Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a tape-like pattern medium, with which a tape-like pattern medium with improved mechanical strength is manufactured.

Abstract: A piston ring includes: a refined steel including: carbon C in a range of 0.20% mass to 0.90% mass, silicon Si in a range of 0.10% mass to less than 0.60% mass, manganese Mn in a range of 0.20% mass to 1.50% mass, chromium Cr in a range of 0.30% mass to 2.00% mass, and a remnant including: iron Fe, and an unavoidable impurity. A parameter A calculated from the following expression (1) based on contents of the Si, Mn and Cr is 9.0 or less: parameter A=8.8 Si+1.6 Mn+1.7 Cr—expression (1). A parameter B calculated from the following expression (2) based on contents of the C, Si, Mn and Cr is 10.8 or more: parameter B=36 C+4.2 Si+3.8 Mn+4.5 Cr—expression (2).

Abstract: A transport apparatus transports a recording medium fed from a feeding roll and wound up onto a take-up roll. A transport roller is arranged in a path between the feeding roll and the take-up roll. A first tension bar is arranged in a path between the transport roller and the take-up roll to apply tension to the recording medium in a first direction different from a transport direction of the recording medium. A second tension bar is arranged in a path between the first tension bar and the take-up roll to apply tension to the recording medium in a second direction different from the first direction. The first and second tension bars apply tension to the recording medium in the first and second directions so that the recording medium is tightened by the first and second tension bars and the tightened recording medium is wound up onto the take-up roll.

Abstract: Provided are a transport apparatus and a printer capable of transporting a recording medium with no slack even when a disturbance or the like has occurred, and maintaining horizontal attitudes of tension bars, as well as easy loading of the recording medium and easy placing of the tension bars after the recording medium is loaded. The tension bars apply tensions in a transport direction and in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction to the recording medium in a roll shape that is fed from a feeding roll and wound up onto a take-up roll. Accordingly, predetermined tensions are applied to the recording medium. Before the recording medium is loaded, the tension bars are supported at retrieval positions, respectively, and the respective tension bars are placed at predetermined positions after the recording medium is loaded, with the result that the recording medium may be loaded with ease.

Abstract: The present invention provides a PVD cylindrical target comprising an evaporation material covering the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical substrate, the PVD cylindrical target includes a meshing part having at least either of a protruding shape and a recessed shape formed with rounded angular parts at the interface between the substrate and the evaporation material. According to such a structure, peeling or cracking of the evaporation material by a residual stress caused at the interface between the substrate and the evaporation material by a thermal expansion difference between the both can be suppressed, and sufficient adhesiveness between the both can also be ensured.

Abstract: The present invention provides peptides and proteins for use in second generation HIV vaccines and as diagnostic tools in the treatment and control of HIV infection. The antiviral protection shown by compositions of the present invention has not been previously achieved with an HLA epitope-enhanced vaccine. These findings define a critical balance between MHC affinity and receptor crossreactivity required for effective epitope enhancement and also demonstrate construction and efficacy of such a component of a new generation vaccine.

Abstract: The present invention provides peptides and proteins for use in second generation HIV vaccines and as diagnostic tools in the treatment and control of HIV infection. The antiviral protection shown by compositions of the present invention has not been previously achieved with an HLA epitope-enhanced vaccine. These findings define a critical balance between MHC affinity and receptor crossreactivity required for effective epitope enhancement and also demonstrate construction and efficacy of such a component of a new generation vaccine.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for lowering a viral load of a virus resistant to an antiviral drug by inducing cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to recognize a predetermined mutated epitope within a viral protein of the drug-resistant virus. CTLs are induced by immunizing a host with a peptide comprising the predetermined mutation. The immunostimulating peptide may be further improved by epitope-enhancement for inducing specific CTLs. The antiviral protection against drug-resistant virus shown by compositions of the present invention and mediated by human HLA-restricted CTL has not been previously achieved.

Abstract: A piston ring includes: a refined steel including: carbon C in a range of 0.20% mass to 0.90% mass, silicon Si in a range of 0.10% mass to less than 0.60% mass, manganese Mn in a range of 0.20% mass to 1.50% mass, chromium Cr in a range of 0.30% mass to 2.00% mass, and a remnant including: iron Fe, and an unavoidable impurity. A parameter A calculated from the following expression (1) based on contents of the Si, Mn and Cr is 9.0 or less: parameter A=8.8 Si+1.6 Mn+1.7 Cr—expression (1). A parameter B calculated from the following expression (2) based on contents of the C, Si, Mn and Cr is 10.8 or more: parameter B=36 C+4.2 Si+3.8 Mn+4.5 Cr—expression (2).

Abstract: Virus-specific CD4+T cell help and CD8+ cytotoxic T cell responses are critical for the maintenance of effective immunity in chronic viral infections. The importance of the CD4+T cells has been documented in HIV infection. A T1-specific CD4+T cell line from a healthy volunteer immunized with a canarypox vector expressing gp120 has been developed. The cell line was restricted to DR13, which is common in the U.S. in both Caucasians and African-Americans and is one of the major haplotypes in Africans. Amino acid substitutions in the T1 epitope were made to induce a stronger epitope-specific CD4+T cell response than the original epitope resulting in an improved CD4 epitope. A polypeptide comprising the enhanced CD4 epitope can be used as a component in compositions either alone or in combination with other adjuvants and other immunogenic compositions to induce a more effective immune response to HIV infection.

Abstract: The present invention provides a PVD cylindrical target comprising an evaporation material covering the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical substrate, the PVD cylindrical target includes a meshing part having at least either of a protruding shape and a recessed shape formed with rounded angular parts at the interface between the substrate and the evaporation material. According to such a structure, peeling or cracking of the evaporation material by a residual stress caused at the interface between the substrate and the evaporation material by a thermal expansion difference between the both can be suppressed, and sufficient adhesiveness between the both can also be ensured.

Abstract: The present invention provides peptides and proteins for use in second generation HIV vaccines and as diagnostic tools in the treatment and control of HIV infection. The antiviral protection shown by compositions of the present invention has not been previously achieved with an HLA epitope-enhanced vaccine. These findings define a critical balance between MHC affinity and receptor crossreactivity required for effective epitope enhancement and also demonstrate construction and efficacy of such a component of a new generation vaccine.

Abstract: A diagnostic drug and a diagnostic kit for autoimmune diseases including at least one of a polypeptide selected from an HMG-1 family, a polypeptide selected from an HMG-2 family, a fragment thereof which is reactable with an antibody of an autoimmune disease patient, and a method for detecting an antibody of an autoimmune disease patient using the same are provided.

Abstract: A diagnostic drug and a diagnostic kit for autoimmune diseases including at least one of a polypeptide selected from an HMG-1 family, a polypeptide selected from an HMG-2 family, a fragment thereof which is reactable with an antibody of an autoimmune disease patient, and a method for detecting an antibody of an autoimmune disease patient using the same are provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piston ring and a combined structure of a piston ring and a ring groove of piston having a hard carbon film which is excellent in wear resistance, scuffing resistance, cohesion resistance relative to the piston material and in peeling resistance. The above-mentioned object of the invention is achieved by continuously forming a hard carbon film 2 containing one or more elements selected from Si, W and Ni, or all of the outer peripheral surface 4, the inner peripheral surface 5, the top surface 6 and the bottom surface 7 of the piston ring 1. The hard carbon film contains Si and has an Si-containing film serving as a primer film for the hard carbon film. A Cr film should preferably be formed as primer film for the hard carbon film. It is desirable to have an ion-plating film as a primer film formed on the outer peripheral surface of the piston ring.

Abstract: A diagnostic drug and a diagnostic kit for autoimmune diseases including at least one of a polypeptide selected from an HMG-1 family, a polypeptide selected from an HMG-2 family, a fragment thereof which is reactable with an antibody of an autoimmune disease patient, and a method for detecting an antibody of an autoimmune disease patient using the same are provided.