Unintended Consequences: State Merger Statutes and Nonassignable Licenses

The confused state of most state corporate merger statutes allows many intellectual property licenses to find their way into unintended hands by way of corporate merger, in spite of non-assignment clauses. Clearly a detriment to licensors, corporate licensees too should be wary of depending upon the merger statute; a court ruling may not go their way. The states must clean up their collective act and bring some much needed certainty to a highly unpredictable intersection of corporate and intellectual property law

Computational study of a complex three-dimensional shock boundary-layer interaction

Shock boundary–layer interactions occur in many high-speed aerodynamic flows and they can have a notable impact on design considerations due to the aerodynamic and heat transfer effects. Consequently there is a notable interest in understanding the ability of computational tools to calculate the complex flow fields that can arise in a range of engineering applications. Three-dimensional complex shock boundary layer interaction studies are expensive in both time and computational resources. Although recent studies have begun to focus on the use of more complex computational methods such as large eddy simulations, the aim of this research is to assess the ability of steady Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes turbulence models to simulate the interaction of a planar shock impinging on a cylindrical body under supersonic conditions and to determine if these models have a role to play in engineering design applications. The performance of both eddy viscosity and Reynolds stress models are evaluated relative to an established experimental test case. The impact of Reynolds number and impinging shock strength are also considered. Of the eddy viscosity models it was shown that the Spalart-Allmaras model is unsuitable for this complex interaction and that the k- and Reynolds stress methods both gave notably better agreement with the measured surface static pressures. Overall it was considered that the Reynolds stress method was the best model as it also provided better agreement with the measured surface flow topology. It was concluded that, although a steady Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes approach has known limitations for this type of complex interaction, within an engineering context it can also provide useful results when applied appropriately

The Effect of Unions on Productivity in the Public Sector: The Case of Municipal Libraries

[Excerpt] This paper represents our initial efforts at analyzing the effects of unions on productivity in the public sector. We first sketch an analytical framework that can be used to estimate these effects, focusing for expository purposes on municipal public libraries. We initially focus on libraries because considerable effort has been devoted to conceptualizing productivity measures for them and because of the availability of data to implement the framework. After discussing the analytical framework, we present preliminary estimtes of the effects of unions on productivity in public libraries based upon analyses of data from 71 municipal libraries in Massachusetts. We conclude by indicating how these analyses will be extended and the direction that we hope our future research will take

Hamilton-Jacobi Theory and Moving Frames

The interplay between the Hamilton-Jacobi theory of orthogonal separation of variables and the theory of group actions is investigated based on concrete examples.Comment: This is a contribution to the Vadim Kuznetsov Memorial Issue on Integrable Systems and Related Topics, published in SIGMA (Symmetry, Integrability and Geometry: Methods and Applications) at http://www.emis.de/journals/SIGMA

Re-exploration of vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap for vaginal reconstruction: Case report and review of the literature.

The vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous (VRAM) flap is a versatile and well-established reconstructive technique for many defects created as a result of colorectal and gynecologic extirpation. However, major re-operation in the pelvis following a VRAM flap reconstruction several months later is uncommon, and the safety and integrity of the VRAM flap in this setting has not been described. This case examines VRAM flap preservation during repeat exploratory laparotomy, and a unique view of the VRAM flap during interval exploration. We demonstrate an intact flap after lysis of adhesions with an audible Doppler signal, and maintenance of flap integrity in the postoperative period. This further substantiates its use as a durable rotational flap for perineal tissue defects