Abstract: A user accesses online forms, enters information, and submits the data to an insurance underwriting server. The information may address health, family history, the applicant's profession, or planned physical activities. The applicant also authorizes the server to retrieve stored information about the applicant. The stored information may include DMV records, prescription drug records, credit reports, information from prior insurance applications, or medical records. The server receives the applicant's information and authorization to access the stored information. The server retrieves the stored information, then computes mortality risk based on the applicant's information and the retrieved information. If the mortality risk is deemed to be too high, the server can transition the user and/or applicant to a customer service representative, or the server can decline to underwrite an insurance policy.

Abstract: A method for recovering a metal from a metal ore or waste metal-containing material comprises contacting the ore or waste material with an acidic leaching solution effective for leaching and forming a pregnant solution of at least one metal to be recovered, and contacting the pregnant solution with a steel substrate so as to cement the at least one metal and from which one can recover the metal. The method is particularly suited to the recovery of precious metals such as gold. The steel substrate can be particulate, such as steel shavings, so that the steel substrate is used in a form which results in a high surface area to volume ratio of steel.