The report concludes that, based on today’s research findings, bST poses no additional risk to consumers and does not produce adverse health effects to cows. However, if approved by FDA, bST will accelerate trends that already put additional economic stress on dairy farm operators in many areas of the country. Other new technologies that may become available during the decade may also have similar impacts as bST and raise similar issues. The industry in the decade of the 1990s will be at a crossroad with important decisions concerning new technologies and public policies.

This report focuses on energy use in buildings, which account for over one-third of all energy used in the United States. Significant energy savings in buildings are possible through the use of commercially available, cost-effective, energy efficient technologies; yet adoption rates for these technologies are often low. Interviews with industry, property managers, homeowners, and others were used to explore why technology adoption rates are so low. Past Federal efforts to encourage energy efficiency are reviewed, and policy options for encouraging the adoption of energy efficient technologies are discussed.

This background paper describes what is known about the natural progression of the menopause and its effect on women’s health, hormone treatment and prescribing practices, alternative approaches, and research needs.

This background paper describes what appears to be an enlarging potential for conflict between the two, as reflected in disputes about the trade impacts of environmental laws and about the environmental impacts arising from efforts to liberalize trade and investment. The paper explores some trade and environment questions, especially from the context of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which provides a framework of rules governing most of the world’s trade.

This report is part of a process leading to regulations to be issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation. This process has included a review of a draft of this study by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (ATBCB).

This report discusses how the loss of tropical forests and reduction in the Earth’s biological diversity has grown from development assistance concerns to themes of global debate during the last decade. At the same time that the value of biological resources to local communities and individual nations has become more fully appreciated, the connections between these resources and global environmental stability and economic development potential have been uncovered.

This assessment analyzes the problem of acid deterioration of books and the program underway at the Library of Congress. The program at the Library involves the chemical treatment of books in a unique and effective process that, however, also presents some new engineering and safety concerns. Because of these concerns, the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations requested this independent review of the Library’s system and other available or potential processes.

This report describes the new technologies being used in criminal justice and, as in all of the reports of this series, addresses that delicate balance to be maintained between the national interest and individual rights.

This report focuses on the improvement of energy efficiency. It reviews how energy is used in the former centrally planned economies. Then it analyzes the potential effectiveness of modern technology in reducing energy waste and the factors that constrain improvements. The report also examines government programs assisting energy efficiency technology transfer and opportunities for U.S. businesses. Finally, it discusses congressional policy options to support technology transfer.

Part one of this report analyzes how R&D institutions currently pursuing defense missions could be more responsive and useful to civilian technology development. The Report focuses particularly on the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) three nuclear weapons laboratories, Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories. The report examines two sectors in Part Two: new kinds of automobiles that pollute less and could reduce dependence on foreign oil, and high speed surface transportation.

This report starts out with definitions of child abuse and neglect, then it discusses the manifestation, effect and costs of child abuse and neglect, short term and long term.

This report discusses the benefits and challenges of distance education. It address the question how distance learning can change our approach to learning and how it can change us.

This report offers a brief review of the general characteristics of distance education, and reports the research of the 1980s on the main issues in teaching, learning, educational planning. organization and policy making with regard to use of communications technology in contemporary distance education.

This report discusses the history of distance learning technology, the number of new and complex technological devices that could be applied to distance learning.

This report examines two problems facing small communities surrounded by large-scale agriculture: 1) the emerging opposition of the social and economic interests dividing agribusiness and the rural community, and 2) the lack of articulation of social programs to rural areas.

This report considers the relationships that exist among farmers' credit use, credit policies, and various structural issues in agriculture. Different sections in this report highlight the importance of these relationships, consider the role of technology, review some of the prevailing views on credit policy and structural issues, and consider the implications for additional information.

This report discusses Chinese management, labor productivity, quality of industrial and consumer products, costumer service level, and worker motivation.

This report starts out with an overview of China's politics, the post-Mao era. The report continues with China's policy evaluation.

This report discusses the challenges in the agricultural research with that come with the recent development in genetics and molecular biology. The report discusses the breakthroughs in agricultural research in creating new knowledge in both animal and plant worlds.

This report discusses various land management technologies that are under development in response to needs to reduce soil erosion, reduce leaching of plant nutrients and chemicals, and reduce fuel costs, while maintaining or increasing crops. The paper discuses the following lines of research: conservation tillage, controlled traffic farming, costumed prescribed tillage, multi-cropping, and organic farming.

This report discusses the genetically engineering procedures, including: definitions and scopes, production of pharmaceuticals, control of infectious diseases, major breakthroughs needed, detection and treatment of genetic abnormalities, control of caner and leukemia, and institutional arrangements.

This report discusses the impact of several industries on China's economic future. The clothing and consumer electronics industry,the motor vehicle industry. The report describes the ranking Chinese, South Korean and Japanese exports to the United States.

This report discusses the railway systems in China, United States and Canada. A number of Chinese PRC railroad officers, engineers, transportation specialists, and planning experts studied in the USA.

This report discusses the commodity programs that have been developed over the years with the objective to raise farm outcomes.