Abstract: To analyze the concentration of an analyte in a sample, the number of molecules or particles or concentration of the analyte is determined using a table associating at least one piece of information about a plurality of reaction fields generated by splitting a liquid containing the sample, the at least one piece of information being selected from the group consisting of information about the number of positive reaction fields and information about the number of negative reaction fields, with the number of molecules or particles or concentration of the analyte in the sample or in at least some of the plurality of reaction fields.

Abstract: To analyze the concentration of an analyte in a sample, the size distribution of a plurality of reaction fields generated by splitting a liquid containing the sample is divided into a plurality of classes. A class used for concentration determination is set based on the number or proportion of the positive reaction fields or the number or proportion of the negative reaction fields in each class. The concentration of the analyte is determined based on data for the set class.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composite particle having a high molar absorption coefficient for detection with higher detection sensitivity in photoacoustic imaging. In the present invention, a composite particle having a particle, a single-chain antibody which includes an antigen recognition region and a region other than the antigen recognition region and which is conjugated with the particle, and an organic dye conjugated with the single-chain antibody, in which the region other than the antigen recognition region of the single-chain antibody has thiol group, and a functional group of the particle is bound to the thiol group, is provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composite particle having a high molar absorption coefficient for detection with higher detection sensitivity in photoacoustic imaging. In the present invention, a composite particle having a particle, a single-chain antibody which includes an antigen recognition region and a region other than the antigen recognition region and which is conjugated with the particle, and an organic dye conjugated with the single-chain antibody, in which the region other than the antigen recognition region of the single-chain antibody has thiol group, and a functional group of the particle is bound to the thiol group, is provided.

Abstract: To provide a toner for developing electrostatic images which is not easily cause the phenomenon of toner-spent, constituent materials are so selected that a charge control resin has hardness which is the same as the hardness of a binder resin or the charge control resin is harder than the binder resin, as measured with a scanning probe microscope in a viscoelasticity evaluation mode in respect to the binder resin and the charge control resin which are present in the particle interiors or particle surfaces of the toner.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel polyester adapted for use in a charge control agent for a toner for an electrophotographic process, having a charge stability, a high charge amount, an improved dispersibility and a biodegradability, and a producing method and an application technology therefore.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing polyhydroxyalkanoate-containing structure, at least a part of a base material surface of the structure being coated with polyhydroxyalkanoate, the method comprises the steps of immobilizing a polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase on the base material surface, synthesizing, on the base material surface, polyhydroxyalkanoate using a 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A to become the substrate of the synthase and the synthase and coating at least a part of the base material surface with the synthesized polyhydroxyalkanoate, wherein the synthase contains an amino acid sequence capable of binding to the base material.

Abstract: The invention provides a particulate construct comprising a polyhydroxyalkanoate to serve as microcapsules containing a drug, and serving a slow releasing preparation not associated with a practically unacceptable initial burst release but showing a practically acceptable zero-order release for a certain period and a producing method for such particulate construct, and a slow releasing preparation of a high drug content capable of stably incorporating the drug in the particulate construct such as microcapsules, and a producing method for such preparation.

Abstract: A structure containing polyhydroxyalkanoate and a magnetic substance includes an external phase part containing polyhydroxyalkanoate and an internal phase part contained in the external phase part, at least one of the external phase part and the internal phase part containing a magnetic substance. Accordingly, provided is a microcapsule, which can be suitably used for formation of an active ingredient of a sustained release pharmaceutical preparation or an ultrasonic contrast agent.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing polyhydroxyalkanoate-containing structure, at least a part of a base material surface of the structure being coated with polyhydroxyalkanoate, the method comprises the steps of immobilizing a polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase on the base material surface, synthesizing, on the base material surface, polyhydroxyalkanoate using a 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A to become the substrate of the synthase and the synthase and coating at least a part of the base material surface with the synthesized polyhydroxyalkanoate, wherein the synthase contains an amino acid sequence capable of binding to the base material.

Abstract: A construct in which at least a part of the magnetic material is coated with a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and a method for producing a construct by immobilizing a PHA synthesizing enzyme on the surface of the magnetic material, thereby biosynthesizing and coating a PHA.

Abstract: A screw tightening apparatus includes a sleeve that surrounds a leading end of the bit; and a first adjustment member and a second adjustment member that adjust a position of a tip end of the sleeve with respect to the leading end of the bit in an axial direction of the sleeve and the bit. When the first and second adjustment members are operated by a same amount, an adjusted amount of the position of the tip end of the sleeve by the second adjustment member is smaller than an adjusted amount of the position of the tip end of the sleeve by the first adjustment member. The screw tightening apparatus is capable of easily and highly precisely adjusting (setting) a protruding amount of the leading end of the bit from the tip end of the sleeve.

Abstract: A novel polyhydroxyalkanoate having a monomer unit represented by the formula (1), the unit having a carboxyl group substituting a ring structure at the end of side chain, obtainable by oxydizing vinyl or methyl group substituting a ring structure at the end of the side chain. The polyhydroxyalkanoate has high thermal stability, charge stablity, a high charge amount, improved dispersibility and biodegradability together, and therefore, suitable for resin moldings, and binders and charge controlling agents for toners used in the electrophotographic process.

Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer comprises one kind of unit of —[OCH((CH2)x—SOC6H5R)CH2CO]— (n=1-7)??(1) (wherein R is any one of H, halogen, CN, NO2, COOR?, SO2R? (R? is any one of H, Na, K, CH3 and C2H5; R? is any one of OH, ONa, OK, halogen, OCH3 and OC2H5), CH3, C2H5, C3H7, (CH3)2—CH and (CH3)3—C) and —[OCH((CH2)x—SO2C6H5R)CH2CO]— (n=1-7)??(2) (wherein R is any one of H, halogen, CN, NO2, COO R?, SO2R? (R? is any one of H, Na, K, CH3 and C2H5; R? is any one of OH, ONa, OK, halogen, OCH3 and OC2H5), CH3, C2H5, C3H7, (CH3)2—CH and (CH3)3—C) and at least one unit of chemical formulae (3) to (6): —[OCH((CH2)m—Rz)CH2CO]— (n=1-8) ??(3) (wherein Rz comprises a residue having either a phenyl structure or a thienyl structure), —[OCH((CH2)k—C6H11Ra)CH2CO]— (n=1-8)??(4) (wherein Ra is any one of H, CN, NO2, halogen, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, CF3, C2F5 and C3F7) —[OCH((CH2)n—CH?CH2)CH2CO]— (n=1-8), and??(5) —[OCH((CH2)n—COORb)CH2CO]— (n=1-8)??(6) (wherein Rb is any one of H, Na and K).

Abstract: The present invention provides a cell array structural body containing a substrate, a plurality of micropores piercing the substrate from one surface to another surface, through which a sample cell can pass, and a capture/release unit for the sample cell on a wall surface of each micropore, as well as a cell array with such structural body detachably immobilizing sample cells in its micropores. In using the cell array structural body and the cell array for drug evaluations or the like, handling of a culture medium or a drug solution, or washing procedure is easy, and harvest of a desired cell from the cell array is easy and trustworthy.

Abstract: The invention provides a PHA copolymer including at least a 3-hydroxy-?-carboxyalkanoic acid represented by a formula (19) or (32) and simultaneously at least a unit represented by a formula (2) or a formula (3) in a molecule, a precursor PHA copolymer having a corresponding vinyl group or a corresponding alkoxycarbonyl group, a biosynthesis method thereof by microorganisms, and a method of producing a desired PHA copolymer from the precursor PHA copolymer: (wherein k, m, n are integers; R18 represents H, Na, K, R27? represents (A); R1 represents a substituent on a cyclohexyl group and represents H, CN, NO2, a halogen atom, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, CF3, C2F5, or C3F7; R includes a residue including a phenyl structure or a thienyl structure; these being independent for each unit).

Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate is disclosed which has in the molecule a unit represented by Chemical Formula (1). wherein R is arbitrarily selected from a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, CN, NO2, COOR?, SO2R?, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, C(CH3)2H and C(CH3)3; where R? is H, Na, K, CH3 or C2H5, and R? is OH, ONa, OK, a halogen atom, OCH3 or OC2H5; and x is an integer arbitrarily selected from 1 to 8; with the proviso that a polyhydroxyalkanoate is excluded which has a hydrogen atom as R and x in all the units is 2 or 4. Also disclosed is a process for producing the polyhydroxyalkanoate by the use of a microorganism having the ability to produce the polyhydroxyalkanoate and accumulate it in the bacterial body.

Abstract: An assay method for determining presence of a target antibody or antigen in a specimen qualitatively or quantitatively by mixing the specimen with an antigen or antibody immunologically reactive with the target antibody or antigen, and assaying the level of the immunological agglutination reaction, wherein the reactive antigen or antibody is effectively immobilized on the carrier via an amino acid sequence capable of binding to the carrier.

Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate containing in a molecule at least one unit represented by the chemical formula (1). The polyhydroxyalkanoate is a biodegradable plastic with enhanced melt-processability and exhibits excellent charging stability, high chargeability, and enhanced dispersibility when used as a charge control agent of a toner in an electrophotographic process. (R denotes -A1(—SO2R1)x. R1 is selected from OH, a halogen atom, ONa, OK, and OR1a. R1a and A1 are selected from a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon structure, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring structure, and a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic structure. Further, m and x are integers selected from 1 to 8, and when two or more units exist, each of R, R1R1a, A1, m, and x is defined as above independently for each of the units.

Abstract: A magnetic substance-biosubstance complex structure comprises a magnetic substance-containing carrier and a biosubstance immobilized on the carrier, the biosubstance being immobilized through a spacer comprising an amino acid sequence on a surface of the carrier.