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The Self-Paced Online Tutorial (SPOT) represents the best kind of innovation because it uses digital technologies wisely and because it is based on well-established theory, research, and practice. Extended education plays a pivotal role in the attainment of the California State University's (CSU) vision of providing a high-quality, affordable, and accessible set of higher education opportunities to the population of California. At Fresno State, extended education, labeled Continuing and Global Education (CGE), supports education access in a variety of ways. Through an analysis of longitudinal data, Fresno State identified areas of greatest student compression that slowed the time toward graduation, characterized by the term "bottleneck". This article begins with an exploration of instructional technology changes in higher education, and then turns its focus to the Undergraduate Writing Requirement (UWR) bottleneck at Fresno State. Finally, the article explains the solution to the UWR bottleneck by introducing SPOT, its technology, and sustainability.

Extended Education, the home for outreach and access, is an often overlooked resource for accomplishing the university's mission. This article focuses on the role Extended Education has played in serving underrepresented minority groups in the California Central Valley. Through both description and analytical review of data generated from the Early Start Program, and review of Extended Education functions, policies, and practices, the authors share lessons learned serving diverse student populations. Implications for student access, retention, and graduation also are discussed.

An outbreak of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2)-associated disease occurred in the southwestern United States following its first detection in New Mexico in March 2020. The disease spread throughout several states and was diagnosed for the first time in California on May 11, 2020, in a black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus). The following day, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) issued an order banning the entrance into California of several lagomorph species and their products from any state in which the disease had been detected in the last 12 mo. RHDV2 is a threat to wild lagomorph species in California, including the endangered riparian brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani riparius). Therefore, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) started tracking any mortality event in wild lagomorph populations. As of August 9, 2020, RHDV2 had been detected in wild and domestic lagomorphs of several counties in southern California that were submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety laboratory system by the CDFA or the CDFW. These positive cases included 2 additional black-tailed jackrabbits and 3 desert cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus audubonii). In addition, the infection spilled over to domestic populations, whereby it was confirmed on July 10, 2020, in a domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rickettsiales-like prokaryote and causative agent of Withering Syndrome (WS)--Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis (Ca. Xc)--decimated black abalone populations along the Pacific coast of North America. White abalone--Haliotis sorenseni--are also susceptible to WS and have become nearly extinct in the wild due to overfishing in the 1970s. Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis proliferates within epithelial cells of the abalone gastrointestinal tract and causes clinical signs of starvation. In 2012, evidence of a putative bacteriophage associated with Ca. Xc in red abalone--Haliotis rufescens--was described. Recently, histologic examination of animals with Ca. Xc infection in California abalone populations universally appear to have the phage- containing inclusions. In this study, we investigated the current virulence of Ca. Xc in red abalone and white abalone at different environmental temperatures. Using a comparative experimental design, we observed differences over time between the two abalone species in mortality, body condition, and bacterial load by quantitative real time PCR (qPCR). By day 251, all white abalone exposed to the current variant of Ca. Xc held in the warm water (18.5 °C) treatment died, while red abalone exposed to the same conditions had a mortality rate of only 10%, despite a relatively heavy bacterial burden as determined by qPCR of posterior esophagus tissue and histological assessment at the termination of the experiment. These data support the current status of Ca. Xc as less virulent in red abalone, and may provide correlative evidence of a protective phage interaction. However, white abalone appear to remain highly susceptible to this disease. These findings have important implications for implementation of a white abalone recovery program, particularly with respect to the thermal regimes of locations where captively-reared individuals will be outplanted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia (NH3) is an important trace gas species in the atmosphere that can have negative impacts on human, animal, and ecosystem health. Agriculture has been identified as the largest source of NH3, specifically livestock operations. NH3 emissions from a commercial dairy in California were investigated during June 2008. Cattle were held in open-lot pens, except for young calves in hutches with shelters. Solid manure was stored in the open-lot pens. Liquid manure from feed lanes was passed through a solids settling basin and stored in a holding pond. Passive sensors and open-path Fourier transform infrared spectrometers (OP-FTIR) were deployed around the facility to measure NH3 concentrations. Emissions from pens and the liquid manure system (LMS) were estimated using inverse modeling. Mean emission factors (EFs) for the entire facility were 140.5 ±42.5 g d-1 animal-1 from the passive sampler data and 199.2 ±22.0 g d-1 animal-1 from the OP-FTIR data, resulting in the facility's summer emissions calculated at 265.2 ±80.2 kg d-1 and 375.4 ±27.1 kg d-1, respectively. These EFs are within the range of values reported in the literature. Both concentrations and emissions exhibited a strong diurnal cycle, peaking in the late afternoon. Total facility emissions exhibited significant positive correlations with temperature and wind speed. The findings of this study show that NH3 emissions from a commercial dairy can vary by a factor of 10 or more throughout the day, and EFs can vary by two orders of magnitude when compared to other U.S. dairies, based on literature values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All California abalone species have been shown to be susceptible to infection with the bacterial agent of abalone withering syndrome (WS), although expression of signs of the disease may vary between species and with environmental conditions. We examined thermal modulation of WS expression in green abalone Haliotis fulgens at temperatures mimicking El Niño (18.0°C) and La Niña (14.2°C) events in southern California. In contrast to results obtained from previous experiments with red abalone, H. rufescens, the higher temperature did not result in higher infection intensities of the causative agent of the disease nor increase in clinical signs of disease. These results demonstrate clear differences in thermal regulation of disease expression between abalone species, and provide further data suggesting that green abalone should be a target species of recovery efforts in southern California, where WS is endemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study conducted which evaluates the effectiveness of a guidance program in the Hayward Union High School District in California. The purpose of the study is to measure the effectivity of this program on imparting guidance information which is significant in making choices such as occupations, education, health, marriage, personal adjustment. A test is administered to high school students that contains information like name of counselor, raw scores on the primary mental abilities and other important data. The findings show that students who are guided by academic interest and have certain vocational choice exhibit knowledge of guidance information.

Recovery of the U. S. Federal Endangered Species Act-listed white abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) in California, USA depends on the success of a captive breeding program, which requires collection of wild broodstock to maintain genetic diversity. Foot damage is frequently sustained during collection and handling, and severe injuries can be fatal. This study used the proxy species red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) to investigate the ability of abalone to survive foot injury by administering foot injuries varying in severity and monitoring subsequent health and survival. In a preliminary study, 6/6 farm-origin 55–70 mm animals survived two types of injury while 5/6 survived a third type of injury. We then conducted a definitive study using 24 wild-origin animals (165–207 mm) and three intensified injury treatments. Five of six animals that received a deep tissue incision were dead the following morning, presumably from acute hemolymph loss, and the remaining animal in that treatment group died on day 41 with a systemic bacterial infection. Nine of twelve abalone that received loss of either 8% or 17% of foot sole epithelium survived until experiment termination at day 90, at which time all survivors were regenerating epithelial tissues, as evident by histology. This study suggests that abalone may be more capable of surviving significant superficial foot damage that can occur during collection and handling, at least in a captive rearing environment, than has been previously recognized. • Red abalone survived a range of foot injuries, including removal of up to 17% of the foot sole epithelium. • Epithelium recovery included progression from simple ciliated cells to stratified columnar cells and mucus cells. • These findings will help guide protocols and practices for handling cultured abalone in depleted species recovery programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses research which tested the idea that species diversity makes an ecosystem more stable. Research by Koenig and Haydock in the `Journal of Biogeography'; Study of the acorn woodpecker on California's Pacific coast; Biological peculiarities of the woodpecker; Range of the bird; Factors in the birds' population density; Species of oak trees and the supply of acorns for the birds; Question of how many oak species are needed.

Objective--To determine major causes of death and the anatomic location of musculoskel-etal injuries in Quarter Horse racehorses in California. Design--Retrospective case series. Animals--314 Quarter Horse racehorses with musculoskeletal injuries that were necrop-sied through the California Horse Racing Board Postmortem Program from 1990 to 2007. Procedures--Postmortem pathology reports were retrospectively reviewed. Musculoskel-etal injuries were categorized by anatomic region and described. The number of Quarter Horse starts and starters for the same period of time were obtained from a commercial database for determination of fatal injury incidence. Results--Musculoskeletal injuries accounted for 314 of the 443 (71 %) Quarter Horse race-horses that died during the 18-year study period. Fatal musculoskeletal injuries occurred at a rate of 2.0 deaths/1,000 race starts and 18.6 deaths/1,000 horses that started a race. Musculoskeletal injuries occurred predominantly during racing (84%) and in the forelimbs (81 %). The most common fatal musculoskeletal injuries were metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joint (fetlock) support injuries (40%) and carpal (24%), vertebral (10%), and scapular (8%) fractures. Proximal interphalangeal (pastern) joint luxations resulted in death of 3% of horses. Fracture configurations of some bones were consistent with those of Thoroughbred racehorses. Evidence of preexisting stress remodeling of bone was re-ported for some fractures. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance--Knowledge of common locations and types of fatal musculoskeletal injuries in racing Quarter Horses may enhance practitioners' ability to de-tect mild injuries early, rest horses, and help prevent catastrophic injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) are critically endangered marine gastropods that are native to kelp forests in the northeastern Pacific. White abalone are highly susceptible to withering syndrome, a fatal bacterial disease caused by Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis (Ca Xc), an intracellular, order Rickettsiales prokaryote that is endemic throughout the white abalone's range in California and Mexico. Oxytetracycline (OTC) baths at a dose of 500 mg/L are successful in clearing Ca Xc infections from the gastrointestinal tract of infected abalone. The impact of OTC treatment on the diversity and stability of the gut microbiome in white abalone is unknown. The objectives of this study were two-fold: (1) to characterize the gastrointestinal microbiome of clinically-normal white abalone and (2) to compare the gastrointestinal microbiomes of OTC-treated white abalone to those of control animals. Gastrointestinal tracts from five OTC-treated individuals and five untreated controls were sampled at each time point: day 0, one day after the 21-day OTC treatment (day 22), and at 203 days post-treatment. Gastrointestinal tract microbiomes were analyzed after amplification and sequence of the 16S rRNA. Gastrointestinal microbiomes of untreated animals were dominated by three core bacterial phyla: Proteobacteria , Fusobacteria , and Bacteroidetes. Reduced Shannon α-diversity and absence of various phyla in the microbiome of OTC-treated animals were observed in samples at day 22. Bacterial profiles were improved in terms of α-diversity at 203 days but some bacterial phyla, mainly Fusobacteria, remained absent. All animals remained clinically normal throughout the study period and there was no significant difference in a condition index between the two groups. OTC treatment for withering syndrome appears to be clinically safe in white abalone. • OTC is the drug of choice for treating abalone for Ca Xc, which is associated with Withering Syndrome. • Gut microbiome α-diversity is reduced following OTC treatment but recovers by day 203. • Fusobacteria remains absent in OTC-treated animals, even after α-diversity recovers. • OTC appears safe for immersion treatment of Withering Syndrome for white abalone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]