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Rangelands are a key global resource, providing a broad range of ecological services and economic benefits. California's predominantly annual rangelands cover ∼12% of the state's land area, and the forage production is highly heterogeneous, making balancing economic (grazing), conservation (habitat) and environmental (erosion/water quality) objectives a big challenge. Herein, we examined how climate and environmental factors regulate annual grassland forage production spatially across the state and among four ecoregions using machine learning models. We estimated annual forage production at 30 m resolution over a 14 year period (2004-2017) using satellite images and data fusion techniques. Our satellite-based estimation agreed well with independent field measurements, with a R2 of 0.83 and RMSE of 682 kg ha-1. Forage production (14 year average) showed large spatial variability (2940 ± 934 kg ha-1 yr-1; CV = 35%) across the study area. The gradient boosted regression tree with 11 feature variables explained 67% of the variability in forage production across the state. Precipitation amount, especially in November (germination) and April (rapid growth), was found as the dominant driver for spatial variation in forage production, especially in drier ecoregions and during drier years. Seasonal distribution of precipitation and minimum air temperature showed a relatively stronger control on forage production in wetter regions and during wet years. Additionally, solar energy became more important in wetter ecoregions. Drought reduced forage production from the long-term mean, i.e. a 33% ± 19% decrease in production (2397 ± 926 kg ha-1yr-1; CV = 38%) resulting from a 29% ± 5% decrease in precipitation. The machine learning based spatial analysis using 'big data' provided insights on impacts of climate and environmental factors on forage production variation at various scales. This study demonstrates a cost-effective approach for rapid mapping and assessment of annual forage production with the potential for near real-time application.

Rangelands cover ~23 million hectares and support a $3.4 billion annual cattle industry in California. Large variations in forage production from year to year and across the landscape make grazing management difficult. We here developed optimized methods to map high-resolution forage production using multispectral remote sensing imagery. We conducted monthly flights using a Small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) in 2017 and 2018 over a 10-ha deferred grazing rangeland. Daily maps of NDVI at 30-cm resolution were first derived by fusing monthly 30-cm sUAS imagery and more frequent 3-m PlanetScope satellite observations. We estimated aboveground net primary production as a product of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) derived from NDVI and light use efficiency (LUE), optimized as a function of topography and climate stressors. The estimated forage production agreed well with field measurements having a R2 of 0.80 and RMSE of 542 kg/ha. Cumulative NDVI and APAR were less correlated with measured biomass (R2 = 0.68). Daily forage production maps captured similar seasonal and spatial patterns compared to field-based biomass measurements. Our study demonstrated the utility of aerial and satellite remote sensing technology in supporting adaptive rangeland management, especially during an era of climatic extremes, by providing spatially explicit and near-real-time forage production estimates.

Grazed rangeland ecosystems encompass diverse global land resources and are complex social-ecological systems from which society demands both goods (e.g., livestock and forage production) and services (e.g., abundant and high-quality water). Including the ranching community's perceptions, knowledge, and decision-making is essential to advancing the ongoing dialogue to define sustainable working rangelands. We surveyed 507 (33% response rate) California ranchers to gain insight into key factors shaping their decision-making, perspectives on effective management practices and ranching information sources, as well as their concerns. First, we found that variation in ranch structure, management goals, and decision making across California's ranching operations aligns with the call from sustainability science to maintain flexibility at multiple scales to support the suite of economic and ecological services they can provide. The diversity in ranching operations highlights why single-policy and management "panaceas" often fail. Second, the information resources ranchers rely on suggest that sustaining working rangelands will require collaborative, trust-based partnerships focused on achieving both economic and ecological goals. Third, ranchers perceive environmental regulations and government policies-rather than environmental drivers-as the major threats to the future of their operations.

Montane meadows provide multiple ecological and economic benefits, and are widely considered areas of high conservation value. There is growing interest in balancing multiple land-uses on these and other focal working landscapes to provide for economic, social, and conservation goals. Globally, livestock grazing has been used as a management and conservation tool in many ecosystems; however, there is substantial concern-particularly for montane meadows-that grazing negatively impacts ecosystem functions and services. The mechanisms by which excessive livestock grazing can degrade meadow function have been well documented; yet, for hydrologically functional meadow systems, we know little about meadow-scale linkages in the hydrologic-soil-plant-grazing animal continuum, which limits our ability to develop riparian grazing conservation strategies. We conducted a cross-sectional, observational survey of hydrology, soils, plant communities, and cattle forage resource use across 24 functional montane meadows of the central Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California, USA. By linking principles of plant community ecology and foraging theory, we were able to unravel relationships and drivers between hydropedologic conditions, plant community characteristics, and cattle grazing patterns. Our work demonstrates that hydrology is a critical driving factor of cattle foraging response, plant community attributes, and soil properties across these wetland ecosystems. Results indicate that these systems are resilient to the observed gradient of grazing disturbances. This information advances our understanding of how meadow-scale heterogeneity can be utilized in managing for multiple, and potentially conflicting, ecosystem services across working landscapes-particularly in the face of projected future climate changes and continually limited resources to support conservation and restoration projects. Copyright:

Extreme droughts like the recent 2011-2013 drought impacting the central and western United States present a challenge to sustaining livestock ranching operations and the ecosystem goods and services they produce. Wyoming ranchers manage half of this drought-prone state and are at the forefront of this challenge. We examined Wyoming ranchers' drought management strategies and how ranch characteristics affect drought management flexibility, a key component of resilience, through a mail survey. We find that many survey respondents manage drought in similar ways, by selling livestock and buying feed, highlighting the market risks associated with drought. Ranches that are larger, include yearling livestock, use shorter grazing periods, and/or incorporate alternative on-ranch activities (e.g., hunting) use more drought management practices and thus have greater flexibility. Larger ranches experience fewer drought impacts, highlighting advantages of a larger resource base. Our findings suggest three components of national drought policy that encourages flexibility and thus increases resilience of ranches to drought: (1) encouraging forage-sharing mechanisms; (2) promoting income diversification that is independent of climatic variability; and (3) facilitating a shift to diversified livestock production systems. These measures could increase sustainability of ranching livelihoods and provision of ecosystem services despite predicted increases in intensity and duration of future droughts. © 2014 Kachergis et al.

A spatial scan statistic was used to search for geographic areas with significantly elevated proportions of women diagnosed with distant stage breast cancer in New Jersey in 1995-1997. The identified areas then were mapped and characterized using data from the 1990 U.S. Census and locations of mammography facilities. These areas' population characteristics included relatively high proportions of black or Hispanic women and linguistically isolated households. Targeted education and screening programs using this information may increase the diagnosis of breast cancer in the early stages, thereby reducing breast cancer mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of AI-powered bots and sophisticated fraudsters poses a significant threat to the integrity of scientific studies reliant on online surveys across diverse disciplines, including health, social, environmental and political sciences. We found a substantial decline in usable responses from online surveys from 75 to 10% in recent years due to survey fraud. Monetary incentives attract sophisticated fraudsters capable of mimicking genuine open-ended responses and verifying information submitted months prior, showcasing the advanced capabilities of online survey fraud today. This study evaluates the efficacy of 31 fraud indicators and six ensembles using two agriculture surveys in California. To evaluate the performance of each indicator, we use predictive power and recall. Predictive power is a novel variation of precision introduced in this study, and both are simple metrics that allow for non-academic survey practitioners to replicate our methods. The best indicators included a novel email address score, MinFraud Risk Score, consecutive submissions, opting-out of incentives, improbable location., Competing Interests: NP, WD, and MB were employed by Rhizobia LLC. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer SM declared a shared affiliation with the author NT-F to the handling editor at the time of review., (Copyright © 2024 Pinzón, Koundinya, Galt, Dowling, Baukloh, Taku-Forchu, Schohr, Roche, Ikendi, Cooper, Parker and Pathak.)

Wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity across the Western United States. However, there is limited information available on the impacts these fires are having on the livelihood of livestock producers and their animals. This work presents the results of a survey evaluating the direct and indirect impacts of the 2020 wildfire season on beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, and goat, producers in California, Oregon, and Nevada. Seventy completed surveys were collected between May and July 2021. While dairy producers reported no direct impacts from the fires, beef, sheep, and goat producers were impacted by evacuations and pasture lost to fires. Only beef producers reported losses due to burns and burn-associated deaths or euthanasia. Dairy, beef, sheep, and goat producers observed reduced conception, poor weight gain, and drops in milk production. All but dairy producers also observed pneumonia. Lower birthweights, increased abortion rates, and unexplained deaths were reported in beef cattle, sheep, and goats. This work documents the wide-ranging impacts of wildfires on livestock producers and highlights the need for additional work defining the health impacts of fire and smoke exposure in livestock, as well as the policy changes needed to support producers experiencing direct and indirect losses.

Working rangelands and natural areas span diverse ecosystems and face both ecological and economic threats from weed invasion. Restoration practitioners and land managers hold a voluminous cache of place-based weed management experience and knowledge that has largely been untapped by the research community. We surveyed 260 California rangeland managers and restoration practitioners to investigate invasive and weedy species of concern, land management goals, perceived effectiveness of existing practices (i.e., prescribed fire, grazing, herbicide use, and seeding), and barriers to practice implementation. Respondents identified 196 problematic plants, with yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.) and medusahead (Elymus caput-medusae L.) most commonly listed. Reported adoption and effectiveness of weed management practices varied regionally, but the most highly rated practice in general was herbicide use; however, respondents identified considerable challenges including nontarget effects, cost, and public perception. Livestock forage production was the most commonly reported management goals (64% of respondents), and 25% of respondents were interested in additional information on using grazing to manage invasive and weedy species; however, 19% of respondents who had used grazing for weed management did not perceive it to be an effective tool. Across management practices, we also found common barriers to implementation, including operational barriers (e.g., permitting, water availability), potential adverse impacts, actual effectiveness, and public perception. Land manager and practitioner identified commonalities of primary weeds, management goals, perceived practice effectiveness, and implementation barriers across diverse bioregions highlight major needs that could be immediately addressed through management-science partnerships across the state's expansive rangelands and natural areas.

The spread and persistence of weedy plants in rangelands highlight the need for refinement of existing management techniques and development of novel strategies to address invasions. Strip-seeding - the strategic seeding of a portion of an invaded area to reduce costs and enhance success - is an underutilized management approach that holds promise for reducing weed dominance in grassland habitats. A strip-seeding experiment was established in 2011 in a California grassland where portions (between 0-100%) of invaded plots were seeded with native grasses. In 2016, we assessed the height, above-ground biomass and flower production of two late-season invasive plants: field bindweed and prickly lettuce. We found significant reductions in plant height and flower production (for both target invasives), and biomass (for field bindweed) in many of the seeded strips compared to the unseeded strips. Smaller seed applications demonstrated similar or better utility for weed control compared to greater seed applications, suggesting that this approach can be effective while reducing labor and materials cost of typical restoration management approaches. We did not find evidence that seeded strips provided invasion resistance to unseeded strips. This is possibly due to the lag in native species dispersal and establishment into contiguous unseeded strips, and suggests that strip-seeding might not provide invasion resistance to unseeded strips on timescales that are relevant to managers. However, this work does suggest that strip-seeding native species that overlap in phenology with target invasives can reduce late-season weed dominance on rangelands.

Millennials (ages 18-35) are now the largest living generation in the US, making it important to understand and characterize the rising trend of colorectal cancer incidence in this population, as well as other younger generations of Americans. Data from the New Jersey State Cancer Registry (n = 181 909) and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (n = 448 714) were used to analyze invasive CRC incidence trends from 1979 to 2014. Age, sex, race, ethnicity, subsite, and stage differences between younger adults (20-49) and screening age adults (≥50) in New Jersey (NJ) were examined using chi-square; and, we compared secular trends in NJ to the United States (US). Whites, men, and the youngest adults (ages 20-39) are experiencing greater APCs in rectal cancer incidence. Rates among younger black adults, overall, were consistently higher in both NJ and the US over time. When compared to older adults, younger adults with CRC in NJ were more likely to be: diagnosed at the late stage, diagnosed with rectal cancer, male, non-white, and Hispanic. Invasive CRC incidence trends among younger adults were found to vary by age, sex, race, ethnicity, and subsite. Large, case-level, studies are needed to understand the role of genetics, human papillomavirus (HPV), and cultural and behavioral factors in the rise of CRC among younger adults. Provider and public education about CRC risk factors will also be important for preventing and reversing the increasing CRC trend in younger adults., (© 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Grazing lands support the livelihoods of millions of people across nearly one-half of the globe. Soils are the backbone of stability and resilience in these systems. To determine livestock grazing impacts on soil health, we conducted a global meta-analysis of soil organic carbon (SOC), total N, C/N ratio, and bulk density responses to grazing strategies (continuous, rotational, and no grazing) and intensities (heavy, moderate, and light grazing) from 64 studies around the world. Across all studies and grazing intensities, continuous grazing significantly reduced SOC, C/N, and total N compared with no grazing. Soil compaction (i.e., increased bulk density) was greater under both continuous and rotational grazing compared with no grazing; however, rotational grazing had lower bulk density than continuous grazing. Rotational grazing had greater SOC than continuous grazing and was not different from no grazing. The positive responses of SOC to rotational grazing could create climate change mitigation opportunities. Grazing strategy comparisons were minimally conditioned by aridity class (i.e., arid, subhumid, and humid); however, complete observations were notably limited or missing for many rotational grazing comparisons. For continuous and no grazing strategy comparisons, we found that grazing management can significantly influence soil function and health outcomes; however, site-specific environmental factors play important moderating roles. Greater coordination across regional, national, and global efforts, as well as consistent guidelines for soil health evaluation, would help overcome these knowledge gaps and vastly improve our collective understanding of grazing impacts on soil health, providing greater management and policy impacts., (Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.)

The historical management of agroecological systems, such as California's rangelands, have received criticism for a singular focus on agricultural production goals, while society has shifting expectations to the supply of multiple ecosystem services from these working landscapes. The sustainability and the multiple benefits derived from these complex social-ecological systems is increasingly threatened by weed invasion, extreme disturbance, urban development, and the impacts of a rapidly changing and increasingly variable climate. California's grasslands, oak savannas, and oak woodlands are among the most invaded ecosystems in the world. Weed eradication efforts are rarely combined with seeding on these landscapes despite support for the inclusion of the practice in a weed management program. Depending on seed mix choice, cost and long-term uncertainty, especially for native seed, is an impediment to adoption by land managers. We investigated four seeding mixes (forage annual, native perennial, exotic perennial, and exotic-native perennial) to evaluate how these treatments resist reinvasion and support the delivery of simultaneous multiple ecosystem services (invasion resistance, native richness, nitrogen fixing plants, pollinator food sources, plant community diversity, forage quality, and productivity). We found the increase of exotic and native perennial cover will drive resistance to an invading weedy summer flowering forb Centaurea solstitialis but provides a mixed response to resisting invasive annual grasses. The resistance to invasion is coupled with little tradeoff in forage productivity and quality and gains in plant diversity and native cover., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite improvements in early detection of breast cancer, disparities persist in stage at diagnosis, which is an important prognostic factor., Methods: We used the space-time scan statistic in SaTScan to identify geographic areas and time periods with significantly elevated proportions of female breast cancer diagnosed at the in situ or distant stage in New Jersey. The analyses were conducted with census tracts as the geographic unit of analysis, elliptical spatial windows, 3-year temporal windows, and Poisson models. Statistical significance was determined by 999 Monte Carlo simulations (P < .05); significant clusters were mapped in ArcMap. Breast cancer cases within the clusters were compared with breast cancer cases outside the clusters on demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors using the Pearson chi-square test (P < .05). In addition, populations within the clusters were compared with the population outside the clusters on demographic and socioeconomic factors., Results: After exclusions, 126 756 cases of primary female breast cancer diagnosed in 1997 to 2011 from the New Jersey State Cancer Registry were included in the analysis. One distant stage breast cancer cluster was identified in northeastern New Jersey from 1997 through 2011 (n = 26 244, relative risk [RR] = 1.42, P < .001). Two in situ breast cancer clusters were found in northeastern New Jersey from 2004 through 2011 (n = 12 496, RR = 1.35, P < .001) and in central New Jersey from 2006 through 2011 (n = 29 319, RR = 1.24, P < .001). The distant stage cluster contained relatively high percentages of minority and lower socioeconomic status (SES) breast cancer cases and populations, whereas the in situ clusters had relatively low percentages of minority and lower SES breast cancer cases and populations., Conclusion: Although there have been improvements since an earlier study of distant stage breast cancer diagnosed in 1995 to 1997, disparities in stage at diagnosis continue. These findings can be used by our local cancer control partners to target specific populations for interventions such as breast cancer education and mammography screening, as well as by state legislative and public health authorities for resource allocation.

Riparian meadows occupy a small proportion of the public lands in the western United States but they provide numerous ecosystem services, including the production of high-quality forage for livestock grazing. Modern conservation management strategies (e.g., reductions in livestock stocking rates and adoption of new riparian grazing standards) have been implemented to better balance riparian conservation and livestock production objectives on publicly managed lands. We examined potential relationships between long-term changes in plant community, livestock grazing pressure and environmental conditions at two spatial scales in meadows grazed under conservation management strategies. Changes in plant community were not associated with either livestock stocking rate or precipitation at the grazing allotment (i.e., administrative) scale. Alternatively, both grazing pressure and precipitation had significant, albeit modest, associations with changes in plant community at the meadow (i.e., ecological site) scale. These results suggest that reductions in stocking rate have improved the balance between riparian conservation and livestock production goals. However, associations between elevation, site wetness, precipitation, and changes in plant community suggest that changing climate conditions (e.g., reduced snowpack and changes in timing of snowmelt) could trigger shifts in plant communities, potentially impacting both conservation and agricultural services (e.g., livestock and forage production). Therefore, adaptive, site-specific management strategies are required to meet grazing pressure limits and safeguard ecosystem services within individual meadows, especially under more variable climate conditions.

Policy makers and practitioners are in need of useful tools and models for assessing ecosystem service outcomes and the potential risks and opportunities of ecosystem management options. We utilize a state-and-transition model framework integrating dynamic soil and vegetation properties to examine multiple ecosystem services-specifically agricultural production, biodiversity and habitat, and soil health-across human created vegetation states in a managed oak woodland landscape in a Mediterranean climate. We found clear tradeoffs and synergies in management outcomes. Grassland states maximized agricultural productivity at a loss of soil health, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services. Synergies existed among multiple ecosystem services in savanna and woodland states with significantly larger nutrient pools, more diversity and native plant richness, and less invasive species. This integrative approach can be adapted to a diversity of working landscapes to provide useful information for science-based ecosystem service valuations, conservation decision making, and management effectiveness assessments.

Although invasive cervical cancer incidence has declined, disparities persist. We identified spatial clusters of census tracts with elevated invasive cervical cancer incidence rates using New Jersey State Cancer Registry cases 20 years or older diagnosed in 2005-2009. Each cluster's population was compared with the rest of New Jersey's population on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Odds ratios that assessed associations between statistically significant characteristics (from a univariate comparison of cases in the clusters versus cases in the rest of New Jersey) and being a case in a cluster versus being a case in the rest of New Jersey were calculated from logistic regression models. Significant incidence clusters were identified around Newark, Trenton, and Camden. Being Black (all areas), Hispanic (Newark, Camden), unmarried (Newark), and uninsured/Medicaid-insured (Trenton) were significantly associated with being a case in these areas. These study results can be used to target invasive cervical cancer prevention efforts more effectively.

We examined long-term (10 years) meadow plant community responses to (1) livestock grazing under riparian grazing utilization limits; (2) suspension of livestock grazing; and (3) meadow site wetness and precipitation on the Inyo National Forest, California. Observed trends in meadow plant species richness, diversity, and frequency of soil stabilizing species were not significantly different between grazed (N = 16) and non-grazed (N = 9) study sites (P > 0.12 in all cases). Modest increases in richness and diversity were observed over the study period, but frequency of soil stabilizing species was constant. These results suggest that riparian conservation grazing strategies implemented during the study period neither degraded nor hampered recovery of meadow plant community conditions relative to non-grazed conditions. Meadow site wetness was negatively correlated to richness (P < 0.01) and diversity (P < 0.01), but was positively correlated to soil stabilization (P = 0.02). Precipitation was not a significant predictor for plant community responses.

Amphibians are experiencing a precipitous global decline, and population stability on public lands with multiple uses is a key concern for managers. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains (California, USA), managers have specifically identified livestock grazing as an activity that may negatively affect Yosemite toads due to the potential overlap of grazing with toad habitat. Grazing exclusion from Yosemite toad breeding and rearing areas and/or entire meadows have been proposed as possible management actions to alleviate the possible impact of cattle on this species. The primary objective of this study was to determine if different fencing treatments affect Yosemite toad populations. We specifically examined the effect of three fencing treatments on Yosemite toad breeding pool occupancy, tadpoles, and young of the year (YOY). Our hypothesis was that over the course of treatment implementation (2006 through 2010), Yosemite toad breeding pool occupancy and early life stage densities would increase within two fencing treatments relative to actively grazed meadows due to beneficial changes to habitat quality in the absence of grazing. Our results did not support our hypothesis, and showed no benefit to Yosemite toad presence or early life stages in fenced or partially fenced meadows compared to standard USDA Forest Service grazing levels. We found substantial Yosemite toad variation by both meadow and year. This variation was influenced by meadow wetness, with water table depth significant in both the tadpole and YOY models.

Indirect interactions driven by livestock and wild herbivores are increasingly recognized as important aspects of community dynamics in savannas and rangelands. Large ungulate herbivores can both directly and indirectly impact the reproductive structures of plants, which in turn can affect the pollinators of those plants. We examined how wild herbivores and cattle each indirectly affect the abundance of a common pollinator butterfly taxon, Colotis spp., at a set of long-term, large herbivore exclosure plots in a semiarid savanna in central Kenya. We also examined effects of herbivore exclusion on the main food plant of Colotis spp., which was also the most common flowering species in our plots: the shrub Cadaba farinosa. The study was conducted in four types of experimental plots: cattle-only, wildlife-only, cattle and wildlife (all large herbivores), and no large herbivores. Across all plots, Colotis spp. abundances were positively correlated with both Cadaba flower numbers (adult food resources) and total Cadaba canopy area (larval food resources). Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that floral resources drove the abundance of Colotis butterflies. Excluding browsing wildlife increased the abundances of both Cadaba flowers and Colotis butterflies. However, flower numbers and Colotis spp. abundances were greater in plots with cattle herbivory than in plots that excluded all large herbivores. Our results suggest that wild browsing herbivores can suppress pollinator species whereas well-managed cattle use may benefit important pollinators and the plants that depend on them. This study documents a novel set of ecological interactions that demonstrate how both conservation and livelihood goals can be met in a working landscape with abundant wildlife and livestock.

There is substantial concern that microbial and nutrient pollution by cattle on public lands degrades water quality, threatening human and ecological health. Given the importance of clean water on multiple-use landscapes, additional research is required to document and examine potential water quality issues across common resource use activities. During the 2011 grazing-recreation season, we conducted a cross sectional survey of water quality conditions associated with cattle grazing and/or recreation on 12 public lands grazing allotments in California. Our specific study objectives were to 1) quantify fecal indicator bacteria (FIB; fecal coliform and E. coli), total nitrogen, nitrate, ammonium, total phosphorus, and soluble-reactive phosphorus concentrations in surface waters; 2) compare results to a) water quality regulatory benchmarks, b) recommended maximum nutrient concentrations, and c) estimates of nutrient background concentrations; and 3) examine relationships between water quality, environmental conditions, cattle grazing, and recreation. Nutrient concentrations observed throughout the grazing-recreation season were at least one order of magnitude below levels of ecological concern, and were similar to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) estimates for background water quality conditions in the region. The relative percentage of FIB regulatory benchmark exceedances widely varied under individual regional and national water quality standards. Relative to USEPA's national E. coli FIB benchmarks-the most contemporary and relevant standards for this study-over 90% of the 743 samples collected were below recommended criteria values. FIB concentrations were significantly greater when stream flow was low or stagnant, water was turbid, and when cattle were actively observed at sampling. Recreation sites had the lowest mean FIB, total nitrogen, and soluble-reactive phosphorus concentrations, and there were no significant differences in FIB and nutrient concentrations between key grazing areas and non-concentrated use areas. Our results suggest cattle grazing, recreation, and provisioning of clean water can be compatible goals across these national forest lands.

Previous studies found that uninsured and Medicaid insured cancer patients have poorer outcomes than cancer patients with private insurance. We examined the association between health insurance status and survival of New Jersey patients 18-64 diagnosed with seven common cancers during 1999-2004. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals for 5-year cause-specific survival were calculated from Cox proportional hazards regression models; health insurance status was the primary predictor with adjustment for other significant factors in univariate chi-square or Kaplan-Meier survival log-rank tests. Two diagnosis periods by health insurance status were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival log-rank tests. For breast, colorectal, lung, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and prostate cancer, uninsured and Medicaid insured patients had significantly higher risks of death than privately insured patients. For bladder cancer, uninsured patients had a significantly higher risk of death than privately insured patients. Survival improved between the two diagnosis periods for privately insured patients with breast, colorectal, or lung cancer and NHL, for Medicaid insured patients with NHL, and not at all for uninsured patients. Survival from cancer appears to be related to a complex set of demographic and clinical factors of which insurance status is a part. While ensuring that everyone has adequate health insurance is an important step, additional measures must be taken to address cancer survival disparities.

World-wide population declines have sharpened concern for amphibian conservation on working landscapes. Across the Sierra Nevada's national forest lands, where almost half of native amphibian species are considered at risk, permitted livestock grazing is a notably controversial agricultural activity. Cattle (Bos taurus) grazing is thought to degrade the quality, and thus reduce occupancy, of meadow breeding habitat for amphibian species of concern such as the endemic Yosemite toad (Anaxyrus [ = Bufo] canorus). However, there is currently little quantitative information correlating cattle grazing intensity, meadow breeding habitat quality, and toad use of meadow habitat. We surveyed biotic and abiotic factors influencing cattle utilization and toad occupancy across 24 Sierra Nevada meadows to establish these correlations and inform conservation planning efforts. We utilized both traditional regression models and Bayesian structural equation modeling to investigate potential drivers of meadow habitat use by cattle and Yosemite toads. Cattle use was negatively related to meadow wetness, while toad occupancy was positively related. In mid and late season (mid July-mid September) grazing periods, cattle selected for higher forage quality diets associated with vegetation in relatively drier meadows, whereas toads were more prevalent in wetter meadows. Because cattle and toads largely occupied divergent zones along the moisture gradient, the potential for indirect or direct negative effects is likely minimized via a partitioning of the meadow habitat. During the early season, when habitat use overlap was highest, overall low grazing levels resulted in no detectable impacts on toad occupancy. Bayesian structural equation analyses supported the hypothesis that meadow hydrology influenced toad meadow occupancy, while cattle grazing intensity did not. These findings suggest cattle production and amphibian conservation can be compatible goals within this working landscape.

Context: Since anorectocele is usually associated with mucosa prolapse and/or rectal intussusceptions, it was developed a stapled surgical technique using one circular stapler., Objective: To report the results of Transanal Repair of Rectocele and Rectal Mucosectomy with one Circular Stapler (TRREMS procedure) in the treatment of anorectocele with mucosa prolapse in a prospective multicenter trial., Methods: It was conducted by 14 surgeons and included 75 female patients, mean aged 49.6 years, with symptoms of obstructed defecation due to grade 2 (26.7%) and grade 3 (73.3%) anorectocele associated with mucosa prolapse and/or rectal intussusception (52.0%) and an average validated Wexner constipation score of 16. All patients were evaluated by a proctological examination, cinedefecography, anal manometry and colonic transit time. The TRREMS procedure consists of the manual removal of the rectocele wall with circumferential rectal mucosectomy performed with a circular stapler. The mean follow-up time was 21 months., Results: All patients presented obstructed defecation and they persisted with symptoms despite conservative treatment. The mean operative time was 42 minutes. In 13 (17.3%) patients, bleeding from the stapled line required hemostatic suture. Stapling was incomplete in 2 (2.6%). Forty-nine patients (65.3%) required 1 hospitalization day, the remainder (34.7%) 2 days. Postoperatively, 3 (4.0%) patients complained of persistent rectal pain and 7 (9.3%) developed stricture on the stapled suture subsequently treated by stricturectomy under anesthesia (n = 1), endoscopic stricturectomy with hot biopsy forceps (n = 3) and digital dilatation (n = 3). Postoperative cinedefecography showed residual grade I anorectoceles in 8 (10.6%). The mean Wexner constipation score decreased significantly from 16 to 4 (0-4: n = 68) (6: n = 6) (7: n = 1) (P<0.0001)., Conclusion: Current trial results suggest that TRREMS procedure is a safe and effective technique for the treatment of anorectocele associated with mucosa prolapse. The stapling technique is low-cost as requires the use of a single circular stapler.

The study's purpose was to investigate thyroid cancer incidence time trends, birth cohort effects, and association with socioeconomic status (SES) in New Jersey (NJ), a high incidence state, using NJ State Cancer Registry data. Thyroid cancer incidence rates in each sex, nearly all age groups, two major histologies and all stages significantly increased between 1979 and 2006. For each sex, age-specific incidence rates began greatly increasing in the 1924 birth cohort and, generally, the highest thyroid cancer incidence rate for each five-year age group occurred in the latest birth cohort and diagnosis period. Thyroid cancer incidence rates were significantly higher in NJ Census tracts with higher SES and in counties with a higher percentage of insured residents. These results support further investigation into the relationship between rising thyroid cancer incidence and increasing population exposure to medical (including diagnostic) radiation, as well as widespread use of more sensitive diagnostic techniques.

We investigated racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in cancer survival and assessed if racial disparities can be explained by socioeconomic status (SES) using New Jersey State Cancer Registry data. We included cancer cases diagnosed during 1986-1999 (n=471,939). Hazard ratios were calculated for all cancers combined and female breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers by race/ethnicity and SES for cases diagnosed in 1993-1999. Survival rates were compared for diagnosis years 1986-1992 and 1993-1999. We observed worse survival in Black patients and a SES gradient in the risk of cancer death after adjusting for age and stage at diagnosis. Following adjustment by SES, the higher risks of cancer death for Blacks were attenuated for breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer and became non-significant for lung cancer. Racial/ethnic disparities in cancer survival can be partially explained by SES. Cancer survival rates improved significantly from 1986-1992 to 1993-1999 except for women in the poorest areas.

Despite effective screening methods, research suggests consistently higher rates of late stage colorectal cancer (CRC) among persons living in low socioeconomic areas compared to those living in affluent areas. This population-based study evaluated the association between area-based socioeconomic measures (ABSMs) and CRC stage at diagnosis in New Jersey. Cases of CRC among persons 50 years and older, diagnosed from 2000-2005, were obtained from the New Jersey State Cancer Registry. Associations between census tract-level ABSMs and CRC stage at diagnosis were evaluated using logistic regression and geographic variation assessed using a spatial scan statistic. After adjusting for covariates, including individual-level health insurance, ABSMs were significantly associated with stage at diagnosis. As area socioeconomic conditions worsened, the odds of being diagnosed at a late stage increased. While increasing CRC screening services for all New Jersey populations is warranted, this study suggests that persons living in low socioeconomic areas could benefit the most from enhanced CRC education, screening efforts, and guided interventions.

Background: Although the etiology of prostate cancer is uncertain, cancer control programs need to know the factors that contribute to variations in prostate cancer incidence from place to place. Geographic patterns of prostate cancer cases diagnosed at the distant stage are particularly important, because survival is substantially lower than for prostate cancer diagnosed at earlier stages. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize clusters of census tracts in New Jersey with significantly high proportions of men diagnosed with distant-stage prostate cancer., Methods: Prostate cancer cases diagnosed in New Jersey residents from 1995 to 1999 (n=30,505) were geocoded at the census tract level (n=1938) based on their residences at time of diagnosis. A spatial scan statistic (SaTScan) then was applied to identify clusters of census tracts with elevated proportions of cases of distant stage prostate cancer, using a case-control Bernoulli probability model study design. Distant-stage prostate cancers were defined as cases (n=1230), and all other prostate cancers as controls. Population characteristics from the 1990 Census for the area of the most likely cluster were compared to the remainder of the state., Results: SaTScan identified a large geographic area in northeast New Jersey as the most likely cluster (RR=1.25, p=0.001). Compared to the remainder of the state, the underlying population in the most likely cluster area had higher proportions of African-American, Hispanic, and Asian men, and was more likely to be foreign-born, undereducated, in poverty, and have limited English speaking ability., Conclusions: Spatial analyses of late stage prostate cancer cases can provide additional insights into less favorable outcomes for disadvantaged populations and racial and ethnic minorities.

Background: Description of the epidemiology of noncutaneous melanoma has been hampered by its rarity. The current report was the largest in-depth descriptive analysis of incidence of noncutaneous melanoma in the United States, using data from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries., Methods: Pooled data from 27 states and one metropolitan area were used to examine the incidence of noncutaneous melanoma by anatomic subsite, gender, age, race, and geography (northern/southern and coastal/noncoastal) for cases diagnosed between 1996 and 2000. Percent distribution by stage of disease at diagnosis and histology were also examined., Results: Between 1996 and 2000, 6691 cases of noncutaneous melanoma (4885 ocular and 1806 mucosal) were diagnosed among 851 million person-years at risk. Ocular melanoma was more common among men compared with women (6.8 cases per million men compared with 5.3 cases per million women, age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. population standard), whereas mucosal melanoma was more common among women (2.8 cases per million women compared with 1.5 cases per million men). Rates of ocular melanoma among whites were greater than eight times higher than among blacks. Rates of mucosal melanoma were approximately two times higher among whites compared with blacks., Conclusions: In contrast to cutaneous melanoma, there was no apparent pattern of increased noncutaneous melanoma among residents of southern or coastal states, with the exception of melanoma of the ciliary body and iris. Despite their shared cellular origins, both ocular and mucosal melanomas differ from cutaneous melanoma in terms of incidence by gender, race, and geographic area., (2005 American Cancer Society.)

Background: In New Jersey, the age-adjusted incidence rate of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) increased more than a third from 1979 to 1996, the largest increase among the major cancers., Methods: Data from a linkage of New Jersey's population-based cancer and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) registries were used to obtain two sets of annual age specific incidence rates and estimated average annual percentage changes in the incidence rates, for each of five adult age groups within each gender, from Poisson regression models that 1) included all the NHL cases and 2) excluded the cases of AIDS-NHL., Results: During 1979-1996, of the NHL cases aged 15 years and older reported to the cancer registry, 687 (6%) of the 11,725 male cases and 139 (1%) of the 10,785 female cases were AIDS-NHL. The highest percentages of AIDS-NHL were in the younger age groups--15-29, 30-39, and 40-49 years. Among both men and women, average annual percentage increases in NHL occurred overall (3.1 and 3.0, respectively), and in each age group, ranging from 1.6 and 1.9, respectively, in the 50-59 years age group to 6.6 and 4.2, respectively, in the 30-39 years age group (P <<0.01). Excluding AIDS-NHL, the estimated average annual percentage increases in NHL were greatest in the 30-39 and the 60 years and older age groups among men, and these two age groups plus the 15-29 years age group among women, ranging between 2.4 and 2.9 (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: As elsewhere, factors in addition to AIDS are involved in the increasing incidence of NHL in New Jersey. Because diagnostic and classification changes probably do not explain the entire increase unrelated to AIDS, other risk factors are likely responsible. Public health interventions to reduce the incidence of NHL not related to AIDS are problematic until more is known about the causes of NHL., (Copyright 2001 American Cancer Society.)

Study Objective: Previous studies found that women with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) receive less aggressive therapy compared with men. We sought to determine the percentage of young women (12 hours after symptom onset) were the most common reasons for ineligibility.

In the first 11 full years of operation (January 1, 1986, through December 31, 1996) of an adult lead registry in New Jersey, 23,456 reports of occupational lead toxicity (blood lead level > or = 1.21 mumol/L) in 4,011 workers, involving 496 workplaces, were received. The majority of the reports and workers were from the manufacturing and construction industries. Over the 11 years, the annual numbers of reports and workers declined, although the annual numbers of involved workplaces remained stable, as did the number of newly identified workers and workplaces. The decline occurred primarily in the manufacturing industry; the construction industry experienced an increase in reports and reported workers. For all years combined, 36% of reported workers had at least one blood lead level equal to or greater than 1.93 mumol/L, although in the most recent years the percentage dropped overall and in both the manufacturing and construction industries.

The most common diagnoses of elderly patients in the emergency department (ED) were compared among three age subgroups: 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and 85 and older. The computerized billing records for patient visits to 10 northern New Jersey hospital EDs for the years 1985 to 1991 were retrospectively analyzed. The most frequently occurring ICD-9-CM codes for elderly patients were compared among the three age subgroups. Elderly persons comprised 174, 146 (14% of the total) patient visits. The 176,146 patient visits were assigned 259,440 ICD-9-CM codes. The most common ICD-9-CM codes for medical diagnoses included chest pain, cardiac dysrhythmias, congestive heart failure, syncope, abdominal pain, and dyspnea. Fractures, particularly of the lower limb and upper limb; contusions; open wounds, particularly of the head, neck, and trunk; and falls were among the most common trauma diagnoses. The proportions in the three age subgroups of each diagnosis were statistically significantly different, except for cardiac arrest and contusions of the trunk and of multiple sites. The diagnoses with clinically significant higher relative risks in older age subgroups were atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, syncope, hypovolemia/dehydration, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, dyspnea, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, cerebrovascular accident, septicemia, urinary tract infection, fractures, and open wounds of the head, neck, trunk, particularly the scalp, and falls. Clinically significant lower relative risks were found in older age subgroups for chest pain, acute myocardial infarction, hypertension, angina, chronic airway obstruction not elsewhere classified, epistaxis, contusions of the upper limb, and open wounds of the finger.

The New Jersey Department of Health Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Program reviewed public employers' "Annual Occupational Injuries and Illness Summary" and "First Report of Accidental Illness or Injury" to determine their usefulness for occupational disease surveillance. More than 1200, 1800, and 1700 cases of illnesses were reported on the annual summaries for 1988, 1989, and 1990, respectively. Skin diseases and respiratory conditions due to toxic agents were the two most reported categories of illness. The most commonly reported illnesses on the First Reports for June 1990 and for January 1991 were insect bites, poison ivy/oak/sumac, skin rash/dermatitis/infection, smoke inhalation, communicable disease, stress reaction, and toxic substance inhalation. Analyses of the age, sex, and occupation of the employees and on the causes of the illnesses are also presented. From the analysis of First Reports for June 1990 and January 1991, the First Reports were determined to be very useful for occupational disease surveillance because of their timeliness and detail on the employer, employee, and illness. Accordingly, First Reports for July 1991 through June 1992 were reviewed to assist in the development of the PEOSH Program's workplan for July 1992 through June 1993.

Smokeless tobacco use was analyzed in relation to demographic factors and to past and current use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana in 4,249 ninth graders in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Smokeless tobacco use was found to be more common among males, particularly whites; among whites relative to blacks; among adolescents from one-parent households; and among those who reported current or prior use of cigarettes, alcohol, or marijuana. Smokeless tobacco use was also very common among the Native Americans and Hispanics sampled. The results suggest that smokeless tobacco may be joining the list of common recreational drugs that have potential for both short and long-term danger to the adolescent user.