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Abstract Background Childhood traumatic experiences may result in post-traumatic stress disorder. Although pediatricians are encouraged to address these traumas in clinical encounters, measures of childhood traumatic stress have not been adopted by primary care clinicians. In this study, we describe the feasibility and potential utility of the UCLA Brief Screen, a validated screener for childhood traumatic stress symptoms, in pediatric primary care clinics. Methods Children 6–17 years of age presenting for routine well-child care in community-based pediatric clinics were eligible for traumatic stress screening. We described the feasibility and acceptability of screening based on screener adoption by eligible pediatric clinicians. We assessed the potential utility of screening based on prevalence and distribution of potentially traumatic events and traumatic stress symptoms in this general pediatric population. Finally, we compared results of the UCLA Brief Screen with those of the Patient Health Questionnaire-A to evaluate associations between symptoms of traumatic stress, depression, and suicidality among adolescents in this community setting. Results 14/18 (77.8%) pediatric clinicians in two clinics offered an adapted UCLA Brief Screen during 2359/4959 (47.6%) eligible well-child checks over 14 months. 1472/2359 (62.4%) of offered screeners were completed, returned, and scored. One-third (32.5%) of completed screeners captured a potentially traumatic event experience described by either children or caregivers. Moderate to severe traumatic stress symptoms were identified in 10.7% and 5.2% of patients, respectively. Concurrent depression screening revealed that 68.3% of adolescents with depressive symptoms reported a potentially traumatic event (PTE) and 80.5% had concurrent traumatic stress symptoms. Adolescents reporting a PTE were 3.5 times more likely to report thoughts of suicide or self-harm than those without this history. Conclusions Results from this pilot study suggest that traumatic stress screening in the pediatric primary care setting may be feasible and may identify and classify mental health symptoms missed with current screening practices for depression. The prevalence of PTEs and traumatic stress symptoms associated with PTEs support the potential utility of a standardized screening in early identification of and response to children with clinically important symptoms of childhood traumatic stress. Future research should evaluate meaningful clinical outcomes associated with traumatic stress screening.

Reliable estimates of population density and size are crucial to wildlife conservation, particularly in the context of the Endangered Species Act. In the United States, ocelots (Leopardus pardalis pardalis) were listed as endangered in 1982, and to date, only one population density estimate has been reported in Texas. In this study, we integrated vegetation metrics derived from LiDAR and spatial capture-recapture models to discern factors of ocelot encounter rates and estimated localized population estimates on private ranchlands in coastal southern Texas. From September 2020 to May 2021, we conducted a camera trap study across 42 camera stations on the East Foundation’s El Sauz Ranch, which was positioned within a larger region of highly suitable woody and herbaceous cover for ocelots. We observed a high density of ocelots (17.6 ocelots/100 km2) and a population size of 36.3 ocelots (95% CI: 26.1–58.6) with the 206.25 km2 state space area of habitat. The encounter probability of ocelots increased with greater canopy cover at 1-2 m height and decreasing proximity to woody cover. These results suggest that the incorporation of LiDAR-derived vegetative canopy metrics allowed us to understand where ocelots are likely to be detected, which may aid in current and future population monitoring efforts. These population estimates reflect the first spatially explicit and most recent estimates in a portion of the northernmost population of ocelots in southern Texas. This study further demonstrates the importance of private working lands for the recovery of ocelots in Texas.

Abstract Background Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of death among United States women. Rural residence and ethnic-minority status are individually associated with increased CV mortality. Managing dyslipidemia is important in the prevention of CV mortality. However, the impact of race/ethnicity and location of residence on sex differences in dyslipidemia management is not well understood. Therefore, we sought to understand the joint effects of race/ethnicity and location of residence on lipid management differences between veteran men and women with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods Veterans Health Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data were used to perform a longitudinal cohort study of veterans with T2D (2007–2016). Mixed effects logistic regression with a random intercept was used to model the association between sex and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) > 100 mg/dL and its interaction with race/ethnicity and location of residence after adjusting for all measured covariates. Results When female sex and rural location of residence were both present, they were associated with an antagonistic harmful effect on LDL. Similar antagonistic harmful effects on LDL were observed when the joint effect of female sex and several minority race/ethnicity groups were evaluated. After adjusting for measured covariates, the odds of LDL > 100 mg/dL were higher for urban women (OR = 2.66, 95%CI 2.48–2.85) and rural women (OR = 3.26, 95%CI 2.94–3.62), compared to urban men. The odds of LDL > 100 mg/dL was the highest among non-Hispanic Black (NHB) women (OR = 5.38, 95%CI 4.45–6.51) followed by non-Hispanic White (NHW) women (OR = 2.59, 95%CI 2.44–2.77), and Hispanic women (OR = 2.56, 95%CI 1.79–3.66). Conclusion Antagonistic harmful effects on LDL were observed when both female sex and rural location of residence were present. These antagonistic effects on LDL were also present when evaluating the joint effect of female sex and several minority race/ethnicity groups. Disparities were most pronounced in NHB and rural women, who had 5.4 and 3.3 times the odds of elevated LDL versus NHW and urban men after adjusting for important covariates. These striking effect sizes in a population at high cardiovascular risk (i.e., older with T2D) suggest interventions aimed at improving lipid management are needed for individuals falling into one or more groups known to face health disparities.

Dynamical model skill in forecasting extratropical precipitation is limited beyond the medium-range (around 15 d), but such models are often more skilful at predicting atmospheric variables. We explore the potential benefits of using weather pattern (WP) predictions as an intermediary step in forecasting UK precipitation and meteorological drought on sub-seasonal timescales. Mean sea-level pressure forecasts from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ensemble prediction system (ECMWF-EPS) are post-processed into probabilistic WP predictions. Then we derive precipitation estimates and dichotomous drought event probabilities by sampling from the conditional distributions of precipitation given the WPs. We compare this model to the direct precipitation and drought forecasts from the ECMWF-EPS and to a baseline Markov chain WP method. A perfect-prognosis model is also tested to illustrate the potential of WPs in forecasting. Using a range of skill diagnostics, we find that the Markov model is the least skilful, while the dynamical WP model and direct precipitation forecasts have similar accuracy independent of lead time and season. However, drought forecasts are more reliable for the dynamical WP model. Forecast skill scores are generally modest (rarely above 0.4), although those for the perfect-prognosis model highlight the potential predictability of precipitation and drought using WPs, with certain situations yielding skill scores of almost 0.8 and drought event hit and false alarm rates of 70 % and 30 %, respectively.

In low-lying coastal regions, flooding arises from oceanographic (storm surges plus tides and/or waves), fluvial (increased river discharge), and/or pluvial (direct surface run-off) sources. The adverse consequences of a flood can be disproportionately large when these different sources occur concurrently or in close succession, a phenomenon that is known as “compound flooding”. In this paper, we assess the potential for compound flooding arising from the joint occurrence of high storm surge and high river discharge around the coast of the UK. We hypothesise that there will be spatial variation in compound flood frequency, with some coastal regions experiencing a greater dependency between the two flooding sources than others. We map the dependence between high skew surges and high river discharge, considering 326 river stations linked to 33 tide gauge sites. We find that the joint occurrence of high skew surges and high river discharge occurs more frequently during the study period (15–50 years) at sites on the south-western and western coasts of the UK (between three and six joint events per decade) compared to sites along the eastern coast (between zero and one joint events per decade). Second, we investigate the meteorological conditions that drive compound and non-compound events across the UK. We show, for the first time, that spatial variability in the dependence and number of joint occurrences of high skew surges and high river discharge is driven by meteorological differences in storm characteristics. On the western coast of the UK, the storms that generate high skew surges and high river discharge are typically similar in characteristics and track across the UK on comparable pathways. In contrast, on the eastern coast, the storms that typically generate high skew surges are mostly distinct from the types of storms that tend to generate high river discharge. Third, we briefly examine how the phase and strength of dependence between high skew surge and high river discharge is influenced by the characteristics (i.e. flashiness, size, and elevation gradient) of the corresponding river catchments. We find that high skew surges tend to occur more frequently with high river discharge at catchments with a lower base flow index, smaller catchment area, and steeper elevation gradient. In catchments with a high base flow index, large catchment area, and shallow elevation gradient, the peak river flow tends to occur several days after the high skew surge. The previous lack of consideration of compound flooding means that flood risk has likely been underestimated around UK coasts, particularly along the south-western and western coasts. It is crucial that this be addressed in future assessments of flood risk and flood management approaches.

ABSTRACT Habitat fragmentation and isolation can result in decreased occupancy and reproductive success within songbirds, particularly for species inhabiting urban environments where available habitat may be limited. The golden‐cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) is a federally endangered songbird that inhabits oak–juniper (Quercus spp.–Juniperus spp.) woodlands across central Texas, USA. Past research has indicated decreased patch occupancy and productivity near urban areas. We monitored patch occupancy, territory establishment, pairing success, and fledging success of warblers in an urban environment. Warblers occupied 24% (n = 63) of patches surveyed; 10% (n = 63) of habitat patches had ≥1 established territory. Warblers successfully paired in 4 patches and fledged young in 3 patches. We found an increasing probability of occupancy at approximately 65–70% canopy cover, and an added effect of distance to the nearest habitat patch. We found that distance to and size of the nearest habitat patch best predicted territory establishment. Patch size and size of the nearest habitat patch best predicted pairing success. Although our results were inconclusive for fledging success, a review of available data suggests patch size, size of, and distance to the nearest habitat patch all affect warbler reproductive activity. We recommend to manage for oak–juniper woodland patches with >70% canopy cover that are >26 ha in size, in close proximity to other oak–juniper woodland patches with equal or greater canopy cover and patch size when managing for golden‐cheeked warblers within an urban matrix. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

Background Individuals receiving cross‐system care (dual users) have higher rates of healthcare utilization and worse outcomes for heart failure (HF) and other conditions. Individuals can be dual users or single‐system users at different times, though, and little is known about utilization and mortality within discrete episodes of care. Methods and Results A retrospective cohort of 3439 patients with 5231 discrete episodes of HF exacerbation were identified between 2007 and 2011. Episodes encompassed the period from 2 weeks before an initial HF emergency department (ED) visit or hospitalization, included any acute care visits within 30 days after initial visit, and ended 30 days after the last acute care visit in the episode chain. All‐cause and HF‐specific ED visits and hospitalization within 30 days of index visit were analyzed using generalized estimating equations with robust variance. Hazard for death within episodes of acute illness was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. In adjusted analyses, dual use acute HF episodes were associated with higher odds of all‐cause ED visits (odds ratio 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33, 1.95), HF‐specific ED visits, (odds ratio 1.54, 95% CI, 1.12, 2.13), all‐cause hospitalization (odds ratio 1.89, 95% CI, 1.50, 2.38), and HF‐specific hospitalization (odds ratio 1.62, 95% CI, 1.15–2.30) as compared with Veterans Health Administration–only episodes of acute HF care. Dual use episodes of care were associated with higher hazard for mortality (hazard ratio=1.52, 95% CI 1.07, 2.16) as compared with all–Veterans Health Administration episodes of care. Conclusions Episodes of acute HF care spanning across healthcare systems appear to be associated with higher risk of subsequent ED visits, hospitalization, and mortality.

BackgroundOne in 3 US adults has high blood pressure, or hypertension. As prior projections suggest hypertension is the costliest of all cardiovascular diseases, it is important to define the current state of healthcare expenditures related to hypertension. Methods and ResultsWe used a nationally representative database, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, to calculate the estimated annual healthcare expenditure for patients with hypertension and to measure trends in expenditure longitudinally over a 12‐year period. A 2‐part model was used to estimate adjusted incremental expenditures for individuals with hypertension versus those without hypertension. Sex, race/ethnicity, education, insurance status, census region, income, marital status, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and year category were included as covariates. The 2003–2014 pooled data include a total sample of 224 920 adults, of whom 36.9% had hypertension. Unadjusted mean annual medical expenditure attributable to patients with hypertension was $9089. Relative to individuals without hypertension, individuals with hypertension had $1920 higher annual adjusted incremental expenditure, 2.5 times the inpatient cost, almost double the outpatient cost, and nearly triple the prescription medication expenditure. Based on the prevalence of hypertension in the United States, the estimated adjusted annual incremental cost is $131 billion per year higher for the hypertensive adult population compared with the nonhypertensive population. ConclusionsIndividuals with hypertension are estimated to face nearly $2000 higher annual healthcare expenditure compared with their nonhypertensive peers. This trend has been relatively stable over 12 years. Healthcare costs associated with hypertension account for about $131 billion. This warrants intense effort toward hypertension prevention and management.

ABSTRACT Research suggests the presence of oak wilt in Ashe juniper–oak (Juniperus ashei–Quercus spp.) woodland has a negative effect on habitat selection and quality for the federally endangered golden‐cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia). We used aerial imagery and an occupancy model to estimate the amount of golden‐cheeked warbler habitat within our study region in Texas, USA, that was affected by oak wilt over a 10‐year timeframe, 2008–2018, and to assess the current probability of warbler occupancy in areas affected by oak wilt prior to 1983. We also quantified vegetation characteristics to assess regeneration in areas affected by the disease. Our results indicate that oak wilt frequently occurs in golden‐cheeked warbler habitat and will continue to spread into warbler habitat in the coming years. We estimated that 6.9% of golden‐cheeked warbler habitat within our study region in the southwestern portion of the warbler's range was affected by oak wilt in 2008. By 2018, we predict that 13.3% of golden‐cheeked warbler habitat will be affected by the disease. Areas affected by oak wilt prior to 1983 were less likely to be classified as current potential warbler habitat than were unaffected areas. We found no differences between the understory vegetation of affected and unaffected areas but, in general, oaks were more common in the overstory than in the understory, suggesting that species composition in affected areas may shift following an outbreak of oak wilt. Future management efforts should address the threat oak wilt poses to golden‐cheeked warblers by incorporating applicable preventative measures. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.

ABSTRACT Oak wilt is a fatal forest disease caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum. Loss or degradation of habitat caused by oak wilt may negatively affect forest songbirds, including the federally endangered golden‐cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia), a species that breeds exclusively in the Ashe juniper–oak woodlands (Juniperus ashei–Quercus spp.) of central Texas, USA. During 2010 and 2011, we investigated the influence of oak wilt on golden‐cheeked warbler habitat selection and quality at 25 study sites that each contained forest affected by oak wilt and unaffected forest. We assessed habitat selection in terms of use versus availability at 2 scales: within the patch and within the territory. We also assessed post‐breeding use of affected forest by comparing detection densities in affected and unaffected forest. To assess the influence of oak wilt on habitat quality, we compared the reproductive outcome of territories in unaffected and affected areas. We assessed within‐patch habitat selection for 67 territories and found that golden‐cheeked warblers used affected forest significantly less than its availability. We found use of affected forest to be variable within the 14 territories that contained affected forest in >10% of their area. Post‐breeding use of affected forest was also variable. Pairing success was 27% lower for males whose territories contained >10% affected forest but fledging success was not affected. Our results suggest that the presence of oak wilt negatively influences habitat selection and quality for golden‐cheeked warblers, likely due to reduced canopy cover in susceptible oak species. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.

ABSTRACT Brood parasites can appreciably decrease fecundity of susceptible songbird hosts, which can often cause a decrease in host abundance. Wildlife managers use brown‐headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) management to reduce parasitism frequency and benefit the conservation of the endangered black‐capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla); however, intensity of management needed to increase vireo abundance is not well‐understood. We used sensitivity analyses of population models for black‐capped vireos to assess effects on abundance of particular changes in parasitism frequency. Our models suggest that the parasitism frequency vireos can tolerate while maintaining abundance in a particular location is ≤30%. If parasitism frequency is high, trapping cowbirds during ≥1 of every 3 years may be sufficient for reducing parasitism enough to maintain abundance at managed locations. Cowbird management programs may need to be intensive in initial years to increase abundance of vireos being managed if the initial abundance is low. Rotating locations of traps each year among managed locations may be effective for maintaining vireo abundance while decreasing overall trapping effort and making more efficient use of management funds. Increasing and restoring habitat concurrent with cowbird management would likely further increase the likelihood of establishing and maintaining vireo abundance in managed locations. © The Wildlife Society, 2013

Texas harbors the largest population of feral hogs (Sus scrofa) in the United States, with populations estimated at >2 million. Depending on one’s perspective, feral hogs are either a pariah (from the farmer’s standpoint) or a popular sporting animal (from a hunter’s standpoint). As feral hogs increase in range and density, conflicts among stakeholders are sure to increase. Texas Cooperative Extension (TCE) initiated educational programs in 1991 to address concerns regarding the presence and management of feral hogs. Since that time, we have developed various workshops, symposia, and educational materials (e.g., print, videotape, and website) as means of addressing “the good, the bad, and the ugly” aspects of feral hogs in Texas. Texas Cooperative Extension involves various stakeholder groups, including agriculturalists, biologists, hunters, and wildlife damage management professionals in its efforts to provide a thorough, balanced approach to management of feral hogs. Our goal is to increase critical thinking skills among stakeholders while seeking consensus on local damage issues caused by feral hogs.

We have previously reported successful induction of transient mixed chimerism and long-term acceptance of renal allografts in MHC mismatched nonhuman primates. In this study, we attempted to extend this tolerance induction approach to islet allografts. A total of eight recipients underwent MHC mismatched combined islet and bone marrow (BM) transplantation after induction of diabetes by streptozotocin. Three recipients were treated after a nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen that included low-dose total body and thymic irradiation, horse Atgam (ATG), six doses of anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody (mAb), and a 1-month course of cyclosporine (CyA) (Islet A). In Islet B, anti-CD8 mAb was administered in place of CyA. In Islet C, two recipients were treated with Islet B, but without ATG. The results were compared with previously reported results of eight cynomolgus monkeys that received combined kidney and BM transplantation (Kidney A) following the same conditioning regimen used in Islet A. The majority of kidney/BM recipients achieved long-term renal allograft survival after induction of transient chimerism. However, prolonged islet survival was not achieved in similarly conditioned islet/BM recipients (Islet A), despite induction of comparable levels of chimerism. In order to rule out islet allograft loss due to CyA toxicity, three recipients were treated with anti-CD8 mAb in place of CyA. Although these recipients developed significantly superior mixed chimerism and more prolonged islet allograft survival (61, 103, and 113 days), islet function was lost soon after the disappearance of chimerism. In Islet C recipients, neither prolonged chimerism nor islet survival was observed (30 and 40 days). Significant improvement of mixed chimerism induction and islet allograft survival were achieved with a CyA-free regimen that included anti-CD8 mAb. However, unlike the kidney allograft, islet allograft tolerance was not induced with transient chimerism. Induction of more durable mixed chimerism may be necessary for induction of islet allograft tolerance.

Abstract Research conducted near the time a species is listed as threatened or endangered can help inform management guidelines. However, these studies are typically limited in temporal and spatial scope and typically address a limited set of ecological questions. Application of such information can result in misleading management guidelines or ineffective conservation if species–habitat relationships vary across space or if preliminary information fails to provide reliable assessments of habitat quality. We evaluated existing management guidelines that addressed reproductive success of the golden‐cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia), a federally endangered songbird endemic to central Texas, USA. We monitored 1,382 territories in 87 patches of woodland across the breeding range from 2007 to 2011. Ours was the first evaluation of management guidelines addressing reproductive success with data collected across the warbler's breeding range. Our results did not consistently confirm the commonly accepted management guidelines that habitat quality, based on the presence of offspring in a territory, was positively associated with patch size and territory canopy cover, and negatively associated with patch edge. The relationship between probability of a territory fledging ≥1 offspring and patch size, patch edge‐to‐area ratio, and territory canopy cover varied by geographic region (level‐IV eco‐region). Our results suggested future conservation plans that address habitat quality should consider variation among regions to improve conservation efforts and that habitat associations identified with warbler occurrence were not necessarily indicative of reproductive success. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.

Abstract We review the history of population and ecological knowledge of the golden‐cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia). We highlight how incomplete information on distribution and abundance has led to substantial misunderstanding on species status and associated conservation goals. We discuss how once a paradigm is established, subsequent studies unconsciously fortify accepted understanding regardless of the paradigm's accuracy. For the golden‐cheeked warbler, understanding of the species at the time of listing in 1990 was based on either incorrect or untested assumptions of species distribution within available habitats. Adhering to untested assumptions led to development of priorities for research and management that were well‐intentioned but largely misguided. Ample information on the distribution of the warbler's habitats existed, however, which should have encouraged questions into the basis of population conditions when developing management prescriptions. Current knowledge clearly indicates that a new paradigm for the warbler is needed, that being one of a widely distributed species that is preadapted to occur within a variety of environmental conditions. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.

Abstract Wildlife biologists are undoubtedly familiar with the decades‐long debate over the Endangered Species Act and the conflicts that often arise among people of differing interests when a species is listed as federally threatened or endangered. One example that made local and national headlines in the 1990s was the golden‐cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia), which breeds exclusively in central Texas, USA, and primarily on private lands. The inclusion of the warbler on the federal endangered species list in 1990 prompted conflict between land developers, environmentalists, ranchers, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Miscommunication and mistrust among the groups resulted in purposeful destruction of habitat and delayed or lost opportunities for species' conservation and scientific research. Now, 20 years later, we have taken the opportunity to review some of the events and conflicts surrounding the listing of the warbler such that a new generation of researchers and biologists can understand the progress made and identify where additional work may be needed. The significance of threatened and endangered species conservation varies among people and places; thus, there will be a continual need for agencies and biologists to develop relationships with local communities formed around understanding the values and motivations of all stakeholders, in an effort to limit conflict and create an atmosphere that promotes cooperative approaches to research on, and recovery of, at‐risk species. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.

Abstract Impact assessments are a valuable tool for investigating the effects of human‐induced and natural perturbations on ecosystems and wildlife, including species of conservation concern. The breeding range of the golden‐cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia), a federally endangered species, is located in a region with increasing development that includes housing, road construction and maintenance, and other land‐use conversions; along with wildfire, oak wilt, and other disturbances. Although many of these actions are assumed to have deleterious effects on warbler occurrence or fitness, there is limited research directly investigating impacts of these activities to date. Many of these threats cannot be investigated within a fully manipulative study framework because it is rarely possible or even appropriate to replicate treatments. We conducted impact assessment studies investigating the effects of military training and highway construction on the warbler. We use these studies to provide examples that demonstrate how common challenges in investigating impacts can be addressed during planning and implementation by using alternative study design and sampling strategies to effectively assess the impact of perturbations on species of interest. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.

Abstract Conserving habitat is increasingly challenging as human populations grow. Remote‐sensing technology has provided a means to delineate species' habitat on large spatial scales. However, by combining habitat delineations with predictions of species' occurrence, habitat models can provide additional utility applications for conservation by allowing us to forecast how changing environmental and landscape conditions affect species' occurrence and distribution. We demonstrate how a spatially explicit habitat occupancy model for the golden‐cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) can be used as an impact assessment and conservation planning tool. We used predictions of patch‐level occupancy rates and created several scenarios that simulated the removal or protection of warbler habitats. Resulting changes to habitat structure and availability were used to assess the resulting impacts of removal or protection on the occurrence probability for remaining habitat patches. By recalculating occupancy based on changes to habitat, our approach provides the ability to assess and compare impacts of location and orientation of development so that the least harmful option relative to predicted occurrence can be chosen. Potential applications of our modeling approach are many because our methods provide a useful tool for identifying potential impacts and assisting with mitigation efforts focused on the conservation and management of a species. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.

Abstract The golden‐cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia), listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered in 1990 due primarily to habitat loss and fragmentation, is a Neotropical migrant songbird that breeds exclusively in mature juniper–oak (Juniperus–Quercus) woodlands in central Texas, USA. Previous studies suggested suitable breeding habitat consists of >35% canopy closure (with 50–70% cover optimal), and ≥10% oak composition. However, little is known about this species' habitat relationships at the southwestern edge of its breeding range. Therefore, within this portion of the species' breeding range, we investigated influences of canopy closure and tree species composition on pairing and reproductive success of golden‐cheeked warblers during 2009 and 2010. We used remote sensing and ground sampling to acquire variables to describe habitat characteristics, and we estimated pairing for breeding and reproductive success by golden‐cheeked warblers. We found successfully breeding pairs in areas with >20% canopy cover, 35% juniper composition, and only 3% oak composition. A logistic model for pairing success retained juniper, oak, and the interaction between these 2 variables, and the model for reproductive success retained juniper, canopy closure, study area, and the interaction between canopy closure and study area. Our results expand our knowledge of habitat conditions that warblers use for breeding, thus expanding the range of habitat management options available for this species during breeding season. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.

This perspective paper seeks to lay out an efficient approach for health care providers, researchers, and other stakeholders involved in interventions aimed at improving care coordination to partner in locating and using applicable care coordination theory. The objective is to learn from relevant theory-based literature about fit between intervention options and coordination needs, thereby bringing insights from theory to enhance intervention design, implementation, and troubleshooting. To take this idea from an abstract notion to tangible application, our workgroup on models and measures from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) State of the Art (SOTA) conference on care coordination first summarizes our distillation of care coordination theoretical frameworks (models) into three common conceptual domains-context of an intervention, locus in which an intervention is applied, and specific design features of the intervention. Then we apply these three conceptual domains to four cases of care coordination interventions ("use cases") chosen to represent various scopes and stages of interventions to improve care coordination for veterans. Taken together, these examples make theory more accessible and practical by demonstrating how it can be applied to specific cases. Drawing from theory offers one method to anticipate which intervention options match a particular coordination situation.

Objective: To examine changes in hospitalization trends and healthcare utilization among Veterans following Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act implementation. Data Sources and Study Setting: VA Corporate Data Warehouse and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services datasets. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study to compare 7‐ and 30‐day rates for unplanned readmission and emergency department visits following index hospital stays based on payor type (VHA facility stay, VA‐funded stay in community facility [CC], or Medicare‐funded community stay [CMS]). Segmented regression models were used to compare payors and estimate changes in outcome levels and slopes following MISSION Act implementation. Data Collection/Extraction Methods: Veterans with active VA primary care utilization and ≥1 acute hospitalization between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2021. Principal Findings: Monthly index stays increased for all payors until MISSION Act implementation, when VHA and CMS admissions declined while CC admissions accelerated and overtook VHA admissions. In December 2021, CC admissions accounted for 54% of index admissions, up from 25% in January 2016. From adjusted models, just prior to implementation (May 2019), Veterans with CC admissions had 47% greater risk of 7‐day readmission (risk ratio [RR]: 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.43, 1.51) and 20% greater risk of 30‐day readmission (RR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.22) compared with those with VHA admissions; both effects persisted post‐implementation. Pre‐implementation CC admissions were also associated with higher 7‐ and 30‐day ED visits, but both risks were substantially lower by study termination (RR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.88, 0.91) and (RR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.87, 0.90), respectively. Conclusions: MISSION Act implementation was associated with substantial shifts in treatment site and federal payor for Veteran hospitalizations. Post‐implementation readmission risk was estimated to be higher for those with CC and CMS index admissions, while post‐implementation risk of ED utilization following CC admissions was estimated to be lower compared with VHA index admissions. Reasons for this divergence require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of both industry professionals and faculty members of technology-based programs concerning the preparedness of recent graduates as they began a quality related position. To gain this information, surveys were administered among managers and technical leaders in industry and compared with surveys of faculty members from four-year industrial technology and engineering technology programs. Recent graduates were evaluated with regard to both theoretical knowledge and applied skills. By analyzing survey results, recent literature, and in-depth conversations with industry professionals, recommendations are made for improving quality control curricula and better serving industry needs. (Contains 3 figures and 1 table.)