Site Significance Testing Report of Site 41BP920 on the 140-Mile-Long Vista Ridge Water Pipeline in Bastrop County, Texas

On behalf of VRRSP Consultants, LLC, and Central Texas Regional Water Supply Corporation (CTRWSC), SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted archaeological significance test excavations at multicomponent site 41BP920 within the proposed alignment of the Vista Ridge Regional Water Supply Project (Vista Ridge) in Bastrop County. The Vista Ridge project will involve construction of an approximately 140-mile-long, 60-inch-diameter water pipeline from north-central San Antonio, Bexar County, to Deanville, Burleson County, Texas. The project will also include three pump station locations in Guadalupe, Bastrop, and Burleson Counties. The majority of the alignment will follow existing utilities and traverse undeveloped, agricultural parcels in rural settings. The area of potential effects (APE) will consist of the proposed centerline alignment and an 85-foot-wide corridor for temporary and permanent construction easements; however, SWCA surveyed a 100-foot-wide corridor to allow for minor shifts in the alignment. Due to the presence of buried artifacts, including burned rock that suggested the presence of buried cultural features, and temporally diagnostic projectile points, site 41BP920 was recommended for significance testing to determine the site’s eligibility for State Antiquities Landmark (SAL) designation or listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Investigations were done in compliance with the Antiquities Code of Texas and the National Historic Preservation Act. Brandon Young, M.A., RPA, served as Principal Investigator under Antiquities Permit No. 7295 Significance test excavations at the site occurred from August 1–6, 2016, with a methodology that integrated hand excavations with mechanical trenching to assess the archaeological potential of 41BP920. Site 41BP920 is a multi-component site with deposits from the Late Archaic to the present on an upland margin landform overlooking a confluence of drainages associated with Wilbarger Creek. The historic assemblage of the site contains highly fragmented glass and metal debris dating from the early twentieth century to the present. The prehistoric assemblage consisted of burned rock, lithic debitage, chipped stone tools, and two projectile point fragments predominantly recovered from the upper 26 centimeters of the profile, but cultural materials did extend up to 60 centimeters below surface. Only one of the projectile points was identified as to type, which was a Late Archaic Lange point. The prehistoric assemblage also includes a cluster of burned rock and thermally altered soil that was designated a feature. Based on multiple factors, including the shallow depth of the assemblage, the highly fragmented and mixed context of the historic and prehistoric cultural materials, prevalent disturbances, and the sparse quantity of the cultural materials recovered, the site provides insufficient data to substantively and explicitly address specific questions concerning local or regional prehistoric contexts. Based on the considerations of integrity and potential data yield, site 41BP920 is recommended as not eligible for the NRHP or as an SAL. This recommendation pertains only to the portions of the site within the APE; areas of the site that extend beyond the APE have not been evaluated. Artifacts recovered from testing will be returned to the landowners following analysis; however, all project documentation and photographs generated during investigations at 41BP920 will be curated at the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas in San Antonio in accordance with their standards and protocols

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey of Proposed Improvements to Farm-to-Market Road 16 from 4.0 Miles West of Farm-to-Market Road 849, East to United States Highway 69, Smith County, Texas

At the request of Arredondo, Zepeda, & Brunz, LLC (ABZ), and on behalf of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Tyler District, SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey of proposed improvements (i.e., widening the existing two-lane road) to approximately 23,232.08 linear feet (4.4 miles) of Farm-to-Market Road (FM) 16 from 4.0 miles west of FM 849 east to U.S. Highway 69 (US 69) in Lindale, Smith County, Texas (CSJ: 0522-04-032). The project would consist of widening FM 16 within existing and proposed right-of-way (ROW). The proposed project includes approximately 39.1 acres of existing FM 16 ROW, which ranges from 70 to 100 feet wide. Proposed ROW for the project would encompass approximately 68.1 acres and have a variable width of 145 to 315 feet within rural sections; in urban sections, the proposed ROW would be a minimum of 80 feet wide to a maximum of 370 feet wide. In summary, the overall area of potential effects (APE) is approximately 23,232.08 feet (4.4 miles) long, 70 to 370 feet wide, and will extend 4 to 6 feet below ground surface for roadway improvements, up to 10 feet below ground for cross drainage culverts, and 20 to 30 feet below ground for bridge support columns. Utility relocations are anticipated, but the exact locales of such relocations are currently unknown. Archaeological investigations were performed to comply with the Antiquities Code of Texas, due to the involvement of public lands controlled by TxDOT, a political subdivision of the State of Texas. Additionally, the project may receive funding from the Federal Highway Administration or require a federal permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, as such, is subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The goal of the work was to identify cultural resources within the proposed project area, establish vertical and horizontal site boundaries as appropriate, and evaluate the significance and eligibility of all discovered cultural resources for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or for designation as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL). SWCA conducted field investigations from February 21 through February 25. Archaeologists attempted to excavate 225 shovel tests during the survey, but due to standing water, existing subsurface utilities, and eroded areas, only 215 shovel tests were excavated in support of the project, which exceeds the Texas Historical Commission’s recommended survey standards for a project of this size. Investigations resulted in the discovery of two archaeological sites (41SM483 and 41SM484) consisting of an early- to midtwentieth-century single crib barn (41SM483) and a low-density scatter of non-diagnostic prehistoric lithic artifacts (41SM484). Investigations also discovered one isolated find (IF1), a single presumably Early Caddo (ca. A.D. 900–1200) ceramic sherd recovered from a single shovel test. Due to the paucity of cultural material, a lack of diagnostic artifacts, or cultural features, and extensive disturbances, both sites are recommended as not eligible for the NRHP or for designation as SALs. In accordance with the Antiquities Code of Texas and 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 800.4, SWCA made a reasonable and good faith effort to identify cultural resources within the APE. As no properties were identified that may meet the criteria for listing on the NRHP, according to 36 CFR 60.4, or for designation as an SAL, as per 13 TAC 26.12, SWCA recommends that no further cultural resources investigations are warranted within the surveyed portions of the APE and that a determination of No Historic Properties Affected be granted for the those areas. However, as SWCA lacked right-of-entry (ROE) to 30 parcels encompassing 27.76 acres of proposed ROW, investigations in those areas were not possible. To complete the assessment of the APE, SWCA recommends that an intensive cultural resources survey of the proposed ROW in these 30 parcels should be undertaken once ROE becomes available

The Influence of Mental Imagery on Myofascial Restrictions

Mental imagery (MI) has been shown to influence flexibility when used with stretching. Currently, little evidence supports the efficacy of MI as an independent tool to increase flexibility. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to assess if a guided MI protocol could influence subject range of motion (ROM) measures. Thirty individuals with no history of lower limb injuries underwent initial measures, random group assignment, and post- intervention measures.The imagery group followed a guided visualization of a hamstring stretch, and the control group remained still for the same amount of time. No significant group by time differences were found between the two groups for any of the recorded measures. Although statistical significance was not demonstrated, a post hoc power analysis showed a small effect size on the ANOVA test for knee extension. This study shows that an acute MI-only protocol may not positively influence ROM measures in the hamstring musculature. Future work should use familiarization periods to determine if a learning effect is related to the efficacy of an MI protocol to influence flexibility and validated imagery assessment methods. Future work should also utilize different musculature and stretches to determine if visualization has a uniform influence globally and if different stretch variations may be more efficacious in influencing flexibility

Using Remotely Accessible Microscopy in the Elementary Classroom

Elementary children are at an age of investigation and exploration. In today’s society, this exploration often occurs using technology. Whether learning to type with Typing Club, using Google to search for information on Yellowstone National Park or designing and creating a city in Minecraft, technology has become a part of every child’s existence. Early access to technology could be the impetus to a students’ pursuit of a degree in STEM disciplines. Presented here is a conglomerate of University, Community College and High School sites that provide free access to advanced scientific technologies remotely for students to view and manipulate for themselves. The Remotely Accessible Instruments in Nanotechnology (RAIN) Network provides Scanning Electron (SEM), Atomic Force (AFM) and Confocal Microscopes to educators and allows an opportunity to connect with higher education scientist across the globe, with the goal of using technology to enhance the teaching of science to our children

Oral History Conversation with David Bruemmer

This oral history conversation is an interview with David Bruemmer

Cable Drag Test

The Smooth Shifters is a team composed of Alex Powers, Brandon Roy Sadiarin, George Rodriguez, and Torey Kruisheer. We are four senior mechanical engineering students at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, California that are working on a senior design project for Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc. located in Morgan Hill, California. We will be under the advisement of Professor Sarah T. Harding of the mechanical engineering department at Cal Poly. Specialized, one of today’s leading bicycle companies, is in need of a test setup that measures brake and shifter cable drag. High performance cyclists using time trial, triathlon, and aero bikes are constantly looking for ways to have as much aerodynamic advantage as possible, paired with a low profile look on their bicycles. To address these issues, bicycle companies have started a new trend of routing cables inside of the bicycle frames, rather than running them outside the frames. Unfortunately, routing a cable through a bicycle’s frame causes additional cable drag which ultimately decreases shifting and braking performance. Specialized has requested a test setup that can be used to determine cable drag in any cable configuration prior to the fabrication of a physical prototype. The goals of this project are: To create a physical system to accurately mimic cable routing of a Specialized Tarmac bicycle frame and a comparative tool to measure the cable drag in competing systems. To create a simulation environment which allows a user to build a cable system to check performance without a physical test apparatus. A database of different routing systems and components can then be built up over time for continuous use with different frames

CD32-RNA Co-localizes with HIV-RNA in CD3+ Cells Found within Gut Tissues from Viremic and ART-Suppressed Individuals.

BackgroundIdentifying biomarkers for cells harboring replication-competent HIV is a major research priority. Recently, there have been mixed reports addressing the possibility that CD32-expressing T cells are enriched for HIV. There is growing evidence that CD32 expression increases with cellular activation that may be related to, but not necessarily specific for, infection with HIV. However, the relationship of CD32 expression to HIV-infection in subtypes of tissue-resident leukocytes is unclear.MethodsFirst, we used duplex chromogenic in situ hybridization to identify cells actively transcribing RNA for both CD32 and HIV on human gut tissues. Then we performed multiplexed immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization (mIFISH) on sections from the same tissues to determine the phenotype of individual cells co-expressing HIV-RNA and CD32-RNA.ResultsHIV-RNA+ cells were more abundant in tissues from viremic individuals than in those receiving suppressive anti-retroviral therapy (ART). However, staining by both methods indicated that a higher proportion of HIV-RNA+ cells co-expressed CD32-RNA in ART-suppressed individuals than in those with viremia. The majority of HIV-RNA+ cells were CD3+.ConclusionsOur data suggest that the transcription of CD32-RNA is correlated with HIV transcriptional activity in CD3+ cells found within human gut tissue. Whether or not up-regulation of CD32-RNA is a direct result of HIV transcription or more global T-cell activation remains unclear

Tetra­aqua­bis{μ2-2,7-bis­[(2,6-diisopropyl­phen­yl)imino­meth­yl]naphthalene-1,8-diolato}di-μ3-hydroxido-di-μ2-hydroxido-bis­(trimethyl­phosphine oxide)tetra­nickel(II)–trimethyl­phosphine oxide–diethyl ether–water (1/2/2/2)

The title complex, [Ni4(C36H40N2O2)2(OH)4(C3H9OP)2(H2O)4]·2C4H10O·2C3H9OP·2H2O, is centrosymmetric with a central core that can be described as a defect double cubane. The four metal ions in the cluster are held together by four bridging hydroxide groups. Each NiII atom adopts a distorted octa­hedral geometry