Sensing Traumatic Brain Injuries

I thought we already did this. Didn’t the 4th BDE, 4th ID deploy from Hood with some sort of sensor?

The Defense Department continues to put money toward trying to understand head injuries better and information technology is a big part of that. In its latest effort, the department awarded a $17 million to BAE Systems to place sensors in soldiers’ helmets to record the effects of an n explosion, like a roadside bomb.

via Sensing Traumatic Brain Injuries – What’s Brewin’.

Darpa’s Lab-Grown Blood Starts Pumping [or not]

IF anyone can do this it is DARPA, though I still doubt it.  Not yet.  The article is notable for the picture of the military blood banker at the ASBPC.’

The blood was produced using hematopoietic cells, derived from umbilical cord-blood units. It’s a trick that scientists have pulled off for years. The hard part is making quantities of red stuff that are large enough for military or medical utility. Currently, it takes Arteriocyte scientists three days to turn a single umbilical cord unit into 20 units of RBC-packed blood. The average soldier needs six units during trauma treatment

via Darpa’s Lab-Grown Blood Starts Pumping [Corrected] | Danger Room | Wired.com.

Superhighway To Hell

Sounds like the AlterNet but I think this may be a scarily prescient article.  Just one more shitty thing we leave to the next generation?:

Companies like Google and Facebook are pioneers in the areas of profiling and search inversion, but the Internet’s nature (distributed, standards-based, open to all) makes it easy for others to follow their lead. Any Web company that owns servers storing user information can participate in profiling, as can any network service provider providing the pipes.

Profiling will take off fast for another reason: It’s legal. It doesn’t have to be an invasive activity. It’s not necessary, for example, to read e-mails or listen in on Skype calls in order to create prescient profiles. “Patterning”–or knowing which sites users visit, with whom they communicate, and how often–provides companies with more than enough data to create a valuable user profile.

via Superhighway To Hell — InformationWeek.

Mashing up federal stats with maps – Nextgov

Fun!

Data.gov, the federal government’s clearinghouse of downloadable information, plans to release new gadgets that will enable the public to easily create mashups of maps and statistics, according to officials working on the enhancements.

via Data.gov’s next big thing: Mashing up federal stats with maps – Nextgov.

Chinese computer equipment – they make our weapons

And more of my paranoid fears seem to come to pass:

According to the Sunday Times, “A leaked MI5 document says that undercover intelligence officers from the People's Liberation Army and the Ministry of Public Security have also approached UK businessmen at trade fairs and exhibitions with the offer of 'gifts' and 'lavish hospitality.' The gifts — cameras and memory sticks — have been found to contain electronic Trojan bugs which provide the Chinese with remote access to users' computers.”

via Can you trust Chinese computer equipment? | ITworld.

Still not working

Just in case there was some extra tax money someplace, or a sensible person in the Tripe Department at the Pentagon:

Over the weekend, the Missile Defense Agency released news of another failed intercept test. And no, the interceptor didn’t fail to lift off or fly off course. This time, the tracking radar that wasn’t up to scratch.

via Missile Defense Test Flops as U.S. Unveils New Strategy | Danger Room | Wired.com.

R or D in charge, missile defense continues to be the worst idea ever (well, maybe except for this) and, no matter how much integrity or common sense our leaders pile on the smoking heap of fail that is, they can’t even fake this one.

Aberdeen laboratories developing new way to spread deferrals

Factory farms, corporate inspectors, and blood products – what ever could go wrong with this?

IKOR aims to use hemoglobin from cattle as its raw material to develop blood replacement products for injured soldiers, Tye said. The goal is to heal their wounds more quickly and effectively, partly because the products can help deliver oxygen to the wound.The cattle byproducts would come from packing plants, where much of the blood from cattle goes to waste as the animals are processed.

via Aberdeen laboratories developing new blood replacement products | argusleader.com | Argus Leader.

Scans let doctors watch how brain changes in veterans with PTSD, blast injuries

This is something that many researchers have said for years.  Now we are finally getting closer to being able to unequivocally see those changes:

“There’s something different in your brain,” explains Dr. Jasmeet Pannu Hayes of Boston University, who is helping to lead that research at the Veterans Affairs’ National Center for PTSD. “Just putting a real physical marker there, saying that this is a real thing,” encourages more people to seek care.

Up to one in five U.S. veterans from the long-running combat in Iraq and Afghanistan is thought to have symptoms of PTSD. An equal number are believed to have suffered traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs — most that don’t involve open wounds but hidden damage caused by explosion’s pressure wave.

via HEALTHBEAT: Scans let doctors watch how brain changes in veterans with PTSD, blast injuries — chicagotribune.com.

I was sad that the VA had to shut down their UT joint project imaging brains because they should be leading on this.  At least the work is getting done.  Research like this will help drive new procedures that reduce re-injury and are better for our troops in the long run.

@2morrowknight: 16 Amazing Twitterers

HuffPo is all over Paul and IAVA:

His favorite Twitter charity: @IAVA. Since 2004, IAVA has become one of the best and strongest advocates for our veterans and their families. It’s won legislative victories on the new G.I. Bill, mental health screenings for returning service members, Veterans Health Care Budget Reform, among other issues. In fact, it teamed with the AdCouncil to start CommunityofVeterans.org, a veterans-only, online community. Moreover, the incredible documentary Warrior Champions, which was produced by @IAVA, premiered at the Austin Film Festival on October 23.

via 2morrowknight: 16 Amazing Men on Twitter and the Awesome Charities They Support.

OPM urges agencies to review age limits for new hires

GovExec Story: OPM urges agencies to review age limits for new hires 

This is an overdue step and opens viable careers to our troops.  In the current economic environment, retirement at 57 is neither viable or even necessarily desirable.  I think it could be a great advantage to have a well-educated and seasoned Vet at the upper levels of federal service. I think this rule may have been created or directed at the stereotype of the “ole’ military man” that isn’t educated or can’t change, much less remember that they are working with civilians.  Those roles changed long ago.

Story Title:
OPM urges agencies to review age limits for new hires
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0809/082809p1.htm