Abstract: A computer-implemented method, by a computer having a computer processor, of identifying emerging risks of agents causing harms to a particular system comprises accessing, via a computer network, an electronic document database comprising document data; inputting a set of criteria, which includes a selected set of agents and a selected set of harms to a particular system, specified by a user; extracting a subset of the document data that satisfies the set of criteria; generating, with the processor, an array containing agent-harm coincidences from the extracted subset of the document data; assessing, with the processor, statistical significance of each agent-harm coincidence relative to other agent-harm coincidences; compiling, with the processor, risk data, based on the statistical significance, of agents of the selected set of agents causing harms of the selected set of harms to the particular system; and outputting the risk data.

Abstract: An exemplary MMIC (“Multi-Mode Interviewing Capability”) survey program is a computerized tool that supports various traditional modes of collecting interview data, including telephone interviewing, written interviewing, and personal interviewing, and can be used to manage the whole interview process from questionnaire design, sample management, and fieldwork monitoring to final dataset production. The collected data may also include non-textual data from survey participants such as medical measurements of blood pressure and heart rate. Self-interviewing using the Internet is also possible which permits real time availability of results and the participation of respondents from virtually anywhere in the world, using devices such as PDA's, Smart phones and Web TV's. The MMIC survey structure is non-linear and object oriented, which permits a connection between all the building blocks of the survey to be defined on any level.

Abstract: An exemplary MMIC (“Multi-Mode Interviewing Capability”) survey program is a computerized tool that supports various traditional modes of collecting interview data, including telephone interviewing, written interviewing, and personal interviewing, and can be used to manage the whole interview process from questionnaire design, sample management, and fieldwork monitoring to final dataset production. The collected data may also include non-textual data from survey participants such as medical measurements of blood pressure and heart rate. Self-interviewing using the Internet is also possible which permits real time availability of results and the participation of respondents from virtually anywhere in the world, using devices such as PDA's, Smart phones and Web TV's. The MMIC survey structure is non-linear and object oriented, which permits a connection between all the building blocks of the survey to be defined on any level.

Abstract: A method and system of providing comparative cost information for health insurance plans. Claims files are generated for the reference population of real historical patients for each the plans. Information is presented to users on the distribution of out-of-pocket costs for health care that users are likely to incur in the coming year, based on the parameters of health plans, information on the user and his/her household, and the actual health care use and costs for a reference population comparable to the users. Information is presented to users on optimal contributions to their flexible spending account for health care in the coming year and solving a dynamic numerical model based on users' objective function; solutions are based on the parameters of health plans, information on the user and his/her household, and the actual health care use and costs for a reference population comparable to the user.

Abstract: An exemplary MMIC (“Multi-Mode Interviewing Capability”) survey program is a computerized tool that supports various traditional modes of collecting interview data, including telephone interviewing, written interviewing, and personal interviewing, and can be used to manage the whole interview process from questionnaire design, sample management, and fieldwork monitoring to final dataset production. The collected data may also include non-textual data from survey participants such as medical measurements of blood pressure and heart rate. Self-interviewing using the Internet is also possible which permits real time availability of results and the participation of respondents from virtually anywhere in the world, using devices such as PDA's, Smart phones and Web TV's. The MMIC survey structure is non-linear and object oriented, which permits a connection between all the building blocks of the survey to be defined on any level.

Abstract: A sanitary device for collecting and disposing of canine fecal matter is disclosed. The device uses a scooper device with a disposable bag which is formed from a bag blank. The bag blank has a collection portion on the upper surface, and a closure device for closing a bag formed therefrom. The closure device is attached to the periphery of the lower surface. During use the scooper device maintains the collection portion of the bag blank in a substantially flat condition. The bag blank, upon mounting for use, substantially covers and protects from soilage the scooper device. After canine feces is collected on the surface of the bag blank; the bag is formed by operating the scooper device; and, then is securely closed to form a disposable bag.

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.

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.

Abstract: A telefacsimile machine selectively operates in standard and high speed modes depending on the compatibility of equipment communicating with the telefacsimile machine at a particular time. The standard mode communication employs bit mapped pixels for both text and graphics The high speed mode distinguishes text from graphics. Scanned text characters to be transmitted in the high speed mode are compared to characters in a library. When a match is found only a code, e.g. ASCII, and the location of the character is transmitted. Graphics and unrecognizable characters are transmitted as bit mapped pixels. When a document is received in the high speed mode, the received code identifies the text character and bit-mapped pixels to be printed or otherwise recorded in a storage medium. Any desired printing resolution can then be selected for text characters.

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.

Abstract: A safety cover for an electric receptacle has a mounting plate fitting over an electrical receptacle, and a cover assembly with a cover edge extending around the periphery thereof, the mounting plate having an edge engagable surface thereon corresponding in shape to the cover edge. The cover assembly is mountable on the mounting plate between a closed and an open position. The cover assembly has a plurality of locking projections spaced around the periphery of the cover assembly at positions so that they are incapable of simultaneous operation by a hand below a predetermined size. When the cover assembly is closed, locking hooks on the locking projections engage in locking hook receiving apertures in the mounting plate structure and the cover edge is snugly abutted against the edge engagable surface.

Abstract: A snap fastener has a female member including a snap type resilient clamp having a dished resilient actuator plate and a plurality of legs depending from the periphery thereof having inwardly extending hooks on the free ends and a casing in which the clamp is positioned, and a male member having a hook receiving recess therearound and insertable into the space within the legs with the hook receiving recess in opposed relation to the hooks for causing the male member to be gripped by the hooks when the clamp is in a closed position and for freeing the male member for movement into and out of the space when the snap type resilient clamp is in an open position.

Abstract: A protective cover for a handled carrying container is constituted by a pair of opposed side walls having a size greater than the corresponding walls of the carrying container and having top, side and bottom edges, the top edges and the side edges of the respective side walls being joined to each other, the bottom edges being unjoined. A handle receving aperture is provided where the top edges are joined. A handle engaging sleeve or elastic collar is provided around the handle receiving aperture for engaging a container handle in substantially watertight engagement.

Abstract: A safety cover for an electrical receptacle has a receiving plate fitting over an electrical receptacle, and a cover assembly having a cover edge extending around the periphery thereof hinged to the receiving plate to pivot between a closed and an open position. The cover assembly has a plurality of locking projections spaced around the periphery of the cover assembly at positions so that they are incapable of simultaneous operation by a hand below a predetermined size. When the cover assembly is closed, locking hooks on the locking projections engage in locking hook apertures in the receiving plate structure and the cover edge is snugly abutted against the receiving plate structure, and the cover assembly can be moved to the open position only by simultaneous deformation of the cover assembly at the positions of the locking hooks sufficient to move the locking hooks sufficientyl far inwardly to free said locking hooks from the locking hook receiving apertures.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for using a self-aligning bearing having a ball movably seated in a socket mounted in a wall of an explosion-proof enclosure and slidably receiving a shaft for transferring motion from the outside to the electrical equipment inside of the enclosure. The abutting surfaces between the ball and socket of the bearing and the ball and the shaft have minimum flame path lengths to meet minimum safety requirements for extinguishing electrical arcing passing along such abutting surfaces.

Abstract: An outlet connection device transfers motion from outside to inside an explosion proof enclosure and includes a process for using a self-aligning bearing retained in a wall of the enclosure. The self-aligning bearing has flame paths selected to meet minimum safety requirements and contains a shaft for transferring either rotary, axial or joy-stick motion into the enclosure. In a rotary transfer arrangement an electric rotary switch is connected through a blade engaging the shaft passing through the self-aligning bearing.

Abstract: A buffer memory arrangement for use in conjunction with a controller and a plurality of peripheral units and/or subsystems of a data processing system. The arrangement includes a dynamic RAM buffer memory for receiving and storing information from the peripheral units or subsystems and for supplying stored information to such units, an address pointer memory for storing buffer memory addresses identifying locations in buffer memory from which information is to be read or into which information is to be stored, and an encoder responsive to a request signal from a peripheral unit or subsystem for supplying an identity signal to the address pointer memory, which signal identifies the requesting peripheral unit or subsystem and specifies location in the address pointer memory containing buffer memory addresses which are to be applied to the buffer memory.

Abstract: In a throughput error detection system, a redundant logic unit is provided along with a required logic unit for simultaneous operation therewith. The required logic unit and redundant logic unit both produce output data which, it is desired, will be the same. The output data from the required logic unit is supplied to a data bus and the output data of the redundant logic unit is supplied to a parity check digit generator. From the data received from the redundant logic unit, the parity check digit generator generates a parity check digit which is applied to the data bus along wih the data from the required logic unit. A parity checking circuit receives the data and the parity check digit from the data bus and a calculation is made by the circuit to determine if parity is correct. If parity is not correct, the checking circuit produces an alarm signal to alert a user.

Abstract: An improved shielded ribbon cable arranged to expedite termination of the shield for grounding the shield. There is an isolator strip placed during fabrication of the cable between the conductor array and the shield; the isolator strip prevents flow of plasticized insulating material between the cover sheet and the conductor array, which usually occurs through the interstices in the shield, so that the shield can be readily separated from the conductor array to permit termination of the shield without jeopardizing the integrity of the insulation on the conductor array.

Abstract: There is described a map memory system with a time-multiplexed memory address bus wherein the mapping function is performed on the high order address bits in parallel with the output of the low order address bits on the time multiplex bus.