Office-based surgeon-performed ultrasound-guided FNA of palpable lesions in the head and neck yields a statistically significant higher diagnostic rate compared to standard palpation technique. Our institutional experience supports the utility of surgeon-performed ultrasound as a core competency in clinical practice.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether home-based repeated reading with an audio model is a significant supplement to the literacy instructional program of second-language learners. It was hypothesized that beginning firstgrade readers who spoke English as a second language would benefit from having daily access to repeated reading in their home environment. To provide this access, books that had been shared in school were given to students for daily home use. After home rereading routines were established, students were then given a tape recorder and audiotapes to accompany these books. This enabled students to hear the English storybook as they followed along looking at the printed text. Of specific interest in this study was the effect of repeated reading with an auditory model on first-grade students' reading fluency and self-monitoring behavior. Also of interest was the effect of this school/home reading activity on student reading motivation and behavior. This 19-week study employed a single-subject reversal design (ABA) with multiple baselines across individuals. Home-based repeated reading of books (A/Baseline) was compared to the home reading of books with audiotapes (B/Intervention). The study involved a single subject and four replications. Results from this study indicate that all five participating second-language learners received substantial benefit from the opportunity to practice reading books 535 536 Journal of Reading Behaviorwith audiotapes at home. It appears that the support provided by the audiotapes enabled students to fluently read increasingly more difficult texts.Data from the 1990 U.S. Census indicate that 9 million immigrant youth enrolled in U.S. public schools over the last decade. Most often they are poor and many are survivors of war, civil strife, or economic depression. Recent immigrants come from extremely diverse cultures. Asian/Pacific Islander presence in the United States increased more than 100% from 1980 to 1990, and Hispanic populations went up by more than 50% during that same period. According to the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (NCBE), in some of this country's largest school districts, about one of every three students is classified as a language-minority student. If school enrollment reflects population projections, the 1990 U.S. Census reveals that this figure may increase to one of every two students by the year 2000. Many of these recent immigrants lack communication skills in English and therefore have difficulty participating in school activities, particularly those related to literacy learning. The educational future of these second-language learners may well be "at risk." Since reading provides essential access to gaining information and developing independence in learning, designing educational environments which support the literacy learning of culturally and linguistically diverse students must be a high priority (Gersten & Jimenez, 1994;O'Flahavan, 1994).Traditionally, second-language learners have been taught sepa...

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OBJECTIVE To perform a cross-sectional survey to estimate prevalence of and potential risk factors for Leptospira spp infection and exposure in peri-urban wildlife throughout California. ANIMALS 723 animals representing 12 wildlife species. PROCEDURES Blood and urine samples were obtained from wildlife in California from 2007 to 2017. Live animals were captured in humane traps, anesthetized, and released. Carcasses were donated by wildlife services and necropsied for urine, blood, and kidney tissue samples. Samples were tested for antibodies against 6 serovars of Leptospira spp with a microscopic agglutination test and for pathogenic Leptospira spp DNA with a real-time PCR assay targeting the LipL32 gene. Potential risk factors for Leptospira spp exposure were assessed by logistic regression. Genetic relatedness of Leptospira spp were assessed with DNA sequencing of the rrs2 gene and multiple locus sequence analysis. RESULTS Statewide Leptospira spp seroprevalence was 39.1%, and prevalence of positive PCR assay results for Leptospira spp DNA was 23.0%. Risk factors for Leptospira spp exposure included being an adult, being from northern California, and being a western gray squirrel, coyote, striped skunk, raccoon, gray fox, or mountain lion. Antibodies against serovar Pomona predominated in most species, followed by serovar Copenhageni. Complete rrs2 sequences were identified as Leptospira interrogans and multiple locus sequence type analysis revealed sequence type 140. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Pathogenic Leptospira spp appeared to be common and widespread among peri-urban wildlife in California. Our data highlight the potential for exposure to infectious disease for both humans and domestic animals at the urban-wildland interface.

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Throughout the world, populations of scavenger birds are declining rapidly with some populations already on the brink of extinction. Much of the current research into the factors contributing to these declines has focused on exposure to drug residues, lead, and other toxins. Despite increased monitoring of these declining populations, little is known about infectious diseases affecting scavenger bird species. To assess potential infectious disease risks to both obligate and facultative scavenger bird species, we performed a serosurvey for eleven potential pathogens in three species of scavenging birds in California: the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). California condors were seropositive for avian adenovirus, infectious bronchitis virus, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, avian paramyxovirus-2, West Nile virus (WNV) and Toxoplasma gondii. Golden eagles were seropositive for avian adenovirus, Chlamydophila psittaci and Toxoplasma gondii, and turkey vultures were seropositive for avian adenovirus, Chlamydophila psittaci, avian paramyxovirus-1, Toxoplasma gondii and WNV. Risk factor analyses indicated that rearing site and original release location were significantly associated with a positive serologic titer to WNV among free-flying condors. This study provides preliminary baseline data on infectious disease exposure in these populations for aiding in early disease detection and provides potentially critical information for conservation of the endangered California condor as it continues to expand its range and encounter new infectious disease threats.

Leptospirosis is a globally important, fatal disease of humans, and over 160 species of animals are associated with more than 250 bacterial serovars in 64 species, but its ecology varies regionally and has changed over time with expansion of human development on previously agricultural and wild land. Sporadic human cases and clusters of canine leptospirosis, primarily attributable to Leptospira interrogans serogroup Pomona, have been detected in northern California. Small mesocarnivores such as raccoons and skunks frequent peridomestic space across much of the western United States and could serve as reservoirs for human and canine leptospirosis. We aimed to summarize the prevalence of infection with pathogenic leptospires in skunk and raccoon renal and urinary samples across broad geographic zones in California, and to determine whether prevalence changed during wet and dry seasons, and as functions of host species and demographic characters. Overall, 25.6% (22/86 tested) of raccoons and 28.5% (39/137 tested) of skunks were PCR-positive for Leptospira spp. in either renal tissue or urine, with leptospiral DNA in 22.0% of kidney samples and 18.8% of urine samples from raccoons and 27.8% and 14.5% of kidney and urine samples from skunks, respectively. Raccoons from the Central California and skunks from the San Francisco Bay Area had the highest overall PCR-prevalence (35.7% and 44.4%), respectively, and adults were more likely to be PCR-positive for Leptospira spp. than juveniles. There was moderate agreement between urine and renal tissue Leptospira spp. PCR with sensitivity for both host species in renal tissue of 0.86-0.97 and 0.42-0.64 in urine. Cases of human leptospirosis are thought to be underrecognized in the continental United States and possibly increasing in some states, including California. Our data document regionally high rates of infection in common mesocarnivores, which can pose a threat to humans and dogs, revealing an important periurban epidemiological cycle.

Proctophyllodes huitzilopochtlii Atyeo & Braasch 1966 (Acariformes: Astigmata: Proctophyllodidae), a feather mite, was found on feathers collected from five hummingbird species in California. This mite has not been previously documented on feathers from Anna’s (Calypte anna [Lesson 1829]) or Black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri [Bourcier & Mulsant 1846]) Hummingbirds. A total of 753 hummingbirds were evaluated for the presence of mites by species (Allen’s n = 112; Anna’s n = 500; Black-chinned n = 122; Rufous n = 18; Calliope n = 1), sex (males n = 421; females n = 329; 3 unidentified), and age (juvenile n = 199; after-hatch-year n = 549; 5 unidentified). Of these 753 hummingbirds evaluated, mites were present on the rectrices of 40.9% of the birds. Significantly more Anna’s Hummingbirds were positive for rectricial mites (59.2%) compared with 8.2% of Black-chinned, 0.9% of Allen’s, 5.6% of Rufous Hummingbirds, and 0% for Calliope (p-value < 0.0001). Across all hummingbird species, male hummingbirds (44.9%) had a higher prevalence of rectricial mites compared to female hummingbirds (36.2%; p-value = 0.004), while juvenile hummingbirds (46.2%) had a non-significantly higher prevalence compared to after-hatch-year hummingbirds (39.0%; p-value = 0.089). On average, the percentage of the long axis of the rachis occupied by mites for the outer rectrices (R4 and R5) was 19%, compared to 11% for inner rectrices (R1 and R2), a significant difference (p-value = <0.0001). There was a marginal lack of significance for symmetrical distribution of tail mites with the mean left side percentage of long axis of the rachis occupied by mites being 16% and very close to the mean right side score of 18% (p-value = 0.003). The identification of the feather mite species was based on light microscopic morphometry, and mite distribution on feathers was further evaluated using tabletop scanning electron microscopy (TSEM). The hummingbird–feather mite relationship is not well understood, but the specialized TSEM technique may be especially useful in examining natural positioning and developmental aspects of the mites since it allows in situ feather examination of live mites.