Abstract: To provide a pharmaceutical composition comprising a ceramide-related substance having little adverse side effects as an active ingredient by using a raw material that is highly safe to a human body and is inexpensive. A pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one sphingoglycolipid derivative that is produced from a beer waste and is represented by the formula below as an active ingredient: wherein R3 represents H or OH; R4 is as defined by (a) or (b) (a) when R3 is H, R4 represents (CH2)13CH3 or (CH2)6CH?CHCH2CH?CH(CH2)4CH3; and (b) when R3 is OH, R4 represents (CH2)yCH3 (where Y represents an integer of 13 to 21) or (CH2)Z1CH?CH(CH2)Z2CH3 (where Z1 and Z2 independently represent 0 or a natural number, provided that Z1+Z2=19).

Abstract: A plasma generator in which the variation of the impedance in the cavity before and after plasma is ignited is less and hardly affected by the shape of the cavity, and the ignitability of the plasma is improved and a method of generating plasma using the plasma generator are provided. The plasma generator comprises a nonconductive gas flow pipe (1) for introducing a gas (9) for generating plasma and discharging it into the atmosphere and a conductive antenna pipe (2) surrounding the gas flow pipe. A microwave (7) is applied to the antenna pipe to change the gas in the gas flow pipe into plasma. The plasma generator is characterized in that a slit (3) with a predetermined length is formed in the antenna pipe (2) along the axial direction of the gas flow pipe. Preferably, the plasma generator is characterized in that the length of the slit is an integral multiple of the half-wave length of the applied microwave.

Abstract: An objective of the invention is to provide a drug delivery vehicle capable of allowing a vaccine or adjuvant to reach a target cell or tissue efficiently while being capable of improving the immunogenicity of the vaccine or capable of enhancing the immunostimulating effect of the adjuvant as well as a vaccine or adjuvant utilizing the same. Said drug delivery vehicle contains a multimeric protein having a coiled coil structure and a ligand molecule to a receptor of an immune cell.

Abstract: A solar light (heat) absorption material is provided which has an excellent solar light (heat) absorbing ability and a simple structure, and may be usable as a low-cost and high-performance heat absorption/accumulation material, the inventive material being usable also as a solar light (heat) absorption/control building component that allows easy change of its solar light (heat) absorption/control ability. The material comprises particles dispersed into a liquid medium having a specific heat ranging from 0.4 to 1.4 cal/g/° C. and a melting point of 5° C. or lower. The dispersed particles have L*value of 30 or less as determined by the CIE-Lab color system (light source D65).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an agent for ameliorating stress-induced immune function modulation which comprises royal jelly. In addition, the present invention provides an anti-stress agent, pharmaceutical, food or beverage, or food additive that contains royal jelly as an active ingredient thereof and prevents or alleviates various somatic symptoms caused by stress.

Abstract: A therapeutic agent comprising fucoxanthin or fucoxanthinol as an active component is disclosed. The therapeutic agent is effective and high clinical utility for medical treatment and prevention of virus-associated malignancy such as adult T-cell leukemia and Burkitt lymphoma.

Abstract: An object is to find a natural material having an activity of preventing the elevation of blood glucose level and to provide a means which is able to prevent or treat the diabetes and there is provided an agent for prevention or treatment of the elevated blood glucose level where a compound containing soluble silica and/or strontium is an active ingredient.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a sterilizer, which aim is at efficiently sterilizing a subject such as a container by using active oxygen generated with the use of plasma, and a sterilization method using the same. In particular, it is intended to develop a technique for stably generating active oxygen with the use of plasma and thus provide a sterilizer, which enables, if necessary, stable plasma formation and active oxygen generation in the atmosphere and can inhibit thermal damages caused by the plasma on a subject to be sterilized, and a sterilization method using the same.

Abstract: A plasma generator in which the variation of the impedance in the cavity before and after plasma is ignited is less and hardly affected by the shape of the cavity, and the ignitability of the plasma is improved and a method of generating plasma using the plasma generator are provided. The plasma generator comprises a nonconductive gas flow pipe (1) for introducing a gas (9) for generating plasma and discharging it into the atmosphere and a conductive antenna pipe (2) surrounding the gas flow pipe. A microwave (7) is applied to the antenna pipe to change the gas in the gas flow pipe into plasma. The plasma generator is characterized in that a slit (3) with a predetermined length is formed in the antenna pipe (2) along the axial direction of the gas flow pipe. Preferably, the plasma generator is characterized in that the length of the slit is an integral multiple of the half-wave length of the applied microwave.

Abstract: A heteropentamer composed of a fusion monomer (32) comprising a fusion protein of an antigenic amino acid sequence and an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein and a nonfusion monomer (20) of an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein. A homopentamer composed of a fusion monomer including a fusion protein of an antigen derived from an envelope protein of Japanese encephalitis virus and an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein. These heteropentamer and the homopentamer can be used as a vaccine.

Abstract: A therapeutic agent comprising fucoxanthin or fucoxanthinol as an active component is disclosed. The therapeutic agent is effective and high clinical utility for medical treatment and prevention of virus-associated malignancy such as adult T-cell leukemia and Burkitt lymphoma.

Abstract: A heteropentamer composed of a fusion monomer (32) comprising a fusion protein of an antigenic amino acid sequence and an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein and a nonfusion monomer (20) of an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein. A homopentamer composed of a fusion monomer including a fusion protein of an antigen derived from an envelope protein of Japanese encephalitis virus and an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein. These heteropentamer and the homopentamer can be used as a vaccine.

Abstract: A leishmaniasis preventing and/or treating agent having 2-deoxy-2-[(3S)-(9-phenylnonanoyloxy)tetradecanoyl]amino-3-O-(9-phenylnonanoyl)-4-O-sulfo-&agr;-D-glucopyranose represented by a formula (I) or a non-toxic salt thereof as an effective ingredient. 2-deoxy-2-[(3S)-(9-phenylnonanoyloxy)tetradecanoyl]amino-3-O-(9-phenylnomanoyl)-4-O-sulfo-&agr;-D-glucopyranose represented by a formula (I) or a non-toxic salts effectively functions to prevent and/or treat leishmaniasis, and is a highly safe compound.