scholarly journals What the COVID-19 pandemic reveals about science, policy and society

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Ball
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Science Policy ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Political Leadership ◽  
General Applicability ◽  
The World ◽  
Public Scrutiny ◽  
The Uk

The global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–2021 required politicians to work alongside and depend on scientists more closely than any other event in recent times. It also saw science unfold in real time under intense public scrutiny. As a result, it highlighted as never before the ways in which science interacts with policy-making and with society, showing with sometimes painful clarity that science does not operate in a social or political vacuum. With the advent of vaccines against the coronavirus that has caused the pandemic, science has come to be seen as something of a saviour. But at other times and in other contexts it has also been cast as a villain and an inconvenience, and has run into stark conflict with political leadership. In this article, I consider these issues with particular reference to the situation in the UK—which, as with any nation, illustrated some considerations of more general applicability but also had aspects unique to this country. I argue that there are many lessons to be learnt, and that, as this is surely not the last infectious-disease crisis of such magnitude that the world will face, we must hope they will be heeded.

scholarly journals The new evidence-based policy: public participation between ‘hard evidence’ and democracy in practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-227
Author(s):  
Helen Pallett
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Science Policy ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Evidence Based Policy ◽  
Hard Evidence ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk

Background:Debates about evidence-based policy (EBP) were revived in the UK in the 2010s in the context of civil service reform and changing practices of policy making, including institutionalisation of public participation in science policy making. Aims and objectives:This paper aims to explore this revival of interest in EBP in the context of the Government-funded public participation programme Sciencewise, which supports and promotes public dialogues in science policy making. It is based on in-depth ethnographic study of the programme during 2013, considering the impacts on Sciencewise practices and working understandings of engaging in the EBP debate. There is a particular focus on the advantages and disadvantages of categorising public participation as a source of evidence-based policy as opposed to presenting participation as a democratic act which is separate from discussions of EBP. Key conclusions:At different times Sciencewise actors moved between these stances in order to gain credibility and attention for their work, and to situate the outcomes of public participation processes in a broader policy context. In some instances the presentation of outputs from public participation processes as legitimate evidence for policy gave them greater influence and enriched broader discussions about the meaning and practice of open policy. However, it also frequently led to their dismissal on methodological grounds, inhibiting serious engagement with their outputs and challenging internal frameworks for evaluation and learning.

scholarly journals Implications of a travel connectivity-based approach for infectious disease transmission risks in Oceania

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e046206
Author(s):  
Angela Cadavid Restrepo ◽  
Luis Furuya-Kanamori ◽  
Helen Mayfield ◽  
Eric Nilles ◽  
Colleen L Lau
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
The World ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk

IntroductionThe increase in international travel brought about by globalisation has enabled the rapid spread of emerging pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential. While travel connectivity-based assessments may help understand patterns of travel network-mediated epidemics, such approaches are rarely carried out in sufficient detail for Oceania where air travel is the dominant method of transportation between countries.DesignTravel data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Stats NZ and the United Nations World Tourism Organization websites were used to calculate travel volumes in 2018 within Oceania and between Oceania and the rest of the world. The Infectious Disease Vulnerability Index (IDVI) was incorporated into the analysis as an indicator of each country’s capacity to contain an outbreak. Travel networks were developed to assess the spread of infectious diseases (1) into and from Oceania, (2) within Oceania and (3) between each of the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) and their most connected countries.ResultsOceania was highly connected to countries in Asia, Europe and North America. Australia, New Zealand and several PICTs were highly connected to the USA and the UK (least vulnerable countries for outbreaks based on the IDVI), and to China (intermediate low vulnerable country). High variability was also observed between the PICTs in the geographical distribution of their international connections. The PICTs with the highest number of international connections were Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam and Papua New Guinea.ConclusionTravel connectivity assessments may help to accurately stratify the risk of infectious disease importation and outbreaks in countries depending on disease transmission in other parts of the world. This information is essential to track future requirements for scaling up and targeting outbreak surveillance and control strategies in Oceania.

Beyond Brexit’s uncertainty: the foreseeable Britain’s innovative stagnation

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 773-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alcides J. Padilla ◽  
Alexander Garrido
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The World ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Integration Analysis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the causes that determine the UK’s civilian research and development (R&D) expenditure to forecast its possible evolution in a post-Brexit scenario. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the Johansen’s co-integration analysis for time series. Findings The authors find a co-integration relationship between R&D and variables such as exports, military expenditure, patents, EU GDP per capita and USA GDP per capita. The authors also observed a stagnation in the foreseen R&D expenditure over the next five years. Research limitations/implications The authors warned that the results can only be viewed as a glance into the understanding of the complex elements that undergird the UK’s civilian, scientific and technological policy-making. But the authors see them as an interesting starting point for scrutinizing current shortcomings in policy-making, while providing clues for corrective action that would otherwise lead the UK to a structural crisis in its economic performance. Originality/value This study constitutes a first attempt to account for the loss of the UK’s innovative influence all over the world.

scholarly journals Estimated Dissemination Ratio—A Practical Alternative to the Reproduction Number for Infectious Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco J. Pérez-Reche ◽  
Nick Taylor ◽  
Chris McGuigan ◽  
Philip Conaglen ◽  
Ken J. Forbes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Reproduction Number ◽  
Transmission Rate ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Epidemic Curve ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Policymakers require consistent and accessible tools to monitor the progress of an epidemic and the impact of control measures in real time. One such measure is the Estimated Dissemination Ratio (EDR), a straightforward, easily replicable, and robust measure of the trajectory of an outbreak that has been used for many years in the control of infectious disease in livestock. It is simple to calculate and explain. Its calculation and use are discussed below together with examples from the current COVID-19 outbreak in the UK. These applications illustrate that EDR can demonstrate changes in transmission rate before they may be clear from the epidemic curve. Thus, EDR can provide an early warning that an epidemic is resuming growth, allowing earlier intervention. A conceptual comparison between EDR and the commonly used reproduction number is also provided.

The UK Wimbledon Strategy

2021 ◽  
pp. 76-92
Author(s):  
Mark Thatcher ◽  
Tim Vlandas
Keyword(s):  
National Security ◽  
Market Economy ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
The Political ◽  
Economic Governance ◽  
Sovereign Wealth Funds ◽  
The Us ◽  
The World ◽  
State Capital ◽  
The Uk

Although also labelled a ‘liberal’ market economy, the UK has strongly pursued internationalized statism in stark contrast to the US. It has followed a ‘Wimbledon’ strategy of seeking to attract Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) from all over the world even if they take large stakes in prominent British firms. Both formal and informal instruments have been actively used to welcome SWFs, who have taken significant stakes in leading British firms in strategic sectors and bought nationally symbolic buildings and brands. The UK has followed strong internationalized statism thanks to the dominance of the political executive in policy making that has allowed it to frame SWF investments in terms of economic governance rather than national security and the weakness of the legislature in raising concerns. Despite domestic privatizations, it has welcomed overseas state capital that has reinforced existing strategies of aiding privileged sectors such as finance.

International Listening Post report summary: the world at the dawn of 2019

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-124
Author(s):  
Sandy Henderson ◽  
Ulrike Beland ◽  
Dimitrios Vonofakos
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Faroe Islands ◽  
The South ◽  
The World ◽  
The Uk

On or around 9 January 2019, twenty-two Listening Posts were conducted in nineteen countries: Canada, Chile, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Germany (Frankfurt and Berlin), Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy (two in Milan and one in the South), Peru, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, and the UK. This report synthesises the reports of those Listening Posts and organises the data yielded by them into common themes and patterns.

The Development of Tourism and Ecotourism in Cambodia

2011 ◽  
pp. 89-100
Author(s):  
Thong Khon
Keyword(s):  
Political Leadership ◽  
Consensus Building ◽  
Mass Tourism ◽  
Alternative Tourism ◽  
The World

This paper analyses the development of tourism and ecotourism in Cambodia. The paper shows that tourism not only helps the country to earn foreign income but also helps raise its identity in the eyes of the world. Alternative tourism including ecotourism has recently been introduced in Cambodia. For Cambodia, ecotourism is seen as a better option for tourism than conventional or mass tourism. Ecotourism development in Cambodia requires informed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building.

Science, Politics, and the Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 119 (820) ◽  
pp. 303-309
Author(s):  
J. Nicholas Ziegler
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Political Leadership ◽  
The United States ◽  
Scientific Advice ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Effective Policy ◽  
Scientific Expertise ◽  
The Uk

Comparing the virus responses in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States shows that in order for scientific expertise to result in effective policy, rational political leadership is required. Each of these three countries is known for advanced biomedical research, yet their experiences in the COVID-19 pandemic diverged widely. Germany’s political leadership carefully followed scientific advice and organized public–private partnerships to scale up testing, resulting in relatively low infection levels. The UK and US political responses were far more erratic and less informed by scientific advice—and proved much less effective.

Designing an Outer Membrane Protein (Omp-W) Based Vaccine for Immunization against Vibrio and Salmonella: An in silico Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 312-324
Author(s):  
Sadra S. Tehrani ◽  
Abolfazl Jahangiri ◽  
Mortaza Taheri-Anganeh ◽  
Hossein Maghsoudi ◽  
Saeed Khalili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
B Cell Epitopes ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beta Barrel ◽  
The World ◽  
Cd4 Cell ◽  
Stimulating Factor ◽  
Topology Prediction

Background: Cholera triggered by Vibrio cholerae remains the main reason for morbidity and mortality all over the world. In addition, salmonellosis is regarded as an infectious disease that makes it essential for the identification and detection of Salmonella. With a beta-barrel structure consisting of eight non-parallel beta strands, OmpW family is widely distributed among gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, OmpW isolated from S. typhimurium and Vibrio cholerae can be used in vaccine design. Methods: Topology prediction was determined. T-cell and B-cell epitopes were selected from exposed areas, and sequence conservancy was evaluated. The remaining loops and inaccessible residues were removed to prepare OmpW-1. High antigenicity peptides were detected to replace inappropriate residues to obtain OmpW-2. Physicochemical properties were assessed, and antigenicity, hydrophobicity, flexibility, and accessibility were compared to the native Omp-W structure. Low score areas were removed from the designed structure for preparing the OmpW-3. To construct OmpW-4, TTFrC was used as T-CD4+ cell-stimulating factor and CTB as adjuvant to the end of the C-terminal of this sequence, which can increase the antigenicity and sequence density. The sequences were re-analyzed to delete the unfavorable residues. Besides, the solubility of the mature OmpW and the designed structure were predicted while overexpressed in E. coli. Results: The designed vaccine is a stable protein which has immune cells recognizing epitopes and is considered as an antigen. The construct can be overexpressed in a E. coli. Conclusion: The multi-epitope vaccine is a suitable stimulator for immune system and would be a candidate for experimental research. Recent patents describing numerous inventions related to the clinical facets of vaccine peptide against human infectious disease.

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