Community Ecology and Capacity: Advancing Environmental Communication Strategies among Diverse Stakeholders

1. Introduction Many socioeconomically and geographically diverse communities in the United States have been challenged by occurrences of environmental contamination and the related complex public health issues. The investigations associated with such concerns have traditionally been the responsibility of governmental agencies. Communities facing potential environmental exposures often believe that government-based environmental agencies are not adequately addressing their concerns regarding risk, thus resulting in their misunderstanding and distrust of the regulatory process. A schism develops whereby the community perceives that government is either not doing enough to address their concerns and/or are being influenced by the relevant industry. The governmental agencies involved perceive that the community possesses an inaccurate or irrational perception of the potential risks. As a result, a stressful relationship often arises. Recommendations for effective risk communication have been developed and published (Covello & Sandman, 2001; Hance et al., 1989; Sandman, 1989). Research has also demonstrated the importance of developing relationships among stakeholders and its impact on information delivery and reception (ATSDR, 2004). Given that stakeholder groups perceive risk differently, it is imperative for each group to appreciate the viewpoints of all involved to engage in effective dialog (Park et al., 2001; Tinker et al., 2001). Cox (2006) defines environmental communication as “…the pragmatic and constitutive vehicle for our understanding of the environment as well as our relationships to the natural world; it is the symbolic medium that we use in constructing environmental problems and negotiating society’s different responses to them.” Although opportunities for public participation in environmental assessments have greatly increased, the environmental communication process among key stakeholders needs further evaluation (Charnley & Engelbert, 2005; McKinney & Harmon, 2002). The purpose of this chapter is to describe an evaluative process to develop and propose recommendations that could improve the environmental communication that occurs among diverse stakeholders, such as an environmental regulation and protection agency, waste disposal and energy producing facilities, community activists and the general public. Two case studies will be presented; the first describes the management of environmental permitting decisions in several disparate communities; and the second describes the management and perception of health risks from a single-owner waste-to-energy facility in two distinct communities. To accomplish this goal, this chapter will: 1.) examine how a state environmental agency and waste disposal and energy producing facilities describe their environmental communication experiences regarding various permitting operations and the risk perceptions of the impacted communities; 2.) identify effective communication methods; 3.) discuss the strengths and limitations of these activities; and 4.) propose recommendations for practitioners to advance environmental communication strategies among these key stakeholders

Community Ecology and Capacity: Advancing Environmental Communication Strategies among Diverse Stakeholders

1. Introduction Many socioeconomically and geographically diverse communities in the United States have been challenged by occurrences of environmental contamination and the related complex public health issues. The investigations associated with such concerns have traditionally been the responsibility of governmental agencies. Communities facing potential environmental exposures often believe that government-based environmental agencies are not adequately addressing their concerns regarding risk, thus resulting in their misunderstanding and distrust of the regulatory process. A schism develops whereby the community perceives that government is either not doing enough to address their concerns and/or are being influenced by the relevant industry. The governmental agencies involved perceive that the community possesses an inaccurate or irrational perception of the potential risks. As a result, a stressful relationship often arises. Recommendations for effective risk communication have been developed and published (Covello & Sandman, 2001; Hance et al., 1989; Sandman, 1989). Research has also demonstrated the importance of developing relationships among stakeholders and its impact on information delivery and reception (ATSDR, 2004). Given that stakeholder groups perceive risk differently, it is imperative for each group to appreciate the viewpoints of all involved to engage in effective dialog (Park et al., 2001; Tinker et al., 2001). Cox (2006) defines environmental communication as “…the pragmatic and constitutive vehicle for our understanding of the environment as well as our relationships to the natural world; it is the symbolic medium that we use in constructing environmental problems and negotiating society’s different responses to them.” Although opportunities for public participation in environmental assessments have greatly increased, the environmental communication process among key stakeholders needs further evaluation (Charnley & Engelbert, 2005; McKinney & Harmon, 2002). The purpose of this chapter is to describe an evaluative process to develop and propose recommendations that could improve the environmental communication that occurs among diverse stakeholders, such as an environmental regulation and protection agency, waste disposal and energy producing facilities, community activists and the general public. Two case studies will be presented; the first describes the management of environmental permitting decisions in several disparate communities; and the second describes the management and perception of health risks from a single-owner waste-to-energy facility in two distinct communities. To accomplish this goal, this chapter will: 1.) examine how a state environmental agency and waste disposal and energy producing facilities describe their environmental communication experiences regarding various permitting operations and the risk perceptions of the impacted communities; 2.) identify effective communication methods; 3.) discuss the strengths and limitations of these activities; and 4.) propose recommendations for practitioners to advance environmental communication strategies among these key stakeholders

Effects of Low Frequency-Low Voltage Alternating Electric Current on Apoptosis Progression in Bioelectrical Reactor Biofilm

Bioelectrochemical systems have undergone several modifications to promote the enzymes or pathways used to reduce the energy required for microbial metabolism. Changes in dominant bacteria, population, and growth rates occur when an electric current is applied intermittently. Applying electricity to bioelectrical reactor (BER) biofilms can either stimulate cells or lead to cell death; therefore, determining the applied voltage range that leads to viable and stimulated bacteria is crucial. We investigated the progression of apoptosis induced by a low frequency-low voltage alternating electric current (AC) in a BER biofilm and found that biofilms on carbon cloth (CC) and stainless steel (SS) 304 electrodes had pHzpc values of 8.67. The pHzpc of the biofilms increased by two compared to that of the inoculant bacteria mass. Furthermore, the Henderson�Hasselbalch equation reveals that the compositions of cell walls of the biofilms that formed on the CC and SS304 electrodes are very similar. In contrast, the CC and SS304 biofilms differ from the inoculant biomass without the influence of an AC field; this indicates that there are differences in the compositions of the cell walls in the present bacteria. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to compare spectra of the biofilms with that of the inoculation mass, and there were differences in shape and absorbance intensity, indicating variability in the composition, and quantity of each individual biofilm component. In addition, the dehydrogenase activity (DHA) content varied under different applied voltages; the highest DHA was obtained at 8 Vpp. A flow cytometry analysis showed a relatively low number of apoptotic cells (10.93 ± 5.19) for the AC amplitudes studied. Thus, a low voltage-low frequency AC likely induces significant changes in bacterial metabolic activity but causes no significant change in their viability. © Copyright © 2020 Hoseinzadeh, Wei, Farzadkia and Rezaee

Hospital Mortality in the United States following Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common reason for hospital admission and complication of many inpatient procedures. The temporal incidence of AKI and the association of AKI admissions with in-hospital mortality are a growing problem in the world today. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology of AKI and its association with in-hospital mortality in the United States. AKI has been growing at a rate of 14% per year since 2001. However, the in-hospital mortality associated with AKI has been on the decline starting with 21.9% in 2001 to 9.1 in 2011, even though the number of AKI-related in-hospital deaths increased almost twofold from 147,943 to 285,768 deaths. We discuss the importance of the 71% reduction in AKI-related mortality among hospitalized patients in the United States and draw on the discussion of whether or not this is a phenomenon of hospital billing (coding) or improvements to the management of AKI

Incidence and In-Hospital Mortality of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and Dialysis Requiring AKI (AKI-D) After Cardiac Catheterization in the National Inpatient Sample

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) and dialysis‐requiring AKI (AKI‐D) are common, serious complications of cardiac procedures. Methods and Results: We evaluated 3 633 762 (17 765 214 weighted population) cardiac catheterization or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) hospital discharges from the nationally representative National Inpatient Sample to determine annual population incidence rates for AKI and AKI‐D in the United States from 2001 to 2011. Odds ratios for both conditions and associated in‐hospital mortality were calculated for each year in the study period using multiple logistic regression. The number of cardiac catheterization or PCI cases resulting in AKI rose almost 3‐fold from 2001 to 2011. The adjusted odds of AKI and AKI‐D per year among cardiac catheterization and PCI patients were 1.11 (95% CI: 1.10–1.12) and 1.01 (95% CI: 0.99–1.02), respectively. Most importantly, in‐hospital mortality significantly decreased from 2001 to 2011 for AKI (19.6–9.2%) and AKI‐D (28.3–19.9%), whereas odds of associated in‐hospital mortality were 0.50 (95% CI: 0.45–0.56) and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.55–0.93) in 2011 versus 2001, respectively. The population‐attributable risk of mortality for AKI and AKI‐D was 25.8% and 3.8% in 2001 and 41.1% and 6.5% in 2011, respectively. Males and females had similar patterns of AKI increase, although males outpaced females. Conclusions: The Incidence of AKI among cardiac catheterization and PCI patients has increased sharply in the United States, and this should be addressed by implementing prevention strategies. However, mortality has significantly declined, suggesting that efforts to manage AKI and AKI‐D after cardiac catheterization and PCI have reduced mortality

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles catalyzed synthesis of Hantzsch esters and polyhydroquinoline derivatives

1,4-Dihydropyridine and polyhydroquinoline derivatives have been prepared efficiently in a one-pot synthesis via Hantzsch condensation using nanosized titanium dioxide as a heterogeneous catalyst. The present methodology offers several advantages such as excellent yields, short reaction times (30-120 min), environmentally benign, and mild reaction conditions. The catalyst can be readily separated from the reaction products and recovered in excellent purity for direct reuse

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes: A new therapeutic approach to osteoarthritis?

Degenerative disorders of joints, especially osteoarthritis (OA), result in persistent pain and disability and high costs to society. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms of OA have not yet been fully explained. OA is characterized by destruction of cartilage and loss of extracellular matrix (ECM). It is generally agreed that there is an association between pro-inflammatory cytokines and the development of OA. There is increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and "a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs" (ADAMTS). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been explored as a new treatment for OA during the last decade. It has been suggested that paracrine secretion of trophic factors, in which exosomes have a crucial role, contributes to the mechanism of MSC-based treatment of OA. The paracrine secretion of exosomes may play a role in the repair of joint tissue as well as MSC-based treatments for other disorders. Exosomes isolated from various stem cells may contribute to tissue regeneration in the heart, limbs, skin, and other tissues. Recent studies have indicated that exosomes (or similar particles) derived from MSCs may suppress OA development. Herein, for first time, we summarize the recent findings of studies on various exosomes derived from MSCs and their effectiveness in the treatment of OA. Moreover, we highlight the likely mechanisms of actions of exosomes in OA. © 2019 The Author(s)

The specificity of the familial aggregation of early-onset bipolar disorder: A controlled 10-year follow-up study of offspring of parents with mood disorders.

BACKGROUND: Two major sources of heterogeneity of mood disorders that have been demonstrated in clinical, family and genetic studies are the mood disorder subtype (i.e. bipolar (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD)) and age of onset of mood episodes. Using a prospective high-risk study design, our aims were to test the specificity of the parent-child transmission of BPD and MDD and to establish the risk of psychopathology in offspring in function of the age of onset of the parental disorder. METHODS: Clinical information was collected on 208 probands (n=81 with BPD, n=64 with MDD, n=63 medical controls) as well as their 202 spouses and 372 children aged 6-17 years at study entry. Parents and children were directly interviewed every 3 years (mean duration of follow-up=10.6 years). Parental age of onset was dichotomized at age 21. RESULTS: Offspring of parents with early onset BPD entailed a higher risk of BPD HR=7.9(1.8-34.6) and substance use disorders HR=5.0(1.1-21.9) than those with later onset and controls. Depressive disorders were not significantly increased in offspring regardless of parental mood disorder subtype or age of onset. LIMITATIONS: Limited sample size, age of onset in probands was obtained retrospectively, age of onset in co-parents was not adequately documented, and a quarter of the children had no direct interview. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide support for the independence of familial aggregation of BPD from MDD and the heterogeneity of BPD based on patterns of onset. Future studies should further investigate correlates of early versus later onset BPD