Cruise report 74-KB-3: Sportfish-Kelp Habitat Study

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The VA Health Care System: An Unrecognized National Safety Net

The dominance of local health care markets in conjunction with variable public funding results in a national patchwork of "safety nets" and beneficiaries in the United States rather than a uniform system. This DataWatch describes how the recently reorganized Department of Veterans Affairs serves as a coordinated, national safety-net provider and characterizes the veterans who are not supported by the market-based system

Light-Front QCD and the Constituent Quark Model

A general strategy is described for deriving a constituent approximation to QCD, inspired by the constituent quark model and based on light-front quantization. Some technical aspects of the approach are discussed, including a mechanism for obtaining a confining potential and ways in which spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking can be manifested. (Based on a talk presented by K.G. Wilson at ``Theory of Hadrons and Light-Front QCD,'' Polana Zgorzelisko, Poland, August 1994.)Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX, no figure

A mirror transport mechanism for use at cryogenic temperatures

The Mirror Transport Mechanism (MTM), which supports a pair of dihedral mirrors and moves them in a very smooth and uniform scanning motion normal to a beamsplitter is described. Each scan is followed by a quick flyback and repeat. Material selection, design, and testing of all major components of the MTM are discussed. Flex pivot failures during vibration testing, excessive dihedral platform sag under one g operation, electronic and fiber optic characteristics, and tolerancing considerations are covered. Development of the mechanism has reached the final phase of thermal and vibration qualification. Environmental testing of the complete FIRAS experiment is just beginning

Agreement Between HEDIS Performance Assessments in the VA and Medicare Advantage: Is Quality in the Eye of the Beholder?

Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system assess quality of care using standardized Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) performance measures. Little is known, however, about the relative accuracy of quality indicators for persons receiving care in more than one health care system. Among Veterans dually enrolled in an MA plan, we examined the agreement between MA and VA HEDIS assessments. Our study tested the hypothesis that private health plans underreport quality of care relative to a fully integrated delivery system utilizing a comprehensive electronic health record. Despite assessing the same individuals using identical measure specifications, reported VA performance was significantly better than reported MA performance for all 12 HEDIS measures. The VAs performance advantage ranged from 9.8% (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] < 7.0% in diabetes) to 54.7% (blood pressure < 140/90 mm Hg in diabetes). The overall agreement between VA and MA HEDIS assessments ranged from 38.5% to 62.6%. Performance rates derived from VA and MA aggregate data were 1.6% to 14.3% higher than those reported by VA alone. This analysis suggests that neither MA plans nor the VA fully capture quality of care information for dually enrolled persons. However, the VAs system-wide electronic health record may allow for more complete capture of quality information across multiple providers and settings

Mapping Natural Genetic Variants Associated with Nutrient Response

Phenotypic responses to dietary intake affect every individual, yet individuals consuming similar diets frequently display a myriad of different responses. As diet-related disorders are abundant in humans, understanding the means by which an individual’s genetics dictate these physiological responses is essential. Furthermore, dietary restriction has been shown to dramatically increase the length of lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster, but the exact genetic mechanisms governing this response are still not fully understood. In this study, I have used the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to pinpoint specific quantitative trait loci associated with a number of diet-induced complex traits so as to better understand an individual’s genetic contribution to these traits, as well as to understand the basis for dietary restriction-related lifespan extension. The DGRP contains 184 inbred fly strains, distinguished by nearly 5 million identified naturally-occurring genetic variations. By introducing theseunique strains to high- and low-protein diets, I have observed phenotypic variations in lifespan, physical fitness, starvation resistance, body weight, and triglyceride levels. These variations between strains, as well as the differences within a strain on different diets, have been analyzed via genome-wide association studies to identify particular variants that are associated with diet-induced complex traits. Some of the genes in which variants were identified as being associated with particular phenotypes include nimB3, which was associated with starvation resistance phenotypes in flies raised on either high- or low-protein food conditions, and CG43921, in which variants were found to be associated with regulating body weight phenotypes in flies raised in either high- or low-protein food conditions

Artificial reef plan for sport fish enhancement

Hard bottom substrate provides habitat for a multitude of marine fishes, invertebrates, and plants - particularly giant kelp - which are of direct and indirect importance to sport and commercial fisheries. These reefs also enhance esthetic uses of the marine environment. This document sets forth the plan of the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) for the construction of artificial reefs. The plan includes an outline for defining the purpose of reef construction, gathering information pertinent to reef placement and design, selecting a reef site, preparing a project narrative, obtaining permits and approvals for reef construction, developing a general permit for reef construction, and establishing a system of fisheries habitat enhancement areas. Procedures for constructing and mapping reefs are discussed and an outline for conducting short- and long-term biological studies of reef communities is presented. Since 1958, CDFG has constructed 31 reefs off southern California. Thirteen of the largest and most frequently used reefs were mapped using hydroacoustic and radio-locating techniques. Maps of these reefs were published in a 1989 CDFG booklet entitled "A Guide to the Artificial Reefs of Southern California". Since 1978, seven developmental reefs have been constructed: 1) Pendleton Artificial Reef (1980) - San Diego County; 2) Pitas Point Artificial Reef (1984) Ventura County; 3) Marina Del Rey Artificial Reef (1985) - Los Angeles County; 4)Oceanside Artificial Reef (1987) - San Diego County; 5) Pacific Beach Artificial Reef (1987) - San Diego County; 6) Santa Monica Artificial Reef (1987) - Los Angeles County; and 7) Topanga Artificial Reef (1987) - Los Angeles County. These reefs were built to improve habitat for sport fishes and associated fauna and to evaluate the enhancement characteristics of reefs related to geographic location, depth, height, rock size, and reef spacing. Short-term studies revealed that all reefs have provided shelter, food, nesting, and nursery areas for important fish species and have increased sport fishing opportunities. Furthermore, giant kelp has been observed on all reefs built at suitable depths. More extensive long-term studies are planned in 1998 when reef communities will be at successional equilibrium. These studies will provide additional information concerning the long-term potential of artificial reefs as habitat for sport fish, invertebrates, and plants. The plan discusses different types of man-made reefs, including developmental, production, and fishing access reefs, and provides examples of each. It documents CDFG policy regarding the use of reefs as mitigation for impacts on rocky habitat and kelp. It also documents the laws authorizing CDFG to administer reef construction and studies in California. The activities involved in designing, permitting, constructing, and evaluating Pendleton Artificial Reef are provided as an example of the reef building and study process. A list of reefs is provided to document the location, depth, area, materials, and funding sources for all reefs constructed and/or augmented in California. (85pp.