Cultural Resources Investigations of the Lively Sewer Line Extension Project, Williamson County, Texas

On behalf of Sentinel Land Company and a Municipal Utility District (MUD), SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey for the proposed Lively Sewer Line Extension Project in Williamson County, Texas. The project area is located between the communities of Leander and Georgetown, Texas, approximately 3 miles southeast of the State Highway (SH) 29 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard intersection. In anticipation of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permitting regulations, the proposed project is subject to review in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 USC 470) and its implementing regulations (36 CFR 800). In addition, the project area includes property owned or managed by a MUD, a political subdivision of the state; therefore, the work will require compliance with the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT). SWCA conducted investigations under Antiquities Permit Number 7027. The proposed project involves the construction of a 2.5-mile-long sewer line extension. During construction, the proposed sewer line extension will use a 50-foot-wide (15-meter[m]-wide) temporary easement and will extend for approximately 13,200 feet (2.5 miles), encompassing 15.2 acres. The utility corridor will shrink to have a 30-foot-wide (9-m-wide) permanent easement after installation. In addition to the proposed sewer line, there are approximately 3.85 miles of proposed access roads. Approximately 5,545 linear feet (1.05 miles) or about 2.5 acres are proposed new access roads. The remaining 2.8 miles of additional access roads will use existing dirt roads and gravel roads and were not proposed for survey due to previous impacts. Additionally, there are six 500-foot-diameter (culminating in 27.0 acres) spoil lay down areas for the soil generated during the construction trenching. The depth of impacts would be roughly 7 to 10 feet below surface along the alignment. The exceptions consist of six bore pits that would flank the river at the three crossings and would extend approximately 20 feet below ground surface. Therefore, the area of potential effects (APE) encompasses roughly 44.7 acres. The investigations included a background review and an intensive pedestrian survey with shovel testing of the project area boundaries. The background review determined that portions of the project area have been previously surveyed and three previously recorded sites, 41WM459, 41WM113, and 41WM114, are located within or directly adjacent to the project area. Site 41WM459 is along one of the proposed access roads, while sites 41WM113 and 41WM114 are along the proposed pipeline. The historic map review determined there are no historic-age properties within the APE. The review identified an historic cemetery (Whitley Cemetery) within 985 feet (300 m) of the proposed sewer line. The field investigations consisted of 43 shovel tests, one backhoe trench, and extensive examination of exposed profiles. During these investigations, SWCA newly recorded one archaeological site (41WM1278) and revisited one previously recorded site (41WM459). Due to the ubiquity of the site type in the region, the low density of diffusely scattered artifacts, the absence of any temporally diagnostic artifacts or cultural features, and the lack of overall integrity across the site, the parts of 41WM459 within the project area have limited potential to yield new or important information concerning regional prehistory. SWCA recommends therefore that the parts of 41WM459 within the current project area are not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP nor do they warrant designation as an SAL; the remainder of the site outside of the project area is of undetermined eligibility. Based on these data, no further work or avoidance is recommended for the parts of site 41WM459 within the current project area. However, should the proposed project design change and require impacts to other parts of 41WM459, those areas would require additional survey. Given the possibility that site 41WM1278 is associated with the Whitley Cemetery that is approximately 100 feet to the southwest, and without the ability to determine the age, and context of the stonewall feature, SWCA recommends that eligibility for inclusion in the NRHP and SAL designation is undetermined for 41WM1278. However, the use of the roadway for the project will not detrimentally affect the site. Accordingly, no further field investigations are recommended for the site. Should construction activities be altered and affect the rock wall, archival research is recommended to determine the age and significance of the wall as it may relate to Whitley Cemetery. In accordance with 33 CFR 800.4, SWCA has made a reasonable and good faith effort to identify cultural resources properties within the APE. As no properties were identified that may meet the criteria for listing in the NRHP according to 36 CFR 60.4 or for designation as an SAL, according to 13 TAC 26.10, SWCA recommends no further cultural resources work within the project area

Carbon in Red Giants in Globular Clusters and Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

We present carbon abundances of red giants in Milky Way globular clusters and dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs). Our sample includes measurements of carbon abundances for 154 giants in the clusters NGC 2419, M68, and M15 and 398 giants in the dSphs Sculptor, Fornax, Ursa Minor, and Draco. This sample doubles the number of dSph stars with measurements of [C/Fe]. The [C/Fe] ratio in the clusters decreases with increasing luminosity above log(L/L_sun) ~= 1.6, which can be explained by deep mixing in evolved giants. The same decrease is observed in dSphs, but the initial [C/Fe] of the dSph giants is not uniform. Stars in dSphs at lower metallicities have larger [C/Fe] ratios. We hypothesize that [C/Fe] (corrected to the initial carbon abundance) declines with increasing [Fe/H] due to the metallicity dependence of the carbon yield of asymptotic giant branch stars and due to the increasing importance of Type Ia supernovae at higher metallicities. We also identified 11 very carbon-rich giants (8 previously known) in three dSphs. However, our selection biases preclude a detailed comparison to the carbon-enhanced fraction of the Milky Way stellar halo. Nonetheless, the stars with [C/Fe] < +1 in dSphs follow a different [C/Fe] track with [Fe/H] than the halo stars. Specifically, [C/Fe] in dSphs begins to decline at lower [Fe/H] than in the halo. The difference in the metallicity of the [C/Fe] "knee" adds to the evidence from [alpha/Fe] distributions that the progenitors of the halo had a shorter timescale for chemical enrichment than the surviving dSphs.Comment: accepted to ApJ; 20 pages, 11 figures, 2 machine-readable table

The Development of an Open Source Intelligence Gathering Exercise for Teaching Information Security & Privacy

This research-in-progress paper describes the development of a pedagogical exercise on open source intelligence gathering (OSINT). Exercise materials will include instructions, teaching notes, assessment criteria, and a preconfigured virtual machine (VM), which acts as a local web server. The VM will host multiple websites containing vulnerable information pertinent to a fictitious target organization, in effect creating a capture the flag (CTF) scenario. The exercise will not only teach students how to find public information, but also help students realize the importance of protecting such information. While this exercise is primarily geared towards those pursuing a career in information security, the exercise is appropriate for all students as it shows how personal information could be used against them, as well as their organizations

Impact and Experiences Relative to Critical Incidents and Critical Incident Stress Management

Purpose: Typically, athletic trainers (ATs) have relied on external support networks to debrief after a critical incident (CI). ATs report focusing on improving work-related processes after a CI rather than their emotional response to the CI. The purpose of this study was to identify both the short-term emotional impacts of CIs and what coping strategies ATs use to address their emotional response to CIs. Methods: We used a cross-sectional, web-based survey, distributed to a random sample of NATA members to explore the perceived effects of CIs on ATs. Participants (n=73, 36±11y) were primarily women (n=53, 72.6%), working in the college/university practice setting (n = 40, 54.8%), with 7±3y of experience. All participants experienced a CI within the previous 12 months. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for demographic variables and multi-analyst inductive coding for the open-ended items amongst a 4-person team. We used a modified consensual qualitative research (CQR) process to review and analyze the open-ended questions and identify domains and core ideas. Trustworthiness was established with multi-analyst triangulation and auditing. Results: Participants most commonly reported feelings of thinking too much (71%, n=52), anxiety (63%, n=46), sadness (60%, n=44), fatigue (53%, n=39), and sleep disturbance (49%, n=36) resulting from CIs. Common coping strategies used were exercise (63%, n=46), humor (44%, n=32), interacting with pets (41%, n=30), expressing oneself through crying (40%, n=29), and peer support (34%, n=25). Sixty-two participants (86%) responded to open-ended questions related to the outcomes of CIs. Four domains were identified from the open-ended responses. Those domains included 1) dissociation, 2) deteriorated emotional state, 3) disruption of daily activities, and 4) improved event or post-event processes. Conclusion: Various strategies are used by ATs to cope with CIs; however, the only ways in which ATs expressed that coping helped was with care delivery, not the emotional impact of the CI. The lack of responses relative to coping strategies that improve quality of life is potentially alarming. To build resilience and persistence, organizations should consider requiring support beyond process improvement that addresses the emotional impact of CIs

Knockdown of Ant2 Reduces Adipocyte Hypoxia And Improves Insulin Resistance in Obesity.

Decreased adipose tissue oxygen tension and increased HIF-1α expression can trigger adipose tissue inflammation and dysfunction in obesity. Our current understanding of obesity-associated decreased adipose tissue oxygen tension is mainly focused on changes in oxygen supply and angiogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that increased adipocyte O2 demand, mediated by ANT2 activity, is the dominant cause of adipocyte hypoxia. Deletion of adipocyte Ant2 improves obesity-induced intracellular adipocyte hypoxia by decreasing obesity-induced adipocyte oxygen demand, without effects on mitochondrial number or mass, or oligomycin-sensitive respiration. This led to decreased adipose tissue HIF-1α expression and inflammation with improved glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in both a preventative or therapeutic setting. Our results suggest that ANT2 may be a target for the development of insulin sensitizing drugs and that ANT2 inhibition might have clinical utility

High-resolution Near-Infrared Images and Models of the Circumstellar Disk in HH 30

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-object Spectrometer (NICMOS) observations of the reflection nebulosity associated with the T Tauri star HH 30. The images show the scattered light pattern characteristic of a highly inclined, optically thick disk with a prominent dustlane whose width decreases with increasing wavelength. The reflected nebulosity exhibits a lateral asymmetry in the upper lobe on the opposite side to that reported in previously published Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) images. The radiation transfer model which most closely reproduces the data has a flared accretion disk with dust grains larger than standard interstellar medium grains by a factor of approximately 2.1. A single hotspot on the stellar surface provides the necessary asymmetry to fit the images and is consistent with previous modeling of the light curve and images. Photometric analysis results in an estimated extinction of Av>~80; however, since the photometry measures only scattered light rather than direct stellar flux, this a lower limit. The radiative transfer models require an extinction of Av = 7,900.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap.

A Cluster Randomized Trial of Adding Peer Specialists To Intensive Case Management Teams in the Veterans Health Administration

Use of Peer Specialists (PSs)—individuals with serious mental illness who use their experiences to help others with serious mental illness—is increasing. However, their impact on patient outcomes has not been demonstrated definitively. This cluster randomized, controlled trial within the Veterans Health Administration compared patients served by three intensive case management teams that each deployed two PSs for one year, to the patients of three similar teams without PSs (Usual Care). All patients (PS group=149, Usual Care=133) had substantial psychiatric inpatient histories and a primary Axis 1 psychiatric disorder. Before and after the year PSs worked, patients were surveyed on their recovery, quality of life, activation (health self-management efficacy), interpersonal relations, and symptoms. Patients in the PS group improved significantly more (z=2.00, df=1, p=0.05) than those receiving Usual Care on activation. There were no other significant differences. PSs helped patients become more active in treatment, which can promote recovery

Kinase inhibitor pulldown assay identifies a chemotherapy response signature in triple-negative breast cancer based on purine-binding proteins

UNLABELLED: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) constitutes 10%-15% of all breast tumors. The current standard of care is multiagent chemotherapy, which is effective in only a subset of patients. The original objective of this study was to deploy a mass spectrometry (MS)-based kinase inhibitor pulldown assay (KIPA) to identify kinases elevated in non-pCR (pathologic complete response) cases for therapeutic targeting. Frozen optimal cutting temperature compound-embedded core needle biopsies were obtained from 43 patients with TNBC before docetaxel- and carboplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. KIPA was applied to the native tumor lysates that were extracted from samples with high tumor content. Seven percent of all identified proteins were kinases, and none were significantly associated with lack of pCR. However, among a large population of off-target purine-binding proteins (PBP) identified, seven were enriched in pCR-associated samples ( SIGNIFICANCE: The identification of pretreatment predictive biomarkers for pCR in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy would advance precision treatment for TNBC. To complement standard proteogenomic discovery profiling, a KIPA was deployed and unexpectedly identified a seven-member non-kinase PBP pCR-associated signature. Individual members served diverse pathways including IFN gamma response, nuclear import of DNA repair proteins, and cell death

AMI Large Array radio continuum observations of Spitzer c2d small clouds and cores

We perform deep 1.8 cm radio continuum imaging towards thirteen protostellar regions selected from the Spitzer c2d small clouds and cores programme at high resolution (25") in order to detect and quantify the cm-wave emission from deeply embedded young protostars. Within these regions we detect fifteen compact radio sources which we identify as radio protostars including two probable new detections. The sample is in general of low bolometric luminosity and contains several of the newly detected VeLLO sources. We determine the 1.8 cm radio luminosity to bolometric luminosity correlation, L_rad -L_bol, for the sample and discuss the nature of the radio emission in terms of the available sources of ionized gas. We also investigate the L_rad-L_IR correlation and suggest that radio flux density may be used as a proxy for the internal luminosity of low luminosity protostars.Comment: submitted MNRA

Blending of nanoscale and microscale in uniform large-area sculptured thin-film architectures

The combination of large thickness ($>3$ $\mu$m), large--area uniformity (75 mm diameter), high growth rate (up to 0.4 $\mu$m/min) in assemblies of complex--shaped nanowires on lithographically defined patterns has been achieved for the first time. The nanoscale and the microscale have thus been blended together in sculptured thin films with transverse architectures. SiO$_x$ ($x\approx 2$) nanowires were grown by electron--beam evaporation onto silicon substrates both with and without photoresist lines (1--D arrays) and checkerboard (2--D arrays) patterns. Atomic self--shadowing due to oblique--angle deposition enables the nanowires to grow continuously, to change direction abruptly, and to maintain constant cross--sectional diameter. The selective growth of nanowire assemblies on the top surfaces of both 1--D and 2--D arrays can be understood and predicted using simple geometrical shadowing equations.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figure