A substantial database of published excavation and other reports has been used to map the character and distribution in Roman Britain of whetstones, those unprepossessing implements essential in the home, farmstead, workshop and barracks for the maintenance of edge-tools and weapons. The quality of the geological identifications in the reports varies considerably, but a wide range of lithologies are reported as put to use: granite, basalts-dolerites, lava, tuff, mica-schist, slates/phyllites, Brownstones, Pennant sandstone, micaceous sandstones, grey sandstones/siltstones, Millstone Grit, Coal Measures, red sandstones, ferruginous sandstones, sarsen, Weald Clay Formation sandstones, sandy limestones, shelly limestones, cementstones, and (Lower) Carboniferous Limestone. On distributional evidence, some of these categories are aliases for alternatively and more familiarly named lithologies. Bringing ‘high-end’ products to the market, the long-running industry based on sandstones from the Weald Clay Formation (Lower Cretaceous) emerges as a British economic feature, evidenced from the Channel coast to the Scottish Borders, and with a recently demonstrated, substantial representation on the Roman near-continent. The distribution maps point to another and more complete British industry, based on the Brownstones (Old Red Sandstone, Devonian) and Pennant sandstone (Upper Carboniferous), outcropping close together in the West Country. A more systematic and geology-based treatment of excavated whetstones in the future is likely to yield yet more insights into the role these artefacts played in the economy of Roman Britain.

Members from all four Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) regions in the United States ranked the research need to “develop new methods for controlling the movement of herbicides and their metabolites into ground water, surface water, and air” first of six major weed science research needs. Canadian members ranked the need to “devise more efficient and less costly weed control technology for conservation-tillage crop-production systems” first; but they also gave high ratings to “improve base knowledge of weed science, improve applicator training, and transfer of information to Extension Service personnel, farm producers, and administrators” and to “discover new ecological, biological, and non-chemical methods of weed control.” The needs to “develop improved methods of increasing the tolerance of crops to herbicides” and to “develop new technology for control of perennial weeds of crops and rangeland” were ranked low. The WSSA Research Committee, at the request of WSSA Presidents J. D. Riggleman (1985) and O. C. Burnside (1986), asked 977 members to rank weed science research needs. The members (ca 50% of the active membership in North America) were selected at random from every other state, federal, industry, and “other” member of each state or province from the up-to-date list of the WSSA business office. Within the highest ranked priority research need, the 422 U.S. and Canadian respondents consistently ranked the research areas (a) to “develop new application techniques that minimize or eliminate herbicides and their residues in air and water”, and (b) to “conduct research to regulate movement of herbicides through the soil profile to avoid contamination of ground water” high, regardless of the type of employment. They emphasized increasing research on the morningglory (Ipomoea spp. # IPOXX) complex, yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L. # CYPES), quackgrass [Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv. # AGREE], and several other weeds. More members, regardless of region or type of employment, ranked conservation tillage the most important crop or situation that needed new and improved weed control technology.

The North American Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently published their report on dietary reference intakes (DRI) for Ca and vitamin D. The DRI committee's deliberations underpinning this most comprehensive report on vitamin D nutrition to date benefited hugely from a much expanded knowledge base in vitamin D over the last decade or more. However, since their release, the vitamin D DRI have been the subject of intense controversy, which is largely due to the persistence of fundamental knowledge gaps in vitamin D. These can be identified at the levels of exposure, metabolism, storage, status, dose–response, function and beneficial or adverse health effects, as well as safe and effective application of intake recommendations at the population level through sustainable food-based approaches. The present review provides a brief overview of the approach used by the IOM committee to revise the DRI for vitamin D and to collate from a number of authoritative sources key knowledge gaps in vitamin D nutrition from the public health perspective. A number of research topics are outlined and data requirements within these are identified and mapped to the risk assessment framework used by the DRI committee. While not intended as an exhaustive list, it provides a basis for organising and prioritising research efforts in the area of vitamin D, which may offer a perspective on the major areas in need of attention. It is intended to be of use to researchers, national policy makers, the public health community, industry groups and other relevant stakeholders including funding institutions.

A mail survey of Iowa farmers with membership in the Practical Farmers of Iowa, a sustainable agriculture organization, was used to examine perceptions of institutional support for information on reducing chemical inputs, needed research for farming with sustainable practices, and policy needs for encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable practices. We first developed a chemical input index to measure commitment to sustainable practices and to analyze information sources and research and policy needs. Results indicate that sustainable farmers rely primarily on each other and on their personal experience for information about sustainable practices; they use conventional farm practice information sources considerably less. The primary research need identified by the respondents was for better nonchemical weed control. Other important research needs identified were: nonchemical insect control, new seed varieties, cover crops, alternative tillage methods, and the economics of sustainable systems. The primary policy needs identified were more information and educational programs about sustainable agriculture and increased taxes on farm chemical use. We discuss the implications of the relationship between institutional support and the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices.