The Scout Report for Science & Engineering - March 31, 1999


The Scout Report for Science & Engineering

March 31, 1999

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

The target audience of the new Scout Report for Science & Engineering is faculty, students, staff, and librarians in the life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering. Each biweekly issue offers a selective collection of Internet resources covering topics in the sciences, and related fields such as math and engineering, that have been chosen by librarians and content specialists in the given field of study.

The Scout Report for Science & Engineering is also provided via email once every two weeks. Subscription information is included at the bottom of each issue.

In This Issue

Research

Learning Resources

General Interest

Current Awareness

New Data

In The News


Research

National Oceanographic Data Center
http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/
NODC online data
http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/NODC-online.html
One of NOAA's three data centers, the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) is "the US repository and distribution facility for global ocean data." The NODC holds global data (available as databases via the NODC online data access page) "that describe the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the ocean water column from the sea surface to the sea floor." Global data are available in separate databases including global temperature and salinity profiles, water temperatures for coastal US, marine environmental buoy data, archives of sea level, and global ocean observation data, among others. Each database may be accessed separately and is accompanied with instructions for use and retrieval. In addition to providing data, the NODC homepage offers links to research laboratories, library and information services, information regarding data submissions, and NODC's Top Ten Questions about the Ocean. For researchers or serious students of oceanography, this is an outstanding resource. [LXP]
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New Journal of Physics [.pdf]
http://njp.org/
The Institute of Physics and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft has launched a new, fully electronic journal, New Journal of Physics. This is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research in all areas of physics. While the abstracts can be viewed in HTML format, the full-text articles are available in both HTML and .pdf formats. Scientists wishing to submit articles should be aware that there is a charge to publish in this journal; subscription to the journal is free, however. [SN]
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Geographic Information System Interactive Map Server [Java, .ps]
http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu
Cornell University's Institute for the Study of the Continents (INSTOC) has launched this interactive, data-rich Website to provide regional "maps showing major geographic features of a region, along with such information as the location of earthquake faults, a record of earthquake occurrences and technical data about the events." The Geoscience Interactive Database (Java applet with accompanying User Guide) enables users to interact dynamically with "large volumes of organized digital data sets, map and display any parts of selected data," and create unique maps for download (in postscript or JPEG formats). In addition to the database, INSTOC offers information about their current projects, highlighted at the Webpage, including Building the Digital Earth, Active Tectonics Studies in the Dead Sea Fault Zone, and The Saudi Arabia Seismology Project, among others. [LXP]
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SPRILIB Antarctica [JavaScript]
http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/lib/spriant.htm
The Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge has recently made available online the database, SPRILIB Antarctica. SPRILIB Antarctica, a subset of SPRILIB, a polar and glaciological bibliographic database, contains 33,000 records from 1602 to 1996. The database offers comprehensive coverage of Antarctic literature on all subjects in all available languages for the period before 1962. However, it only includes some periodical articles and conference papers for the period after 1962. This database is intended to complement the Antarctic Bibliography at the Cold Regions Bibliography page of the Library of Congress site, and for the period after 1962, the Antarctic Bibliography contains comprehensive coverage of Antarctic literature. The SPRILIB Antarctica database is searchable by keyword, author, time period, place, expedition, or date of publication. [SN]
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Spatial Patterns of New Zealand Bird Diversity
http://www.rem.sfu.ca/gis/Projects/Eh/Nzbirds/
Dr. Ed Harvey, Associate Professor in the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University (British Colombia), has put together this interesting Website on Spatial patterns of New Zealand bird diversity. Harvey provides presence/ absence grid maps for nearly 300 bird taxa on color satellite images of both the North and South Island in the site's searchable Atlas of bird species. In addition to the maps, the site offers lists of native and introduced species, including scientific and common names (from two sources). The summary graphics section provides color-enhanced images of distributions for native species richness (coastal, inland, and combined) outside of and including national parks. Images in this section also chart range size, richness of threatened species, and overlapping richness of introduced and native species. Biostatisticians and students of spatial statistics will appreciate the section on Geostatistical analysis. Here, Dr. Harvey presents latitudinal and longitudinal trends (simple graphics of mean and median diversity scores), median polish of bird diversity, semivariogram estimation of the spatial structure of bird diversity, and anisotropy of bird diversity. In addition to its broad-scale interest, this site is particularly instructive for students seeking examples of how spatial statistical techniques are being used in ecological studies. [LXP]
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Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab (CRREL)
http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil/
The mission of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab (CRREL), a facility of the US Army Corps of Engineers, is to "gain knowledge of the cold regions [32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius] through scientific and engineering research -- and put that knowledge to work for the Corps of Engineers, the Army, the Department of Defense, and the nation." Research of these cold regions is largely centered in the earth sciences including atmospheric and ocean sciences along with the basic physical sciences. Examples of research that CRREL has conducted for the National Science Foundation (NSF) or NSF-funded university partners in the Antarctic are Field Studies and Modeling of the Breakup of Antarctic Sea Ice, Theoretical Modeling of Seismic Noise Propagation at the South Pole, and Near-Surface Processes Affecting Gas Exchange: West Antarctic Ice Sheet, among others. Sections included at the site are About CRREL, Research & Engineering, Technical Information, Technology Transfer, and links to related sites. [SN]
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Learning Resources

Stream Biology
http://pweb.netcom.com/~cristi/index.htm
Cristi Cave, a 1998 Fisheries graduate of the University of Washington, has created this informative site on Stream Biology. Organized into seven sections, the site teaches visitors about Stream Inhabitants, Flow, Habitat, Food Webs, Stream Ecology, and Scientific Research, with links to related sites. Most sections include interactive options for further learning (Tell Me More), including a list of taxa present in streams and a diagram of footprints of common mammalian stream visitors. Appropriate for K-12 or beginning college students, the site offers simple illustrations in addition to text. [LXP]
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The Macrogalleria: a cyberwonderland of polymer fun [Chime, Shockwave]
http://www.psrc.usm.edu/macrog/index.html
The Department of Polymer Science at the University of Southern Mississippi provides the Macrogalleria: a cyberwonderland of polymer fun. At this site, the user has the opportunity to learn about polymers, "large molecule containing small molecules joined together chemically to form one giant macromolecule" and polymer science. Sections are divided into levels: Polymers are Everywhere, Polymers Up Close and Personal, How They Work, Makin' Polymers, and Getting Polymers to Talk. Each section provides a directory of polymers and clicking on the name of the polymer provides diagrams, images, and summaries of the each macromolecule. The site can be viewed in Afrikaans and French, and soon in Portuguese. This site is definitely worth a visit. [SN]
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Atlas of Tennessee Vascular Plants
http://www.bio.utk.edu/botany/herbarium/vascular/atlas.html
The Austin Peay State University Center for Field Biology and the University of Tennessee Herbarium have collaborated to produce the Atlas of Tennessee Vascular Plants. Species distribution maps are provided in alphabetical order (scientific name) for Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Monocots, and Dicots in the western, middle, and eastern parts of the state. Each map is color-coded by abundance, and highlights distribution across counties. Currently under construction, two additional sections will soon include a Database of Tennessee Vascular Plants and links to the Bryophyte Herbarium, among other features. [LXP]
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The Geometry of a Sphere
http://math.rice.edu:80/~pcmi/sphere/
John Polking of Rice University and the Park City Mathematics Institute makes available the Geometry of a Sphere Website. Sections included at the site are Basic Information about Spheres, Area on the Sphere, the Area of a Spherical Triangle: Girard's Theorem, Consequences of Girard's Theorem, a Proof of Euler's Formula, and Appendices. The site provides exercises in conjunction with diagrams and detailed summaries of discussed topics. This resource should be very useful to high school as well as undergraduate students. [SN]
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Illustrated list of the Crustacea, Decapoda and Stomatopoda of French Polynesia
http://www.ecole-navale.fr/www.loen/crust/crustacea_polynesia.html
A collaborative effort of LOEN (the Oceanographic Laboratory of the French Naval Academy, Brest) and the Museum of Natural History in Paris, the Illustrated list of the Crustacea, Decapoda and Stomatopoda of French Polynesia includes some 750 species, some of which are photo-illustrated. Offered in French and English, the site gives brief summaries of each group (prawns & shrimps, crabs, lobsters, hermit crabs, and mantis shrimps), a bibliography of "carcinological researches in French Polynesia," and a summary of recent updates to the species list. [LXP]
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General Interest

Terrestrial Impact Craters
http://spaceart.com/solar/eng/tercrate.htm
Database of Terrestrial Impact Structures [Frames]
http://gdcinfo.agg.emr.ca/toc.html?/crater/world_craters.html
Provided by Spaceart.com, Terrestrial Impact Craters offers a wealth of educational information (at the K-12 or early college level), accompanied by spectacular color images and a hyperlinked glossary of terms and definitions. Two sections, Introduction and Views of Terrestrial Impact Craters, introduce viewers to historical knowledge and scientific theories related to impact craters. Terrestrial Crater Impact Structures summarizes data on latitude, longitude, diameter (km), and Age (Ma) of more than 130 impact craters. The link titled Database of Terrestrial Impact Structures leads to Natural Resources Canada's interactive global database of impact structures, complete with photographs and summary information. For those interested in learning more about Impact Craters, this is a fine starting point. [LXP]
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Histories of Engineering
http://www.historiesofengineering.org/
A consortium of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers provides the Histories of Engineering Website. The goal of the site is to provide greater access to the historical documentation of engineering and technology. Major changes or accomplishments featured at the site include the changes in beverage containers, the Washington DC Metro Transit System, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Pioneers in the chemical, civil, and mechanical engineering fields are "urged to submit personal recollections, documents or pointers to collections of documents, and to comment on materials submitted by others." Although some parts of the site are under construction, it is still an excellent resource for learning about advances in engineering and technology since the 1960s. [SN]
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International Network of Forests and Communities
http://www.forestsandcommunities.org/
Formed at the International Workshop on Ecosystem Based Community Forestry held in British Colombia in October 1998, the International Network of Forests and Communities is a diverse collection of community and aboriginal leaders, foresters, practitioners, researchers, consultants, activists, non-governmental and governmental organizations, and others working towards ecologically sustainable community forestry. Specifically, the group functions as a Network "to create opportunities to develop concrete projects and common strategies for the development of policy advocacy and public education at the national and international levels." Simple and straightforward, the homepage (English or Spanish) includes a Saanich Statement of Principles on Forests and Communities (with an opportunity to endorse the statement, if so desired) as well as a searchable Directory of participating organizations. By clicking on a continental region (North America, Europe and Russia, Asia, Latin America, Australia and Oceania, or International (all)), the user navigates to a hyperlinked list of organizations; each organization is described, and its mission statement and contact information are included. New plans for the site include posting "Proceedings of the International Workshop on Ecosystem Based Community Forestry," and "Ecosystem-Based Community Forestry in the Pacific Rim: Backgrounder of Policy and Practice," among others. [LXP]
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PSC Meteorology Program Cloud Boutique [.mpg]
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/clouds.html
Plymouth State College (PSC) provides the PSC Meteorology Program Cloud Boutique Website to "provide explanations of and access to detailed pictures of some basic cloud forms." Spectacular images and brief descriptions of high clouds (cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus), middle clouds (altocumulus and altostratus), low clouds (cumulus, stratocumulus, stratus, and fog), multi-layer clouds (nimbostratus and cumulonimbus), and orographic clouds (lenticular and cap), among others are included. The site is an excellent general cloud reference. [SN]
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The Ceratopogonid Web Page
http://www2.gasou.edu/facstaff/hagan/cie.html
Dr. Daniel Hagan of the Institute of Anthropology & Parasitology (Georgia Southern University) maintains this Webpage on the Dipteran family Ceratopogonidae. Known to the layperson as "nuisance pests," the Ceratopogonidae include such favorites as biting midges, bloodsucking midges, and sand flies. The homepage offers a wealth of information organized into several extensive bibliographies, checklists, and catalogs; the biannual Ceratopogonidae Information Exchange (CIE) Newsletter; a Directory of Ceratopogonid Researchers; and a collection of WWW links. [LXP]
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Current Awareness
(For links to additional current awareness on tables of contents, abstracts, preprints, new books, data, conferences, etc., visit the Science & Engineering Current Awareness Metapage: http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/sci-engr/metapage/).

Scientist to Scientist
http://www.aaas.org/international/scientist.htm
As part of its mission to enhance collaboration between scientists and engineers from the US and other countries, the International Directorate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has placed the newsletter Scientist to Scientist online. Current and past issues of the newsletter (back to April 1992) report on funding opportunities and other programs (such as conferences, workshops, etc.) that "promote scientific cooperation in East Central Europe and the NIS." [LXP]

To subscribe, send an email message to:
    majordomo@aaas.org
In the body of the message type:
    subscribe scientist [your email address].
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Lunar data support idea that collision split Earth, Moon
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/text/lp_pr_19990316.txt
Lunar Prospector [Shockwave, RealPlayer, QuickTime, VRML, .mpg, .pdf]
http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/
Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/meetings/LPSC99/
Scientists at the 30th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference held March 15-19, 1999 in Houston, Texas, have presented support for the theory that the "bulk of the Moon was ripped away from the early Earth when an object the size of Mars collided with the Earth." Analysis of data collected from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Lunar Prospector spacecraft has supported this theory. The first site is a press release from NASA. The second site provides information on the Lunar Prospector Project. The third site covers the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. [SN]
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New Publications

EPA Publications in Spanish: Sala de Lecturas en Espanol
http://www.epa.gov/espanol/
The Environmental Protection Agency has made available numerous EPA publications in Spanish. Technical documents, databases, computer programs, and scientific or legislative reports are available in the Vida Profesional section. Vida Diaria provides information for the public on contaminants, health risks, air and water quality, and a host of related general topics. The Recursos en Ingles section contains important resources that have not yet been translated into Spanish. In addition to the reports, the site offers many links with accompanying, brief descriptions. [LXP]

Two new online publications from the Environmental Protection Agency -- EPA
Cadmium and Compounds [.pdf, .zip]
http://www.epa.gov/ncea/cadmium.htm
Air Quality Criteria for Carbon Monoxide [.pdf]
http://www.epa.gov/ncea/co/
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added two more online articles, Cadmium and Compounds, and Air Quality Criteria for Carbon Monoxide. Both abstracts are available in HTML format. The first article can be downloaded as five .pdf files or one .zip file, and the second article is available in .pdf format. [SN]

Organophosphate Use and Usage Information -- EPA [.pdf]
http://www.epa.gov/oppbead1/matrices/
The Environmental Protection Agency has recently posted this resource on organophosphate use on US certain crops (apples, brussel sprouts, oats and rye, peaches, pears, rice, sorghum, sugar cane, and tomatoes). Information is provided in a series of matrices (.pdf), crop by crop, which show "the amount of each organophosphate pesticide used, what critical pests it is used to combat, and where available, information about regional differences in use patterns." The Crop Matrix Menu and instructions for using the Crop Matrix make this resource more accessible. [LXP]

State Climate Change Impacts Information Sheets -- EPA [.pdf]
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/impacts/stateimp/index.html
The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Global Warming site (discussed in the February 21, 1997 Scout Report) has placed all 50 state-specific global warming sheets online in HTML and .pdf format. Browseable via a clickable map or alphabetically, the sheets summarize expected climate change in each state and explain the projected consequences on factors such as health, agriculture, water resources, ecosystems, forests, and coastal areas. Brief countrywide overviews of these factors are also available, as well as short discussions of climate change and fisheries, birds, and national parks. Additional resources include a bibliography, glossary, and internal search engine. [MD]

A Magneto-optical Trap Loaded from a Pyramidal Funnel [.pdf]
Elastic and inelastic collisions of cold spin-polarized 133 Cs atoms [.pdf]
Low Saturation Intensities in Two-Photon Ultracold Collisions [.pdf]
http://www-atoms.physics.wisc.edu/AT/Papers.html
The Department of Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides three new online publications. These three papers pertain to laser cooling and trapping of atoms and are available in .pdf format. [SN]

Assessment of species diversity in the Montane Cordillera Ecozone -- EMAN
http://www.cciw.ca/eman-temp/reports/publications/99_montane/
Proceedings of the Conference on Mercury in Eastern Canada & the Northeast States -- EMAN
http://www.cciw.ca/eman-temp/reports/publications/98_mercury2/
The Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN) (described in the February 4, 1998 Scout Report for Science & Engineering) has added several new publications to its Website. The first presents "results of a series of investigations of the status and dynamics of species diversity and biogeography for selected taxa belonging to some of the major phylogenetic groups in the Montane Cordillera Ecozone." The second is the proceedings for a 1998 conference that emphasized "mercury ecosystem science (land, air, water and biota); human health guidelines for methylmercury; and policy and pollution reduction strategies for mercury." [LXP]

CRS Reports
http://www.cnie.org/nle/crsnew.html
Forty-eight new Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports and thirty-one updated CRS reports have been posted at the National Library for the Environment site. The reports cover clean air issues, ocean dumping, Amtrack, global climate change, food safety, methane hydrates, the Northern Goshawk, freshwater mussels, and Mexican Spotted Owls, among other topics. [LXP]

Agriculture & Global Climate Change [.pdf]
http://www.pewclimate.org/projects/env_argiculture.html
The Pew Center for Climate Change has released the first in a series of environmental impact reports exploring "anticipated effects of climate change on US agriculture." The Foreword, Executive Summary, and comments are posted on-site, and the full report is available for download in .pdf format. [LXP]

Northern Hemisphere Temperatures During the Past Millennium: Inferences, Uncertainties, and Limitations [.pdf]
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/pubs/mann_99.html
FTP:
ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/contributions_by_author/mann1999/
The National Geophysical Data Center provides the paper "Northern Hemisphere Temperatures During the Past Millennium: Inferences, Uncertainties, and Limitations" online. The article suggests, at moderately high levels of confidence, that 1998 was the warmest year and the 1990s were the warmest decade. The abstract may be viewed in HTML format, and the full-text article is available in .pdf format. In addition, the abstract may also be downloaded via FTP. [SN]
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Jobs

Job Openings in Science and Technology from the Chronicle of Higher Education
http://chronicle.com/free/jobs/faculty/scitech/links.htm
Although the Chronicle of Higher Education charges a fee to access the current week's job listings, extensive postings for the previous week are freely available. [LXP]

Jobs Announcements: Atomic and Plasma Physics
http://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Jobs.html
The Plasma Laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science provides the Jobs Announcements: Atomic and Plasma Physics page. At the site, users will find academic job listings located throughout the world. [SN]

American Fisheries Society: Employment Opportunities
http://www.fisheries.org/employs.html
The oldest and largest professional society of fisheries scientists, American Fisheries Society (AFS), maintains an Employment Opportunities page, featuring the AFS Jobs Bulletin and direct Job Links. The AFS Jobs Bulletin lists dozens of current opportunities in the following categories: Permanent/ Long Term Technical Positions (BS-Level); Professional Positions (MS/ PhD Level); PhD Level Positions (mostly academic); Student Opportunities (grads); and Temporary Positions, Internships, and Short-Term Stuff. Job Links offers other job resources, in addition to highlighting new listings. [LXP]

Job Search for Engineers
http://www.interec.net/
The Job Search for Engineers Website is an excellent resource for engineering jobs. Professionals or students in the Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial, or Civil Engineering fields will find listings of open positions in academia and industry, in the Job Listings section. Sections provided at the site are Job Search, Job Listings, and Resume Database, among others. [SN]
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Funding

Four New Funding Opportunities from the National Science Foundation
Unidata Equipment Grants
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf9988/nsf9988.htm
The US Southern Ocean Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics Program (SO GLOBEC)
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf99100/nsf99100.htm
Long-Term Observations in the Arctic: Environmental Observatories Remote/ Autonomous Instruments Sample Repositories
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf99101/nsf99101.htm
Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) in Land/ Ocean Margin Ecosystems
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf9989/nsf9989.htm
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has made available four new funding opportunities. The first initiative, Unidata Equipment Grants, will fund universities to upgrade obsolete computer equipment, to enhance computer capabilities, and "to draw new institutions into the Unidata community." The full proposal submission deadline is May 24, 1999. The second initiative, US Southern Ocean Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics Program (SO GLOBEC), hopes to "elucidate shelf circulation processes and their effect on sea ice formation and krill distribution, and to examine the factors which govern krill survivorship and availability to higher trophic levels, including penguins, seals, and whales" in the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) region. The full proposal submission deadline is June 15, 1999. The third initiative, Long-Term Observations in the Arctic: Environmental Observatories Remote/ Autonomous Instruments Sample Repositories, seeks to enhance the "long-term environmental data" available in the Arctic. The full proposal submission deadline is June 25, 1999. The fourth initiative, Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) in Land/ Ocean Margin Ecosystems, seeks to expand research in the land and ocean-margin ecosystems (estuaries, coastal wetlands, and coastal reefs). The proposal submission deadline is July 1, 1999. [SN]

Biomedical Engineering
http://www.whitaker.org/grants/rganc.html
The Whitaker Foundation provides several competitive Biomedical Engineering Research Grants. These grants support investigators who "apply or develop substantive engineering methods and techniques in projects that address important medical problems." Application reviews are made four times a year. For the current funding cycle, three upcoming deadlines remain: April 1, 1999, August 1, 1999, and December 1, 1999. [SN]
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Conferences

Natural Waters & Water Technology: Chemical Speciation of Metals & Bioavailability
http://www.esf.org/euresco/LC99002A.HTM
The European Science Foundation (ESF) has announced that the European Research Conference on Natural Waters and Water Technology will be held in Lucca, Italy, October 15-20, 1999. The aim of the conference will be "to bring together experts in relevant fields to provide a state of knowledge account and discussion of chemical speciation and bioavailability." The conference is limited to 100 participants, and the ESF will accept applications through May 31, 1999. Grants may be available "for young scientists, in particular those from less favored regions of European Community countries, and for participants from Central and Eastern Europe." [LXP]

Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO)
http://www-illigal.ge.uiuc.edu/gecco/
The Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO) will be held July 13-17, 1999, in Orlando, Florida. This conference is a joint meeting of the Eighth International Conference on Genetic Algorithms (ICGA-99) and the Fourth Annual Genetic Programming Conference (GP-99). Research areas such as genetic algorithms, classifier systems, genetic programming, evolvable hardware, DNA and molecular computing, evolutionary strategies, evolutionary programming, artificial life, adaptive behavior, and agents, as well as real-world applications of these areas will be discussed at the meeting. The submission deadline for papers containing late-breaking developments in the genetic and evolutionary computation field is June 10, 1999. [SN]

1999 Joint International Meeting
http://www.electrochem.org/meetings/196/meet.html
The 1999 Joint International Meeting is a combination of the Electrochemical Society's (ECS) 196th Meeting and the 1999 Fall Meeting of the Electrosociety of Japan (ECSJ), which will be held October 17-22, 1999, in Honolulu, Hawaii. ECS as well as the Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP) sponsor this conference, which brings together oral presentations, poster sessions, exhibits, panel discussions, and tutorial sessions on electrochemical and solid-state science and technology. The abstract submission deadline is May 14, 1999. [SN]
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New Data

LIGAND Chemical Database for Enzyme Reactions
http://www.genome.ad.jp/dbget/ligand.html
Anonymous FTP
ftp://kegg.genome.ad.jp/pub/molecules/ligand
The Institute for Chemical Research at Kyoto University provides this frequently updated and well-documented database of enzyme reactions. With more than 9,300 entries, the LIGAND Chemical Database includes over 3,700 entries for enzymes (the Enzyme Reaction Database) and 5,600 entries for compounds (Chemical Compound Database). The database is searchable by keyword using DBGET (which supports numerous other databases and gene catalogs as well) and is accompanied by clear instructions. The LIGAND database, updated weekly, may be downloaded via anonymous FTP. [LXP]
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Standardization Amplitudes of Northern Hemisphere (NH) Teleconnection Patterns
ftp://ftp.ncep.noaa.gov/pub/cpc/wd52dg/data/indices/tele_index.nh
Northern Hemisphere Teleconnection Patterns
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/data/teledoc/telecontents.html
The Climate Prediction Center provides online data of Standardization Amplitudes of Northern Hemisphere (NH) Teleconnection Patterns. Teleconnection patterns "reflect large-scale changes in the atmospheric wave and jet stream patterns, and influence temperature, rainfall, storm tracks, and jet stream location/ intensity over vast areas." The first site contains teleconnection patterns data on a monthly basis from 1950 to present. The second site provides documentation for the teleconnection patterns. [SN]
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Regulatory Fish Encyclopedia (RFE)
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/rfe0.html
The Regulatory Fish Encyclopedia (RFE) was developed by the US Food and Drug Administration "to help federal, state, and local officials and purchasers of seafood identify species substitution and economic deception in the marketplace." As such, the RFE is a compilation of data in several formats (including photographic and imaging parameters, specific isoelectric focusing, DNA sequence patterns, protein patterns, and taxonomic authentication) "that assists with the accurate identification of fish species." Fish and other seafood types are listed by common, regional, market, scientific, and family names, and the site also provides images of some whole fish and market cuts. Additional detailed scientific and taxonomic information is available for some species, but researchers will find the site's varied techniques for identification most useful. [LXP]
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World Glacier Inventory
http://www-nsidc.colorado.edu/NSIDC/CATALOG/ENTRIES/G01130.html
FTP:
ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/Snow_Ice/Glaciers/Inventory/
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) provides the World Glacier Inventory data, which was collected by the World Glacier Monitoring Service. This inventory contains geographic location, area, length, orientation, elevation, and classification of morphological type and moraines of more than 67,000 glaciers throughout the world. The data may be downloaded via FTP or through form-based queries. [SN]
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In The News

Ten Years After: The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
1. Radio Byte: What have we learned? [RealPlayer]
http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/03/032499/032499asj_2302.asp
2. Prince William Sound: Paradise Lost? [Frames]
http://library.thinkquest.org/10867/
3. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Website
http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/
4. Survivors of the Exxon Valdez Spill
http://www.exxonvaldez.org/
5. Prince William Sound: An Ecosystem in Transition -- NOAA
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/bat/about.html
6. Exxon Corporation
http://www.exxon.com/exxoncorp/index2.html
7. Three Articles from The Seattle Times: Search Archives
http://archives.seattletimes.com/web/
What are the lessons of the Exxon Valdez_? (from _The Seattle Times)
http://archives.seattletimes.com/cgi-bin/texis.mummy/web/vortex/display?storyID=36f969edd&query=exxon+valdez+lessons
Attorneys general urge Exxon to pay up (by The Associated Press)
http://archives.seattletimes.com/cgi-bin/texis.mummy/web/vortex/display?storyID=36fc0cc31&query=exxon+attorneys+general
10 years after Valdez, oil and politics still mix (from The Seattle Times)
http://archives.seattletimes.com/cgi-bin/texis.mummy/web/vortex/display?storyID=36f8185a75&query=10+years+after+valdez
8. Super Profits Keep Oil in the Pipeline
http://arcticcircle.uconn.edu/ANWR/anwroilprofits.html
9. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: Fate and Effects in Alaskan Waters
http://www.fish.washington.edu/people/daa/exxon/index.html
10. EPA Oil Spill Program Homepage
http://www.epa.gov/oerrpage/oilspill/index.htm
Last week marked the tenth anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the worst oil disaster in US history. Eleven million gallons of crude oil spilled into Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground. Although immense clean-up efforts were undertaken and a decade of tidal action and natural weathering has taken place, oil still lingers in many intertidal ecosystems and some of it is still toxic. Meanwhile, dozens more oil tankers (including the recent New Carissa) have run aground, and the legal mechanisms for ensuring (and the steps for enacting) safety and clean-up of oil spills have been largely mired under political and economic agendas. In particular, although a federal jury awarded Alaskan fishers and Natives $5.3 billion in 1994, Exxon has refused to pay up. The eleven sites above provide information resources and commentary on the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Environmental News Network provides a brief radio summary (RealPlayer format) on the effects of the Exxon Valdez spill (1). For a general overview and background information on the oil spill and some of its lingering effects, see the ThinkQuest site Prince William Sound: Paradise Lost? (2); the selection of links is particularly worthwhile. Supported by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Website (3) "provides [some] information about the impact of the oil spill, the status of recovery of injured resources and services and information about ongoing restoration and research activities." The Survivors of the Exxon Valdez Spill Website (4), created by local Alaskans, gives an embittered look at some of the devastating impacts the spill has had on local communities and Native life. Of particular concern is the likelihood that a similar spill will occur again. Prince William Sound: An Ecosystem in Transition (5) is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Website, offering useful information on several important topics including What is recovery?, How Toxic is Oil?, What is Weathering?, and What About (Pink) Salmon?. Additionally, NOAA provides summaries on their recovery-related research projects. For a completely different view, see Exxon Corporation's Website (6), which paints a surprisingly rosy picture of the spill, gives a look at Exxon's soaring stock prices, and ironically, offers viewers a chance to participate in Tiger conservation efforts. For those less easily persuaded, The Seattle Times Search Archive contains several excellent editorials published on the decade anniversary of the Exxon Valdez spill (7). Articles may be searched by title or date. Of particular interest are "What are the lessons of the Exxon Valdez_?" by Edward Wenk Jr., "Attorneys general urge Exxon to pay up," by The Associated Press, and "10 years after Valdez, oil and politics still mix," by David Postman. Another article, "Super Profits Keep Oil in the Pipeline," (8) was published by the Alaska Conservation Foundation in 1993 but is still of interest, as it provides some calculations for the economic motivations behind oil. For a glimpse at some of the scientific research generated as a result of the _Exxon Valdez spill (9), see these abstracts (and links to related university programs) on the effects of oil spill on salmon, presented at a national symposium in April 1993. Finally, the Environmental Protection Agency (10) offers the EPA Oil Spill Program Homepage, covering the Exxon Valdez spill and providing information on a host of other spills and response actions. [LXP]
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