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Fall 2019: Volume 6 Issue 3

Published: October 25, 2019
Volume 6, Issue 3 of the HDIAC Journal covers five of HDIAC’s eight focus areas, including Alternative Energy, CBRN Defense, Cultural Studies, Homeland Defense & Security (HD&S), and Medical. First, the Alternative Energy article discusses the application of in situ hydrogen generation fuel cells within the context of future soldier power systems. Next, there are two CBRN Defense articles, the first of which showcases the dangers that that synthetic opioids represent as potential chemical weapons and the measures being taken to mitigate the potential crises. The second CBRN Defense article describes how cell membrane-coated nanosponges are a new class of biomimetic nanoparticle that can be employed in a number of different biodetoxification applications. The Cultural Studies article explores how advancements in AI systems and better understanding human psychology will affect the future of human-machine teaming. The HD&S article is about using AI methodology to assist in identifying insider threats within the DoD. Finally, there are three Medical articles. The first is about two optical techniques (RS and OTC) that can be used to diagnose the severity of burn wounds. The second Medical article describes an AI-enabled, app-based approach to remotely combat the increasing suicide rates among active-duty service members. The final article showcases research into mathematical models for the circadian, sleep, and neurobehavioral processes to help the DoD maximize warfighter readiness and improve the force’s overall health and resilience to the rigors of military training and deployment.
In This Issue
Synthetic Opioids: A New Class of Chemical Weapons?
Article II of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) broadly defines a toxic chemical as any compound “that can cause death, temporary incapacitation or harm to humans or animals [1].” Figure 1 shows the five major…
RS-OCT: Bimodal Diagnostic System for Classification of Burn Injuries
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, burns are one of the leading causes of nonfatal injury in the United States, across all age ranges [1]. Thermal injuries account for approximately 10% of…
Moving the Needle on Suicide Prevention in the Military: The Promise of Predictive Analytics for Remote Intervention
Suicide is a significant and growing problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the tenth leading cause of mortality in the U.S., accounting for almost…
Confidence and Trust in Human-Machine Teaming
Following World War II and into the Cold War, the United States began utilizing offset strategies to gain strategic and operational advantage over adversaries. These strategies focused on technological advance as key to creating disparities…
In Situ Hydrogen Generation Fuel Cell for Future Soldier Power Systems
A highly efficient and compact electric power source is required on the battlefield in order to operate telecommunication devices, night-vision goggles, sensors, portable computers, and unmanned aerial vehicles. While batteries can provide the power needed…
Optimization of Lighting and Sleep Schedules for Circadian Rhythm Regulation
The human circadian rhythm evolved as a mechanism by which living beings can synchronize their biological processes with the light and dark pattern of the terrestrial day. The circadian rhythm effectively functions as a master…
Eye Tracking the Insider Threat: An Application of the Active Indicators Approach
Security breaches perpetrated by insiders are a growing threat to a range of organizations, including the Department of Defense (DoD). Securing sensitive information remains of paramount concern. Through unlawful or unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information,…
Biometric Nanosponges as a Broad-Spectrum Countermeasure to Biological Threats
A number of organisms secrete biological toxins that can cause significant harm to the human body. For example, pathogenic bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), utilize a number of different virulence factors to attack…