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Reading comprehension is an essential academic skill (Nash & Snowling, 2006;National Reading Panel, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000).Yet, among students in the eighth grade, approximately 64% of all students and 91% of students with disabilities do not read at proficient levels (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2013). This suggests that when reading grade-level texts, a large percentage of middle grade readers are not able to accurately connect important ideas in text, form inferences that integrate information in text with general knowledge of the topic, and synthesize common ideas across various texts (NCES, 2013). These data highlight the need for intensive reading interventions that explicitly teach middle-grade struggling readers how to comprehend grade level texts and acquire content knowledge from the texts they read. [This paper is based on the William M. Cruickshank Memorial Lecture delivered at the 2015 Conference of the International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities.]

The integration of knowledge during reading was tested in 1,109 secondary school students. Reading times for the second sentence in a pair (Jane's headache went away) were compared in conditions where the first sentence was either causally or temporally related to the first sentence (Jane took an aspirin vs. Jane looked for an aspirin). Mixed-effects explanatory item response models revealed that at higher comprehension levels, sentences were read more quickly in the causal condition. There were no condition-related reading time differences at lower comprehension levels. This interaction held with comprehension- and inference-related factors (working memory, word and world knowledge, and word reading efficiency) in the models. Less skilled comprehenders have difficulty in knowledge-text integration processes that facilitate sentence processing during reading.

No studies have investigated the cognitive attributes of middle school students who are adequate and inadequate responders to Tier 2 reading intervention. We compared students in Grades 6 and 7 representing groups of adequate responders (n = 77) and inadequate responders who fell below criteria in (a) comprehension (n = 54); (b) fluency (n = 45); and (c) decoding, fluency, and comprehension (DFC; n = 45). These students received measures of phonological awareness, listening comprehension, rapid naming, processing speed, verbal knowledge, and nonverbal reasoning. Multivariate comparisons showed a significant Group-by-Task interaction: the comprehension-impaired group demonstrated primary difficulties with verbal knowledge and listening comprehension, the DFC group with phonological awareness, and the fluency-impaired group with phonological awareness and rapid naming. A series of regression models investigating whether responder status explained unique variation in cognitive skills yielded largely null results consistent with a continuum of severity associated with level of reading impairment, with no evidence for qualitative differences in the cognitive attributes of adequate and inadequate responders.

We evaluated the reliability and validity of two oral reading fluency scores for 1-minute equated passages: median score and mean score. These scores were calculated from measures of reading fluency administered up to five times over the school year to students in grades six to eight (n = 1,317). Both scores were highly reliable with strong convergent validity for adequately developing and struggling middle grade readers. These results support the use of either the median or mean score for oral reading fluency assessments for middle grade readers. (Contains 11 tables.)

The cognitive attributes of Grade 1 students who responded adequately and inadequately to a Tier 2 reading intervention were evaluated. The groups included inadequate responders based on decoding and fluency criteria (n = 29), only fluency criteria (n = 75), adequate responders (n = 85), and typically achieving students (n = 69). The cognitive measures included assessments of phonological awareness, rapid letter naming, oral language skills, processing speed, vocabulary, and nonverbal problem solving. Comparisons of all four groups identified phonological awareness as the most significant contributor to group differentiation. Measures of rapid letter naming, syntactic comprehension/working memory, and vocabulary also contributed uniquely to some comparisons of adequate and inadequate responders. In a series of regression analyses designed to evaluate the contributions of responder status to cognitive skills independently of variability in reading skills, only the model for rapid letter naming achieved statistical significance, accounting for a small (1%) increment in explained variance beyond that explained by models based only on reading levels. Altogether, these results do not suggest qualitative differences among the groups, but are consistent with a continuum of severity associated with the level of reading skills across the four groups. (Contains 3 figures and 4 tables.)

Convective clouds are important for both the vertical redistribution of tropospheric trace gases and the removal, via microphysical scavenging, of soluble trace gas precursors of ozone. We investigate wet scavenging of formaldehyde (CH2O), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and methyl hydrogen peroxide (CH3OOH) in quasi‐marine and land convective storms over Texas, USA observed on 18 September 2013 during the 2013 SEAC4RS campaign. Cloud‐resolving simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF‐Chem) were performed to understand the effect of entrainment, scavenging efficiency (SE), and ice physics processes on these trace gases with varying solubility. While marine and land convection can have distinctly different microphysical properties, we did not find significant differences in the SEs of CH2O, H2O2, or CH3OOH. The SEs of 44%–53% for CH2O and 85%–90% for H2O2 are consistent with our previous studies from SEAC4RS and the 2012 DC3 field experiment storms. Using WRF‐Chem simulations, the ice retention factor (rf) for CH2O was determined to be 0.5–0.9, which is higher than found in previous studies. We show that the CH2O rf is higher in airmass and multicell storms than in severe storms and hypothesize that ice shattering may affect CH2O rf values. The CH3OOH SEs (39%–73%) were higher than expected from Henry's Law equilibrium. While recent studies suggest that CH3OOH measurements have interference due to methane diol, we find that this interference cannot fully explain the higher‐than‐expected CH3OOH SEs determined here and during DC3, suggesting further research is needed to understand CH3OOH vertical redistribution. Plain Language Summary: Thunderstorms are important mechanisms for the transport and removal of trace gases in the atmosphere. This study investigates the transport and removal processes of tropospheric ozone trace gas precursors in marine and land convective storms over Texas, USA. Numerical simulations were performed to understand storm processes affecting atmospheric gases with different solubilities. While marine and land storms can have distinctly different storm structure and updraft winds, we did not find significant differences in the amount of gases removed by these storms. The results show that the efficiency of the storm in removing gas from the atmosphere is consistent with our previous findings for moderate to severe storms over the US. In addition, the analysis showed when cloud drops freeze onto ice and snow particles that formaldehyde had more retention in the frozen particle in moderate storms compared to severe storms suggesting that there are many processes affecting this key ozone precursor in deep convection. The more soluble hydrogen peroxide did not show the same ice retention behavior because it is removed by precipitation in the warmer, liquid‐only region of the storm. Key Points: Although marine and land convection have different microphysical properties, there are no relevant differences in the scavenging efficiencyWRF‐Chem simulations analysis shows ice retention factor for formaldehyde is higher than found in previous studiesMethyl hydrogen peroxide scavenging efficiencies are higher than expected from Henry's Law, even with potential measurement interference [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne botulism is caused by potent neurotoxins of Clostridium botulinum. We investigated a large outbreak of foodborne botulism among church supper attendees in Texas. We conducted a cohort study of attendees and investigated the salvage store that sold the implicated foods. We identified 15 cases of botulism (40%) among 38 church supper attendees. Nine patients (60%) had botulinum toxin type A detected in stool specimens. The diagnosis was delayed in 3 cases. Fifteen (63%) of 24 attendees who ate a chili dish developed botulism (relative risk, undefined; P < .001). The chili dish was prepared with “brand X” or “brand Y” frozen chili, “brand Z” canned chili, and hot dogs. An unopened container of brand X chili yielded type A toxin. Brand X chili was purchased at a salvage store where perishable foods were inadequately refrigerated. Our investigation highlights the need to improve clinicians’ awareness of botulism. More rigorous and more unannounced inspections may be necessary to detect food mishandling at salvage stores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifies factors that help explain the losses experienced by savings and loan (S&L) associations during the 1980s in Texas. Differences in risk-taking behavior by S&Ls according to charter and ownership types; Ownership structure and owner-contributed equity capital as basic behavioral determinants.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including a response to an article on Miller Dunn hats, a request for information on a stolen Siebe Gorman helmet #19470, and an attempt to raise some interest in revitalizing the Historical Diving Society (HDS) in the Houston area in Texas.

Abstract: Children under the age of 5 years experience a disproportionately high rate of bacterial enteric infections. Research has shown a relationship between inadequate child-care center sanitation and illnesses in children. This cross-sectional study assessed the sanitation levels of foodservice surfaces in a sample of 36 Texas child-care centers via recovery and identification of selected enteric gram-negative bacteria. The centers in this study had the capacity to care for 50 to 332 children and represented diverse socioeconomic and racial profiles. Forty-one percent (68 of 167) of total swab samples collected tested positive for bacteria. Twenty-seven different types of bacteria were identified from positive swab samples. Most of the bacteria found are considered opportunistic pathogens, which can pose serious health risks to those with compromised immune systems, such as young children. Two types of bacteria recovered, Salmonella paratyphi A and Klebsiella pneumonia, are considered nonopportunistic and can infect healthy individuals. The most common areas of bacterial contamination were the sink drain area of the dishwashing sink, the hand-washing sink faucet handles, the handle of the garbage can lid, and cutting boards. It is vital for child-care staff to wash their hands often and disinfect all surfaces, because even surfaces that appear clean can harbor microorganisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]