Cyclical construction workforce shortage : an evaluation of the current shortage in Western North Carolina

The inadequate supply of skilled construction craft workers is an issue that currently affects the performance of the construction industry. The performance of the construction industry has a significant influence on the growth of the national economy as well as citizens’ wellbeing. The challenges associated with the construction industry’s skilled worker shortage are cyclical. The cyclical nature is a result of the fact that the demand for construction in the U.S. depends on the performance of the overall U.S. economy. The current study evaluates the nature of the current shortage in the western region of North Carolina. Accordingly, the study examines the data collected by the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, employing a survey that targeted construction firms. The authors have analyzed 46 completed surveys that were collected during the fall of 2018. Among other findings, the study reveals that the demand for laborers and licensed journeymen is higher than other construction positions such as supervisors and estimators. Also, the study shows that entry-level positions such as laborers have higher employee turnover rates compared to more experienced positions. The research could help develop a certified career pathway that provides short-term training and work-based learning opportunities for the raw construction workforce

Demographic influences on construction craft shortages in the U. S. and Canada

The United States and Canadian construction markets are facing a shortfall of skilled craft workers in the face of increasing labor demands. There are initial indications that the shortages are already having a significant impact on project performance in the industrial construction sectors. While there are many demographic aspects of the shortage, the authors focus on the shift in aging of the United States and Canadian construction workforce and the effects this is having on the availability of craft workers, especially on highly skilled craft trades such as pipefitters and electricians. Also, the authors examine immigration policy and its influence on the qualifications of the construction workforce. The authors use multiple US and Canadian data sources to examine the trends on both sides of the border, including the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey, Statistic Canada, and the Build Force Canada datasets. The findings show that while both the US and Canadian construction markets are experiencing an aging workforce, the aging of the US workforce is occurring at a much faster rate.Non UBCUnreviewedFacultyOthe

Cytomegalovirus-induced Hemorrhagic Colitis in a Patient with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (Chronic Phase) on Dasatinib as an Upfront Therapy

Dasatinib is a kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of newly diagnosed adults with Philadelphia chromosome–positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase and accelerated (myeloid or lymphoid blast) phase, and CML with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy including imatinib and in adults with Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia 1 The most common adverse reactions (≥15%) in patients with newly diagnosed chronic-phase (CP) CML include myelosuppression, fluid retention, and diarrhea, whereas in patients with resistance or intolerance to prior imatinib therapy, side effects include myelosuppression, fluid retention, diarrhea, headache, dyspnea, skin rash, fatigue, nausea, and hemorrhage. We report a 39-year-old Ethiopian female patient who received dasatinib as upfront therapy for the treatment of CP-CML who experienced chronic diarrhea for two months, which progressed to hemorrhagic colitis due to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the colon. To our knowledge, this is the first case of CMV colitis in a patient receiving dasatinib as upfront therapy