http://www.mayoclinic.com/findinformation/diseasesandconditions/index.cfm

Hosted by MayoClinic.com, this helpful website offers information about a wide range of diseases and other medical conditions from scientists and physicians at the noted Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The website offers overviews of a plethora of diseases and conditions including Diarrhea, Alcohol Addiction, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and Whooping Cough, to name just a few. The overviews contain concise sections addressing Signs and Symptoms, Causes, Prevention, Treatment, When to Seek Medical Advice, and more. Site visitors can find additional information by linking to one of 16 Disease & Condition Centers. These Centers address such conditions as High Blood Pressure, Cancer, Arthritis, Pain Management, Cholesterol, Allergy, and Diabetes. [NL]

http://www.abcbirds.org/

The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is a nonprofit organization working to "conserve wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas." The ABC website provides informative and useful features such as the Bird Conservation Directory, a searchable directory of contact information for professionals engaged in bird conservation throughout the Americas, and the downloadable Birdwatcher's Guide to Global Warming (last mentioned in the June 28, 2002 NSDL Scout Report for the Life Sciences). The site also provides information about ABC membership and a variety of conservation programs such as Partners in Flight, Cats Indoors, The North American Bird Conservation Initiative, and the Pesticides and Birds Campaign. Site visitors may also view past copies of the ABC newsletter; and sign up for free email bulletins containing conservation action alerts, information, and news. [NL]

http://www.mercuryaction.org/

MercuryActionNOW is an "online resource created by Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) to provide health care professionals and concerned citizens with information about the effects of mercury emissions on public health." The website is full of links to reports, fact sheets, letters, and other websites regarding mercury-related pollution and health issues. Examples include a downloadable Salmon Contaminant Factsheet; the Environmental Protection Agency's Mercury website; the CDC's Second National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals: Mercury; and Proceedings of the 2004 National Forum on Contaminants in Fish. The PSR website provides a resource section specifically for health care providers as well as sections that link to research and technical information, media materials, and background information. PSR offers suggestions for political actions in response to mercury pollution as well. [NL]

http://www.nanfa.org/

The North American Native Fishes Association (NANFA) works "to increase and disseminate knowledge about North America's native fishes and their habitats among aquarium hobbyists, biologists, fish and wildlife officials, anglers, educators, students, and others, through publications, electronic media, regional and national meetings, and other means." The NANFA website features a Checklist of Freshwater Fishes Native to North America and a Fish in Focus section with beautiful images and brief descriptions of such fish as the Hogchoker (Trinectes maculatus), Central Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum), and Southern Redbelly Dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster). The site also contains information about an award program for breeders, grant programs, annual meetings, membership, and the NANFA quarterly magazine, American Currents. NANFA offers a solid collection of related links, and an electronic mailing list as well. The website is under construction and promises future sections relating to natural history, captive care, conservation, and collecting. [NL]

http://www.mds-foundation.org/

The Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Foundation was founded "by an international group of physicians and researchers to provide an ongoing exchange of information about MDS." For those unfamiliar with this condition, MDS "is a collection of disorders in which the bone marrow does not produce enough blood cells." The MDS Foundation website offers free resources for clinicians, information for patients, international research updates, and information about upcoming and past symposia. The site also provides an extensive list of MDS Centers of Excellence throughout the United States and around the world. Other MDS Foundation services include an International MDS Patient Registry; online forums for patients and professional members; downloadable newsletters; links to related articles and archived abstracts; and related links. [NL]

http://www.acscsn.org/

Supported by the American Cancer Society, the Cancer Survivors Network (CSN) is a non-commercial website providing cancer survivors, as well as their friends and families, with a secure, private place to communicate and share experiences. The CSN site offers a variety of online discussion groups; a resource library; a place for personal web pages; and a gallery featuring poems, images, and stories. Notably, the CSN website also contains an extensive collection of pre-recorded personal stories and talk shows. Note: Access to various sections of the CSN website is restricted to registered members; however, member registration is a free and straightforward process. [NL]

http://www.sciencekomm.at/

MedBioWorld, originally established as Science.komm (reported on in the October 27, 1999 Scout Report for Science & Engineering) in Austria by Dr. Mark Brownlow, is now operated by U.S.-based Healthnostics, Inc. MedBioWorld is an expansive information resource and reference website, providing "access to medical and bioscience journals, associations, databases and other medical resources, with more than 35,000 active links." The website offers a wide variety of links under the broad categories of Medical Resources, Bioscience Resources, and General Resources. Examples of subcategories include: Medical Portals and Search Engines; Biological Image Databases; Medical Student Resources; and Selected Science Fellowships, to name just a few. The website also contains links to journal articles, a variety of daily news sites, free medical books, images, and numerous career opportunity websites. [NL]

http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/index.cfm

The Food and Environment program was developed by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) to help "create a food system that encourages innovative and environmentally sustainable ways to produce high-quality, safe, and affordable food, while ensuring that citizens have a voice in how their food is grown." The Food and Environment website provides information about three UCS focus areas: Antibiotic Resistance, Biotechnology, and Sustainable Agriculture. The site also links to action alerts, downloadable reports, news, and special features like the UCS Pharm Crop Database, a source for information on USDA-approved pharmaceutical and industrial crop production by state. Site visitors can also link to information about other UCS programs including Clean Vehicles, Global Environment, Clean Energy, and Global Security. [NL]