'Our Theatre Royal Nottingham': Co-creation and co-curation of a digital performance collection with citizen scholars

While the major theatre collections of universities and libraries in the UK, Europe and the USA have been long established, and companies such as the Royal Shakespeare Company or Ballet Rambert hold their own extensive archives, the past decade has seen increasing attention paid to the need to support smaller theatres in preserving their own records. At the same time, new collaborative practices have emerged in the curation of heritage, often drawing on digital media and technologies: community archives, heritage crowdsourcing, community-university partnerships evidence this participatory turn. This article reflects on an ongoing collaboration with the Theatre Royal Nottingham, UK, and volunteer researchers from the city, to preserve, order and digitally curate the theatre’s 150-plus year history. The project builds on the potential of digital technologies – both to enhance participation and engagement and to most effectively capture and represent the interlinked stories and memories mobilized in the making and reception of theatrical performance. In reflecting on the successes and challenges of the project, we develop a model of what we term ‘citizen scholarship’ in arts and humanities research, which has enabled and supported meaningful and sustained engagement with the theatre’s archive and heritage by community volunteers

Effects of a clove oil extract on eggs and second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid et White, 1919) Chitwood, 1949

Trials were carried out in vitro to evaluate the action against Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid et White) Chitwood of the clove oil extract ABT-EU04® (Xeda International S. A.), whose active principle is derived from buds of Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merrill et Perry. Three aqueous concentrations of the product (0.125%, 0.25% and 0.50%) were tested on M. incognita unsegmented and embryonated eggs and on second-stage juveniles, both free and included in the egg masses. The experiment, run twice, was carried out in small glass containers in the dark at a constant temperature of 25°C. The data from the two tests were statistically analysed. The clove oil extract stopped the embryogenesis of eggs and showed a complete nematicidal action against second-stage juveniles both free and of the egg masses. These properties make this product an interesting tool for a novel control strategy in nematode pest management

ArtMaps: A Technology for Looking at Tate’s Collection

This article presents ArtMaps, a crowdsourcing web-based app for desktop and mobile use that allows users to locate, move and annotate artworks in the Tate collection in relation to one or more sets of locations. Here the authors show that ArtMaps extends the ‘space’ of the museum and facilitates a new, pluriperspectival, way of looking at art

ArtMaps: interpreting the spatial footprints of artworks

Creating and utilizing simple links between items and locations in map-based systems has become a mainstream component of modern computing. In this paper, we explore support for ‘art mapping’, an activity that requires consideration of more complex interpretations of spatial relationships as users engage with identifying locations of relevance to artworks. Through a user study of the ArtMaps platform, and an exploratory study with professional artists, we identify diverse interpretations of spatial meaning in relation to art. We find that art mapping highlights potential for more active engagement with art through technology, but challenges existing systems for spatial representation. Through connecting our findings with work on designing for interpretation, and on space and place in HCI, we contribute new understanding of creating engagement through the spatial interpretation of art, and define potential characteristics and uses of holistic ‘footprints’ for artworks

Zika virus NS2A inhibits interferon signaling by degradation of STAT1 and STAT2

The Interferon (IFN) response is crucial to restrain pathogenic infections. Investigations into flavivirus-host interactions reported that the high virulence is linked to innate immune evasion. Zika Virus (ZIKV) has developed diversified strategies to evade the innate immune system. We report that the viral protein NS2A counteracts the IFN response by strongly suppressing the IFN signaling. NS2A targets transcription factors STAT1 and STAT2, to impede their nuclear localization, thereby suppressing the transcription of ISRE promoter and IFN-stimulated genes. We found that NS2A promotes degradation of STAT1 and STAT2. Treatment of NS2A transfected cells with MG132 restores the levels of both transcription factors, suggesting the involvement of the proteasome system. Given the impact that the IFN antagonism has on flavivirus virulence, the knowledge gained by characterizing the mechanism through which ZIKV evades the IFN response paves the ground for new strategies to attenuate the pathogenesis and to develop countermeasures against effective pharmacological targets

“Test Tube Cetaceans”: From the Evaluation of Susceptibility to the Study of Genotoxic Effects of Different Environmental Contaminants Using Cetacean Fibroblast Cell Cultures

Population estimates of various species of cetaceans indicate that certain species have declined dramatically this century. Most studies of contamination and biomarker responses in marine mammals have been conducted using animals killed by hunting, tacitly approving this activity. The development of a series of nondestructive techniques to evaluate biomarker responses and residue levels is strongly recommended for the hazard assessment, protection and conservation of endangered species of marine mammals. A non-invasive sampling method, represented by skin biopsy or integument biopsy (epidermis, dermis and blubber), have been developed and validated in cetaceans. In this paper we present the cetacean fibroblast cell cultures obtained from the skin biopsies as the “test tube cetacean” for evaluate both the susceptibility that the genotoxicity of different environmental contaminants. Fibroblast cell cultures were obtained from many species of cetaceans sampled in Mediterranean Sea (Italy) and in the Mar de Cortez (Mexico). Using test tube cetaceans we can study the relationships between contamination and biochemical responses. One of the principal applications of this developed in vitro system was the assessment of interspecies differences in the mixed function oxidase activity (Cyp1A1 and Cyp2B) induced by in vitro treatment of various contaminants, such as some Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) but also emerging contaminants (such as bisphenol A (BpA)) and nanoparticles, added at different concentrations. The induction of Cyp1A1 and Cyp2B was evaluated with the indirect immunofluorescence technique. Therefore, another purpose of this work was to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative MICA protein expression in fibroblast cell cultures with immunofluorescence technique as toxicological stress marker of the immune system of different species of cetaceans. Finally, In this paper we will present how to evaluate the presence of DNA damage by comet assay in test tube cetaceans, after treatment with different genotoxic compounds (for example PCBs, DDTs, PAHs, BPA)

Viral priming of cell intrinsic innate antiviral signaling by the unfolded protein response

The innate response to a pathogen is critical in determining the outcome of the infection. However, the interplay of different cellular responses that are activated following viral infection and their contribution to innate antiviral signalling has not been clearly established. This work shows that flaviviruses, including Dengue, Zika, West Nile and Tick-borne encephalitis viruses, activate the unfolded protein response before transcription of interferon regulatory factor 3 induced genes. Infection in conditions of unfolded protein response priming leads to early activation of innate antiviral responses and cell intrinsic inhibition of viral replication, which is interferon regulatory factor 3 dependent. These results demonstrate that the unfolded protein response is not only a physiological reaction of the cell to viral infection, but also synergizes with pattern recognition sensing to mount a potent antiviral response

Human neural stem cell transplantation in ALS: initial results from a phase I trial

We report the initial results from a phase I clinical trial for ALS. We transplanted GMP-grade, fetal human neural stem cells from natural in utero death (hNSCs) into the anterior horns of the spinal cord to test for the safety of both cells and neurosurgical procedures in these patients. The trial was approved by the Istituto Superiore di Sanit\ue0 and the competent Ethics Committees and was monitored by an external Safety Board