Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for the treatment of fibrosis. The invention discloses new research which demonstrates that interferon-lambda has directly acting anti-fibrotic effects both in vitro and in vivo and may be used to provide effective new therapies for the treatment of multiple types of fibrosis.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel marker for diagnosing fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). More specifically, the present invention provides a method for diagnosing FMS, comprising measurement of (1) the relative frequency of MAITs to the total T cells in a sample; or (2) the expression level of one or more surface antigens selected from the group consisting of CD4, CD8, CCR4, CCR7, CXCR1, NKp80, CD150, CD107a, CD8?, CD44 and CXCR4 for MAITs in a sample, wherein the sample is a biological sample collected from a human; and a diagnosis kit for FMS, comprising a means for measuring (1) the relative frequency of MAITs to the total T cells in a sample; or (2) the expression level of one or more surface antigens selected from the group consisting of CD4, CD8, CCR4, CCR7, CXCR1, NKp80, CD150, CD107a, CD8?, CD44 and CXCR4 for MAITs in a sample, wherein the sample is a biological sample collected from a human.

Abstract: An article of footwear promotes complimentary movement and proprioceptive feedback of a user's foot (e.g., to help an infant learn to walk or an adult balance on an uneven surface) while wearing the article of footwear. The article of footwear includes an outsole having a forefoot region, a heel region, and a mid region substantially in between the forefoot and heel regions. The three regions are configured to provide complimentary movement with respect to the user's foot. The forefoot region of the outsole includes a base portion interconnecting ground contact pads configured to move relative to one another, each ground contact pad moving substantially independently of the other relative to the base portion.

Abstract: An article of footwear promotes complimentary movement and proprioceptive feedback of a user's foot (e.g., to help an infant learn to walk or an adult balance on an uneven surface) while wearing the article of footwear. The article of footwear includes an outsole having a forefoot region, a heel region, and a mid region substantially in between the forefoot and heel regions. The three regions are configured to provide complimentary movement with respect to the user's foot. The forefoot region of the outsole includes a base portion interconnecting ground contact pads configured to move relative to one another, each ground contact pad moving substantially independently of the other relative to the base portion.

Abstract: Shoes having foot support structures formed of arm portions and/or plates having variable flexibility are disclosed.

Abstract: A shoe outsole includes an outer member with an inner heel region. An inner member is located in the inner heel region and includes a ground-contacting surface. The inner member has a softer durometer than the outer member. The inner member contains a liquid or gas. The outer member includes a back wall having a rounded contour extending smoothly between a horizontal plane and a vertical plane. A plurality of grooves are defined in a lower forefoot region and an upper forefoot region of the shoe outsole. The lower forefoot region includes a plurality of ridges interdigitated with the grooves. At least one of the grooves extends toward a front edge of the shoe outsole beyond a ground-engaging portion of the lower forefoot region when flatfooted.

Abstract: A shoe outsole includes a member having an upper surface, a lower surface and a heel section, the member further having at least one aperture in the heel section extending from the upper surface to the lower surface. A resilient, flexible cushion is disposed on the upper surface of the member in the heel section, the cushion being shaped to protrude through the aperture.

Abstract: When insoluble magnetic carrier particles are used in immunoassay, a method is provided which is suitable for saving labor and for treating a large number of samples within a short time while avoiding problems including difficulties in the stability of sensitized insoluble magnetic particles and in their preparation. In assaying an antigenic substance in test samples, no use is made of insoluble magnetic particles carrying an antibody specific to the said antigenic substance but insoluble magnetic carrier particles are provided in a state free from adsorbing said antibody, etc. Then the antigenic substance per se to be assayed is adsorbed on the insoluble magnetic carrier particles followed by reaction with a labeled antibody specific to the said adsorbed antigenic substance. Thus, the antigenic substance in the test sample can be efficiently assayed in a mode suitable for automation.

Abstract: Cells which may be differentiated at least into nerve cells, which are useful for therapies of brain metabolic diseases, are disclosed. The cells are side population cell separated from human amniotic mesenchymal cell layer, in which expressions of Oct-4 gene, Sox-2 gene and Rex-1 gene are observed by RT-PCR, and which are vimentin-positive and CK19-positive in immunocytostaining.

Abstract: A method for detecting nonsense mutations and frameshift mutations in a test nucleic acid fragment which is simple and may be used even when the size of the test nucleic acid fragment is large is disclosed. The method involves inserting the test nucleic acid fragment into a vector containing a promoter, a translational initiation codon, and a reporter gene, and transforming a host cell with the vector to express a fusion polypeptide. The production of the fusion polypeptide is assayed for in the host cell, and non-production of the fusion polypeptide is indicative of a nonsense and/or frameshift mutation in the test nucleic acid fragment.

Abstract: A method for specifically diagnosing spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is disclosed. In the method of the present invention, PCR is carried out using a first primer which hybridizes with a part of the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1, a second primer which hybridizes with a part of the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:3, and a test DNA as a template, and the number of CAG repeats is measured in the amplified PCR product. Since the numbers of CAG repeat in the genes of SCA2 patients are not less than 35 while those of normal individuals are 15 to 24, diagnosis of SCA2 can be carried out by the method of the present invention.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to offer a microorganism-detecting apparatus where the microorganism causing a food poisoning can be detected/identified by a simple operation and also a disposal treatment can be conducted safely and surely. An apparatus for achieving the object is as follows: The apparatus for detecting microorganism as mentioned below is portable and enables one to selectively incubate and detect the microorganism (particularly those which are a cause of food poisoning) without skillfulness and the detecting apparatus containing pathogenic microorganism (such as that which is a cause of food poisoning) can be safely and surely disposed.