Brownsfields to Greenfields: Environmental Justice Versus Environmental Gentrification

Gentrification is a growing concern in many urban areas, due to the potential for displacement of lower-income and other vulnerable populations. This process can be accelerated when neighborhood “greening” projects are undertaken via governmental or private investor efforts, resulting in a phenomenon termed environmental or “green” gentrification. Vacant land in lower-income areas is often improved by the existing community through the creation of community gardens, but this contributes to these greening efforts and paradoxically may spur gentrification and subsequent displacement of the gardens’ stewards and neighbors. “Is proximity to community gardens in less affluent neighborhoods associated with an increased likelihood of gentrification?” Using Brooklyn, New York as a case study, we examined this question using Geographic Information Systems and two spatial methods: a census block group proximity analysis, and a hot spot analysis, to determine the potential impact of proximity to community gardens in lower-income areas. The results of the analyses suggest that proximity to community gardens is associated with significant increases in per capita income over the five years study period, which is indicative of areas undergoing gentrification. This has implications for environmental justice because existing lower-income residents are likely to be displaced after their community is improved environmentally

\u27At-risk\u27 places: inequaties in the distribution of environmental stressors and prescription rates of mental health medications in Glasgow, Scotland

Using geospatial analytical methods, this study examines the association between one aspect of the built environment, namely, the concentration of vacant and derelict land (VDL), and the prevalence of mental health disorders (using the proxy variable of mental health medication prescription rates) in Glasgow, Scotland. This study builds on our previous research, which demonstrated the spatial correspondence between the locations of VDL in Glasgow and several physical health outcomes. Numerous studies of other locales have found similar correspondence between different elements of the built environment and various health outcomes. This is the first study of its kind to look at the spatial concentration of vacant and derelict land in relation to mental health, socio-economic indicators, environmental justice, and health inequities. The findings of this study demonstrate an inequity with respect to the distribution of vacant and derelict land, as confirmed by Pearson correlations between VDL density and deprivation (r = .521, p \u3c .001). This suggests that many deprived communities are disproportionately burdened with environmental impacts and psycho-social stressors associated with this land use. Regression analyses show a significant positive association between the proportion of the population who were prescribed medication for anxiety, depression, or psychosis and the density of vacant and derelict land while adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics. This indicates that areas with higher VDL densities tend to exhibit higher rates of mental health issues. Based on these findings, strategies for constructive re-use of VDL are proposed

Denial in Bereavement: Psychological Well-Being of Parentally Bereaved Students in Kenya

Bereavement is one of the most stressful events in a young adults’ life. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which denial affects psychological wellbeing of bereaved students. The study was conducted in day public secondary schools in Gatanga Sub-county, Murang’a County, Kenya. A sample size of 50 bereaved students was used. The findings indicated that there was no significant effect of denial of parental loss on psychological wellbeing at the p<.05 [F (1, 48) = 0.041, p = 0.841]. This demonstrates that the lower the denial of parental loss, the lower the psychological wellbeing can be attributed to other factors outside denial of parental loss.Implications of this finding are discussed

Covid-19 and Inequity: A comparative spatial analysis of New York City and Chicago hot spots

There have been numerous reports that the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic has disproportionately impacted traditionally vulnerable communities, including well-researched social determinants of health, such as racial and ethnic minorities, migrants, and the economically challenged. The goal of this ecological cross-sectional study is to examine the demographic and economic nature of spatial hot and cold spots of SARS-CoV-2 rates in New York City and Chicago as of April 13, 2020. In both cities, cold spots (clusters of low SARS-CoV-2 rate ZIP code tabulation areas) demonstrated typical protective factors associated with the social determinants of health and the ability to social distance. These neighborhoods tended to be wealthier, have higher educational attainment, higher proportions of non-Hispanic white residents, and more workers in managerial occupations. Hot spots (clusters of high SARS-CoV-2 rate ZIP code tabulation areas) also had similarities, such as lower rates of college graduates and higher proportions of people of color. It also appears to be larger households (more people per household), rather than overall population density, that may to be a more strongly associated with hot spots. Findings suggest important differences between the cities’ hot spots as well. They can be generalized by describing the NYC hot spots as working-class and middle-income communities, perhaps indicative of service workers and other occupations (including those classified as “essential services” during the pandemic) that may not require a college degree but pay wages above poverty levels. Chicago’s hot spot neighborhoods, on the other hand, are among the city’s most vulnerable, low-income neighborhoods with extremely high rates of poverty, unemployment, and non-Hispanic Black residents

Program Jaring Pengaman Sosial Pasca Pandemi di Kabupaten Malang

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused many changes to the economic order in the world including in Indonesia, including the economy of rural communities. As a result of Covid-19, many people have lost their source of income, especially the lower middle class, the unemployment rate has increased, and people's consumption power has decreased. Therefore, the government issued a policy in the form of a Social Safety Net to help the community's economic recovery due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This research focuses on how the village government's efforts to implement the Social Safety Net Program after the Covid-19 pandemic, especially for residents who directly carry out Covid-19 in Kalisongo Village, Dau District, Malang Regency. This study uses a qualitative method with data collection techniques through interview, observation, and documentation. The results of this study show that the Social Safety Net Program in Kalisongo Village has been carried out right on target, assistance provided to community members affected by Covid-19, including those directly exposed, and those experiencing economic difficulties due to the pandemic. The village government also involves various elements of village institutions, from preparation to assistance. The Village Government involves various village institutional elements to record residents who use according to the criteria and the Kalisongo Village Government also works together with its residents to provide assistance to residents who exercise due to Covid-19.AbstrakCorona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) telah menimbulkan banyak perubahan pada tatanan perekonomian di dunia termasuk di Indonesia, termasuk juga pada perekonomian masyarakat pedesaan. Akibat adannya Covid-19 banyak masyarakat yang kehilangan sumber pendapatan terutama masyarakat menengah ke bawah, meningkatnya angka pengangguran, dan daya konsumsi masyarakat menjadi menurun. Maka dari itu pemerintah mengeluarkan kebijakan berupa Jaring Pengaman Sosial untuk membantu pemulihan ekonomia masyarakat akibat pandemi Covid-19. Penelitian ini fokus tentang bagaimana upaya pemerintah desa dalam mengimplementasikan Program Jaring Pengaman Sosial pasca pandemi Covid-19 khususnya kepada warga yang terdampak langsung Covid-19 di Desa Kalisongo Kecamatan Dau Kabupaten Malang. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan teknik pengumpulan data melalui wawancara, observasi, dan dokumentasi. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa Program Jaring Pengaman Sosial di Desa Kalisongo sudah dilakukan tepat sasaran, bantuan diberikan kepada warga masyarakat yang terdampak akibat Covid-19, termasuk mereka yang terpapar langsung, dan mereka yang mengalami kesulitan ekonomi akibat pandemi. Pemerintah Desa juga melibatkan berbagai elemen kelembagaan desa mulai dari penyusunan sampai dengan penyaluran bantuan. Pemerintah Desa melibatkan berbagai elemen kelembagaan desa untuk mendata warga yang terdampak sesuai dengan kriteria dan Pemerintah Desa Kalisongo juga bergotong-royong dengan warganya untuk memberikan bantuan kepada warga yang terdampak akibat Covid-19

Comparative effects of propranolol, timolol and metoprolol on myocardial infarct size after experimental coronary artery occlusion

The effects of equiblocking doses of three beta-adrenergic blocking agents, propranolol, timolol and metoprolol, on myocardial infarct size were evaluated in 28 dogs after acute experimental coronary artery occlusion. Heart rate, arterial pressure and arterial free fatty acid concentration were measured in an attempt to evaluate their effects on the extent of myocardial injury. The zone at risk of infarction in each dog 1 minute after left anterior coronary artery occlusion was assessed by injecting highly radioactive albumin microspheres into the left atrium, and the hypoperfused zone was determined by autoradiography.After 15 minutes, the dogs were randomized into four groups: control dogs (n = 7), propranolol-treated dogs (1.2 mg/kg intravenously, n = 7), timolol-treated dogs (0.2 mg/kg intravenously, n = 7) and metoprolol-treated dogs (1.2 mg/kg intravenously, n = 7). After 6 hours, the dogs were killed. The left ventricle was sliced and stained with triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride for measurement of infarct size. The same slices were then autoradiographed for measurement of the hypoperfused zone. The percent of hypoperfused zone that evolved to infarction (the ratio of infarct size to hypoperfused zone) was 90.4 ± 1.9% in the control group, 72.4 ± 2.4% in the propranolol-treated dogs (p < 0.05 versus control group); 57.9 ± 4.4% in the timolol-treated dogs (p < 0.01 versus control group; p < 0.05 versus propranolol) and 54.4 ± 3.7% in the metoprolol-treated dogs (p < 0.01 versus control group; p < 0.05 versus propranolol).Thus, propranolol, timolol and metoprolol reduced myocardial infarct size in dogs by 20, 36 and 40%, respectively, after experimental coronary artery occlusion. Metoprolol and timolol protected the ischemic myocardium more effectively than did propranolol

Citation Practices in Selected Science and Humanities Dissertations: Implications for Teaching

Abstract The citation feature provides justification for arguments and demonstrates the novelty of one&apos;s position in research writing. It shows how a piece of research arises out of, and is grounded in the current state of disciplinary knowledge. As such, research supervisors encourage the candidates under their guidance to make citations especially when writing literature reviews and discussion sections of their dissertations. This requirement plunges many a student in confusion on how to go about this integral undertaking without written citation norms in their disciplines. The question that emerges is: On which benchmarks should dissertation writers base their citations when writing dissertations in their disciplines? Put in other words, on which benchmarks should research supervisors base their judgement on the quality of citations in their students&apos; dissertations? The aim of this paper therefore is to uncover citation practices in selected Humanities and Science dissertations from Kenyan public universities. The paper analyses the citation types and reporting verbs of choice employed in Humanities dissertations and compares them with those in the Science dissertations. Consequently, the paper proposes a set of citation norms that can inform the writing of the Humanities and Sciences dissertation and suggests a genre-based approach for raising students&apos; consciousness to the citation norms during the drafting stage of their dissertations

Tense Usage in Selected Humanities and Science Dissertations

Abstract Graduate students are usually not sure of the appropriate tense to use in each rhetorical section of their dissertations in their disciplines. Even style guides provide little information regarding tense usage in academic texts. This paper describes a study in which frequency and usage of types of tense were compared in selected dissertations from the humanities and sciences drawn from Kenyan Public Universities. It was found that graduate research students in both humanities and sciences preferred the simple present and simple past as primary tense forms. It also emerged that authors have to alternate verb tenses even in the same rhetorical section of a dissertation to achieve particular communicative purposes. Suggesting that choices for tense in dissertations are a function of the epistemology and ideology of the disciplines, the paper proposes a genre-based approach to teaching those preparing to write their dissertations