COVID-19 policies in practice and their direct and indirect impacts in Northern California jails

Context: Although the increased risk of COVID-19 in carceral facilities is well documented, little is known about the practical barriers to infection control and indirect impacts of pandemic policies in these settings. Evidence in jails is especially scarce. Methods: Between July 8, 2020 and April 30, 2021 we performed SARS-CoV-2 serology testing and administered a questionnaire among residents and staff in four Northern California jails. We analyzed seroprevalence in conjunction with demographic factors and survey responses of self-perceived COVID-19 risk, recent illness, COVID-19 test results, and symptom reporting behaviors. We additionally assessed COVID-19 policies in practice and evaluated their impacts on court dates, mental health, and routine health care. We engaged stakeholder representatives, including incarcerated individuals and their advocates, to guide study design, conduct, and interpretation. Findings: We enrolled 788 incarcerated individuals and 380 staff across four county jails. Most seropositive individuals had not previously tested positive for COVID-19, despite many suspecting prior infection. Among incarcerated participants, we identified deficient access to face masks and prevalent symptom underreporting associated with fears of isolation and perceptions of medical neglect in jail. Incarcerated participants also reported substantial hindrances to court cases and reductions in routine health care due to COVID-19. Incarcerated individuals and staff both cited worsened mental health due to COVID-19, which for incarcerated individuals was largely attributable to further isolation from loved ones and other pandemic restrictions on recreation and programming. Conclusions: Perceptions of inadequate protection from COVID-19 were pervasive among incarcerated individuals. Simultaneously, restrictive measures compounded poor mental health and fostered fears of isolation that undermined effective infection control. Custody officials should work to systematically improve provision of masks, understand and mitigate fears and mistrust, and take proactive steps to minimize the detrimental impacts of restrictive policies on residents' mental health and well-being.

Socioeconomic Effects of COVID-19 in Mexico: A Multisectoral Approach and Policy Options

The health crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19 has caused a profound social and economic disruption in Mexico. Our purpose in this paper is to contribute to the knowledge about the economic impact of the pandemic in Mexico and to evaluate social policy options to mitigate its effects. We do so based on a multisectoral-multiplier model and the most recent Social Accounting Matrix for Mexico, with which we estimate the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 as well the likely effects of two alternatives for mitigating them: an unconditional cash transfer scheme for households living in poverty, and the establishment of an unemployment insurance program for workers who have lost their jobs during the pandemic. We find that the first alternative alleviates more value added and loss of income, and thus has a greater effect in reducing inequality and the incidence of poverty.

Model for Determination of Musculoskeletal Disorder Cost/Benefit

It is generally considered that the costs related to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) stem from absenteeism, medical expenses, reduced productivity, and quality of life. To estimate the costs associated with MSDs in organizations and thus determine the benefits for a company of implementing an effective and sustainable prevention program, it is necessary to consider the need to know the current and future prevalence of MSDs as well as to understand whether these data vary according to the economic sector, geographic location, and demographic aspects. It is also necessary to understand whether there are comorbidities associated with MSDs as well as the direct and indirect impacts in terms of the productive and work capacity of organizations and individuals. In the development of this study, the authors wanted to generate an analysis tool to estimate the incidence of MSDs and their economic costs, which also serves as a baseline to evaluate the possible benefits derived from prevention programs for this type of work-related disease.

Does Industrial Transfer Change the Spatial Structure of CO2 Emissions?—Evidence from Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region in China

As an important cause of global warming, CO2 emissions have become a research hotspot in recent years. Industrial transfer impacts regional CO2 emissions and is related to the low-carbon development of regional industries. Taking the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (BTH region) as an example, this study analysed industrial transfer’s direct and indirect impacts on CO2 emissions based on a mediating model and two-way fixed effect panel regression. The results obtained indicate that industrial transfer-in has promoted CO2 emissions to a small extent, and the positive impact of industrial transfer-in on CO2 emissions wanes over time. Industrial transfer affects CO2 emissions by acting on the economic level, on population size, and on urbanisation level, but the indirect effect is weaker than the direct effect. Industrial transfer does not lead to technological upgrading, but the latter is an effective means of carbon emission reduction. Industrial transfer-in has shown a positive effect on CO2 emissions for most cities, but there are exceptions, such as Cangzhou. In the future, the BTH region should maintain coordinated development among cities and improve the cooperative innovation mechanism for energy conservation and emission reduction.

Sustainable Rabbit Production under the Global Warming Conditions in Southern Mediterranean Region

There is still a wide gap between meat demand and meat production in Egypt. This gap is becoming larger due to the direct and indirect impacts of global warming that negatively influence the grazing area and the performance of livestock. In this context, rabbits are considered as an alternative source for animal-origin meat. In the Southern Mediterranean region, the most obvious problem encountering rabbit production is the hot waves during the summer, especially during the last decades. The narrow thermo-neutral zone of rabbits makes the high temperature hinder the success of commercial production. Different strategies may assist rabbits in coping with heat stress, which are reviewed in the current study, including the improved management practices, development of new breeds, and implementation of different nutritional strategies.

Rethinking a sustainable truffle sector under global crises

Global climate change is the main threat for the emerging truffle sector, which already extends across seven key regions in the Americas, Europe, South Africa and Australasia. At the same time, the potential effects of financial crises and global pandemics have not yet been considered in most risk assessments. Here we describe the direct and indirect impacts of the actual coronavirus pandemic on the rising truffle sector. We discuss how COVID-19 affects small family businesses and international enterprises, and if the current harvest decline will have ecological long-term benefits. Furthermore, we question extant cultivation practices, irrigation techniques and trade systems to prepare for a more equitable and sustainable future of the global truffle industry. Despite various foci on one of the most expensive gourmet foods and its associated agroforestry, we expect our reflections to be valuable for many other high-value crops, and a green agriculture in general.

Lessons of 15,000 Years of Human–Wildlife Interaction for Conservation in Patagonia in the 21st Century

Humans arrived in the Patagonia region of southern South America in the late Pleistocene period, ca. 15,000 years ago. A few centuries later, during a period of rapid warming, the megafauna went extinct in Patagonia, as well as some smaller species, like the guanaco (Lama guanicoe), in the southern portion of the region. As in other regions, extinctions probably occurred due to a combination of effects of climate and direct and indirect impacts of humans on wildlife communities. We reviewed recent archeological and genetic-based discoveries about numbers and distributions of humans and wildlife and their early interactions and used them to draw lessons for current debates among managers and scientists. Recent discoveries, for example, help us understand (1) the population limitation mechanisms and other interactions involving guanacos, livestock, forage, predators, and scavengers; (2) the magnitude of wildlife movements and the need for landscape-level planning for conservation; (3) the importance of indirect effects of human activities on wildlife communities; and (4) the compounded effects of human activities and climate change on wildlife. We believe these lessons drawn from deep time and recent history can help define new priorities for research and management and inform our conservation vision for the 21st century, a period when dramatic climate change impacts will add challenges to a region subject to a century of overgrazing and other anthropogenic pressures.

Application of a methodology with georeferencing in the biological study of fish in the area of influence of a dam in the amazon region

The continuous interference of human activities in continental aquatic systems results in direct and indirect impacts, with consequences for water quality, aquatic biota and the dynamics of water resources. In this context, the Tucuruí Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) acquired relatively importance, as it was the first large dam carried out in the Amazon, in the 1980s, presenting important technical/economic results to justify the environmental costs associated with the project. The objective of this study was to apply a new methodology to represent through maps georeferencing biological information and evaluate the impact of the dam on the following fish species, which have different physiologies and taxonomies, in addition to not having much biological information about the species: Botinho (Hassar wilderi, Doradidae), Mandubé (Ageneiosus ucayalensis, Auchenipteridae), Sardinha Papuda (Triportheus trifurcatus, Characidae) and Uéua Cachorrinho (Acestrorhynchus falcirostris, Acestrorhynchidae). The condition factor related to the relationship between the individual's weight and body length, which derives from an expansion of the cubic law of living beings, being very important in ecological studies, even though they depend on simple to the most complex scientific methods, to estimate this bodily condition. Furthermore, this biological parameter influenced by environmental conditions and characteristics, due to food availability and ecological relationships in the environment. This information can support an adequate fisheries management, as there is an integration of fisheries biology and the characteristics of the environment in which they live. Thus, the methodology applied in this study was successful in its application proposal.

Order Routing Decisions for a Fragmented Market: A Review

This paper reviews the up-to-date theoretical, empirical, and experimental literature related to the trading venue choice in the context of the fragmented equity markets. We provide a brief background on the history of trading fragmentation in the equity market and its determinants. We discuss the direct and indirect impacts of the market fragmentation on market quality in various dimensions, including liquidity, volatility, and price efficiency. Next, we identify possible determinants and channels from theoretical and empirical studies that could explain order routing decisions and present the possible directions for future research. Finally, we discuss the major regulatory reforms in the U.S. equity market on routing venue decisions. This topic is relevant in current times when phenomena such as “GameStop Frenzy” have drawn significant attention to commission-free trading venues.

Impacts from Wildfires on Livestock Health and Production: Producer Perspectives

Wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity across the Western United States. However, there is limited information available on the impacts these fires are having on the livelihood of livestock producers and their animals. This work presents the results of a survey evaluating the direct and indirect impacts of the 2020 wildfire season on beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, and goat, producers in California, Oregon, and Nevada. Seventy completed surveys were collected between May and July 2021. While dairy producers reported no direct impacts from the fires, beef, sheep, and goat producers were impacted by evacuations and pasture lost to fires. Only beef producers reported losses due to burns and burn-associated deaths or euthanasia. Dairy, beef, sheep, and goat producers observed reduced conception, poor weight gain, and drops in milk production. All but dairy producers also observed pneumonia. Lower birthweights, increased abortion rates, and unexplained deaths were reported in beef cattle, sheep, and goats. This work documents the wide-ranging impacts of wildfires on livestock producers and highlights the need for additional work defining the health impacts of fire and smoke exposure in livestock, as well as the policy changes needed to support producers experiencing direct and indirect losses.