Defense Program Research Articles

Stress response regulation by epigenetic mechanisms: changing of the guards.

Plants are sessile organisms that lack a specialized immune system to cope with biotic and abiotic stress. Instead, plants have complex regulatory networks that determine the appropriate distribution of resources between the developmental and the defense programs. In the last years, epigenetic regulation of repeats and gene expression has evolved as an important player in the transcriptional regulation of stress-related genes. Here, we review the current knowledge about how different stresses interact with different levels of epigenetic control of the genome. Moreover, we analyze the different examples of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and connect them with the known features of genome epigenetic regulation. Although yet to be explored, the interplay between epigenetics and stress resistance seems to be a relevant and dynamic player of the interaction of plants with their environments.

Science, Technology, and Innovation for Defense in Brazil: An Analysis of Transfer of Technology and Challenges on Brazilian Defense Programs

This paper analyzes patterns in obtaining, absorbing and developing technology from major strategic defense projects. These actions aim at increasing Brazilian industrial and technological capabilities to conceive and develop defense products autonomously. The approach utilized involves analyses of different Effectiveness Criteria for Transfer of Technology policies and programs outputs, their intended outcomes, as well as intermediary results achieved so far on two defense programs, the FX-2 Gripen NG BR and the PROSUB. The research processes data from documents, news, interviews and reports to evaluate the results and what are the upcoming prospects and challenges in the defense projects. Major challenges involve the question of transfer of technology to Brazilian” national” enterprises and the effectiveness in transferring know-why in both programs. These has implications for independent production in the defense sector impairing full development and diffusion to productive chains and marketing defense products autonomously. Brazilian international insertion through strategic partnerships still needs better institutions to overcome technological blockage and a more firmly established systems of Science-Technology-Innovation in the defense sector.

Take Cover: Nuclear Preperations in Montgomery County

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device the destructive potential of which derives from the energy that is released by the splitting or combining of atomic nuclei. The use of nuclear weapons became a threat to the world with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. The United States federal government worked to aid nuclear preparations throughout the nation. Throughout approximately forty years of American history, tensions between the United States and Russia led to civil defense programs that prepared for a nuclear attack. The government set federal restrictions in order to establish guidelines for states to follow when preparing for a nuclear crisis.

407 Glucocorticoids suppress TLR2/1-induced inflammation while maintaining host defense responses in human macrophages

Glucocorticoids, widely used to treat inflammatory conditions in medicine, critically regulate human host defense. In contrast to well-described anti-inflammatory and immune suppressive effects on acquired immunity, recent evidence suggests that glucocorticoids ready innate host defense. In this regard, glucocorticoids were shown to enhance expression of TLR2 on various human cell types. Given a central role of TLR2 in activating macrophage host defense against intracellular pathogens, we studied the effect of glucocorticoids on TLR2 expression and function in primary human macrophages. We found that glucocorticoids upregulated TLR2 mRNA expression, as well as cell surface expression, yet suppressed central components of the TLR signaling cascade. Moreover, glucocorticoids had a much stronger suppressive effect on the TLR2/1 induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-a and IL-12p40 than on anti-inflammatory IL-10, thereby shifting the macrophage cytokine production towards an anti-inflammatory pattern. At the same time, glucocorticoids did not affect TLR2/1-induced lysosome acidification and antimicrobial activity against intracellular mycobacteria in human macrophages. In summary, our data suggest that glucocorticoids suppress TLR2/1-induced inflammatory macrophage responses, while preserving TLR2-induced macrophage-mediated host defense programs against intracellular infection.

The Brazilian Space Industry: Geostationary Satellite of Defense and Strategic Communication Program

ABSTRACTAutonomy in satellite communications is a major defense issue for peripheral countries, a problem increased by the difficulties in investing in the construction, launching, and operation of satellite platforms. Indeed, the objective of the present article is to evaluate the Geostationary Satellite of the Defense and Strategic Communication Program as a starting point for the Brazilian space industry, a subsector of the aerospace industry. Thus, the article evaluates the opportunities this program generates for a dormant sector in the country. The goal-attainment model is used to assess whether the policy attained what it prescribed and the impacts of those achievements. In addition, the side-effects model is applied to verify the opportunities prompted by policies and private sector investments outside the determinations of the main regulations and how they help to strengthen the Brazilian space industry. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of the current situation of the Brazilian space industry and defends the main argument that the creation of Visiona as an integrator company, responsible for contracting firms to execute the satellite project, is of strategic importance for the Brazilian space industry.

BRINGING OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVES INTO THE ANALYSIS OF ENGINEERED RESILIENT SYSTEMS

ABSTRACTEngineered Resilient Systems (ERS) is a Department of Defense (DoD) program focusing on the effective and efficient design and development of complex engineered systems across their lifecycle. An important area of focus is the evaluation of early‐stage design alternatives in terms of their modeled operational performance and characteristics. The work in this paper ties together differentiated operational needs with requirements specification and maturation of previous analytical constructs toward a more operationally relevant viewpoint. We expand on the concept of Broad Utility as a high‐level aggregated measure of robustness of fielded system capabilities with respect to operational requirements. The relation to requirements is more explicit, and systems are failing to achieve threshold requirements are penalized. The impact of this approach and how it offers a foundation from which to more fully explore sensitivity to Pre‐Milestone A requirements are discussed.

Políticas e aquisições de defesa: uma análise histórica da parceria estratégica França-Brasil nos séculos XX e XXI

This research is the summary of the doctoral thesis that aimed to analyze the historical relations between France and Brazil concerning the Defense area, covering since the instruction missions and armored vehicles acquisition until Brazil’s entrance in the supersonic, missile and rotary wings era, as well as by means of a case study to clarify in which historical moment such relations were configured as a strategic partnership. The transfer of technology is considered in this research as a political process dealt between the States as an integral part of the autonomous development of long range national defense strategic programs. It is also supported that beyond integral part of France’s Grand Strategy, the strategic partnership between France and Brazil by means of the transfer of technology for strategic defense programs as well as offsets will contribute to the distribution of capacities and the exertion of greater political projection within the International System.

POLÍTICAS & AQUISIÇÕES DE DEFESA:: UMA ANÁLISE HISTÓRICA DA PARCERIA ESTRATÉGICA FRANÇA-BRASIL NOS SÉCULOS XX E XXI

This research is the summary of the doctoral thesis that aimed to analyze the historical relations between France and Brazil concerning the Defense area, covering since the instruction missions and armored vehicles acquisition until Brazil’s entrance in the supersonic, missile and rotary wings era, as well as by means of a case study to clarify in which historical moment such relations were configured as a strategic partnership. The transfer of technology is considered in this research as a political process dealt between the States as an integral part of the autonomous development of long range national defense strategic programs. It is also supported that beyond integral part of France’s Grand Strategy, the strategic partnership between France and Brazil by means of the transfer of technology for strategic defense programs as well as offsets will contribute to the distribution of capacities and the exertion of greater political projection within the International System.

Effect of Season of Calving and Mastitis on Reproductive Performance of Baladi and Crossbred Cows (Baladi X Friesian) under the Environmental Conditions of Aswan Governorate in South Egypt

The current work was carried out on two hundred of Baladi and crossbred (Baladi x Friesian) cows to estimate effect of season of calving and mastitis on the reproductive performance under the environmental conditions of Aswan governorate in south Egypt. The cows follow up after one month post-partum and the California Mastitis Test was performed for all experimental cows by (California Mastitis Test). According to season of calving the cows were divided into two groups. The first group that calved during the cold season and the second group calved during the hot season. The cows Baladi and crossbred cows that calved during the cold and hot seasons were divided into two groups according to suffering of mastitis healthy cows and cows with mastitis (sub-clinical mastitis). The results demonstrated that the interval from calving to first service was longer (75.56± 12.3, 82.63±7.51days) (P <0.05) in cows that calved during the hot season than cows that calved during the cold season ( 65.71± 14.27, 74.58± 8.94 days) in healthy Baladi and crossbred cows respectively. The interval from calving to the first service was longer in Baladi cows that suffer from mastitis (78.96± 15.08, 84.95±8.4 days) compared with healthy cows (65.71± 14.27, 75.56± 12.3days) during the two seasons cold and hot respectively. The interval from calving to the first service was longer in crossbred cows that suffer from mastitis (85.89± 6.81, 87.09±7.11 days) compared with healthy cows (74.58± 8.94, 82.63±7.51 days) during the two season cold and hot respectively. The interval from calving to conception was greater in cows that calved in the hot season (96.93±10.66, 101.26±13.65days) (P <0.05) than cold season (90.38±11.44, 93.16±11.37days) in healthy Baladi and crossbred cows respectively. The interval from calving to conception was higher in cows with mastitis than healthy cows in Baladi and crossbred cows in two seasons. Number of services pre conception were greater in Baladi and crossbred cows that suffer from mastitis (2.1±0.62, 2.05±0.22 and 2.08± 0.63, 2.13± 0.67 services) compared with healthy cows (1.95± 0.58, 1.89±0.42 and 2.0± 0.63 , 1.92± 0.67 services) during the two season cold and hot respectively. Conception rate in Baladi and crossbred cows that suffer from mastitis was lower (37.9, 15.0, 15.8and 16.1%) compared with healthy cows (66.7, 36.7, 66.7and 42.1%) during the two season cold and hot respectively. The percentage of mastitis cases were more frequent in cows during the cold season (58, 76%) compared to hot season (40, 62%) in Baladi and crossbred cows respectively. The rates of short estrous cycles were higher in cows with mastitis during the hot season (42.9, 38.5%) than cold season (33.3, 25%) in Baladi and crossbred cows respectively. The present study clarified that there is a negative effect of hot season and mastitis on the reproductive performance of Baladi and crossbred cows under the environmental conditions of south Egypt. Thus, the present study recommended must preparing effective defense programs in order to decreasing proportion of infection by mastitis for betterment the reproductive performance of Baladi and crossbred cows especially during the hot season of Aswan governorate

The Afghan Local Police: unpacking a hybrid security arrangement

Our article takes issue with some applications of ‘hybridity’ in contemporary peace studies. We want to correct the view of ‘hybridity’ as mere expressions of resistance by the local to the external interventionist blueprints. We make our case based on field research of a community defence programme developed by the US military to address weaknesses in the Afghan state. Our critical reconstruction of ‘hybridity’ to two provincial studies presses the need to encompass the co-construction of hybrid outcomes, the fluidity of the process and complexities in the local context that shape the choices of both local and international actors. We argue that negative local experiences with the Afghan Local Police can be attributed to elite capture and pragmatic adaptations to the logic of the battle field. We further suggest that even ‘prescribed’ hybridity can work when the context matches the assumptions and conditions outlined in the original blueprint. Our analysis highlights the dangers of simplifying the local and cautions against scaling-up context-specific hybrid security mechanisms to a national level in a diverse and competitive environment such as Afghanistan.

Modeling median will-cost estimates for defense acquisition programs

Purpose The introduction of “should cost” in 2011 required all Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAP) to create efficiencies and improvements to reduce a program’s “will-cost” estimate. Realistic “will-cost” estimates are a necessary condition for the “should cost” analysis to be effectively implemented. Owing to the inherent difficulties in establishing a program’s will-cost estimate, this paper aims to propose a new model to infuse realism into this estimate. Design/methodology/approach Using historical data from 73 Departments of Defense programs as recorded in the selected acquisition reports (SARs), the analysis uses mixed stepwise regression to predict a program’s cost from Milestone B (MS B) to initial operational capability (IOC). Findings The presented model explains 83 per cent of the variation in the program acquisition cost. Significant predictor variables include: projected duration (months from MS B to IOC); the amount of research development test and evaluation (RDT&amp;E) funding spent at the start of MS B; whether the program is considered a fixed-wing aircraft; whether a program is considered an electronic system program; whether a program is considered ACAT I at MS B; and the program size relative to the total program’s projected acquisition costs at MS B. Originality/value The model supports the “will-cost and should-cost” requirement levied in 2011 by providing an objective and defensible cost for what a program should actually cost based on what has been achieved in the past. A quality will-cost estimate provides a starting point for program managers to examine processes and find efficiencies that lead to reduced program costs.

How and why do T cells and their derived cytokines affect the injured and healthy brain?

The evolution of adaptive immunity provides enhanced defence against specific pathogens, as well as homeostatic immune surveillance of all tissues. Despite being 'immune privileged', the CNS uses the assistance of the immune system in physiological and pathological states. In this Opinion article, we discuss the influence of adaptive immunity on recovery after CNS injury and on cognitive and social brain function. We further extend a hypothesis that the pro-social effects of interferon-regulated genes were initially exploited by pathogens to increase host-host transmission, and that these genes were later recycled by the host to form part of an immune defence programme. In this way, the evolution of adaptive immunity may reflect a host-pathogen 'arms race'.

The Shift and Continuity of Japanese Defense Policy: Revolutionary Enough?

The security environment in East Asia has continuously evolved, particularly, China’s maritime expansion and DPRK’s provocative behavior. Japan, with its military being limited by its Peace Constitution, has been steadily shifting its defense policy to respond to its strategic environment for the past three of its Prime Ministers: Naoto Kan, Yoshihiko Noda, and Shinzo Abe. Historical enmities, military capability, as well as territorial disputes have increased the threats of Japan’s neighbors to Tokyo’s national security. Since 2010, Japan has established a National Defense Program Guideline (NDPG), shifted its defense strategy from the Basic Defence Force (kibanteki boei ryoko) to Dynamic Defense Force (doeki boei ryoko), revised its Three Principles on Arms Exports, created the National Security Council (NSC), the National Security Strategy (NSS), and the Medium Term Defense Program (MDTP), and revised its article 9 of its Peace Constitution. While the NSC, NSS, MDTP, and article 9 are under the Abe administration, the claim that the steps Abe have undertaken to be revolutionary is in fact, a continuity from his predecessors despite coming from opposing political backgrounds. Despite of several significant changes in its defense policy, Japan still abides to its Constitution and its military is still limited.

The Department of Defense Chemical and Biological Defense Program: An Enabler of the Third Offset Strategy.

The US Department of Defense (DOD) established programs to defend against chemical and biological weapons 100 years ago because military leaders understood that the operational capability of the US military is diminished when service member health is compromised. These threats to operational readiness can be from an overt attack using chemical and biological threats but may also arise from natural exposures. In the current era of rapidly emerging technologies, adversaries are not only rediscovering chemical and biological weapons; they are also displaying an increased propensity to employ them to cause strategic instability among deployed forces or nations undergoing conflict. The United States's investments in its Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP) can be a critical enabler of the third offset strategy, which is a DOD initiative that seeks to maximize force capability to offset emerging threats. To realize this vision, the CBDP must make fundamental changes in acquiring and employing effective technologies so that enemy use of chemical and biological agents against US assets is no longer a viable option. Maximization of US force health status will provide a strategic advantage over theater opponents more vulnerable to operational degradation from chemical and biological threats.

Epigenetic Landscape during Coronavirus Infection.

Coronaviruses (CoV) comprise a large group of emerging human and animal pathogens, including the highly pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) strains. The molecular mechanisms regulating emerging coronavirus pathogenesis are complex and include virus–host interactions associated with entry, replication, egress and innate immune control. Epigenetics research investigates the genetic and non-genetic factors that regulate phenotypic variation, usually caused by external and environmental factors that alter host expression patterns and performance without any change in the underlying genotype. Epigenetic modifications, such as histone modifications, DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs, function as important regulators that remodel host chromatin, altering host expression patterns and networks in a highly flexible manner. For most of the past two and a half decades, research has focused on the molecular mechanisms by which RNA viruses antagonize the signaling and sensing components that regulate induction of the host innate immune and antiviral defense programs upon infection. More recently, a growing body of evidence supports the hypothesis that viruses, even lytic RNA viruses that replicate in the cytoplasm, have developed intricate, highly evolved, and well-coordinated processes that are designed to regulate the host epigenome, and control host innate immune antiviral defense processes, thereby promoting robust virus replication and pathogenesis. In this article, we discuss the strategies that are used to evaluate the mechanisms by which viruses regulate the host epigenome, especially focusing on highly pathogenic respiratory RNA virus infections as a model. By combining measures of epigenome reorganization with RNA and proteomic datasets, we articulate a spatial-temporal data integration approach to identify regulatory genomic clusters and regions that play a crucial role in the host’s innate immune response, thereby defining a new viral antagonism mechanism following emerging coronavirus infection.

The use and readability of mental health self-help in Scottish prisons

Prisoners are at higher risk of mental health problems than people in the general community. One possible way of optimising mental health care resources in prisons is to offer self-help materials. In order for these to be effective, they must be appropriate for the reading ability of the patient. This study aimed to determine, by way of a survey distributed to Scottish mental health care teams, how self-help resources are being used currently in the Scottish prison system, and to analyse the materials using four different readability tools: FRE, FKGL, SMOG and the Drivel Defence programme. It was found that there is currently widespread provision of self-help to Scottish prisoners; however, only 53% of these materials are suitable for the quoted average prisoner reading age. Mental health practitioners should be aware of this when providing self-help to patients, and consider easy-read options where available.

Galectin-3 directs antimicrobial guanylate binding proteins to vacuoles furnished with bacterial secretion systems

Many invasive bacteria establish pathogen-containing vacuoles (PVs) as intracellular niches for microbial growth. Immunity to these infections is dependent on the ability of host cells to recognize PVs as targets for host defense. The delivery of several host defense proteins to PVs is controlled by IFN-inducible guanylate binding proteins (GBPs), which themselves dock to PVs through poorly characterized mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate that GBPs detect the presence of bacterial protein secretion systems as "patterns of pathogenesis" associated with PVs. We report that the delivery of GBP2 to Legionella-containing vacuoles is dependent on the bacterial Dot/Icm secretion system, whereas the delivery of GBP2 to Yersinia-containing vacuoles (YCVs) requires hypersecretion of Yersinia translocon proteins. We show that the presence of bacterial secretion systems directs cytosolic carbohydrate-binding protein Galectin-3 to PVs and that the delivery of GBP1 and GBP2 to Legionella-containing vacuoles or YCVs is substantially diminished in Galectin-3-deficient cells. Our results illustrate that insertion of bacterial secretion systems into PV membranes stimulates Galectin-3-dependent recruitment of antimicrobial GBPs to PVs as part of a coordinated host defense program.

Stress Marker Signatures in Lesion Mimic Single and Double Mutants Identify a Crucial Leaf Age-Dependent Salicylic Acid Related Defense Signal.

Plants are exposed to abiotic and biotic stress conditions throughout their lifespans that activates various defense programs. Programmed cell death (PCD) is an extreme defense strategy the plant uses to manage unfavorable environments as well as during developmentally induced senescence. Here we investigated the role of leaf age on the regulation of defense gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Two lesion mimic mutants with misregulated cell death, catalase2 (cat2) and defense no death1 (dnd1) were used together with several double mutants to dissect signaling pathways regulating defense gene expression associated with cell death and leaf age. PCD marker genes showed leaf age dependent expression, with the highest expression in old leaves. The salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis mutant salicylic acid induction deficient2 (sid2) had reduced expression of PCD marker genes in the cat2 sid2 double mutant demonstrating the importance of SA biosynthesis in regulation of defense gene expression. While the auxin- and jasmonic acid (JA)- insensitive auxin resistant1 (axr1) double mutant cat2 axr1 also led to decreased expression of PCD markers; the expression of several marker genes for SA signaling (ISOCHORISMATE SYNTHASE 1, PR1 and PR2) were additionally decreased in cat2 axr1 compared to cat2. The reduced expression of these SA markers genes in cat2 axr1 implicates AXR1 as a regulator of SA signaling in addition to its known role in auxin and JA signaling. Overall, the current study reinforces the important role of SA signaling in regulation of leaf age-related transcript signatures.

Innovation in Government The United States Department of Defense—Two Cases

The case compares two U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) programs from the 1970s and 1980s: (1) “stealth” combat aircraft, capable of evading detection or engagement by anti-aircraft systems, and (2) precision attack of hardened ground vehicles from “standoff” distances, i.e., far behind the battle lines. Conceived at roughly the same time, motivated by the same strategic challenge, and initially driven by the same DoD organization, stealth combat aircraft progressed from idea to deployment in less than eight years---an astounding pace for a complex military system---while a demonstrated system for standoff precision strike against mobile ground targets was not fully implemented. The case highlights the critical role of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), part of the DoD, regarded as one of the most innovative entities in the U.S. federal government.The case highlights factors that facilitate rapid, successful implementation of radically innovative or disruptive concepts. Students are introduced to the organizational realities facing such projects, including issues of strategic clarity, interdepartmental competition and cooperation, executive leadership, and timing. Comparing the differences in implementation of the two programs in the case reveals issues relevant to any large organization seeking to bring innovative concepts to fruition.

Civil Defence and National Security: Composition and Implementation Model in National Defence

&lt;p&gt;Civil Defense is inherent part of every citizen in many countries anywhere in the world, which differ only in the implementation of the program. The difference depends on the threat level and needs of each country in mobilizing citizens. However, the Civil Defense’s Governance which involvement of citizens is already regulated in a number of regulations and legislation, but as one part of an integrated program linked to the involvement of citizens in the framework of national defense, civil defense program is not enough to have its own laws. So that when applied in the form of operational, interpretation of these programs tend to be not in tune and even have precisely the opposite perspective between the state and citizens. This paper argued that the Civil Defense program is part of an integrated governance program of national security. Therefore, the state should be required to ensure that the program of Civil Defense goes well. This paper is also offer the composition and program models associated with the Civil Defense, Conscription Program (draftee) and Reserve Component. The argument of this paper is that the Civil Defense Program is a linear and continuous with Conscription and Reserves Programs.&lt;/p&gt;