Best Available and Safest Technologies for Offshore Oil and Gas Operations: Options for Implementation explores a range of options for improving the implementation of the U.S. Department of the Interior's congressional mandate to require the use of best available and safety technologies in offshore oil and gas operations. In the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Congress directs the Secretary of the Interior to regulate oil and gas operations in federal waters. The act mandates that the Secretary "shall require, on all new drilling and production operations and, wherever practicable, on existing operations, the use of the best available and safest technologies which the Secretary determines to be economically feasible, wherever failure of equipment would have a significant effect on safety, health, or the environment, except where the Secretary determines that the incremental benefits are clearly insufficient to justify the incremental costs of utilizing such technologies." This report, which was requested by Department of the Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), also reviews options and issues that BSEE is already considering to improve implementation of the best available and safest technologies requirement. Table of Contents Front Matter BEST AVAILABLE AND SAFEST TECHNOLOGIES FOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS: OPTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION Summary 1 Introduction 2 Processes for Identifying Technologies 3 Processes for Evaluating and Developing Technologies 4 Implementation Mechanisms References Appendix A: Statement of Task Appendix B: Lessons from Other Organizations for Best Available and Safest Technologies Implementation Study Committee Biographical Information

This volume explores the safety and availability of the nation's supply of blood and blood components. It discusses the risks of disease transmission, methods of guarding the blood supply, new ideas on safety and monitoring, risk tolerance, risk communication, and no-fault insurance. Table of Contents Front Matter 1: Current Risks of Disease Transmission 2: Guarding the Blood Supply 3: New Ideas for Safety and Monitoring 4: Risk Tolerance 5: Risk Communication 6: No-Fault Insurance 7: Concluding Remarks Appendix A: Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix B: Workshop Participants

This volume discusses the current state of the nation's blood supply?including studies of blood availability, ways of enhancing blood collection and distribution, frozen red cell technology, logistical concerns in prepositioning frozen blood, extended liquid storage of red cells, and blood substitutes. Table of Contents Front Matter I Current State of the Blood Supply II Enhancing Collections III Enhancing Distribution IV Expanding the Alternatives V Closing Remarks Appendixes

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (FCMA), managers are required to use the a /best scientific information availablea in the preparation of federal fishery management plans (National Standard 2 in the FCMA). However, the Act provides no further guidance as to how conformance to this standard should be determined. Because adherence to this standard has often been contentious, Congress has considered adding a definition for what constitutes a /best scientific information availablea in the reauthorization of the FCMA. This report examines both the current application and the controversy over the standard and concludes that a legislative definition would be too inflexible to accommodate regional differences and future advances in science and technology. Instead, the report recommends that NOAA Fisheries adopt procedural guidelines to ensure that the scientific information used in the development of fishery management plans is relevant and timely and is the product of processes characterized by inclusiveness, transparency and openness, timeliness, and peer review.

Pain is both a symptom and a disease. It manifests in multiple forms and its treatment is complex. Physical, social, economic, and emotional consequences of pain can impair an individual's overall health, well-being, productivity, and relationships in myriad ways. The impact of pain at a population level is vast and, while estimates differ, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 50 million U.S. adults are living in pain. In terms of pain's global impact, estimates suggest the problem affects approximately 1 in 5 adults across the world, with nearly 1 in 10 adults newly diagnosed with chronic pain each year. In recent years, the issues surrounding the complexity of pain management have contributed to increased demand for alternative strategies for treating pain. One such strategy is to expand use of topical pain medications?medications applied to intact skin. This nonoral route of administration for pain medication has the potential benefit, in theory, of local activity and fewer systemic side effects. Compounding is an age-old pharmaceutical practice of combining, mixing, or adjusting ingredients to create a tailored medication to meet the needs of a patient. The aim of compounding, historically, has been to provide patients with access to therapeutic alternatives that are safe and effective, especially for people with clinical needs that cannot otherwise be met by commercially available FDA-approved drugs. Compounded Topical Pain Creams explores issues regarding the safety and effectiveness of the ingredients in these pain creams. This report analyzes the available scientific data relating to the ingredients used in compounded topical pain creams and offers recommendations regarding the treatment of patients. Table of Contents Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 Role of Topical Pain Creams in Pain Management 3 Fundamentals, Use, and Common Ingredients in Compounded Topical Pain Creams 4 Gaps in Regulation, Oversight, and Surveillance 5 Science of Compounded Topical Pain Creams 6 A Review of the Safety and Effectiveness of Select Ingredients in Compounded Topical Pain Creams 7 Additional Concerns Related to the Use of Compounded Topical Pain Creams 8 Recommendations Regarding the Treatment of Patients with Compounded Topical Pain Creams Appendix A: Study Approach Appendix B: Literature Review Appendix C: Commissioned Paper: Topical Dosage Form Development and Evaluation Appendix D: Glossary Appendix E: 503A and 503B Distribution Supplement Appendix F: Adverse Events Table Appendix G: Potential Adverse Effects from Oral Administration of 20 Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Commonly Used in Compounded Topical Pain Creams Appendix H: Expanded Discussion on Special Populations to Consider in Pain Management Appendix I: Biographical Sketches for Committee Members, Fellow, Consultants, and Staff