Southern California Research Articles

P-1211. Early Infections Predict Weight Gain and Obesity in US Children

Abstract Background An unexplained link between early viral infection and later weight gain has been observed in the US and internationally. In our population of children at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, we seek to confirm this association and determine the magnitude of the absolute weight increase. Methods In a retrospective cohort of children born 2008 – 2012, frequency of infection in infancy (≤12m), timing of first infection (< 6m vs 6-12m), and antibiotic use, class, timing, and frequency were assessed relative to absolute weight and body mass index (BMI) at age 4-6 and 10 years. Patients with low birthweight and prematurity were excluded. Maternal BMI, breastfeeding, birthweight, delivery type, and race/ethnicity were included in multivariable regression; height was also included when absolute weight was the outcome variable. Weight outcomes were compared in uninfected vs infected without antibiotic treatment in infancy (IWOT); and IWOT vs those infected who received antibiotic treatment (IWAT), using logistic regression analysis for obesity outcomes and linear regression for absolute weight. Results We identified N=66,687 children at 4-6y and N= 46,462 at 10y for analysis. Of the latter, 7,918 had been uninfected, 18,144 had IWOT, and 20,400 had IWAT. The IWOT group had higher rates of obesity vs uninfected (24% vs 19% at 10y; see figure 1), reflected in multivariable analysis at 4-6y (OR 1.11 [1.03-1.2]; p=0.004) and 10y (OR 1.14 [1.06-1.22]; p < 0.001), in a "dose-dependent" manner (Figure 2). The corresponding absolute weight increase (+0.55 kg [+0.3-0.8] at 10y; p< 0.001) was also dose-dependent (Figure 3). Compared to untreated infections, the additional contribution of antibiotic use to future obesity was minimal (OR 1.05 [0.99-1.1]; p=0.09) and not dose-dependent. Of the 10 year olds, most had upper respiratory infections (27,562 patients had at least one URI; 59%), ear infections (16,404 patients; 35%), or infections without a specified site (including viral syndromes; 11,822; 25%) in infancy. Conclusion A significant (14% at 10y) increase in obesity after early infection is confirmed, with a small (+0.55kg) corresponding increase in average weight. Prospective study in specific subgroups or with specific viruses of interest would be warranted. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

P-345. The Changing Dynamics of the Candida auris Outbreak in Southern California

Abstract Background The current global outbreak of Candida auris poses a serious public health threat. With both high levels of antifungal resistance and a propensity for nosocomial spread, Candida auris has the potential to cause devastating outbreaks within healthcare facilities, especially amongst long-term and intensive care patients. As in many viral and bacterial pathogens, pathogen genomics has proven to be an indispensable piece of the outbreak response toolkit by contributing information useful in diagnosis, drug-resistance testing, and epidemiologic investigations. Phylogenetic analysis of C. auris reveals introduction of Clade I to Southern CaliforniaFigure 1.A) Distribution of sequenced C. auris case clade membership during study period. B) Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree constructed from concatenated SNP sites of sequenced C. auris isolates with antifungal resistance data. MIC breakpoints: Fluconazole ≥ 32, Micafungin ≥ 4, Amphotericin B Intermediate ≥ 2, Resistant ≥ 4 Methods At our large healthcare system located in Los Angeles, patients admitted with epidemiologic risk factors such as residence in a long-term care facility undergo admission screening for C. auris via combined axillary/inguinal swab. Microbiologic data from 213 C. auris isolates collected either via admission screening or from clinical cultures, including 91 isolates with paired whole-genome sequencing data, were used to conduct an in-depth investigation of the changing dynamics of the local C. auris outbreak. Phylogenetic analysis was employed to investigate the relationships between isolates. Results Transmission of C. auris between 2021 and 2023 remained high, with an average of 59 patients per year determined to be colonized or infected with C. auris. While the local outbreak has overall been dominated by Clade III isolates that are resistant to fluconazole but susceptible to echinocandins and amphotericin B, phylogenetic analysis identified the first known introduction of Clade I to Southern California in late 2022, which may have led to the first amphotericin B resistant case within our healthcare system. Genotypes of ERG11 and FKS1 genes were found to correlate with fluconazole resistance and echinocandin susceptibility. Two cases identified nearly one month apart in an intensive care unit were genetically identical, supporting epidemiologic suspicion of in-hospital transmission. Conclusion Continued genomic surveillance of C. auris contributed to an enhanced understanding of local outbreak dynamics, helping inform and guide empirical treatments and epidemiologic investigations. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

P-14. Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety of Recombinant Zoster Vaccine in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patient Populations Aged 50 Years and Older

Abstract Background Adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at higher risk of herpes zoster (HZ) compared to the general population. In 2021, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended 2 doses of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) for the prevention of HZ and its complications in immunocompromised adults ≥19 years. In this study, we evaluated the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of RZV and risk of flares in adults ≥50 years with IBD. Methods To evaluate VE, we conducted a retrospective matched cohort analysis at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. We included individuals ≥50 years with IBD who received 2 doses of RZV at least 28 days apart during 04/01/2018–12/31/2021 and matched up to 1:3 to RZV unvaccinated individuals on condition (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease), age, sex, race/ethnicity, IBD medication type, and index date (date of second dose among vaccinated individuals; same date assigned to unvaccinated match). Follow-up started the 31st day after the index date and ended at the earliest date of HZ occurrence, death, disenrollment, HZ vaccination or 12/31/2022. Stratified Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios and VE against HZ, identified by ICD-10 codes and antiviral medications. Using self-controlled case series analysis, we calculated the incidence of IBD new-onset flares in the risk (30 days after each dose) and comparison periods (90 - 61 days prior and 31 - 60 days after each dose) among patients with ≥1 RZV dose. The relative risk (RR) of IBD flare was estimated using conditional Poisson regression. All flares were identified through chart review. Results Of adults ≥50 years with IBD (n=872 2-dose vaccinated, 2550 unvaccinated), 55.4% were female, 74.0% were non-Hispanic white, and mean age was 68.4 years (standard deviation [SD] 9.0). Overall adjusted VE in preventing HZ was 65.1% (95% CI 24.8–83.8%). Among 1199 adults ≥50 years old with IBD receiving ≥1 dose of RZV (53.8% female, 69.6% non-Hispanic white, mean age 68.2 years [SD 9.1]), there was no increased risk of IBD flare within 30 days after RZV vaccination (RR: 0.80; 95% CI 0.47–1.35). Conclusion In adults aged ≥50 with IBD, 2 doses of RZV is effective in preventing HZ with no new safety concerns; RZV vaccination could benefit IBD patients who are at increased risk of HZ. Disclosures Emily Rayens, PhD, MPH, GSK: Grant/Research Support|Moderna: Grant/Research Support Lina S. Sy, MPH, Dynavax: Grant/Research Support|GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support|Moderna: Grant/Research Support Lei Qian, PhD, Dynavax: Grant/Research Support|GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support|Moderna: Grant/Research Support Jun Wu, MD, MS, Genentech: Grant/Research Support|GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support|VoxelCloud: Grant/Research Support Bradley Ackerson, MD, Dynavax: Grant/Research Support|GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support|Moderna: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Grant/Research Support Yi Luo, PhD, GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support|Moderna: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Grant/Research Support Yanjun Cheng, Master of Science, GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support Avanish Patel, MD, GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support Zendi Solano, BS, Dynavax: Grant/Research Support|Gilead: Grant/Research Support|GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support Justine De Jesus, MPH, GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support Britta Amundsen, MA, Gilead: Grant/Research Support|GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support Ana Florea, PhD, MPH, Gilead: Grant/Research Support|GSK: Grant/Research Support|Moderna: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Grant/Research Support Jennifer H. Ku, PhD MPH, GSK: Grant/Research Support|Moderna: Grant/Research Support Elizabeth Chmielewski-Yee, PhD, MPH, GSK: Employee of GSK|GSK: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Driss Oraichi, PhD, GSK: I am a full time employee of GSK|GSK: Stocks/Bonds (Private Company) Harry Seifert, MD. MSCE, FISPE, GSK: full-time employee|GSK: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Huifeng Yun, MD, PhD, GSK: fulltime employee of GSK|GSK: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Hung Fu Tseng, PhD MPH, GlaxoSmithKline: Grant/Research Support|Moderna: Grant/Research Support

Optimizing Energy Consumption Patterns in Southern California: An AI-Driven Approach to Sustainable Resource Management

Southern California is a special case scenario for any energy management study, given its sunny climate, sprawling urban landscapes, and economic strength. This research project focuses on how artificial intelligence can be applied in energy management by showing its potential toward optimum energy consumption and maximizing sustainability within Southern California. The dataset used for this study was accessed from the Kaggle website. The dataset encompassed various energy consumptions, and the data were collected across different building structures in Southern California between January 2018 and January 2024. These datasets included hourly records of electricity consumption for residential and commercial buildings and industrial buildings. Furthermore, it also provided a record of environmental and operating metrics. This dataset is useful to researchers and practitioners who work on forecasting electricity consumption, energy management, sustainability, and developing AI-based optimization models. To depict an insight into which variable affects strongly within the patterns of energy consumption, machine learning techniques used were logistic regression, Random Forest, and XG-Boost while considering a power outage data set. This study gives evidence that the AI-based models significantly enhance the forecast's accuracy and further allow integration of renewable energy resources, which in turn yield benefits through reduced operational costs and reduction of GHG emissions. The discussion has shown how such development implications could be translated into supportive policy frameworks of advanced studies in the future to electric vehicle charging and even energy storage solutions. Generally, this research underlines the crucial role of AI in changing energy management practices towards sustainable energy use.

BUILDing pathways to health-related research careers in biomedical and behavioral sciences: a longitudinal evaluation of postbaccalaureate outcomes using a matched comparison group

The BUilding Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) undergraduate research training program is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to strengthen the pipeline for underrepresented students through graduate school and into health-related research careers in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. This study evaluates the impact of BUILD participation at a Minority-Serving Institution in Southern California on graduate school outcomes up to 6 years post-graduation including doctoral program enrollment and degree attainment using a quasi-experimental design. BUILD students were compared to a propensity score matched non-BUILD group using logistic regression. Results showed BUILD students enrolled in Ph.D. programs and attained Ph.Ds. at a higher rate compared to matched peers. Findings indicate BUILD met a pivotal program objective to increase doctoral degree attainment imperative for health-related research careers in biomedical and behavioral sciences. Furthermore, results support the added value of undergraduate research programs for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Spatiotemporal patterns of individual and multiple simultaneous severe weather events co-occurring with power outages in the United States, 2018–2020

In the United States, severe weather-driven power outages are increasing in frequency and duration, likely with health consequences. Previous studies examined individual severe weather events (e.g., heatwaves) and focused on large outages in metropolitan areas. Here, we described nationwide spatiotemporal patterns of individual (e.g., tropical cyclone alone) and simultaneous (e.g., tropical cyclone + anomalous heat) severe weather events co-occurring with 8+ hour outages. We used hourly county-level PowerOutage.us data from 2018–2020 to define 8+ hour outages as whenever the daily proportion of customers without power was ≥0.1% for ≥8 continuous hours. We conducted analyses at the daily and county (county-day) level and identified county-days with severe weather events, including anomalous cold, anomalous heat, anomalous precipitation, snowfall, tropical cyclones, and wildfire. Of 1,657 counties with reliable outage data, 1,205 (72.7%) experienced an 8+ hour outage co-occurring with an individual severe weather event, and 904 (54.6%) with multiple simultaneous severe weather events. Anomalous precipitation events co-occurring with outages were the most common, affecting 1,170 (70.6%) counties. These outages concentrated along the Gulf Coast, the Northeast, Michigan, and Southern California. Co-occurrence with anomalous heat happened the second most frequently, affecting 839 (50.6%) counties, mostly in Southeastern states. Among all county-days with a severe weather event, tropical cyclones–though rarer and primarily affecting the Eastern Seaboard–co-occurred with an 8+ hour outage 24% of the time. On the West Coast, wildfires were increasingly likely to co-occur with weather-related outages from 2018–2020. Among multiple simultaneous weather events, 8+ hour outages co-occurred with anomalous precipitation-anomalous heat on 1,155 county-days in 40 states, anomalous precipitation-tropical cyclone on 705 county-days in 24 states, and anomalous cold-snowfall on 259 county-days in 27 states. Our results can help guide efforts to strengthen the electricity grid, prepare communities for multi-hazard events, and allocate resources for adaptation and recovery.

Enhanced suppression of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia by a three-phage cocktail: genomic insights and kinetic profiling.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an understudied, gram-negative, aerobic bacterium that is widespread in the environment and increasingly a cause of opportunistic infections. Treating S. maltophilia remains difficult, leading to an increase in disease severity and higher hospitalization rates in people with cystic fibrosis, cancer, and other immunocompromised health conditions. The lack of effective antibiotics has led to renewed interest in phage therapy; however, there remains a great need for well-characterized phages, especially against S. maltophilia. In response to an oncology patient with a sepsis infection, we collected 18 phages from Southern California wastewater influent that exhibit different plaque morphology against S. maltophilia host strain B28B. We hypothesized that, when combined into a cocktail, genetically diverse phages would give rise to distinct lytic infection kinetics that would enhance bacterial killing when compared to the individual phages alone. We identified three genetically distinct clusters of phages, and a representative from each group was further investigated and screened for potential therapeutic use. The results demonstrated that the three-phage cocktail significantly suppressed bacterial growth compared with individual phages when observed for 48 h. We also assessed the lytic impacts of our three-phage cocktail against a collection of 46 S. maltophilia strains to determine if a multi-phage cocktail has an expanded host range. Our phages remained strain-specific and infected >50% of tested strains. In six clinically relevant S. maltophilia strains, the multi-phage cocktail has enhanced suppression of bacterial growth. These findings suggest that specialized phage cocktails may be an effective avenue of treatment for recalcitrant S. maltophilia infections resistant to current antibiotics.

Powering Change: A Methodology for Prioritizing Locations When Burying Power Lines to Minimize Wildfire Damage in Communities

Purpose: Overhead power lines can spark and cause extremely devastating wildfires. This has happened with power lines from utility companies such as Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E). One method of preventing widespread wildfires is to bury power lines underground. When planning to bury lines, utility companies must evaluate where power lines should be buried to minimize collateral damage from wildfires while enhancing infrastructure strength. This research paper advances a novel methodology for identifying and prioritizing the ideal locations for underground power lines. Methodology: Using California as a case study, I examine low, medium, and high wildfire risk locations in PG&E’s, SCE’s, and SDG&E’s jurisdictions. I determine which locations should be prioritized regarding the construction of underground lines by looking at the following factors in geographic information system (GIS) mapping: overhead power lines, critical infrastructure, past wildfire activity, population density, disadvantaged communities, and thermal hotspots. Findings: The results reveal the importance of considering variables like population and infrastructure density when mitigating wildfire risk with underground power lines, expanding the evaluation beyond typical factors like dry vegetation. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: My methodology can be used by utility companies in order to conserve resources and time due to the structured approach. Doing so will also expedite the process of burying power lines which minimizes the impact of wildfires caused by overhead lines.

Microplastic characterization and transport mode -A flow-integrated approach to sampling urban waterways.

Concentrations of microplastics are both temporally and spatially variable in streamflow. Yet, an overwhelming number of published field studies do not target a range of flow conditions and fail to adequately capture particle transport within the full flow field. Since microplastic flux models rely on the representativeness of available data, current predictions of riverine exports contain substantial error. In an effort to capture more representative concentrations in streamflow, we implemented a flow-integrated fluvial monitoring program for microplastics within two channels draining an urbanized watershed in Southern California, USA. Concentrations ranged up to 5 orders of magnitude between low flow and stormflow conditions. Tire road wear particle concentrations were significantly higher for the stormwater control channel draining a smaller but more densely developed watershed. Additionally, we leveraged each site's hydrologic conditions and the physical characteristics of particles extracted from depth-integrated samples, in order to compare microplastic Rouse number distributions relative to transport mode. Results indicated that full wash load transport capable of encompassing all types of microplastics was not achieved at either site. Additionally, for the channel with the larger drainage area and less uniform cross-section, the proportion of microplastics transported as wash load was approximately 10-30% lower near the bank compared to the thalweg. The results of this study indicate the importance of considering flow field transport variability when designing fluvial microplastics studies to improve the accuracy of both monitoring and modeling efforts.

Agnès Varda’s the ethics and the strategies of omission

Abstract This article and the video essay are about Agnès Varda’s love, forgiveness and standing one’s ground through at times a strategy of omission and absence. The article also aims to suggest that her filmmaking was conceptually rooted in Lacanian psychoanalysis whilst retaining its commitment to social justice and feminism at all times. In my own work, I have suggested that in order to subvert the patriarchy, it is at times necessary to be ‘nasty’ (Piotrowska Piotrowska, The nasty woman and the neo-femme fatale in contemporary cinema, Routledge, London, 2019; Piotrowska, Agnieszka. 2014, 2023. Psychoanalysis and Ethics in Documentary Film, London and New York: Routledge). This is not the case with the work and life of Agnès Varda, whose output I argue is characterised by boldness, rigour and care. This article is linked to the video essay which inspired the article and the thinking behind it. The video essay, the original version of which was presented at the plenary session of the Visible Evidence conference in 2019 at the University of Southern California, UD, has the style of a music video and focuses on love and loss.

Did Post-Drought Storm Events Trigger Long-Distance Coastal Dispersal of an American Beaver in Coastal Southern California?

Did Post-Drought Storm Events Trigger Long-Distance Coastal Dispersal of an American Beaver in Coastal Southern California?

Southern California ozone exposure disparities under different emissions control strategies in a low-carbon future.

Environmental justice (EJ) has emerged as a critical consideration when planning new air pollution control strategies. In this study we analyze how traditional ozone (O3) control strategies for the year 2050 will affect exposure disparities, defined as departures from the population average exposure, for O3 and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) in Southern California. Future air quality fields were simulated using a chemical transport model under five emission scenarios that explore a range of traditional controls that target the largest sources of precursor emissions using a novel O3 source apportionment technique but without considering exposure disparities. We find that traditional O3 control strategies reduce O3 exposure disparities by <1.6% and reduce NO2 exposure disparities by <9% in Southern California. For the Black and African residents living in the urban core of Los Angeles, the relative NO2 exposure disparities increase from +23.1% to +66.2% and O3 exposure disparities increase from -3.3% to +0.1% due to NOx emissions reductions mainly in outlying regions and the NOx-rich environment in the urban core. Additional analysis shows that complete elimination of NOx emissions from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) would reduce the NO2 exposure disparities by up to 50%, but there is currently no practical method to achieve this goal. The results of the current study highlight the challenge of simultaneously attaining O3 standards and reducing exposure disparities for O3 and NO2 in cities with NOx-rich urban cores. Reducing emissions by region may be a solution to this challenge.

Head-to-Head Comparison Between Phosphatidylethanol Versus Indirect Alcohol Biomarkers for Diagnosis of MetALD Versus MASLD: A Prospective Study.

The current subclassification of steatotic liver disease (SLD) relies on validated questionnaires, such as Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Lifetime Drinking History (LDH), which, while useful, are impractical and lack precision for their use in routine clinical practice. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a quantitative, objective alcohol biomarker with high sensitivity and specificity. To assess the diagnostic accuracy of PEth for differentiating metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD) from metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in a large, population-based, prospective, multiethnic cohort of individuals with overweight or obesity. This is a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective study including 374 adults with overweight or obesity residing in Southern California who had SLD as defined by MRI-PDFF ≥ 5%. The clinical research visit included medical history, biochemical and PEth testing, standardised validated questionnaires (including AUDIT and LDH), physical examination, and advanced imaging using MRI-PDFF and MRE. Among 374 adults with SLD, the prevalence of MASLD, MetALD, and ALD was 90.1%, 6.4%, and 3.5%, respectively. PEth had a robust diagnostic accuracy in the detection of MetALD (AUROC 0.81, 95%CI 0.73-0.89) and the Youden cut-off was 25 ng/mL. In head-to-head comparative efficacy analysis, PEth was both statistically and clinically superior to all previously used indirect alcohol biomarkers for diagnosing MetALD, including aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio, mean corpuscular volume, gamma glutamyltransferase, and ALD/NAFLD index (p < 0.05). PEth outperforms previously used non-invasive tests in differentiating MetALD from MASLD and has the potential to change clinical practice by enhancing the subclassification of SLD.

Innovative Approach to Rapid Rehabilitation of Concrete Pavement on Urban Highway

This case study presents an innovative fast-track reconstruction approach applied to a heavily trafficked LLPRS project on Interstate-15 (I-15) in southern California. A 4.5-km stretch of badly damaged concrete truck lanes, two in each direction, was rebuilt in only two 210-hour (about 9 days) one-roadbed continuous closures, using counter-flow traffic and around-the-clock operations as accelerated construction, an undertaking estimated to take 12 months using traditional nighttime closures. This post-construction case study validated pre-construction estimates of productivity and traffic delay, which closely matched performance data measured during construction. The I-15 Devore project provided a unique opportunity to validate, fine-tune, and enhance highway analysis tools for future LLPRS projects. The use of CA4PRS schedule analysis and other traffic models presented in this study facilitates teambuilding amongst engineers involved in the design, construction, and traffic phases to mutually arrive at an optimal solution.

Reduction in Aedes aegypti Population After a Year-Long Application of Targeted Sterile Insect Releases in the West Valley Region of Southern California.

Aedes aegypti is of great public health concern because of its vectorial capacity to transmit various arboviruses such as Zika, yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya. In California, its expanding geographic distribution has been unrestrained. This urgently calls for innovative tools such as the use of sterile insect technique (SIT) to strengthen invasive Aedes control. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of combining an SIT application into integrated vector management (IVM) strategies in invasive Aedes control in the West Valley region of southern California. A total of 25 Aedes hotspots, grouped into two cohorts-sites that received SIT treatment only (n = 9) and sites that received both SIT and In2Care® Mosquito Stations (n = 16)-were selected for this study. Biweekly, X-ray irradiated male Ae. aegypti mosquitoes were released between April and November 2024. Data from weekly BG Sentinel-2 traps were utilized to compare the mosquito densities between the pre-intervention (2023) and intervention (2024) periods for both cohorts. In addition, a subset of samples (n = 50) of irradiated male mosquitoes were placed in a separate cage with freshly emerged unirradiated female mosquitoes to evaluate the level of sterility of the eggs from these mosquitoes. Aedes-related service requests made by the District's residents were also compared between the pre-intervention and intervention periods to indirectly determine the effect of optimizing the control strategies on overall mosquito problems. A total of 106,608 sterile male Ae. aegypti were released between April and November 2024. The cohort with the SIT only application showed a 44% reduction in the number of female Ae. aegypti per trap-night during the intervention period compared with the pre-intervention period. At sites with In2Care Mosquito Stations that also received SIT treatment, the mosquito density dropped by 65% during the intervention period compared with the pre-intervention period. The number of Aedes-related service requests during the intervention year (n = 367) was 45% lower than the pre-intervention year (n = 656). Over 99.6% eggs collected from female mosquitoes mated with irradiated males did not hatch, indicating a high level of sterility of the irradiated males utilized for our SIT application. Here, we demonstrated the potential of SIT when combined with IVM strategies such as In2Care® Mosquito Stations, offering a holistic approach to reducing the public health risks associated with Aedes-borne diseases.

Temporal dynamics and distributions of sardine and anchovy in the southern California Current Ecosystem

Anchovies and sardines are some of the most economically and ecologically important and well-studied fishes on earth but there is still uncertainty regarding how distributions and abundances change through time and space. We bring together larval abundance data for northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) and Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) collected by United States and Mexican scientists over 50 years (1963-2015) to test the Basin and Asynchrony hypotheses. The Basin Hypothesis states that a species’ geographic range and spawning area (R) increases with overall abundance (A) according to a power law, R=aAb, where the exponent (b) is less than ~ 0.5 when the rate of increasing area occupied saturates as population size increases. The Asynchrony Hypothesis postulates that anchovy and sardine abundances are negatively correlated through time. We found that the Basin Hypothesis was supported for both species but the Asynchrony Hypothesis was not during this 53-year period. Due to collaboration between U.S. and Mexican scientists we were able to better understand how two important fishes utilize their environment.

The January 2025 Southern California Wildfires: Public Mental Health Impacts and a Call to Action

AbstractThe January 2025 Southern California wildfires, among the most severe in recent years, devastated over 40,000 acres, displacing thousands and causing extensive physical and emotional tolls. Beyond the evident physical and economic impacts, the mental health consequences demand urgent attention. This editorial highlights the psychological repercussions, including acute stress, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders, affecting survivors, first responders, and vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and low-income communities. Prolonged disruptions and repeated wildfire exposures exacerbate these challenges. The editorial emphasizes the necessity of integrating mental health into disaster response and preparedness strategies, advocating for immediate mental health support, long-term care, and resilience-building within communities. By recognizing mental health as a vital component of disaster management and linking it to climate change policies, a comprehensive approach can mitigate the mental health burden of wildfires and enhance societal resilience to future climate-related disasters.

Evaluating historical changes in a mussel bed community in northern California

Marine foundation species are increasingly impacted by anthropogenic stressors, driving a loss of diversity within these critical habitats. Prior studies suggest that species diversity within mussel beds has declined precipitously in southern California, USA, but it is unclear whether a similar loss has occurred farther north. Here, we resurvey a mussel bed community in northern California first sampled in 1941 to evaluate changes in diversity after 78 years. More broadly, we explore the value and potential challenges of using imperfect historical data to assess community changes. Our 2019 survey documented 90 species/taxa across 10 phyla. The majority of species (~ 72%) were common to all replicate plots, suggesting that variation in species diversity over small spatial scales was unlikely to mask temporal changes. In contrast to results from southern California, we observed no decline in species diversity between timepoints. However, there were shifts in species composition, with an increase in the abundance of southern species and a decrease in northern species, consistent with warming observed at a nearby shoreline site. Overall, our findings are an encouraging sign for the health of this mussel bed community in northern California and illustrate how non-traditional data can contribute to assessments of long-term ecological change.

Real-World Incidence of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase alterations in Hispanics with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer at a Large Academic Institution in Los Angeles.

Race and ethnicity affect the distribution of molecular alterations seen in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) alterations are known to occur in 4-5% of the population, data specific to the Hispanic population remains limited. This study describes the real-world incidence of ALK alterations in Hispanic patients with NSCLC treated at a large academic institution in Los Angeles, California, USA to further elucidate the underlying factors that shape differences in mutational profiles. 607 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated at Los Angeles General Medical Center (n=172) and University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (n=435) who received comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) were evaluated from January 2015 to June 2023. Fisher's exact test and multivariate logistic regression were incorporated for statistical analysis. Hispanic patients exhibited a higher incidence of ALK alterations (12.76%, n=18/141) compared to non-Hispanic patients (5.36%, n=23/466) (p=0.0046). Multivariate logistic regression showed Hispanic ethnicity HR 2.393 (95% CI 1.115-5.092) and age at diagnosis HR 0.9325 (95% CI 0.9081-0.9558) were significant variables in ALK alteration incidence. 55.81% (n=24) of ALK alterations were initially found via comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP). This study highlights a significantly higher incidence of ALK alterations among Hispanic patients with NSCLC, emphasizing the impact of race and ethnicity on molecular alterations. Future research is required to evaluate this trend in a larger, more diverse cohort and investigate the roles of environmental factors and tumor microenvironments in influencing ALK alteration prevalence.

Preferred and Actual Location of Death in Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with advanced cancer often die in hospital settings. Data characterizing the degree to which this pattern of care is concordant with patient goals are sparse. To evaluate the extent of concordance between the preferred and actual location of death among AYA patients with cancer. This multicenter retrospective cohort study included AYA patients (aged 12-39 years) with cancer who died between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2019, after receiving care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Kaiser Permanente Northern California or who died between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2019, after receiving care at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Data were analyzed from January 12 to July 1, 2024. Death due to cancer. Medical record documentation of discussions about preferred location of death, actual location of death, and concordance between preferred and actual location of death. The analytic population included 1929 AYA decedents, of whom 1049 (54.4%) were female; 227 (11.8%), Asian; 157 (8.1%), Black; 514 (26.6%), Hispanic; and 1184 (61.4%), White. Median age at death was 32 (IQR, 25-37) years. A total of 1226 AYA patients (63.6%) had a documented discussion about preferred location of death. Among those with a documented discussion, 594 (48.5%) did not have a documented preference, 402 (32.8%) wanted to die at home, 177 (14.4%) preferred a hospital death, and 48 (3.9%) desired inpatient hospice. Eight hundred and thirty patients (43.0%) died in acute care settings (256 [13.3%] intensive care unit [ICU], 548 [28.4%] hospital [non-ICU], and 26 [1.3%] emergency department), while 643 (33.3%) died at home and 47 (2.4%) in an inpatient hospice. Among the 528 patients with both a documented preferred death location of home, hospital, or inpatient hospice and documented death in one of these locations, the concordance between preferred and actual location of death was 401 (75.9%). One hundred and sixty-four of 172 patients (95.3%) who preferred a hospital death died there; 224 of 317 (70.7%) who preferred a home death died at home, and 13 of 39 (33.3%) who desired to die in inpatient hospice did so. Although many AYA patients with cancer died in their preferred location, over one-quarter of those who desired to die at home did not realize this goal. These findings highlight the need for effective solutions to enable goal-concordant care for this population.