The primary theme of the thesis is "paternity determination", an interesting part of private law. The goal of the thesis was to find juridical legislation that could be applied by legal institutions in the Czech Republic, and have been neither legally controlled nor properly spoken through. Also the thesis deals with surrogate motherhood institutes, same-sex parenthood, baby hatches and paternity determination of children, made by assisted reproduction. The thesis is divided into five chapters, which are divided further into sub-chapters. Following the introduction, the primary terms of parental difficulties, paternity determination and the term family are explored. The second chapter discusses motherhood institutes. It speaks primarily of surrogate motherhood's challenges, including other countries' attitude to this topic. The following chapter is about fatherhood determination, containing the juridical legislative analysis of the problem in the Czech law. The fourth chapter expands on the issues of same sex couple parenthood, and the forms of family coexistence. These issues are described in great detail from both the view of Czech law, and also as a global issue. The last chapter discusses the issues of baby hatches, and legislation regarding anonymity for those who utilize them in the Czech...

Chapter 1: Patents and Entry Competition in the Pharmaceutical Industry: The Role of Marketing Exclusivity Effective patent length for innovation drugs is severely curtailed because of extensive efficacy and safety tests required for FDA approval, raising concern over adequacy of incentives for new drug development. The Hatch-Waxman Act extends patent length for new drugs by five years, but also promotes generic entry by simplifying approval procedures and granting 180-day marketing exclusivity to a first generic entrant before the patent expires. In this paper we present a dynamic model to examine the effect of marketing exclusivity. We find that marketing exclusivity may be redundant and its removal may increase generic firms' profits and social welfare. Chapter 2: Why Authorized Generics?: Theoretical and Empirical Investigations Facing generic competition, the brand-name companies some-times launch generic versions themselves called authorized generics. This practice is puzzling. If it is cannibalization, it cannot be profitable. If it is divisionalization, it should be practiced always instead of sometimes. I explain this phenomenon in terms of switching costs in a model in which the incumbent first develops a customer base to ready itself against generic competition later. I show that only sufficiently low switching costs or large market size justifies launch of AGs. I then use prescription drug data to test those results and find support. Chapter 3: The Merger Paradox and R&D Oligopoly theory says that merger is unprofitable, unless a majority of firms in industry merge. Here, we introduce R&D opportunities to resolve this so-called merger paradox. We have three results. First, when there is one R&D firm, that firm can profitably merge with any number of non-R&D firms. Second, with multiple R&D firms and multiple non-R&D firms, all R&D firms can profitably merge. Third, with two R&D firms and two non-R&D firms, each R&D firms prefer to merge with a non-R&D firm. With three or more than non-R&D firms, however, the R&D firms prefer to merge with each other.

The study objectives of this thesis were to evaluate the effects of delayed feeding and specific aspects of the Programmed Nutrition (PN) feeding strategy (Alltech, Inc.) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and skeletal characteristics of commercial broiler chicks through market age, as well as investigate the effects of breed and the PN feeding strategy on early growth and development. When commercial broiler chicks were fed reduced nutrient diets, delayed feeding decreased early growth performance and carcass yield (P<0.05), whereas post-hatch PN conditioning for 72 hours improved early growth performance and alleviated the negative effects of delayed feeding on carcass yield (P<0.05). Through market age, delayed feeding improved Gain: Feed (P<0.05), while PN had the opposite effect. Interactive effects and main effects of delayed feeding and PN were observed for tissue mineral concentration (P<0.05). PN lowered bone ash % (P<0.05) and increased meat oxidation of broiler chicks during storage (P<0.05). PN also had negative effects on early growth performance and bone breaking strength (P<0.05) of various meat-type breeds, but especially for non-commercial, moderate-growing or fast-growing breeds. In conclusion, PN may be suitable for commercial broiler chicks that experience delayed feeding and are fed reduced nutrient diets.

Šiame darbe nagrinėjamas linijų tipų, brūkšniavimų ir formų kūrimo priemonių tyrimas ir realizacija AutoCAD sistemai. Šiuo metu vartotojų netenkina siūlomos priemonės - redaguojant failus susiduriama su sintaksės taisyklėmis, joms išsiaiškinti reikalingas papildomas laikas ir įgūdžiai. Šiuo metu nėra programos ar AutoCAD papildymo, kuris apimtų tris dalykus - linijų tipus, brūkšniavimus ir formų kūrimą. Šio darbo tikslas yra išanalizuoti ir suprojektuoti linijų tipų, brūkšniavimų ir formų kūrimo priemones ir suprojektuoti ir sukurti šiuolaikinę linijų tipų, brūkšniavimų ir formų kūrimo priemonę. / Analysis and realization of tools for creating linetypes, hatch patterns and shapes for AutoCAD system are considered in this paper. AutoCAD users are not satisfied of the tools suggested by AutoCAD. The specific knowledge of creating files of linetypes, hatch patterns and shapes is required and there is not any application or add-in for AutoCAD for creating these objects in visual manner in one. Purpose of this paper is to design and create an application what would create linetypes, hatch patterns and shapes for AutoCAD system in visual manner.

This paper attempts to estimate the change in sales associated with pharmaceutical patent expiration. Using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and patent expiration information from historical Orange Book publications, I estimated monthly sales associated with choice pharmaceutical patents. I then used a fixed-effects model to estimate the average change in sales before and after initial patent expiration, controlling for patent extension factors. My findings support that pharmaceutical patent expiration results in a statistically significant drop in sales by 38% on average within this sample, and further, that patent extensions had a negligible effect on this relationship. The question of patent expiration’s effect on sale is economically important for the sake of evaluating the efficacy of pharmaceutical patent law in protecting the interests of brand-name and generic drug manufacturers as well as paying consumers.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-10-16T10:47:22Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Poliana Carneiro Martins - 2017.pdf: 2303821 bytes, checksum: 3e74a5fc40c60b212e0c79f9270d5b43 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-10-16T10:47:41Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Poliana Carneiro Martins - 2017.pdf: 2303821 bytes, checksum: 3e74a5fc40c60b212e0c79f9270d5b43 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-16T10:47:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Poliana Carneiro Martins - 2017.pdf: 2303821 bytes, checksum: 3e74a5fc40c60b212e0c79f9270d5b43 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-26 / Two experiments were carried on to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on the diets of breeders and broilers, and the alterations caused by post-hatch fasting. In the first experiment, two commercial flocks of breeders aged 58 weeks old were used, and one of them was supplemented for 26 days with 0.025% CLA. At the end of the supplementation, a completely randomized design was applied, composed by two treatments (0 and 0.025% CLA), to evaluate the physical quality and composition of the eggs. Subsequently, 270 eggs per treatment were distributed in two hatcheries, in a randomized block design, determined according to the hatchery used. The incubation parameters were evaluated and the fatty acid profile of the feed, yolk and yolk sac were determined. After hatching, post-hatching diets (0 or 0.025% CLA) were provided for 12 hours, and 320 chicks were housed in a completely randomized design, in a 2x2 scheme (maternal CLA x post-hatching CLA), totalizing four treatments and eight replicates of 10 birds each. The organs relative weight, intestinal development and humoral and cellular immunity were evaluated in embryos, newly hatched chicks, 12 hours after hatching, and at seven days old, as the pre-starter performance. The inclusion of CLA in the diet was able to alter the physical and bromatological characteristics of the eggs and yolk sacs of the progeny from supplemented breeders, also changing the fatty acid profile, but without causing embryonic mortality. The intestine was also influenced by CLA, both macroscopically and histologically. The CLA offered to the breeders influenced the intestinal development of the chicks from the embryonic phase and continued to exert effect after hatching, associated with the progeny supplementation. Breeder supplementation led to a better pre-starter performance of the progeny. In the second experiment, 320 male and female chicks were distributed in a completely randomized design, in a 2x2 factorial scheme, considering post-hatch fasting (access to water for 12 hours; access to water and food for 12 hours) and post-hatch diet (0; 0.025% CLA). The birds were vaccinated at 15 days old against Newcastle disease virus. The metabolizability of diets from four to seven days old, intestinal and organs development, and cellular and humoral immunity were evaluated weekly up to 35 days old. Post-hatch fasting affected performance, and CLA was not able to minimize the negative effects of fasting. However, birds were able to recover up to 35 days old. Post-hatch fasting decreased the immune response of birds. In both assays, CLA generally positively influenced humoral and cellular immunity. Among the evaluated organs, the liver was the main one to have its relative weight altered due to the use of CLA. Supplementing only progeny did not provide as much benefit as compared to supplementation of the breeder or both. The obtained results demonstrate the inclusion level of 0.025% of CLA is safe for use in breeders and may bring benefits to their progeny. / Foram conduzidos dois experimentos para avaliar os efeitos da inclusão de ácido linoleico conjugado (CLA) na dieta de matrizes e frangos de corte, e as alterações causadas pelo jejum pós-eclosão. No primeiro experimento, foram acompanhados dois lotes de matrizes com 58 semanas de idade, sendo um suplementado 26 dias com 0,025% de CLA. Ao final da suplementação, adotou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado, composto por dois tratamentos (0 e 0,025% CLA), para avaliação da qualidade física e da composição dos ovos. Posteriormente, 270 ovos por tratamento foram distribuídos em duas incubadoras, aplicando-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados, determinados pela incubadora utilizada. Avaliaram-se os parâmetros de incubação e determinou-se o perfil de ácidos graxos da ração, gema e saco vitelínico. Após a eclosão, dietas pós-eclosão (0 ou 0,025% de CLA) foram fornecidas por 12 horas, e 320 pintos foram alojados em delineamento inteiramente casualizado e esquema 2x2 (CLA materno x CLA pós-eclosão), totalizando quatro tratamentos e oito repetições de 10 aves cada. Avaliou-se o peso relativo de órgãos, o desenvolvimento intestinal e a imunidade humoral e celular em embriões, neonatos, após 12 horas, e aos sete dias de idade, e o desempenho pré-inicial. A inclusão de CLA na dieta foi capaz de alterar características físicas e bromatológicas dos ovos e sacos vitelínicos da progênie de matrizes suplementadas, causando também alteração do perfil de ácidos graxos, porém sem provocar a morte dos embriões. O intestino também foi influenciado pelo CLA, tanto macroscopicamente, quanto a nível histológico. O CLA oferecido às matrizes influenciou o desenvolvimento intestinal dos pintos desde a fase embrionária e continuou a exercer efeito após a eclosão, aliado à suplementação conjunta da progênie. A suplementação da matriz garantiu melhor desempenho pré-inicial da progênie. No segundo experimento, 320 pintos machos e fêmeas foram distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 2x2, considerando os fatores jejum alimentar pós-eclosão (acesso à água por 12 horas; acesso à água e alimento por 12 horas) e a dieta pré-inicial (0; 0,025% de CLA). As aves foram vacinadas aos 15 dias de idade contra o vírus da doença de Newcastle. Avaliou-se a metabolizabilidade das dietas de quatro a sete dias de idade, e o desenvolvimento intestinal e dos órgãos, e a imunidade celular e humoral, semanalmente até os 35 dias de idade. O jejum pós-eclosão afetou o desempenho, e o CLA não foi capaz de minimizar os efeitos negativos do jejum. No entanto, as aves conseguiram se recuperar até os 35 dias de idade. O jejum pós-eclosão prejudicou a resposta imune das aves. Nos dois ensaios, de modo geral, o CLA influenciou positivamente a imunidade humoral e celular. Entre os órgãos avaliados, o fígado foi o principal a sofrer alterações em seu peso relativo em decorrência da utilização de CLA. A prática de suplementar apenas a progênie não trouxe tantos benefícios quando comparada à suplementação da matriz ou de ambos. Os resultados aqui obtidos demonstraram que o nível de inclusão de 0,025% de CLA é seguro para utilização em matrizes e pode trazer benefícios à progênie.

In 1979, a handful of Nevada state officials sparked a movement to transfer the large unappropriated domain to the western states. For two years what became known as the Sagebrush Rebellion swept across the American West like brushfire, engaging westerners of all stripes in a heated dispute over the question of the public lands. In Utah, as elsewhere in the West, public officials, rural ranchers, miners, developers, academics, environmentalists, and concerned citizens joined the debate and staked sides. This episode underscored western relationships between people and nature and featured contests over competing ideologies in the West. But it probably did more harm than good in solving the problems of the West and even further polarized westerners against themselves. After just two years in the limelight, the Sagebrush Rebellion unspectacularly faded into public memory, partly as a result of environmental opposition but mostly because Ronald Reagan's administration steered public land policy in a new direction. Interior Secretary James Watt took steps to appease disgruntled westerners by loosening federal regulations on the public lands, but he opposed any efforts for a large-scale transfer. Thus the Sagebrush Rebellion ultimately failed; but still today the sentiment and conflicts that propelled it persist, continuing to color the panorama that is the American West.

No description available.

<p>Metamorphic buffer (MB) layers were studied as a means to grow epilayers on top of a GaAs substrate which have different lattice constant than the GaAs. Growths were done by molecular beam epitaxy on a GaAs (001) substrate. The growths of step-graded InGaAs and InGaAsP MBs have been investigated using both linear and logarithmic grading profiles. The logarithmic grading profile shows slight improvement in the crystal quality over the linear grading profiles. This is an indication that instead of increasing the strain with the same grading rate, it may be helpful to have higher grading rate at the beginning and lower grading rate at the end of the buffer. InGaAsP graded buffers were grown where group III ratio was kept fixed. However due to the existence of phase separation and lower relaxation the quaternary growths exhibited no performance improvement as might have been expected from growths with only group V grading. Also, the effects of using an InGaP layer grown at low temperature before the MB were determined. Quantum wells (QW), which were grown on top of the MBs, were used to probe the optical emission properties. No significant difference was observed in photoluminescence between the samples with a low temperature layer and without a low temperature layer. Annealing enhanced the PL intensity but the crystal quality degraded due to the appearance of surface defects. Surface undulations, known as “cross-hatch” (CH), were observed in the top MB layers. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to analyze the surface morphology and degree of polarization (DOP) measurement was used to analyze the strain features in the final MB layer. Similar patterns of both surface morphology and strain field indicate a correlation between these two. From analysis of the periodicity of strain field and the CH, evidence was found in the support of one of the existing models of CH evolution which implies that the CH appears before the formation of MDs and subsequently MDs form at some troughs in the undulation.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Making gradient in the microstructure of metals is proven to be a superior method for improving their mechanical properties. In this research, we 3D print, characterize and evaluate the mechanical properties of 316L Stainless Steel with a gradient in their microstructure. During 3D printing, the gradient in the microstructure is created by tailoring the processing parameters (hatch spacing, scanning speed, and laser power and scanning speed) of the Selective Laser Melting (SLM). The Materials with Graded Microstructure (MGMs) are characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Image processing framework is utilized to reveal the distribution of cells and melt pools shapes and sizes in the volume of the material when the processing parameters change. It is shown that the laser power, scanning speed and the hatch spacing have a more significant effect on the size and shape of cells and melt pools compared to the speed. Multiple Dog bones are 3D printed with a microstructure that has smaller features (cells and melt polls) at the edges of the structure compared to the center. Tensile and fatigue tests are performed and compared for samples with constant and graded microstructures. / Master of Science / The mechanical performance of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) fabricated materials is an important topic in research. Strengthening the performance of these materials can be achieved through implementing a gradient within the microstructure, referred to as Materials with Graded Microstructure (MGMs). A complicated microstructure can weaken the microstructure, and this can be resolved by optimizing the microstructure during SLM 3D printing, in which the processing parameters are tailored. In this study, the mechanical properties of these MGMs were characterized and evaluated. The gradient in these materials were created by modifying SLM process parameters (scanning speed, hatch spacing, and laser power and scanning speed) during the build. Optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize these the microstructure of these MGMs, and image processing was used to examine the distribution of cells and melt pools characteristics throughout the region where the processing parameters changed. This investigation shows that laser power, scanning speed, and hatch spacing have a direct effect on the size and shape of the cells and melt pools, compared to scanning speed, which shows an effect on melt pools. Dog bone structures are 3-D printed with a graded microstructure that has small cells and melt pools at the edges, compared to the center, by changing the laser power and scanning speed. Tensile and fatigue analysis are performed and compared for samples with constant and graded microstructures, which reveal that the mechanical properties of the MGMs perform similar to the parameter at the edges, but differently in fracture mechanics.