Abstract: A culture medium is disclosed for inducing the differentiation of visceral preadipocytes into mature visceral adipocytes; the culture medium contains 0.85 to 100 ng/mL insulin and 50 to 250 ng/mL IGF-1. Also disclosed is a method for using the culture medium to induce the differentiation of visceral preadipocytes into mature visceral adipocytes. Use of the differentiation induction system of the present invention enables a substantial induction of adipocyte differentiation without the addition of synthetic differentiation inducers or high insulin concentrations. The mature adipocytes obtained by the differentiation induction system of the present invention are useful for research into the biochemistry and physiology of adipocytes, for screening drugs effective for the treatment of lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, and for developing diagnostic reagents.

Abstract: A novel zinc oxide crystal has an octahedral nucleus whose faces are alternately zinc faces and oxide faces, and this crystal has such a geometric shape that a needle is grown on each of the faces. The needle grown on the oxide face is branched into three sections which are disposed in parallel relation, and the needle on the oxide face is shorter than the needle on the zinc face. This novel crystal having oxide films can be produced in a homogeneous manner by mixing zinc-tin alloy powder or tin powder with zinc powder, having an oxide film formed on each particle thereof, to form a powder mixture and then by heating the powder mixture at 820.degree. C. to 1100.degree. C. in an oxidizing atmosphere to oxide the same. The tin concentration in the power mixture is less than 40 wt. %.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing zinc oxide whiskers, whereby zinc powders composed of particles coated with an oxide film, preferably an oxide film having a superior sealing property are, heated for oxidization in an atmosphere containing oxygen.The atmosphere may contain carbon dioxide or steam.The obtained zinc oxide whiskers are formed in a single crystal comprised of a core part and an acicular part spreading in four different directions from the core part.For a baking furnace to obtain zinc oxide whiskers, is employed one that successively forms an atmosphere of a high partial pressure of zinc steam at the source side and an atmosphere of a high partial pressure of oxygen for facilitating formation of whiskers. The zinc oxide whiskers can be controlled in size by selecting the relative ratio of the partial pressure of zinc steam and oxygen.