Abstract: Systems and methods for peer-scored dialogue are provided. Meaningful communications are fostered by enabling students or players of an online game to affect the score of other players by scoring the communications of other players.

Abstract: A vacuum assembly having a housing and a motor and motor shaft secured within the housing; a fan coupled to the motor shaft and an air intake port and an air exhaust port located within the housing; a circuit board mounted in a cooling air path in the housing, wherein the cooling air path is located between the air intake port and the air exhaust port such that the fan causes cool air to flow across the circuit board; a pulley assembly coupled to the motor shaft and including a disposable belt, the pulley assembly located in the housing in such position that the circuit board blocks access to the disposable belt; a first connector portion secured to the circuit board; a second connector portion coupled to a plurality of wires coupled to at least the motor; the first and second connector portions configured to mate in a single direction.

Abstract: System and method for complying with a firearm transfer regulation are presented. The system and method may determine, from a database containing information related to a firearm transfer, whether the firearm transfer needs a response from an electronic background check system. The system and method queries the electronic background check system for the response and receives the response from the electronic background check system. The system and method further generates a command to update the database with the received response. System and method may also include communicating information related to a firearm transaction to an electronic background check system that contains background check information. The information can be related to a transferee of the firearm transfer.

Abstract: A vacuum assembly having a housing and a motor and motor shaft secured within the housing; a fan coupled to the motor shaft and an air intake port and an air exhaust port located within the housing; a circuit board mounted in a cooling air path in the housing, wherein the cooling air path is located between the air intake port and the air exhaust port such that the fan causes cool air to flow across the circuit board; a pulley assembly coupled to the motor shaft and including a disposable belt, the pulley assembly located in the housing in such position that the circuit board blocks access to the disposable belt; a first connector portion secured to the circuit board; a second connector portion coupled to a plurality of wires coupled to at least the motor; the first and second connector portions configured to mate in a single direction.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically counting a bundled group of metal rods, bars, angles or other items having discernible configuration portions includes a imaging device, such as digital camera, a computer and a computer algorithm that processes images form the imaging device and counts the number of discernible configurations in the image. The item count is generated by the computer algorithm whereby an inventory system, for tracking the stocked units of the discernible configuration is updated responsive to the output from the computer algorithm.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a supported signal path for a transceiver in a communication system is provided. An exemplary embodiment of the apparatus includes a relay for selecting a first test signal path from a first signal path and a second signal path. A signal detector coupled to the relay may be used to determine whether a specified signal type is present on the first test signal path. A relay controller causes the relay to select a second test signal path from the first signal path and the second signal path in response to the signal detector determining that the specified signal type is not present on the first test signal path.

Abstract: A method for archiving, indexing and disseminating poster abstracts is provided.