Have Developing Countries Gained From the Marriage Between Trade Agreements and Intellectual Property Rights?

Have developing countries gained from the incorporation of IPR standards into the WTO framework? We use historical, theoretical, and empirical methods to answer this question and reach several conclusions. First, U.S. history provides a clear case of a developing country which used strong patent rights and weak copyrights in the 19th century to enhance its growth prospects. Second, recent theoretical literature presents a strong case for welfare gains to developing countries from patent harmonization if developed countries pay lump-sums to offset higher royalty payments by developing countries. Third, the creation of intellectual property in new types of inventions is necessary, but the scope, depth, and enforcement of IPRs is likely to differ across countries according to their economic and political institutions, their per capita income, and their capability to engage in and disseminate the fruits of R&D.

Intellectual Property Rights in China: The Changing Politcal Economy of Chinese-American Interests

We review the evolution of modern Chinese intellectual property right (IPR) laws and enforcement and explore economic and political forces involved in international conflicts over Chinese IPR protection. Our analysis considers why the U.S. and China moved from conflict to cooperation over intellectual property rights. Structural and institutional aspects of the political economy of IPRs within each country are considered, and data on Chinese-U.S. trade in intellectual property-intensive goods are examined. We conclude that although enforcement of IPRs within China continues to be relatively weak, Chinese IPR institutions are converging on those in the OECD nations.

Autopsie d’une membrane d’osmose inverse usagée prélevée dans le Parc National du Banc d’Arguin (PNBA) en Mauritanie : cas d’étude de Teichitt

L’objectif de ce travail est d’étudier l’état de vieillissement d’une membrane d’osmose inverse (OI) usagée prélevée en Mauritanie sur une unité de dessalement installée par la coopération canarienne à Teichitt dans le parc national du banc d’Arguin et de lui appliquer une démarche d’autopsie. L’usure de la membrane est caractérisée par une augmentation significative de la perméabilité hydraulique (25 % d’augmentation) et une diminution de la rétention en sels (10 % à 30 % de diminution). Un modèle de transfert de matière de type diffusion-convection permet de montrer l’augmentation du caractère convectif du transfert, lorsque la pression transmembranaire augmente et en particulier au-delà de 15 bars. Ainsi, l’usure de la membrane d’OI induit son rapprochement vers un transfert de matière combiné de solubilisation-diffusion/convection, typique d’une opération de nanofiltration (NF). L’analyse topographique par AFM de la surface de la membrane usagée en comparaison de la membrane neuve laisse apparaître des « cavités » à plusieurs endroits de la surface usagée traduisant la dégradation physique de celle-ci. De plus, la rugosité de surface de la membrane usagée avec 74 nm est apparue supérieure à celle de la membrane neuve avec 54 nm, ce qui nous informe de la présence de matières colmatantes, dont la nature reste encore à déterminer. Par contre, l’étude de la dégradation chimique des membranes usagées et neuves par la détermination de leur point isoélectrique (PIE) à partir d’une mesure de potentiel d’écoulement transmembranaire ne montre pas de modifications significatives de ce paramètre (PIE = 2,5), preuve de la non-dégradation chimique interne de la membrane. Enfin, les résultats d’une étude statistique préliminaire sont présentés. Celle-ci consiste à évaluer l’hétérogénéité de l’usure en matière de perméabilité hydraulique et de rétention d’une solution de NaCl 0,1 M à 15 bars et 19 °C, pour six coupons différents pris sur les trois feuilles de membranes constituant le module d’osmose inverse usagé. Une tendance se dégage, elle montre en particulier que l’usure est hétérogène, non seulement au sein d’une même feuille de membrane, mais aussi au sein des différentes membranes constituant le module. En résumé, il est observé pour la première fois qu’une vieille membrane d’OI employée pendant deux années pour le dessalement d’eau de mer, dans les conditions d’utilisation sahariennes en Mauritanie (sans pré-traitements), acquiert une microporosité qui lui confère les propriétés d’une membrane de nanofiltration.Currently used reverse osmosis (RO) membranes from desalination units are burned at the end of their life as membranes for seawater desalination. In the future, a possible alternative would be to reuse the old RO membranes as nanofiltration (NF), ultrafiltration (UF) or microfiltration (MF) membranes, i.e. for wastewater treatments, but before reuse, the level of RO membrane degradation must be evaluated by autopsy studies.Our goal in the present study was to demonstrate for the first time that a used RO membrane could be used for nanofiltration. The used RO membrane was purchased from a desalination bench scale unit based in the town of Teichitt (in north-west Nouakchott, Mauritania). Membrane autopsy studies showed an increase in its hydraulic permeability (25%) and a concurrent decrease in its salt rejection behaviour (10% to 30%). We also studied the modification of mass transfer before and after ageing, and demonstrated the onset of a convective component in the mass transfer of salts and an increase in membrane hydraulic permeability. Furthermore, the determination of the isoelectric point (IEP) of the membrane, using streaming potential measurements across the membranes, showed no change in IEP, with a value of 2.5 ± 0.2 . A preliminary study, based on a statistical evaluation of membrane degradation from hydraulic permeability and salt rejection experiments, showed heterogeneous wear of the membrane (most important in the centre). Finally, we observed for the first time that after two years of use for desalination, a used RO membrane had acquired a microporosity that corresponded to the properties of a new NF membrane

Christian-Muslim Relations in a State Church Situation: Politics of Religion and Interfaith Dialogue

No abstract availabl

A cross-national study on the antecedents of work–life balance from the fit and balance perspective

Drawing on the perceived work–family fit and balance perspective, this study investigates demands and resources as antecedents of work–life balance (WLB) across four countries (New Zealand, France, Italy and Spain), so as to provide empirical cross-national evidence. Using structural equation modelling analysis on a sample of 870 full time employees, we found that work demands, hours worked and family demands were negatively related to WLB, while job autonomy and supervisor support were positively related to WLB. We also found evidence that resources (job autonomy and supervisor support) moderated the relationships between demands and work–life balance, with high resources consistently buffering any detrimental influence of demands on WLB. Furthermore, our study identified additional predictors of WLB that were unique to some national contexts. For example, in France and Italy, overtime hours worked were negatively associated with WLB, while parental status was positively associated with WLB. Overall, the implications for theory and practice are discussed.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Dynamical Boson Stars

The idea of stable, localized bundles of energy has strong appeal as a model for particles. In the 1950s John Wheeler envisioned such bundles as smooth configurations of electromagnetic energy that he called {\em geons}, but none were found. Instead, particle-like solutions were found in the late 1960s with the addition of a scalar field, and these were given the name {\em boson stars}. Since then, boson stars find use in a wide variety of models as sources of dark matter, as black hole mimickers, in simple models of binary systems, and as a tool in finding black holes in higher dimensions with only a single killing vector. We discuss important varieties of boson stars, their dynamic properties, and some of their uses, concentrating on recent efforts.Comment: 79 pages, 25 figures, invited review for Living Reviews in Relativity; major revision in 201

Estimating stable isotope turnover rates of epidermal mucus and dorsal muscle for an omnivorous fish using a diet-switch experiment

© 2018, The Author(s). Stable isotope (SI) analysis studies rely on knowledge of isotopic turnover rates and trophic-step discrimination factors. Epidermal mucus (‘mucus’) potentially provides an alternative SI ‘tissue’ to dorsal muscle that can be collected non-invasively and non-destructively. Here, a diet-switch experiment using the omnivorous fish Cyprinus carpio and plant- and fish-based formulated feeds compared SI data between mucus and muscle, including their isotopic discrimination factors and turnover rates (as functions of time T and mass G, at isotopic half-life (50) and equilibrium (95)). Mucus isotope data differed significantly and predictively from muscle data. The fastest δ13C turnover rate was for mucus in fish on the plant-based diet (T50: 17 days, T95: 74 days; G50: 1.08(BM), G95: 1.40(BM)). Muscle turnover rates were longer for the same fish (T50: 44 days, T95: 190 days; G50: 1.13(BM), G95: 1.68(BM)). Longer half-lives resulted in both tissues from the fish-based diet. δ13C discrimination factors varied by diet and tissue (plant-based: 3.11–3.28‰; fishmeal: 1.28–2.13‰). Mucus SI data did not differ between live and frozen fish. These results suggest that mucus SI half-lives provide comparable data to muscle, and can be used as a non-destructive alternative tissue in fish-based SI studies

Climatic Factors Driving Invasion of the Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) into New Areas of Trentino, Northern Italy

Background:The tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), vector of several emerging diseases, is expanding into more northerly latitudes as well as into higher altitudes in northern Italy. Changes in the pattern of distribution of the tiger mosquito may affect the potential spread of infectious diseases transmitted by this species in Europe. Therefore, predicting suitable areas of future establishment and spread is essential for planning early prevention and control strategies.Methodology/Principal Findings:To identify the areas currently most suitable for the occurrence of the tiger mosquito in the Province of Trento, we combined field entomological observations with analyses of satellite temperature data (MODIS Land Surface Temperature: LST) and human population data. We determine threshold conditions for the survival of overwintering eggs and for adult survival using both January mean temperatures and annual mean temperatures. We show that the 0°C LST threshold for January mean temperatures and the 11°C threshold for annual mean temperatures provide the best predictors for identifying the areas that could potentially support populations of this mosquito. In fact, human population density and distance to human settlements appear to be less important variables affecting mosquito distribution in this area. Finally, we evaluated the future establishment and spread of this species in relation to predicted climate warming by considering the A2 scenario for 2050 statistically downscaled at regional level in which winter and annual temperatures increase by 1.5 and 1°C, respectively.Conclusions/Significance:MODIS satellite LST data are useful for accurately predicting potential areas of tiger mosquito distribution and for revealing the range limits of this species in mountainous areas, predictions which could be extended to an European scale. We show that the observed trend of increasing temperatures due to climate change could facilitate further invasion of Ae. albopictus into new areas. © 2011 Roiz et al.Peer Reviewe