A proposal for a computer-based framework of support for public health in the management of biological incidents: the Czech Republic experience.

AIMS: Biological incidents jeopardising public health require decision-making that consists of one dominant feature: complexity. Therefore, public health decision-makers necessitate appropriate support. METHODS: Based on the analogy with business intelligence (BI) principles, the contextual analysis of the environment and available data resources, and conceptual modelling within systems and knowledge engineering, this paper proposes a general framework for computer-based decision support in the case of a biological incident. At the outset, the analysis of potential inputs to the framework is conducted and several resources such as demographic information, strategic documents, environmental characteristics, agent descriptors and surveillance systems are considered. RESULTS: Consequently, three prototypes were developed, tested and evaluated by a group of experts. Their selection was based on the overall framework scheme. Subsequently, an ontology prototype linked with an inference engine, multi-agent-based model focusing on the simulation of an environment, and expert-system prototypes were created. CONCLUSIONS: All prototypes proved to be utilisable support tools for decision-making in the field of public health. Nevertheless, the research revealed further issues and challenges that might be investigated by both public health focused researchers and practitioners.

Time-dependent changes in concentration of two clinically used acetylcholinesterase reactivators (HI-6 and obidoxime) in rat plasma determined by HPLC techniques after in vivo administration.

A simple and reliable HPLC method for determination of rat plasma levels of clinically used acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reactivators (HI-6 and obidoxime) is presented in our study. Separation was carried out by HPLC using an octadecyl silica stationary phase and a mobile phase consisting of 24% acetonitrile and containing 5 mM sodium octanesulfonate and 5 mM tetramethylammonium chloride (pH 2.3). Following intramuscular administration of equimolar doses of both oximes (22.23 mg/kg), the maximum of HI-6 concentration in rat plasma was reached in about 20 min giving 15.26 +/- 1.71 microg/mL. The distribution of obidoxime was fast; the single maximum 23.62 +/- 3.563 microg/mL was recorded at about 10 min. HPLC with UV detection presented in our study is a general method which could be applied for quick measurements of bisquaternary AChE reactivators in rat plasma.