Abstract: A relay device includes a relay circuit to which driving current is supplied from a battery, a driving circuit configured to drive the relay circuit, and a protecting circuit having a Schottky diode and a voltage suppressing element. The battery, the relay circuit, the driving circuit, and the protecting circuit are connected in series. The Schottky diode and the voltage suppressing element form a parallel body in which the Schottky diode and the voltage suppressing element are connected in parallel with each other with their forward directions set to the same directions.

Abstract: A toilet apparatus is adapted to put the excrement produced each time by the user of the toilet into a bag to form a package of waste, treating the excrement into a state of combustible substance before putting it into a bag. The toilet apparatus is equipped with a long, flexible and folded continuous cylindrical member set in position below a toilet seat as packaging member that is adapted to receive the excrement produced by the user each time and become sealed and transferred downward in the toilet bowl, a processing material for absorbing liquid and semi-solidifying the excrement being arranged at a side of the toilet apparatus, a quantity of the processing material being fed into the packaging member for receiving the excrement each time of production of excrement so as to absorb liquid from the excrement, the packaging member being subsequently sealed at an opening thereof.

Abstract: A toilet apparatus is adapted to put the excrement produced each time by the user of the toilet into a bag to form a package of waste, treating the excrement into a state of combustible substance before putting it into a bag. The toilet apparatus is equipped with a long, flexible and folded continuous cylindrical member set in position below a toilet seat as packaging member that is adapted to receive the excrement produced by the user each time and become sealed and transferred downward in the toilet bowl, a processing material for absorbing liquid and semi-solidifying the excrement being arranged at a side of the toilet apparatus, a quantity of the processing material being fed into the packaging member for receiving the excrement each time of production of excrement so as to absorb liquid from the excrement, the packaging member being subsequently sealed at an opening thereof.

Abstract: A screening tool and a screening method of a substance which is useful as an agent for improving the memory, an agent for improving learning ability, and/or an antidementia agent; a polypeptide, a polynucleotide, a vector, and a cell which may be used in the above screening; and a novel agent for improving the memory, a novel agent for improving learning ability, and/or a novel antidementia agent are disclosed. The above screening tool is composed of a calcium-permeable nonselective cation channel or a cell expressing the channel.

Abstract: This invention relates to an anti-dementia agent which uses a BEC 1 potassium channel inhibitor as the active ingredient. It was proved that the BEC 1 potassium channel inhibitor has an action to improve learning disorder and is useful as a preventive or therapeutic agent for diseases, preferably dementia, in which the BEC 1 potassium channel is considered to be concerned. Illustratively, it was confirmed by an in vivo test that the BEC 1 potassium channel inhibitor has an action to improve learning disorder. Also, it was found that a compound having 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine has a BEC 1 potassium channel inhibitory action.

Abstract: This invention relates to an anti-dementia agent which uses a BEC 1 potassium channel inhibitor as the active ingredient. It was proved that the BEC 1 potassium channel inhibitor has an action to improve learning disorder and is useful as a preventive or therapeutic agent for diseases, preferably dementia, in which the BEC 1 potassium channel is considered to be concerned. Illustratively, it was confirmed by an in vivo test that the BEC 1 potassium channel inhibitor has an action to improve learning disorder. Also, it was found that a compound having 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine has a BEC 1 potassium channel inhibitory action.

Abstract: A novel polypeptide, a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide, an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide, a cell transfected by the expression vector, a method for producing the polypeptide, and a convenient screening system for obtaining a substance useful in treating cell injuries due to postischemic reperfusion or an inflammatory disease, are disclosed. The polypeptide is a potassium-dependent sodium-calcium exchanger expressed in peripheral leukocytes.

Abstract: A novel polypeptide which is useful in searching for a therapeutic agent for diabetes, a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide, an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide, a cell transfected with the expression vector, an antibody binding to the polypeptide, and a method of screening a therapeutic agent for diabetes are disclosed. The polypeptide is a novel background potassium channel expressed in the pancreas.

Abstract: There is provided a method of screening for substance that inhibits cell death induced by activation of PARP, particularly a substance that is useful as a therapeutic and/or preventive agent for rheumatoid arthritis, neuronal death at the time of cerebral ischemia, cell death of the heart after myocardial infarction reperfusion, autoimmune destruction of ?-cells of pancreatic islets of Langerhans, cell death after shock, or inflammatory reaction by immunocyte death. Also provided are a novel protein and a novel gene encoding the same. The aforementioned screening method comprises a step of allowing a test substance to contact a cell expressing an LTRPC2 protein under a conditions such that the LTRPC2 protein can be activated, and a step of analyzing inhibition of LTRPC2 protein activation. The aforementioned novel protein is a rat or mouse LTRPC2 protein, and the aforementioned novel gene is a rat or mouse LTRPC2 gene.

Abstract: There is discloses a transgenic mouse over-expressing a potassium channel BEC1, which can be used as an effective tool for screening a substance for antidementia or a substance to improve learning and memory. Also disclosed are an in vivo screening method of a substance for antidementia or a substance to improve learning and memory, which uses the learning and memory abilities of said mouse as the index, and an in vivo screening of a substance for antianxiety, which uses acceleration of anxiety as the index. In addition, there is disclosed a method for producing a pharmaceutical composition for antidementia, learning and memory improvement use or antianxiety, using a substance capable of inhibiting the learning and memory potassium channel activity as the active ingredient which can be obtained by the aforementioned screening method of the present invention.

Abstract: A screening tool and a screening method of a substance which is useful as an agent for improving the memory, an agent for improving learning ability, and/or an antidementia agent; a polypeptide, a polynucleotide, a vector, and a cell which may be used in the above screening; and a novel agent for improving the memory, a novel agent for improving learning ability, and/or a novel antidementia agent are disclosed. The above screening tool is composed of a calcium-permeable nonselective cation channel or a cell expressing the channel.

Abstract: A novel polypeptide, a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide, an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide, a cell transfected by the expression vector, a method for producing the polypeptide, and a convenient screening system for obtaining a substance useful in treating cell injuries due to postischemic reperfusion or an inflammatory disease, are disclosed. The polypeptide is a potassium-dependent sodium-calcium exchanger expressed in peripheral leukocytes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel potassium channel protein expressed exclusively in the brain, a gene encoding this protein, a vector containing this gene, a host cell containing this vector, and so on. A typical method for obtaining the potassium channel protein of the present invention; mRNA is extracted from human cells or tissue capable of producing the potassium channel protein of the present invention. Then use is made of two primers between which the channel protein mRNA or a part of the mRNA region is located by using the thus extracted mRNA as a template. By carrying out a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (to be referred to as RT-PCR hereinafter), the channel protein cDNA or a part thereof can be obtained. Thereafter, the channel protein can be produced by integrating the thus obtained novel potassium channel cDNA or a part of the same into an appropriate expression vector and then effecting its expression in a host cell.

Abstract: There is provided a method for screening a substance capable of inhibiting cell death induced by the activation of PARP, particularly a substance which is useful as a therapeutic agent and/or a preventive agent for rheumatoid arthritis, neuronal death at the time of cerebral ischemia, cell death of the heart after myocardial infarction reperfusion, autoimmune destruction of &bgr;-cells of pancreatic islets of Langerhans, cell death after shock, or inflammatory reaction by immunocyte death. Also provided are a novel protein and a novel gene coding for the same.

Abstract: There is discloses a transgenic mouse over-expressing a potassium channel BEC1, which can be used as an effective tool for screening a substance for antidementia or a substance to improve learning and memory.

Abstract: A novel polypeptide which is useful in searching for a therapeutic agent for diabetes, a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide, an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide, a cell transfected with the expression vector, an antibody binding to the polypeptide, and a method of screening a therapeutic agent for diabetes are disclosed.

Abstract: A novel polypeptide, a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide, an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide, a cell transfected with the expression vector, an antibody binding to the polypeptide, a method for screening an agent for suppressing the polypeptide, a method for screening an antiobestic agent, and a process for producing the polypeptide are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel potassium channel protein expressed exclusively in the brain, a gene encoding this protein, a vector containing this gene, a host cell containing this vector, and so on.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel potassium channel protein expressed exclusively in the brain, a DNA molecule having a sequence encoding this protein, a vector containing the DNA molecule, a host cell containing this vector, and a method for obtaining the potassium channel protein, wherein mRNA is extracted from human cells or tissue capable of producing the potassium channel protein of the present invention. Then, use is made of two primers between which the channel protein mRNA or a part of the mRNA region is located by using the thus extracted mRNA as a template. By carrying out a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, the channel protein cDNA or a part thereof can be obtained. Thereafter, the channel protein can be produced by integrating the thus obtained novel potassium channel cDNA or a part of the same into an appropriate expression vector and then effecting its expression in a host cell.

Abstract: In order to achieve reliable welding, by reducing welding scars, of a flat conductor to another bonding member by an ultrasonic welding machine, a curved beveled portion facing a bonding member, a plurality of indented grooves running at a right angle to the direction of vibration of the horn tip and flat surfaces, which come in contact with a bonding member, are formed at either one of or both of the horn tip and the anvil, wherein the curved beveled portions, the indented grooves and the flat surfaces are formed facing opposite a low strength conductive member, and the indented grooves are formed at a width that is smaller than that of the flat surfaces provided between the individual indented grooves and curved beveled portions are formed at the edges where the indented grooves meet the flat surfaces.