Search

Traditional school districts do not have a lot of experience with virtual schools and have lost students to state and charter virtual schools. To retain students and offer alternative learning opportunities, more public districts are starting their own virtual schools. This study was an examination of foundational processes at three California virtual schools in traditional school districts. An analysis of the findings revealed that sites perceived the establishing founder, preliminary research, district support, teacher and staff selection, financial evaluation, and curriculum decisions as keys to the founding process. The analysis also led to surprising conclusions, including the need for virtual schools to constantly change and adapt and the focus in this study of organizations over technology. The findings have implications for traditional districts starting virtual schools. The study also indicates that changes in policy could reduce the need for organizational adaptation among virtual schools in traditional school districts.

Positive matrix factorization (PMF2) was used to elucidate sources of fine particulate material (PM2.5) for a study conducted during July and August 2005, in Riverside, CA. One-hour averaged semi-continuous measurements were made with a suite of instruments to provide PM2.5 mass and chemical composition data. Total PM2.5 mass concentrations (non-volatile plus semi-volatile) were measured with an R&P filter dynamic measurement system (FDMS TEOM) and a conventional TEOM monitor was used to measure non-volatile mass concentrations. PM2.5 chemical species monitors included a dual-oven Sunset monitor to measure both non-volatile and semi-volatile carbonaceous material, an ion chromatographic-based monitor to measure sulfate and nitrate and an Anderson Aethalometer to measure black carbon (BC). Gas phase data including CO, NO2, NO x and O3 were also collected during the sampling period. In addition, single-particle measurements were made using aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS). Twenty different single-particle types consistent with those observed in previous ATOFMS studies in Riverside were identified for the PMF2 analysis. Finally, time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometry (ToF-AMS) provided data on markers of primary and secondary organic aerosol. Two distinct PMF2 analyses were performed. In analysis 1, all the data except for the ATOFMS and ToF-AMS data were used in an initial evaluation of sources at Riverside during the study. PMF2 was able to identify six factors from the data set corresponding to both primary and secondary sources, primarily from automobile emissions, diesel emissions, secondary nitrate formation, a secondary photochemical associated source, organic emissions and Basin transported pollutants. In analysis 2, the ATOFMS and ToF-AMS data were included in the analysis. In the second analysis, PMF2 was able to identify 16 factors with a variety of both primary and secondary factors being identified, corresponding to both primary and secondary material from both anthropogenic and natural sources. Based on relationships with Basin meteorology, the PMF identified source profiles and diurnal patterns in the source concentrations, sources were identified as being of local origin or resulting from transport of pollutants across the Basin due to onshore flow. Good agreement was observed between the PMF2 predicted mass and the FDMS measured mass for both analyses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The application of newly developed semi-continuous aerosol monitors allows for the measurement of all the major species of PM2.5 on a 1-h time basis. Temporal resolution of both non-volatile and semi-volatile species is possible. A suite of instruments to measure the major chemical species of PM2.5 allows for semi-continuous mass closure. A newly developed dual-oven Sunset carbon monitor is used to measure non-volatile organic carbon, semi-volatile organic carbon and elemental carbon. Inorganic species, including sulfate and nitrate, can be measured with an ion chromatograph based sampler. Comparison of the sum of the major chemical species in an urban aerosol with mass measured by an FDMS resulted in excellent agreement. Linear regression analysis resulted in a zero-intercept slope of 0.98±0.01 with an R 2=0.86. One-hour temporal resolution of the major species of PM2.5 may reduce the uncertainty in receptor based source apportionment modeling, will allow for better forecasting of PM2.5 episodes, and may lead to increased understanding of related health effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to elucidate sources of fine particulate material (PM2.5) for a study conducted during July 2003 in Rubidoux, CA. One-h averaged semi-continuous measurements were made with a suite of instruments to provide PM2.5 mass and chemical composition data. Total PM2.5 mass concentrations (nonvolatile plus semi-volatile) were measured with a R&P filter dynamic measurement system (FDMS) and a conventional TEOM monitor was used to measure nonvolatile mass concentrations. Semi-volatile material (SVM) was calculated as the FDMS minus the TEOM determined PM2.5 mass. PM2.5 chemical species monitors included a R&P 5400 carbon monitor, an Anderson Aethalometer and a R&P 8400N nitrate monitor. Gas phase data including CO, NO2, NOx, and O3 were also collected during the sampling period. Two distinct PMF analysis were performed. In analysis 1, the TEOM was excluded from the analysis and in analysis 2, the SVM was excluded from the analysis. PMF2 was able to identify six factors from the data set and factors corresponding to both primary and secondary sources were identified. Factors were attributed to being primarily from automobile, diesel emissions, secondary nitrate formation, a secondary photochemical associated source, organic emissions and primary emissions. Good agreement was observed between the PMF predicted mass and the FDMS measured mass for both analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work refines and updates estimates of the fuel-cycle greenhouse-gas (GHG) emission impacts of electric vehicles (EVs) rebated in California. Emissions are estimated using disaggregated data from the start of the rebate program through August 2018 (N = 269,902 participants) and factors that characterize fuel use and fuel life-cycle carbon intensity. GHG reductions are calculated for the first year of vehicle operation and subsequently scaled to reflect various operational timeframes. GHG reduction estimates over the first year of vehicle ownership total approximately 855 thousand metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions, or 3.2 tons per vehicle. For nonfleet individuals, 54% of reductions are associated with "Rebate-Essential" participants who were most highly influenced by the rebate to purchase/lease. Comparing the estimated warranty-life benefit of 7.9 million tons of GHG reductions to USD 603 million in corresponding rebates results in USD 76 of state incentives per metric ton reduced over the first 100,000/150,000 miles of rebated vehicle use. Uncertainty in estimates presents opportunities for further refinement using additional participant-specific, time-variant, or otherwise detailed inputs. Nevertheless, the contributions of this work increased average first-year GHG reductions per vehicle by 35–45% compared to previous work, demonstrating that use of program-derived data can enhance the understanding of EV impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate patient safety, resource utilization, and transfusion-related cost after a policy change from universal type and screen to selective type and screen on admission to labor and delivery.Methods: Between October 2017 and September 2019, we performed a single-center implementation study focusing on risk-based type and screen instead of universal type and screen. Implementation of our policy was October 2018 and compared 1 year preimplementation with 1 year postimplementation. Patients were risk-stratified in alignment with California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative recommendations. Under the new policy, the blood bank holds a blood sample for processing (hold clot) on patients at low- and medium-risk of hemorrhage. Type and screen and crossmatch are obtained on high-risk patients or with a prior positive antibody screen. We collected patient outcomes, safety and cost data, and compliance and resource utilization metrics. Cost included direct costs of transfusion-related testing in the labor and delivery unit during the study period, from a health system perspective.Results: In 1 year postimplementation, there were no differences in emergency-release transfusion events (4 vs 3, P>.99). There were fewer emergency-release red blood cell (RBC) units transfused (9 vs 24, P=.002) and O-negative RBC units transfused (8 vs 18, P=.016) postimplementation compared with preimplementation. Hysterectomies (0.05% vs 0.1%, P=.44) and intensive care unit admissions (0.45% vs 0.51%, P=.43) were not different postimplementation compared with preimplementation. Postimplementation, mean monthly type and screen-related costs (ABO typing, antibody screen, and antibody workup costs) were lower, $9,753 compared with $20,676 in the preimplementation year, P<.001.Conclusion: Implementation of selective type and screen policy in the labor and delivery unit was associated with projected annual savings of $181,000 in an institution with 4,000 deliveries per year, without evidence of increased maternal morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delays to the operating room (OR) or discharge (DC) lead to longer lengths of stay and increased costs. Surprisingly, little work has been done to quantify the number and cost of delays for inpatients to the OR, and to DC to outpatient status. They reviewed their burn admissions to determine how often a patient experiences delays in healthcare delivery. Data for all burn admissions were prospectively collected from 2014 to 2016. A quality improvement filter was created to define acceptable parameters for patient throughput. Every hospital day was labeled as 1) No delay, 2) Operation, 3) Delay to the OR, or 4) Delay to DC. They had 1633 admissions: 432 ICU admissions (26%) and 1201 floor admissions (74%). Six hundred fifteen patients (37.7%) received an operation. Patients with delays included 331 with OR delays (20.3%) and 503 with DC delays (30.8%). Average delay days included (Mean ± SD): OR delay days = 4.7 ± 6.2 and DC delay days = 4.1 ± 4.4. Total number of hospital days was 13,009, divided into 1616 OR delay days (12%) and 2096 DC delay days (16%). Significant OR delays were due to patient unstable for OR (n = 387 [24%]), OR space availability (n = 662 [41%]), indeterminate wound depth (n = 437 [27%]), and donor site availability (n = 83 [5%]). Significant DC delays were due to medical goals not reached (n = 388 [19%]), pain control and wound care (n = 694 [33%]), PT/OT clearance (n = 168 [8.0%]), and DC placement delays (n = 754 [36%]). Costs for OR and DC delays ranged between US$1,000,000 and US$5,000,000. Costs of increasing OR capacity and/or additional social work ancillary staff can be justified through millions of dollars of savings annually., (© American Burn Association 2019. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Ambient sampling was conducted in Riverside, California during the 2005 Study of Organic Aerosols in Riverside to characterize the composition and sources of organic aerosol using a variety of state-of-the-art instrumentation and source apportionmenttechniques. The secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass is estimated by elemental carbon and carbon monoxide tracer methods, water soluble organic carbon content, chemical mass balance of organic molecular markers, and positive matrix factorization of high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer data. Estimates obtained from each ofthese methods indicate that the organic fraction in ambient aerosol is overwhelmingly secondary in nature during a period of several weeks with moderate ozone concentrations and that SOA is the single largest component of PM1 aerosol in Riverside. Average SOA/OA contributions of 70-90% were observed during midday periods, whereas minimum SOA contributions of approximately 45% were observed during peak morning traffic periods. These results are contraryto previous estimates of SOAthroughout the Los Angeles Basin which reported that, other than during severe photochemical smog episodes, SOA was lower than primary OA. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed.