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Maintaining regional competitiveness and economic viability for Port Bustamante - Kingston Harbour, Jamaica, required improved accessibility to "Post Panamax" (too large to pass through the Panama Canal) container vessels. Removal of the northern portion of the shallow coral reef at Rackham's Cay, which was partially obstructing the western end of the east ship channel, was proposed. This aesthetically valuable reef was used by local fishermen and comprises part of the declared Palisadoes – Port Royal Protected Area. The proposal to transplant certain of the benthic species was advanced to mitigate loss of viable reef components. Between December 2001 and February 2002, sixty thousand items, consisting of reef building massive and branching corals; gorgonians; urchins (Diadema and Tripneustes spp.) and Thalassia meristems were relocated. During dredging, sedimentation rates from suspended solids in the water column were 0.003 g/cm2/day at the control site and 0.008 g/cm2/day at the dredge site. Coral cover in the relocation area increased from 15% to 20% while bare substrate decreased from 27% to 21%. This paper documents the mitigation required; some factors controlling the ecology of Rackham's Cay reef; the methodology of the relocation process; and the level of post-dredging survivorship of relocated corals. Political and economic realities of some proposed developments often override ecological considerations. Transplantation of important marine benthic species although time consuming, technically challenging, and expensive, may be one way for developers and ecologists to achieve sometimes disparate goals. This project cost US$1.7 million. The "items" moved were neither unique nor endemic and remain vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic impacts. This project increased public awareness and interest regarding the ecological and economic importance of reef ecosystems. It is anticipated that future coastal and inland developments will benefit from the lessons taught by these mitigative interventions. ; Para ...

Contraceptive use is deemed one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century because its benefits are universally acknowledged as a cornerstone for reducing global maternal morbidity and mortality. However, although the adoption of the Affordable Care Act in the United States (US) enhanced access to preventive health services, as well as increased contraceptive use, a considerable proportion of reproductive-aged women still have unmet reproductive health needs. Current data indicates gaps in contraceptive use patterns in the US, particularly among low-income women and those from racial/ethnic and gender minority subgroups, necessitating further investigation using an ecological approach. This narrative literature review aims to investigate the current perspective of contraceptive use in the US using the social-ecological model (SEM). Based on SEM levels, barriers to contraceptive use entail the following levels: individual (e.g., misbelief about the side effects of contraceptives), interpersonal (e.g., influence of family and friends), institutional (e.g., lack of training on how to use different types of contraceptives), community (e.g., societal stigma and shame), and policy (e.g., restrictive federal and states policies). Access to contraceptives for women is a system-level issue that necessitates consideration for multilevel strategies by key stakeholders to improve contraceptive uptake among vulnerable populations.

This paper is in closed access. ; Background Research findings on the relationship between the psychosocial work environment and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) are equivocal. This might partly be due to studies having focused on a restricted set of psychosocial dimensions, thereby failing to capture all relevant domains. Aims To examine cross-sectional associations between seven psychosocial work environment domains and LTPA in a large sample of UK civil servants and to profile LTPA and consider this in relation to UK government recommendations on physical activity. Methods In 2012 Northern Ireland Civil Service employees completed a questionnaire including measures of psychosocial working conditions (Management Standards Indicator Tool) and LTPA. We applied bivariate correlations and linear regression analyses to examine relations between psychosocial working conditions and LTPA. Results Of 26000 civil servants contacted, 5235 (20%) completed the questionnaire. 24% of men and 17% of women reported having undertaken 30 min or more of physical activity on five or more days in the past week. In men, job control (−0.08) and peer support (−0.05) were weakly but significantly negatively correlated with LTPA, indicating that higher levels of exposure to these psychosocial hazards was associated with lower levels of LTPA. Job role (−0.05) was weakly but significantly negatively correlated with LTPA in women. These psychosocial work characteristics accounted for 1% or less of the variance in LTPA. Conclusions Longitudinal research to examine cause–effect relations between psychosocial work characteristics and LTPA might identify opportunities for psychosocial job redesign to increase employees' physical activity during leisure time.

Prevent‑Teach‑Reinforce: The School‑Based Model of Individualized Positive Behavior Support, Second Edition is an easy‑to‑use practical guide to the research‑proven Prevent‑Teach‑Reinforce (PTR) model. This book helps K-8 educators solve serious behavior challenges by guiding school‑based teams through the five‑step PTR process: 1) teaming and goal‑setting, 2) data collection, 3) functional behavioral assessment, 4) creation of a behavior intervention plan, and 5) progress‑monitoring and data‑based decision making. This edition has been updated to include the latest research supporting PTR; increased emphasis on the PTR facilitator's role, collaboration, and the teacher's observations; new information on multi‑tiered systems of support (MTSS) and evidence‑based classroom strategies; and more detailed guidance on every PTR step. Useful forms are provided as chapter appendices and downloadable materials. Book appendices describe specific Prevent, Teach, and Reinforce strategies in depth and present rich case studies illustrating PTR in action