Abstract: A valve device is configured to adjust an opening degree of a flow path for fluid, and includes an axial member, a valve body, and a biasing member. The axial member is configured to be fixed to the flow path. The valve body is rotatable about the axial member, and is configured to be rotated in a closing direction in which the opening degree is reduced, and to be rotated, by the use of a fluid flowing down through the flow path, in an opening direction in which the opening degree is increased. The biasing member is provided to the axial member inside the flow path, and is configured to bias the valve body to rotate in the closing direction.

Abstract: A valve device is configured to adjust an opening degree of a flow path for fluid, and includes an axial member, a valve body, and a biasing member. The axial member is configured to be fixed to the flow path. The valve body is rotatable about the axial member, and is configured to be rotated in a closing direction in which the opening degree is reduced, and to be rotated, by the use of a fluid flowing down through the flow path, in an opening direction in which the opening degree is increased. The biasing member is provided to the axial member inside the flow path, and is configured to bias the valve body to rotate in the closing direction.

Abstract: An exhaust pipe includes a tubular portion and a space forming portion. The tubular portion forms an exhaust flow path in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. The tubular portion has a tubular shape. The space forming portion is provided along at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the tubular portion and forms at least one branch space between the space forming portion and the tubular portion. The at least one branch space communicates with the exhaust flow path and has a function as a side-branch muffler. The at least one branch space includes a space with a length that is one third or more of an entire length of the exhaust system.

Abstract: The present inventors focused on siE sequences that have been thought to show RNAi activity against HCV viral RNAs, and mainly selected the D5-50 and D5-197 regions present within the IRES region, and carried on the analysis. As a result, the present inventors successfully identified siRNA sequences that exhibit a more effective RNAi activity against hepatitis C virus RNAs. Furthermore, the siRNAs were demonstrated to have a significant inhibitory effect on HCV propagation in an in vivo system.

Abstract: Disclosed are: a marker for the diagnosis of a liver disease, which can determine the disease in a simple manner; an antibody directed against the marker; a diagnostic agent; a diagnosis method; and a method for marker detection in blood or serum. Proteome analysis revealed that quantities of the full-length kininogen and three partial peptides thereof (sequence A: position-440 to position-456, sequence B: position-439 to position-456, and sequence C: position-438 to position-456) in sera of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are significantly different from those in sera of healthy individuals; and a diagnostic agent and a detecting method for the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease that can be conveniently used for medical examination are established.

Abstract: The present inventors examined the inhibitory activity against HCV replicon of myriocin, fumonisin B1, and ceramide trafficking inhibitor HPA-12, which are compounds derived from microorganisms such as those of the genus Aureobasidium, and found that these compounds have the effect of inhibiting the replication of HCV replicon RNAs or inhibiting the expression of HCV proteins. The present inventors further performed serine palmitoyltransferase knockdown experiments using siRNAs, and results showed that HCV replicon activity and HCV protein expression were significantly inhibited in cells with suppressed LCB1 expression. Thus, sphingolipid biosynthesis was found to be involved in HCV infection. This showed that HCV infection can be treated or prevented by inhibiting enzyme activities involved in the process of sphingolipid biosynthesis by adding compounds or knocking down a gene.

Abstract: The present inventors focused on siE sequences that have been thought to show RNAi activity against HCV viral RNAs, and mainly selected the D5-50 and D5-197 regions present within the IRES region, and carried on the analysis. As a result, the present inventors successfully identified siRNA sequences that exhibit a more effective RNAi activity against hepatitis C virus RNAs. Furthermore, the siRNAs were demonstrated to have a significant inhibitory effect on HCV propagation in an in vivo system.

Abstract: Disclosed are: a marker for the diagnosis of a liver disease, which can determine the disease in a simple manner; an antibody directed against the marker; a diagnostic agent; a diagnosis method; and a method for marker detection in blood or serum. Proteome analysis revealed that quantities of the full-length kininogen and three partial peptides thereof (sequence A: position-440 to position-456, sequence B: position-439 to position-456, and sequence C: position-438 to position-456) in sera of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are significantly different from those in sera of healthy individuals; and a diagnostic agent and a detecting method for the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease that can be conveniently used for medical examination are established.

Abstract: A muffler has a casing with a plurality of sound-muffling chambers, exhaust pipes that pass through at least two sound-muffling chambers and to pass through exhaust from an engine, a plurality of apertures provided in each exhaust pipe, and a plurality of valves provided in each of the apertures. In this muffler, the plurality of apertures are provided at the locations at which an exhaust flow from one aperture and an exhaust flow from another aperture do not interfere with each other. When there are two apertures, the apertures are provided at positions in the exhaust pipes at which the apertures do not face each other. For this reason, by avoiding interference between exhaust flows from the two apertures, it is possible to suppress an abnormal sound caused by the interference.

Abstract: A muffler has a casing with a plurality of sound-muffling chambers, exhaust pipes that pass through at least two sound-muffling chambers and to pass through exhaust from an engine, a plurality of apertures provided in each exhaust pipe, and a plurality of valves provided in each of the apertures. In this muffler, the plurality of apertures are provided at the locations at which an exhaust flow from one aperture and an exhaust flow from another aperture do not interfere with each other. When there are two apertures, the apertures are provided at positions in the exhaust pipes at which the apertures do not face each other. For this reason, by avoiding interference between exhaust flows from the two apertures, it is possible to suppress an abnormal sound caused by the interference.

Abstract: A method of inhibiting the replication ability of a hepatitis C virus (HCV) is provided. An oligoribonucleotide or a peptide nucleic acid which sequence-specifically binds to the HCV-RNA, and a therapeutic agent for hepatitis C which contains any of these components as an active ingredient are provided.

Abstract: A cathode-ray tube in which outer convergence plates as constituents of the convergence plate assembly in the electron gun are supplied with individual voltages so that the horizontal misconvergence at the center portion and at the peripheral portions of the screen are positively corrected and in the arrangement the anode button is provided with a plurality of voltage supply pins. Further, the end portions of the two lead wires which are introduced form the anode button are opened outwardly so that the lead wires are prevented from coming in contact with the bead glass.

Abstract: A cathode-ray tube which has an electron gun and a correcting unit with a magnetic device electrically coupled to a final electrode of the electron gun so as to selectively apply a uniform magnetic field to required ones of a plurality of electron beams, so as to thereby correct the path of a selected electron beam without causing distortion in the shape of the beam spot.