“OpenStreetMap is a free worldwide map, created by people like you.”

To commemorate the 10th years since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Journal of Structural Engineering, v.137, issue 9,  has published the special issue Commemorating 10 Years of Research Since 9/11, focusing on research that was motivated by the impacts of events of that day. The articles are free to access.

We are inviting you to participate in a Survey on Mobile Library Services in Hong Kong and Singapore Academic Libraries. The survey is co-organized by libraries of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The City University of Hong Kong, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) and The University of Hong Kong.

Survey on Mobile Library Services (English version)
http://survey.ntu.edu.sg/efm/se.ashx?s=705E3F176E581145

Survey on Mobile Library Services (Chinese version)
http://survey.ntu.edu.sg/efm/se.ashx?s=705E3F171D39DE11

The primary objectives of the survey are:

1. To identify the needs and preferences of students with regard to mobile library services; and

2. To recommend a suite of pertinent mobile library services for students.

In this survey, the mobile library services are the library online contents and resources, which can be delivered and accommodated for display in mobile devices. Your responses to this questionnaire will definitely be useful to the Libraries to plan and deliver pertinent mobile library services.

The questionnaire would take about 10 minutes to complete.

Should you have questions or enquiries, please write to kmku@hku.hk

Thank you for your help with this important survey.

1. The Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy

The Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy’s aim is to increase government effectiveness by using evidence of what works based on rigorous policy analysis. On the “Mission & Activities” tab near the top of any page, visitors can read of the ineffective policies the Coalition targets. For example, the site details government-funded social programs that have failed to make progress in the areas they are supposed to help, such as “poverty reduction”, “K-12 education”, and “economic mobility.” Further down the page is a list of programs that have been deemed effective by the Coalition - “Nurse-Family Partnership,” “Career Academies,” and “Success for All in Grades K-2.” The “Publications” tab lists the five types of publications of the Coalition, including “Rigorous Evidence,” their monthly e-newsletter that can be subscribed to for free for anyone interested in evidence-based policy. Some of the other publications include “Published Op-Eds/Letters to the Editor” and “Coalition Policy Proposals,” which have covered, among other things, “Technology Development,” “Crime/Substance Abuse,” and “Health Care.”

2. Child Trends

Child Trends is a non-profit, non-partisan research center, and is the “nation’s only independent research and policy center focused exclusively on improving outcomes for children.” Child Trends has twelve areas of research, listed across the top of any page. Some of the topics include “Child Poverty,” “Fatherhood & Parenting,” “Youth Development,” and “Health.” In each section, the research focus on that topic is explained in a brief introduction, followed by resources that include research briefs, executive summaries and full reports, fact sheets, and a publications archive of materials over three years old. A feature that visitors shouldn’t miss is “What Works/LINKS,” which can be accessed via the left side menu. The data in this section is about “programs that work -or don’t- to enhance children’s development”. There are effectiveness charts, “Lifecourse Interventions that Work,” and a continually updated database on programs that work (or don’t). Visitors who are “Program Providers” in policy, education, or the media will find the “Information for…” heading on the left side of the homepage useful for fulfilling their specific needs.

3. El Paso City Directories

Urbanologists and other students of the urban condition can walk through the world of 1888 El Paso via this website. It is certainly a rather unusual “walk,” as the digitized city directories offer just a taste of the cultural and social milieu at the time, but they remain remarkable documents. These early city directories date from 1885 to 1905, and their digitization was made possible by a grant to the El Paso County Historical Society from the Robert E. and Evelyn McKee Foundation. The project is housed at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Libraries, and visitors can browse through the documents at their leisure. The directories (in most cases) include business and personal entries, and one can only imagine the historical or literary potential of such material.

[Source: The Scout Report, Volume 17, Number 7, February 18, 2011]

1. Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project: Trend Data [pdf]

The Pew Internet & American Life Project has created this terrific site which brings together many of their data sets, charts, and graphs in one convenient location. Here visitors can look over ten different data sets, including “Who’s Online”, “Online Activities”, and “Daily Internet Activities”. Some of these data sets are available as Excel files, and they will be of tremendous benefit to journalists, educators, and public policy scholars. Visitors are encouraged to use this data for a variety of reporting purposes and other needs, and they may also wish to click on the “Research Toolkit” as well. Here they will find experts, additional data sets, and survey questions from previous surveys…

2. Alcohol Studies Database

Since 1987, staff members at the Rutgers University Center of Alcohol Studies have been collecting citations of documents related to alcohol. Today, they have over 80,000 citations and much of the material is related to research and professional materials that deal with the subject. Additionally, the database contains a small collection of educational and prevention materials designed for use by educators, parents, and public health workers. The site is maintained by the Scholarly Communication Center, the Center of Alcohol Studies, and the Rutgers University Libraries. Visitors to the site can search by subject, or perform a more advanced search as well. The site also includes a “Help” area, which includes information on limiting searches, links to full text, and suggestions on using Boolean techniques…

3. The American Colony in Jerusalem, 1870-2006

This tremendous collection from the Library of Congress brings together over 10,000 manuscripts, maps, and visual materials from about a hundred years of the American Colony in Jerusalem. These materials were gifted to the Library of Congress in 2004, and the collection consists of photographs, pamphlets, telegrams, letters, book manuscripts, diaries, and ephemera that talk about the colony, along with addressing the broader history of Palestine and the Middle East in the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the highlights of the site is a special feature on the Bertha Vester diaries. Vester was the principal leader of the American Colony from 1923 to 1968, and her 48 diaries make for fascinating reading. The site also includes a timeline of events, and essays like “The Vester Diaries” and “A Community in Jerusalem”…

[Source: The Scout Report, Volume 17, Number 6, February 11, 2011]

Date: February 14, 2011 (Monday)

Time: 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.

Venue: Lecture Theatre II, G/F, The Prince Philip Dental Hospital

Presenter: Dr. Waruna Dissanayaka, MPhil Candidate, Comprehensive Dental Care

Title: Co-culture of Dental pulp stem cells with Endothelial cells enhances odontogenic and angiogenic potential in vitro.

Abstract: This study investigated whether the co-culture of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) with endothelial cells (ECs) can modulate the odontogenic and angiogenic potential. Higher mineralization, increased expression of odontogenic and angiogenic markers and early tubular network formation in co-cultures compared to single cell cultures suggested enhanced odontogenic and angiogenic capacity. These results indicate the potential use of ECs as a source to enhance the therapeutic potential of DPSCs in dentin-pulp regeneration.

Since the launch of PolicyArchive in June 2008, the collection of policy-related research has expanded to over 30,000 documents from nearly 900 recognized contributors. It goals for expanding the archive to over 40,000 documents in the next few months.

You can upload your research into Policy Archive, it is simple, and free!
1. Visit http://www.policyarchive.org, login,
2. Click “Upload Research” and follow the prompts.

Ethnographic Video Online is a collection of films, interviews, raw footage, field notes, study guides and other materials designed for the study of human culture and behavior, covering every region of the world and features the work of many of the influential documentary filmmakers of the 20th century. A wide variety of thematic areas are included, such as language and culture, social stratification and status, kinship and families, religion, and magic.

Ethnographic Video Online has been updated with an additional 189 videos, recently added include titles from Australia, France, England, Japan, Africa, Cuba, Taiwan, China, Hungary, Portugal, Ireland, and many more… some 80+ cultural groups are represented. All of the new titles are listed on the What’s New page.

As of this update, there are 591 videos, equalling 397 hours in Ethnographic Video Online. There will be 1,000 videos and more than more than 750 hours at completion.

Click here for access.

1. Hard Work in the Public Sector

Contributing organization(s): Center for Economic and Policy Research. Recent economic turmoil has led state and local governments to seek new paths to offset budget shortfalls. Among other things, one widely discussed policy option is state employee pension reforms. These proposals seek to cut pension benefits, and, moreover, to increase the retirement age. State and local government employees generally are able to access full retirement benefits at a lower age than most other American…

2. Executive Summary: A New Era in Education Reform: Preparing All Students for Success in College, Career and Life

Contributing organization(s): Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy. As society changes, the knowledge and skills required for citizens to navigate the complexities of life and work must also change. As a result, some argue that schools must provide students with a broader set of skills that will enable them to thrive in our increasingly diverse, rapidly evolving and globally-connected world. The intent is not to replace the traditional academic disciplines but to infuse them with…