Developing adaptive capability: the case of Nottingham’s nascent biotechnology sector

A region’s adaptive capability describes its ability to respond positively to changes and shocks that affect the regional economy over time and take advantage of new and emerging market opportunities from wherever they arise. Central to this idea is the manner in which historic economic strengths or capabilities can be turned to new purposes. This paper provides a case study that uses the concept of adaptive capability as a lens through which to explore the emergence of a notable bioscience based industrial cluster in a city region of the UK and the part that it played in helping to restructure the economic base of the city. The local economy of Nottingham faced major structural changes in the late 1990s. These changes saw not only the demise of what had at one time been a key industrial sector, but also the departure of two of the city’s three principal employers, and the closure of a major research facility owned by a third. The case explores the manner in which capabilities linked to this constellation of firms were redeployed in order to take advantage of new market opportunities. The case places particular emphasis on the contribution of firms, the restructuring of industry sectors and institutional changes that occurred at this time, to the city’s adaptive capability. In the process the case study reveals a notable example of adaptation as the local economy moved away from a previous path of regional and sectoral development, towards a new and yet related trajectory. Central to this process was the purposive re-tasking of physical assets and the mobilization of knowledge assets that were the legacy of one of the city’s historic industrial strengths. The paper concludes with a brief consideration of the wider relevance and applicability of this model of bioscience based regional development

Are they all the same? An exploratory, categorical analysis of drinking game types

Drinking games have become a ubiquitous part of the college student drinking culture and are associated with drinking to intoxication and increased alcohol consequences. Contemporary research commonly considers drinking games holistically, with little to no consideration to the different drinking game types. The current study describes the creation of a novel DG categorization scheme and reports differences between DG categories. Participants were 3421 college students (58% female) who completed online surveys. Based on participant responses, 100 distinct drinking games were identified and defined. Two student focus groups were conducted in which drinking game definitions and rules were verified by students. Drinking games were then categorized into five mutually exclusive categories: Targeted and Skill games, Communal games, Chance games, Extreme Consumption games, and Even Competition games. Finally, the frequency of games played in each category and typical player profiles were reported. Differences in peak drinks and frequency of specific alcohol consequences were documented according to game categories. The findings provide a novel drinking game categorization scheme and an exploratory analysis of basic differences between game categories

Can you say no? Examining the relationship between drinking refusal self-efficacy and protective behavioral strategy use on alcohol outcomes

Preliminary research has demonstrated reductions in alcohol-related harm associated with increased use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) and higher levels of drinking refusal self-efficacy (DRSE). To extend research that has evaluated these protective factors independently of one another, the present study examined the interactive effects of PBS use and DRSE in predicting alcohol outcomes. Participants were 1084 college students (63% female) who completed online surveys. Two hierarchical linear regression models revealed that both DRSE and PBS use predicted alcohol use and consequences. Additionally, DRSE moderated the relationship between PBS use and both typical weekly drinking and negative alcohol-related consequences, such that participants who reported lower levels of PBS use and DRSE in the social pressure or emotional regulation dimensions were at greatest risk for heavy drinking and consequences respectively. Interestingly, for those who reported higher levels of social and emotional DRSE, levels of PBS use had no impact on alcohol use or alcohol consequences respectively. These findings demonstrate that DRSE and PBS use differentially reduce risk, suggesting the utility of collegiate, alcohol harm reduction interventions that aim to both increase PBS use and bolster self-efficacy for greater harm reduction

I Can Play All Night: Examining the Relationship Between Perceived Tolerance and Drinking Game Alcohol Consumption

The present study examined the impact of perceived tolerance to alcohol on maximum alcohol consumption while playing drinking games. Participants were student drinkers (N=3,546) from two west coast universities. Among these students, 69.2% (n=2,290) reported playing a drinking game in the past month. Analyses demonstrated game players had higher perceived tolerances, and consumed more alcohol than non-game players. A regression model revealed that higher levels of perceived tolerance were related to increased maximal alcohol consumption while playing drinking games. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed

Event-specific risk and ecological factors associated with prepartying among heavier drinking college students

Using event-specific data, the present study sought to identify relevant risk factors and risky drinking patterns associated with prepartying. Analyses focused on drinking outcomes as a function of drinking game playing and the social context on occasions where prepartying did and did not occur. This research utilized a representative two-site sample of prepartiers who also reported a heavy episodic drinking event in the past month (n = 988). Results revealed that during a preparty event, participants drank significantly more, reached higher blood alcohol levels (BALs), and experienced significantly more negative consequences compared to the last occasion that they drank but did not preparty. Students who played drinking games when they prepartied had higher BALs and experienced more negative consequences than those who did not play drinking games. Whether females prepartied in a single-sex or coed setting had little effect on their BALs. For males, however, their BALs were greater when they prepartied in a coed setting compared to a single sex setting. Moreover, participants reported more negative consequences when they prepartied in a coed setting than in a single-sex setting. Finally, regression analyses demonstrated that participants’ BAL, frequency of prepartying, and the interaction between BAL and frequency of prepartying all uniquely contributed to the prediction of event-specific alcohol-related negative consequences. As BAL increased, the number of negative consequences increased more sharply for those who prepartied infrequently, compared to those who prepartied frequently. Analyses were examined as a function of gender which revealed important gender effects and interactions. Interventions can be designed to intervene with high-risk prepartiers by using BAL education emphasizing the impact of time-limited prepartying drinking