Patent Strategies and R&D in Complex Product Industries

The study aims at providing a framework conceptualizing patenting activities under the condition of intellectual property rights fragmentation. Such a framework has to deal with the interrelated problems of technological complexity in the modern patent landscape. In that respect, ex-post licensing agreements have been incorporated into the analysis. More precisely, by consolidating the right to use patents required for commercialization of a product, private market solutions, such as cross-licensing agreements and patent pools help firms to overcome problems triggered by the intellectual property rights fragmentation. Thereby, private bargaining between parties as such cannot be isolated from the legal framework. A result of this analysis is that policies ignoring market solutions and only focusing on static gains can mitigate the dynamic efficiency gains as induced by the patent system. The evidence found in this thesis supports the opinion that legal reforms that aim to decrease the degree of patent protection or to lift it all together can hamper the functioning of the current system.

Separation control by means of oriented DBD plasma actuators: an experimental analysis in a wind tunnel

This thesis provides an experimental analysis of the effectiveness of oriented DBD plasma actuators over a NACA 0015 airfoil at low Reynolds numbers. Tests were performed in partnership with the Department of Electrical Engineering of Bologna University, in the wind tunnel of the Applied Aerodynamics Laboratory of Aerospace Engineering faculty. Lift coefficient measurements were carried out in order to verify how an oriented plasma jet succeeds in prevent boundary layer separation. Both actuators’ chord wise position and plasma jet orientation angle have been investigated to examine which configurations lead to the best results. A particular attention has been paid also to the analysis of results in steady and unsteady plasma actuation. Questa tesi offre un’analisi sperimentale sull’efficacia di attuatori al plasma orientabili, basati su una tecnologia DBD, installati su un profilo alare NACA 0015, a bassi numeri di Reynolds. Le prove sono state condotte in collaborazione con il Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica dell’Università di Bologna, nella galleria del vento del Laboratorio di Aerodinamica Applicata della Facoltà di Ingegneria Aerospaziale di Forlì. Per verificare come un getto orientabile di plasma riesca a prevenire la separazione dello strato limite, sono state eseguite misure sul coefficiente di portanza. Sono state indagate sia la posizione degli attuatori lungo la corda che l’angolo con cui è orientato il getto di plasma, per vedere quali configurazioni conducono ai migliori risultati. Una particolare attenzione è stata riservata all’analisi dei risultati ottenuti con plasma continuo e pulsato.

Aspects of poriferan (Suberites domuncula) apoptosis and innate immune system and evolutionary implications

Survivin, a unique member of the family of inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) proteins, orchestrates intracellular pathways during cell division and apoptosis. Its central regulatory function in vertebrate molecular pathways as mitotic regulator and inhibitor of apoptotic cell death has major implications for tumor cell proliferation and viability, and has inspired several approaches that target survivin for cancer therapy. Analyses in early-branching Metazoa so far propose an exclusive role of survivin as a chromosomal passenger protein, whereas only later during evolution the second, complementary antiapoptotic function might have arisen, concurrent with increased organismal complexity. To lift the veil on the ancestral function(s) of this key regulatory molecule, a survivin homologue of the phylogenetically oldest extant metazoan taxon (phylum Porifera) was identified and functionally characterized. SURVL of the demosponge Suberites domuncula shares significant similarities with its metazoan homologues, ranging from conserved exon/intron structures to the presence of localization signal and protein-interaction domains, characteristic of IAP proteins. Whereas sponge tissue displayed a very low steady-state level, SURVL expression was significantly up-regulated in rapidly proliferating primmorph cells. In addition, challenge of sponge tissue and primmorphs with cadmium and the lipopeptide Pam3Cys-Ser-(Lys)4 stimulated SURVL expression, concurrent with the expression of newly discovered poriferan caspases (CASL and CASL2). Complementary functional analyses in transfected HEK-293 revealed that heterologous expression of poriferan survivin in human cells not only promotes cell proliferation but also augments resistance to cadmium-induced cell death. Taken together, these results demonstrate both a deep evolutionary conserved and fundamental dual role of survivin, and an equally conserved central position of this key regulatory molecule in interconnected pathways of cell cycle and apoptosis. Additionally, SDCASL, SDCASL2, and SDTILRc (TIR-LRR containing protein) may represent new components of the innate defense sentinel in sponges. SDCASL and SDCASL2 are two new caspase-homolog proteins with a singular structure. In addition to their CASc domains, SDCASL and SDCASL2 feature a small prodomain NH2-terminal (effector caspases) and a remarkably long COOH-terminal domain containing one or several functional double stranded RNA binding domains (dsrm). This new caspase prototype can characterize a caspase specialization coupling pathogen sensing and apoptosis, and could represent a very efficient defense mechanism. SDTILRc encompasses also a unique combination of domains: several leucine rich repeats (LRR) and a Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain. This unusual domain association may correspond to a new family of intracellular sensing protein, forming a subclass of pattern recognition receptors (PRR).

Knots and links in lens spaces

The aim of this dissertation is to improve the knowledge of knots and links in lens spaces. If the lens space L(p,q) is defined as a 3-ball with suitable boundary identifications, then a link in L(p,q) can be represented by a disk diagram, i.e. a regular projection of the link on a disk. In this contest, we obtain a complete finite set of Reidemeister-type moves establishing equivalence, up to ambient isotopy. Moreover, the connections of this new diagram with both grid and band diagrams for links in lens spaces are shown. A Wirtinger-type presentation for the group of the link and a diagrammatic method giving the first homology group are described. A class of twisted Alexander polynomials for links in lens spaces is computed, showing its correlation with Reidemeister torsion. One of the most important geometric invariants of links in lens spaces is the lift in 3-sphere of a link L in L(p,q), that is the counterimage of L under the universal covering of L(p,q). Starting from the disk diagram of the link, we obtain a diagram of the lift in the 3-sphere. Using this construction it is possible to find different knots and links in L(p,q) having equivalent lifts, hence we cannot distinguish different links in lens spaces only from their lift. The two final chapters investigate whether several existing invariants for links in lens spaces are essential, i.e. whether they may assume different values on links with equivalent lift. Namely, we consider the fundamental quandle, the group of the link, the twisted Alexander polynomials, the Kauffman Bracket Skein Module and an HOMFLY-PT-type invariant.

Riabilitazione del mascellare posteriore atrofico mediante impianti corti (6-8 mm) o rialzo di seno con contestuale inserimento di impianti di lunghezza standard: studio retrospettivo con follow up a 3 anni

Background: sebbene la letteratura recente abbia suggerito che l’utilizzo degli impianti corti possa rappresentare una alternative preferibile alle procedure di rigenerazione ossea nelle aree posteriori atrofiche, perché è un trattamento più semplice e con meno complicazioni, esistono solo pochi studi a medio e lungo termine che abbiano comparato queste tecniche. Scopo: lo scopo di questo studio retrospettivo è quello di valutare se gli impianti corti (6-8 mm) (gruppo impianti corti) possano presentare percentuali di sopravvivenza e valori di riassorbimento osseo marginali simili a impianti di dimensioni standard (≥11 mm) inseriti contemporaneamente ad una grande rialzo di seno mascellare. Materiali e Metodi: in totale, 101 pazienti sono stati inclusi: 48 nel gruppo impianti corti e 53 nel gruppo seno. In ciascun paziente da 1 a 3 impianti sono stati inseriti e tenuti sommersi per 4-6 mesi. I parametri clinici e radiografici valutati sono: i fallimenti implantari, le complicazioni, lo stato dei tessuti molli, e il riassorbimento osseo marginale. Tutti i pazienti sono stati seguiti per almeno 3 anni dal posizionamento implantare. Risultati: il periodo di osservazione medio è stato di 43.47 ± 6.1 mesi per il gruppo impianti corti e 47.03 ± 7.46 mesi per il gruppo seno. Due su 101 impianti corti e 6 su 108 impianti standard sono falliti. Al follow-up finale, si è riscontrato un riassorbimento osseo medio di 0.47 ± 0.48 mm nel gruppo impianti corti versus 0.64 ± 0.58 mm nel gruppo seno. Non sono presenti differenze statisticamente significative fra i gruppi in termini di fallimenti implantari, complicazioni protesiche, tessuti molli, e riassorbimento osseo. Il gruppo seno ha presentato, invece, un maggior numero di complicazioni chirurgiche. Conclusioni: entrambe le tecniche hanno dimostrato un simile tasso di successo clinico e radiografico, ma gli impianti corti hanno ridotto il numero di complicazioni chirurgiche.

Sperimentazione di tecniche SBR nel trattamento "on site delle acque domestiche" per nuclei isolati e case sparse.

Scopo di questo lavoro di tesi è quello di sperimentare “sul campo’’ la validità e l'efficacia di tecniche SBR per il trattamento delle acque domestiche per case sparse e nuclei isolati. Tuttavia quella SBR, pur essendo una tecnica impiantistica, può soddisfare queste esigenze. Grazie alla presenza di un adeguato volume d'accumulo ed al funzionamento ciclico dell'impianto sono annullati tutti i problemi determinati, nei normali impianti in continuo, dalla discontinuità dell'afflusso di reflui (picchi di portata). L'impianto è studiato per ridurre la necessità di manutenzione al minimo: tutte le apparecchiature tecniche sono collocate in un armadio esterno all'impianto ed in vasca ci sono solo le tubazioni. Ciò esclude ogni presenza interna al serbatoio di apparecchiature elettriche e di parti in movimento soggette a usura. Il vantaggio è evidente nella semplificazione delle operazioni di gestione/controllo/manutenzione dell’impianto che non richiedono, di norma, lo svuotamento della cisterna e consentono operazioni più agevoli e sicure.Tutti i movimenti di processo sono supportati da tre sistemi Air Lift azionati da un unico compressore che provvede anche all'immissione dell'ossigeno attraverso l'aeratore tubolare a membrana nella vasca SBR. Il compressore si caratterizza per lunga vita operativa e assoluta silenziosità di funzionamento. Per verificare l’efficacia del processo depurativo indotto dall’impianto SBR installato dalla GreenSolar abbiamo fatto dei prelievi sul liquame in entrata alla camera SBR e su quello in uscita da essa. I campioni così prelevati sono stati analizzati da un laboratorio autorizzato.I valori limite imposti dal DGR n. 1053 sono ampiamente rispettati, tuttavia i risultati ottenuti non sono soddisfacenti relativamente alle potenzialità dell'impianto.

Design and Prototyping High Endurance Multi-Rotor

The topic of this thesis fo cus on the preliminary design and the p erformance analysis of a multirotor platform. A multirotor is an electrically p owered Vertical Take Off (VTOL) machine with more than two rotors that lift and control the platform. Multirotor are agile, compact and robust, making them ideally suited for b oth indo or and outdo or application especially to carry-on several sensors like electro optical multisp ectral sensor or gas sensor. The main disadvantage is the limited endurance due to heavy Li-Po batteries and high disk loading through the use of different small prop ellers. At the same time, the design of the multirotor do es not follow any engineering principle but it follow the ideas of amateurs’ builder. An adaptation of the classic airplane design theory for the preliminary design is implemented to fill the gap and detailed study of the endurance is p erformed to define the right way to make this kind of VTOL platforms.

Sciatic neuropathy after body contouring surgery in massive weight loss patients

To date, obesity affects a substantial population in industrialised countries. Due to the increased awareness of obesity-related morbidity, efficient dietary regimens and the recent successes with bariatric surgery, there is now a high demand for body contouring surgery to correct skin abundancies after massive weight loss. The known risks for this type of surgery are mainly wound-healing complications, and, more rarely, thromboembolic or respiratory complications. We present two female patients (23 and 39 years of age) who, in spite of standard positioning and precautions, developed sciatic neuropathy after combined body contouring procedures, including abdominoplasty and inner thigh lift. Complete functional loss of the sciatic nerve was found by clinical and electroneurographic examination on the left side in patient one and bilaterally in patient two. Full nerve conductance recovery was obtained after 6 months in both patients. Although the occurrence of spontaneous neuropathies after heavy weight loss is well documented, this is the first report describing the appearance of such a phenomenon following body contouring surgery. One theoretical explanation may be the compression of the nerve during the semirecumbent positioning combined with hip flexion and abduction, which was required for abdominal closure and simultaneous access to the inner thighs. We advise to avoid this positioning and to include the risk of sciatic neuropathy in the routine preoperative information of patients scheduled for body contouring surgery after heavy weight loss.

Influence of rhBMP-2 on bone formation and osseointegration in different implant systems after sinus-floor elevation. An in vivo study on sheep

Several studies have reported certain bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) to have positive effects on bone generation. Although some investigators have studied the effects of human recombinant BMP (rhBMP-2) in sinus augmentation in sheep, none of these studies looked at the placement of implants at the time of sinus augmentation. Furthermore, no literature could be found to report on the impact that different implant systems, as well as the positioning of the implants had on bone formation if rhBMP-2 was utilized in sinus-lift procedures.

Ligament balancing in TKA: Evaluation of a force-sensing device and the influence of patellar eversion and ligament release

Ligament balancing in total knee arthroplasty may have an important influence on joint stability and prosthesis lifetime. In order to provide quantitative information and assistance during ligament balancing, a device that intraoperatively measures knee joint forces and moments was developed. Its performance and surgical advantages were evaluated on six cadaver specimens mounted on a knee joint loading apparatus allowing unconstrained knee motion as well as compression and varus-valgus loading. Four different experiments were performed on each specimen. (1) Knee joints were axially loaded. Comparison between applied and measured compressive forces demonstrated the accuracy and reliability of in situ measurements (1.8N). (2) Assessment of knee stability based on condyle contact forces or varus-valgus moments were compared to the current surgical method (difference of varus-valgus loads causing condyle lift-off). The force-based approach was equivalent to the surgical method while the moment-based, which is considered optimal, showed a tendency of lateral imbalance. (3) To estimate the importance of keeping the patella in its anatomical position during imbalance assessment, the effect of patellar eversion on the mediolateral distribution of tibiofemoral contact forces was measured. One fourth of the contact force induced by the patellar load was shifted to the lateral compartment. (4) The effect of minor and major medial collateral ligament releases was biomechanically quantified. On average, the medial contact force was reduced by 20% and 46%, respectively. Large variation among specimens reflected the difficulty of ligament release and the need for intraoperative force monitoring. This series of experiments thus demonstrated the device's potential to improve ligament balancing and survivorship of total knee arthroplasty.

Lesser tuberosity osteotomy for total shoulder arthroplasty. Surgical technique

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested that tenotomy and repair of the subscapularis tendon carried out for anterior approaches to the shoulder can be followed by failure of the tendon repair and by changes resulting in permanent loss of subscapularis function. We hypothesized that release of the subscapularis with use of a superficial osteotomy of the lesser tuberosity followed by repair of the two opposing bone surfaces would lead to consistent bone-to-bone healing, which would be possible to monitor radiographically, and would lead to satisfactory clinical and structural outcomes. METHODS: Thirty-nine shoulders in thirty-six consecutive patients who, at an average age of fifty-seven years, had undergone total shoulder replacement through an anterior approach involving an osteotomy of the lesser tuberosity were evaluated at an average of thirty-nine months. Assessment included a standardized interview and physical examination, scoring according to the system described by Constant and Murley, and imaging with conventional radiography and computed tomography to assess healing of the osteotomy site and changes in the subscapularis. RESULTS: The osteotomized tuberosity fragment healed in an anatomical position in all shoulders, and no cuff tendon ruptures were observed. At the time of follow-up, thirty-three (89%) of thirty-seven shoulders evaluated with a belly-press test had a negative result and twenty-seven (75%) of thirty-six shoulders evaluated with a lift-off test had an unequivocally normal result. Fatty infiltration of the subscapularis muscle increased after the operation (p < 0.0001) and was at least stage two in eleven (32%) of thirty-four shoulders. The fatty infiltration had progressed by one stage in eight (24%) of the thirty-four shoulders, by two stages in five shoulders (15%), and by three stages in two shoulders (6%). CONCLUSIONS: Osteotomy of the lesser tuberosity provides an easy anterior approach for total shoulder replacement and is followed by consistent bone-to-bone healing, which can be monitored, and good subscapularis function. In the presence of documented anatomical healing of the osteotomy site, postoperative fatty infiltration of the subscapularis muscle remains unexplained and needs to be investigated further as it is associated with a poorer clinical outcome.

Dynamic modeling, simulation and control design of a parafoil-payload system for ship launched aerial delivery system (SLADS)

The objective of this research was to develop a high-fidelity dynamic model of a parafoilpayload system with respect to its application for the Ship Launched Aerial Delivery System (SLADS). SLADS is a concept in which cargo can be transfered from ship to shore using a parafoil-payload system. It is accomplished in two phases: An initial towing phase when the glider follows the towing vessel in a passive lift mode and an autonomous gliding phase when the system is guided to the desired point. While many previous researchers have analyzed the parafoil-payload system when it is released from another airborne vehicle, limited work has been done in the area of towing up the system from ground or sea. One of the main contributions of this research was the development of a nonlinear dynamic model of a towed parafoil-payload system. After performing an extensive literature review of the existing methods of modeling a parafoil-payload system, a five degree-of-freedom model was developed. The inertial and geometric properties of the system were investigated to predict accurate results in the simulation environment. Since extensive research has been done in determining the aerodynamic characteristics of a paraglider, an existing aerodynamic model was chosen to incorporate the effects of air flow around the flexible paraglider wing. During the towing phase, it is essential that the parafoil-payload system follow the line of the towing vessel path to prevent an unstable flight condition called ‘lockout’. A detailed study of the causes of lockout, its mathematical representation and the flight conditions and the parameters related to lockout, constitute another contribution of this work. A linearized model of the parafoil-payload system was developed and used to analyze the stability of the system about equilibrium conditions. The relationship between the control surface inputs and the stability was investigated. In addition to stability of flight, one more important objective of SLADS is to tow up the parafoil-payload system as fast as possible. The tension in the tow cable is directly proportional to the rate of ascent of the parafoil-payload system. Lockout instability is more favorable when tow tensions are large. Thus there is a tradeoff between susceptibility to lockout and rapid deployment. Control strategies were also developed for optimal tow up and to maintain stability in the event of disturbances.

Sustainability study of nanomaterials including societal and occupational implications

In recent years there has been a tremendous amount of research in the area of nanotechnology. History tells us that the commercialization of technologies will always be accompanied by both positive and negative effects for society and the environment. Products containing nanomaterials are already available in the market, and yet there is still not much information regarding the potential negative effects that these products may cause. The work presented in this dissertation describes a holistic approach to address different dimensions of nanotechnology sustainability. Life cycle analysis (LCA) was used to study the potential usage of polyethylene filled with nanomaterials to manufacture automobile body panels. Results showed that the nanocomposite does not provide an environmental benefit over traditional steel panels. A new methodology based on design of experiments (DOE) techniques, coupled with LCA, was implemented to investigate the impact of inventory uncertainties. Results showed that data variability does not have a significant effect on the prediction of the environmental impacts. Material profiles for input materials did have a highly significant effect on the overall impact. Energy consumption and material characterization were identified as two mainstreams where additional research is needed in order to predict the overall impact of nanomaterials more effectively. A study was undertaken to gain insights into the behavior of small particles in contact with a surface exposed to air flow to determine particle lift-off from the surface. A mapping strategy was implemented that allows for the identification of conditions for particle liftoff based on particle size and separation distance from the wall. Main results showed that particles smaller than 0:1mm will not become airborne under shear flow unless the separation distance is greater than 15 nm. Results may be used to minimize exposure to airborne materials. Societal implications that may occur in the workplace were researched. This research task explored different topics including health, ethics, and worker perception with the aim of identifying the base knowledge available in the literature. Recommendations are given for different scenarios to describe how workers and employers could minimize the unwanted effects of nanotechnology production.

Effects of Enhanced Oil Recovery on Production Engineers, Elm Coulee Field, Bakken Reservoir, Richland County, Montana

This presentation describes research at Montana Tech to improve oil recovery rates in the Elm Coulee Oil Field in the Bakken Reservoir, Richmond County, Montana. The slides display current recovery rate predictions, enhanced oil recovery methods, reservoir model building and history matching strategies. Recommended development strategies include implementing hydrocarbon gas injection operations to improve current oil recovery rates by more than 75%. The impact of increased production on Production Engineers is also described. The Principal Investigators include John Evans, Leo Heath, David Reichhardt and Burt Todd in the Petroleum Engineering Department.

The effectiveness and safety of proton radiation therapy for indications of the eye : a systematic review

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: : Proton radiation has been used for the treatment of uveal melanoma since 1975, but few studies have been conducted to assess its efficacy and safety. This paper aims to systematically review the effects and side effects of proton therapy for any indication of the eye. MATERIAL AND METHODS: : A range of databases were searched from inception to 2007. All studies that included at least ten patients and that assessed the efficacy or safety of proton therapy for any indication of the eye were included. RESULTS: : The search generated 2,385 references, of which 37 met the inclusion criteria. Five controlled trials, two comparative studies and 30 case series were found, most often reporting on uveal melanoma, choroidal melanoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methodological quality of these studies was poor. Studies were characterized by large differences in radiation techniques applied within the studies, and by variation in patient characteristics within and between studies. Results for uveal melanoma and choroidal melanoma suggest favorable survival, with, however, significant rates of side effects. Results for choroidal hemangioma and AMD did not reveal beneficial effects from proton radiation. CONCLUSION: : There is limited evidence on the effectiveness and safety of proton radiation due to the lack of well-designed and well-reported studies. There is a need to lift evidence on proton therapy to a higher level by performing dose-finding randomized controlled trials (RCTs), comparative studies of proton radiation versus standard given alternatives and prospective case studies enrolling only patients treated with up-to-date techniques, allowing extrapolation of results to similar patient groups.