Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide an artificial polyclonal immunoglobulin composition or artificial immunoglobulin fragment composition having a high therapeutic effect and high safety, and being capable of stable supply in a large amount. Specifically provided is an artificial polyclonal immunoglobulin composition containing, as active ingredients, 204 polypeptides represented by amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 204 of the sequence listing, the polypeptides being plural kinds of single chain variable fragments (also referred to as ScFvs) each comprised of a heavy chain variable region, heavy chain constant region 1, and hinge region (VH-CH1-hinge) of an immunoglobulin, in which the heavy chain variable regions are different each other. An artificial immunoglobulin fragment composition is also provided that can include at least one polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 204, for example, SEQ ID NO. 31.

Abstract: Provided is a novel soluble factor that modulates morphogenesis and cell proliferation, such as cardiac development and/or cardiomyocyte differentiation. Specifically provided are: an inhibitor of Wnt signalling, comprising an insulin-like growth-factor-binding protein (IGFBP), the protein being binding to a Wnt receptor, and/or a polynucleotide encoding the protein; a medicament for prevention and/or treatment of a disease due to enhanced Wnt signalling, comprising the inhibitor of Wnt signalling, and a medicament for induction of cardiomyocyte differentiation; and a method for prevention and/or treatment of a disease due to enhanced Wnt signalling and a method of inducing cardiomyocyte differentiation, the methods each comprising using the inhibitor of Wnt signalling, and a cardiomyocyte, which is obtained by the method of inducing cardiomyocyte differentiation, and a use thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ASE-free continuously tunable external resonator laser in which reduction in tuning range and decrease in output are suppressed. The external resonator laser comprises: a fixed support body which has a half mirror that partially reflects incident light and partially transmits incident light fixed therein; and a rotatory support body which is rotatably supported by the fixed support body by way of a shaft, and which has a laser chip that emits light, a collimator lens that collimates light emitted from the laser chip, and a diffraction grating that diffracts light emitted from the laser chip, fixed therein.

Abstract: An optical apparatus includes first and second substrates disposed to oppose each other, the first substrate having a first electrode provided on a surface of the first substrate nearer to the second substrate, and the second substrate having a second electrode provided on a surface of the second substrate nearer to the first substrate, and an electrolyte layer sandwiched between the first and the second substrates, and containing electro-deposition material including silver, wherein when potential of the first electrode is used as reference, a first voltage of positive polarity is applied in a first period to the second electrode, and a second voltage of positive polarity lower than the first voltage is applied in a second period after the first period to the second electrode.

Abstract: [PROBLEMS] To provide a novel compound having NMDA receptor channel blocking activity, and also a pharmaceutical agent comprising the compound. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] A pharmaceutical agent for the treatment or prevention of a disease caused by overexcitation of an NMDA receptor, which comprises a compound having NMDA receptor channel blocking activity and represented by the formula (1), a salt thereof, or a hydrate of the compound or the salt.

Abstract: A method for removing cauxin in cat urine and a material for removing cauxin are provided. The material for removing cauxin in cat urine comprises a polymer substrate on which surface a trifluoroketone derivative is immobilized via dithiol.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a respiratory condition, includes: a signal acquiring section which is configured to acquire a signal corresponding to a respiratory flow of a subject; a first index producing section which is configured to produce a first index related to the respiratory flow of the subject obtained from the signal; a second index producing section which is configured to produce a second index related to a respiratory demand of the subject predicted from the first index; a third index producing section which is configured to produce a third index related to a respiratory effort of the subject based on the first index and the second index; and an outputting section which is configured to output the third index.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a production method that can produce glycol from polyhydric alcohol with high selectivity and in a satisfactory yield. The object is achieved by using a silver catalyst in a reaction for synthesizing hydroxyketone from polyhydric alcohol having adjacent hydroxyl groups, and a hydrogenation catalyst in a reaction for synthesizing glycol from hydroxyketone.

Abstract: The invention relates to a stable bicarbonate ion-containing drug solution, particularly a bicarbonate-containing drug solution for dialysis in which the stability has been improved by the presence of a phosphate ion. Further, the invention relates to a drug solution for acute blood purification, particularly a dialysate and a substitution liquid for acute blood purification to be mixed before use containing the drug solution. Still further, the invention relates to a dialysate and a substitution liquid for acute blood purification to be mixed before use in which the formation of insoluble fine particles or precipitates is prevented for a long time after mixing and with which hypokalemeia and hypophosphatemia are not caused.

Abstract: A measure for selective fluorescent labeling of the Golgi apparatus, which has low cytotoxicity and excellent intracellular stability, is provided. According to the present invention, provided are a ceramide derivative represented by the following Chemical formula 1: in the formula, R1 is an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, R2 is an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 1 to 20, and a Golgi apparatus-labeling fluorescent probe using the same.

Abstract: Provided is a stethoscopy training system which is inexpensive and has a simple configuration, without using a device which measures a respiratory operation of a simulated patient. The stethoscopy training system for this objective is formed from: a simulated stethoscope (1) having a sound acquisition unit further comprising a location display means (1d), a tube, and ear pipes; a location sensing means (2) for sensing the location of the sound acquisition unit; biological sound database (3); a biological sound reproducing means (4); and a timing display means (5) for displaying a timing of a repetition of a reproduced respiratory sound. The database retains as information biological sounds which are prerecorded from actual patients in correspondence with chest locations.

Abstract: An ammonia-producing catalyst includes a p-type semiconductor, an n-type semiconductor, and a metal fine particle having a function of adsorbing nitrogen. In the ammonia-producing catalyst including the metal fine particle, generation of ammonia is promoted, and the generated amount of ammonia is increased. An ammonia-producing catalyst includes a p-type semiconductor, an n-type semiconductor, and an ammonia-fixing compound for fixing ammonia. In the ammonia-producing catalyst including the ammonia-fixing compound, a fixed yield of ammonia is sufficiently increased.

Abstract: Provided are a light-adjusting element and a product containing the same. The light-adjusting element usable even with a transmission display device, and has a high-quality mirror state capable of a high contrast ratio. A light-adjusting element, according to one embodiment of the present invention, is characterized by including: a pair of substrates; a pair of electrodes formed on opposing surfaces of the pair of substrates, with one electrode being a transparent electrode that has nanometer-scale depressions and protrusions; and en electrolyte layer, interposed between the pair of electrodes, which has electrolyte as well as a mediator and an electrochromic material that has silver. Furthermore, a device according to one embodiment of the present invention at least partially includes the light-adjusting element.

Abstract: Problem: To provide a trocar equipped with a retractable camera, with which the security is enhanced as compared with the related art. Means for Solution: An opening portion 13 is provided at a position of a pipe portion 11. The position of opening portion 13 is reliably within the body of the patient. A shaft 14 is arranged along the interior of the trocar, along an edge of the opening portion 13. Several bearings 15 are fixed to the inter wall of the pipe portion 11, with the shaft 14 being rotatably mounted in the bearings 15. The end portion of the shaft 14 extends to the exterior of the trocar, outside the body of the patient. A selection lever 16 is provided at the outer end portion of the shaft 14. The selection lever 16 can be changed over between a stored position and a deployed position, and can be fixed in each of these positions. A camera 17 is rigidly and integrally attached to the shaft 14 at a position that corresponds to the opening portion 13.

Abstract: Problem To provide a surgery assistance system that performs measurement of shapes within the abdominal cavity at high accuracy in three dimensions, and a trocar for use in such a surgery assistance system. Means for Solution A surgery assistance system 101 includes forceps trocars 1a and 1b having retractable cameras 17a and 17b and marks 19a and 19b, a laparoscope trocar 3, forceps 4a and 4b, a laparoscope 5 having a mark 19d, an image processing device 6 that inputs the images obtained from the retractable cameras 17a and 17b and the image obtained from the laparoscope 5 and combines these images to create a three dimensional image, a three dimensional monitor 7 that outputs the three dimensional image created by the image processing device 6, and an optical tracking sensor 9. The positional relationships of the marks 19 and the corresponding cameras 17 are fixed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a stable bicarbonate ion-containing drug solution, particularly a bicarbonate-containing drug solution for dialysis in which the stability has been improved by the presence of a phosphate ion. Further, the invention relates to a drug solution for acute blood purification, particularly a dialysate and a substitution liquid for acute blood purification to be mixed before use containing the drug solution. Still further, the invention relates to a dialysate and a substitution liquid for acute blood purification to be mixed before use in which the formation of insoluble fine particles or precipitates is prevented for a long time after mixing and with which hypokalemeia and hypophosphatemia are not caused.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing a carotenoid having 50 carbon atoms which comprises culturing, in a medium, a cell transformed with a mutant phytoene desaturase gene and obtaining the carotenoid having 50 carbon atoms from the culture. The mutant phytoene desaturase gene has an introduced mutation to encode a mutant phytoene desaturase having an enhanced activity to desaturate a carotenoid backbone compound of 50 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A method of identifying compounds that inhibit fertilization is provided. The method can include selecting compounds that bind to equatorin protein. Two types of equatorin protein, a long form and a short form, can be present in the testis. The amino acid sequence of mouse equatorin from positions 101 to 146 including the 138th O-glycosylated threonine residue contains an epitope recognized by anti-equatorin antibody MN9 that has an effect of inhibiting fertilization. In addition, the MN9 antibody also binds to human sperm. Compounds that bind to the epitope can inhibit fertilization. Both forms of mouse equatorin can be used as well as human equatorin to identify compounds that inhibit fertilization.

Abstract: In a coated high-temperature superconducting wire 1 in which a superconducting yttrium-based wire (high-temperature superconducting wire) 2 having a rectangular cross section is coated by an insulating layer 6, the insulating layer 6 is an electrodeposited film made of block copolymerized polyimide which contains siloxane bonds in a polyimide main chain and which has molecules with anionic groups. A coil formed from the superconducting yttrium-based wire 2 is impregnated with epoxy resin, and the epoxy resin is cured. The coil is configured such that the epoxy resin is completely separated from the superconducting yttrium-based wire 2 by the insulating layer 6.

Abstract: A method for quantitatively evaluating chromatin structural changes using pixel imaging of the nucleus is provided. Pixel imaging of the nucleus can include capturing one or more images of a nucleus of one or more nucleic acid stain treated cells. The stain intensity can be measured by quantitating the intensity. The mean and/or standard deviation of stain intensity per pixel can be used to determine chromatin condensation levels or chromatin structural change.