Abstract: An apparatus for removably applying insulative material to magnetic surfaces includes a sheet of insulative material. In some embodiments, snap fasteners are affixed thereto and, in some embodiments, magnets are directly affixed to the insulative material using adhesive. In embodiments using snap fasteners, each snap fastener has an eyelet and a socket such that a shaft of the eyelet passes through the sheet of insulative material and is held in an orifice of the socket. The socket has a cup-shaped area on a side that is opposite to the orifice. There are magnets, each of which is affixed to the cup-shaped area of the socket such that the sheet of insulative material is then removably attached to a magnetic material by the magnets.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques of using machine learning to automatically extract clinical variable values for subjects from clinical record data. The techniques designate certain clinical variables as hybrid variables that can be assigned values by machine learning model prediction. The techniques process, using a machine learning model trained to predict a value of a hybrid variable, clinical record data associated with a subject to obtain a predicted hybrid variable value and an associated confidence score. The techniques set the value of the hybrid variable for the subject to the predicted hybrid variable value when the model prediction is of sufficiently high confidence.

Abstract: A plunger sanitation device includes an elongated flexible container having an opening at one end and sides depending therefrom. A bottom portion depends from the sides at a distal end from the opening and the bottom portion sized to fit a circumference of a dome-shaped cup of a plunger. The elongated flexible container is water resistant and, in some embodiments, the bottom portion is concave are for extending into the dome-shaped cup of a plunger. In some embodiments, the elongated flexible container is made from a material that dissolves in water after use, allowing for flushing of the elongated flexible container.

Abstract: A plunger sanitation device includes an elongated flexible container having an opening at one end and sides depending therefrom. A bottom portion depends from the sides at a distal end from the opening and the bottom portion sized to fit a circumference of a dome-shaped cup of a plunger. The elongated flexible container is water resistant and, in some embodiments, the bottom portion is concave are for extending into the dome-shaped cup of a plunger. In some embodiments, the elongated flexible container is made from a material that dissolves in water after use, allowing for flushing of the elongated flexible container.

Abstract: A tool belt includes a belt portion formed by two coplanar sheets of material, the ends of which have a detachable, mating attachment mechanism. At attachment points along the belt potion, the coplanar sheets are joined by, for example, stitching. The space between the attachment points forms an attachment area at which the layers separate from each other for inserting objects such as a paper towel holder a scrapping tool, a squeegee holder, a knife pouch a box of new blades, and a spent blade holder.

Abstract: An alarm system (100) to wake sleeping occupants in the event of an emergency has a receiver (105) for detecting a warning signal (130) emitted from an external device (125), such as a smoke or carbon monoxide detector. A processor (11) compares the received warning signal to a predetermined signal and, if they correspond, then a transmitter (115) transmits an alarm (135). The predetermined signal can be preprogrammed or it can be learned by alarm system. The alarm is at least one of an audible, visual, vibratory, and/or olfactory communication. A customized audible communication in a voice familiar to the occupants can be recorded and stored in the alarm system. In addition, the system may provide different alarms before and after motion is detected.

Abstract: A system and method for routing between nodes in a network or subnet. An end node is associated with multiple identifiers for routing purposes, and therefore multiple paths may exist between two end nodes. Network nodes and components (e.g., switches) are grouped into fault zones. Each physical enclosure of network entities may comprise a separate fault zone. For each zone through which a path between two nodes passes, a weight is calculated equal to the number of paths between the nodes that traverse that zone. Path weights are calculated for each path between the nodes, equal to the sum of the weights of each zone in the path. To improve network fault tolerance, new paths may be designed to avoid fault zones and existing paths with high weights. Instead of fault zones, other criteria may be used to assign weights, such as mean time between failures (MTBF), cost, speed, etc.

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently managing membership in a multicast communication group. The system may comprise any number of end nodes (e.g., channel adapters, network interface adapters) and routing nodes (e.g., switches), and the method may be implemented by a processor coupled to any node. Each node in a network may be a member of the multicast group and/or the multicast tree (MCT) that routes the group's multicast communications. A node need not be a member of the group to be a member of the tree. Network links included in the MCT are a subset of a network minimum spanning tree (MST). When a node is added to the group, the MST is searched from that node until a node within the MCT is found. Each time a member is removed from the group, the MCT is pruned to reduce unneeded communications.