TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2000 SN - DO - 10.17226/10098 PY - 2001 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10098/veterans-and-agent-orange-update-2000 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Conflict and Security Issues AB - Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2000 examines the state of the scientific evidence regarding associations between diseases and exposure to dioxin and other chemical compounds in herbicides used in Vietnam. It is the fourth in a series of comprehensive reviews of epidemiologic and toxicologic studies of the agents used as defoliants during the Vietnam War. Over forty health outcomes in veterans and their children are addressed. Among the report's conclusions is that there is sufficient evidence of a link between exposure and the development of soft-tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and chloracne in veterans. Additionally, it found that scientific studies offer "limited or suggestive" evidence of an association with other diseases in veterans—including Type 2 diabetes, respiratory cancers, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma and some forms of transient peripheral neuropathy—as well as the congenital birth defect spina bifida in veterans' children. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2004 SN - DO - 10.17226/11242 PY - 2005 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11242/veterans-and-agent-orange-update-2004 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Conflict and Security Issues AB - Sixth in a series of congressionally mandated studies, this book is an updated review and evaluation of the available evidence regarding the statistical assoication between exposure to herbicides used in Vietnam and various adverse health outcomes suspected to be linked with such exposure. This book builds upon the information contained in the earlier books in the series: Veterans and Agent Orange: Health Effects of Herbicides Used in Vietnam (1994) Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 1996 Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 1998 Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2000 Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2002 Veterans and Agent Orange: Herbicides and Dioxin Exposure and Type 2 Diabetes (2000) Veterans and Agent Orange: Herbicide/Dioxin Exposure and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia in the Children of Vietnam Veterans (2002) Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2004 focuses primarily on scientific studies and other information developed since the release of these earlier books. The previous volumes have noted that sufficient evidence exists to link chronic lymphocytic leukemia, soft-tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and chloracne with exposure. The books also noted that there is “limited or suggestive” evidence of an association between exposure and respiratory cancers, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, the metabolic disorder porphyria cutanea tarda, early-onset transient peripheral neuropathies, Type 2 diabetes, and the congenital birth defect spinal bifida in veterans’ children. This volume will be critically important to both policymakers and physicians in the federal government, Vietnam veterans and their families, veterans’ organizations, researchers, and health professionals. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - John R. Ball A2 - Charles H. Evans, Jr. TI - Safe Passage: Astronaut Care for Exploration Missions SN - DO - 10.17226/10218 PY - 2001 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10218/safe-passage-astronaut-care-for-exploration-missions PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - Safe Passage: Astronaut Care for Exploration Missions sets forth a vision for space medicine as it applies to deep space voyage. As space missions increase in duration from months to years and extend well beyond Earth's orbit, so will the attendant risks of working in these extreme and isolated environmental conditions. Hazards to astronaut health range from greater radiation exposure and loss of bone and muscle density to intensified psychological stress from living with others in a confined space. Going beyond the body of biomedical research, the report examines existing space medicine clinical and behavioral research and health care data and the policies attendant to them. It describes why not enough is known today about the dangers of prolonged travel to enable humans to venture into deep space in a safe and sane manner. The report makes a number of recommendations concerning NASA's structure for clinical and behavioral research, on the need for a comprehensive astronaut health care system and on an approach to communicating health and safety risks to astronauts, their families, and the public. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Comprehensive Management of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Hemophilia DO - 10.17226/20386 PY - 1973 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/20386/comprehensive-management-of-musculoskeletal-disorders-in-hemophilia PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - KW - Health and Medicine ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Veterans and Agent Orange: Health Effects of Herbicides Used in Vietnam SN - DO - 10.17226/2141 PY - 1994 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/2141/veterans-and-agent-orange-health-effects-of-herbicides-used-in PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Have U.S. military personnel experienced health problems from being exposed to Agent Orange, its dioxin contaminants, and other herbicides used in Vietnam? This definitive volume summarizes the strength of the evidence associating exposure during Vietnam service with cancer and other health effects and presents conclusions from an expert panel. Veterans and Agent Orange provides a historical review of the issue, examines studies of populations, in addition to Vietnam veterans, environmentally and occupationally exposed to herbicides and dioxin, and discusses problems in study methodology. The core of the book presents: What is known about the toxicology of the herbicides used in greatest quantities in Vietnam. What is known about assessing exposure to herbicides and dioxin. What can be determined from the wide range of epidemiological studies conducted by different authorities. What is known about the relationship between exposure to herbicides and dioxin, and cancer, reproductive effects, neurobehavioral disorders, and other health effects. The book describes research areas of continuing concern and offers recommendations for further research on the health effects of Agent Orange exposure among Vietnam veterans. This volume will be critically important to both policymakers and physicians in the federal government, Vietnam veterans and their families, veterans organizations, researchers, and health professionals. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 1998 SN - DO - 10.17226/6415 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6415/veterans-and-agent-orange-update-1998 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Third in a series of six congressionally mandated studies occurring biennially, this book is an updated review and evaluation of the available scientific evidence regarding the statistical association between exposure to herbicides used in Vietnam and various adverse health outcomes suspected to be linked with such exposures. As part of the review, the committee convened a workshop at which issues surrounding the reanalysis and the combination of existing data on the health effects of herbicide and dioxin exposure were addressed. This book builds upon the information developed by the IOM committees responsible for the 1994 original report, Veterans and Agent Orange, and Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 1996, but will focus on scientific studies and other information developed since the release of these reports. The two previous volumes have noted that sufficient evidence exists to link soft tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and chloracne with exposure. The books also noted that there is "limited or suggestive" evidence to show an association with exposure and a neurological disorder in veterans and with the congenital birth defect spina bifida in veterans' children. This volume will be critically important to both policymakers and physicians in the federal government, Vietnam veterans and their families, veterans organizations, researchers, and health professionals. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: Report, Workshop Summary, and Workshop Papers SN - DO - 10.17226/6431 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6431/work-related-musculoskeletal-disorders-report-workshop-summary-and-workshop-papers PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Industry and Labor KW - Health and Medicine KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences AB - Estimated costs associated with lost days and compensation claims related to musculoskeletal disorders—including back pains and repetitive motion injuries—range from $13 billion to $20 billion annually. This is a serious national problem that has spurred considerable debate about the causal links between such disorders and risk factors in the workplace. This book presents a preliminary assessment of what is known about the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and what may cause them. It includes papers and a workshop summary of findings from orthopedic surgery, public health, occupational medicine, epidemiology, risk analysis, ergonomics, and human factors. Topics covered include the biological responses of tissues to stress, the biomechanics of work stressors, the epidemiology of physical work factors, and the contributions of individual, recreational, and social factors to such disorders. The book also considers the relative success of various workplace interventions for prevention and rehabilitation. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine AU - National Research Council A2 - Peter C. Adamson A2 - Susan L. Weiner A2 - Joseph V. Simone A2 - Hellen Gelband TI - Making Better Drugs for Children with Cancer SN - DO - 10.17226/11259 PY - 2005 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11259/making-better-drugs-for-children-with-cancer PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - The successes that have been achieved in treating childhood cancers stand as beacons against the less dramatic improvements for adults with cancer. Progress began to accelerate in the 1960s and 1970s, as treatment regimens were built up, primarily by building combinations of chemotherapeutic drugs. However the near absence of research in pediatric cancer drug discovery threatens to halt the progress in childhood cancer treatment achieved during the past four decades. Making Better Drugs for Children with Cancer identifies the major issues to be addressed in developing new agents for childhood cancers, the gaps in research and development, and the steps that have been suggested to move the process forward. This report also makes a new proposal to capitalize on today's science to bring new treatments to children's cancers. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Paul A. Volberding A2 - Carol Mason Spicer A2 - Tom Cartaxo A2 - Laura Aiuppa TI - Childhood Cancer and Functional Impacts Across the Care Continuum SN - DO - 10.17226/25944 PY - 2021 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25944/childhood-cancer-and-functional-impacts-across-the-care-continuum PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Since the late 1960s, the survival rate in children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer has steadily improved, with a corresponding decline in the cancer-specific death rate. Although the improvements in survival are encouraging, they have come at the cost of acute, chronic, and late adverse effects precipitated by the toxicities associated with the individual or combined use of different types of treatment (e.g., surgery, radiation, chemotherapy). In some cases, the impairments resulting from cancer and its treatment are severe enough to qualify a child for U.S. Social Security Administration disability benefits. At the request of Social Security Administration, Childhood Cancer and Functional Impacts Across the Care Continuum provides current information and findings and conclusions regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of selected childhood cancers, including different types of malignant solid tumors, and the effect of those cancers on children’s health and functional capacity, including the relative levels of functional limitation typically associated with the cancers and their treatment. This report also provides a summary of selected treatments currently being studied in clinical trials and identifies any limitations on the availability of these treatments, such as whether treatments are available only in certain geographic areas. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Transportation Research Board AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Hampton C. Gabler A2 - Allison Daniello A2 - Whitney Tatem A2 - Ada Tsoi A2 - Douglas J. Gabauer A2 - Joel Stitzel A2 - Joel Sink A2 - Ryan Barnard TI - Serious and Fatal Motorcycle Crashes into Traffic Barriers: Injury Information DO - 10.17226/26784 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26784/serious-and-fatal-motorcycle-crashes-into-traffic-barriers-injury-information PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Transportation and Infrastructure AB - Motorcycle riders account for more fatalities than the passengers of any other vehicle type involved in a guardrail collision. The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Web-Only Document 327: Serious and Fatal Motorcycle Crashes into Traffic Barriers: Injury Information is a supplemental document to NCHRP Research Report 1005: Motorcycle Crashes into Traffic Barriers: Factors Related to Serious and Fatal Injuries. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Review of the Evidence SN - DO - 10.17226/6309 PY - 1998 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6309/work-related-musculoskeletal-disorders-a-review-of-the-evidence PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Industry and Labor KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences AB - In May 1998 the National Institutes of Health asked the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council to assemble a group of experts to examine the scientific literature relevant to work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the lower back, neck, and upper extremities. A steering committee was convened to design a workshop, to identify leading researchers on the topic to participate, and to prepare a report based on the workshop discussions and their own expertise. In addition, the steering committee was asked to address, to the extent possible, a set of seven questions posed by Congressman Robert Livingston on the topic of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The steering committee includes experts in orthopedic surgery, occupational medicine, epidemiology, ergonomics, human factors, statistics, and risk analysis. This document is based on the evidence presented and discussed at the two-day Workshop on Work-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries: Examining the Research Base, which was held on August 21 and 22, 1998, and on follow-up deliberations of the steering committee, reflecting its own expertise. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Review of Fate, Exposure, and Effects of Sunscreens in Aquatic Environments and Implications for Sunscreen Usage and Human Health SN - DO - 10.17226/26381 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26381/review-of-fate-exposure-and-effects-of-sunscreens-in-aquatic-environments-and-implications-for-sunscreen-usage-and-human-health PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Health and Medicine AB - Regular use of sunscreens has been shown to reduce the risk of sunburn and skin cancer, and slow photoaging of skin. Sunscreens can rinse off into water where people are swimming or wading, and can also enter bodies of water through wastewater such as from bathing or showering. As a result, the ultraviolet (UV) filters - the active ingredients in sunscreens that reduce the amount of UV radiation on skin - have been detected in the water, sediment, and animal tissues in aquatic environments. Because the impact of these filters on aquatic ecosystems is not fully understood, assessment is needed to better understand their environmental impacts. This report calls on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct an ecological risk assessment of UV filters to characterize the possible risks to aquatic ecosystems and the species that live in them. EPA should focus on environments more likely to be exposed such as those with heavy recreational use, or where wastewater and urban runoff enter the water. The risk assessment should cover a broad range of species and biological effects and could consider potential interacting effects among UV filters and with other environmental stresses such as climate change. In addition, the report describes the role of sunscreens in preventing skin cancer and what is known about how human health could be affected by potential changes in usage. While the need for a risk assessment is urgent, research is needed to advance understanding of both risks to the environment from UV filters and impacts to human health from changing sunscreen availability and usage. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - The Utility of Proximity-Based Herbicide Exposure Assessment in Epidemiologic Studies of Vietnam Veterans SN - DO - 10.17226/12059 PY - 2008 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12059/the-utility-of-proximity-based-herbicide-exposure-assessment-in-epidemiologic-studies-of-vietnam-veterans PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Conflict and Security Issues AB - A fundamental challenge in past studies evaluating whether health problems experienced by Vietnam veterans might be linked to wartime use of Agent Orange or other herbicides has been a lack of information about the veterans' level of exposure to these herbicides. To address that problem, researchers developed a model to assess the opportunity for herbicide exposure among these veterans. The Utility of Proximity-Based Herbicide Exposure Assessment in Epidemiologic Studies of Vietnam Veterans presents the conclusions and recommendations of an Institute of Medicine committee (IOM) that was convened to provide guidance to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) about the best use of a model to characterize exposure to the troops based on their proximity to herbicide spraying in Vietnam. This book's assessment is guided by four primary considerations: to be clear about what the assessment model does and does not claim to do; to gain understanding of the strengths and limitations of data on herbicide spraying, troop locations, and health outcomes; to consider whether the model locates spraying and troops accurately to consider the potential contributions and pitfalls of using it in epidemiologic studies. Of particular interest in these deliberations were the degree to which exposure classification might be improved if the model were to be used, and the appropriate interpretation of the results of any such studies. In light of the questions that remain concerning herbicide exposure and health among Vietnam veterans and the array of evidence that has thus far been brought to bear on that issue, The Utility of Proximity-Based Herbicide Exposure Assessment in Epidemiologic Studies of Vietnam Veterans concludes that the application of this model offers a constructive approach to extending knowledge about the effects of herbicides on the health of these veterans and merits the initial steps recommended in our report. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Sharyl J. Nass A2 - Heather Gorby TI - The Role of Clinical Studies for Pets with Naturally Occurring Tumors in Translational Cancer Research: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/21830 PY - 2015 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21830/the-role-of-clinical-studies-for-pets-with-naturally-occurring-tumors-in-translational-cancer-research PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Traditional preclinical mouse models of cancer have been very useful for studying the biology of cancer, however they often lack key characteristics of human cancers. As a result, many novel drug candidates fail in human clinical trials despite evidence of drug efficacy in those preclinical models. Thus, researchers are seeking new approaches to augment preclinical knowledge before undertaking clinical trials for human patients. Recently, there has been renewed interest in comparative oncology - the study of naturally developing cancers in animals as models for human disease - as one way to improve cancer drug development and reduce attrition of investigational agents. Tumors that spontaneously develop in pet dogs and other companion animals as a result of normal aging share many characteristics with human cancers, such as histological appearance, tumor genetics, biological behavior, molecular targets, and therapeutic response. In June 2015 the Institute of Medicine hosted a workshop to examine the rationale and potential for integrating clinical trials for pet patients with naturally occurring cancers into translational cancer research and development. Participants discussed the research needs, strategies, and resources to support greater integration of clinical trials for pets with cancer into translational research pathways, and challenges and potential solutions for facilitating that integration. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2002 SN - DO - 10.17226/10603 PY - 2003 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10603/veterans-and-agent-orange-update-2002 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Conflict and Security Issues AB - This book updates and evaluates the available scientific evidence regarding statistical associations between diseases and exposure to dioxin and other chemical compounds in herbicides used in Vietnam, focusing on new scientific studies and literature. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2010 SN - DO - 10.17226/13166 PY - 2012 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13166/veterans-and-agent-orange-update-2010 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Because of continuing uncertainty about the long-term health effects of the sprayed herbicides on Vietnam veterans, Congress passed the Agent Orange Act of 1991. The legislation directed the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to request the Institite of Medicine to perform a comprehensive evaluation of scientific and medical information regarding the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam to be followed by biennial updates. The 2010 update recommends further research of links between Vietnam service and specific health outcomes, most importantly COPD, tonsil cancer, melanoma, brain cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and paternally transmitted effects to offspring. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Hierarchical Structures in Biology as a Guide for New Materials Technology SN - DO - 10.17226/2215 PY - 1994 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/2215/hierarchical-structures-in-biology-as-a-guide-for-new-materials-technology PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology AB - Hierarchical structures are those assemblages of molecular units or their aggregates embedded within other particles or aggregates that may, in turn, be part of even larger units of increasing levels of organization. This volume reviews the state of the art of synthetic techniques and processing procedures for assembling these structures. Typical natural-occurring systems used as models for synthetic efforts and insight on properties, unusual characteristics, and potential end-use applications are identified. Suggestions are made for research and development efforts to mimic such structures for broader applications. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2012 SN - DO - 10.17226/18395 PY - 2014 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18395/veterans-and-agent-orange-update-2012 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - From 1962 to 1971, the US military sprayed herbicides over Vietnam to strip the thick jungle canopy that could conceal opposition forces, to destroy crops that those forces might depend on, and to clear tall grasses and bushes from the perimeters of US base camps and outlying fire-support bases. Mixtures of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), picloram, and cacodylic acid made up the bulk of the herbicides sprayed. The main chemical mixture sprayed was Agent Orange, a 50:50 mixture of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. At the time of the spraying, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the most toxic form of dioxin, was an unintended contaminant generated during the production of 2,4,5-T and so was present in Agent Orange and some other formulations sprayed in Vietnam. Because of complaints from returning Vietnam veterans about their own health and that of their children combined with emerging toxicologic evidence of adverse effects of phenoxy herbicides and TCDD, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) was asked to perform a comprehensive evaluation of scientific and medical information regarding the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange, other herbicides used in Vietnam, and the various components of those herbicides, including TCDD. Updated evaluations are conducted every two years to review newly available literature and draw conclusions from the overall evidence.Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2012 reviews peer-reviewed scientific reports concerning associations between health outcomes and exposure to TCDD and other chemicals in the herbicides used in Vietnam that were published in October 2010--September 2012 and integrates this information with the previously established evidence database. This report considers whether a statistical association with herbicide exposure exists, taking into account the strength of the scientific evidence and the appropriateness of the statistical and epidemiological methods used to detect the association; the increased risk of disease among those exposed to herbicides during service in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam era; and whether there exists a plausible biological mechanism or other evidence of a causal relationship between herbicide exposure and the disease. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - William F. Page TI - Epidemiology in Military and Veteran Populations: Proceedings of the Second Biennial Conference, March 7, 1990 SN - DO - 10.17226/1844 PY - 1991 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1844/epidemiology-in-military-and-veteran-populations-proceedings-of-the-second PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - This book contains papers presented at a conference which describe studies of a World War II hepatitis epidemic, a genetic analysis of substance use in veteran twins, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, the psychological effects of military captivity, and dioxin in adipose tissue. Other papers discuss radiation risk studies in military populations and resources for epidemiologic research in Vietnam-era veterans. This volume should be of interest to epidemiologists, medical researchers, and others interested in public health. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Engineering TI - Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2012 Symposium SN - DO - 10.17226/18185 PY - 2013 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18185/frontiers-of-engineering-reports-on-leading-edge-engineering-from-the PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology AB - This volume highlights the papers presented at the National Academy of Engineering's 2012 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. Every year, the symposium brings together 100 outstanding young leaders in engineering to share their cutting-edge research and technical work. The 2012 symposium was held September 13-15, and hosted by General Motors at the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. Speakers were asked to prepare extended summaries of their presentations, which are reprinted here. The intent of this book is to convey the excitement of this unique meeting and to highlight cutting-edge developments in engineering research and technical work. ER -