Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel antigen peptide that can be used as an antibody test material for anti-malaria protozoa antibodies, which comprises as an active ingredient a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mobile X-ray apparatus having a main unit, a moving carriage for installing the main unit, a column standing on the moving carriage, an X-ray generator supported by the column, and an image reader for reading X-ray image information from an imaging plate in which the X-ray image information is stored. The X-ray apparatus is provided with a brake for putting a brake on the moving carriage, a brake control means for applying the brake or releasing the brake, a read control means for prohibiting reading by the image reader, while the brake control means releases the brake, a cassette loading slot for inserting a cassette enclosing the imaging plate into the image reader, a blocking member for closing at least a part of the cassette loading slot to block the cassette to be inserted, and an open and close control means for closing the blocking member to prevent insertion of the cassette while the read control means prohibits reading.

Abstract: A mobile X-ray apparatus including a main body portion, a mobile dolly on which the main body portion is mounted, a support pole that is erectly provided on the mobile dolly, an X-ray generator supported on the support pole, and an image reading device for reading image information from an imaging plate in which X-ray image information is stored, and further including detecting means for detecting whether the mobile dolly is being moved, and reading control means for prohibiting reading of the image reading device when it is detected by the detecting means that the mobile dolly is being moved.

Abstract: A mobile X-ray apparatus including a main body portion, a mobile dolly on which the main body portion is mounted, a support pole that is erectly provided on the mobile dolly, an X-ray generator supported on the support pole, and an image reading device for reading image information from an imaging plate in which X-ray image information is stored, and further including detecting means for detecting whether the mobile dolly is being moved, and reading control means for prohibiting reading of the image reading device when it is detected by the detecting means that the mobile dolly is being moved.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mobile X-ray apparatus having a main unit, a moving carriage for installing the main unit, a column standing on the moving carriage, an X-ray generator supported by the column, and an image reader for reading X-ray image information from an imaging plate in which the X-ray image information is stored. The X-ray apparatus is provided with a brake for putting a brake on the moving carriage, a brake control means for applying the brake or releasing the brake, a read control means for prohibiting reading by the image reader, while the brake control means releases the brake, a cassette loading slot for inserting a cassette enclosing the imaging plate into the image reader, a blocking member for closing at least a part of the cassette loading slot to block the cassette to be inserted, and an open and close control means for closing the blocking member to prevent insertion of the cassette while the read control means prohibits reading.

Abstract: It is possible to stably observe the temperature and/or composition of molten iron in a refining furnace by opening a tuyere for observation at all times according to the state of refining. There is provided a method of observing the inside of a molten metal refining furnace comprising the steps of: using a single tube tuyere for observing the temperature and/or composition of molten iron in the refining furnace via a tube penetrating refractories of a furnace wall and/or furnace bottom of the molten iron refining furnace by detecting electromagnetic waves radiated from molten metal at a forward end of the tuyere under a non-contact condition; and using an inert gas or an oxidizing gas, alone or mixed, according to the opening condition of the forward end of the tuyere.

Abstract: In a straight barrel type vacuum refining apparatus, use is made of a combination of: a decarburization method wherein the flow rate of oxygen fed into a vacuum tank and the flow rate of an inert gas fed into the vacuum tank are regulated and, at the same time, the flow rate of oxygen gas blown is reduced at a rate of 0.5 to 12.5 Nm3/h/t/min in a low carbon concentration region having a carbon concentration of not more than the critical carbon concentration; and a vacuum refining apparatus provided with dust accumulation preventing means.

Abstract: The present invention provides a simplified ladle refining process capable of efficiently heating a molten steel in a short period of time while scattering and adhesion of splashes and erosion of refractories are suppressed. A simplified ladle refining process for refining a molten steel in a ladle comprising inserting an immersion snorkel into a ladle and blowing an oxidizing gas onto the surface of a molten steel within the immersion snorkel through a lance while the molten steel is being stirred by blowing an inert gas through the bottom of the ladle, wherein the lance has a ratio (d0/dt) of a nozzle outlet diameter d0 (mm) to a nozzle throat diameter dt (mm) of from 1.2&agr; to 2.5&agr; wherein &agr; is defined as a function of a back pressure.

Abstract: The invention intends to provide a converter refining method capable of blowing molten steel having a low degree of superoxidation with high productivity and high yield. A first aspect resides in a pressurized converter steelmaking method for use in a top-and-bottom blowing converter, wherein a converter internal pressure P is set to a higher level than the atmospheric pressure, and a top-blown oxygen flow rate F and a bottom-blown gas flow rate Q are adjusted depending on changes of the converter internal pressure P. A second aspect resides in a pressurized converter steelmaking method for use in a top-and-bottom blowing converter, wherein a converter internal pressure P is set to a higher level than the atmospheric pressure during the whole or a part of a blowing period, and a top-blown oxygen flow rate F, a bottom-blown gas flow rate Q and the converter internal pressure P are changed depending on a steel bath carbon concentration C.

Abstract: A method for vacuum decarburization refining of a molten steel includes providing a vacuum tank having a one-legged, straight barrel snorkel as a lower portion of the vacuum tank. The a degree of vacuum in the vacuum tank is regulated at a high carbon concentration region to a value in a range of −35 to −20 in terms of G defined by the following equation (1): G=5.96×10−3×T×ln(P/Pco)  (1), wherein Pco=760{10(−13800/T+8.75)}×(% C)/(% Cr)  (2), and wherein P<760, T represents molten steel temperature, K, and P represents the degree of vacuum in the vacuum tank, Torr.

Abstract: A refining method for decarburization by blowing by using a top-blown lance having a gas-supplying pipe of at least one independent line, wherein the absolute secondary pressure P.sub.0 of nozzle of the lance of at least one line is maintained to be not smaller than 0.7 times but not larger than 2.5 times of the properly expanding absolute secondary pressure P.sub.0p of nozzle of the lance, and the oxygen supplying rate is so changed that a maximum value of the absolute secondary pressure of the nozzle is not smaller than 1.1 times of a minimum value thereof. The top-blown lance used here has not less than 2 but not more than 10 shielding portions arranged in the openings at the end of the lance in a concentric polygonal shape or a concentric circular shape in cross section, has a ratio B/h of the length h (mm) of the short side to the length B (mm) of the long side of the openings separated by the shielding portions of from 10 to 225, has slit-like nozzles of which the ratio (B.multidot.h)/R is from 0.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a molten steel refining method for refining molten steel, the carbon content of which is not more than 0.1 weight %, by blowing oxygen gas for decarburization at a blowing speed so that a cavity, the depth of which is 150 to 400 mm, can be formed on the surface of molten steel in a straight barrel type vacuum refining apparatus in which a straight barrel type vacuum vessel having no vessel bottom and a ladle are arranged.

Abstract: A preheating and melting apparatus for scrap, for preheating and melting the scrap highly efficiently, includes a scrap melting furnace having a top blowing lance and an electric arc heater and a preheater for introducing an exhaust gas generated from the melting furnace and preheating the scrap. The scrap preheater is a shaft furnace and a rotary furnace is disposed at the bottom portion of the shaft furnace to continue the shaft furnace. The scrap discharged from the shaft furnace is transferred into the rotary furnace and it is then charged into the scrap melting furnace.