Abstract: A method examines a disease or health condition based on a biomarker in a biological sample. The method includes extracting the biomarker from the biological sample, ionizing the extracted biomarker, obtaining a three dimensional profile by passing the ionized biomarker between two electrodes and providing the two electrodes with a plurality of electrical signals, and discriminating a predetermined disease using a discriminator obtained by learning the three-dimensional profile and a type of disease in association with each other. The discriminator is a model combining convolutional and recurrent neural networks. The three dimensional profile records current values for each combination of a dispersion field, a compensation voltage, and the type of ion. The discriminator has an interlayer transition that applies the convolutional neural network to a dimension of the compensation voltage and applies the recurrent neural network to a dimension of the dispersion field.

Abstract: Relaxin-3 is found to have feeding-stimulating activity, body weight increasing activity, and fat weight increasing activity when intracerebroventricularly administered to rats through observation of amount of feeding, body weight and fat weight after administration of relaxin-3. This invention includes: a polypeptide having useful effects in stimulating feeding, increasing body weight, and fattening; a therapeutic agent containing the polypeptide; a method of screening for a compound, a substance, or a salt thereof which activates or suppresses a receptor of the polypeptide; a kit for screening; and an agent with a substance which inhibits expression of the polypeptide, such as a feeding-suppressing agent, a therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity, and a therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetes.

Abstract: The present inventors have found that relaxin-3 has a feeding-stimulating activity, a body weight increasing activity, and fat weight increasing activity by intracerebroventricularly administering relaxin-3 to rats and observing the amount of feeding, body weight and fat weight, and so on after the administration. According to the present invention, a polypeptide having useful effects in stimulating feeding, increasing body weight, and fattening; a therapeutic agent containing said polypeptide; a method of screening for a compound, a substance, or a salt thereof which activates or suppresses a receptor of said polypeptide; a kit for said screening; and an agent which comprises a substance which inhibits expression of said polypeptide, such as a feeding-surpressing agent, a therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity, and a therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing a retrovirus to be expressed at a high titer by specifically transferring a desired foreign gene into target cells. A pseudotyped retrovirus vector having a high titer can be prepared by transferring a DNA construction wherein a promoter, an loxP sequence, a VSV-G gene and a polyA addition signal are arranged in this order is transferred into cells carrying the retrovirus gag and pol gene expression systems, and then transferring a retrovirus vector containing the desired foreign gene thereinto, followed by the treatment with a recombinase.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing a retrovirus to be expressed at a high titer by specifically transferring a desired foreign gene into target cells. A pseudotyped retrovirus vector having a high titer can be prepared by transferring a DNA construction wherein a promoter, a loxP sequence, a VSV-G gene and a polyA addition signal are arranged in this order is transferred into cells carrying the retrovirus gag and pol gene expression systems, and then transferring a retrovirus vector containing the desired foreign gene thereinto, followed by the treatment with a recombinase.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing a retrovirus to be expressed at a high titer by specifically transferring a desired foreign gene into target cells. A pseudotyped retrovirus vector having a high titer can be prepared by transferring a DNA construction wherein a promoter, an loxP sequence, a VSV-G gene and a polyA addition signal are arranged in this order is transferred into cells carrying the retrovirus gag and pol gene expression systems, and then transferring a retrovirus vector containing the desired foreign gene thereinto, followed by treatment with a recombinase.

Abstract: Benzopiperidine derivatives represented by formula (I), salts thereof or hydrates thereof, processes for producing the same and drugs comprising the same: 1

Abstract: Benzopiperidine derivatives represented by formula (I), salts thereof or hydrates thereof, processes for producing the same and drugs comprising the same: wherein the variables are as described in the specification. These compounds are useful as drugs efficacious in the prevention and treatment of these various inflammatory diseases and immunologic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, asthma, and rejection reaction accompanying organ transplantation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing a retrovirus to be expressed at a high titer by specifically transferring a desired foreign gene into target cells. A pseudotyped retrovirus vector having a high titer can be prepared by transferring a DNA construction wherein a promoter, an loxP sequence, a VSV-G gene and a polyA addition signal are arranged in this order is transferred into cells carrying the retrovirus gag and pol gene expression systems, and then transferring a retrovirus vector containing the desired foreign gene thereinto, followed by the treatment with a recombinase.

Abstract: A nitride or carbonitride layer is formed on the surface of a metal material as follows: A treating agent composed of a refractory powder of alumina or the like and a powder of a metal for forming a nitride or a carbide or an alloy thereof is disposed in a fluidized bed furnace; the treating agent is fluidized to form a fluidized bed by introducing an inert gas; the fluidized bed furnace is heated to a temperature of not higher than 700.degree. C.; an activator of a halogenated ammonium salt is intermittently supplied into the fluidized bed at a rate of 0.001 to 5 wt %/hour based on the total amount of the treating agent; and the metal material to be treated is disposed in the fluidized bed during or after any of the above steps. For example, a nitride layer composed of only a metal for forming a nitride which contains almost no Fe--N is formed on the surface of iron steel even at a temperature as low as not higher than 700.degree. C.

Abstract: A hard and lubricant thin film of amorphous carbon-hydrogen-silicon and a process of producing the same. The thin film comprises carbon and hydrogen as major components, the balance mainly containing a silicon-based material, and it contains diamond-like carbon. The content of hydrogen is from 30 to 50% by atomic and the content of carbon is 70% by atomic or more with respect to the total composition except hydrogen.An iron-based metallic material having the thin film of amorphous carbon-hydrogen-silicon formed thereon and a process for producing the same are also provided. The iron-based matallic material is very hard and has a small coefficient of friction.

Abstract: A process for ion nitriding aluminum material which comprises the steps of placing an object of aluminum or aluminum alloy for treatment in a closed vessel; evacuating residual oxygen gas from said closed vessel; charging said closed vessel with a heating gas and inducing discharges in said closed vessel, thereby heating the surface of the object for treatment to a prescribed nitriding temperature; charging said closed vessel with a surface-roughening gas composed of a rare gas and 5-2000 ppm of a gas containing at least one element of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon, and roughening the surface of the object for treatment by means of glow discharges or ion beams in the atmosphere of said surface roughening gas; and charging said closed vessel with a nitriding gas and simultaneously inducing glow discharges in said closed vessel, thereby forming a nitride layer on the surface of the object for treatment.

Abstract: Particles of a layer-forming agent containing at least one element for forming a surface layer of e.g. a carbide on the material to be treated are disposed in a furnace below and/or at the side of the material to be treated. A fluidizing gas is introduced into the furnace below the layer-forming agent for fluidizing a powder of alumina or other refractory material to form a fluidized bed above the layer-forming agent, while the agent is not fluidized. The furnace is heated and a solid halide is supplied into the furnace below the layer-forming agent. The halide is sublimable to produce a gas which activates the element, so that it may combine with a particular element which the material to be treated contains, whereby the surface layer is formed thereon. An apparatus for forming such a surface layer is also provided.

Abstract: A method of forming a nitride or carbonitride layer on the surface of an iron or iron alloy article, which comprises the steps of: (a) disposing in a fluidized bed furnace a treating agent comprising a refractory powder, a metal powder of at least one selected from the group consisting of chromium, vanadium, titanium and a metal containing at least one of the chromium, vanadium and titanium, and a halide powder; (b) introducing a nitrogen-containing gas into the fluidizied bed furnace; (c) heating the fluidized bed furnace; and (d) disposing the article in the fluidized bed furnace during or after the steps (a) to (c). In this method, the article is preferably treated at a temperature not higher than 650.degree. C. The step (c) may precede the step (b). The halide powder may be supplied to the fluidized bed furnace from outside in the form of green compact or a gas.

Abstract: A method of forming a surface layer of carbide, nitride, carbonitride, or solid-solution on the surface of a material to be treated, which comprises disposing in a fluidized bed furnace a treating agent comprising a powder of a refractory material, and a powder of a metal for forming a carbide, nitride, carbonitride or solid-solution or a powder of an alloy thereof, introducing a fluidizing gas into the fluidized bed furnace to fluidize the treating agent and form a fluidized layer, disposing the material to be treated in the fluidized layer, and introducing a predetermined amount of halide into the fluidized layer, and an apparatus for forming the surface layer on the material to be treated, comprising a furnace body for forming the surface layer in the fluidized layer of the treating agent, a heating furnace for heating the fluidized layer, a halide supply pipe in communication with the outside of the furnace body, and a halide gas jetting pipe disposed within the furnace body, which is connected to the hal

Abstract: A surface layer which is composed of the carbonitride of at least one of vanadium and chromium is formed on an article made of iron or an iron alloy if the article, a material containing at least one of vanadium and chromium and a treating agent are heated together. The treating agent may be composed of at least one of the cyanides and cyanates of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals. The layer adhering closely to the article can be formed efficiently at a temperature which is so low that virtually no thermal strain may develop in the article.

Abstract: A surface layer which is composed of the carbonitride of molybdenum is formed on an article made of iron or an iron alloy by heating the article in the presence of a material containing molybdenum and a treating agent. The treating agent may be composed of at least one of the cyandides and cyanates of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals. The layer adhering closely to the article can be formed efficiently at a temperature which is so low that virtually no thermal strain may develop in the article.

Abstract: A method for forming a layer of a carbide or nitride of a metallic element or boron nitride on the surface of a ceramics article. A molten salt bath is prepared by heating and melting a bath agent composed of boron oxide and/or borate, and at least one metallic element selected from Group IVa, Va, VIa elements, etc. An article to be treated which is made of silicon nitride, silicon carbide or sialon is immersed in the salt bath. This method provides a ceramics product with a uniform surface layer having superior frictional and electrical properties.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a layer of a carbide or nitride of, for example, titanium or vanadium on the surface of material to be treated in a fluidized bed furnace. A refractory powder for forming a fluidized bed, a vessel or vessels filed with powder of a treating agent, and the material to be treated are placed in the furnace. The treating agent includes powder of at least one carbide or nitride forming metal or alloy and powder of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of chlorides, fluorides, bromides, iodides and boro-fluorides of alkali and alkaline earth metals and/or at least one of an ammonium halide and a metal halide. A fluidizing gas is introduced into the furnace under heat to form a fluidized bed in which the surface of the material to be treated is treated. The vessel or vessels are placed in the furnace in a spaced-apart relation from the material to be treated, so that no powder of the treating agent may adhere to the surface of the material to be treated.

Abstract: A method and a bath agent for forming a carbide or diffusion layer on the surface of an article to be treated by immersing the article in a molten salt bath. The salt bath comprises borax, at least one oxide of a surface layer forming element (SFE) selected from the group consisting of an oxide of a Va-Group element of the Periodic Table and an oxide of chromium, and aluminum. The amounts of the SFE-oxide and of aluminum to the whole amount of the bath are 9.5 to 21.5 wt% and 4 to 7.5 wt%, respectively. The treating method provides the extended life of the bath, the facilitation of washing off the bath agent adhered to the treated article, etc.