Abstract: A water absorbing material that is suitable for being discarded by being flushed down a flush toilet is provided. The water absorbing material includes only an organic substance containing no nutrients.

Abstract: A reagent for the detection of an antibody against an acid-fast bacterial antigen comprising at least one compound selected from the group comprising mycolic acids, mycolic acid salts, mycolic acid esters and esters of fatty acids having a carbon number of 14 or more other than mycolic acid with a mono- or disaccharide, a method of detecting an antibody against an acid-fast bacterial antigen using said reagent and a method of diagnosis of acid-fast bacterial infections by said detection method are simpler in procedures and offer much higher specificity in comparison with conventional reagents and methods, enabling identification of acid-fast bacterial genera (including the genera Mycobacterium, Nocardia and Rhodococcus) and acid-fast bacterial species, and thus it is possible to make diagnoses to identify the infecting acid-fast bacterium, which leads to the quick choice of therapeutic drug for the disease.

Abstract: A trehalose derivative of the formula: ##STR1## wherein one, two, three or four of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 are independently selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-40 aliphatic acyl groups and all the rest of them are hydrogen atoms,with the proviso that:a) when one of them is C.sub.1-40 aliphatic acyl group, then it is not 2-palmitoyl or 6-aliphatic acyl,b) when two of them are C.sub.1-40 aliphatic acyl groups, then they are not located at corresponding positions with each other,c) when three of them are C.sub.1-40 aliphatic acyl groups, then they are not 2,3,2'-tripalmitoyl, andd) when four of them are C.sub.1-40 aliphatic acyl groups, then they are not located at corresponding positions with each other or at 2,3,4,2'- or 2,3,6,2'-positions.The compounds of the above formula have anti-tumor activity.

Abstract: An .alpha.,.alpha.-trehalose trimycolate represented by formula: ##STR1## (wherein R.sup.1 through R.sup.8 each represents a hydrogen atom or mycolic acid residue, and three of R.sup.1 through R.sup.8 are mycolic acid residues; these mycolic acid residues may, or may not be identical with each other).Since the said .alpha.,.alpha.-trehalose trimycolate possesses both immunopotentiating activity and antitumor activity on animals and is low in toxicity, it is expected to be applied to a protective drug against infection of various microbes, an antitumor agent and immunopotentiation at the time of decline in physical strength.

Abstract: Compounds of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is heterocyclic group other than pyridyl and which is unsubstituted or substituted with lower alkyl or lower alkoxycarbonyl, R.sup.2 is hydrogen, halogen, or nitro, and R.sup.3 is carboxy group or its functional derivative, with the proviso that when R.sup.1 is an unsubstituted furyl, or furyl mono- or polysubstituted with alkyl and R.sup.2 is hydrogen, then R.sup.3 is functional derivative of carboxy and, where applicable, pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are hyaluronidase inhibitors and useful as anti-allergic agent.

Abstract: A compound of the formula: ##STR1## wherein the free valency of the groups A-, R- and --X--Y-- is attached to any of 2-, 4- and 5- positions of the thiazol ring, A is a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group, an aryl group which is unsubstituted or substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of hydroxy C.sub.1-6 alkoxy, aryl-(C.sub.1-6)alkoxy, halo-(C.sub.1-6)alkyl, halogen, and nitro,or 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic group containing at least one hetero atom selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, or a condensed heterocyclic group consisting of a heterocycle as defined above and a benzene nucleus, these two heterocyclic groups being unsubstituted or substituted with at least one substituent selected from halogen,R is hydrogen or a C.sub.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula: ##STR1## wherein A is a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group, an aryl group which is unsubstituted or substituted with at least one substituent selected from hydroxy, alkoxy, aryl-(C.sub.1-6)alkoxy, C.sub.1-6 alkylcarbonyloxy, halo-(C.sub.1-6)alkyl, halogen, nitro and amino,or 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic group containing at least one hetero atom selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, or a condensed heterocyclic group consisting of a heterocycle as defined above and a benzene nucleus,these two heterocyclic groups being unsubstituted or substituted with at least one substituent selected from hydroxy, C.sub.1-6 alkyl and halogen, and R is hydrogen or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group,or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof are nobel and useful as antiallergic.

Abstract: This invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions of compounds of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is an aryl group or a substituted aryl group wherein the substituent is halogen, hydroxy, C.sub.(1-6) lower alkoxy, C.sub.(1-6) lower alkylenedioxy, halo C.sub.(1-6) lower alkyl, cyano, nitro, mono- or di-C.sub.(1-6) alkylamino or C.sub.(1-6) lower alkanoylamino; or a 5-membered or 6-membered C.sub.(1-6) alkyl substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group containing a heteroatom selected from oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur, or a condensed heterocyclic group consisting of a heterocycle as defined above and a benzene nucleus, and R.sup.2 and R.sup.2' are, independently, hydrogen, halogen, nitro, C.sub.(1-6) lower alkyl or C.sub.(1-6) lower alkoxy. These compounds have been found to exhibit hyaluronidase inhibiting activity, anti-allergic activity and anti-ulcerous activity.

Abstract: Compounds of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein A and B are both hydrogen, or one of A and B is a group (G) of the formula: ##STR2## and the other is a group R.sup.5 wherein R.sup.1 is an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, both of them being optionally substituted, and R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are both hydrogen or together form a single chemical bond,R.sup.2 and R.sup.2 ' are independently hydrogen, halogen, nitro, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy, andR.sup.3 and R.sup.3 ' are independently carboxy or its functional derivative, with the proviso that (a) when A and B are both hydrogen, then R.sup.2 and R.sup.2 ' cannot be both hydrogen,and, where applicable, pharmaceuticably acceptable salts thereof are hyaluronidase inhibitors, and useful as anti-allergic agent and anti-ulcerous agent. Among the compound (I'), those wherein when one of A and B is the group (G) and the other is the group R.sup.5 wherein R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 together form a single chemical bond, R.sup.1 is unsubstituted aryl and R.sup.2 and R.sup.

Abstract: Compounds of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein A and B are both hydrogen, or one of A and B is a group (G) of the formula: ##STR2## and the other is a group R.sup.5 wherein R.sup.1 is an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, both of them being optionally substituted, and R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are both hydrogen or together form a single chemical bond,R.sup.2 and R.sup.2 ' are independently hydrogen, halogen, nitro, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy, andR.sup.3 and R.sup.3 ' are independently carboxy or its functional derivative, with the proviso that (a) when A and B are both hydrogen, then R.sup.2 and R.sup.2 ' cannot be both hydrogen,and, where applicable, pharmaceuticably acceptable salts thereof are hyaluronidase inhibitors, and useful as anti-allergic agent and anti-ulcerous agent. Among the compound (I'), those wherein when one of A and B is the group (G) and the other is the group R.sup.5 wherein R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 together form a single chemical bond, R.sup.1 is unsubstituted aryl and R.sup.2 and R.sup.