302 research outputs found
The Curse of Copying , 7 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 296 (2008)
The concept of âcopyingâ has long been involved with various aspects of intellectual property law, particularly in regard to patents and trademarks. In the absence of legally determined exclusive rights, âcopyingâ is permitted, and is in fact, encouraged. However, because the term âcopyingâ carries an undercurrent of disapproval and unfavorable practices, it is a favorite of patentees looking to portray an accused infringer in the most negative light, especially before a jury. Hence, the curse of âcopying.â This article will review the current state of âcopyingâ by addressing the substantive precedent in areas where âcopyingâ has traditionally had a substantive effectâwillfulness of any accused infringing conduct and obviousness of the patented invention. With respect to âcopyingâ and willful infringement, this article outlines two important considerations that the precedent is weak uponâââcopyingâ what?â and ââcopyingâ when?â Lifting the curse requires care and some courage at trial, in view of a precedential framework that is less than favorable to the accused infringer and the pejorative impact the term âcopyingâ will likely have on the jury and the court. These issues will be discussed and suggestions are advanced throughout as to how one might lift the curse once it is pronounced
Ion and polymer dynamics in polymer electrolytes PPO-LiClO4: II. 2H and 7Li NMR stimulated-echo experiment
We use 2H NMR stimulated-echo spectroscopy to measure two-time correlation
functions characterizing the polymer segmental motion in polymer electrolytes
PPO-LiClO4 near the glass transition temperature Tg. To investigate effects of
the salt on the polymer dynamics, we compare results for different ether oxygen
to lithium ratios, namely, 6:1, 15:1, 30:1 and infinity. For all compositions,
we find nonexponential correlation functions, which can be described by a
Kohlrausch function. The mean correlation times show quantitatively that an
increase of the salt concentration results in a strong slowing down of the
segmental motion. Consistently, for the high 6:1 salt concentration, a high
apparent activation energy E_a=4.1eV characterizes the temperature dependence
of the mean correlation times at Tg < T< 1.1T_g, while smaller values E_a=2.5eV
are observed for moderate salt contents. The correlation functions are most
nonexponential for 15:1 PPO-LiClO4, whereas the stretching is reduced for
higher and lower salt concentrations. A similar dependence of the correlation
functions on the evolution time in the presence and in the absence of ions
indicates that addition of salt hardly affects the reorientational mechanism.
For all compositions, mean jump angles of about 15 degree characterize the
segmental reorientation. In addition, comparison of results from 2H and 7Li NMR
stimulated-echo experiments suggests a coupling of ion and polymer dynamics in
15:1 PPO-LiClO4.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figure
Aspects of topology of condensates and knotted solitons in condensed matter systems
The knotted solitons introduced by Faddeev and Niemi is presently a subject
of great interest in particle and mathematical physics. In this paper we give a
condensed matter interpretation of the recent results of Faddeev and Niemi.Comment: v2: Added a reference to the paper E. Babaev, L.D. Faddeev and A.J.
Niemi cond-mat/0106152 where an exact equivalence was shown between the
two-condensate Ginzburg-Landau model and a version of Faddeev model.
Miscelaneous links related to knotted solitons are available at the author
homepage at http://www.teorfys.uu.se/PEOPLE/egor/ . Animations of knotted
solitons by Hietarinta and Salo are available at
http://users.utu.fi/h/hietarin/knots/c45_p2.mp
History Memorized and Recalled upon Glass Transition
The memory effect upon glassification is studied in the glass to rubber
transition of vulcanized rubber with the strain as a controlling parameter. A
phenomenological model is proposed taking the history of the temperature and
the strain into account, by which the experimental results are interpreted. The
data and the model demonstrate that the glassy state memorizes the time-course
of strain upon glassification, not as a single parameter but as the history
itself. The data also show that the effect of irreversible deformation in the
glassy state is beyond the scope of the present model.
Authors' remark: The title of the paper in the accepted version is above. The
title appeared in PRL is the one changed by a Senior Assistant Editor after
acceptance of the paper. The recovery of the title was rejected in the
correction process.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Direct observation of molecular cooperativity near the glass transition
We describe direct observations of molecular cooperativity near the glass
transition in poly-vinyl-acetate (PVAc), through nanometer-scale probing of
dielectric fluctuations. Molecular clusters switched spontaneously between two
to four distinct configurations, producing complex random-telegraph-signals
(RTS). Analysis of the RTS and their power spectra shows that individual
clusters exhibit both transient dynamical heterogeneity and non-exponential
kinetics.Comment: 14 pages pdf, need Acrobat Reade
Minimal model for beta relaxation in viscous liquids
Contrasts between beta relaxation in equilibrium viscous liquids and glasses
are rationalized in terms of a double-well potential model with
structure-dependent asymmetry, assuming structure is described by a single
order parameter. The model is tested for tripropylene glycol where it accounts
for the hysteresis of the dielectric beta loss peak frequency and magnitude
during cooling and reheating through the glass transition.Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett. (in press
Relaxational study of poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-butyl acrylate) membrane by dielectric and dynamic mechanical spectroscopy
[EN] A poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-butyl acrylate) (60VP-40BA) membrane is synthesized as a tractable and hydrophilic material, obtaining a water-swelling percentage around 60%. An investigation of molecular mobility by means of differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis and broadband dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) is fulfilled in the dry membrane. Dielectric and viscoelastic relaxation measurements are carried out on the 60VP-40BA sample at several frequencies between -150 and 150 degrees C. The dielectric spectrum shows several relaxation processes labelled gamma, beta and alpha in increasing order of temperature, whereas in the mechanical spectrum only the beta and alpha relaxation processes are completely defined. In the dielectric measurements, conductive contributions overlap the alpha-relaxation. The apparent activation energies have similar values for the beta-relaxation in both, the mechanical and the dielectric measurements. The beta process is a Johari-Golstein secondary relaxation and it is related to the local motions of the pyrrolidone group accompanied by the motion of the segments of the polymer backbone. The gamma process is connected with the butyl unit's motions, both located in the side chains of the polymer.BRF, MC, PO and MJS are grateful to CICYT for grant MAT2012-33483. FG and JMG thank the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad-FEDER (MAT2011-22544) and the Consejeria de Educacion-Junta de Castilla y Leon (BU001A10-2).Redondo Foj, MB.; CarsĂ Rosique, M.; Ortiz Serna, MP.; Sanchis SĂĄnchez, MJ.; GarcĂa, FC.; GarcĂa. JosĂ© Miguel (2013). Relaxational study of poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-butyl acrylate) membrane by dielectric and dynamic mechanical spectroscopy. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS. 46(29):295304-1-295304-12. https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/46/29/295304S295304-1295304-12462
Nanometer Scale Dielectric Fluctuations at the Glass Transition
Using non-contact scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques, dielectric
properties were studied on 50 nanometer length scales in poly-vinyl-acetate
(PVAc) films in the vicinity of the glass transition. Low frequency (1/f) noise
observed in the measurements, was shown to arise from thermal fluctuations of
the electric polarization. Anomalous variations observed in the noise spectrum
provide direct evidence for cooperative nano-regions with heterogeneous
kinetics. The cooperative length scale was determined. Heterogeneity was
long-lived only well below the glass transition for faster than average
processes.Comment: 4 pages, 4 embedded PS figures, RevTeX - To appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Mid-pregnancy changes in maternal upper body subcutaneous fat assessed using skinfold measurements and oral glucose tolerance test results amongst women with obesity in the UK
Aims: The aim of this study was to test a Child-Centred Health Dialogue model for primary prevention of obesity for 4-year-old children in Child Health Services, for its feasibility and the responsiveness of its outcomes.Methods: A feasibility study was set up with a non-randomised quasi-experimental cluster design comparing usual care with a structured multicomponent child-centred health dialogue consisting of two parts: 1) a universal part directed to all children and 2) a targeted part for families where the child is identified with overweight. Results: 203 children participated in child-centred health dialogue while 582 children received usual care. Nurses trained in the model were able to execute both the universal health dialogue and the targeted part of the intervention. Tutorship enabled the nurses to reflect on and discuss their experiences, which strengthened their confidence and security. One year after the intervention fewer normal-weight 4-year-olds in the intervention group had developed overweight at the age of 5 compared to the control group and none had developed obesity. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a child-centred, multicomponent, interactive intervention for the promotion of healthy lifestyles and primary prevention of obesity for all 4-year-old children participating in Child Health Services is feasible on a small scale. As almost all parents make use of Child Health Services in Sweden, the findings should be confirmed in a randomised controlled trial before the intervention can be implemented on a larger scale
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