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State legislation serves as a guide and critical influence on the evaluation and identification of students with dyslexia across the United States. The state of Texas has numerous laws and regulations concerning dyslexia, guided by the Texas Administrative Code, Texas Education Code, Texas Occupations Code, and the Texas Education Agency's dyslexia handbook (National Center on Improving Literacy [NCIL], 2021). This article is an analysis of publicly available statewide data to assess the impact federal and state legislative policies have had on the prevalence rate of students with dyslexia in 839 urban and rural school districts in Texas. 839 school districts from the 2016-2017 to 2022-2023 school years were extracted from the Texas Education Agency's Public Education Information Management System. Researchers focused on the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Corrective Action to the TEA (OSEP, 2018), the TEA state dyslexia handbook revisions (TEA, 2021), and the unique prevalence of rural school districts in Texas (Simmons et al., 2021). Analysis focused on implications for dyslexia evaluation and identification practices for school districts and evaluators within the state.

An inferential comprehension intervention addressing reading comprehension difficulties of middle schoolers was tested. Method Students in Grades 6 to 8 (n = 145; 53.8% female; 71% White; 24% Black) who failed their state literacy test, were randomly assigned to tutor-led, computerized, or business-as-usual [BaU] interventions. Results The tutor-led intervention produced significant effects compared to BaU (g = 0.40) and computer-led (g = 0.30) on inference types instructed in the intervention. Students with adequate word reading in tutor-led gained more compared to BaU on WIAT-III Reading Comprehension. Boys gained more from tutor-led and BaU vs. computer-led on several measures. Conclusion Inferential comprehension is malleable in middle school, but adequate word reading may be important. The effects for boys vs. girls suggest the need to understand intervention factors beyond the content and instructional procedures of interventions. Findings are discussed with reference to theories of inference and reading comprehension as well as the literature on technology-aided literacy interventions.

Special education policy impacts education equity. More specifically, special education policy surrounding the identification of students with disabilities and the provision of instructional support services to students identified as having a disability has experienced critical public attention and landmark federal and state mandates for reform over the past four academic years in the state of Texas. This article consults publicly available statewide data to assess the impact legislative amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has had on urban and rural school districts located in the state of Texas. Using a two-tiered multilevel statistical analyses, changes in discrete special education eligibility categories are studied and trends in special education identification rates in rural and urban schools are compared. This investigation highlights disparities in special education identification rates between schools located in rural and urban areas. Implications for special education assessment practices, rural special education support and education policy are discussed.

Developing preservice special educators' understandings of curricular content knowledge in inclusive and self-contained settings is essential. The purpose of the present study was to better understand specific preparation practices teacher educators use to equip preservice special educators with curricular content knowledge. Using a survey research design, qualitative data were collected among 36 experienced teacher educators in Texas and analyzed through three levels of coding. Three themes emerged and provided a snapshot of current preparation practices. Implications for teacher educators were described, along with descriptions of innovative, evidence-based preparation practices presented in current literature that may improve preservice special educator learning.

Research has consistently demonstrated the benefits of using ePortfolios in higher education and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) added ePortfolios to its High-Impact Practices list (Watson, Kuh, Rhodes, Light, & Chen, 2016). The majority of studies on college students' ePortfolio use have focused on implementation within a specific course or from a faculty perspective. Given the important benefit of ePortfolios for lifelong student learning, it is important to assess factors which impact intrinsic motivation from a student-centered perspective. This paper details a study of college students' motivation and confidence to use an ePortfolio system as part of a university-wide quality enhancement plan that included high-impact, experiential learning activities. This study also explored college students' personal values and their perceived advantages and disadvantages of ePortfolio use within the context of experiential learning and reflection. Data were analyzed from 339 student responses from a survey constructed based on motivational interviewing. Overall, students reported low levels of motivation and moderate levels of confidence to use ePortfolios. In addition, students who had participated in an experiential learning activity through the university's QEP reported higher confidence than those who had not. Factors identified as potentially impacting students' motivation and confidence to use ePortfolios are discussed in terms of how they can support strategies to implement ePortfolio and experiential learning programs in large, 4-year college institutions.

This study utilized secondary analyses of a randomized controlled trial and investigated the extent to which prestest word identification efficiency, reading fluency, and vocabulary knowledge moderated the effects of an intervention on reading comprehension outcomes for struggling readers in sixth through eighth grades. Given that the experimental intervention included components that targeted word reading, reading fluency, and vocabulary, we hypothesized that students with lower pretest performance in those skill domains would benefit more from the intervention compared to students with relatively stronger pretest performance or students who received school-implemented (business-as-usual) intervention. Results indicated that pretest word identification efficiency and vocabulary did not moderate the effects of the intervention; however, moderation effects were observed for pretest oral reading fluency such that reading comprehension gains of students with lower pretest fluency were greater in the experimental intervention compared to students with higher pretest fluency or in the comparison condition. Reasons for the moderation effect are discussed. Findings underscore the use of moderation analyses when evaluating multicomponent interventions.

This study examined the predictive validity of formative assessments embedded in a Tier 2 intervention curriculum for kindergarten students identified as at risk for reading difficulty. We examined when (i.e., months during the school year) measures could predict reading outcomes gathered at the end of kindergarten and whether the predictive validity of measures changed across the kindergarten year. Participants consisted of 137 kindergarten students whose reading development was assessed four times from October to February. Measures aligned with content taught in the curriculum and assessed a range of phonologic, alphabetic, and word-reading skills. Results from structural equation modeling indicate that 36.3% to 65.2% of the variance was explained on the latent decoding outcome and 62.0% to 86.8% on the latent phonological outcome across the four time points. Furthermore, the predictive validity of specific skills increased over the kindergarten year, with more complicated tasks (e.g., word segmentation) becoming more predictive at subsequent measurement occasions. Results suggest that curriculum-embedded measures may be viable tools for assessing and predicting reading performance.

Despite the emerging evidence base on response to intervention, there is limited research regarding how to effectively use progress-monitoring data to adjust instruction for students in Tier 2 intervention. In this study, we analyzed extant data from a series of randomized experimental studies of a kindergarten supplemental reading intervention to determine whether linking performance on formative assessments to curriculum progression improved kindergarten reading outcomes over standard implementation. We were interested in whether specific progression adjustments would enhance the effects of supplemental reading intervention. Growth-mixture modeling using data from kindergarteners (n = 136) whose intervention progression (e.g. repeat lessons, skip lessons) was adjusted every 4 weeks based on mastery data identified four latent classes characterized by unique profiles of curriculum progression adjustments. Multilevel analyses comparing the performance of students in the four classes with that of propensity matched groups whose intervention was not adjusted (n = 101) indicated positive effects of curriculum progression for (a) students whose formative assessment performance exceeded 90% and received early and sustained lesson acceleration and (b) students who initially performed below 70% on assessments and who repeated early lessons and progressed to conventional implementation. Effects of curriculum adjustments for the two smallest groups were less clear.

Many attendees of live classical music concerts are experiencing programmed music for the first time and some are unfamiliar with the performance genre itself, particularly if their backgrounds do not include formal music training. Because listeners are less likely to enjoy music they are hearing for the first time, it could be beneficial for performing musicians to maximize all other factors within their control that may enhance their audience's experience. By programming effectively and providing supplementary information about the pieces being performed in program notes, they may facilitate more positive responses from the audience. Although program notes are commonly included in concert programs created for formal music performances, relatively few studies have examined whether providing listeners with these detailed notes affects their enjoyment of unfamiliar music, and the results of this work are somewhat unclear and inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to determine whether program notes that include the text of unfamiliar choral pieces would affect nonmusicians' listening enjoyment, and to determine whether such effects would vary depending on the compositional complexity of the music heard. Eighteen participants (N=269, male=62, 2 abstained) were undergraduate students between the ages of 18-35 (M=20.22, 61 abstained) enrolled in nine sections of music classes for nonmusic majors at Texas State University (e.g., general music methods for elementary education majors). Participants voluntarily completed a survey distributed during a regular class meeting that required them to read program notes, listen to a prepared recording of three choral works, and rate how much they enjoyed listening to the music. These data suggest that providing program notes containing composed text may have no discernable effect on the extent to which nonmusicians enjoy listening to unfamiliar choral music.

In this experimental study we examined the effects of a technology-mediated, multicomponent reading comprehension intervention, Comprehension Circuit Training (CCT), for middle school students, the majority of whom were struggling readers. The study was conducted in three schools, involving three teachers and 228 students. Using a within-teacher design, middle school teachers' reading classes were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 9) or business as usual (n = 7) conditions. In the CCT condition, students received, on average, 39 lessons of video-modeled instruction in word reading, vocabulary, and comprehension instruction during reading intervention classes. Results of multilevel structural equation models indicated statistically significant effects favoring the CCT condition on three measures: reading comprehension latent variable (ES = 0.14), proximal vocabulary (ES = 0.43), and silent reading efficiency (ES = 0.28). Subgroup analyses indicated that students with lower entry-level reading comprehension tended to benefit more from the CCT intervention in reading comprehension, silent reading efficiency, and state test scores.

Innovative models of teaching through research have broken the long-held paradigm that core chemistry competencies must be taught with predictable, scripted experiments. We describe here five fundamentally different, course-based undergraduate research experiences that integrate faculty research projects, accomplish ACS accreditation objectives, provide the benefits of an early research experience to students, and have resulted in publishable findings. The model detailed is the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) at The University of Texas at Austin. While there are currently 30+ active FRI research groups, or "streams", we focus this report on five different chemistry streams in these four areas (organic, inorganic, analytical, and biochemistry) to demonstrate how general chemistry laboratory skills are taught in the context of these varied research disciplines. To illustrate the flexibility of the FRI model for teaching first-year chemistry, we show how each stream teaches students three different skills within the context of their research: making (synthesis), measuring (UV-vis spectroscopy), and characterization. As a unifying example, all five chemistry streams describe using UV-vis spectroscopy to characterize new synthetic molecules, complexes, and compounds, followed by extensive quantitative collection, processing, and analysis of experimental data sets. The FRI model allows full integration of training in mandatory and accredited general chemistry skill sets with open-ended research experiences with unexpected outcomes in undergraduate science curricula. In turn, this model enables undergraduates to be productive contributors to new knowledge and scientific discovery at the earliest levels of the undergraduate experience.

This exploratory study examined the influences of student, teacher, and setting characteristics on kindergarteners' early reading outcomes and investigated whether those relations were moderated by type of intervention. Participants included 206 kindergarteners identified as at risk for reading difficulties and randomly assigned to one of two supplemental interventions: (a) an experimental explicit, systematic, code-based program or (b) their schools' typical kindergarten reading intervention. Results from separate multilevel structural equation models indicated that among student variables, entry-level alphabet knowledge was positively associated with phonemic and decoding outcomes in both conditions. Entry-level rapid automatized naming also positively influenced decoding outcomes in both conditions. However, its effect on phonemic outcomes was statistically significant only among children in the typical practice comparison condition. Regarding teacher variables, the quality of instruction was associated with significantly higher decoding outcomes in the typical reading intervention condition but had no statistically significant influence on phonemic outcomes in either condition. Among setting variables, instruction in smaller group sizes was associated with better phonemic outcomes in the comparison condition but had no statistically significant influence on outcomes of children in the intervention group. Mode of delivery (i.e., pullout vs. in class) had no statistically significant influence on either outcome variable. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)

The purpose of this varied replication study was to evaluate the effects of a supplemental reading intervention on the beginning reading performance of kindergarten students in a different geographical location and in a different instructional context from the initial randomized trial. A second purpose was to investigate whether students who received the intervention across both the initial and replication studies demonstrated similar learning outcomes. Kindergarten students (n = 162) identified as at risk of reading difficulty from 48 classrooms were assigned randomly at the classroom level either to a commercial program (i.e., Early Reading Intervention; Pearson/Scott Foresman, 2004) that included explicit/systematic instruction (experimental group) or school-designed typical practice intervention (comparison group). Both interventions were taught by classroom teachers for 30 min per day in small groups for approximately 100 sessions. Multilevel hierarchical linear analyses revealed no statistically significant differences between conditions on any measure. Combined analyses that included students from both the initial and replication studies suggested that differences in the impact of the intervention across studies were largely explained by mean differences in the comparison group students' response to school-designed intervention. (Contains 10 tables, 1 figure, and 1 footnote.)

This study examined the predictive validity of combinations of progress-monitoring measures: (a) curriculum-embedded phonemic awareness and alphabetic/decoding measures, and (b) Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS; Good & Kaminski, 2002) nonsense word fluency and phoneme segmentation fluency on reading outcomes of kindergarten students in a tier 2 intervention. Results of multiple-regression analyses indicated that curriculum-embedded mastery checks and DIBELS measures each explained a significant amount of variance on the outcome measure. However, curriculum-embedded measures explained statistically significantly more variance at each time point supporting their utility in documenting progress of kindergarten students receiving intervention. (Contains 5 tables.)

This study compared the effects of 2 supplemental interventions on the beginning reading performance of kindergarteners identified as at risk of reading difficulty. Students (N = 206) were assigned randomly at the classroom level either to an explicit/systematic commercial program or to a school-designed practice intervention taught 30 min per day in small groups for approximately 100 sessions. Multilevel hierarchical linear analyses revealed statistically significant effects favoring the explicit/systematic intervention on alphabetic, phonemic, and untimed decoding skills with substantive effect sizes on all measures except word identification and passage comprehension. Group performance did not differ statistically on more advanced reading and spelling skills. Findings support the efficacy of both supplemental interventions and suggest the benefit of the more explicit/systematic intervention for children who are most at risk of reading difficulty. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)

This study was designed to investigate the extent to which the presentation of an auditory model prior to learning a novel melody affects performance during active practice and the overnight consolidation of procedural memory. During evening training sessions, 32 nonpianist musicians practiced a 13-note keyboard melody with their left (nondominant) hand in twelve 30-s practice intervals separated by 30-s rest intervals. Participants were instructed to play the sequence "as quickly, accurately, and evenly as possible." Approximately half the participants, prior to the first practice interval, listened to 10 repetitions of the target melody played at 552 tones per minute (half note = 138). All participants were tested on the target melody the following morning, approximately 12 hr after training, in three 30-s blocks separated by 30-s rest intervals. Performance was measured in terms of the mean number of correct key presses per 30-s block (CKP/B). Consistent with previous research, participants made considerable improvements in CKP/B during the evening training sessions and between the end of training and the morning test sessions. Learners who listened to the model made significantly larger gains in performance during training and between the end of training and test than did those who did not hear the model.

This research was designed to determine whether musicians' learning is affected by the time intervals interposed between practice sessions. Twenty-nine non-pianist musicians learned a 9-note sequence on a piano keyboard in three practice sessions that were separated by 5 min, 6 hr, or 24 hr. Significant improvements in performance accuracy were observed in Session 2 only in the group whose sessions were separated by 24 hr. There were significant increases in performance speed in Session 2 in all three practice conditions, results which likely were attributable to the inclusion of all Session 1 data in the analysis. Additional significant speed increases were observed in Session 3 only in the groups whose sessions were separated by 6 and 24 hr. These results suggest that sleep-based procedural memory consolidation may enhance performance accuracy in music skill learning, whereas enhancements in performance speed may be attributable to both wake- and sleep-based consolidation processes. (Contains 4 notes and 3 figures.)

This study examined the influences of problem behaviors on kindergarten reading outcomes and investigated the extent to which explicit, code-based reading instruction moderated those relations among 206 children identified as being at risk of reading difficulty. Children from the classrooms of 57 kindergarten teachers in 12 schools were randomly assigned to an early reading intervention program or school-determined comparison intervention. In both conditions, children received 30 minutes of small-group supplementary reading instruction for 21 weeks. Findings from multilevel modeling revealed many associations between problem behaviors and reading outcomes for children in both conditions. Interaction analyses indicated that explicit, code-based reading intervention moderated the negative impact of externalizing problem behavior on end-of-kindergarten measures of alphabet knowledge, phonemic blending, and word reading. This type of intensive systematic reading instruction also moderated the influence of hyperactivity on children's alphabet knowledge and phonemic blending. There were no moderator effects for internalizing problem behavior. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)

In this study we examined the effects of dimensions of teacher quality on students' comprehension and vocabulary performance. Participants were 36 teachers and their respective 679 students in 2 medium-size school districts in central Texas, both of which served high proportions of children from low-socioeconomic status households. We matched schools in Districts 1 and 2 on the previous year's reading achievement performance and then assigned them to 1 of 2 experimental conditions--comprehension or content vocabulary--through stratified random assignment, with each condition represented in multiple schools in each district. Teachers in each condition participated in a distributed 15 hr of content- and curriculum-based professional development over an 18-week period. The intervention was for 30 min, 3 times a week. We examined the following dimensions of teacher quality: teacher qualifications, instructional practices, quality of strategy use, treatment fidelity, and instructional effectiveness. We used student measures of reading comprehension, content vocabulary, and social studies knowledge to explore the effects of teacher quality. Teachers' education, fidelity, and indicators of teacher quality were significantly related to student outcomes on a standardized measure of reading comprehension. (Contains 1 figure and 7 tables.)

Women arrested for intimate partner violence raise challenges for those working in domestic violence programs. Theoretically, there is no agreement about whether women are aggressive for the same reasons as men or merely victims fighting back in an abusive relationship. Practically, there is very little research to guide treatment of this population. In the current exploratory study, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) personality profiles of 78 females referred by the courts to a domestic violence diversion program were compared to those of a matched sample of 78 males referred by the courts to the same program. Compared with male offenders, women were more likely to demonstrate elevated histrionic, narcissistic, and compulsive personality traits, and less likely to demonstrate dependant personality traits. Additionally, women in this study were more likely to display MCMI-III profiles indicating the presence of personality disorders. Implications of these findings for the treatment setting are discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 2 graphs.)

Describes implementation and evaluation of high school peer-coaching program that provides for two or three teachers to help one another improve their teaching techniques. Majority of 17 teachers in study report reduced sense of isolation and improved teaching skills. (Contains 17 references.) (PKP)

Youth with involvement in foster care and the juvenile justice system, often called dual-status youth, are at increased risk for negative outcomes as they transition into adulthood, including homelessness, and involvement in the adult criminal justice system. Increase of interest in the phenomenon of youth dual involvement within the last decade, reveals focus on challenges associated with the dual-status population, the importance of multi-system collaboration, and foster care factors contributing to juvenile delinquency. This study aims to build on the current literature, through exploration of how dually-involved youth make sense of their experiences in the juvenile justice and foster care systems; and what youth believe are their unique challenges of being in two systems? This phenomenological study engaged ten individuals in Houston, Texas, between the ages of 18 and 24 years old, and previously involved in the juvenile justice and foster care systems. Research subjects participated in-depth, semi-structured, and audio-recorded interviews, disclosing their experiences in two systems. Interviews were transcribed and entered in the qualitative analytical program, Atlas.ti, where common themes of participant responses were extracted. Accounts from participants highlighted three key experiences: (1) experiences of and leading to dual involvement, (2) traumatic experiences, and (3) absence of normalcy. Study results are categorized based on their pathways to dual-involvement. This current study offers rich insights into how dually-involved youth make sense of their experiences in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Implications for enhanced service provision among child welfare and juvenile justice professionals are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Competing effects of rock consolidation versus microcracking/mineral dissolution led to fluctuating sample bulk modulus. • Although the presence of CO 2 increased mineral dissolution there was no discernible difference in the strain evolution between control and reactive tests. • Prescence of CO 2 did not enhance rock compaction as the structurally supporting quartz cements were not affected by CO 2. We conducted four hydrostatic creep/flow-through experiments to investigate the evolution of rock hydraulic and mechanical properties due to fluid-rock interactions in the context of underground CO 2 utilization and storage. The experiments were performed on the macroporosity-dominated lithofacies of the Morrow B sandstone. The Morrow B is an early Pennsylvanian fluvial/marine deposit, and the target reservoir of an ongoing CO 2 -enhanced oil recovery project at the Farnsworth Unit oilfield, Ochiltree County, Texas. Core samples were held at 38.5 MPa effective stress and 100 °C while flowing through reservoir brackish solution (control) or CO 2 -enriched reservoir brackish solution at different flow rates (0.01, 0.02, and 0.1 ml/min). We monitored the evolution of the outlet fluid chemistry, sample axial strain, permeability, and bulk modulus, and measured pre- and post-experiment porosities and ultrasonic wave velocities. Results showed mineral dissolution, but no enhanced creep deformation in the presence of CO 2. Samples experienced fluctuations in the bulk modulus of elasticity with up to 18% and 3% increases for flow-through with reservoir brackish solution and CO 2 -enriched reservoir solution, respectively. Permeability decreased monotonically during flow-through with brackish solution, but fluctuated with CO 2 -rich brackish solution. All samples experienced a decrease in the post-test ultrasonic wave velocities, where the decrease was proportional to the test duration. Chemical reactions were not rate limited, and ion concentrations varied as the fluid volume through the core for all experiments irrespective of flow rate, duration, or experiment type. We believe that the observed fluctuation in sample bulk modulus was due to dissolution/microcracking leading to rock softening versus rock consolidation/pressure solution leading to rock stiffening, which is supported by petrographic observations. CO 2 -driven dissolution of disseminated ankerite cements did not cause enhanced compaction because of their low occurrence and the presence of the more abundant unreactive pre-compaction quartz cements forming long contacts with the framework grains. Porous sandstone reservoirs whose framework grains are supported by early diagenetic (pre-compaction) quartz cements make good targets for the long-term safe underground storage of CO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014 brought attention to a myriad of current issues involving youth experiences in foster care. Barriers in youth's freedom to participate in normal, age and developmentally appropriate activities was one of the concerns addressed in the legislation. Objective This policy analysis of Title I-Subtitle B-Improving Opportunities for Children in Foster Care and Supporting Permanency, which is within The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014 provides: (1) a brief explanation of the Act, with a specific account of Subtitle B, regarding “normalcy” for foster youth; (2) an analysis of the implementation of the policy in Texas as compared to other states; and (3) recommendations for effectively applying the policy given requirements in child-placing agencies serving foster youth. Conclusions Title I-Subtitle B-Improving Opportunities for Children in Foster Care and Supporting Permanency is legislation which enhances the experiences of foster youth. Allowing “normalcy” for youth in out-of-home placements supports improved experiences while in foster care, and thus diminishes negative outcomes and trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Austin, Texas, is one of the worst places with respect to allergies. In winter, mountain cedar ( Juniperus ashei ) is producing high pollen amounts exerting the so-called cedar fever in individuals allergic to this pollen species. In this study, we evaluated to which extent the effect of prescribed fires in a semi-arid ecosystem decreases pollen concentrations at the local scale. The study was performed on patches characterized by human-induced fire disturbances and unmanaged areas (control sites) in the southwest of Austin. Pollen was sampled on four consecutive days in January 2015 using ten pollen traps installed at 1.5 m a.g.l. Microscope slides were inserted every second hour during 8 am and 6 pm. Each station was equipped with meteorological devices to account for influencing factors such as wind speed and direction. Mean cedar pollen concentrations differed across the studied days and plots and ranged between 633 (16th January) and 126,400 pollen grains/m 3 (17th January). We determined diurnal patterns with peak values between 2 and 3 pm. Pollen concentrations were on average 15% lower at burnt vs. control plots. Comparing pairs of adjacent plots even revealed a reduction of up to 50%. Therefore, local land management can alter pollen concentrations drastically. A walk across previously burnt areas may trigger less severe symptoms for allergic people during the flowering period of mountain cedar. Our results add to the knowledge about individual cedar pollen exposure in heterogeneous areas and help improving mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few published reports on the unique nature of burn patients using a paired spontaneous awakening and spontaneous breathing protocol. A combined protocol was implemented in our burn intensive care unit (ICU) on January 1, 2012. This study evaluates the impact of this protocol on patient outcomes in a burn ICU. We performed a retrospective review of our burn registry over 4 years, including all patients placed on mechanical ventilation. In the latter 2 years, patients meeting criteria underwent daily spontaneous awakening trial; if successful, spontaneous breathing trial was performed. Patient data included age, burn size, percent full-thickness burn, tracheostomy, and inhalation injury. Outcome measures included ventilator days, ICU and hospital lengths of stay, pneumonia, and disposition. Data were analyzed using Graphpad Prism and IBM SPSS software, with statistical significance defined as P < .05. There were 171 admissions in the preprotocol period and 136 after protocol implementation. Protocol patients had greater percent full-thickness burns, but did not differ in other characteristics. The protocol group had significantly shorter ICU length of stay, fewer ventilator days, and lower pneumonia incidence. Hospital length of stay, disposition, and mortality were not significantly different. Among patients with inhalation injuries, the protocol group exhibited fewer ventilator and ICU days. Protocol implementation in a burn ICU was accompanied by decreased ventilator days and a reduced incidence of pneumonia. A combined spontaneous awakening and breathing protocol is safe and may improve clinical practice in the burn ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose, Low molecular weight cyclin E (LMW-E) isoforms, overexpressed in a majority (~70 %) of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), were found in preclinical models to mediate tumorigenesis through binding and activation of CDK2. CDK1/CDK2 inhibitors, such as dinaciclib, combined with anthracyclines, were synergistic in decreasing viability of TNBC cell lines. Based on this data, a phase 1 study was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose of dinaciclib in combination with epirubicin in patients with metastatic TNBC. Methods, Cohorts of at least 2 patients were treated with escalating doses of dinaciclib given on day 1 followed by standard dose of epirubicin given on day 2 of a 21 day cycle. No intra-patient dose escalation was allowed. An adaptive accrual design based upon toxicity during cycle 1 determined entry into therapy cohorts. The target acceptable dose limiting toxicity (DLT) to advance to the next treatment level was 30 %. Results, Between 9/18/2012 and 7/18/2013, 9 patients were enrolled and treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center. DLTs included febrile neutropenia (grade 3, n = 2), syncope (grade 3, n = 2) and vomiting (grade 3, n = 1). Dose escalation did not proceed past the second cohort due to toxicity. After further accrual, the first dose level was also found to be too toxic. No treatment responses were noted, median time to progression was 5.5 weeks (range 3-12 weeks). Thus, accrual was stopped rather than explore the −1 dose level. Conclusion, The combination of dinaciclib and epirubicin is associated with substantial toxicities and does not appear to be an effective treatment option for TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic population in the United States and type 2 diabetes is a major health burden in this population, but little effort has been made to study the prevalence of diabetic vertebral fragility in Latinos. We performed a cross-sectional study to determine vertebral fracture prevalence in a hospital-based population of South Texas residents (N = 296). We defined fractures in X-rays as a >20 % reduction in vertebral body height. Numerous variables were recorded, including age, body mass index, indicators of diabetes management and others. 71 % of the sample (N = 296) was Latino. The prevalence of vertebral fracture was increased in diabetic subjects relative to non-diabetic subjects (diabetic 27.9 %, non-diabetic 13.8 %) and, regardless of sex and diabetics status, decreased in Latinos relative to non-Latinos (Latino 16.7 %, non-Latino 26.4 %). These data suggest that vertebral fractures may be a growing concern for diabetic Latinos as well as diabetics of any racial/ethnic background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although microtopographic heterogeneity is common in bottomland hardwood forests, it is rarely considered in bottomland restoration efforts. The objective of this study was to determine the responses of hydrologic condition, soil physiochemical properties, and introduced and colonizing vegetation to created microtopography and soil treatments at a landfill borrow pit in northern Texas. A series of mounds and pools were created and planted with fast-growing pioneer species as well as more desirable, later-successional species. Erosion control mats were installed on half the plots as a source of organic matter. Erosion control mats had little influence on introduced seedling survival or colonizing species abundance, but microtopography strongly influenced hydrologic condition, soil properties, seedling survival and growth, and colonizing species abundance and distribution. Pools were flooded during much of the summer months and had significantly higher nitrate and total nitrogen concentrations than mounds. Topographic position had little effect on survival of pioneer species, but mortality of most later-successional species was highest in pools. Colonizing species distribution and abundance were also strongly related to topographic position. Despite differences in soil nutrient concentration among topographic zones, hydrologic condition likely had the strongest influence on growth and survival of planted species and distribution of colonizing species. Creating microtopography resulted in a spatially heterogeneous system that reflected variations in natural bottomlands, and introducing a mix of species (pioneer and later-successional) across topographic and hydrologic gradients may improve the establishment and survival of a diverse community when hydrologic condition is highly variable or difficult to predict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: What is the best way to model savanna dynamics? Specifically, under what conditions is a traditional succession model, i.e., a model of ordered, uni-directional change in the plant community, better than a state-and-transition model? Location: Central Texas savannas. Methods: We describe three examples of successional processes in central Texas savannas: (a) woody plant encroachment, (b) invasion by a non-native grass, and (c) establishment of different grass species in highly disturbed sites. Results and Conclusions: Savanna dynamics are now commonly conceptualized with state-and-transition models. However, in some situations a traditional succession model may be more appropriate or more useful. Succession models may better fit current ecological reality, as found in central Texas. Succession models emphasize transient dynamics rather than an (often unknown) endpoint, and direct us towards relevant literature from non-savanna ecosystems. Succession models may be particularly useful for land management and restoration, and where woody plant encroachment and/or invasions by non-native species control vegetation dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic violence is not as simple as one partner physically harming another. Instead. it consists of a complex range of controlling behaviors including physical, emotional, sexual, and economic maltreatment as well as isolation, male privilege, blaming, intimidation, threats, and minimizing/denying behaviors. In addition to the controlling behaviors reported by women seeking shelter from violent relationships, a growing body of research indicates some individuals who abuse their intimate partner also abuse their pets. This study explores these connections using reports of 1,283 female pet owners seeking refuge from their male batterer in a domestic violence shelter. Findings indicate that batterers who also abuse their pet (a) use more forms of violence and (b) demonstrate greater use of controlling behaviors than batterers who do not abuse their pets. Likewise. positive correlations are found between specific controlling behaviors and cruelty to pets. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article features the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. This place is hot and steamy during spring allowing everything to grow naturally in the flat land located at the southernmost tip of the state. With the introduction of growing new crops, the valley was stripped with most of its wild places. The absence of wild places did not destroy the ecotourism in the area. The valley's reputation as the top birding spots in the country draws throngs of ecotourists. According to the author, the place may not be the most beautiful place in the country, but it possesses most of the bird species in the world. INSETS: Spring brings waves of birds through the Lower Rio Grande Valley;TIME AND PLACE.