Abstract: A system and method for facilitating cognitive processing of simultaneous remote voice conversations is provided. A plurality of remote voice conversations participated in by distributed participants are provided over a shared communication channel. A main conversation between at least two of the distributed participants and one or more subconversations between at least two other of the distributed participants are identified from within the remote voice conversations. Segments of interest to one of the distributed participants are defined including a conversation excerpt having a lower attention activation threshold for the one distributed participant. Each of the subconversations is parsed into conversation excerpts. The conversation excerpts are compared to the segments of interest. One or more gaps between conversation flow in the main conversation are predicted.

Abstract: A system and method for identifying audio command prompts for use in a voice response environment is provided. A signature is generated for audio samples each having preceding audio, reference phrase audio, and trailing audio segments. The trailing segment is removed and each of the preceding and reference phrase segments are divided into buffers. The buffers are transformed into discrete fourier transform buffers. One of the discrete fourier transform buffers from the reference phrase segment that is dissimilar to each of the discrete fourier transform buffers from the preceding segment is selected as the signature. Audio command prompts are processed to generate a discrete fourier transform. Each discrete fourier transform for the audio command prompts is compared with each of the signatures and a correlation value is determined. One such audio command prompt matches one such signature when the correlation value for that audio command prompt satisfies a threshold.

Abstract: A method for constructing an instrument with a two-part plunger for subcutaneous implantation is provided. An incising body is formed by defining a non-circular coaxial bore and sharpening a distal bottom edge. A two-part plunger including a tongue blade assembly and a plunger assembly is constructed. The tongue blade assembly is constructed by sharpening a beveled end of a flat thin tongue blade and by affixing a straight tongue blade shaft to an end of the tongue blade opposite the beveled end. The tongue blade assembly has a length exceeding the coaxial bore. The plunger assembly is constructed by affixing a plunger to a plunger shaft on a distal end. The plunger assembly has a length exceeding the coaxial bore and is oriented adjacent to the tongue blade assembly. The two-part plunger is inserted through an end of the incising body.

Abstract: Methods and systems for the generation of computer readable indexes or other ordered lists are provided. A corpus of electronic documents or other electronic information is parsed into postings that include key and reference pairs. An inversion buffer in memory is explicitly or implicitly formatted to receive the postings in a predetermined order by key. Each key is assigned a space in the inversion buffer that is subsequently filled with references associated with the key during an inversion method. In an embodiment, an index file is generated directly from the inversion buffer, or in the case of large inversions, from a plurality of inversion buffer segments.

Abstract: A system and method for managing user attention by detecting hot topics in social indexes is provided. Articles of digital information and at least one social index are maintained. The social index includes topics that each relate to one or more of the articles. Topic models matched to the digital information are retrieved for each topic. The articles are classified under the topics using the topic models. Each of the topics in the social index is evaluated for hotness. A plurality of time periods projected from the present is defined. Counts of the articles appearing under each time period are evaluated. The topics exhibiting a rising curve in the count of the articles that increases with recency during the time periods are chosen. Quality of the articles within the topics chosen is analyzed. The topics including the articles having acceptable quality are presented.

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently transcribing verbal messages transmitted over the Internet (or other network) into text. The verbal messages are initially checked to ensure that they are in a valid format and include a return network address, and if so, are processed either as whole verbal messages or split into segments. These whole verbal messages and segments are processed by an automated speech recognition (ASR) program, which produces automatically recognized text. The automatically recognized text messages or segments are assigned to selected workbenches for manual editing and transcription, producing edited text. The segments of edited text are reassembled to produce whole edited text messages, undergo post processing to correct minor errors and output as an email, an SMS message, a file, or an input to a program. The automatically recognized text and manual edits thereof are returned as feedback to the ASR program to improve its accuracy.

Abstract: A microcontrolled electrocardiographic monitoring circuit with differential voltage encoding is provided. An input signal path includes an electrode, a low pass filter, and an amplifier, which are each connected in-line. The electrode senses an input signal via a conductive surface and the amplifier outputs a filtered amplified output signal. A microcontroller circuit includes an input codec, an analog-to-digital converter, and an encoder. The analog-to-digital converter is connected to the input signal path through an output of the amplifier and converts the filtered amplified output signal into a data stream of discrete digital values. The encoder determines a differential voltage between a current discrete digital value and a prior discrete digital value in the data stream. Persistent memory is connected to the microcontroller circuit via a peripheral serial interface bus, wherein the differential voltages for each of the discrete digital values in the data stream are stored into the persistent memory.

Abstract: A system and method for generating graphical representations of message-related relationships is provided. Messages exchanged between at least two entities are analyzed. Data elements are extracted from the messages. Concepts are identified based on the extracted data elements. A social network is created based on the exchanged messages. Each entity is represented by a node. One or more links are created between at least two of the nodes. Each link represents the messages exchanged between the entities represented by the at least two nodes. A representation of the social network is provided. The concepts associated with the exchanged messages are displayed with the social network.

Abstract: A server system maintains records and their associated attributes in a secure database. A plurality of queries generated by encrypting indices identifying a records and their associated attributes, by homomorphic encryption is received from a client system. A secret key is generated at a certain query count and is divided into randomly generated key shares. A key share sequence is homomorphically encrypted. A table is formed by encrypting the indices, secret key and attributes. Query responses, which each comprise the attributes for each of the records of the table of entries are provided. The key shares are decrypted sufficient to recover the secret key subject to a non-inference enabling query.

Abstract: A capacitive sensor for measuring flow parameters of a two-phase flow, a device for measuring phase concentration of a two-phase flow, and a system and method for measuring flow parameters of a two-phase flow is disclosed. In the capacitive sensor, at least one pair of electrodes is twisted by 180° in a common direction into a spiral shape. Edge guard electrodes are twisted in the common direction and are formed between adjacent electrode edges. Problems of non-homogeneous sensitivity distribution of a measuring field and soft field effect can be effectively addressed, thereby allowing reliable and accurate measurement of phase concentration of a two-phase flow. The system for measuring flow parameters of the two-phase flow can output signals with a current of 4˜20 mA to a PLC system or communicate with an industrial process control computer or with a remote control computer system in a operating room.

Abstract: A system and method for prioritizing components is provided. Components, including at least one requester components and at least two service components are maintained. The components each include a historical context and access information. The requester component requests the historical contexts associated with one or more of the service components. The one or more service components are filtered to determine which of the one or more service components are accessible to the requester component using the access information. The accessible service components for the requester component are prioritized based on the associated historical contexts.

Abstract: A secure mailbox for parcels and method of construction thereof are presented. A mail shelf is affixed to an inner surface of a housing. An inner door is pivotably affixed to a bottom surface of the mail shelf and is rotatably movable on a top edge around a sphere of rotation defined by a bottom edge. A mail deposit having an outer door and inner door is constructed. The outer door is pivotably affixed to a front surface of the housing and is rotatably moveable on a bottom edge. The inner panel is affixed to the bottom edge of the outer door and includes a distal edge defining a sphere of rotation which is rotatably distinct from the sphere of rotation for the inner door. At least one connecting member is rotatably attached on one end to the inner door and on the other end to the mail deposit.

Abstract: A system and method for rideshare security is provided. A rideshare participant device is made available to at least one rideshare participant during a rideshare. A security check is triggered while the rideshare is in progress. An action is performed based on the security check. Security information regarding the rideshare participant device is gathered and analyzed for inconsistencies. A security response provider is contacted when the inconsistency is identified.

Abstract: A system and method for using a communication lease to open a communication channel is provided. An initiation terminal transmits a channel initiation request for access to a resource manager through a target terminal. Evaluation of a communication lease controlling access to the resource manager is awaited. Approval of the channel initiation request is received upon the successful evaluation of the communication lease. A communication channel is opened between the initiation terminal and the target terminal upon receipt of the approval.

Abstract: A system and method for providing message-based communications via a centralized voice message server is provided. A plurality of communication devices are interfaced over a data network. A session is initiated upon receipt of a sign-in request from one of the communication devices. An identity of a user associated with that communication device is verified. The user is assigned to at least one discussion group, which includes one or more other signed-in users each associated with an other communication device located at a location removed from the communication device. A voice message is received on a message server from the user. The voice message is encrypted for each of the other signed-in users using keys unique to the other communication devices associated with the other signed-in users. The encrypted voice message is provided from the message server to the other signed-in users.

Abstract: A femoral head surgical resurfacing aid that includes a C-shaped band with an interior surface conformed to fit a femoral neck of a patient is presented. An arch extends from one side of the C-shaped band to the other side of the C-shaped band and further extends over a femoral head of the patient. An alignment tube guide is positioned along the arch and extends outward from the arch.

Abstract: A system and method for interfacing a Web browser widget with social indexing is provided. Electronically-stored articles and a plurality of social indexes that are each associated with a social community are maintained. Each social index includes topics that each relate to at least one such article and a topic model for each topic. A widget remotely executing on a Web browser is interfaced and a request identifying one such social community is accepted. A Web page currently in view on the Web browser is identified and content included in the Web page is obtained. The social index for the social community is obtained. The topic models in the social index are evaluated against the content. Topically-relevant information based on the topics in the social index corresponding to those of the topic models matched to the content is selected. The topically-relevant information is provided to the widget arranged for presentation.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an automated call center inline architecture is provided. A plurality of grammar references and prompts are maintained on a script engine. A call is received through a telephony interface. Audio data is collected using the prompts from the script engine, which are transmitted to the telephony interface via a message server. Distributed speech recognition is performed on a speech server. The grammar references are received from the script engine via the message server. Speech results are determined by applying the grammar references to the audio data. A new grammar is formed from the speech results. Speech recognition results are identified by applying the new grammar to the audio data. The speech recognition results are received as a display on an agent console.

Abstract: A nanostructured composite electrode is provided that includes a pair of conductive metal foils and a multiplicity of ordered nanostructures formed on each conductive metal foil. The ordered nanostructures include functionalized carbon multi-walled nanotubes electrophoretically deposited onto the metal foils. The ordered nanostructures also include synthesized nanoparticles electrophoretically deposited onto each of the carbon multi-walled nanotubes and the metal foils in proportion to the concentration of the carbon multi-walled nanotubes while in a stable colloidal suspension with the synthesized nanoparticles during electrophoretic deposition.

Abstract: A system and method for complex document drafting using an authenticated outline table is provided. A collection of outlines, user authorization lists, and preference lists are maintained. Identification information is received from a user. One of the user authorization lists and one of the preference lists are selected based on the identification information received. The outlines are compared to the user authorization list and those outlines for which the user is not authorized are filtered from use. The outlines are compared to the preference list and those outlines not preferred by the user are filtered from use. The non-filtered outlines are displayed to the user and at least one of the non-filtered outlines is selected based on a request from the user. The selected non-filtered outline is provided to the user in a document.