Abstract: An item of jewelry includes a movable or removable setting and a charm coupled to a short chain. The chain carrying the charm can be captured by the movable or removable setting. According to one embodiment, the setting has internal threads which mate with a threaded post. According to another embodiment, the setting is coupled to a slotted basket via a bayonet coupling. The charms are preferably provided in a wide range of designs, including, but not limited to holiday themes, religious themes, astrological signs, varsity letters, graduation year, wedding themes, commercial characters such as Disney characters, TV characters, messages such as “I Love You”, etc. The settings may include different color stones to match different color clothing, birth stones, etc.

Abstract: An apparatus for abdominal dressing that adds liquid coils in the form of a manifold is disclosed. The manifold includes heating coils to warm the bowel with heated water in a counter current method. This takes advantage of the large surface area of the bowel to exchange heat with the heater coils, but allows the abdominal dressing to maintain the initial function: remove pathologic fluid from the abdomen. Methods of treating patients with an open abdomen are also disclosed.

Abstract: An finger ring includes a movable or removable setting and a charm coupled to a short chain. The chain carrying the charm can be captured by the movable or removable setting. According to one embodiment, the setting has internal threads which mate with a threaded post. According to another embodiment, the setting is coupled to a slotted basket via a bayonet coupling. According to another embodiment, the setting is coupled to a slotted basket via a magnet. The charms are preferably provided in a wide range of designs, including, but not limited to holiday themes, religious themes, astrological signs, varsity letters, graduation year, wedding themes, commercial characters such as Disney characters, TV characters, messages such as “I Love You”, etc. The removable settings may include different color stones to match different color clothing, birth stones, etc.

Abstract: A system and a method for redeeming a coupon issued by a merchant are provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a text message transmitted by a user, determining a telephone number from which the text message was transmitted, debiting an amount corresponding to the value of the coupon from a merchant account, and depositing the amount into a user account. The coupon redemption message includes merchant identification and a value of the coupon. The user is sent a notification message, typically via the user's mobile cellular telephone, to inform the user that the amount corresponding to the coupon value has been deposited into the user account. Each of the accounts may be associated with an internet-based payment system. The value of the coupon may be expressible as either currency, mileage credit, points associated with a merchant loyalty program, or prepaid minutes of mobile cellular telephone usage.

Abstract: A unique combination of compression, encoding, authoring, and encryption software practices to store large data and media files onto external mobile handset and PDA compatible memory devices. The unique combination allows for a copy protected handset and PDA compatible external memory device with pre-installed data and media. A multimedia player is also written in the external memory device along with the processed data and/or media files, wherein the multimedia player is used to render the stored data and/or media files in a mobile device such as an external mobile handset or PDA. The memory device is inserted into a mobile handset or PDA for access by a user.

Abstract: ELF3 gene compositions associated with cancer are provided, including ELF3 mRNA intron retention, a novel ELF3 5? untranslated region, and a novel Alu, Alukwd. Methods and kits using primers or probes to detect the presence of these ELF3 gene compositions are also provided. Methods for determining whether a cell comprises a virus are also provided.

Abstract: A system is provided that includes a request module adapted to receive a request from an initiation interface initiated by a user and a user profile module adapted to associate the request with a user profile of the user. The user profile includes at least a payment plan selected by the user and an identification number of the user. The system also includes a payment interface adapted to submit a payment demand to the payment plan and a mobile communication interface adapted to transmit a confirmation to a mobile communication network for transmission to a wireless device associated with the identification number. In the system, the initiation interface may be a wireless device, a magnetic swipe reader, a wireless barcode reading device, an RFID interface, a website, and/or a web banner interface. A method of operating a server is provided. A computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for a processor is provided.

Abstract: A method to simultaneously transcode audio and video content for optimized streaming over one or more mobile telecommunications networks, wherein a streaming server receives multimedia content, transcodes the received multimedia content, and forwards the transcoded multimedia content to a telecommunications hub, wherein the telecommunication hub streams the forwarded multimedia content along with a media player to a mobile device over a mobile telecommunications network. The media player (that is transferred onto the mobile device) is used to render the streamed multimedia content in said at least one mobile device (e.g., a Java-enabled telephone). In one example, the transcoded data is encrypted prior to being streamed to the mobile device, and the transferred media player is used to decrypt and render multimedia data on a mobile device. Based on the disclosed method, broadcast content can be received by any multimedia enabled mobile telephone (e.g.

Abstract: An finger ring includes a movable or removable setting and a charm coupled to a short chain. The chain carrying the charm can be captured by the movable or removable setting. According to one embodiment, the setting has internal threads which mate with a threaded post. According to another embodiment, the setting is coupled to a slotted basket via a bayonet coupling. According to another embodiment, the setting is coupled to a slotted basket via a magnet. The charms are preferably provided in a wide range of designs, including, but not limited to holiday themes, religious themes, astrological signs, varsity letters, graduation year, wedding themes, commercial characters such as Disney characters, TV characters, messages such as “I Love You”, etc. The removable settings may include different color stones to match different color clothing, birth stones, etc.

Abstract: A fixed line or wireless telephone user is provided with means for accessing a published literary work that has been dictated and transcribed on a server. The content may be accessed by one or more users simultaneously and may be provided to the user as either audio or text. The audio content may be accompanied by a corresponding visual data feed that may include text, illustrations, motion pictures, animations and photographs. Access to the literary content may be provided as a subscriber service in which the user may receive periodic subscription renewal notifications. The renewal messages may be delivered as SMS, EMS, or MMS messages.

Abstract: A positioning system includes a plurality of devices configured to exchange RF signals with one another. A first device periodically receives a message from each other device during time slots assigned them. The received message includes information representing a time of arrival at the other device of a respective message transmitted by the first device. A time of arrival of the message from each of the other devices is determined by the first device. The first device periodically transmits messages to the other devices, each transmitted message including information representing the determined time of arrival for at least one of the other devices. A range from the first device to each of a plurality of the other devices is determined as function of the determined time of arrival of the message from the other device and the time of arrival information in the message from the other device.

Abstract: A system for carrying out a content-based process for automatically scoring essays is disclosed. The system includes a computer; a data storage device; a parse tree file stored in the data storage device, the parse tree file being representative of an essay in a parse tree format; a morphology stripping program; a concept extraction program for creating, on the basis of a morphology-stripped parse tree file, a phrasal node file; and a rule matching scoring program for scoring the essay on the basis of the phrasal node file.

Abstract: A merchandise display system wherein the merchandise and the "gift" packaging for it are separately displayed on the same rack or in the same display, permitting a customer to select and package one or more products so as to create a "gift" collection or assortment, wherein the packaging or container for the various selected products is displayed in the same display as the products. Preferably, the packaging or container bears indicia such as a trademark or trade dress that is the same as, or visually complements, that of the products themselves.