Abstract: A preventive, therapeutic or improving agent for diseases against which activation of the thrombopoietin receptor is effective or a platelet increasing agent, which contains a thrombopoietin receptor activator represented by the formula (1): [wherein each of R1 and R3 is independently a hydrogen atom, SO3H, a C1-6 alkyl group, a C1-6 alkylcarbonyl group or a C6-18 arylcarbonyl group (the C1-6 alkyl group, the C1-6 alkylcarbonyl group and the C6-18 arylcarbonyl group may be optionally substituted with a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a C2-6 alkenyl group, a C1-6 alkoxy group, a C1-6 alkoxycarbonyl group, a C6-18 aryl group, a 2-pyridyl group, a 3-pyridyl group, a 4-pyridyl group, a 2-furanyl group, a 3-furanyl group, a 2-thienyl group, a 3-thienyl group or NR9R10) , and each of R2, R4 and Ra is independently a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group or a C1-6 alkoxy group].

Abstract: The present invention provides an axial bolt force measuring instrument for measuring an axial force of a bolt for a hub that couples a wheel and an axle of a vehicle, where the instrument is provided with a setting portion that sets a predetermined axial force of the bolt, a tapping portion that taps the bolt, a sound collecting portion that collects tap sound generated by tapping the bolt with the tapping portion, a frequency measuring portion that measures a frequency of the tap sound collected by the sound collecting portion, an axial force converting portion that converts the frequency of the tap sound measured by the frequency measuring portion into an axial force of the bolt, a comparing portion that compares the set axial force set in the setting portion with the converted axial force converted in the axial force converting portion from the frequency of the tap sound, and a display portion that displays a result of comparison in the comparing portion.

Abstract: A Francis turbine with an improved shape of blades, which can reduce a circumferential velocity component generated in the flow downstream of the blades in a condition of a partial load operation, or reduce the secondary flow around the blades, is provided. A Francis turbine comprises a crown, a plurality of blades, and a band. The crown can rotate around a rotating axis. The blades are circumferentially arranged on the crown, each of which including an inner end as a trailing edge. The band is coaxially coupled with the crown by the blades. A distance Rc can be defined as a distance between the rotation axis and an end by the crown side of the trailing edge. A distance Rb can be defined as a distance between the rotation axis and an end by the band side of the trailing edge. The distance Rc and the distance Rb satisfy 0.2 ? R c R b ? 0.4 .

Abstract: A Francis turbine with an improved shape of blades, which can reduce cavitations generated on the surface of the blades or reduce the secondary flow around the blades, is provided. A Francis turbine comprises a rotating shaft, a crown, a plurality of blades, and a band. The crown can rotate with the rotating shaft. The blades are circumferentially arranged on the crown, each of which including an inner end as a trailing edge. The band is coaxially coupled with the crown by the blades. The rotating shaft, the crown, the blades, and the band as a whole rotate toward a turbine direction during a turbine operation. A projected profile of the trailing edge on a perpendicular plane, which is perpendicular to a center axis of the rotating shaft, is curved toward a direction opposite to the turbine direction at least in the crown side.

Abstract: By disclosing part of metastasis mechanisms in cancer cells, the metastatic potential of cancer cells will be determinable. Anti-galectin-9 Ab against galectin-9 is contained as an effective component with or without others, thereby enabling the evaluation or detection of galectin-9 expression levels in cancer cells wherein the metastatic potential of the cancer cells can be assessed or detected.

Abstract: A monolithic ceramic electronic component includes a laminate including a plurality of ceramic layers obtained by sintering a ceramic raw material powder, and a plurality of internal electrodes located between the ceramic layers and obtained by sintering a metallic powder. The ceramic layers have a thickness of about 3 &mgr;m or less and are composed of ceramic grains having an average particle diameter of more than about 0.5 &mgr;m, the particle diameter of the ceramic grains in the thickness direction of the ceramic layers is smaller than the thickness of the ceramic layers, and the internal electrodes have a thickness of about 0.2 to 0.7 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A monolithic ceramic component has inner electrodes which are thin having a thickness of from about 0.2 &mgr;m to 0.7 min, and thereby, delamination is inhibited even though ceramic layers are thin, having a thickness up to about 3 &mgr;m. The mean particle size of the ceramic grains of the ceramic layers is up to 0.5 &mgr;m, so that the concavities and convexities at the interfaces between the inner electrodes and the ceramic layers can be reduced. Preferably, metal powder in a paste used to form the inner electrodes has a mean particle size of from about 10 to 200 nm, and thereby, the metal filling ratio and the smoothness of the inner electrodes can be enhanced, and the coverage can be improved.

Abstract: A microcomputer includes a central processing unit, an interrupt request generation unit for generating an interrupt processing request, a processing request control unit for controlling two processing requests in response to the interrupt processing request on the basis of a first interrupt mode for performing interrupt processing using a program stored in a program memory and a second interrupt mode for performing interrupt processing without using the program stored in the program memory, and a flash memory serving as an electrically programmable erasable read-only memory. Processing of writing/deleting data in/from the flash memory is performed in the second interrupt mode.

Abstract: To provide a method of isolating and detecting a new receptor gene, as a means of elucidating the function of neuronal cell-specific receptors, especially of elucidating the detailed mechanism of the neuronal cell differentiation inhibitory and nerve nutrition factor-like actions of activin receptors, DNA containing said new receptor gene, a method of producing a protein encoded by this new receptor gene, and use for this DNA and protein. The receptor protein of the present invention and DNA encoding this protein can be used for various purposes, including 1) ligand determination, 2) obtainment of antibodies and antisera, 3) construction of recombinant receptor protein expression systems, 4) development of receptor binding assay systems and screening for pharmaceutical candidate compounds using expression systems, 5) drug designing based on comparison with structurally similar ligand receptors, 6) reagent for preparation of probes and PCR primers for gene diagnosis, and 7) drug for gene therapy.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel polypeptide represented by the formula: ##STR1## wherein Lys represents lysine, Trp tryptophan, Cys cystine, Phe phenylalanine, Arg arginine, Val valine, Tyr tyrosine, Gly glycine, Ile isoleucine and X a hydroxyl group or an amino group), its analogue and a method for preparing the same.The polypeptide exhibits strong affinity for lipopolysaccharide, and is useful for removing endotoxin and as a therapeutic agent of bacterial infections, and a method for preparing the same.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus is provided with a buffer and accompanying circuitry for retrieving instruction code at a branch target address and providing that code to an execution unit within a single clock, much more quickly than the one bus cycle which has been required previously. Not only branches, but also interrupts may be handled with this relatively simple hardware, making the invention useful in the control field, among other applications. The buffer circuitry can store a plurality of branch target addresses and/or interrupt addresses.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel polypeptide represented by the formula: ##STR1## (wherein Lys represents lysine, Trp tryptophan, Cys cystine, Phe phenylalanine, Arg arginine, Val valine, Tyr tyrosine, Gly glycine, Ile isoleucine and X a hydroxyl group or an amino group), its analogue and a method for preparing the same.The polypeptide exhibits strong affinity for lipolysaccharide, and is useful for removing endotoxin and as a therapeutic agent of bacterial infections.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating a water solution of a waste material containing a salt with smelt-water explosion characteristics comprises an open-bottomed incinerator and a gas-liquid separator disposed beneath the incinerator in fluid-flow communication therewith. The waste solution is sprayed into the incinerator and heated therein so that the salt in the solution is fused, water vaporized and organic components of the solution burned. The combustion gases and water vapor flow downwardly into the separator, while the fused salt forms a deposit on the inner surface of the incinerator and flows downwardly into the separator. At the junction between the incinerator and separator, cooling water is fed to the fused salt so that the deposit of salt is solidified and cracked into separate masses which fall together with the cooling water onto an inclined baffle member disposed in the separator and roll downwardly on the baffle member.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating a water solution of a waste material containing a salt with smelt-water explosion characteristics comprises an open-bottomed incinerator and a gas-liquid separator disposed beneath the incinerator in fluid-flow communication therewith. The waste solution is sprayed into the incinerator and heated therein so that the salt in the solution is fused, water vaporized and organic components of the solution burned. The combustion gases and water vapor flow downwardly into the separator, while the fused salt forms a deposit on the inner surface of the incinerator and flows downwardly into the separator. At the junction between the incinerator and separator, cooling water is fed to the fused salt so that the deposit of salt is solidified and cracked into separate masses which fall together with the cooling water onto an inclined baffle member disposed in the separator and roll downwardly on the baffle member.