Policy shops, hired guns, and gatekeepers: The organization and distribution of policy analysts in Ontario

Policy professionals play an important role in political and administrative systems. However, the exact configuration and distribution of such personnel within agencies remains largely unknown. Early works noted the creation of small dedicated “policy shops” in many governments after 1960 where many policy professionals were located. Studies in Canada and elsewhere subsequently confirmed this organizational form but questions such as how many professionals are employed and where these units are located within existing departmental structures remain opaque. In this article, we provide an organizational mapping of professional policy personnel in the Ontario Public Service (OPS). We find that four major personnel distribution patterns exist within the OPS with only some analysts and professionals working in “classical” policy shops. These findings underscore the need to re‐evaluate the organization and staffing of professional policy analysts in government in order to better account for the kinds of work policy professionals do in modern administrations

Beyond the Individual in Controversial Science-Based Technology Attitude Formation and Regulation: The State Construction of Policy Alternatives in Asia

10.2139/ssrn.17175151-3

The tools of policy formulation: an introduction

What techniques or means do public policymakers use in their attempts to achieve policy goals? The roles of what may be termed policy instruments, tools and methods (Howlett 2011, p. 22) have attracted a great deal of attention. It is generally accepted that policy tools and instruments exist at all stages of the policy process (Howlett 2011, p. 22), ranging from policy formulation through to ex post evaluation (Dunn 2004). But in the public policy literature, much of the debate has focused on instruments for implementing agreed policy objectives, such as regulations, subsidies, taxes and voluntary agreements (Hood 1983; Hood and Margetts 2007; Salamon 2002). Recently, a second category of implementing instruments has been identified: procedural tools (Howlett 2000). These include education, training, provision of information and public hearings. These are procedural in the sense that they seek to affect outcomes indirectly through manipulating policy processes. The manner in which both types of instruments are selected and deployed aims to change the substance, effects and outcomes of policy, by sending signals about what is to be achieved and how government is likely to respond to target groups

The "Lumpiness" Thesis Revisited: The Venures of Policy Work and the Distribution of Analytical ...

10.2139/ssrn.22600281-3

Comparison of the functional and structural characteristics of rare TSC2 variants with clinical and genetic findings

The TSC1 and TSC2 gene products interact to form the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), an important negative regulator of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1). Inactivating mutations in TSC1 or TSC2 cause TSC, and the identification of a pathogenic TSC1 or TSC2 variant helps establish a diagnosis of TSC. However, it is not always clear whether TSC1 and TSC2 variants are inactivating. To determine whether TSC1 and TSC2 variants of uncertain clinical significance affect TSC complex function and cause TSC, in vitro assays of TORC1 activity can be employed. Here we combine genetic, functional, and structural approaches to try and classify a series of 15 TSC2 VUS. We investigated the effects of the variants on the formation of the TSC complex, on TORC1 activity and on TSC2 pre-mRNA splicing. In 13 cases (87%), the functional data supported the hypothesis that the identified TSC2 variant caused TSC. Our results illustrate the benefits and limitations of functional testing for TSC

The TNF-Family Receptor DR3 is Essential for Diverse T Cell-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases

SummaryDR3 (TRAMP, LARD, WSL-1, TNFRSF25) is a death-domain-containing tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-family receptor primarily expressed on T cells. TL1A, the TNF-family ligand for DR3, can costimulate T cells, but the physiological function of TL1A-DR3 interactions in immune responses is not known. Using DR3-deficient mice, we identified DR3 as the receptor responsible for TL1A-induced T cell costimulation and dendritic cells as the likely source for TL1A during T cell activation. Despite its role in costimulation, DR3 was not required for in vivo T cell priming, for polarization into T helper 1 (Th1), Th2, or Th17 effector cell subtypes, or for effective control of infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Instead, DR3 expression was required on T cells for immunopathology, local T cell accumulation, and cytokine production in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) and allergic lung inflammation, disease models that depend on distinct effector T cell subsets. DR3 could be an attractive therapeutic target for T cell-mediated autoimmune and allergic diseases

Análisis del comportamiento infantil basado en la escala de Frankl durante la atención odontológica

Introducción: El éxito de la Odontopediatría depende, no sólo de las habilidades del profesional en cuanto a la técnica operatoria, sino también de la capacidad que posea de conseguir cooperación por parte de los pacientes. El miedo está catalogado dentro de las seis emociones básicas del ser humano junto a la tristeza, ira, alegría, sorpresa y el asco. Por muchos años el miedo ha sido reconocido como una fuente de problemas en el manejo de la conducta del paciente infantil en la situación odontopediátrica. Frankl y Wright describieron por primera vez las distintas formas de comportamiento del paciente pediátrico en el consultorio odontológico, clasificándolos en cuatro tipos de acuerdo al grado de respuesta conductual.Facultad de Odontologí