Abstract: A cDNA fragment participating in the maintenance of smooth muscle differentiation was isolated using a culture system of chicken gizzard smooth muscle cells, the differential display method and the subtracted hybridization method. Using the obtained cDNA sequence as a query, cDNA sequences of Helix Research Institute (Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-118776) were retrieved, and thus, a novel gene “C-NT2RP3001495” was obtained. The protein encoded by this gene has two WW domains that participate in protein interactions in the N-terminal domain. Evidence suggests that this protein binds to other proteins, and thus regulates the intracellular signal transduction, gene expression, and so on, thereby participating in the maintenance of the differentiation of smooth muscle cells. This protein and compounds regulating the expression thereof are markedly useful in developing drugs for various diseases associated with abnormality in the maintenance of smooth muscle cell differentiation.

Abstract: A cDNA fragment participating in the maintenance of smooth muscle differentiation was isolated using a culture system of chicken gizzard smooth muscle cells, the differential display method and the subtracted hybridization method. Using the obtained cDNA sequence as a query, cDNA sequences of Helix Research Institute (Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-118776) were retrieved, and thus, a novel gene “C-NT2RP3001495” was obtained. The protein encoded by this gene has two WW domains that participate in protein interactions in the N-terminal domain. Evidence suggests that this protein binds to other proteins, and thus regulates the intracellular signal transduction, gene expression, and so on, thereby participating in the maintenance of the differentiation of smooth muscle cells. This protein and compounds regulating the expression thereof are markedly useful in developing drugs for various diseases associated with abnormality in the maintenance of smooth muscle cell differentiation.

Abstract: A cDNA encoding a novel LTC4 receptor has been isolated. Provision of the novel protein, an LTC4 receptor, enabled binding experiments using the LTC4. By screening for compounds that modulate LTC4 receptor activity based on these binding experiments, development of drugs targeting the LTC4 receptor becomes possible.

Abstract: Disclosed is means capable of solving trouble in managing data formats and procedures and capable of carrying out advanced preprocessing more intuitively. A data aggregate to be inputted to a mining engine is converted into hierarchical unit trees, and node conditions of the hierarchical unit trees are changed, whereby the data aggregate and a data structure are subjected to dynamic conversion/edition processing. Thus, a system is constructed, in which preprocessing for data mining is unitarily managed/semi-automated.

Abstract: A cDNA encoding a novel LTC4 receptor has been isolated. Provision of the novel protein, an LTC4 receptor, enabled binding experiments using the LTC4. By screening for compounds that modulate LTC4 receptor activity based on these binding experiments, development of drugs targeting the LTC4 receptor becomes possible.

Abstract: New information is extracted efficiently and exhaustively to predict the function of genes or proteins. First, known-sequence data with high relevance to a search object sequence or structure information is obtained using a sequence database. Then, documents relevant to the resultant known-sequence data are retrieved, using a document database. Feature words common to a plurality of documents extracted are extracted and outputted.

Abstract: In a speaker device 10 having: a magnetic circuit 13 including a magnet 14 and a yoke 11; a voice coil 16 which is placed in a magnetic gap 12 of the magnetic circuit 13; and a diaphragm 17 which is vibrating available in a state where the diaphragm is coupled with the voice coil 16, a peripheral edge of the diaphragm 17 being fixed to a housing 20, a damper holder 30 is disposed in a portion where a damper 27 is attached to the housing 20. The damper holder 30 is in point contact with the housing 20 via three or more projections 31 which are disposed on one of the damper holder 30 and the housing 20. Preferably, the damper holder 30 is made of a hybrid material of a resin (polypropylene) and tungsten, and has a specific gravity of 10.0 or larger.

Abstract: An area is estimated and displayed of a defective translated region of protein included in either one of a cDNA sequence originating from an immature mRNA, and a truncated cDNA and the like. By means of learning results using known mRNA sequence data, likelihood that there is either one of a translated region and untranslated region at each position in a nucleotide sequence is tested locally, and also a similarity analysis with the known proteins and genome sequences is executed upon whereby the results of the analysis thereabove is exhibited along the nucleotide sequence coordinate for simultaneous comparison.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to overcome the problems of the related art and provide a radiation shielding material with no use of lead, which can readily be cut with scissors and the like and can be recycled by again melt molding cut pieces generated from melt molding and cutting with scissors.

Abstract: The present invention visualizes the contents of a plurality of documents without a lack of the listing property. Two document units are extracted from a document database and relevance degrees between individual elements of a group of the document units are calculated. The results are displayed on a two-dimensional coordinate plane depending on the relevance degree.

Abstract: The culture supernatant of COS cells expressing the PSEC56 gene was found to have a neurite extension effect. The main substance of the activity contained in this culture supernatant was revealed to be NGF. It was shown that PSEC56 can be utilized as a neurotrophic factor expression-inducing agent, and that the NGF induction system can be utilized for drug development against diseases of the nervous system.

Abstract: Features relating to gene expression levels are extracted and visualized in an effective manner. Data about the gene expression levels is utilized for medical diagnosis. Information about whether or not the expression levels of each of positive samples are within a predetermined range is displayed comparatively with information about whether or not the expression levels of each of negative samples are within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A cDNA fragment participating in the maintenance of smooth muscle differentiation was isolated using a culture system of chicken gizzard smooth muscle cells, the differential display method and the subtracted hybridization method. Using the obtained cDNA sequence as a query, cDNA sequences of Helix Research Institute (Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-118776) were retrieved, and thus, a novel gene “C-NT2RP3001495” was obtained. The protein encoded by this gene has two WW domains that participate in protein interactions in the N-terminal domain. Evidence suggests that this protein binds to other proteins, and thus regulates the intracellular signal transduction, gene expression, and so on, thereby participating in the maintenance of the differentiation of smooth muscle cells. This protein and compounds regulating the expression thereof are markedly useful in developing drugs for various diseases associated with abnormality in the maintenance of smooth muscle cell differentiation.

Abstract: The disclosed invention makes the following possible: automatically and efficiently extracting substance names such as genes, proteins, and low-molecular-weight substances and binary relations between substances from papers stored in databases and visually presenting the extracted binary relations in forms intelligible to users. First step is extracting protein names, synonyms, and cross reference information from public databases and integrating them into a protein dictionary. Second step is extracting binary relations, based on the patterns of sentences expressing a binary relation. To extract those screened out, inferring binary relations, using the weight vectors of substances appearing in text is also performed. Some significance values are defined and assigned to the thus extracted binary relations to help users to obtain binary relations serving the user's purpose.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to perform the clustering and assembling of nucleic acid base sequences at a high speed. Partial sequences 102 are extracted from each input sequence 101 and entered into a fixed-length partial sequence table 103. In the case where a sequence overlapping with a consensus sequence 104 is searched while making reference to the fixed-length partial sequence table 103 and consequently a partial sequence 102, which exactly matches with a sequence defined by a fixed length window 105 scanning along the consensus sequence, is found to be present, whether the whole input sequence can be assembled or not is determined by comparing the sequences. If it is possible to assemble the sequences, they are assembled into a consensus sequence and also joined into the same cluster. The clustering and assembling are performed by repeatedly processing this procedure based on greedy method until no unprocessed input nucleic acid base sequence is left.

Abstract: Selection of clones having the kinase and/or phosphatase-like structure from clones which had been isolated and the structures thereof had been determined in the Helix Research Institute (helix clones; Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-183767) was conducted. Twelve novel genes were provided by carrying out homology search for all the helix clones by using the amino acid sequences of known kinases and phosphatases as queries. The genes are expected to be involved in intracellular signal transduction. The physiological functions of the inventive genes can be tested by using reporter gene assay systems capable of detecting signal transduction. The proteins of the present invention are useful as target molecules in drug discovery and in the development of new pharmaceuticals.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoplastic resin composition having a high specific gravity, flexibility and excellent processability that can be used as a material for forming various articles requiring both massiveness and flexibility. This thermoplastic resin composition contains 2.5 to 15 wt % of a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer and 85 to 97.5 wt % of tungsten powder, and an molded article is obtained by melting and kneading this thermoplastic resin composition. This article can be used preferably as a balance weight attached to a wheel of an automobile, sports goods or the like.

Abstract: Disclosed is means capable of solving trouble in managing data formats and procedures and capable of carrying out advanced preprocessing more intuitively. A data aggregate to be inputted to a mining engine is converted into hierarchical unit trees, and node conditions of the hierarchical unit trees are changed, whereby the data aggregate and a data structure are subjected to dynamic conversion/edition processing. Thus, a system is constructed, in which preprocessing for data mining is unitarily managed/semi-automated.

Abstract: Selection of clones having the kinase and/or phosphatase-like structure from clones which had been isolated and the structures thereof had been determined in the Helix Research Institute (helix clones; Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-183767) was conducted. Two novel genes were provided by carrying out homology search for all the helix clones by using the amino acid sequences of known kinases and phosphatases as queries. The genes are expected to be involved in intracellular signal transduction. The physiological functions of the inventive genes can be tested by using reporter gene assay systems capable of detecting signal transduction. The proteins of the present invention are useful as target molecules in drug discovery and in the development of new pharmaceuticals.

Abstract: Information demanded by a user can be provided more accurately and intelligibly. When query information is inputted to a text-format file name input form, a natural language input form, a UI number input form, a URL input form, a readout form for registered query conceptions or the like on a screen for generation of a query conception, a query conception assembled from the query information is represented on a screen as a query vector containing a plurality of keywords and weights of the respective keywords. A user can confirm the query conception by viewing the query vector and modify the query conception if necessary.