Programs and Communities

An increase in population and need to protect the planet has created many initiatives and research goals in developing alternatives methods of fueling. Federal and state policies have provided a push for industries to find ways to of reducing their impact on the environment while maintaining competitiveness. In the sector of alternative fuels, large policies such as the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) in the United States are making goals to reduce vehicular fuel from coal and oil, and focus on alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Along with the RFS and other federal policies, states are introducing independent initiatives to promote the use of alternative fuels.

Research has shown that other crops besides corn can feasibly be used to produce ethanol for fuel use. One of the major crops of interest currently is switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.) because of its ability to grow under a variety of weather conditions and soil types. Switchgrass does not require as much maintenance as corn and is a perennial grass that can have high yielding fields for up to 9 years.

This report focuses on the impacts from using switchgrass-derived ethanol to meet the state of Arizona’s policy to have government fleet vehicles operating on alternative fuels. The study uses a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to evaluate 22 million gallons of ethanol produced in Arizona and stored at fueling stations for use. Impacts in land use, global warming, and water quality are evaluated using software tools and databases in Ecoinvent and Simapro.

The results of the study indicate that the cultivation and harvest phase of the process will contribute the most to negative environmental impacts. According to the study, application of heavy nutrient fertilizer and the machinery needed for the additional agriculture have the potential to contribute over 36 million moles of hydrogen and 89 million CTU eq. to the air, soil, and water.

This project is creating a non-profit green building organization called AZ Build Green Coalition. There is currently no statewide neutral organization for knowledge sharing about various green building initiatives throughout Arizona. Multiple municipalities in the state are now interested in and starting to execute green building initiatives through varied processes. Yet, each municipality is remaking the wheel and select green building champions in each city usually lead these efforts without a lot of funding or capacity. A central source for knowledge sharing and education would be instrumental in facilitating faster and more efficient movements with green building initiatives and codes. For example, the city of Scottsdale is in the process of being the first municipality in the nation to adopt the newest version of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC). This project has been involved in and aided in that initiative. The city of Tempe has initiated three IgCC 2018 pilot projects. Other municipalities in the state are interested in the IgCC and several have previously adopted it on a voluntary basis. Sharing resources and code approval barriers through a central forum would be beneficial for faster progress and also navigating the political barriers more effectively. The non-profit aims to assist with this collaboration and future high performance building initiatives through tools such as: public presentations, a central sharable document repository, an online presence, and other collaborative tools.

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the utilization of a smartphone application for diabetes self-management education (DSME) into a family practice office. Cochrane review of technological options for DSME identified the smartphone as the most effective option. All patients with diabetes presenting in a family practice office for appointments with the clinical pharmacist or the physician were asked if they would participate in the project if they met the inclusion criteria including the diagnosis of diabetes, owning a smart-phone, and over 18 years old. Exclusion criteria were pregnancy, end-stage kidney disease, or use of an insulin pump.

The goal was to enroll at least 10 patients and have them utilize the smartphone application Care4life for education and blood glucose tracking. HbA1c, heart rate, blood pressure, weight, and body mass index were collected at the initiation of the trial in addition to a demographic survey. A survey was obtained at the end of the trial. Ten patients were enrolled in the project; 50% women. One patient discontinued participation after enrollment. Six patients returned their surveys.

The feedback was primarily positive with individuals liking the text messaging reminders and ability to track their matrix (blood pressure, blood glucose, weight, medication adherence, exercise). Continued utilization of the smartphone application within the practice is likely for those patients who enjoy the technology as a reminder. Further opportunities for implementation would be in a hospital setting where patients face a delay post discharge for an appointment with a diabetes educator. Additionally, due to the complexity of the disease this application could be used to educate caregivers.

Randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews of paired education involving both diet and activity recommendations have shown significant reductions in the advancement of adult (age 18 to 80) prediabetes to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Paired education on diet and activity has been effective for persons from diverse races, ethnicities, and levels of education. For this project, the paired education focused on the dietary guidance of the Whole 30 plan and the current exercise/activity recommendations of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The ADA recommends 30 min 5 x week or 60 min 3 x week of exercise, with no more than 48 hours between exercise occurrences.

Ten adults with HbA1C between 5.7%-6.4%, levels specified by the ADA as prediabetes, were invited to participate in the project at an outpatient wellness practice. Participants took a pretest on basic food and activity knowledge, received educational sessions on the Whole 30™ plan and activity recommendations from the ADA, then completed a posttest. Participants were scheduled for one month follow ups. At the 3 month follow up appointment, repeat HbA1C was drawn. Most of the patients (7/10) completed return appointments at the 3-month time frame. Statistically significant results were seen in diet and exercise knowledge using a paired T-test. Clinically significant reductions were seen in HbA1C averages as well as weight, BMI, and glucose levels.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected employment and food security globally and in the United States. To understand the impacts of COVID-19 on food security in Arizona, a representative survey of Arizona households was launched online from July 1 to August 10, 2020. This brief provides an overview of changes in food security rate, perceived worries and challenges about food security, as well as behavioral changes and strategies adopted since the pandemic. Additional briefs from the Arizona survey covering topics on economic consequences, food access, and participations in food assistance programs during the pandemic are also available.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to disruptions in the food supply and high rates of unemployment and under-employment, both in Arizona and nationally. These emergencies required food assistance programs to adapt quickly and in unprecedented ways by relaxing eligibility criteria, improvising on delivery modalities, and increasing benefits. To examine food assistance program participation during the pandemic, we collected data from a representative sample of 620 Arizona households. The sample was drawn from across Arizona in July-August 2020 using an online survey. This brief provides the summary for participation in key food assistance programs, namely, the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC), School Food Programs, and the emergency food assistance provided through food pantries.