The ability to conduct measurements on living organisms and systems has developed at a momentous rate concurrent with changes in technology over recent years. Measurement plays a vital role in developing our understanding of biological processes and in furthering our ability to understand and then treat illnesses and injuries. However, in conducting measurements on living organisms the information we collect comes in many different guises, is variable and the measurand is often unstable. Understanding these complexities is fundamental to biological and biomedical measurement. This concise encyclopedia therefore contains more than a comprehensive survey of the measurement systems. It includes also descriptions of the biological systems and subsystems so that the way in which decisions are made on measurement for a given application can be understood more easily. The encyclopedia contains specially commissioned articles and updated and revised articles from the acclaimed "Systems & Control Encyclopedia." A vast array of disciplines are covered in this concise, comprehensive single volume, which will be a vital reference tool for practitioners in the area, measurement experts moving into the biological and biomedical field and beginners needing to understand methods of measurement and the complexities of the measurand.

Containing over 60 articles specially written for this work or revised from the highly acclaimed "Encyclopedia of Materials Science and Engineering," the "Concise Encyclopedia of Medical & Dental Materials" presents, in a single volume, the work of nearly 70 world experts on the current techniques and applications of materials which have been specially developed to satisfy the increasing needs of medical and dental science. Alphabetically arranged, articles cover the basic materials used including prostheses, implants, sutures and wound dressings. The biocompatibility, wear, corrosion and surface properties of the materials are also covered, as well as the mechanics of their implantation, adhesion and repair. Each article is extensively cross-referenced to other related topics and a bibliography is included referring readers to other appropriate current literature. Widely illustrated and complemented by a comprehensive three-level subject index, this is the most comprehensive and up-to-date survey of dental and medical materials available in a single volume.

The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) BioWatch program aims to provide an early indication of an aerosolized biological weapon attack. The first generation of BioWatch air samplers were deployed in 2003. The current version of this technology, referred to as Generation 2 (Gen-2), uses daily manual collection and testing of air filters from each monitor, a process that can take 12 to 36 hours to detect the presence of biological pathogens. Until April 2014, DHS pursued a next-generation autonomous detection technology that aimed to shorten the time from sample collection to detection to less than 6 hours, reduce the cost of analysis, and increase the number of detectable biological pathogens. Because of concerns about the cost and effectiveness of the proposed Generation 3 system (Gen-3), DHS cancelled its acquisition plans for the next-generation surveillance system. In response to the cancellation announcement, Congress asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review of the program and the proposed system enhancements that would have been incorporated in BioWatch Gen-3. However, Mike Walter, BioWatch Program manager, Office of Health Affairs, DHS, said that DHS did not agree with all of GAO's characterizations of the BioWatch program efforts described in this review. In response to this, DHS requested that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conduct a workshop to further explore the findings of the 2015 GAO report and discuss the impact these findings may have with regard to the future development of the technical capabilities of the BioWatch program. Workshop participants also discussed existing and possible collaborations between BioWatch, public health laboratories, and other stakeholders that could contribute to the enhancement of biosurveillance capabilities at the federal, state, and local levels. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 An Overview of BioWatch Strategic Priorities 3 Recommendations from the Government Accountability Office Report and the Department of Homeland Security Response 4 BioWatch Collaborative Planning 5 Future Opportunities for State and Local Collaboration 6 Reflections on the Workshop References Appendix A: Workshop Agenda Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers and Moderators