Cultural Diversity in the Southern Caddo Region

The earliest expression of Caddo culture in the southern portion of the Southern Caddo region is well known. That Alto phase Caddo culture had any effect on coeval societies and the subsequent cultural development in the area cannot be demonstrated. What happened after ca. A.D. 1100 has been much discussed, but the realities of that subsequent cultural development are unknown. It can be argued that what followed was a part of a larger cultural phenomenon of regionalization of societies within the broader Caddoan area. Some researchers have argued that. at least in the extreme southern portion of the Caddo area, this localized regionalization reflects adaptations to changing environmental conditions. It can also be argued that the ensuing regionalization, a fact well demonstrated in the archaeological and ethnohistorical literature, may, at least in part, also be a continuation of a long standing ethnoenvironmental and macroeconomic adaptation that is as much Mossy Grove (Woodland) or even Archaic in its outlook as it is Caddo. I have suggested elsewhere a post-Alto phase phenomena of diffusion of some aspects of Caddo culture to Mossy Grove style cultures, an acculturative process that may have been still viable and ongoing in the early Historic period. The ethnographic literature suggests that southern Caddo cultural denota had expanded or was expanding beyond the traditional Hasinai linguistic area. This article addresses the first part of the discussion, the cultural variability evident in the archaeological and ethnohistoric literature and the possible sources of that diversity

Vulnerability of Archeological Sites in East Texas

A discussion concerning the vulnerable archeological sites in East Texas, or anywhere for that matter, is a serious and complex one, primarily because all archaeological sites are vulnerable. Of course, it must be understood that it is the very nature of archaeological sites to be threatened with destruction

On the Role of Minor Galaxy Mergers in the Formation of Active Galactic Nuclei

The large scale (~ 100 kpc) environments of Seyfert galaxies are not significantly different from those of non-Seyfert galaxies. In the context of the interaction model of the formation of active galactic nuclei (AGN), it has been proposed that AGN form via "minor mergers" of large disk galaxies with smaller companions. We test this hypothesis by comparing the nuclear spectra of 105 bright nearby galaxies with measurements of their R or r band morphological asymmetries at three successive radii. We find no significant differences in these asymmetries between the 13 Seyfert galaxies in the sample and galaxies having other nuclear spectral types (absorption, H II-region like, LINER), nor is there strong qualitative evidence that such mergers have occured among any of the Seyferts or LINERs. Thus either any minor mergers began > 1 Gyr ago and are essentially complete, or they did not occur at all, and AGN form independently of any type of interaction. Support for the latter interpretation is provided by the growing evidence that supermassive black holes exist in the cores of most elliptical and early-type spiral galaxies, which in turn suggests that nuclear activity represents a normal phase in the evolution of the bulges of massive galaxies. Galaxy mergers may increase the luminosity of Seyfert nuclei to the level of QSOs, which could explain why the latter objects appear to be found in rich environments and in interacting systems.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Astrophysical Journal Letter

Reflections on the Early Ceramic Period and the Terminal Archaic in South Central East Texas

The most significant shift in cultural adaptation in eastern Texas is generally attributed to the Caddoan cultures. Consequently, considerably more archaeology has been focused on the period from ca. A.D. 800-1750 than to the preceding 1000 years of culture change and adaptation. During this period, ceramics and the bow and arrow were incorporated into the subsistence tool kit of the indigenous Archaic cultures of the region. Demographic shifts on the landscape suggest that these societies were exploiting and/or settling on a different and/or greater range of environmental niches than the previous or subsequent societies. The archaeological record also suggests the Early Ceramic societies of the region were also participating in the wide-ranging trade networks that were extremely important factors in the success of the Caddoan societies that followed them

Influence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and minocycline on microglia and macrophage activation during polytropic retrovirus infection

Microglia/macrophage activation has been associated with the pathogenesis of various neurological diseases including human immunodeficiency virus encephalitis, transmissible spongiform encephalitis, and Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). In vitro studies have indicated a role for TNFα in activating these cells which leads to their migration, proliferation, and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines that may potentially damage brain tissue. In the current study, we analyzed the phenotype of microglia and macrophages enriched from wild type and TNFα deficient mice infected with a neurovirulent murine retrovirus. Although TNF receptors CD120a and CD120b were expressed on both microglia and macrophage population, unaltered by either retrovirus infection or TNFα deficiency. To determine if hindering microglia/macrophage activation and TNFα expression during an established viral infection would impede the development of neurological disease, we treated mice with minocycline which has been reported to inhibit both microglia activation and TNFα production. Despite the decreased expression of certain genes involved in TNF signaling and microglia/macrophage activation, there was no delay in onset of neurological disease between PBS and minocycline treated EC infected mice. mRNA expression for accessory molecules involved in the TNF Superfamily signaling was significantly reduced with minocycline treatment. Understanding how to better manipulate these pathways could lead to ways to decrease the severity of neurological disease in not solely this model but others in which they has been directly linked to pathogenesis

Effect of stabilizers on gold sensitization

Previous work has shown evidence that some emulsion stabilizers can prevent rearrangement of adsorbed silver sulfide to a photographically active form. Full gold plus sulfur sensitization may be achieved by simultaneous introduction of the sensitizers or by adding gold after sulfur sensitization. As gold sensitization of an already optimally sulfur-sensitized emulsion may instead involve a direct chemical reaction, the effect of stabilizers on gold sensitization may not parallel their effect on sulfur sensitization. The stabilizers 6-methyl-4-hydroxy-l , 3 , 3a , 7-tet razaindene and l-phenyl-5-mercaptotetrazole retard but do not prevent gold sensitization in a sulfur sensitized emulsion. This may suggest that gold sensitization does not involve a rearrangement or other secondary process with which a stabilizer could interfere

Preliminary Study of the Effects of an Innovative Social Cognitive Theory Driven Yoga-Based Behavioral Intervention on Smoking Cessation

The purpose of this study was to develop and test an innovative yoga-based behavioral intervention for smoking cessation based on social cognitive theory and compare it with an existing self-help based program. In both the groups, the antecedents of quitting based on social cognitive theory, namely, selfefficacy for quitting and self-control for quitting were tracked for six months along with self-reported daily consumption of cigarettes, self-efficacy for yoga, and past week performance of yoga behaviors. A valid and reliable 23-item instrument was utilized. The study employed an experimental design. Twenty one participants recruited in this study after informed consent and randomly assigned to the two groups. Seven (33.3%) participants completed the study protocol and one participant who was in the yoga group was successful in quitting smoking. Statistically significant improvements occurred in the social cognitive-theory based yoga group over the self-help group for self-control for quitting (