Abstract: An anti-obesity agent containing, as an active ingredient, a microorganism which belongs to the species Lactobacillus reuteri and is capable of producing lipases having the amino acid sequences respectively depicted in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3 or 5 or amino acid sequences having deletion, substitution or addition of one or more amino acids in the amino acid sequences respectively depicted in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3 or 5. The anti-obesity agent enables a patient to take a normal meal yet preventing the absorption of a fat into the body which is the primary cause of obesity.

Abstract: An anti-obesity agent containing, as an active ingredient, a microorganism which belongs to the species Lactobacillus reuteri and is capable of producing lipases having the amino acid sequences respectively depicted in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3 or 5 or amino acid sequences having deletion, substitution or addition of one or more amino acids in the amino acid sequences respectively depicted in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3 or 5. The anti-obesity agent enables a patient to take a normal meal yet preventing the absorption of a fat into the body which is the primary cause of obesity.

Abstract: An anti-obesity agent containing, as an active ingredient, a microorganism which belongs to the species Lactobacillus reuteri and is capable of producing lipases having the amino acid sequences respectively depicted in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3 or 5 or amino acid sequences having deletion, substitution or addition of one or more amino acids in the amino acid sequences respectively depicted in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3 or 5. The anti-obesity agent enables a patient to take a normal meal yet preventing the absorption of a fat into the body which is the primary cause of obesity.

Abstract: This invention is intended to improve the efficiency of producing 1,3-propanediol from glycerol and to provide an industrially effective process for producing the same. Such process involves the use of a transformant comprising the gene encoding the large subunit of glycerol dehydratase and/or diol dehydratase, the gene encoding the medium subunit thereof, and the gene encoding the small subunit thereof, the gene encoding the large subunit of the reactivation factor for glycerol dehydratase and/or the reactivation factor for diol dehydratase and the gene encoding the small subunit thereof, the gene encoding aldehyde dehydrogenase, and the gene encoding 1,3-propanediol oxidoreductase and/or the gene encoding propanol dehydrogenase.

Abstract: An accelerating agent for elimination of dioxins which comprises, as an active ingredient, a microorganism having an activity of accelerating elimination of dioxins in the body to the outside of the body.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heat insulation covering for a spherical storage tank such as an LNG tank or the like for storing an extremely low temperature liquid. The covering is constructed by using elongated panel-like heat insulating panels. A plurality of slit parts having a U-shaped cross section are formed along the longitudinal direction of a foam-resin heat insulating panel formed in an elongated panel-like configuration. In the slit part, a heat insulating material is inserted. The material has a sufficient expandability under extremely low temperatures. The heat insulating panel can be deformed along the curvature of the surface of the spherical tank. The heat insulation covering of the spherical tank is formed of the heat insulating panels which have an elongated configuration. With such a structure, only a few kinds of heat insulating panels need be prepared, which is favorable in terms of cost.