TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - A Decision Framework for Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs SN - DO - 10.17226/25424 PY - 2019 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25424/a-decision-framework-for-interventions-to-increase-the-persistence-and-resilience-of-coral-reefs PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Coral reefs are critical to ocean and human life because they provide food, living area, storm protection, tourism income, and more. However, human-induced stressors, such as overfishing, sediment, pollution, and habitat destruction have threatened ocean ecosystems globally for decades. In the face of climate change, these ecosystems now face an array of unfamiliar challenges due to destructive rises in ocean temperature, acidity and sea level. These factors lead to an increased frequency of bleaching events, hindered growth, and a decreasing rate of calcification. Research on interventions to combat these relatively new stressors and a reevaluation of longstanding interventions is necessary to understand and protect coral reefs in this changing climate. Previous research on these methods prompts further questions regarding the decision making process for site-specific interventions. A Decision Framework for Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs builds upon a previous report that reviews the state of research on methods that have been used, tested, or proposed to increase the resilience of coral reefs. This new report aims to help coral managers evaluate the specific needs of their site and navigate the 23 different interventions described in the previous report. A case study of the Caribbean, a region with low coral population plagued by disease, serves as an example for coral intervention decision making. This report provides complex coral management decision making tools, identifies gaps in coral biology and conservation research, and provides examples to help individuals and communities tailor a decision strategy to a local area. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs SN - DO - 10.17226/25279 PY - 2019 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25279/a-research-review-of-interventions-to-increase-the-persistence-and-resilience-of-coral-reefs PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Coral reef declines have been recorded for all major tropical ocean basins since the 1980s, averaging approximately 30-50% reductions in reef cover globally. These losses are a result of numerous problems, including habitat destruction, pollution, overfishing, disease, and climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions and the associated increases in ocean temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have been implicated in increased reports of coral bleaching, disease outbreaks, and ocean acidification (OA). For the hundreds of millions of people who depend on reefs for food or livelihoods, the thousands of communities that depend on reefs for wave protection, the people whose cultural practices are tied to reef resources, and the many economies that depend on reefs for fisheries or tourism, the health and maintenance of this major global ecosystem is crucial. A growing body of research on coral physiology, ecology, molecular biology, and responses to stress has revealed potential tools to increase coral resilience. Some of this knowledge is poised to provide practical interventions in the short-term, whereas other discoveries are poised to facilitate research that may later open the doors to additional interventions. A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs reviews the state of science on genetic, ecological, and environmental interventions meant to enhance the persistence and resilience of coral reefs. The complex nature of corals and their associated microbiome lends itself to a wide range of possible approaches. This first report provides a summary of currently available information on the range of interventions present in the scientific literature and provides a basis for the forthcoming final report. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Review of the Draft NTP Monograph: Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects SN - DO - 10.17226/25715 PY - 2020 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25715/review-of-the-draft-ntp-monograph-systematic-review-of-fluoride PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Health and Medicine AB - The National Toxicology Program (NTP) conducted a systematic review of the evidence of adverse neurodevelopmental and cognitive effects of fluoride exposure. NTP's conclusions are summarized in the monograph Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects. At the request of NTP, a committee convened by the National Academies reviewed their monograph to ensure the integrity of that report. It is important to note that the committee was tasked with reviewing the monograph and focused its efforts on evaluating whether evidence as presented in the monograph supported NTP's conclusions. Thus, it did not conduct its own independent evaluation of the evidence, and it did not conduct a data audit. However, it did review some key literature to enable its review of the monograph. Review of the Draft NTP Monograph contains findings and suggestions for improvements and some overarching findings concerning methods, assessment of animal and human evidence, and NTP's hazard conclusion. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Application of Systematic Review Methods in an Overall Strategy for Evaluating Low-Dose Toxicity from Endocrine Active Chemicals SN - DO - 10.17226/24758 PY - 2017 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24758/application-of-systematic-review-methods-in-an-overall-strategy-for-evaluating-low-dose-toxicity-from-endocrine-active-chemicals PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - To safeguard public health, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must keep abreast of new scientific information and emerging technologies so that it can apply them to regulatory decision-making. For decades the agency has dealt with questions about what animal-testing data to use to make predictions about human health hazards, how to perform dose-response extrapolations, how to identify and protect susceptible subpopulations, and how to address uncertainties. As alternatives to traditional toxicity testing have emerged, the agency has been faced with additional questions about how to incorporate data from such tests into its chemical assessments and whether such tests can replace some traditional testing methods. Endocrine active chemicals (EACs) have raised concerns that traditional toxicity-testing protocols might be inadequate to identify all potential hazards to human health because they have the ability to modulate normal hormone function, and small alterations in hormone concentrations, particularly during sensitive life stages, can have lasting and significant effects. To address concerns about potential human health effects from EACs at low doses, this report develops a strategy to evaluate the evidence for such low-dose effects. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Review of EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Process SN - DO - 10.17226/18764 PY - 2014 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18764/review-of-epas-integrated-risk-information-system-iris-process PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - The Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) is a program within the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is responsible for developing toxicologic assessments of environmental contaminants. An IRIS assessment contains hazard identifications and dose-response assessments of various chemicals related to cancer and noncancer outcomes. Although the program was created to increase consistency among toxicologic assessments within the agency, federal, state, and international agencies and other organizations have come to rely on IRIS assessments for setting regulatory standards, establishing exposure guidelines, and estimating risks to exposed populations. Over the last decade, the National Research Council (NRC) has been asked to review some of the more complex and challenging IRIS assessments, including those of formaldehyde, dioxin, and tetrachloroethylene. In 2011, an NRC committee released its review of the IRIS formaldehyde assessment. Like other NRC committees that had reviewed IRIS assessments, the formaldehyde committee identified deficiencies in the specific assessment and more broadly in some of EPA's general approaches and specific methods. Although the committee focused on evaluating the IRIS formaldehyde assessment, it provided suggestions for improving the IRIS process and a roadmap for its revision in case EPA decided to move forward with changes to the process. Congress directed EPA to implement the report's recommendations and then asked the National Research Council to review the changes that EPA was making (or proposing to make) in response to the recommendations. Review of EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Process provides an overview of some general issues associated with IRIS assessments. This report then addresses evidence identification and evaluation for IRIS assessments and discusses evidence integration for hazard evaluation and methods for calculating reference values and unit risks. The report makes recommendations and considerations for future directions. Overall, Review of EPA's Integrated Risk Information System Process finds that substantial improvements in the IRIS process have been made, and it is clear that EPA has embraced and is acting on the recommendations in the NRC formaldehyde report. The recommendations of this report should be seen as building on the progress that EPA has already made. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Learning to Think Spatially SN - DO - 10.17226/11019 PY - 2006 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11019/learning-to-think-spatially PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education AB - Learning to Think Spatially examines how spatial thinking might be incorporated into existing standards-based instruction across the school curriculum. Spatial thinking must be recognized as a fundamental part of K–12 education and as an integrator and a facilitator for problem solving across the curriculum. With advances in computing technologies and the increasing availability of geospatial data, spatial thinking will play a significant role in the information-based economy of the twenty-first century. Using appropriately designed support systems tailored to the K–12 context, spatial thinking can be taught formally to all students. A geographic information system (GIS) offers one example of a high-technology support system that can enable students and teachers to practice and apply spatial thinking in many areas of the curriculum. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Developing Capacities for Teaching Responsible Science in the MENA Region: Refashioning Scientific Dialogue SN - DO - 10.17226/18356 PY - 2013 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18356/developing-capacities-for-teaching-responsible-science-in-the-mena-region PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Education KW - Conflict and Security Issues AB - Spurred on by new discoveries and rapid technological advances, the capacity for life science research is expanding across the globe—and with it comes concerns about the unintended impacts of research on the physical and biological environment, human well-being, or the deliberate misuse of knowledge, tools, and techniques to cause harm. This report describes efforts to address dual use issues by developing institutes around the world that will help life sciences faculty learn to teach about the responsible conduct of science. Based on the successful National Academies Summer Institute for Undergraduate Biology Education and on previous NRC reports on effective methods for teaching about dual use issues, the report's authoring committee designed a general framework for the faculty institutes and chose the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region to test a prototype faculty institute. In September 2012, the first Institute was held in Aqaba, Jordan, bringing together 28 participants from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, and Yemen to engage with effective, evidence-based teaching methods, develop curricular materials for use in their own classrooms, and become community leaders on dual use and related topics. Developing Capacities for Teaching Responsible Science in the MENA Region: Refashioning Scientific Dialogue offers insights from the institute that will help in the design and implementation of future programs in the MENA region, and in other parts of the world. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - A Class Approach to Hazard Assessment of Organohalogen Flame Retardants SN - DO - 10.17226/25412 PY - 2019 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25412/a-class-approach-to-hazard-assessment-of-organohalogen-flame-retardants PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - In the 1970s, flame retardants began to be added to synthetic materials to meet strict flammability standards. Over the years, diverse flame retardants have been manufactured and used in various products. Some flame retardants have migrated out of the products, and this has led to widespread human exposure and environmental contamination. There also is mounting evidence that many flame retardants are associated with adverse human health effects. As a result, some flame retardants have been banned, restricted, or voluntarily phased out of production and use. This publication develops a scientifically based scoping plan to assess additive, nonpolymeric organohalogen flame retardants as a class for potential chronic health hazards under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, including cancer, birth defects, and gene mutations. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Benchmarking the Competitiveness of the United States in Mechanical Engineering Basic Research SN - DO - 10.17226/12055 PY - 2007 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12055/benchmarking-the-competitiveness-of-the-united-states-in-mechanical-engineering-basic-research PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - Mechanical engineering is critical to the design, manufacture, and operation of small and large mechanical systems throughout the U.S. economy. This book highlights the main findings of a benchmarking exercise to rate the standing of U.S. mechanical engineering basic research relative to other regions or countries. The book includes key factors that influence U.S. performance in mechanical engineering research, and near- and longer-term projections of research leadership. U.S. leadership in mechanical engineering basic research overall will continue to be strong. Contributions of U.S. mechanical engineers to journal articles will increase, but so will the contributions from other growing economies such as China and India. At the same time, the supply of U.S. mechanical engineers is in jeopardy, because of declines in the number of U.S. citizens obtaining advanced degrees and uncertain prospects for continuing to attract foreign students. U.S. funding of mechanical engineering basic research and infrastructure will remain level, with strong leadership in emerging areas. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Bridging Boundaries Through Regional Marine Research SN - DO - 10.17226/9772 PY - 2000 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9772/bridging-boundaries-through-regional-marine-research PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - As appreciation of the interdisciplinary and multidimensional character of environmental issues has increased, there have been attempts to address regional needs more directly. One of these, the Regional Marine Research Program (RMRP), was established by Congress in 1990 to provide a mechanism to fund coastal marine research based on regionally-defined priorities. The RMRP legislation established a system of nine regional marine research boards around the United States. Each board was responsible for planning marine research to address issues of water quality and ecosystem health on a regional scale. Although all nine regions received funding for planning activities and development of a research plan, only the Gulf of Maine RMRP received funding for program implementation. The completion of the Gulf of Maine program, in 1997, presents an opportunity to evaluate whether the process for planning and managing the Gulf of Maine research was adequate, whether the research fulfilled the goals of the program, and whether this experience should serve as a model for similar regional programs elsewhere. Bridging Boundaries through Regional Marine Research is a study of the RMRP, with a specific review of the Gulf of Maine program as well as an assessment of other modesl for regional marine research. This report assesses the need for regional marine research,reviews processes by which regional marine research needs can be defined, and discusses existing programs for regional marine research in the United States. It also identifies short- and long-term approaches that might be taken by NOAA. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - The Airliner Cabin Environment: Air Quality and Safety SN - DO - 10.17226/913 PY - 1986 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/913/the-airliner-cabin-environment-air-quality-and-safety PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Each year Americans take more than 300 million plane trips staffed by a total of some 70,000 flight attendants. The health and safety of these individuals are the focus of this volume from the Committee on Airliner Cabin Air Quality. The book examines such topics as cabin air quality, the health effects of reduced pressure and cosmic radiation, emergency procedures, regulations established by U.S. and foreign agencies, records on airline maintenance and operation procedures, and medical statistics on air travel. Numerous recommendations are presented, including a ban on smoking on all domestic commercial flights to lessen discomfort to passengers and crew, to eliminate the possibility of fire caused by cigarettes, and to bring the cabin air quality into line with established standards for other closed environments. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Dolphins and the Tuna Industry SN - DO - 10.17226/1983 PY - 1992 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1983/dolphins-and-the-tuna-industry PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - This book presents key conclusions about the controversial killing of thousands of dolphins each year during tuna fishing in the eastern tropical Pacific. Dolphins drown in nets that are set to catch yellowfin tuna, which tend to swim beneath dolphin herds. After 20 years of intense debate among environmentalists, the tuna industry, and policymakers, this fatal by-product of tuna fishing remains a high-profile public issue. Dolphins and the Tuna Industry provides a neutral examination of the scientific and technical questions at the core of the problem. Recommendations for solutions are offered in two areas: developing new techniques that promise to reduce dolphin mortality with the existing purse-seine method of tuna fishing, and developing entirely new methods of finding tuna that are not swimming with dolphins. Dolphins and the Tuna Industry provides a comprehensive, highly readable overview of the dolphin-tuna controversy, useful to experts and newcomers to the issue. It explores the processes of tuna fishing and dolphin mortality, the status of the tuna industry, and the significant progress made in reducing dolphin mortality through modifications in fishing practice. The volume includes: An overview of U.S. laws and policies relating to tuna and dolphins. An illustrated look at how tuna fishing crews use their equipment, focusing on the purse seine, which is the method most economical to the industry but most deadly to the dolphins. An overview of what is known about tuna and dolphin populations and the remarkable bond between them. A step-by-step description of the fishing process and efforts to let dolphins escape from the nets. An analysis of possible approaches to reducing dolphin kill, including more stringent regulatory approaches and incentives for the tuna industry. This book will be indispensible to environmental and animal protection groups, tuna fishing crews and processors, companies that market tuna products, policymakers, regulators, and concerned individuals. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Minerals, Critical Minerals, and the U.S. Economy SN - DO - 10.17226/12034 PY - 2008 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12034/minerals-critical-minerals-and-the-us-economy PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Industry and Labor KW - Earth Sciences AB - Minerals are part of virtually every product we use. Common examples include copper used in electrical wiring and titanium used to make airplane frames and paint pigments. The Information Age has ushered in a number of new mineral uses in a number of products including cell phones (e.g., tantalum) and liquid crystal displays (e.g., indium). For some minerals, such as the platinum group metals used to make cataytic converters in cars, there is no substitute. If the supply of any given mineral were to become restricted, consumers and sectors of the U.S. economy could be significantly affected. Risks to minerals supplies can include a sudden increase in demand or the possibility that natural ores can be exhausted or become too difficult to extract. Minerals are more vulnerable to supply restrictions if they come from a limited number of mines, mining companies, or nations. Baseline information on minerals is currently collected at the federal level, but no established methodology has existed to identify potentially critical minerals. This book develops such a methodology and suggests an enhanced federal initiative to collect and analyze the additional data needed to support this type of tool. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Future Science Opportunities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean SN - DO - 10.17226/13169 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13169/future-science-opportunities-in-antarctica-and-the-southern-ocean PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences KW - Explore Science AB - Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean remains one of the world's last frontiers. Covering nearly 14 million km² (an area approximately 1.4 times the size of the United States), Antarctica is the coldest, driest, highest, and windiest continent on Earth. While it is challenging to live and work in this extreme environment, this region offers many opportunities for scientific research. Ever since the first humans set foot on Antarctica a little more than a century ago, the discoveries made there have advanced our scientific knowledge of the region, the world, and the Universe--but there is still much more to learn. However, conducting scientific research in the harsh environmental conditions of Antarctica is profoundly challenging. Substantial resources are needed to establish and maintain the infrastructure needed to provide heat, light, transportation, and drinking water, while at the same time minimizing pollution of the environment and ensuring the safety of researchers. Future Science Opportunities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean suggests actions for the United States to achieve success for the next generation of Antarctic and Southern Ocean science. The report highlights important areas of research by encapsulating each into a single, overarching question. The questions fall into two broad themes: (1) those related to global change, and (2) those related to fundamental discoveries. In addition, the report identified key science questions that will drive research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in coming decades, and highlighted opportunities to be leveraged to sustain and improve the U.S. research efforts in the region. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - High-School Biology Today and Tomorrow SN - DO - 10.17226/1328 PY - 1989 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1328/high-school-biology-today-and-tomorrow PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education AB - Biology is where many of science's most exciting and relevant advances are taking place. Yet, many students leave school without having learned basic biology principles, and few are excited enough to continue in the sciences. Why is biology education failing? How can reform be accomplished? This book presents information and expert views from curriculum developers, teachers, and others, offering suggestions about major issues in biology education: what should we teach in biology and how should it be taught? How can we measure results? How should teachers be educated and certified? What obstacles are blocking reform? ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident for Improving Safety of U.S. Nuclear Plants SN - DO - 10.17226/18294 PY - 2014 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18294/lessons-learned-from-the-fukushima-nuclear-accident-for-improving-safety-of-us-nuclear-plants PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Conflict and Security Issues KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Energy and Energy Conservation AB - The March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami sparked a humanitarian disaster in northeastern Japan. They were responsible for more than 15,900 deaths and 2,600 missing persons as well as physical infrastructure damages exceeding $200 billion. The earthquake and tsunami also initiated a severe nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Three of the six reactors at the plant sustained severe core damage and released hydrogen and radioactive materials. Explosion of the released hydrogen damaged three reactor buildings and impeded onsite emergency response efforts. The accident prompted widespread evacuations of local populations, large economic losses, and the eventual shutdown of all nuclear power plants in Japan. Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident for Improving Safety and Security of U.S. Nuclear Plants is a study of the Fukushima Daiichi accident. This report examines the causes of the crisis, the performance of safety systems at the plant, and the responses of its operators following the earthquake and tsunami. The report then considers the lessons that can be learned and their implications for U.S. safety and storage of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste, commercial nuclear reactor safety and security regulations, and design improvements. Lessons Learned makes recommendations to improve plant systems, resources, and operator training to enable effective ad hoc responses to severe accidents. This report's recommendations to incorporate modern risk concepts into safety regulations and improve the nuclear safety culture will help the industry prepare for events that could challenge the design of plant structures and lead to a loss of critical safety functions. In providing a broad-scope, high-level examination of the accident, Lessons Learned is meant to complement earlier evaluations by industry and regulators. This in-depth review will be an essential resource for the nuclear power industry, policy makers, and anyone interested in the state of U.S. preparedness and response in the face of crisis situations. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Using 21st Century Science to Improve Risk-Related Evaluations SN - DO - 10.17226/24635 PY - 2017 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24635/using-21st-century-science-to-improve-risk-related-evaluations PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Over the last decade, several large-scale United States and international programs have been initiated to incorporate advances in molecular and cellular biology, -omics technologies, analytical methods, bioinformatics, and computational tools and methods into the field of toxicology. Similar efforts are being pursued in the field of exposure science with the goals of obtaining more accurate and complete exposure data on individuals and populations for thousands of chemicals over the lifespan; predicting exposures from use data and chemical-property information; and translating exposures between test systems and humans. Using 21st Century Science to Improve Risk-Related Evaluations makes recommendations for integrating new scientific approaches into risk-based evaluations. This study considers the scientific advances that have occurred following the publication of the NRC reports Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy and Exposure Science in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy. Given the various ongoing lines of investigation and new data streams that have emerged, this publication proposes how best to integrate and use the emerging results in evaluating chemical risk. Using 21st Century Science to Improve Risk-Related Evaluations considers whether a new paradigm is needed for data validation, how to integrate the divergent data streams, how uncertainty might need to be characterized, and how best to communicate the new approaches so that they are understandable to various stakeholders. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - The Future of U.S. Chemistry Research: Benchmarks and Challenges SN - DO - 10.17226/11866 PY - 2007 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11866/the-future-of-us-chemistry-research-benchmarks-and-challenges PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - Chemistry plays a key role in conquering diseases, solving energy problems, addressing environmental problems, providing the discoveries that lead to new industries, and developing new materials and technologies for national defense and homeland security. However, the field is currently facing a crucial time of change and is struggling to position itself to meet the needs of the future as it expands beyond its traditional core toward areas related to biology, materials science, and nanotechnology. At the request of the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Research Council conducted an in-depth benchmarking analysis to gauge the current standing of the U.S. chemistry field in the world. The Future of U.S. Chemistry Research: Benchmarks and Challenges highlights the main findings of the benchmarking exercise. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident for Improving Safety and Security of U.S. Nuclear Plants: Phase 2 SN - DO - 10.17226/21874 PY - 2016 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21874/lessons-learned-from-the-fukushima-nuclear-accident-for-improving-safety-and-security-of-us-nuclear-plants PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Conflict and Security Issues KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Energy and Energy Conservation AB - The U.S. Congress asked the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a technical study on lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident for improving safety and security of commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. This study was carried out in two phases: Phase 1, issued in 2014, focused on the causes of the Fukushima Daiichi accident and safety-related lessons learned for improving nuclear plant systems, operations, and regulations exclusive of spent fuel storage. This Phase 2 report focuses on three issues: (1) lessons learned from the accident for nuclear plant security, (2) lessons learned for spent fuel storage, and (3) reevaluation of conclusions from previous Academies studies on spent fuel storage. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - The Role of Theory in Advancing 21st-Century Biology: Catalyzing Transformative Research SN - DO - 10.17226/12026 PY - 2008 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12026/the-role-of-theory-in-advancing-21st-century-biology-catalyzing PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Although its importance is not always recognized, theory is an integral part of all biological research. Biologists' theoretical and conceptual frameworks inform every step of their research, affecting what experiments they do, what techniques and technologies they develop and use, and how they interpret their data. By examining how theory can help biologists answer questions like "What are the engineering principles of life?" or "How do cells really work?" the report shows how theory synthesizes biological knowledge from the molecular level to the level of whole ecosystems. The book concludes that theory is already an inextricable thread running throughout the practice of biology; but that explicitly giving theory equal status with other components of biological research could help catalyze transformative research that will lead to creative, dynamic, and innovative advances in our understanding of life. ER -