Protection of workers’ mental health in Québec: Do general duty clauses allow labour inspectors to do their job?

Given that no specific provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act explicitly deal with psychosocial risk factors, in Québec, occupational health and safety inspectors employed by the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST) address psychosocial hazards under the Act’s general duty clause. This general duty clause and related provisions require that all employers eliminate hazards at source and protect the health of workers. More specifically, they are required to ensure that the organisation of work does not adversely affect the safety or health of the worker. Since 2004, Québec minimum standards legislation has also provided for the right of workers to an environment that is free from psychological harassment.Written from both a legal and public health perspective, this paper has two primary objectives: first, to better understand the potential and limits of the current legislative framework for the protection of the mental health of workers and second, to describe how scientific knowledge related to high risk situations for the mental health of workers might inform interventions by inspectors for the protection of workers’ mental health.     

The effect of intergroup comparison on willingness to perform sustainable behavior

The present research examines the effects of intergroup comparison on willingness to perform sustainable behavior. In Experiment 1, university students compared current students with past or future students, and then completed measures of willingness to perform sustainable behavior. Participants who compared to past students reported more willingness to perform sustainable behavior than those who compared to future students. In Experiment 2, university students again compared current students with past or future students and completed measures of sustainable beliefs and willingness to perform sustainable behavior. Participants who compared to past students reported more willingness to perform sustainable behavior than those who compared to future students. This effect was mediated by strengthened sustainable beliefs. The results show that intergroup comparison can be strategically employed to promote motivation to perform sustainable behavior.     

When is an invasive not an invasive? Macrofossil evidence of doubtful native plant species in the Galápagos Islands

The Galápagos Islands are globally renowned for their ecological value and as a world symbol of scientific discovery; however the native biodiversity of this unique region is currently under threat. One of the primary concerns is the detrimental impact of approximately 750 nonnative plants introduced over the last 500 years of human presence in the archipelago. In addition to these known introduced species, there are an additional 62 vascular plants classified as "doubtful natives," where native status remains unclear. To help address the questions of provenance regarding these doubtfully native species and their impact on highland ecosystems over the past 500-1000 years, we analyzed plant macrofossils in sedimentary records. Appropriate species classification (native or introduced) was determined using baseline data of species presence on the islands. We confirmed that six plants (Ageratum conyzoides, Solanum americanum, Ranunculus flagelliformis, Brickellia diffusa, Galium canescens, and Anthephora hermaphrodita) once considered doubtful natives or introduced are actually native to the Galápagos flora. These results have relevance not just for the Galápagos but also many other oceanic islands in demonstrating the application of palaeobotanical data to conserving and restoring native biodiversity.     

Mitochondrial DNA sequence variation in spiny lobsters: population expansion,panmixia, and divergence

To investigate population differentiation in a comparative and historical context, segments of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene and the control region were sequenced in Panulirus argus from nine sites along approximately 1,500 km of the Northern Caribbean Sea (n = 326) and analyzed with respect to available panulirid data. A mismatch analysis and Fu’s F _S test uncovered a signature of historical population expansion around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum. Significant population structure was not detected in the area. The data supported a hypothesis of panmixia resulting from ongoing larval transport by ocean currents and historical population expansion. Despite high intraspecific divergence levels at COI within Panulirus argus and several other Panulirus species, genetic species identification through DNA barcoding was feasible using either a modified distance threshold or a character-based approach.     

Interaction of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with a monolayer of oleic acid at the air–water interface – A simple proxy for atmospheric aerosol

The reactions between atmospheric oxidants and organic amphiphiles at the air–water interface of an aerosol droplet may affect the size and critical supersaturation required for cloud droplet formation. We demonstrate that no reaction occurs between gaseous nitrogen dioxide (1000 ppm in air) and a monolayer of an insoluble amphiphile, oleic acid (cis-9-octadecenoic acid), at the air–water interface which removes material from the air–water interface. We present evidence that the NO₂ isomerises the cis-9-octadecenoic (oleic) acid to trans-9-octadecenoic (elaidic) acid. The study presented here is important for future and previous studies of (1) the reaction between the nitrate radical, NO₃, and thin organic films as NO₂ is usually present in high concentrations in these experimental systems and (2) the effect of NO₂ air pollution on the unsaturated fatty acids and lipids found at the air–liquid surface of human lung lining fluid.     

The Anthropocene: From Global Change to Planetary Stewardship

Over the past century, the total material wealth of humanity has been enhanced. However, in the twenty-first century, we face scarcity in critical resources, the degradation of ecosystem services, and the erosion of the planet's capability to absorb our wastes. Equity issues remain stubbornly difficult to solve. This situation is novel in its speed, its global scale and its threat to the resilience of the Earth System. The advent of the Anthropence, the time interval in which human activities now rival global geophysical processes, suggests that we need to fundamentally alter our relationship with the planet we inhabit. Many approaches could be adopted, ranging from geoengineering solutions that purposefully manipulate parts of the Earth System to becoming active stewards of our own life support system. The Anthropocene is a reminder that the Holocene, during which complex human societies have developed, has been a stable, accommodating environment and is the only state of the Earth System that we know for sure can support contemporary society. The need to achieve effective planetary stewardship is urgent. As we go further into the Anthropocene, we risk driving the Earth System onto a trajectory toward more hostile states from which we cannot easily return.     

Traffic exposure in a population with high prevalence type 2 diabetes – Do medications influence concentrations of C-reactive protein?

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and particulate air pollution are associated with inflammatory dysregulation. We assessed the modifying effects of diabetes medications on the association of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, and traffic exposure in adults with T2D (n = 379). CRP concentrations were significantly positively associated with residence ≤100 m of a roadway, >100 m and ≤200 m of a roadway and increased traffic density for individuals using insulin. For individuals using oral hypoglycemic medications (OHAs), CRP was significantly negatively associated with residence >100 m - ≤200 m of a roadway and multiple roadway exposure in an interaction model. Among people with diabetes, individuals on insulin appear to be most vulnerable to the effects of traffic exposure. Disease severity among insulin users may promote the pro-inflammatory response to traffic exposure, though diabetes medications may also modify the response. Possible anti-inflammatory effects of OHAs with traffic exposure merit further evaluation.