Abstract: Apparatus for generating a supply of air at positive pressure for the amelioration or treatment of a respiratory disorder includes a first chamber, a second chamber, at least one inlet tube structured and configured to allow ambient air to enter the first chamber, at least one flow tube structured and configured to allow air to pass from the first chamber to the second chamber, and a blower structured and configured to produce a flow of air at positive pressure. The blower is positioned in the first chamber and structured and configured to receive air from the second chamber. The blower includes a housing structured and configured to sealingly separate air flow through an interior of the housing from the first chamber. The at least one inlet tube is axially spaced from the at least one flow tube.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing at least part of a communications network and particularly for managing a customer network, for example, within an asynchronous transfer mode communications network. A predictor is used to predict parameters such as bandwidth levels and to predict when the parameter(s) will exceed capacity or previously agreed thresholds. These agreed levels may be specified for example in a service level agreement between a service provider and a customer. The predictor also predicts, how much excess there will be and how long this will occur for. This information is provided to the service provider/customer and also can be provided to an agent which comprises a computer system. This agent negotiates on behalf of either the customer (for example) with another agent acting on behalf of the service provider (for example) and in this way new terms for an agreement between the two parties is obtained.

Abstract: A method of predicting at least one future value of a time series of data using a neural network comprising the steps of:(I) inputting a plurality of values of the time series into the neural network;(ii) inputting information about a time into the neural network; and(iii) obtaining outputs from the neural network said outputs comprising predicted future value(s) of the time series.

Abstract: A method of managing the processing of information using a first neural network, the information relating to the transmission of messages in a telecommunications network, uses the steps of:(i) monitoring the performance of the first neural network in processing the information;(ii) creating a second neural network of the same topology as the first when a predetermined performance threshold is reached, and(iii) retraining the second neural network while continuing to process the information using the first neural network. If the neural networks are implemented using objects, such retraining can be facilitated by using a persistance mechanism to enable the objects to be stored and moved. Applications in fraud detection.