Abstract: An information processing apparatus detecting presence or absence of abnormality of a vacuum pump derived from a product produced within a target vacuum pump, including: a determination unit configured to determine a normal variation range or a normal time variation behavior of a target state quantity which is a state quantity varying depending on a load of gas flowing into the vacuum pump, based on at least one of past target state quantities of the target vacuum pump or another vacuum pump; and a comparison unit configured to compare a current target state quantity of the target vacuum pump with the normal variation range or the normal time variation behavior and output the comparison result.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus detecting presence or absence of abnormality of a vacuum pump derived from a product produced within a target vacuum pump, including: a determination unit configured to determine a normal variation range or a normal time variation behavior of a target state quantity which is a state quantity varying depending on a load of gas flowing into the vacuum pump, based on at least one of past target state quantities of the target vacuum pump or another vacuum pump; and a comparison unit configured to compare a current target state quantity of the target vacuum pump with the normal variation range or the normal time variation behavior and output the comparison result.

Abstract: Cysteine compounds represented by the following formula wherein each symbol is as defined in the specification, and salts thereof, are superior in stability, have less odor, exhibit an eumelanin production suppressive effect, and are useful as cosmetic agents.

Abstract: Cysteine compounds represented by the following formula wherein each symbol is as defined in the specification, and salts thereof, are superior in stability, have less odor, exhibit an eumelanin production suppressive effect, and are useful as cosmetic agents.

Abstract: Cysteine compounds represented by the following formula wherein each symbol is as defined in the specification, and salts thereof, are superior in stability, have less odor, exhibit an eumelanin production suppressive effect, and are useful as cosmetic agents.

Abstract: A heat pump chiller includes a casing having a compressor, etc. inside thereof and four flat-plate shaped air heat exchangers disposed on side surfaces of the casing and extending vertically. Two air heat exchangers constitute a first heat exchanger body and a second heat exchanger body. Respective heat exchanger bodies are positioned with end parts extending toward outside of the air heat exchangers to be close to each other.

Abstract: The present invention provides cosmetics or external preparations for skin are provided that contain, as the effective ingredient, a chemical peeling agent, a bactericide, an anionic surfactant or a cationic surfactant component in combination with a cystine derivative of formula (1):

Abstract: In the present specification is disclosed a melanocyte-stimulating hormone inhibitory composition which comprises, as the active ingredient, a di- or tripeptide derivative having a certain naphthyl group or the salts thereof, or a melanocyte-stimulating hormone inhibitory compound having a 50% inhibitory concentration of cAMP production (IC50) of 100 nM or less, which composition can prevent pigmentation, or can prevent, improve or recover from immune abnormality or immunodeficiency, or regulate body weight by appetite control, and also can be used as cosmetics or external preparations for the skin, and in addition, can be produced easily, and are excellent in the stability during storage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition that is suitable for producing a plant-derived, practical capsule shell sheet having both sufficient strength and elongation as a capsule shell, superior adhesiveness and transparency, and a low burden on a drying step. The present invention also provides a capsule shell sheet obtained using the composition and a capsule preparation process. The composition of the present invention contains vegetable polysaccharides and a polyglutamic acid.

Abstract: An inflammation inhibitor for the skin is provided containing a zinc salt of an acylamino acid and further, a cosmetic containing the inflammation inhibitor.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention are to provide an oxidative stress inhibitor which is capable of suppressing the expression of a cytotoxic protein and the activation of a gene transcriptional regulatory factor taking part such expression of a cytotoxic protein and exhibits good feeling upon use and safety; to provide a method for preventing, retarding, alleviating or treating a skin change due to aging or an undesirable aesthetic skin change, both caused or promoted by an oxidative stress; and to provide a cosmetic composition or dermatologic preparation for external use comprising the oxidative stress inhibitor as an effective ingredient, and for those purposes are employed an oxidative stress inhibiting agent which comprises, as an effective ingredient, at least one selected from cysteine or cystine derivatives and the salts thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition which suppresses inflammation of the skin. The composition of the present invention contains zinc pyrrolidonecarboxylate. The composition of the present invention may be formulated as a cosmetic or any externally applied agent.

Abstract: The present invention provides cystine derivatives, which may be in a free form, a salt form, a solvate form. The cystine derivatives of the present invention may be used to suppress activation of inflammatory factors. Accordingly, the present invention provides: compositions containing the cystine derivatives; a method for suppressing the activation of inflammatory factors by administering the composition; a method for preventing, ameliorating and/or therapeutically treating diseases, skin injuries or disorders involved in the activation of inflammatory factors by administering the composition; a method for preventing, delaying, ameliorating and/or therapeutically treating skin change via aging or aesthetically unfavorable skin change as induced or promoted by inflammatory factors by administering the composition; and pharmaceutical agents containing the cystine derivatives.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided cosmetics or external preparations for skin which comprises, as the effective ingredient, a chemical peeling agent, a bactericide, an anionic surfactant or a cationic surfactant component in combination with a compound capable of mitigating the irritation, inflammation, etc. of the skin caused by these components.

Abstract: The present invention provides cystine derivatives, which may be in a free form, a salt form, a solvate form. The cystine derivatives of the present invention may be used to suppress activation of inflammatory factors. Accordingly, the present invention provides: compositions containing the cystine derivatives; a method for suppressing the activation of inflammatory factors by administering the composition; a method for preventing, ameliorating and/or therapeutically treating diseases, skin injuries or disorders involved in the activation of inflammatory factors by administering the composition; a method for preventing, delaying, ameliorating and/or therapeutically treating skin change via aging or aesthetically unfavorable skin change as induced or promoted by inflammatory factors by administering the composition; and pharmaceutical agents containing the cystine derivatives.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention are to provide an oxidative stress inhibitor which is capable of suppressing the expression of a cytotoxic protein and the activation of a gene transcriptional regulatory factor taking part such expression of a cytotoxic protein and exhibits good feeling upon use and safety; to provide a method for preventing, retarding, alleviating or treating a skin change due to aging or an undesirable aesthetic skin change, both caused or promoted by an oxidative stress; and to provide a cosmetic composition or dermatologic preparation for external use comprising the oxidative stress inhibitor as an effective ingredient, and for those purposes are employed an oxidative stress inhibiting agent which comprises, as an effective ingredient, at least one selected from cysteine or cystine derivatives and the salts thereof.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention are to provide an oxidative stress inhibitor which is capable of suppressing the expression of a cytotoxic protein and the activation of a gene transcriptional regulatory factor taking part such expression of a cytotoxic protein and exhibits good feeling upon use and safety; to provide a method for preventing, retarding, alleviating or treating a skin change due to aging or an undesirable aesthetic skin change, both caused or promoted by an oxidative stress; and to provide a cosmetic composition or dermatologic preparation for external use comprising the oxidative stress inhibitor as an effective ingredient, and for those purposes are employed an oxidative stress inhibiting agent which comprises, as an effective ingredient, at least one selected from cysteine or cystine derivatives and the salts thereof.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention are to provide an oxidative stress inhibitor which is capable of suppressing the expression of a cytotoxic protein and the activation of a gene transcriptional regulatory factor taking part such expression of a cytotoxic protein and exhibits good feeling upon use and safety; to provide a method for preventing, retarding, alleviating or treating a skin change due to aging or an undesirable aesthetic skin change, both caused or promoted by an oxidative stress; and to provide a cosmetic composition or dermatologic preparation for external use comprising the oxidative stress inhibitor as an effective ingredient, and for those purposes are employed an oxidative stress inhibiting agent which comprises, as an effective ingredient, at least one selected from cysteine or cystine derivatives and the salts thereof.

Abstract: Provided are an anti-inflammatory agent containing, as an active ingredient, at least one selected from amino acid derivatives represented by formula (I) wherein Ar represents an optionally substituted 2-hydroxyaryl group, n is 0 or 1, R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a side chain of an &agr;-amino acid or &bgr;-amino acid, X represents —O— or —NH—, R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a group that forms, together with R2 and an adjacent atoms, a cyclic structure of pyroglutamic acid, and R3 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having from 1 to 22 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having from 2 to 22 carbon atoms, and salts thereof, and toiletries or skin external products containing the same. The anti-inflammatory agent of the invention inhibits expression of an inflammatory protein and activation of a gene transcription control factor that participates therein, and exhibits a good feeling upon use and a safety.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention are to provide an oxidative stress inhibitor which is capable of suppressing the expression of a cytotoxic protein and the activation of a gene transcriptional regulatory factor taking part such expression of a cytotoxic protein and exhibits good feeling upon use and safety; to provide a method for preventing, retarding, alleviating or treating a skin change due to aging or an undesirable aesthetic skin change, both caused or promoted by an oxidative stress; and to provide a cosmetic composition or dermatologic preparation for external use comprising the oxidative stress inhibitor as an effective ingredient, and for those purposes are employed an oxidative stress inhibiting agent which comprises, as an effective ingredient, at least one selected from cysteine or cystine derivatives and the salts thereof.