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Date: Oct.
27, 2009
Editor: Sharon Yep
"Reports
& Events" is a monthly list of selected events open to the public and
a listing of National Academies reports tentatively scheduled for release next
month. A complete listing of events can be accessed at http://search.nap.edu/nap-cgi/events.cgi.
MEETINGS
The future of nursing
Nov. 2
(Washington, D.C.)
At the
third meeting of a committee examining the future of nursing, speakers will
discuss the role of nursing in addressing health disparities as well as
reimbursement and financing for nursing care. The meeting will run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the
Lecture Room of the National Academy of Sciences building, 2100 C St., N.W. Registration
and more information can be found at http://iom.edu/Activities/Workforce/Nursing/2009-NOV-02.aspx.
CONTACT: Office
of News and Public Information, 202-334-2138 or e-mail <news@nas.edu>
Improving
maternal, newborn, and child health in sub-Saharan Africa
Nov. 9-11
(Accra, Ghana)
The fifth annual international conference of the African Science Academy
Development Initiative (ASADI) will be held in conjunction with the 50th
anniversary of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. The theme of this year's
conference will be improving maternal, newborn, and child health in Africa. ASADI V will kick off with the release of Science
in Action: Saving the Lives of Africa's Mothers, Newborns, and Children, a new
report by several African science academies, assessing the effectiveness of
interventions aimed at reducing maternal and childhood mortality -- the focus
of U.N. Millennium Development Goals Four and Five -- in sub-Saharan Africa. The report will include estimates of lives that
could be saved if proven scientific methods reached more parts of Africa.
The conference will be held in the Adae Kese Conference Room of the La
Palm Royal Beach Hotel. The opening ceremony takes place on Nov. 9 at 6 p.m.,
after a press conference to release the Science in Action report (time to be
determined). On Nov. 10, the conference runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Nov.
11 from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. More information, including a draft agenda, is
available at http://national-academies.org/asadi.
Reporters should register to attend the meeting or receive advance copies of
the report.
CONTACT: Office of News and Public Information, 202-334-2138 or e-mail <news@nas.edu>
'One Health' summit
Nov. 17
(Washington, D.C.)
The
H1N1 pandemic and concerns about emerging zoonotic, food and waterborne
diseases, and environmental change prompted experts this year to form the One
Health Commission to focus on ways to better integrate the human, animal, and
ecosystem health sciences. The Institute
of Medicine and National
Research Council are joining the commission in hosting a half-day summit to
raise awareness for a proposed single health model. The summit runs from 8:30
a.m. to noon in the auditorium of the National Academy of Sciences building, 2100 C St., N.W.
CONTACT: Office
of News and Public Information, 202-334-2138 or e-mail <news@nas.edu>
Authorization for dispensing medical countermeasures
Nov. 18
(Washington, D.C.)
This workshop will explore policy implications of
emergency use authorization for dispensing of medical countermeasures during an
emergency and strategies to limit potential logistical challenges that could
delay delivery of needed therapies in crisis situations. The workshop will run
from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 100 of the National Academies’ Keck Center,
500 Fifth St., N.W.
An agenda and registration information can be found at http://iom.edu/Activities/PublicHealth/MedPrep/2009-NOV-18.aspx.
CONTACT: Office of News and Public Information, 202-334-2138 or e-mail
<news@nas.edu>
REPORTS
The
following reports from the National Academies are tentatively scheduled for
release in November. However, release dates depend on successful completion of
the review process and publishing schedules. Reporters who would like to be
notified when a report is due for release should contact the Office of News and
Public Information -- 202-334-2138 or e-mail <news@nas.edu>
-- and ask to be placed on the contact list.
ENVIRONMENT
Disposal of Legacy Nerve Agent GA and Lewisite Stocks at Deseret
Chemical Depot
[National Research Council]
Examines the process to be used for
disposal of the nerve toxin GA (or tabun) and the blistering agent lewisite at
the Deseret Chemical Depot to ensure that the system will adhere to current
regulatory guidelines.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles
[National Research Council]
Analyzes the potential impact of
plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the transportation sector. The report
assesses the status of this technology, develops a best-case scenario for how
these vehicles may enter the market, and estimates the potential reductions in
petroleum consumption and CO2 emissions.
Selling the Nation's Helium Reserve
[National Research Council]
Assesses whether selling off the U.S. helium reserve has had any adverse effect
on U.S.
scientific, technical, biomedical, and national security users of helium.
HEALTH
Redesigning Continuing Education in the Health Professions
[Institute of Medicine]
Reviews concerns about the quality
and integrity of continuing education programs for health professionals and
recommends ways to promote the advance of more effective methods to provide
ongoing instruction and information sharing.
TECHNOLOGY
An Enabling Foundation for NASA's Space and Earth Science Missions
[National Research Council]
Examines mission-enabling activities
within NASA's space and earth sciences programs. The report will identify
appropriate roles for these activities and metrics for assessing their
effectiveness. It also will evaluate how decisions should be made to balance
mission-related and mission-enabling elements of NASA’s overall programs.
False Positives from Explosive Detection Systems -- Interim Report
[National Research Council]
Evaluates the causes of false
positives from aviation explosive-detection systems, assesses their impact on
personnel and resource allocation, and recommends ways to mitigate false
positives without increasing false negatives.
The Imperative for Change in DOD IT Acquisition
[National Research Council]
Assesses the efficacy of the U.S.
Department of Defense acquisition, testing, and evaluation processes as applied
to information technology. The report also recommends improvements to these
processes that could help the department achieve its IT goals.
In the Matter of Fostering Innovation and Investment in the Wireless Communications
Market and A National Broadband Plan For Our Future -- Letter Report
[National Research Council]
Provides the latest update in a
series of letter reports from the Standing Committee on Radio Frequencies --
which considers the needs for radio frequency requirements and interference
protection for scientific and engineering research, coordinates the views of
U.S. scientists, and represents them in the inter-union commission on frequency
allocations for radio astronomy and space science of the International Council
of Scientific Unions.
Persistent Surveillance Study Interim Report
[National Research Council]
Provides advice to the Joint
Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) of the U.S. Department
of Defense, an entity that was established to reduce or eliminate the effects
of improvised explosive devices on U.S. or coalition forces. The
report reviews current technical capabilities, identifies challenges, and
examines methods of data distribution and analysis.
Protecting and Accessing Data From
the Survey of Earned Doctorates – A Workshop Summary
[National Research Council]
Summarizes a May workshop that
explored how the National Science Foundation can protect the privacy of those
who respond to its Survey of Earned Doctorates – which collects data on the
number and characteristics of individuals receiving doctoral degrees in the U.S. – while
maximizing the amount of survey data that can be released.
The Rise of Games and High-Performance Computing for Modeling and
Simulation
[National Research Council]
Provides a technical assessment of
worldwide research and development in modeling, simulation, and games. The
study will identify future applications of this technology and its potential
impact on government and society.
Wireless Technology Prospects and Policy
[National Research Council]
Provides a comprehensive assessment
of wireless technology, service, and application trends and their implications
for wireless spectrum management and policy.
ALSO
OF INTEREST
Microbes and Health
(Irvine, Calif.)
This event,
part of the National Academy of Sciences’ Sackler Colloquium series, will
examine the foundations of host-microbial symbioses -- primarily in humans --
and explore the experimental and computational approaches to characterize our
microbiome in health and disease. The colloquium will take place Nov. 2 and 3 at
the Arnold and Mabel Beckman
Center, 100 Academy Drive. Agenda
and registration information are available online at http://www.nasonline.org/SACKLER_Microbes_and_Health.
Reporters who wish to attend must register in advance.
CONTACT:
Susan Marty, Sackler Colloquia, 949-721-2213 or e-mail <sackler@nas.edu>
Inside
the FBI's Behavioral Science and Analysis Units
(Washington, D.C.)
The
Behavioral Science and Behavioral Analysis units at the FBI study, research,
consult on, and investigate some of the world's most violent and bizarre offenders,
including serial killers, hostage takers, and bombers. Gregory M. Vecchi,
head of the Behavioral Science Unit, will explain how investigators solve cases
by studying the offenders and their motivations. Mary Ellen O'Toole, a former
FBI senior profiler, takes you into the mind of a serial killer and guides you
through the process of solving a murder case. This lecture, co-sponsored by the
Smithsonian Resident Associates, will be held Nov. 19 at 6:45 p.m. at the
National Academy of Sciences building, 2100 C St., N.W. Tickets are required.
For more information, visit http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=218711.
CONTACT:
Alana Quinn, 202-334-2415 or e-mail <aquinn@nas.edu>
2009
Japan-America Frontiers of Engineering
(Irvine, Calif.)
This Nov. 9-11 symposium brings together
outstanding, early-career engineers from the U.S.
and Japan
to discuss their areas of research and technical work that could lead to
collaborative networks. Topics include breakthrough
technologies in brain science, novel materials for industrial applications,
state-of-the-art technologies for knowledge management, and modeling global
climate change. For more information, visit http://www.nae.edu/Programs/FOE/JAFOE/2009JAFOE.aspx.
CONTACT: Randy Atkins, 202-334-1508
or e-mail <atkins@nae.edu>
Fall
Concert Series
(Washington, D.C.)
The Fine Arts Quartet will perform
at the National Academy of Sciences on Nov. 8 in the auditorium of the National
Academy of Sciences building, 2100
C St., N.W. The performance is open to the public
and free of charge. Photo identification required for admittance. For more
information, visit http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Listen_Concert_Schedule.
CONTACT: Alana Quinn, 202-334-2415
or e-mail <aquinn@nas.edu>
Marian Koshland
Science Museum
(Washington, D.C.)
The Marian Koshland Science
Museum of the National
Academy of Sciences holds public programs on a variety of science-related
topics. Upcoming events include:
-- Uncovering the Unseen: Science Cafe
with Dan Goods, Visual Strategist, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the
California Institute of Technology (Nov. 5, 6:45 p.m.)
-- Hands-on Science Activities (Nov. 7, 12:30 p.m.)
For more
information, visit http://www.koshland-science-museum.org/.
Reporters must register in advance.
CONTACT:
Annie Drinkard, 202-334-1612 or e-mail <adrinkard@nas.edu>
Distinctive Voices@The Beckman Center
(Irvine, Calif.)
These
public events at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman
Center explore the
far-reaching role of science, technology, and medicine in our lives. Upcoming
programs include:
-- “Time's Up” by Ed Krupp, astronomer and director, Griffith Observatory (Nov.
4, 7 p.m.)
-- “Developments
in Climate Change” by Donald Kennedy, president emeritus, Stanford University,
and former editor in chief of Science (Nov.
19, 7 p.m.)
More
information on these and other events is available at http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Beckman_main.
CONTACT:
Susan Marty, 949-721-2213 or e-mail <voicesatbeckman@nas.edu>
Documentary Film Screening
(Washington, D.C.)
“Whiz Kids”
is a coming-of-age documentary about three passionate 16-year-old scientists
who compete in the nation's oldest, most prestigious science competition, the
Intel Science Talent Search. The screening will take place Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in
the auditorium of the National Academy of Sciences building, 2100 C St., N.W. The event is free and
open to the public; registration and a photo ID are required for admittance. For
more information, visit http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Experience_Future_Events_WhizKids.
CONTACT: Alana Quinn, 202-334-2415
or e-mail <aquinn@nas.edu>
RESOURCES
FOR REPORTERS
Science,
medicine, and technology form the basis for many of the day's top news stories.
Whether you are looking for background or searching for a different angle, check
out http://national-academies.org/headlines.
Check out
podcasts from the National Academies on all areas of science, engineering, and
medicine at http://national-academies.org/podcast/,
booklets at http://national-academies.org/publications/#booklets,
and resources on evolution at http://national-academies.org/evolution/.
View the
most recent Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences articles online by visiting This Week in Early Edition at http://www.pnas.org/site/misc/highlights.shtml,
or PNAS in the News at http://www.pnas.org/site/misc/news.shtml.
Journalists may register to receive embargoed material by contacting the PNAS
News Office at <pnasnews@nas.edu>.
This guide,
along with news releases and other documents from the Office of News and Public
Information, is available on the Internet at http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/bydate.aspx.
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