Bluewater International (United States)

A reconnaissance was performed for Tunnel Diquini and Source Mariani in the metropolitan region of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to address concerns of decreasing flows and to evaluate potential impacts of a proposed river diversion scheme in the study area. The tunnel and spring are the two largest water sources serving the Port-au-Prince municipal water system and discharge from the Massif de la Selle carbonate aquifer. Considering their significance and importance to the water security of the region, there are limited data or studies specific to the water sources. An introductory framework was established regarding the flow regimes, the origin of waters, and recharge dynamics of the sources. Field reconnaissance and stable-isotope, tracer, and chloride-mass-balance techniques were applied to strengthen the conceptual understanding of the water sources. Recharge to this portion of the Massif de la Selle carbonate aquifer is variable depending on monthly rainfall intensity and 3–7-year climatic cycles. Rather than a consistent long-term decreasing flow trend, a particularly intense period from 2007 through 2010 resulted in the highest flows on record, which have steadily recessed to historical norms in recent years. The recharge characteristics and catchment areas indicate that neither water source is connected to the River Momance; however, a connection to the River Froide is possible, particularly related to the tunnel. Finally, recharge rates and an estimate of renewable groundwater in the Massif de la Selle show the regional significance and importance of the carbonate aquifer for current supplies and future water development.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health condition associated with serious adverse health outcomes and functional impairment. Previous MDMA–assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) studies have shown promising results in single site studies. Two open-label studies tested this modality in multisite clinical trials to assess the feasibility of scaling this manualized therapy across 14 North American sites. Method: Cotherapist dyads were trained in the manualized MDMA-AT protocol and administered three experimental sessions 3 to 5 weeks apart among participants with severe PTSD. Cotherapist dyads were provided clinical supervision and evaluated for protocol adherence by centralized raters. Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) assessed change in symptoms severity. Results: Adherence rating scores were high across cotherapist dyads ( M = 95.08%, SD = 3.70%) and sites ( M = 95.23%, SD = 2.20%). CAPS-5 scores decreased following 3 MDMA-AT sessions at 18 weeks post baseline (Δ M = −29.99, Δ SD = 13.45, p < .0001, n = 37, Cohen’s d = 2.2, confidence interval [1.97, 2.47]). MDMA was well tolerated. Conclusions: These findings corroborate previous results that MDMA-AT can achieve significant improvements in PTSD symptom severity and demonstrate scalability of manualized therapy across clinic sites in the United States and Canada.

Acute water security vulnerability at regional to local scales is becoming increasingly apparent. In 2017, officials in Cape Town, South Africa, designated the term “Day Zero” to demark an exact time when the city’s taps would be switched off due to critically low reservoir levels. Beyond Day Zero, residents would need to converge at communal water collection points to access a 25-L daily ration of water. The particulars of the crisis and stakeholder responses prove informative to other cities.