Nato Security through Science Series A: – serie

This book includes reports which were presented at a NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) entitled “Medical Treatment of Intoxications and Decontamination of Chemical Agent in the Area of Terrorist Attack”. The workshop was held on 25-28 January 2005 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Currently, scientists and experts from many countries are working on development and implementation of a readiness for anti terrorist actions. In addition to chemical weapons, terrorists can use various toxic chemicals from chemical industry, agriculture or products released from terrorist acts on industrial facilities. The arsenal of chemical agents that can be used as terrorist agents is practically unlimited. The focus of this workshop was assessment of scientific concepts and practical means for management of chemical agent casualties in the area of terrorist attack with emphasis on improving the medical treatment and decontamination. These problems were analyzed from an interdisciplinary perspective. The primary objective of the ARW was to provide countries in which chemical-defense systems are currently under development with the experience and expertise of those that are more advanced and/or have already been exposed and responded to a chemical-terrorist attack. . The main areas covered were: 1. new approaches in pre-treatment and prophylaxis of nerve agent intoxication; 2. diagnosis of exposure to chemical agents ; 3. therapy of chemical agent intoxication; 4. development of personal decontamination; 5. decontamination of intoxication with chemical agents.

This book includes reports which were presented at a NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) entitled “Medical Treatment of Intoxications and Decontamination of Chemical Agent in the Area of Terrorist Attack”. The workshop was held on 25-28 January 2005 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Currently, scientists and experts from many countries are working on development and implementation of a readiness for anti terrorist actions. In addition to chemical weapons, terrorists can use various toxic chemicals from chemical industry, agriculture or products released from terrorist acts on industrial facilities. The arsenal of chemical agents that can be used as terrorist agents is practically unlimited. The focus of this workshop was assessment of scientific concepts and practical means for management of chemical agent casualties in the area of terrorist attack with emphasis on improving the medical treatment and decontamination. These problems were analyzed from an interdisciplinary perspective. The primary objective of the ARW was to provide countries in which chemical-defense systems are currently under development with the experience and expertise of those that are more advanced and/or have already been exposed and responded to a chemical-terrorist attack. . The main areas covered were: 1. new approaches in pre-treatment and prophylaxis of nerve agent intoxication; 2. diagnosis of exposure to chemical agents ; 3. therapy of chemical agent intoxication; 4. development of personal decontamination; 5. decontamination of intoxication with chemical agents.

The chapters in this volume were presented at the July 2005NATO Advanced Study Institute on Advances in Sensing with Security App- cations. The conference was held at the beautiful Il Ciocco resort near Lucca, in the glorious Tuscany region of northern Italy. Once again we gathered at this idyllic spot to explore and extend the reciprocity between mathematics and engineering. The dynamic interaction - tween world-renowned scientists from the usually disparate communities of pure mathematicians and applied scientists which occurred at our six previous ASI’s continued at this meeting. The fusion of basic ideas in mathematics, biology, and chemistry with ongoing improvements in hardware and computation o?ers the promise of much more sophisticated and accurate sensing capabilities than c- rently exist. Coupled with the dramatic rise in the need for surveillance in innumerable aspects of our daily lives, brought about by hostile acts deemed unimaginable only a few short years ago, the time was right for scientists in the diverse areas of sensing and security to join together in a concerted e?ort to combat the new brands of terrorism. This ASI was one important initial step. To encompass the diverse nature of the s- ject and the varied backgrounds of the anticipated participants, the ASI was divided into three broadly de?ned but interrelated areas: the - creasing need for fast and accurate sensing, the scienti?c underpinnings of the ongoing revolution in sensing, and speci?c sensing algorithms and techniques. The ASI brought together world leaders from academia, government, andindustry,withextensivemultidisciplinarybackgroundsevidencedby theirresearchandparticipationinnumerousworkshopsandconferences.

The 2005 International Conference “Hydrogen Materials Science and Chemistry of Carbon Nanomaterials” (ICHMS’2005) was held in September 5-11, 2005 in the remarkable city Sevastopol (Crimea, Ukraine) known for its heroic and unusual th fate. In the tradition of the earlier ICHMS conferences, this 9 ICHMS’2005 meeting served as an multidisciplinary forum for the presentation and discussion of the most recent research on transition to hydrogen-based energy systems, technologies for hydrogen production, storage, utilization, materials processing and chemical behavior, energy and environmental problems. The aim of ICHMS’2005 was to provide the wide overview of the latest scientific results on basic research and technological applications of hydrogen interactions with metals and other materials. The active representatives from industry, research/academic organizations and governmental agencies could meet, discuss and present the most recent advances in hydrogen concepts, processes and systems, to evaluate current progress and to exchange academic information, to identify research needs and future development in this important area. This conference should help further the progress of hydrogen-based science and promote the role of hydrogen in the energy field. The ICHMS’2005 was the conference, where a related new important topic of considerable current interest on fullerene-related materials as hydrogen storage was included into the conference program. This meeting gave an opportunity for researchers to cover the entire range of basic and applied materials focusing on synthesis, structure, properties and applications of diverse carbon materials ranging from nanotubes and fullerenes to carbon fiber composites and sorbents.

The intent of the NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) entitled “Novel Biotechnologies for Biocontrol Agent Enhancement and Management” was to permit the meeting of the major exponents in the scienti?c community working with enhancing different biological control agents (fungi, bacteria, virus, nematodes, and insects) on different targets (pathogens, insects, weeds, and rodents). This multidisciplinary group, having backgrounds in the diff- ent aspects of biotechnologies (transgenic enhancement, molecular biology, formulation, genetics, risk assessment, new technology, biochemistry, and physiology), presented highly advanced lectures during the 10-day-ASI, in order to allow students to improve their capability to enhance and manage - ological control agents. This approach will allow ASI attendees to bring new ideas, new approaches, or new methodologies coming from different ?elds of application to their own ?eld of expertise. A further aim of the NATO ASI was to create a network of young and experienced scientists, with few geographical barriers among countries, who will develop new opportunities to collaborate in this ?eld of science that requires a “global” collaborative approach. Forty students from twenty countries took part to the NATO ASI. In addition to the 45 lectures from the 15 lecturers, there were 25 short presentations and 8 posters on cogent research from students in this course, held between September 8- 2006 and September 19, 2006.

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Novel Biotechnologies for Biocontrol Agent Enhancement and Management, held in Gualdo Tadino, Italy, 8-19 September 2006

The anthrax envelopes incident in the United States in 2001 created the impetus for a substantial increase in preparedness for bioterrorist threats among both public health and law enforcement professionals, worldwide. Ever increasing resources are now being allocated for dealing with a wide variety of potential threats, from the reintroduction of eradicated viruses such as smallpox to the possibility of genetically engineered novel pathogens. Despite the potentially devastating consequences of the various projected bioterror scenarios, it remains remarkably difficult to quantitatively assess the actual risk in each of these scenarios. Nevertheless, such risk assessment is crucial for determining the appropriate allocation of resources for research and preparedness.The public anxiety expected during a large-scale bioterrorism attack may even be more damaging than the direct effects of the bioterrorism agent, both in health-related and economic outcomes. Carefully tailored risk communication is a major tool for individuals, decision-makers or even entire communities to make educated decisions about their responses to well-being, and avoid social disruption.In this book, we have included articles from leading experts in the various disciplines associated with risk assessment and risk communication associated with bioterrorism. These papers are based on presentations at a NATO Advanced Research Workshop in Israel in June 2005, which addressed these issues. The resulting volume integrates the viewpoints of public health, law enforcement, risk analysis and media experts into a comprehensive, practical guide for approaching risk assessment and risk communication in a bioterrorism event.