Underperforming policy networks : the biopesticides network in the United Kingdom

Loosely integrated and incomplete policy networks have been neglected in the literature. They are important to consider in terms of understanding network underperformance. The effective delivery and formulation of policy requires networks that are not incomplete or underperforming. The biopesticides policy network in the United Kingdom is considered and its components identified with an emphasis on the lack of integration of retailers and environmental groups. The nature of the network constrains the actions of its agents and frustrates the achievement of policy goals. A study of this relatively immature policy network also allows for a focus on network formation. The state, via an external central government department, has been a key factor in the development of the network. Therefore, it is important to incorporate such factors more systematically into understandings of network formation. Feedback efforts from policy have increased interactions between productionist actors but the sphere of consumption remains insufficiently articulated

Never trust a drug that can be pronounced in three different ways: medication errors in anaesthesia

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Are We Adopting the Orphans, or Creating Them? Medical Ethics and Legal Jurisprudential Guidance for Proposed Changes to the Orphan Drug Act

This Note traces the subtle changes in the underlying purposes of the Orphan Drug Act, and evaluates those purposes from the perspectives of medical ethics and legal jurisprudence. Part I begins with the history of the Orphan Drug Act discussed issue by issue, to elucidate the subtle changes in the purpose of the Orphan Drug Act through its history. Part II explores the moral and ethical issues presented by the Orphan Drug Act to identify eleven guiding principles from medical ethics and legal jurisprudence. Lastly, Part III applies these guiding principles to the most common proposed amendments to the Orphan Drug Act. Ultimately, through a holistic understanding of the guiding principles which inform the Orphan Drug Act from medical and legal perspectives, amendments will no longer be viewed as patches to fix the “problem drugs” gaining national attention, but as opportunities to strengthen the policy goals underlying the Orphan Drug Act

Conference Report George Eliot and Her Work: Anakara Turkey, March 1999

George Eliot\u27s works are not well-known in Turkey, except for The Mill on the Floss, which is regularly studied in university departments of English Literature as part of an introductory course to the English novel, and Silas Mamer, which is occasionally included in postgraduate courses in nineteenth-century literature. There have been only four published translations of her novels - three of The Mill on the Floss (in 1970, 1975 and 1981) and one of Silas Mamer (1977), plus an introductory guide to her work, which appeared as long ago as 1949. The main aim of the two-day \u27George Eliot and Her Work\u27 conference, organized by Middle East Technical University, Ankara, in March 1999, was to encourage greater interest in her work. Over eighty participants listened to twelve papers presented by academics from Turkey, Britain and Jordan, which focused on a variety of issues. Some of the more noteworthy papers included Armagan Erdogan, a PhD student at the University of Warwick, who talked on \u27Mothers and Daughters in The Mill on the Floss\u27; Berrin Aksoy, Asociate Professor of Translation Studies at Haceteppe University, Ankara, who gave a very interesting talk on translating the Mill on the Floss into Turkish: Giilbiin Onur of Sel9uk University, Konya, on \u27Happiness as a matter of soul: Middlemarch\u27; and a remarkable pair of papers given by Clare Brandabur and Hassan Athamneh of Yarmouk University, Jordan, on The Essence of Christianity\u27 and \u27Orientalism\u27 in Daniel Deronda. Other papers, given by Unal Norman (, Consummate Narcissism in Romola\u27), and Meral Cileli (\u27Values in Felix Holt\u27) of Middle East Technical University, provided useful introductions to two of George Eliot\u27s lesser-known novels. This conference was aimed at students, as well as staff of English Literature departments; to attract their interest, a video was shown of the BBC production of Silas Mamer, together with six short programmes on \u27Material on the life and work of George Eliot\u27, originally made by BBC Education. The principal guest speaker from Britain, sponsored by the British Council, was Christine James of the British Film Institute who gave two representations of how Middlemarch was transformed by Andrew Davies (the screenwriter) and Anthony Page (the director) into a successful 6-part BBC series in 1993. Throughout the conference, a five-minute presentation was shown on \u27George Eliot Country’. This was made up of a series of photographs, plus accompanying commentary, of the major sites associated with George Eliot in the Nuneaton and Bedworth area. For their assistance in compiling this presentation, the organizers are indebted to Bill and Kathleen Adams of the George Eliot Fellowship, and Rose Selwyn of the Nuneaton Borough Council Marketing Department

Developing Countries Can Innovate and Produce Vaccines: The Case of Butantan in Brazil

Since the introduction of vaccines, governments learn that they are the most efficient and inexpensive tool to avoid the spreading of infectious diseases. It resulted in the creation of public research institutes to develop new vaccines, which gave birth to the vaccine industry, that is, growing in size by acquisition of competitors, which estimate that in 2019 they will sell $58 billion, where developing countries represent 80% of the world population, submitted to be dependent of production and prices from large producers. Incapable or not willing to assume the responsibility to produce, accept to purchase vaccines in bulk for filling and labeling as “producers.” Butantan, a public not for profit institute became the first producer of specific anti-venoms and anti-rabies sera. In 1985, Butantan Center of Biotechnology attracted 25 young PhD, which accepted to carry on inovations and technical developments, setting dedicated plants to produce vaccines at affordable cost, aiming self-sufficiency to distribute free through the Ministry of Health. This chapter describes problems and solutions that must be faced to produce vaccine at a cost that developing countries can afford

A founder-controlled, social wasp assemblage, and a recent severe fall in numbers

The 35 species of social wasps surveyed in an 8 ha plot in the Cabeça de Veado valley near Brasilia (1979 and 1997) averaged 17.9 species per survey. From 1/3 to 1/2 of the species disappeared between consecutive surveys and only two were present in every survey. On average, 43% of the 40 species known to inhabit the valley were recorded on each survey. This high rate of turn-over demonstrates that the wasps comprised a “founder-controlled” assemblage. On two more surveys, nine species were recorded in 2010 and ten in 2015; numbers which reflect recent reports on the global trend of losses of social wasps

New records of social wasps around Brasília (Hymenoptera; Vespidae; Polistinae)

The aim of the present work was to discover how many species inhabit the environs of Brasília.  Being an approximate rectangle in the middle of the Cerrado biome, the Federal District of Brasília is a representative “quadrat” to sample the biome’s fauna.

Progress in implementation of WHO FCTC Article 14 and its guidelines: a survey of tobacco dependence treatment provision in 142 countries

Aims To 1) estimate the number of Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) providing tobacco dependence treatment in accordance with the recommendations of Article 14 and its guidelines; 2) assess association between provision and countries’ income level; and 3) assess progress over time. Design Cross sectional study. Setting Online survey from December 2014 to July 2015. Participants Contacts in 172 countries were surveyed, representing 169 of the 180 FCTC Parties at the time of the survey. Measurements A 26 item questionnaire based on the Article 14 recommendations including tobacco treatment infrastructure and cessation support systems. Progress over time was assessed for those countries that also participated in our 2012 survey and did not change country income level classification. Findings We received responses from contacts in 142 countries, an 83% response rate. Overall, 54% of respondents reported their country had an officially identified person responsible for tobacco dependence treatment, 32% an official national treatment strategy, 40% official national treatment guidelines, 25% a clearly identified budget for treatment, 17% text messaging, 23% free national quitlines, and 26% specialised treatment services. Most measures were positively and significantly associated with countries’ income level (p=0.001). Measures not significantly associated with income level included mandatory recording of tobacco use (30% of countries), offering help to healthcare workers (HCW) to stop using tobacco (44%), brief advice integrated into existing services (44%), and training HCW to give brief advice (81%). Reporting having an officially identified person responsible for tobacco cessation was the only measure with a statistically significant improvement over time (p=0.0351). Conclusion Fewer than half of countries that are Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control have implemented the recommendations of Article 14 and its guidelines, and for most measures, provision was greater the higher the country’s income. There was little improvement in treatment provision between 2012 and 2015 in all countries