Identifying Barriers to File Rendering in Bit-level Preservation Repositories: A Preliminary Approach

This paper seeks to advance digital preservation theory and practice by presenting an evidence-based model for identifying barriers to digital content rendering within a bit-level preservation repository. It details the results of an experiment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign library, where the authors procured a random sample of files from their institution’s digital preservation repository and tested their ability to open said files using software specified in local policies. This sampling regime furnished a preliminary portrait of local file rendering challenges, and thus preservation risk, grounded not in nominal preferences for one format’s characteristics over another, but in empirical evidence of what types of files present genuine barriers to staff and patron access. This research produced meaningful diagnostic data to inform file format policymaking for the repository. Data files created to support this research are available at http://hdl.handle.net/2142/89994.Ope

File Format Endangerment Data

These data files support the paper "Managing File Format Endangerment in Digital Preservation Repositories: An Evidence-Based Approach" by Kyle Rimkus and Scott Witmer. The paper seeks to advance digital preservation theory and practice by presenting an evidence-based model for file format policy management within a repository. It details the results of an experiment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign library, where the authors procured a random sample of files from their institution’s digital preservation repository and tested their ability to open said files using software specified in local policies. This sampling regime furnished a portrait of local preservation risk grounded not in nominal preferences for one format’s characteristics over another, but in empirical evidence of what types of files present genuine barriers to staff and patron access. This research resulted in meaningful diagnostic data on file format risk within the repository, and provides a new model for conducting repository audits of file format risk. The authors submitted the paper April 2016 to iPres 2016. If accepted, it will appear in conference proceedings in late 2016.Ope

THE PATH TO ERADICATION OF THE GAMBIAN GIANT POUCHED RAT IN FLORIDA

A thriving population of Gambian giant pouched rats became established on Grassy Key, a 550-ha island in Florida, following escape(s) from an exotic pet breeder. After existence of the population was verified, computer models indicated that Gambian giant pouched rats could successfully invade a large portion of North America if they reached the mainland. This largest of rat species is highly prolific, and its dispersal to the mainland could result in substantial negative impacts to agriculture, environment, and wildlife. Additionally, Gambian giant pouched rats are known vectors of a variety of diseases transmissible to humans and livestock. The first action to counter the severe and immediate threat of dispersal was to rapidly develop the information necessary on which to base an eradication program. The information included detection and monitoring technologies, population indexing methodologies, population distribution, habitat preferences, trapping methodology, acceptance of bait matrices, and efficacy tests of toxicants, and bait stations that minimize exposure to native species. With these tools forming a foundation, a pilot eradication was funded for Crawl Key, a 150-ha key adjoining Grassy Key to which the species expanded its range. The aims of the pilot eradication were to test and fine-tune the methods prior to implementing full-scale eradication on Grassy Key. No Gambian giant pouched rats were found in two subsequent surveys of Crawl Key. Further surveys of Grassy Key were used to refine bait station densities for the full scale eradication effort implemented on Grassy Key in spring 2007. The eradication effort is on-going

Rapid assessment for a new invasive species threat: the case of the Gambian giant pouched rat in Florida

The Gambian giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) is a large rodent that has established a breeding population in the Florida Keys. Should it successfully disperse to mainland Florida, it could continue spreading through much of North America where significant negative ecological and agricultural consequences could result. We rapidly developed the information for implementing an efficient and successful eradication program before dispersal to the mainland occurs. This included development of monitoring and indexing methods and their application to define the animal’s range, the development of baits attractive to Gambian giant pouched rats, efficacy testing of toxicants, and development of bait-delivery devices that exclude native animals. Gambian giant pouched rats appeared confined to the western two-thirds of Grassy Key, but have dispersed across a soil-filled causeway west to Crawl Key. We identified preferred habitat characteristics and potential dispersal pathways. We developed photographic and tracking tile methods for detecting and indexing Gambian giant pouched rats, both of which work well in the face of high densities of non-target species. We identified a commercial anticoagulant bait and we developed a zinc phosphide (an acute toxicant) bait matrix that were well accepted and effective for controlling Gambian giant pouched rats. We also developed a bait station for delivering toxic bait to Gambian giant pouched rats without risk to native species. We consider that the criteria are met for a successful eradication to commence

The function of the aerenchyma in arborescent lycopsids: evidence of an unfamiliar metabolic strategy

Most species of the modern family Isoëtaceae (Quillworts) some other modern hydrophytes, use a metabolic pathway for carbon fixation that involves uptake of sedimentary carbon and enrichment of CO2 in internal gas spaces as a carbon-concentrating mechanism. This metabolism, which is related to ‘aquatic CAM’, is characterized by morphological, physiological and biochemical adaptations for decreasing photorespirative loss, aerating roots and maintaining high growth rates in anoxic, oligotrophic, stressed environments. Some of the closest relatives of the Isoëtaceae were the ‘arborescent lycopsids’, which were among the dominant taxa in the coal swamps found in lowland ecosystems during the Carboniferous and Permian periods (approx. 300 Ma). Morphological, ecological and geochemical evidence supports the hypothesis that the arborescent lycopsids had an unusual metabolism similar to that of modern Isoëtaceae and processed a biogeochemically significant proportion of organically fixed carbon over a period of about 100 million years in the late Palaeozoic. The temporal coincidence between the dominance of plants with this metabolism and an anomalous global atmosphere (high O2; low CO2) supports the idea that biosphere feedbacks are important in regulating global climatic homeostasis. The potential influence of this metabolism on the global carbon cycle and its specific adaptive function suggest that it should perhaps be considered a fourth major photosynthetic pathway