Abstract: Disclosed is a compound usable as a pest control agent and has excellent pest control activity. A compound represented by formula (I) has excellent pest control activity. The compound or an agriculturally or horticulturally acceptable salt thereof is thus useful as a pest control agent.

Abstract: A compound represented by the formula [I] wherein each symbol is as defined in the specification or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceutical composition containing the compound as an active ingredient.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for predicting an effectiveness of apheresis therapy on patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, which include adding, for example, sera or such collected from patients to 18-day-old chicken fertile eggs and measuring the left ventricular ejection fraction of the eggs. High reproducibility was achieved by using urethane as an anesthetic agent for the chicken fertile eggs, maintaining the eggs in incubation sand at 40° C. during measurement, and using an ultrasonic probe with a frequency of 10 MHz or more. When the left ventricular ejection fraction is less than 90%, apheresis therapy is likely to be effective. Indeed, it has been clinically demonstrated that the apheresis therapy is successful when the left ventricular ejection fraction is improved to 90% or more by the therapy.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing an artificial tissue, which comprises a step of providing a liquid flow control member and a mesh member in a flow path through which a cell culture liquid comprising at least one type of animal cells, a collagen-binding cell growth factor and an extracellular matrix component is circulated and cultured to accumulate the extracellular matrix molecule and the animal cells on the surface of the liquid flow control member at a high density, thereby forming a high-density cultured tissue, wherein the liquid flow control member and the mesh member are so arranged in the flow path that these members are in contact with each other or in proximity to each other, and wherein the mesh member is arranged on the back side of the liquid flow control member relative to the direction of the liquid flow. Also disclosed is an artificial tissue produced by the process.

Abstract: When ELISA antibody titer dropped in chickens intramuscularly inoculated with an oil vaccine, recombinant HA and NP antigens prepared using gene recombinant technology were orally administered in combination with synthetic oligo CpG as a mucosal adjuvant to the chickens. Even when the immune response induced with the oil vaccine was impaired, the antibody titer was re-induced by orally administering the recombinant HA and NP antigens, and synthetic CpG-ODN in combination.

Abstract: The present invention is a compound having the general formula (I), (II), or (III) or a pharmacologically acceptable salt, solvate, or hydrate thereof, and a pharmaceutical composition containing such a compound, or its pharmacologically acceptable ester, or other pharmacologically acceptable derivative thereof as an active ingredient. The compound has an excellent ACAT 2-inhibiting activity by a mechanism different from that of a statin drug and is useful as a therapeutic or prophylactic agent for obesity, adiposis, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, disorder of lipid metabolism, and arteriosclerosis, as well as obesity-derived hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, disorder of lipid metabolism, arteriosclerosis, and hypertension.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel compound of stemphones obtained by culturing microorganism belonging to genus Aspergillus and having ability to produce compound of stemphones selected from the group consisting of stemphone D substance, stemphone E substance, stemphone E1 substance, stemphone E2 substance, stemphone E3 substance and stemphone F substance, accumulating the compound of stemphones in the cultured mass, and isolating the compound of stemphones from the cultured mass. Since the obtained compound has enhancing activity for imipenem and activity for reducing cytotoxicity, it can be expected to be useful as lead compounds for combination remedy for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection.

Abstract: A microorganism represented by a strain K04-0144 belonging to Streptomyces sp. having ability to produce K04-0144 substance is cultured in the medium, and the isolated K04-0144A substance, K04-0144B substance and K04-0144C substance therefrom have strong antibacterial activities against Gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Streptococcus aureus (MRSA), consequently these are useful as the therapeutic agents for infectious disease caused by MRSA as well as infectious diseases caused by multidrug including ?-lactam antibiotics resistant bacteria. Further, similarly, since the novel K04-0144D substance isolated from the cultured liquid has the action for enhancing the effect of ?-lactam antibiotics, which are utilized as the antibacterial agents, in combination with them, it is useful as the therapeutic agent for infectious diseases caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug including ?-lactam antibiotics resistant bacteria.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for detecting the drug effects of DNA methylation inhibitors that detects the drug sensitivity of gene-expressing cells to DNA methylation inhibitors based on gene expression of a transcription factor (PU. 1) and/or gene expression of metallothionein (MT) that participates in differentiation to neutrophil and monocyte lines or based on DNA methylation in the metallothionein (MT) gene promotor region. Hematopoietic tumors can be treated effectively and specifically after predicting the effects of DNA methylation inhibitors on the hematopoietic tumor cells of myelodysplastic syndrome, acute myelocytic leukemia (AML), and other hematopoietic organ diseases, so therapeutic results are improved.

Abstract: An optical coherence tomography apparatus constructs a tomographic image of a measurement object on the basis of a spectral characteristic obtained by spectrally dividing interference light, which combines signal light composed of the measurement light reflected by the measurement object and reference light, using an optical demultiplexer.

Abstract: It is an object to enhance immunopotentiating activity of a glycosphingolipid.

Abstract: This invention relates to substance FKI-3864 represented by the following formula [I] having an inhibitory activity on the synthesis of triacylglycerols and a method for preparing the same. The substance FKI-3864 can be prepared by a method comprising culturing a microorganism which belongs to the genus Penicillium and is capable of producing the substance FKI-3864, and particularly Penicillium pinophilum FKI-3864 (FERM BP-11093) so as to accumulate the substance FKI-3864 in the culture and collecting the substance FKI-3864 from the culture. The substance has an inhibitory activity on the synthesis of intracellular triacylglycerols and is useful for prevention or treatment of obesity.

Abstract: The present invention includes wickerol and a method for producing the wickerol. In the method for producing the wickerol, Trichoderma atroviride strain FKI-3737 (FERM ABP-11099 corresponding to FERM BP-11099) belonging to filamentous fungi is cultured in a medium, and the wickerol is accumulated in a culture, and then the produced wickerol is isolated and purified from the culture. A substance having inhibitory activity against influenza virus replication and containing the wickerol as an active ingredient, and an anti-influenza drug containing the wickerol as an active ingredient are obtained.

Abstract: Disclosed is a composition for use as a pest control agent, comprising a compound represented by formula (I) or an agriculturally and horticulturally acceptable salt thereof as active ingredient and an agriculturally and horticulturally acceptable carrier:

Abstract: The present invention provides compounds which exhibit an inhibitory effect on undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase of microbes and thereby they are expected to be used clinically as pharmaceutical agents for infectious diseases caused by bacteria. The process comprises culturing a microbe belonging to Penicillium and having ability of producing an FKI-3368 substance in or on a nutrient medium to accumulate the FKI-3368 substance in the nutrient medium and collecting the FKI-3368 substance from the culture.

Abstract: Since FIV-vaccinated cats produce antibodies against FIV, distinguishing them from FIV-infected cats is difficult by serological diagnostic methods using FIV and FIV-derived substances. The present invention enables tests for determining the presence or absence of a FIV vaccination history in a cat by detecting antibodies that are produced as a result of vaccination of a cat with an FIV vaccine, but not as a result of FIV infection. Using the methods of the present invention, whether an anti-FIV antibody-positive cat is infected with FIV or has been vaccinated can be conveniently distinguished.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a whole-cell bacterial vaccine composition for preventing whooping cough caused by Bordetella parapertussis, comprising whole cells, whole-cell homogenate, or cell lysate of B. parapertussis as an immunogen, and methods for producing them.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel stemphones having enhancing effect of ?-lactam antibiotic used as an antibacterial agent, and a process for production thereof. The process is comprised of culturing microorganism belonging to genus Aspergillus and having ability to produce stemphones, the microorganism of which is Aspergillus sp. FKI-2136 NITE BP-83, accumulating the stemphones in the cultured mass, and isolating the stemphones from the cultured mass. Since the obtained stemphones have an action enhancing activity of ?-lactam antibiotic used as an antibacterial agent by combining with ?-lactam antibiotic, the stemphones are expected to be useful as the therapeutic agent for MRSA infection and infectious diseases caused by multi-drug resistant microorganisms including ?-lactam antibiotic resistance.

Abstract: An OCT technique that permits tomographic observation of biological body parts that are difficult to restrain, and also provides a tomographic observation technique for the observation of a constrainable part that does not require constraint and thus removes a burden on the biological body. A wavelength-tunable light generator (wavelength-tunable light source) is employed as the light source of the optical coherence tomography device. The wavelength-tunable light generator has a wave number tunable range width of at least 4.7×10?2 ?m?1 and an emitted-light frequency width of no more than 13 GHz, for example, and is capable of changing the wave number stepwise at wave number intervals of no more than 3.1×10?4 ?m?1 and time intervals of no more than 530 ?s.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide methods for predicting the effectiveness of apheresis therapy in the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy. The present invention provides methods for predicting the effectiveness of apheresis therapy on patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, which comprise adding, for example, sera or such collected from patients to 1 8-day-old chicken fertile eggs and measuring the left ventricular ejection fraction of the eggs. High reproducibility was achieved by using urethane as an anesthetic agent for the chicken fertile eggs, maintaining the eggs in incubation sand at 40° C. during measurement, and using an ultrasonic probe with a frequency of 10 MHz or more. When the left ventricular ejection fraction is less than 90%, apheresis therapy is likely to be effective. Indeed, it has been clinically demonstrated that the apheresis therapy is successful when the left ventricular ejection fraction is improved to 90% or more by the therapy.