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Completion of a first-semester chemistry (Chem I) course lays the foundation for understanding second-semester chemistry (Chem II) topics. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of basic arithmetic skills on students' Chem II success in understanding mathematics-grounded concepts (e.g., solutions and aqueous reactions, kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, solubility and equilibria, thermodynamics, electrochemistry, and nuclear chemistry). Previous studies suggest a strong correlation between arithmetic preparation and performance in general chemistry courses, though few have focused on the second-semester course. In this investigation, researchers from six higher-education institutions in Texas, USA of different sizes and with student bodies of different diversities have collaborated to determine whether the Math-Up Skills Test (MUST) is able to reliably identify at-risk students from a population of n = 1599 at the beginning of a Chem II course.

Student retention in higher education has become a critical focus in recent years. This paper describes the efforts of Lone Star College-Online and its Online Student Support Services unit to build and implement a comprehensive suite of services for online students with the intention of enhancing the online student experience and ultimately, directly and indirectly, improving student retention rates. It is hoped that others can learn and gain from the shared successes and challenges presented in this paper. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

Coastal marshes face increasing pressures from climate-related environmental stressors, adversely affecting their biota like plants and microbes. Understanding how marsh communities are influenced by their environment is critical in determining their ability to respond to environmental stressors. Plants harbor microbes that colonize and inhabit their tissues without causing apparent harm ('endosymbionts'). These endosymbionts provide benefits to host plants including mediation of salinity stress response, thus it is important to understand the factors influencing the diversity of endosymbiont communities. We examined the relative influences of biotic (host-related) and abiotic (local environment) factors on the endosymbiont communities associated with the dominant saltmarsh halophyte, Batis maritima. Using culture-based and genetic approaches, we characterized both fungal and bacterial endosymbionts from B. maritima roots in Oso Bay, Texas, along the Gulf of Mexico. Isolation frequency of endosymbionts significantly differed between fungi and bacteria, and the overall diversity was low. Belowground plant biomass and salinity correlated with decreased diversity in fungi, while shifts in fungal composition varied according to light availability. Overall, these findings highlight the relative influences of both biotic and abiotic factors in shaping the root endosymbionts and might differ between fungi and bacteria. Understanding these processes is fundamental to determining the resilience of both endosymbionts and host plants, with implications for ecosystem functions amidst environmental pressures. As anthropogenic-driven environmental changes continue to rise, insights gained from these results can inform future coastal restoration and management especially of at-risk coastal ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of thrips in the High Plains of Texas (USA) was investigated using sticky traps during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Yellow sticky traps were placed in wheat fields and collected and replaced weekly and thrips were counted under a dissecting scope. Weekly wheat reflectance measurements were taken using a hyperspectral radiometer from which normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was calculated for each measurement. Temperature (degree day) and NDVI values were then related to weekly thrips incidence using regression. Thrips incidence curvilinearly increased over time during each of the two seasons and reached a maximum in the middle of June, after which it declined sharply. There was a strong positive relationship between degree days and thrips incidence until the incidence reached a maximum, whereas the incidence was negatively related to NDVI values. Analysis of the thrips changes over time progress with the two variables together showed that degree day has greater impact on thrips incidence than NDVI. However, the steep decline in thrips abundance after its peak in mid‐June suggests that senesced wheat fields with NDVI values near zero are not significant sources of thrips, signifying the importance of wheat growth stages in the seasonal population dynamics of thrips. Overall, the 2‐year results were generally consistent in trends of thrips incidence during the season, which may need to be considered when choosing vegetable planting dates in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the 9-item Concise Health Risk Tracking Self-Report (CHRT-SR 9), a measure of suicidality, in adolescent psychiatric outpatients. Altogether, 933 depressed or suicidal adolescents (12–20 years of age), receiving treatment at psychiatric outpatient clinics in Texas, completed the 16-item CHRT-SR at baseline and one month later. CHRT-SR 9 was extracted from CHRT-SR 16 using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. Sex and age measurement invariance, classical test theory, item response theory (IRT), and concurrent validity analyses (against the suicidal ideation Item 9 of Patient Health Questionnaire-Adolescent (PHQ-A)) were conducted. The CHRT-SR 9 demonstrated excellent model fit with four factors (pessimism, helplessness, despair, and suicidal thoughts). Measurement invariance was upheld. Acceptable item-total correlations (0.56–0.80) and internal consistency (Spearman-Brown 0.78–0.89) were revealed. IRT analyses showed a unidimensional instrument with excellent item performance. Using the CHRT-SR 9 total score as a measure of overall suicidality and comparing it against levels of PHQ-A Item 9, the mean (standard deviation) of CHRT-SR 9 total score was 8.64 (SD = 5.97) for no-risk (0 on Item 9), 17.05 (SD = 5.00) for mild, 23.16 (SD = 5.05) for moderate, and 26.96 (SD = 5.24) for severe-risk (3 on Item 9). Significant differences (p-value<0.0001) indicated that CHRT-SR 9 total score distinguished between levels of suicidal risk. Furthermore, CHRT-SR 9 was sensitive to change over a one-month period. Whether CHRT-SR 9 predicts actual suicidal attempts in adolescents is not well defined. The CHRT-SR 9 is an easy-to-administer, user-friendly self-report with good psychometric qualities which makes it an excellent screening measure of suicidal risk in adolescent psychiatric outpatients. • CHRT-SR 9 is a measure of suicidal risk in adolescent psychiatric outpatients. • It is brief, easy to comprehend, and simple to score. • It has excellent psychometric qualities and stable subscales. • It has high reliability, validity and is sensitive to change in suicidality over time. • It can be useful as a screening tool for suicide or to assess treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Biomass estimates of potential waterfowl foods are fundamental to estimating foraging carrying capacity of waterfowl habitat by conservation planners and managers of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan‐Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV). Rice and moist‐soil seeds in Gulf Coast rice fields provide principal sources of energy for waterfowl during migration and winter. We investigated spatio‐temporal biomass dynamics of these seeds and modeled their variation in production and idled rice fields in southwestern Louisiana, southeastern Texas, and the Texas Mid‐Coast, USA, in August and November 2010–2013. We hypothesized that previous estimates of November rice and moist‐soil seed biomass from the Mississippi Alluvial Valley were not applicable to the GCJV region because climate and agricultural production practices (e.g., ratooning, crayfish [Procambrus spp.] aquaculture) are primary inter‐regional contrasts. Waste‐rice biomass was greatest in November in fields with an unharvested second crop of rice from tillers of original plants (i.e., ratoon crop; 837.7 kg[dry]/ha; CV = 16.7%) and least in fields without a ratoon crop (119.3 kg/ha; CV = 18.5%). Moist‐soil seed biomass was greatest in idled rice fields in October (477.3 kg/ha; CV = 24.8%), where substrate and rice stubble were disked at the time of sampling, and in idled fields with standing native vegetation in November (304.8 kg/ha; CV = 17.1%). Field‐level variation in waste rice in production fields in November was best explained by an interaction between field management (e.g., harvested ratoon) and rice variety. We were unable identify a reliable predictor of field‐level variation in moist‐soil seed biomass in idled fields for July–August or November (i.e., null model was best or competitive). Substituting existing seasonal moist‐soil and rice seed biomass estimates in GCJV planning models with those from our study would result in a seasonally flooded habitat objective 76% (101,974 ha) greater than the current GCJV estimate for 3 rice‐growing planning areas. We encourage conservation planners in the GCJV region to use biomass estimates from our study because they are reasonably precise for planning and implementation (i.e., CV ~ 20%) and represent most contemporary patterns of farming practices and food abundance in this region. Further, programs and incentives that promote production of ratoon rice crops and allow growth of naturally occurring vegetation in idled rice fields, followed by shallow flooding during November–February, would significantly enhance food resources for waterfowl and other waterbirds in this important landscape for North American avifauna. © 2020 The Wildlife Society. Substituting existing seasonal moist‐soil and rice seed biomass estimates in Gulf Coast Joint Venture planning models with those from our study would result in a seasonally flooded habitat objective 76% greater than the current GCJV estimate for 3 rice‐growing planning areas. We encourage conservation planners in the GCJV region to adopt biomass estimates from our study because they are reasonably precise for planning and implementation and represent most contemporary patterns of farming practices and food abundance in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better characterize the relation of acculturation, based on language use, to smoking status among Mexican-Americans, a large study sample from an ongoing cohort of Mexican-American households in Texas was stratified into current smokers and non-smokers. Four language-use groups were created based on Low/High use of Spanish and English, representing different degrees of acculturation. Participants who reported high English but low Spanish use had the highest smoking prevalence (20.1 %), followed by High English/High Spanish (13.6 %), Low English/High Spanish (8.7 %), and Low English/Low Spanish (6.4 %). Current smokers were more likely to be male, have lower than high school education, currently consume alcohol or had consumed alcohol but quit, and report low Spanish/high English use. Consistent with recent models of acculturation, individuals can differ both in their maintenance of the native language and adoption of a new language and both dimensions are important in predicting tobacco use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat streak mosaic (WSM), caused by the Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), which is transmitted by the wheat curl mite ( Aceria tosichella ), is the most prevalent virus disease of wheat in the Texas High Plains. Infected plants initially exhibit mosaic symptoms, which lead to severe stunting, complete chlorosis and, in the most severe cases, eventually plant death. Wheat plants infected with WSMV have lower forage and grain yields and exhibit reduced water-use efficiency compared to non-infected plants. The disease impact on water-use efficiency raises an important issue of whether diseased fields should be irrigated as frequently as non-diseased fields. The issue becomes more relevant when energy costs and the dwindling water resources from the Ogallala Aquifer are taken into consideration. This study examined the potential economic losses due to WSM, using data collected from two fields in 2007 and 2009. A hand-held hyperspectral radiometer was used to quantify severity of WSM in multiple 1 m 2 plots along two transects, each stretching from the edges of the fields to their centers. Grain yield declined exponentially (R 2 = 0.79, P < 0.0001) with increasing disease severity, as measured by reflectance at 555 nm. For economic analysis, grain yield from each plot was used for determining cost adjustments and linked revenues in relation to WSM severity levels, which allowed calculations of potential profit reduction. The method enables one to compare losses associated with different levels of WSM severity to a baseline with little or no WSMV infection. Results show that losses from the disease are primarily an outcome of reduced revenue due to a decrease in grain yield, and, as expected, losses incurred per unit land area rapidly increase with increasing disease incidence and severity. Furthermore, producers incur additional marginal losses when irrigating fields with WSM because there is little or no return for irrigation inputs, as water-use efficiency of severely diseased wheat is drastically reduced. Results from this study are useful in estimating losses at differing levels of disease incidence and severity and represent the first step in development of an economic threshold for wheat streak mosaic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Alcohol dependence is common in bipolar disorder ( BPD) and associated with treatment nonadherence, violence, and hospitalization. Quetiapine is a standard treatment for BPD. We previously reported improvement in depressive symptoms, but not alcohol use, with quetiapine in BPD and alcohol dependence. However, mean alcohol use was low and a larger effect size on alcohol-related measures was observed in those with higher levels of alcohol consumption. In this study, efficacy of quetiapine in patients with BPD and alcohol dependence was examined in patients with higher mean baseline alcohol use than in the prior study. Methods Ninety outpatients with bipolar I or II disorders, depressed or mixed mood state, and current alcohol dependence were randomized to 12 weeks of sustained release quetiapine (to 600 mg/d) add-on therapy or placebo. Drinking was quantified using the Timeline Follow Back method. Additional assessment tools included the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology- Self- Report, Young Mania Rating Scale, Penn Alcohol Craving Scale, liver enzymes, and side effects. Alcohol use and mood were analyzed using a declining-effects random-regression model. Results Baseline and demographic characteristics in the 2 groups were similar. No significant between-group differences were observed on the primary outcome measure of drinks per day or other alcohol-related or mood measures ( p > 0.05). Overall side effect burden, glucose, and cholesterol were similar in the 2 groups. However, a significant weight increase was observed with quetiapine at week 6 (+2.9 lbs [ SE 1.4] quetiapine vs. −2.0 lbs [ SE 1.4], p = 0.03), but not at week 12. Scores on the Barnes Akathisia Scale increased significantly more ( p = 0.04) with quetiapine (+0.40 [ SE 0.3]) than placebo (−0.52 [ SE 0.3]) at week 6 but not week 12. Retention (survival) in the study was similar in the groups. Conclusions Findings suggest that quetiapine does not reduce alcohol consumption in patients with BPD and alcohol dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Wheat streak mosaic virus, vectored by the wheat curl mite Aceria tosichella Keifer, is a major limiting factor in wheat production in the Texas Panhandle. It is the most frequently encountered virus in the region, affecting both shoot and root biomass, and consequently it can drastically reduce both forage and grain yield, and water-use efficiency of the plant. In light of the continuing decline of water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer, its effect on water-use efficiency has significant implications for irrigated fields, especially with regard to energy costs for pumping water. This article estimates the potential economic losses from the virus infection. To achieve this objective, partial budgeting techniques, based primarily on data from field experiments, were used. Results indicate that Wheat streak mosaic virus causes grain and forage yield losses that significantly affect profits from wheat production. In addition, irrigated wheat producers are more negatively affected by the disease due to the economic losses from reduced water-use efficiency of infected plants. The economic insights from this article provide important implications for wheat management and research priority-setting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article provides information about the Texas Medication Algorithm Project, a disease management systems which have been proposed as cost-effective means to offer optimal treatment for patients with severe and chronic mental illnesses. The project was designed to compare health care costs and clinical outcomes between patients who received algorithm-guided medication management or usual care in public mental health clinics.

Background: Based on death certificate data, the Texas Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics calculates age adjusted all-cause mortality rates for each Texas county yearly. In 1998 the calculated rates for two adjacent Texas counties was disparate. These counties contain one city (Amarillo) and are identical in size. This study examined the accuracy of recorded county of residence for deaths in the two counties in 1998. In our jurisdiction, the county of residence is assigned by funeral homes. Methods: A random sample of 20% of death certificates was selected. The accuracy of the county of residence was verified by using a large area map, Tax Appraisal District records, and U.S. Census Bureau databases. Inaccuracies in recording the county or zip code of residence was recorded. Results: Eighteen of 354 (5.4%) death certificates recorded the incorrect county and 21 of 354 (5.9%) of death certificates recorded the zip code improperly. There was a 14.4% county recording error rate for one county compared to a 0.82% for the other county. The zip code error rate was similar for the two counties (5.9% vs. 5.8%). Of the county errors, 83% occurred for addresses within a zip code that contained addresses in both counties. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a large error rate (14%) in recording county of residence for deaths in one county. A similar rate was not seen in an adjacent county. This led to significant miscalculation of mortality rates for two counties. We believe that errors may have arisen in part from use of internet programs by funeral homes to assign the county of residence. With some of these programs, the county is determined by zip code, and when a zip code straddles two counties, the program automatically assigns the county whose name appears first in the alphabet. This type of error could be avoided if funeral homes determined the county of residence from Tax Appraisal District or Census Bureau records, both of which are available on the internet. This type of error could also be avoided if vital statistics offices verified the county and zip code of residence using official sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To develop a statistic measuring the impact of algorithm–driven disease management programs on outcomes for patients with chronic mental illness that allowed for treatment–as–usual controls to “catch up” to early gains of treated patients. Data Sources/Study Setting. Statistical power was estimated from simulated samples representing effect sizes that grew, remained constant, or declined following an initial improvement. Estimates were based on the Texas Medication Algorithm Project on adult patients (age≥18) with bipolar disorder (n = 267) who received care between 1998 and 2000 at 1 of 11 clinics across Texas. Study Design. Study patients were assessed at baseline and three–month follow–up for a minimum of one year. Program tracks were assigned by clinic. Data Collection/Extraction Methods. Hierarchical linear modeling was modified to account for declining–effects. Outcomes were based on 30–item Inventory for Depression Symptomatology—Clinician Version. Principal Findings. Declining–effect analyses had significantly greater power detecting program differences than traditional growth models in constant and declining–effects cases. Bipolar patients with severe depressive symptoms in an algorithm–driven, disease management program reported fewer symptoms after three months, with treatment–as–usual controls “catching up” within one year. Conclusions. In addition to psychometric properties, data collection design, and power, investigators should consider how outcomes unfold over time when selecting an appropriate statistic to evaluate service interventions. Declining–effect analyses may be applicable to a wide range of treatment and intervention trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To simultaneously examine the influence of functional disability on the development of cognitive impairment and the influence of cognitive status on the development of functional disability over time and compare findings across ethnic groups. DESIGN: A population-based longitudinal study. SETTING: Galveston County, Texas. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred sixty-five community-dwelling Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and non-Hispanic whites, aged 75 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Baseline measures included demographics, self-reported chronic medical conditions, functional disability, and cognitive status. Longitudinal measures included functional decline and cognitive decline. RESULTS: Substantial functional decline was associated with each additional error on the mental status measure; substantial cognitive decline was associated with each additional antecedent disability. These findings were evident across all three ethnic groups, even when taking into account the effects of demographic factors and chronic health conditions, although the specific chronic health conditions that influenced cognitive and functional decline were found to vary across the three ethnic groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that, rather than simply being correlated markers of increasing frailty, cognitive and functional decline appear to influence the development of one another. Clinicians need to be aware of these associations, which may affect the direction of preventive care and rehabilitation in the oldest old. Appropriate intervention may result in the prevention or delay of functional disability and cognitive decline. Awareness of the specific chronic health conditions that increase the risk for cognitive or functional decline in various ethnic groups, and the effect of comorbid disease, may also help efforts to prevent decline in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the cooperative effort of both the federal and local governments in dealing with the elemental mercury exposure incident involving elementary students and residents of Amarillo, Texas. According to the author exposure to mercury posses a human health hazard especially to children and create an urgent crises for local environmental and public health agencies. An initial testing conducted by the Texas Department of Environmental Health found that three children brought the mercury to three residences and one elementary school.

The article presents a randomized controlled trial for the efficacy of sustained-release bupropion, setraline, or extended-release venlafaxine to treat major depressive disorder conducted by researchers from the Department of Psychiatry in Dallas, Texas. Results show no significant difference between treatments in time to remission or response. It is inferred that the combined treatments were effective for major depressive disorder after unsuccessful treatment with citopram.

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), vectored by the wheat curl mite Aceria tosichella, is one of the major limiting factors in wheat production in the Texas Panhandle. The mites are blown by wind into wheat fields from nearby volunteer wheat fields or fields supporting vegetation which harbor virulent mites. Consequently, gradients of wheat streak severity are often observed stretching from the edges of wheat fields into the center or beyond. To describe the magnitude of the spatial relationships between grain yield and wheat streak intensity across the field, studies were conducted in 2006 and 2007 in three infected fields. Wheat streak severity was quantified with reflectance measurements (remote sensing) at 555-nm wave length using a hand-held radiometer. Measurements were taken in several equally spaced 1 m² locations along a total of eight transects and grain yield was assessed from a 0.8 m² area of each location. State space analysis was used to describe the relationships in which yield data and reflectance values were used as dependent and explanatory variables, respectively. A structural time series model was formulated as a state space model where the unobserved components were modeled explicitly. In the analysis the state of yield at current location (d) was related to the state of wheat streak intensity either at current locations (d) or lagged locations with autoregressive values of the first order (d-1) or greater. There were significant cross-correlations between yield and wheat streak intensity up to distances of 150 m (P ≤ 0.05). Grain yield at the current position was significantly correlated with reflectance values at the same location and/or at lagged locations. The spatial aspects of the yield-reflectance relationships were best described by state space models with stochastic trends without slopes or deterministic trends with or without slopes. The models correctly predicted almost all of the observed yield values as a function of wheat streak intensity across the field within the 95% confidence interval. Results obtained in this study suggest that state space methodology can be a powerful tool in the study of plant disease spread as a function of other variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group (AG)-1 IA causes soybean foliar blighting (aerial blight) and rice sheath blight diseases. Although taxonomically related within the AG-1 complex, sister populations of R. solani AG-1 IA infecting Poaceae (rice) and Fabaceae (soybean) are genetically distinct based on internal transcribed spacer rDNA. However, there is currently no information available regarding the extent of genetic differentiation and host specialization between rice- and soybean-infecting populations of R. solani AG-1 IA. We used 10 microsatellite loci to compare sympatric R. solani AG-1 IA populations infecting rice and soybeans in Louisiana and one allopatric rice-infecting population from Texas. None of the 154 multilocus genotypes found among the 223 isolates were shared among the three populations. Partitioning of genetic diversity showed significant differentiation among sympatric populations from different host species (ΦST = 0.39 to 0.41). Historical migration patterns between sympatric rice- and soybean-infecting populations from Louisiana were asymmetrical. Rice- and soybean-derived isolates of R. solani AG-1 IA were able to infect both rice and soybean, but were significantly more aggressive on their host of origin, consistent with host specialization. The soybean-infecting population from Louisiana was more clonal than the sympatric rice-infecting population. Most of the loci in the soybean-infecting populations were out of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), but the sympatric rice-infecting population from Louisiana was mainly in HWE. All populations presented evidence for a mixed reproductive system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the epidemiology of Tilletia indica teliospores in naturally infested soils from wheat fields in both Karnal bunt-regulated regions in Texas, soil was grid sampled from fields that were bunted-kernel positive for Karnal bunt in 1997, 2001, both years, or never. Aliquots of soil from each point were pooled, and teliospores were extracted using a size-selective sieving-sucrose centrifugation method. Teliospores were enumerated microscopically, and low quantities (<8 per 25 g of soil) were identified in 14 of 15 fields sampled from the regulated regions of Texas, including fields that have never tested positive for bunted kernels, indicating a widespread distribution. No teliospores were isolated from the single field examined outside of the regulated regions. The percent clay was significantly, negatively correlated with the baseline teliospore number and the estimated (extrapolated) number of teliospores per sample, indicating a potential impact of soil composition on teliospore survival. The latter factor was also significantly, positively correlated to the number of times a field had tested positive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have investigated yield and crop water productivity of plant and soil water sensing feedback systems for site-specific irrigation management of a potato crop. In this two-year study (2018 and 2019), the irrigation scheduling supervisory control and data acquisition (ISSCADA) system developed by scientists at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory in Bushland, Texas, was used to manage a potato crop at three irrigation levels. The ISSCADA system used two different irrigation scheduling methods: (1) plant feedback and (2) a hybrid method that combines plant feedback with soil water sensing with a soil water depletion (SWD) threshold initially set at 50% and reduced to 35% in the second year. Tuber yield, crop water productivity (CWP), and irrigation water productivity (IWP) resulting from the two ISSCADA irrigation scheduling methods were compared with a manual-control method based on weekly neutron probe readings. The irrigation levels were 100%, 80%, and 60% (I100, I80, and I60) of full and were accomplished by either replenishment of SWD to field capacity or by the equivalent plant feedback or SWD thresholds of the ISSCADA system. In the second study year, the SWD threshold was reduced to 35%. Cumulative irrigation amounts for the ISSCADA treatment methods were significantly less compared with the manual-control method in the I100 levels for both years. This resulted in significantly smaller tuber yields and CWP in the first year of the study, a hot dry growing season. In the second year of the study, tuber yields and CWP were similar between irrigation scheduling methods, and IWP was significantly greater for the ISSCADA-plant feedback method. Considering the effect of irrigation treatment, the tuber yields, CWP, and IWP between the I100 and I80 levels were similar in both years, resulting in an average savings of 85 mm at the I80 level. Future studies are needed to investigate if the change in the SWD threshold could enable the ISSCADA-hybrid system to adjust to variable climatic conditions and successfully irrigate potatoes in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse and field studies were conducted to determine the effects of Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), a member of the family Potyviridae, on root development and water-use efficiency (WUE) of two hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars, one susceptible and one resistant to WSMV. In the greenhouse studies, wheat cultivars were grown under three water regimes of 30, 60, and 80% soil saturation capacity. After inoculation with WSMV, plants were grown for approximately 4 weeks and then harvested. Root and shoot weights were measured to determine the effect of the disease on biomass. In all water treatments, root biomass and WUE of inoculated susceptible plants were significantly less (P < 0.05) than those of the noninoculated control plants. However, in the resistant cultivar, significance was only found in the 30 and 60% treatments for root weight and WUE, respectively. Field studies were also conducted under three water regimes based on reference evapotranspiration rates. Significant reductions in forage, grain yield, and crop WUE were observed in the inoculated susceptible plots compared with the noninoculated plots. Both studies demonstrated that wheat streak mosaic reduces WUE, which is a major concern in the Texas Panhandle because of limited availability of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the demographic and clinical features of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) from 1993-2006 in Texas. Case report forms and medical records of the patients submitted to the Department of State Health Services were reviewed. Respiratory symptoms, common laboratory features and distribution of the disease are described.

Eight wheat fields from the Karnal bunt-regulated regions within Texas were grid sampled to gain a better understanding of the ecology and epidemiology of teliospores produced by the causal agent, Tilletia indica. Teliospores from 25-g aliquots of soil from each grid point were extracted using a size-selective sieving sucrose-centrifugation procedure. Teliospores were recovered from all eight fields and, in some cases, from every grid point within a field. Total teliospore numbers ranged from 0 to 1,305 per 25 g of soil. Over 70% of the total grid sampled points contained one or more teliospores. The relation between soil chemical and physical characteristics and teliospore numbers from each field was evaluated. In general, no consistent, significant trend could be made between soil factors and teliospore numbers. Geostatistics were used to analyze data from grid points and create contour maps. Teliospore distribution was aggregated in four of the fields, random in three of the fields, and discontinuous (neither random nor aggregated) in a single field. This is the first report of widespread distribution and high teliospore numbers from wheat field soils in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article determines the magnitude of the impact of rain on the epidemiology of sorghum ergot in the Texas Panhandle through the collection of rainfall data from the three North Plain Evapotranspiration network weather stations representing the southern and central Bushland and the northern Panhandle. The scatter diagram of the relationship between rainfall amount and the percentage of fields with ergot showed a moderately high correlation.

Survival of the sorghum ergot fungus, Claviceps africana, based on pathogenicity of recovered macroconidia used to inoculate sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), was measured in 2000 over the course of the year at five locations in Texas representing three climates. The experiment was repeated in 2001. Sphacelia associated with infected sorghum pan ides were placed in nylon mesh bags and either buried at a 10-cm depth, placed on the soil surface, or suspended 61 cm above the ground. Samples were recovered after 4, 8, and 12 months and assessed for pathogenicity of surviving macroconidia by macerating tissue in water and spraying it onto panicles of flowering male-sterile sorghum in the greenhouse. Survival of ergot macroconidia in recovered panicles declined at all locations after the first 4 months that panicles were left in the field. The decline in viability during this period was greater in 2001 than in 2000. In 2000, survival after 4 months was greatest at Lubbock and Bushland, which have a continental steppe climate, than at the other three Texas locations, Weslaco and Corpus Christi, which have a subtropical subhumid climate, and College Station, which has a subtropical humid climate. However, this difference in survival was not as pronounced in 2001. Additionally, after 8 months, survival levels at all locations were similar. At the end of 12 months, infective macroconidia were found only at Lubbock in 2000, and only at Lubbock and College Station in 2001. Ergot macroconidia can survive in all major sorghum production areas of Texas; thus, conidia would not need to move long distances in order to initiate an epiphytotic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate psychometrically and provide crosswalks between 3 self-report measures of depressive symptomatology in youth in psychiatric care settings. Ratings included the Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-A), a widely used 9-item self-report; the 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (QIDS-SR 16 ); and the 5-item Very Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (VQIDS-SR 5 ), a recent effort to create a bridge from the QIDS-SR 16 to clinical practice., Methods: Data from the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network Registry (August 26, 2020-May 11, 2022) were included in this work. At first visit, 795 depressed or suicidal adolescent (12-20 years of age) psychiatric outpatients completed the PHQ-A, QIDS-SR 16 , and VQIDS-SR 5 . Classical test theory and item-response theory (IRT) analyses were conducted. Crosswalks among total scales were created. Sensitivity to change over 1-month follow-up was assessed for all 3 scales (n = 682)., Results: Cronbach alphas were 0.86 (PHQ-A), 0.80 (QIDS-SR 16 ), and 0.76 (VQIDS-SR 5 ). Item total correlations were 0.49-0.72, 0.29-0.64, and 0.43-0.61, respectively. All 3 scales were unidimensional and sensitive to change over a 1-month period. IRT analyses revealed satisfactory item performance. Modest but significant associations were found between baseline to 1-month changes in PHQ-A and VQIDS-SR 5 total scores ( r  = 0.50, P  < .0001) and between PHQ-A and QIDS-SR 16 total scores ( r  = 0.56; P  < .0001). Categorical thresholds of severity (ie, mild, moderate, severe, and very severe) were comparable between PHQ-A and QIDS-SR 16 ., Conclusions: The PHQ-A, QIDS-SR 16 , and VQIDS-SR 5 are unidimensional, psychometrically acceptable self-reports of depressive prevalence or severity in adolescents and young adults in this sample. Total scale scores on any measure can be converted reliably to those on any other., (© Copyright 2023 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.)

Writing clearly is critical to the success of your scientific career. Unfortunately, this skill is not taught in medical school or postgraduate training. This article summarizes our approach to the writing and publication of your research. Here we focus on empirical or experimental reports of translational and clinically oriented research. We review the process of choosing what to write, how to write it clearly, and how to navigate the process of submission and publication.

Objective: Attrition from treatment in the short and long term for major depressive disorder (MDD) is clearly an adverse outcome. To assist in tailoring the delivery of interventions to specific patients to reduce attrition, this study reports the incidence, timing, and predictors of attrition from outpatient treatment in public mental health clinics., Methods: Outpatients with psychotic and nonpsychotic MDD receiving measurement-based care in the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (N=179) were evaluated to determine timing and rates of attrition as well as baseline sociodemographic, clinical, and attitudinal predictors of attrition., Results: Overall, 23% (42/179) of the patients left treatment by 6 months, and 47% (84/179) left by 12 months. Specific beliefs about the impact of medication, such as its perceived harmfulness, predicted attrition at both 6 and 12 months. Younger age (P=0.0004) and fewer side effects at baseline (P=0.0376) were associated with attrition at 6 months. Younger age (P=0.0013), better perceived physical functioning (P=0.0007), and more negative attitudes about psychiatric medications at baseline (P=0.0075) were associated with attrition at 12 months., Conclusions: Efforts to elicit attitudes about medications and tailoring educational and other retention interventions for patients with negative beliefs about antidepressants both when initiating a new medication and throughout treatment may reduce attrition. Particular focus on younger patients and those requiring frequent visits may be helpful.

Objective: This article describes the implementation and utilization of the patient and family education program (PFEP) component of the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP). The extent of participation, types of psychoeducation received, and predictors of receiving at least a minimum level of education are presented., Method: TMAP included medication guidelines, a dedicated clinical coordinator, standardized assessments of symptoms and side effects, uniform documentation, and a PFEP. The PFEP includes phased, multimodal, disorder-specific educational materials for patients and families. Participants were adult outpatients of 1 of 7 community mental health centers in Texas that were implementing the TMAP disease management package. Patients had DSM-IV clinical diagnoses of major depressive disorder, with or without psychotic features; bipolar I disorder or schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type; or schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Assessments were administered by independent research coordinators. Study data were collected between March 1998 and March 2000, and patients participated for at least 1 year., Results: Of the 487 participants, nearly all (95.1%) had at least 1 educational encounter, but only 53.6% of participants met criteria for "minimum exposure" to individual education interventions. Furthermore, only 31.0% participated in group education, and 42.5% had a family member involved in at least 1 encounter. Participants with schizophrenia were less involved in the PFEP across multiple indicators of utilization. Diagnosis, intensity of symptoms, age, and receipt of public assistance were related to the likelihood of exposure to minimum levels of individual education., Conclusion: Despite adequate resources and infrastructure to provide PFEP, utilization was less than anticipated. Although implementation guidelines were uniform across diagnoses, participants with schizophrenia experienced less exposure to psychoeducation. Recommendations for improving program implementation and modification of materials are discussed.

Context: The Texas Medication Algorithm Project is an evaluation of an algorithm-based disease management program for the treatment of the self-declared persistently and seriously mentally ill in the public mental health sector., Objective: To present clinical outcomes for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) during 12-month algorithm-guided treatment (ALGO) compared with treatment as usual (TAU)., Design: Effectiveness, intent-to-treat, prospective trial comparing patient outcomes in clinics offering ALGO with matched clinics offering TAU., Setting: Four ALGO clinics, 6 TAU clinics, and 4 clinics that offer TAU to patients with MDD but provide ALGO for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Patients Male and female outpatients with a clinical diagnosis of MDD (psychotic or nonpsychotic) were divided into ALGO and TAU groups. The ALGO group included patients who required an antidepressant medication change or were starting antidepressant therapy. The TAU group initially met the same criteria, but because medication changes were made less frequently in the TAU group, patients were also recruited if their Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale total score was higher than the median for that clinic's routine quarterly evaluation of each patient., Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcomes included (1) symptoms measured by the 30-item Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Clinician-Rated scale (IDS-C(30)) and (2) function measured by the Mental Health Summary score of the Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) obtained every 3 months. A secondary outcome was the 30-item Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report scale (IDS-SR(30))., Results: All patients improved during the study (P<.001), but ALGO patients had significantly greater symptom reduction on both the IDS-C(30) and IDS-SR(30) compared with TAU. ALGO was also associated with significantly greater improvement in the SF-12 mental health score (P =.046) than TAU., Conclusion: The ALGO intervention package during 1 year was superior to TAU for patients with MDD based on clinician-rated and self-reported symptoms and overall mental functioning.

Background: The symptomatic outcomes of a cohort of public mental health sector depressed outpatients treated for 1 year are described to provide a benchmark for future long-term trials. Baseline moderators of outcome were evaluated., Methods: Outpatients with nonpsychotic major depressive disorder (n = 118) scoring >/=30 on the 30-item Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Clinician Rating (IDS-C(30)) were treated with a medication algorithm and patient/family education package. Response and remission rates were assessed every 3 months with the IDS-C(30). Logistic regression analyses evaluated several baseline features in relation to outcome., Results: While response and remission rates increased from 3 to 12 months, the 1-year last observation carried forward (LOCF) response (26.3%) and remission (11.0%) rates were not impressive (sustained response = 14.4%; sustained remission = 5.1%). Younger patients and those with full-time employment (at baseline) were more likely to respond. A shorter length of illness tended to be associated with higher response and remission rates (p <.10). Results are generalizable to public sector patients with substantial socioeconomic, general medical, and educational disadvantages who were sufficiently depressed to recommend a change in antidepressant medication., Conclusions: Response and remission rates were modest when compared with outcomes in shorter duration efficacy trials in depressed outpatients with less chronicity, fewer concurrent general medical conditions, and less treatment resistance. Results support the need for more powerful treatments and/or the better delivery of available treatments.

Background: The Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP) has been a public-academic collaboration in which guidelines for medication treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder were used in selected public outpatient clinics in Texas. Subsequently, these algorithms were implemented throughout Texas and are being used in other states. Guidelines require updating when significant new evidence emerges; the antipsychotic algorithm for schizophrenia was last updated in 1999. This article reports the recommendations developed in 2002 and 2003 by a group of experts, clinicians, and administrators., Method: A conference in January 2002 began the update process. Before the conference, experts in the pharmacologic treatment of schizophrenia, clinicians, and administrators reviewed literature topics and prepared presentations. Topics included ziprasidone's inclusion in the algorithm, the number of antipsychotics tried before clozapine, and the role of first generation antipsychotics. Data were rated according to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality criteria. After discussing the presentations, conference attendees arrived at consensus recommendations. Consideration of aripiprazole's inclusion was subsequently handled by electronic communications., Results: The antipsychotic algorithm for schizophrenia was updated to include ziprasidone and aripiprazole among the first-line agents. Relative to the prior algorithm, the number of stages before clozapine was reduced. First generation antipsychotics were included but not as first-line choices. For patients refusing or not responding to clozapine and clozapine augmentation, preference was given to trying monotherapy with another antipsychotic before resorting to antipsychotic combinations., Conclusion: Consensus on algorithm revisions was achieved, but only further well-controlled research will answer many key questions about sequence and type of medication treatments of schizophrenia.

Background: The present study provides additional data on the psychometric properties of the 30-item Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS) and of the recently developed Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS), a brief 16-item symptom severity rating scale that was derived from the longer form. Both the IDS and QIDS are available in matched clinician-rated (IDS-C30; QIDS-C16) and self-report (IDS-SR30; QIDS-SR16) formats., Method: The patient samples included 544 out-patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 402 out-patients with bipolar disorder (BD) drawn from 19 regionally and ethnicically diverse clinics as part of the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP). Psychometric analyses including sensitivity to change with treatment were conducted., Results: Internal consistencies (Cronbach's alpha) ranged from 0.81 to 0.94 for all four scales (QIDS-C16, QIDS-SR16, IDS-C30 and IDS-SR30) in both MDD and BD patients. Sad mood, involvement, energy, concentration and self-outlook had the highest item-total correlations among patients with MDD and BD across all four scales. QIDS-SR16 and IDS-SR30 total scores were highly correlated among patients with MDD at exit (c = 0.83). QIDS-C16 and IDS-C30 total scores were also highly correlated among patients with MDD (c = 0.82) and patients with BD (c = 0.81). The IDS-SR30, IDS-C30, QIDS-SR16, and QIDS-C16 were equivalently sensitive to symptom change, indicating high concurrent validity for all four scales. High concurrent validity was also documented based on the SF-12 Mental Health Summary score for the population divided in quintiles based on their IDS or QIDS score., Conclusion: The QIDS-SR16 and QIDS-C16, as well as the longer 30-item versions, have highly acceptable psychometric properties and are treatment sensitive measures of symptom severity in depression.

Medication algorithms developed in Texas are being implemented in a number of states in the United States and internationally. This report describes a quality improvement process adapted from the Texas Medication Algorithm Project that was used to implement the Texas algorithm for schizophrenia in Ohio. A total of 38 physicians were surveyed about their perceptions of barriers to implementation of the guidelines. The physicians generally thought that the schizophrenia algorithm was good, current, and applicable. Although they did not perceive barriers to its implementation, they did not seem to alter their practices to a great extent in response to the algorithm. The results of the study may guide other states in their implementation of algorithms.

Background: Medication treatment algorithms may improve clinical outcomes, uniformity of treatment, quality of care, and efficiency. However, such benefits have never been evaluated for patients with severe, persistent mental illnesses. This study compared clinical and economic outcomes of an algorithm-driven disease management program (ALGO) with treatment-as-usual (TAU) for adults with DSM-IV schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD) treated in public mental health outpatient clinics in Texas., Discussion: The disorder-specific intervention ALGO included a consensually derived and feasibility-tested medication algorithm, a patient/family educational program, ongoing physician training and consultation, a uniform medical documentation system with routine assessment of symptoms and side effects at each clinic visit to guide ALGO implementation, and prompting by on-site clinical coordinators. A total of 19 clinics from 7 local authorities were matched by authority and urban status, such that 4 clinics each offered ALGO for only 1 disorder (SCZ, BD, or MDD). The remaining 7 TAU clinics offered no ALGO and thus served as controls (TAUnonALGO). To determine if ALGO for one disorder impacted care for another disorder within the same clinic ("culture effect"), additional TAU subjects were selected from 4 of the ALGO clinics offering ALGO for another disorder (TAUinALGO). Patient entry occurred over 13 months, beginning March 1998 and concluding with the final active patient visit in April 2000. Research outcomes assessed at baseline and periodically for at least 1 year included (1) symptoms, (2) functioning, (3) cognitive functioning (for SCZ), (4) medication side effects, (5) patient satisfaction, (6) physician satisfaction, (7) quality of life, (8) frequency of contacts with criminal justice and state welfare system, (9) mental health and medical service utilization and cost, and (10) alcohol and substance abuse and supplemental substance use information. Analyses were based on hierarchical linear models designed to test for initial changes and growth in differences between ALGO and TAU patients over time in this matched clinic design.

Background: The Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP) assessed the clinical and economic impact of algorithm-driven treatment (ALGO) as compared with treatment-as-usual (TAU) in patients served in public mental health centers. This report presents clinical outcomes in patients with a history of mania (BD), including bipolar I and schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, during 12 months of treatment beginning March 1998 and ending with the final active patient visit in April 2000., Method: Patients were diagnosed with bipolar I disorder or schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, according to DSM-IV criteria. ALGO was comprised of a medication algorithm and manual to guide treatment decisions. Physicians and clinical coordinators received training and expert consultation throughout the project. ALGO also provided a disorder-specific patient and family education package. TAU clinics had no exposure to the medication algorithms. Quarterly outcome evaluations were obtained by independent raters. Hierarchical linear modeling, based on a declining effects model, was used to assess clinical outcome of ALGO versus TAU., Results: ALGO and TAU patients showed significant initial decreases in symptoms (p =.03 and p <.001, respectively) measured by the 24-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS-24) at the 3-month assessment interval, with significantly greater effects for the ALGO group. Limited catch-up by TAU was observed over the remaining 3 quarters. Differences were also observed in measures of mania and psychosis but not in depression, side-effect burden, or functioning., Conclusion: For patients with a history of mania, relative to TAU, the ALGO intervention package was associated with greater initial and sustained improvement on the primary clinical outcome measure, the BPRS-24, and the secondary outcome measure, the Clinician-Administered Rating Scale for Mania (CARS-M). Further research is planned to clarify which elements of the ALGO package contributed to this between-group difference.

The agreement of practicing psychiatrists with medication experts regarding how psychotropic drugs should be used to treat behavioral and psychiatric problems in patients with mental retardation was studied. The medication survey used in developing guidelines on the treatment of behavioral and psychiatric problems in mental retardation was sent to 85 psychiatrists who had been identified as caring for the mentally retarded in the Texas public mental health system. The comparison of these practitioners with the medication experts included first-line and second-line treatment choices. Survey analysis was based on using 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the type of rating. If the 95% CIs for the practitioners' responses overlapped the 95% CIs for experts, the two groups were judged to be in agreement. Thirty-seven practitioners (43.5%) completed and returned the survey. Few differences between the practitioners and the medication experts were found with respect to treatments for specific mental illness diagnoses. However, the practitioners rated venlafaxine and mirtazapine higher than the medication experts. Lithium augmentation of therapy with selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors for nonpsychotic depression was rated first-line by the practitioners and second-line by the medication experts. Practicing psychiatrists and medication experts generally agreed about the use of psychotropic drugs for mental illness in patients with mental retardation.