New bioenergy e-book: "Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology"

Recently purchased as an online e-book, the Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology is a comprehensive interdisciplinary resource concerning the interactions of microbes with hydrophobic compounds, including petroleum oil and industrial pollutants.

Nearly 5,000 pages in length (fully searchable), it covers the current knowledge on the diverse and multifaceted aspects of hydrocarbon and lipid microbiology and notes critical knowledge gaps in an effort to actively promote new research.

In fact, second- and third-generation biofuels research currently taking place at the UW-Madison involves just such compounds.  This e-book would also be of interest to researchers focused on membrane biology and general microbiology.

To quote the preface, this handbook attempts to "cover the exceptional range of cellular, population and community activities of microbes interacting with the major hydrophobic organics found in the biosphere and to encapsulate the consequences of such interactions for the health and disease of microbes, higher organisms and the environment, as well as the beneficial applications that have been or can be developed therefrom."

Volume 1: Hydrocarbons, oils and lipids: Diversity, properties and formation
Volume 2: Microbial utilization of hydrocarbons, oils and lipids

Volume 3: Microbes and communities utilizing hydrocarbons, oils and lipids

Volume 4: Consequences of microbial interactions with hydrocarbons, oils and lipids

Volume 5: Experimental protocols and appendices

Related items:

• Petroleum microbiology
• Biorefineries: industrial processes and products: status quo and future directions
• Bioremediation: applied microbial solutions for real-world environmental cleanup
• Journey to diverse microbial worlds: adaptation to exotic environments

Free summer concerts in Madison!

It's time for FREE outdoor concerts in Madison...

Warner Park: Summer Concerts

(Mondays, June 14 - July 26, beginning at 6pm)
North/Eastside Senior Coalition sponsors a diverse line-up of music, rain or shine.  Refreshments available for purchase.

Capitol Building: Concerts on the Square

(Wednesdays, June 30 - August 4, beginning at 7pm)
Bring a blanket to sit on, and enjoy a picnic dinner while listening to the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.

Monona Terrace: Concerts on the Rooftop

(Thursdays, June 10 - July 15, 7-9pm)
Rock, Blues, Reggae, Country... there's something for everyone!  Bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks, or stop at the Lake Vista Cafe for light fare, beer or wine.  In case of inclement weather, call 261-4000 after 2pm for alternate location.

Monona Terrace: Dane Dances

(Fridays, August 6 - August 27, 5:30-9:30pm)
Get down to live and dj'd Jazz, R&B, Swing, Salsa, Funk along with your diverse fellow Madisonians.  Food and beverages available from cart and the Lake Vista Cafe.  In case of inclement weather, the party moves inside!

2009 journal "impact factors" released

The latest annual Journal Citation Reports (JCR) data have been released by Thomson Reuters (formerly ISI):

• Science Edition = data from 7,300+ journals in science and technology
• Social Sciences Edition = data from 2,200+ journals in the social sciences

JCR is one tool for comparing journals, in order to find the most frequently-cited or highest "impact" journals in a field, for example.  It is available only via online annual subscription ($8,704 in 2010), which the UW-Madison Libraries provide.  All of the data come from journal articles published in a given "JCR year." For example, if you select 2009 and choose a particular journal, you will see:

• Number of articles published in the journal in 2009;
• Number of citations to that journal from articles published in 2009;
• Impact Factor calculated from 2009 data; etc.

For more information:

• Measuring the Impact of Your Research

Summer events at the Arboretum & Olbrich Gardens

City of Madison's Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Calendar of Events
Classes & Workshops
3330 Atwood Avenue

• Guided Garden Strolls: 1:30 & 3pm Sundays
• Yoga in the Gardens: 5:30-6:45pm Mondays & 7:30-8:45am Thursdays
• Summer Concert Series: 7-8pm Tuesdays in June & July
• Rose Show: 12:30-4pm June 20
• North Side Artists' Group Show: 11am-5pm Sundays July 4 - Sept. 26
• Blooming Butterflies: 10am-4pm July 14 - Aug. 8
• Iris Sale: 8am-6pm July 30 - Aug. 1
• Daylily Sale: 10am-4pm Aug. 14 & 11am-3pm Aug. 15
• Dahlia Show: 12-4pm Aug. 21 & 10am-4pm Aug. 22

UW-Madison's Arboretum
Calendar of Events
Entrances: End of S. Mills St. or 1207 Seminole Hwy.

• Volunteer Workdays: 9am-12pm Saturdays
• What’s Blooming?: 7-8:45pm June 23
• "Moth Madness" Family Event: 12:30-4pm June 27
• Walk in Greene Prairie and Grady Knolls: 1-3pm June 27
• Walk in Curtis Prairie: 1-2:30pm July 4
• Walk in Grady Tract: 1-3pm July 11
• "Butterflies Flutter By" Family Walk: 1:30-2:30pm July 11
• Walk in Curtis Prairie: 1-2:30pm July 18
• Nighttime Walk: 8-9:30pm July 24
• Walk in Grady Tract: 1-3pm July 25
• "When the Moon is Full" Family Walk 6:30-8:30pm July 25
• Native Plants for Pollinators: 7-8:30pm July 28
• Walk in Curtis Prairie: 1-2:30pm August 8
• Native Grasses: 7-8:15pm August 11
• Walk in Grady Tracts: 1-3pm August 15
• "Pond Stuff" Family Walk: 1:30-2:30pm August 15
• Insect Serenade Night Walk: 8-9:30pm August 21
• "Pollination" Family Event: 12:30-4pm August 22
• Dane County in 1834 Walk: 1-2:30pm August 22
• Walk in Prairies and Savannas: 1-3pm August 29

"The Apron Show" - through Aug.6

The Center for Research on Gender and Women (1st floor of Ingraham Hall) will host an exhibition of altered and handmade aprons through August 6th, from 9-5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 8-1 on Wednesdays.
Organized by the Finlandia Young Women’s Caucus, the exhibit is intended to prompt viewers to reflect on their own personal history and memories associated with aprons – and the women in their lives who wore them.

The exhibition includes aprons made by individuals in Canada, England, and the United States.

For more information: http://www.womenstudies.wisc.edu/CRGW/art/artists/ArponShow.htm

Go Big Read for Instruction

The Go Big Read program is looking to identify instructors who would like to use the 2010 selection, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, with their classes during the coming fall and spring semesters.

Instructors can apply for free copies of the book, for use with their classes, by completing a request form. The deadline for a fall semester request will be July 1, 2010. See a list of courses that plan to integrate the book into their curriculum. The Teaching and Learning Excellence site will also provide a forum for instructors to ask questions and to suggest ideas for incorporating the book, or selections from it, in class. (Note: Log-in with your NetID to comment and contribute).

"Go Big Read" is UW-Madison’s common book program where students, staff and the community are invited to read the same book, then participate in a variety of related programs in-and-out of the classroom.

For more information, visit the author’s site for the book.

Openly-Accessible Resources

One of the many questions we receive at Steenbock Library is how one can access research-quality information online when one is not affiliated directly with the university (that is, as currently-enrolled students, faculty and staff). Visit this list of resources to find quality online content. While some of these resources will supply full-text content, others will serve as indexes to information that can be sought using your local public libraries and their respective Interlibrary Loan services.

Additionally, there are services available to alumni. Visit the Wisconsin Alumni Association Library Access page for information about publicly-available online collections and association membership benefits that include online access to two article databases.

Information is also available from our libraries’ website about borrowing privileges for residents (Wisconsin) and fee-based document delivery services.

Allen Centennial Gardens

While you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to take a lunch or study break to ramble about the beautiful Allen Centennial Gardens, easily sighted through the library’s north-facing windows (corner of Babcock and Observatory Drives).

These 2.5 acres of teaching gardens, managed by staff affiliated with the university’s Department of Horticulture, surround what was formerly known as the 'Agricultural Dean’s residence.'

Today, the gardens feature a variety of landscaping designs and plant-communities—including experiments with culinary herb and kitchen gardens.

The gardens also afford volunteer opportunities! Students and members of the public who are interested in contributing their time to a variety of gardening tasks are invited to contact Mr. Ed Lyon, Head Gardener, with that expressed interest and availability.

Photo credit: Jeff Miller, University Communications

Eco-Labels

Have you ever marveled at the various labels that adorn the packaging of the products you buy? Ever wonder what they actually mean and who the authority is behind them? If so, you may find the following resources useful for interpreting these labels and making your purchasing decisions.

Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, has created the Greener Choices site to inform consumers about environmentally-friendly products—their labels and claims. Particularly nice is its search-engine feature where you can run a search for a specific product, label or certifier.

Similarly, the November/December 2009 issue of Mother Jones magazine featured a chart of Eco-Labels with evaluative color-coding to denote “best of the bunch”, “better than nothing” and “virtually meaningless.”

Of related interest are the study reports issued by TerraChoice (an environmental marketing firm) that elucidate Sins of Greenwashing.