Abstract: Cyclic depsipeptides represented by the formula wherein: R is a straight or branched alkyl group of 5-20 carbon atoms or a straight or branched alkoxymethyl group of 5-15-carbon atoms; A, B, D, E and F independently each other are alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, etc.; W and Z independently each other are aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid or glutamine; and m and n independently each other is 0 or 1, or pharmacologically acceptable salts thereof. The present compounds are prepared according to a method conventionally used in peptide synthesis. The present compounds are useful as an agent for promoting the production of apolipoprotein E, a therapeutic agent for neurologic damages, a therapeutic agent for dementia, an agent for inhibiting the production of apolipoprotein B, an agent for promoting the production of apolipoprotein A1 or a therapeutic agent for hyperlipemia.

Abstract: Provided are a bread-making additive containing a water-insoluble resistant starch and a gluten; and a bread-making composition containing the additive and a grain powder. By using this additive or composition, breads excellent in crust, crumb, texture and the like can be made.

Abstract: A method for producing breads by use of a yeast which has been transformed with a photoprotein expression recombinant vector, the vector containing a fragment of a yeast-derived agglutinin gene and a gene coding for a photoprotein. The present invention enables to produce breads having a soft flavor of fermentation and exhibiting excellent expansion, thinly and uniformly stretched internal grain, and a smooth, good-shaped external appearance.

Abstract: A method for analysis of the textural structure of a food of a multi-component dispersion system, in which a food of a multi-component dispersion system is stained with a fluorescent dye, and observing the stained food within a wavelength range lower than the value calculated by subtracting 40 nm from the maximum absorption wavelength of the employed fluorescent dye. The method enables image analysis through stereoscopic visualization of the textural structure of a food of a multi-component dispersion system.

Abstract: The mechanical crusher includes a rotating shaft, a rotor mounted about the rotating shaft and having at least one sub-rotor containing a plurality of blades, a liner having a plurality of grooves formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof and disposed externally of the rotor with a predetermined gap defined between the inner peripheral surface thereof and the outer-peripheral surface of the rotor, and a drive unit for rotating the rotor. The blades of at least the one sub-rotor incline in a direction where the flow of a material to be crushed is forced back. With this arrangement, the mechanical crusher can effectively crush a fiber-incluing material such as wheat bran, and the like to fine powder.

Abstract: A method for producing breads by use of a yeast which has been transformed with a photoprotein expression recombinant vector, the vector containing a fragment of a yeast-derived agglutinin gene and a gene coding for a photoprotein. The present invention enables to produce breads having a soft flavor of fermentation and exhibiting excellent expansion, thinly and uniformly stretched internal grain, and a smooth, good-shaped external appearance.

Abstract: A powdery particle conveying system is provided in which electric power consumption can be saved when powdery particles are conveyed by use of a roots blower. In the case where the powdery particles are conveyed to a reservoir tank near the roots blower, the frequency of a power source of a roots blower driving motor is reduced, thereby reducing an output of the roots blower. In contrast, in the case where the powdery particles are conveyed to a remote reservoir tank, a voltage of a commercial frequency is applied to the motor.

Abstract: A method for analysis of the textural structure of a food of a multi-component dispersion system, in which a food of a multi-component dispersion system is stained with a fluorescent dye, and observing the stained food within a wavelength range lower than the value calculated by subtracting 40 nm from the maximum absorption wavelength of the employed fluorescent dye. The method enables image analysis through stereoscopic visualization of the textural structure of a food of a multi-component dispersion system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a finely-divided powder spray apparatus having a spray nozzle pipe for discharging spacers for liquid crystal displays from the tip together with a gas flow, which is disposed at a prescribed distance from a member to be sprayed, and comprising: a touch panel which enters control factors for controlling the moving-speed of the tip of the spray nozzle pipe at individual spray points the surface of the glass substrate; and an actuator driver which controls the moving speed of the tip of the spray nozzle pipe in accordance with the control factor entered by the touch panel.

Abstract: The oxide coated fine metal particles include fine core metal particles that are covered with a coating layer including an oxygen-containing compound of a dissimilar element that do not contain as a main component a metal element which is the main component of the fine core metal particles, or a complex oxide or a complex salt of the oxide, the complex oxide or the oxy-acid salt and an oxide of the metal element. A metal powder material is mixed with an oxide powder material of the oxygen-containing compound to obtain a powder material mixture. The powder material mixture is supplied into a thermal plasma to make a vapor-phase mixture and then the vapor-phase mixture is quenched to form the oxide coated fine metal particles comprising the fine core metal particles that are finer than the metal powder material and which are covered with the coating layer including the oxygen-containing compound.

Abstract: The oxides-enclosed fine glass particles are arranged such that two or more pieces of at least two kinds of enclosing particles, which comprise oxides, double oxides, or salts of oxyacids, or double oxides or double salts thereof, are enclosed in each of the fine glass particles. The fine particles can be easily manufactured by mixing a powder material of glass with a powder material of oxides which comprise oxides, double oxides, or salts of oxyacids, or double oxides or double salts thereof that are not made to glass; converting the thus obtained mixture of the materials into a mixture in a vapor-state by supplying the thermal plasma thereto; and quickly cooling the mixture in the vapor-state. Highly-scattered fine particles of oxides can be easily obtained from the fine particles, and thus a plurality of kinds of fine particles of oxides can be evenly and uniformly mixed in a small amount with a mother material without being unevenly scattered.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an amount of electric charge on a finely divided powder supplied into a powder transportation pipe in a substantially discrete particle state and transported therethrough in a stream of a compressed gas having a very small water content whose dew-point is 0° C. or less where electric charge is produced by friction on the powder by the collision thereof against the inner wall of the transportation pipe, controls the dew-point of the compressed gas, and the controls amount of frictional electric charge produced on the powder by uniformly spraying the powder onto a grounded sheet surface in a discrete particle state by use of a swinging nozzle.

Abstract: A depsipeptide containing N-substituted glycine residue having the formula (1) or (2): (wherein R1 is a straight or branched alkyl group of 5-20 carbon atoms or a straight or branched alkoxymethyl group of 5-15 carbon atoms; R2 is a group of the formula —A—B—W—(D)m—(E)n, —A—B—W—(D)m—(E)n—F or —A—B—W—(D)m—(E)n—F—Z; R3 is a hydroxyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a benzyloxy group, or a group of the formula —Z, —Z—G or —Z—G—J; A, B, D, E, F, G and J independently are an N-substituted glycine residue or a residue of an amino acid selected from the group consisting of alanine, valine, leucine, serine, etc.; W and Z independently are a residue of an amino acid selected from the group consisting of an aspartic acid, a glutamic acid, etc.

Abstract: The present invention provides a new depsipeptide derivative having a piperazinone ring within the molecule which is represented by formula (1) wherein X1 represents N(R4)—CO, N(R5)—CH2, CH2—CO, CH2—CH2, CH═CH, CH2—CH(OH) or CH(OH)—CH(OH), R1 represents a C5-C20 alkyl group or a C5-C15 alkoxy C1-C4 alkyl group, R2-R5 represent a hydrogen atom or a C1-C6 alkyl group, and A represents a group of formula (2), (3) or (4) The depsipeptide derivative has a function of accelerating the production of apolipoprotein E and is useful as an agent for the treatment of neurologic injury, an agent for the treatment of dementia and an antihyperlipidemic agent.