Green credit policy and residents' health: quasi-natural experimental evidence from China.

Background: Residents' health plays an important role in economic prosperity and national development. Methods: The research analyzes data from 262 prefecture-level cities in China spanning the period from 2010 to 2021. Utilizing the implementation of green credit policy in China as a quasi-natural experiment, the paper employs the time-varying Differences-in- Differences (DID) model to evaluate the influence of green credit policy on residents' health. Results: The paper results show that: (1) the green credit policy significantly improves residents' health, and this conclusion still holds after a series of robustness tests. (2) Mechanism analysis reveals that the green credit policy affects residents' health through the improvements of the environment and the elevation of public services standards in demonstration cities. (3) Heterogeneity analysis shows that the impact of green credit policy on residents' health is more significant in the western cities and resource-based cities than in the central-eastern cities and non-resource-based cities. This paper explains the specific path and realization of green credit policy to enhance residents' health, which provides a reference for further designing and improving effective green credit policy. Discussion: The deficiencies within the green credit policy has resulted in limited improvements. It is recommended that China should broaden the ambit of the green credit policy and refine the criteria for its execution.

Navigating intellectual property (IP): A comparative analysis of Australian universities' IP policies.

The push towards research commercialisation at universities has highlighted the importance of intellectual property (IP) policies in fostering innovation and guiding and managing research commercialisation activities. This paper undertakes a content analysis of intellectual property policies of all (37) Australian public universities, focusing on policy objectives, definition of IP, ownership of IP created by different creators, and distribution of net commercialisation revenues. It is found that all universities assert ownership over staff-created IP, particularly when related to employment or utilisation of university resources. For students, policies tend to balance their rights with university interests, with nuanced approaches for different types of student participation, but the focus of most policies was on postgraduate students engaging in research activities. While some policies had clear arrangements for IP created by visitors and affiliates and Indigenous cultural and intellectual property (ICIP), about a quarter of policies did not specify arrangements for these groups. Revenue sharing arrangements vary but generally award something between a third to a half of net revenue to creators, to both acknowledge their contribution and incentivise further innovation. Policies included a broad spectrum of objectives, from protecting and commercialising IP to fostering innovation and societal benefit, reflecting varying strategies across the higher education sector. Policies could benefit from further clarity in certain areas such as the rights of students or other creator groups. Research is needed to assess the effectiveness of these policies and their influence on innovation and commercialisation activities.

Perinatal Mental Health: The Need For Broader Understanding And Policies That Meet The Challenges.

Perinatal mental health is gaining recognition as a key antecedent of adverse maternal and child outcomes as the United States experiences a maternal mortality and morbidity crisis. Recent policy efforts have attempted to mitigate adverse outcomes through legislation such as the Taskforce Recommending Improvements for Unaddressed Mental Perinatal and Postpartum Health (TRIUMPH) for New Moms Act of 2021 and postpartum coverage through Medicaid expansion. Even with progress, perinatal mental health policy continues to grapple with a basic truth: The United States lacks an overarching health care system capable of meeting the mental health care needs of perinatal people and their families.  Moreover, the burden of undiagnosed and untreated perinatal mental health challenges remains greatest among racially minoritized populations, such as Black, Asian, and multiracial people. A broader understanding of perinatal mental health is needed, grounded in the tenets of reproductive justice. From this perspective, we articulate specific policies to meet perinatal mental health challenges and promote thriving for birthing people and their families.

Associations of U.S. state-level COVID-19 policies intensity with cannabis sharing behaviors in 2020.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis use before the COVID-19 pandemic for many involved sharing prepared cannabis for inhalation, practices that were less prevalent during the pandemic. State-level COVID-19 containment policies may have influenced this decrease. This study examined the extent to which the intensity of state-level COVID-19 policies were associated with individual-level cannabis sharing. Findings have the potential to guide harm reduction policies for future respiratory pandemics and seasonal respiratory virus waves. METHODS: This study used cross-sectional individual-level data from the COVID-19 Cannabis Study, an anonymous U.S.-based web survey on cannabis use disseminated during the early phase of the pandemic (Full sample N = 1,883). We combined individual-level data with state-level policy data from Kaiser Family Foundation's State COVID-19 Data and Policy Actions for three time-points from June to August 2020 that overlapped with the survey period. Cannabis sharing was dichotomized as any versus no sharing. We adapted a previously published coding framework to score the intensity of COVID-19 policies implemented in each U.S. state and averaged the policy score across the time period. We then used Poisson regression models to quantify the associations of the average state-level COVID-19 policy score with cannabis sharing during the pandemic. RESULTS: Participants (n = 925) reporting using inhalation as a mode for cannabis use were included in this analysis. Most respondents were male (64.1%), non-Hispanic White (54.3%), with a mean age of 33.7 years (SD 8.8). A large proportion (74.9%) reported sharing cannabis during the pandemic. Those who shared cannabis more commonly lived in states with a lower average policy score (16.7, IQR 12.3-21.5) compared to those who did not share (18.6, IQR 15.3-25.3). In adjusted models, the prevalence ratio of any cannabis sharing per every 5-unit increase in the average COVID-19 policy score was 0.97 (95% CI 0.93, 1.01). CONCLUSIONS: Fewer individuals shared cannabis in states with more intense COVID-19 containment policies compared to those in states with less intense policies. Individuals who use cannabis may be willing to make changes to their behavior and may further benefit from specific and directed public health messaging to avoid sharing during respiratory infection outbreaks.

Engaging with immigrant students' voices in the school environment: an analysis of policy documents through school websites.

BACKGROUND: For students to feel happy and supported in school, it is important that their views are taken seriously and integrated into school policies. However, limited information is available how the voices of immigrant students are considered in European school contexts. This study generated evidence from written documents to ascertain how student voice practices are described at school websites. METHODS: Between 2 March and 8 April 2021, we reviewed the policy documents publicly available on school websites. The schools located in areas of high immigration in six European countries: Austria, England, Finland, Germany, Romania, and Switzerland. The READ approach was used to guide the steps in the document analysis in the context of policy studies (1) ready the materials, 2) data extraction, 3) data analysis, 4) distil the findings). A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches with descriptive statistics (n, %, Mean, SD, range) was used for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 412 documents (305 schools) were extracted. Based on reviewing school websites, reviewers'strongly agreed' in seven documents (2%) that information related to seeking student voices could be easily found. On the contrary, in 247 documents (60%), reviewers strongly indicated that information related to seeking student voices was missing. No clear characteristics could be specified to identify those schools were hearing students' voices is well documented. The most common documents including statements related to student voice were anti-bullying or violence prevention strategies (75/412) and mission statements (72/412). CONCLUSIONS: Our document analysis based on publicly accessible school websites suggest that student voices are less frequently described in school written policy documents. Our findings provide a baseline to further monitor activities, not only at school level but also to any governmental and local authorities whose intention is to serve the public and openly share their values and practices with community members. A deeper understanding is further needed about how listening to student voices is realized in daily school practices.

Causes and outcomes of at-risk underperforming pharmacy students: implications for policy and practice.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand the key determinants for poor academic performance of students completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm), Bachelor of Pharmacy and Management (BPharmMgmt), or Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree. METHODS: Data were collected on pharmacy students who had not met academic progression requirements between 2008 and 2018 at The University of Sydney, Australia. This included: age at the start of pharmacy degree; gender; whether they transferred from another university; whether they were a domestic or international student; Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank upon entry, previous studies in biology, chemistry, or mathematics; show cause triggers (units of study failed); number of show causes; students' written show cause responses; weighted average mark at last show cause or graduation; whether they graduated and were a registered pharmacist; and, the number of years they spent studying the degree. Descriptive studies were used to analyse student characteristics using SPSS software, and student self-reported reasons for poor performance were analysed reflexively using thematic analysis procedures using NVivo. RESULTS: This study included 164 pharmacy students enrolled in a BPharm (79.3%, n = 130), BPharmMgmt (1.2%, n = 2), or MPharm (19.5%, n = 32). Of the students, 54% (n = 88) were men, 81% (n = 133) were domestic students, 15% (n = 24) transferred from another degree program, and 38% (n = 62) graduated from the course. Show cause students were less likely to graduate if they transferred from another degree program (P = 0.0002) or failed more than three units of study (UoS; P < 0.0001). The most commonly failed UoS were related to organic or pharmaceutical chemistry, and the top student self-reported reasons for poor performance was stress/anxiety, physical health, and depression. CONCLUSION: Pharmacy schools should aim to address student foundational knowledge in chemistry, identify at-risk students early using pre-subject testing, and provide better services to address student mental health.

Governance, policy, and health systems responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand: a qualitative study.

Background: Since 2020, Thailand has experienced four waves of COVID-19. By 31 January 2022, there were 2.4 million cumulative cases and 22,176 deaths nationwide. This study assessed the governance and policy responses adapted to different sizes of the pandemic outbreaks and other challenges. Methods: A qualitative study was applied, including literature reviews and in-depth interviews with 17 multi-sectoral actors purposively identified from those who were responsible for pandemic control and vaccine rollout. We applied deductive approaches using health systems building blocks, and inductive approaches using analysis of in-depth interview content, where key content formed sub-themes, and different sub-themes formed the themes of the study. Findings: Three themes emerged from this study. First, the large scale of COVID-19 infections, especially the Delta strain in 2021, challenged the functioning of the health system's capacity to respond to cases and maintain essential health services. The Bangkok local government insufficiently performed due to its limited capacity, ineffective multi-sectoral collaboration, and high levels of vulnerability in the population. However, adequate financing, universal health coverage, and health workforce professionalism and commitment were key enabling factors that supported the health system. Second, the population's vulnerability exacerbated infection spread, and protracted political conflicts and political interference resulted in the politicization of pandemic control measures and vaccine roll-out; all were key barriers to effective pandemic control. Third, various innovations and adaptive capacities minimized the supply-side gaps, while social capital and civil society engagement boosted community resilience. Conclusion: This study identifies key governance gaps including in public communication, managing infodemics, and inadequate coordination with Bangkok local government, and between public and private sectors on pandemic control and health service provisions. The Bangkok government had limited capacity in light of high levels of population vulnerability. These gaps were widened by political conflicts and interference. Key strengths are universal health coverage with full funding support, and health workforce commitment, innovations, and capacity to adapt interventions to the unfolding emergency. Existing social capital and civil society action increases community resilience and minimizes negative impacts on the population.

Comprehensive intellectual property ability and firm productivity: A quasi-natural experiment based on national intellectual property demonstration advantage firm policy in China.

Intellectual property is crucial for the development of firms. At the micro level, firm comprehensive intellectual property ability involves abilities about intellectual property creation, utilization, protection, and management. In order to develop the comprehensive intellectual property ability of firms, the China National Intellectual Property Administration began to implement the national intellectual property demonstration advantage firm (NIPDAF) policy in 2013. Based on this exogenous policy shock, using data from listed companies from 2011 to 2020 as the research sample, the time-varying DID method is used to test the impact of the NIPDAF policy intended to cultivate comprehensive intellectual property ability on firm productivity. The results show that after policy implementation, the total factor productivity of NIPDAFs increased by about 3.3% compared to the control group. This finding is robust after a series of tests. Furthermore, the NIPDAF policy promotes firm productivity through stimulating technology innovation, improving investment efficiency, and enhancing competitive advantage. In addition, the NIPDAF policy has a more significant incentive effect on the total factor productivity of non-state-owned enterprises, firms in the eastern region, and firms in patent intensive industries.

Legal actors' and laypersons' utility judgments of eyewitness lineup procedures and outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Recent attempts to model the relative performances of eyewitness lineup procedures necessarily include theoretical assumptions about the various costs/benefits, or utilities, of different identification outcomes. We collected data to incorporate empirically derived utilities into such modeling as well as data on various stakeholders' views of lineup procedures as tertiary objectives. HYPOTHESES: This research was exploratory; therefore, we did not have a priori hypotheses. METHOD: We surveyed judges' (n = 70), prosecutors' (n = 28), police officers' (n = 82), and laypersons' (n = 191) opinions about eyewitness identification procedures and the utilities of outcomes of eyewitness identification procedures. We incorporated the utility judgments into models comparing the desirability of various lineup reforms and compared policy preferences between our samples. RESULTS: All samples frequently mentioned estimator and system variables in open-ended evaluations of lineup procedures, but legal samples mentioned system variables more often than did laypersons. Reflector variables (e.g., confidence) were mentioned less often across the board, as was the scientific basis/standardization of identification policy (especially among laypersons). Utility judgments of various identification outcomes indicated that judges adopt values more closely aligned with normative legal ethics (i.e., the Blackstone ratio), whereas other stakeholders (especially laypersons) depart significantly from those standards. Utility models indicated general agreement among samples in lineup procedure preferences, which varied as a function of culprit-presence base rates. CONCLUSION: Although legal stakeholders vary in how they value eyewitness identification outcomes, their values imply relatively consistent policy preferences that sometimes depart from scientific recommendations. Nonetheless, all samples expressed support for using scientific research to inform legal policy regarding eyewitness evidence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Missing in action: a scoping review of gender as the overlooked component in decolonial discourses.

INTRODUCTION: Race and gender were intimately intertwined aspects of the colonial project, used as key categories of hierarchisation within both colonial and modern societies. As such, true decolonisation is only possible when both are addressed equally; failure to address the colonial root causes of gender-based inequalities will allow for the perpetuation of racialised notions of gender to persist across the global health ecosystem. However, the authors note with concern the relative sidelining of gender within the decolonising global health discourse, especially as it navigates the critical transition from rhetoric to action. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted to locate where gender does, or does not, appear within the decolonising global health literature. The authors reviewed the decolonising global health literature available on Scopus and PubMed online databases to identify peer-reviewed papers with the search terms "(decoloni* or de-coloni*) OR (neocolonial or neo-colonial) AND 'global health'" in their title, abstract or keywords published by December 2022. RESULTS: Out of 167 papers on decolonising global health, only 53 (32%) had any reference to gender and only 26 (16%) explicitly engaged with gender as it intersects with (de)coloniality. Four key themes emerged from these 26 papers: an examination of coloniality's racialised and gendered nature; how this shaped and continues to shape hierarchies of knowledge; how these intertwining forces drive gendered impacts on health programmes and policies; and how a decolonial gender analysis can inform action for change. CONCLUSION: Historical legacies of colonisation continue to shape contemporary global health practice. The authors call for the integration of a decolonial gender analysis in actions and initiatives that aim to decolonise global health, as well as within allied movements which seek to confront the root causes of power asymmetries and inequities.

From pets to parliament: why we chose to shape veterinary policy of the future.

Entering the political arena isn't for everyone, but here the second - and currently only - vet to sit in the House of Lords, Lord Trees, and his parliamentary intern, discuss why contributing to parliamentary business is an exciting and stimulating end and start to their respective careers.

A social problem analysis of the 1993 Brady Act and the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

In June 2022, the U.S. federal government passed its first major firearm policy since the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). Summative content analysis was used to explore how the social problem of firearm violence was outlined in both policies, with the goal of extracting the social issue's definition from the policies' approaches to solving it. Both policies do not outline the various types of firearm violence, nor the disproportionate effect of firearm violence on certain populations. This work informs the role of federal policy in defining and monitoring firearm violence as a public health issue, identifying both individual and structural risk and protective factors from an asset-based lens, and allocating preventative efforts in communities that are most affected.

From Rhetoric to Reality: Embracing Evidence-Based Policy for Lasting Impact.

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Digital economy, innovation factor allocation and industrial structure transformation-A case study of the Yangtze River Delta city cluster in China.

The attainment of regional high-quality development necessitates the critical role of the digital economy in facilitating the transformation of industrial structures. This study intends to investigate the effect of the digital economy on industrial structure transformation from the perspective of innovation factor allocation using a panel dataset of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region for the period from 2011 to 2020. This paper considers four dimensions to measure the level of industrial structure transformation i.e. industrial structure servitization, industrial structure upgradation, service industry structure upgradation and industrial interaction level. The results of the study suggest that the digital economy can significantly improve industrial structure transformation. The results remain consistent even after several robustness checks. Further, the analysis of the mechanism of action shows that the digital economy can promote industrial structure transformation by optimizing the innovation factor allocation. The study provides several policy implications for the digital economy and its role in the promotion of industrial structure transformation.

Life Science 2.0: reframing the life science sector for 'the benefit on mankind'.

The COVID-19 pandemic put the life science sector to the test. Vaccines were developed at unprecedented speed, benefiting from decades of fundamental research and now honoured by a Nobel Prize. However, we saw that the fruits of science were inequitably distributed. Most low- and middle-income countries were left behind, deepening the inequalities that the Sustainable Development Goals were set to reduce. We argue that the life science sector must reinvent itself to be better and more equitably prepared for the next health crisis and to ensure fair access to health across current and future generations. Our recommendations include global governance, national strategies and the role of universities and corporations. Improved and more equitable health care should be centre stage for global health action and a core mission of a reframed Life Science sector - what we call Life Science 2.0.Paper ContextMain findings: During the COVID-19 pandemic the Life Science sector stepped up to the challenge, but vaccines and medicines were not equitably distributed.Added knowledge: Obstacles were identified that hindered global access to medical innovations.Global health impact for policy and action: Global and national governance, universities and the private sector should join forces to create a Life Science sector (Life Science 2.0) that affords equitable access to medical advances across geographical and generational boundaries and socio-economic strata.

Age-inclusive Arctic outdoor spaces: a policy review in four Nordic countries.

In the last decade, policy strategies were adopted in response to population ageing in the Nordic countries. Governmental actions have to be evaluated in terms of their efficacy. The objective of this article is to identify and review the policies related to age-inclusive outdoor spaces in the Arctic regions of Nordic countries. Our analysis focuses on central government white papers that address the older adults in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland. A review of such policy documents provides insights into the predominant understandings of older adults and healthy ageing. Moreover, such analysis may identify "blind spots" in the national policies, especially regarding the sparsely researched northernmost and rural Arctic territories. Our results demonstrate how the older populations in the Nordic Arctic and their access to outdoor spaces are addressed in the policy documents. We found that with few exceptions, the older people of the rural Arctic is strikingly absent in the Nordic national governmental papers. Moreover, access to outdoor spaces is mentioned in general terms, and specific challenges of the rural Arctic context, such as the harsh climate, long winters and geographical distances are not addressed. The noticed omissions might be the result of "urban-rural", "south-north", "indoor-outdoor", and "generalisation" biases.

Understanding the legacies of shocks on health system performance: Exploring Ireland's management of recent crises and its implications for policy.

This paper contrasts the Irish experience of the 2008 economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, and the health system responses to these shocks, from the perspective of health system leaders working across both time periods. Based on semi-structured interviews with seven senior national and international officials, the research presented here forms the qualitative component of RESTORE, a five-year research project examining health system resilience and reform, funded through the Health Research Board's Research Leader Award in Ireland. Findings indicate that the financial crisis deeply impacted the Irish health system in relation to infrastructure and capacity, service delivery and workforce. Due to these legacy issues, Ireland's health system was in a relatively weak position when faced with the Covid-19 pandemic but the system proved adaptive and innovative during this time. Furthermore, the pandemic proved to be a catalyst for positive change, providing opportunities for long-term reform, alongside an immediate response to the crisis. This was facilitated by increased funding, a devolution in decision-making structures and a political commitment to the health system. Exploring lessons from the Irish response to these crises provides a case study for developing appropriate policy responses around financing and resource allocation, fostering support for healthcare among political leaders and policy makers, and preparing for future shocks. Furthermore, examining these experiences facilitates understanding around the impact of each crisis on the health system, exploring options for addressing legacy issues and considering practical steps to improve health system performance.