Abstract: A JNK inhibitor containing a compound having an isoquinolinone skeleton or a salt thereof, such as a compound represented by the formula wherein ring A and ring B are each an optionally substituted benzene ring, X is —O—, —N?, —NR3— or —CHR3—, R2 is an acyl group, an optionally esterified or thioesterified carboxyl group, an optionally substituted carbamoyl group or an optionally substituted amino group and the like, a broken line shows a single bond or a double bond, and R1 is a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted heterocyclic group and the like, and the like.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a beam generating unit configured to generate a beam of light, a scanning unit with a plurality of scanning planes configured to deflect the beam of light generated by the beam generating unit and cause the beam of light to scan an image carrier in a main-scanning direction, a micro mirror configured to deflect the beam of light generated by the beam generating unit and thereby enable the deflected beam of light to fall on the scanning unit, a position detecting unit configured to detect a position of the beam of light deflected by the micro mirror, an input voltage control unit configured to control an input voltage value for inclining the micro mirror and thereby causing the beam of light to deflect, and an input voltage determining unit configured to control the input voltage value controlled by the input voltage control unit.

Abstract: A light scanning apparatus includes a plurality of light sources. A detection unit detects the light power of a light beam output from at least one of the plurality of light sources. A control unit controls the driving current of at least one selected light source on the basis of the detection result by the detection unit such that the light power of the selected light source equals a target light power. The light source is selected from the plurality of light sources on the basis of the light-emitting characteristic of each light source. The control unit controls, on the basis of the driving current of the selected light source, the driving currents of light sources which remain unselected in the plurality of light sources.

Abstract: An optical power control apparatus includes a changing unit which changes, a plurality of number of times, the value of a current flowing to an optical beam output apparatus, and an obtaining unit which obtains, in correspondence with each current value, a peripheral optical power representing an optical power at the peripheral part of the spot of the optical beam output from the optical beam output apparatus. The optical power control apparatus also includes a correction unit which corrects the peripheral optical power so that the peripheral optical power and a central optical power representing an optical power at the central part of the spot have an approximately linear relationship in correspondence with each current value. The optical power control apparatus also includes a control unit which controls the optical power of the optical beam output from the optical beam output apparatus in accordance with the corrected peripheral optical power.

Abstract: A piezoelectric ceramic comprising a perovskite composite oxide of an ABO3 composition containing Pb in the A-site and Zr and Ti in the B-site, wherein when the total amount of the element species constituting the B-site of the perovskite composite oxide in the ceramic is set to be one mol, an average valency of the element species constituting the B-site is in a range of from 4.002 to 4.009. The piezoelectric ceramic can be fired at a low temperature, has a high Curie temperature and a high piezoelectric distortion constant, as well as excellent durability and reliability against high temperatures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor containing an azole compound (I) substituted by a nitrogen-containing aromatic group having substituent(s)(except a compound represented by the formula: ) or a salt thereof or a prodrug thereof.

Abstract: A JNK inhibitor containing a compound having an isoquinolinone skeleton or a salt thereof, such as a compound represented by the formula wherein ring A and ring B are each an optionally substituted benzene ring, X is —O—, —N?, —NR3— or —CHR3—, R2 is an acyl group, an optionally esterified or thioesterified carboxyl group, an optionally substituted carbamoyl group or an optionally substituted amino group and the like, a broken line shows a single bond or a double bond, and R1 is a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted heterocyclic group and the like, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a protein having a Na+—HCO3− cotransporter activity and a DNA encoding it. The present protein and the present DNA can be used as or for [1] obtaining an antibody and antiserum, [2] constructing an expression system for the present protein, [3] development of a system for measuring the activity of a Na+—HCO3− cotransporter and screening of a drug candidate compound using the same expression system, [4] performing drug design based on the steric structure of a Na+—HCO3− cotransporter protein, [5] a reagent for making a probe or a PCR primer in gene diagnosis, [6] making a transgenic animal, or [7] a composition for gene prevention and/or treatment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor containing an azole compound (I) substituted by a nitrogen-containing aromatic group having substituent(s)(except a compound represented by the formula: 1

Abstract: A microorganism resistant to a threonine analogue, which has a plasmid containing part or whole of a biotin operon; and a process for producing biotin, which comprises culturing a microorganism described above in a medium to produce and accumulate biotin in the medium, and collecting biotin.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel calpain having a proteolytic activity, its partial peptide or a salt either of them, a DNA coding for the protein, a recombinant vector comprising the DNA, a transformant carrying the recombinant vector, a process for producing the protein, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the DNA, an antibody against the protein, a method for screening for a compound which activates or inhibits a proteolytic activity of the protein, a kit for screening for the compound, and a compound which activates or inhibits a proteolytic activity of the protein which is identified by the screening method or the kit. The DNA coding for the protein of the present invention can be used as a therapeutic and prophylactic composition for a variety of diseases including tumor, cerebral apoplexy, cerebral infarction, subarachnoid hemorrhage, Alzheimer's disease, myodystrophy, cataract, ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis, arthritis, and collagen disease.

Abstract: A microorganism resistant to a threonine analogue, which has a plasmid containing part or whole of a biotin operon; and a process for producing biotin, which comprises culturing a microorganism described above in a medium to produce and accumulate biotin in the medium, and collecting biotin.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel calpain having a proteolytic activity, its partial peptide or a salt either of them, a DNA coding for the protein, a recombinant vector comprising the DNA, a transformant carrying the recombinant vector, a process for producing the protein, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the DNA, an antibody against the protein, a method for screening for a compound which activates or inhibits a proteolytic activity of the protein, a kit for screening for the compound, and a compound which activates or inhibits a proteolytic activity of the protein which is identified by the screening method or the kit. The DNA coding for the protein of the present invention can be used as a therapeutic and prophylactic composition for a variety of diseases including tumor, cerebral apoplexy, cerebral infarction, subarachnoid hemorrhage, Alzheimer's disease, myodystrophy, cataract, ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis, arthritis, and collagen disease.

Abstract: A piezoelectric ceramic composition comprising a perovskite compound which contains, as metal components, Pb, Sr, Zr, Ti, Nb, Cr, Y, Co and at least one element selected from La, Gd, Nd, Sm and Pr, and may further contain Sb or Na, wherein when the composition formula is expressed as,(Pb.sub.1-x-.alpha.-y Sr.sub.x Na.sub..alpha. M.sub.y).sub.a [(Nb.sub.b Y.sub.c Cr.sub.d Co.sub.e Sb.sub..beta.).sub.f Ti.sub.g Zr.sub.1-f-g ]O.sub.3,wherein M is at least one element selected from La, Gd, Nd, Sm and Pr, then, x, y, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, .alpha. and .beta. satisfy the following relationships, 0.005.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.08, 0.002.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.05, 0.95.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.1.05, 0.47.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.0.70, 0.02.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.0.31, 0.11.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.0.42, 0.01.ltoreq.e.ltoreq.0.12, 0.02.ltoreq.f.ltoreq.0.15, 0.46.ltoreq.g.ltoreq.0.52, 0.ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.0.005, 0.ltoreq..beta..ltoreq.0.13, and b+c+d+e+.beta.=1.00.