Abstract: This invention describes a method and several variants for compiling programs or components of programs in a mixed static and dynamic environment, so as to reduce the amount of time and memory spent in run-time compilation, or to exercise greater control over testing of the executable code for the program, or both. The invention involves generating persistent code images prior to program execution based on static compilation or dynamic compilation from a previous run, and then, adapting those images during program execution. We describe a method for generating auxiliary information in addition to the executable code that is recorded in the persistent code image. Further, we describe a method for checking the validity of those code images, adapting those images to the new execution context, and generating new executable code to respond to dynamic events, during program execution.

Abstract: A method for compression molding a thermoset article includes providing first and second movable mold dies providing a mold cavity. A thermosettable workpiece is placed on the first mold die. The workpiece is heated to a gel. At least one of the mold dies is moved toward the other to compress the workpiece between first and second die surfaces. A first mold clamp pressure is applied to the workpiece at a predetermined pressurization to shape the workpiece. The workpiece is cured into a thermoset article. An electrical property of the workpiece is measured as a function of time. A gelation period during which the electrical property changes in value until reaching a turning point corresponding to a gelation peak value is detected. A gelation peak time of the workpiece is determined, the gelation peak time coinciding with the gelation peak value.

Abstract: The present invention provides fluorescence-based real-time PCR assays for the rapid detection of chemokine receptor single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The genotyping assay can be used to detect SNPs of human chemokine receptor (CXCR2) single nucleotide polymorphisms T1208C, C785T and G1440A.

Abstract: Described are methods, apparatus and computer programs for determining run-time dependencies between logical components of a data processing environment. Components of the data processing environment are monitored by monitoring agents accessing run-time activity data via APIs of the managed system. A dependency generator identifies correlations between the run-time activity of the monitored components. For synchronous monitored systems, the dependency generator calculates an activity period for monitored components and determines which component's activity periods contain the activity periods of other components. Containment is used as an indicator of a likely dependency relationship, and a weighting is computed for each dependency relationship based on the consistency of containment.

Abstract: The present invention provides fluorescence-based real-time PCR assays for the rapid detection of ?2-adrenergic receptor single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The genotyping assay can be used to detect SNPs of human ?2-adrenergic receptor (?2-AR) single nucleotide polymorphisms A46G and C79G.

Abstract: A hybrid method of predicting the occurrence of future critical events in a computer cluster having a series of nodes records system performance parameters and the occurrence of past critical events. A data filter filters the logged to data to eliminate redundancies and decrease the data storage requirements of the system. Time-series models and rule based classification schemes are used to associate various system parameters with the past occurrence of critical events and predict the occurrence of future critical events. Ongoing processing jobs are migrated to nodes for which no critical events are predicted and future jobs are routed to more robust nodes.

Abstract: A peer-to-peer protocol is based on the use of global timestamps and client priorities in serializing modifications to a shared workspace of real-time collaboration. The method caters to dynamic clients wherein a client can leave or join an ongoing collaboration session as long as there is always at least one client present/remaining in the collaboration session. The method can support multiple definitions of a modification, including partitioning-based definitions, wherein the method provides full support for locking of partitions, and a full treatment of inter-partition synchronization via a modification definition over multiple partitions. The method is capable of utilizing the many standard methods of creating a global, distributed, synchronized clock for the global timestamps utilized by it. The method is rollback-based for correcting tentative but incorrect serializations, and provides additional backup in terms of checkpoints for additional safety and for the support of lightweight, pervasive clients.

Abstract: A method of and system for intercepting a transaction instantiated by a database application to determine if an electronic signature is necessary to commit the transaction to the database is disclosed. In one embodiment the method comprises calling an application program interface to raise an event in response to a triggering action generated by the database application; initiating a workflow process that executes a rule to determine if an electronic signature is required to approve the transaction; and if execution of the rule results in a determination that an electronic signature is required for the transaction, instantiating a signature collection process. Some embodiments further comprise obtaining an electronic signature in response to the signature collection process and thereafter, verifying the electronic signature and updating a filed of the electronic record to indicate a valid signature was collected if the electronic signature is verified.

Abstract: A method of and system for committing a transaction to a database. In one embodiment the method comprises initiating a database transaction; creating an electronic record that includes transaction data from the database transaction; executing a rule associated with the record to determine whether an electronic signature is required to connote review and/or approval of the electronic record, and requesting the electronic signature prior to committing the transaction to the database if execution of the rule results in a determination that an electronic signature is required.

Abstract: A computing apparatus and method classify data objects into at least a first type and alternatively a second type, and allocate a first portion of computer memory to objects of the first type and a second portion of computer memory to objects of the second type. Then the method performs garbage collection of data objects within at least one portion of computer memory while retaining surviving objects within the computer memory. Objects of the first type occur in a computer memory with a frequency that exceeds a selected threshold, and are designated “prolific.” Objects of the second type occur in the computer memory with a frequency that does not exceed the selected threshold, and are designated “non-prolific”.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus that improves virtual memory management. The proposed method and apparatus provides an application with an efficient channel for communicating information about future behavior of an application with respect to the use of memory and other resources to the OS, a paging daemon, and other system software. The state of hint bits, which are integrated into page table entries and TLB entries and are used for communicating information to the OS, can be changed explicitly with a special instruction or implicitly as a result of referencing the associated page. The latter is useful for canceling hints. The method and apparatus enables memory allocators, garbage collectors, and compilers (such as those used by the Java platform) to use a page-aligned heap and a page-aligned stack to assist the OS in effective management of memory resources. This mechanism can also be used in other system software.

Abstract: An integrated-cavity output spectroscopy (ICOS) instrument adapted for measuring liquid samples has a low-scatter flow cell arrangement passing through a stable optical cavity defined by an arrangement of two or more mirrors. The flow cell provides a sample volume within the cavity of at most one microliter at any given time. The optical cavity has an effective cavity length of at most one centimeter and mirror radii of curvature for the stable cavity arrangement are much longer than the cavity length. A light beam with stable characteristics is introduced into the cavity, passes through the liquid sample cell multiple times, and a detector measures a portion of the light from the cavity. The light measurement is analyzed to determine absorption by the liquid sample, and related information.

Abstract: Internet services that rely on the transfer of real-time information have proliferated in recent years. Given the amount of information generated on the Internet, a user may request to be notified whenever particular information becomes available, such as the current highest bid in an on-line auction. The user enrols to receive one or more messages and sends a list of desired messages through a client process running on the user's computer system. When the user is ready to receive messages, the client process connects to a notification server and provides its receiving address identifier. It then disconnects from the notification server and waits for messages. A message monitor detects the occurrence of events that trigger notifications, and informs the notification server of the event. The notification server determines the appropriate recipient for the notification, and sends it using a server-initiated end-to-end message transfer mechanism to the clients' receiving address identifiers.

Abstract: A user's preference structure in respect of alternative “objects” with which the user is presented is caputured in a multi-attribute utility function. The user ranks these competing objects in order of the user's relative preference for such objects. A utility function that defines the user's preference structure is provided as output on the basis of this relative ranking. This technique can be used to assist a buyer in selecting between multi-attribute quotes or bids submitted by prospective suppliers to the buyer.

Abstract: The invention teaches how to reduce the traffic associated with handling cache lines containing useless data (i.e. cache lines corresponding to pages that have been invalidated). The invention makes it possible to evict such cache lines earlier, to avoid write backs of useless data from such cache lines to main memory, and to avoid transmitting useless data from such cache lines to the requesting remote coherence controller in a multiprocessor system. The present invention describes a mechanism for invalidating cache lines containing useless data transparently and without programmer's involvement. For efficiency, the content of a cache line containing useless data is invalidated only when the line is referenced or is about to be allocated for some new data.

Abstract: A plurality of specialized interfaces interact with a plurality of specialized gateways to provide plan provider representatives, plan sponsor representatives, and plan participants with access to a network-based retirement funds management system, wherein the interfaces assist in the real-time or near real-time management of retirement funds. The interfaces include at least the following: a plan provider interface (providing authorized plan provider representatives with access to plan provider gateway), a plan sponsor interface (providing authorized plan sponsor representatives with access to plan sponsor gateway), and a plan participant interface (providing plan participant with access to plan participant gateway).

Abstract: A method and several variants for using information about the scope of access of objects acted upon by mutual exclusion, or mutex, locks to transform a computer program by eliminating locking operations from the program or simplifying the locking operations, while strictly performing the semantics of the original program. In particular, if it can be determined by a compiler that the object locked can only be accessed by a single thread it is not necessary to perform the “acquire” or “release” part of the locking operation, and only its side effects must be performed. Likewise, if it can be determined that the side effects of a locking operation acting on a variable which is locked in multiple threads are not needed, then only the locking operation, and not the side effects, needs to be performed.

Abstract: A web-based system for the management of various types of retirement plans including 401(k) plans, money purchase plans, and profit sharing plans is described. The system comprises: (a) a computer-based retirement system such as a 401(k) system; (b) a plan provider gateway providing plan providers (banks, brokerages, insurance companies, payroll services, etc.) with access to the 401(k) system; (c) a plan sponsor gateway providing plan sponsors (such as individual companies that offer 401(k) to their employees) and authorized plan provider representatives with access to the 401(k) system; and (d) a plan participant gateway providing plan participants (such as individuals participating in a 401(k) plan), authorized plan provider representatives, and authorized plan sponsor representatives with access to the 401(k) system. Thus, each type of user (a plan provider, a plan sponsor, or a plan participant) is able to perform their appropriate and necessary functions via the above-mentioned three gateways.

Abstract: A method and several variants are provided for analyzing and transforming a computer program such that instructions may be reordered even across instructions that may throw an exception, while strictly preserving the precise exception semantics of the original program. The method uses program analysis to identify the subset of program state that needs to be preserved if an exception is thrown. Furthermore, the method performs a program transformation that allows dependence constraints among potentially excepting instructions to be completely ignored while applying program optimizations. This transformation does not require any special hardware support, and requires a compensation code to be executed only if an exception is thrown, i.e., no additional instructions need to be executed if an exception is not thrown. Variants of the method show how one or several of the features of the method may be performed.

Abstract: A peer-to-peer protocol is based on the use of global timestamps and client priorities in serializing modifications to a shared workspace of real-time collaboration. The method caters to dynamic clients wherein a client can leave or join an ongoing collaboration session as long as there is always at least one client present/remaining in the collaboration session. The method can support multiple definitions of a modification, including partitioning-based definitions, wherein the method provides full support for locking of partitions, and a full treatment of inter-partition synchronisation via a modification definition over multiple partitions. The method is capable of utilizing the many standard methods of creating a global, distributed, synchronized clock for the global timestamps utilized by it. The method is rollback-based for correcting tentative but incorrect serializations, and provides additional backup in terms of checkpoints for additional safety and for the support of lightweight, pervasive clients.