The Scout Report - March 9, 2001

March 9, 2001

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 Reports for Social Sciences & Humanities and Business & Economics
Scout Report for Social Sciences & Humanities
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/socsci/2001/ss-010306.html
Scout Report for Business & Economics
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/bus-econ/2001/be-010308.html
The thirteenth issues of the fourth volumes of the Scout Reports for Social Sciences & Humanities and Business & Economics are available. The In the News section of the Social Sciences & Humanities Report annotates seven resources on the inquiry into the collision of the USS Greeneville with the Ehime Maru. The Business & Economics Report's In the News section offers nine resources on the recent vote to overturn rules issued in the waning days of the Clinton administration requiring employers to ergonomically redesign workplaces and compensate employees for work-related repetitive-motion injuries.
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Research and Education

SONIC - Sound ONline Inventory and Catalog
http://www.loc.gov/rr/record/
The Library of Congress has recently released an online catalog that allows access to the records of the largest publicly available audio collection in the world. SONIC contains approximately 350,000 entries, representing over 25 percent of the Library's sound recording holdings. SONIC offers information to the public for the first time about a number of collections. These include over 100,000 45 rpm discs, 82,000 78 rpm discs, 68,000 NBC records from the 1930s-60s, 1,500 WWII Marine Corps combat recordings, and 2,000 "Meet the Press" broadcasts, among others. Visitors may search the catalog by keyword, title, name, or subject. Also available are several special "search screens" for specific searches, such as radio broadcasts, music only, or spoken word only. Audio samples are not provided online; instead the site lists standard catalog information, such as title, publication status, medium, work(s), genre, and a brief phyical description. The site includes a guide to using the collections and two finding aids. [MD]
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History Matters Update [RealPlayer]
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/
A joint project of the City University of New York's American Social History Project/ Center for Media and Learning and George Mason University's Center for History and New Media, this feature-rich site has recently announced a major expansion (see the original review in the September 22, 1998 Scout Report for Social Sciences). As before, History Matters is an excellent resource for high school and university history teachers, now offering hundreds of primary documents and audio clips, an impressive annotated webliography, sample Web-based assignments, and a useful reference section which links to resources on standards, citing and evaluating Websites, and understanding copyright and fair use laws. Additional sections include guides for analyzing primary sources, annotated syllabi, sample student projects, and teaching tips and strategies. The site may be browsed by section or searched by keyword or advanced options. Any instructor in US history or social studies will want to bookmark this site. [MD]
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Two from Biz/Ed
Virtual Developing Country - Biz/ed [.xls, .csv]
http://bized.ac.uk/virtual/dc/
Internet Catalogue
http://catalogue.bized.ac.uk/
Biz/ed recently unveiled two new resources. The first, Virtual Developing Country, introduces users to "many of the issues and ideas that are of interest in the field of development economics" by offering a virtual tour of the African country Zambia. On the field trip, users make stops to visit places and meet people that help illustrate economic and development theory. Five field trips are offered: The Rural Life and Agriculture Tour, The Copper Tour, The Trade Tour, The Aid Tour, and The Wildlife Tour. Throughout the tours, users are introduced to the people, places, and sites of Zambia, along with the economic issues related to each tour. Each stop is accompanied by key data and economic theory, photographs, worksheets, and a glossary. The teacher's guide gives a detailed description of the program and offers advice on how to effectively use it in the classroom. This interactive site is an outstanding example of the innovative ways the Web can be used as a teaching tool. The second new site is a directory of over 2,200 (unannotated) sites of interest to "students, researchers and practitioners in the areas of business, management and economics." Users may browse the directory by category and topic and list the sites alphabetically or by resource type. A keyword search engine and a list of the latest additions are also provided. [EM][MD]
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Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10027.html
Press Release:
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309072808?OpenDocument
Public Briefing:
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/(ByDocID)/8F0BA35F1349B0C585256A020057C934?OpenDocument
Released Friday, this headline-making report from the Institute of Medicine, concludes that the nation's health care industry has failed to provide "safe, high-quality care consistently to all Americans." Offering a comprehensive assessment, the report criticizes the inability of current institutional structures to effectively treat those with "even common chronic conditions" because of the lack of coordination among different health care providers and the system's "tangled, highly fragmented web that often wastes resources by providing unnecessary services and duplicating efforts." The report recommends a complete overhaul of the current institutional structures, suggesting, among other things, that Congress allocate funds to begin to develop a nationwide technological solution to the problems of the disparate and often unreadable patient records that contribute to the current muddle. In addition, the report recommends that the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality "identify 15 or more common health conditions, most of them chronic" and assist health care professionals, hospitals, health plans, and purchasers in developing concrete strategies to improve care for these priority conditions over a five-year period. Much more is contained in the report, which was compiled by the same committee that published To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health Care System in late 1999 -- a report outlining the prevalence and consequences of medical error in the health care system. As with all publications of the National Academy of Sciences, the entire report may be read, but not downloaded, online. Print copies may be purchased on-site. [DC]
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JOMA - Journal of Online Mathematics and its Applications
http://www.joma.org/
Published by the Mathematical Association of America, this new online journal aims to advance the mathematical sciences, especially at the college level, by promoting effective teaching, fostering scholarship, and "making modern tools, curricula, and active learning environments more accessible to students and teachers everywhere." Offerings in the inaugural issue include the first in a regular series of reviews of small Java applets for math (Mathlets), reviews of other online math projects, and an exploration of exponential functions and their derivatives. Beginning with the next issue, JOMA will also feature a regular section on reviewed, class-tested, modular, online learning materials. [MD]
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The Economic Impact of US Sanctions with Respect to Cuba -- US International Trade Commission [.pdf, 390 pages]
ftp://ftp.usitc.gov/pub/reports/studies/pub3398.PDF
In response to a request last spring by the House of Representatives, the US International Trade Commission issued its report late last month on the economic impact of US sanctions towards Cuba. The comprehensive report presents an overview of US sanctions on Cuba; a description of the Cuban economy and its trade and investment trends; an analysis of the "historical impact of US sanctions on both the US and Cuban economies"; and an evaluation of the current impact of US sanctions on US - Cuba bilateral trade, investment, employment, and consumers. The report makes no recommendations concerning US policy towards Cuba and explicitly avoids anticipating any change in the current sanctions regime. [DC]
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History of the Federal Electoral Ridings since 1867
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E
This new site from the Canada's Library of Parliament is an excellent resource for students and scholars of Canadian political history. Using the site, visitors can access information on all of the federal election candidates since Confederation in 1867. Visitors can search by riding (constituency), name of a candidate, political party, general election, and by-election, or conduct a full-text search on the description of a riding. Clicking on the name of a riding calls up its complete history. [MD]
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Museums and the Web 2001: Speakers' Papers
http://www.archimuse.com/mw2001/speakers/
Museums and the Web 2001 Homepage
http://www.archimuse.com/mw2001/
Past Conference Papers
http://www.archimuse.com/conferences/mw.html
Now in its fifth year, Museums and the Web 2001 will be held March 14-17 in Seattle, where international attendees will discuss and explore a number of themes related to exhibits and programming on the Web. Those unable to attend the conference can still benefit from the 60+ presentations and demonstration papers now available on the Web. Some describe individual projects, while others answer how-to questions for museums just venturing into the digital realm. Examples of paper topics include "Bringing the Curatorial Process to the Web," "Design and Analysis of Virtual Museums," and "Evaluating the Usability of a Museum Web Site." Abstracts are available for those papers that are not available online in full-text. Papers and abstracts from the previous four conferences are also available at the above URL. [MD]
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Visible Earth - NASA [Quicktime, .mpg, .tiff, .tar]
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/
NASA's Visible Earth site is a solid and easy-to-use collection of images and animations of our planet. At present, the database holds 1,610 records and may be searched by keyword or advanced search options or browsed by category and topic. Initial returns include a large thumbnail which links to a several-paragraph description and the full-size images or animations. A nice resource for both teachers and interested general users. [MD]
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General Interest

World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/index.htm
The third UN conference on racism, to be held in Durban, South Africa this summer, has the potential to be one of the most fractious and penetrating meetings ever held by the organization. While previous UN meetings on racism focused primarily on foreign policy, this one is expected to address a much wider canvas of potentially divisive issues, including the treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers, the caste system in India, contemporary slavery in Africa, Europeans' treatment of Roma people, and racial discrimination in Latin America. Still six months away, the agenda for the meeting is already being hotly debated, and a large collection of related materials has been placed online at the official Website. Online resources include resolutions, reports, statements, draft reports, and press releases. At the site, users will also find a program of events which links to related documents and general information about the conference. More content will almost certainly be added as the date of the conference draws near. [MD]
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Two from Amnesty International Campaign Against Torture [.pdf]
"Broken bodies, shattered minds Torture and ill-treatment of women"
http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/index/ACT400012001
"Stopping the Torture Trade"
http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/index/ACT400022001
Amnesty International Campaign Against Torture
http://www.stoptorture.org/
These new reports from Amnesty International have been issued as part of the organization's larger campaign against torture launched in October. The first reports on the torture and ill-treatment of women by agents of the state, armed groups, and family members. The report claims that, far from taking action to prevent this violence, governments around the world have abandoned their responsibilities and neglected to take effective measures. The second report examines the ballooning international trade in both traditional tools of torture (e.g., leg irons and shackles) as well as newer electro-shock devices and other "non-lethal" weapons. The report reveals how torturers have been trained through the transfer of military and security training and makes a number of recommendations to governments and corporations on methods they can pursue to eradicate torture. Users may download both reports by chapter or in their entirety in .pdf format. [MD]
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The Student Guide 2001-02 [.pdf]
http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide/2001-2/index.html
The US Department of Education has placed online the 2001-2002 edition of its comprehensive Student Guide for Financial Aid. The three major aid programs of the Department, Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, and PLUS Loans, account for a full 70 percent of all student financial aid disbursed in the US. Available in both HTML and .pdf formats, this guide is a useful resource for information about these programs and how to apply for them. Users can also browse for a select topic using a pull-down menu in the top right-hand side of the page. A short list of important phone numbers and Websites is provided. [MD]
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Handbook of Forensic Sciences -- FBI
http://www.fbi.gov/programs/lab/handbook/intro.htm
Curious about the procedures used in documenting a crime scene and gathering evidence? Look no further than the official handbook of the FBI Laboratory, "one of the largest and most comprehensive forensic laboratories in the world." The full text of the handbook may be read online in HTML format, divided by chapter. Topics discussed include guidelines for conducting a crime scene search, crime scene safety, guidelines for various types of evidence, and how to pack and ship evidence, among others. Also included at the site are links to the full text of the journal, Forensic Science Communications and to the official sites of the FBI Lab and Library. [MD]
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Epact: Scientific Instruments of Medieval and Renaissance Europe
http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/epact/
Brought to you by a group of four Italian, Dutch, and British museums, Epact (stands for European pact) is a digital catalog of over 500 scientific and technical instruments made before 1600. Start from the handlist, a simple list of all the items in the collection, and proceed to catalog entries with pictures and two levels of text -- overview and detailed. There are also articles explaining the operation of classes of instruments, such as armillary spheres, astrolabes, the nautical hemisphere, compasses, and sundials. The search feature accommodates both experienced and novice users, since it provides a keyword box, and also instrument and maker names in drop down menus. [DS]
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Mother Jones 400
http://www.motherjones.com/web_exclusives/special_reports/mojo_400/
Using data from the Federal Election Commission which was compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) (see the July 10, 1999 Scout Report), Mother Jones has put together an eye-opening Website which reveals the nation's top 400 financial political contributors and what they may be expecting for their contributions. Users may browse the list of contributors by industry or individual donor rank or search by donor, state, industry, party, or recipient. The rankings include donor name, amount given and to whom, their rank in 1998, and their industry. This information is interesting and useful, but it is also available elsewhere. The real value of the Mother Jones 400 lies in its profiles of the donors and the industry summaries, which are an excellent resource for learning about the various individuals, not always well known, who influence government policy and legislation with their donations and personal relationships with our representatives. [MD]
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National Portrait Gallery -- A Brush With History
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/brush/index1.htm
The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery is closed until 2004 for renovation, but you can still view 76 portraits of prominent Americans and accompanying biographies at this Website. The paintings are arranged in date order, from the 1720s to the 1990s. Subjects are widely varied, from William Wirt, a prosecution attorney at Aaron Burr's trial for treason, painted wearing a Roman toga by Cephas Thompson in 1810, to Andy Warhol's 1984 silkscreened portrait of Michael Jackson. In between are examples such as painter Alice Neel's self portrait, alongside her portrait of composer Virgil Thompson; Benjamin Franklin portrayed by Joseph Siffred Duplessis; and works by prominent eighteenth-century American artists, such as Charles Willson Peale and his son Rembrandt, John Singleton Coply, and Gilbert Stuart. [DS]
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Picturing the Century: One Hundred Years of Photography from the National Archives
http://www.nara.gov/exhall/picturing_the_century/home.html
Based on an exhibition of photographs at the National Archives that runs through July of this year, Picturing the Century is an appealing online exhibit of historically significant photographs from both well-known and amateur photographers. The gallery features 70 photographs under the headings A New Century, The Great War and the New Era, The Great Depression and the New Deal, A World in Flames (World War II), Postwar America, and Century's End. Many of the images here are affectingly representative of their times, including the first Wright brothers flight at Kitty Hawk, immigrants arriving at Ellis Island, Lyndon Johnson meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., flower children placing daisies into the rifles of US soldiers, and Nixon's post-resignation departure from the White House. A portfolio section contains another several dozen images taken from the works of Walter Lubken, Lewis Hine, George Ackerman, Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, Charles Fenno Jacobs, and Danny Lyon. The photographs are offered in expandable thumbnails with context and photographer information (if known) provided. Best of all, the images are available for immediate printout. [DC]
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Network Tools

Spam Mimic
http://www.spammimic.com/
Here is a neat tool for the paranoid or clandestine-minded user. While there are several quality encryption tools available, encrypted email is easily recognized as such. This tool encodes your message as innocent-appearing spam, which many believe the government-run Echelon and Carnivore email reading systems ignore. At present, the site is more of a diversion than an every day tool, as users can only encode and decode short messages through the interface at the site. Still, it's pretty nifty, and a plug-in may be developed in the future. [MD]
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iMesh 2.01 Beta [Windows 95/98/NT/2000]
http://www.imesh.com/index.cfm
iMesh is a file-sharing program, like Gnutella, that allows users to locate and download audio, image, and video files from the computers of other iMesh users. Searches can be conducted using iMesh or through the iMesh Website. The latest version includes several useful features, such as simultaneous downloads, the option to select which files you want to share and control which files your computer can download, and the ability to save partially downloaded files in the event of a broken connection. Users can download iMesh for free via a link (to CNet) at the official site. [MD]
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Beatnik Player 2.1
http://www.beatnik.com/software/player.html
The latest version of this free interactive music plug-in from Headspace (originally reviewed in the April 18, 1997 Scout Report) features a new interface, support for additional platforms (including Netscape 6.0), a new version of Music Object 3.3 for developers, and enhanced compatibility with other audio plug-ins. Beatnik supports RMF (Rich Music Format), MIDI, MOD, AIFF, WAV, MP3, and AU. Both Windows and Mac versions are available. [MD]
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In The News

New Multiracial Categories make Significant Impact in Initial Census 2000 Results
Census 2000
http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/2khome.htm
"Hispanics and Asians Fuel New Jersey's Population Growth" - New York Times [RealPlayer]
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/09/nyregion/09JERS.html
"Hispanics now equal blacks in population" - Miami Herald
http://www.miami.com/herald/content/news/national/digdocs/101326.htm
"Latino, Asian Populations Rise Sharply" -_Los Angeles Times_
http://www.latimes.com/print/20010309/t000020776.html
"Census Finds Diversity Spreading to Suburbs" -_Washington Post_
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42542-2001Mar8.html
"US Hispanic Population Grows by 58%" - Chicago Tribune
http://chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-0103080267,FF.html
"Census: Hispanic population rose 58 pct. in decade" - Philadelphia Inquirer
http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/03/08/national/CENSUS08.htm
"Latinos outgrowing black Americans" - Guardian
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,448363,00.html
Yesterday the Census Bureau released the first official figures from the 2000 census. Figures for New Jersey, Mississippi, Virginia and Wisconsin were released to demonstrate the impact of allowing respondents to indicate more than one race on their census forms (there were 63 race options). The largest gains were among Asian and Hispanic Americans, with Hispanic populations in the latter three states growing over 100% since 1990 and close to 62% in New Jersey. The new multiracial categories account for some of this increase, but they will also make the work of demographers much more difficult. For instance, it is likely that across the country the Hispanic population surpassed that of African Americans. This may depend, however, on whether or not demographers include those who selected other races in addition to Hispanic or African American in the totals. Data for several more states is due for release today, and all states must receive their data by April 1. This data will be used for the all-important and often contentious redrawing of political district boundaries as well as in divying up the over $185 billion transferred every year from the federal government to states and local communities.

Readers may begin with the official Census 2000 site, which offers background information, data, news releases, a FAQ, and more. The New York Times's report on the returns for New Jersey also links to several related articles and offers a number of visual aids (free registration required). Additional reports are available from the Miami Herald,Los Angleles Times,Washington Post,Chicago Tribune, and Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Guardian.[MD]
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From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/

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Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-2001. The Internet Scout Project (http://scout.cs.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.

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The Scout Report (ISSN 1092-3861) is published weekly by Internet Scout
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