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This paper explores the topographical and socio-cultural developments during the Golden Age in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, three Beat Generation epicenters, which determined the deconstruction of traditional norms. Modifications at both city and society levels were represented by the emergence of countercultures, such as the Beat. The visibility received by urban problems, due to the increase in social demonstrations and activism, fostered the formation of a unified front that demanded equality and encouraged social and political movements, such as the Civil Rights and the Second Wave Feminism. The socio-political challenges which the American society was confronted with from the 1950s to the 1970s in these three cities, also reveal a few problems regarding the status of the Beats as well as of minorities in metropolises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scarcity of strong ground motion records presents a challenge for making reliable performance assessments of tall buildings whose seismic design is controlled by large‐magnitude and close‐distance earthquakes. This challenge can be addressed using broadband ground‐motion simulation methods to generate records with site‐specific characteristics of large‐magnitude events. In this paper, simulated site‐specific earthquake seismograms, developed through a related project that was organized through the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Ground Motion Simulation Validation (GMSV) Technical Activity Group, are used for nonlinear response history analyses of two archetype tall buildings for sites in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino. The SCEC GMSV team created the seismograms using the Broadband Platform (BBP) simulations for five site‐specific earthquake scenarios. The two buildings are evaluated using nonlinear dynamic analyses under comparable record suites selected from the simulated BBP catalog and recorded motions from the NGA‐West database. The collapse risks and structural response demands (maximum story drift ratio, peak floor acceleration, and maximum story shear) under the BBP and NGA suites are compared. In general, this study finds that use of the BBP simulations resolves concerns about estimation biases in structural response analysis which are caused by ground motion scaling, unrealistic spectral shapes, and overconservative spectral variations. While there are remaining concerns that strong coherence in some kinematic fault rupture models may lead to an overestimation of velocity pulse effects in the BBP simulations, the simulations are shown to generally yield realistic pulse‐like features of near‐fault ground motion records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timely transportation of goods to customers is an essential component of economic activities. However, heavy-duty diesel trucks used for goods delivery significantly contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within many large metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. To reduce GHG emissions by facilitating freight electrification, this paper proposes Joint Routing and Charging (JRC) scheduling for electric trucks. The objective of the associated optimization problem is to minimize the cost of transportation, charging, and tardiness. A large number of possible combinations of road segments as well as a large number of combinations of charging decisions and charging durations leads to a combinatorial explosion in the possible decisions electric trucks can make. The resulting mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem is thus extremely challenging because of the combinatorial complexity even in the deterministic case. Therefore, a Surrogate Level-Based Lagrangian Relaxation (SLBLR) method is employed to decompose the overall problem into significantly less complex truck subproblems. In the coordination aspect, each truck subproblem is solved independently of other subproblems based on the values of Lagrangian multipliers. In addition to serving as a means of guiding and coordinating trucks, multipliers can also serve as a basis for transparent and explanatory decision-making by trucks. Testing results demonstrate that even small instances cannot be solved using the off-the-shelf solver CPLEX after several days of solving. The SLBLR method, on the other hand, can obtain near-optimal solutions within a few minutes for small cases, and within 30 min for large ones. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that as battery capacity increases, the total cost decreases significantly; moreover, as the charging power increases, the number of trucks required decreases as well. • Present a formulation of a joint heavy-duty vehicle fleet routing & charging problem. • Use surrogate level-based Lagrangian relaxation approach to solve the problem. • The proposed method obtains near-optimal solutions for realistic testing cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the relationship between film and cities, focusing on how cities have influenced cinema and how cinema has shaped our understanding of urban spaces. It reviews four books that examine different aspects of this relationship, including censorship debates in early twentieth-century urban America, Black filmmaking in Los Angeles, location shooting in San Francisco, and the global circulation of urban imagery in film. The books highlight the intersections of regulation, race, and capital in the construction of cinematic representations of cities. The article provides a detailed analysis of each book's contributions to the field of film and urban history. It also discusses the representation of cities in Hollywood films, contrasting the depictions of San Francisco and Los Angeles in films from the late 1960s and early 1970s. The emergence of the L.A. Rebellion filmmakers, a group of Black independent filmmakers who focused on South Central Los Angeles, is also explored. The article mentions the book "Noir Urbanisms," which offers a global perspective on cinematic urban history by examining the portrayal of cities in film noir. Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of considering the political and economic factors that shape the representation of cities in film. [Extracted from the article]

Critics often mourn a loss of publicness in cities due to the increased presence of antiterror security zones and related behavioral and access controls, although recent work suggests that security landscapes have shifted from the hard, intense, militarized architecture of the late 1990s-early 2000s to a softer, less obtrusive approach more commonly seen today. Nonetheless, these studies are mostly anecdotal in nature: few studies attempt to back these claims with empirical evidence and even fewer connect this physical security imposition with the policies and plans governing its implementation and operation. In this paper I describe results of site visits to Civic Centers and Financial Districts in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In each neighborhood I catalog security landscapes using a simple tool to assess the intensity, duration, and location of individual security zones. I find that the security landscape covers between 3.4% and 35.7% of publicly accessible space in the districts studied, and that this landscape is most prevalent and intense in New York City. I also find that security zones governed by multistakeholder networks are more intense and militarized than zones managed by a single entity. By understanding how the policies impact physical security, albeit in a relatively small sample of cities and districts, we can better predict what the future of urban security measures might hold. This paper provides empirical grounding to more common theoretical speculations regarding the future of the urban security landscape in the global West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate competing explanations for why Medicare Fee for Service (FFS) and private sector payments lead to hospital cost variations in Californian counties. Data sources: Ratios of private to Medicare hospital costs were obtained from state-based all-payer claims databases. Demographics were estimated from the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Health Interview Survey. Medicaid and Medicare spending was obtained from Kaiser Family Foundation. Medicare Advantage enrollment was obtained from the California Department of Health Care Services and market consolidation was estimated using the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI). Study design: Per capita costs, demographics, Medicaid and Medicare spending, Medicare Advantage enrollment, and HHI scores were compared for San Francisco (SF), Sacramento, Los Angeles (LA), and San Diego (SD). Principal findings: LA hospitals had the lowest per capita private insurer costs, but the highest Medicare FFS costs. The findings might be explained by a lower HHI for LA, indicating a more competitive market, than SD, SF, and Sacramento. Conclusions: Medicare FFS hospital costs do not provide an accurate representation of health care spending in Californian counties. In more competitive markets, private insurance companies can negotiate lower prices, while oversupply may allow facilities to increase volume in Medicare FFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: While inadequate nutrition can weaken the immune system and lead to negative health sequelae for vulnerable populations, little is known about nutritional intake among people who inject drugs (PWID). We aimed to quantify nutritional intake among PWID and to explore associations between protein intake and drug use. Methods: A cross‐sectional design was used to analyze self‐reported participant data. PWID were recruited from community settings in California in 2016/2017. Participants reported on food consumption per day for a 30‐day period, from which a continuous protein intake variable was created. Results: Modal characteristics of participants (N = 937) were: white (42.5%), male (75.3%), healthy body mass index (BMI) (56.6%), and unhoused (82.9%). Less than 1% of participants met or exceeded recommended guidelines for protein intake (0.80 g/day/1 kg body weight). The final multiple regression model found protein intake to be significantly positively associated with older age, high school or greater education, frequency of opiate and marijuana use, while Latinx ethnicity was inversely associated with protein intake, adjusting for gender. Discussion and Conclusions: Our study shows PWID are generally not underweight, yet they are grossly protein deficient, which can be harder to recognize. Poverty, homelessness, and other structural barriers likely contribute to this issue, which demonstrates the need for communities to provide more access to nutrient‐rich food to PWID. Scientific Significance: Our study demonstrates the novel findings that opiate and marijuana use frequency, but not stimulants (methamphetamine and cocaine) may increase preference for protein‐rich foods among PWID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Volume! is the property of Editions Melanie Seteun 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.)

Abstract: This paper presents a detailed empirical description of airport connectivities in four major multiple airport cities (London, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco). Our analysis draws on data derived from a previously largely untapped information source, i.e. the so-called ‘Marketing Information Data Transfer’ (MIDT). This dataset contains information on actually flown transnational routes, which allows for a thorough assessment of the chief connectivity characteristics of specific airports. Combined with information derived from a number of other sources, our results point to functional divisions among airports, both in terms of their geographical scale (e.g. national, regional, and international airports) and their specific role in the airline network (e.g. origin/destination versus hub airports). The implications of the results are discussed, and some avenues for future research are considered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Transportation impact analyses begin with a trip generation estimation process—estimating motorized vehicle and person trip counts coming and going from the proposed site. Data commonly used is often insensitive to urban contexts (such as employment densities) and socioeconomic conditions. This insensitivity results in sometimes exaggerated estimates, an increase associated transportation impact fees, and a need for additional mitigation of impacts which may further hinder land development. In this study, we collected and analyzed person and motorized vehicle count data from 26 affordable housing developments in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Counts were regressed upon site and built environment characteristics known to influence site-level travel behavior (e.g., parking supply, employment density), and regressions were validated using externally collected data. The findings indicate the average square footage of dwelling units, parking ratios, and nearby retail employment densities to be important predictors. The findings also indicate that increasing the parking supply from one space to two for each dwelling unit will result in a significant predicted increase of approximately 0.26 and 0.18 motorized vehicle trips per dwelling unit for AM and PM peak periods, respectively. These findings reiterate the need for trip generation methodologies sensitive to the built environment and sociodemographics. • This paper describes the transportation impacts at 26 subsidized housing developments in San Francisco and Los Angeles. • Four models were developed estimating motorized vehicle and person trip counts for the AM and PM peak hour periods. • Motorized vehicle models were validated using externally collected data from Los Angeles. • Total dwelling units and on-site parking ratios were significant and positive predictors of vehicle trip generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a comparative historical analysis of Chinese American elites, specifically herbalists and missionaries, in the California cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles who were exempt from the U.S. Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred entry into the U.S. to certain racial groups. The authors attempt to demonstrate how a small segment of the Chinese American population in the two cities was able to enjoy inclusion during an era of discrimination. The authors argue that herbalists and missionaries were able to work within varying race, class, and gender groups. The article also analyzes the social structure of the Chinatown sections of San Francisco and Los Angeles.

State and local governments frequently look to flagship cultural projects to improve the city image and catalyze tourism but, in the process, often overlook their potential to foster local arts development. To better understand this role, the article examines if and how cultural institutions in Los Angeles and San Francisco attract and support arts-related activity. The analysis reveals that cultural flagships have mixed success in generating arts-based development and that their ability may be improved through attention to the local context, facility and institutional characteristics, and the approach of the sponsoring agencies. Such knowledge is useful for planners to enhance their revitalization efforts, particularly as the economic development potential of arts organizations and artists has become more apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the labor force participation of Chinese immigrant wives in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. Majority of Chinese immigrant wives work in the garment sector. Competition from other immigrant groups is the most important factor that affects Chinese subcontracting. As compared with San Francisco, Chinese subcontracting in Los Angeles has been less extensive. Structural variations in the economies of the two cities influence the viability of the Chinese ethnic labor markets differently.

Psychotherapy use and depression among AIDS caregivers were examined with two waves of data from a panel survey of caregivers in Los Angeles and San Francisco (N = 472). Both were studied as outcomes driven by an array of determining factors (e.g., caregivers and care recipient health; care-related stress). AIDS caregivers exhibited relatively high rates of psychotherapy use (31% reported using at the time of initial interview). Care-related stress did not significantly predict the use of psychotherapy in either the baseline or longitudinal analyses. Instead, the health status, relationship, and living arrangements of the caregiver and the care recipient were the important correlates of psychotherapy use. Factors affecting depression over the course of caregiving were caregiver health status and care-related stress, particularly secondary stressors which arise as a consequence of, but not directly due to, caregiving. Thus, although the stressors of caregiving do not prompt the use of psychotherapy, they clearly led to an elevation in symptoms of depression, which is associated with psychotherapy use. Findings regarding the relation of psychotherapy to changes in depression over the course of caregiving also are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lifecycle cost analysis (LCCA) is a tool to assess the costs associated with each phase of the building lifecycle. This study evaluated the lifecycle cost (LCC) of a prefabricated fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) building in comparison with a masonry one. The four lifecycle phases of construction, operation, maintenance, and demolition were taken into consideration, and buildings in the American cities of El Paso, Los Angeles, and San Francisco were analyzed. First, the contribution of different building components to construction cost was defined. Consequently, the operation costs to supply cooling and heating-energy demands and lighting and home appliances were calculated. After determining the maintenance and demolition costs, the total LCC of both building types were compared through net present value (NPV). Finally, sensitivity analyses were carried out to assess the impact of influential parameters. The results highlight the significance of construction cost for both structures and the higher maintenance and lower demolition costs of the prefabricated building. Moreover, the prefabricated building was found to have higher cooling costs despite its lower U-value. The prefabricated building had a higher total LCC in all locations. The results also demonstrate the importance of location by indicating substantial variations in construction, maintenance, and demolition costs among the studied cities. Furthermore, the prefabricated building was found to have lower operating costs in Los Angeles and San Francisco but higher costs in El Paso. The sensitivity analyses show significant impacts of the discount rate and lifetime, moderate influence of the inflation rates of maintenance and demolition costs, and limited impact of the inflation rate of electricity cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1990, 16 months after the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS) in Prince William Sound, Alaska, an assessment of the benthic macrofauna and associated environmental parameters at 40 and 100 m was made. Assessment of the biota and environmental data demonstrated patterns in deep benthic assemblages reflective of oceanographic conditions, as indicated by sediment differences, rather than EVOS toxicity. Comparison of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and delta12C values in sediments between stations within the oil trajectory and reference stations outside of the trajectory showed no significant differences. This investigation uncovered no signals of disturbance 16 months after the EVOS. These results agree with conclusions of studies of intertidal and shallow subtidal regions following the EVOS that demonstrated disturbance effects decreasing with depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]