Abstract: A blade tip-provided micropipette holding apparatus has a tubular micropipette holder so constructed that a blade tip-provided micropipette to be inserted into a living cell can be mounted on a front-end portion thereof and a holder-holding device for holding the micropipette holder. The holder-holding device has a base member and a tubular rotating member which is rotatably held by the base member and into which the tubular micropipette holder can be penetrated. The tubular rotating member has holder position adjusting mechanisms each composed of a plurality of side holes formed on a side surface of the tubular rotating member at different positions of the side surface thereof in a circumferential direction thereof and holder position adjusting members each capable of entering into the tubular rotating member from the side holes and contacting an outer surface of the micropipette holder penetrating through the tubular rotating member.

Abstract: A composition and method are disclosed for ameliorating infertility, the composition an extract of one or both of pericarp and fruit of a plant of the genus Trapa, or one or compounds isolated therefrom, as the active ingredient that is safe and has high activity, in which the one or more compounds preferably has an inhibition activity against one or more reactions involving a formation of advanced glycation end products from proteins and saccharides, an enhancing activity against one or more reactions involving a decomposition of the advanced glycation end products and an activity to reduce allergic symptoms.

Abstract: A blade tip-provided micropipette holding apparatus has a tubular micropipette holder so constructed that a blade tip-provided micropipette to be inserted into a living cell can be mounted on a front-end portion thereof and a holder-holding device for holding the micropipette holder. The holder-holding device has a base member and a tubular rotating member which is rotatably held by the base member and into which the tubular micropipette holder can be penetrated. The tubular rotating member has holder position adjusting mechanisms each composed of a plurality of side holes formed on a side surface of the tubular rotating member at different positions of the side surface thereof in a circumferential direction thereof and holder position adjusting members each capable of entering into the tubular rotating member from the side holes and contacting an outer surface of the micropipette holder penetrating through the tubular rotating member.

Abstract: A centrifugal settling tube (1) including a bottomed tube (2), an inner tube (3) constituted of a tube body (31) that is insertable into the bottomed tube (2) and open at distal and proximal ends thereof and of a ring-like elastic member (32) provided on an outer surface of the distal portion of the tube body (31), a sealing member (4) capable of sealing a rear end opening of the inner tube (3), and a fixing member (5) for removably fixing the inner tube (3) to the bottomed tube (2). A distal end of the inner tube (3) is spaced at a predetermined interval from a distal end of the bottomed tube (2), with the inner tube (3) inserted in the bottomed tube (2). At least during centrifugal separation, the ring-like elastic member (32) is capable of liquid-tightly holding a space between an inner surface of the bottomed tube (2) and the outer surface of the distal portion of the tube body (31).

Abstract: An appliance for collecting a slight amount of a humor includes a sheath, a humor collection member being slidably inserted into the sheath and having a humor collection part that is formed at a front end thereof and can be cut, and a cylindrical member accommodates a cut piece of the humor collection part which has collected a humor, and a humor collection container installed on the cylindrical member and collecting the humor discharged from the cut piece of the humor collection part by a centrifugal operation with the humor collection container installed on the cylindrical member.

Abstract: An appliance for collecting a slight amount of a humor includes a sheath, a humor collection member being slidably inserted into the sheath and having a humor collection part that is formed at a front end thereof and can be cut, and a cylindrical member accommodates a cut piece of the humor collection part which has collected a humor, and a humor collection container installed on the cylindrical member and collecting the humor discharged from the cut piece of the humor collection part by a centrifugal operation with the humor collection container installed on the cylindrical member.