The Scout Report - May 7, 1999

Scout Report for Social Sciences and Business & Economics
Scout Report for Social Sciences
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/socsci/1999/ss-990504.html
Scout Report for Business & Economics
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/bus-econ/1999/be-990506.html
The sixteenth issues of the second volumes of the Scout Reports for Social Sciences and Business & Economics are available. The In the News section of the Social Sciences Report annotates nine resources on allegations of security breaches at the US nuclear weapons laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico and the possible transfer of secret data to China. The Business & Economics Report's In the News section offers seven resources on recent developments in Asian markets. [MD]
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Flora of North America (FNA) [Java]
http://www.fna.org/
A binational collaboration of over 800 botanists and 30 institutions in the US and Canada, the FNA project is producing "a comprehensive set of taxonomic treatments for all North American plant species and infraspecific taxa" to be published online and in 30 printed volumes by Oxford University Press. FNA treatments include "accepted names, synonyms, bibliographic references, keys for identification, descriptions, economic uses, conservation status, weed status, and distribution data." Although the project and the site are still in development, users may access the text of four volumes via the FNA Portal. Readers will most likely want to begin with Volume One, regarded by the site authors as an important reference work in its own right. It contains a series of essays summarizing current knowledge on "the physical and biological factors that have affected the evolution and distribution of the plant life of North America" and the development of human understanding of the flora. Additional volumes discuss Gymnosperms and Pteridophytes, Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae, and Alismatidae, Arecidae, Commelinidae, and Zingiberidae. In addition to the taxonomic treatments, the volumes contain distribution maps, keys, illustrations, and graphics. The FNA Portal also features a keyword search engine that accesses the FNA document database, other online flora projects, botanical databases, and botanical libraries. Notes on Treatments-in-Progress inform visitors about planned additions to the site. A Species List and Bibliography are planned for the near future. [MD]
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National Center for Charitable Statistics
http://nccs.urban.org/
A program of the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the nonpartisan Urban Institute, the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is a national repository of data on the nonprofit sector in the US. The NCCS cooperates with government agencies, the private sector, and independent researchers to compile regional, state, and national databases about charitable organizations, and also develops standards for reporting on the activities of these organizations. The NCCS Website contains a wealth of information. The Data section provides databases, data documentation, a guide to the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities Classification System, state profiles of nonprofits, and a variety of fact sheets and policy briefs. The Resources section offers Internal Revenue Service forms, links to related sites, a bibliography, and a directory of associated electronic mailing lists. Note: before users can download data at the site, they must first complete an online form to obtain a free user name and password. The NCCS will notify users of fees, if any, that may apply to acquiring certain data sets. [AO]
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Food Consumption, Prices, and Expenditures, 1970-97 -- USDA ERS [.pdf]
http://www.econ.ag.gov/epubs/pdf/sb965/
This report from the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, USDA ERS (described in the July 2, 1998 Scout Report for Business & Economics), provides "historical data on food consumption, prices, expenditures, and US income and population" for the years 1970-1997. According to the ERS, Americans now consume more total food, snacks, and calories, in larger portions than they did 27 years ago, and 8 chapters and 107 statistical tables divulge hundreds of other food facts by product and income level. [MW]
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Philosophy News Service (PNS)
http://www.philosophynews.com/
Updated daily, this site offers links to online philosophy news and articles from a variety of sources, though most seem to be located in the US or Australia. Recent items included pieces on the ethics of Kosovo, philosophical counseling, Noam Chomsky and Edward Said, an audio symposium on "Genes, Genesis, and God," and several notices of professional interest. Additional features at the site include PhilosophEye, a special essay with related links offering "philosophical perspectives on matters of public interest," a philosophy calendar, a Question of the Week with posted responses, and related links. The PNS also hosts a mailing list, PNS-List, which shares research and professional announcements for philosophers and philosophy students. [MD]
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Economic Sanctions
http://www.iie.com/HOTOPICS/SANCTION/hotsanct.htm
Hot Topics in International Economics
http://www.iie.com/HOTOPICS/hotopics.htm
Provided by the Institute for International Economics (IIE) (reviewed in the December 4, 1997 Scout Report for Business & Economics), this site is a useful resource for Economics or International Relations courses. Using testimony, speeches, articles, working papers, and an interesting case study (of Myanmar), the site explains and explores the economic and political goals and impact of sanctions. Additional Hot Topics features include the Japan Crisis, the Asian Financial Crisis, and the Euro Conversion. [MD]
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Directory of Special Collections -- National Library of Canada
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/collectionsp/spcol_e.htm
Originally published in 1992, this Directory has recently been updated and placed online by the National Library of Canada. Designed to help researchers, scholars, and librarians locate specialized resources in Canadian libraries, the Directory may be browsed by general subject, primary subject, collections, or institutions. Users may also search by keyword, title, or subject. Typical entries include subjects, history, description, language, holdings, bibliographic and physical access, interlibrary loan availability, and publications describing the collection. Surprisingly, the collection entries provide no contact information beyond the institution name. Despite this serious oversight, the Directory is still a useful tool for researchers of and in Canada. [MD]
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Two Drinking Water Resources from the EPA
National Recommended Water Quality Criteria -- Correction [.pdf, 25p.]
http://www.epa.gov/ost/pc/revcom.pdf
Protecting sources of drinking water: Case studies in watershed management [.pdf, 38p.]
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/swp/swpcases.pdf
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water has released two publications concerning the quality of drinking water in America that supplement the recent 1997 National Public Water System Annual Compliance Report (discussed in the April 28, 1999 Scout Report for Science & Engineering). The National Recommended Water Quality Criteria is a compilation of the new recommended criteria for 157 pollutants. The report discusses the origins of the water quality criteria and how they are used, and offers the criteria in tables with extensive footnotes. The second item documents the experiences of seventeen drinking water suppliers who draw from lakes, reservoirs, and rivers in their efforts to manage and protect their sources. The report covers topics such as creating partnerships, watershed assessment, land use in watersheds, and wastewater management. [MD]
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Forced Migration Projects -- OSI
http://www.osi.hu/fmp/
The Forced Migration Projects (FMP), operating under the auspices of the Open Society Institute (OSI), monitor developments in the Americas, the former Yugoslavia, and the former Soviet Union to identify the social, political, and economic conditions that cause the forced dislocations of people. This Website provides background information about the projects as well as full-text access to several FMP publications including The Forced Migration Monitor, a series of special reports on refugees and migration, recent news and articles on germane issues, and FM Alert, an electronic bulletin service. In addition, the site compiles a list of refugee-related links and hosts a discussion forum. [AO]
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William P. Gottlieb Collection: Photographs from the Golden Age of Jazz -- LOC [RealPlayer]
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wghtml/wghome.html
The latest release from the Library of Congress (LOC) American Memory Project (last reviewed in the April 30, 1999 Scout Report) showcases the work of writer-photographer William P. Gottlieb. Working for the Washington Post,Down Beat magazine, and Record Changer, Gottlieb photographed and interviewed numerous prominent jazz musicians in Washington, D.C. and New York City between 1938 and 1948, the "Golden Age of Jazz." This exhibit, which features more than 1,600 images, not only captures many of the giants of jazz at their height of popularity and productivity, but also offers insight into Gottlieb's own creative process, with images of negatives, contact prints, and finished products that allow users to trace his work from raw product to publication. In addition, two special presentations on Gottlieb the photojournalist offer selected photos with RealAudio commentary by Gottlieb himself and digitized images of four articles and accompanying photos from 1946-47. Jazz lovers will lose themselves (and track of time) in this marvellous collection. [MD]
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Kyoto National Museum
http://www.kyohaku.go.jp/meihin/mase.htm
The Kyoto National Museum's impressive Website includes two ways to access images of its collections. In the Masterworks section, visitors can browse groups of images organized in eight categories: Archaeology, Sculpture, Ceramics, Paintings, Calligraphy, Textiles, Lacquerware, and Metalwork. The online catalog permits searching by keyword or category in a database of over 10,000 views of about 2,000 items. The category search allows users to search one or more fields, including title, artist, century, country, donor, and more. Clicking on a field name pulls up scope notes that explain what may be entered in that field. Several of the fields also have drop-down menus for assistance. For example, in the field called designation, the drop-down menu provides search options such as "National Treasure" (316 items) and "Important Cultural Property" (177 items). Combining terms is easy; a search for the designation "National Treasure" combined with the category "Painting" retrieved 30 items. Searches create a hit list from which users can move to thumbnail images with catalog data, and then to enlarged images. [DS]
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Community Policing in Chicago, Years Five-Six: An Interim Report
Highlights:
http://www.nwu.edu/IPR/news/CAPS99release.html
Full Text [.pdf, 120p.]:
http://www.nwu.edu/IPR/publications/policing_papers/caps99.pdf
Chicago's citywide community policing program (CAPS), the largest in the nation, combines officers placed in long-term assignments and trained in problem-solving with numerous opportunities for public involvement and input in community meetings and advisory committees. Unlike similar programs in other cities, CAPS has enjoyed significant citizen involvement, with some of the highest beat meeting attendance rates in many of the neighborhoods that need it most. Conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University, this study examines community participation in CAPS and the effectiveness of the city's marketing campaign to raise program awareness, and proposes "a new community organizing initiative that aims to rebuild the capacity of neighborhoods to solve their problems." The full text of the report, along with tables, graphs, and charts, is available at the site in .pdf format. [MD]
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Brookings Research on Race and Minority Politics
http://www.brookings.org/gs/projects/race.htm
This new special section from the Brookings Institution explores the issue of race and minority politics in America. With articles from the Brookings Review, selected op-ed pieces, brief summaries of Brookings books, and links to related resources, the site addresses a wide swath of related topics. These include opportunity and affirmative action, the future of racial and ethnic politics, racial and ethnic preference in school admissions, test scores, and race and urbanization. [MD]
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Supporting Families in Transition. A Guide to Expanding Health Coverage in the Post-Welfare Reform World
http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/transition/welfare.htm
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with a new state-run Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and ended the automatic link between eligibility for cash assistance and eligibility for Medicaid for poor families. Since then, a number of new policies and programs seeking to extend free or affordable health coverage to low-income families have developed. This new publication from the Health Care Financing Administration and the Administration for Children and Families of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) guides readers through some of the options states have in their efforts to broaden Medicaid coverage. Organized in four chapters, the guide addresses reaching families inside and outside the TANF system, maintaining coverage for families who leave the system, and related funding opportunities. [MD]
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Devi: The Great Goddess -- SI
http://www.si.edu/asia/devi/
Text-Only Version
http://www.si.edu/asia/devi/indextext.htm
An online companion to an exhibition of the same name at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, this new site explores the six aspects of the Indian Goddess Devi (cosmic force, dayini, heroine, local protector, semi-divine, and woman saints). With annotated images, brief texts, and numerous hyperlinked glossary terms, the exhibit provides background on the Great Goddess and her manifestations, her six aspects, and historic and modern interpretations and worship of Devi. Additional features include a For Kids section and related links. [MD]
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Music in the Public Domain
http://www.pdinfo.com/
Founded in 1986, PD Info (taken over in early 1999 by Haven Sound, Inc.) provides information and resources for identifying public domain materials. As part of that project, this site has been developed to help users understand what music they can freely use and how they may use it. As the site explains, the rules for public domain use are not as clear-cut as they seem, and users will find a concise and helpful overview of the differences between copyright and public domain, and how to identify and prove public domain. The heart of the site is a 3,000 song alphabetical list of royalty-free music anyone may use in any way. Additional resources at the site include annotated links to other public domain sites and a brief list of examples of projects using public domain music. [MD]
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RealJukebox (Beta) [Windows 95/98/NT]
http://www.real.com/jukebox/
In what is being widely touted as a turning point in the future of downloadable music, on May 3 RealNetworks unveiled its new RealJukebox, the first utility which allows users to play, record, organize, and search for music from a single interface. Among other features, the RealJukebox will play music in several digital audio formats and encode CDs to MP3 or RealAudio while you listen (at 96kps). It also offers an integrated music file manager and a "Get Music" feature which accesses numerous online music sources and allows simple downloads. Easy to operate and customize, RealJukebox will appeal to anyone interested in digital music. Windows users may download the Beta version for free at the URL above. Mac users, alas, must once again display their patience, as no information is yet available on a Mac release. [MD]
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Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 [.pdf, .zip. .ps, .gzip tar]
http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-WEBCONTENT-19990505/
Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0
http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT-TECHS/
Press Release
http://www.w3.org/1999/05/WCAG-RECPressRelease
On May 5, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) revised and released its Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 as a W3C Recommendation. Previously released as a working draft (see the February 6, 1998 Scout Report), the guidelines, which are available in numerous formats, explain how to make Web content more accessible specifically to people with disabilities and more generally to all users. The document presents fourteen Web Content Accessibility Guidelines with "checkpoints" reinforcing the main ideas. The second document, also released on May 5, offers a list of techniques that implement the checkpoints defined in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. [MD]
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Virtual Network Computing
http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/index.html
The Virtual Network Computing software package, a product of AT&T Laboratories Cambridge, is one of the more useful and decidedly different utilities than generally appears in our Network Tools section. This software, although it is complex in nature and has a technical-sounding moniker, allows one to use just about any computer remotely across a local area network or even the Internet. To accomplish this remote use, the system actually displays the entire desktop of the remote computer in a window on the local computer. Amazingly, you can display and use a Macintosh desktop, for example, on your Win95/98/NT system or a Win95/98/NT desktop on your Unix system or any other combination of these possibilities. The system is simple to install and works quite well. Although minor bugs are noticeable, the system is complete enough to allow, for example, the remote use of many popular Windows programs on a Unix system. The VNC system is free to download and use and runs on Win95/98/NT, SPARC Solaris, Linux, and DEC Alpha OSF1. Beta versions of the software are also available for the Macintosh and Windows CE 2.x. [CL]
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Scottish and Welsh Devolution
BBC News Scottish Elections
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/events/scotland_99/news/
BBC News Welsh Elections
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/events/wales_99/news/
Election 99 -- The Scotsman [Java]
http://www.scottishelections.co.uk/
Election 99 -- Glasgow Herald
http://www.theherald.co.uk/election99/election_frame.html
A new political map has been drawn for the United Kingdom following yesterday's historic elections. Voters in Scotland elected their first Parliament since 1707, while Welsh voters selected a separate but less powerful 60-member assembly. Though counts are still going on, it appears that the Labour party will be the largest body in both assemblies, but lack an overall majority in either. In Scotland, Labour will most likely form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, with Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar serving as First Minister. The Scottish National Party (SNP) will serve as the primary opposition party. In Wales, the situation is still a bit murkier, with some kind of coalition between Labour and the Liberal Dems likely. The situation is complicated by electoral breakthroughs made by Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, in traditional Labour strongholds. These two new elected bodies are part of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's program to decentralize power within the UK without breaking it up. The next and by far the most difficult step in this program is the devolution of power to Northern Ireland. The BBC sites on yesterday's elections offer a sizable collection of recent and breaking articles; searchable databases of election results; overviews of the new government bodies, issues, and parties; and interactive features. The Scotsman's election site offers breaking news; useful overviews of Scottish politics, the new Parliament, and the voting system; several analytical maps; and a discussion area. The Herald's site contains a collection of editorials and articles on the election, the parties, and the implications for the future of Scotland. Additional resources on Scottish and Welsh devolution can be found in the Scout Report Signpost, the Scout Report's database. These include the Scottish Office's Devolution Web Site, the Scottish National Party site, and Plaid Cymru's site. [MD]
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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.

Susan Calcari Rachael E. Bower Michael de Nie Travis Koplow Aimee D. Glassel Todd Hanson Sheilah Harrington Christopher Lukas Dave Mayer Sujani Nannapaneni Andrew Osmond Laura X. Payne Jeannine Ramsey Mike Roszkowski Debra Shapiro Geraldine Wanserski Megan Waters Amy Tracy Wells Paul M Schwartz

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