Browsing by Subject "Massachusetts"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    A Review of the Massachusetts Regulated Waste Disposal Industries Focusing on Transportation Emissions
    (2020-04-20) Wood, Stefanie
    Transportation of regulated waste generates significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Reductions in the number of disposal locations in Massachusetts due to industry consolidation force wastes to be transported farther for proper handling, increasing vehicular emissions. Previous studies of freight emissions have focused on mitigating GHG emissions through technological modifications of vehicles, use of alternative fuels, and maximizing the efficiency of transportation routes through hub siting. This study tracks changes in CO2 emissions by focusing on changes in destination locations. By calculating distances and CO2 emissions from generation to disposal locations over a ten-year period, trends caused by disposal industry contraction are identified. This information is critical for planning how regulated wastes can and will be managed in the future to minimize CO2 emissions (a GHG mitigation priority) balanced against land use concerns.
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    Genetic evaluation of a proposed introduction: the case of the greater prairie chicken and the extinct heath hen.
    (Mol Ecol, 2004-07) Palkovacs, EP; Oppenheimer, AJ; Gladyshev, E; Toepfer, JE; Amato, G; Chase, T; Caccone, A
    Population introduction is an important tool for ecosystem restoration. However, before introductions should be conducted, it is important to evaluate the genetic, phenotypic and ecological suitability of possible replacement populations. Careful genetic analysis is particularly important if it is suspected that the extirpated population was unique or genetically divergent. On the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, the introduction of greater prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) to replace the extinct heath hen (T. cupido cupido) is being considered as part of an ecosystem restoration project. Martha's Vineyard was home to the last remaining heath hen population until its extinction in 1932. We conducted this study to aid in determining the suitability of greater prairie chickens as a possible replacement for the heath hen. We examined mitochondrial control region sequences from extant populations of all prairie grouse species (Tympanuchus) and from museum skin heath hen specimens. Our data suggest that the Martha's Vineyard heath hen population represents a divergent mitochondrial lineage. This result is attributable either to a long period of geographical isolation from other prairie grouse populations or to a population bottleneck resulting from human disturbance. The mtDNA diagnosability of the heath hen contrasts with the network of mtDNA haplotypes of other prairie grouse (T. cupido attwateri, T. pallidicinctus and T. phasianellus), which do not form distinguishable mtDNA groupings. Our findings suggest that the Martha's Vineyard heath hen was more genetically isolated than are current populations of prairie grouse and place the emphasis for future research on examining prairie grouse adaptations to different habitat types to assess ecological exchangeability between heath hens and greater prairie chickens.
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    Physical activity-related and weather-related practices of child care centers from 2 states.
    (J Phys Act Health, 2015-02) Ball, Sarah C; Gillman, Matthew W; Mayhew, Meghan; Namenek Brouwer, Rebecca J; Benjamin Neelon, Sara E
    BACKGROUND: Young children's physical activity (PA) is influenced by their child care environment. This study assessed PA practices in centers from Massachusetts (MA) and Rhode Island (RI), compared them to best practice recommendations, and assessed differences between states and center profit status. We also assessed weather-related practices. METHODS: Sixty percent of MA and 54% of RI directors returned a survey, for a total of 254. Recommendations were 1) daily outdoor play, 2) providing outdoor play area, 3) limiting fixed play structures, 4) variety of portable play equipment, and 5) providing indoor play area. We fit multivariable linear regression models to examine adjusted associations between state, profit status, PA, and weather-related practices. RESULTS: MA did not differ from RI in meeting PA recommendations (β = 0.03; 0.15, 0.21; P = .72), but MA centers scored higher on weather-related practices (β = 0.47; 0.16, 0.79; P = .004). For-profit centers had lower PA scores compared with nonprofits (β = -0.20; 95% CI: -0.38, -0.02; P = .03), but they did not differ for weather (β = 0.12; -0.19, 0.44; P = .44). CONCLUSIONS: More MA centers allowed children outside in light rain or snow. For-profit centers had more equipment—both fixed and portable. Results from this study may help inform interventions to increase PA in children.
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    Polymorphisms in the ACE and ADRB2 genes and risks of aging-associated phenotypes: the case of myocardial infarction.
    (Rejuvenation Res, 2010-02) Kulminski, Alexander M; Culminskaya, Irina V; Ukraintseva, Svetlana V; Arbeev, Konstantin G; Akushevich, Igor; Land, Kenneth C; Yashin, Anatoli I
    Multiple functions of the beta2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genes warrant studies of their associations with aging-related phenotypes. We focus on multimarker analyses and analyses of the effects of compound genotypes of two polymorphisms in the ADRB2 gene, rs1042713 and rs1042714, and 11 polymorphisms of the ACE gene, on the risk of such an aging-associated phenotype as myocardial infarction (MI). We used the data from a genotyped sample of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring (FHSO) cohort (n = 1500) followed for about 36 years with six examinations. The ADRB2 rs1042714 (C-->G) polymorphism and two moderately correlated (r(2) = 0.77) ACE polymorphisms, rs4363 (A-->G) and rs12449782 (A-->G), were significantly associated with risks of MI in this aging cohort in multimarker models. Predominantly linked ACE genotypes exhibited opposite effects on MI risks, e.g., the AA (rs12449782) genotype had a detrimental effect, whereas the predominantly linked AA (rs4363) genotype exhibited a protective effect. This trade-off occurs as a result of the opposite effects of rare compound genotypes of the ACE polymorphisms with a single dose of the AG heterozygote. This genetic trade-off is further augmented by the selective modulating effect of the rs1042714 ADRB2 polymorphism. The associations were not altered by adjustment for common MI risk factors. The results suggest that effects of single specific genetic variants of the ADRB2 and ACE genes on MI can be readily altered by gene-gene or/and gene-environmental interactions, especially in large heterogeneous samples. Multimarker genetic analyses should benefit studies of complex aging-associated phenotypes.
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    Synthetic Cooling Agent and Other Flavor Additives in "Non-Menthol" Cigarettes Marketed in California and Massachusetts After Menthol Cigarette Bans.
    (JAMA, 2023-11) Jabba, Sairam V; Erythropel, Hanno C; Anastas, Paul T; Zimmerman, Julie B; Jordt, Sven E
    This study uses a bioassay and chemical analysis to determine the proportion of newly introduced “non-menthol” cigarette brands with sensory cooling effects, cooling agents added, and any other flavor additives after menthol cigarette bans.