| 51. |
- Pelkmans, Luc, et al.
(författare)
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The role of sustainability requirements in international bioenergy markets
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Bioenergy Trade. - : Springer. - 9789400769816 ; , s. 125-149
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As the main driver for bioenergy is to enable society to transform to more sustainable fuel and energy production systems, it is important to safeguard that bioenergy deployment happens within certain sustainability constraints. There is currently a high number of initiatives, including binding regulations and several voluntary sustainability standards for biomass, bioenergy and/or biofuels. Within IEA Bioenergy studies were performed to monitor the actual implementation process of sustainability regulations and certification, evaluate how stakeholders are affected and envisage the anticipated impact on worldwide markets and trade. On the basis of these studies, recommendations were made on how sustainability requirements could actually support further bioenergy deployment. Markets would gain from more harmonization and cross-compliance. A common language is needed as ‘sustainability’ of biomass involves different policy arenas and legal settings. Policy pathways should be clear and predictable, and future revisions of sustainability requirements should be open and transparent. Sustainability assurance systems (both through binding regulations and voluntary certification) should take into account how markets work, in relation to different biomass applications (avoiding discrimination among end-uses and users). It should also take into account the way investment decisions are taken, administrative requirements for smallholders, and the position of developing countries.
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| 52. |
- Pelkmans, Luc, et al.
(författare)
-
The role of sustainability requirements in international bioenergy markets
- 2014
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Ingår i: Lecture Notes in Energy. - Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands. - 2195-1292 .- 2195-1284. ; 17:1, s. 125-149
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As the main driver for bioenergy is to enable society to transform to more sustainable fuel and energy production systems, it is important to safeguard that bioenergy deployment happens within certain sustainability constraints. There is currently a high number of initiatives, including binding regulations and several voluntary sustainability standards for biomass, bioenergy and/or biofuels. Within IEA Bioenergy studies were performed to monitor the actual implementation process of sustainability regulations and certification, evaluate how stakeholders are affected and envisage the anticipated impact on worldwide markets and trade. On the basis of these studies, recommendations were made on how sustainability requirements could actually support further bioenergy deployment. Markets would gain from more harmonization and cross-compliance. A common language is needed as 'sustainability' of biomass involves different policy arenas and legal settings. Policy pathways should be clear and predictable, and future revisions of sustainability requirements should be open and transparent. Sustainability assurance systems (both through binding regulations and voluntary certification) should take into account how markets work, in relation to different biomass applications (avoiding discrimination among end-uses and users). It should also take into account the way investment decisions are taken, administrative requirements for smallholders, and the position of developing countries.
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| 53. |
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| 54. |
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| 55. |
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| 56. |
- Street, D., et al.
(författare)
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Progression of atypical parkinsonian syndromes: PROSPECT-M-UK study implications for clinical trials
- 2023
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Ingår i: Brain. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-8950 .- 1460-2156. ; 146:8, s. 3232-3242
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Street et al. compare candidate clinical trial end points in progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, corticobasal syndrome and related disorders. Neuroimaging metrics generally enable lower sample sizes than cognitive and functional measures, although optimal outcome measures vary by disease and subtype. The advent of clinical trials of disease-modifying agents for neurodegenerative disease highlights the need for evidence-based end point selection. Here we report the longitudinal PROSPECT-M-UK study of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and related disorders, to compare candidate clinical trial end points. In this multicentre UK study, participants were assessed with serial questionnaires, motor examination, neuropsychiatric and MRI assessments at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Participants were classified by diagnosis at baseline and study end, into Richardson syndrome, PSP-subcortical (PSP-parkinsonism and progressive gait freezing subtypes), PSP-cortical (PSP-frontal, PSP-speech and language and PSP-CBS subtypes), MSA-parkinsonism, MSA-cerebellar, CBS with and without evidence of Alzheimer's disease pathology and indeterminate syndromes. We calculated annual rate of change, with linear mixed modelling and sample sizes for clinical trials of disease-modifying agents, according to group and assessment type. Two hundred forty-three people were recruited [117 PSP, 68 CBS, 42 MSA and 16 indeterminate; 138 (56.8%) male; age at recruitment 68.7 +/- 8.61 years]. One hundred and fifty-nine completed the 6-month assessment (82 PSP, 27 CBS, 40 MSA and 10 indeterminate) and 153 completed the 12-month assessment (80 PSP, 29 CBS, 35 MSA and nine indeterminate). Questionnaire, motor examination, neuropsychiatric and neuroimaging measures declined in all groups, with differences in longitudinal change between groups. Neuroimaging metrics would enable lower sample sizes to achieve equivalent power for clinical trials than cognitive and functional measures, often achieving N < 100 required for 1-year two-arm trials (with 80% power to detect 50% slowing). However, optimal outcome measures were disease-specific. In conclusion, phenotypic variance within PSP, CBS and MSA is a major challenge to clinical trial design. Our findings provide an evidence base for selection of clinical trial end points, from potential functional, cognitive, clinical or neuroimaging measures of disease progression.
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| 57. |
- Stupak, I, et al.
(författare)
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A Global Survey of Stakeholder Views and Experiences for Systems Needed to Effectively and Efficiently Govern Sustainability of Bioenergy
- 2015
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Ingår i: Advances in Bioenergy: The Sustainability Challenge. - Oxford, UK : John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. - 9781118957844 ; , s. 507-534
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The increased international trade led to growing concerns over sustainability of biofuels and a variety of governance systems has emerged to regulate the bioenergy sector for maximization of the benefits and minimization of the possible negative impacts. The general concept of governance is used in different ways. But in this chapter it is used in the broad sense of governance processes undertaken by governments, market actors, voluntary organizations or networks. This concept of governance recognizes the interdependence of the public, market-based and voluntary governing processes, and the relationships that may exist between them. A survey was designed with the objective of analyzing stakeholders' views, experiences, and ideas in relation to the governance challenges. The survey revealed a broad support for existing and new co-regulation among stakeholders, but also that low share of certified land is seen as a challenge for both forestry and agriculture.
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| 58. |
- Stupak, I, et al.
(författare)
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A global survey of stakeholder views and experiences for systems needed to effectively and efficiently govern sustainability of bioenergy
- 2016
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Ingår i: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment. - : Wiley. - 2041-8396 .- 2041-840X. ; 5:1, s. 89-118
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Different governance mechanisms have emerged to ensure biomass and bioenergy sustainability amidst a myriad of related public and private regulations that have existed for decades. We conducted a global survey with 59 questions which examined 192 stakeholders' views and experiences related to (1) the multi-leveled governance to which they are subjected, (2) the impacts of that governance on bioenergy production and trade, and (3) the most urgent areas for improvement of certification schemes. The survey revealed significant support along the whole supply chain for new legislation which uses market-based certification schemes to demonstrate compliance (co-regulation). Some respondents did not see a need for new regulation, and meta-standards is a promising approach for bridging divergent views, especially if other proof than certification will be an option. Most respondents had so far experienced positive or neutral changes to their bioenergy production or trade after the introduction of new sustainability governance. Legislative requirements and a green business profile were important motivations for getting certified, while lack of market advantages, administrative complexity and costs all were barriers of varying importance. A need to include, e.g., regular standard revision and dealing with conflicting criteria was identified by respondents associated with bioenergy schemes. Respondents associated with forestry schemes saw less need for revisions, but some were interested in supply chain sustainability criteria. Significant differences among schemes suggest it is crucial in the future to examine the tradeoffs between certification costs, schemes' inclusiveness, the quality of their substantive and procedural rules, and the subsequent effectiveness on-the-ground.
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| 59. |
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| 60. |
- White, Helen E., et al.
(författare)
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Establishment of the first World Health Organization International Genetic Reference Panel for quantitation of BCR-ABL mRNA
- 2010
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Ingår i: Blood. - : American Society of Hematology. - 0006-4971 .- 1528-0020. ; 116:22, s. E111-E117
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Serial quantitation of BCR-ABL mRNA levels is an important indicator of therapeutic response for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but there is substantial variation in the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction methodologies used by different testing laboratories. To help improve the comparability of results between centers we sought to develop accredited reference reagents that are directly linked to the BCR-ABL international scale. After assessment of candidate cell lines, a reference material panel comprising 4 different dilution levels of freeze-dried preparations of K562 cells diluted in HL60 cells was prepared. After performance evaluation, the materials were assigned fixed percent BCR-ABL/control gene values according to the International Scale. A recommendation that the 4 materials be established as the first World Health Organization International Genetic Reference Panel for quantitation of BCR-ABL translocation by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was approved by the Expert Committee on Biological Standardization of the World Health Organization in November 2009. We consider that the development of these reagents is a significant milestone in the standardization of this clinically important test, but because they are a limited resource we suggest that their availability is restricted to manufacturers of secondary reference materials.
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