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In 2013, the University of California, Biomedical Research, Acceleration, Integration, and Development (UC BRAID) convened a regional network of contracting directors from the five University of California (UC) health campuses to: (i) increase collaboration, (ii) operationalize and measure common metrics as a basis for performance improvement efforts, and (iii) identify and implement best practices to maintain a competitive edge in the field of biomedical research. This article summarizes an 18-month examination of performance metrics across the five campuses, including methods for data collection and harmonization agreed upon by the UC contracting offices. Some of the most striking, and previously unmeasured, results demonstrate that master agreements are a highly effective and successful strategy for significantly shortening the average time to completion of contract terms. Interestingly, clinical research organizations (CROs) significantly increase the time required to negotiate a contract. Results also point to the intra- and inter-organizational dependencies affecting time to contract execution. Systematic and transparent data collection among UC stakeholders is necessary to continue improvements to the system. However, data collection is only one component of the larger need to develop shared technology both within and between institutions. This study demonstrates that collaboration and sharing of contract terms is an effective way to reduce study activation time, but the greatest improvements will be driven by the sharing of data and technology tools.

This comparative case study evaluated the role of foreign language study within the Library and Information Science (LIS) curriculum of two programs in the United States and Honduras. The purpose of this research was to understand the significance and usefulness of language courses from the perspective of the students enrolled. Students who had completed language courses in LIS programs in both countries were surveyed with regard to their motivation for language study, application of language skills in the workplace, most and least valuable aspects of the courses, and overall usefulness of courses. The results suggest that students in graduate LIS programs are interested in learning foreign languages when the courses are targeted to the students' specific interests and professional needs. The findings provide a curricular enhancement model that could be adopted at other universities, with key considerations focused on customizing language courses to the LIS context, required and elective course offerings, course delivery formats and student motivation.

The authors report on a study of eight inclusive STEM high schools that are designed to increase the numbers of students in demographic groups underrepresented in STEM. As STEM schools, they have had broader and deeper STEM coursework (taken by all students) than required by their respective states and school districts; they also had outcome indicators that demonstrated substantial academic achievement and other measures of school success. One of the unique features of the schools was how their administrative structures were organized and how leadership was distributed among school administration, teachers, and sometimes students. Each school held a clear sense of its mission-driven purpose: to graduate students prepared for STEM college majors, including students from underrepresented groups. These schools blurred boundaries between formal and informal education, reconfiguring relationships among teachers, students, and knowledge.

The objective of this paper is to present value-added calculation methods that were applied to determine whether online schools performed at the same or different levels relative to standardized testing. This study includes information on how we approached our value added model development and the results for 32 online public high schools in California. Student level California Standards Test results in English Language Arts and Mathematics for over 5,000 online students were analyzed. Mean value added metrics for each school were calculated for 8 courses held during the 2010-2011 academic year. We found that schools of distinction existed in 7 of the 8 course categories.

We introduce a seismic identification method for collapse events using moment tensors (MTs). We start by computing full (six-element) MT solutions for 43 identified collapse events from around the world, and statistically characterizing the population on the MT hypersphere. We then test a large data set of over 1000 full MTs for the western U.S. against the distribution of collapses using a MT-based identification method similarly as used for testing explosions. Known collapses and explosions are readily identified, along with other anomalous events in the Geysers and central California coast. Misidentification rates are determined for various screening angles with optimal misidentification rates between earthquakes and collapses on the order of 3 per cent. The method is demonstrated to be very effective at identifying non-earthquake sources with a 97–98 per cent accuracy. It is likely to be transportable to other regions, and can be used for event identification anywhere full MT solutions are routinely calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores civic learning, civic participation, and the development of civic agency within the Council of Youth Research (the Council), a program that engages high school students in youth participatory action research projects that challenge school inequalities and mobilize others in pursuit of educational justice. We critique the neoliberal view of democracy that dominates in the existing research, policy, and practice around urban school reform and civic education and instead turn to evidence from social movements and critical social theory as a foundation for a reimagined, more robust vision of critical democracy. Through our analysis of the activities that the Council students engaged in during and after a five-week summer seminar, we offer findings about the kinds of learning and pedagogy that characterize a critical democratic space. We discuss how students and teachers learn through dialogue that characterizes them as public intellectuals; we explore how students develop new forms of civic participation through their engagement with digital, participatory media and interactive presentations to community stakeholders; and we document the developing sense of agency that students experience as a result of these authentic civic learning opportunities. We conclude by highlighting the impacts of this program and its potential to create a new paradigm for civic life and civic education.

We report a comparative study using "knowledge space theory" (KAT) to assess the impact of a hands-on laboratory exercise that used molecular model kits to emphasize the connections between a plane of symmetry, Charity, and isomerism in an introductory organic chemistry course. The experimental design compared three groups of students--two that carried out the laboratory exercise (treatment groups) and one that did not (control group). Our assessments revealed that all three groups made significant improvements in their understanding of Charity and isomerism, but that the two treatment groups showed more improvements than the control group. The KAT analysis showed that the acquisition of the skills for finding a plane of symmetry in a molecule came late in the students' critical learning pathways, which indicated that this was difficult for many students. Students were unfamiliar with this type of reasoning, and our studies revealed that the laboratory exercise was useful in teaching the method to introductory organic chemistry students. (Contains 3 notes, 1 table, and 3 figures.)

Along the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southern California, high densities of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (purple sea urchin) have consumed almost all macroalgae on large expanses (61 ha) of rocky reef habitat, creating "urchin barrens." Mesocentrotus franciscanus (red sea urchin) harvesting comprises an important fishery in the region, as their gonads are sold as a high-value sushi product called "uni." However, with a lack of macroalgal food resources, urchins in barrens are smaller and exist in a starved state, meaning little, if any, gonad product is available to the fishery. To restore local kelp forests and increase gonad biomass available to the M. franciscanus fishery, beginning in October 2013, S. purpuratus were culled in barrens to a target density of 2 per m2 across 5.2 ha of rocky reef on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Mesocentrotus franciscanus were collected from urchin barren, restoration, and kelp reference sites from April to November 2014 to compare differences in gonad production among the three site types. Culling S. purpuratus resulted in the recovery of normal seasonal M. franciscanus gonad production throughout the 8-month study. Mesocentrotus franciscanus gonad weights at a given test diameter length in restoration sites were equivalent to, and sometimes exceeded, the gonad production of those from the kelp reference sites. The urchin test length distributions of collected M. franciscanus were consistently smaller at urchin barren sites than at kelp reference sites, while those in restoration sites generally fell in between. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing feasibility of assembling large genomic datasets for non-model species presents both opportunities and challenges for applied conservation and management. A popular theme in recent studies is the search for large-effect loci that explain substantial portions of phenotypic variance for a key trait(s). If such loci can be linked to adaptations, 2 important questions arise: 1) Should information from these loci be used to reconfigure conservation units (CUs), even if this conflicts with overall patterns of genetic differentiation? 2) How should this information be used in viability assessments of populations and larger CUs? In this review, we address these questions in the context of recent studies of Chinook salmon and steelhead (anadromous form of rainbow trout) that show strong associations between adult migration timing and specific alleles in one small genomic region. Based on the polygenic paradigm (most traits are controlled by many genes of small effect) and genetic data available at the time showing that early-migrating populations are most closely related to nearby late-migrating populations, adult migration differences in Pacific salmon and steelhead were considered to reflect diversity within CUs rather than separate CUs. Recent data, however, suggest that specific alleles are required for early migration, and that these alleles are lost in populations where conditions do not support early-migrating phenotypes. Contrasting determinations under the US Endangered Species Act and the State of California's equivalent legislation illustrate the complexities of incorporating genomics data into CU configuration decisions. Regardless how CUs are defined, viability assessments should consider that 1) early-migrating phenotypes experience disproportionate risks across large geographic areas, so it becomes important to identify early-migrating populations that can serve as reliable sources for these valuable genetic resources; and 2) genetic architecture, especially the existence of large-effect loci, can affect evolutionary potential and adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yosemite National Park, California, is one of the best-documented sites of historical rockfalls and other rock slope failures; however, past work shows that this record does not capture the infrequent largest occurrences, prehistoric events orders of magnitude larger than the largest historic ones. These large prehistoric events are evident as voluminous bouldery landslide deposits, permitting volume and age quantification to better understand local volume-frequency relationships, potential triggering mechanisms, and the hazard such events might pose. The Tiltill rockslide in northern Yosemite is one such example, consisting of 2.1 × 106 m³ ± 1.6 × 106 m³ of talus (1.5 × 106 m³ original volume of rock mass) that slid across the floor of Tiltill Valley, partially damming Tiltill Creek to create a seasonal pond that drains through and around the rockslide mass. This volume and the rockslide's effective coefficient of friction, 0.47, place it near the boundary between long-runout landslides and ordinary Coulomb failure. Although the rockslide superficially appears to consist of two separate lobes, statistically indistinguishable 10Be exposure dates from eight samples indicate *Corresponding author email: cpluhar@csufresno.edu a single event that occurred at 13.0 ± 0.8 ka. The age of the Tiltill rockslide and its relatively low elevation compared to equilibrium line altitudes at this place and time make glacial debutressing a highly unlikely triggering mechanism. Seismic shaking associated with fault rupture along the eastern Sierra Nevada is shown to be a plausible but unverified trigger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article features the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium, or HERC, website, which lists all positions such as custodians, administrators, and other faculty positions at colleges, universities, and research institutions throughout the country. HERC, based in Ben Lomond, California, uses its "dual career" hiring services to help couples find jobs at the same institution or in the same region. HERC, a program of the Tides Center, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that provides administrative, benefits support, and other services for the national HERC office, was founded in 2000 by schools in Northern California. Its sole purpose is to find jobs for those interested in higher education.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a youth participatory action research project to address the disparities in sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV rates among homeless youth. Four youth served as co-investigators and cultural informants for the project. The team conducted focus groups (N = 22; ages 16–22) and in-depth interviews (N = 20; ages 18–24) with homeless youth to explore decisions about condomless sex, knowledge of STIs and HIV, health-care access for STI-related services, and perceptions about STI testing. Findings revealed that homeless youth have good general knowledge about STIs, are receptive to STI testing for themselves and their sexual partners, and have heightened concerns about being HIV positive and peers knowing their STI status. Results from the current study could contribute to the development of youth-informed tailored interventions to increase protective sexual behavior, reduce health disparities, and improve access to and the quality of health-care services for homeless youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with Richard D. Cordova, president emeritus of Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is presented. Cordova discussed how his experiences serving boards changed his perspective on leadership, handling the dynamics of large number of directors at CHLA, and his strategies in securing endowments for professorship. Cordova also talked about the importance of membership to the American College of Health Executives (ACHE) as a career catalyst.

Background: Patients with cirrhosis are at high readmission risk. Using a large statewide database, we evaluated the effect of hospital cirrhosis-related patient volume on 30-day readmissions in patients with cirrhosis.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database for adult patients with cirrhosis, as defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes, hospitalized in California between 2009 and 2011. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of hospital volume on 30-day readmissions.Results: A total of 69,612 patients with cirrhosis were identified in 405 hospitals; 24,062 patients were discharged from the top 10% of hospitals (N = 41) by cirrhosis volume, and 45,550 patients in the bottom 90% (N = 364). Compared with higher-volume centers, lower-volume hospitals cared for patients with similar average Quan-Charlson-Deyo (QCD) comorbidity scores (6.54 vs. 6.68), similar proportion of hepatitis B and fatty liver disease, lower proportion of hepatitis C (34.8 vs. 41.5%) but greater proportion of alcoholic liver disease (53.1 vs. 47.4%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated admission to a lower-volume hospital did not predict 30-day readmission (odds ratio [OR] 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-1.01) after adjusting for sociodemographics, QCD score, cirrhosis severity, and hospital characteristics. Instead, liver transplant center status significantly decreased the risk of readmission (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80-0.94). Ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, hepatocellular carcinoma, higher QCD, and presence of alcoholic liver disease and hepatitis C were also independent predictors.Conclusions: Readmissions within 30 days were common among patients with cirrhosis hospitalized in California. While hospital cirrhosis volume did not predict 30-day readmissions, liver transplant center status was protective of readmissions. Medically complicated patients with cirrhosis at hospitals without liver transplant centers may benefit from additional support to prevent readmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite rapid advances in molecular diagnostics and targeted therapeutics, the adoption of precision medicine into clinical oncology workflows has been slow. Questions about clinical utility, inconsistent reimbursement for molecular diagnostics, and limited access to targeted therapies are some of the major hurdles that have hampered clinical adoption. Despite these challenges, providers have invested in precision medicine programs in an ongoing search for innovative care models to deliver improved patient outcomes and achieve economic gains. We describe the precision oncology medicine programs implemented by an integrated delivery system, a community care center, and an academic medical center, to demonstrate the approaches and challenges associated with clinical implementation efforts designed to advance this treatment paradigm. Payer policies that include coverage for broad genomic testing panels would support the broader application of precision medicine, deepen research benefits, and bring targeted therapies to more patients with advanced cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original version of the article unfortunately contained errors in 'Severity of illness' and 'Hospital characteristics' entries of Table 1. Corrected version of Table 1 is given below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A movement worldwide, and specifically new to our hospital, is the implementation of Patient- and Family-Centered Care. We were unsure, however, what the needs were of our patients’ families. This triangulated study, on a 28-bed oncology unit, studied family members at the bedside. We asked family members what their needs were in a three-step process (open-ended interview, use of the Draw a Bridge art therapy technique, and the Family Inventory of Needs survey). Nineteen interviews revealed needs for physical comfort, emotional support, cultural sensitivity, recognition of help provided by family members and improved pain management. Art therapy revealed the stress of caregiving and helped to uncover unmet needs for interviewers to explore. The FIN identified that care at home after discharge was a major worry. Knowledge of family members’ needs while a loved one is in the hospital allows for planning and provision of modalities to assist them in their caregiving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Website development for health care has only been prevalent in the last two and a half decades. The first websites were electronic versions of brochures providing hardly any interaction with the consumer or potential consumer. The percentage of consumers that use the internet during the decision-making process for health care providers continues to rise. As a result, the websites of health care providers are becoming more of a representation of the facility and creating an organizational image rather than a brochure-like informational page. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze substance abuse treatment center's websites in the State of California with the goal of informing the management of substance abuse centers regarding an effective and inexpensive means to closing the marketing gaps in the industry. Methods: This brief research report presents the results of employing an automated web-crawler to assess website quality along five dimensions: accessibility, content, marketing, technology, and usability score. Results: The sample mean scores for all dimensions were between 4 and 6 on a 10-point scale. On average larger facilities had higher quality websites. Conclusions: The low mean scores on these dimensions indicate that that substance abuse centers have significant room for improvement of their website's. Efficiently spending marketing funds to increase the effectiveness of a treatment center's website can be a low cost way for even small facilities to increase market competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of modifiable behaviors is important for pediatric weight management and obesity prevention programs. This study examined obesogenic behaviors in children with obesity in a Northern California obesity intervention program using data from a parent/teen-completed intake questionnaire covering dietary and lifestyle behaviors (frequency of breakfast, family meals, unhealthy snacking and beverages, fruit/vegetable intake, sleep, screen time, and exercise). Among 7956 children with BMI ≥ 95th percentile, 45.5% were females and 14.2% were 3–5, 44.2% were 6–11, and 41.6% were 12–17 years old. One-quarter (24.9%) were non-Hispanic white, 11.3% were black, 43.5% were Hispanic, and 12.0% were Asian/Pacific Islander. Severe obesity was prevalent (37.4%), especially among blacks, Hispanics, and older children, and was associated with less frequent breakfast and exercise and excess screen time, and in young children it was associated with consumption of sweetened beverages or juice. Unhealthy dietary behaviors, screen time, limited exercise, and sleep were more prevalent in older children and in selected black, Hispanic, and Asian subgroups, where consumption of sweetened beverages or juice was especially high. Overall, obesity severity and obesogenic behaviors increased with age and varied by gender and race/ethnicity. We identified several key prevalent modifiable behaviors that can be targeted by healthcare professionals to reduce obesity when counseling children with obesity and their parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter explores the influence of a youth participatory action research (YPAR) group, viewing the group's efforts as challenges to manifestations of racial inequality in education, such as the inequitable distribution of educational resources. The authors examine how individuals in positions of relative power--teachers, school administrators, and public officials-- respond to the group's advocacy efforts. The analysis illustrates the complexity of the group's influence: Some individuals report that the Council sparks meaningful changes, while others have negative reactions. Overall, the chapter sheds light on the ways that YPAR can encourage change in education by incorporating the voices of Black and Latina/o youth into educational policy and practice. "What really stuck with me was this idea of traditional versus organic forms of leadership . . . and that it's my responsibility to help my students develop as leaders." - Ms. Bauman [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The multibiomarker disease activity (MBDA) blood test has been clinically validated as a measure of disease activity in patients with RA. We aimed to estimate the effect of the MBDA test on physical function for patients with RA (based on HAQ), quality-adjusted life years and costs over 10 years. Methods. A decision analysis was conducted to quantify the effect of using the MBDA test on RA-related outcomes and costs to private payers and employers. Results of a clinical management study reporting changes to anti-rheumatic drug recommendations after use of the MBDA test informed clinical utility. The effect of treatment changes on HAQ was derived from 5 tight-control and 13 treatment-switch trials. Baseline HAQ scores and the HAQ score relationship with medical costs and quality of life were derived from published National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases data. Results. Use of the MBDA test is projected to improve HAQ scores by 0.09 units in year 1, declining to 0.02 units after 10 years. Over the 10 year time horizon, quality-adjusted life years increased by 0.08 years and costs decreased by US$457 (cost savings in disability-related medical costs, US$659; in productivity costs, US$2137). The most influential variable in the analysis was the effect of the MBDA test on clinician treatment recommendations and subsequent HAQ changes. Conclusion. The MBDA test aids in the assessment of disease activity in patients with RA by changing treatment decisions, improving the functional status of patients and cost savings. Further validation is ongoing and future longitudinal studies are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—The study assessed sustainability of the Family Care Map, a family-centered approach to providing care for Veterans with polytrauma-related injuries, in four Department of Veterans Affairs Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers. We applied a mixed-methods approach. Staff surveys used standardized measures of sustainability, commitment to change, information, and participation during implementation. Qualitative inquiry assessed Family Care Map implementation and facilitators and barriers to sustainability. Staff sustainability perceptions had a significant positive correlation with affective commitment to change, participation, and information received about the change process. Family Care Map integration into standard practices and use of its concepts with patients and families related to staff perceptions about sustainability. The degree of use and integration of the Family Care Map in traumatic brain injury/polytrauma care varied among the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers. Some successful sustainability strategies included integration into daily workflow and organizational culture. Examples of sustainability barriers included staff awareness and use and outdated information. Some practices, such as measuring and documenting the use of the Family Care Map in treatment plans, may not routinely occur. The focus on family-centered care will require further evaluation of organization-, staff-, and innovation-level attributes that influence sustainability of changes designed to improve family-centered care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By drawing from theoretical perspectives suggesting that unfair conditions threaten fundamental psychological needs, perceived unfairness at work was proposed and tested as a predictor of resting blood pressure. As part of the Midlife Development in the United States Biomarkers project, participants completed questionnaires measuring perceived unfairness, self-esteem and coworker support. Resting blood pressure readings were also recorded as part of a larger physical examination. Results indicate that perceived unfairness at work was associated with higher resting diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Perceived unfairness was most strongly related to diastolic and systolic blood pressure among women with low levels of coworker support. Contrary to predictions, self-esteem did not moderate the association between perceived unfairness and blood pressure. These results suggest that high blood pressure may be a mechanism linking unfairness to negative health outcomes and point to coworker support as a moderator of the perceived unfairness-blood pressure relationship among women. Further research is needed exploring the mediating mechanisms linking unfair treatment at work to blood pressure and health. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims A field trial during the 2009 and 2010 seasons evaluated the impact of winter rainfall on the main compounds responsible for green aromas in grapes and wines, 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine ( IBMP) and C6 compounds. These compounds are considered undesirable in grapes and wines above the threshold concentration. Methods and Results One treatment subjected vines to average rainfall, while the other excluded winter rainfall by covering the ground with a plastic tarpaulin during the entire dormant season ( November to mid- March). Irrigation for both treatments was maintained at a weekly rate of 70% of crop evapotranspiration until commercial harvest. Canopy growth, berry size and vine yield were significantly reduced by rainfall exclusion, and a significant increase in the fruit to pruning mass ratio was recorded from one season to another. Synthesis of IBMP was significantly greater in vines under normal rainfall, whereas C6 compounds were significantly different between treatments only at the end of the second season. Fruit and wine composition, mainly colour and mouthfeel compounds, were positively affected by the absence of rainfall in both years. Wine descriptive analysis showed that the lack of rainfall produced wines perceived as less green and of more intense fruit attributes in the first season. As a consequence of the reduction in vine growth, however, the same treatment produced wines less intense in fruit aromas and of inferior tannin quality in the following season. Conclusions These results show that the soil moisture level prior to budbreak affects both canopy growth and vine yield, even when irrigation is applied following budbreak. If the rainfall level is below normal, the positive effect on fruit and wine composition achieved through smaller berry size may be offset by a significant reduction in canopy growth, resulting in severely unbalanced vines, i.e. inadequate fruit to pruning mass ratio. Significance of the Study Growers aiming to minimise the level of IBMP at harvest would benefit from applying moderate deficit irrigation and nitrogen fertilisation rates and also might achieve an earlier harvest date for those vineyards where the absence of undesirable vegetal characters is considered a key harvest metric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is as prevalent in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) relationships as it is in heterosexual ones; however, the issues, needs, and challenges associated with assisting or advocating on behalf of LGBT persons are poorly understood. Using community-based participatory approaches, we conducted a brief survey of professionals (e.g., shelter staff, domestic violence prevention and intervention programs, law enforcement) affiliated with one or more domestic violence prevention and/or intervention networks in Los Angeles, California. The sample, which included professionals (N = 54) from diverse programs/agencies, was obtained using purposive and snowball sampling. Participants self-administered a 33-item, online questionnaire. Analyses primarily involved descriptive statistics (frequencies, proportions). Most respondents had little or no training in LGBT IPV; nevertheless, nearly 50% of them reported having assisted LGBTs “sometimes” or “often” in the past year. Nearly all (92%) reported that their agencies/programs lack staff with dedicated responsibilities to LGBT IPV. The most frequent requests for assistance respondents reported receiving from LGBTs were for counseling, safe housing, legal assistance, and assistance navigating the medical system. The findings suggest that staff believe their agencies/programs inadequately address LGBT IPV but that many of the inadequacies (e.g., lack of staff training on LGBT IPV) are remediable. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examined racial and ethnic differences in healthcare use, delayed care, and management of care of older adults with a self-reported diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Drawing on the 2009 California Health Interview Survey ( CHIS), the sample included 3,003 adults (representative of N = 998,795) aged 60 and older from five racial and ethnic groups: non-Hispanic white (n = 2,153), African American (n = 213), Hispanic (n = 336), Asian (n = 306), and American Indian and Alaska Native ( AI/ AN) (n = 59). All self-reported a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were conducted using weighted data. Results from adjusted logistic regressions indicated significant racial and ethnic differences between non-Hispanic white elderly and the other groups examined. Specifically, African Americans were significantly less likely than whites to see a doctor and to have a usual source of care, and were more likely to visit the emergency department ( ED) for diabetes mellitus and to have their feet examined by a provider. Hispanics were significantly less likely to take medicine to lower cholesterol but were more likely to test their blood glucose regularly (following ADA guidelines). Asians were significantly less likely than whites to test their blood glucose regularly or have a foot examination. AI/ ANs were significantly less likely than whites to see a doctor, visit an ED, and take medication to reduce heart attack risk but were more likely to use insulin, oral diabetic medication, or both. The findings suggest the need for racial- and ethnic-specific interventions for managing diabetes mellitus to help reduce existing racial and ethnic disparities among elderly adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although peritraumatic dissociation and other subjective peritraumatic reactions, such as emotional distress and arousal, have been shown to affect the relationship between a traumatic event and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults, systematic studies with youth have not been done. In a mixed ethnic and racial sample of 90 psychiatrically impaired youth (ages 10-18, 56% boys), we investigated the contributions of peritraumatic dissociation, emotional distress, and arousal to current PTSD severity after accounting for the effects of gender, trauma history, trait dissociation, and psychopathology (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and depression). Peritraumatic dissociation emerged as the only peritraumatic variable associated with current PTSD severity assessed both by questionnaire and interview methods ( β = .30 and .47 p < .01). Peritraumatic dissociation can be rapidly assessed in clinical practice and warrants further testing in prospective studies as a potential mediator of the trauma-PTSD relationship in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatiotemporal variability of subsidence around the East Mesa Geothermal Field (EMGF) near the All American Canal (AAC) has been measured using 30 temporally averaged interferograms from 1992 to 2000. Deformation rate maps from two shorter time periods indicated the maximum subsidence rate of the EMGF was reduced from -43 mm year-1 (1992-1997) to -34 mm year-1 (1996-2000) corresponding to decreasing net geothermal water production. The maximum subsidence on the East Highline Canal was -9.5 ± 0.5 and -2.4 ± 0.8 cm for each shorter time period. Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) stacking demonstrated its utility in monitoring subsidence of the canal caused by the nearby geothermal plant at regional coverage superior to ground levelling networks. Such data on the subsidence of surface and subsurface hydrodynamics along the US-Mexico border are scarce, and are particularly significant in a zone of present and likely future acute water resource management sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we will discuss California's recent experiment with medical marijuana. To that end, we will first discuss the history of marijuana use. Next we will discuss the history and current trend in federal marijuana regulation. We will then examine California's medical marijuana law. We will conclude with three lessons for other states from California's attempt to regulate medical marijuana. The three practical lessons are: limit the eligible conditions; limit the number of dispensaries; and tax the marijuana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objectives: To determine whether provision of Reiki therapy during outpatient chemotherapy is associated with increased comfort and well-being.Design: Double-blind, randomized clinical controlled trial.Setting: Outpatient chemotherapy center.Sample: 189 participants were randomized to actual Reiki, sham Reiki placebo, or standard care.Methods: Patients receiving chemotherapy were randomly placed into one of three groups. Patients received either standard care, a placebo, or an actual Reiki therapy treatment. A demographic tool and pre- and post-tests were given before and after chemotherapy infusion.Main Research Variables: Reiki therapy, sham Reiki placebo therapy, standard care, and self-reported levels of comfort and well-being pre- and postintervention.Findings: Although Reiki therapy was statistically significant in raising the comfort and well-being of patients post-therapy, the sham Reiki placebo also was statistically significant. Patients in the standard care group did not experience changes in comfort and well-being during their infusion session.Conclusions: The findings indicate that the presence of an RN providing one-on-one support during chemotherapy was influential in raising comfort and well-being levels, with or without an attempted healing energy field.Implications for Nursing: An attempt by clinic nurses to provide more designated one-to-one presence and support for patients while receiving their chemotherapy infusions could increase patient comfort and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundPatients with schizophrenia (SZ) characteristically exhibit supranormal levels of cortical activity to self-induced sensory stimuli, ostensibly because of abnormalities in the neural signals (corollary discharges, CDs) normatively involved in suppressing the sensory consequences of self-generated actions. The nature of these abnormalities is unknown. This study investigated whether SZ patients experience CDs that are abnormally delayed in their arrival at the sensory cortex.MethodTwenty-one patients with SZ and 25 matched control participants underwent electroencephalography (EEG). Participants' level of cortical suppression was calculated as the amplitude of the N1 component evoked by a button press-elicited auditory stimulus, subtracted from the N1 amplitude evoked by the same stimulus presented passively. In the three experimental conditions, the auditory stimulus was delivered 0, 50 or 100 ms subsequent to the button-press. Fifteen SZ patients and 17 healthy controls (HCs) also underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and the fractional anisotropy (FA) of participants' arcuate fasciculus was used to predict their level of cortical suppression in the three conditions.ResultsWhile the SZ patients exhibited subnormal N1 suppression to undelayed, self-generated auditory stimuli, these deficits were eliminated by imposing a 50-ms, but not a 100-ms, delay between the button-press and the evoked stimulus. Furthermore, the extent to which the 50-ms delay normalized a patient's level of N1 suppression was linearly related to the FA of their arcuate fasciculus.ConclusionsThese data suggest that SZ patients experience temporally delayed CDs to self-generated auditory stimuli, putatively because of structural damage to the white-matter (WM) fasciculus connecting the sites of discharge initiation and destination. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]