%0 Book %A National Research Council %T Review of the Everglades Aquifer Storage and Recovery Regional Study %@ 978-0-309-37209-1 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21724/review-of-the-everglades-aquifer-storage-and-recovery-regional-study %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21724/review-of-the-everglades-aquifer-storage-and-recovery-regional-study %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 68 %X The Florida Everglades is a large and diverse aquatic ecosystem that has been greatly altered over the past century by an extensive water control infrastructure designed to increase agricultural and urban economic productivity. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), launched in 2000, is a joint effort led by the state and federal government to reverse the decline of the ecosystem. Increasing water storage is a critical component of the restoration, and the CERP included projects that would drill over 330 aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells to store up to 1.65 billion gallons per day in porous and permeable units in the aquifer system during wet periods for recovery during seasonal or longer-term dry periods. To address uncertainties regarding regional effects of large-scale ASR implementation in the Everglades, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the South Florida Water Management District conducted an 11-year ASR Regional Study, with focus on the hydrogeology of the Floridan aquifer system, water quality changes during aquifer storage, possible ecological risks posed by recovered water, and the regional capacity for ASR implementation. At the request of the USACE, Review of the Everglades Aquifer Storage and Recovery Regional Study reviews the ASR Regional Study Technical Data Report and assesses progress in reducing uncertainties related to full-scale CERP ASR implementation. This report considers the validity of the data collection and interpretation methods; integration of studies; evaluation of scaling from pilot-to regional-scale application of ASR; and the adequacy and reliability of the study as a basis for future applications of ASR. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals: Volume 19 %@ 978-0-309-36894-0 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21701/acute-exposure-guideline-levels-for-selected-airborne-chemicals-volume-19 %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21701/acute-exposure-guideline-levels-for-selected-airborne-chemicals-volume-19 %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 224 %X Extremely hazardous substances can be released accidentally as a result of chemical spills, industrial explosions, fires, or accidents involving railroad cars and trucks transporting EHSs. Workers and residents in communities surrounding industrial facilities where these substances are manufactured, used, or stored and in communities along the nation's railways and highways are potentially at risk of being exposed to airborne EHSs during accidental releases or intentional releases by terrorists. Pursuant to the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified approximately 400 EHSs on the basis of acute lethality data in rodents. Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals, Volume 19 identifies, reviews, and interprets relevant toxicologic and other scientific data for selected AEGL documents for cyanide salts, diketene, methacrylaldehyde, pentaborane, tellurium hexafluoride, and tetrafluoroethylene in order to develop acute exposure guideline levels (AEGLs) for these high-priority, acutely toxic chemicals. AEGLs represent threshold exposure limits (exposure levels below which adverse health effects are not likely to occur) for the general public and are applicable to emergency exposures ranging from 10 minutes (min) to 8 h. Three levels - AEGL-1, AEGL-2, and AEGL-3 - are developed for each of five exposure periods (10 min, 30 min, 1 h, 4 h, and 8 h) and are distinguished by varying degrees of severity of toxic effects. This report will inform planning, response, and prevention in the community, the workplace, transportation, the military, and the remediation of Superfund sites. %0 Book %T Climate Intervention: Two Book Set %@ 978-0-309-37636-5 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21770/climate-intervention-two-book-set %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21770/climate-intervention-two-book-set %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 0 %X Climate Intervention is no substitute for reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and adaptation efforts aimed at reducing the negative consequences of climate change. However, as our planet enters a period of changing climate never before experienced in recorded human history, interest is growing in the potential for deliberate intervention in the climate system to counter climate change. These reports provide a scientific foundation to help inform the ethical, legal, and political discussions surrounding climate intervention (also known as geoengineering) - the purposeful intervention in the climate system to counter climate change. The reports assess the potential impacts, benefits, and costs of two different proposed classes of climate intervention: (1) carbon dioxide removal and (2) albedo modification (reflecting sunlight) . The reports also discuss governance issues and the research needed to provide a credible scientific underpinning for future discussions. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Integrating Discovery-Based Research into the Undergraduate Curriculum: Report of a Convocation %@ 978-0-309-38089-8 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21851/integrating-discovery-based-research-into-the-undergraduate-curriculum-report-of %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21851/integrating-discovery-based-research-into-the-undergraduate-curriculum-report-of %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Education %P 160 %X Students who participate in scientific research as undergraduates report gaining many benefits from the experience. However, undergraduate research done independently under a faculty member's guidance or as part of an internship, regardless of its individual benefits, is inherently limited in its overall impact. Faculty members and sponsoring companies have limited time and funding to support undergraduate researchers, and most institutions have available (or have allocated) only enough human and financial resources to involve a small fraction of their undergraduates in such experiences. Many more students can be involved as undergraduate researchers if they do scientific research either collectively or individually as part of a regularly scheduled course. Course-based research experiences have been shown to provide students with many of the same benefits acquired from a mentored summer research experience, assuming that sufficient class time is invested, and several different potential advantages. In order to further explore this issue, the Division on Earth and Life Studies and the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education organized a convocation meant to examine the efficacy of engaging large numbers of undergraduate students who are enrolled in traditional academic year courses in the life and related sciences in original research, civic engagement around scientific issues, and/or intensive study of research methods and scientific publications at both two- and four-year colleges and universities. Participants explored the benefits and costs of offering students such experiences and the ways that such efforts may both influence and be influenced by issues such as institutional governance, available resources, and professional expectations of faculty. Integrating Discovery-Based Research into the Undergraduate Curriculum summarizes the presentations and discussions from this event. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Affordability of National Flood Insurance Program Premiums: Report 1 %@ 978-0-309-37125-4 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21709/affordability-of-national-flood-insurance-program-premiums-report-1 %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21709/affordability-of-national-flood-insurance-program-premiums-report-1 %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %K Math, Chemistry, and Physics %K Surveys and Statistics %P 166 %X The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is housed within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and offers insurance policies that are marketed and sold through private insurers, but with the risks borne by the U.S. federal government. NFIP's primary goals are to ensure affordable insurance premiums, secure widespread community participation in the program, and earn premium and fee income that covers claims paid and program expenses over time. In July 2012, the U.S. Congress passed the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act (Biggert-Waters 2012), designed to move toward an insurance program with NFIP risk-based premiums that better reflected expected losses from floods at insured properties. This eliminated policies priced at what the NFIP called "pre-FIRM subsidized" and "grandfathered." As Biggert-Waters 2012 went into effect, constituents from multiple communities expressed concerns about the elimination of lower rate classes, arguing that it created a financial burden on policy holders. In response to these concerns Congress passed The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 (HFIAA 2014). The 2014 legislation changed the process by which pre-FIRM subsidized premiums for primary residences would be removed and reinstated grandfathering. As part of that legislation, FEMA must report back to Congress with a draft affordability framework. Affordability of National Flood Insurance Program Premiums: Report 1 is the first part of a two-part study to provide input as FEMA prepares their draft affordability framework. This report discusses the underlying definitions and methods for an affordability framework and the affordability concept and applications. Affordability of National Flood Insurance Program Premiums gives an overview of the demand for insurance and the history of the NFIP premium setting. The report then describes alternatives for determining when the premium increases resulting from Biggert-Waters 2012 would make flood insurance unaffordable. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Sea Change: 2015-2025 Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences %@ 978-0-309-36688-5 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21655/sea-change-2015-2025-decadal-survey-of-ocean-sciences %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21655/sea-change-2015-2025-decadal-survey-of-ocean-sciences %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 98 %X Ocean science connects a global community of scientists in many disciplines - physics, chemistry, biology, geology and geophysics. New observational and computational technologies are transforming the ability of scientists to study the global ocean with a more integrated and dynamic approach. This enhanced understanding of the ocean is becoming ever more important in an economically and geopolitically connected world, and contributes vital information to policy and decision makers charged with addressing societal interests in the ocean. Science provides the knowledge necessary to realize the benefits and manage the risks of the ocean. Comprehensive understanding of the global ocean is fundamental to forecasting and managing risks from severe storms, adapting to the impacts of climate change, and managing ocean resources. In the United States, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is the primary funder of the basic research which underlies advances in our understanding of the ocean. Sea Change addresses the strategic investments necessary at NSF to ensure a robust ocean scientific enterprise over the next decade. This survey provides guidance from the ocean sciences community on research and facilities priorities for the coming decade and makes recommendations for funding priorities. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T A Strategic Vision for NSF Investments in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research %@ 978-0-309-37367-8 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21741/a-strategic-vision-for-nsf-investments-in-antarctic-and-southern-ocean-research %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21741/a-strategic-vision-for-nsf-investments-in-antarctic-and-southern-ocean-research %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 154 %X Antarctic and Southern Ocean scientific research has produced a wide array of important and exciting scientific advances. Spanning oceanography to tectonics, microbiology to astrophysics, the extreme Antarctic environment provides unique opportunities to expand our knowledge about how our planet works and even the very origins of the universe. Research on the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic ice sheets is becoming increasingly urgent not only for understanding the future of the region but also its interconnections with and impacts on many other parts of the globe. The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) provides U.S. researchers with broad access to the continent and its surrounding ocean. A Strategic Vision for NSF Investments in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research identifies priorities and strategic steps forward for Antarctic research and observations for the next decade. This survey presents a decadal vision for strategic investments in compelling research and the infrastructure most critical for supporting this research. This report makes recommendations for high-priority, larger-scale, community-driven research initiatives that address questions poised for significant advance with the next decades. This report also outlines a roadmap through which the vision and these priorities can be met. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth %@ 978-0-309-31482-4 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18988/climate-intervention-reflecting-sunlight-to-cool-earth %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18988/climate-intervention-reflecting-sunlight-to-cool-earth %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 260 %X The growing problem of changing environmental conditions caused by climate destabilization is well recognized as one of the defining issues of our time. The root problem is greenhouse gas emissions, and the fundamental solution is curbing those emissions. Climate geoengineering has often been considered to be a "last-ditch" response to climate change, to be used only if climate change damage should produce extreme hardship. Although the likelihood of eventually needing to resort to these efforts grows with every year of inaction on emissions control, there is a lack of information on these ways of potentially intervening in the climate system. As one of a two-book report, this volume of Climate Intervention discusses albedo modification - changing the fraction of incoming solar radiation that reaches the surface. This approach would deliberately modify the energy budget of Earth to produce a cooling designed to compensate for some of the effects of warming associated with greenhouse gas increases. The prospect of large-scale albedo modification raises political and governance issues at national and global levels, as well as ethical concerns. Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth discusses some of the social, political, and legal issues surrounding these proposed techniques. It is far easier to modify Earth's albedo than to determine whether it should be done or what the consequences might be of such an action. One serious concern is that such an action could be unilaterally undertaken by a small nation or smaller entity for its own benefit without international sanction and regardless of international consequences. Transparency in discussing this subject is critical. In the spirit of that transparency, Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth was based on peer-reviewed literature and the judgments of the authoring committee; no new research was done as part of this study and all data and information used are from entirely open sources. By helping to bring light to this topic area, this book will help leaders to be far more knowledgeable about the consequences of albedo modification approaches before they face a decision whether or not to use them. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration %@ 978-0-309-30529-7 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18805/climate-intervention-carbon-dioxide-removal-and-reliable-sequestration %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18805/climate-intervention-carbon-dioxide-removal-and-reliable-sequestration %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 154 %X The signals are everywhere that our planet is experiencing significant climate change. It is clear that we need to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from our atmosphere if we want to avoid greatly increased risk of damage from climate change. Aggressively pursuing a program of emissions abatement or mitigation will show results over a timescale of many decades. How do we actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make a bigger difference more quickly? As one of a two-book report, this volume of Climate Intervention discusses CDR, the carbon dioxide removal of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere and sequestration of it in perpetuity. Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration introduces possible CDR approaches and then discusses them in depth. Land management practices, such as low-till agriculture, reforestation and afforestation, ocean iron fertilization, and land-and-ocean-based accelerated weathering, could amplify the rates of processes that are already occurring as part of the natural carbon cycle. Other CDR approaches, such as bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration, direct air capture and sequestration, and traditional carbon capture and sequestration, seek to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and dispose of it by pumping it underground at high pressure. This book looks at the pros and cons of these options and estimates possible rates of removal and total amounts that might be removed via these methods. With whatever portfolio of technologies the transition is achieved, eliminating the carbon dioxide emissions from the global energy and transportation systems will pose an enormous technical, economic, and social challenge that will likely take decades of concerted effort to achieve. Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration will help to better understand the potential cost and performance of CDR strategies to inform debate and decision making as we work to stabilize and reduce atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Review of the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan: Report 1 %@ 978-0-309-36887-2 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21699/review-of-the-edwards-aquifer-habitat-conservation-plan-report-1 %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21699/review-of-the-edwards-aquifer-habitat-conservation-plan-report-1 %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 186 %X The Edwards Aquifer in south-central Texas is the primary source of water for one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, San Antonio, and it also supplies irrigation water to thousands of farmers and livestock operators. It is also is the source water for several springs and rivers, including the two largest freshwater springs in Texas that form the San Marcos and Comal Rivers. The unique habitat afforded by these spring-fed rivers has led to the development of species that are found in no other locations on Earth. Due to the potential for variations in spring flow caused by both human and natural causes, these species are continuously at risk and have been recognized as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). In an effort to manage the river systems and the aquifer that controls them, the Edwards Aquifer Authority and stakeholders have developed a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). The HCP seeks to effectively manage the river-aquifer system to ensure the viability of the ESA-listed species in the face of drought, population growth, and other threats to the aquifer. The National Research Council was asked to assist in this process by reviewing the activities around implementing the HCP. Review of the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan: Report 1 is the first stage of a three-stage study. This report reviews the scientific efforts that are being conducted to help build a better understanding of the river-aquifer system and its relationship to the ESA-listed species. These efforts, which include monitoring and modeling as well as research on key uncertainties in the system, are designed to build a better understanding of how best to manage and protect the system and the endangered species. Thus, the current report is focused specifically on a review of the hydrologic modeling, the ecological modeling, the water quality and biological monitoring, and the Applied Research Program. The fundamental question that Review of the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan: Report 1 addresses is whether the scientific initiatives appropriately address uncertainties and fill knowledge gaps in the river-aquifer system and the species of concern. It is hoped that the successful completion of these scientific initiatives will ultimately lead the Edwards Aquifer Authority to an improved understanding of how to manage the system and protect these species. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Industrialization of Biology: A Roadmap to Accelerate the Advanced Manufacturing of Chemicals %@ 978-0-309-31652-1 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/19001/industrialization-of-biology-a-roadmap-to-accelerate-the-advanced-manufacturing %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/19001/industrialization-of-biology-a-roadmap-to-accelerate-the-advanced-manufacturing %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Math, Chemistry, and Physics %K Biology and Life Sciences %K Industry and Labor %P 167 %X The tremendous progress in biology over the last half century - from Watson and Crick's elucidation of the structure of DNA to today's astonishing, rapid progress in the field of synthetic biology - has positioned us for significant innovation in chemical production. New bio-based chemicals, improved public health through improved drugs and diagnostics, and biofuels that reduce our dependency on oil are all results of research and innovation in the biological sciences. In the past decade, we have witnessed major advances made possible by biotechnology in areas such as rapid, low-cost DNA sequencing, metabolic engineering, and high-throughput screening. The manufacturing of chemicals using biological synthesis and engineering could expand even faster. A proactive strategy - implemented through the development of a technical roadmap similar to those that enabled sustained growth in the semiconductor industry and our explorations of space - is needed if we are to realize the widespread benefits of accelerating the industrialization of biology. Industrialization of Biology presents such a roadmap to achieve key technical milestones for chemical manufacturing through biological routes. This report examines the technical, economic, and societal factors that limit the adoption of bioprocessing in the chemical industry today and which, if surmounted, would markedly accelerate the advanced manufacturing of chemicals via industrial biotechnology. Working at the interface of synthetic chemistry, metabolic engineering, molecular biology, and synthetic biology, Industrialization of Biology identifies key technical goals for next-generation chemical manufacturing, then identifies the gaps in knowledge, tools, techniques, and systems required to meet those goals, and targets and timelines for achieving them. This report also considers the skills necessary to accomplish the roadmap goals, and what training opportunities are required to produce the cadre of skilled scientists and engineers needed. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Review of California's Risk-Assessment Process for Pesticides %@ 978-0-309-36775-2 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21664/review-of-californias-risk-assessment-process-for-pesticides %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21664/review-of-californias-risk-assessment-process-for-pesticides %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 70 %X The California Department of Pesticide Regulation(DPR)conducts human health risk assessments as part of its mission to ensure the protection of workers and public health in the state. The risk assessments identify potential health hazards posed by pesticides, characterize dose-response relationships, and estimate exposure to characterize potential risks to humans. Over the last decade, advances in methods of scientific and technical analysis have led to improvements in the risk-assessment process that have made them more rigorous, transparent, and useful to risk managers. In light of the advances, the California legislature asked DPR to arrange an independent peer review of the agency's risk-assessment practices to ensure that they are scientifically and technically credible. Review of California's Risk-Assessment Process for Pesticides examines DPR's processes of hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response analysis, and risk characterization to determine whether they are consistent with best practices. This report also evaluates the methods used for setting priorities among pesticides for risk assessment and identifies possible options for improving efficiency and productivity. Recommendations of this report will help to make the process more transparent and defensible. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Report of the Committee on Proposal Evaluation for Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of Molecular Dynamics: Sixth Round %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21817/report-of-the-committee-on-proposal-evaluation-for-allocation-of-supercomputing-time-for-the-study-of-molecular-dynamics %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21817/report-of-the-committee-on-proposal-evaluation-for-allocation-of-supercomputing-time-for-the-study-of-molecular-dynamics %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Policy for Science and Technology %P 27 %X This report describes the work of the Committee on Proposal Evaluation for Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of Molecular Dynamics, Sixth Round. The committee evaluated submissions received in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP) for biomolecular simulation time on Anton, a supercomputer specially designed and built by D.E. Shaw Research (DESRES). Over the past five years, DESRES has made an Anton system housed at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) available to the non-commercial research community, based on the advice of previous National Research Council committees. As in prior rounds, the goal of the sixth RFP for simulation time on Anton is to continue to facilitate breakthrough research in the study of biomolecular systems by providing a massively parallel system specially designed for molecular dynamics simulations. The program seeks to continue to support research that addresses important and high impact questions demonstrating a clear need for Anton's special capabilities. Report of the Committee on Proposal Evaluation for Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of Molecular Dynamics, Sixth Round is the report of the committee's evaluation of proposals based on scientific merit, justification for requested time allocation, and investigator qualifications and past accomplishments. This report identifies the proposals that best met the selection criteria. %0 Book %A National Research Council %E Hughes, Kathryn %E Tran, Camly %E Alper, Joe %T Mesoscale Chemistry: A Workshop Summary %@ 978-0-309-37328-9 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21733/mesoscale-chemistry-a-workshop-summary %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21733/mesoscale-chemistry-a-workshop-summary %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Math, Chemistry, and Physics %P 104 %X In the last few decades great strides have been made in chemistry at the nanoscale, where the atomic granularity of matter and the exact positions of individual atoms are key determinants of structure and dynamics. Less attention, however, has been paid to the mesoscale--it is at this scale, in the range extending from large molecules (10 nm) through viruses to eukaryotic cells (10 microns), where interesting ensemble effects and the functionality that is critical to macroscopic phenomenon begins to manifest itself and cannot be described by laws on the scale of atoms and molecules alone. To further explore how knowledge about mesoscale phenomena can impact chemical research and development activities and vice versa, the Chemical Sciences Roundtable of the National Research Council convened a workshop on mesoscale chemistry in November 2014. With a focus on the research on chemical phenomena at the mesoscale, participants examined the opportunities that utilizing those behaviors can have for developing new catalysts, adding new functionality to materials, and increasing our understanding of biological and interfacial systems. The workshop also highlighted some of the challenges for analysis and description of mesoscale structures. This report summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Application of Modern Toxicology Approaches for Predicting Acute Toxicity for Chemical Defense %@ 978-0-309-37666-2 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21775/application-of-modern-toxicology-approaches-for-predicting-acute-toxicity-for-chemical-defense %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21775/application-of-modern-toxicology-approaches-for-predicting-acute-toxicity-for-chemical-defense %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %K Conflict and Security Issues %P 134 %X The US Department of Defense (DOD) is faced with an overwhelming task in evaluating chemicals that could potentially pose a threat to its deployed personnel. There are over 84,000 registered chemicals, and testing them with traditional toxicity-testing methods is not feasible in terms of time or money. In recent years, there has been a concerted effort to develop new approaches to toxicity testing that incorporate advances in systems biology, toxicogenomics, bioinformatics, and computational toxicology. Given the advances, DOD asked the National Research Council to determine how DOD could use modern approaches for predicting chemical toxicity in its efforts to prevent debilitating, acute exposures to deployed personnel. This report provides an overall conceptual approach that DOD could use to develop a predictive toxicology system. Application of Modern Toxicology Approaches for Predicting Acute Toxicity for Chemical Defense reviews the current state of computational and high-throughput approaches for predicting acute toxicity and suggests methods for integrating data and predictions. This report concludes with lessons learned from current high-throughput screening programs and suggests some initial steps for DOD investment. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Arctic Matters: The Global Connection to Changes in the Arctic %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21717/arctic-matters-the-global-connection-to-changes-in-the-arctic %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21717/arctic-matters-the-global-connection-to-changes-in-the-arctic %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 36 %X Viewed in satellite images as a jagged white coat draped over the top of the globe, the high Arctic appears distant and isolated. But even if you don't live there, don't do business there, and will never travel there, you are closer to the Arctic than you think. Arctic Matters: The Global Connection to Changes in the Arctic is a new educational resource produced by the Polar Research Board of the National Research Council (NRC). It draws upon a large collection of peer-reviewed NRC reports and other national and international reports to provide a brief, reader-friendly primer on the complex ways in which the changes currently affecting the Arctic and its diverse people, resources, and environment can, in turn, affect the entire globe. Topics in the booklet include how climate changes currently underway in the Arctic are a driver for global sea-level rise, offer new prospects for natural resource extraction, and have rippling effects through the world's weather, climate, food supply and economy. %0 Book %A National Research Council %E Betts, Kellyn %E Sawyer, Keegan %T Modeling the Health Risks of Climate Change: Workshop Summary %@ 978-0-309-37098-1 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21705/modeling-the-health-risks-of-climate-change-workshop-summary %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21705/modeling-the-health-risks-of-climate-change-workshop-summary %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 49 %X Climate change poses risks to human health and well-being through shifting weather patterns, increases in frequency and intensity of heat waves and other extreme weather events, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and other environmental effects. Those risks occur against a backdrop of changing socioeconomic conditions, medical technology, population demographics, environmental conditions, and other factors that are important in determining health. Models of health risks that reflect how health determinants and climate changes vary in time and space are needed so that we can inform adaptation efforts and reduce or prevent adverse health effects. Robust health risk models could also help to inform national and international discussions about climate policies and the economic consequences of action and inaction. Interest in resolving some of the challenges facing health effects modelers and health scientists led the National Research Council's Standing Committee on Emerging Science for Environmental Health Decisions to hold a workshop on November 3-4, 2014, in Washington, DC, to explore new approaches to modeling the human health risks of climate change. Throughout the workshop, the discussions highlighted examples of current application of models, research gaps, lessons learned, and potential next steps to improve modeling of health risks associated with climate change. Modeling the Health Risks of Climate Change summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %E Alper, Joe %E Anestidou, Lida %T Design, Implementation, Monitoring, and Sharing of Performance Standards for Laboratory Animal Use: Summary of a Workshop %@ 978-0-309-37924-3 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21820/design-implementation-monitoring-and-sharing-of-performance-standards-for-laboratory-animal-use %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21820/design-implementation-monitoring-and-sharing-of-performance-standards-for-laboratory-animal-use %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Biology and Life Sciences %P 128 %X In order to better understand the critical issues pertaining to the concept of performance standards for laboratory animal use, the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research Roundtable on Science and Welfare in Laboratory Animal Use held a public workshop on April 20-21, 2015. The purpose of the workshop was to promote the appropriate and responsible care of animals in research, to provide a balanced and civil forum for discussion and collaboration, and to help build transparency and trust among stakeholders. Participants addressed the challenges of defining, developing, implementing, assessing, and validating performance standards to ensure "optimal practices, management, and operations." This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T A Community-Based Flood Insurance Option %@ 978-0-309-37468-2 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21758/a-community-based-flood-insurance-option %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21758/a-community-based-flood-insurance-option %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %K Environment and Environmental Studies %K Math, Chemistry, and Physics %K Surveys and Statistics %P 102 %X River and coastal floods are among the nation's most costly natural disasters. One component in the nation's approach to managing flood risk is availability of flood insurance policies, which are offered on an individual basis primarily through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Established in 1968, the NFIP is overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and there are about 5.4 million individual policies in the NFIP. The program has experienced a mixture of successes and persistent challenges. Successes include a large number of policy holders, the insurance of approximately $1.3 trillion of property, and the fact that the large majority of policy holders - 80% - pay rates that are risk based. NFIP challenges include large program debt, relatively low rates of purchase in many flood-prone areas, a host of issues regarding affordability of premiums, ensuring that premiums collected cover payouts and administrative fees, and a large number of properties that experience severe repetitive flood losses. At the request of FEMA, A Community-Based Flood Insurance Option identifies a range of key issues and questions that would merit consideration and further analysis as part of a community-based flood insurance program. As the report describes, the community-based option certainly offers potential benefits, such as the prospect of providing coverage for all (or nearly all) at-risk residents and properties in flood-prone communities. At the same time, many current challenges facing the NFIP may not necessarily be resolved by a community-based approach. This report discusses these and other prominent issues to be considered and further assessed. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Tying Flood Insurance to Flood Risk for Low-Lying Structures in the Floodplain %@ 978-0-309-37166-7 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21720/tying-flood-insurance-to-flood-risk-for-low-lying-structures-in-the-floodplain %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21720/tying-flood-insurance-to-flood-risk-for-low-lying-structures-in-the-floodplain %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Math, Chemistry, and Physics %K Earth Sciences %K Surveys and Statistics %P 86 %X Floods take a heavy toll on society, costing lives, damaging buildings and property, disrupting livelihoods, and sometimes necessitating federal disaster relief, which has risen to record levels in recent years. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created in 1968 to reduce the flood risk to individuals and their reliance on federal disaster relief by making federal flood insurance available to residents and businesses if their community adopted floodplain management ordinances and minimum standards for new construction in flood prone areas. Insurance rates for structures built after a flood plain map was adopted by the community were intended to reflect the actual risk of flooding, taking into account the likelihood of inundation, the elevation of the structure, and the relationship of inundation to damage to the structure. Today, rates are subsidized for one-fifth of the NFIP's 5.5 million policies. Most of these structures are negatively elevated, that is, the elevation of the lowest floor is lower than the NFIP construction standard. Compared to structures built above the base flood elevation, negatively elevated structures are more likely to incur a loss because they are inundated more frequently, and the depths and durations of inundation are greater. Tying Flood Insurance to Flood Risk for Low-Lying Structures in the Floodplain studies the pricing of negatively elevated structures in the NFIP. This report review current NFIP methods for calculating risk-based premiums for these structures, including risk analysis, flood maps, and engineering data. The report then evaluates alternative approaches for calculating risk-based premiums and discusses engineering hydrologic and property assessment data needs to implement full risk-based premiums. The findings and conclusions of this report will help to improve the accuracy and precision of loss estimates for negatively elevated structures, which in turn will increase the credibility, fairness, and transparency of premiums for policyholders.