Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of detecting IgG4 and Smad1 in a biological sample from a subject with onset or a risk of onset of diabetic nephropathy.

Abstract: A wire feeding device includes a grip portion that grips and releases the wire and moves in the distal end direction and a proximal end direction; a push spring that biases the grip portion toward the distal end direction; and a slider and a hook that deform the push spring and increase a biasing force. When the deformation of the push spring by the slider and the hook is released, the wire gripped by the grip portion is fed to the distal end direction by the biasing force from the push spring, and the wire feeding device is configured to be operated in (i) a first mode in which the wire is continuously fed in the distal end direction according to a first predetermined operation and (ii) a second mode in which the wire is fed once in the distal end direction according to a second predetermined operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a test method which enables specific diagnosis of early-stage pathology of diabetic nephropathy. There is provided a method of detecting onset or a risk of onset of diabetic nephropathy, comprising measuring IgG4 in a biological sample derived from a subject. This method may further comprise measuring Smad1 in the biological sample derived from the subject. Preferably, both IgG4 and Smad1 are measured.

Abstract: The present invention provides a drug capable of preventing or treating diabetic nephropathy. The present invention relates to a prophylactic and/or therapeutic drug for diabetic nephropathy, comprising a RAR? agonist as an active ingredient. The present invention also provides a prophylactic and/or therapeutic drug for renal anemia; a drug inhibiting the expression of type IV collagen in mesangial cells; a drug inhibiting the expression of BMP4 in mesangial cells; and a drug inhibiting fibrosis in the renal tubulointerstitium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a drug capable of preventing or treating diabetic nephropathy. The present invention relates to a prophylactic and/or therapeutic drug for diabetic nephropathy, comprising a RAR? agonist as an active ingredient. The present invention also provides a prophylactic and/or therapeutic drug for renal anemia; a drug inhibiting the expression of type IV collagen in mesangial cells; a drug inhibiting the expression of BMP4 in mesangial cells; and a drug inhibiting fibrosis in the renal tubulointerstitium.

Abstract: A method of detecting proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising measuring the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1, phosphorylated Smad1, activin receptor-like kinase 1, activin receptor-like kinase 3 and bone morphogenetic proteins in a biological sample. A kit therefor. A prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising as an active ingredient a substance having an inhibitory effect on the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A method of identifying substances effective in preventing and/or treating proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising judging whether or not a test substance inhibits the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A kit therefor.

Abstract: A method of detecting proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising measuring the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1, phosphorylated Smad1, activin receptor-like kinase 1, activin receptor-like kinase 3 and bone morphogenetic proteins in a biological sample. A kit therefor. A prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising as an active ingredient a substance having an inhibitory effect on the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A method of identifying substances effective in preventing and/or treating proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising judging whether or not a test substance inhibits the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A kit therefor.

Abstract: Provided is a focused ion beam apparatus including a control portion configured to: store in advance, in a condenser voltage table, a calculation value of a condenser voltage for obtaining a reference beam current for all each of a plurality of apertures; obtain an experimental value of the condenser voltage for obtaining the reference beam current for a reference aperture; obtain a correction value of the condenser voltage by subtracting the calculation value stored for the reference aperture from the experimental value for the reference aperture; obtain setting values of the condenser voltage by adding the correction value to the calculation values stored for each of the plurality of the apertures; and store the obtained setting value in the condenser voltage table.

Abstract: A relay device of relaying a communication packet is disclosed, which comprises: an input module configured to receive the communication packet as an input; a buffer configured to have a plurality of queues and temporarily accumulated the received communication packet; a sorter configured to sort the received communication packet to one of the plurality of queues, depending on a specific value obtained by a predetermined function that gives an aggregate output from an input which is transfer information regarding transfer of the communication packet; and a band controller configured to control a bandwidth for each of the plurality of queues and output communication packets accumulated in the plurality of queues for transmission of the communication packets. This ensures the quality of service, while saving the capacity of the buffer used for the queues.

Abstract: Provided is a focused ion beam apparatus including a control portion configured to: store in advance, in a condenser voltage table, a calculation value of a condenser voltage for obtaining a reference beam current for all each of a plurality of apertures; obtain an experimental value of the condenser voltage for obtaining the reference beam current for a reference aperture; obtain a correction value of the condenser voltage by subtracting the calculation value stored for the reference aperture from the experimental value for the reference aperture; obtain setting values of the condenser voltage by adding the correction value to the calculation values stored for each of the plurality of the apertures; and store the obtained setting value in the condenser voltage table.

Abstract: A relay device of relaying a communication packet is disclosed, which comprises: an input module configured to receive the communication packet as an input; a buffer configured to have a plurality of queues and temporarily accumulated the received communication packet; a sorter configured to sort the received communication packet to one of the plurality of queues, depending on a specific value obtained by a predetermined function that gives an aggregate output from an input which is transfer information regarding transfer of the communication packet; and a band controller configured to control a bandwidth for each of the plurality of queues and output communication packets accumulated in the plurality of queues for transmission of the communication packets. This ensures the quality of service, while saving the capacity of the buffer used for the queues.

Abstract: When an anti-human BMP antibody was added to cells of an immortalized human mesangial cell line cultured in the presence of human BMP, the anti-human BMP antibody significantly suppressed the production of type IV collagen in mesangial cells. A number of signaling pathways are involved in abnormal proliferation of type IV collagen. It was therefore completely unpredictable whether merely blocking the BMP signal would indeed suppress the abnormal proliferation of type IV collagen. However, for the first time, the present inventors demonstrated that anti-BMP antibodies are very effective in suppressing the abnormal proliferation of type IV collagen. Thus, anti-BMP antibodies can be used as novel therapeutic agents for kidney diseases associated with abnormal proliferation of the mesangial matrix.

Abstract: A method of detecting proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising measuring the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1, phosphorylated Smad1, activin receptor-like kinase 1, activin receptor-like kinase 3 and bone morphogenetic proteins in a biological sample. A kit therefor. A prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising as an active ingredient a substance having an inhibitory effect on the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A method of identifying substances effective in preventing and/or treating proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising judging whether or not a test substance inhibits the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A kit therefor.

Abstract: A method of detecting proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising measuring the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1, phosphorylated Smad1, activin receptor-like kinase 1, activin receptor-like kinase 3 and bone morphogenetic proteins in a biological sample. A kit therefor. A prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising as an active ingredient a substance having an inhibitory effect on the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A method of identifying substances effective in preventing and/or treating proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising judging whether or not a test substance inhibits the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A kit therefor.

Abstract: A network connection apparatus including: a plurality of line connection parts connected to network lines to transmit and receive packets; a transmission destination decision part for deciding a transmission destination on the basis of header information of a packet received by a first one of the plurality of line connection parts; a packet transfer part for transferring packets to a second line connection destination corresponding to the transmission destination decided by the transmission destination decision part; and, a power supply part for supplying power to the line connection parts and a power control part for controlling supply of power to each of the line connection parts from the power supply part.

Abstract: A network routing device according to the invention transmits a packet via a second port based upon destination information included in the packet received via a first port referring to a routing table. In addition, the network routing device calculates beforehand a third port which is a transfer destination when a fault occurs in a destination connected to the second port. Further, the network routing device holds scenario information including a combination of the second port and the third port and updates the routing table based upon the scenario information when a fault is detected in either of the ports.

Abstract: A method of detecting proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising measuring the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1, phosphorylated Smad1, activin receptor-like kinase 1, activin receptor-like kinase 3 and bone morphogenetic proteins in a biological sample. A kit therefor. A prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising as an active ingredient a substance having an inhibitory effect on the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A method of identifying substances effective in preventing and/or treating proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising judging whether or not a test substance inhibits the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A kit therefor.

Abstract: When an anti-human BMP antibody was added to cells of an immortalized human mesangial cell line cultured in the presence of human BMP, the anti-human BMP antibody significantly suppressed the production of type IV collagen in mesangial cells. A number of signaling pathways are involved in abnormal proliferation of type IV collagen. It was therefore completely unpredictable whether merely blocking the BMP signal would indeed suppress the abnormal proliferation of type IV collagen. However, for the first time, the present inventors demonstrated that anti-BMP antibodies are very effective in suppressing the abnormal proliferation of type IV collagen. Thus, anti-BMP antibodies can be used as novel therapeutic agents for kidney diseases associated with abnormal proliferation of the mesangial matrix.

Abstract: An opaque defect is processed by scanning with a high load or height fixed mode using a probe harder than a pattern material of a photomask at the time of going scanning, and is observed by scanning with a low load or intermittent contact mode at the time of returning scanning so as to detect an ending point of the opaque defect by the height information. When there is a portion reaching to a glass substrate as an ending point, this portion is not scanned by the high load or height fixed mode in the next processing, and only a portion not reaching to the ending point is scanned by the high load or height fixed mode.

Abstract: A method of detecting proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising measuring the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1, phosphorylated Smad1, activin receptor-like kinase 1, activin receptor-like kinase 3 and bone morphogenetic proteins in a biological sample. A kit therefor. A prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising as an active ingredient a substance having an inhibitory effect on the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A method of identifying substances effective in preventing and/or treating proliferative diseases causing sclerosis, comprising judging whether or not a test substance inhibits the expression of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3, Smad1 and phosphorylated Smad1. A kit therefor.