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This study investigates policy work in educational leadership courses at universities. It analyses the types of engagement present in university teachers' policy work and in their interpretations and translations of policy intentions into teaching designs and practices. The study illustrates policy work as a phenomenon and draws on the theory of policy work; it examines one case from Norway and one from California. The data has been analysed through discourse analysis. Observational data and materials from teaching practices constituted the supporting data, while contextual interviews with university teachers formed the main data. In both cases, various types of engagement were identified, which reflected academic freedom and different policy contexts. The analysis also revealed that university lecturers use their professional discretion and experience when interpreting and translating policy intentions into teaching designs and practices. This has implications for higher education administration, especially for the achievement of coherence across programmes and courses.

We examined developmental trajectories of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, standardized achievement, and school performance for adolescents with and without ADHD who did and did not enroll in postsecondary education (PSE; N = 749; 79% boys; 63% White, 17% non-Hispanic Black, 10% Hispanic, and 10% other ethnicities). In a multisite study (recruitment based in New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, California, and Quebec), participants were originally enrolled between 1994 and 1998 at ages 7 to 9.9 and followed up through 2012 (M[subscript age] = 25 at final follow-up). Adolescents who eventually enrolled in PSE had less severe symptoms, but differences were modest and trajectories were similar over time. For all adolescents, standardized achievement trajectories declined up to two thirds of a standard deviation from ages 9 to 17. By the end of high school, the average GPA of adolescents with ADHD was three quarters of a point higher for those who eventually enrolled in PSE compared to those who did not. Overall, school performance mattered more than academic achievement for understanding eventual enrollment of adolescents with ADHD.

School closures because of natural phenomena, such as COVID-19, underscore long-standing gaps in access to science education in the United States of America, particularly for young students. When educators have to pivot to deliver virtual instruction, it is important to identify feasible remote learning strategies for science content across formal and informal learning environments. This article discusses two evaluation studies of a multiplatform science learning program was originally developed for an in-person, formal learning environment that was modified based on infrastructure, preparations, and resource availability to meet the needs of distance learning in formal and informal learning environments due to COVID-19.

University of California (UC) campuses have recently experienced a dramatic increase in the number of international degree-seeking undergraduate students. This article presents results of a UC-wide survey conducted to understand the perceptions of developmental and 1st year composition instructors about these demographic changes and to help design professional development for these instructors as they aim to better support international student writers. Results suggest the need not only for in-service training but also for advocacy by UC writing programs within the UC system in general as well as local contexts, specifically regarding placement issues, course offerings, and teacher qualifications.

Professors of Educational Administration spend an inordinate amount of time tracking student attendance and calculating absences into final grades. A study of student attendance in one educational administration program at a medium-sized public institution of higher education in California concluded that: (1) negative and positive grade-related contingencies increased student attendance, (2) neutral (optional) attendance decreased student attendance, and (3) the imposition of grade-rated attendance contingencies did not significantly improve the academic achievement of students. The study included an analysis of student attendance during six semesters and an assessment of the perceptions of graduate students regarding instructor-imposed grade-related contingencies. (Contains 8 tables.)

Background: Minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy (MIDP) has established advantages over the open approach. The costs associated with robotic DP (RDP) versus laparoscopic DP (LDP) make the robotic approach controversial. We sought to compare outcomes and cost of LDP and RDP using propensity matching analysis at our institution. Methods: Patients undergoing LDP or RDP between 2000 and 2021 were retrospectively identified. Patients were optimally matched using age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, body mass index, and tumor size. Between-group differences were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for continuous data, and the McNemar's test for categorical data. Outcomes included operative duration, conversion to open surgery, postoperative length of stay, pancreatic fistula rate, pseudocyst requiring intervention, and costs. Results: 298 patients underwent MIDP, 180 (60%) were laparoscopic and 118 (40%) were robotic. All RDPs were matched 1:1 to a laparoscopic case with absolute standardized mean differences for all matching covariates below 0.10, except for tumor type (0.16). RDP had longer operative times (268 vs 178 min, p < 0.01), shorter length of stay (2 vs 4 days, p < 0.01), fewer biochemical pancreatic leaks (11.9% vs 34.7%, p < 0.01), and fewer interventional radiological drainage (0% vs 5.9%, p = 0.01). The number of pancreatic fistulas (11.9% vs 5.1%, p = 0.12), collections requiring antibiotics or intervention (11.9% vs 5.1%, p = 0.12), and conversion rates (3.4% vs 5.1%, p = 0.72) were comparable between the two groups. The total direct index admission costs for RDP were 1.01 times higher than for LDP for FY16-19 (p = 0.372), and 1.33 times higher for FY20-22 (p = 0.031). Conclusions: Although RDP required longer operative times than LDP, postoperative stays were shorter. The procedure cost of RDP was modestly more expensive than LDP, though this was partially offset by reduced hospital stay and reintervention rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students in alternative education programs often experience differential access to faculty, advisors, university support systems, and the supportive culture established by being on campus. This study is a descriptive-exploratory program evaluation of the distributed learning social work mentoring program at California State University, Chico. The researcher examined the use of mentoring and how it differed between first-generation and non--first-generation students, between rural- and urban-dwelling students, by the age of students, between graduate and undergraduate students, and based on the student's geographic proximity to the main California State University, Chico campus. All demographic groups of students used mentoring for emotional support; self-care; help in managing school, family, and work; and time management. Study limitations and recommendations for future research are included.

Background. Considerable resources are spent to track fish movement in marine environments, often with the intent of estimating behavior, distribution, and abundance. Resulting data from these monitoring efforts, including tagging studies and genetic sampling, often can be siloed. For Pacific salmon in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, predominant data sources for fish monitoring are coded wire tags (CWTs) and genetic stock identification (GSI). Despite their complementary strengths and weaknesses in coverage and information content, the two data streams rarely have been integrated to inform Pacific salmon biology and management. Joint, or integrated, models can combine and contextualize multiple data sources in a single statistical framework to produce more robust estimates of fish populations. Methods. We introduce and fit a comprehensive joint model that integrates data from CWT recoveries and GSI sampling to inform the marine life history of Chinook salmon stocks at spatial and temporal scales relevant to ongoing fisheries management efforts. In a departure from similar models based primarily on CWT recoveries, modeled stocks in the new framework encompass both hatchery- and natural-origin fish. We specifically model the spatial distribution and marine abundance of four distinct stocks with spawning locations in California and southern Oregon, one of which is listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Results. Using the joint model, we generated the most comprehensive estimates of marine distribution to date for all modeled Chinook salmon stocks, including historically data poor and low abundance stocks. Estimated marine distributions from the joint model were broadly similar to estimates from a simpler, CWT-only model but did suggest some differences in distribution in select seasons. Model output also included novel stock-, year-, and season-specific estimates of marine abundance. We observed and partially addressed several challenges in model convergence with the use of supplemental data sources and model constraints; similar difficulties are not unexpected with integrated modeling. We identify several options for improved data collection that could address issues in convergence and increase confidence in model estimates of abundance. We expect these model advances and results provide managementrelevant biological insights, with the potential to inform future mixed-stock fisheries management efforts, as well as a foundation for more expansive and comprehensive analyses to follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Food Systems Leadership Institute (FSLI) is a 2-year leadership development program consisting of 3 intensive in-person immersion retreats, and a robust and customizable distance-based program. Participants come primarily from land-grant and public universities and learn about personal, organizational and system leadership with a focus on food systems as an organizing theme. For this study, program graduates from FSLI Cohorts 4-6 (n = 60) were asked to complete an online retrospective pre- and post-test of skill competency and skill use for 20 competencies addressed in the program, with 47 (78%) completing the survey. Data indicate participants' ratings of skill competency increased significantly across all 20 targeted areas. Participants further noted that they used these skills more after completing the program as compared to prior to the Fellowship training. Data suggest the FSLI model of leadership development can have a significant impact on participants' perceived skill level in and use of important skills in both personal and organizational leadership in academic and food system settings.

This article addresses some of the challenges faced when attempting to evaluate the long-term impact of informal science learning interventions. To contribute to the methodological development of informal science learning research, we critically examine (Falk and Needham (2011) "Journal of Research in Science Teaching," 48: 1-12.) study of the California Science Center's long-term impact on the Los Angeles population's understanding, attitude and interest in science. This study has been put forward as a good model of long-term impact evaluation for other researchers and informal science learning institutions to emulate. Moreover, the study's claims about the Science Center's positive impacts have been widely cited. This essay highlights the methodological limitations of Falk and Needham's innovation of using an indicator-based impact measure (a "marker") designed to limit their reliance on self-report data, and points to more valid options for assessing long-term learning or attitudinal impacts. We recommend that future research employ more direct measurements of learning outcomes grounded in established social scientific methodology to evaluate informal science learning impacts.

Research Findings: In this study we analyze how parent and teacher ratings of young Latino children's social competencies in rural California are associated with children's oral language development. We find (a) that there is considerable incongruence between parent and teacher ratings of child social competence, (b) that both parent and teacher ratings account for meaningful variation in children's oral language development, and (c) that incongruence between parent and teacher ratings is associated with oral language above and beyond the effects of parent and teacher ratings alone. Practice or Policy: Young Latino children's social competencies contribute to their oral language development. These competencies represent an important, though to date underutilized, asset for building stronger academic/language functioning. Part of the paradoxical development of Latino children (i.e., strong social though weak academic/language competence) could be attributable to cultural differences that underlie teacher and parent perceptions of social competence. Teachers of young Latino children should (a) be aware of the cultural nature of social competence and (b) explore culturally responsive ways of interacting in classrooms to build stronger oral language functioning.

Some have described the academic underperformance of Latino children, on the one hand, and their relatively strong socioemotional competencies on the other, as a "Latino Paradox." We unpack the affective climate of early elementary classrooms to explore how this paradox is addressed in a rural school district where children from low-income Latino families predominate. Using quantitative and qualitative data from a reliable observation instrument, we describe the quality of "emotional support" rendered through classroom interactions, analyze relationships between emotional support and a series of teacher characteristics, and assess how highly supportive teachers interact differently than less supportive teachers in ways that are responsive to children's cultural and linguistic backgrounds. We provide evidence--Spanish use associated with greater emotional support--for attending to both universal and cultural dimensions of classroom interactions to address the Latino paradox.

Teachers and trainers often try to prevent learners from making errors, but recent findings (e.g., Kornell, Hays, & Bjork, 2009) have demonstrated that tests can potentiate subsequent learning even when the correct answer is difficult or impossible to generate (e.g., "What is Nate Kornell's middle name?"). In 3 experiments, we explored when and why a failed test enhances learning. We found that failed tests followed by immediate feedback produced greater retention than did a presentation-only condition. Failed tests followed by delayed feedback, by contrast, did not produce such a benefit--except when the direction of the final test was reversed (i.e., the participants were provided with the target and had to produce the original cue). Our findings suggest that generating an incorrect response to a cue both activates the semantic network associated with the cue and suppresses the correct response. These processes appear to have 2 consequences: If feedback is presented immediately, the semantic activation enhances the mapping of the cue to the correct response; if feedback is presented at a delay, the prior suppression boosts the learning of the suppressed response. (Contains 3 figures.)

Taking tests enhances learning. But what happens when one cannot answer a test question--does an unsuccessful retrieval attempt impede future learning or enhance it? The authors examined this question using materials that ensured that retrieval attempts would be unsuccessful. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were asked fictional general-knowledge questions (e.g., "What peace treaty ended the Calumet War?"). In Experiments 3-6, participants were shown a cue word (e.g., "whale") and were asked to guess a weak associate (e.g., "mammal"); the rare trials on which participants guessed the correct response were excluded from the analyses. In the test condition, participants attempted to answer the question before being shown the answer; in the "read-only" condition, the question and answer were presented together. Unsuccessful retrieval attempts enhanced learning with both types of materials. These results demonstrate that retrieval attempts enhance future learning; they also suggest that taking challenging tests--instead of avoiding errors--may be one key to effective learning. (Contains 4 figures.)

This paper examines the reading experiences, strategies, and curriculum preferences of university-level heritage language students. One hundred and twenty eight students enrolled in four different heritage language programs at UCLA--Korean, Russian, Thai, and Vietnamese--completed a survey about their exposure to print, early and current reading experiences, strategy use, learning goals, and preferences. The survey revealed that the majority of the students were interested in achieving university-level academic reading proficiency, yet students reported spending little time reading in their HL despite the availability of print in many of their homes. This might be explained by the fact that students reported not transferring skills from English to the HL and that they perceived themselves to be slow readers. Moreover, most HL students expressed that their reason for learning the HL was to maintain their cultural identity and thus would like to read texts embedded with cultural and historical information in the HL classroom. The survey results underscore the importance of sustaining students' motivation in HL literacy courses by selecting appropriate materials that are connected to students' goals for learning the HL, and providing explicit instruction in reading skills and strategies in both English and the HL. Results of this study will be of particular use to HL curriculum planners and material developers. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

Building cohesion while working apart [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

427 Background: Wearable devices present a promising method for monitoring physical performance in cancer patients, potentially bridging the gap between patient experiences at home and clinical evaluations. This study assesses associations between performance status, home-based wearable device metrics, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among adults with cancer. (NCT03952767). Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled 62 adults undergoing treatment for cancer, irrespective of primary site. Participants wore GENEActiv wrist accelerometer sensors (Activinsights Ltd., Kimbolton, UK) on the lumbar region and non-dominant wrist for 2 weeks, tracking gait speed and activity levels. Patients concurrently completed PRO questionnaires on physical function (PF) and fatigue (PROMIS Fatigue 7a & PROMIS Physical Function 10a). Study participants were stratified by baseline self-reported Karnofsky performance status (KPS; 100, 80-90, & ≤70). Linear regression models were used to assess associations between (1) KPS and device metrics and (2) device metrics and PROs. Covariates included age and a binary indicator for COVID period (pre/post 3/1/2020). Results: Average device wear time across the cohort was 22.2 hours/day. Significant differences in gait speed and moderate activity time were observed between the KPS≤70 group and the higher KPS groups (Table). Significant associations were also observed between device metrics and PROs. Each 1-hour increment moderate activity was associated with 5.5 point greater PROMIS PF score (95% CI: 3.3, 7.7; p<0.0001) and 4.6 point lower PROMIS Fatigue score (-6.7, -2.5; p<0.0001). Each 0.1 meter/sec increment in gait speed was associated with 4.6 point greater PF score (95% CI: 2.2, 7.1; p=0.0004) and 4.8 point lower Fatigue score (-6.9, -2.7; p<0.0001). Similar associations were observed between in-clinic assessments of gait speed and physical function scores. Conclusions: The associations between wearable device metrics and KPS indicate that wearable technology is both feasible and reliable for remote health monitoring in cancer patients. The associations between device metrics and PROs demonstrate that these metrics reflect patient experiences and outcomes relevant to both patients and regulatory authorities. The associations with physical function, a key PRO in the FDA's Patient-Focused Drug Development guidance, are particularly noteworthy. Clinical trial information: NCT03952767. Group 1 (KPS 100) Group 2 (KPS 80-90) Group 3 (KPS ≤70) p (Group 1 vs 3) p (2 vs 3) Gait Speed (m/s) - adjusted mean, 95% CI 0.74 (0.70, 0.78) 0.72 (0.69, 0.74) 0.65 (0.60, 0.70) 0.0058 0.0210 Sedentary time (hours) 11.2 (9.8, 12.6) 10.2 (9.3, 11.0) 10.7 (9.1, 12.2) 0.5912 0.5647 Light activity (hours) 1.4 (1.0, 1.7) 1.3 (1.1, 1.5) 0.9 (0.5, 1.3) 0.0570 0.0474 Moderate activity (hours) 1.4 (1.0, 1.8) 1.2 (0.9, 1.5) 0.5 (0.0, 1.0) 0.0068 0.0159 Vigorous activity (hours) 0.1 (0.0, 0.2) 0.0 (0.0, 0.1) 0.0 (0.0, 0.1) 0.1201 0.2835 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

418 Background: Medical documentation is necessary to describe encounters for clinical and billing purposes. The increasing time required for medical documentation is contributing to provider stress and burnout. Physicians divide their time and attention between patients and the electronic health record (EHR), negatively impacting the patient physician relationship. Methods: 49 physicians from Texas Oncology participated in a pilot from November 2023 to April 2024 using Deep Scribe (DS) ambient artificial intelligence (AI) technology to document patient clinic visits. Subspecialties of medical oncology, radiation oncology, urology, and breast surgery completed opinion surveys pre and post pilot. Provider adoption, weekly usage, satisfaction scores were measured. Evaluation and management (E&M) diagnosis codes for office visits conducted pre-pilot were reviewed for over 27,000 patient encounters and compared to over 4,500 DS patient encounters. Hierarchical condition category (HCC) codes captured via DS AI were compared to manual capture of billing codes in the pre-pilot period. Results: 77% of providers adopted DS AI technology during the pilot. Median turnaround time for notes was less than 3 minutes. Average satisfaction score was 81%. 91% of providers stated DS was easy to use. 60% of providers believed DS improved the quality of documentation. Providers reported on average 1.5 hours per provider time saved per week. The average number of billed diagnosis codes for non- DS patients was 3 per patient. For the DS patients, the average billed diagnosis per patient was 4.1. Diagnosis codes were categorized as cancer, and other non-cancer HCCs using the CMS-HCC model category version 22. Of the top ten HCC categories, cancer diagnosis codes were better captured by manual coding, whereas DS captured more non-cancer HCC codes across multiple systems, most significantly in endocrine and cardiovascular systems. Conclusions: Data from this pilot study shows physicians reported DS AI improved quality of their documentation and saved physicians' time. Billing data shows increase capture of non-cancer HCC codes. Use of AI in medical documentation can decrease physician burden and improve quality of patient care. E&M Diagnosis Codes Non-Deep Scribe Deep Scribe Patient visit count 27,236 4,584 Diagnosis code count 82,231 18,702 Average 3.0 4.1 Median 2 3 Mode 2.0 1.0 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

26 Background: With over 530 physicians across 280 locations, the new patient time to first appointment varied across the state, with results ranging from 1 to 33 average days to schedule. Beginning in January 2021, a new patient scheduling model was developed to improve access to care and the patient experience. A new patient scheduling model was developed. The program was structured to support both on site and remote scheduling. Methods: Provider scheduling cards detailing physician preferences for scheduling, required records and prioritization for the type of diseases seen was implemented. Physicians were required to designate new patient time slots in their clinics tied to new patient volume trends. New patient scheduling workflows and required record guidelines were standardized and revised. Reporting and tracking metrics were created – average days to schedule, average days to appointment, referral fulfillment rate, referral to appointment ratio, true cancellation rate. Physicians were eligible to participate in a yearly bonus if time to first appointment goals were met. Utilized Virtual and in-person APPs provided benign hematology consults to address capacity constraints. Results: New patient true cancellation rates decreased from 9.84% to 5.22% resulting in capture of over 800 patients a month. There was a 56% increase in patient retention with a 138% increase in referral volume. The Practice realized a 69% reduction in average days to schedule from 9 to 3 days. The average time to first appointments improved from 23 to 14 days; a 38% decrease. Conclusions: With increasing numbers of new cancer patients, increasing numbers of cancer survivors and shortages of medical oncologists, it is essential to maintain access to timely cancer care. New models helped improve patient experience and practice retention of new cancer patients, by focusing on administrative staff to implement these programs. APP benign hematology clinics freed up physician time for new cancer patient consults. Physician support was obtained with education, frequent outreach, and financial incentives. 2021 Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Q3 2021 Q4 2022 Q1 2022 Q2 2022 Q3 2022 Q4 2023 Q1 2023 Q2 2023 Q3 2023 Q4 2024 Q1 Referral Volume 44,305 54,379 57,282 57,475 67,890 75,111 79,281 75,843 85,419 91,811 94,286 88,396 100,115 Avg. Days to Scheduled 9.1 6.9 5.4 6.2 5.8 4.9 3.9 4.0 3.7 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.3 Avg. Days to Appointment 22.4 24.3 23.3 22.9 20.9 21.8 20.0 19.2 17.0 17.5 17.1 16.7 14.9 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

14 Background: High value cancer care is defined by access to coordinated, appropriate healthcare services that achieve optimal outcomes at a reasonable cost. Evidence supports outpatient cancer rehabilitation (physical, occupational or speech therapy) as a mechanism to improve outcomes such as health-related quality of life, suggesting that integration of these services is beneficial for cancer survivors. However, the impact of outpatient rehabilitation services on healthcare costs is unknown. We aimed to compare cost segments between those who attended community-based outpatient rehabilitation therapy services (Rehab) versus those who did not (Non-rehab). We hypothesized that healthcare costs would be lower for the Rehab group in the following cost segments: emergency department (ED), part D drugs, home health services, skilled nursing facility services (SNF), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF), and hospice. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries who received chemotherapy at a large community oncology practice that participated in the oncology care model (OCM) program from 2018 to 2021. Two data sources were linked, OCM cost data and the rehabilitation medical record. This yielded sufficient sample sizes for analysis of breast, lung, or multiple myeloma (MM) cancer types. Rehab cases were then matched to Non-rehab cases 3:1 based on cancer type, stage, and sex. Cost variables included total cost of care (TCOC) and cost segments using OCM methodology. Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon statistic (p<.05) was used for analysis. Results: Cases (N=3,033) primarily had early-stage cancer (0 to 2, 74.8%) and were 70.4±7.3 (Rehab) or 71.6±8.5 years old at diagnosis (Non-rehab). Most had breast cancer (81.2%), followed by lung cancer (11.7%) and MM (7.2%). TCOC was $32,387 and $26,257 for the Rehab and Non-rehab groups, respectively. Costs were significantly lower for the Rehab group in five of the six segments analyzed; IRF costs were lower, but not statistically significant (Table). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the influence of real-world, outpatient cancer rehabilitation therapy services on the cost of cancer care. Community-based therapy services were associated with significantly lower costs in ED, part D drugs, home health, SNF, and hospice segments. Future studies examining rehabilitation services as a relatively low-cost supportive care option to meet patient needs and enhance high-value care are warranted. Healthcare segment costs for rehab vs. non-rehab cases. Rehab Non-rehab Between-group Difference Mean, (SD) Mean (SD) p-value ED $85 (260) $104 (372).019 Part D drugs $4,813 (18,221) $5,675 (18,797) <.001 Home health $433 (1,600) $705 (2,118) <.001 SNF $160 (1,988) $386 (3,943).046 Hospice $75 (770) $198 (1,529) <.001 IRF $245 (2,275) $384 (3,277).434 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports a study of on-the-job special education trainees' perceptions regarding job satisfactions and challenges, congruence between expectations and reality of working conditions, and predicted commitment to special education. Results indicated 48 percent would eventually leave special education. (SM)

Heat stress has negative consequences for milk production and reproduction of dairy cattle. These adverse effects are likely to increase because of climate change and anticipated increases in milk yield. Some of the variation among cows in ability to resist effects of heat stress is genetic. The current objective of this observational study was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian breeding value for heat tolerance (ABVHT) based on the decline in milk yield with heat stress for predicting cow differences in effects of heat stress on regulation of body temperature, milk production, and reproductive function. Genomic breeding values for heat tolerance were calculated for 12,487 cows from a single California dairy farm. Rectal temperature in the afternoon (1100–2045 h) was measured on a subset of 626 lactating cows with ABVHT ≥102 (heat tolerant) or <102 (heat sensitive). Rectal temperature was 0.12°C lower for heat-tolerant cows than heat-sensitive cows. Vaginal temperatures were measured every 15 min for 5 d in 118 cows with ABVHT ≥108 (extreme heat tolerant) or <97 (extreme heat sensitive). Vaginal temperature was 0.07°C lower for extreme heat–tolerant cows than extreme heat–sensitive cows. Lactation records for 4,703 cows with ABVHT were used to evaluate seasonal variation in first 90-d milk yield, fat percent, and protein percent for each ABVHT quartile. Overall, cows with higher ABVHT had lower milk yield, fat percentage, and protein percentage and higher first service pregnancy rate. There was no summer depression in production or reproduction or interactions between season and ABVHT quartile. We observed that ABVHT can successfully identify heat-tolerant cows that maintain lower body temperatures during heat stress. The lack of a pronounced seasonality in milk production or reproduction precluded evaluation of whether ABVHT is related to the magnitude of effect of heat stress on those traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban landscaping conversions can alter decomposition processes and soil respiration, making it difficult to forecast regional CO2 emissions. Here we explore rates of initial mass loss and net nitrogen (N) mineralization in natural and four common urban land covers (waterwise, waterwise with mulch, shrub, and lawn) from sites across seven colleges in southern California. We found that rates of decomposition and net N mineralization were faster for high-N leaf substrates, and natural habitats exhibited slower rates of decomposition and mineralization than managed urban landcovers, especially lawns and areas with added mulch. These results were consistent across college campuses, suggesting that our findings are robust and can predict decomposition rates across southern California. While mechanisms driving differences in decomposition rates among habitats in the cool-wet spring were difficult to identify, elevated decomposition in urban habitats highlights that conversion of natural areas to urban landscapes enhances greenhouse gas emissions. While perceived as sustainable, elevated decomposition rates in areas with added mulch mean that while these transformations may reduce water inputs, they increase soil carbon (C) flux. Mimicking natural landscapes by reducing water and nutrient (mulch) inputs and planting drought-tolerant native vegetation with recalcitrant litter can slow decomposition and reduce regional C emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The California Current System is thought to be particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification, yet pH remains chronically undersampled along this coast, limiting our ability to assess the impacts of ocean acidification. To address this observational gap, we integrated the Deep-Sea-DuraFET, a solid-state pH sensor, onto a Spray underwater glider. Over the course of a year starting in April 2019, we conducted seven missions in central California that spanned 161 glider days and >1600 dives to a maximum depth of 1000 m. The sensor accuracy was estimated to be ± 0.01 based on comparisons to discrete samples taken alongside the glider (n = 105), and the precision was ± 0.0016. CO2 partial pressure, dissolved inorganic carbon, and aragonite saturation state could be estimated from the pH data with uncertainty better than ± 2.5%, ± 8 μmol kg-1, and ± 2%, respectively. The sensor was stable to ± 0.01 for the first 9 months but exhibited a drift of 0.015 during the last mission. The drift was correctable using a piecewise linear regression based on a reference pH field at 450 m estimated from published global empirical algorithms. These algorithms require accurate O2 as inputs; thus, protocols for a simple predeployment air calibration that achieved accuracy of better than 1% were implemented. The glider observations revealed upwelling of undersaturated waters with respect to aragonite to within 5 m below the surface near Monterey Bay. These observations highlight the importance of persistent observations through autonomous platforms in highly dynamic coastal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affordability is critical in drinking water treatment selection, requiring consideration of both capital and operations and maintenance (O&M) costs. With ongoing O&M costs as a potential limiting factor in the economic sustainability of treatment, recent work in California explores a new approach using consolidated management of multiple water systems to reduce O&M costs. In the context of drinking water treatment for nitrate removal, affordability of treatment with and without consolidated management was investigated for three small systems in the Central Valley. Findings from initial cost estimates suggest that consolidated management of nitrate treatment has the potential to be more affordable than the conventional approach; estimated total annualized costs were reduced by as much as 44%, primarily as a result of anticipated O&M savings on disposal and labor costs. This assessment also highlights the practical application of various affordability metrics, including consideration of socioeconomic indicators, cost of living, nondiscretionary expenditures, affordability ratios, and affordability thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of data from four surveys indicated that neither Black nor Mexican-American students suffered from low self-esteem despite the fact that they perceived mistreatment based on their ethnic status. Whether a school was predominantly Black or predominantly White did not affect Blacks' perceived racial mistreatment. (Author/MJL)