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Statewide physical fitness testing is gaining popularity in the United States because of increased childhood obesity levels, the relations between physical fitness and academic performance, and the hypothesized relations between adult characteristics and childhood physical activity, physical fitness, and health behaviors. Large-scale physical fitness testing can be fraught with problems unless properly planned and conducted. Legislators, administrators, teachers, and parents should consider the following 10 essential issues when conducting large-scale physical fitness testing: purpose of testing, proper planning, training, quality of the data, reporting, support, costs, interpretation, programmatic matters, and policies and politics. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)

Instructors have many tools to consider when offering online courses: chat rooms, discussion boards, and interactive Web environments, to name a few. The selection of applications for instructional purposes can be a complicated task as the number available grows. Not only must the application work, but it also must have a pedagogical purpose or serve an instructional requirement. The investigation reported in this article looked at synchronous online application selection in the e-conferencing environment. The authors studied 23 instructors who used e-conferencing in their courses for two semesters. The instructors were surveyed to determine which tools proved effective in accomplishing specific instructional tasks. Results from this study indicate that using e-conferencing tools for synchronous online instruction is effective. Results also point to the development of common techniques for using specific practices and e-conferencing tools to reinforce good instructional principles. Further exploration of this powerful tool set is necessary, and targeted research into the effective use of specific e-conferencing tools may lead to major improvements in the delivery of synchronous online education. By studying the combination of online tools provided by this software, specifically as it relates to specific learning/teaching objectives, researchers can improve the instructional value of its implementation. (Contains 5 figures, 1 table, and 11 endnotes.)

The authors describe the development of the California Brief Multicultural Competence Scale (CBMCS). The 21-item CBMCS was derived from principal component analysis, item content validated by a panel of experts, and confirmatory factor analyses. Several studies provided internal consistency, subscale intercorrelations, criterion-related validation, and assessment of possible social desirability contamination.

Describes a study of workload policies and practices in California schools of education, identifying emerging workload issues for developing fair workload policies. Findings include teaching loads and workloads are not synonymous; public and private university policies differ; and teaching is the main criterion in evaluation of faculty members. (SM)

62 Background: Although palliative care is available across the United States, access continues to remain variable. In Texas, only 52% of hospital systems have palliative services. As a result, optimizing existing systems is critical to providing timely services to this vulnerable population. The Supportive Care Services Clinic at University Health in San Antonio, TX provides ambulatory palliative services to patients including physical and psychosocial symptom management and care coordination. For the period April 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023 average lead times for new palliative patient visits (NPPV) and hospital consult discharge visits (HCDV) was 53 days and 39 days respectively. The aim of this project was to decrease the lead times for NPPV and HCDV through standardization of scheduling criteria. We hypothesized that by applying a scheduling protocol utilizing cognitive computing models (CCM) calculating readmission risk scores to prioritize referrals, we could reduce appointment lead times. Methods: During the implementation phase, we developed referral triage criteria to prioritize patients on a scheduling wait list, including patients who were at higher risk of hospitalization or rapid decline based on CCM readmission risk scores calculated within the electronic medical record. Patients were assigned to next available in template. If a cancelation occurred, patients were pulled forward and vacancy was filled based on priority score. Results: For the initial post-implementation period between September 1, 2023 and November 30, 2023 NPPV average lead time was 47 days which was a reduction of 11% from baseline. The average lead time for HCDV was 33 days which was a reduction of 15% from baseline. In a second follow-up period from February 1, 2024 to April 30, 2024, the average lead time of NPPV was 22 days, a 58% decrease from baseline. The average lead time for HCSV was 24 days which was a significant reduction (p-value = 0.011) of 38% from the pre-implementation baseline. Conclusions: Utilization of CCM risk scores to triage NPPV and HCDV significantly reduced the lead times and resulted in more timely services for critical patients. We also noted increased template utilization. Future projects aim to study the effects of scheduling protocols on template utilization, cancellation rates, no-show rates, readmission rates and other health care utilization. Palliative appointment lead times. April-June 2023 Sept-Nov 2023 Feb-Apr 2024 Total Pt Seen 292 364 534 Avg Lead Time (d) 41 38 29 New Patient New Patient New Patient Completed 66 82 74 Avg Lead Time (d) 53 47 22 Hospital Discharge Hospital Discharge Hospital Discharge Completed 27 28 25 Avg Lead Time (d) 39 33 24 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

185 Background: Despite advances in antiemetics given during chemotherapy, nausea remains a clinically significant issue and greatly impairs quality of life (QOL). Current ASCO guidelines recommend olanzapine or prochlorperazine for refractory chemotherapy-induced nausea. However, there is a lack of direct empirical comparisons to establish their relative efficacy. Methods: The URCC NCORP Research Base and 21 NCORP practices enrolled 1,363 chemotherapy-naïve patients with breast cancer starting a high/moderate emetogenic chemotherapy regimen to this Phase III RCT (NCT03367572). Antiemetics were prescribed per ASCO guidelines. Screening occurred during Cycle 1, followed by randomization for Cycle 2. Those with ≥ moderate nausea (≥3 on a 1-7 scale) in Cycle 1 and willing to continue were randomized (1:1:1 ratio) into 3 arms (n=310): 1) ASCO regimen plus olanzapine (OLZ), 2) ASCO regimen plus prochlorperazine (PC), or 3) ASCO regimen plus placebo. Nausea was evaluated using a four-day home diary (4x daily), with the primary outcomes being changes in average (avg) and maximum (max) nausea. FACT-G measured QOL. Intent-to-treat primary analyses (ANOVA and Cohen's Δ effect size) evaluated whether OLZ or PC improved nausea, testing between-arm differences in nausea change from Cycle 1 to 2 compared to placebo at a p=0.025 significance level corrected for 3 arms. Results: The median age was 50.7y, with 80.7% White/12.3% Black/5.8% Asian/4.2% Latino, and evenly distributed across groups. The change in avg nausea score was statistically significant for the OLZ (avg change = −1.07: Cohen's Δ = 0.49) and PC arms (avg change = −0.94: Cohen's Δ = 0.38) compared to the placebo (avg change = −0.50; p <0.001 vs OLZ, p = 0.01 vs PC). Similar but larger changes were noted for change in max nausea score in the OLZ (max change = −2.57: Cohen's Δ = 0.86) and PC arms (max change = −2.01: Cohen's Δ = 0.47) against the placebo (max change = −1.30; p <0.001 vs OLZ, p <0.01 vs PC). The OLZ arm had a clinically significant change in overall QOL from pre-chemo to Cycle 2 vs placebo (FACT-G mean difference = +4.91; p = 0.006) but the PC arm vs placebo did not (FACT-G mean difference = −0.87; p = 0.61). OLZ exhibited superiority over PC in terms of changes in max nausea (mean difference = −0.56; p = 0.023) and QOL (FACT-G mean difference = +5.80; p = 0.006), but not for avg nausea (mean difference = −0.13; p = 0.418). Conclusions: OLZ and PC, when added to ASCO guidelines, each significantly reduces refractory nausea. OLZ demonstrates superior max nausea control with clinically and statistically significant improvements in QOL. This study fills the gap in empirical comparisons and solidifies OLZ's position as a promising intervention for refractory nausea. Clinical trial information: NCT03367572. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hayward fault in California's San Francisco Bay area produces large earthquakes, with the last occurring in 1868. We examine how physics‐based dynamic rupture modeling can be used to numerically simulate large earthquakes on not only the Hayward fault, but also its connected companions to the north and south, the Rodgers Creek and Calaveras faults. Equipped with a wealth of images of this fault system, including those of its 3D geology and 3D geometry, in addition to inferences about its interseismic creep‐rate pattern and rock‐friction behavior, we use a finite‐element computer code to perform 3D dynamic earthquake rupture simulations. We find that the rock properties affect the locations and amount of slip produced in our simulated large earthquakes. Crucial factors that control rupture behavior in our modeling are the earthquake nucleation locations, the fault geometry, and the data that reveal where the fault system is creeping or locked. Our findings suggest that large Rodgers Creek‐Hayward‐Calaveras‐Northern Calaveras (RC‐H‐C‐NC) fault‐system earthquakes may result from dynamic rupture that starts in a locked part of the fault system, but is then stopped by the creeping parts, leading to high‐magnitude‐6 earthquakes; or, from dynamic rupture that starts in a locked part of the fault system, then cascades through some of the creeping parts, leading to magnitude‐7 earthquakes. Plain Language Summary: The San Francisco Bay area has experienced large earthquakes in the past and is likely to experience large earthquakes in the future. Although the San Andreas fault is the best‐known earthquake generator, other San Francisco Bay area faults, including some that slowly move (creep) all of the time are also known to be hazardous. We use computer modeling to simulate large earthquakes on the Hayward fault, and its connected companions to the north and south, the Rodgers Creek and Calaveras faults. In our computer simulations, we include information about the rock properties, rock‐friction, and fault geometry, in addition to inferences about where the faults creep. We find that the earthquake nucleation location, the fault geometry, and the pattern of fault creep, are most important. Our findings suggest that large earthquakes on these faults may result from a fast‐slipping rupture that starts in a locked part of the faults, but is then stopped by the slowly slipping parts of the faults, leading to high‐magnitude‐6 earthquakes, or, from fast‐slipping rupture that starts in a locked part of the faults, then cascades through some of the creeping‐fault parts, leading to magnitude‐7 earthquakes. Key Points: We simulated large earthquakes on the Rodgers Creek‐Hayward‐Calaveras fault system, CaliforniaOur spontaneous rupture (dynamic rupture) simulations included the 3D fault geometry, 3D rock properties, and creeping‐fault patchesThe resulting earthquakes are most affected by which fault they start on, the fault geometry, and the pattern of interseismic fault creep [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congress passed the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA") to ensure that when private employers establish benefit plans for their employees, they keep their promise to provide those benefits. This comprehensive regulatory scheme governs benefits administration, establishes plan reporting requirements, and defines fiduciary duties for those involved in plan administration and decision-making. But ERISA is silent on a key issue affecting plan participants and sponsors today--data privacy and security. The California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"), enacted in 2018 and effective beginning January 1, 2020, represents the most comprehensive data privacy law in the United States. If the CCPA applies to ERISA plans, it will force plan sponsors and administrators to strengthen their data security protocols, increasing participants' data security and consumer rights while also increasing plan administration costs. But whether the CCPA applies to ERISA plans remains an open question. ERISA may preempt the CCPA if a court were to find that the CCPA impermissibly interferes with the administration of ERISA plan benefits. If ERISA preempts the entire CCPA, plans would be exempted from compliance with generally applicable state data privacy laws that would otherwise improve plan security and therefore benefit plan participants. This Comment argues that because ERISA does not create an explicit duty for plans to reasonably safeguard data and the CCPA applies generally, courts should allow for provisions of the law that are not directly connected with employee benefits administration to escape preemption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Physical Activity in Parks Setting (PA-PS) instrument is a series of survey questions designed by a consortium of public health and leisure research scholars to gauge park-based physical activity for use in civilian, noninstitutionalized populations. This paper introduces this self-reported instrument and provides test-retest reliability results. Methods: Data to test the instrument reliability were collected during 2 waves in 2008 through the California Outdoor Recreation Opinions and Attitudes Telephone Survey. To conduct test-retest reliability we examined the agreement between 100 randomly reselected respondents from the first wave of respondents (n = 2004) that answered the same survey within 21 to 30 days of the initial administration. Results: The reliability of measures that categorized individual park use and visitation with others provided moderate levels of agreement (Kappa = 0.44 to 0.64). Questions about park features, facilities and amenity use, and specific park-based physical activity participation were of fair to substantial agreement (Kappa = 0.21 to 0.90) depending on the item in question. Conclusion: The results from these test-retest reliability analyses suggest the PA-PS items were reliable and should be considered in future population surveys that assess park visitation patterns and park-based physical activity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many patients with breast cancer work for pay at the time of their diagnosis, and the treatment plan may threaten their livelihood. Understanding work experiences in a contemporary population-based sample is necessary to inform initiatives to reduce the burden of cancer care.Methods: Women who were 20 to 79 years old and had been diagnosed with stage 0 to II breast cancer, as reported to the Georgia and Los Angeles Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries in 2014-2015, were surveyed. Of the 3672 eligible women, 2502 responded (68%); 1006 who reported working before their diagnosis were analyzed. Multivariate models evaluated correlates of missing work for >1 month and stopping work altogether versus missing work for ≤1 month.Results: In this diverse sample, most patients (62%) underwent lumpectomy; 16% underwent unilateral mastectomy (8% with reconstruction); and 23% underwent bilateral mastectomy (19% with reconstruction). One-third (33%) received chemotherapy. Most (84%) worked full-time before their diagnosis; however, only 50% had paid sick leave, 39% had disability benefits, and 38% had flexible work schedules. Surgical treatment was strongly correlated with missing >1 month of work (odds ratio [OR] for bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction vs lumpectomy, 7.8) and with stopping work altogether (OR for bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction vs lumpectomy, 3.1). Chemotherapy receipt (OR for missing >1 month, 1.3; OR for stopping work altogether, 3.9) and race (OR for missing >1 month for blacks vs whites, 2.0; OR for stopping work altogether for blacks vs whites, 1.7) also correlated. Those with paid sick leave were less likely to stop working (OR, 0.5), as were those with flexible schedules (OR, 0.3).Conclusions: Working patients who received more aggressive treatments were more likely to experience substantial employment disruptions. Cancer 2017;123:4791-9. © 2017 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opportunity theories of crime suggest that crime is highly specific and concentrated in time and space. Using these theories as a framework, this paper seeks to examine the transitory nature of crime. This hypothesis was tested using data from a coastal city in California to examine the relationship between surf conditions (measured at five daily time points) and number of crime incidents (n = 16,075). Crime totals were aggregated at the street segment level (n = 4551) for each day in 2011. These data were modeled using a series of panel negative binomial models, clustered by census block group. The findings suggest that surf conditions had an effect on the likelihood of crime incidents, but these effects were time specific. Favorable surf conditions were associated with increases in crime only between 2:30 pm and 5:29 pm. Additionally, locations closer to surf spots were associated with more crime, relative to locations farther away. Closer examination of micro-geographies aids in understanding how systematic shifts in routine activities affect the frequency and location of crime, and allows crime prevention to be more specialized and efficient. Adding to the extant understanding of hot times and opportunity structures will enable more effective allocation of resources and predictive policing efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of exogenous insulin may be affected by intrinsic factors, such as age, ethnicity/race, and hepatic and renal function. Insulin degludec (IDeg) is a basal insulin with an ultralong duration of action and a flat and stable glucose-lowering effect profile. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic responses to IDeg at steady state vary according to patient race/ethnicity. Methods: This randomized, single-center, double- blind, 2-period crossover trial investigated responses to IDeg in 59 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from 3 groups: African American, Hispanic/Latino, and white. Patients were allocated randomly to a sequence of 2 treatment periods, separated by a 7- to 21-day washout period, with once-daily IDeg or insulin detemir dosing for 6 days at a predefined fixed dose level (0.6 U/kg). Differences in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variables among groups were analyzed using an ANOVA with treatment period, an interaction between race/ethnicity, and treatment as fixed factors, subject as a random effect, and residual variance, depending on treatment. Results: Total exposure to IDeg during one dosing interval at steady state (AUCIDegτ,ss,) was similar among the racial/ethnic groups (ratio [95% Q|: African American vs white, 1.10 [0.91-1.31]; African American vs Hispanic/Latino, 1.13 [0.95-1.34]; and Hispanic/Latino vs white, 0.97 [0.82-1.16]). The total glucose-lowering effect of IDeg (AUCGIR,τ,SS was also similar among the groups, with no statistically significant difference in pairwise comparisons (1940, 1735, and 2286 mg/kg in African American, white, and Hispanic/Latino patients, respectively). Steady state was reached in all groups after 2 to 3 days of dosing. In all groups, both exposure and glucose-lowering effect for IDeg were evenly distributed between the first and second 12 hours of the 24-hour dosing interval at steady state (mean AUCIDeg, 0-12h,ss/ AUCIDeg, τ,ss = 53%-54%; AUCGIR, 0-12h, ss,/AUCGIR,τ,ss = 47%-52%). Conclusion: The similar pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic responses to IDeg in 3 racial/ethnic groups of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus suggest that the flat, stable, and ultralong pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of IDeg are preserved irrespective of race/ethnicity. Although insulin doses must be adjusted on an individual basis, similar pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic responses to IDeg are observed in patients with differing race/ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The San Andreas fault accommodates 28-34 mm yr−1 of right lateral motion of the Pacific crustal plate northwestward past the North American plate. In California, the fault is composed of two distinct locked segments that have produced great earthquakes in historical times, separated by a 150-km-long creeping zone. The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) is a scientific borehole located northwest of Parkfield, California, near the southern end of the creeping zone. Core was recovered from across the actively deforming San Andreas fault at a vertical depth of 2.7 km (ref. 1). Here we report laboratory strength measurements of these fault core materials at in situ conditions, demonstrating that at this locality and this depth the San Andreas fault is profoundly weak (coefficient of friction, 0.15) owing to the presence of the smectite clay mineral saponite, which is one of the weakest phyllosilicates known. This Mg-rich clay is the low-temperature product of metasomatic reactions between the quartzofeldspathic wall rocks and serpentinite blocks in the fault. These findings provide strong evidence that deformation of the mechanically unusual creeping portions of the San Andreas fault system is controlled by the presence of weak minerals rather than by high fluid pressure or other proposed mechanisms. The combination of these measurements of fault core strength with borehole observations yields a self-consistent picture of the stress state of the San Andreas fault at the SAFOD site, in which the fault is intrinsically weak in an otherwise strong crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article establishes Action Theater pedagogy as a vital and unique contribution to the field of improvisational training. Developed by performer-pedagogue Ruth Zaporah during the 1970s' boom in experimental performance in the San Francisco Bay area, and in continual refinement over the past 40 years, this interdisciplinary model enables performers to become creators. Fundamental to Action Theater, pedagogy is 'embodied presence', a state of awareness in which performers maintain conscious contact with their somatic experience as they improvise. An examination of Zaporah's performance style renders an account of the aesthetic of Action Theater, which favours the integration of movement, speech and sound, abrupt changes in character and formal style, and dream-like enactments of multiple aspects of human experience. Facets from the historical context in which Zaporah developed are briefly identified. Key features of Action Theater pedagogy - the interdependent relationship between form and content and the practice of framing and shifting - are treated in depth to portray the originality and efficacy of this training. Informed by interviews with Zaporah and her long-term students, as well as the practice of and research into Action Theater, this article concludes by positioning Action Theater within related performance practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shallow kelp forest at Santa Catalina Island, California (33.45 N, −118.49 W) is distinguished by several canopy guilds ranging from a floating canopy ( Macrocystis pyrifera), to a stipitate, erect understory canopy ( Eisenia arborea), to a short prostrate canopy just above the substratum ( Dictyopteris, Gelidium, Laminaria, Plocamium spp.), followed by algal turfs and encrusting coralline algae. The prostrate macroalgae found beneath E. arborea canopies are primarily branching red algae, while those in open habitats are foliose brown algae. Densities of Corynactis californica, are significantly greater under E. arborea canopies than outside (approximately 1,200 versus 300 polyps m−2 respectively). Morphological differences in macroalgae between these habitats may affect the rate of C. californica particle capture and serve as a mechanism for determining polyp distribution and abundance. Laboratory experiments in a unidirectional flume under low (9.5 cm s−1) and high (21 cm s−1) flow speeds examined the effect of two morphologically distinct macroalgae on the capture rate of Artemia sp. cysts by C. californica polyps. These experiments (January–March 2006) tested the hypothesis that a foliose macroalga, D. undulata, would inhibit particle capture more than a branching alga, G. robustum. G. robustum, found predominantly under the E. arborea canopy did not affect particle capture . However, D. undulata, found predominantly outside of the canopy, inhibited particle capture rates by 40% by redirecting particles around C. californica polyps and causing contraction of the feeding tentacles. These results suggest that the morphology of flexible marine organisms may affect the distribution and abundance of adjacent passive suspension feeders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the preliminary results of the Health Evaluation in Young Men study on methamphetamine use and HIV risk behaviors among heterosexual men from five northern California counties from December 2001-November 2003. Methodology of the study; Findings of the study.

To examine differences in perinatal health among nine Asian ethnic subgroups, a descriptive epidemiological study was conducted using linked birth/infant death certificates for 1982 to 1987. When compared with Whites, Asians had a lower proportion of young mothers, unmarried mothers, and women who received first trimester prenatal care; a higher proportion of foreign-born mothers; and a different birthweight distribution. A great deal of heterogeneity was fond in risk factors and infant mortality rates among the various Anian ethnic subgroups. Paradoxically, although Asian ethnic subgroups had a higher perinatal risk profile, they had more favorable birth outcomes than did Whites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that assessed the effect on immunizations and well-child care among children before and after Pre-to-Three program in San Mateo, California. Methodology; Features of the Pre-to-Three program; Benefits of the Pre-to-Three program.