Digital Preservation Services : State of the Art Analysis

Research report funded by the DC-NET project.An overview of the state of the art in service provision for digital preservation and curation. Its focus is on the areas where bridging the gaps is needed between e-Infrastructures and efficient and forward-looking digital preservation services. Based on a desktop study and a rapid analysis of some 190 currently available tools and services for digital preservation, the deliverable provides a high-level view on the range of instruments currently on offer to support various functions within a preservation system.European Commission, FP7peer-reviewe

Beyond OAIS : towards a reliable and consistent digital preservation implementation framework

Current work in digital preservation (DP) is dominated by the "Open Archival Information System" (OAIS) reference framework specified by the international standard ISO 14721:2003. This is a useful aid to understanding the concepts, main functional components and the basic data flows within a DP system, but does not give specific guidance on implementation-level issues. In this paper we suggest that there is a need for a reference architecture which goes beyond OAIS to address such implementationlevel issues - to specify minimum requirements in respect of the policies, processes, and metadata required to measure and validate repository trustworthiness in respect of the authenticity, integrity, renderability, meaning, and retrievability of the digital materials preserved. The suggestion is not that a particular way of implementing OAIS be specified, but, rather that general guidelines on implementation are required if the term 'OAIS-compliant' is to be meaningful in the sense of giving an assurance of attaining and maintaining an operationally adequate or better level of long-term reliability, consistency, and crosscompatibility in implemented DP systems that is measurable, verifiable, manageable, and (as far as possible) futureproofed

Bridging the gap between digital libraries and e-learning

Digital Libraries (DL) are offering access to a vast amount of digital content, relevant to practically all domains of human knowledge, which makes it suitable to enhance teaching and learning. Based on a systematic literature review, this article provides an overview and a gap analysis of educational use of DLs.The research work presented in this paper is partially supported by the FP7 Grant 316087 AComIn ”Advanced Computing for Innovation”, funded by the European Commission in the FP7 Capacity Programme in 2012-2016.peer-reviewe

Introduction : user studies for digital library development

Introductory chapter to the edited collection on user studies in digital library development. Contains a general introduction to the topic and biographical sketches of the contributors.peer-reviewe

Designing an automated prototype tool for preservation quality metadata extraction for ingest into digital repository

We present a viable framework for the automated extraction of preservation quality metadata, which is adjusted to meet the needs of, ingest to digital repositories. It has three distinctive features: wide coverage, specialisation and emphasis on quality. Wide coverage is achieved through the use of a distributed system of tool repositories, which helps to implement it over a broad range of document object types. Specialisation is maintained through the selection of the most appropriate metadata extraction tool for each case based on the identification of the digital object genre. And quality is sustained by introducing control points at selected stages of the workflow of the system. The integration of these three features as components in the ingest of material into digital repositories is a defining step ahead in the current quest for improved management of digital resources

Strategies for the development of culture as an opportunity for the Bulgarian municipalities

The good governance of cultural processes in a given municipality is closely related to the setting of certain goals and outlining the steps towards their achievement. Cultural strategies are documents that reflect the expectations of artists, cultural organizations and citizens for integrated governance of culture and the arts. In this respect, the elaboration of a cultural strategy must consider all stakeholders` standpoints and offer solutions to overcome current problems and constraints in the cultural sphere. The paper explores the necessity of a cultural strategy for the city of Varna. I will provide a theoretical rationale on public strategies for culture and conduct an analysis of the national and local cultural strategies in Bulgaria. I will identify the existing elements of a cultural strategy in Varna and propose indicators for the study of stakeholders` attitudes

Identification and functional characterization of the novel MAR-binding protein, SATB2

The regulation of gene expression is governed in large part by transcription factors that bind to enhancers and promoters. The functions of transcription factors involve both the modulation of chromatin accessibility via the recruitment of histone-modifying enzymes or nucleosome-remodeling complexes, and the stimulation of RNA polymerase via an interaction with the mediator complex. In addition to enhancers and promoters, nuclear matrix attachment regions (MARs) have been implicated in the regulation of gene expression by altering the organization of eukaryotic chromosomes and augmenting the potential of enhancers to act over large distances. Although a lot is known about the function of MARs, the precise mechanism of their action is still obscure and probably diverse. One proposed model stipulates that their function is accomplished through the action of transcription factors, which are components of the nuclear matrix. Here, we identify and characterize a novel cell-type specific MAR-binding protein, SATB2, which binds to the MARs of the endogenous immunoglobulin µ locus in pre-B cells and enhances gene expression. In contrast to the closely related, thymocyte-specific MAR-binding protein SATB1, SATB2 is not proteolytically cleaved by caspase 6, but is instead SUMO-modified at two lysine residues. This modification is specifically augmented by the SUMO E3 ligase PIAS1. Mutation of the sumoylation sites enhances the association of SATB2 with the immunoglobulin MARs, as well as its transactivation potential. Moreover, covalent attachment of SUMO1 and SUMO3 represses SATB2- dependent transcription, without affecting either the DNA binding or the dimerization capacity of SATB2. Interestingly, SUMO conjugation affects the subnuclear localization of SATB2 and is involved in its targeting to distinct nuclear speckles (bodies). Thus, our data indicate that the regulation of SATB2 function through sumoylation can be mediated by both altering its transcriptional activation potential and by sequestering it in specific nuclear locatio

Black Sea and freshwater fish as valuable sources of vitamin D3

Fat soluble vitamins are essential nutrients in important biological processes in the human body. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) promotes and enhances the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in our body. Nowadays there is a plethora of evidence suggesting that, in addition to its important role in maintaining bone health, vitamin D is involved in the amelioration of cell ageing and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, immune dysfunctions and some cancers. This article presents information about vitamin D3 contents in a broad range of fish species available on Bulgarian local fish markets. The aim is to increase consumers` awareness and encourage them to eat fish