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Daily Archives: June 22, 2020

Research Shows Virus Undetectable on Five Highly Circulated Library Materials After Three Days

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS): “In the first phase of a project to disseminate and develop science-based information about how materials can be handled to mitigate exposure to staff and visitors, scientists have found that the virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 is not detectable on five common library materials after three days. The findings are part of the Reopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) Project designed to generate scientific information to support the handling of core museum, library, and archival materials as these institutions begin to resume operations and reopen to the public. The first phase of the research is focusing on commonly found and frequently handled materials, especially in U.S. public libraries. Over the past few weeks, scientists at Battelle tested the virus on a variety of surfaces, in environments with standard temperature and relative humidity conditions typically found in air-conditioned office space. Materials tested in phase one included the cover of hardcover books (buckram cloth), the cover of softback books, plain paper pages inside a closed book, mylar protective book cover jackets, and plastic DVD cases. Battelle tests found the virus undetectable after one day on the covers of hardback and softback books as well as the DVD case. The virus was undetectable on the paper inside of a book and mylar book jackets after three days. “It’s below the limit of detection on our viability assay,” said Battelle Principal Research Scientist Will Richter. Lab testing of physical items followed literature reviews conducted by Battelle to help define the scope of the project’s research and the information needs of libraries, archives, and museums. Last week, the REALM Project released “Systematic Literature Review of SARS-CoV-2: Spread, Environmental Attenuation, Prevention, and Decontamination,” prepared by Battelle. This is an in-depth review of published literature on virus transmission, attenuation, and decontamination methods that can inform discussion and decisions about operations in archives, libraries, and museums…”

Federal Reserve announces FraudClassifier Model to help organizations classify fraud involving payments

Federal Reserve Board: “The Federal Reserve today published the FraudClassifier model—a set of tools and materials to help provide a consistent way to classify and better understand the magnitude of fraudulent activity and how it occurs across the payments industry. The model was developed by the Fraud Definitions Work Group, which was comprised of Federal… Continue Reading

Blockscan: The Search Engine for a Decentralized Web

Medium: “Accessing decentralized, uncensorable websites has long been touted as one of the potential uses for Ethereum. In recent years, projects such as ENS and Unstoppable Domains have made large strides in this area. Users are now able to access these sites by simply entering human-readable names instead of long-winded IPFS hashes. One challenge remains:… Continue Reading

Apple adds dedicated biking feature and electric vehicle routing to locate EV chargers

Tech Crunch: “Apple’s newest version of iOS is bringing a host of new features to Maps, including a dedicated cycling option that will optimize paths for bicyclists and even let users know if the route includes challenging hills. Apple unveiled the new feature Monday at a virtual version of WWDC 2020, the company’s annual developer… Continue Reading

Global Fact7 Virtual

“This year’s Global Fact conference will be the largest worldwide gathering of fact-checkers. More than 150 speakers from more than 40 different countries will discuss the state and the future of fact-checking. The week-long virtual gathering kicks off Monday, June 22, 2020 Global Fact 7, an annual conference organized by the International Fact-Checking Network, will… Continue Reading

How Humanity Unleashed a Flood of New Diseases

The New York Times – What do Covid-19, Ebola, Lyme and AIDS have in common? They jumped to humans from animals after we started destroying habitats and ruining ecosystems. “…There is much we don’t know about the origins of the ongoing pandemic and some details that we may never learn. Though genetic sequencing currently indicates… Continue Reading

New annual report from Information Security Oversight Office

2019 Report to the President – Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO), June 2020: “…Our Government’s ability to protect and share Classified National Security Information and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) continues to present serious challenges to our national security. While dozens of agencies now use various advanced technologies to accomplish their missions, a majority of them… Continue Reading

ABA report examines experiences, challenges faced by women lawyers of color

“A new report from the American Bar Association, “Left Out and Left Behind: The Hurdles, Hassles, and Heartaches of Achieving Long-Term Legal Careers for Women of Color,” reveals the experiences and challenges faced by women lawyers of color. Although women of color comprise 14% of all associates, the percentage of women of color partners has… Continue Reading

Bringing fact check information to Google Images

Google Blog: “Photos and videos are an incredible way to help people understand what’s going on in the world. But the power of visual media has its pitfalls⁠—especially when there are questions surrounding the origin, authenticity or context of an image. Starting today, we are surfacing fact check information in Google Images globally to help… Continue Reading

A Glimpse at the Faces Behind Scientific Illustrations

The Fisheries Blog: “The fields of art and the sciences are intimately combined. The detailed illustrations by artists and scientists, that back up years worth of scientific research describing new species, anatomy and behavior, complex processes, and new technologies, make a huge impact on the transfer of knowledge and understanding of these systems to interested… Continue Reading

John Bolton’s Book That Trump Wanted to Stop Is Spreading Widely on Piracy Sites

Motherboard: ‘The Room Where it Happened’ is tearing up the charts on sites where people download the book for free. Former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s memoir The Room Where It Happened is set to release tomorrow, but it’s already a huge hit on pirate sites. According to Torrent Freak, The Pirate Bay, Google Drive,… Continue Reading

‘BlueLeaks’ Exposes Files from Hundreds of Police Departments

Krebs on Security – “Hundreds of thousands of potentially sensitive files from police departments across the United States were leaked online last week. The collection, dubbed “BlueLeaks” and made searchable online, stems from a security breach at a Texas web design and hosting company that maintains a number of state law enforcement data-sharing portals. The… Continue Reading