Law, Brands, and Innovation: How Trademark Law Helps to Create Fashion Innovation, 17 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 492 (2018)

This Article explores the role of trademark law in the fashion industry. For years, the fashion industry has drawn legal scholars’ attention for its maintenance of creative endeavors within a legal environment that offers limited protection against design copying. Some influential legal studies argued that copying paradoxically helps the fashion industry as unregulated copying stimulates the creation of new designs. Yet, this Article observes that the driver for new design creation is already built into the contemporary fashion industry. The question should rather be directed at who creates fashion and how the role of the law, if any, aids the subject and mechanism of making fashion. This Article illuminates on the significant role that established fashion houses (so-called luxury companies or high-end designers) play in making fashion. This Article also suggests that these fashion houses require brands to make fashion. On this ground, this Article then demonstrates the capacity of trademark law to protect established fashion houses’ brands. The Article begins in Part One with an observation of the contemporary fashion industry and elaborating on the social mechanism of making fashion. It argues that the creation of design does not simply make fashion until it is adopted by majority of people. This Article uses the term “fashion innovation” to refer to adopted designs, distinguished from the created designs that some legal scholars called “innovation.” What trademark law helps is “fashion innovation,” that is, the law helps the adoption of new designs created by established fashion houses. An adoption is a communication process that engages the brand, which, I show, works as a semantic mechanism of making fashion innovation. Part Two and Three unfolds how trademark operates to protect brands of established fashion houses throughout case law analysis. Part Two examines the capacity of trademark law in governing iconic designs associated with established brands, which, under copyright law, would receive limited legal protection. Part Three identifies the capacity of trademark law to govern consumer associations with established brands. After all, it is the interplay among trademark law, brands, and innovation that supports the thriving fashion industry

Metabolic determination of decursinol using human liver microsome

Purpose: To determine new metabolites of the main components of Angelica gigas known to give anti-inflammation and pain relief Methods: Decursinol and blank sample were metabolized in human liver microsomes. The metabolized samples were centrifuged and deproteinated by adding 3 mL acetonitrile. The acetonitrile layer was concentrated and reconstituted in methanol. Finally, the prepared sample was injected into the LC-Q- TOF-MS. Results: Four new metabolites of decursinol with m/z ranging from 263.0912 ~ 263.0920 were identified as hydroxylated forms of decursinol, and the hydroxylated position of each metabolite was characterized using TOF mass spectrum. Their error values of detected m/z were 0.38 ~ 2.29 ppm, which indicates high accuracy of analysis. Conclusion: Previously unreported decursinol metabolites have been identified in this study. The findings provide athe basis for further pharmaceutical studies and functional food development using decursinol

Law, Brands, and Innovation: How Trademark Law Helps to Create Fashion Innovation

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2017-06My dissertation explores the role of trademark law in the fashion industry. For years, the fashion industry has drawn legal scholars’ attention for its maintenance of creative endeavors within a legal environment that offers limited protection against design copying. Some influential legal studies argued that copying paradoxically helps the fashion industry as unregulated copying stimulates the creation of new designs. Yet, I observe that the driver for new design creation is already built into the contemporary fashion industry. The question should rather be directed at who creates fashion and how, to discover the role of law, if any, in aiding the subject and mechanism of making fashion. I illuminate the significant role that established fashion houses (so-called luxury companies or high-end designers) play in making fashion. I also suggest that these fashion houses require brands to make fashion. On this ground, I then demonstrate the capacity of trademark law to protect established fashion houses’ brands. The dissertation begins in Part One with an observation of the contemporary fashion industry and elaborating on the social mechanism of making fashion. I argue that the creation of design does not simply make fashion until it is adopted by majority of people. I use the term “fashion innovation” to refer to adopted designs, distinguished from the created designs that some legal scholars called “innovation.” What trademark law helps is “fashion innovation,” that is, the law helps the adoption of new designs created by established fashion houses. An adoption is a communication process that engages the brand, a semantic mechanism of making fashion innovation. Brands are a sum of associations made in relation with other signs. Part Two and Three unfolds how trademark operates to protect brands of established fashion houses throughout case law analysis. Part Two examines the capacity of trademark law in governing iconic designs associated with established brands, which, under copyright law, would receive limited legal protection. Part Three identifies the capacity of trademark law to govern consumer associations with established brands. After all, it is the interplay among trademark law, brands, and innovation that supports the thriving fashion industry

Multi-Subject Image Retrieval by Fusing Object and Scene-Level Feature Embeddings

Most existing image retrieval methods separately retrieve single images, such as a scene, content, or object, from a single database. However, for general purposes, target databases for image retrieval can include multiple subjects because it is not easy to predict which subject is entered. In this paper, we propose that image retrieval can be performed in practical applications by combining multiple databases. To deal with multi-subject image retrieval (MSIR), image embedding is generated through the fusion of scene- and object-level features, which are based on Detection Transformer (DETR) and a random patch generator with a deep-learning network, respectively. To utilize these feature vectors for image retrieval, two bags-of-visual-words (BoVWs) were used as feature embeddings because they are simply integrated with preservation of the characteristics of both features. A fusion strategy between the two BoVWs was proposed in three stages. Experiments were conducted to compare the proposed method with previous methods on conventional single-subject datasets and multi-subject datasets. The results validated that the proposed fused feature embeddings are effective for MSIR

Multi-Subject Image Retrieval by Fusing Object and Scene-Level Feature Embeddings

Most existing image retrieval methods separately retrieve single images, such as a scene, content, or object, from a single database. However, for general purposes, target databases for image retrieval can include multiple subjects because it is not easy to predict which subject is entered. In this paper, we propose that image retrieval can be performed in practical applications by combining multiple databases. To deal with multi-subject image retrieval (MSIR), image embedding is generated through the fusion of scene- and object-level features, which are based on Detection Transformer (DETR) and a random patch generator with a deep-learning network, respectively. To utilize these feature vectors for image retrieval, two bags-of-visual-words (BoVWs) were used as feature embeddings because they are simply integrated with preservation of the characteristics of both features. A fusion strategy between the two BoVWs was proposed in three stages. Experiments were conducted to compare the proposed method with previous methods on conventional single-subject datasets and multi-subject datasets. The results validated that the proposed fused feature embeddings are effective for MSIR

Fluidized-Bed Granulation of Probiotics-Encapsulated Spray-Dried Skim Milk Powder: Effects of a Fluidizing Aid, Moisture-Activation and Dehydration

A probiotic powder of poor flowability with high dust content, prepared by spray drying reconstituted skim milk fermented with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), was granulated by fluidized-bed granulation (FBG). The effects of the addition of skim milk powder (SMP) as a fluidizing aid, and of simple moisture-activation with or without dehydration, were investigated with respect to the performance of the FBG process. A fine, poorly fluidizable LGG powder (Geldart Group C) could be fluidized and granulated, with a 4- to 5-fold increase in particle size (d4,3 = 96–141 μm), by mixing with SMP (30–50%), which has larger, fluidizable particles belonging to Geldart Group A. Moisture-activation after the mixing, followed by fluidized-bed dehydration with hot air to remove excess moisture, further improved the FBG; the yield of the granules increased from 42% to 61% and the particle size distribution became much narrower, although the average particle size remained almost the same (d4,3 = 142 μm). These granules showed a popcorn-type structure in scanning electron microscopy images and encapsulated a sufficient level of viable LGG cells (1.6 × 108 CFU g−1). These granules also exhibited much better flowability and dispersibility than the spray-dried LGG powder

Study on chemotaxis and chemokinesis of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in hydrogel-based 3D microfluidic devices

Abstract Background Controlling the fate of mesenchymal stems cells (MSCs) including proliferation, migration and differentiation has recently been studied by many researchers in the tissue engineering field. Especially, recruitment of stem cells to injury sites is the first and crucial step in tissue regeneration. Although significant progress has been made in the chemotactic migration of MSCs, MSC migration in three dimensional environments remains largely unknown. We developed a 3D hydrogel-based microfluidic-device to study the migration behavior of human MSCs in the presence of stromal-cell derived factor-1α (SDF-1α), interleukin 8 (IL-8) and Substance P (SP) which have been utilized as chemoattractant candidates of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Results We systematically investigated the chemotactic migration behaviors of hMSCs and their responses to SDF-1α, IL-8, and SP. SDF-1α was shown to be the most fascinating chemoattractant candidate among those factors at a certain time point. We also found that each chemokine showed different chemoattractant abilities according to their concentration. In the case of SP, this factor showed chemokinesis not chemotaxis. Especially at a 7–8 × 10−8 M concentration range, the chemokinesis ability driven by SP was further increased. The data suggest that some factors at the optimal concentration exhibit chemokinesis or chemotaxis in a 3D hydrogel-based microfluidic device. Conclusion In this study on chemotaxis and chemokinesis of hMSCs, the system parameters such as chemokine concentration, system stability, and 2D or 3D microenvironment are critically important to obtain meaningful results

Nanostructured Phthalocyanine Assemblies with Protein-Driven Switchable Photoactivities for Biophotonic Imaging and Therapy

Switchable phototheranostic nanomaterials are of particular interest for specific biosensing, high-quality imaging, and targeted therapy in the field of precision nanomedicine. Here, we develop a "one-for-all" nanomaterial that self-assembles from flexible and versatile phthalocyanine building blocks. The nanostructured phthalocyanine assemblies (NanoPcTBs) display intrinsically unique photothermal and photoacoustic properties. Fluorescence and reactive oxygen species generation can be triggered depending on a targeted, protein-induced, partial disassembly mechanism, which creates opportunities for low-background fluorescence imaging and activatable photodynamic therapy. In vitro evaluations indicate that NanoPcTB has a high selectivity for biotin receptor-positive cancer cells (e.g, A549) compared to biotin receptor-negative cells (e.g., WI38-VA13) and permits a combined photodynamic and photothermal therapeutic effect. Following systemic administration, the NanoPcTBs accumulate in A549 tumors of xenograft-bearing mice, and laser irradiation clearly Induces the inhibition of tumor growth.1144sciescopu

A Far-Red-Emitting Fluorescence Probe for Sensitive and Selective Detection of Peroxynitrite in Live Cells and Tissues

In this study, the far-red-emitting fluorescence probe <b>1</b>, containing a rhodamine derivative and a hydrazide reactive group, was developed for peroxynitrite detection and imaging. This probe, which is cell permeable and shows high sensitivity and selectivity in fluorometric detection of peroxynitrite over other ROS/RNS, was successfully utilized to detect exogenous and endogenous peroxynitrite in HeLa and RAW 264.7 cells, respectively. More importantly, <b>1</b> can also be used to detect endogenous peroxynitrite generated in <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (PAO1)-infected mouse bone marrow-derived neutrophils. We anticipate that the new probe will serve as a powerful molecular imaging tool in investigations of the role(s) played by peroxynitrite in a variety of physiological and pathological contexts

Nanostructured Phthalocyanine Assemblies with Protein-Driven Switchable Photoactivities for Biophotonic Imaging and Therapy

Switchable phototheranostic nanomaterials are of particular interest for specific biosensing, high-quality imaging, and targeted therapy in the field of precision nanomedicine. Here, we develop a “one-for-all” nanomaterial that self-assembles from flexible and versatile phthalocyanine building blocks. The nanostructured phthalocyanine assemblies (NanoPcTBs) display intrinsically unique photothermal and photoacoustic properties. Fluorescence and reactive oxygen species generation can be triggered depending on a targeted, protein-induced, partial disassembly mechanism, which creates opportunities for low-background fluorescence imaging and activatable photodynamic therapy. <i>In vitro</i> evaluations indicate that NanoPcTB has a high selectivity for biotin receptor-positive cancer cells (e.g., A549) compared to biotin receptor-negative cells (e.g., WI38-VA13) and permits a combined photodynamic and photothermal therapeutic effect. Following systemic administration, the NanoPcTBs accumulate in A549 tumors of xenograft-bearing mice, and laser irradiation clearly induces the inhibition of tumor growth