From Data to Community Action: A Case Study Building on the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Community Profiles

The Healthy Aging movement is a driver in the promotion of Evidence-Based programs such as Chronic Disease Self- Management (CDSMP) programs related to falls prevention and diabetes. Such programs are critical in any recommendations for short or long term interventions to communities to address challenges to aging well

An Update on Airline Financial Condition and Insolvency Prospects Using the Altman Z" Score Model

Stricken by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and by increases in fuel prices, a key cost which has spiked upward as the price of oil has risen to more than $130 per barrel, the airlines find themselves, once again, in fragile financial shape. The purpose of this article is to measure the financial condition of the industry, given this situation, using a popular financial stress model, the Altman Model

Adaptation to transboundary climate risks in trade: investigating actors and strategies for an emerging challenge

There is growing recognition that international trade can transmit climate risks across borders, requiring new forms of and approaches to adaptation. This advanced review synthesizes knowledge on how, by whom and where adaptation actions can be taken in the agriculture and industrial sectors to reduce these transboundary climate risks (TCRs). We find a material difference in the literature on TCRs in agriculture as compared with industrial sectors. Operational and market risks, in particular reductions in food availability, dominate in agriculture, while supply chain and trade-related risks are highlighted for industry. While the origin of the risk (source) is the primary target of adaptation to agricultural TCRs, the general governance structure, such as UNFCCC and WTO deliberations, are important targets in both sectors. Adaptation at the country of destination and along the trade network is of minor importance in both sectors. Regarding the type of adaptation option, agriculture heavily relies on trade policy, agricultural adaptation, and adaptation planning and coordination, while in industry knowledge creation, research and development, and risk management are seen as essential. Governments and the international community are identified as key actors, complemented by businesses and research as critical players in industry. Some measures, such as protectionist trade policies and irrigation, are controversial as they shift risks across countries and sectors, rather than reduce them. While more research is needed, this review shows that a critical mass of evidence on adaptation to TCRs is beginning to emerge, particularly underscoring the importance of international coordination mechanisms. This article is categorized under:. Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Institutions for Adaptation Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Multilevel and Transnational Climate Change Governance

Environmental Policy Update 2012: Development Strategies and Environmental Policy in East Africa

The seven chapters that comprise this report explore ways to integrate sustainability goals and objectives into Ethiopia's current development strategies

Characterization of Coal Particles in the Soil of a Former Rail Yard and Urban Brownfield: Liberty State Park, Jersey City (NJ), USA

From the 1850\u27s until the 1960\u27s, the Central Railroad of New Jersey was among several major railways shipping anthracite and bituminous coal to the New York City area, transferring coal from railcar to barge at its extensive rail yard and port facility in Jersey City. The 490 ha Liberty State Park was developed on the site after the rail yard closed, but a ca. 100 ha brownfield zone within the park remains off limits to visitors pending future remediation. As part of an environmental forensic and industrial archeological investigation of this zone, the present study characterizes anthracite and bituminous coal particles present in abundance in the soil by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS). A simple pretreatment procedure employing density separation improved the analytical results. This detailed information about the nature of contaminants at the site will help to inform the remediation effort in the public interest

Legumes are different:Leaf nitrogen, photosynthesis, and water use efficiency

Using robust, pairwise comparisons and a global dataset, we show that nitrogen concentration per unit leaf mass for nitrogen-fixing plants (N(2)FP; mainly legumes plus some actinorhizal species) in nonagricultural ecosystems is universally greater (43–100%) than that for other plants (OP). This difference is maintained across Koppen climate zones and growth forms and strongest in the wet tropics and within deciduous angiosperms. N(2)FP mostly show a similar advantage over OP in nitrogen per leaf area (N(area)), even in arid climates, despite diazotrophy being sensitive to drought. We also show that, for most N(2)FP, carbon fixation by photosynthesis (A(sat)) and stomatal conductance (g(s)) are not related to N(area)—in distinct challenge to current theories that place the leaf nitrogen–A(sat) relationship at the center of explanations of plant fitness and competitive ability. Among N(2)FP, only forbs displayed an N(area)–g(s) relationship similar to that for OP, whereas intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE(i); A(sat)/g(s)) was positively related to N(area) for woody N(2)FP. Enhanced foliar nitrogen (relative to OP) contributes strongly to other evolutionarily advantageous attributes of legumes, such as seed nitrogen and herbivore defense. These alternate explanations of clear differences in leaf N between N(2)FP and OP have significant implications (e.g., for global models of carbon fluxes based on relationships between leaf N and A(sat)). Combined, greater WUE and leaf nitrogen—in a variety of forms—enhance fitness and survival of genomes of N(2)FP, particularly in arid and semiarid climates

Impact of the UK soft drinks industry levy on health and health inequalities in children and adolescents in England: an interrupted time series analysis and population health modelling study

Background The soft drinks industry levy (SDIL) in the United Kingdom has led to a significant reduction in household purchasing of sugar in drinks. In this study, we examined the potential medium- and long-term implications for health and health inequalities among children and adolescents in England. Methods and findings We conducted a controlled interrupted time series analysis to measure the effects of the SDIL on the amount of sugar per household per week from soft drinks purchased, 19 months post implementation and by index of multiple deprivation (IMD) quintile in England. We modelled the effect of observed sugar reduction on body mass index (BMI), dental caries, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in children and adolescents (0 to 17 years) by IMD quintile over the first 10 years following announcement (March 2016) and implementation (April 2018) of the SDIL. Using a lifetable model, we simulated the potential long-term impact of these changes on life expectancy for the current birth cohort and, using regression models with results from the IMD-specific lifetable models, we calculated the impact of the SDIL on the slope index of inequality (SII) in life expectancy. The SDIL was found to have reduced sugar from purchased drinks in England by 15 g/household/week (95% confidence interval: −10.3 to −19.7). The model predicts these reductions in sugar will lead to 3,600 (95% uncertainty interval: 946 to 6,330) fewer dental caries and 64,100 (54,400 to 73,400) fewer children and adolescents classified as overweight or obese, in the first 10 years after implementation. The changes in sugar purchasing and predicted impacts on health are largest for children and adolescents in the most deprived areas (Q1: 11,000 QALYs [8,370 to 14,100] and Q2: 7,760 QALYs [5,730 to 9,970]), while children and adolescents in less deprived areas will likely experience much smaller simulated effects (Q3: −1,830 QALYs [−3,260 to −501], Q4: 652 QALYs [−336 to 1,680], Q5: 1,860 QALYs [929 to 2,890]). If the simulated effects of the SDIL are sustained over the life course, it is predicted there will be a small but significant reduction in slope index of inequality: 0.76% (95% uncertainty interval: −0.9 to −0.62) for females and 0.94% (−1.1 to −0.76) for males. Conclusions We predict that the SDIL will lead to medium-term reductions in dental caries and overweight/obesity, and long-term improvements in life expectancy, with the greatest benefits projected for children and adolescents from more deprived areas. This study provides evidence that the SDIL could narrow health inequalities for children and adolescents in England

Urban Re-Greening: A Case Study in Multi-Trophic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in a Post-Industrial Landscape

The biodiversity of urban and post-industrial ecosystems is a highly relevant and growing new frontier in ecological research. Even so, the functionality of these ecosystems may not always be successfully predicted based on prior biodiversity and ecosystem functioning theory. Indeed, evidence suggests that the general biological impoverishment within the urban context envisioned thirty years ago was overstated. Many of the world’s urban centers support some degree of biodiversity that is indigenous, as well as a complex array of non-native species, resulting in highly functional, and often, novel communities. For over two decades, a multi-disciplinary team has examined the sub-lethal impact of soil metal contamination on the multi-trophic biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of a post-industrial brownfield in the New York City metropolitan area. We do this through examinations of photosynthesis, carbon allocation, and soil enzyme activity as well as multi-trophic metal translocation via the plant and rhizosphere. In this paper, we synthesize the findings of our research network and apply the results to a framework of functional diversity. Due to the unique constraints many post-industrial lands impose on communities, functional diversity may be more meaningful to ecosystem health than species richness