Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a system that enables financial services companies to manage and track information about a sales force. The system includes components for managing distributors information, for validating and tracking licenses and credentials, for creating customized contracts, and for maintaining compensation structures. The system allows for configuring compensations, providing financial services companies a toolkit for creating and modeling their complex commission schedules used to compensate their sales force. The system also provides modeling tools for agreements and contracts between a financial services company or provider and the distributors who sell products. The system has a multi-component architecture comprising multiple modules, multiple data processing engines, a backbone and multiple data sources. The processing modules carry out information processing using one or more data processing engines.

Abstract: A water soluble functional polyethylene glycol-grafted polysiloxane polymer comprising a polysiloxane backbone and polyethylene glycol side chains is provided having the general formula: wherein A is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, methoxy and functional polyethylene glycol based chains, B is a functional group for binding biologically-sensitive materials, D is a functional group for binding to a substrate, m is from 3 to 5, v is from 0 to 5, w is from 4 to 11, x is from 0 to 35 and z is from 1 to 33. In order to be water soluble, the polysiloxane polymer h the following properties: x+y+z is from 8 to 40, n is from 8 to 30, and y is from 7 to 35.

Abstract: A water soluble functional polyethylene glycol-grafted polysiloxane polymer comprising a polysiloxane backbone and polyethylene glycol side chains is provided having the general formula: wherein A is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, methoxy and functional polyethylene glycol based chains, B is a functional group for binding biologically-sensitive materials, D is a functional group for binding to a substrate, m is from 3 to 5, v is from 0 to 5, w is from 4 to 11, x is from 0 to 35 and z is from 1 to 33. In order to be water soluble, the polysiloxane polymer h the following properties: x+y+z is from 8 to 40, n is from 8 to 30, and y is from 7 to 35.

Abstract: A method for performing a singular value decomposition (SVD) upon a matrix. The method includes the steps of: (a) simplifying the matrix to derive a simplified matrix; (b) performing an iterative matrix multiplication upon the simplified matrix to generate an iterated matrix; (c) extracting a vector of the iterated matrix according to an iteration number of the iterative matrix multiplication; (d) de-correlating the simplified matrix from the vector to update the simplified matrix; (e) repeating steps (b), (c), and (d) until a predetermined number of vectors have been derived; and (f) storing a first unitary matrix determined according to the predetermined number of vectors in the singular value decomposition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a device for handling fluids, and more particularly a merging apparatus for fluidic and microfluidic devices utilizing passive valving in conjunction with a single sensor to uniformly blend contributory working fluid streams. Symmetric and non symmetric embodiments with and without branch channels are described. The present invention also provides methods for merging liquids using the device of the invention.

Abstract: An wicking inhibitor for fluidic and microfluidic devices reduces wicking by providing a structure that interrupts the flow of a working fluid through a fluidic channel interface having corner angles greater than ninety degrees.

Abstract: An bubble-resistant injector port for fluidic and microfluidic devices includes an air-exhaustion feature to reduce the inclusion of bubbles or voids in injected samples, particularly in samples injected by a micropipette. The air-exhaustion feature comprises an air-exhaustion cavity in gas communication with the injector port through a narrowed channel that permits a flow of air into the cavity, while impeding a flow of injected liquid into the cavity.

Abstract: Methods and devices for controlling temperature by precise heating without the need of using a temperature sensor are provided. The device comprises a resistive heating element (6), a controller (3), a heating circuit and a temperature sensing circuit. The temperature of the resistive heating element can be determined based on the resistance of the resistive heating element (6), which changes monotonically with its temperature. The resistive heating element (6) thus serves both as a heating element and as a temperature sensor, thereby obviating the need for a separate temperature sensor.

Abstract: A water soluble functional polyethylene glycol-grafted polysiloxane polymer comprising a polysiloxane backbone and polyethylene glycol side chains is provided having the general formula: wherein A is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, methoxy and functional polyethylene glycol based chains, B is a functional group for binding biologically-sensitive materials, D is a functional group for binding to a substrate, m is from 3 to 5, v is from 0 to 5, w is from 4 to 11, x is from 0 to 35 and z is from 1 to 33. In order to be water soluble, the polysiloxane polymer h the following properties: x+y+z is from 8 to 40, n is from 8 to 30, and y is from 7 to 35.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention the documents discussed herein are representative of a document or set of documents that are customized to fit a particular situation. Thus, the invention enables users to generate a document that represents a specific arrangement between parties. For instance embodiments of the invention may be utilized to generate contracts relating to the sale or distribution of a certain product. Each document that is generated by the system is comprised of a set of interrelated components. Each of the components is assembled into a document template that when processed by a configuration engine forms a configured document. Each document template may comprise one or more textual components and/or compensation components. [The textual components comprise subject specific text that can be integrated into the document during the assembly processes. Compensation components comprise information relating to a schema for paying individual commissions.

Abstract: Systems embodying the invention provide a way to manage the agreements that institutions such as financial services companies have with the distributors who sell their products. Each distributor has a plurality of sales representatives that earn commissions for selling such products. The commissions earned and any other constraints imposed on the sales representatives may be defined within a selling agreement that is generated using the system. In one embodiment of the invention, the system generates each selling agreement utilizes a set of components representative of the type of agreement formed between the institutions and the distributor. The components of each selling agreement contain an associated rule set that enables a configuration engine to generate an appropriate document. The system also contains a set of regulatory conditions that must be met for each sale made by the sales representatives. The system verifies that the regulatory conditions are met (e.g.

Abstract: A framework that enables financial services companies to manage and track information about a sales force is provided. The framework includes object models for managing distributors information, for validating and tracking licenses and credentials, for creating customized contracts, and for maintaining compensation structures. The framework allows for configuring compensations, providing financial services companies a toolkit for creating and modeling their complex commission schedules used to compensate their sales force. The framework also provides modeling tools for agreements and contracts between a financial services company or provider and the distributors who sell their products. The framework has a multi-component architecture comprising multiple modules, multiple data processing engines, a backbone and multiple data sources. The processing modules carry out information processing using one or more data processing engines.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for consolidating net-pay and debt management of a sales representative or sales team is presented. A party associated with the sales representatives may obtain debts and specify rules on payment of those debts which can be tracked back to the domain (e.g., agreements, rules, sale item, etc.). The ledger items created for that distributor by the commission engine are typically processed to distribute payments into accounts specified by the distributor and to pay debts obtained by the distributor. Available money may be split into various methods of payments for a distributor. These splits can be tracked by adding various constraints (related to the financial industries business model). The system allows the user to model the payment rule/constraints. Payment splits support pay-outs to alternate payee from funds of a distributor. The distributor may specify deduction rules which can be applied to the distributors earning to facilitate deductions for items such as taxes, mutual funds etc.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a system that enables financial services companies to manage and track information about a sales force. The system includes components for managing distributors information, for validating and tracking licenses and credentials, for creating customized contracts, and for maintaining compensation structures. The system allows for configuring compensations, providing financial services companies a toolkit for creating and modeling their complex commission schedules used to compensate their sales force. The system also provides modeling tools for agreements and contracts between a financial services company or provider and the distributors who sell products. The system has a multi-component architecture comprising multiple modules, multiple data processing engines, a backbone and multiple data sources. The processing modules carry out information processing using one or more data processing engines.

Abstract: An automatic inspection method and apparatus using structured light and machine vision cameras to inspect an object in conjunction with the geometric model of the object is disclosed. Camera images of the object are analyzed by computer to produce the location of points on the object's surfaces in three dimensions. During a setup phase before object inspection, the points are analyzed with respect to the geometric model computer file of the object. Many points are eliminated to reduce data-taking and analysis time to a minimum and to prevent extraneous reflections from producing errors. When similar objects are subsequently inspected, points from each surface of interest are spatially averaged to give high accuracy measurements of object dimensions. The inspection device uses several multiplexed sensors, each composed of a camera and a structured light source, to measure all sides of the object on a single pass. Calibration and compensation methods are also disclosed.