Abstract: The assay apparatus includes a loading part into which a cartridge including a carrier and a case is attachably and detachably to be loaded, the carrier having an assay region in which a color development state changes depending on whether the sample is positive or negative, and an index region which is optically distinguishable from other regions regardless of whether a sample is positive or negative, the case accommodating the carrier; a light source that illuminates the observation region on the carrier including the assay region and the index region; an imaging unit that images the observation region; and a processor configured to acquire an image including the observation region from the imaging unit, detect a position of the index region from the acquired image, and specify a position of the assay region with reference to the detected position of the index region.

Abstract: The cartridge includes a carrier having a spotting region and an assay region, a first reagent holding part that holds a first reagent and that starts a supply of the first reagent to the carrier by directly or indirectly receiving an external force, a second reagent holding part that starts a supply of the second reagent to the carrier by directly or indirectly receiving an external force exerted by an internal mechanism provided in the immunochromatographic assay apparatus, and a suppression structure that suppresses transmission of an external force exerted by a user directly or indirectly to the second reagent holding part or application of an external force by the user to the second reagent holding part, while allowing the external force exerted by the internal mechanism to be transmitted to the second reagent holding part.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the treatment of lung, liver, and/or kidney injury, by administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a (very) long acting C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), CNP derivative, (very) long acting CNP derivative, or (very) long acting CNP receptor (NPRB) agonist. The disclosure also relates to the treatment of non-cardiovascular causes of low blood oxygenation, elevated levels of inflammatory cells in the lung, pulmonary edema, sepsis, bacteremia, fibrosis in general, and/or interstitial lung disease using the same.

Abstract: The immunochromatographic assay apparatus includes a loading part in which a cartridge including a carrier having a spotting region and an assay region, is loaded, an imaging unit that images the assay region, and a processor that performs a main determination based on an assay region image wherein in a case where a development direction of the sample in the carrier is a row direction and a direction intersecting the row direction is a column direction, the assay region is a line-shaped region extending along the column direction, the assay region image is an image in which a plurality of pixels are two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix form, and the processor is configured to perform the main determination using residual pixels excluding one or more high-density pixels having a relatively high density in each column of the assay region image.

Abstract: An assay apparatus includes a loading part in which a cartridge including a carrier having a spotting region and an assay region is loaded, an imaging unit that images the assay region, and a processor configured to perform a main determination, based on an assay region image, wherein the processor is configured to perform an abnormality determination for determining presence or absence of an abnormality in the assay region image, using, as a determination index, at least one of a difference between a relatively large pixel value and a relatively small pixel value in at least one column in the assay region image, a standard deviation based on the pixel values in each of the columns, or a variation coefficient based on the pixel values in each of the columns, and determine the processing content related to the main determination based on the presence or absence of the abnormality.

Abstract: An immunochromatographic assay apparatus includes a loading part in which a cartridge that includes a carrier having a spotting region and an assay region, and in which a reagent is supplied to the carrier, is attachably and detachably loaded, a first detection unit that detects a color development state in the assay region, a second detection unit that detects a generation state of bubbles generated in the assay region due to the supply of the reagent, and a processor configured to discriminate presence or absence of a change in the color development state based on the color development state detected by the first detection unit, and discriminate the presence or absence of the change in the color development state in a case where the bubbles are discriminated to be absent based on the generation state of the bubbles detected by the second detection unit.

Abstract: The immunochromatographic assay apparatus includes a loading part in which a cartridge including a carrier and a second reagent holding part is attachably and detachably loaded, in which the carrier has a spotting region on which a sample is spotted, an assay region, and a color development region in which a color development state changes by reaction with a first reagent, and in which the second reagent holding part holds a second reagent to be developed in the assay region, a detection unit that detects a color development state in the color development region, a second reagent supply mechanism for starting a supply of the second reagent from the second reagent holding part to the carrier, and a processor configured to operate the second reagent supply mechanism based on a change in the color development state of the color development region.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods of treating a subject having abnormal vasculature by administering to the subject a therapeutically effective bolus dose of a composition including a long acting C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), CNP derivative, long acting CNP derivative, long acting CNP receptor (NPRB) agonist, or any combination thereof. The present disclosure further relates to treating a subject in need of an increase in cytotoxic T cell and/or NK cell activity by administering to the subject a therapeutically effective bolus dose of a composition including a long acting C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), CNP derivative, long acting CNP derivative, long acting CNP receptor (NPRB) agonist, or any combination thereof.

Abstract: An imaging system includes: an imaging unit that images a subject; and a control unit that enables the imaging unit to perform pre-imaging one or more times, and main imaging one or more times following the pre-imaging; the control unit has an image generating portion that generates a subject image based on one or more taken images in each of the pre-imaging and the main imaging, an interface portion that displays the subject image and accepts a user input for setting at least a region-of-interest, of the region-of-interest and a non-region-of-interest of the subject image, a region setting portion as defined herein, an SN ratio calculating portion as defined herein, and a total light exposure time calculating portion as defined herein; and the control unit enables the imaging unit to perform the main imaging based on the total light exposure time.

Abstract: An activator suitable for immune response in tumor immunotherapy using an immune checkpoint inhibitor. An agent suitable for potentiating an antitumor effect of an immune checkpoint inhibitor, may contain a probiotic and a prebiotic as active ingredients.

Abstract: An imaging system includes: an imaging unit that images a subject; and a control unit that enables the imaging unit to perform pre-imaging one or more times, and main imaging one or more times following the pre-imaging; the control unit has an image generating portion that generates a subject image based on one or more taken images in each of the pre-imaging and the main imaging, an interface portion that displays the subject image and accepts a user input for setting at least a region-of-interest, of the region-of-interest and a non-region-of-interest of the subject image, a region setting portion as defined herein, an SN ratio calculating portion as defined herein, and a total light exposure time calculating portion as defined herein; and the control unit enables the imaging unit to perform the main imaging based on the total light exposure time.

Abstract: A correction plate has the same plane size as a small region obtained by equally dividing an image detection region. In addition, the correction plates whose number is equal to the number of small regions are prepared. In a maintenance mode, a plurality of correction plates are laid in the image detection region such that the entire image detection region is covered with the plurality of correction plates. In this state, scanning is performed and a correction image signal obtained by detecting fluorescent light from the correction plate is output. An acquisition unit of a console acquires a correction image signal and a creation unit creates a correction image on the basis of the correction image signal. A correction unit performs shading correction on the basis of the correction image.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus, method, and operation program capable of appropriately removing an abnormal pixel even in a case where the abnormal pixel is present in a tailing region. An abnormal pixel removing section removes an abnormal pixel from an image in which tailing and the dot-shaped abnormal pixel are mixed every other line. The abnormal pixel removing section selects neighboring pixels from only odd lines or even lines including a line, in which a target pixel to be corrected is present, depending on whether or not the line in which the target pixel is present is an odd-numbered line in a sub-scanning direction, and performs processing for removing the abnormal pixel based on the selected neighboring pixels.

Abstract: There are provided a photographing apparatus and a method capable of photographing a subject a plurality of times sequentially and calculating exposure time periods in consideration of temporal change in light from the subject of the photography. The photographing apparatus includes: a photographing section; a photographic subject light information acquisition section; an exposure time calculation section and an image processing section that adds images sequentially captured through the shots of the photography. Assuming that n is an integer equal to or greater than 2, the exposure time calculation section calculates an exposure time period of an n-th shot on the basis of images captured through an (n?1)th shot or previous shots than the (n?1)th shot of the photography. The photographing section takes each shot of the photography, on the basis of each exposure time period which is calculated by the exposure time calculation section for each shot of the photography.

Abstract: A subject-to-be-examined support unit that supports a subject to be examined, a light source unit that outputs light entering the subject-to-be-examined support unit from a side opposite to a side by which a sample is supported, a fluorescent plate that is illuminated with the light that has been output from the light source unit and passed through the subject-to-be-examined support unit and the sample, and emits fluorescence, a photomultiplier that detects fluorescence that has been emitted from the fluorescent plate and passed through the subject-to-be-examined support unit and the sample, and a plate support unit that supports the fluorescent plate are provided. The plate support unit is structured in such a manner that a distance between the subject-to-be-examined support unit and the fluorescent plate is changeable by moving the fluorescent plate in a direction closer to the subject-to-be-examined support unit and in a direction away therefrom.

Abstract: A correction plate has the same plane size as a small region obtained by equally dividing an image detection region. In addition, the correction plates whose number is equal to the number of small regions are prepared. In a maintenance mode, a plurality of correction plates are laid in the image detection region such that the entire image detection region is covered with the plurality of correction plates. In this state, scanning is performed and a correction image signal obtained by detecting fluorescent light from the correction plate is output. An acquisition unit of a console acquires a correction image signal and a creation unit creates a correction image on the basis of the correction image signal. A correction unit performs shading correction on the basis of the correction image.

Abstract: Disclosed is an imaging device and method capable of obtaining an image with exposure appropriate for each sample when a plurality of samples are collectively imaged. For performing imaging using an imaging device configured to divide an imaging area into a plurality of partial areas, to perform imaging for each partial area, a proper exposure time is calculated for each partial area based on an image signal, a positive integer multiple of the maximum value among the calculated proper exposure times is set as a total imaging time, an imaging frequency is set for each partial area using a value obtained by dividing the total imaging time by the calculated proper exposure time, imaging with the calculated proper exposure time of the partial area is successively and repeatedly performed by the set imaging frequency, and each image successively imaged is simply added or is added and averaged.

Abstract: Disclosed is a imaging device and method capable of quickly informing a user of failure of sample creation and preventing useless imaging from being performed. The imaging device includes an imaging unit which images an object, an exposure time calculation unit which calculates, based on an image signal acquired by imaging of the imaging unit, an exposure time of the imaging until a signal value of the image signal reaches a target signal value set in advance, a determination unit which determines whether or not the exposure time exceeds a threshold value set in advance, and a display control unit which, in a case where it is determined that the exposure time exceeds the threshold value set in advance, gives notification of the result of the determination.

Abstract: In an image pickup device and method using a lens unit in which a plurality of lens arrays, are arranged and a lens holding unit is provided between the lens arrays, light emitted from the area corresponding to the lens holding unit can be detected. A moving mechanism that moves a lens unit or the observation target holding unit and the detection unit, and a moving mechanism control unit are provided. The moving mechanism control unit controls the moving mechanism such that the lens unit or the observation target holding unit and the detection unit are moved to a second position from a first position. The second position is set to a position when the lens array after the movement is disposed at a position facing the detection surface of the detection unit shielded by a lens holding unit when the lens unit is disposed at the first position.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus, method, and operation program capable of appropriately removing an abnormal pixel even in a case where the abnormal pixel is present in a tailing region. An abnormal pixel removing section removes an abnormal pixel from an image in which tailing and the dot-shaped abnormal pixel are mixed every other line. The abnormal pixel removing section selects neighboring pixels from only odd lines or even lines including a line, in which a target pixel to be corrected is present, depending on whether or not the line in which the target pixel is present is an odd-numbered line in a sub-scanning direction, and performs processing for removing the abnormal pixel based on the selected neighboring pixels.