Abstract: An internet and/or intranet based database search system and method for conducting searches of highly confidential records such as individual patient medical records and to automate the process of securing required approvals to make such records available to a properly authorized and authenticated requesting party. The system's central premise is that the patient has a fundamental right to the confidentiality of their personal medical records and should control that right through specific, informed consent each time that a party requests to receive them. It reinforces the widely held conception of privacy in general as well as of the sanctity of the doctor/patient relationship by granting the doctor the right, subject to the patient's express permission, to initiate a search request.

Abstract: A collapsible shopping cart comprising, a container having a front portion, a rear portion and side portions connecting the front and rear portions, the side portions being foldable to allow collapsing of the container into a collapsed condition whereby the front and rear portion move closer to each other than in an uncollapsed condition, the container having a bottom portion and an open top, the bottom portion being connected by a hinge to one of the front portion and the rear portion and being pivotable about the hinge, at least one wheel being provided adjacent the bottom portion, the bottom portion being movable from a first position when the shopping cart is in the collapsed condition to a second position so as to form a bottom for the shopping cart when the shopping cart is in the uncollapsed condition.

Abstract: A child carrier attachable to a shopping cart having a basket mounted to a frame supported by a plurality of caster wheels for contacting a ground surface. The child carrier comprises a support member having at least one stabilizing wheel connected thereto for contacting the ground surface. The support member has a bottom member, with a seat disposed on the support member; and an attachment fixture is connected to the support member for connecting the support member to the cart.

Abstract: An optically-powered integrated microstructure pressure sensing system for sensing pressure within a cavity. the pressure sensing system comprises a pressure sensor having an optical resonant structure subject to the pressure within the cavity and having physical properties changing due to changing pressures within the cavity. A substrate supports the optical resonant structure. An input optical pathway evanescently couples light into the optical resonant structure. An output optical pathway collects light from the optical resonance structure. A light source delivers a known light input into the input optical pathway whereby the known light input is evanescently coupled into the optical resonant structure by the input optical pathway and a portion of such light is collected from the optical resonant structure by the output optical pathway.

Abstract: A collapsible shopping cart comprising, a container having a front portion, a rear portion and side portions connecting the front and rear portions, the side portions being foldable to allow collapsing of the container into a collapsed condition whereby the front and rear portion move closer to each other than in an uncollapsed condition, the container having a bottom portion and an open top, the bottom portion being connected by a hinge to one of the front portion and the rear portion and being pivotable about the hinge, at least one wheel being provided adjacent the bottom portion, the bottom portion being movable from a first position when the shopping cart is in the collapsed condition to a second position so as to form a bottom for the shopping cart when the shopping cart is in the uncollapsed condition.

Abstract: A guard for protecting the sides of a pallet on which goods can be stacked or a merchandise grouping placed on a support surface, the guard comprising a plurality of modular guard sections, each section being couplable to an adjacent section to surround at least a portion of the perimeter of a pallet or merchandise grouping, each modular guard section having a substantially wedge or triangular shape in cross section to increase the stability of the guard section, and the guard sections each having a complementary portion of a joint for coupling the sections together.

Abstract: A process for recovering a desired organic acid from a solution includes the steps of: providing an aqueous solution including at least one desired organic acid or its acid anion; adjusting the proton concentration in the aqueous solution to a desired level, with the desired proton concentration being selected, at least in part, by the amount of available protons needed to associate with the acid anions of the desired organic acid(s) to be recovered and/or acid anions that are weaker than the desired organic acids; and recovering at least a portion of the at least one desired organic acid from the aqueous phase. The desired proton concentration can be based on the amount of available protons being greater than, less than or substantially equal, to the amount of protons needed to associate with the anion of the desired organic acid(s) and acid anions that are weaker than the desired organic acid(s).

Abstract: A cabinet for storage of items to clean up spills comprising a rear cabinet portion, a front cabinet portion which is openable away from the rear cabinet portion, the rear cabinet portion having at least one shelf for the storage of spill cleanup items, the front openable cabinet portion having storage space for the storage of cleanup items, and further comprising a mounting bracket for mounting the rear cabinet portion to a structural member.

Abstract: A process for recovering a desired organic acid from a solution includes the steps of: providing an aqueous solution including at least one desired organic acid or its acid anion; adjusting the proton concentration in the aqueous solution to a desired level, with the desired proton concentration being selected, at least in part, by the amount of available protons needed to associate with the acid anions of the desired organic acid(s) to be recovered and/or acid anions that are weaker than the desired organic acids; and recovering at least a portion of the at least one desired organic acid from the aqueous phase. The desired proton concentration can be based on the amount of available protons being greater than, less than or substantially equal, to the amount of protons needed to associate with the anion of the desired organic acid(s) and acid anions that are weaker than the desired organic acid(s).

Abstract: Disclosed is process for the production of symmetrical fluoro-substituted anhydrides from mixed or unsymmetrical anhydrides, i.e., wherein the two carboxylic acid acyl groups of the anhydrides are different, by subjecting an unsymmetrical anhydrides to reactive distillation to produce a lower boiling product comprising a symmetrical fluorocarboxylic acid anhydride and a higher boiling product comprising a second symmetrical anhydride. The process is particularly useful for the coproduction of trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) and acetic anhydride (Ac2O) from ketene and trifluoroacetic acid wherein ketene and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) are reacted to produce a mixed anhydride, acetyl trifluoroacetate (Ac-TFA), which then is subjected to reactive distillation to produce a vapor product comprising TFAA and a liquid product comprising Ac2O.

Abstract: A clip-on sunglass assembly for positioning clip-on lenses with respect to spectacles worn by the consumer including a central body, a first pair of clamping arms extending from the central body with the first pair of clamping arms including a central region and arm extensions, a second pair of clamping arms extending from the central body, the second pair of clamping arms also including a central region and arm extensions in an opposed position with respect to the first pair of clamping arms, a support rail for supporting the lenses mounted on the central body and a spring for biasing the central regions of the first and second pair of clamping arms away from one another and the arm extensions of the first and second clamping arms toward one another for securing the clip-on sun glass assembly with respect to the spectacles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the preparation of alkanoate esters of hydroxybenzenesulfonic acids and salts thereof by the steps of (1) contacting or reacting phenol with an alkanoic acid in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) to produce a aryl alkanoate ester and (2) contacting the reaction mixture of step (1) with a sulfonating agent to convert the aryl alkanoate ester to an alkanoate ester of hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid. The process provides the economic advantage inherent in using the product of esterification of step (1) without Disolation in the sulfonation of step (2).

Abstract: The clip includes a lens carrying member and a spectacle clamping member which are situated on opposite sides of a bifurcated support member. A single simple "c" shaped spring retains the members together, urges the clamping member toward its spectacle clamping position and urges the lens carrying member toward either an operative position, where the sunglass lenses intersect the line of sight, or an inoperative position, where the sunglass lens are remote from the line of sight.