Dimensionality and Reliability of the Civilian Mississippi Scale for PTSD in a Postearthquake Community

This study examines psychometric properties of the Civilian Mississippi Scale for posttraumatic stress disorder when administered in a community survey of 656 persons following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Internal consistency was lower (Cronbach's α = .73) than for previous analyses of civilian and combat versions of the Mississippi Scale. The analysis produced one strong factor composed of 25 items with regular wording and a second, weaker factor composed of 10 items with reversed wording. Internal consistency was higher when the 10 reversed items were removed (Cronbach's α = .86); the two factors were negatively correlated. Traumatic experiences and psychological distress measures explained more variance in the 25-item factor than in the 35-item scale. Further studies should focus on content analysis and performance of the reversed items.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43098/1/10960_2004_Article_221433.pd

The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning

This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.Comment: 5th version as accepted to PASP; 31 pages, 18 figures; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/acb29

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Community Response to the January 17, 1994 Northridge Earthquake (M967V1)

This study has multiple objectives. First. we want to find out about Southern California residents' experiences after the earthquake on January 17. 1994: where they were, how they reacted, where they obtained information, whether their property was damaged or they experienced injury, what agencies they were in contact with. etc. Second, this study allows us to compare Southern California residents' earthquake-related knowledge. experience, and behaviors in 1994 with those of Bay Area residents following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and Los Angeles County residents following the Whittier Narrows earthquake of October 1. 1987. Of interest is the extent to which Bay Area and Southern California residents differ in their level of preparedness and knowledge of agencies involved in post-earthquake assistance and the change in level of preparedness, etc. in Southern California between 1987 and 1994. Third. this questionnaire includes both the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). a well-tested measure of psychological functioning designed for use in community studies and two measures of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Questions about perceived emotional distress from the earthquake were also included in this questionnaire. Finally, this questionnaire provides information about the impact of the damage to the transportation system as a result of the earthquake.</p

Whittier Narrows Earthquake Study, 1988 (M890)

This is a telephone survey of Los Angeles County residents' experiences in and-responses to the Whittier Narrows earthquake that occurred on October 1, 1987. Six hundred adult residents of the County were selected by random digit dialing (RDD) and interviewed by telephone for this study. Overall, 600 persons were interviewed: 200 in the high impact County communities of Whittier, Monterey Park, Rosemead, El Monte and South El Monte; and 400 throughout the rest of Los Angeles County. The study collected information about the effect of the earthquake on the household including questions about damage to the house, injuries to household members and power cuts; respondents’ reactions to the earthquake including questions about evacuation and information-seeking behaviors; and general socio-demographic characteristics of the household and respondent. Similar questions were asked about other family members. Respondents were asked about the numbers and types of injuries incurred as a result of the earthquake. Demographic variables that were examined as predictors of injury were the respondent’s age; gender; marital status; race/ethnicity; family income; and type of dwelling. Characteristics of the earthquake’s impact on the respondent that are examined include: damage/inspection status of the home; Modified Mercalli Intensity; Peak Ground Acceleration; and perception of oneself as an earthquake victim . The relationship between the respondent’s first actions at the time of the earthquake and whether or not s/he was injured was also examined. For those respondents who were not in a car at the time of the earthquake, those who stayed in one place during the earthquake were compared to those who moved or attempted to move.</p

National Survey of Disaster Experiences and Preparedness (NSDEP), 2007-2008

A national survey was conducted to study people’s experiences with, preparedness and mitigation actions for, and perceptions related to terrorism and other disasters. Telephone interviews were completed on a statistically representative sample of 3,300 households between April 13, 2007 and February 13, 2008. Major metropolitan areas considered to be “high visibility areas” at high risk of terrorism, namely Washington, D.C. (DC), New York (NY), and Los Angeles (LA), were sufficiently oversampled to allow comparisons with the rest of the continental U.S., which are considered to be at low risk of terrorism. The interviews were offered in English and Spanish, and a $20 incentive was offered to encourage participation in the study. Interviews were completed with a total of 3,300 households (with an adult respondent over age 18) for a response rate of 35%. The study attempted to answer these questions: • How prepared Americans are for a terrorist attack or other disaster; • Who is and who isn’t getting the message about getting prepared; • How we can improve our educational messages about preparedness; • What we can do to maximize the impact of education and information on behavior; and • How we can increase the engagement of the general public in preparing for disasters

Study of Earthquake Effects: Los Angeles and Sylmar, 1971 (M174V1)

This study was conducted with individuals living in the area immediately bordering the earthquake damaged hospitals in both Sylmar, and Los Angeles California. The topics covered include a 29-item version of the Rotter scale, experience and reactions to the initial earthquake, whether or not R was evacuated and nature of evacuation, extent of property damage to home and neighborhood, nature and extent of of emotional and physical injury to self and family

Bay Area (Loma Prieta) Earthquake Study, 1990 (M887V1)

The objective of this study was to find out about San Francisco Bay Area residents' experience during and after the earthquake near Santa Cruz, California on October 17, 1989. The study examined experiences in and responses to the earthquake, in relation to their location at the time of the quake: loss of utilities, reported damage to property and personal possessions, physical injuries to respondents and others, use of the media, decisions to evacuate, contact with officials and agencies after the earthquake, psychological distress, earthquake preparedness, knowledge about what to do during an earthquake, and hearing and responding to earthquake predictions. Interviews were conducted with 656 residents of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Alameda, and San Mateo counties in California

Processing data : the survey example

v, 88 p.; 21 cm

Monitoring Evaluation Research On and About Children, 1975-1977

This study was developed collaboratively with the staff of the Foundation for Child Development. It has three objectives: To examine the quantity and quality of evaluation research undertaken by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare completed in the years 1974-1975, to identify studies relevant to children and their families and examine them in terms of cumulative knowledge and social-policy relevance, and finally, to estimate the extent to which there is an increased commitment by evaluators and their sponsors to the impact of the studies on children and their families