemented in response to a touch of an object to be touched. The impedance estimation unit estimates impedance of the object to be touched, based on the parameter that is acquired by the control unit.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a means for promoting muscle regeneration from muscle damage. According to the present invention, the muscle regeneration from muscle damage is promoted by using a compound having 5-HT2B receptor agonist activity or a salt thereof is used as an active ingredient.

Abstract: A cell culture medium for culturing organoid containing at least two types of components selected from the group consisting of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and epiregulin (EREG), and at least one type of component among the following components i) to iii): i) Wnt agonist, ii) bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) inhibitor, and iii) transforming growth factor-? (TGF-?) inhibitor.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a novel pharmaceutical for suppressing cancer stem cells. In the present invention, a mitochondria inhibitor comprising a 2-nitroimidazole derivative is applied to the cancer stem cell as an active ingredient.

Abstract: A method of producing induced pluripotent stem cells including a step for introducing an initialization factor into somatic cells of a mammal, and culturing in a neural stem cell culture medium to obtain induced neural stem cell-like cells, and a step for cultivating said induced neural stem cell-like cells in a growth medium to obtain induced pluripotent stem cells, wherein the initialization factor contains an OCT family, a SOX family, a KLF family, a MYC family, a LIN28 family and a P53 function inhibitor.

Abstract: In related-art methods of differentiating pluripotent stem cells into a desired cell type, there has not been established a differentiation induction method using human ES/iPS cells and being highly efficient. Many attempts have been made, including a stepwise differentiation induction method based on the control of culture conditions or the addition of, for example, various cell growth factors/differentiation factors to a culture solution, but the use of complicated culture steps is a big problem. A method of inducing differentiation into a desired cell type within a short period of time and with high efficiency by use of a pluripotent stem cell that actively undergoes cell differentiation, which is obtained by reducing an undifferentiated state of the pluripotent stem cell, has been developed, and thus the present invention has been completed.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to provide antitumor agent including water-soluble sulfasalazine as an active ingredient. Antitumor agents were obtained with, as the water-soluble sulfasalazine, a PEG-modified sulfasalazine represented by the following formula: wherein an average value of n is 4 or larger and 1136 or smaller.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to produce a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) specific to glypican-1 (GPC-1) and to treat squamous cell carcinoma with genetically modified cells capable of expressing the CAR. The present invention provides: a chimeric antigen receptor for use in the treatment and/or prevention of squamous cell carcinoma, said chimeric antigen receptor comprising an extracellular domain capable of binding to GPC-1, a transmembrane domain and one or multiple intracellular domains, wherein at least one of the intracellular domains is an intracellular domain containing a primary cytosolic signaling sequence or an intracellular domain containing both a primary cytosolic signaling sequence and a secondary cytosolic signaling sequence; a genetically modified cell capable of expressing the chimeric antigen receptor; and a cell preparation containing the cell.

Abstract: A communication circuit including a first coupler, a transmission-data change detector configured to detect a change in transmission data input to a transmitter, and a received-data change detector configured to detect a change in received data output from a receiver. In a standby state in which the received-data change detector and the transmission-data change detector do not detect changes in the received data and the transmission data, an input side of the receiver is connected to the first coupler and an output side of the receiver is disconnected from the first port in a receiving path; and an input side of the transmitter is connected to the first port and an output side of the transmitter is disconnected from the first coupler in a transmitting path.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are bacteriophage compositions and therapeutic uses thereof. The disclosure also relates to bacteriophage that are capable of lysing Klebsiella bacterial strains, e.g., strains that are associated with inflammatory bowel disease, and thereby capable of modulating disease.

Abstract: A subject of the present invention is to provide an anti AQP3 antibody specifically recognizing the extracellular domain of aquaporin 3 (AQP3), which is one type of a water channel protein. By selecting a monoclonal antibody which specifically binds to an oligopeptide included in loop C as one of the extracellular domains of AQP3, an anti AQP3 antibody that is desired in the present invention is provided. An anti AQP3 monoclonal antibody of the present invention can directly bind, from the outside of a cell, to AQP3 present in a cell membrane. Furthermore, as an anti AQP3 monoclonal antibody of the present invention can have an inhibitory activity, the function of permeating a low molecular weight molecule or the like, which is carried by AQP3, can be suppressed.