The political economy of negative emissions technologies: consequences for international policy design

© 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Negative emissions technologies (NETs), especially bioenergy with carbon capture and storage and direct air capture and storage, have been invoked as necessary to achieve the aspirational 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement. However, currently their costs are estimated to be very high, NETs do not seem to offer co-benefits besides mitigating climate change and there are significant concerns regarding possible negative impacts of their large-scale implementation on sustainable development. Costs can vary significantly due to locational factors such as availability of biomass resources and geological storage capacity. It will be up to progressive industrialized countries to take first steps to mobilize the mitigation potential of NETs. In order to understand whether NETs can prov ide a significant contribution to mitigation, financial incentives are needed that allow implementing the most attractive NET activities at the global scale. We see the market mechanism under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement–colloquially called ‘Sustainable Development Mechanism’–as a possible cornerstone of such a policy instrument. While initially NETs will not be competitive on the free market, the mechanism can facilitate bilateral financial transfers for NETs, where mitigation units accrue to the financier. We discuss the functions and design elements that an international policy instrument may need to fulfil to successfully mobilize NETs. This includes in particular robust quantification of removed carbon under international oversight and preventing social and environmental conflicts particularly on land and water use by NETs to ensure long-term acceptability. Key policy insights International policy instruments that mobilize negative emissions technologies are inexistent despite most mitigation pathways relying on large-scale NETs implementation later this century. Feasibility of NETs at large-scale is highly uncertain due to high expected costs and political economy challenges. Practical experience is necessary for better understanding feasibility. For cost-effective global deployment of NETs, a policy instrument would need to mobilize international financial flows and implement safeguards concerning sustainable development impacts. The sustainable development mechanism established in Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement could be a good basis for this if it includes a robust approach to evaluating sustainable development impacts building on the sustainable development goals

Distribution and density of α- and β-adrenergic receptor binding sites in the bovine mammary gland

Radioreceptor binding studies were designed to localize and determine the number of α and β-adrenergic receptors in the mammary gland of lactating cows. 3H-prazosin, 3H-rauwolscine and 3H-dihydroalprenolol were used for the regional characterization of α1, α2- and β-adrenergic receptors by competitive inhibition of binding of 3H-ligands with unlabelled adrenergic agonists and antagonists. The α1-, α2- and β2-adrenergic receptor subtypes could thus be demonstrated in the regions of the teats, large mammary ducts and parenchyma. Tissues of the teat wall, of the large mammary ducts above the gland cistern and of the mammary parenchyma were prepared to determine the density of α1, α2- and β-receptors by saturation binding assays using 3H-prazosin, 3H-rauwolscine and 3H-dihydroalprenolol respectively. Binding to high affinity sites was reversible within minutes and saturable. Equilibrium was reached within minutes. The number of α1-and α2-adrenergic receptors decreased from the teat to the mammary ducts to the parenchyma. Most of the α1- and α2-adrenergic receptors were found in the teat wall, whereas in the parenchyma α-adrenergic receptors were absent or barely detectable. The density of β-adrenergic receptors was similar in the teat wall and the large mammary ducts, but much lower in the parenchyma. Thus, α1, α2- and β-adrenergic receptors were found mainly in the milk purging system and hardly at all in mammary parenchyma. Inhibition of milk removal by α-adrenergic stimulation is possibly due to constriction of teat wall and to constriction of the mammary ducts, whereas enhanced milk flow after β-adrenergic stimulation is possibly due to relaxation not only of the teat sphincter and teat wall, but probably also of the large mammary duct

Distribution and density of α– and β–adrenergic receptor binding sites in the bovine mammary gland

Radioreceptor binding studies were designed to localize and determine the number of α and β-adrenergic receptors in the mammary gland of lactating cows. 3H-prazosin, 3H-rauwolscine and 3H-dihydroalprenolol were used for the regional characterization of α1, α2- and β-adrenergic receptors by competitive inhibition of binding of 3H-ligands with unlabelled adrenergic agonists and antagonists. The α1-, α2- and β2-adrenergic receptor subtypes could thus be demonstrated in the regions of the teats, large mammary ducts and parenchyma. Tissues of the teat wall, of the large mammary ducts above the gland cistern and of the mammary parenchyma were prepared to determine the density of α1, α2- and β-receptors by saturation binding assays using 3H-prazosin, 3H-rauwolscine and 3H-dihydroalprenolol respectively. Binding to high affinity sites was reversible within minutes and saturable. Equilibrium was reached within minutes. The number of α1-and α2-adrenergic receptors decreased from the teat to the mammary ducts to the parenchyma. Most of the α1- and α2-adrenergic receptors were found in the teat wall, whereas in the parenchyma α-adrenergic receptors were absent or barely detectable. The density of β-adrenergic receptors was similar in the teat wall and the large mammary ducts, but much lower in the parenchyma. Thus, α1, α2- and β-adrenergic receptors were found mainly in the milk purging system and hardly at all in mammary parenchyma. Inhibition of milk removal by α-adrenergic stimulation is possibly due to constriction of teat wall and to constriction of the mammary ducts, whereas enhanced milk flow after β-adrenergic stimulation is possibly due to relaxation not only of the teat sphincter and teat wall, but probably also of the large mammary ducts

Index of pretreatment intensity predicts outcome of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous progenitor cell transplantation in chemosensitive relapse of Hodgkin's disease

Purpose To identify prognostic factors in patients with chemosensitive relapsed Hodgkin's disease treated by high-dose chemotherapy with autologous progenitor cell transplantation (HDC) and to compare the duration of treatment-free remission prior to HDC with the progression-free survival after HDC in individual patients. Patients and methods Forty-five consecutive patients were analyzed retrospectively. We devised an index of pretreatment intensity (IPTI) based number of different chemo- and radio-therapy regimens given between diagnosis and HDC and on the duration of disease. Results With a median follow-up of 47 months the post-transplant event-free survival (EFS) was 44% and the overall survival. (OAS) was 62% at four years. The IPTI allowed to discriminate between a low and a high-risk group with a four-year post-transplant EFS of 66% and 11% and a OAS of 87% and 28%, respectively (P = 0.0001). Of the 39 patients with sufficient follow-up after HDC, post-transplant EFS lasted on average ≥ 18.5 months longer than the pretransplant treatment-free remission. Conclusions HDC with the CBV regimen confers significant benefit to patients with chemosensitive relapsed Hodgkin's disease. The IPTI may help to select patients with a good response to HDC and to identify poor prognosis patients suitable for experimental protocols or palliative care onl

A high-precision polarimeter

We have built a polarimeter in order to measure the electron beam polarization in hall C at JLAB. Using a superconducting solenoid to drive the pure-iron target foil into saturation, and a symmetrical setup to detect the Moller electrons in coincidence, we achieve an accuracy of <1%. This sets a new standard for Moller polarimeters.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, submitted to N.I.

Radar remote sensing estimates of waves and wave forcing at a tidal inlet

Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2015. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 32 (2015): 842–854, doi:10.1175/JTECH-D-14-00215.1.The time and space variability of wave transformation through a tidal inlet is investigated with radar remote sensing. The frequency of wave breaking and the net wave breaking dissipation at high spatial resolution is estimated using image sequences acquired with a land-based X-band marine radar. Using the radar intensity data, transformed to normalized radar cross section σ0, the temporal and spatial distributions of wave breaking are identified using a threshold developed via the data probability density function. In addition, the inlet bathymetry is determined via depth inversion of the radar-derived frequencies and wavenumbers of the surface waves using a preexisting algorithm (cBathy). Wave height transformation is calculated through the 1D cross-shore energy flux equation incorporating the radar-estimated breaking distribution and bathymetry. The accuracy of the methodology is tested by comparison with in situ wave height observations over a 9-day period, obtaining correlation values R = 0.68 to 0.96, and root-mean-square errors from 0.05 to 0.19 m. Predicted wave forcing, computed as the along-inlet gradient of the cross-shore radiation stress was onshore during high-wave conditions, in good agreement (R = 0.95) with observations.These data were collected as part of a joint field program, Data Assimilation and Remote Sensing for Littoral Applications (DARLA) and Rivers and Inlets (RIVET-1), both funded by the Office of Naval Research. The authors were funded through the Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-10-1-0932 and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.2015-10-0

Trunk Sway Measures of Postural Stability During Clinical Balance Tests: Effects of Age

Background. The major disadvantage of current clinical tests that screen for balance disorders is a reliance on an examiner's subjective assessment of equilibrium control. To overcome this disadvantage we investigated, using quantified measures of trunk sway, age-related differences of normal subjects for commonly used clinical balance tests. Methods. Three age groups were tested: young (15-25 years; n = 48), middle-aged (45-55 years; n = 50) and elderly (65-75 years; n = 49). Each subject performed a series of fourteen tasks similar to those included in the Tinetti and Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction in Balance protocols. The test battery comprised stance and gait tasks performed under normal, altered visual (eyes closed), and altered proprioceptive (foam support surface) conditions. Quantification of trunk sway was performed using a system that measured trunk angular velocity and position in the roll (lateral) and pitch (fore-aft) planes at the level of the lower back. Ranges of sway amplitude and velocity were examined for age-differences with ANOVA techniques. Results. A comparison between age groups showed several differences. Elderly subjects were distinguished from both middle-aged and young subjects by the range of trunk angular sway and angular velocity because both were greater in roll and pitch planes for stance and stance-related tasks (tandem walking). The most significant age group differences (F = 30, p < .0001) were found for standing on one leg on a normal floor or on a foam support surface with eyes open. Next in significance was walking eight tandem steps on a normal floor (F = 13, p < .0001). For gait tasks, such as walking five steps while rotating or pitching the head or with eyes closed, pitch and roll velocity ranges were influenced by age with middle-aged subjects showing the smallest ranges followed by elderly subjects and then young subjects (F = 12, p < .0001). Walking over a set of low barriers also yielded significant differences between age groups for duration and angular sway. In contrast, task duration was the only variable significantly influenced when walking up and down a set of stairs. An interesting finding for all tasks was the different spread of values for each population. Population distributions were skewed for all ages and broadened with age. Conclusions. Accurate measurement of trunk angular sway during stance and gait tasks provides a simple way of reliably measuring changes in balance stability with age and could prove useful when screening for balance disorders of those prone to fal

Long-term results of a multicenter SAKK trial on high-dose ifosfamide and doxorubicin in advanced or metastatic gynecologic sarcomas

Background: Dose intensive chemotherapy has not been tested prospectively for the treatment of gynecologic sarcomas. We investigated the antitumor activity and toxicity of high-dose ifosfamide and doxorubicin, in the context of a multidisciplinary strategy for the treatment of advanced and metastatic, not pretreated, gynecologic sarcomas. Patients and methods: Thirty-nine patients were enrolled onto a phase I-II multicenter trial of ifosfamide, 10 g/m2 as a continuous infusion over 5 days, plus doxorubicin intravenously, 25 mg/m2/day for 3 days with Mesna and granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor every 21 days. Salvage therapy was allowed after chemotherapy. Results: Among the 37 evaluable patients, the tumor was locally advanced (n = 11), with concomitant distant metastases (n = 5) or with distant metastases only (n = 21). After a median of three (range 1-7) chemotherapy cycles, six patients experienced a complete response and 12 a partial response for an overall response rate of 49% (95% CI 32% to 66%). The response rate was higher in poorly differentiated tumors (62%) compared with moderately well differentiated ones (18%), but was not different according to histology subtypes. Eleven patients had salvage therapy, either immediately following chemotherapy (n = 7) or at time of progression (n = 4). With a median follow-up time of 5 years, the median overall survival was 30.5 months. Hematological toxicity was as expected neutropenia, thrombopenia and anemia ≥grade 3 at 50%, 34% and 33% of cycles respectively. No toxic death occurred. Conclusions: High-dose ifosfamide plus doxorubicin is an active regimen for all subtypes of gynecological sarcomas. Its toxicity was manageable in a multicentric setting. The prolonged survival might be due to the multidisciplinary strategy that was possible in one-third of the patient

Sparse Coding Predicts Optic Flow Specificities of Zebrafish Pretectal Neurons

Zebrafish pretectal neurons exhibit specificities for large-field optic flow patterns associated with rotatory or translatory body motion. We investigate the hypothesis that these specificities reflect the input statistics of natural optic flow. Realistic motion sequences were generated using computer graphics simulating self-motion in an underwater scene. Local retinal motion was estimated with a motion detector and encoded in four populations of directionally tuned retinal ganglion cells, represented as two signed input variables. This activity was then used as input into one of two learning networks: a sparse coding network (competitive learning) and backpropagation network (supervised learning). Both simulations develop specificities for optic flow which are comparable to those found in a neurophysiological study (Kubo et al. 2014), and relative frequencies of the various neuronal responses are best modeled by the sparse coding approach. We conclude that the optic flow neurons in the zebrafish pretectum do reflect the optic flow statistics. The predicted vectorial receptive fields show typical optic flow fields but also "Gabor" and dipole-shaped patterns that likely reflect difference fields needed for reconstruction by linear superposition.Comment: Published Conference Paper from ICANN 2018, Rhode

A pitfall of bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling in cyclic Cushing's syndrome

Background: Clinical care of patients with cyclic Cushing's syndrome (CS) is challenging. Classical pitfalls include incorrect subtyping, unnecessary surgical procedures and delayed definite treatment. Case presentation: A 43-year-old female suffered from a rapidly cycling ectopic CS. She experienced six cycles of severe hypercortisolism within a 2 year period (maximum plasma cortisol 5316 nmol/L, normal range 124.2-662.4 nmol/L; maximum urinary free cortisol 79,469 nmol/24 h, normal range < 414 nmol/24 h) lasting 2-9 weeks. The episodes were associated with pronounced hypokalemia (lowest K+ value recorded 2.4 mmol/l) and progressive signs and symptoms of CS. A bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) performed during a trough phase was false positive for pituitary ACTH overproduction resulting in unnecessary transsphenoidal surgery while a second BIPSS performed during an active phase was indicative for ectopic CS. The 18F-DOPA PET/CT showed a pancreatic lesion, which was subsequently partially removed. Surprisingly, the histopathology was conclusive for ACTH-positive lymph node metastasis located in the retro-duodenal tissue of an occult neuroendocrine tumor WHO grade II. The primary tumor has not been identified so far and, because of the persistent hypercortisolism, the patient underwent bilateral adrenalectomy. Two years later, ACTH levels started to increase progressively. Percutaneous biopsy of a newly identified suspected lesion in the fifth thoracic vertebra revealed a metastasis with positive staining for ACTH, synaptophysin and chromogranin A. Therapy with carboplatin and etoposide was started and, since then, the patient underwent 12 cycles of chemotherapy. Conclusions: We report the challenging case of a rapidly cycling CS secondary to ACTH-secreting neuroendocrine intestinal tumor of unknown primary. We highlight the importance of performing diagnostic tests only during the phases of active cortisol secretion and as soon as first symptoms appear to avoid pitfalls