Adiponectin-expressing thymocytes and compositions comprising the thymocytes are provided. Methods are provided for using the adiponectin-expressing thymocytes for metabolic regulation and treatment of hyperproliferative diseases.

It is intended to provide a novel peptide. The present invention provides a peptide which comprises the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 30 and inhibits protease activity.

A method is provided for establishing an ulcerative colitis (UC) animal model and use of the model. The ulcerative colitis animal model uses Canis lupus familiaris dogs as the modeling animals and uses acetic acid to induce canine ulcerative colitis. The experimental results can be directly generalized to the human body. The modeling manner is easy to operate, establishes a stable model, is easy to reproduce, and has a low cost, which provides more animal model options for evaluation of responsiveness to drugs and therapeutic effect in research and development of UC therapeutic drugs.

The invention discloses a method for improving immunity in shrimps, by administering an extract of cocoa rind to a shrimp body to improve immunity of the shrimp body. The extract of cocoa rind is obtained by extracting a dried sample of cocoa rind by an aqueous ethanol solution with a concentration of ethanol being 90-98%. The dried sample of cocoa rind has a water content of 2-5%.

Provided is an aquacultured crustacean having improved umami, uses thereof, and a method for producing the same. The crustacean does not burrow in sand, contain glycine and alanine, and has 2400 mg or more of free amino acids per 100 g of abdominal muscle. The content of glycine is 550 mg or more per 100 g of abdominal muscle, and the content of alanine is 140 mg or more per 100 g of abdominal muscle.

A method for selecting a cancer patient for whom a ketogenic diet therapy would be effective and a method for predicting efficacy of a ketogenic diet therapy in a cancer patient are provided. A method is characterized by obtaining a result of analysis of at least one pre-intake candidate substance selected from the group consisting of acylcarnitine(12:0), acylcarnitine(12:1)-2, acylcarnitine(12:1)-3, acylcarnitine(14:1)-1, acylcarnitine(14:2)-1, acylcarnitine(14:2)-2, acylcarnitine(14:3)-2, acylcarnitine(16:1), acylcarnitine(16:2), anandamide, heptadecenoic acid, hypotaurine, linoleylethanolamide, palmitoleic acid, palmitoylcarnitine, phytosphingosine, quinic acid, uric acid, alanine, citrulline, tryptophan and lysine in a serum derived from a cancer patient prior to intake of a ketogenic diet, and using the result of analysis as an indicator.

Provided herein are methods for preventing or treating diseases, said methods comprising (i) inhibiting entry of bacteriophages and/or component(s) thereof into microbiota, bodily fluid(s) or tissue(s) of the mammals and/or (ii) inactivating or modifying bacteriophages and/or component(s) thereof present in microbiota, bodily fluid(s) or tissues of the mammals and/or (iii) inactivating or modifying bacteriophages and/or component(s) thereof in one or more of food, drinking water, water for washing, water for air humidification, air, or habitat object of the mammals.

A nucleic acid for the controlled expression of a nucleic acid encoding a pro-apoptotic protein in an individual, including: a regulatory polynucleotide including a minimal promoter and at least one AARE (amino acid response element) nucleic acid, the regulatory polynucleotide being activated in an individual upon consumption of a diet deficient in at least one essential amino acid; and a nucleic acid encoding a pro-apoptotic protein, which is placed under the control of the regulatory polynucleotide.

Provided is an information providing method for diagnosing Parkinson's disease by measuring the amount of any one target selected from the group consisting of a Proteus mirabilis strain, a metabolite produced by the Proteus mirabilis strain, and -synuclein in a biological sample of a subject; a composition comprising a Proteus mirabilis strain as an active ingredient for fabricating a Parkinson's disease animal model; a method for fabricating a Parkinson's disease animal model, the method comprising a step for administering a Proteus mirabilis strain to an animal excluding human; and a method for screening a Parkinson's disease medicine, the method comprising a step for administering a candidate drug of the Parkinson's disease medicine to the Parkinson's disease animal model and a step for observing the degree of mitigation of Parkinson's disease symptoms to determine the treatment effect of the candidate drug on Parkinson's disease.

The invention relates to a viral expression construct and related viral vector and nucleic acid molecule and composition and to their use wherein said construct and vector are suitable for expression in a mammal and comprise a nucleotide sequence encoding a Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) to be expressed in liver, adipose tissue and/or skeletal muscle.