Contra Costa County Library

BackgroundAdolescents in foster care report high rates of mental health needs, yet intervention access remains limited. Substance use commonly co-occurs with mental health symptoms, but availability of substance use services for foster youth is even more scant than mental health services. Technology has advanced access to behavioral health care across the lifespan, but only for certain sectors of the population. Little research focuses on leveraging technology to advance access for foster youth. We report open trial findings, as a precursor to launching a large-scale implementation science trial, on how a U.S. nationwide serving support system for foster youth, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), might be leveraged to expand access to substance use prevention resources via the FostrSpace app. FostrSpace provides asynchronous resources and synchronous navigator, peer support, and direct clinical intervention. A concurrent 6-session ECHO® substance use prevention telementoring curriculum was co-developed as a FostrSpace implementation strategy with a 6-member CASA Advisory Board.MethodsSeven youth-CASA dyads enrolled in the open trial. We used a mixed-methods design (quantitative assessment and qualitative exit interviews) to assess feasibility and acceptability of ECHO® sessions (CASA-only) and the usability of the FostrSpace app (youth-only). Results Six of seven of the youth accessed the app at least once, but a majority reported the app log-in process was burdensome and unappealing, thereby limiting them from frequently using the app. All youth rated the app features, design and content as appealing, helpful and relevant. ECHO® -FostrSpace session attendance was high (most attended 5 or more sessions) and CASAs found the content highly engaging and useful, especially regarding CASA-youth substance use communication skills. ConclusionsTechnological barriers, such as log-in burden, can prevent youth in need from accessing relevant services and must be regularly assessed and resolved. Substance use education and skills-building for CASAs is novel and a viable implementation strategy to increase foster youth access to digital behavioral health services innovations. Substance use prevention content should be integrated within discussions on youth mental health and trauma to be most engaging and relevant. Findings are informing the subsequent hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial design of FostrSpace with 400 youth-CASA dyads across 10 CASA programs in California.Trial registrationRetrospectively registered.

Abstract Advanced Quantitative Precipitation Information (AQPI) is a synergistic project that combines observations and models to improve monitoring and forecasts of precipitation, streamflow, and coastal flooding in the San Francisco Bay Area. As an experimental system, AQPI leverages more than a decade of research, innovation, and implementation of a statewide, state-of-the-art network of observations, and development of the next generation of weather and coastal forecast models. AQPI was developed as a prototype in response to requests from the water management community for improved information on precipitation, riverine, and coastal conditions to inform their decision-making processes. Observation of precipitation in the complex Bay Area landscape of California’s coastal mountain ranges is known to be a challenging problem. But, with new advanced radar network techniques, AQPI is helping fill an important observational gap for this highly populated and vulnerable metropolitan area. The prototype AQPI system consists of improved weather radar data for precipitation estimation; additional surface measurements of precipitation, streamflow, and soil moisture; and a suite of integrated forecast modeling systems to improve situational awareness about current and future water conditions from sky to sea. Together these tools will help improve emergency preparedness and public response to prevent loss of life and destruction of property during extreme storms accompanied by heavy precipitation and high coastal water levels—especially high-moisture laden atmospheric rivers. The Bay Area AQPI system could potentially be replicated in other urban regions in California, the United States, and worldwide.

ObjectiveTo investigate Covid‐19 vaccination as a potential secondary public health benefit of case management for Medicaid beneficiaries with health and social needs.Data Sources and Study SettingThe CommunityConnect case management program for Medicaid beneficiaries is run by Contra Costa Health, a county safety net health system in California. Program enrollment data were merged with comprehensive county vaccination records.Study DesignIndividuals with elevated risk of hospital and emergency department use were randomized each month to a case management intervention or usual care. Interdisciplinary case managers offered coaching, community referrals, healthcare connections, and other support based on enrollee interest and need. Using survival analysis with intent‐to‐treat assignment, we assessed rates of first‐dose Covid‐19 vaccination from December 2020 to September 2021. In exploratory sub‐analyses we also examined effect heterogeneity by gender, race/ethnicity, age, and primary language.Data Collection and Extraction MethodsData were extracted from county and program records as of September 2021, totaling 12,866 interventions and 25,761 control enrollments.Principal FindingsApproximately 58% of enrollees were female and 41% were under age 35. Enrollees were 23% White, 12% Asian/Pacific Islander, 20% Black/African American, and 36% Hispanic/Latino, and 10% other/unknown. Approximately 35% of the intervention group engaged with their case manager. Approximately 56% of all intervention and control enrollees were vaccinated after 9 months of analysis time. Intervention enrollees had a higher vaccination rate compared to control enrollees (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.10). In sub‐analyses, the intervention was associated with stronger likelihood of vaccination among males and individuals under age 35.ConclusionsCase management infrastructure modestly improved Covid‐19 vaccine uptake in a population of Medicaid beneficiaries that over‐represents social groups with barriers to early Covid‐19 vaccination. Amidst mixed evidence on vaccination‐specific incentives, leveraging trusted case managers and existing case management programs may be a valuable prevention strategy.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) causes a wide spectrum of diseases, including hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Almost 5% of STEC infections result from waterborne exposures, yet there is no test listed in the EPA’s current Selected Analytical Methods for the detection of active Shiga toxins (Stxs) in water. In this study, a HeLa cell-based assay is validated for the detection of metabolically active Stxs produced by STEC in water, including tap, bottled, and pond water. Active Stxs are detected even when the number of Stx-producing bacteria is less than 0.4 CFU/mL and the assay performance is not affected by background flora or chlorine in the water. This assay is not only as simple and affordable as cell-free assays but also detects active holotoxins without the use of live animals. In addition, the assay is designed for use in multi-well formats, making it ideal for high-throughput screening of water samples and therefore useful for environmental public health surveillance programs to reduce human risk of infection with STEC.

In 2009, flavored cigarettes (except menthol) were banned in the United States, but other flavored tobacco products (FTPs) were allowed. Women, populations of color, youth, sexual minority, and low-socioeconomic status populations disproportionately use FTPs. Localities have passed sales restrictions on FTPs that may reduce disparities if vulnerable populations are reached. This study assessed the extent to which FTP restrictions reached these subgroups ("reach equity"). We identified 189 U.S. jurisdictions with FTP policies as of December 31, 2018. We linked jurisdictions with demographics of race/ethnicity, gender, age, partnered same-sex households and household poverty, and stratified by policy strength. We calculated Reach Ratios (ReRas) to assess reach equity among subgroups covered by FTP policies relative to their U.S. population representation. Flavor policies covered 6.3% of the U.S. population (20 million individuals) across seven states; 0.9% were covered by strong policies (12.7% of policies). ReRas indicated favorable reach equity to young adults, women, Hispanics, African Americans, Asians, partnered same-sex households, and those living below poverty. Youth, American Indians/Alaska Natives (AIAN) and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (NHPI) were underrepresented. Strong policies had favorable reach equity to young adults, those living below poverty, Asians, NHPIs, individuals of 2+ races, and partnered same-sex households, but unfavorable reach equity to women, youth, Hispanic, AIAN, and African American populations. U.S. flavor policies have greater reach to many, but not all, subgroups at risk of FTP use. Increased enactment of strong policies to populations not covered by flavor policies is warranted to ensure at-risk subgroups sufficiently benefit.

Abstract. As a critical constraint to atmospheric CO2 inversion studies, bottom-up spatiotemporally-explicit emissions data products are necessary to construct comprehensive CO2 emission information systems useful for trend detection and emissions verification. High-resolution bottom-up estimation is also useful as a guide to mitigation options, offering details that can increase mitigation efficiency and synergize with other policy goals at the national to sub-urban spatial scale. The ‘Hestia Project’ is an effort to provide bottom-up fossil fuel (FFCO2) emissions at the urban scale with building/street and hourly space-time resolution. Here, we report on the latest urban area for which a Hestia estimate has been completed – the Los Angeles Megacity, encompassing five counties: Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County and Ventura County. We provide a complete description of the methods used to build the Hestia FFCO2 emissions data product which is presented on a 1 km x 1 km grid for the years 2010–2015. We find that the LA Basin emits 48.06 (± 5.3) MtC/yr, dominated by the onroad sector. Because of the uneven spatial distribution of emissions, 10 % of the largest emitting gridcells account for 93.6 %, 73.4 %, 66.2 %, and 45.3 % of the industrial, commercial, onroad, and residential sector emissions, respectively. Hestia FFCO2 emissions are 10.7 % larger than the inventory estimate generated by the local metropolitan planning agency, a difference that is driven by the industrial and electricity production sectors. The Hestia-LA v2.5 emissions data product can be downloaded from the data repository at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (https://doi.org/10.18434/T4/1502503).

Research Article| November 01 2011 Comparing methods to remove emerging contaminants and disinfection by-product precursors at pilot scale Ron Hofmann; Ron Hofmann 1Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A4 E-mail: ron.hofmann@utoronto.ca Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Fariba Amiri; Fariba Amiri 1Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A4 Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Sarah Wilson; Sarah Wilson 2Associated Engineering, Suite 800, 304 The East Mall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9B 6E2 Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Elisa Garvey; Elisa Garvey 3Carollo Engineers, Inc., 2700 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, 96161, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Chris Metcalfe; Chris Metcalfe 4Water Quality Centre, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J 7B8 Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Cari Ishida; Cari Ishida 5Geosyntec Consultants, 134 N. LaSalle St., Ste. 300, Chicago, IL 60602, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Kimberly Lin Kimberly Lin 6Contra Costa Water District, P.O. Box H2O, Concord, CA, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua (2011) 60 (7): 425–433. https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2011.152 Article history Received: June 29 2011 Accepted: September 13 2011 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Cite Icon Cite Permissions Search Site Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll JournalsThis Journal Search Advanced Search Citation Ron Hofmann, Fariba Amiri, Sarah Wilson, Elisa Garvey, Chris Metcalfe, Cari Ishida, Kimberly Lin; Comparing methods to remove emerging contaminants and disinfection by-product precursors at pilot scale. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua 1 November 2011; 60 (7): 425–433. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2011.152 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex The removal of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products, atrazine, and disinfection by-product precursors, was evaluated during a pilot-scale study conducted at the Bollman Water Treatment Plant in Concord, California, USA. Treatment alternatives included ozonation followed by biologically active filtration (BAF), and nanofiltration. Both technologies exhibited excellent broad-spectrum removal of the spiked target contaminants. The ozone/BAF system in particular showed a high degree of effectiveness despite relatively low ozone doses corresponding to a low disinfection target (0.5-log Giardia reduction). The BAF system was observed to remove several contaminants that were relatively unreactive with ozone, demonstrating an important synergy between the ozone and BAF. biologically active filtration, disinfection by-product, nanofiltration, ozone, personal care product, pharmaceutical This content is only available as a PDF. © IWA Publishing 2011 You do not currently have access to this content.

Food security is defined as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. In a study of 212 low-income Latino households in California, 45% were food insecure without hunger; 13% food insecure with moderate hunger; and 3% food insecure with severe hunger. Food insecurity was associated with a decline in household supplies of both nutritious and less nutritious foods. Among preschool children, the number of servings per day of all food groups was significantly correlated with household food supplies. A strong safety net to improve food security in low-income populations must include educational strategies and provision of nutritious foods to support a good diet at home and away from home.

Codling moth and rosy apple aphid limited production and profitability in the organic Granny Smith apple production system in the northern San Joaquin Valley. Over the course of this 4-year study, organic techniques were developed to control codling moth, but not rosy apple aphid, which is an occasional pest. Fertility was easily maintained in the organic system with leguminous cover crops, which also served as a habitat for insects beneficial to apple production.