The changing patterns of group politics in Britain

Two interpretations of ways in which group politics in Britain have presented challenges to democracy are reviewed: neo-corporatism or pluralistic stagnation and the rise of single issue interest groups. The disappearance of the first paradigm created a political space for the second to emerge. A three-phase model of group activity is developed: a phase centred around production interests, followed by the development of broadly based 'other regarding' groups, succeeded by fragmented, inner directed groups focusing on particular interests. Explanations of the decay of corporatism are reviewed. Single issue group activity has increased as party membership has declined and is facilitated by changes in traditional media and the development of the internet. Such groups can overload the policy-making process and frustrate depoliticisation. Debates about the constitution and governance have largely ignored these issues and there is need for a debate

Intra- and inter-firm dynamics in combinatorial knowledge bases

[EN] Research on innovation has often concentrated on a narrow set of sectors and activities, and on the experiences of the most advanced regions in the world. However, innovation, when defined in a broad sense, incorporates a variety of processes and outputs that cut across organisational, sectoral, territorial and knowledge boundaries. This paper seeks to make a contribution to this literature by focusing on the experiences of less developed regions, and by examining how different knowledge bases contribute to technological upgrading and higher added value for firms. It argues that in regions where access to advanced knowledge and technology is restricted, or where firms do not have the absorptive capacity to access, absorb and exploit such knowledge, combining existing knowledge in innovative ways may be the best strategy for firms to become more innovative and competitive. It also argues that this combination can happen through vertical integration within the firm, or by the creation and maintenance of inter-firm mechanisms that stimulate knowledge dissemination. These themes are discussed by drawing on the evolution of the wine industry in three Portuguese regions. These regions have all experienced different trajectories, in terms of the renewal of their wine industry, and it is argued that this is in part the result of endogenous regional characteristics.This work was supported by an Early Career Grant by the Regional Studies Association and by the German Research Foundation/European Science Foundation [grant number 10-ECRP-007].Marques, P. (2019). Intra- and inter-firm dynamics in combinatorial knowledge bases. European Urban and Regional Studies. 26(2):186-204. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969776418779116S186204262Asheim, B. T., Boschma, R., & Cooke, P. (2011). Constructing Regional Advantage: Platform Policies Based on Related Variety and Differentiated Knowledge Bases. Regional Studies, 45(7), 893-904. doi:10.1080/00343404.2010.543126Balland, P.-A., & Rigby, D. (2016). The Geography of Complex Knowledge. Economic Geography, 93(1), 1-23. doi:10.1080/00130095.2016.1205947Christopherson, S., & Clark, J. (2007). Power in Firm Networks: What it Means for Regional Innovation Systems. Regional Studies, 41(9), 1223-1236. doi:10.1080/00343400701543330Cusmano, L., Morrison, A., & Rabellotti, R. (2010). Catching up Trajectories in the Wine Sector: A Comparative Study of Chile, Italy, and South Africa. World Development, 38(11), 1588-1602. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2010.05.002Dosi, G., Faillo, M., & Marengo, L. (2008). Organizational Capabilities, Patterns of Knowledge Accumulation and Governance Structures in Business Firms: An Introduction. Organization Studies, 29(8-9), 1165-1185. doi:10.1177/0170840608094775Giuliani, E. (2007). The selective nature of knowledge networks in clusters: evidence from the wine industry. Journal of Economic Geography, 7(2), 139-168. doi:10.1093/jeg/lbl014Giuliani, E., & Bell, M. (2005). The micro-determinants of meso-level learning and innovation: evidence from a Chilean wine cluster. Research Policy, 34(1), 47-68. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2004.10.008Giuliani, E., Morrison, A., & Rabellotti, R. (2011). Innovation and Technological Catch-Up. doi:10.4337/9780857930514Grant, R. M. (1996). Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 17(S2), 109-122. doi:10.1002/smj.4250171110Halkier, H., James, L., Dahlström, M., & Manniche, J. (2012). Knowledge Dynamics, Regions and Public Policy. European Planning Studies, 20(11), 1759-1766. doi:10.1080/09654313.2012.723419Hatch, C. J. (2013). Competitiveness by Design: An Institutionalist Perspective on the Resurgence of a «Mature» Industry in a High-Wage Economy. Economic Geography, 89(3), 261-284. doi:10.1111/ecge.12009Helfat, C. E. (2015). Vertical firm structure and industry evolution. Industrial and Corporate Change, 24(4), 803-818. doi:10.1093/icc/dtv027Malerba, F., Nelson, R., Orsenigo, L., & Winter, S. (2008). Vertical integration and disintegration of computer firms: a history-friendly model of the coevolution of the computer and semiconductor industries. Industrial and Corporate Change, 17(2), 197-231. doi:10.1093/icc/dtn001Manniche, J. (2012). Combinatorial Knowledge Dynamics: On the Usefulness of the Differentiated Knowledge Bases Model. European Planning Studies, 20(11), 1823-1841. doi:10.1080/09654313.2012.723423Manniche, J., Moodysson, J., & Testa, S. (2016). Combinatorial Knowledge Bases: An Integrative and Dynamic Approach to Innovation Studies. Economic Geography, 93(5), 480-499. doi:10.1080/00130095.2016.1205948Marques, P. (2017). From toys to automobiles: foreign investment, firm heterogeneity and intermediaries in a Portuguese industry. European Planning Studies, 25(8), 1375-1393. doi:10.1080/09654313.2017.1303822Marques, P. (2017). Human capital and university–business interactions: an example from the wine industry. Regional Studies, Regional Science, 4(1), 154-160. doi:10.1080/21681376.2017.1341818Martin, R., & Moodysson, J. (2011). Comparing knowledge bases: on the geography and organization of knowledge sourcing in the regional innovation system of Scania, Sweden. European Urban and Regional Studies, 20(2), 170-187. doi:10.1177/0969776411427326Martin, R., & Sunley, P. (2003). Deconstructing clusters: chaotic concept or policy panacea? Journal of Economic Geography, 3(1), 5-35. doi:10.1093/jeg/3.1.5Moulaert, F., & Sekia, F. (2003). Territorial Innovation Models: A Critical Survey. Regional Studies, 37(3), 289-302. doi:10.1080/0034340032000065442Pina, K., & Tether, B. S. (2016). Towards understanding variety in knowledge intensive business services by distinguishing their knowledge bases. Research Policy, 45(2), 401-413. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2015.10.005Polenske, K. R. (Ed.). (2007). The Economic Geography of Innovation. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511493386Rabellotti, R., & Schmitz, H. (1999). The Internal Heterogeneity of Industrial Districts in Italy, Brazil and Mexico. Regional Studies, 33(2), 97-108. doi:10.1080/00343409950122909Tödtling, F., & Grillitsch, M. (2015). Does Combinatorial Knowledge Lead to a Better Innovation Performance of Firms? European Planning Studies, 23(9), 1741-1758. doi:10.1080/09654313.2015.1056773WILLIAMSON, O. E. (1995). Hierarchies, Markets and Power in the Economy : An Economic Perspective. Industrial and Corporate Change, 4(1), 21-49. doi:10.1093/icc/4.1.2

Stigma impedes AIDS prevention

Thirty years since the first cases of AIDS were described, there is much to celebrate regarding progress in the treatment and prevention of the disease. Within the past year alone, several studies have revealed that antiretroviral drugs can prevent the sexual transmission of HIV. Yet worldwide, many people who are potentially exposed to the virus avoid finding out whether they carry it, or deny that they are at risk of contracting it. Unless people establish whether they are infected, they will not be able to be adopt the most appropriate preventive measures. As scientists and clinicians, our ability to overcome this denialism will determine whether we ultimately succeed in using combinations of all the preventive and therapeutic tools now available to slow, and eventually stop, the HIV/AIDS pandemic

Novel associations of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B gene variants with prostate cancer risk in a multiethnic study.

BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that a functional polymorphism of the UGT2B15 gene (rs1902023) was associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (PC). Novel functional polymorphisms of the UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 genes have been recently characterized by in vitro assays but have not been evaluated in epidemiologic studies. METHODS: Fifteen functional SNPs of the UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 genes, including cis-acting UGT2B gene SNPs, were genotyped in African American and Caucasian men (233 PC cases and 342 controls). Regression models were used to analyze the association between SNPs and PC risk. RESULTS: After adjusting for race, age and BMI, we found that six UGT2B15 SNPs (rs4148269, rs3100, rs9994887, rs13112099, rs7686914 and rs7696472) were associated with an increased risk of PC in log-additive models (p < 0.05). A SNP cis-acting on UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 expression (rs17147338) was also associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.00-2.70); while a stronger association among men with high Gleason sum was observed for SNPs rs4148269 and rs3100. CONCLUSIONS: Although small sample size limits inference, we report novel associations between UGT2B15 and UGT2B17 variants and PC risk. These associations with PC risk in men with high Gleason sum, more frequently found in African American men, support the relevance of genetic differences in the androgen metabolism pathway, which could explain, in part, the high incidence of PC among African American men. Larger studies are required

An update: improvements in imaging perfluorocarbon-mounted plant leaves with implications for studies of plant pathology, physiology, development and cell biology.

Plant leaves are optically complex, which makes them difficult to image by light microscopy. Careful sample preparation is therefore required to enable researchers to maximize the information gained from advances in fluorescent protein labeling, cell dyes and innovations in microscope technologies and techniques. We have previously shown that mounting leaves in the non-toxic, non-fluorescent perfluorocarbon (PFC), perfluorodecalin (PFD) enhances the optical properties of the leaf with minimal impact on physiology. Here, we assess the use of the PFCs, PFD, and perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene (PP11) for in vivo plant leaf imaging using four advanced modes of microscopy: laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), two-photon fluorescence microscopy, second harmonic generation microscopy, and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy. For every mode of imaging tested, we observed an improved signal when leaves were mounted in PFD or in PP11, compared to mounting the samples in water. Using an image analysis technique based on autocorrelation to quantitatively assess LSCM image deterioration with depth, we show that PP11 outperformed PFD as a mounting medium by enabling the acquisition of clearer images deeper into the tissue. In addition, we show that SRS microscopy can be used to image PFCs directly in the mesophyll and thereby easily delimit the "negative space" within a leaf, which may have important implications for studies of leaf development. Direct comparison of on and off resonance SRS micrographs show that PFCs do not to form intracellular aggregates in live plants. We conclude that the application of PFCs as mounting media substantially increases advanced microscopy image quality of living mesophyll and leaf vascular bundle cells

Entrepreneurial capital, social values and Islamic traditions: exploring the growth of women-owned enterprises in Pakistan

Main ArticleThis study seeks to explore the variables contributing to the growth of women-owned enterprises in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Based on a previously established multivariate model, it uses two econometric approaches: first classifying variables into predetermined blocks; and second, using the general to specific approach. Statistical analyses and in-depth interviews confirm that women entrepreneurs’ personal resources and social capital have a significant role in their business growth. Further, it reveals that the moral support of immediate family, independent mobility and being allowed to meet with men play a decisive role in the sales and employment growth of women-owned enterprises in an Islamic country such as Pakistan

Awareness and willingness to use HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis amongst gay and bisexual men in Scotland: implications for biomedical HIV prevention

Objectives:&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; To investigate the awareness of, and willingness to use, HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and willingness to take part in a PrEP study among gay and bisexual men in Scotland.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Methods:&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Cross-sectional survey of 17 gay commercial venues in Glasgow and Edinburgh in May 2011 (N = 1515, 65.2% response rate); 1393 are included in the analyses.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Results:&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Just under one-third of participants had heard of PrEP (n = 434; 31.2%), with awareness associated with being aged older than 35 years, talking to UAI partners about HIV, and with having had an HIV or STI test in the previous 12 months. Around half were willing to take part in a PrEP study (n = 695; 49.9%) or to take PrEP on a daily basis (n = 756; 54.3%). In multivariate analysis, willingness to take PrEP was associated with lower levels of education, regular gay scene attendance, ‘high-risk’ unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) and testing for HIV or STI in the previous 12 months. Reasons for not wanting to participate in a PrEP study or take PrEP included perceptions of low personal risk of HIV and concerns with using medication as an HIV prevention method.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Conclusions:&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; There is a willingness to engage in new forms of HIV prevention and research amongst a significant number of gay and bisexual men in Scotland. Future biomedical HIV interventions need to consider the links between sexual risk behaviour, testing, and potential PrEP use

A framework to capture and share knowledge using storytelling and video sharing in global product development

In global engineering enterprises, information and knowledge sharing are critical factors that can determine a project's success. This statement is widely acknowledged in published literature. However, according to some academics, tacit knowledge is derived from a person’s lifetime of experience, practice, perception and learning, which makes it hard to capture and document in order to be shared. This project investigates if social media tools can be used to improve and enable tacit knowledge sharing within a global engineering enterprise. This paper first provides a brief background of the subject area, followed by an explanation of the industrial investigation, from which the proposed knowledge framework to improve tacit knowledge sharing is presented. This project’s main focus is on the improvement of collaboration and knowledge sharing amongst product development engineers in order to improve the whole product development cycle

Transmitted Drug Resistance in Persons with Acute/Early HIV-1 in San Francisco, 2002-2009

Transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance (TDR) is an ongoing public health problem, representing 10-20% of new HIV infections in many geographic areas. TDR usually arises from two main sources: individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) who are failing to achieve virologic suppression, and individuals who acquired TDR and transmit it while still ART-naïve. TDR rates can be impacted when novel antiretroviral medications are introduced that allow for greater virologic suppression of source patients. Although several new HIV medications were introduced starting in late 2007, including raltegravir, maraviroc, and etravirine, it is not known whether the prevalence of TDR was subsequently affected in 2008-2009.We performed population sequence genotyping on individuals who were diagnosed with acute or early HIV (<6 months duration) and who enrolled in the Options Project, a prospective cohort, between 2002 and 2009. We used logistic regression to compare the odds of acquiring drug-resistant HIV before versus after the arrival of new ART (2005-2007 vs. 2008-2009). From 2003-2007, TDR rose from 7% to 24%. Prevalence of TDR was then 15% in 2008 and in 2009. While the odds of acquiring TDR were lower in 2008-2009 compared to 2005-2007, this was not statistically significant (odds ratio 0.65, 95% CI 0.31-1.38; p = 0.27).Our study suggests that transmitted drug resistance rose from 2003-2007, but this upward trend did not continue in 2008 and 2009. Nevertheless, the TDR prevalence in 2008-2009 remained substantial, emphasizing that improved management strategies for drug-resistant HIV are needed if TDR is to be further reduced. Continued surveillance for TDR will be important in understanding the full impact of new antiretroviral medications

Some remarks on a new exotic spacetime for time travel by free fall

This work is essentially a review of a new spacetime model with closed causal curves, recently presented in another paper (Class. Quantum Grav. \textbf{35}(16) (2018), 165003). The spacetime at issue is topologically trivial, free of curvature singularities, and even time and space orientable. Besides summarizing previous results on causal geodesics, tidal accelerations and violations of the energy conditions, here redshift/blueshift effects and the Hawking-Ellis classification of the stress-energy tensor are examined.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures. Submitted as a contribution to the proceedings of "DOMOSCHOOL - International Alpine School of Mathematics and Physics, Domodossola 2018". Possible text overlaps with my previous work arXiv:1803.08214, of which this is essentially a review. Additional results concerning redshift/blueshift effects and the classification of the stress-energy tensor are presented her