Building or stumbling blocks? Assessing the performance of polycentric energy and climate governance networks

Polycentric governance networks are on the rise in global energy and climate governance, but we know surprisingly little about their effectiveness. This paper analyzes the performance of four such transnational energy and climate governance networks. In the realm of sustainable energy, our cases are the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC). In the climate sphere, we examine the effectiveness of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI). Using principles from governance and public administration about the effectiveness of institutions, we examine the extent to which four networks have contributed to improving governance outcomes in the spheres of climate and sustainable energy. Our evaluation focuses on the clarity of purpose, funding, institutional formality, efficacy,  and level of resilience of these networks. Some differences between the networks notwithstanding, we find that the transnational governance networks generally fail to meet the criteria about what constitutes an effective institution.  The paper concludes with a reflection on what could be done to enhance the performance of these governance networks

Energy Governance, Transnational Rules, and the Resource Curse: Exploring the Effectiveness of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)

Transnational standards for disclosure have become a defining feature of global governance and sound economic development, yet little is known about their effectiveness. This study statistically explores the efficacy of such standards for the important case of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an international non-governmental organization which maintains a voluntary standard for revenue transparency in the extractive industries. As of November 2015, 31 countries were ‘‘EITI Compliant” and another 49 were ‘‘EITI Candidates.” In total, 49 countries had disclosed payments and revenues worth some $1.67 trillion in more than 200 ‘‘EITI Reports”, and over 90 major companies involved in oil, gas, and mining are committed to supporting the EITI. The EITI has also received support from 84 global investment institutions that collectively manage about$16 trillion in energy infrastructural assets. Moreover, the European Union, African Union, G8 and G20, and the United Nations have all endorsed the EITI. This article provides the first broad empirical examination of the EITI’s effectiveness in improving governance and economic development outcomes in its member countries using non-parametric tests, regression analysis, and data from the World Bank. We analyze the performance of the first 16 countries to attain EITI Compliance Status over the period of 1996–2014. We find, interestingly, that in most metrics EITI countries do not perform better during EITI compliance than before it, and that they do not outperform other countries. We postulate four possible explanations behind the relative weakness of the EITI: a limited mandate, its voluntary nature, stakeholder resistance, and dependence on strong civil society

Depressive and anxiety disorders in concert-A synthesis of findings on comorbidity in the NESDA study

Background: Comorbidity of depressive and anxiety disorders is common and remains incompletely comprehended. This paper summarizes findings from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) regarding prevalence, temporal sequence, course and longitudinal patterns; sociodemographic, vulnerability and neurobiological indicators; and functional, somatic and mental health indicators of comorbidity. Methods: Narrative synthesis of earlier NESDA based papers on comorbidity (n=76). Results: Comorbidity was the rule in over three-quarter of subjects with depressive and/or anxiety disorders, most often preceded by an anxiety disorder. Higher severity and chronicity characterized a poorer comorbidity course. Over time, transitions between depressive and anxiety disorders were common. Consistent comorbidity risk indicators in subjects with depressive and anxiety disorders were childhood trauma, neuroticism and early age of onset. Psychological vulnerabilities, such as trait avoidance tendencies, were more pronounced in comorbid than in single disorders. In general, there were few differences in biological markers and neuroimaging findings between persons with comorbid versus single disorders. Most functional, somatic, and other mental health indicators, ranging from disability to cardiovascular and psychiatric multimorbidity, were highest in comorbid disorders. Limitations: The observational design of NESDA limits causal inference. Attrition was higher in comorbid relative to single disorders. Conclusions: As compared to single disorders, persons with comorbid depressive and anxiety disorders were characterized by more psychosocial risk determinants, more somatic and other psychiatric morbidities, more functional impairments, and poorer outcome. These results justify specific attention for comorbidity of depressive and anxiety disorders, particularly in treatment settings

Pazopanib exposure decreases as a result of an ifosfamide-dependent drug-drug interaction: Results of a phase I study

Background:The vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) pathway plays a pivotal role in solid malignancies and is probably involved in chemotherapy resistance. Pazopanib, inhibitor of, among other receptors, VEGFR1-3, has activity as single agent and is attractive to enhance anti-tumour activity of chemotherapy. We conducted a dose-finding and pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamics study of pazopanib combined with two different schedules of ifosfamide.Methods:In a 3+3+3 design, patients with advanced solid tumours received escalating doses of oral pazopanib combined with ifosfamide either given 3 days continuously or given 3-h bolus infusion daily for 3 days (9 g m -2 per cycle, every 3 weeks). Pharmacokinetic data of ifosfamide and pazopanib were obtained. Plasma levels of placental-derived growth factor (PlGF), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), soluble VEGFR2 (sVEGFR2) and circulating endothelial cells were monitored as biomarkers.Results:Sixty-one patients were included. Pazopanib with continuous ifosfamide infusion appeared to be safe up to 1000 mg per day, while combination with bolus infusion ifosfamide turned out to be too toxic based on a variety of adverse events. Ifosfamide-dependent decline in pazopanib exposure was observed. Increases in PlGF and VEGF-A with concurrent decline in sVEGFR2 levels, consistent with pazopanib-mediated VEGFR2 inhibition, were observed after addition of ifosfamide.Conclusion:Continuous as opposed to bolus infusion ifosfamide can safely be combined with pazopanib. Ifosfamide co-administration results in lower exposure to pazopanib, not hindering biological effects of pazopanib. Recommended dose of pazopanib for further studies combined with 3 days continuous ifosfamide (9 g m -2 per cycle, every 3 weeks) is 800 mg daily

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is associated with a variant in low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality and has a significant heritability. We carried out a genome-wide association discovery study of 1866 patients with AAA and 5435 controls and replication of promising signals (lead SNP with a p value &lt; 1 × 10-5) in 2871 additional cases and 32,687 controls and performed further follow-up in 1491 AAA and 11,060 controls. In the discovery study, nine loci demonstrated association with AAA (p &lt; 1 × 10-5). In the replication sample, the lead SNP at one of these loci, rs1466535, located within intron 1 of low-density-lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) demonstrated significant association (p = 0.0042). We confirmed the association of rs1466535 and AAA in our follow-up study (p = 0.035). In a combined analysis (6228 AAA and 49182 controls), rs1466535 had a consistent effect size and direction in all sample sets (combined p = 4.52 × 10-10, odds ratio 1.15 [1.10-1.21]). No associations were seen for either rs1466535 or the 12q13.3 locus in independent association studies of coronary artery disease, blood pressure, diabetes, or hyperlipidaemia, suggesting that this locus is specific to AAA. Gene-expression studies demonstrated a trend toward increased LRP1 expression for the rs1466535 CC genotype in arterial tissues; there was a significant (p = 0.029) 1.19-fold (1.04-1.36) increase in LRP1 expression in CC homozygotes compared to TT homozygotes in aortic adventitia. Functional studies demonstrated that rs1466535 might alter a SREBP-1 binding site and influence enhancer activity at the locus. In conclusion, this study has identified a biologically plausible genetic variant associated specifically with AAA, and we suggest that this variant has a possible functional role in LRP1 expression.</p

A multidisciplinary perspective on COVID-19 exit strategies

Lockdowns and associated measures imposed in response to the COVID-19 crisis inflict severe damage to society. Across the globe, scientists and policymakers study ways to lift measures while maintaining control of virus spread in circumstances that continuously change due to the evolution of new variants and increasing vaccination coverage. In this process, it has become clear that finding and analysing exit strategies, which are a key aspect of pandemic mitigation in all consecutive waves of infection, is not solely a matter of epidemiological modeling but has many different dimensions that need to be balanced and therefore requires input from many different disciplines. Here, we document an attempt to investigate exit strategies from a multidisciplinary perspective through the Science versus Corona project in the Netherlands. In this project, scientists and laypeople were challenged to submit (components of) exit strategies. A selection of these were implemented in a formal model, and we have evaluated the scenarios from a multidisciplinary perspective, utilizing expertise in epidemiology, economics, psychology, law, mathematics, and history. We argue for the integration of multidisciplinary perspectives on COVID-19 and more generally in pandemic mitigation, highlight open challenges, and present an agenda for further research into exit strategies and their assessmen

Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02  TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1  μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos⁡2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results

Jet size dependence of single jet suppression in lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s(NN)) = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions at the LHC provide direct sensitivity to the physics of jet quenching. In a sample of lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s) = 2.76 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 7 inverse microbarns, ATLAS has measured jets with a calorimeter over the pseudorapidity interval |eta| < 2.1 and over the transverse momentum range 38 < pT < 210 GeV. Jets were reconstructed using the anti-kt algorithm with values for the distance parameter that determines the nominal jet radius of R = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. The centrality dependence of the jet yield is characterized by the jet "central-to-peripheral ratio," Rcp. Jet production is found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of two in the 10% most central collisions relative to peripheral collisions. Rcp varies smoothly with centrality as characterized by the number of participating nucleons. The observed suppression is only weakly dependent on jet radius and transverse momentum. These results provide the first direct measurement of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions and complement previous measurements of dijet transverse energy imbalance at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages plus author list (30 pages total), 8 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Physics Letters B. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HION-2011-02