Without a Net: A Study of Early Impacts of Supplemental Security Income Benefits Elimination for Persons with Disabilities due to Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Cook County, Illinois

This is the first published study of its kind attempting to track the impact of the cuts in SSI/DI on the drug and alcohol addicted. Many of the findings in this study confirm the predictions of advocates. Ironically, much of what we learned flies in the face of stated goals of welfare reform - moving people into work and promoting self-sufficiency. In addition to the loss of cash benefits, beneficiaries also lost eligibility for both Medicaid and Medicare because their primary disability was substance abuse

The Living Wage: In the Public Interest? Increasing the Quality of Life for Families and Communities

This report explores the relationship among minimum wage income, government subsidies, and workers' tax contributions. The report provides a snapshot of current minimum wage income relative to basic need household expenses and includes relevant income-tested government entitlement subsidies. A companion snapshot for a living wage1 provides a point of comparison

Elmer\u27s Evolution

Spring is here! Can\u27t you hear the rumble of skates as the children zip by the house in their youthful glee? Can\u27t you hear the mingled chatter of the spring birds? Can\u27t you smell the sweetness of the pure, clean air - such a relief from that choking smog of the long winter? Can\u27t you see the first buds as they peep through the small gray tips of the dismal twigs? And can\u27t you see Elmer - his beautiful red hair and his bright eyes gleaming as they catch the ray of the warm, mellow sun? Can\u27t you see him? He\u27s standing right out there in the yard like a victorious king in the center of his domain

Brain and Behavior: we want you to share your data.

We at Brain and Behavior are happy, for one, that data sharing is now here

A provisional assessment of risk associated with heavy metal accumulation in New Zealand agricultural soil: Effects of landfarming and fertiliser use on the heavy metal concentrations in plants : A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Environmental Management (without major) at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

This study investigated heavy metal accumulation in New Zealand agricultural soil (horticultural soil and landfarm-impacted soil), factors influencing their concentration in leafy vegetables and pasture, and the potential implications to food safety, animal welfare and human welfare. The study also sought to verify the hypothesis that “landfarming poses no threat to pasture and animal welfare” with respect to heavy metal accumulation. In addition, hemp phytoremediation potential was also explored for landfarm-impacted soil. This study is a synthesis of two glasshouse trials that have, as a common denominator, heavy metal accumulation in New Zealand agricultural soil. The first project assessed cadmium accumulation in leafy vegetables (spinach, silverbeet and lettuce) grown on two New Zealand commercial horticultural soils while the second project focused on heavy metal accumulation in pasture (ryegrass) and a cash crop (hemp) grown on agricultural soil that had been amended with drilling waste. Bulk composite soil samples used for this glasshouse trial were collected from commercial horticultural farms in two locations (Pukekohe and Gisborne), while a landfarm-impacted soil and drilling waste from oil exploration and production sites was collected from the Taranaki region. Soil samples were crushed and potted into replicate pots containing (4kg). Lettuce, spinach and silverbeet were seeded in horticultural soils while ryegrass and hemp were seeded in impacted soils. All soil and plant samples were harvested and taken to the Soil and Earth Science laboratory, Massey University Palmerston North for analysis of heavy metal concentration (Cd, Zn, Cu and Ni) and dehydrogenase activity. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA of means was conducted using Minitab 17. The total Cd concentration in the Pukekohe soil was 0.26 mg Cd/kg soil and that in the Gisborne soil 0.11 mg Cd/kg. The Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn concentration in the landfarmimpacted soil was 0.1 mg Cd/kg; 12.57 mg Cu/kg; below detection limit (BDL) for Ni and 29.99 mg Zn/kg respectively. These values were not significantly different to concentrations in an adjacent control soil collected at the same time for the pot experiment (0.1 mg Cd/kg, 11.5 mg Cu/kg, 29.14 mg Zn/kg, and Ni (BDL)). The Cd concentration in all leafy vegetables grown on the horticultural soil and sampled at two time points (spinach, silverbeet and lettuce) exceeded tolerable limits for Cd in agronomic crops (0.05 - 0.5 mg Cd/kg) with the exception of lettuce (in Pukekohe and Gisborne soil at final stage) and silverbeet (in Pukekohe soil at final stage). Spinach showed elevated Cd accumulation (0.27 mg/kg FW) above CODEX (2010) and FSANZ (2011) limits for the Gisborne soil. The heavy metal concentration (Cd, Zn, Ni and Cu) in hemp and ryegrass grown on the landfarm-impacted soil and control were not significantly different but within tolerable limits in agronomic crops (Cu: 5 – 20 mg/kg; Zn: 50 – 100 mg/kg; Ni: 1- 10 mg/kg). Soil pH is the dominant factor influencing metal bioavailability while organic matter content, and oxalate extractable Al and Fe oxide content (sesquioxides) also affects cadmium bioavailability in agricultural soils. There was no evidence of a heavy metal (Zn, Ni, Cu and Cd) concentration above soil limits defined for the safe application of biosolids in horticultural and landfarmimpacted soils. This suggests that animal wellbeing (via soil ingestion) and food safety will not be affected as a result of land application of drilling waste and long history of P fertiliser use. However, cadmium and heavy metal management is necessary to prevent elevated accumulation over time. Elevated Cd concentration in spinach does not pose direct threat to human consumers but has the potential to limit the accessibility of this product in export markets. A soil heavy metal concentration below biosolids guidelines in the landfarm-impacted soil implies that remediation of this land is not necessary. This observation was supported by data on soil microbial activity in the landfarm-impacted soil which showed no difference from the control soil. The data does not support the public perception and industry concerns that heavy metal accumulation in landfarm-impacted soil poses a health risk. In case of a continued halt in milk collection from landfarmimpacted sites by the dairy industries, a cash crop (hemp) with no exposure pathway and high biomass quality (under landfarm-impacted soil) that potentially has high economic value could replace the traditionally ryegrass system, changing the agricultural land use from a food one to a non-food one

Finding the Fit: A Review of Three Intervention Models for Working with HIV/AIDS Impacted Substance Users who are Homeless

This report reflects research on three different models of services for people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) who are also low-income, substance users and are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. This review of intervention modalities is intended to document what is being done in Chicago to serve this population, illuminate what is known about outcomes for those receiving services and suggest areas for further investigation

Jurisdictional Advantage

Our objective in this paper is to define jurisdictional advantage, the recognition that location is critical to firms' innovative success and that every location has unique assets that are not easily replicated. The purpose is to be normative and policy oriented. Drawing from the well-developed literature on corporate strategy, we consider analogies to cities in their search for competitive advantage. In contrast to the more passive term locational advantage, our use of the term jurisdiction denotes geographically-defined legal and political decision-making authority and coordination. Thus, jurisdictions may be constructed and managed to promote a coherent activity set. We review recent advances in our understanding of patterns of urban specialization and the composition of activities within cities, which suggest strategies that may generate economic growth as well as those strategies to avoid. This paper then considers the role of firms and their responsibility to jurisdictions in light of the net benefits received from place-specific externalities, and concludes by considering the challenges to implementing jurisdictional advantage.