Research Reports from the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project, Volume Seven

Table of Contents : Background and Introduction to the 2012 Season of the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project / by Fred Valdez, Jr. and Grant Aylesworth (p.1-6) -- The Architecture and Environs of Structure 3: 2012 Season / by Debora Trein (p.7-34) -- Report of the 2012 Excavations at the South Ballcourt of La Milpa, Operation A6 / by David Chatelain (p.35-38) -- Overview of the 2012 La Milpa Archaeological Field Season / by Brandon s. Lewis, Yoav Me-Bar, Scott Guzman, and Leon de Santillan (p.39-54) -- Several Burials from La Milpa, LM4 in NW Belize / by Stacy Drake (p.55-58) -- Report in the 2012 Excavations at Hun Tun: Operation 5 / by Robyn L. Dodge (p.59-68) -- Research Results of the 2012 Field Season: Excavations at the Tapir Group of the Medicinal Trail Site / by David M. Hyde (p.67-90) -- Mapping Medicinal Trail: A Summary from 2004 to 2012 / by Jeff Brewer, David M. Hyde, and Michael Stowe (p.91-112) -- The 2012 Season of Survey and Excavation at La Milpa North / by Eric J. Heller (p.113-130) -- Preliminary Investigations at RB 71: The 2012 Field Season / by Nicole DeFrancisco and Cory Stevenson (p.131-140) -- Preliminary Report on the 2012 Field Season at Maax Na and Bolsa Verde, Belize / by Eleanor M. King and Leslie C. Shaw (p.141-154) -- Summary Report of Field Investigations at the Site of Dos Hombres, Summer 2012 Season / by Rissa M. Trachman and Jacob A. Canterbury (p.155-164) -- Field Investigations at Chawak But’o’ob: Preliminary Overview of the 2012 Season / Stan Walling (p.165-178) -- Ancient Maya Land Use and Today’s Environment: A Multidisciplinary Research Program / by Nicholas Brokaw (p.179-186) -- Summary Report of the 2012 Obsidian Provenance Project for PfBAP / by Walter Beckwith (p.187-188) -- Application of Low-Field Magnetic Susceptibility to Plaster Floors in Excavation Profiles at Maya Sites in the Three Rivers Region, Belize / by Michael Brennan (p.189)Texas Archeological Research Laborator

Research Reports from the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project, Volume Six

Table of Contents : Background and Introduction to the 2011 Season of the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project / by Fred Valdez, Jr. and Marisol Cortes-Rincon (p.1-4) -- Investigations at Structure 3, La Milpa: The 2011 Field Season / by Debora Trein (p.5-32) -- Report of the 2011 Excavations at the South Ballcourt of La Milpa, Op A6 / by David Chatelain (p.33-44) -- Summary of the 2011 Activities of the La Milpa Core Project / by Brett A. Houk and Gregory Zaro (p.45-54) -- Summary of 2011 Field Season: Examination of Extended Lineages Associated with Courtyards 135 & 149 at La Milpa, Belize / by Brandon S. Lewis (p.55-58) -- Report on a Northern Residential Complex at La Milpa, Belize: Operation LM4 / by Deanna M. Riddick (p.59-62) -- Preliminary Notes on a Chultun Burial at La Milpa – LM-4 / by Stacy Drake (p.63-68) -- Excavations at Groups B and C, Say Kah, Belize, 2011 / by Sarah E. Jackson and Linda A. Brown (p.69-102) -- Hun Tun Archaeology: Report on the 2011 Field Season / by Robyn L. Dodge (p.103-114) -- Aguada Lagunita Elusiva (RB Lagunita), La Milpa East (RB LME) and Results of the 2011 Explorations along the LaMap East Transect Extension / by Estella Weiss-Krejci and Michael Brandl (p.115-126) -- Towards a Biography Of Place: The 2011 Season of Survey and Excavation at La Milpa North / by Eric J. Heller (p.127-144) -- Phase 2 Research at Wari Camp (RB-56): Summer 2011 / by Laura Levi (p.145-152) -- Summary Report of Investigations at the Site of Dos Hombres: Summer 2011 / by Rissa M. Trachman and Katherine MacDonald (p.153-158) -- Preliminary Report on the 2011 Activities of the Mount Allison University Archaeological Field School in Belize / by Grant R. Aylesworth (p.159-162) -- Tree Species Composition at Medicinal Trail Group A / by Nicholas Brokaw and Sheila Ward (p.163-164) -- Report on Some Stone Tools from RB 18, Northwest Belize: Guijarral and the Chispas Group / by David M. Hyde (p.165)Texas Archeological Research Laborator

LMC X-1: A New Spectral Analysis of the O-star in the binary and surrounding nebula

We provide new observations of the LMC X-1 O star and its extended nebula structure using spectroscopic data from VLT/UVES as well as H$\alpha$ imaging from the Wide Field Imager on the Max Planck Gesellschaft / European Southern Observatory 2.2m telescope and ATCA imaging of the 2.1 GHz radio continuum. This nebula is one of the few known to be energized by an X-ray binary. We use a new spectrum extraction technique that is superior to other methods to obtain both radial velocities and fluxes. This provides an updated spatial velocity of $\simeq 21.0~\pm~4.8$ km s$^{-1}$ for the O star. The slit encompasses both the photo-ionized and shock-ionized regions of the nebula. The imaging shows a clear arc-like structure reminiscent of a wind bow shock in between the ionization cone and shock-ionized nebula. The observed structure can be fit well by the parabolic shape of a wind bow shock. If an interpretation of a wind bow shock system is valid, we investigate the N159-O1 star cluster as a potential parent of the system, suggesting a progenitor mass of $\sim 60$ M$_{\odot}$ for the black hole. We further note that the radio emission could be non-thermal emission from the wind bow shock, or synchrotron emission associated with the jet inflated nebula. For both wind and jet-powered origins, this would represent one of the first radio detections of such a structure.Comment: 7 Figures, 4 Table

Advanced Modeling and Uncertainty Quantification for Flight Dynamics; Interim Results and Challenges

As part of the NASA Vehicle Systems Safety Technologies (VSST), Assuring Safe and Effective Aircraft Control Under Hazardous Conditions (Technical Challenge #3), an effort is underway within Boeing Research and Technology (BR&T) to address Advanced Modeling and Uncertainty Quantification for Flight Dynamics (VSST1-7). The scope of the effort is to develop and evaluate advanced multidisciplinary flight dynamics modeling techniques, including integrated uncertainties, to facilitate higher fidelity response characterization of current and future aircraft configurations approaching and during loss-of-control conditions. This approach is to incorporate multiple flight dynamics modeling methods for aerodynamics, structures, and propulsion, including experimental, computational, and analytical. Also to be included are techniques for data integration and uncertainty characterization and quantification. This research shall introduce new and updated multidisciplinary modeling and simulation technologies designed to improve the ability to characterize airplane response in off-nominal flight conditions. The research shall also introduce new techniques for uncertainty modeling that will provide a unified database model comprised of multiple sources, as well as an uncertainty bounds database for each data source such that a full vehicle uncertainty analysis is possible even when approaching or beyond Loss of Control boundaries. Methodologies developed as part of this research shall be instrumental in predicting and mitigating loss of control precursors and events directly linked to causal and contributing factors, such as stall, failures, damage, or icing. The tasks will include utilizing the BR&T Water Tunnel to collect static and dynamic data to be compared to the GTM extended WT database, characterizing flight dynamics in off-nominal conditions, developing tools for structural load estimation under dynamic conditions, devising methods for integrating various modeling elements into a real-time simulation capability, generating techniques for uncertainty modeling that draw data from multiple modeling sources, and providing a unified database model that includes nominal plus increments for each flight condition. This paper presents status of testing in the BR&T water tunnel and analysis of the resulting data and efforts to characterize these data using alternative modeling methods. Program challenges and issues are also presented

The well-being of carers of older Aboriginal people living in the Kimberley region of remote Western Australia: Empowerment, depression, and carer burden

Objective: To describe demographic features and well-being of carers of Aboriginal Australians aged ≥45 years in remote Western Australia. Method: Carer burden, empowerment, and depression were assessed in 124 Aboriginal carers in four remote Aboriginal communities. Results: Carers were aged 38.8 ± 15.0 years, 73.4% were female, and 75.8% were children or grandchildren of the person cared for. The mean Zarit-6 score was 3.7 ± 3.6. Attending high school (odds ratio [OR] = 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.1, 0.7]) and feeling empowered (OR = 0.2; 95% CI = [0.1, 0.8]) were inversely associated with carer burden; female carers were less likely to feel empowered (OR = 0.4; 95% CI = [0.2, 0.9]); and empowerment was inversely associated with depression (OR = 0.3; 95% CI = [0.1, 0.7]). Discussion: Aboriginal carers in remote communities are relatively young and most are children or grandchildren. Carer burden was lower than anticipated. However, existing tools may not adequately measure Aboriginal perspectives. Education and empowerment are key factors which support programs must consider

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha is produced by dying retinal neurons and is required for Müller glia proliferation during zebrafish retinal regeneration

Intense light exposure causes photoreceptor apoptosis in dark-adapted adult albino zebrafish (Danio rerio). Subsequently, Müller glia increase expression of the Achaete-scute complex-like 1a (Ascl1a) and Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) transcription factors and re-enter the cell cycle to yield undifferentiated neuronal progenitors that continue to proliferate, migrate to the outer nuclear layer, and differentiate into photoreceptors. A proteomic analysis of light-damaged retinal homogenates, which induced Müller glia proliferation when injected into an undamaged eye, revealed increased expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) signaling proteins relative to undamaged retinal homogenates. TNFα expression initially increased in apoptotic photoreceptors and later in Müller glia. Morpholino-mediated knockdown of TNFα expression before light damage diminished the expression of both Ascl1a and Stat3 in Müller glia and significantly reduced the number of proliferating Müller glia without affecting photoreceptor cell death. Knockdown of TNFα expression in the Müller glia resulted in fewer proliferating Müller glia, suggesting that Müller glial-derived TNFα recruited additional Müller glia to re-enter the cell cycle. While TNFα is required for increased Ascl1a and Stat3 expression, Ascl1a and Stat3 are both necessary for TNFα expression in Müller glia. Apoptotic inner retinal neurons, resulting from intravitreal injection of ouabain, also exhibited increased TNFα expression that was required for Müller glia proliferation. Thus, TNFα is the first molecule identified that is produced by dying retinal neurons and is necessary to induce Müller glia to proliferate in the zebrafish retinal regeneration response. © 2013 the authors

Differential Localization of G Protein βγ Subunits

G protein βγ subunits play essential roles in regulating cellular signaling cascades, yet little is known about their distribution in tissues or their subcellular localization. While previous studies have suggested specific isoforms may exhibit a wide range of distributions throughout the central nervous system, a thorough investigation of the expression patterns of both Gβ and Gγ isoforms within subcellular fractions has not been conducted. To address this, we applied a targeted proteomics approach known as multiple-reaction monitoring to analyze localization patterns of Gβ and Gγ isoforms in pre- and postsynaptic fractions isolated from cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and striatum. Particular Gβ and Gγ subunits were found to exhibit distinct regional and subcellular localization patterns throughout the brain. Significant differences in subcellular localization between pre- and postsynaptic fractions were observed within the striatum for most Gβ and Gγ isoforms, while others exhibited completely unique expression patterns in all four brain regions examined. Such differences are a prerequisite for understanding roles of individual subunits in regulating specific signaling pathways throughout the central nervous system

Inverse dynamics modelling of upper-limb tremor, with cross-correlation analysis

A method to characterise upper-limb tremor using inverse dynamics modelling in combination with cross-correlation analyses is presented. A 15 degree-of-freedom inverse dynamics model is used to estimate the joint torques required to produce the measured limb motion, given a set of estimated inertial properties for the body segments. The magnitudes of the estimated torques are useful when assessing patients or evaluating possible intervention methods. The cross-correlation of the estimated joint torques is proposed to gain insight into how tremor in one limb segment interacts with tremor in another. The method is demonstrated using data from a single patient presenting intention tremor because of multiple sclerosis. It is shown that the inertial properties of the body segments can be estimated with sufficient accuracy using only the patient's height and weight as a priori knowledge, which ensures the method's practicality and transferability to clinical use. By providing a more detailed, objective characterisation of patient-specific tremor properties, the method is expected to improve the selection, design and assessment of treatment options on an individual basis