Abstract: A method, system, apparatus and computer program product are disclosed for screening electronic messages, wherein a sentry determines whether electronic messages to a receiver include respective passes from the receiver. Responsive to such a message having a pass, the receiver is notified about the message. Responsive to the message not having a pass, a notice for the sender is generated about a pass for the message. Ultimately the pass is generated and sent, on behalf of the designated receiver of the message, to the sender. Unless the sender of the electronic message receives the pass which was returned to the sender by a screening agent for the designated receiver, and the sender returns the pass to the receiver, then the screening agent discards the message and the receiver will not ever be burdened with the message.

Abstract: When a neural human-computer interface is used to control mechanical and electrical functions, the act of falling asleep by the user during neural control operations can produce undesirable and even disastrous results since neural activity would still be monitored and could produce involuntary signals leading to unintended results. In systems that track a user's neural activity and which use an electrical signal based upon this activity for controlling computer controlled functions, the problems associated with falling asleep may be circumvented by using an implementation which inhibits neural control when a patient's sleep state is detected. To accomplish this, an electroencephalography monitor (EEG) may be used to detect and predetermine the user's neural activity pattern during the transition from awake to sleep states. This pattern is compared against current neural activity. If matched, the neurally generated electrical signal is terminated.

Abstract: Neural human-computer interface is likely to be used to control mechanical and electrical functions. It should be understood that falling asleep by the user during neural control operations could produce undesirable and even disastrous results. During the sleep state, the neural activity would still continue to be monitored and produce involuntary signals leading to the unintended results.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling a tracing of program execution within an object-oriented programming language environment. A new tracing class is created which is derived from the original class. When tracing is desired, a user creates instances of the tracing subclass instead of the original class and this instance is used in place of the original object. When tracing is not desired, a user merely creates and uses an instance of the original class. The new tracing subclass incorporates "print" statements, which permit observation of the control of code flow within the object.

Abstract: A system for creating before and after behavior upon invocation of a method in an object-oriented system. The framework provides metaclasses containing methods for dispatching a before method and an after method at the time of invocation of each client method in subclass instances. Object-oriented system properties of inheritance and encapsulation are supported as are derived metaclasses. Derivation ensures that the specification syntax for each class does not impact the expected result. The combination of explicit before after classes, dispatcher class, and derived metaclasses ensures that the system will have associative composition.

Abstract: Communicating the failure of master process controlling one or more shared resources to all processes sharing the resources. A shared resource control file is established that contains the identities of all sharing processes. Master process failure triggers a race to establish exclusive access over the shared control file. The new master reads shadow address data from the old shared control file, marks it as invalid and establishes a new control file based on renewed registrations from the sharing processes. The master process maintains the sharing process list as process begin and end sharing.

Abstract: A method for changing the concentration of a preselected atom or molecule in a mixture containing the preselected atom or molecule and atoms or molecules having mass different from the preselected one which employs a solid electrolyte which preferentially conducts the preselected atom or molecule in ionic form at a rate different from that of the other atoms or molecules in ionic form in the mixture; and apparatus suitable for carrying out the process are provided.