The Scout Report - January 22, 1999

Scout Report for Science & Engineering and KIDS Report
Scout Report for Science & Engineering
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/sci-engr/1999/se-990120.html
KIDS Report
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/KIDS/archive/KIDS-990119.html
Volume 2, Number 9 of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering is available. The In the News section annotates seven resources on the recent creation of a nano-robotic prototype from synthetic DNA. The January 19 issue of the KIDS Report, written by and for K-12 students, comes to us from Sabish Junior High in the Fond du Lac (WI) school district. This issue features Internet resources on space exploration. [MD]
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California Digital Library
http://www.cdlib.org/
On January 20th, the California Digital Library (CDL) opened its "digital doors" through which users can access the online library catalogs of the University of California system, as well as an array of digital resources such as indexes and databases, electronic journals and texts, archival finding aids, and digitized photographs and images. The CDL is intended primarily for University of California users, but many resources are freely available to any who enter. Users who access the site from another large university may have an easier time, since their campus might also be a participant in various electronic journal licensing agreements, such as MUSE and JSTOR. For example, browsing by arts & humanities as subject and electronic journals as format retrieved a list of 35 journals, many available in full-text, with a warning that if a user cannot access the text, his or her campus may not subscribe to the journal. CDL also provides access to the Online Archive of California, a searchable online union database of finding aids for archival collections from archives and special collections departments in over two dozen California institutions such as Stanford, the California Historical Society, and the California State library. Many of the finding aids in the Online Archive of California link to images and texts. [DS]
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ZERI: Zero Emissions Research Initiative
http://zeri.org/
Sponsored by the Zero Emissions Research Foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland, ZERI seeks to support industry's transformation to zero emission operations. ZERI advocates either full use of inputs in an industry's own final product or conversion of the inputs for use by other industries or processes. At the site, the user can get information about the fourth Annual World ZERI Congress, read research articles and reports, or learn about ZERI's Worldwide Projects. The site also provides access to other ZERI sites in Brazil, Mexico, Namibia, Japan, and Germany. [SN]
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@Brint
http://www.brint.com/
Brint Institute, an information management firm, offers this large collection of free resources for business, technology, and knowledge management. Business students, intellectual capital researchers, and information professionals will find an almost staggering amount of potentially useful information. The heart of the site is the resources section, which contains thousands of full-text articles, white papers, interviews, forums, commentary and analysis pieces, information and business news updates, and links to hundreds of related full-text, online journals. Although most of the texts are off-site, Brint offers a very valuable service in sifting through the information tidal wave to find only the most useful and relevant resources (for sites offering a similar service in Arts and Letters and Science and Technology see the January 8, 1998 Scout Report). Other offerings at the site include a monthly magazine, an events calendar, book announcements and calls for papers, and job listings. Users are encouraged to join the network (free registration) to receive the magazine and preferred access to certain services. [MD]
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Research for Better Schools
http://www.rbs.org/
Research for Better Schools (RBS) is a private, non-profit Research and Development firm that focuses on education in the mid-atlantic states. RBS currently operates the Mid-Atlantic Eisenhower Consortium for Mathematics and Science Education, which is funded by the US Department of Education. This site is a gateway to select materials designed to improve K-12 education. Teachers, administrators, and parents can explore current topics and resources relating to those topics in the Features section. For example, among other resources, Features currently provides information on packets from the US Geological Survey including Exploring Caves and Map Adventures (grades K-3), Volcanoes (grades 4-8), and Exploring Maps (grades 9-12). The other main section of the site is Departments, which currently offers links to the Mid-Atlantic Eisenhower Consortium, NSF K-12 mathematics and science programs that were showcased at an education conference in the summer of 1998, and a catalog of for-fee RBS publications. [JR]
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Medicare Beneficiaries: A Population at Risk
http://www.cmwf.org/programs/medfutur/medicare_survey97_308.asp
The vulnerability of many Medicare beneficiaries is revealed in this report, recently placed online by the Commonwealth Fund. Medicare currently insures 34 million older Americans as well as five million permanently disabled people under 65. Not only is this population "generally at high risk for acute and chronic illness," but 68 percent have incomes below 200 percent of the poverty level or have recurring health problems. Based on a 1997 survey of Medicare Beneficiaries, the report "highlights the challenges facing many Medicare beneficiaries and the importance of addressing the needs of low-income and other high-risk segments of the Medicare population." The full text of the report is available online, including an executive summary, survey and study methodology, and numerous survey charts and tables. [MD]
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CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology Search Engine
http://cgrg.geog.uvic.ca/cgi-bin/search.cgi
Sponsored by the Canadian Geological Foundation and the Canadian Geomorphology Research Group and archived by Dr. Dan Smith of the University of Victoria, this searchable database contains citations of publications "describing the practice and application of geomorphology in Canada." The database includes annotated citations related to "the fields of aeolian, applied, coastal, fluvial, glacial, hillslope, karst, periglacial, permafrost and offshore geomorphology," as well as a substantial number of records related to Canadian hydrology. The database is searchable by author, year, title, source, and keyword. Returns include author, date, title, publication, issue, pages, and an abstract. [MD]
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"Differences in occupational earnings by sex" -- International Labour Review[.pdf, 30p.]
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/support/publ/revue/download/pdf/robinson.pdf
International Labour Review
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/support/publ/revue/
This article by Derek Robinson of the Institute of Economics and Statistics at the University of Oxford appeared in a recent issue of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) International Labour Review. In it, Robinson reviews some of the major research findings regarding the wage gap between men and women. The article discusses methodological issues as well as including some empirical findings "for two major groupings of occupations - in medicine and in public service, banking and insurance." The article has a UK focus, but also features a number of international comparisons. [MD]
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The Merck Manual of Geriatrics (2nd Edition)
http://www.merck.com/pubs/mm_geriatrics/
Merck and Co., Inc., publisher of the standard medical text The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy (described in the July 19, 1996 Scout Report but no longer available in an Internet version), has placed online the full text of another of its publications, The Merck Manual of Geriatrics. The Manual focuses on the medical problems and care of the elderly and is directed at healthcare professionals, but many older users and those caring for elderly relatives may find it useful. Divided into five sections and 114 chapters, the Manual offers a comprehensive review of the medical, social, psychological, and ethical issues involved in elder healthcare. Sample topics include nutrition, sleep disorders, pharmacology, organ system disorders, sexuality, psychiatric disorders, legal issues, and health insurance, among many others. The entire publication is searchable, and a guide for readers of the online version is provided. [MD]
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Reforming Britain's House of Lords
House of Lords Bill
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199899/cmbills/034/1999034.htm
House of Lords
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld/ldhome.htm
Lords Reform -- BBC Special Report
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1999/01/99/lords_reform/newsid_252000/252856.stm
On January 19, Tony Blair's government announced the most radical restructuring of the House of Lords, the UK's second chamber, in its 600-year existence. Honoring the Labour Party election manifesto, the Bill will remove all 759 hereditary peers, those with an automatic right to sit by virtue of birthright, within the year. In the meantime, a Royal Commission will formulate proposals for a new upper house and issue a report by December 31, 1999. A fully reformed chamber is expected to be in place by 2002, and in the meantime, publicly nominated "People's Peers" may sit in the Lords in addition to the politically appointed Life Peers. The full text of the Bill as it was introduced in the House of Commons is available at the first site, while the House of Lords homepage offers information on present and future works of the House and its select committees. The BBC Special Report outlines this momentous constitutional change in Britain, and offers analysis, commentary, and the latest news. [MD]
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1999 State of the Union Address [.pdf]
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/SOTU99/
State of the Union Address -- C-SPAN [RealPlayer]
http://www.c-span.org/guide/executive/sou99.asp
On January 19, President Clinton delivered his annual State of the Union Address, outlining the administration's accomplishments and its proposals for the next year. Chief among the latter was the President's call to the Congress to "save Social Security now," by investing the majority of the budget surplus for the next fifteen years. At the White House site, users can read the full text of the Address, view background materials on selected topics, and review a topical or state-by-state list of Clinton-Gore Administration Accomplishments. At the C-SPAN site, users will find RealPlayer video and audio recordings and transcripts of the Address and the Republican response as well as recordings and transcripts of previous Addresses and responses. [MD]
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All You Can Eat -- EWG
http://www.foodnews.org/
Just what's on that apple, or in that salad or ice cream? Although they are unlikely to be happy with what they find, users can now discover which and how many pesticides are likely to be on the food they eat. Provided by the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG), this site allows users to match selections from hundreds of food items with more than 90,000 government lab tests. Visitors to the site have four sections to choose from: Daily Fare, which lets users select a full day's worth of meals and find out what pesticides they ate; Fruit Salad Roulette, which reveals the pesticides in a typical fruit salad or individual piece of fruit; the EWG Supermarket, which allows users to fill a cart and then picks random samples of each food chosen from government data and lists the pesticides; and a Kids Menu, which analyzes the pesticides that a child between the ages of one and five eats in a typical day. In addition, the site offers a selection of chemical and food FAQS and tips for reducing exposure. [MD]
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We Shall Overcome: Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement National Register Travel Itinerary
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/index.htm
Historic properties related to the modern civil rights movement make up this new National Register Travel Itinerary (reviewed in the May 1, 1998 Scout Report), provided by the National Park Service. Visitors can use the site to take a virtual or physical tour of the churches, schools, houses, and buildings where civil rights activists made their stand, protested, dreamt, and sometimes fought and died. Forty-one properties are listed in the itinerary, including pictures, addresses, and background information about the role each property played historically. Users can review the itinerary by property, state, or a clickable US map. Five text and pictorial pieces provide supplemental information about the civil rights movement: The Need for Change, The Players, The Strategy, The Cost, and The Prize include valuable references and links to information about key events and figures. Of added benefit is the extensive text and Web bibliography offered in the Learn More section. As a physical or a virtual destination, this travel itinerary is definitely worth the trip. [REB]
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UN Wire
http://www.unfoundation.org/unwire/
Provided by the UN Foundation, UN Wire is a new "daily news summary covering the United Nations, global affairs and key international issues." Users interested in the UN or global affairs will find UN Wire an excellent resource for quick, concise accounts of the day's major stories. Each day, UN Wire covers issues such as UN Affairs; Health; Women, Children, and Population; Environment; Trade; Humanitarian Aid; Human Rights; and Peacekeeping. Typical entries include a few short paragraphs and direct links to the original news source and/or related resources. Free registration is required and users can subscribe for free daily email summaries of the headlines. UN Wire should be available for email delivery in complete form in the next few months. [MD]
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Funk and Wagnalls Online Multimedia Encyclopedia
http://www.funkandwagnalls.com/
The well-known reference work publisher Funk and Wagnalls has recently produced an online version of its 29-volume Encyclopedia, featuring over 25,000 articles and more than 3,000 "multimedia elements." Updated monthly, the encyclopedia is freely available after registration. In addition, the site also offers free access to the Random House Webster's College Dictionary, Reuters headlines and searchable archive, and a separate browseable index for the multimedia items featured in the Encyclopedia, with links to the appropriate article. Another nice feature at the site is the Power Search function, which allows searching of all four sections simultaneously. As with any encyclopedia, the entries serve as only a basic introduction to their respective topics, but the site is an excellent (and free) resource for elementary school papers or teaching basic research techniques to young pupils. [MD]
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The Moonlit Road [RealPlayer]
http://www.themoonlitroad.com/
Users who dare to venture down the Moonlit Road will find spooky stories and weird folktales from the American South, told by some of the region's best storytellers. Each month, the site offers several new feature short stories in both text and RealAudio versions. In addition, some stories include a Cultural Background page with information on the history, region, cultures, or peoples behind the story. After free registration, users may also access the Archives, which contains text versions of feature stories from October 1997 forward. A fun site for ghost story fans of all ages. [MD]
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Online Investing: Surf the Stocks -- CNET
http://home.cnet.com/category/0-7009.html
Whether it be the meteoric rise in Internet company stocks or the President's plan to invest Social Security funds in the stock market, Wall Street is getting quite a bit of press these days. Another related story that has received a great deal of attention is the strong growth in online investing. This new CNET (last described in the November 6, 1998 Scout Report) topic center attempts to decipher all the buzz and present users with the information they need to decide whether or not online investing is for them. The site features four articles taking readers from the decision to invest to managing their online portfolios, online investing news, computer security tips and applications, investing downloads (PC only), and a selection of briefly annotated links to investment news and service sites. [MD]
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Resource Description Framework (RDF) Model and Syntax Specification
http://www.w3.org/TR/PR-rdf-syntax/
W3C RDF homepage:
http://www.w3.org/RDF/
The Resource Description Framework (RDF) Model and Syntax Specification, a creation of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), is one of the most exciting new Web technologies to be inching its way into existence. RDF is a basis for encoding and using data about documents or Web pages which purports to facilitate the automation of their processing. This RDF Model and Syntax Specification document has recently been granted Proposed Recommendation status and is no longer expected to change substantially, which means that anyone interested in RDF development or use should take a close look at this document. While RDF can be encoded in the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and this specification describes an XML-based encoding of RDF, RDF is a data model independent of XML and is defined by the specification in this sense as well. The RDF Model and Syntax Specification document is an interesting and well-written reference that should be in any metadata user's or developer's bookmark list. More information about this important technology can be found at the W3C RDF homepage. [CL]
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Macromedia Shockwave 7 & Flash 3 Players
http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/
Download Page
http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=Shockwave
Macromedia Shockrave
http://www.shockrave.com/macro.html
Macromedia Shockzone
http://www.macromedia.com/shockzone/
Macromedia Flash Gallery
http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/gallery/
Macromedia has released the newest versions of their Shockwave and Flash (last mentioned in the April 17, 1998 Scout Report) multimedia playback engines. Shockwave allows the viewing of interactive multimedia content inside a Web browser. Flash is the emerging standard for vector graphics and animation, allowing smaller files than traditional multimedia delivery. A new download and install feature requires a small initial download (~800K), which then downloads the necessary components for your specific browser (Netscape, Internet Explorer, and America Online are supported). Shockrave and Shockzone are Macromedia-hosted sites that highlight creative and innovative implementations of the Shockwave technology. [PMS]
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Lockergnome
http://www.lockergnome.com/
Created and written by Des Moine, Iowa native Chris Pirillo, this free newsletter for Windows 95/98/NT users features free- and shareware downloads, tips, fonts, patches and updates, industry news, and links to useful sites. The newsletter is available in either a daily HTML or a weekly digest text version. Users can subscribe at the site. [MD]
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Saving Social Security
Social Security Special Report -- Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/security/security.htm
Social Security Network -- The Century Foundation [.pdf]
http://www.socsec.org/
Social Security Reality Check -- AARP
http://www.aarp.org/realitycheck/
Entitlement Reform Information -- Concord Coalition
http://www.concordcoalition.org/entitlements/
The Heritage Foundation -- Social Security
http://www.heritage.org/library/social_security.html
Perhaps the most successful and certainly the most popular of the New Deal social welfare programs, Social Security has made a critical difference in the living standards of many older Americans, especially women. However, the program faces difficulty in the years ahead because of the shifting demographic of the American population. An aging population means that, by about the year 2012, more money will be drawn for benefits than is received from payroll taxes, and by 2032, the system's trust fund will be empty. In his State of the Union address (discussed above), the President signalled a new commitment by his administration to shore up Social Security, primarily by diverting 62 percent of the current and projected future budget surpluses. While some analysts and politicians are wary of the details, particularly the President's idea to invest a portion of this money in the stock market, on the whole, he has received substantial bipartisan support. At the Washington Post site, users will find a succinct analysis of the dangers to Social Security and the plans forwarded to save it as well as an archive of past articles. The Century Foundation's Social Security Network offers a large number of issue papers, publications, and transcripts exploring the various issues, proposals, and opinions involved. The American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), America's most powerful lobbying group, provides a "reality check" on Social Security, primarily by asking and answering four major questions about the program and its future. The Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan organization advocating fiscal responsibility, has placed a large number of resources on their Entitlement Reform page, including charts and graphs, position papers, debate transcripts, and analyses. The Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank, offers a view of Social Security reform from the right, with a number of papers, studies, and reports. Additional resources for understanding the condition of Social Security and plans for its reform can be found in Scout Report Signpost, the Scout Report's database. These include Social Security Online, the program's official Website; the Cato Institute's Social Security Privatization site; and the Congressional Budget Office's paper on Social Security Privatization and the Annuities Market. [MD]
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