Abstract: The present invention provides a bacterium belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium, by which DNA coding for a protein having an antitumor activity or DNA coding for a protein having the activity of converting a precursor of an antitumor substance into the antitumor substance is delivered to tumor tissues specifically under anaerobic conditions thereby expressing the protein encoded by the DNA, as well as a pharmaceutical composition comprising said anaerobic bacterium.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical preparation comprising a hepatocyte growth factor or a DNA molecule encoding the same and the like according to the present invention can suppress the fibrosis of a transplanted organ after organ transplantation. The present invention is useful in the fields of organ transplantation and regeneration therapy.

Abstract: The present invention provides a shuttle vector for a microorganism of the genus Bifidobacterium (BM) and Escherichia coli having a wide host range and a large copy number in BM and capable of highly expressing a desired protein when used as an expression vector; an expression vector capable of expressing a desired gene in BM by use of the shuttle vector; BM transformed with the expression vector; and an antitumor agent comprising the BM as an active ingredient. It comprises a pTB6-derived region portion comprising a replication origin (oriV)-repB region of pTB6 but not comprising MembB, MobA, OrfI, and oriT regions of pTB6 and an Escherichia coli-derived plasmid portion comprising a replication origin (oriC) region of Escherichia coli but having deleted DNA encoding an N-terminal region of an ampicillin resistance gene (ampR) expression product ?-lactamase, and constitute a shuttle vector for Escherichia coli with a BM having an average copy number of 6 to 30.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical preparation comprising a hepatocyte growth factor or a DNA molecule encoding the same and the like according to the present invention can suppress the fibrosis of a transplanted organ after organ transplantation. The present invention is useful in the fields of organ transplantation and regeneration therapy.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a cytosine deaminase (CD)-expressing, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-resistant microorganism which can grow in anaerobic tumor tissues, can express CD, and has a resistance to 5-FU at a concentration that is at least effective for antitumor activity. More specifically, the method is a method (A) comprising performing subculture or acclimation culture of a CD-expressing microorganism which can grow in anaerobic tumor tissues, in the presence of 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC), or a method (B) comprising (1) performing subculture or acclimation culture of a microorganism which can grow in anaerobic tumor tissues and does not express CD, in the presence of 5-FU to produce a 5-FU-resistant microorganism and (2) transforming the 5-FU-resistant microorganism by introducing a CD gene. The present invention also provides the CD-expressing, 5-FU-resistant microorganism and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the microorganism.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of efficiently constructing a gene delivery carrier having a favorable activity and expression efficiency of a protein expressed by a gene introduced by transformation. Moreover, an object of the present invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition comprising a gene delivery carrier constructed by the construction method and a therapeutic agent for solid tumor comprising the resistant bacterium.

Abstract: A monitoring system for monitoring surroundings of a vehicle by displaying images taken by a plurality of cameras provided at the vehicle on a display apparatus provided in a vehicle compartment includes an image processing portion.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical preparation comprising a hepatocyte growth factor or a DNA molecule encoding the same and the like according to the present invention can suppress the fibrosis of a transplanted organ after organ transplantation. The present invention is useful in the fields of organ transplantation and regeneration therapy.

Abstract: Methods, devices and apparatus are disclosed for analyzing a sample for the presence of one or more analytes. A sample is contacted with a well comprising a plurality of p-n junction nanowire pairs. One member of the nanowire pair comprises a capture moiety, and one member of the nanowire pair is an excitation nanowire and the other member is a detection nanowire. The contacting is carried out under conditions for binding of an analyte to a respective binding partner. The excitation nanowire is employed to excite a luminescent label bound to the capture moiety and the detection nanowire is used to detect a signal resulting from excitation of the luminescent label. The amount of the signal is related to the presence and/or amount of an analyte in the sample.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for analyzing a sample for the presence of one or more analytes. The sample is contacted with a channel comprising (i) a plurality of features wherein each of the features comprises a binding partner for one of the respective analytes and (ii) a plurality of silicon CMOS sensors, each of the sensors being optically coupled to a corresponding feature. The contacting is carried out under conditions for binding of an analyte to a respective binding partner. The analytes are treated to introduce a luciferase prior to or after the contacting. The luciferase has a brightness that is at least 100 times greater than firefly luciferase. Light emitted at each of the features is detected by means of the silicon CMOS sensors. The amount of light emitted at each of the features is related to the presence and/or amount of an analyte in the sample.

Abstract: A piezoelectric spatial light modulator including a substrate having an array of cavities and piezoelectric cantilevers is arranged on the substrate. Each of the piezoelectric cantilevers includes a base portion on the substrate and a beam portion extending over a respective one of the cavities. Each of the piezoelectric cantilevers further includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a piezoelectric element between the electrodes. A flexible layer covers the cavities and the piezoelectric cantilevers and reflective elements are each located on the flexible layer over a respective one of the beam portions.

Abstract: A piezoelectric spatial light modulator including a substrate having an array of cavities and piezoelectric cantilevers is arranged on the substrate. Each of the piezoelectric cantilevers includes a base portion on the substrate and a beam portion extending over a respective one of the cavities. Each of the piezoelectric cantilevers further includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a piezoelectric element between the electrodes. A flexible layer covers the cavities and the piezoelectric cantilevers and reflective elements are each located on the flexible layer over a respective one of the beam portions.

Abstract: A piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor has a substrate and a piezoelectric cantilever having a base portion attached to the substrate and a beam portion suspended over a cavity. The piezoelectric cantilever contains a piezoelectric layer sandwiched between two electrodes and generates a measurable voltage when deformed under pressure. The piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor can be manufactured at low cost and used in various applications including fingerprint identification devices.

Abstract: A piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor array is disclosed. The piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor array contains a substrate, a readout circuit, and piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensors electrically connected to the readout circuit. Each piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor contains an elongate piezoelectric cantilever mounted at one end on the substrate and extending over a cavity. The piezoelectric cantilever contains a piezoelectric layer sandwiched between two electrodes and generates a measurable voltage when deformed under pressure. The piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor array can be manufactured at low cost and used in various applications including fingerprint identification devices.

Abstract: A monitoring system for monitoring surroundings of a vehicle by displaying images taken by a plurality of cameras provided at the vehicle on a display apparatus provided in a vehicle compartment includes an image processing portion.

Abstract: A method for making piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor array is disclosed. The method contains forming a layer structure comprising a substrate, an elastic layer, a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode layer, defining piezoelectric cantilevers in the layer structure, defining Y-lines in the first electrode layer, forming X-lines; and creating a cavity under each piezoelectric cantilever. The piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor array can be used in various applications including fingerprint identification devices.

Abstract: A piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor array is disclosed. The piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor array contains a substrate, a readout circuit, and piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensors electrically connected to the readout circuit. Each piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor contains an elongate piezoelectric cantilever mounted at one end on the substrate and extending over a cavity. The piezoelectric cantilever contains a piezoelectric layer sandwiched between two electrodes and generates a measurable voltage when deformed under pressure. The piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor array can be manufactured at low cost and used in various applications including fingerprint identification devices.

Abstract: A piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor has a substrate and a piezoelectric cantilever having a base portion attached to the substrate and a beam portion suspended over a cavity. The piezoelectric cantilever contains a piezoelectric layer sandwiched between two electrodes and generates a measurable voltage when deformed under pressure. The piezoelectric cantilever pressure sensor can be manufactured at low cost and used in various applications including fingerprint identification devices.

Abstract: A method of forming a high quality epitaxial indium phosphide layer on a silicon substrate and a semiconductor device formed by the same method are described. In one aspect, a lead-based perovskite buffer is formed on a silicon substrate, and an epitaxial indium phosphide layer is formed on the lead-based perovskite buffer. In accordance with this approach, relatively large (e.g., up to 300 millimeters in diameter) high quality indium phosphide films may be produced with the relatively high mechanical stability provided by silicon substrates. In this way, intrinsic problems associated with prior approaches that involve growth of high quality indium phosphide thin films on indium phosphide substrates, which are characterized by small wafer size, brittleness and high cost, may be avoided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bacterium belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium, by which DNA coding for a protein having an antitumor activity or DNA coding for a protein having the activity of converting a precursor of an antitumor substance into the antitumor substance is delivered to tumor tissues specifically under anaerobic conditions thereby expressing the protein encoded by the DNA, as well as a pharmaceutical composition comprising said anaerobic bacterium.