Brazil\u27s Recent Threat on Abbott\u27s Patent: Resolution or Retaliation

In June 2005, Brazil threatened to infringe the patent of an anti-AIDS medication, Kaletra, patented and produced by a U.S. based pharmaceutical company, Abbott Laboratories. The resulting controversy necessarily implicated the World Trade Organization\u27s Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property ( TRIPS Agreement ) as Brazil was a Member Nation under the agreement and Abbott\u27s product was protected under that agreement. Ultimately, the threat came to a voluntary resolution between both parties, but the dispute raised a number of unique questions relating to international trade and public health concerns. This article will discuss the recent controversy between Abbott and Brazil and its resolution in light of the TRIPS Agreement. The article will also discuss amendments to and interpretations of the TRIPS Agreement. Part II will describe the background and development of the TRIPS Agreement as applied to the international pharmaceutical industry, specifically, pharmaceutical patent protection. This section will also outline and discuss the relevant articles in the TRIPS Agreement and related amendments, and will briefly address the current ability of developing countries to utilize TRIPS Agreement provisions to break pharmaceutical patents. Part III will delve into the events surrounding and leading up to the Kaletra controversy with an emphasis on the positions of both Brazil and Abbott. Part IV will use the TRIPS Agreement provisions discussed in Part II to support the arguments of both Brazil and Abbott. This section will also include an analysis of the policy arguments for and against international pharmaceutical patent protection. Part V will discuss the resolution of the dispute between Brazil and Abbott and the events contributing to the agreement between both parties. It will also analyze the relative position of each party following the resolution, weighing the costs and benefits to each. Part V will also explore the larger effects of the resolution between Brazil and Abbott on the developing world. Finally, Part VI will briefly conclude on the resulting relationship between the recent events and the TRIPS Agreement

Creativity and Innovation Through the Job Demands-Resources Model

Organizational innovation is key to organizations’ financial performance and long-term success (Anderson, Potočnik, & Zhou, 2014; Bowen, Rostami, & Steel, 2010). Employees drive organizational innovation through their creativity and innovation, making the understanding of how to influence these behaviors especially important. Previous research has stressed the importance of the work environment and individual differences in supporting creativity and innovation (Byron & Khazanchi, 2011; Hammond, Neff, Farr, Schwall, & Zhao, 2011; Hülsheger, Anderson, & Salgado, 2009; Hunter, Bedell, & Mumford, 2007), but results have been unclear about how this occurs (Hennessey & Amabile, 2010). This study used the job-demands resources model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2016) to examine the roles that burnout and work engagement play as mediators across antecedents to creativity and innovation. A sample of 817 employees with 277 subordinate-supervisor matched pairs was collected from a large organization to assess the hypothesized model. Results indicated that creativity and innovation were best supported through role expectations, intellectual stimulation, and employee creative self-efficacy. Tests of structural models supported the hypothesized model, and tests of indirect effects supported work engagement, but not burnout, as an important mediator across antecedents

Mutual Performance Monitoring in Virtual Teams

The use of virtual teams in organizations has become commonplace (SHRM, 2012). While a great deal of research on teamwork exists, much of it has focused on collocated teams. Spatial and temporal separations inherent in virtual teams make working together as a team more difficult. This research examined a teamwork process previously unexplored within virtual teams -- mutual performance monitoring. An experimental intervention was conducted and outcomes at both the individual and team levels of analysis were examined. A total of 161 participants were assigned to work together in 47 teams on a decision-making task. Participants communicated and worked together online using the technology-mediated communication methods of chat and email. As predicted, mutual performance monitoring was important for building collective efficacy, reducing social loafing, and increasing satisfaction with team members. However, mutual performance monitoring was found not related to team performance. Reasoning for the findings, along with implications, limitations, and future research ideas are discussed

On two Bathypontiidae (Calanoida, Copepoda, Crustacea) collected of South America

Duas Bathypontiidae (Calanoida, Copepoda, Crustacea) coletadas ao largo daAmérica do Sul: Bathypontia kanaevae sp. n. é descrita do Atlântico Sul, comobservações sobre B. elongata Sars, 1905 do Pacífico Sul

The planktonic copepods of the Marchile I expedition and of the "Eltanin" cruises 3-6 taken in the SE Pacific

Foram obtidos 261 espécies de copépodos planctônicos de coletas oblíquas quantitativas da camada superior de 140m de espessura nas 98 estações visitadas pela expedição Marchile I assim como de 77 amostras do USARP (horizontais e verticais) obtidas ao largo da América do  Sul Ocidental. As distribuições horizontal e vertical destas espécies foram determinadas de 22º34'N até 64º54' lat. S no Pacífico SE

Outcomes of external and endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy according to a modified Lacrimal Symptom Questionnaire (Lac-Q)

Background: Nasolacrimal duct obstruction is usually treated using endoscopic or external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). The anatomic outcomes of both the endoscopic and external approaches are considered excellent. However, anatomic success does not translate into patient satisfaction. The current study assessed pre- and postoperative lacrimal problems using the symptom-based Lacrimal Symptom Questionnaire (Lac-Q) and investigated patient satisfaction depending on the choice of surgical technique. Methods: A total of 112 eligible patients with lacrimal problems treated using external or endonasal DCR at the ophthalmology and ear, nose, and throat clinics at Skane University Hospital, Sweden, over a four-year period, were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients were considered eligible if they experienced preoperative epiphora and had lacrimal duct stenosis. They were offered treatment using either external or endonasal DCR and were allowed to freely choose the technique. Exclusion criteria consisted of previous ipsilateral DCR, congenital NLDO, age < 18 years, presence of cancer, previous orbital trauma, or noncompliance with postoperative follow-up. After surgery, the patients were sent the Lac-Q to evaluate their lacrimal symptoms pre- and postoperatively. Complementary questions were added pertaining to the operative scar and the patients’ overall satisfaction with the operation. Results: In total, 67 (60%) patients with ages ranging from 18 to 88 years completed the questionnaire, 33 (49%) of whom underwent external DCR and 34 (51%) endonasal DCR. Of the 67 respondents, 51 (76%) were women and 16 (24%) were men. Patients scored preoperative lacrimal problems highly on the Lac-Q, reporting both symptomatic and social problems due to epiphora. Following surgery, the group that underwent external DCR  remained home from work for 2 – 14 days (median, 3.5 days). However, 17 (52%) were retired. After the endonasal DCR, the patients remained home for 0 – 7 days (median, 2 days). Most patients were satisfied after DCR surgery, with both techniques significantly improving total, lacrimal symptom, and social impact scores (all P < 0.001). No differences in postoperative satisfaction were observed between the external DCR and endonasal DCR groups (P > 0.05). A small number of patients expressed scar-related concerns after external DCR. Conclusions: The patients perceived lacrimal problems as a significant symptomatic and social burden. Postoperative satisfaction and symptom relief were good regardless of the surgical approach. Further prospective studies assessing patient satisfaction and its correlation with anatomical and functional success rates after external and endonasal DCR could provide robust, practical, real-world implications

Global expression analysis of the yeast Lachancea (saccharomyces) kluyveri reveals new URC genes involved in pyrimidine catabolism

Pyrimidines are important nucleic acid precursors which are constantly synthesized, degraded, and rebuilt in the cell. Four degradation pathways, two of which are found in eukaryotes, have been described. One of them, the URC pathway, has been initially discovered in our laboratory in the yeast Lachancea kluyveri. Here, we present the global changes in gene expression in L. kluyveri in response to different nitrogen sources, including uracil, uridine, dihydrouracil, and ammonia. The expression pattern of the known URC genes, URC1-6, helped to identify nine putative novel URC genes with a similar expression pattern. The microarray analysis provided evidence that both the URC and PYD genes are under nitrogen catabolite repression in L. kluyveri and are induced by uracil or dihydrouracil, respectively. We determined the function of URC8, which was found to catalyze the reduction of malonate semialdehyde to 3-hydroxypropionate, the final degradation product of the pathway. The other eight genes studied were all putative permeases. Our analysis of double deletion strains showed that the L. kluyveri Fui1p protein transported uridine, just like its homolog in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but we demonstrated that is was not the only uridine transporter in L. kluyveri. We also showed that the L. kluyveri homologs of DUR3 and FUR4 do not have the same function that they have in S. cerevisiae, where they transport urea and uracil, respectively. In L. kluyveri, both of these deletion strains grew normally on uracil and urea