HOMELAND DEFENSE

& Security Digest

17 AUGUST 2021

HDIAC collects and publishes articles related to our technical focus areas on the web to share with the DoD community.

FEATURED ARTICLE

New Handheld Screening Wands Could Reduce the Need for Airport Pat Downs

We’ve all walked through a metal detector at the airport, hoping we didn’t forget anything in our pockets that will set off the alarm. When security personnel can’t immediately identify what is triggering the alarm, the process is halted for a pat down. Though this slows the screening process significantly for people waiting in line…

Read More...

Featured Notable Technical Inquiry

Multilayered Packaging of Hazardous Materials

1. Inquiry The Homeland Defense and Security Information Analysis Center (HDIAC) received a technical inquiry (TI) asking what technical studies, research, and published work exists concerning the use of containers for the transport and storage of hazardous materials (chemical, biological, radiological [CBR]). The inquirer stated that in the countering weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) community, there are plenty of standard operating procedures (SOPs) about using…

Learn More

FUTURE WEBINARS

HDIAC hosts live online technical presentations featuring a DoD research and engineering topic within our technical focus areas.

DID YOU MISS OUR LAST WEBINAR?

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Image of a satellite directing a laser to the surface of the Earth.

What is the near-term state of the art in research or testing for space-based power beaming?

The Homeland Defense and Security Information Analysis Center (HDIAC) is seeking information on what research exists in space-based power beaming to the surface of the Earth. Of particular interest would be capabilities that would be used in/for expeditionary military facilities (as opposed to naval or airborne platforms), but any power-beaming research, including terrestrial power beaming…

Read More...

Can a chronological list be provided on what chemical exposure events (on and off the battlefield) involving chemical warfare agents have occurred in the last 50 years, along with major events that involve toxic industrial chemicals or pesticides?

Read More...
Technical Inquiry Default Image

What water-barrier technologies exist that are commercially available and ready for deployment?

Read More...

Is there an available artificial-intelligence-enabled tool that can be integrated into a learning management system and/or scheduling system to reduce the administrative burden on things such as schedule changes, facility problems, and student/instructor ratio?

Read More...

What are the connection nodes between overt/acknowledged U.S. Department of Defense installations/facilities and public energy/transport/telecom/water/sewer?

Read More...
The crystal structure of CHD_r1 (gray) is very similar to the computational design model (colored). (Image by Linna An, et al., Science.)

Breaking Boundaries in Biomedicine: Advanced Photon Source Enables Protein Design

From growth hormones to cancer drugs, small molecules play a crucial role in our health. Monitoring them is essential to keeping us healthy; it enables physicians to calculate dosages and patients to monitor their medical conditions at home, for example. Monitoring small molecules depends on sensing where they are and in what concentrations. While scientists…

Read More...
Hines stands beside the Arktis, a drone-based radiation detection system. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Jairus Hines: Detecting Radiation With Drones

Jairus Hines has accomplished what many spend their weekends dreaming of:  turning a hobby into a career. Hines is an electronics and unmanned systems technician with the Autonomous Systems group at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Part of the National Security Sciences Directorate, or NSSD, this group is the most active drone…

Read More...
Butanol molecules trigger changes in a microbial cell membrane model in this illustration of research that used neutron scattering and supercomputing to understand fundamental processes for the efficient production of domestic fuels, chemicals and materials from plant biomass. Credit: Morgan Manning/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Solving a Molecular Mystery for Better Bioproducts

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Cincinnati achieved a breakthrough in understanding the vulnerability of microbes to the butanol they produce during fermentation of plant biomass. The discovery could pave the way for more efficient production of domestic fuels, chemicals, and materials. The team used ORNL’s neutron…

Read More...
Meteorology and Oceanography Battlespace Surveillance Company 1st Intelligence Battalion Marines and NRL Ocean Science Division engineers observe surf conditions and LittoralLens system performance during amphibious combat vehicle operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Michael Walls)

Next-Gen Tactical Decision Aid: A Naval System-of-Systems Approach

OCEANSIDE, Calif. – The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineering and Research Development Center (ERDC) demonstrated the Marine Corps Surf Observation (SUROB) Tool for Littoral Expeditionary Operations during the Office of Naval Research’s Technical Concept Experiment 24.2 (TCE 24.2) at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., on August 20-23….

Read More...
abstract fusion

Researchers Address Material Challenges to Make Commercial Fusion Power a Reality

Imagine if we could take the energy of the sun, put it in a container, and use it to provide green, sustainable power for the world. Creating commercial fusion power plants would essentially make this idea a reality. However, there are several scientific challenges to overcome before we can successfully harness fusion power in this…

Read More...

UPCOMING EVENTS

Military Health System Conference

The Military Health System (MHS) Conference is a four-day annual conference sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Conference attendees are comprised of government, military, and industry healthcare professionals….

Energy Exchange

The Energy Exchange, hosted by the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), is an opportunity for agencies to ensure their workforce understands leadership direction, priorities, goals, and strategies. It’s also a unique opportunity to fulfill training…

The 19th IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition

The IEEE conference series on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition is an international forum for research in image and video-based face, gesture, and body movement recognition. It is cosponsored by the IEEE Biometrics Council and…

Voice From the Community

Voice from the community test
Daniel Fleming

Research Inquiry Analyst, HDIAC

As a research inquiry analyst, I conduct research in HDIAC’s eight technical focus areas and generate reports for the DoD community. I have a military and pharmaceutical background, where I served as a Combat Engineer for the Marine Corps and Lead Analytical Technician for
a pharmaceutical company, respectively. As a Marine, I used my engineering skillset domestically to construct and execute bridging operations. Internationally, I trained on foreign weapons systems, provided humanitarian relief assistance, and increased force readiness for our NATO allies. As a pharmaceutical technician, I had to follow strict guidelines, perform and develop established methods and programs, and ensure integrity of drug sample and test conditions.

Want to be featured in our Digest?

Submit your "Voice From the Community"