Defence Life Science Journal
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CBRN Security, Human Factor, and the New Focus on Security Culture
Get PDFSecurity analysts worldwide are increasingly concerned that terrorist groups, in pursuit of more stupefying shows of strength and resolve, might seek access to CBRN materials. Of these, nuclear (N) materials, as a rule, are far better protected than the others. Yet, much of the concern about materials security revolves around nuclear rather than radiological (R), chemical (C) or biological (B). In part, this benign neglect of dangers from B, R, and N materials stems from the fact that we are surrounded by them in their civilian/industrial forms, and are comfortable and familiar with them in everyday life
Breakthrough Studies of Methyl Salicylate and DMMP Mixed in Methyl Salicylate with Pressure Swing Adsorption Composed of 13X Molecular Sieves
Get PDFA test procedure for pressure swing adsorption (PSA) was established and elucidated for the air purification using methyl salicylate (MeS) and 5% (v/v) dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP) in MeS containing air stream as feed. The effect of feed flow rate was studied by varying the flow from 5 lpm to 20 lpm, for both the molecules at 25 oC and 4 kg/cm2. The results revealed that the flow rate had a significant influence on the breakthrough time. A method was developed for the determination of feed, purge, and dry air composition, by the solvent extraction method using the XAD-2 and the average concentrations reported. The 13X molecular sieves were characterised for its structural and textural properties such as BET- SA, XRD, and FT-IR. The temperature programmed desorption of DMMP and MeS on 13X clearly demonstrated that it was easily regenerated at ~320 °C after prolonged field operation of PSA. The PSA results obtained with PSA composed molecular sieves appeared to give promising technology for air purification and specifically to the chemical warfare agents simulants
Emerging Potable Water Technologies
Get PDFWater is essential to keep up life, especially safe drinking water is one of the first priorities. As water quality is important, many nations endeavor to guard the water and to increase access to potable water. Fortification of water supplies from contamination is the earliest stripe of defence. Water purification is very important aspect, presently there are number of drinking water technologies available mostly based on ion exchange, ultra filtration and reverse osmosis techniques, but still about five million people die annually from water born diseases. The objective of this review is to provide direction on the chemical safety of drinking-water and also monitoring of chemicals in drinking-water. Water treatment potential technologies can solve diverse drinking water issues in case of chemical contamination, which is the second objective. The purpose of this review is to make survey of currently available and future emerging technologies for drinking water. Several purification techniques have been adopted to meet the standards. There is a necessity of wide-ranging global approach to tackle the problem of water pollution devastating thousand of lives annually rather than to develop nuclear and biological weapons. This document will also be useful to public health authorities, those responsible for setting standards and for surveillance of drinking-water quality, and to water supply agencies responsible for water quality management
Dose and Time-dependent Alterations in Various Cholinergic and Non-cholinergic Markers after Organophosphate Poisoning: Possible Role in Diagnosis
Get PDFToxicity of organophosphates (OP) is mainly ascribed to inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme at the cholinergic synapses. This results in cholinergic crisis leading to various muscarinic, nicotinic and central effects. Additionally, there are several non-cholinergic effects of OP which are likely to exacerbate the toxicity and complicate diagnosis. The present study reports the dose (0.125 - 4.0 LD50) and time (1 h - 14 d)- dependent acute effect of diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP) on mice body weight, organ-body weight index (brain), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and β-glucoronidase (BG) activity in plasma, AChE activity, reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in brain, and DNA damage in brain (agarose gel electrophoresis) and blood (comet assay). The study reveals a dose and time- dependent BChE inhibition up to 24 h and AChE inhibition up to 7 d. However, elevated BG levels were observed up to 1 h only after 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 LD50 DFP. Diminished GSH levels up to 24 h and increased MDA levels at 4 h indicated oxidative stress. None of the treatments produced any DNA damage in soft tissues. In addition to cholinesterase, the study suggests possible relevance of measuring BG levels (non-cholinergic marker) in the diagnosis of OP poisoning
Comparative Toxicity of Bis-pyridinium Acetamide Derivatives in Human Cell Lines and their Acute Toxicity in Swiss Albino Mice
Get PDFHaving established the antidotal efficacy of 2-(hydroxyimino)-N-(pyridin-3-yl)acetamide (HNK oximes) against Diisopropylphosphorofluoridate (DFP) and sarin poisoning. Toxicity of HNK series and 2-PAM oximes on Human cell lines and Swiss male mice i.e. in vitro and in vivo to reported. Toxicity of the oximes was investigated in Hela, Hep G2 and HEK 293 cell lines and compared with most commonly used 2-PAM. Median lethal doses (LD50) of the oximes (2-PAM, HNK-102, HNK-106, and HNK-111) were also determined following intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intravenous and oral routes of administration. All tested oximes showed no cytotoxic effect on all three cell lines in concentrations up to 0.05 mg/mL. At higher dose (0.5 mg/mL), HNK-102 found to be less toxic thus safer than 2-PAM and other oximes in all the three cell lines. In corroboration with in vitro finding, HNK-102 was found to be least toxic compared to other oximes via intra-peritoneal and intravenous routes of administration. Also, HNK-102 was found to be unequivocally safer compared to that of 2-PAM through i.m. and i.p. routes. For all tested oximes, toxicity following oral route, was found to be lower compared to injections, signifying that these are safer and convenient compounds for administration. These finding also suggested that HNK-102 is safer and better lead as an antidote compared to 2-PAM, against OP intoxicants
Pressure Swing Adsorption Based Air Filtration/Purification Systems for NBC Collective Protection
Get PDFThe respiratory protection against chemical warfare agents (CWA) has become a worldwide security concern in light of the many recent international threats utilising CWA. Till date the carbon filtration was adequate to protect the soldiers from the threats of CWA. With the advent of further advancements in the CWA a new threat is looming large that is known as the carbon breakers. pressure swing adsorption (PSA) is a well-established gas separation technique in air separation, gas drying, and hydrogen purification separation. Recently, PSA technology has been applied in the area of chem-bio defence by virtue of its unique advantages. This article reviews recent advances and developments in the field of PSA based purification, separation, and its use in defense sector. This emerging and advanced PSA technology can provide regenerative nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) collective protection for ground vehicles, aircraft, ships and shelters. This PSA technology challenges threat scenario developed which includes nerve, blood and blister agents, as well as a “carbon breaker” agent, and proved that this technology will be a viable concept for future NBC collective protection systems. New technological breakthroughs and greater sophistication of PSA technologies will transform the collective protection based PSA technology in real field sense, addressing the escalating threat of CWA. We conclude this review with future prospects and challenges associated with PSA technology
Refractoriness of Indian Aedes aegypti to Oral Infection with Yellow Fever Virus 17D Strain
Get PDFYellow fever virus (YFV) is the causative agent of yellow fever. It is one of the most important hemorrhagic arboviral infection of global public health significance. It is categorised under category ‘C’ of potential bioterrorism agent. Effect of geographical variation on vector competence in Ae. aegypti has been well documented for several viruses including YFV. In the present study, the vector competence of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes collected from Gwalior, India for YFV 17D vaccine strain was evaluated to understand the risk of its transmission. Further the risk associated with transmission of YFV 17D vaccine strain from viremic vaccinees to mosquitoes and subsequently to naive individuals was assessed. Ae. aegypti were orally infected with high titer of YFV 17D strain and the infection status was investigated at 7 and 14 day post infection (dpi) using a highly sensitive quantitative RT-PCR assay. None of the Ae. aegypti mosquito orally infected with YFV 17D strain was found to be positive for YFV. The infection rate was found to be zero per cent at both 7 dpi and 14 dpi. These results demonstrated the inability of the YFV 17D strain to cause infection or replication in the midgut of Ae. aegypti. Due to the highly attenuated replication of this strain in Ae. aegypti midgut, there is a minimal risk of its transmission. Further, it is unlikely for a mosquito that feeds on a viremic vaccine to get infected with this vaccine strain. The risk of transmission of YFV 17D strain by Indian Ae. aegypti mosquitoes is negligible. Further vector competence study using epidemic strain of YFV will aid in risk assessment analysis of YFV in India
Biopesticides: Use of Rhizosphere Bacteria for Biological Control of Plant Pathogens
Get PDFThe pesticides used to control pests and diseases are also implicated in ecological, environmental and human health hazards. To reduce the deleterious effects of these agrochemicals, certain antagonistic microorganisms have been characterised from rhizosphere of different crop plants that suppress various plant diseases and thus, minimize the use of pesticides. The application of these specific antagonistic microorganisms in biological control of soilborne pathogens has been studied intensively in the last two decades. These beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms inhibit the pathogenic bacteria and fungi by producing antibiotics, bacteriocins, siderophores, hydrolytic enzymes and other secondary metabolites. The efficiency of these biocontrol products can be improved by manipulation of the environment, using mixtures of beneficial organisms, physiological and genetic enhancement of the biocontrol mechanisms, manipulation of formulations and integration of biocontrol with other alternative methods that provide additive effects. These biocontrol agents could be effectively utilised in sustainable agriculture for improving growth of crop plants
Role of Growth Factor Signaling in Cancer
Get PDFGrowth factors may be defined as any group of protein that stimulate the growth of specific tissues and play an important role in promoting cellular differentiation and cellular division. Growth factors impart one of the important hallmark of cancer i.e sustaining proliferative signaling. They may act through paracrine, autocrine and endocrine signaling to effect growth and proliferation of cancer cells. They may act through various signaling cascades like MAPK, PI3K/AKT, JAK/STAT etc to activate their downstream mediates affecting various pathlogical and physiological functions. Abrupt signaling patterns of growth factors can induce oncogenic transformations. An enhanced understanding of these pathways can help targeting neoplastic transformation at an early stage. This review summarizes various mechanisms for targeted therapeutics against growth factor in cancer and their future prospective.