West Nile Virus Maps - 2002
http://cindi.usgs.gov/hazard/event/west_nile/west_nile.html
The US Geological Survey Center for Integration of Natural Disaster Information has provided these maps of reported occurrences of West Nile Virus (WNV). "The West Nile Virus Surveillance System is intended to monitor the geographic and temporal spread of WNV over the contiguous United States." Maps include 2002 surveillance data for birds, humans, mosquitoes, sentinel chicken flocks, and data submitted by veterinarians. Maps from previous years are available, including comprehensive maps through 2000, and maps of 2001 data. It is unclear whether the 2002 maps are based on 2002 data alone, or include all data through June of 2002. Brief background on WNV and surveillance activities help make this site appealing to a broader audience. [AL]
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Journal of Biology
http://jbiol.com/
This new online journal published by BioMed Central is a free publication of "research articles of exceptional interest, with associated commentary." Articles and commentaries can be viewed by abstract, full text, or in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format for printing. Current and back issues will be available for browsing, and the search function allows users to search not only this journal, but also the entire BioMed Central and PubMed collections. This site is also reviewed in the July 12, 2002 Scout Report. [AL]
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HIV Molecular Immunology Database
http://hiv-web.lanl.gov/content/immunology/index.html/index.html
The HIV Molecular Immunology Database, associated with the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of California, and the US Department of Energy, "is an annotated, searchable collection of HIV-1 cytotoxic and helper T-cell epitopes and antibody binding sites." Links are provided to a number of other tools, as well as the associated HIV Immunology Database Compendia, which is downloadable in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. The search functions are fairly easy to use with several drop down boxes to select the fields of interest. [AL]
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Bibliography of Articles on the Effects of Air Pollution on Trees and Forests
http://www.cnie.org/nle/treebib/treetop.htm
The Committee for the National Institute for the Environment has provided this bibliography, focusing mainly on the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the eastern US. The bibliography is conveniently organized both alphabetically and by type of publication. Although the bibliography has not been updated for a few years, it still provides a valuable compilation of literature on the subject of air pollution's effects on vegetation. [AL]
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Hypomyces
http://nt.ars-grin.gov/taxadescriptions/hypomyces/
This Web site is part of the National Science Foundation's Partnerships to Enhance Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET) program and is developed by both the US Department of Agriculture's Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory and Pennsylvania State University's Department of Plant Pathology. The site provides a broad overview of the genus Hypomyces, which are generally found growing on fruit bodies of fungi. The site includes information on various stages and habitats for each of the taxa included, as well as basic nomenclature. A large number of images help make this an informative Web site. [AL]
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DPDx: Identification and Diagnosis of Parasites of Public Health Concern
http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/Default.htm
This Web site from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Parasitic Diseases has a goal of "using the internet to strengthen diagnosis of parasitic diseases." The site provides information about the cause, life cycle, and treatment (among other things) for a number of parasites, listed in alphabetical order and categorized by location of residence. The image library contains a number of images for each parasite. Laboratory researchers and medical professionals may also benefit from the site's Diagnostic Assistance feature, where digital images and data about the parasite can be emailed to DPDx for diagnosis. [AL]
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BioProtocol.com
http://bioprotocol.bio.com/protocolstools/index.jhtml
This compendium of online laboratory protocols is provided by BioProtocol, Inc., a company founded by three postdocs from at the University of California, Berkeley. A host of procedures are included in a number of browseable categories. Users can develop a customized set of protocols as just one of the benefits of completing the free registration. Each protocol "has gone through a meticulous editorial process to ensure that it is complete, follows a uniform format, and instructions are clear and unambiguous." BioProtocol.com is part of the larger Bio.com site that offers many additional features. [AL]
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CDC Wonder
http://wonder.cdc.gov/
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides this Web site as a "single point of access to a variety of CDC reports, guidelines, and numeric public health data." Site visitors can log on to the site as an anonymous user, or complete the free registration to enhance the site's features. Data sources are conveniently listed and described, making the site's variety of topics easy to browse; additionally, users looking for information on a specific topic may appreciate the search function. [AL]
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