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• First analysis of HAB species diversity for the Texas coast based on the HTS-metabarcoding. • Identification of 31 HAB OTUs with the 18S rDNA V4 marker; 29 OTUs with the V8-V9 marker. • A total of 36 HAB species were identified, including 5 HAB species recognized for the first time in the GoM. • Phylogenetic analysis is recommended over BLAST for species identification. Environmental-DNA (eDNA) for metabarcoding is a rapid and effective means to investigate microplankton community composition and species diversity. The objective of this study was to examine the genetic diversity of the phytoplankton community in the Gulf of Mexico, with particular emphasis on harmful algal bloom species. Samples were collected at stations along the coast of Texas in September-October 2017 that were inundated by low salinity waters in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Metabarcodes were generated from the eDNA targeting both the V4 and V8-V9 regions of the 18S rDNA gene. Evaluation of the metabarcodes revealed an unexpectedly high number of harmful algal species during this short period, including five that had not been documented in this region previously. A total of 36 harmful algal species could be differentiated based on V4 and V8-V9 metabarcode markers. Using a phylogenetic approach, the taxonomic resolution of each marker differed and not all species could be differentiated using solely one marker. The V4 region resolved species within some genera (e.g., Heterocapsa), while the V8-V9 marker was necessary to resolve species within other genera (e.g., Chattonella). In other cases, species differentiation within a genus required a combination of both markers (e.g., Prorocentrum, Karenia), or another marker will be needed to resolve all species (e.g., Alexandrium, Dinophysis). We conclude that no single marker can delineate all species, so it is recommended HAB monitoring programs use more than one marker. Overall, the observed diversity of HAB species along the Texas coast using metabarcoding exceeded reports from other parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore public health nurses’ knowledge, perceptions, and practices under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Design and Sample: A cross‐sectional, web‐based survey was completed by a sample of 1,143 public health nurses (PHNs) in the United States. Measures: Descriptive statistics were analyzed for variables related to general knowledge and perception of the ACA and for the extent of involvement in activities related to the implementation of the ACA. Qualitative analysis was conducted on free text comments to two open‐ended questions about current and future PHNs involvement in the ACA. Results: Approximately 45% of PHNs reported changes in their daily work due to the ACA. PHNs reported being very or somewhat involved in these activities of the ACA: integration of primary care and public health (62%), provision of clinical preventive services (60.3%), care coordination (55.4%), patient navigation (55.3%), establishment of private‐public partnerships (55.3%), population health strategies (53.6%), population health data assessment and analysis (53.8%), community health assessments (49%), involvement in medical homes (37.8%), provision of maternal and child health home visiting services (32.1%), and involvement in Accountable Care Organizations (29.2%). Conclusion: PHNs are making substantial contributions to implementation of the ACA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study was designed to determine whether singleton women who had not previously breastfed and who had a women, infant and children ( WIC) peer counselor were more likely to initiate breastfeeding than women not exposed to the WIC peer counselor. Design and Sample The retrospective cross-sectional study used data from the 2009 Texas Department of State Health Services ( DSHS) WIC Infant Feeding Practices Survey ( IFPS) administered through 73 local WIC agencies. Of the 5,427 responses to the 2009 Texas DSHS WIC IFP Survey, 56.6% ( N = 3,070) were included in this study. Measures The Texas DSHS WIC IFPS, a 55-item survey with multiple-choice and two open-ended questions, was used to evaluate breastfeeding beliefs, attitudes, and practices among women receiving WIC services. Results Women who had peer counselor contact during pregnancy, in the hospital, and after delivery were more likely to initiate breastfeeding than women without such contacts, OR = 1.36, 2.06, 1.85, respectively. Conclusion Women's decision to initiate breastfeeding is significantly associated with WIC peer counselor contacts. Continued WIC peer counselor program services may increase breastfeeding initiation rates among WIC participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) combines video and flow cytometric technology to capture images of nano- and microplankton (∼10 to >100 μm) and to measure the chlorophyll fluorescence associated with each image. The images are of sufficient resolution to identify many organisms to genus or even species level. IFCB has provided >200 million images since its installation at the entrance to the Mission-Aransas estuary (Port Aransas, TX, USA) in September 2007. In early February 2008, Dinophysis cells (1–5 · mL−1) were detected by manual inspection of images; by late February, abundance estimates exceeded 200 cells · mL−1. Manual microscopy of water samples from the site confirmed that D. cf. ovum F. Schütt was the dominant species, with cell concentrations similar to those calculated from IFCB data, and toxin analyses showed that okadaic acid was present, which led to closing of shellfish harvesting. Analysis of the time series using automated image classification (extraction of image features and supervised machine learning algorithms) revealed a dynamic phytoplankton community composition. Before the Dinophysis bloom, Myrionecta rubra (a prey item of Dinophysis) was observed, and another potentially toxic dinoflagellate, Prorocentrum, was observed after the bloom. Dinophysis cell-division rates, as estimated from the frequency of dividing cells, were the highest at the beginning of the bloom. Considered on a daily basis, cell concentration increased roughly exponentially up to the bloom peak, but closer inspection revealed that the increases generally occurred when the direction of water flow was into the estuary, suggesting the source of the bloom was offshore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which analyzes the association of low nutritional literacy in parents and childhood obesity in Texas. The study uses the concept analysis in understanding the nutritional literacy. The results of the study will help health professionals to develop strategies that will aid in closing the gap in nutritional literacy.

Tropical cyclones impose tremendous impacts on microplankton communities. When Hurricane Harvey struck Texas in August 2017, delivering record rainfall, the resulting historically large freshwater plume provided an opportunity to identify how the coastal microplankton community responded to such a drastic shift in hydrography. Two cruises were conducted along the Texas coast one week apart to assess the impact of the low-salinity plume moving downcoast. The spatial–temporal variability and recovery of the microplankton community was compared with microplankton community changes during and after 13 other tropical storm/cyclone events observed during the decade-long record from the Texas Observatory for Algal Succession Timeseries (TOAST). Results revealed an unprecedented ciliate-dominated community developed in the weeks following Hurricane Harvey. TOAST data revealed diatoms dominated during upwelling and water column mixing. Moderate downwelling conditions favored dinoflagellates while strong downwelling and reduced salinity following Hurricane Harvey resulted in a ciliate-dominated community. The unexpectedly large biomass of ciliates and low diatom biomass observed during the response cruise indicated that the microplankton community had not yet recovered. Intensification of future hurricanes may produce brief blooms of diatoms, while dinoflagellates or ciliates dominate following high freshwater discharge. These drastic shifts in microplankton communities pose important implications for biogeochemical cycling, trophic interactions and commercial fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Interaction between upwelling and river discharge influenced phytoplankton community. • Stronger upwelling in 2013 led to a diatom-dominated phytoplankton community. • Coastal upwelling recognized as a strong temporal forcing factor in Gulf of Mexico. • Spatial variations in assemblages were determined by upwelling and river discharge. • Dinoflagellates were more prevalent than previously documented in the region. The regional circulation in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico during late spring-summer is modulated by upwelling-favorable winds that can cause coastal upwelling in the western region and by freshwater inputs from the Mississippi-Atchafalaya Rivers. Spatial variability and temporal dynamics of phytoplankton community composition were examined during two upwelling-favorable periods using data obtained with an Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) from two cruises on the Texas-Louisiana shelf in June 2013 and 2014 and from the Texas Observatory for Algal Succession Time series (TOAST) at Port Aransas (Texas). Phytoplankton spatial distributions were determined by the influence of upwelling and river discharged waters. In the 2013 cruise, upwelling was detected in a large portion of the western region and the phytoplankton assemblages were dominated by diatoms, mostly chain-forming taxa. As revealed by the TOAST time series, the upwelling onset caused a dramatic increase in diatom carbon biomass. In the areas not affected by upwelling, variation in the river plume distribution that resulted from the circulation and the different discharge magnitudes for each year influenced the spatial distributions of the phytoplankton community composition. Dinoflagellates and other flagellated taxa were notably dominant during the 2013 cruise, whereas both diatoms and flagellated groups dominated the assemblages during the 2014 cruise. High stratification promoted by freshwater input, notably higher during 2013 than 2014, likely favored the dominance of flagellated groups in 2013. This study provides evidence of the influence of coastal upwelling in the phytoplankton community of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico and contributes to the knowledge of the drivers of community composition in this high-productivity area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]