TRIPS and the Pharmaceutical Industry in Bangladesh: Towards a National Strategy

The paper presents a study of the WTO-Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health and explores the opportunities of the growth of Bangladesh’s domestic pharmaceutical industry. The paper comes up with a number of policy suggestions in terms of designing a national strategy for the development of Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical sector in the context of the Doha Declaration.Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property, TRIPS, Pharmaceutical Industry, Bangladesh

Optimized Coplanar Waveguide Resonators for a Superconductor-Atom Interface

We describe the design and characterization of superconducting coplanar waveguide cavities tailored to facilitate strong coupling between superconducting quantum circuits and single trapped Rydberg atoms. For initial superconductor-atom experiments at 4.2 K, we show that resonator quality factors above $10^4$ can be readily achieved. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the incorporation of thick-film copper electrodes at a voltage antinode of the resonator provides a route to enhance the zero-point electric fields of the resonator in a trapping region that is 40 $\mu$m above the chip surface, thereby minimizing chip heating from scattered trap light. The combination of high resonator quality factor and strong electric dipole coupling between the resonator and the atom should make it possible to achieve the strong coupling limit of cavity quantum electrodynamics with this system.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Outcomes from an Addiction Medicine Elective for 2nd Year PCOM DO Students

Introduction: According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 40.3 million people aged 12 or older had a past-year substance use disorder (SUD). However, the median number of hours of content discussing this clinical issue in medical schools is seven hours. At the PCOM Philadelphia campus, 50 Second Year students (allowable limit) participated in the first Addiction Medicine Elective course in Winter 2022. This was a 6-week long program with one 2-hour session at night (6–8 pm) per week. Classes consisted of sessions with physicians having experience with SUD patients, testimony from those with SUD, Narcan training, direct involvement in a related community experience (e.g., Prevention Point), and as observers in group sessions (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous). Methods: All students were in good academic standing, and enrolled electively. There were no quizzes or exams but attendance was mandatory. Students were given a pre- and post-survey assessing their understanding of SUD, and their comfort level in talking to patients about their substance use. The survey questions were in the following format: “As a medical student I…” and were asked to give a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ option; completion was not compulsory. However, submission of a ‘reflection’ paper was mandatory. Students who successfully participated received one course credit for their transcript. Results: All 50 students responded to the survey. Twenty percent stated prior to the course that they felt comfortable in assessing a patient for addiction which increased to 100% at the end. Forty-one percent reported feeling comfortable talking to their patients about their addiction prior to the course which rose to 95% after 6 weeks. In regard to understanding the disease concept of addiction, 66% felt comfortable at the beginning which increased to 100% at the end. On Day 1 of the course, only 2% reported knowing how to access community resources for referral regarding treatment or 12-step programs; after Day 6, 91% indicated that they now knew how to access these community resources. Discussion: The pre- and post-surveys given during this addiction medicine elective showed promising results that it was effective in teaching students about SUD. Students felt more comfortable identifying patients with this serious medical condition, and in talking to their future patients about substance use. They also reported a better understanding of the disease process of addiction. This course is a viable option to increase the knowledge and confidence of future physicians when it comes to treating patients with SUD

Canada’s multiple voices diplomacy in climate change negotiations: a focus on Québec

Abstract: This article sheds light on the complexity of international climate change negotiations in a federal country, like Canada, where there is no clear attribution of full power over international negotiation concerning this issue. Climate change is a multi-level and multi-stakeholder issue, one that can only be tackled successfully if all actors, at all levels of government, are involved in the process. In recent years, Canadian provinces, especially Québec, have become intensely involved in climate change paradiplomacy. That situation has led to a Canadian paradox where the Government of Québec worked to respect the Kyoto Protocol and act accordingly, while Canada opted out of the Protocol in 2011

Canadian Investment Treaties with African Countries: What Do They Tell Us About Investment Treaty Making in Africa?

Between 2013 and 2015, Canada signed nine bilateral investment treaties (BITs) with countries in Africa. Canada was remarkably successful in imposing its model investment treaty on its African partners. Canada’s success might be considered surprising. Investor-state arbitration cases have shown the strong binding character of BITs and the corresponding need for host states to ensure that treaties reflect their distinctive priorities. In seeking to do so, African countries could have looked to African regional initiatives for expressions of made in African investment policies. African negotiators could have benefited from the substantial work done by UNCTAD and others to provide new forms of international investment rules that make BITS more supportive of sustainable development. Despite stronger incentives for African countries to assert themselves in BIT negotiations and resources for them to draw on, however, Canada’s recent BITs suggest that political and economic power continue to define the outcome of negotiations.</jats:p