Alles goed als het maar niet holistisch is?

De subjectieve beleving van het landschap is wezenlijk voor het landschapsonderzoek. Dat maakt het complex en tevens extra interessant. Hoewel sommigen terugschrikken voor een holistische benadering die hiervoor nodig is, ligt de sleutel voor duurzame landschapsontwikkeling in het bewust uitgaan van de eigenheid van het landschap als gehee

Corridors for LIFE; ecological network analysis Regione Emilia-Romagna - the plains of Provincia di Modena & Bologna

This report gives the result of an analysis of the ecological network, designed for the agricultural plains of the Provinces of Modena and and Bologna. Three ecosystem types were selected: woodland, wetland, and grassland. Species were selected which can be considered representative of these ecosystems. The LARCH model was used to assess whether these ecosystems still function as an ecological network. We found that the region has a serious fragmentation problem. After implementation of the ecological network the situation would improve much. Larger areas for nature rehabilitation would further improve the functioning of the ecological network

De paradox van een maakbare natuur – ingebakken en omstreden : betekenis culturele identiteit voor draagvlak natuurbeleid en –beheer

This essay explores the diverse forms of social engagement with nature, against the background of cultural identity. Cultural identity, used here as an umbrella term for the connections people feel with their environment, is a factor in the local nature conservation initiatives taken by people and businesses. Conversely, for some groups in society the landscape can represent a cultural identity with which they have no affinity at all. The report is based on a literature study and aims to contribute tothe public debate on the objectives of nature policy. This is illustrated by a few examples of innovative forms of public engagement with nature. A broad public debate that emphasises engagement with nature (whatever idea of nature that might be) and respect for everyone’s opinions is essential, not only to ensure that nature policy commands widespread support, but also to inspire cultural identity with nature

Challenges for a shared European countryside of uncertain future. Towards a modern community-based landscape perspective.

This paper addresses current changes in the highly diverse European landscape, and the way these transitions are being treated in policy and landscape management in the fragmented, heterogeneous and dynamic context of today’s Europe. It appears that intersecting driving forces are increasing the complexity of European landscapes and causing polarising developments in agricultural land use, biodiversity conservation and cultural landscape management. On the one hand, multifunctional rural landscapes, especially in peri-urban regions, provide services and functions that serve the citizens in their demand for identity, support their sense of belonging and offer opportunities for recreation and involvement in practical landscape management. On the other hand industrial agricultural production on increasingly large farms produce food, feed, fibre and energy to serve expanding international markets with rural liveability and accessibility as a minor issue. The intermediate areas of traditionally dominant small and family farms in Europe seem to be gradually declining in profitability. The paper discusses the potential of a governance approach that can cope with the requirement of optimising land sharing conditions and community-based landscape development, while adapting to global market conditions

First Ex-Vivo Validation of a Radioguided Surgery Technique with beta- Radiation

Purpose: A radio-guided surgery technique with beta- -emitting radio-tracers was suggested to overcome the effect of the large penetration of gamma radiation. The feasibility studies in the case of brain tumors and abdominal neuro-endocrine tumors were based on simulations starting from PET images with several underlying assumptions. This paper reports, as proof-of-principle of this technique, an ex-vivo test on a meningioma patient. This test allowed to validate the whole chain, from the evaluation of the SUV of the tumor, to the assumptions on the bio-distribution and the signal detection. Methods: A patient affected by meningioma was administered 300 MBq of 90Y-DOTATOC. Several samples extracted from the meningioma and the nearby Dura Mater were analyzed with a beta- probe designed specifically for this radio-guided surgery technique. The observed signals were compared both with the evaluation from the histology and with the Monte Carlo simulation. Results: we obtained a large signal on the bulk tumor (105 cps) and a significant signal on residuals of $\sim$0.2 ml (28 cps). We also show that simulations predict correctly the observed yields and this allows us to estimate that the healthy tissues would return negligible signals (~1 cps). This test also demonstrated that the exposure of the medical staff is negligible and that among the biological wastes only urine has a significant activity. Conclusions: This proof-of-principle test on a patient assessed that the technique is feasible with negligible background to medical personnel and confirmed that the expectations obtained with Monte Carlo simulations starting from diagnostic PET images are correct.Comment: 17 pages, 4 Figs, Accepted by Physica Medic

Gezocht: andere methoden en nieuwe partners: landschapsecologie en WLO

De landschapsecologie is inmiddels een gevestigde wetenschap. Toch gaan de biodiversiteit en de kwaliteit van het landschap in Nederland en Vlaanderen nog steeds achteruit. Kunnen we rnet ons vakgebied dan niet meer positieve invloed hebben op landschapsveranderingen? En als we menen van wel hoe dan? Op die vragen gaat dit artikel i

COVID Feel Good-An Easy Self-Help Virtual Reality Protocol to Overcome the Psychological Burden of Coronavirus

Background: Living in the time of the COVID-19 means experiencing not only a global health emergency but also extreme psychological stress with potential emotional side effects such as sadness, grief, irritability, and mood swings. Crucially, lockdown and confinement measures isolate people who become the first and the only ones in charge of their own mental health: people are left alone facing a novel and potentially lethal situation, and, at the same time, they need to develop adaptive strategies to face it, at home. In this view, easy-to-use, inexpensive, and scientifically validated self-help solutions aiming to reduce the psychological burden of coronavirus are extremely necessary. Aims: This pragmatic trial aims to provide the evidence that a weekly self-help virtual reality (VR) protocol can help overcome the psychological burden of the Coronavirus by relieving anxiety, improving well-being, and reinforcing social connectedness. The protocol will be based on the 'Secret Garden' 360 VR video online (www.covidfeelgood.com) which simulates a natural environment aiming to promote relaxation and self-reflection. Three hundred sixty-degree or spherical videos allow the user to control the viewing direction. In this way, the user can explore the content from any angle like a panorama and experience presence and immersion. The 'Secret Garden' video is combined with daily exercises that are designed to be experienced with another person (not necessarily physically together), to facilitate a process of critical examination and eventual revision of core assumptions and beliefs related to personal identity, relationships, and goals. Methods: This is a multicentric, pragmatic pilot randomized controlled trial involving individuals who experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and underwent a lockdown and quarantine procedures. The trial is approved by the Ethics Committee of the Istituto Auxologico Italiano. Each research group in all the countries joining the pragmatic trial, aims at enrolling at least 30 individuals in the experimental group experiencing the self-help protocol, and 30 in the control group, over a period of 3 months to verify the feasibility of the intervention. Conclusion: The goal of this protocol is for VR to become the 'surgical mask' of mental health treatment. Although surgical masks do not provide the wearer with a reliable level of protection against the coronavirus compared with FFP2 or FFP3 masks, surgical masks are very effective in protecting others from the wearer's respiratory emissions. The goal of the VR protocol is the same: not necessarily to solve complex mental health problems but rather to improve well-being and preserve social connectedness through the beneficial social effects generated by positive emotions