Abstract: A method for monitoring fertility status in a female mammal comprising the steps of placing in the vagina of the female a probe having opposed electrodes, orienting the probe so that at least one of the electrodes is touching the cervix of the female, measuring across the electrodes at least one physical parameter indicative of the phase of the female fertility cycle, and comparing the value of the parameter with a reference; a probe useful in practicing this method comprises an elongated body having an insertion end, two electrodes attached to said body at the insertion end, and orienting means for orienting the body so that at least one of the electrodes touches the cervix of the female.

Abstract: Methods and associated structures for rapidly processing messages in a distributed computing application. Rules are stored in structures defined by the present invention and methods associated therewith rapidly process the boolean predicates of the rules to determine what actions need be taken in the distributed computing environment in response to receipt of a message published by a publishing application in the distributed computing environment. Rules argument tables store rule argument entries which each represent a single boolean predicate test clause which compare a column (field) of a published message with either a fixed value or with another column of a published message. All rule argument predicate clauses which are AND'ed to form a rule are related in the rules argument tables by a common rule.sub.-- id column value. An operations table stores entries each of which describes groups of attributes of rules stored in the rules argument tables.

Abstract: A method and device indirectly monitors the purity of nitrogen gas manufactured from air using a permeable membrane to separate air components. A gas flow measuring device inserted in gas conduits downstream from the membrane monitors nitrogen gas purity by measuring normal flow and detects deviation from desired purity levels by changing gas flow caused by manufacturing apparatus malfunctions.