From a paper given at the Tweelanden conferentie Cannabisteelt in de Lage Landen, at the University of Ghent, on 3‐4 December 2007, the author explores the culture of the ban on…
Abstract
From a paper given at the Tweelanden conferentie Cannabisteelt in de Lage Landen, at the University of Ghent, on 3‐4 December 2007, the author explores the culture of the ban on cannabis and defines its goals.
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Offers advice on making loans in the residential market. Brieflydiscusses the market. Offers pointers on structuring a loan. Exploressome financing options. Tabulates some…
Abstract
Offers advice on making loans in the residential market. Briefly discusses the market. Offers pointers on structuring a loan. Explores some financing options. Tabulates some examples.
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Suggests that the explosion in demand by universities and collegesfor student accommodation is one of the very welcome “greenshots” in an otherwise very depressed UK property…
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Suggests that the explosion in demand by universities and colleges for student accommodation is one of the very welcome “green shots” in an otherwise very depressed UK property market. Examines how effectively new demand has been catered for by the private‐sector finance on offer. Concludes that in a troubled market universities and colleges can negotiate attractive prices for themselves.
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John F.P. Bridges, Joshua P. Cohen, Peter G. Grist and Axel C. Mühlbacher
Purpose – Although the US has lagged behind international developments in health technology assessment (HTA), renewed interest in HTA in the US has been fueled by the…
Abstract
Purpose – Although the US has lagged behind international developments in health technology assessment (HTA), renewed interest in HTA in the US has been fueled by the appropriation of $1.1 billion comparative effectiveness research (CER) in 2009 and the debate over health care reform.
Approach – To inform CER practices in the US, we present case studies of HTA from England/Wales and Germany: contrasting methods; relevance to the US; and impact on innovation.
Findings – The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) was established in 1999 to inform trusts within the National Health Service of England and Wales. It uses cost-effectiveness analysis to guide the allocation resource across preventative and curative interventions. In Germany, the Institut für Qualität und Wirtschaftlichkeit im Gesundheitswesen (IQWiG) was established in 2004 to inform reimbursement and pricing policies for the statutory sickness funds set by the Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA). IQWiG evaluates competing technologies within specific therapeutic areas, placing more weight on clinical evidence and the relative efficiency of competing therapies.
Practical implications – Although having deep political and cultural antecedents, differences between NICE and IQWiG can be explained by perspective: the former guiding resource allocation across an entire system (macro-evaluation), the latter focusing on efficiency within the bounds of a particular therapeutic area (micro-evaluation). Given the decentralized nature of the US health care system, and the relative powers of different medical specialties, the IQWiG model presents a more suitable case study to guided CER efforts in the US.
The author aims to use the example of the Rototom Sunsplash Festival (a large European annual reggae festival held in Italy) to discuss his personal views on drug policy at such…
Abstract
Purpose
The author aims to use the example of the Rototom Sunsplash Festival (a large European annual reggae festival held in Italy) to discuss his personal views on drug policy at such events and in general.
Design/methodology/approach
The author presents his views of drug policy, comparing these with Voodoo religion.
Findings
The views of different cultures and countries towards drugs and drug policies are discussed.
Originality/value
This paper presents the author's strong views on the “drug war” and drug policies.
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This paper seeks to comment on legislative changes proposed in The Netherlands to make a legal distinction between low and high THC content cannabis.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to comment on legislative changes proposed in The Netherlands to make a legal distinction between low and high THC content cannabis.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper carries out a policy assessment.
Findings
The proposed distinction is not driven by public health interests, the arguments are flawed and not substantiated. It is a political decision with benefits for interest groups.
Originality/value
The proposed legal changes in The Netherlands have not previously been discussed in English language drug journals.
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All seventeen had graciously agreed to my proposal to gather for a small conference to seek consensus. A generous grant from the Pierian Press Foundation would cover all of our…
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All seventeen had graciously agreed to my proposal to gather for a small conference to seek consensus. A generous grant from the Pierian Press Foundation would cover all of our expenses for a long weekend at a resort hotel; the only condition of the grant was that we offer our results to Reference Services Review for first publication. Over the past five years each of the seventeen had in turn accepted my challenge to answer the following question:
This opening chapter sets a frame for the chapters of this volume, dealing with how the dynamic dialectic interplay between forceful global societal forces and context shape…
Abstract
This opening chapter sets a frame for the chapters of this volume, dealing with how the dynamic dialectic interplay between forceful global societal forces and context shape humanity’s education response in various parts of the world. “Context” as a perennial threshold concept in Comparative and International Education is explicated. It will then be explained how, during its long historical evolution, scholars in the field each time had to contend new contexts, or reconceived the notion of “context” in a new way. Subsequently the problems of an overly fixation on the historical and the present, to the detriment of the future, and inertia are extant in the field, will be explained. The unprecedented, seismic changes currently impacting on the societal context worldwide, will then be enumerated. These changes can be subsumed under the collective name of globalization. The concept globalization is then clarified, and the take of the scholarly community on the impact of globalization on education is then mapped and interrogated. The authors’ stance on this is stated, namely that a dynamic interplay between global focus and contextual realities shape education in various parts of the world. It is in this theoretical frame that the remainder of the chapters of the volume is presented, combing out the main features of education development in each part of the world, as a dialectic between global forces and contextual imperatives.