Abstract: A zinc(II) complex which is lowly toxic, has high insulin-like activity, and is effectively usable as a hypoglycemic agent for the prevention or treatment of diabetes; a hypoglycemic agent containing the complex; a medicinal preparation which contains the complex and is useful as a preventive/remedy for diabetes; and a food containing the complex, such as a health food or supplementary health food. The hypoglycemic agent contains an organic zinc(II) complex having as a ligand a compound selected among aminoalkylpyridines, bis-optically active amino acids, bisaminoalkylcarboxylic acids, oligopeptides, oligopseudopeptides, di-substituted aminocarboxylic acids, ?- and ?-hydroxycarboxylic acids, vitamins, glutamine derivatives, etc.

Abstract: A nicotianamine synthase is isolated and purified. Then the gene of this enzyme is cloned and the base sequence and amino acid sequence thereof are determined. This gene is employed in constructing plants, in particular, grass plants highly tolerant to iron-deficiency. A nicotianamine synthase involved in the mugineic acid biosynthesis pathway; the amino acid sequence thereof; a gene encoding the same; a vector containing this gene; cells transformed by the vector; a process for producing nicotianamine by using the same; plants transformed by the gene encoding the nicotianamine synthase; and an antibody against the nicotianamine syntase.

Abstract: A simulation system for generating movie “scenes” that show interactions between simulated entities that populate a synthetic environment used to support training exercises and equipment. The simulation system includes a simulation engine that produces simulated entity state and event data; a visualization suite that allows an editor to display 2-D and 3-D views of the synthetic battlespace and to hear the battlefield and communications sounds associated with an interaction; a digital data logger that records simulation entity state and event data; an editing processor that provides the functionality required to identify, filter, specify, and organize the “scenes” that make up an interaction of interest; a “scene” generator that converts the entity state and event data for the set of scenes that make up an interaction into a digital movie file; and a repository for storage of complete movies and copying of movies to removable media.

Abstract: A polyester expressed by the following structural formula 1, and a charge transport material obtained by adding an electron acceptor compound or an electron donor compound to this polyester. In the aforesaid structural formula, Ar is an aromatic group and this aromatic group may contain a heterocyclic ring. R1 is a carbon atom or absent (direct bond), R2–R9 are hydrogen atoms, electron donor groups or electron attracting groups, R20, R21 are hydrogen atoms or organic groups, X is a hetero atom, hetero atom-containing group, organic group or absent (direct bond), and m is an integer equal to 2 or more.

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.

Abstract: The present application provides a method for predicting the functional site of a protein using data of the entire proteins of an organism of which genome data or cDNA data is known. More specifically, the present application provides a method for predicting a protein functional site, comprising the steps of calculating the frequency of occurrence of an oligopeptide in the entire proteins, calculating the value of each amino-acid residue contributing to the frequency of occurrence as the representative value of the function, and predicting the protein functional site by using the representative value of function as an indicator. The present also provides a system for predicting a functional site for automatically performing said methods.

Abstract: To provide a screening method for an apoptosis-suppressing substance or an apoptosis-promoting substance, the application of which substances to pharmaceuticals or diagnostic drugs are expected, also to provide an apoptosis-suppressing substance or an apoptosis-promoting substance, since Bcl-2 family having apoptosis-suppressing or -promoting activities is deeply involved in many diseases. To attain the above object, VDAC-liposomes, an indicator substance such as fluorescent-labeled cytochrome c or isotope-labeled sucrose etc. capable of passing through VDAC (voltage-dependent anion channel), and a subject substance are incubated, and then concentration changes in the indicator substance, inside and outside the VDAC-liposomes before and after the incubation, are detected in order to estimate presence or absence of the apoptosis-suppressing activity or -promoting activity of the subject substance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a signal transducer specifically expressed in mouse mast cells that has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 2, a signal transducer specifically expressed in human mast cells that has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 4, polynucleotides encoding these proteins, an expression vector involving these polynucleotides, transformed cells induced by these expression vectors, and antibodies against the foregoing proteins. The signal transducer provided in the present invention is useful for screening of novel medicines against allergic diseases.

Abstract: A zinc(II) complex which is lowly toxic, has high insulin-like activity, and is effectively usable as a hypoglycemic agent for the prevention or treatment of diabetes; a hypoglycemic agent containing the complex; a medicinal preparation which contains the complex and is useful as a preventive/remedy for diabetes; and a food containing the complex, such as a health food or supplementary health food. The hypoglycemic agent contains an organic zinc(II) complex having as a ligand a compound selected among aminoalkylpyridines, bis-optically active amino acids, bisaminoalkylcarboxylic acids, oligopeptides, oligopseudopeptides, di-substituted aminocarboxylic acids, ?- and ?-hydroxycarboxylic acids, vitamins, glutamine derivatives, etc.

Abstract: Novel sodium-independent small neutral amino acid transporters which transport L- and D-amino acids. A protein comprising the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1 or 4 or an amino acid derived therefrom by deletion, substitution or addition of one or more amino acids and being capable of sodium-independently transporting L- and D-small neutral amino acids and analogs thereof; a gene encoding the above protein; a method of screening substances inhibiting or promoting the function of the above protein; an antibody against the above protein; and a method of regulating cell function by using the above antibody, function inhibitors, function promoters, etc.

Abstract: Methods and kits useful in the detection of occult blood in biological samples and specimens, for example to screen for colorectal cancer or detect blood in samples ex vivo, e.g., at a crime scene. Also provided are methods useful in diagnosing whether a subject is predisposed to, or suffers from, an occult-blood related disorder; and methods for direct micro-mapping of the distribution of occluded vessels associated with cerebral vascular injury.

Abstract: A negative resistance field-effect element that is a negative differential resistance field-effect element capable of achieving negative resistance at a low power supply voltage (low drain voltage) and also enabling securement of a high PVCR is formed on its InP substrate 11 having an asymmetrical V-groove whose surface on one side is a (100) plane and surface on the other side is a (011) plane with an InAlAs barrier layer (12) that has a trench (TR) one of whose opposed lateral faces is a (111) A plane and the other of which is a (331) B plane. An InGaAs quantum wire (13) that has a relatively narrow energy band gap is formed at the trench bottom surface as a high-mobility channel. An InAlAs modulation-doped layer (20) having a relatively wide energy band gap is formed on the quantum wire as a low-mobility channel.

Abstract: A character overlapping with a line of an entry box is extracted utilizing a dot box. At document input step S2, a document to be recognized is read and converted into electronic data to produce character box data. At electronic data storing step S3, the character box data read at the photoelectric transducing S2 is stored. At character detecting step S5, the character box data is contracted, small points are removed, and the remaining pattern is reversely expanded to produce character data. At entry box detecting step S4, entry box position data is generated from the character box data and character data. At relating step S6, a character pattern entered in each entry box is detected from the character data and the entry box position data. At character recognizing step S7, a character is recognized for the extracted character pattern and the results are stored at step S8.

Abstract: An anilide is reacted with an acylating agent by using as a catalyst a tri(perfluoroalkane sulfonate) compound of any of the elements belonging to groups 3 to 5 and groups 13 to 15 in periods 4 to 6 of the periodic table, thereby bonding an acyl group to the benzene ring. Thus, ketoaniline derivatives, which are useful as physiologically active compounds or intermediates in synthesizing the same, are synthesized in high reaction yield by catalytic acylation.

Abstract: Anti-acetyllysine monoclonal antibody capable of recognizing N?-acetyllysine regardless of the types of the adjacent amino acids. Namely, a monoclonal antibody having a light chain comprising a constant region having the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1 and a variable region having the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:2 or an amino acid sequence derived from this amino acid sequence by deletion, substitution or addition of one to several amino acids, and a heavy chain comprising a constant region having the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:3 and a variable region having the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:4 or an amino acid sequence derived from this amino acid sequence by deletion, substitution or addition of one to several amino acids, and being capable of recognizing N?-acetyllysine in a protein regardless of the types of the adjacent amino acids, i.e.

Abstract: A method of simply controlling the flow of fluid in a micro system without using a complicated value structure, comprising the steps of adding the substance transformed from sol-gel by stimulation to the fluid flowing through the micro flow passage of the micro system, and adding the stimulation to the fluid at a desired position on the micro flow passage to transform the fluid into gel for flow control.

Abstract: The present application provides a human gene over-expressing animal, which is a non-human animal carrying a human hematopoietic prostaglandin D2 synthase gene in its somatic cell chromosome and expressing a large amount of human prostaglandin D2 synthase, wherein the animal is one obtained through ontogenesis of a totipotency cell of a non-human animal or offspring of the obtained animal, and the totipotency cell is introduced with said synthase gene. The present application also provides a method of using the transgenic animal for testing in vivo activity of a candidate for anti-allergy medicines, sleep-controlling substances and candidates for anti-obesity.

Abstract: Disclosed is a variable lightwave functional circuit comprising: an applying unit for applying lateral pressure; a polarization maintaining optical fiber having a polarization axis, for inducing a polarization mode coupling by applying the lateral pressure to a predetermined position by said applying unit; and a branching/coupling device having a first port to a fourth port, for branching laser light inputted from the first port to both said second port and said third port, and also for projecting laser light inputted from said second port to the fourth port; wherein one end of said polarization maintaining optical fiber is connected to one of said second port and said third port in such a manner that the polarization axis is inclined at a predetermined angle to an axial direction parallel to a branching plane of said branching/coupling device.

Abstract: To provide a method for analyzing a nucleic acid according to high throughput microcapillary electrophoresis during microchip electrophoresis under non-steady electric field, the method being capable of detecting polymorphism of a large number of genes at a high speed. The present invention is useful for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as detection of gene diseases and application to Taylor-made therapy.

Abstract: An electrode plate of a sample plate is set on the body of an electrophoretic apparatus, while a plug is inserted into a migration high voltage line connection hole and connected to a high-tension distribution cable. Each well of a base plate is inserted into a through hole of a well guide and further press-fit and engaged into a cavity of an electrode plate, for fixing the base plate to the electrode plate. Thereafter a sample is introduced into each well of the base plate and an end of a capillary column is dipped into each well for applying a migration voltage and electrophoretically injecting the sample into the capillary column.