Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Daniel J. Pastor, Bradley T. Ewing
Summary: This study estimates water production in Los Angeles using a VECM model and analyzes its relationship with the labor market, home price index, and gasoline prices. The results suggest that the system can return to equilibrium in about 4-5 months after a shock disrupts the equilibrium, which has implications for understanding a community's resilience and economic impact of natural disasters.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Adam L. Smith, Phillip Wang
Summary: Wastewater surveillance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) provides valuable information on the prevalence and genetic characteristics of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study detected several variants of the mobile colistin-resistant (mcr) gene in Los Angeles County wastewater, and through further analysis, identified conserved gene cassettes and discovered novel plasmids carrying these genes. The findings highlight the importance of wastewater surveillance in understanding the transmission and dissemination of ARGs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Economics
Fynnwin Prager, Mohja Rhoads, Jose N. Martinez
Summary: The COVID-19 lockdown has led to an increase in the use of flexible workplace practices, particularly work from home, which is crucial for the resilience of transportation systems and regional economies. The study found that pre-shutdown obstacles to the expansion of flexible workplace practices included resistance from managers and executives, as well as occupational constraints. Interviews during the shutdown highlighted practical issues with full-time flexible workplace practices.
Article
Information Science & Library Science
Hernan Galperin, Thai V. Le, Kurt Wyatt
Summary: Regulatory and market changes in residential broadband has raised concerns about ISPs prioritizing profitable areas, resulting in fewer broadband options for low-income and minority communities. Data analysis for Los Angeles County during 2014-18 shows less competition and fiber-based services in these areas, particularly where poverty and a large Black population coincide. Alternative policy tools are suggested to address intracity broadband investment disparities.
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Joseph E. Ebinger, Roy Lan, Matthew P. Driver, Parker Rushworth, Eric Luong, Nancy Sun, Trevor-Trung Nguyen, Sarah Sternbach, Amy Hoang, Jacqueline Diaz, Mallory Heath, Brian L. Claggett, C. Noel Bairey Merz, Susan Cheng
Summary: This study aims to determine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and geographic proximity to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) facilities. The study found significant associations between racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic characteristics and lack of geographic proximity to CR facilities. Particularly, non-Hispanic Black individuals were most affected. Additionally, some areas with high population density but low income and a high proportion of non-White residents had no CR facilities.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jemma Alarcon, Armine Sanosyan, Zuelma A. Contreras, Van P. Ngo, Ann Carpenter, Jill K. Hacker, William S. Probert, Dawn Terashita, Sharon Balter, Umme-Aiman Halai
Summary: Fleaborne typhus, caused by Rickettsia typhi, is a moderately severe but rarely fatal illness. Reported cases in Los Angeles County have been increasing since 2010, with the highest number reported in 2022. This report describes three fatal cases of fleaborne typhus, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and treatment with doxycycline.
MMWR-MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jemma Alarcon, Armine Sanosyan, Zuelma A. Contreras, Van P. Ngo, Ann Carpenter, Jill K. Hacker, William S. Probert, Dawn Terashita, Sharon Balter, Umme-Aiman Halai
Summary: The number of reported fleaborne typhus cases in Los Angeles County has been increasing since 2010, with the highest number (171) reported in 2022. Among these cases, three severe manifestations were observed, including hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, myocarditis, and septic shock with disseminated intravascular coagulation. Enhanced awareness among healthcare providers and public health authorities about the prevalence and severity of fleaborne typhus, as well as the importance of early doxycycline therapy, is crucial for prevention and treatment efforts.
MMWR-MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Cameron Ghafil, Kazuhide Matsushima, Li Ding, Reynold Henry, Kenji Inaba
Summary: Analyzing trauma admissions in Los Angeles County during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed significant changes in injury patterns and admission trends, especially in the types of traumas seen. The study showed a transient decrease in trauma volume at the beginning of the pandemic, followed by a quick return to baseline levels.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kelsea B. Best, Michelle E. Miro, Rachel M. Kirpes, Nur Kaynar, Aisha Najera Chesler
Summary: This research aims to develop an easy to deploy, data-driven method to identify vulnerable CWS and understand the factors influencing vulnerability to groundwater contamination, in order to guide policymakers and planners in providing better support for specific systems. The study found that both RF and ANN methods can generate relatively low prediction errors, but their results differ and need to be used in conjunction with expert opinion.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Hannah K. Brosnan, Karen W. Yeh, Padma S. Jones, Sohum Gokhale, Dalia Regos-Stewart, Hang Tran, Kathleen Poortinga, Phoebe Danza, Rebecca Fisher, Lauren E. Finn, Chelsea Foo, Alicia H. Chang
Summary: During July-September 2022, 118 cases of mpox were identified among persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) in Los Angeles County, California, USA. The age and sex distribution of mpox cases among PEH were similar to that of the general population. Among PEH mpox case-patients, 60% were living with HIV, with 49% of them having viral suppression. Approximately 21% of case-patients required hospitalization due to severe disease. Sexual contact was likely the primary mode of transmission, as 84% of patients reported sexual contact less than 3 weeks before symptom onset. No secondary mpox cases were detected among PEH in congregate shelters or encampments through public health follow-up and contact tracing. Equitable efforts should be continued to identify, treat, and prevent mpox among PEH, who often face severe disease.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Phillip Wang, Ali Zarei-Baygi, Connor Sauceda, Syeed Md Iskander, Adam L. Smith
Summary: Wastewater-based epidemiology is an effective tool for monitoring communal viral load and providing early warnings for rising community infections. The wastewater SARS-CoV-2 levels in Los Angeles County experienced two large spikes in 2020, with strong correlations between wastewater and clinical data, suggesting wastewater data can be used to estimate infected population and complement clinical data models.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-WATER RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Nicholas Shapiro, Terence Keel
Summary: This paper uses quantitative and qualitative methods to examine how death investigations in Los Angeles County jails naturalize death among Black and Latino incarcerated people. The study analyzes 58 autopsies, coroner investigator narratives, and toxicology reports between 2009 and 2018. The findings reveal that the Medical Examiner often determines deaths as natural or undetermined, minimizing the responsibility of carceral staff. Black individuals are disproportionately classified as natural deaths, while undetermined deaths are primarily Latino.
MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY QUARTERLY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Infectious Diseases
Khadije Ahmad, Vahid Rezvanizadeh, Suraj Dahal, April Kinninger, Ahmed K. Ghanem, Suvasini Lakshmanan, Sajad Hamal, Ferdinand Flores, Christopher Dailing, Sion K. Roy, Matthew J. Budoff
Summary: Evidence suggests that over 95% of all SARS-CoV-2 cases are asymptomatic or mild infections. Developing a test to indicate past infection and potential immunity is crucial. A study administering 244 antibody tests to high-risk populations found that moderate or severe symptom patients were no more or less likely to have positive antibody tests compared to those with no or mild symptoms.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Stacy Hartmann, Zachary Rubin, Heidi Sato, Kelsey O. Yong, Dawn Terashita, Sharon Balter
Summary: Healthcare workers are at greater risk of COVID-19 infection due to the nature of their work. Data collected from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health showed that over 5500 positive cases among healthcare workers were reported, with the highest proportion from long-term care facilities and hospitals. Despite the risk factors, healthcare workers had lower hospitalization and death rates compared to all cases in Los Angeles County.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Shelby E. McDonald, Gregory S. Miller, Tina Reddington Fried, Debra Olmedo, Angela Matijczak
Summary: The current study aimed to identify ways to increase awareness and engagement in kitten fostering programs among residents in Southern California. Survey results showed that more than one quarter of participants had engaged in fostering on their own, and one-third were open to fostering with an animal shelter. Many interested participants had not seen advertising for fostering programs, with Spanish-language participants less likely to have encountered such advertisements. The main concerns about fostering were related to time, cost, and space.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
