Hunter Doherty "Patch" Adams, born on May 28, 1945, is an American physician, comedian, social activist, clown, and author. He is best known for founding the Gesundheit! Institute, a not-for-profit organization, in 1989. Adams and his team annually mobilize volunteers from around the world to dress as clowns and travel to various countries, bringing joy to orphans, patients, and other individuals in need. His unconventional approach to healthcare, which is not funded by insurance policies, aims to promote an alternative health care model. Adams' upbringing, marked by the loss of his father and encounters with racism and segregation, fueled his determination to stand up against injustice and make a positive impact on society.The Gesundheit! Institute, based in Adams' rural West Virginia property, continues to evolve, with plans for a community hospital and teaching facility that will offer free holistic care. Adams has been recognized for his humanitarian work, receiving the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award and serving as an honorary chair of the "International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment." He has also been actively involved in supporting initiatives such as the Ithaca Health Alliance and Health Democracy.Adams' life and philosophy inspired the 1998 film "Patch Adams," although he has criticized the movie for its inaccurate portrayal of his beliefs and the commercialization of his story. Despite his reservations about the film, Adams acknowledged Robin Williams' portrayal of him

A patch is a data used to modify existing software resources, often to fix bugs and security vulnerabilities, and to improve functionality, usability, or performance. Typically provided by a vendor for updating the software, a patch may be created manually or via a tool that compares two versions of the resource and generates data for transformation. It needs to be applied to the specific version of the resource it is intended to modify, although some patching tools can detect the version and apply the appropriate patch. Patching allows modifying a compiled program when the source code is unavailable and making changes without rebuilding it from source. However, poorly designed patches can introduce new problems. Patch management is part of lifecycle management and involves using a strategy and plan for applying patches to systems at a specified time. There are different types of patches, such as binary patches, which are distributed as executable files for proprietary software and as data files containing patch code for other software. When executed, these files load a program into memory and manage the installation of the patch code into the target program(s) on disk. Patches for proprietary software typically modify the target program's executable file by overwriting its bytes with bytes representing the new patch code. If the new code will fit in the space occupied by the old code, it may be put in place by overwriting directly over the old code, known as an inline patch. On early 8-bit microcomputers, the operating system includes a PATCH/CMD utility that accepts patch data from a text file and

A patch cable, also known as a patch cord or patch lead, is an essential electrical or fiber-optic cable used to establish connections between electronic or optical devices for signal routing. These cables come in various types and colors, allowing for easy identification and usage across different devices and setups. Originally used in telephony and radio studios, patch cables have evolved to become indispensable in various fields, such as music and sound recording studios, electronic instrument connections, and networking applications. Patch cords are designed for flexibility and are typically shorter in length, with options ranging from 3 inches to 50 meters, depending on the specific requirements. They are crucial for creating temporary connections, substituting failed devices, and interconnecting functional sections in electronic equipment. The construction of patch cords varies, with stranded copper construction providing flexibility and solid cables offering structured cabling. Connector types for patch cords also vary widely, including single-conductor wires, coaxial cables, shielded or unshielded Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, or Cat6A cables, and qualified optical fiber cables. The versatility and importance of patch cables make them a vital component in modern technology and electronic communication systems.

A patch panel, also known as a patch bay, patch field, jack panel, or jack field, is a versatile device used in various settings such as computer networking, recording studios, and radio and television. Its primary function is to connect and route circuits for monitoring, interconnecting, and testing in a flexible and convenient manner. In the context of recording studios, concert sound reinforcement systems, and broadcast studios, patch panels play a crucial role in facilitating the connection of different devices, making it easier to connect various equipment in different orders for different projects. They are also utilized in home cinema and structured wiring installations. The normalization of patch bays involves wiring the top row of jacks to outputs and the bottom row to inputs. While dedicated switching equipment can be an alternative to patch bays, it is often more expensive and may not fully replicate the capabilities of a patch panel. Overall, patch panels are fundamental components in managing and facilitating connections in various technical environments.

Patch is a Unix program developed by Larry Wall, the creator of Perl programming language, and posted in 1985. It is designed to update text files based on instructions in a separate file, called a patch file. This tool has been widely used in software development for updating source code to newer versions and can be applied to any text, not just source code. The diff files used as input to patch are readable text files, easily reviewed or modified by humans before use. Patches, especially context and unified diffs, are preferred for submission to many software projects. The features of diff and patch make them popular for exchanging modifications to open-source software. The patch program has been ported to Windows and other platforms, expanding its usage beyond Unix and Unix-like systems. It has become an essential component of many source control systems and is a crucial tool for software developers and programmers.