South-central Texas Research Articles

Introducing pre-service teachers to game-based learning

Game-based learning has increased research and interest in teacher education and teacher pedagogy. However, there is still much to learn about how teachers understand and feel about game-based learning pedagogy in the classroom. This study utilized a quantitative research methodology to better understand the changes in beliefs and attitudes toward game-based learning of teachers before and after experiencing game-based learning opportunities first-hand. The participants in this study were ninety-six pre-service teachers enrolled in a Child Growth and Development course at a public Hispanic Serving Intitution in South Central Texas University. Findings from this study indicate that pre-service teachers are comfortable using game-based learning pedagogy prior to any game-based learning interventions. Specifically, game knowledge, game content knowledge, and game pedagogical content knowledge, had a strong positive relationship with learning opportunities, attitudes towards game-based learning and overall acceptance of digital game-based learning score. Access to game-based learning experiences significantly increased teachers’ game pedagogical knowledge, game content knowledge, and experience with games knowledge. Overall, pre-service teachers’ personal experiences with gaming and attitude towards gaming is one of the key factors that contributes to their positive attitudes towards game-based learning and their ability to see the learning opportunities games have in their future classrooms.

Predictive Utility of the Multi-Process Action Control Framework for Self-Reported and Device-Measured Physical Activity Behavior of Adolescents.

Understanding the correlates of physical activity behavior is imperative for informing the development of interventions to address the low rates of physical activity guideline adherence among adolescents living in the United States. This cross-sectional study examined the predictive utility of the Multi-Process Action Control (M-PAC) framework for explaining self-reported and device-measured physical activity behavior among a Hispanic-majority sample of adolescents. A total of 1849 high school students (mean age = 16.0 ± 1.22 SD years; 52.3% women; 87.8% Hispanic) enrolled in one school district in south-central Texas completed a survey including instruments to assess M-PAC framework constructs (instrumental and affective attitudes, perceived capability and opportunity, behavioral regulation, habit, identity) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) behavior. A subsample (n = 435) wore accelerometers for seven days. The results from robust linear regression models revealed role identity and habit were significant predictors of self-reported MVPA. Role identity was a significant predictor of accelerometer-derived daily MVPA and raw acceleration in the most active hour but not daily raw acceleration. The findings indicated reflexive processes are robust predictors of adolescent physical activity and should be the focus of interventions designed to promote adoption and maintenance of physical activity during this developmental life stage.

Methodological approaches in developing and implementing digital health interventions amongst underserved women.

Minority populations are utilizing mobile health applications more frequently to access health information. One group that may benefit from using mHealth technology is underserved women, specifically those on community supervision. Discuss methodological approaches for navigating digital health strategies to address underserved women's health disparities. Using an intersectional lens, we identified strategies for conducting research using digital health technology and artificial intelligence amongst the underserved, particularly those with community supervision. We explore (1) methodological approaches that combine traditional research methods with precision medicine, digital phenotyping, and ecological momentary assessment; (2) implications for artificial intelligence; and (3) ethical considerations with data collection, storage, and engagement. Researchers must address gendered differences related to health, social, and economic disparities concurrently with an unwavering focus on the protection of human subjects when addressing the unique needs of underserved women while utilizing digital health methodologies. Women on community supervision in South Central Texas helped inform the design of JUN, the mHealth app we reported in the case exemplar. JUN is named after the Junonia shell, a native shell to South Texas, which means strength, power, and self-sufficiency, like the participants in our preliminary studies.

The N400 effect captures nuances in implicit political preferences

We conducted a study in San Antonio, Texas, in the weeks preceding the 2022 state Governor election to determine if implicit or explicit measures of political preference could predict voter behavior. We adapted an established event-related potential (ERP) paradigm showing political statements to participants one word at the time where the last word made the statement pro-Republican or pro-Democratic. Our sample of college students included decided and undecided voters, and was reflective of the demographic make-up of south-central Texas. Our implicit measures were an established authoritarianism scale and the N400 effect to the sentence-final word. The N400 is an ERP to any stimulus that engages semantic memory and has been shown to measure implicit disagreement with political statements. Explicit measures of political preference and authoritarianism were predictive of vote choice. The expected N400 effect was found for Democratic voters, with larger amplitude to pro-Republican than pro-Democratic statements. Surprisingly, decided Republican voters showed no difference in N400 responses to pro-Republican and pro-Democratic statements and there was no group difference in the N400 effect. In turn, the N400 was not predictive of voter behavior. We argue that the N400 effect reflected individual political preferences, but that ultimately voter behavior aligned with partisan identity.

Structural violence, social suffering, and the COVID-19 syndemic: discourses and narratives on the margins of the state in Texas

While the repercussions of the novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 have been felt across the world over the past few years, the impact has not been consistent. Instead, it has been mediated by the systemic ways in which existing social and structural disparities have failed vulnerable populations globally. Drawing on document analysis and fifteen in-depth interviews (n=15) conducted among the key stakeholders in the city of San Antonio, South Central Texas, this paper reveals how structural violence worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in making it a syndemic pandemic of high rates of deaths and illnesses among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. A grounded theory approach particularly revealed themes of social suffering such as low income and pre-existing medical conditions that contributed to higher mortality rates, the presence of racism and misinformation, the importance of trustworthy communication channels, and streamlined collaborative partnerships with clear and effective communication through all levels of the government, especially when communicating scientific information.

Prevalence and Diversity of Trypanosoma cruzi in Triatomine Vectors and Their Blood Meal Sources from South Central Texas, USA.

The prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi was assessed in 117 triatomine insects from central Texas. The qPCR-based results revealed T. cruzi in 59% of the insects (62 adults and eight nymphs), with overall prevalences of T. cruzi of 0% (0/9), 64% (11/17), 58% (10/17), 73% (30/41), and 57% (19/33) for the Bastrop, Caldwell, Gonzales, Guadalupe, and Hays counties, respectively. Analyses of 18S rRNA fragments confirmed T. cuzi in 81% of these samples. Vectors were identified as Triatoma gerstaeckeri (35% of which 65% were positive for T. cruzi), T. sanguisuga (21%, 43% positive), and Paratriatoma leticularia (0.3%, 100% positive). Food sources were recovered from 29% of the insects. Raccoons were 53% of the blood meals (83% positive for T. cruzi), while the remainder came from a variety of sources, including humans (33% positive), house geckos, Eastern woodrats, plain-bellied water snakes (50% positive), hispid cotton rats (0% positive), chickens (100% positive); Asian forest turtles, bison, and pigs (0% positive). The serendipitous detection of blood meal sources at known minimum distances from the collection of the vector insect enabled us to provide several instances where the insect foraging distance was greater than 400 m. These vector foraging distances are novel information that can assist in our understanding of the landscape dynamics for the spread of the pathogen.

Machine-learning-assisted seismic prediction of massive (up to 500 m) sands and their geologic meaning: Lower wilcox intraslope basins, south-central Texas, USA

We studied deep (up to 6000 m) Lower Wilcox strata (Guadalupe A) immediately above the Midway shale using a 1000-km2 3D seismic volume and sparse six deep-well, wireline-log data in south-central Texas. Although some of the wells encounter sandstones collectively as thick as 500 m, traditional seismic attributes and seismic inversion are unable to reveal the sign and extent of the massive sand distribution in the intraslope minibasins. A new workflow that incorporates machine learning into seismic lithology and geomorphology was tested for quantitative mapping of sand-content sandstone thickness. The procedure significantly updates current workflows for better geologic and reservoir prediction with higher resolution and accuracy. In addition to good fit to impedance in training wells, results tied gamma-ray and sand-content curves at a blind-test well, ensuring high confidence in stratigraphic and depositional interpretation. The study recognized multiple thick, sandy intraslope minibasins in a 30-km-wide upper slope. Clinoforms on the shelf, erosional channels at the shelf edge, sandy channels, and fans in intraslope minibasins were found to support the interpretation of a unique sediment-disposal system triggered by hyperpycnal flows. Existence of massive sand accumulations in the upper slope zone in the Gulf Coast suggest the existence of another major mechanism of large sand transport during the early Wilcox in a high sea-level stand and possibly a future deep gas play in the area.

INVERTEBRATE DIVERSITY FROM DEEP WELLS OF THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER OF SOUTH-CENTRAL TEXAS

Abstract This study examined the invertebrate fauna from three deep wells located at the Uvalde National Fish Hatchery in south-central Texas. These wells provide a water source from geological strata of the southern boundary of the Edwards Aquifer ranging in age from Lower Cretaceous to Recent. Forty-seven collections, sampled on a continuous basis from November 2020 to January 2022, produced a total of 738 specimens comprising 15 different species. These collections reveal a diverse crustacean assemblage along with dominant numbers of the stygobiotic snail Balconorbis uvaldensis. This study provides a preliminary survey for future investigations of unidentified crustacean species as well as revealing seasonal variations in the reproductive life cycle of Balconorbis uvaldensis.

Evidence for regional fluid migration in the Eagle Ford Formation, Austin Chalk, and Buda Limestone of south-central and west Texas, USA

Calcite veins hosted by extension fractures and faults are common in the outcrop belt of the Austin Chalk – Eagle Ford – Buda stratigraphic section across south-central and west Texas, and contain aqueous and liquid hydrocarbon fluid inclusions. The hydrocarbon fluid inclusions in these thermally immature rocks indicate long-distance migration of oils from mature source rock down-dip and possibly from deeper units along faults. The widespread spatial distribution and extensive variety of oil types indicated by the fluid inclusion fluorescence suggest a protracted series of migration events – possibly from multiple source areas – rather than a single event. Oil inclusions in fault and fracture hosted calcite veins provide evidence of both strata-bound and cross-stratal oil migration along fault and fracture networks that are pervasive in the Austin Chalk, Eagle Ford, and Buda, as well as stratigraphically deeper units, in the subsurface and outcrop belt.Aqueous fluid inclusion microthermometry of the calcite veins provides evidence for significant exhumation of rocks in the Austin Chalk – Eagle Ford – Buda outcrop belt. Approximately 1.25–1.79 km of overburden was removed along the Balcones fault zone outcrop belt of south-central Texas, while in outcrop belt of the Devils River Uplift as much as 2.44–3.50 km of overburden was removed. In the productive region of the deeper basin down-dip from the outcrop belt, fluid inclusions in a deep core indicate that fluids were trapped during burial, but do not record maximum burial conditions.

COMPARISON OF SUBCUTANEOUS ALFAXALONE AND SUBCUTANEOUS ALFAXALONE-DEXMEDETOMIDINE FOR SEDATION IN THE HOUSTON TOAD (ANAXYRUS HOUSTONENSIS).

The Houston toad (Anaxyrus houstonensis), a primarily terrestrial amphibian of south-central Texas, has been listed as federally endangered since 1970. Sedation is an important tool for obtaining diagnostics and providing treatment in this species. This prospective, randomized, and blinded study compared the sedative effects of SC alfaxalone (Protocol A) at approximately 12 mg/kg (median [range] = 12.70 [12.09-13.95] mg/kg] to SC alfaxalone-dexmedetomidine (Protocol AD) at approximately 12 mg/kg (median [range] = 12.68 [12.16-13.56] mg/kg) and 0.1 mg/kg (median [range] = 0.1 [0.07-0.13] mg/kg), respectively, in adult Houston toads (n = 26). Toads from Protocol AD received atipamezole SC at approximately 1 mg/kg (median [range] = 0.96 [0.75-1.25] mg/kg) 45 min postinduction, whereas toads from Protocol A received the equivalent volume of SC sterile saline at the same time point. Heart rate, gular rate, and times to first effect, loss of righting reflex, ability to position for radiographs, loss of nociception, return of righting reflex, and full recovery were recorded. A significantly greater number of toads lost righting reflex, positioned for radiographs, and lost nociception with Protocol AD compared with Protocol A. Additionally, time to return of righting reflex and time to full recovery were significantly longer with Protocol AD than with Protocol A. The protocols did not differ significantly in time to first effect, time to radiographic positioning, or time to loss of nociception. Histologic examination of four toads euthanized during the study revealed acute injection site reactions from all administered drugs, including saline. No clinical adverse reactions were observed. This study demonstrates that the combination of SC alfaxalone and dexmedetomidine results in deeper sedation than SC alfaxalone alone, but also correlates with longer recovery times despite antagonist administration.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Response to Soil Additives Applied in-Furrow at Planting

Aims: Studies were conducted to study the response of sesame to soil additives applied in-furrow. 
 Study Design: Randomized complete block with 4 replications.
 Place and Duration of Study: Field experiments were carried out during the 2016 through 2018 growing seasons in south-central Texas near Yoakum (29.27704o N, -97.12453o W).
 Methodology: Sesame seed was planted < 2.54 cm deep. Treatments were applied using a CO2-pressurized sprayer in 46.8 L ha-1 of water with one Teejet® orifice disc #45 nozzle per row immediately after seed drop but prior to furrow closure. Each plot consisted of two rows spaced 97 cm apart and 7.6 m long. Sprinkler irrigation was applied on a 2- to 3-wk schedule throughout the growing season as needed. S-metolachlor at 1.4 kg ha-1 was applied preemergence while clethodim at 0.11 kg ha-1 and diuron at 1.12 kg ha-1 were applied postemergence to control annual grasses and broadleaf weeds that were present. 
 Results: In 2016, treatments containing 7% N + 10% chelated Fe, gibberellic acid + 3-indolebutyric acid (0.045%) + cytokinin as Kinetin (0.09%), and pop-up fertilizer (9-30-0 + Zn) resulted in the greatest sesame emergence. In 2017, 2% N, bifenthrin + Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747, and humic acids + Bacillus spp. resulted in greater emergence (90-97%) while in 2018, Azospirillum brasilense and 2% N resulted in the greater emergence (90-91%). In 2016, 2% N produced the greatest yield while in 2018 2% N and the 3-way combination of cytokinin as kinetin (0.090%) + gibberellic acid + indole-3-butyric acid (0.045%) resulted in up to a 117% increase in yield over the untreated. 
 Conclusion: The 3-way combination of gibberellic acid + 3-indolebutyric acid (0.045%) + cytokinin as kinetin (0.090%) and 2 % N proved to be the most consistent soil additives and resulted in a yield increases in the two years that the studies were harvested.

From Agricultural Waste to Energy: Assessing the Bioenergy Potential of South-Central Texas

This paper addresses the challenge of meeting increasing energy needs by assessing the potential of bioenergy as a sustainable resource option in South Central Texas. Available agricultural crop residues suitable for bioenergy production are evaluated from the 21 counties in South Central Texas Regional Water Planning Area (Region L). The residues produced and available for bioenergy are quantified according to the production areas for each field crop and tree area. Residue-to-product ratios of field crops are determined according to crop type and production quantity. Biomass potential of trees is calculated based on tree density and biomass production per tree. The results demonstrate that the potential productions of utilizable agricultural wastes are in the range of 898.7 t kt–1421.39 kt for Region L. The average annual energy potential is estimated at 19.27 PJ, and ranges between 14.36 and 24.18 PJ. The average potential biomass-based electricity production could compensate significant amount of coal-based electricity generated in the Texas and when agricultural wastes are available.

Revealing white supremacy culture in an organization that supports queer and trans youth

PurposeThis study aims to illustrate how white supremacy culture can be produced within nonprofit organizations with a mandate to serve marginalized communities and provide practical suggestions for preventing oppression.Design/methodology/approachThe site of inquiry was a nonprofit organization in south central Texas that provides social support to queer and trans youth. Through critical ethnography, the researchers evaluated the organization's processes and structure (including hierarchy, decision-making, fundraising and interactions between leaders, partners and affected groups) to explore how the organization perpetuated attributes of white supremacy culture.FindingsData reveal that the organization alienates the youth, volunteers and employees through defensiveness, fear of open conflict, paternalism, perfectionism and power-hoarding.Originality/valueA dearth of research focuses on how white supremacy culture manifests in organizations serving marginalized communities. This paper addresses this gap by focusing on a nonprofit organization in central Texas that supports queer and trans youth. The authors offer recommendations for addressing white supremacy culture in organizations and suggest future research opportunities.

A Survey of Vaping Use, Perceptions, and Access in Adolescents from South-Central Texas Schools.

Despite efforts to dissuade major manufacturers and retailers from marketing and selling vape products to adolescents, the practice of vaping continues to increase in this population. Few studies have assessed adolescent perceptions of vaping, access to vaping, and use of vaping, and most rely, at least in part, on inferential conclusions drawn from data on smoking traditional combustible cigarettes. A novel electronic survey was created to assess the use of vapes, perceptions of vaping, and access to vaping among a convenience sample of adolescents (ages 12-20 years) in eleven schools in South-Central Texas from May to August 2021. The students' perceived threat of negative health outcomes due to vaping was calculated based on questions soliciting perceptions of severity (perceived danger) and susceptibility (perceived likelihood of illness). Trends were identified using descriptive and bivariate statistical tests. A total of 267 respondents were included; 26% had tried vaping. A majority (63%) did not believe vaping and smoking were synonymous. Most (70%) thought it was easy to obtain supplies and (76%) vape before and after (88%) or even during (64%) school. Respondents who vaped had a 34% lower perceived threat when compared to respondents who did not vape. In this sample of adolescents from South-Central Texas, one in four reported that they had tried vaping. Easy access to vapes and misperceptions regarding the safety of vaping might create a false sense of security with respect to vaping as an alternative to smoking, particularly among those who reported vaping, and is likely contributing to the increased use of vapes.

Conditions that influence coping mechanisms in Latina mothers affected by incarceration: A secondary analysis using the vulnerability framework.

The objective of this study is to assess women's vulnerability to becoming involved with the legal system as it relates to their exposure, sensitivity, and resiliency to specific experiences associated with incarceration before, during, and after their confinement using the vulnerability framework. We sampled 12 women who self-identified as Latina mothers from local jail annexes, probation department offices, and substance use treatment centers in South Central Texas. We conducted a qualitative, secondary analysis. Three overarching themes emerged: (1) "[The abuse] just kept happening;" (2) "[Incarceration] was an excessive interference;" and (3) "I wasn't there back then [for my children], but now I can be [there for them] in some way." We also identified subthemes. More research and culturally tailored programming are needed to bridge services across legal system sites (jails, prisons, probation) that interact with this population of women to provide supportive services. PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: We would like to recognize community stakeholders who work in the local jail, probation, and medication treatment centers who helped with the distribution of fliers and participant recruitment along with the women who shared their experiences following incarceration for the original study's data used in this secondary analysis.

Heuristic data-inspired scheme to characterize meteorological and groundwater droughts in a semi-arid karstic region under a warming climate

Study regionThe Edwards Aquifer Region is located in south-central Texas United States.Study focusThe paper focuses on the development and implementation of a data-inspired heuristic drought identification scheme to (i) quantify the intensity, duration, and frequency of precipitation deficit- and high temperature-driven meteorological droughts (PMet- and TMet-droughts), and (ii) link their propagation to groundwater droughts (GW-droughts) using baseline hydroclimatic measures and prevailing drought conditions derived from historical climate data and regional mitigation strategies.New hydrological insights for the regionBased on the intensity, duration, and timing of PMet- and TMet-droughts in the semi-arid karstic region, we identified three distinct GW-droughts, including persistence-driven, preconditions-driven, and intensity-driven droughts. The analysis revealed that successive heavy precipitation events are needed to end GW-droughts. The scheme also identified TMet-droughts with the longest dry spells, TMet- and PMet-droughts with the highest intensity, and GW-drought with the second-highest intensity on record all occurred over the past 15 years. These findings provide evidence for a warming climate, intensified meteorological droughts, and increasing stress on the aquifer. Among the artificial intelligence models used, Extremely Randomized Trees (ERT) regressor predicted time series of intensity & duration of GW-droughts from hydroclimatic features with high accuracy. The ERT classifier revealed that the duration of PMet droughts and the intensity of TMet droughts are the topmost decisive features in predicting GW-drought intensity in the region.

Facilitators and barriers to sexual and gender minority youth development: Addressing accessibility and “Isms”, building collaborations, and supporting mental health in community-based organizations

This study illustrates ways that organizations can facilitate or hinder sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) development. These findings emerged from an ethnography (field observations and interviews) conducted with a community-based organization in south-central Texas. Facilitators to SGMY development included helping the youth make friends, realize they’re not alone, figure out who they want to be, and find an alternative family, create an affirming space, build youth confidence, include parents (through bi-monthly parent meetings), and provide youth with concrete resources (scholarships, computers). Barriers included inaccessible meetings, managing overload (emotional, sensory, and logistical), lacking space for meeting in age-specific groups, not engaging the youth and parents with decision-making and organizational activities, overlooking instances of racism, classism, and transphobia, and not addressing mental health needs. Most research focused on SGMY development centers psychological and social processes. This present study identifies the specific role organizations play in supporting SGMY development. The findings from this study demonstrate promising practices that organizations could implement and evaluate to support SGMY development.

Using Biostimulants, Soil Additives, and Plant Protectants to Improve Corn Yield in South Texas

Field studies were conducted in 2016, 2017, and 2020 in the south-central and Coastal Bend regions of Texas to determine the effects of various biostimulants, soil additives, and plant protectants on corn growth and yield. In south-central Texas, the use of pop-up fertilizer (9-30-0 + Zn) either alone or in combination with either 2% N, bifenthrin, or bifenthrin + pyraclostrobin resulted in the greatest corn vigor but a yield response was only noted with pop-up fertilizer alone at 28,062 or 46,771 mL ha−1 in one year. In the Coastal Bend region, leaf tissue analysis showed that only Fe was affected with the use of any soil additive. Bacillus licheniformis + Bacillus megaterium + Bacillus pumilus increased Fe leaf tissue content by 20% over the untreated check. Radicoat seed coating at 438 mL ha−1 reduced corn plant stand by 10%, and Pseudomonas brassicaceanum reduced corn height when compared with the untreated check; however, no differences in test weight or yield from the untreated check were noted with any soil additives. Little if any impacts of the use of biostimulants, soil amendments, or plant protectants were seen in these studies.

Hands across the Water: How the 57-Year Dispute over the Edwards Aquifer Began, Persisted, and Was Resolved

The Edwards Aquifer is the primary source of water for a region in South-Central Texas that includes San Antonio and irrigated agriculture to the west. The aquifer also contributes to surface water flow in the Guadalupe River through Comal and San Marcos Springs, which are home to endangered aquatic species. In 1956, during the multiyear Texas drought of record, Comal Springs ceased to flow initiating a multi-decadal transboundary water dispute over the aquifer. This dispute pitted urban, agricultural, and environmental interests and surface water right holders against one another. In 1993, a federal district court ruled that the Endangered Species Act required that adequate flows from the springs be ensured for the endangered species. The Texas Legislature responded to the court by establishing the Edwards Aquifer Authority to regulate groundwater withdrawals. In 2007, with a key deadline looming to create a species protection plan, the Texas Legislature intervened again and mandated that the rival regional water interests engage in a stakeholder process to develop the plan. That process, which was called the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program, resulted in a diverse group of parties with opposing interests collaborating to develop, approve, fund, and implement the landmark Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan, which is in its 10th year of implementation.

Passive Hydrocarbon Sampling in a Shale Oil and Gas Production Area Shows Spatially Heterogeneous Air Toxics Exposure Based on Type and Proximity to Emission Sources

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