Abstract: An online application for approving prior authorization requests for prescription drugs. The application is used by pharmacy benefits providers, physicians, and pharmacies to request prior authorizations for drugs and to receive approvals automatically if a requested drug meets authorization criteria. The online application is accessible through a group pharmacy benefits provider portal on a web site. Requests are processed through a pharmacy benefits manager computer that determines whether prior authorization is required and through a pharmacy benefits provider computer when the pharmacy benefits manager computer determines that prior authorization is required. Requests that meet certain authorization criteria are approved automatically. Requests that cannot be approved automatically are submitted for review by a clinical pharmacy review division that access requests through a drug request transaction computer.

Abstract: A method for providing insurance coverage to a subscriber comprises offering an insurance policy to the subscriber wherein the insurance policy comprises providing allowances to pay for one or more expenses covered by the insurance policy and providing monetary credits to the subscriber for any unused portion of a given allowance where the monetary credits can be used to cover the cost of a subsequent allowed expense. The insurance policy may be a pharmacy benefits plan. The covered expenses may be pharmacy expenses. The allowed expenses may be medical expenses which qualify under Section 213 of the US Internal Revenue Code for payment by an employer without the subscriber having to declare the payment as taxable income.

Abstract: A method, and a device that is operable according to the method, for monitoring the condition of a force-measuring device, particularly a weighing device having a movable force-transmitting portion through which a force that is acting on the force-measuring device is transmitted to a measurement transducer that generates a measurement signal corresponding to the applied force, whereupon the signal is brought into the form of a display indication or passed along for further processing. In the method and device of the invention, at least one parameter is determined, which parameter characterizes the free mobility of the force-transmitting portion, or a change in the free mobility of the force-transmitting portion over time. The parameter is then compared to at least one threshold value, and based on the result of the comparison an action of the force-measuring device may be triggered.

Abstract: A mobile client application for managing user interface components. Mobile device screen user interface components are defined using XML documents stored at a server. Each user interface component has associated actions including draw when displayed and drawing aspect when selected. A main canvas is initialized to manage all images, text, and widgets. An XML parser pushes the user interface components to the main canvas as they are parsed and retrieved from the server. Drawing occurs after all components have been parsed and created in the main canvas. The entire canvas is drawn but only a portion of the canvas is displayed at any time. Scrolling of user interface component elements is managed by tracking selected items on the screen, and offsetting the main canvas by the number of pixels required to draw the selected element on the screen.

Abstract: A dispensing head for a powder or paste dosage material has a housing with an outlet opening, a bearing- and passage area, and at least one socket connected to a source container. A feeder chute is formed inside the housing. A closure shaft is in the bearing- and passage area, free to rotate about and to slide along its central longitudinal axis. The closure shaft is connected to a closure element arranged near the outlet opening. Moving the closure shaft in the axial direction controls the volume flow of the dosage material through the outlet opening. A limit stop restricts the displacement of the closure shaft along its central longitudinal axis. In the feeder chute, an opposing stop defines the closed position where the limit stop rests in direct contact against the opposing stop and the outlet opening is closed off by the closure portion of the closure element.

Abstract: An intermittent motion checkweigher for weighing products of interest. The checkweigher includes a product transport wheel having a plurality of product retention pockets, each of which retains one or more products of interest throughout the weighing operation. Products are loaded into a product retention pocket by an in-feed conveyor or similar device, after which the product transport wheel is indexed to advance the products in the product retention pocket toward one or more weighing devices where the products will be weighed while still located in the product retention pocket. After weighing, the products are advanced to a discharge conveyor or similar device by further indexing of the product transport wheel.

Abstract: A fishing lure having a bent half-moon shape body. The top portion of the fishing lure has a plurality of attachments points for hooks and lines and circular stamp resembling an eye. The bottom portion of the fishing lure is angled relative to the top portion.

Abstract: An improved system and method for providing Internet access services to guests of a hotel chain. A web services (WS) framework is used for communications between a central authentication server (CAS) and property management system (PMS) of a hotel within a chain. Authentication of a user to a high speed Internet network is accomplished using the WS framework to facilitate communication between the CAS and PMS. A gateway device for authentication is bypassed and transactions are posted by implementing a WS interface between a CAS and PMS at each hotel. Additional transactions may be incorporated within the WS interface thereby increasing the system and method's ability to deliver significant improvements in customer service to the hotel guest. Reduced dependence upon a gateway device to facilitate communications allows a hotel to implement a high speed Internet access program with a degree of independence from one particular vendor.

Abstract: A system and method for prosthetic/orthotic (PO) device and/or PO system communication. PO devices of the present invention preferably employ common communication modules that allow for wireless communication between PO devices and other devices, such as remote controls and data transfer devices. The present invention also provides for a methodology of determinant and non-interfering simultaneous communication between multiple PO devices of a PO system.

Abstract: A two-dimensional panel, particularly a liquid crystal display device, has a maximum display area with a width of (T×M) addressable channels. The addressable channels are addressed through a plurality of T source channel integrated circuits (ICs), with each source channel IC having M source channels. The number of addressable channels exceeds the number of channels of data in an image display data array having a width of W pixels, each pixel comprising P subpixels in the width dimension. The excess addressable channels are distributed symmetrically across the width dimension of the displayed image. In other embodiments the number of addressable channels is less than the number of channels of data and excess channels of data are excluded symmetrically across the width dimension of the displayed image. Further embodiments distribute excess addressable channels symmetrically across the height dimension or exclude excess channels of data symmetrically across the height dimension.

Abstract: A checkweigher for the in-motion weighing of objects being transported along a conveyor line. A checkweigher of the present invention employs a plurality of scales each having its own set of weighing conveyor elements. For example, a first scale may be associated with a set of lighter weight chains to convey and weigh smaller objects, while a second scale may be associated with a set of heavier weight chains to convey and weigh larger objects. This design essentially allows the incorporation of a lightweight and heavyweight checkweigher within one common checkweigher frame. The problem of noise caused by one set of conveyor elements associated with one scale affecting the accuracy of the other scale(s) is eliminated by locating the conveying surfaces of the conveyor elements associated with the individual scales in different planes. Thus, objects transported by one weighing conveyor exert no load on the conveyor elements of the other weighing conveyor(s).

Abstract: A weighing apparatus having a load receiving element and a plurality of load cells directly or indirectly associated with the load receiving element such that when an object to be weighed is placed on the load receiving element, the weight of the object is unevenly applied to the load cells. The weighing apparatus includes load cells of different capacity based on the uneven loading applied thereto.

Abstract: A device for dispensing a dosage material has a container with an outlet spout and a metering element adjoining the outlet spout. The metering element has an inlet opening on a side facing the container and an outlet opening on a side that faces away from the container. A wall of the metering element extends between the openings. A film material can be inserted into the device which passes at least through the inlet opening and the slot-shaped outlet opening and covers the inside of the wall. The device also has a feature that stretches a portion of a tube section of the film material. This stretching device includes at least two locations for fastening the portion to be stretched, the two locations being arranged on a stretch line that is at an angle to the lengthwise direction of the tube section.

Abstract: A siding-plus-backer paneling unit that may provide a valley in the backer for improved adhesion strength, a ridge on another side of the backer for enabling ventilation, and a recess in an end of the backer for improved mating of adjacent paneling units.

Abstract: A reaction-based process has been developed for the selective removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from a multicomponent gas mixture to provide a gaseous stream depleted in CO2 compared to the inlet CO2 concentration in the stream. The proposed process effects the separation of CO2 from a mixture of gases (such as flue gas/fuel gas) by its reaction with metal oxides (such as calcium oxide). The Calcium based Reaction Separation for CO2 (CaRS—CO2) process consists of contacting a CO2 laden gas with calcium oxide (CaO) in a reactor such that CaO captures the CO2 by the formation of calcium carbonate (CaCOa). Once “spent”, CaCO3 is regenerated by its calcination leading to the formation of fresh CaO sorbent and the evolution of a concentrated stream of CO2. The “regenerated” CaO is then recycled for the further capture of more CO2. This carbonation-calcination cycle forms the basis of the CaRS—CO2 process.

Abstract: Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm) is an important Gram-positive-bacterial pathogen that infects tomato plants causing wilting and cankers and leading to severe economic losses in commercial tomato production worldwide. In order to visualize the infection process of Cmm in germinating seeds, bioluminescent Cmm strains were constructed by transforming the lux reporter gene into the bacterium. A vector pXX2 was constructed by inserting a modified promoterless lux-operon to a Cmm transposon mutagenesis vector, pKGT452C?. After electroporation, pXX2 carrying the Cmxr::luxABCDE::Tn1409 cassette resulted in insertion of lux-operon into the Cmm chromosome. The virulent, stable, constitutively bioluminescent strain BL-Cmm17 was selected for further characterization of growth properties and inoculation on tomato seeds. Using this bioluminescent strain, Cmm colonization dynamics of germinating seeds were monitored in real-time using the in vivo imaging system (IVIS).

Abstract: A backed paneling unit comprised of a backing portion that includes at least one of a depth portion and an elevated portion. An elevated portion and/or a depth portion may be formed using any suitable method including, but not limited to, molding, machining and heat stamping. Optionally, a backing portion may comprise a hydrophobic material. Such features may enable fluid flow (e.g., ventilation or liquid drainage) behind the backing portion.

Abstract: A self-centering drive socket device and associated installation method. The device includes a socket member, coupler and sliding lock body. The sliding lock body is preferably connected to a drive mechanism that provides rotational movement. The device and method allows for the installation of misaligned fasteners by disengaging the sliding lock body from a cavity in the coupler so that the socket member becomes freely angularly displaceable with respect to a central axis of the device.

Abstract: A system and method for speaker configuration in an audio and video housing, wherein the audio and video housing may be supported by stands located on top of a gas pump. The audio and video housing may have an audio and video source, at least one video display, and circuitry to drive the pair of speakers. The speakers may have a covering to provide protection from moisture and foreign particles. The speakers may be positioned to output sound downward directed towards the top of a gas pump. The sound may then be redirected to a first and second listening area.