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Diego County (diego + county)
Kinds of Diego County Selected AbstractsSpecies prioritization for monitoring and management in regional multiple species conservation plansDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 3 2008Helen M. Regan ABSTRACT Successful conservation plans are not solely achieved by acquiring optimally designed reserves. Ongoing monitoring and management of the biodiversity in those reserves is an equally important, but often neglected or poorly executed, part of the conservation process. In this paper we address one of the first and most important steps in designing a monitoring program , deciding what to monitor. We present a strategy for prioritizing species for monitoring and management in multispecies conservation plans. We use existing assessments of threatened status, and the degree and spatial and temporal extent of known threats to link the prioritization of species to the overarching goals and objectives of the conservation plan. We consider both broad and localized spatial scales to capture the regional conservation context and the practicalities of local management and monitoring constraints. Spatial scales that are commensurate with available data are selected. We demonstrate the utility of this strategy through application to a set of 85 plants and animals in an established multispecies conservation plan in San Diego County, California, USA. We use the prioritization to identify the most prominent risk factors and the habitats associated with the most threats to species. The protocol highlighted priorities that had not previously been identified and were not necessarily intuitive without systematic application of the criteria; many high-priority species have received no monitoring attention to date, and lower-priority species have. We recommend that in the absence of clear focal species, monitoring threats in highly impacted habitats may be a way to circumvent the need to monitor all the targeted species. [source] Probabilistic risk modeling at the wildland urban interface: the 2003 Cedar FireENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 6 2009D. R. Brillinger Abstract The October 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego County was a tragedy involving 15 deaths, the burning of some 280,000,acres of land, the destruction of approximately 2227 homes, and costs of suppression near $30 million. It was the largest fire in California history. The data associated with the fire, however, do provide an opportunity to carry out probabilistic risk modeling of a wildland-urban interface (WUI) event. WUI's exist where humans and their development interface with wildland fuel. As home building expands from urban areas to nearby forest areas, these homes become more likely to burn. Wildfires are an exceedingly complex phenomenon with uncertainty and unpredictability abounding, hence a statistical approach to gaining insight appears useful. In this research, spatial stochastic models are developed. These relate risk probabilities and losses measures to a variety of available explanatory quantities. There is a consideration of economic aspects and a discussion of the difficulties that arose in developing the data and of carrying out the analyses. Purposes of the work include highlighting a statistical method, developing variates associated with a destruction probability and employing the fitted risk probability to estimate future and possible losses. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Brief Communications: An Analysis of Migraine Triggers in a Clinic-Based PopulationHEADACHE, Issue 8 2010Diane Andress-Rothrock MS Background., Many migraineurs report attack "triggers," but relatively few published data exist regarding the relative prevalences of individual triggers, variations related to gender, duration of migraine or migraine subtype, or the existence of any regional variations in the prevalences and distributions of triggers. Objective., We sought to determine the prevalence and types of migraine triggers in our clinic population, to determine what influence gender, migraine subtype, or duration of migraine might have on the prevalences and types of triggers reported and to compare our findings with data derived from surveys we previously had conducted involving 2 clinic-based populations and 1 general population sample from other regions of the USA. Methods., We evaluated 200 consecutive new migraine patients referred to our clinic. All patients specifically were queried as to whether they had noted any of 7 specific factors to serve consistently as migraine attack triggers and additionally were surveyed as to whether they might have "other" triggers not listed on the intake questionnaire. Among the other data collected and analyzed were age, gender, age at time of migraine onset, and migraine subtype (ie, episodic vs chronic). Actively cycling females who reported menses as a trigger were questioned as to whether their menstrual migraine (MM) attacks differed from their non-menstrual migraines and, if so, how they differed. Results., One hundred and eighty-two patients (91%) reported at least 1 migraine trigger, and 165 (82.5%) reported multiple triggers. The most common trigger reported (59%) was "emotional stress," followed by "too much or little sleep" (53.5%), "odors" (46.5%), and "missing meals" (39%). Females or subjects of either gender with chronic migraine were no more likely than males or subjects with episodic migraine to report triggers or multiple triggers. Similarly, longer exposure to migraine did not correlate with a higher likelihood of reporting a trigger or multiple triggers. Fifty-three (62%) of 85 actively cycling females reported menses as a trigger, and of the 51 with menstrually related migraine, 34 (67%) reported their MM to be more severe, more refractory to symptomatic therapy or of longer duration than their non-menstrual attacks; 13 (24.5%) of the 53 women with apparent MM reported their MM to be at least occasionally manifested as status migrainosus. The prevalence and type of triggers reported by this predominantly white female population were similar to those reported by clinic-based populations in San Diego, California and Mobile, Alabama, and in a population-based sample of Hispanics in San Diego County. Conclusions., A large majority of migraineurs report migraine attack triggers, and the triggers most commonly reported include emotional stress, a disrupted sleep pattern, and various odors. These findings do not appear to vary according to geographic region or race/ethnicity. Among the triggers, MM appears inclined to provoke headache that is more severe, less amenable to treatment, or longer in duration than headaches that occur at other times during the cycle. (Headache 2010;50:1366-1370) [source] Characteristics and survival of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with and without acquired immunodeficiency syndromeHEMATOLOGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 4 2002Catherine Diamond Abstract Our objective was to determine the characteristics and survival of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) with and without acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). A cancer registry and AIDS registry linkage for San Diego County was performed in October 1998 as part of a national multicentre study. We performed Kaplan,Meier analysis to compare survival in NHL patients with and without AIDS, after matching for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. We performed logistic regression to determine which patient and tumour characteristics were significantly associated with 1-year survival. Of the 4361 cases of NHL, 324 (7%) had AIDS and 4037 (93%) were not known to have AIDS. Patients with AIDS were more likely to have extranodal, high-grade, and disseminated NHL diagnosed by non-histologic means and were less likely to have received chemotherapy. Patients with AIDS and NHL who survived at least 1 year had less advanced disease stage and received chemotherapy. The median survival in patients with AIDS was 4,months (95% confidence interval (CI): 4,5) and 95,months (95% CI: 58,157) in patients without AIDS (P<0.001). Although these patients with AIDS-related NHL were unlikely to survive, the highly active antiretroviral agents currently used may improve outcomes in future patients. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Costs of community-based public mental health services for older adults: variations related to age and diagnosisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 12 2006Todd Gilmer Abstract Background Several studies have examined service use among older adults although, to our knowledge, none has examined costs from a systems perspective. This study examined use and costs of mental health services among older adults in San Diego County in order to determine how expenditures and modes of service varied by age cohort and psychiatric diagnosis. Methods Utilization data from San Diego County Adult and Older Adult Mental Health Services (AOAMHS) were used to identify older adults (age,,,60) receiving services in the community during fiscal year 2003,2004. Cost data were derived from detailed examination of cost reports, and Medicaid fee schedules. Trends in demographic and clinical characteristics by six age cohorts were described. Multivariate models were used to estimate the relationships between costs, age, and clinical diagnosis while controlling for other demographic and clinical characteristics. Components of costs were also examined. Results Total expenditures declined from age cohorts 60,64 through ages 85 and over. Expenditures were similar, and greatest, for clients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, while outlays were lower for those with major depression, other psychotic disorder, other depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and cognitive disorders. Clients diagnosed with cognitive disorder had high use of emergency services and little connection to outpatient services. Conclusions Expenditures were related to age and clinical diagnosis. Future efforts should investigate older adults' pathways to care, and should determine whether older adults presenting in emergency services would benefit from a specialized case management program providing linkages to community based resources. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Are People Ashamed of Paying with Food Stamps?JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2003Robert Breunig We evaluate the claim that marginal ,welfare stigma'causes a dollar of food to provide less utility if bought with food stamps rather than cash, and that this explains why, in the United States, the marginal propensity to consume food out of food stamps is larger than that out of income. This hypothesis has been advanced to explain the so-called ,cash-out puzzle': the empirical observation that the marginal propensity to consume food out of food stamps is much higher than that out of income, even for households who spend some cash income on food. We develop a theoretical model to identify the restrictions imposed by the hypothesis that the puzzle is indeed caused by such stigma. Using data from San Diego County, we find that two of the three predictions of the marginal stigma model are violated. These results cast serious doubt on the marginal stigma hypothesis. [source] Characteristic Features of Pediatric Firearm Fatalities,Comparisons Between Australia and the United StatesJOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 5 2009Roger W. Byard M.D. Abstract:, Gunshot deaths in children less than 17 years of age from Adelaide, SA, Australia (1969,2005) and from San Diego County, CA, United States (1988,2005) were compared. Forty-two pediatric gunshot fatalities occurred in South Australia (1.1 cases/year; M:F = 30:12). There were 6 accidents (14%), 14 suicides (33%), and 22 homicides (52%). In San Diego there were 185 cases (c.10 cases/year; M:F = 148:37). There were 6 accidents (3%), 42 suicides (23%), 130 homicides (70%), and 7 undetermined cases (4%). The incidence of homicide was significantly higher in San Diego County compared to Adelaide (p < 0.001), with a higher proportion of murder,suicides occurring in Adelaide. There were markedly more accidents and suicides involving males in Adelaide and a far higher number of male homicide victims in San Diego County compared to females. Rifles of 0.22-caliber were preferred weapons in South Australia, compared to handguns in San Diego County. [source] Alcohol Consumption among Low-Income Pregnant LatinasALCOHOLISM, Issue 11 2005Christina D. Chambers Abstract: Background: Due to changing cultural norms, Latinas of childbearing age residing in the U.S. may be at increasing risk of drinking harmful levels of alcohol during pregnancy, and may also be unaware of the risks for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders associated with this behavior. We assessed the prevalence of alcohol consumption in a sample of low-income pregnant Latinas and examined risk factors for alcohol use in the periconceptional period. Methods: As part of a larger intervention trial, a cross-sectional in-home interview study was conducted among a sample of 100 pregnant low-income Latinas receiving services from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in San Diego County, California. Results: Fifty-seven percent of respondents indicated they were either life-time abstainers or had not consumed any alcohol in the periconceptional period. Forty-three percent reported some alcohol use in the three months prior to recognition of the current pregnancy, and 20% reported at least one binge episode of four or more standard drinks during that time frame. Five percent reported drinking seven or more drinks per week, and 8% continued drinking alcohol after recognition of pregnancy. Significant predictors of any alcohol use in the periconceptional period included English language/higher level of acculturation, younger maternal age, lower parity, higher level of education, younger age at first drink, and having ever smoked. Women who were aware of alcohol warning messages and /or had more knowledge of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) were significantly more likely to have consumed alcohol in the periconceptional period. Frequency of periconceptional use of alcohol did not differ between women who planned or did not plan the pregnancy. Conclusion: The prevalence and pattern of early pregnancy alcohol consumption in this sample of Latinas is similar to patterns noted in other race/ethnic groups in the U.S. Level of knowledge about FAS and awareness of warning messages was not protective for early pregnancy alcohol consumption, suggesting that specific knowledge was insufficient to prevent exposure or that other factors reinforce maintenance of alcohol consumption in early pregnancy. Selective interventions in low-income Latinas are warranted, and should be focused on women of reproductive age who are binge or frequent drinkers and who are at risk of becoming pregnant. [source] A clustering-based semi-automated technique to build cultural ontologiesJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Ramesh Srinivasan This article presents and validates a clustering-based method for creating cultural ontologies for community-oriented information systems. The introduced semiautomated approach merges distributed annotation techniques, or subjective assessments of similarities between cultural categories, with established clustering methods to produce "cognate" ontologies. This approach is validated against a locally authentic ethnographic method, involving direct work with communities for the design of "fluid" ontologies. The evaluation is conducted with of a set of Native American communities located in San Diego County (CA, US). The principal aim of this research is to discover whether distributing the annotation process among isolated respondents would enable ontology hierarchies to be created that are similar to those that are crafted according to collaborative ethnographic processes, found to be effective in generating continuous usage across several studies. Our findings suggest that the proposed semiautomated solution best optimizes among issues of interoperability and scalability, deemphasized in the fluid ontology approach, and sustainable usage. [source] Change over 70 years in a southern California chaparral community related to fire historyJOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 5 2004Janet Franklin Abstract: Question: What changes in species composition and cover have occurred in chaparral as a function of fire history across an ecoregion? Location: San Diego County, California, USA. Methods: Stands in which 40 mid-elevation chaparral vegetation plots (each 400 m2 in area) were located in the 1930s were resurveyed in 2001. We stratified the stands into Infrequently versus Frequently burned (0,1 versus 2 or more fires recorded in the 91-yr period), and Immature versus Mature (31 yr versus >31 yr since last fire), resulting in four groups. Ten stands were randomly selected from each of these groups for survey. Results: There were no major shifts in life form composition, e.g., live oak trees were not invading chaparral that had experienced little or no fire, nor were subshrubs or herbaceous species replacing shrubs in areas that had experienced more frequent fires. However, there was a notable increase in the frequency of the subshrub Eriogonum fasciculatum across all fire history groups. In the mature stands with infrequent fire, average cover of resprouting shrubs increased (from 72 to 91%) and cover of obligate seeding shrubs (species with fire-cued germination) decreased (from 21 to 6%) significantly. Mature stands with frequent fire showed a significant decrease in resprouter cover (from 87 to 80%) and increase in obligate seeders (from 10 to 16%). Conclusions: While the tremendous changes in land use in southern California have been predicted to cause shifts in chaparral composition, these shifts are difficult to detect because species longevity and fire cycles are on the order of decades to a century. In this study, the expected trends could only be detected in groups that were mature at the time of the second survey. [source] Exotic plant invasions in an endemic-rich habitat: The spread of an introduced Australian grass, Agrostis avenacea J. F. Gmel., in California vernal poolsAUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2004PAUL H. ZEDLER Abstract The present abundance and historical spread of an exotic grass, Agrostis avenacea, is documented for California, USA, and for the vernal pools of San Diego County in particular. Agrostis avenacea is native to Australia where it is a common grass of ephemeral and fluctuating wetlands. California vernal pools, by reason of their extreme variability and high endemism, have been thought to be relatively resistant to invasion. The recent expansion of A. avenacea in San Diego County demonstrates, however, that the alleged resistance is probably a function of a relatively small pool of invaders and a low probability of targeted dispersal. Although A. avenacea is now abundant in pools with little current disturbance, human disturbance appears to have been a major factor that facilitated its initial establishment. This specific instance adds to the mounting evidence that there are probably few, if any, habitats immune to invasion. [source] | |||||||||||||