Abstract: When a management apparatus receives a purchase request REQ, the management apparatus obtains a rank corresponding to a member ID, and obtains member IDs of friends corresponding to the member ID. A CPU accesses a member database to obtain a rank corresponding to the member ID of each friend to specify the highest rank out of the obtained ranks. The CPU obtains a discount ratio corresponding to the highest rank. The CPU calculates an amount of payment by applying the discount ratio to an amount of money for goods or services as a purchased subject, and sends a purchase response including the amount of the payment to a communication device.

Abstract: This invention provides a fuel cell system which can render the distribution of water in an electrolyte membrane even without lowing the pressure of a fuel system (1) comprises an electrolyte membrane (11), an oxidant electrode provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane (11), and a fuel electrode provided on the other side of the electrolyte membrane (11). An oxidant gas flow passage (14) for supplying an oxidant gas along the face of the oxidant electrode and a fuel gas flow passage (15) for supplying a fuel has along the face of the fuel electrode are provided so that the flow direction of the oxidant gas faces the flow direction of the fuel gas. A control unit (50) conducts control so that, when the electrolyte membrane (11) is dry, the flow rate of the fuel gas which flows through the fuel gas flow passage (15) is increased.

Abstract: To provide a game device capable of preventing a player wishing to progress through a game from feeling frustrated, while ensuring that excitement of a game that progresses based on an actual date, an actual day of the week, and/or an actual time is not deteriorated. When a game starts, a setting unit (84) sets a game day of the week and/or a game time, based on the actual day of the week and/or time. An update unit (86) advances the game day of the week and/or time, based on an operation carried out by a player. A game control unit (88) controls progress of the game, based on the actual date and the game day of the week and/or time.

Abstract: The present invention provides carbonated beverages that have new qualities of being less likely to release carbon dioxide dissolved therein, bringing the feeling of fine bubbles in drinking, and allowing a full control of their sparkling characteristic, and a method for producing the carbonated beverages. A liquid containing carbon dioxide gas is passed through an apparatus to generate cavitation under pressure conditions to generate cavitation in the liquid, thereby making finer the bubbles of the dissolved carbon dioxide gas.

Abstract: A moving body terminal is basically provided with a position information acquiring section, a receiving section and a control section. The position information acquiring section is configured to acquire position information indicating a current position of the moving body terminal. The receiving section is configured to receive from an information providing apparatus simple map information which includes information transmission determining information indicating an information transmission unnecessary region of the simple map information where the position information of the moving body terminal is not required to be transmitted from the moving body terminal to the information providing apparatus.

Abstract: A lower back assistance apparatus including: a back frame 14 mounted to the back of a user and capable of movement following a user tilting forward; shoulder straps 22 that are attached to a back mounting section and extend towards the user trunk forward side for supporting the trunk of a user from the forward side; thigh plates 18 for mounting to the front of lower limbs of the user; coupling frames 20 with one end coupled to the thigh plates 18 and the other end coupled to the back frame 14 by joint sections 16 so as to allow relative movement with respect to the back frame 14, and capable of maintaining a non-bent profile during the relative movement; and actuators 40 that in an actuated state prevent the back frame 14 from tilting in the user forward direction.

Abstract: A moving body terminal is basically provided with a position information acquiring section, a receiving section and a control section. The position information acquiring section is configured to acquire position information indicating a current position of the moving body terminal. The receiving section is configured to receive from an information providing apparatus simple map information which includes information transmission determining information indicating an information transmission unnecessary region of the simple map information where the position information of the moving body terminal is not required to be transmitted from the moving body terminal to the information providing apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a gene delivery system with higher safety and higher sustainability, which is effective for the treatment of ischemic diseases and the like, and the like. The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition containing, as an active ingredient, a polyanionic substance that suppresses expression of PHD2, and containing a polyion complex of the polyanionic substance and a polycation chargeable polymer.

Abstract: An onboard vehicle information notifying apparatus has a moving body position acquiring section that acquires a moving body position for at least one moving body existing in a vicinity of a host vehicle and that acquires map information of the vicinity of the host vehicle. The map information is divided into a plurality of unit regions, with each of the unit regions being a notification necessary region when the moving body exists in the unit region. An information acquiring section acquires an advancement speed and an advancement direction of the host vehicle, and a prescribed movement speed of the moving body. An information providing zone setting section sets an information providing zone within which existence of the moving body should be reported. The information notifying section reports the existence of the moving body when the information providing zone overlaps with the notification necessary region.

Abstract: A moving body terminal is basically provided with a position information acquiring section, a receiving section and a control section. The position information acquiring section is configured to acquire position information indicating a current position of the moving body terminal. The receiving section is configured to receive from an information providing apparatus simple map information which includes information transmission determining information indicating an information transmission unnecessary region of the simple map information where the position information of the moving body terminal is not required to be transmitted from the moving body terminal to the information providing apparatus.

Abstract: An information center apparatus has a communication section, a motion information calculating section, a communication delay time calculating section, a communication cycle waiting time calculating section, an error estimating section and a correcting section. The communication section acquires reported current position information of a first moving body apparatus and reports a corrected current position information to a second moving body apparatus. The error estimating section estimate an error in the reported current position information with respect to an actual current position of the first moving body apparatus based on motion information calculated by the motion information calculating section, communication delay times calculated by the communication delay time calculating section, and a communication cycle waiting time calculated by the communication cycle waiting time calculating section.

Abstract: First material discriminating unit for comparing a magnitude of an input current to inverter circuit and a magnitude of a heating coil current to discriminate a material of cooking container between a non-magnetic body and a magnetic body; second material discriminating unit for comparing a magnitude of the heating coil current and an ON time of switching element when discriminated as the magnetic body by first material discriminating unit to discriminate the material of cooking container as magnetic SUS or iron are arranged, where control unit sets a control temperature lower when the material is discriminated as magnetic SUS by second material discriminating unit than when the material is discriminated as iron so that the temperature of cooking container can be controlled to a predetermined temperature at high accuracy even if cooking container is configured by magnetic SUS, similar to when configured by iron.

Abstract: An onboard vehicle information notifying apparatus has a moving body position acquiring section that acquires a moving body position for at least one moving body existing in a vicinity of a host vehicle and that acquires map information of the vicinity of the host vehicle. The map information is divided into a plurality of unit regions, with each of the unit regions being a notification necessary region when the moving body exists in the unit region. An information acquiring section acquires an advancement speed and an advancement direction of the host vehicle, and a prescribed movement speed of the moving body. An information providing zone setting section sets an information providing zone within which existence of the moving body should be reported. The information notifying section reports the existence of the moving body when the information providing zone overlaps with the notification necessary region.

Abstract: There is provided a placement position determining part that calculates a rising gradient of an output value of the infrared sensor every after passage of a first predetermined time and performs a placement position determining operation of determining that a placement position of a cooking vessel is improper when the rising gradient is smaller than a first threshold value, and the placement position determining part performs the placement position determining operation after a lapse of a second predetermined time from the start of heating, thereby accurately determining that the cooking vessel is improperly placed on a top plate and preventing overheating of the cooking vessel.

Abstract: An onboard vehicle information notifying apparatus is proved with a moving body position acquiring section, an information acquiring section, an information providing zone setting section and an information notifying section. The moving body position acquiring section acquires a moving body position for at least one moving body existing in a vicinity of a host vehicle. The information acquiring section acquires an advancement speed and an advancement direction of the host vehicle, and a prescribed movement speed of the moving body. The information providing zone setting section sets an information providing zone within which existence of the moving body should be reported, based on information acquired by the information acquiring section. The information notifying section reports the existence of the moving body when the position of the moving body acquired by the moving body position acquiring section exists within the information providing zone set by the information providing zone setting section.

Abstract: This invention provides a fuel cell system which can render the distribution of water in an electrolyte membrane even without lowing the pressure of a fuel system (1) comprises an electrolyte membrane (11), an oxidant electrode provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane (11), and a fuel electrode provided on the other side of the electrolyte membrane (11). An oxidant gas flow passage (14) for supplying an oxidant gas along the face of the oxidant electrode and a fuel gas flow passage (15) for supplying a fuel has along the face of the fuel electrode are provided so that the flow direction of the oxidant gas faces the flow direction of the fuel gas. A control unit (50) conducts control so that, when the electrolyte membrane (11) is dry, the flow rate of the fuel gas which flows through the fuel gas flow passage (15) is increased.

Abstract: The present invention reduces deterioration in the output of a fuel cell caused by a high moisture concentration at an oxidant electrode. A control apparatus for a fuel cell comprising an electrolyte membrane, an oxidant electrode provided on one side of the electrolyte membrane, and a fuel electrode provided on the other side of the electrolyte membrane, in which electric power is generated from an oxidant gas supplied to the oxidant electrode and a fuel gas supplied to the fuel electrode, wherein when the current-voltage characteristics of the fuel cell fall below a predetermined reference level, and the electrolyte membrane has not dried beyond a predetermined reference level, the control apparatus executes a control operation that increases the gas pressure at the oxidant electrode.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack comprises a stack of three or more fuel cells, each having an assembly in which an anode electrode and a cathode electrode are respectively joined to either side of an electrolytic membrane. The anode electrode is provided nearer to one end, in the stack direction of the fuel cell, than the cathode electrode. Temperature regulating parts for regulating the temperature of the anode electrode of one fuel cell of any two adjacent fuel cells and the cathode electrode of the other fuel cell are disposed at a plurality of positions arranged in the stack direction. The provided temperature regulating parts perform temperature regulation so that the heat dissipating capability of the anode electrode is different in the stack direction from that of the cathode electrode.

Abstract: To provide a game device capable of preventing a player wishing to progress through a game from feeling frustrated, while ensuring that excitement of a game that progresses based on an actual date, an actual day of the week, and/or an actual time is not deteriorated. When a game starts, a setting unit (84) sets a game day of the week and/or a game time, based on the actual day of the week and/or time. An update unit (86) advances the game day of the week and/or time, based on an operation carried out by a player. A game control unit (88) controls progress of the game, based on the actual date and the game day of the week and/or time.

Abstract: A moving body terminal is basically provided with a position information acquiring section, a receiving section and a control section. The position information acquiring section is configured to acquire position information indicating a current position of the moving body terminal. The receiving section is configured to receive from an information providing apparatus simple map information which includes information transmission determining information indicating an information transmission unnecessary region of the simple map information where the position information of the moving body terminal is not required to be transmitted from the moving body terminal to the information providing apparatus.