A Comparative Analysis of Selected Aspects of Patent Law in China and the United States

China\u27s recent admission to the World Trade Organization will bring increased attention to China\u27s patent law, especially as foreign companies expand their technology-based presence in China. This Article summarizes the development of patent law in the United States and China, and compares various aspects of Chinese and American patent law. These aspects include the administrative and judicial hierarchy of the American and Chinese patent systems, patentability requirements, infringement and validity issues, the availability of injunctive relief, and the determination of monetary damages. The Article also discusses the compulsory licensing provisions of China\u27s patent law. Similarities and differences of each patent system are also discussed

Clogging Mechanisms in Converging Microchannels

Many technological and biomedical applications ranging from water filtration and oil extraction to arteriosclerosis and vein thrombosis rely upon the transport of solids in liquids. Particulate matter suspended in liquid flowing through channels that are often microscopic or millimeters in size which leads to clogging. This dissertation examines the clogging behavior of microscopic channels by microscopic particles suspended in liquid. We physically model clogging in microchannels by flowing microparticles through microfluidic channels. Unlike previous studies, we choose non-uniform microchannels; specifically, we study clogging in microchannels whose width narrows over the length of the channel. Converging channels are inspired by the pore size variations in real porous media like membrane filters and sandstone. Initially we study the clogging behavior of microparticles in arrays of parallel microchannels as we vary the microchannel entrance (mouth) width and microchannel length. We measure the time until each channel clogs and we calculate the number of particles that pass prior to clogging. Contrary to expectation, we show that the number of particles passing through a pore increases exponentially with increasing mouth width but decreases linearly as the channel length increases. Changing the dimensions of the channels changes the particulate suspension’s flow rate which in turn changes the shear stresses that particles experience near the channel wall. When particles experience higher near-wall shear stress, the particles are less likely to adhere to channel walls and engender clogging. We confirm the effect of flow rate on channel clogging by demonstrating that the number of particles needed to clog a tapered channel increases as the pressure applied to the particulate suspension increases. The connection between flow rate and clogging highlights the interplay between hydrodynamic forces and intermolecular forces that govern particle attachment and ultimately clogging. We further explore this relationship by modulating the interaction between the particle and channel wall in a single tapered channel. While observing single channels clogging, we also resolve individual particles gradually building up on channel walls and forming clogs. Interestingly, particles also cluster on upstream channel walls only to later detach and clog at the downstream constriction. At low pressures, the channel clogs when particles accumulate individually near the constriction. At high pressures, the channel clogs when particle clusters detach from channel walls upstream and flow into the constriction. Finally, we compare the clogging behavior of particles with long, electrosteric stabilizing molecules on the surface to the clogging behavior of particles with shorter electrostatic stabilizing molecules on the surface. We also compare the clogging behavior of both particle types in the presence of varying concentrations of a monovalent salt. We show that clogging is mitigated when Debye length is comparable to the length of the stabilizing molecule on the particle’s surface.Engineering and Applied Sciences - Applied Physic

What’s so bad about scientism?

In their attempt to defend philosophy from accusations of uselessness made by prominent scientists, such as Stephen Hawking, some philosophers respond with the charge of ‘scientism.’ This charge makes endorsing a scientistic stance, a mistake by definition. For this reason, it begs the question against these critics of philosophy, or anyone who is inclined to endorse a scientistic stance, and turns the scientism debate into a verbal dispute. In this paper, I propose a different definition of scientism, and thus a new way of looking at the scientism debate. Those philosophers who seek to defend philosophy against accusations of uselessness would do philosophy a much better service, I submit, if they were to engage with the definition of scientism put forth in this paper, rather than simply make it analytic that scientism is a mistake

Optimisations and challenges involved in the creation of various bioluminescent and fluorescent influenza a virus strains for in vitro and in vivo applications

Bioluminescent and fluorescent influenza A viruses offer new opportunities to study influenza virus replication, tropism and pathogenesis. To date, several influenza A reporter viruses have been described. These strategies typically focused on a single reporter gene (either bioluminescent or fluorescent) in a single virus backbone. However, whilst bioluminescence is suited to in vivo imaging, fluorescent viruses are more appropriate for microscopy. Therefore, the idea l reporter virus varies depending on the experiment in question, and it is important that any reporter virus strategy can be adapted accordingly. Herein, a strategy was developed to create five different reporter viruses in a single virus backbone. Specifically, enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), far-red fluorescent protein (fRFP), near-infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP), Gaussia luciferase (gLUC) and firefly luciferase (fLUC) were inserted into the PA gene segment of A/PR/8/34 (H1N1). This study provides a comprehensive characterisation of the effects of different reporter genes on influenza virus replication and reporter activity. In vivo reporter gene expression, in lung tissues, was only detected for eGFP, fRFP and gLUC expressing viruses. In vitro, the eGFP-expressing virus displayed the best reporter stability and could be used for correlative light electron microscopy (CLEM). This strategy was then used to create eGFP-expressing viruses consisting entirely of pandemic H1N1, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 and H7N9. The HPAI H5N1 eGFP-expressing virus infected mice and reporter gene expression was detected, in lung tissues, in vivo. Thus, this study provides new tools and insights for the creation of bioluminescent and fluorescent influenza A reporter viruses. Copyright

Outcomes in culture positive and culture negative ascitic fluid infection in patients with viral cirrhosis: cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ascitic fluid infection (AFI) in cirrhotic patients has a high morbidity and mortality. It has two variants namely, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) and culture negative neutrocytic ascites (CNNA). The aim of this study was to determine the outcome in cirrhotic patients with culture positive (SBP) and culture negative neutrocytic ascites.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed 675 consecutive hepatitis B and/or C related cirrhosis patients with ascites admitted in our hospital from November 2005 to December 2007. Of these, 187 patients had AFI; clinical and laboratory parameters of these patients including causes of cirrhosis, Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP) score were recorded.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Out of 187 patients with AFI, 44 (23.5%) had SBP while 143 (76.4%) had CNNA. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was the most common cause of cirrhosis in 139 (74.3%) patients. Patients with SBP had high CTP score as compared to CNNA (12.52 ± 1.45 vs. 11.44 ± 1.66); p < 0.001. Platelets count was low in patients with SBP (101 ± 53 × 10⁹/L) as compared to CNNA (132 ± 91 × 10⁹/L), p = 0.005. We found a high creatinine (mg/dl) (1.95 ± 1.0 vs. 1.44 ± 0.85), (p = 0.003) and high prothrombin time (PT) in seconds (24.8 ± 6.6 vs. 22.4 ± 7.2) (p = 0.04) in SBP as compared to CNNA. More patients with SBP (14/44; 31.8%) had blood culture positivity as compare to CNNA (14/143; 9.8%), p = 0.002. Escherichia. Coli was the commonest organism in blood culture in 15/28 (53.5%) patients. SBP group had a higher mortality (11/44; 25%) as compared to CNNA (12/143; 8.4%), p = 0.003. On multiple logistic regression analysis, creatinine >1.1 mg/dl and positive blood culture were the independent predictors of mortality in patients with SBP.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Patients with SBP have a higher mortality than CNNA. Independent predictors of mortality in SBP are raised serum creatinine and a positive blood culture.</p

Healthcare workers' attitudes towards working during pandemic influenza: A multi method study

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) will be key players in any response to pandemic influenza, and will be in the front line of exposure to infection. Responding effectively to a pandemic relies on the majority of medical, nursing, laboratory and hotel services staff continuing to work normally. Planning assumes that during a pandemic normal healthcare service levels will be provided, although it anticipates that as caseloads increase only essential care will be provided. The ability of the NHS to provide expected service levels is entirely dependent upon HCWs continuing to work as normal. Methods/design: This study is designed as a two-phase multi-method study, incorporating focus groups and a questionnaire survey. In phase one, qualitative methods will be used to collect the views of a purposive sample of HCWs, to determine the range of factors associated with their responses to the prospect of working through pandemic influenza. In phase two, the findings from the focus groups, combined with the available literature, will be used to inform the design of a survey to determine the generalisability of these factors, enabling the estimation of the likely proportion of HCWs affected by each factor, and how likely it is that they would be willing and/or able to continue to work during an influenza pandemic. Discussion: There are potentially greater than normal health risks for some healthcare workers working during a pandemic, and these workers may be concerned about infecting family members/ friends. HCWs will be as liable as other workers to care for sick family members and friends. It is vital to have information about how motivated HCWs will be to continue to work during such a crisis, and what factors might influence their decision to work/not to work. Through the identification and subsequent management of these factors it may be possible to implement strategies that will alleviate the concerns and fears of HCWs and remove potential barriers to working