Abstract: [Object] It is to provide a method and a kit capable of detecting or quantifying a target RNA simply and rapidly from trace amounts of RNA in a sample, in a case such as when one or more kinds of pathogenic microorganisms are to be detected or quantified. [Solving Means] The method comprises the steps of 1) synthesizing cDNA from a sample containing the target RNA using a liquid-phase primer having a promoter sequence and a reverse transcriptase to obtain a cDNA-RNA complex, 2) degrading the RNA of the complex, 3) synthesizing a double-stranded DNA via the cDNA obtained in the step 2) and the solid-phase primer, 4) synthesizing RNA from the double-stranded DNA, 5) synthesizing cDNA via the RNA obtained in the step 4) and the solid-phase primer to obtain a cDNA-RNA complex, 6) degrading the RNA of the complex obtained in step 5), 7) synthesizing a double-stranded DNA via the cDNA obtained in the step 6) and the liquid-phase primer, and 8) quantifying the double-stranded DNAs obtained in the steps 3) and 7).

Abstract: A cerebral local portion cooling probe is composed so that a handheld module includes a Peltier device and a coolant liquid circulating part arranged so as to contact with the Peltier device and wirings, conduits and a heat radiating part are connected to this handheld module. Circulation of coolant liquid and operation of the Peltier device are implemented by means of a control unit, then the tip end of the handheld module is caused to contact with a cerebral local portion to be cooled and a state of the cerebral local portion is monitored in accordance with responses to the cooling. A cerebral function mapping device comprises a mapping module in which a plurality of cooling modules are arranged, each cooling module including a Peltier device and a coolant liquid circulating part in a manner similar to that of the cerebral local portion cooling probe.

Abstract: The electrolyte solution for a lithium ion secondary battery according to the present invention contains a nonaqueous solvent, a lithium salt and a compound represented by the general formula (Z) shown below. Thereby, a lithium ion secondary battery having high battery characteristics and simultaneously achieving a high safety as well can be provided. R—SO2—Ar1—O—R1??(Z) wherein Ar1 denotes a substituted or nonsubstituted divalent aromatic group having 5 to 30 atoms of the nucleus(es); R1 denotes a saturated or unsaturated monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; and R denotes a saturated or unsaturated monovalent hydrocarbon group having a perfluoroalkyl group and having 2 to 22 carbon atoms.

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: In a semiconductor device fabricated by growing a compound semiconductor layer on a sapphire substrate, a sapphire substrate enabling the semiconductor device to have a high light-extraction efficiency is provided. A plurality of projections 2, 2, . . . are provided at random on a surface of a sapphire substrate 1, and a GaN layer 10 is grown on this surface. Then, a multi-quantum well layer 12, a p-AlGaN layer 14, a p-GaN layer 16, and an ITO layer 18 are formed on the GaN layer 10, and two electrodes 21 and 22 are also formed. In this manner, a semiconductor light-emitting device is fabricated.

Abstract: An invisible enclosure includes a cylindrical central enclosure having a cavity formed therein and an outer shell formed of homogenous materials, with an object in the cavity and the central enclosure itself being substantially invisible with an electromagnetic wave. The central enclosure is formed by laminating a large number of cylindrical layered films formed by radially laminating a plurality of materials having different permittivities. Effective values of respective permittivities of respective parts of the central enclosure are adjusted by adjusting permittivities and radial thicknesses of respective layers of the layered films along a radius value of the central enclosure. The radial element of a permittivity tensor is set to be a value sequentially increasing along a radius from the innermost circumference of the central enclosure to the outermost circumference thereof and is set to be a predetermined value smaller than the permittivity of the outer shell at the outermost circumference.

Abstract: Evaluation of tree production capacity by a non-destructive method using a tree crown structure measurement device or using an image capture device with a fisheye lens mounted, for isolated trees or for trees existing at intervals, is enabled without requiring a large amount of time. A semi-spheroid of revolution model is established as a representation of the outer shape of a tree, an optical tree structure measurement device is placed at a position apart from the main trunk by a prescribed distance, the intensity of light passing through tree leaves and the intensity of light not passing through tree leaves are measured, the optical path length of light incident on the tree is calculated using the semi-spheroid model and the total tree leaf area is determined from the measured light intensities and optical path length.

Abstract: To provide a gelling agent containing a fluoroalkyl derivative, a small amount of which can gelatinize or solidify various organic solvents. The gelling agent for organic liquids contains a fluoroalkyl derivative represented by the following formula: wherein each of m, n and x is a positive integer.

Abstract: Provided is an efficiency improving agent for gene transfer to mammalian cells, a method for improving efficiency of gene transfer to mammalian cells, and a method for transforming mammalian cells. The method is characterized in that tRNA is used in combination with a lipofection reagent. Preferably, the agent may be used so that the tRNA concentration in a lipofection solution falls within the range of 3 to 50 ?g/mL, and the concentration in a culture is approximately 1/10. More preferably, tRNA and PEG may be used in combination with a lipofection reagent. According to the present invention, gene transfer to mammalian cells with high efficiency can be achieved.

Abstract: To provide a novel material exhibiting excellent light-emitting characteristics using a heavy metal element having relatively abundant reserve.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel yeast strain capable of producing ethanol through fermentation with a high degree of efficiency at a temperature of 37° C. or higher, preferably a temperature ranging from 40 to 49° C. or higher, and also a method for producing ethanol by utilizing the yeast strain, and further, ethanol produced by the method. Therefore, in the present invention, an yeast strain (Deposit No. NITE BP-283, etc) belonging to species Kluyveromyces marxianus isolated by a screening step using a culture medium containing sugar in a high concentration and ethanol, is cultured in a culture solution supplemented with 10 to 100 mM of sorbitol at 40 to 49° C.

Abstract: There is provided a multilayered charge-mosaic membrane having a porous supporting layer (A), a porous intermediate layer (B) and a charge-mosaic layer (C), wherein the porous supporting layer (A), the porous intermediate layer (B) and the charge-mosaic layer (C) are located in this order; the porous supporting layer (A) and/or the porous intermediate layer (B) are made of a fiber layer containing hydrophilic fibers; a thickness of the porous intermediate layer (B) is 0.1 to 100 ?m; a porosity of the porous supporting layer (A) is larger than a porosity of the porous intermediate layer (B); the cationic and/or the anionic polymers constituting the charge-mosaic layer (C) is a polyvinyl alcohol having an ionic group. Thus, there is provided a multilayered charge-mosaic membrane having a large salt permeation flux and excellent mechanical strength.

Abstract: An ultrasonograph contains a probe provided with a transmitting/receiving ultrasonic transducer at the center thereof, and the probe has a transmitting ultrasonic transducer and a receiving ultrasonic transducer which are symmetrically movable with respect to the transmitting/receiving ultrasonic transducer. Contacting the probe with the skin of a diagnosis area, a direction of the probe is adjusted to be perpendicular to the diagnosis object using echo signals of the transducer. Then the echo signals of the transmitting ultrasonic transducer and the transmitting/receiving ultrasonic transducer, and a distance between the ultrasonic transducers are processed to obtain a signal intensity. Results are displayed on a display to indicate the thickness, hardness of an articular cartilage, and a surface condition thereof visually so that it is possible to diagnose the articular cartilage without inserting a probe into the cavitas articulare.

Abstract: The present invention provides a therapeutic agent and a prophylactic agent for a gastrointestinal disease. A peptide having an amino acid sequence represented by Ser-Ser-Ser-Arg or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof promotes wound healing in a gastrointestinal mucosal tissue, and is therefore useful as a therapeutic agent or a prophylactic agent for a gastrointestinal disease. Further, when (a) a peptide having an amino acid sequence represented by Ser-Ser-Ser-Arg or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and (b) a peptide having an amino acid sequence represented by Phe-Gly-Leu-Met-NH2 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof are administered in combination, these medicaments act synergistically and can significantly promote wound healing in a gastrointestinal mucosal tissue.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing an alcohol compound, which enables the alcohol compound to be obtained at a high yield from an amide compound or amine compound. The method for producing an alcohol compound, which is characterized by comprising allowing an alcohol in a supercritical state to act on the amide compound or amine compound in the presence of a carboxylic acid derivative to obtain the alcohol compound.

Abstract: To provide a method for the production of a hydroxycarboxylic acid derivative, by which a hydroxycarboxylic acid derivative, which can be reused in various applications, can be obtained from a polyamide at a high yield without consuming a large amount of energy. A method for the production of a hydroxycarboxylic acid derivative, which is characterized by including allowing an alcohol in a supercritical state to act on a polyamide in the presence of a carboxylic acid derivative to depolymerize the polyamide to obtain the hydroxycarboxylic acid derivative.

Abstract: A two-dimensional left-handed metamaterial that functions as a two-dimensional electromagnetic wave propagation medium in which the equivalent permittivity and permeability of the medium are both negative, exhibits superior low-loss, broadband characteristics as a left-handed material, and has a simple constitution, enabling low-cost manufacture.

Abstract: It is to provide a novel Kluyveromyces marxianus transformant having thermotolerance and flocculation property, suitable for the industrial production of bioethanol, by introducing a foreign flocculation gene into Kluyveromyces marxianus, and an efficient method for producing the transformant. The present inventors focused on the flocculation gene FLO of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a foreign gene to confer flocculation property to Kluyveromyces marxianus and produced a linear DNA fragment comprising a known expression promoter sequence and a FLO gene sequence derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. As a result of introducing this linear DNA fragment into Kluyveromyces marxianus, the present inventors have confirmed that Kluyveromyces marxianus transformant can be obtained efficiently, and that the flocculation property of the above transformant is unexpectedly and significantly enhanced. The present invention has been thus completed.

Abstract: A method of treating or reducing at least one inflammatory condition or the susceptibility to at least one inflammatory condition is provided involving administering at least one CD69 antagonist to a subject, wherein the subject has been diagnosed with at least one inflammatory condition, or a susceptibility to the same. CD69 antagonists can include one or more of an anti-CD69 antibody, an anti-CD69 aptamer, a CD69 mRNA antagonist, and a small molecule pharmaceutical.

Abstract: Provided is an anesthetic agent which can exhibit an anesthetic effect rapidly when adhered on mucosal membranes, the skin or the like by means of application or the like in local anesthesia, particularly surface anesthesia. Prepared are: a fast-acting surface anesthetic agent containing lidocaine and ethyl paraaminobenzoate at a specific ratio; and a super fast-acting surface anesthetic agent containing lidocaine, ethyl paraaminobenzoate and adrenaline at a specific ratio.