Abstract: An apparatus for producing a probe carrier in which ambient humidity for a plurality of nozzles of a liquid ejection device for ejecting droplets of solutions containing probes to the surface of a carrier is controlled to 50% or more, preferably 60% or more. A part of solution supply passages to the plurality of nozzles is constructed from gas permeable membranes permitting gas-liquid separation under reduced pressure. These gas permeable membrane portions are gathered and altogether placed under reduced pressure to remove air bubbles from the respective solutions supplied to the plural nozzles and decrease the amount of a dissolved gas, which causes air bubbles to be generated.

Abstract: A vertical heat treatment apparatus enabling the insertion of a temperature sensor in the reaction tube without disassembling the apparatus is disclosed. The vertical heat treatment apparatus includes a reaction tube; a heating section; a wafer holding section; a supporting section movably provided in the vertical direction so as to seal the reaction tube while the wafer holding section is in the reaction tube; a temperature sensor insertion section provided in the supporting section and having a through hole for guiding a temperature sensor so that the temperature sensor can be inserted into the reaction tube; and a cap section for opening and closing the through hole of the temperature sensor insertion section while the wafer holding section is on the supporting section.

Abstract: A method for appropriately managing the quality and distribution of a probe carrier. Probe carriers manufactured by a probe carrier manufacturing apparatus having ejecting portions for ejecting probe solutions, each containing a probe, which can be specifically coupled with a target substance, for applying the probe solution on a carrier, and a plurality of probe tanks storing mutually different probe solutions for supplying ejecting portions. Each probe tank is labeled with the bar-code. The labeled bar-code is read by the bar-code reader. On the basis of the read bar-code, the probe solution stored in the probe tank is identified. On the other hand, the probe tank is mounted on the ejecting portion.

Abstract: The sensor successively calculates a rolling angle, pitch angle and azimuth from the coordinate transformation matrix with the level error and azimuth error compensated. It calculates azimuth error compensatory values using the GPS direction signal and calculates a difference between the GPS direction signal and magnetic azimuth signal under a condition wherein the reliability of the GPS direction signal is high, whereas it calculates azimuth error compensatory values using the calculated difference between the GPS direction signal and magnetic azimuth signal and the magnetic azimuth signal under a condition wherein the reliability of the GPS direction signal is not high and under a condition wherein the reliability of the magnetic azimuth signal is not low.

Abstract: A method for appropriately managing the quality and distribution of a probe carrier. Probe carriers manufactured by a probe carrier manufacturing apparatus having ejecting portions for ejecting probe solutions, each containing a probe, which can be specifically coupled with a target substance, for applying the probe solution on a carrier, and a plurality of probe tanks storing mutually different probe solutions for supplying ejecting portions. Each probe tank is labeled with the bar-code. The labeled bar-code is read by the bar-code reader. On the basis of the read bar-code, the probe solution stored in the probe tank is identified. On the other hand, the probe tank is mounted on the ejecting portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides compounds, or salts or solvates thereof, which can be used as probes for the imaging diagnosis of diseases in which tau protein accumulates, and compositions and kits comprising such compounds, or salts or solvates thereof. The present invention also provides a method for staining neurofibrillary tangles in brain samples, and a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of a disease in which ?-sheet structure is the cause or possible cause.

Abstract: The sensor successively calculates a rolling angle, pitch angle and azimuth from the coordinate transformation matrix with the level error and azimuth error compensated. It calculates azimuth error compensatory values using the GPS direction signal and calculates a difference between the GPS direction signal and magnetic azimuth signal under a condition wherein the reliability of the GPS direction signal is high, whereas it calculates azimuth error compensatory values using the calculated difference between the GPS direction signal and magnetic azimuth signal and the magnetic azimuth signal under a condition wherein the reliability of the GPS direction signal is not high and under a condition wherein the reliability of the magnetic azimuth signal is not low.

Abstract: The present invention provides compounds having high affinity for amyloid ?-protein which are for the diagnosis of diseases in which amyloid ?-protein accumulates, for agents for specifically staining amyloid ?-protein, and for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases in which amyloid ?-protein accumulates. The present invention also provides probes and staining agents for neurofibrillary tangles.

Abstract: A carrier having indexes in a probe non-fixing region is used and solutions containing probes are applied to respective specific positions on the carrier by referring to said indexes and fixed. The position of a target compound that is specifically bonded to a probe fixed to a probe carrier manufactured by a method according to the invention can be accurately and quickly detected by referring to the indexes.

Abstract: A carrier having indexes in a probe non-fixing region is used and solutions containing probes are applied to respective specific positions on the carrier by referring to said indexes and fixed. The position of a target compound that is specifically bonded to a probe fixed to a probe carrier manufactured by a method according to the invention can be accurately and quickly detected by referring to the indexes.

Abstract: The present invention provides compounds, or salts or solvates thereof, which can be used as probes for the imaging diagnosis of diseases in which tau protein accumulates, and compositions and kits comprising such compounds, or salts or solvates thereof. The present invention also provides a method for staining neurofibrillary tangles in brain samples, and a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of a disease in which ?-sheet structure is the cause or possible cause.

Abstract: A carrier having indexes in a probe non-fixing region is used and solutions containing probes are applied to respective specific positions on the carrier by referring to said indexes and fixed. The position of a target compound that is specifically bonded to a probe fixed to a probe carrier manufactured by a method according to the invention can be accurately and quickly detected by referring to the indexes.

Abstract: A method for appropriately managing quality and distribution of probe carrier is provided. Probe carriers manufactured by a probe carrier manufacturing apparatus having ejecting portions for ejecting probe solutions, each containing a probe which can be specifically coupled with a target substance, for applying the probe solution on a carrier, and a plurality of probe tanks storing mutually different probe solutions for supplying ejecting portions. Each probe tanks are labeled with the bar-code. The labeled bar-code is read by the bar-code reader. On the basis of the read bar-code, the probe solution stored in the probe tank is identified. On the other hand, the probe tank is mounted on the ejecting portion.

Abstract: Ambient humidity for a plurality of nozzles of a liquid ejection device for ejecting droplets of solutions containing probes to the surface of a carrier is controlled to 50% or more, preferably 60% or more. Part of solution supply passages to the plurality of nozzles are constructed from gas permeable membranes permitting gas-liquid separation under reduced pressure. These gas permeable membrane portions are gathered and altogether placed under reduced pressure to remove air bubbles from the respective solutions supplied to the plural nozzles and decrease the amount of a dissolved gas causing air bubble generation.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a tread, wherein the rubber composition of the tread layer comprises 50 parts by weight or more of SBR in 100 parts by weight of the rubber component and, in an amount of 0.2 to 5.0 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the rubber component, a vulcanization accelerator represented by the following general formula (I): wherein R1 and R2 each independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may be linear, branched, or cyclic or an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms. The pneumatic tire shows excellent controllability at high speed.

Abstract: To improve the processing rate and uniformity in a plasma processing for a substrate having a relatively large area, a plasma processing apparatus includes a reaction vessel which has a portion made of a dielectric member, which accommodates a film formation substrate, and which can be evacuated, an evacuating means and a gas supply means for supplying a predetermined gas into the reaction vessel, a cathode electrode arranged in a position outside the reaction vessel where the cathode electrode opposes the film formation substrate accommodated in the reaction vessel via the dielectric member, and a high frequency power supply means (a matching circuit and a high frequency power supply) for supplying high frequency power of 30 MHz to 300 MHz to the cathode electrode. The high frequency power of 30 MHz to 300 MHz is supplied to the cathode electrode to generate a plasma between the dielectric member and the film formation substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a rubber composition for a tire tread which comprises 100 parts by weight of a rubber component comprising 50 parts by weight or more of SBR and the remaining amount of a synthetic rubber and/or natural rubber, 25 parts by weight or more of a softener, and 0.5 to 5.0 parts by weight of a vulcanization accelerator, such as bis(4-methylbenzothiazolyl-2)-disulfide, bis(5-methylbenzothiazolyl-2)-disulfide, mercapto-4-methylbenzothiazole, and mercapto-5-methylbenzothiazole, and a pneumatic tire produced by using this rubber composition. A tire having excellent controllability and ride quality throughout tire life can be provided.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a tread layer. A rubber composition of the tread layer includes a specific diene-based rubber component, and either a specific zinc dithiophosphate vulcanization accelerator, or a specific zinc dithiophosphate vulcanization accelerator and a benzothiazole vulcanization accelerator. The zinc dithiophosphate vulcanization accelerator is contained in an amount of 0.2 to 5.0 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the rubber component. A molar amount of the benzothiazole vulcanization accelerator is one-half or more of a molar amount of the zinc dithiophosphate vulcanization accelerator. Further, the rubber composition contains a white filler in an amount of 15 parts by weight or more per 100 parts by weight of the rubber component. Produceability of the pneumatic tire is excellent, and a low heat build-up performance thereof is improved without any adverse effects on gripping performance.

Abstract: Provided are a rubber composition improved in an anti-static property and a pneumatic tire using the same for its tread part, wherein the rubber composition comprises natural rubber and/or diene base synthetic rubber and a white filler as a filler, and further comprises an anionic anti-static agent or a polyoxyalkylene glycol compound represented by the flowing formulas (I), (II) or (III): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 each represent a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 21 carbon atoms, or an aryl group; R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 each represent a hydrogen atom, a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 21 carbon atoms, or an aryl group; R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 in the above formula (I), R.sup.4 and R.sup.3 in the above formula (II) and R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 in the above formula (III) in one same molecule may be the same as or different from each other; R.sup.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire in which a foamed rubber layer having closed cells is provided at a surface of a tire tread which substantially contacts at least a road surface, wherein the foamed rubber layer has closed cells whose average diameter is about 1 .mu.m to about 120 .mu.m and has an expansion ratio of about 1% to about 100%, a solid-phase rubber portion of the foamed rubber layer has a rubber composition in which at least both of a diene-type rubber and silica are mixed, and an amount of the silica is about 10 to about 80 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the diene-type rubber. The pneumatic tire exhibits excellent traction and braking abilities and controllability on snowy, icy and wet road surfaces.