Recent results in biomaterials R&D suggest that there are exceptional opportunities for these emerging materials in military medicine. To facilitate this possibility, the National Research Council convened a workshop at the request of the Department of Defense to help create a technology development roadmap to enhance military R&D into biomaterials technology. The workshop focused primarily on identifying useful near- and mid-term applications of biomaterials including wound care, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and physiological sensors and diagnostics. This report presents a summary of the workshop. It provides a review of biomaterials and their importance to military medicine, the roadmap, and a discussion of ways to enable biomaterials development. Several important outcomes of successful capture of potential benefits of these materials are also discussed.

Recent results in biomaterials R&D suggest that there are exceptional opportunities for these emerging materials in military medicine. To facilitate this possibility, the National Research Council convened a workshop at the request of the Department of Defense to help create a technology development roadmap to enhance military R&D into biomaterials technology. The workshop focused primarily on identifying useful near- and mid-term applications of biomaterials including wound care, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and physiological sensors and diagnostics. This report presents a summary of the workshop. It provides a review of biomaterials and their importance to military medicine, the roadmap, and a discussion of ways to enable biomaterials development. Several important outcomes of successful capture of potential benefits of these materials are also discussed.

The Roots of Military Science: Understanding the Intersection of Conflict, Mental Health, and Wellness is about the psychology of conflict, the scars conflict leaves behind, and the generational healing that must follow. It is a plea for empathy, a call to learn from the past, and an optimistic blueprint for a future where the pen is mightier than the sword. The core of this narrative is formed by author Dr. Christina Rahm’s journey through healthcare and environmental stewardship amid the chaos of war and her search for peace. For Christina, the battlefield is both an external reality and an internal contemplation; it is the ground she walks on in countries torn by conflict and the ethical landscape she navigates as a scientist committed to the preservation of life. Within the pages of The Roots of Military Science lie a reflection, a confluence of critical thought, and a rigorous exploration of military science through the lens of clinical research. Readers will learn how warfare is used as a calculated tool for political force and provocation for economic gain. Complete with scientific research on the principles behind military strategy, tactical defense, attacks, planning, and coordination, The Roots of Military Science provides poignant insight into the psychological, philosophical, and scientific aspects of war which inevitably produces negative biological outcomes. Readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of the intersection of conflict, mental health, wellnesses, and impairment behind theories of military science.

This new book from the National Research Council finds serious weaknesses in the government's plan for research on the potential health and environmental risks posed by nanomaterials, which are increasingly being used in consumer goods and industry. An effective national plan for identifying and managing potential risks is essential to the successful development and public acceptance of nanotechnology-enabled products. The book recommends a robust national strategic plan for addressing nanotechnology-related EHS risks, which will need to focus on promoting research that can assist all stakeholders, including federal agencies, in planning, controlling, and optimizing the use of engineered nanomaterials while minimizing EHS effects of concern to society. Such a plan will ensure the timely development of engineered nanoscale materials that will bring about great improvements in the nation's health, its environmental quality, its economy, and its security.

Wound Healing Biomaterials: Volume Two, Functional Biomaterials discusses the types of wounds associated with trauma, illness, or surgery that can sometimes be extremely complex and difficult to heal. Consequently, there is a prominent drive for scientists and clinicians to find methods to heal wounds opening up a new area of research in biomaterials and the ways they can be applied to the challenges associated with wound care. Much research is now concerned with new therapies, regeneration methods, and the use of biomaterials that can assist in wound healing and alter healing responses. This book provides readers with a thorough review of the functional biomaterials used for wound healing, with chapters discussing the fundamentals of wound healing biomaterials, films for wound healing applications, polymer-based dressing for wound healing applications, and functional dressings for wound care. Includes more systematic and comprehensive coverage on the topic of wound care Provides thorough coverage of all specific therapies and biomaterials for wound healing Contains clear layout and organization that is carefully arranged with clear titles and comprehensive section headings Details specific sections on the fundamentals of wound healing biomaterials, films for wound healing applications, polymer-based dressing for wound healing applications, and more

With the responsibility to ensure the safety of food, drugs, and other products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) faces decisions that may have public-health consequences every day. Often the decisions must be made quickly and on the basis of incomplete information. FDA recognized that collecting and evaluating information on the risks posed by the regulated products in a systematic manner would aid in its decision-making process. Consequently, FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) asked the National Research Council (NRC) to develop a conceptual model that could evaluate products or product categories that FDA regulates and provide information on the potential health consequences associated with them. A Risk-Characterization Framework for Decision-Making at the Food and Drug Administration describes the proposed risk-characterization framework that can be used to evaluate, compare, and communicate the public-health consequences of decisions concerning a wide variety of products. The framework presented in this report is intended to complement other risk-based approaches that are in use and under development at FDA, not replace them. It provides a common language for describing potential public-health consequences of decisions, is designed to have wide applicability among all FDA centers, and draws extensively on the well-vetted risk literature to define the relevant health dimensions for decision-making at the FDA. The report illustrates the use of that framework with several case studies, and provides conclusions and recommendations.

Research and development in the emerging fields of biotechnology, including human enhancement and direct-effect genetic weapons, may very well change the nature of war and international politics. This biotech revolution in military affairs will offer great advantages to the United States and other technologically advanced states, but raises many new questions about just war and bioethics. Biotechnology and International Security contextualizes the militarization of biotechnology by examining its strategic uses, the nature of bioweapons, and the overall impact on warfare and security. The book looks at the many emerging military applications of biotechnology and provides a nontechnical assessment of how a wide range of technologies are influencing war fighting, international balance of power, and homeland security. It offers a thorough introduction to bioweapons and biosecurity challenges, along with the resulting ethical and policy dilemmas.