Abstract: A system is provided that alerts users to newly surfaced third-party digital listings matching predefined criteria, wherein said criteria are executed continuously or on-demand through distributed compute nodes. The system receives input for searching at least one online marketplace, the input received from a user device and providing description of a desired item of merchandise and criteria associated with the item. The system also launches web scraping of select online marketplaces in search of the item and continuously monitors the select online marketplaces using Python-based headless scrapers. The system also parses and normalizes data gathered during the web scraping with listings processed as they appear in near real time, identifies items of the data matching the received input, and formats and pushes alerts to the user device describing the identified items. The criteria initially comprise keywords, minimum and maximum prices, and selected online marketplaces to be searched.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for re-ordering the results from an information search, such as an Internet search in order to maximize the likelihood that the user will see a result they want in the first page or two of large or very large results lists. The results of the information search are examined for a wide variety of factors that could be considered to create diversity among the results a user is most likely to see. A subset of results are selected, with some results from each categorized group, for presentation to the user. The user is presented with a diverse set of search results so that the desired information may be located and/or the search narrowed more efficiently. This is easily extended to include any process which can benefit from receiving results from an information search where the receiving process benefits from having a high degree of variation occur among the first subset of results returned.

Abstract: A device for carrying out the operation of “flipping a coin” or “throwing dice” comprises a base on which a coin can rest in a number of stable orientations. An electromagnet projects the coin above the base and a sensor detects the orientation in which the coin comes to rest on the base.

Abstract: Pedicle engaging device having a bridge member (10) and two clip members (15); the bridge member having an arched middle portion (11) with concave edges (22) to afford clearance with respect to adjacent spinous processes (23), an aperture (12) in each side of the arch, and a pair of end portions (13) each with a hole for a pedicle screw (29); each clip member (15) having a tip (16) engageable in one of the apertures (12), and a fixing portion (17) with a hole (18) for receiving a pedicle screw (29); and each clip member being cranked (at 19) so as to form with the junction (20) between the arch (11) and respective end portion (13) of the bridge member (10) a pair of clamping parts for embracing a rod or rod-like portion (21') of a spinal fixation device (26).

Abstract: A spinal implant, e.g., to replace an excised disc, comprises a rigid generally horseshoe shape of biocompatible material, such as carbon-fibre reinforced plastics, having upper and lower planar faces (10, 11) converging towards the ends (12) of the horseshoe, and at least one hole (13, 14) from each planar face (10, 11) emerging in the outer curved face (15) of the horseshoe, to enable the horseshoe to be fixed by screws inserted through one or more selected holes in each plurality (13, 14) from the ends in the outer curved face (15) into respective adjacent vertebrae, with the screw heads bearing against shoulders (18), and with the space bounded by the inner curved face (17) of the horseshoe available for the insertion of bone graft or a bone graft substitute.

Abstract: A spinal fixation device (FIG. 1) of the type consisting of rod of biocompatible material (e.g. stainless steel) formed into a rigid rectangle has its shorter sides (11) bent in the same direction from the plane of the longer sides (12) to fit more closely upon the spine than the known flat rectangle, each shorter side (11) having two straight portions (13) at an angle to each other of between 90.degree. and 110.degree., with a small radius curve (14) between them and small radius curves (15) at the corners formed with the longer sides (12).A fixation device (FIG. 8) for use on the spine of an infant or juvenile consists of similar rod formed into a rigid U-shape with a base portion (21) similar to the shorter sides (11) of the rectangle, i.e. bent from the plane of the sides (22) of the U, so that when the sides (22) are wired to the spine the wires can slide along the sides (22), to allow for growth of the spine while maintaining support therefor.