Abstract: Disclosed is a roaster/roasting machine for roasting an edible plant such as coffee beans. This roaster/roasting machine comprises a roasting chamber for containing a substance to be roasted, the roasting chamber being made of a carbon material (graphite, CC composite, etc.). Thus, the roaster/roasting machine can utilize far-infrared rays for roasting with a simple structure. A roaster comprising an open top container body and a closure member may be used for home roasting. A roasting machine comprising a drum-shaped roasting chamber may be a professional roasting machine. The present invention can be applied to any of a direct-, semi-hot air-, and hot air-heating type roaster/roasting machine. Also disclosed is a method for roasting beans such as coffee beans, the method comprising contacting beans with a heated graphite.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a hollow-fiber membrane which does not require a coating treatment with a cell adhesion factor or surface modification by an electron beam or the like and which is capable of adhering and culturing cells, and a method for culturing cells using the hollow-fiber membrane. A hollow-fiber membrane for cell culture which is to be used as a culture substrate for adhesive cells, in which the hollow-fiber membrane includes a hydrophobic polymer and a hydrophilic polymer, the content of the hydrophilic polymer in the whole hollow-fiber membrane is more than 0% by mass and less than 1% by mass, and the content of the hydrophilic polymer on a surface of the hollow-fiber membrane is more than 0% by mass and less than 10% by mass.

Abstract: A porous hollow fiber membrane is provided for the treatment of a protein-containing liquid, which can effectively separate and remove a substance such as a small diameter virus, and which can allow effective permeation of a useful substance to be recovered such as protein in high concentration. The porous hollow fiber membrane has an asymmetric structure having a dense layer in an outer layer only and contains a hydrophobic polymer and a first hydrophilic polymer, the surface and the porous part of the hollow fiber membrane are coated with a second hydrophilic polymer, the hydrophobic polymer is a polysulfone-type polymer, the first hydrophilic polymer is a copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone with vinyl acetate, and the second hydrophilic polymer is a polysaccharide or a polysaccharide derivative. The porous hollow fiber membrane is obtained by co-dissolving the hydrophobic polymer and the first hydrophilic polymer and then the second hydrophilic polymer is coated.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a hollow-fiber membrane which does not require a coating treatment with a cell adhesion factor or surface modification by an electron beam or the like and which is capable of adhering and culturing cells, and a method for culturing cells using the hollow-fiber membrane. A hollow-fiber membrane for cell culture which is to be used as a culture substrate for adhesive cells, in which the hollow-fiber membrane includes a hydrophobic polymer and a hydrophilic polymer, the content of the hydrophilic polymer in the whole hollow-fiber membrane is more than 0% by mass and less than 1% by mass, and the content of the hydrophilic polymer on a surface of the hollow-fiber membrane is more than 0% by mass and less than 10% by mass.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for sterilizing a blood purifier, as well as a blood purifier package. The method is effective to decrease the amounts of extracts from the blood purifier attributed to the deterioration of the selectively permeable separation membranes with time during and after exposure to a radioactive ray or an electron ray, and is highly reliable in safety when employed for hemocatharsis therapy. The method for sterilizing a blood purifier which comprises substantially dried selectively permeable separation membranes as a main component, by way of the exposure of the same blood purifier to a radioactive ray and/or an electron ray, is characterized in that the blood purifier is sealed in a packaging bag, together with an oxygen scavenger and a humectant or together with an oxygen scavenger capable of releasing a moisture, and is then sterilized in such a sealed state by the above exposure.

Abstract: Objects of the invention are to provide a blood purifier package which shows a less increase in the amounts of extracts from the materials of its blood purifier, particularly of its selective permeable separation membranes, attributed to the deterioration of the same materials with time after exposure to a radioactive ray or an electron ray, and which is therefore highly reliable in safety in use for hemocatharsis, and to provide a process for manufacturing the same. The present invention relates to a blood purifier package obtained by packing a blood purifier which comprises selectively permeable separation membranes as a main component, and this blood purifier package is characterized in that the blood purifier is packed and sealed together with an oxygen scavenger in a packaging material capable of shutting out an external air and a water vapor, under a condition of a relative humidity of above 40% RH at 25° C.

Abstract: The invention provides a blood purifier which shows a decreased amount of hydrogen peroxide extracted from its selectively permeable separation membranes, and thus is highly reliable in its safety in use for hemecatharysis. The blood purifier comprises selectively permeable separation membranes as a main component and is characterized in that the amount of hydrogen peroxide which is extracted from the selectively permeable separation membrane removed from the blood purifier after 3 months or longer has passed since the sterilization of the blood purifier by exposure to a radioactive ray and/or an electron ray is not larger than 10 ppm.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a porous hollow fiber membrane that can efficiently separate and remove the substances to be removed such as small-particle virus contained in a solution and, at the same time, useful recovering substances such as protein can be efficiently permeated and the decrease of its transmission rate with elapse of time is small. The porous hollow fiber membrane of the present invention is characterized in that the filtration downstream surface thereof has dot-shaped or slit-shaped pores, the filtration upstream surface thereof is a network structure or a fine particle aggregate structure, the central region of the membrane is composed of a substantially homogeneous structure, the membrane wall is composed of a structure having substantially no macrovoids, the permeability for pure water is 10 to 300 L/(h·m2·bar) and the permeability for a 0.1% by weight solution of bovine ?-globulin is 30 to 100% of the permeability for pure water.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for sterilizing a blood purifier, as well as a blood purifier package. The method is effective to decrease the amounts of extracts from the blood purifier attributed to the deterioration of the selectively permeable separation membranes with time during and after exposure to a radioactive ray or an electron ray, and is highly reliable in safety when employed for hemocatharsis therapy. The method for sterilizing a blood purifier which comprises substantially dried selectively permeable separation membranes as a main component, by way of the exposure of the same blood purifier to a radioactive ray and/or an electron ray, is characterized in that the blood purifier is sealed in a packaging bag, together with an oxygen scavenger and a humectant or together with an oxygen scavenger capable of releasing a moisture, and is then sterilized in such a sealed state by the above exposure.

Abstract: Objects of the invention are to provide a blood purifier package which shows a less increase in the amounts of extracts from the materials of its blood purifier, particularly of its selective permeable separation membranes, attributed to the deterioration of the same materials with time after exposure to a radioactive ray or an electron ray, and which is therefore highly reliable in safety in use for hemocatharsis, and to provide a process for manufacturing the same. The present invention relates to a blood purifier package obtained by packing a blood purifier which comprises selectively permeable separation membranes as a main component, and this blood purifier package is characterized in that the blood purifier is packed and sealed together with an oxygen scavenger in a packaging material capable of shutting out an external air and a water vapor, under a condition of a relative humidity of above 40% RH at 25° C.

Abstract: The invention provides a blood purifier which shows a decreased amount of hydrogen peroxide extracted from its selectively permeable separation membranes, and thus is highly reliable in its safety in use for hemecatharysis. The blood purifier comprises selectively permeable separation membranes as a main component and is characterized in that the amount of hydrogen peroxide which is extracted from the selectively permeable separation membrane removed from the blood purifier after 3 months or longer has passed since the sterilization of the blood purifier by exposure to a radioactive ray and/or an electron ray is not larger than 10 ppm.

Abstract: A porous hollow fiber membrane is provided for the treatment of a protein-containing liquid, which can effectively separate and remove a substance such as a small diameter virus, and which can allow effective permeation of a useful substance to be recovered such as protein in high concentration. The porous hollow fiber membrane has an asymmetric structure having a dense layer in an outer layer only and contains a hydrophobic polymer and a first hydrophilic polymer, the surface and the porous part of the hollow fiber membrane are coated with a second hydrophilic polymer, the hydrophobic polymer is a polysulfone-type polymer, the first hydrophilic polymer is a copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone with vinyl acetate, and the second hydrophilic polymer is a polysaccharide or a polysaccharide derivative. The porous hollow fiber membrane is obtained by co-dissolving the hydrophobic polymer and the first hydrophilic polymer and then the second hydrophilic polymer is coated.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention are to provide a blood purifier package which shows a less increase in the amounts of extracts from the materials of its blood purifier, particularly of its selective permeable separation membranes, attributed to the deterioration of the same materials with time after exposure to a radioactive ray or an electron ray, and which is therefore highly reliable in safety in use for hemocatharsis, and to provide a process for manufacturing the same. The present invention relates to a blood purifier package obtained by packing a blood purifier which comprises selectively permeable separation membranes as a main component, and this blood purifier package is characterized in that the blood purifier is packed and sealed together with an oxygen scavenger in a packaging material capable of shutting out an external air and a water vapor, under a condition of a relative humidity of above 40% RH at 25° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for sterilizing a blood purifier, which method is effective to decrease the amounts of extracts from the blood purifier attributed to the deterioration of the selectively permeable separation membranes with time during and after exposure to a radioactive ray or an electron ray, and which method is highly reliable in safety when employed for hemocatharsis therapy. The present invention also provides a blood purifier package. The present invention relates to a method for sterilizing a blood purifier which comprises substantially dried selectively permeable separation membranes as a main component, by way of the exposure of the same blood purifier to a radioactive ray and/or an electron ray, and this method is characterized in that the blood purifier is sealed in a packaging bag, together with an oxygen scavenger and a humectant or together with an oxygen scavenger capable of releasing a moisture, and is then sterilized in such a sealed state by the above exposure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a blood purifier which shows a decreased amount of hydrogen peroxide extracted from its selectively permeable separation membranes, and thus is highly reliable in its safety in use for hemecatharysis. The present invention relates to a blood purifier which comprises selectively permeable separation membranes as a main component and which is characterized in that the amount of hydrogen peroxide which is extracted from the selectively permeable separation membrane removed from the blood purifier after 3 months or longer has passed since the sterilization of the blood purifier by exposure to a radioactive ray and/or an electron ray is not larger than 10 ppm.

Abstract: PURPOSE: To provide a polymeric porous hollow fiber membrane which exhibits excellent fractionation performance and excellent permeability in treatment of a variety of aqueous fluids and also shows sufficient strength when incorporated into a module or used to treat a fluid, and which is excellent in aging stability in these performances and characteristics and is also excellent in membrane performance recoverability by washing, and which is especially suitable for treatment of a polyphenol-containing beverage and is expected to effectively harmonize the flavor of such a beverage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hollow fiber membrane for treating liquids. When used for a hollow fiber membrane module for refining a fermented liquid such as beer or wine, the hollow fiber membrane exhibits a high filtration performance per unit area thereof, with reduced clogging of the membrane. The membrane performance is sufficiently recovered by washing. The present invention is a hollow fiber membrane for treating liquids, wherein a ratio of Flux 120 to Flux 30 is 0.45 or higher when filtration is performed by supplying a solution having a turbidity of 20 NTU into a hollow fiber membrane having an internal diameter of 500 to 1500 ?m and a membrane thickness of 100 to 500 ?m with a transmembrane pressure of 1.5 bar, the Flux 30 being flux 30 minutes after the start of the filtration, the Flux 120 being flux 120 minutes after the start of the filtration.

Abstract: A prophylactic or therapeutic agent for diabetic maculopathy, which can be administered for a long time and exhibits efficacy in a mechanism different from that of existing medicines. The invention relates to a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for diabetic maculopathy, comprising, as an active ingredient, a compound represented by the general formula: wherein X represents a halogen or a hydrogen atom, R1 and R2 concurrently or differently represent a hydrogen atom or an optionally substituted C1 to C6 alkyl group, or R1 and R2, together with a nitrogen atom bound thereto and optionally another nitrogen atom or an oxygen atom, are combined to form a 5- to 6-membered heterocycle. Preferably, the compound is (2S,4S)-6-fluoro -2?,5?-dioxospiro chroman-4,4?-imidazolidine]-2-carboxamide. The invention also provides a model animal with diabetic maculopathy produced by subjecting a diabetic animal to intraocular ischemia/reperfusion to express edema in a retinal visual cell layer or in a macula lutea.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a porous hollow fiber membrane that can efficiently separate and remove the substances to be removed such as small-particle virus contained in a solution and, at the same time, useful recovering substances such as protein can be efficiently permeated and the decrease of its transmission rate with elapse of time is small. The porous hollow fiber membrane of the present invention is characterized in that the filtration downstream surface thereof has dot-shaped or slit-shaped pores, the filtration upstream surface thereof is a network structure or a fine particle aggregate structure, the central region of the membrane is composed of a substantially homogeneous structure, the membrane wall is composed of a structure having substantially no macrovoids, the permeability for pure water is 10 to 300 L/(h·m2·bar) and the permeability for a 0.1% by weight solution of bovine ?-globulin is 30 to 100% of the permeability for pure water.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a permselective separation membrane that can be used in blood purifying treatment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a polysulfone-based permselective separation membrane which has well-balanced separation properties, highly stable safety and performance, and also can be smoothly assembled into a module, and a method for producing the same.