Learning from Las Vegas: Adapting Workflows for Managing Born-Digital Design Records

Architecture collections have been a mainstay for Special Collections and Archives at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV SCA), since the late 1970s. Until 2017, most architecture collections in Special Collections and Archives have consisted of physical records. In recent years, curators began acquiring architecture collections with significant born-digital content, which present unique challenges different from other types of born-digital materials. This case study discusses how staff adapted existing workflows for born-digital materials to process and describe two collections comprised of born-digital architecture and design records. The authors also describe how UNLV SCA provides access to proprietary design files through the creation of access surrogates. Lessons learned from adapting workflows and processing these collections are detailed, as well as future steps for continuing the development of workflows and policies for managing born-digital architecture and design records

Inclusion and Equity Committee Diverse Recruitment Task Force 1 “Literature Review”

Engage in a literature review of current recruitment of underrepresented groups and from the literature review, recommend a series of policies that encapsulate best practices for use at the UNLV Libraries

Open-Source Opens Doors: A Case Study on Extending ArchivesSpace Code at UNLV Libraries

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries is in its third year of implementing the open-source archival collection management application ArchivesSpace, and is sharing UNLV-developed code that extends ArchivesSpace’s built-in functions. The case study demonstrates how adopting and building upon community-created code and developing original local code is improving critical workflows that support creating collection descriptions, cleaning up metadata, and disseminating finding aids that are easier for researchers to comprehend. UNLV discusses how using an open-source application has opened up opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration, moving UNLV further down the path toward full implementation and closer to the goal of describing and exposing all of Special Collections’ archival resources for its community of researchers

Balancing the Art and Science of Archival Processing Metrics and Assessment

At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) University Libraries, archival processing metrics are used to support value propositions, project proposals, project management, and strategic planning. When making data-driven decisions, UNLV Special Collections Technical Services staff strive to balance the art and science of archival processing metrics—to critically assess their data and look beyond the numbers for additional information that brings meaning to the metrics. In this research paper, the authors review processing metrics across the profession and place their own archival processing field data within the context of more than three decades of professional practice. They report and explore UNLV’s processing rates and the variables that potentially influence their rates. Learning from methods piloted during special projects, they reach toward a more streamlined, sustainable assessment practice. They also include a “work in progress”—an experimental framework that suggests core processing data points for UNLV with a second tier of optional data points that may add value to metrics in specific circumstances. The flexibility and extensibility of the framework give it the potential to serve as a model for other repositories

Perspectives and Practices: Archival Processing Metrics Survey Findings

Professional literature and case studies demonstrate that processing metrics are valuable in advocating for resources, informing priorities, supporting grant proposals, and predicting costs for collection storage and care. This article analyzes responses to an archival processing metrics survey that gathered perspectives and practices from archivists working in a variety of repository types. The findings describe how archivists collect processing metrics in different ways, what data points they view as essential, and how they use certain data points to serve specific purposes. The findings indicate that although most respondents acknowledge the value of processing metrics, the majority of them still do not employ metrics in daily operations. The findings note barriers to processing assessment and highlight disparities in resources, personnel, and practices across the profession. The findings reveal a lack of clarity about best practices for archival processing assessment and a need for profession-wide guidelines. The article suggests resources for those wishing to implement processing metrics

UNLV Special Collections and Archives 2019 Archival Processing Metrics Survey Dataset

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries Special Collections and Archives is studying how archival processing metrics (including the hours of labor required to process each linear/cubic foot) are gathered and used by our colleagues. UNLV Special Collections and Archives conducted a survey with the objective to gather informal opinions and realities about processing metrics in an effort to understand the broader use of such metrics, to learn what data points are most essential, and to understand why more archival programs are not collecting and assessing processing metrics. The survey utilized the web-based tool Google Forms to gather responses from archival professionals across the country. The survey instrument included a total of 18 questions. Quantitative data were gathered from multiple choice (choose one) questions, “check all boxes that apply” questions, and questions rating the importance of data points on a three-point scale. Multiple choice questions included an “other” option to gather responses not included in the options provided. Quantitative data were collected from ten required questions of the following types: ● Respondent repository type (1) ● Multiple choice: select one (5) ● Multiple choice: select all that apply (2) ● Numeric rating (2) Qualitative data were gathered via eight optional free text questions that invited respondents to provide rationale or context for their responses to quantitative questions. The final optional free text question was open-ended to encourage respondents to express any ideas or perspectives that had not been solicited by the survey questions. As of 2020, there are no profession-wide guidelines to support consistent archival processing data collection and reporting. Consequently, repositories must identify their own individual purposes for collecting metrics and determine the minimum number of data points that will serve those purposes. This survey and the resulting dataset may be used to further analyze the professional climate regarding the value and use of processing metrics

Depletion of DNMT1 in differentiated human cells highlights key classes of sensitive genes and an interplay with polycomb repression

Additional file 3: Figure S2. Changes in methylation levels by genomic element. (A) Protein levels in knockdown lines by western blotting. As a control HCT116 colon cancer cells which are WT or have a homozygous mutation in DNMT1 (KO) are shown: the DNMT1-specific top band is indicated by the arrowhead at right. (B) Median levels of methylation are shown for each genomic element (listed at top). The positions of medians are also indicated at right (arrowheads). The differences between WT and KD medians were used to plot Fig. 1d. (C) Density distribution of methylation at the three main elements involved in gene regulation, shown by cell line. Demethylation seems most marked at gene bodies (Genes), indicated by increased density of probes at low methylation (β) values

5-Hydroxymethylation marks a class of neuronal gene regulated by intragenic methylcytosine levels.

AbstractWe recently identified a class of neuronal gene inheriting high levels of intragenic methylation from the mother and maintaining this through later development. We show here that these genes are implicated in basic neuronal functions such as post-synaptic signalling, rather than neuronal development and inherit high levels of 5mC, but not 5hmC, from the mother. 5mC is distributed across the gene body and appears to facilitate transcription, as transcription is reduced in DNA methyltransferase I (Dnmt1) knockout embryonic stem cells as well as in fibroblasts treated with a methyltransferase inhibitor. However in adult brain, transcription is more closely associated with a gain in 5hmC, which occurs without a measurable loss of 5mC. These findings add to growing evidence that there may be a role for 5mC in promoting transcription as well as its classical role in gene silencing

Atividade antibacteriana, antifúngica e moduladora da atividade antimicrobiana de frações obtidas de Lygodium venustum SW

O tradicional uso das plantas na medicina popular vem indicando um caminho na busca de agentes farmacológicos. A necessidade de novos fármacos é  evidenciada pela acentuada resistência dos microorganismos. A samambaia Lygodium venustum teve neste trabalho seu potencial antimicrobiano avaliado  através do método de microdiluição em caldo. Também foi testada a sua capacidade de modular a ação de antibióticos. Foram ensaiadas suas frações  hexânica, diclorometano e metanólica obtidas a partir do extrato etanólico das folhas frescas. A Concentração Inibitória Mínima foi avaliada frente às  linhagens padrões de Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, Candida krusei e  Candida tropicalis. Na verificação da atividade moduladora de antibióticos foram utilizadas linhagens multirresistentes de P. aeruginosa, E. coli e S. aureus e  as mesmas linhagens fúngicas utilizadas na CIM. As drogas usadas na modulação foram antifúngicos e aminoglicosídeos. Todos os resultados da CIM  demonstraram atividade ≥ 1024µg/mL. As frações não potencializaram a ação dos antifúngicos contra as linhagens de Candida, nem dos aminoglicosídeos  frente à P. aeruginosa. Porém, interessantes resultados potencializando a ação destes foram obtidos frente à E. coli e S. aureus. Tais resultados sugerem que  metabólitos secundários existentes no vegetal poderão ser utilizados para constituição de novas drogas em associação com aminoglicosídeos. Este foi o  primeiro relato de atividade modificadora da ação de antibióticos por frações obtidas de uma pteridófita da família Lygodiaceae