NSDL Scout Reports for the Life Sciences and Physical Sciences
The tenth issues of the first volumes of the Life Sciences Report and Physical Sciences Report are available. The Topic in Depth section of Life Sciences Report annotates sites on nanobiology. The Physical Sciences Report's Topic in Depth section offers Web sites and comments about oil.
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Amnesty International: 2002 Annual Report [.pdf]
http://web.amnesty.org/web/ar2002.nsf/home/home?OpenDocument
Presented by Amnesty International, a worldwide voluntary activist movement concerned with the protection of human rights, this annual report focuses on human rights abuses in 152 countries and territories around the world and describes the suppression and violence that have withered and destroyed the lives of millions of people. Due to the September 11th attacks in the US, this year's report emphasizes the importance of "justice" rather than "revenge." In addition, the report also highlights the failures of human rights protection as well as the "indomitable courage and determination of human rights activists whatever the challenges they face - and the vital role they play in a world beset by poverty, war and repression." The report is divided into regional sections, and all sections of the report can be downloaded as a printer friendly Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file. [MG]
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Bureau of Justice Statistics: Police Departments in Large Cities, 1990-2000 [.pdf]
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/pdlc00.htm
A product of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), and written by Brian A. Reaves and Matthew J. Hickman, Police Departments in Large Cities, 1990-2000 "describes trends from 1990 to 2000 among local police departments serving US cities with 250,000 or more residents." Equipped with charts and graphs, the report presents statistical data in crime rate and residents served, female and minority representation, education and training requirements, operating budgets, salaries and special pay, drug enforcement, types of equipment used, types and number of vehicles accessible, and types of special units. According to the report, some of the changes among large city police departments that occurred within the last decade included a 10 percent increase in the number of residents served, a 7 percent increase in the number of full time sworn personnel per 100,000 residents, a 14 percent increase in the number of Hispanic officers, a 20 percent increase in the number of African American officers, and a 16 percent increase in the number of female officers. Users may view the entire document online, or order a paper version through BJS. [MG]
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Drug Situation in Canada 2001 Report
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/crim_int/drugs_2001_e.htm
This report by the Criminal Intelligence Program of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reveals illegal drug trafficking activity in Canada in 2001, and is based on information from investigations and seizures conducted by the RCMP and various Canadian agencies and departments involved in drug enforcement. The report gives a brief summary of trafficking organizations, covering drugs such as cocaine, heroin, opium, marijuana, liquid cannabis resin (also known as cannabis oil, weed oil, marihuana oil, and hash oil), hashish, synthetic drugs (e.g., ecstasy), and khat (leaves of the catha edulis shrub). In HTML format, the report is accessible in both English and French. [MG]
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Atlas of Kidney Diseases [.pdf]
http://www.kidneyatlas.org/toc.htm
A comprehensive online resource on diseases of the kidney, contained in five volumes, with each chapter accessible as a downloadable Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file. Produced under the direction of Dr. Robert Schrier, chairman of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the Atlas of Kidney Diseases covers virtually every malady and procedure to which kidneys can be subjected. Rich in detail and well illustrated, individual chapters provide a wealth of information on their topic and are the product of exacting scholarly and field research. [WH]
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Men and Heart Disease: An Atlas of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mortality
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/cvd/mensatlas/index.htm
Presented by the Office for Social Environment and Health Research at West Virginia University and the Center for Disease Control's Cardiovascular Health Branch, Men and Heart Disease: An Atlas of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mortality is a companion to the Women and Heart Disease site (last mentioned in the May 17, 2002 NSDL Scout Report for Life Sciences ). The atlas, which includes more than 200 national and state maps of heart disease mortality, was designed specifically to provide critical data on "geographic, racial, and ethnic inequalities in men's heart disease death rates." For government agencies and their partners at the local, state, and national levels, the atlas also provides state fact sheets, as well as methodological and technical notes on how the studies were conducted. Accessible in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, viewers can download the report in its entirety or by individual sections. [MG]
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Working in Paterson: Occupational Heritage in an Urban Setting
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wiphtml/
Founded in 1791, Paterson, New Jersey, "the cradle of the Industrial Revolution in America," was the first planned industrial center in the US. In 1994, the Library of Congress American Folklife Center conducted an occupational culture study resulting in a collection of many hours of recorded interviews of Paterson residents and thousands of photos, documents, and other materials. There are over 600 items in the collection that document the textile industry in Paterson such as an audio clip of Sydney Carroll, talking about his work in a textile mill as a "beamer," where he joined rolls of fabric to make one giant roll. Other featured topics are foods in Paterson, from Hot Texas Wieners and sweet potato pie to Italian delis and bakeries; Paterson's African-American community; businesses along 21st Avenue; and Watson Machine International. [DS]
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Zvi Har'El's Jules Verne Collection
http://jv.gilead.org.il/
Created to make the works of Jules Gabriel Verne (a popular French author well known for his novels and short stories) readily accessible to the public, the Zvi Har'El's Jules Verne Collection is a compilation of works by and about this well-known French writer. The collection contains a comprehensive library containing 18 novels, 8 short stories, 2 essays, and 5 interviews, which are all accessible in French, English, and Spanish. The collection also contains a chronology of Verne's life, a complete bibliography of his works, a collection of scholarly articles and book reviews, a list of Hebrew translations of Verne's works, 20 pages of 70 full color Jules Verne stamps, and links to other related sites. In short, literature majors, history buffs, stamp collectors, and others are sure to find this site valuable. [MG]
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Global Forest Watch
http://www.globalforestwatch.org/english/index.htm
A series of new reports released last month by World Resources Institute's Global Forest Watch (last mentioned in the March 3, 1999 Scout Report for Science and Engineering) "concludes that vast areas of remaining intact or old-growth and primary forests are being degraded as the result of unsustainable development practices". Analysis of forest cover maps and land use practices for several countries is provided in summary form, along with links to full reports that can be downloaded. The site also has a Data Warehouse where users can download maps for their own analysis. This site is also reviewed in the May 31, 2002 NSDL Life Sciences Report. [AL]
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Slavery Era Insurance Registry
http://www.insurance.ca.gov/docs/FS-SEIR.htm
Provided by the California Department of Insurance, the Slavery Era Insurance Registry identifies over a half dozen insurance companies who issued and benefited from slavery era policies. The recently released report contains over 60 pages of charts listing the names of over 600 slaves and more than 400 slave owners. Although the registry offers clues into the lives of many slaves and their owners, it lists many slaves by their first name only, making it difficult to properly identify individual persons. However, for the advocates of slavery reparations, the report provides concrete evidence that could advance their efforts by identifying those companies who directly profited from the trafficking of slaves. For interested viewers, the report is available in HTML and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) formats. [MG]
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The American Experience: Fly Girls
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/flygirls/
Presented by the American Experience, the Fly Girls Web site is a companion to the television special airing on PBS June 2, 2002 (check local listings for time). The 60-minute special documents the largely unknown story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) who signed up to fly with the US military during World War II. The show will feature testimonials from former WASPs who discuss the planes they flew, the challenges they met, and the pride they felt in contributing to the American war effort. The accompanying Web site contains a reference section that includes interview transcripts, a list of books and articles used as sources for the film, and Fly Girls-related documents and letters. The site also contains a WASP timeline from 1937-1979, interactive maps of four trips made by Teresa James between various air bases, a teachers' reference guide, and much more. [MG]
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California in the 20's
http://www.lapl.org/photo/ca_in20s/
Provided by the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), California in the 20s is a seven page photo gallery containing images that briefly recreate the "decade which secured California's reputation as a social trendsetter." The collection, which originated from photographs given to the LAPL by the Security of Pacific National Bank, contains photos of dancing, state picnics, sporting exhibitions, airplanes and pilots, automobiles, and more. In all, it's a savvy site for individuals with a wide range of interests. [MG]
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Internet for Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Visiting
http://nmap.ac.uk/vts/nurse/
Internet for Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Visiting is a free online tutorial that provides information skills for nurses, midwives, and health visitors, allowing them to make practical use of the Internet in their work. The tutorial contains four main sections -- Tour, Discover, Review, and Reflect -- and takes approximately one hour to complete. Upon completion of the tutorial, users should be able to identify key Internet resources to support the study, teaching, and/or research for nurses, midwives, and health visitors; explain the differences between various types of Internet search tools; and use effective Internet search and browse techniques. Finally, for those completely unfamiliar with the Web world, the site also contains a glossary to help demystify some Internet terminology. [MG]
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Wiley Interscience: Scientific and Technical Acronyms, Symbols, and Abbreviations [.pdf]
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/stasa/
Made available by Wiley Interscience, this invaluable resource is loaded with useful information for students, scientists, and anyone else interested in cracking the codes of scientific notations, abbreviations, and acronyms. Presented in a downloadable Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, the entire resource can be loaded onto a computer desktop for quick reference there, or printed out for greater portability. Just a few of the categories covered by the resource include the Greek alphabet and Roman numerals, basic weights and measures units, conversion tables from English to metric units, mathematical notation, and the periodic table of the elements. [WH]
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Energy Cost Calculators
http://www.eren.doe.gov/femp/procurement/calc-index.html
Offered by the Federal Energy Management Program of the US Department of Energy, the Energy Cost Calculators Web site allows visitors to calculate lifetime energy cost savings for products at various efficiency levels and hours of operation. Although a bit involved, the tools can help the public educate themselves on energy-saving issues related to such things as refrigerators and showerheads. The related Energy Star Cost Calculator Tools link at the bottom of the page, from the Environmental Protection Agency, offers more simplified calculators on similar appliances. This site is also reviewed in the May 31, 2002 NSDL Physical Science Report.
[JAB]
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The Museum of Musical Instruments
http://www.themomi.org/museum/index2.html
Not to be mistaken for or confused with MoMA, the Museum of Musical Instruments (MoMI) is an amazing online tribute to American music and its enduring primary instrument the guitar. Founded by Hank Risan and Bianca Soros, MoMI features studies and works by some of Americas greatest musical artists, including Scott Joplin, Woody Guthrie, and Gene Autry, to name only a few. Investigating the history behind the people and their music, the site offers presentations on key periods and movements in American music, among them jazz, ragtime, hip, country, and Spanish serenades. For guitar enthusiasts alone, this site is a gold mine and an education, featuring a running side-bar on the MoMI front page that highlights specific artists guitars, each with a photo and its own tale to tell. Last but not least, the site also showcases elemental figures in the history of American music and its guitar players. Up for the edification of current readers is Bound for Glory: the Life and Times of Woody Guthrie, a multimedia study of the artists lasting legacy. [WH]
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TextArc: An Alternate Way to View a Text
http://www.textarc.org/
Textarc is an unconventional tool that gives readers the opportunity to discover patterns and concepts in texts. Still in a developmental stage, the site offers readers the opportunity to utilize human visual processing by allowing intuition to help extract meaning from a text. By exposing every word at once, the eye is able to make connections and decipher meaning otherwise overlooked by normal reading, thereby exposing the essence of a text. The site currently has Hamlet available as a full textarc text, and is in the process of exposing more literary works. Not only of value for avid readers and literary critics, the site offers librarians and archivists new approaches to cataloguing. On the whole, this new and innovative creation is at a minimum intriguing, and the site is definitely worth a visit. [MG]
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Macromedia - Flash Technotes: Web Sites Devoted to Macromedia Flash and Flash Developers
http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/ts/documents/flash_websites.htm
This site is a one-stop resource for Web sites devoted to Macromedia Flash and Flash developers. Links are arranged in sections beginning with tutorials and other resources, moving on to third party mailing lists, third party tools, and 3-D sites for Studio Max and Flash Movies. Other categories include Flash sound resources, Macromedia Flash books, and integrating Macromedia Flash with other Web players such as Beatnik, RealPlayer, and Quicktime. [MG]
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Children's Internet Protection Act Deemed Unconstitutional
Federal Judges Toss Out Online Pornography Law
http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/05/31/internet.filtering.ap/index.html
Full Text of the Court Decision
http://www.paed.uscourts.gov/documents/opinions/02D0415P.HTM
American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/cipa/
American Civil Liberties Union
http://www.aclu.org/
Children's Internet Protection Act
http://www.ifea.net/cipa.html
1998 House Report on Child Online Protection Act
http://www.epic.org/free_speech/censorship/hr3783-report.html
Communications Decency Act Struck Down
http://www.epic.org/CDA/
This morning, three federal judges overturned the Children's Internet Protection Act and ruled that public libraries cannot be forced to use Internet filters designed to block pornography. In the 195-page decision, judges asserted that the Act went too far because the filters could also block access to other legitimate sites, which is a violation of the First Amendment. The Act, which was signed by President Clinton in 2000 and widely criticized by First Amendment advocates, would have required public libraries to install the Internet filters, or risk losing federal funding. This recent decision has been applauded by the American Library Association (ALA) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which contends that the law is "unenforceable, unconstitutional, vague and overbroad." Furthermore, they argue that it denies "poor people without home computers the same access to information as their wealthier neighbors because the software could mistakenly block Web sites on issues such as breast cancer and homosexuality."
Prior to the Children's Internet Protection Act, two other anti-Internet pornography laws were brought before federal judges for constitutional challenges, and overturned. In 1996, the Communications Decency Act (which made it a crime to put adult-oriented material online where children can find it), was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court; and in 1998, the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the Child Online Protection Act (which required Web sites to collect a credit card number or other proof of age before allowing Internet users to view material deemed "harmful to minors"), stating it was too broad and vague. For more information on the recent court decision regarding the Children's Internet Protection Act, viewers can access the first link above. The second link provides access to a full copy of the court's decision on the case. Links three and four lead to home pages of the American Library Association and the American Civil Liberties Union, respectively. Lastly, links five, six, and seven provide access to copies of the Children's Internet Protection Act; the 1998 House of Representatives report on the Child Online Protection Act; and the 1996 Communications Decency Act, respectively. [MG]
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Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from The Scout Report.
The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing any portion of this report, in any format:
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2002. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
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Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-2002. The Internet Scout Project (http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.
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The Scout Report (ISSN 1092-3861) is published weekly by Internet Scout
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