Travis County Research Articles

Where does bicycling for health happen? Analysing volunteered geographic information through place and plexus

Research on the role of bicycling for health through physical activity has been limited by the lack of information on where bicyclists ride. New big data sources available through smartphone-based applications provide a rich source to provide bicycle volume data more comparable to the scale of information available for automotive and public transit modes. In the case of smartphone apps for fitness tracking, results of this data can be used similar to the growing application of global positioning systems for automotive travel surveying. The authors evaluate data from Travis County, Texas for the purpose of determining where bicyclists ride, primarily for fitness purposes. Ride trip volumes are evaluated with residential and employment density, land use diversity, bicycle facilities and terrain to characterize places chosen for bicycling for health. Though limited to bicycle rides and routes voluntarily logged using the smartphone app, this method provides promise for applications in multi-modal transportation planning and health impact assessment studies.

The Ransom and Sarah Williams Farmstead: Post-Emancipation Transitions of an African American Family in Central Texas Vol. 2

In conjunction with the proposed construction of the southwest segment of State Highway 45 in southern Travis County, the Texas Department of Transportation sponsored archeological testing and data recovery efforts at the Ransom Williams farmstead. Prewitt and Associates, Inc., conducted an interdisciplinary community-based historic archeological study of the farmstead from 2005 through 2011. Extensive archival research reveals that the 45-acre farm was owned and occupied by Ransom Williams and his wife Sarah, both former slaves, from about 1871 to ca. 1905. The Williams family lived in the predominantly white rural community of Bear Creek, but they had connections to the nearby freedmen communities of Antioch Colony in northern Hays County and Manchaca in southern Travis County. The stories of the Ransom Williams family and their connections to these communities are enhanced by extensive oral history research, with over 46 hours of taped and transcribed interviews with 27 descendant community members. Data recovery investigations focused on a landscape archeological study to define the layout and design of the entire farmstead, including a stock pond and a network of dry-laid rock walls that facilitated water drainage, demarcated property boundaries, and formed livestock pens. Intensive hand excavations were used to examine features associated with the Williams house, outbuildings and activity areas, and a large trash midden. This work recovered more than 26,000 artifacts. They constitute an impressive material culture assemblage that is associated, with few exceptions, with the Williams family tenure on the land. The combined archival data, oral history interviews, and archeological evidence tell the fascinating story of how one African American farm family lived and thrived in central Texas during Reconstruction and into the Jim Crow era.

Where Does Bicycling for Health Happen? Analysing Volunteered Geographic Information Through Place and Plexus

Research on the role of bicycling for health through physical activity has been limited by the lack of information on where bicyclists ride. New big data sources available through smartphone-based applications provide a rich source to provide bicycle volume data more comparable to the scale of information available for automotive and public transit modes. In the case of smartphone apps for fitness tracking, results of this data can be used similar to the growing application of global positioning systems for automotive travel surveying. The authors evaluate data from Travis County, Texas for the purpose of determining where bicyclists ride, primarily for fitness purposes. Ride trip volumes are evaluated with residential and employment density, land use diversity, bicycle facilities and terrain to characterize places chosen for bicycling for health. Though limited to bicycle rides and routes voluntarily logged using the smartphone app, this method provides promise for applications in multi-modal transportation planning and health impact assessment studies.

Chronic Disease Management for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness

People with serious mental illness (SMI) die on average 25 years sooner than the rest of the population according to recent studies. [1-3] This profound difference can be traced to health disparities and tobacco use among those with SMI. [1-3] These individuals are more than twice as likely to smoke cigarettes and more than 50 percent more likely to be obese compared to the rest of the population. [4] Austin Travis County Integral Care (Integral Care) has successfully integrated behavioral and primary health care models to improve the health of people with SMI. This integration includes the implementation of the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) program to identify, treat, and improve the health of consumers with both SMI and chronic disease conditions. This project is currently in the third year of a five-year grant from the Federal Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program, which aims to increase access to and raise the quality of behavioral health services.

Population of variable platyfish (Xiphophorus variatus) established in Waller Creek, Travis County, Texas

The variable platyfish (Xiphophorus variatus), native to Gulf Coast drainages of northern Mexico, is a popular aquarium fish with a long history of introduction globally. We document the first Texas occurrence of this species, and its persistence in highly urban Waller Creek in the city of Austin since at least 2004. The population appears to be limited to Waller Creek, having not yet been found in neighboring creeks where similar habitat exists. We observed individuals in situ and in the lab surviving in 7°C water, well below published thermal minima, and report its persistence through one of the coldest winters in Austin's recorded history. Its persistence may be due to a combination of its cold tolerance and the presence of thermal refuges. In the lab we found that individuals purchased in a local pet store and individuals from Waller Creek had the same cold tolerance.

Medical support at a large-scale motorsports mass-gathering event: the inaugural Formula One United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

Formula One returned to the United States on November 16-18, 2012, with the inaugural United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Medical preparedness for motorsports events represents a unique challenge due to the potential for a high number of spectators seeking medical attention, and the possibility for a mass-casualty situation. Adequate preparation requires close collaboration across public safety agencies and hospital networks to minimize impact on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) resources. To report the details of preparation for an inaugural mass-gathering motorsports event, and to describe the details of the medical care rendered during the 3-day event. A retrospective analysis was completed utilizing postevent summaries, provided by the medical planning committee, by the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (FIA), and Austin Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS). Patient data were collected from standardized patient care records for descriptive analysis. Medical usage rates (MURs) are reported as a rate of patients per 10,000 (PPTT) participants. A total of 566 patients received medical care over the 3-day period with the on-site care rate of 95%. Overall, MUR was 21.3 PPTT attendees. Most patients had minor problems, and there were no driver injuries or deaths. This mass-gathering motorsport event had a moderate number of patients requiring medical attention. The preparedness plan was implemented successfully with minimal impact on EMS resources and local medical facilities. This medical preparedness plan may serve as a model to other cities preparing for an inaugural motorsports event.

Developing a model for effects of climate change on human health and health–environment interactions: Heat stress in Austin, Texas

Human health and well-being are and will be affected by climate change, both directly through changes in extreme weather events and indirectly through weather-induced changes in human and natural systems. The goal of this study was to develop and apply a broadly applicable modeling and support platform for decisions at the local scale that consider potential climate change health effects and the effectiveness of mitigation options. The model’s first application examined how climate change induced heat stress could affect morbidity and mortality in Travis County, Texas (Austin and vicinity) and how increased vegetation coverage, applied in several different ways, could quantitatively mitigate heat stress effects. The model was developed in a manner which will allow ready adaptation to other locations and health endpoints. The model followed the logical steps: (1) determine spatial and temporal variation in hazard exposure; (2) analyze spatial variation in population vulnerability to hazards; (3) estimate health outcome risk for population groups through hazard exposure and hazard response functions; (4) examine how mitigation options may affect health outcomes and their links to other ecosystem services. Demonstration runs explored spatial and temporal variation in health effect responses and effects of potential urban forestry mitigation options.

Soapberry Borer, Agrilus prionurus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): An Exotic Pest Threatens Western Soapberry in Texas

Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii (Western Soapberry) is a small- to medium-sized tree native to the western Gulf Region and southwestern US and is valued in urban and rural landscapes. Recently in the United States, it has become host to an invasive insect introduced from Mexico. Agrilus prionurus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) (Soapberry Borer) was first reported in Travis County, TX, in 2003 and has been detected in 51 additional counties as of December 2013. As its populations expand rapidly in Texas, this invasive pest is killing Soapberry trees >6 cm in diameter. Additionally, it may eventually threaten Western Soapberry populations throughout the tree's range. Infestations of Soapberry Borer are similar to those of A. planipennis (Emerald Ash Borer), a destructive invasive pest of Fraxinus spp. (ash) but not yet found in Texas. Signs of Soapberry Borer infestation include large bark flakes that accumulate at the base of infested trees, galleries between the bark and sapwood, trees that die back from the top, and excessive epicormic sprouts on the lower trunk. Western Soapberry appears to be the Soapberry Borer's sole host in Texas, and trees of this species exhibit little resistance to this introduced pest. Preliminary studies indicate that Soapberry Borer adults emerge and fly from late May to August and that this species has no more than one generation per year in Texas. Preventative and therapeutic treatments with the systemic insecticide emamectin benzoate are showing promise as a means to protect valuable Soapberry trees in rural and urban landscapes.

Optimizing high-speed rail routes using a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS): the Texas Urban Triangle (TUT) case

Previously, an analytical method was derived to model a possible high-speed rail route within the Texas Urban Triangle (TUT) area. By implementing a raster-based geographic information system (GIS), researchers were able to optimize a route with the given variables. Based on prior research outcomes, the authors improved the overall analytical approach. This article expands the study boundary from Travis County through Bexar County to test the corridor between the San Antonio and Austin metropolitan areas. Nearby counties are also included, resulting in a total of six counties. In addition, a statistical tool, explanatory factor analysis (EFA), is added to fill the gap identified in the previous modeling practices. The project addresses transportation corridor planning in the Texas Urban Triangle at the regional scale. Its aim is to determine the most suitable locations for new transport infrastructure by employing a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS). The proposed SDSS provides a composite foundation for decision making to attain enhanced regional mobility, especially for a high-speed rail (HSR). Route alternatives are compared in terms of construction estimates, anticipated land acquisition fees, and suitability scores.

A tale of two cities: The role of neighborhood socioeconomic status in spatial clustering of bystander CPR in Austin and Houston

BackgroundDespite evidence to suggest significant spatial variation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR) rates, geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis have not been widely used to understand the reasons behind this variation. This study employs spatial statistics to identify the location and extent of clusters of bystander CPR in Houston and Travis County, TX. MethodsData were extracted from the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival for two U.S. sites – Austin-Travis County EMS and the Houston Fire Department – between October 1, 2006 and December 31, 2009. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between income and racial/ethnic composition of a neighborhood and BCPR for OHCA and to adjust expected counts of BCPR for spatial cluster analysis. The spatial scan statistic was used to find the geographic extent of clusters of high and low BCPR. ResultsResults indicate spatial clusters of lower than expected BCPR rates in Houston. Compared to BCPR rates in the rest of the community, there was a circular area of 4.2km radius where BCPR rates were lower than expected (RR=0.62; p<0.0001 and RR=0.55; p=0.037) which persist when adjusted for individual-level patient characteristics (RR=0.34; p=0.027) and neighborhood-level race (RR=0.34; p=0.034) and household income (RR=0.34; p=0.046). We also find a spatial cluster of higher than expected BCPR in Austin. Compared to the rest of the community, there was a 23.8km radius area where BCPR rates were higher than expected (RR=1.75; p=0.07) which disappears after controlling for individual-level characteristics. ConclusionsA geographically targeted CPR training strategy which is tailored to individual and neighborhood population characteristics may be effective in reducing existing disparities in the provision of bystander CPR for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Body length shrinkage in an endangered amphibian is associated with drought

AbstractShrinkage in body length, followed by growth, has rarely been documented in vertebrates and has been associated with stressful energetic and environmental conditions. Here, we document reversible shrinkage in an amphibian for the first time. Jollyville Plateau salamanders Eurycea tonkawae are neotenic (attain maturity while retaining an aquatic larval form) and inhabit springs and caves of a dissected aquifer in Travis County, TX, USA. We conducted mark‐recapture surveys on a spring‐dwelling population before and after an exceptional drought in 2008. Use of unique marks and digital photographs of individuals provided precise information on salamander growth rates during and after a period in which salamanders retreated to underground refugia to avoid desiccation during the drought. Tail width decreased significantly during the drought indicating a reduction in energy stores, a consequence of stressful environmental conditions. Unexpectedly, body length shrinkage also occurred during the drought and was followed by positive growth when spring flow resumed. Body length shrinkage could be an adaptation to coping with long periods of low food availability although its long‐term effects are unknown. Given the influence of body size on many ecological and physiological characteristics of organisms, plasticity in body size may have important consequences that go undetected by researchers if shrinkage is ignored.

Floods in Central Texas, September 7–14, 2010

Severe flooding occurred near the Austin metropolitan area in central Texas September 7–14, 2010, because of heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Hermine. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Upper Brushy Creek Water Control and Improvement District, determined rainfall amounts and annual exceedance probabilities for rainfall resulting in flooding in Bell, Williamson, and Travis counties in central Texas during September 2010. We documented peak streamflows and the annual exceedance probabilities for peak streamflows recorded at several streamflow-gaging stations in the study area. The 24-hour rainfall total exceeded 12 inches at some locations, with one report of 14.57 inches at Lake Georgetown. Rainfall probabilities were estimated using previously published depth-duration frequency maps for Texas. At 4 sites in Williamson County, the 24-hour rainfall had an annual exceedance probability of 0.002. Streamflow measurement data and flood-peak data from U.S. Geological Survey surface-water monitoring stations (streamflow and reservoir gaging stations) are presented, along with a comparison of September 2010 flood peaks to previous known maximums in the periods of record. Annual exceedance probabilities for peak streamflow were computed for 20 streamflow-gaging stations based on an analysis of streamflow-gaging station records. The annual exceedance probability was 0.03 for the September 2010 peak streamflow at the Geological Survey’s streamflow-gaging stations 08104700 North Fork San Gabriel River near Georgetown, Texas, and 08154700 Bull Creek at Loop 360 near Austin, Texas. The annual exceedance probability was 0.02 for the peak streamflow for Geological Survey´s streamflow-gaging station 08104500 Little River near Little River, Texas. The lack of similarity in the annual exceedance probabilities computed for precipitation and streamflow might be attributed to the small areal extent of the heaviest rainfall over these and the other gaged watersheds. Citation: Winters KE. 2012. Floods in Central Texas, September 7–14, 2010. Texas Water Journal. 3(1):14-25. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v3i1.3292.

From Model to Action

Health planners in Austin, Texas, are using a System Dynamics Model of Cardiovascular Disease Risks (SD model) to align prevention efforts and maximize the effect of limited resources. The SD model was developed using available evidence of disease prevalence, risk factors, local contextual factors, resulting health conditions, and their impact on population health. Given an interest in understanding opportunities for upstream health protection, the SD model focused on the portion of the population that has never had a cardiovascular event. Leaders in Austin used this interactive simulation model as a catalyst for convening diverse stakeholders in thinking about their strategic directions and policy priorities. Health officials shared insights from the model with a range of organizations in an effort to align actions and leverage assets in the community to promote healthier conditions for all. This article summarizes the results from several simulated intervention scenarios focusing specifically on conditions in East Travis County, an area marked by higher prevalence of adverse living conditions and related chronic diseases. The article also describes the formation of a new Chronic Disease Prevention Coalition in Austin, along with shifts in its members' perceived priorities for intervention both before and after interactions with the SD model.

Mediating Effects of Group Cohesion on Physical Activity and Diet in Women of Color: Health is Power

To determine the effects and mediating factors of a physical activity (PA) or vegetable and fruit (VF) group cohesion intervention. Longitudinal design. Harris County and Travis County, Texas. Community-dwelling African-American and Hispanic or Latina women. Three hundred ten women were randomized to a PA (n = 204) or VF (n = 106) intervention group. Women met in groups six times over the course of 6 months and were exposed to a group cohesion intervention to promote walking or to increase VF consumption. Women completed the International PA Questionnaire, National Cancer Institute VF and fat screeners, PA Group Environment Questionnaire, and 7-day accelerometer protocol at baseline and post-intervention. The direct and mediated effects of the intervention on outcomes were evaluated using a mediational chain model, controlling for baseline values and covariates using path analysis. Women were middle aged (mean = 44.4 years) and overweight or obese (mean body mass index = 34.0 kg/m(2)). PA increased and fat consumption decreased for both groups, whereas VF consumption increased for women in VF group only (all p < .05). Increased task cohesion led to hypothesized increases in psychosocial factors in the PA group but not to behavioral changes. Group cohesion interventions may have psychological and physical health benefits for African-American and Hispanic or Latina women, but refinement of measures and intervention delivery is needed to determine whether hypothesized mediational pathways are valid.

Concordance and Correlates of Direct and Indirect Built Environment Measurement among Minority Women

To measure the concordance of directly and indirectly measured neighborhood attributes and to determine the correlates of the concordance between directly and indirectly measured built environment attributes. Environmental cross-sectional design. Urban and suburban neighborhoods within Harris County, Houston, and Travis County, Austin, Texas. Community-dwelling African-American and Hispanic or Latina women. Physical activity resource accessibility, path maintenance, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities were measured directly and indirectly. Directly or objectively measured neighborhood attributes were measured by the Physical Activity Resource Assessment and Pedestrian Environmental Data Scan instruments. Indirectly measured or self-reported neighborhood attributes were measured by the International Physical Activity Prevalence Study environmental survey module. Logistic regression was used to measure the concordance between directly and indirectly measured neighborhood attributes with ethnicity as a covariate. Residual values were calculated to determine the strength and direction of concordance. Participants' (N = 409) average body mass index (BMI) was classified as obese (MBMI = 34.5 kg/m(2), SD = 7.9), and the mean body fat percentage was 42.8% (SD = 7.1). The correlates BMI, body fat percentage, physical activity, and ethnicity were not significantly associated with any built environment attribute or concordance value, and none of our models significantly predicted indirectly measured built environment attributes. Being less familiar with certain built environment attributes may not be associated with weight status or physical activity levels among African-American and Hispanic or Latina women.

Low Force Fracture of the Odontoid, with Discussion of High Force Cervical Fracture

Cervical fracture may occur with a high force mechanism of injury such as a motor vehicle crash, or with a low force mechanism of injury such as a ground level fall. To better characterize and understand low force cervical fractures and their significance, case files from the Travis County Medical Examiner's office covering a 5-year time period were retrospectively reviewed for fatal cervical fracture occurring with an accidental ground level fall. Thirty such fatal cervical fractures were identified, all occurring in elderly individuals (&gt;65 years of age), with odontoid type 2 fracture of the C2 vertebra identified as the most frequent type of fracture. Odontoid fracture should be included in the list of craniocervical injury that may result from not only motor vehicle crashes and other high force mechanisms of injury, but also low force mechanisms of injury such as a ground level fall with head impact in an elderly individual.

A Simulation Modeling Approach for Planning and Costing Jail Diversion Programs for Persons with Mental Illness

A core public policy question for jail diversion programs, regardless of what outcomes they achieve, is whether and to what extent they generate cost savings. Apart from a general pattern of cost shifting from the criminal justice system to the community mental health system, studies on the costs of jail diversion programs have yielded limited and equivocal results. In response to the mixed results on cost findings, we tested a simulation model to project the fiscal impact of jail diversion programs using data from actual criminal justice and mental health systems and the best outcome data from the literature. Using data from Travis County, Texas, in 2006 and 2007, our simulations that produced a net savings to the county had two key findings: (a) Unless the most serious misdemeanants and low-level felons are included for diversion, there will be no cost savings since there are too few jails days avoided; and (b) the cost burden was shifted from the criminal justice system to the community-based service system, which is already strained for resources.

"I'm Proud to Know What I Know": Oral Narratives of Travis and Hays Counties, Texas

This book was created as part of a multi-year historic archeological project sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and under the direction of Dr. Scott Pletka and Jon Budd. The project was initiated because of federal and state laws that require consideration of cultural resources that may be impacted by development. The project involved archival research, oral history, and archeological investigations at a site called the Ransom and Sarah Williams farmstead in southern Travis County, Texas. An African American family occupied the farmstead beginning in 1871, and perhaps earlier, through about 1905. This book is a collection of oral histories gathered through interviews with people who grew up in the rural vicinity of the Williams farmstead, and also in East Austin; their recollections pertain to Travis and Hays Counties mainly during the first half of the twentieth century. The memories are primarily those of African Americans who are descendants of slaves—people whose lives were impacted by the legacy of slavery and who lived through the Jim Crow and civil rights eras. The story of how and why this book came into existence is important because it demonstrates the viability of community-based research in publicly funded cultural resources management archeological projects.

Sequestration vs. Emissions: On the Carbon Sequestration Potential of the Natural Areas of the City of Austin, Texas

ABSTRACT: Organizations and governments at all levels have set goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and have begun to work toward achieving these goals in an effort to mitigate global climate change. The City of Austin, in Travis County, Texas, has set the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by the year 2010. The City's Carbon Dioxide Reduction Strategy, drafted in 1997, identified aggressive strategies for reducing GHG emissions; however, carbon sequestration in natural systems was not considered as an option. I conducted a literature review to assess the carbon sequestration potential of the City of Austin's municipally-owned natural areas with respect to Travis County CO2 emissions and to identify strategies for increasing rates of carbon capture while also meeting the federal permit or municipal bond obligations of some of these lands. An analysis of 22 studies indicates that the City of Austin's natural areas are likely functioning as carbon sinks b...

What’s Love Got to Do with It?

What’s Love Got to Do with It?