Shifting Patterns in Marks and Registration: France, the United States and United Kingdom, 1870-1970

This paper looks at trademarks and brands, beyond the conventional interests of marketing and law, as a way to explaining the evolution of international business and economies in general. It shows that the perspective defended by many scholars such as Chandler (1990), Wilkins (1991, 1994) and Koehn’ (2001), about the Anglo-Saxon countries, and in particular the United States, leading the transition to modern trade-marks is narrow in its focus. Instead of the United States standing out as historically on the leading edge of innovation in the law and practice of trade marking, it appears from several directions to have been on the trailing edge. France and Britain have a more enduring interest in trademarking. The paper also looks at one particular subset of trade mark registration data – non durable consumer goods. These, and in particular food, are the dominant sectors in the three countries in terms of trademarking, reflecting the character of the sectors where imagery associated with the products is so central in competition. The paper relies on original data from three countries, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, in particular trade mark registrations, and the analysis spans for a period of one hundred years period 1870-1970.trade marks, brands, international business history, intellectual property rights, trademark law

Sexual dimorphism in bite performance drives morphological variation in chameleons

Phenotypic performance in different environments is central to understanding the evolutionary and ecological processes that drive adaptive divergence and, ultimately, speciation. Because habitat structure can affect an animal's foraging behaviour, anti-predator defences, and communication behaviour, it can influence both natural and sexual selection pressures. These selective pressures, in turn, act upon morphological traits to maximize an animal's performance. For performance traits involved in both social and ecological activities, such as bite force, natural and sexual selection often interact in complex ways, providing an opportunity to understand the adaptive significance of morphological variation with respect to habitat. Dwarf chameleons within the Bradypodion melanocephalum-Bradypodion thamnobates species complex have multiple phenotypic forms, each with a specific head morphology that could reflect its use of either open-or closed-canopy habitats. To determine whether these morphological differences represent adaptations to their habitats, we tested for differences in both absolute and relative bite performance. Only absolute differences were found between forms, with the closed-canopy forms biting harder than their open-canopy counterparts. In contrast, sexual dimorphism was found for both absolute and relative bite force, but the relative differences were limited to the closed-canopy forms. These results indicate that both natural and sexual selection are acting within both habitat types, but to varying degrees. Sexual selection seems to be the predominant force within the closed-canopy habitats, which are more protected from aerial predators, enabling chameleons to invest more in ornamentation for communication. In contrast, natural selection is likely to be the predominant force in the open-canopy habitats, inhibiting the development of conspicuous secondary sexual characteristics and, ultimately, enforcing their overall diminutive body size and constraining performance

Hepatitis C virus NS5A targets the nucleosome assembly protein NAP1L1 to control the innate cellular response

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA hepatotropic virus. Despite cellular defenses, HCV is able to replicate in hepatocytes and to establish a chronic infection that could lead to severe complications and hepatocellular carcinoma. An important player in subverting the host response to HCV infection is the viral non-structural protein NS5A that, in addition to its role in replication and assembly, targets several pathways involved in the cellular response to viral infection. Several unbiased screens identified the nucleosome-assembly protein 1-like 1 (NAP1L1) as an interaction partner of HCV NS5A. Here we confirm this interaction and map it to the C-terminus of NS5A of both genotype 1 and 2. NS5A sequesters NAP1L1 in the cytoplasm blocking its nuclear translocation. However, only NS5A from genotype 2 HCV, but not from genotype 1, targets NAP1L1 for proteosomal-mediated degradation. NAP1L1 is a nuclear chaperone involved in chromatin remodeling and we demonstrate the NAP1L1-dependent regulation of specific pathways involved in cellular responses to viral infection and cell survival. Among those we show that lack of NAP1L1 leads to a decrease of RELA protein levels and a strong defect of IRF3 TBK1/IKKϵ-mediated phosphorylation leading to inefficient RIG-I and TLR3 responses. Hence, HCV is able to modulate the host cell environment by targeting NAP1L1 through NS5A

Polarisation measurements with a CdTe pixel array detector for Laue hard X-ray focusing telescopes

Polarimetry is an area of high energy astrophysics which is still relatively unexplored, even though it is recognized that this type of measurement could drastically increase our knowledge of the physics and geometry of high energy sources. For this reason, in the context of the design of a Gamma-Ray Imager based on new hard-X and soft gamma ray focusing optics for the next ESA Cosmic Vision call for proposals (Cosmic Vision 2015-2025), it is important that this capability should be implemented in the principal on-board instrumentation. For the particular case of wide band-pass Laue optics we propose a focal plane based on a thick pixelated CdTe detector operating with high efficiency between 60-600 keV. The high segmentation of this type of detector (1-2 mm pixel size) and the good energy resolution (a few keV FWHM at 500 keV) will allow high sensitivity polarisation measurements (a few % for a 10 mCrab source in 106s) to be performed. We have evaluated the modulation Q factors and minimum detectable polarisation through the use of Monte Carlo simulations (based on the GEANT 4 toolkit) for on and off-axis sources with power law emission spectra using the point spread function of a Laue lens in a feasible configuration.Comment: 10 pages, 6 pages. Accepted for publication in Experimental Astronom

Los territorios educativos del Programa Más Educación como nueva estrategia de "modernización" en contexto de (Neo) desenvolvimentismo

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo comprender los vínculos entre la estrategia de "modernización" educativa llamada territorios educativos de Programa de Más Educación y el permanente proceso de expansión de la escuela pública brasileña para las funciones que no hay clases. Por lo tanto, se realizó un análisis de los llamados documentos oficiales (BRASIL, 2013) que representa los fundamentos técnicos y teóricos del programa. El analise se realiza esde un enfoque teórico-metodológico vinculado a la tradición de materialismo histórico-dialéctico. destacado como categorías centrales para el análisis: la expansión de la escuela, la oferta educativa (ALGEBAILE, 2009), la modernización (OLIVEIRA, 1988) y la hegemonía (Gramsci, 1968). Los resultados indican que la estrategia de la "modernización" anunciada por los territorios educativos se mejoran las formas de revitalizar los "retrasos" que marca el escenario educativo brasileño. Este processo de modernización ocurre con el crecimiento de las oportunidades de capacitación diferenciadas y pobres para la gestión de la pobreza. En el plano macroeconómico y social, tal modernización ha permitido la mejora del modelo "liberal-periférico" en Brasil, la expresión de la subordinación moral e intelectual de la "retrasada" elite brasileña a los dictados de la burguesía representativas del capital financiero mundialO artigo buscou compreender os nexos entre a estratégia de "modernizaçao" educacional denominada de territórios educativos do Programa Mais Educaçao e o processo permanente de expansao "escolar" da escola pública brasileira para funçoes nao-escolares. Para tanto, realizamos uma análise dos documentos oficiais denominados - Cadernos Série Mais Educaçao (BRASIL, 2013) que representam os fundamentos técnicos e teóricos do programa. Como abordagem teórica-metodológica nos utilizamos nessa análise de referenciais vinculados a tradiçao do Materialismo Histórico e Dialético. Destacamos como categoriais centrais para a análise: expansao escolar, oferta educacional (ALGEBAILE, 2009), modernizaçao (OLIVEIRA, 1988) e hegemonia (GRAMSCI, 1968). Resultados apontam que as "modernizaçoes" anunciadas pela estratégia dos territórios educativos sao formas aperfeiçoadas de revigoramento dos "atrasos" que marcam o cenário educacional brasileiro. Sua realizaçao ocorre com o acirramento de ofertas formativas diferenciadas e precárias para a gestao da pobreza. No plano macroeconômico e social, esse tipo de modernizaçao vem permitindo o aperfeiçoamento do modelo "liberal-periférico" no Brasil, expressao da subordinaçao moral e intelectual da "atrasada" elite brasileira aos ditames da burguesia que representa o capital financeiro globa

Juventud y educación integral en la escuela secundaria : El análisis de las Escolas de Referência em Ensino Médio (EREMs) - Una experiencia de educación integral?

Nossa pesquisa analisa a efetivação do Programa de Educação Integral (PEI), implementado no estado de Pernambuco em 2008, através da Lei Nº 128/2008. O estudo faz parte da pesquisa matriz denominada JOVENS E EDUCAÇÃO INTEGRAL NO ENSINO MÉDIO: analisando programas em implementação no estado de Pernambuco, a partir do novo ordenamento legal do Estado brasileiro, em desenvolvimento pelo grupo GESTOR – Pesquisa em Gestão da Educação e Políticas do Tempo Livre, sediado no Núcleo de Formação de Docentes (NFD) e no Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação do Centro Acadêmico do Agreste da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco.Mesa 37: Sociología política de la educación. Políticas educativas, gestión institucional y el escenario de la educación como derecho.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Overcoming naphthoquinone deactivation:rhodium-catalyzed C-5 selective C-H iodination as a gateway to functionalized derivatives

Rh-catalyzed C-5 selective C–H iodination of naphthoquinones provides a gateway to previously inaccessible A-ring analogues. C-2 selective processes can be achieved under related conditions.</p

Power from wood gasifiers in Uganda: a 250 kW and 10 kW case study

Thomas Buchholz ; Izael Da Silva ; John Furtado - Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) - EnergyWood gasification systems have the potential to contribute to the rural electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper presents an operational and economic analysis of two wood-based gasification systems (250 and 10 kW) installed in Uganda in 2007. Both systems proved their potential to compete economically with diesel generated electricity when operating close to the rated capacity. At an output of 150 kW running for ~12 h/day and 8 kW running for ~8h/day, the systems produced electricity at US$0.18 and 0.34/kWh, respectively. A stable electricity demand close to the rated capacity proved to be a challenge for both systems. Fuelwood costs accounted for ~US$0.03/kWh for both systems. Recovery of even a small fraction of the excess heat (22%) already resulted in substantial profitability gains for the 250 kW system. Results indicate that replicating successful wood gasification systems stipulates integration of sustainable fuelwood supply and viable business models.Wood gasification systems have the potential to contribute to the rural electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper presents an operational and economic analysis of two wood-based gasification systems (250 and 10 kW) installed in Uganda in 2007. Both systems proved their potential to compete economically with diesel generated electricity when operating close to the rated capacity. At an output of 150 kW running for ~12 h/day and 8 kW running for ~8h/day, the systems produced electricity at US$0.18 and 0.34/kWh, respectively. A stable electricity demand close to the rated capacity proved to be a challenge for both systems. Fuelwood costs accounted for ~US$0.03/kWh for both systems. Recovery of even a small fraction of the excess heat (22%) already resulted in substantial profitability gains for the 250 kW system. Results indicate that replicating successful wood gasification systems stipulates integration of sustainable fuelwood supply and viable business models

The internationalization of African fintech firms: marketing strategies for successful intra-Africa expansion

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how African fintech firms adapt their marketing strategies for successful market expansion into new African countries. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study is qualitative in nature and utilizes semi-structured interviews at 14 African fintech firms. Findings The study reveals that, during intra-Africa expansion, firms adapt their marketing strategies by working with local people, prioritizing customer education, creating personal relationships with customers, adapting their communication strategies and pricing strategies and using social media. The strategies that have been most effective involve including the community in the marketing process, prioritizing relationships, segmenting customers geographically, educating customers about products, using local distribution partners and having a flexible approach to strategy adaptation. Practical implications It has been argued that technological innovation in Africa in areas such as financial services is a critical driver of its future development, because of the opportunity it presents to promote financial inclusion. Through an increase in venture capital investment on the continent, technological innovations in financial services have grown exponentially, and this study contributes to the understanding of the marketing strategies employed to gain market traction. Originality/value This study proposes that African fintech firms adopt a bottom-up, value proposition-driven marketing strategy to successfully navigate the environment. The proposed framework provides a lens through which to understand the components of successful strategy adaptation in Africa, against the backdrop of the unique market challenges inherent in this emerging market continent