The Scout Report

May 8, 1998

A Publication of the Internet Scout Project
Computer Science Department, University of Wisconsin

The Scout Report is a weekly publication offering a selection of new and newly discovered Internet resources of interest to researchers and educators, the InterNIC's primary audience. 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.

An Acrobat .pdf version of this report is available for printing and distributing locally. For information on Adobe Acrobat Reader, visit the Adobe site.

Scout Reports for Social Sciences and Business & Economics
Scout Report for Social Sciences
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/socsci/
Scout Report for Business & Economics
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/bus-econ/
The sixteenth issues of the Scout Reports for Social Sciences and Business & Economics are available. Each Report annotates over twenty new and newly-discovered Internet resources. The In the News section of the Social Science Report annotates eight resources on Israel's 50th birthday. The Business & Economics Report's In the News section annotates nine resources related to a single currency for Europe. [JS]
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The Integrated Taxonomic Information System
http://www.itis.usda.gov/plantproj/itis/index.html
Six US federal agencies have worked together to develop an efficient system for naming and classifying all of nature's living organisms. As the basic currency of scientific research, management, and education, ITIS is "a database of the current names and classifications of all biota." The website is organized into three main sections: About ITIS (general overview), Data Access (how to query the ITIS database), and TRED (the taxonomic experts behind the ITIS database). The core of the site is the Data Access section, which describes how to locate, access, and download scientific names and other information for a taxon. The ITIS database may be queried by full or partial Scientific Name, Vernacular (Common) Name, or TSN (Taxonomic Serial Number). Typical returns are Scientific Name, Vernacular (Common) Name, TSN, Author, Taxonomic Rank, and Synonym Name or TSN; note that the review process is still underway, and information is constantly added. In addition to the database, users are instructed on how to submit data to the ITIS database or match a list of taxa to the ITIS Database. A final, useful feature is the Taxonomic Workbench (free for downloading), "a windows-based software tool for entry of taxonomic information into ITIS' relational database format." Information on how to participate in this extraordinary and ambitious effort is provided at the site. [LXP]
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BUBL 5:15
http://bubl.ac.uk/link/five/
BUBL Link, the well known Dewey Decimal Classification Internet Guide (discussed in the May 2, 1997 Scout Report), a product of the Andersonian Library, Strathclyde University (UK), has recently unveiled this site, which provides Link's contents via subject access; between five and fifteen quality resources for each of over 1,100 subjects. Resources are divided into eleven broad sections, and are accessible through large pull down menus within each of those sections. Descriptive information is available for each resource. For those who prefer subject to classified organization, BUBL 5:15 provides a quick and intuitive interface to a large number of quality resources. [JS]
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Sector Facility Indexing Project--EPA OECA [Lotus, Excel]
http://es.epa.gov/oeca/sfi/
The US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance provides this site, a compendium of "environmental and other information from a number of data systems to produce facility-level profiles for five industry sectors (petroleum refining, iron and steel production, primary nonferrous metal refining and smelting, pulp manufacturing, and automobile assembly)." Information includes inspection, noncompliance, closed enforcement actions, chemical release and transfer, production, and demographic data. Aggregate summary data are available for each sector, as well as multi-variable facility level data that can be searched by name, EPA region, or geographic location. In the advanced search, data variables can be selected and sorted. Entire reports are also available in compressed spreadsheet format. [JS]
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Bracton on the Laws and Customs of England
http://bracton.law.cornell.edu/bracton/Common/index.html
Henry of Bracton's Thirteenth Century work, originally titled De Legibus Et Consuetudinibus Angliae, has been made available by Harvard University's Ames Foundation and Law Library, and Cornell University's Legal Information Institute. This work is an attempt to describe English law based on "the combination of Roman and canon law that was taught in the universities in Bracton's time." It can be browsed or searched in either English or Latin, or accessed via a "Calendar" (table of contents). Both framed and unframed versions are available, with the framed version allowing for simultaneous viewing of the Latin and English texts. The Latin text of this version was provided by George Woodbine; the work was translated by S.E. Thorne. [JS]
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Two from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Monthly Labor Review [.pdf]
http://stats.bls.gov/opub/mlr/mlrhome.htm
National Industry-Occupation Employment Matrix
http://stats.bls.gov/empoils.htm
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released these two information resources. The first is a web version of the well-known print publication Monthly Labor Review. Articles (Adobe Acrobat [.pdf] format) and departments associated with the print publication can be accessed at the site. Departments include Labor Month in Review and Book Reviews. Unfortunately, the current labor statistics section, which makes up an important part of the publication, is not duplicated, but there is a pointer to BLS' data page, where this data can be found. At present, the full text of articles is available back to June of 1997, with partial full text back to January. The second site is a fascinating searchable and browsable database that allows users to track the employment distribution of an occupation among industries. Data are available for both 1996 and 2006 (projection). Users can search or browse by industry or occupation. Results can be sorted by employment or projected (percent or numeric) change in employment. Data are available for over 500 occupations within 240 industries. [JS]
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Digital Collections: A Strategic Policy Framework for Creating and Preserving Digital Resources--AHDS
http://ahds.ac.uk/manage/framework.htm
Neil Beagrie and Daniel Greenstein of the Arts and Humanities Data Service, a program funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), UK, have authored this report, a public consultation and review draft. The study presents thirteen recommendations in the areas of long-term digital preservation, standards, the policy framework, and future research. Six case studies highlight some of the real-life considerations concerning digital preservation. At a time when content providers and libraries are racing headlong toward digitization of information resources, this study provides critical guidance. [JS]
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WebPath: The Internet Pathology Laboratory for Medical Education [frames,.pdf]
http://www-medlib.med.utah.edu/WebPath/webpath.html
This magnificent medical resource, originally provided by Dr. Edward C. Klatt of the Department of Pathology at the University of Utah (see WebPath faculty for a list of all contributors), serves as a complement to any disease pathology course work. Divided into six major sections, it is highlighted by Organ System Pathology, which contains over 1,000 annotated images of fourteen organ system pathologies. There are also over 500 annotated images of general pathologies. In addition, the site contains over 1,600 examination questions, mini-tutorials in nineteen topics, laboratory exercises, and histopathology tutorials (including Adobe Acrobat [.pdf] based procedure manuals). As a bonus, after a tough day learning pathology, interested users can feast their eyes on 40 lovely images of Utah. [JS]
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NOEMA: The Collaborative Bibliography of Women in Philosophy
http://billyboy.ius.indiana.edu/womeninphilosophy/womeninphilo.html
Hosted at Indiana University Southeast, NOEMA is a collaborative scholarship project that has produced a database of over 15,000 records. Representing the work of over 5,000 women in philosophy, the bibliography is continually updated and includes works on "aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, metaphysics, history of philosophy and philosophy of mind, of science, of art, and of many other subjects." Users may search the database via an author index or an internal search engine featuring several search and return options. [MD]
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Most Powerful Explosion Since the Big Bang Challenges Gamma Ray Burst Theories
Press Release
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/1998/98-075.txt
FTP to: ftp.hq.nasa.gov
Change directory to: pub/pao/pressrel/1998/98-075.txt
Images
ftp://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/newsmedia/GRB/GRB/
FTP to: pao.gsfc.nasa.gov
Change directory to: newsmedia/GRB/GRB/
More Information on Gamma Ray Bursts
http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/
STSCI site
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1998/17/
In an astounding development, images from the Italian/Dutch BeppoSAX satellite and Compton Gamma Ray Observatory satellite have detected a "cosmic gamma ray burst [that] released a hundred times more energy than previously theorized, making it the most powerful explosion since the creation of the universe in the Big Bang." According to Professor George Djorgovski of the California Institute of Technology, "For about one or two seconds, this burst was as luminous as all the rest of the entire universe." The burst, which is about 12 billion light-years away, may prompt scientists to rethink the theory of gamma ray bursts. A National Aeronautics and Space Administration news release summarizes the discovery. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center FTP site contains images of the burst, some of which are captioned. The Compton Observatory Science Support Center contains additional information on gamma ray bursts. The Space Telescope Science site contains captioned images in several formats and other supplemental information. An article about the discovery is available in the May 7, 1998 issue of Nature.[JS]
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Year 2000 Recession? [.pdf]
http://www.yardeni.com/y2kbook.html
Ed Yardeni, Chief Economist and a Managing Director of Deutsche Morgan Grenfell (North America), provides this site, a "netbook" that argues the possible dire consequences of the Year 2000 problem (Y2K) (discussed in the October 9, 1997 Scout Report for Business and Economics). The book briefly discusses the nature of the problem, and how it will impact electric power systems, transportation, banking, government services, and the global economy. Yardeni is convinced that the problem is so dire that it could cause a world wide recession, and makes a partisan (and entertaining) argument for the case. Whether or not you agree with him, Y2K Recession? provides a very good starting point for awareness of the issues surrounding the problem, both in its information and in its links. Note that many of the links point to other content from Ed Yardeni's Economics Network (discussed in the November 20, 1997 Scout Report for Business and Economics), much of it available in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format only. [JS]
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A Glossary of Literary Terms and A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices
http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences/Classics/Harris/rhetform.html
Professor Robert Harris of Southern California College provides this handy site, which offers quick definitions of over 60 rhetorical devices from alliteration to zeugma, as well as a glossary of literary terms. The site can be searched or browsed via pull-down menus. Derived from a book written by the provider in 1980, the site offers short definitions as well as examples of the terms. Note that there is some overlap between the two databases. [JS]
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OptionSource.com
http://www.options-iri.com/
OptionSource.com was developed by Schaeffer's Investment Research to help educate investors about options trading. A large part of the site is devoted to familiarizing novice investors with options investing. To that end, a five-lesson series introduces investors to options trading. In addition, the site covers basic and more complex options trading strategies. Research on options trading, daily options market commentary, and an options glossary are also available. Investors may also obtain the latest stock and options quotes at the site. [THN]
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Edmund's Automobile Buyer's Guides
http://www.edmunds.com/
Edmund Publications, a provider of automobile information, makes this site available. It contains information on 34 major brands of new cars, 27 major brands of new trucks and 38 major brands of used vehicles (back to 1988). Some of the information provided includes standard and optional features, pricing, and safety features. There is also a guide to buying a used car and an auto-loan calculator. An interesting feature of the site is the ability it offers users to run a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) check with Carfax to determine if a vehicle history for a used vehicle (1981 and after) is available. The history, if available, can then be purchased from Carfax. [JS]
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What's For Dinner?--Birds Eye [frames]
http://www.birdseye.com/dinner.html
Searchable Online Archive of Recipes
http://godzilla.eecs.berkeley.edu:80/recipes/
rec.food.recipes Archive
http://www.neosoft.com:80/recipes/
Cook Books Online
http://www.cookbooks.com:80/
Birds Eye, part of Dean Foods Vegetable Company, provides this site, a gateway not only to its recipes, but to thousands of others from various Internet sites. Users can browse or search Birds Eye or general Internet recipes. The browse interface consists of a series of pull-down menus. Recipe archives include the Searchable Online Archive of Recipes (SOAR), the rec.food.recipes archive, and Cookbooks On-Line, among others. Recipes are available in fifteen categories for Birds Eye and nine major categories for the Internet. [JS]
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Seinfeld.com [frames, Netshow Player, Shockwave]
http://www.seinfeld.com/
Castle Rock Entertainment and Warner Brothers Online have created this site to commemorate the TV show about nothing that consistently receives among the highest ratings of any show in America. Shortly, Seinfeld will be ending its monumental run, although the show will most likely be in syndication in perpetuity. Seinfeld.com is designed to provide an Internet site about nothing (adding to a very large niche) to commemorate the show. It is highlighted by memorable Netshow clips, a Shockwave based Fridge-A-Dare game (help stop Jerry's friends from raiding his refrigerator), fan based trivia questions, and a selection of Seinfeld trading cards. For those looking for detailed episode guides, they will not be found here. It they were, it wouldn't be a site about nothing, would it? [JS]
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7th International World Wide Web Conference Full Programme
http://decweb.ethz.ch/WWW7/00/com00.htm
Proceedings from the recently concluded 7th International World Wide Web Conference (Brisbane, Australia, April 14-18, 1998) are available from the conference site. Over 25 papers are posted at this time, in seven major areas including metadata systems, push technologies, and searching and indexing techniques. Poster session presentations can also be obtained. Note that the papers will be available from this site only until May 31, 1998, after which they will be available from Elsevier. Whether or not they will continue to be freely available is unknown. [JS]
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Encryption Special Report--Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/encryption/encryption.htm
The Washington Post provides this a guide to both the technical and political aspects of encryption. In addition to a primer on the topic, there is information on encryption legislation, key players in the debate, and selected stories and opinion pieces from the Post and the LEGI-SLATE News Service. [JS]
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Cool Web Solutions with Perl
http://builder.cnet.com/Programming/Perl/index.html
Cool Web Solutions with Perl was recently published in c|net's BUILDER.COM and written by Mariva Aviram, an Internet consultant and writer. This article introduces Perl (practical extraction and report language), then covers four new developments, and concludes with a listing of Perl resources. Developments include: JPL (term derived from Java and .pl), a toolkit which combines Java and Perl; Perl for Win32 by ActiveState, which allows one to write and run Perl scripts on 32-bit Windows; PerlScript, a web scripting language; and MacPerl, a version of Perl for MacOS. Both novices and experts can benefit from the resources provided within and at the end of this article. [TB]
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Volume 2, Number 2, May 5, 1995
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/archive/.html
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation [.pdf]
http://www.fdic.gov/
The FDIC site was annotated in the May 5, 1995 issue. It was and still is a terrific repository of information on the US banking industry and financial laws and regulations. It also contains information on the Year 2000 (Y2K) problem with respect to banks and the FDIC. The crown jewel of the site, however, is the databank, which contains, among other resources, the Institution Directory (discussed in the December 13, 1996 Scout Report), a searchable database that allows users to retrieve financial and demographic information about thousands of FDIC-insured institutions. The FDIC Division of Research and Statistics recently announced the release of a monograph: History of the Eighties--Lessons for the Future (available in Adobe Acrobat [.pdf] format only. [JS]
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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 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.

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

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The Scout Report - May 8, 1998

The Scout Report

May 8, 1998

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