Abstract: Herbal compositions derived from Kenyan plants are provided for the treatment of HIV and other infectious diseases. The herbal compositions can include the extracts of up to 14 plants, including the root of abyssinica and Clutia robusta. Also provided are methods for extracting alkaloids and other compounds from the plants. Also provided are methods of treating a subject having an infectious disease, particularly HIV.

Abstract: A document transmission module is connected between a conventional document digitizing device (host unit) and a communication interface. The module receives conventional data output from its host unit and re-transmits them to a destination document transmission protocol machine in one of standard and high speed modes depending on the compatibility of the destination document transmission protocol machine. The standard mode communication employs an image data format for both text and graphics. The high speed mode distinguishes text from graphics and performs optical character recognition on suspected character information. When characters are successfully recognized, only a code, e.g. ASCII, and the location of the character is transmitted, realizing significant improvements in compression ratios over conventional data transmission. Graphics and unrecognizable characters are transmitted as bit-mapped pixels or in conventional compressed fax format.

Abstract: A document transmission module is connected between a conventional document digitizing device (host unit) and a communication interface. The module receives conventional data output from its host unit and re-transmits them to a destination document transmission protocol machine in one of standard and high speed modes depending on the compatibility of the destination document transmission protocol machine. The standard mode communication employs an image data format for both text and graphics. The high speed mode distinguishes text from graphics and performs optical character recognition on suspected character information. When characters are successfully recognized, only a code, e.g. ASCII, and the location of the character is transmitted, realizing significant improvements in compression ratios over conventional data transmission. Graphics and unrecognizable characters are transmitted as bit-mapped pixels or in conventional compressed fax format.

Abstract: A method of reducing errors in optical character recognition (OCR) procedures includes digitizing an image of an object, the image containing alpha-numeric characters, and storing a bitmap of the digitized image as a scanned document file (SDF). An OCR step is performed to obtain at least one candidate character, and an indication of the at least one candidate character is stored in a textural results file (TRF). The font of the digitized image is determined and the font is stored in a regeneration library file (RLF). A regenerated image file is generated using the TRF and the RLF. At least a portion of the regenerated image file is compared with a corresponding portion of the bitmap of the digitized image stored in the SDF. The TRF is outputted if the results of the comparison indicate a match of at least the portion of the regenerated image file with the corresponding portion of the bitmap. If a match is not found, further processing is performed to resolve the mismatch.

Abstract: A telefacsimile module is connected between a conventional telefacsimile machine (host telefacsimile unit) and a phone line interface. The module receives conventional fax output from its host unit and re-transmits them to a destination telefacsimile machine in one of standard and high speed modes depending on the compatibility of the destination telefacsimile. The standard mode communication employs a conventional fax format for both text and graphics. The high speed mode distinguishes text from graphics and performs optical character recognition on suspected character information. When characters are successfully recognized, only a code, e.g. ASCII, and the location of the character is transmitted, realizing significant improvements in compression ratios over conventional facsimile coding. Graphics and unrecognizable characters are transmitted as bit-mapped pixels or in conventional compressed fax format.

Abstract: An information processing methodology gives rise to an application program interface which includes an automated digitizing unit, such as a scanner, which inputs information from a diversity of hard copy documents and stores information from the hard copy documents into a memory as stored document information. Portions of the stored document information are selected in accordance with content instructions which designate portions of the stored document information required by a particular application program. The selected stored document information is then placed into the transmission format required by a particular application program in accordance with transmission format instructions. After the information has been transmission formatted, the information is transmitted to the application program. In one operational mode, the interface interactively prompts the user to identify, on a display, portions of the hard copy documents containing information used in application programs or for storage.

Abstract: A magnetic latch includes a first member having a protrusion and a second member engaging the protrusion to prevent the first member and the second member from sliding relatively to one another. The second member includes a first magnet to attract the first member and a first solid non-magnetic member located inside a cavity of the first magnet to enhance attraction between the first member and the second member. The second member can be provided with a backing plate to facilitate a magnetic flux path from the magnet to the magnet aperture. The second member can also include a second magnet to attract the first member and a second solid non-magnetic member located between the first magnet and the second magnet. A third solid non-magnetic member can be provided on the outer periphery of the magnets. This design provides a latch with stronger holding power.