Prehistoric Soapstone Procurement in Northwestern South Carolina

During 1978 and 1979 an archeological survey was conducted near Spartanburg, South Carolina in an area containing an extensive zone of soapstone deposits from which soapstone was prehistorically quarried. The study area encompassed approximately 16 km2 east of the city of Spartanburg, north of the town of Pacolet and along the Pacolet River. The study located 18 prehistoric soapstone quarries and 17 non-quarry sites. Previous soapstone research has suggested several hypothetical quarrying procedures and reduction sequences. A generalized reduction sequence model for soapstone vessel manufacture based on these suggested procedures was utilized to evaluate the data recovered during the survey. Analysis utilizing this model indicates that a reduction sequence suggested by Putnam in 1878 is the most probable sequence used at site J8SP54 in the study area. The model allows for quantitative evaluation and comparison to be made of soapstone vessel production strategies within and between any soapstone quarries. Also utilizing information from the survey, an evaluation is made of linear patterning exhibited by the soapstone quarries due to regional geologic structure. The proposition states that due to the concordant occurrence of quarried soapstone outcrops along the strike or the structural trends of local and regional rock units high probability predictions of additional quarried outcrops can be made. Finally, it is essential that in future research soapstone be treated as a linear rather than a point research

Lithic Analysis and the Discovery of Prehistoric Man-Land Relationships in the Uplands of the Big South Fork of the Tennessee Cumberland Plateau

Prehistoric man-land relationships within the uplands of the Big South Fork River valley in east-central Tennessee were studied by lithic based settlement analysis. Lithic artifact assemblages from 45 sites located within three study areas in contrasting biophysical environments were investigated. Investigations were designed to identify culturally meaningful patterning in the information content of the archaeological record and to draw inferences concerning adaptive behavior. Patterns were evaluated for the study areas, viewed holistically and synchronically, and for individual sites viewed diachronically. The analytical investigations focused on the assemblage variability present within and between the study areas and concerned variation in patterns of raw material utilization, reduction sequence technology, and technological organization. Viewed synchronically and holistically the upland surface and upland gorge study areas exhibit similar patterning for all three sources of variability. The lack of lithic resource availability appears to be the principal factor contributing to the overall similarity. Observed differences in patterns of raw material utilization can generally be explained as a function of distance from source areas and suggest seasonal movement into the area from the west throughout prehistory. Staged biface production is the predominate pattern of lithic reduction, with a bias towards middle and late production stages. Both curated and expedient patterns of technological organization are present, with curation being indicated in the upland surface areas and expedience in the gorges. This suggests that differential patterns of utilization are likely. Selection of raw material or curation of bifacial implements are also suggested. The earliest and most intensive utilization occurs during the Early Archaic period. The absence of dessication during the mid-Holocene. Light usage is indicated during the Late Archaic/Early Woodland periods followed by intensive utilization during the Middle Woodland period. Moderate utilization is indicated for the Late Woodland/Mississippian periods. There appears to have been a preference for open upland surfaces as opposed to gorge rockshelters during the Early Archaic. The reverse is suggested for the Middle Woodland. A curated pattern of technological organization is suggested for the Early Archaic with a more expedient pattern being suggested for the Middle Woodland and Late Woodland/Mississippian

Amphetamine-evoked gene expression in striatopallidal neurons: regulation by corticostriatal afferents and the ERK/MAPK signaling cascade

The environmental context in which psychostimulant drugs are experienced influences their ability to induce immediate early genes (IEGs) in the striatum. When given in the home cage amphetamine induces IEGs predominately in striatonigral neurons, but when given in a novel test environment amphetamine also induces IEGs in striatopallidal neurons. The source of the striatopetal projections that regulate the ability of amphetamine to differentially engage these two striatofugal circuits has never been described. We report that transection of corticostriatal afferents selectively blocks, whereas enhancement of cortical activity with an ampakine selectively augments, the number of amphetamine-evoked c- fos -positive striatopallidal (but not striatonigral) neurons. In addition, blockade of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade preferentially inhibits the number of amphetamine-evoked c- fos -positive striatopallidal neurons. These results suggest that glutamate released from corticostriatal afferents modulates the ability of amphetamine to engage striatopallidal neurons through an ERK/MAPK signaling-dependent mechanism. We speculate that this may be one mechanism by which environmental context facilitates some forms of drug experience-dependent plasticity, such as psychomotor sensitization.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66343/1/j.1471-4159.2004.02712.x.pd

Renewable Energy Activities: Choices for Tomorrow, AP Environmental Science

This AVD High Impact Fellows Program Team Project developed high school level learning modules on renewable energy. The learning modules focus on the collection, analysis and graphing of real-world data and the making of assessments and projections of the use of renewable energy at the school location. The project focuses primarily on solar energy but all other major alternative energy sources are also briefly addressed. The modules focus on solar energy because it is the only feasible alternative energy source for the region. The ultimate goal of the project is to produce a presentation for the school principal making recommendations for implementation and energy return on investment. The final form of the instructional material is a lesson plan for a full curriculum unit in an AP Environmental Science. The materials focus on fostering inquiry and technological integration

Corporate strategy consideration of the phase-out joint venture as a form of direct foreign private investment.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Alfred P. Sloan School of Management. Thesis. 1972. M.S .MICROFICHE COPY ALSO AVAILABLE IN DEWEY LIBRARY.Bibliography: leaves 70-74.M.S

Quantifying Golgi structure using EM : combining volume-SEM and stereology for higher throughput

John Lucocq was supported by a Programme grant from the Wellcome Trust (Number 045404). Sophie Ferguson was a recipient of a 600th anniversary studentship from the University of St Andrews.Investigating organelles such as the Golgi complex depends increasingly on high-throughput quantitative morphological analyses from multiple experimental or genetic conditions. Light microscopy (LM) has been an effective tool for screening but fails to reveal fine details of Golgi structures such as vesicles, tubules and cisternae. Electron microscopy (EM) has sufficient resolution but traditional transmission EM (TEM) methods are slow and inefficient. Newer volume scanning EM (volume-SEM) methods now have the potential to speed up 3D analysis by automated sectioning and imaging. However, they produce large arrays of sections and/or images, which require labour-intensive 3D reconstruction for quantitation on limited cell numbers. Here, we show that the information storage, digital waste and workload involved in using volume-SEM can be reduced substantially using sampling-based stereology. Using the Golgi as an example, we describe how Golgi populations can be sensed quantitatively using single random slices and how accurate quantitative structural data on Golgi organelles of individual cells can be obtained using only 5–10 sections/images taken from a volume-SEM series (thereby sensing population parameters and cell–cell variability). The approach will be useful in techniques such as correlative LM and EM (CLEM) where small samples of cells are treated and where there may be variable responses. For Golgi study, we outline a series of stereological estimators that are suited to these analyses and suggest workflows, which have the potential to enhance the speed and relevance of data acquisition in volume-SEM.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe