Search

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]

Mission statements have become increasingly important for the accreditation of business universities and colleges. Thus, understanding similarities and differences in the content of business school mission statements is especially timely. The mission statement is also the first component of the strategic management process. It provides the framework or context within which strategies are formulated. This descriptive/informative study aims to present a background that describes and explains institutional mission statements and removes the so-called uncertainty encompassing the foci while preserving exceptional quality--a necessary quality for a compelling mission statement. We question whether all California State University (CSU) and The State University of New York (SUNY) business colleges/schools have developed enduring and inspiring mission statements for their employees and students? While no specific rule regarding length exists, we examined the word count length of these two school system mission statements. Institutions must not make their mission statements too long or too short, or they will risk losing focus and missing essential elements to guide their organization. The mission statement must be long enough to achieve its purpose. Based on our findings, we recommend that all CSU and SUNY campuses embrace a more straightforward, easy-to-understand, hard-hitting, lasting, and inspirational mission statement for their business colleges/schools, one directly relevant to faculty, staff, students, and their families.

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).

Copyright of Applications in Plant Sciences is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

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 article offers information on the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will take place at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California on May 3-6.

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]

The weather-dependent uncertainty of wind and solar power generation presents a challenge to the balancing of power generation and demand in highly renewable electricity systems. Battery energy storage can provide flexibility to firm up the variability of renewables and to respond to the increased load demand under decarbonization scenarios. This paper explores how the battery energy storage capacity requirement for compressed-air energy storage (CAES) will grow as the load demand increases. Here we used an idealized lowest-cost optimization model to study the response of highly renewable electricity systems to the increasing load demand of California under deep decarbonization. Results show that providing bulk CAES to the zero-emission power system offers substantial benefits, but it cannot fully compensate for the 100% variability of highly renewable power systems. The capacity requirement of CAES increases by ≤33.3% with a 1.5 times increase in the load demand and by ≤50% with a two-times increase in the load demand. In this analysis, a zero-emission electricity system operating at current costs becomes more cost-effective when there is firm power generation. The least competitive nuclear option plays this role and reduces system costs by 16.4%, curtails the annual main node by 36.8%, and decreases the CAES capacity requirements by ≤80.7% in the case of a double-load demand. While CAES has potential in addressing renewable variability, its widespread deployment is constrained by geographical, societal, and economic factors. Therefore, if California is aiming for an energy system that is reliant on wind and solar power, then an additional dispatchable power source other than CAES or similar load flexibility is necessary. To fully harness the benefits of bulk CAES, the development and implementation of cost-effective approaches are crucial in significantly reducing system costs. [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]