Abstract: Provided is an agent for treating or preventing a corneal endothelial disorder wherein cell proliferation is required. More specifically, provided is an agent for treating or preventing a corneal endothelial disorder, wherein cell proliferation is required, said agent comprising a p38MAP kinase inhibitor. In a preferred embodiment, the corneal endothelial disorder is a wound. In a preferred embodiment, the p38MAP kinase inhibitor is soluble in water. The p38MAP kinase inhibitor may comprise 4-[4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-1H-imidazole-5-yl]pyridine (SB203580) or a salt thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides an agent for treating or preventing a disease, a disorder or a condition of a corneal endothelium, said agent comprising a corneal endothelial cell and a myosin II-specific inhibitor. More specifically, the myosin II-specific inhibitor is blebbistatin. The disease, the disorder or the condition is typically a disorder associated with Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy or corneal endothelial dysfunction (bullous keratopathy). Also provided is a method for treating or preventing a corneal endothelial disease, said method comprising a step of administering an effective amount of a myosin II-specific inhibitor together with a corneal endothelial cell to a subject.

Abstract: The present invention provides a treatment drug or prophylactic drug for diseases, disorders, or conditions related to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Specifically, the present invention provides a treatment drug or prophylactic drug for diseases, disorders, or conditions related to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the corneal epithelium, the drug containing a TGF?-signal inhibitor. As a preferred TGF?-signal inhibitor, the drug contains 4-[4-(1,3-benzodioxole-5-yl)-5-(2-pyridinyl)-1H-imidazole-2-yl]benzamide.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing ashless coal, said method comprising a slurry preparation step in which a slurry is prepared by mixing coal and a solvent, the coal that is included in the slurry is dewatered, and the temperature of the slurry is increased. The slurry preparation step comprises a preparation/dewatering step and a preparation/temperature increase step. In the preparation/dewatering step, preparation of the slurry and dewatering of the coal are performed by mixing coal and a liquid solvent that is circulated during a circulation step. In the preparation/temperature increase step, the slurry is prepared and the temperature of the slurry is increased by mixing the slurry with solvent vapor that is circulated during the circulation step.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method of purification and preparation of cultured corneal endothelial cells, and in particular, to provide cell surface markers for use in corneal endothelial cells not including transformed cells. Provided are cell markers for distinguishing normal cells and transformed cells, in particular normal and transformed corneal endothelium cells. These cell markers relate to specific cell surface markers, for example, to a normal corneal endothelial surface marker such as CD166, and a transformed cell surface marker such as CD73. By using the transformed cell surface marker such as CD73 to remove transformed cells by sorting, it becomes possible to improve purity of a normal cultured corneal endothelium. By using normal corneal endothelial surface marker such as CD166, or by combined use with the transformed cell surface marker, it becomes possible to provide a means for verifying the purity of a prepared corneal endothelium.

Abstract: A method for producing an ashless coal includes an extraction step, a separation step and an ashless coal acquirement step. In the extraction step, a slurry obtained by mixing a coal with a solvent is heated and thereby a solvent-soluble component of the coal is extracted. In the separation step, the slurry is separated into a solution of the solvent-soluble component of the coal and a solid content-concentrated liquid. In the ashless coal acquirement step, an ashless coal is obtained by evaporating and separating the solvent from the solution. The solvent is a mixture of a dissolution medium and a coal extraction accelerator added thereto. The solvent contains a bicyclic aromatic compound that is liquid at ordinary temperature. The coal extraction accelerator containing no nitrogen has two benzene rings and has at least one cyclic structure having no double bond.

Abstract: Provided is an ash-free coal production method without the need to once re-liquefy and form an ash-free coal. The ash-free coal production method includes an extraction step of mixing coal with a solvent to prepare a slurry and heating the slurry to extract a solvent-soluble coal component; a separation step of separating a solution containing the solvent-soluble coal component from the slurry obtained from the extraction step; an ash-free coal obtaining step of evaporatively separating the solvent from the solution separated in the separation step to obtain an ash-free coal. The ash-free coal obtaining step in the production method is performed so that the solvent is evaporatively separated from the solution to give a liquid ash-free coal, and the liquid ash-free coal is brought into contact with a solidifier (e.g., water) to solidify into a predetermined shape.

Abstract: The present invention provides medicaments for treating or preventing a disease, disorder, or condition associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) abnormality in a corneal endothelium, wherein the medicaments comprise a TGF-beta signal inhibiting agent. More specifically, this disease, disorder, or condition is a disorder associated with Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy. Such a disorder includes photophobia, blurred vision, vision disorder, eye pain, lacrimation, hyperemia, pain, bullous keratopathy, ophthalmic unpleasantness, a decrease in contrast, glare, edema in corneal stroma, bullous keratopathy, corneal opacity, and the like. A preferable TGF-beta signal inhibiting agent includes 4-[4-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-5-(2-pyridinyl)-1H-imidazol-2-yl]benzamide.

Abstract: Provided is an ash-free coal production method that can produce an ash-free coal efficiently with a higher solvent recovery rate. The ash-free coal production method includes an extraction step of mixing coal with a solvent to give a slurry and heating the slurry to extract a solvent-soluble coal component; a separation step of separating a solution containing the coal component from the slurry containing the extracted coal component; and an ash-free coal obtaining step of separating and recovering the solvent from the separated solution to give an ash-free coal. The ash-free coal obtaining step includes a pressure-reducing substep of reducing a pressure to a level lower than the solvent vapor pressure to evaporatively separate the solvent from the solution to thereby give a solid ash-free coal; and a heating substep of heating the solid ash-free coal to evaporatively separate a residual solvent from the ash-free coal.

Abstract: A method and device manufacturing solid fuel, the method includes: mixing porous coal with a mixture oil containing solvent oil and heavy oil, to obtain material slurry; heating the material slurry to promote dehydration of porous coal and impregnating the mixture oil into pores of porous coal, to obtain dehydrated slurry; separating upgraded porous coal and the mixture oil from the dehydrated slurry; drying the upgraded porous coal by heating and conveying it while supplying carrier gas; setting a target value of the circulation amount of carrier gas and a target value of the pressure of carrier gas at the drying; calculating control outputs, based on deviations between the target values and measured values corresponding respectively thereto; and adjusting the supply amount of carrier gas, based on a smaller value between the control outputs obtained.

Abstract: The invention provides an agent for promoting adhesion of a corneal endothelial cell, containing a Rho kinase inhibitor, as well as a culture medium for a corneal endothelial cell, a solution for preservation of cornea, and a method of producing a corneal endothelial preparation, which includes culturing the corneal endothelial cell using the aforementioned culture medium.

Abstract: A method for producing an ashless coal which includes a slurry preparation step, an extraction step, a separation step, an ashless coal acquirement step, and a by-product acquirement step. The separation step is conducted under the state of being pressurized to a pressure equal to or higher than a vapor pressure of the solvent. In the by-product acquirement step, the solvent is evaporated and separated from the solid content-concentrated slurry by spraying the solid content-concentrated slurry into a flash tank in which a pressure is set to lower than a saturation pressure of the solid content-concentrated slurry from a spray nozzle while maintaining a pressure of the solid content-concentrated slurry in a nozzle orifice of the spray nozzle at a level equal to or higher than the vapor pressure of the solvent.

Abstract: The invention provides an agent for promoting adhesion of a corneal endothelial cell, containing a Rho kinase inhibitor, as well as a culture medium for a corneal endothelial cell, a solution for preservation of cornea, and a method of producing a corneal endothelial preparation, which includes culturing the corneal endothelial cell using the aforementioned culture medium.

Abstract: The invention provides an agent for promoting adhesion of a corneal endothelial cell, containing a Rho kinase inhibitor, as well as a culture medium for a corneal endothelial cell, a solution for preservation of cornea, and a method of producing a corneal endothelial preparation, which includes culturing the corneal endothelial cell using the aforementioned culture medium.

Abstract: A method for producing an ashless coal includes a slurry preparation, an extraction, a separation, an ashless coal acquirement, and a by-product acquirement. In the by-product acquirement, a solvent used in the slurry preparation is evaporated and separated from a solid-content concentrated liquid separated in the separation, and then, a by-product coal is acquired. The by-product coal is used as a fuel for heating a slurry obtained in the slurry preparation.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a method for producing human corneal epithelial sheet, wherein the human corneal epithelial-derived cells obtained by culturing human corneal epithelial cells are cultured on an amnion substrate. [Solution] A method for culturing human corneal epithelial cells using mesenchymal stem cells as the feeder cells; and a method for culturing human corneal epithelial cells using a medium containing a ROCK inhibitor, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, a MAP kinase inhibitor and a TGF-? receptor inhibitor in various combinations.

Abstract: A production apparatus of an ashless coal includes a preheater, an extraction tank, a feed pipe, a solid-liquid separator and a solvent separator. The preheater heats a solvent. The extraction tank extracts a coal component soluble in the solvent from a slurry including a mixture of a coal and the solvent heated by the preheater. The coal feeding unit feeds the coal to the feed pipe by pressuring a feed part to the feed pipe such that the solvent does not flow back. The solid-liquid separator separates a solution part containing the coal component from the slurry. The solvent separator evaporates and separates the solvent from the solution part to obtain an ashless coal.

Abstract: In a method for producing residue coal according to the present invention, a solvent is separated by evaporation from a solid material concentrate, which has been separated in a gravity settling vessel (7), in a solvent separator (10), thereby producing a residue coal mixture in which the solvent is remained in the residue coal. Subsequently, the remaining solvent is separated by evaporation from the residue coal mixture in a drier (11), thereby producing the residue coal. In the drier (11), the remaining solvent is separated by evaporation from the residue coal mixture utilizing a heat the residue coal mixture itself has. In this manner, an apparatus for drying the residue coal mixture can be simplified, and the cost required for the drying can be reduced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that deterioration of the flow state of a coal/kerosene slurry while preventing the damage caused by overloading to thereby achieve excellent solid-liquid separation performance. In a solid-liquid separation supplying a dehydrated coal/kerosene slurry to a decanter-type centrifugal separator to separate the coal/kerosene slurry into a solid fraction and a liquid fraction, an opening degree target value is determined on the basis of the difference between a target value and an actually measured value of a torque that acts on a screw conveyor of the decanter-type centrifugal separator, and the opening degree of a flow volume control valve, which is arranged in the middle of a supply line for supplying the coal/kerosene slurry into the decanter-type centrifugal separator, is adjusted to the opening degree target value.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an indirect heat drying method and a refined-coal production method, with which the stability of carrier-gas pressure balance can be improved when using indirect heat dryers to dry particulate matter. This indirect heat drying method for particulate matter uses two indirect heat dryers, and is provided with: a step (A) in which particulate matter is dried in a first indirect heat dryer; and a step (B) in which the particulate matter is further dried in a second indirect heat dryer to obtain dried particulate matter.