A very promising website, but there aren’t very many offerings as yet.
Reviewed in GEN, “Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News”, Aug 01, 2014 (Vol. 34, No. 14), Column: Best of the Web
Category Archives: Web resources
SCOPUS reviewed in Choice, January, 2015
Scopus. Elsevier.http://www.elsevier.com/online-tools/scopus.
A very complimentary review by –J. N. Jeffryes, University of Minnesota
“Scopus’s nearest competitor is Web of Science http://thomsonreuters.com/thomson-reuters-web-of-science/ (CH, Jan’11, 48-2436), and the two tools remain somewhat complementary. For post-1996 information, Scopus comes off as the more impressive of the two with its advanced citation analysis visualizations, wider inclusion of conference papers, and adoption of alternative impact metrics. Because the citation counts and h index calculations go back only to 1996, Web of Science has the historical edge. In the areas of interface design and record readability, Scopus is the stronger tool. It provides an intuitive search format to explore an impressively broad base of research; if the depth of coverage were expanded (or as 1996 becomes more distant), this tool would become even more valuable. Even as it is today, it is a very valuable resource for academic and professional libraries. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above”
The complete review is here: http://www.cro3.org/content/52/05/52-2504.full
EPA Coal Plant Emissions Data included in TOXMAP
10 Dec 2014
*NLM Technical Bulletin, Nov-Dec 2014, NLM Resource Update: TOXMAP Now Includes EPA Coal Plant Emissions Data
Data was obtained from the Air Markets Program Data (AMPD) tool, a publicly-available data system for searching and downloading data collected as part of EPA emissions trading programs. In 2013, about 2.1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions were attributable to electricity generated from coal.
TOXMAP is a Geographic Information System (GIS) from NLM that uses maps of the United States to help users visually explore data from the EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Superfund Programs.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/nd14/brief/nd14_epa_coal_plant_emissions_data.html
Wonders of Life, with Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rgjt0
“In Brian Cox’s Wonders of Life (HarperCollins/William Collins; Gr 4 Up), the renowned physicist-cum-BBC host and Andrew Cohen take viewers around the world on an awe-inspiring trip to locations both forbidding and exotic while delving into the origins and mysteries of life on Earth. The app’s illuminating text and commentary, 1,000-plus high-resolution photos, numerous 3-D images, and hours of video clips will leave viewers with a profound respect for and curiosity about the diverse life forms and environs found on our planet, and inspire a desire to protect them. Up-close footage of numerous species is guaranteed to produce lots of “ooohhh…” moments.”
http://www.slj.com/2014/12/reviews/best-of/sljs-top-10-apps-for-2014/#_
One of the top 10 aps for 2014, assessed by School Library Journal, Dec. 9, 2014.
UNESCO resource: World Library of Science
UNESCO Launches Online Science Education Resource
From UNESCO:
UNESCO launched the UNESCO World Library of Science (WLoS), a newly created, free online science education resource for a global community of users. Developed through the joint efforts of UNESCO, Nature Education and Roche, the WLoS was created to give students around the world, especially those in disadvantaged regions, access to the latest science information as well as the opportunity to share their experiences and learning through discussion with their peers in a shared learning environment.
Launched on the occasion of World Science Day for Peace and Development 2014, the WLoS is a science resource library stocked with over 300 top-quality articles, 25 eBooks, and over 70 videos from the publishers of Nature, the most cited scientific journal in the world. It is also a state-of-the-art digital platform that provides a community hub for learning. Users can join classes, build groups and connect with other learners.
UNESCO launched the UNESCO World Library of Science (WLoS), a newly created, free online science education resource for a global community of users. Developed through the joint efforts of UNESCO, Nature Education and Roche, the WLoS was created to give students around the world, especially those in disadvantaged regions, access to the latest science information as well as the opportunity to share their experiences and learning through discussion with their peers in a shared learning environment. – See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/about-us/single-view/news/unesco_partners_with_nature_education_and_roche_to_launch_the_world_library_of_science_a_free_online_science_education_resource/#.VHSNdclDXjV
Source: [ResourceShelf] Newsletter 624, Dec. 9, 2014
Science Montana
“The database is available online (http://www.sciencemontana.org/).
Free resources include lesson plans, videos, hands-on activities and other materials in earth science, life science, physical science and space science. Scientists at Montana universities created most of the materials.”
Source: ResearchBuzz, Dec. 2, 2014, by Tara Calishain
NASA apps: global planet changes, NASA content and television
Featured NASA Apps
NASA Spinoff
NASA Spinoff profiles the best examples of technology that have been transferred from NASA research and missions into commercial products. From life-saving satellite systems to hospital robots that care for patients and more, NASA technologies benefit society. There’s more space in your life than you think!
› Get the iPad App →
Related: › Technology Innovation iPad App →
Images of Change
Human activities, a changing climate and natural disasters are rapidly altering the face of our planet. Now, with NASA’s Images of Change iPad application, users can get an interactive before-and-after view of these changes.
› Read More
› Get the iPad App→
NASA App
The NASA App showcases a huge collection of the latest NASA content, including images, videos on-demand, NASA Television, mission information, news & feature stories, latest tweets, ISS sighting opportunities, satellite tracking, Third Rock Radio and much more.
Source: http://www.nasa.gov/connect/apps.html#.VHYWqTHF_To
Periodic Table videos, University of Nottingham
From Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, November 15, 2014, p.42, there is a brief description, of highly-rated Periodic Videos. 118 of them have been done, and are being revised by a group of chemists at the University of Nottingham in the UK. Try out this interactive periodic table!
“Read our essay in the journal Science – Science link
And our paper in Nature Chemistry – Nature link (£)”
GENengnews.com,
World Library of Science introduced by UNESCO
UNESCO has launched the World Library of Science. “The library will be accessible to internet users everywhere in the world, at no cost. The majority of the content is for university-level students, giving them resources to ‘complement their learning’.” Target groups are students and teachers in the more underdeveloped parts of the world, especially, Africa. “The library – WLoS – ‘contains’ more than 300 articles, 25 eBooks and some 70 videos, as well as a digital platform that “provides a community hub” for learning, according to UNESCO, which created the site jointly with the international Nature Education publishing group and the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche.
“The library – WLoS – ‘contains’ more than 300 articles, 25 eBooks and some 70 videos, as well as a digital platform that “provides a community hub” for learning, according to UNESCO, which created the site jointly with the international Nature Education publishing group and the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche.”
From ResearchBuzz Saturday Afternoon Buzz, November 15th, 2014, Tara Calishain
Global Forest Watch — Internet Resource
http://www.globalforestwatch.org/(reviewed in CHOICE November 2014).
[Visited Aug’14] Global Forest Watch (GFW), currently in beta phase, is a dazzling, open data website that aims to monitor deforestation worldwide. With partners like Google, the Jane Goodall Institute, and UNEP (among many others) and “convened by the World Resources Institute,” GFW will impress visitors with its beauty and obvious value. In order to provide “near-real-time” access to information like logging practices, GFW uses satellite images and provides a hub for local communities to upload photos and report illegal deforestation by use of smartphones and GPS mapping. The goal is to track these events as they happen, instead of months or even years later. Unfortunately, it is not possible for all the maps to be updated instantly. Users must agree to a lengthy terms of service agreement before entering the site, ensuring that they understand the limitations of the data presented.
Technology-adept users will find GFW extremely intuitive. Users begin with a 2-D map featuring multiple overlays; displays can be selected from sections such as Forest Change, Forest Cover, Forest Use, and Conservation. Data can be limited by years, ranging from 2001 to 2013. The Countries section contains more in-depth information. The site also features stories about deforestation, a blog prepared by the GFW team, and an alert service. GFW is rightfully confident of its benefits, providing a detailed plan of how the site can be utilized. Significantly, GFW clearly identifies the sources of the information retrieved, supporters of the site, and funding sources. Brief tutorials and FAQs offer additional information. Nearly everyone can find a use for this site and the inestimable data within–whether as a teaching tool or as a primary source for research. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic, general, and professional library collections.”
–C. M. Woxland, Utah State University
Copyright 2014 American Library Association