A novel amplitude binning strategy to handle irregular breathing during 4DMRI acquisition: improved imaging for radiotherapy purposes.

Background For radiotherapy of abdominal cancer, four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (4DMRI) is desirable for tumor definition and the assessment of tumor and organ motion. However, irregular breathing gives rise to image artifacts. We developed a outlier rejection strategy resulting in a 4DMRI with reduced image artifacts in the presence of irregular breathing.Methods We obtained 2D T2-weighted single-shot turbo spin echo images, with an interleaved 1D navigator acquisition to obtain the respiratory signal during free breathing imaging in 2 patients and 12 healthy volunteers. Prior to binning, upper and lower inclusion thresholds were chosen such that 95% of the acquired images were included, while minimizing the distance between the thresholds (inclusion range (IR)). We compared our strategy (Min95) with three commonly applied strategies: phase binning with all images included (Phase), amplitude binning with all images included (MaxIE), and amplitude binning with the thresholds set as the mean end-inhale and mean end-exhale diaphragm positions (MeanIE). We compared 4DMRI quality based on: Data included (DI); percentage of images remaining after outlier rejection. Reconstruction completeness (RC); percentage of bin-slice combinations containing at least one image after binning. Intra-bin variation (IBV); interquartile range of the diaphragm position within the bin-slice combination, averaged over three central slices and ten respiratory bins. IR. Image smoothness (S); quantified by fitting a parabola to the diaphragm profile in a sagittal plane of the reconstructed 4DMRI. A two-sided Wilcoxon's signed-rank test was used to test for significance in differences between the Min95 strategy and the Phase, MaxIE, and MeanIE strategies.Results Based on the fourteen subjects, the Min95 binning strategy outperformed the other strategies with a mean RC of 95.5%, mean IBV of 1.6 mm, mean IR of 15.1 mm and a mean S of 0.90. The Phase strategy showed a poor mean IBV of 6.2 mm and the MaxIE strategy showed a poor mean RC of 85.6%, resulting in image artifacts (mean S of 0.76). The MeanIE strategy demonstrated a mean DI of 85.6%.Conclusions Our Min95 reconstruction strategy resulted in a 4DMRI with less artifacts and more precise diaphragm position reconstruction compared to the other strategies.Trial registration Volunteers: protocol W15_373#16.007; patients: protocol NL47713.018.14

Natuurverkenning 2010-2040 : visies op de ontwikkeling van natuur en landschap

De Natuurverkenning verschijnt in een turbulente tijd waarin natuur en landschap sterk gepolitiseerd zijn. Met de verkenning wil het PBL een bijdrage leveren aan het structureren van het debat over de vernieuwing van het langetermijnbeleid en een impuls geven aan de politieke afwegingen. Nieuw is het gebruik van normatieve toekomstscenario’s als hulpmiddel om de achterliggende drijfveren voor natuurbeleid te verhelderen

Leren van het energieke platteland : lokale en regionale coalities voor duurzame plattelandsontwikkeling

In deze studie onderzoeken we de kracht van de samenwerking tussen de verschillende gebruikers van het platteland. Burgers, boeren, natuurbeheerders en bedrijven die samen initiatieven ontplooien om hun leefomgeving te verbeteren. De studie laat aan de hand van een breed scala aan praktijkvoorbeelden zien hoe ze dat doen, wat ze proberen te bereiken en waar ze tegenaan lopen. Zo zijn er moderne boeren die samen met andere ketenpartijen hun bedrijfsvoering nog verder willen verduurzamen dan de wet al voorschrijft, en burgers die met boeren lokale coöperaties opzetten voor de opwekking van hernieuwbare energie

Nieuw beleid gevraagd [special kansrijke natuur]

Wereldwijd hebben landen op basis van internationale afspraken geprobeerd de achteruitgang in biodiversiteit te remmen. Tevergeefs. Om daadwerkelijk succes te boeken moet over de grenzen van het traditionele natuurbeleid heen worden gekeken. Het ombuigen van deze trend vereist een inzet gericht op 1) het combineren van functies, 2) het stimuleren van duurzame productie, en 3) het waarderen van de diensten van natuur en biodiversiteit

Nieuw beleid gevraagd [special kansrijke natuur]

Wereldwijd hebben landen op basis van internationale afspraken geprobeerd de achteruitgang in biodiversiteit te remmen. Tevergeefs. Om daadwerkelijk succes te boeken moet over de grenzen van het traditionele natuurbeleid heen worden gekeken. Het ombuigen van deze trend vereist een inzet gericht op 1) het combineren van functies, 2) het stimuleren van duurzame productie, en 3) het waarderen van de diensten van natuur en biodiversiteit

Impacts of land-use change on biodiversity: An assessment of agricultural biodiversity in the European Union

The objective of this study is to assess land-use intensity and the related biodiversity in agricultural landscapes of the EU25 for the current situation (2000), and explore future trends, based on the four EURURALIS scenarios up to 2030. Data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) were used to classify farm types in 100 regions of the EU15, according to agricultural intensity. For the ten New Member States (EU10), which are not yet considered by the FADN, country level data were used to obtain similar farm types. Three processes were considered for the assessment of future trends in agricultural land-use intensity: (1) land-use change, (2) conversion into organic farming, and (3) changes in productivity of crop and grassland production. An ecosystem quality value was attributed to each farm type according to dose-effect relationships between pressure factors and biodiversity compared to the value for an undisturbed situation. The biodiversity in agricultural landscapes was then calculated as the average ecosystem quality multiplied by the relative area size of each farm type within a region. A similar method of attributing ecosystem quality values to other land-use types allowed comparison between different land-use types. Referring to the current situation, results indicate the lowest ecosystem quality values to be found in intensively used agricultural areas in lowlands (e.g. The Netherlands and northern France) and irrigation systems (e.g. Greece), whereas relatively high values are found in Spain and the New EU Member States. Scenario results show that for the A1 scenario (Global economy), the highest loss in ecosystem quality will take place in all regions in croplands and grasslands. The B2 scenario (Regional communities) provides the best opportunities to improve ecosystem quality of agricultural landscapes. In most scenarios, agricultural land is decreasing, while the remaining agricultural areas tend to be used more intensively. The negative impact of intensification on biodiversity is partly set off by (active or spontaneous) nature development on abandoned agricultural areas, but the overall trend seems to be generally negative. The strength of this methodology is that it provides a quick overview of land-use intensity change and biodiversity trends. Through the use of this farm-type level of analysis we have provided a good picture of the differences in land-use intensity and the related biodiversity between the EU regions and the scenario

Impacts of land-use change on biodiversity: An assessment of agricultural biodiversity in the European Union

The objective of this study is to assess land-use intensity and the related biodiversity in agricultural landscapes of the EU25 for the current situation (2000), and explore future trends, based on the four EURURALIS scenarios up to 2030. Data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) were used to classify farm types in 100 regions of the EU15, according to agricultural intensity. For the ten New Member States (EU10), which are not yet considered by the FADN, country level data were used to obtain similar farm types. Three processes were considered for the assessment of future trends in agricultural land-use intensity: (1) land-use change, (2) conversion into organic farming, and (3) changes in productivity of crop and grassland production. An ecosystem quality value was attributed to each farm type according to dose-effect relationships between pressure factors and biodiversity compared to the value for an undisturbed situation. The biodiversity in agricultural landscapes was then calculated as the average ecosystem quality multiplied by the relative area size of each farm type within a region. A similar method of attributing ecosystem quality values to other land-use types allowed comparison between different land-use types. Referring to the current situation, results indicate the lowest ecosystem quality values to be found in intensively used agricultural areas in lowlands (e.g. The Netherlands and northern France) and irrigation systems (e.g. Greece), whereas relatively high values are found in Spain and the New EU Member States. Scenario results show that for the A1 scenario (Global economy), the highest loss in ecosystem quality will take place in all regions in croplands and grasslands. The B2 scenario (Regional communities) provides the best opportunities to improve ecosystem quality of agricultural landscapes. In most scenarios, agricultural land is decreasing, while the remaining agricultural areas tend to be used more intensively. The negative impact of intensification on biodiversity is partly set off by (active or spontaneous) nature development on abandoned agricultural areas, but the overall trend seems to be generally negative. The strength of this methodology is that it provides a quick overview of land-use intensity change and biodiversity trends. Through the use of this farm-type level of analysis we have provided a good picture of the differences in land-use intensity and the related biodiversity between the EU regions and the scenario

Exploration of monitoring and modelling agrobiodiversity : from indicator development towards modelling biodiversity in agricultural systems on the sub-specific level

The objective of this project is to contribute to the development of a number of key biodiversity indicators for crops and livestock in agriculture. On a global level both for crop and livestock species there has been a general tendency towards uniformity in the culture of crops and livestock production systems. Local varieties are replaced by a small number of highly productive – non native – ones, dominating the world’s agriculture. The loss of diversity in cultivated varieties and livestock breeds also has been referred to as genetic erosion and may form a hazard for sustainable agricultural production or food security, agricultural products and income. It is for these threats that it is important to have an idea on the status of genetic biodiversity (agrobiodiversity) within a particular agricultural production system in the past, present and future. Consequently, the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) aims at establishing indicators that monitor status and trends in agrobiodiversity. The FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) also included development of indicators in its Multi Year Program of Work. After their development and (international) acceptance they can be used to assess the state, trends, causes and possible consequences of changes. Also, they can be applied to examine or model effects of different policy measures. The aim of this project is to contribute to the development of a few key agrobiodiversity indicators drawing on and coherent with the work under the CBD, FAO and in the European program Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators (SEBI). Analysis and modelling of the relationships between pressure factors and agrobiodiversity will enable assessments of past, present and future trends and their consequences on various human functions such as food security, poverty, environmental quality, landscape and wild biodiversity. The project was carried out by the Centre of Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN) in close cooperation with the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and was funded by the Research Programme International Cooperation and International Agreements of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Quality and Nature Management of the Netherland

Achtergrondrapport Leren van het energieke platteland

Contains fulltext : 119312.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)125 p

Leren van het energieke platteland. Lokale en regionale coalities voor duurzame plattelandsontwikkeling: Achtergrond rapport

Dit achtergrondrapport bij de studie Leren van het energieke platteland analyseert een breed scala aan succesvolle en minder succesvolle coalities die zijn gestart om de leefomgeving op het platteland te verbeteren, van zorgboerderijen tot lokale energiecoöperaties en landschapsfondsen. Van negen groepen coalities is aan de hand van enkele praktijkvoorbeelden beschreven hoe ze werken, welke duurzaamheidsprestaties ze leveren, tegen welke hindernissen ze aanlopen en welke verbeterpunten er liggen