Abstract: A proton conductor includes a metal ion, an oxoanion, and a molecule capable of undergoing protonation or deprotonation, in which the oxoanion and/or the molecule capable of undergoing protonation or deprotonation coordinates to the metal ion to form a coordination polymer. The oxoanion is preferably a monomer. The oxoanion is exemplified by at least one selected from the group consisting of phosphate ion, hydrogenphosphate ion, and dihydrogenphosphate ion. The molecule capable of undergoing protonation or deprotonation is exemplified by at least one selected from the group consisting of imidazole, triazole, benzimidazole, benzotriazole, and derivatives of them.

Abstract: A linker for a unimolecular FRET biosensor based on a principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer, the linker including: a polypeptide containing 52 to 400 amino acids residues, wherein at least 45% of a total number of the amino acid residues are glycine, alanine, or both thereof, and at least 10% of the total number of the amino acid residues are alanine.

Abstract: A new structure made of collagen for improving promotion of nerve tissue regeneration, curing and regeneration of a defective part of a soft biological tissue and so on without using laminin or nerve growth factor (NGF), and a member for tissue regeneration including the same. The structure made of collagen has a thin film multilocular formation and is therefore a new structure different from a colloid form, a gel form, and a fiber form. When the new structure made of collagen is used as a member for tissue regeneration, surprisingly, promotion of regeneration, shortening of a treatment period, functional recovery, or the like of bodily tissue such as nerve tissue, subdermal tissue, submucosal tissue, membranous tissue, fat tissue, muscle tissue, skin tissue, and gingival tissue can be improved. When the structure is used in a patient having neuropathic pain, the member has an effect on the disappearance of the pain.

Abstract: Disclosed are an aqueous pigment dispersion containing at least a pigment, water, a high-molecular dispersant, and an alkali. The high-molecular dispersant is a diblock polymer having a formula (1) of A-B or a triblock polymer having a formula (2) of A-B-C. The diblock or triblock polymer is a diblock or triblock polymer obtained by polymerizing addition-polymerizable monomers with a radical generator while using an organic iodide as a polymerization initiating compound and an organic phosphorus compound, organic nitrogen compound or organic oxygen compound as a catalyst. Also disclosed are a production method and use of the aqueous pigment dispersion. With the high-molecular dispersant obtained by a simple living radical polymerization process free of the problems of conventional living radical polymerization and having a precisely-controlled molecular structure, the aqueous pigment dispersion can be obtained with the pigment dispersed in it.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition for promoting differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into cardiac muscle cells, and a method for inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into cardiac muscle cells and a method for preparing cardiac muscle cells.

Abstract: Provided are a bismuth-based piezoelectric material whose insulation property is improved while its performance as a piezoelectric body is not impaired and a piezoelectric device using the piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1): Bix(Fe1-yCoy)O3??(1) where 0.95?x?1.25 and 0?y?0.30, and a root mean square roughness Rq (nm) of a surface of the piezoelectric material satisfies a relationship of 0<Rq?25y+2(0?y?0.30).