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Abstract The interface between science and policy is a complex space, in theory and practice, that sees the interaction of various actors and perspectives coming together to enable policy-relevant evidence to support decision-making. Early Career Researchers (ECRs) are increasingly interested in working at the science-policy interface to support evidence-informed policy, with the number of opportunities to do so increasing at national and international levels. However, there are still many challenges limiting ECRs participation, not least how such a complex space can be accessed and navigated. While recommendations for engaging at the science-policy interface already exist, a practical ‘map’ of the science-policy interface landscape which would allow for ECR participation in evidence co-production and synthesis in science-policy is missing. With the purpose of facilitating the engagement of ECRs producing biodiversity and ecosystem services policy-relevant evidence at the interface between science and policy, the authors have co-created a ‘mind-map’—a tool to review the landscape of and leverage access to the science-policy interface. This tool was developed through reviewing published literature, collating personal experiences of the ECR authors, and validating against wider peer perspectives in an ECR workshop during the 7th Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). This co-created tool sees ECR engagement in (co-)producing evidence at the science-policy interface as an interaction of three main factors: the environment of the ECR, which mediates their acts of engagement at the science-policy interface leading to outcomes that will ultimately have a reciprocal impact on the ECR’s environment.

This candid perspective written by scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds is intended to advance conversations about the realities of peer review and its inherent limitations. Trust in a process or institution is built slowly and can be destroyed quickly. Trust in the peer review process for scholarly outputs (i.e., journal articles) is being eroded by high-profile scandals, exaggerated news stories, exposés, corrections, retractions, and anecdotes about poor practices. Diminished trust in the peer review process has real-world consequences and threatens the uptake of critical scientific advances. The literature on “crises of trust” tells us that rebuilding diminished trust takes time and requires frank admission and discussion of problems, creative thinking that addresses rather than dismisses criticisms, and planning and enacting short- and long-term reforms to address the root causes of problems. This article takes steps in this direction by presenting eight peer review reality checks and summarizing efforts to address their weaknesses using a harm reduction approach, though we recognize that reforms take time and some problems may never be fully rectified. While some forms of harm reduction will require structural and procedural changes, we emphasize the vital role that training editors, reviewers, and authors has in harm reduction. Additionally, consumers of science need training about how the peer review process works and how to critically evaluate research findings. No amount of self-policing, transparency, or reform to peer review will eliminate all bad actors, unscrupulous publishers, perverse incentives that reward cutting corners, intentional deception, or bias. However, the scientific community can act to minimize the harms from these activities, while simultaneously (re)building the peer review process. A peer review system is needed, even if it is imperfect.

This article analyses little-known short stories of modern Ukrainian writers Valerian Pidmohylny and Mykhailo Yatskiv in the context of the 20th century existentialism. It can be considered as a cultural phenomenon which combines philosophy with literature. Pidmohylny’s short stories were significantly influenced primarily by the ideas of the European philosophers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Therefore, we can search for similar motives in the works of Pidmohylny and the existentialists, which developed under the influence of the ideas of Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche. Also, the authors consider Yatskiv’s short stories through the prism of the core concepts of existentialism, namely, fate and death. Pidmohylny and Yatskiv can be assigned to existential writers on the basis of retrospective analysis of the themes of their short stories and the thematic areas of 20th century existentialism.

To increase the productivity of boom cranes, the operation of individual mechanisms is combined. At the same time, dynamic loads on structural elements, drive mechanisms and loads on a flexible suspension increase, which reduces the reliability of crane operation and increases energy losses. Therefore, the research aims to consider the problem of the dynamics of the joint movement of the mechanisms for load slewing and hoisting of a boom crane. To study the dynamics of the joint movement of the mechanisms, the boom system was represented by a mechanical system with 6DOF, where the basic movement of the mechanisms and the oscillatory movement of the structural links with elastic and dissipative properties, as well as the load on a flexible suspension in the plane of crane slewing and hoisting were considered. For such a mechanical system of a crane, the differential equations of the joint motion of the crane slewing and hoisting mechanisms were developed. The obtained equations are a system of the second order nonlinear differential equations, for solving which a numerical method in the form of a computer program was used. Using the developed program, the dynamics of the joint movement of the mechanisms of a jib crane with specific numerical parameters were calculated. Based on the calculations, a dynamic analysis of the joint movement of the mechanisms for slewing and hoisting the load of a jib crane with a hoisting boom was carried out, which revealed high-frequency vibrations of links with elastic and dissipative properties, as well as low-frequency oscillations of the load on a flexible suspension. The greatest impact of oscillations is observed during the start-up of mechanisms, where high-frequency oscillations dampen during the transient process, and low-frequency oscillations dampen over a fairly significant period. To improve the dynamic properties of the mechanisms for turning and hoisting a load during their joint movement, it is proposed to optimise the mode of movement in the areas of transient processes (start-up, braking). The research results can be used in the development and operation of cranes in mechanical engineering, construction, and other industries

ABSTRACTPostsecondary and informal professional educational opportunities have increasingly become an important mode of supporting the understanding, dissemination, and application of ecosystem services (ES). The development of professional activities and group characteristics (e.g. a shared vocabulary, common objectives, dedication of time) together with teaching and education are instrumental for the institutionalization of new ideas, concepts, and disciplines in society. Integrating ES into postsecondary and professional education can help us to understand complex human-environment interactions and shape policy towards greater socio-ecological sustainability. This study analyzes the current status of ES-related programs and courses offered at the postsecondary and professional levels around the world. We collected data in English on these opportunities in mid-2020 using Internet searches, crowdsourcing techniques, and personal knowledge and discovered 20 degree-granting programs and 112 courses focused on or related to ES. Our analyses suggest that most ES education is uncoordinated and aimed at graduate students (master’s or doctorate level), but is also interdisciplinary with an emphasis on ES as a plural concept. We argue that the continued evolution and application of ES depends on the concept’s integration into postsecondary and professional education and that more attention should be paid to these modes of knowledge sharing and building. Our analysis adds to the current understanding of the available formal and informal opportunities for learning about ES and provides a lens by which we can envision new pathways for increasing the reach and effectiveness of ES education and training.

Abstract In civil society we expect that policy and management decisions will be made using the best available evidence. Yet, it is widely known that there are many barriers that limit the extent to which that occurs. One way to overcome these barriers is via robust, comprehensive, transparent and repeatable evidence syntheses (such as systematic reviews) that attempt to minimize various forms of bias to present a summary of existing knowledge for decision-making purposes. Relative to other disciplines (e.g., health care, education), such evidence-based decision-making remains relatively nascent for environment management despite major threats to humanity, such as the climate, pollution and biodiversity crises demonstrating that human well-being is inextricably linked to the biophysical environment. Fortunately, there are a growing number of environmental evidence syntheses being produced that can be used by decision makers. It is therefore an opportune time to reflect on the science and practice of evidence-based decision-making in environment management to understand the extent to which evidence syntheses are embraced and applied in practice. Here we outline a number of key questions related to the use of environmental evidence that need to be explored in an effort to enhance evidence-based decision-making. There is an urgent need for research involving methods from social science, behavioural sciences, and public policy to understand the basis for patterns and trends in environmental evidence use (or misuse or ignorance). There is also a need for those who commission and produce evidence syntheses, as well as the end users of these syntheses to reflect on their experiences and share them with the broader evidence-based practice community to identify needs and opportunities for advancing the entire process of evidence-based practice. It is our hope that the ideas shared here will serve as a roadmap for additional scholarship that will collectively enhance evidence-based decision-making and ultimately benefit the environment and humanity.

Effective knowledge exchange at science-policy interfaces (SPIs) can foster evidence-informed policy-making through the integration of a wide range of knowledge inputs. This is especially crucial for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES), human well-being and sustainable development. Early-career researchers (ECRs) can contribute significantly to knowledge exchange at SPIs. Recognizing that, several capacity building programs focused on sustainability have been introduced recently. However, little is known about the experiences and perceptions of ECRs in relation to SPIs. Our study focused on SPI engagement of ECRs who conduct research on biodiversity and ES, as perceived and experienced. Specifically, we addressed ‘motivations’, ‘barriers’ and ‘opportunities and ‘benefits’. A total of 145 ECRs have completed the survey. Our results showed that ECRs were generally interested to engage in SPIs and believed it to be beneficial in terms of contributing to societal change, understanding policy processes and career development. Respondents perceived lack of understanding about involvement channels, engagement opportunities, funding, training, perceived credibility of ECRs by other actors and encouragement of senior colleagues as barriers to engaging in SPIs. Those who have already participated in SPIs generally saw fewer barriers and more opportunities. A key reason for dissatisfaction with experience in SPIs was a lack of impact and uptake of science-policy outputs by policymakers – an issue that likely extends beyond ECRs and implies the need for transformations in knowledge exchange within SPIs. In conclusion, based on insights from our survey, we outline several opportunities for increased and better facilitation of ECR engagement in SPIs.

Abstract Accurate, unbiased and concise synthesis of available evidence following clear methodology and transparent reporting is necessary to support effective environmental policy and management decisions. Without this, less reliable and/or less objective reviews of evidence could inform decision making, leading to ineffective, resource wasteful interventions with potential for unintended consequences. We evaluated the reliability of over 1000 evidence syntheses (reviews and overviews) published between 2018 and 2020 that provide evidence on the impacts of human activities or effectiveness of interventions relevant to environmental management. The syntheses are drawn from the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence Database of Evidence Reviews (CEEDER), an online, freely available evidence service for evidence users that assesses the reliability of evidence syntheses using a series of published criteria. We found that the majority of syntheses have problems with transparency, replicability and potential for bias. Overall, our results suggest that most recently published evidence syntheses are of low reliability to inform decision making. Reviews that followed guidance and reporting standards for evidence synthesis had improved assessment ratings, but there remains substantial variation in the standard of reviews amongst even these. Furthermore, the term ‘systematic review’, which implies conformity with a methodological standard, was frequently misused. A major objective of the CEEDER project is to improve the reliability of the global body of environmental evidence reviews. To this end we outline freely available online resources to help improve review conduct and reporting. We call on authors, editors and peer reviewers to use these resources to ensure more reliable syntheses in the future.

Recreational water use is an important source of human enteric illness. Enhanced (episodic) surveillance of natural recreational waters as a supplement to beach monitoring can enrich our understanding of human health risks. From 2011 to 2013, water sampling was undertaken at recreational sites on a watershed in eastern Canada. This study compared the prevalence and associations of human enteric pathogens and fecal indicator organisms. Beach water samples had lower pathogen presence than those along the main river, due to different pollution sources and the hydrological disposition. Pathogen profiles identified from the beach sites suggested a more narrow range of sources, including birds, indicating that wild bird management could help reduce public health risks at these sites. The presence and concentration of indicator organisms did not differ significantly between beaches and the river. However, higher concentrations of generic Escherichia coli were observed when Salmonella and Cryptosporidium were present at beach sites, when Salmonella was present at the river recreational site, and when verotoxigenic E. coli were present among all sites sampled. In this watershed, generic E. coli concentrations were good indicators of potential contamination, pathogen load, and elevated human health risk, supporting their use for routine monitoring where enhanced pathogen testing is not possible. HIGHLIGHTS Enhanced surveillance of recreational waters can supplement water quality monitoring and inform our understanding of what contributes to the risk of human illness.; Water collected at reservoir beaches was less contaminated than sites along the main river.; Subtyping of pathogens at the beach sites suggested a narrow range of sources.; The nature of the sampling site influenced the prevalence and types of pathogens.;

La pandemia de la enfermedad del coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) está impactando dramáticamente los sistemas sociales planetarios y humanos que están inseparablemente vinculados. Las enfermedades zoonóticas como la COVID-19 exponen cómo el bienestar humano está inextricablemente interconectado con el medio ambiente y con otras crisis socioecológicas convergentes (impulsadas por los humanos), como las pérdidas dramáticas de biodiversidad, el cambio en el uso de la tierra y el cambio climático. Argumentamos que el COVID-19 es en sí mismo una crisis socioecológica, pero hasta ahora las respuestas no han incluido la resiliencia ecológica, en parte porque la metáfora de la “Antropausa” ha creado una sensación poco realista de comodidad que excusa la inacción. Las narrativas de la antropausa desmienten el hecho de que la extracción de recursos ha continuado durante la pandemia y que los negocios como de costumbre continúan causando una degradación generalizada del ecosistema que requiere atención política inmediata. En algunos casos, las medidas de política de COVID-19 contribuyeron aún más al problema, como la reducción de los impuestos ambientales o la aplicación de las normas. Mientras que algunos sistemas socioecológicos (SSE) están experimentando impactos reducidos, otros están experimentando lo que llamamos un "Antrochoque", con más visitantes y un uso intensificado. Las diversas causas e impactos de la pandemia se pueden comprender mejor con una lente socioecológica. Los conocimientos socioecológicos son necesarios para planificar y desarrollar la resiliencia necesaria para enfrentar la pandemia y futuras crisis socioecológicas. Si nosotros, como sociedad, nos tomamos en serio la reconstrucción mejor de la pandemia, debemos adoptar un conjunto de respuestas de investigación y políticas informadas por el pensamiento SSE.

Inland fisheries are complex social-ecological systems that can generate important nutritional, economic, cultural, and recreational benefits. Effective management of these systems for multiple user-groups requires an understanding of the complex natural and human dimensions interactions within them. We examine the perceptions of stakeholders, Indigenous rightsholders, and regulatory/governance groups on the current and future status of Oncorhynchus mykiss (including their resident form – rainbow trout – and their anadromous form – steelhead) populations and fisheries in British Columbia (BC), Canada from 65 qualitative interviews and 1029 quantitative survey responses. Participants generally did not believe resident rainbow trout were threatened at the provincial level but were definitive in assessing anadromous steelhead trout as threatened. Habitat alterations, water temperature extremes, and climate change, were key threats identified for all forms of O. mykiss while bycatch in commercial fisheries and predation pressure from pinnipeds were specifically identified threats for steelhead trout. Anglers did not perceive recreational fishing pressure as a key threat in contrast to regulatory and governance groups. Fisheries managers were praised for stocking programs and managing small lakes fisheries but criticized for not doing enough to protect fish populations, for an unwillingness to challenge or confront commercial and Indigenous interests which infringe on conservation, and for a lack of aquatic monitoring. Three factors identified by participants contribute to fishery mismanagement, inaction, and decision paralysis: (1) insufficient resources (funding, staff, time), (2) confusion in jurisdictional authority between provincial and federal governments, and (3) organizational structure of natural resource management agencies which are not autonomous from competing commercial and industrial objectives and directions. Despite conservation being purported as the highest priority of fisheries managers, economic, social, and political drivers are perceived as increasingly influencing conservation decisions and actions. These findings can inform fisheries management and conservation decisions, policies and practices to ensure that they are more salient, robust, legitimate, and effective.

Abstract Managers of wildlife are faced with decisions and issues that are increasingly complex, spanning natural and human dimensions (i.e. values, preferences, attitudes). A strong evidence base that includes multiple forms and sources of knowledge is needed to support these complex decisions. However, a growing body of literature demonstrates that environmental managers are far more likely to draw on intuition, past experience or opinion to inform important decisions rather than empirical evidence. We set out to assess how decision‐makers and other potential knowledge users (a) perceive, evaluate and use western‐based scientific, Indigenous and local knowledge and (b) the extent to which social, political and economic considerations challenge the integration of different forms of evidence into decision‐making. In 2018, we interviewed members from natural resource management branches of Indigenous governments (n = 4) and parliamentary governments (n = 33), as well as representatives from nongovernmental stakeholder groups (n = 28) involved in wildlife management and conservation in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Contrary to studies that suggest evidence‐based conservation and management are rare, respondents described relying heavily on multiple forms of knowledge. Results revealed that western science is used near‐unanimously, procured from internal (i.e. institutional) sources slightly more than external ones (i.e. peer‐reviewed journals, management agencies in other jurisdictions). However, we found Indigenous and local knowledge use to be much less than western scientific knowledge (approximately half as much) despite being highly valued. Perceived challenges to applying Indigenous and local knowledge include a lack of trust, hesitancy to share knowledge (particularly from Indigenous communities), difficulties in assessing reliability and difficulties discerning knowledge from advocacy. Despite high (and relatively diverse) evidence use, more than 40% of respondents perceived a diminishing role for evidence in final decisions concerning wildlife management and conservation. They associated this with decreases in institutional resources and capacity and increases in socio‐economic and political interference. We encourage transformative change in wildlife management enabling decision‐makers to draw upon multiple forms of knowledge. This transformative change should include direct involvement of knowledge holders, co‐assessment of knowledge and transparency in how (multiple forms of) evidence contribute to decision‐making. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Non-typhoidal Salmonella infections represent a substantial burden of illness in humans, and the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among these infections is a growing concern. Using a combination of Salmonella isolate short-read whole-genome sequence data from select human cases, raccoons, livestock and environmental sources, and an epidemiological framework, our objective was to determine if there was evidence for potential transmission of Salmonella and associated antimicrobial resistance determinants between these different sources in the Grand River watershed in Ontario, Canada. Logistic regression models were used to assess the potential associations between source type and the presence of select resistance genes and plasmid incompatibility types. A total of 608 isolates were obtained from the following sources: humans (n = 58), raccoons (n = 92), livestock (n = 329), and environmental samples (n = 129). Resistance genes of public health importance, including blaCMY−2, were identified in humans, livestock, and environmental sources, but not in raccoons. Most resistance genes analyzed were significantly more likely to be identified in livestock and/or human isolates than in raccoon isolates. Based on a 3,002-loci core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) scheme, human Salmonella isolates were often more similar to isolates from livestock and environmental sources, than with those from raccoons. Rare instances of serovars S. Heidelberg and S. Enteritidis in raccoons likely represent incidental infections and highlight possible acquisition and dissemination of predominantly poultry-associated Salmonella by raccoons within these ecosystems. Raccoon-predominant serovars were either not identified among human isolates (S. Agona, S. Thompson) or differed by more than 350 cgMLST loci (S. Newport). Collectively, our findings suggest that the rural population of raccoons on swine farms in the Grand River watershed are unlikely to be major contributors to antimicrobial resistant human Salmonella cases in this region.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the health of humans and animals and has repeatedly been detected in wild animal species across the world. This cross-sectional study integrates whole-genome sequence data from Escherichia coli isolates with demonstrated phenotypic resistance that originated from a previous longitudinal wildlife study in southern Ontario, as well as phenotypically resistant E. coli water isolates previously collected as part of a public health surveillance program. The objective of this work was to assess for evidence of possible transmission of antimicrobial resistance determinants between wild meso-mammals, swine manure pits, and environmental sources on a broad scale in the Grand River watershed, and at a local scale-for the subset of samples collected on both swine farms and conservation areas in the previous wildlife study. Logistic regression models were used to assess potential associations between sampling source, location type (swine farm vs. conservation area), and the occurrence of select resistance genes and predicted plasmids. In total, 200 isolates from the following sources were included: water (n = 20), wildlife (n = 73), swine manure pit (n = 31), soil (n = 73), and dumpsters (n = 3). Several genes and plasmid incompatibility types were significantly more likely to be identified on swine farms compared to conservation areas. Conversely, internationally distributed sequence types (e.g., ST131), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase- and AmpC-producing E. coli were isolated in lower prevalences (

Humans are now recognized as the main drivers of environmental change, leaving the future ofour planet dependent on human action or inaction. Although the outlook of our planet is often depicted in a 'doom and gloom' manner due to recent troubling environmental trends, we suggest that a 'good Anthropocene' (in which human quality of life may be maintained or improved without cost to the environment) is attainable if we engage in adaptive, multi-disciplinary actions capable of addressing the socio-ecological issues of today and tomorrow. Early-career conservation scientists and practitioners have an unmatched understanding of novel technologies and social connectivity and, as those left with the ever-growing responsibility to be the problem solvers of the attributed increasing environmental consequences of living in the Anthropocene, their perspectives on steps towards a good Anthropocene are valuable. Here we present a list of 20 actions derived by early-career conservation scientists and practitioners for conservationists to help achieve a good Anthropocene that utilize the social connectivity and technology of today. Central to these actions are the notions that multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary collaboratives that embrace diverse world views need to be integrated into decision-making processes; training and outreach platforms need to communicate both environmental challenges and solutions broadly; and conservation successes need to be acknowledged and disseminated in a forward-looking, adaptive capacity. Together the 20 actions identified here reinforce the underlying paradigm shift that must accompany living in the Anthropocene, given that biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are requisite for sustained human life. By sharing this list of actions, we look to promote positive socio-environmental changes towards the collective goal of achieving a good Anthropocene. Key words: Anthropocene, positive futures, early-career researchers. On reconnait maintenant que les etres humains sont les principaux responsables des changements environnementaux, laissant l'avenir de notre planete dependant de l'action ou de l'inaction humaine. Meme si les perspectives de notre planete sont souvent depeintes de maniere pessimiste a cause des recentes tendances environnementales inquietantes, les auteurs suggerent qu'un <> (dans lequel la qualite de vie des humains peut etre maintenue ou amelioree sans cout environnemental) est atteignable si nous nous engageons dans des actions adaptatives multidisciplinaires capables de s'attaquer aux problemes socioecologiques d'aujourd'hui et de demain. Les scientifiques et les praticiens de la conservation en debut de carriere ont une comprehension sans precedent des nouvelles technologies et de la connectivite sociale et, en tant que personnes a qui l'on confie la responsabilite de plus en plus lourde d'agir comme solutionneurs de problemes en ce qui a trait aux consequences environnementales croissantes que l'on attribue a vivre dans l'Anthropocene, leurs perspectives sur les etapes conduisant a un bon Anthropocene sont precieuses. Les auteurs presentent ici une liste de 20 actions proposees par des scientifiques et des praticiens de la conservation en debut de carriere a l'intention des agents de protection de l'environnement pour les aider a atteindre un bon Anthropocene par l'utilisation de la connectivite sociale et de la technologie d'aujourd'hui. Au coeur de ces actions se trouvent des notions : de collaborations multi-, inter- et transdisciplinaires qui epousent diverses conceptions du monde qui doivent etre integrees aux processusde prisede decision;de plateformes de formation et dediffusion necessaires pour communiquer largement les defis et les solutions en matiere d'environnement; et de succes en matiere de conservation qui doivent etre reconnus et dissemines dans la perspective d'une capacite d'adaptation tournee vers l'avenir. L'ensemble des 20 actions identifiees ici renforcent le changement de paradigme sous-jacent qui doit accompagner la vie dans l'Anthropocene, puisque la biodiversite et des ecosystemes en sante sont necessaires au developpement humain durable. En partageant cette liste d'actions, les auteurs desirent promouvoir des changements socio-environnementaux positifs vers l'objectif collectif d'atteindre un bon Anthropocene. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : Anthropocene, avenir prometteur, chercheurs en debut de carriere., Introduction Human actions have led planet Earth into the Anthropocene epoch (Crutzen and Stoermer 2000). Humans are now recognized as a predominant agent of ecosystem change on the planet, exemplified [...]

People depend on functioning ecosystems, which provide benefits that support human existence and wellbeing. The relationship between people and nature has been experienced and conceptualized in multiple ways. Recently, ecosystem services (ES) concepts have permeated science, government policies, multi-national environmental agreements, and science–policy interfaces. In 2017, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) introduced a new and closely related concept – Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP). The introduction of NCP has sparked some lively discussion and confusion about the distinguishing characteristics between ES and NCP. In order to clarify their conceptual relation, we identify eleven specific claims about novel elements from the latest NCP literature and analyze how far ES research has already contributed to these corresponding conceptual claims in the existing ES literature. We find a mixed-picture, where on six specific conceptual claims (culture, social sciences and humanities, indigenous and local knowledge, negative contributions of nature, generalizing perspective, non-instrumental values and valuation) NCP does not differ greatly from past ES research, but we also find five conceptual claims (diverse worldviews, context-specific perspective, relational values, fuzzy and fluid reporting categories and groups, inclusive language and framing) where NCP provides novel conceptualizations of people and nature relations.

Abstract 1. The ‘anthropause’, a period of unusually reduced human activity and mobility due to COVID‐19 restrictions, has serendipitously opened up unique opportunities for research on how human activities impact the environment. 2. In the field of health, COVID‐19 research has led to concerns about the quality of research papers and the underlying research and publication processes due to accelerated peer review and publication schedules, increases in pre‐prints and retractions. 3. In the field of environmental science, framing the pandemic and associated global lockdowns as an unplanned global human confinement experiment with urgency should raise the same concerns about the rigorousness and integrity of the scientific process. Furthermore, the recognition of an ‘infodemic’, an unprecedented explosion of research, risks research waste and duplication of effort, although how information is used is as important as the quality of evidence. This highlights the need for an evidence base that is easy to find and use – that is discoverable, curated, synthesizable, synthesized. 4. We put forward a list of 10 key principles to support the establishment of a reproducible, replicable, robust, rigorous, timely and synthesizable COVID‐19 environmental evidence base that avoids research waste and is resilient to the pressures to publish urgently. These principles focus on engaging relevant actors (e.g. local communities, rightsholders) in research design and production, statistical power, collaborations, evidence synthesis, research registries and protocols, open science and transparency, data hygiene (cleanliness) and integrity, peer review transparency, standardized keywords and controlled vocabularies.

The economic valuation of ecosystem services in part reflects the desire to use conventional economic tools (markets and economic instruments) to conserve ecosystem services. However, for regulating and supporting ecosystem services that depend on ecosystem structure and function, estimation of economic value requires estimates of the current level of underlying ecological functions first. This primary step is in principle, the job of environmental scientists, not economists. Here, we provide a coarse-level quantitative assessment of the relationship between the research effort expended by environmental scientists (on the biophysical values) and economists (on the monetary values) on 15 different regulating and supporting services in 32 ecosystem types using peer-reviewed article hits retrieved from bibliographic databases as a measure of research effort. We find a positive, moderately strong (r = 0.69) correlation between research efforts in the two domains, a result that, while encouraging, is likely to reflect serendipity rather than the deliberate design of integrated environmental science-economics research programs. Our results suggest that compared to environmental science research effort economic valuation is devoted to a smaller, less diverse set of ecosystem services but a broader, more diverse, set of ecosystem types. The two domains differed more with respect to the ecosystem services that are the major focus of research effort than they did with respect to the ecosystem types of principal research interest. For example, carbon sequestration, erosion regulation, and nutrient cycling receive more relative research effort in the environmental sciences; air quality regulation in economic valuations. For both domains, cultivated areas, wetlands, and urban/semi-urban ecosystem types received relatively large research effort, while arctic and mountain tundra, cave and subterranean, cryosphere, intertidal/littoral zone, and kelp forest ecosystem types received negligible research effort. We suggest ways and means by which the field of sustainability science may be improved by the design and implementation of a searchable database of environmental science and economic valuation literature as well as a global ecosystem service research network and repository that explicitly links research on the estimation and prediction of biophysical ecosystem functions with that of the social sciences and other knowledge systems. These suggestions would, at least in principle, facilitate a more efficient research agenda between economists and environmental scientists and aid management, regulatory and judicial decision-makers.

Abstract 1. Despite aspirations for conservation impact, mismatches between research and implementation have limited progress towards this goal. There is, therefore, an urgent need to identify how we can more effectively navigate the spaces between research and practice. 2. In 2014, we ran a workshop with conservation researchers and practitioners to identify mismatches between research and implementation that needed to be overcome to deliver evidence‐informed conservation action. Five mismatches were highlighted: spatial, temporal, priority, communication, and institutional. 3. Since 2014, thinking around the ‘research–implementation gap’ has progressed. The term ‘gap’ has been replaced by language around the dynamic ‘spaces’ between research and action, representing a shift in thinking around what it takes to better align research and practice. 4. In 2019, we ran a follow‐up workshop reflecting on this shift, whether the five mismatches identified in the 2014 workshop were still present in conservation, and whether progress had been made to overcome these mismatches during the past 5 years. We found that while there has been progress, we still have some way to go across all dimensions. 5. Here, we report on the outcomes of the 2019 workshop, reflect on what has changed over the past 5 years, and offer 10 recommendations for strengthening the alignment of conservation research and practice.

We have previously described the importance of using multiple indicators for reporting national farm-level antimicrobial use (AMU) information, but the distribution of flock-level AMU and how these indicators relate to each other has not yet been fully explored. Using farm-level surveillance data (2013–2019), for broiler chickens (n = 947 flocks) and turkeys (n = 427), this study aims to (1) characterize flock-level AMU and identify high users, (2) identify appropriate AMU indicators and biomass denominator [population correction unit (PCU) vs. kg weight at pre-slaughter], and (3) make recommendations on the application to veterinarian-producer and national-level reporting. Diverse AMU patterns were identified in broiler chickens (156 patterns) and turkeys (68 patterns); of these, bacitracin, reported by 25% of broiler chicken and 19% of turkey producers, was the most frequently occurring pattern. Depending on the indicator chosen, variations in reported quantity of use, temporal trends and relative ranking of the antimicrobials changed. Quantitative AMU analysis yielded the following results for broiler chickens: mean 134 mg/PCU; 507 number (n) of Canadian (CA) defined daily doses (DDDvet) per 1,000 chicken-days and 18 nDDDvetCA/PCU. Analysis in turkey flocks yielded the following: mean 64 mg/PCU, 99 nDDDvetCA/1,000 turkey-days at risk and 9 nDDDvetCA/PCU. Flocks were categorized based on the percentiles of the mg/PCU distribution: “medium” to “low” users (≤75th percentile) and “high” users (>75th percentile). The odds of being a high user in both broiler chickens and turkeys were significantly increased: if water medications were used, and if trimethoprim-sulfonamides, bacitracins, and tetracyclines were used. Pairwise correlation analysis showed moderate correlation between mg/PCU and the nDDDvetCA/1,000 animal days at risk and between mg/PCU and nDDDvetCA/PCU. Significantly high correlation between nDDDvetCA/1,000 animal days at risk and nDDDvetCA/PCU was observed, suggestive that either of these could be used for routine monitoring of trends in AMU. One source of discrepancy between the indicators was the antimicrobial. Understanding the choice of parameter input and effects on reporting trends in AMU will inform surveillance reporting best practices to help industry understand the impacts of their AMU reduction strategies and to best communicate the information to veterinarians, their producers, and other stakeholders.

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Postsecondary and informal professional educational opportunities have increasingly become an important mode of supporting the understanding, dissemination, and application of ecosystem services (ES). The development of professional activities and group characteristics (e.g. a shared vocabulary, common objectives, dedication of time) together with teaching and education are instrumental for the institutionalization of new ideas, concepts, and disciplines in society. Integrating ES into postsecondary and professional education can help us to understand complex human-environment interactions and shape policy towards greater socio-ecological sustainability. This study analyzes the current status of ES-related programs and courses offered at the postsecondary and professional levels around the world. We collected data in English on these opportunities in mid-2020 using Internet searches, crowdsourcing techniques, and personal knowledge and discovered 20 degree-granting programs and 112 courses focused on or related to ES. Our analyses suggest that most ES education is uncoordinated and aimed at graduate students (master's or doctorate level), but is also interdisciplinary with an emphasis on ES as a plural concept. We argue that the continued evolution and application of ES depends on the concept's integration into postsecondary and professional education and that more attention should be paid to these modes of knowledge sharing and building. Our analysis adds to the current understanding of the available formal and informal opportunities for learning about ES and provides a lens by which we can envision new pathways for increasing the reach and effectiveness of ES education and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic loads regularities in elastic elements of the load-lifting machines were analyzed, in conditions of actual use they should be minimized. An updated analysis of dynamic loads in crane ropes was conducted and conditions of loads minimization were determined. Modes of load movement on elastic rope of lifting crane were substantiated. In these modes dynamic factor Kd minimizes and drive mechanism performs optimum movements. At the same time methods of classical variational calculus and apparatus of differential equations (ordinary) were used, and the calculations were carried out for two classic ways of load lifting ("hanging" and "with pickup"). The updated dynamic analysis was conducted and loads that arise in elastic elements (ropes) of lifting equipment were minimized within the two-mass model. At the same time methods of load lifting "hanging" and "with pickup" were considered for various possible modes of drive mechanism motion in the starting area. Models for load lifting "hanging" and "with pickup" which minimizes the dynamic loads in the rope of the crane in its launching period were justified. The results obtained can later be used to update and improve existing engineering methods for movement mode`s calculation of lifting cranes and their components (when lifting is "hanging" or "with pickup"), these modes minimize the rope load at optimal modes of drive motion as at the design (construction) stage of such systems, as well during their real operation.