Dual-Use Nano-Neurotechnology: .

The chemical and biological nonproliferation regime stands at a watershed moment, when failure seems a real possibility. After the unsuccessful outcome of the 2016 Eighth Review Conference, the future of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention is uncertain. As the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) approaches its Fourth Review Conference in 2018, it has almost completed removing the huge stocks of chemical weapons, but it now faces the difficult organizational task of moving its focus to preventing the reemergence of chemical weapons at a time when the international security situation appears to be increasingly more difficult and dangerous.

Dual-use nano-neurotechnology.

The chemical and biological nonproliferation regime stands at a watershed moment, when failure seems a real possibility. After the unsuccessful outcome of the 2016 Eighth Review Conference, the future of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention is uncertain. As the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) approaches its Fourth Review Conference in 2018, it has almost completed removing the huge stocks of chemical weapons, but it now faces the difficult organizational task of moving its focus to preventing the reemergence of chemical weapons at a time when the international security situation appears to be increasingly more difficult and dangerous.

Education for life scientists on the dual-use implications of their research : commentary on "implementing biosecurity education: approaches, resources and programmes".

Advances in the life sciences are occurring with extreme rapidity and accumulating a great deal of knowledge about life's vital processes. While this knowledge is essential for fighting disease in a more effective way, it can also be misused either intentionally or inadvertently to develop novel and more effective biological weapons. For nearly a decade civil-academic society as well as States Parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention have recognised the importance of dual-use biosecurity education for life scientists as a means to foster a culture of responsibility and prevent the potential misuse of advances in the life sciences for non-peaceful purposes.

Differential effects of irradiation with carbon ions and x-rays on macrophage function.

Macrophages are potent elicitors of inflammatory reactions that can play both positive and negative roles in radiotherapy. While several studies have investigated the effects of X-rays or gamma-rays on macrophages, virtually no work has been done on the responses of these cells to irradiation with carbon ions. Investigations into the effects of carbon ion irradiation are of particular interest in light of the fact that this type of radiation is being used increasingly for cancer therapy.

Ethics of university research, biotechnology and potential military spin-off.

The paper provides a brief introduction to the biotechnology revolution and its impact upon biological research relevant to military uses. It describes the status of biological weapon today, and current efforts to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention with a legally binding compliance protocol. Specific modifications of micro-organisms that may be of military use are discussed.

Toll-like receptor 4 and Toll-IL-1 receptor domain-containing adapter protein (TIRAP)/myeloid differentiation protein 88 adapter-like (Mal) contribute to maximal IL-6 expression in macrophages.

Previous studies have shown that engagement of Toll-like receptors (TLR) 2 and 4 can induce macrophages to express a variety of proinflammatory cytokines. We have recently demonstrated that TLR2 agonists poorly induce a subset of TLR4-inducible proinflammatory genes (e.g.