Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for implementing a patient health management system. The mechanisms analyze a patient electronic medical record (EMR) for an identified patient to identify a medical condition associated with the patient and identify, based on the results of the analysis, one or more exogenous data parameters associated with the medical condition. The exogenous data parameters are parameters specifying conditions outside the patient's body that affect the health of the patient with regard to the medical condition. The mechanisms retrieve exogenous data, corresponding to the exogenous data parameters, from one or more exogenous data sources and generate a health management plan for the patient based on the exogenous data. The health management plan comprises actions to be performed or not performed by the patient to thereby minimize effects of exogenous conditions, corresponding to the exogenous data parameters, on the health of the patient with regard to the medical condition.

Abstract: Patient assistant systems are provided. In various embodiments, health data of a user is read from one or more data source. A cohort of the user is determined based on a primary diagnosis of the user. The health data of the user includes the primary diagnosis. A co-morbidity of the primary diagnosis within the cohort is determined. One or more predictor of the co-morbidity within the cohort is determined. Assistance information is provided to the user based on the one or more predictor. The assistance information includes the predictor and one or more recommendation to mitigate the co-morbidity.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for implementing a patient health management system. The mechanisms analyze a patient electronic medical record (EMR) for an identified patient to identify a medical condition associated with the patient and identify, based on the results of the analysis, one or more exogenous data parameters associated with the medical condition. The exogenous data parameters are parameters specifying conditions outside the patient's body that affect the health of the patient with regard to the medical condition. The mechanisms retrieve exogenous data, corresponding to the exogenous data parameters, from one or more exogenous data sources and generate a health management plan for the patient based on the exogenous data. The health management plan comprises actions to be performed or not performed by the patient to thereby minimize effects of exogenous conditions, corresponding to the exogenous data parameters, on the health of the patient with regard to the medical condition.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for creating and editing electronic documents. One embodiment of the inventive method involves generating an electronic document in a first document format type, in accordance with one or more user-specified parameters, and converting the electronic document from the first document format type into a second document format type, in accordance with a user instruction to finalize the electronic document. In one embodiment, the first document format type is a structured document format type, such as hypertext markup language or extensible markup language, while the second document format type is a secure document format type such as portable document format.

Abstract: In a method for decision support, a request for information that is part of a context is received, data is generated in response the request, a knowledge model associated with the context is populated with the data, the knowledge model is populated with real-time data associated with the request, the knowledge model is executed, and a result of the executed knowledge model is output.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for protecting user data from unauthorized access, the method comprising the steps of, on a data processing system: maintaining said user data in encrypted form stored on a second storage, when loading an operating system using an operating system loader: receiving in a first disk key transmission step from a first user system a symmetric user key that is only accessible by the data processing system if the operating system loader has been started on behalf of said first user system, wherein the symmetric user key is received sealed to a combination of the operating system loader and a user identifier corresponding to said first user system in said first disk key transmission step; accessing the symmetric user key, if the operating system loader has been started on behalf of said first user system; decrypting in a user data decryption step said user data using the symmetric user key, maintaining said symmetric user key in a volatile memory.

Abstract: A method, data processing system, and computer program product for identifying network data processing systems. A first number of attributes for a network data processing system are identified by a processor unit. A second number of attributes for a number of potential network data processing systems are identified by the processor unit. A graphical user interface with a graphical representation of a comparison of the first number of attributes and the second number of attributes is displayed on a display device.

Abstract: A technique for delivering content in a client-server system based on a request received at a computing device from a client includes determining a current load on a next-level computing device of a hierarchy. When this current load is such that a response time for delivery of the request from the next-level computing device would increase above a given threshold, a client type associated with the request is checked and, when the client type indicates that the client is below a given priority level, content to be delivered to the client in response to the request is personalized at the receiving computing device. When the current load is such that the response time would not increase above a given threshold, the request is sent from the receiving computing device to the next-level computing device and the content to be delivered is personalized at the next-level computing device.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for improved serving of content in a distributed data network. In one aspect of the invention, a technique for delivering content in a client-server system based on a request from a client comprises the following steps/operations. The request is obtained. A performance characteristic of at least one server or at least one cache of the client-server system is determined. Then, a level of data accuracy to be delivered to the client in response to the request is determined. The data accuracy determination is based on: (i) the determined performance characteristic of the at least one server or the at least one cache; and (ii) at least one preference associated with the client. The performance characteristic may comprise a load of the at least one server or the at least one cache. The level of data accuracy may comprise a level of personalization to be delivered to the client in response to the request.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for creating and editing electronic documents. One embodiment of the inventive method involves generating an electronic document in a first document format type, in accordance with one or more user-specified parameters, and converting the electronic document from the first document format type into a second document format type, in accordance with a user instruction to finalize the electronic document. In one embodiment, the first document format type is a structured document format type, such as hypertext markup language or extensible markup language, while the second document format type is a secure document format type such as portable document format.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for protecting user data from unauthorized access, the method comprising the steps of, on a data processing system: maintaining said user data in encrypted form stored on a second storage, when loading an operating system using an operating system loader: receiving in a first disk key transmission step from a first user system a symmetric user key that is only accessible by the data processing system if the operating system loader has been started on behalf of said first user system, wherein the symmetric user key is received sealed to a combination of the operating system loader and a user identifier corresponding to said first user system in said first disk key transmission step; accessing the symmetric user key, if the operating system loader has been started on behalf of said first user system; decrypting in a user data decryption step said user data using the symmetric user key, maintaining said symmetric user key in a volatile memory.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for creating and editing electronic documents. One embodiment of the inventive method involves generating an electronic document in a first document format type, in accordance with one or more user-specified parameters, and converting the electronic document from the first document format type into a second document format type, in accordance with a user instruction to finalize the electronic document. In one embodiment, the first document format type is a structured document format type, such as hypertext markup language or extensible markup language, while the second document format type is a secure document format type such as portable document format.

Abstract: A method of communicating between two business entities, each of the business entities utilizing a different communication protocol, wherein a business conversation is established between the entities, comprises the steps of: providing a business-to-business (B2B) protocol exchange for facilitating communications between the business entities, the B2B protocol exchange being operatively connected to the business entities. The method further includes the step of receiving, at the B2B protocol exchange, a message from one of the business entities in a first communication protocol, translating the received message in the first communication protocol into a translated message in a second protocol used by another of the business entities and sending the translated message to the other business entity. In this manner, the present invention provides a framework for facilitating communication between two business entities implemented using different communication protocols.

Abstract: Techniques for establishing contact between a first node and a second node in a communication system having a plurality of nodes. Upon a failure of an attempt by the first node to contact the second node, the first node contacts a 3rd party node, which in turn attempts to contact the second node on behalf of the first node. The first node's initial attempt to contact the second node can be verified by the 3rd party node, thereby avoiding an unjust detriment to the first node. Multiple retries or 3rd party nodes can be used to attempt contact on behalf of the first node. Responsiveness of nodes can be measured, and subsequent penalties can be assessed, as a result of their unresponsiveness.

Abstract: A method for providing customized information in a computer processing system includes the step of defining at least one rule for one of creating and retrieving at least one customized block of data. At least one customizable template is created which includes at least one reference to the at least one rule and at least one offset that specifies at least one position at which the at least one customized block is inserted into the at least one customizable template. The at least one customized block is inserted into the at least one customizable template at the at least one position specified by the at least one offset. The customized block, the customizable template, and/or the rule may be pre-stored in a cache of the computer processing system. The customized block may also be dynamically created.

Abstract: A system and method for caching objects using a cost-based publish and subscribe paradigm, wherein a server computing node determines whether a given cache node should receive a cache update based on, e.g., the cost of sending the update. In one aspect, a method for maintaining objects in a cache comprises the steps of issuing a subscription for an object, maintaining a metric for the object; and determining, based on the metric, whether a cache is to receive an update message associated with the object. The metric is preferably correlated with one or more factors such as an importance factor of maintaining the cached copy of the object current, the cost of the sending the update message, and/or the estimated lifetime of the object.

Abstract: A method, which may be implemented by a program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for satisfying requests between a client and a server including the steps of providing a first entity with a directory of information about contents of a cache of a second entity, the first entity for receiving a request from a client, determining whether the directory of information indicates that the request is satisfied by the cache of the second entity by querying the directory of information on the first entity, sending the request to the second entity, if the directory indicates that the request is satisfied by the cache of the second entity, and otherwise, sending the request to be satisfied by another entity. A system is also included.

Abstract: A method of communicating between two business entities, each of the business entities utilizing a different communication protocol, wherein a business conversation is established between the entities, comprises the steps of: providing a business-to-business (B2B) protocol exchange for facilitating communications between the business entities, the B2B protocol exchange being operatively connected to the business entities. The method further includes the step of receiving, at the B2B protocol exchange, a message from one of the business entities in a first communication protocol, translating the received message in the first communication protocol into a translated message in a second protocol used by another of the business entities and sending the translated message to the other business entity. In this manner, the present invention provides a framework for facilitating communication between two business entities implemented using different communication protocols.

Abstract: A Web site using HTTP and assumed to be comprised of a plurality of individual servers, including a Network Control Scheduler (NCS) is enhanced. Any individual server may issue instructions to NCS. They are passed to NCS in a NCS-control HTTP header which includes directives that must be obeyed. Directives fall in three categories, namely: flow-control directives, sharing directives and NCS-queuing directives. A filter which limits their scope of application may be optionally included.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for partitioning a database and for balancing the processing load among processing nodes in a data processing system. A database partition is stored at each node and a logical owner node is assigned to each partition. The logical owner becomes responsible for all database requests related to the corresponding partition. Techniques for optimally assigning logical owners to all partitions in a system are provided and are responsive to parameters such as the load at each node, the combined load of the system, and the total number of assignments allowed. Techniques are also provided to accomplish the transfer of partition ownership between processing nodes when multiple transactions related to the partition are simultaneously occurring.