Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of inducing pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into clinically applicable retinal ganglion cells. The present invention provides a method for inducing pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into retinal ganglion cells that can be used for clinical application. Such method is a method for producing retinal ganglion cells with elongated axons comprising the following steps: (a) a step of inducing pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into retinal progenitor cells via floating culture; (b) a step of inducing the retinal progenitor cells obtained in step (a) to differentiate into retinal ganglion cells via floating culture; and (c) a step of allowing axons to elongate via adhesion culture of the retinal ganglion cells obtained in step (b).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of inducing pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into clinically applicable retinal ganglion cells. The present invention provides a method for inducing pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into retinal ganglion cells that can be used for clinical application. Such method is a method for producing retinal ganglion cells with elongated axons comprising the following steps: (a) a step of inducing pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into retinal progenitor cells via floating culture; (b) a step of inducing the retinal progenitor cells obtained in step (a) to differentiate into retinal ganglion cells via floating culture; and (c) a step of allowing axons to elongate via adhesion culture of the retinal ganglion cells obtained in step (b).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of inducing pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into clinically applicable retinal ganglion cells. The present invention provides a method for inducing pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into retinal ganglion cells that can be used for clinical application. Such method is a method for producing retinal ganglion cells with elongated axons comprising the following steps: (a) a step of inducing pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into retinal progenitor cells via floating culture; (b) a step of inducing the retinal progenitor cells obtained in step (a) to differentiate into retinal ganglion cells via floating culture; and (c) a step of allowing axons to elongate via adhesion culture of the retinal ganglion cells obtained in step (b).

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for producing a hydrocarbon from a biomass such as a glass or wood, which comprises: a biomass gasification unit (101) for feeding a raw material biomass (MB) and an overheated water vapor (S) for gasifying the biomass and a fuel biomass (FB) and air (A) for burning the fuel biomass, thereby producing a mixed gas (G) mainly composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide; a clean-up means (201) for purifying the mixed gas (G); a gas tank (301) for storing the cleaned-up mixed gas (G) temporarily; a pressurizing pump (401) for pressurizing the mixed gas (G); and a hydrocarbon synthesis unit (501) for converting the pressurized mixed gas (G) into a hydrocarbon.

Abstract: A blade for a vertical axis wind turbine and a lift type vertical axis wind turbine having the blade are provided to easily suppress excessive increase of the rotation rate of the wind turbine with a simple mechanical structure when increasing the rotation rate of the wind turbine to a prescribed value or more. The blade has an air brake and a shaft bearing disposed at a position nearer the rear edge with respect to the gravity center of the air brake. The air brake is mounted rotatably on the blade through the shaft bearing. Inside the front portion of the air brake, a substantially S-shaped spring backing plate is mounted. The spring backing plate largely protrudes frontward out of the air brake and urged by spring members serving as a protrusion forbidding member disposed nearer the front portion of the windsail chamber.

Abstract: A mounting structure for support arms in a vertical axis wind turbine is provided, which can disperse load and stress acting on joint portions between hubs and support arms of the vertical axis wind turbine or joint portions between blades and the support arms to prevent excessive stress concentration and reduce vibration and fretting corrosion of joint surfaces. For example, the support arm fixing structure for the vertical axis wind turbine comprises the support arms 20 securing the blades 18 of the vertical axis wind turbine to generate a rotational torque by wind and having a streamline cross section, and hubs 80 and 81 placed on the side of a rotary shaft of a rotor in the vertical axis wind turbine for radially arranging support arm fixing parts 86 having the same shape as the outer shape of the support arms 20 and secured by pressing the support arms 20.

Abstract: A vertical axis wind turbine capable of rotating at a high velocity after starting to rotate while keeping its self-startability high in starting to rotate is provided. The vertical axis wind turbine 10 has airfoil blades with cutouts 19 in the airfoil-shaped lower surfaces of the blades and boundary-layer reattachment portions in a convex shape projecting outward from the maximum cutout depth points in the cutouts 19 toward the trailing edge sides of the blades 18. For example, the maximum depth h of the cutout 19 is determined to 0.2t?h?0.7t relative to the maximum thickness of the blade t in the blade section, and the boundary-layer reattachment portion 19a is formed in a convex shape projecting outward from the maximum cutout depth point h in the cutout toward the trailing edge side of the blade 18. It is desirable to form the cutout having a cutout starting point at the position of 0.45C to 0.

Abstract: The invention seeks to provide a cantilever type vertical axis wind turbine capable of reducing repeated load caused on a rotary shaft and having advanced vibration stability and low-noise property. It comprises an outer race side rotor 17 of the vertical axis wind turbine 10 producing a rotational torque with wind, a cantilevered inner race side stationary column 10 for supporting the outer race side rotor 17 of the vertical axis wind turbine 10 through bearings 30a, 30b and 30c for supporting a force in a radial direction, and the bearings 30a, 30b and 30c arranged at positions astride the wind pressure center position on which the wind pressure acts on the outer race side rotor 17 of the vertical axis wind turbine 10 for supporting the outer race side rotor 17 and the inner race side stationary column 14.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention is to provide a vertical axis wind turbine and a wind turbine blade, which are excellent in self-starting performance and have a high torque constant. Since the present invention comprises a wind receiving plate 40 having a wind receiving surface and an openable and closable pivot 42, which wind receiving plate 40 is operated to close in the direction in which the centrifugal force is produced in proportion to the revolution of a blade 18 generating a lifting power, and an energizing means (such as spring 44) for energizing an opening force to open the wind receiving plate to the wind receiving side, the starting performance of the lift type wind turbine can be improved by means of the wind receiving plate 40, which opens at a low revolution of the blade 18 so as to function as a drag type wind turbine, and automatically closes at a high revolution of the blade 18 so as to function as a lift type wind turbine.

Abstract: The present invention seeks to provide a carbonization apparatus for producing activated carbon capable of retrieving heat contained in spent exhaust gas discharged from a deodorizing furnace to reuse the exhaust heat, consequently to produce activated carbon of high quality at a low cost.

Abstract: A sealing system for use in a composite multi-stage pump or pumps is disclosed which utilizes part of the liquid pressurized by the pump to moderate sealing conditions by introducing said liquid to a portion or portions around the shaft, where the sealing conditions are most critical, and by thus reducing the pressure imposed on the sealing portion make the designing of seals easy. Also, by introducing pressurized liquid of relatively low temperature to the critical portion(s), minimum flow rate is lowered and thus the operational range of the pump is extended.When two or more pumps are employed for maintaining continuous operation by alternately switching the working pumps, a flow passage is provided between the pumps so the pressurized liquid from the pump under operation can be introduced to the non-operating pump, thus utilizing the pressurized liquid to prevent liquid kept under pressure in the non-operating pump from leaking therefrom.