71 results about "Peer review" patented technology

When a user browses an online retailer's Web site or a mirror site, the user can select an item and model the item online by having a server generate a digital image of the user wearing the item. If the user is still unsure as to whether to buy the item, the user can enter an online chat room in which the online modeling image is displayed to other users. The user can then receive the other users' feedback before deciding whether to buy the item. In a second embodiment, multiple online modeling images are generated to provide the user with a customized catalog, which can be of items for a single merchant or multiple merchants.

A method of assessing risk for an individual to experience a specific outcome within a disease entity within a specified time frame is provided. Peer-reviewed scientific publications are analyzed to identify pertinent risk factors (212) for developing disease processes and their possible complications. Information that characterizes an individual (218) in relation to the identified risk factors is then received, preferably responsive to question (224) regarding any demographic values of an individual under test and questions regarding medical chracterisitics of the individual under test. An estimate of risk of the individual acquiring the outcome within a specified time frame is performed based on the identified plurality of risk factors (212). Assessment of medical risk and condition may include analyzing peer-reviewed scientific publications to identify populations affected by a medical outcome and for each population respective risk factors that affect risk of acquiring the medical outcome within a specified time-frame, associating an individual with one of the identified population, identifying information that characterizes the individual (218) in relation to the respective risk factors other associated population, and estimating risk of the individual having the medical outcome within the specified the time frame responsive to the identified information. Promotion of business on a site of a computer network is provided by supplying an on-line questionnaire (224) regarding characteristics of individual (218) under test, receiving information regarding characteristics of the individual under test, and responsive to the received information, providing an assessment of the individual under test having a medical outcome within a specified time frame.

An improved method for facilitating the peer review process in scholarly publications is presented. This improved method streamlines and compresses the review process, eliminating unnecessary delays and costs inherent in the traditional process. The present invention implements a computer based manuscript tracking process the uses the World Wide Web to allow ubiquitous access to the manuscript under review. This ubiquitous access works in conjunction with automatic generation of potential reviewers and instant notification to authors, editors, and reviewers of significant milestones in the peer review process. Authors are allowed to communicate with anonymous reviewers to reduce the number of revisions leading to approval. Additionally, multiple authors are allowed to collaborate during the manuscript creation process as well as the manuscript review process. This allows several geographically disperse authors to conveniently co-author a manuscript. It additionally allows the author or several authors to respond to comments from the reviewer prior to an editor reading the review.

A method and system, executed by a server, is disclosed for receiving questions from users regarding one or more topics and providing answers from a set of experts. Users can direct questions to one or more specific experts, who in turn can answer the questions, refer the questions to other experts, or both. The server automatically organizes and stores questions and answers in various for a dedicated to one or more topics, such as medical treatment for specific health conditions. Responses generated by the experts to the questions asked by the users may, in turn, be reviewed by peer review personnel. The system may be deployed at multiple network sites to provide a question and answer forum to users who visit different sites. Each network site in which the system is deployed may selectively decide whether to post at its network site the responses by experts and / or peer review personnel to questions originating from other network sites. In addition, each network site can selectively decide whether the responses by experts and / or peer review personnel to questions originating at their network site should be permitted to be posted on other network sites. Methods for funding a network site according to the present invention include the provision of advertising banners, receiving subscription payments or fees from user / subscribers for receiving expert opinions, and receiving payments from third party sponsors. Users who access the site may, in turn, receive benefits in exchange for soliciting such expert opinions.

A quantitative method of compensating contributors of digital content to an interactive online repository of digital content. The method includes receiving from a user a contribution of digital content. The method also includes assigning an initial point award to the user contribution an initial point award, imposing a vesting schedule on the initial point award, reviewing, by at least one of at least one editor and other users (peer review) of the digital content to determine ratings of the quality, suitability and appropriateness of the initial point award, vesting an increment of the point award, thereby making it available for conversion, converting, either by rule or upon user request of the points into things of value and withdrawing by the user of the things of value.

The field of the invention relates to systems and methods for managing user behavior in online multiuser systems, and more particularly to systems and methods that provide user-based arbitration for online multiuser systems. In one embodiment, a multi-user online system enables a first user to report a second user's behavior while online. The system receives the report and merges the report with the second user's recorded interactions with the online system related to the report to create an arbitration file. The arbitration file is then made available to a third user to review the arbitration file and determine whether action is warranted.

An improved method for facilitating the peer review process in scholarly publications is presented. This improved method streamlines and compresses the review process, eliminating unnecessary delays and costs inherent in the traditional process. The present invention implements a computer based manuscript tracking process the uses the World Wide Web to allow ubiquitous access to the manuscript under review. This ubiquitous access works in conjunction with automatic generation of potential reviewers and instant notification to authors, editors, and reviewers of significant milestones in the peer review process. Authors are allowed to communicate with anonymous reviewers to reduce the number of revisions leading to approval. Additionally, multiple authors are allowed to collaborate during the manuscript creation process as well as the manuscript review process. This allows several geographically disperse authors to conveniently co-author a manuscript. It additionally allows the author or several authors to respond to comments from the reviewer prior to an editor reading the review.

The present invention utilizes speech analysis to provide real-time measurement of end-user stress, fatigue, and uncertainty in decision-making. The present invention monitors “technology-induced” stressors by increasing the inherent functionality of individual monitoring technologies, so as to perform multiple applications in a single setting. In addition to the continued use of speech recognition technology for computerized report transcription, the present invention simultaneously measures and analyzes occupational stress and fatigue in real-time, specific to the unique profile of each individual end-user and context of the task being performed. The derived user-specific stress / fatigue analytics may be used in the creation of a number of workflow and quality enhancing deliverables, including customizable intervention strategies for stress / fatigue reduction, creation of automated workflow templates, and targeted quality assurance and peer review.

The invention concerns a method of creation, maintenance, and peer-review of web-based collectively written encyclopedia. The invention combines the mechanism of Wiki-style collaborative environment, which allows users to modify articles, with the principles of peer-reviewed encyclopedias, in which articles are approved (i.e., endorsed) by experts. In the preferred embodiment, each article has a curator or curators who are responsible for the article content. Each article can be modified by users, but the modification is hidden from the general public until it is evaluated and approved by the curators. The encyclopedia stores the history of all revisions and evaluations. If the curators fail to evaluate the modification within a certain predefined period of time, the curatorship of the article is offered to the person who made useful modifications to the article (according to the history of evaluations). This method ensures that each article has a curator who maintains its content in a timely manner.

A pharmaceutical hazardous waste identification and management system integrates disparate information regarding pharmaceuticals to provide an indication of which pharmaceuticals are hazardous wastes as defined by respective national, international and state regulations and / or which are hazardous materials as defined by the US OSHA regulations. A subset of this information offers a global repository with respect to the occurrence, concentrations, and ecotoxicologic data of pharmaceuticals based on peer reviewed data provided by environmental toxicologists and related scientists.

The present invention provides methods for integrating the peer review process with other applications and facilitating peer review using a user interface linked to a peer review application having knowledge base information and defined rules for: accepting a paper for peer review, assigning the paper to one or more of a defined set of reviewers for review, providing to the reviewers one or more criteria to be used for reviewing and evaluating each paper for enabling each reviewer to create a peer review result, and processing all peer review results for any paper to produce a peer review report. Access to these systems and methods may be provided, for example, on a stand-alone computer or over the Internet, World Wide Web, or an intranet.

A digital content review and distribution system and method are provided. In general, a number of authors of digital content register with a content review and distribution agent, which may be hosted by a central server. The authors agree to review digital content submitted by other authors in exchange for review and distribution of their own content. In operation, an author submits metadata associated with digital content to be reviewed and optionally the digital content to the content review and distribution agent. In response to the submission, the content review and distribution agent effects a review of the digital content by one or more groups of reviewers, where the groups of reviewers are selected from the other authors registered with the content review and distribution agent based on the metadata for the digital content and reviewer credentials of the other authors.

A computer implemented method and system for tracking and managing progress of performance goals developed by one or more institutions and district administrations at multiple levels is provided. A progress management platform (PMP) accessible via a network, receives goal information and goal criteria at one or more levels and generates one or more modifiable performance goals at those levels. The PMP tracks progress of the generated modifiable performance goals (GMPGs) by collecting and monitoring observations received on execution of the GMPGs by internal entities at one or more levels, self reviews and peer reviews received from the internal entities at one or more levels, feedback received from external entities, etc. The PMP generates one or more progress reports at one or more levels based on the tracked progress of the GMPGs to quantify results of the execution of the GMPGs for facilitating accountability, professional development, and development of improvement programs.

A medical image storage and retrieval system includes a database with relationally linked tables including a disease factoid table, an image and image caption table, and a patient data table. A flexible system allows for peer review, remote access and maintenance of the stored data, and query searching and retrieval of groups of related multimedia (image and text) case file information. The system facilitates distance learning and remote consultation.

System and methods for managing collaborative content resources, such as blogs, collaborative portals, and encyclopedias. In one embodiment, the collaborative resources comprise so-called “wikis” managed within an encyclopedia environment comprising a group of curators. The curators sponsor, peer-review, and accept or reject articles written by experts. When an article is accepted, the senior author joins the group of curators. Each accepted article has a curator and a group of assistant curators. When a registered user modifies the article, the modification is not shown to the public until it is approved by the curator or at least one assistant curator of the article. Upon approval, the user joins the group of assistant curators of the article. Each user has a rank, which in one variant reflects the number of times the approval or rejection decision by the user coincided with the approval or rejection decision by the curator.

Innovation or other desired activities are managed autonomously and adaptively by providing discrimination of inputs directed to the activity and the management infrastructure respectively. These categories of inputs are evaluated in different evaluation paths allowing different degrees of intervention. Exposure of inputs and acceptance of feedback in regard thereto are provided. Collaboration and periodic peer review are also encouraged through autonomous and automatic management of inputs and developments thereof.

Systems of the present invention provide for collaborating within a shared electronic calendar. An exemplary system may comprise a web-based electronic calendar having a collaboration tool allowing a plurality of users to collaborate regarding an event scheduled in the electronic calendar. The collaboration tool may comprise a wiki-style software application allowing a plurality of users to discuss, edit, comment, and / or peer-review documents regarding the event.

A method of processing professional services invoices begins with importing the invoices in electronic form and storing invoice data from the invoices in a database as electronic invoices. The electronic invoices are published on a computer network to permit access to the electronic invoices by reviewers connected to the network. On-line quality control and peer reviews of the electronic invoices are conducted to determine if adjustments to charges on the invoices should be applied. The method includes generating electronic client invoice reports reflecting the adjustments made by the quality control and peer reviewers and transmitting the client invoice reports to the client.

The invention is concerned with a method of creating and producing examinations. The method is closely connected with a computer-based exam creation software that provides the user or instructor with a suite of tools, allowing the design of exam questions and solutions for a particular course. The system allows allow the interaction of various instructors and other participants in the examination creation process. In order to facilitate the educational process, the invention provides the user with a easy-to-use interface to create new examination questions and solutions. The system stores the questions and solutions in a database. Other professors, instructors, or others can use the system to review questions posed by other instructors so as to have peer review. The questions are labeled with various parameters. The instructor can then choose several parameters for the exam which he / she would like to create. The system will then generate an exam in the format desired for the particular class the exam is being created for. The ability of professors to peer review, share exams from a database, and have logic on how to construct the exam improves the educational process. Firstly, it increases the standardization of exams across courses and professors in university, primary or secondary schools, or elsewhere. Secondly, it adds a robustness to exams through peer review. Thirdly, if offers efficiency to professors in terms of exam production. Finally, the sharing of exam questions improves the quality of examinations for students. The system can also be used for other organizations or entities to share and distribute questions and solutions, including publishers, electronic devices, and television shows.

A computer server hosting a website wherein the computer server executes program instructions, the programming instructions comprising: authenticating a valid customer; entering survey data and comments about a service provider by the valid customer from a computer system coupled to the server; adding survey score and comments to a database of the service provider; post survey score and comments on the website; filtering survey data and comments for triggers indicating potential liability for the service provider; and notifying the service provider of the potential liability.

A medical image storage and retrieval system includes a database with relationally linked tables including a disease factoid table, an image and image caption table, and a patient data table. A flexible system allows for peer review, remote access and maintenance of the stored data, and query searching and retrieval of groups of related multimedia (image and text) case file information. The system facilitates distance learning and remote consultation.

Methods and systems for journal peer review particularly for managing online peer review transactions over a network or communications medium such as via the Internet. In specific embodiments, that system minimizes or eliminates the need for most participants to remember and / or enter any login or password information. In specific embodiments, a majority of user interactions are prompted by email or text messages that allow for easier user access and acceptance. In specific embodiments, active links are distributed with each message for easy user access. In specific embodiments, automatic conflict checking is performed.

A request is received for a computing system to automatically identify a peer reviewer for a particular source code component. A copy of the particular source code component is accessed from computer memory and analyzed to determine a set of characteristics of the particular source code component. A plurality of other source code components are analyzed, where were authored by a plurality of other users to determine a particular one of the other users as authoring source code with characteristics similar to the set of characteristics. Data is generated to identify selection of the particular user as a peer review candidate for reviewing the particular software component.

Methods and systems for allocating rewards and mapping activity within organizations. Rewards are allocated throughout an organization using a consensus driven model and peer review. In one embodiment employees enter into a system “scores” for fellow employees based on at least one set of criteria. Once the scores are entered the system processes them according to an algorithm in accordance with the present invention and generates an output. In one embodiment the output is generated in the form of a report for management. Amps can be generated to assist in analysis of value within an organization.

A hybrid annotation and publication system is disclosed that can access content in a scalable manner from databases, allow for its editing and publication via wiki-style programs, while at the same time allowing for peer-review of such content via peer-review programs. This system balances the wiki-style programs, the peer-review programs, and any database store accesses in a manner appropriate to the need at hand according to various heuristics. For instance, the system can be accessed via a web browser, and data provided from various databases can be edited. Such data can be stored in the system in a hierarchical manner. Once the content is annotated, it can be reviewed (at various levels, ranging from expert to novice). Upon review, such content can be published using the wiki programs, so that the content is ready for public and / or private consumption.

A system and method for targeting relevant research activity for clinical application in response to angiogenic regulator analyses. An angiogenic analysis is performed on a patient blood sample in order to detect the level of each of at least ten angiogenic regulators. The levels of the tested regulators are used as indexes to identify relevant peer-reviewed research publications from among a large database of articles. The most relevant peer-reviewed literature reporting research and studies that have been conducted to identify, moderate, and define the mechanisms unique to individual and combinations of angiogenic regulators for various disease states are then provided to the patient and / or to the patient's physician, optionally in conjunction with a summarization of the treatment recommendations gleaned from the provided literature. The customized information delivery provides the patient and physician a range of published peer-reviewed therapeutic options and published research studies for moderating the out of range regulators to within normal range or other diagnostic significant range.

A system and method for targeting relevant research activity for clinical application in response to diagnostic markers analyses is described. Diagnostic analysis is performed to detect the level of each of at least three diagnostic markers. The levels of the tested markers are used to identify relevant publications from among a large database of articles. The most relevant literature, such as, one which reports research and studies that have been conducted to identify, moderate, and define the mechanisms unique to individual and combinations of diagnostic markers for various disease states, is then provided to the patient and / or the patient's physician, optionally with a summarization of the treatment recommendations from the provided literature. The customized information delivery provides a range of published peer-reviewed therapeutic options and / or published research studies.

Embodiments of the invention describe the implementation and execution of situational response training (SRT). In some embodiments, a sales team can use an SRT to implement real-time, peer-reviewed and / or focused training. For example, a manager can prepare a training situation through a web interface and then verbally record the training through a telephone interface. The training situation can include any number of questions, scenarios, fact patterns, etc. that can require a response by members of the sales team. Once prepared, the manager can send the training situation to his sales team. The sales team can then prepare and respond to the training situation over the phone using an interactive voice response (IVR) system or through another communication channel. For example, the training situation can be sent via email requesting that each member of the sales team respond to the training situation through a telephone interface.

A method of medical treatment review. The method can include the steps of receiving patient data into a patient database in which the patient data at least includes a diagnosis of the patient and providing one or more treatment protocols for the patient for selection by a treating provider in which the treatment protocols are pre-approved for the patient diagnosis. The method can also include the steps of analyzing a selection of a treatment protocol by the treating provider and generating an authorization of the selected treatment protocol based on predefined criteria. Generating the authorization of the selected treatment protocol can include generating the authorization without any peer review if the selected protocol meets the predefined criteria or generating the authorization following peer review if the selected protocol does not meet the predefined criteria.