Going beyond ‘regular and casual’: development of a classification of sexual partner types to enhance partner notification for STIs

ObjectivesTo develop a classification of sexual partner types for use in partner notification (PN) for STIs.MethodsA four-step process: (1) an iterative synthesis of five sources of evidence: scoping review of social and health sciences literature on partner types; analysis of relationship types in dating apps; systematic review of PN intervention content; and review of PN guidelines; qualitative interviews with public, patients and health professionals to generate an initial comprehensive classification; (2) multidisciplinary clinical expert consultation to revise the classification; (3) piloting of the revised classification in sexual health clinics during a randomised controlled trial of PN; (4) application of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to identify index patients’ willingness to engage in PN for each partner type.ResultsFive main partner types emerged from the evidence synthesis and consultation: ‘established partner’, ‘new partner’, ‘occasional partner’, ‘one-off partner’ and ‘sex worker’. The types differed across several dimensions, including likely perceptions of sexual exclusivity, likelihood of sex reoccurring between index patient and sex partner. Sexual health professionals found the classification easy to operationalise. During the trial, they assigned all 3288 partners described by 2223 index patients to a category. The TDF analysis suggested that the partner types might be associated with different risks of STI reinfection, onward transmission and index patients’ engagement with PN.ConclusionsWe developed an evidence-informed, useable classification of five sexual partner types to underpin PN practice and other STI prevention interventions. Analysis of biomedical, psychological and social factors that distinguish different partner types shows how each could warrant a tailored PN approach. This classification could facilitate the use of partner-centred outcomes. Additional studies are needed to determine the utility of the classification to improve measurement of the impact of PN strategies and help focus resources.

Cooperation and novelty innovation: a study for Argentina

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the influence of cooperation on the degree of novelty of technological innovations introduced by industrial firms in Argentina. This influence is analysed from three perspectives: cooperation by partner type [business partners or scientific and technological centres (S&T) partners]; cooperation by number of partner types, from no cooperation to cooperation with two partner types; and cooperation by goals pursued by firms. Design/methodology/approach The data come from one of the last national innovation surveys conducted in Argentina. The study controls for endogeneity, using instrumental variable procedures within the conditional mixed-process (CMP) framework. Findings The main result is the influence of cooperation with universities and S&T centres on the introduction of more novel innovations, which was found both in estimations with and without endogeneity correction. This influence was verified for more complex goals (R&D, technology transfer and industrial design and engineering) as well as for less complex ones (tests and trials, human resources training, quality management and certification). Business cooperation seems to impact only on a lower degree of novelty for more complex goals. The increase in the number of partners that the firm cooperates with, from no cooperation to joint cooperation with two partner types, influences more novel innovations. Research limitations/implications Limitations and proposals for future research are discussed at the end of the study. Practical implications The results of this study contrast with the high propensity to cooperate with business partners shown by firms in Argentina and other Latin American countries. Therefore, this paper may help formulate more effective policies to promote cooperation conducive to firm innovation performance. Limitations and proposals for future research are discussed at the end of the study. Originality/value Although there is empirical evidence on this topic for developed countries, firm-level studies on cooperation and degree of novelty are scarce for Latin America. In addition, this paper analyses cooperation not only by type of partner but also by type of goal. This study attempted to control for endogeneity by using instrumental variables within the CMP framework.

Customer perspectives on the acquisition of local artisanal companies

Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide insight into customers’ psychological processes and behavioral responses after merger and acquisition (M&A) of an artisanal brand. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 adopts a qualitative approach to understand how craft-beer customers perceive M&A decisions. In Study 2, a two-conditioned (M&A types: local and local company M&A vs local and national company M&A) between-subjects design experiment was executed. Findings The findings of this study show M&A’s of artisanal brands cause identity stigmatization, resulting in customers’ identity dissonance and coping strategies. Which coping strategies a customer uses depends on their brand identity, product-category identity and M&A partner types. Research limitations/implications This was an exploratory study that serves as a starting point for future research. Future research could investigate the model proposed in this study by testing the effects of potential moderators and mediators. Practical implications The findings of the study enable companies to better anticipate post-M&A customer behavior, thereby enabling them to enhance their brand positioning when a competitor is acquired by a large company. Originality/value The popularity of locally produced and craft hospitality products has attracted the attention of large companies that acquire artisanal brands. There is a paucity of research investigating post- M&A customer reactions of locally owned artisanal companies by large companies.

Structuring Evaluation Partnerships: Exploring Contrasts in Researcher–Practitioner Roles and Responsibilities When Implementing Randomized Experiments in Real-World Settings

Despite the increase in federal tiered evidence initiatives that require the use of rigorous evaluation designs, such as randomized experiments, there has been limited guidance in the evaluation literature on practical strategies to implement such studies successfully. This paper provides lessons learned in executing experiments in applied settings, such as schools, juvenile justice agencies, mental health clinics, reproductive health clinics, and job centers. To promote successful study implementation, evaluators must understand study roles, select suitable partners, and employ appropriate partnership models. In this article, we describe partner types and study roles, concretely illustrate how partnerships might be structured, discuss specific strategies to assess implementation partner capacity and maintain partner engagement, and consider how an evaluator can leverage the skills and resources of study partners to improve participant recruitment, enrollment, and retention. While the lessons are drawn from our experiences conducting 10 experimental studies, some may also apply to non-experimental evaluations.

Going beyond regular and casual: development of a classification of sexual partner types to enhance partner notification for sexually transmitted infections, a mixed methods approach

Objectives: To develop a classification of sexual partner types for use in partner notification (PN) and other interventions to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STI). Methods: A four-step process: 1) an iterative synthesis of five sources of evidence: scoping review of social and health sciences literature on partner types; analysis of relationship types in dating apps; systematic review of PN intervention content; review of PN guidelines; qualitative interviews with public, patients and health professionals, to generate an initial comprehensive classification; 2) multidisciplinary clinical expert consultation to revise the classification; 3) piloting of the revised classification in sexual health clinics during a randomised controlled trial of PN; 4) application of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to identify index patients willingness to engage in PN for each partner type. Results: Five main partner types emerged from the evidence synthesis and consultation: Established partner, New partner, Occasional partner, One-off partner and Sex worker. The types differed across several dimensions, including likely perceptions of sexual exclusivity, likelihood of sex reoccurring between index patient and sex partner. Sexual health professionals found the classification easy to operationalise. During the trial, they assigned all 3288 partners described by 2223 index patients to a category. The TDF analysis suggested that the partner types might be associated with different risks of STI reinfection, onward transmission and index patients engagement with PN. Discussion: We developed an evidence-informed, useable classification of five sexual partner types to underpin PN practice and other STI prevention interventions. Analysis of biomedical, psychological and social factors that distinguish different partner types shows how each could warrant a tailored PN approach. This classification could facilitate the use of partner-centred outcomes. Additional studies are needed to determine the utility of the classification to improve measurement of the impact of PN strategies and help focus resources.

Oxytocin and vasopressin modulation of prisoner’s dilemma strategies

Background: The neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin have been repeatedly implicated in social decision making by enhancing social salience and, generally, cooperation. The iterated and sequential version of the prisoner’s dilemma (PD) game is a social dilemma paradigm eliciting strategies of cooperation versus competition. Aims: We aimed to characterise the role of PD players’ sex, game partner type (computer vs. human) and oxytocin or vasopressin inhalation on the player’s strategy preference. Methods: Participants (153 men; 151 women) were randomised to intranasal 24 IU oxytocin, 20 IU vasopressin or placebo, double-blind, and played the PD. We examined main and interactive effects of sex, drug and partner type on strategy preference. Results: We found a pervasive preference for a tit-for-tat strategy (i.e. general sensitivity to the partner’s choices) over unconditional cooperation, particularly when against a human rather than a computer partner. Oxytocin doubled this sensitivity in women (i.e. the preference for tit-for-tat over unconditional cooperation strategies) when playing against computers, which suggests a tendency to anthropomorphise them, and doubled women’s unconditional cooperation preference when playing against humans. Vasopressin doubled sensitivity to the partner’s previous choices (i.e. for tit-for-tat over unconditional cooperation) across sexes and partner types. Conclusions: These findings suggest that women may be more sensitive to oxytocin’s social effects of anthropomorphism of non-humans and of unconditional cooperation with humans, which may be consistent with evolutionary pressures for maternal care, and that vasopressin, irrespective of sex and partner type, may be generally sensitising humans to others’ behaviour.

Prepared for PrEP: Preferences for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among Chinese men who have sex with men in an online national survey

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is not widely available in China. Previous studies reported low awareness and inconclusive findings on the acceptability of PrEP among Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of an online national survey comparing preferences for oral and long-acting injectable PrEP among MSM and identifying correlates of preferences. The study did not collect detailed information about partner types that may influence negotiated safety and PrEP uptake. Results: Nine-hundred and seventy-nine men from the larger sample of 1045 men responded to the PrEP survey questions. Most men (81.9%) had never heard of PrEP, but reported interest in using PrEP. More participants chose injectable PrEP (36.3%) as their preferred formulation than oral PrEP (24.6%). Men who had at least two HIV tests (adjusted OR = 1.36, 95%CI 1.04, 1.78) more commonly preferred injectable PrEP. Conclusion: Our findings may help inform PrEP messaging in areas where PrEP has yet to be scaled up.