The Scout Report - November 29, 1999

November 29, 1999

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

The Scout Report is a weekly publication offering a selection of new and newly discovered Internet resources of interest to researchers and educators. However, everyone is welcome to subscribe to one of the mailing lists (plain text or HTML). Subscription instructions are included at the end of each report.


In This Issue:

Subject Specific Reports

Research and Education

General Interest

Network Tools

In The News


Subject Specific Reports

Scout Report for Science & Engineering
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/sci-eng/1999/se-991124.html
Volume 3, Number 6 of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering is available. The In the News section annotates nine resources on the role of undersea methane hydrate in global warming during the Paleocene Epoch 55 million years ago and possibly in the future. [MD]
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Research and Education

amfAR HIV/AIDS Treatment Directory
http://www.amfar.org/treatment/mainframe.asp
Published in print since 1985, the expanded and constantly updated electronic version of the amfAR HIV/AIDS Treatment Directory offers a number of authoritative drug-related resources for people who are HIV-positive and their physicians. Resources are located in three principal sections. The first, Treatments, allows users to search or browse resources on Anti-HIV Treatments and related conditions and their treatments by drug name or condition. In Clinical Studies, users can browse a large collection of clinical trial reports by HIV Treatment Name or Condition Name. The third section, Information Resources, offers a glossary, information on blood values, and a list of drug manufacturers by drug name. Additional resources include several scholarly papers on current issues in HIV treatment and information on upcoming community forums. [MD]
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OSHA Ergonomics Standard [.pdf, 5.9MB]
http://www.osha-slc.gov/ergonomics-standard/index.html
On Monday, the US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released new wide-ranging proposals to protect about 27 million workers engaged in heavy lifting or repetitive motion. Business groups immediately voiced their objections to the proposed standards, which would force them to adopt ergonomics programs to minimize risks if even a few employees suffered such injuries. According to OSHA, the proposal would cost about $4.2 billion annually to implement, but would save over $9 billion in lower compensation claims and fewer lost working days. Business groups dispute this amount and contend that the proposals will result in thousands of legal claims and counterclaims. Users can read the full text of the proposed standards for themselves at the OSHA site. The standards may be downloaded from three mirrors in .pdf format only. Also at the site is an abbreviated text of the standards, an introduction, a FAQ, and a form for submitting electronic comments. [MD]
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geoCOMMUNITY
http://www.geocomm.com/
As maps and mapping tools are increasingly used throughout the scientific community, there is a growing need for a synthesis of available and upcoming geo/graphic materials. This excellent site from geocomm.com highlights a wide variety of resources for researchers interested in the newest GIS maps, tools, and software. The site includes a search engine (focused on geographic-related Websites), geo software (including freeware), recent news related to the GIS community, and a handful of educational materials (see Fun Stuff). The heart of the site is the GIS Data Depot section, however. Here, users may browse the latest GIS coverage (including free downloads of USGS Digital Raster Graphics, among others), scan the list of upcoming GIS resources, and submit questions about projections, formats, scale, or other issues to the help desk. While not all GIS data files listed here are free, the site is a valuable centralized reference tool for newly available mapping materials at the national, state, and county scales. Furthermore, the listing of prices for items that are not free may be of assistance to researchers planning budgets for future GIS-related projects. [LXP]
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Social Science Research Network (SSRN) [.pdf]
http://www.SSRN.Com/
Provided by Social Science Electronic Publishing (SSEP), this site allows users to freely access thousands of abstracts and full-text research papers. The core of the site is the SSRN Electronic Library, which contains an Abstract Database with over 15,600 entries and an Electronic Paper Collection, which currently contains over 4,200 full-text papers. Users can search title, abstract, and author fields, or browse the journals, which are grouped under the five respective Research Networks that form the SSRN: Accounting, Economics, Latin American, Financial, and Legal Scholarship. Within each journal entry, users may select from several display options to narrow their results and available full-text documents are indicated by a special symbol. Information on each of the five networks, including conference and job announcements, as well as information on subscribing and a list of site licenses, is accessible via a menu panel on the left side of the main page. According to SSEP, access to the abstracts and full-text papers will remain free of charge to all users until "the next revision to the web site this winter." [MD]
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Climate Change Tree Atlas of the Eastern United States [JavaScript]
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/delaware/atlas/
Created by Anantha M. Prasad and Louis R. Iverson of the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, this site contains a great deal of information, including "distribution maps and tables for different climate change scenarios, life-history and disturbance attributes, ecological attributes, forest type maps and sorted list of species importance values by state/county for different climate change scenarios, and more for 80 [tree] species in the eastern half of the United States." While the authors have taken steps to make the atlas as easy to use as possible, the site recommends that users read the introduction and tips to avoid quickly getting lost in all the available information. After launching the atlas, users can browse by a quick species reference list or alphabetically. A sample browse on "willow" returned a life history and disturbance response fact sheet, four ecological attributes graphs or charts, eight distribution maps, and seven distribution tables. Various help and FAQ links are provided throughout the site. [MD]
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NUPI Centre for Russian Studies Database
http://www.nupi.no/russland/database/start.htm
Created and maintained by the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), this site is a major resource for researchers and students studying contemporary Russia. The site is actually a collection of several useful searchable databases, including the 89 Administrative units of the Russian Federation, more than 1,000 public figures, 50 recognized political parties, over 150 key institutions, 100 ethnic groups in Russia, and a searchable chronology with more than 2,000 entries (updated almost daily). With the exception of the Persons database, users may search by keyword or list all entries. Where possible, the databases are cross-referenced. For instance, the details of an Administrative unit gives links to the relevant entries in the Persons and Chronology databases. Additional resources include information and data on the 1995 State Duma and on elections and referenda from 1991 to 1996, annotated links, and abstracts and the full-text of several publications (some in Norweigan). [MD]
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Humanity Development Library 2.0
http://payson.tulane.edu:8888/
New Zealand Digital Library
http://www.nzdl.org/
The mission of the Humanity Development Library is to make practical information from many sources available at the lowest possible cost to the user. Originally created as a set of CD-ROMs and now on the Web, the library provides a gateway to the publications of a whole host of international human development and educational organizations, from the Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) to the World Bank. Greenstone software, developed for the New Zealand Digital Library, allows keyword searching across the 1,200+ texts in the library. Users can also browse by subject, title, or organization. The library, which is also available as part of the New Zealand Digital Library, includes full texts and cover art of publications such as CERES, a periodical from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and AIDS Prevention Through Health Promotion, a 1991 book from the World Health Organization. The "Detach" feature of the software allows users to read selected publications in a separate browser window. [DS]
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Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database
http://terra.geo.orst.edu/users/tfdd/
Created and maintained by Dr. Aaron T. Wolf of the Department of Geosciences at Oregon State University, this site is designed to help researchers and students explore water disputes and negotiations in the 20th century. To that end, it offers a searchable database containing the summaries and full text of 150 international water-related treaties and another similar database of 39 interstate compacts within the US. Treaties within the databases may be selected by nation or state, main and treaty basins, focus, and beginning and ending dates. Additional resources include a digitized inventory of international watersheds. In the future, Wolf plans to add descriptions of indigenous/ traditional methods for the resolution of water disputes, news files and bibliographic entries of acute water conflicts, and an annotated bibliography of the state of the art of Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Resolution. [MD]
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General Interest

Armed Forces Equal Opportunity Survey [.pdf, 3281K]
http://dticaw.dtic.mil/prhome/eo96exsum.html
Defense Secretary William Cohen's Memo Introducing the Report [.pdf]
http://dticaw.dtic.mil/prhome/docs/eomemo.pdf
Released on Tuesday, this 264-page report from the Department of Defense (DOD) reveals that a high percentage of minorities in the US military have experienced racist behavior. In a survey of over 40,000 troops in 1997, one in five African-Americans responding also said they believed race had a negative impact on their prospects for promotion or assignment. This almost unprecedented survey of race relations in the US military, which was ordered by Congress and conducted in 1997, was delayed in release for several months while top military officials debated how to portray the results. Users can read the full text of the report, in .pdf format, at the Defense Technical Information Center site. An executive summary and a review of major findings by chapter are also provided. [MD]
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Red White Blue & Brimstone: New World Literature and the American Millennium
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/brimstone/
This new online exhibit from the University of Virginia Library examines the role and impact of the Book of Revelation and millenarian thought on American culture. Describing the Book of Revelation as "something of a Rorschach test," the site argues that "probably no other book has justified as many soap-box sermons and hair-brained schemes as it has, and perhaps none ever will. But neither has any book produced a more profound vision of America's hopes, duties, dreams, and destiny." This intriguing exhibit travels from the early history of the Book of Revelation, its role in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England, through the early American republic and the nineteenth century up to the present day. Each section contains a concise, well-written summary and a fair number of (fast-loading) images of texts from the period. For anyone interested in this powerful but often-overlooked influence on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American thought and culture, this site is highly recommended. [MD]
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John Bull and Uncle Sam: Four Centuries of Anglo-American Relations -- LOC
http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/british/
This joint project from the "two greatest libraries in the English-speaking world" explores selected time periods and cultural movements in the sometimes contentious, but unique relationship between the US and Britain. The physical exhibition will run at the Library of Congress (LOC) through March 2000 and then open at the British Library in 2002. The online companion site contains an overview, introduction, and seven preview sections, each of which offers some brief captions and images of selected items from the LOC, with links to the LOC division providing the item when possible. Additional resources include information on public programs and an object list. [MD]
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Beyond Discovery: The Path from Research to Human Benefit [.pdf]
http://www.beyonddiscovery.org/
Produced by the National Academy of Sciences, Beyond Discovery is a periodic series (4-6 times per year) of case studies written by science writers in collaboration with "prominent scientists who have been directly involved with the discoveries being described." Each case study involves recent technological and medical advances, and highlights the role played by basic science. Articles are composed of multiple short HTML pages with a number of hyperlinks within the text to related sites. Mostly well-written and interesting, the case studies are aimed at the general reader. Current topics include Designer Seeds, Sound from Silence, The Global Positioning System, and Human Gene testing. Summaries and .pdf versions of the articles are also available. [MD]
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Multiple Galaxy Collisions Surprise Hubble Astronomers [QuickTime, .pdf]
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1999/45/index.html
Recent surprising discoveries have led Hubble space telescope astronomers to rethink theories on a class of galaxies called ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRG). It was previously believed that only pairs of galaxies were interacting in ULIRGs, but recent photos from Hubble show multiple collisions of four or even five galaxies smashing together. The images, provided at this site, offer a glimpse of what conditions were like in the early universe when galaxy collisions were commonplace. Users can read the official press release and view a number of images in different sizes and formats at the above URL. Additional resources include two QuickTime movies of astronomer Dr. Kirk Borne discussing his new finding and describing one of the images, and links to related discoveries at the Hubble site. [MD]
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Braintrack University Index
http://www.braintrack.com/
Billing itself "the world's most complete Education-index," this handy site lists URLs for over 5,300 higher education institutions all over the world (152 countries). Users can drill down to universities beginning with either continent or country, or search by keyword. A listing of new additions and a form to add URLs are also included. {MD]
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Modern Ruins
http://www.inch.com/~buehler/ruins/
Philip Buehler Homepage
http://www.inch.com/~buehler/
Created and maintained by photographer Phillip Buehler, this site showcases photos he has taken at various "modern ruins," decaying buildings or sites that still perhaps echo human presence. While there are twenty collections of photos on the site, only the first six are presented as thumbnail indexes with brief introductions and captions. The remaining sections are available as small images with no descriptions. Still, Buehler offers some lovely photos. Highlights include Ellis Island, Coney Island, the 1964 New York World's Fair pavilions, and the airplane graveyard. Buehler's homepage contains several other photo collections, including "Street Fossils," items he found embedded in hot summer asphalt, "Above New York," and "New York Cityscapes." [MD]
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The Jazz Review [RealPlayer]
http://www.jazzreview.com/
This site seems to have something for almost every jazz fan. The Reviews section offers Jazz at a Glance, which contains a number of quick reviews of new jazz releases, a slightly longer review of the CD of the Week, Guest Reviews from other readers, and a daily Audio Review in RealPlayer format (this last feature was inoperable at time of review). The Jazz Spotlight section includes jazz photography, interviews with musicians, biographies, and an open forum for reader contributions. In Audience Participation, users will find a discussion board and guest review form. Jazz Resources contains a number of just that, including related links, Internet jazz radio stations, jazz history, and MP3s. Additional resources include Archives and a bimonthly mailing list. [MD]
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Network Tools

Search Engine Guide
http://www.searchengineguide.com/
This massive metasite should keep even the most hardcore search engine junkie busy, with over 2,200 briefly annotated links to search engines, portals, directories, and indexes. The links are organized under twelve subject headings, such as Arts, Business, Reference, Social Science, and Government, which are further broken down by topic. What's New, What's Cool, and Top 10 lists are also provided. In addition, users can track new listings by subscribing to a free email update service. While there were a few holes here and there, the sheer size of this site and the frequent updates make it a valuable resource for users on the hunt for a specialized directory or those who like to keep track of new search engines. [MD]
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W3C Issues XSLT and XPath Recommendations
XSL Transformations (XSLT) Version 1.0
http://www.w3.org/TR/xslt
XML Path Language (XPath) Version 1.0
http://www.w3.org/TR/xpath
Press Release
http://www.w3.org/1999/11/xslt-xpath-pr
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) last week announced two new recommendations, XSL Transformations (XSLT) and XML Path Language (XPath), for the transformation and styled presentation of XML documents. Abstracts and full-text reports on the current and previous releases for both recommendations are available at the above URLs. As always, "a W3C Recommendation indicates that a specification is stable, contributes to Web interoperability, and has been reviewed by the W3C membership, who favor its adoption by the industry." [MD]
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NeoTrace
http://www.neoworx.com/
NeoTrace is similar to a graphical version of the UNIX utility traceroute. It gives current route information to any computer on the Internet in four different views. One of the views interfaces with NeoWorx's geographical database and shows a map with the locations of all the nodes in the route. This tool is useful for investigating failed connections, tracking down sources of spam or satisfying personal curiosity. Windows 95/98 or NT 4.0 are required A trial version is available for 30 days, and the registration fee is $29.95. [JB]
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Internet Explorer (IE) 5.01 [Windows 95/98]
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/download/all.htm?bShowPage
Microsoft has recently released the newest version of what is now probably the most-used browser. While not a substantial upgrade, the new Explorer does load pages faster (according to Microsoft) and includes standard 56-bit encryption and several improvements to the searching, favorites, and history features. users can download IE 5.01 (Windows 95/98 only) at the above URL. [MD]
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In The News

Close Elections in Malaysia
Malaysia's Snap Election: Special Report -- BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_521000/521348.stm
Bernama
http://www.bernama.com/election/
Tenth Malaysian General Election Results -- The Star
http://polls.thestar.com.my/results/results.html
Malaysia News Views Elections '99
http://www.1388.com/news/mynewsviews/elections.shtml
Buzz City: Malaysian Election
http://www.buzzcity.com/Top/Special_Topics/Malaysian_Election/
"Malaysia begins counting ballots with Mahathir win likely" -- ASIANOW
http://www.cnn.com/ASIANOW/southeast/9911/29/malaysia.elex.01/index.html#r
"Key Facts on Election" -- Arawak Tribune
http://www.jaring.my/tribune/tribune/monday/news3.html
Number games: A common-sense guide to the elections -- freeMalaysia
http://www.freemalaysia.com/political/number_games.htm
malaysiakini
http://www.malaysiakini.com/
"Decision Day" -- The Star
http://thestar.com.my/online/newsreport.asp?file=/1999/11/29/nation/2901deci.asp&newspage=nation
"Development, security top priority of voters" -- New Straits Times
http://www.nstpi.com.my/nstpi/nst/site.nsf/(Articles)/00e97fc693a1b6f848256838000a9bf2?OpenDocument
Voters in Malaysia went to the polls on Monday in a bitter race, effectively a referendum on the eighteen-year rule of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Asia's longest-serving elected leader. While Mahathir is expected to win an unprecedented fifth five-year term, he is also facing a stronger and more vocal opposition. This opposition has formed a four-party Barisan Alternatif (Alternative Front) coalition, which includes the Islamic fundamentalist Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS). Galvanized by the Prime Minister's jailing of his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim, the "reformasi" movement presents the greatest challenge yet to Mahathir's sometimes heavy-handed rule. The voters will select representatives to both the federal parliament that chooses the prime minister and the legislative assemblies in eleven of thirteen states. Final results are expected early on Tuesday.

The always reliable BBC has placed a special report online, containing news and analysis, background, information on the Anwar trial, and related links. Bernama, Malaysia's National News Agency, offers an election special, with the latest results and news, state and candidate profiles, and other resources. The latest results can also be found at The Star. Malaysia News Views, an online news journal, features links to a large number of election stories as well as other election sites. Additional election specials can be found at Buzz City, ASIANOW, the Arawak Tribune, freeMalaysia, and malaysiakini. Additional pieces on the vote can be found at The Star and the New Straits Times.[MD]
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