THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES INFOCUS · 2005-11-02 · FALL 2005 1 THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES CONTENTS Volume...

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Fall 2005vol. 5 number 3

infocusmagazine.org

INFOCUS

Steps to Protect Mars From Contamination

Placing Science Labs Under the Microscope

Scrutinizing the Cleanup of Coeur d’Alene

America’s Frontline Defense Against Disease

The nation turns to the National Academies —National Academy of Sciences, National Academyof Engineering, Institute of Medicine, andNational Research Council — for independent,objective advice on issues that affect people’s livesworldwide. Additional information about the institution and its work can be found online at<national-academies.org>.

The National Academies In Focus features broadcoverage of the National Academies’ activities. We welcome your comments on the magazine; e-mail us 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. curren-cy only). 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 fromProQuest Information and Learning, 300 NorthZeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106.

Postmaster: Send address changes to In Focus, P.O.

Box 665, Holmes, PA 19043.

Credits:Cover: (clockwise from upper left) Color mosaic of Mars’

Apollinaris Patera volcano, from images acquiredby Viking 1, photo courtesy Mark Robinson/Northwestern University; ©Take 2 Productions/Ken Kaminesky/Corbis; Coeur d’Alene River inIdaho, ©Bob Rowan, Progressive Image/Corbis; ©Digital Vision

Page 1: (col. 1, from top) ©Royalty Free/Corbis;©Photodisc; (col. 2) Hurricane Katrina on Aug.29, 2005, in Pensacola, Fla., photo by NicolasBritto, Federal Emergency Management Agency,U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Page 2: Photo courtesy the Institute of Medicine’s Officeof Reports and Communication

Page 3: Photo by Mark Finkenstaedt Page 4: ©Leon Zernitsky/Images.com/CorbisPage 6: ©PhotodiscPage 7: ©Stephanie Carter/Imagezoo.comPage 8: Customs and border protection officers and

agriculture specialists, photo by JamesTourtellotte, U.S. Customs and Border Protection,U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Page 9: ©Dynamic GraphicsPage 10: 1938 photo of forests along the Coeur d’Alene

River, devastated as a result of mining pollution,©K.D. Swan/Corbis

Page 12: ©Bryan LeisterPage 13: ©PhotodiscPage 14: Pre-launch preparation of Mars Explorer Rover 1

at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, photocourtesy NASA/JPL/KSC

Page 15: ©Rob Colvin/Images.comPage 17: Photo by Mark FinkenstaedtPages 18&19: Final workshop in the National Academies’ News

and Terrorism: Communicating in a Crisis series,held in San Francisco, August 2005, photos byJessica Brandi Lifland

Pages 20&21: Photos courtesy the Institute of Medicine’s Officeof Reports and Communication

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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIESVolume 5 Number 3

INFOCUSinfocusmagazine.org

F E A T U R E S

EDUCATION & SOCIAL ISSUES

4 Educating America’s EngineersThe vital role of community colleges

6 A Crucial ScienceProjectImproving thequality of U.S.high school science labs

HEALTH & SAFETY

7 Blocking Disease at the BorderWays to intercept microbial threats from abroad

9 Medical Device Monitoring Needs a Boost Ensuring safety after products reach the marketplace

ENVIRONMENT & RESOURCES

10 Mining for AnswersReport weighs EPA’s decisions on a controversial cleanup

12 Rounding Up Disaster ExpertsResearch Council provides unparalleledforum for discussions on hazard reduction and disaster response

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

13 Alien InvadersPreventing Earth microbes from contaminating Mars

15 Engineering Better Health CareTools and strategies that could revolutionize the delivery of care

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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, PresidentSheila E.Widnall,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 ProfileDr. Cicerone Goes to WashingtonAn In Focus profile of new NationalAcademy of Sciences President RalphCicerone

18 20/20News and Terrorism: Communicatingin a CrisisNational Academy of Engineering stafferRandy Atkins recaps a series of work-shops held to improve how the newsmedia communicates to the public duringa terrorism scenario

20 SpotlightTeens Battle Low Health Literacy inTheir CommunitiesProject examines local resources to lay afoundation for improving health literacy

22 New Projects & Publications

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In Focus is prepared by the Office of News and PublicInformation.

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

Design: Francesca Moghari

20

Supporting Science by Communicating It

As the new president of the National Academy of Sciences and chairof the National Research Council, I want to introduce myself. Butbefore doing so, let me express my deep appreciation and respect toBruce Alberts. His 12 years of leadership here were characterized byhigh levels of energy and integrity and many impressive achievements.

My journeys in science have been wide and personally stimulat-ing. Through my undergraduate and graduate student years, I stud-ied electrical engineering with emphasis on physics and appliedmathematics. Plasma physics led me to the Earth’s ionosphere; thechemistry of the atmosphere followed as my research focus. The chemical composition ofair is controlled by physical chemistry, by microbiological and geochemical sources, andthe interaction of electromagnetic radiation with atoms and molecules, and it varies overshort and long times and geographically. In my research on these phenomena, humaninputs and influences became increasingly detectable, introducing roles of human behav-ior, technology, and public policy on the global environment.

In fields from cosmology through fundamental biology, science is able to map out suchmechanisms by observing and explaining phenomena, and it poses new, deeper questions.Science also empowers humans by serving as the basis for beneficial technologies andhealth care and for wise societal decisions.

The public has been well-rewarded for supporting scientific research and indeed all ofhigher education. Yet today, recognition of the great rewards that have accrued from sci-ence and of potential future benefits is not at all commensurate. We have strong support-ers but there is also widespread apathy and, in some quarters, antagonism toward science.

We must improve our communications with the public, to demonstrate better the bene-fits of science to individuals and to the entire country. Similarly we must assure peoplethat the study of science and mathematics is exciting and important. By building under-standing and re-building enthusiasm for science, we can gain political and financial sup-port for science and for higher education.

Our National Academies reports are an excellent starting point. Our nonpartisan, peer-reviewed studies analyze complex and controversial topics. They provide the basis foreffective use of resources — both natural and financial — in all matters of science, tech-nology, medicine, and social policy.

All of you who participate in these studies help create this great resource. We will becalling on you to help us communicate more effectively with the public at large. A morescience-oriented public is an outcome that will reward all of our efforts.

RALPH J. CICERONEPresident, National Academy of Sciences

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For many U.S. students whoaspire to earn bachelor’s orgraduate degrees in engi-

neering, community colleges canbe a critical pipeline to four-yearinstitutions.

Consider: Studies show that 20 percentof people with engineering degrees startedtheir academic careers by earning at least10 credits at community colleges. And 40percent of graduates who received bache-lor’s or master’s degrees in engineering in1999 and 2000 had attended a communitycollege. In some parts of the country, thetrend is even more pronounced. In 2002the California Council on Science andTechnology reported that 48 percent of

graduates with science or engineer-ing degrees from the state systemgot their start at community col-leges and later transferred to four-year schools.

Community colleges are essen-tial to the schooling of many Americanengineers, says a new report from theNational Academy of Engineering and theNational Research Council, but this educa-tional pipeline is operating beneath itscapacity in this field. Four-year institutionsshould work more closely with communitycolleges to recruit, retain, and train stu-dents seeking bachelor’s or advanceddegrees in engineering. Two- and four-yearschools that team up for this purpose also


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Educating America’s ENGINEERS

The Vital Role of

CommunityColleges

should have clear, effective “articulationagreements” — programs and policies tofoster seamless transfers of community col-lege students to four-year colleges or uni-versities. Moreover, the best articulationagreements focus on student outcomes,such as mastery of important skills.

On the whole, educators, legislators, andindustry representatives should pay moreattention to the pool of prospective engi-neers at community colleges, the reportsays. Two-year institutions attract manyminority and female students, making com-munity colleges good places for initiatives toincrease diversity in the nation’s engineeringwork force. Plus, research shows that trans-fer students with associate’s degrees in engi-neering science are just as likely to receiveB.S. degrees in engineering as students whoattend only four-year campuses.

There is no “one size fits all” approach tothe academic preparation of students pursu-ing engineering degrees or to enhancing thecommunity college pathway to this field. Butgood communication and true collaborationare often the keys to successful transfer part-nerships between two- and four-year col-leges, the report emphasizes. As a start, part-ners should work together to recruit engi-neering students. High school outreach pro-grams could be developed jointly, for exam-ple. And four-year institutions could supportcommunity colleges as a viable route tobachelor’s degrees. Individualized counselingalso should be provided early and often toengineering students at both two- and four-year institutions.

Successful partners communicate fre-quently, visit each other’s campuses, discusschanges in curricula, and sometimes sharefaculty, says the report, which includes

descriptions of stellar programs and prac-tices. One example is the TransferOpportunity Program (TOP), a collabora-tion between the University of California,Davis, and 15 northern California commu-nity colleges. The university’s TOP coordi-nators visit participating colleges to counselstudents and parents on admission to UCDand to discuss issues such as financial aidand academic requirements for particularmajors. Students who transfer through TOPreceive counseling the summer before theirfall enrollment, as well as full-time under-graduate staff advisers from engineeringdepartments and early intervention servicesif they run into academic difficulties.

But generally, more research is needed onhow community college students ultimatelyfare in engineering, the report says. All toooften, community colleges lose sight of stu-dents once they transfer to four-year insti-tutions — precisely when community col-leges should begin tracking their graduates’educational and career development. Betterdata in this area could be used to improvetransfer partnerships. Also, publicizinginformation on transfer students’ successesin obtaining B.S. or advanced degrees andrewarding careers in engineering woulddemonstrate the value of community col-leges’ engineering programs — and likelyboost recruitment rates. — Vanee Vines

-Enhancing the Community College Pathway toEngineering Careers. Committee on Enhancing theCommunity College Pathway to Engineering Careers,National Academy of Engineering and National ResearchCouncil (2005, approx. 106 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09534-4, avail-able from the National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $26.00 plus $4.50 shipping for single copies; also onthe Internet at <books.nap.edu/catalog/11438.html>).

The committee was chaired by James M. Rosser,president, California State University, Los Angeles.Thestudy was sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

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Most U.S. highschool science labsare themselves

ripe for experimentation.On average, high school

students enrolled in science classes spendabout one period each week on laboratorywork, such as comparing different celltypes under a microscope. Lab activitieshave the potential to help students reachimportant goals, including cultivating aninterest in science, developing scientific rea-soning skills, and mastering science sub-jects. However, that potential is not beingrealized, says a new report from theNational Research Council.

The report uses the term “laboratoryexperiences” to refer to students’ directinteractions with the natural world or withdata drawn from it. More study is neededon the value of such experiences and theirrole in science education, the report says.But teachers, curriculum developers, andother leaders can act now to make improve-ments using current research that embracesfour key principles of solid instruction:

• Design science lab experiences withclear learning outcomes in mind

• Thoughtfully sequence lab experiencesinto science instruction

• Integrate learning science content andlearning about the processes of science

• Incorporate ongoing student reflectionand discussion

Researchers have begun to design andstudy “integrated instructional units” thatconnect lab experiences with lectures,class discussions, and other types of sci-ence learning. In this approach, studentshelp frame research questions, create

experiments, and construct scientific argu-ments. Evidence so far shows promisinggains in science mastery, reasoning skills,and interest in science among diversegroups of students, the report notes.

Old habits may die hard, though.Historically, lab work has been disconnectedfrom the flow of science lessons in U.S. class-rooms. This is still typical, the report says.Lab experiences are often narrow in scopeand more focused on mechanical proceduresthan on meaning. Old-style lab work persistsfor several reasons. Teachers rarely receiveadequate training to lead effective labs, orthey have inadequate access to curricula thatmarry lab experiences and instruction. Theway schedules, space, and other resourcesare organized in most high schools also maythwart educators’ efforts to learn how toimprove science teaching. Plus, teachers mayfeel too pressed for time to teach labs well ifthey believe they must primarily focus oncovering particular topics in their state’s sci-ence standards.

In an increasingly complex, high-techsociety, U.S. high school graduates need abasic understanding of science and technol-ogy to lead productive lives, the reportsays. To improve their understanding, mostscience laboratory experiences must bereformed. — Vanee Vines

-America’s Lab Report: Investigations in High SchoolScience. Committee on High School ScienceLaboratories: Role and Vision, Board on ScienceEducation, Center for Education, Division of Behavioraland Social Sciences and Education (2005, approx. 230 pp.;ISBN 0-309-09671-5, available from the NationalAcademies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $39.95 plus $4.50shipping for single copies; also on the Internet at<books.nap.edu/catalog/11311.html>).

The committee was chaired by Susan Singer, profes-sor of biology, Carleton College, Northfield, Minn.Thestudy was sponsored by the National Science Foundation.


A CRUCIAL SCIENCE PROJECT

Improvingthe Quality

of U.S. High School

ScienceLabs

Every year, some 120 million people

pass in and out of America’s many

airports, seaports, and border crossings.

Millions of tons of livestock, food

products, and other cargo move through

these ports of entry as well. And

hitchhiking in any of these goods or

people may be microbes capable of

spreading a dangerous infectious disease.

For decades, a cadre of quarantine per-sonnel from the U.S. Centers forDisease Control and Prevention sta-

tioned at national entry points has provid-ed frontline defense against microbialthreats from abroad by inspecting travelersand cargo for signs of infection or contami-nation. At one time, more than 500 person-nel staffed 55 federal quarantine stations.But the perceived triumph over infectiousdisease led to the dismantling of most ofthe quarantine system in the 1970s. As ofthe beginning of this year, eight quarantinestations remained.

The emergence of nearly 40 new infec-tious diseases since 1973 — includingSARS and more recently a new strain ofbird flu — and the heightened fear ofbioterrorism rekindled concern about thenation’s capacity to intercept and respondto microbial agents arriving through thenation’s ports of entry. Earlier this year,CDC embarked on a plan to increase the

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number of quarantine stations to as manyas 25. The agency asked the Institute ofMedicine to offer insights on enhancing theeffectiveness of these stations and thebroader quarantine system.

Given the rapid pace of modern tradeand transport and the new threats posed bybioterrorism, the committee convened tostudy the issue concluded that the tradi-tional functions of quarantine stations —such as observing passengers as they disem-bark from planes — have their place, butby themselves are no longer sufficient tomeet the modern challenges.

“Quarantine has to evolve into a systemof clearly defined connections among arange of individuals and agencies with the

skills and resources to detect and respondto a serious communicable disease orbioterrorism,” said committee chairGeorges Benjamin, executive director of theAmerican Public Health Association. “Andthat network should be led by CDC andguided by a comprehensive national plan.”

Dealing with microbial threats involvesmany organizations and individuals, rang-ing from local public health departmentsand hospitals staffs to customs and borderprotection agents, agriculture inspectors,and the U.S. departments of State andHomeland Security. Currently, it is not clearwho would have the ultimate authority for

coordinating a response should anotherSARS virus or a pandemic flu reach U.S.shores through international travel andtrade. CDC is the appropriate agency toassume this leadership role, the committeesaid, but in doing so the agency shouldwork collaboratively with its many part-ners, recognizing the various jurisdictionsinvolved and taking into account localresources and emergency response plansalready in place. Federal and state lawsshould ensure that quarantine personnelhave clear authority to carry out their tasks.

Because foresight is crucial to ensuringthe most coordinated and effectiveresponse, CDC quarantine officials shouldbegin assessing the risks posed by variousinfectious agents that could enter the coun-try via people or cargo and develop anational strategic plan based on the results,the committee said. The plan should out-line the roles and responsibilities for thevarious organizations that would partici-pate in a response and spell out the lines ofauthority and communication that shouldbe followed. This will ensure that finiteresources are used effectively and thatthose involved know who is in charge ofdifferent activities in routine and emer-gency situations. — Christine Stencel

-Quarantine Stations at U.S. Ports of EntryProtecting the Public. Committee on Measures toEnhance the Effectiveness of the CDC Quarantine StationExpansion Plan for U.S. Ports of Entry, Board on GlobalHealth and Board on Population Health and Public HealthPractice, Institute of Medicine (2005, approx. 300 pp.;ISBN 0-309-09951-X; available from the NationalAcademies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $42.00 plus $4.50shipping for single copies; also on the Internet at<books.nap.edu/catalog/11435.html>).

The committee was chaired by Georges C.Benjamin, executive director,American Public HealthAssociation,Washington, D.C.The study was funded bythe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Pacemakers, wheelchairs, stents, andother medical technologies savecountless lives and help people lead

fuller lives. Although the complexity ofsome devices like pacemakers necessitatesextensive clinical evaluation before they canbe used with patients, premarket testingmay not catch all potential problems. Andproblems with even comparatively simplemedical devices can lead to serious injuries,for instance when the stiff wire arms oforthodontic headgear unintentionallyspring free as the wearer sleeps.

To ensure the safety of medical devicesafter they are put on the market — espe-cially ones used with children — Congressshould see to it that the U.S. Food andDrug Administration establishes a bettersystem for postmarket monitoring, says anew report from the Institute of Medicine.

Approximately 80,000 medical devicesare marketed in the United States, rangingfrom simple plastic tubing to cerebrospinalfluid shunts. Postmarket surveillance isintended to detect early on any safety prob-lems that may arise. Devices used withyoung people merit particular attentionbecause children’s rapid growth and activelifestyles can affect the longevity and func-tioning of many products, and likewise thedevices may affect children’s development.

The report calls on Congress to bolsterFDA’s authority to require manufacturersto conduct postmarket safety studies forcertain categories of devices. And givenchildren’s growth spurts and developmentalchanges, which can occur over many years,studies of devices used with children should

not be limitedto the typicalthree years. The agency also needs to moni-tor more carefully the status of these stud-ies. Although FDA has asked for dozens ofpostmarket studies, it could not say withcertainty which had been initiated or com-pleted or otherwise confirm their progressbecause of inadequate systems for trackingthem, the report says. Moreover, FDAneeds to share publicly the data collected.

FDA should encourage health careproviders and patients and their families tosubmit reports about problems associatedwith devices. Patients, families, and otherswho are taking on greater responsibility foroperating complex medical equipment maynot know that they can report problems toFDA or that the agency has a safety check-list for using medical devices at home.

It is important to note that device-relatedproblems are relatively rare. While millionsof patients use medical equipment everyyear, 151,900 reports on adverse eventswere submitted to FDA in 2004. At least2,684 involved patients under age 21,although this number is undoubtedly lowdue to lack of age information on manyreports. — Christine Stencel

-Safe Medical Devices for Children. Committee onPostmarket Surveillance of Pediatric Medical Devices,Board on Health Sciences Policy, Institute of Medicine(2005, approx. 352 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09631-6; available fromthe National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $44.95plus $4.50 shipping for single copies; also on the Internetat <books.nap.edu/catalog/11313.html>).

The committee was chaired by Hugh Tilson, profes-sor of public health leadership, epidemiology, and healthpolicy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.The studywas funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Medical Device Monitoring Needs a BOOST

For over a century, the steep hills of the

Coeur d’Alene region of Idaho were

home to some of the richest metal

mines in the United States, producing

huge amounts of silver, zinc, and lead.

But for the region itself, mining was a

mixed blessing. It provided a living —

albeit a difficult and dangerous one —

to many residents and made a few of

them wealthy, but it also left a less

welcome inheritance: widespread and

lingering pollution.

Unhampered by environmental lawsfor much of the 20th century, thesemining operations emitted large

quantities of sulfur dioxide and lead intothe air and dumped mining and millingwaste into the Coeur d’Alene River and itstributaries. Metals were washed through-out the river basin, poisoning fish andwaterfowl, settling in the soil of residentialyards, and eventually turning up in thebloodstreams of local children.

High levels of lead in children’s bloodand in the environment prompted the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency in 1983to designate a 21-square-mile area aroundthe Bunker Hill Mining and MetallurgicalComplex for cleanup under the federalSuperfund law. EPA later broadened theSuperfund project to include all pollutedareas within the 1,500-square-mile Coeurd’Alene River Basin, and in 2002 proposed


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Mining forAnswers

a $359 million plan to clean up much ofthe contamination over 30 years.

The expansion was unpopular withmany of the basin’s residents, who wereskeptical that the massive effort was neces-sary and worried that the Superfund labelwould frighten businesses and touristsaway, further hurting an economy alreadydevastated by the loss of mining jobs.Other residents, including the Coeurd’Alene Tribe, demanded that the pollutionbe addressed. The National ResearchCouncil stepped into this contentious mixafter being asked by Congress to evaluatewhether EPA’s assessment of the basin’sproblems and its cleanup plan were scien-tifically sound.

The study committee’s report says thatEPA was correct in concluding that lead inthe environment poses a health risk tosome residents in the wider basin. And theagency’s main solution for countering thisrisk — replacing polluted soil in residentialyards with clean soil — also was warrant-ed. But given the high levels of lead in thesoils of many communities, the committeesaid that the rate of blood testing has beenless than optimal. All children ages 1-4throughout the basin should be screenedannually for blood lead.

Though EPA’s decisions about humanhealth risks were generally sound, the com-mittee found some serious blind spots inthe agency’s plan for cleaning up the envi-ronment and protecting fish and wildlife.For example, the plan doesn’t adequatelyconsider the basin’s frequent floods, whichcould recontaminate areas that have beencleaned. And groundwater has not beentargeted, even though the main source ofdissolved metals in rivers and lakes — and

the greatest threat to aquatic life in thebasin — is zinc that seeps into surfacewater from groundwater. EPA should iden-tify specific places where zinc is leachinginto groundwater and set priorities forremoving or stabilizing these materials.

The Coeur d’Alene River Basin is not theonly region in the nation that is strugglingto cope with pollution left over from min-ing. Scores of other mining areas are on theSuperfund cleanup list as well, includingsome as large as the Coeur d’Alene site. Indealing with these complex mining “mega-sites,” the committee said, rigid long-termcleanup plans won’t work. Instead, plansshould be implemented in phases andadjusted after the results of each step areevaluated. And institutions are needed thatcan sustain the cleanup over the long haul,since sites such as Coeur d’Alene will bedealing with their unwanted legacy for theforeseeable future. — Sara Frueh

-Superfund and Mining Megasites: Lessons from theCoeur d’Alene River Basin. Committee on Superfund SiteAssessment and Remediation in the Coeur d’Alene RiverBasin, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology,Division on Earth and Life Studies (2005, approx. 382 pp.;ISBN 0-309-09714-2; available from the NationalAcademies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $55.00 plus $4.50shipping for single copies; also on the Internet at<books.nap.edu/catalog/11359.html>).

The committee was chaired by David J.Tollerud,professor of public health, medicine, andpharmacology/toxicology, and chair, department of envi-ronmental and occupational health sciences, School ofPublic Health and Information Sciences, University ofLouisville, Louisville, Ky.The study was funded by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency.

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Before an audience of emergency management officials,meteorologists, and

disaster researchers thatwas gathered at theNational Academies this past March, ShirleyLaska, director of theCenter for HazardsAssessment, Response, and Technology atthe University of New Orleans, warned ofthe risks a category 4 or 5 hurricane posedto her city — including an inability to evac-uate carless residents and the possibility thatlevees could give way to an overwhelmingstorm surge. No one in the room knew howhorrifyingly prophetic her remarks wouldbecome in six months’ time.

Laska was speaking to the NationalResearch Council’s Disasters Roundtable,which meets at least three times a year tobring together experts in hazard reductionand disaster response for a dialogue onwhat lessons can be learned from past dis-asters and how to better prepare for futureones. Besides hurricanes, recent roundta-bles have focused on last year’s devastatingtsunami in the Indian Ocean; how sprawlis putting more homes in the path of forestfires; and what the “emergency manager ofthe future” will look like. Roundtablesteering committee member Dennis Wenger,a program officer at the National ScienceFoundation, which funds many of theroundtable’s activities, said the workshopshelp to drive research agendas and to putimportant disaster issues on the radarscreens of policy-makers. Wenger says itsmeetings attract some of the nation’s fore-most experts. “The roundtable provides aforum for free and open exchange,” he

said, adding that they alsoafford a rare opportunity

for “good interaction”among officials from dif-ferent agencies.

Previously called theNatural Disasters

Roundtable, the groupdropped the “Natural” in

its name to reflect the inclusionof terrorism in its discussions. In fact,Wenger notes that a meeting held in theaftermath of Sept. 11 helped dispel thenotion that the country was treading incompletely uncharted waters when it cameto confronting terrorism in the homeland.“We helped officials realize that there’s 50years of disaster research to draw on.”

The government’s disjointed response toHurricane Katrina and why warningsabout New Orleans’ vulnerability to astorm of such magnitude seemed to havegone unheeded will undoubtedly be thetopic of an upcoming roundtable meeting.Meanwhile, this fall the Research Councilis expecting to release a study — inprogress well before Katrina — reviewingplans by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineersto remediate erosion and wetland lossesalong Louisiana’s coastline, which, asLaska pointed out in her March presenta-tion, are adding to the region’s susceptibili-ty to flooding. — Bill Kearney

-Disasters Roundtable. The Disasters Roundtable ispart of the Division on Earth and Life Studies.The steeringcommittee is chaired by William H. Hooke, senior poli-cy fellow and director of the policy program,AmericanMeteorological Society,Washington, D.C.The roundtable isfunded by the National Science Foundation, NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. GeologicalSurvey, NASA, PB Alltech Inc., Pacific Gas and ElectricCorp., and the Public Entity Risk Institute. Summaries ofmeetings are available online at <dels.nas.edu/dr>.


Rounding Up Disaster Experts

The setting is Mars. The year is 2016. A

rover is searching the planet’s surface

for traces of life. Weeks later and

millions of miles away on Earth,

scientists begin analyzing the data they

have received and cannot believe what

they see: DNA. What’s more, the DNA

belongs to organisms that look like the

bacteria found on Earth.

Could this scenario happen in thefuture? Twelve spacecraft havealready landed or crashed on

Mars, possibly carrying microorganismsfrom Earth. Although each craft wascleaned before takeoff, the level of cleanli-ness is now being questioned. Somemicroorganisms called extremophiles mightsurvive and grow in extreme, Mars-likeconditions — such as very low-temperatureand high-salt environments. But since manyof these microbes were undiscovered untilrecently, detection and cleaning techniquescurrently in use may only be spotting andeliminating a fraction of them. Should theseorganisms go undetected and survive thetrip to Mars, their chance of survival isincreased if they encounter water —although the presence of liquid water on orbelow the Martian surface today has notbeen confirmed.

To prevent contamination of Mars andavoid hampering efforts to find life there,

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Preventing Earth Microbes from Contaminating Mars

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NASA should develop over the comingdecade new measures to detect and elimi-nate microorganisms on robotic spacecraftbefore they leave Earth, says a new reportfrom the National Research Council.

“We don’t know enough about howmany and which of these hardy microor-ganisms may be on our spacecraft,” saidstudy chair Christopher F. Chyba, profes-sor of astrophysics and international affairs

at Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.“We need to better understand which ofthose organisms found on the spacecrafthave the best chances for growing inMartian environments and then devisetechniques to get rid of them.”

NASA currently uses procedures thatdetect heat-resistant and spore-formingbacteria and then attempts to eradicatethem by cleaning the spacecraft and, in cer-tain circumstances, baking parts of it withdry heat. NASA has been developing othermethods but greater resources are needed,the report says.

To identify a larger variety of microor-ganisms, NASA should apply techniquesalready used by biologists that do notrequire extra time for culturing the organ-isms in a laboratory and adapt these meth-ods to provide more accurate estimates ofthe types and number of microorganismspresent on and inside spacecraft and intheir assembly areas. These advanced meth-ods — which can determine geneticsequences of organisms and link them toknown microbial species — could allowNASA to tailor sterilization techniquestoward spacecraft contaminants of greatestconcern, the report says.

NASA should investigate and test alter-native cleaning methods — such as radia-tion or vapor disinfectants — for theireffectiveness in killing different types ofmicroorganisms and for their effects onvarious spacecraft materials. If such tech-niques are fully tested and implemented intime for spacecraft launching in 2016, thescenario described above can be averted.By preventing the introduction of Earthmicrobes to Mars, scientists may one dayfind life forms genuinely native to the redplanet. Once humans set foot there — asenvisioned by NASA’s new Vision for SpaceExploration — it will be tougher to avoidcontamination. — Patrice Pages

-Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars.Committee on Preventing the Forward Contamination ofMars, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences (2005,approx. 180 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09724-X; available from theNational Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $38.00plus $4.50 shipping for single copies; also on the Internetat <books.nap.edu/catalog/11381.html>).

Christopher F. Chyba, professor of astrophysics andinternational affairs at Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.,chaired the committee.The study was funded by NASA.


Since the late 1990s, healthcare costs have been risingat double-digit rates —

three times faster than inflation— claiming a growing share ofAmericans’ income, inflictingeconomic hardships on many,and decreasing access to care. At the sametime, 43 million Americans are uninsured,close to 100,000 patients die each year as aresult of medical mistakes or negligence, andmore than a half-trillion dollars is wastedannually because of inefficiencies in thehealth care system.

One way to help address these challengesis for the U.S. health care sector to takeadvantage of engineering strategies andtechnologies that have revolutionized quali-ty, productivity, and performance in manyother industries, says a recent report fromthe National Academy of Engineering andInstitute of Medicine.

“Health care is deeply mired in crisesrelated to safety, quality, cost, and accessthat pose serious threats to the welfare ofmany Americans,” said Jerome H.Grossman, co-chair of the committee thatwrote the report. “Unfortunately, it hasbeen very slow to embrace engineering toolsand clinical information technologies.”

“Systems-engineering tools,” which aredeveloped for the design, analysis, and con-trol of complex interactions among variousparts of a system, have been used by manybusinesses to improve the safety and qualityof products and services and to lower pro-duction costs. The report says that whenapplied to the health care sector, these toolscould help deliver care that is safe, effective,timely, efficient, equitable, and patient-cen-tered — the six “quality aims” envisioned by

the Institute of Medicine for thehealth system of the 21st century.

“While medicine hasadvanced rapidly in recentdecades thanks to new diagnos-tic and therapeutic technologiesdeveloped by engineers, the

health care industry has virtually ignored abroad spectrum of other technologies thatcould radically improve the safety and effi-ciency of care,” said study co-chair W.Dale Compton.

Engineers and health professionals shouldbegin working together to hasten the trans-formation of the health care system, thereport says. The federal government, inpartnership with the private sector, universi-ties, and state governments, should establishmultidisciplinary centers at institutions ofhigher learning to foster the formation ofcollaborations, which would eventuallylower the barriers that have impeded thewidespread use of engineering and technolo-gy in health care. Also, organizations thathave already adopted or promoted the useof systems engineering tools should step uptheir outreach and spread the word abouttheir successes. — Patrice Pages

-Building a Better Delivery System:A NewEngineering/Health Care Partnership. Committee onEngineering and the Health Care System, NationalAcademy of Engineering and Institute of Medicine (2005,276 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09643-X; available from the NationalAcademies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $39.00 plus $4.50shipping for single copies; also on the Internet at<books.nap.edu/catalog/11378.html>).

Jerome H. Grossman, senior fellow and director ofthe Health Care Delivery Policy Program, HarvardUniversity, Cambridge, Mass., and W. Dale Compton,Lillian M. Gilbreth Distinguished Professor Emeritus ofIndustrial Engineering, Purdue University,West Lafayette,Ind., co-chaired the committee.The study was funded bythe National Science Foundation, Robert Wood JohnsonFoundation, and National Institutes of Health.

FALL 2005 15

ENGINEERING BETTER HEALTH CARE

Ralph J. Cicerone, 21st president of the

National Academy of Sciences, arrived

in Washington, D.C., in the midst of a

July heat wave as much political as

meteorological. Before he could unpack

his office, Cicerone was called twice to

Capitol Hill to testify before senators

trying to come to grips with the scientific

evidence on global climate change.

Science called his testimony

“politically savvy.” But as a veteran

atmospheric scientist and university

administrator, Cicerone is no stranger

to congressional hearing rooms.

Indeed, his research on atmospheric

chemistry and climate change has

involved him in shaping science and

environmental policy — nationally

and internationally — for years.

Ralph Cicerone’s research earned hima citation for the 1995 Nobel Prizein chemistry awarded to University

of California, Irvine colleague F. SherwoodRowland. The Franklin Institute recognizedhis fundamental contributions to theunderstanding of greenhouse gases andozone depletion by naming Cicerone the1999 laureate for the Bower Award andPrize for Achievement in Science. One ofthe most prestigious American awards inscience, the Bower also recognized his lead-ership in advancing public policy to protectthe global environment.

In 2001, he led a National Academy ofSciences study requested by President Bushto examine the current state of climatechange science and identify the areas ofgreatest certainty and uncertainty. TheAmerican Geophysical Union awarded himits 2002 Roger Revelle Medal for outstand-ing research contributions to the under-standing of Earth’s atmospheric processes,biogeochemical cycles, and climate. Andthe World Cultural Council honored him in2004 with the Albert Einstein WorldAward of Science.


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FILE

Dr. CiceroneGoes toWashington

Cicerone received his bachelor’s degreein electrical engineering from theMassachusetts Institute of Technologywhere he was also a varsity baseball player.

Both his master’s and doctoral degrees arefrom the University of Illinois in electricalengineering, with a minor in physics.During his early career at the University ofMichigan, Cicerone was a research scien-tist and held faculty positions in electricaland computer engineering. In 1978 hejoined the Scripps Institution ofOceanography as a research chemist, andin 1980 moved to Colorado to becomesenior scientist and director of the atmos-pheric chemistry division at the NationalCenter for Atmospheric Research in

Boulder. In 1989 he was appointedDaniel G. Aldrich Jr. Professor of EarthSystem Science at the University ofCalifornia, Irvine, where he founded and

chaired until 1994 thedepartment of earth systemscience. For the next fouryears, while serving asdean of physical sciences,he brought outstandingfaculty to the school andstrengthened its curriculumand outreach programs.

From 1998 to 2005,Cicerone was chancellor ofthe University of California,Irvine, where his leadershipand fundraising contributedto rapid expansion at thecampus and medical schoolas well as to UCI’s growingnational reputation forexcellence. As NAS presi-dent, he hopes to improvecommunications between thescientific community and thepublic and build a base ofsupport for science while

taking firm stands for science in the roughand tumble world of Washington politics.As he told an interviewer from Nature, “Idon’t want to be part of an organizationthat just shoots off its mouth with opinionsthat are not as well-justified as can be.”Instead, Cicerone wants the NationalAcademies to stay very close to what it doesbest: giving nonpartisan, objective advicebased on independent, peer-reviewed studyof the facts by the nation’s best scientists.— William Skane

FALL 2005 17

News and Terrorism

Communicating in a Crisis

T he National Academies, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of HomelandSecurity and the Radio-Television News Directors Foundation, just completed anationwide series of 10 interactive workshops called “News and Terrorism:

Communicating in a Crisis.”The one-day workshops brought together, on the local level, groups that seldom share

experiences — government officials, journalists, scientists, engineers, and health profes-sionals. Each event included a discussion of science and technology related to terrorismled by a prominent expert. They also included a presentation on how journalists can safe-ly cover an incident involving potential weapons of mass destruction.

The workshops featured a unique two-hour “tabletop” terrorism scenario that focusedon communication issues. Through this dynamic exercise, participants began to betterunderstand each other’s needs and concerns during a crisis. National broadcast journalistsmoderated the quickly unfolding events of a terrorist attack and forced participants tomake on-the-spot decisions with limited information, time, and resources. Here are exam-ples of how three of the scenarios began:

A large explosion rips through a downtown Atlanta convention center next to CNN.It’s obviously a mass casualty situation, but it turns out there’s more — radioactivity.

In Kansas City, a flour processing plant is contaminated with a biological toxin. Itsickens several workers who display dramatic symptoms. Thousands of nearby resi-dents, who are following unfolding events through the media, are wondering whatthey should do.

Sportscasters announcing a live Major League baseball game at Fenway Park inBoston notice groups of fans throughout the stadium collapsing. Cameras zoom inon people convulsing, vomiting, or not moving at all.


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The “News and Terrorism” scenarios were powerful experiences.For example, besides grappling with scientific questions and riskcommunication, participants often had to determine how theirpriorities might shift if a VIP, or maybe their own child, wasnear the site of an attack.

The news media will be at the forefront, should any terror-ist crisis involving weapons of mass destruction take place.Journalists must react quickly, even instinctively, as theyattempt to guide public understanding of and response tounfolding events. It’s a responsibility that’s as vital as those of tra-ditional “first responders,” because the media can save lives throughefficient delivery of accurate information.

Effectively communicating complex information in the midst of a crisis will be a difficultchallenge. While that duty falls largely upon the news media, it isn’t only their responsibility.

And it is not just the government’s responsibility. It’sthe engineering, science, and medical communities’responsibility as well.

Journalists have few precedents for reporting onthis new type of warfare, which is vastly differentfrom traditional war. They need a strategy to dealwith it, and a ready pool of trusted experts who aregood communicators. It is difficult to prepare forthings that haven’t happened before. Thinkingthrough the information flow before a disaster occursis vital in this fast-moving information age. The pub-lic expects to be informed right away, and they willbe. The questions are: By whom? And how well?

The science and engineering communities have amuch bigger role in homeland security than simplycreating the latest technologies to counter terrorism.

They must also work to get good information into the hands of the media quickly in theevent of a cyber, radiological, nuclear, chemical, or biological attack. Scientists, engineers,and medical experts must work with journalists — before a crisis — to figure out the bestways of doing that. — Randy Atkins

Oversight for “News and Terrorism” was provided by a steering committee chaired by Lewis M. Branscomb,professor emeritus of public policy and corporate management, John F. Kennedy School of Government of HarvardUniversity.The project was funded by the U.S.Army/U.S. Department of Homeland Security and by the GannettFoundation.Workshops were held in Chicago; Kansas City, Mo.; Portland, Ore.; Philadelphia; Miami;Austin,Texas;Atlanta; Denver; Boston; and San Francisco.

FALL 2005 19

The National Academies have

produced fact sheets on different

types of terrorist attacks to

answer basic questions, dispel

common misperceptions, and

provide reputable sources

for more information. Fact

sheets on biological, chemical,

nuclear, and radiological

attacks are available online at

<www.nae.edu>.

A s a member of the Institute ofMedicine committee that wrote the report Health Literacy: A

Prescription to End Confusion, Bill Smith learned firsthand that 90 millionAmericans from all walks of life suffer theconsequences of low “health literacy,” ordifficulty understanding and acting onhealth information. He found the linksbetween poor health literacy, high healthcare costs, and disparities in care sobering,but what galvanized him to action was the

realization of how little attention the issueis getting at the community level.

Smith, the executive vice president of the Academy for EducationalDevelopment (AED), spurred his organi-zation to partner with the IOM in coordi-nating a project to “map” the healthresources in two model communities —

one urban, the other suburban — and lay afoundation for improving health literacy inthese and other communities. IOM’sKellogg Health of the Public Fund and AEDprovided financial support for the initiative.

The “Community YouthMapping” wascarried out by two teams of high school stu-dents, one from the Harlem Children’s Zonebased in Harlem, N.Y., and the other fromthe Pinellas County 4-H Youth AsResources program, which covers St.Petersburg and Clearwater, Fla. AED stafftrained teens in data-entry and communica-tion skills as well as the challenges posed bylack of health literacy. But then it was up tothe students to canvass pharmacies, clinics,and other health care organizations; collectwritten materials and analyze them for read-ability; and interview fellow citizens abouttheir understanding of health information.

The teens’ findings paint both a grimand encouraging picture of existing servicesand gaps. Anthony George, a member ofthe Harlem youth team reported countingzero physicians’ offices along two 25-blockstretches in Harlem as compared to 119doctors’ offices along a same-sized stretchin the Upper East Side. As a result, the rel-atively small number of clinics that are sit-uated in the 7.5 square mile area ofHarlem that the team surveyed werecrowded and marked by long wait times.

Still, the team praised the staffs of themobile health vans that serve the commu-nity, and Alexis Tripp and Artrese Reid


SPO

TLIG

HT

Teens Battle Low Health Literacy in Their Communities

pointed to two community outreach pro-grams as role models. The teens visited atotal of 46 health care organizations andanalyzed the content of more than 300print and online forms of health informa-tion. For low-income communities wherepeople often rely on public transportation,outreach initiatives and the clustering of arange of health services near public trans-portation are particularly importantactions, the teens concluded.

The Pinellas County youth team hit thestreets to hear from fellow residents abouthow easy it is to comprehend health infor-mation. Of the 301 people they inter-viewed, 197 reported knowing someonewho has experienced trouble reading orunderstanding information dispensed bytheir physician or pharmacist, team mem-ber Tyler Butler noted. More than two-thirds of the health care organizations theyvisited reported that low health literacy is aserious problem and almost one-thirdacknowledged that they haven’t tested their

written materials with audiences or madethem available in multiple languages.

On the plus side, the Pinellas teens foundthat more than three-quarters of the 135items of printed and online health informa-tion they analyzed were easy to read andunderstand, Takia West said. These materi-als could be further improved with largerprint and greater brevity.

Though the teens must now turn theirattention to schoolwork, their efforts onhealth literacy are not necessarily ended.They plan to present their findings to addi-tional stakeholders in their communitiesand are finalizing video documentaries thatcan encourage other communities to beginsimilar projects to prevent problems thatarise from trouble understanding healthinformation — something that Harlemteam member Todd Holland says he is nowpersonally prepared to handle. “I don’twant it to happen to my family, but if itdoes, I’ll be ready.” — Christine Stencel

FALL 2005 21


NEW

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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.

Climate Change and U.S.Transportation. Studies and Information Services,Transportation Research Board;and Board on AtmosphericSciences and Climate, Division onEarth and Life Studies. Projectdirector: Nancy Humphrey. Chair:Henry G. Schwartz Jr., senior pro-fessor and director, engineeringmanagement program, WashingtonUniversity, St. Louis. Sponsors:U.S. Department ofTransportation, U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers, U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency, NationalCooperative Highway ResearchProgram, Transit CooperativeResearch Program, and theTransportation Research Board.

Competitiveness and WorkforceNeeds of U.S. Industry. Board on Science, Technology, andEconomic Policy, Division onPolicy and Global Affairs. Projectdirector: Stephen Merrill. Chair: To be selected. Sponsor: U.S.Department of Education.

Creation of Science-BasedIndustries in Developing Countries. Development, Security, andCooperation, Division on Policyand Global Affairs, in collabora-tion with the Nigerian Academy ofSciences. Project director: MichaelGreene. Chair: Rita R. Colwell,chair, Canon U.S. Life SciencesInc., and Distinguished UniversityProfessor, University of Maryland,

College Park. Sponsor: NationalAcademy of Sciences.

Enhancing the Robustness andResilience of Future ElectricTransmission and Distribution inthe United States to TerroristAttack. Board on Energy andEnvironmental Systems, Divisionon Engineering and PhysicalSciences. Project director: JackFritz. Chair: M. Granger Morgan,Lord Chair Professor inEngineering; professor and depart-ment head, engineering and publicpolicy; professor, electrical andcomputer engineering; and profes-sor, H. John Heinz III School ofPublic Policy and Management,Carnegie Mellon University,Pittsburgh. Sponsor: U.S.Department of Homeland Security.

The Mississippi River and theClean Water Act. Water Science and TechnologyBoard, Division on Earth and LifeStudies. Project director: JeffreyJacobs. Chair: David A. Dzombak,professor, department of civil andenvironmental engineering,Carnegie Mellon University,Pittsburgh. Sponsor: TheMcKnight Foundation.

Nutrition Standards for Foods inSchools. Food and Nutrition Board,Institute of Medicine. Project direc-tor: Janice Rice Okita. Chair: Tobe selected. Sponsor: U.S. Centersfor Disease Control andPrevention.

The Role of Naval Forces in theGlobal War on Terror. Naval Studies Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences.Project director: Arul Mozhi. Co-chairs: Miriam E. John, vicepresident, California division,Sandia National Laboratories,Livermore; and Richard L. Wade,

principal scientist, health sciencespractice, Exponent Inc., Irvine,Calif. Sponsor: U.S. Department of the Navy.

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. Prices and avail-ability of all documents are subjectto change. Charges listed are forsingle copies; discounts are avail-able for bulk orders.

Asking the Right Questions AboutElectronic VotingComputer Science andTelecommunications Board,Division on Engineering andPhysical Sciences (2005, approx.126 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10024-0;available from NAP, $29.00 plus$4.50 shipping).

Assessment of NIH MinorityResearch and Training Programs:Phase 3Board on Higher Education andWorkforce, Division on Policy andGlobal Affairs (2005, 240 pp.; ISBN0-309-09575-1; available fromNAP, $48.50 plus $4.50 shipping).

Autonomous Vehicles in Support ofNaval OperationsNaval Studies Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, 256 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09676-6; available from NAP,$51.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Biological Science andBiotechnology in Russia: ControllingDiseases and Enhancing SecurityOffice for Central Europe andEurasia, Development, Security, andCooperation, Division on Policy andGlobal Affairs, in cooperation withthe Russian Academy of Sciences(2005, approx. 186 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09704-5; available from NAP,$39.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Building an Electronic RecordsArchive at the National Archivesand Records Administration:Recommendations for a Long-TermStrategyComputer Science andTelecommunications Board,Division on Engineering andPhysical Sciences (2005, 112 pp.;ISBN 0-309-09696-0; availablefrom NAP, $26.50 plus $4.50 shipping).

Educating the Engineer of 2020:Adapting Engineering Education tothe New CenturyNational Academy of Engineering(2005, approx. 152 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09649-9; available from NAP,$23.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Engineering Research andAmerica’s Future: Meeting theChallenges of a Global EconomyNational Academy of Engineering(2005, approx. 54 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09642-1; available from NAP,$35.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Ethical Considerations for Researchon Housing-Related HealthHazards Involving ChildrenBoard on Children, Youth, andFamilies, National ResearchCouncil and Institute of Medicine(2005, approx. 216 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09726-6; available from NAP,$35.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Globalization of Materials R&D:Time for a National StrategyNational Materials Advisory Board,

Division on Engineering andPhysical Sciences (2005, approx.170 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09603-0;available from NAP, $35.00 plus$4.50 shipping).

Government-Industry Partnerships:Partnering Against Terrorism —Summary of a WorkshopBoard on Science, Technology, andEconomic Policy, Division on Policyand Global Affairs (2005, 164 pp.;ISBN 0-309-09428-3; available fromNAP, $36.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Health Risks From Exposure toLow Levels of Ionizing Radiation:BEIR VII — Phase 2Board on Radiation EffectsResearch, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2005, approx. 750pp.; ISBN 0-309-09156-X; avail-able from NAP, $75.00 plus $4.50shipping).

Improving Data to Analyze Foodand Nutrition PoliciesCommittee on National Statistics,Division of Behavioral and SocialSciences and Education (2005,approx. 105 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10005-4; available from NAP,$25.50 plus $4.50 shipping).

Improving Evaluation of AnticrimeProgramsCommittee on Law and Justice,Division of Behavioral and SocialSciences and Education (2005, 90pp.; ISBN 0-309-09706-1; availablefrom NAP, $24.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Innovating for Profit in Russia:Developments in the Urals Region— Summary of a WorkshopOffice for Central Europe andEurasia; Development, Security, andCooperation; Division on Policy andGlobal Affairs, in cooperation withthe Russian Academy of Sciences(2005, approx. 68 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09727-4; available from NAP,$18.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Integrating Employee Health: A Model Program for NASAFood and Nutrition Board, Instituteof Medicine (2005, 200 pp.; ISBN0-309-09623-5; available fromNAP, $35.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

John R. La Montagne MemorialSymposium on Pandemic InfluenzaResearch — Meeting ProceedingsBoard on Population Health andPublic Health Practice, Institute ofMedicine (2005, 214 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09731-2; available from NAP,$43.75 plus $4.50 shipping).

Mathematics and 21st CenturyBiologyBoard on Mathematical Sciencesand Their Applications, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, 162 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09584-0; available from NAP,$35.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Measuring Literacy: PerformanceLevels for Adults — Interim ReportBoard on Testing and Assessment,Center for Education, Division ofBehavioral and Social Sciences andEducation (2005, 265 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09652-9; available from NAP,$45.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Measuring Performance andBenchmarking Project Managementat the Department of EnergyBoard on Infrastructure and theConstructed Environment, Divisionon Engineering and PhysicalSciences (2005, 52 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09708-8; available from NAP,$18.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Midsize Facilities: TheInfrastructure for MaterialsResearchSolid State Sciences Committee,Board on Physics and Astronomy,Division on Engineering andPhysical Sciences (2005, approx.200 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09702-9;available from NAP, $32.00 plus$4.50 shipping).

FALL 2005 23

Monitoring at Chemical AgentDisposal FacilitiesBoard on Army Science andTechnology, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, approx. 104 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09732-0; available from NAP,$25.25 plus $4.50 shipping).

Navy’s Needs in Space forProviding Future CapabilitiesNaval Studies Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, 266 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09677-4; available from NAP,$52.50 plus $4.50 shipping).

Protection, Control, andAccounting of Nuclear Materials:International Challenges andNational Programs — WorkshopSummaryDevelopment, Security, andCooperation, Division on Policyand Global Affairs (2005, approx.53 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09711-8;available from NAP, $18.00 plus$4.50 shipping).

Reopening Public Facilities After aBiological Attack: A DecisionMaking FrameworkBoard on Life Sciences, Division onEarth and Life Studies (2005, 224pp.; ISBN 0-309-09661-8; avail-able from NAP, $36.00 plus $4.50shipping).

Review of Goals and Plans forNASA’s Space and Earth Sciences Space Studies Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, approx. 71 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09943-9; available from NAP,$18.00 plus $4.50 shipping; alsoavailable free from the board, tel. 202-334-3477 or e-mail<[email protected]>).

Review of the GAPP Science andImplementation PlanBoard on Atmospheric Sciencesand Climate, Division on Earthand Life Studies (2005, approx.

66 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09678-2;available from NAP, $18.00 plus$4.50 shipping).

Review of NOAA’s Plan for theScientific Data StewardshipProgramBoard on Atmospheric Sciences andClimate, Division on Earth and LifeStudies (2005, 38 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09703-7; available from NAP,$12.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Review of Testing and EvaluationMethodology for Biological PointDetectors — Abbreviated SummaryBoard on Chemical Sciences andTechnology, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2005, 38 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09179-9; available from NAP,$12.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Review of the Research Program ofthe FreedomCAR and FuelPartnership — First ReportBoard on Energy andEnvironmental Systems, Divisionon Engineering and PhysicalSciences; and TransportationResearch Board (2005, approx.150 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09730-4;available from NAP, $18.00 plus$4.50 shipping).

Sea Basing: Ensuring Joint ForceAccess From the SeaNaval Studies Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, 104 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09517-4; available from NAP,$25.25 plus $4.50 shipping).

Strengthening Long-Term NuclearSecurity: Protecting Weapon-Usable Material in RussiaOffice for Central Europe andEurasia; Development, Security,and Cooperation; Division onPolicy and Global Affairs; in coop-eration with the Russian Academyof Sciences (2005, approx. 140pp.; ISBN 0-309-09705-3; avail-able from NAP, $31.50 plus $4.50shipping).

Strengthening U.S.-RussianCooperation on NuclearNonproliferation:Recommendations for ActionDevelopment, Security, andCooperation, Division on Policyand Global Affairs; and RussianAcademy of Sciences (2005, 104pp.; ISBN 0-309-09669-3; avail-able from NAP, $34.75 plus $4.50shipping).

Sustainability in the ChemicalIndustry: Grand Challenges andResearch Needs — A WorkshopReportBoard on Chemical Sciences andTechnology, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2005, approx. 168pp.; ISBN 0-309-09571-9; avail-able from NAP, $34.00 plus $4.50shipping).

Systems for State ScienceAssessment Board on Testing and Assessment,Center for Education, Division ofBehavioral and Social Sciences andEducation (2005, approx. 240 pp.;ISBN 0-309-09662-6; availablefrom NAP, $34.95 plus $4.50 shipping).

Tank Wastes Planned for On-SiteDisposal at Three Department ofEnergy Sites: The Savannah RiverSite — Interim ReportNuclear and Radiation StudiesBoard, Division on Earth and LifeStudies (2005, 88 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09693-6; available from NAP,$18.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Technological Options for User-Authorized Handguns: ATechnology-Readiness AssessmentNational Academy of Engineering(2005, 80 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09699-5; available from NAP, $18.00 plus$4.50 shipping).


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>.

NEW ONLINE CONTENTAcademies Present New WebResource on Evolution A new Web site — <national-academies.org/evolution> — allows easy,free access to books, position statements, and additional resourceson evolution education and research.

Visitors to the site can find downloadable PDF files of reports on evolution published by the National Academies:

• Teaching About Evolution and theNature of Science

• Science and Creationism:A View fromthe National Academy of Sciences,2nd edition

• Evolution in Hawaii: A Supplement toTeaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science

The theory of evolution is one of science’s most robust theo-ries, and the National Academies have long supported the positionthat evolution be taught as a central element in any science education

program. Its landmark National ScienceEducation Standards, which lays out clearguidelines about what students shouldlearn about science and evolutionbetween kindergarten and 12th grade, isalso available at the evolution site.

The Academies have been and will con-tinue to play a leading role in efforts toconfront challenges to the teaching ofevolution and the introduction of non-scientific alternatives into science cours-

es and curricula.The institution has formed a committee to updateScience and Creationism and provide more information about intelligentdesign and the reasons why much of the scientific community doesnot consider it science.The new report will be available in 2006.

Technology Pathways: Assessingthe Integrated Plan for a NextGeneration Air TransportationSystemAeronautics and Space EngineeringBoard, Division on Engineeringand Physical Sciences (2005,approx. 78 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09733-9; available from NAP,$18.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Thirteenth Interim Report of theSubcommittee on Acute ExposureGuideline LevelsCommittee on Toxicology, Boardon Environmental Studies andToxicology, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2005, 34 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09707-X; available from NAP,$12.00 plus $4.50 shipping).

Toxicogenomic Technologies andRisk Assessment of EnvironmentalCarcinogens — A WorkshopSummaryCommittee on Emerging Issuesand Data on EnvironmentalContaminants, Board on LifeSciences, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2005, approx. 55pp.; ISBN 0-309-09700-2; avail-able from NAP, $12.00 plus $4.50shipping).

Water Resources Planning for theUpper Mississippi River andIllinois WaterwayWater Science and TechnologyBoard, Division on Earth and LifeStudies; and TransportationResearch Board (2005, approx. 42pp.; ISBN 0-309-09945-5; avail-able from NAP, $12.00 plus $4.50shipping).

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