Non-random, stationary time series of phenotypic statistic

International audienc

Models for realised and predicted heritabilities

International audienc

Willingness to participate in future HIV prevention studies among gay and bisexual men in Scotland, UK: a challenge for intervention trials

This article examines willingness to participate in future HIV prevention research among gay and bisexual men in Scotland, UK. Anonymous, self-complete questionnaires and Orasure Gäó oral fluid samples were collected in commercial gay venues. 1,320 men were eligible for inclusion. 78.2% reported willingness to participate in future HIV prevention research; 64.6% for an HIV vaccine, 57.4% for a behaviour change study, and 53.0% for a rectal microbicide. In multivariate analysis, for HIV vaccine research, greater age, minority ethnicity, and not providing an oral fluid sample were associated with lower willingness; heterosexual orientation and not providing an oral fluid sample were for microbicides; higher education and greater HIV treatment optimism were for behaviour change. STI testing remained associated with being more willing to participate in microbicide research and frequent gay scene use remained associated with being more willing to participate in behaviour change research. Having an STI in the past 12 months remained significantly associated with being willing to participate in all three study types. There were no associations between sexual risk behaviour and willingness. Although most men expressed willingness to participate in future research, recruitment of high-risk men, who have the potential to benefit most, is likely to be more challenging

Vertical integration in production and services: development in transaction cost economics

In this paper, we first establish the core, fundamental concepts of Williamson's TCE, examining the different governance structures or the institutional alternatives that TCE theory proposes. We go on to describe some critical considerations and theoretical proposals that correspond fundamentally to Williamson's heuristic model, the integration of incentives in organizational forms, idiosyncratic demand, and how the concept of transaction is conceived in general.Peris-Ortiz, M.; Bonet, F.; Rueda Armengot, C. (2011). Vertical integration in production and services: development in transaction cost economics. Service Business. 5(1):87-97. doi:10.1007/s11628-011-0103-0S879751Alchian A (1965) The basic of some recent advances in the theory of management of the firm. J Ind Econ 14:30–41Alchian A (1969) Corporate management and property rights. In: Manne GH (ed) Economic Policy and Regulation of Corporate Securities. American Enterprise Institute of Public Policy Research, Washington, DCAlchian A, Demsetz H (1972) Production, information cost, and economic organization. Am Econ Rev 62:777–795Arrow KJ (1959) Toward a theory of price adjustment. In: Abramovitz M et al (eds) The allocation of resources. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, pp 41–51Arrow KJ (1973) Information and economic behaviour. Federation of Swedish Industries, StockholmArrow KJ (1974) The limits of organizations. W. W. Norton, New YorkBain J (1956) Barriers to new competition. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MABain J (1958) Industrial organization, 2nd edn. John Wiley & Sons, New YorkBarnard CI (1938) The functions of the executive. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MAChandler AC Jr. (1962) Strategy and structure. MIT Press, Cambridge, MAChandler AC Jr. (1977) The visible hand. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MACoase RH (1937) The nature of the firm. Economica 4:386–405Coase RH (1972) Industrial organization: a proposal for research. In: Victor RF (ed) Policy issues and research opportunities in industrial organization. National Bureau of Economic Research, New York, pp 59–73Coase RH (1991) The institutional structure of production. Prize Lecture to the Memory of Alfred Nobel, December 9, 1991, http://www.nobel.se/economics/laureates/1991/coase-lecture.htmlCyert RM, March JG (1963) A behavioural theory of the firm. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJDemsetz H (1967) Toward a theory of property rights. Am Econ Rev 57:347–359Demsetz H (1991) The theory of the firm revisited. In: Williamson O, Winter S (eds) The nature of the firm: origins, evolution, and development. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 159–178Galbraith JR (1993) The value-adding corporation: matching structure with strategy. In: Galbraith JR, Lawler III EE and Associates (eds) Organizing for the future. Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, pp 15–42Li J-M, Yang J-S, Wu HH (2009) Analysis of competence differences among frontline employees from various service typologies. Serv Ind J 29(12):1763–1778Ouchi WG (1979) A conceptual framework for the design of organizational control mechanism. Manag Sci 25(9):833–848Ouchi WG (1980) Markets, bureaucracies, and clans. Admin Sci Q 25:120–142Palmer M, Owens M, De Kervenoael R (2010) Paths of the least resistance: understanding how motives form in international retail joint venturing. Serv Ind J 30(6):965–989Robinson J (1933) The economics of imperfect competition. Macmillan, LondonSafón V (2009) The moderating effect of the technological level of industry on the relationship between innovation and corporate reputation. Int Entrep Manag J 5(4):515–526Simon HA (1947) Administrative behavior. Macmillan, New YorkSimon HA (1962) The architecture of complexity. Proc Am Philos Soc 106:467–482Simon HA (1973) Applying information technology to organization design. Public Admin Rev 33:268–278Un CA, Romero-Martínez AM, Montoro-Sánchez A (2009) Determinants of R&D collaboration of service firms. Serv Bus 3:373–394Warren L, Patton D, Bream D (2009) Knowledge acquisition processes during the incubation of new high technology firms. Int Entrep Manag J 5(4):481–495Williamson OE (1975) Markets and hierarchies: analysis and antitrust implication. Free Press, New YorkWilliamson OE (1979) Transaction-cost economics: the governance of contractual relations. J Law Econ 22:3–61Williamson OE (1981) The modern corporation: origins, evolution, attributes. J Econ Lit 19:1537–1568Williamson OE (1985) The economic institutions of capitalism. Free Press, New YorkWilliamson OE (1991) Comparative economic organization: the analysis of discrete structural alternatives. Admin Sci Q 36:269–296Williamson OE (1993) Calculativeness trust and economic organization. J Law Econ 36:453–486Williamson OE (1996) The mechanisms of governance. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 250–278Williamson OE (1999) Strategy research: governance and competence perspectives. Strateg Manag J 20:1087–1108Williamson OE (2000) The new institutional economics: taking stock, looking ahead. J Econ Lit 38:595–613Williamson OE (2003) Examining economic organization through the lens of contract. Ind Corp Change 12(4):917–938Williamson OE (2005) Transaction cost economics and business administration. Scand J Manag 21:19–40Williamson OE (2008) Outsourcing: transaction cost economics and supply chain management. J Supply Chain Manag 44(2):5–16Williamson OE, Bhargava WH (1986) Assessing and classifying the internal structure and control apparatus of the modern corporation. In: Williamson OE (ed) Economic organization. Firms, markets and policy control. Wheatsheaf Books, Great Britain, Brighton, pp 54–8

Development and inter-rater reliability of the Liverpool adverse drug reaction causality assessment tool.

To develop and test a new adverse drug reaction (ADR) causality assessment tool (CAT)

Serratamolide is a hemolytic factor produced by Serratia marcescens

Serratia marcescens is a common contaminant of contact lens cases and lenses. Hemolytic factors of S. marcescens contribute to the virulence of this opportunistic bacterial pathogen. We took advantage of an observed hyper-hemolytic phenotype of crp mutants to investigate mechanisms of hemolysis. A genetic screen revealed that swrW is necessary for the hyper-hemolysis phenotype of crp mutants. The swrW gene is required for biosynthesis of the biosurfactant serratamolide, previously shown to be a broad-spectrum antibiotic and to contribute to swarming motility. Multicopy expression of swrW or mutation of the hexS transcription factor gene, a known inhibitor of swrW expression, led to an increase in hemolysis. Surfactant zones and expression from an swrW-transcriptional reporter were elevated in a crp mutant compared to the wild type. Purified serratamolide was hemolytic to sheep and murine red blood cells and cytotoxic to human airway and corneal limbal epithelial cells in vitro. The swrW gene was found in the majority of contact lens isolates tested. Genetic and biochemical analysis implicate the biosurfactant serratamolide as a hemolysin. This novel hemolysin may contribute to irritation and infections associated with contact lens use. © 2012 Shanks et al

Standardising outcomes for clinical trials and systematic reviews

Fifteen years ago, what was to become OMERACT met for the first time in The Netherlands to discuss ways in which the multitude of outcomes in assessments of the effects of treatments for rheumatoid arthritis might be standardised. In Trials, Tugwell et al have described the need for, and success of, this initiative [1] and Cooney and colleagues have set out their plans for a corresponding initiative for ulcerative colitis [2]. Why do we need such initiatives? What\u27s the problem? And are these and other initiatives the solution