Abstract: An adjustable ring is constructed from a first material to form at least a portion of a substantially circular shape. The first material includes two first C-shaped distal halves, and two second C-shaped proximate halves, and each of the halves arranged together to form a vertically bisected O-shape with a top portion removed defining a first arcuate void portion and a bottom portion removed defining a second arcuate void portion. The ring also includes a second material created to fit inside each of the two first and two second C-shaped halves of the first material to form a substantially circular shape defining an inner diameter for a given ring size. The second material includes at least one stress relief point and at least one size bar formed therewith. The second material is created to fit inside the first material using one or more of casting, co-casting, machining, forging, and stamping.

Abstract: Silica polyamine composites (SPC) made from silanized amorphous nano-porous silica gel and poly(allylamine) (BP-1) were functionalized with phosphorus acid using the Mannich reaction, resulting in a phosphonic acid modified composite (BPAP). Zirconium (IV) was immobilized on BPAP. Arsenate anions strongly adsorbed on the ZrBPAP composite in the pH range 2 to 8, while arsenite only adsorbed well at pH 10. Regeneration of the resin was carried out successfully for As(V) and As(III) using 2M-H2SO4. Four adsorption/desorption cycles were performed for As(V) at pH 4 without significant decrease in the uptake performance. ZrBPAP capture capacity and kinetics for arsenate were tested for longevity over 1000 cycles with only a marginal loss of performance.

Abstract: An adjustable ring is constructed from a first material to form at least a portion of a substantially circular shape. The first material includes two first C-shaped distal halves, and two second C-shaped proximate halves, and each of the halves arranged together to form a vertically bisected O-shape with a top portion removed defining a first arcuate void portion and a bottom portion removed defining a second arcuate void portion. The ring also includes a second material created to fit inside each of the two first and two second C-shaped halves of the first material to form a substantially circular shape defining an inner diameter for a given ring size. The second material includes at least one stress relief point and at least one size bar formed therewith. The second material is created to fit inside the first material using one or more of casting, co-casting, machining, forging, and stamping.

Abstract: A Co-Casting technique is described herein using Pins, Undercuts, Grooves, Rails that permit the attachment of a secondary precious metal to a primary alternative meta. The process of making a mold creating a model and casting a final worked piece uses wax filling of the recessed areas and the subsequent molding of the precious metal within the recessed areas in order to fill the aforementioned.

Abstract: Oxine ligands placed on styrene base ion exchange resins selectively remove iron and gallium from acidic solutions. After loading, the oxine resin is stripped of the loaded metals and used again for further metal removal. The resins can be used for process streams, acid rock drainages, or any other iron or gallium containing solution.

Abstract: The present application discloses new decorative articles. The decorative articles may have a base having a reflective upper surface. The decorative articles may include at least one an aesthetic item located at least proximal the reflective upper surface of the base. The decorative articles may include an affixing material disposed on the reflective upper surface of the base, wherein the affixing material fixes the aesthetic item in a predetermined orientation relative to the reflective upper surface.

Abstract: An article of manufacture having an alternative material and a precious material making this unique in bonding materials that are significantly dissimilar having an alternative material having an integral securing area and a laminate of precious material connected at the securing area of the alternative material having a contoured shape substantially matching a shape of the first alternative material.

Abstract: A Co-Casting technique is described herein using Pins, Undercuts, Grooves, Rails that permit the attachment of a secondary precious metal to a primary alternative meta. The process of making a mold creating a model and casting a final worked piece uses wax filling of the recessed areas and the subsequent molding of the precious metal within the recessed areas in order to fill the aforementioned.

Abstract: Speech recognition models are dynamically re-configurable based on user information, application information, background information such as background noise and transducer information such as transducer response characteristics to provide users with alternate input modes to keyboard text entry. Word recognition lattices are generated for each data field of an application and dynamically concatenated into a single word recognition lattice. A language model is applied to the concatenated word recognition lattice to determine the relationships between the word recognition lattices and repeated until the generated word recognition lattices are acceptable or differ from a predetermined value only by a threshold amount. These techniques of dynamic re-configurable speech recognition provide for deployment of speech recognition on small devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants as well environments such as office, home or vehicle while maintaining the accuracy of the speech recognition.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for indexing and organizing voice mail message by the speaker of the message. One or more speaker models are created from voice mail messages received. As additional messages are left, each of the new messages are compared with existing speaker models to determine the identity of the callers of each of the new messages. The voice mail messages are organized within a user's mailbox by caller. Unknown callers may be identified and tagged by the user and then used to create new speaker models and/or update existing speaker models.

Abstract: Silica polyamine composites (SPC) made from silanized amorphous nano-porous silica gel and poly(allylamine) (BP-1) were functionalized with phosphorus acid using the Mannich reaction, resulting in a phosphonic acid modified composite (BPAP). Zirconium (IV) was immobilized on BPAP. Arsenate anions strongly adsorbed on the ZrBPAP composite in the pH range 2 to 8, while arsenite only adsorbed well at pH 10. Regeneration of the resin was carried out successfully for As(V) and As(III) using 2M-H2SO4. Four adsorption/desorption cycles were performed for As(V) at pH 4 without significant decrease in the uptake performance. ZrBPAP capture capacity and kinetics for arsenate were tested for longevity over 1000 cycles with only a marginal loss of performance.

Abstract: An automatic speech recognition (ASR) system and method is provided for controlling the recognition of speech utterances generated by an end user operating a communications device. The ASR system and method can be used with a mobile device that is used in a communications network. The ASR system can be used for ASR of speech utterances input into a mobile device, to perform compensating techniques using at least one characteristic and for updating an ASR speech recognizer associated with the ASR system by determined and using a background noise value and a distortion value that is based on the features of the mobile device. The ASR system can be used to augment a limited data input capability of a mobile device, for example, caused by limited input devices physically located on the mobile device.

Abstract: Oxine ligands placed on styrene base ion exchange resins selectively remove iron and gallium from acidic solutions. After loading, the oxine resin is stripped of the loaded metals and used again for further metal removal. The resins can be used for process streams, acid rock drainages, or any other iron or gallium containing solution.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for indexing and organizing voice mail message by the speaker of the message. One or more speaker models are created from voice mail messages received. As additional messages are left, each of the new messages are compared with existing speaker models to determine the identity of the callers of each of the new messages. The voice mail messages are organized within a user's mailbox by caller. Unknown callers may be identified and tagged by the user and then used to create new speaker models and/or update existing speaker models.

Abstract: The oxine ligands 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquiniline and 5-sulfoxyl-8-hydroxyquinoline are covalently bound, using, for example, the Mannich reaction, to a silica gel polyamine composite made from a silanized amorphous silica xerogel and polyallylamine. The resulting modified composites, termed CB-1 (X?Cl) and SB-1 (X?SO3H), respectively, show a clear selectivity for trivalent over divalent ions and selectivity for gallium over aluminum. The compounds of the invention can be applied for the sequestration of metals, such as heavy metals, from contaminated mine tailing leachates.

Abstract: An automatic speech recognition (ASR) system and method is provided for controlling the recognition of speech utterances generated by an end user operating a communications device. The ASR system and method can be used with a mobile device that is used in a communications network. The ASR system can be used for ASR of speech utterances input into a mobile device, to perform compensating techniques using at least one characteristic and for updating an ASR speech recognizer associated with the ASR system by determined and using a background noise value and a distortion value that is based on the features of the mobile device. The ASR system can be used to augment a limited data input capability of a mobile device, for example, caused by limited input devices physically located on the mobile device.

Abstract: Speech recognition models are dynamically re-configurable based on user information, application information, background information such as background noise and transducer information such as transducer response characteristics to provide users with alternate input modes to keyboard text entry. Word recognition lattices are generated for each data field of an application and dynamically concatenated into a single word recognition lattice. A language model is applied to the concatenated word recognition lattice to determine the relationships between the word recognition lattices and repeated until the generated word recognition lattices are acceptable or differ from a predetermined value only by a threshold amount. These techniques of dynamic re-configurable speech recognition provide for deployment of speech recognition on small devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants as well environments such as office, home or vehicle while maintaining the accuracy of the speech recognition.

Abstract: The oxine ligands 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquiniline and 5-sulfoxyl-8-hydroxyquinoline are covalently bound, using, for example, the Mannich reaction, to a silica gel polyamine composite made from a silanized amorphous silica xerogel and polyallylamine. The resulting modified composites, termed CB-1 (X?Cl) and SB-1 (X?SO3H), respectively, show a clear selectivity for trivalent over divalent ions and selectivity for gallium over aluminum. The compounds of the invention can be applied for the sequestration of metals, such as heavy metals, from contaminated mine tailing leachates.