California Section Research Articles

Disparities In Tennis Participation And Level Of Play Based On Socioeconomic Status And Ethnicity

Tennis is a sport that has been evidenced to provide many health benefits. It is a form of physical activity that can be performed at any age. However, the sport of tennis has long been perceived as an expensive sport compared to other team sports. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has been taking action to reduce disparities in access to the sport through diversity and inclusion initiatives such as offering grants and funding to low socioeconomic status populations and minorities. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine disparities in socioeconomic status and ethnicity as it relates to tennis participation and level of play. METHODS: Level of play was captured from the USTA’s Southern California section for the year 2020, with data consisting of a sample size of an N = 32,760 participants (17,933 male, 14823 female, 4 non-disclosed). The data for level of play was grouped as follows; Team Tennis (beginner), League Players (moderate), Tournament Players (advanced). Tennis participation was objectively quantified by membership enrollment in Southern California’s USTA programs. RESULTS: Our findings revealed a 12.5-fold tennis participation rate of White (non-Hispanic) players compared to Hispanic players, a 24.5-fold tennis participation rate of White tennis players compared to African-Americans, a 5.8-fold tennis participation rate of White tennis players compared to other minorities as an aggregate, and a 2.7-fold tennis participation rate of White tennis players compared to Asian players. In addition, when considering the population demographics of Southern California, the disparity is further exasperated, particularly for the Hispanic population. Our study revealed that level of play is statistically significantly negatively correlated with socioeconomic status, p < 0.05. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study exemplify the ethnic inequality prevalent in the sport of tennis. Moreover, the socioeconomic status influence on the level of play is evident across the tiers of the level of play. Therefore, we recommend growing and supporting endeavors that promote diversity and inclusion in efforts to reduce the disparity in tennis participation and level of play.

Review of the HCM6 Capacity Estimation Methodology for Freeways

Chapter 26 of the Highway Capacity Manual sixth edition (HCM6) suggests a procedure for the empirical estimation of freeway capacity, which is based on the direct estimation of breakdown probabilities for bins of traffic volumes. This paper expounds that this methodology is unsuitable for obtaining reliable capacity estimations. The theoretical analysis of the deficiencies of the methodology is supported by empirical capacity estimations for 12 freeway sections in California. Based on the empirical results, alternatives to the HCM6 capacity estimation methodology including statistical models for censored data as well as the distribution of prebreakdown volumes are proposed and validated.

For director-at-large: Lee M. Latimer

California Section. Consultant, LHLatimer Consulting, Oakland, California. Academic record: Tulane University, BS, chemistry, 1971; University of Wisconsin, PhD, organic chemistry, 1976; University of California, Berkeley, postdoctoral research in organic chemistry, 1976–77; University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy, postdoctoral research in organic chemistry, 1977–79. Honors: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety, Howard Fawcett Chemical Health Award, 2016; ACS Santa Clara Valley Section, Shirley B. Radding Award, 2014; ACS Fellow, 2012; ACS California Section, Walter B. Petersen Award, 2010; ACS Rochester Section, Rochester Section Award, 1991; Elan Pharmaceuticals, Chemical Sciences Excellence Award, 2009; Kodak Research Labs, Gold Team Achievement Award, 1992; National Institutes of Health, Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1977–79; Phi Beta Kappa, 1971; Sigma Xi, 1971. Professional positions (for past 10 years): LHLatimer Consulting, drug development consultant, 2011–; NeurOp, head of chemistry, 2014–16; Elan Pharmaceuticals, 1995–2011, senior director of process and analytical chemistry, 2005–11, chemical hygiene officer, 2004–10; San Francisco State University,

Ranking the ecological effects of coastal armoring on mobile macroinvertebrates across intertidal zones on sandy beaches

Coastal armoring is widely applied to coastal ecosystems, such as sandy beaches, in response to shoreline erosion and threats to infrastructure. Use of armoring is expected to increase due to coastal population growth and effects of climate change. An increased understanding of armoring effects on those ecosystems and the services they provide is needed for impact assessments and the design of these structures. We investigated the following hypotheses: 1) impacts of coastal armoring on beach macroinvertebrates increase from lower to upper intertidal zones and 2) location of an armoring structure on beach profiles affects the number of intertidal zones, using comparative surveys of armored and unarmored beach sections in Chile and California. The effects of armoring were greater for upper intertidal (talitrid amphipods) and mid-intertidal species (cirolanid isopods) than for lower shore fauna (hippid crabs). Our surveys of sections of armoring structures located higher and lower on the beach profile (with and without interactions with waves and tides), showed loss of upper zone talitrid amphipods and mid-zone isopods and a reduction of lower zone hippid crabs in sections where the structures were lower on the beach profile and interacted with waves, compared to non-interacting sections. Our results support the hypothesis that impacts of armoring on intertidal macroinvertebrates increase from the lower to the upper intertidal zones of sandy beaches and also suggest that the relative position of an armoring structure on the beach profile, determines the number of intertidal zones it affects. Our findings also imply that by altering the position of existing armoring structures on the shore profile and increasing the amount of interaction with waves and tides, sea level rise and regional factors, such as coseismic coastal subsidence, can be expected to exacerbate the impacts of these widely used coastal defense structures on sandy beach ecosystems.

How to Identify Homelessness Using Administrative Data

Research ObjectiveAddressing social determinant of health such as homelessness is increasingly the focus of efforts to reduce costs and improve health outcomes. Yet, such efforts face significant barriers including how to identify, target, and evaluate homeless populations for better care using administrative data. Some studies have used diagnosis codes or addresses but the sensitivity and specificity of these methods cannot be verified. We developed an algorithm to identify homeless beneficiaries from Medicaid enrollment and claims data and publically available data using machine learning techniques. The algorithm was trained using homeless status data from the California Section 115 Medicaid waiver demonstration Whole Person Care (WPC) Pilot program.Study DesignWPC Pilots determined enrollees' homelessness status using a variety of methods, including data from established homeless information management systems, standardized assessment tools, and individual self‐report. Using Medicaid monthly enrollment and claims data, we constructed multiple indicators for homelessness based on International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnosis codes, place of service, and residential addresses (identified addresses that were invalid, had specific keywords such as homeless or bridge, or that were places of service rather than residential). We developed an algorithm to predict homelessness using these indicators along with zip code‐level socioeconomic variables (eg, unemployment rate), enrollment data on demographic variables (eg, age, gender, race/ethnicity), claims data health status (eg, Chronic Illness and Disability Payment System (CDPS) scores, number of chronic diseases), and health care utilization variables (eg, emergency room visits, hospitalizations). We used supervised machine learning techniques that included logistic regression, partial least squares, multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), and random forests.Population StudiedA total of 95 171 patients were enrolled in the WPC program with complete demographic variables, among which 40% were reported as homeless by the Pilots.Principal FindingsWe chose the random forest algorithm due to its superior performance over other techniques. The algorithm identified 25 350 enrollees as homeless and provided a predictive accuracy of 88.75%, sensitivity of 81.45%, and specificity of 93.66%. This algorithm performed better than a simple logistic regression (sensitivity = 79.57%) and solely relying on ICD codes (sensitivity = 25.55%). When comparing to enrollees that were identified as homeless by both the Pilots and our algorithm, those identified as homeless by Pilots, but not our algorithm (n = 4969), were younger, more often female, black, Latino and from Los Angeles, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties and those identified as homeless by our algorithm, but not Pilots (n = 2526) were younger and more often male, Latino and from Los Angeles county.ConclusionsOur methods were relatively accurate in identifying homelessness using available administrative data and other public data sources. The discordance between our algorithm and Pilots' homelessness status was likely because of variations in Pilots' approaches, ability to enroll homeless beneficiaries, and use of other available information in medical records or in‐person contacts.Implications for Policy or PracticeThe ability to identify these patients with administrative and public data is critical to the success of Medicaid and other programs in management of the needs of these patients, providing needed services, and monitoring progress of such efforts.Primary Funding SourceCalifornia Department of Health Care Services.

Petrographic evidence for ediacaran microbial mat-targeted behaviors from the great basin, United States

The lower Member of the Wood Canyon Formation contains a variety of simple late Precambrian–early Cambrian dwelling and grazing traces, typical of early bioturbators. The traces, dominated by Planolites and Palaeophycus, are heavily abundant throughout sections comprised of higher energy siliciclastics. Two of which, Chicago Pass and Boundary Canyon (California, USA), also contain evidence for targeted microbial mat penetration by undermat mining organisms below and into the PC–C boundary. The co-occurence of penetrative burrows within microbial microlaminae, surficial trails, and dwelling structures is characteristic of the complex Ediacaran trace fossil, Lamonte trevallis, as described by Meyer et al., (2014) from the Dengying Formation of South China. The specimens from the Wood Canyon Formation present similar structures resulting from altering behaviors of epibenthic locomotion, undermat mining, and dwelling (Meyer et al., 2014). Principally, grain size analyses confirmed the presence of microbial mat-targeted mining, seemingly resistant to overprinting by co-occurring horizontal traces. Therefore, we have classified the traces present in the California sections as Lamonte trevallis, broadening the geographic extent of this particular mining behavior in the Precambrian and the instances of complex bioturbating behaviors preceding the Cambrian substrate revolution.

Controls on sediment distribution in the coastal zone of the central California transform continental margin, USA

We use >10,000 km of high-resolution seismic-reflection data together with multibeam bathymetry to document complex and highly variable post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sediment distribution and thickness in the coastal zone (~10 m isobath to 5.6 km offshore) along a ~800 km section of central California's transform continental margin. Sediment thickness ranges from 0 (seafloor bedrock) to 64 m with a mean of 8.7 m. We delineate 25 coastal zone “sediment domains,” and group them based on common geomorphology and sediment occurrence. Thickest sediment occurs in “mountain front” and “large river” domains, which comprise 14.5% and 7.9% of the coastal zone and contain 30.1% and 18.2% of coastal zone sediment, respectively. In contrast, “small river” domains and “sediment-poor shelf” domains comprise 50.7% and 15.7% of the coastal zone and contain 18.4% and 12.7% of its sediment.The distribution and thickness of post-LGM sediment in the coastal zone is controlled by a combination of tectonics, sediment supply, and eustasy. Sediment is derived from a tectonically controlled coastal landscape of rapidly uplifting mountain fronts, more slowly uplifting marine terraces, and fault-bounded headlands and alluvial-estuarine troughs. Sediment supply is maximized along steep, landslide-prone, mountain fronts and at the mouths of large watersheds, and minimized along lower-relief, terraced coastal landscape drained by smaller rivers and creeks. In the offshore coastal zone, tectonics generates local uplifts and basins, and influences shelf width and gradient as well as the locations of some shelf-incised submarine canyons. Sea-level rise raises base level, drowns estuaries, creates accommodation space on the shelf (amount based on gradient), and isolates the heads of many submarine canyons at or near the shelfbreak. Comparison of shelf sediment volumes with estimates of “unaltered” watershed sediment supply reveals that a relatively small proportion of post-LGM sediment supply is preserved on the shelf offshore of some of the largest rivers. Sediments deposited in shoreline and shelf environments have limited preservation potential, and the most complete long-term geologic record of the post-LGM transgression and highstand is likely represented in slope and submarine fan deposits.

California pilots report inroads in care coordination under Medicaid

Pilot programs established under California's Section 1115 Medicaid waiver have made progress in care coordination for beneficiaries with complex needs, including persons with mental illness. With just over a year remaining for the pilot efforts, however, some barriers to optimal effectiveness remain, including some jurisdictions' difficulties in securing the technology needed for information sharing.

Temperature, discharge and development shape the larval diets of threatened green sturgeon in a highly managed section of the Sacramento River

AbstractFeeding at early fish life stages is a key determinant of survival to recruitment. To understand the environmental and developmental determinants of early life stage feeding in ESA‐threatened green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris), we performed a diet study in a highly managed section of California's Sacramento River, where temperature and discharge are controlled by dam releases. Utilising field collections from 2012 to 2016, we assessed the impacts of temperature, discharge and morphological development on the composition and number of prey items in larval green sturgeon diets. Results show that there are more empty stomachs at colder temperatures. Higher discharge conditions decreased prey taxon richness and counts, especially the abundance of cyclopoid copepods in diets. Fish smaller than 30 mm had teeth on the oral jaws and showed a strong reliance on zooplankton prey. The developmental loss of teeth in fish greater than 30 mm was associated with decreased zooplankton consumption and increased richness of benthic macroinvertebrates in diets. Our results show that river management through dam releases has the potential to impact the earliest life stage of green sturgeon by reducing the prevalence of favoured zooplankton prey in diets.

Small shelly fossils from the Montezuman–Delamaran of the Great Basin in Nevada and California

AbstractThe mixed carbonate-siliciclastic successions of the Cambrian Series 2–Cambrian Series 3 interval of the Great Basin are well investigated in respect to their trilobite and brachiopod fauna. In contrast, the small shelly fossils have been mostly unreported. Nine sections in eastern California and southern Nevada have produced a small shelly assemblage of low diversity, which likely reflects non-phosphatization and loss of originally calcareous remains. From the Montezuman–Delamaran stages we reportAnabarella chelataSkovsted, 2006a,Costipelagiella nevadenseSkovsted, 2006a,Pelagiellaaff.P. subangulata(Tate, 1892),Microcornussp.,Parkulasp.,Hyolithellus? sp.,Alloniasp.,Chancelloriasp.,Archiasterellacf.A. hirundoBengtson in Bengtson et al., 1990,Archaeooidescf.A. granulatusQian, 1977, and undefined echinoderms and helcionelloid molluscs. The lower part of the Montezuman Stage delivered a number of lobopodian sclerites asMicrodictyon rhomboidaleBengtson, Matthews, and Missarzhevsky, 1986,Microdictyon montezumaensisn. sp., andMicrodictyon cuneumn. sp. The occurrence ofP. aff.P. subangulataand species ofMicrodictyonin the lower Montezuman Stage offers a fundamental potential for correlation with the base of Cambrian Series 2/Stage 3 of South China, Siberia, and Avalonia.

Book Review: Charles K. McClatchy and the Golden Era of American Journalism, by Steven M. Avella

Steven M. Avella Charles K. McClatchy and the Golden Era of American Journalism. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 2016. 441 pp.Part muckraker/part bully, Charles McClatchy used his Sacramento Bee newspaper not only to report the news but also to promote his ideologies. Under his leadership, the paper investigated government corruption, influenced public policy, and manipulated voters while occasionally attacking individuals and societal groups. Although McClatchy and the Bee greatly affected early California politics and development, previous writings about him were scant. This exhaustive biography by Avella, a Marquette University history professor, solidly establishes McClatchy's place in journalism history while providing an insider's view of late 19th century to early 20th century newsroom practices.In researching the book, Avella examined 10,000 linear feet of records contained in the McClatchy Papers: nearly 287 volumes of business and personal correspondence penned by McClatchy and other family members, news stories from the Sacramento Bee, McClatchy's columns, and stories published in competing newspapers. The 63-page index alone is testament to the substantial research performed to create this book.Journalism was a family affair for Charles McClatchy and Sacramento was the hub of his universe. His father, James, wrote stories about the Gold Rush for Horace Greeley and joined the Sacramento Bee staff soon after it was launched. It was an exciting time to be in the news business; California was still acclimating to statehood and there was plenty of news to cover. Charles McClatchy came aboard the Bee two decades after his father and was a partner by his 21st birthday. Having inherited the paper when their father died in 1883, Charles and his brother Valentine worked hard to build it into a major journalism force in Northern California and beyond. (Today, The McClatchy Company is the second largest newspaper chain in the United States.) In a 1911 letter to his brother, Charles extolled the Bee asa tower of righteousness and a terror to evil doers . . . an unceasing friend to every great public cause of right, the unflinching foe of every monstrous public wrong. I have made it almost a Bible in our section of California. It is respected wherever it is read. (p. 2)Avella deftly documents how McClatchy's opinion of his beloved newspaper was both true and false. To be sure, the Bee bravely tackled the biggest issues facing the young state: damage to downstream farmland caused by hydraulic gold mining, inordinate political influence by railroad companies, bribery and extortion by San Francisco civic leaders, a government cover-up of a deadly bubonic plague outbreak in San Francisco's Chinatown, social vices, and ongoing efforts to modernize Sacramento. However, all readers did not appreciate the newspaper's efforts. Many libel suits were brought against the Bee. Some were successful although the monetary judgments were minimal. In addition, a typographers' strike and advertising boycott that lasted more than four months nearly killed the newspaper.When not reporting the news, McClatchy relished using the Bee to publicly vilify individuals he mistrusted and sectors of society he outright detested. He even hired a private investigator, on at least two occasions, to investigate a local newspaper editor and a Catholic priest who edited a religious newspaper. …

10th International Conference on Methods and Applications of Radioanalytical Chemistry (MARC X) Introduction.

The Tenth International Conference on Methods and Applications of Radioanalytical Chemistry (MARC X) was held April 12–17, 2015 at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States. Having grown significantly since the first MARC conference in 1987, MARC X was attended by over 300 professionals and 80 students from the nuclear sciences and engineering. Attendees came from over 30 countries and two multinational organizations, demonstrating MARC continues to be an important international forum for reporting advances in radioanalytical chemistry. Overall, the quality of presentations was outstanding, and when combined with the relaxed environment of the conference, led to productive discussions and opportunities for scientific exchange. The keen foresight of the MARC founding organizers to create a topical meeting dedicated to all aspects of radioanalytical chemistry was highlighted in MARC X with sessions covering a broad range of both long-standing and emerging technical areas. These outstanding sessions were made possible by the hard work and dedication of the many session organizers who stimulated contributions from academia, government, and industry. A wide variety of topics were covered in the scientific program of MARC X including environmental radioactivity measurements, activation analysis, biology and medical applications, actinide analytical chemistry, radiation detectors and instrumentation, nonproliferation and safeguards, treaty monitoring, nuclear forensics, and radionuclide measurements using mass spectrometry. A highlight of MARC X was the presentation of the Hevesy Medal to Professor Dr. Susanta Lahiri of the Chemical Sciences Division, Saha Institute for Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, India for his lifetime achievements in radiochemistry. After the awards ceremony, Prof. Dr. Lahiri presented an interesting overview of his career’s work. The technical program opened with a plenary session of outstanding and timely presentations by Prof. Ken Beusseler, Prof. Tomoko Nakanishi, Dr. Ross Williams, and Dr. Simon Jerome. In total, over 400 presentations were given in both oral and poster sessions at the conference with over 150 of these submitted as full papers for the proceedings. As for previous conferences, all papers were peer-reviewed by at least two reviewers, as is the policy of the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. We want to express our sincere appreciation to the many people who helped organize MARC X. Jim Tanner once again proved invaluable as the Finance and Housing Chair. Robert Steiner, Ned Wogman, Lei Cao, Steve Biegalski, Kenneth Inn, Heather Dion, Matthew Douglas, and Alex Plionis served expertly as Assistant Program Chairs. Publicity Chair Harry Miley worked hard to garner support for MARC X from a diverse group of sponsors. Bob Runkle provided the critical interface with the US Department of Energy to ensure approvals were in place for National Laboratory employees to attend. Annie Kersting and Richard Ragaini served as terrific liaisons between MARC X and the Northern California Section of the American Nuclear Society. Conference Secretary Patti Wilson did an exceptional job with administrative activities including registration. Sherry Glover, Proceedings Chair, proficiently collected and organized papers submitted for publication. The MARC X website was expertly designed and maintained by Daniel Glover, and Joe Sullivan provided expert IT support. Many members of the Technical Program Committee made special efforts to organize topical sessions and develop the excellent scientific program for the conference. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Samantha Connelly, Jeffrey Morrison, Paul Saey, Tomoko Nakanishi, A. Chatt, William Burnett, Henrietta Dulaiova, Evelyn Bond, Ralf Sudowe, David Diprete, R. Brennetot, Florence Goutelard, Martin Keiller, James Bowen, Pavel Povinec, Warren Oldham, Henry Spitz, Lav Tandon, Pamela Thompson, Simon Jerome, Stephan Richter, K. Mathew, Jacqueline Mann, Lisa Meyers, Christian Ekberg, Mikael Nilsson, Fabien Pointurier, Jeffrey Giglio, Gregory Downing, Elisabete Fernandes, Monique Lacroix, George Lasche, Craig Aalseth, V.P. Kolotov, Sue Clark, Xaiolin Hou, Thorsten Schafer, Amanda Klingensmith, Todd Bredeweg, Clemens Walther, and George Steinhauser. The support of Canberra, Nu Instruments, Thermo Fisher, IsotopX, XIA LLC, Nuclear Security Technologies LLC, University of Texas, Durridge, and Ohio State University were critical to the success of MARC X. Special thanks are due to Dr. Zsolt Revay, Editor-in-Chief, and Dr. Tibor Kocsor of the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, for assistance in publishing these Proceedings in a timely fashion. We would like to express the appreciation for the support of the Divisions of Isotopes & Radiation and Biology & Medicine of the American Nuclear Society, and the Northern California Section of the American Nuclear Society, sponsors of MARC X. Lastly, we would like to encourage all readers to keep informed and plan to attend MARC XI to be held in April 2018 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA. Information on the conference can be found at the conference website: http://www.marcconference.org.

Model Development, Field Section Characterization, and Model Comparison for Excess Vehicle Fuel Use Attributed to Pavement Structural Response

In this study, consumption of energy attributed to pavement structural response through viscoelastic deformation of asphalt pavement materials under vehicle loading was predicted for 17 field sections in California by using three different models. Calculated dissipated energy values were converted to excess fuel consumption (EFC) to facilitate comparisons under different traffic loads (car, SUV, and truck) and speeds and different temperature conditions. The goal of the study was to compare the different modeling approaches and provide first-level estimates of EFC in preparation for simulations of annual EFC for different traffic and climate scenarios, as well as different types of pavement structures on the California state highway network. Comparison of the predicted EFC for test sections showed that all three models produced different results, which can be attributed to the differences in the three modeling approaches. However, predictions from the three models were generally of the same order of magnitude or an order of magnitude different, indicating that overall these models can be calibrated with data from field measurements, which is the next step in the research program.

Fluid pressure responses for a Devil's Slide‐like system: problem formulation and simulation

AbstractThis study employs a hydrogeologic simulation approach to investigate subsurface fluid pressures for a landslide‐prone section of the central California, USA, coast known as Devil's Slide. Understanding the relative changes in subsurface fluid pressures is important for systems, such as Devil's Slide, where slope creep can be interrupted by episodic slip events. Surface mapping, exploratory core, tunnel excavation records, and dip meter data were leveraged to conceptualize the parameter space for three‐dimensional (3D) Devil's Slide‐like simulations. Field observations (i.e. seepage meter, water retention, and infiltration experiments; well records; and piezometric data) and groundwater flow simulation (i.e. one‐dimensional vertical, transient, and variably saturated) were used to design the boundary conditions for 3D Devil's Slide‐like problems. Twenty‐four simulations of steady‐state saturated subsurface flow were conducted in a concept‐development mode. Recharge, heterogeneity, and anisotropy are shown to increase fluid pressures for failure‐prone locations by up to 18.1, 4.5, and 1.8% respectively. Previous estimates of slope stability, driven by simple water balances, are significantly improved upon with the fluid pressures reported here. The results, for a Devil's Slide‐like system, provide a foundation for future investigations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Cheatgrass invasion and woody species encroachment in the Great Basin: Benefits of conservation

The Great Basin is the largest North American desert, covering more than 49.6 million ha (122.5 million ac), and includes most of Nevada, a large part of Utah, and smaller sections of Oregon, Idaho, and California. Two of the biggest threats to ecosystem stability and integrity in the Great Basin are invasive annual grasses, particularly cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), and expansion of native woody plants, particularly juniper (Juniperus spp.) species and pinyon pines (Pinus monophylla Torr. and Frém. and Pinus edulis Engelm.). An estimated 72% (36 million ha [88 million ac]) of the Great Basin is currently impacted by cheatgrass (Pellant et al. 2004). Pinyon and juniper woodlands currently occupy approximately 22.5 million ha (55.6 million ac) throughout the western United States (Miller et al. 2011). In the Great Basin alone, the occupied area is nearly 7.1 million ha (17.5 million ac), the result of a 125% to 625% increase in tree distribution, much of which occurred in areas where these species were not inherent components of the plant community (Miller et al. 2008).

Analysis of variation in charges and prices paid for vaginal and caesarean section births: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo examine the between-hospital variation of charges and discounted prices for uncomplicated vaginal and caesarean section deliveries, and to determine the institutional and market-level characteristics that influence adjusted charges.Design, setting...

Medicaid Expansion and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Lessons and Hopes for Implementation of Healthcare Reform

THE CALIFORNIA Journal of Politics & Policy Volume 3, Issue 4 Medicaid Expansion and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Lessons and Hopes for Implementation of Healthcare Reform Autumn Kieber-Emmons, Thomas Bodenheimer, & Kevin Grumbach University of California, San Francisco Abstract This study was designed to examine the perspectives and concerns of California healthcare policymakers and stakeholders about the upcoming expansion of Med- icaid. Key California stakeholders show general support for the expansion of Med- icaid, with concerns about the cost to implement expansion, hopes for increased use of managed care delivery system reform to produce cost savings, worries about provider access and physician payment rates, and support for the recent California Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver “bridge to reform” as a timely measure for the tran- sition to Medicaid expansion. This state-level perspective from California can help to inform state and national preparations for the 2014 implementation of Medicaid expansion. Keywords: healthcare reform, The Affordable Health Care Act, California health - care Copyright © 2011 The Berkeley Electronic Press. All rights reserved. www.bepress.com/cjpp

Enhanced Evaluation of Heavy Vehicle Lane Restriction Strategies in Microscopic Traffic Simulation

Heavy vehicles can considerably affect traffic flow particularly during heavy-traffic conditions. Large numbers of heavy-vehicle lane-changing maneuvers can contribute to increase the number of traffic accidents and hence to reduce the freeway safety. The increase in the number of heavy vehicles on freeways has been the motivation to establish strategies to reduce the interaction between heavy vehicles and passenger cars. Previous studies have examined different lane-restriction strategies for heavy vehicles using microscopic traffic-simulation packages. Those packages mostly use a general lane-changing model to estimate the lane-changing behavior of heavy-vehicle and passenger-car drivers. The general lane-changing models ignore the fundamental differences in the lane-changing behavior of passenger cars and heavy vehicles. However, an exclusive lane-changing model for heavy vehicles can increase the accuracy of simulation models. The application of such a model can result in a more reliable evaluation of lane restriction strategies. In this paper, different lane restriction strategies are defined for heavy vehicles. For each strategy, the macroscopic and microscopic traffic measurements of two freeway sections in California are analyzed, using the VISSIM default lane-changing model and an exclusive heavy- vehicle lane-changing model. The results show that the VISSIM default model unrealistically overestimates the observed number of heavy-vehicle lane-changing maneuvers and potentially overestimates the number of traffic accidents. Using the exclusive lane-changing model for heavy vehicles enhances the accuracy of the VISSIM traffic simulation model in microscopically estimating the lane-changing maneuvers of heavy vehicles.

Comparison of tire-pavement noise characteristics of rubberized and conventional asphalt concrete mixes

This study compares tire/pavement noise characteristics of flexible pavement sections in California using the On-Board Sound Intensity (OBSI) method. Two experiments are presented in this work. The first one compares noise properties of pavement sections of different ages constructed with open-graded rubberized asphalt concrete (RAC-O) and gap-graded rubberized asphalt concrete (RAC-G) versus sections with conventional open-graded asphalt concrete (OGAC) and dense-graded asphalt concrete (DGAC). The second experiment compares the performance of trial sections that used different modified rubberized asphalt mixes as surface course. The results show that, compared with conventional asphalt concrete surface course of the same age, rubberized asphalt concrete surface courses have lower tire-pavement noise levels. The reduction comes mainly from better durability of rubberized asphalt concrete mixes. Additional information analyzed in this quieter pavement research study includes the effect of mix design variables and pavement surface distresses on tire-pavement noise characteristics of rubberized and conventional asphalt concrete mixes.

MARC VIII Proceedings: Introduction

The Eighth International Conference on Methods and Applications of Radioanalytical Chemistry (MARC VIII) was held at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort, Kona, Hawaii, April 5–10, 2009, and was attended by 240 scientists representing 26 countries. A strong technical program, excellent new venue, and numerous social events led to another success in the MARC series of conferences. Since MARC I in 1987, this series of conferences has become the major international forum for presenting advances in radioanalytical chemistry and its applications, despite the somewhat remote location for many participants. The keen foresight of the MARC founding organizers to create a topical meeting dedicated to all aspects of radioanalytical chemistry was highlighted in MARC VIII with sessions covering a broad range of both long-standing and emerging technical areas. A wide variety of topics were covered in the scientific program of MARC VII including environmental radioactivity measurements, activation analysis, biology and medical applications, actinide analytical chemistry, radiation detectors and instrumentation, proliferation prevention and safeguards, treaty monitoring, and radionuclide measurements using mass spectrometry. A highlight of MARC VIII was the awarding of the Hevesy Medal to Dr. Richard Lindstrom of the National Institute of Standards and Technology for his lifetime achievements in applying neutron activation analysis to metrology. Over 350 presentations were given in both oral and poster sessions at the conference with over 190 of these submitted as full papers for the proceedings. As for previous conferences, all papers were peer-reviewed by at least two reviewers, as is the policy of the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. Although this was an arduous and time-consuming process, most of the papers were improved as a result of peer review. We cannot express enough appreciation to the many reviewers who helped in the editorial process, particularly those who willingly reviewed several papers. We want to express our sincere appreciation to the many people who helped organize MARC VIII. Jim Tanner served as Finance Chairman and kept us solvent in spite of the late venue change and extensive social program. Ned Wogman and Jim Elliston assisted in developing an outstanding program as assistant technical program chairs. Publicity Chair Harry Miley, assisted by co-Publicity Chair Robert Runkle assured MARC VIII was well advertised and had a diverse group of supporters. Richard Ragaini provided the liaison between the MARC VIII and the Northern California Section of the American Nuclear Society. The successful coordination of administrative activities including preand on-site registration was performed brilliantly by Conference Secretary Patti Wilson. Sherry Glover, Assistant Proceedings Chair, did an outstanding job collecting papers and organizing the proceedings. The MARC VIII website was expertly designed and maintained by Daniel Glover. A special thank you is due to Stephen Carpenter, the previous General Chair of the MARC Conference who routinely provided advice and assistance critical to the success of MARC VIII. Finally, a special word of appreciation is due to the outstanding staff of the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort, in particular Mary Jane Stancil and Stephen Waldmann who were extremely helpful in coordinating the move to the new venue and very responsive to our extensive needs. Many members of the Technical Program Committee, and others, made special efforts to develop the excellent S. Glover (&) University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, USA e-mail: seg3@cdc.gov