Job Loss and Effects on Firms and Workers

This paper serves as an introduction and (incomplete) survey of the wide-ranging literature on job loss. We begin with a discussion of job stability in the US and the commitment between firms and workers, and how this has changed in recent years. We then focus on the short and long-term consequences to workers (i.e. wages, health outcomes) following a layoff, and the effect which mass layoffs have on future firm performance. The changing nature of these relationships over the past several decades is a central theme of this paper. We review the common data sources used to examine these questions, and identify many influential papers on each topic. Additionally, we discuss alternative policies to the typical mass layoff, such as worksharing

A GIS to Select Plant Species for Erosion Control Along California Highways

Through road construction and maintenance activities, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) actively manages roadside rights-of-way that transect California\u27s 41 million hectares (101 million acres), spanning over 3,000 meters of elevational change from seashore to subalpine. State and federal highways are grouped into 12 districts, each encompassing from one to 11 of the state\u27s 58 counties. District personnel are typically responsible for implementing site-specific adaptations of general statewide guidelines for shortto long-term erosion control following construction or storm damage. Many erosion control projects involve reestablishing vegetation through seeding where the precarious life stages of germination and establishment are controlled by both unpredictable short-term weather events and often physically inappropriate seedbeds. Many revegetation failures result from improperly siting species such that individual plants are expected to germinate, grow, and persist in locations or on topographic aspects that present physical extremes in solar radiation, temperature, precipitation, surface water flow, or wind beyond their genetically-determined physical tolerances. Each district includes enough environmental heterogeneity that revegetation using a few, district-wide seed mixes will not adequately meet the need for erosion control among diverse project sites. Consequently, a geographic information system (GIS) is being developed which allows employees to rapidly access lists of plant species for revegetation that are both ecologically appropriate for the project site and potentially useful in minimizing erosion from roadcuts and roadsides. This GIS uses hydrologic units of CALWATER at 1:24000 as a means to link physiographic and climatalogical data together with presence or absence of selected plant species in each hydrologic unit. Plantclimate classifications follow the 19 general plantclimates depicted on the California Plantclimates map devised by the University of California Cooperative Extension Service in 1967, and revised in 1979. These 19 general plantclimates are being refined using elevation contours and topographic aspects derived from digital elevation models to allow assignment of different plantclimates to portions of hydrologic units that exhibit steep elevational gains or considerable landform diversity. Through the overlay of other data depicting county boundaries, roads, and places, users are able to locate project sites, query the plant species climate matrix, and export data tables to spreadsheets or reports. Guidebooks that index the same plant species climate matrix through a standard route+county+mile/km georeferencing system make these data available to district personnel in another format as well

Plant Establishment with Rainfall Simulators for Erosion Control

Hydroseeding failures on disturbed sites are usually attributable to combinations of improper species selection, seeding at inappropriate times, and/or improper seed mixes, fiber, and tackifier. To investigate these factors, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in conjunction with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and California State University, Sacramento, conducted a study of these factors’ affect on vegetation establishment. The goal was to identify initially fast growing vegetation that demonstrates long-term erosion control effectiveness. Native plant species common to District 5, along the California Central Coast, were used. Treatments were conducted in 0.6 by 2 m by 30 cm soil test boxes set at a 2:1 (H:V) slope. Boxes were filled with a medium sandy loam soil (USDA), typical of District 5 fill slopes, compacted to 90 percent. Erosion control treatments included combinations of imprinted straw and hydroseeding of fiber, fertilizer, and tackifier. All boxes were planted with the same native seed mix that included shrubs, forbs, and grasses. Norton Ladder rainfall simulators were used to simulate natural rainfall patterns found in the area. The rainfall regimes applied were natural precipitation, 53.3 cm (21 in/yr during the study period) and uniform rainfall at the mean annual rate, 56 cm (22 in/yr), half the mean annual rate, 28 cm(11in/yr) and double the mean annual rate, 111 cm (44in/yr). The rainfall simulators mimicked rainfall characteristics for the California coast, such as drop size distribution, terminal velocity and a range of storm intensities. In all, 24 boxes were established and treated under rainfall simulators, eight additional boxes were subjected to natural rainfall, and two more boxes were untreated (bare soil). Percent cover and runoff quality (measured as Suspended Sediment Concentration) were measured for each box. The boxes treated with straw and fertilizer showed greater percent cover than those treated with tackifier and no fertilizer. The ANOVA results indicated that this effect statistically significant to a high degree (p=.001). The effect on runoff was marginally significant (p=.048). Runoff volume was greatest on the heavy rainfall treatments. Higher rainfall treatments showed an increase in the quantity of the native plants of yarrow (Achillea millefolium), lupine (Lupinus succulentus), and California brome (Bromus carinatus). Shrubs and deer lotus (Lotus scoparius) were the least common species under all rainfall regimes. This project demonstrates using hydroseeding that includes tack an

Water Quality Relative to Slope Toe Strip Type and Length

Vegetation plays an important role in decreasing soil particle detachment and transport from sites following disturbance. Past rainfall simulator research (Caltrans 2004) using 2.5 m L x 0.6 m W soil test boxes with a 0.25 m sod strip (1 :10 slope proportion) at the slope toe found statistically significant reduction of total sediment loss to near zero. A principle limitation of the previous in house experiment is that a 1: 10 proportion of sod strip to slope length is not practical, nor equivalent with many industry specifications. Therefore, another rainfall simulator experiment was designed and conducted from October 2005 through June 2006 to compare effectiveness at reducing sediment loss of sod strips at 1:40, 1:20, and 1:10 proportions to slope length. Principal questions included 1) Does sod strip effectiveness vary directionally with sod strip length?; 2) Does sod strip effectiveness vary directionally with plant cultivar?; and 3) Are sod strips more or less effective than non-living EC blanket materials? A sandy clay loam subsoil was collected from a California highway construction site. Test boxes were then filled with soil to 90% compaction and positioned at a 2H:1V slope. Bare soil (control), compost, mulch, and a straw mat erosion control blankets (ECB) were each used individually as a top treatment on vanous boxes. Toe treatments applied at lengths of 0.2 m (8 in), 0.1 m (4 in), or 0.05 m (2 in) included bare soil, mulch, straw mat erosion control blanket, jute netting, or a sod strip of a commonly used groundcover species: Carpobrotus edulis, Sea Fig; Lampranthus spectabilis, Trailing Ice Plant; Lantana montevidensis, Trailing Lantana, or Myoporum parvifolium, \u27Pink Dwarf Myoporum. Storm water runoff was monttored for total water runoff, total sediment. sediment concentration. NTUs. pH. Electrical Conductivity (EC). nutrients, and selected metals over a series of simulated storm events. As expected, toe treatments of mulch, ECB, jute, or vegetation performed significantly better than bare soil The 0.2 m (8 in) sod strips (1 :10 slope proportion) performed significantly better than the 0.1 m (4 in) sod strips (1:20 slope proportion), or the 0.05 m (2 in) sod strips (1 :40 slope proportion). Sod strips used in conjunction with jute netting or an ECB on the slope face above provided sediment concentration reductions to less than 2 g per liter of runoff. Although vegetation reduces sediment concentration in the water drastically when compared to bare soil as a toe treatment, effectiveness varies with species owing to inherent differences in plant grow form and architecture. Herbaceous leaf succulents, such as Sea Fig or Trailing Ice Plant, grow prostrate along the soil surface forming dense, continuous mats. Prostrate shrubs, such as Trailing Lantana or Pink Dwarf Myoporum, produce arching or recumbent branches, but the soil surface may remain vulnerable to overland flow

Analysis of Compost Treatments to Establish Shrubs and Improve Water Quality

Utilization of compost as an erosion control tool is gaining momentum for many reasons. Compost offers excellent surface protection for reducing topsoil loss while providing a favorable substrate for hydroseed mixes. Soil moisture is retained and nutrients for vegetation are provided, meanwhile inhibiting undesirable plant species. However, there is wide variation in available compost sources and cost. Possible interactions between compost composition, soil type and vegetation production may occur. Hence, an experiment aimed to determine whether there is a noticeable difference in erosion control and seedling germination performance between several common types of compost applied at varying rates and methods over two subsoils was established. The experiment was conducted at the Erosion Research Facility at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in conjunction with the California Department of Transportation, and the Office of Water Program at California State University, Sacramento. Fine sandy loam and silty clay subsoils were collected from two California highway construction sites. Test boxes were filled with one of the two soils, compacted, and positioned at a south-facing 2H:1V slope. After compost application, a hydroseed mix of four California native shrubs, Baccharis pilularis, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Eriophyllum confertiflorum, and Lotus scoparius, were seeded on the test boxes. Applications of the three composts included 1) topical 16 mm depth, 2) an admixture of soil and compost (25% by volume), as well as hydroseeding (finest textured compost only) at 3363 kg/ha with 1121 kg/ha fiber, 3) natural rainfall collected from boxes was analyzed for total water runoff, sediment load, sediment concentration, pH, total dissolved salts, and turbidity. In terms of water quality, all compost treatments performed significantly better than the control. Direct surface application consistently produced better water quality than mixed compost/soil application, yet mixing compost with the sandy clay loam produced more native shrubs

Overland Flow and Rainfall Simulation Studies on Ornamental Vegetation, Compost, and Jute Netting

The literature is replete with studies quantifying erosion control effectiveness from raindrop impact on various vegetation types and erosion control products. However, there is little published overland flow research documenting the effectiveness of ornamental vegetation and erosion control products in filtering sediment and nutrients from stormwater runoff. The California Department of Transportation and the Office of Water Programs, California State University, Sacramento, has conducted two studies at the Erosion Control Research Facility at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo addressing the use of ornamental vegetation as an erosion control treatment. The first study addressed how well ornamental vegetation, jute netting, and a combination of jute netting and vegetation decreased soil erosion and runoff during rainfall simulation. The second study compared the performance of ornamental vegetation, 0.5 inches of compost, and jute netting treatments in decreasing sheet erosion due to overland flow. Both studies used sandy loam soil in test boxes set at a southwest aspect with 2:1 and 3:1 slopes, respectively. Treatments were evaluated by measuring the runoff quantity, sediment load, sediment concentration, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC) and turbidity of the runoff. Ornamental plant species included Lonicera japonica, Lantana montevidenses, Carpobrotus edulis, Hedera helix L., Myoporum parvifolium, Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Vinca major. Rainfall simulation trials yielded significant reductions in total runoff and sediment by any treatment compared to bare soil, with 100 % vegetative cover yielding 98.6 % and 99 % reductions, respectively. Turbidity was significantly reduced by all treatments, while TDS and EC were not significantly different among trials. Average pH values for bare soil were significantly higher than those of jute netting and/or vegetation. In overland flow experiments, compost reduced runoff, sediment, and turbidity by greater than 96 % and increased EC by 430 % when compared to bare soil. Jute netting reduced runoff, sediment, turbidity, and EC by 43 %, 99 %, 97%, and 65 %, respectively, when compared to bare soil. Higher pH and salt concentrations were detected in runoff from boxes treated with compost; however, levels were not substantial enough (1673.9 µS) to be harmful to plants. Since no runoff was produced in overland flow trials, ornamental vegetation treatments were 100 % effective in controlling overland flow under test conditions. Differences among the plant species will be elucidated with future research involving steeper slopes and increased flow rates

Simulation of reaction diffusion processes over biologically relevant size and time scales using multi-GPU workstations

AbstractSimulation of in vivo cellular processes with the reaction–diffusion master equation (RDME) is a computationally expensive task. Our previous software enabled simulation of inhomogeneous biochemical systems for small bacteria over long time scales using the MPD-RDME method on a single GPU. Simulations of larger eukaryotic systems exceed the on-board memory capacity of individual GPUs, and long time simulations of modest-sized cells such as yeast are impractical on a single GPU. We present a new multi-GPU parallel implementation of the MPD-RDME method based on a spatial decomposition approach that supports dynamic load balancing for workstations containing GPUs of varying performance and memory capacity. We take advantage of high-performance features of CUDA for peer-to-peer GPU memory transfers and evaluate the performance of our algorithms on state-of-the-art GPU devices. We present parallel efficiency and performance results for simulations using multiple GPUs as system size, particle counts, and number of reactions grow. We also demonstrate multi-GPU performance in simulations of the Min protein system in E. coli. Moreover, our multi-GPU decomposition and load balancing approach can be generalized to other lattice-based problems

Concert recording 2018-04-28

[Track 1] Nightmares and Daydreams -- [Track 2] Theme and Variations on a Mendelssohn Theme -- [Track 3] Bare-Bones Quartet. I. March ; II. Ethereal Serenade ; III. Finale -- [Track 4] Caged

Visibility-reducing organic aerosols in the vicinity of Grand Canyon National Park: Properties observed by high resolution gas chromatography

Fine particle and total airborne particle samples were collected during August 1989 within the Grand Canyon (Indian Gardens (IG)) and on its south rim (Hopi Point (HP)) to define summertime organic aerosol concentration and composition as a function of elevation at Grand Canyon National Park. Inorganic chemical constituents were analyzed also to help place the relative importance of organics in perspective. Fine particle organic aerosols were approximately equal in concentration to sulfate aerosols at both sites. Monthly average mass concentrations for fine aerosol organics ranged from 1.1 μg m(−3) (IG) to 1.3 μg m^(−3) (HP), while the organic aerosol concentration within total suspended particulate matter samples ranged from 1.9 μg m^(−3) (IG) to 2.1 μg m^(−3) (HP). Aerosol organics that could be evaluated by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) (elutable organics) constituted 27% to 53% of the total organics mass collected as fine or total aerosol. At each site, roughly half of the elutable organics fine aerosol fraction was composed of highly polar organic compounds. Distributions of the elutable organics were compared to Los Angeles fine aerosol samples and to distributions of authentic sources of aerosol organics. It was found that the Grand Canyon organic aerosol during August 1989 did not resemble diluted aged Los Angeles organic aerosol, indicating that most of the organic particulate matter at the Grand Canyon at the time studied originated from other sources

Concert recording 2018-04-26

[Track 1]. Concerto no. 1 / Alexander Lebedev -- [Track 2]. Andante et allegro / Joseph Edouard Barat -- [Track 3]. Sonata for trombone and piano. III. Allegro ritmico e vigoroso / George McKay -- [Track 4]. Sonata in F minor, TWV 41:1. I. Andante cantabile [Track 5]. II. Allegro / Georg Philipp Telemann -- [Track 6]. Grand concerto / Friedebald Gräfe -- [Track 7]. Concerto for trombone. I. Andante maestoso - allegro molto - andante maestoso / Gordon Jacob -- [Track 8]. Concerto in one movement / Alexander Lebedev