SUNY Plattsburgh

<h3>Abstract</h3> Nature-based methods for shoreline erosion control, often referred to as living shorelines, can help maximize local ecosystem services in urban areas where they may otherwise be lost. Living shorelines that incorporate salt marshes and oyster reefs have been shown to improve water quality by removing excess nutrients and protecting coasts from storm surges, but adaptive and continual management is essential. Positive and negative species interactions may influence the success of these shoreline projects. Here we synthesize the results of a multi-year study of the Sherman Creek Living Shoreline in New York City, NY. We conducted studies of shoreline habitat types pre- (2019) and post-restoration (2020), following a mussel-addition experiment (2021), and following the implementation of enhanced goose-exclusion techniques (2023). In each year, we collected sediment cores from shoreline habitat types (mudflat, rip-rap, existing marsh, new marsh) and performed continuous-flow incubations to quantify dissolved gas and nutrient fluxes, with the goal of comparing rates of nitrogen removal among habitat types. We also assessed above-and below-ground biomass and sediment characteristics of each habitat. Though sediment organic content in the existing marsh was more than double that of any other habitat type, we found similar rates of nitrogen removal via denitrification in the existing and newly restored marsh. Adding mussels to the marsh plants increased rates of nitrogen removal by 50%. Post goose-exclusion, we saw plant growth like that of the existing marsh, showing that managing species interactions can have a positive effect on the benefits provided by living shorelines.

Humanitarian practitioners, such as crisis clinicians, emergency medical personnel, disaster response and aid workers, and social workers, face extraordinary stressors in their work, including exposure to trauma, long hours, limited resources, and unsafe conditions. The humanitarian workforce is at a critical juncture with high attrition and practitioners experiencing considerable mental distress from trauma exposure. Given this context, we discuss the prevalence and outcomes of mental health challenges for humanitarian practitioners in the field as well as protective factors. We then introduce our Tenacity During Turmoil (TDT) conceptual model regarding trauma in the workforce. Through this model, we hypothesize that tenacity is the essential determinant of occupational and mental wellbeing for humanitarian practitioners. We conclude with recommendations for addressing the imperative for organizations to examine their role in fostering the development and enhancement of tenacity among their employees.

Objective:This study aims to evaluate the applicability and limitations of the equal energy hypothesis (EEH) in assessing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and investigate the role of the kurtosis parameter (reflecting noise temporal structure) in assessing NIHL, providing a basis for refining EEH theory.Materials and Methods:A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to summarize studies related to EEH, systematically collecting its development, validation, and revision suggestions. The weighted mean difference (WMD) and odds ratio (OR) of hearing loss caused by different types of noise were used to evaluate the role of noise kurtosis in the evaluation of NIHL.Results:A total of 57 articles were included, containing experimental and cross-sectional studies. Evidence showed significant limitations in the EEH when assessing non-steady noise, leading to an underestimation of NIHL under equal energy conditions. Animal experiments verified a critical level for assessing NIHL when using the EEH, with ranges of 90–135 dB in chinchillas and 108–120 dB in guinea pigs. EEH could be revised in the frequency domain (spectrum) and time domain (e.g., kurtosis). Meta-analysis showed that in animal experiments, WMD for permanent threshold shifts (PTSs) at 2, 4, and 8 kHz (PTS at 2, 4, and 8 kHz) was 3.30 dB (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 2.22–4.37); in population surveys, OR for high-frequency NIHL was 1.78 (95% CI: 1.36–2.32). Logistic regression analysis confirmed kurtosis as a risk factor for NIHL (P < 0.001). Kurtosis adjustment for cumulative noise exposure and equivalent sound level adequately improved the accuracy of hearing loss estimation.Conclusion:The EEH’s limitations in assessing NIHL caused by non-steady noise can be remedied by adjusting noise energy metrics using kurtosis. Our findings suggest that EEH could be revised as an “equal energy and equal kurtosis hypothesis.”

ABSTRACT Research Question/Issue This study aims to examine the impact of independent directors' industry‐specific CEO experience on environmental innovation and subsequent firm performance and value in US firms. Research Findings/Insights Drawing key insights from the management, corporate governance, and innovation literature, this study provides new empirical evidence that independent directors with CEO experience in industries similar to the appointing firm tend to promote value‐enhancing environmental innovation strategies. Our findings reveal that while the presence of industry‐specific CEO directors on the board may reduce environmental innovation, this reduction aligns with industry norms and contributes to improved firm performance and value. Furthermore, this effect is more pronounced in states with weak environmental regulation, where environmental initiatives are discretionary rather than mandatory. Finally, we ruled out alternative explanations for our results, which remained robust across various specifications and tests. Theoretical/Academic Implications We provide robust evidence that independent directors' industry‐specific CEO experience affects environmental innovation at the firm level, thus adding and further expanding the literature on the corporate outcomes of the board of directors' human capital. Second, we provide evidence on the impact of environmental innovation initiated by firms with industry‐aligned CEO expertise on their boards on firm value and performance. Third, our study answers the current call for research on any neglected individual‐level factors that could possibly shape a firm's focus towards environmental innovation. Fourth, our sample period is long enough to capture potential changes in external conditions that may have influenced firm behavior and outcomes. Thus, we go beyond prior studies and control for several factors likely to affect a firm's environmental innovation. Practitioner/Policy Implications We demonstrate that independent directors with industry‐specific CEO experience contribute to firm profitability and value by guiding firms towards industry‐consistent, higher value‐added, and performance‐enhancing green innovation levels. These results have important implications for corporate decision‐making in firm environmental innovation and beyond.

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This paper explores the factors that are likely to motivate members of the future workforce, namely high school students from the United States who are actively considering their career goals. We surveyed 382 high school students participating in a career readiness program to assess their connection to nature (CTN), environmental stewardship, and environmental career aspirations. We analyzed this survey data to 1) test prevailing theories about the connection between CTN and career aspirations, and 2) explore differences along gender identity. Women and gender diverse (WGD) individuals in our sample experience higher CTN and stewardship values when compared to their male peers, but the same levels of career aspiration. Further, our results demonstrate that, while CTN and environmental stewardship did indeed impact our respondents’ aspirations towards an environmental career, gender also had a significant effect. We discuss the potential reasons for our findings, including exploring known barriers in career aspirations among WGD folks, such as early gender stereotypes and explicit discrimination. We then explore the potential of environmental education as a mediator for these troubling trends. We encourage future scholarship to build on our work and contribute towards the creation of a more equitable and impactful environmental workforce.

This study interrogates whether mental toughness (MT) and self-compassion (SC)-historically framed as oppositional constructs-can coexist synergistically among NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA collegiate athletes, with mindfulness as a hypothesized mediator. A cross-sectional survey of 396 participants (mean age: 19.8 yrs ± 1.9 SD; females: 51%), revealed a robust MT-SC correlation (r = 0.46), which attenuated to 0.31 when mindfulness was modeled, signaling its role as a partial mediator. Hierarchical regression controlling for sex showed that MT and sex together explained 22% of the SC variance (ΔR2 = 0.22, p < 0.001). Adding mindfulness increased the total explained variance to 39% (ΔR2 = 0.17, p < 0.001). Females scored slightly lower on SC (β = -0.14, SE = 0.05, p = 0.008). Sobel testing confirmed significant partial mediation (Z = 7.22, p < 0.001), with mindfulness explaining 33% of MT's total effect on SC. Mindfulness-based interventions that exploit athletes' intrinsic attentional resources can simultaneously enhance mental toughness and self-compassion. By reconciling performance-oriented rigor with resilient self-regard, such strategies hold promise for athletes operating at diverse competitive levels.