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Background: In radiological emergencies with radionuclide incorporation, decorporation treatment is particularly effective if started early. Treating all people potentially contaminated ("urgent treatment") may require large antidote stockpiles. An efficacious way to reduce antidote requirements is by using radioactivity screening equipment. We analyzed the suitability of such equipment for triage purposes and determined the most efficient mix of screening units and antidote daily doses. Methods: The committed effective doses corresponding to activities within the detection limits of monitoring portals and mobile whole-body counters were used to assess their usefulness as triage tools. To determine the optimal resource mix, we departed from a large-scale scenario (60,000 victims) and based on purchase prices of antidotes and screening equipment in Germany, we calculated efficiencies of different combinations of medical countermeasure resources by data envelopment analysis. Cost-effectiveness was expressed as the costs per life year saved and compared to risk reduction opportunities in other sectors of society as well as the values of a statistical life. Results: Monitoring portals are adequate instruments for a sensitive triage after cesium-137 exposure with a high screening throughput. For the detection of americium-241 whole-body counters with a lower daily screening capacity per unit are needed. Assuming that 1% of the potentially contaminated patients actually need decorporation treatment, an efficient resource mix includes 6 monitoring portals and 25 mobile whole-body counters. The optimum mix depends on price discounts and in particular the fraction of victims actually needing treatment. The cost-effectiveness of preparedness for a "dirty bomb" attack is less than for common health care, but costs for a life year saved are less than for many risk-reduction interventions in the environmental sector. Conclusion: To achieve economic efficiency a high daily screening capacity is of major importance to substantially decrease the required amount of antidote doses. Among the determinants of the number of equipment units needed, the fraction of the potentially contaminated victims that actually needs treatment is the most difficult to assess. Judging cost-effectiveness of the preparedness for "dirty bomb" attacks is an issue of principle that must be dealt with by political leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violence by far-right extremists has risen globally and domestically in recent years. While most media and academic attention has focused on mass shootings and other deadly conventional attacks, far-right non-state actors have also considered developing chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. Some far-right extremists have suggested using radiological devices, often referred to as "weapons of mass disruption," as one means to achieve their ideological goals. Although radiological plots and successful attacks have rarely occurred, the presence of unsecured radioactive sources across the United States augments the danger of this type of terrorism. To explore dimensions of the radiological-weapons threat posed by domestic far-right extremists, this paper studies three illustrative cases of possible radiological-weapons pursuit since 2008, aiming to identify lessons from these incidents. An in-depth examination of the cases reveals foremost that some actors successfully acquired materials needed for a radiological weapon without triggering intervention by authorities. Additionally, although the individuals did not plot in large, hierarchical groups, they had links to other people and organizations that shared their far-right views and allegedly discussed their plans with others. While broad generalizations cannot be made from three cases, these incidents provide concrete examples of the far-right radiological-weapons threat and context for understanding how far-right extremists view the role of CBRN weapons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power station accident, the authors look at how public concern is increasing regarding the health consequences of radiation exposure—such concern, the authors write, is not shaped largely by fear of another Chernobyl, but by the potential use of nuclear weapons, improvised nuclear devices, or stolen conventional radiation sources by rogue states like North Korea and Iran and by terrorists groups like Al Qaeda. The authors, leaders of the US–Soviet medical team that responded to Chernobyl, write about their experience treating the Chernobyl victims and what lessons can be applied to future government strategies. The United States has the medical capacity to respond to a nuclear event like Chernobyl, the authors write, but an adequate medical response to a catastrophic nuclear event would be impossible. Dealing effectively with a nuclear disaster requires diverse strategies including policy decisions, public education, and, as a last resort, medical preparedness and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on threat posed by the possible use of radiological exposure devices (RED) and dirty bombs by terrorists. Topics covered include casualty rate linked with radiological weapons, examples of worst-case scenarios due to the accidental release of radioactive materials, factors that may motivate terrorists to use REDs and dirty bombs, and some of the attempts by terrorists to employ RED or dirty bomb in their attacks.

Abstract Mapping radioactive contamination using aerial survey measurements is an area under active investigation today. The radiometric aerial survey technique has been extensively applied following reactor accidents and also would provide a key tool for response to a malicious radiological or nuclear incident. Methods exist to calibrate the aerial survey system for quantification of the concentration of natural radionuclides, which can provide guidance. However, these methods have anticipated a spatial distribution of the source which is large in comparison to the survey altitude. In rapid emergency-response aerial surveys of areas of safety concern, deposits of relatively small spatial extent may be expected. The activity of such spatially restricted hot spots is underestimated using the traditional methods. We present here a spatial deconvolution method which can recover some of the variation smoothed out by the averaging due to survey at altitude. We show that the method can recover the true spatial distribution of concentration of a synthetic source. We then apply the method to real aerial survey data collected following detonation of a radiological dispersal device. The findings and implications of the deconvolution are then discussed by reference to a groundbased truckborne survey over the same contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Assessing the risks of radioactive dose in a radiological dispersal device (RDD) attack requires knowledge of how the radiological materials will be spread through the air surrounding the site of the detonation. Two essential parts of the accurate prediction of the behaviour of this dispersion are a characterization of the initial cloud size, directly after the blast, and detailed modelling of the behaviour of different size particulates. Capturing the transport of contaminants from the initial blast wave is integral to achieving accurate predictions, especially for regions where the blast dynamics dominates, but performing such calculations over a wide range of particle sizes and spatial scales is computationally challenging. Formulation of efficient computational techniques for such advanced models is required to provide predictive tools useful to first responders and emergency planners. In this work, a Multi-Cloud Radiological EXplosive Source (MCREXS) modelling approach for RDD is investigated. This approach combines a stochastic, particle-based, mechanistic model with a standard atmospheric dispersion model. The former is used to characterize the distribution of radioactive material near the source of the explosion, where the blast wind effects are important, while the latter is used to model the transport of the contaminant in the environment over large areas. The particle transport in the near-field of the explosion site is computed based on a Lagrangian description of the particle phase and a reconstructed-Eulerian field for the carrier phase. The information inferred from this physics-based model is then used as a starting point for a subsequent standard Gaussian puff model to calculate the dispersion of the radioactive contaminant. The predictive capabilities of the MCREXS model are assessed against the 2012 DRDC Suffield full-scale RDD experiments. The results demonstrate improved predictions relative to those performed using only a Gaussian puff calculation from an empirical initial cloud distribution. Highlights • A Multi-Cloud Radiological EXplosive Source modelling approach is proposed for RDD. • A reconstructed flow field from a spherical TNT charge describes the carrier phase. • A radiological multi-cloud is obtained by converting contaminant particles to puffs. • Model predictions are assessed against the DRDC Suffield full-scale RDD experiments. • MCREXS improved source term characterization provides more accurate predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The likelihood of an attack by a terrorist organization using a radiological dispersal device (RDD) is much higher than that of an attack with an improvised nuclear device or true nuclear weapon, as much less technical expertise is required to build an RDD. Consequently, there has been an effort to develop methods for age-dating radiological sealed sources in recent years. One such procedure, described by Steeb et al., is used for determining the age of 90Sr sources. That procedure utilized a rather expensive extraction chromatography resin and was based on an uncommon apparatus with limited sample capacity for the separation step. The procedure also left the Zr fraction contaminated with the radioactive 90Y daughter nuclide. The present work investigates using an alternative separation scheme that utilizes a less costly resin in a widely available column configuration and results in the isolation of 90Sr’s stable granddaughter, 90Zr, without 90Y contamination. This allows the zirconium quantification to be done with a mass spectrometer outside the radiological environment and increases the number of instruments capable of making the measurement, which could allow measurements to be made more quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A radiological dispersive device (RDD) spreads radioactive material, complicates the treatment of physical injuries, raises cancer risk, and induces disproportionate fear. Simulating such an event enables more effective and efficient utilization of the triage and treatment resources of staff, facilities, and space. Fast simulation can give detail on events in progress or future events. The resources for triage and treatment of contaminated trauma victims can differ for pure exposure individuals, while discouraging the “worried well” from presenting in the crisis phase by media announcement would relieve pressure on hospital facilities. The proposed methodology integrates capabilities from different platforms in a convergent way composed of three phases: (a) scenario simulation, (b) data generation, and (c) risk assessment for triage focused on follow-up epidemiological assessment. Simulations typically indicate that most of the affected population does not require immediate medical assistance. Medical triage for the few severely injured and the radiological triage to diminish the contamination with radioactivity will always be the priority. For this study, however, higher priorities should be given to individuals from radiological “warm” and “hot” zones as required by risk criteria. The proposed methodology could thus help to (a) filter and reduce the number of individuals to be attended, (b) optimize the prioritization of medical care, (c) reduce or prepare for future costs, (d) effectively locate the operational triage site to avoid possible contamination on the main facility, and (e) provide the scientific data needed to develop an adequate approach to risk and its proper communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nine lines or points related to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear agents (CBRN) pocket response card represents a quick form that the operator can entirely fill with critical information of his investigation during the 5-10 first minutes after his arrival on the scene. The idea is, that, in a very short time, all the necessary information will be shared directly with other emergency services or emergency management services, so that everybody is aware of what they are dealing with, and what kind of equipment and personnel needs to be deployed or dispatched. This card is intended to implement a harmonized model of information flow between first responders, being able to act more quickly in prevention, first aid, and managing the incident at the scene, whether it is an act of terrorism, traffic accident or standard industrial incident. The card will be available for different emergency services, such as police, fire department, civil protection units and emergency first responders. This will help to integrate the different missions that every single emergency management system (EMS) unit has to cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Criminologie, Criminalistica si Penologie is the property of Romanian Society of Criminology & Criminalistics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Romanian Journal of Forensic Science is the property of Romanian Forensic Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Romanian Journal of Forensic Science is the property of Romanian Forensic Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Criminologie, Criminalistica si Penologie is the property of Romanian Society of Criminology & Criminalistics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The modern military battlefields are characterized by the use of nonconventional weapons such as encountered in the conflicts of the Gulf War I and Gulf War II. Recent warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans has introduced radioactive weapons to the modern war zone scenarios. This presents the military medicine with a new area of radioactive warfare with the potential large scale contamination of military and civilian targets with the variety of radioactive isotopes further enhanced by the clandestine use of radioactive materials in the terrorist radioactive warfare. Radioactive dispersal devices (RDDs), including the "dirty bomb," involve the use of organotropic radioisotopes such as iodine 131, cesium 137, strontium 90, and transuranic elements. Some of the current studies of RDDs involve large-scale medical effects, social and economic disruption of the society, logistics of casualty management, cleanup, and transportation preparedness, still insufficiently addressed by the environmental and mass casualty medicine. The consequences of a dirty bomb, particularly in the terrorist use in urban areas, are a subject of international studies of multiple agencies involved in the management of disaster medicine. The long-term somatic and genetic impact of some from among over 400 radioisotopes released in the nuclear fission include somatic and transgenerational genetic effects with the potential challenges of the genomic stability of the biosphere. The global contamination is additionally heightened by the presence of transuranic elements in the modern warzone, including depleted uranium recently found to contain plutonium 239, possibly the most dangerous substance known to man with one pound of plutonium capable of causing 8 billion cancers. The planning for the consequences of radioactive dirty bomb are being currently studied in reference to the alkaline earths, osteotropic, and stem cell hazards of internally deposited radioactive isotopes, in particular uranium and transuranic elements. The spread of radioactive materials in the area of the impact would expose both military and civilian personnel to the blast and dust with both inhalational, somatic, and gastrointestinal exposure, in the aftermath of the deployment of RDDs. The quantities of radioactive materials have proliferated from the original quantity of plutonium first isolated in 1941 from 0.5 mg to the current tens of thousands of kilograms in the strategic nuclear arsenal with the obvious potential consequences to the biosphere and mankind. In an event of RDD employment, the immediate goal of disaster and mass casualty medicine would be a synchronized effort to contain the scope of the event, followed by cleanup and treatment procedures. A pragmatic approach to this problem is not always possible because of unpredictability of the terrorist-use scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reflects on the failure of the arms control approach and suggests a positive program for future action regarding nuclear arms control. The program suggested is a convention on the prohibition of the use of nuclear and radiological weapons. It comments on some issues concerning the convention, including its resemblance to previous proposals and some possible arguments against it.

The article examines the emphasis of civil defense workers on the complexities of radiation detection. It suggests a simplified plan on radiological monitoring for civil defense purposes. The radiological problem of the whole civil defense focuses on quickly establishing which areas are clean and coping with the special conditions existing in areas found to be contaminated. A minimum of two teams per state is suggested to be organized in surveying the scene of an atomic explosion. The duties of the team members and the requirements for wardens during this incident are offered.

A radiological dispersal device (RDD) is a simple weapon capable of causing human harm, environmental contamination, disruption, area denial, and economic cost. It can affect small, large, or long areas depending on atmospheric stability. The risk of developing a radio-induced cancer depends on exposure, and an effective response depends upon available timely guidance. This article proposes and demonstrates a convergence of three different capabilities to assess risk and support rapid safe resource efficient response. The three capabilities that are integrated are Hotspot for dispersion, RERF for epidemiological risk, and RESRAD-RDD for response guidance. The combined methodology supports decisions on risk reduction and resource allocation through work schedules, the designation and composition of response teams, and siting for operations. In the illustrative RDD scenario, the contamination area for sheltering, evacuation, and long-term public concern was greatest for calm atmospheric conditions, whilst close-quarter responders faced highest dose rates for neutral atmospheric conditions. Generally, the risks to women responders were found to be significantly greater than for men, and the risks to 20-year-old responders were three times that of their 60-year-old counterparts for similar exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergency evacuation from airports is an important consideration given the continuing occurrence of both natural and human caused disasters. Unfortunately, the traditional evacuation-drill approach to prepare for emergency situations presents several practical challenges at the scale and magnitude required for airports. In this paper, we present an agent-based model (ABM) called exitus which is capable of determining the extent to which collective behavior and overall evacuation time of passenger groups is affected by changes in the built environment for large, complex structures. The model is unique because it explicitly considers the physical and psychological characteristics of individuals with disabilities. In our first experiment, several bomb simulation scenarios were conducted at an international airport using exitus. Several important findings were revealed including: 1) the importance of stairway and exit configurations; 2) the inherent weaknesses of the pier airport design in affecting timely evacuations; 3) who the most vulnerable groups of people are; 4) the particular risk engendered from crowded or complex building interiors for individuals with disabilities; and 5) the potential problems caused by locating explosive detection system machines near passenger processing areas. The results of a second exploratory experiment also revealed the importance of realistically modeling psychological attributes of individuals with disabilities and their potential impact on collective evacuation performance. Overall the findings demonstrated the model’s ability to generate a common operational picture capable of guiding preparedness efforts for both public and private organizations encompassing a wide variety of professional endeavor. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Potential terror events such as 'dirty bombs' could have significant public health effects, but little is known about how low-literacy populations perceive dirty bombs, their trust in public health or government officials to provide credible information, and their willingness to comply with recommended actions. We surveyed 50 low-literacy adults from a large urban center; they were mostly members of ethnic minority groups. We used unique social marketing methods-perceptual mapping and vector message modeling-to create 3-dimensional models that reflected respondents' knowledge of what a dirty bomb is, their intended behaviors should one occur, and their concerns about complying with 'shelter in place' recommendations. To further understand individual variations in this at-risk group, a k-means cluster analysis was used to identify 3 distinct segments, differing on trust of local authorities and their emergency response, willingness to comply with emergency directives, and trust of information sources. Message strategies targeting each segment were developed to focus on concepts important to moving the groups toward a 'shelter in place' behavior, revealing key differences in how best to communicate with risk communication. We discuss how these methods helped elucidate specific differences in each segment's understanding of and likely response during the event of a 'dirty bomb' and how these techniques can be used to create more effective message strategies targeted to these groups. Potential terror events such as 'dirty bombs' could have significant public health effects, but little is known about how low-literacy populations perceive dirty bombs, their trust in public health or government officials to provide credible information, and their willingness to comply with recommended actions. The authors surveyed 50 low-literacy adults from a large urban center, most of whom were members of ethnic minority groups. They discuss how the techniques they used can help to create more effective message strategies targeted to these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relations between the United States and Russia today are beset by rivalry in almost every sphere, and mutual suspicion reigns. Both parties have shunned arms-reduction talks and are pursuing nuclear modernisation programmes; a new nuclear arms race looms. Yet the two leading nuclear powers have shared interests in checking the proliferation of nuclear weapons and related technologies, as did the US and Soviet Union during the Cold War. This Adelphi book reaches back to episodes of US-Soviet cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation to identify factors that permitted successful joint action, even in circumstances of profound geopolitical rivalry. It includes essays on the collaboration that prevented South Africa from conducting a nuclear-weapon test in 1977; Cold-War-era discussions on peaceful nuclear explosions and the developments that led from the Limited Test-Ban Treaty to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT); negotiating and sustaining the NPT; the establishment of the London Club and nuclear-export controls; bolstering IAEA safeguards; and negotiating the draft Radiological Weapons Convention. From these case studies, the editors identify seven lessons for contemporary policymakers and three immediate challenges that can only be overcome through bilateral cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) Neutron Active Interrogation (NAI) device is a tool designed to improve CBRNE defense. It is designed to uncover radioactive and nuclear threats including those in the form of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), the so-called "dirty bombs". The NAI device, at its current development stage, allows to detect 6 g of 235U hidden in a package. It is easily transportable, light in weight, and with a real-time response. Its working principle is based on two stages: (1) an "active" stage in which neutrons are emitted by a neutron generator to interact with the item under inspection, and (2) a "passive" stage in which secondary neutrons are detected originating a signal that, once processed, allows recognition of the offence. In particular, a clear indication of the potential threat is obtained by a dedicated software based on the Differential Die-Away Time Analysis method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the REWARD project consisted in building a mobile system for real time, wide area radiation surveillance, using a CdZnTe detector for gamma radiation and a neutron detector based on novel silicon technologies. The sensing unit includes a GPS system and a wireless communication interface to send the data remotely to a monitoring base station, where it will be analyzed in real time and correlated with historical data from the tag location, in order to generate an alarm when an abnormal situation is detected. The main objective of this work consisted in making predictions regarding the behavior of the REWARD system in the presence of a Radiological Dispersion Device (RDD), one of the reference scenarios foreseen for REWARD, using experimental data and the Monte Carlo simulation program MCNP6. Experimental tests were performed at the Fire Brigades Facilities in Rome and at the Naples Fire Brigades. The response of the REWARD detection system to the presence of an RDD is predicted and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prussian blue (PB) is the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) of Radiogardase, the first approved medical countermeasure for the treatment of radiocesium poisoning in the event of a major radiological incident such as a “dirty bomb” or nuclear attack. The purpose of this study is to assess the long-term stability of Prussian blue drug products (DPs) and APIs under laboratory storage condition by monitoring the loss in water content and the in vitro cesium binding. The water content was measured by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The in-vitro cesium binding study was conducted using a surrogate model to mimic gastric residence and intestinal transport. Free cesium was analyzed using a validated flame atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) method. The binding equilibrium was reached at 24 h. The Langmuir isotherm was plotted to calculate the maximum binding capacity (MBC). Comparison of the same PB samples with 2003 data samples, the water content of both APIs and DPs decreased on an average by approximately 12–24%. Consequently, the MBC of cesium was decreased from 358 mg/g in 2003 to 265 mg/g @ pH 7.5, a decrease of approximately 26%. The binding of cesium is also pH dependent with lowest binding at pH 1.0 and maximum binding at pH 7.5. At pH 7.5, the amount of cesium bound decreased by an average value of 7.9% for APIs and 8.9% for DPs (for 600 ppm initial cesium concentration). These findings of water loss, pH dependence and decrease in cesium binding are consistent with our previously published data in 2003. Over last 10 years the stored DPs and APIs of PB have lost about 20% of water which has a negative impact on the PB cesium binding, however PB still meets the FDA specification of >150 mg/g at equilibrium. The study is the first quantitative assessment of the long-term stability of PB and directs that proper long-term and short-term storage of PB is required to ensure that it is safe and efficacious at the time of an emergency situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method has been developed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) that can be used for the rapid determination of Ra in emergency urine samples following a radiological incident. If a radiological dispersive device event or a nuclear accident occurs, there will be an urgent need for rapid analyses of radionuclides in urine samples to ensure the safety of the public. Large numbers of urine samples will have to be analyzed very quickly. This new SRNL method was applied to 100 mL urine aliquots, however this method can be applied to smaller or larger sample aliquots as needed. The method was optimized for rapid turnaround times; urine samples may be prepared for counting in <3 h. A rapid calcium phosphate precipitation method was used to pre-concentrate Ra from the urine sample matrix, followed by removal of calcium by cation exchange separation. A stacked elution method using DGA Resin was used to purify the Ra during the cation exchange elution step. This approach combines the cation resin elution step with the simultaneous purification of Ra with DGA Resin, saving time. Ba was used instead of Ra as tracer to allow immediate counting; however, Ra can still be used as an option. The rapid purification of Ra to remove interferences using DGA Resin was compared with a slightly longer Ln Resin approach. A final barium sulfate micro-precipitation step was used with isopropanol present to reduce solubility; producing alpha spectrometry sources with peaks typically <40 keV FWHM (full width half max). This new rapid method is fast, has very high tracer yield (>90 %), and removes interferences effectively. The sample preparation method can also be adapted to ICP-MS measurement of Ra, with rapid removal of isobaric interferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After an explosion of a radiological dispersal device, decision-makers need to implement countermeasures as soon as possible to minimise the radiation-induced risks to the population. In this work, the authors present a tool, which can help providing information about the approximate size of source term and radioactive contamination based on a Gaussian Plume model with the use of available measurements for liquid or aerosolised radioactivity. For two-field tests, the source term and spatial distribution of deposited radioactivity are estimated. A sensitivity analysis of the dependence on deposition velocity is carried out. In case of weak winds, a diffusive process along the wind direction is retained in the model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), financed primarily by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) within the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), has a critical global mission to protect society from terrorist use of nuclear or radiological materials, from non-military sources, in an improvised nuclear device or bomb (IND) or radiological dispersal devices (RDD), commonly referred to as "dirty bombs." This threat reduction effort presently comprises more than 1,000 projects in over 100 countries, including the USA. The GTRI includes portfolios of programs and projects involving many countries and organizational entities, both public and private. A broad and mature perspective is needed to develop, implement, and continually improve the management processes used for planning, authorizing, funding, executing, monitoring, reporting, and controlling such global programs. The physical results of many of these projects also require sustaining follow-up inspections, maintenance and corrective actions for the foreseeable future. This paper summarizes the GTRI accomplishments to date, describes the complex management challenges encountered and how they have been overcome, and most importantly describes the unique Project Management Improvement Team that brings together key people from NNSA Headquarters, the eleven involved National Laboratories and national security facilities, and five independent project management experts (who are the authors of this article.) This team approach provides a model that can be useful to other large-scale initiatives involving government and industry to obtain continuous improvement of their management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does the diffusion of nuclear programs encourage nuclear and radiological (NR) terrorism? It is argued that a country's vulnerability to NR terrorism grows as the size of its nuclear program increases. The presence of expansive nuclear infrastructure facilitates terrorists’ efforts to steal or acquire nuclear and radiological materials, increases the targets open to attack, and amplifies the potential economic and social-psychological consequences of related terrorist attacks. It is also argued that countries can reduce the likelihood of NR terrorism by improving nuclear security and reducing corruption. An empirical analysis of NR terrorist incidents during 1992–2006 supports for these arguments. The findings offer empirically grounded insights into the future risks of nuclear terrorism, and possible solutions are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Preclinical Research The penta ‐ ethyl ester of diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), a DTPA prodrug designated as C2E5 intended for transdermal delivery for radionuclide decorporation, was first screened with a prototype cream formulation and a hydrocarbon base ointment with C2E5 concentration ranging from 1% to 20%. C2E5 experienced rapid degradation in the cream matrix and C2E5 ointment formulation underwent phase separation due to components incompatibility. Nonaqueous gel matrix comprised of ethyl cellulose/Miglyol 840® was utilized to formulate C2E5 at different ethyl cellulose and C2E5 content levels. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging were applied for analysis of the prepared C2E5 gel formulation. C2E5 was stabilized in the nonaqueous gel matrix and ethyl cellulose solubilization by dispersion media was confirmed by DSC and SEM results. Selected C2E5 nonaqueous gel formulations were evaluated in a rodent 241Am wound contamination model at a dose level of 200 mg C2E5/kg. The enhanced decorporation over no treatment control on total decorporation, decorporation by urine, and decorporation by feces was 142%, 181%, and 86%, respectively. The nonaqueous gel matrix composed of ethyl cellulose/Miglyol 840 was successfully employed to stabilize the hydrolysis prone C2E5. C2E5 was delivered transdermally and achieved enhanced decorporation for the proof of hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detonation of a radiological dispersion device may result in a situation where individuals inhale radioactive materials and require rapid assessment of internal contamination. The feasibility of using a 2×2-inch sodium-iodide detector to determine the committed effective dose to an individual following acute inhalation of gamma-emitting radionuclides was investigated. Experimental configurations of point sources with a polymethyl methacrylate slab phantom were used to validate Monte Carlo simulations. The validated detector model was used to simulate the responses for four detector positions on six different anthropomorphic phantoms. The nuclides examined included 241Am, 60Co, 137Cs, 131I and 192Ir. Biokinetic modelling was employed to determine the distributed activity in the body as a function of post-inhalation time. The simulation and biokinetic data were used to determine time-dependent count-rate values at optimal detector locations on the body for each radionuclide corresponding to a target committed effective dose (E50) value of 250 mSv. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]