Health-related economic benefits of universal access to piped water in Arctic communities: Estimates for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region of Alaska

Identifying sources of variation in added sugar intake for Alaska Native children using a hair biomarker

Sugars from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are an important risk factor for tooth decay. The study goal was to determine if there was variation in added sugar intake across communities and between and within households. In this cross-sectional study, intakes of total sugar, added sugar, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) were estimated for 282 Alaska Native children ages 0-10 years from 131 households in three Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta communities using biomarker equations based on hair carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios previously developed for the Yup'ik population. ANOVA was used to assess associations between each predictor (community and household) and outcome (estimated total sugars, added sugars, and SSB intake). Between- and within-household variation was estimated using a linear mixed-effects model with a random intercept for households with three or more children. There was no significant difference in mean estimated total sugar (p = 0.29), added sugar (p = 0.24), or SSB intake (p = 0.40) across communities. Significant variations were observed between and within households, with within-household variation amounting to 59% of the between-household variation. Added sugar intake in Alaska Native children from the three study communities is higher than the recommended maximum, and the variation is greater within households than between households.

Does Water Matter? The Impact of Water Vulnerability on Corporate Financial Performance

This study aims to understand the potential relationship between water vulnerability and corporate financial performance for listed companies in China. Studies have argued that water risk has begun to affect the sustainability of firms, but few studies have included water conditions in the research framework to examine whether and how water conditions have a direct impact on firms. In addition, studies on environment governance have emphasized the impact of government environmental regulation on firms. This study focuses on both regulation and government investments that have been previously neglected. Using a sample of Chinese listed companies from 2016 to 2020, this paper uses pooled cross-sectional regressions with year and industry fixed effects to examine the effects of water vulnerability on corporate financial performance and analyze the mechanism of government water governance (which can be divided into water regulation and water investment) on the relationship between water vulnerability and corporate financial performance. This study finds that water vulnerability could negatively impact corporate financial performance, and water regulation can intensify but water investment couldn't significantly relieve the negative impact. The relationships above differ between SOEs and non-SOEs and water-intensive and non-water-intensive industries.