Books by National Research Council

Outlines pressing marine research problems and offers recommendations for how they may be solved, with detailed discussions of how oceanographic research is conducted. This comprehensive book is suitable for researchers, faculty, and students in the field, as well as federal policymakers, research administrators, and environmental professionals.

Examines policy issues, projection models, and data bases pertaining to the supply of, demand for, and quality of teachers in the United States from kindergarten to twelfth grade. This book identifies additional data needed to clarify policy issues or for use in projection models.

Examines the reasons why science is important to the national parks, reviews evaluations of research in the parks, and recommends ways to improve the science program. This book stresses the need for two distinct but related approaches to research, called "science for the parks" and "parks for science."

Provides a direction for developing strategies that mitigate land degradation, deforestation and biological resource losses. This book also includes a practical discussion of 12 major land use options for boosting food production and enhancing local economies, while protecting the natural resource base.

The decline of the 'Alala is part of a larger phenomenon of reduction and extinction of forest birds throughout Polynesia that has been associated with human colonization. This book analyzes the data about the 'Alala and details its findings, conclusions, and recommendations concerning recovery efforts for this endangered bird.

Examines the controversies over proper cage sizes and interpretation of federal requirements for exercise and offers recommendations for researchers. This book includes guidelines on how to recognize and alleviate pain and distress in research dogs and on the sensitive topic of euthanasia. It is useful for researchers and research administrators.

Outlines a framework of priorities for computer science and engineering (CS&E), along with recommendations for education, funding, and leadership. This volume examines how computer scientists and engineers are pushing back the frontiers of their field and how CS&E must change to meet the challenges of the future.

Addresses the factors that impede the transition of new materials from concepts into commercial use. This book identifies policies and actions that government and industry, together with universities, can take to remove these impediments. It also suggests incentives to accelerate the commercialization of advanced materials.

Prepared at the request of NASA, this book presents steps to help prevent the erosion of US dominance in the global aeronautics market. It recommends the expansion of research on advanced aircraft that travel at subsonic speeds and research on designs that will meet expected future demands for supersonic and short-haul aircraft.

Presents an agenda for research that aims to provide information to formulate policy and design conservation programs in the Third World. This book includes discussions of research needs in the biological sciences, as well as economics and anthropology, areas of critical importance to conservation and sustainable development.

Contains reviews of research on biological influences on violent or aggressive behaviour. This volume examines areas, such as genetic contributions to the probability of violent behaviours; brain structure and functioning as implicated in aggressive behaviour; the roles of hormonal and neurological interactions in violent behaviour; and more.

Addresses issues in the public debate over AIDS. This book explores how AIDS has affected fundamental policies and practices in our major institutions. It is helpful to anyone concerned about AIDS and its impact on the country: health professionals, sociologists, psychologists, advocates for at-risk populations, and interested individuals.

Describes the relationship between plasma processes and industrial applications, examines plasma processing in the electronics industry, highlights the scientific foundation underlying this technology, and discusses education issues in this field. This title recommends a coordinated, focused, and well-funded research program in this area.

Offers recommendations for resolving crucial questions in DNA typing. This volume addresses: quality and reliability in DNA typing; DNA typing in the courtroom; and societal issues. It offers guidance to policymakers, specialists in criminal law, forensic scientists, geneticists, researchers, faculty, and students.

Assesses the state of the field in a number of potential applications and discusses technologies for which concentrated solar energy might be utilized. This book contains all the papers submitted by the speakers as well as summaries of the presentations, and discussions that followed each session.

Describes the contributions of mathematics to the nation's advanced technology and to economic competitiveness. This book addresses various high-technology industries and breadth of mathematical endeavors in the United States as they materially contribute to the technology base from which innovation in these industries flows.

On November 13, 1985, catastrophic mudflows swept down the slopes of the erupting Nevado del Ruiz volcano. This volume analyzes the disaster's many aspects: the extent, constitution, and behavior of the mudflows; the nature of damage to structures; the status of the area's disaster warning system; and more.

The small community of Saragosa, Texas, was devastated by a violent multiple-vortex tornado in 1987. This book aims to combine the information provided by the respondents to a post disaster survey with the facts surrounding the tornado in order to understand the weather warning procedures used in Reeves County, Texas, where Saragosa is located.

Looks at performance appraisal and pay practices in the private sector and describes how private industry experience is relevant to federal pay reform. This book focuses on the needs of the federal government, exploring how the federal pay system evolved; evidence on federal employee attitudes toward their work, and their pay; and more.

High performance synthetic fibers are key components of composite materials. This book stresses the need for redesigning university curricula to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of fiber science and technology. It also urges greater government and industry cooperation in support of academic instruction in fiber-related disciplines.

The hazard posed by large dams has long been known. This book evaluates contemporary knowledge about the earthquake performance of concrete dams, including procedures for investigating the seismic safety of such structures. It informs researchers about earthquake analysis of concrete dams and identifies areas where additional knowledge is needed.

In modern times, snow avalanches are a concern in recreational mountainous areas. However, programs for snow avalanche hazard mitigation in other countries are far ahead of those in the US. This book identifies many steps that should be taken in order to establish guidelines for research, technology transfer, and avalanche legislation and zoning.

Discusses issues as long-term, or strategic, commitment on the part of large firms in the United States; cooperation within and among firms and between industry, universities, and government; weaknesses in manufacturing and in the integration of research, development, and manufacturing; technical standards; and education and infrastructure.

Examines the consideration of oil and gas leasing in the land use planning processes of the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service. This book was required by the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987. It identifies problems caused by leasing practices and the availability and reliability of information at the planning stage.

Summarizes the major questions in solar physics theory and observations, and proposes recommendations. This study addresses institutional issues as the role of the universities in the national solar observations, structural barriers to careers in solar physics, and the leadership role of federal funding agencies for ground-based solar research.

Considers the issues surrounding the occurrence, progression, and predictability of myopia, with emphasis on the 16- to 26-year-old population. This book presents the research in this area, analyzing the findings and drawing conclusions from these studies. The observations and recommendations are aimed at vision scientists and clinicians.

Presents an overview of animal-monitoring programs, including case studies of how animal health problems have led researchers to the sources of human health hazards. This book examines the components and characteristics required for an effective animal-monitoring program, and evaluate programs, including in situ research.

Includes research results and expert interpretations from nutrition research and provides Recommended Dietary Allowances and "Estimated Safe and Adequate Daily Dietary Intakes". This 10th edition deals with the function nutrients in the human body, sources of supply, and effects of deficiencies and excessive intakes.

More and more farmers adopt a range of alternative practices designed to reduce dependence on synthetic chemical pesticides, cut costs, and increase profits. This book describes the increased use of these practices and other changes in agriculture since World War II, and examines the role of federal policy in encouraging this evolution.

The AIDS virus is spread by human behaviors enacted in a variety of social situations. In order to prevent further infection, we need to know more about these behaviors. This volume explores what is known about the number of people infected, risk-associated behaviors, facilitation of behavioral change, and barriers to effective prevention efforts.