Lone wolf terrorist attacks are not on the rise as popular culture might lead one to believe — but the attacks are more personal, use high-velocity firearms and targeting military and police.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) cut the ribbon on S&T’s new Maryland Test Facility (MdTF), on June 26 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The MdTF, designed by S&T along in partnership with CBP operational staff, will test and evaluate operational processes using both biometric and non-biometric technologies as part of the Apex Air Entry/Exit Re-Engineering (AEER) project.
By using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans from before the attack and survey data from after, the researchers found that heightened amygdala reaction to negative emotional stimuli was a risk factor for later developing symptoms of PTSD.
The tightly integrated computing and networking systems required to turn the nation’s freeways in “smart transportation systems” are currently under development. The efforts of the Smart Roads Cyber-Physical Systems project to identify cyber attacks against these systems and to develop software to protect them is dramatized by the video scenario “Mitigating Carmageddon” featured at the SmartAmerica Expo in Washington DC.
Keeping track news covering terrorism, counterterrorism and homeland security is just part of what Western Illinois University's Director of Homeland Security Research Program Dean Alexander does on a constant basis. Alexander, an associate professor in Western's School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA), teaches LEJA and homeland security courses. He also conducts homeland security-related research, writes articles for security publications and presents at international conferences on a regular basis.
Firing thousands of rounds of ammunition weekly can causing debilitating stress injuries and chronic nerve and joint pain. The Department of Homeland Security, with the help of agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs Armory Operations Branch, hopes their “Virtual Shooter” eliminates these injuries.
University of Adelaide research may help in the fight against terrorism with the creation of a sensor that can detect tiny quantities of explosives with the use of light and special glass fibres.
Using principles of energy transfer more commonly applied to designing solar cells, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new highly sensitive way to detect specific sequences of DNA, the genetic material unique to every living thing. As described in a paper published in the journal Chemistry of Materials, the method is considerably less costly than other DNA assays and has widespread potential for applications in forensics, medical diagnostics, and the detection of bioterror agents.
(Lebanon, NH 2/18/14) —How would a city, state, or country handle a disaster in which hundreds of thousands of people were exposed to radiation? When the number of people involved exceeds the capacity of nearby hospitals, how would a community know who to treat? In a new scientific review published on February 12, 2014 in Radiation Environmental Biophysics, Dartmouth researchers say that by examining a person’s teeth or fingernails with specialized equipment, it is possible for first responders to estimate radiation exposure and identify those with the highest risk of illness. The review makes the case for field-based equipment that can easily and quickly allow first responders to decide who needs treatment for radiation exposure in a large-scale event such as major nuclear power plant malfunction or terrorism.
A student and professor in the Western Illinois University School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration recently penned, "Is the Woman Next Door a Terrorist?" for Security Magazine.
Since the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001, Dr. Robert S. Fleming, professor of Management in the Rohrer College of Business at Rowan University and a recognized authority on emergency preparedness has been interviewed by numerous television, radio, and print media outlets on a variety of topics related to our nation’s vulnerability to domestic terrorism and our enhanced preparedness for the ever-present threat of terrorism within our contemporary world.
A suicide prevention expert has called for the term "homicide bomber" to replace the widely used "suicide bomber", because he says people who kill themselves while murdering others have few similarities to actual suicide victims.
International law usually develops gradually—a process known as crystallization, but sometimes transformative change, known as a “Grotian Moment,” causes rules and doctrines to emerge surprisingly quickly. Case Western Reserve University School of Law Professor Michael P. Scharf’s new book, Customary International Law in Times of Fundamental Change: Recognizing Grotian Moments (Cambridge University Press), explains why recognizing a Grotian moment is important.
University of Utah and George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center researchers have developed a mathematical model to help answer critical questions and guide the response to an anthrax exposure.