Using Archives and Metadata to Uncover Women\u27s Lives: Challenges and Opportunities for Scholarship through Archives and Digital Libraries

How can library and archives professionals work with digital humanities researchers to provide a more meaningful research experience? How does technology provide opportunities for new areas of growth? This panel will discuss the creation and challenges of two projects: the Hudson River Valley Heritage Omeka exhibition, Women of the Hudson Valley, and the Vassar Student Diaries project, using the Fedora/Islandora digital library system. The exhibition was a collaborative project produced by librarians, historians, and archivists from institutions across the region. It brought together a wide range of materials documenting the experiences of women of varying socioeconomic status in public as well as private spheres. The Vassar Student Diary Project has digitized 54 diaries from Vassar students dating from the 1860s through the 1920s, providing new opportunities for previously elusive research and classroom topics. As practitioners in archives and digital libraries, we see ways in which our own collaborations on these digital projects help satisfy complementary research and classroom needs, and seek to provide value‐added services to any collection of materials. We will discuss our approaches to using the traditional strengths of archival practice and humanities research, combined with current digital library trends, to build new trajectories for women\u27s history projects

Using Archives and Metadata to Uncover Women\u27s Lives: Challenges and Opportunities for Scholarship through Archives and Digital Libraries

How can library and archives professionals work with digital humanities researchers to provide a more meaningful research experience? How does technology provide opportunities for new areas of growth? This panel will discuss the creation and challenges of two projects: the Hudson River Valley Heritage Omeka exhibition, Women of the Hudson Valley, and the Vassar Student Diaries project, using the Fedora/Islandora digital library system. The exhibition was a collaborative project produced by librarians, historians, and archivists from institutions across the region. It brought together a wide range of materials documenting the experiences of women of varying socioeconomic status in public as well as private spheres. The Vassar Student Diary Project has digitized 54 diaries from Vassar students dating from the 1860s through the 1920s, providing new opportunities for previously elusive research and classroom topics. As practitioners in archives and digital libraries, we see ways in which our own collaborations on these digital projects help satisfy complementary research and classroom needs, and seek to provide value‐added services to any collection of materials. We will discuss our approaches to using the traditional strengths of archival practice and humanities research, combined with current digital library trends, to build new trajectories for women\u27s history projects

Multiple sclerosis-like neurological manifestations in a coeliac patient: nothing is as it seems

Cobalamin (vitamin B(12)) deficiency occurs with several disorders, involving different organs and systems, including blood, bowel, nervous system and eyes. Although the most important features are usually haematological ones, presence of neurological involvement, in the absence of blood count alterations, has just been described in the literature. Here we report the case of a 48-year-old man, suffering from coeliac disease for approximately 5 years, vegetarian, who was admitted to our department, referring dysaesthesia of the left lower limb, decreased libido and erectile dysfunction. Vitamin B(12) deficiency was proved, even in the absence of blood count alteration, and treated with a vitamin supplement, resulting in complete remission

Marked efficacy of Rituximab in multifocal motor neuropathy associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The authors describe a patient who presented a multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) associated with a high anti-ganglioside antibody (anti-GM1 and anti-GD1) titer at the clinical onset of a B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). Immunomodulation (IVIg plus cyclosporine) resulted in a neurological improvement and reduced anti-ganglioside antibody titers, both of which remained stable for at least six years. After this period, the patient had a severe relapse of the neuropathy, which was independent of the clinical course of the B-CLL. Both IVIg and cyclophosphamide were ineffective, and the patient became tetraplegic within six months; in the meantime, the patient displayed an increased antiganglioside antibody titer. Treatment with rituximab (RTX), which is designed to selectively inhibit B cell function, resulted in a dramatic, prompt and long-lasting neurological improvement as well as a reduced anti-ganglioside antibody titer. Although there are no previous reports of MMN in patients with B-CLL, the efficacy of RTX in the treatment of MMN in this patient may be considered remarkable. The expansion of B-cell clones may be a prerequisite for RTX effectiveness in MMN, and in dysimmune neuropathies in general

Marked efficacy of rituximab in multifocal motor neuropathy associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The authors describe a patient who presented a multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) associated with a high anti-ganglioside antibody (anti-GM1 and anti-GD1) titer at the clinical onset of a B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). Immunomodulation (IVIg plus cyclosporine) resulted in a neurological improvement and reduced anti-ganglioside antibody titers, both of which remained stable for at least six years. After this period, the patient had a severe relapse of the neuropathy, which was independent of the clinical course of the B-CLL. Both IVIg and cyclophosphamide were ineffective, and the patient became tetraplegic within six months; in the meantime, the patient displayed an increased antiganglioside antibody titer. Treatment with rituximab (RTX), which is designed to selectively inhibit B cell function, resulted in a dramatic, prompt and long-lasting neurological improvement as well as a reduced antiganglioside antibody titer. Although there are no previous reports of MMN in patients with B-CLL, the eficacy of RTX in the treatment of MMN in this patient may be considered remarkable. The expansion of B-cell clones may be a prerequisite for RTX effectiveness in MMN, and in dysimmune neuropathies in general

Plan4all: European Network of Best Practices for Interoperability of Spatial Planning Information

Methodologies usually adopted in urban and regional planning do not assume an approach based on Spatial Data Infrastructures principles, which could ensure a better use of geospatial data and support interoperability of planning choices providing an active participation of stakeholders involved in planning processes. An innovative approach of e-government based on a better organization and management of geospatial data, could contribute, through a deeper territorial knowledge and a more appropriate use of decision support tools, to more effectively pursue planning goals. Spatial planning and related information have a strategic importance not only at local and national level but also at international scale where a "continuum" of settlements characterizes the crossing of various countries. Planning activity is also strictly related to aspects such as management of natural resources, prevention of natural disasters, transports which in many cases have international cross-border interests. Consequently, today there is an absolute need of harmonized planning data a strong demand of planning core data sets in order to provide an easy and wide understandability of this information. The objective of the Plan4all project is to build a network of local, regional and national stakeholders, companies in the ICT sector, organizations involved in planning and economic development, universities and international agencies in order to find a consensus concerning the harmonization of spatial planning data based on existing best practices in Europe and according to the European Directive INSPIRE. The project takes into account lessons learned from previous experiences, such as Armonia, Humboldt, eSDINet+, Euradin, whose partners are also present in the Plan4all consortium. The project will involve also the experience of OGC working group members concerning the definition of standards technologies. Plan4all aims to contribute to the harmonization of planning data. Based on best practi- - ces analysis, the project is producing a series of technical documents for metadata profiles design and implementation, data models and harmonization procedures. Particular attention will be paid to issues related to the protection of intellectual property rights, as well as security aspects

Involvement of fractalkine and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha in moderate-severe depression.

Moderate-severe depression (MSD) is linked to overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Fractalkine (FKN) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1alpha) are, respectively, members of CX3C and C-C chemokines, and both are involved in recruiting and activating mononuclear phagocytes in the central nervous system. We analysed the presence of FKN and MIP-1alpha in sera of untreated MSD patients and healthy donors. High FKN levels were observed in all MSD patients as compared with values only detectable in 26% of healthy donors. MIP-1alpha was measurable in 20% of patients, while no healthy donors showed detectable chemokine levels. In conclusion, we describe a previously unknown involvement of FKN in the pathogenesis of MSD, suggesting that FKN may represent a target for a specific immune therapy of this disease

Dolphin Morbillivirus in Eurasian Otters, Italy

We report biomolecular evidence of dolphin morbillivirus in 4 wild Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) from southern Italy; 2 animals showed simultaneous immunohistochemical reactivity against morbilliviral antigen. These cases add further concern and support to the progressively expanding host range of dolphin morbillivirus in the western Mediterranean Sea

Metastases risk in thin cutaneous melanoma: Prognostic value of clinical-pathologic characteristics and mutation profile

Background: A high percentage of patients with thin melanoma (TM), defined as lesions with Breslow thickness ≤1 mm, presents excellent long-term survival, however, some patients develop metastases. Existing prognostic factors cannot reliably differentiate TM patients at risk for metastases. Objective: We aimed at characterizing the clinical-pathologic and mutation profile of metastatic and not-metastatic TM in order to distinguish lesions at risk of metastases. Methods: Clinical-pathologic characteristics were recorded for the TM cases analyzed. We used a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) multi-gene panel to characterize TM for multiple somatic mutations. Results: A statistically significant association emerged between the presence of metastases and Breslow thickness ≥0.6 mm (p=0.003). None of TM with lymph-node involvement had Breslow thickness < 0.6 mm. Somatic mutations were identified in 19 of 21 TM analyzed (90.5%). No mutations were observed in two not-metastatic cases with the lowest Breslow thickness (≤0.4 mm), whereas mutations in more than one gene were detected in one metastatic case with the highest Breslow thickness (1.00 mm). Conclusion: Our study indicates Breslow thickness ≥0.6 mm as a valid prognostic factor to distinguish TM at risk for metastases

Relationship Between Human Leucocyte Antigen Class I and Class II and Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria Associated With Aspirin and/or NSAIDs Hypersensitivity

Background. HLA genes play a role in the predisposition of several diseases. The aim was to analyze the prevalence of HLA class I phenotypes and HLA-DRB1* genotype in patients with CIU associated with ASA and NSAIDs hypersensitivity (AICU). Methods. 69 patients with AICU, and 200 healthy subjects. Results. Subjects with HLA-B44 and HLA-Cw5 antigens were more represented in patients with AICU than in control group. Subjects with HLA-A11, HLA-B13, HLACw4, and HLA-Cw7 antigen were more represented in control group than in patients with AICU. Multiple logistic regression demonstrated an association of HLA-Cw4 and HLA-Cw7 with a lower risk of AICU, whereas carriers of HLA-B44 phenotype had a higher risk of AICU. No differences were found between patients and controls as regards to HLA-DRB1* genotype. Conclusions. We observed an association between some HLA class-I antigens and AICU. To the best of our knowledge this is the first description of such association