Abstract: A lift fan apparatus includes: a rotor having at least one rotatable hub carrying at least one row of blades; a duct surrounding the rotor, the duct including spaced-apart peripheral walls extending between an inlet and an exit, the peripheral walls collectively defining a flow channel which includes a diffuser disposed downstream of the rotor, in which a flow area at the exit is greater than a flow area at the rotor; and a plurality of spaced-apart splitters disposed in the diffuser, each of the splitters having opposed side walls extending between an upstream leading edge and a downstream trailing edge, wherein the splitters divide the diffuser into a plurality of side-by-side flow passages.

Abstract: A medical vapor system and method is provided. The medical vapor system can include a fluid conduit having an inlet, an outlet and a heating section, the inlet being adapted and configured to be connected to a source of liquid water, a resistance heater disposed and configured to generate heat and conduct the heat to the heating section of the fluid conduit to vaporize liquid water flowing through the heating section, a power supply operatively connected to the heater, and a controller adapted to control production of water vapor by the system. Methods of use are also provided.

Abstract: A metal roof panel includes a rib with a unique shape. The rib is bilateral with upwardly angled sides that each transition into an indentation, with both indentations transitioning into a central flat apex. Between each rib is a channel, preferably including at least one raised surface. The lower surface of the channel between the raised surfaces, and the top of the raised surfaces, are substantially planar and parallel to the flat surface of the apex of the panel. A unique method of manufacturing the roof panel employs a roll machine configured to shape a piece of sheet metal into the roof panel by modifying the shape in many small increments, which allows the final product to have a fairly intricate bend pattern.

Abstract: A metal roof panel includes a rib with a unique shape. The rib is bilateral with upwardly angled sides that each transition into an indentation, with both indentations transitioning into a central flat apex. Between each rib is a channel, preferably including at least one raised surface. The lower surface of the channel between the raised surfaces, and the top of the raised surfaces, are substantially planar and parallel to the flat surface of the apex of the panel. A unique method of manufacturing the roof panel employs a roll machine configured to shape a piece of sheet metal into the roof panel by modifying the shape in many small increments, which allows the final product to have a fairly intricate bend pattern.

Abstract: A variable-solidity propeller apparatus, comprising a propeller having at least one rotatable hub carrying at least one row of propeller blades, wherein the propeller has a first configuration in which the propeller has a first average solidity, and a second configuration in which the propeller has a second average solidity which is greater than the first average solidity.

Abstract: A shaving and grooming apparatus includes a handle and a cartridge attached to the handle. A plurality of upper blades are positioned in the cartridge, where at least some of the plurality of upper blades include curved tips with a curvature that sufficient to prevent the curved tips from contact a cutting surface during use. A plurality of lower blades is positioned adjacent to the plurality of upper blades in the cartridge, where at least some of the plurality of lower blades comprises curved tips with a curvature that sufficient to prevent the curved tips from contact a cutting surface during cutting. At least one of the plurality of upper and the plurality of lower blades has a thickness and flexibility that results in deflection during cutting that increases effectiveness of cutting action. A drive motor moves the plurality of upper blades relative to the plurality of lower blades.

Abstract: A method for configuring an automated dialogue system uses traces of interactions via a graphical user interface (GUI) for an application. Each trace includes interactions in the context of a plurality of presentations of the GUI. Elements of one or more presentations of the GUI are identified, and templates are associated with portions of the trace. Each template has one or more defined inputs and a defined output. For each template of the plurality of templates, the portions of the traces are processed to automatically configure the template by specifying a procedure for providing values of inputs to the template via the GUI and obtaining a value of an output. The automated dialogue system is configured with the configured templates, thereby avoiding manual configuration of the dialogue system.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a scalp care composition comprising from about 1% to about 99% of a volatile carrier wherein less than about 10% is a volatile solvent; from about 0.05% to about 10% of a polymeric rheology modifier and mixtures thereof; from about 0.03% to about 1% of particulate scalp benefit agent; from about 0.1% to about 5% of a solubilizing agent wherein the composition is shear thinning and has a zero shear viscosity value measured at 0.01 Pa of greater than about 1,500 Pa s.

Abstract: Instruments and methods for measuring and adjusting gate openings of a slicing machine utilizing a gauge system that includes a frame, a device for securing the frame to the interior surface of a cutting head, a device for locating the frame relative to a knife and/or a gate of the cutting head that define the gate opening therebetween, and a device mounted to the frame for measuring the gate opening. The measuring device includes an anvil biased in an outward direction relative to the frame, an indicator mounted to the anvil and biased therewith in the outward direction relative to the frame, and a probe of the indicator biased in the outward direction relative to the indicator. The probe and anvil provide a outward measurement of the gate opening based on a differential measurement of surfaces of the knife and gate.

Abstract: A system and method for dispensing a beverage. The system includes a beverage cartridge that stores any liquid and has a spout for dispensing the stored liquid. The beverage cartridge may be inserted into a beverage press that includes a housing for receiving the beverage cartridge. The beverage press also includes a tap that engages the spout of the beverage cartridge, and a lifting assembly that exerts force on the beverage cartridge. Pressing the tap activates the spout of the beverage cartridge to dispense the stored liquid through the spout and out of the tap of the beverage press. a system for dispensing a beverage.

Abstract: A method of reducing an effect of stroke in a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject a compound that inhibits VEGF-B signaling.

Abstract: A metal roof panel includes a rib with a unique shape. The rib is bilateral with upwardly angled sides that each transition into an indentation, with both indentations transitioning into a central flat apex. Between each rib is a channel, preferably including at least one raised surface. The lower surface of the channel between the raised surfaces, and the top of the raised surfaces, are substantially planar and parallel to the flat surface of the apex of the panel. A unique method of manufacturing the roof panel employs a roll machine configured to shape a piece of sheet metal into the roof panel by modifying the shape in many small increments, which allows the final product to have a fairly intricate bend pattern.

Abstract: An unducted thrust producing system is provided that can include a rotating element having an axis of rotation about a central longitudinal axis and comprising a plurality of blades attached to a spinner; a stationary element positioned aft of the rotating element; and an inlet positioned between the rotating element and the stationary element such that the inlet passes radially inward of the stationary element. The rotating element defines an annular valley positioned between a first annular crown and a second annular crown, and the inlet defines an open area positioned aft of the second annular crown.

Abstract: A method for configuring an automated dialog system uses traces of interactions via a graphical user interface (GUI) for an application. Each trace includes interactions in the context of a plurality of presentations of the GUI. Elements of one or more presentations of the GUI are identified, and templates are associated with portions of the trace. Each template has one or more defined inputs and a defined output. For each template of the plurality of templates, the portions of the traces are processed to automatically configure the template by specifying a procedure for providing values of inputs to the template via the GUI and obtaining a value of an output. The automated dialog system is configured with the configured templates, thereby avoiding manual configuration of the dialog system.

Abstract: A shaving and grooming apparatus includes a handle and a cartridge attached to the handle. A plurality of upper blades are positioned in the cartridge, where at least some of the plurality of upper blades include curved tips with a curvature that sufficient to prevent the curved tips from contact a cutting surface during use. A plurality of lower blades is positioned adjacent to the plurality of upper blades in the cartridge, where at least some of the plurality of lower blades comprises curved tips with a curvature that sufficient to prevent the curved tips from contact a cutting surface during cutting. At least one of the plurality of upper and the plurality of lower blades has a thickness and flexibility that results in deflection during cutting that increases effectiveness of cutting action. A drive motor moves the plurality of upper blades relative to the plurality of lower blades.

Abstract: The present invention is a patent search and analytics software tool (Zuse) that finds prior art for each claim limitation/element. The software automatically breaks up every claim into individual claim limitations. For example, our software can automatically break up a claim into about five (5) separate, different claim limitations/elements. Then, it can find the best prior art for each of the five (5) separate, different claim limitations/elements. This is very helpful when you cannot find a prior art reference for only part of a claim. Also, the software finds the best prior art for the entire claims. Our software also includes non-patent literature (NPL) searching. ZUSE identifies relevant prior art by taking into account the limitations of the claim under consideration (query claim of query patent), the text of the art, the link structure of the citation network, and the patent classification.

Abstract: Qscore is the most advanced tool available for ranking the potential commercial value of a patent or a portfolio of patents. Other ranking methods typically rely heavily on a patent's reference graph (citations to/from other patents). Qscore is far more sophisticated: using data mining tokenization techniques, Qscore takes into account multiple factors correlated with patent value. This document generally describes the method used to assign a quality score to each patent, which is used to bias the ranking of the results returned from the keyword-based searching in the analytics embodiment of the present invention. This quality score, denoted by Qscore, is designed to identify the patents that are not only relevant to the user's query but also possess some additional, query independent, quality characteristics. Consequently, Qscore can be considered as an information filtering aid—designed to identify the “good” information from a “sea” of information.

Abstract: Systems and techniques are disclosed for detecting whether a wearable computing device is worn by a user or not. The detection can be made based on whether the device is secured to a user or based on a sensor. A device worn by a user may be operated in a private mode such that the user wearing the device is provided information that is useful while wearing the device. For example, the user may receive message notifications, news updates, telephone call information, or the like. A wearable computing device maybe operated in a public mode while not being worn by a user. While in the public mode, the device may provide non user specific information such as a current time, media items, or the like.

Abstract: An airfoil section of a blade for an open rotor includes: a pressure side and a suction side, the pressure side and the suction side intersecting at a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein a chord of the airfoil section is defined as a straight-line distance between the leading edge and the trailing edge; the airfoil section has a meanline defined midway between the pressure side and the suction side; and the meanline is shaped such that, in the presence of predetermined transonic or supersonic relative velocity conditions, maximum and minimum ideal Mach numbers on the suction side will lie within a 0.08 band, between 25% and 80% percent of the chord.

Abstract: A system and method for dispensing a beverage. The system includes a beverage cartridge that stores any liquid and has a spout for dispensing the stored liquid. The beverage cartridge may be inserted into a beverage press that includes a housing for receiving the beverage cartridge. The beverage press also includes a tap that engages the spout of the beverage cartridge, and a lifting assembly that exerts force on the beverage cartridge. Pressing the tap activates the spout of the beverage cartridge to dispense the stored liquid through the spout and out of the tap of the beverage press, a system for dispensing a beverage.