Abstract: A fixing unit or device that can be used in an image forming apparatus includes a first heater element that is formed of a material that increases in electrical resistance with increases in temperature. A controller of the fixing unit is configured to vary a duty ratio of electric power applied to the first heater element during a start-up operation in which the temperature of the first heater element is raised to a target operating temperature. By varying the duty ratio during the start-up operation, changes in the resistance of the first heater element with the heating can be compensated. For example, the duty ratio can be increased during the course of the start-up to achieve the target operating temperature faster.

Abstract: Cyclized peptides having a crosslinked structure by one or more intramolecular S—S bonds may be prepared by: (1-A) as to a completely protected linear peptide having two or more SH groups as functional groups on the peptide, removing protecting groups of all functional groups other than the protected SH groups in the peptide, (1-B) protecting all SH groups of the linear peptide having two or more SH groups as the functional groups on the peptide by forming a temporary S—S bond, and (2) subjecting the peptide obtained by step (1-A) and step (1-B) to a folding step under oxidation and reduction conditions to obtain the cyclized peptide by re-forming an S—S bond in the peptide molecule.

Abstract: This invention relates to a specimen-extracting solution containing a component capable of strongly suppressing false negatives, which could not be suppressed by conventional techniques, a method for extracting specimens, and a test reagent using such specimen-extracting solution and such method, when detecting virus, bacteria, target protein, or other antigens from specimens derived from body fluids, such as nasal swab specimens, nasal aspirate specimens, nasal wash specimens, nasal secretion specimens collected by nose blowing, pharyngeal swab specimens, saliva specimens, fecal specimens, serum specimens, plasma specimens, and urine specimens, with the use of a detection reagent utilizing the antigen-antibody reactions or the reactions between substances interactive with each other.

Abstract: This invention relates to a specimen-extracting solution containing a component capable of strongly suppressing false positives, which could not be suppressed by conventional techniques, a method for extracting specimens, and a test reagent using such specimen-extracting solution and such method, when detecting virus, bacteria, target protein, or other antigens from specimens derived from body fluids, such as nasal swab specimens, nasal aspirate specimens, nasal wash specimens, nasal secretion specimens collected by nose blowing, pharyngeal swab specimens, saliva specimens, fecal specimens, serum specimens, plasma specimens, and urine specimens, with the use of a detection reagent utilizing the antigen-antibody reactions or the reactions between substances interactive with each other.

Abstract: An object is to strongly suppress a false negative reaction and a false positive reaction, which cannot be sufficiently suppressed by a conventional method, in detection of an antigen such as a virus, a bacterium, or a protein to be detected in a specimen originated from a body fluid such as a nasal swab specimen, a nasal aspirate specimen, a nasal wash specimen, a blown snot specimen, a pharyngeal swab specimen, or a saliva specimen with a detection reagent utilizing an antigen-antibody reaction or a reaction between substances interacting with each other. The present invention provides a test reagent for detecting a target substance in a specimen by utilizing an antigen-antibody reaction or a binding reaction between substances interacting with each other, comprising a specimen extracting solution containing a chelating agent.

Abstract: An arrangement system of a vehicle that permits a user to perform a trial use or a trial fitting of a product in a vehicle interior includes a display unit configured to display products that are candidates for purchase, an operation unit configured to be operated by the user to select a desired product from the products displayed on the display unit, and a vehicle arrangement unit configured to arrange the vehicle on which the product selected through an operation performed on the operation unit is loaded.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus including an execution unit, a generation unit, a first request unit, and a second request unit. The execution unit is capable of executing first information processing. The generation unit is configured to generate a display image including first information associated with first access information for accessing the execution unit and second information associated with second access information for accessing a server on a global network, the server being capable of executing second information processing. The first request unit is configured to request the execution unit to execute the first information processing based on the first access information associated with the first information. The second request unit is configured to request the server to execute the second information processing based on the second access information associated with the second information.

Abstract: Cyclized peptides having a crosslinked structure by one or more intramolecular S—S bonds may be prepared by: (1-A) as to a completely protected linear peptide having two or more SH groups as functional groups on the peptide, removing protecting groups of all functional groups other than the protected SH groups in the peptide, (1-B) protecting all SH groups of the linear peptide having two or more SH groups as the functional groups on the peptide by forming a temporary S—S bond, and (2) subjecting the peptide obtained by step (1-A) and step (1-B) to a folding step under oxidation and reduction conditions to obtain the cyclized peptide by re-forming an S—S bond in the peptide molecule.

Abstract: A vehicle is configured to accommodate a cart and a passenger. A communication unit of the vehicle is configured to communicate with the cart. A traveling environment acquisition unit of the vehicle is configured to acquire a traveling environment of the vehicle. A cart control unit of the vehicle is configured to control an arrangement of the cart in the vehicle through the communication unit according to the traveling environment acquired toy the traveling environment acquisition unit.

Abstract: In an information processing device, an acquirer acquires a congestion degree in the vicinity of multiple vehicles arranged in a certain arrangement pattern. A deriver derives a move instruction for moving a target vehicle among the multiple vehicles such as to change a space between vehicles, on the basis of an acquired congestion degree. A communication unit transmits the move instruction to the target vehicle.

Abstract: Disclosed is an immunochromatographic test strip by which the influences by the interfering substances in the immunochromatography method, contained in test samples, are reduced, so that it enables to accurately and specifically measure a test substance in a test sample irrespective of the amount of the test sample supplied to the assay, and to provide an immunochromatography method using the immunochromatographic test strip. The immunochromatographic test strip includes, in the order from upstream, a sample pad, a labeled substance region, a detection region and an absorption band, wherein a polymer(s) in which hydrophobic cyclic monomer(s) having an ionic functional group(s) is/are polymerized is impregnated at a region(s) upstream of the labeled substance region.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus including an execution unit, a generation unit, a first request unit, and a second request unit. The execution unit is capable of executing first information processing. The generation unit is configured to generate a display image including first information associated with first access information for accessing the execution unit and second information associated with second access information for accessing a server on a global network, the server being capable of executing second information processing. The first request unit is configured to request the execution unit to execute the first information processing based on the first access information associated with the first information. The second request unit is configured to request the server to execute the second information processing based on the second access information associated with the second information.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus including an execution unit, a generation unit, a first request unit, and a second request unit. The execution unit is capable of executing first information processing. The generation unit is configured to generate a display image including first information associated with first access information for accessing the execution unit and second information associated with second access information for accessing a server on a global network, the server being capable of executing second information processing. The first request unit is configured to request the execution unit to execute the first information processing based on the first access information associated with the first information. The second request unit is configured to request the server to execute the second information processing based on the second access information associated with the second information.

Abstract: Means for enabling an immunoassay with a sufficient sensitivity in an immunoassay for measuring influenza virus in a sample using influenza virus M1 protein as an antigen is provided. A sample processing method in an immunoassay for influenza virus, which method comprises, in an immunoassay for influenza virus using an antibody which undergoes antigen-antibody reaction with influenza virus matrix 1 protein, or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, bringing a sample containing influenza virus into contact with a sample processing liquid containing a surfactant having at least one group selected from the group consisting of palmityl, stearyl, and oleyl, is provided.

Abstract: In a driving-state data storage apparatus, a collector collects, from each of vehicles on a target travelling road, a value of data indicative of a driving state of the corresponding vehicle to correspondingly obtain driving-state data values for the target road. A data allocator divides, based on similarity among the driving-state data values, the target traveling road into a plurality of traveling segments, and extracts, from the driving-state data values, data values for each of the divided travelling segments. The data values extracted for each of the travelling segments are similar to each other. The data allocator allocates a distribution of the extracted data values for each of the divided travelling segments to the corresponding one of the divided travelling segments as a feature distribution. A storage unit stores the feature distribution allocated for each of the travelling segments.

Abstract: An anomaly estimation apparatus includes a collection section that collects vehicle data, a feature amount calculation section that calculates a feature amount from the vehicle data and stores the feature amount and a place corresponding thereto, an anomaly determination section that determines whether an anomaly occurrence point is present based on the feature amount, an accumulation section that, if the anomaly occurrence point is present, uses the vehicle data at the anomaly occurrence point and an anomaly periphery point to generate estimation data, an information generation section that uses the estimation data to generate causality information representing causality between an anomaly caused at the anomaly occurrence point and an anomaly caused at the anomaly periphery point, and an estimation section that, if the anomaly occurrence point is present, uses the causality information to estimate transition of the anomaly from the anomaly occurrence point to the anomaly periphery point.

Abstract: In a driving assist system, a driving evaluator compares a driving feature data item sampled at each predetermined sampling point and obtained from a target vehicle with historical driving data items for the corresponding sampling point. The driving evaluator obtains, based on a result of the comparison, an evaluation value of the driving feature data item for the target vehicle at each predetermined sampling point. An unusual driving determiner obtains a cumulative sum of selected values in the evaluation values of the driving feature data items for the target vehicle. The unusual driving determiner determines whether the cumulative sum is larger than a predetermined threshold, and determines that driving of a driver of the target vehicle is unusual upon determining that the cumulative sum is larger than the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: In an information processing device, an acquirer acquires a congestion degree in the vicinity of multiple vehicles arranged in a certain arrangement pattern. A deriver derives a move instruction for moving a target vehicle among the multiple vehicles such as to change a space between vehicles, on the basis of an acquired congestion degree. A communication unit transmits the move instruction to the target vehicle.

Abstract: An arrangement system of a vehicle that permits a user to perform a trial use or a trial fitting of a product in a vehicle interior includes a display unit configured to display products that are candidates for purchase, an operation unit configured to be operated by the user to select a desired product from the products displayed on the display unit, and a vehicle arrangement unit configured to arrange the vehicle on which the product selected through an operation performed on the operation unit is loaded.

Abstract: An acquisition unit in an information processing device acquires a traveling time of a vehicle from a place of departure to a destination, and a period of time required for a task performed by a user. A derivation unit derives a period of time required for a remaining task in accordance with the period of time required for the task acquired by the acquisition unit and a period of time that the user performed the task. An output unit outputs a suggestion, for departure in the vehicle, when the period of time required for the remaining task derived by the derivation unit and the traveling time acquired by the acquisition unit meet a predetermined relationship.