Abstract: A server according to the present disclosure determines a vehicle dispatch schedule of a vehicle for delivery of a rental article to a user and/or for collection of a rental article rented out to a user from the user. The server includes a communication interface for acquiring, from a terminal apparatus used by the user, first information regarding the rental article, and at least one of second information regarding a rental date/time and a rental location and third information regarding a return date/time and a return location; and a controller for determining, according to the second information, a vehicle dispatch schedule for delivering the rental article indicated by the first information to the user by the vehicle, and/or for determining, according to the third information, a vehicle dispatch schedule for collecting the rental article rented out to the user from the user by the vehicle.

Abstract: A gift-valuable article exchange assisting device includes a control section which, when a receiver decides that a gift belonging to the receiver is unwanted to the receiver, determines whether the gift can be exchanged to a valuable article belonging to a delivery person based on an exchangeable article information database. The control section also calculates a predetermined service charge when it is determined that the exchange is possible, and decides a valuable article, to which the gift is actually exchanged, equivalent to a value obtained by subtracting the service charge from a value of the gift based on exchange conditions between the gift and the valuable article.

Abstract: A functional water containing a fluorine-containing component obtained by electrolyzing an aqueous solution containing fluoride ion using electrodes having conductive diamonds, a method of producing the same, and a method and an apparatus of rinsing electronic parts using the functional water as a rinsing water. The fluorine-containing component produced by electrolyzing the fluoride ion using the conductive diamond, has stronger rinsing effect than that of a fluorine-containing component obtained by electrolyzing the fluoride ion itself before electrolysis or the fluoride ion using other electrodes. Therefore, an amount of hydrofluoric acid used can greatly be decreased.

Abstract: An acceptance processing unit accepts an application-of-reservation of a tour including application fee payment information and fee direct debit request information. If no application of cancellation is accepted during cancellation periods set in a plurality of stages taking as reference the tour starting date, then a charge processing unit calculates the tour charge direct debit amount based on a cancellation fee rate previously defined for each cancellation period and requests a financial institution to make a direct debit from the applicant's account. If an application of cancellation is accepted during any one of the cancellation periods defined in plural stages taking as reference the tour starting date, then a cancellation fee processing unit calculates a cancellation fee based on the previously defined cancellation fee rate and requests the financial institution to make a direct debit from the applicant's account.

Abstract: A functional water containing a fluorine-containing component obtained by electrolyzing an aqueous solution containing fluoride ion using electrodes having conductive diamonds, a method of producing the same, and a method and an apparatus of rinsing electronic parts using the functional water as a rinsing water. The fluorine-containing component produced by electrolyzing the fluoride ion using the conductive diamond, has stronger rinsing effect than that of a fluorine-containing component obtained by electrolyzing the fluoride ion itself before electrolysis or the fluoride ion using other electrodes. Therefore, an amount of hydrofluoric acid used can greatly be decreased.

Abstract: A gift-valuable article exchange assisting device includes a control section which, when a receiver decides that a gift belonging to the receiver is unwanted to the receiver, determines whether the gift can be exchanged to a valuable article belonging to a delivery person based on an exchangeable article information database. The control section also calculates a predetermined service charge when it is determined that the exchange is possible, and decides a valuable article, to which the gift is actually exchanged, equivalent to a value obtained by subtracting the service charge from a value of the gift based on exchange conditions between the gift and the valuable article.

Abstract: A method of water electrolysis for producing acidic water and alkaline water is disclosed, which is effective in preventing the dissolution of electrode material in the acidic water, etc. attributable to a reverse current flowing in a power supply cutoff state and also in preventing electrode deactivation caused by the electrode material dissolution. This enables the electrolytic cell to be operated stably over a long period of time to yield high-purity acidic and alkaline waters. An electrolytic cell 1 partitioned into an anode chamber and a cathode chamber with a cation-exchange membrane 2 as a solid electrolyte is used to electrolytically produce acidic water and alkaline water. A voltage of 1.2 V or higher and/or a current of 20 mA/dm.sup.2 or higher is applied between the anode 7 and the cathode 8 when the electrolytic cell is in a power supply cutoff state.

Abstract: An electrolytic cell for producing acidic water and alkaline water is disclosed. High-purity acidic water and high-purity alkaline water can be produced in a well balanced proportion from ultrapure water which is supplied in the minimum amount necessary for producing the desired acidic and alkaline waters using the minimum amount of electricity. The electrolytic cell includes an electrolytic acidic-water production unit 3 comprising an anode chamber 6 and an auxiliary cathode chamber 7 separated therefrom by a first ion-exchange membrane 5, and an electrolytic alkaline-water production unit 4 comprising a cathode chamber 10 and an auxiliary anode chamber 9 separated therefrom by a second ion-exchange membrane 8. Separately controllable power supplies are also provided for supplying power to each of the two units. The supply amount of pure water and the amount of electricity used can be fixed according to the desired amounts of acidic and alkaline waters.

Abstract: A method for the electrolytic pickling or degreasing of a steel plate in an aqueous solution having an electrode disposed therein, wherein an insoluble electrode or a ferrite electrode is used as the electrode, said insoluble electrode comprising an electrically conductive substrate having provided thereon directly or through an intermediate layer, an electrode coating containing a platinum group metal or an oxide thereof.

Abstract: An electrode protector, which is to be attached to the surface of an insoluble metal electrode for use as the counterpart electrode in a continuous electrolytic treatment of a metal strip or the like and serves to prevent short circuiting, comprising a mesh substrate made of a corrosion-resistant metal, and provided on the surface of the mesh substrate, a corrosion-resistant electrically insulating coating.

Abstract: There is disclosed a system for detecting a flat portion of a peripheral surface of a vehicle wheel disposed in rolling engagement with a track rail. A detecting device is provided for detecting one of acceleration representative of vibration of the wheel, stress developing in a support member connected to the wheel, and a noise produced by the rolling of the wheel on the rail to produce a first detection signal in response to a predetermined angular movement of the wheel. A device is provided for determining whether the first detection signal is above a predetermined reference level to produce a second detection signal in synchronism with the rotation of the wheel and indicative of a wheel flat portion of above a predetermined length.