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This study examined maintenance of treatment effects in a culturally tailored parent education program for Latinx families of children with autism spectrum disorder using a behavior maintenance framework. In a two-site randomized waitlist-control study, we compared differences in parent and child outcomes across three timepoints using linear mixed models to determine whether outcomes observed at 4 months after baseline (Time 2) were maintained for an additional 4-month period (Time 3). Parent outcomes included family empowerment, self-reported confidence in, and frequency of using evidence-based strategies. Child outcomes included parent-reported challenging behaviors, social communication impairments, and the number of services received. Participants were 109 Latina mothers (intervention = 54, control = 55) of children with autism spectrum disorder. Results showed that at Time 3, mothers in the intervention groups reported significantly greater confidence in and frequency of using evidence-based strategies, and that their child received significantly more services. Site-specific treatment differences were found in outcomes such as parent-reported empowerment and child social communication impairments. Findings suggest that the intervention for Latinx parents of children with autism spectrum disorder was efficacious and could be maintained, and that site-specific policy and service differences may need to be examined in future research to inform dissemination and implementation.

This two-site randomized waitlist-control study (n = 96 mother-child dyads) examined the efficacy of a psychoeducation program as compared to usual care to empower Latina mothers and improve their confidence in and use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for their children with ASD. A secondary aim was to improve child outcomes. Compared to control group, we found significant positive changes in the treatment group in maternal confidence of and frequency in use of EBPs, child social communication and the number of EB services the child received. We found no significant differences for the treatment group in family empowerment or in child challenging behaviors. This RCT presents evidence of an efficacious intervention for Latino children with ASD and their mothers in California and Illinois.

Lateral subsurface flow plays an essential role in sustaining the terrestrial ecosystem, but it is not explicitly represented in most Earth System Models. In this study, we implemented an explicit lateral saturated flow model into the E3SM land model (ELM). The model explicitly describes lateral flow in the saturated zone by representing, for each model grid, an idealized hillslope consisting of five hydrologically connected soil columns. We conducted three model experiments driven by 0.125° atmospheric forcing data during 1980–2015 over California using models of the default ELM, a modified version of ELM to enhance infiltration, and the model with the lateral saturated flow model. The simulated runoff, evapotranspiration, and terrestrial water storage anomaly (TWSA) from the three simulations were evaluated against available observations, and the model explicitly representing lateral flow performs best. The new model produces greater gridcell‐averaged evapotranspiration especially over the mountainous regions with moderate relief and seasonally dry climates. Most importantly, it improves the modeled seasonal variations, interannual variabilities, and the recent decadal decline of TWSA. Many of these improvements can be attributed to the enhanced ecosystem resilience to droughts as demonstrated by transpiration increases caused by lateral flow. Model sensitivity experiments suggest that subsurface runoff is most sensitive to the ratio between horizontal and vertical saturated hydraulic conductivity, followed by hillslope planforms (convergent, divergent, and uniform), number of columns, and lower boundary conditions. Future work should effectively characterize hillslopes in global models and explore the long‐term influences of lateral water movement on modeled biogeochemical cycle. Plain Language Summary: In this study, we implemented a lateral saturated flow scheme into the Energy Exascale Earth System Model's land model (ELM) to explicitly represent lateral groundwater movement. We applied our newly developed model over California and found better model performance against the original and a revised version of ELM through the explicit yet simplified representation of lateral flow along hillslopes. Most importantly, our new model does a better job at reproducing the seasonal variations, interannual variabilities, and a declining trend of terrestrial water storage anomaly in California. Given the intensified coupling among water, energy, and carbon cycles associated with climate change, our study highlights the need to implement lateral flow in Earth System Models for better climate projections. Key Points: A land model with an explicit lateral saturated flow model produces runoff and evapotranspiration reasonably well in the California basinIt simulates a better declining terrestrial water storage trend during droughts as lateral flow enhances ecosystem resilienceLateral subsurface flow is most sensitive to the ratio between vertical and horizontal hydraulic conductivity followed by hillslope shape [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red beds (RBs) are widely distributed in all continents of the world. With the rapid development of road and railway construction, the construction of roads and railways in RB areas is increasing. However, when RB is the filler, it will expose three aspects of serious deficiencies in compaction, mechanical bearing capacity, and water stability, which will cause fatal harm to the subgrade. Therefore, RB has to be abandoned and cannot be used as a subgrade filler. In this paper, different microwave irradiation temperatures (DMITs) from room temperature of 25°C to 700°C were used to reveal the enhancing mechanism of RB in three aspects based on the analysis results of microscopic composition and structure. The microscopic composition and structure show that RB can be divided into a low-temperature section (25°C–400°C) and a high-temperature section (500°C–700°C) under the microwave condition. The low-temperature section has some improvement in the engineering performance of RB, but the influence is limited. The engineering performance of RB is improved completely in the high-temperature section. Specifically, the coarse size of RB increases with the rise in microwave temperature, which is beneficial for improving fine size. The compaction property of RB is not largely affected by the water content and can still meet the most stringent subgrade filler requirements, even under saturated conditions or 0. The California bearing ratio (CBR) value can maintain more than 20% under the ultimate working condition, far higher than the code requirements. The increase of internal friction angle and cohesion can enhance the stability of the cut slope, which is conducive to construction in remote mountainous areas. The water resistance of RB is positively correlated with the microwave irradiation temperature, especially at 700°C; RB experiences secondary hardening after encountering water, the mechanical strength increases, and the softening coefficient reaches 107.44%. The research shows that after microwave high-temperature stabilization, the engineering characteristics of the RB are thoroughly strengthened, and it becomes a high-quality subgrade filler to eliminate the three diseases of RB subgrade completely. Compared with the traditional method of adding stabilizers, microwave in situ RB stabilization reduces the site construction's complexity, saves a lot of stabilizer use and transportation costs, and can effectively reduce carbon emissions. This study provides a positive perspective on the in situ application of the RB soft rock subgrade. It could be a starting point for understanding the microwave-based stabilization of soft rock soils subgrade filler in situ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the direct and indirect pathways through which parental constructive behavior may influence the adolescent's affiliation with achievement-oriented peers. Using a longitudinal survey data set from nine California and Wisconsin high schools (from 9th through 12th grades, with an approximate age range from 14 through 18) structural equation models were estimated. Our longitudinal analyses confirmed an "indirect" effect from Time 1 parental constructive behavior and a "direct" effect from Time 2 parental constructive behavior on an increase in the perceived achievement orientation of friends at Time 2, net of the stability effect from the prior values of the perceived achievement orientation of friends at Time 1. A point to be emphasized is that parental influence on peer affiliation in late adolescence remains significant even as parental involvement in adolescents' lives diminishes. In addition, the direct effect from Time 2 parental constructive behavior on the perceived achievement-orientation of friends appears stronger for boys than for girls.

202 Background: ASCO guidelines recommend early palliative care (PC) for patients with advanced cancer, defined as referral within 8 weeks of diagnosis. Early referral has been associated with improved quality of life, survival and a reduction in healthcare utilization at the end of life. We sought to determine the role of sociodemographic and clinical patient factors on timing of referral to an embedded supportive oncology (SO) practice and impact on utilization. Methods: Patients ≥18 years with advanced cancer who first received a SO visit between 01/01/2021-06/30/2023 were included. Data on patient demographics, cancer treatment and mortality were extracted from the electronic health record. Early referral to SO was defined as a visit <3 months after diagnosis of advanced cancer. We used descriptive statistics to summarize patients' sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, and healthcare utilization, and multivariable linear regression analysis to identify factors associated with the timing of referrals. Results: Of the 782 patients, 39.1% were referred early. Poorer functional status (p<0.001) and certain cancer types (p<0.01) were associated with earlier referrals. There were significant differences in timing of referral by cancer type with highest early rates among Head and Neck (53%,) GI (48%), Lung (46%) and GYN (43%) and lowest among GU (29%) and Breast (11%; p < 0.001). Those with Medicare as the primary insurance had an increase in referral time (138 days) compared to Medicaid patients (p<0.001). Patients whose primary symptom was pain were referred earlier than patients with other non-pain symptoms although this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.084). Patients with an earlier referral had more ED visits and hospitalizations both before (p=0.001 and p< 0.001, respectively) and after (p=0.186 and p=0.007, respectively) referral compared to those referred later. Overall, there was no difference in mean referral times between 2021 (483d) and 2023 (533d). Conclusions: There remains significant disparities in the timing of referrals to SO based on sociodemographic and clinical factors. While early SO referral is associated with several benefits, the variability in referral timing underscores the need for targeted strategies to promote timely access to PC. Moving forward, efforts should focus on developing standardized referral protocols and addressing barriers to early PC access to ensure equitable and optimal patient outcomes. Patient demographics and characteristics. Category Overall N=782 Early N=306 Late N=476 p-value Age (mean] 63.3 63.6 63.1 0.689 Race (%) 0.736 Asian 88 (11) 39 (13) 49 (10) Black or African-American 194 (25) 72 (24) 122 (26) Hispanic 192 (25) 80 (26) 112 (24) White 260 (33) 95 (31) 165 (35) Other/Patient Declined 48 (6) 20 (7) 28 (6) Insurance (%) 0.080 Commercial 197 (28) 73 (26) 124 (29) Medicaid 175 (25) 83 (27) 92 (19) Medicare 330 (47) 123 (40) 207 (44) Other 6 (0) 1 (0) 5 (1) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

199 Background: Palliative care (PC) has demonstrated a reduction in acute care utilization for health systems. PC input for patients with cancer has been associated with fewer emergency room visits, hospitalizations and hospital deaths in the last 30 days of life. Less is known about the upstream effects of PC referral on healthcare utilization (HCU). We examined HCU among patients in the 90 days after first SO appointment and predictors of high HCU. Methods: Patients ≥18 years with first SO consult between 01/01/2021-06/30/2023 were included. Patients who died within 90 days of their first SO appointment and incomplete utilization data were censored. Data on patient demographics, acute healthcare and hospice utilization, cancer treatment and mortality was extracted from the electronic health record (EHR). Number of ED visits in 90 days before and after first SO visit were recorded. We used descriptive statistics to describe patients' sociodemographics, clinical characteristics and healthcare utilization. High HCU was defined as patients in the top 10% of ED visits and IP stays. Logistic regression was employed to assess whether being a high utilizer is associated with baseline characteristics. Results: We included 859 patients. On average, there were approximately 0.12, 95%CI: [0.07,0.17] more ED visits in the 90 days before the first SO appointment compared to 90 days after. There was no difference in hospitalization rates before and after the first SO appointment. Overall, 45 patients met the criteria for high HCU. The median number of ED visits and hospitalizations of high utilizers was 6 visits, compared to 1 visit for remainder of the population. There was a significant association with ethnicity with those identified as Hispanic (60%) being high HCU. There was no significant association between age, insurance status, cancer type, primary language and high HCU. High utilizers were 189% more likely to die in hospital although this did not meet statistical significance (p= 0.242). Conclusions: The findings reveal significant variations in healthcare utilization, particularly among Hispanic patients, indicating a need for targeted interventions to address these disparities. Despite no observed changes in hospitalization rates, the study emphasizes the need for further research to understand the underlying factors contributing to high healthcare utilization. Future efforts should focus on developing tailored strategies to optimize PC referrals and enhance patient outcomes across diverse populations. Race/ethnicity by utilization group. Category <90th Percentile Utilization (n=814) % >90th Percentile Utilization (n=45) % P value Race (%) <0.001 Asian 97 (11) 0 (0) Black or African American 173 (21) 8 (18) Hispanic 198 (24) 27 (60) Other 50 (6) 3 (7) White 296 (36) 7 (16) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐resolution imaging of fault zone structures is essential for understanding earthquake physics and fault mechanics. As a major left‐lateral strike‐slip fault in northeastern Tibet, fine structures of the damage zone in the creeping (Laohushan) section of the Haiyuan fault remain unclear. To resolve geometry and velocity reduction of the damage zone, we deployed a dense temporary network of 110 seismic stations around the creeping section of the Haiyuan fault. Travel time delays from teleseismic P arrivals suggest an approximately 1‐km‐wide low‐velocity zone, likely illuminating a broader damage zone around the Haiyuan fault. A catalog is constructed for local earthquakes based on phase picks identified from a machine learning technique. The amplification of waveforms from these local events and waveform modeling of fault zone trapped waves indicate a narrower inner damage zone with depth‐dependent width (ranging from 150 to 50 m) that extends to a depth of approximately 4 km. These values are generally consistent with those found on other noncreeping faults in California, suggesting that these damage zone properties are not affected by fault slip behaviors at shallow depth. In addition, a clear bi‐material velocity contrast across the fault is revealed by the analysis of teleseismic P arrivals. Assuming the contrast extends to a depth of 15 km, we find that P‐wave velocity is approximately 5% slower in the crustal block north of the fault. Our study shows that a temporary dense seismic network is effective in illuminating cross‐fault velocity contrast and fault geometry. Plain Language Summary: The Haiyuan fault is a major left‐lateral strike‐slip fault in northeastern Tibet and has hosted two destructive earthquakes (1920 Haiyuan and 1927 Gulang earthquake) in the past century. Along the Laohushan section of the Haiyuan fault, between rupture zones of these two earthquakes, shallow aseismic creep and repeating earthquakes have been detected using geodetic and seismic data. However, the structure of this creeping section is still poorly understood. Therefore, we deployed a dense array with 110 stations crossing the fault surface trace. A catalog with more local earthquakes during the 1‐month recording period is constructed and relocated using this dense array. Based on analyses of signals from nearby and distant earthquakes, we find an approximately 100‐m‐wide slower fault inner zone that can trap incoming seismic energy and a wider (approximately 1‐km wide) low‐velocity damage zone beneath the array. The inferred fault zone structure is consistent with those found along other noncreeping faults in California, suggesting damage zone properties are likely not controlled by fault slip behaviors at shallow depth. The resulting high‐resolution fault zone image also helps improve ground motion prediction and rupture simulation in the Laohushan section of the Haiyuan fault. Key Points: A dense network of 110 seismic stations was deployed around the creeping section of the Haiyuan faultTravel time delays of teleseismic events suggest an approximately 1‐km‐wide low velocity zone around the Haiyuan faultAmplification and waveform modeling of local events infer a flower‐shaped inner damage zone, ranging from 150 to 50 m [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergency general surgery (EGS) is a critical component of emergency care in the United States. Due to the time sensitiveness of EGS conditions, ensuring adequate spatial access to EGS services is paramount for reducing patient morbidity and mortality. Past studies have used travel time to measure spatial access to EGS services, which has its limitations. The major purpose of this paper is to evaluate the utility of a gravity-based spatial access model in measuring spatial access to EGS services in California. Our data sources include the American Hospital Association 2015 Annual Survey, the American Community Survey 2013–2017 five-year average dataset, and background geospatial datasets. We implemented both the gravity-based model and the shortest travel time method and compared them in measuring spatial access to EGS-capable hospitals in California at the census block group level. We analyzed each metric's ability to identify disparities in spatial access for the population as a whole, and subsequently to identify socio-demographic disparities. Overall, we found that both methods identified similar geographic and socio-demographic patterns of the spatial access. Native Americans and rural residents experienced the greatest disadvantage in spatial access to both general EGS services and advanced EGS services. However, the gravity-based model revealed more disparities in spatial access to EGS services than the travel time model, suggesting that using travel cost alone to measure spatial access to EGS services may underestimate the magnitude of disparities. These findings call for the use of gravity-based models that incorporate measures of population demand and hospital capacity when assessing spatial access to surgical services, and have implications for reallocating surgery resources to address disparities in spatial access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Northern California Camp Fire that took place in November 2018 was one of the most damaging environmental events in California history. Here, we analyze ground-based station observations of airborne particulate matter that has a diameter <2.5 µm (PM 2.5) across Northern California and conduct numerical simulations of the Camp Fire using the Weather Research and Forecasting model online coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem). Simulations are evaluated against ground-based observations of PM 2.5 , black carbon, and meteorology, as well as satellite measurements, such as Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) aerosol layer height and aerosol index. The Camp Fire led to an increase in Bay Area PM 2.5 to over 50 µgm-3 for nearly 2 weeks, with localized peaks exceeding 300 µgm-3. Using the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) high-resolution fire detection products, the simulations reproduce the magnitude and evolution of surface PM 2.5 concentrations, especially downwind of the wildfire. The overall spatial patterns of simulated aerosol plumes and their heights are comparable with the latest satellite products from TROPOMI. WRF-Chem sensitivity simulations are carried out to analyze uncertainties that arise from fire emissions, meteorological conditions, feedback of aerosol radiative effects on meteorology, and various physical parameterizations, including the planetary boundary layer model and the plume rise model. Downwind PM 2.5 concentrations are sensitive to both flaming and smoldering emissions over the fire, so the uncertainty in the satellite-derived fire emission products can directly affect the air pollution simulations downwind. Our analysis also shows the importance of land surface and boundary layer parameterization in the fire simulation, which can result in large variations in magnitude and trend of surface PM 2.5. Inclusion of aerosol radiative feedback moderately improves PM 2.5 simulations, especially over the most polluted days. Results of this study can assist in the development of data assimilation systems as well as air quality forecasting of health exposures and economic impact studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We test the relationship between canopy photosynthesis and reflected near‐infrared radiation from vegetation across a range of functional (photosynthetic pathway and capacity) and structural conditions (leaf area index, fraction of green and dead leaves, canopy height, reproductive stage, and leaf angle inclination), weather conditions, and years using a network of field sites from across central California. We based our analysis on direct measurements of canopy photosynthesis, with eddy covariance, and measurements of reflected near‐infrared and red radiation from vegetation, with light‐emitting diode sensors. And we interpreted the observed relationships between photosynthesis and reflected near‐infrared radiation using simulations based on the multilayer, biophysical model, CanVeg. Measurements of reflected near‐infrared radiation were highly correlated with measurements of canopy photosynthesis on half‐hourly, daily, seasonal, annual, and decadal time scales across the wide range of function and structure and weather conditions. Slopes of the regression between canopy photosynthesis and reflected near‐infrared radiation were greatest for the fertilized and irrigated C4 corn crop, intermediate for the C3 tules on nutrient‐rich organic soil and nitrogen fixing alfalfa, and least for the native annual grasslands and oak savanna on nutrient‐poor, mineral soils. Reflected near‐infrared radiation from vegetation has several advantages over other remotely sensed vegetation indices that are used to infer canopy photosynthesis; it does not saturate at high leaf area indices, it is insensitive to the presence of dead legacy vegetation, the sensors are inexpensive, and the reflectance signal is strong. Hence, information on reflected near‐infrared radiation from vegetation may have utility in monitoring carbon assimilation in carbon sequestration projects or on microsatellites orbiting Earth for precision agriculture applications. Key Points: Reflected near‐infrared radiation is a strong proxy for canopy photosynthesisThis proxy works for a wide range of ecosystem structure and functionThe method has promise to be used for a variety of applications relating to carbon and water use [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a detailed characterization of stratocumulus clearings off the US West Coast using remote sensing, reanalysis, and airborne in situ data. Ten years (2009–2018) of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) imagery data are used to quantify the monthly frequency, growth rate of total area (GR Area), and dimensional characteristics of 306 total clearings. While there is interannual variability, the summer (winter) months experienced the most (least) clearing events, with the lowest cloud fractions being in close proximity to coastal topographical features along the central to northern coast of California, including especially just south of Cape Mendocino and Cape Blanco. From 09:00 to 18:00 (PST), the median length, width, and area of clearings increased from 680 to 1231, 193 to 443, and ∼67000 to ∼250000 km 2 , respectively. Machine learning was applied to identify the most influential factors governing the GR Area of clearings between 09:00 and 12:00 PST, which is the time frame of most rapid clearing expansion. The results from gradient-boosted regression tree (GBRT) modeling revealed that air temperature at 850 hPa (T850), specific humidity at 950 hPa (q950), sea surface temperature (SST), and anomaly in mean sea level pressure (MSLP anom) were probably most impactful in enhancing GR Area using two scoring schemes. Clearings have distinguishing features such as an enhanced Pacific high shifted more towards northern California, offshore air that is warm and dry, stronger coastal surface winds, enhanced lower-tropospheric static stability, and increased subsidence. Although clearings are associated obviously with reduced cloud fraction where they reside, the domain-averaged cloud albedo was actually slightly higher on clearing days as compared to non-clearing days. To validate speculated processes linking environmental parameters to clearing growth rates based on satellite and reanalysis data, airborne data from three case flights were examined. Measurements were compared on both sides of the clear–cloudy border of clearings at multiple altitudes in the boundary layer and free troposphere, with results helping to support links suggested by this study's model simulations. More specifically, airborne data revealed the influence of the coastal low-level jet and extensive horizontal shear at cloud-relevant altitudes that promoted mixing between clear and cloudy air. Vertical profile data provide support for warm and dry air in the free troposphere, additionally promoting expansion of clearings. Airborne data revealed greater evidence of sea salt in clouds on clearing days, pointing to a possible role for, or simply the presence of, this aerosol type in clearing areas coincident with stronger coastal winds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the shear wave velocity structure in the Parkfield, California region is a key factor for obtaining accurate earthquake locations and improving wave propagation simulations, but it has been poorly resolved in previous studies. We have conducted an ambient noise tomography study using continuous waveform data from available seismic stations, and higher resolution was achieved. The shear wave velocity structure in the crust was inverted from Rayleigh wave dispersion curves between 1 and 16 s. The new shear wave velocity structure correlates well with an existing compressional wave velocity model obtained from body-wave arrival time tomography. A low velocity zone (LVZ) in the lower crust was revealed on the southwest side of the San Andreas Fault, which is opposite to the pattern in the shallow crust. Two LVZs in the mid- and lower crust were revealed whose locations correlate with a high conductivity body, which supports the existence of fluid channels from depth into the SAF. Velocity variations at depth near the SAF also suggest a correlation with changes of the amplitude of low frequency earthquakes and with the resistivity structure. • A new high-resolution shear-wave velocity model in Parkfield is constructed with the ambient noise tomography. • Widely distributed lower velocity lower crust on southwest side of the San Andreas Faults is imaged. • Fluid channel revealed in previous Vp model is confirmed in new Vs model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have yielded inconsistent findings on the associations of social support networks with cardiovascular health in Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes. We examined the cross-sectional associations of structural social support and traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a diverse sample of Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes. Research Design and Methods: This analysis included 2994 adult participants ages 18-74 with diabetes from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL - 2008-2011). Select items from the Social Network Inventory (SNI) were used to assess indices of structural social support, i.e. network size (number of children, parents, and in-laws) and frequency of familial contact. Standardized methods were used to measure abdominal obesity, BMI, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking status. Multivariate regression was used to examine associations of structural support with individual CVD risk factors with demographics, acculturation, physical health, and psychological ill-being (depressive symptoms and anxiety) included as covariates. Results: There were no significant cross-sectional associations of structural support indices with abdominal obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or smoking status. There was a marginally significant (OR: 1.05; 95%CI 0.99-1.11) trend toward higher odds of obesity in participants reporting a larger family unit (including children, parents, and in-laws) and those with closer ties with extended family relatives (OR: 1.04; 95%CI 0.99-1.09). Conclusions: Structural social support was marginally associated with higher odds of obesity in Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes. Alternate forms of social support (e.g. healthcare professionals, friends, peers) should be further explored as potential markers of cardiac risk in Hispanics/Latinos with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controversy exists about breast cancer risk associated with long-term use of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis), respectively. Our objective in this study was to separately evaluate associations between duration of CCB or ACEi use and breast cancer in hypertensive women aged ≥55 years at 3 sites in the Kaiser Permanente health-care system (1997-2012). Exposures included CCB or ACEi use of 1-12 years' duration, determined from pharmacy dispensings. Outcomes included invasive lobular or ductal carcinoma. Statistical methods included discrete-time survival analyses. The cohort included 19,674 (17.9%) CCB users and 90,078 (82.1%) ACEi users. Two percent (n = 397) of CCB users and 1.9% (n = 1,733) of ACEi users developed breast cancer. Compared with 1-<2 years of use, in adjusted analysis, there was no association between CCB use for 2-<12 years and breast cancer: All 95% confidence intervals included 1. Increasing duration of ACEi use was associated with reduced breast cancer risk: Compared with 1-<2 years of use, the adjusted hazard ratio was 0.76 (95% confidence interval: 0.63, 0.92) for 5-<6 years of use and 0.63 (95% confidence interval: 0.43, 0.93) for 9-<10 years of use. We conclude that among older women with hypertension, long-term CCB use does not increase breast cancer risk and long-term treatment with ACEis may confer protection against breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We invert Global Positioning System (GPS) velocity data to estimate fault slip rates in California using a fault-based crustal deformation model with geologic constraints. The model assumes buried elastic dislocations across the region using Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast Version 3 (UCERF3) fault geometries. New GPS velocity and geologic slip-rate data were compiled by the UCERF3 deformation working group. The result of least-squares inversion shows that the San Andreas fault slips at 19-22 mm/yr along Santa Cruz to the North Coast, 25-28 mm/yr along the central California creeping segment to the Carrizo Plain, 20-22 mm/yr along the Mojave, and 20-24 mm/yr along the Coachella to the Imperial Valley. Modeled slip rates are 7-16 mm/yr lower than the preferred geologic rates from the central California creeping section to the San Bernardino North section. For the Bartlett Springs section, fault slip rates of 7-9 mm/yr fall within the geologic bounds but are twice the preferred geologic rates. For the central and eastern Garlock, inverted slip rates of 7.5 and 4.9 mm/yr, respectively, match closely with the geologic rates. For the western Garlock, however, our result suggests a low slip rate of 1.7 mm/yr. Along the eastern California shear zone and southern Walker Lane, our model shows a cumulative slip rate of 6.2-6.9 mm/yr across its east-west transects, which is ~1 mm/yr increase of the geologic estimates. For the off-coast faults of central California, from Hosgri to San Gregorio, fault slips are modeled at 1-5 mm/yr, similar to the lower geologic bounds. For the off-fault deformation, the total moment rate amounts to 0.88×1019 N·m/yr, with fast straining regions found around the Mendocino triple junction, Transverse Ranges and Garlock fault zones, Landers and Brawley seismic zones, and farther south. The overall California moment rate is 2.76×1019 N·m/yr, which is a 16% increase compared with the UCERF2 model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2014 Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities (WGCEP14) present the time-independent component of the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, Version 3 (UCERF3), which provides authoritative estimates of the magnitude, location, and time-averaged frequency of potentially damaging earthquakes in California. The primary achievements have been to relax fault segmentation and include multifault ruptures, both limitations of UCERF2. The rates of all earthquakes are solved for simultaneously and from a broader range of data, using a system-level inversion that is both conceptually simple and extensible. The inverse problem is large and underdetermined, so a range of models is sampled using an efficient simulated annealing algorithm. The approach is more derivative than prescriptive (e.g., magnitude-frequency distributions are no longer assumed), so new analysis tools were developed for exploring solutions. Epistemic uncertainties were also accounted for using 1440 alternative logic-tree branches, necessitating access to supercomputers. The most influential uncertainties include alternative deformation models (fault slip rates), a new smoothed seismicity algo-rithm, alternative values for the total rate of Mw >5 events, and different scaling relationships, virtually all of which are new. As a notable first, three deformation models are based on kinematically consistent inversions of geodetic and geologic data, also providing slip-rate constraints on faults previously excluded due to lack of geologic data. The grand inversion constitutes a system-level framework for testing hypotheses and balancing the influence of different experts. For example, we demonstrate serious challenges with the Gutenberg-Richter hypothesis for individual faults. UCERF3 is still an approximation of the system, however, and the range of models is limited (e.g., constrained to stay close to UCERF2). Never-theless, UCERF3 removes the apparent UCERF2 overprediction of M 6.5-7 earth-quake rates and also includes types of multifault ruptures seen in nature. Although UCERF3 fits the data better than UCERF2 overall, there may be areas that warrant further site-specific investigation. Supporting products may be of general interest, and we list key assumptions and avenues for future model improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have developed a kinematic fault network model of crustal deformation in an elastic half-space. Surface deformation is calculated using this model assuming each fault segment slipping beneath a locking depth. Each fault segment connects to its adjacent elements with slip vector continuity imposed at fault nodes or intersections; the degree of the constraints determines whether deformation is block-like or not. We apply this model to invert GPS observations for slip rates on major faults in California with geological rate constraints. Based on the F-test result, we find that lesser block-like models fit the data significantly better than the strictly block-like model. Our final inversion shows a slip rate varying from 20 to 23mm/yr along the northern San Andreas from the Santa Cruz to the North Coast segment. Slip rates vary from 9 to 13mm/yr along the Hayward to the Maacama fault segment, and from 15 to 3mm/yr along the central Calaveras to the West Napa fault segment. For the central California Creeping Zone, the result suggests a depth dependent creep rate with an average of 22mm/yr over the top 5km and 32mm/yr underneath. From the Mojave to San Bernardino Mountain segments, we also find a significant decrease in slip rate along the San Andreas in comparison with the geologic rates, in contrast to a significant increase in slip rate on faults along the eastern California shear zone. Along the southern San Andreas, slip rates vary from 21 to 25mm/yr from the Coachella Valley to Imperial Valley segments. Slip rates range from 0 to 3mm/yr across the western Transverse Ranges faults, which is consistent with the regional crustal thickening. Overall slip rates derived from geodetic observations correlate strongly with the geologic slip rates statistically, suggesting high compatibility between geodetic and geologic observations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

China is rich of germplasm resources of common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) and Asian cultivated rice (O. sativa L.) which consists of two subspecies, indica and japonica. Previous studies have shown that China is one of the domestication centers of O. sativa. However, the geographic origin and the domestication times of O. sativa in China are still under debate. To settle these disputes, six chloroplast loci and four mitochondrial loci were selected to examine the relationships between 50 accessions of Asian cultivated rice and 119 accessions of common wild rice from China based on DNA sequence analysis in the present study. The results indicated that Southern China is the genetic diversity center of O. rufipogon and it might be the primary domestication region of O. sativa. Molecular dating suggested that the two subspecies had diverged 0.1 million years ago, much earlier than the beginning of rice domestication. Genetic differentiations and phylogeography analyses indicated that indica was domesticated from tropical O. rufipogon while japonica was domesticated from O. rufipogon which located in higher latitude. These results provided molecular evidences for the hypotheses of (i) Southern China is the origin center of O. sativa in China and (ii) the two subspecies of O. sativa were domesticated multiple times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More intense heat waves are expected to occur more frequently in the twenty-first century. During severe heat waves, cooling capacity shortfall and overheating are likely to occur in residential buildings, and this will adversely affect occupant's thermal comfort and productivity. We propose a strategy of pre-cooling the house during off-peak hours to mitigate overheating during heat waves. Simulation results of a prototype single-family house show that adopting the rule-based control (RBC) of pre-cooling thermostat setpoint schedule is effective in reducing thermal discomfort, and that the efficacy of pre-cooling depends upon several building characteristics. An optimized control (OC) of the thermostat setpoint schedule was developed based on the simulation of a prototype building. A simplified yet improved RBC (IRBC) pre-cooling schedule was then extracted from the OC schedule for practical implementation at a larger scale. The effects of the RBC schedule and IRBC schedule were evaluated in the King District of Fresno, which contains 814 residential buildings. Results show that both thermostat setpoint schedules can reduce overheating effectively and that IRBC is slightly better than RBC for most buildings. The findings support the California government's recommendation on pre-cooling to mitigate overheating, which can be further improved with an optimized thermostat setpoint schedule broadcast to residents through early alert messages before a heat wave. • Pre-cooling mitigates overheating in residential buildings during heatwaves. • Factors influencing the effectiveness of pre-cooling are investigated. • An improved rule-based schedule is extracted from an optimized schedule. • The improved rule-based schedule is tested in the King district, Fresno, California. • Results inform governments on early warning messages to residents to reduce risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large-scale survey on the area and depth stratified distribution of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT; mainly p, p'- and o,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE)) contamination in the water column of the Southern California Bight (SCB) was conducted in 2003-2004 using a solid- phase microextraction-based sampling technique. Dissolved- phase DDEs were clearly widespread, with the central SCB containing the highest levels, and the Palos Verdes Shelf sediments have remained the dominant source of DDT compounds to the SCB. The p,p'- and o,p'-DDE concentrations ranged from <0.073 to 2.6 ng/L and from <0.043 to 0.26 ng/L, respectively, clearly elevated with respect to measured values from across the globe. DOEs were hypothesized to have been transported from the historically contaminated zone on the Palos Verdes Shelf to other areas via a repeated process of sediment resuspension/deposition and short-range advection. Total mass inventories were estimated at 14 and 0.86 kg for PIP'- and o,p'-DDE, respectively, for the sampled area, resulting in p,p'- and o,p'- DDE mass inventories for the entire SCB of 230 and 14 kg, respectively. Furthermore, total fluxes of p,p'-DDE were estimated to be in the range of 0.8 to 2.3 metric tons per year. These results suggest that the SCB has been and continues to be a significant source of DDT contamination to the global oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide data on the geochemical and isotopic consequences of nonmodal partial melting of a thick Jurassic pelite unit at mid-crustal levels that produced a migmatite complex in conjunction with the intrusion of part of the southern Sierra Nevada batholith at ca. 100 Ma. Field relations suggest that this pelitic migmatite formed and then abruptly solidified prior to substantial mobilization and escape of its melt products. Hence, this area yields insights into potential mid-crustal level contributions of crustal components into Cordilleran-type batholiths. Major and trace-element analyses in addition to field and petrographic data demonstrate that leucosomes are products of partial melting of the pelitic protolith host. Compared with the metapelites, leucosomes have higher Sr and lower Sm concentrations and lower Rb/Sr ratios. The initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of leucosomes range from 0.7124 to 0.7247, similar to those of the metapelite protoliths (0.7125–0.7221). However, the leucosomes have a much wider range of initial εNd values, which range from −6.0 to −11.0, as compared to −8.7 to −11.3 for the metapelites. Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of the leucosomes, migmatites, and metapelites suggest disequilibrium partial melting of the metapelite protolith. Based on their Sr, Nd, and other trace-element characteristics, two groups of leucosomes have been identified. Group A leucosomes have relatively high Rb, Pb, Ba, and K2O contents, Rb/Sr ratios (0.15Nd values. Group B leucosomes have relatively low Rb, Pb, Ba, and K2O contents, Rb/Sr ratios (<0.15), and initial εNd values. The low Rb concentrations and Rb/Sr ratios of the group B leucosomes together suggest that partial melting was dominated by water-saturated or H2O-fluxed melting of quartz + feldspar assemblage with minor involvement of muscovite. Breakdown of quartz and plagioclase with minor contributions from muscovite resulted in low Rb/Sr ratios characterizing both group A and group B leucosomes. In contrast, group A leucosomes have greater contributions from K-feldspar, which is suggested by: (1) their relatively high K concentrations, (2) positive or slightly negative Eu anomalies, and (3) correlation of their Pb and Ba concentrations with K2O contents. It is also shown that accessory minerals have played a critical role in regulating the partitioning of key trace elements such as Sm, Nd, Nb, and V between melt products and residues during migmatization. The various degrees of parent/daughter fractionations in the Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd isotopic systems as a consequence of nonmodal crustal anatexis would render melt products with distinct isotopic signatures, which could profoundly influence the products of subsequent mixing events. This is not only important for geochemical patterns of intracrustal differentiation, but also a potentially important process in generating crustal-scale as well as individual pluton-scale isotopic heterogeneities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geological and geochemical studies of a pelitic migmatite complex within the Isabella pendant of the southern Sierra Nevada batholith, California, suggest that the leucosomes represent the products of partial melting of the metapelite host driven by the emplacement of the adjacent Goat Ranch pluton ca. 100 Ma. The leucosomes preserve a record of large- magnitude Nd isotope disequilibrium with respect to their pelitic source. The leucosomes have a wide range of εNd(100 Ma) from -6.0 to -11.0, as compared to -8.7 to -11.3 for the source. They can be subdivided into two groups based on their major elements and Sr and Nd isotope geochemistry. Group I leucosomes have higher P2O5 contents and εNd(100 Ma) values than those of group II. The εNd(100 Ma) values of group I leucosomes are significantly higher than those of metapelites and migmatites by two to four epsilon units, suggesting that group I leucosomes are in Nd isotope disequilibrium with their sources. Correlations among P2O5 contents, εNd(100 Ma) values, and Sm/Nd ratios in the leucosomes suggest that apatite or monazite has played a dominant role in fractionating Sm from Nd and generating Nd isotope disequilibrium. Dissolution of apatite or monazite might play a critical role in regulating the behavior of the Sm-Nd isotope systems and thus the Nd isotope compositions of melts generated during crustal anatexis, especially in metasedimentary protoliths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in the prevalence of childhood asthma have been reported nationally but few population-based studies in local and regional settings have been reported. To assess variation in the prevalence of childhood asthma and associated morbidity across race/ethnic and income groups in the Los Angeles County population, we analyzed data on a random sample of 6004 children (≤17 years old) enrolled in a countywide health survey from 09 1999 through 04 2000. The prevalence of childhood asthma was highest in blacks (15.8%), intermediate in whites (7.3%) and Asians (6.0%), and lowest in Latinos (3.9%; p<0.001). These differences persisted after controlling for income, measures of health care access, and other covariates. Asthma prevalence was inversely related to income in all racial/ethnic groups except Latinos from Spanish-speaking households. Among children with asthma, blacks and Latinos were more likely than whites to report asthma-related limitations in physical activity and need for urgent medical services. These findings indicate marked disparities in asthma prevalence and related morbidity in this large urban child population and highlight the importance of efforts to identify high-risk subpopulations for focused prevention and treatment interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contaminant inputs from wastewater discharge, a major source of contamination to Santa Monica Bay (SMB), have declined drastically during the last three decades as a result of improved treatment processes and better source control. To assess the concomitant temporal changes in the SMB sediments, a study was initiated in June 1997, in which 25 box cores were collected using a stratified random sampling design. Five sediment strata corresponding to the time intervals of 1890–1920, 1932–1963, 1965–1979, 1979–1989, and 1989–1997 were identified using 210Pb dating techniques. Samples from each stratum were analyzed for metals, 1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) and its metabolites (DDTs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and total organic carbon (TOC). Samples from the 1965–1979, 1979–1989, and 1989–1997 strata were also analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and linear alkylbenzenes (LABs). Sediment metal concentrations increased from 1890–1979 and were similar during the time intervals of 1965–1979, 1979–1989, and 1989–1997, although the mass emissions of trace metals from sewage inputs declined substantially during the same time period. Trace organic contamination in SMB was generally highest in sediments corresponding to deposition during the years of 1965–1979 or 1979–1989 and showed a decline in concentration in the 1989–1997 stratum. Temporal trends of contamination were greatest in sediments collected from areas near the Hyperion Treatment Plant (HTP) outfall system and on the slope of Redondo Canyon. The highest contaminant concentrations were present in sediments near the HTP 7-mile outfall in the 1965–1979 stratum. Elevated trace metal and organic concentrations were still present in the 1989–1997 stratum of most stations, suggesting that sediment contaminants have moved vertically in the sediment column since sludge discharges from the 7-mile outfall (a dominant source of contamination to the bay) ceased in 1987. The widespread distributions of DDTs and PCBs in SMB and highly confined distribution of LABs around the HTP outfall system were indicative of a dispersal mechanism remobilizing historically deposited contaminants to areas relatively remote from the point of discharge. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sediments of San Diego Bay (SDB) are known to contain elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). While numerous efforts have been made to monitor the spatial or temporal trends of contamination in SDB, no studies have been directed toward measurements of water column contamination. We measured PCB concentrations in the water column of SDB with an in situ sampling system. Except for one sample collected near the bay mouth, all other samples contained higher PCB concentrations than the 30-day average discharge limit established by the California Ocean Plan. The highest concentrations of water column PCBs occurred in the Central Bay, consistent with the previous findings that sediments in the Central Bay contained higher PCB levels than those in the North and South Bays. Based on the water volume of 2.2 × 10[sup 8] cm³ at a lower water level, it was estimated that ∼1000 g of PCBs is transported out of SDB via tidal exchange annually. This indicates that water column transport driven by tidal exchange is a viable mechanism reducing PCB contamination within SDB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the sources and effects of pollution on the Southern California Bight. Background on the physical and biological setting; Background on biogeographic provinces and habitats; Human contribution to marine pollution; Anthropogenic inputs to marine pollution; Distribution and fate of anthropogenic inputs; Evaluation of the effects of human activities on the Southern California Bight at five phylogenetic levels.

During the Dynamics and Chemistry of the Marine Stratocumulus (DYCOMS) experiment in July–August 1985, the NCAR Electra aircraft flew a series of flight legs just at the top of the marine stratocumulus cloud decks that cap the mixed layer off the coast of southern California. Because of the corrugated structure of the cloud-top, the aircraft, which was flown at a nearly constant level and adjusted only to maintain its altitude at the average cloud-top height, was alternately within and above the clouds – roughly half the time in each domain. These legs were used to examine the structure of the cloud-top by compositing the segments on either side of the cloud/clear-air interface, which was identified by the transitions of liquid water measured by the Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe (either increasing or decreasing) through a threshold of 0.04 × 10-3 kg m-3. An equivalent vertical distance (EVD) from the cloud-top was obtained from the horizontal flight legs by estimating the average slope of the cloud-top from the cloud-top radiation temperature. The results show that a near discontinuity occurs in variables across cloud top over an EVD of 0.3 m, but that above this, the air has already been modified by boundary-layer air. Thus, cloud-top is not the limit of mixing of boundary-layer air. This mixing may extend to tens of metres or more. The bulk Richardson number in the vicinity of cloud-top increases from near zero within the cloud to about 1.2 at an EVD of 3–6 m above cloud. Fluctuations of the three velocity components within cloud are nearly equal; above cloud the vertical component structure function is about half the horizontal components. The scalar structure functions are about an order of magnitude higher above cloud than in cloud. The structure parameters of temperature and humidity measured just below cloud-top agree reasonably well with predicted values based on a previously-developed model for the clear convective boundary layer. Above cloud, the scalar structure parameters are much larger, but their interpretation is questionable, since this region does not contain isotropic turbulence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the spatial distribution of DDT and its primary metabolites and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in the water column off the Palos Verdes Peninsula in California. Range of DDT and PCB concentrations; Distribution patterns; Partitioning characteristics of DDT; Contaminated sediments as source of DDT and PCB inputs.

Aircraft trajectory prediction is the basis of approach and departure sequencing, conflict detection and resolution and other air traffic management technologies. Accurate trajectory prediction can help increase the airspace capacity and ensure the safe and orderly operation of aircraft. Current research focuses on single aircraft trajectory prediction without considering the interaction between aircraft. Therefore, this paper proposes a model based on the Social Long Short-Term Memory (S-LSTM) network to realize the multi-aircraft trajectory collaborative prediction. This model establishes an LSTM network for each aircraft and a pooling layer to integrate the hidden states of the associated aircraft, which can effectively capture the interaction between them. This paper takes the aircraft trajectories in the Northern California terminal area as the experimental data. The results show that, compared with the mainstream trajectory prediction models, the S-LSTM model in this paper has smaller prediction errors, which proves the superiority of the model's performance. Additionally, another comparative experiment is conducted on airspace scenes with aircraft interactions, and it is found that S-LSTM has a better prediction effect than LSTM, which proves the effectiveness of the former considering aircraft interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the author's response to the comments pointed out by S.C. Paulsen et al to the distribution of DDT in the water columns of the Palos Verdes Shelf in California. Water column concentration of total DDT at all sampling locations as exceeding the discharge limits established by the California Ocean Plan; Sediments in the shelf as the source of DDT contamination.

Isolates of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora with high-level resistance to Oxytetracycline (minimal inhibitory concentration [MIC] > 100 µg/ml) and to streptomycin (MIC > 100 µg/ml) were recovered from four commercial pear orchards in California between 2018 and 2020. The two representative Oxytetracycline- and streptomycin-resistant (OxyTcR-SmR) sttains 32-10 and 33-1 were as virulent as the antibiotic susceptible strain 13-1 in causing blossom blight of pear and were recovered more than 50% of the time 7 days after co-inoculation to pear flowers with strain 13-1. In the field, inoculation of strain 32-10 to pear flowers that were pretreated with Oxytetracycline at 200 µg/ml did not reduce disease compared with an untreated control. Four OxyTcR-SmR strains were subjected to draft genome sequencing to identify the genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance and their location. A 43.6-kb IncX plasmid, designated pX11-7, was detected in each of the four strains, and this plasmid encoded the tetracycline-resistance gene tetB and the streptomycin-resistance gene pair strAB within a large putatively mobile genetic element consisting of the transposon Tn10 that had inserted within the streptomycin-resistance transposon Tn60S2. We also determined that pX11-7 was conjugative and was transferred at a rate that was 104 to 105 higher into an E. amylovora strain isolated in California compared with an E. amylovora strain that was isolated in Michigan. The occurrence of high levels of resistance to both Oxytetracycline and streptomycin in E. amylovora strains from commercial pear orchards in California significantly limits the options for blossom blight management in these locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Samples collected in January and June 1994 from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant (PLWTP) effluent, Tijuana River runoff, and microlayer, sediment trap, and surface sediment at several locations adjacent to the PLWTP outfall, mouth of the Tijuana River, and San DiegoBay were analyzed in an attempt to identify and assess the sources of hydrocarbon inputs into the coastal marine environment off San Diego. Several compositional indices of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), for example, alkyl homologue distributions, parent compound distributions, and other individual PAH ratios, were used to identify the sources of PAHs. Partially due to the decline of PAH emission from the PLWTP outfall, PAHs found in the sea surface microlayer, sediments, and water column particulates near the PLWTP outfall were predominantly derived from nonpoint sources. The sea microlayer near the mouth of the Tijuana River appeared to accumulate enhanced amounts of PAHs and total organic carbon and total nitrogen, probably discharged from the river, although they were in extremely low abundance in the sediments at the same location. Surprisingly, PAHs detected in the microlayer and sediments in San Diego Bay were mainly derived from combustion sources rather than oil spills, despite the heavy shipping activities in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results from the measurements of aliphatic hydrocarbons suggest that hydrocarbons in the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant (PLWTP) effluents are mainly petroleum derived; those in the Tijuana River runoff have largely originated from terrestrial plants with visible petroleum contamination; and those in the sea surface microlayer, sediment traps, and sediments at various coastal locations off San Diego have mostly resulted from biogenic contributions with enhanced microbial products in the summer season. Rainfall in the winter season appeared to amplify the inputs from terrestrial higher plants to the coastal areas. The PLWTP discharged approximately 3.85 metric tons of n-alkanes (C{sub}10{end}--C{sub}35{end}) in 1994, well below the level (136 metric tons) estimated in 1979, The input of aliphatic hydrocarbons from the Tijuana River was about 0.101 metric tons in 1994. Diffusion, solubilization, evaporation, and microbial degradation seemed partially responsible for the difference in the concentrations and compositions of aliphatic hydrocarbons in different sample media, although the relative importance of each mechanism cannot be readily discerned from the available data. The results from analyses of aliphatic hydrocarbon compositional indices are generally consistent with those of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiofrequency (RF) power was investigated as a new, physical (nonchemical), thermal process to disinfect wastewater from dairy and animal facilities. Samples (n = 38) from 8 dairy, 2 calf, and 3 swine facilities in California were collected over a 3-yr period and characterized for their dielectric properties, chemical composition, and suitability for thermal processing using RF power. To establish efficacy for disinfection, selected samples were inoculated with high levels (106 to 109 cfu/mL) of bacterial pathogens such as Salmonella sp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis and processed with an RF prototype system. The capabilities of RF power as a method for thermal disinfection of wastewater were demonstrated when bacteria pathogens were completely and rapidly (<1 rain) inactivated when temperatures of 60 to 65°C were achieved. Furthermore, RF technology can be used for large-scale, batch or continuous and portable applications, allowing significant improvements in energy-use efficiencies compared with conventional thermal (surface heating) technologies. Therefore, RF power has potential as an alternative to disinfect dairy/animal farm wastewater before recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Santa Ana River (SAR), CA and adjacent wetlands have been identified as potential sources of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) to the surf zone at Huntington Beach, CA. A suite of fecal steroids, including coprostanol (COP), epicoprostanol (eCOP), cholesterol (CHOE), cholestanol (CHOA), α-cholestanone (aONE),β-cholestanone (bONE), β-sitosterol (bSIT), stigmasterol (STIG), stigmastanol (STAN), and campesterol (CAM), were used as chemical markers to examine whether sewage was a significant source of FIB within the lower Santa Ana River watershed. A total of 54 water samples were collected from three locations in the intertidal zone near the mouth of the Santa Ana River at different tidal stages. Steroid ratios in SAR samples were different from those found in raw and treated sewage from a local wastewater treatment plant or in nearby effluent plume and did not appear to be influenced by the sampling location, daily tides, and spring/neap tidal cycle. The characteristics of steroid ratios suggested a diagenetic rather than a biogenic source for the COP content of the samples. The log-based concentrations of COP and FIB in the SAR samples were not significantly correlated, inconsistent with sewage being the source of FIB in the study area. In addition, multivariate statistical analysis showed that the concentrations of FIB were better correlated with bird fecal steroids than with the typical sewage sterols. The results implied that sewage was not a significant source of fecal steroids, and therefore perhaps FIB to the study area. Instead, birds may be one possible source of the intermittently high levels of FIB observed in the lower Santa Ana River watershed and the nearby surf zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High-severity burns result in significant losses of vegetation and carbon. • High-severity burns promote accelerated postfire recovery of vegetation and carbon. • The enhanced postfire carbon sinks resulting from high-severity burns partially offset extra carbon losses. As the climate continues to warm, the severity of wildfires is increasing. However, the potential impact of higher burn severity on ecosystem resilience and regional carbon balance is still not clear. There are ongoing debates regarding whether increased burn severity stimulates or delays postfire vegetation and carbon recovery. In this study, we utilized remote sensing data to analyze burn severity and vegetation observations, as well as model simulations to assess wildfire carbon emissions and ecosystem carbon fluxes. Our focus was on examining the dynamics of vegetation and carbon flux following wildfires spanning up to 16 years in California, a region that has experienced significant intensification in burn severity over the past two decades. Our findings revealed that more severe burns resulted in greater vegetation damage and carbon releases. However, they also facilitated faster postfire vegetation and carbon recovery. In comparison to the average burn severity, the most severe burns caused an additional 62–128 % loss of vegetation, 21–80 % higher instant wildfire carbon emissions, and 45–110 % more postfire carbon sources. Nonetheless, high-severity burns exhibited accelerated postfire recoveries in both vegetation growth and ecosystem carbon sink. Carbon sinks, which persisted for up to 15 years after high-severity burns, partially offset a significant proportion of the extra postfire carbon sources, ranging from 84 to 107 % (excluding instant emissions). However, this offset effect was insufficient to fully compensate for the combined impact of postfire carbon sources and instant wildfire carbon emissions. Consequently, on the decadal time scale relevant to regional climate policies, the increasing severity of fires poses a threat to the objective of maintaining California's natural and working lands as a net carbon sink. Moreover, it exacerbates climate warming by enhancing carbon releases from ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the possibility that saline wastewaters may be used to grow commercially acceptable floriculture crops, a study was initiated to determine the effects of salinity on two statice cultivars. Limonium perezii (Stapf) F. T. Hubb. 'Blue Seas' and L. sinuatum (L.) Mill 'American Beauty' were grown in greenhouse sand cultures irrigated with waters prepared to simulate saline drainage waters typically present in the western San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California. Seven salinity treatments were imposed on 3-week-old seedlings. Electrical conductivities of the irrigation waters (EC) were 2.5 (control), 7, 11,15, 20, 25, and 30 dS·m-1 Vegetative shoots were sampled for biomass production and ion analysis ten weeks after application of stress. Flower stem numbers, length, and weight were determined at harvest. Stem length of L. perezii was significantly reduced when irrigation water salinity exceeded a threshold of 2.5 dS·m-1. Salt tolerance threshold based on stem length for L. sinuatum was 7 dS m-1. The species exhibited significant differences in shoot-ion relations which appear to be related to differences in salt tolerance. Sodium, K+, Mg2+, and total-P were more strongly accumulated in the leaves of L. sinuatum than L. perezii. Both species accumulated K+ in preference to Na+, but selectivity for K+ over Na+ was significantly higher in L. sinuatum than in the more salt-sensitive L. perezii. Chloride concentration in L. sinuatum leaves increased significantly as salinity increased, whereas the 20-fold increase in substrate-Cl had no effect on leaf-Cl in L. perezii. Both Limonium species completed their life cycles at salt concentrations exceeding 30 dS·m-1, a character associated with halophytic plants. Maximum growth of each species, however, occurred under relatively low salt stress, and steadily declined as external salinity incr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is still not fully understood. Sex modifies AD vulnerability, but the reasons for this are largely unknown. We utilize two independent electronic medical record (EMR) systems across 44,288 patients to perform deep clinical phenotyping and network analysis to gain insight into clinical characteristics and sex-specific clinical associations in AD. Embeddings and network representation of patient diagnoses demonstrate greater comorbidity interactions in AD in comparison to matched controls. Enrichment analysis identifies multiple known and new diagnostic, medication, and lab result associations across the whole cohort and in a sex-stratified analysis. With this data-driven method of phenotyping, we can represent AD complexity and generate hypotheses of clinical factors that can be followed-up for further diagnostic and predictive analyses, mechanistic understanding, or drug repurposing and therapeutic approaches., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Hispanics/Latinos in the United States are more likely to live in neighborhoods with greater exposure to air pollution and are projected to have the largest increase in dementia among race/ethnic minority groups., Objective: We examined the associations of air pollution with performance on cognitive function tests in Hispanic/Latino adults., Methods: We used data from the San Diego site of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, an ongoing cohort of Hispanics/Latinos. This analysis focused on individuals ≥45 years of age who completed a neurocognitive battery examining overall mental status, verbal learning, memory, verbal fluency, and executive function (n = 2,089). Air pollution (PM2.5 and O3) before study baseline was assigned to participants' zip code. Logistic and linear regression were used to estimate the associations of air pollution on overall mental status and domain-specific standardized test scores. Models accounted for complex survey design, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics., Results: We found that for every 10μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, verbal fluency worsened (β: -0.21 [95%CI: -0.68, 0.25]). For every 10 ppb increase in O3, verbal fluency and executive function worsened (β: -0.19 [95%CI: -0.34, -0.03]; β: -0.01 [95%CI: -0.01, 0.09], respectively). We did not identify any detrimental effect of pollutants on other domains., Conclusion: Although we found suggestions that air pollution may impact verbal fluency and executive function, we observed no consistent or precise evidence to suggest an adverse impact of air pollution on cognitive level among this cohort of Hispanic/Latino adults.

Objective: Hispanics/Latinos are the largest ethnic/racial group in the U.S., have the highest prevalence of diabetes, and are at increased risk for neurodegenerative disorders. Currently, little is known about the relationship between diabetes and cognitive decline and disorders among diverse Hispanics/Latinos. The purpose of this study is to clarify these relationships in diverse middle-aged and older Hispanics/Latinos., Research Design and Methods: The Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging (SOL-INCA) is an ancillary study of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). HCHS/SOL is a multisite (Bronx, NY; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; and San Diego, CA), probability-sampled (i.e., representative of targeted populations), and prospective cohort study. Between 2016 and 2018, SOL-INCA enrolled diverse Hispanics/Latinos aged ≥50 years ( n = 6,377). Global cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were the primary outcomes., Results: Prevalent diabetes at visit 1, but not incident diabetes at visit 2, was associated with significantly steeper global cognitive decline (β GC = -0.16 [95% CI -0.25; -0.07]; P < 0.001), domain-specific cognitive decline, and higher odds of MCI (odds ratio 1.74 [95% CI 1.34; 2.26]; P < 0.001) compared with no diabetes in age- and sex-adjusted models., Conclusions: Diabetes was associated with cognitive decline and increased MCI prevalence among diverse Hispanics/Latinos, primarily among those with prevalent diabetes at visit 1. Our findings suggest that significant cognitive decline and MCI may be considered additional disease complications of diabetes among diverse middle-aged and older Hispanics/Latinos., (© 2020 by the American Diabetes Association.)

The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) is considering strengthening the Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Stationary Gas Turbines, originally published in 2011 (DB11/847-2011), with a focus on reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. A feasibility study was conducted to evaluate the current operation of 12 existing combined-cycle gas turbine power plants and the design of two new plants in Beijing and their emission reduction potential, in comparison with a state-of-the-art power plant in California. The study found that best management practices (BMPs) could potentially improve the emission level of the power plants, and should be implemented to minimize emissions under current design characteristics. These BMPs include (1) more frequent tuning of turbine combustors; (2) onsite testing of natural gas characteristics in comparison to turbine manufacturer's specifics and tuning of turbine to natural gas quality; (3) onsite testing of aqueous ammonia to ensure adequate ammonia concentration in the mixed solution, and the purity of the solution; (4) more careful inspection of the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), and the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) during operation and maintenance; (5) annual testing of the catalyst coupon on the SCR to ensure catalyst effectiveness; and (6) annual ammonia injection grid (AIG) tuning. The study found that without major modification to the plants, improving the management of the Beijing gas turbine power plants may potentially reduce the current hourly average NOx emission level of 5-10 parts per million (ppm; ranges reflects plant variation) by up to 20%. The exact improvement associated with each BMP for each facility requires more detailed analysis, and requires engagement of turbine, HRSG, and SCR manufacturers. This potential improvement is an important factor to consider when strengthening the emission standard. However, note that with the continuous needs of improving air quality within the area, more expensive control measures, such as retrofitting the turbines or the HRSGs, may be considered., Implications: This study analyzed the potential emission reductions associated with implementing the best management practices (BMPs) on the combined cycle and cogeneration power plants in Beijing. It determined that implementing the BMPs could potentially achieve up to 580 metric tonnes, or 0.6%, reductions of all NOx emissions in Beijing. Many other cities in China and Asia battling air quality issues may find the information useful in order to evaluate the emission reduction potential of their own gas turbine power plants.

Mussel foot proteins (mfps) have been investigated as a source of inspiration for the design of underwater coatings and adhesives. Recent analysis of various mfps by a surface forces apparatus (SFA) revealed that mfp-1 functions as a coating, whereas mfp-3 and mfp-5 resemble adhesive primers on mica surfaces. To further refine and elaborate the surface properties of mfps, the force-distance profiles of the interactions between thin mfp (i.e. mfp-1, mfp-3 or mfp-5) films and four different surface chemistries, namely mica, silicon dioxide, polymethylmethacrylate and polystyrene, were measured by an SFA. The results indicate that the adhesion was exquisitely dependent on the mfp tested, the substrate surface chemistry and the contact time. Such studies are essential for understanding the adhesive versatility of mfps and related/similar adhesion proteins, and for translating this versatility into a new generation of coatings and (including in vivo) adhesive materials.

We have sequenced the genomes of 18 isolates of the closely related human pathogenic fungi Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii to more clearly elucidate population genomic structure, bringing the total number of sequenced genomes for each species to 10. Our data confirm earlier microsatellite-based findings that these species are genetically differentiated, but our population genomics approach reveals that hybridization and genetic introgression have recently occurred between the two species. The directionality of introgression is primarily from C. posadasii to C. immitis, and we find more than 800 genes exhibiting strong evidence of introgression in one or more sequenced isolates. We performed PCR-based sequencing of one region exhibiting introgression in 40 C. immitis isolates to confirm and better define the extent of gene flow between the species. We find more coding sequence than expected by chance in the introgressed regions, suggesting that natural selection may play a role in the observed genetic exchange. We find notable heterogeneity in repetitive sequence composition among the sequenced genomes and present the first detailed genome-wide profile of a repeat-induced point mutation (RIP) process distinctly different from what has been observed in Neurospora. We identify promiscuous HLA-I and HLA-II epitopes in both proteomes and discuss the possible implications of introgression and population genomic data for public health and vaccine candidate prioritization. This study highlights the importance of population genomic data for detecting subtle but potentially important phenomena such as introgression.

Considerable attention has been given lately to the need for global systems for animal disease surveillance that support real-time assessment of changing temporal-spatial risks. Until recently, however, prospects for development of such systems have been limited by the lack of informatics tools and an overarching collaboration framework to enable real-time data capturing, sharing, analysis, and related decision-making. In this paper, we present some of the tools of the FMD BioPortal System (www.fmd.ucdavis.edu/bioportal), which is a web-based system that facilitates near real-time information sharing, visualization, and advanced space-time cluster analysis for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Using this system, FMD information that is collected and maintained at various data acquisition and management sites around the world can be submitted to a data repository using various mutually agreed upon Extensible Markup Language (XML) formats, including Health Level Seven (HL7). FMD BioPortal makes available a set of advanced space-time cluster analysis techniques, including scan statistic-based methods and machine learning-based clustering methods. These techniques are aimed at identifying local clusters of disease cases in relation to the background risk. Data and analysis results can be displayed using a novel visualization environment, which supports multiple views including GIS, timeline, and periodical patterns. All FMD BioPortal functionalities are accessible through the Web and data confidentiality can be secured through user access control and computer network security techniques such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). FMD BioPortal is currently operational with limited data routinely collected by the Office International des Epizooties, the GenBank, the FMD World Reference Laboratory in Pirbright, and by the FMD Laboratory at the University of California in Davis. Here we describe technical attributes and capabilities of FMD BioPortal and illustrate its functionality by analyzing and displaying information from a simulated FMD epidemic in California.

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of Medicare Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) enrollment on hospitalization rates and total inpatient days for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) after controlling for selection., Research Design: Simultaneous equations using a discrete factor selection model are used to estimate the probability of HMO enrollment, hospitalization rates, and total inpatient days for ACSCs., Subjects: Enrollment data on Medicare beneficiaries in California were linked to hospital discharge data from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development for January through December 1996. The following beneficiaries were excluded: 1) end-stage renal disease, 2) under 65 years of age, 3) not covered by both Medicare Part A and Part B, 4) switched between HMOs and fee-for-service (FFS), and 5) switched between HMOs. The sample was stratified by age, gender, race, county, disability, Medicaid eligibility, HMO status, and death. A 2% random sample from the 4 California counties with the largest Medicare enrollment yielded 10,448 HMO enrollees and 11,803 FFS beneficiaries., Results: Using a discrete factor selection model, we estimated the rate of ACSC hospitalizations among FFS beneficiaries would decline from 51.2 to 44.2 per 1000 if all FFS beneficiaries joined an HMO. Similarly, the mean total inpatient days for ACSC hospitalizations would be reduced from 7.5 days to 5.1 days if all FFS beneficiaries joined an HMO., Conclusions: After controlling for selection, Medicare HMO enrollees have lower hospitalization rates and fewer total inpatient days for 15 ACSCs than Medicare FFS beneficiaries. These findings suggest selection of healthier beneficiaries into HMOs does not completely explain their lower rates of ACSC hospitalization.

1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) and its primary metabolites (DDTs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a major source of concern in the Southern California Bight (SCB), USA. The fate of DDTs and PCBs is a key element in assessing the effects imposed by these potential carcinogens on the marine ecosystem. We found that DDTs and PCBs remained widely distributed in the overlying water, sediment, polychaetes, and liver and muscle tissues of the hornyhead turbot (Pleuronichthys verticalis) collected from three nearshore locations of the SCB with different levels of contamination. Student's t tests indicated that the measured partition coefficients between the nonaqueous phases (sediment, polychaete, and fish) and overlying water at a heavily contaminated location were significantly greater than those predicted by the equilibrium partitioning theory (EPT). Measured partition coefficients between the nonaqueous phases and overlying water for a few DDT components at two other stations (moderate and low contamination) were also generally greater than the EPT predictions. On the other hand, DDTs and PCBs in polychaetes and fish tissues may be taken up from sediments via equilibrium partitioning or from food sources. These findings are suggestive of the possibility that contaminated sediments may have become an important source of contamination.