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Some Pollinator Populations Declining - Improved Monitoring and More Biological Knowledge Needed to Better Assess Their Status

Long-term population trends for some North American pollinators -- bees, birds, bats, and other animals and insects that spread pollen so plant fertilization can occur -- are demonstrably downward, says a new report from the National Research Council.




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Most Social Security Representative Payees Perform Duties Well But Changes Needed to Better Prevent and Detect Misuse of Funds

Although most people who receive and manage Social Security benefits on behalf of other individuals perform their duties well.




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Opening Statement by Alice P. Gast for Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBIs Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters Public Briefing

Good morning. I am Dr. Alice Gast and I am here today with Dr. David Relman as the chair and vice chair of the Committee on the Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI’s Investigation of the 2001 Bacillus anthracis Mailings.




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New Report on Science Learning at Museums, Zoos, Other Informal Settings

Each year, tens of millions of Americans, young and old, choose to learn about science in informal ways -- by visiting museums and aquariums, attending after-school programs, pursuing personal hobbies, and watching TV documentaries, for example.




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Report Examines Hidden Costs of Energy Production and Use

A new report from the National Research Council examines and, when possible, estimates hidden costs of energy production and use.




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Science Alone Does Not Establish Source of Anthrax Used in 2001 Mailings

A National Research Council committee asked to examine the scientific approaches used and conclusions reached by the Federal Bureau of Investigation during its investigation of the 2001 Bacillus anthracis mailings has determined that it is not possible to reach a definitive conclusion about the origins of the anthrax in letters mailed to New York City and Washington, D.C., based solely on the available scientific evidence.




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Few Health Problems Are Caused By Vaccines, Iom Report Finds

An analysis of more than 1,000 research articles concluded that few health problems are caused by or clearly associated with vaccines.




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Evidence Inconclusive About Long-Term Health Effects of Exposure to Military Burn Pits

Insufficient data on service members exposures to emissions from open-air burn pits for trash on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan is one of the reasons why it is not possible to say whether these emissions could cause long-term health effects, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.




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Hydraulic Fracturing Poses Low Risk for Causing Earthquakes, But Risks Higher for Wastewater Injection Wells

Hydraulic fracturing has a low risk for inducing earthquakes that can be felt by people, but underground injection of wastewater produced by hydraulic fracturing and other energy technologies has a higher risk of causing such earthquakes, says a new report from the National Research Council.




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Juvenile Justice Reforms Should Incorporate Science of Adolescent Development

Legal responses to juvenile offending should be grounded in scientific knowledge about adolescent development and tailored to an individual offenders needs and social environment, says a new report from the National Research Council.




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U.S. Tax Code Has Minimal Effect on Carbon Dioxide and Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Report Says

Current federal tax provisions have minimal net effect on greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report from the National Research Council.




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Rates of Physical and Sexual Child Abuse Appear to Have Declined Over the Last 20 Years - Rates of Child Neglect Show No Decline, Constitute 75 Percent of Reported Cases, Says New IOM Report

Rates of physical and sexual abuse of children have declined over the last 20 years, but for reasons not fully understood, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Yet, reports of psychological and emotional child abuse have risen in the same period, and data vary significantly as to whether child neglect is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.




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Extensive Study on Concussions in Youth Sports Finds Culture of Resistance for Self-Reporting Injury - Not Enough Evidence to Support Claim That Helmets Reduce Concussion Risk

Young athletes in the U.S. face a culture of resistance to reporting when they might have a concussion and to complying with treatment plans.




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National Crime Victimization Survey Is Likely Undercounting Rape and Sexual Assault - Justice Department Should Create New, Separate Survey

One of the nation’s largest surveys of crime victims is likely undercounting incidences of rape and sexual assault, making it difficult to ensure that adequate law enforcement resources and support services are available for victims, says a new report by the National Research Council.




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Neil deGrasse Tyson to Receive Public Welfare Medal – Academys Most Prestigious Award

The National Academy of Sciences is presenting its 2015 Public Welfare Medal to astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson




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Analysis Used by Federal Agencies to Set Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Standards for U.S. Cars Was Generally of High Quality - Some Technologies and Issues Should Be Re-examined

The analysis used by federal agencies to set standards for fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions for new U.S. light-duty vehicles -- passenger cars and light trucks -- from 2017 to 2025 was thorough and of high caliber overall, says a new report from the National Research Council.




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K-12 Science Teachers Need Sustained Professional Learning Opportunities to Teach New Science Standards, Report Says

As researchers’ and teachers’ understanding of how best to learn and teach science evolves and curricula are redesigned, many teachers are left without the experience needed to enhance the science and engineering courses they teach, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Report Affirms the Goal of Elimination of Civilian Use of Highly Enriched Uranium and Calls for Step-wise Conversion of Research Reactors Still Using Weapon-grade Uranium Fuel - 50-year Federal Roadmap for Neutron-based Research Recommended

Efforts to convert civilian research reactors from weapon-grade highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuels are taking significantly longer than anticipated, says a congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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New Report Recommends Research to Improve Understanding of Relationship Between Fatigue and Crash Risk for Truck and Bus Drivers

Insufficient sleep can decrease a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver’s level of alertness, which may increase the risk of a crash, yet little is known about effective ways to minimize that risk, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Longer-Term Weather and Environmental Forecasts Will Provide Enormous Benefit with More Research and Sustained Investment, New Report Says

Weather and environmental forecasts made several weeks to months in advance can someday be as widely used and essential as current predictions of tomorrow’s weather are, but first more research and sustained investment are needed, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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New Report Calls for Coordinated, Multidecade National Effort to Reduce Negative Attitudes and Behavior Toward People With Mental and Substance Use Disorders

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) should lead efforts among federal partners and stakeholders to design, implement, and evaluate a multipronged, evidence-based national strategy to reduce stigma toward people with mental and substance use disorders, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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New Report Says Bullying is a ‘Serious Public Health Problem,’ Calls for Development of Interventional Policies & Practices to Prevent Bullying & its Harm

Bullying is a serious public health problem, with significant short- and long-term psychological consequences for both the targets and perpetrators of such behavior, and requires a commitment to developing preventive and interventional policies and practices that could make a tangible difference in the lives of many children, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Global Commissions That Reflected on Ebola Outbreak Highlight Overlapping Conclusions in New PLOS Medicine Piece

To make the world safer against future infectious disease threats, national health systems should be strengthened, the World Health Organization’s emergency and outbreak response activities should be consolidated and bolstered, and research and development should be enhanced, says a new Policy Forum article that appears in the May 19 edition of PLOS Medicine.




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Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident Is ‘Wake-Up Call’ for U.S. to Improve Real-Time Monitoring of Spent Fuel Pools

The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident should serve as a wake-up call to nuclear plant operators and regulators on the critical importance of measuring, maintaining, and restoring cooling in spent fuel pools during severe accidents and terrorist attacks, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Sustaining Strong Safety Culture for Offshore Oil and Gas Operations Requires Collective Action Among Industry and Regulators

To transform the offshore oil and gas industry’s safety culture, operators, contractors, subcontractors, associations representing these groups, and federal regulators should collaborate to foster safety throughout all levels of the industry and confront challenges collectively, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Possible to Account for Disadvantaged Populations in Medicare’s Value-Based Payment Programs and Improve Payment Status Quo, Says New Report

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine says that Medicare’s value-based payment programs could take into account social risk factors – such as low socio-economic position, residence in disadvantaged neighborhoods, or race and ethnicity – but any proposal to do so will entail both advantages and disadvantages that need to be carefully considered.




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New Report Examines Molybdenum-99 Production and Use

Although the current supply of molybdenum-99 and technetium-99m – isotopes used worldwide in medical diagnostic imaging – is sufficient to meet domestic and global demand, changes to the supply chain before year-end could lead to severe shortages and impact the delivery of medical care, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Assessing the Effects of Human-Caused Activities on Marine Mammals

Rising levels of noise in the ocean have been identified as a growing concern for the well-being of marine mammals, but other threats such as pollution, climate change, and prey depletion by fisheries may also harm marine mammals and influence their response to additional noise.




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Improving the Sustainability of U.S. Cities - New Report

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offers a road map and recommendations to help U.S. cities work toward sustainability, measurably improving their residents’ economic, social, and environmental well-being.




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Report Calls for Improved Methods to Assess Earthquake-Caused Soil Liquefaction

Several strong earthquakes around the world have resulted in a phenomenon called soil liquefaction, the seismic generation of excess porewater pressures and softening of granular soils, often to the point that they may not be able to support the foundations of buildings and other infrastructure.




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New Report Calls for Use of Emerging Scientific Data to Better Assess Public Health Risks

Recent scientific and technological advances have the potential to improve assessment of public health risks posed by chemicals, yet questions remain how best to integrate the findings from the new tools and methods into risk assessment.




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New Report Identifies Root Causes of Health Inequity in the U.S., Outlines Solutions for Communities to Advance Health Equity

The burdens of poor health and the benefits of good health and well-being are inequitably distributed in the U.S. due to factors that range from poverty and inadequate housing to structural racism and discrimination, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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USAID Should Speed Application of Science, Technology, and Innovation to Global Development Challenges

The U.S. Agency for International Development should speed its transformation into a global leader and catalyst in applying science, technology and innovation to the challenges facing developing countries, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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With Stringent Oversight, Heritable Human Genome Editing Could Be Allowed for Serious Conditions

Clinical trials for genome editing of the human germline – adding, removing, or replacing DNA base pairs in gametes or early embryos – could be permitted in the future, but only for serious conditions under stringent oversight, says a new report from the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.




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Evidence Supporting Three Interventions That Might Slow Cognitive Decline and the Onset of Dementia Is Encouraging but Insufficient to Justify a Public Health Campaign Focused on Their Adoption

Cognitive training, blood pressure management for people with hypertension, and increased physical activity all show modest but inconclusive evidence that they can help prevent cognitive decline and dementia, but there is insufficient evidence to support a public health campaign encouraging their adoption, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Policies Governing Dual-Use Research in the Life Sciences Are Fragmented - Most Scientists Have Little Awareness of Issues Related to Biosecurity

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines policies and practices governing dual-use research in the life sciences – research that could potentially be misused to cause harm – and its findings identify multiple shortcomings.




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New Report Recommends Changes to County Crop and Cash Rent Estimation Methods Used by the National Agricultural Statistics Service

Producing more precise county-level estimates of crops and farmland cash rents will require integrating multiple data sources using model-based predictions that are more transparent and reproducible, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Report Offers Framework to Guide Decisions About Spirit Lake and Toutle River System at Mount St. Helens - Inclusive Decision-Making Process Is Needed

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offers a framework to guide federal, tribal, state and local agencies, community groups, and other interested and affected parties in making decisions about the Spirit Lake and Toutle River system, near Mount St. Helens in southwest Washington state.




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New Report One of Most Comprehensive Studies on Health Effects of E-Cigarettes - Finds That Using E-Cigarettes May Lead Youth to Start Smoking, Adults to Stop Smoking

A new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine takes a comprehensive look at evidence on the human health effects of e-cigarettes.




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New Report Examines Factors Used in Social Security’s Process for Determining Disability in Adults

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines to what extent and in which ways health care utilization -- such as in-patient hospitalizations, emergency department use, and hospital readmission -- reflects disease severity, disability, and ability to perform gainful activity.




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Single Breakthrough Discovery for Citrus Greening Disease in Florida Unlikely, Says New Report

A single breakthrough discovery for managing citrus greening in Florida in the future is unlikely, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Improvements Needed to Achieve More Efficiency, Quality of Census Bureau’s Annual Economic Surveys

The U.S. Census Bureau should develop a detailed concept and implementation plan for an Annual Business Survey System (ABSS) to replace the current suite of largely separate annual economic surveys, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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New Report Says Programs and Services for Children With Disabilities Should Coordinate Care Across Service Sectors, Focus on Long-Term Goals

While a variety of services and programs exist to support the needs of children with disabilities and their families, a focus on achieving specific near- and long-term goals that help prepare for adulthood and coordination of care within and across service sectors are integral to encouraging healthy growth and development, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Report Urges Improvements to Graduate Education in STEM Fields - Incentive System in Academia Must Shift to Strengthen Emphasis on Teaching and Mentoring

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends substantial changes to U.S. graduate education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in order to meet the evolving needs of students, the scientific enterprise, and the nation.




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If Misused, Synthetic Biology Could Expand the Possibility of Creating New Weapons - DOD Should Continue to Monitor Advances in the Field, New Report Says

Synthetic biology expands the possibilities for creating new weapons — including making existing bacteria and viruses more harmful — while decreasing the time required to engineer such organisms, concludes a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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To Increase Protection of Miners from Black Lung Disease, A Comprehensive Report on Underground Coal Mine Dust Exposure Says Monitoring and Sampling Should Go Beyond Regulatory Compliance

Black lung disease cases in coal miners have been increasing since 2000 for uncertain reasons.




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Permanent Supportive Housing Holds Potential for Improving Health of People Experiencing Homelessness, but Further Research on Effectiveness Is Needed, Including Studies On ‘Housing Sensitive’ Health Conditions

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines evidence on whether providing permanent supportive housing (PSH) – a combination of stable housing and supportive services -- to individuals who are experiencing homelessness improves their health.




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Academies Task Force on the 2020 Census Releases Letter Report on Proposed Information Collection

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicines Task Force on the 2020 Census today issued a letter report and submitted it as a public comment to the U.S. Department of Commerce, which recently requested public comments on the 2020 Census.




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New Report Provides Guidance to USDA for Updating Its Data Programs to More Completely Understand American Agriculture

To ensure that U.S. agricultural policies are well-informed, data collection programs must be periodically revisited to reflect current realities of the agricultural sector, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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National Academy of Medicine Publication Outlines Use of Procurement Requirements to Drive Interoperability in Health Care

While health care has made great strides in recent years with the proliferation of electronic health records (EHRs), establishment of regional health information exchanges, and development of data exchange standards and interfaces, interoperability among health care technologies remains very limited, says a new National Academy of Medicine (NAM) special publication.