Negotiating Transaction Cost Economics: Oliver Williamson and his audiences

The article studies the interaction between Oliver Williamson and his audiences in the construction of Transaction Cost Economics (TCE). His attentiveness to the feedback from different groups has played a major role in the success of TCE. First we discuss briefly the relevance of rhetoric to the study of economics. Rhetoric stresses that economists talk not to a void, but to peers and lay people with their habits, interests, institutional conditionings and values. Using the toolbox of rhetoric we identify Williamson’s intended audiences. Next we discuss his lists of claimed antecedents and the changes made therein. We explore how those (changing) connections could possibly have incited different audiences. In what follows, we use citation data to delineate his actual readers. This helps compare intended and actual audiences as we close with a discussion of Williamson’s ability to modify his intended reader and widen the audience of TCE in the social sciences.

Anatomía funcional de moluscos bivalvos

1 pósterSe explica la anatomía de los moluscos bivalvos y las funciones de cada partePeer reviewe

The role of fish predation on recruitment of Mytilus galloprovincialis on different artificial mussel collectors

6 páginas, 3 figuras, 2 tablasFish predation interferes with mussel seed population dynamic and is an important limiting factor on seed supply in several areas of mussel farming production. In the present study we assessed the impact of fish predation in a mussel farm sited in the Rı´a de Ares-Betanzos (Galicia, NW Spain). To assess fish impact on recruitment, we have quantified mussel recruitment densities with or without excluding fish predation. The experiment was carried out using four different collector rope designs that could contribute to decrease the fish predation impact on the amount of mussel seed collected for cultivation. The unprotected long-line (fish exposed treatment) showed lower recruitment densities than the protected one (fish exclusion treatment) for every collector design tested (between 38 and 58%; ANOVA, p < 0.001) with the exception of non-filamentous loop complement ropes (NF-L), which showed similar density values (9104 316 and 7855 375 indiv/m in the protected and unprotected long-line, respectively; Tukey p > 0.05). In addition, in the protected long-line recruitment densities were homogeneous between collector designs (8820 635 indiv/m; ANOVA p > 0.05) whereas in the unprotected one statistically significant differences between collectors were observed. These results pointed out the influence of fish predation in the amount of mussel seed collected and its different effect between collector designs. The homogeneous density recorded in the protected long-line between collector designs would suggest the presence of another regulation factor of population size when fish predation is excluded. This regulation factor could be the intra-specific competition derived by space and food limitations of the studied area. With regard to the collector design, differences in recruitment density in the unprotected long-line would suggest different degree of protection from predators depending on collector texture and lacing complexity which could enhance the strength of seed attachment and create space refuges from fish.This study was supported by the contract-project CSIC-PROINSA, Code CSIC 20061089, Galicia PGIDIT06RMA018E.Peer reviewe

Evolución de las funciones ejecutivas de adictos a la cocaína tras un año de tratamiento

Introducción: Numerosos estudios han confirmado la presencia de alteraciones en las funciones ejecutivas de adictos a la cocaína, pero pocos han investigado el curso temporal y patrón evolutivo de estos déficits. Los objetivos del presente estudio consistieron en (1) evaluar el perfil neuropsicológico de consumidores de cocaína que han completado un año de tratamiento, (2) describir la evolución de los déficits a lo largo del tratamiento y discutir qué variables pueden mediar su recuperación. Material y Método: 50 pacientes en tratamiento por adicción a la cocaína fueron reclutados aleatoriamente en el programa ambulatorio de Proyecto Hombre Asturias. Durante la admisión al programa y tras completar doce meses de tratamiento se aplicó un protocolo de evaluación neuropsicológica sensible a la detección de alteraciones en diferentes componentes de las funciones ejecutivas. Resultados: en general se encontró una tendencia hacia la mejoría en las puntuaciones en la batería neuropsicológica tras doce meses de tratamiento, aunque no en todas las tareas. El rendimiento neuropsicológico en pruebas relacionadas con atención y fluidez mejoró, se mantuvo estable en tareas relacionadas con control inhibitorio y empeoró en tareas de flexibilidad mental. Discusión: se produjo una mejoría global del rendimiento neuropsicológico, por lo que se puede pensar en la posibilidad de reversibilidad de las alteraciones en las funciones ejecutivas en pacientes adictos a la cocaína

Efecto Raman en benzol y en los alcoholes metílico y amílico

Con un dispositivo de iluminación y lámparas de arco de mercurio ideados por los autores y construídos en el Instituto de Física de la Universidad se han logrado nítidos espectros Raman del benzol y de los alcoholes amílico y metilico habiéndose encontrado líneas nuevas. Se da a esta memoria el carácter de informe preliminar porque se estudiarán en breve los espectros con el microfotómetro de Zeiss.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

Enigmazole C: A Cytotoxic Macrocyclic Lactone and Its Ring-Opened Derivatives from a New Species of Homophymia Sponge

[Abstract] A new macrolide, enigmazole C (1), and two additional analogues, enigmazoles E (2) and D (3), were obtained from a new species of the Homophymia genus as part of an ongoing discovery program at PharmaMar to study cytotoxic substances from marine sources. The structures were fully characterized by cumulative analyses of NMR, IR, and MS spectra, along with density functional theory computational calculations. All three of the new compounds feature an unusual 2,3-dihydro-4H-pyran-4-one moiety, but only enigmazoles C (1) and D (3) showed cytotoxic activity in the micromolar range against A-549 (lung), HT-29 (colon), MDA-MB-231 (breast), and PSN-1 (pancreas) tumor cells.We gratefully acknowledge the Expeditions, Collection and Cell Biology Departments of PharmaMar S.A.U. We also thank S. Bueno and Dra. M. J. Uriz (CEAB-Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, Spain) for determining the sponge taxonomy and S. Munt for revision of the manuscript. PharmaMar also acknowledges the Udayana University of Bali, Indonesia. J.R. and C.J. acknowledge Xunta de Galicia and CESGA for the computational resource

Wild Boar and Red Deer Display High Prevalences of Tuberculosis-Like Lesions in Spain

We describe the distribution of tuberculosis-like lesions (TBL) in wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Spain. Animals with TBL were confirmed in 84.21% of mixed populations (n = 57) of red deer and wild boar and in 75% of populations of wild boar alone (n = 8) in central and southern Spain (core area). The prevalence of TBL declined towards the periphery of this region. In the core area, the prevalence ranged up to 100% in local populations of wild boar (mean estate prevalence 42.51%) and up to 50% in red deer (mean estate prevalence 13.70%). We carried out exploratory statistical analyses to describe the epidemiology of TBL in both species throughout the core area. Prevalence of TBL increased with age in both species. Wild boar and red deer mean TBL prevalence at the estate level were positively associated, and lesion scores were consistently higher in wild boars than in red deer. The wild boar prevalence of TBL in wild boar did not differ between populations that were or were not cohabiting with red deer. Amongst the wild boars with TBL, 61.19% presented generalized lesions, and the proportion of generalized cases was similar between sex and age classes. In red deer, 57.14% of TBL-positive individuals presented generalized lesions, and the percentage of generalized cases increased with age class, but did not differ between the sexes. These results highlight the potential importance of wild boar and red deer in the maintenance of tuberculosis in south central Spain

Mecp2-null mice provide new neuronal targets for Rett syndrome

BACKGROUND: Rett syndrome (RTT) is a complex neurological disorder that is one of the most frequent causes of mental retardation in women. A great landmark in research in this field was the discovery of a relationship between the disease and the presence of mutations in the gene that codes for the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2). Currently, MeCP2 is thought to act as a transcriptional repressor that couples DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing. The present study aimed to identify new target genes regulated by Mecp2 in a mouse model of RTT. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have compared the gene expression profiles of wild type (WT) and Mecp2-null (KO) mice in three regions of the brain (cortex, midbrain, and cerebellum) by using cDNA microarrays. The results obtained were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. Subsequent chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed seven direct target genes of Mecp2 bound in vivo (Fkbp5, Mobp, Plagl1, Ddc, Mllt2h, Eya2, and S100a9), and three overexpressed genes due to an indirect effect of a lack of Mecp2 (Irak1, Prodh and Dlk1). The regions bound by Mecp2 were always methylated, suggesting the involvement of the methyl-CpG binding domain of the protein in the mechanism of interaction. CONCLUSIONS: We identified new genes that are overexpressed in Mecp2-KO mice and are excellent candidate genes for involvement in various features of the neurological disease. Our results demonstrate new targets of MeCP2 and provide us with a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of RTT