Understanding policy persistence—The case of police drug detection dog policy in NSW,Australia

BackgroundSignificant research attention has been given to understanding the processes of drug policy reform. However, there has been surprisingly little analysis of the persistence of policy in the face of opposition and evidence of ineffectiveness. In this article we analysed just such a case – police drug detection dog policy in NSW, Australia. We sought to identify factors which may account for the continuation of this policy, in spite of counter-evidence and concerted advocacy.MethodsThe analysis was conducted using the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF). We collated documents relating to NSW drug detection dog policy from 1995 to 2016, including parliamentary records (NSW Parliament Hansard), government and institutional reports, legislation, police procedures, books, media, and academic publications. Texts were then read, coded and classified against the core dimensions of the ACF, including subsystem actors and coalitions, their belief systems and resources and venues employed for policy debate.ResultsThree coalitions were identified as competing in the policy subsystem: security/law and order, civil liberties and harm reduction. Factors that aided policy stability were the continued dominance of the security/law and order coalition since they introduced the drug dog policy; a power imbalance enabling the ruling coalition to limit when and where the policy was discussed; and a highly adversarial policy subsystem. In this context even technical knowledge that dogs infringed civil liberties and increased risks of overdose were readily downplayed, leading to only incremental changes in implementation rather than policy cessation or wholesale revision.ConclusionThe analysis provides new insights into why the accumulation of new evidence and advocacy efforts can be insufficient to drive significant policy change. It poses a challenge for the evidence-based paradigm suggesting that in highly adversarial policy subsystems new evidence is unlikely to generate policy change without broader subsystem change, such as reducing the adversarial nature and/or providing new avenues for cross-coalition learning.     

Why France is making eight new vaccines mandatory

France is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of vaccine hesitancy in the world. In an attempt to raise vaccination coverages, the French government made on January 1, 2018 eight more vaccines mandatory in addition to the three required until then. The process that led to this policy choice is of particular interest. We describe how vaccines became contentious in France and how French authorities came to view mandatory vaccination as the solution to the rise in vaccine hesitancy. In a bold move, French public health authorities turned to a new type of institutional device grounded in the ideal of democracy and public participation to political decision-making: “a citizen consultation”. This consultation anchored the idea that legal coercion could be the solution to France’s crisis with vaccines. Time will tell whether the French extension of mandatory vaccination will reduce tensions around vaccines.     

Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with left ventricular apical aneurysm: Importance of multi‐modality imaging

Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an uncommon variant of HCM characterized by apical hypertrophy without the septal predominance seen in the majority of HCM cases. In 2% of patients, a concomitant left ventricular apical aneurysm is observed, which increases the risk of sudden death and adverse HCM‐related events. Multimodality imaging is helpful for appropriate identification of this particular morphologic pattern. Herein, we present a case of apical HCM with a left ventricular apical aneurysm, exemplifying the utility of a multimodality approach from resting electrocardiogram, transthoracic echocardiogram, left ventriculography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, for proper risk stratification and treatment planning.     

新形势下我国科技期刊稿源变化趋势——面向作者和科技期刊编辑的问卷调查与分析

【目的】 分析科技评价体系改革和国家大力扶持期刊发展新形势下我国科技期刊稿源动态变化趋势,助力国内科技期刊加速发展。【方法】 针对作者和科技期刊编辑分别设计了“国内科技期刊作者投稿意愿调查”和“2020年国内科技期刊稿源情况调查”问卷,利用问卷星提供的问卷设计和问卷发放(借助科研、期刊交流微信群)、统计分析等功能完成问卷调查。【结果】 大多数(86.2%)期刊2020年的投稿量比2019年增加,但增加1倍以上的期刊仅占6.4%;大部分期刊稿件平均质量有所提高(49.4%)或基本持平(47.0%)。绝大多数作者比较认可中国科技期刊,但同时对期刊发文速度、审稿质量、传播力度等有越来越高的要求,对期刊服务能力、品牌特色有越来越多的期待。【结论】 科技评价体系改革和国家扶持期刊发展为中国科技期刊发展带来了机遇和挑战,面对作者投稿国内期刊意愿的变化,我国科技期刊应该采取更加积极的应对措施,稳步扩大出版量、优化出版流程以承载更多回流的优秀稿件。     

Reverse engineering techniques applied to a human skull,for CAD 3D reconstruction and physical replication by rapid prototyping

The production of a copy of an existing object of complex shape is one of the typical applications of the integration between two modern computer-based technologies, reverse engineering (RE) and rapid prototyping (RP). The method is extremely versatile and can be used in various applicative domains (e.g. replacement of anatomical parts with artificial prostheses, replication of skeletal remains). Two different acquisition techniques of images of a skull, by laser and by CT scan, were compared to ascertain which enabled more accurate reproduction of the original specimen. The skull was chosen due to it being the body part most often used in medico-legal investigations (for personal identification, skull-photo superimposition techniques, forensic art, etc). Comparison between the copy and the original yielded satisfactory results for both techniques. However, CT scanning demonstrated some advantages over the laser technique, as it provided a cleaner point cloud, enabling shorter pre-reproduction processing times, as well as data on the internal parts, which resulted in the reproduction of a more faithful copy.     

Prediction of Oncotype Dx recurrence score using clinical parameters: A comparison of available tools and a simple predictor based on grade and progesterone receptor

Objective/BackgroundThe Oncotype Dx test is a genomic test currently used in clinical practice to predict the risk of disease recurrence in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer patients with axillary lymph node-negative or micrometastatic disease. The test is one of several similar genomically based tests available. Although it has a good predictive value, it is expensive and thus constitutes a significant financial burden for health systems. Thus, several attempts have been made to devise low-cost tools that could predict the recurrence score derived from the genomic evaluation using easily obtainable clinical parameters.MethodsTwo previously proposed predictive tools were evaluated in a cohort of 201 patients that had undergone the Oncotype Dx test for their efficacy in predicting the Oncotype Dx Recurrence Score (RS). A simple predictor, named GR-PR, based on two available pathologic parameters, grade and progesterone receptor status was devised and also evaluated.ResultsThe sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of all three tools were compared and found to be similar for all cutoff points of Oncotype Dx RS. The accuracy of GR-PR was comparable to the best performing of the two other prediction tools for all four cutoff points.ConclusionThe simple GR-PR predictor proposed in this study seems to be at least as accurate as more complex tools and should be the preferred tool for the prediction of Oncotype Dx RS from clinicopathologic parameters when the Oncotype Dx test is not available.     

浙江省德清县县域医共体改革措施与效果分析

目的：分析浙江省德清县县域医共体改革措施及阶段性成效。方法：定性访谈了解医共体整合措施，定量分析医共体建设前后（2016-2018年）各级医疗机构医疗服务利用数据及医共体部分绩效考核数据。结果：医共体在组织、管理、功能、服务方面进行整合，并取得阶段成效：医保基金在县域内支出率有所增加；乡镇卫生院卫生人员数量、医疗收入有所提高，乡镇卫生院住院病人人均医药费有所降低。结论：医共体取得初期成效，应开展以患者健康结局指标为主的长期追踪调查，全面系统评估医共体；保留基层医疗机构地位、功能定位不变；探索实行医共体"总额预付、结余奖励"制度，将医共体发展成以患者健康为中心、基于利益共享机制、分工合作的责任利益共同体。     

The outcome measures for loss of functionality in the activities of daily living of adults after stroke: a systematic review

Objective: To provide clinicians and researchers information regarding (1) the existing outcome measures to assess the loss of functionality in the activities of daily living (ADLs) of patients with stroke and (2) the presence of these assessment tools in the Italian context.

Study Design and Setting: For this Systematic Review Medline, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched for articles published up to 4 July 2017. Two authors independently identified eligible studies on the basis of prede?ned inclusion criteria and extracted data. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies.

Results: Of 370 publications identified and screened, 46 studies fell within the inclusion criteria and were critically reviewed. The most commonly used tools were: the Frenchay Activities Index and the Functional Independence Measure.

Conclusion: This review has emphasized the need for agreement among researchers as to which tool must be studied in depth or adapted to other national contexts in order to develop universal norms and standards.