Abstract: Dental appliances including multiple components and a system and method for constructing the same are disclosed herein. The dental components are designed to fit together to form the dental appliance. The components of the dental appliance are electronically modeled, printed, and pressed sequentially, separately, or as a unitary piece. Forming the dental appliance from multiple components enables each component of the dental appliance to be formed from a different material, each material having different features associated with it. In various embodiments, different materials have different colors, textures, opacities, and transformation factors associated with them. Furthermore, each component can be formed from multiple components. In some other embodiments, a support structure is designed and constructed in order to minimize deformation of a dental component during fabrication of the component.

Abstract: An isosceles triangular cross section shaped microchannel-cooling device conducts a working fluid for the removal of heat from a heat source. The triangular shaped microchannel provides an increased thermal transport coefficient for improved heat transport with an improved mass flow rate. The microchannel-cooling device is well suited for removing heat from electronics, semiconductor components, and systems.

Abstract: Method for logging diagnostic information, for use in a transactional environment having function for sending a transactional and re-sendable request to an application program. A counter is associated with the request, wherein a value associated with the counter is updated when an error occurs in the environment. The environment also comprises a counter threshold. The method utilizes a comparator, responsive to sending the request, for comparing the value associated with the counter against the counter threshold; a tracing control component, responsive to the value associated with the counter meeting the counter threshold, for enabling a tracing program; and a logging component, responsive to re-sending the request, for logging diagnostic information generated by the tracing program.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a system for returning a data item to a requester. (The requester may for example be a systems application.) A request is received to access a data item having data contents of uncertain state (i.e. because the data item is pending completion of a transaction.) The apparatus or system obtains the data item contents and an indication of the state (e.g. delete_on_commit) of the data item contents. This information is then returned to the requester.

Abstract: A message broker receives a published message from a publisher program. Responsive to identification of one or more subscriber programs subscribing to messages of the type of the received message, the broker forwards the received message to the one or more subscriber programs. Matcher components compares the received message with stored subscriptions to identify subscriber programs, generates an alert when an alert condition is satisfied, and compares the generated alert with stored subscriptions to identify subscriber programs subscribing to the alert. The alert is then forwarded to the subscriber program subscribing to the alert.

Abstract: A method for returning a data item to a requestor (where the requestor may, for example, be a systems application) including: receiving a request to access a data item having data contents of uncertain state (i.e. because the data item is pending completion of a transaction), obtaining the data item contents and an indication of the state (e.g. delete_on_commit) of the data item contents, and returning this information to the requestor.

Abstract: A light control system and method for a film viewer (10). The viewer (10) includes an infrared emitter (50) with an infrared detector (52) in communication with a microprocessor (34). When a radiograph (40) is inserted within the film viewer (10), the radiograph (10) is interposed between the emitter (50) and detector (52). The microprocessor (34) detects a change in the emissions sensed by the detector (52) and illuminates the viewer (10). The invention also provides a film holder (16) that includes a plurality of rollers (60) interposed between the holder (16) and the screen (14).

Abstract: A method and system for message subscription management is presented. In one embodiment, the method includes sending a subscription request from a subscriber to a publisher. The subscription request is intercepted and redirected to a broker. Upon intercepting the subscription request, additional information, which includes an instruction to send event messages to the subscriber, is added to the subscription request and forwarded to the broker.

Abstract: In many messaging systems, message selection filtering involves a significant processing overhead. This includes the parsing and preparing of the message selection filters in readiness for evaluation, as well as the evaluation itself. In systems which involve parsing and prepare processing for expressions that include repeated patterns (such as in many JMS environments), a template-based shortcutting of the conventional processing improves performance. A stored parsing template is used to parse an input sequence such as a received data processing instruction. The parse is used to identify expressions of a first type that can then be implicitly optimized by using a stored evaluation template that is associated with expressions of that type.

Abstract: A system and method for messaging subscription management by subscribing a subscriber to a publisher, providing a broker brokering message flow between the publisher and the subscriber whereby the publisher publishes information to the broker which then forwards the information to the subscriber, and filtering messages whereby any messages not originating from the publisher are filtered out. The filtering may comprise modifying at the publisher a filter supplied by the subscriber and sending the modified filter to the broker, or may comprise modifying at the subscriber a filter and sending the modified filter to the broker.

Abstract: A method apparatus and computer program product for providing access to host attribute information in a storage area network is disclosed. The storage area network is composed of a plurality of hosts coupled to at least one initiator. Each initiator is coupled to one or more targets and each initiator has an associated identifier. In each host, the identifier of the initiator is related to other host attribute information. The identifier may be, for example, a world wide name. The host attribute information including the identifier is sent from each of the plurality of hosts to the one or more targets and stored in memory of an associated storage array. Either a host or requestor remote from the storage array may request the collected host attribute information from the storage array. A topology of the storage area network may then be formed from the host attribute information of each host.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided to dry veneer or other items by vaporization of moisture in the item. Apparatus has an insulated chamber with a frame and a drawer with a door. A mesh surface of the drawer supports item for drying with a heater at sub-atmospheric pressure inside of the chamber. Item is placed on the layer of mesh of the drawer of the apparatus and secured with fasteners such as another layer of mesh. The drawer with fastened item is placed into the chamber of the apparatus. With the drawer fully engaged within the chamber, the drying apparatus is closed with an airtight seal. A pump draws a vacuum in the chamber and heat is directed at the item to raise the temperature of the item to less than 160° F., particularly between 120° F. to 150° F. Apparatus can dry veneer in less than five minutes.

Abstract: Dental appliances including multiple components and a system and method for constructing the same are disclosed herein. The dental components are designed to fit together to form the dental appliance. The components of the dental appliance are electronically modeled, printed, and pressed sequentially, separately, or as a unitary piece. Forming the dental appliance from multiple components enables each component of the dental appliance to be formed from a different material, each material having different features associated with it. In various embodiments, different materials have different colors, textures, opacities, and transformation factors associated with them. Furthermore, each component can be formed from multiple components. In some other embodiments, a support structure is designed and constructed in order to minimize deformation of a dental component during fabrication of the component.

Abstract: Devices and methods are disclosed for framing openings for doors, windows, store fronts, air conditioning units and other purposes, in walls formed of cast-in-place concrete. The devices include a jamb member having attached first and second inner flanges with angled guide surfaces for guiding placement of a wall forming system in alignment and engagement therewith and for anchoring the jamb member following hardening of the poured concrete. A method includes use of the disclosed jamb member to frame an opening in a building wall.

Abstract: A reusable, low investment tool for making parts is made by a process in which a mixture of sand and an activator is applied as a layer onto which a printed resin is deposited to form a base and a pattern. A plurality of sidewalls may also be provided on the base using the same process. The tool is coated with a curable resin to form a protective shell. The reusable tool may be used as a dump box or as a vacuum forming tool for forming parts. A stamping die may be formed by drawing a vacuum through the sand layer as the resin coating is applied to more fully permeate the stamping die.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and software are disclosed for simulating a running median value for a set of input data values, and for simulating a selected percentile value other than the median. A current estimated value is compared to an input data value. If the input data value is greater than the current estimated value, the current estimated value is increased in accordance with a first adjustment function. If the input data value is less than the current estimated value, the current estimated value is decreased in accordance with the second adjustment function. Different adjustment functions are disclosed for increasing or decreasing the current estimated value. The magnitude of each increase or decreases provided by an adjustment function is independent of the magnitude of the difference between the current input data value and the current estimated value.

Abstract: A data processing system comprises a matching engine for matching messages and a switch for routing data. The data processing system is arranged to receive publish messages comprising topic and source identification, and to receive subscribe messages comprising topic and sink identification. The matching engine is arranged to match one or more sink identifications to a source identification according to a matching topic and the switch is arranged to receive control signals dependent on the result of the matching and accordingly to route data from a source to one or more sinks. The system can include a switch control, the switch control arranged to receive an output of the matching from the matching engine and to transmit the control signals to the switch, the control signals defining the routing to be applied by the switch.

Abstract: A genetic optimization computer system comprises a model and an optimizer. The model defines the structure of a candidate solution to a problem as a plurality of objects in combination (A,B,C). The objects consist of defined parameters (x,y). The model also runs potential solutions to the problem and generates an output. The optimizer stores potential solution candidates and crosses pairs of them to produce new child solution candidates which are run by the model. The child solutions are evaluated on the basis of the model output and their fitness for purpose indicated, and identified to the optimizer. The model also defines at least one group of objects which are identically structured and equivalent to each other.

Abstract: A floor care apparatus includes a housing having a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. A suction inlet is provided on the nozzle assembly. A dirt collection vessel, a suction generator and a wand receiver are carried on the housing. The cleaning wand assembly includes a telescoping subassembly, including two telescoping wand sections, and a handle subassembly including a third wand section.

Abstract: A floor cleaning apparatus includes a housing and a dirt collection vessel carried on that housing. The dirt collection vessel includes a first air inlet, a second air inlet, a dirt collection chamber, a filter chamber and a clean air outlet. A filter is received in the filter chamber. A suction generator is carried on the housing. The floor cleaning apparatus also includes a flow control valve assembly. The flow control valve assembly is selectively displaceable between a first or home position wherein dirt and debris are captured in the dirt collection vessel and a second or filter cleaning position wherein clean air is drawn through at least a portion of the filter to clean the filter. An activator is provided for automatically displacing the flow control valve assembly between the first and second positions.