Abstract: A device is disclosed to improve the accuracy of a sport participant in the kicking or handling of a ball. A first version includes a ball attached by a tether to a vertical pole. The pole and tether limit the ball's freedom and allows the ball to rotate about the pole and return to a trainee after being struck by the trainee. A second version provides a frame mounted on the pole whereby the tether is attached to a top section of the pole. A third version includes a frame that rotates about the pole and may accept a plurality of tether attachments. Another version includes a single or double loop attached to the ball through which the tether extends. Yet another version includes a harness that encircles a ball. The ball may be a soccer ball, a baseball, a volleyball, an American football, a medicine ball or a basketball.

Abstract: A device for collecting and packaging solid waste or toxic material is provided. A first arm and a second arm are coupled with a lever, wherein at least one arm is slidably coupled with the lever. A bag may be positioned in an open position when the first arm is located distally from the second arm, and the bag may be closed by an operator manipulating the arms towards each other. The device may include a motor and/or a spring or springs to drive the arms towards or away from each other. A plate, a pole and/or a handle may be coupled with the arms. The plate may be positioned relative to the arms to stabilize the waste or toxic material for insertion into the bag. The bag may include an adhesive, paper, plastic, recycled plastic and/or cellulose.

Abstract: A folding presentation pad easel, particularly suited for a classroom or teaching environment, utilizes a support spine and a leg element with additional legs to form a rigid triangular base, a supporting column, and a telescopic support, with pivotal supports therebetween. Superior stability is provided as well as a minimum required floor space to the rear of the easel, a feature which is particularly desirable in a classroom. When the easel is folded it has a set of wheels and a handle in which can be used for mobility.

Abstract: A method and device for securely anchoring a plant protection structure is provided wherein a support system includes an anchoring post and a support section. The anchoring post presents a post section and an anchor section, wherein each anchor section is configured to angle away from the longitudinal axis as the anchoring post receives a force that drives the anchor section into the ground. The anchoring post is topped by a support module that may include one or more arms that support and/or help protect at least a portion of a plant or object. The arms are configurable to enable the device to help secure or protect plants or objects in a variety of embodiments as best suited to the needs of the object. The anchoring post may include solid or hollow continuous elongate elements that form both the post section and the anchor section.

Abstract: A method, system and computer-readable media for enabling a user of a computer to initiate a defragmentation process of a hard disc of a hard disc drive are provided. One version of the method includes (a.) presenting an icon identifying a defragmentation process, the presentation comprised within a desktop startup display of a computer; and (b.) in response to only a single action performed by a user, directing the computer to execute the defragmentation process. The single action may be a depression of, i.e., a clicking, a button of a computer mouse, a pointing device, or a television remote control, or of a key on a key pad of a computer. The computer may be a personal computer, a wireless telephone, a computer game console, a digital television, or a personal digital assistant.

Abstract: A method and device for supporting a sheet of material is provided optionally for plant support and/or protection. A fencing device includes a rigid post and two or more flexible arms. A shading material, or a protective barrier material, such as a wire mesh, a plastic netting or a deer netting material, or a solar energy collection panel may be attached to distal ends of the flexible arms and may extend for seven feet or more from a ground plane to a top height of flexible arms above the ground plane. Flags may extend vertically above the barrier material to further discourage intrusion by animals. Horizontal lines may be extended from a plurality of fencing posts to even further discourage intrusion by animals and/or to support the barrier material. A trellising device may be coupled with and above another trellising device to provide layers of shading and plant support.

Abstract: A method and device for supporting a string and/or a sheet of material, such as a rope, a length of twine, a trellis netting or a barrier material is provided. A ground anchored device includes a rigid post and two or more flexible arms. The arms may be configured to support two or more sheets of material, wherein the sheets of material may further support plant growth. Alternately or additionally, one or more arms may be positioned to maintain string optionally bearing flags and/or barrier material to further discourage intrusion by animals. Horizontal lines may be extended from a plurality of devices to even further discourage intrusion by animals and/or to support the barrier material.

Abstract: A device for protecting the skin of an animal from damage, abrasion and/or moisture is provided. A first version includes an elastic portion band attached to a protective sheet. The elastic band in combination with the protective sheet encircles an animal limb above a hock. The elastic band is optionally detachably attachable to the protective sheet by means of a hook and loop fastener, a zipper assembly, a button and buttonhole combination, or other detachable attachment means. A moisture absorbent material may be attached to and disposed between the protective sheet and the animal limb. The absorbent material may be a wicking material, such as a moisture wicking fleece. The protective sheet may be asymmetric as positioned about a sagittal plane central to the hock. The protective sheet may be partially curved to form a cup shape for at least partially enclosing the hock.

Abstract: A method for bi-directional data replication between a Web Service application and a relational database are provided. Techniques of Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) and Extract Transform Load (ETL) technology are employed to create a relational database schema, load the schema, synchronize the structure and the content of the schema, and replicate changes in the content of the schema to the web services application. Optional advanced techniques to support reporting, legacy data migration, and integration with other applications are also provided.

Abstract: A flip-chart comprising at least two sheets bound by a linear attachment spine. The spine is positioned at a substantially vertical angle. The sheets are releasably securable to the spine and to optionally to a chart cover by means of support pegs. The sheets are adapted for writing on both sides thereon, and each sheet is removable from the pad.

Abstract: A method and computer-readable media for managing software object handles in a dual threaded or multi-threaded environment are provided. In a first version a software driven computational process drives a first thread, while a garbage collector process drives a second active computational thread within a host computer. The software driven computational process generates persistent software objects that are temporarily stored in a memory of the host. Each handle may include an object identifier of the handle itself, an open/closed flag and a pointer to a unique persistent object. The open/closed flag indicates whether the persistent object associated with a handle shall remain open and accessible for processing or may be selected for closure by the garbage collector process. A plurality of handle wrappers are each associated in a one-to-one correspondence with a unique handle.

Abstract: A method, system and computer-readable medium are provided for enabling the organization, presentation and selection of icons related to information technology processes. In a first version, icons related to individual information technology processes are associated with an enclosing icon displayed by a computer. The user may direct the computer to display or cease displaying the icons by selecting the enclosing icon. In a second version the enclosing icon may be associated with another enclosing icon, wherein icons are organized into a presentation hierarchy. In a third version, the icons may be personalized by associating textual, graphical and/or photographic data as provided by the user.

Abstract: A garment for securing and storing bodily fluid drainage reservoirs and other fluid reservoirs. The garment comprises a loose-fitting body with at least one small aperture for receiving drainage tubing and at least one pocket cloth partly fixed to the body of the garment and partly detachably coupled to the body of the garment which allows for the easy storage and removal of the fluid drainage reservoir. The pocket cloth allows for the continuing support of the drainage reservoir as the drainage reservoir becomes heavier e.g. about 1 kilogram, due to the collection of fluid draining from the patient into the drainage reservoir. The secure storage of the drainage reservoir enables the wearer to move without worry of the drainage reservoir coming loose, losing fluid, or being exposed to a non-sterile environment external to the pocket cloth. The garment may be configured for wear by male and female children and adults.

Abstract: A protective cover for an automobile or truck motor protective hood is provided. The cover may be a blanket that is attractive to animals, such as cats, and be pleasant to rest on, paw and chew. The cover may be shaped in a square, a rectangle, a circle, or in an outline of a cartoon character or a team or corporate logo. An image, picture, photo, signage or a logo may be visibly displayed on at least one side of the fabric. The cover may have a pillow section.

Abstract: A method and device for use in plyometric muscular training is provided. In a first version, a rigid frame is provided having a trainee's position, a pair of cables and a weighted bar. The cables are positioned between the trainee's position and the bar. Each cable is attached at an upper location and a forward location of the frame. The cables partially constrain the movement of the bar and restrain the bar from striking sections of the trainee's body. The trainee may explosively push or throw the bar away from the trainee's position and towards the cable attachment locations, wherein the bar is released from the trainee's grasp. The return pathway of the bar is determined by the force of gravity, the force provided by the trainee and the constraints of the cables. The cables reduce the risk of injury to the trainee.

Abstract: A system, computer-readable media and method for backup one or more databases and restoring one or more databases using incremental backups are provided. Persistent collection objects are generated in the process of performing a database backup. A collection objects may order records, e.g., objects, in relation to and within pluralities of records. These pluralities of records may be referred to, or organized as, pages or containers of pages, comprising software objects. The persistent database backup collection object may include a time and date of a generation of an incremental backup database by a distinguishable and specific database archiving process (“backup event”), an event number of an incremental backup generation, one or more database identifiers, one or more container identifiers, and/or identifiers of individual records, e.g., object identifiers.

Abstract: A device for collecting and packaging solid waste or toxic material is provided. A first arm and a second arm are coupled with a lever, wherein at least one arm is slidably coupled with the lever. A bag may be positioned in an open position when the first arm is located distally from the second arm, and the bag may be closed by an operator manipulating the arms towards each other. The device may include a motor or a spring or springs to drive the arms towards or away from each other. A plate, a pole and a handle may be coupled with the arms. The plate may be positioned relative to the arms to stabilize the waste or toxic material for insertion into the bag. The bag may include an adhesive, paper, plastic, recycled plastic, cellulose in combination or singularity.

Abstract: A general purpose computing system comprises a novel apparatus and method for data processing. The computing system design of one application of the present invention includes an instruction pipe having a decompression circuit, a reprogrammable logic unit and a data bus. Instructions and data may be accessed via a shared bus or via a separate instruction bus and data bus. The decompression circuit accepts compressed instructions and memory management directives from the instruction bus, decompresses each instruction, and transmits the decompressed instruction to the reprogrammable logic unit. A software compiler is provided that accepts high level programming language source code and creates instructions that are coded for acceptance and execution by the reprogrammable logic unit.

Abstract: A system, method and computer-readable media are provided for repairing corrupted data related to a software database. An electronic information technology system includes (1.) a logical page index; (2.) a free page map; and (3.) a computer-readable medium. The logical page index includes a plurality of logical page index pairs, each logical page index pair having a logical page number and a physical page location address of the computer-readable medium that reference a same record. The database system also includes a means to detect a logical page index pair having a logical page number and a physical page location that are not referencing a same record, and another means to search for a free page map entry that references the physical page address of the record referenced by the logical page index pair.