Riparian Restoration, Success Criteria, and Application to the BART Sabrecat Creek Riparian Restoration Project in Fremont, California

Riparian restoration is a complex, inter-disciplinary field that is open to interpretation by its practitioners. This research reviews some of the critical elements of riparian restoration, including the watershed, surrounding land use, adjacent habitat, and riparian buffers; special-status species, endangered species, and habitat type and structure; invasive species control; water quality and hydrology; and soil and soil microbial communities. Three methods of evaluating restoration projects are discussed, including the Society for Ecological Restoration International Primer, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) California Salmonid Stream Habitat Restoration Manual and CDFW permitting, and the California Rapid Assessment Method. Finally, the BART Sabrecat Creek Riparian Restoration Project is evaluated using the SER Primer

International Cooperation on Trade and Labor Issues

The relationship between the labor market and international trade is a broad and complex subject that has been the focus of significant attention in recent years. Discussion and analysis in this area has covered a number of discrete issues, including the effect of shifting trade patterns on employment levels and earnings in domestic markets, the impact of wage levels and labor legislation on the location of production facilities, and the positive and negative aspects of the cross-border movement of workers, among others. The continuing importance of labor issues within the larger trade debate is highlighted by the inclusion of measures relating to labor standards and/or the cross-border movement of workers in recent bilateral and multilateral trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), and the U.S.–Oman Free Trade Agreement. This paper aims to provide background for future work on trade-related labor issues by describing how labor issues such as internationally recognized labor standards and the cross-border movement of workers have been addressed by international organizations, as well as in U.S. trade legislation and recent trade agreements

Lessons Learned: Solutions for Workplace Safety and Health

Provides case studies of workplace health hazards, regulatory actions taken, and solutions, including product and design alternatives; a synthesis of findings and lessons learned; and federal- and state-level recommendations

Resource Guide for Maine Families, Schools, and Communities: Integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

Maine’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for behavioral health and wellness is a promising way for schools and communities to work together so that every student can achieve health, wellness, and social success in schools, at home, and in their communities. School and community practices that encompass social and emotional learning and regulation, bully prevention, substance misuse prevention and intervention, etc. are integrated into a continuum of supports for children and families, so that the level of response matches the intensity of need. The goal of MTSS is for children and families to have access to a streamlined system of supports, than includes proven school and community-based practices and a referral process with community behavioral health providers for a seamless delivery model for children and their families

Recreational use, analysis and toxicity of tryptamines

The definition New psychoactive substances (NPS) refers to emerging drugs whose chemical structures are similar to other psychoactive compounds but not identical, representing a "legal" alternative to internationally controlled drugs. There are many categories of NPS, such as synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, phenylethylamines, piperazines, ketamine derivatives and tryptamines. Tryptamines are naturally occurring compounds, which can derive from the amino acid tryptophan by several biosynthetic pathways: their structure is a combination of a benzene ring and a pyrrole ring, with the addition of a 2-carbon side chain. Tryptamines include serotonin and melatonin as well as other compounds known for their hallucinogenic properties, such as psilocybin in 'Magic mushrooms' and dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in Ayahuasca brews

Technical documentation on exposure-response functions for climate-sensitive health outcomes

Climate change and climate variability influence human health in a variety ofways, and it may be important for the public health sector to consider these threats.Understanding the current and future burden of climate-sensitive diseases maybenefit planning and response activities. As part of the Climate-Ready States andCities Initiative (CRSCI), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)introduced the five-step iterative Building Resilience Against Climate Effects(BRACE) Framework (Figure 1) designed to help the public health sector plan for and adapt to climate-related hazards (http://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/BRACE.htm).Part of BRACE Step 1 is focused on identifying potential climate impacts andassociated health effects. Although this framework is considered to be an iterativeprocess, each subsequent step builds on Step 1. Therefore, having a firm foundation,including an understanding of current risk and vulnerabilities, is key to subsequentsteps, such as estimating current and projecting future disease burden.In order to provide technical assistance and share best practices, the BRACE Methods Community of Practice (CoP) was developed to facilitate collaboration among CRSCI grantees and other partners interested in the connection between historic and future climate-sensitive health outcomes (e.g., heat-related illness [HRI], asthma, and vectorborne diseases). The purpose of this CoP is to explore methods to (1) quantify associations between climate-related environmental hazards and health outcomes, (2) incorporate these associations into projections of climate-sensitive health outcomes, and (3) develop best practices for public health agencies for assessing the future disease burden due to climate change.Publication date from document properties.ExposureResponseFunctions_508.pdf201

CONFIDENCE CRISIS AND EXITING NAIVE REALISM THROUGH INTEGRATIVE THINKING

The confidence crisis invites increasing emphasis on social responsibility as a corporate marketing strategy, adopted by management which cannot choose ethical indifference. We need better rules and people, the virtue that follows science heading us down the right path towards overcoming the paralyzing insecurity of economic blood flow and shaping the complexity of current affairs drastically but correctly, in order to develop social virtues and responsibilities. Since globalization is no longer what it used to be, and unfair competition is considered to be one of the causes of distrust in the corporate sector, being on the way towards the knowledge society, we are forced to become integrative thinkers and to identify solutions to the crisis, in a context in which economic concentration resulted in changing the nature of competition, and economists and politicians live in different worlds, it is imperative to harmonize in the identification of good measures of welfare research, understanding what must be adjusted and what mustn’t. Travelling through time to the destination where our judges are the future generations, we owe it to them to find appropriate answers in relation to what is authentic in addressing the crisis of faith, who sells what and who is buying it, with the adequate mental model to break the cobweb of this confidence and regain trust. This is all based on an overriding need to produce knowledge for wisdom, maturing interdisciplinary dialogue, becoming architects of conversations generating responsible action, cultivating the ability to work with others with a similar vision.confidence crisis, courage, corporate social responsibility, economist, politician, conversation architect, clash model

Accessibility to Food Intolerance and Food Allergy Resources in McLean County, Illinois: An Interdisciplinary Pilot Study

Food intolerances and food allergies are evolving and diagnoses of such conditions are rapidly increasing. Yet our ancient bodies and social resources are not adapting to this dynamic environment. Accessing healthcare and allergen-free foods is necessary for all people with food allergies and intolerances, but gaps in social resources complicate acquiring these resources, especially for low-income individuals. This interdisciplinary pilot study utilizes a mixed method approach, including sociologically and anthropologically-based surveys and participant observation, respectively, and is guided by the action research approach. Data analysis illustrates major gaps in access to healthcare, specifically to dietitians, and in food acquisition from government agencies and food pantries. All grocery stores included in this study have some amount of allergen-free foods, but knowledge of these products varies drastically. The paper is concluded with a resource-neutral plan of action that aims to enhance the lives of people who suffer from food intolerances in McLean County, Illinois