The Criminalization of Political Dissent: A critical discourse analysis of Occupy Vancouver and Bill C-309

Liberal democratic states have increasingly characterized expressions of political dissent as problems of ‘security’ that legitimize ongoing processes of pacification and securitization. In Canada, securitization has allowed for omnibus crime bills, increased surveillance and the continued curtailing of due process. This thesis employs the political economy of scale and anti-security literature to analyze two specific security cases – Occupy Vancouver and the making of anti-masking legislation. I draw on Access to Information and Freedom of Information releases from municipal, provincial and federal governments to explore the criminalization of political dissent, by focussing on pre-emptive social control tactics used during the two cases. These cases highlight the use of liberal ideology, the interoperability of multiscalar governance, and othering processes that construct dissenters as unlawful and illegitimate. This research provides a nuanced understanding of the tactics used to justify pre-emptive control, with the view to destabilizing the liberty-security regime

The validity of EORTC GBM prognostic calculator on survival of GBM patients in the West of Scotland

Objective: It is now accepted that the addition of temozolomide to radiotherapy in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) significantly improves survival. In 2008, a subanalysis of the original study data was performed, and an online “GBM Calculator” was made available on the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) website allowing users to estimate patients’ survival outcomes. We tested this calculator against actual local survival data to validate its use in our patients.Materials and methods: Prospectively collected clinical data were analysed on 105 consecutive patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy following surgical treatment of GBM between December 2004 and February 2009. Using the EORTC online calculator, survival outcomes were generated for these patients and compared with their actual survival. Results: The median overall survival for the entire cohort was 15.3 months (range 2.8–50.5 months), with 1-year and 2-year overall survival of 65.7% and 19%, respectively. This is in comparison to the median overall predictive survival of 21.3 months, with 1-year and 2-year survival of 95% and 39.5%, respectively. Case by case analysis also showed that the survival was overestimated in nearly 80% of patients. Subgroup analyses showed similar overestimation of patients’ survival, except calculator Model 3 which utilised MGMT status. Conclusion: Use of the EORTC GBM prognostic calculator would have overestimated the survival of the majority of our patients with GBM. Uncertainty exists as to the cause of overestimation in the cohort although local socioeconomic factors might play a role. The different calculator models yielded different outcomes and the “best” predictor of survival for the cohort under study utilised the tumour MGMT status. We would strongly encourage similar local studies of validity testing prior to employing the online prognostic calculator for other population groups

A survival analysis of GBM patients in the West of Scotland pre- and post-introduction of the Stupp regime

Objective: It is now accepted that the concomitant administration of temozolomide with radiotherapy (Stupp regime), in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), significantly improves survival and this practice has been adopted locally since 2004. However, survival outcomes in cancer can vary in different population groups, and outcomes can be affected by a number of local factors including socioeconomic status. In the West of Scotland, we have one of the worse socioeconomic status and overall health record for a western European country. With the ongoing reorganisation and rationalisation in the National Health Service, the addition of prolonged courses of chemotherapy to patients’ management significantly adds to the financial burden of a cash stripped NHS. A survival analysis in patients with GBM was therefore performed, comparing outcomes of pre- and post-introduction of the Stupp regime, to justify the current practice.<p></p> Materials and methods: Prospectively collected clinical data were analysed in 105 consecutive patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy (Stupp regime) following surgical treatment of GBM between December 2004 and February 2009. This was compared to those of 106 consecutive GBM patients who had radical radiotherapy (pre-Stupp regime) post-surgery between January 2001 and February 2006.<p></p> Results: The median overall survival for the post-Stupp cohort was 15.3 months (range, 2.83–50.5 months), with 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates of 65.7% and 19%, respectively. This was in comparison with the median overall pre-Stupp survival of 10.7 months, with 1-year and 2-year survival rates of 42.6% and 12%, respectively (log-rank test, p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that independent prognostic factors for better survival were younger age, greater extent of surgical resection and a post-operative chemoradiotherapy regime.<p></p> Conclusion: Significant survival benefit has been achieved, following the introduction of the Stupp regime, in GBM patients in the West of Scotland.<p></p&gt