Abstract: A method for screening the effect of a segment A (chemical species A) on a substance (for example, a cell) containing DNA or RNA by using artificial chemical species. Namely, a method of detecting or identifying the function of a chemical species A on a substance containing DNA or RNA by using one or more chemical species represented by the following general formula (I) which are capable of recognizing a DNA base sequence; a kit therefor; and a plate to be used therein: B-L-A (I) wherein B represents a chemical structure containing an non-natural base capable of recognizing a DNA base sequence; A represents a chemical structure having an interaction with DNA; and L represents a linker whereby the chemical structures A and B can be linked together.

Abstract: A multiple unit surface effect vehicle movable through an aquatic environment is provided including connected units and lift fans. The multiple unit surface effect vehicle may further include a coupling system and/or a plurality of skirt portions connecting one of the connected units with another of the connected units. The multiple unit surface effect vehicle includes the connected units connected to form a continuous movable unit movable in an aquatic environment. Each connected unit includes a forced air containment chamber defined within each of the connected units. The forced air containment chambers of each of the connected units are connected to form a continuous pressurized air cushion. The lift fans force air into the forced air containment chamber to pressurize the continuous pressurized air cushion.

Abstract: A method for producing non-cellulosic callose fiber by using plant protoplast, which imposes less burden to the environment with reduced energy consumption compared to conventional natural fibers is provided; it comprises the addition of an inorganic ion to a plant protoplast cultivation system, which leads the plant protoplast to produce non-cellulosic callose fiber.

Abstract: A 1,4-di-substituted diacetylene polymer that is soluble in organic solvent, is composed of a repeating unit represented by the general formula ?CR—C?C—CR?? (wherein, R and R? represent identical or different monovalent organic substituents), and has an average degree of polymerization of 4 to 200 and a ratio (Mw/Mn) of weight average molecular weight (Mw) to number average molecular weight corresponding to said average degree of polymerization (Mn) of 1.1 to 5.0, and a process for producing the 1,4-di-substituted diacetylene polymer by irradiating a solution of the soluble 1,4-di-substituted diacetylene polymer with laser light having a wavelength within the range of 250 to 1,200 nm, and preferably 550 to 900 nm, to cause a photodegradation reaction of said polymer, or heating a solution of the soluble 1,4-di-substituted diacetylene polymer to a temperature of 100 to 300° C.

Abstract: A novel, optically active alkenylphosphinic acid ester having chirality on a phosphorus atom; and a simple process for producing the ester. An optically active, hydrogen phosphinic acid ester is reacted with an acetylene compound in the presence of a catalyst containing a metal of group 9 or 10 of the periodic table to thereby obtain a novel, optically active alkenylphosphinic acid ester which has chirality on a phosphorus atom and is represented by the following general formula [1] and/or [2].

Abstract: The absolute configuration of a chiral compound is determined by (i) coordinating the chiral compound to a metalloporphyrin having a carbon chain-crosslinked porphyrin dimer structure in which one of the two porphyrin rings has at least one ethyl or substituent bulkier than ethyl at at least one of the second peripheral carbon atoms from the carbon atom at the carbon chain crosslink site, and (ii) analyzing the resultant coordination compound by circular dichroism spectrophotometry to determine the absolute configuration of the asymmetric carbon based on the sign of the Cotton effect. The chiral compound has an asymmetric carbon bonded to a basic group capable of coordinating to the metal of the other porphyrin ring of the metalloporphyrin dimer or an asymmetric carbon atom adjacent to the carbon atom bonded to the basic group.

Abstract: A method of forming a self-connective structure (a hairpin structure, a four-stranded structure, etc.) of a single-stranded oligonucleotide chain by forming a mimetic base pair of a mismatch base pair failing to form any normal base pair among base pairs of the single-stranded oligonucleotide chain with the use of a compounds represented by the following general formula (I): A-L-B (I) wherein A represents a chemical structural moiety capable of forming a pair with one base of a base pair failing to form any normal base pair; B represents a chemical structural moiety capable of forming a pair with the other base of the base pair failing to form any normal base pair; and L represents a linker structure by which the chemical structures A and B are linked to each other; and a method of inhibiting the activity of enzyme according to the previous method.

Abstract: This invention relates to the subject matter identified in the title. An effective interaction is conducted by giving the user adequate information during information search so as to improve the search efficiency and accuracy. A CPU initially sets a set G containing deleted solution candidates to null and receives input for a search question Q from the user (S1). The CPU refers to a database storage section and creates a solution candidate set F as the result of the search of the database (D) in response to the search question Q by using the similarity of labels defined by a thesaurus T or a subset R of the thesaurus T (S2). The CPU presents the user the information concerning the solution candidates and search question Q as the help for interaction on a display part (S3). The user can check if there is a solution among the solution candidates.

Abstract: The invention of the present application provides an isolated and purified human mitochondrial protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4, which is a novel human protein promoting aggregation and fusion of mitochondria. The present invention also provides a polynucleotide encoding such a mitochondrial protein, antibody against such a mitochondrial protein, and a proteoliposome composed of such a mitochondrial protein and lipid. Mitochondrial proteins are useful for clarifying causes of mitochondrial diseases as well as for developing preventive and therapeutic methods thereof. Furthermore, antibodies and probes derived from genes encoding such proteins are potentially useful materials for diagnosis of condition of mitochondria in particular diseases. Furthermore, proteoliposomes provide measures for specific transfer of foreign genes or drugs targeted toward mitochondria.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing various types of arylbis(perfluoroalkylsulfonyl)methane having a bulky aryl group and an electron-accepting aryl group in which synthesis was conventionally considered to be difficult, at high efficiency; a novel arylbis(perfluoroalkylsulfonyl)methane that can be widely applied to asymmetric catalyst, various types of functional materials and the like; and a metallic salt thereof. In addition, excellent catalysts are also provided. An aryl halomethane is reacted with a sodium trifluoromethane sulfinate, the arylmethyl triflone produced thereby is reacted with a t-BuLi and the like, the lithium salt of the arylmethyl triflone obtained is reacted with a trifluoromethane sulfinic acid anhydride, and an arylbis (trifluoromethylsulfony)methane such as pentafluorophenylbis(triflyl)methane, {4-(pentafluorophenyl)-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl}bis(triflyl)methane and the like are obtained at a high yield.

Abstract: A novel amino acid transporter molecule mediating transportation of amino acids, which are nutrients essentially required in the survival and proliferation of various normal cells constituting a living body and various pathology-associated abnormal cells such as tumor cells, into cells and being expressed specifically in tumor cells compared with normal cells; and drugs for treating various pathogenic conditions such as tumor (cancer) which are obtained by identifying and isolating the above amino acid transporter molecule and identifying a substance capable of inhibiting the biological activity and/or expression of this molecule. Intensive studies were made to identify a tumor cell membrane surface molecule associating or interacting with a cell membrane surface 4F2hc molecule seemingly playing an important role in the activation of an unknown amino acid transporter.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus which permits making a composite oxide thin film excellent in crystallinity easily and at a low temperature, with the capability of controlling the basic unit cell structure as desired, and without the need for a post annealing, as well as a composite oxide thin film thereby, especially a Cu group high temperature superconducting thin film, are disclosed. A thin Cu group high temperature superconducting film, which is constituted of a charge supply block (1) and a superconducting block (2), is formed on a substrate by alternately sputtering from a sputtering target having a composition of the charge supply block (1) and a sputtering target having a composition of the superconducting block (2) and repeating such an alternate sputtering operation a number of times needed for the film to reach a desired thickness.

Abstract: The invention of this application provides a protein polymer of 8 to 15 proteins in association, wherein each protein has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, and where the protein polymer has an unfold activity on the higher-order structure of a protein and this protein polymer is useful for the development of therapeutic agents of various diseases due to the failure in the formation of the higher-order structure of a protein, and the like.

Abstract: A novel technique that is able to efficiently remove, in addition to pentavalent arsenic, trivalent arsenic that has been considered to be difficult to remove. By using a manganese oxygen compound which is characterized by being a product of burning or heating which comprises an oxygen compound of bismuth and an oxygen compound of manganese and by containing manganese as a major component, an aqueous arsenic solution is treated to adsorptively remove the arsenic.

Abstract: A novel amino acid transporter molecule mediating transportation of amino acids, which are nutrients essentially required in the survival and proliferation of various normal cells constituting a living body and various pathology-associated abnormal cells such as tumor cells, into cells and being expressed specifically in tumor cells compared with normal cells; and drugs for treating various pathogenic conditions such as tumor (cancer) which are obtained by identifying and isolating the above amino acid transporter molecule and identifying a substance capable of inhibiting the biological activity and/or expression of this molecule. Intensive studies were made to identify a tumor cell membrane surface molecule associating or interacting with a cell membrane surface 4F2hc molecule seemingly playing an important role in the activation of an unknown amino acid transporter.

Abstract: A novel amino acid transporter molecule mediating transportation of amino acids, which are nutrients essentially required in the survival and proliferation of various normal cells constituting a living body and various pathology-associated abnormal cells such as tumor cells, into cells and being expressed specifically in tumor cells compared with normal cells; and drugs for treating various pathogenic conditions such as tumor (cancer) which are obtained by identifying and isolating the above amino acid transporter molecule and identifying a substance capable of inhibiting the biological activity and/or expression of this molecule. Intensive studies were made to identify a tumor cell membrane surface molecule associating or interacting with a cell membrane surface 4F2hc molecule seemingly playing an important role in the activation of an unknown amino acid transporter.

Abstract: As a cGMP-visualizing probe capable of detecting and quantifying cGMP easily and accurately even in vivo and for a method of detecting and quantifying cGMP by using the same, a cGMP-visualizing probe comprising a polypeptide, which binds specifically to cGMP, and two chromophores having different fluorescence wavelengths each linked respectively to the two terminals of said polypeptide is provided.

Abstract: A cell lineage can be constructed in a less labor intensive manner and in less time by using a computer. Areas, which are misidentified as nuclei, are efficiently removed. The invention comprises the steps of: selecting one or more nuclei for making a forward link from extracted nucleus candidates, in a plurality of 4D microscopic images in which the nucleus candidates are extracted; obtaining forward linkage information by sequentially extracting a nucleus candidate that meets a predetermined link condition with regard to the selected one or more nuclei from said 4D images; selecting one or more nuclei for making a reverse link from the forward linkage information; and obtaining backward linkage information by sequentially extracting a nucleus candidate that meets a predetermined link condition with regard to the selected one or more nuclei for backward link from said 4D images, removing misidentified nucleus candidates from the forward link information based on the reverse link information.

Abstract: A method for aldol reaction in water, which comprises: reacting an aldehyde with a silyl enol ether in an aqueous medium in the presence of a boronic acid represented by the following general formula (1): R1R2BOH??(1) (wherein R1 and R2 are the same or different hydrocarbon groups that may contain a substituent), a surfactant, and a Brønsted acid is provided. This method for aldol reaction in water uses a catalytic amount of the boron source to give products in high yield and selectivity.

Abstract: The present invention provides medicinal or pharmaceutical compositions and preparations for administration, which are useful as cytoprotective agents and a remedy for neurotrauma, comprising ginseng, its extract, ginseng components, metabolites thereof or salts thereof (for example, red ginseng powder or components thereof). More particularly, the present invention provides medicinal or pharmaceutical compositions for inhibiting apoptosis or apoptosis-like cell death, medicinal or pharmaceutical compositions for promoting the expression of a cell death-suppressing gene product BCl-xL, or preparations for oral or intravenous administration, comprising ginseng, its extracts, ginseng components, metabolites thereof or salts thereof preferably at low concentrations. These medicinal or pharmaceutical compositions and/or preparations for administration are characterized by containing, as the active ingredient(s), ginseng, its extracts, ginseng components, metabolites thereof or salts thereof at low concentrations.