Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “CALIFORNIA”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,099 records · Page 61Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Liver cirrhosis deaths within occupations and industries in the California occupational mortality study.

Mortality rates were drawn from the California Occupational Mortality Study (COMS) to analyze liver cirrhosis deaths within occupations and industries from 1979 to 1981. Age-adjusted Standardized Mortality Rates (SMRs) were made available by the State of California for separate analyses of women, men, blacks and whites. Rankings of occupations with narrow confidence intervals were strikingly similar for blacks and whites. Within occupations, the highest female SMRs were for waitresses, telephone operators, cosmetologists, dress makers, hospital orderlies, textile workers, and laborers. The lowest female SMRs were for skilled crafts workers and teachers. High male occupations included water transportation workers, bartenders, loggers, laborers, roofers, construction workers, farm workers, iron workers, and painters. Low male occupations included teachers, physicians and dentists, managers, factory supervisors, business sales workers, heavy equipment operators, and other professionals. High female industries included eating and drinking places, laundry/dry cleaning, nursing and personal care facilities, aerospace, beauty shops, and entertainment. Low female industries included wholesale trades and education. High male industries included water transportation, military, guard services, eating and drinking places, iron and steel mills, and railroads. Low male industries included research/engineering labs, education, and computer manufacturing. This study was descriptive. It remains unknown whether certain jobs cause excessive drinking and cirrhosis, or whether people who are prone to develop cirrhosis select certain jobs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Mandated AA attendance for recidivist drinking drivers: ideology, organization, and California criminal justice practices.

This paper examines 2877 municipal court drunk driving cases sampled from 1982 to 1989 in four California sites. Recidivist drinking drivers were those charged with driving under the influence and having two or more drunk driving convictions on their records. In two sites, virtually no AA referrals were made. In the others, in addition to jail terms and fines, judges ordered attendance at meetings of AA for 37-41% of cases. Referral to AA was unrelated to blood alcohol level or number of prior drinking driving convictions. In one AA-referring site, the data indicate that over 75% of drinking drivers convicted in the 1988-89 period were referred to AA by a judge or county probation or parole officer. These findings suggest that, as a whole, California sentencing policies lack a coherent framework. Instead of reflecting information on program effectiveness and offenders' needs, variation in sentencing appears to mark differences in local fiscal circumstances, levels of jail crowding and ideological orientations of judges and other officials. It is suggested that referral practices could have an adverse impact on both individuals' alcohol problems and on recovery programs.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

PCR detection of pathogenic viruses in southern California urban rivers.

AIMS: To investigate human viral contamination in urban rivers and its impact on coastal waters of southern California, USA. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three types of human viruses (adeno, entero and hepatitis A) were detected using nested- and RT-PCR from 11 rivers and creeks. Faecal indicator bacteria as well as somatic and F-specific coliphage were also tested. Approximately 50% of the sites were positive for human adenoviruses. However, there was no clear relationship between detection of human viruses and the concentration of indicator bacteria and coliphage. Both faecal indicator bacteria and human viral input at beaches near river mouths were associated with storm events. The first storm of the wet season seemed to have the greatest impact on the quality of coastal water than following storm events. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first direct evidence that human viruses are prevalent in southern California urban rivers. Urban run-off impacts coastal water quality most significantly during the storm season. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: To protect human health during water recreational activities, it is necessary to develop effective strategies to manage urban run-off during storm events.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed2006

Comparative phylogeography of woodland reptiles in California: repeated patterns of cladogenesis and population expansion.

The ultimate goal of comparative phylogeographical analyses is to infer processes of diversification from contemporary geographical patterns of genetic diversity. When such studies are employed across diverse groups in an array of communities, it may be difficult to discover common evolutionary and ecological processes associated with diversification. In order to identify taxa that have responded in a similar fashion to historical events, we conducted comparative phylogeographical analyses on a phylogenetically and ecologically limited set of taxa. Here, we focus on a group of squamate reptiles (snakes and lizards) that share similar ecological requirements and generally occupy the same communities in the western USA. At a gross level, deep genetic division in Contia tenuis, Diadophis punctatus, Elgaria multicarinata, the Charina bottae complex, and Lampropeltis zonata are often concordant in the Transverse Ranges, the Monterey Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region, and the southern Sierra Nevada in California. Molecular clock estimates suggest that major phyletic breaks within many of these taxa roughly coincide temporally, and may correspond to important geological events. Furthermore, significant congruence between the phylogeographies of E. multicarinata and L. zonata suggests that the succession of vicariance and dispersal events in these species progressed in concert. Such congruence suggests that E. multicarinata and L. zonata have occupied the same communities through time. However, across our entire multi-taxon data set, the sequence of branching events rarely match between sympatric taxa, indicating the importance of subtle differences in life history features as well as random processes in creating unique genetic patterns. Lastly, coalescent and noncoalescent estimates of population expansion suggest that populations in the more southerly distributed clades of C. tenuis, D. punctatus, E. multicarinata, and L. zonata have been stable, while populations in more northerly clades appear to have recently expanded. This concerted demographic response is consistent with palaeontological data and previous phylogeographical work that suggests that woodland habitat has become more restricted in southern California, but more widespread in the North during Holocene warming. Future phylogeographical work focusing on allied and ecologically associated taxa may add insight into the ecological and evolutionary processes that yield current patterns of genetic diversity.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Birth defects monitoring in California: a resource for epidemiological research.

The California Birth Defects Monitoring Program maintains a population-based birth defects registry of structural congenital malformations, monitoring over 600,000 resident births annually. Cases are actively ascertained from hospitals and genetic centres throughout California and from selected facilities in adjacent states. Field staff identify presumptive cases from careful review of medical records. Diagnostic and demographic information is collected from in-patient and genetic centre medical charts for children diagnosed with major structural malformations between conception and 1 year of age. The application of these data to epidemiological investigations of birth defects is described in the context of prevalence studies, aetiological studies and evaluative studies, and the strengths and limitations of the registry data are discussed.

California↗
PubMed1993

Trends in Down's syndrome prevalence in California, 1983-1988.

Trends in the prevalence of Down's syndrome in livebirths were examined in California from 1983 to 1988, a time period when prenatal screening and subsequent termination of Down's syndrome pregnancies among women under 35 years of age was increasing. In the population-based ascertainment areas of the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program (CBDMP), 1058 infants with Down's syndrome were identified, giving a crude prevalence of 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.97, 1.09). The risk ratio for 1988 compared with 1983, after adjusting for maternal age and other confounders, was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.78, 1.23), showing that there was no change in livebirth prevalence over this period. The data were also examined for mothers under 35 years of age to determine whether increasing use of prenatal screening leading to termination masked an increase in prevalence. A modest increase was seen.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗
PubMed2006

Relationships between air pollution and preterm birth in California.

Air pollution from vehicular emissions and other combustion sources is related to cardiovascular and respiratory outcomes. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between air pollution and preterm birth, a primary cause of infant mortality and morbidity. This analysis examined the effect of fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) and carbon monoxide (CO) on preterm birth in a matched case-control study. PM(2.5) and CO monitoring data from the California Air Resources Board were linked to California birth certificate data for singletons born in 1999-2000. Each birth was mapped to the closest PM monitor within 5 miles of the home address. County-level CO measures were utilised to increase sample size and maintain a representative population. After exclusion of implausible birthweight-gestation combinations, preterm birth was defined as birth occurring between 24 and 36 weeks' gestation. Each of the 10 673 preterm cases was matched to three controls of term (39-44 weeks) gestation with a similar date of last menstrual period. Based on the case's gestational age, CO and PM(2.5) exposures were calculated for total pregnancy, first month of pregnancy, and last 2 weeks of pregnancy. Exposures were divided into quartiles; the lowest quartile was the reference. Because of the matched design, conditional logistic regression was used to adjust for maternal race/ethnicity, age, parity, marital status and education. High total pregnancy PM(2.5) exposure was associated with a small effect on preterm birth, after adjustment for maternal factors (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.15, [95% CI 1.07, 1.24]). The odds ratio did not change after adjustment for CO. Results were similar for PM(2.5) exposure during the first month of pregnancy (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI [1.12, 1.30]) and the last 2 weeks of pregnancy (AOR = 1.17, 95% CI [1.09, 1.27]). Conversely, CO exposure at any time during pregnancy was not associated with preterm birth (AORs from 0.95 to 1.00). Maternal exposure to PM(2.5), but not CO, is associated with preterm birth. This analysis did not show differences by timing of exposure, although more detailed examination may be needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

A tale of two counties: expanding health insurance coverage for children in California.

During difficult economic times, many California counties have expanded health insurance coverage for low-income children. These Children's Health Initiatives (CHIs) enroll children in public programs and provide new health insurance, Healthy Kids, for those ineligible for existing programs. This article describes the policy issues in implementing the Santa Clara and San Mateo County CHIs, as well as the children's enrollment levels and utilization of services. These CHIs are among the first of the thirty California counties planning or implementing such initiatives. Their success depends on leadership from county agencies that have not traditionally worked closely together, as well as the development of a diverse public and private funding base. This effort to provide universal coverage for all children is important to national policymakers desiring similar goals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Virus infection in remnant native bunchgrasses from invaded California grasslands.

This study examined the effects of infection with barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses (BYDVs) on wild grass species in California, a region in which native perennial bunchgrasses have been largely replaced by exotic annual grasses. We sought to determine whether these widespread viruses compromise the fitness of wild hosts and thus have the potential to influence grassland dynamics. Plant viruses have been long overlooked in ecological studies, and their influence on wild hosts has often been assumed to be minimal. We examined the short-term and long-term consequences of infection on field-grown individuals from 18 different populations of wild California grasses (from seven native and one exotic species). Barley yellow dwarf virus infection was aggressive in most hosts and markedly impaired host fitness by reducing growth, survivorship, and fecundity. Previous work indicates that the presence of exotic grasses can more than double BYDV incidence in natives. Given the ubiquity of BYDVs, our results suggest that apparent competition and other virus-mediated processes may influence interactions among native and exotic grasses and potentially contribute to shifts in grassland community composition.

California↗
PubMed2006

Health services research as a source of legislative analysis and input: the role of the California Health Benefits Review Program.

This article examines the role of the California Health Benefits Review Program (CHBRP) as a source of information in state health policy making. It explains why the California benefits review process relies heavily on university-based researchers and employs a broad set of criteria for review, which set it apart from similar programs in other states. It then analyzes the politics of health insurance mandates and how independent research and analysis might alter the perceived benefits and costs of health insurance mandates and thus political outcomes. It considers how research and analysis is typically used by policy makers, and illustrates how participants inside and outside of state government have used the reports prepared by CHBRP as both guidance in policy design and as political ammunition. Although there is consensus that the review process has reduced the number of mandate bills that are passed out of the legislature, both supporters and opponents favor the new process and generally believe the reports strengthen their case in legislative debates over health insurance mandates. The role of the CHBRP is narrowly defined by statute at the present time, but the program may well face pressure to evolve from its current academic orientation into a more interactive, advisory role for legislators in the future.

California↗
PubMed1988

A suggested approach to overcome California's inability to permit urban resource recovery facilities.

The premature political termination of the permit reviews of five urban resource recovery projects in California may indicate a deficiency in the process under which project health risk assessments are performed and policy biases of the public agencies that control the contents of the assessments. This article examines the permitting process that separates project health risk assessments from environmental impact reports and the anti-resource-recovery goals and policies of the state and local agencies that guide the preparation of project health risk assessments. Also examined are two independent studies made of the informational adequacy of the LANCER project documents. The article concludes that it is only by merging the risk assessment process with the environmental review process that control of the agencies can be loosened and project proponents be able to prepare project risk assessments for urban California resource recovery projects that will offer the projects any likelihood of being able to complete the permitting process.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1990

Risk assessment for carcinogens under California's Proposition 65.

Risk assessments for carcinogens are being developed through an accelerated process in California as a part of the state's implementation of Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act. Estimates of carcinogenic potency made by the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) are generally similar to estimates made by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The largest differences are due to EPA's use of the maximum likelihood estimate instead of CDHS' use of the upper 95% confidence bounds on potencies derived from human data and to procedures used to correct for studies of short duration or with early mortality. Numerical limits derived from these potency estimates constitute "no significant risk" levels, which govern exemption from Proposition 65's discharge prohibition and warning requirements. Under Proposition 65 regulations, lifetime cancer risks less than 10(-5) are not significant and cumulative intake is not considered. Following these regulations, numerical limits for a number of Proposition 65 carcinogens that are applicable to the control of toxic discharges are less stringent than limits under existing federal water pollution control laws. Thus, existing federal limits will become the Proposition 65 levels for discharge. Chemicals currently not covered by federal and state controls will eventually be subject to discharge limitations under Proposition 65. "No significant risk" levels (expressed in terms of daily intake of carcinogens) also trigger warning requirements under Proposition 65 that are more extensive than existing state or federal requirements. A variety of chemical exposures from multiple sources are identified that exceed Proposition 65's "no significant risk" levels.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Assessing health risks associated with DDT residues in soils in California: a Proposition 65 case study.

Population growth in California has increased the pressure to convert agricultural land to commercial, industrial, or residential uses. In the ensuing property transactions, buyers and sellers must address the presence of toxic materials in soils such as pesticides, several of which are known to the State of California to cause cancer under Proposition 65. While this statute does not specifically address soil contaminants, the potential scope of its enforcement is sufficiently broad that owners of former agricultural properties may be obliged to provide warning of exposure to potential buyers, occupants, or construction workers about exposure to residues in soil from pesticide applications. However, Proposition 65 provides no guidance on how to assess exposures to chemicals in soil. The U.S. EPA Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund (RAGS) provides a method for assessing soil-related exposure pathways that is consistent with the intent of Proposition 65. Using this approach, we have calculated the lifetime average concentrations of DDT in soil corresponding to the no-significant-risk level stipulated under Proposition 65 (1 x 10(-5)) for a hypothetical residential exposure scenario. The concentration of DDT in soil corresponding to a no-significant-risk ranges from 7.9-18.8 mg/kg, depending upon which exposure pathways are deemed to be complete for residential land use. It is argued that Proposition 65 forces the assessment and possible cleanup of such a situation through the threat of creating a health risk perception that could affect the market value of a property.

California↗
PubMed2005

Sero-prevalence of Taenia solium cysticercosis and Taenia solium taeniasis in California, USA.

OBJECTIVES: Taenia solium Cysticercosis is a leading cause of epilepsy and neurological disability in the developing world. It is caused by ingestion of the eggs of the tapeworm, T. solium Taeniasis. The prevalence of either T. solium Cysticercosis or T. solium Taeniasis in the United States in populations at risk is poorly understood. The primary objectives of this study are to perform the first study of the sero-prevalence of T. solium Cysticercosis and T. solium Taeniasis in an at-risk community in the USA, specifically rural Southern California; identify T. solium Taeniasis positive individuals, and treat positive individuals for the tapeworm T. solium Taeniasis. METHODS: Community based sero-prevalence study of antibodies to T. solium Cysticercosis and T. solium Taeniasis in 449 subjects living in a federally funded, predominantly Hispanic residential community; and in two migrant farm worker camps in rural Ventura County, California, USA. For this study, fingerstick blood samples were obtained. Serum immunoblots for both T. solium Cysticercosis and T. solium Taeniasis were performed. RESULTS: The sero-prevalence of T. solium Cysticercosis was 1.8% and the sero-prevalence of T. solium Taeniasis by serum immunoblot was 1.1%. Taenia solium Cysticercosis and T. solium Taeniasis antibodies were not detected in children. The sero-prevalence of T. solium Taeniasis was highest in the migrant farm worker community. Handwashing frequency was correlated with T. solium Taeniasis sero-positivity. CONCLUSION: The sero-prevalence of T. solium Cysticercosis and T. solium Taeniasis in this population, as detected by serum immunoblot, approximates the prevalence in some endemic areas of Latin America. Importantly, most patients likely had prior exposure, not active infection. This study establishes for the first time, the relative sero-prevalence of T. solium Cysticercosis and T. solium Taeniasis in at-risk populations in the United States.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

The California Statewide Family Health Education and Training Program 1981-1982.

Through support from the California State Department of Health Services, San Diego State University continued a statewide program in family life education, which consisted of: 1) establishment of a statewide advisory committee representative of many diverse points of view; 2) performance of a study of the teaching of family life education in the ninth and 10th grades of public schools in the state, as well as an examination of the present status of training of teachers; 3) provision of consultation and training programs for local school districts, including community support and implementation training, program development consultation teacher training and a limited number of small block grants to improve local family life education program efforts; and 4) preservice education classes to be conducted at teacher preparation campuses in the California State University system. The paper describes some of the findings of the study of the ninth and 10th grades, as well as the details of methodology of all four components of the statewide program.

California↗
PubMed1984

Survey of 1980 California dental hygiene graduates to determine expanded-function utilization.

In a survey with an 81 percent response rate, 1980 California dental hygiene graduates reported that a large majority of dentists in 410 practices were delegating expanded functions. Hygienists reported that they were being delegated local anesthesia administration in 89 percent of their practice settings, soft-tissue curettage in 86 percent, and nitrous oxide and oxygen administration in 60 percent. More recent dental graduates delegated more frequently than older graduates. Teaching status of the dentist/employer did not appear to affect delegation. Periodontists delegated more than general dentists and this seemed to be related to patient need in those practices. Hygienists in general practices are feeling somewhat underutilized; however, they attribute a relatively small percentage (14.8% local anesthesia, 20.2% soft-tissue curettage and 4.1% nitrous oxide) of the underutilization to "lack of delegation" by their dentist/employer. Hygienists perceived "lack of patient need" and "lack of equipment" to be the major reasons for any underutilization in the expanded functions. In conclusion, it appears that a 1976 law change in California allowing dental hygienists to perform block and infiltration local anesthesia, soft-tissue curettage, and nitrous oxide and oxygen administration has resulted in a rather widespread change in the dental practices of this sample. Dentists are apparently delegating local anesthetic administration and soft-tissue curettage in over 85 percent of the 410 practices employing 216 hygienists. Delegation of nitrous oxide and oxygen administration, which is dependent on availability of equipment, was reported as being delegated in over 50 percent of the practices.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anesthesia, Dental↗
PubMed2003

The association of early childhood caries and race/ethnicity among California preschool children.

OBJECTIVES: This paper explores the role of race/ethnicity in the occurrence of early childhood caries (ECC) among California Head Start (HS) and non-HS preschool children. METHODS: Using oral examination and questionnaire data from the 1993-94 California Oral Health Needs Assessment of Children, we computed the prevalence of ECC using various definitions and fitted logistic regression models to explore the effect of race/ethnicity on ECC, separately for HS and non-HS children, adjusting for bedtime feeding habits and other covariates. RESULTS: Among 2,520 children, the largest proportion with a history of falling asleep sipping milk/sweet substance was among Latinos/Hispanics (72% among HS and 65% among non-HS) and HS Asians (56%). HS Asians and Latinos/Hispanics had the largest prevalence of ECC (30%-33%) and untreated caries (49%-54%). The estimated risk for ECC was more than three times higher in HS Asians compared to HS whites and among non-HS African Americans and Asians compared to non-HS whites controlling for socioeconomic status variables. The risk of ECC was also significantly higher among children who fell asleep while sipping milk or any sweet substance compared to those who did not. CONCLUSION: Studies of the cultural/behavioral patterns that may be specific to ethnic subgroups with the highest risk for ECC seem essential to the development of effective prevention strategies.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2005

Determinants of dental service utilization among 2 to 11-year-old California children.

OBJECTIVE: The 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) was designed to elicit population-based estimates about health care access and insurance coverage. This study aimed to determine factors associated with dental service utilization among children ages 2 to 11 years in California. METHODS: CHIS was a random digit dialing telephone survey. Interviews were conducted with the adult in the household that was most knowledgeable about the child's care, and information was collected on the child's last dental visit. RESULTS: Data on dental visits were collected on 10,569 children ages 2-11 years. In 2001, 73.5 (+/- 0.6)% of children had a dental visit, 58.2 (+/- 0.6)% a preventive dental visit, while 18.3 (+/- 0.5)% had never visited the dentist. Nearly 1 million children had never visited the dentist, primarily children ages 2-5 years. Overall, 76.3 (+/- 0.6)% of children had dental insurance. Children with a past-year dental visit were likely to be school age, insured and from high-income households. Other predictors of utilization were the responding adult's age and educational attainment. CONCLUSION: Dental service utilization is determined by a mix of parental, child and household factors.

Age Factors↗