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Archives are not straightforward repositories of history. Instead, they authorize which stories are remembered. In this article we apply the insights of cultural geographers and other influential scholars of archives to analyze the political dimensions of archiving activist histories. A small group of antiprison activists produced a personal archive during the 1990s and 2000s documenting brutality behind bars and efforts to dismantle solitary confinement in California prisons. After being deemed too dangerous to be opened to the public by university archivists, and without a permanent home, the papers were at risk of being lost to history. By presenting our work building this archive, we analyze the limitations of institutional libraries and the vital role played by individuals and independent institutions willing to preserve dangerous papers, and we show how preserving histories of state violence and opposition can become a deeply personal and risky endeavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My Turn is software used to manage several Covid-19 mass vaccination campaigns in California. The objective of this article is to describe the use of My Turn at two points of dispensing in California and comment on process improvements to reduce manual tasks of six identified processes of vaccination–registration, scheduling, administration, documentation, follow-up, and digital vaccine record–and paper. We reviewed publicly available documents of My Turn and patients vaccinated at George R. Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco and Oakland Coliseum Community Vaccination Clinic. For publicly available documents of My Turn, we examined videos of My Turn on YouTube, and documentation from EZIZ, the website for the California Vaccines for Children Program. For patients, we examined publicly available vaccination record cards on Instagram and Google. At the George R. Moscone Convention Center, 329,608 vaccines doses were given. At the Oakland Coliseum Community Vaccination Clinic, more than 500,000 vaccine doses were administered. The use of My Turn can be used to reduce manual tasks and paper for mass vaccinating patients against Covid-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the field of Infant and Family Centered Developmental Care has advanced an integrated into intensive care policies and procedures. Topics include research has emerged to support a variety of practices to modify the caregiving environments for babies and families in intensive care; and Using evidence-based continuous quality improvement tools and implementation science helped participants outline how standards could be implemented in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

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Earthquake nowcasting has been proposed as a means of tracking the change in large earthquake potential in a seismically active area. The method was developed using observable seismic data, in which probabilities of future large earthquakes can be computed using Receiver Operating Characteristic methods. Furthermore, analysis of the Shannon information content of the earthquake catalogs has been used to show that there is information contained in the catalogs, and that it can vary in time. So an important question remains, where does the information originate? In this paper, we examine this question using stochastic simulations of earthquake catalogs. Our catalog simulations are computed using an Earthquake Rescaled Aftershock Seismicity ("ERAS") stochastic model. This model is similar in many ways to other stochastic seismicity simulations, but has the advantage that the model has only 2 free parameters to be set, one for the aftershock (Omori‐Utsu) time decay, and one for the aftershock spatial migration away from the epicenter. Generating a simulation catalog and fitting the two parameters to the observed catalog such as California takes only a few minutes of wall clock time. While clustering can arise from random, Poisson statistics, we show that significant information in the simulation catalogs arises from the "non‐Poisson" power‐law aftershock clustering, implying that the practice of de‐clustering observed catalogs may remove information that would otherwise be useful in forecasting and nowcasting. We also show that the nowcasting method provides similar results with the ERAS model as it does with observed seismicity. Plain Language Summary: Earthquake nowcasting was proposed as a means of tracking the change in the potential for large earthquakes in a seismically active area, using the record of small earthquakes. The method was developed using observed seismic data, in which probabilities of future large earthquakes can be computed using machine learning methods that were originally developed with the advent of radar in the 1940s. These methods are now being used in the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence models in a variety of applications. In recent times, methods to simulate earthquakes using the observed statistical laws of earthquake seismicity have been developed. One of the advantages of these stochastic models is that it can be used to analyze the various assumptions that are inherent in the analysis of seismic catalogs of earthquakes. In this paper, we analyze the importance of the space‐time clustering that is often observed in earthquake seismicity. We find that the clustering is the origin of information that makes the earthquake nowcasting methods possible. We also find that a common practice of "aftershock de‐clustering", often used in the analysis of these catalogs, removes information about future large earthquakes. Key Points: Earthquake nowcasting tracks the change in the potential for large earthquakes, using information contained in seismic catalogsWe analyze the information contained in the space‐time clustering that is observed in earthquake seismicityWe find that "aftershock de‐clustering" of catalogs removes information about future large earthquakes that the nowcasting method uses [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of the process of entanglement at the 25th International Philosophy of Nursing Conference (IPNC) at University of California at Irvine held on August 18, 2022. Representing collective work from the US, Canada, UK and Germany, our panel entitled 'What can critical posthuman philosophies do for nursing?' examined critical posthumanism and its operations and potential in nursing. Critical posthumanism offers an antifascist, feminist, material, affective, and ecologically entangled approach to nursing and healthcare. Rather than focusing on the arguments of each of the three distinct but interrelated panel presentation pieces, this paper instead focuses on process and performance (per/formance) and performativity as relational, connected and situated, with connections to nursing philosophy. Building upon critical feminist and new materialist philosophies, we describe intra‐activity and performativity as ways to dehierarchise knowledge making practices within traditional academic conference spaces. Creating critical cartographies of thinking and being are actions of possibility for building more just and equitable futures for nursing, nurses, and those they accompany—including all humans, nonhumans, and more than human matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A version of this paper was given as the Inaugural Steven Edwards Memorial Lecture at the 25th conference of the International Philosophy of Nursing Society 16th August 2022. Using the literary meaning of 'whither', that is 'to what place', this paper will explore the role of philosophy in nursing, past, present, and future. The paper will begin with some thoughts on the history of nursing philosophy, its development as a subject and the scholarly activities that have led to where it sits today. The establishment of the journal Nursing Philosophy, the Annual Nursing Philosophy Conference, the International Philosophy of Nursing Society (IPONS) and their influence on nursing both in the academy and in practice will be discussed. The concept of nursing philosophy as a discipline will be considered, and how this fits with nursing theory, and nursing knowledge. Philosophical questions central to understanding contemporary nursing in a globalised world will be explored and the use of analytical philosophy and philosophical method in addressing such questions. The paper will conclude by looking to the future; what the role of philosophy might be in shaping nursing as a discipline and in the preparation of future practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydraulic jacking is a serious threat to concrete spillway chutes, demonstrated by the catastrophic spillway chute failure at California's Oroville Dam in 2017. To improve the understanding of uplift pressure and joint flow developed at open, offset joints and enable design and evaluation of anchors, drain systems, and joint remediations that could help prevent such failures, laboratory tests were performed in a supercritical flume furnished with a model joint where the gap width to offset height ratio was varied over a 725∶1 range. The tests included measurement of boundary layer velocity profiles approaching the joint. Uplift pressures were normalized to the velocity head near the boundary, which is related to the depth-wise velocity profile exponents determined in the experiments and can be estimated for field applications from the chute friction factor. The normalized uplift varies with the joint aspect ratio and the flow depth to offset height ratio. The new relations reduce the uncertainty of modeled uplift pressures by a factor of 2.87 over previous methods. Example applications demonstrate practical upper limits for potential uplift pressure. Subsequent articles will address discharge into offset joints, the dissipation of uplift via drainage, and the effect of different methods for remediating existing offsets to reduce uplift. Practical Applications: Concrete spillway chutes develop cracks and must necessarily be constructed with joints, both of which are prone to displacement over time that may create offsets into the flow. Flow striking such offsets is brought suddenly to rest, similar to a pedestrian tripping on a sidewalk crack. The local stoppage of flow at the offset creates dangerously high pressures that can be injected into the foundation, leading to erosion beneath the slab and potential uplift failure, often called 'hydraulic jacking'. This mechanism has caused several notable failures including the Oroville Dam spillway in 2017. Protection against such failures is usually provided by a combination of the weight (thickness) of the slab itself, anchors that hold the slab down, and subsurface drains that reduce the buildup of pressure. This paper provides experimentally based equations for predicting uplift pressure to enable effective design of new spillways and evaluation of existing spillways. The new equations are significantly more accurate than previous methods because they account for the roughness of the chute surface and the reduced flow velocity near the boundary. Subsequent papers will address flow rate through joints, pressure dissipation by drainage, and methods for treating existing offsets to reduce potential uplift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how the Taiwanese-Chinese religious movement Yiguandao ("Way of Pervading Unity") creates a community of non-Chinese followers by utilizing Daoism-related beliefs and practices. Drawing on ethnographic data from fieldwork conducted in California in early 2018, published Yiguandao materials, and internet resources, the paper argues that Yiguandao activists specifically invest their messages in Daoist symbols, beliefs, and practices to reach out to non-Chinese sympathizers of "Asian philosophies" and eventually to establish a global and cross-cultural community of Dao followers. By discussing a case study from Los Angeles, the paper seeks to understand the patterns of Yiguandao activists' engagement with Daoism and how their efforts blend into establishing a global Daoist field. Finally, it thereby invites us to rethink the often haphazardly drawn boundaries—both by practitioners and scholars—between Daoism and other religious phenomena, including New Age, spirituality, and Chinese popular sects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inability of labor markets to function effectively to satisfy the needs of employers and workers suggests that there is a growing need for policy interventions to promote workplace cultures of learning and innovation. Past research suggests that publicly funded incumbent worker training programs are a promising antidote against market failures. With only a handful of studies published in the last two decades, however, this is one of the least-researched types of business support programs. This paper examines the impact of a state program in California that uses a pay-for-performance approach to reimburse employers that train their employees: the California Employment Training Panel (ETP). Based on a mixed-methods study of ETP, the authors found that, overall, ETP had positive and significant impacts on company sales and firm size. The study suggests the need to abandon ideological debates and engage in more evidence-based policy discussions about incumbent worker training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to realize the accurate and reliable prediction of the change trend of dissolved oxygen (DO) content in California perch aquaculture water, this paper proposes a second-order hybrid optimization support vector machine (SVR) model based on Differential Evolution (DE) and Gray Wolf Optimizer (GWO), shortened to DE-GWO-SVR, to predict the DO content with the characteristics of nonlinear and non-smooth water quality data. Experimentally, data for the water quality, including pH, water temperature, conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids, and DO, were collected. Pearson's correlation coefficient (PPMCC) was applied to explore the correlation between each water quality parameter and DO content. The optimal DE-GWO-SVR model was established and compared with models based on SVR, back-propagation neural network (BPNN), and their optimization models. The results show that the DE-GWO-SVR model proposed in this paper can effectively realize the nonlinear prediction and global optimization performance. Its R2, MSE, MAE and RMSE can be up to 0.94, 0.108, 0.2629, and 0.3293, respectively, which is better than those of other models. This research provides guidance for the efficient prediction of DO in perch aquaculture water bodies for increasing the aquaculture effectiveness and reducing the aquaculture risk, providing a new exploratory path for water quality monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. Baccalaureate nursing students often enter nursing programs with varying degrees of writing skills. The use of formative assessment can provide students and faculty with information to act upon during a course and improve learning. This study aimed to test the use of a program-level written communication rubric as a formative assessment to be able to provide targeted interventions for improvement as part of curricular evaluation. Methods. A written communication rubric (14 criteria with scores ranging from 1–4) was applied twice during the semester to assess the writing assignments of 33 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a nursing research course. A targeted intervention was designed and implemented based on deficient aggregate assessment results from the first student assignment. Results. Paired t-test analysis demonstrated a significant upward change in student performance in the second student assignment for all seven of the targeted competency scores (all p < 0.05). Conclusions. The use of a program-level rubric as a formative assessment paired with a targeted intervention improved the writing skills of nursing students during a single semester. By harnessing the tools of online learning management systems, faculty can quickly identify specific challenges for students in academic writing. There is potential for formative assessment to be used by faculty and students to direct the ongoing development of writing skills both during a course and throughout the program of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ingeniería de Construcción is the property of Revista Ingenieria de Construccion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper is a personal dialogue of maneuvering the landscape of scholarship in the United States as a nurse faculty. The principal thesis of this paper is that a discursive shift from margins to mainstream literature has occurred within nursing discourse during the past 20 years as the result of a growing body of work by nurse philosophers. I utilize my own work in nursing philosophy as an exemplar and provide a narrative situated in a feminist‐critical paradigm. This paper: (1) presents a historical background through a critical‐feminist lens of the discursive shift using my own work and lived experiences as exemplars; (2) examines a contemporary mainstream 'authoritative' text as an exemplar of this discursive shift and (3) proposes both potential positive intersections and threats in the future development of nursing philosophy resulting from this discursive shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prisons in the United States serve as a site and embodiment of gendered and racialized state violence. The US incarcerates more people than any other nation in both numbers and per capita rates. Individuals incarcerated in women's prisons are 10% of the total prison population, yet women's prisons remain understudied, and the violence that occurs in women's facilities is rampant, widespread, and operates in particular racialized and gendered ways. This paper centers the forced sterilizations that occurred in California state prisons over the last two decades. We consider how reproduction and the nuclear family have served as a primary site of racial capitalism and eugenic ideology. While eugenic policies were popularized and promoted across the US and globally in the 20th century, the violent ideas underlying eugenic ideology have been a constant presence throughout US history. The height of the eugenics era is marked by the forcible sterilization of institutionalized 'deviant' bodies. While discussions of eugenics often center these programs, the reach of eugenic policies extends far beyond surgical interventions. We utilize a reproductive justice lens to argue that the hierarchical, racialized social stratification necessary for the existence of prisons constructs and sustains the 'deviant' bodies and families that predicate eugenic logic, policies, and practices. In this conceptual paper, we draw from ongoing research to argue that prisons, as institutions and as a product of racial capitalism, perpetuate the ongoing violent legacy of eugenics and name abolition as a central component of the fight to end reproductive oppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Patients are being encouraged to complete forms electronically using patient portals rather than on paper, but willingness of older adults to make this transition is uncertain. METHODS: The authors analyzed data for 4105 Kaiser Permanente Northern California 2020 Member Health Survey respondents aged 65-85 years who answered a question about willingness to complete online forms and questionnaires using a patient portal. Data weighted to the Kaiser Permanente Northern California membership were used to estimate percentages of older adults willing to complete patient portal forms and questionnaires. Chi-square tests and log-Poisson regression models that included sociodemographic, internet use, and patient portal variables were used to identify factors predictive of willingness. RESULTS: Overall, 59.6% of older adults were willing to complete patient portal forms, 17.6% were not willing, and 22.8% were not sure. Adults aged 75-85 (49.5%) vs 65-74 years (64.8%) and Black (51.9%) and Latino (46.5%) vs White (62.8%) adults were less likely to indicate willingness. In addition to racial and ethnic differences and younger age, higher educational attainment, use of the internet alone (vs internet use with help or not at all), having an internet-enabled computer or tablet, and having sent at least 1 message through the patient portal increased likelihood of being willing. CONCLUSIONS: Health care teams should assess older adults' capabilities and comfort related to completion of patient portal-based forms and support those willing to make the digital transition. Paper forms and oral collection of information should remain available for those unable or unwilling to make this digital transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to measure the trade price impact of a recent regulatory disclosure intervention in municipal securities secondary markets, which required broker-dealers to disclose securities trading information on a near-real-time and continuing basis. Design/methodology/approach: The author analyzes trade price outcomes in the preintervention and postintervention regimes using a suite of time series estimations that give heteroskedasticity-robust standard errors (Prais–Winsten and Cochrain–Orcutt), accommodate higher-order lag structure in the error term (autoregressive integrated moving average) and account for volatility clustering in the time series (generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity). Findings: Results show that regulatory disclosure intervention significantly improved trade price efficiency in municipal securities secondary markets as daily trade price differential and volatility both declined market-wide after the disclosure intervention. Research limitations/implications: The sample consists of trades in State of California general obligation bonds; therefore, empirical findings may not be generalizable to other states, local governments and different types of bonds. Practical implications: The findings highlight voluntary information disclosure as a practical and effective mechanism in disclosure regulation of municipal securities secondary markets. Originality/value: Only a small body of work exists that examines information disclosure regulation in municipal securities secondary markets; therefore, this paper expands knowledge on the topic and should provide renewed impetus for regulatory efforts aimed at improving the efficiency of municipal capital markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency of wildfires increases yearly and poses a constant threat to the environment and human beings. Different factors, for example surrounding infrastructure to an area (e.g., campfire sites or power lines) contribute to the occurrence of wildfires. In this paper, we propose using a Spatio-Temporal Knowledge Graph (STKG) based on OpenStreetMap (OSM) data for modeling such infrastructure. Based on that knowledge graph, we use the RDF2vec approach to create embeddings for predicting wildfires, and we align different vector spaces generated at each temporal step by partial rotation. In an experimental study, we determine the effect of the surrounding infrastructure by comparing different data composition strategies, which involve a prediction based on tabular data, a combination of tabular data and embeddings, and solely embeddings. We show that the incorporation of the STKG increases the prediction quality of wildfires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While systems engineering (SE) has been a well‐established discipline focusing on interdisciplinary systems and engineering management of complex systems over their life cycles, SE is still widely unknown in the U.S. infrastructure industry. The U.S. has recently passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill (H.R. 3684), calling for investments in roads, bridges, rail, ports, airports, power, water, broadband, and other major projects. It is the intent of this paper to provide practical guidance to infrastructure owners and operators who are interested in reaping the benefits of applying SE to their transportation and infrastructure projects. This paper memorializes the lessons learned from over a of decade of real‐world, hands‐on experience of introducing and gradually increasing the application of systems engineering to building the civil infrastructure of the California High‐Speed Rail System (CHSRS), starting with the environmental impact review, preliminary engineering, final design, construction, inspection and testing, and finally the certification and planned handover of 119 miles of civil work and over 225 individual structures to the following track and systems contracts. As the first three CHSRS civil works construction packages (CP) are currently nearing completion, three new civil work and passenger station procurement contracts have recently been awarded, extending CHSRS to 171 miles and close to 300 structures, including four passenger stations, with additional track and systems, trainset, and train operator contracts planned in the near future. The extension of the CHSRS presented a timely opportunity to incorporate the SE lessons learned during the first three construction packages and update the systems engineering process requirements for the new CHSRS extension projects going forward. The SE requirements are presented in form of Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) requirements and have been prepared as tailored requirements for both civil infrastructure and track and systems contracts. This paper intends to share the lessons learned and present them as specific and actionable recommendations, providing practical guidance for the application of SE to transportation and/or infrastructure projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how banning the use of plastic carryout bags at grocery stores affects where and what people purchase to eat. Using quasi‐random variation in local bag ban adoption across California and two data sources (retail scanner data and consumer survey data), I show that banning plastic carryout bags shifted some food sales away from regulated grocery stores toward unregulated grocery stores and restaurants. Specifically, I find that bag bans cause a 1.8% decline in food‐at‐home sales and a 1.9 percentage point increase in consumers' food‐away‐from‐home expenditure share. The decline in food‐at‐home sales is larger in jurisdictions more likely to experience cross‐border shopping, whereas the increase in food‐away‐from‐home expenditures is larger farther from jurisdiction borders. Together these results suggest that a small share of consumers find a way to bypass the bag bans—either by cross‐border shopping if near a border or by shifting to restaurants if not near a border. Heterogeneity analyses reveal the policy effects are strongest for those with higher incomes, those under 65 years, and those with young children, suggesting both income effects and time constraints as mechanisms behind the behavioral change. By quantifying consumer avoidance behaviors, these results enable policymakers to more accurately measure the impacts of their regulations and to understand the potential trade‐offs between their environmental and public health objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2004, California became the first state to require that employers provide paid family leave (PFL) to their employees. This paper examines the effect of California's PFL law on time spent caregiving to parents and to grandchildren by older adults aged 50–79. To identify the effect of the law, the paper uses the 1998–2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study and a difference-in-differences approach comparing outcomes in California to other states before and after the implementation of the law. Results suggest that the law induced a switch in caregiving behavior with older adults spending less time caring for grandchildren and more time helping parents. Focusing on women, results further suggest that PFL affected older adults both through their own leave-taking and through reallocations of their caregiving time in response to leave-taking by new parents. The findings motivate thinking more broadly when calculating the costs and benefits of PFL policies; to the extent that California's PFL law enabled older adults to provide more care for their parents they otherwise would not have received, such an outcome represents an indirect benefit of the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Following the removal of lead from gasoline, paint and pipes were thought to be the main sources of lead exposure in the United States. However, consumer products, such as certain spices, ceramic and metal cookware, traditional health remedies, and cultural powders, are increasingly recognized as important sources of lead exposure across the United States. OBJECTIVE: This paper reviews data from four US jurisdictions that conduct in-home investigations for children with elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) to examine the prevalence of lead exposures associated with consumer products, in comparison with housing-related sources. METHODS: Authors reviewed investigation data (2010–2021) provided by California, Oregon, New York City, and King County, Washington, and compared the extent of lead exposures associated with housing-related vs. consumer products–related sources. DISCUSSION: The proportion of investigations identifying consumer products–related sources of lead exposure varied by jurisdiction (range: 15%– 38%). A review of US CDC and US FDA alerts and New York City data indicates that these types of lead-containing products are often sourced internationally, with many hand carried into the United States during travel. Based on surveillance data, we believe that US immigrant and refugee communities are at an increased risk for lead exposures associated with these products. To engage health authorities, there is a need for evidentiary data. We recommend implementing a national product surveillance database systematically tracking data on consumer products tested by childhood lead poisoning prevention programs. The data repository should be centralized and accessible to all global stakeholders, including researchers and governmental and nongovernmental agencies, who can use these data to inform investigations. Effectively identifying and addressing the availability of lead-containing consumer products at their source can focus resources on primary prevention, reducing lead exposures for users abroad and in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the performance of a multirotor uncrewed aircraft and AirCore system (UAAS) for measuring vertical profiles of wind velocity (speed and direction) and the mole fractions of methane (CH 4) and carbon dioxide (CO 2) , and it presents a use case that combines UAAS measurements and dispersion modeling to quantify CH 4 emissions from a dairy farm. To evaluate the atmospheric sensing performance of the UAAS, four field deployments were performed at three locations in the San Joaquin Valley of California where CH 4 hotspots were observed downwind of dairy farms. A comparison of the observations collected on board the UAAS and an 11 m meteorological tower show that the UAAS can measure wind velocity trends with a root mean squared error varying between 0.4 and 1.1 m s -1 when the wind magnitude is less than 3.5 m s -1. Findings from UAAS flight deployments and a calibration experiment also show that the UAAS can reliably resolve temporal variations in the mole fractions of CH 4 and CO 2 occurring over periods of 10 s or longer. Results from the UAAS and dispersion modeling use case further demonstrate that UAASs have great potential as low-cost tools for detecting and quantifying CH 4 emissions in near real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric rivers (ARs), responsible for extreme weather conditions, are mid-latitude systems that can cause significant damage to coastal areas. While forecasting ARs beyond two weeks remains a challenge, past research suggests potential benefits may come from properly accounting for the changes in sea surface temperature (SST) through air–sea interactions. In this paper, we investigate the impact of ARs on SST over the North Pacific by analyzing 25 years of ocean reanalysis data using an SST budget equation. We show that in the region of strong ocean modification, ocean dynamics can offset over 100% of the anomalous SST warming that would otherwise arise from atmospheric forcing. Among all ocean processes, ageostrophic advection and vertical mixing (diffusion and entrainment) are the most important factors in modifying the SST tendency response. The SST tendency response to ARs varies spatially. For example, in coastal California, the driver of enhanced SST warming is the reduction in ageostrophic advection due to anomalous southerly winds. Moreover, there is a large region where the SST shows a warming response to ARs due to the overall reduction in the total clouds and subsequent increase in total incoming shortwave radiation. Strong air-sea interactions during atmospheric rivers often lead to modest upper ocean heat changes. The authors show that interior ocean dynamics are compensating for these air-sea exchanges. These findings can help improve subseasonal forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For evaluating the resistance performance of cement-stabilized soils in cold regions, the variation of the strength of the cemented sand–gravel (CSG) mixture concerning the hydration process should be explored. This paper aims to study the effect of freeze–thaw (F–T) cycles on the strength and microstructure of a CSG mixture with 10% cement that is subjected to 12 cycles of freezing at a temperature of −23°C for 24 h and then melted at room temperature of 24°C for the next 24 h. The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), California bearing ratio (CBR), and weight volume loss of the samples were measured after individual F–T cycles. Furthermore, the change in the microstructure of the CSG mixture in various F–T cycles was explored. The results showed a considerable reduction in the UCS up to Cycle 3, then a slight increase for Cycles 3–6, and finally a gradual decrease for further cycles. However, the CBR and weight loss slightly fluctuated up to Cycle 6, and then gradually decreased for subsequent cycles. The majority of compounds of hydrated cement were damaged in the first three cycles. In the following cycles, between Cycles 3 and 6, the portlandite compound was dissolved and recrystallized within the microvoids. Depending on the environmental conditions, carbonation may be generated from the hydrated cement fraction, which fills the microvoids and improves the strength and structure of the mixture. During further cycles after the sixth cycle, the mechanical action of the ice lenses coupled with the disintegration of the hydrate compounds imposed many new microvoids and cracks with considerable length and width, which intensified the strength reduction of the moisture and weakened the adhesion between grains. Since cement is widely used in pavement and dam engineering for stabilizing soils, the durability of cemented soils is of prime concern. This study may help improve the durability and resistance of cemented soils in cold climates. The F–T action not only influences the macrostructure of cement-stabilized soils by imposing a wide crack and ice lens but also induces a considerable change in the complexes existing in the hydrated cement paste of the mixture. Three patterns govern the change of the mixture microstructure in various F–T cycles that correspond to the observed trend in strength. The mentioned trend for the microstructure change and, consequently, the strength variation of the CSG mixture are associated with many factors such as pH, cement content, CO2 content, moisture content within the mixture, and relative humidity within the environment. Accordingly, the pattern of microstructural changes in the CSG mixture after the middle F–T cycles may vary depending on environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pay-as-you-go contracts reduce minimum purchase requirements, which may increase market participation. This paper randomizes the introduction and price(s) of a novel pay-as-you-go contract to the California auto insurance market, where 17% of drivers are uninsured. The pay-as-you-go contract increases take-up by 10.8 p.p. (89%) and days with coverage by 4.6 days over the 3-month experiment (27%). Demand is relatively inelastic, and pay-as-you-go increases insurance coverage in part by relaxing liquidity requirements: most drivers' purchasing behavior is consistent with a cost of credit in excess of payday lending rates, and 19% of drivers have a purchase rejected for insufficient funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the shifting fortunes of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in California to better understand how asset owners are dealing with an increasingly-significant problem in changing energy landscapes: the devaluation of large fixed capital assets. In 2016, Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced a Joint Proposal to retire the Diablo Canyon plant by 2025, the result of a negotiated compromise with labor unions, environmental and community groups. Heralded by many commentators as a model for "just transitions" in the energy sector, this agreement has lately been called into question as new subsidies and political coalitions have emerged to support for the plant's continued operation. This paper investigates the political and economic conditions for the Joint Proposal as an example of "negotiated devaluation," aiming to understand why and how this strategy took shape, and what lessons it offers for other transition processes. Linking literatures on just transitions and devaluation in the energy sector, we show how negotiated devaluation may offer an emerging strategy for owners of energy assets to manage decline in a changing energy landscape. The case also demonstrates the political contingency of these coalitions and the transitions they subtend, and the limited dimensions of justice that might be affirmed in them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

California has large and diverse biomass resources and provides a pertinent example of how biomass use is changing and needs to change, in the face of climate mitigation policies. As in other areas of the world, California needs to optimize its use of biomass and waste to meet environmental and socioeconomic objectives. We used a systematic review to assess biomass use pathways in California and the associated impacts on climate and air quality. Biomass uses included the production of renewable fuels, electricity, biochar, compost, and other marketable products. For those biomass use pathways recently developed, information is available on the effects—usually beneficial—on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and there is some, but less, published information on the effects on criteria pollutants. Our review identifies 34 biomass use pathways with beneficial impacts on either GHG or pollutant emissions, or both—the "good." These included combustion of forest biomass for power and conversion of livestock‐associated biomass to biogas by anaerobic digestion. The review identified 13 biomass use pathways with adverse impacts on GHG emissions, criteria pollutant emissions, or both—the "bad." Wildfires are an example of one out of eight pathways which were found to be bad for both climate and air quality, while only two biomass use pathways reduced GHG emissions relative to an identified counterfactual but had adverse air quality impacts. Issues of high interest for the "future" included land management to reduce fire risk, future policies for the dairy industries, and full life‐cycle analysis of biomass production and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some areas of the California coast have physical conditions—such as local bathymetry, topography, shoreline orientation, and other factors—that increase the risk for damage from tsunami inundation compared with other regions. Technical tsunami hazard analyses can inform decision-makers on regional planning and policy decisions. In this paper, we focus on recent efforts in California to delineate various tsunami hazard zones along the coastline under the Seismic Hazard Mapping Act, wherein structural mitigation measures will be recommended. To define the zone wherein structural mitigation measures are recommended, we present a state-wide tsunami reliability analysis that combines existing probabilistic hazard information and structure fragility curves derived from recent events. We examine design-life chances of significant structural damage for various structure types along all developed coastlines throughout California and use this analysis to show how hazard and risk have different correlations throughout the State. Finally, we outline an approach for creating mitigation zones, which provides state-wide tsunami risk consistency for all structures in the tsunami inundation zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) has been recognized as a reasonable method for quantifying seismic threats. Traditionally, this method ignores the effect of the focal depth, in which the ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) are applied to estimate the probability distribution associated with the possible motion levels induced by the site earthquakes, but it is limited by the unclear geological conditions, which makes it difficult to provide a uniform equation, and these equations cannot express the non-linear relationship under geological conditions. Hence, this paper proposed a method to consider the seismic focal depth for the PSHA with the example of California and used a back propagation neural network (BPNN) to predict the peak ground acceleration (PGA) instead of the GMPEs. Firstly, the measured PGA and unknown PGA seismic data applicable to this method were collected separately. Secondly, the unknown PGA data were supplemented by applying the BPNN based on the measured PGA data. Lastly, based on the full-probability equation, PSHA considering the focal depth was completed and compared with the current California seismic zoning results. The results showed that using the BPNN in the PSHA can ensure computational accuracy and universality, making it more suitable for regions with unclear geological structures and providing the possibility of adding other parameters to be considered for the influence of the PSHA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By adjusting the content of geopolymer in geopolymer stabilized phosphogypsum (GSP) as roadbed filler, along with the mixing ratio, this paper mainly explores tendencies in the mechanical properties and water stability of GSP. This research is based on macro-mechanical properties such as unconfined compressive strength, resilience modulus, California bearing ratio and shear strength. It is also based on water stability tests, such as the water soaking test, dry and wet cycle test and expansion test, to explore changes in water stability. As for the durability of GSP, this paper is mainly based on the realization of a long time observation of mechanical properties and water stability. In the existing research, most of the stabilized phosphogypsum (PG) base material or roadbed filler consists of cement, lime, etc. In this paper, a new exploration is carried out on the composition of stabilized PG material, realized without the participation of cement. The 28 d compressive strength of GSP reaches 2.5 MPa, and over time this strength grows, which prevents the phenomenon of strength inversion that may occur in conventional cement-stabilized PG. In addition, a long-term soaking experiment was designed in this study based on the material after the strength was stabilized for up to 90 d. After the strength was steady, the GSP with the best water stability still had a softening coefficient of 80% after experiencing water immersion for 7 d. After determining the feasibility of the mechanical properties and water stability of GSP as roadbed filler, we further explored the strength formation mechanism of GSP by microscopic tests (XRD and SEM). This shows that geopolymer can stabilize PG in two main ways: one is the hydration reaction with PG to generate C-S-H gel and ettringite, and the other is to connect PG not involved in the chemical reaction to form a dense whole through generated hydration products. Geopolymer, stabilizing a high amount of PG, not only provides a new method for the consumption of PG, but also has more stable performance than cement, and has certain advantages in economy. In addition, the advantage of this study is that good performance can be achieved by simply sieving PG and adjusting the geopolymer ratio in practical engineering projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a public domain semiautomated data screening and quality assurance processing tool useful for both discrete and continuous data. This application serves both a field research project assessing salinity and methylmercury drainage load control options and the requirements of a public domain watershed-based water quality forecasting model used to provide decision support for short-term salinity management in the San Joaquin River Basin of California. The US Army Corps of Engineers HEC-DSSVue data management and visualization platform was enhanced in the former application with Python scripts that performed the basic data quality assurance functions. Analogous tools were developed for use on the HOSTGATOR cloud server using the same Python scripts and algorithms to migrate quality-controlled data directly to a server for use by the Watershed Analysis Risk Management Framework (WARMF) water quality forecasting model. The Python scripts for both applications are easily adaptable by other potential users who do not currently have the resources to implement an enterprise-level hydrological data management and real-time quality assurance software system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single chip seals are used by many agencies to maintain or preserve their roadways. While the construction and performance of single chip seals can be easily found from literature, the construction of double chip seals with and without paving fabric or paving mats is still not common. This paper investigates four double chip seal strategies used in a pilot project constructed on US 395 in Inyo County, California, by Caltrans. Within the double chip seal project limits, eight Performance Evaluation Sections (PESs) using four treatment strategies were established for detailed performance monitoring and evaluation: 1—a 3/8-inch asphalt rubber chip seal followed by a 1/4-inch PME chip seal without pavement-reinforcing fabric (PRF) or a paving mat as a control section; 2—a 3/8-inch PME chip seal over PRF, followed by a 1/4-inch PME chip seal; 3—a 3/8-inch PME chip seal over a paving mat, followed by a 1/4-inch PME chip seal; and 4—an asphalt rubber 3/8-inch chip seal over a paving mat, followed by a 1/4-inch PME chip seal. This pilot project was monitored during construction and evaluated 1 year later to help identify any construction issues and was used to improve the specifications and performance of Caltrans' chip seals. This paper presents the initial findings following construction, and the one-year performance of the pilot project and lessons learned. The findings presented were accomplished by using these four treatment strategies on a highway with a very adverse high desert climate type and high traffic volumes. Project reviews are also planned for up to seven years to determine the long-term project performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will explore community college (CC) arts programming and its interrelationship with social justice and social equity, arguing for the ethical imperative of the CC toward expanded arts opportunities for economic equality in this renaissance moment for the Arts and for CCs. The paper explores the history and development of the CC from normal school to open access gateway institution, positing these institutions as uniquely positioned to ensure equity and socioeconomic advancement. The paper discusses recent challenges and initiatives of such institutions and attests to the role CC arts programming plays in addressing today’s vast wealth gap and changing workforce demands. The paper offers suggestions for expanded CC arts programming to address three specific areas of need in a multitiered approach aimed at reframing the Arts as critical elements of an equitable twenty-first-century education, through (1) interdisciplinary arts partnerships, (2) arts study abroad, and most significantly, (3) development of an arts entrepreneurship/workforce development hub. Finally, the paper argues the need in this decisive moment for further exploration of the role the Arts and creativity will play in ensuring future prosperity for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coordinating management of groundwater, surface water, and irrigated crops is fundamental economically for many arid and semi-arid regions. This paper examines conjunctive water management for agriculture using hydro-economic optimization modeling. The analysis is integrated across two timescales: a two-stage stochastic decadal model for managing annual and perennial crops spanning dry and wet years and a far-horizon dynamic program embedding the decadal model into a longer groundwater policy setting. The modeling loosely represents California's San Joaquin Valley and has insights for many irrigated arid and semi-arid regions relying on groundwater with variable annual hydrology. Results show how conjunctive water management can stabilize crop decisions and improve agricultural profitability across different water years by pumping more in dry years and increasing recharging groundwater in wetter years. Using groundwater as a buffer for droughts allows growing more higher-value perennial crops, which maximizes profit even with water-scarce conditions. Nevertheless, ending overdraft in basins with declining groundwater for profit-maximizing farming reduces annual crops to maintain more profitable perennial crops through droughts. Results are affected by economic discount rates and future climates. Operating and opportunity costs from forgone annual crops can reduce aquifer recharge early in regulatory periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil bulk density (BD) is important for measuring changes in soil chemical, physical, and biological properties; however, the measurement is tedious to collect and requires specialized equipment. Database measurements for soil surface BD do not always correspond to present field conditions as field management can alter BD in time. Saturation percentage (SP) is a routine lab measurement. The objectives of this study are to (1) understand if a relationship between BD and SP can be developed and (2) build a model that predicts BD based on a routine low‐cost lab analysis. We collected 83 soil samples from different experimental sites around California's Central Valley. At each site, BD, SP, soil organic matter (OM), and soil total organic carbon were measured. A set of models were generated and compared based on their Akaike information criterion (AIC) and adjusted R2. The best two models are presented in this paper, and their accuracy and precision in estimating BD were further compared by calculating the root mean square error (RMSE) and the R2 of the predicted versus values measured in the field. We determined that a strong relationship between BD and SP exists (R2 = 0.70) and that a cubic model that includes SP and OM resulted in the best model to predict BD in California soils. Inclusion of additional data may further strengthen this model or make it applicable for other grower regions. Core Ideas: Database bulk density values may not correspond to field conditions as management can alter bulk density.Bulk density is hard to measure and requires specialized equipment, but is needed to quantify soil carbon changes.There is a significant correlation between soil bulk density, soil saturation paste, and soil organic matter.Three models to predict bulk density based on saturation paste and organic matter were developed and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: As climate change increases the frequency and severity of droughts in many regions, conservation during drought is becoming a major challenge for ecologists. Droughts are multidimensional climate events whose impacts may be moderated by changes in temperature, water availability or food availability, or some combination of these. Simultaneously, other stressors such as extensive anthropogenic landscape modification may synergize with drought. Useful observational models for guiding conservation decision‐making during drought require multidimensional, dynamic representations to disentangle possible drought impacts, and consequently, they will require large, highly resolved data sets. In this paper, we develop a two‐stage predictive framework for assessing how drought impacts vary with species, habitats and climate pathways. Location: Central Valley, California, USA. Methods: We used a two‐stage counterfactual analysis combining predictive linear mixed models and N‐mixture models to characterize the multidimensional impacts of drought on 66 bird species. We analysed counts from the eBird participatory science data set between 2010 and 2019 and produced species‐ and habitat‐specific estimates of the impact of drought on relative abundance. Results: We found that while fewer than a quarter (16/66) of species experienced abundance declines during drought, nearly half of all species (27/66) changed their habitat associations during drought. Among species that shifted their habitat associations, the use of natural habitats declined during drought while use of developed habitat and perennial agricultural habitat increased. Main Conclusions: Our findings suggest that birds take advantage of agricultural and developed land with artificial irrigation and heat‐buffering microhabitat structure, such as in orchards or parks, to buffer drought impacts. A working lands approach that promotes biodiversity and mitigates stressors across a human‐induced water gradient will be critical for conserving birds during drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper describes the protocols for a randomized controlled trial using a parallel-group trial design that includes an intervention designed to address social isolation and loneliness among people experiencing homelessness known as Miracle Friends and an intervention that combines Miracles Friends with an economic poverty-reduction intervention known as Miracle Money. Miracle Friends pairs an unhoused person with a volunteer "phone buddy." Miracle Money provides guaranteed basic income of $750 per month for 1 year to Miracle Friends participants. The study will examine whether either intervention reduces social isolation or homelessness compared to a waitlist control group. Methods: Unhoused individuals who expressed interest in the Miracle Friends program were randomized to either receive the intervention or be placed on a waitlist for Miracle Friends. Among those randomized to receive the Miracle Friends intervention, randomization also determined whether they would be offered Miracle Money. The possibility of receiving basic income was only disclosed to study participants if they were randomly selected and participated in the Miracle Friends program. All study participants, regardless of assignment, were surveyed every 3 months for 15 months. Results: Of 760 unhoused individuals enrolled in the study, 256 were randomized to receive Miracle Friends, 267 were randomized to receive Miracle Money, and 237 were randomized to the waitlist control group. In the two intervention groups, 360 of 523 unhoused individuals were initially matched to a phone buddy. Of the 191 study participants in the Miracle Money group who had been initially matched to a volunteer phone buddy, 103 were deemed to be participating in the program and began receiving monthly income. Discussion: This randomized controlled trial will determine whether innovative interventions involving volunteer phone support and basic income reduce social isolation and improve housing outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. Although we enrolled unhoused individuals who initially expressed interest in the Miracle Friends program, the study team could not reach approximately 30% of individuals referred to the study. This may reflect the general lack of stability in the lives of people who are unhoused or limitations in the appeal of such a program to some portion of the unhoused population. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05408884 (first submitted on May 26, 2022). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper compares and contrasts the implementation of pharmacist-led services for 3 different sexual and gender minority populations across California, Mississippi, and Florida. Summary Implementation of pharmacist-led services tailored to sexual and gender minorities may be a potential mechanism to address health disparities in these populations. Clinical pharmacists have the potential to provide care with cultural humility and improve health outcomes by optimizing medication regimens, reducing adverse drug events, enhancing medication acquisition, and improving medication adherence. Conclusion The services provided by clinical pharmacists varied across sites and included management of gender-affirming hormone therapy, HIV antiretroviral medication adherence programming, primary care and chronic disease state management, and involvement in care related to mental health, psychiatry, and substance use as well as sexual health. Various legislative and regulatory barriers and differences in scope of practice for pharmacists were also identified. This paper advocates for the expansion of pharmacy-led services and the adoption of a culturally humble approach to patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced defense against large herbivores has been suggested to be part of the "island syndrome" in plants. However, empirical evidence for this pattern is mixed. In this paper, we present two studies that compare putative physical and chemical defense traits from plants on the California Channel Islands and nearby mainland based on sampling of both field and common garden plants. In the first study, we focus on five pairs of woody shrubs from three island and three mainland locations and find evidence for increased leaf area, decreased marginal leaf spines, and decreased concentrations of cyanogenic glycosides in island plants. We observed similar increases in leaf area and decreases in defense traits when comparing island and mainland genotypes grown together in botanic gardens, suggesting that trait differences are not solely driven by abiotic differences between island and mainland sites. In the second study, we conducted a common garden experiment with a perennial herb—Stachys bullata (Lamiaceae)—collected from two island and four mainland locations. Compared to their mainland relatives, island genotypes show highly reduced glandular trichomes and a nearly 100-fold reduction in mono- and sesquiterpene compounds from leaf surfaces. Island genotypes also had significantly higher specific leaf area, somewhat lower rates of gas exchange, and greater aboveground biomass than mainland genotypes across two years of study, potentially reflecting a broader shift in growth habit. Together, our results provide evidence for reduced expression of putative defense traits in island plants, though these results may reflect adaptation to both biotic (i.e., the historical absence of large herbivores) and climatic conditions on islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vaccine hesitancy, delaying or refusing to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines, impedes the progress of achieving optimal HPV vaccine coverage. Little is known about the sources of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine hesitancy among racially/ethnically and geographically diverse communities. The purpose of this paper is to explore HPV vaccine hesitancy among rural, Slavic, and Latino communities that reside in counties with low HPV vaccine uptake rates. Methods: Key informant interviews and focus groups were conducted with rural, Slavic, and Latino communities that reside within counties in California that have low HPV vaccine up to date rates (16–25%). Qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Results: A total of seven focus groups and 14 key informant interviews were conducted with 39 individuals from seven California counties. Salient themes that contributed to HPV vaccine hesitancy included the following: social media and the anti-vaccination movement; a strong belief in acquiring immunity naturally; prior vaccine experiences; and vaccine timing concerns. Participants suggested the provision of culturally appropriate, in-language, in-person easy to understand HPV vaccine education to mitigate HPV vaccine hesitancy. Conclusions: Our findings can inform future interventions to increase HPV vaccine uptake among hesitant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the emergence of two well-defined peaks during the morning peak period in the traffic flow diurnal curve. It selects six California cities as research targets, and uses California employment and household travel survey data to explain how and why this phenomenon has risen during the pandemic. The final result explains that the double-humped phenomenon results from the change in the composition of commuters during the morning peak period after the outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in both the frequency and magnitude of natural disasters, coupled with recent advancements in artificial intelligence, has introduced prospects for investigating the potential of new technologies to facilitate disaster response processes. Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA), a labor-intensive procedure necessitating manual examination of residential structures to ascertain post-disaster damage severity, stands to significantly benefit from the integration of computer vision-based classification algorithms, promising efficiency gains and heightened accuracy. Our paper proposes a Vision Transformer (ViT)-based model for classifying damage severity, achieving an accuracy rate of 95%. Notably, our model, trained on a repository of over 18,000 ground-level images of homes with damage severity annotated by damage assessment professionals during the 2020–2022 California wildfires, represents a novel application of ViT technology within this domain. Furthermore, we have open sourced this dataset—the first of its kind and scale—to be used by the research community. Additionally, we have developed a publicly accessible web application prototype built on this classification algorithm, which we have demonstrated to disaster management practitioners and received feedback on. Hence, our contribution to the literature encompasses the provision of a novel imagery dataset, an applied framework from field professionals, and a damage severity classification model with high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morro manzanita Arctostaphyos morroensis (Ericaceae) is a long-lived, shrub endemic to San Luis Obispo County, southern California, USA. It was listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1994, with identified threats being residential and urban development, including lack of protection on private land and lack of management on public lands, competition with invasive non-native plants, and risks of extinction associated with small and isolated populations. Our goal in this paper is to summarize and supplement the current knowledge of Morro manzanita. We review the literature on the species' description, reproductive ecology, germination cues, short-term response to fire. and distribution. We conducted field surveys to report on long-term response to fire, resampling the previously studied prescribed burn site 25 yr post-fire. Finally, we summarize the current land management of sites that support Morro manzanita and threats faced by this species. We conclude with specific recommendations for management and future study towards supporting conservation of this species and its maritime chaparral community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic accidents are a nationwide public health concern, but autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to significantly reduce accident severity and frequency by eliminating their most common cause, human error. By analyzing the data published by California's Department of Motor Vehicles, researchers have identified the factors that influence AV crash severity, however, none do so through a literature review. This paper's aims are multi-faceted: to understand AVs' operation on public roadways by identifying and classifying the factors contributing to accident severity, to develop a list of strategies that address the public's safety concerns, and to acknowledge the ethics of unavoidable collisions. To fulfill these objectives, a comprehensive literature review was conducted based on a keyword search. Following a multi-step screening and exclusion process, detailed review was performed of 107 relevant publications, and the factors contributing to increased crash severity were classified into 14 categories. The literature revealed that AVs are not at fault in most accidents, although they have a higher propensity than conventional cars to be involved in rear-end collisions, and they are specifically designed to minimize the number of accidents, but may face unavoidable ones. For the benefit of policymakers and manufacturers, 11 strategies that address the moral dilemma of these accidents and 7 strategies that address concerns about AV safety to improve public perception were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In an effort to address persistent inequities in maternal and infant health, policymakers and advocates have pushed to expand access to doula care. Several states, including California, now cover doula services through Medicaid. As coverage expands, research on the impact of doula care will likely increase. To develop best practices for research, it is critical to engage community doulas, clients, and other key stakeholders. Description: Our overarching goal was to build capacity for future doula- and client-centered research on community doula care. First, we established a Steering Committee with members from seven relevant stakeholder groups: community doulas, former or potential doula clients, clinicians, payers, advocates, researchers, and public health professionals. Second, we conducted a needs assessment to identify and understand stakeholders' needs and values for research on community doula care. Findings from the needs assessment informed our third step, conducting a research prioritization to develop a shared research agenda related to community doula care with the Steering Committee. We adapted the Research Prioritization by Affected Communities protocol to guide this process, which resulted in a final list of 21 priority research questions. Lastly, we offered a training to increase capacity among community doulas to engage in research on community doula care. Assessment: Our findings provide direction for those interested in conducting research on doula care, as well as policymakers and funders. Conclusion: The findings of our stakeholder-engaged process provide a roadmap that will lead to equity-oriented research centering clients, doulas, and their communities. Significance: What is Already Known on this Subject?: Doula care is often cited as a cost-effective intervention to improve maternal and infant health and health care experiences. However, research that focuses on the community-based model of doula care is limited. What this Study Adds?: This paper describes a stakeholder-engaged process that identified important understudied research questions about community doula care. Researchers can further refine these questions to conduct partnered research with multiple stakeholder groups, including community doulas, former or potential doula clients, clinicians, payers, advocates, and public health professionals. Further, this paper outlines best practices for research on community doula care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In California, wildfires caused by electrical infrastructure have left the state's investor-owned power utilities with major and growing liabilities. But even in such an incendiary environment, the financial industry has demonstrated that it can profit from disaster. This paper uses the 2019-2020 bankruptcy of Pacific Gas & Electric to explain how. In it, I show how "risk" in California's electricity industry is legally constituted, mediated, and allocated. First, I explain how financial perceptions of wildfire risk in California's electricity industry are shaped by the state's legal and regulatory environment, and how the law is used to manage this risk. I then turn to PG&E's bankruptcy to show how litigation functions as a financial strategy. In court, risk is endogenous to legal-financial practice. I develop the concepts of "legal arbitrage" and "leverage" to explain how law mediates the relationship between risk and finance. I adapt the concept of legal arbitrage to show how financial assets (like those in a utility with unprecedented wildfire liabilities) can possess both legal and market value, which can and often do diverge in circumstances of distress. I use the term leverage to refer to a particular kind of legal-financial power which enables actors to transfer risk away from themselves and onto others. In working through these concepts, I argue that that mainstream perceptions of risk in the financial industry are inadequate, especially in an era of increasing climate insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive study of using xanthan gum (XG), sodium alginate (SA) and gelatin (G) to stabilise collapsible soil. Modified Proctor, one-dimensional collapse, unconsolidated-undrained triaxial and California bearing ratio (CBR) tests were conducted to estimate the engineering characteristics of the untreated and treated soil. Additionally, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were utilised to demonstrate the changes in the microstructure of the treated samples. It was found that biopolymers decreased the maximum dry density and increased the optimum water content. The results also indicated that a 4% content of XG, SA and G significantly reduced the collapse index by 96, 95 and 82%, respectively. Shear tests showed that biopolymers slightly reduced the internal friction angle and significantly increased the cohesion intercept, which led to shear strength improvement. The results also indicated that 4% XG-treated, 4% SA-treated and 4% G-treated samples exhibited higher shear strengths by 145, 106 and 73%, respectively, than the untreated samples under the same conditions. The findings also indicated that when the soil was mixed with a 4% concentration of XG, SA and G, the unsoaked CBR value increased by about 185, 157 and 141%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]