Abstract: Provided are synthetic polysaccharide antigens (SPAs) with anti-inflammatory or inflammatory immunomodulatory properties, depending on their structure. Also provided are compositions comprising these SPAs, and methods of using these SPAs and compositions to either prevent or treat inflammatory pathologies, or diseases or conditions susceptible to treatment with inflammatory immunomodulators, by using appropriate SPAs.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing vibration and wear to adjacent platform surfaces and mounting locations of a vane segment in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The present invention seeks to improve the interaction between mating faces of adjacent gas turbine vane assemblies by increasing the surface area where contact between the adjacent vanes occurs, so as to increase the damping capability and reduce the wear to the mating surfaces.

Abstract: A compressor diaphragm for a gas turbine engine having improved wear capability, manufacturability, and assembly techniques is disclosed. The diaphragm includes a shiplap-type joint at an outer vane platform for connecting to adjacent vane assemblies and a clamshell-like assembly of a seal box secures and seals regions around the inner vane platform of the compressor diaphragm so as to reduce wear between the seal box and the vane assemblies. The inner platform of the diaphragm segments are fastened to each other through circumferentially-oriented fasteners at the inner diameter platform.

Abstract: Embodiments for a compressor stator vane assembly in a gas turbine engine are disclosed. In an embodiment of the present invention a stator vane assembly is provided having a plurality of vanes each with an attachment and channels machined into the forward and aft walls of the attachment. A forward hook ring segment is pressfit into the channel in the forward wall of the attachment and an aft hook ring is pressfit into the channel in the aft wall of the attachment. The hook ring segments join a plurality of vanes together so as to provide a uniform engagement of mounting slots in the compressor case. Such an arrangement increases the contact area between the hook rings and the compressor case such that damping of individual vane vibrations are improved and operating stresses are reduced.

Abstract: In order to provide a turbine blade fatigue life evaluating method for quantitively evaluating the fatigue life of a turbine blade, the turbine blade is determined to be within its fatigue life if the creep elongation strain in the longitudinal direction of the turbine blade is less than 0.5% of an initial length, and is determined to exceed its fatigue life if the creep elongation strain is 0.5% or more than the initial length. A turbine blade creep elongation strain measuring apparatus 20 comprises a first fixed end 21, a second fixed end 22, and a dial gauge 24. A dimension in the longitudinal direction is stamped on the surface of a turbine blade.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing vibration and wear to adjacent platform surfaces and mounting locations of a vane segment in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The present invention seeks to improve the interaction between mating faces of adjacent gas turbine vane assemblies by increasing the surface area where contact between the adjacent vanes occurs, so as to increase the damping capability and reduce the wear to the mating surfaces.

Abstract: Embodiments for a compressor stator vane assembly in a gas turbine engine are disclosed. In an embodiment of the present invention a stator vane assembly is provided having a plurality of vanes each with an attachment and channels machined into the forward and aft walls of the attachment. A forward hook ring segment is pressfit into the channel in the forward wall of the attachment and an aft hook ring is pressfit into the channel in the aft wall of the attachment. The hook ring segments join a plurality of vanes together so as to provide a uniform engagement of mounting slots in the compressor case. Such an arrangement increases the contact area between the hook rings and the compressor case such that damping of individual vane vibrations are improved and operating stresses are reduced.

Abstract: A shroud for surrounding a portion of a turbine flow path having improved cooling and durability is disclosed. The shroud includes a plurality of generally axial cooling holes spaced a substantially equal distance apart and a plurality of generally circumferential cooling holes oriented generally perpendicular to the generally axial cooling holes. The generally circumferentially cooling holes are spaced a non-uniform distance apart so as to provide cooling to selected portions of shroud sidewalls to lower shroud operating temperatures and improve shroud durability.

Abstract: Individual cells within a spreadsheet may contain an extensible value as defined by an extensible value type. The extensible value type is a user defined value type that is incorporated into the spreadsheet as a supported data type. Generally, the extensible data types provide support for types that are not internally defined by a spreadsheet. When the extensible value type is defined, an associated set of functions are developed to operate on the type. These functions are added to the set of base functions supported by the spreadsheet. The functions, therefore, behave in a substantially similar manner to the set of base spreadsheet functions. The extensible values that are contained within the cells may be acted upon in the same way that supported base types are acted upon.

Abstract: A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed having lower thermally induced stresses resulting in improved component durability. The stresses in the vane assembly airfoils are lowered by increasing the flexibility of the vane platform and reducing their resistance to thermal deflection. This is accomplished by placing an opening along the vane assembly rail that reduces the effective stiffness of the platform, thereby lowering the operating stresses in the airfoils of the vane assembly. A removable seal is then placed in the opening in order to prevent undesired leakages, while maintaining the benefit of the increased platform flexibility.

Abstract: Cube functions may be used to obtain data from a multidimensional database. The cube functions may be contained within one or more cells of a spreadsheet. These cube functions behave similarly to the standard functions that may be included within a spreadsheet. Exemplary cube functions include obtaining: a cube member, a cube value, a cube set, a ranked member, a KPI, a member property and a count relating to a set. The cube functions within the spreadsheet may access the cube data from one or more multidimensional databases. Using the cube formulas in individual cells allows the user to add/delete rows and/or columns from within the spreadsheet.

Abstract: A system and method for rating the severity of psoriasis in a patient is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes: a first logic for categorizing psoriasis plaque qualities into one of a plurality of categories of increasing severity for at least one target area of the patient based on an assessment of each psoriasis plaque quality for each corresponding target area, the psoriasis plaque qualities including elevation plaque quality, erythema plaque quality, and scale plaque quality and a second logic for classifying the severity of psoriasis for each target area into one of a plurality of classes of increasing severity based on the categorized psoriasis plaque quality with priority given to the categorized elevation plaque quality over other categorized plaque qualities. In another embodiment, the system also includes a third logic for assessing the psoriasis plaque qualities of each target area of the patient.

Abstract: Spreadsheets are subdivided into formattable table elements that may include multiple table cells so that the multiple table cells can be formatted as a single element. As such, a gradient format can be applied across the range of multiple table cells instead of to individual table cells. A format property can be applied to a spreadsheet table to provide alternating table element formats that are automatically updated when cells or formattable table elements are added, deleted, hidden, shown or moved. As a result, when a table modification is made, the alternating format of the table is updated before the table is rendered on a display.

Abstract: Table styles provide a way to format an entire spreadsheet table quickly and easily. According to described implementations, table styles can be created and customized for repeated use in a spreadsheet application. As a result, a user does not have to manually modify multiple formatting options for each table included in one or more spreadsheets. A graphical user interface is also described that provides simple user access to existing table styles that can be modified according to the user's requirements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new and improved embodiments of systems and methods for displaying content within a spreadsheet graphical user interface. In one embodiment, a computer system has a graphical user interface that performs a method for displaying data within a spreadsheet application. The method comprises displaying a formula bar comprising a text box that displays data contained in the spreadsheet, displaying a first portion of the spreadsheet data in the text box, and expanding the formula bar to display a second portion of the spreadsheet data in the text box.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to new and improved embodiments of methods and systems for capturing and providing arbitrarily rich data to be stored or manipulated within a spreadsheet. In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for creating spreadsheet metadata comprises receiving an item in a spreadsheet, receiving item metadata about the item, and associating the item metadata with the item to create spreadsheet metadata.

Abstract: In order to provide a turbine blade fatigue life evaluating method for quantitively evaluating the fatigue life of a turbine blade, the turbine blade is determined to be within its fatigue life if the creep elongation strain in the longitudinal direction of the turbine blade is less than 0.5% of an initial length, and is determined to exceed its fatigue life if the creep elongation strain is 0.5% or more than the initial length. A turbine blade creep elongation strain measuring apparatus 20 comprises a first fixed end 21, a second fixed end 22, and a dial gauge 24. A dimension in the longitudinal direction is stamped on the surface of a turbine blade.

Abstract: A shroud for surrounding a portion of a turbine flow path having improved cooling and durability is disclosed. The shroud includes a plurality of generally axial cooling holes spaced a substantially equal distance apart and a plurality of generally circumferential cooling holes oriented generally perpendicular to the generally axial cooling holes. The generally circumferentially cooling holes are spaced a non-uniform distance apart so as to provide cooling to selected portions of shroud sidewalls to lower shroud operating temperatures and improve shroud durability.

Abstract: A system and method for automated patch clamp analysis of biological tissue such as cellular membrane. A biological membrane is applied to a porous semiconductor substrate, and laser energy is imparted thereon. Voltage clamped electrodes detect current across the membrane to indicate ion channel activity.

Abstract: A spreadsheet application or other application supporting formulaic cells that automatically provides support for a number of diverse formulaic functions. The automatically provided diverse formulaic functions include a function returning the value of the formula logic if the logic can be evaluated without an error. Another function finds a value in a formulaic cell that is in the same row as a particular value from the first column and the same column as a particular value in the first row. Other functions allow a selection of a set of multiple lookup rows and columns for matching the values used as variables in the function. The spreadsheet application is further configured to automatically supply other functions in addition to those described.