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Starting around 2008, there was rapid expansion of oil and natural gas (ONG) production into more heavily populated areas within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in the Barnett Shale region of Texas. This colocation raised concerns regarding the effect of ONG activities on chemical levels in the air. In the current study, we examined the potential impacts of ONG activity on the types and concentrations of chemicals in ambient air in the Barnett Shale. Volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations from 6-12 years (2008-2019) of hourly ambient air monitoring data from 15 monitors (4 monitors had ≥ 10 years of data) were compared to several metrics of ONG activity (number of active wells, natural gas production, condensate production) within a 2-mile radius of each monitor. Monitoring sites were also classified into urban, suburban, and rural areas as a surrogate for nearby vehicular emission sources. Analyses of this huge dataset showed that both peak and mean chemical concentrations of lighter alkane hydrocarbons (e.g., ethane) were most impacted by the number of gas wells. Levels of heavier alkanes (e.g., pentane) were increased by condensate production and at monitors located in areas with greater urbanicity, and therefore higher vehicular emissions. The levels of unsaturated alkynes (e.g., ethylene) were entirely driven by urbanicity and were unaffected by nearby ONG activity. The same pattern was seen with the ratio of iso:n-pentane, which is contrary to the findings of others and suggests an area for future research. Aromatic hydrocarbons were impacted by multiple emissions sources and did not show the same patterns as non-aromatic VOCs. No VOC concentrations were at levels of concern for human health or odor based on comparison to Texas air monitoring comparison values. Overall, ONG activities impact air quality, but this must be evaluated in the context of other emission sources such as automobiles., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

In May 1949, Herman A. Barnett III, a 23-year-old Black veteran, applied to The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston. His application occurred in the wake of Black student protests against the segregationist policies of The University of Texas and of judicial victories by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to eradicate racial inequalities in state-financed graduate and professional education. Barnett's application prompted the state to fund a medical school at the Texas State University for Negroes, the only time a state ever attempted to thwart desegregation by financing a separate Black medical school. Barnett was clearly qualified for admission to UTMB, and if the school rejected him, he had agreed to be a plaintiff in an NAACP lawsuit. Legal action was not necessary, however. In August 1949 Barnett was accepted into UTMB, thereby becoming the second African American person to desegregate a Southern medical school. Barnett was technically admitted on a contract basis as a student at the Texas State University for Negroes in Houston and was to have transferred there later. The Black medical school was never built and Barnett graduated from UTMB in 1953. This review analyzes the role that Barnett and Black civil rights activists played in the history of medical education in the US and the dismantlement of racially exclusionary policies in medical schools.

The combined effects of oil and gas production and saltwater disposal in stacked reservoirs can result in poroelastic-stress changes that affect fault stability and induced seismicity but that are not captured by models that consider disposal only. While the significance of these combined effects has been demonstrated in site-generic geomechanical simulations, their significance is yet to be quantified for specific sites of observed induced seismicity. We conducted 3D monolithically coupled poroelastic finite-element simulations for a site-specific geomechanical analysis to assess the potential for reactivation of basement-rooted faults in response to saltwater injection and hydrocarbon production near Venus, Johnson County, Texas. Earthquake activity with magnitudes as high as Mw 4.0 primarily occurred in the basement section of a listric normal fault extending from basement across the Ellenburger disposal reservoir and into the overlying gas-producing Barnett Shale. We find that using the best estimates of in-situ stress and fault orientation, and fault frictional coefficient of 0.6, do not hindcast fault reactivation. Increasing the maximum horizontal stress azimuth by 10° and the basement fault dip by 5°, both within the uncertainty space of the input parameters, and lowering the friction coefficient of the fault in basement to 0.35, leads to fault reactivation in basement. Using the same model geometry but a friction coefficient of 0.6 leads to fault reactivation within the Ellenburger disposal reservoir, which is inconsistent with observed hypocenter depths. Including the effects of production from Barnett reduces the potential for fault reactivation compared to simulations of disposal only. Comparing simulations with only five disposal wells to results of simulating 35 wells, we demonstrate the sensitivity of fault reactivation to selected number of wells. In addition to showing the sensitivity of simulation outcomes on the availability of high-quality field parameters, these results demonstrate the need for coupled poroelastic simulations unlike common hydrogeological and reservoir engineering simulations that may significantly over- or under-estimate the potential for fault reactivation and thus for induced-seismicity hazard. Highlights: We developed fully coupled poroelastic models for the Barnett-Shale and Ellenburger reservoirs to assess causative mechanisms for MW 4.0 earthquake sequence near Venus, TX. Models using a most favorable stress state require a fault friction coefficient of 0.35 for slip in the basement consistent with observed hypocenter depths. Models using the best estimates of stress azimuths, fault dip, and a 0.6 friction coefficient fail to hindcast fault slip. Model domains should be at least four times the distance between the closest injections and the earthquake epicenter to minimize boundary effects and include more disposal wells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: General navigators rarely see certain cancers, making it difficult for them to become experts navigating those patients. Creating disease-specific pathways was proposed as a means to provide a reference tool that will standardize workflow and act as a guide for oncology nurse navigators (ONNs) navigating disease sites with which they may be unfamiliar. Objective: To create disease-specific pathways that will increase ONN confidence, standardize workflow, and increase understanding of the ONN role within the healthcare team. Methods: Five cancer-specific pathways were created by disease-specific ONNs. These pathways included liver, pancreatic, rectal, esophageal, and lung cancers. Completed pathways were disseminated to 2 cohorts: cohort 1, general ONNs (n=9); and cohort 2, other healthcare providers (n=30). Each cohort completed a cohort-specific pre- and postdissemination survey. Results: The survey was also sent to physicians, registered nurses, social workers, and dietitians. Thirty completed the presurvey question "How well do you feel you understand the role of the Nurse Navigator?" On a scale of 0 (do not understand) to 10 (fully understand), 73% had a good understanding (score >6) of the ONN role. Sixty-two percent found the pathways helpful in understanding the ONN role. For ONNs, the predissemination survey asked how effective they felt navigating each cancer type on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is not effective and 10 is completely effective. The postsurvey asked the same questions after ONNs reviewed the disease-specific pathways. In the presurvey, 11%, 22%, 33%, 33%, and 67% of ONNs rated themselves as effective (score >6) in navigating liver, pancreatic, rectal, esophageal, and lung cancers, respectively. These ratings increased to 88%, 88%, 88%, 88%, and 78%, respectively, in the postsurvey. The increases were statistically significant, except for lung cancer. Conclusion: Navigation pathways did increase ONN confidence in navigating sites with which they may not be familiar. Survey results also revealed that other members of the healthcare team better understood the ONN's role and services provided in the clinical setting. Development of additional disease-specific pathways could impact confidence and understanding for other disease sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date Presented 04/01/2022 This study investigated OT student confidence in addressing sexuality and intimacy. Outcomes reveal that (1) most students are not confident problem solving clients' sexual concerns and (2) students want more opportunities to practice communication, implement interventions, and normalize the topic. Expanding education on the scope of OT in addressing sexuality and intimacy is vital in supporting and directing future clinicians in providing holistic, person-centered care. Primary Author and Speaker: Jennifer H. Barnett Contributing Authors: Amanda K. Giles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patellofemoral disorders account for approximately 25% of patients seen in sports medicine clinics. A variety of anatomic risk factors have been identified in the pathogenesis of patellofemoral instability. While studies have analyzed these factors in adults, or compared them between healthy controls and patients with patellar injuries, little is known about how these anatomic markers change during skeletal growth and development. Hypothesis/Purpose: (A) The anatomic risk factors associated with patellar instability and dislocation change significantly during skeletal maturation. (B) These age-related changes during maturation will differ between male and female patients. Methods: After institutional review board approval, magnetic resonance imaging data from 239 unique knees (patient age 7-18; 55% female), without previous or current injury, were randomly selected and used to measure patellar height, lateral patellar tilt angle, trochlear width, trochlear depth, trochlear sulcus angle, and tibial tubercle trochlear groove distance. Linear regression was used to test the associations between age and anatomic measurement indices. Subsequently, patients were divided into four age groups: pre-pubertal school-aged children (7-10 years old), early adolescents (11-14 years old), and late adolescents (15-18 years old). Additionally, two-way analysis of variance with the Holm-Sidak post hoc test was used to compare anatomic morphologies between male and female patients in each age group. Results: Patellar height (Caton-Deschamps index), lateral patellar tilt angle and trochlear sulcus angle all decreased significantly with age (P<0.001). Trochlear width, depth, and tibial tubercule trochlear groove distance all increased significantly with age (P<0.001). Except for trochlear width in late adolescence (P<0.001) where males had wider trochlea (medial and lateral) compared to matched females, the age-related anatomic changes were similar between males and females (P>0.1). Conclusion: The findings partially support our hypothesis, as we observed significant age-related changes in all quantified anatomical indices, which was not different (except trochlear width in late adolescence) between males and females. The lack of significant differences in key morphological features of the patellofemoral joint that are linked to patellar dislocation between females and males is consistent with a similar prevalence of this injury between the two. However, the findings suggest that there are significant differences in the trochlear width between females and males at later stages of growth and maturation. The current observations suggest that these anatomic risk factors undergo significant changes during skeletal growth, providing us with a window of opportunity to use prophylactic interventions to prevent or minimize the development of high-risk morphology. Figure 1.1. CDI: Caton-Deschamps Index; TD: Trochlear Depth; TSA: Trochlear Sulcus Angle; LPTA: Lateral Patellar Tilt Angle TTTG: Tibial Tubercle Trochlear Groove Distance. Figure 1.2. Age- and sex-dependent changes in patellofemoral joint morphology during skeletal growth and maturation. Data are presented as mean and SEM (* P<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 75 years ago, surgeon Ernst Bertner envisioned the Texas Medical Center (TMC) as "breathtaking in the scope and breadth of its conception," that would be "one of the largest in the world"; a gigantic medical enterprise that would "attract the greatest scientists of the world" and would combine patient care, research, and education, on a scale that was "second to none." During the next 3 years, Bertner accomplished important pieces of the Herculean task to bring onto the campus 11 major buildings, including the University of Texas MD Anderson Hospital for Cancer Research, for which he was the interim director. This was an extraordinary accomplishment because at the outset he had only a strategic plan, the deed to 134 acres of forest, and financial support from the MD Anderson Foundation! Bertner further forecasted world-class clinical and educational programs in the TMC, stating: "We envision the time when the Medical Center will become a great magnet, drawing leaders in education, medicine, and dental professions. It will provide the physical facilities and the environment in which research will flourish and bring forth for all of us new discoveries in the field of medicine." So how did his bold vision and passionate leadership culminate in the TMC today? By any criteria of scale and program excellence, the TMC today can be regarded as the largest medical center in the world. Occupying a contiguous campus of 1345 acres (2.1 square miles), it comprises 162 buildings, 60+ member institutions, 21 hospitals (> 9200 beds), 21 academic institutions, 4 medical schools, 7 nursing schools, 3 public health schools, 2 pharmacy schools, and a dental school. More than 106,000 patients and visitors come daily to the TMC, which has more than 120,000 employees, including 5000 physicians, 5700 researchers, and 11,000 registered nurses. Ernst Bertner is credited for transforming the original vision of the TMC into a workable program, and whose dynamic devotion to the idea captured the devotion of others to accomplish this extraordinary feat. Thus, during this short interval from 1946 to 1950, Bertner transitioned the leadership of the MD Anderson Cancer Hospital to Dr. R. Lee Clark, conducted a busy general surgery and gynecologic practice, facilitated the monumental transfer of the Baylor Medical School from Dallas to Houston, helped to recruit Dr. Michael DeBakey from New Orleans, and fought a heroic battle against rhabdomyosarcoma, a very rare and aggressive cancer., (© 2024. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Background: Prior clinical studies have shown that psychological factors have a significant effect on an athlete's readiness to return to sport following ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Hypothesis/Purpose: We hypothesized that patients who underwent Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair (BEAR) would have higher levels of psychological readiness for return to sport compared to ACLR, and baseline characteristics and 6-month outcomes would predict psychological readiness at 6 months following an ACL surgical procedure. Methods: 100 patients (median age 17 years; median pre-operative Marx Activity Score 16) with complete mid-substance ACL injuries were randomized to either the BEAR procedure (n=65) or autograft ACLR (n=35) and underwent surgery within 45 days of injury. Objective, functional, and patient-reported outcomes, including the ACL-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) scale, were assessed at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months. Results: Patients who underwent the BEAR procedure had significantly higher ACL-RSI scores at 6 months compared to those that underwent an ACLR (71.1 vs 58.2, p=.008), and scores were similar at 12 months and 24 months. Baseline factors independently predictive of higher ACL-RSI scores at 6 months were having a BEAR procedure and participating in Level 1 sports prior to injury, which explained 15% of the variability in ACL-RSI scores. Regression analysis of baseline and 6-month outcomes as predictors indicated that the IKDC score at 6 months explained 45% of the 6-month ACL-RSI variance. Subsequent analysis, with IKDC excluded from the model, indicated that decreased pain, increased hamstring and quadriceps strength in the surgical limb, and decreased side-to-side difference in AP knee laxity were significant predictors of a higher ACL-RSI score at 6 months, explaining 34% of the variability in ACL-RSI scores. Higher ACL-RSI scores at 6 months were associated with earlier clearance to return to sports. Conclusion: Patients who underwent the BEAR procedure had higher ACL-RSI scores at 6 months after surgery. Better ACL-RSI scores at 6 months were related most strongly to higher IKDC scores at 6 months. Lower pain levels, better muscle recovery, and less knee laxity at 6-months post-surgery were also associated with improved ACL-RSI scores at that time point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. By 2023, 1,080,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Harris County. Systemic inequity and vaccine hesitancy have contributed to COVID-19 disparities. Community Health Workers provide health education and instrumental support to alleviate health disparities among vulnerable communities. We conducted an analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis in June 2022 among a broad coalition of Community Health Work stakeholders to better understand the local landscape in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. We recruited 33 community health workers and industry stakeholders in Harris County, Texas, to participate in the SWOT analysis. Participants were asked to describe their opinions on the SWOT facing the Community Health Work landscape and then rank the outcomes of the analysis to prioritize action. Results. A total of 19 themes were identified. Weaknesses included lack of respect and resources for Community Health Workers and poor coordination and capacity among the workforce infrastructure. Limited funding and lack of appreciation for Community Health Workers were deemed important threats. Diversity and community connection were critical strengths, and strong education, training, and raising awareness for community health work were considered opportunities to overcome identified weaknesses and threats. Discussion. Increased funding, greater coordination, greater respect, and amplified training can improve capacity for Community Health Workers and, therefore, improve public health outcomes for respiratory illness and viral infections such as COVID-19. This analysis helps fill an important research gap on the topic Community Health Workers responding to public health crises with racially disparate outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Nationwide, obstetric clinics modified prenatal care to include telehealth visits in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, enabling the opportunity to investigate its impact on patient outcomes. We hypothesized that use of prenatal telehealth visits would increase the number of prenatal visits, decrease the frequency of urgent triage/emergency department (ED) visits, and improve perinatal outcomes. This study aimed to determine the impact of telehealth on number of obstetric prenatal visits and urgent triage/ED visits amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort of patients from a federally qualified health center in central Texas. Patients with a singleton gestation who delivered after 32 weeks were included. Comparison groups were made between those patients who delivered between May 2020 and December 2020 (presumed modified prenatal visit schedule with in-person and telehealth) and those patients delivering between June 2019 and February 2020 (the traditional care model with in-person visits only). Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to estimate differences in the number of prenatal visits and unscheduled triage/ED visits. Results A total of 1,654 patients were identified with 801 (48.4%) patients undergoing modified prenatal care and 853 (51.6%) patients receiving traditional care during the study period. No significant differences were seen in overall prenatal attendance or triage/ED presentations. However, when stratified by parity, multiparous patients undergoing modified prenatal care were less likely to experience an urgent triage/ED presentation (8.7 vs. 12.7%; odds ratio, 1.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.10–2.61). Conclusion When compared with a traditional prenatal visitation cohort prepandemic, patients who received modified telehealth prenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic had similar prenatal attendance and unscheduled emergency presentations. However, multiparous patients experienced a decreased rate of unscheduled emergency presentations. Supplementing prenatal care with telehealth may provide overall comparable prenatal care delivery. Key Points Use of telehealth has the potential to improve prenatal care. The COVID-19 pandemic allowed for comparison to traditional prenatal care. Multiparous patients had a decreased frequency of ED visits. Similar prenatal attendance was seen between both prenatal models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Identifying lifestyle factors that independently or jointly lower dementia risk is a public health priority given the limited treatment options available to patients. In this cohort study, we examined the associations between Mediterranean or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet adherence and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with later-life dementia, and assessed whether the associations between dietary pattern and dementia are modified by CRF. Methods: Data are from 9,095 adults seeking preventive care at the Cooper Clinic (1987–1999) who completed a 3-day dietary record and a maximal exercise test. Alzheimer's disease and related disorders or senile dementia (i.e., all-cause dementia) was identified from Medicare administrative claims (1999–2019). Illness-death models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between Mediterranean or DASH diet adherence (primary exposure), CRF (secondary exposure), and all-cause dementia, adjusted for demographic and clinical factors. An interaction term was included between diet score and CRF to assess effect modification by CRF. Results: The mean age at baseline was 50.6 (standard deviation [SD]: 8.4) years, and a majority of the study sample were men (77.5%) and White (96.4%). 1449 cases of all-cause dementia were identified over a mean follow-up of 9.2 (SD: 5.8) years. Neither Mediterranean nor DASH diet adherence was associated with dementia risk in fully adjusted models (HR per SD of Mediterranean diet score: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.94, 1.05; HR per SD of DASH diet score: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.08). However, participants with higher CRF had a decreased hazard of dementia (HR, per metabolic equivalent of task [MET] increase, Mediterranean model: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92, 0.98; HR, per MET increase, DASH model: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.92, 0.97). No effect modification by CRF was observed in the association between diet and dementia. Conclusions: In this sample of apparently healthy middle-aged adults seeking preventive care, higher CRF at midlife was associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia, though adherence to a Mediterranean or DASH diet was not, and CRF did not modify the diet-dementia association. CRF should be emphasized in multimodal interventions for dementia prevention and investigated among diverse samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Yucca Formation is a Lower Cretaceous sedimentary unit present in West Texas. Based on its relative stratigraphic position in the Cretaceous succession of West Texas, it is expected that the Yucca Formation is of Albian and/or Aptian age. It is also expected that the carbon isotope excursions associated with OAE 1a and OAE 1b should be identified in the Yucca Formation. The goals of this project are to 1. construct a carbon isotope chemostratigraphic record of the Yucca Formation, and 2. correlate the Yucca Formation with strata of similar age using chemostratigraphy. Methods: 163 samples were collected from Big Bend Ranch State Park (BBRSP) to determine the δ[sup 13]C value of bulk sedimentary organic matter. Results: C-isotope values range from -27.02‰ to -18.42‰. Discussion: Carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) that are associated with the Aptian-Albian Boundary are identified as well as CIEs associated with Oceanic Anoxic Events (1a and 1b). This allows us to conclude that the Aptian-Albian boundary is recorded within the Yucca Formation strata at about 71 m above the base of the section exposed in the Lower Shutup of the Solitario in Big Bend Ranch State Park. Regional correlation of the Yucca Formation to other chemostratigraphic records from other Cretaceous strata suggests that the Yucca Formation in BBRSP is time equivalent to the Sligo, Pine Island, James, Bexar, and a portion of the lower Glen Rose Formation on the Comanche Platform and to a portion of the lower Glen Rose Formation in Big Bend National Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principal internship is a crucial component of principal preparation programs (PPP) in the U.S. and, increasingly, in other countries. The purpose of this study was to compare the experiences and work of principal candidates enrolled in one principal residency program (PRP) to candidates enrolled in a traditional principal preparation program at the same university. Using an embedded case study design, we collected survey, log, and interview data from interns enrolled in two different programs at one university across two semesters. We analyzed the quantitative data using descriptive statistics and iterative rounds of coding to analyze the interview and log data. Our findings suggest that the interns in both groups had a wide variety of authentic leadership experiences but that the residents had higher levels of engagement than did the traditional interns. Our findings add to our understanding of the depth and quality of interns' leadership experiences and how program structures may shape those experiences. We conclude with recommendations for principal preparation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous rise in hydrocarbon demand, the production decline in conventional oilfields, and the remarkable improvement in extraction methods have allowed the hydrocarbon industry and subsequently, geoscientists, to turn to studies on both unconventional and mature fields with untapped potential. In such reservoirs, the application of advanced drilling, completion, and production techniques must be preceded by the identification of permeable stratigraphic intervals that favour commercial exploitation. Accordingly, bioturbated deposits can play a key role in providing permeable pathways for enhanced production. Herein, we analyse the effects of bioturbation on the porosity and permeability of the Buda Formation, a highly bioturbated, tight (low-porosity matrix) Upper Cretaceous chalk reservoir from the Texas Gulf Coast Basin, which has been commercially exploited because of the occurrence of natural fractures. Our results show that (in addition to the natural fractures) burrows (and borings) substantially increased the porosity and permeability of this formation, thus, potentially contributing to enhanced hydrocarbon (or groundwater) storage and production. These biogenic structures might also have favoured the development of natural fractures and stylolites in the Buda Formation. However, further studies are required to prove this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates hydrology and hydrological extremes under future climate change scenarios. The climate change scenarios were developed from multiple Global Circulation Models (GCMs), Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios, and statistical downscaling techniques. To ensure hydrological model robustness, the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was calibrated and validated using the Differential Split Sample Test (DSST) approach. The model was also calibrated and validated at the multi-gauges of the watershed. Future climate change scenarios revealed a reduction in precipitation (in the order of −9.1% to 4.9%) and a consistent increase in maximum temperature (0.34°C to 4.10°C) and minimum temperature (−0.15 °C to 3.7°C) in different climate model simulations. The climate change scenarios triggered a reduction of surface runoff and streamflow and a moderate increase in evapotranspiration. Future climate change scenarios projected a decrease in high flow (Q5) and low flow (Q95). A higher reduction of Q5 and annual minimum flow is also simulated in future climate scenarios, whereas an increase in annual maximum flow is simulated in climate change scenarios developed from the RCP8.5 emission scenario. The study suggests optimal water management structures which can reduce the effect of change in high and low flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rates of seismicity in the Delaware Basin of Texas and New Mexico increased from 10 earthquakes per year of local magnitude (ML) 3.0 and above in 2017 to more than 185 in 2022, coincident with increasing oil and gas production and wastewater re‐injection into strata shallow or deeper than producing intervals. Events of large magnitude—up to ML 5.4 to‐date—occur on faults extending into formations above the basement that have received more than four billion barrels of injection. Here, we demonstrate the link between injection geology, pore pressure evolution, fault stability, and induced seismicity in this region. We find that the injection targets are largely dolomitized platform carbonates with low (<5 vol.%) matrix porosity and fracture‐enhanced permeability with inherent heterogeneity in flow properties. A comprehensive, three‐dimensional geological model populated with reservoir properties is used for fluid flow modeling, with global calibration supplemented by dynamic injectivity data. Pore pressure changes with deep injection are up to 5 MPa from 1983 to 2023, increasing the native pore pressure state by 10% locally. Modeling results show that earthquakes occurring at distances of up to 30 km from deep injection have experienced small (<0.1 MPa) pore pressure increases, indicating that the faults hosting these earthquakes are highly sensitive to changes in effective stress and have lower frictional stability than the 0.6 generally assumed. These results serve as a critical step in understanding the stress changes that induce earthquakes in one of the most seismically active and geologically complex basins in the US. Plain Language Summary: Earthquakes have become more frequent in areas with historically little seismicity and are coincident in space and time with an increase in oil and gas production and the re‐injection of wastewater. Larger‐magnitude earthquakes occur on deep faults and generally within the crystalline basement. They are likely caused by wastewater injection into carbonate rocks above the basement, causing changes in pressure and stress on nearby faults. Results from this modeling work show that deep fluid injection increases pressure by up to 10% near deep injection wells. Key Points: Injection of oil field wastewater into deep strata in the Delaware Basin causes pore pressure changes of up to 5 MPaEarthquakes occurring in crystalline basement are likely induced by pore pressure diffusion associated with regional deep injectionMany basement‐rooted faults hosting earthquakes are optimally oriented, sensitive, and slip with small pore pressure perturbations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gelatin is frequently used as a reservoir analogue for modeling hydraulic fracture (HF) growth in brittle, organic-rich rocks; its transparency enabling direct, visual observation of the HF growth. However, not many works have assessed the scalability of laboratory experiments on gelatin blocks with-respect-to "real-world" HF stimulation treatments. In this work, lab-scale parameters are compared against typical slickwater and crosslinked-gel stimulation treatment parameters from the Barnett Shale in northeastern Texas, for comprehensive (geometric, kinematic, and dynamic) dimensional-scaling evaluations. Dimensionless groups relating lab-scale physical models that display HF growth to the field-scale parameters are used to quantify the representation of elastic deformation, crack formation energy, treatment time-duration, and stress confinement, honoring the governing principles for fluid-driven fracture propagation in linearly-elastic media (applicable to HF growth in rocks, as well as magmatic intrusions, such as dykes or sills). The analysis demonstrates gelatin as a reservoir analogue to exhibit enhanced scaling against crosslinked gel compared to slickwater stimulation treatments, with the laboratory conditions accentuating toughness over viscous effects in comparison to field conditions, something which if neglected can lead to biased conclusions. Henceforth, a set of laboratory parameters is proposed for gelatin blocks of a practically-attainable powder concentration that yields improved scalability against the prototype parameters, minimizing the discrepancy between the lab-scale and the corresponding field-scale values for each dimensionless group, inside the limits of standard laboratory equipment. Identical dimensional-scaling evaluations are performed on lab-scale parameters from past experimental studies reported in the literature where gelatin samples were used, to the extent that the published data allows, indicating poor scaling of the physical phenomena. Results and conclusions from such inadequately-scaled experiments should be treated with suspicion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I examine how a sample of principals in Texas and West Virginia made sense of the learning experiences of kindergarteners and how such sensemaking appeared to affect them as instructional leaders. Examining these issues creates the opportunity to consider the types of support school leaders might need to address the changing kindergarten as well as how they might work with teachers, children, and their families so that all students are on a trajectory for school success. I employed case study methodology using sensemaking theory to examine: a) how twelve principals made sense of the learning experiences kindergarten students are and should be having as they begin elementary school, and b) how such sensemaking appears to affect them as instructional leaders. These principals appeared to make sense of kindergarteners' learning experiences in a complex manner that was shaped by their own beliefs about the purpose of kindergarten as well as the neoliberal contexts in which they worked. Yet, such sensemaking did not appear to translate into their decision-making as instructional leaders, even though these principals worked in different state-level policy contexts and had varying resources available to them within their schools. Instead, policymakers' neoliberal demands for academic achievement in the later grades seemed to dictate their point of emphasis in their decision-making process. To address these issues, I provide several suggestions to support principals in developing their understanding of early education so that they can instructionally lead these programs in a manner that supports children's success in school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought has long posed an existential threat to society. Engineering and technological advancements have enabled the development of complex, interconnected water supply systems that buffer societies from the impacts of drought, enabling growth and prosperity. However, increasing water demand from population growth and economic development, combined with more extreme and prolonged droughts due to climate change, poses significant challenges for governments in the 21st century. Improved understanding of the cascading multisectoral impacts and adaptive responses resulting from extreme drought can aid in adaptive planning and highlight key processes in modeling drought impacts. The record drought spanning 2008 to 2015 in the Colorado Basin in the state of Texas, United States, serves as an outstanding illustration to assess multisectoral impacts and responses to severe, multi-year drought. The basin faces similar water security challenges to those across the western US, such as groundwater depletion and sustainability, resource competition between agriculture and growing urban populations, limited options for additional reservoir expansion, and the heightened risk of more severe and frequent droughts due to climate change. By analyzing rich, high-quality data sourced from nine different local, state, and federal sources, we demonstrate that characterizing regional multisector dynamics is crucial to predicting and understanding future vulnerability and possible approaches to reduce impacts to human and natural systems in the face of extreme drought conditions. This review reveals that, despite the severe hydrometeorological conditions of the drought, the region's advanced economy and existing water infrastructure effectively mitigated economic and societal impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Utilization of telemedicine care for vulnerable and low income populations, especially individuals with mental health conditions, is not well understood. The goal is to describe the utilization and regional disparities of telehealth care by mental health status in Texas. Texas Medicaid claims data were analyzed from September 1, 2012, to August 31, 2018 for Medicaid patients enrolled due to a disability. Methods: We analyzed the growth in telemedicine care based on urban, suburban, and rural, and mental health status. We used t-tests to test for differences in sociodemographic characteristics across patients and performed a three-way Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) to evaluate whether the growth rates from 2013 to 2018 were different based on geography and patient type. We then estimated patient level multivariable ordinary least square regression models to estimate the relationship between the use of telemedicine and patient characteristics in 2013 and separately in 2018. Outcome was a binary variable of telemedicine use or not. Independent variables of interest include geography, age, gender, race, ethnicity, plan type, Medicare eligibility, diagnosed mental health condition, and ECI score. Results: Overall, Medicaid patients with a telemedicine visit grew at 81%, with rural patients growing the fastest (181%). Patients with a telemedicine visit for a mental health condition grew by 77%. Telemedicine patients with mental health diagnoses tended to have 2 to 3 more visits per year compared to non-telemedicine patients with mental health diagnoses. In 2013, multivariable regressions display that urban and suburban patients, those that had a mental health diagnosis were more likely to use telemedicine, while patients that were younger, women, Hispanics, and those dual eligible were less likely to use telemedicine. By 2018, urban and suburban patients were less likely to use telemedicine. Conclusions: Growth in telemedicine care was strong in urban and rural areas between 2013 and 2018 even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Those with a mental health condition who received telemedicine care had a higher number of total mental health visits compared to those without telemedicine care. These findings hold across all geographic groups and suggest that mental health telemedicine visits did not substitute for face-to-face mental health visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Recent data suggest concomitant gabapentinoid use increases opioid-related overdose (ORO) risk; however, this association has not been well studied in the hospital setting. The primary objective of this study was to compare ORO risk, indicated by naloxone administration, in patients receiving opioids plus gabapentinoids versus opioids alone. Methods: In this retrospective case-control study of adults admitted to a large community hospital from 1/1/20 to 12/31/21, all cases (defined as patients who received naloxone more than 24 hours after admission) identified were matched 1:1 to randomly selected controls (defined as patients on opioids who did not receive naloxone). The primary outcome was the percentage of cases and controls with concomitant inpatient gabapentinoid use. Logistic regression was performed to determine the independent association between gabapentinoids and ORO (as evidenced by inpatient naloxone administration). Results: Baseline characteristics were similar between the 144 cases and 144 controls. Gabapentinoid exposure was greater for cases than controls (34.0%vs 20.8%, P =.0118). Median hospital length of stay (11vs 4 days, P <.0001) and mortality (19%vs 5%; P =.0018) were also higher for cases. In logistic regression analysis, ORO (adjusted OR 4.91; 95% CI 1.86-12.96) and serotonergic medication exposure (adjusted OR 4.31; 95% CI 1.50-12.38) were significantly associated with gabapentinoid use. Conclusions: Concomitant gabapentinoid use with opioids was associated with increased ORO risk in the inpatient setting. When considering prescribing gabapentinoids in conjunction with opioids in the hospital setting, potential benefits should be weighed against increased overdose risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environmental toxicants may impact survival in children with cancer, but the literature investigating these associations remains limited. Because oil and gas developments emit several hazardous air pollutants, the authors evaluated the relationship between residential proximity to oil or gas development and survival across 21 different pediatric cancers., Methods: The Texas Cancer Registry had 29,730 children (≤19 years old) diagnosed with a primary cancer between 1995 to 2017. Geocoded data were available for 285,266 active oil or gas wells and 109,965 horizontal wells. The authors calculated whether each case lived within 1000 m (yes/no) from each type of oil or gas development. Survival analyses were conducted using Cox regression, adjusting for potential confounders., Results: A total of 14.2% of cases lived within 1000 m of an oil or gas well or horizontal well. Living within 1000 m of an oil or gas well was associated with risk of mortality in cases with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.84) and hepatoblastoma (aHR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.03-4.39). An inverse association was observed with Ewing sarcoma (aHR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.13-0.95). No associations were observed with horizontal well. There was evidence of a dose-response effect in children with AML or hepatoblastoma and residential proximity to oil or gas wells. In general, the magnitude of association increased with decreasing distance and with higher number of wells across the three distances., Conclusions: Residential proximity to oil or gas wells at diagnosis is associated with the risk of mortality in children with AML or hepatoblastoma., (© 2024 American Cancer Society.)

Winter Storm Uri was a disaster that impacted much of the United States during February of 2021. During and after the storm, Texas and Oklahoma experienced massive power grid failures. This led to cascading impacts, including water system disruptions and many boil water notices (BWNs). The breakdown of some communication channels and the inability to enact protective actions due to power outages, as well as travel limitations on public roads, complicated the dissemination and implementation of notifications. This research examined individuals' perceptions of risk, water quality, and BWNs during Uri. Additionally, this study sought to understand if previous experience with a BWN influenced compliance during Uri and how perceived efficacy impacted these variables. Surveying 893 Texans and Oklahomans revealed that most Uri-affected respondents believed the risks associated with BWNs were severe. Income and race were two factors that influenced BWN compliance. Age, gender, and level of education did not influence compliance. Previous experience with BWNs did not increase risk perceptions. Higher levels of perceived efficacy correlated to higher levels of compliance, perceptions of risk, and water quality, much of which support propositions of the Extended Parallel Process Model. Results suggest that pre-disaster planning and communication are imperative to helping reduce risk(s) and enhancing efficacy during a disaster, especially for novel disasters that have cascading risks, like Winter Storm Uri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lifestyle recovery captures the collective effects of population activities as well as the restoration of infrastructure and business services. This study uses a novel approach to leverage privacy-enhanced location intelligence data, which is anonymized and aggregated, to characterize distinctive lifestyle patterns and to unveil recovery trajectories after 2017 Hurricane Harvey in Harris County, Texas (USA). The analysis integrates multiple data sources to record the number of visits from home census block groups (CBGs) to different points of interest (POIs) in the county during the baseline and disaster periods. For the methodology, the research utilizes unsupervised machine learning and ANOVA statistical testing to characterize the recovery of lifestyles using privacy-enhanced location intelligence data. First, primary clustering using k-means characterized four distinct essential and non-essential lifestyle patterns. For each primary lifestyle cluster, the secondary clustering characterized the impact of the hurricane into four possible recovery trajectories based on the severity of maximum disruption and duration of recovery. The findings further reveal multiple recovery trajectories and durations within each lifestyle cluster, which imply differential recovery rates among similar lifestyles and different demographic groups. The impact of flooding on lifestyle recovery extends beyond the flooded regions, as 59% of CBGs with extreme recovery durations did not have at least 1% of direct flooding impacts. The findings offer a twofold theoretical significance: (1) lifestyle recovery is a critical milestone that needs to be examined, quantified, and monitored in the aftermath of disasters; (2) spatial structures of cities formed by human mobility and distribution of facilities extend the spatial reach of flood impacts on population lifestyles. These provide novel data-driven insights for public officials and emergency managers to examine, measure, and monitor a critical milestone in community recovery trajectory based on the return of lifestyles to normalcy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The current study explores the relation between parent involvement and children's school readiness for 568 families enrolled in the Home Instruction of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program in Texas. Parent involvement in children's learning is a focus of the HIPPY curriculum. Methods: In this analysis, conditional process models were run to examine the relations between children's school readiness and engagement in home learning activities, parents' education level, program language (English or Spanish), both before and after completing a year of the program. Results: At pretest but not posttest, program language moderated the direct relation between parents' education level and children's school readiness and parents with high levels of education were more likely to engage their children in educational activities. Engagement in home learning activities was associated with school readiness regardless of parents' education level and language. Discussion: These findings provide a better understanding of the variables associated with school readiness for HIPPY families, indicating the importance of home learning activities--a variable that may be more amenable to change within intervention programs. Thus, focusing on home learning activities may contribute to decreasing discrepancies in children's preparedness for school entry that are generally identified across language and parent education. Findings may have practical implications for other home visitor programs working with similar populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do early childhood investments for low-income children narrow the academic achievement gap in elementary school? I study this question in the context of Head Start by using a new variation in federal funding expansions across counties in the 1990s. Using student-level data from Texas, I find that exposure to more generous Head Start funding during childhood significantly improved test scores, particularly for low-income Hispanic students. Hispanics benefited from funding expansions through increased access to Head Start and improvements in program inputs. These advances enhanced their language proficiency and reduced the likelihood of their special education needs during elementary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Uninsured and underinsured patients face specialty care access disparities that prevent them from obtaining the care they need and negatively impact their health and well-being. We aimed to understand how making specialty care electronic consultations (eConsults) available at a multi-site Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in central Texas affected uninsured patients' care-seeking experiences and impacted their ability to receive the needed care. Methods: We used concepts from Ecological Systems Theory to examine individual, interpersonal, organization-level, social, and health policy environment factors that impacted patients' access to specialty care and the use of eConsults. We conducted thematic analysis of semi-structured, qualitative interviews with patients about seeking specialty care while uninsured and with uninsured patients and FQHC PCPs about their experience using eConsults to obtain specialists' recommendations. Results: Patients and PCPs identified out-of-pocket cost, stigma, a paucity of local specialists willing to see uninsured patients, time and difficulty associated with travel and transportation to specialty visits, and health policy limitations as barriers to obtaining specialty care. Benefits of using eConsults for uninsured patients included minimizing/avoiding financial stress, expanding access to care, expanding scope of primary care, and expediting access to specialists. Concerns about the model included patients' limited understanding of eConsults, concern about cost, and worry whether eConsults could appropriately meet their specialty needs. Conclusions: Findings suggest that eConsults delivered in a primary care FQHC addressed uninsured patients' specialty care access concerns. They helped to address financial and geographic barriers, provided time and cost savings to patients, expanded FQHC PCPs' knowledge and care provision options, and allowed patients to receive more care in primary care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effect of dual enrollment (DE) on college enrollment and degree completion for students with lower prior academic achievement who attended public high schools in Texas. We employed a propensity score matching method to reduce selection bias arising from DE participation and supplemented the analysis with a bounds test. The results showed that DE students were predicted to have a higher likelihood of entering college immediately after high school by 20 percentage points and completing a degree within four and eight years of high school graduation by 7 and 14 percentage points, respectively, compared to similar students who did not take DE courses. This evidence suggested that DE programs contributed to a reduction in educational inequities in college access and degree attainment for students at risk of academic failure. On the other hand, students who were racial or ethnic minorities and students from low-income families were not only less likely to participate in DE programs but were also predicted to have smaller participation effects on college degree attainment than their counterparts, stressing the need for higher education institutions and partnering school districts to provide more robust support to these underserved students for participating in DE programs and making a successful transition into college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We analyzed a fishery‐independent catch time series in the context of predicted historical age structure of Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus for the years 1980–2019. This time series roughly coincided with closure of the commercial fishery in Texas (in 1981) and federal waters (in 1987). Changes in size and age were used to estimate changes in mortality and offshore escapement. Methods: Otoliths collected from Red Drum between 1997 and 2015 in Texas were used to create seasonal length‐at‐age growth functions, which were then used to estimate ages (based on total length) of all Red Drum encountered in fishery‐independent gill‐net samples collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department during 1980–2019 (total n = 311,150). Temporal changes in observed body size and overall catch were used to predict annualized changes in mean age, mortality, and offshore escapement of the estuarine population. Result: The initial 14‐year period (1980–1993) was characterized by rapid increases in mean catch per hour and mean total length (mm) in fishery‐independent samples, followed by relative stability for the remainder of the time series. There was a 55% increase in estimated mean age of Red Drum when comparing 1980 (mean age = 0.84 year) to 2019 (1.30 years). There were also rapid and significant declines in total mortality (Z; estimated via catch curves) and increases in offshore escapement (estimated indirectly from mortality) in the initial recovery period. Conclusion: The current estuarine population of Red Drum in Texas is significantly larger and older than it was at the onset of fishery management measures, and offshore escapement is annually well above the current target level of 30% set by the federal fisheries management plan. These findings suggest that regulations put into effect starting in the 1980s have succeeded in recovering the estuarine Red Drum population in Texas. Impact statementFisheries management regulations set into place starting in the 1980s in Texas and the greater Gulf of Mexico have had a measurable, positive impact on the age and size structure of Red Drum populations. These changes have resulted in a more valuable fishery that is accessible for a greater number of Texas estuarine anglers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent and young adults (AYAs) currently undergoing treatment for cancer, in remission, or in survivorship, are missing a great deal of traditional academic activities during crucial formative years of their lives. To provide AYAs with exceptional opportunities for personal growth, the Adolescent and Young Adult College and Career Fair (AYACCF) was developed. The objective of the AYACCF is to meet the needs of this specific patient population in navigating the transitions from cancer treatment to academic, trade, or career life thereafter. By leveraging internal resources, the team was able to organize two in-person and one virtual event across 3 years. This article provides an overview of the process of designing, implementing, and refining an annual college and career readiness for AYA oncology patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Suicidality in youth is a serious public health problem. The Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX‐YDSRN) was initiated in 2020 to create a research registry for youth with depression and/or suicidality in Texas. This report presents baseline clinical/demographic characteristics of the first 1000 participants, focusing on suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Methods: The registry includes 8–20‐year‐old youth receiving treatment for depression, or who screen positive for depression and/or suicidal ideation/behavior. Baseline data include diagnosis, depression/anxiety severity, suicidal ideation/behavior, trauma history, and measures of resilience. Results: We present baseline data on the first 1000 participants. Most (79.6%) of the sample had a primary depressive disorder. The sample had moderate to severe depression (Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents, PHQ‐A; 12.9 ± 6.4) and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD‐7; 11.3 ± 5.9). Nearly half reported ≥1 lifetime suicide attempts and 90% reported lifetime or current suicidal ideation. Participants with past/current suicidality (attempts and/or ideation) had greater illness severity (depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts/behaviors), lower resilience, and higher rates of trauma exposure than those without suicidality. Conclusions: Baseline data indicate moderate levels of depression, anxiety, and suicidality and their correlates in this cohort. Future reports will determine trajectories of outcomes and predictors, moderators, and social determinants related to these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formation fracturing is the method of choice for developing shale oil and gas reservoirs that constitute a gigantic resource in the U.S.A. and many other countries but are characterized by a low permeability in the nano-Darcy range. The oil production of Texas has increased by about 5 million B/D in 15 years as a result of shale exploitation by massive multistage hydraulic fracturing. The mathematical modeling of this fracturing process is complex and can be approached in several ways. This paper first gives a concise description of the fracturing process as carried out in Texas. Included are the ranges of the key reservoir properties, as well as the injection fluid volumes and pressure, the composition of the injected fluid, proppant type, and volume, and other relevant data. Also included are the number of fracture stages, methods of zonal isolation, and diagnostic techniques used. An important variable considered is flowback, in particular, fluid retention and oil and gas production. High-salinity water production is discussed. Given the above variables, the currently used fracture simulators are briefly considered and compared, both the geomechanics-based and fracture-propagation-based. No single simulator can model the complete process. The directions currently being followed are briefly described. Also discussed is the simulation of the re-fracturing process and its range of success in increasing oil recovery from about the original ~5% to ~8%. Future processes such as plasma fracturing are mentioned, and their future applicability is discussed for further increasing oil recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and increasing water demand due to population growth pose serious threats to surface water availability. The biggest challenge in addressing these threats is the gap between climate science and water management practices. Local water planning often lacks the integration of climate change information, especially with regard to its impacts on surface water storage and evaporation as well as the associated uncertainties. Using Texas as an example, state and regional water planning relies on the use of reservoir "Firm Yield" (FY)—an important metric that quantifies surface water availability. However, this existing planning methodology does not account for the impacts of climate change on future inflows and on reservoir evaporation. To bridge this knowledge gap, an integrated climate‐hydrology‐management (CHM) modeling framework was developed, which is generally applicable to river basins with geographical, hydrological, and water right settings similar to those in Texas. The framework leverages the advantages of two modeling approaches—the Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM) and Water Availability Modeling (WAM). Additionally, the Double Bias Correction Constructed Analogues method is utilized to downscale and incorporate Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 GCMs. Finally, the DHSVM simulated naturalized streamflow and reservoir evaporation rate are input to WAM to simulate reservoir FY. A new term—"Ratio of Firm Yield" (RFY)—is created to compare how much FY changes under different climate scenarios. The results indicate that climate change has a significant impact on surface water availability by increasing reservoir evaporation, altering the seasonal pattern of naturalized streamflow, and reducing FY. Plain Language Summary: Under conditions of climate change, it is important to have actionable climate information for local water management and surface water planning. By investigating the impacts of climate change on surface water availability over a representative metropolitan area (and its water supply reservoirs), this research helps to bridge the gap between climate science and the necessary information for sound water management decisions. First, the coarse resolution information from global climate models was translated into the finer spatial scales suitable for application into the long‐range water supply planning tools commonly used in Texas. Second, a climate‐hydrology‐management (CHM) modeling framework was developed to simulate future surface water availability under different climate scenarios. The results indicate that the changes in reservoir evaporation rates and streamflow patterns play an important role in reducing future surface water availability. The projected hydrological and water availability information can guide decisions related to local and long‐range water planning. The study framework is also applicable to other river basins for improving the estimation of future water availability under climate change. Key Points: The assessment of future available surface water is improved by explicitly accounting for projected reservoir evaporation and naturalized streamflowAn open‐water evaporation module was used to represent the enhanced reservoir evaporation loss in future climate scenariosAn ensemble of future reservoir Firm Yield (FY) values under different climate change scenarios is generated for supporting water supply risk management decisions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory-scale analysis of natural rocks provides petrophysical properties such as density, porosity, pore diameter/pore-throat diameter distribution, and fluid accessibility, in addition to the size and shape of framework grains and their contact relationship with the rock matrix. Different types of laboratory approaches for petrophysical characterization involve the use of a range of sample sizes. While the sample sizes selected should aim to be representative of the rock body, there are inherent limitations imposed by the analytical principles and holding capacities of the different experimental apparatuses, with many instruments only able to accept samples at the μm–mm scale. Therefore, a total of nine (three limestones, three shales, two sandstones, and one dolomite) samples were collected from Texas to fill the knowledge gap of the sample size effect on the resultant petrophysical characteristics. The sample sizes ranged from 3 cm cubes to <75 μm particles. Using a combination of petrographic microscopy, helium expansion pycnometry, water immersion porosimetry, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and (ultra-) small-angle X-ray scattering, the impact of sample size on the petrophysical properties of these samples was systematically investigated here. The results suggest that the sample size effect is influenced by both pore structure changes during crushing and sample size-dependent fluid-to-pore connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale oil and gas production areas are especially active in Texas. The Eagle Ford Shale in south central Texas contributes substantially to US oil and gas production; it has repeatedly been the focus of air quality studies due to its associated emissions. Among these emissions are hazardous air pollutants such as benzene, a known carcinogen. To monitor exposure to such compounds, we teamed up with local citizens in 2019 to begin a passive sampling study for hydrocarbons. The study tracked selected non-methane hydrocarbons at six locations throughout a busy central production area of the shale. A state air quality monitoring station allowed for a comparison exercise, and we report both the results of that exercise and the observations from various properties affected by the surrounding oil and gas exploration activities. The passive samplers accurately reflected mean to median ambient hydrocarbon levels despite high variability and skewness in the hourly measurements. Field sites either right next to oil and gas production pads, surrounded by more surface pads than other sites, or affected by an additional emission source showed higher exposure to selected hydrocarbons. Passive sampling shows promise to bridge the gap between centralized air monitoring and campaign-style mobile monitoring to evaluate hydrocarbon emissions and abundances. It is a cost-effective way to provide both spatial and temporal information on exposure levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) in southern Texas is well-suited for vegetable production due to its relatively mild/warm weather conditions in the fall and winter. Consequently, insects inflict year-round, persistent damage to crops in the RGV and regions with similar climate. Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), commonly known as the potato psyllid, is a known vector of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (C Lso) (Hyphomicrobiales: Rhizobiaceae), a fastidious phloem-limited bacterium associated to vein-greening in tomatoes and Zebra Chip in potatoes. Vector control is the primary approach of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that aim to prevent plant diseases in commercial agricultural systems. However, resistance-selective pressures that decrease the effectiveness of chemical control (insecticide) applications over time are of increasing concern. Therefore, we explore an ecological approach to devising alternative IPM methodologies to manage the psyllid-transmitted C Lso pathogen to supplement existing chemical products and application schedules without increasing resistance. In this study, our objective was to examine the effects of plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on host-vector-pathogen interactions. Soil-drench applications of PGPRs to Solanum lycopersicum (Solanales: Solanaceae) seedlings revealed structural and possible physiological changes to the plant host and indirect changes on psyllid behavior: host plants had increased length and biomass of roots and exhibited delayed colonization by C Lso, while psyllids displayed changes in parental (F0) psyllid behavior (orientation and oviposition) in response to treated hosts and in the sex ratio of their progeny (F1). Based on our results, we suggest that PGPR may have practical use in commercial tomato production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk factors for pediatric brain tumors are largely unknown. Identifying spatial clusters of these rare tumors on the basis of residential address may provide insights into childhood socio-environmental factors that increase susceptibility. From 2000–2017, the Texas Cancer Registry recorded 4305 primary brain tumors diagnosed among children (≤19 years old). We performed a spatial analysis in SaTScan to identify neighborhoods (census tracts) where the observed number of pediatric brain tumors was higher than expected. Within each census tract, the number of pediatric brain tumors was summed on the basis of residential address at diagnosis. The population estimate from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey of 0- to 19-year-olds was used as the at-risk population. p-values were calculated using Monte Carlo hypothesis testing. The age-standardized rate was 54.3 per 1,000,000. SaTScan identified twenty clusters, of which two were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Some of the clusters identified in Texas spatially implicated potential sources of environmental risk factors (e.g., proximity to petroleum production processes) to explore in future research. This work provides hypothesis-generating data for further investigations of spatially relevant risk factors of pediatric brain tumors in Texas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fracking is used in the extraction of crude oil and natural gas from deep seated sedimentary rocks. The ubiquitous use of heavy trucks in fracking leads to traffic congestion and damages to the existing infrastructure in energy producing corridors. This makes driving hazardous for drivers of both commodity and passenger carriers, leading to traffic crashes near fracking sites. In this exploratory study, the case of Eagle Ford Shale of Texas has been analyzed to determine the impacts if any, of the variables of energy production, truck vehicle miles traveled, and other socio-economic factors on traffic crashes. Using both descriptive and statistical analyses of data, it has been found that some of the aforementioned variables have an impact on traffic crashes in the energy producing corridor. Based on the study's findings, appropriate recommendations to reduce traffic crashes in this energy corridor have been made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicopters used for aerial wildlife surveys are expensive, dangerous and time consuming. Drones and thermal infrared cameras can detect wildlife, though the ability to detect individuals is dependent on weather conditions. While we have a good understanding of local weather conditions, we do not have a broad-scale assessment of ambient temperature to plan drone wildlife surveys. Climate change will affect our ability to conduct thermal surveys in the future. Our objective was to determine optimal annual and daily time periods to conduct surveys. We present a case study in Texas, (United States of America [USA]) where we acquired and compared average monthly temperature data from 1990 to 2019, hourly temperature data from 2010 to 2019 and projected monthly temperature data from 2021 to 2040 to identify areas where surveys would detect a commonly studied ungulate (white-tailed deer [Odocoileus virginianus]) during sunny or cloudy conditions. Mean temperatures increased when comparing the 1990–2019 to 2010–2019 periods. Mean temperatures above the maximum ambient temperature in which white-tailed deer can be detected increased in 72, 10, 10, and 24 of the 254 Texas counties in June, July, August, and September, respectively. Future climate projections indicate that temperatures above the maximum ambient temperature in which white-tailed deer can be detected will increase in 32, 12, 15, and 47 counties in June, July, August, and September, respectively when comparing 2010–2019 with 2021–2040. This analysis can assist planning, and scheduling thermal drone wildlife surveys across the year and combined with daily data can be efficient to plan drone flights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A growing number of lifestyle interventions are being developed to promote weight loss and adoption of a healthful lifestyles among breast cancer survivors; yet Black and Latina women remain underrepresented. Purpose: We performed a scoping review of the available peer-reviewed literature to describe and compare the content, design, methods, and primary outcomes of current diet and/or physical activity (PA) interventions after a breast cancer diagnosis among Black and Latina women. Methods: We queried PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Clinicaltrials.gov up to October 1, 2022, to identify all randomized controlled trials of diet and/or PA after diagnosis of breast cancer with a majority (>50%) of Black or Latina participants. Results: Twenty-two randomized controlled trials were included in this review (five efficacy, twelve pilot, five on-going). Nine trials were among Latinas (two diet, four PA, and three diet/PA), six among Blacks (one PA and five diet/PA) and seven included both populations (five PA and two diet/PA), all of which examined different endpoints. Two of the five efficacy studies achieved their a priori outcome (one diet trial improved short term dietary intake; one PA trial achieved clinically significant improvements in metabolic syndrome score), both in Latinas. Eight pilot trials intervened on both diet and PA and three of them found favorable behavioral changes. Three (two for Latinas and one for Blacks) out of the nine diet and PA trials and three (all for Latinas) efficacy trials incorporated a culturally focused approach (i.e., traditional foods, music, Spanish content, bicultural health coaches, spirituality). Overall, four trials, including one efficacy trial, had one-year follow-up data, with three finding sustained behavior change. Electronic/mobile components were incorporated in five trials and one involved informal care givers. Most of the trials were geographically limited to the Northeast USA (n=8, NY, NC, DC, NJ) and Texas (n=4). Conclusions: Most of the trials we identified were pilot or feasibility studies and of short duration, demonstrating the need for large randomized controlled efficacy lifestyle interventions among Black and Latina breast cancer survivors. Culturally tailored programing was limited but is an important component to incorporate in future trials in these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual enrollment policies and programs, where students earn both high school and college credits, have been scaled up across the United States in the last two decades. In this mixed methods study, we survey high school principals in Ohio and Texas, two states with robust dual enrollment policies. The study addressed one broad research question: What are principals' perceptions of dual enrollment access, participation, and governance? Findings revealed three main themes: (1) economic/credential student motivations for dual enrollment; (2) mixed views about rigor; (3) issues surrounding the loss of principal autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]