A Microsoft Alternative to Archivists’ Toolkit

[Excerpt] In 2011, the Senator John Heinz History Center embarked on an NHPRC-funded project to minimally process nearly 600 collections from its backlog. For each collection, a finding aid, an EAD file, and a MARC record would be produced. We planned to have Archivists’ Toolkit installed by the start of the grant, which would have facilitated the production of the three types of documents from the same data source. However, in the lead up to the project, it was determined that the organization’s technical infrastructure could not support the software without an increase in resources. With just a short period of time before work was to begin, I turned to Microsoft Access as an alternative. Starting off with a blank table, I created fields for all of the descriptive and administrative information we planned to collect, ending up with 55 fields

Preservation through Access: Minimal Processing at the Heinz History Center

Presentation from the MARAC conference in Roanoke, VA on October 7–10, 2015. S8 - Minimal Processing and Preservation: Friends or Foes

Gathering Perceptions to Strengthen Program Planning: A Citizen Science Project Highlighting Deer Impacts on Vegetation

White-tailed deer can significantly influence the composition and health of forests. University of Minnesota Extension implemented a citizen science project to help monitor the impact of deer populations on forests. Prior to design of the program, we administered a survey to potential volunteers to understand their perceptions of and knowledge about deer and their willingness to participate in our citizen science project. The survey responses helped us make informed decisions when developing our program, including decisions regarding not having a negative deer message, teaching more information about the impact of deer on vegetation, and providing both in-person and web-based resources for volunteers

Physeal Bystander Effects in Rhabdomyosarcoma Radiotherapy: Experiments in a New Xenograft Model

Radiotherapy used in the treatment of pediatric musculoskeletal sarcomas may result in crippling defects of skeletal growth. Several radioprotective strategies have shown potential for preserving function of the irradiated epiphysis but have not been evaluated in a tumor-bearing animal model. We developed two bioluminescent human rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines that were used to establish xenograft tumors in skeletally immature mice. Bioluminescence imaging and radiography allowed serial evaluation of tumor growth and tibial elongation following localized radiotherapy. High-dose (10 Gy) radiotherapy significantly reduced tumor growth velocity and prolonged the median survival of tumor-bearing mice but also resulted in a significant 3.3% shortening of the irradiated limb. Exposure to a lower, 2 Gy dose resulted in 4.1% decrease in limb length but did not extend survival. This new model provides a clinically relevant means to test the efficacy and safety of novel radioprotectant and radiorecovery strategies for use in this context

The photomultiplier tube calibration system of the MicroBooNE experiment

We report on the design and construction of a LED-based fiber calibration system for large liquid argon time projection detectors. This system was developed to calibrate the optical systems of the MicroBooNE experiment. As well as detailing the materials and installation procedure, we provide technical drawings and specifications so that the system may be easily replicated in future LArTPC detectors.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant PHY-1205175

Amazonian scorpions and scorpionism : integrating toxinological, clinical, and phylogenetic data to combat a human health crisis in the world’s most diverse rainforest

Correspondence: [email protected] from Amazonian scorpions of the genus Tityus contains components capable of eliciting a distinct clinical, mostly neurological, syndrome. This contrasts with the mainly autonomic manifestations produced after envenomation by congeneric southern and northern South American species. Herein, we summarize Pan-Amazonian scorpionism by synthesizing available toxinological, clinical, and molecular data gathered from all affected areas in Amazonia, including Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, and French Guiana. We searched multiple databases, as well as our own records, for reports of scorpion envenomations in Amazonia by confirmed Tityus spp., and compared the clinical manifestations. To help uncover clinical and venom relationships among problematic species, we explored phylogenetic relationships with a rate-calibrated analysis of mitochondrial COI data from available species. The possible existence of diversity gradients for venom toxic and immunogenic components despite the predicted strong phylogenetic association among species is underscored by discussed clinical and toxinological findings. A multicentric effort, involving all nations affected by this neglected disease, is urgently needed to offer alternatives for treating and understanding this pathology, including the preparation of neutralizing antibodies with a broad range of efficacy.Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y TecnologíaPrograma Paraguayo para el Desarrollo de la Ciencia y Tecnología. Programa de repatriación y radicación de investigadores del exterio

Building a locally diploid genome and transcriptome of the diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus

The genome of the cold-adapted diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus is characterized by highly diverged haplotypes that intersperse its homozygous genome. Here, we describe how a combination of PacBio DNA and Illumina RNA sequencing can be used to resolve this complex genomic landscape locally into the highly diverged haplotypes, and how to map various environmentally controlled transcripts onto individual haplotypes. We assembled PacBio sequence data with the FALCON assembler and created a haplotype resolved annotation of the assembly using annotations of a Sanger sequenced F. cylindrus genome. RNA-seq datasets from six different growth conditions were used to resolve allele-specifc gene expression in F. cylindrus. This approach enables to study differential expression of alleles in a complex genomic landscape and provides a useful tool to study how diverged haplotypes in diploid organisms are used for adaptation and evolution to highly variable environments

Genetic Diet Analysis of Coyote Scat from Populations in Long Beach

Interactions between humans and local wildlife are inherent to urbanization and have created a demand for wildlife/human management solutions. Coyotes (Canislatrans) are prominent in urban ecosystems and can cause a variety of residential threats. The aim of this study is to monitor coyote distribution and activity in Long Beach, CA to better understand urban predatory behavior and develop local wildlife management techniques. One method for better understanding urban coyotes is through scat analysis, which provides insight into the specific animal species that comprise their diet. This study focuses on prey species identification using DNA isolated from coyote scat samples. DNA was isolated using a modified Chelexmethod, in which scat material was suspended in a higher volume and lower percentage Chelexsolution than the standard method. A 1,000 bpportion of the mitochondrial genome, which contains part of the cytochromebgene and D-loop region, was amplified using PCR. The PCR primers flanked the cytochromeb/D-loop region at sequences that are conserved in nearly all mammals (Foranet al. 1997). Since the amplified region is variable between species, restriction enzymes digest the region into different sized fragments. These fragments were visualized using gel electrophoresis and the banding pattern was read to determine species composition. The amplified DNA was digested using the BfaIrestriction enzyme. Determining dietary information on coyotes allows us to take effective steps towards managing wildlife and educating Long Beach residents on the predators that share their neighborhoods.https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cures_posters/1032/thumbnail.jp