Abstract: A question-answering system that is formed with an information processing apparatus for processing information in accordance with a program, and obtains an answer to an input search question sentence by searching a knowledge source, includes: a background information set; a first answer candidate extracting unit; a first background information generating unit; an accuracy determining unit; and a first background information adding unit.

Abstract: A usage status notification management apparatus includes a user management unit, a document registration management unit, a recommendation processing unit, a recommendation history management unit and a usage status processing unit. The recommendation processing unit provides to a user terminal at least a part of document information of documents registered in the document registration management unit as a recommendation document, based on a predetermined condition. The recommendation history management unit keeps and manages a recommendation processing history about the document information of the recommendation documents. The usage status processing unit generates the usage status based on document information of a document, which has been prepared using each recommendation document, based on a recommendation relation between the recommendation documents recorded in the recommendation processing history and identity of at least partial contents between documents having the recommendation relation.

Abstract: A document retrieval apparatus for retrieving documents from a document database in which documents are registered, and displaying the retrieved documents, the document retrieval apparatus includes: a keyword input unit for accepting input of a retrieval keyword for retrieving the documents; a document retrieval unit for retrieving the documents from the document database on the basis of the retrieval keyword; a keyword weight calculation unit for calculating those weights of the retrieval keyword which feature contents of the retrieved documents, as keyword weights; and a display process unit for displaying the retrieved documents in a state where the retrieval keyword contained in the retrieved documents is presented in display aspects conforming to the keyword weights.

Abstract: A recommendatory information provision system includes: a management apparatus; and a user terminal device, wherein: the management apparatus includes: a browsed information acquisition unit for acquiring information of a browsed document; a recommended document retrieval unit for retrieving a recommended document relevant to the browsed document; a recommendation history management unit for storing and managing history information which concerns recommendation of the recommended document; a recommendation history retrieval unit for retrieving from the recommendation history management unit, the history information of the recommended document which has been retrieved by the recommended document retrieval unit; and a recommendatory information provision unit for providing to the user terminal device, the information concerning the recommended document and the history information of the recommended document as have been retrieved; and the user terminal device includes: a display process unit for displaying on a

Abstract: An experience-knowledge information processing apparatus that manages knowledge acquired from personal experiences so as to reuse the knowledge easily. Preferably, when information about knowledge acquired from a personal experience is inputted by a client, a server performs a process for associating the knowledge with an activity where the experience has been gained, and associating the knowledge with a knowledge creation process expressing a process for creating the knowledge on the basis of the description of the questionnaire. Thus, the knowledge information associated thus is accumulated in an experience-knowledge database. A two-dimensional table indicating the total number of pieces of knowledge with activities and knowledge creation processes in columns and rows, a knowledge propagation state graph, or the like, is displayed and outputted by a process of an experience-knowledge processing portion based on the information accumulated in the experience-knowledge database.

Abstract: A process in which participants in different situations define in plural epistemological spaces can be easily accommodated. An epistemological space synthesizing part synthesizes different epistemological spaces to generate a new epistemological space, thereby juxtaposing therein business processes defined in each of the epistemological spaces. An accommodated activity extraction part extracts a combinable activity from the activities of the combined business process. A common resource extraction part extracts a combinable resource (common resource) used or produced by the extracted activity. A pre- and post-activity extraction part extracts pre- and post-activities to be accommodated. A combined business process generation part generates a business process which automatically synthesizes combinable parts from the juxtaposed business processes. An accommodating activity extraction selection part uses information acquired by the accommodation information extraction part to present an accommodating method.

Abstract: A low cost teqhnique is disclosed for dissolving, liquefying and introducing CO2 gas into the deep sea for storage there, which involves low pressure and is simple in structure, easy to operate and maintain, safe, and relatively free of breakdown. The apparatus comprises a pipe for transporting a mixture of the CO2 gas and the seawater or other liquid, extending from above the sea or from the ground into the deep sea, a pump for moving the gas and a pump for moving the liquid, or a single pump for moving both the gas and the liquid, whereby the gas-liquid mixture is formed and introduced into the deep see through the same pipe, the CO2 gas in the mixture being pressurized, agitated, dissolved and liquefied during its transport through the pipe with the result that its bubbles are eliminated and buoyancy decreased, thereby making it possible to release the CO2 into the deep sea with a relatively small pumping force.

Abstract: A method by which irradiation treatment of an exhaust gas with electron beams can be performed in a more space- and energy efficient manner. The method in which an exhaust gas containing nitrogen oxides (NOx) is irradiated with electron beams so as to form by-products, which are then separated whereas the treated exhaust gas is liberated into air atmosphere, characterized in that electron beams are generated in such a way that they have a pulsed temporal and spatial shape within an electron beam generator, with the pulse frequency and duration being in the respective ranges of 10 Hz-100 kHz and 10.sup.-8 -10.sup.-5 second whereas the non-irradiation region lasts for a time interval of 10.sup.-5 -10.sup.-1 second.

Abstract: Three-phase alternating-current electric energy supplied from a primary power supply is supplied to first and second six-phase transformer-coupled rectifying circuits which are connected in cascade to each other. The first six-phase transformer-coupled rectifying circuit comprises three primary windings connected in delta, and the second six-phase transformer-coupled rectifying circuit comprises three primary windings connected in star, for producing respective output voltages which are .pi./6 out of phase with each other. The first and second six-phase transformer-coupled rectifying circuits, which are connected in cascade to each other, jointly provide a twelve-phase rectifying circuit which produces a reduced harmonic or ripple current in its output energy as compared with a six-phase transformer-coupled rectifying circuit. The two six-phase transformer-coupled rectifying circuits share a voltage applied to the power supply device, and hence may have lower requirements for withstanding a breakdown voltage.

Abstract: A magnetic levitation conveyor apparatus has levitation electromagnets, linear motors, and displacement sensors which are disposed outside of a tunnel, and a carriage of simple structure which is movable in the tunnel. The carriage is of canned structure for preventing gases from being generated. The carriage of canned structure allows the tunnel to have a reduced cross-sectional area and to be filled with a highly purified atmosphere such as of a high vacuum. The tunnel has substantially orthogonal branches at a branched point. In the branched point, the carriage can move, while being lifted out of contact with the tunnel partition, with a directional change from a main conveyor passage into a branched conveyor passage. The magnetic levitation conveyor apparatus is highly practical as it can control the carriage to be lifted and moved as described above.

Abstract: A positioning system stops a transport car traveling along a transport path at a predetermined stop position. The system includes a pair of members coupled together by a magnetic attraction force. One of the members is disposed at the stop position, while the other of the members is disposed on the transport car, and at least one of the members is attached to the stop position or the transport car through a damper. Alternatively, the system may include two pairs of members coupled together by a magnetic attraction force, in which one of each pair of the members is disposed at the stop position, while the other of each pair of the members is disposed on the transport car, and one member of one of the pairs of members is attached to a guide mechanism which restricts a direction of movement of the one member attached to the guide mechanism caused by the action of magnetic attraction force between the members.

Abstract: A substrate transporting system is presented which can prevent contamination within a sealed box, and which does not bring in contaminants from the outside environment when installing substrates in a processing apparatus connected to a clean tunnel. The substrate transporting apparatus according to the present invention includes a box for installing one or more substrates in a clean sealed atmosphere, and a box transporting apparatus for transporting the box by loading it on a carrier and through a clean sealed space of a tunnel shape, and further includes a box transfer apparatus arranged in the tunnel-shaped sealed space for transferring the box from the exterior of the sealed space to the carrier, and a substrate transfer apparatus for transferring substrates installed within the box to a substrate processing apparatus connected to the sealed space. It has a cleaning apparatus arranged within the tunnel-shaped sealed space for cleaning the outer surface of the box.

Abstract: Several vacuum process steps are applied to substrates such as a wafer using a vacuum container for storing and transporting the substrates under vacuum. The vacuum container comprises a container body having a main opening for inserting a substrate and taking out the substrate, a lid engageable with the container body for closing and sealing the main opening of the container body, and a gate provided on one of the container body and the lid for performing at least one of evacuating an interior of the vacuum container and raising the pressure of the interior of the vacuum container to ambient.

Abstract: Contact lens having high water content make from polymer of cross-link-polymerized N-vinyl pyrrolidone in the presence of water-insoluble polymer has excellent properties suitable for continuous wearing for a long period of time.