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The unculturable bacterium 'Candidatus Liberibacter soianacearum' (CLso) is responsible for a growing number of emerging crop diseases. However, we know little about the diversity and ecology of CLso and its psyllid vectors outside of agricultural systems, which limits our ability to manage crop disease and understand the impacts this pathogen may have on wild plants in natural ecosystems. In North America, CLso is transmitted to crops by the native potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli). However, the geographic and host plant range of the potato psyllid and CLso beyond the borders of agriculture are not well understood. A recent study of historic herbarium specimens revealed that a unique haplotype of CLso was present infecting populations of the native perennial Solanum umbelliferum in California decades before CLso was first detected in crops. We hypothesized that this haplotype and other potentially novel CLso variants arc still present in S. umbelliferum populations. To test this, we surveyed populations of S'. umbelliferum in Southern California for CLso and potato psyllid vectors. We found multiple haplotypes of CLso and the potato psyllid associated with these populations, with none of these genetic variants having been previously reported in California crops. These results suggest that CLso and its psyllid vectors are much more widespread and diverse in North American natural plant communities than suggested by data collected solely from crops and weeds in agricultural fields. Further characterization of these apparently asymptomatic haplotypes will facilitate comparison with disease-causing variants and provide insights into the continued emergence and spread of CLso. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the short-term effects of a web-based alcohol misuse and harm prevention course (College Alc) among incoming freshmen at a California public university. Analysis results indicated that at the end of the fall semester, students randomly assigned to College Alc (n = 173) had a higher level of alcohol-related knowledge and less positive attitude toward alcohol use than students in the control group (n = 197). Students assigned to College Alc also reported a somewhat higher level of intentions to use strategies to minimize alcohol-related harm. College Alc did not have any effects on other targeted psychosocial factors (e.g., alcohol expectancies), alcohol use and heavy drinking, and alcohol-related problems. Observed effect sizes were generally small, suggesting that College Alc may have no effect on students' risk for alcohol misuse and related harm. (Contains 2 tables.)

In an age of experimentation, library users from Cerritos, California, to Salt Lake City to Seattle are experiencing public libraries the likes of which they have never before seen. While the 1990s may be remembered as the era of the anchor facility, when libraries were called upon to define and support a community's renaissance, this decade's library projects are responding to a new set of expectations and opportunities. A key element, of course, is technology. While older buildings may have accommodated technology, today's new libraries are formed by it. Librarians are keenly aware of the competition, from the mega-bookstores to Kinko's, and retail models are also driving service and design. Rolled into this is a respect for traditional library environments that encourage quiet study and reflective learning. The goal is to be nothing less than the locus for activity in the community. This article presents four libraries in development now that take risks to expand their reach: (1) Darien Library; (2) the Free Library of Philadelphia; (3) St. Louis Public Library; and (4) the North Natomas Library. While each is unique, they all have the potential to make people think about libraries in entirely new ways.

Analyzes the differences in the success of Silicon Valley and Route 128 firms which have been the centers of innovation and commercialization for the electronics, computer and data communication industries in the postwar period. Path-dependent and dominant design explanations of technical and industrial change; Differences in the technological trajectories of the industries underlying the two regions.

Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) is a method of recycling wastewater to create a potable water source. DPR is a particularly useful technology in arid, drought-prone regions, including California, because it is a self-sustaining water source. Despite being safe, efficient, and useful, potable reuse methods, including DPR, have faced intense public opposition. Such opposition has stopped several projects in California. In January 2018, California State Assembly Bill 574 (AB 574) took effect. AB 574 requires California's State Water Resources Control Board to adopt regulations for DPR by 2023, so long as the regulations are found to adequately protect public health. Once adopted, California would become the first state to have uniform regulations for DPR. But while uniform regulations will be an important step toward the realization of DPR technology, California's success in implementing DPR will ultimately depend on public acceptance of DPR as a legitimate source of water. This Comment seeks to provide California's state and local governments with strategies to garner public support for DPR projects. First, this Comment provides a framework for gaining public acceptance of DPR. Second, this Comment explains why California is well-suited to the adoption of DPR technology, and describes California's history with potable reuse. Third, this Comment illustrates the main obstacle to DPR--public opposition--through a series of case studies. Fourth and finally, this Comment applies the framework for gaining public acceptance to the case studies to illustrate a holistic approach to legitimizing DPR. "When was sewage ever classified as being pure?" asked the Revolting Grandmas, a San Diego grassroots group. The Grandmas were revolting against recycling wastewater for potable use, also known as 'potable reuse.' They feared waterborne illness, distrusted the purification technology, and were simply disgusted by the idea of drinking water that once went down someone's toilet.2 And they were not alone in their concerns. Public opposition to recycled wastewater has stopped several potable reuse projects in California. Public concerns about recycled wastewater derive, in part, from an ancient human fear of waterborne disease that has complicated mankind's relationship with water: "[t]here is no life without water. Indeed, we use its presence as an indicator for the possibility of life beyond the earth. But drinking water can kill, and always has."3 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Americans regard Silicon Valley and Route 128 as symbols of America's economic and technological success; they are held out as models for the rest of the American economy. But their success is misleading. In fact, the U.S. microelectronics industry is too fragmented; very few start-ups ever become large enough to compete effectively in global markets. More importantly, because these firms have not been able to develop close working relationships with their customers, who are primarily traditional manufacturing companies, the latter continue to slip further behind. The innovations of America's high-tech firms are not being diffused throughout the rest of the American economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid the successes of local sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes, interest in state-wide policies has grown. This study evaluated the cost effectiveness of a hypothetical 2-cent-per-ounce excise tax in California and its implications for population health and health equity. Using the Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study microsimulation model, tax impacts on health, health equity, and cost effectiveness over 10 years in California were projected, both overall and stratified by race/ethnicity and income. Expanding on previous models, differences in the effect of intake of SSBs on weight by BMI category were incorporated. Costing was performed in 2020, and analyses were conducted in 2021–2022. The tax is projected to save $4.55 billion in healthcare costs, prevent 266,000 obesity cases in 2032, and gain 114,000 quality-adjusted life years. Cost-effectiveness metrics, including cost/quality-adjusted life year gained, were cost saving. Spending on SSBs was projected to decrease by $33 per adult and $26 per child overall in the first year. Reductions in obesity prevalence for Black and Hispanic Californians were 1.8 times larger than for White Californians, and reductions for adults with lowest incomes (<130% Federal Poverty Level) were 1.4 times the reduction among those with highest incomes (>350% Federal Poverty Level). The tax is projected to save $112 in obesity-related healthcare costs per $1 invested. A state-wide SSB tax in California would be cost saving, lead to reductions in obesity and improvement in SSB-related health equity, and lead to overall improvements in population health. The policy would generate more than $1.6 billion in state tax revenue annually that can also be used to improve health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oncology nurses have increased exposure to the prolonged illness, tragedy, loss, and premature death of patients. As a result, they are at higher risk for developing compassion fatigue. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine if use of the Provider Resilience mobile application (PRMA) will improve oncology nurses' professional quality of life. Methods: The quasiexperimental design was comprised of a longitudinal approach to evaluate the effect of an intervention program, PRMA, on professional quality of life between two nonrandomized groups (intervention and control) using pre- and post-tests in a sample of oncology RNs. Findings: The findings of this study demonstrated no significant relationships between the intervention and control groups on secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction, and burnout among oncology nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the coverage effects of California's 2011 Low-Income Health Program (LIHP), enacted as an "early expansion" under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and to demonstrate the feasibility of using Census data to measure county-level coverage changes.Data Sources/study Setting: 2008-2012 American Community Survey (ACS). The sample contained California adults ages 19-64 years (n = 237,876) and children 0-18 years (n = 113,159) with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.Study Design: Differences-in-differences analysis comparing public coverage, private insurance, and the uninsured rate in counties that expanded the LIHP in 2011 versus California counties not expanding during this time. Additional analyses tested for heterogeneous impacts of the LIHP and spillover effects on children.Principal Findings: Compared to nonexpansion counties, public coverage for adults increased by 1.8 percentage points (p = .02) in expanding counties, while the uninsured rate declined by 2.1 percentage points (p = .01). There was no significant change in private coverage. Public coverage gains were largest for Latinos and those with limited English proficiency. The expansion produced a positive spillover effect on children's Medicaid enrollment.Conclusions: California's 2011 expansion produced significant increases in public coverage for low-income individuals, particularly Latinos. Substate coverage analyses with the ACS can add valuable detail to future assessments of the ACA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) dramatically expands Medicaid in 2014 in participating states. Meanwhile, six states have already expanded Medicaid since 2010 to some or all of the low-income adults targeted under health reform. We undertook an in-depth exploration of these six “early-expander” states—California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington—through interviews with high-ranking Medicaid officials. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 high-ranking Medicaid officials in six states and analyzed the interviews using qualitative methods. Interviews explored enrollment outreach, stakeholder involvement, impact on beneficiaries, utilization and costs, implementation challenges, and potential lessons for 2014. Two investigators independently analyzed interview transcripts and iteratively refined the codebook until reaching consensus. Results: We identified several themes. First, these expansions built upon pre-existing state-funded insurance programs for the poor. Second, predictions about costs and enrollment were challenging, indicating the uncertainty in projections for 2014. Other themes included greater than anticipated need for behavioral health services in the expansion population, administrative challenges of expansions, and persistent barriers to enrollment and access after expanding eligibility—though officials overall felt the expansions increased access for beneficiaries. Finally, political context—support or opposition from stakeholders and voters—plays a critical role in shaping the success of Medicaid expansions. Conclusions: Early Medicaid expansions under the ACA offer important lessons to federal and state policymakers as the 2014 expansions approach. While the context of each state’s expansion is unique, key shared experiences were significant implementation challenges and opportunities for expanding access to needed services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated relationships among modern diatom species composition and physical and chemical characteristics of high-elevation lakes of the Sierra Nevada (California), to develop transfer functions that can be used to infer historic lake conditions. Data were collected from 50 lakes in National Parks and Forests of the central and southern Sierra Nevada. Multivariate statistical methods revealed that acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) and nitrate accounted for significant variation in diatom taxa. A training set with 242 modern diatom taxa from a subset of 41 lakes was used to develop transfer functions for ANC and nitrate using weighted averaging techniques. ANC and nitrate calibration ranges were 23.0-137 μEq/L and 0.18-9.5 μM, respectively. Coefficients of determination for the models were: ANC: R = 0.76, and R = 0.44; NO: R = 0.67, and R = 0.27. The ANC model was applied to the top 50 cm of sediments in Moat Lake to reconstruct ANC from ca. AD 350 to 2005. The reconstruction suggests that ANC declined by about 40 % (101-60 μEq/L) between the 1920s and the 1960s and then recovered to pre-1920s levels during 1980-2000. The magnitude of this ANC excursion was the largest observed during the past 1,600 years. We hypothesize that temporal variations in ANC were influenced by: (1) changes in rates of acid deposition, especially nitric acid and (2) variations in the timing and magnitude of snowmelt runoff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose.: Examine effects of a Medicaid family planning waiver on the receipt of reproductive health care and pregnancy. Design.: The present study uses a quasiexperimental design using data from the California Women's Health Survey and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for exposure and comparison groups, before and after California's Planning Access Care and Treatment waiver. Setting.: The setting was California and comparison states. Subjects.: The study included women who were ages 18 to 44 years and below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL), who are eligible for services under the waiver. Measures.: The study measured self-reported pregnancy and receipt of routine checkup, clinical breast exam, Pap test, Chlamydia screening, and discussion of birth control with provider in the past year. Analysis.: The study analyzes outcomes for exposure and comparison groups using probit regression models based on data both within California and in states without waivers. Results.: Estimates from the California Women's Health Survey analysis indicate that among parents 100% to 200% of the FPL, the waiver led to an 8–percentage point increase in the receipt of a routine checkup and a 12–percentage point increase (p =.03) in discussion of birth control. There was an estimated 3–percentage point decline (p =.05) in current pregnancies among nulliparous women. Multistate analysis using the BRFSS confirmed positive effects on routine checkups (p <.01). Conclusions.: The waiver appears to have led to a reduction in pregnancy rates and increased receipt of reproductive health care, particularly routine checkups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are large differences in US health insurance coverage by racial and ethnic groups, yet there have been no estimates to date on how implementation of the Affordable Care Act will affect the distribution of coverage by race and ethnicity.We used a microsimulation model to show that racial and ethnic differentials in coverage could be greatly reduced, potentially cutting the eight-percentage-point black-white differential in uninsurance rates by more than half and the nineteen-percentage-point Hispanic-white differential by just under one-quarter. However, blacks and Hispanics are still projected to remain more likely to be uninsured than whites. Achieving low uninsurance under the Affordable Care Act will depend on effective state policies to attain high enrollment in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program and the new insurance exchanges. Coverage gains among Hispanics will probably depend on adoption of strategies that address language and related barriers to enrollment and retention in California and Texas, where almost half of Hispanics live. If uninsurance is reduced to the extent projected in this analysis, sizable reductions in long-standing racial and ethnic differentials in access to health care and health status are likely to follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summarizes an investigation into HIV transmission cases among adult film industry workers in Los Angeles, California in 2004. Use of nucleic acid testing method for testing film industry workers; Background on the sex-related activities of the workers.

Deconstructs the claim of a group of academics and body of scholarship for the centrality of Los Angeles, California as a contemporary global industrial city. Recapitulation of Los Angeles' failure in the traditional Fordist industries; Discussion on real estate, financial services and movies in Los Angeles; Role of Los Angeles in the emergent Asia-dominated Pacific Rim economy.

The article examines the provision of Medicaid coverage for maternity care to aliens in California. It also addresses the timing of pregnant aliens' enrollment in a Medicaid program called Medi-Cal, the potential cost to the state and federal government of providing services to these women and the possible implications of Proposition 187 for state expenditures and birth outcomes. The findings also raise questions regarding the potential impact of implementing Proposition 187 to eliminate prenatal care services to undocumented aliens.

This article examines the extent and correlates of discrimination faced by young, accented, Hispanic males in Chicago, Illinois and San Diego, California, using the outcomes of job applications by matched pairs of Anglo and Hispanic job seekers. This is one of the first examples of audits being used in the labor market area. The audit methodology provides a powerful basis for examining discriminatory hiring practices, because it permits direct comparison of hiring outcomes for pairs of Anglo and Hispanic job seekers with similar labor market qualifications. Authors of this paper first present differences in Anglo-Hispanic success rates in filing applications, obtaining interviews, and obtaining jobs. They then focus on the correlates of differential success in obtaining interviews and in subsequent job acquisition. Results of this study strongly suggest that discrimination in hiring exists, but that one needs to learn more about the circumstances surrounding differential treatment. Greater understanding of the patterns of discriminatory treatment and the circumstances under which its likelihood increases is crucial to provide guidance on where to target civil-rights enforcement efforts.

Background: We determined the impact of data volume and diversity and training conditions on recurrent neural network methods compared with traditional machine learning methods.Methods and Results: Using longitudinal electronic health record data, we assessed the relative performance of machine learning models trained to detect a future diagnosis of heart failure in primary care patients. Model performance was assessed in relation to data parameters defined by the combination of different data domains (data diversity), the number of patient records in the training data set (data quantity), the number of encounters per patient (data density), the prediction window length, and the observation window length (ie, the time period before the prediction window that is the source of features for prediction). Data on 4370 incident heart failure cases and 30 132 group-matched controls were used. Recurrent neural network model performance was superior under a variety of conditions that included (1) when data were less diverse (eg, a single data domain like medication or vital signs) given the same training size; (2) as data quantity increased; (3) as density increased; (4) as the observation window length increased; and (5) as the prediction window length decreased. When all data domains were used, the performance of recurrent neural network models increased in relation to the quantity of data used (ie, up to 100% of the data). When data are sparse (ie, fewer features or low dimension), model performance is lower, but a much smaller training set size is required to achieve optimal performance compared with conditions where data are more diverse and includes more features.Conclusions: Recurrent neural networks are effective for predicting a future diagnosis of heart failure given sufficient training set size. Model performance appears to continue to improve in direct relation to training set size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine sediments at many locations in the world are contaminated with a wide range of persistent organic pollutants. The Palos Verdes Shelf (PVS) is located in the ocean off the coast of Los Angeles, California and has been listed as a Superfund site by the US EPA since 1997, because of heavy contamination of DDTs and PCBs. However, little is known about the historical trend in the deposition of DDTs as a result of decades-long discharge of wastewater effluents. In this study, sediment cores were taken from the PVS site and determined for DDT and its metabolites including DDE and DDD (denoted as DDTs). Individual DDTs were found in the majority (95%) of the samples analyzed. The highest ∑ DDT concentrations were found in three cores along the 60-meter isobath with geometric means of 31300, 7490, and 5010 ng/g dw and medians of 82400, 17300, and 5200 ng/g dw, respectively. Among DDT congeners, p , p ′-DDE, o , p ′-DDE and p , p ′-DDD were predominant, contributing to approximately 54%, 27%, and 14% of the ΣDDTs in sediment. The vertical profiles of concentrations of contaminants in the sediment cores were examined. For most of the cores, a steady increase in the concentrations of DDTs during 1940s to 1980s was observed, while the concentrations declined gradually toward the surficial layers. On the basis of the mass flux of DDTs calculated and the area of the PVS Superfund site, we estimated the total deposition amount of DDTs in sediment and the deposition amount of ΣDDTs in this region during 1947–1971 was 132 tons, which was fairly close to what was reported in earlier studies for industrial wastewater discharge in the PVS site (870–1450 tons). Our findings suggest that the elevated levels of DDTs in sediment from the PVS site are linked to the discharge of these contaminants between the 1940s–1980s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This randomized, controlled, multisite Department of Veterans Affairs clinical trial assessed robot-assisted (RA) upper-limb therapy with the Mirror Image Movement Enabler (MIME) in the acute stroke rehabilitation setting. Hemiparetic subjects (n = 54) received RA therapy using MIME for either up to 15 hours (low-dose) or 30 hours (high-dose) or received up to 15 hours of additional conventional therapy in addition to usual care (control). The primary outcome measure was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA). The secondary outcome measures were the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Wolf Motor Function Test, Motor Power, and Ashworth scores at intake, discharge, and 6-month follow-up. Mean duration of study treatment was 8.6, 15.8, and 9.4 hours for the low-dose, high-dose, and control groups, respectively. Gains in the primary outcome measure were not significantly different between groups at follow- up. Significant correlations were found at discharge between FMA gains and the dose and intensity of RA. Intensity also correlated with FMA gain at 6 months. The high-dose group had greater FIM gains than controls at discharge and greater tone but no difference in FIM changes compared with low-dose subjects at 6 months. As used during acute rehabilitation, motor-control changes at follow-up were no less with MIME than with additional conventional therapy. Intensity of training with MIME was positively correlated with motor-control gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: 3D detectors, with electrodes penetrating the entire silicon wafer and active edges, were fabricated at the Stanford Nano Fabrication Facility (SNF), California, USA, with different electrode configurations. After irradiation with neutrons up to a fluence of 8.8×1015 neq cm−2, they were characterised using an infrared laser tuned to inject ∼2 minimum ionising particles showing signal efficiencies as high as 66% for the configuration with the shortest (56μm) inter-electrode spacing. Sensors from the same wafer were also bump-bonded to the ATLAS FE-I3 pixel readout chip and their noise characterised. Most probable signal-to-noise ratios were calculated before and after irradiation to be as good as 38:1 after the highest irradiation level with a substrate thickness of 210μm. These devices are promising candidates for application at the LHC such as the very forward detectors at ATLAS and CMS, the ATLAS B-Layer replacement and the general pixel upgrade. Moreover, 3D sensors could play a role in applications where high speed, high-resolution detectors are required, such as the vertex locators at the proposed Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) at CERN. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate use of the Internet to solicit sex partners by men who have sex with men (MSM) who were diagnosed with early syphilis infection. Study: Field interview records for syphilis patients were reviewed for factors associated with Internet use. Results: Internet users were more likely to be of white race (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-1.8), to report anal insertive sex (PR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.1-1.2), sex with anonymous partners (PR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.3), intravenous drug use (PR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.1-6.7), and nonintravenous drug use (PR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.8). Controlling for race and sexual risk behaviors, white race (odds ratio [OR], 2.8; 95% CI, 1.8-4.6), having anonymous sex partners (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.6-7.0), and nonintravenous drug use (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.6) were associated with meeting sex partners through the Internet. Conclusions: Effective sexually transmitted disease risk reduction interventions using the Internet are needed to reach Internet-using, sex-seeking MSM populations engaging in high-risk behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]