Abstract: Disclosed is a serum albumin-thioredoxin fusion body which is improved in the activity thereof and is stable with respect to the activity. The serum albumin-thioredoxin fusion body is provided, which is characterized in that the thioredoxin is a modified from in which at least a cysteine residue located at position 73 from the N-terminal of an amino acid sequence for the thioredoxin or located at a position equivalent to the position 73 is substituted by another amino acid residue. the modified serum albumin-thioredoxin fusion body is superior in the activity and stability thereof, is reduced in immunogenicity and has superior safety compared with a fusion body in which the thioredoxin is non-modified form.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a defective portion on the outer surface not exposed of a pipe, which comprises: heating or cooling a pipe, the outer surface of which is not exposed, from the side of the inner surface thereof so that a difference in temperature is produced between a portion of the inner surface of the pipe corresponding to an accumulation of foreign matters or a thinner portion as a defective portion on the outer surface not exposed of the pipe and a portion of the inner surface of the pipe corresponding to a normal portion of the outer surface of the pipe; then shooting the inner surface of the pipe by means of a thermal imaging system while the difference in temperature still remains on the inner surface of the pipe to obtain a thermal image of the difference in temperature; and detecting the accumulation of foreign matters or the thinner portion as the defective portion on the outer surface of the pipe by means of the thus obtained thermal image.