Archaeological Investigation of a Spring Lake Lot for Joe\u27s Crab Shack Parking

On August 19 and 25, 1997, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted an intensive survey for cultural resources at the proposed location of a parking lot for Joe\u27s Crab Shack Restaurants along Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas. The work was contracted by Southwest Texas State University (SWTSU) and conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit number 1877. Upon completion of the survey and subsurface testing, CAR determined that no cultural resources would be impacted by the planned parking lot construction. CAR therefore recommended that the project sponsor be allowed to proceed as planned with the proposed project and the Texas Historical Commission (THC) has concurred

Exhumation and Analysis of Two Historic Burials from the Camposanto at Santa Rosa Hospital, San Antonio, Texas

Recent construction at Santa Rosa Hospital in downtown San Antonio resulted in the unexpected discovery of two sets of human skeletal remains. Archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) were contracted to exhume and analyze these remains and determine if they represented historic period burials. Excavation and identification of a “toe-pincher” style coffin and its associated hardware, the recovery of personal items associated with the first set of skeletal remains, and archival research aided in the determination that this set of remains was buried in the mid-1800s. The second set of remains were not found in association with any personal artifacts, but were also contained in a “toe-pincher” coffin constructed of comparable materials suggesting a similar interment date

Laredo Utility Relocation Project, Chacon Creek, Webb County, Texas

In August of 2000, archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) were contracted to test for archaeological deposits along the route of a proposed utility pipeline relocation in Laredo, Texas. The route of the proposed pipeline relocation will impact a 690-foot (210 m) section along Meadow Avenue at the bridge crossing Chacon Creek, in Laredo. CAR archaeologists monitored the excavation of six backhoe trenches along the proposed relocation route in order to test for buried cultural materials. No intact cultural deposits were encountered. The majority of the tested section was disturbed from previous construction, probably associated with the earlier bridge construction activities which occurred in the project area

History of Archeological Investigations at Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Palo Duro Canyon has been an important locale for human occupation with its distinct topography, fauna, and flora from the Paleoindian inhabitants to those of the Historic Period. There is archeological evidence of human habitation at Palo Duro Canyon throughout the past 12 millennia. Native Americans who lived in and around the canyon had access to resources not easily found on the adjoining upland plains. The canyon provided an abundance of sheltered camping and year-round supply to water, wood, stone tool materials, game, and wild plant resources. The bordering uplands, covered with grass and dotted with playa lakes, afforded campsites with good visibility and access to game such as bison, antelope, and waterfowl. This article reviews the history of archaeological work conducted at Palo Duro Canyon State Park since the park opened in 1934. It examines how evolving site recording standards, archaeological methods, and construction projects have influenced the types of archaeological investigations that have been conducted within the park over time. These investigations have occurred within the context of larger changes to the discipline and, more recently, expansions to the original park boundaries. Together, they help elucidate on the rich history of human occupation in the region

Archaeological Testing at the Headwaters of the San Marcos River: Southwest Texas State University Raw Water Supply Project

Between April 30 and June 3, 1998, the Center for Archaeological Research of The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted subsurface testing for cultural resources along the proposed route of a water pipeline for Southwest Texas State University. The area to be impacted by the proposed waterline included a tract on the banks of the headwaters of the San Marcos River and tracts adjacent to the Aquatic Biology Building. The project area is partially within the known boundaries of site 41HY161. The archaeological investigations included shovel testing, backhoe trenching, excavation of three 1 x 1-m units, and monitoring. Upon completion, based on the results of this archaeological work, it was determined that no intact cultural resources would be impacted by the planned trench construction between the west bank of the San Marcos River and the southeast corner of the Aquatic Biology Building. However, intact cultural deposits were identified west of the Aquatic Biology Building dating to the late Paleoindian and Archaic periods. Therefore, clearance for the pipeline route was recommended in areas that did not contain cultural resources and in areas disturbed by recent or historic construction. To avoid disturbance to intact cultural materials, Southwest Texas State University was required to modify the depth of the pipeline trench west of the Aquatic Biology Building

Risk factors for race-day fatality in flat racing Thoroughbreds in Great Britain (2000 to 2013)

A key focus of the racing industry is to reduce the number of race-day events where horses die suddenly or are euthanased due to catastrophic injury. The objective of this study was therefore to determine risk factors for race-day fatalities in Thoroughbred racehorses, using a cohort of all horses participating in flat racing in Great Britain between 2000 and 2013. Horse-, race- and course-level data were collected and combined with all race-day fatalities, recorded by racecourse veterinarians in a central database. Associations between exposure variables and fatality were assessed using logistic regression analyses for (1) all starts in the dataset and (2) starts made on turf surfaces only. There were 806,764 starts in total, of which 548,571 were on turf surfaces. A total of 610 fatalities were recorded; 377 (61.8%) on turf. In both regression models, increased firmness of the going, increasing racing distance, increasing average horse performance, first year of racing and wearing eye cover for the first time all increased the odds of fatality. Generally, the odds of fatality also increased with increasing horse age whereas increasing number of previous starts reduced fatality odds. In the ‘all starts’ model, horses racing in an auction race were at 1.46 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–2.01) times the odds of fatality compared with horses not racing in this race type. In the turf starts model, horses racing in Group 1 races were at 3.19 (95% CI 1.71–5.93) times the odds of fatality compared with horses not racing in this race type. Identification of novel risk factors including wearing eye cover and race type will help to inform strategies to further reduce the rate of fatality in flat racing horses, enhancing horse and jockey welfare and safety

Leave entitlements, time off work and the household financial impacts of quarantine compliance during an H1N1 outbreak

The Australian state of Victoria, with 5.2 million residents, enforced home quarantine during a H1N1 pandemic in 2009. The strategy was targeted at school children. The objective of this study was to investigate the extent to which parents’ access to paid sick leave or paid carer’s leave was associated with (a) time taken off work to care for quarantined children, (b) household finances, and (c) compliance with quarantine recommendations.This project was funded by two NHMRC Strategic Awards: “Call for research on H1N1 influenza 09 to inform public policy” (#628962) and “Changing patterns of work: Impacts on physical and mental health and the mediating role of resilience and social capital” (#375196). JM is supported by a NHMRC Career Development Award; DS is funded by an ARC Federation Fellowship

Acute Flaccid Paralysis and West Nile Virus Infection

Acute weakness associated with West Nile virus (WNV) infection has previously been attributed to a peripheral demyelinating process (Guillain-Barré syndrome); however, the exact etiology of this acute flaccid paralysis has not been systematically assessed. To thoroughly describe the clinical, laboratory, and electrodiagnostic features of this paralysis syndrome, we evaluated acute flaccid paralysis that developed in seven patients in the setting of acute WNV infection, consecutively identified in four hospitals in St. Tammany Parish and New Orleans, Louisiana, and Jackson, Mississippi. All patients had acute onset of asymmetric weakness and areflexia but no sensory abnormalities. Clinical and electrodiagnostic data suggested the involvement of spinal anterior horn cells, resulting in a poliomyelitis-like syndrome. In areas in which transmission is occurring, WNV infection should be considered in patients with acute flaccid paralysis. Recognition that such weakness may be of spinal origin may prevent inappropriate treatment and diagnostic testing

Hundreds of variants clustered in genomic loci and biological pathways affect human height

Most common human traits and diseases have a polygenic pattern of inheritance: DNA sequence variants at many genetic loci influence the phenotype. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified more than 600 variants associated with human traits, but these typically explain small fractions of phenotypic variation, raising questions about the use of further studies. Here, using 183,727 individuals, we show that hundreds of genetic variants, in at least 180 loci, influence adult height, a highly heritable and classic polygenic trait. The large number of loci reveals patterns with important implications for genetic studies of common human diseases and traits. First, the 180 loci are not random, but instead are enriched for genes that are connected in biological pathways (P = 0.016) and that underlie skeletal growth defects (P < 0.001). Second, the likely causal gene is often located near the most strongly associated variant: in 13 of 21 loci containing a known skeletal growth gene, that gene was closest to the associated variant. Third, at least 19 loci have multiple independently associated variants, suggesting that allelic heterogeneity is a frequent feature of polygenic traits, that comprehensive explorations of already-discovered loci should discover additional variants and that an appreciable fraction of associated loci may have been identified. Fourth, associated variants are enriched for likely functional effects on genes, being over-represented among variants that alter amino-acid structure of proteins and expression levels of nearby genes. Our data explain approximately 10% of the phenotypic variation in height, and we estimate that unidentified common variants of similar effect sizes would increase this figure to approximately 16% of phenotypic variation (approximately 20% of heritable variation). Although additional approaches are needed to dissect the genetic architecture of polygenic human traits fully, our findings indicate that GWA studies can identify large numbers of loci that implicate biologically relevant genes and pathways.

Meta‐Analysis of Genome‐wide Linkage Studies in BMI and Obesity

Objective: The objective was to provide an overall assessment of genetic linkage data of BMI and BMI‐defined obesity using a nonparametric genome scan meta‐analysis. Research Methods and Procedures: We identified 37 published studies containing data on over 31,000 individuals from more than >10,000 families and obtained genome‐wide logarithm of the odds (LOD) scores, non‐parametric linkage (NPL) scores, or maximum likelihood scores (MLS). BMI was analyzed in a pooled set of all studies, as a subgroup of 10 studies that used BMI‐defined obesity, and for subgroups ascertained through type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or subjects of European ancestry. Results: Bins at chromosome 13q13.2‐ q33.1, 12q23‐q24.3 achieved suggestive evidence of linkage to BMI in the pooled analysis and samples ascertained for hypertension. Nominal evidence of linkage to these regions and suggestive evidence for 11q13.3‐22.3 were also observed for BMI‐defined obesity. The FTO obesity gene locus at 16q12.2 also showed nominal evidence for linkage. However, overall distribution of summed rank p values <0.05 is not different from that expected by chance. The strongest evidence was obtained in the families ascertained for hypertension at 9q31.1‐qter and 12p11.21‐q23 (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Despite having substantial statistical power, we did not unequivocally implicate specific loci for BMI or obesity. This may be because genes influencing adiposity are of very small effect, with substantial genetic heterogeneity and variable dependence on environmental factors. However, the observation that the FTO gene maps to one of the highest ranking bins for obesity is interesting and, while not a validation of this approach, indicates that other potential loci identified in this study should be investigated further.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/93663/1/oby.2007.269.pd