Simultaneous multislice acquisition with multi-contrast segmented EPI for separation of signal contributions in dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging

We present a method to efficiently separate signal in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) into a base signal S0, representing the mainly T1-weighted component without T2*-relaxation, and its T2*-weighted counterpart by the rapid acquisition of multiple contrasts for advanced pharmacokinetic modelling. This is achieved by incorporating simultaneous multislice (SMS) imaging into a multi-contrast, segmented echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence to allow extended spatial coverage, which covers larger body regions without time penalty. Simultaneous acquisition of four slices was combined with segmented EPI for fast imaging with three gradient echo times in a preclinical perfusion study. Six female domestic pigs, German-landrace or hybrid-form, were scanned for 11 minutes respectively during administration of gadolinium-based contrast agent. Influences of reconstruction methods and training data were investigated. The separation into T1- and T2*-dependent signal contributions was achieved by fitting a standard analytical model to the acquired multi-echo data. The application of SMS yielded sufficient temporal resolution for the detection of the arterial input function in major vessels, while anatomical coverage allowed perfusion analysis of muscle tissue. The separation of the MR signal into T1- and T2*-dependent components allowed the correction of susceptibility related changes. We demonstrate a novel sequence for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI that meets the requirements of temporal resolution (Δt < 1.5 s) and image quality. The incorporation of SMS into multi-contrast, segmented EPI can overcome existing limitations of dynamic contrast enhancement and dynamic susceptibility contrast methods, when applied separately. The new approach allows both techniques to be combined in a single acquisition with a large spatial coverage

Between collaboration and competition. Global public-private partnerships against intellectual property crimes

This paper explores the issue area of global public-private partnerships (PPPs) against intellectual property (IP) crimes. It is based on preliminary findings from a PhD research project that included interviews with more than 30 participants of such PPPs from different countries around the world. Key factors that influence the formation, maintenance, termination, and reform of such partnerships are identified by comparing more and less successful PPPs over a period of time. First, the paper introduces the topic of IP crime, also known as counterfeiting and piracy. The paper then proposes a typology of different PPPs, as the term is used in very different ways in the literature. In the subsequent sections of the paper, empirical examples of global PPPs against IP crimes are analyzed, whose secretariats are hosted by three public international organizations: Interpol, the World Customs Organization (WCO), and the World Health Organization (WHO). By comparing the different paths of these three international organizations and their PPPs, five key factors are identified that influence the formation, maintenance, termination, and reform of such PPPs: (1) common ground, (2) absolute and/or relative gains of resources, (3) the management of the PPP and its discretion, (4) the representation of stakeholders, and (5) the policy pursued by the PPP. -- Dieses Arbeitspapier untersucht das Themenfeld der globalen Öffentlich-Privaten Partnerschaften (ÖPPs) gegen Produktpiraterie. Es basiert auf vorläufigen Erkenntnissen aus der Forschung für eine Doktorarbeit, für die Experteninterviews mit mehr als 30 Teilnehmern solcher ÖPPs in unterschiedlichen Ländern der Welt durchgeführt wurden. Durch den Vergleich unterschiedlich erfolgreicher ÖPPs über einen längeren Zeitraum wurden Schlüsselfaktoren identifiziert, welche die Gründung, Erhaltung, Beendung und Reform von solchen ÖPPs beeinflussen. Zunächst führt das Arbeitspapier in die Materie Produktpiraterie ein. Dann wird eine Typologie von ÖPPs vorgestellt, welche notwendig ist, weil der Begriff sehr unterschiedlich in der Literatur verwendet wird. In den anschließenden drei Sektionen des Arbeitspapiers werden drei empirische Beispiele von globalen ÖPPs untersucht, die bei drei verschiedenen Internationalen Organisationen angesiedelt sind. Dies sind Interpol, die Weltzollorganisation und die Weltgesundheitsorganisation. Durch den Vergleich der unterschiedlichen Entwicklungen, die diese Internationalen Organisationen und ihre ÖPPs gemacht haben, werden fünf Schlüsselfaktoren identifiziert, welche die Gründung, Erhaltung, Beendung und Reform dieser ÖPPs beeinflussen: (1.) eine gemeinsame Bezugsebene, (2.) das Streben nach absoluten und/oder relativen Gewinnen, (3.) das Management der ÖPP und ihr Handlungsspielraum, (4.) die Repräsentation der Interessengruppen in der ÖPP und (5.) die Politik, welche von der ÖPP verfolgt wird.

The ocean sampling day consortium

Ocean Sampling Day was initiated by the EU-funded Micro B3 (Marine Microbial Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology) project to obtain a snapshot of the marine microbial biodiversity and function of the world’s oceans. It is a simultaneous global mega-sequencing campaign aiming to generate the largest standardized microbial data set in a single day. This will be achievable only through the coordinated efforts of an Ocean Sampling Day Consortium, supportive partnerships and networks between sites. This commentary outlines the establishment, function and aims of the Consortium and describes our vision for a sustainable study of marine microbial communities and their embedded functional traits

The ocean sampling day consortium.

Ocean Sampling Day was initiated by the EU-funded Micro B3 (Marine Microbial Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology) project to obtain a snapshot of the marine microbial biodiversity and function of the world's oceans. It is a simultaneous global mega-sequencing campaign aiming to generate the largest standardized microbial data set in a single day. This will be achievable only through the coordinated efforts of an Ocean Sampling Day Consortium, supportive partnerships and networks between sites. This commentary outlines the establishment, function and aims of the Consortium and describes our vision for a sustainable study of marine microbial communities and their embedded functional traits

Climate change, the green economy and reimagining the city: the case of structurally disadvantaged European maritime port cities

The concept of the New Environmental Politics of Urban Development (NEPUD) examines the impact of international and national environmental regulation on the politics of urban development. The NEPUD concept emerged from case studies of environmental governance in entrepreneurial cities. However, little is known about the concept’s relevance for less competitive cities, especially urban centres facing profound problems associated with economic decline, social deprivation and negative external images or ‘structurally disadvantaged cities.’ This paper examines how the NEPUD has played out within two structurally disadvantaged maritime port cities in Northern Europe, Hull (UK) and Bremerhaven (Germany). Both cities face serious social and economic challenges associated with long-term industrial decline, such as high unemployment rates, low skill levels, economic peripherality, and poor external images. Nevertheless, new opportunities opened up by climate change and the green economy have prompted political actors in Hull and Bremerhaven to build new alliances between local government, business and civil society and enhance governance capacities on climate change and green urban development. Highlighting similarities and differences between these two places, the paper reveals how climate change regulations provide opportunities for certain structurally disadvantaged cities to attract ‘green jobs’ and transform their external image

Toward accurate CO_2 and CH_4 observations from GOSAT

The column-average dry air mole fractions of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane (X_(CO_2) and X_(CH_4)) are inferred from observations of backscattered sunlight conducted by the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT). Comparing the first year of GOSAT retrievals over land with colocated ground-based observations of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON), we find an average difference (bias) of −0.05% and −0.30% for X_(CO_2) and X_(CH_4) with a station-to-station variability (standard deviation of the bias) of 0.37% and 0.26% among the 6 considered TCCON sites. The root-mean square deviation of the bias-corrected satellite retrievals from colocated TCCON observations amounts to 2.8 ppm for X_(CO_2) and 0.015 ppm for X_(CH_4). Without any data averaging, the GOSAT records reproduce general source/sink patterns such as the seasonal cycle of X_(CO_2) suggesting the use of the satellite retrievals for constraining surface fluxes

Impact of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and muscle strength on bone stiffness in 2-10-year-old children-cross-sectional results from the IDEFICS study

Background: Physical activity (PA), weight-bearing exercises (WBE) and muscle strength contribute to skeletal development, while sedentary behaviour (SB) adversely affects bone health. Previous studies examined the isolated effect of PA, SB or muscle strength on bone health, which was usually assessed by x-ray methods, in children. Little is known about the combined effects of these factors on bone stiffness (SI) assessed by quantitative ultrasound. We investigated the joint association of PA, SB and muscle strength on SI in children. Methods: In 1512 preschool (2- < 6 years) and 2953 school children (6-10 years), data on calcaneal SI as well as on accelerometer-based sedentary time (SED), light (LPA), moderate (MPA) and vigorous PA (VPA) were available. Parents reported sports (WBE versus no WBE), leisure time PA and screen time of their children. Jumping distance and handgrip strength served as indicators for muscle strength. The association of PA, SB and muscle strength with SI was estimated by multivariate linear regression, stratified by age group. Models were adjusted for age, sex, country, fat-free mass, daylight duration, consumption of dairy products and PA, or respectively SB. Results: Mean SI was similar in preschool (79.5 +/- 15.0) and school children (81.3 +/- 12.1). In both age groups, an additional 10 min/day in MPA or VPA increased the SI on average by 1 or 2 %, respectively (p = .05). The negative association of SED with SI decreased after controlling for MVPA. LPA was not associated with SI. Furthermore, participation in WBE led to a 3 and 2 % higher SI in preschool (p = 0.003) and school children (p < .001), respectively. Although muscle strength significantly contributed to SI, it did not affect the associations of PA with SI. In contrast to objectively assessed PA, reported leisure time PA and screen time showed no remarkable association with SI. Conclusion: This study suggests that already an additional 10 min/day of MPA or VPA or the participation in WBE may result in a relevant increase in SI in children, taking muscle strength and SB into account. Our results support the importance of assessing accelerometer-based PA in large-scale studies. This may be important when deriving dose-response relationships between PA and bone health in children

A feasibility trial to examine the social norms approach for the prevention and reduction of licit and illicit drug use in European University and college students.

Background: Incorrect perceptions of high rates of peer alcohol and tobacco use are predictive of increased personal use in student populations. Correcting misperceptions by providing feedback has been shown to be an effective intervention for reducing licit drug use. It is currently unknown if social norms interventions are effective in preventing and reducing illicit drug use in European students. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of a multi-site cluster controlled trial of a web-based social norms intervention aimed at reducing licit and preventing illicit drug use in European university students. Methods/Design: An online questionnaire to assess rates of drug use will be developed and translated based on existing social norms surveys. Students from sixteen universities in seven participating European countries will be invited to complete the questionnaire. Both intervention and control sites will be chosen by convenience. In each country, the intervention site will be the university that the local principal investigator is affiliated with. We aim to recruit 1000 students per site (baseline assessment). All participants will complete the online questionnaire at baseline. Baseline data will be used to develop social norms messages that will be included in a web-based intervention. The intervention group will receive individualized social norms feedback. The website will remain online during the following 5 months. After five months, a second survey will be conducted and effects of the intervention on social norms and drug use will be measured in comparison to the control site. Discussion: This project is the first cross-national European collaboration to investigate the feasibility of a social norms intervention to reduce licit and prevent illicit drug use among European university students. Final trial registration number DRKS00004375 on the ‘German Clinical Trials Register’.This study is funded by the European Commission, Directorate General Justice, Freedom and Security (JLS/2009-2010/DPIP/AG

Northern Hemisphere Glaciation during the Globally Warm Early Late Pliocene

The early Late Pliocene (3.6 to ~3.0 million years ago) is the last extended interval in Earth's history when atmospheric CO2 concentrations were comparable to today's and global climate was warmer. Yet a severe global glaciation during marine isotope stage (MIS) M2 interrupted this phase of global warmth ~3.30 million years ago, and is seen as a premature attempt of the climate system to establish an ice-age world. Here we propose a conceptual model for the glaciation and deglaciation of MIS M2 based on geochemical and palynological records from five marine sediment cores along a Caribbean to eastern North Atlantic transect. Our records show that increased Pacific-to-Atlantic flow via the Central American Seaway weakened the North Atlantic Current and attendant northward heat transport prior to MIS M2. The consequent cooling of the northern high latitude oceans permitted expansion of the continental ice sheets during MIS M2, despite near-modern atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Sea level drop during this glaciation halted the inflow of Pacific water to the Atlantic via the Central American Seaway, allowing the build-up of a Caribbean Warm Pool. Once this warm pool was large enough, the Gulf Stream–North Atlantic Current system was reinvigorated, leading to significant northward heat transport that terminated the glaciation. Before and after MIS M2, heat transport via the North Atlantic Current was crucial in maintaining warm climates comparable to those predicted for the end of this century