The Scout Report - August 6, 1999

Scout Report for Science & Engineering
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/sci-eng/1999/se-990804.html
Volume 2, Number 22 of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering is available. The In the News section annotates ten resources on next week's total solar eclipse. [MD]
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The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy (seventeenth edition)
http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/
The seventeenth edition of the The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy is available free at the Website of Merck and Co., Inc. This 1999 centennial edition of the Manual has been edited by Mark H. Beers and Robert Berkow and includes contributions from hundreds of experts in the medical field. Users will find over 300 chapters on medical diseases, disorders, and related drug information in 23 specialty areas that include Nutritional Disorders, Cardiovascular Disorders, Infectious Diseases, Gynecology/ Obstetrics, Clinical Pharmacology, and Poisoning. Entries for each disease or disorder provide information such as causes and risk factors, symptoms and diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. The Manual is searchable by keyword and includes hyperlinks to chapters, topics, diagrams, and tables throughout the text. A print or palm pilot version can be ordered at the site. [GW]
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Drought Watch '99 -- USGS
http://md.water.usgs.gov/drought/
Blistering summer temperatures have brought drought conditions across large sections of the United States, especially in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and upper Ohio Valley regions. This new site from the US Geological Survey (USGS) offers a number of drought resources. These include the latest condition reports for selected states and realtime streamflow data from the mid-Atlantic region; links to current information from the National Weather Service and the Department of Agriculture; drought definitions; and notes from a recent Congressional Briefing on drought in the Middle Atlantic states. The last item includes a number of graphs and streamflow maps. Numerous links to related sites and sources for more information are provided throughout Drought Watch. [MD]
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Digital Scriptorium
http://sunsite.Berkeley.EDU/Scriptorium/
Another Berkeley Sunsite, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Digital Scriptorium is a collaborative venture from the Bancroft Library (UC Berkeley) and the Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Columbia University. Currently containing over 2,000 manuscripts and documents from the eighth through the fifteenth century, the Scriptorium plans to continue adding medieval and early Renaissance manuscripts from the two libraries and also Barnard College, Teachers College, Union Theological Seminary, UC Berkeley's Music Library, the Robbins Collection, and eventually, other institutions in the US and Europe. The current database will be made available when the SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) manuscript description standard is created. At present, users can search the test database. First-time visitors and less Internet-savvy researchers may find the accompanying documentation quite technical and a bit overwhelming, and they will want to devote some extra time to get acquainted with the various searchable fields. Nonetheless, the image quality is excellent and the amount of metadata is impressive. The Digital Scriptorium promises to be an invaluable resource for medieval and renaissance scholars. [TK]
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World Bank Journals [pdf]
http://www.worldbank.org/research/journals/index.htm
The World Bank has recently added full-text journal articles to its Website. The World Bank Research Observer is geared towards non-specialist readers who have an interested in bank research. It includes articles on such matters as development economics, new World Bank research, and development policy. The World Bank Economic Review is a professional journal, published three times a year, that focuses on "World Bank-sponsored research that emphasizes empirical applications." Journals are searchable by article and by issue, as well as by author and keyword. [EM]
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M.I.T. Theses and E-Theses Online
http://theses.mit.edu/
Provided on a trial basis by the MIT Libraries' Document Services department and MIT Information Systems, this site offers the full text of selected master's and doctoral theses from all M.I.T. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) departments. These include theses that have been previously requested and scanned by Document Services as well as theses from the university's pilot project in electronically-submitted theses. Users can search the database by keyword, perform an advanced search with separate fields, or browse by author or year. All theses can be viewed as low-resolution (100dpi) grayscale inline .gif images. The most recent additions (1999) also include an abstract and the full text of the document in thumbnail pages. As would be expected, the vast majority of theses involve scientific topics. [MD]
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Selected Classic Papers from the History of Chemistry
http://maple.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/papers.html
Carmen Giunta of Le Moyne College maintains the Selected Classic Papers from the History of Chemistry Website. Papers from the history of chemistry are listed under the following subjects: Atomic hypothesis and discrete nature of matter; Electricity, electrochemistry, and electrolyte solutions; The electron and electronic structure of matter; Elements: nature, number, and discovery; Environmental chemistry; Gases; Periodic table and periodic law; Radioactivity and the nucleus; Thermodynamics; and Others. An alphabetical listing is also available to aid in locating a particular paper. Among the most recent additions are an electronic version of the 1803 article on the solubility of gasses in water by John Dalton and an 1877 excerpt on the discovery of gallium by Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran. [JJS]
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Biosync
http://biosync.sdsc.edu/
Funded by the National Center for Research Resources at the National Institutes of Health and hosted by the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), this new site is designed as a portal "for investigators planning visits to synchrotron facilities and as a central resource for researchers in structural biology seeking information about such facilities." Users can read an overview of the synchrotron facilities in the US by selecting the All Beamlines section from the top of the page, or they can select one of the five individual synchrotron facilities (ALS, APS, CHESS, NSLS, SSRL) listed. Each individual page offers an overview, Beamline information, application procedures, a calendar, and contact information. Beamline information available in either section includes purpose, source characteristics, optics, flux, wavelength range, computer support, and biochemistry capability. The International section contains links to the Websites of facilities outside the US. [MD]
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Photographing History: Fred J. Maroon and the Nixon Years, 1970-1974
http://www.si.edu/nmah/ve/maroon/
This new site from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History highlights the work of photographer Fred Maroon, who was granted unusual access to the Nixon Whitehouse for nine months in 1970 to take photos for a behind-the-scenes book. After the book was published, Maroon was invited to record the President's reelection campaign, and continued to document the Watergate proceedings over the next two years. The result is a collection of photographs powerful as both documents of American history and as skilled portraits of the individuals involved. The photographs are grouped by chronological theme (Reelection, Hearings, Final Days, etc.) with explanatory text and quotes from a 1998 oral history interview with Maroon. Other features include an interactive timeline and notes on the exhibit. [MD]
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Quilts and Quiltmaking in America 1978-1996 -- LOC [RealPlayer]
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/qlthtml/qlthome.html
The latest offering from the peerless Library of Congress (LOC) American Memory Project showcases materials from two American Folklife Center collections that explore "America's diverse quilting traditions." The first collection, the Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project, is an ethnographic field project conducted by the American Folklife Center in cooperation with the National Park Service. The collection includes over 200 photos and 181 recorded interviews (in RealPlayer and .wav format, with transcriptions) with quiltmakers in Appalachian North Carolina and Virginia. The second collection features about 180 winning quilts in a variety of styles and materials from the Lands' End All-American Quilt Contest. Users may search the collections by keyword or browse by quiltmaker or subject. They can also browse galleries of photos and sound recordings directly. Three special presentations round out the site: Speaking of Quilts: Voices from the Late 20th Century, Blue Ridge Quilters, and The Lands' End All-American Quilt Contest. [MD]
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United Nations Cartographics Section [.pdf]
http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm
This site presents some of the work produced by the UN's mapping and GIS specialists. Two primary map collections are offered at the site in .pdf format: general maps (over 100) and deployment maps of peacekeeping missions. Both can be browsed via a pull-down menu or on separate pages via the toolbar at the top of the main page. The general maps page organizes maps by region, while the peacekeeping missions map page offers helpful mission overviews and an archive of maps from past missions. Additional resources at the site include a geographic names list, information about the Map Collection of the Dag Hammarskjold Library, and free email notification of new additions. [MD]
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Solar Eclipse: Stories from the Path of Totality -- Exploratorium [RealPlayer]
http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/index.html
Eclipse 1999 -- BBC [RealPlayer]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/sci_tech/specials/eclipse_99/default.htm
On August 11, a total eclipse of the sun will be visible in parts of Europe and Eurasia. These two sites will help users in those regions prepare and allow others to learn about eclipses and participate via a live Webcast. The first site, provided by the Exploratorium (last reviewed in the June 18, 1999 Scout Report), offers a live Webcast, a large number of resources on where and how to view the eclipse, and several features on eclipses. Related links and archived photos from a 1998 eclipse are also included. The BBC site features a location finder, weather information, general eclipse information, important safety tips, feature stories, archived BBC coverage of eclipses dating back to 1954, and related links. For more eclipse resources, see the In the News section from the August 4, 1999 Scout Report for Science & Engineering. [MD]
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The Economist Style Guide
http://www.economist.com/editorial/freeforall/library/styleguide/
Based on the hardback book of the same name, this free online guide will help users clean up and clarify their writing. Written by Foreign Editor John Grimond, the Style Guide is given to all journalists on The Economist staff. Topics addressed in the Guide include unnecessary words, jargon, Americanisms, abbreviations, capitals, punctuation, spelling, and titles, among others. Users may browse the content via a clickable table of contents. Entries are concise and almost all include examples. [MD]
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Classical Music of India
http://www.aoe.vt.edu/~boppe/MUSIC/music.html
Maintained by Ravi Boppe, this site should appeal to all fans of Indian music, from curious neophytes to aficionados to performers. Beginners will probably benefit most from the Primers section, which contains introductions to Indian, North Indian, and South Indian classical music, and Karnatic music; and from the bibliographies. Experienced listeners will also be interested in Boppe's list of Great Masters and Gharanas, while performers may find the list of ragas (Karnatic and Hindustani) useful. Links to streaming Indian classical music and sources to purchase instruments and CDs are also provided. [MD]
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NetCaptor
http://www.netcaptor.com/
A recent surge in the development of new Web browsers has resulted in numerous ways to customize your browsing experience, and NetCaptor, published by Stilesoft, Inc., is yet another option for browsing the Web. NetCaptor is based on Internet Explorer, and users familiar with IE will find it easy-to-use, but NetCaptor provides several notable enhancements. Among its features, NetCaptor allows users to block pop-up browser windows based on URLs, display multiple pages as tabbed windows on a single screen, auto-fill forms with personal information, and create bookmarked groups of URLs that load simultaneously, so that one may view a page while others download. Although slightly more error-prone than the "big two" browsers, NetCaptor may fill a useful niche for those who find the browsing style convenient. The two versions both run on Win95/98/NT. One is free to download and use but displays a small, ever-present ad. The other costs $19.95 and has no ad. [CL]
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Perl4Lib
http://www.vims.edu/perl4lib/
Hosted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, this new unmoderated mailing list "is an informal forum for librarians interested in the Perl programming language." It has been established to encourage beginning Perl programmers and provide for an exchange of ideas and programs of interest to librarians. Subscription information is provide at the Website and below. [MD]

To subscribe send email to:
    listproc@vims.edu
In the subject line of the message type:
    subscribe perl4lib YourName
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GOP Tax Cut Bill Passes Senate
Washington Post: Budget Key Stories
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/budget/keystories.htm
New York Times: The Budget
http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/index-budget.html
Brookings Institution: Tax Policy
http://www.brookings.org/es/research/ra9.htm
"Senate passes GOP tax cut bill by one vote" -- CNN AllPolitics
http://cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/08/05/tax.cut/
Reports from NPR's All Things Considered and Morning Edition [RealPlayer]
http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atcupdates/19990805.atcupdates.01.ram
http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/me/19990805.me.09.ram
Yesterday, the US Senate narrowly approved a $792 billion tax cut, 50-49. The bill, which was passed by the House with a vote of 221-206, would, among other things, cut all five income tax rates by one percentage point, lower capital gains rates, and eliminate death taxes on estates. The bill will not be sent to President Clinton -- who opposes the size of the cut and favors using the projected budget surplus to shore up Social Security and Medicare -- until Congress returns from the August recess. The President has promised to veto the measure, and both parties will, no doubt, spend the next month advocating their respective positions to the voters. Users who want to investigate this topic more thoroughly should begin with the Washington Post's special budget page, which archives the key stories and offers an overview, glossary, opinion pieces, special reports, and related links. The New York Times budget feature includes a number of archived articles on the tax cut plan, as well as other budget news. More in-depth articles by a range of scholars on the budget, the surplus, tax policy, and tax cuts can be found at the Brookings Institution's Tax Policy Research page. The most recent story on the tax cut bill at CNN AllPolitics also includes links to a number of previous articles. Finally, National Public Radio features stories on the bill in yesterday's editions of its main radio news programs. Users can listen to both in RealPlayer format. Additional resources on the budget can be found in Signpost, the Scout Report's database. These include the Budget of the United States Government Fiscal Year 2000, Congressional Budget Office: Revised Baseline Budget Projections for Fiscal Years 1999-2008, and UC Berkeley's National Budget Simulation. [MD]
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