Abstract: An automatic transaction apparatus includes a card insert port into which a card medium is inserted; a paper medium discharge section that has a discharge port from which a paper medium is discharged; and a conveying path that has a lower guide surface and an upper guide surface that guide conveyance of the paper medium and discharge of the paper medium from the discharge port, a dimension of the conveying path in a thickness direction of the paper medium being smaller than a thickness of the card medium at least at one position of the conveying path along a conveying direction.

Abstract: An automatic transaction apparatus includes a card insert port into which a card medium is inserted; a paper medium discharge section that has a discharge port from which a paper medium is discharged; and a conveying path that has a lower guide surface and an upper guide surface that guide conveyance of the paper medium and discharge of the paper medium from the discharge port, a dimension of the conveying path in a thickness direction of the paper medium being smaller than a thickness of the card medium at least at one position of the conveying path along a conveying direction.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for determining the drug sensitivity of a microbe which comprises pouring a microbial suspension into each of the compartments or wells at a position which is in the vicinity of an electrode for measuring dissolved oxygen concentration, measuring current from each electrode at a second time interval for a third time period, each time is obtained based upon each of the measured currents at which the maximum current is obtained, obtaining each current value within a fourth time period which starts from the time at which the maximum current is obtained, detecting drug sensitivity based upon the variation condition of each current value during the fourth time period. The method allows rapid drug susceptibility measurements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus wherein measurement current values output from a first oxygen sensor and a second oxygen sensor are time sequentially measured. Each moving average value is calculated from each sequential measurement current value. Each time differential value is calculated from the pair of each calculated moving average values, by least squares approximation. Then, drug susceptibility is measured based upon each calculated time differential value, so that drug the susceptibility measurement is performed quickly or accurately.

Abstract: A production process of high molecular weight polysuccinimide having a weight average molecular weight of 40,000 or higher is disclosed, which comprises the following steps: 1) mixing and heating aspartic acid and an acidic catalyst to produce a liquid, low molecular weight polymer mixture, 2) separating the acidic catalyst to appropriate extent from the liquid, low molecular weight polymer mixture, thereby directly changing a polymer-containing phase from a liquid phase into a solid phase to produce a solid, low molecular weight polymer mixture, and 3) conducting solid-state polymerization on the thus-obtained solid, low molecular weight polymer mixture. This process can be practiced in a simple apparatus, and is free of problems such as formation of a highly viscous phase, excessive formation of foam, and formation of a reaction mixture into coherent mass.

Abstract: Measurement current values output from a first oxygen sensor, a second oxygen sensor are time sequentially held, respectively, each moving average value is calculated from each time sequentially held measurement current values, each timely differential values is calculated from the pair of each calculated moving average value, by the least squares approximation, drug susceptibility is measured based upon each calculated timely differential value, so that drug susceptibility measurement is performed with a short time period and with accuracy.

Abstract: Microbe suspension is poured into each of the cells at a position which is in vicinity to the electrode for measurement of dissolved oxygen concentration, current from each electrode for measurement of dissolved oxygen concentration is measured at a second time interval for a third time period, each time is obtained based upon each of the measured currents at which the maximum current is obtained, each current value within a fourth time period which starts from the time at which the maximum current is obtained, drug sensitivity is detected based upon the variation condition of each current value during the fourth time period, rapid drug susceptibility measurement is realized as well.