Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a medium; a specimen; a method for preparing the specimen; a method for observing the specimen; a sample cell; and an electron microscope capable of easily solving the problem of charge-up and further capable of observing a real shape or the like of a sample with a SEM, a TEM or the like. For the purpose of achieving the above-described object, the present invention uses an electrical conductivity-imparting liquid medium, for use in a microscope, which includes an ionic liquid as an essential component thereof and is impregnated into the entirety of a SEM or TEM sample or applied to the observation surface of a SEM or TEM sample to impart electrical conductivity at least to the observation surface of the sample. According to the present invention, the charge built up on the sample surface can be released simply by impregnating or coating the sample with the ionic liquid, and hence the problem of charge-up can be easily solved.

Abstract: The present invention has objectives of providing a low-cost, easy-to-handle individual isolation animal breeding unit and a system for using the same, significantly reducing costs of facilities and maintenance for animal experiments and saving on labor, and providing a new animal transportation form. For achieving the objectives, the present invention provides a system for maintaining an animal breeding environment, comprising A) an animal breeding unit capable of comprising an internal tray having a sufficient space for breeding an animal of interest, comprising an external tray capable of accommodating the internal tray, and capable of keeping a predetermined cleanliness degree; B) a method for providing the internal tray having the predetermined cleanliness degree; C) an internal tray exchange unit capable of accommodating the animal breeding unit and exchanging the internal tray while keeping the predetermined cleanliness degree; and D) a method for recovering the exchanged internal tray.

Abstract: A practical technique that enables effective utilization of organic wastes is provided. In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a method for producing methane gas from organic wastes according to the present invention includes: treating organic wastes with at least one of supercritical water and sub-critical water to convert the organic wastes into low molecular weight substances; and subjecting the low molecular weight substances to methane fermentation. According to the method, initially, the organic wastes are treated with at least one of the supercritical water and the sub-critical water so as to be converted into low molecular weight substances that are easily subjected to methane fermentation. Then, the treated substances are subjected to methane fermentation. Consequently, methane gas can be produced from the organic wastes at a high speed with high digestion efficiency.

Abstract: A region for which nonlinear analysis should be carried out is extracted and welding deformation of only the extracted region is computed by nonlinear analysis. Specifically, the displacement and reaction force at the limit surface are computed by linear analysis of the object to be welded, the reaction force at the limit surface is computed by nonlinear analysis of the region for which nonlinear analysis is necessary, an amount of correction of the displacement at the limit surface is computed and the above processing is repeated when it is judged that a difference between the two reaction forces is larger than a predetermined value, and welding deformation of the object to be welded is computed based on the computed displacement if it is judged that the difference between the reaction forces is smaller than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A three-dimensional fractal-structure body partially or entirely comprises a three-dimensional fractal structure, the fractal structure body having a local minimum value at a particular wavelength determined by structural and material factors of the fractal structure in a transmissivity for electromagnetic waves and/or a local minimum value at a particular wavelength determined by structural and material factors of the fractal structure in the reflectivity for electromagnetic waves.

Abstract: A method for producing a GaN crystal capable of achieving at least one of the prevention of nucleation and the growth of a high-quality non-polar surface is provided. The production method of the present invention is a method for producing a GaN crystal in a melt containing at least an alkali metal and gallium, including an adjustment step of adjusting the carbon content of the melt, and a reaction step of causing the gallium and nitrogen to react with each other. According to the production method of the present invention, nucleation can be prevented, and as shown in FIG. 4, a non-polar surface can be grown.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a non-human animal which can be utilized as a model animal well exhibiting a pathological condition of low-turnover type of osteoporosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for screening therapeutic agents for osteoporosis or therapeutic agents for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc. The invention includes a non-human animal, wherein a gene coding for CD9 and a gene coding for CD81 are deficient at least in somatic cells; and a method to use the non-human animal as an osteoporosis model animal, including a step of measuring the degree of inhibition in the osteogenesis, and a method to use the non-human animal as a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease model animal, including a step of measuring the degree of a phenotype similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Abstract: For production of plasma from a medium gas mass in an elongated shape, electric field forming elements 3, 4 that form an electric field in the medium gas mass are provided. The electric field forming elements form an electric field so that partial discharge occurs from the electric field forming elements toward both sides in the longitudinal direction of the medium gas mass. Accordingly, plasma 5 is produced from the medium gas mass. The medium gas mass is formed by, for example, gas supply members 1,2 that guide medium gas, through an internal hollow, to the electric field forming elements. An electric field forming area includes, for example, at least one high-potential electrode 3 and a voltage applying unit 4 that applies a voltage to the high-potential electrode. Plasma limited in medium gas can be produced with high energy efficiency stably over a wide range of parameters through a simple configuration.

Abstract: A method for treating exhaust gas includes: adsorbing target components in the exhaust gas with an adsorbent (5); introducing a nitrogen gas with an oxygen concentration of 10 vol % or less and a purity of 90 vol % or more into the adsorbent (5); and applying (6, 7, 8) nonthermal plasma to the adsorbent (5). After the adsorbent (5) adsorbs the target components in the exhaust gas, the nitrogen gas is introduced into the adsorbent (5), and then an electric discharge is generated so that the nonthermal plasma of the nitrogen gas is applied to the adsorbent (5) and causes desorption of the target components and regeneration of the adsorbent (5). This method can remove the target components effectively from oxygen-containing exhaust gas by using nitrogen gas plasma with high activity as a result of ionization of a nitrogen gas and combining adsorption, desorption by the nitrogen gas plasma, and nitrogen plasma treatment.

Abstract: A method for producing a Group III element nitride single crystal, which comprises reacting at least one Group III element selected from the group consisting of gallium(Ga), aluminum(Al) and indium(In) with nitrogen(N) in a mixed flux of sodium(Na) and at least one of an alkali metal (except Na) and an alkaline earth metal. The method allows the production, with a good yield, of the single crystal of a group III element nitride which is transparent, is reduced in the density of dislocation, has a bulk form, and is large. In particular, a gallium nitride single crystal produced by the method has high quality and takes a large and transparent bulk form, and thus has a high practical value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sulfonate compound including a structure represented by a general formula (I) below. In the formula (I), an atomic group A-O is an atomic group that forms a fluorescent compound upon cleavage of a covalent bond with a sulfonyl group. There may be one or plural atomic groups B—SO3— bound to an atomic group A. B is a ring substituted by one or plural electron-withdrawing groups. The electron-withdrawing group includes at least one selected from the group consisting of halogens, a carboxyl group, a carbamoyl group, a straight or branched alkylcarbamoyl group, a straight or branched alkanoyl group, a straight or branched alkoxycarbonyl group, a straight or branched alkyl halide group, and —NR3+ group (the three Rs each denote a hydrogen atom or a straight or branched alkyl group and may be the same or different). When there are plural Bs, the Bs may be the same or different.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sulfonate compound, including a structure represented by a general formula (I) below, where, in the formula (I), an atomic group A-O is an atomic group that forms a fluorescent compound upon cleavage of a covalent bond between the atomic group A-O and a sulfonyl group, one or a plurality of atomic groups B—SO3— are bonded to an atomic group A, B is a ring that is substituted by one or a plurality of electron-withdrawing groups, the electron-withdrawing group is at least one selected from the group consisting of an alkyl halide group, a nitro group and a cyano group, and B may be the same or different in kind in the case where the plurality of B exist.

Abstract: An optically sampling device optically samples an optical analog signal using a sampled signal having a predetermined sampling frequency, and outputs control light having a pulse train of an optically sampled optical analog signal. A signal generating device generates a pulse train of signal light which is synchronized with the sampled signal. An optical encoding device optically encodes the pulse train of the signal light according to the control light, by using optical encoders each including nonlinear optical loop mirrors, and outputs pulse trains of optically encoded signal light from said optical encoders, respectively. An optically quantizing device performs optical threshold processing on the pulse trains of optically-encoded signal light to optically quantize them, by using at least one of optical threshold processors each of which is connected to each of said optical encoders and includes a nonlinear optical device, and outputs optically quantized pulse trains as optical digital signals.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel baculovirus vector which can provide a desired protein not requiring infectivity to insect cells, on the viral particle surface; method of producing thereof; and method of gene transfer using the baculovirus vector. A method of producing a baculovirus vector including; a process of cotransfecting at least a plasmid containing a gene coding a protein capable of being expressed on a cell surface and one of wild-type, mutated-type form, and recombinant baculovirus DNAs into insect cells, wherein a pseudotyped baculovirus which includes at least one part of the baculovirus DNA and is coated with the protein capable of being expressed on a cell surface, is generated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing high-quality crystals of protein or organic substances easily and efficiently. A solution of protein or an organic substance is prepared and then is cooled slowly to be supersaturated to a low degree. This supersaturated solution is irradiated with a femtosecond laser 10. A local explosion phenomenon occurs at the focal point of the laser and thereby a crystalline nucleus is generated. A high-quality crystal is obtained when a crystal is grown on the crystalline nucleus over a long period of time. The femtosecond laser to be used herein can be a titanium:sapphire laser having a wavelength of 800 nm, a duration of 120 fs, a frequency of 1 kHz, and an output of 400 mW.

Abstract: The present invention provides a drug for at least one of prevention and treatment of cardiac failure capable of suppressing cardiac depression and the onset of cardiac failure in ventricular remodeling, and a method for screening the drug. The drug for at least one of prevention and treatment of cardiac failure of the present invention contains a compound that inhibits a functional expression of ASK1 protein in a cardiomyocyte as an active ingredient, and a method for screening a drug for at least one of prevention and treatment of cardiac failure of the present invention includes selecting a medicinal component for at least one of prevention and treatment of cardiac failure from a drug candidate compound by using inhibition of a functional expression of ASK1 protein as an indication. As shown in FIG.

Abstract: The present invention provides a safe and effective drug to prevent carcinogenesis of liver cancer derived, above all, from hepatitis C virus cirrhosis. The present invention provides a preventive agent for carcinogenesis of liver cancer containing menatetrenone as an active ingredient, and is effective in preventing the carcinogenesis of liver cancer by administration of such a preventive agent.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a non-human animal which can be utilized as a model animal well exhibiting a pathological condition of low-turnover type of osteoporosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for screening therapeutic agents for osteoporosis or therapeutic agents for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc. The invention includes a non-human animal, wherein a gene coding for CD9 and a gene coding for CD81 are deficient at least in somatic cells; and a method to use the non-human animal as an osteoporosis model animal, including a step of measuring the degree of inhibition in the osteogenesis, and a method to use the non-human animal as a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease model animal, including a step of measuring the degree of a phenotype similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for analyzing cell-free Notch cleavage which can be utilized for drug screening of ?-secretase inhibitors effective for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and the drug screening method, is the method for analyzing cell-free Notch cleavage having a cell-free cleavage reaction step of contacting a crude membrane fraction of cells in which a Notch protein mutant has been expressed with a subject substance and a detection step of detecting a fragment of an amino terminal side and a fragment of a carboxyl terminal side produced by intramembrane proteolysis (dual sequential cleavage in putative transmembrane domain) of the Notch protein mutant in the above cell free cleavage reaction step, wherein the effect of the subject substance on the intramembrane proteolysis of the Notch protein mutant is analyzed, and the Notch protein mutant has at least the putative transmembrane domain of a Notch protein, deletes a part of an amino acid sequence at the amino terminal side than at

Abstract: A production method is provided in which Group-III-element nitride single crystals that have a lower dislocation density and a uniform thickness and are transparent, high quality, large, and bulk crystals can be produced with a high yield. The method for producing Group-III-element nitride single crystals includes: heating a reaction vessel containing at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal and an alkaline-earth metal and at least one Group III element selected from the group consisting of gallium (Ga), aluminum (Al), and indium (In) to prepare a flux of the metal element; and feeding nitrogen-containing gas into the reaction vessel and thereby allowing the Group III element and nitrogen to react with each other in the flux to grow Group-III-element nitride single crystals, wherein the single crystals are grown, with the flux being stirred by rocking the reaction vessel, for instance.