Abstract: Computer implemented methods and systems of processing transactions to determine the risk of transaction convert high categorical information, such as text data, to low categorical information, such as category or cluster IDs. The text data may be merchant names or other textual content of the transactions, or data related to a consumer, or any other type of entity which engages in the transaction. Content mining techniques are used to provide the conversion from high to low categorical information. In operation, the resulting low categorical information is input, along with other data, into a statistical model. The statistical model provides an output of the level of risk in the transaction. Methods of converting the high categorical information to low categorical clusters, of using such information, and other aspects of the use of such clusters are disclosed.

Abstract: Computer implemented methods and systems of processing transactions to determine the risk of transaction convert high categorical information, such as text data, to low categorical information, such as category or cluster IDs. The text data may be merchant names or other textual content of the transactions, or data related to a consumer, or any other type of entity which engages in the transaction. Content mining techniques are used to provide the conversion from high to low categorical information. In operation, the resulting low categorical information is input, along with other data, into a statistical model. The statistical model provides an output of the level of risk in the transaction. Methods of converting the high categorical information to low categorical clusters, of using such information, and other aspects of the use of such clusters are disclosed.

Abstract: Predictive modeling of consumer financial behavior, including determination of likely responses to particular marketing efforts, is provided by application of consumer transaction data to predictive models associated with merchant segments. The merchant segments are derived from the consumer transaction data based on co-occurrences of merchants in sequences of transactions. Merchant vectors represent specific merchants, and are aligned in a vector space as a function of the degree to which the merchants co-occur more or less frequently than expected. Supervised segmentation is applied to merchant vectors to form the merchant segments. Merchant segment predictive models provide predictions of spending in each merchant segment for any particular consumer, based on previous spending by the consumer. Consumer profiles describe summary statistics of each consumer's spending in the merchant segments, and across merchant segments.

Abstract: Computer implemented methods and systems of processing transactions to determine the risk of transaction convert high categorical information, such as text data, to low categorical information, such as category or cluster IDs. The text data may be merchant names or other textual content of the transactions, or data related to a consumer, or any other type of entity which engages in the transaction. Content mining techniques are used to provide the conversion from high to low categorical information. In operation, the resulting low categorical information is input, along with other data, into a statistical model. The statistical model provides an output of the level of risk in the transaction. Methods of converting the high categorical information to low categorical clusters, of using such information, and other aspects of the use of such clusters are disclosed.

Abstract: Predictive modeling of consumer financial behavior, including determination of likely responses to particular marketing efforts, is provided by application of consumer transaction data to predictive models associated with merchant segments, which are derived from the consumer transaction data based on co-occurrences of merchants in sequences of transactions. Merchant vectors represent specific merchants, and are aligned in a vector space as a function of the degree to which the merchants co-occur. Supervised segmentation is applied to merchant vectors to form merchant segments. Merchant segment predictive models provide predictions of spending in each merchant segment for any particular consumer, based on previous spending by the consumer. Consumer profiles describe summary statistics of each consumer's spending in the merchant segments, and across merchant segments. Consumer profiles include consumer vectors derived as summary vectors of selected merchants patronized by the consumer.

Abstract: Predictive modeling of consumer financial behavior, including determination of likely responses to particular marketing efforts, is provided by application of consumer transaction data to predictive models associated with merchant segments. The merchant segments are derived from the consumer transaction data based on co-occurrences of merchants in sequences of transactions. Merchant vectors represent specific merchants, and are aligned in a vector space as a function of the degree to which the merchants co-occur more or less frequently than expected. Consumer vectors are developed within the vector space, to represent interests of particular consumers by virtue of relative vector positions of consumer and merchant vectors. Various techniques, including clustering, supervised segmentation, and nearest-neighbor analysis, are applied separately or in combination to generate improved predictions of consumer behavior.

Abstract: Predictive modeling of consumer financial behavior is provided by application of consumer transaction data to predictive models associated with merchant segments. Merchant segments are derived from consumer transaction data based on co-occurrences of merchants in sequences of transactions. Merchant vectors representing specific merchants are clustered to form merchant segments in a vector space as a function of the degree to which merchants co-occur more or less frequently than expected. Each merchant segment is trained using consumer transaction data in selected past time periods to predict spending in subsequent time periods for a consumer based on previous spending by the consumer. Consumer profiles describe summary statistics of consumer spending in and across merchant segments. Analysis of consumers associated with a segment identifies selected consumers according to predicted spending in the segment or other criteria, and the targeting of promotional offers specific to the segment and its merchants.

Abstract: A device and method for testing for Cystic Fibrosis includes a sample cell having a capillary tube with a lumen that will hold approximately five microliters of sweat. The capillary tube has metallic rings around each end of the tube with an RF oscillator attached to one ring and a microprocessor attached to the other. An RF signal, which is transmitted from the RF oscillator through the sweat in the sample cell, is subsequently analyzed at the microprocessor by comparing the transmitted signal to a reference. In accordance with the comparison made by the microprocessor, the presence of Cystic Fibrosis may be detected.

Abstract: A hollow, elongated, micropipette, which is specially adapted for use in spectrometers and which has an inner wall on which a coating containing a reagent has been deposited, is provided. The reagent is selected from among those that interact with one or more compounds in a sample solution, which is introduced into the micropipette, in order to permit the compounds to be detected by virtue of light absorption or emission by the complexes formed upon interaction of the reagent with the compound of interest in the sample.Upon introduction of the sample solution into the micropipette, a sufficient amount of the reagent in the coating dissolves in the solution and reacts, either directly or indirectly with a compound or compounds of interest in the solution to render such compound detectable and to permit quantification of the concentration of the compound in the sample.

Abstract: A converter for using a spectrophotometer as a fluorometer includes a barrier for blocking the light in a collimated beam from reaching the detector of the spectrophotometer after this light has passed through and excited a sample material. A second detector is positioned to receive any fluorscence from the material which is emitted in a direction substantially perpendicular to the path of the collimated beam. A signal, generated by the second detector in response to fluorescence from the sample material, is modified to drive a second light source with an intensity which is linearlized relative to the generated signal. The detector of the spectrophotometer then receives the output from this second light source to measure the intensity of the fluorescence.

Abstract: Predictive modeling of consumer financial behavior, including determination of likely responses to particular marketing efforts, is provided by application of consumer transaction data to predictive models associated with merchant segments. The merchant segments are derived from the consumer transaction data based on co-occurrences of merchants in sequences of transactions. Merchant vectors represent specific merchants, and are aligned in a vector space as a function of the degree to which the merchants co-occur more or less frequently than expected. Supervised segmentation is applied to merchant vectors to form the merchant segments. Merchant segment predictive models provide predictions of spending in each merchant segment for any particular consumer, based on previous spending by the consumer. Consumer profiles describe summary statistics of each consumer's spending in the merchant segments, and across merchant segments.

Abstract: Predictive modeling of consumer financial behavior, including determination of likely responses to particular marketing efforts, is provided by application of consumer transaction data to predictive models associated with merchant segments, which are derived from the consumer transaction data based on co-occurrences of merchants in sequences of transactions. Merchant vectors represent specific merchants, and are aligned in a vector space as a function of the degree to which the merchants co-occur. Supervised segmentation is applied to merchant vectors to form merchant segments. Merchant segment predictive models provide predictions of spending in each merchant segment for any particular consumer, based on previous spending by the consumer. Consumer profiles describe summary statistics of each consumer's spending in the merchant segments, and across merchant segments. Consumer profiles include consumer vectors derived as summary vectors of selected merchants patronized by the consumer.