This report discusses economic consideration in regulating neurotoxic substances which involves balancing the economic benefits of utilizing these substances commercially against their actual or potential risks to human health and the environment.

This paper reviews the evidence that elevation of serum cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the elderly and that the detection and treatment of hypercholesterolemia in an elderly individual who does not have clinically apparent heart disease will diminish overall morbidity or mortality. It also estimates health care expenditures associated with screening and treatment of hypercholesterolemia in the elderly.

This report examines the management of DoD technology base programs and laboratories. It also analyzes the process through which technology is introduced into defense systems, in order to understand why it takes so long and what might be done to speed the process up. Finally, this report examines the exploitation of civilian commercial sector technology for defense needs. It concentrates on the dual questions of expediting military access to civilian technology and keeping the necessary base of technology alive and well in the United States.

This report reviews U.S. patent law as it relates to the patentability of micro-organisms, cells, plants, and animals; as well as specific areas of concern, including deposit requirements and international considerations. The report includes a range of options for congressional action related to the patenting of animals, intellectual property protection for plants, and enablement of patents involving biological material.

This Background Paper contains the results of OTA’s analysis. Throughout the study OTA sought and received the assistance of many individuals and organizations in the business, education, and government communities. Their thoughtful contributions and criticisms were invaluable, although their participation does not necessarily reflect their endorsement of the contents of the report, for which OTA bears sole responsibility.

On September 13, 1988, the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Japan Science and Technology Program (JSTP) held a one-day workshop to discuss MIT’s Japan Science and Technology Program’s internship program and its technical language workshop. This document gives a brief description the MIT-Japan Science and Technology of Program. It then reports the principal themes and issues raised at the workshop.

This background paper discusses the technological options available for use in an electronic system to deliver public assistance benefits, the privacy and security implications of such a system, and the programmatic effects of changing to an electronic delivery system. It was requested by the Subcommittee on the Handicapped of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

Scientific and technical journals in biology and medicine have extensively covered a debate about whether and how to determine the function and order of human genes on human chromosomes and when to determine the sequence of molecular building blocks that comprise DNA in those chromosomes. This report surveys the points made so far in the debate that involves science, technology, and politics, focusing on those that most directly influence the policy options facing the U.S. Congress.

The staff paper is part of a larger, ongoing OTA assessment of the ozone nonattainment issue, requested by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

This report summarizes the observed effect on marine resources of waste disposal activities. It first briefly describes the nationwide impacts of pollutants on water quality, sediment quality, and marine organisms.

This report involves collection of more than 10)000 pages of existing documents and preparation of more than 40 papers by outside experts under contract to OTA. Many of the OTA contract reports have been released to the National Technical Information Service or published elsewhere.

This special report supports a larger OTA project that analyzes the effects of technological change and international trade on the structure of the domestic economy and options for public policy. The textile and apparel industries were selected for special attention because they provide key insights into the problems of changing manufacturing enterprises.

This final report addresses two fundamental questions: what is the general condition of different marine environments and their resources, and what role can and should marine environments play in overall waste management?

This report includes these topics: Potential environmental impact of widespread releases of non-ice nucleating bacteria in agriculture / D.A. Andow, S.S. Snapp, and P.S. Teng -- An assessment of the impact of large-scale applications of ice-minus bacteria and other procedures designed to decrease population sizes of ice-nucleative-active bacteria on crops / Christen D. Upper, Susan S. Hirano, Gabor Vali.

This report discusses the assessment of disorders causing dementia with disabled veterans.

This report discusses how dementia affects the quality of life, the increasing number of demented persons, the onset of dementia conditions.

The purpose of this report is to obtain empirical data about how the potential monitoring capabilities of new office systems technology are, in fact, being taken up by management and reacted to by employees.

This report describes the experiences of the Atlanta Area ADRDA Chapter over a two year period in the development, establishment, and direction of Community Services Program for persons with Alzheimer's diseases and related disorders.

This report is an assessment of health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives who are eligible for medical and health-related services from the Federal Government. The Federal agency that is responsible for providing these services is the Indian Health Service (IHS), a component of the Public Health Service (PHS) in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

This report examines the impact of recent and anticipated advances in communication and information technologies on the intellectual property system. It focuses primarily on the Federal copyright system, and on the continuing effectiveness of copyright law as a policy tool in the light of technologies such as audioand videorecorders, computer programs, electronic databases, and telecommunications networks.

This report begins with background discussion of China and its people. The report includes a special focus on country's strong religious and philosophic tradition. The report concludes with a discussion of possible benefits for the corresponding American experience.

A report on the mounting intensity of global competition in the 1980s that underscores the critical role played by the basic research enterprise of the United States. Basic research is the backbone of much of the technological development that has provided not only our economic prosperity, but improvements in health, a strong national defense, and exciting and fundamental advances in knowledge.

This report discusses a community survey of 112 caregivers, may of them Alzheimer's Disease families, that had indicated that their primary need was the ability to get away from their caregiving responsibilities for "a few hours now and then."

The objective of this report is to identify and explore conditions under which office automation has been successfully and productively implemented in New York city municipal offices.