Abstract: An instrument with a covered bore for subcutaneous implantation is provided. An incising body defines a non-circular coaxial bore and includes a sharpened cutting edge that extends from a bottom distal end beyond the opening of the coaxial bore and an attachment point at a top distal end. A plunger is non-fixedly contained within the coaxial bore and slides longitudinally therein. A cover is pivotally attached at the attachment point and extends down to the bottom distal end and, when closed, the cover encloses the opening proximal to the cutting edge.

Abstract: A portable digital media player and method for providing convenient music discovery are presented. Music is maintained and includes a multiplicity of music stored in digital media form on a portable digital media player. A music recommendation is displayed to a recipient. A message included is processed for information to describe the music recommended, to identify the recommender, to capture a context of the recommendation, and to specify a rating for the music recommended. At least part of the information is integrated into a display of the music on the portable digital media player. The information is displayed to the recipient as integrated. Action upon the music recommended is facilitated through one or more of playback and addition of the music to the music on the portable digital media player through an external source.

Abstract: A system and method for analyzing agent interactions is provided. An interaction between an agent and a business is provided to analysts. Performance scores for the interaction are received from each of the analysts and compared. A deviation between the performance score is determined. The deviation is compared to a threshold. Further interactions are provided to at least one of the analysts when the deviation falls below the threshold. A further performance score for the interaction is received from the analyst and provided to the agent associated with the interaction.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for flexibly taking actions in response to detected activities is provided. A trigger in a computing environment is defined and includes at least one of specifying one or more documents, persons, key words, times, and projects associable with the activities of at least one user, and defining one or more actions associable with the activities of at least one such user. At least one of activities, events, and stimuli occurring within the computing environment is monitored in relation to the documents, persons, key words, times, and projects, and to the activities. Action is taken within the computing environment upon activation of the trigger by the at least one activity, event, and stimuli.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for estimating photovoltaic power generation for use in photovoltaic fleet operation is provided. A set of sky clearness indexes is generated as a ratio of each irradiance observation in a set of irradiance observations that has been regularly measured for a plurality of locations, which are each within a geographic region suitable for operation of a photovoltaic fleet, and clear sky irradiance. A time series of the set of the sky clearness indexes is formed for all of the locations within the geographic region. Fleet irradiance statistics for the photovoltaic fleet are generated through statistical evaluation of the time series of the set of the sky clearness indexes. Power statistics for the photovoltaic fleet are built as a function of the fleet irradiance statistics and an overall power rating of the photovoltaic fleet.

Abstract: A blood glucose sampling device is provided. The blood glucose sampling device includes a sensor cartridge having a plurality of blades oriented in a common direction of rotation about a central point. Each blade includes a test strip having a test region defined radially from the central point at a proximal end and a capillary aligned with a distal end of the test region and extending to an outer edge of the blade. Each blade also includes a cleaning element positioned adjacent to the test strip. A lancet is affixed to a lancet cartridge and aligned with the capillary formed in the test strip. A housing removably encloses the cartridges and includes an outer grip that surrounds a circumference of the housing and is shaped to fit between a thumb and finger. A test passage formed in the outer grip through which the test strip and lancet are positioned.

Abstract: A system and method for determining an optimal backbone for a robotic relay network are provided. A robotic relay network comprising a plurality of nodes including a base station node, one or more mobile relay nodes, and one or more user nodes is provided. A signal strength value for each pair-wise communication link between each of the nodes is identified. A weight function is applied to each communication link value to determine a communication link weight. An optimal backbone tree is determined from the communication link weights.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for correlating satellite imagery for use in photovoltaic fleet output estimation is provided. Pixels in satellite imagery data of overhead sky clearness is correlated to a bounded area within a geographic region. Each pixel represents collective irradiance that is converted into point clearness indexes for the points within the bounded area relative to clear sky irradiance. The point clearness indexes in the point clearness indexes are averaged for the points within the bounded area into an area clearness index. A variance of the area clearness index is determined in proportion to a physical area covered by each pixel. For each point, a variance of the point clearness index is determined as a ratio of the area clearness index variance and the physical area relative to the point clearness index, regional cloud speed, and a time interval relating to a time resolution of collective irradiance observation.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for correlating overhead sky clearness for use in photovoltaic fleet output estimation is provided. A temporal distance that includes a physical distance between two locations, which are each within a geographic region suitable for operation of a photovoltaic fleet, is determined in proportion to cloud speed within the geographic region. A set of input sky clearness indexes is generated as a ratio of each irradiance observation in a set of irradiance observations that has been regularly measured for one of the locations within the geographic region, and clear sky irradiance. A clearness index correlation coefficient between the two locations is determined as an empirically-derived function of the temporal distance. The set of input sky clearness indexes is weighted by the clearness index correlation coefficient to form a set of output sky clearness indexes, which indicates the sky clearness for the other of the locations.

Abstract: An instrument with a two-part plunger for subcutaneous implantation is provided. An incising body defines a non-circular coaxial bore and includes a cutting edge formed on a distal end. A two-part plunger is non-fixedly contained within the coaxial bore and includes a tongue blade assembly and a plunger assembly. The tongue blade assembly is provided on a bottom surface of the coaxial bore and includes a tongue blade shaft and a thin tongue blade with a sharpened clearing edge on a distal end. The tongue blade assembly has a length exceeding the coaxial bore. The plunger assembly has a length exceeding the coaxial bore and includes a plunger shaft and a plunger affixed on a distal end. The plunger is slidably positioned on a top surface of the tongue blade.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for facilitating conversation within a group through heterogeneous message delivery is provided. A conversation thread including messages shared by recipients collectively formed into a group is identified. The messages from one recipient are queued in an intermediate format pending delivery through type-specific message interfaces to the other recipients. A message type corresponding to each other recipient is determined. An identifier is formatted and each message's content is structured from the intermediate format into the message type for the other recipients. The delivery of each message within the group is managed. First, the message is sent to the other recipients via the message interface corresponding to the message type of the other recipient. The delivery of the message is tracked by monitoring an acknowledgement of a receipt of the message. Last, an alternate message type is selected upon non-acknowledgment of message receipt by the other recipient.

Abstract: A system and method for generating cluster spines is provided. Clusters of documents are maintained. Each document is associated with a document concept that is formed from one or more terms extracted from that document. At least one cluster concept is determined for each cluster. The document concepts are ranked and at least one of the document concepts that is highly ranked is selected as the cluster concept. One or more spines are formed. Each spine includes two or more clusters that share at least one of the cluster concepts. The shared cluster concept is identified as a spine concept. One or more of the remaining clusters is assigned to the spines based on a similarity between the cluster concepts for the remaining clusters and the spine concepts for the formed spines.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for providing context-sensitive sidebar window display on an electronic desktop is provided. A document that includes digital data is maintained in electronic storage. The document is operated upon through an application window generated by an application program on an electronic desktop. A sidebar window is initially generated. Contextual information relevant to the document is determined. Part of the contextual information to present is selected based on a current state of the document in the application window. The selected part of the contextual information is presented in the sidebar window positioned visually adjacent to the application window. The contextual information presented in and the positioning of the sidebar window is continually updated in step with the current state of the document and the application window.

Abstract: A system and method for retaining calls info a call center is provided. A multiplicity of calls is received into a call center. The nature of each call is determined and the calls are temporarily saved. One or more of the saved calls is retained by performing a plurality of evaluations against criteria. The saved calls that are not retained are discarded. Each of the saved calls retained are stored as a recording identified by the nature of each call.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating portfolio risk using an infinitely divisible distribution is provided. A time series comprising a plurality of risk factors applicable over at least one time horizon, a portfolio comprising a plurality of financial assets, and one or more risk adjusted return points for the financial assets are stored. The financial assets are associated with the risk factors. The parameters of one or more risk factors such as financial returns series are estimated based on an infinitely divisible tempered stable distribution model exhibiting leptokurtic behavior. Scenarios are generated for the model. One of Value at Risk, Average Value at Risk, and their derivatives are then determined.

Abstract: Systems and methods for semantic search are provided. A corpus of information grouped into passages are indexed by semantic key terms generated from packed knowledge representations that document the semantic relationships of information within those passages. When a search is conducted, a query is similarly transformed into a packed knowledge representation that documents the semantic relationships from which semantic key terms are also generated. An inverted index relating the semantic key terms associated to the passages is searched using the semantic key terms generated from the query. A set of candidate passages is selected and refined by analysis of the semantic key terms and other information. The semantic representations associated with the set of candidate passages are then matched to the semantic representation of the query to determine a search result set.

Abstract: A system and method for propagating classification decisions is provided. Text marked within one or more unclassified documents that is determined to be responsive to a predetermined issue is received from a user. The unclassified documents are selected from a corpus. A search query is generated from the responsive text. Same result documents are identified by applying inclusive search parameters to the query, applying the search query to the corpus, and identifying the documents that satisfy the query. Similar result documents are identified by adjusting a breadth of the query by applying less inclusive search parameters and identifying documents from the corpus that satisfy the query. A responsive classification code is automatically assigned to each same result document for classification as responsive documents. The similar documents are provided to the user. A responsive classification decision is received from the user for classification as the responsive documents.

Abstract: A microcontrolled electrocardiographic monitoring circuit with feedback control is provided. An input signal path includes an electrode, a low pass filter, and an amplifier connected in-line. The electrode senses an input signal and the amplifier outputs a filtered amplified output signal. A microcontroller circuit includes an input codec, analog-to-digital converter, and feedback generation module. The analog-to-digital converter converts the filtered amplified output signal into a data stream of discrete digital values. The feedback module identifies a pairing of drive resistor settings matched to each discrete digital value, which are output as a digital feedback signal. The output signal path includes an electrode and a buffer connected in-line. A pair of drive resistors is connected in parallel to an input terminal of the buffer and to the output terminals of the feedback module. Each drive resistor is adjusted according to the digital feedback signal, and the electrode provides an output signal.

Abstract: A system and method for identifying users relevant to a topic of interest is provided. A query comprising one or more topics is executed against a corpus of messages. Voting users associated with the messages matching the query are identified. A set of candidate users comprising users connected to the voting users is generated. A relevancy score is computed for each candidate user. The candidate users are ranked by their respective relevancy score.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture therefor, are disclosed for annotating documents in a viewer. In one embodiment, the method includes: associating the document with a user; identifying one or more sub-document elements in the document; augmenting the document by making words within the document selectable; displaying the augmented document in the viewer; and responsive to each user input selecting a word in the document displayed in the viewer, further augmenting the document displayed in the viewer by inserting the selected word following the sub-document element from which the word was selected.