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Winter/Spring 2007vol. 7 number 1

infocusmagazine.org

INFOCUS

INFOCUSP.O. Box 665Holmes, PA 19043

PRE-SORT STANDARDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 6426WASHINGTON, DC

Recognize Engineering Excellence.Nominate a Mentor for the NAE Awards.

Has there ever been an engineer – whose commitment,

passion, brilliance or persistence – has inspired you

to greater achievements throughout your career? If so,

we invite you to nominate him or her for the 2008

National Academy of Engineering Awards.

Each year, the NAE honors those engineers whose

achievements both advance science and improve lives

around the world, while at the same time, inspiring

others to do the same. In 2007, the NAE recognized

Timothy J. Berners-Lee with the Charles Stark Draper

Prize for his achievement in developing the World

Wide Web.

If you know engineers deserving of the Draper Prize –

given to engineers whose work contributes to the

well being and freedom of humanity by improving

the quality of life – or of the Bernard M. Gordon

Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology

Education – honoring those whose work in education

has helped foster tomorrow’s leaders, please submit your

nominations to the NAE before April 2007.

To learn more, visit www.nae.edu/awards.

Water Management in Colorado River Basin

The Potential of Africa’s Native Vegetables

Building a Robust Earth Information System

The nation turns to the National Academy ofSciences, National Academy of Engineering, Instituteof Medicine, and National Research Council forindependent, objective advice on issues that affectpeople’s lives worldwide. Additional informationabout the National Academies and their work canbe found online at <national-academies.org>.

The National Academies In Focus features broadcoverage of the National Academies’ activities. Wewelcome your comments on the magazine; e-mailus at <[email protected]>.

In Focus (ISSN 1534-8334) is published three timesa year by the National Academies, 500 Fifth St.,N.W., Washington, DC 20001. Subscription (threeissues): $10; Canada and foreign, $12 (U.S. currencyonly). Subscription address: In Focus, P.O. Box665, Holmes, PA 19043. Bulk-rate U.S. postage ispaid at Washington, D.C. Back issues and backvolumes can be ordered in microform fromNational Archive Publishing Company, 300 NorthZeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.

Postmaster: Send address changes to In Focus, P.O.Box 665, Holmes, PA 19043.

Credits:Cover: (clockwise from upper left) View of the Colorado River

from Toroweap Overlook in Grand Canyon National Park,photo courtesy National Park Service; woman selling sheabutter in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, ©ThierryGouegnon/Reuters/Corbis; ©Photodisc

Page 1: (col. 1, from top) Research at the U.S. Department ofEnergy’s Battelle Marine Sciences Laboratory, photo cour-tesy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; ©PhotoAlto;(col. 2) illustration of satellite in the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System,image courtesy National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration

Page 2: (from top) Participants at the second annual conference ofthe African Science Academy Development Initiative, heldin Yaoundé, Cameroon, November 2006, photo courtesyCameroon Academy of Sciences; part of “InfectiousDisease: Evolving Challenges to Human Health,” a newexhibit at the Marian Koshland Science Museum of theNational Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.

Page 3: Photo by Cable Risdon Photography Page 4: Colorado River, ©PhotodiscPage 5: Parker Dam and Powerplant and Lake Havasu, from

which the Metropolitan Water District of SouthernCalifornia pumps water, located in Arizona, photo byAndy Pernick, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

Page 6: ©Stephanie Carter/IMAGEZOOPage 7: Lung cancer patient in Shanghai, People’s Republic of

China, ©Justin Guariglia/CorbisPage 8: Oral cancer patient in Mumbai, India, photo by P. Virot,

World Health OrganizationPage 9: ©Lisa Zador/Images.comPage 10: Travelers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport,

©Ken Cedeno/CorbisPage 11: Millimeter wave imaging technology, photo courtesy

Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryPage 12: ©Leo Kundas/Images.comPage 13 Baobab tree at sunset in Namibia, ©Theo

Allofs/zefa/CorbisPage 14: Examining crops in rural Ghana, photo by Curt

Carnemark, The World BankPage 15: ©Phil & Jim Bliss/Images.comPages 16&17: Participants at “Smart Prosthetics: Exploring Assistive

Devices for the Body and Mind,” the fourth annual confer-ence of the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative,November 2006, Irvine, Calif., photos by Paul R. Kennedy

Pages 18&19: Participants at the second annual conference of the AfricanScience Academy Development Initiative, photos courtesyCameroon Academy of Sciences

Page 20: Logo of the International Polar Year 2007-2008Page 21: Part of the new exhibit on infectious disease at the Marian

Koshland Science Museum

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD (TRB) REPORTS — Approximately 150 titles issued annually. Freecatalog available on request from TRB, 500 Fifth St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001 (tel. 202-334-

3213), or visit TRB’s bookstore on the Internet at <national-academies.org/trb/bookstore>.

A Review of the Draft OceanResearch Priorities Plan: Chartingthe Course for Ocean Science inthe United StatesOcean Studies Board, Division onEarth and Life Studies (2006, 74pp.; ISBN 0-309-66783-6; avail-able from NAP).

Review of the Worker and PublicHealth Activities ProgramAdministered by the Departmentof Energy and the Department ofHealth and Human ServicesNuclear and Radiation StudiesBoard and Board onEnvironmental Studies andToxicology, Division on Earthand Life Studies (2006, 296 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10338-X; availablefrom NAP).

A Review of United States AirForce and Department of DefenseAerospace Propulsion NeedsAir Force Studies Board,Division on Engineering andPhysical Sciences (2006, 90 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10247-2; availablefrom NAP).

River Science at the U.S.Geological SurveyWater Science and TechnologyBoard, Division on Earth and LifeStudies (2007, approx. 214 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10357-6; availablefrom NAP).

Science and Technology inKazakhstan: Current Status andFuture ProspectsOffice for Central Europe andEurasia, Development, Security,

and Cooperation, Division onPolicy and Global Affairs (2007,approx. 166 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10471-8; available from NAP).

Scientific Opportunities With aRare-Isotope Facility in theUnited StatesBoard on Physics and Astronomy,Division on Engineering andPhysical Sciences (2007, approx.100 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10408-4;available from NAP).

Spacecraft Water ExposureGuidelines for SelectedContaminants, Vol. 2Committee on Toxicology, Boardon Environmental Studies andToxicology, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2006, approx. 664pp.; ISBN 0-309-10379-7; avail-able from NAP).

Strategic Guidance for theNational Science Foundation’sSupport of the AtmosphericSciencesBoard on Atmospheric Sciencesand Climate, Division on Earthand Life Studies (2007, approx.240 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10349-5;available from NAP).

A Strategy for Assessing Science:Behavioral and Social Researchon AgingCenter for Studies of Behaviorand Development, Division ofBehavioral and Social Sciencesand Education (2007, 176 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10397-5; availablefrom NAP).

Successful Response Starts with aMap: Improving GeospatialSupport for Disaster ManagementMapping Science Committee,Board on Earth Sciences andResources, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2007, 198 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10340-1; availablefrom NAP).

Third Report of the NationalAcademy of Engineering/NationalResearch Council Committee onNew Orleans Regional HurricaneProtection ProjectsNational Academy of Engineering,Division on Earth and LifeStudies, and Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2006, 28 pp.; ISBN 0-309-66675-9; available from NAP).

U.S.-Russian Collaboration inCombating RadiologicalTerrorismOffice for Central Europe andEurasia, Development, Security,and Cooperation, Division onPolicy and Global Affairs (2007,approx. 130 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10410-6; available from NAP).

Validation of ToxicogenomicTechnologies — A WorkshopSummaryBoard on Environmental Studiesand Toxicology and Board on LifeSciences, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2007, approx. 96pp.; ISBN 0-309-10413-0; avail-able from NAP).

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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIESVolume 7 Number 1

INFOCUSinfocusmagazine.org

F E A T U R E S

ENVIRONMENT & RESOURCES

4 Troubled WatersNew findings and regional trends arecomplicating Colorado River water management

6 Back to theDrawing BoardProposal to standardize riskassessmentsshould be pulled

HEALTH & SAFETY

7 An Overlooked KillerControlling cancer in low- and middle-income countries

9 Fighting Flu at the Community LevelThe role of communitywide interventionsduring a pandemic

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

10 Detecting New Threats in AirportsPromising technology may be the waveof the future

12 A New Look at Planet Earth —From SpaceRenewing U.S. commitment to earth science research

EDUCATION & SOCIAL ISSUES

13 A Lost BountyNative vegetables could help solveAfrica’s food crisis

15 Getting “Residence” RightHelping the Census Bureau define andmeasure residence for 2010 count

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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES INFOCUS2

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

National Academy of SciencesRalph J. Cicerone, PresidentBarbara A. Schaal,Vice PresidentE.William Colglazier, Executive OfficerKenneth R. Fulton, Executive Director

National Academy of EngineeringCraig R. Barrett, ChairWm.A.Wulf, PresidentMaxine L. Savits,Vice PresidentLance Davis, Executive Officer

Institute of MedicineHarvey V. Fineberg, PresidentSusanne Stoiber, Executive Officer

National Research CouncilRalph J. Cicerone, ChairWm.A.Wulf,Vice ChairE.William Colglazier, Executive Officer

16 MeetingsSmart ProstheticsExploring assistive devices for the bodyand mind

18 Science & SocietyTurning Science-Based Guidance Into ResultsAfrican scientists and policymakers meetto discuss policy challenges related tofood security

20 Brief Takes• U.S. Kicks Off International Polar Year• Winners of $1 Million Challenge

Announced• IOM Recognized for Preventing

Medication Errors• Koshland Museum Opens New Exhibit

22 New Projects & Publications

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In Focus is prepared by the Office of Newsand Public Information.

Executive Director:William Skane

In Focus Editor:Valerie Chase

Assistant Editor: Sara Frueh

Staff Writers: Bill Kearney, Maureen O’Leary,Patrice Pages, Christine Stencel,Vanee Vines

Original Design: Francesca Moghari

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An Interesting Time Indeed

On completing my second term this June 30th, I will step down aspresident of the National Academy of Engineering. It has been anincredible pleasure to have the privilege to work with my counter-parts in the NAS and IOM, and indeed, with all the staff, themembers of the National Academies, and the volunteers who serveon our committees. It’s been a stimulating time!

As president, I did a lot of traveling outside the U.S., and as aresult came to understand at a much deeper level the value of ourAcademies. Similar academies in other countries don’t generally pro-vide their nations with the kind of independent, fact-based, peer-reviewed analysis andadvice that we do. Perhaps that was all right in a simpler time, but as societies worldwidebecome more technologically dependent, it’s inevitable that more public policy issues willneed to be resolved with a full and balanced understanding of the available scientific andtechnical options and their implications. The contents of this issue of In Focus are an excel-lent example of this. Issues covered range from explosives detection, to risk assessment, to“smart” prosthetics, to capacity-building of academies in other nations, and more. All theseareas need the kind of input and guidance that the National Academies provide.

The last 11 years have been an “interesting time” to be at the Academies. One of the firstthings that happened after I arrived was that we lost a court case that removed our abilityto operate outside the jurisdiction of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, or FACA, seri-ously endangering our independence. Had this ruling stood, the Academies would havebeen put out of business. Fortunately, enough members of Congress understood the value ofthe National Academies that a special section was added to FACA that applies almostexclusively to us. We had to change our way of doing some things, such as posting pro-posed committee rosters for public comment and publishing the name of reviewers in ourreports. But in the end I believe those changes improved and strengthened our processes.

We also embarked on a capital campaign that helped us gather the resources to dostudies on important issues of science and policy without government or foundation sup-port — such as Rising Above the Gathering Storm. We also built a new building, theKeck Center, which has enhanced considerably our ability to collaborate internally. Weunderwent a major reorganization and significantly improved our business practices.And, along the way, we tackled a number of sensitive and controversial issues. I’veenjoyed playing a role in the development of this unique set of institutions. Oh yes, it’sbeen quite an interesting time. Thanks to you all.

WM. A. WULFPresident, National Academy of Engineering


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For most of the last cen-tury, the only informa-tion on the Colorado

River’s streamflow camefrom a series of gauges thatmeasure flows at variouspoints along the river. Over the years, thesegauges provided the data upon which manycontentious water-allocation negotiationswere based. In fact, measurements from theU.S. Geological Survey’s gauging station atLees Ferry, Arizona, were cited in the 1922Colorado River Compact, which to this daygoverns the allocation of water betweenstates in the upper and lower basin.

More recently, scientists have startedlooking further back in history to get a bet-ter idea of the river’s average flow. Theywere able to do so by studying coniferous

trees with long life spansacross the region. Becausemoisture availability is reflect-ed in the annual growth ringsof trees that grow at low ele-vations, scientists can use this

information to reconstruct past climatic con-ditions and, in turn, estimate river flows.

What they have learned is that theColorado River’s average flow over thepast four to five centuries has fluctuatedmore than previously assumed, exhibitingperiods when average flows were higherand lower than the average measured bygauges during the last century, according toa new report from the National ResearchCouncil. In particular, the tree-ring datashow that there were several periods whenflows were considerably lower than those


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Regional Trends AreComplicatingColorado River

Water Management

measured at Lees Ferry since 1921, andthat the period just prior to the signing ofthe compact was exceptionally wet. Equallyimportant, the tree rings indicate thatextended droughts, like the one experiencedin recent years, are a recurrent feature ofthe Colorado River basin.

The new data are prompting much discus-sion among water managers in many aridparts of the western United States where theColorado River is the main source of surfacewater. River management decisions relyheavily on forecasts that assume the instru-mental record of past water conditions willgenerally be replicated in the future. But thetree-ring data call these assumptions intoquestion, the report says.

Further complicating the forecasts is awarming trend in the West that shows nosigns of dissipating. The recent drought isnot unprecedented, as the tree-ring datashow, and could be chalked up to naturalclimate variability. Droughts in the future,however, are likely to be more severebecause of rising temperatures. A prepon-derance of evidence suggests that warmertemperatures will reduce Colorado Riverstreamflow and water supplies, the reportsays. Even if precipitation levels remainthe same, streamflow could drop becausewarmer temperatures mean more rain willfall than snow, reducing the snowpackthat gradually feeds the river. More waterwill be lost to evaporation as well.

Higher temperatures will also increasethe demand for water from a rapidlygrowing population across the westernUnited States. Although some of the addedstress placed on water supplies by thisburgeoning population has been abatedthrough technology and conservation,

demand is rising sharply. Water consump-tion doubled from 1985 to 2000 in ClarkCounty, Nevada, where Las Vegas is locat-ed, for example.

Technology and conservation will notprovide a panacea for coping with watershortages in the long run, the report warns.It also notes that the practice of transferringagricultural water rights to municipalities —often a preferred method for meeting urbanwater demand in the basin — may haveundesirable effects on “third parties,” suchas downstream farmers or ecosystems. Theagricultural water supply is also not unlim-ited. Cooperation among basin states,informed in part by a comprehensive basin-wide study of water practices, will be essen-tial in managing future droughts, as willbetter communication between scientistsand water managers. — Bill Kearney

-Colorado River Basin Water Management:Evaluating and Adjusting to Hydroclimatic Variability.Committee on the Scientific Bases of Colorado RiverBasin Water Management,Water Science and TechnologyBoard, Division on Earth and Life Studies (2007, approx.218 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10524-2; available from the NationalAcademies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $44.75 plus $4.50shipping for single copies; also on the Internet at<www.nap.edu/catalog/11857.html>).

The committee was chaired by Ernest T. Smerdon,emeritus dean of the College of Engineering and Mines,University of Arizona,Tucson.The study was funded by theNational Academies, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, CaliforniaDepartment of Water Resources, Metropolitan WaterDistrict of Southern California, and the Southern NevadaWater Authority.


AWhite House Office ofManagement andBudget draft bulletin

proposing new technical stan-dards for federal risk assess-ments should be withdrawn,according to a NationalResearch Council committee.

Risk assessments, which gauge the threatposed by such things as exposure to achemical or the potential failure of anuclear power plant, underpin many feder-al regulations. OMB issued the draft bul-letin in January last year and soon afterrequested that the Research Council reviewthe document. The bulletin’s stated goalwas to improve the quality and objectivityof federal risk assessments, but the reviewcommittee said that the bulletin was “fun-damentally flawed” and would not meetthis goal if implemented.

“We began our review figuring that wewould only be recommending modificationsto the bulletin, but the more we dug into it,the more we realized it should be with-drawn altogether,” said committee chairJohn F. Ahearne, director of the ethics pro-gram at Sigma Xi, The Scientific ResearchSociety, Research Triangle Park, N.C.

In particular, the bulletin’s new defini-tion of risk assessment was too broad —“one size does not fit all” when it comes torisk assessments, the committee said — andmany of the document’s proposals wereinconsistent with past expert recommenda-tions on risk assessments.

OMB also erred by focusing too heavilyon human health risk assessments andneglecting assessments of technology andengineered structures, critical to agencieslike NASA. Too little attention also is paid

to the importance of risk communicationand to the risks faced by sensitive popula-tions such as children and pregnantwomen. And the bulletin’s definition of anadverse health effect implies that only clini-cally apparent effects should be consideredadverse, ignoring a fundamental publichealth tenet to control exposures beforethey cause functional impairment.

The committee also criticized OMB fornot having established a baseline of eachagency’s proficiency at conducting riskassessments, making it difficult to measurethe success of any changes to current prac-tice. Nor was the cost of implementing thebulletin estimated, even though it wouldlikely be significant.

The committee agreed with OMB thatthere is room for improvement in federalrisk assessments. It recommended that afterfurther study of agency practices andneeds, OMB should issue a new type ofbulletin with goals and general principlesfor risk assessments, but the developmentof technical guidelines to meet those goalsand principles be left to the agencies.

Following release of the committee’sreview, an OMB spokesperson said that thebulletin would not be finalized in its cur-rent form. — Bill Kearney

-Scientific Review of the Proposed Risk AssessmentBulletin from the Office of Management and Budget.Committee to Review the OMB Risk Assessment Bulletin,Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Division onEarth and Life Studies (2007, approx. 324 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10477-7; available from the National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $62.75 plus $4.50 shipping for single copies;also on the Internet at <www.nap.edu/catalog/11811.html>).

The committee was chaired by John F.Ahearne,director, ethics program, Sigma Xi,The Scientific ResearchSociety, Research Triangle Park, N.C.The study was fund-ed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S.departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Health andHuman Services, and Labor; and NASA.


Back to the Drawing BoardPROPOSAL TO STANDARDIZE RISK ASSESSMENTS SHOULD BE PULLED

Nutritional deficiencies and infectiousscourges rightfully demand signifi-cant shares of the attention and

resources available in low- and middle-income nations where they claim so manylives. But cancer exacts a ruthless toll onthese nations as well — countries rangingfrom the poorest in Africa and SoutheastAsia, to nations such as Brazil and Indiathat have growing middle and upper classes.Four million deaths from cancer — 1 millionmore than deaths from HIV/AIDS — occurannually in this group of countries.

Even as these nations struggle with basicpublic health problems, they and the largerglobal community should be directingresources to developing effective cancercontrol programs. But cancer is generallylow on or absent from the health agenda inthese nations, says a new report from theInstitute of Medicine. The report calls fornational governments, health professionals,and the global health community to begin

taking steps to develop such programs inlow- and middle-income countries.

“We do not suggest a single prescriptionthat would work in all these diverse coun-tries, nor do we envision comprehensivecancer control being possible without sig-nificant improvements in the health caresystems in these nations,” said Frank A.Sloan, chair of the committee that wrotethe report. “But there are global prioritiesand approaches to cancer control and plan-ning that are feasible at low resource levels,and they should be applied starting now.”

Prevention often is the most effectiveapproach to cancer control. The biggestcause of cancer in low- and middle-incomecountries — tobacco — is also one of themost avoidable. Evidence is available tohelp curb rising smoking rates. Targetcountries also need financial and technicalsupport to provide vaccinations againstviruses linked to cancer, which couldreduce liver and cervical cancer deaths.


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Cancer care in low- and middle-incomecountries must be guided to a large extentby the level and type of resources availablefor prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.For example, early-stage breast cancer canbe treated by lumpectomy and radiationtherapy alone. However, radiation treat-ment may not be available in some nations

because of cost or lack of equipment. Butmastectomy and chemotherapy can stillsave lives in these places.

Attention should be turned toward pal-liative care, a crucial element of cancertreatment when patients are diagnosed late,the report urges. It suggests ways that low-and middle-income nations could easeunnecessarily strict limits on strong opioidpainkillers such as morphine to make thesedrugs more readily available to cancerpatients, who frequently suffer great pain,especially as they approach death.

Cancer control will not advance in thesenations, however, without internationalsupport from the health and developmentcommunities, the report adds, and morethan financial assistance is needed. Public-and private-sector organizations in theUnited States and other countries should

provide information and technical assis-tance to the target nations. The reporturges each low- or middle-income countryto develop at least one cancer “center ofexcellence” that will serve as the nation’sfocal point of efforts to control cancer andas the international point of contact.

Established medical institutions in indus-trialized nations should partner with newand developing cancer centers to exchangeinformation, provide training, and engagein other activities to help them improve,the report says. The international oncologycommunity also should help develop pro-grams to promote awareness of cancer andsupport for control efforts in the targetcountries. The report cautions high-incomecountries to resist exporting the latest,most expensive technologies that may beappropriate for wealthy countries, but forwhich alternatives exist that might be morefeasible and cost-effective for low- andmiddle-income nations. — Christine Stencel

-Cancer Control Opportunities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Committee on Cancer Control inLow- and Middle-Income Countries, Board on GlobalHealth, Institute of Medicine (2007, 340 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10384-3; available from the National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $49.00 plus $4.50 shipping for single copies;also on the Internet at <www.nap.edu/catalog/11797.html>).

The committee was chaired by Frank A. Sloan, J.Alexander McMahon Professor of Health Policy andManagement, and professor of economics, Center forHealth Policy, Law, and Management, Duke University,Durham, N.C.The study was funded by the NationalCancer Institute and the American Cancer Society.


Would closingoffices andschools lessen

the severity of a flu pan-demic, should one strikethe United States? Couldisolating infected peoplein their homes slow thespread of a lethal virus?

During a pandemic, public health andgovernment officials could use a range ofpotential strategies to try to reduce thespread of infection, including quarantinesand other containment interventions at thecommunity level. These interventions formthe cornerstone of newly released federalguidelines that advise states and localmunicipalities on how to proceed untilmore drugs and vaccines become available.In the event of a severe flu pandemic,schools should close for up to three monthsand all members of any household with aninfected person should stay isolated volun-tarily for up to 10 days, the guidelines say.

In December, a report by the Institute ofMedicine said communitywide interven-tions have a role in controlling illnesses anddeaths during a pandemic, but it cautionedofficials to not overstate the certainty oftheir effectiveness to the public. Given thatthese strategies would have negative conse-quences as well as benefits, communityleaders should exercise caution in imple-menting them, the report adds.

These conclusions emerged from exami-nation of computer models that simulatedifferent actions and forecast their implica-tions, in addition to analyses of historicalrecords on past flu outbreaks. Governmentofficials invoked community containmentinterventions during previous flu pandemics.

In 1918, for example, somecity and town leadersclosed schools and theatersand banned public gather-ings in an effort to keep thepandemic at bay.

Early action has beenassociated with flatter epi-demic curves and may

have lowered the peak death rate duringprevious outbreaks. But at the same time,some cities that took such steps still experi-enced high rates of illness and mortality.

Computer models can help officials organ-ize available information about a pandemicsituation and inform discussions about theoptions available. However, the models areinherently limited and provide only an aid —not a roadmap — for decision-making, thereport says.

Reducing exposure to infection throughmany community interventions will comewith a price. For example, closing work-places could lead to loss of income thatwould be devastating to families livingfrom paycheck to paycheck. School clo-sures would mean loss of access to free,nutritional meals for some children. Thereport urged public officials to consider allpossible outcomes and use community con-tainment strategies only when the potentialbenefit outweighs the likely harms. — Christine Stencel

-Modeling Community Containment for PandemicInfluenza:A Letter Report. Committee on ModelingCommunity Containment for Pandemic Influenza, Boardon Population Health and Public Health Practice, Instituteof Medicine (2006, 47 pp.; available only on the Internet at<www.nap.edu/catalog/11800.html>).

The committee was chaired by Adel Mahmoud,former president, Merck Vaccines, Princeton, N.J.Thestudy was funded by the U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services.


FIGHTING FLU at the Community Level

Over the past 30 years, the Federal

Aviation Administration, and more

recently the Transportation Security

Administration, has funded the

development of technologies that screen

aircraft passengers and their luggage

faster and better. But the detectors and

screening devices currently in use aren’t

able to detect nonmetallic concealed

objects or small traces of explosives.

T echnologies using millimeter and tera-hertz waves — a spectrum of electro-magnetic waves with frequencies

between infrared light and microwaves —promise to do just that, according to a newreport from the National ResearchCouncil. Universities, national laboratories,and the commercial sector are increasinglyfocusing on the research and developmentof devices using these waves to securebuildings, ports, and borders, and hopeful-ly airports in the near future. So far, thesetechnologies can detect nonmetallic objectsconcealed on people or in luggage but notwhether they are explosives or weapons.

“Threats have evolved over time toinclude plastic and ceramic handguns andknives, as well as explosives that are notrecognized by metal detectors,” said JamesO’Bryon, chair of the committee that wrote


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PROMISING TECHNOLOGY MAY BE THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE

the report. “Millimeter and terahertz wavetechnology could allow us to detect suchthreats in the future, and progress in thisarea, although limited, is encouraging.”

One key advantage of millimeter and tera-hertz waves over X-rays is that they are non-ionizing, making them safer — especially ifused repeatedly on the same individual. Adevice using these waves works like a cam-era measuring the energy radiated orreflected by an object to create an image.

Two types of imaging techniques are cur-rently being tested: active and passive.Passive imaging systems detect the energynaturally radiated by objects, reveal-ing contrasts between warm andcold areas — such as a cold metalweapon obscuring part of a warmerhuman body. Active imaging systemsscan a subject with a beam of lightand then detect the reflected energy,revealing concealed objects.

The resolution of the images fromboth types of system is still too lowto recognize specific explosives orweapons, the report says. One wayto solve the problem is to compare theimages of objects to those in a database ofknown dangerous items. A computer pro-gram would try to match the object’s imagewith at least one in the database. If a matchis found, a security officer would perform asearch or ask the person to remove the sus-picious item. The database informationwould also help security officers search onlyindividuals with items deemed suspicious bythe computer program.

Another limitation of the imaging tech-niques is that they reveal anatomicaldetails that a person could find embar-rassing or consider a violation of privacy.

This issue needs to be addressed rigor-ously by legal experts and psychologists,the committee said.

Because of such limitations, these tech-nologies may have to be combined withother screening techniques, the report says.TSA should examine how to mix variousscreening technologies to enhance thedetection of weapons and explosives.

Developing an effective millimeter/tera-hertz-wave screening device can be costly,the report notes. TSA should collaboratewith universities, national laboratories, andbusinesses that have already invested exten-

sively. TSA should also assess whether thesetechnologies can realistically be deployedfor transportation security. — Patrice Pages

-Assessment of Millimeter-Wave and TerahertzTechnology for Detection and Identification ofConcealed Explosives and Weapons. Committee onAssessment of Security Technologies for Transportation,National Materials Advisory Board, Division on Engineeringand Physical Sciences (2007, 88 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10469-6;available from the National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $18.00 plus $4.50 shipping for single copies; alsoon the Internet at <www.nap.edu/catalog/11826.html>).

James F. O’Bryon, chair of the O’Bryon Group, BelAir, Md., chaired the committee.The study was funded bythe Transportation Security Administration.


By 2010, 40 percent of thescientific instrumentson U.S. satellites that

collect environmental data areexpected to stop working, whichwill lead to a dramatic loss of infor-mation needed to study climatechange, predict natural disasters, andmonitor shifts in ecosystems.

To prevent this from happening, theU.S. government will have to renew itscommitment to earth science research.NASA and the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration should replaceaging instruments and develop new ones forthe next decade and beyond, says a newreport from the National Research Council.

In 2005, the Research Council warnedthat the national system of environmentalsatellites was “at risk of collapse.” Sincethen, there have been further cancellationsand delays of NASA missions and dramatic,deleterious changes in plans for the next gen-eration of NOAA meteorological satellites.

The new report recommends that NASAand NOAA undertake a set of 17 missionsof different sizes from 2010 to 2020 thatwould ensure continuity of several key meas-urements and develop urgently needed newcapabilities. These missions and associatedprograms will underpin an integrated androbust earth information system to address abroad range of societal needs, such as morereliable weather forecasts, early earthquakewarnings, and improved pollution manage-ment, benefiting both scientific discovery andthe health and well-being of society.

The strategy recommended by the reportwill provide a global view of the Earth’senvironment, weather, and climate. However,satellites don’t have the ability to detect

changes in how the environ-ment affects populations or

vice versa. To help fill this gap,NASA should increase the num-

ber of its land-based and airborneprograms and pursue socio-demo-

graphic studies of how human activ-ities affect the environment. NASAshould also create a new Venture

class of low-cost missions — between$100 million and $200 million — to

help foster innovative ideas and test higher-risk technologies, the report says.

The report also discusses a mismatchbetween agency responsibilities and agencybudgets, which has resulted in difficultiesthat include guaranteeing the continuedavailability of data from the Landsatspacecraft, a joint initiative of the U.S.Geological Survey and NASA that has pro-vided the best means of examining the rela-tionship between human activities and theirterrestrial environment. The White HouseOffice of Science and Technology Policyshould develop and implement a plan forachieving and sustaining global observa-tions that recognizes the complexity of dif-fering agency roles, responsibilities, andcapabilities. — Patrice Pages

-Earth Science and Applications from Space:National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond.Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space:A Community Assessment and Strategy for the Future,Space Studies Board, Division on Engineering and PhysicalSciences (2007, approx. 400 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10482-3; avail-able from the National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $47.00 plus $4.50 shipping for single copies; also onthe Internet at <www.nap.edu/catalog/11820.html>).

Richard A.Anthes, president, University Corporationfor Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo., and BerrienMoore III, director, Institute for the Study of Earth,Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire,Durham, co-chaired the committee.The study was fundedby NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey.


A New Look at Planet Earth — From Space

The African continent is home to hun-dreds of indigenous vegetables andother food plants that fell out of favor

as well-known vegetables were introducedfrom other parts of the world. These nativeplants provide rich nutrition while surviv-ing harsh conditions, but because they havereceived little or no scientific investment,they are a lost bounty in a hungry land.Efforts to better understand the potentialvalue of such plants could lead to enhancedagricultural productivity, more-stable foodsupplies, and higher incomes in rural areasacross Africa, says a new NationalResearch Council report.

The report focuses on the exemplarypromise of 18 African plants and vegetablesto help feed the continent’s growing popula-tion and spur sustainable development. Forexample, bambara, locust, and long beanscan thrive in very hot, dry climates. Thenutritional balance of bambara beans is sooutstanding that some consumers claim theycould live on this legume alone. Locust andlong beans could also be key crops for bol-stering Africa’s nutritional well-being. Andlong bean plants in particular can quicklyproduce a lot of food in small spaces.

Amaranth is among the most widely eatenboiled greens in Africa’s humid lowlands. Theleaves provide vitamin C and dietary miner-als and their protein quality is exceptional.Furthermore, the plant is easy to produceand fast-growing. The leaves of the baobabtree also provide protein, vitamins, and min-erals, and they can be dried for storage.

Seeds from cowpea, dika, egusi, andlablab plants would be useful in initiatives


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A greater effort to explore the potential

of Africa’s native vegetables could

make plants such as the bambara bean

and the moringa tree as popular as hot

dogs and apple pie are in America.

A Lost Bounty

Native Vegetables Could HelpSolve Africa’s Food Crisis

to tackle chronic malnutrition, given theirhigh protein. In addition, egusi can thrivein dry climates where malnutrition amonginfants is rampant. Lablab is alsouseful for suppressing weeds.

The resilient moringa treeprovides at least fourhighly nutritious edibles:pods, leaves, seeds, androots. It also furnishesmany raw ingredientsfor products that makevillage life more self-sufficient, such as lampoil, wood, and liquid fuel.The seeds can help purifycloudy water by causing silt andmicroorganisms to settle out.

Fast-growing and high-yielding okraprovides three valuable food products:pods, leaves, and seeds. The plant adaptsto many difficult climates and rarely suc-cumbs to disease. Enset, a banana-likeherb, is a starchy staple in Ethiopia’s high-lands. Like okra, many parts of the ensetcrop are useful.

The egg-shaped nut of shea trees pro-duces a solid, butter-like vegetable fat usedto enhance the taste, texture, anddigestibility of regional dishes. ManyAfricans also use it for skin care, and theproduct has gone global as an ingredient insome cosmetics.

Tubers of the yambean plant have morethan twice the protein of sweet potatoes,yams, or potatoes — and more than 10times that of cassava. The African yam-bean grows easily and is well-suited to thetropics. The marama plant also produceshigh-protein tubers. Additionally, Africa’snative potatoes, high in carbohydrates,

provide calcium, vitamin A, and iron.The leaves, stems, and flower spikes of

the self-reliant celosia plant are used tomake a nutritious soup favored

across West Africa. Also easyto grow is the African

species of eggplant, whichis high-yielding and hasa storage life of up tothree months.

These plants arepowerful tools for

tackling many basicproblems across the

African continent, thereport concludes. Greater

awareness and support of theseancient crops would be a welcome boost toAfrica today. A companion report plannedfor release this year will detail the promiseof Africa’s native fruits. These two reportswill form the second and third volumes ofa series that also covers African grains. — Vanee Vines

-Lost Crops of Africa:Volume II — Vegetables. Panelon African Fruits and Vegetables, Division on Policy andGlobal Affairs (2006, 378 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10333-9, avail-able from the National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $59.00 plus $4.50 shipping for single copies; also onthe Internet at <www.nap.edu/catalog/11763.html>).

The panel was chaired by Norman Borlaug, distin-guished professor of international agriculture,Texas A&MUniversity, College Station; president, Sasakawa AfricaAssociation,Washington, D.C.; and senior consultant tothe director general, International Maize and WheatImprovement Center, Mexico City. Funding for the projectwas provided by the U.S.Agency for InternationalDevelopment’s Bureau for Africa, with additional supportfrom their Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance andthe National Academies.


The mechanics of census-taking havechanged dramatically since 1790, whenmarshals set off on horseback to con-

duct the nation’s first headcount. Yet everydecennial census has adopted the same basicgoal of counting individuals only once, andat their “usual” place of residence.

However, “usual residence” can beextremely difficult to define and measure,especially in today’s highly mobile anddiverse society. Some people have ties tomultiple places, such as children in sharedcustody arrangements, and others lack con-nections to any fixed one. In 2000, theCensus Bureau used 31 formal residencerules to try to account for all possibilities.But those rules were too complicated — andoften hard to apply, says a recent NationalResearch Council report. Instead, thebureau should use core principles to deter-mine residency for the 2010 census, and thebureau should improve how it communi-cates them to respondents. The agency alsoshould study ways to collect data on howindividuals are connected to dwellings thatare not their usual residences.

The panel that wrote the report suggest-ed several core principles. Among them,individuals living in the United States,including non-U.S. citizens, should becounted where they live or sleep more thanany other place. Also, a person’s individualcircumstances should be the basis for deter-mining usual residence, instead of familyrelationships or group labels such as “per-sons in hospitals.”

When living arrangements are notstraightforward, the burden of decidingusual residence should be shifted from cen-sus respondents to the bureau, the reportadds. Under this approach, people would

provide information onties to another residenceso the agency couldmake the most accuratedetermination possible.

Another persistent chal-lenge is collecting infor-mation from people wholive in group quarters,including college students in dormitoriesand prisoners. Such residents should beapproached and counted in the same man-ner as the general household population,the report says. Questionnaires should bedistributed to and completed by them, oradministered by enumerators. The bureaualso should develop a special form to col-lect responses from a central administratoror from facility records when direct accessto people living in group quarters is notpossible or allowed.

Census data are used primarily to dis-tribute political power through the drawingof congressional and state legislative districtboundaries and to allocate funds for publicprograms. Having accurate census informa-tion is a component of good government,both researchers and policymakers agree.— Vanee Vines

-Once, Only Once, and in the Right Place: ResidenceRules in the Decennial Census. Panel on Residence Rulesin the Decennial Census, Committee on NationalStatistics, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences andEducation (2006, 376 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10299-5, availablefrom the National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242;$52.00 plus $4.50 shipping for single copies; also on theInternet at <www.nap.edu/catalog/11727.html>).

The panel was chaired by Paul R.Voss, professoremeritus, department of rural sociology, University ofWisconsin, Madison.The study was sponsored by the U.S.Census Bureau.


Getting “Residence” Right

Whether they are helping a blindperson see, a deaf person hear, oran amputee walk, prostheses have

come a long way. What were once woodenlimbs and glass eyes are now man-madeelectromechanical devices capable of inter-facing with the body’s systems and commu-nicating, almost intelligently, with the nervesand brain. From joint replacements,

cochlear devices, and brainimplants to artificial valves,hearts, and limbs, prostheticdevices are beginning toblur the line between tech-nology and biology.

Last November, morethan 150 researchers fromwide-ranging fields, includ-ing biomedical and material

engineering, surgery, neurology, and mili-tary medicine, converged upon theBeckman Center in Irvine, California, at thefourth annual conference of the NationalAcademies Keck Futures Initiative, “SmartProsthetics: Exploring Assistive Devices forthe Body and Mind.” The conference chal-lenged participants to determine just what“smart” means and how best to achievethat smartness in the future. Funded by a$40 million grant from the W.M. KeckFoundation in 2003, the Futures Initiative isa 15-year effort to enhance communicationamong researchers, funding organizations,

universities, and the general public, with theobjective of stimulating interdisciplinaryresearch at the most exciting frontiers.

Because prostheses are man-made struc-tures designed to exist beside or within thehuman body, the field of prosthetics isinherently interdisciplinary. However, aproblem that needs to be confronted tocontinue the progress being made — aptlystated by Hunter Peckham, who chaired theconference organizing committee — is that“we’ve grown up in scientific silos.” Tobridge the gaps, 13 overview tutorials werewebcast live prior to the conference, pre-senting the basics of relevant fields and thestate of the science in those fields today.

In one tutorial, Warren Grill, an associ-ate professor of biomedical engineering,neurobiology, and surgery at DukeUniversity, walked conference participantsthrough the fundamentals of neural stimu-lation and recording. In another, BradfordBennett, who is the research director of theMotion Analysis and Motor PerformanceLaboratory and an assistant professor atthe University of Virginia, discussed thepromise of patient-specific orthotics thatrecord and adapt to a person’s unique gait.

Addressing another integral aspect ofprosthesis development, Mark Humayan, aprofessor of ophthalmology at the KeckSchool of Medicine, and FrancesRichmond, director of the regulatory sci-ence program at the University of SouthernCalifornia, outlined the rigorous regulatoryprocess a medical device must go throughon its path “from benchtop to bedside.”

“If we choose the wrong path,”Richmond said, “we greatly delay andmake more expensive our ability to get to acommercial market.”


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Smart ProstheticsExploring Assistive Devicesfor the Body and Mind

BY HALEY POLAND

In addition to other tutorials on topicssuch as brain plasticity and biointerfacingelectrodes, two researchers recounted theirpersonal experiences with prostheticdevices, giving insight into the life-changingimpact such devices can have. AlexanderRabchevsky, an assistant professor of phys-iology at the University of Kentucky’sSpinal Cord and Brain Injury ResearchCenter and a paraplegic since a motorcycleaccident in the 1980s, now uses surgicallyimplanted Functional Electrical Stimulation(FES) to stand, if only for a few moments.Hugh Herr, associate professor of mediaarts and sciences at Massachusetts Instituteof Technology, lost both legs below theknee to frostbite in a climbing accidentwhen he was 17. Calling himself a betterrock-climber with his specialized prosthesesthan he was before the accident, Herr nowbuilds cutting-edge limb devices that usetechnology to harness and even improveupon the abilities of the human body.

With the tutorials as a foundation, small,diverse groups spent eight hours over thecourse of the conference trying to address achallenge problem or question. The groupscontemplated plans to restore sensory per-ception of limb movement, design a prosthe-sis that could grow with a child, replacedamaged brain tissue, and design a function-al tissue prosthesis. Others tackled problemslike electrode longevity, the best way forelectrodes to interface with the brain, andhow hybrid prostheses might exploit electri-cal processes within nerve cells.

Both during the task group sessions andperiods of relaxation at the conference, aninvaluable outcome became evident: rela-tionships formed across disciplines. “I def-initely met people that I’ll be talking to

very soon,” said one scientist on the lastday. “The important stuff happens afterthe conference.”

For this reason, the Futures Initiativeoffers an incentive for collaboration as partof its mission to promote innovative scientificinvestigation. Each year, $1 million in seedgrants, up to $75,000 each, are awarded ona competitive basis to conference participantswishing to pursue interdisciplinary research,learn new skills, or perhaps keep alive afledgling dialogue begun at the conference.

For thousands of people living with dis-abilities, such collaborations and the evolu-tion in prosthetics that hopefully will resultcould mean faster rehabilitation, moreeffective therapy, and even return to anindependent life. With conferences like“Smart Prosthetics,” the Futures Initiativecontinues to establish a strong tradition ofnovel interdisciplinary research and scien-tific communication.

Haley Poland, a science writer based in Los Angeles, is amaster’s student in journalism at the Annenberg Schoolfor Communication at the University of SouthernCalifornia.With a background in anthropology and biol-ogy from Colgate University, she plans to focus herwriting on the intersection of health and human rightsfollowing graduation.

For more information on the Futures Initiative and thisconference, visit <www.keckfutures.org>.


In the 1990s, more than a quarter of thepeople in Cameroon, West Africa, suf-fered from goiters — an enlargement of

the thyroid gland caused by iodine defi-ciency that can become a massive swellingaround the neck. By assembling detailedevidence of the extent of the problem,Cameroonian scientist Daniel Lantum andhis colleagues convinced the nation’s publichealth and commerce officials to mandatesalt iodization. As iodization in Cameroonjumped from zero to 90 percent, the preva-lence of goiter among the populationdropped to around 5 percent today.

As Lantum explained to the audience ofscientists and policymakers gathered thispast November in Cameroon’s capital forthe second annual conference of the

African Science Academy DevelopmentInitiative (ASADI), the goiter reductioneffort worked in part because there werepeople with scientific backgrounds in thegovernment as well as concerned scientistsand champions of the cause in the commu-nity. It was also important that theresearchers compiled evidence to supporttheir case and sought cooperation fromindustry as well as government ministers.

ASADI aims to build the capacity ofAfrican science academies to achieve simi-lar success stories in their nations througha more formal process of bringing togetherscientific brainpower to sift through theresearch and generate evidence-based guid-ance to policymakers on what can be done.Supported by a $20 million grant from theBill & Melinda Gates Foundation andadministered by the U.S. NationalAcademies, the initiative also seeks to fos-ter a deeper appreciation among Africanpolicymakers for decision-making that isbased on evidence and impartial analyses.

The conference offered an opportunityfor academy scientists, government offi-cials, journalists, and others to share theirperspectives as they discussed the role ofscience in addressing food security. Aboutone-third of the population in sub-Saharan Africa lacks the food necessary tomeet daily requirements, a 2005 UnitedNations study found. Though none would


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African Scientists and PolicymakersMeet to Discuss Policy ChallengesRelated to Food Security

disagree with the goal of ending malnutri-tion, the ways to do it raise many thornyscientific issues, such as the role thatbiotechnology may play.

All too often, researchers are doing theirown thing, while government ministries dotheirs, Kweku Owusu Baah, chief directorof the Ministry of Food and Agriculture inGhana, told conference attendees. His min-istry’s relationship with the scientific com-munity is often “a firefighting relationship”— officials call on scientists to give infor-mation and advice only when they immedi-ately need data on a subject at hand.

The government and academy represen-tatives discussed several strategies to buildrelationships between the scientific and pol-icy communities. It can be difficult givenobstacles such as electoral turnover amongpoliticians, a paucity of funding for scien-tific research and publishing, and unwill-ingness to challenge cultural or social fac-tors that may impede acceptance of newscientific evidence. But, the participantsagreed, scientists can help governmentsunderstand the value of impartial, evidence-based guidance in formulating policies bydispensing with jargon and striving toexplain research in clear terms that com-municate the advantages both to the publicand to the policymakers.

Scientists also must actively demonstratethe value of such guidance. That is whatthe Academy of Science of South Africa(ASSAf) is hoping to achieve through acomprehensive review of scientific evidenceabout nutritional influences on humanimmunity. HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis pres-ent serious, immediate challenges to thenation, and studies provide a wealth ofdata on the interactions between these

pathogens and nutritional status. However,sequestered in scientific journals, these find-ings remain unknown or incomprehensibleto policymakers and the broader public.

The project’s ultimate goal is to deter-mine whether the evidence shows a need forchanges in the South Africa’s nutritionalguidelines or for new nutritional guidancefor people infected by HIV or tuberculosis,explained ASSAf member Barry Mendelow,a professor of pathology with the Universityof Witswatersrand in Johannesburg andchair of the study. The scientists hope topresent a final, peer-reviewed study to gov-ernment ministers this year.

More information about the ASADI con-ference and initiative is available online at<national-academies.org/asadi>. Senegal’sacademy will host the 2007 conference inDakar. — Christine Stencel


U.S. Kicks Off InternationalPolar Year

The U.S. opening ceremony for theInternational Polar Year 2007-2008 tookplace at the National Academies inFebruary with a panel of polar scientistsdiscussing the latest research from thepoles and providing an overview of polarresearch projects to go on during the nextdecade. Government leaders whose agen-cies play an active role in this importantinternational effort also participated.

IPY is an intense, coordinated campaignof polar observations, research, and analy-sis. During the two years covered by IPY,

scientists from more than 60nations will collaborate on a

wide range of activities, fromstudying changes in per-mafrost to conducting a sur-vey of marine life in thepolar regions. Scientists willwork on land and at sea inboth the Arctic and

Antarctica, and the workdone will likely answer impor-

tant questions about the changingenvironment as well as provide a base-

line for future research.This spring, specific projects to receive

government and private funding areexpected to be announced including pro-posals to analyze data from research ships,satellites, and ice cores, which will help sci-entists better understand the role played bypolar regions in the global system.

The National Academies’ Polar ResearchBoard serves as the U.S. NationalCommittee for the International Polar Yearand was tasked with articulating a visionfor U.S. participation in the internationaleffort. It also acts as a portal for informa-tion about IPY to the U.S. science commu-nity. For more information about U.S. IPYactivities, visit <www.us-ipy.gov>. — Maureen O’Leary

Winners of $1 MillionChallenge Announced

The National Academy of Engineeringannounced the winners of the first GraingerChallenge Prize for Sustainability, a contestthat sought innovative solutions for remov-ing arsenic from drinking water that isslowly poisoning tens of millions of peoplein developing countries. In the UnitedStates, most communities with arsenic-laden groundwater have installed expensive,centralized cleanup technologies, but differ-ent solutions are required for less developedparts of the world with limited resources.

The prize winners are recognized for thedevelopment, in-field verification, and dis-semination of effective techniques forreducing arsenic levels in water. The sys-tems had to be affordable, reliable, easy tomaintain, socially acceptable, and environ-mentally friendly. All of the winning sys-tems meet or exceed the local governmentguidelines for arsenic removal and requireno electricity.

Abul Hussam, an associate professor inthe department of chemistry and biochem-istry at George Mason University, Fairfax,Va., received the Grainger Challenge GoldAward of $1 million for his SONO filter, ahousehold water treatment system that isnow being manufactured and used inBangladesh to remove arsenic from drink-ing water. The system works by pouringwater into a top bucket filled with locallyavailable coarse river sand and a compositeiron matrix that together filter coarse parti-cles and remove inorganic arsenic. Thewater then flows into a second bucketwhere it again filters through coarse riversand, then through wood charcoal toremove organics, and finally through fineriver sand and wet brick chips to removefine particles and stabilize water flow.

A $200,000 silver award and $100,000bronze award were also awarded, respective-ly, for a water treatment system that is


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applied at a community’s well head and fora system that treats small batches of waterin the home or at any source. The threewinners were chosen from a field of morethan 70 entries.

The Grainger Challenge Prize forSustainability is supported by the GraingerFoundation and administered by theNational Academy of Engineering. For additional information, visit<www.graingerchallenge.org>. — Randy Atkins

IOM Recognized forPreventing MedicationErrors

The nation’s community pharmacies pre-sented their highest honor — the SafeRx™Evangelist Award — to the Institute ofMedicine in recognition of outstandingleadership on the issue of patient safety andpreventable medication errors.

The National Association of ChainDrug Stores, the National CommunityPharmacists Association, andSureScripts® — an organization foundedto operate the Pharmacy HealthInformation Exchange, which facilitatesthe transmission of prescription informa-tion between physicians and pharmacists— created the annual SafeRx awards pro-gram to recognize state officials and prac-ticing physicians across the country whohave helped make prescribing medicationas safe and efficient as possible.

The SafeRx award annually goes to thegovernors of the top 10 e-prescribing statesin the nation, and three physicians withineach winning state who have demonstratedoutstanding leadership through their use ofthis technology. However, acknowledgingits landmark contributions through the2006 report Preventing Medication Errors,the nation’s pharmacies have decided this

year to also recognize the Institute ofMedicine with a special SafeRx EvangelistAward. This honor goes to a single personor organization whose achievements havemade an exceptional impact on the aware-ness and prevention of medication errors.— Valerie Chase

Koshland Museum OpensNew Exhibit

In March, the Marian Koshland ScienceMuseum of the National Academy ofSciences opened “Infectious Disease:Evolving Challenges to Human Health.”This new exhibit examines the viruses,bacteria, and parasites that cause some ofthe world’s most deadly diseases, includingHIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.Using interactive displays, visitors caninvestigate how vaccines, drugs, and othertreatments affect the spread of disease, andexplore ways to protect public health inthis era of increasing globalization. Formore information, visit <www.koshland-science-museum.org>. — Maureen O’Leary



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ProjectsThe following projects have beenrecently undertaken by units of theNational Academies. The latestinformation about all current com-mittee activities — including projectdescriptions, committee rosters, andmeeting information — is availablein “Current Projects” on theNational Academies’ Web site.

Assuring the Integrity of ResearchData in an Era of E-Science.Committee on Science,Engineering, and Public Policy, theNational Academies. Projectdirector: Debbie Stine. Co-chairs:Daniel Kleppner, Lester WolfeProfessor of Physics Emeritus,Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology, and co-director, MIT-Harvard Center for UltracoldAtoms, Cambridge; and Phillip A.Sharp, Institute Professor, andfounding director, McGovernInstitute for Brain Research,Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology, Cambridge. Sponsor:The National Academies.

Conventional Prompt GlobalStrike Capability. Naval Studies Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences.Project director: Charles Draper.Chair: Albert Carnesale, chancel-lor emeritus and professor,University of California, LosAngeles. Sponsor: Office of theU.S. Secretary of Defense.

Forefronts of Science at theInterface of Physical and LifeSciences. Board on Physics and Astronomy,Division on Engineering andPhysical Sciences; and Board onChemical Sciences andTechnology and Board on LifeSciences, Division on Earth andLife Studies. Project director:

Timothy Meyer. Chair: To beselected. Sponsors: NationalScience Foundation, U.S.Department of Energy, andNational Institutes of Health.

Future Health Care Work Forcefor Older Americans. Board on Health Care Services,Institute of Medicine. Projectdirector: Megan McHugh. Chair:John W. Rowe, professor, depart-ment of health policy and manage-ment, Mailman School of PublicHealth, Columbia University, NewYork City. Sponsors: John A.Hartford Foundation, AtlanticPhilanthropies, Josiah Macy Jr.Foundation, Robert WoodJohnson Foundation, RetirementResearch Foundation, CaliforniaEndowment, ArchstoneFoundation, AARP, Fan Fox andLeslie R. Samuels Foundation Inc.,and Commonwealth Fund.

Prevention of Mental Disordersand Substance Abuse AmongChildren, Youth, and YoungAdults: Research Advances andPromising Interventions. Board on Children, Youth, andFamilies, National ResearchCouncil and Institute of Medicine.Project director: Mary EllenO’Connell. Chair: Kenneth Warner,dean, School of Public Health, andAvedis Donabedian DistinguishedUniversity Professor of PublicHealth, University of Michigan,Ann Arbor. Sponsors: SubstanceAbuse and Mental Health ServicesAdministration, National Instituteof Mental Health, and NationalInstitute on Drug Abuse.

Traffic Safety Lessons FromBenchmark Nations. Studies and Special Programs,Transportation Research Board.Project director: Joseph Morris.Chair: Clinton V. Oster Jr., pro-fessor and associate dean for

Bloomington programs, Schoolof Public and EnvironmentalAffairs, Indiana University,Bloomington. Sponsor:Transportation Research Board.

Understanding and Improving K-12 Engineering Education in theUnited States. Board on Science Education,Center for Education, Division ofBehavioral and Social Sciencesand Education; and ProgramOffice, National Academy ofEngineering. Project director:Greg Pearson. Chair: Linda P.B.Katehi, provost, University ofIllinois, Urbana-Champaign.Sponsor: Stephen D. Bechtel Jr.

PublicationsFor documents shown as availablefrom the National Academies Press(NAP), write to 500 Fifth St., N.W.,Lockbox 285, Washington, D.C.20055; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242; or order on the Internetat <www.nap.edu>. Documentsfrom a specific unit of the NationalAcademies are available from thesource as noted.

Acute Exposure Guideline Levelsfor Selected Airborne Chemicals,Vol. 5Committee on Toxicology, Boardon Environmental Studies andToxicology, Division on Earthand Life Studies (2007, 292 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10358-4; availablefrom NAP).

Adequacy of Evidence for PhysicalActivity Guidelines Development— Workshop SummaryFood and Nutrition Board andBoard on Population Health andPublic Health Practice, Instituteof Medicine (2007, approx. 212pp.; ISBN 0-309-10402-5; avail-able from NAP).

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis inVeterans: Review of the ScientificLiteratureBoard on Population Health andPublic Health Practice, Institute ofMedicine (2006, 62 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10254-5; available from NAP).

Assessing the Medical Risks ofHuman Oocyte Donation for StemCell Research — WorkshopReportBoard on Health Sciences Policy,Institute of Medicine; and Boardon Life Sciences, Division on Earthand Life Studies (2007, approx.112 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10355-X;available from NAP).

Assessment of the NIOSH Head-and-Face Anthropometric Surveyof U.S. Respirator UsersBoard on Health Sciences Policy,Institute of Medicine (2007,approx. 224 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10398-3; available from NAP).

Base Map Inputs for FloodplainMappingBoard on Earth Sciences andResources, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2007, approx. 186pp.; ISBN 0-309-10409-2; avail-able from NAP).

Contributions of Land RemoteSensing for Decisions About FoodSecurity and Human Health —Workshop ReportGeographical SciencesCommittee, Board on EarthSciences and Resources, Divisionon Earth and Life Studies (2007,112 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10295-2;available from NAP).

Countering Urban Terrorism inRussia and the United States —Proceedings of a WorkshopOffice for Central Europe andEurasia, Development, Security,and Cooperation, Division onPolicy and Global Affairs; in

cooperation with the RussianAcademy of Sciences (2006, 256pp.; ISBN 0-309-10245-6; avail-able from NAP).

Earth Materials and Health:Research Priorities for EarthScience and Public HealthBoard on Earth Sciences andResources, Division on Earth andLife Studies; and Board on HealthSciences Policy, Institute ofMedicine (2007, approx. 174 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10470-X; availablefrom NAP).

Enhancing Productivity Growth inthe Information Age: Measuringand Sustaining the New EconomyBoard on Science, Technology, andEconomic Policy, Division onPolicy and Global Affairs (2007,164 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10220-0;available from NAP).

Exploring Opportunities in GreenChemistry and EngineeringEducation — A WorkshopSummary to the Chemical SciencesRoundtableChemical Sciences Roundtable,Board on Chemical Sciences andTechnology, Division on Earthand Life Studies (2007, 56 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10352-5; availablefrom NAP).

Evaluation of the Markey ScholarsProgramBoard on Higher Education andWork Force, Division on Policyand Global Affairs (2006, 126 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10292-8; availablefrom NAP).

Frontiers of Engineering: Reportson Leading-Edge EngineeringFrom the 2006 SymposiumNational Academy of Engineering(2007, 202 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10339-8; available from NAP).

Genes, Behavior, and the SocialEnvironment: Moving Beyond theNature/Nurture DebateBoard on Health Sciences Policy,Institute of Medicine (2006, 384pp.; ISBN 0-309-10196-4; avail-able from NAP).

Global Environmental Health inthe 21st Century: FromGovernmental Regulation toCorporate Social Responsibility —Workshop SummaryRoundtable on EnvironmentalHealth Sciences, Research, andMedicine, Board on PopulationHealth and Public Health Practice,Institute of Medicine (2007, 126pp.; ISBN 0-309-10380-0; avail-able from NAP).

Implementing Cancer SurvivorshipCare Planning — WorkshopSummaryNational Cancer Policy Forum,Institute of Medicine (2007, 320pp.; ISBN 0-309-10318-5; avail-able from NAP).

Implementing the StockholmConvention on Persistent OrganicPollutants — Summary of aWorkshop in ChinaScience and Technology forSustainability Program, Divisionon Policy and Global Affairs(2007, 46 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10479-3; available from NAP).

Improving Disaster Management:The Role of IT in Mitigation,Preparedness, Response, andRecoveryComputer Science andTelecommunications Board,Division on Engineering andPhysical Sciences (2007, approx.126 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10396-7;available from NAP).


Improving the Efficiency ofEngines for Large NonfighterAircraftAir Force Studies Board, Divisionon Engineering and PhysicalSciences (2007, approx. 188 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10399-1; availablefrom NAP).

Improving the Nation’s WaterSecurity: Opportunities forResearchWater Science and TechnologyBoard, Division on Earth and LifeStudies (2007, approx. 158 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10566-8; availablefrom NAP).

Improving the Social SecurityDisability Decision ProcessBoard on Military and VeteransHealth, Institute of Medicine(2007, approx. 195 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10381-9; available from NAP).

Influence of Pregnancy Weight onMaternal and Child Health —Workshop ReportBoard on Children, Youth, andFamilies, National ResearchCouncil and Institute of Medicine;and Food and Nutrition Board,Institute of Medicine (2007, 116pp.; ISBN 0-309-10406-8; avail-able from NAP).

Innovation Inducement Prizes atthe National Science FoundationBoard on Science, Technology,and Economic Policy, Division onPolicy and Global Affairs (2007,approx. 76 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10465-3; available from NAP).

Interim Report on MethodologicalImprovements to the Departmentof Homeland Security’s BiologicalAgent Risk AnalysisBoard on Mathematical Sciencesand Their Applications, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2007, 24 pp.; ISBN 0-309-66957-X; available from NAP).

International Human RightsNetwork of Academies andScholarly Societies —Proceedings, Symposium andSeventh Biennial Meeting,London, May 18-20, 2005Committee on Human Rights, theNational Academies (2006, 176pp.; ISBN 0-309-66561-2; avail-able from NAP).

Joint U.S.-Mexico Workshop onPreventing Obesity in Childrenand Youth of Mexican Origin —SummaryFood and Nutrition Board,Institute of Medicine (2007, 210pp.; ISBN 0-309-10325-8; avail-able from NAP).

Measuring Respirator Use in theWorkplaceBoard on Chemical Sciences andTechnology, Division on Earthand Life Studies; and Committeeon National Statistics, Division ofBehavioral and Social Sciencesand Education (2007, approx.156 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10288-X;available from NAP).

Modeling CommunityContainment for PandemicInfluenza — A Letter ReportBoard on Population Health andPublic Health Practice, Institute ofMedicine (2006, 47 pp.; 0-309-66819-0; available from NAP).

Nutrient Requirements of SmallRuminants: Sheep, Goats, Cervids,and New World CamelidsBoard on Agriculture andNatural Resources, Division onEarth and Life Studies (2007,384 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10213-8;available from NAP).

A Path to the Next Generation ofU.S. Banknotes: Keeping ThemRealBoard on Manufacturing andEngineering Design, Division on

Engineering and PhysicalSciences (2007, approx. 240 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10574-9; availablefrom NAP).

A Performance Assessment ofNASA’s Astrophysics ProgramSpace Studies Board and Board onPhysics and Astronomy, Divisionon Engineering and PhysicalSciences (2007, approx. 30 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10490-4; availablefrom NAP).

Plans and Practices forGroundwater Protection at LosAlamos National Laboratory —Interim Status ReportNuclear and Radiation StudiesBoard, Division on Earth and LifeStudies (2006, 42 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10391-6; available from NAP).

Preventing Teen Motor Crashes:Contributions From theBehavioral and Social Sciences —Workshop ReportBoard on Children, Youth, andFamilies, National ResearchCouncil and Institute of Medicine;and Transportation ResearchBoard (2007, 76 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10401-7; available from NAP).

Prospective Evaluation of AppliedEnergy Research and Developmentat DOE (Phase Two)Board on Energy andEnvironmental Systems, Divisionon Engineering and PhysicalSciences (2006, approx. 430 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10467-X; availablefrom NAP).

Review of InternationalTechnologies for Destruction ofRecovered Chemical WarfareMaterielBoard on Army Science andTechnology, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2006, 128 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10203-0; available from NAP).


The nation turns to the National Academy ofSciences, National Academy of Engineering, Instituteof Medicine, and National Research Council forindependent, objective advice on issues that affectpeople’s lives worldwide. Additional informationabout the National Academies and their work canbe found online at <national-academies.org>.

The National Academies In Focus features broadcoverage of the National Academies’ activities. Wewelcome your comments on the magazine; e-mailus at <[email protected]>.

In Focus (ISSN 1534-8334) is published three timesa year by the National Academies, 500 Fifth St.,N.W., Washington, DC 20001. Subscription (threeissues): $10; Canada and foreign, $12 (U.S. currencyonly). Subscription address: In Focus, P.O. Box665, Holmes, PA 19043. Bulk-rate U.S. postage ispaid at Washington, D.C. Back issues and backvolumes can be ordered in microform fromNational Archive Publishing Company, 300 NorthZeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.

Postmaster: Send address changes to In Focus, P.O.Box 665, Holmes, PA 19043.

Credits:Cover: (clockwise from upper left) View of the Colorado River

from Toroweap Overlook in Grand Canyon National Park,photo courtesy National Park Service; woman selling sheabutter in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, ©ThierryGouegnon/Reuters/Corbis; ©Photodisc

Page 1: (col. 1, from top) Research at the U.S. Department ofEnergy’s Battelle Marine Sciences Laboratory, photo cour-tesy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; ©PhotoAlto;(col. 2) illustration of satellite in the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System,image courtesy National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration

Page 2: (from top) Participants at the second annual conference ofthe African Science Academy Development Initiative, heldin Yaoundé, Cameroon, November 2006, photo courtesyCameroon Academy of Sciences; part of “InfectiousDisease: Evolving Challenges to Human Health,” a newexhibit at the Marian Koshland Science Museum of theNational Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.

Page 3: Photo by Cable Risdon Photography Page 4: Colorado River, ©PhotodiscPage 5: Parker Dam and Powerplant and Lake Havasu, from

which the Metropolitan Water District of SouthernCalifornia pumps water, located in Arizona, photo byAndy Pernick, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

Page 6: ©Stephanie Carter/IMAGEZOOPage 7: Lung cancer patient in Shanghai, People’s Republic of

China, ©Justin Guariglia/CorbisPage 8: Oral cancer patient in Mumbai, India, photo by P. Virot,

World Health OrganizationPage 9: ©Lisa Zador/Images.comPage 10: Travelers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport,

©Ken Cedeno/CorbisPage 11: Millimeter wave imaging technology, photo courtesy

Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryPage 12: ©Leo Kundas/Images.comPage 13 Baobab tree at sunset in Namibia, ©Theo

Allofs/zefa/CorbisPage 14: Examining crops in rural Ghana, photo by Curt

Carnemark, The World BankPage 15: ©Phil & Jim Bliss/Images.comPages 16&17: Participants at “Smart Prosthetics: Exploring Assistive

Devices for the Body and Mind,” the fourth annual confer-ence of the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative,November 2006, Irvine, Calif., photos by Paul R. Kennedy

Pages 18&19: Participants at the second annual conference of the AfricanScience Academy Development Initiative, photos courtesyCameroon Academy of Sciences

Page 20: Logo of the International Polar Year 2007-2008Page 21: Part of the new exhibit on infectious disease at the Marian

Koshland Science Museum

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD (TRB) REPORTS — Approximately 150 titles issued annually. Freecatalog available on request from TRB, 500 Fifth St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001 (tel. 202-334-

3213), or visit TRB’s bookstore on the Internet at <national-academies.org/trb/bookstore>.

A Review of the Draft OceanResearch Priorities Plan: Chartingthe Course for Ocean Science inthe United StatesOcean Studies Board, Division onEarth and Life Studies (2006, 74pp.; ISBN 0-309-66783-6; avail-able from NAP).

Review of the Worker and PublicHealth Activities ProgramAdministered by the Departmentof Energy and the Department ofHealth and Human ServicesNuclear and Radiation StudiesBoard and Board onEnvironmental Studies andToxicology, Division on Earthand Life Studies (2006, 296 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10338-X; availablefrom NAP).

A Review of United States AirForce and Department of DefenseAerospace Propulsion NeedsAir Force Studies Board,Division on Engineering andPhysical Sciences (2006, 90 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10247-2; availablefrom NAP).

River Science at the U.S.Geological SurveyWater Science and TechnologyBoard, Division on Earth and LifeStudies (2007, approx. 214 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10357-6; availablefrom NAP).

Science and Technology inKazakhstan: Current Status andFuture ProspectsOffice for Central Europe andEurasia, Development, Security,

and Cooperation, Division onPolicy and Global Affairs (2007,approx. 166 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10471-8; available from NAP).

Scientific Opportunities With aRare-Isotope Facility in theUnited StatesBoard on Physics and Astronomy,Division on Engineering andPhysical Sciences (2007, approx.100 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10408-4;available from NAP).

Spacecraft Water ExposureGuidelines for SelectedContaminants, Vol. 2Committee on Toxicology, Boardon Environmental Studies andToxicology, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2006, approx. 664pp.; ISBN 0-309-10379-7; avail-able from NAP).

Strategic Guidance for theNational Science Foundation’sSupport of the AtmosphericSciencesBoard on Atmospheric Sciencesand Climate, Division on Earthand Life Studies (2007, approx.240 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10349-5;available from NAP).

A Strategy for Assessing Science:Behavioral and Social Researchon AgingCenter for Studies of Behaviorand Development, Division ofBehavioral and Social Sciencesand Education (2007, 176 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10397-5; availablefrom NAP).

Successful Response Starts with aMap: Improving GeospatialSupport for Disaster ManagementMapping Science Committee,Board on Earth Sciences andResources, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2007, 198 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10340-1; availablefrom NAP).

Third Report of the NationalAcademy of Engineering/NationalResearch Council Committee onNew Orleans Regional HurricaneProtection ProjectsNational Academy of Engineering,Division on Earth and LifeStudies, and Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2006, 28 pp.; ISBN 0-309-66675-9; available from NAP).

U.S.-Russian Collaboration inCombating RadiologicalTerrorismOffice for Central Europe andEurasia, Development, Security,and Cooperation, Division onPolicy and Global Affairs (2007,approx. 130 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10410-6; available from NAP).

Validation of ToxicogenomicTechnologies — A WorkshopSummaryBoard on Environmental Studiesand Toxicology and Board on LifeSciences, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2007, approx. 96pp.; ISBN 0-309-10413-0; avail-able from NAP).

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Winter/Spring 2007vol. 7 number 1

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Recognize Engineering Excellence.Nominate a Mentor for the NAE Awards.

Has there ever been an engineer – whose commitment,

passion, brilliance or persistence – has inspired you

to greater achievements throughout your career? If so,

we invite you to nominate him or her for the 2008

National Academy of Engineering Awards.

Each year, the NAE honors those engineers whose

achievements both advance science and improve lives

around the world, while at the same time, inspiring

others to do the same. In 2007, the NAE recognized

Timothy J. Berners-Lee with the Charles Stark Draper

Prize for his achievement in developing the World

Wide Web.

If you know engineers deserving of the Draper Prize –

given to engineers whose work contributes to the

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Education – honoring those whose work in education

has helped foster tomorrow’s leaders, please submit your

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To learn more, visit www.nae.edu/awards.

Water Management in Colorado River Basin

The Potential of Africa’s Native Vegetables

Building a Robust Earth Information System

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