Abstract: An object is to provide a thermotolerant yeast capable of assimilating xylose to produce ethanol or a mutant strain thereof and a method for producing ethanol by assimilation of xylose. There is used a yeast, Kluyveromyces marxianus strain No. 21 (accession number: NITE BP-01739), or a mutant strain thereof that has xylose assimilation ability and ethanol production ability when cultured at 30° C. under aerobic conditions using a culture medium containing xylose as a sugar source. Also performed is a method for producing ethanol, comprising culturing the yeast or the mutant strain thereof under aerobic conditions using a culture medium containing xylose as a sugar source.

Abstract: A compound that thickens and/or gelatinizes a fluid organic substance to a desired viscosity, or uniformly stabilizes a composition containing the fluid organic substance. Also, a thickening/stabilizing agent including the compound, a thickened/stabilized composition including the thickening/stabilizing agent and a fluid organic substance, and a method for producing the composition. The compound according to the present invention is represented by Formula (1): (R2—HNOC)4-n—R1—(CONH—R3)n??(1) where R1 is a group resulting from removing four hydrogen atoms from the structural formula of an aromatic hydrocarbon or cyclohexane, R2 is, independently in each occurrence, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R3 is, independently in each occurrence, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing 6 or more carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 1 to 3.

Abstract: Provided is a cation exchange membrane having a stable ion exchange performance during usage, being excellent in basic properties such as membrane resistance and ion transportation as well as strength, and useful for electrodialysis and a method for producing the same. The cation exchange membrane is composed of a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer including an anionic group-containing anionic polymer segment and a vinyl alcohol polymer segment, and having a microphase separation structure having a domain size (X) in a range from 0 nm<X?150 nm. The method is composed of forming a membrane from a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer which is adjusted to contain salts in a proportion that the salt weight (C) relative to the polyvinyl alcohol copolymer weight (P) is [(C)/(P)] of 4.5/95.5 or lower.

Abstract: Provided are: a compound, a thickening/stabilizing agent including the compound, a thickened/stabilized composition including the thickening/stabilizing agent and a fluid organic substance, and a method for producing the thickened/stabilized composition, where the compound effectively thickens the fluid organic substance to a desired viscosity and effectively uniformly stabilizes the formulation of the composition containing the fluid organic substance via thickening of the fluid organic substance. The thickening/stabilizing agent according to the present invention includes a compound represented by Formula (1): (R2—HNOC)4-n—R1—(CONH—R3)n??(1) where R1 is a group resulting from removing four hydrogen atoms from the structural formula of butane; R2 and R3 are different from each other and are aliphatic hydrocarbon groups each containing 4 or more carbon atoms; and n is an integer of 1 to 3.

Abstract: A plasma spraying apparatus includes a main torch and an auxiliary torch. The main torch includes a first electrode including a spraying material discharge hole, a first mantle, and a first insulator including a first plasma gas introducing port. The auxiliary torch includes a second electrode, a second mantle, and a second insulator including a second plasma gas introducing port. A spraying material supplied from the spraying material discharge hole is melted at the axial center of plasma that is formed on the central axis of the first electrode by the first electrode and the second electrode, and a gas introducing part that introduces gas is provided on an inlet side of an opening part and/or in a tapered part provided between the opening part and the first insulator in the first mantle.

Abstract: Plasmid vectors have been widely used as a carrier of a DNA sequence capable of expressing a target RNA in cells. However, construction of these plasmid vectors requires technical skill and time. Thus, a quicker and easier method is required therefor. To solve this problem, a method using a linear DNA that has been amplified by the PCR method is examined. However, this method is disadvantageous in that RNA expression in cells is extremely low. Under these circumstances, the present inventors attempted to develop an RNA expression method using a linear DNA which can be produced mainly by using the PCR method alone and which enables a high level of RNA expression. As the results of intensive studies on terminator sequences to be used in a linear DNA, the present inventors found a smallest unit of a terminator sequence enabling linear DNA expression equivalent to that when using a plasmid vector.

Abstract: Provided are: a compound that thickens or gelatinizes a fluid organic substance to a desired viscosity, or uniformly stabilizes a composition containing the fluid organic substance; a thickening/stabilizing agent including the compound; a thickened/stabilized composition including the thickening/stabilizing agent and a fluid organic substance; and a method for producing a thickened/stabilized composition. The compound according to the present invention is represented by Formula (1): (R2—HNOC)4-n—R1—(CONH—R3)n??(1) where R1 is a group resulting from removing four hydrogen atoms from the structural formula of benzene; R2 and R3 are different from each other and are each independently an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 6 or more carbon atoms; and n represents an integer of 1 to 3.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide CAR-expressing T cells that coexpress a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and a T cell immune function-enhancing factor and have a high immunity-inducing effect and antitumor activity, and to provide a CAR expression vector for the preparation of the CAR-expressing T cells. A CAR expression vector comprises a nucleic acid encoding a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and a nucleic acid encoding a T cell immune function-enhancing factor, wherein the nucleic acid encoding an immune function-enhancing factor is a nucleic acid encoding interleukin-7 and a nucleic acid encoding CCL19, a nucleic acid encoding a dominant negative mutant of SHP-1, or a nucleic acid encoding a dominant negative mutant of SHP-2, or a CAR-expressing T cell introduced with the CAR expression vector are prepared.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to detect a mutation related to BCR-ABL inhibitor resistance with high accuracy for chronic myelogenous leukemia or the like. A method for detecting the mutation comprises the steps of: amplifying a region including a fusion site and a mutation site related to BCR-ABL inhibitor resistance contained in a BCR-ABL fusion gene using a biological sample collected from a subject; and genotyping of the mutation site related to BCR-ABL inhibitor resistance using nucleic acids amplified in the above step.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing a novel therapeutic agent for keratoconjunctive disorders. As a means for solving the problem, a therapeutic agent for keratoconjunctive disorders which contains a RAR? agonist as an active ingredient is provided. The therapeutic agent exhibits an excellent ameliorating effect in a keratoconjunctive disorder model, and is therefore useful as a therapeutic agent for keratoconjunctive disorders such as corneal ulcer, corneal epithelial abrasion, keratitis, dry eye, conjunctivitis, chronic superficial keratitis, corneal erosion, persistent corneal disorders, superficial punctate keratopathy, corneal epithelial defects, conjunctival epithelial defects, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis, filamentary keratoconjunctivitis, infectious keratitis, noninfectious keratitis, infectious conjunctivitis and noninfectious conjunctivitis.

Abstract: The promoter of the present invention causes a desired gene to be highly expressed, especially in thermotolerant yeast. The promoter is located upstream of the PIR1 gene or the CTR1 gene on the Kluyveromyces marxianus chromosome and comprises a region controlling expression of the PIR1 gene or the CTR1 gene.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compound that thickens or gels a fluid organic substance to a desired viscosity or homogeneously stabilizes a composition containing a fluid organic substance, a thickening/stabilizing agent containing the compound, a thickened/stabilized composition containing the thickening/stabilizing agent and a fluid organic substance, and a method for producing a thickened/stabilized composition. The compound of the present invention is represented by the following formula (1). In the formula, R1 and R2 are different from each other and represent an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having not less than 4 carbon atoms, and n represents an integer of 1 to 3. The thickening/stabilizing agent of the present invention contains the compound.

Abstract: Provided is a compound that thickens and/or gelatinizes a fluid organic substance to a desired viscosity, or uniformly stabilizes a composition containing the fluid organic substance. Also provided are: a thickening/stabilizing agent including the compound, a thickened/stabilized composition including the thickening/stabilizing agent and a fluid organic substance, and a method for producing the composition. The compound according to the present invention is represented by Formula (1): (R2—HNOC)4-n—R1—(CONH—R3)n??(1) where R1 is a group resulting from removing four hydrogen atoms from the structural formula of an aromatic hydrocarbon or cyclohexane; R2 is, independently in each occurrence, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R3 is, independently in each occurrence, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing 6 or more carbon atoms; and n is an integer of 1 to 3.

Abstract: A plurality of branch bars is provided on opposing sides of paired strut pieces connected by links in a strut to protrude from one towards the other side, and a plurality of ratchet teeth is formed on the side of the branch bars respectively. When a stent made of polymer material having a cylindrical constitution in which a plurality of struts is connected by links is deformed to enlarge its diameter, the paired struts are deformed to come near to each other, so that the branch bars overlap each other with the ratchet teeth formed thereon engaging with each other. As the effect of engagement of the ratchet teeth with each other, while deformation of the struts so as to enlarge the diameter of the stent is allowed, deformation so as to reduce the diameter of the stent is inhibited.

Abstract: An object is to provide a thermotolerant yeast capable of assimilating xylose to produce ethanol or a mutant strain thereof and a method for producing ethanol by assimilation of xylose. There is used a yeast, Kluyveromyces marxianus strain No. 21 (accession number: NITE BP-01739), or a mutant strain thereof that has xylose assimilation ability and ethanol production ability when cultured at 30° C. under aerobic conditions using a culture medium containing xylose as a sugar source. Also performed is a method for producing ethanol, comprising culturing the yeast or the mutant strain thereof under aerobic conditions using a culture medium containing xylose as a sugar source.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing a novel therapeutic agent for keratoconjunctive disorders. As a means for solving the problem, a therapeutic agent for keratoconjunctive disorders which contains a RAR? agonist as an active ingredient is provided. The therapeutic agent exhibits an excellent ameliorating effect in a keratoconjunctive disorder model, and is therefore useful as a therapeutic agent for keratoconjunctive disorders such as corneal ulcer, corneal epithelial abrasion, keratitis, dry eye, conjunctivitis, chronic superficial keratitis, corneal erosion, persistent corneal disorders, superficial punctate keratopathy, corneal epithelial defects, conjunctival epithelial defects, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis, filamentary keratoconjunctivitis, infectious keratitis, noninfectious keratitis, infectious conjunctivitis and noninfectious conjunctivitis.

Abstract: Provided are: a compound that thickens or gelatinizes a fluid organic substance to a desired viscosity, or uniformly stabilizes a composition containing the fluid organic substance; a thickening/stabilizing agent including the compound; a thickened/stabilized composition including the thickening/stabilizing agent and a fluid organic substance; and a method for producing a thickened/stabilized composition. The compound according to the present invention is represented by Formula (1): (R2—HNOC)4-n—R1—(CONH—R3)n ??(1) where R1 is a group resulting from removing four hydrogen atoms from the structural formula of benzene; R2 and R3 are different from each other and are each independently an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 6 or more carbon atoms; and n represents an integer of 1 to 3.

Abstract: Provided is a compound which thickens or gels a fluid organic material to a desired viscosity, or which uniformly stabilizes the formulation of a composition containing the fluid organic material. The compound according to the present invention is represented by Formula (1): R1—(CONH—R2)n??(1) where R1 represents an n-valent aromatic hydrocarbon group containing two or more benzene rings; R2 represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing 6 or more carbon atoms; and n represents an integer of 4 or more. The group R1 is preferably a group corresponding to an aromatic hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of benzophenone, biphenyl, and naphthalene, except for removing hydrogen atoms in a number of n from the aromatic hydrocarbon. A thickening/stabilizing agent according to the present invention includes the compound.

Abstract: An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide, for example, a method for producing a Kluyveromyces marxianus transformant by a method for conveniently and efficiently connecting the ends of DNA fragments without using specific restriction enzymes or their recognition sequences, and a method for producing a useful substance using the transformant.

Abstract: A buffer composition for hybridization of a target nucleic acid is provided. The nucleic acid can include a nucleotide to be detected with a nucleic acid probe. The probe can contain a nucleotide sequence complementary to the target nucleic acid. The buffer can include a blocking nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence complementary to a non-target nucleic acid having a nucleotide not to be detected corresponding to the nucleotide to be detected. The buffer composition can suppress non-specific hybridization to the nucleic acid probe even when a non-target nucleic acid is present. The use of the buffer composition can achieve excellent detection efficiency of the target nucleic acid.