Abstract: A flexible pneumostoma management device maintains the patency of a pneumostoma while controlling the flow of material through the pneumostoma. The pneumostoma management device includes a pneumostoma vent having a tube which enters the pneumostoma to allow gases to escape the lung, a flange and a filter/valve to control flow of materials through the tube. The flange is a thin flexible patch comprises of multiple thin layers of materials and which conforms and attaches to the chest of the patient. The flange includes a filter, a protective outer layer and an inner hydrocolloid layer. The flange secures the tube in position in the pneumostoma. An indicator responsive to gases exiting the pneumostoma is integrated into the device and provides and external indicia of the patency and efficacy of the pneumostoma.

Abstract: A flexible pneumostoma management device maintains the patency of a pneumostoma while controlling the flow of material through the pneumostoma. The pneumostoma management device includes a pneumostoma vent having a tube which enters the pneumostoma to allow gases to escape the lung, a flange and a filter/valve to control flow of materials through the tube. The flange is a thin flexible patch which conforms and attaches to the chest of the patient. The flange secures the tube in position in the pneumostoma. The device has features to control secretions from the pneumostoma. The secretion management features include, ridges, pores, absorbent materials, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A pneumostoma management system includes a pneumostoma management device for maintaining the patency of a pneumostoma while controlling the flow of material through the pneumostoma and a pneumostoma aspirator for pneumostoma care. The pneumostoma aspirator includes a bulb or syringe for applying positive or negative pressure, a tube for entering the pneumostoma and a limiting device for limiting the depth of insertion of the tube into a pneumostoma. The pneumostoma aspirator may also be used to introduce irrigation fluid into the pneumostoma and/or remove irrigation fluid and discharge from the pneumostoma.

Abstract: A software-based distributed architecture allows rapid provisioning and flexible management of fault-tolerant call centers for interaction between companies' agents and outside customers via multi-media messages, using both real time and non-real time messages. The real time messages include web-based chat, forms and applications sharing, PSTN calls, and incoming and outgoing Voice over IP calls. The non-real time messages include web call-back requests, voice messages, fax messages, and email messages. The architecture provides for sharing of non-dedicated resources among multiple companies, mirrored hot backup, dynamic resource provisioning and allocation, dynamic load balancing, and implementation of service controls on individual companies in accordance with subscription service limits.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for enabling binary object attachment support in a short messaging service (SMS). More specifically, a binary SMS exposure service is described that allows for sending any generic binary content via SMS to the telecom network. The binary SMS exposure service includes an application-facing web services interface and a network-specific protocol interface. The binary attachment sent via SMS can represent any object, such as an electronic business card, an encrypted token, and the like. Applications are enabled to poll for the delivery status of a message sent using the exposure service, as well as receive asynchronous notifications for messages that have been sent. In addition, a specific use case is described wherein an encrypted binary object attachment is transmitted via SMS to an automobile in order to perform a specified function thereon.

Abstract: A pneumostoma management device for maintaining the patency of a pneumostoma while controlling the flow of gases and discharge through the pneumostoma. The pneumostoma management device includes a bulb connected to a tube which enters the pneumostoma. A flow control device regulates air flow in and out of the pneumostoma via the tube. A hydrophobic filter traps discharge in the bulb while allowing gases to escape.

Abstract: A light emitting device comprises: an excitation source (LED) operable to generate excitation light of a first wavelength range and a phosphor (photo-luminescent) material configured to absorb at least a part of the excitation radiation and to emit light of a second wavelength range. Light emitted by the device comprises the combined light of the first and second wavelength ranges. The device is characterized by at least the light emitting surface of the excitation source being coated (encapsulated) with an encapsulating material which is transparent to light of the first and second wavelength ranges and which incorporates particles of a thermally conducting material (thermal conductivity ?100 Wm?1K?1, e.g. silver, aluminum or carbon nano-particles) distributed throughout its volume. The phosphor material can be provided on a surface of the encapsulating material, incorporated in the encapsulating material and/or applied to the surface of, or incorporated, in an optical component such as a lens.

Abstract: A dynamic bone anchor for anchoring a spine stabilization assembly which supports the spine while providing for the preservation of spinal motion. The dynamic bone anchor provides load sharing while preserving range of motion and reducing stress exerted upon the bone anchors and spinal anatomy. The dynamic bone anchor includes a deflectable post connected by a ball-joint to a threaded anchor. Deflection of the deflectable post is controlled by a compliant ring. The force/deflection properties of the dynamic bone anchor may be adapted to the anatomy and functional requirements of the patient. The dynamic bone anchor may be used as a component of a dynamic stabilization system which supports the spine while providing for the preservation of spinal motion.

Abstract: A device for protecting a shoulder when an object is carried thereon comprises a top layer as well as a bottom layer. The bottom layer comprises a resilient material. The top layer and bottom layer are attached to one another. The top layer comprises rubber, such as styrene butadiene rubber (SBR). The bottom layer comprises at least one recess which exposes the underside of the rubber top layer. A hook and loop fastener is attached to the rubber top layer in said recess. The hook and loop fastener forms a transversely extending loop into which a shoulder strap can be introduced. This device can be used with a safety harness, which is provided with two shoulder straps and two leg straps, or with a pair of dungarees or another garment.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for representing data in a hierarchy using a deterministic skip list data structure. In embodiments, a profile or profiles may be represented using a multi-level, time-based hierarchy using a deterministic skip list data structure comprised of nodes of local data values.

Abstract: A system for hanging multiple pictures, photographs, picture frames, or other objects, collectively referred to herein as pictures, in a collage, using a regularly-spaced grid of pegs or other supports that are attached to a wall. Each picture includes one or more sockets, generally along the top of the picture, or one or more of its edges, although in some embodiments a picture can include sockets located elsewhere on the picture. A picture can be attached to the grid by placing it on the grid so that its sockets are supported by the pegs. In accordance with an embodiment, to add a picture to the wall, a user places the top edge of the picture over the grid until its sockets fit around the pegs, and then allows the picture to swing into the wall until it rests against the wall or other supports. To remove the picture, the user gently lifts the picture off the pegs and removes it from the wall. This process can be repeated with multiple pictures to create or change a wall-mounted collage.

Abstract: A communication system is provided that enables a node to be identified by a controller. To establish a communication link from the node an alignment signal is received from the controller. Upon receiving the controller alignment information, the node sends a response including information the node randomly generated. The controller then responds by sending back at least a portion of the information the node randomly generated indicating that the node has been recognized by the controller.

Abstract: A dynamic bone anchor for anchoring a spine stabilization assembly which supports the spine while providing for the preservation of spinal motion. The dynamic bone anchor provides load sharing while preserving range of motion and reducing stress exerted upon the bone anchors and spinal anatomy. The dynamic bone anchor includes a deflectable post connected by a ball-joint to a threaded anchor. Deflection of the deflectable post is controlled by a compliant sleeve. The force/deflection properties of the dynamic bone anchor may be adapted to the anatomy and functional requirements of the patient. The dynamic bone anchor may be used as a component of a dynamic stabilization system which supports the spine while providing for the preservation of spinal motion.

Abstract: A special purpose processor (SPP) can use a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) to model a large number of neural elements. The FPGAs or similar programmable device can have multiple cores doing presynaptic, postsynaptic, and plasticity calculations in parallel. Each core can implement multiple neural elements of the neural model.

Abstract: A system uses a transaction manager for supporting resource enlistment synchronization on an application server with a plurality of threads. This system also includes a plurality of wrapper objects, each of which wrapper object wraps a resource object associated with the application server. Upon receiving a request from a thread to enlist a resource object in a transaction, the transaction manager first checks with a wrapper object that wraps the resource object to see if there is a lock being held on the resource object by another said thread in another said transaction. If there is a lock, the transaction manager allows the thread to wait and signal the thread once the lock is freed by another said thread in another said transaction. Otherwise, the transaction manager grants a lock to the thread and holds the lock until an owner of the thread delists the resource object.

Abstract: A long term oxygen therapy system having an oxygen supply directly linked with a patient's lung or lungs may be utilized to more efficiently treat hypoxia caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The system includes an oxygen source, one or more valves and fluid carrying conduits. The fluid carrying conduits link the oxygen source to diseased sites within the patient's lungs. A collateral ventilation bypass trap system directly linked with a patient's lung or lungs may be utilized to increase the expiratory flow from the diseased lung or lungs, thereby treating another aspect of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The system includes a trap, a filter/one-way valve and an air carrying conduit. In various embodiments, the system may be intrathoracic, extrathoracic or a combination thereof. A pulmonary decompression device may also be utilized to remove trapped air in the lung or lungs, thereby reducing the volume of diseased lung tissue.

Abstract: A business intelligence (BI) server and repository are described which support a set of hierarchical relationships among the data. The BI server receives user input specifying a set of parent-child or other ancestral relationship among a set of data in a data source. The BI server generates a set of SQL queries and executes the queries to pre-populate a set of tables which specify the parent child relationships among the data in the data source. One such table is a parent-child relationship closure table that defines the inter-member relationships among the data members. Once the tables are populated, the BI server uses the closure tables to answer queries that require knowledge of the ancestral relationships among data.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for encoding a data matrix having at least a first component and a second component is provided wherein the value of the first component is determined, the number of bits to be used for encoding the second component is selected based on the value of the first component, the second component is encoded using the selected number of bits, and the first component is encoded.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system can support mutable object handling. The system comprises a cache space that is capable of storing one or more mutable cache objects, and one or more cached object graphs. Each said mutable cache object is reachable via one or more retrieval paths in the one or more cached object graph. The system further comprises a mutable-handling decorator that maintains an internal instance map that transparently translates between the one or more cached object graphs and the one or more mutable cache objects stored in the cache space.

Abstract: A dynamic stabilization, motion preservation spinal implant system includes an anchor system, a horizontal rod system and a vertical rod system. The systems are modular so that various constructs and configurations can be created and customized to a patient.