The Scout Report for Science & Engineering - November 12, 1997


The Scout Report for Science & Engineering

November 12, 1997

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
The Scout Report
* Research * Current Awareness
* Learning Resources * New Data
* General Interest * In the News

Research
KEGG: Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Release 4.0
http://www.genome.ad.jp/kegg/
Numerous genome sequencing projects for different organisms have produced catalogs of genes and related products. However, the functional application of this information is often not available or is not well organized. Led by Minour Kaneshia, the KEGG Project is an attempt to bridge the gap between the genes and their functional implications. This site contains a searchable database of computerized information pathways that consist of interacting genes or molecules. KEGG provides links for regulatory and metabolic pathways, molecular catalogs, and gene catalogs produced by the various genome projects. Students and professionals in genome research will find useful information at this growing site. [DF]
[Back to Contents]

Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society--JSTOR
http://www.jstor.org/journals/00029939.html
List of Participating Academic Institutions
http://www.jstor.org/about/charter.html
The full text of the Proceedings are available on line at the JSTOR site. The monthly journal covers research in pure and applied mathematics. Available issues are volumes 1-113, covering 1950-1991. Visitors can search or browse the journal for papers or short articles. Note: access to JSTOR contents is currently available only on a site licence basis to Academic institutions. A list of institutions with site licenses is available. [KH]
[Back to Contents]

National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) Metadata Clearinghouse Gateway--USGS
http://www.emtc.nbs.gov/http_data/meta_isite/nbiigateway.html
The US Geological Survey recently launched this new electronic clearinghouse for biological data, with the goal of helping researchers and educators locate repositories of biological data from the following sources: State and Federal government agencies, universities, museums, libraries, and private organizations. Users can access standardized descriptions of biological databases; each database includes information on how, when, where, and by whom the data were collected, contacts for more information, and access information. Searches are done using text, temporal, or spatial parameters. Users can consult a variety of help answers and how-to instructions. [DF]
[Back to Contents]

Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission Reports [Envoy pdf]
http://www.den.doi.gov/wwprac/reports/west.htm
The Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission (WWPRAC) was appointed by the President of the US in 1995 to study the allocation and use of water resources affected by Federal activities in the nineteen Western States. In order to study the water resources, the Commission performed two years of research, field investigations, public discussions, and case and special studies. The reports and findings were put on the web for public comment and review, with the final report due to Congress October 2, 1997. The reports are available for downloading in Envoy pdf (.evy) format (link provided) and include Water in the West Today: A States Perspective, Western Land Use Trends and Policy, and Patterns of Demographic, Economic, and Value Change in the Western United States. Six river basin case studies are available, including the Columbia, Truckee-Carson, and Upper Rio Grande river basins. The Draft Commission Report is also available. [KH]
[Back to Contents]

Supplies for Tree-ring Research
http://tree.ltrr.arizona.edu/~grissino/supplies.htm
Ultimate Tree Ring Webpage
http://tree.ltrr.arizona.edu/~grissino/henri.htm
On this definitive site for researchers in the field of dendrochronology, Henri Grission-Mayer of Valdosta State University, Georgia, has recently added a useful and practical list of tools for conducting field and laboratory research. In addition to a hypertext-linked list, the site includes helpful tips to help make the task of tree-ring dating easier. Back at the "Ultimate" webpage, users will find many interesting facts and beautiful images of ancient tree cross-sections, complete with question and answers. Examples of photos available include a New Mexican juniper dated to 256 B.C., a giant sequoia scarred from a fire in 1297 A.D., and images of tree-ring researchers at work. [DF]
[Back to Contents]

Internet for the Practicing Chemist--ACS COMP
http://www.ccl.net/ccl/acs-fall97/program.html.shtml
As part of the American Chemical Society National Meeting held in September, Jan K. Labanowski of the Computers in Chemistry (COMP) Division has compiled and provided the abstracts and slides for the session Internet for the Practicing Chemist. A total of sixteen presentations are available in HTML format. Presentations fall into three categories: Tutorial; Electronic Publishing and Indexing; and Education and Research on the Internet. Note: some of the slide presentations were converted from MS PowerPoint and may not retain the exact layout of the original presentation. [KH]
[Back to Contents]

Learning Resources
Report on Project Kaleidoscope, 1996-1997
http://www.pkal.org/pubs/97report/index.html
Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL)
http://www.pkal.org/
This report presents an overview of a National Science Foundation supported education project, started in 1989, which seeks to reform undergraduate teaching in science, math, engineering, and technology. PKAL contains a network of teachers and administrators in primary and higher education. The second and much larger parent site contains sections on the group's history, people, issues, publications, events, current news, and resources as well as a search engine. This group offers numerous workshops around the US for educators interested in improving their teaching skills. [DF]
[Back to Contents]

Two From the Learning Web--USGS
Volcanoes! [VRML, .pdf]
http://www.usgs.gov/education/learnweb/volcano/
Geologic Animations and Paper Models [Macintosh, HyperCard]
http://www.usgs.gov/education/animations/
These two additions to the Learning Web (discussed in the May 24, 1996 Scout Report) from the United States Geologic Survey (USGS), are excellent K-8 resources. Volcanoes! broadly introduces its topic using Mount St. Helens in Washington state as an example of volcanic activity and its consequences. Some great pictures, as well as a VRML model of the eruption of Mount St. Helens add a visual realness to the textual descriptions. The focal point of this site is the complete lesson plans and teaching activities suggested for grades 4-8. Six lessons (Adobe Acrobat [.pdf] format) cover topics such as an introduction to where and how volcanoes occur, how water combines with volcanic materials to cause floods and mudslides, and death and recovery after volcanoes. Each lesson plan includes background information, timed activities, master sheets for overheads, and student activity sheets. Geologic Animations contain HyperCard format text, animations, and paper models for fifteen topics including Karst Topography, sea floor spreading, and the effects of ice on a mountain valley. [KH,JS]
[Back to Contents]

The Whole Frog Project [MPEG, QuickTime]
http://george.lbl.gov/ITG.hm.pg.docs/Whole.Frog/Whole.Frog.html
William Johnston of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory provides this classic and effective site. Using the frog as a model organism, The Whole Frog Project explores the potential uses of visualization and 3D imaging to enhance instruction. The page employs technologies such as MRI, X-ray CT scanning, and direct generation from mathematical descriptions to provide a variety of views of frog anatomy. Users can read an introductory lecture on the Project, view a movie of a rotating transparent frog (MPEG or QuickTime), or see polychromatic frog slices. [DF]
[Back to Contents]

Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering Reading Room
http://www.pe.utexas.edu/Dept/Reading/petroleum.html
The Reading Room at the University of Texas at Austin provides a comprehensive collection of resources for the petroleum and geosystems engineering fields. The Publications site is an extensive collection of articles, books, publishers of material related to petroleum and geosystems engineering, and data. Collections is just what it says, a collection of WWW sites pertaining to petroleum and geosystems engineering. The Participatory page contains a large list of petroleum and geosystems engineering associations and societies. [KH]
[Back to Contents]

Bat Conservation International (BCI)
http://www.batcon.org/
Bat conservation is a relatively new field that has grown in part as a response to the widespread persecution of this gentle and highly beneficial animal. BCI is a conservation, education and research organization whose mission is to spread the gospel about bat facts and wonders. This well organized site does a superb job of dispelling bat myths and informing users about bat facts through the use of comprehensive information on bat biology. Much of the information is ideally suited for educators, general researchers, and would-be bat activists. Examples of information include: downloadable Windows wallpaper of bats, echolocation calls of bats on audio, information on how to keep bats out of your belfry, and numerous bat conservation programs, including many aimed at amateurs. The site also offers a searchable and browsable bibliography of over 6,000 items, from reprints, to books, to dissertations, and journal articles. [DF]
[Back to Contents]

The Geographer's Craft
http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/gcraft/contents.html
The Department of Geography at the University of Texas at Austin created this experimental course as an integrated approach to teach geographical techniques. The lecture and discussion notes and problems and exercises for the two semester course are available on the Internet for use by the public. Lecture topics include Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing, Cartographic Communication, and Legal Issues Relating to GIS. Digital Aerobics, Greytown, Nicaragua in 1854, and Environmental and Architectural Barriers are some of the problems that students study to increase their knowledge of geographic techniques (under Warm-up Exercises). The site also features links to related Internet resources and class projects from past semesters. [KH]
[Back to Contents]

General Interest
Characteristics of Doctoral Scientists and Engineers in the United States: 1995--NSF [Excel, .pdf]
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf97319/start.htm
This report presents data on the demographic and employment characteristics of US doctoral scientists and engineers based on the 1995 Survey of Doctorate Recipients. Examples of available information include citizenship, place of birth, field of degree, occupation, sector of employment, median salary, and various labor force rates. The bulk of the report is composed of 59 Excel spreadsheets. It is also available in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. [DF]
[Back to Contents]

Environmental Assessment Division--ANL [.pdf]
http://www.ead.anl.gov/
This site is designed to provide the public with information about the projects being carried out by EAD. A division of Argonne National Laboratory, the EAD assesses impacts to the environment and human health and safety resulting from human actions. Scientists and engineers make up the four groups of EAD: Risk Assessment and Safety Evaluation, Ecological and Natural Resource Systems, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, and Environmental Management and Policy. Descriptions of EAD projects, which are grouped into five programmatic areas, Risk Management, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Integrated Assessments and Policy Analysis, and Advanced Analysis Techniques, is available. Selected EAD publications are provided (Adobe Acrobat [.pdf] format). The four types of publications are EAD Project Fact Sheets, Short Articles, EAD Publications, and Other Publications related to EAD activities. A What's New section allows users to find out about new projects and publications from the EAD. [KH]
[Back to Contents]

On Being A Scientist: Responsible Conduct In Research--NAP
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/obas/
This booklet was published by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine in 1995 and remains an essential source for current information on many aspects of scientific conduct. It contains sections on the social foundations of science, values in science, conflicts of interest, publications and openness, authorship practices, misconduct in science, and an appendix with interesting discussions of case studies on the above topics. It was designed to be used in a variety of settings including classes on: research ethics, research methods, history, sociology, philosophy of science, and seminars on research practices, meetings to develop ethics guidelines, and journal clubs. [DF]
[Back to Contents]

CECnet Mailing List
Mailing List Archives
http://listserv.arizona.edu/lsv/www/cecnet.html
Commission on Environmental Cooperation
http://www.cec.org/
This new mailing list was established by a joint venture of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) and the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy. The goal of CECnet is to provide a forum for debate and information sharing on the issues of the objectives and the impact of the CEC. The mission of the CEC is to facilitate "cooperation and public participation to foster conservation, protection and enhancement of the North American environment for the benefit of present and future generations, in the context of increasing economic, trade and social links between Canada, Mexico and the United States." The list is open to anyone interested in the CEC or the environmental issues common to Canada, Mexico, and the US. Postings to the list may be made in English, French, or Spanish. Archives of the discussion and more information about CEC are available at the above URLs. [KH]

To subscribe send email to:
listserv@listserv.arizona.edu
In the body of the message type:
SUBSCRIBE CECNET your name
[Back to Contents]

The Raptor Center Tracks Swainson's Hawks by Satellite
http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/newwebdev/meeen/prairiepartners/migration.html
The Raptor Center
http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/
Part of the larger University of Minnesota Raptor Center site, this site features regularly updated location information on individual Hawks first captured on their breeding grounds in western Minnesota; they migrate to wintering grounds in central South America. Almost daily information is relayed from the birds to an Argos satellite, then to a receiving station in Maryland and finally to the Raptor Center. Users can follow 1996 individuals from St. Paul, MN to Caimanes, Bolivia. Three birds captured in 1997 are currently en route south and their progress can be tracked. The Raptor Center is an informational site about the Center that features the birds it has treated and environmental issues related to endangered birds. [DF]
[Back to Contents]

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/).

New Books
Baker & Taylor
http://www.baker-taylor.com/Academia/M11/UBBS.html
Baker & Taylor has announced new book releases for November. A listing of subjects is available at the above site. For URLs to specific subjects in science and engineering, see the Current Awareness Metapage of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering. [KH]

National Academy Press NewOnline
http://books.nap.edu/info/browse.htm
[Note: Resource(s)/URL(s) mentioned above is no longer available.]
National Academy Press New Books
http://books.nap.edu/index.html
These two sites will keep users abreast of the latest publications from the National Academy Press (NAP), the publishing arm of the National Academy of Science, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. Both the New Online and New Books sites provide annotated descriptions of recent publications. Users can then access the NAP homepage or the parent academies from the NAP homepage. NAP online books are available in various formats. [DF]
[Back to Contents]

Funding Opportunities
Research in Environmental Geochemistry and Biogeochemistry
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1997/nsf97172/nsf97172.htm
The US National Science Foundation is soliciting grant proposals for the interfaces of Geochemistry, Hydrology, Coastal Sciences, Atmospheric Sciences, Chemistry, Microbial and Molecular Biology, Colloid and Transport Engineering, and Mathematical Sciences. Research activities should study the "physical-chemical-biological behavior of chemical substances within one environment" or a "common chemical theme throughout a variety of environments." Further information about the types of research accepted, proposal guidelines, proposal review information, and eligibility requirements are available at the site. The deadline is January 7, 1998. [KH]

Experimental Systems Program Announcement
http://www.cise.nsf.gov/mips/ESPA_98-5.html
The National Science Foundation's Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering (CISE) Directorate Experimental Systems Program consists of two separate programs: CISE Advanced Resources for Experiments (CARE); and Research Proposals. Proposals included for the CARE program should focus on experimental research projects and education. Funding from the second program, Research Proposals, will support the "design, construction, test, and evaluation of new information processing systems" and should advance the understanding of information systems architecture. Proposals for CARE are due January 15, 1998. Research proposals for information processing projects do not have a due date. Information on proposal preparation and evaluation, award administration and conditions is available at the site. [KH]
[Back to Contents]

Agricultural Conferences, Meetings, Seminars, Calendars (AgCAL)
http://www.agnic.org/mtg/
The Agricultural Network Information Center, provided by the US National Agricultural Library, provides this handy clearinghouse for agricultural conferences, emphasizing those of a scientific nature. Connections to hundreds of conferences, chronologically organized, are available. The site is searchable, and also contains links to over 100 other agricultural conference sites in sixteen subject areas. [JS]
[Back to Contents]

Correction: ScienceNow
The Scout Report for Science & Engineering for October 29, 1997 reported that ScienceNOW, provided by Science Online, would be available free of charge for one year. The site will begin charging a fee for use as of November 14, 1997. We apologize for the error. [JS]
[Back to Contents]

New Data
Magnetic Carpet Space Science Update Page [QuickTime]
http://umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/ssu/magnetic_carpet.html
SOHO Solar Oscillations Investigation News Release [QuickTime]
http://soi.stanford.edu/press/ssu11-97/
SOHO Homepage
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/
These three sites provide information on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, a mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Recent images taken by instruments aboard the SOHO spacecraft show a transfer of magnetic energy from the Sun's surface to the Sun's corona. This transfer of energy, referred to as a magnetic carpet, may solve the 55 year old question of why the corona is three million degrees while the surface is a mere 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The Magnetic Carpet Space Science Update Page contains the NASA press release, MDI, Eclipse, EIT still images, and QuickTime movies showing the magnetic carpet. The SOHO Solar Oscillations Investigation site is maintained by the Solar Oscillations Investigations group at Lockheed-Martin Solar and Astrophysic Laboratory and Stanford University. The site contains links to the full text of the press release from November 5, 1997 by the Goddard Space Flight Center which controls the SOHO spacecraft. The site also contains the movies (QuickTime format) and still images found on the Magnetic carpet page but offers an explanation of the images and the movies. The site includes background information, authors and contacts for further information on SOHO and the magnetic carpet. The SOHO homepage offers a wealth of information about the SOHO mission and spacecraft. The Latest Images shows the daily solar images from the SOHO instruments. Included in the SOHO archive are catalogues; ancillary, summary, and synoptic data; and telemetry. Information is also available about the mission of the SOHO project, instruments used, and institutions involved in the project. [KH]
[Back to Contents]

Orthoptera Species File Online
http://viceroy.eeb.uconn.edu/Orthoptera
This is a new searchable database (registration required) of the Orthoptera of the world including all genera and species of Tettigonioidea, Grylloidea, Tridactyloidea, and Tetrigoidea. The two remaining major groups, Gryllacridoidea and Acridomorpha, will be available sometime in the early 1998. The database was compiled by Daniel Otte (Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia), and Piotr Naskrecki (University of Connecticut), and is supported by the National Science Foundation. The format of the database resembles a traditional taxonomic cataloge in that each record contains all taxonomic information, synonymy (with references), type locality, and type depository. In addition, the Tettigonioidea database includes over 3,100 images, mostly of the actual type specimens. Also included, are sound recordings for many species. [DF]
[Back to Contents]

Galileo Update--Io Volcanoes
Volcano Press Release
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/status971105.html
Io Fact Sheet
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/io/
The National Aeronautics Space Administration's (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has released images from the Galileo spacecraft showing volcanic activity on Jupiter's moon, Io. The images were acquired five months apart, April and September 1997. The press release and images are available on the Io Fact Sheet maintained by the JPL. Previous press releases and additional images and animations of Io are also provided. Animations are available in three formats, MPEG, QuickTime, and AVI. A short summary of Io and its statistics is also provided in addition to an account of the discovery of the Galilean satellites. [KH]
[Back to Contents]

In the News
Recent Progress in the Study of Aging in Animals and Humans
(1) Aging Gene Found in Mice
http://www.apnet.com/inscight/11051997/grapha.htm
(2) Two New Studies Suggest That Caloric Restriction in Monkeys May Extend Their Life and Health
http://www.nih.gov:80/nia/new/press/twonews.htm
(3) Altered Genes, Altered metabolism - Longer Life?
http://www.nih.gov:80/nia/new/press/altgene.htm
(4) New Study Finds Substance That Helps Working Memory Work Better
http://www.nih.gov:80/nia/new/press/physosti.htm
(5) National Institute on Aging (NIA)
http://www.nih.gov/nia/
(6) National Institutes of Health (NIH) Biology of Aging Program (BAP)
http://www.nih.gov/nia/bap/bap.htm
(7) In Search of the Secrets of Aging--NIH
http://www.nih.gov/health/chip/nia/aging/
(8) Biology of Aging
http://www.biomed.man.ac.uk/ns/id/bs374/bs374.html
(9) Aging Research and Education Programs--DHSS
http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/aoa/webres/academic.htm
This week's In the News covers recent advances in research related to aging in humans and other animals. These nine sites provide information about various aspects of this topic. Working with a variety of taxa from mice to monkeys, scientists interested in the causes of aging have recently made significant advances in scientists' understanding of the aging process. Researchers have long realized that aging and the pathologies associated with it have evolutionary, physiological and genetic causes, although the relative influence of each of these has been debated. By testing hypotheses in diverse fields, and with a variety of species (from short-lived to long-lived), researchers are growing closer to building an understanding of the mechanisms underlying the aging process.

(1) As reported in the Nov. 6, 1997 issue of Nature, InSight, provided by Academic Press and Science Magazine, summarizes the findings of Dr. Makoto Kuro-o, of the National Institute of Neuroscience in Tokyo. Dr. Kuro-o found what appears to be a gene which acts as a sort of genetic warranty in mice. (2) Dr. Roy Verdery of the Arizona Center on Aging recently announced results of a study in which captive monkeys that had a 30 percent reduction in calories had elevated levels of good cholesterol and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. (3) Studying a tiny worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, scientists discovered that a gene which regulates glucose (sugar) metabolism may also enhance longevity. The principle investigator, Dr. David Finkelstein, says, "this finding suggests that altering glucose metabolism could be a key to slowing aging in higher organisms, even perhaps in humans." (4) Dr. Maura Furey and her colleagues have found that the drug physostigmine apparently aids and improves performance of everyday working memory. Working memory is the process which temporarily holds information such as a phone number until a person is able to dial the number. (5, 6) These National Institutes of Health sites provide the definitive US Government sites supporting aging-related research and information exchange. (7) The National Institutes of Health provide this booklet that answers basic questions such as the difference between life span and life expectancy, and the role of genetics and the immune system in the aging process. (8) Ioan Davies of the University of Manchester, UK, has made this Biology of Aging course outline and syllabus available to Internet users. The site contains a timetable, lecture notes, and a list of course readings. (9) This US Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging site contains academic and research sites related to aging. Sites can be searched or browsed by state or country. [DF]
[Back to Contents]


Subscription and Contact Information

To subscribe to the Scout Report for Science & Engineering, send email to:
listserv@cs.wisc.edu
In the body of the message type:
subscribe SRSCIENG

For subscription options, send email to:
listserv@cs.wisc.edu
In the body of the message type:
query SRSCIENG

Internet Scout team member information:
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/addserv/team.html

The Scout Report for Science & Engineering
Brought to You by the Internet Scout Project

The Scout Report for Science & Engineering is published every other Wednesday by the Internet Scout Project, located in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Computer Sciences.

Susan Calcari
Jack Solock
David Flaspohler
Kathryn Harris
Jeannine Ramsey
--
--
--
--
--
Managing Editor
Editor
Assistant Editor
Assistant Editor
Production Editor

Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-1998. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering provided the copyright notice and this paragraph is preserved on all copies. The Internet Scout Project provides information about the Internet to the US research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material.

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.


Internet Scout
A Publication of the Internet Scout Project

Comments, Suggestions, Feedback
Use our feedback form or send email to scout@cs.wisc.edu.

© 1999 Internet Scout Project
Information on reproducing any publication is available on our copyright page.