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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

The use of thermal desorption in monitoring for the chemical weapons demilitarization program.

Under international treaty, the United States and Russia are disposing of their aging stockpile of chemical weapons. Incineration and chemical neutralization are options for sites in the United States, although Russia prefers the latter. The storage and disposal of bulk and chemical agents and weapons involve unique hazards of handling extremely toxic materials. There are three major areas of concern--the storage stockpile, the disposal area, and the discovery and destruction of "found" material not considered part of the stockpile. Methods have been developed to detect the presence of chemical agents in the air, and these are used to help assure worker protection and the safety of the local population. Exposure limits for all chemical agents are low, sometimes nanograms per cubic meter for worker control limits and picograms per cubic meter for general population limits. There are three types of monitoring used in the USA: alarm, confirmation, and historical. Alarm monitors are required to give relatively immediate real-time responses to agent leaks. They are simple to operate and rugged, and provide an alarm in near real-time (generally a few minutes). Alarm monitors for the demilitarization program are based on sorbent pre-concentration followed by thermal desorption and simple gas chromatography. Alarms may need to be confirmed by another method, such as sample tubes collocated with the alarm monitor and analyzed in a laboratory by more sophisticated chromatography. Sample tubes are also used for historical perimeter monitoring, with sample periods typically of 12 h. The most common detector is the flame photometric detector, in sulfur or phosphorous mode, although others, such as mass-selective detectors, also have been used. All agents have specific problems with collection, chromatography and detection. Monitoring is not made easier by interferences from pesticide spraying, busy roadways or military firing ranges. Exposure limits drive the requirements for analytical sensitivity. Lowering limits adds additional difficulties to the monitoring efforts. The various monitoring methods and the role they play in ensuring worker and general population safety are discussed.

Chemical Warfare Agents↗
PubMed2001

The injury pattern of a new law enforcement weapon: the police bean bag.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: This case series describes the injury pattern of the police bean bag, a new weapon adopted by US law enforcement agencies. METHODS: Retrospective chart review between 1996 and 2000 identified bean bag injuries. Autopsy data were gathered for 1 fatality. Circumstances of the shootings, toxicology results, and psychiatric diagnoses, if any, were recorded. RESULTS: Thirty-nine men and 1 woman between the ages of 16 and 77 years were shot by officers of either the Los Angeles Police Department or the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. The fatality was caused by massive hemothorax after thoracic penetration. The locations of serious penetrating injuries included the thoracic cavity, eye, abdomen, arm, and leg. Blunt injuries included splenic rupture, pneumothorax, compartment syndrome, testicular fracture, subcapsular liver hematoma, and cardiac contusion. Complications included hemothorax, pneumopericardium, wound infection, compartment syndrome, and osteomyelitis. Psychiatric consultation was requested for 27 (69.2%) of 39 surviving patients. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) Axis I was used for diagnosis in all 27 patients. Psychosis was diagnosed in 16 (59.3%), suicidal ideation in 15 (55.6%), and major depression in 6 (22.2%) of the 27 cases. Schizophrenia had previously been diagnosed in 7 (25.9%) of the 27 cases. All but 1 of the patients had toxicology screenings performed, and the results of 29 (74.4%) of 39 were positive. Of these 29 positive results, 15 (51.7%) were positive for alcohol and 8 (27.6%) were positive for cocaine. CONCLUSION: Awareness of the broad scope of potential injuries mandates a thorough evaluation of both blunt and penetrating trauma in patients shot with police bean bags. The scope of these injuries raises significant public health considerations because use of this weapon has been adopted by law enforcement agencies in all 50 states and at least 10 countries.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Hospital preparedness for weapons of mass destruction incidents: an initial assessment.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We performed an assessment of hospital preparedness for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region III. METHODS: Interviews of hospital personnel were completed in 30 hospitals. Data collected included level of preparedness, mass decontamination capabilities, training of hospital staff, and facility security capabilities. RESULTS: No respondents believed their sites were fully prepared to handle a biologic incident, 73% (22/30) believed they were not prepared to manage a chemical weapons incident, and 73% believed they were unprepared to handle a nuclear event. If a WMD incident were to occur, 73% of respondents stated a single-room decontamination process would be set up. Four (13%) hospitals (all rural) reported no decontamination plans. WMD preparedness had been incorporated into hospital disaster plans by 27% (8/30) of facilities. Eighty-seven percent (26/30) believed their emergency department could manage 10 to 50 casualties at once. Only 1 facility had stockpiled any medications for WMD treatment. All facilities had established networks of communication. No hospital had preprepared media statements specific to WMD. Nearly one fourth (7/30) stated that their hospital staff had some training in WMD event management. All reported need for WMD-specific training but identified obstacles to achieving this. Seventy-seven percent (23/30) of hospitals had a facility security plan in place, and half were able to perform a hospital-wide lock down. Ninety-six percent (29/30) reported no awareness regarding the threat of a secondary device. CONCLUSION: Hospitals in this sample do not appear to be prepared to handle WMD events, especially in areas such as mass decontamination, mass medical response, awareness among health care professionals, health communications, and facility security. Further research is warranted, including a detailed assessment of WMD preparedness using a statistically valid sample representative of hospital emergency personnel at the national level.

Biological Warfare↗
PubMed2006

The allometry of ornaments and weapons.

Exaggerated male traits that have evolved under sexual selection include ornaments to attract mates and weapons to deter rivals. Data from studies of many such traits in diverse kinds of organisms show that they almost universally exhibit positive allometries. Both ornaments and weapons increase disproportionately with overall body size, resulting in scaling exponents within species that are consistently >1.0 and usually in the range 1.5-2.5. We show how scaling exponents reflect the relative fitness advantages of ornaments vs. somatic growth by using a simple mathematical model of resource allocation during ontogeny. Because the scaling exponents are similar for the different taxonomic groups, it follows that the fitness advantages of investing in ornaments also are similar. The model also shows how selection for ornaments influences body size at first reproduction and explains why interspecific allometries have consistently lower exponents than intraspecific ones.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Evolutionary trade-off between weapons and testes.

It has long been recognized that male mating competition is responsible for the evolution of weaponry for mate acquisition. However, when females mate with more than one male, competition between males can continue after mating in the form of sperm competition. Theory predicts that males should increase their investment in sperm production as sperm competition is increased, but it assumes that males face a trade-off between sperm production and other life-history traits such as mate acquisition. Here, we use a genus of horned beetle, Onthophagus, to examine the trade-off between investment in testes required for fertilizations and investment in weapons used to obtain matings. In a within-species study, we prevented males from developing horns and found that these males grew larger and invested relatively more in testes growth than did males allowed to grow horns. Among species, there was no general relationship between the relative sizes of horns and testes. However, the allometric slope of horn size on body size was negatively associated with the allometric slope of testes size on body size. We suggest that this reflects meaningful evolutionary changes in the developmental mechanisms regulating trait growth, specifically in the degree of nutrition-dependent phenotypic plasticity versus canalization of traits. Finally, we show how this resource allocation trade-off has influenced the evolutionary diversification of weapons, revealing a rich interplay between developmental trade-offs and both pre- and postmating mechanisms of sexual competition.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Can laboratory findings on eyewitness testimony be generalized to the real world? An archival analysis of the influence of violence, weapon presence, and age on eyewitness accuracy.

The authors conducted 2 studies to assess the effects of levels of violence, the presence of a weapon, and the age of the witness on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony in real-life crime situations. Descriptions of offenders were taken from eyewitnesses' statements obtained by the police and were compared with the actual details of the same offenders obtained on arrest. The results showed that eyewitnesses tended to recall the offenders' hairstyle and hair color most accurately. None of the effects for the level of violence, the presence of a weapon, or age approached statistical significance, with the exception that, in the 1st study, accuracy in describing hair color was better when associated with high levels of violence and in cases of rape. It is argued that caution must be exercised in generalizing from laboratory studies of eyewitness testimony to actual crime situations.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Export controls and biological weapons: new roles, new challenges.

This article considers the value of export controls in reducing the threat of biological weapons. It concludes that export control through export licensing is an essential element in the overall strategy to limit the spread of biological weapons. Modifications to existing export control systems can maximize the usefulness of export controls for limiting the threat of biological warfare and bioterrorism. Export controls are useful only within a broader strategy that includes both an arms control dimension and military defensive preparedness.

Australia↗
PubMed1998

Verifying compliance to the biological and toxin weapons convention.

There are difficult technical problems inherent in verifying compliance to the Biological Weapons and Toxin Convention (BWC) that are making it difficult to reach international agreement on a verification protocol. A compliance regime will most likely involve the formation of an Organization for the Prevention of Biological Warfare (OPBW). Based in part on the experience of UNSCOM in Iraq, this article considers the value of establishing an OPBW and the problems that would be faced by such an international organization. It also reviews the types of verification measures that might be applied by the OPBW and their limitations and benefits for deterring biological weapons programs.

Biological Warfare↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Scene safety in the face of automatic weapons fire: a new dilemma for EMS?

OBJECTIVE: To describe the EMS response to a large-scale shooting incident involving military-style weapons. METHODS: Descriptive review. RESULTS: Twenty ambulances, nine engine companies, and three helicopters responded to this incident. Ten police officers and nine civilians were wounded, all of whom required transport to nearby hospitals. Two gunmen were shot and pronounced dead at the scene. No EMS personnel were injured. CONCLUSION: Incidents involving military-style weapons pose a unique challenge for prehospital care providers who must care for injured civilians and law enforcement personnel while maintaining their own safety. Use of the Incident Command System, establishment of a liaison with law enforcement, and the provision of protective gear for EMS personnel are vital to effectively and safely manage these types of incidents.

Automation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Verification of the biological weapons convention: what is needed?

The lack of transparency and verification of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) is one factor behind the current weakening of the ban on biological weapons. Despite recent setbacks, governments need to fill the verification gap so that violations of the BWC can be detected and deterred. Continued talks on a strong verification mechanism for the BWC should aim for an open verification regime and one that is flexible enough to adapt to new technical and political circumstances. Effective monitoring of compliance with the BWC will require concerted effort by governments and civil society.

Biological Warfare↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Closing loopholes in the Biological Weapons Convention.

The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) received two major blows in the past months. Negotiations for a protocol to strengthen the BTWC came to a halt and the Fifth Review Conference was unable to reach agreement on a final declaration. In addition, ongoing research projects, predominantly in the United States, are threatening to undermine the comprehensive ban on the development, production and use of biological weapons. This article provides two examples of research that exploit perceived loopholes in the BTWC or impinge on the scope of the Convention, namely the planned use of biological agents for forced drug eradication and the development of anti-material agents.

Biological Warfare↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The Biological Weapons Convention after November 2002.

The Fifth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention, in November 2002, was the first to fail to produce a Final Document. It saw heated debate on non-compliance with the spirit of the prohibitions that it enshrines and marked the collapse of almost ten years of negotiations attempting to create a Protocol to strengthen the Convention. What was to emerge was a new process, very different from the traditional tools of arms control. This article examines the events that culminated in this drastic new approach, details the nature of this new process and discusses the possible short-, medium- and long-term impact of these events on the norm against the weaponization of disease.

Biological Warfare↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A framework for the assessment of non-lethal weapons.

In many government, police and military circles, attention is being given to so-called 'non-lethal' weapons as means of reducing many of the negative effects directly or indirectly associated with the use of force. Despite the purported ability of the adoption of such weaponry to lessen grounds for contention and concern, past experience suggests the need for scepticism regarding the purported benefits. Rather than relying on poorly substantiated claims, comprehensive procedures are needed to ensure the appropriateness of force options. This article outlines some of the institutional structures required for 'carefully evaluating' and 'carefully controlling' non-lethal weapons, with a discussion of the perennial tensions associated with ensuring the relative 'acceptability' of the use of force.

Conflict, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Health implications of small arms and light weapons in eastern Uganda.

Injuries due to small arms and light weapons (SALW) are common in developing countries with ongoing collective violence, or those that exist in a post-conflict state. Uganda has a long history of armed conflict, but little quantitative evidence is available about the extent of the problem of SALW. We performed a review of all injuries due to SALW at Mbale Regional Hospital in eastern Uganda for the six-year period 1998-2003. Using a standardised questionnaire, we recorded information from over 200 cases concerning the characteristics of the victim, the incident, the weapon used and the care received. The majority involved males and occurred in the context of conflict within tribal communities, or armed robberies throughout the region. Each injury is of significant cost to the healthcare system and to the victim. Prevention, through limiting the availability of the 'vector' of disease (SALW), is a key part of the solution to this problem.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Blinding laser weapons.

At its October 1995 Review Conference, the Convention on Conventional Weapons added a protocol banning the use and transfer of blinding laser weapons. The background to, and significance and limitations of this ban are discussed.

Blindness↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Puff the magic dragon: how our understanding of fallout, residual and induced radiation evolved over fifty years of nuclear weapons testing.

Radiobiological science has proceeded on empirical principles since health physics became a necessary professional adjunct to the military and civilian uses of nuclear energy in the aftermath of the detonations at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This paper reviews the data which gradually emerged indicating that early assumptions about the detonation of atomic and nuclear weapons underestimated the significance of fallout, residual and induced radiation as health hazards. Many of these assumptions are being examined in three test cases concerning veterans of United Kingdom atomic and nuclear weapons tests heard by the European Court of Human Rights in November 1997.

History, 20th Century↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The glass bead game: nuclear tourism at the Australian weapon test sites.

In mid-summer 1997, just as the United States National Cancer Institute was acknowledging that the nuclear bomb tests at the Nevada Test Site may ultimately cause up to 75,000 cases of thyroid cancer in people who were living in the USA in the 1950s and 1960s, the Australian authorities were mooting the possibility that the Maralinga test sites in South Australia should become a tourist attraction. Some Aboriginal tribal leaders welcomed this proposed use when the 20 million Pounds 'clean-up' being paid for by the United Kingdom government as some compensation for using the area for its weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s is completed. This paper surveys the attempts to clean up the site of UK nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s, not least by attempting to vitrify vast tracts of desert.

Australia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nuclear weapons and the law.

The history of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is summarized, with a discussion of some of its earlier Advisory Opinions. The Advisory Opinion on the legality of nuclear arms is considered in the light of the principles of international humanitarian law and a review of nuclear weapons effects. The present government's position on nuclear weapons as outlined in the Strategic Defence Review (which ignores the issue of legality) is examined critically.

Humans↗