Construction workers are at an elevated risk of heat stress, due to the strenuous nature of the work, high temperature work condition, and a changing climate. An increasing number of workers are at risk, as the industry’s growth has been fueled by high demand and vast numbers of immigrant workers entering into the U.S., the Middle East and Asia to meet the demand. The risk of heat-related illnesses is increased by the fact that little to no regulations are present and/or enforced to protect these workers. This review recognizes the issues by summarizing epidemiological studies both in the U.S. and internationally. These studies have assessed the severity with which construction workers are affected by heat stress, risk factors and co-morbidities associated with heat-related illnesses in the construction industry, vulnerable populations, and efforts in implementing preventive measures.
Abstract. Dreissenid bivalves, Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussel) and Dreissena bugensis (quagga mussel) are biofouling species that invaded the Great Lakes region of North America from source populations in Europe in the 1980s. Initially, D. polymorpha spread faster and farther; however, D. bugensis have recently displaced D. polymorpha in many areas of the Great Lakes and was the first to be found west of the Continental Divide. Early detection of dreissenids is important in anticipating and preventing potentially high economic impacts. To study population dynamics and to enhance detection methods, we assessed ''spawnability'' using a serotonin bioassay and developed a new, sensitive, multiplex PCR method to identify veligers and verify adult species. Contrasting riverine populations were identified in the Saginaw River (100% D. polymorpha) and the Detroit River at Belle Isle (100% D. bugensis in 2010), and mixed populations of mussels (10% to ;50% D. polymorpha) were found in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. In 1994, when the Detroit River population at Belle Isle was virtually all D. polymorpha (Ram et al. 1996), spawning could not be induced by serotonin until late May, and peak spawnability did not occur until early June. In 2010, D. bugensis at the same site could be induced to spawn in the first week of April, and reached near maximal spawning intensity by mid-May. In 2010, Detroit River veligers were first observed in April and, by PCR species-specific detection, were 100% D. bugensis. Veligers changed to a mixed population of both species later in May and rose to a peak, mixed population in early June. These experiments demonstrate a quantitative, species-specific detection of dreissenid veligers, and lay the groundwork for determining the role of early reproduction and other mechanisms in mediating the displacement of one species by a closely related ''cousin.''
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