Abstract: This invention provides a therapeutic agent for arthrosis exerting inhibitory effects on articular cartilage destruction and high therapeutic effects on arthrosis. The invention provides a therapeutic agent for arthrosis which comprises, as an active ingredient, cyclic phosphatidic acid or carbacyclic phosphatidic acid.

Abstract: This invention provides a therapeutic agent for arthrosis exerting inhibitory effects on articular cartilage destruction and high therapeutic effects on arthrosis. The invention provides a therapeutic agent for arthrosis which comprises, as an active ingredient, cyclic phosphatidic acid or carbacyclic phosphatidic acid.

Abstract: An immunoregulator that is safe and efficiently incorporated into cells along with a production process thereof are provided. Double-stranded RNA derived from lactic acid bacteria, an immunoregulator having for an active ingredient thereof double-stranded RNA derived from lactic acid bacteria, and a process for producing double-stranded RNA derived from lactic acid bacteria are provided. Bacteria cells of a strains of lactic acid bacteria such as genus Tetragenococcus, genus Pediococcus, genus Lactobacillus, genus Streptococcus or genus Leuconostoc are able to produce double-stranded RNA having immunoregulatory action therein.

Abstract: An interferon ? production promoter and a method for producing thereof are provided. The interferon ? production promoter has a culture, a cell or cell components of lactic acid bacteria as an active ingredient thereof. RNA can be used for the cell component. In addition, bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus, Tetragenococcus, Pediococcus or Streptococcus can be used for the lactic acid bacteria. The interferon ? production promoter can be produced by culturing lactic acid bacteria and collecting a culture, a cell or cell components thereof.

Abstract: It is intended to provide an immunomodulator, which has a high safety and can be effectively incorporated into cells, and a method of producing the same. A double-stranded RNA originating in a lactic acid bacterium; an immunomodulator comprising the double-stranded RNA originating in a lactic acid bacterium as the active ingredient; and a method of producing the double-stranded RNA originating in a lactic acid bacterium. Lactic acid bacterial cells belonging to the genus Tetragenococcus, Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc, etc. can produce a double-stranded RNA having an immunomodulation effect therein.

Abstract: A functional composition containing as an active ingredient a lactic acid fermented product obtained by fermenting a component of soybean origin using a lactic acid bacterium belonging to the genera Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, or Pediococcus. It has various activities such as growth hormone secretagogue activity, fatigue accumulation preventing activity, circadian rhythm regulatory activity, reproductive behavior inducing activity, and so forth and is useful as a growth hormone secretagogue, a fatigue accumulation preventing composition, a circadian rhythm regulator, or a reproductive behavior-inducing composition.

Abstract: A sorbitol dehydrogenase gene encoding (a) a protein having an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1; or (b) a protein with sorbitol dehydrogenase activity consisting of an amino acid sequence comprising one or more deletions, substitutions or additions in the amino acid sequence of (a). Further, the invention provides a novel recombinant DNA having the sorbitol dehydrogenase gene inserted into a vector DNA, and a transformant or a transductant containing the recombinant DNA. Also, the invention provides a sorbitol dehydrogenase production method comprising the steps of: culturing the transformant or the transductant in a medium; and collecting sorbitol dehydrogenase from the culture. According to the present invention, sorbitol dehydrogenase can be produced efficiently.

Abstract: There can be presented a letter input apparatus and method which make it possible to speedily and easily select a necessary letter from many kinds of letters while using a control dial input apparatus. By providing a control dial input apparatus 11 for generating command signals for forward direction and backward direction revolutions and a press-down, a microcomputer 12 for controlling a letter to be displayed based on the command signals, an OSD controller 13 for generating image information out of letter information and a display unit for displaying the generated image information, selection is conducted by moving a one dimensional cursor with a step for selecting one group of letters arranged and displayed in two dimensional fashion and a step for selecting a letter from the selected group of letters.

Abstract: We have cloned and sequenced the cDNA encoding the 61 kD active fragment of a unique porcine chondrocyte nucleotide pyrophosphohydrolase (NTPPHase) from a porcine chondrocyte library. Degenerate oligonucleotides, corresponding to the N-terminal amino acid sequence of this peptide were hybridized to porcine chondrocyte cDNA and used to amplify DNA encoding the N-terminal sequence of 61 kD with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were then used as probes to clone the entire open reading-frame for the 61 kD fragment from a porcine chondrocyte cDNA library. The length of the cloned cDNA was 2509 bp. Translation of the open-reading-frame predicts the 61 kD fragment to be a 459 amino acid protein. BLAST and FASTA analysis confirmed that this amino acid sequence was unique and did not possess high homology to any known proteins in the non-redundant protein data base.