Review Essays—Key Publications for the Study of Women, Peace, and Security: Conflict-Related Violence against Women: Transforming Transition, Women and Gender Perspectives in the Military: An International Comparison, and The Oxford Handbook on Women, Peace, and Security

The year 2020 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the formal beginning of the global initiative on women, peace, and security (WPS) introduced by the United Nations Security Council, when that body unanimously adopted Resolution 1325 in acknowledgment of the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls. The year 2020 also will mark ten years of the Naval War College formally recognizing WPS as a program of effort

Seventeenth-Century Dutch “Stranger Painter” Willem van de Velde the Elder and His Impact on British Maritime Art—Two Kings, the Netherland Marine Painters, and the Rise of the British Navy

On his return from exile, Charles II expanded his naval forces, which amplified British interest in marine-themed scenes. However, British artists lacked the skills to convey the nation’s seafaring excellence, so the king invited Willem van de Velde the Elder and his son to immigrate, and their talents set the standard for British marine art for the next two centuries

Book Review: Managing Sex in the U.S. Military: Gender, Identity, and Behavior

Editors: Beth Bailey, Alesha E. Doan, Shannon Portillo, and Karen Dixon Vuic Reviewed by Dr. Mary Raum, professor of national security affairs, US Naval War College This compilation of scholarly, practical, and historical writings presents a running record of events gleaned from research on government policies from the eras of World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, and the War in Afghanistan. It provides greater insight into the complexities of gender issues with direct ties to defense systems. While service examples and dialogues are primarily aimed at the Army, the Navy and Marine Corps are also included. Historical timelines behind the changes relative to many key gender concerns facing the military in the twenty-first century are included.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters_bookshelf/1013/thumbnail.jp

Teaching Strategies in the National Security Affairs Program: Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment

Most curricula relative to Congress and its interface with the Department of Defense relate to the topics of war, weapons, conflict and budgets. An important subtopic of national security studies are Congressional interventions into the Defense Department related to soft policies which are more nearly categorized as micro sociological issues due to their touching people within the massive security bureaucracy at the individual and personal level.  Early congressional interventions among this categorization include concerns about suicide, benefits, health and well-being or the 1940s GI Bill which encouraged personal growth through educational and training benefits in order to decrease a reduction in unemployment post war. During the 2020s’ Congress has begun to intervene in military conduct specifically as this conduct relates to sexual harassment and rape. Due to the importance being placed legislatively around this subject matter, its inclusion in a military professional college curriculum is an imperative. Dr. Raum will discuss the evolution of a public policy session for national security professionals around the primary topic of sexual harassment. Covered will be the importance of where such a curriculum topic should be placed, potential content and pitfalls of attempting to teach within this subject area.https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/wps/1006/thumbnail.jp

Antiviral Activity of HIV gp120-Targeting Bispecific T Cell Engager Antibody Constructs

Today's gold standard in HIV therapy is combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). It requires strict adherence by patients and lifelong medication, which can lower the viral load below detection limits and prevent HIV-associated immunodeficiency but cannot cure patients. The bispecific T cell-engaging (BiTE) antibody technology has demonstrated long-term relapse-free outcomes in patients with relapsed and refractory acute lymphocytic leukemia. Here, we generated BiTE antibody constructs that target the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120 (HIV gp120) using either the scFv B12 or VRC01, the first two extracellular domains (1 + 2) of human CD4 alone or joined to the single chain variable fragment (scFv) of the antibody 17b fused to an anti-human CD3ε scFv. These engineered human BiTE antibody constructs showed engagement of T cells for redirected lysis of HIV gp120-transfected CHO cells. Furthermore, they substantially inhibited HIV-1 replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as well as in macrophages cocultured with autologous CD8+ T cells, the most potent being the human CD4(1 + 2) BiTE [termed CD(1 + 2) h BiTE] antibody construct and the CD4(1 + 2)L17b BiTE antibody construct. The CD4(1 + 2) h BiTE antibody construct promoted HIV infection of human CD4-/CD8+ T cells. In contrast, the neutralizing B12 and the VRC01 BiTE antibody constructs, as well as the CD4(1 + 2)L17b BiTE antibody construct, did not. Thus, BiTE antibody constructs targeting HIV gp120 are very promising for constraining HIV and warrant further development as novel antiviral therapy with curative potential.IMPORTANCE HIV is a chronic infection well controlled with the current cART. However, we lack a cure for HIV, and the HIV pandemic goes on. Here, we showed in vitro and ex vivo that a BiTE antibody construct targeting HIV gp120 resulted in substantially reduced HIV replication. In addition, these BiTE antibody constructs display efficient killing of gp120-expressing cells and inhibited replication in ex vivo HIV-infected PBMCs or macrophages. We believe that BiTE antibody constructs recognizing HIV gp120 could be a very valuable strategy for a cure of HIV in combination with cART and compounds which reverse latency