Search

Environmental information transparency signifies a transition from the top-down environmental management towards participatory governance. The cognitive pathways through which environmental information disclosure (EID) can mobilize public support are underinvestigated. This study pioneers in investigating latent links between different EID approaches, citizen's protest attitudes, and choice behaviours with regard to urban river restoration projects in two Chinese cities with varying levels of environmental information transparency, Guangzhou and Shaoguan (south China). A flexible Hybrid Mixed Logit Model is recruited to analyse responses of choice experiment surveys. Three latent variables are identified: distrust of government, individual environmental responsibility, and environmental information sufficiency. Our results reveal that (1) both EID approaches could not boost respondents' trust in government, (2) active information access is associated weak individual environmental responsibility and unsupportive decisions, and (3) passive information access could neither equip citizens with information they need nor encourage their supportive decisions. The city-level environmental information transparency might determine the frequency of environmental information access, but cannot change citizens' choice decisions. We propose to align the mismatch between the environmental information required by the citizens and those disseminated by the relevant governmental authorities, which is crucial to create social trust, enhance individual environmental responsibility, and improve EID efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies suggest a positive association between history of non melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and risk of subsequent cancer at other sites. The purpose of this study is to prospectively examine the risk of primary cancer according to personal history of NMSC. Methods and Findings: In two large US cohorts, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) and the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), we prospectively investigated this association in self-identified white men and women. In the HPFS, we followed 46,237 men from June 1986 to June 2008 (833,496 person-years). In the NHS, we followed 107,339 women from June 1984 to June 2008 (2,116,178 person-years). We documented 29,447 incident cancer cases other than NMSC. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A personal history of NMSC was significantly associated with a higher risk of other primary cancers excluding melanoma in men (RR = 1.11; 95% CI 1.05-1.18), and in women (RR = 1.20;95% CI 1.15-1.25). Age-standardized absolute risk (AR) was 176 in men and 182 in women per 100,000 person-years. For individual cancer sites, after the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (n = 28), in men, a personal history of NMSC was significantly associated with an increased risk of melanoma (RR=1.99, AR = 116 per 100,000 person-years). In women, a personal history of NMSC was significantly associated with an increased risk of breast (RR= 1.19, AR = 87 per 100,000 person-years), lung (RR = 1.32, AR = 22 per 100,000 person-years), and melanoma (RR = 2.58, AR = 79 per 100,000 person-years). Conclusion: This prospective study found a modestly increased risk of subsequent malignancies among individuals with a history of NMSC, specifically breast and lung cancer in women and melanoma in both men and women., Introduction Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common cancer in the United States. It consists mainly of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Its incidence has [...]

Governments worldwide have embraced mandatory environmental information disclosure as a vital and indispensable component of their strategies to improve environmental conditions. However, the pathways through which environmental information disclosure can effectively mobilize public support for environmental management initiatives is not well understood. On the basis of latent class modelling of discrete choice experiment survey data in Shaoguan city (Guangdong province, south China), we investigate the impacts of passive disclosure (public simply receive environmental information) and active disclosure (public purposefully interact with environmental information providers) on residents' heterogeneous preferences pertaining to an urban river restoration project. We find that passive environmental information transparency could successfully motivate public participation and support, while active environmental information accessibility tends to hinder public participation. Respondents either act as non-supporters, or fail to lucidly convey their preferences, if they have directly contacted local authorities or attended environmental events to purposefully collect environmental information via two-way interactive communications. The positive and favourable effect of passive environmental information disclosure on public environmental participation is notable. Yet, if we fail to enhance the effectiveness of active environmental information disclosure, we will miss a unique opportunity to transform public environmental awareness and interest into a useful catalyst for aligning public support with governmental environmental management goals. • It explores the impacts of environmental information disclosure on residents' environmental decisions. • Latent class modelling reveals the source of societal preferences for urban river restoration. • Passive environmental information accessibility can motivate public participation and support for urban river restoration. • The function of active environmental information accessibility tends to be unsatisfactory. • Prompt and cooperative responses of governments to public environmental information requests should be enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous studies of breast cancer survival have not considered specific depots of adipose tissue such as subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT).Methods: This study assessed these relationships among 3,235 women with stage II and III breast cancer diagnosed between 2005 and 2013 at Kaiser Permanente Northern California and between 2000 and 2012 at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. SAT and VAT areas (in centimeters squared) were calculated from routine computed tomography scans within 6 (median: 1.2) months of diagnosis, covariates were collected from electronic health records, and vital status was assessed by death records. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using Cox regression.Results: SAT and VAT ranged from 19.0 to 891 cm2 and from 0.484 to 454 cm2 , respectively. SAT was related to increased risk of death (127-cm2 increase; HR [95% CI]: 1.13 [1.02-1.26]), but no relationship was found with VAT (78.18-cm2 increase; HR [95% CI]: 1.02 [0.91-1.14]). An association with VAT was noted among women with stage II cancer (stage II: HR: 1.17 [95% CI: 0.99-1.39]; stage III: HR: 0.90 [95% CI: 0.76-1.07]; P interaction < 0.01). Joint increases in SAT and VAT were associated with mortality above either alone (simultaneous 1-SD increase: HR 1.19 [95% CI: 1.05-1.34]).Conclusions: SAT may be an underappreciated risk factor for breast cancer-related death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A combined GIS-AHP approach was explored. • Visual and ecological sensitivities were integrated for multiple use planning of urban forest parks. • The visual sensitivity is objectively quantified based on slope, distance and visibility. • The ecological sensitivity is evaluated based on elevation, slope, aspect, forest type, and distance to river. • Three zones can be demarcated suitable for recreation development, ecologically-sound development, and nature conservation. Planning and management of forest parks have been contentious and challenging, as multiple and sometimes conflicting uses must be accommodated, especially in urban and peri-urban areas. Methodologies are thus needed to explore and evaluate development and conservation initiatives as a crucial part of sustainable planning and management process. In China, urban forest parks have been increasingly established aiming at satisfying the recreational demand of citizens in tandem with preserving diverse natural resources to safeguard the ecological resilience and adaptability of urban ecosystems. The transition from the traditional focus on recreational use (emphasizing the improvement of visitors' visual quality and landscape aesthetics) to multiple uses including ecological and biological preservation (highlighting the minimization of ecological vulnerability) poses an urgent challenge for the planning and management of urban forest parks worldwide. In this study, a geographic information system (GIS) combined with Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach is explored to objectively quantify and integrate the visual sensitivity and ecological sensitivity of the Tianzhu Mountain National Forest Park, Fujian province, South China. The visual sensitivity is evaluated based on three dimensions: slope, distance and visibility. And the ecological sensitivity is measured with regard to elevation, slope, aspect, forest type, and distance to river. By overlapping of the visual sensitivity and ecological sensitivity maps for the study site, three functional zones are pinpointed, including nature restoration/conservation zone (with high ecological sensitivity and low visual sensitivity or invisible), level 1 development zone (with high visual sensitivity and low/very low ecological sensitivity), as well as level 2 development zone (with moderate visual and ecological sensitivities). Compared with the existing long-term development plan, obvious discrepancies can be identified. Our results can provide scientific decision support for multiple use planning of the study site, and also demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed methodology, which is comprehensive yet convenient, for the sustainable planning of urban and peri-urban forest parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the relation of fruit and vegetable consumption, including specific fruits and vegetables, with incident breast cancer characterized by menopausal status, hormone receptor status and molecular subtypes. Fruit and vegetable consumption, cumulatively averaged across repeated, validated questionnaires, was examined in relation to risk of invasive breast cancer among 182,145 women initially aged 27–59 years in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS, 1980–2012) and NHSII (1991–2013). Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusted for known risk factors, was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and assessed tumors by hormone receptor status and molecular subtypes. We prospectively documented 10,911 invasive breast cancer cases. Greater intake of total fruits and vegetables, especially cruciferous and yellow/orange vegetables, was associated with significantly lower breast cancer risk (>5.5 vs. ≤2.5 servings/day HR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.83–0.96; ptrend = 0.006). Intake of total vegetables was especially associated with lower risk of estrogen receptor negative tumors (HR per 2 additional servings/day as a continuous variable = 0.84, 95%CI = 0.77–0.93; pheterogeneity = 0.02). Among molecular subtypes, higher intake of total fruits and vegetables (HR per 2 additional servings/day as a continuous variable) was most strongly associated with lower risk of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)‐enriched (HR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.67–0.93), basal‐like (HR = 0.84, 95%CI = 0.72–0.97) and luminal A (HR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.89–0.99), but not with luminal B tumors (pheterogeneity = 0.03). In conclusion, our findings support that higher intake of fruits and vegetables, and specifically cruciferous and yellow/orange vegetables, may reduce the risk of breast cancer, especially those that are more likely to be aggressive tumors. What's new? Fruits and vegetables are rich in potentially anti‐carcinogenic nutrients including fiber, vitamins C and E, carotenoids, and other bioactive substances. However, many studies found no association between fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of breast cancer. In this analysis based on two large prospective cohorts, the authors found that higher total fruit and vegetable consumption during adulthood was associated with a modest, statistically significant lower invasive breast cancer incidence, with the strongest associations for ER‐negative, HER2‐enriched and basal‐like tumors. Higher intake of fruits and vegetables, and specifically cruciferous and yellow/orange vegetables, may reduce the risk of breast cancer, especially aggressive tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Both quantity and quality of greenspaces contribute positively to life satisfaction. • Quality dimensions play stronger roles than quantity dimensions. • The nexus of greenness and life satisfaction varies amongst different social groups. • Urban greening is central for improving life satisfaction and narrowing inequalities. Although a burgeoning literature has focused on greenspace quantity and relevant contribution to life satisfaction, little effort has been devoted to greenspace quality and nuanced differences in shaping the nexus of urban greenness and life satisfaction across social groups. Taking Beijing as an example, this study attempts to (1) explore the effects of both the quantity (availability and accessibility) and the quality (attractiveness and natural aesthetics) of neighborhood greenspaces on residents' subjective life satisfaction, and (2) examine the heterogeneity in these effects across different social groups defined by household registration and housing status. Combining geo-coded, street-level residential greenness exposure data and city-scale social survey data in a multilevel ordered logit model, the results reveal that greenness quality play more pronounced roles, while both quantity and quality features could contribute positively to life satisfaction. When interacting quantity dimensions with quality ones, evident complementary roles of greenspace quality are detected. The impacts of four greenspace dimensions on life satisfaction are stronger for residents with Beijing hukou than those without. While availability becomes insignificant for residents in private-housing, and natural aesthetics is insignificant for those in social-housing. This study enriches our understanding of the nexus between multi-dimensions of urban greenspaces and life satisfaction, and complements existing research on green inequality to how unequal greenness in terms of quantity and quality affects individuals' life satisfaction across different social strata. Our findings offer useful insights for fleshing out urban greening as central to crafting livable cities that can improve population life satisfaction and narrow inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]