Race, historical redlining, and contemporary transportation noise disparities in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Legacies of discriminatory federal housing practices-e.g., racialized property appraisal by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) and institutionalized redlining by the Federal Housing Administration-include disparate present-day environmental health outcomes. Noise pollution is health-harming, but just one study has associated contemporary noise with redlining in some HOLC-mapped United States (US) cities, while two national studies found associations between greater neighborhood-level people of color composition and increased noise. No studies have examined noise pollution exposure disparities across all HOLC-mapped cities or based on the intersection of race/ethnicity and redlining. OBJECTIVE: We address three objectives: (1) Assess disparities in fine-scale, per person transportation noise exposures by historical redlining status across all HOLC-mapped cities. (2) Quantify disparities in noise exposures by race/ethnicity nationwide. (3) Explore interactions between redlining status and race/ethnicity in noise exposures. METHODS: We analyzed three data sources: (1) complete digital HOLC maps of ordered investment risk grades (A-D), (2) fine-scale (30 m) estimates of transportation noise levels (year-2020), and (3) sociodemographic characteristics of individuals in year-2020 census blocks. RESULTS: We find an approximately monotonic association for excess transportation noise with HOLC grade, marked by a pronounced exposure increase (17.4 dBA or 3× loudness) between contemporary residents of grade A (highest-graded) and D (lowest-graded) neighborhoods, a pattern consistent across HOLC-mapped cities. People of color experience ~7 dBA greater (2× louder) excess transportation noise exposures than White people nationwide, a pattern consistent across US counties. Noise exposure disparities are larger by HOLC grade than by race/ethnicity. However, contemporary racial/ethnic noise exposure disparities persist within each HOLC grade at levels approximating those disparities existing in ungraded areas, indicating that historical redlining is one of multiple discriminatory practices shaping contemporary national soundscape injustices. SIGNIFICANCE: Findings illustrate how historical redlining and broader racialized inequalities in US society have shaped environmental injustices nationwide. IMPACT STATEMENT: Excessive noise exposures harm human health. Communities of color in the United States experience disparate noise exposures, although previous studies are limited by reliance upon aggregated data. They are also disproportionately concentrated in historically redlined areas. Legacies of redlining include persistent racial and economic inequalities and environmental health disparities. Here, we conduct the first complete national examination of contemporary noise pollution disparities with respect to historical redlining and race/ethnicity. Findings advance understanding of the historical roots and enduring salience of race-based disparities in noise pollution exposures and can inform efforts to address these disparities through noise pollution policy-making.

Inadequate mentoring in undergraduate research experiences: Exploring protective factors.

This study examines instances of negative mentoring among undergraduate researchers within STEM education, and specifically, the common yet subtle issue of inadequate mentoring characterized by a faculty mentor's failure to provide their mentee with adequate research, educational, career-related, or emotional support. Using data from the Mentor-Relate survey of 514 participants in the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, we identify prevalent patterns of inadequate mentoring and examine protective factors against it. Results indicate that inadequate research support is the least prevalent form, while inadequate educational and career guidance is more common, and inadequate emotional support is the most prevalent. Enhanced faculty mentoring skills emerge as a protective factor, with culturally responsive mentoring and gender concordance also playing significant protective roles. Less hierarchical mentoring structures, such as multiple faculty mentors, offer better emotional support. These findings underscore the importance of comprehensive mentor training and culturally sensitive practices to mitigate inadequate mentoring in undergraduate research experiences. By promoting inclusive and supportive mentoring environments, institutions can maximize the transformative potential of undergraduate research experiences for all participants.

Environmental Injustice, Tree Canopy Cover, and Academic Proficiency at Utah Public Primary Schools.

Background: Tree canopy cover has mental and physical health benefits for children, yet distributional environmental injustices in tree canopy cover near schools are rarely investigated. Some evidence suggests that tree canopy coverage positively influences aggregated school-level children's academic proficiency metrics. There is a lack of research if canopy cover moderates the negative effect of particulate matter on academic proficiency. Methods: We linked data on schools from the National Center for Education Statistics, Utah's Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence, the National Land Cover Database, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We used generalized estimating equations, which account for non-normally distributed data and clustering, to analyze data from the 2015 to 2016 school year. Results: Greater school social disadvantage (higher percentages of students qualifying for free/reduced price meals and higher percentages of racial/ethnic minority students) was significantly associated with reductions in tree canopy cover within 1000 m and 500 m of the school. Greater tree canopy coverage at 1000 m and 500 m was significantly associated with a lower percentage of students testing below proficient on year-end math and language arts exams. Additional days of peak fine particulate matter were associated with higher percentages of students testing below proficient in math. Discussion: Socially disadvantaged primary schools in Utah were surrounded by less canopy cover. There was a protective effect of tree canopy cover on academic proficiency in math and language arts. Conclusion: Findings suggest targeting carefully designed tree planting efforts at socially disadvantaged schools and testing interventions involving tree planting and changes in academic proficiency.

Student mental health during Summer 2022 research experiences for undergraduates (REUs): Mentorship, remote engagement, and COVID-19.

Objective: We examined how mentorship, remote participation, and COVID-19 challenges were associated with the mental health of college students participating in summer research programs. Participants: Participants were students participating in 78 National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) Sites during Summer 2022 (n = 516 students). Methods: We used multivariable generalized estimating equations that account for clustering by REU Site. Results: Students with more competent mentors had reduced depression severity. Students who spent ≥25% of their time doing remote research or ≥25% of their time in remote meetings and workshops had greater depression severity. Remote research was also associated with anxiety severity. Having a COVID-19 challenge that impacted students' research experience was associated with increases in depression and anxiety severity. Conclusions: Results suggest potential interventions: implement strategies to boost mentor competency and scaffold a support system into summer research programs to enhance student wellbeing. Additional research on remote engagement is needed.

PM2.5 threshold exceedances during the prenatal period and risk of intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: Research demonstrates that chronic exposure to fine particulates (PM2.5) increases risks of neurodevelopmental conditions, such as intellectual disability (ID). Few studies have examined neurodevelopmental health impacts of pollution spikes exceeding 24-h (24-h) PM2.5 guidelines, despite relevance to the regulatory landscape. The current potential for regulatory changes to 24-h PM2.5 standards in the United States makes research on exceedances relevant. OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between 24-h PM2.5 exceedances and the risk of ID. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective case-control study of a sample of children in Utah, USA. We used generalized estimating equations to predict odds of ID based on the number of 24-h PM2.5 exceedance days during the preconception period and three trimesters of pregnancy. Exceedance days are defined as per current World Health Organization (WHO) [≥15 µg/m3] and current US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [≥35 µg/m3] 24-h guidelines. RESULTS: PM2.5 exceedances are associated with ID risk during the preconception and first trimester periods and not the second and third trimesters. During the preconception period, each day exceeding 15 µg/m3 or 35 µg/m3 was associated with a 1.023 (CI: 1.011-1.040) or 1.042 (CI: 1.026-1.059, p < 0.001) increase in odds of ID, respectively. During the first trimester, each day exceeding 15 µg/m3 or 35 µg/m3 was associated with a 1.032 (CI: 1.017-1.047) or 1.059 (CI: 1.030-1.088) increase in odds of ID, respectively. IMPACT STATEMENT: Potential regulatory movement on the US 24-h PM2.5 standard makes research that explicitly studies exceedances highly relevant. Yet few studies examine health effects of exceeding 24-h guidelines for any air pollutants. This study fills important gaps in the literature by examining associations between odds of intellectual disability and the count of days exceeding current 24-h PM2.5 guidelines, as established by the World Health Organization and US Environmental Protection Agency, during the prenatal period. We find that exceedances of both sets of guidelines, during the preconception and first trimester periods, are associated with ID risk.

Salmonella enterica Infection of Synanthropic Non-native Geckos in Southern Florida.

Wild geckos are a significant source of human salmonellosis. We swabbed the cloacas of 37 non-native synanthropic geckos (Gekko gecko, n = 16; Phelsuma grandis, n = 21) from southern Florida, USA, and assayed swab DNA extracts using quantitative polymerase chain reaction of the invA gene. Salmonella enterica was detected in both species with a pooled prevalence of 13.5% (5/37; 95% CI 5.3-27.1%), indicating the potential for zoonotic transmission. Implications for human health in the region are discussed.

Vitamin D status and latitude predict brain lesions in adrenoleukodystrophy.

Objectives: Approximately 40% of boys with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) develop inflammatory demyelinating brain lesions (cerebral ALD, cALD) and are at risk for death or severe disability. Risk factors for cALD are poorly understood. Our objective was to evaluate whether vitamin D status, which influences immune function, is associated with risk for cALD. Methods: We used two independent cohorts to assess whether low vitamin D status is correlated with cALD. We used complementary proxies for vitamin D status: plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and latitude. In our first cohort, we measured 25-hydroxyvitamin D in biobanked plasma samples from ALD boys with initially normal brain MRIs followed at two expert centers. In a second cohort, we measured latitude (using home ZIP code) among ALD boys identified in a national administrative database (PHIS) covering 51 US pediatric hospitals. We used logistic regression models to estimate the odds of developing cALD in each cohort. Results: In the first cohort, we identified 20 ALD boys with a total of 53 plasma sample timepoints who met inclusion criteria; 50% (n = 10) subsequently developed cALD. Average 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were lower among boys who developed cALD than those who did not (median 28.9 vs 36.6 ng/ml); p = 0.019. For each 10 ng/mL decrease in 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the odds ratio for developing cALD was 6.94; p = 0.044. In the second cohort, we identified 230 ALD boys across 28 states; 57% of boys (n = 132) developed cALD. Each 2° increase in latitude conferred an odds ratio of 1.17 (95% confidence interval, 1.01, 1.35); p = 0.036 for developing cALD. Conclusions: Using independent cohorts, we found that ALD boys with lower pre-morbid plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or more northerly latitude of residence, were more likely to develop cALD. These findings offer complementary lines of evidence that vitamin D and/or ultraviolet light exposure influence cALD risk.