1. An apparatus for providing media content to a user over a computer network, the apparatus comprising a server in communication with the user’s computer over the computer network, the server being configured to:
a) convert the media content of one or more original files into one or more audio files prior to the user requesting the audio files; and
b) provide access to the audio files to the user over the computer network.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the media content comprises text.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the media content further comprises non-text content.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the audio files reside on the server once they are created.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the audio files have a hierarchy that is substantially similar to that of the original files.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the audio files are assigned a navigation system.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the navigation system is a keystroke navigation system.
8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the computer network comprises the internet.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the original files comprise an original website and the audio files comprise an audio website.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the audio files are assigned a navigation system.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the navigation system allows the user to:
a) select menu options;
b) advance, rewind, stop, and repeat audio files;
c) move to the next audio file in the hierarchy; and
d) move to the previous audio file in the hierarchy.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the navigation system is a keystroke navigation system.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein one or more of the audio files comprise the menu options, and wherein the navigation system is assigned to the audio files by assigning a key on the user’s input device to each menu option.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein each audio file that comprises a menu option further comprises an audible indication of which key is assigned to the menu option.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein converting the text and non-text content of one or more original files into one or more audio files comprises:
a) recording a live human reading aloud the text content; and
b) recording the live human describing aloud the non-text content.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the server is further configured to provide access to the original files.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the original files comprise an original website and the audio files comprise an audio website.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the server is further configured to keep the original website open while providing access to the audio website.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the server is further configured to close the original website before providing access to the audio website.
20. An apparatus for providing an audio website to a user over a computer network, the apparatus comprising:
a) an original website comprising text and non-text content, the original website being accessible by the user with a computer connected to the computer network;
b) a computer program installed on the original website, the computer program configured to play a sound when the user accesses the original website, the sound indicating that the audio website is available; and
c) a server connected to the user’s computer through the computer network, the server configured to convert the text and non-text content of the original website into audio files comprising the audio website prior to the user requesting the audio website, the audio files residing on the server and the converting comprising:
1. assigning a hierarchy to the audio files, the hierarchy being substantially similar to that of the original website; and
2. assigning a keystroke navigation system to the audio files, the keystroke navigation system comprising assignments of keys on the user’s input device to menu options of files in the original website.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method of inhibiting bacterial growth in a liquid sample, comprising contacting a liquid sample with a bacterial growth inhibiting effective amount of metallic nanoparticles to inhibit the growth of bacteria in the liquid sample, wherein the metallic nanoparticles have a surface comprising at least one metal and are 100 nm or less in diameter.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium and zinc.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is gold or silver.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is silver.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the surface of the metallic nanoparticles comprises silver and gold.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the metallic nanoparticles comprise the at least one metal on the surface and at least one metal in the core, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are the same or different.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium and zinc.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently gold or silver.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are different.
12. The method of claim 1 1, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is silver and the at least one metal in the core is gold.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the metallic nanoparticles are of a diameter between about 50 nm and about 100 nm.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid sample is selected from the group consisting of urine, blood, serum, plasma, cerebral spinal fluid and saliva.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid sample contains a gram positive bacteria.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid sample contains a gram negative bacteria.
17. A method of treating a disease caused by a bacteria in a subject in need of such treatment, comprising administering a bacterial disease treating effective amount of metallic nanoparticles to the subject, wherein the metallic nanoparticles have a surface comprising at least one metal and are about 100 nm or less in diameter.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium and zinc.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is gold or silver.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is silver.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the surface of the metallic nanoparticles comprises silver and gold.
23. The method of claim 17, wherein the metallic nanoparticles comprise the at least one metal on the surface and at least one metal in the core, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are the same or different.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium and zinc.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently gold or silver.
27. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are different.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is silver and the at least one metal in the core is gold.
29. The method of claim 17, wherein the metallic nanoparticles are of a diameter between about 50 nm and about 100 nm.
30. The method of claim 17, wherein the bacteria is a gram positive bacteria.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the gram positive bacteria is selected from the group consisting of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus bovis, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus anthracis, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium tetanus, and Clostridium novyi.
32. The method of claim 17, wherein the bacteria is a gram negative bacteria.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein the gram negative bacteria is selected from the group consisting of Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Haemophilus parainfluenza, Haemophilus haemolyticus, Haemophilus parahaemolyticus, Haemophilus aphrophilus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Campylobacter fetus, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, Helicobacter pylori, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio mimicus, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis, Shigella sonnei, Shigella boydii, Shigella flexneri, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Brucella melitensis, Brucella abortus, Brucella suis, Rickettsia rickettsii, Francisella tularensis, Pasteurella multocida, Yersinia pestis, Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Proteus mirabilis, Bacteroides spp., Fusobacterium spp., Bordetella pertussis, and Legionella pneumophila.
34. The method of claim 17, wherein the bacteria is selected from the group consisting of Treponema pallidum, Treponema pertenue, Treponema carateum, Leptospira interrogans, Borrelia hermsii, Borrelia turicatae, Borrelia parkeri, Borrelia burgdorferi, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium africanum, Mycobacterium microti and Mycobacterium leprae.
35. The method of claim 17, wherein the bacteria is resistant to antibiotics other than the metallic nanoparticles.
36. The method of claim 17, further comprising administering an antibiotic other than the metallic nanoparticles to the subject.
37. The method of claim 17, wherein the subject is a mammal.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein the subject is a human.
39. A method of inhibiting the growth of a bacteria, comprising contacting the bacteria with a bacterial growth inhibition effective amount of metallic nanoparticles, wherein the metallic nanoparticles have a surface comprising at least one metal and are about 100 nm or less in diameter.
40. The method of claim 39, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium and zinc.
41. The method of claim 40, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
42. The method of claim 41, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is gold or silver.
43. The method of claim 42, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is silver.
44. The method of claim 43, wherein the surface of the metallic nanoparticles comprises silver and gold.
45. The method of claim 39, wherein the metallic nanoparticles comprise the at least one metal on the surface and at least one metal in the core, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are the same or different.
46. The method of claim 45, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium and zinc.
47. The method of claim 46, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
48. The method of claim 47, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently gold or silver.
49. The method of claim 45, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are different.
50. The method of claim 49, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is silver and the at least one metal in the core is gold.
51. The method of claim 39, wherein the metallic nanoparticles are of a diameter between about 50 nm and about 100 nm.
52. The method of claim 39, wherein the bacteria is a gram positive bacteria.
53. The method of claim 39, wherein the bacteria is a gram negative bacteria.
54. A method of killing a bacterial cell, comprising contacting a surface of the bacterial cell with a bacterial cell killing effective amount of metallic nanoparticles, wherein the metallic nanoparticles have a surface comprising at least one metal and are about 100 nm or less in diameter.
55. The method of claim 54, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium and zinc.
56. The method of claim 55, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
57. The method of claim 56, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is gold or silver.
58. The method of claim 57, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is silver.
59. The method of claim 58, wherein the surface of the metallic nanoparticles comprises silver and gold.
60. The method of claim 54, wherein the metallic nanoparticles comprise the at least one metal on the surface and at least one metal in the core, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are the same or different.
61. The method of claim 60, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium and zinc.
62. The method of claim 61, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
63. The method of claim 62, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are independently gold or silver.
64. The method of claim 60, wherein the at least one metal on the surface and the at least one metal in the core are different.
65. The method of claim 64, wherein the at least one metal on the surface is silver and the at least one metal in the core is gold.
66. The method of claim 54, wherein the metallic nanoparticles are of a diameter between about 50 nm and about 100 nm.
67. The method of claim 54, wherein the bacteria is a gram positive bacteria.
68. The method of claim 54, wherein the bacteria is a gram negative bacteria.