http://neuroscienceupdate.cumc.columbia.edu/

Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons has been a leader in medical education for over a century, and this website is provided as public service for those in the field of medicine and neuroscience. The website provides a series of lectures and videos that provide a "comprehensive and concise review of the neurosciences." It's best to start by reading the executive summary, and then click on over to the "Topics and Speakers" area. Here visitors can look over several dozen lectures that include "Basic Mechanisms of Pain", "Molecular Genetics", and "Neurobiology of Schizophrenia". The lectures are all of very high quality, and visitors who are seeking additional information should look through the "References and Resources" area for external links to relevant medical organizations, research institutes, and academic departments. [KMG]

http://dl.lib.brown.edu/koetting/

Throughout the 1970s, Professor James Koetting of Brown University spent a great deal of time in Ghana recording traditional and popular music. Recently the Center for Digital Initiatives at the Brown University Library created this excellent online digital collection that brings together Koetting's field recordings, field notebooks, photographs, and recorded interviews. The collection affords a number of insights into the performances of musicians in Accra and others in the Kasena region of Ghana. Visitors can read through several essays before looking closer into the collection, which they can navigate by clicking on sections like "Gallery" and "Field Recordings". The "Field Recordings" section offers a fine introduction into Koetting's important work and this particular genre of music. Lastly, visitors can also look through the additional "Resources", which include a bibliography, a discography, and a glossary of relevant musical terms. [KMG]

http://www.biodiversityinfo.org/sowb/default.php?r=sowbhome

Concerns about the world's biodiversity are not new, but the BirdLife International organization has taken on an important challenge by documenting the state of the world's birds via the important research papers featured on this site. The news they offer is not terribly encouraging, but these documents will be important tools for anyone interested in these pressing issues. The primary work here is divided into four sections that includes an introduction, along with three additional sections that cover why birds are declining, the current state of information about bird populations, and what can be done to improve the status of birds around the world. Some visitors may also wish to utilize the "How to use this site" area if they are experiencing difficulty navigating the various features here. The site is rounded out by two very impressive reports from 2004 and 2008 on the state of the world's birds. Both reports are available in English and French, and the 2008 report is also available in Spanish. [KMG]

http://www.drostproject.vetmed.ufl.edu/index.html

The Drost Project Visual Guides from Veterinarian Maarten Drost at the University of Florida provides stunning visual guides to theriogenology, which is the study of animal reproduction. The species the Drost Project focuses on presently are cow (bovine), buffalo (bubaline), sheep (ovine), pig (porcine), and horse (equine). A guide to dog (canine) reproduction is under development as well. The visual guides include photos from theriogenologists around the world, and the sections devoted to each animal are well laid out and easy to use. Each section provides photos for multiple topics, including "Female Reproductive System", "Male Reproductive System", "Accidents of Gestation", "Abortion", "Reproductive Management", and "Teratology" (birth defects). Additionally, a printable version of each photo is offered for educational use. Be forewarned that the photos on this site are very graphic and may be disturbing to a visitor unfamiliar with this area of veterinary medicine. Regardless, the site is a valuable one, particularly to those persons in veterinary science. [KMG]

http://www.demos.co.uk/files/A%20More%20UK%20-%20web-1.pdf

How does a nation create a sense of community or national identity? It's no trivial query, and one that countries new and old have struggled with through the ages. The Demos organization's Liam Byrne recently tackled that question in regards to Britain via his thoughtful pamphlet, "A More United Kingdom". Released in September 2008, the 96-page work argues that, "shared standards are the secret to preserving harmony in a more diverse society." Bryne happens to be a British Labour Party politician, a Member of British Parliament, and the Minister for Borders and Immigration. In this paper, he offers three concrete ideas for strengthening shared standards and a "sense of fraternity for Britain." These ideas include a national day of celebration, a stronger defense of the Union, and "the Labour Party leading a renewal of civic pride and association as part of a broader, sustained effort to regenerate Britain’s poorest places." While readers may not agree with some or even all of his suggestions, the paper provides an interesting point of view into the politics of immigration, struggling economies, and changing social attitudes. [KMG]

http://www.radiologyassistant.nl/en/42023a885587e

Radiologists and others entering the field will want to make a beeline for this very fine website, developed as a public service by The Radiological Society of The Netherlands. The stated intention of the site is "to focus on common radiological issues in a problem-oriented way for radiology residents and radiologists." First-time visitors can get oriented to the site by looking over the "Latest Articles" area which contains recent offerings dealing with acute pancreatitis, wrist fractures, and brain tumors. Moving on, visitors can look at the "Cases" area where they will find radiograms with short quizzes that will test their diagnostic abilities. Additionally, all of the other materials on the site can be located via the search engine on the homepage or by perusing a list of categories. [KMG]

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/ogunseitan/default.asp

Increasingly, a number of textbook companies are offering complementary access to materials related to their printed textbooks, and in a few instances, they offer users access to the entire textbook. Blackwell Publishing has created this website to offer students and others access to sections of Professor Oladele Ogunseitan's textbook, "Microbial Diversity". Professor Ogunseitan's book is a comprehensive look into the world of microbial diversity, and it spells out the impact of microorganisms on ecological and earth system phenomena. On the site, visitors can click on the "Contents" tab to look over selected chapters (such as "Environmental Evolution"), and then look at the complete "Glossary" area. Perhaps the best feature on the entire site is the "Student Resources" section. Here visitors can take advantage of helpful external links related to this area of study, interviews with researchers in the field, and other related matters. [KMG]