Abstract: An electrification control apparatus (101) for glow plugs GP1 to GPn includes temperature-raising-period electrification control means S3 to S7, S31, S32 for raising the temperature of a heater section (2) of each glow plug. The control means performs electrification control in such manner that, even when a first glow plug GP1 and a second glow plug GP1e, which are of the same industrial part number but differ in resistance due to a characteristic variation therebetween, are selectively connected to the electrification control apparatus (101) and electrification control is performed therefor, at sampled timings t during the temperature rise, electric power of the same magnitude P(t) as that of electric power supplied to the first glow plug GP1 is supplied to the second glow plug GP1e.

Abstract: An object is to restrict the giving of points according to an object of payment for which payment was made with electronic money. An electronic money server (FIG. 11) receives transaction information in which a breakdown of the amount of payment of an electronic money card used in one payment processing is recorded and breakdown information in which a breakdown of the amount of payment for each object of payment in this payment processing is recorded. The breakdown includes a normal item into which general products are classified, a tax-free item into which tax-free articles such as a postage stamp are classified, and a collected item into which public utility rates collected by an agency payment service are classified. Among these breakdown items, points are given to the amount of payment made for a normal item, and no points are given to the others.

Abstract: A method for pretreating an unfired honeycomb formed article of a raw material composition containing a ceramic raw material, water, and a binder and having a plurality of cells separated by partition walls and functioning as fluid passages before firing. The method has a first step of passing superheated steam having a temperature of 100 to 150° C. through the cells to raise temperature of the honeycomb formed article and then maintaining the temperature of the superheated steam at the temperature of the superheated steam passed through the cells or more and 200° C. or less. The method can provide a pretreatment to a honeycomb formed article in a shorter time with inhibiting generation of a defect such as a deformation or a damage.

Abstract: There is provided a control device for a glow plug, capable of controlling the energization of a resistance heater of the glow plug by a resistance control process while attaining good resistance control response under cooling of the heater by fuel injection and combustion gas and thereby stably controlling the amount of heat generated by the heater. The resistance heater includes a resistive heating element having a ratio of electrical resistance R1000 at 1000° C. to electrical resistance R20 at 20° C. of 6 or larger, and the glow plug is mounted with at least part of the resistive heating element being protrudingly located in an engine combustion chamber. Under such a condition, the control device controls energization of the resistance heater in a steady control mode to adjust electrical power supplied to the resistance heater in such a manner as to keep a resistance of the heater within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A method for drying a honeycomb formed body using microwaves is provided. The method can reduce the difference in the drying speed inside the honeycomb formed bodies during the drying process and can dry the honeycomb formed bodies without cell deformation. The method comprises placing the honeycomb formed body in a drying furnace with the cell axis in the vertical direction and irradiating the honeycomb with microwaves at a frequency of 300–30,000 MHz. The difference of the water content in the vertical direction of the honeycomb formed body 1 is maintained at 0.3% per mm or less during microwave irradiation.

Abstract: There is provided a control device for a glow plug, capable of controlling the energization of a resistance heater of the glow plug by a resistance control process while attaining good resistance control response under cooling of the heater by fuel injection and combustion gas and thereby stably controlling the amount of heat generated by the heater. The resistance heater includes a resistive heating element having a ratio of electrical resistance R1000 at 1000° C. to electrical resistance R20 at 20° C. of 6 or larger, and the glow plug is mounted with at least part of the resistive heating element being protrudingly located in an engine combustion chamber. Under such a condition, the control device controls energization of the resistance heater in a steady control mode to adjust electrical power supplied to the resistance heater in such a manner as to keep a resistance of the heater within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A method for drying a honeycomb formed body using microwaves is provided. The method can reduce the difference in the drying speed inside the honeycomb formed bodies during the drying process and can dry the honeycomb formed bodies without cell deformation. The method comprises placing the honeycomb formed body in a drying furnace with the cell axis in the vertical direction and irradiating the honeycomb with microwaves at a frequency of 300-30,000 MHz. The difference of the water content in the vertical direction of the honeycomb formed body 1 is maintained at 0.3% per mm or less during microwave irradiation.

Abstract: The present invention is a law retrieval apparatus composed of: data storage means including a constitution and statute database and a judicial case database, and including at least one database out of a meta-keyword database, a verb and object database, and an aid flow database; and a law retrieval server including, in correspondence with each database accumulated in the data storage means, at least one retrieval processing means out of meta-keyword retrieval processing means for reading a retrieval keyword associated with a non-retrieval keyword received from the meta-keyword database to perform retrieval processing, verb and object retrieval processing means for reading a retrieval keyword associated with a combination of the received verb and object from the verb and object database to perform retrieval processing, and aid flow retrieval processing means, when a retrieval pattern matches a pattern of an aid flowchart, for requesting additional information in accordance with the flowchart.

Abstract: A glow plug energization control apparatus includes a unit for performing an energization control so that a sheath heater is quickly heated when a key switch is put in an on position, a unit for performing, subsequently to this, an energization control to prevent a drop in temperature of the sheath heater, a unit for performing, when the key switch is put in the start position during the energization control, an energization control to prevent a drop in temperature of the sheath heater during its period, and a unit for performing, after the engine is started, an energization control to keep the sheath heater at a second target temperature.

Abstract: A glow plug energization control apparatus includes a unit for performing an energization control so that a sheath heater is quickly heated when a key switch is put in an on position, a unit for performing, subsequently to this, an energization control to prevent a drop in temperature of the sheath heater, a unit for performing, when the key switch is put in the start position during the energization control, an energization control to prevent a drop in temperature of the sheath heater during its period, and a unit for performing, after the engine is started, an energization control to keep the sheath heater at a second target temperature.

Abstract: The present invention is a law retrieval apparatus composed of: data storage means including a constitution and statute database and a judicial case database, and including at least one database out of a meta-keyword database, a verb and object database, and an aid flow database; and a law retrieval server including, in correspondence with each database accumulated in the data storage means, at least one retrieval processing means out of meta-keyword retrieval processing means for reading a retrieval keyword associated with a non-retrieval keyword received from the meta-keyword database to perform retrieval processing, verb and object retrieval processing means for reading a retrieval keyword associated with a combination of the received verb and object from the verb and object database to perform retrieval processing, and aid flow retrieval processing means, when a retrieval pattern matches a pattern of an aid flowchart, for requesting additional information in accordance with the flowchart.

Abstract: A novel and efficient method for production of a transgenic animal is developed. This invention provides a method for production of a novel transgenic animal comprising the steps of introducing a foreign gene into testis of an animal, selecting transfected spermatocytes, spermatids or spermatozoa in which the foreign gene was introduced using a fluorescence marker gene as an indicator and fertilizing an unfertilized oocyte or ovum with the transfected spermatocyte, spermatid or spermatozoa.