Patent Portfolio Races in Concentrated Markets for Technology

Patent application numbers grow exponentially in many industries, a phenomenon that has been linked to high fragmentation of patent ownership. Contradicting these findings and theoretical arguments, we show that such fragmentation is not a precondition for sudden and strong increases in patenting. We describe and analyze a patent portfolio race in an industry with highly concentrated patent ownership, namely the newspaper printing machines oligopoly. Triangulating data from patent analysis, interviews, and document research, we find that patent strategy change by one player triggered a patent portfolio race with its main competitor. Implications for managers are that increasing patent output may yield temporary advantages but, as in a price war, implies the risk of a prisoner’s dilemma-type outcome with potentially severe implications for effectiveness and efficiency of the innovation process.Patent Strategy; Motives to Patent; Intellectual Property; Patent Thickets

Understanding anhedonia: Investigating the role of mind wandering in positive emotional disturbances

Depression is a highly debilitating illness for which there is currently sub-optimal treatment outcomes. Anhedonia (a loss of interest and pleasure) is a core symptom of depression that predicts poorer illness course and is currently not well repaired in psychological treatments. Acute and relapse prevention outcomes may be improved by clarifying which psychological mechanisms cause and maintain anhedonia, so that mechanisms can be systematically targeted in therapy. Mind wandering (a shift in contents of thoughts away from an ongoing task and/or events in the external environment to self-generated thoughts and feelings) has previously been linked to lower levels of happiness in the general population (e.g., Killingsworth & Gilbert, 2010). However, it has yet to be established if mind wandering relates to reduced positive affect in the context of depression. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to further explore the role of mind wandering in driving anhedonic symptoms. This thesis employed different research designs in order to establish if mind wandering is a causal mechanism driving anhedonia. Studies used a triangulation of measures to first establish correlational support (e.g. using self-report questionnaire measures, laboratory and real life positive mood inductions). Following this, studies aimed to examine if a causal relationship between mind wandering and positive affect exists by manipulating levels of mind wandering in the laboratory, real-world settings and using an empirically tested clinical intervention (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy; MBCT). Using self-report measures of mindfulness and anhedonic symptoms, studies 1a and 1b found that the acting with awareness facet of mindfulness (a measure of trait mind wandering) was uniquely related to anhedonic depression symptoms in both a large community (n=440) and treatment-seeking previously depressed sample (n=409). These unique relationships remained significant when controlling for other facets of mindfulness and general depression symptoms. Study 2 (n=70) examined the relationship between mind wandering and reduced positive affect in both controlled laboratory and real world environments. Levels of mind wandering were found to be unrelated to emotional reactivity to positive laboratory mood induction tasks, but greater levels of mind wandering were significantly correlated with reduced happiness and increased sadness change to real world positive events. Next, two experimental studies were conducted on unselected samples which attempted to manipulate levels of mind wandering to observe the effect on emotional reactivity. In study 3 (n=90), a brief mindfulness manipulation of mind wandering proved unsuccessful, so it was not possible to determine how altering mind wandering impacted on positive reactivity. Analysis during the pre-manipulation mood induction revealed a significant correlation between greater spontaneous levels of mind wandering and lower self-reported happiness reactivity. In study 4 (n=95), participants followed audio prompts delivered via a smartphone application to manipulate mind wandering whilst completing everyday positive activities. This manipulation was successful but results revealed no significant condition differences in positive or negative emotional reactivity. Analysis during the pre-manipulation positive activity revealed greater mind wandering was trend correlated with reduced change in positive affect. A final empirical study (study 5; n=102) was designed to investigate the mediating role of mind wandering on the effect of MBCT on change in positive emotional experience. Recovered depressed participants undertaking MBCT were compared to recovered depressed participants in a no-intervention control group. Correlational analysis pre-intervention revealed no support for an association between mind wandering and positive reactivity to the mood induction tasks but mind wandering measured during everyday life (using experience sampling methodology; ESM) did relate to lower positive affect and higher negative affect. Participants in the MBCT group demonstrated a reduction in trait and ESM mind wandering, relative to participants in the control group. Furthermore, participants in the MBCT group demonstrated a significant decrease in anhedonic symptoms and increase in daily levels of positive affect. Change in trait mind wandering was found to mediate changes in self-reported anhedonic symptoms when controlling for change in other mindfulness facets, however change in ESM mind wandering did not mediate change in daily positive affect. MBCT also had no impact on emotional reactivity to positive mood induction tasks. Overall the findings from this thesis provide correlational support for the link between mind wandering and reduced positive affect in different testing environments. However, evidence of a causal relationship is currently limited. Consequently, a key recommendation from this thesis is to redirect attention to other driving mechanisms as targeting mind wandering in the treatment of anhedonic clients is unlikely to lead to large improvements. The theoretical, methodological and clinical implications of these findings are discussed along with suggestions for future research

Construction of Fully Faithful Tropicalizations for Curves in Ambient Dimension 3

In tropical geometry, one studies algebraic curves using combinatorial techniques via the tropicalization procedure. The tropicalization depends on a map to an algebraic torus and the combinatorial methods are most useful when the tropicalization has nice properties. We construct, for any Mumford curve $X$, a map to a three dimensional torus, such that the tropicalization is isometric to a subgraph of the Berkovich space $X^{\rm an}$, called the extended skeleton.Comment: 26 pages, 14 figures, comments welcom

Heron Island spoil dump

The Heron Island harbour was re-dredged between September and November 1987 and a swing basin for vessels and a jetty were also constructed at that time. Following concern about the potential effects of the dredging operation, a multi-disciplinary monitoring program was initiated. This report covered the investigation into the nature and distribution of sediments on the reef flat and in the spoil dump, the conditions responsible for the erosion of the spoil dump and the quantity of dredge material in the spoil dump

Plectronoceratids (Cephalopoda) from the latest Cambrian at Black Mountain, Queensland, reveal complex three-dimensional siphuncle morphology, with major taxonomic implications

The Plectronoceratida includes the earliest known cephalopod fossils and is thus fundamental to a better understanding of the origin and early evolution of this group of molluscs. The bulk of described material comes from the late Cambrian Fengshan Formation in North China with isolated occurrences in South China, Laurentia, Kazakhstan and Siberia. Knowledge of their morphology and taxonomy is limited in that most specimens were only studied as longitudinal sections, which are prone to misinterpretations due to variations in the plane of section. We describe more than 200 new specimens, which exceeds the entire hitherto published record of plectronoceratids. The material was collected by Mary Wade and colleagues during the 1970s and 1980s, from the lower Ninmaroo Formation at Black Mountain (Mount Unbunmaroo), Queensland, Australia. Despite the collecting effort, diverse notes and early incomplete drafts, Mary Wade never published this material before her death in 2005. The specimens provide novel insights into the three-dimensional morphology of the siphuncle based on abundant material, prompting a general revision of the order Plectronoceratida. We describe Sinoeremoceras marywadeae sp. nov. from numerous, well-preserved specimens, allowing investigation of ontogenetic trajectories and intraspecific variability, which in turn enables improved interpretations of the three-dimensional siphuncle morphology. The siphuncle of S. marywadeae sp. nov. and other plectronoceratids is characterised by highly oblique segments, an elongated middorsal portion of the septal neck (= septal flap) and laterally expanded segments that extend dorsally relative to the septal flap (= siphuncular bulbs). We show that this complex siphuncular structure has caused problems of interpretation because it was studied mainly from longitudinal sections, leading to the impression that there were large differences between specimens and supposed species. We revise the order Protactinoceratida and the families Protactinoceratidae and Balkoceratidae as junior synonyms of the Plectronoceratida and Plectronoceratidae, respectively. We reduce the number of valid genera from eighteen (including one genus formerly classified as an ellesmeroceratid) to three: Palaeoceras Flower, 1954, Plectronoceras Kobayashi, 1935 and Sinoeremoceras Kobayashi, 1933. We accept 10 valid species to which the 68 previously established species may be assigned. Sinoeremoceras contains 8 of the 10 plus the new species. Two species, previously referred to ellesmeroceratid genera, are transferred to Sinoeremoceras. This revised scheme groups plectronoceratids into distinct geographically and stratigraphically separated species, which better reflects biological realities and removes bias caused by preparation techniques. North China remains important containing the highest known diversity and was likely a centre of cephalopod diversification

Revision of a late Middle Cambrian trilobite faunule from Northwestern Queensland

26 p., 4 pl., 2 fig.http://paleo.ku.edu/contributions.htm

Fat grafting and platelet-rich plasma in wound healing: a review of histology from animal studies

Stem cells could form the basis of a novel, autologous treatment for chronic wounds like diabetic foot ulcers. Fat grafts contain adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) but low survival of cells within the grafts is a major limitation. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) may increase graft survival. This review examines the histology from animal studies on fat grafting, ADSC and PRP in wound healing. A literature review of major electronic databases was undertaken, and narrative synthesis performed. Data from 30 animal studies were included. ADSC increase angiogenesis over 14 days and often clinically accelerated wound healing. ADSC had a greater effect in animals with impaired wound healing (e.g. diabetes). Activated PRP increased viability of fat grafts. Despite the high number of studies, the quality is variable which weakens the evidence. It does suggest there is a benefit of ADSC, particularly in impaired wound healing. High-quality evidence in humans is required, to establish its clinical usefulness