Promoting ecological solutions for sustainable infrastructure

Sustainable infrastructure needs ecological solutions – it’s time to work together! We, the participants of the IENE 2020 International Conference, acknowledge that: 1. We are facing a significant worldwide expansion of transportation networks; this is especially the case in countries with developing economies. 2. If no action is taken, this global expansion will entail a substantial increase in greenhouse gas emissions, wildlife mortality and landscape fragmentation and change, with devastating effects on climate, biodiversity and ecosystem services. 3. Globally, ecosystem services are estimated to yield more than the Gross World Product of 2019 (https://www.worldometers.info/gdp/). 4. Despite the development and implementation of environmental impact assessment legislation, many existing transportation infrastructure networks are not environmentally friendly. These impacts are far-reaching with a debt being paid daily through unnecessary risks extendable to human health and well-being. 5.The economic, social, and ecological consequences of biodiversity loss and the role of transportation infrastructure is increasingly acknowledged worldwide: •Conservation and restoration of ecological connectivity is a major flagship in the preparation of the upcoming United Nations “Post-2020 Global biodiversity framework” following the recognised failure of the Aichi Targets associated with the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats (Target 5) (https://www.cbd.int/gbo5). •The European Green Deal and the new European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, adopted by the European Commission in May 2020, stresses the need to develop a resilient Trans-European Nature Network supported by ecological corridors allowing the free flow of genes and individuals (https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/communication-annex-eu-biodiversity-strategy-2030_en.pdf). •The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) states that since 1970, transportation infrastructure is an important driver of land use change and associated loss of terrestrial biodiversity (https://ipbes.net/global-assessment). •The World Economic Forum 2020 recognised that biodiversity loss is one of the major threats with ‘plausible higher than average impact’ on Global Economies (https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2020). 6.To ahieve sustainability, infrastructure development must be decoupled from its negative effect on biodiversity. This requires immediate, stringent action and shared responsibilities from all stakeholders. 7.Regional, national, and worldwide networks of experts, including researchers, practitioners, landscape designers, and managers, address such concerns through knowledge-sharing platforms that promote effective ecological solutions. 8.The scarcity of collective and coordinated efforts, such as joint decision-making processes involving environmental, transportation, energy, policy and financing agencies, is still a major obstacle to achieve sustainability in transportation infrastructure projects.Comissão Europeia. Programa LIFE. Projeto LIFE LINES (LIFE14 NAT/PT/001081

A Global Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Transport and other Linear Infrastructure

The current Global Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Transport and other Linear Infrastructure primarily sets up the objectives and principles for governments and organizations for mainstreaming biodiversity and ecological connectivity on transport infrastructure development. Additionally, it addresses the overall framework of stakeholders who must be engaged as key players in: • launching proactive policies, • establishing appropriate legal frameworks, • supporting better planning, • promoting multi-sector cooperation, and • encouraging innovative science-based solutions. We consider this as a living document as future versions may integrate additional elements with regards to governance, policy, and financing, in the attempt to develop a common comprehensive language and grounds for cooperation. This “Global Strategy” has been developed by an international working group coordinated by IENE and supported by an international coalition formed from the international conferences on transport and ecology and conservation organisations as IENE, ICOET, ANET, ACLIE, WWF and IUCN. The working group is drawn from global experts in transport and ecology and aims to work towards finding a ‘win-win’ solution for securing mainstreaming biodiversity and ecological connectivity and avoiding, mitigating, or compensating ecosystems’ fragmentation during transport infrastructure development or adaptation. This Strategy builds upon five years of development of the guidelines “International Guidance for Ecologically - Friendly Linear Infrastructure (IGELI)” initiated at the ICOET 2015 conference in North Carolina, USA. IGELI was an international debate with experts from all over the world continued during workshops held at the international conferences of IENE (Lyon, France, 2016 and Eindhoven, Holland, 2018), ICOET (Salt Lake City, USA, 2017 and Sacramento, USA, 2019), IUCN (Hawaii, USA, 2016) and ACLIE (Kruger National Park, South Africa, 2019). Summarising the Decision 14/3 on mainstreaming of biodiversity in the energy and mining, infrastructure, manufacturing, and processing sectors (CBD/ COP/DEC/14/3/30 November 2018) of 14th COP CBD (Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Nov 2018) (Convention on Biological Diversity 2018), the international coalition of the working group, initiated to promote the Strategy at the CBD COP 15 in China. We hope, this Strategy provides a useful tool and roadmap for promoting the urgent need of supporting biodiversity conservation and securing ecological connectivity at all scales of governance, policies, planning and implementation of transport projects internationally. The creation of an International Observatory for monitoring the fragmentation status globally as an important threat for biodiversity loss is proposed as a common ambition of the working group members and their organizations.IENE, ICOET, ANET, ACLIE, WWF, IUCN, WWF, WCPA, Connectivity Conservation Specialist Grou

The Challenge of Transdisciplinary Research: A Case Study of Learning by Evaluation for Sustainable Transport Infrastructures

While transdisciplinary (TD) research is desired in order to solve real world sustainability issues, this may be challenging for both academic and non-academic participants. Supporting learning through evaluation, we analyzed a project aiming at sustainable transport infrastructures. After developing a TD research framework as a benchmark, two external independent evaluators interviewed all project researchers, representatives for end-users, and donors. The evaluators compared results with the framework, and evaluators and participants critically reflected on the results together. There were three inconsistencies relative to the framework: (1) limited understanding of TD research among project management, end-users, and most of the researchers; (2) no structured learning process among end-users; instead, they expressed very diverse opinions about what they expected from the project; (3) project leaders had limited understanding of the special challenges of TD research, did not fully understand the status of the project's social system, and thus did not act as facilitators of the required collaborative learning process. Non-academic participants saw themselves as customers and not as partners in the knowledge production process. We conclude that TD problem-solving research requires much time and needs facilitation and training. A preparatory phase with a lower level of funding would be helpful in preparing for TD processes

Controllable 3D atomic Brownian motor in optical lattices

7 pages, 4 figures. Presented at the conference "Theoretical and Experimental Foundations of Recent Quantum Technologies" (Durban, South Africa)International audienceWe study a Brownian motor, based on cold atoms in optical lattices, where atomic motion can be induced in a controlled manner in an arbitrary direction, by rectification of isotropic random fluctuations. In contrast with ratchet mechanisms, our Brownian motor operates in a potential that is spatially and temporally symmetric, in apparent contradiction to the Curie principle. Simulations, based on the Fokker-Planck equation, allow us to gain knowledge on the qualitative behaviour of our Brownian motor. Studies of Brownian motors, and in particular ones with unique control properties, are of fundamental interest because of the role they play in protein motors and their potential applications in nanotechnology. In particular, our system opens the way to the study of quantum Brownian motors

Methods to assess gastric motility and sensation

Peter Thelin Schmidt, Hasse Abrahamsson, Anders Dolk, Trygve Hausken, Pontus Karling, Greger Lindberg, Henry Nyhlin, Bodil Ohlsson, Magnus Simrèn, Kristina Sjölund, Per-Olof Stotzer and Hans Törnblom

Function and dysfunction of the colon and anorectum in adults: Working team report of the Swedish Motility Group (SMoG)

Symptoms of fecal incontinence and constipation are common in the general population. These can, however, be unreliably reported and are poorly discriminatory for underlying pathophysiology. Furthermore, both symptoms may coexist. In the elderly, fecal impaction always must be excluded. For patients with constipation, colon transit studies, anorectal manometry and defecography may help to identify patients with slow-transit constipation and/or pelvic floor dysfunction. The best documented medical treatments for constipation are the macrogols, lactulose and isphagula. Evolving drugs include lubiprostone, which enhances colonic secretion by activating chloride channels. Surgery is restricted for a highly selected group of patients with severe slow-transit constipation and for those with large rectoceles that demonstrably cause rectal evacuatory impairment. For patients with fecal incontinence that does not resolve on antidiarrheal treatment, functional and structural evaluation with anorectal manometry and endoanal ultrasound or magnetic resonance (MR) of the anal canal may help to guide management. Sacral nerve stimulation is a rapidly evolving alternative when other treatments such as biofeedback and direct sphincter repair have failed. Advances in understanding the pathophysiology as a guide to treatment of patients with constipation and fecal incontinence is a continuing important goal for translational research. The content of this article is a summary of presentations given by the authors at the Fourth Meeting of the Swedish Motility Group, held in Gothenburg in April 2007

Interventions to enhance access to and utilization of formal community care services for home dwelling persons with dementia and their informal carers.: A scoping review

Objectives: Home dwelling people with dementia and their informal carers often do not receive the formal care services they need. This study examined and mapped the research regarding interventions to improve access and use of formal community care services. Method: This is a scoping review with searches in PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Medline, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Social Science Citation index and searches of grey literature in international and national databases. Studies were categorized according to the measure used to enhance access or use. Results: From international databases, 2833 studies were retrieved, 11 were included. Five studies were included from other sources. In total, 16 studies published between 1989 and 2018 were examined; seven randomized controlled trials, six pretest-posttest studies and three non-randomized controlled studies. Sample sizes varied from 29 to 2682 participants, follow-up from four weeks to four years. Five types of interventions were identified: Case management, monetary support, referral enhancing, awareness &amp; information focused and inpatient focused. Only two studies had access or use of community services as the primary outcome. Fourteen studies, representing all five types of interventions, had positive effects on one or more relevant outcomes. Two interventions had no effect on relevant outcomes. Conclusion: The included studies varied widely regarding design, type of intervention and outcomes. Based on this, the evidence base for interventions to enhance access to and use of formal community services is judged to be limited. The most studied type of intervention was case management. More research is recommended in this field.</p