OTHER BULLETIN BOARDS FOR THE NATURAL SCIENCES Upda
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OTHER BULLETIN BOARDS FOR THE NATURAL SCIENCES
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Update Dec. 10, 1987
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*NEWEST INFO*
See BIOSIS TAXONOMIC REFERENCE FILE, which is recently up.
SRS RBBS. Run by the division of Science Resource Studies (SRS) at
the National Science Foundation (NSF), this bbs "provides up-to-date
information on fiscal and human resources for science and engineering
activities. It contains comprehensive statistical tabulations as well as
brief narrative reports and announcements of available publications."
The system is free and open to the public. It is available 24 hours at
202-634-1764. For more information contact Vanessa Richardson, NSF, 202-
634-4636. (Info from TRS Bulletin Board, Dec. 10, 1987.)
SCOOTER SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE. A public BBS in Philadelphia which
seeks to attract members of the scientific community. The sysop is Brian
Muldover, a graduate microbiology student. The BBS contains downloadable
software and text files with scientific orientation, multiple
conferences, and NET-MAIL. Online 24 Hrs. at (215) 657-5586. (Info from
TRS Bulletin Board, Dec. 10, 1987.) (P.S. Superb science software
available, but use 1200 bps to try to connect, not 2400.)
BULLETIN BOARDS
According to Thomas Duncan and Christopher A. Meacham (MEKA Newsletter
No. 1, Nov. 1986), the University Herbarium, University of California,
Berkeley CA 94720, is installing an electronic bulletin board (1200 baud)
for plant systematists. Watch Taxon and Herbarium News for announcements.
A similar BBS for botanists on the East Coast is being considered by staff
at the Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
BIONET is a DNA sequencers' bulletin board (has a subscription cost).
Information is available from BIONET, Intelligenetics Inc., 1975 El
Camino West, Mountain View, California 94040-2216. General information is
available from IntelliGenetics at 415-962-7364 or by electronic mail at
genbank@bionet-20.arpa. Compilers of new DNA sequence data who would like
to add this information to GenBank, a nucleotide sequence database,
should contact Los Alamos National Laboratory at 505-665-2177 or
genbank@lanl.gov for further information. (Information from Science 238:
1215, 1987.)
BIOSIS Connection is a new service planned by BIOSIS. This will be
"an electronic service for life scientists and information
professionals." There will be electronic mail, online databases like
references to journal articles, proceedings of meetings or symposia,
recently published books, recently granted US patents, info on life
sciences journals, also announcements of employment opportunities, and
bulletin boards. This is an exciting development because it will
publicize and further legitimize online services. The costs are estimated
at a basic rate of $30 per hour for searches plus extra charges for
bulletin boards and electronic mail. For info write BIOSIS,
Product Development Section, 2100 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19103.
BIOSIS TAXONOMIC REFERENCE FILE is a new bbs that offers a taxonomic
and bibliographic database in addition to electronic mail. It's free,
and quite interesting. Bob Howey is System Operator. Microbiology is
emphasized. To contact this system, dial (data): 215-972-6759, Noon
through 8AM EST, 24 hrs weekends. It is publicized as a project run by
the Biological Abstract group: see review in Science Software Quarterly
2(4): 10-13, 1986. From Bob Howey comes the following description of
TRF:
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The Taxonomic Reference File (TRF) is a Bulletin Board System
(using RBBS) catering to people with an interest in Biology and the
life sciences. The TRF is sponsored by BIOSIS, producers of
Biological Abstracts (r) and BIOSIS Previews, part of the worlds
largest collection of abstracts and citations for biology and the
life sciences.
The TRF encourages all members of the life science community to
participate in conferences on various topics relating to the
biosciences.
Features include:
* File uploading/downloading
* Listings of other life sciences BBS'
* Databases of bacterial taxonomy information available to
qualified microbiologists
=====> Phone number: 215-972-6759 <=====
=====> 12:00 NOON - 8:00AM Mon - Fri (EST)<=====
=====> 24 Hours Sat & Sun <======
Call today!
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BIOTRON "The Biologist's ElecTronic Network" is a new member service
of AIBS. Right now the only online function is the posting of positions
open and sought, but future services include BioScience contents, meeting
programs and abstracts, new products, book reviews, bulletin board and
electronic shopping. From the AIBS announcement: "To access BioTron,
DIAL 202-628-2427, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 300/1200 bps, 8
data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, full duplex, Xon/Xoff active, carraige
return at end of lines. Stop/start received text with Control-S/Q. Then
select a 40 or 80 column terminal, with or without line feeds, or select
to set your own configuration."
ECONET is a large, sophisticated Compuserve-like electronic mail
network for workers in natural resources, including organizations
interested in international development, disaster relief, international
health, environmental concerns, and energy. For a cost of $10 per hour
connect charges, you get an electronic mailbox on ECONET and may transfer
files, participate in conferences, and download bulletins. No other
charges will be incurred other than your call to a local Tymnet number.
This is a worthwhile electronic mail service since messages can be
transferred fairly inexpensively long distance, especially between the
many countries on the Tymnet network. Botanists interested in joining
ECONET should contact Jim Beach, who will send information on ECONET to
anyone who contacts him at Missouri Botanical Garden, PO Box 299, St.
Louis, MO 63166-0299; 314-577-9508.
HERPNET (dial: 215-698-1905) 300-1200-2400 baud, for herpetologists has
been established in Philadelphia. Uses Satronics communications system.
KYFHO Wildlife BBS (free, dial: 512-836-6881) in Austin, Texas,
presents various data on endangered wildlife. For info, contact
P.C. and Bob Hanes, Systems Operators, KYFHO WILDLIFE BBS, P.O. Box 15223,
Austin, TX 78761. We haven't been able to contact this system yet.
MBCRR is the Molecular Biology Computer Research Resource, run for
molecular biologists by Temple Smith in Boston. Information is available
from Molecular Biology Computer Research Resource, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, 44 Binney Street,
Boston, MA 02115.
ONLINE DATABASES
ABLES, through The Missouri Botanical Garden (contact Marshall R.
Crosby at the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO for information)
is just now creating a nomenclatural and bibliographic data base for
electronic access by bryologists (will charge a fee). You can now
download several computerized "Recent Literature on Mosses" files that
are nice for bibliography uses.
AGRICOLA, an index to the document collection of the National
Agriculture Library. 5,000 journal titles are scanned. For info, contact
Utilization Section - Circulation, National Agricultural Library, Science
and Eduction, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705,
301-344-3755.
ENDEX, a computerized data base containing descriptions of specific
environmental and biological data files maintained by federal, state and
local government agencies and various research organization. NEDRES update
to this will be available on the commercial BRS (Bibliographic Retrieval
Services) system. For info on NEDRES, contact NEDRES Program Office,
Assissment and Information Services Center, NOAA/NESDIS (E/AIx3), 3300
Whitehaven St. NW, Washington, DC 20235, 202-634-7722.
GRIN, Germplasm Resources Information Network, contains the most
current information on sources of germplasm and how to get samples. See
Herbarium News 6(10): 58-59 for more info, or contact The Database Manager,
GRIN DataBase Management Unit (DBMU), BARC-West, Beltsville, MD 20705;
phone 301-344-3318 or 344-2646.
NAPRALERT (Natural Products Alert) is a bibliographic reference tool
for the world literature on natural products research. It is apparently
quite flexible, providing a variety of ways to approach a problem and to
extract data. Pharmacological, ethnomedical and phytochemical information
is organized under a single "correct" binomial (a synonym file is also
available). Free to researchers from developing countries; $10.00 per
question otherwise, plus $.50 per page after first three pages. Information
is available from Dr. Charlotte Gyllenhaal, Research Assoc., Pharmaceutical
Sciences (m/c 877), Univ. of Illinois at Chicago, PO Box 6998, Chicago, IL
60680. See also Herbarium News 6(7): 41-42, 1986.
OSPREY NEST, Washington, D.C. area. Specializes in birding information
sharing for mid-Atlantic area. (301) 989-9036 at 300/1200 baud.
NATURE NET, Portland, Oregon. Info and programs on a variety of
conservation organizations and topics. (503) 222-5240, up to 2400 baud,
24 hours a day.
(NOTE: Information on additional electronic bulletin boards and
databases for botanists is requested from users of TAXACOM. Send an
E-mail message to the SysOp with details.)
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E-Mail Fredric L. Rice / The Skeptic Tank