Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric ceramics, including a perovskite compound of a non-stoichiometric composition represented by a composition formula (KxNa1-x)y(Nb1-zTaz)O3 (0<x?1, 0<y<1, 0?z?0.5); and a sintering aid which includes an oxide containing K, Co, and Ta.

Abstract: Provided is a microparticle separation system capable of continuously separating microparticles from a solution in a short period of time in which microparticles having different particle diameters are mixed, without the need to use antibodies or the like. The microparticle separation system comprises a microparticle separation chip; a thin plate for a sample liquid; a thin plate for a sheath liquid; and suctioning means and/or a suctioning device for suctioning the sheath liquid; and the microparticle separation chip comprises a single capture site for capturing to-be-captured microparticles being formed using the at least three pillars having one end provided on the substrate and the other end open upward.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bone formation promoter having high biological safety and capable of promoting bone formation. The bone formation promoter of the present invention includes a self-assembling peptide capable of forming a ?-sheet structure in an aqueous solution having a neutral pH; and a bone chip. A sum of charges of amino acid residues constituting the self-assembling peptide at pH 7.0 is unequal to 0.

Abstract: Intended is to provide a more practical technique for immobilizing a microorganism using an adhesive protein AtaA derived from Acinetobacter sp. Tol 5. Provided is a method for attaching and releasing a microorganism, including (1) a step of contacting a microorganism, into which DNA encoding autotransporter adhesin derived from a microorganism belonging to the genus Acinetobacter has been introduced to impart or enhance non-specific adhesiveness, with a carrier under a high ionic strength and thus attaching the microorganism to the carrier; and (2) a step of releasing the microorganism from the carrier by washing under a low ionic strength.

Abstract: This technique provides a protein film production method which can form a protein film, with denaturation of protein being prevented. The protein film production method includes mixing a protein with an aqueous solvent, to thereby form an aqueous protein solution PAS1, and treating the aqueous protein solution PAS1 with plasma generated by a plasma generator 100. The plasma generated by the plasma generator 100 has a plasma density of 1×1013 cm?3 to 1×1015 cm?3.

Abstract: The invention provides a rapid-acting, blood NOx level-increasing oral preparation containing citrulline or a salt thereof and arginine or a salt thereof as active ingredients. The rapid-acting, blood NOx level-increasing oral preparation of the present invention can rapidly and effectively increase blood NOx level after ingestion, and can rapidly provide an arginine ingestion effect.

Abstract: A power supply system for supplying a grid power to a building includes a power generator, a power storing device, and a power controller. The power generator generates off-grid power from a predetermined energy. The power storing device stores the grid power and the off-grid power and supplies the stored power to the building. The power controller controls consumptions of the grid power and the off-grid power. The power controller calculates predicted consumption data related to power consumed in the building and predicted generation data related to power generated by the power generator. The power controller calculates a charging-discharging schedule for the power storing device based on the predicted consumption data and the predicted generation data by formulating the charging-discharging schedule as a mixed integer programming problem.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a substance which can be used as an active ingredient for improving neuropathic pain having a mechanism of action different from those of currently available agents and, therefore, provide an improving agent for neuropathic pain which rarely interacts with currently available agents and also does not have adverse reactions similar to those of currently available agents. An improving agent for neuropathic pain due to a hyperalgesic response of the present invention for resolution is characterized by comprising, as an active ingredient, a lyase (an elimination enzyme) which has an activity of degrading a chondroitin sulfate chain of a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, and is typified by chondroitinase ABC which selectively removes chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate of a proteoglycan.

Abstract: A phosphor is represented by the general formula aMIX.MII1-xMIMVO4:(Re)x where MI is at least one atomic element selected from the group consisting of K, Li, Na, Rb, Cs, Fr, Cu, and Ag, with K being essential; MII is at least one atomic element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra, Mn, Zn, Cd, and Sn; MV is at least one atomic element selected from the group consisting of P, V, Nb, Ta, As, Sb, and Bi; X is at least one halogen element, with F being essential; Re is at least one atomic element selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements, with Eu being essential; and a is in the range 0.6?a?1.4.

Abstract: An incubated state evaluating device includes an image reading unit, a feature value calculating unit, a frequency distribution calculating unit, and an evaluation information generating unit. The image reading unit reads a plurality of images in which a plurality of cells incubated in an incubation container are image-captured in time series. The feature value calculating unit obtains each of feature values representing morphological features of cells from the images for each of the cells included in the images. The frequency distribution calculating unit obtains each of frequency distributions of the feature values corresponding to the respective images. The evaluation information generating unit generates evaluation information evaluating an incubated state of cells in the incubation container based on a variation of the frequency distributions between images.

Abstract: A laser therapeutic device for a laser endoscope capable of relatively reducing the diameter of the endoscope while being capable of emitting a laser beam of a uniform intensity over a wide area is provided. An optical guide element (a square-shaped rod lens 15, a guide tube 2b) having a quadrangular cross section and guiding a therapeutic laser beam emitted from the tip of an optical fiber toward the tip side of a probe is used. On the tip side of a probe tube 2 being a barrel, using clearances C1 to C4 formed between the optical guide element and the inner circumferential surface of the probe tube, a camera unit 11 as imaging means and white-color LED units 12 and an ultraviolet LED unit 13 as illumination means are arranged.

Abstract: A sliding member is capable of moving relative to a counterpart and includes a substrate and an amorphous carbon film which is provided on the substrate. The amorphous carbon film has a nitrogen content of 2 at % to 11 at % and a surface hardness in a range of 25 GPa to 80 GPa.

Abstract: A method of producing semiconductor nanoparticles is provided. The method includes heating primary semiconductor nanoparticles and a salt of an element M1 in a solvent at a temperature set in a range of 100° C. to 300° C. The primary semiconductor nanoparticles contain the element M1, an element M2, optionally an element M3, and an element Z, and have an average particle size of 50 nm or less. The element M1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu, and Au. The element M2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, In, and Tl. The element M3 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Zn and Cd. The element Z is at least one element selected from the group consisting of S, Se, and Te.

Abstract: Tellurium compound nanoparticles, including: an element M1 where M1 is at least one element selected from Cu, Ag, and Au; an element M2 where M2 is at least one element selected from B, Al, Ga, and In; Te; and optionally an element M3 where M3 is at least one element selected from Zn, Cd, and Hg; wherein a crystal structure of the tellurium compound nanoparticles is a hexagonal system, the tellurium compound nanoparticles are of a rod shape and have an average short-axis length of 5.5 nm or less, and when irradiated with light at a wavelength in a range of 350 nm to 1,000 nm, the tellurium compound nanoparticles emit photoluminescence having a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the irradiation light.

Abstract: Semiconductor nanoparticles of the present invention are particles each having a core-shell structure that includes a core and a shell surrounding the core. The core includes (AgIn)xZn2(1-x)S2 (0.4?x?0.95 holds). The shell includes ZnS or ZnO, and the semiconductor nanoparticles each have at least one hydrophilic functional group on a surface of the shell. As the hydrophilic functional group, for example, a carboxyl group or a sulfo group may be mentioned. Since having a low toxicity and a high emission quantum yield, the semiconductor nanoparticles as described above may be used for a fluorescent probe for biological labeling.

Abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) having a desired diameter are selectively produced by reacting a carbon source with a cyclic compound in which multiple aromatic rings are continuously bonded. The reaction is preferably performed by supplying a gaseous carbon source under reduced pressure and heating. The cyclic compound in which multiple aromatic rings are continuously bonded is preferably a cyclic compound in which bivalent aromatic hydrocarbon groups are continuously bonded, or a modified cycloparaphenylene compound in which a cycloparaphenylene compound or at least one phenylene group of the cycloparaphenylene compound is substituted with a condensed cyclic group such as a naphthylene group.

Abstract: A method for recovering an endohedral metallofullerene comprises a complexation step of adding a Lewis acid comprising titanium halide or tin halide to a reaction solution formed by dissolving crude fullerenes in a solvent, thereby forming a complex of the endohedral metallofullerene and the Lewis acid, a filtering step of filtering the reaction solution to separate the complex, and a washing step of removing the Lewis acid from the complex to obtain the endohedral metallofullerene. The obtained endohedral metallofullerene is soluble in a solvent. This method provides a high recovery yield of the endohedral metallofullerene.

Abstract: Provided are a simple and convenient apparatus capable of analyzing carbon isotope 14C and a method of analyzing the carbon isotope.

Abstract: A microwave plasma generation apparatus (4) includes: a rectangular waveguide (41) that transmits a microwave; a slot antenna (42) that has a slot (420) through which the microwave passes; and a dielectric portion (43) that is arranged so as to cover the slot (420) and of which a plasma generating region-side front face is parallel to an incident direction in which the microwave enters from the slot (420). The microwave plasma generation apparatus (4) is able to generate microwave plasma (P1) under a low pressure of lower than or equal to 1 Pa. A magnetron sputtering deposition system (1) includes the microwave plasma generation apparatus (4), and carries out film deposition using magnetron plasma (P2) while radiating microwave plasma (P1) between a base material (20) and a target (30). With the magnetron sputtering deposition system (1), it is possible to form a thin film having small asperities on its surface.

Abstract: The following formula is an example of a phosphole compound of the present invention. The phosphole compound of the present invention has the characteristic of maintaining a high fluorescence quantum yield in a wide range of solvents from low-polarity solvents to high-polarity solvents, as well as the characteristic in which the fluorescence wavelength shifts to the longer wavelength side as the polarity of the solvent increases. Because of these characteristics, the phosphole compound of the present invention is expected to be used, for example, for quantitatively determining the polarity in the environment therearound by using the absorption wavelength and fluorescence wavelength thereof, or used as a new fluorescent probe dye or a highly efficient luminescent material in organic electronic devices.