THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART: DOES LONGER PATENT PENDENCY MEAN MORE VALUABLE PATENTS?

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is one of the busiest—and slowest—patent offices in the world. The average utility patent is pending for 25.3 months before issuance. For parties that require legal protections in fast-moving technological fields, such as mobile technology startup, the waiting could be detrimental. Moreover, the patent backlog problems worldwide cost the global economy over $10 billion per year. Even under such a delay, an increasing number of issued patents are threatened or invalidated in the U.S. court system. Undoubtedly, then, if patents are considered to have “quality” only if they are both (a) valid and (b) litigation-proof, the USPTO is failing. If, however, instead the consideration is broadened as to what it means for a patent to be “high quality”— using the four “patent worth considerations” of market, signal, impact, and reputational value—then the situation looks far from disastrous. This note proposes to examine the time-value dynamic of a patent and evaluate whether, in consideration of a variety of metrics, long-pending patents are more valuable. In short, are patents worth the wait? This note concludes with proposals for a more efficient Patent Office through examination of existing functional policies both internal to the USPTO and abroad

Sur la présence d'un ancètre probable des Oiseaux dans le Muschelkalk supérieur de Catalogne (Espagne). Note préliminaire

A small reptile from the upper Musclielkalk levels in the area of híotitral, near Alcover, province of Tarragona, is provisionally described in this paper. This reptile has a series of characteristics specially in the skull, which enable us to consider it as a proto-bird and for which we suggest the new denomination of: " Crosesaurus aviceps, nov. gen. nov. sp.". Firstly \ve give the main characteristics of the different groups of proto-birds which are, in general, recognizable by their footprints in the Keuper of Stormberg (Lesotho)

Density dependence of microwave induced magneto-resistance oscillations in a two-dimensional electron gas

We have measured the magneto-resistance of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) under continuous microwave irradiation as a function of electron density and mobility tuned with a metallic top-gate. In the entire range of density and mobility we have investigated, we observe microwave induced oscillations of large amplitude that are B-periodic. These B-periodic oscillations are reminiscent of the ones reported by Kukushkin \textit{et al}[1] and which were attributed to the presence of edge-magneto-plasmons. We have found that the B-periodicity does not increase linearly with the density in our sample but shows a plateau in the range (2.4-3) 10^{11}\rm cm^{-2} $. In this regime, the phase of the B-periodic oscillations is found to shift continuously by two periods.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Bright picosecond x‐rays from intense sub‐picosecond laser‐plasma interactions

Short‐pulse, high‐intensity laser‐plasma interactions are investigated experimentally with temporally and spectrally resolved soft x‐ray diagnostics. The emitted x‐ray spectra from solid targets of various Z are characterized for a range of laser intensities (I<5×1017 W/cm2) and pulse widths (η∼400 fs). With low contrast (105), the x‐ray spectrum in the λ=40–100 Å spectral region is dominated by line emission, and the x‐ray pulse duration is found to be long, τx≳100 ps, characteristic of a long‐scale‐length, low‐density plasma. Bright, picosecond, continuum emission, characteristic of a short‐scalelength, high‐density plasma, is produced only when a high laser contrast (1010) is used. It is demonstrated experimentally that the pulsewidth of laser‐produced x‐ray radiation may be varied down to the picosecond time‐scale by adjusting the incident ultrashort‐pulse laser flux. This controls the peak electron temperature relative to the ionization potential, corresponding to the emitted x‐ray photon energy of interest. The results are found to be consistent with the predictions of a hydrodynamics code coupled to an average atom model only if non‐local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) is assumed. © 1994 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87587/2/473_1.pd

Control of Bright Picosecond X-Ray Emission from Intense Subpicosecond Laser-Plasma Interactions

Using temporally and spectrally resolved diagnostics, we show that the pulse duration of laser-produced soft x rays emitted from solid targets can be controlled, permitting a reduction to as short as a few picoseconds. To enable this control, only a single parameter must be adjusted, namely, the intensity of the high-contrast ultrashort laser pulse (400 fs). These results are found to be in qualitative agreement with a simple model of radiation from a collisionally dominated atomic system

Evolution des pâturages. Etude de la biologie de deux graminées : Imperata cylindrica (Linn.) et Aristida rufescens (Stend)

L'étude de la biologie d'Imperata cylindrica et Aristida rufescens permet de mettre en évidence l'importance de l'appareil souterrain et l'influence du facteur édaphique sur le développement de ces graminées. Ces espèces seraient secondaires en savane mais dans des conditions de sous-exploitation (écimage des chaumes et suppression des feux) elles peuvent devenir dominantes alors qu'on a pu penser qu'elles étaient favorisées par le surpâturage. Le contrôle de leur expansion est important à considérer parce que leur productivité est faible, leur appétibilité temporaire et surtout parce qu'elles modifient la vocation des zones qu'elles occupen

Lumbar Multifidus Morphology in Youth Competitive Alpine Skiers and Associated Sex, Age, Biological Maturation, Trunk Stability, and Back Complaints

BACKGROUND The lumbar multifidus (LMF), as a dynamic stabilizer of the lumbar spine, may play an important role in the prevention of overuse-related back complaints. HYPOTHESIS LMF morphology is associated with trunk stability and differs between symptomatic and asymptomatic skiers. STUDY DESIGN Cohort study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level 3. METHODS A total of 85 youth skiers (28 females, mean age, 14.7 ± 0.7 years; 57 males, mean age, 14.9 ± 0.5 years) underwent anthropometric assessments, an estimation of biological maturation, a magnetic resonance imaging- and ultrasound-based examination of LMF morphology, and a biomechanical quantification of deadbug bridging stabilization performance. Athletes were categorized as symptomatic if they had registered at least 1 significant overuse-related back complaint episode in the 12 months before the main examination. RESULTS Male skiers showed a greater LMF size (ie, anatomical cross-sectional area [ACSA]) than female skiers, except for vertebral body L5, where no difference was found (8.8 ± 1.8 cm$^{2}$ vs 8.3 ± 1.4 cm$^{2}$, P = 0.18). Conversely, female skiers displayed longer fascicles than male skiers (5.8 ± 0.8 cm vs 5.4 ± 0.8 cm, P = 0.03). Skiers aged under 16 years (U16) skiers had greater values for LMF size and fascicle length than U15 skiers. Maturity offset was associated with L5 LMF size (R$^{2}$ = 0.060, P = 0.01), fascicle length (R$^{2}$ = 0.038, P = 0.04), and muscle thickness (R$^{2}$ = 0.064, P = 0.02). L5 LMF size was associated with trunk stability (R$^{2}$ = 0.068, P = 0.01). Asymptomatic skiers showed on average a 12.8% greater value for L5 LMF size compared with symptomatic skiers (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION There are sex- and age-related differences in LMF morphology in youth competitive alpine skiers. Moreover, the ACSA at the level of the lumbar vertebral body L5 undergoes changes during biological maturation, shows a small, but significant association with trunk stability, and differs between symptomatic and asymptomatic skiers with back complaints. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The observed association of muscle structure (ie, L5 LMF ACSA) with functional aspects (ie, trunk stabilization capacity) and clinical representation (ie, overuse-related back complaints) further highlights the important role of the multifidus muscle for training and injury prevention in youth competitive alpine skiers around the growth spurt

Dynamic Locomotor Capabilities Revealed by Early Dinosaur Trackmakers from Southern Africa

BACKGROUND: A new investigation of the sedimentology and ichnology of the Early Jurassic Moyeni tracksite in Lesotho, southern Africa has yielded new insights into the behavior and locomotor dynamics of early dinosaurs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The tracksite is an ancient point bar preserving a heterogeneous substrate of varied consistency and inclination that includes a ripple-marked riverbed, a bar slope, and a stable algal-matted bar top surface. Several basal ornithischian dinosaurs and a single theropod dinosaur crossed its surface within days or perhaps weeks of one another, but responded to substrate heterogeneity differently. Whereas the theropod trackmaker accommodated sloping and slippery surfaces by gripping the substrate with its pedal claws, the basal ornithischian trackmakers adjusted to the terrain by changing between quadrupedal and bipedal stance, wide and narrow gauge limb support (abduction range = 31 degrees ), and plantigrade and digitigrade foot posture. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The locomotor adjustments coincide with changes in substrate consistency along the trackway and appear to reflect 'real time' responses to a complex terrain. It is proposed that these responses foreshadow important locomotor transformations characterizing the later evolution of the two main dinosaur lineages. Ornithischians, which shifted from bipedal to quadrupedal posture at least three times in their evolutionary history, are shown to have been capable of adopting both postures early in their evolutionary history. The substrate-gripping behavior demonstrated by the early theropod, in turn, is consistent with the hypothesized function of pedal claws in bird ancestors

The N-Terminal domain of SIRT1 is a positive regulator of endogenous SIRT1-dependent deacetylation and transcriptional outputs

SummaryThe NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase SIRT1 regulates energy metabolism, responses to stress, and aging by deacetylating many different proteins, including histones and transcription factors. The mechanisms controlling SIRT1 enzymatic activity are complex and incompletely characterized, yet essential for understanding how to develop therapeutics that target SIRT1. Here, we demonstrate that the N-terminal domain of SIRT1 (NTERM) can trans-activate deacetylation activity by physically interacting with endogenous SIRT1 and promoting its association with the deacetylation substrate NF-κB p65. Two motifs within the NTERM domain contribute to activation of SIRT1-dependent activities, and expression of one of these motifs in mice is sufficient to lower fasting glucose levels and improve glucose tolerance in a manner similar to overexpression of SIRT1. Our results provide insights into the regulation of SIRT1 activity and a rationale for pharmacological control of SIRT1-dependent activities