6,721 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
The Role of Scientific Discovery in the Establishment of the First Biological Weapons Programmes
YesThis report addresses the scientific and technological discoveries in the biological sciences that enabled the early interest in biological warfare to move from hurling infected corpses into enemy cities in ancient times, through use of small cultures of animal pathogens to sabotage enemy livestock in World War I, to the origins of organised military biological weapons (BW) programmes directed at humans, animals, and plants in the inter-war period. It builds on Dando¿s 1999 paper: The Impact of the Development of Modern Biology and Medicine on the Evolution of Offensive Biological Warfare Programs in the Twentieth Century.1 For the historical aspects of biological warfare programmes this report primarily draws from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute volume: Biological and Toxin Weapons: Research, Development and Use from the Middle Ages to 1945.
Recommended from our members
Bradford Non-Lethal Weapons Research Project (BNLWRP). Research Report No. 7.
yesThe length of this Bradford Non-Lethal Weapons Research Project Report No.7 again reflects
the interest related to non-lethal weapons from academics, research institutes, policy makers,
the police and the military.
A number of reports, particularly concerning the Taser electro-shock weapon, have been
published from these sectors since our last BNLWRP Report No.6 in October 2004. Some,
such as the Amnesty International (U.S. and Canada) have again raised, and stressed, the
concerns about the safety of the weapon and the number of deaths associated with its use.
Others, such as the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Human Effects Center of Excellence
(HECOE), Human Effectiveness and Risk Characterization of the Electromuscular
Incapacitation Device ¿ A Limited Analysis of the TASER. (March 2005) concluded that the
Taser was relatively safe, but that further research was needed into potential bio-effects, and
for continual development into a safer weapon. Reaction to these reports was mixed. Some
US legislators called for limitations on the use of Tasers, more accountability, and the
detailed recording of incidents in which they were used.1 Others called for a ban on their use
until more testing was carried out regarding their potentially harmful effects. A number of US
police forces stopped the use of Taser, slowed down the deployment and ordering of the
weapons, reviewed their rules of engagement and reporting, and revisited their operational
guidelines. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) published the Electro-
Muscular Disruption Technology (EMDT). A Nine-Step Strategy For Effective Deployment.
(April 2005) as a response to these growing concerns. Certain elements of the media,
especially The Arizona Republic2 and others, took a hostile view of what they considered the
scandal of the number of deaths and associated serious injuries caused by the Taser. Taser
International challenged allegations that their weapon was directly responsible for these
deaths and quoted reports, such as the Madison Police Department report (February 2005),
the study by McDaniel, W & Stratbucker, R & Nerheim, M & Brewer, J. Cardiac Safety of
Neuromuscular Incapacitating Defensive Devices (January 2005), and the U.K. DOMILL
Statement (March 2005) to support their view. The controversy continues.
Other than Tasers, there are still few reports of the newer non-lethal technologies actually
being deployed in operations. The exception to this is the Long Range Acoustic Device
(LRAD), which is now in widespread use in Iraq. Little additional information has appeared
regarding the `active denial¿ weapon we have described in previous reports
Recommended from our members
Bradford Non-Lethal Weapons Research Project (BNLWRP). Research Report No. 4.
yesNon-lethal weapons (NLWs) are explicitly designed and primarily employed to incapacitate personnel or material whilst minimising collateral damage to property and the environment. Existing NLWs include rubber and plastic bullets, entangling nets, chemical sprays such as OC and CS gas, and electrical stunning devices such as the `Taser¿ gun. New NLWs are on the way, which will include acoustic and microwave weapons, non-lethal landmines, malodorants, and sophisticated weapons developed through rapid advances in neuroscience and the genomics revolution. Most analysts would agree that there is a `legitimate¿ role for non-lethal weapons, both for civil and military applications. However there is considerable disagreement as to the operational effectiveness of NLWs, and the threat such weapons pose to arms conventions and international law. As usual, a balance has to be achieved where the benign advantages of developing and deploying non-lethal weapons are not outweighed by their more malign effects.
In particular, emerging non-lethal technologies offer an increasing opportunity for the suppression of civil dissent and control of populations ¿ these are sometimes referred to as the `technologies of political control¿. There is a continuing need for sustained and informed commentary to such developments which highlights the impact and threats that these technologies pose to civil liberties and human rights.
Because the last BNLWP Report was produced in August 2001, this edition is somewhat longer than usual so that key developments since then can be highlighted and summarised. Future BNLWRP reports will be published three times a year, and we welcome material to be considered for inclusion
Cluster synchronization of diffusively-coupled nonlinear systems: A contraction based approach
Finding the conditions that foster synchronization in networked oscillatory
systems is critical to understanding a wide range of biological and mechanical
systems. However, the conditions proved in the literature for synchronization
in nonlinear systems with linear coupling, such as has been used to model
neuronal networks, are in general not strict enough to accurately determine the
system behavior. We leverage contraction theory to derive new sufficient
conditions for cluster synchronization in terms of the network structure, for a
network where the intrinsic nonlinear dynamics of each node may differ. Our
result requires that network connections satisfy a cluster-input-equivalence
condition, and we explore the influence of this requirement on network
dynamics. For application to networks of nodes with neuronal spiking dynamics,
we show that our new sufficient condition is tighter than those found in
previous analyses which used nonsmooth Lyapunov functions. Improving the
analytical conditions for when cluster synchronization will occur based on
network configuration is a significant step toward facilitating understanding
and control of complex oscillatory systems
Continued fractions for some transcendental numbers
We consider series of the form , where and the integer sequence satisfies a certain non-autonomous recurrence of second order, which entails that for n?1. It is shown that the terms of the sequence, and multiples of the ratios of successive terms, appear interlaced in the continued fraction expansion of the sum of the series, which is a transcendental number
Exercise redox biochemistry:conceptual, methodological and technical recommendations
Exercise redox biochemistry is of considerable interest owing to its translational value in health and disease. However, unaddressed conceptual, methodological and technical issues complicate attempts to unravel how exercise alters redox homeostasis in health and disease. Conceptual issues relate to misunderstandings that arise when the chemical heterogeneity of redox biology is disregarded which often complicate attempts to use redox-active compounds and assess redox signalling. Further, that oxidised macromolecule adduct levels reflect formation and repair is seldom considered. Methodological and technical issues relate to the use of out-dated assays and/or inappropriate sample preparation techniques that confound biochemical redox analysis. After considering each of the aforementioned issues, we outline how each issue can be resolved and provide a unifying set of recommendations. We specifically recommend that investigators: consider chemical heterogeneity, use redox-active compounds judiciously, abandon flawed assays, carefully prepare samples and assay buffers, consider repair/metabolism, use multiple biomarkers to assess oxidative damage and redox signalling
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