Python Data Science Handbook

Much of the statistical information currently produced by federal statistical agencies - information about economic, social, and physical well-being that is essential for the functioning of modern society - comes from sample surveys. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of data from other sources, including data collected by government agencies while administering programs, satellite and sensor data, private-sector data such as electronic health records and credit card transaction data, and massive amounts of data available on the internet. How can these data sources be used to enhance the information currently collected on surveys, and to provide new frontiers for producing information and statistics to benefit American society? Toward a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure: Enhancing Survey Programs by Using Multiple Data Sources, the second report in a series funded by the National Science Foundation, discusses how use of multiple data sources can improve the quality

In 2018, the National Academies released Thriving on Our Changing Planet: A Decadal Strategy for Earth Observation from Space. The decadal survey identified key science questions and prioritized observational needs to advance U.S. efforts in Earth science and support critical applications such as climate modeling and weather prediction. In the past few years, the need for actionable data and better scientific information on Earth's interacting systems has increased in urgency, as global climate change accelerates coupled with increasing numbers of extreme weather events. At the request of NASA, this mid-term assessment evaluates progress and recommends actions to meet decadal survey priorities. This report explores ways that NASA's Earth Science Division can maintain programmatic balance, improve alignment with decadal survey priorities, and prepare for the next decadal survey.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program develops human health assessments that focus on hazard identification and dose-response analyses for chemicals in the environment. The ORD Staff Handbook for Developing IRIS Assessments (the handbook) provides guidance to scientists who perform the IRIS assessments in order to foster consistency in the assessments and enhance transparency about the IRIS assessment process. At the request of the EPA, this report reviews the procedures and considerations for operationalizing the principles of systematic reviews and the methods described in the handbook for determining the scope of the IRIS assessments, evidence integration, extrapolation techniques, dose-response analyses, and characterization of uncertainties.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has played a key role over the past several decades in advancing understanding of Earth's systems by funding research on atmospheric, ocean, hydrologic, geologic, polar, ecosystem, social, and engineering-related processes. Today, however, those systems are being driven like never before by human technologies and activities. Our understanding has struggled to keep pace with the rapidity and magnitude of human-driven changes, their impacts on human and ecosystem sustainability and resilience, and the effectiveness of different pathways to address those challenges. Given the urgency of understanding human-driven changes, NSF will need to sustain and expand its efforts to achieve greater impact. The time is ripe to create a next-generation Earth systems science initiative that emphasizes research on complex interconnections and feedbacks between natural and social processes. This will require NSF to place an increased emphasis on research inspired by

Engineering advances economic growth, enhances manufacturing capacity, enhances infrastructure resilience, improves healthcare, and strengthens national security. However, the impact of engineering research - and, by extension, engineering education - is often hidden from the public eye. Promoting comprehension of how engineering affects society is thus a crucial aspect of garnering and sustaining public backing of policies aimed at ensuring that technology continues to serve the greater good of humanity. One part of this effort is highlighting the pivotal role of federal support of engineering research. Such support furnishes researchers with the necessary resources to pursue ambitious projects, fostering exploration into fundamental questions, groundbreaking technology and engineered systems developments, and practical applications. Since its inception in 1950, the National Science Foundation (NSF)--an independent federal agency--has played a critical role in funding cutting-edge res

Population surveys collect information from participants by asking questions. Today, many surveys also collect biologic specimens that can be used to analyze a respondents DNA and other biomarkers. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a population survey that also administers a physical examination, collects biospecimens, and reports some test results (e.g., cholesterol levels) to the participant. While visiting communities large and small throughout the country, NHANES collects health and nutrition data from a representative sample of individuals through in-person interviews and health examinations that take place at special mobile examination centers. The examination component consists of medical, dental, and physiological examinations, as well as laboratory tests. On December 2, 7, and 8, 2022, a workshop was convened to focus on anticipated future collections of genomic data by NHANES. The 2022 workshop explored ethical considerations and current practic

To examine the potential role of companion animals as sentinels of relevant, shared environmental exposures that may affect human aging and cancer, the National Cancer Policy Forum held a workshop in collaboration with the Forum on Aging, Disability, and Independence and the Standing Committee on the Use of Emerging Science for Environmental Health Decisions to explore this promising and underutilized pathway for research. Presentations and panel discussions covered the current state of the science and pathways for accelerating research, along with opportunities and challenges for using this novel translational approach to exposure science to advance human health. This Proceedings of a Workshop outlines the presentations and discussions that occurred during the workshop.

Despite decades of ongoing efforts to improve racial and ethnic diversity in clinical trials, many gaps remain in achieving demographic representation in clinical studies. In May 2024, the National Academies Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation, in collaboration with the National Cancer Policy Forum, hosted a public workshop to explore system-level changes and initiatives across organizations and sectors to improve representation, data collection, and reporting in clinical trials and progress tracking in the United States.

Ocean Acoustics - the study of sound in the ocean, how it travels, interacts with, and is affected by its underwater surroundings - is a growing and critical field. Sound from both natural and human-generated sources can be an effective tool for probing the ocean environment. While the first applications of ocean acoustics began in the military, applications today encompass offshore energy production, national security, environmental monitoring, climate science, exploration and mapping, as well as fundamental ocean science. Even as demand for ocean acoustics grows, workforce development is challenged by both the multidisciplinary nature of the field and its widely varying career paths. Ocean acoustics may be housed in a diversity of departments in higher education institutions, and career paths and trajectory of formal education can range from the vocational/associates' level through the doctorate level. This report examines the state of ocean acoustics education; assesses expected dem

On March 20 and 21, 2023, the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop titled Effective Health Communication within the Current Information Environment and the Role of the Federal Government. Workshop speakers and participants, a majority of whom were working in government agencies in federal health communication or leadership positions, joined both in person in Washington, D.C. as well as virtually to explore the current health information environment as it pertains to public trust and behavior change, explore how federal health agencies can communicate effectively within the current information environment and what is needed to support effective health communication moving forward. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

While there is a limited data on safety-sensitive professionals, substance use disorders potentially affect pilots and flight attendants at the same rate as the general population - around 15 percent - but due to the high-risk nature of their jobs, aircraft operators are held to a higher standard for substance misuse on the job. To protect the safety of the public and the aviation workforce, the Human Intervention Motivation Study (HIMS) and the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP) were launched to help treat critical aviation workers - pilots and flight attendants, respectively - who misuse substances. In response to a congressional mandate, this new report reviews available evidence on the effectiveness of HIMS and FADAP and offers recommendations for improving these programs.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority institutions (MIs) represent a valuable resource to expand the Department of Defense's (DoD) government and extramural workforce and science and technology enterprise. The more than 400 public and private HBCUs, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and other two- and four-year MIs are positioned to make strong and uniquely important contributions to the defense research enterprise, offering DoD an opportunity to widen its talent pool and diversify STEM research and ultimately strengthen its ability to support national security. Defense Research Capacity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions examines the status of DoD research at HBCUs and MIs, including the methods and means necessary to advance research capacity at these institutions in order to comprehensively address the national security and defense needs of the United States. This report off