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Daily Archives: November 27, 2011

Digitized: Audubon’s Birds of America, accompanied by his Ornithological Biography

“The University of Pittsburgh is fortunate to own one of the rare, complete sets of John James Audubon’s Birds of America. It is considered to be the single most valuable set of volumes in the collections of the University Library System (ULS). Indeed, only 120 complete sets are known to exist. While Audubon was creating Birds of America, he was also working on a companion publication, namely, his Ornithological Biography. Both of these sets were acquired by William M. Darlington in the mid-nineteenth century and later donated, as part of his extensive library, to the University of Pittsburgh. Recognizing that the Darlington Library includes significant historical materials, such as rare books, maps, atlases, illustrations, and manuscripts, the ULS charted an ambitious course to digitize a large portion of Mr. Darlington’s collection, including the Birds of America. We are pleased to present our complete double elephant folio set of Audubon’s Birds of America, accompanied by his Ornithological Biography, through this Web site. Together these sets constitute an unprecedented online combination.”

Pew: Why Americans use social media

Why Americans use social media – Social networking sites are appealing as a way to maintain contact with close ties and reconnect with old friends, by Aaron Smith, Senior Research Specialist, 11/14/2011 “Two-thirds of online adults (66%) use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or LinkedIn. These internet users say that connections with… Continue Reading

Education Commission of the States: Policies for Open Enrollment Database

ECS State Policies for Open Enrollment Database: “This database contains information about the state policies for open enrollment in each state. To one degree or another, open-enrollment policies allow a student to transfer to the public school of his or her choice. There are two basic types of open-enrollment policies in place in the states… Continue Reading

Cross-Cutting Themes in Advanced Economies with Emerging Market Banking Links

Cross-Cutting Themes in Advanced Economies with Emerging Market Banking Links, International Monetary Fund, November 14, 2011 “The most recent decade has seen a growing presence of banks headquartered in advanced economies (AEs) expanding into emerging markets (EMs). These expansions have brought some benefits to both home and host countries, but the global financial crisis has… Continue Reading

Antibiotic Use Visualizations on ResistanceMap and the Drug Resistance Index

News release via Andrea Titus: “Two big updates from Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy’s [CDDEP] Extending the Cure project… First, ResistanceMap has released its first ever interactive visualizations on antibiotic use. The new maps show trends in outpatient prescribing across the United States over time, and viewers can sort data by geography (at… Continue Reading

HealthCare.gov Insurance Finder Gets Better for Consumers

News release: “…the Department of Health and Human Services updated the HealthCare.gov Insurance Finder with more information on private insurance plans. Created under the Affordable Care Act, www.HealthCare.gov was launched July 1, 2010, and is the first website of its kind to bring information about private and public health coverage options into one place to… Continue Reading

More Unequal and More Separate: Growth in the Residential Segregation of Families by Income, 1970-2009

More Unequal and More Separate: Growth in the Residential Segregation of Families by Income, 1970-2009, Center for Education Policy Analysis, 11/16/2011 “As overall income inequality grew in the last four decades, high- and low-income families have become increasingly less likely to live near one another. Mixed income neighborhoods have grown rarer, while affluent and poor… Continue Reading

Ernst & Young – Renewable energy country attractiveness indices

“The Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices track and rank 40 countries’ renewable energy markets across a selection of technologies each quarter. As policy-makers scramble to stop recession tightening its grip on major economies, demographic changes and growth in emerging markets appear to be driving renewable energy investment. Developed countries are focused on slowing demand and… Continue Reading

Landmine Monitor 2011 covers landmine ban policy, use, production, trade, and stockpiling for every country in the world

Landmine Monitor 2011 – International Campaign to Ban Landmines [See also the searchable database] “Peace agreements may be signed, and hostilities may cease, but landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) are an enduring legacy of conflict. Antipersonnel mines are munitions designed to explode from the presence, proximity, or contact of a person. Antivehicle mines… Continue Reading

Fish Barcode of Life Campaign (FISH-BOL)

“The Fish Barcode of Life Initiative (FISH-BOL), is a global effort to coordinate an assembly of a standardised reference sequence library for all fish species, one that is derived from voucher specimens with authoritative taxonomic identifications. The benefits of barcoding fishes include facilitating species identification for all potential users, including taxonomists; highlighting specimens that represent… Continue Reading