Massachusetts Area Research Articles

The optimization of harm reduction services in Massachusetts through the use of GIS: Location-allocation analyses, 2019–2021

BackgroundFatal opioid-related overdoses (OOD) continue to be a leading cause of preventable death across the US. Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution programs (OENDs) play a vital role in addressing morbidity and mortality associated with opioid use, but access to such services is often inequitable. We utilized a geographic information system (GIS) and spatial analytical methods to inform prioritized placement of OEND services in Massachusetts. MethodsWe obtained addresses for OEND sites from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and address-level fatal OOD data for January 2019 to December 2021 from the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. Using location-allocation approaches in ArcGIS Pro, we created p-median models using locations of existing OEND sites and fatal OOD counts to identify areas that should be prioritized for future OEND placement. Variables included in our analysis were transportation mode, distance from public schools, race and ethnicity, and location feasibility. ResultsThree Massachusetts communities – Athol, Dorchester, and Fitchburg – were identified as priority sites for new OEND locations using location-allocation models based on capacity to maximize OOD prevention. Communities identified by the models for OEND placement had similar demographics and overdose rates (42.8 per 100,000 vs 40.1 per 100,000 population) to communities with existing OEND programs but lower naloxone kit distribution rates (2589 doses per 100,000 vs 3704 doses per 100,000). Further models demonstrated differential access based on location and transportation. ConclusionOur analyses identified key areas of Massachusetts with greatest need for OEND services. Further, these results demonstrate the utility of using spatial epidemiological methods to inform public health recommendations.

Cohort profile: the Environmental Reproductive and Glucose Outcomes (ERGO) Study (Boston, Massachusetts, USA) — a prospective pregnancy cohort study of the impacts of environmental exposures on parental cardiometabolic health

PurposePregnancy and the postpartum period are increasingly recognised as sensitive windows for cardiometabolic disease risk. Growing evidence suggests environmental exposures, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), are associated with an increased risk...

Bat activity is related to habitat structure and time since prescribed fire in managed pine barrens in New England.

Several insectivorous bat species are found in New England, yet research on them is still scarce. Current research shows the ecological importance of bats due to their control of insect populations, but they are endangered by habitat loss and White Nose Syndrome, among other threats. Pine barrens are an uncommon ecosystem found in New England that supports other rare taxa and could be important for these bat species. With hand-held audio recorders, we surveyed for bats in Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area in Massachusetts and Concord Pine Barrens in New Hampshire in June 2022. Our study objectives were to (1) describe the most common bat species and (2) compare bat activity across different habitat types at two managed pine barrens in New England. In particular, we examined bat activity related to habitat type (scrub oak, mature pitch pine, treated pitch pine, hardwood forest), habitat structure (i.e., canopy closure), time since prescribed fire, and path width. We analyzed our data through generalized linear modeling and logistic regression. Overall, we were able to measure the presence of five out of the nine total species found in the area, including the endangered Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat). We recorded 293 bat calls, with the majority of calls from big brown bats (71%). We found significant differences (p<0.05) in bat activity in relation to time since prescribed fire and habitat structure. The index of bat activity was greatest in pitch pine and hardwood forests and lowest in scrub oak and treated pitch pine habitats. With preliminary data, we also found that silver-haired bat presence was influenced by habitat type, with more detections at survey points in hardwood forests. These findings demonstrate the importance of pine barrens as an ecosystem that supports bats in New England. According to the activity of bats in our study, closed canopy and mature pitch pine habitats may be prioritized in conservation efforts at managed barrens for bat species. Further research is recommended to better understand the relationship between prescribed fires, which are common in managed barrens, and bat activity.

A New Specimen of Sand Pseudomorph Dinosaur Bones with Tetrapod Tracks from the Early Jurassic, Hartford Basin, USA

ABSTRACT Tetrapod tracks from the Lower Jurassic strata of the Hartford Basin (Newark Supergroup) abound in areas of Massachusetts and Connecticut, USA. However, tetrapod skeletal fossils are uncommon, and the co-occurrence of tracks with skeletal material in the same bedding plane is exceedingly rare. Due to this paucity of skeletal material, spatiotemporal gaps and taxonomic incompleteness continue to hamper research on bones preserved as natural casts. Here we report on the discovery of new bone cast specimens and three grallatoroid (Anchisauripus) tracks on a single sandstone slab originating from Portland or Middletown, Connecticut. The Nash Specimen – BRCM 2021.10 – holds important implications for Early Jurassic dinosaur taphonomic history and the paleoenvironment in which dinosaur footprints and bones as natural casts were preserved. Results from this study describe three Anchisauripus tracks and five natural bone casts from an early theropod dinosaur. Judicious comparisons to the only comparable specimen of dinosaur bone casts (MOS.2001. 248) are made in describing the morphological structures and the taphonomic pathways leading to cast formation. The unique taphonomic circumstances of bone casts preserved alongside dinosaur tracks on the same substrate layer provide an intriguing case of the non-preservation of body fossils that merits further research in the Hartford Basin.

Enabling same-day delivery using a drone resupply model with transshipment points

We study a hybrid logistics delivery model which incorporates trucks and drones. In this model, named the Drone Resupply Model with Transshipment Points (DRMTP), drones are used to resupply transshipment points where trucks visit to pick up packages for delivery to customers. A simulation model is developed to simulate the delivery operations. The model is evaluated in two case studies in an urban area and a suburban area in Massachusetts, USA. Using this resupply model, the average delivery time is reduced compared to the conventional truck-only delivery model. The experimental results in the suburban region show that the DRMTP model with one transshipment point achieves 36% lower delivery time compared to the truck-only model. In the urban region, the model with four transshipment points obtains 66% delivery time reduction compared to the truck-only model. The results indicate that the proposed model can be used to enhance the efficiency of the last-mile delivery operations.

Digital-Assisted Self-interview of HIV or Sexually Transmitted Infection Risk Behaviors in Transmasculine Adults: Development and Field Testing of the Transmasculine Sexual Health Assessment.

The sexual health of transmasculine (TM) people-those who identify as male, men, or nonbinary and were assigned a female sex at birth-is understudied. One barrier to conducting HIV- and sexually transmitted infection (STI)-related research with this population is how to best capture sexual risk data in an acceptable, gender-affirming, and accurate manner. This study aimed to report on the community-based process of developing, piloting, and refining a digitally deployed measure to assess self-reported sexual behaviors associated with HIV and STI transmission for research with TM adults. A multicomponent process was used to develop a digital-assisted self-interview to assess HIV and STI risk in TM people: gathering input from a Community Task Force; working with an interdisciplinary team of content experts in transgender medicine, epidemiology, and infectious diseases; conducting web-based focus groups; and iteratively refining the measure. We field-tested the measure with 141 TM people in the greater Boston, Massachusetts area to assess HIV and STI risk. Descriptive statistics characterized the distribution of sexual behaviors and HIV and STI transmission risk by the gender identity of sexual partners. The Transmasculine Sexual Health Assessment (TM-SHA) measures the broad range of potential sexual behaviors TM people may engage in, including those which may confer risk for STIs and not just for HIV infection (ie, oral-genital contact); incorporates gender-affirming language (ie, genital or frontal vs vaginal); and asks sexual partnership characteristics (ie, partner gender). Among 141 individual participants (mean age 27, SD 5 years; range 21-29 years; n=21, 14.9% multiracial), 259 sexual partnerships and 15 sexual risk behaviors were reported. Participants engaged in a wide range of sexual behaviors, including fingering or fisting (receiving: n=170, 65.6%; performing: n=173, 66.8%), oral-genital sex (receiving: n=182, 70.3%; performing: n=216, 83.4%), anal-genital sex (receptive: n=31, 11.9%; insertive: n=9, 3.5%), frontal-genital sex (receptive: n=105, 40.5%; insertive: n=46, 17.8%), and sharing toys or prosthetics during insertive sex (n=62, 23.9%). Overall barrier use for each sexual behavior ranged from 10.9% (20/182) to 81% (25/31). Frontal receptive sex with genitals and no protective barrier was the highest (21/42, 50%) with cisgender male partners. In total, 14.9% (21/141) of participants reported a lifetime diagnosis of STI. The sexual history tool was highly acceptable to TM participants. The TM-SHA is one of the first digital sexual health risk measures developed specifically with and exclusively for TM people. TM-SHA successfully integrates gender-affirming language and branching logic to capture a wide array of sexual behaviors. The measure elicits sexual behavior information needed to assess HIV and STI transmission risk behaviors. A strength of the tool is that detailed partner-by-partner data can be used to model partnership-level characteristics, not just individual-level participant data, to inform HIV and STI interventions.

Joint Data-Driven Estimation of Origin–Destination Demand and Travel Latency Functions in Multiclass Transportation Networks

The traffic assignment problem is a widely used formulation for designing, analyzing, and evaluating transportation networks. The inputs to this model, besides the network topology, are the origin–destination (OD) demand matrix and travel latency cost functions. It has been observed that small perturbations to these inputs have a large impact on the solution. However, most efforts on estimating these using data do so separately and are typically based on parametric models or surveys. In this article, we present a kernel-based framework that jointly estimates the OD demand matrix and the travel latency function in single- and multiclass vehicle networks. To that end, we formulate a bilevel optimization problem, and then, we transform it to a quadratically constrained quadratic program (QCQP). To solve this QCQP, we propose a <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">trust-region feasible direction</i> algorithm that sequentially solves a quadratic program. In addition, we also provide an alternating optimization method. Our results show that the QCQP method achieves better estimates when compared with disjoint and sequential methods. We show the applicability of the method by performing case studies using data for the transportation networks of Eastern Massachusetts Area and New York City.

Attitudes toward a novel breastfeeding-mediated drug and nutrient delivery system: A qualitative study

The objective of this study was to determine the attitudes and impressions of breastfeeding mothers and healthcare practitioners towards a device concept integrating breastfeeding with infant drug and nutrient administration. This was an exploratory qualitative study involving 20 breastfeeding mothers and 6 healthcare practitioners from the Suffolk and Middlesex County areas of Massachusetts, USA each individually interviewed. Interview transcription of the semi-structured interviews by an independent service began during data collection, and data coding into major themes continued until and after data saturation was reached.Repeated medication delivery with a reusable product was highlighted as a potential use case for the device concept; ease of use and cleaning as well as cost, familiarity with the method, and infant response were identified as critical considerations. Participants questioned device suitability with liquid formulations (as opposed to non-liquid), while potential advantages over alternative medication delivery technology like oral syringes were identified, including a more “natural” feeling.Most participants had prior knowledge of, or personal experience with, devices like commercially available nipple shields. Attitudes towards the NSDS were not determined by experience with nipple shields, however. The participants’ prior exposure to nipple shields is in contrast to related studies in Kenya and South Africa where commercial nipple shields were not widely known and where specific concerns surrounding potential community stigma to an unknown device were raised by participants.

Association of Patient and Site-of-Care Characteristics With Reproductive Carrier Screening Timing in a Large Integrated Health System

Reproductive genetic carrier screening can be performed prior to or during pregnancy to assess a reproductive couple's risk of having a child with a recessively inherited disorder. Although professional societies endorse preconception screening as preferable to prenatal screening to allow for greater reproductive choice, implementation of preconception screening is challenging. To determine how carrier screening timing varies by multilevel factors associated with health care delivery including patient, clinician, and location across a large integrated health care system. This cross-sectional study used a mixed-methods approach including (1) quantitative analysis of multilevel factors associated with the timing of reproductive carrier screening and (2) qualitative analyses of data from interviews conducted with clinicians ordering carrier screenings. The setting was the Mass General Brigham, a large integrated health care system in the greater Boston, Massachusetts area. Participants included adult female patients who completed reproductive carrier screening performed by Myriad Women's Health between October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019. Site of care (ordering clinical location and hospital affiliate), ordering clinician specialty, and patient characteristics, including age at date of test collection, self-reported race and ethnicity, primary insurance payor, and number of comorbidities. The primary outcome was the timing of carrier screening (preconception vs prenatal). A series of 4 multilevel logistic regression models were fitted to measure the relative contribution of site, clinician, and patient-level factors on the timing of screening. Interviews with ordering clinicians (N = 9) were analyzed using a framework approach to explore barriers to preconception screening. Among 6509 adult female patients who completed carrier screenings, 770 (12%) were Asian, 352 (5%) were Hispanic, 640 (10%) were non-Hispanic Black, 3844 (59%) were non-Hispanic White, 858 (13%) were other or multiple races and ethnicities, and 2611 (40%) were aged 31 to 35 years; 4701 (63%) had prenatal screening and 2438 (37%) had preconception screening; screenings were ordered by 161 distinct clinicians across 32 clinical locations affiliated with 4 hospitals. In model 1, adjusted for hospital (fixed effect), clinic and clinician (random effects), 49% of the variability in timing was associated with clinician-level effects (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], 0.49) and 28% was associated with clinic-level effects (ICC, 0.28). Clinician specialty explained the greatest amount of variation in screening timing. Interviewed clinicians (N = 9) supported preconception screening but cited several barriers to offering population-based preconception screening. In this cross-sectional study, multilevel factors were associated with carrier screening timing. These findings suggest that increasing access to preconception screening may involve engaging specific medical specialties.

Who Are the Local Policy Innovators? Cluster Analysis of Municipal Tobacco Control Policies in Massachusetts.

Tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable death, yet it is challenging to establish public policy to reduce tobacco use. Massachusetts has been a national leader in tobacco control, and its policy-making patterns can be informative to the country. To identify factors associated with the adoption of tobacco policy within 351 Massachusetts municipalities. We obtained the 2019 Massachusetts municipality-level tobacco control policy information from Massachusetts' Tobacco Automated Fact Sheet Information system and compiled it with data from American Community Survey, Massachusetts Municipal Association, and Massachusetts state government's Web sites. We used k -means clustering method to identify statistical clustering patterns and hotspot analysis (Getis-Ord Gi*) and Local Indicators of Spatial Association to identify geographic clustering patterns. We then performed multinomial logistic regression to identify factors associated with policy clusters. Massachusetts. Three hundred fifty-one municipalities in Massachusetts. Policy clusters-groups of municipalities with similar tobacco control policy behaviors. Based on the k -means analyses, we identified 3 clusters in Massachusetts municipal tobacco control policy behaviors: 54% (N = 191) of municipalities were "Policy Leaders" with a high adoption rate of the 6 tobacco control policies; 18% (N = 63) were "Peer-Influenced Actors" focused on tobacco purchase restrictions for individuals younger than 21 years; and 28% (N = 97) were "Policy Non-Actors," with no tobacco control policies in place. Policy Leaders were geographically clustered in larger cities and the MetroWest region. Policy Non-Actors were clustered in rural areas of Western and Central Massachusetts. Larger municipal population size, higher municipal tax income, and higher percentages of residents voting Democratic were associated with higher policy adoption activities. Local variation in the adoption of tobacco policies may exacerbate inequities in tobacco use and population health. Opportunities remain to implement additional tobacco control regulations at the local level to promote public health.

Delayed egg introduction beyond infancy and increased egg allergy risk in childhood.

Egg is a major food allergen in childhood. Recent studies suggest that early introduction of allergenic foods can decrease the risk of developing egg allergy. The impact of early egg introduction in the general population is unclear. We examined associations between age of infant egg introduction and childhood egg allergy outcomes in a general population. The study population consisted of 1217 neonates from Project Viva, a longitudinal pre-birth cohort in eastern Massachusetts area, USA. Mothers reported age of infant egg introduction and child egg allergy using questionnaires and specific IgE to egg white was assayed. We estimated associations between age of infant egg introduction and egg allergy outcomes using Log-binomial regression models, adjusting for socio-demographics and health confounders. Egg allergy at 2 years was significantly higher (8.0% vs. 1.4%, P< 0.0001) in children who had delayed egg introduction beyond infancy, compared with children who were introduced to egg during infancy (adjusted relative risk or aRR 7.58; 95% CI 3.08, 18.61). At 12 years, the risk of egg allergy remained significantly higher (3.9% vs. 1.1%, P= 0.048) in children with delayed egg introduction compared with children introduced to egg during infancy (aRR 4.07; 95% CI 1.20, 13.87). Infants with delayed introduction of eggs after 12 months had increased risk of egg allergy in childhood (2 years) and the relationship persisted in early adolescence (12 years). Our findings suggest that introduction to eggs before 12 months could contribute to the prevention of egg allergy.

The effect of off-bottom versus on-bottom oyster culture on total and pathogenic Vibrio spp. abundances in oyster tissue, water and sediment samples

Varying culture methods are commonly used for eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, aquaculture in the Northeast United States. Vibrio vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus, two human pathogenic bacteria species, accumulate in this edible, filter feeding shellfish. This study examined the use of two methods in an intertidal area (oysters cultured in trays and in bags on sediment) and two methods in a subtidal area (oysters cultured in trays and loose on the sediment) in Massachusetts over the growing season in 2015. Abundance of total V. vulnificus along with total and pathogenic (tdh+/trh+) V. parahaemolyticus were determined in oysters, sediment and water using real-time PCR. Temperature, salinity, turbidity and chlorophyll were continually measured every 15 min at each location.There were significantly higher abundances of total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus in on-bottom cultured oysters, while significantly higher abundances of V. vulnificus were identified in oysters from off-bottom culture in a subtidal location in Duxbury Bay, MA. In an intertidal location, Wellfleet Bay, MA, significantly higher abundances of total and tdh+V. parahaemolyticus were found in off-bottom oysters, but significantly higher abundances of V. vulnificus and trh+V. parahaemolyticus were found in on-bottom oysters.Spearman's correlation indicated that temperature is positively associated with concentrations of Vibrio spp. in oysters, water and sediment, but positive correlations between salinity and Vibrio spp. was also observed. Conversely, turbidity had a negative effect on Vibrio spp. concentrations in all sample types. There was no observed relationship inferred between chlorophyll and Vibrio spp. abundances in oysters, water or sediment.

Acoustic diversity of forested landscapes: Relationships to habitat structure and anthropogenic pressure

Understanding how human-dominated landscapes affect biodiversity and ecosystems is essential for effective conservation planning. This work aims to understand the relationship between the acoustic diversity of forested landscapes, and descriptors of habitat structure, composition, and anthropogenic pressure, as well as to identify the characteristic scale at which acoustic community diversity relates to those metrics in central Massachusetts.Ten passive acoustic recorders were placed within forest areas in central Massachusetts, during the breeding season. Mono audio recordings were collected during the dawn chorus. The relationship between acoustic indices (AI), and core habitat quality, connectivity, vegetation productivity, percent tree cover, human edge, artificial illumination, and traffic noise were assessed.Significant relationships were found between AI and variables related to habitat structure and human pressure. Sounds related to biota (biophony) and acoustic complexity were positively correlated with core habitat quality, connectivity, and vegetation while negatively correlated with human pressure variables, including nighttime lights, traffic noise, and human edge. AI can therefore act as successful indicators of habitat quality in highly modified landscapes The highest correlations were found at buffers between 1.5 and 3 Km. This response of AI to the broad spatial context and not to the local site characteristics indicate that they can act as robust landscape-scale indicators.The large characteristic scale indicates that urban planning should consider potential impacts acting at scales beyond site planning. Moreover, conservation planning can benefit from managing the context matrix to support biodiversity, particularly traffic noise and artificial illumination reduction initiatives.

Preterm Birth Among US and Foreign-Born Non-Hispanic Black Birthing Parents in Massachusetts: Variation by Nativity, Region, and Country of Origin.

Foreign-born non-Hispanic Black (NHB) birthing parents are less likely to have a preterm birth (PTB) than US-born NHBs. There is further variation by region and country of origin. We update previous studies by examining PTB rates by nativity, region and country of origin among NHBs in Massachusetts, a state with a heterogeneous population of foreign-born NHBs, including communities excluded from previous studies. Using 2011-2015 natality data from the three largest metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, we documented associations between nativity, region, and 18 individual countries of origin and PTB, using multivariable logistic regression to adjust for individual-level risk factors. PTB was highest among US-born NHBs (9.4%) and lowest among those from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (6.6%). Country-specific rates ranged from 4.0% among Angolans to 12.6% among those from Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. While NHBs from SSA had significantly lower odds of PTB, risk among those from the Caribbean and Brazil was not different from US-born NHBs. The significantly lower risk among foreign-born NHBs and SSAs, in particular, remained robust in adjusted models. Individual-level factors do not explain observed variation among NHB birthing parents. Future research should investigate explanations for lower PTB risk among SSAs, and congruent risk among foreign-born Caribbeans, Brazilians and US-born NHBs. Exposure to racism, a known risk factor for PTB, likely contributes to these inequities in PTB and merits further exploration. Prenatal care providers should assess place of birth among foreign-born NHBs, as well as exposure to racial discrimination among all NLB birthing parents.

Fear and voting: Evidence of a threat-opportunity model of citizenship acquisition among lower income immigrants of color beginning the naturalization process

Citizenship acquisition is viewed as the key indicator of political incorporation into US society and one motivated by the desire to formally engage in the civic realm, but we know naturalization is undertaken for many reasons. What we know less about is what motivates particular groups. Through surveying 74 lower socio-economic immigrants of color initiating the naturalization process at free citizenship clinics in the Boston, Massachusetts area in the northeastern United States in fall 2019, we examine the stated motivations to naturalize. The survey data reveal that the desire to engage politically is the most commonly cited primary motivation to naturalize (44%), followed by a desire to feel safer in the US (29%). When looking at primary and secondary motivations, 66% cite the ability to vote, and 59% cite the desire to feel safer. The combined motivations of security and political engagement suggest a “threat-opportunity” model of citizenship acquisition, whereby immigrants assess the external socio-political threats and seek to neutralize them through both naturalizing and then engaging politically to change the environment. At the same time, statistically significant relationships between motivations and ethno-racial group and country of origin suggest additional factors must be examined.

Endocrine disrupting chemical-associated hair product use during pregnancy and gestational age at delivery: a pilot study

BackgroundPrenatal endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure has been associated with increased risk of preterm birth. Non-Hispanic Black women have higher incidence of preterm birth compared to other racial/ethnic groups and may be disproportionately exposed to EDCs through EDC-containing hair products. However, research on the use of EDC-associated hair products during pregnancy and risk of preterm birth is lacking. Therefore, the objective of this pilot study was to estimate associations of prenatal hair product use with gestational age at delivery in a Boston, Massachusetts area pregnancy cohort.MethodsThe study population consisted of a subset of participants enrolled in the Environmental Reproductive and Glucose Outcomes (ERGO) Study between 2018 and 2020. We collected self-reported data on demographics and hair product use using a previously validated questionnaire at four prenatal visits (median: 12, 19, 26, 36 weeks’ gestation) and abstracted gestational age at delivery from medical records. We compared gestational age and hair product use by race/ethnicity and used linear regression to estimate covariate-adjusted associations of product use and frequency of use at each study visit with gestational age at delivery. Primary models were adjusted for maternal age at enrollment and delivery method.ResultsOf the 154 study participants, 7% delivered preterm. Non-Hispanic Black participants had lower mean gestational age at delivery compared to non-Hispanic White participants (38.2 vs. 39.2 weeks) and were more likely to report ever and more frequent use of hair products. In regression models, participants reporting daily use of hair oils at visit 4 had lower mean gestational age at delivery compared to non-users (β: -8.3 days; 95% confidence interval: -14.9, -1.6). We did not find evidence of associations at earlier visits or with other products.ConclusionsFrequent use of hair oils during late pregnancy may be associated with shorter gestational duration. As hair oils are more commonly used by non-Hispanic Black women and represent potentially modifiable EDC exposure sources, this may have important implications for the known racial disparity in preterm birth.

The influence of street trees on pedestrian perceptions of safety: Results from environmental justice areas of Massachusetts, U.S.

Previous research has shown that trees and other roadside vegetation can mitigate adverse environmental conditions on urban street corridors, and, in turn, positively contribute to pedestrian perceptions of safety and walkability. In this study, pedestrian surveys (n = 181) were collected from three Massachusetts post-industrial cities to understand if street trees moderate pedestrian perceptions of safety. Three street tree conditions – sparse street tree abundance, mature street trees, and new street tree plantings – were compared as study settings. Several methods were used to correlate perceived safety with street trees and sociodemographic variables, including repeated measures and between-group ANOVA, qualitative open-coding, exploratory factor analysis, and simple moderation analysis. This study did not find empirical evidence that street trees influence people's perceived safety, nor that street trees substantively contribute to feelings of safety while walking. These findings suggest that pedestrians do not have universal experiences of safety in walking environments, and different sociocultural backgrounds may contribute to diverging experiences of safety or fear when walking. Our research supports previous findings on the ways in which pedestrians value street trees; this can be extended to municipal or regional Complete Streets guidance and technical assistance programs.

Pollution From Commercial Vessels Machinery Space Bilges

Abstract Over the past decade, the United States Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England (SENE) along with state and local partner agencies in the New Bedford, Massachusetts area have been attempting to understand commercial vessel's inability to comply with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) regarding oily bilge waste and proper disposal options. The regulations have been in effect since 1983 requiring oceangoing vessels of less than 400 gross tons to have the capacity to retain all oily mixtures onboard or install an approved oily water separator (OWS) equipment for processing oily mixtures from bilges. New Bedford, MA is the homeport to over 400 commercial fishing vessels within a 2 square mile port area. The circumstances in New Bedford are considered to be representative of most ports for vessels less than 400 gross tons nationwide. Sector SENE has used various mechanisms to educate the local commercial vessel fleet owners and operators. The education includes the issuance of Marine Safety Information Bulletin 03-18 by Coast Guard Headquarters (United States Coast Guard, 2018). In 2012, the Partner Agency - Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection created and funded the Bilge-Pump-Out Program. This voluntary program provides commercial vessels with free oily bilge waste disposal services. Previously, there was no established “permanent” solution to the pervasive oily discharge problem and bad practice of illegally disposing of oily waste directly from commercial vessel bilges overboard into U.S. navigable waterways. In conjunction with local authorities having jurisdiction, Sector SENE began a focused pollution prevention and enforcement effort. Several pollution cases were forwarded to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and fines of over 1 million dollars have been issued for the illegal practices. The culmination of educational outreach, surge operations and coordinated interagency efforts have led to the initial levels of compliance.

Perceived environmental supports for fruit and vegetable consumption among older adults in the US.

The physical and social environments surrounding food, whether perceived or observed, can influence consumers' food choices by changing food access, and affordability, or by changing settings where food-related behaviors occur. To describe older adults' perceived food environment, identify the most important sites and factors that enable healthy eating, and explore older adults' recommendations for communities to facilitate fruit and vegetable consumption. Participants aged 60 and older from metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, Iowa, and Illinois completed a researcher-administered survey to rate the perceived environment including accessibility, availability, and affordability of fruits and vegetables, and perceived importance of factors and establishments related to fruit and vegetable consumption. Participants also suggested changes for establishments to facilitate fruit and vegetable consumption. The majority of the 142 participants perceived their food environment for fruits and vegetables as not difficult to access (85.2%) with good or excellent availability (90.1%). Education, marital status, and race were associated with some aspects of the perceived food environment. Perceived accessibility and supermarkets were rated as the most important factor and establishment, respectively, to facilitate fruit and vegetable consumption across all study sites. Participants proposed recommendations to address the availability, quality, accessibility and affordability of fruits and vegetables. Interventions promoting accessible, affordable, quality fruits and vegetables may improve older adult consumers' perceptions of their food environment. Communities may also use undervalued resources such as mobile markets more strategically to provide additional support for healthy eating in older adults.

Xylariales (Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota) of the Boston Harbor Islands

The Xylariales (Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota) is an order of mostly stromatic perithecial fungi generally inhabiting wood and other plant debris, as well as some important plant pathogenic species. As a follow-up to an extensive fungal inventory conducted by D. Haelewaters and colleagues since December 2012 at the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area in Massachusetts, I examined members of the Xylariales in detail, including previously unreported collections. I constructed keys for included taxa, and I provide species notes, references, substrate, and collecting data of the following Xylarialean genera: Diatrype, Eutypa, Eutypella (Diatrypaceae); Biscogniauxia, Camillea, Graphostroma (Graphostromataceae); Annulohypoxylon, Daldinia, Hypomontagnella, Hypoxylon, Jackrogersella (Hypoxylaceae); Lopadostoma (Lopadostomataceae); and Entoleuca, Kretzschmaria, Nemania, Rosellinia, Xylaria (Xylariaceae). I herein formally describe a new species, Xylaria finismundoensis sp. nov., based on combined morphology and multi-locus phylogenetic analysis. This taxon provides the first evidence of a saprotrophic lifestyle for members of the E9 phylogenetic clade of Xylaria, previously only known as endophytes.