NIHSeniorHealth Health Information for Older Adults
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Library of Medicine recently launched NIHSeniorHealth.gov, a website developed from NIA research on older adults, cognitive aging, and computer usage. This easy-to-use website "makes aging-related health information easily accessible for adults 60 and older" and serves as "a useful tool for family members and friends who are seeking online health information for their older relatives." Topics covered include Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, e
AskERIC: Cell-City Project
In this AskERIC lesson plan for grades 5-9, students compare the structure and function of cell organelles to that of a working city -- a handy analogy for learning the basics of cell biology. The activities outlined in the lesson plan, which takes three to four 55-minute sessions to complete, combine art and science for an interdisciplinary learning experience. Vocabulary words, useful links, and downloadable worksheets are included along with lesson procedures.
GenePath: An Intelligent Assistant to the Discovery of Genetic Pathways
The Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia present an improved, second version of GenePath, a "web-enabled intelligent assistant for the analysis of genetic data and for discovery of genetic networks." GenePath automates the complex process of determining gene interrelationships and users may download existing projects or start new ones from scratch. The website also provides a very detailed, nicely-designed guide to running GenePath, available as a sep
Two Updates on Stem Cell Research
In a recent press briefing, stem cell research pioneers James Thomson and John Gearhart announced that, despite political obstacles and limited funding, stem cell research is progressing and clinical trials on human beings should begin within the next five years. The Why Files chronicles the first five years of embryonic stem cell research, covering the science, the politics, and the ethical issues behind this contentious topic (and a closer look at the both the promise and doubt in adult stem c
Patterns of Gene Expression in Drosophila Embryogenesis
A new image database of gene expression patterns in Drosophila embryogenesis is now available from the Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project (BDGP), a consortium of the Drosophila Genome Center. The BDGP team used "high throughput 96-well plate RNA in situ protocol to determine patterns of gene expression during embryogenesis for Drosophila genes represented in non-redundant sets of Drosophila ESTs DGC1 and DGC2." The entire set of image, microarray, and annotation data may be browsed or searched f
The TOPEX/ Poseidon Kids Page
In an effort to disseminate information from the TOPEX/ Poseidon satellite project, the Center for Space Research and the Texas Space Grant Consortium have developed the TOPEX/ Poseidon Kids Page. This online activity for younger students explains through simple descriptions and fun illustrations how the satellite measures the height of the ocean. Additional pages include an online quiz, a downloadable coloring book, an Ask a Scientist section, and other relevant facts and information.
Chandra X-Ray Observatory Educational Materials
NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory Web site (last mentioned in the January 17, 2001 Scout Report for Science & Engineering ) offers an extensive Educational Materials links page. Formal educational materials are available such as lessons and activities, as well as general information pages, interactive and printable games, and more. One high school activity, for example, demonstrates Supernova Explosions using a soda can.
IPGRI: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
This website is the homepage of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), "an international research institute with a mandate to advance the conservation and use of genetic diversity for the well-being of present and future generations." The site is packed with informative resources on agricultural biodiversity, including IPGRI breaking news, downloadable publications, links to online databases, and much more. The publications library is quite a find, with a number of download
Amphibian Embryology Tutorial
Amphibian Embryology Tutorial, originally created to supplement Jeff Hardin's Introduction to Animal Development course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is "part of an ongoing project designed to implement multimedia and computer-based learning materials in the university undergraduate classroom." The tutorial is organized by major stages of development: Oogenesis and fertilization, cleavage, gastrulation, and neurulation. The Web site also includes an explanation of why we use amphibians
CBC News: Scientists Investigate Toxin, Mussel Threats in Lake Erie
This Web site contains an article from CBC News, covering the fish and bird die-offs in Lake Erie the summer of 2002 that researchers believe may be due to type E botulism, which is in turn linked to the invasive zebra mussel population. The site offers a video interview with Phil Ryan of Canada's Ministry of Natural Resources.
Solid-State Lighting
Solid-state lighting is a revolutionary technology that uses semiconducting materials to create light while generating almost no heat. This is extremely energy efficient, but until recently has been impractical due to the small amount of light emitted. New developments in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have reversed this trend, and strong interest has been shown by the US government and many research bodies.A good introduction to the technology can be found at the Lighting Research Center (1). It
America's Backyard: Exploring Your Public Lands
America's Backyard: Exploring Your Public Lands is the featured topic of National Geographic's Geography Action! -- an "annual conservation and awareness program designed to educate and excite people about our natural, cultural, and historic treasures." This Web site offers a number of public land-related educational activities, many of the which apply directly to the life sciences. Activities are available for grades K-12, and cover such topics as the role of forests in our daily lives, conserv
4 Girls Health
The Office on Women's Health in the US Department of Health and Human Services offers this Web site, which focuses on "many health topics that respond to adolescent girls' health concerns and motivates girls to choose healthy behaviors using positive, supportive and non-threatening messages." Topics covered include everything from puberty to stress relief to body image. Far from the outdated reel-to-reel films some of us had to endure in 5th grade health class, this Web site is a well-designed c
The Tree of Life
The Tree of Life is a collection of about 2000 World Wide Web pages containing information about the diversity of life. These pages are authored by biologists from around the world... Each page contains information about one group of organisms. The pages are linked one to another in the form of the evolutionary tree of organisms, with the pages branching off from a group's page being about subgroups. This vast site contains a large collection of biological images, most of which can be reproduced
Network Montana Project Instructional Materials
Montana State University maintains the Network Montana Project Instructional Materials Web site. The four subject areas covered include the atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and mountain environments. Each of these contain "Information Rich Problem Solving Activities" categorized by expertise level ranging from novice to expert. In the geosphere novice level, for example, the Exploding Mountain exercise lets students compare before and after volcano images, learn about lava, and explore locati
MCEER: Publications
Engineering and Organizational Issues Related to The World Trade Center Terrorist Attack is a three-volume series published by the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research. The reports liken the structural damage of the towers to what could be experienced in the event of a massive earthquake or other natural disaster. Volume One discusses the extent of damage to the buildings surrounding Ground Zero, including both towers. Photographs help convey the magnitude of destruction
NCBI Trace Archive
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) of the National Library of Medicine offers the Trace Archive -- "a repository of the raw sequence traces generated by large sequencing projects." The Trace Archive is the sole source of raw sequence data for projects that rely on a Whole Genome Shotgun strategy. Users can search the archive by BLAST or by a number of other query options. The archive offers trace files, fasta files, quality scores, and ancillary data. The Web site also incl
Biological Soil Crusts
Biological soil crust probably isn't the first thing that springs to mind when snapping that photo of the Delicate Arch at Arches National Park. However, without the algae, mosses, cyanobacteria, and other tiny organisms that inhabit the surface of desert soils, places like Arches and other arid environments would be quite different. The US Geological Survey provides an online guide to biological soil crusts in this easy-to-navigate Web site. Crust 101 contains a detailed introduction to soil cr
Mindshare: PC System Architecture
Mindshare is a company that specializes in technical training for a variety of computer technologies. Five short courses can be accessed from the Mindshare home page at no charge, after completing a quick registration. The online courses give an overview of the "PCI-X System Architecture, Rambus, USB 2.0, PCI Power Management, and Infiniband System Architecture." Each of these technologies is introduced with a virtual presentation, which shows video of the speaker and the slides used in the talk
Conservation International: Biodiversity Hotspots
The nonprofit organization Conservation International (CI) aims to "conserve Earth's living natural heritage, our global diversity, and to demonstrate that human societies are able to live harmoniously with nature." This Web site from CI's Center for Applied Biodiversity Science explains how biodiversity hotspots are designated and offers visitors a look at efforts to protect "these biologically rich areas around the world under significant threat of destruction." The highlight of this site is t
