3,624 research outputs found
The Puget Sound and Potential Pollution Hazard Zones
https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/gis_projects/1028/thumbnail.jp
The Forgotten Victim in the Human Gene Patenting Debate: Pharmaceutical Companies
Scientific innovation is crucial to the prosperity, security, and health of a nation. During the founding years of the United States, political leaders realized the need for such innovation and created the patent law system 2 as a means of protecting American citizens. The major goals of the United States patent law system are to provide the public with cutting-edge scientific discoveries and to enlighten the public as to how these discoveries can benefit society. In modern America, a substantial amount of patent protection is sought for inventions relating to the pharmaceutical industry. In recent decades, the pharmaceutical industry has expanded rapidly as researchers invent new and more effective drugs and products. The average life expectancy and quality of life of United States citizens has drastically increased in the past century, largely due to pharmaceutical innovation. Nonetheless, nearly sixty million people die each year, with many of these deaths caused by problems that pharmaceutical companies are striving to cure. In the late 1970s, scientific researchers began to view genetic material as a means of developing treatment options for a variety of human diseases. Today, approximately two-thirds of the new drugs that hit the market have been influenced by genetic research, and genetic material has been linked to more than 850 human diseases. Additionally, biotechnology investors have indicated-with their pocketbooks-that they believe that the future of disease prevention and treatment is tied to genetic research. Despite the fact that pharmaceutical companies have invested billions of dollars for development of gene-related cures and treatments for human illnesses, the general public and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York wish to rein in the intellectual property rights afforded to these companies. Furthermore, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (C.A.F.C.) is divided in regard to DNA patentability and has indicated that any change to DNA-patenting policy would be most effectively propagated legislatively. In our society, there is a large disconnect between the supposed interests of the public and the pharmaceutical industry. In general, the public desires medical innovation but prefers to benefit from these medical advances at minimal cost. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry is merely a business, and businesses are built on profit maximization. Because the pharmaceutical business is premised on seemingly altruistic purposes, the industry is an easy target for individuals who cannot afford its services. Due to the nature of the pharmaceutical industry, profit maximization benefits the general public. Therefore, decreasing pharmaceutical company profits necessarily has the unintended side effect of decreasing public health benefits. This complicated equilibrium has been convoluted further by the district court ruling, and the subsequent divided C.A.F.C. ruling, in the recent Myriad case. This Note will explore the seemingly contradictory interests of the general public, the pharmaceutical industry, and the research community regarding human gene patents. Part I will look at the recent Myriad decisions in light of previous beliefs about the patentability of genetic material. Part II will examine the effect of gene patenting on scientific research and innovation. Parts III and IV will explore the effect of gene patents on both the general public and the pharmaceutical industry, and will seek to understand the belief dissonance between these two factions. Part V will consider how Congress has handled similar problems in the past through legislation, specifically in regards to plant patents and biological drugs. Part VI will discuss the possibility of finding a solution to the gene patent problem that satisfies the research community, the general public, and the pharmaceutical industry. Ultimately, this Note will analyze the success of prior legislation in order to propose a course of action that will appease all parties involved in the human gene patenting debate
The Forgotten Victim in the Human Gene Patenting Debate: Pharmaceutical Companies
Scientific innovation is crucial to the prosperity, security, and health of a nation. During the founding years of the United States, political leaders realized the need for such innovation and created the patent law system 2 as a means of protecting American citizens. The major goals of the United States patent law system are to provide the public with cutting-edge scientific discoveries and to enlighten the public as to how these discoveries can benefit society. In modern America, a substantial amount of patent protection is sought for inventions relating to the pharmaceutical industry. In recent decades, the pharmaceutical industry has expanded rapidly as researchers invent new and more effective drugs and products. The average life expectancy and quality of life of United States citizens has drastically increased in the past century, largely due to pharmaceutical innovation. Nonetheless, nearly sixty million people die each year, with many of these deaths caused by problems that pharmaceutical companies are striving to cure. In the late 1970s, scientific researchers began to view genetic material as a means of developing treatment options for a variety of human diseases. Today, approximately two-thirds of the new drugs that hit the market have been influenced by genetic research, and genetic material has been linked to more than 850 human diseases. Additionally, biotechnology investors have indicated-with their pocketbooks-that they believe that the future of disease prevention and treatment is tied to genetic research. Despite the fact that pharmaceutical companies have invested billions of dollars for development of gene-related cures and treatments for human illnesses, the general public and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York wish to rein in the intellectual property rights afforded to these companies. Furthermore, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (C.A.F.C.) is divided in regard to DNA patentability and has indicated that any change to DNA-patenting policy would be most effectively propagated legislatively. In our society, there is a large disconnect between the supposed interests of the public and the pharmaceutical industry. In general, the public desires medical innovation but prefers to benefit from these medical advances at minimal cost. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry is merely a business, and businesses are built on profit maximization. Because the pharmaceutical business is premised on seemingly altruistic purposes, the industry is an easy target for individuals who cannot afford its services. Due to the nature of the pharmaceutical industry, profit maximization benefits the general public. Therefore, decreasing pharmaceutical company profits necessarily has the unintended side effect of decreasing public health benefits. This complicated equilibrium has been convoluted further by the district court ruling, and the subsequent divided C.A.F.C. ruling, in the recent Myriad case. This Note will explore the seemingly contradictory interests of the general public, the pharmaceutical industry, and the research community regarding human gene patents. Part I will look at the recent Myriad decisions in light of previous beliefs about the patentability of genetic material. Part II will examine the effect of gene patenting on scientific research and innovation. Parts III and IV will explore the effect of gene patents on both the general public and the pharmaceutical industry, and will seek to understand the belief dissonance between these two factions. Part V will consider how Congress has handled similar problems in the past through legislation, specifically in regards to plant patents and biological drugs. Part VI will discuss the possibility of finding a solution to the gene patent problem that satisfies the research community, the general public, and the pharmaceutical industry. Ultimately, this Note will analyze the success of prior legislation in order to propose a course of action that will appease all parties involved in the human gene patenting debate
A first proof of principle booster setup for the MADMAX dielectric haloscope
Axions and axion-like particles are excellent low-mass dark matter
candidates. The MADMAX experiment aims to directly detect galactic axions with
masses between and by using the
axion-induced emission of electromagnetic waves from boundaries between
materials of different dielectric constants under a strong magnetic field.
Combining many such surfaces, this emission can be significantly enhanced
(boosted) using constructive interference and resonances. We present a first
proof of principle realization of such a booster system consisting of a copper
mirror and up to five sapphire disks. The electromagnetic response of the
system is investigated by reflectivity measurements. The mechanical accuracy,
calibration process of unwanted reflections and the repeatability of a basic
tuning algorithm to place the disks are investigated. We find that for the
presented cases the electromagnetic response in terms of the group delay
predicted by one-dimensional calculations is sufficiently realized in our
setup. The repeatability of the tuning is at the percent level, and would have
small impact on the sensitivity of such a booster.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures; minor changes, introduction and references
expanded, matches published versio
Coupling nonconforming and enriched Galerkin methods for robust discretization and fast solvers of poroelasticity problems
In this paper we propose a new finite element discretization for the
two-field formulation of poroelasticity which uses the elastic displacement and
the pore pressure as primary variables. The main goal is to develop a numerical
method with small problem sizes which still achieve key features such as
parameter-robustness, local mass conservation, and robust preconditionor
construction. For this we combine a nonconforming finite element and the
interior over-stabilized enriched Galerkin methods with a suitable
stabilization term. Robust a priori error estimates and parameter-robust
preconditioner construction are proved, and numerical results illustrate our
theoretical findings
Time-averaged electronic speckle pattern interferometry in the presence of ambient motion. Part I: Theory and experiments
An electronic speckle pattern interferometer is introduced that can produce time-averaged interferograms of harmonically vibrating objects in instances where it is impractical to isolate the object from ambient vibrations. By subtracting two images of the oscillating object, rather than the more common technique of subtracting an image of the oscillating object from one of the static objects, interferograms are produced with excellent visibility even when the object is moving relative to the interferometer. This interferometer is analyzed theoretically and the theory is validated experimentally
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Fatigue Characterization of 3D Printed Elastomer Material
The Objet PolyJet 3D Printing process provides the ability to print graded materials featuring
both stiff and elastomeric polymers. This capability allows for a variety of new design
possibilities for additive manufacturing such as living hinges, shock absorbing casings, and
integrated gaskets. Such design features typically rely upon the ability of traditional elastomers
to experience large and repeated strains without permanent deformation or damage. However,
voids and other flaws inherent to many Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes can have a
significant negative impact on the fatigue life of elastomeric AM materials. In this paper, the
authors seek to fill a gap in the literature by characterizing the fatigue life of a direct 3D printed
elastomer, and the multi-material interface. Based on the results, the authors offer advice for
improving fatigue life of printed elastomeric components.Mechanical Engineerin
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