Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a modified T-cell receptor (TCR) which does not cause the antigen responsiveness and which is capable of holding CD3 subunits on a cell membrane and causing the CD3 subunits to function. The invention is an invention related to a modified TCR comprising a first polypeptide and a second polypeptide, wherein the first polypeptide is a polypeptide which comprises a constant region of human TCR? or a fragment of the constant region and which does not comprise a variable region of human TCR?, and the second polypeptide is a polypeptide which comprises a constant region of human TCR? or a fragment of the constant region and which does not comprise a variable region of human TCR?.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing T cells or NK cells, a culture medium for culturing T cells or NK cells, a method for culturing T cells or NK cells, a method for maintaining the undifferentiated state of undifferentiated T cells, and a growth promoter for T cells or NK cells, which are capable of efficiently proliferating T cells or NK cells and maintaining the state of the cells (for example, undifferentiated property). The present invention relates to a method for producing T cells or NK cells including culturing T cells or NK cells in a culture medium containing a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid represented by formula (X-1) or formula (X-2) or a compound resulting from cleavage of one ether bond thereof or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medium for inducing the differentiation of stem cells into mesodermal cells, the medium comprising a ROCK inhibitor, a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), a fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and activin. The present invention also provides a method for producing mesodermal cells from stem cells using the medium, and method for producing cardiac progenitor cells or myocardiocytes from stem cells using the medium. The present invention furthermore provides a composition for assisting the induction of differentiation of stem cells into mesodermal cells, the composition comprising a ROCK inhibitor, a BMP, an FGF, and activin. The present invention additionally provides cell groups obtained by the above methods.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: an optics system that forms an optical image of a subject on an imaging surface; a variable magnification lens that is part of the optics system, that is provided to be movable in a direction of an optical axis of the optics system, and that enlarges or reduces the optical image formed on the imaging surface in association with a movement of the variable magnification lens; a position detection unit that detects a position of the variable magnification lens in the direction of the optical axis; a storage unit that stores output characteristic information about a characteristic of an output of the position detection unit according to a position of the variable magnification lens in the direction of the optical axis; and a driving control unit that performs a control for moving the variable magnification lens on the basis of the output characteristic information.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: an optics system that forms an optical image of a subject on an imaging surface; a variable magnification lens that is part of the optics system, that is provided to be movable in a direction of an optical axis of the optics system, and that enlarges or reduces the optical image formed on the imaging surface in association with a movement of the variable magnification lens; a position detection unit that detects a position of the variable magnification lens in the direction of the optical axis; a storage unit that stores output characteristic information about a characteristic of an output of the position detection unit according to a position of the variable magnification lens in the direction of the optical axis; and a driving control unit that performs a control for moving the variable magnification lens on the basis of the output characteristic information.