Preliminary Cultural Resources Investigations for the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, Hidalgo County, Texas

Archeological, archival, and geomorphologic investigations were conducted for the proposed Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge Project in Hidalgo County, Texas, by Prewitt and Associates, Inc. from October 12-27, 1992. The purposes of these investigations were to locate and record any cultural resources within the project area, determine their eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and designation as State Archeological Landmarks, and to provide an overview of the Holocene geomorphic history of the project area. The geomorphic history of the project area suggests that the Rio Grande has experienced continuous channel aggradation from the end of the Pleistocene to ca. 1000 B.P. Climatic changes and diminishing sediment loads led to channel incision around 1000 B.P., forming a low late Holocene terrace and resulting in increased sinuosity and a decreased channel width-to-depth ratio. The investigations included a stratified sample survey of approximately 162 hectares (400 acres) and the excavation of 16 backhoe trenches and 14 shovel tests. A total of 10 sites, consisting of 10 historic and 2 prehistoric components, were documented. Six standing architectural properties, each consisting of a structure or groups of structures, also were documented. Four of the sites (41HG153, 41HG155, 41HG156, and 41HG158) are considered to be potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and for designation as State Archeological Landmarks. Two of the architectural properties - the Carmichael and Sorenson farmsteads - also may be eligible for listing on the National Register. The four potentially eligible sites consist of four historic and two prehistoric components. The historic components date from the Texas Republic period to the early twentieth century, representing the establishment and development of the EI Capote Ranch community. The two prehistoric components (41HG153 and 41HG158), of which only 41HG153 is potentially eligible, represent Late Prehistoric and unknown prehistoric components, respectively

Cultural Resources Survey of the Leander Rehabilitation Center, Williamson County, Texas

In August-September 1996, personnel from Prewitt and Associates, Inc., conducted a cultural resources survey of ca. 725 acres of the former Leander Rehabilitation Center. The project area lies adjacent to U.S. Highway 183 and FM 620 in southern Williamson County, Texas. The survey resulted in additional documentation of one previously recorded prehistoric archeological site (41 WM452), the identification and recording of four historic archeological sites (41WM892, 41WM893, 41WM896, and 41WM897), and reconnaissance-level documentation of 45 historic buildings and structures. Site 41WM452 is an extensive upland lithic scatter and lithic procurement site which lacks subsurface deposits, features, and datable materials. Site 41WM892 is a wood-chopper camp that contains a number of rock alignments and limited artifact deposits dating to the first decade of the twentieth century. Site 41WM893 is a remnant of a railroad spur used during the 1937-1941 construction of Marshall Ford Dam (now Mansfield Dam). Site 41WM896 contains a small number of features and sparse artifact deposits associated with the 1937-1945 Rhodes farmstead. Site 41WM897 is an isolated historic well with unknown associations. None of these archeological sites contains important information, and it is recommended that they be considered not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or for designation as State Archeological Landmarks. The 45 buildings and structures, at 36 locations, are associated with the former State Dairy and Hog Farm. This farm was established in 1942, expanded after 1945, and reached its peak years of production as a hog farm between 1950 and the late 1960s, Created to serve the needs of the State Board of Control and the State Hospital, the facility is significant for its success in food production for eleemosynary institutions in Austin and throughout Texas, as well as for its role in the application of modern psychiatric treatment based on the therapeutic value of manual labor. Among the surveyed resources are dwellings, an office and warehouse building, a dormitory, a variety of agricultural buildings and structures, and infrastructural elements, all built between 1943 and 1955. Twenty-one of the 45 surveyed resources are recommended as being eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C as Contributing resources in a historic district and for designation as State Archeological Landmarks

Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge: Continued Archeological and Historical Research at El Capote Ranch Community, Hidalgo County, Texas

Phase II cultural resources investigations for the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge currently under construction in Hidalgo County, Texas, were conducted by Prewitt and Associates, Inc. in September 1993 and June 1994. The work included additional survey and documentation of seven historic sites, testing and evaluation of three sites, archival and oral history research on the former Hispanic community of EI Capote, and collection of additional geoarcheological data. The seven historic sites (4IHG162-41HG168) represent former nineteenth- and twentieth-century housesites within EI Capote. Due to a lack of integrity, it is recommended that all seven sites be considered ineligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Three other probable historic sites (Garza Ranch No.2, a segment of the Old Military Road, and the de la Viila Ranch) are located outside the area of potential effects. These were not recorded, but their locations are noted. Also outside the area of potential effects, a historic housesite (4IHG 169) contains the only known standing dwelling associated with nineteenth-century EI Capote. Mechanical and hand excavations of the historic components at 41HG153 and 41HG158 revealed severe disturbances and lack of intact features. It is recommended that these site~ be considered ineligible for listing on the National Register. Surface and subsurface search for additional evidence of prehistoric occupations at 41HG153 yielded one artifact. It is recommended that the prehistoric component at 41HG153 also be considered ineligible for listing on the National Register. Mapping and recording of features at a historic brick factory confirmed the site\u27s high archeological integrity. Site 41HG156 is the only Ranching Period brick kiln known in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. It is recommended that it be considered eligible for listing on·the National Register

Chemoreception Regulates Chemical Access to Mouse Vomeronasal Organ: Role of Solitary Chemosensory Cells

Controlling stimulus access to sensory organs allows animals to optimize sensory reception and prevent damage. The vomeronasal organ (VNO) detects pheromones and other semiochemicals to regulate innate social and sexual behaviors. This semiochemical detection generally requires the VNO to draw in chemical fluids, such as bodily secretions, which are complex in composition and can be contaminated. Little is known about whether and how chemical constituents are monitored to regulate the fluid access to the VNO. Using transgenic mice and immunolabeling, we found that solitary chemosensory cells (SCCs) reside densely at the entrance duct of the VNO. In this region, most of the intraepithelial trigeminal fibers innervate the SCCs, indicating that SCCs relay sensory information onto the trigeminal fibers. These SCCs express transient receptor potential channel M5 (TRPM5) and the phospholipase C (PLC) β2 signaling pathway. Additionally, the SCCs express choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) for synthesizing and packaging acetylcholine, a potential transmitter. In intracellular Ca2+ imaging, the SCCs responded to various chemical stimuli including high concentrations of odorants and bitter compounds. The responses were suppressed significantly by a PLC inhibitor, suggesting involvement of the PLC pathway. Further, we developed a quantitative dye assay to show that the amount of stimulus fluid that entered the VNOs of behaving mice is inversely correlated to the concentration of odorous and bitter substances in the fluid. Genetic knockout and pharmacological inhibition of TRPM5 resulted in larger amounts of bitter compounds entering the VNOs. Our data uncovered that chemoreception of fluid constituents regulates chemical access to the VNO and plays an important role in limiting the access of non-specific irritating and harmful substances. Our results also provide new insight into the emerging role of SCCs in chemoreception and regulation of physiological actions

Psychology of Fragrance Use: Perception of Individual Odor and Perfume Blends Reveals a Mechanism for Idiosyncratic Effects on Fragrance Choice

Cross-culturally, fragrances are used to modulate body odor, but the psychology of fragrance choice has been largely overlooked. The prevalent view is that fragrances mask an individual's body odor and improve its pleasantness. In two experiments, we found positive effects of perfume on body odor perception. Importantly, however, this was modulated by significant interactions with individual odor donors. Fragrances thus appear to interact with body odor, creating an individually-specific odor mixture. In a third experiment, the odor mixture of an individual's body odor and their preferred perfume was perceived as more pleasant than a blend of the same body odor with a randomly-allocated perfume, even when there was no difference in pleasantness between the perfumes. This indicates that fragrance use extends beyond simple masking effects and that people choose perfumes that interact well with their own odor. Our results provide an explanation for the highly individual nature of perfume choice

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

Data Recovery at Lake Alan Henry (Justiceburg Reservior), Garza and Kent Counties, Texas: Phase III, Season 3

The third and final season of Phase III data recovery at Lake Alan Henry (formerly Justiceburg Reservoir), located on the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River in Garza and Kent counties, Texas, was conducted during the fall of 1992. The work consisted of intensive archeological investigations at one historic site and four prehistoric sites. Subsequent to the Season 3 data recovery fieldwork, a newly discovered rock art site (41KTl64) was documented. The historic component at 41GR474 consists of a dugout depression and the ruins of a wood frame house and related complex of ranching structures. It was the homestead of Jeff Justice, Sr., who platted the community of Justiceburg in 1910. The Justice family lived in the dugout from 1900-1907. Excavations revealed a typical Plains-style half dugout with upper walls of native sandstone, a roof superstructure of juniper logs, and a sandstone fireplace. Artifacts and features on and near the floor include items from the dugout occupation period, but most represent a short episode (ca. 1907-1910) of reuse as a multifunctional workshop. Numerous artifacts in the upper fill are typical of early twentieth-centnry household debris and indicate use of the abandoned dugout for trash disposal. The Sam Wahl site (41GR29l) yielded an isolated secondary, cairn-covered interment of an adult male radiocarbon dated to A.D. 240-400. The early occupation period, A.D. 600-1050, is interpreted as a seasonal residential base related to the procurement, processing, and storage of plant foods; it may represent the Palo Duro complex. It is characterized by a pithouse, storage pits, hearths/baking pits, bedrock mortars, and an abundance of ground stones. The late occupation period, A.D. 1150-1400, lacks the distinctive features of the earlier period. A decrease in the number of ground stones and an increase in arrow point frequency may indicate a shift toward a hunting-oriented subsistence. Two occupation periods recognized at the Cat Hollow site (41GR303B) approximate those at the Sam Wahl site. The Late Prehistoric 1 period is characterized by baking pits and an abundance of scattered burned rocks, apparently representing use of the site as a specialized plant processing area. The upper deposits, dating to the latter part of the Late Prehistoric 1 period or the early Late Prehistoric II period, lack evidence for intensive plant processing, and increases in some classes of chipped stone tools indicate an increased emphasis on hunting. Two completely excavated rockshelters yielded evidence of Late Prehistoric and Protohistoric occupations. Boren Shelter #1 (41GR546), only 12 m2, yielded few artifacts and three stone-lined hearths, one radiocarbon dated to ca. A.D. 1643. The site saw ephemeral use during the Protohistoric period. Boren Shelter #2 (41GR559), with a sheltered area of 30 m2, contained sparse artifacts and numerous hearths; a midden area in front of the shelter contained a number of clusters of animal bones. The deposits inside the shelter can be separated into two periods of occupation, A.D. 0-1000 and A.D. 1000-1300, during which the site was used infrequently as a short-term campsite. The deposits in front of the shelter, with a single radiocarbon date of A.D. 1500-1660, reflect use of the site as a hunting camp/processing location during the Protohistoric period. Collectively, these sites indicate that significant cultural changes took place around A.D. 1100, when people at the Sam Wahl and Cat Hollow sites changed their economic strategies. The Lake Alan Henry data correspond with other regional archeological data, and there is a growing body of evidence indicating that the Late Prehistoric 1 period (ca. A.D. 1-1100) was radically different from the Late Prehistoric II period (ca. A.D. 1100-1541). Intensive utilization of plant resources seems to characterize the occupations prior to A.D. 1100. Archeological evidence indicates that after A.D. 1100, subsistence strategies shifted away from intensive plant utilization toward more broad-based foraging with a greater emphasis on hunting. This change in subsistence strategies probably was related to regional climatic changes

Data Recovery at Lake Alan Henry (Justiceburg Reservoir), Garza and Kent Counties, Texas: Phase III, Season 3

The third and final season of Phase III data recovery at Lake Alan Henry (formerly Justiceburg Reservoir), located on the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River in Garza and Kent counties, Texas, was conducted during the fall of 1992. The work consisted of intensive archeological investigations at one historic site and four prehistoric sites. Subsequent to the Season 3 data recovery fieldwork, a newly discovered rock art site (41KTl64) was documented. The historic component at 41GR474 consists of a dugout depression and the ruins of a wood frame house and related complex of ranching structures. It was the homestead of Jeff Justice, Sr., who platted the community of Justiceburg in 1910. The Justice family lived in the dugout from 1900-1907. Excavations revealed a typical Plains-style half dugout with upper walls of native sandstone, a roof superstructure of juniper logs, and a sandstone fireplace. Artifacts and features on and near the floor include items from the dugout occupation period, but most represent a short episode (ca. 1907-1910) of reuse as a multifunctional workshop. Numerous artifacts in the upper fill are typical of early twentieth-century household debris and indicate use of the abandoned dugout for trash disposal. The Sam Wahl site (41GR29l) yielded an isolated secondary, cairn-covered interment of an adult male radiocarbon dated to A.D. 240-400. The early occupation period, A.D. 600-1050, is interpreted as a seasonal residential base related to the procurement, processing, and storage of plant foods; it may represent the Palo Duro complex. It is characterized by a pithouse, storage pits, hearths/baking pits, bedrock mortars, and an abundance of ground stones. The late occupation period, A.D. 1150-1400, lacks the distinctive features of the earlier period. A decrease in the number of ground stones and an increase in arrow point frequency may indicate a shift toward a hunting-oriented subsistence. Two occupation periods recognized at the Cat Hollow site (41GR303B) approximate those at the Sam Wahl site. The Late Prehistoric 1 period is characterized by baking pits and an abundance of scattered burned rocks, apparently representing use of the site as a specialized plant processing area. The upper deposits, dating to the latter part of the Late Prehistoric 1 period or the early Late Prehistoric II period, lack evidence for intensive plant processing, and increases in some classes of chipped stone tools indicate an increased emphasis on hunting. Two completely excavated rockshelters yielded evidence of Late Prehistoric and Protohistoric occupations. Boren Shelter #1 (41GR546), only 12 m\u27, yielded few artifacts and three stone-lined hearths, one radiocarbon dated to ca. A.D. 1643. The site saw ephemeral use during the Protohistoric period. Boren Shelter #2 (41GR559), with a sheltered area of 30 m\u27, contained sparse artifacts and numerous hearths; a midden area in front of the shelter contained a number of clusters of animal bones. The deposits inside the shelter can be separated into two periods of occupation, A.D. 0-1000 and A.D. 1000-1300, during which the site was used infrequently as a short-term campsite. The deposits in front of the shelter, with a single radiocarbon date of A.D. 1500-1660, reflect use of the site as a hunting camp/processing location during the Protohistoric period. Collectively, these sites indicate that significant cultural changes took place around A.D. 1100, when people at the Sam Wahl and Cat Hollow sites changed their economic strategies. The Lake Alan Henry data correspond with other regional archeological data, and there is a growing body of evidence indicating that the Late Prehistoric 1 period (ca. A.D. 1-1100) was radically different from the Late Prehistoric II period (ca. A.D. 1100-1541). Intensive utilization of plant resources seems to characterize the occupations prior to A.D. 1100. Archeological evidence indicates that after A.D. 1100, subsistence strategies shifted away from intensive plant utilization toward more broad-based foraging with a greater emphasis on hunting. This change in subsistence strategies probably was related to regional climatic changes