“*NLM Technical Bulletin, Nov-Dec 2011, Search Auto-Complete Feature Added to NLM Main Web Site, MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en Español
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/nd11/nd11_mplus_auto_complete.html “
From NLM New files for the week of Nov 7, 2011
Scientific American’s Online Archive to 1845 Goes Live
November 3, 2011 03:50
Source: Resource Shelf, ResourceBlog Nov. 10th:
“From the press release:
Readers can now revisit original reports of Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone and Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb. Scientific American‘s complete archive, back to volume 1, issue 1, is now available on nature.com. To celebrate the completion of the Scientific American archive on nature.com, the 1845-1909 archive collection will be free to all to access from 1-30 November 2011. Published since 1845,Scientific American is the longest continually published magazine in the U.S.”
Global Open Access Portal launched at UNESCO meet – 07 Nov 2011
“The Global Open Access Portal (GOAP) was launched at a special side event organised during the 36th session of the UNESCO General Conference at Paris headquarters. The portal is aimed at presenting a snapshot of the status of open access (OA) to scientific information around the world.
For countries that have been more successful in implementing OA, the portal highlights critical success factors and aspects of the enabling environment. For countries and regions that are still in the early stages of OA development, it identifies key players, potential barriers and opportunities.
The portal has country reports from over 148 countries with weblinks to over 2,000 initiatives/projects in member states. It is supported by an existing Community of Practice (CoP) on Open Access on the WSIS Knowledge Communities Platform that has over 1,400 members.
The GOAP, launched together with the revamped Open Training Platform (OTP) and the first UNESCO Open Educational Resources (OER) Platform, provides the information for policy-makers to learn about the global OA environment. They can also view their country’s status, and understand where and why OA has been most successful.
Development of the portal has been made possible with support received from the governments of Columbia, Denmark, Norway and the US. The portal will be a work in progress, and shall be further improved with the support received from the community of OA practitioners.
OA is reportedly at the heart of UNESCO’s mandate to provide universal access to information and knowledge. The UNESCO Open Access programme shall continue to facilitate policy dialogue in member states, share knowledge and best practices in the field of OA, and build and share local capacities through North-South and South-South co-operation to build knowledge societies for sustainable development.”
Source: Knowledgespeak Newsletter (today)
Secrets of the Sequence
“If you are looking to get in on the ground floor of the DNA sequencing that occurs in a high-tech laboratory, this video series is a fine place to start. Produced with help from a variety of sponsors, such as the National Academies and Pfizer, this site from Virginia Commonwealth University brings together 50 of the best videos from the public television series “Secrets of the Sequence” to “assist teachers in the application of genetic research across the biology curriculum.” Each of the videos is 8-10 minutes long, and they are divided into topical areas that include anatomy, bioethics, and DNA. Visitors can download each video, or just stream them directly from the site. Finally, the site also includes a number of helpful educational worksheets and guides for teachers.”
Source: The Scout Report, Univ. of Wisconsin, Oct. 28, 2011
Microbe World (Last reviewed in the Scout Report on November 19, 1999)
“Microbe World has grown by leaps and bounds since the Scout Report last reviewed the site. First-time visitors will notice that the homepage contains a featured image and a featured video, which usually features a science expert speaking on microbes via an archived webcast. Moving on, the right-hand side of the homepage contains informational videos that cover how to get started with using Microbe World. The “Videos” tab will allow users to learn from dozens of videos that cover a gamut of topics, such as genetically engineered bacteria and an investigation into the origins of the Black Plague. Visitors can also use the “Images” tab to view high quality images of microbes taken from various research laboratories, science organizations, and so on. Finally, users can use the “Resources” area to view laboratory demonstrations and find out about new microbe-related apps that are under development.”
Source: University of Wisconsin’s Scout Report 10/21/11
MeSH is a great resource,a thesaurus, especially significant if you access Medline — from whatever source. (PubMed is the free version, accessible everywhere anyone has access to the internet.)
MeSH means Medical Subject Headings. They are assigned by indexers at the National Library of Medicine. This thesaurus is complete with definitions or scope notes. It is organized in a hierarchical fashion so that if you wanted to search all antibiotics, for example, you wouldn’t have to separately type all of them, but could just “explode” the main heading. You can limit the headings to a major concept, the most important concept(s) in the article. You can also attach subheadings, such as adverse effects of antibiotics.
Provided by the Royal Society of Chemistry and Symyx Technologies.
http://iyc2011.acs.org/2011/10/16/chemistry-theres-an-app-for-that/#.Tp3XZQ7LzrI.facebook
Submitted by Anne Langley, Oct. 18, 2011
News from the Frankfurt Bookfair
…”Additionally, the EU’s Publications Office offered a discussion of CORDIS, the primary repository and official dissemination portal of EU-funded research projects and results. Its presentation sought to answer the question, ‘How do we find the best partners for new research projects?’ The presentation demonstrated CORDIS’ new interactive platform for fostering cross-European partnerships in research including collaborative tools, RSS, blogs and online communication with special emphasis on current social networking trends.”
Source: Knowledgespeak Newsletter.
New Rochelle, NY, October 3, 2011— Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) celebrates 30 years as the world’s first and most widely read magazine for the biotechnology industry. Universally heralded as the definitive information source in this field, GEN covers the technology, trends, products, services, and advances that shape and drive the industry forward. GEN’s 130-page commemorative issue features articles written by luminaries, and an original poster that tracks the milestones that have altered the course of biotechnology, leading to today’s most groundbreaking scientific and therapeutic discoveries.
McGraw-Hill Research Foundation releases paper on strategies to boost STEM research – 27 Sep 2011
The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation has released a new policy paper by Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, that seeks to offer practical and scalable solutions to the problem of inadequate supply of college graduates excelling in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Dr. Hrabowski is President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). He says research in STEM is critical as the US addresses key challenges in healthcare, the environment, national security and the economy.
In the paper, Institutional Change in Higher Education: Innovation and Collaboration, Dr. Hrabowski discusses how his institution has addressed the shortage of STEM graduates, particularly among groups that have been underrepresented in these fields, including minorities, women and students from low-income backgrounds. UMBC has been recognised widely as a leader in higher education innovation, according to him. For three years in a row, the US News and World Report America’s Best Colleges Guide has ranked the university number one among ‘Up-and-Coming’ national universities.
To help meet the growing demand for STEM experts nationwide and encourage institutional change, Dr. Hrabowski urges colleges and universities to establish priorities, focus on strategic planning, and emphasise effectiveness and efficiency in the use of resources; reflect on their institution’s culture, taking into account school values, practices, habits and even the relationships among faculty, staff, and students; encourage the involvement of the entire campus, including faculty, administration, and students, in understanding and addressing broad retention issues and general academic performance; focus on the importance of group study and other approaches that inform redesign for first-year STEM courses; increase support for minority groups by providing knowledge and skill development, academic and social integration, support and motivation, and advising and monitoring; and develop distinct programmes and initiatives that address change needed in graduate programmes.
Dr. Hrabowski shows that the framework developed through the Meyerhoff Scholars Program underlies other important programmes and initiatives at UMBC that have helped create a campus climate of inclusive excellence. He will discuss the paper’s themes as a featured speaker at the third annual Innovation in Education Summit in New York City on September 28, 2011. Sponsored by The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation, the event brings together experts to discuss critical issues and trends and their impact on today’s education environment.”
Source: Knowledgespeak Newsletter