National Research Council Staff's Books

Publicly Funded Agricultural Research and the Changing Structure of U.S. Agriculture

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources,Committee to Review the Role of Publicly Funded Agricultural Research on the Structure of U.S. Agriculture

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Publicly Funded Agricultural Research and the Changing Structure of U.S. Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requested that the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources of the National Research Council (NRC) convene a panel of experts to examine whether publicly funded agricultural research has influenced the structure of U.S. agriculture and, if so, how. The Committee to Review the Role of Publicly Funded Agricultural Research on the Structure of U.S. Agriculture was asked to assess the role of public-sector agricultural research on changes in the size and numbers of farms, with particular emphasis on the evolution of very-large-scale operations.

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314

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309170346

ISBN 13

9780309170345

Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation

BEIR VII Phase 2

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radiation Effects Research,Committee to Assess Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation

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Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation

BEIR VII Phase 2

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Radiation Effects Research,Committee to Assess Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation

BEIR VII develops the most up-to-date and comprehensive risk estimates for cancer and other health effects from exposure to low-level ionizing radiation. It is among the first reports of its kind to include detailed estimates for cancer incidence in addition to cancer mortality. In general, BEIR VII supports previously reported risk estimates for cancer and leukemia, but the availability of new and more extensive data have strengthened confidence in these estimates. A comprehensive review of available biological and biophysical data supports a "linear-no-threshold" (LNT) risk modelâ€"that the risk of cancer proceeds in a linear fashion at lower doses without a threshold and that the smallest dose has the potential to cause a small increase in risk to humans. The report is from the Board on Radiation Research Effects that is now part of the newly formed Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board.

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422

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

030909156X

ISBN 13

9780309091565

Science for Environmental Protection

The Road Ahead

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee on Science for EPA's Future

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Science for Environmental Protection

The Road Ahead

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee on Science for EPA's Future

In anticipation of future environmental science and engineering challenges and technologic advances, EPA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to assess the overall capabilities of the agency to develop, obtain, and use the best available scientific and technologic information and tools to meet persistent, emerging, and future mission challenges and opportunities. Although the committee cannot predict with certainty what new environmental problems EPA will face in the next 10 years or more, it worked to identify some of the common drivers and common characteristics of problems that are likely to occur. Tensions inherent to the structure of EPA's work contribute to the current and persistent challenges faced by the agency, and meeting those challenges will require development of leading-edge scientific methods, tools, and technologies, and a more deliberate approach to systems thinking and interdisciplinary science. Science for Environmental Protection: The Road Ahead outlines a framework for building science for environmental protection in the 21st century and identified key areas where enhanced leadership and capacity can strengthen the agency's abilities to address current and emerging environmental challenges as well as take advantage of new tools and technologies to address them. The foundation of EPA science is strong, but the agency needs to continue to address numerous present and future challenges if it is to maintain its science leadership and meet its expanding mandates.

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188

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309264898

ISBN 13

9780309264891

Research Doctorate Programs in the United States

Continuity and Change

By: National Research Council,Policy and Global Affairs,Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel,Committee for the Study of Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States

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Research Doctorate Programs in the United States

Continuity and Change

By: National Research Council,Policy and Global Affairs,Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel,Committee for the Study of Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States

Doctoral programs at U.S. universities play a critical role in the development of human resources both in the United States and abroad. This volume reports the results of an extensive study of U.S. research-doctorate programs in five broad fields: physical sciences and mathematics, engineering, social and behavioral sciences, biological sciences, and the humanities. Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States documents changes that have taken place in the size, structure, and quality of doctoral education since the widely used 1982 editions. This update provides selected information on nearly 4,000 doctoral programs in 41 subdisciplines at 274 doctorate-granting institutions. This volume also reports the results of the National Survey of Graduate Faculty, which polled a sample of faculty for their views on the scholarly quality of program faculty and the effectiveness of doctoral programs in preparing research scholars/scientists. This much-anticipated update of such an essential reference will be useful to education administrators, university faculty, and students seeking authoritative information on doctoral programs.

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762

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309050944

ISBN 13

9780309050944

Allocating Federal Funds for Science and Technology

By: Committee on Criteria for Federal Support of Research and Development,Institute of Medicine,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,National Academy of Sciences,National Academy of Engineering,National Research Council

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Allocating Federal Funds for Science and Technology

The United States faces a new challenge--maintaining the vitality of its system for supporting science and technology despite fiscal stringency during the next several years. To address this change, the Senate Appropriations Committee requested a report from the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering and the Institute of Medicine to address "the criteria that should be used in judging the appropriate allocation of funds to research and development activities; to examine the appropriate balance among different types of institutions that conduct such research; and to look at the means of assuring continued objectivity in the allocation process." In this eagerly-awaited book, a committee of experts selected by the National Academies and the Institute responds with 13 recommendations that propose a new budgeting process and formulates a series of questions to address during that process. The committee also makes corollary recommendations about merit review, government oversight, linking research and development to government missions, the synergy between research and education, and other topics. The recommendations are aimed at rooting out obsolete and inadequate activities to free resources from good programs for even better ones, in the belief that "science and technology will be at least as important in the future as they have been in the past in dealing with problems that confront the nation." The authoring committee of this book was chaired by Frank Press, former President of the National Academy of Sciences (1981-1993) and Presidential Science and Technology Advisor (1977-1981).

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108

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

030951973X

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9780309519731

Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries

A Call to Action

By: National Research Council,Policy and Global Affairs,Board on Higher Education and Workforce,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Earth Sciences and Resources,Committee on Earth Resources

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Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries

A Call to Action

By: National Research Council,Policy and Global Affairs,Board on Higher Education and Workforce,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Earth Sciences and Resources,Committee on Earth Resources

Energy and mineral resources are essential for the nation's fundamental functions, its economy, and security. Nonfuel minerals are essential for the existence and operations of products that are used by people every day and are provided by various sectors of the mining industry. Energy in the United States is provided from a variety of resources including fossil fuels, and renewable and nuclear energy, all with established commercial industry bases. The United States is the largest electric power producer in the world. The overall value added to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011 by major industries that consumed processed nonfuel mineral materials was $2.2 trillion. Recognizing the importance of understanding the state of the energy and mining workforce in the United States to assure a trained and skilled workforce of sufficient size for the future, the Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Energy technology Laboratory (NETL) contracted with the National Research Council (NRC) to perform a study of the emerging workforce trends in the U.S. energy and mining industries. Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries: A Call to Action summarizes the findings of this study.

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393

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309267447

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9780309267441

Evaluation of the Health and Safety Risks of the New USAMRIID High-Containment Facilities at Fort Detrick, Maryland

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Life Sciences,Committee to Review the Health and Safety Risks of High-Biocontainment Laboratories at Fort Detrick

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Evaluation of the Health and Safety Risks of the New USAMRIID High-Containment Facilities at Fort Detrick, Maryland

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Life Sciences,Committee to Review the Health and Safety Risks of High-Biocontainment Laboratories at Fort Detrick

The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Frederick, Maryland, is designed to handle pathogens that cause serious or potentially lethal diseases, which require the research performed on them be contained to specialized laboratories. In 2007 a decision was made to expand those facilities causing concern among area residents that public health and safety risks, and strategies to mitigate those concerns were not adequately considered in the decision to go forward with the expansion. In Evaluation of the Health and Safety Risks of the New USAMRIID High Containment Facilities at Fort Detrick, Maryland a group of experts in areas including biosafety, infectious diseases, industrial hygiene, environmental engineering, risk assessment and epidemiology, explored whether measures were being taken to ensure prevention and mitigation of risk to the health and safety of workers and the public. They also assessed whether the procedures and regulations employed meet accepted standards of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Evaluation of the Health and Safety Risks of the New USAMRIID High Containment Facilities at Fort Detrick, Maryland evaluates the health and safety aspects of the environmental impact statement developed to support the construction of the new laboratories and explores the institute's operating requirements, medical and emergency management response plans and communication and cooperation with the public. The book recommends that USAMRIID continue to set high standards for advancing security, operational, and biosurety measures, and that additional measures be taken to provide assurance that experienced medical professionals are readily available to consult on unusual infectious diseases. It also suggests that USAMRIID expand its two-way communications with the public.

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309156181

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9780309156189

Review of EarthScope Integrated Science

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Earth Sciences and Resources,Committee on the Review of EarthScope Science Objectives and Implementation Planning

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Review of EarthScope Integrated Science

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Earth Sciences and Resources,Committee on the Review of EarthScope Science Objectives and Implementation Planning

EarthScope is a major science initiative in the solid-earth sciences and has been described as "a new earth science initiative that will dramatically advance our physical understanding of the North American continent by exploring its three-dimensional structure through time". The initiative proposes to cover the United States with an array of instruments created to reveal how the continent was put together, how the continent is moving now, and what lies beneath the continent. The initiative is made of four components, three of which are funded by the Major Research Equipment program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and one of which is mostly associated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In response to a request by the NSF, the National Research Council (NRC) established a committee to review the science objectives and implementation planning of the three NSF components, United States Seismic Array (USArray), the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO), and the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD). The committee was charged with answered four specific questions: Is the scientific rationale for EarthScope sound, and are the scientific questions to be addressed of significant importance? Is there any additional component that should be added to the EarthScope initiative to ensure that it will achieve its objective of a vastly increased understanding of the structure, dynamics, and evolution of the continental crust of North America? Are the implementation and management plans for the three elements of EarthScope reviewed here appropriate to achieve their objectives? Have the appropriate partnerships required to maximize the scientific outcomes from EarthScope been identified in the planning documents? Review of EarthScope Integrated Science presents the committee's findings and recommendations. To reach its conclusions the committee reviewed extensive written material and listened to presentations by members of the EarthScope Working Group and other interested scientists. The recommendations encompass science questions, management, education and outreach, and partnerships. Overall the committee was impressed by the EarthScope initiative.

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ISBN 10

0309076447

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9780309076449

Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Space Studies Board,Committee on Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars

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Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Space Studies Board,Committee on Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars

Recent spacecraft and robotic probes to Mars have yielded data that are changing our understanding significantly about the possibility of existing or past life on that planet. Coupled with advances in biology and life-detection techniques, these developments place increasing importance on the need to protect Mars from contamination by Earth-borne organisms. To help with this effort, NASA requested that the NRC examine existing planetary protection measures for Mars and recommend changes and further research to improve such measures. This report discusses policies, requirements, and techniques to protect Mars from organisms originating on Earth that could interfere with scientific investigations. It provides recommendations on cleanliness and biological burden levels of Mars-bound spacecraft, methods to reach those levels, and research to reduce uncertainties in preventing forward contamination of Mars.

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166

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

030909724X

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9780309097246

Science and Decisions

Advancing Risk Assessment

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee on Improving Risk Analysis Approaches Used by the U.S. EPA

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Science and Decisions

Advancing Risk Assessment

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee on Improving Risk Analysis Approaches Used by the U.S. EPA

Risk assessment has become a dominant public policy tool for making choices, based on limited resources, to protect public health and the environment. It has been instrumental to the mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as other federal agencies in evaluating public health concerns, informing regulatory and technological decisions, prioritizing research needs and funding, and in developing approaches for cost-benefit analysis. However, risk assessment is at a crossroads. Despite advances in the field, risk assessment faces a number of significant challenges including lengthy delays in making complex decisions; lack of data leading to significant uncertainty in risk assessments; and many chemicals in the marketplace that have not been evaluated and emerging agents requiring assessment. Science and Decisions makes practical scientific and technical recommendations to address these challenges. This book is a complement to the widely used 1983 National Academies book, Risk Assessment in the Federal Government (also known as the Red Book). The earlier book established a framework for the concepts and conduct of risk assessment that has been adopted by numerous expert committees, regulatory agencies, and public health institutions. The new book embeds these concepts within a broader framework for risk-based decision-making. Together, these are essential references for those working in the regulatory and public health fields.

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422

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309120462

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9780309120463

Strengthening Science at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Research-Management and Peer-Review Practices

By: National Research Council,Commission on Life Sciences,Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources,Board on Environmental Studies in Toxicology,Committee on Research and Peer Review in EPA

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Strengthening Science at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Research-Management and Peer-Review Practices

In the three decades since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created, the agency's scientific and technical practices and credibility have been independently assessed many times in reports from the National Research Council (NRC), EPA Science Advisory Board, General Accounting Office, and many other organizations; in congressional oversight and judicial proceedings; and in countless criticisms and lawsuits from stakeholders with interests in particular EPA regulatory decisions. As a previous independent panel put it in the 1992 report Safeguarding the Future: Credible Science, Credible Decisions, EPA's policy and regulatory work receives a great deal of public attention, but the agency's scientific performance typically receives a similar degree of attention only when the scientific basis for a decision is questioned. Thus, strong scientific performance is important not only to enable EPA to make informed and effective decisions, but also to gain credibility and public support for the environmental protection efforts of EPA and the nation. This report is the fourth and final one in a series prepared by two independent expert committees convened by the NRC in response to a request from Congress and to subsequent, related requests from EPA. The Committee on Research Opportunities and Priorities for EPA-the companion committee in this study-was charged to provide an overview of significant emerging environmental issues, identify and prioritize research themes most relevant to understanding and resolving those issues, and consider the role of EPA's research program in the context of research being conducted or supported by other organizations. That committee published an interim report in 1996 and a final report, Building a Foundation for Sound Environmental Decisions, in 1997. The Committee on Research and Peer Review in EPA was charged to evaluate research management and scientific peer-review practices in the agency. The committee published an interim report in 1995 and this final report.

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178

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309171768

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9780309171762

Advancing Strategic Science

A Spatial Data Infrastructure Roadmap for the U.S. Geological Survey

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Earth Sciences and Resources,Mapping Science Committee,Committee on Spatial Data Enabling USGS Strategic Science in the 21st Century

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Advancing Strategic Science

A Spatial Data Infrastructure Roadmap for the U.S. Geological Survey

Science is increasingly driven by data, and spatial data underpin the science directions laid out in the 2007 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Science Strategy. A robust framework of spatial data, metadata, tools, and a user community that is interactively connected to use spatial data in an efficient and flexible way-known as a spatial data infrastructure (SDI)-must be available for scientists and managers to find, use, and share spatial data both within and beyond the USGS. Over the last decade, the USGS has conducted breakthrough research that has overcome some of the challenges associated with implementing a large SDI. Advancing Strategic Science: A Spatial Data Infrastructure Roadmap for the U.S. Geological Survey is intended to ground those efforts by providing a practical roadmap to full implementation of an SDI to enable the USGS to conduct strategic science.

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133

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

030926457X

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9780309264570

Managing Health Effects of Beryllium Exposure

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee on Toxicology,Committee on Beryllium Alloy Exposures

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Managing Health Effects of Beryllium Exposure

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee on Toxicology,Committee on Beryllium Alloy Exposures

Beryllium is a lightweight metal that is used for its exceptional strength and high heat-absorbing capability. Beryllium and its alloys can be found in many important technologies in the defense and aeronautics industries, such as nuclear devices, satellite systems, radar systems, and aircraft bushings and bearings. Pulmonary disease associated with exposure to beryllium has been recognized and studied since the early 1940s, and an occupational guideline for limiting exposure to beryllium has been in place since 1949. Over the last few decades, much has been learned about chronic beryllium disease and factors that contribute to its occurrence in exposed people. Despite reduced workplace exposure, chronic beryllium disease continues to occur. Those developments have led to debates about the adequacy of the long-standing occupational exposure limit for protecting worker health. This book, requested by the U.S. Air Force to help to determine the steps necessary to protect its workforce from the effects of beryllium used in military aerospace applications, reviews the scientific literature on beryllium and outlines an exposure and disease management program for its protecting workers.

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186

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309178010

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9780309178013

Review of the Department of Defense Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance Program Report

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee for Review of the DOD's Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance Program Report

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Review of the Department of Defense Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance Program Report

Soldiers deployed during the 1991 Persian Gulf War were exposed to high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and other airborne pollutants. Their exposures were largely the result of daily windblown dust, dust storms, and smoke from oil fires. On returning from deployment, many veterans complained of persistent respiratory symptoms. With the renewed activity in the Middle East over the last few years, deployed military personnel are again exposed to dust storms and daily windblown dust in addition to other types of PM, such as diesel exhaust and particles from open-pit burning. On the basis of the high concentrations observed and concerns about the potential health effects, DOD designed and implemented a study to characterize and quantify the PM in the ambient environment at 15 sites in the Middle East. The endeavor is known as the DOD Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance Program (EPMSP). The U.S. Army asked the National Research Council to review the EPMSP report. In response, the present evaluation considers the potential acute and chronic health implications on the basis of information presented in the report. It also considers epidemiologic and health-surveillance data collected by the USACHPPM, to assess potential health implications for deployed personnel, and recommends methods for reducing or characterizing health risks.

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106

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309154138

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9780309154130

Protecting Youth at Work

Health, Safety, and Development of Working Children and Adolescents in the United States

By: Committee on the Health and Safety Implications of Child Labor,Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,National Research Council and Institute of Medicine

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Protecting Youth at Work

Health, Safety, and Development of Working Children and Adolescents in the United States

In Massachusetts, a 12-year-old girl delivering newspapers is killed when a car strikes her bicycle. In Los Angeles, a 14-year-old boy repeatedly falls asleep in class, exhausted from his evening job. Although children and adolescents may benefit from working, there may also be negative social effects and sometimes danger in their jobs. Protecting Youth at Work looks at what is known about work done by children and adolescents and the effects of that work on their physical and emotional health and social functioning. The committee recommends specific initiatives for legislators, regulators, researchers, and employers. This book provides historical perspective on working children and adolescents in America and explores the framework of child labor laws that govern that work. The committee presents a wide range of data and analysis on the scope of youth employment, factors that put children and adolescents at risk in the workplace, and the positive and negative effects of employment, including data on educational attainment and lifestyle choices. Protecting Youth at Work also includes discussions of special issues for minority and disadvantaged youth, young workers in agriculture, and children who work in family-owned businesses.

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335

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309517591

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9780309517591

Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces

Detecting, Characterizing, and Documenting Exposures

By: National Research Council,Commission on Life Sciences,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems,Division of Military Science and Technology,Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces: Technology and Methods for Detection and Tracking of Exposures to a Subset of Harmful Agents

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Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces

Detecting, Characterizing, and Documenting Exposures

Since Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Gulf War veterans have expressed concerns about health effects that could be associated with their deployment and service during the war. Although similar concerns were raised after other military operations, the Gulf War deployment focused national attention on the potential, but uncertain, relationship between the presence of chemical and biological (CB) agents and other harmful agents in theater and health symptoms reported by military personnel. Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces which is one of the four two-year studies, examines the detection and tracking of exposures of deployed personnel to multiple harmful agents.

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273

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

030917225X

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9780309172257

Social and Economic Aspects of Radioactive Waste Disposal

Considerations for Institutional Management

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications,Board on Radioactive Waste Management,Panel on Social and Economic Aspects of Radioactive Waste Management

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Social and Economic Aspects of Radioactive Waste Disposal

Considerations for Institutional Management

To complement the growing body of knowledge on the physical aspects of radioactive waste disposal, this new report identifies the "socioeconomic and institutional" policy issues that must be addressed in implementing the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. Site location, transportation modes, disposal schedules, regulatory systems, and the effects of these systems on the people living near the sites and along the transportation routes are addressed.

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190

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309034442

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9780309034449

NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Committee on NASA's Strategic Direction

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NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Committee on NASA's Strategic Direction

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is widely admired for astonishing accomplishments since its formation in 1958. Looking ahead over a comparable period of time, what can the nation and the world expect of NASA? What will be the agency's goals and objectives, and what will be the strategy for achieving them? More fundamentally, how will the goals, objectives, and strategy be established and by whom? How will they be modified to reflect changes in science, technology, national priorities, and available resources? In late 2011, the United States Congress directed the NASA Office of Inspector General to commission a "comprehensive independent assessment of NASA's strategic direction and agency management." Subsequently, NASA requested that the National Research Council (NRC) conduct this independent assessment. In the spring of 2012, the NRC Committee on NASA's Strategic Direction was formed and began work on its task. The committee determined that, only with a national consensus on the agency's future strategic direction-along the lines described in the full NRC report-can NASA continue to deliver the wonder, the knowledge, the national security and economic benefits, and the technology that have been typified by its earlier history. NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus summarizes the findings and recommendations of the committee.

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0309313546

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9780309313544

NASA Aeronautics Research

An Assessment

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board,Committee for the Assessment of NASA's Aeronautics Research Program

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NASA Aeronautics Research

An Assessment

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board,Committee for the Assessment of NASA's Aeronautics Research Program

In 2006, the NRC published a Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics: Foundation for the Future, which set out six strategic objectives for the next decade of civil aeronautics research and technology. To determine how NASA is implementing the decadal survey, Congress mandated in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Act of 2005 that the NRC carry out a review of those efforts. Among other things, this report presents an assessment of how well NASA's research portfolio is addressing the recommendations and high priority R&T challenges identified in the Decadal Survey; how well NASA's aeronautic research portfolio is addressing the aeronautics research requirements; and whether the nation will have the skilled workforce and research facilities to meet the first two items.

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122

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309178290

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9780309178297

A Question of Balance

Private Rights and the Public Interest in Scientific and Technical Databases

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications,Committee for a Study on Promoting Access to Scientific and Technical Data for the Public Interest

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A Question of Balance

Private Rights and the Public Interest in Scientific and Technical Databases

New legal approaches, such as the European Union's 1996 Directive on the Legal Protection of Databases, and other legal initiatives now being considered in the United States at the federal and state level, are threatening to compromise public access to scientific and technical data available through computerized databases. Lawmakers are struggling to strike an appropriate balance between the rights of database rights holders, who are concerned about possible commercial misappropriation of their products, and public-interest users of the data such as researchers, educators, and libraries. A Question of Balance examines this balancing act. The committee concludes that because database rights holders already enjoy significant legal, technical, and market-based protections, the need for statutory protection has not been sufficiently substantiated. Nevertheless, although the committee opposes the creation of any strong new protective measures, it recognizes that some additional limits against wholesale misappropriation of databases may be necessary. In particular, a new, properly scoped and focused U.S. statute might provide a reasonable alternative to the European Union's highly protectionistic database directive. Such legislation could then serve as a legal model for an international treaty in this area. The book recommends a number of guiding principles for such possible legislation, as well as related policy actions for the administration.

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186

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National Academies Press

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ISBN 10

0309068258

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9780309068253

Community Colleges in the Evolving STEM Education Landscape

Summary of a Summit

By: National Research Council,National Academy of Engineering,Engineering Education Program Office,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Teacher Advisory Council,Board on Science Education,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Life Sciences,Policy and Global Affairs,Board on Higher Education and Workforce,Planning Committee on Evolving Relationships and Dynamics Between Two- and Four-Year Colleges and Universities

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Community Colleges in the Evolving STEM Education Landscape

Summary of a Summit

The National Research Council (NRC) and National Academy of Engineering (NAE) have released a new report, Community Colleges in the Evolving STEM Education Landscape: Summary of a Summit. Based on a national summit that was supported by the National Science Foundation and organized by the NRC and the NAE, the report highlights the importance of community colleges, especially in emerging areas of STEM (Sciene, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and preparation of the STEM workforce. Community colleges are also essential in accommodating growing numbers of students and in retraining displaced workers in skills needed in the new economy. Community Colleges in the Evolving STEM Education Landscape: Summary of a Summit looks at the changing and evolving relationships between community colleges and four-year institutions, with a focus on partnerships and articulation processes that can facilitate student success in STEM; expanding participation of students from historically underrepresented populations in undergraduate STEM education; and how subjects, such as mathematics, can serve as gateways or barriers to college completion.

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156

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309256542

ISBN 13

9780309256544

Oceanography and Mine Warfare

By: National Research Council,Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources,Ocean Studies Board

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Oceanography and Mine Warfare

By: National Research Council,Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources,Ocean Studies Board

Environmental information is important for successful planning and execution of naval operations. A thorough understanding of environmental variability greatly increases the likelihood of mission success. To ensure that naval forces have the most up-to-date capabilities, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) has an extensive environmental research program. This research, to be of greatest use to the warfighter, needs to be directed towards assisting and solving battlefield problems. To increase research community understanding of the operational demands placed on naval operators and to facilitate discussion between these two groups, the National Research Council's (NRC) Ocean Studies Board (OSB), working with ONR and the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy, convened five previous symposia on tactical oceanography. Oceanography and Mine Warfare examines the following issues: (1) how environmental data are used in current mine warfare doctrine, (2) current procedures for in situ collection of data, (3) the present capabilities of the Navy's oceanographic community to provide supporting information for mine warfare operations, and (4) the ability of oceanographic research and technology developments to enhance current mine warfare capabilities. This report primarily concentrates on the importance of oceanographic data for mine countermeasures.

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112

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309172225

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9780309172226

Health Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee to Assess the Health Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion

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Health Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee to Assess the Health Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion

Perchlorateâ€"a powerful oxidant used in solid rocket fuels by the military and aerospace industryâ€"has been detected in public drinking water supplies of over 11 million people at concentrations of at least 4 parts per billion (ppb). High doses of perchlorate can decrease thyroid hormone production by inhibiting the uptake of iodide by the thyroid. Thyroid hormones are critical for normal growth and development of the central nervous system of fetuses and infants. This report evaluates the potential health effects of perchlorate and the scientific underpinnings of the 2002 draft risk assessment issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The report finds that the body can compensate for iodide deficiency, and that iodide uptake would likely have to be reduced by at least 75% for months or longer for adverse health effects, such as hypothryroidism, to occur. The report recommends using clinical studies of iodide uptake in humans as the basis for determining a reference dose rather than using studies of adverse health effects in rats that serve as EPA's basis. The report suggests that daily ingestion of 0.0007 milligrams of perchlorate per kilograms of body weightâ€"an amount more than 20 times the reference dose proposed by EPAâ€"should not threaten the health of even the most sensitive populations.

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276

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309181356

ISBN 13

9780309181358

Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites

Assessing the Effectiveness

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee on Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites

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Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites

Assessing the Effectiveness

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee on Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites

Some of the nation's estuaries, lakes and other water bodies contain contaminated sediments that can adversely affect fish and wildlife and may then find their way into people's diets. Dredging is one of the few options available for attempting to clean up contaminated sediments, but it can uncover and re-suspend buried contaminants, creating additional exposures for wildlife and people. At the request of Congress, EPA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to evaluate dredging as a cleanup technique. The book finds that, based on a review of available evidence, dredging's ability to decrease environmental and health risks is still an open question. Analysis of pre-dredging and post-dredging at about 20 sites found a wide range of outcomes in terms of surface sediment concentrations of contaminants: some sites showed increases, some no change, and some decreases in concentrations. Evaluating the potential long-term benefits of dredging will require that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency step up monitoring activities before, during and after individual cleanups to determine whether it is working there and what combinations of techniques are most effective.

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316

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309134102

ISBN 13

9780309134101

Managing Wastewater in Coastal Urban Areas

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources,Committee on Wastewater Management for Coastal Urban Areas

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Managing Wastewater in Coastal Urban Areas

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources,Committee on Wastewater Management for Coastal Urban Areas

Close to one-half of all Americans live in coastal counties. The resulting flood of wastewater, stormwater, and pollutants discharged into coastal waters is a major concern. This book offers a well-delineated approach to integrated coastal management beginning with wastewater and stormwater control. The committee presents an overview of current management practices and problems. The core of the volume is a detailed model for integrated coastal management, offering basic principles and methods, a direction for moving from general concerns to day-to-day activities, specific steps from goal setting through monitoring performance, and a base of scientific and technical information. Success stories from the Chesapeake and Santa Monica bays are included. The volume discusses potential barriers to integrated coastal management and how they may be overcome and suggests steps for introducing this concept into current programs and legislation. This practical volume will be important to anyone concerned about management of coastal waters: policymakers, resource and municipal managers, environmental professionals, concerned community groups, and researchers, as well as faculty and students in environmental studies.

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497

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309048265

ISBN 13

9780309048262

Contaminated Water Supplies at Camp Lejeune

Assessing Potential Health Effects

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee on Contaminated Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune

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Contaminated Water Supplies at Camp Lejeune

Assessing Potential Health Effects

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Committee on Contaminated Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune

In the early 1980s, two water-supply systems on the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina were found to be contaminated with the industrial solvents trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE). The water systems were supplied by the Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point watertreatment plants, which served enlisted-family housing, barracks for unmarried service personnel, base administrative offices, schools, and recreational areas. The Hadnot Point water system also served the base hospital and an industrial area and supplied water to housing on the Holcomb Boulevard water system (full-time until 1972 and periodically thereafter). This book examines what is known about the contamination of the water supplies at Camp Lejeune and whether the contamination can be linked to any adverse health outcomes in former residents and workers at the base.

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338

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309136997

ISBN 13

9780309136990

Feasibility of Using Mycoherbicides for Controlling Illicit Drug Crops

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources,Committee on Mycoherbicides for Eradicating Illicit Drug Crops

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Feasibility of Using Mycoherbicides for Controlling Illicit Drug Crops

The control of illicit-drug trafficking and drug use is a difficult and complex process that involves a variety of prevention, control, treatment, and law enforcement strategies. Eradication strategies for controlling illicit-drug crops are used to target the beginning of the drug-supply chain by preventing or reducing crop yields. Mycoherbicides have been proposed as an eradication tool to supplement the current methods of herbicide spraying, mechanical removal, and manual destruction of illicit-drug crops. Some people regard them as preferable to chemical herbicides for controlling illicit-drug crops because of their purported specificity to only one plant species or a few closely related species. As living microorganisms, they have the potential to provide long-term control if they can persist in the environment and affect later plantings. Research on mycoherbicides against illicit-drug crops has focused on three pathogens: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cannabis for cannabis (Cannabis sativa), F. oxysporum f.sp. erythroxyli for coca (Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense), and Crivellia papaveracea or Brachycladium papaveris (formerly known as Pleospora papaveracea and Dendryphion penicillatum, respectively) for opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Feasibility of Using Mycoherbicides for Controlling Illicit Drug Crops addresses issues about the potential use of the proposed mycoherbicides: their effectiveness in eradicating their target plants; the feasibility of their large-scale industrial manufacture and delivery; their potential spread and persistence in the environment; their pathogenicity and toxicity to nontarget organisms, including other plants, fungi, animals, and humans; their potential for mutation and resulting effects on target plants and nontarget organisms; and research and development needs. On the basis of its review, the report concludes that the available data are insufficient to determine the effectiveness of the specific fungi proposed as mycoherbicides to combat illicit-drug crops or to determine their potential effects on nontarget plants, microorganisms, animals, humans, or the environment. However, the committee offers an assessment of what can and cannot be determined at the present time regarding each of the issues raised in the statement of task.

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186

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309221714

ISBN 13

9780309221719

Seasonal to Decadal Predictions of Arctic Sea Ice

Challenges and Strategies

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Polar Research Board,Committee on the Future of Arctic Sea Ice Research in Support of Seasonal to Decadal Prediction

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Seasonal to Decadal Predictions of Arctic Sea Ice

Challenges and Strategies

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Polar Research Board,Committee on the Future of Arctic Sea Ice Research in Support of Seasonal to Decadal Prediction

Recent well documented reductions in the thickness and extent of Arctic sea ice cover, which can be linked to the warming climate, are affecting the global climate system and are also affecting the global economic system as marine access to the Arctic region and natural resource development increase. Satellite data show that during each of the past six summers, sea ice cover has shrunk to its smallest in three decades. The composition of the ice is also changing, now containing a higher fraction of thin first-year ice instead of thicker multi-year ice. Understanding and projecting future sea ice conditions is important to a growing number of stakeholders, including local populations, natural resource industries, fishing communities, commercial shippers, marine tourism operators, national security organizations, regulatory agencies, and the scientific research community. However, gaps in understanding the interactions between Arctic sea ice, oceans, and the atmosphere, along with an increasing rate of change in the nature and quantity of sea ice, is hampering accurate predictions. Although modeling has steadily improved, projections by every major modeling group failed to predict the record breaking drop in summer sea ice extent in September 2012. Establishing sustained communication between the user, modeling, and observation communities could help reveal gaps in understanding, help balance the needs and expectations of different stakeholders, and ensure that resources are allocated to address the most pressing sea ice data needs. Seasonal-to-Decadal Predictions of Arctic Sea Ice: Challenges and Strategies explores these topics.

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309265266

ISBN 13

9780309265263

Freshwater Ecosystems

Revitalizing Educational Programs in Limnology

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources,Committee on Inland Aquatic Ecosystems

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Freshwater Ecosystems

Revitalizing Educational Programs in Limnology

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources,Committee on Inland Aquatic Ecosystems

To fulfill its commitment to clean water, the United States depends on limnology, a multidisciplinary science that seeks to understand the behavior of freshwater bodies by integrating aspects of all basic sciencesâ€"from chemistry and fluid mechanics to botany, ichthyology, and microbiology. Now, prominent limnologists are concerned about this important field, citing the lack of adequate educational programs and other issues. Freshwater Ecosystems responds with recommendations for strengthening the field and ensuring the readiness of the next generation of practitioners. Highlighted with case studies, this book explores limnology's place in the university structure and the need for curriculum reform, with concrete suggestions for curricula and field research at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. The volume examines the wide-ranging career opportunities for limnologists and recommends strategies for integrating limnology more fully into water resource decision management. Freshwater Ecosystems tells the story of limnology and its most prominent practitioners and examines the current strengths and weaknesses of the field. The committee discusses how limnology can contribute to appropriate policies for industrial waste, wetlands destruction, the release of greenhouse gases, extensive damming of rivers, the zebra mussel and other "invasions" of speciesâ€"the broad spectrum of problems that threaten the nation's freshwater supply. Freshwater Ecosystems provides the foundation for improving a field whose importance will continue to increase as human populations grow and place even greater demands on freshwater resources. This volume will be of value to administrators of university and government science programs, faculty and students in aquatic science, aquatic resource managers, and clean-water advocatesâ€"and it is readily accessible to the concerned individual.

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Page Count

380

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309175747

ISBN 13

9780309175746

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