Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for controllably adjusting a fluid delivery device. The device includes an electrochemical pump capable of transporting a fluid. A displaceable member is positioned between a pump product chamber and a reservoir, wherein the pump product chamber is capable of retaining water generated from the pump. The displaceable member is controllably displaced upon generation of water from the electrochemical pump and the reservoir contains the fluid that is delivered upon displacement of the displaceable member.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for controllably adjusting a fluid delivery device. The device includes an electrochemical pump capable of transporting a fluid. A displaceable member is positioned between a pump product chamber and a reservoir, wherein the pump product chamber is capable of retaining water generated from the pump. The displaceable member is controllably displaced upon generation of water from the electrochemical pump and the reservoir contains the fluid that is delivered upon displacement of the displaceable member.

Abstract: The invention described herein is a framed fluid delivery device that is made up of a fluid-delivery cartridge for the timed-release delivery of a fluid contained therein, and a frame assembly for retaining the fluid delivery cartridge. The frame assembly is made up of a base portion that facilitates the delivery of fluid released from the fluid-delivery cartridge, at least one side panel associated with the base, and that secures the fluid-delivery cartridge within the frame assembly proximate the released fluid delivering means. Additionally, a fluid delivery device is disclosed that includes a fluid-delivery cartridge for the timed-release delivery of a fluid contained therein, the cartridge having a bottom, a top, and sides, and a dispersion pad positioned proximate the bottom of the fluid-delivery cartridge, wherein the dispersion pad at least partially surrounds the sides of the fluid-delivery cartridge.

Abstract: An antimicrobial handle system comprising a handle and an antimicrobial component in communication with the handle to impart antimicrobial properties thereto. According to particular aspects of the invention, the antimicrobial component may be in the form of an antimicrobial material integrally formed with the handle; a handle portion made from an antimicrobial material and removably connected to the handle; an antimicrobial coating disposed on the handle; a film disposed on the handle; an ion generator arrangement in communication with the handle; a sterilizing gas generator in communication with the handle; a sterilizing corona generator in communication with the handle; an antimicrobial lightsource in communication with the handle; a fluid dispenser to dispense an antimicrobial fluid onto the handle; or a combination thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device for releasing a controlled amount of a volatile substance into an environment while isolating the non-released amount of such a substance from the environment. The device includes a housing having an interior region, a volatile substance cartridge associated with the housing, wherein the cartridge can be replaced, or, alternatively, refilled with a desired fluid. A mechanism is provided for releasing a pre-determined amount of fluid from the housing, which is activated, as desired, by a user of the device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an improved method for regenerating materials from a desulfurization/demetallation reaction. The desulfurization/demetallation reaction preferably has products including one or more of an alkali sulfide, polysulfide or hydrosulfide, or alkali earth sulfide, polysulfide, or hydrosulfide. The method includes the steps of reacting the desulfurization/demetallation products with a halogen, liberating and removing sulfur from the product, and then electrolyzing the halogenated products to separate the halogen from the alkali metal or alkali earth metal.

Abstract: A disposable wound-healing device is disclosed that incorporates a housing having a fluid-impermeable material having a cavity and a perimeter that can be sealed in an air-tight manner over a wound region of a patient. The device is capable of producing a negative pressure over the wound region by either removing oxygen from within the cavity, or absorbing fluid into the cavity and then removing the fluid from the cavity. The oxygen may be removed via chemical absorption, by an electrochemical cell or by a chemical reaction that cannibalizes oxygen from the cavity. The fluid may be removed through the use of osmotic or electro-osmotic cells, or through a one-way valve. The negative partial pressure over the wound region promotes healing.

Abstract: A device for controllably releasing a fluid into an ambient environment. According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, the device comprises a housing having a fluid compartment and an orifice compartment disposed adjacent thereto and in fluid communication therewith via an orifice. The fluid compartment contains the fluid for release to the ambient environment. The orifice compartment includes a fluid exit opening covered by a removable sealing element and contains an initial quantity of fluid when the device is in an inactivated state. A fluid restrictor is disposed adjacent the orifice to restrict fluid flow from the fluid compartment into the orifice compartment in the inactivated state. A gas-generating cell is in selective communication with the fluid compartment such that gas generated by the cell is directed into the fluid compartment when the device is in an activated state.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing overhead associated with recovering after a failure. According to the method, a checkpoint value is maintained that indicates which records of a plurality of records have to be processed after the failure. The plurality of records contain change information that corresponds to a plurality of data blocks. A target checkpoint value is determined based on a desired number of data block reads that will be required during a redo phase of recovery. Changes contained in volatile memory are then written to nonvolatile memory to advance the checkpoint value to at least the target checkpoint value.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing overhead associated with recovering after a failure. According to the method, a checkpoint value is maintained that indicates which records of a plurality of records have to be processed after the failure. The plurality of records contain change information that corresponds to a plurality of data blocks. A target checkpoint value is determined based on a desired number of data block reads that will be required during a redo phase of recovery. Changes contained in volatile memory are then written to nonvolatile memory to advance the checkpoint value to at least the target checkpoint value.

Abstract: Described herein are approaches for partitioning a buffer cache for dynamically selecting buffers in the buffer cache to store data items, such as data blocks in a DBMS. The selection is based on data access and/or usage patterns. A buffer cache includes multiple buffer pools. A buffer pool is selected from among the multiple buffer pools to store a data item. The selection of a buffer pool is based on various factors, including the likelihood that storing the data item will produce future cache hits, and properties of buffer pools that vary between the buffer pools. Properties of a buffer pool include not only how the buffer pools are organized, both logically and physically, but also how the buffer pool is managed. Examples of a buffer pool property include buffer pool size, size of a buffer in the buffer pool, and the replacement strategy used for a buffer pool (e.g. LRU).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for buffering is provided. A set of buffers is maintained in an ordered list based on a profit value generated for each buffer. The profit value for a buffer reflects multiple access characteristics of the buffer. The list of buffers is partitioned into divisions referred to as buckets. Each bucket contains a set of buffers and is associated with a subrange of the fall range of profit values that may be generated. The bucket that covers the very top of the list is associated with highest profit value subrange, the bucket that covers the bottom of the list is associated with the lowest profit value subrange. When data is first placed in a buffer, the buffer's position within the buffer list is not immediately based on its profit value. Instead, an access history is first accumulated for the buffer and, once accumulated, the buffer's profit value earns the buffer's place in the list.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for partitioning a buffer cache for dynamically mapping data blocks with a particular replacement strategy based on the associated table's access and/or usage patterns. According to the method, a buffer cache in a computer system is managed by dividing the buffer cache into multiple buffer pools. In managing the buffer cache, when a data item is requested, it is first determined whether the requested data item is stored in a buffer within the buffer cache. If the requested data item is not stored in a buffer in the buffer cache, then a particular buffer pool in the buffer cache is dynamically selected for storing the requested data item. Once the particular buffer pool is selected, the requested data item is stored into a buffer in the particular buffer pool.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing overhead associated with recovering after a failure. According to the method, a checkpoint value is maintained that indicates which records of a plurality of records have to be processed after the failure. The plurality of records contain change information that corresponds to a plurality of data blocks. A target checkpoint value is determined based on a desired number of data block reads that will be required during a redo phase of recovery. Changes contained in volatile memory are then written to nonvolatile memory to advance the checkpoint value to at least the target checkpoint value. According to another aspect of the invention, the target checkpoint value is determined using a circular queue of offset buckets. The offset buckets are used to store index values that are associated with buffers in the ordered list. The target checkpoint value is periodically set equal to an index value that is contained in an offset bucket.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for maintaining a checkpoint value that indicates which records of a plurality of records associated with updates made before a failure have to be processed after the failure. According to one aspect of the invention, an ordered list of buffers is maintained in volatile memory. The ordered list of buffers has a head and a tail. The ordered list of buffers is maintained by writing a record that indicates the update to nonvolatile memory and adding the buffer to the tail of the ordered list whenever an update is made to a data item within a buffer in volatile memory. When a data item contained in a buffer within the ordered list is stored in nonvolatile memory, the buffer can be removed from the ordered list. A checkpoint value that identifies a record associated with a buffer located at the head of the ordered list is written to nonvolatile memory. According to another aspect, after a failure, the record associated with the checkpoint value is identified.

Abstract: A gas sensor is provided, having an electrolyte membrane, a sensing electrode, a counter electrode, a diffusion barrier for controlling access of gases to the sensing electrode, and in situ means for removing molecular oxygen from the gases to which the sensing electrode is being exposed.