A Statue Gets a Fresh Coat of Paint: A Glimpse at the Catholic Church and Chicano Activists in the Rio Grande Valley in 1970

In December, 1969, at the end of a weekend conference, a group of Mexican American activist students painted a statue of Mary brown, causing an uproar among some priests and faithful. This reaction did not, however, cause the Church to pull back on its commitment to social justice. Indeed, some bishops, priests, and laity took strong positions and acted on issues related to farmworkers and Chicano youth projects in the face of opposition within the Church and among the public. This paper utilizes oral history interviews, newspaper accounts, and documents in archives of the Oblate School of Theolog

Laredo, Texas: Gateway Community on the Texas Borderlands, Archaeological and Historical Investigations for the Laredo City Toll Plaza

In July 1980, the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, conducted archaeological and historical investigations at sites designated as 41 WB 36,41 WB 37, and 41 WB 38, which are located in a residential district on the east side of the town of Laredo, Texas. These sites are represented by late historic foundations which were uncovered after a group of houses were razed to make way for a new toll bridge complex to facilitate international travel between the United States and the Republic of Mexico. A short history of Laredo and of the four house foundations excavated by the Center for Archaeological Research is presented in this report. The archaeological investigations of the structures and their associated artifacts are described and interpreted to provide a better understanding of sociocultural activities in Laredo from early historic times to the present

The fatal contribution of serine protease-related genetic variants to COVID-19 outcomes

IntroductionSerine proteases play a critical role during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, polymorphisms of transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and serpine family E member 1 (SERPINE1) could help to elucidate the contribution of variability to COVID-19 outcomes.MethodsTo evaluate the genetic variants of the genes previously associated with COVID-19 outcomes, we performed a cross-sectional study in which 1536 SARS-CoV-2-positive participants were enrolled. TMPRSS2 (rs2070788, rs75603675, rs12329760) and SERPINE1 (rs2227631, rs2227667, rs2070682, rs2227692) were genotyped using the Open Array Platform. The association of polymorphisms with disease outcomes was determined by logistic regression analysis adjusted for covariates (age, sex, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and obesity).ResultsAccording to our codominant model, the GA genotype of rs2227667 (OR=0.55; 95% CI = 0.36-0.84; p=0.006) and the AG genotype of rs2227667 (OR=0.59; 95% CI = 0.38-0.91; p=0.02) of SERPINE1 played a protective role against disease. However, the rs2227692 T allele and TT genotype SERPINE1 (OR=1.45; 95% CI = 1.11-1.91; p=0.006; OR=2.08; 95% CI = 1.22-3.57; p=0.007; respectively) were associated with a decreased risk of death. Similarly, the rs75603675 AA genotype TMPRSS2 had an OR of 1.97 (95% CI = 1.07-3.6; p=0.03) for deceased patients. Finally, the rs2227692 T allele SERPINE1 was associated with increased D-dimer levels (OR=1.24; 95% CI = 1.03-1.48; p=0.02).DiscussionOur data suggest that the rs75603675 TMPRSS2 and rs2227692 SERPINE1 polymorphisms are associated with a poor outcome. Additionally, rs2227692 SERPINE1 could participate in hypercoagulable conditions in critical COVID-19 patients, and this genetic variant could contribute to the identification of new pharmacological targets and treatment strategies to block the inhibition of TMPRSS2 entry into SARS-CoV-2

Reemergence of Dengue in Southern Texas, 2013

During a dengue epidemic in northern Mexico, enhanced surveillance identified 53 laboratory-positive cases in southern Texas; 26 (49%) patients acquired the infection locally, and 29 (55%) were hospitalized. Of 83 patient specimens that were initially IgM negative according to ELISA performed at a commercial laboratory, 14 (17%) were dengue virus positive by real-time reverse transcription PCR performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dengue virus types 1 and 3 were identified, and molecular phylogenetic analysis demonstrated close identity with viruses that had recently circulated in Mexico and Central America. Of 51 household members of 22 dengue case-patients who participated in household investigations, 6 (12%) had been recently infected with a dengue virus and reported no recent travel, suggesting intrahousehold transmission. One household member reported having a recent illness consistent with dengue. This outbreak reinforces emergence of dengue in southern Texas, particularly when incidence is high in northern Mexico