Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an antibody that binds to a human PGE2 receptor subtype EP4 and inhibits the function of EP4, or a functional fragment thereof. It is another object of the present invention to provide a medicament comprising the aforementioned antibody or a functional fragment thereof. Mice were immunized with the human PGE2 receptor subtype EP4, and a monoclonal antibody that suppresses the intracellular cAMP level increase induced by EP4 was screened. In addition, the CDR sequences of the obtained monoclonal antibody were determined.

Abstract: Previously, it was difficult to obtain high-affinity antibodies that specifically bind to HMGB-1 but not to HMGB-2. Under this circumstance, the present inventors successfully obtained antibodies that are more reactive to HMGB-1 than to HMGB-2 by using specific peptides as an antigen. The present inventors also demonstrated that the antibodies had a HMGB-1-neutralizing activity. The present inventors administered the antibodies to amyloidosis model animals, and as a result, successfully demonstrated that the antibodies produced a significant therapeutic effect.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide hepatitis C virus inhibitors capable of inhibiting viral replication in hepatitis C virus-infected cells. The replication of hepatitis C virus can be inhibited and hepatitis C virus-infected cells can be specifically injured by specifically inhibiting BGT-1 or AKR1C1 involved in the replication of hepatitis C virus. Thus, viral inhibitors comprising a substance inhibiting BGT-1 or AKR1C1 are effective for the treatment of hepatitis C.

Abstract: A vibration damping device for suppressing vibrations of a structure includes: a slide body mechanism having a concave slide body and a convex slide body which are fixed to the structure and are arranged so as to be slidable relative to each other in a reciprocating manner; and a biasing means which pushes the slide bodies to each other. Each slide body has: a first slide surface having a shape which increases a height of the slide body mechanism 2 along with the increase of a displacement amount of the slide body in one sliding direction from a neutral position relative to the counterpart slide body; and a second slide surface having a shape by which the height of the slide body mechanism is increased along with the increase of the displacement of the slide body in the other sliding direction from the neutral position.

Abstract: There is provided a novel loxoprofen derivative that has no side effect such as a gastrointestinal disorder and also has excellent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects and is represented by the following formula (I) or (II): (wherein R1 and R2 each represent a halogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group) or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof. In the derivative, the halogen atom is selected from a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, a fluorine atom, and an iodine atom, and a substituent of the substituted phenyl group is a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl group, a lower alkylthio group, a lower alkoxy group, a nitro group, an amino group, or a carboxyl group.

Abstract: To provide a method of welding a metallic glass and a crystalline metal by shifting a high-energy beam scan area from a butting face thereof to the metallic glass side, to fall within a composition range required for glass phase formation of a metallic glass base material in a simplified assured manner. In a welding method for weldingly joining a metallic glass and a crystalline metal together by scanning a high-energy beam in a position shifted from a butt interface between the metallic glass and the crystalline metal toward the metallic glass, it is intended to provide a technique for allowing a composition of a melt zone formed around a welding interface to fall within a composition range required for forming a glass phase in the metallic glass to be joined, in a simple and more reliable manner. A metallic glass (1) and a crystalline metal (2) are butted against each other to define a groove space (Y) over a groove formed on the side of the crystalline metal (2).

Abstract: A measurement unit for tensile or compressive stress can includes a CCD camera for detecting an interference light, the interference light being formed with a measurement beam from a measured region and a reference beam from a reference mirror. A first objective lens can have the reference mirror. An image processing apparatus can measure the three-dimensional shape of the measured region from the position of the first objective lens at which the interference light provides the maximum contrast and can measure the distance between two gauge points on the basis of the three-dimensional shape. When strain is generated on a micromaterial, the strain against the measured tensile stress is measured on the basis of the tensile stress and the distance between the two gauge points.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid culture medium for substance introduction, which is capable of increasing the survival rate of cells after substance introduction as much as possible when the cells are irradiated with plasma for the purpose of introducing a target substance into each of the cells. Specifically disclosed is a liquid culture medium for substance introduction, which is used for the purpose of introducing a predetermined target substance into a cell and enables introduction of the target substance into the cell by having the cell in the liquid culture medium, which contains the target substance, irradiated with a plasma jet. The liquid culture medium contains a damage preventing component that prevents the cell from damage due to the plasma jet.

Abstract: A three-dimensional-object can be effectively detected. A pair of image capture devices capture a three-dimensional-object and calculate disparity component data of subdivided-image regions, respectively. On a basis of the disparity component data, gray scale values indicative of distances from the image capture device are calculated and a gray scale image in which each region has its corresponding gray scale value is generated. A model of the three-dimensional-object is defined and correlation values is calculated to show the degree of a similarity between the model and the image subdivided regions in the gray scale image. The model is a two-dimensional image with a shaping characteristic when the three-dimensional object is viewed from positions of the image capture devices while each subdivided region of the two-dimensional image has a gray scale value indicative of a distance from the image capture device at a portion corresponding to the three-dimensional object.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnesium alloy material excellent in high mechanical characteristics without using special manufacturing facilities or processes and a method for manufacturing the magnesium alloy material. The magnesium alloy material is an Mg—Zn—RE alloy containing Zn as an essential component, at least one of Gd, Tb, and Tm as RE, and the rest including Mg and unavoidable impurities and contains a needle-like precipitate or a board-like precipitate (lengthy precipitate: X-phase=?-phase, ??-phase, and ?1-phase).

Abstract: Provided are a method for generating a data set for integrated proteomics analysis, whereby expression level variations of both of proteins and genes can be integrally united together and, moreover, highly accurate and appropriate analysis results can be obtained compared with the existing cases where the expression variation amount of proteins or genes is singly analyzed, an integrated proteomics analysis method, a method for identifying a protein causative of a disease or the like using these methods, and a method of using the same???.

Abstract: There is provided an oxygen storage/release material using a rare earth oxysulfate or oxysulfide, which has a high oxygen storage/release capacity even at lower temperatures. The oxygen storage/release material of the present invention comprises a compound consisting of Pr2O2SO4 and/or Pr2O2S and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Pt, Rh and Fe supported thereon.

Abstract: Previously, it was difficult to obtain high-affinity antibodies that specifically bind to HMGB-1 but not to HMGB-2. Under this circumstance, the present inventors successfully obtained antibodies that are more reactive to HMGB-1 than to HMGB-2 by using specific peptides as an antigen. The present inventors also demonstrated that the antibodies had a HMGB-1-neutralizing activity. The present inventors administered the antibodies to amyloidosis model animals, and as a result, successfully demonstrated that the antibodies produced a significant therapeutic effect.

Abstract: Provided is a method of treating a metal surface, which can improve surface properties of a target metal, such as surface hardness and wear resistance in a simple manner and at low cost using very simple equipment alone, and which can prevent the deterioration of the metal to create high added value. The present invention is comprised of a method of treating a metal surface, characterized in that: heat-treating a target metal (10) to be surface-modified in nitrogen gas atmosphere (S), in such a state where the target metal (10) is buried in a carbon source powder (12) comprising a carbon powder and a powder of iron or an iron alloy mainly comprising iron and containing carbon, whereby the surface of the target metal (10) is at least nitrided or nitrogen-absorbed to modify the surface.

Abstract: Provided is a high-strength and high-toughness magnesium alloy which has practical level of both the strength and the toughness for expanded applications of the magnesium alloys, and is a method for manufacturing thereof. The high-strength and high-toughness magnesium alloy of the present invention contains: a atom % in total of at least one metal of Cu, Ni, and Co; and b atom % in total of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Y, Dy, Er, Ho, Gd, Tb, and Tm, while a and b satisfying the following formulae (1) to (3), 0.2?a?10??(1) 0.2?b?10??(2) 2/3a?2/3<b.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to establish a system for reliably differentiating an ES cell into a hepatic cell. The present invention provides a method for inducing the differentiation of an ES cell into a hepatic cell, which comprises, in the presence of an M15 cell, culturing a mammal-derived ES cell in the presence of activin and bFGF, and then culturing the ES cell in the presence of dexamethasone, HGF, and oncostatin M.

Abstract: The activated Factor XI is provided as an antitussive for cough caused by the stimulation at the tracheal bifurcation such as chronic cough. A pharmaceutical composition for prevention, treatment and/or symptom amelioration of cough, comprising a polypeptide chain as an active ingredient and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the polypeptide chain consists of a full length amino acid sequence constituting activated Factor XI (hereinafter also referred to as “FXIa”), the amino acid sequence with one or several amino acids therein being deleted, substituted or added, or a partial sequence of either of the above amino acid sequences, or an amino acid sequence comprising as a part any of the above amino acid sequences.

Abstract: Provided is an oral composition for denture wearers, which includes an antimicrobial substance of biological origin, is biocompatible, and has an antimicrobial activity. Specifically, provided is an antimicrobial oral composition for denture wearers including a component of common rush origin. The oral composition for denture wearers is placed in the mouth, and hence the oral composition for denture wearers including a component of common rush origin, which may also be used as a food additive, is safe for a living body and useful.

Abstract: A movable-body navigation information display unit is provided. In the movable-body navigation information display unit, a driver can intuitively and accurately recognize a relation between navigation information and a real picture or a real landscape. In addition, it is possible to avoid a state that visibility of a caution-needed picture such as a pedestrian in the real picture and a real picture of a road construction site is inhibited by an image of the navigation information. An image data creating section (405) matches road shape data with a road shape model to estimate posture data. In addition, the image data creating section creates picture (image) data for accurately compositing and displaying the image of the navigation information in an appropriate position in a real picture (or in a real landscape) of a road ahead of a movable body, and displays the navigation information as a three-dimensional icon or the like. A picture display section (5) performs display based on the picture data.

Abstract: An ozone generator is provided with a pulse generator (110) that at least includes pulse generation means for generating a pulse voltage and a magnetic switch (SI2) adjusting pulse width of the generated pulse voltage, and a discharge reactor that is provided with a plurality of electrodes to which the pulse voltage for which the pulse width has been adjusted is applied, and that generates a discharge between the plurality of electrodes as a result of the pulse voltage, for which the pulse width has been adjusted, being applied thereto, and also generates ozone as a result of a raw material gas containing oxygen being supplied from the outside to between the electrodes where the discharge has been generated.