Abstract: According to one embodiment, provided is an active material that includes a secondary particle containing a plurality of primary particles containing a niobium-containing oxide. The secondary particle includes adjacent sections at which the primary particles are adjacent to each other and necking sections in which the primary particles are joined to each other. A total perimeter L of the primary particles and a sum Lcl of perimeters of the primary particles excluding the necking sections satisfy a relationship of 0.1<(L?Lcl)/L?0.6.

Abstract: A storage box is provided rearward of a seat in a plan view of a vehicle, and a backrest is provided between the seat and the storage box. A pair of left and right speaker devices is provided to sandwich the backrest in a vehicle width direction. The storage box includes a main body and a lid portion. The lid portion is coupled to the main body by a pair of left and right link mechanisms, and is turned between an open position in which an opening of the main body is opened and a close position in which the opening of the main body is closed. With the lid portion in the open position, part of the lid portion is positioned forward of a rear end of the backrest in the plan view of the vehicle.

Abstract: A storage box is provided rearward of a seat in a plan view of a vehicle, and a backrest is provided between the seat and the storage box. A pair of left and right speaker devices is provided to sandwich the backrest in a vehicle width direction. The storage box includes a main body and a lid portion. The lid portion is coupled to the main body by a pair of left and right link mechanisms, and is turned between an open position in which an opening of the main body is opened and a close position in which the opening of the main body is closed. With the lid portion in the open position, part of the lid portion is positioned forward of a rear end of the backrest in the plan view of the vehicle.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a means of expressing and displaying a protein on the cell surface of a bifidobacterium. In the gene for expressing a protein on the surface of a bifidobacterium of the present invention, a gene coding for a bifidobacterium-derived GNB/LNB substrate-binding membrane protein and a gene coding for the target protein or peptide are linked in this order from the 5? end side. Thus, a bifidobacterium transformed by introducing the gene for expressing a protein on the surface of a bifidobacterium of the present invention expresses the target protein or peptide on the surface thereof. When the target protein or peptide is an antigen protein or an antigen peptide, the transformed bifidobacterium of the present invention is useful as an oral vaccine.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a means of expressing and displaying a protein on the cell surface of a bifidobacterium. In the gene for expressing a protein on the surface of a bifidobacterium of the present invention, a gene coding for a bifidobacterium-derived GNB/LNB substrate-binding membrane protein and a gene coding for the target protein or peptide are linked in this order from the 5? end side. Thus, a bifidobacterium transformed by introducing the gene for expressing a protein on the surface of a bifidobacterium of the present invention expresses the target protein or peptide on the surface thereof. When the target protein or peptide is an antigen protein or an antigen peptide, the transformed bifidobacterium of the present invention is useful as an oral vaccine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a shuttle vector for a microorganism of the genus Bifidobacterium (BM) and Escherichia coli having a wide host range and a large copy number in BM and capable of highly expressing a desired protein when used as an expression vector; an expression vector capable of expressing a desired gene in BM by use of the shuttle vector; BM transformed with the expression vector; and an antitumor agent comprising the BM as an active ingredient. It comprises a pTB6-derived region portion comprising a replication origin (oriV)-repB region of pTB6 but not comprising MembB, MobA, OrfI, and oriT regions of pTB6 and an Escherichia coli-derived plasmid portion comprising a replication origin (Puc Ori) region of Escherichia coli but having deleted DNA encoding an N-terminal region of an ampicillin resistance gene (ampR) expression product ?-lactamase.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bacterium belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium, by which DNA coding for a protein having an antitumor activity or DNA coding for a protein having the activity of converting a precursor of an antitumor substance into the antitumor substance is delivered to tumor tissues specifically under anaerobic conditions thereby expressing the protein encoded by the DNA, as well as a pharmaceutical composition comprising said anaerobic bacterium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a shuttle vector for a microorganism of the genus Bifidobacterium (BM) and Escherichia coli having a wide host range and a large copy number in BM and capable of highly expressing a desired protein when used as an expression vector; an expression vector capable of expressing a desired gene in BM by use of the shuttle vector; BM transformed with the expression vector; and an antitumor agent comprising the BM as an active ingredient. It comprises a pTB6-derived region portion comprising a replication origin (oriV)-repB region of pTB6 but not comprising MembB, MobA, OrfI, and oriT regions of pTB6 and an Escherichia coli-derived plasmid portion comprising a replication origin (oriC) region of Escherichia coli but having deleted DNA encoding an N-terminal region of an ampicillin resistance gene (ampR) expression product ?-lactamase, and constitute a shuttle vector for Escherichia coli with a BM having an average copy number of 6 to 30.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bacterium belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium, by which DNA coding for a protein having an antitumor activity or DNA coding for a protein having the activity of converting a precursor of an antitumor substance into the antitumor substance is delivered to tumor tissues specifically under anaerobic conditions thereby expressing the protein encoded by the DNA, as well as a pharmaceutical composition comprising said anaerobic bacterium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bacterium belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium, by which DNA coding for a protein having an antitumor activity or DNA coding for a protein having the activity of converting a precursor of an antitumor substance into the antitumor substance is delivered to tumor tissues specifically under anaerobic conditions thereby expressing the protein encoded by the DNA, as well as a pharmaceutical composition comprising said anaerobic bacterium.