Abstract: The embodiments of this invention relate to methods for developing risked budgetary performance estimates by analyzing commodity price risk(s) utilizing cash-flow-at-risk assessments in combination with Monte Carlo simulations. This automated method for risk analysis, includes modeling assets of a portfolio as derivatives; collecting pricing data and volatility surfaces related to the derivatives; calculating and scaling simulated cash-flow-at-risk (CFAR) values to generate a risk profile; and evaluating the risk profile to determine if the risk profile meets predetermined risk characteristics or requires modification.

Abstract: A financial activity network includes a central managing system connected to a plurality of participant terminals. Rules governing operation of the financial activity are stored for future reference. A participant provides investment information such as a map location for the predicted strike by the natural peril event and, optionally, one or more secondary parameters relating to the natural peril event, such as the time interval between the time of investment and the time of an event strike and/or the severity of the event strike according to an established scale. In one example, an external objective independent information source is consulted, with the external objective independent information source providing monitoring, interpretation and derived determination of parameters pertaining to the natural peril event. Methods and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: A graphical user interface for a financial activity network that includes a central managing system connected to a plurality of participant terminals. Rules governing operation of the financial activity are stored for future reference. A participant provides investment information such as a map location for the predicted strike by the natural event and, optionally, one or more secondary parameters relating to the natural event, such as the time interval between the time of investment and the time of all event strike and/or the severity of the event strike according to an established scale. The graphical user interface provides the user with the ability to select options and view data from a screen display, with recalculations of data being displayed on an ongoing basis, reflecting the user's current selections.

Abstract: A financial activity network includes a central managing system connected to a plurality of participant terminals. Rules governing operation of the financial activity are stored for future reference. A participant provides investment information such as a map location for the predicted strike by the natural peril event and, optionally, one or more secondary parameters relating to the natural peril event, such as the time interval between the time of investment and the time of an event strike and/or the severity of the event strike according to an established scale. In one example, an external objective independent information source is consulted, with the external objective independent information source providing monitoring, interpretation and derived determination of parameters pertaining to the natural peril event. Methods and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for identifying exposure concentrations. The process of determining exposure concentrations may include organizing exposure data, defining parameters, determining elevated exposure concentrations, and providing output results. The exposure data may relate to at least geographical locations, policies, accounts, portfolios, treaties, and other exposure data. The parameters may be defined to include at least an area of analysis, a region of interest, a threshold amount, results parameters, and other parameters. The exposure concentration may include at least defining and locating exposure locations using various techniques. The results may be presented using textual, graphical, or other display schemes. The output may be configured to convey information such as positional accuracy of an identified area, exposure accumulation in a defined area, and other information.

Abstract: Various exemplary systems and methods for linking entity references and identifying associations are presented. In particular, a method for linking a plurality of entity references to at least one entity using one or more constructed ghost entity references is provided. The method comprises the steps of identifying, for one or more common data fields, at least one unique field value from one or more entity references linked to a given entity and constructing, for the given entity, at least one ghost entity reference including the at least one unique field value, wherein the at least one ghost entity reference represents at least one potential entity reference for the given entity. The method further comprises linking at least one of the plurality of entity references to the given entity when a match probability between the at least one entity reference and the ghost entity reference is greater than a defined threshold.

Abstract: A multi-purpose expedition vessel having a aluminum alloy hull, where the aluminum alloy hull can have a aluminum alloy hull bottom with a deadrise bow elevated above a waterline, an aft portion comprising a stern, a port side, a starboard side, a central axis between the starboard and port sides. The aluminum alloy hull of the vessel can have a first plurality of lifting stakes secured to the port side of the deadrise bow, and a second plurality of lifting stakes secured to the starboard side of the deadrise bow. The aluminum alloy hull can have at least a first level disposed within the aluminum alloy hull, and the aluminum alloy hull can have a superstructure disposed on it having various structures, such as a stateroom, a steering station, or a floatation roof.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for identifying exposure concentrations. The process of determining exposure concentrations may include organizing exposure data, defining parameters, determining elevated exposure concentrations, and providing output results. The exposure data may relate to at least geographical locations, policies, accounts, portfolios, treaties, and other exposure data. The parameters may be defined to include at least an area of analysis, a region of interest, a threshold amount, results parameters, and other parameters. The exposure concentration may include at least defining and locating exposure locations using various techniques. The results may be presented using textual, graphical, or other display schemes. The output may be configured to convey information such as positional accuracy of an identified area, exposure accumulation in a defined area, and other information.

Abstract: A financial activity network includes a central managing system connected to a plurality of participant terminals. Rules governing operation of the financial activity are stored for future reference. A participant provides investment information such as a map location for the predicted strike by the natural event and, optionally, one or more secondary parameters relating to the natural event, such as the time interval between the time of investment and the time of an event strike and/or the severity of the event strike according to an established scale. In one example, an external objective independent information source is consulted, with the external objective independent information source providing monitoring, interpretation and derived determination of parameters pertaining to the natural event. Methods and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method is provided for calculating, by an activity monitor comprising one accelerometer, a raw activity energy expenditure data based on movement by a user. The method includes determining if the raw activity energy expenditure data is associated with a high intensity physical activity, wherein the high intensity physical activity causes the raw activity energy expenditure data to differ from an expected activity energy expenditure data. The method includes calculating a corrected activity energy expenditure data, if the raw activity energy expenditure data is associated with the high intensity physical activity, based on the raw activity energy expenditure data, wherein the corrected activity energy expenditure data is substantially identical to the expected activity energy expenditure data.

Abstract: A system and method for configuring a plurality of processing nodes into a parallel-processing database system are described herein. Each of a plurality of processing nodes connected by a network receive software and one or more configuration files related to the intended function of the processing node. The software may include homogeneous agent software, one or more library dynamic-link libraries (DLL), and the like. The configuration file is used to configure the homogeneous agent to operate as the intended node in a global-results processing matrix, a general-purpose query processing matrix, or a index-base query processing matrix. Another node or nodes may be configured to convert query-based programming code to intermediary source code in a common programming language and then compile the intermediary source code into a dynamic link library (DLL) or other type of executable.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for, and method of, recycling field value weights as computed for database linking purposes. Such field value weights may be used for a search operation. In some embodiments, such weights may be used for a search operation prior to their values stabilizing during an iterative linking operation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for, and method of, searching for and identifying one or more entity representations using comprehensive search criteria built from known entity representations. The comprehensive search criteria are permitted to include inconsistent field values, that is, multiple different field values corresponding to the same field. The system and method may perform using search queries or batch files.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for, and method of, identifying a universal entity representation in an electronic universal database that corresponds to a foreign entity representation in an electronic foreign database, each entity representation including a plurality of linked records, each record including a plurality of fields, each field capable of containing a field value, each field value associated with a field value weight.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for, and method of, identifying an entity representation. In some embodiments, search criteria are used to identify an entity representation in a universal database, and this identification is then used to identify a corresponding entity representation in a foreign database. Certain embodiments provide assurance, with a know probability of error, that the entity representation identified in the universal database is correct.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for, and method of, searching for and identifying an entity representation. Some embodiments permit search criteria that are internally inconsistent. Such internally inconsistent criteria may include, for example, a maiden last name and a married last name. Certain embodiments account for such criteria in an intelligent manner and identify matching entity representations with a known confidence level of accuracy.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for, and method of, identifying an entity representation. In some embodiments, a match template is used to partition a search criteria so that an expected number of matching records does not exceed a desired threshold. In such embodiments, the match template may limit the number of records that are expected to identically match in certain fields designated as fixed fields, and limit the number of records that are expected to either identically match or have blank field values in certain fields designated as optional fields. Such embodiments thus provide probabilistic limits on a number of database fetches required for a particular search and on a number of record transfers required for a particular search.

Abstract: Techniques may be used to match records of a batch file to an entity representation in a universal database. Inputs may include, but are not limited to, a batch file and a universal (or other) database. The technique may compare the records of the batch file to the records of the universal database, and may attempt to create matches between the records in the batch file and the entity representations or records in the universal database. One possible output may include one or more tables that include foreign record IDs of the batch file records, each in association with an entity representation of the universal database. The techniques may include a batch style processing of records.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for, and method of, searching for and identifying an entity representation. Some embodiments utilize a reflexive, symmetric and transitive function to allow for non-identical matches between field values. The function may be used to generate field value codes, which are associated with a portion of a field value weight for the original field value. In such embodiments, the field value weight for the original field values may be distributed among the original field value and the associated field value code.

Abstract: Field probabilities associated with fields in a database may be used to create one or more blocking criteria. The blocking criteria may be a set of fields that should be equal among two or more records in a database, so that a search of the records in the database according to the blocking criteria yields a subset of records approximately equal to or less than the specified maximum block size. Generic blocking criteria may also be created. The generic blocking criteria may be used for a batch comparison or batch linking operation within the records of the database.