Digital Commons Network^™

Patent Applications And The Performance Of The U.S. Patent And Trademark Office, Christopher A. Cotropia

Law Faculty Publications

This Article reports data and analyses to facilitate answering these questions. The reported data was obtained from two sources. The first is the Workload Tables from the USPTO annual reports, called the "USPTO Performance and Accountability Reports," provided to the President, Congress, and public.' The second is data received from the USPTO in response to Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") requests.3 From these two data sources, information such as the number of applications filed per year, the type of applications being filed and prosecuted, the pendency of these applications, and their disposition, including the number of them issued as patents, …

Goodyear And Hertz: Reconciling Two Recent Supreme Court Decisions, Lindsey D. Blanchard

McGeorge School of Law Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

Catalog 2013-2014, University Of North Florida

UNF Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Constitutional Convergence And Customary International Law, Rebecca Crootof

Law Faculty Publications

In Getting to Rights: Treaty Ratification, Constitutional Convergence, and Human Rights Practice, Zachary Elkins, Tom Ginsburg, and Beth Simmons study the effects of post-World War II human rights texts on domestic constitutions, with a particular focus on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). After analyzing 680 constitutional systems compiled by the Comparative Constitutions Project to create a list of seventy-four constitutionally protected rights, the authors evaluate whether countries incorporate internationally codified human rights into their domestic constitutions, whether ratification of international agreements affects the probability of rights incorporation, and whether …

The Incidence And Aetiology Of Hospitalised Community-Acquired Pneumonia Among Vietnamese Adults: A Prospective Surveillance In Central Vietnam, Kensuke Takahashi, Motoi Suzuki, Le Minh, Nguyen Anh, Luu Thi Huong, Tran Vo Son, Phan Long, Nguyen Thi Ai, Le Tho, Konosuke Morimoto, Paul E. Kilgore, Dang Anh, Koya Ariyoshi, Lay Yoshida

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) including Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common infectious disease that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The patterns of aetiological pathogens differ by region and country. Special attention must be paid to CAP in Southeast Asia (SEA), a region facing rapid demographic transition. Estimates burden and aetiological patterns of CAP are essential for the clinical and public health management. The purposes of the study are to determine the incidence, aetiological pathogens, clinical pictures and risk factors of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the Vietnamese adult population.

Methods

A prospective surveillance for hospitalised adult …

Formulation Devlopment Of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles As An Injectable Delivery System, Amit S. Wani

Wayne State University Dissertations

Our long term goal is to develop a versatile and robust injectable carrier based on Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSN) for drug/drug combination therapies. The objective of my dissertation was to optimize surface functionality, particle shape and methods of colloidal stabilization of mesoporous silica by PEG for delivery of drug/drug combinations. This was achieved by pursuing the following three aims:

1. Optimize surface functionality of MSN for high drug loading and controlled release

2. Investigate the effect of particle shape and PEGylation on drug delivery in hypoxic tumor cells

3. Develop MSN capable of delivering drug/drug combinations

To investigate the effect …

Initiation And Continuation Of Randomized Trials After The Publication Of A Trial Stopped Early For Benefit Asking The Same Study Question: Stopit-3 Study Design, Gabriela J. Prutsky, Juan Domecq, Patricia J. Erwin, Matthias Briel, Victor M. Montori, Elie A. Akl, Joerg J. Meerpohl, Dirk Bassler, Stefan Schandelmaier, Stephen D. Walter, Qi Zhou, Pablo Coello, Lorenzo Moja, Martin Walter, Kristian Thorlund, Paul Glasziou, Regina Kunz, Ignacio Ferreira-Gonzalez, Jason Busse, Xin Sun, Annette Kristiansen, Benjamin Kasenda, Osama Qasim-Agha, Gennaro Pagano, Hector Pardo-Hernandez, Gerard Urrutia, Mohammad Murad, Gordon Guyatt

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Randomized control trials (RCTs) stopped early for benefit (truncated RCTs) are increasingly common and, on average, overestimate the relative magnitude of benefit by approximately 30%. Investigators stop trials early when they consider it is no longer ethical to enroll patients in a control group. The goal of this systematic review is to determine how investigators of ongoing or planned RCTs respond to the publication of a truncated RCT addressing a similar question.

Methods/design

We will conduct systematic reviews to update the searches of 210 truncated RCTs to identify similar trials ongoing at the time of publication, or started …

Intronic Non-Cg Dna Hydroxymethylation And Alternative Mrna Splicing In Honey Bees, Pablo Cingolani, Xiaoyi Cao, Radhika S. Khetani, Chieh-Chun Chen, Melissa Coon, Alya'a Sammak, Aliccia Bollig-Fischer, Susan Land, Yun Huang, Matthew E. Hudson, Mark D. Garfinkel, Sheng Zhong, Gene E. Robinson, Douglas M. Ruden

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Previous whole-genome shotgun bisulfite sequencing experiments showed that DNA cytosine methylation in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) is almost exclusively at CG dinucleotides in exons. However, the most commonly used method, bisulfite sequencing, cannot distinguish 5-methylcytosine from 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, an oxidized form of 5-methylcytosine that is catalyzed by the TET family of dioxygenases. Furthermore, some analysis software programs under-represent non-CG DNA methylation and hydryoxymethylation for a variety of reasons. Therefore, we used an unbiased analysis of bisulfite sequencing data combined with molecular and bioinformatics approaches to distinguish 5-methylcytosine from 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. By doing this, we have performed the first whole …

Quantitative Measures Of Estrogen Receptor Expression In Relation To Breast Cancer-Specific Mortality Risk Among White Women And Black Women, Huiyan Ma, Yani Lu, Polly A. Marchbanks, Suzanne G. Folger, Brian L. Strom, Jill A. Mcdonald, Michael S. Simon, Linda K. Weiss, Kathleen E. Malone, Ronald T. Burkman, Jane Sullivan-Halley, Dennis M. Deapen, Michael F. Press, Leslie Bernstein

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Introduction

The association of breast cancer patients’ mortality with estrogen receptor (ER) status (ER + versus ER-) has been well studied. However, little attention has been paid to the relationship between the quantitative measures of ER expression and mortality.

Methods

We evaluated the association between semi-quantitative, immunohistochemical staining of ER in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast carcinomas and breast cancer-specific mortality risk in an observational cohort of invasive breast cancer in 681 white women and 523 black women ages 35-64 years at first diagnosis of invasive breast cancer, who were followed for a median of 10 years. The quantitative measures of …

A Novel Community-Based Study To Address Disparities In Hypertension And Colorectal Cancer: A Study Protocol For A Randomized Control Trial, Joseph Ravenell, Hayley Thompson, Helen Cole, Jordan Plumhoff, Gia Cobb, Lola Afolabi, Carla Boutin-Foster, Martin Wells, Marian Scott, Gbenga Ogedegbe

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Black men have the greatest burden of premature death and disability from hypertension (HTN) in the United States, and the highest incidence and mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC). While several clinical trials have reported beneficial effects of lifestyle changes on blood pressure (BP) reduction, and improved CRC screening with patient navigation (PN), the effectiveness of these approaches in community-based settings remains understudied, particularly among Black men.

Methods/design

MISTER B is a two-parallel-arm randomized controlled trial that will compare the effect of a motivational interviewing tailored lifestyle intervention (MINT) versus a culturally targeted PN intervention on improvement of BP …

Reviewer Acknowledgement 2013, Thomas Liehr, Henry Heng, Yuri Yurov

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Contributing reviewers

The editors of Molecular Cytogenetics would like to thank all our reviewers who have contributed to the journal in volume 5 (2012).

Residential Proximity To Industrial Combustion Facilities And Risk Of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Case–Control Study, Anjoeka Pronk, John R. Nuckols, Anneclaire J. De Roos, Matthew Airola, Joanne S. Colt, James R. Cerhan, Lindsay Morton, Wendy Cozen, Richard Severson, Aaron Blair, David Cleverly, Mary H. Ward

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Residence near municipal solid waste incinerators, a major historical source of dioxin emissions, has been associated with increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in European studies. The aim of our study was to evaluate residence near industrial combustion facilities and estimates of dioxin emissions in relation to NHL risk in the United States.

Methods

We conducted a population-based case–control study of NHL (1998–2000) in four National Cancer Institute-Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results centers (Detroit, Iowa, Los Angeles, Seattle). Residential histories 15 years before diagnosis (similar date for controls) were linked to an Environmental Protection Agency database of dioxin-emitting …

Functional Characterization Of The Cholera Toxin Promoter Of Vibrio Cholerae, Jennifer Dittmer

Wayne State University Dissertations

Vibrio cholerae is the bacterium responsible for the severe diarrheal disease cholera. The disease is directly caused by cholera toxin, which is secreted by the bacterium in the upper small intestinal lumen during the course of infection. Expression of cholera toxin, along with other virulence genes, is activated by the positive transcriptional regulator, ToxT. ToxT binds to DNA sequences known as toxboxes that are found within promoters of virulence genes and subsequently ToxT activates transcription. However, the toxboxes have not been previously characterized in arguably the most important virulence promoter in V. cholerae, the cholera toxin promoter (PctxAB). …

The Bca2 And Ampk Paradigm: Unraveling The Cancer Connection, Daniela (Buac) Ventro

Wayne State University Dissertations

THE BCA2 & AMPK PARADIGM: UNRAVELING THE CANCER CONNECTION

By

DANIELA (BUAC) VENTRO

December 2013

Advisor: Dr. Q Ping Dou and Angelika M. Burger (deceased)

Major: Cancer Biology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK), a master regulator of cellular energy homeostasis, has emerged as a promising molecular target in the prevention of breast cancer, and phase II and III clinical trials using the FDA-approved, AMPK activating, anti-diabetic drug metformin are promising in this regard, but the question of why metformin is protective for some women but not others still remains. Breast Cancer Associated Gene 2 (BCA2/Rabring7/RNF115), a novel …

Biochemical, Structural, And Drug Design Studies Of Multi-Drug Resistant Hiv-1 Therapeutic Targets, Tamaria Grace Dewdney

Wayne State University Dissertations

Protein point mutations acquired as a mechanism of survival against therapeutics cause structural changes that effect protein function and inhibitor binding. This work investigates the structural mechanisms that lead to multi-drug resistance to HIV-1 protease and integrase inhibitors.

Proper proteolytic processing of the HIV-1 Gag/Pol polyprotein is required for HIV infection and viral replication. This feature has made HIV-1 protease an attractive target for antiretroviral drug design for the treatment of HIV-1 infected patients, thus the development of drug resistance has arisen as a major therapeutic and drug design challenge. To understand the molecular mechanisms leading to drug resistance we …

Critical Information Literacy And The Technology Of Control: The Case Of Armenia, John Carey, D. Aram Donabedian

Publications and Research

As direct providers of information literacy, librarians can help patrons analyze the social and economic forces involved in the creation and use of information. This chapter will discuss why critical information literacy and critical pedagogy are especially important in the Armenian context, with its unique historical, cultural, and geopolitical concerns. The authors will document how the Armenian government has used cutting-edge Internet controls to block online content or misdirect users. We will also examine how Armenians perceive the independence of their available media and explore current efforts by telecom, publishing, and governmental concerns to restrict Internet freedom. The authors suggest …

Further Reflections On Extinguishing The Fountainhead Of Knowledge: A Call To Transition To The "Innovation Policy" Narrative In Patent Law, Simone Rose

SMU Law Review

Economists are unable to provide a clear answer to how effective the patent system is in encouraging innovation. At best, they point to certain sectors, such as pharmaceutical and biotechnology, which benefit from a robust patent scheme. Conversely, sectors such as software and, ironically at the same time, biotechnology may be harmed by an overly broad patent scheme. The question emerges: Why do the various stakeholders in all industrial sectors, Congress, the Patent and Trademark Office ("PTO"), and the courts (in particular, the Federal Circuit) continue to center the development of patent law around the "innovation presumption" despite the lack …

Symposium: The Law And Policy Of Hydraulic Fracturing: Addressing The Issues Of The Natural Gas Boom - Introduction, Jonathan E. Entin

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Four Questions About Fracking, Thomas W. Merrill

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Hydrofracking: State Preemption, Local Power, And Cooperative Governance, John R. Nolon, Steven E. Gavin

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Shale Oil And Gas State Regulatory Issues And Trends, Christopher S. Kulander

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Gifted Commitment: Gifted Education's Unrecognized Relevance In "Thorough And Efficient" Public Schools, Patrick Haney

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Meat-Wise Eating Habits, J. Haycock, K. Anderson, Roslynn Brain

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Whether from a cow, pig, bird, fish, or other domestic or game animal, meat is universally enjoyed as part of the cultural culinary experience. It is also an excellent source of protein, which is important for a healthy body. Many people who eat meat, however, are not aware of the impact their consumption has on the environment. This guide provides a set of quick facts and action tools to make wiser choices concerning meat consumption.

Designing Your Home For Maximum Natural Lighting, P. Bytheway, Roslynn Brain

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

There are many benefits to having more natural light in your home. The most obvious of these are the savings you can achieve with a reduced utility bill. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (2012), about 10% of household electricity usage comes from lighting. The more natural light you have in your house, the less lights you have to turn on, and the less electricity you use. Another benefit, also related to energy use, is natural light can help heat homes. One of the best reasons to design your home for natural light involves the health benefits gained through …

Biking As An Alternative Mode Of Transportation, Roslynn Brain, Jared Stapp

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

With this fact sheet, you can overcome common barriers keeping you from becoming your own mode of transportation, and bettering your life because of it. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “creating new infrastructure and altering existing infrastructure to accommodate bicycling and walking has become a goal for several metropolitan planning organizations across the United States” (McKenzie & Rapino, 2011). Now is a great time to take advantage of this shifting focus away from vehicle commuting and delve into a healthier and cheaper mode of transportation: Cycling.

Uintah Basin Revisited - 2012-2013 Bioregional Planning Studio Project, Richard E. Toth, Matthew Coombs, C Michael Gottfredson, Tyler Allen

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Since the Uintah Basin Research Conference in 2007, residents of the area have witnessed a consistent level of land-use development throughout the region. Portions of that growth and development have precipitated the need to develop a landscape-level plan in order to maintain the context of their region and community identity in the coming years. The purpose of this study is to research and develop a process that identifies current and future land-use issues throughout the Uintah Basin. The identification of these issues by various stakeholders will help to provide a framework for future policy decisions.

Continuity Of Cancer Care: Where Do Primary Care Practitioners Fit In?, M Jiwa, A Mcmanus, A Dadich

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Cancer is the leading cause of illness in Australia and is a national health priority. Primary care in Australia is well positioned to support individuals diagnosed with cancer and their family/caretakers. However, obstacles exist that impact on the quality and continuity of care that primary care providers and community health professionals can provide. A rapid review of the research available revealed that the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs held by health professionals and patients can impact engagement in early detection, treatment and follow-up care. Health professionals have limited knowledge of evidence-based practices, while cancer literacy among minority groups, including Aboriginal Australians, …

Contributions Of Ocular Surface Components To Matrix-Metalloproteinases (Mmp)-2 And Mmp-9 In Feline Tears Following Corneal Epithelial Wounding, A Petznick, M Madigan, Q Garrett, D Sweeney, M Evans

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Purpose: This study investigated ocular surface components that contribute to matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 found in tears following corneal epithelial wounding.

Methods: Laboratory short-haired cats underwent corneal epithelial debridement in one randomly chosen eye (n = 18). Eyeflush tears were collected at baseline and during various healing stages. Procedural control eyes (identical experimental protocol as wounded eyes except for wounding, n = 5) served as controls for tear analysis. MMP activity was analyzed in tears using gelatin zymography. MMP staining patterns were evaluated in ocular tissues using immunohistochemistry and used to determine MMP expression sites responsible for tear-derived MMPs.

Results: …

Efficacy Of Osmoprotectants On Prevention And Treatment Of Murine Dry Eye, W Chen, X Zhang, J Li, Y Wang, Q Chen, C Hou, Q Garrett

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of osmoprotectants on prevention and treatment of dry eye in a murine model.

Methods: Dry eye was induced in mice by using an intelligently controlled environmental system (ICES). Osmoprotectants betaine, L-carnitine, erythritol, or vehicle (PBS) were topically administered to eyes four times daily following two schedules: schedule 1 (modeling prevention): dosing started at the beginning of housing in ICES and lasted for 21 or 35 days; schedule 2 (modeling treatment): dosing started after ICES-housed mice developed dry eye (day 21), continuing until day 35. Treatment efficacy was evaluated for corneal fluorescein staining; corneal epithelial apoptosis …

Decrease In Hyperosmotic Stress-Induced Corneal Epithelial Cell Apoptosis By L-Carnitine, N Khandekar, M Willcox, S Shih, P Simmons, J Vehige, Q Garrett

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Purpose: To characterize the osmoprotective properties of L-carnitine on human corneal epithelial cell volume and apoptosis during hyperosmotic stress.

Methods: Human corneal limbal epithelial (HCLE) cells were exposed to culture medium at 300 mOsm (isotonic) or 500 mOsm (hyperosmotic) with or without L-carnitine (10 mM). Induction of apoptosis was detected by quantifying the proteolytic activity of caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3/7 using caspase activity assays, the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and annexin V/propidium iodide staining of HCLE cells evaluated with confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Cell volume changes in response to hyperosmotic stress were analyzed …