Can intellectual property rights impact directly on productivity: a case study in manufacturing industries

According to the institutional economics thesis the role of IPRs is one of the relevant determinants of economic growth in long run. Measures of IPRs have been limited and empirical studies have not been able to evaluate their impacts on productivity growth. The major conclusion that the author can be drawn from his estimations is that the extent to which patent rights and trademarks, ceteris paribus, positively correlated with output per capita depends on the intensity of technology.

The effects of government disability benefits, accessibility laws and rehabilitation on employment choices by individuals with spinal cord injuries

Greater inclusion of individuals with disabilities into mainstream society is an important goal for society. One of the best ways to include individuals is to actively promote and encourage their participation in the labor force. Of all disabilities, it is feasible to assume that individual with spinal cord injuries can be among the most easily mainstreamed into the labor force. However, less that fifty percent of individuals with spinal cord injuries work. ^ This study focuses on how disability benefit programs, such as Social Security Disability Insurance, and Worker's Compensation, the Americans with Disabilities Act and rehabilitation programs affect employment decisions. The questions were modeled using utility theory with an augmented expenditure function and indifference theory. Statically, Probit, Logit, predicted probability, and linear regressions were used to analyze these questions. Statistical analysis was done on the probability of working, ever attempting to work after injury, and on the number of years after injury that work was first attempted and the number of hours worked per week. The data utilized were from the National Spinal Cord Injury Database and the Spinal Cord Injuries and Labor Database. The Spinal Cord Injuries and Labor Database was created specifically for this study by the author. Receiving disability benefits decreased the probability of working, of ever attempting to work, increased the number of years after injury before the first work attempt was made, and decreased the number of hours worked per week for those individuals working. These results were all statistically significant. The Americans with Disabilities Act decrease the number of years before an individual made a work attempt. The decrease is statistically significant. The amount of rehabilitation had a significant positive effect for male individuals with low paraplegia, and significant negative effect for individuals with high tetraplegia. For women, there were significant negative effects for high tetraplegia and high paraplegia. ^ This study finds that the financial disincentives of receiving benefits are the major determinants of whether an individual with a spinal cord injury returns to the labor force. Policies are recommended that would decrease the disincentive. ^

The effects of intellectual property rights on knowledge spillovers and innovation: An empirical investigation

FDI is believed to be a conduit of new technologies between countries. The first chapter of this dissertation studies the advantages of outward FDI for the home country of multinationals conducting research and development abroad. We use patent citations as a proxy for technology spillovers and we bring empirical evidence that supports the hypothesis that a U.S. subsidiary conducting research and development overseas facilitates the flow of knowledge between its host and home countries.^ The second chapter examines the impact of intellectual property rights (IPR) reforms on the technology flows between the U.S. and host countries of U.S. affiliates. We again use patent citations to examine whether the diffusion of new technology between the host countries and the U.S. is accelerated by the reforms. Our results suggest that the reforms favor innovative efforts of domestic firms in the reforming countries rather than U.S. affiliates efforts. In other words, reforms mediate the technology flows from the U.S. to the reforming countries.^ The third chapter deals with another form of IPR, open source (OS) licenses. These differ in the conditions under which licensors and OS contributors are allowed to modify and redistribute the source code. We measure OS project quality by the speed with which programming bugs are fixed and test whether the license chosen by project leaders influences bug resolution rates. In initial regressions, we find a strong correlation between the hazard of bug resolution and the use of highly restrictive licenses. However, license choices are likely to be endogenous. We instrument license choice using (i) the human language in which contributors operate and (ii) the license choice of the project leaders for a previous project. We then find weak evidence that restrictive licenses adversely affect project success.^

Corporate Responsibility on a "Grand" Scale: MGM's Employment Outreach Program

The world's largest hotel, casino, and theme park has demonstrated that corporate responsibility to the community and corporate self-interest need not be mutually exclusive. MGM's human resource department established an employment outreach program that hired 1,462 economically disadvantaged persons from the community. This effort was a "win-win" situation for the both the community and the corporation and the hotel received a significant wage credit from the Job Training Partnership Act.

The effects of government disability benefits, accessibility laws and rehabilitation on employment choices by individuals with spinal cord injuries

Greater inclusion of individuals with disabilities into mainstream society is an important goal for society. One of the best ways to include individuals is to actively promote and encourage their participation in the labor force. Of all disabilities, it is feasible to assume that individual with spinal cord injuries can be among the most easily mainstreamed into the labor force. However, less that fifty percent of individuals with spinal cord injuries work. This study focuses on how disability benefit programs, such as Social Security Disability Insurance, and Worker's Compensation, the Americans with Disabilities Act and rehabilitation programs affect employment decisions. The questions were modeled using utility theory with an augmented expenditure function and indifference theory. Statically, Probit, Logit, predicted probability, and linear regressions were used to analyze these questions. Statistical analysis was done on the probability of working, ever attempting to work after injury, and on the number of years after injury that work was first attempted and the number of hours worked per week. The data utilized were from the National Spinal Cord Injury Database and the Spinal Cord Injuries and Labor Database. The Spinal Cord Injuries and Labor Database was created specifically for this study by the author. Receiving disability benefits decreased the probability of working, of ever attempting to work, increased the number of years after injury before the first work attempt was made, and decreased the number of hours worked per week for those individuals working. These results were all statistically significant. The Americans with Disabilities Act decrease the number of years before an individual made a work attempt. The decrease is statistically significant. The amount of rehabilitation had a significant positive effect for male individuals with low paraplegia, and significant negative effect for individuals with high tetraplegia. For women, there were significant negative effects for high tetraplegia and high paraplegia. This study finds that the financial disincentives of receiving benefits are the major determinants of whether an individual with a spinal cord injury returns to the labor force. Policies are recommended that would decrease the disincentive.

Promoting oral health in adults with learning disability

Introduction: It is complex to define learning disabilities, there is no single universal definition used; there are different interpretations and definitions used for learning disabilities in different countries and communities. Primarily, the term “learning disability” sometimes used as “learning difficulties” is a term widely used in UK. There are various types and degree of severity of learning disabilities depending upon the extent of disorder. Though different definitions used all over the world, its types and classification coupled with their health and oral health needs are discussed in this review. Objectives:  To review the background literature on definitions of learning disabilities and health needs of this population.  To review literature on individual clinical preventive intervention to determine the effectiveness in promoting oral health amongst adults in learning disabilities.  To review literature in relation to community based preventive dental measures.  To determine the interventions in this areas are appropriate to support policy and practice and if these interventions establish good evidence to suggest that the oral health needs of adults with learning disabilities are met or not.  To make recommendations in implementing future preventive oral health interventions for adults with learning disabilities. Methodology: It was develop a comprehensive narrative synthesis of previously published literature from different sources and summarizes the whole research in a particular area identifying gap of knowledge. It provides a broad perspective of a subject and supports continuing education. It also is directed to inform policy and further research. It is a qualitative type of research with a broad question and critical analysis of literature published in books, article and journals. The research question evaluated on PICOS criteria is: Effectiveness of preventive dental interventions in adults with learning disabilities. The research question clearly defines the PICOS i.e. participants, interventions, comparison, outcome and study design. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (CDSR), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of effects (DARE) through York University and National institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) was searched to identify need of this review. There was no literature review found on the preventive dental interventions found hence, justifying this review. The guidance used in this review is from York University and methods opted for search of literature is based on the following: Type of participants, interventions, outcome measure, studies and search. The review of literature; author search; systematic and narrative reviews, through the following electronic databases via UFP library services: Pub-Med, Medline, EMBASE, CINHAL, Google scholar; Science Direct; Social and Medicine. A comprehensive search of all available literature from 1990-2015, including systematic reviews, policy documents and some guideline documents was done. Internet resource used to access; Department of Health, World Health Organization, Disability World, Disability Rights Commission, the Stationery office, MENCAP, Australian Learning Disability Association. The literature search was carried out with single word, combined words and phrases, authors' names and the title of literature search. Results: It is primarily looking at the oral health interventions available for adults with learning disabilities in clinical settings and the community measures observed over a period of 25 years 1990-2015. There were 7of the clinical intervention studies and one community based intervention study was added in this review. Conclusion: There is a gap of knowledge identified in not having ample research in the area of preventive dental interventions in adults with learning or intellectual disabilities and there is a need of more research, studies need to be of a better quality and a special consideration is required in the community settings where maintenance of oral hygiene for this vulnerable group of society is hugely dependent on their caregivers. Though, the policy and guideline directs on the preventive dental interventions of adults with LD there still a gap evident in understanding and implication of the guidance in practice by the dental and care support team. Understanding learning disabilities and to identify their behavior, compliance and oral health needs is paramount for all professionals working with or for them at each level.

Perspetiva dos empregadores face à integração socioprofissional de pessoas com dificuldades intelectuais e de desenvolvimento

O presente estudo pretende analisar a perspetiva dos empregadores face à integração socioprofissional de pessoas com Dificuldades Intelectuais e de Desenvolvimento (DID). Considerando as políticas que consagram direitos e igualdade de oportunidades, pretende-se analisar a integração social ou exclusão existente aquando da contratação laboral de uma pessoa com deficiência e/ou incapacidade. Foi aplicada uma entrevista semiestruturada a 13 empregadores, dos quais sete já têm no seu quadro empresarial pessoas com DID e seis que nunca integraram esta população nas suas organizações. As entrevistas foram analisadas a partir da metodologia de análise. Os resultados revelaram que os empregadores que integram população com DID manifestam uma abertura à empregabilidade de indivíduos com DID, numa lógica de igualdade de oportunidades face ao emprego. No entanto, o vínculo laboral às entidades empregadoras continua a ser precário (e.g. estágios e medidas de apoio à contratação). Os resultados também sugerem as características individuais da pessoa com DID um importante determinante da sua contratação. No que respeita os empregadores que nunca integraram pessoas com DID os resultados revelaram que estes participantes estão muito pouco informados acerca da problemática da deficiência, principalmente de indivíduos com DID. Os resultados voltam a sugerir que o ajustamento entre características pessoais e posto de trabalho são decisivas para a integração de pessoas com DID no mercado de trabalho. O conjunto dos resultados é discutido considerando as limitações da presente investigação bem como suas implicações para a investigação e a prática; The employers perspective concerning social and professional integration of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disability Abstract: The present study aims to analyze the employers perspective concerning social and professional integration of people with “Intellectual and Developmental Disability” (IDD). Considering that policies establish equal rights and opportunities, we intend to analyze the social integration or social exclusion that occurs when hiring a disabled person. We conducted a semi-structured interview to 13 employers, seven of which have already have people with IDD in their business environment and the other six had never had people with IDD in their organizations. The interviews were analyzed using analysis methodology. The results showed that employers who integrate people with IDD are more open to the employability of these individuals, pursuing employment gender equality. However the employment contract for employers remain precarious (eg, internships and employment support measures). The results also suggest that the individual’s characteristics are an important determinant for hiring the person with IDD. Employers who have never integrated individuals with IDD lack awareness about disability issues. As suggested by the results, the adjustment between personal characteristics and the workstation is crucial for the integration of people with IDD in the labor market. This particular set of results is discussed considering the limitations of this research and its implications for future research and practice.

ABLE-BODIED WOMANHOOD: DISABILITY AND CORPOREALLY EXCLUSIONARY NARRATIVES IN BLACK AND WHITE WOMEN’S RIGHTS DISCOURSES, 1832-1932

This project is a feminist disability rhetorical analysis of US black and white women’s rights movements from 1832-1932. Guided by Disability and Feminist Theory, it works to identify the presence and use of patterns of disability tropes in women’s rights discourses. From Lucretia Coffin Mott to Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Mary Church Terrell, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman to Addie Hunton, this project interrogates the rhetorical work of dominant narratives and lesser known voices in women’s rights discourses. I argue that early black and white women’s rights advocates often utilized and repeated a disability rhetoric that relied on disability metaphor, narrative prosthesis, and corporeally exclusionary narratives in order to construct definitions of womanhood. Their insistence on cognitive ability as a marker of “fitness” and “ability” provided the foundation for rights arguments based on ableist assumptions of autonomy and citizenship. I also argue that this use of disability rhetoric relied on and furthered a pervasive ableist ideology present not only in many of these movements, but in US society. In the process, US black and white women’s rights discourses have continually elided women with disabilities from women’s rights discourses because their bodies (physically, cognitively, and/or psychologically) did not meet the ableist prerequisites set for claiming women’s rights during this time period.

Tthe right to effective judicial protection and disability: the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities

On 13 December 2006, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It is the first comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century. The Convention is intended as a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development dimension. It adopts a broad categorization of persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Precisely, the Convention marks a 'paradigm shift' in attitudes and approaches to persons with disabilities The Convention contains two articles directly connected with judicial effective protection, one more than the other, but on the other hand, one cannot be understood without the other. Both articles are Article 12 –Equal recognition before the law- and Article 13 –access to justice- As a scholar in Procedural Law, my contribution to the International Scientific Congress on Private Law of the Philippines and Spain aims to enshrine the relevant importance of the both provisions that guarantee effective judicial protection for persons with disabilities in order to analyze, subsequently, the implementation of them in Spanish legislation