Classic Example Research Articles

Freedom to Operate analysis as competitive necessity—the Selden automobile patent case revisited

Abstract We contribute a unique empirical account of Freedom to Operate (FTO) analysis in respect to patent claims of others to avoid infringement liability. Over a century ago, the Selden automobile patent owners asserted that its scope encompassed early US automobiles. FTO analyses of the Selden patent claims demonstrated their narrow scope and hence their non-infringement. The legal opinion by patent attorney Parker on the Selden patent gave Ford Motor Company the confidence to publicly indemnify its customers from infringement liability and to publicly challenge the broad claim interpretation of the Selden patent. The asserted broad interpretation of Selden’s patent claims is sometimes alleged today to have retarded US automobile industry development but a review of commercial evidence of the development does not support this conjecture. That developers were undeterred is consistent with the FTO analyses conducted by Ford and others, and the patentee’s avoidance of a court challenge to the validity of the Selden patent on the merits. The Selden case should be known as the classic empirical example of how firms conduct FTO analysis to assess patent scope and validity to enable continued development. The prevalence of FTO practice today should be considered as a reason why such conjectured economic harms from ‘over-broad’ patents may not be realized today. Yet, we found a dearth of publicly available FTO analyses and lack of rigorous empirical studies demonstrating the actual extent of FTO analyses. Given continuing concerns over the harms from ‘over-broad’ patents, there is a need for research into the economics and behavioural influence of FTO analysis.

“Searching for order at all levels”. Antonio Lima-de-Faria (July 4, 1921 – December 27, 2023)

“Searching for order at all levels”. Antonio Lima-de-Faria (July 4, 1921 – December 27, 2023)

Role of Governance in Implementing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in the Congo Basin Case of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo

The low adaptability capacity of the Central African sub-region to climate change has made it one of Africans’ most vulnerable sub-regions in the continent as this sub-region depends heavily on resources sensitive to climate change. Cameroon and the Democratic Republic Congo are host to the world's second largest rainforest after the Amazon. This implies that climate change will undermine development in this sub-region and the rest of the continent as the effects of climate change are faced more by the most vulnerable. There is however rising interest in SSA to mitigate and adapt climate change solutions. While such efforts exist, knowledge on the governance arrangements exist in very fragmented forms. Specifically, knowledge on how global climate changes processes is reflected in national policies remain relatively less studied. So too are their limited evidence on how national policies play out at local level. Such knowledge deficits stall scientific evidence building and policy orientation to strengthen climate adaptation practices in countries of SSA, with Cameroon and DRC being classical examples. Yet theory building on climate change governance requires such context specific evidence. In addition, for a comprehensive policy to be adopted and made effective, climate change actions require such scientific evidence. This therefore validates the need to analyze how such global processes are framed into national policy and policy instruments for climate mitigation and adaptation, and to establish the connections and disconnections between what is framed at national level and what applies at local level in terms of climate change policy instrument and what explains such variations. Though effective climate action requires political commitment, well-aligned multi-level governance and institutional frameworks, laws, policies and strategies, as outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is still need for clear goals, adequate finance and financing tools, coordination across multiple policy domains, and inclusive governance processes in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo to harness these goals. This study investigated the role of governance in implementing climate change adaptation in Cameroon and the DRC. This research therefore aimed at examining the role of governance in implementing climate change adaptation strategies in Cameroon and the DRC. The study made use of primary and secondary data which was analyzed using content analysis to triangulate the relationship that exist between governance and the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies in Cameroon and the DRC. Results highlight the dominant role of governance in shaping adaptation efforts, challenges in implementation, spatial disparities, and the influence of national policies and stakeholder engagement. Policy recommendations emphasize the need for improving governance structures, enhancing stakeholder participation, mainstreaming gender considerations, and addressing financial constraints to build resilience and effectively respond to climate change impacts in both countries. The findings underscore the importance of context-specific strategies that prioritize inclusivity, transparency, and collaboration to address the complex challenges posed by climate change.

Non-stationary stochastic response determination of vibro-impact system under combination harmonic and Gaussian white noise excitations

Vibro-impact system (VI-S) have demonstrated their potential to contribute to engineering practice throughout the last few years. Nonetheless, their scope of application are still very limited. One of a primary reason is that dynamic behaviors of VI-S under the combination of deterministic period excitations (deterministic period excitation) and random noises (random noises) are not entirely understood. Toward this, the radial basis function neural network (rbfnn) is used to analyze dynamical behaviors evolution of VI-S under deterministic period excitation combined with random noises. To illustrate the potential of the proposed scheme, two classical examples of Mathieu–Duffing oscillator and Duffing–Rayleigh oscillator are considered. The evolutionary of dynamics behaviors and stochastic P-bifurcation phenomenon are examined through a qualitative change of the probability distribution, which indicates that system parameters and noise intensity, respectively, can be treated as bifurcation-induced parameters. Besides, numerical results are also carried out to confirm the accuracy of semi-analytical prediction.

Sustainable development strategy for historic neighborhood shrinkage: taking Puhuiquan neighborhood in Yulin, China, as an example

Western cities have been confronted with the challenges of 'urban shrinkage' as changes in economic and production models have caused population migrations. China, in its recent history, has experienced rapid and dynamic growth in its cities. However, as its economy is evolving, it too is being confronted with 'urban shrinkage' challenges. Populations have been shifting inside small and medium sized cities in response to problems created during this rapid growth period. Most heritage areas have suffered from depopulation, neglect and disinvestment. The historic Puhuiquan neighborhood in Yulin City is a classic example of the current Chinese version of 'urban shrinkage'. Yulin City, founded as a military city five centuries ago, has shifted its focus away from its historic purpose into a resource-based city. Yulin’s planning developed new areas, drawing population out of the historic Puhuiquan neighborhood. This area is the home to a unique urban cultural landscape where land and architecture have merged to create the development of various types of 'cave' houses. Suffering from the effects of 'urban shrinkage', this research explores the causes and potential solutions for the area employing both 'smart shrinkage' and 'urban renewal' strategies, informed by local resident participation, to develop a sustainable renewal strategy for this heritage area.

Habitats Heterogeneity Affects Bee Species Assemblage in an Urban Green Space: A Case Study of Nairobi Museum Botanic Garden, Kenya

The conversion of natural landscapes into human-dominated areas has been identified as one major threat to the existence of biodiversity. However, properly managed anthropogenic biomes can act as areas of biodiversity conservation with the potential to provide ecosystem services similar to those obtained in natural habitats. Classic examples are botanic gardens that have become popular in urban centres as examples of nature-based solutions to landscape loss and degradation. To assess the importance of botanic gardens as biodiversity habitats, a study was carried out in the Nairobi Museum Botanic Garden (NMBG). Bees were sampled using pan traps and sweep nets in four habitats classified as gardens, including the Herbal Garden (HG), Memorial Garden (MG), Succulent Garden (SG), and Quarry Garden (QG). A total of 286 individual bees were collected, with MG having 83 individuals, QG (75), SG (66), and HG (62). Though HG recorded the lowest abundance of bees, it recorded the highest number of bee species (14), MG (13), SG (12), and QG (5). The diversity of bees was highest in the HG (H’=1.89), SG (1.88), MG (1.67), and QG (1.15). Meanwhile, high bee abundances and richness were strongly correlated with diverse flowering plants per habitat, with HG having the highest number of flowering plants (23), MG (16), SG (13) and QG (7). The study found that different flowering plants provided habitats that supported unique assemblages of bee communities, a scenario attributed to enhanced habitat heterogeneity. The findings demonstrated that botanic gardens can act as important habitats and refugia for bees in human-dominated landscapes. Therefore, the establishment and conservation of botanic gardens in urban areas is one way to contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 11 of ensuring sustainable cities and human settlements

Video evidence of mountings by female‐plumaged birds of paradise (Aves: Paradisaeidae) in the wild: Is there evidence of alternative mating tactics?

AbstractThe bewildering courtship phenotypes of male birds of paradise (Paradisaedae) represent a classic example of sexual selection through mate choice. While the majority of sexual selection studies have focused on either mate choice or intrasexual competition, males across a variety of taxa adopt alternative mating tactics as additional means of obtaining fertilization when they are otherwise unable to. For example, across various polygynous birds, subordinate males engage in sneak copulations, which may offset the fitness costs of prolonged subordinate periods. Despite exhibiting strong mating skews and male delayed plumage maturation, reports of sneak copulation in the birds of paradise are exceedingly rare. After reviewing an extensive video collection of courtship interactions, we found examples of mountings by female‐plumaged birds in three birds of paradise species: the Western parotia Parotia sefilata, Carola's parotia Parotia carolae, and the magnificent bird of paradise Cicinnurus magnificus. While homosexual mountings by females have been documented previously in Lawes' parotia P. lawesii, adult males in the magnificent bird of paradise violently attacked intruding female‐plumaged birds attempting to mount receivers, suggesting that they may be immature males engaging in alternative mating tactics. Overall, the rare video footage described here is suggestive of two fascinating, yet unexplored phenomena in polygynous birds: alternative mating tactics and female homosexual behaviour.

Identity politics, conflict, and national integration in Nigeria: the youths’ perspective

ABSTRACT Nigeria is a youthful country and a classic example of a multicultural society. The youth population in Nigeria is approximately 95 million (i.e. 45% of the total population). Rather than hold a place in the development of the country, the cohort has been excluded from governance and used to promote ethnic and religious conflicts. Ordinarily, having multiple identities should not be anathema to national integration. Experience, however, shows that the various identity groups in Nigeria have a penchant for identity politics; the result of which has been group conflicts and weak national cohesion. This study surveys the opinion of youths on the relationship between identity politics, group conflict and national integration. The result, representing the opinion of the youth, presents evidence that there is a significant positive correlation between identity politics and group conflict and between identity politics and national integration in Nigeria. It is therefore recommended – among other things – that the Federal Government of Nigeria should create an Identity Mobilization Commission and a National Integration Commission to promote the narratives of oneness, particularly among the youths.

Investigations of Solutions of Singularly Perturbed Differential Equations

Using the basic concept of projective geometry about the intersection of parallel lines, we have developed a new method for choosing integration paths. The integration paths must be decreasing from the starting point to the last point. This condition has remained. To check the correctness, consider a classic example. The advantages of the method are that the method is applicable when the eigenvalues of the matrix are real. The peculiarities of the real eigenvalues ​​of the matrix are that in this case the level lines degenerate at the point of stability change. As a result, the area under consideration is divided into several parts. Carrying out calculations along the selected integration paths, we obtain asymptotic estimates for solutions of singularly perturbed differential equations.

From Silvio Pellico to Selahattin Demirtaş: Prison Literature and Literary Polemics in Turkey

ABSTRACT Selahattin Demirtaş’s fiction has led to some fierce discussions in the literary world in Turkey. The polemics were a reminder that prison literature, broadly defined, always was a hotly debated genre in the literary sphere of the late Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey. Indeed, the publication of a Turkish translation of a classic example of the genre—namely Silvio Pellico’s Le mie prigioni, translated by Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem in 1874—caused a vivid reaction by the Young Ottoman reformer Namık Kemal. This article looks at how the debate on the partial Turkish translation of Pellico’s memoirs that combined both aesthetic concerns and political sensitivities is not without similarities with debates about Demirtaş’s literary work. After a first part outlining varied responses to Demirtaş’s short stories and novels, the article analyses Namık Kemal’s “Mes prisons Muahazanamesi” (A Criticism of Mes prisons) and brings to the fore those aspects that were to become characteristic for future literary polemics. That Pellico’s first Ottoman Turkish critic should have been himself an author and activist who was repressed, incarcerated, and exiled for his political views and engagement, shows how essential prison literature was in the development of modern literature in Turkish.

Species richness in Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae): species delimitation and expanded geographic sampling reveal high Neotropical diversity

Abstract With up to 137 species worldwide, Myotis,— a genus of small, insectivorous bats are an example for understanding biogeographic and evolutionary processes such as intercontinental colonization, diversification, speciation, and convergent adaptive evolution. Species limits and associated distributions, however, remain poorly delineated across significant portions of this diverse group and encompassing a vast geographic range. Here, we explore how diversity is partitioned across this radiation with a focus on Neotropical species of Myotis, using a barcoding approach (706 bp of the mitochondrial DNA gene cytochrome-b) that includes 544 individual sequences (116 newly generated sequences and 428 sequences from GenBank, including outgroups). Single-locus molecular barcoding is useful for identifying cryptic diversity and establishing hypotheses that can guide investigations of species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships, an especially important initial step in assessing poorly characterized, diverse clades. The global phylogeny produced from these data is consistent with the hypothesized monophyly of the New World clade and places the evolutionary relationships of Neotropical species of Myotis within the context of the Palearctic and Nearctic clades. We then explore species boundaries for 25 of the 36 nominal species of Neotropical Myotis, using 3 alternative species delimitation approaches (1 distance-based ABGD [Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery]; and 2 coalescent-based mPTP [multi-rate Poisson Tree Processes], GMYC [Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent] model). The mPTP (n = 29 species) and ABGD (n = 26) approaches inferred different numbers of species than that recognized by current Neotropical Myotis taxonomy, whereas GMYC (n = 25) inferred the same number of species. In addition to the original 36 Neotropical nominal species currently recognized, we suggest that taxonomic revisions are needed to assess whether M. oxyotus gardneri and M. nigricans osculatii should be elevated to the species level and whether M. dinellii is distinct from M. levis. With the 7 potentially cryptic species identified herein that require further study, the number of Neotropical Myotis may approach 45 species. Taken together, our results suggest that rather than a classic example of a temperate radiation, there may be more species of Myotis in the Neotropics than Nearctic, Afrotropic, Indomalayan, and Oceanian Realms, with only the Palearctic region showing higher species richness.

Organic matter influence on ooid formation: New insights into classic examples (Great Salt Lake, USA; Triassic Germanic Basin, Germany)

ABSTRACTOoids are coated grains composed of a tangential or radial cortex growing around a nucleus. They are common in carbonate deposits of almost any geological age and provide insights into environmental conditions. However, abiotic or biotic factors influencing their formation remain unclear. This study aims to advance current understanding of ooid formation with a multi‐analytical approach (for example, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and micro X‐ray fluorescence) to classic examples from Great Salt Lake, USA, and the Lower Triassic Germanic Buntsandstein Basin, Germany. Both of these deposits represent hypersaline shallow‐water environments where ooids are closely associated with microbial mats. Great Salt Lake ooids are dominantly 0.2 to 1.0 mm in size, ellipsoidal to subspherical in shape, composed of aragonite and contain organic matter. Germanic Buntsandstein Basin ooids are mainly ≤4 mm in size, spherical to subspherical in shape, composed of calcite and currently contain little organic matter. Despite the differences, both ooids have the same cortex structures, likely reflecting similar formation processes. Some Great Salt Lake ooids formed around detrital grains while others exhibit micritic particles in their nuclei. In Germanic Basin ooids, detrital nuclei are rare, despite the abundance of siliciclastic particles of various sizes in the host rocks. Germanic Basin deposits also include ‘compound ooids’, i.e. adjacent ooids that coalesced with one another during growth, suggesting static in situ development, which is supported by the lack of detrital grains as nuclei. Germanic Basin ooids also grew into laminated microbial crusts with identical microstructures, further indicating a static formation. Such microbial crusts typically form through mineral precipitation associated with organic matter (for example, extracellular polymeric substances), suggesting a similar formation pathway for ooids. The inferred key‐role of organic matter is further supported by features in radial ooids from the Great Salt Lake, which commonly exhibit, from their nuclei towards their surface, increasing organic matter contents and decreasing calcification.

Predator-induced shape plasticity in Daphnia pulex.

All animals and plants respond to changes in the environment during their life cycle. This flexibility is known as phenotypic plasticity and allows organisms to cope with variable environments. A common source of environmental variation is predation risk, which describes the likelihood of being attacked and killed by a predator. Some species can respond to the level of predation risk by producing morphological defences against predation. A classic example is the production of so-called 'neckteeth' in the water flea, Daphnia pulex, which defend against predation from Chaoborus midge larvae. Previous studies of this defence have focussed on changes in pedestal size and the number of spikes along a gradient of predation risk. Although these studies have provided a model for continuous phenotypic plasticity, they do not capture the whole-organism shape response to predation risk. In contrast, studies in fish and amphibians focus on shape as a complex, multi-faceted trait made up of different variables. In this study, we analyse how multiple aspects of shape change in D. pulex along a gradient of predation risk from Chaoborus flavicans. These changes are dominated by the neckteeth defence, but there are also changes in the size and shape of the head and the body. We detected change in specific modules of the body plan and a level of integration among modules. These results are indicative of a complex, multi-faceted response to predation and provide insight into how predation risk drives variation in shape and size at the level of the whole organism.

Stability of dynamic fluid transport simulations

Pipeline transport is an efficient method for transporting fluids in energy supply and other technical applications. While natural gas is the classical example, the transport of hydrogen is becoming more and more important; both are transmitted under high pressure in a gaseous state. Also relevant is the transport of carbon dioxide, captured in the places of formation, transferred under high pressure in a liquid or supercritical state and pumped into underground reservoirs for storage. The transport of other fluids is also required in technical applications. Meanwhile, the transport equations for different fluids are essentially the same, and the simulation can be performed using the same methods. In this paper, the effect of control elements such as compressors, regulators and flaptraps on the stability of fluid transport simulations is studied. It is shown that modeling of these elements can lead to instabilities, both in stationary and dynamic simulations. Special regularization methods were developed to overcome these problems. Their functionality also for dynamic simulations is demonstrated for a number of numerical experiments.

Structural Analysis of Self-Balancing Robot

Abstract: A two-wheeled self-balancing robot is a classic example of inverted pendulum model. Exploring the realm of inverted pendulum systems, the two-wheeled self-balancing robot stands as a quintessential example, showcasing its inherent natural instability. In contemporary times, this system has emerged as a focal point of research, drawing attention for its extensive potential applications, ranging from Segway vehicles to enhanced wheelchairs and more efficient robotic designs. Within the scope of this project, a deliberate effort has been undertaken to confront and mitigate the inherent instability of the two-wheeled self-balancing robot through the implementation of a PID control system. This paper aims to carry out static structural analysis on the robot carrying maximum weight and subjected to road conditions. The robot model used in analysis is designed in SolidWorks and includes primary assembly. Analysis was performed in the Static Structural Suite of ANSYS Workbench.

Translation and the homosexual canon: Thomas Cannon’s 1749 ‘Ancient and Modern Pederasty Investigated and Exemplify’d’

Abstract This paper analyses the fragmentary apologia for pederasty by Thomas Cannon. Published in pamphlet form in 1749, it was suppressed and prosecuted, and lost to history until its recent recovery. The recovery of the text is only partial, as it was preserved in quoted excerpts in the wording of the indictment against it. Despite its fragmentary state, it is one of the earliest defences of same-sex love, and classical texts and examples naturally form a major part of its argument. Although Cannon’s treatise is important for the history of sexuality and translation studies, it has received limited attention from classicists, despite containing multiple translations from classical authors, together with Cannon’s editorial comments. This paper explores the contribution of the pamphlet to the history of sexuality, through a focus on Cannon’s translations.

Design, Implementation, and Control of a Wheel-Based Inverted Pendulum

Control of an inverted pendulum is a classical example of the stabilisation problem pertaining to systems that are unstable by nature. The reaction wheel and the motor act as actuators, generating the torque needed to stabilise the system and counteract inevitable disturbances. This paper begins by describing the design and physical implementation of a wheel-based inverted pendulum. Subsequently, the process of designing and testing the proportional–integral–derivative (PID) and unknown input Kalman-filter-based linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controllers is performed. In particular, the design and pre-validation were carried out in the Matlab/Simulink environment. The final validation step was realised using a constructed physical pendulum, with a digital controller implemented using the STM32 board. Finally, a set of various physical disturbances were introduced to the system to show the high reliability and superiority of the proposed Kalman-filter-based LQR strategy.

Multidimensional Diffusion-Wave-Type Solutions to the Second-Order Evolutionary Equation

The paper concerns a nonlinear second-order parabolic evolution equation, one of the well-known objects of mathematical physics, which describes the processes of high-temperature thermal conductivity, nonlinear diffusion, filtration of liquid in a porous medium and some other processes in continuum mechanics. A particular case of it is the well-known porous medium equation. Unlike previous studies, we consider the case of several spatial variables. We construct and study solutions that describe disturbances propagating over a zero background with a finite speed, usually called ‘diffusion-wave-type solutions’. Such effects are atypical for parabolic equations and appear since the equation degenerates on manifolds where the desired function vanishes. The paper pays special attention to exact solutions of the required type, which can be expressed as either explicit or implicit formulas, as well as a reduction of the partial differential equation to an ordinary differential equation that cannot be integrated in quadratures. In this connection, Cauchy problems for second-order ordinary differential equations arise, inheriting the singularities of the original formulation. We prove the existence of continuously differentiable solutions for them. A new example, an analog of the classic example by S.V. Kovalevskaya for the considered case, is constructed. We also proved a new existence and uniqueness theorem of heat-wave-type solutions in the class of piece-wise analytic functions, generalizing previous ones. During the proof, we transit to the hodograph plane, which allows us to overcome the analytical difficulties.

Time-varying multivariate causal processes

In this paper, we consider a wide class of time-varying multivariate causal processes that nests many classical and new examples as special cases. We first show the existence of a weakly dependent stationary approximation to initiate our theoretical investigation. We then consider a quasi-maximum likelihood estimation (QMLE), and provide both point-wise and uniform inferences to coefficient functions of interest. The theoretical findings are further examined through extensive simulations. Finally, we show empirical relevance of our study by evaluating both temporal and contemporaneous connectedness between the stock markets of China and U.S.

In their own language: cues guiding sticky spiral placement by Micrathena duodecimspinosa (Araneae: Araneidae)

Abstract Orb-web construction behaviour, a classic example of ‘innate’ behaviour, is highly flexible. Determining which cues guide construction behaviour is complicated by the strong correlations between some variables, and the difficulty of manipulating of some web variables in biologically realistic ways. This study utilized a new experimental technique, adding sticky lines to webs during construction, to examine cues that guide sticky spiral spacing. Deflections and subsequent reductions in spacing produced by experiments that involved relatively long radii resembled the reduced spacing pattern on short radii in control webs; radius length was thus not the cue eliciting reduced spacing in control webs. An alternative, that smaller inter-radius distances elicited reduced spacing, was supported by experimentally removing radii to increase the distances between radii. The new technique also elicited variation in responses that suggested that spiders may use mental cues such as memories or expectations of line positions to guide sticky spiral placement.