Experiments simulating radioactive dirty bomb explosions in an urban area were performed at the National Institute of NBC Protection (SUJCHBO v.v.i.), Czech Republic. A solution containing 99mTc radionuclide was dispersed by an explosion on an open-air model of a square covered with filters. Subsequently, spectra of gamma rays originating in contaminated filters were measured by a hand-held NaI(Tl) spectrometer and laboratory HPGe spectrometers. The ambient dose equivalent rate at measuring vessels was set as well. Self-made standards had been prepared by dripping a defined amount of 99mTc solution uniformly on the filters to set the 99mTc surface contamination of measured samples. The urban area model's radioactive contamination map was set using previously determined filters' locations. The defined amount of 99mTc solution was dripped non-homogenously on some filters to estimate the impact of non-homogenous filters' coverage by radioactive aerosol' particles.

• MeSH
• Academies and Institutes MeSH
• Explosions MeSH
• Nuclear Weapons * MeSH
• Radiation Monitoring * MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

The incidence of explosions in large agglomerations is high even during peacetime and continues rising. Blast syndrome injuries are complex, with shock wave causing severe injuries of multiple organ systems. In situations with large numbers of injured persons, effective triage allows an early diagnosis and treatment of the highest number of victims. Treatment is challenging, and potentially conflicting therapeutic goals may alternate. This review provides an overview of the pathophysiology of blast injuries, current diagnostic algorithms and therapeutic procedures.

• Keywords
• blast syndrome, explosion, multiple injuries, treatment, type 2 diabetes,
• MeSH
• Explosions MeSH
• Incidence MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Blast Injuries * diagnosis   etiology   therapy   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

Autoerotic deaths refer to fatalities occurring during individual, solitary sexual activity, in which some device, situation, or act is used to gain or boost the sexual arousal of the subject. Anorectal autoeroticism is an autoerotic paraphilic activity that pertains to the self-insertion of various objects into the anal canal and rectal cavity to gain or heighten the subject's sexual drive. Although most foreign bodies inserted into the rectum do not cause significant injury, the introduction of some objects into the rectum might have unpredictable and even fatal effects. In this paper, we describe an intriguing autoerotic case of a 35-year-old male who sustained an explosive rectal trauma as a result of the unanticipated bursting of an expandable rubber pipe stopper that he inserted into his rectum and hyperinflated via an air blow gun connected through a pressure pipe to a centralized air-distribution system. The man sustained a circular abruption of the rectum with partial avulsion of the abdominal wall, associated with bleeding into the abdominal cavity and chest wall, and died before admission to the hospital. A police investigation revealed that the victim was a regular contributor to several web forums dedicated to unusual sexual activities. This case raises awareness of the broadening spectrum of methods and experiments associated with autoerotic behavior. We also reviewed the literature pertaining to this topic and outlined some of the characteristics of atypical autoerotic deaths. Although certain autoerotic methods are relatively common, other unusual autoerotic techniques may present novel challenges within the medicolegal field.

• Keywords
• Anal autoeroticism, Anal explosion, Anal sadomasochism, Autoerotic fatality, Foreign object insertion, Lethal paraphilic syndrome,
• MeSH
• Foreign Bodies complications   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Explosions * MeSH
• Fatal Outcome MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Masturbation * MeSH
• Pneumothorax pathology   MeSH
• Blast Injuries pathology   MeSH
• Rectum injuries   pathology   MeSH
• Accidents MeSH
• Embolism, Air pathology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Case Reports MeSH

BACKGROUND: To improve care for the injured service member, we have analyzed battle casualty patterns and mechanisms. This study is the first documented report of wounding patterns and mechanisms of battle casualties treated at the Dutch role 2 enhanced medical treatment facility at the multi-national base Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan, Afghanistan. METHODS: Participants were selected from the trauma registry at the Dutch role 2 enhanced medical treatment facility if they fitted the criteria 'battle casualty' and 'disease non-battle injury' between August 2006 and August 2010. RESULTS: The trauma registry query resulted in 2,736 casualties, of which 60 % (N = 1,635) were classified as 'disease non-battle casualties' and 40 % (N = 1,101) as 'battle casualties'. The battle casualties sustained 1,617 combat wounds, resulting in 1.6 wounds per battle casualty. These injuries were predominately caused by explosions (55 %) and gunshots (35 %). The wounding pattern was as follows: head and neck (21 %), thorax (13 %), abdomen (14 %), upper extremity (20 %), and lower extremity (33 %). CONCLUSIONS: The wounding patterns seen at the Dutch role 2 enhanced medical treatment facility at the multi-national base Tarin Kowt resemble the patterns as recorded by other coalition partners. The wounding patterns differ with previous conflicts: a greater proportion of head and neck wounds, and a lower proportion of truncal wounds.

• MeSH
• Lower Extremity injuries   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Explosions MeSH
• Upper Extremity injuries   MeSH
• Incidence MeSH
• Craniocerebral Trauma epidemiology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Military Personnel statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Abdominal Injuries epidemiology   MeSH
• Thoracic Injuries epidemiology   MeSH
• Blast Injuries epidemiology   MeSH
• Registries MeSH
• Wounds, Gunshot epidemiology   MeSH
• Afghan Campaign 2001- MeSH
• Hospitals, Military statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Afghanistan epidemiology   MeSH
• Australia MeSH
• Czech Republic MeSH
• France MeSH
• Netherlands MeSH
• United Kingdom MeSH
• United States MeSH

In this paper, the decomposition reaction models and thermal hazard properties of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX) and its PBXs bonded by Formex P1, Semtex 1A, C4, Viton A and Fluorel polymer matrices have been investigated based on isoconversional and combined kinetic analysis methods. The established kinetic triplets are used to predict the constant decomposition rate temperature profiles, the critical radius for thermal explosion and isothermal behavior at a temperature of 82°C. It has been found that the effect of the polymer matrices on the decomposition mechanism of RDX is significant resulting in very different reaction models. The Formex P1, Semtex and C4 could make decomposition process of RDX follow a phase boundary controlled reaction mechanism, whereas the Viton A and Fluorel make its reaction model shifts to a two dimensional Avrami-Erofeev nucleation and growth model. According to isothermal simulations, the threshold cook-off time until loss of functionality at 82°C for RDX-C4 and RDX-FM is less than 500 days, while it is more than 700 days for the others. Unlike simulated isothermal curves, when considering the charge properties and heat of decomposition, RDX-FM and RDX-C4 are better than RDX-SE in storage safety at arbitrary surrounding temperature.

• Keywords
• Isothermal, Kinetics, PBXs, RDX, Reaction models, Thermal explosion,
• MeSH
• Explosions MeSH
• Kinetics MeSH
• Polymers chemistry   MeSH
• Models, Theoretical MeSH
• Temperature MeSH
• Triazines chemistry   MeSH
• Explosive Agents chemistry   MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• cyclonite MeSH Browser
• Polymers MeSH
• Triazines MeSH
• Explosive Agents MeSH

• MeSH
• History, 20th Century MeSH
• Accidents, Traffic * history   MeSH
• Explosions * history   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• National Socialism * history   MeSH
• Autopsy * MeSH
• Blast Injuries history   pathology   MeSH
• Cause of Death * MeSH
• Anniversaries and Special Events MeSH
• Famous Persons * MeSH
• Check Tag
• History, 20th Century MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Biography MeSH
• Letter MeSH
• Historical Article MeSH
• Portrait MeSH

• About
• Heydrich, Reinhard

The pretreatment methods for enhancing biogas production from oat straw under study include hot maceration, steam explosion, and pressure shockwaves. The micropore area (9, 55, and 64 m(2) g(-1)) inhibitor formations (0, 15, and 0 mL L(-1)) as well as the overall methane yields (67, 179, and 255 CH4 VS t(-1)) were robustly analyzed. It was confirmed that the operating conditions of the steam explosion must be precisely tailored to the substrate. Furthermore, it was beneficial to prepend the hot maceration before the steam explosion and the pressure shockwaves. The second alternative may give increased methane yields (246 in comparison to 273 CH4 VS t(-1)); however, the application of pressure shockwaves still faces limitations for deployment on a commercial scale.

• MeSH
• Anaerobiosis MeSH
• Biochemical Phenomena MeSH
• Biofuels * MeSH
• Explosions MeSH
• Fermentation MeSH
• Methane analysis   MeSH
• Refuse Disposal methods   MeSH
• Avena MeSH
• Steam MeSH
• High-Energy Shock Waves MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Biofuels * MeSH
• Methane MeSH
• Steam MeSH

The authors have analyzed the data files of 580 child patients up to 15 years of age who were hospitalized at the Burn Center of the FNsP Hospital in Ostrava in the years 1999 - 2003. The authors focused on mechanisms of burn injury in relation to the age of a child as well as extent, depth, localization, and local treatment of the injury. The data file was divided to four age groups: up to two years of age, 2 - 5 years of age, 5 - 10 years of age, and 10 - 15 years of age. As regards the mechanisms of injury, the authors have analyzed scalding by hot liquids, burns due to contact with a hot object, burns due to electric current, explosion, and injury caused by burning clothing. Injury by scalding prevails to a very significant degree in the youngest children. In the second age group the incidence of burn following contact with hot objects increases, as does the percentage of children injured by burning of clothing in children aged 5 - 10. The older children have increased prevalence of injuries caused by explosions. The greatest average extent of an injury is from burning of clothing. Most of the areas are burned deeply, localized in more areas of the body, and almost half of the cases required surgical intervention. Scalding comes second in terms of average extent of an injury. More than half of the injured areas are superficial, and areas of injury are different in the individual age groups. We addressed about a fifth of the cases surgically. The explosion of combustible materials caused a smaller extent of injury, on average, taking third place. The injuries were predominantly superficial, most commonly involving the head, trunk, and upper extremities. In none of the cases it was necessary for us to operate. Burn injuries caused by contact with hot objects are of a smaller extent. More than half of the burned areas are deep, localized most commonly in the upper extremities. Surgical intervention was necessary in more than half the cases. In terms of average extent of an injury, the smallest burn injuries are caused by electric current. However, these injuries are deep, and surgical intervention was necessary in all cases.

• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Explosions statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Craniocerebral Trauma epidemiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Burns, Electric epidemiology   surgery   MeSH
• Burns epidemiology   surgery   MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Retrospective Studies MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic epidemiology   MeSH

The paper presents a set of some literature data and the authors' own experimental results of stability, sensitivity and explosion parameters of energetic Mannich N-bases, 3,7-dinitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (DPT), 3,7-dinitroso-1,3,5,7-tetraazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (DNPT) and hexamethylenetetramine dinitrate (HEXADI). Both their chemical and thermal reactivities are discussed. The results of small-scale cook-off test, determination of initiation ability, detonation velocity, impact sensitivity and performance show that the lowest process safety risks are connected with HEXADI.

• MeSH
• Alkanes chemistry   MeSH
• Safety MeSH
• Explosions * MeSH
• Risk Assessment MeSH
• Nitroso Compounds chemistry   MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Alkanes MeSH
• Nitroso Compounds MeSH
• nonane MeSH Browser

The objective of this work was to inform about the performance of the rescue service, in collaboration with other members of an integrated rescue system, in responding to an event in which several subjects suffered burn injuries. Proper organization of the work by a doctor of the rescue group at the site of the explosion, the work of the rescue service dispatchers, and the coordination of the activities of the different rescue teams are the prerequisite for the successful avoidance of the sequelae of mass disasters.

• MeSH
• Explosions * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Burns therapy   MeSH
• Accidents, Occupational * MeSH
• Textiles MeSH
• Emergency Medical Services * MeSH
• Rescue Work * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH