Community as resource: crowdsourcing transcription of an historic newspaper.

Like many cultural heritage institutions, the Archives and Special Collections at the University of Louisville faces the dichotomy of material abundance and budgetary scarcity. Driven by the desire to make historical primary sources accessible online, this organization harnessed the power of the public to transcribe the Louisville Leader, an historic African American newspaper. The first sections of this article define crowdsourcing and describe how it was implemented at the University of Louisville, including the tools adopted and the process used. The latter sections outline the marketing strategy, the public response, and lessons learned from this ongoing project

Overcoming legacy processing in photographic collections through collaboration and digital technologies.

In the 1960s, a Louisville photography studio began donating its negatives, prints, and invoices to the University of Louisville Photographic Archives. The Caufield & Shook Collection remains a significant primary source for local history and a prime candidate for digitization. Unfortunately, on its receipt non-archivists processed the collection with little documentation of original order or organizational decision making. Additionally, workflow choices were determined largely by the desire to maximize student labor. In 2017, the Digital Initiatives Librarian worked with in-house application developers and archives staff to create a workflow that has significantly sped up the process of making this valuable photographic collection accessible online. This article describes how archivists recovered from the poor processing decisions, used technology to enhance the digitization workflow, and developed a list of best practices for future processing and digitization of large photographic collections

Patterns of Distribution of Oxygen-Binding Globins, Neuroglobin and Cytoglobin in Human Retina

Objective To determine the distribution of 2 intracellular oxygen-carrying molecules, neuroglobin (NGB) and cytoglobin (CYGB), in specific retinal cell types of human retinas. Methods Specific antibodies against NGB and CYGB were used in immunohistochemical studies to examine their distribution patterns in human retinal sections. Double-labeling studies were performed with the anti-NGB and anti-CYGB antibodies along with antibodies against neuronal (microtubule-associated protein 2, class III β-tubulin [TUJ1], protein kinase C alpha, calretinin) and glial (vimentin, glial fibrillary acid protein) markers. Confocal microscopy was used to examine the retinal sections. Results Immunohistochemical analysis of human retinal tissue showed NGB and CYGB immunoreactivity in the ganglion cell layer, inner nuclear layer, inner and outer plexiform layers, and retinal pigment epithelium. Neuroglobin immunoreactivity was also present in the outer nuclear layer and photoreceptor inner segments. Neuroglobin and CYGB were coexpressed in the neurons in the ganglion cell layer and inner nuclear layer but not within glial cells. Conclusion Neuroglobin and CYGB are colocalized within human retinal neurons and retinal pigment epithelium but not within glial cells. Clinical Relevance Our results suggest that NGB and CYGB may serve a neuroprotective role as scavengers of reactive oxygen species and therefore should be considered when developing therapeutic strategies for treatment of hypoxia-related ocular diseases

Streamlining Delivery of Online Oral History Metadata through LibGuides

[Excerpt] Founded in 1968, the University of Louisville Oral History Center (OHC) houses over 2000 interviews of people from politicians to everyday citizens. Collectively, the oral histories represent an incredibly rich source of historical information. The challenge with a collection of this type and scope is making that information accessible to the people who might use it. Some of the material has been transcribed; some hasn’t. Some of the interviews have been digitized; others are still on cassette tapes. Having full-text or full-sound of the entire collection online is just not possible at this time; the work of transcribing or digitizing the materials would take an enormous amount of labor. Creating hierarchical finding aids would not accommodate the item-level description necessary for meaningful access to the oral histories. So we looked for ways to make information about the collection available: who was interviewed, who conducted the interview, when, what topics were covered, etc. Over the years access to this metadata evolved from typed lists available at the reference desk to records in the library’s catalog.Streamlining_Delivery_of_Online_Oral_History_Metadata_through.pdf: 35 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Exogenous modulation of intrinsic optic nerve neuroprotective activity

Background To characterize the molecular and functional status of the rat retina and optic nerve after acute elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP). Methods Retinal ischemia was induced in rats by increasing the IOP (110 mmHg/60 minutes). Microarray analysis, quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to characterize retinal tissue. PLGA microspheres containing neurotrophic factors (BDNF, GDNF, or CNTF) or empty microspheres were injected into the vitreous of operated animals 1 day after elevation of IOP. Pupil light reflex (PLR) parameters and electroretinograms (ERG) were monitored at multiple time points during the 60-day postoperative recovery period. Results Molecular analysis showed a significant intrinsic up-regulation of CNTF at 10 and 25 days after induction of the acute ocular hypertension (p = 0.0067). Molecular tissue analysis of GDNF and its receptors (GDNFR1, GDNFR2), and BDNF and its receptor (trkB) showed no change in expression. Animals that received CNTF microspheres had no significant functional recovery compared to animals which received blank microspheres (p > 0.05). Animals that received GDNF or BDNF microspheres showed significant PLR recovery (p p Conclusions Continuous release of neurotrophic growth factors (NGFs) significantly protects optic nerve function in the experimental model of retinal ischemia observed by PLR analysis.This article is from Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology 248 (2010): 1105, doi: 10.1007/s00417-010-1336-7.</p

Transplantation of BDNF-Secreting Mesenchymal Stem Cells Provides Neuroprotection in Chronically Hypertensive Rat Eyes

The authors examined the neuroprotective effect of BDNF-secreting mesenchymal stem cells on retina and optic nerve function and structure in hypertensive eyes

Transplantation of BDNF-Secreting Mesenchymal Stem Cells Provides Neuroprotection in Chronically Hypertensive Rat Eyes

Purpose.: To evaluate the ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) engineered to produce and secrete brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to protect retinal function and structure after intravitreal transplantation in a rat model of chronic ocular hypertension (COH). Methods.: COH was induced by laser cauterization of trabecular meshwork and episcleral veins in rat eyes. COH eyes received an intravitreal transplant of MSCs engineered to express BDNF and green fluorescent protein (BDNF-MSCs) or just GFP (GFP-MSCs). Computerized pupillometry and electroretinography (ERG) were performed to assess optic nerve and retinal function. Quantification of optic nerve damage was performed by counting retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and evaluating optic nerve cross-sections. Results.: After transplantation into COH eyes, BDNF-MSCs preserved significantly more retina and optic nerve function than GFP-MSC–treated eyes when pupil light reflex (PLR) and ERG function were evaluated. PLR analysis showed significantly better function (P = 0.03) in BDNF-MSC–treated eyes (operated/control ratio = 63.00% ± 11.39%) than GFP-MSC–treated eyes (operated/control ratio = 31.81% ± 9.63%) at 42 days after surgery. The BDNF-MSC–transplanted eyes also displayed a greater level of RGC preservation than eyes that received the GFP-MSCs only (RGC cell counts: BDNF-MSC–treated COH eyes, 112.2 ± 19.39 cells/section; GFP-MSC–treated COH eyes, 52.21 ± 11.54 cells/section; P = 0.01). Conclusions.: The authors have demonstrated that lentiviral-transduced BDNF-producing MSCs can survive in eyes with chronic hypertension and can provide retina and optic nerve functional and structural protection. Transplantation of BDNF-producing stem cells may be a viable treatment strategy for glaucoma.This article is from Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 52 (2011): 4506, doi: 10.1167/iovs.11-7346.</p