Abstract: [Problem] The present invention addresses the problem of providing a compound that is useful for preventing or treating diseases associated with malfunctioning of PGI2 receptors, in particular, pulmonary hypertension. [Solution] A positive allosteric regulator of a PGI2 receptor which comprises a compound represented by formula (1) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate or solvate thereof. (1) (In the formula, R1 is a branched chain or cyclic alkyl or alkenyl having 3 to 10 carbon atoms which may be substituted, R2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms which may be substituted, R3 is 1 to 4 substituents which are the same or different independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms which may be substituted, and an alkoxy having 1 to 6 carbon atoms which may be substituted, and A is an aryl which may be substituted or a heteroaryl which may be substituted.

Abstract: In a method for detecting fluorescence or absorbance of the present invention, a diaphorase causes reduction from resazurin to resorufin in the presence of an SH reagent and NADH or NADPH, and the resulting fluorescence intensity or absorbance is measured. A method for measuring ADP of the present invention includes a 2-1 process in which glucose is reacted with ADP and an ADP-dependent hexokinase, a 2-2 process in which the glucose-6-phosphate obtained in the 2-1 process is reacted with NAD or NADP and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and a 2-3 process in which resazurin is reacted with the NADH or NADPH obtained in the 2-2 process and a diaphorase in the presence of an SH reagent, and the resulting fluorescence intensity or absorbance is measured.

Abstract: Compounds represented by the general formula (1) wherein R1 and R3 are each independently hydrogen or a carboxyl group and R2 and R4 are each independently hydrogen or a hydroxyl group, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, which exhibit semaphorin-inhibitory activity and are useful as preventives or remedies for neuropathic and neurodegenerative diseases are provided.

Abstract: A compound represented by the formula (1) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof which has a therapeutic or prophylactic effect on an SNS-related disease such as neuropathic pain. (1) wherein R1 and R2 independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or the like, or R1 and R2 may together form a 5- to 7-membered ring; n represents a numerical number of 1 to 3; A represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or the like or a formula: —N(R5)R6 (wherein R5 and R6 independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group or the like); and R3 and R4 independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group or the like, or R3 and R4 may together form a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsubstituted nitrogenated heterocyclic ring, provided that both of R1 and R2 are not a hydrogen atom when R3 and R4 together form a piperidine ring.

Abstract: To provide a semaphorin inhibitor; a peripheral or central nerve regeneration promoter which contains said semaphorin inhibitor as an active ingredient; and a preventive or remedy for a neuropathic disease and a neurodegenerative disease containing said nerve regeneration promoter, or the like. A low-molecular weight compound, which acts at a concentration of 10 ?g/ml or below to inhibit the growth cone collapse activity of semaphorin such as semaphorin 3A, semaphorin 6C or the like and/or the nerve outgrowth inhibitory activity of semaphorin in a collagen gel and which does not substantially affect cell proliferation, is obtained from the culture of strain SPF-3059 belonging to the genus Penicillium. The low-molecular weight compound with the semaphorin inhibitory activity thus obtained exhibits the in vivo nerve-regeneration promoting action.

Abstract: To provide a semaphorin inhibitor; a peripheral or central nerve regeneration promoter which contains said semaphorin inhibitor as an active ingredient; and a preventive or remedy for a neuropathic disease and a neurodegenerative disease containing said nerve regeneration promoter, or the like. A low-molecular weight compound, which acts at a concentration of 10 ?g/ml or below to inhibit the growth cone collapse activity of semaphorin such as semaphorin 3A, semaphorin 6C or the like and/or the nerve outgrowth inhibitory activity of semaphorin in a collagen gel and which does not substantially affect cell proliferation, is obtained from the culture of strain SPF-3059 belonging to the genus Penicillium. The low-molecular weight compound with the semaphorin inhibitory activity thus obtained exhibits the in vivo nerve-regeneration promoting action.

Abstract: To provide a semaphorin inhibitor; a peripheral or central nerve regeneration promoter which contains said semaphorin inhibitor as an active ingredient; and a preventive or remedy for a neuropathic disease and a neurodegenerative disease containing said nerve regeneration promoter, or the like. A low-molecular weight compound, which acts at a concentration of 10 ?g/ml or below to inhibit the growth cone collapse activity of semaphorin such as semaphorin 3A, semaphorin 6C or the like and/or the nerve outgrowth inhibitory activity of semaphorin in a collagen gel and which does not substantially affect cell proliferation, is obtained from the culture of strain SPF-3059 belonging to the genus Penicillium. The low-molecular weight compound with the semaphorin inhibitory activity thus obtained exhibits the in vivo nerve-regeneration promoting action.

Abstract: Compounds represented by the general formula (1) wherein R1 and R3 are each independently hydrogen or a carboxyl group and R2 and R4 are each independently hydrogen or a hydroxyl group, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, which exhibit semaphorin-inhibitory activity and are useful as preventives or remedies for neuropathic and neurodegenerative diseases are provided.

Abstract: To provide a semaphorin inhibitor; a peripheral or central nerve regeneration promoter which contains said semaphorin inhibitor as an active ingredient; and a preventive or remedy for a neuropathic disease and a neurodegenerative disease containing said nerve regeneration promoter, or the like.

Abstract: An oxindole of Formula 1 or a prodrug thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is useful for growth hormone releaser: wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are independently hydrogen, optionally substituted alkyl etc; R5 is optionally substituted aryl or optionally substituted heteroaryl; Z is —O— or —NH—; one of W1 and W2 is hydrogen, alkyl or —Y—CON(R10)R11; the other of W1 and W2 is n is 1, 2 or 3; m is 0, 1, 2 or 3; Y is single bond or C1-C3 alkylene; R6 and R7 are independently hydrogen, optionally substituted alkyl etc; R8 and R9 are independently hydrogen, optionally substituted alkyl etc; R10 and R11 are independently hydrogen, alkyl etc.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for the production of biotin, in which a culture of a microorganism of the genus Sphingomonas, having an ability to produce biotin, is prepared in a medium, and biotin produced and accumulated in the medium is collected. Also disclosed are microorganisms of the genus Sphingomonas, having an ability to produce biotin, which are useful for this production process of the present invention.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for production of amide compounds which includes converting a nitrile compound into an amide compound using a cultured broth of bacterial cells, or bacterial cells or materials obtainable by treating bacterial cells, the bacterial cells being cells of a microorganism Agrobacterium radiobacter FERM BP-3843, having activity to convert nitrile compounds into corresponding amide compounds.

Abstract: A semiconducting diamond electroluminescence element comprises an electrically conductive substrate, a semiconducting diamond layer formed on the substrate, an insulating diamond layer formed on the semiconducting diamond layer, a front electrode formed on the insulating diamond layer, and a back electrode formed on the conductive substrate in ohmic contact with the same. The color of light to be emitted by the semiconducting diamond electroluminescence element can readily be determined by changing the impurity content in the semiconducting diamond layer. The luminescence intensity of the semiconducting diamond electroluminescence element can readily be changed by changing the voltage applied across the front and back electrodes without entailing dielectric breakdown.

Abstract: A method for forming diamond films by vapor phase synthesis comprising a process of forming the diamond films on a substrate by direct current discharge plasma, in an atmosphere of a reaction gas including a gas containing at least carbon and hydrogen, or in an atmosphere of a mixed gas containing at least a carbon-containing gas and a hydrogen gas, at a gas pressure between 0.1 and 5 Torr and a substrate temperature between 300.degree. and 1000.degree. C.

Abstract: Thin diamond films can be selectively deposited imagewise on a substrate by gas phase synthesis. The substrate may be either a silicon substrate or a basal thin diamond film formed beforehand on a substrate by gas phase synthesis. Where a silicon substrate is used, its surface is first abraded to give a surface roughness suitable for gas phase synthesis of diamond. When a basal thin diamond film is used, a coating material capable of withstanding a temperature higher than a substrate temperature required for gas phase synthesis of diamond and having a high etching selectivity to diamond is needed to cover areas other than where the thin diamond film is to be newly formed. When a lift-off method is used, a thin masking film having a melting point higher than a temperature to be employed for gas phase synthesis of diamond can also be used in place of the coating material described above.

Abstract: A diamond heterojunction diode having an improved rectifying characteristics with a small reverse current and a large forward current. Three layers are formed on a low-resistance p-type silicon substrate by the microwave plasma CVD in the order of a B-doped p type semiconducting diamond layer, an insulating undoped diamond layer (thinner than 1 .mu.m), and an n-type semiconducting silicon layer. Ohmic electrodes are formed on the front side of a n-type semiconducting silicon layer and the back side of a substrate. Under a forward bias, the electric field is applied to the intermediate insulating layer to accelerate the transport of holes and electrons. Under a reversed bias, the energy band has a notch as well as a potential barrier due to the intermediate layer thus preventing holes from transporting from the n-type semiconducting diamond layer to the p-type semiconducting diamond layer, resulting in the improved rectifying characteristics.

Abstract: Described is an etching method of a diamond film which comprises providing a diamond film in an atmosphere of a gas containing at least oxygen and/or hydrogen and subjecting the diamond film to an irradiation of an electron beam generated by direct current discharge through a pattern of a mask. In this condition, when the diamond film is contacted with the plasma produced by the electron beam in the atmosphere, the unmasked areas are irradiated by the electron beam, and converted to graphite. The graphite is more readily etched by the plasma, so that the diamond film can be etched at a high rate. The etching through a mask ensures a fine etched pattern of the diamond film. In addition, a diamond film with a large area can be etched by this method.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a MIS type diamond field-effect transistor comprising a diamond semiconductor layer provided as an active layer by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and a diamond insulator layer provided on the diamond semiconductor layer also by CVD, a gate electrode being formed on the diamond insulator layer, wherein a diamond insulator undercoat is provided on a non-diamond substrate by CVD, and the diamond semiconductor layer and the diamond insulator layer are sequentially provided on the diamond insulator undercoat. The MIS type diamond field-effect transistor with this structure ensures that in the manufacture thereof, a diamond insulator undercoat of large area can be formed on a non-diamond substrate of CVD, whereby a large number of elemental devices can be fabricated simultaneously.

Abstract: A schottky diode manufacturing process employing diamond film comprises forming a B-doped p-type polycrystalline diamond film on a low-resistance p-type Si substrate by CVD using a source gas consisting of CH.sub.4, H.sub.2 and B.sub.2 H.sub.6, forming an ohmic contact on the back of the p-type Si substrate, and forming a metal electrode of Al, Pt Au, Ti or W on the B-doped p-type polycrystalline diamond film. The B/C concentration ratio of the source gas is greater than 0.01 ppm and less than 20 ppm.

Abstract: A diamond thin film thermistor having a substrate, an electrically insulating diamond layer formed on the substrate by vapor-phase synthesis, a semiconducting diamond layer as a temperature-sensing part on the electrically insulating diamond layer by vapor-phase synthesis, and metal thin film electrodes attached to the semiconducting diamond layer. A plurality of such diamond thin film thermistors can simultaneously be formed on a single substrate, and the substrate is cut with a dicing saw to provide individual diamond thin film thermistor chips of the same quality.