The NSDL Scout Report for Life Sciences -- Volume 3, Number 12

June 11, 2004

A Publication of the Internet Scout Project
Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison




Research

Education

General

Topic In Depth




Research

North American Bat Conservation Partnership: Literature Reference Database

http://www.batcon.org/nabcp/newsite/index.html

Hosted by the North American Bat Conservation Partnership (NABCP), this website features the Literature Reference Database -- a service designed for bat researchers. The Literature Reference Database includes listings for bat-related books, dissertations, reprints, and popular journal articles. The website provides a search engine and simple instructions for browsing the database. Due to copyright laws NABCP is unable to provide copies of publications listed in the database, but it does offer tips for obtaining copies of desired items. Note: The Literature Reference Database has the same URL as the NABCP homepage, so to reach the Database simply select the BCI Library link (under Resource Links) on the NABCP homepage. [NL]



American Society for Enology and Viticulture [pdf]

http://www.asev.org/

This website presents the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV), "a non-profit, scientific society dedicated to the interests of enologists, viticulturists, and others in the field of wine and grape research and production throughout the world." The ASEV site contains information about their organization, related events, the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, membership, and more. The ASEV website also maintains an Academic Job Board, and provides information about student scholarships. The site currently links to the upcoming 2004 Annual Meeting website offering Complete Program Information, Online Registration and Housing Reservations, and a Virtual Trade Show. [NL]



California State University - Stanislaus: Endangered Species Recovery Program [pdf]

http://esrp.csustan.edu/

This website features the Endangered Species Recovery Program (ESRP), "a cooperative research program on biodiversity conservation in central California, administered by California State University, Stanislaus Foundation." In addition to their team of approximately 45 biologists, students, research associates, and support staff, ESRP collaborates with experts from governments and universities from around the world. The ESRP website includes sections on Current Projects and Research; Publications and Reports (available online); Endangered Species Profiles; and Digital Geospatial Resources. The site also provides background information about the program, staff listings, and related links. [NL]



Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation: U.S.D.A. Forest Service Collection

http://huntbot.andrew.cmu.edu/USDA/USDA.html

Hosted by the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation (reported on in the NSDL Scout Report for the Life Sciences, July 25, 2003), this website provides access to 2,884 drawings from the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) Forest Service Collection. Many of the drawings are originals produced for Alaska Trees and Shrubs, Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands_, and the U.S. Forest Service Bulletin. Works from numerous artists including B.A. Batts, Caron Ann Kanter, Carmen M. Diaz, W.F. Wright are represented in the Collection. Site users can search for any of the Forest Service drawings -- accompanied by descriptions -- in the Catalogue of the Botanical Art Collection at the Hunt Institute Database. The Collection images are available for reproduction by researchers and scientists. [NL]



National Center for Biotechnology Information: HIV-1, Human Protein Interaction Database

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/RefSeq/HIVInteractions/

This website presents the HIV-1, Human Protein Interaction Database, a collaborative project between the between the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - Division of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, the Southern Research Institute, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The project is "designed to compile a comprehensive database of the described interactions between HIV-1 and cellular proteins. The goal of this project is to provide scientists in the field of HIV / AIDS research a concise, yet detailed, summary of all known interactions of HIV-1 proteins with host cell proteins, other HIV-1 proteins, or proteins from disease organisms associated with HIV/AIDS." The website links to Project Data including Reports, HIV-1 Data, and PubMed Queries. Links are also available for several NCBI resources including LocusLink, Retroviruses, HIV Genotyping, and Gene. The site invites feedback from the scientific community and provides an electronic submission form for updates. [NL]



Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine: Biological Databases

http://www.mpiem.gwdg.de/forschung/biol/biol_index_en.html

A great resource for medical researchers and practitioners, this website from the Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine offers an extensive list of hyperlinked biological databases. The databases are organized under several categories including: Genetic, Protein, and Structure Databases; Modeling; FTP Entries; and Complete Genomes. The site also provides links for Scientific Literature, Bio-and Medical Technology, and Companies and Related Organizations. Examples of listed databases are EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database, Genome Database, Saccharomyces Genome Database at Stanford Genomic Resources, and the Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) at BNL. [NL]



Education

Blue Planet Biomes

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/index.htm

This innovative educational website was created by Elisabeth Benders-Hyde, a science aide at the West Tisbury School in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The site was originally inspired by a biome project developed by West Tisbury 6th grade teachers Ann and Karl Nelson, and incorporates information generated from independent student research. The site offers great information about the world's biomes including Tundra, Chaparral, Deciduous Forest, Alpine, Rainforest, and more. Biome profiles include general background information with separate sections for biome-specific plants, animals, and climates. This site has an artful lay-out with colorful maps denoting specific biomes, and images of biome landscapes, animals, and plants. [NL]



Slovak Academy of Sciences: Inflammation and Fever

http://nic.sav.sk/logos/books/scientific/z.html

This hypertext book was created by professors Viera 'Stvrtinov, Jn Jakubovsk, and Ivan Huln-all members of the Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovak Republic. This book was designed to offer basic information about the complex process of inflammation to undergraduate and postgraduate students, pathologists, clinicians, and specialists in the fields of immunology, molecular biology, and medicine. The book contains hyperlinked sections and subsections on Exudation and Swelling, The Phases of Inflammation, Neutrophil Granules, and Acute Inflammation Mediated by Immune Complexes --just to name a few. The site also links to 14 Tables and 6 Figures covering such topics as Predominant Granule Mediators of Mast Cells, Cytokines Involved in Inflammatory Reactions, Acute Phase Reactants, The Kinin Pathway Forming Bradykinin, and more. [NL]



PBS NATURE Lesson Plans: A Giraffe Debate

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/lesson_plans/tallblondes1.html

This PBS NATURE website presents a nicely organized lesson plan regarding threatened giraffe populations for students in grades 4-6. The site contains an overview of the lesson including Learning Objectives, and Standards and Benchmarks for the subject areas of Life Sciences and Writing. The website provides a Procedures For Teachers section which details lesson activities spanning multiple class periods. The Teachers section also contains: two lists of supplementary websites for the lesson; materials needed such as computer resources; and extension activities. For students, the site provides three printable organization sheets for the lesson including a Giraffe Research Organizer and a Giraffes in Danger question page. [NL]



The Educator's Reference Desk-Animal Adaptations: Focus on Bird Beaks

http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Animals/ANM0116.html

Hosted by the Educator's Reference Desk, this website contains a lesson plan titled Animal Adaptations: Focus on Bird Beaks which was created by educators Kat Plass and Allison Field in affiliation with the University of Montana. The lesson plan was designed for 6th grade students and spans two 45-minute sessions. This hands-on lesson facilitates student exploration of animal adaptations by examining "the shape of a bird's beak in relation to their food source." Beaks are created with everyday materials like chopsticks, slotted spoons, eyedroppers, and a turkey skewer. The concise lesson plan includes a list of objectives, materials needed, and descriptions of lesson activities. [NL]



University of Washington: Osteoporosis and Bone Physiology [QuickTime, Macromedia Flash]

http://courses.washington.edu/bonephys/

Maintained by Dr. Susan Ott, professor of medicine at the University of Washington, this informative website was developed as an educational resource for both physicians and patients. The website offers sections on Osteoporosis, Bone Density, Osteomalacia, Basic Prevention, Pharmaceutical Treatment, and more. The website provides a list of real cases, references, related links, and an interactive Osteoporosis quiz. The site also includes animations of bone metabolic units, and a gallery of images including photomicrographs, biopsies, and x-rays. [NL]



John Hopkins School of Medicine: Interactive Respiratory Physiology

http://oac.med.jhmi.edu/res_phys/index.HTML

Hosted by John Hopkins School of Medicine, this hypertext on Interactive Respiratory Physiology was developed by Dr. Wilmot C. Ball Jr. of the Physiology Department, and staff at the Office of Medical Informatics Education. The site offers informative Tutorials and Interactive Lab Exercises that include: Static Elastic Properties of the Lung and Chest Wall, The Mechanics of Quiet Breathing, Disease States, and a Gas Exchange Lung Model. After completing the tutorials and lab exercises, site users can test their knowledge by taking a short multiple-choice quiz. The site also contains a Dictionary and an Encyclopedia with information and images for terms like Alveoli, Body Plethysmography, Esophageal Balloon, Pleural Pressure, and more. [NL]



General

Illinois Department of Natural Resources: Prairie Establishment and Landscaping

http://dnr.state.il.us/conservation/naturalheritage/prairie/table.htm

This website features a hypertext version of Prairie Establishment and Landscaping, an Illinois Department of Natural Resources Technical Publication by William E. McClain. The hypertext offers a good overview of prairies and contains two main sections on Prairie Establishment and Prairie Plants in Landscape Design. The text's subsections provide brief coverage of prairie history, seed selection, seedbed preparation, prescribed burning, prairie maintenance, and much more. The website also contains a good collection of supplementary Figures, Tables, and Appendixes. The site includes a list of references and a short glossary as well. [NL]



Natural Perspective

http://www.perspective.com/nature/index.html

This great natural history hypertext was created by long-time naturalists Ari and Susan Kornfeld, and contains informative sections on four taxonomic Kingdoms of Life: Plantae, Animalia, Protoctista, and Fungi (reported on in the NSDL Scout Report for Life Sciences, January 23, 2004). Each Kingdom section offers great images and information about our planet's many diverse forms of life. Site visitors can view this 38-page site one page at a time or by selecting specific sections from the table of contents. The site also includes a nice Species Index -- organized by both scientific and common name -- with individual species hyperlinked to photos and information in the text. [NL]



Missouri Botanical Garden-Center for Plant Conservation: National Collection of Endangered Plants

http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/NC_Choice.html

Hosted by the Missouri Botanical Garden, this website presents the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC)-National Collection of Endangered Plants which "contains plant material for more than 600 of the country's most imperiled native plants." The Collection website links to informative profiles for many endangered plants. Plant profile pages include the following concise sections: Distribution and Occurrence; Protection; Conservation, Ecology, and Research; and References. Site visitors can search for plants "by scientific name, common name, plant family, state range, or CPC participating institution." Plants can also be found through alphabetical listings by scientific name. This site links to other sections of the CPC website including Publications, Plant Links, Conservation Directory, and more. [NL]



The Butterfly Site.com

http://www.thebutterflysite.com/

Are you interested in rearing butterflies with your kids or releasing live butterflies at your wedding? You can find out about these possibilities and many more at the Butterfly Site, a resource website-created by entomologist Randi Jones that is full of all kinds of annotated butterfly links. The Butterfly Site offers links to web resources in areas like Biology, Rearing, Conservation, Pictures, Live Releases, Fun Facts, and more. One especially neat site feature is the Butterfly Houses and Farms section which lists great places to observe and study butterflies. The butterfly houses and farms are hyperlinked and can be found in many states, and in several countries. [NL]



Starfish

http://www.starfish.ch/

Created by Teresa Zubi, a certified PADI divemaster and marine life enthusiast, Starfish is an artful website that shares images of, and information about, life in coral reefs. Ms. Zubi has photographed many forms of marine life during her numerous dives, and the Starfish site features a collection of over 1,000 great underwater photos of invertebrates, fishes, reptiles, marine plants, and more. The site offers a feature on frogfish which includes many photos and brief information sections about feeding, habitats and range, defensive behavior, reproduction, and more. The Starfish site also provides extensive information for divers including links, travel logs, and maps. The site is available in German and English. [NL]



Rutgers University: New Jersey Mosquito Homepage-Mosquito Biology [pdf]

http://www-rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/mosbiol.htm

As the weather warms and the pre-summer rains fall, the familiar buzz of the mosquito can be heard in our ears. This website from entomologists at Rutgers University provides a nice overview of Mosquito Biology including sections on Life Cycle, Anatomy, Habitats, and Behavior. The site also includes some New Jersey-specific sections such as A Classification System for the Life Cycles of Mosquitoes in New Jersey, a fact sheet about the Asian Tiger Mosquito in New Jersey, a Morphological Comparison of Ochlerotatus Species in New Jersey, and a New Jersey Species List. The Species List contains profiles for 63 species of mosquitoes found in New Jersey, and provides information about their geographic distribution, larval habitat, larval identification, anatomical features, and more. [NL]



Topic In Depth

Ticks and Lyme Disease

University of California-Davis-Department of Entomology: Background Information on the Biology of Ticks
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/rbkimsey/tickbio.html
Iowa State University: Iowa State's Deer Tick Home Page
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegallery/ticks/deertick.html
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences-Featured Creatures: Blacklegged Tick or Deer Tick
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/urban/medical/deer_tick.htm
Cornell University-Cooperative Extension: Tick Biology for the Homeowner
http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/MedEnt/TickBioFS/TickBioFS.html
American Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc.
http://www.aldf.com/default.asp
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: A Focus of Deer Tick Virus Transmission in the Northcentral United States
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol5no4/ebel.htm
Maine Medical Center Research Institute: Lyme Disease Research Laboratory
http://zappa.mmcri.mmc.org/lyme/lymehome.html

Did you know that there are more than 800 known tick species on earth? The following websites provide information about both tick biology and Lyme disease -- a disease transmitted through deer ticks (Ixodes dammini). The first (webpage, authored by Dr. Larisa Vredevoe of the University of California- Davis, contains brief and basic information about soft ticks (Ixodidae) and hard ticks (Argasidae). From Iowa State University, the second site (1) links to size comparison images and movies for female, male, and larva deer ticks. This site offers nymph images as well. The third 3) site, from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, presents brief information sections on the deer tick -- or blacklegged tick -- as part of its Featured Creatures series. The sections address topics like Description, Distribution, Life Cycle, and Management. Cornell University - Cooperative Extension hosts the fourth (4) site which contains an article titled Tick Biology for the Homeowner, by Renee R. Anderson and Laura C. Harrington. The article includes close-up images and short sections on Taxonomy and Description, Biology and Behavior, Guidelines on Safe Tick Removal, and Identification of Ticks -- to name a few. The fifth (5) site presents the American Lyme Disease Foundation, a group "Dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections." The Foundation's website provides information about its programs and services, Lyme disease, deer tick ecology, tick paralysis, and more. The sixth (6) site, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contains a research article titled A Focus of Deer Tick Virus Transmission in the Northcentral United States, by Gregory D. Ebel, Ivo Foppa, Andrew Spielman, and Sam R. Telford, III of the Harvard School of Public Health. The article reports on a deer tick study conducted in northern Wisconsin. The final (7) website presents the Maine Medical Center Research Institute's Lyme Disease Research Laboratory. This site offers sections on Tick Borne Diseases, Prevention & Control, Other Resources, and Research.






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From The NSDL Scout Report for Life Sciences, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2003. http://www.scout.wisc.edu/

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Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-2003. The Internet Scout Project (http://www.scout.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, or the National Science Foundation.




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