Abstract: A method is provided for determining a concentration of a target nucleic acid by using a nucleic acid probe labeled with a fluorescent dye. The method comprises: providing, as the probe, a nucleic acid probe capable of reducing fluorescence emission from the fluorescent dye when hybridized with the target nucleic acid; hybridizing the probe to the target nucleic acid; and measuring a decrease in fluorescence emission from the fluorescent dye after the hybridization relative to fluorescence emission from the fluorescent dye before the hybridization.

Abstract: A human-derived bradeion protein, which has the following properties: (i) it is a transmembranous protein; (ii) it has a structure characteristic of growth hormone and cytokine receptors even in a structure of its transmembranous portion when its structure is determined by a hydrophobicity analysis according to Kyte-Doolittle method; (iii) it is expressed at a high level in a human adult brain, and in less amount in the heart, while it is not expressed in other adult organs or fetus; (iv) it induces programmed cell death (apoptosis) when over-expressed in a cultured human nerve cell lines; (v) it induces termination of cell division and aging when over-expressed in a cultured human normal cell; (vi) it is located in cytoplasm, and forms an intracellular aggregate when overexpressed; and (vii) besides human adult neurons, it is specifically expressed in a human colorectal cancer cell line or in a skin cancer cell line, or an analogue thereof.

Abstract: A link mechanism to establish the position of a spherical bearing and the direction of an arm extending from the bearing is provided, which mechanism has a high precision of position and direction determination, does not require strong actuators, and is mechanically easy to accommodate MR compatibility, to be cleanable and to be sterilizable. The link mechanism has: an axial rod; and two spherical bearings to support the axial rod, the two spherical bearings being capable of changing relative positions, wherein the motion of one of the two spherical bearings relative to the axial rod along the axis is constrained, and the other of the spherical bearings can travel along the axial rod.

Abstract: Disclosed is a microsize driving device in which falling of track proteins from an arrangement of motor protein molecules arranged on a linear track groove provided on a substrate is suppressed and utilization of kinetic energy of track proteins as a driving energy is made possible by controlling the moving direction to a single direction. Namely, provided is a microsize driving device which comprises a substrate, an arrangement of motor protein molecules such as, for example, kinesin molecules deposited on the bottom of a linear track groove provided thereon and track proteins such as, for example, microtubules disposed thereon and is characterized in that the said linear track groove has side surfaces shaped in such a structure as to permit a linear movement of the track proteins moving in a certain specific direction but to inhibit the track proteins moving in the reverse direction thereto causing reversion for the movement in the above mentioned specific direction.

Abstract: A ultra fine particle film forming apparatus is provided which is capable of forming a ultra fine particle film which has ultra fine particles sufficiently bonded together, sufficient density, flat surface and uniform density. A planarized ultra fine particle film forming method for forming a planarized ultra fine particle film from a deposited film of ultra fine particles formed by supplying the ultra fine particles to a substrate, the method comprising one or more of a planarizing step of planarizing a surface of the deposited film of the ultra fine particles supplied to the substrate.

Abstract: A real-time communications system for decentralized management is accomplished which was not implemented conventionally. To achieve this, the following techniques are employed: (1) Overtaking of communication packets based on priority; (2) Path control based on the priority; and (3) Priority change at each node. When carrying out real-time communication between a plurality of information processors, each communication node (information processor) carries out overtaking of the communication packets in accordance with the priority. In the course of this, each communication node can change the priority, and establish different paths for each of the priority.

Abstract: Multiple cell layers are formed with one cell layer formed on another cell layer. A carrier is provided having an alginate gel layer formed on a porous membrane. An extracellular matrix component gel layer or extracellular matrix component sponge layer may be formed on the alginate gel layer. A cell layer is formed on the alginate gel layer, or the extracellular matrix component gel layer or extracellular matrix component sponge layer. The alginate gel layer is solubilized such as with a chelating agent to exfoliate the cell layer from the porous membrane, and the exfoliated cell layer is placed on another cell layer on a carrier. The number of cell layers formed on each other may be 1-10, preferably 1-5, and more preferably 1-3.

Abstract: A high-frequency oscillation circuit incorporates a crystal resonator having a natural oscillation frequency in a high-frequency area within a closed circuit including one or more logic elements. Therefore, this circuit copes with an oscillation frequency of 1 MHz to 2 GHz or more in basic oscillation frequency of a crystal resonator and it oscillates with stability at the basic oscillation frequency of the crystal resonator.

Abstract: The invention provides a titanium composite material comprising a bonded laminate having a layer of macromolecular material bonded to the modified surface of a titanium sheet or a titanium alloy sheet, and a process for preparing a titanium composite material, the process comprising the step of bonding a macromolecular material to a titanium sheet or a titanium alloy sheet having a modified surface to be bonded.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of increasing the reaction rate of an organic synthesis reaction by utilizing supply of OH− from water in the absence of catalyst without adding a basic catalyst in supercritical water or subcritical water of at least 350 ° C., and a method of generating alcohol and carboxylic acid with high reaction rate by performing a Cannizzaro reaction in the absence of catalyst without adding a basic catalyst in supercritical water, and to a method of synthesis of alcohol and carboxylic acid from an aldehyde in the absence of catalyst without adding a basic catalyst near the critical point (375 to 380 ° C., 22.5 to 25 MPa) of supercritical water.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a silicon carbide-boron nitride composite material, which synthesised according to an in-situ chemical reaction between silicon nitride, boron carbide and carbon, and which contains fine boron nitride particles dispersed in a silicon carbide matrix, wherein aforementioned composite material is obtained by molding a powder mixture containing each of the components required in the in-situ reaction and sintering the mixture.

Abstract: A ultra fine particle film forming apparatus is provided which is capable of forming a ultra fine particle film which has ultra fine particles sufficiently bonded together, sufficient density, flat surface and uniform density. A planarized ultra fine particle film forming method for forming a planarized ultra fine particle film from a deposited film of ultra fine particles formed by supplying the ultra fine particles to a substrate, the method comprising one or more of a planarizing step of planarizing a surface of the deposited film of the ultra fine particles supplied to the substrate.

Abstract: A main object of the present invention is to provide a novel optical power limiting material of high performance being less susceptible to damages caused by heat occurring when an intensified laser beam is irradiated, having reversible characteristic and exhibiting a stable optical power limiting effect; production of the optical power limiting is simple and economical. The optical power limiting material of the present invention comprises a transparent substrate and an oxide(s) of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Nb, Mo, Ru, In, Sn, Sb, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir and Bi.

Abstract: The present invention provides a single-phase lithium ferrite based oxide which is suitable as a cathode material for a secondary battery, a process for preparing the oxide, and its uses, the oxide having a layered rock salt-type structure and comprising lithium ferrite (LiFeO2)−Li2-xMO3-y solid solution wherein M is at least one species selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ti and Sn, 0≦x<2, 0≦y≦1 such that the proportion of iron is 0.1≦Fe/(Fe+M)≦0.9.

Abstract: An image coding apparatus including a context generator configured to select a reference pixel that has been coded in image data to generate a context formed of the selected reference pixel, an entropy encoder configured to code the image data based on the context to generate coded data, an evaluation value calculator configured to calculating a compression ratio based on the image data and the coded data to output the compression ratio, and an adaptive evolution processor configured to perform adaptive evolution based on the compression ratio to find optimal reference pixels for the image data, the optimal reference pixels being supplied to the context generator for optimizing the context.

Abstract: A method for control of a cooperative object-transporting robot, in which a man and a robot transport a long object or a large-sized object while grasping each of the ends of the object. An angle of a hand-tip of the robot is detected by angle sensors, and based on the sensor signals, a motion instruction for a translational motion of the hand-tip in the vertical direction is output so as to keep the posture of the object horizontal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a silicon carbide-boron nitride composite material, which synthesised according to an in-situ chemical reaction between silicon nitride, boron carbide and carbon, and which contains fine boron nitride particles dispersed in a silicon carbide matrix, wherein aforementioned composite material is obtained by molding a powder mixture containing each of the components required in the in-situ reaction and sintering the mixture.

Abstract: This invention relates to a chimeric molecule comprising a region with binding affinity for a molecule capable of sliding and any functional region; a chimeric molecule comprising a molecule capable of sliding and any functional region; a chimeric molecule comprising a region with binding affinity for a molecule forming a complex with a molecule capable of sliding, and any functional region; a chimeric molecule comprising a protein capable of sliding and any functional nucleic acid; a chimeric molecule comprising a nucleic acid with binding affinity for a protein capable of sliding or a nucleic acid with binding affinity for a molecule forming a complex with said protein, and any functional nucleic acid; a vector comprising DNA encoding the chimeric molecule; and use thereof in medicaments, etc.

Abstract: A monolayer sheet structure is prepared containing a confluent monolayer of primary hepatocytes cultured on a substrate in sheet form. The monolayer sheet structure is formed by treating the hepatocytes in the monolayer formation stage with a protein-phosphorylation inhibitor having an indolo [2,3-a] carbazole structure, such as staurosporine, or other similar structure.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of measuring a rheological property of a composite filled with particles, and evaluation equipment, in which in situ measurement is performed of the rheological property of a composite filled with particles obtained by mixing a particulate material as raw material with a liquid material, in a condition with the original material structure maintained, without destroying the material by applying external force such as shearing force thereto, comprising a step of measuring the coagulation structure of the particulate material within the composite filled with particles as an anisotropy signal, and a step of employing the amount of this anisotropy as an index of the rheological property value of the composite.