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National Academies to Seek Public Comment, Hold Listening Session on Draft Framework for Equitable Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine – Week of Aug. 31

A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee tasked with developing an overarching framework to assist policymakers in planning for equitable allocation of a vaccine against COVID-19 will issue a discussion draft of the preliminary framework for public comment on Sept. 1.




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The Challenge of Maintaining and Reopening Buildings During a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many businesses and government agencies to close or restructure to allow their employees to work remotely. However, the now-empty facilities still require some maintenance and engineering staff to remain on-site to ensure the basic operations of the buildings are running smoothly and safely. Keeping these employees safe during the pandemic so they can continue their essential duties is a priority.




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National Academies Release Draft Framework for Equitable Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine, Seek Public Comment

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today released for public comment a discussion draft of a preliminary framework to assist policymakers in planning for equitable allocation of a vaccine against COVID-19.




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National Academies Release Framework for Equitable Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine for Adoption by HHS, State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Authorities

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today released the final report of a consensus study recommending a four-phased equitable allocation framework that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) authorities should adopt in the development of national and local guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine allocation.




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New Report Calls for More Comprehensive Data on LGBTQI+ Well-Being

More Americans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, or other non-binary identities (LGBTQI+) than ever before, but significant gaps remain in data collection and understanding of their well-being, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Although Childhood Cancer Survival Rates Have Improved, Survivors Face Disability-Related Challenges Throughout Adulthood

Survivors of childhood cancer have an increased risk of experiencing disabling conditions, both from the cancer itself and from the effects of treatment, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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National Academy of Medicine Joins Several Organizations in Calling for Action to Implement Crisis Standards of Care During COVID-19 Surge

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today joined eight other national organizations to call for governors, health departments, hospitals, and other health care sector partners to take immediate action to save lives and fairly allocate limited resources by implementing crisis standards of care (CSC) during the current COVID-19 surge.




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Eliminating Lead Emissions From Small Aircraft Will Require Concerted Efforts Across the Aviation Sector, Says New Report

Significantly reducing lead emissions from gasoline-powered aircraft will require the leadership and strategic guidance of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and a broad-based and sustained commitment by other government agencies and the nation’s pilots, airport managers, aviation fuel and service suppliers, and aircraft manufacturers, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Strategies to Allocate Scarce COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatments to Eligible Patients Examined in New Rapid Response to Government

Despite a scarce supply, a substantial amount of COVID-19 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment courses remain unused, says a new rapid expert consultation from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Science Academies of G-7 Nations Call for Action to Reach Net-Zero Emissions, Reverse Declines in Biodiversity, and Improve Data-Sharing to Prepare for Future Health Emergencies

Science academies from the G-7 nations today issued three statements recommending that their governments take urgent action to build a net-zero emissions, climate-resilient future, reverse global declines in biodiversity, and improve data-sharing for future health emergencies.




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Nobel Prize Laureates and Other Experts Issue Urgent Call for Action After ‘Our Planet, Our Future’ Summit

This statement was inspired by the discussions at the 2021 Nobel Prize Summit, issued by the Steering Committee and co-signed by Nobel Laureates and experts.




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ERs Rise to the Covid-19 Challenge - Teamwork between Engineers and Healthcare Providers Cuts ER Waiting Time

In 2020, surges of covid-19 patients challenged the ability of hospitals to manage the operation of their emergency rooms (ERs).




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Science Education Should Be National Priority - New Report Calls on Federal Government to Encourage Focusing Resources on High-Quality Science for All Students

Scientific thinking and knowledge are essential to democracy and the workforce, but science education is not the national priority it needs to be. The White House, with leadership from OSTP, should encourage federal agencies, state and local governments, and others to focus resources on increasing the quality and accessibility of science education.




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Environmental Resilience of Transportation Infrastructure Should Be Assessed for All Federally Funded Projects, Says New Report

Congress should consider requiring all projects that are candidates for federal funding undergo resilience assessments to account for natural hazards and the changing risks stemming from climate change.




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Combating Antimicrobial Resistance Globally Requires Maintaining Safety of Available Antibiotics and a Robust Pipeline - Animal and Environmental Health Strategies Also Needed

Safe, effective antimicrobial medicines are essential to modern medical procedures and pandemic preparedness. A new National Academies report recommends a range of policy, regulatory, and financial actions to tackle antimicrobial resistance, spanning human, animal, and environmental health.




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New Report Recommends Renewed Us-federal Investment in Chemical Engineering Directed to the Energy Transition Medical Advances and Other Challenges

To maintain U.S. global leadership and meet societal challenges — including generating medical advances, furthering the energy transition, and making food and water safer and more sustainable — new investments, collaborations, and educational practices in the chemical engineering field are needed.




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‘You Need a Yes on All of Those Levels’ — Experts Discuss the Future of Ocean-Based Carbon Removal Research

Experts discuss the future of ocean-based approaches to carbon dioxide removal — including the ethics of investigating proposed strategies, how research can respond to public concerns, and what we need to know to make informed climate decisions.




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New Awards in Science Communication Totaling $600,000 Annually Launched by Schmidt Futures and the National Academies

The new Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication aim to recognize and develop excellence in science communication by research scientists and by early career, local, and freelance science journalists. The program will provide winners with cash awards as well as training and resources to further expand their communications skills.




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New Report Recommends Changes to U.S. Organ Transplant System to Improve Fairness and Equity, Reduce Nonuse of Donated Organs, and Improve the System’s Overall Performance

Almost 110,000 Americans are waiting for organ transplants, but there are significant inequities in who gets access to the waiting list and an eventual transplant. A new report recommends several policy changes to create a more fair, equitable, and patient-focused system for organ allocation.




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‘Nation’s Report Card’ Assessment Should Make Changes to Contain Costs, Allow Innovation in Education Testing and Research, Says New Report

The National Assessment of Educational Progress — which produces the “Nation’s Report Card” and other critical education data — should make changes to understand and reduce its costs and open the door to innovation.




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Tackling the Challenges of Our Time Requires All of Us to Be at the Table

At a recent event, acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Alondra Nelson discussed the urgent need to improve equity in science, and the role community engagement can play in tackling the problems that lay ahead.




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Science Academies Call on G-7 Governments to Take Urgent Action to Accelerate Decarbonization, Develop Antiviral Drugs to Increase Pandemic Preparedness, Address Other Global Challenges

Science academies from the G-7 nations issued statements urging their governments to take action on four global challenges — developing antiviral drugs to prepare for future pandemics, speeding progress on decarbonization, protecting the oceans and sea ice, and implementing a One Health approach to zoonotic disease and antimicrobial resistance.




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Multisector, All-of-Society Transformation Needed to Ensure Aging Societies Worldwide Are Poised to Thrive by 2050, Says New Report

Ensuring that populations globally are actively engaged in society while living longer, healthier lives will require a multisector, all-of-society approach. A new NAM report provides a roadmap with recommendations for addressing the needs of older people in the next five years and other actions to improve healthy longevity by 2050.




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CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine Needs Investment, Regulatory Reform, and Other Changes to Meet New Infectious Disease Challenges, Says Report

The CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine should create an effective and innovative quarantine station model to confront new challenges in preventing the spread of infectious diseases in the U.S., and requires new investment and regulatory reforms to do so.




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New Report Calls for Expanded PFAS Testing for People With History of Elevated Exposure, Offers Advice for Clinical Treatment

Testing for exposure to PFAS — chemicals used in a broad range of consumer products for decades — should be offered to patients who are likely to have a history of elevated exposure. A new report provides advice to the CDC on how clinicians can interpret test results and deliver follow-up care.




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The Gulf Research Program Announces Support for Regionally Focused Architectural Studio Design Courses at Five Universities

The Gulf Research Program is providing awards totaling nearly $900K to five universities for the creation of interdisciplinary architectural studio design courses that engage with the unique features of the Gulf of Mexico region, such as offshore energy safety, environmental protection and stewardship, and Gulf health and resilience.




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Engineering and the Diversity Imperative - The 15th Grand Challenge

Engineering impacts everyone. Diversifying the field is imperative if we want to build on engineering’s legacy of extraordinary impact.




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To Improve Research Collaboration Among Land-Grant Universities, Congress Should Facilitate Participation of Historically Black and Tribal Colleges and Universities, Says New Report

Congress should take action to facilitate the participation of all land-grant colleges and universities in multistate research projects, says a new report. Funding disparities have prevented many historically Black and tribal colleges and universities from fully collaborating with other land-grant institutions.




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National Academies Reports Featured at AGU Fall Meeting

The American Geophysical Union’s 2022 fall meeting, taking place Dec. 12-16, features several presentations from National Academies staff and experts on recent reports and ongoing studies on the environment, climate change, higher education, and space.




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Taliban’s Ban on Education for Afghan Women and Girls Will Have Potentially Disastrous Consequences, Say U.S. National Academies Presidents

The presidents of the U.S. National Academies warn that the Taliban’s decision to prevent Afghan women and girls from participating in higher education or attending secondary school ignores the scientific evidence on the benefits of education for women and could have “potentially disastrous consequences” for the future of Afghanistan.




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Employing ‘Serious Gaming’ to Explore Challenges and Solutions in the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico region faces numerous complex challenges, from extreme weather events to potential offshore oil spills. The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program is enlisting serious gaming as part of its strategy to help the region prepare and respond.




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G-7 Science Academies Call for Actions to Improve Climate Change Decision-Making, Protect Ocean Biodiversity, and Support Well-Being of Older People

Today the science academies of the G-7 nations released statements calling on their governments to address systemic risks and improve decision-making related to climate change, restore and recover ocean biodiversity, and deliver better health and well-being for aging populations.




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Small but mighty: Top 5 pocket-sized gadgets to boost your ethical hacking skills

These five formidable bits of kit that can assist cyber-defenders in spotting chinks in corporate armors and help hobbyist hackers deepen their understanding of cybersecurity




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Top 6 Craigslist scams: Don’t fall for these tricks

Here’s how to spot and dodge scams when searching for stuff on the classified ads website that offers almost everything under the sun




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Black Hat USA 2024: All eyes on election security

In this high-stakes year for democracy, the importance of robust election safeguards and national cybersecurity strategies cannot be understated




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Jane Goodall: Reasons for hope | Starmus highlights

The trailblazing scientist shares her reasons for hope in the fight against climate change and how we can tackle seemingly impossible problems and keep going in the face of adversity




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Indus Towers pushes Vi to clear dues, may not allow any new payment plan

At its fiscal fourth quarter earnings call Thursday, Indus' top management said that while Vi has started clearing 90-100% of current dues, the tower company is closely monitoring the telco's payment patterns and its funding situation to recover its accumulated past dues as per the agreed schedule.




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Govt should allot spectrum directly to enterprises for private networks: Voice

However, telecom operators associations COAI recently said private 5G network deployments by system integrators may lead to operational inefficiencies, capital burden, and eventually prove to be counter-productive.




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A year on, Intel's touted AI-chip deals have fallen short

In a call with analysts, CEO Pat Gelsinger attributed their slower uptake to software related to Gaudi and a recent transition from the second to third generation of the chip.




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Social media app TweetDeck placed behind paywall

X announced in July that TweetDeck, a popular program that allows users to monitor multiple accounts and lists of users at once, would be available only to "verified" account holders from August.




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IUCN-led panel finds critically endangered whales in Russia recovering

International Union for Conservation for Nature, WWF and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) examines the results of the work of an IUCN-led independent panel of scientists, which has been advising Sakhalin Energy - one of the largest companies operating in the area - as part of an innovative loan deal. Over the last 12 years, Sakhalin Energy has made important efforts to limit the impact of its operations on whales and the fragile environment. During this period, the western gray whale population has grown 3-4% annually, from an estimated 115 animals in 2004 to 174 in 2015.

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  • Earth & Climate

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NASA sees Hurricane Newton approaching landfall in Baja California, Mexico

NASA's Terra satellite and a NASA animation of imagery from NOAA's GOES-West satellite provided views of Hurricane Newton as it neared landfall in Baja California, Mexico, today, Sept. 6.

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  • Earth & Climate

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US consumer watchdog proposes rules for Big Tech payments, digital wallets

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's proposal would subject companies like Alphabet, Apple, PayPal and Block's CashApp to bank-like supervision, with CFPB examiners inspecting their privacy protections, executives' conduct and compliance with laws barring unfair and deceptive practices.




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How Blue Sapphire Healthcare is building parallel digital solutions at low cost

Over 80 percent of invoicing at Blue Sapphire Healthcare has already gone digital with patients also accepting digital invoices.




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FULL: Fall Bird Walk, Nov. 20

This program is full. To be notified of openings, please email gardenprograms@berkeley.edu. Thank you!  Join Chris Carmichael in search of both resident and migrant birds in the Garden’s many bird friendly micro habitats. Chris will be joined by Susan Greef, Garden Member and avid birder. Beginning and experienced bird watchers are welcome. Limited to 15 participants. This walk follows uneven terrain, with areas of paved and unpaved trail. For accessibility inquiries, please email gardenprograms@berkeley.edu. We suggest bringing binoculars if you have them. Wear layers in case it is a chilly morning. Walk is rain or shine, though heavy rain cancels.




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Global inbound call services

You need to make sure that when a customer calls, they get a response first time, every time. If you fail, your customer might soon become somebody else’s. Inbound Contact global can help




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Alliant Energy executes multiple power supply deals with data centers

The company recorded a pre-tax non-cash charge of $60 million in the second quarter due to the settlement agreement.




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NASA sees Super Typhoon Meranti's extreme rainfall

Satellite data from NASA revealed that powerful storms in Super Typhoon Meranti were generating almost a foot or almost 300 millimeters of rainfall per hour. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite measured the heavy rainfall on one side of the Category 5 super typhoon.

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  • Earth & Climate

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Land-based food not nutritionally sufficient for wild polar bears, according to new study

A study, by San Diego Zoo Global conservationists, released this week (Sept. 12, 2016) is shedding new light on how scientists evaluate polar bear diet and weight loss during their fasting season. On average, a polar bear loses up to 30 percent of its total body mass while fasting during the open-water season. Although some scientists previously believed land-based foods could supplement the bears' nutritional needs until the sea ice returns, a new study published in the scientific journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology has revealed that access to terrestrial food is not sufficient to reduce the rate of body mass loss for fasting polar bears.

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  • Earth & Climate

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All bad technology decisions are made in good times

A CIO talks about the need to make judicious technology spends in the good times.