Breaking news on bioterrorism
US Hospitals Have No Capacity For Terror Attack, House Survey published
Thu, 08 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT
A survey of US hospitals and emergency rooms suggests they would not be able to cope with the surge of casualties that might follow a terror attack. The one day survey of 34 major hospitals was carried out by a House of Representatives oversight committee that is investigating the potential impact of plans by the Bush administration to cut Medicaid funding.
A Digital Haven For Terrorists On Our Own Shores? published
Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 PDT
If you use one of America's top Internet service providers, you may share server space with an organization that enables worldwide terrorism, says a new study by Tel Aviv University.A workshop on terrorist organizations and the Internet was organized for the North American Treaty Organization (NATO) by the Netvision Institute for Internet Studies (NIIS) and the Interdisciplinary Center for Technology Analysis & Forecasting, both of Tel Aviv University.
N.C. State Leads Effort To Create 'Next Generation' Of Experts On Hazards And Natural Disasters published
Tue, 06 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT
Highlighting North Carolina State University's leadership in hazard and disaster studies, NC State's Dr. Thomas Birkland was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to lead a nationwide effort to recruit and mentor young researchers to study disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the September 11 terrorist attacks.The effort will focus on pairing newly minted Ph.D.
Emergent BioSolutions Acquires Advanced Recombinant Protective Antigen Anthrax Vaccine Candidate And Technology published
Tue, 06 May 2008 02:00:00 PDT
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) announced that it has completed the acquisition of all assets and rights related to a recombinant protective antigen (rPA) anthrax vaccine product candidate and related technology from VaxGen, Inc. Recent improvements to the rPA vaccine, specifically related to stability, suggests that it is well positioned to be a leading candidate for an award under a request for proposal (RFP) recently issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Albemarle Optimizes Smallpox Drug Candidate For SIGA published
Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Two American companies are teaming up for second-round test-phase production of a FDA-designated "fast track" drug candidate to treat smallpox, a deadly virus that is feared to be able to reach people through acts of bio-warfare or bio-terrorism.
Risk Management In An Increasingly Hazardous World - New Book published
Fri, 02 May 2008 05:00:00 PDT
If you have a nagging feeling that life is getting increasingly hazardous, you may be interested in the new book, "Operational Risk Management," by Mark D. Abkowitz, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Vanderbilt University.The book contains 15 case studies of major disasters, including September 11, Hurricane Katrina and the losses of the Challenger and Columbia space shuttles.
Public Safety In The Hands Of Mathematical Algorithms For Risk Assessment published
Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:00:00 PDT
There's safety (and security) in numbers... especially when those numbers are random. That's the lesson learned from a DHS-sponsored research project out of the University of Southern California (USC). The research is already helping to beef up security at LAX airport in Los Angeles, and it could soon be used across the country to predict and minimize risk.
Time To Take A Stand To Protect Scientists Performing Animal Research published
Sun, 13 Apr 2008 03:00:00 PDT
Biological Psychiatry, in its upcoming April 15th issue, is publishing a critically important commentary written by its Editors, members of its Editorial Committee, and its Editorial Board. This commentary is an urgent public statement, highlighting the increasing problem of terrorist acts, by individuals affiliated with groups such as the Animal Liberation Front, against investigators conducting research in non-human primates in the United States.
Ready To Go: Mobile Terahertz Devices published
Sat, 12 Apr 2008 01:00:00 PDT
Everybody knows microwaves - but what are terahertz waves? These higher-frequency waves are a real jack-of-all-trades. They can help to detect explosives or drugs without having to open a suitcase or search through items of clothing. They can reveal which substances are flowing through plastic tubes. Doctors even hope that these waves will enable them to identify skin cancer without having to perform a biopsy.
Scientists Develop Strategy To Rapidly Describe Outbreak Strains With Next-Generation DNA Sequencing published
Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:00:00 PDT
In the event of an outbreak or a bioterrorist attack, rapid identification of the genetic changes responsible for virulence or drug resistance is essential to mounting an effective response. Standard DNA sequencing and analysis of a pathogen genome is time-intensive and likely impractical during an emergency. Researchers have now developed a comparative genomics strategy to drastically reduce the time needed to accurately identify unique genetic properties of a potential outbreak strain.
Queen's Develops Safe 'Green' Decontamination Method published
Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:00:00 PDT
Research by two Queen's scientists has resulted in an exciting new method for rapidly and safely destroying toxic agents such as chemical weapons and pesticides.Recently completed testing by an independent European defence corporation has shown the researchers' method to be greater than 99 per cent effective when used on the deadly nerve agents Tabun, Soman and VX.When tested in solution, full destruction of all three agents was achieved in less than 30 seconds.
Psychological Impact Of Raising The Terrorism Alert Level published
Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:00:00 PDT
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's color-coded system for warning the public of the risk of a terrorist attack does not appear to cause undue stress among law enforcement officers, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Cause Of Terrorism May Not Be Linked To Poverty published
Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:00:00 PDT
New research suggests political freedom and geographic factors contribute significantly to causes of terrorism, challenging the common view that terrorism is rooted in poverty."There is no significant relationship between a country's wealth and level of terrorism once other factors like the country's level of political freedom are taken into account," says Alberto Abadie, public policy professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
Peace Paradox And Air Terror published
Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:00:00 PDT
The research found peace treaties signed before Sept. 11 included civil aviation agreements which did not take into account the possibility of air terror attacks such as the attack on the World Trade Center.Peace agreements, stability and regional prosperity, in an interesting paradox, increase the risk of air terror in Israel, according to new research conducted by Lieutenant Colonel Ron Tuegeman under the supervision of Prof. Arnon Sofer of the University of Haifa.
Splinternet Introduces GammaTect Plus(TM) To The Radiation Detection Marketplace To Protect Against Dirty Bombs published
Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:00:00 PDT
Splinternet Holdings, Inc., (OTC BB: SLNH.OB) announced today a highly sophisticated integrated gamma radiation detection sensor system called GammaTect Plus™, in the fight against the potential threat of a dirty bomb. The quantities of radioactive materials stored at commercial sites combined with relatively ineffective security standards make hospitals and irradiation facilities prime targets for those seeking ingredients for terrorism.
New Book: Fighting Terror Online published
Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:00:00 PDT
Inspired by recent threats of terrorism, Professor Martin Golumbic, Director of the Caesarea Rothschild Institute for Interdisciplinary Applications of Computer Science at the University of Haifa wrote this new book examining the future of online terrorism. As Professor Golumbic explains, online terrorism is the use of new technology to elicit fear and panic in society.
Development Of Sensors With Widespread Applications Including Detection Of Homemade Bombs published
Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:00:00 PDT
A team of chemists and physicists at the University of California, San Diego has developed a tiny, inexpensive sensor chip capable of detecting trace amounts of hydrogen peroxide, a chemical used in the most common form of homemade explosives.
Health Problems In Persian Gulf War Veterans Higher Due To Chemical Exposure published
Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:00:00 PDT
A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine shows there is increasing evidence that high rates of illness in Persian Gulf War Veterans can be explained, in part, by exposure to certain chemicals, including pesticides and nerve agents. Veterans from the 1990-91 conflict have a higher rate of chronic, multi-symptom health problems than either non-deployed personnel or those deployed elsewhere.
PharmAthene Completes Pharmacokinetic Studies Of Protexia(R); Program On Target For IND Filing In 2008 published
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PDT
PharmAthene, Inc., a biodefense company specializing in the development and commercialization of medical countermeasures against chemical and biological threats, announced that it has completed the initial pharmacokinetic (PK) testing of Protexia(R), the Company's broad spectrum chemical nerve agent prophylaxis. The PK studies were conducted in two animal species and used the final pegylated version of rBChE for the first time.
International Information Sharing Needed To Prevent Nuclear Threats published
Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 PDT
Information about the characteristics of nuclear and other radioactive materials stored and used by countries needs to be shared globally to combat the illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and nuclear terrorism, says a report published by the Royal Society.
MIT's PANTHER Sensor Quickly Detects Pathogens published
Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:00:00 PDT
Researchers at MIT Lincoln Laboratory have developed a powerful sensor that can detect airborne pathogens such as anthrax and smallpox in less than three minutes. The new device, called PANTHER (for PAthogen Notification for THreatening Environmental Releases), represents a "significant advance" over any other sensor, said James Harper of Lincoln Lab's Biosensor and Molecular Technologies Group.
Cities At Risk For Terrorism Identified By BIO5 Researcher published
Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:00:00 PDT
A University of Arizona researcher has created a new system to dramatically show American cities their relative level of vulnerability to bioterrorism.Walter W. Piegorsch, an expert on environmental risk, has placed 132 major cities - from Albany, N.Y., to Youngstown, Ohio - on a color-coded map that identifies their level of risk based on factors including critical industries, ports, railroads, population, natural environment and other factors.
Latest Threat To Humanity Posed By Killer Military Robots published
Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:00:00 PDT
A robotics expert at the University of Sheffield will today (27 February 2008) issue stark warnings over the threat posed to humanity by new robot weapons being developed by powers worldwide.In a keynote address to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Professor Noel Sharkey, from the University's Department of Computer Science, will express his concerns that we are beginning to see the first steps towards an international robot arms race.
UM Scientists Create Technology For Analysis And Forecasting Of Terrorism published
Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:00:00 PDT
Researchers at the University of Maryland's Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS) have developed the SOMA Terror Organization Portal (STOP) allowing analysts to query automatically learned rules on terrorist organization behavior, forecast potential behavior based on these rules, and, most importantly, to network with other analysts examining the same subjects.
Sniffing Out Insider Threats May Improve Public Safety, Prevent Terrorism published
Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:00:00 PDT
A rapid way to spot insider threats from individuals within an organization such as a multinational company or military installation is reported in the current issue of the International Journal of Security and Networks. The technology uses data mining techniques to scour email and build up a picture of social network interactions. The technology could prevent serious security breaches, sabotage, and even terrorist activity.
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