Integrating EJ into Federal Policies and Programs: Examining the Role of Regulatory Impact Analyses and Environmental Impact Statements

Following Executive Order 12898 in 1994, federal agencies have taken a variety of steps to incorporate environmental justice (EJ) into their programs and practices. Two scales at which these efforts are critical are regulatory design and enforcement. This study evaluates Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) across three federal agencies (the Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency) to compare the extent to which EJ is addressed at these two scales, across agencies, and over time. By searching agency documents for key EJ variables, such as site, population, and impact characteristics, we develop a framework to determine if RIAs and EISs include sufficient information to identify disproportionate impacts of proposed regulations or projects on minority and low-income communities. Results of this analysis reveal that EJ issues are noted more frequently in all three agencies’ EISs over time, but few RIAs or EISs contain enough data to assess whether EJ impacts are significant.environmental justice, Regulatory Impact Analysis, RIA, Environmental Impact Statement, EIS, content analysis, program evaluation

Habitat for Humanity: An Exploratory Study on Homeownership Quality of Life

Habitat for Humanity International (HHI) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded to help build simple and decent homes seeking to put God’s love into action in communities ( B/CS Habitat for Humanity , 2018). The nonprofit organization has served the Bryan/College Station (B/CS) community since 1989 and has recently finished the construction of its two hundred eighty-second home. The purpose of this study is to collect data regarding the impact of the organization on Habitat homeowners and the community. The results will help to provide key information needed to evaluate program impact, inform and support organizational and developmental goals, and build brand awareness . To achieve this, the following research question is utilized to guide our study: What is the impact of Habitat homeownership on the quality of life of homeowners

Membrane bioreactor treatment of household light greywater : measurement and effects of phosphorus limitation

textAs water stresses increase across the U.S., interest in household water reuse is growing. Such reuse typically focuses on light greywater, that is all wastewater generated in the house excluding toilet waste and kitchen wastewater. As this practice becomes more widespread, higher level reuse is expected to require greater greywater treatment prior to reuse. Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are an attractive technology for this application because they offer a robust combination of treatment processes and are already used in some households in countries such as Japan. This research sought to understand the role of phosphorus availability in determining the quality of effluent from MBR treatment of light greywater because phosphorus concentrations are expected to be low with phosphorus phased out of many consumer products. Less than 30 [mu]g/L of dissolved orthophosphate was present in synthetic greywater made from three common household products, and no measurable amount of dissolved orthophosphate was found in real greywater, but low concentrations of particulate phosphate were detected. These concentrations were well below levels believed necessary to achieve full BOD₅ removal in biological treatment. Nevertheless, MBR performance was not adversely affected until no supplemental phosphorus was provided. Measurement of extracellular enzyme activity showed an increase in the ratio of phosphatase activity to total glycosidase activity with declining phosphorus concentration, providing an early indication of nutrient stress before changes in effluent water quality were detected. Removal of three xenobiotic organic compounds (XOCs) in treatment of synthetic greywater was also evaluated under conditions of phosphorous limitation and balance. Abiotic removal mechanisms were not deemed to be important, but removal of methylparaben and sodium lauryl sulfate via biodegradation responded to nutrient limitation similarly to overall COD removal while removal of diethyl phthalate was affected to a greater extent. Measurement of plasmid DNA concentrations was evaluated as a potential indicator of the effect of nutrient limitation on plasmid-mediated biodegradation of XOCs. An overall reduction in the plasmid content was observed in all cases under conditions of phosphorus limitation; however, the extent of reduction was reactor dependent.Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineerin

Remote Ischaemic Conditioning and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Role of Neuropathy in Translational Difficulties

Background Remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) is a promising therapy for minimising ischaemia reperfusion injury. Despite initial success in animal studies, translational and clinical studies have had mixed results, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a likely confounder. Key research has demonstrated diabetic sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy (DSPN) in people with T2DM inhibits acute RIC cardioprotection, although no further studies have investigated the mechanisms involved. This thesis aimed to investigate how forms of neuropathy in T2DM may impact upon the neurohumoral mechanisms of RIC and contribute to translational difficulties. It was hypothesised that DSPN may alter the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in response to acute RIC, adding to reduced RIC efficacy in DSPN. A further aim was to make a series of recommendations for future research regarding the effects of DSPN on RIC studies. Methods A systematic review assessing the efficacy of chronic RIC was undertaken. A literature review outlining the differing effects of, and mechanisms involved in acute vs chronic RIC was published, exploring the hypothesis that chronic RIC may be more efficacious than acute RIC in T2DM. A small randomised controlled pilot study of acute RIC in people with T2DM was conducted, measuring change in circulating blood CGRP and VEGF in response to a single dose of RIC, aiming to assess if changes correlated with severity of DSPN. The results of the reviews and study lead to publishing a narrative review of the prevalence, subtypes of, and diagnostic methods used for DSPN and its precursors, and implications for past and future RIC research. Results and Discussion Chronic RIC appears a better candidate for therapeutic benefit in vascular complications of T2DM. There are several likely mechanisms for inhibitory effects of diabetic neuropathy on RIC protection, for DSPN and potentially cardiac autonomic neuropathy. Although underpowered, the T2DM pilot study found that the difference in median plasma CGRP values from 60 min post intervention compared to baseline was significant (p=0.03) in the RIC vs Sham group, with less of a decrease in CGRP for the RIC group. There was no significant change in VEGF. Decreased CGRP levels in RIC participants compared to baseline was in direct contrast to previous studies in animals, where circulating CGRP rose significantly after RIC. The study was limited because a high proportion of participants had DSPN. The final narrative review discussed the potential that DSPN and its precursors may be missed in the initial screening of participants for RIC studies, and the need to consider the impact of DSPN and its precursors more adequately in RIC study design. Conclusion This novel human study suggests that CGRP release in response to RIC may be inhibited in participants with T2DM and/or DSPN. This could be one underlying reason why DSPN appears to inhibit protective benefits of RIC. Larger studies are warranted, including comparing groups both with and without T2DM and DSPN. A series of recommendations were made for future RIC studies involving participants with T2DM, DSPN and its precursors with the aim of improving translational success

Hydrogen from scrap tyre oil via steam reforming and chemical looping in a packed bed reactor

The production of hydrogen from scrap tyre pyrolysis oil (STPO) was investigated using catalytic steam reforming. STPO is difficult to upgrade to cleaner fuels due to its high sulphur content, complex organic composition, acidity and viscosity, which contribute to catalyst deactivation. The effects of temperature and steam to carbon ratio were investigated through thermodynamic equilibrium calculations of the main aromatic, aliphatic and hetero-N and -S compounds known to be present in STPO. The optimum operating conditions in a packed bed reactor with a Ni/Al 2O 3 catalyst at atmospheric pressure and molar steam to carbon ratio of 4:1 were 750°C at a WHSV of 0.82h -1. The maximum hydrogen yield was 26.4wt% of the STPO feedstock, corresponding to 67% of the maximum theoretical yield, compared to 79.4% predicted at equilibrium for a model mixture of 22 STPO compounds in the same conditions. The selectivity to the H-containing products was 98% H 2 and 2% CH 4, respectively, indicating little undesirable by-product formation, and comparable to equilibrium values. The potential to optimize the process to enhance further the H 2 yield was explored via feasibility tests of chemical looping reforming (CLR) aimed at lowering the heating and purification costs of the hydrogen production from STPO. However, the hydrogen yield decreased with each cycle of CLR. Analysis of the catalyst indicated this was most likely due to deactivation by carbon accumulation and sulphur originally present in the oil, and possibly also by trace elements (Ca, Na). The NiO particles in the catalyst were also shown to have grown after CLR of STPO. Hence further development would require pre-treating the oil for removal of sulphur, and use of a catalyst more tolerant to carbon formation

Habitat for Humanity: An Exploratory Study on Homeownership Quality of Life

Habitat for Humanity International (HHI) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded to help build simple and decent homes seeking to put God’s love into action in communities ( B/CS Habitat for Humanity , 2018). The nonprofit organization has served the Bryan/College Station (B/CS) community since 1989 and has recently finished the construction of its two hundred eighty-second home. The purpose of this study is to collect data regarding the impact of the organization on Habitat homeowners and the community. The results will help to provide key information needed to evaluate program impact, inform and support organizational and developmental goals, and build brand awareness . To achieve this, the following research question is utilized to guide our study: What is the impact of Habitat homeownership on the quality of life of homeowners

Use of Social Media as a Platform for Education and Support for People With Diabetes During a Global Pandemic.

BACKGROUND Patient education is a fundamental aspect of self-management of diabetes. The aim of this study was to understand whether a social media platform is a viable method to deliver education to people with diabetes and understand if people would engage and interact with it. METHODS Education sessions were provided via 3 platforms in a variety of formats. "Tweetorials" and quizzes were delivered on the diabetes101 Twitter account, a virtual conference via Zoom and video presentations uploaded to YouTube. Audience engagement during and after the sessions were analyzed using social media metrics including impressions and engagement rate using Twitter analytics, Tweepsmap, and YouTube Studio. RESULTS A total of 22 "tweetorial" sessions and 5 quizzes with a total of 151 polls (both in tweetorial and quiz sessions) receiving a total of 21,269 votes took place. Overall, the 1-h tweetorial sessions gained 1,821,088 impressions with an engagement rate of 6.3%. The sessions received a total of 2,341 retweets, 2,467 replies and 10,060 likes. The quiz days included 113 polls receiving 16,069 votes. The conference covered 8 topics and was attended live by over 100 people on the day. The video presentations on YouTube have received a total of 2,916 views with a watch time of 281 h and 8,847 impressions. CONCLUSION Despite the limitations of social media, it can be harnessed to provide relevant reliable information and education about diabetes allowing people the time and space to learn at their own pace

The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on people with diabetes and diabetes services ::a pan‐European survey of diabetes specialist nurses undertaken by the Foundation of European Nurses in Diabetes survey consortium

Aim To describe diabetes nurses' perspectives on the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on people with diabetes and diabetes services across Europe. Methods An online survey developed using a rapid Delphi method. The survey was translated into 17 different languages and disseminated electronically in 27 countries via national diabetes nurse networks. Results Survey responses from 1829 diabetes nurses were included in the analysis. The responses indicated that 28% (n = 504) and 48% (n = 873) of diabetes nurses felt the COVID‐19 pandemic had impacted ‘a lot’ on the physical and psychological risks of people with diabetes, respectively. The following clinical problems were identified as having increased ‘a lot’: anxiety 82% (n = 1486); diabetes distress 65% (n = 1189); depression 49% (n = 893); acute hyperglycaemia 39% (n = 710) and foot complications 18% (n = 323). Forty‐seven percent (n = 771) of respondents identified that the level of care provided to people with diabetes had declined either extremely or quite severely. Self‐management support, diabetes education and psychological support were rated by diabetes nurse respondents as having declined extremely or quite severely during the COVID‐19 pandemic by 31% (n = 499), 63% (n = 1,027) and 34% (n = 551), respectively. Conclusion The findings show that diabetes nurses across Europe have seen significant increases in both physical and psychological problems in their patient populations during COVID‐19. The data also show that clinical diabetes services have been significantly disrupted. As the COVID‐19 situation continues, we need to adapt care systems with some urgency to minimise the impact of the pandemic on the diabetes population