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Archaeological Report, No. 516
No full textDuring May and June 2023, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) provided archaeological monitoring of construction activities associated with the upgrade of traffic light signals in downtown San Antonio, Texas. This monitoring was conducted for the City of San Antonio (COSA) and within COSA’s right-of-way near and between two intersections, the first at South Alamo Street and South St. Mary’s Street and the second at South Alamo Street and South Presa Street/Camargo Street. These municipally owned properties are subject to COSA’s Unified Development Code (UDC) Article 6, Sections 35-630 to 35-634, inclusive, and were also subject to approval and review by the Texas Historical Commission (THC), Archaeology Division, under the Antiquities Code of Texas. THC issued Texas Antiquities Permit 31126 in April 2023 with former Director David Yelacic serving as Principal Investigator and Project Archaeologist. Following Mr. Yelacic’s departure from CAR, Cynthia Muñoz assumed the role of Principal Investigator in September 2023.
The project area, encompassing 0.49 ha (1.2 acres) is located in downtown San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, and within 300 m of twelve previously recorded archaeological sites. The project area touches two historical districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), Lavaca and South Alamo Street/South St. Mary’s Street Historic Districts, and is within 300 m of King William and La Villita Historic Districts. James Butler Bonham Elementary School and the Fourth Ward School are nearby properties also listed in the NRHP. The routes of two Spanish Colonial acequias, the Acequia Madre de Valero (also referred to as the Alamo Acequia or Alamo Ditch), and the Concepcion Acequia (commonly referred to as the Acequia de Pajalache or Pajalache Ditch) have historic alignments that run through the project area.
The CAR monitored all subsurface construction activities from May 4 to June 27, 2023. This included 18 mechanical auger holes and/or hydrovac holes and approximately 160 linear meters of backhoe trench excavations. Two features, F1 and F2, were identified during excavations, with a third feature, F3, identified after the fact. Features 1 and 3 were encountered adjacent to one another off the northeast corner of the intersection of South St. Mary’s and South Alamo Street. The two features were initially designated as a single feature. Feature 1 was a section of the circa 1869 re-routed portion of the Alamo Madre Ditch, 41BX8. This shallow irrigation canal was immediately adjacent to a mass of large irregular limestone rubble that bordered F1 on the west and trended southeast to northwest. This was initially thought to be either bedrock or possibly street fill. Subsequent archival review now supports the identification of a separate feature, F3. It is CAR’s interpretation that F3 is a portion of the remains of the Spanish Colonial “Road of Labors Bridge” that crossed the Pajalache Ditch (41BX1887) at that location, and was subsequently repurposed as the Alamo Street bridge abutment over the rerouted Alamo Madre Ditch (41BX8).
Feature 1, the 1869 Alamo Branch Ditch, and Feature 3, the repurposed Spanish Colonial bridge abutment, are both parts of the Mission Valero Acequia system, albeit late nineteenth century components. As components of 41BX8, both feature portions encountered during this project are de facto SAL and NRHP eligible. CAR provided a revised shape-file to the Texas Sites Atlas to show this extension of the system along with a narrative as to history and function.
Feature 2 was a historic limestone curb that CAR recorded as historic archaeological site, 41BX2560. The initial designation was, at that time, spatially limited to the extent of the encountered feature. The curb is directly associated with the historic limestone commercial building immediately adjacent, the Brodowski Building, erected in 1893-1894. The Brodowski familyCity of San AntonioCenter for Archaeological Researc
Reading Interventions to Support English Learners with Disabilities in High School: A Systematic Review
Get PDFThis systematic review summarizes the reading intervention literature for English learners (ELs) with disabilities in high school. A robust and exhaustive electronic search of ERIC, PsycINFO, Education Source Ultimate, and Academic Search Ultimate databases using keywords such as “reading interventions”, “English learners”, “disabilities”, and “high school” was performed for the period from 1975 to July 2024. To be included in this review, participants had to be an EL with an identified disability enrolled in high school and receiving a reading intervention, while studies that included participants with reading difficulties were excluded. A total of 110 documents were retrieved, including 105 from the initial electronic database search, and an additional five more were found using Google Scholar. After reviewing all of the documents using a four-step process, seven studies met our inclusion criteria and are included in this systematic review. Across the reading intervention studies, key study variables were coded into two categories: (a) participant characteristics and (b) study and intervention characteristics. The findings indicated that all studies reported largely positive effects on improving students’ reading outcomes. Reading interventions included semantic mapping, repeated readings with systematic error correction and performance feedback, summarization strategies (e.g., RAP Paraphrasing Strategy, Modified GIST Strategy), and multi-component instructional packages (e.g., Clue Word Strategy, CLUES strategy, Reading Intervention for Adolescents [RIA]). It is difficult to draw a firm conclusion about effective reading interventions for high school ELs with disabilities because of the limited number of studies, small sample sizes of ELs with disabilities, few disability categories represented, and lack of stand-alone reading interventions. The Discussion section summarizes the key findings, limitations to consider, implications for classroom practice, and directions for future research.Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, College of Education and Human Developmen
Genomic and Antigenic Differences Between Monkeypox Virus and Vaccinia Vaccines: Insights and Implications for Vaccinology
Get PDFAmid the current multi-country mpox outbreak, analyzing monkeypox virus (MPXV) and vaccinia virus (VACV) genomes is vital for understanding evolutionary processes that may impact vaccine efficacy and design. This study aimed to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships and structural features of viral antigens, which are crucial for developing effective vaccines. By aligning 1903 MPXV genomes from the NCBI Virus repository (released between 2022 and 2024), an increase in phylogenetic diversity was observed compared to previous studies. These genomes were grouped into Clade I (25 genomes) and Clade IIB (1898 genomes), with a new Clade I sub-lineage emerging from samples collected in Sud-Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Comparing six key MPXV neutralization determinants (A29, A35, B6, E8, H3, and M1) of a novel 2024 Clade I MPXV isolate to those of the 1996 Zaire isolate revealed remarkable sequence conservation despite spanning 28 years. Homology-based modeling of the Clade I MPXV antigens (A29, A35, E8, H3, and M1) showed high-match identities (84% to 99%) with VACV templates (current mpox vaccine), with several amino acid variants near potential antibody binding sites. Phylogenomic analysis, combined with structural modeling and variant profiling, has yielded valuable insights into the virus and vaccine, guiding vaccine design and functional studies.Molecular Microbiology and ImmunologySouth Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Disease
La Lucha: The Untold Stories of Latinas in an Off-Campus Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at an Hispanic Serving Institution Serving Rural Communities in Texas
No full textHispanic/Latinx individuals are the fastest-growing demographic in the United States, yet they remain underrepresented in higher education, particularly in doctoral programs (NCES, 2022). This study highlights the experiences of six Latina doctoral students and graduates from the Winter Garden Ph.D. program in Higher Education Leadership at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), a Hispanic-Serving Institution (U.S. Department of Education, 2018). Through testimonios, pláticas, and reflexiónes, these women share how they overcame financial hardships, discrimination, imposter syndrome, and the challenges of balancing family and academia in a rural setting (Hernandez, 2015; Ramos, 2020).
Framed by Latino/a Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) and Chicana Feminist epistemologies, this study examines the intersection of race, gender, and culture in shaping their academic journeys. It explores the role of cultural values like familismo and marianismo, mentorship, and academic cohorts in fostering resilience (Carrillo & Dean, 2020; Esposito, 2014). The participants also reflect on the emotional impact of tragedies, including the Robb Elementary School shooting and the loss of a classmate, and how these experiences deepened their resolve (Ramos & Torres-Fernandez, 2020).
This research celebrates the voices of Latina scholars, offering insights for institutions to better support underrepresented students. By centering their stories, it provides inspiration and practical strategies to create environments where Latinas can thrive. These testimonios offer hope and guidance to future scholars, proving that success is possible despite systemic barriers (Gándara, 2015; Castellanos et al., 2006).Educational Leadership and Policy Studie
Understanding Counselors-in-Training Experience Throughout the Training Programs
No full textThis presentation explores counseling masters students' experiences throughout their training programs related to perfectionism, anxiety, and attachment styles. By introducing these psychological factors, we aim to enhance understanding of their impact on professional development and growth. Implications for counselor educators and program coordinators will be discussed.Clinical Mental Health Counselin
Teaching with Primary Sources: Native Words, Native Warriors
No full textExhibit produced by the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition ServicesThese easy to incorporate activities will inspire inquiry-based learning that will teach your students how to analyze and interpret primary sources, and bring the museum experience to your classroom! Inspired by Native Words, Native Warriors, produced by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, this activity focuses on artifacts, images, and documents related to American Indian code talkers during World War II
Literacy as Humanizing Pedagogy: Teacher Perspectives on Enacting Literacy for Liberation
No full textAccess to literacy, and the liberation it can bring, has long been contentious in the United States of America. Women, people of color, indigenous people, the poor, and people who identify as LGTBQ+ have fought for equity and access since the founding of the country. Inequities remain and dehumanizing messaging in the media continue to target students in many of these groups. Humanizing pedagogy is an approach that aims to counter this by centering the reality of the learner and acknowledging the sociopolitical contexts of their lives. Literacy goes hand-in-hand with a humanizing approach. This study utilizes a critical sociocultural lens is to examine the perspectives of secondary language arts teachers about power, agency, and identity, underlying concepts of humanizing pedagogy. Qualitative methods, including individual interviews and a focus group interview, were used. The interviews, including the focus group interview, were analyzed using constant comparison. Additionally, the focus group was analyzed using critical discourse analysis.
Six themes were identified: 1) discussion as an act of agency, 2) teacher agency necessary for student-centered instruction, 3) agency affected by location and experience, 4) identity as contextual and relational, 5) awareness of the importance of relationships in the class, and 6) empowering students through literacy practices. The research implies a need for continued support for teachers in the implementation of student-centered discussion and reflection on identity. Novice teachers will need additional support to build agency to make critical decisions in their classrooms. All teachers will also need support to navigate the current political climate while also implementing humanizing pedagogy.Interdisciplinary Learning and Teachin
Risk-Based Multi-Threat Decision-Support Methodology for Long-Term Bridge Asset Management Volume 2: Network-level Decision Support
No full textIn the Volume 2 report, the bridge-level AI-based maintenance decision policy previously developed in the Volume 1 report is further integrated into a network-level decision support framework, by considering network-level budget and resource constraints. A Pareto Frontier based ranking approach is proposed to rank the maintenance projects suggested by the bridge-level maintenance policies by holistically considering multiple decision factors. The top ranked projects are then allocated with the funding and resources for actual implementation. A thorough comparative study is carried out by comparing the efficacy of the AI or other condition-based policies at the bridge level, under the proposed network-level decision framework. First, a sensitivity study is performed to investigate the influence of bridge related attributes in the Pareto Frontier ranking scheme. Next, the influence of using different bridge-level policies within the proposed network-level decision framework is examined by considering multiple network-level asset management performance measures such as the overall funding usage, indirect costs, bridge conditions, and travel time, under different funding scenarios. It is observed that the AI-based policy outperforms other traditional condition-based policies in almost all considered cases. Also from some exemplary annual network-level decision illustration, it is found that the AI-based bridge-level decision policy when deployed into the network-level decision framework can offer reasonable budget and resource allocation. Finally, the open-sourced computer codes are shared and related hands-on tutorials are provided for better result dissemination. In conclusion, the research tools developed from this entire research project can not only offer proactive and adaptive bridge maintenance decisions at the individual bridge level, but can also optimize the budget and resource allocation at the network level by better utilizing the limited resources, preserving the overall asset conditions, and reducing the socioeconomic impact due to deteriorating bridge assets.Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Construction Managemen
Signal-Induced Heap Transform-Based QR-Decomposition and Quantum Circuit for Implementing 3-Qubit Operations
No full textThis article presents a novel approach to the decomposition of unitary operations for 3-qubit systems by 28 controlled rotations and no permutations. The QR decomposition is described, which is based on the concept of the discrete signal-induced heap transform (DsiHT) and its quantum analogue. This transform is generated by a given signal and may use different paths, or orders, of processing the data, and, among them, one can find paths that allow one to construct efficient quantum circuits for implementing multi-qubit unitary gates. The case of real unitary matrices is considered. The proposed approach is described in detail, and quantum circuits are presented for computing 3-qubit operations. This approach allowed us to write simple Qiskit codes to implement the decomposition of 3-qubit operations. Examples with quantum circuits for the quantum 3-qubit quantum cosine and Hartley transforms are described.Electrical and Computer Engineerin
Microplastics as an environmental justice issue through avian ecology and community engaged resaearch
No full textThe Urban Bird Project (UBP) is a transdisciplinary community science project that integrates avian ecology, Mexican American Studies and Indigenous studies through research about local, migratory and culturally significant birds and their environments in south Texas. In so doing, UBP aims to (re)claim marginalized knowledges, develop a holistic understanding of environmental histories, and elevate issues of environmental justice. As part of this approach, we are assessing microplastic pollution as an environmental justice issue through avian ecology and community-engaged research in San Antonio, Texas. Microplastics, defined as plastics 1mm-5mm in size, are prevalent in the environment. However, marginalized communities likely experience a disproportionate burden of microplastic pollution because procedural injustice often results in reduced or denied services that address issues of pollution, the accumulation of road-side waste and illegal dumps, and waste management facilities being located near marginalized communities. In this project, community scientists across the city host nest boxes in their homes and monitor the breeding attempts of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) following a modified NestWatch protocol. Members of the research team collect nestling fecal sacs and analyze them for microplastic content. We anticipate that birds nesting in areas with a higher socioeconomic status will be less exposed to microplastics and have higher breeding success than birds nesting in areas with a lower socioeconomic status. This research empowers community members to address issues of environmental justice in their neighborhoods while also increasing knowledge about an environmental contaminant of pressing concern.Environmental Scienc