Abstract: A method for determining microRNA precursors and their corresponding mature microRNAs from genomic sequences is provided. For example, in one aspect of the invention, a method for determining whether a nucleotide sequence contains a microRNA precursor comprises the following steps. Patterns are generated by processing a collection of already known microRNA precursor sequences. One or more attributes are assigned to the generated patterns. Only the patterns whose attributes satisfy certain criteria are subselected, and then the subselected patterns are used to analyze the nucleotide sequence. In another aspect of the invention, a method for identifying a mature microRNA sequence in a microRNA precursor sequence comprises the following steps. One or more patterns are generated by processing a collection of known mature microRNA sequences. The one or more patterns are filtered, and then used to locate instances of the one or more filtered patterns in one or more candidate precursor sequences.

Abstract: An apparatus for implementing “links” between objects or content items in applications or documents in a distributed system such that changes to the source objects or items are reflected in changes to the target objects or content items. The apparatus includes mechanisms for allowing users to establish links, to break individual links, to copy documents or content including links, and to determine locations and/or descriptions of the source of a given target or any or all of the multiple targets of a given source. Advantageously, the apparatus of this invention uses remote message passing for communication, thereby permitting links to be established even when the source and target applications execute on different platforms and even when they share no common file system. The apparatus includes an availability server which can serve as a surrogate for applications which are currently not running.

Abstract: Techniques for annotating email messages. In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for annotating a query email message. According to the method, patterns associated with a database, comprising annotated email messages, which may typically be known unwelcome email messages (“SPAM), are accessed, as by use of a pattern discovery algorithm (e.g. the Teiresias pattern algorithm). Attributes are assigned to the patterns based on the annotated SPAM email messages. The patterns with assigned attributes are used to analyze the query email message.

Abstract: An intelligent screen saver utility that is less obtrusive than conventional screen savers is based on the absence of an operator rather than a predetermined time period for activation and detects the presence of the operator for deactivation. The screen saver is totally transparent in use to the operator and requires no touching of the keyboard or mouse movement to either prevent activation or deactivation of the screen saver. The screen saver requires a camera that can grab images. The images are grabbed and temporarily stored in the computer memory. When the difference between successively grabbed images is big enough, a person's presence is detected. When there is no big difference between successive images during a given time period, a person's absence is detected. The presence status is used to control the status of the screen saver.