Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense))--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2007. / Thesis Advisor(s): Robert Bach "March 2007." Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-68).

The use of biological agents as potential weapons has been a concern of security agencies for many years. Security agencies require alternative field protocols for handling forensic samples that could be contaminated with biological weapons. In this study, manual and automated DNA extractions were compared for the ability to remove biological agents and for their effectiveness and consistency when samples were contaminated with bacteria, spores or toxins. Purified DNA was evaluated for the absence of the agents, and for the effects of the process on the isolated human DNA. Results demonstrated that incubation of samples in a cell lysis solution eliminated bacteria and toxins, but an additional 0.22 µm filtration step was necessary to successfully remove bacterial spores. Blood and buccal swab samples exposed to some bacteria showed DNA loss and/or degradation. The automated extraction procedure would be preferable over the manual protocol to isolate human DNA contaminated with biological weapons.

The latest report Mapping the Global Future on US national security by the National Intelligence Council suggests that a major threat to the country right through to 2020 will be a terrorist biological weapons attack.1 Given the recent intelligence failures concerning biological weapons in Iraq, it might be considered that there are reasonable grounds for suspicion about that conclusion. This paper attempts to answer the question of what the real threat of bioterror is by reference to the open scientific literature. Section 2 of the paper discusses the nature of the agents of concern and in section 3 various potential attack scenarios are reviewed. The overall conclusion is that there are real threats from terrorists with the capability to carry out a range of attacks with biological agents today, but that these threats do not include the one most commentators probably have in mind when they discuss the issue ¿ a weapons of mass destruction scale of attack on people. In the final section of this paper the implications of the analysis for the risk questions we have been posed are addressed.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Hospitality Management and Dietetics / Carol W. Shanklin / The purpose of this study was to survey country club professionals’ importance perceptions of food defense and the frequency with which preventive practices were implemented in their clubs to prevent bioterrorism. Gaps between importance perceptions and practice frequency were compared with concern of food terrorism and practice frequency implementation. Perceived self-efficacy measures and perceived barriers were compared with motivations to develop a food defense management plan and practice frequency implementation. Importance perceptions and practice frequencies were studied to ascertain if there were differences among operational factors. Club professionals with smaller gaps implemented preventive practices more frequently. Club professionals with higher self-efficacy levels were more motivated to develop food defense management plans and implemented preventive practices more frequently. Club professionals with higher barriers were less motivated to develop food defense management plans and implemented preventive practices less frequently. The field study component investigated food security practices in private country clubs. Club manager interviews and observations of operational practices were conducted. Most club managers stated that they did not think their clubs were at risk of a bioterrorist attack. Cost and lack of need were identified as barriers towards implementing a food defense management plan. Club employees were perceived to be more likely to initiate a bioterrorism attack than non-employees. Background checks and good employment practices were perceived as effective in increasing food security in clubs. Most clubs did not monitor arrivals and over half did not secure their chemicals. Based on the results of the field study, the researcher recommended several actions that could improve food security in country clubs including installing video surveillance and developing disaster management plans that include food defense. Recommendations for future research included continued examination of club managers’ self-efficacy perceptions towards biosecurity and identifying barriers to food defense implementation in other retail foodservice segments.

CHDS State/Local / Since September 2001, health threats associated with acts of terrorism have become an area of increasing concern. The Strategy for Homeland Security stresses the need for a robust public health component to quickly respond to and recover from attacks and other emergencies. The assumption that public health is an optimal system that simply needs to be aimed in new directions is fundamentally flawed. Public health baseline requirements for responding to threats are not as well understood as they might be. The purpose of this research is to help establish a common and accurate measure for assessing the public health infrastructure. Using the case study of Union County, New Jersey this thesis surveys the activities public health agencies are expected to perform; compares performance to target objectives; and employs a manpower matrix as a model for determining staffing requirements for local public health. This study argues that that the goal of sustainable funding for public health begins with an accurate measure of the capacities of the system in relation to demands placed upon it. Without such a measure public health will continue to fail in its primary functions and lack the capacity to meet Homeland Security goals. / Health Officer, County of Union

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed Feb. 22, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-95).

Den 11 september 2001 förändrades världen, och framför allt insikten och synen på vad modernterrorism är och vad det innebär. Strax efter denna händelse började också brev innehållandemjältbrandssporer dyka upp på olika platser i USA. Resultatet blev att 22 människor drabbades avmjältbrand. 11 var inhalationsfall och av dessa dog fem. Det förorsakade också stora kostnader för detamerikanska samhället samt psykologiska effekter över hela världen.Denna uppsats försöker definiera hotet från bioterrorism och utifrån detta studeras hur hotet kanmötas, framför allt ur en svensk synvinkel.Vad innebär hotet?Transnationella terroristorganisationer med eller utan stöd från stater är vår tids stora hot. En ökadvåldsanvändning och dödlighet samt att offren är slumpmässigt utvalda kännetecknar denna terrorism.Detta talar för användandet av massförstörelse vapen och då framför allt B-vapen.Av många användbara biologiska agens är mjältbrandsbakterien den troligaste medansmittkoppsviruset det farligaste. Spridning sker via en aerosol och tekniken som används är så enkelsom möjligt. Sverige kan bli ett mål då ett ökat engagemang och ställningstagande i konflikter kanuppfattas som fientligt. Smitta kan också sprida sig från ett annat land som blivit utsatt förbioterrorism.Hur kan vi möta det?Någon förvarning kommer vi inte att få vid en bioterroristattack. I stället kommer det att vara enansamling av ett stort antal patienter med liknande symtom och/eller förekomst av en ovanlig smittasom kommer att vara indikatorn på att B-stridsmedel har använts. I dagsläget är detantibiotikabehandling och/eller vaccination som gäller trots vissa problem med dessa behandlingar.Ett sort antal civila myndigheter berörs av ett bioterrorist angrepp och Försvarsmakten måste få enaktiv roll då det gäller att möta större terroristangrepp. Detta ställer stora krav på ett samarbete mellanmyndigheterna. Vidare erfordras en nationell krisledning för att samordna myndigheternas arbete.Internationellt samarbete kan ske inom en mängd olika områden. Underrättelseverksamhet, medicin,terroristbekämpning och internationella konventioner är de viktigaste samarbetsområdena då detgäller att bekämpa bioterrorism. / The world changed on September 11, 2001. Above all the view of modernterrorism is changed. Soon after the disaster, letters containing anthrax-sporesturned up in different places in the US. Twenty-two people were stricken withanthrax. Eleven cases were inhalation cases and five of these were fatal. Thisimplied heavy expenses for the American society as well as psychologicaleffects worldwide.This essay tries to define the threat from bioterrorism and also how this threatcan be faced, particularly from a Swedish perspective. The author, Major ClaesNyström, is a student at the Swedish National Defence College chief-program01-03. Usually working at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, at themedical department, as a veterinary surgeon.What does the threat mean?Transnational terrororganisations, with or without support from different states,are the worst threat in our time. Increased use of violence, high mortality andrandom victims are characteristics of this kind of terrorism.These factors indicate use of weapon of mass-destruction, especially the use ofbiologicalweapons. The anthrax bacteria is probably the most likely to be used,and the smallpox virus is the most dangerous. Spreading is carried out byaerosol and the technique is very simple.Sweden might become a target since an increased involvement in conflicts, likepeace keeping or peace enforcement operations may be regarded as hostile.Infection could also be spread from a neighbouring country, already exposed tobioterrorism.How can this threat be met?There will be no previous warning. A great number of patients with similarsymptoms and/or presence of an unusual infection will indicate that a Bweaponhas been used. Today antibiotics and/or vaccination will be used,certain problems connected with these treatments notwithstanding. A greatnumber of civilian authorities will be affected by a bioterrorattack. The militaryauthorities must take an active part in case of a large attack by terrorists. Thiswill put heavy demands on co-operation between different authorities. Nationalleadership to co-ordinate the work among different authorities will be required.International co-operation within a lot of fields must be launched. Intelligenceservice, medicine, fight against terrorism and international conventions are themost important areas of co-operation in fighting bioterrorism. / Avdelning: ALB - Slutet Mag 3 C-upps.Hylla: Upps. ChP 01-03

Thesis (Master of Arts in Security Studies(Homeland Security and Defense))--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2009. / Thesis Advisor: Supinski, Stanley. Second Reader: Lynch, Dean. "December 2009." Description based on title screen as viewed on January 29, 2010. Author(s) subject terms: Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed; AVA; BioThrax; Homeland Security; Strategic National Stockpile; biodefense; bioterrorism; biological warfare; Amerithrax; Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program; AVIP; Gulf War Illness; Gulf War Syndrome; Investigational New Drug, IND; Experimental; Civilian Control of the Military, Presidential Study Directive; PSD; Presidential Policy Directive; PPD. Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-237). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Eng.). / Written for the Dept. of Mining, Metals and Materials Engineering. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2008/01/14). Includes bibliographical references.