Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for predicting the risk of acquiring influenza, which is characterized by low price, low invasiveness, and applicability to total automation. The present invention provides a method for predicting the risk of acquiring influenza, which comprises measuring the ratio of anti-influenza IgA to the total IgA in a specimen collected from a subject.

Abstract: An induction lamp lighting device includes an induction coil arranged adjacent to an induction lamp; a direct current power supply circuit for outputting a direct current voltage; a high-frequency power supply circuit for converting the direct current voltage to an alternating current voltage and supplying the alternating current voltage to the induction coil; and a control circuit for controlling the direct current power supply circuit and the high-frequency power supply circuit. The control circuit performs a startup preparation operation by which to control the high-frequency power supply circuit so that, immediately after the alternating current voltage begins to be outputted from the high-frequency power supply circuit to the induction coil, the alternating current voltage is gradually increased to such a voltage value as not to generate arc discharge in the induction lamp and then kept at the voltage value for a specified time.

Abstract: A dimmable electronic ballast for an electrodeless discharge lamp comprises an inverter circuit, a resonance circuit, an induction coil and a start circuit. The start circuit has a variable time constant. The start circuit sweeps a drive frequency of the inverter circuit through a time constant for start or restart so that the voltage applied across the coil is raised from voltage lower than start voltage and restart voltage for starting and restarting the lamp to voltage higher than the start voltage and the restart voltage. The time constant for start during a start period for starting the lamp is larger than the time constant for restart during a restart period for restarting the lamp.

Abstract: There is provided an electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device with small size and low cost by simplifying a noise suppression part and a lighting apparatus having the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device. A counter circuit of a frequency signal generating circuit repeatedly generates a frequency signal of which the amplitude is varied in a multi-step shape on the basis of an oscillation period of an oscillation circuit. An oscillation circuit outputs an oscillation signal of a frequency corresponding to the amplitude of the frequency signal. A drive circuit drives a switching element of an inverter circuit at the frequency of the oscillation signal and the inverter circuit applies a high-frequency voltage generated by the switching operation of the switching element to an induction coil to start up and light the electrodeless discharge lamp.

Abstract: In the aim of practical utilization of a safe and effective transnasal/inactivated/mucosal vaccine and establishment of a technology for imparting capacity of producing both of IgA and IgG antibodies to a conventional inactivated vaccine, toxoid; allergen, or the like, a means for prevention and treatment of allergy, and the like, it is intended to provide an antigen-drug vehicle (AD vehicle) enabling transnasal, transmucosal, and transdermal administrations, an inactivated vaccine simultaneously inducing a mucosal immunity and humoral immunity by using the AD vehicle, a production method of the inactivated vaccine, an AD vehicle enabling a switch from induction of selective production of IgA antibody to induction of both of IgA and IgG antibodies, and a transnasal vaccine, a mucosal vaccine, a therapeutic/prophylactic agent for allergy, and the like using the AD vehicle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of diagnosing a risk of a thermolabile phenotype disease including or caused by influenza encephalitis/encephalopathy, Reye's syndrome, RS virus infectious disease, adenovirus infectious disease, rhinovirus infectious diseases, bastard measles, Japanese encephalitis, malaria infectious disease, Kawasaki disease and sudden infant death syndrome, characterized by examining whether or not an enzymatic activity of at least one enzyme involved in any of various transporters, carnitine cycle, long-chain ? oxidation cycle, medium-chain/short-chain ? oxidation cycle, electron transfer, synthesis of a ketone and production of ATP involved in energy metabolism in mitochondria is significantly lower compared with healthy subjects at 39° C. or higher when referring the enzymatic activity at 37° C. as to 100%.

Abstract: There is provided an electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device with small size and low cost by simplifying a noise suppression part and a lighting apparatus having the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device. A counter circuit of a frequency signal generating circuit repeatedly generates a frequency signal of which the amplitude is varied in a multi-step shape on the basis of an oscillation period of an oscillation circuit. An oscillation circuit outputs an oscillation signal of a frequency corresponding to the amplitude of the frequency signal. A drive circuit drives a switching element of an inverter circuit at the frequency of the oscillation signal and the inverter circuit applies a high-frequency voltage generated by the switching operation of the switching element to an induction coil to start up and light the electrodeless discharge lamp.

Abstract: Electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device. Start circuit 19 sweeps operating frequency of resonance circuit 16 from start frequency to end frequency of resonance frequency side through drive circuit 18 and DC/AC conversion circuit 15, and starts electrodeless discharge lamp 13. Control circuit 10 increases or decreases variable power into circuit 18 so that detection current comes to equal prescribed current for shifting the operating frequency to middle range frequency between the start frequency and the end frequency. The prescribed current is set so that the detection voltage in case of the middle range frequency becomes lower than that in case of the end frequency. Capacitor 106 constituting integration circuit starts suppression of operation of circuit 10 when lamp 13 is started, and holds the suppression during at least start mode. Accordingly, it is possible to stably start lamp 13 and control stress on circuit(s) after lamp 13 is successfully started.

Abstract: A ballast for an electrodeless discharge lamp includes a high frequency power supply that supplies a high frequency electric power to an induction coil for operating the lamp. A dimmer controller generates a control signal in response to a dimmer command designating a varying dimming ratio. The control signal defines a first period Ton in which the power supply is controlled to apply a coil voltage of a first level V1 to the induction coil for operating the lamp. The first period is followed by a second period Toff in which the power supply is controlled to apply the coil voltage of a second level V2 that is lower than the first level and fails to sustain the lamp. The control signal defines, between the second period and the first period, a starting period Tst in which the coil voltage increases continuously for smooth transition from an off-condition to an on-condition of the lamp.

Abstract: Disclosed are an antigen-drug vehicle (AD vehicle) exerting a function of inducing the preferential and selective production of an antigen-specific secretory IgA antibody, local immunity or mucosal immunity; a method of inducing mucosal immunity, a mucosal vaccine and a preventive or a remedy for allergy using the above AD vehicle; and a transmucosal or transdermal DDS using the above vehicle.

Abstract: Electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device. Start circuit 19 sweeps operating frequency of resonance circuit 16 from start frequency to end frequency of resonance frequency side through drive circuit 18 and DC/AC conversion circuit 15, and starts electrodeless discharge lamp 13. Control circuit 10 increases or decreases variable power into circuit 18 so that detection current comes to equal prescribed current for shifting the operating frequency to middle range frequency between the start frequency and the end frequency. The prescribed current is set so that the detection voltage in case of the middle range frequency becomes lower than that in case of the end frequency. Capacitor 106 constituting integration circuit starts suppression of operation of circuit 10 when lamp 13 is started, and holds the suppression during at least start mode. Accordingly, it is possible to stably start lamp 13 and control stress on circuit(s) after lamp 13 is successfully started.

Abstract: A ballast for an electrodeless discharge lamp includes a high frequency power supply that supplies a high frequency electric power to an induction coil for operating the lamp. A dimmer controller generates a control signal in response to a dimmer command designating a varying dimming ratio. The control signal defines a first period Ton in which the power supply is controlled to apply a coil voltage of a first level V1 to the induction coil for operating the lamp. The first period is followed by a second period Toff in which the power supply is controlled to apply the coil voltage of a second level V2 that is lower than the first level and fails to sustain the lamp. The control signal defines, between the second period and the first period, a starting period Tst in which the coil voltage increases continuously for smooth transition from an off-condition to an on-condition of the lamp.

Abstract: An anti-influenzal agent comprises, as an effective component, ambroxol, bromhexin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. This agent is characterized in that it has an anti-influenzal effect through the promotion of the secretion of biological factors, which possess influenza virus-proliferation-inhibitory effect and are included in the fluid secreted in the respiratory tract. It is also characterized in that it can inhibit the influenza virus-proliferation in the respiratory tract through promoting the secretion of substances capable of inhibiting proteases in the respiratory tract, which induce the influenza virus infection, that it can inhibit the influenza virus-proliferation in the respiratory tract through promoting the secretion of mucosal immune substances or IgA and IgG and that it can inhibit any release of inflammatory cytokines in the respiratory tract. The present invention also relates to an agent for treating or preventing influenza virus-infectious diseases.

Abstract: A tryptase inhibitor comprising as an active ingredient at least one member selected from among guanidinoaliphatic acid derivatives of the formula (I), guanidinobenzoic acid derivatives of the formula (II), guanidinophenol derivatives of the formula (III), amidinophenol derivatives of the formula (IV), and novel guanidinophenol derivatives of the formula (V) (in the formulae, Gu is guanidino).

Abstract: A power source device includes a high frequency power source having a pair of switching elements and converting a DC voltage into an AC high frequency voltage to be supplied to a load, a driving transformer having, wound on a magnetic core, a primary winding and a pair of secondary windings connected respectively in series to each of control terminals of the pair of the switching elements, and a driving device for driving the two switching elements by applying a voltage to the primary winding of the driving transformer. The secondary windings are wound on the core to be separated in every turn at equal intervals and not to be intimately close to each other, for remarkable improvement in the degree of variability in the efficiency of circuit forming the power source device.

Abstract: The present invention is a therapeutic or prophylactic agent for viral diseases whose active ingredient is antileukoprotease (ALP). Formulations containing ALP as an active ingredient have particularly effective application against viral diseases, particularly viral diseases caused by viruses which are activated by tryptase Clara, i.e. viruses with envelope glycoproteins, which replicate by infection of the respiratory-tract, such as influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, RS virus, measles virus and mumps virus.

Abstract: An inverter device has a full-wave rectifier providing a pulsating DC voltage from an input AC voltage, a smoothing circuit. The smoothing circuit includes a choke coil, a smoothing capacitor and a switching element chopping the pulsating DC voltage through the choke coil into a smoothed DC voltage at the smoothing capacitor. An inverter is included to have the element common to the smoothing circuit and operating to switch the smoothed DC voltage to apply a resulting voltage to a load circuit including a load, inductance and capacitor. The inductance and capacitor define an oscillation circuit providing to the load an oscillating current composed of first and second currents of opposite directions. The oscillating current alternating to flow for a nominal on-time duration determined by a circuit constant of the oscillation circuit itself.

Abstract: 5'-Pseudouridyl-N-oleoyl carbamate represented by the formula: ##STR1## This compound is physiologically active in that it markedly enhances the actions of glucocorticoids and hence is useful as an alternative to conventional steroid drugs.

Abstract: A data input apparatus comprises a display device for displaying guidance information which designates types of data to be inputted as well as the order therefor, a key set having a plurality of keys arrayed in a matrix and a corresponding number of mats defining the functions of the individual keys which can be imparted with new definitions by changing over the associated mats, and a circuit adapted to select and change the mats defining the keys so that the various types of data indicated by the guidance information can be inputted in the order given by the guidance information. The mats can thus be replaced by other proper ones automatically without resorting to manual operation.