On recursive averaging processes and Hilbert space extensions of the contraction mapping principle

If T maps a convex domain D_T into itself, and if {ω_n} is a real sequence with range in (0, 1] then the recursive averaging process,

$\text{X}{}_{\mathrm{n+1}}\text{=(1?omega;}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{)}\text{X}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{+ω}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{+ω}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{T}\text{x}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{,}\text{x}{}_0\text{=ξ?D}{}_{\mathrm{T}}$

generates a sequence {x?_n}; with range in D_T. Under suitable conditions on D_T, T and {ω_n} the sequence {x?_n} will converge in some sense to a fixed point of T. We prove that if D_T is a closed convex subset of a complex Hilbert space H, if Tω = (1 ? ω) I + ωT is a strict contraction for some ω ? (0, 1], and if {ω_n} satisfies the conditions,

$\text{ω}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{→ 0}$

and

$\text{∑}\text{n=0}\text{∞}\text{ω}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{=∞}$

then, for arbitrary ξ ? D_T, {x?_n} converges strongly to (the unique) fixed point of T. We also prove that if D_T and {ω_n} satisfy the foregoing conditions, if T has at least one fixed point, and if Tω is non-expansive for some ω ? (0, 1], then for all ξ ? D_T, {x?_n} converges at least weakly to some fixed point of T. Finally, we apply these results to linear equations involving bounded normal operators and obtain an extension of the classical Neumann operator series.     

中国法律下的知识产权质押

多种原因造成了知识产权担保在发放信贷方面的重要性不如其他财产的担保。原因之一是知识产权具有一些特殊属性,一些潜在贷款人对这种财产属性缺乏了解。另一个原因是对许多知识产权的估价存在困难,相关法律在调整这些法定权利上的担保权益方面也不甚健全。尽管金融机构及其法律顾问已经越来越多地理解了知识产权担保借贷中的诸要素,但以知识产权担保的融资仍处在初期阶段。这是一个无论在法律领域,还是在信贷实践方面都很复杂的问题。立法者在回应专门立法需求以促进其发展方面也行动缓慢。这就进一步增加了用知识产权这种价值可能很大、但寿命又可能很短的财产做担保提供信贷的不确定性。     

Host protective immunity and vaccine development studies in lymphatic filariasis

Lymphatic filariasis caused mainly by infection fromWuchereria bancrofti andBrugia malayi remains as the major cause of clinical morbidity in tropical and subtropical countries. Development of vaccine against filarial infection can act as additional measure to the existing therapeutic and vector control methods in the control of this disease. The main hurdles in the development of anti-filarial vaccine are the strict primate specificity ofWuchereria bancrofti, the paucity of parasite material, the diversity of clinical manifestations and their associated complex immune responses, lack of clear understanding on host-parasite interactions and the mechanisms involved in protective immunity. However in the past few years, the information generated in immuno-epidemiological studies, correlated with observations in experimental animals suggests that a filarial vaccine is feasible. Initially live irradiated infective larvae have been successfully used to induce high level of protective immunity in several animal models. Applying diverse strategies, variety of purified or recombinant filarial antigens have been explored for their ability to induce protection in different host-parasite systems. Some of these targeted filarial antigens induced high level of resistance in experimental animals against challenge infections. More focussed studies on thorough characterization of parasitological and immunological changes associated with resistance induced by such candidate protective antigens and on delivery mechanisms and safety aspects will be crucial in their selection for possible use in humans.     

未来艾滋病的治疗和预防

超过7000万人感染HIV、2000万人死亡,艾滋病是医学史上最严重的流行病之一.     

Innovation and technical change: A case study of the U.K. tractor industry, 1957 1977

In previous work it was established that the U.K. tractor industry was characterised by a high degree of technical change and that this was brought about by a process of more or less continuous incremental innovation. What was lacking was an analysis of how much technical change had been introduced and an indication of the role played by technical change in determining the performance of the U.K. tractor industry internationally. This paper concludes that on the average technical change in the industry had increased by as much as 150 percent during the years 1959–1977, though there is some indication that the rate of change might now be slowing somewhat.In order to determine the relative importance of technical change a method was developed to operationalise the distinction between price and non-price competition as well as the idea of intrinsic (technical) and associative (non-technical) factors as constituents of the latter. Based on cross-sectional data for the year 1978, it has been possible to show that British manufacturers tend to produce moderately priced tractors of low to medium technical sophistication: that German manufacturers produced the most technically sophisticated tractors; that the Italian manufacturers are not generally more sophisticated, technically, than the British producers except with respect to their development of four-wheel drive; and that COMECON-based producers combine a very low price with some degree of technical sophistication. Finally, it has been possible to show that the tractors with the highest sales are among the less sophisticated in each of the power ranges investigated and that new entrants used technical sophistication as an element of their entry strategy. The answer to the question of what allows the market leader to be market leader required the development of measures for associative non-price factors, such as the availability of a dealer network brand loyalty, resale prices of tractor models, etc. By performing a regression analysis on these measures along with previously derived measures of quality-adjusted price and relative technical sophistication it has been possible to show that market leadership is achieved as a result of a balance of a number of factors, the most important of which are the size of the dealer network, warrants cost, advertising, technical sophistication and price.     

Internationally educated female teachers in the neoliberal context: Their labour market and teacher certification experiences in Canada

In this paper, we consider the difficulties that a group of internationally educated female teachers (female IETs) encountered in the process of seeking certification in the Canadian Maritimes. We read their experiences in the context of neoliberalism, in particular how they are positioned in the labour force and also the teaching profession. We consider the material effects of differences such as gender, race, ethnicity, and regional location for the female IETs. Further, we underscore implications for teacher education.