Abstract: The present invention provides a method for screening a substance having a thermogenesis enhancing effect containing a compound having an effect activating PPAR?, an agent containing the compound, and an agent having antidiabetic, antiobestic or visceral accumulated fat-lowering function. The present invention provides an agent containing a compound having an effect activating PPAR?, which is a peroxisome proliferator activated receptor, and having effects which enhances nonshivering thermogenesis (nST), specifically enhances uncoupling respiration in mitochondria of cells in an adipose tissue or the like, or proton leak in inner membranes of mitochondria, and increases the amount of expression of UCP1, and provides an antidiabetic agent, an antiobestic gent and a visceral accumulated fat-lowering agent containing the compound. Further, the present invention provides a method for screening the compound by measuring a PPAR? activating effect.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for screening a substance having a thermogenesis enhancing effect containing a compound having an effect activating PPAR ?, an agent containing the compound, and an agent having antidiabetic, antiobestic or visceral accumulated fat-lowering function. The present invention provides an agent containing a compound having an effect activating PPAR ?, which is a peroxisome proliferator activated receptor, and having effects which enhances nonshivering thermogenesis (nST), specifically enhances uncoupling respiration in mitochondria of cells in an adipose tissue or the like, or proton leak in inner membranes of mitochondria, and increases the amount of expression of UCP1, and provides an antidiabetic agent, an antiobestic gent and a visceral accumulated fat-lowering agent containing the compound. Further, the present invention provides a method for screening the compound by measuring a PPAR ? activating effect.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method of obtaining a factor involved in appetite control and/or body weight control, as well as genes obtained by said method, polypeptides encoded by said genes, or novel polypeptides obtained from the information on polypeptides encoded by said genes as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with eating disorders and/or body weight control. Also the present invention relates to substances that inhibit the effects of said genes or said polypeptides as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with appetite control and/or body weight control. By using thiazolidine diones having a PPAR ? agonist activity, genes and polypeptides involved in appetite regulation and/or body weight reduction can be obtained. NESFATIN or the like obtained by said method can be used as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with eating disorders and/or body weight control.

Abstract: A process for producing polybutylene terephthalate comprising the steps of continuously subjecting terephthalic acid and 1,4-butanediol to esterification reaction in the presence of a titanium compound catalyst using one-stage or plural-stage esterification reaction vessel(s) and then subjecting the resultant reaction product to polycondensation reaction, wherein the esterification reaction between terephthalic acid and 1,4-butanediol is conducted in the presence of a titanium compound having a specific concentration under a specific pressure at a specific molar ratio between the raw materials. The process of the present invention can be prevented from undergoing undesirable side reactions upon continuously conducting esterification reaction using terephthalic acid as a raw material, and can minimize loss of raw materials.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a polybutylene terephthalate pellet capable of producing a molded product which is excellent in color tone, hydrolysis resistance, transparency and molding stability, and has a less content of impurities. A polybutylene terephthalate pellet comprises polybutylene terephthalate containing titanium in an amount of not more than 90 ppm by weight, as calculated as titanium atom, and having an end methoxycarbonyl group concentration of not more than 0.5 ?eq/g, wherein said pellet has an average intrinsic viscosity of 0.90 to 2.00 dL/g and a difference in intrinsic viscosity between a central portion and a surface layer portion of the pellet is not more than 0.10 dL/g. As preferred embodiments, there is exemplified a polybutylene terephthalate pellet having an end carboxyl concentration of 10 to 25 ?eq/g, an end vinyl concentration of 0.1 to 10 ?eq/g, and an solution haze of not more than 5%, when measured as a turbidity value of a solution prepared by dissolving 2.

Abstract: A charging member for electrically charging a substrate has a charge layer to be brought into contact with the substrate, an intermediate layer supporting the charge layer, and a support member supporting the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer has a first portion adjacent the charge layer and a second portion adjacent the support member, the first portion having a greater rigidity than that of the second portion.

Abstract: When a magnetic tape material is slit into a plurality of magnetic tapes, projections are formed in edge portions of side surfaces of the magnetic tapes. The projections are removed by pressing cutting tools against the edge portions of the side surfaces of the magnetic tape while transporting the magnetic tape. Thus, product quality of the magnetic tape is improved.

Abstract: The invention provides pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives represented by formula (I), and their medically acceptable salts. The compounds of the invention exhibit GSK-3 inhibiting activity and are therefore expected to be useful as therapeutic or prophylactic agents for conditions in which GSK-3 is implicated, such as diabetes, diabetes complications, Alzheimer's disease, neurodegenerative diseases, manic depression, traumatic encephalopathy, alopecia, inflammatory diseases, cancer and immune deficiency.

Abstract: A problem of the invention is to provide a process of producing polyesters having a stable quality and a process of producing polyesters with a greatly reduced load against the environment. The invention relates to a process of producing polyesters by using a polycondensation reaction apparatus provided with one or more sets of an ejector, a condenser placed in the downstream portion of the ejector and a hot well tank connected to the condenser via a barometric leg and including a step of driving the ejector by a vapor composed mainly of 1,4-butanediol, condensing the vapor composed mainly of 1,4-butanediol as discharged from the ejector in the condenser placed in the downstream portion of the ejector, and making the reactor in a reduced pressure state to undergo polycondensation reaction, characterized in that the concentration of tetrahydrofuran contained in a sealing liquid in at least one hot well tank is not more than 4% by weight.

Abstract: An electronic component includes: an element having a pair of terminal electrodes; and a pair of metal terminals formed of metal materials respectively and connected to the pair of terminal electrodes respectively, in which: a portion of the metal terminal that extends from a base-end side of the metal terminal connectable to an external circuit to face the terminal electrode of the element is an electrode facing portion; and a tip side portion of the metal terminal in the electrode facing portion is connected to the terminal electrode, and a gap exists between a base-end side portion of the metal terminal in the electrode facing portion and the terminal electrode. Therefore, the electronic component is capable of fully absorbing a stress and realizes reduction in production cost.

Abstract: The present invention provides a micro liquid control system which, adopting a method to flow a fine target object such as droplets together with a main liquid, allows high speed, large quantity processing for sorting the target object such as the droplets. The system comprises a microchannel, which includes a main channel to flow the main liquid in which the fine target object is dispersed and a sorting channel to sort the target object at the downstream side of the main channel, and a target object selecting means, which selects the target object flowing in the microchannel and supply it to the sorting channel. The target object selecting means comprises electrodes on which the voltage of the same polarity or the opposite polarity is applied to move and select the target object with the attractive or repulsive force.

Abstract: An electronic component includes: an element having a pair of terminal electrodes; and a pair of metal terminals formed of metal materials respectively and connected to the pair of terminal electrodes respectively, in which: a portion of the metal terminal that extends from a base-end side of the metal terminal connectable to an external circuit to face the terminal electrode of the element is an electrode facing portion; and a tip side portion of the metal terminal in the electrode facing portion is connected to the terminal electrode, and a gap exists between a base-end side portion of the metal terminal in the electrode facing portion and the terminal electrode. Therefore, the electronic component is capable of fully absorbing a stress and realizes reduction in production cost.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for screening a substance having a thermogenesis enhancing effect containing a compound having an effect activating PPAR &dgr;, an agent containing the compound, and an agent having antidiabetic, antiobestic or visceral accumulated fat-lowering function.

Abstract: In manufacturing a magnetic tape, a long web of non-magnetic base material is coated with a magnetic layer and, thereafter, subjected to a smoothing process, wherein the surface of the magnetic layer is abraded, ground, and then wiped out. For grinding, sapphire blades are kept in contact with the surface of the magnetic layer with their edges oriented in a transverse direction to the magnetic tape, and are moved back and forth in the transverse direction to the magnetic tape, while the magnetic tape is being conveyed in a lengthwise direction of the magnetic tape. Of the sapphire blades, adjacent two are moved in opposite directions to each other.

Abstract: When a magnetic tape material is slit into a plurality of magnetic tapes, projections are formed in edge portions of side surfaces of the magnetic tapes. The projections are removed by pressing cutting tools against the edge portions of the side surfaces of the magnetic tape while transporting the magnetic tape. Thus, product quality of the magnetic tape is improved.

Abstract: A ceramic substrate having two side surfaces in a lengthwise direction and two side surfaces in a widthwise direction intersecting each other. The ceramic substrate also includes at least one flat surface in a thicknesswise direction. Internal electrode films are embedded in the ceramic substrate with film surfaces thereof extending roughly parallel to the flat surface of the ceramic substrate. External electrodes are each provided on the flat surface of the ceramic substrate toward one of the two ends of the ceramic substrate in the lengthwise direction, are electrically continuous with the internal electrode films and are formed over distances and from the two side surfaces in the widthwise direction.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a ceramic capacitor relates to a ceramic capacitor having metal plate terminals that absorb thermal stress and mechanical stress caused by flexure of the substrate. A ceramic capacitor element is provided with terminal electrodes at the two side end surfaces facing opposite each other. The metal plate terminals are each connected to one of the terminal electrodes at one end thereof, are each provided with a folded portion in a middle area and a terminal portion to be connected to the outside toward the other end from the folded portion.

Abstract: The invention provode a transparent member for use as a shield against electromagnetic waves characterized in that an electrically conductive reticular pattern is provided on a substrate (1) by forming a thin-film layer (2) of copper or an alloy thereof on the substrate by physical thin film forming means and forming a copper thick-film layer (4) on the thin-film layer by plating means so as to give the member a total transmittance of at least 50%, the reticular pattern having an electric resistivity of up to 200 m&OHgr;/□.

Abstract: The invention provides a transparent member for use as a shield against electromagnetic waves characterized in that an electrically conductive reticular pattern is provided on a substrate (1) by forming a thin-film layer (2) of copper or an alloy thereof on the substrate by physical thin film formation and forming a copper thick-film layer (4) on the thin-film layer by plating so as to give the member a total transmittance of at least 50%, the reticular pattern having an electric resistivity of up to 200 m&OHgr;/□.

Abstract: An inductance in a path (R1) from a gate electrode (3G) of a GTO (3) through a gate driver (4) and a node (13) to a cathode electrode (3K) is determined so that a turn-off gain may be not more than 1. At a turn-off, a main current (IA) is entirely commutated from the gate electrode (3G) towards the node (13) through the gate driver (4) in a direction reverse to a turn-off control current (IG) A peak voltage suppressing circuit (5) clamps an anode-cathode voltage (VA-K) which rises on, to a prescribed voltage value for a prescribed time. This prevents losses caused by a snubber circuit. Commutation of a main current to the gate prevents locally concentrating in the cathode side of the semiconductor switching element, to thereby increase the turn off capability of the semiconductor switching element. Further, this prevents or reduces dissipation of large amount produced by a discharge of the electric charges from a snubber capacitor.