Risk of Exposure to spp. in the Temblor Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA), Kern County, CA.

The Temblor Mountain Special Recreation Area (SRMA) on the western flank of the San Joaquin Valley, CA, is located in the endemic area of a fungal pathogen responsible for the increasing incidence of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever). Recreationists in the SRMA, such as off-highway vehicle (OHV) drivers and mountain bikers who disturb the soils, are at risk of being exposed to airborne arthroconidia (asexual spores) of the pathogen. To reduce the risk of pathogen exposure for visitors, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to limit recreational activities to areas with a reduced pathogen presence.

Valley Fever: Environmental Risk Factors and Exposure Pathways Deduced from Field Measurements in California.

Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley fever, has been reported among military personnel in -endemic areas of the southwestern United States since World War II. In this study, the prevalence of was confirmed in different soil and dust samples collected near three military bases in California using DNA extraction and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) methods. Analyses of physical and chemical parameters revealed no significant differences between -positive and -negative sites.

Large-Scale Land Development, Fugitive Dust, and Increased Coccidioidomycosis Incidence in the Antelope Valley of California, 1999-2014.

Ongoing large-scale land development for renewable energy projects in the Antelope Valley, located in the Western Mojave Desert, has been blamed for increased fugitive dust emissions and coccidioidomycosis incidence among the general public in recent years. Soil samples were collected at six sites that were destined for solar farm construction and were analyzed for the presence of the soil-borne fungal pathogen Coccidioides immitis which is endemic to many areas of central and southern California. We used a modified culture-independent nested PCR approach to identify the pathogen in all soil samples and also compared the sampling sites in regard to soil physical and chemical parameters, degree of disturbance, and vegetation.

Using a Concept Inventory to Assess the Reasoning Component of Citizen-Level Science Literacy: Results from a 17,000-Student Study.

After articulating 12 concepts for the reasoning component of citizen-level science literacy and restating these as assessable student learning outcomes (SLOs), we developed a valid and reliable assessment instrument for addressing the outcomes with a brief 25-item science literacy concept inventory (SLCI). In this paper, we report the results that we obtained from assessing the citizen-level science literacy of 17,382 undergraduate students, 149 graduate students, and 181 professors. We address only findings at or above the 99.

A comparison of fluorescence in two sympatric scorpion species.

In order to test the feasibility of scorpion fluorescence as an indicator of gender and/or species identity, a comparison of the fluorescence spectra between genders across two sympatric species of scorpions (Vaejovis confusus Stahnke 1940 and Paruroctonus shulovi Williams 1970) was conducted. Each spectrum was represented in a simple multivariate analysis by its peak wavelength and width at 90% of peak intensity. No difference between genders was found, but a statistically significant difference between species was detected.