Protecting Their Intellectual Assets: Appropriability Conditions and Why U.S. Manufacturing Firms Patent (or Not)

Based on a survey questionnaire administered to 1478 R&D labs in the U.S. manufacturing sector in 1994, we find that firms typically protect the profits due to invention with a range of mechanisms, including patents, secrecy, lead time advantages and the use of complementary marketing and manufacturing capabilities. Of these mechanisms, however, patents tend to be the least emphasized by firms in the majority of manufacturing industries, and secrecy and lead time tend to be emphasized most heavily. A comparison of our results with the earlier survey findings of Levin et al. [1987] suggest that patents may be relied upon somewhat more heavily by larger firms now than in the early 1980s. For the protection of product innovations, secrecy now appears to be much more heavily employed across most industries than previously. Our results on the motives to patent indicate that firms patent for reasons that often extend beyond directly profiting from a patented innovation through either its commercialization or licensing. In addition to the prevention of copying, the most prominent motives for patenting include the prevention of rivals from patenting related inventions (i.e., patent blocking'), the use of patents in negotiations and the prevention of suits. We find that firms commonly patent for different reasons in discrete' product industries, such as chemicals, versus complex' product industries, such as telecommunications equipment or semiconductors. In the former, firms appear to use their patents commonly to block the development of substitutes by rivals, and in the latter, firms are much more likely to use patents to force rivals into negotiations.

Population studies, local growth rates and reproduction of the pismo clam (Tivela stultorum)

Large samples collected, measured, and returned to the beach at monthly intervals at La Jolla, California, for five successive years showed an average initial set of 3 young clams per sq m in an area of 2000 sq m. The annual mortality has been from 67 to 75% for each year-class. Of an annual set of 6000, only 2000, 700, 170 and 50, respectively, have remained at the end of the first to fourth years. The length increases about 21 mm per year for the first two years of life and somewhat less thereafter. Less than one per cent survived long enough to reach the legal length of 127 mm...

Pediatric TPN: Efficacy and Toxicity of a New Fat Emulsion

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141693/1/jpen0384.pd

A prospective study on impact of patient counselling on quality of life of patients with atopic dermatitis

Background: Atopic dermatitis is an acute, sub-acute or chronic relapsing skin disorder characterized by intense itching, pruritus and oozing. It adversely affects the routine activities of patients for which effective treatment is to be provided along with proper counselling. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of patient counselling on quality of life (QoL).Methods: A prospective study was conducted in 108 patients recruited from the Department of Dermatology for a period of 6 months. A written informed consent was taken. Out of the 108 patients, 54 patients received tacrolimus and the remaining received corticosteroids. The collected data was analysed and presented. Data was collected by using a suitably designed proforma. Dermatology life quality index (DLQI) was used for assessing QoL. Patients were counselled regarding the disease, drugs and lifestyle modifications using patient information leaflet (PIL).Results: The current study found that patient counselling was effective for both the groups with a p value <0.05. The effect of disease in quality of life improved from severe to mild in both groups (prior to counselling QoL mean value of 2.93±0.61 shifted to 1.18±0.71 post counselling). In the tacrolimus group, QoL mean value of 2.81±0.61 shifted to 0.98±0.71 after counselling. In the corticosteroids group, a shift from a mean QoL value of 3.05±0.59 to a mean of 1.38±0.65 was observed post counselling.Conclusions: The provision of effective counselling was found to have a profound impact on improving patient’s quality of life. A transition from severe effects of the disease to milder effects of the disease on quality of life was observed

Total Parenteral Nutrition Catheter Sepsis: Impact of the Team Approach

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141902/1/jpen0642.pd

Studies on the Efficacy of a New 20% Fat Emulsion in Pediatric Parenteral Nutrition

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141878/1/jpen0222.pd

Comparison of a New 10% and 20% safflower Oil Fat Emulsion in Pediatric Parenteral Nutrition

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141546/1/jpen0236.pd

Neurotransmitter interactions in the stomatogastric system of the spiny lobster: One peptide alters the response of a central pattern generator to a second peptide

Two of the peptides found in the stomatogastric nervous system of the spiny lobster. Panulirus interruptus, interacted to modulate the activity of the cardiac sac motor pattern. In the isolated stomatogastric ganglion, red- pigment-concentrating hormone (RPCH), but not proctolin, activated the bursting activity in the inferior ventricular (IV) neurons that drives the cardiac sac pattern. The cardiac sac pattern normally ceased within 15 min after the end of RPCH superfusion. However, when proctolin was applied within a few minutes of that time, it was likewise able to induce cardiac sac activity. Similarly, proctolin applied together with subthreshold RPCH induced cardiac sac bursting. The amplitude of the excitatory postsynaptic potentials from the IV neurons to the cardiac sac dilator neuron CD2 (1 of the 2 major motor neurons in the cardiac sac system) was potentiated in the presence of both proctolin and RPCH. The potentiation in RPCH was much greater than in proctolin alone. However, the potentiation in proctolin after RPCH was equivalent to that recorded in RPCH alone. Although we do not yet understand the mechanisms for these interactions of the two modulators, this study provides an example of one factor that can determine the \u27state\u27 of the system that is critical in determining the effect of a modulator that is \u27state dependent,\u27 and it provides evidence for yet another level of flexibility in the motor output of this system

A study to evaluate the efficacy of cranberry extract supplements in prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections in female patients

Background: Recurrence of urinary tract infections (UTI) are either due to re infection or relapse. Overall likelihood of developing UTI is approximately 30 times higher in women than men due to their anatomical peculiarities. The objective was to evaluate efficacy of cranberry extract supplementations in prevention of recurrent UTI in female patients, assess the quality of life of patients, medication adherence of patients and effect of patient counselling.Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out for a period of 6 months and samples were taken from the Urology Department of Cosmopolitan Hospital, Trivandrum, Kerala. The selected patients were administered with cranberry extract supplements after their regular Antibiotic therapy and were observed for recurrence for a period of six months. Three follow ups were taken and the betterment was assessed using the score from prepared proforma.Results: 84 patients were analysed and among them we observed and concluded that 86.9% of patients were free of recurrent infection. Study shows that E. coli was the commonest infectious organism causing UTI. In this study the most commonly observed symptom of UTI was lower abdominal pain and the most common co morbidity was DM.Conclusions: Through this study it was concluded that the cranberry extract supplements significantly reduced the recurrence of UTI in women. Since the antibiotic prophylaxis is having the risk of developing resistance and side effects, the cranberry extract supplements can be suggested as a best alternative to antibiotics in recurrent UTI prophylaxis