Abstract: The present invention provides therapeutic compositions comprising a natural triterpenoid and a proteasome inhibitor. These compositions will be particularly useful in the treatment of malignancies and inflammation. The present invention also provides methods of treating a subject having a malignancy or an inflammatory disorder comprising administering to the subject a natural triterpenoid and a proteasome inhibitor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a RANK (receptor activator of NF-?B) inhibitor consisted of a TRAF-6 (TNF receptor-associated factor-6) binding domain attached to a leader sequence. The peptide inhibitor inhibits RANKL (RANK ligand)-mediated osteoclast differentiation, thus indicating that targeted disruption of interaction between RANK and TRAF6 may prove useful as a therapeutic for metabolic bone disorders, leukemia, arthritis, and metastatic cancer of the bone.

Abstract: A target material having pores is disposed on a substrate. A high energy beam is irradiated to the inner walls of the pores of the target material in a slanting direction. Constituent atoms or molecules of the target material are detached from it to obtain a single or plurality of ultrafine particles separated as a unit substance. The superfine particles are formed at desired positions corresponding to the pores of the target material. Besides, by using an amorphous carbon substrate as the substrate, fullerenes such as an onion-like graphite are formed with the ultrafine particles as nucleation points. When the high energy beam is irradiated to at least two neighboring metal ultrafine particles, these metal ultrafine particles are bonded mutually. When the obtained metal ultrafine particle bonded body has a corresponding grain boundary, the high energy beam is further irradiated to lower value .SIGMA. of the corresponding grain boundary of the bonded interface.

Abstract: A laser trapping apparatus for optically trapping an optional micro-particle from a group of micro-particles such as microorganisms suspended in a medium by a laser beam focused at a focal point of an optical converging system at the focal point, the apparatus comprising:a parallel beam output device for outputting a plurality of laser beams around an optical axis in parallel with said optical axis, and an optical converging system having an objective lens for focusing the plurality of laser beams irradiated from the parallel beam output device to the focal point.

Abstract: A humidity detection material includes oxide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu. The metal oxide is preferably in the form of a porous material. The metal oxide is formed preferably in the form of a thin film on a transparent substrate. The humidity detection material is contacted with water vapor in the presence of a gas such as air, and the optical absorbance of the humidity detection material is measured to detect the humidity. The humidity can be detected by an optical method.

Abstract: The yield of flat powder (6) of Al, Mg or their alloy is enhanced by forming, on a rotary cooling body (4), a film (8) which can prevent the flat metal powder (8) from sticking to the cooling surface. The film (8) adheres to the cooling surface at a force which is sufficient for forming the film but which enables the film material to adhere to the flat powder which then separates from the cooling body (4). The film consists essentially of at least one liquid lower fatty acid and at least one solid higher fatty acid.

Abstract: The present invention provides an isolated and purified protein derived from Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies thuringiensis, having a molecular weight of approximately 20 kDa of SDS-PAGE, said protein having the partial amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 1, and wherein said protein displays cytotoxic effects against tumor cells. Also provided is a method of treating a neoplastic cell comprising administering a therapeutically effective dose of the composition of the present invention to said cell.

Abstract: An electroluminescence element including at least an insulating substrate, a first electrode, a first insulating layer, a luminescent layer having at least one side constructed and arranged to allow light to pass out of the electroluminescence element, a second insulating layer and a second electrode in this order in a stack, with the components on the at least one side of the luminescent layer being optically transparent. The luminescent layer includes a base material formed from a II-VI compound semiconductor, at least one rare earth element, and at least one halogen element substituted for a VI group element at a lattice site of the VI group element of the II-VI compound semiconductor and located in the vicinity of the at least one rare earth element.

Abstract: Methods and devices for evaluating solid-state surface properties use infrared absorption of lattice vibration. These methods and devices are characterized by reflection spectrometry by injecting infrared rays from the reverse of the solids, placing a light transmissible solid-state sample in ways that its surface faces the plane reflex mirror on the interaction region formed by reflected infrared rays, or by injecting infrared rays from the rear of a sample or from the front thereof after upright installation of the light transmissible solid-state sample through a slit created across the plane reflex mirror or on the surface of plane reflex mirror. These methods and devices enable simplified and accurate reflection spectrometry of solid-surface properties, featuring an economical system configuration that dispenses with expensive prism, unlike the conventional ATR method.

Abstract: An apparatus for epitaxially growing a chemical-compound crystal, a plurality of raw-material gases are alternately introduced into a closed chamber of a crystal growing device to grow the crystal placed within the closed chamber. At growing of the crystal, a light from a light source is emitted to a crystal growing film of the crystal. Intensity of a light reflected from the crystal growing film and received by a photo detector is measured. Charge amounts of the respective raw-material gases are controlled by a control system on the basis of a change in the reflected-light intensity, thereby controlling a growing rate of the growing film.

Abstract: In a method of and an apparatus for epitaxially growing a chemical-compound crystal, a plurality of raw-material gasses are alternately introduced into a closed chamber of a crystal growing device to grow the crystal placed within the closed chamber. At growing of the crystal, a light from a light source is emitted to a crystal growing film of the crystal. Intensity of a light reflected from the crystal growing film and received by a photo detector is measured. Charge amounts of the respective raw-material gasses are controlled by a control system on the basis of a change in the reflected-light intensity, thereby controlling a growing rate of the growing film.

Abstract: A GaAs monocrystal film was grown by use of a process which comprises introducing a gaseous compound containing a component element desired to be grown into a vacuum tank, and submitting the compound to reaction on a base to thereby grow a semiconductor crystal each one molecular layer.Triethylgallium (TEG) and arsine (AsH.sub.3) are used as the gaseous compound. One gas is introduced into the vaccum tank and then discharged after the passage of a predetermined time, and the other gas is introduced thereinto and then discharged after the passage of a predetermined time whereby a crystal for one molecular layer grows.By use of TEG as a gallium source, reaction progresses even when a temperature of the base is below 300.degree. C., and a GaAs monocrystal film which is extremely less in lattice failure and impurities was obtained.

Abstract: A magnetic field measurement system including a pick-up coil is not moved but fixed. Strips of superconducting material are arranged in a plane with narrow slits between the strips. The strips are moved very near the pick-up coil along the plane. From output variations of a SQUID magnetometer during the movement, a magnitude of a static field perpendicular to the plane of the strips is obtained.

Abstract: A thin, electrically insulating film is formed on a crystalline substrate and a multiplicity of holes are densely formed in the film. Conductive crystals are epitaxially grown on the substrate exposed in the holes, thereby forming on said substrate densely populated probes having sharp apices.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in a reduced gaseous phase growing method for compound semiconductor monocrystal formed from a plurality of elements such as GaAs.A gas of compound containing each of constitutional elements is introduced into a reduced reaction pipe of which temperature distribution is controlled, without use of H.sub.2 or He as a carrier gas. Thereby it is possible to control the amount of introduction of each of the elements of the compound semiconductor subjected to epitaxial growth.In addition, the temperature distribution within the reaction pipe is controlled and the temperature of the crystal substrate is maintained at a relatively low temperature to improve the quality of the growing crystal.

Abstract: In a threshold logic circuit, digital input signals are weighted and summed up and then the sum of weighted digital signals is compared with a threshold value. The threshold logic circuit comprises a plurality of current switching circuits and means for summing up the output currents from the current switching circuit. The weights for the input signals are changed by controlling supply currents to the current switching circuits.

Abstract: A vacuum depositing apparatus for forming a vapor-deposited film by evaporation of a material to be vapor deposited onto the surface of a substrate under vacuum, whereby mechanisms are provided to prevent impurities, due to contamination in the vacuum vessel or impurities caused by thermal deterioration of the material, from mixing with and contaminating the vapor-deposited film.

Abstract: New microorganisms belonging to Pseudomonas putida or Pseudomonas sp., which are isolated from soil and have tolerance to one or more of hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethers, ketones and their derivatives or their mixture. These new microorganisms can be used in the fields of bioreactor, liquid-waste treatment, protein engineering, etc.

Abstract: In a solid-state laser device having a laser medium, a reflector member has first and second curved portions surrounding first and second reflector axes, respectively, and an extension portion extended from the first and the second curved portions towards a principal surface of the laser medium for defining an internal space together with the curved portions. Within the internal space, first and second lamps are disposed farther from the principal surface than the first and the second reflector axes, respectively, with first and second lamp axes of the first and the second lamps juxtaposed to the reflector axes and an optical axis of the laser medium. Each curved portion has an arcuate internal surface which forms a partially circular cylinder having a center axis as the reflector axis. Alternatively, the arcuate internal surface of each curved portion forms a partially elliptic cylinder having a symmetry axis as the reflector axis and an outside focal line with which the lamp axis substantially coincides.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing magnetic powder comprising homogeneous and fine particles using an alkali-producing enzyme. The object of the present invention is to provide a method suitable for preparing magnetic powder comprising relatively small particles, for instance, fine particles having a particle size ranging from 50 to 500 nm. The present invention relates to a method for preparing at least one member selected from the group consisting of iron oxides, iron hydroxides and iron oxyhydroxides which comprises the step of alkalizing a solution containing iron ions utilizing an alkali-producing enzyme and a substrate of the enzyme.According to the present invention, there can be produced magnetite (Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4) and maghemite (gamma-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3) useful as magnetic powder as well as goethite (alpha-FeO(OH)), hematite (alpha-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3) and lepidocrocite (gamma-FeO(OH)) useful as the starting materials thereof.