National Academies Press

Adapting to the impacts of climate change.

The America's Climate Choices project, convened by the National Research Council, studied issues associated with global climate change and response strategies. This book reports on the work of one of the panels of the Committee on America's Climate Choices, which investigated strategies for adapting to climate change in different regions, sectors, and populations. The report draws on numerous case studies to examine lessons from past experience. The panel has concluded that it is not possible to provide a list of actions to be taken in each region. Instead, the report emphasizes that decisions need to be made in the context of promoting long-term sustainability objectives, such as social, economic, and ecological welfare. The report contains color photos, maps and charts, and 20 pages of appendices offering panel documents and profiles of panel members. Material here was first presented at the March 2009 Summit on America's Climate Choices. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Advancing the science of climate change.

One of five activities of the America's Climate Choices project, the volume summarizes past, present, and future climate change, including its causes and its impacts, and recommends steps to advance the understanding of climate change and the effectiveness of responses to it. The first part presents the findings on what is known about climate change and its interactions with people and ecosystems, the current research, integrative themes for research, and recommendations for meeting research needs. The second part contains 12 technical chapters on such matters as sea level rise and the coastal environment, public health, and energy supply and use. There is no index. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Capabilities for the future; an assessment of NASA laboratories for basic research.

Authorized by Congress in 2008, this report assesses whether the equipment, facilities, and support services at NASA's laboratories are adequate to support NASA's research activities. Having visited each site in person, the committee describes the current state of the aeronautics and space research laboratories at Glenn Research Center, Langley Research Center, Ames Research Center, Dryden Flight Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Marshall Space Flight Center. The final chapter summarizes general findings and makes specific recommendations. No index is provided. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Clinical practice guidelines we can trust.

The IOM committee proposes eight standards for the production of unbiased, scientifically valid, and trustworthy clinical practice guidelines, giving increased attention to conflicts of interest, guideline development group exclusions, rating strength of recommendations, and public stakeholder comment. The final chapter discusses who should develop guidelines at the national level, the National Guideline Clearinghouse, and a process for harmonizing guidelines. Appendices summarize clinical practice guideline appraisal tools and rating systems. No index is provided. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Dietary reference intakes for calcium and vitamin D. (CD-ROM included)

Updating and supplanting the 1997 edition, this reference compiles research findings on the dietary needs and biological activities of the two essential nutrients, particularly addressing recent controversies over their use. After an introduction and overviews of calcium and vitamin D, it discusses potential indicators of adequacy and the selection of indicators, dietary reference intakes for adequacy, tolerable upper intake levels, dietary intake assessment, implications and special concerns, and information gaps and research needs. The CD contains appendices B-K (also available online) which, though listed in the table of contents, are not printed in the book. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Ecosystem concepts for sustainable bivalve mariculture.

The report describes the environmental problems that can result from raising oysters, clams, mussels, and other bivalve molluscs; the practices that can mitigate or prevent such damage; and policies to encourage those practices. Among the topics are best management practices and performance standards, bivalve mariculture contrasted with wild fisheries, economic and policy factors affecting bivalve mariculture, and ecosystem services of bivalves and implications for restoration. No index is provided. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Finding what works in health care; standards for systematic reviews.

A report from the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Standards for Systematic Reviews of Comparative Effectiveness Research, this study, one of two requested by Congress in 2008, identifies a set of standards for conducting systematic reviews of comparative clinical effectiveness research on health and healthcare. It aims to assess potential methodological standards that would assure objective, transparent, and scientifically valid reviews of research, meant to inform everyday healthcare decision making, especially high-stakes clinical questions with broad population impact. It outlines 21 standards, and their elements, for initiating and reporting a systematic review, finding and assessing individual studies, and synthesizing the body of evidence, concluding with recommendations for improving their quality. There is no index. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people; building a foundation for better understanding.

From the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Issues and Research Gaps and Opportunities, this report aimed at policy makers, federal agencies, advocacy groups, clinicians, and service providers surveys the health status of LGBT populations and research gaps and priorities. The committee consists of specialists in areas ranging from mental health and medicine to biostatistics and HIV research, and details the US context; research challenges, methods, and practices; mental and physical health, risk and protective factors, health services, and contextual influences from childhood to late adulthood; and recommendations that will help the National Institute of Health in implementing a research agenda, data collection, methodological research, research training, and policy on participation. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Informing an effective response to climate change.

Convened by the National Research Council, the America's Climate Choices project was created to study science and technology challenges and other issues related to global climate change, and to present action-oriented response strategies. Material presented here was first presented at the March 2009 Summit on America's Climate Choices. The book presents decision frameworks, risk management frameworks, and decision support tools for using current technical knowledge about climate change to inform decisions and actions. It also describes greenhouse gas accounting systems and different types of climate services, and surveys the scope of international information needs. The report includes b&w photos and color maps and charts, plus 20 pages of reference appendices and examples. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Limiting the magnitude of future climate change.

Responding to a request from the US Congress, the National Research Council presents a report on actions available to the US government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, both by taking domestic measures and by international diplomatic efforts. It covers goals and opportunities, crafting a portfolio of policies, fostering technological innovations, interacting with other policy concerns, multi-level response strategies, and policy durability and adaptability. It is not indexed. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Nutrient requirements of fish and shrimp.

This report supersedes the Academy's previous one, released in 1993, by incorporating the considerable published literature on the nutrition and feeding of fish and shrimp since then. One of the committee's primary findings was that the continued growth of aquaculture production depends on precision feed formulations that maximize fish growth and health while minimizing environmental effects. For that, information is needed both on nutritional requirements and on nutrient levels and availability in feed ingredients. Among the topics are digestive physiology of fish and shrimp, proteins and amino acids, minerals, anti-nutritional factors and adventitious toxins in feeds, larval nutrition, effects of alternative ingredients and strategies on nutritional quality, and food composition tables. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's draft IRIS assessment of tetrachloroethylene.

In June 2008, the US Environmental Protection Agency released a draft assessment estimating cancerous and non-cancerous effects of the volatile solvent that will be used to establish air and water quality standards to protect public health, and establish cleanup standards for hazardous-waste sites. At that time, the Agency also asked the National Research Council to review the draft assessment. A committee was formed for that purpose, and this is its report. It raises concerns about some of the approaches the Agency used to evaluate data, and identifies some inadequate information or rationales used to support its risk assessment. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

S&T strategies of six countries; implications for the United States.

This report analyzes science and technology (S&T) advancement strategies of six countries — Brazil, China, India, Japan, Russia, and Singapore — and evaluates their likely impact on US national security and competitiveness now and in the future. The report was commissioned by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Defense Warning Office of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and carried out by the National Research Council's Committee on Global Science and Technology Strategies and Their Effects on US National Security. After opening chapters on background and methodology of the study, six country chapters identify indicators of the countries' strategic priorities and predict the likelihood that they can achieve their goals, especially in high-impact fields such as energy, neuroscience, nanoscience, information technology, and materials science. For the US to stay competitive and for continued national security, the report recommends continued monitoring of the global S&T situation, especially the transfer of intellectual property by multinational corporations into domestic companies. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Understanding the demand for illegal drugs.

Ten years after a National Research Council survey of the data and research supporting American drug policy was conducted, this volume provides a follow up on current understanding of the demand for drugs in the United States. An edited and consolidated report of findings from a National Academies conference proceeding, this report starts off by noting that many of the previous suggestions were not implemented, including the need for further research on drug demand. A summary with findings and recommendations appears on the first five pages followed by highly referenced consideration of drug markets, the measurement of drug demand, and assessment of current treatments. No index is provided. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)