Drugs as Chemical Weapons: Past and Perspectives.

The emergence of modern chemical weapons and chemical warfare is traditionally associated with World War I, but the use of poisons in the military has its roots deep in the past. The sources of these poisons have always been natural agents that also served as medicines. This relationship between poison and medicine, and nowadays between chemical warfare and medicine, or between 'military chemistry' and pharmacy, appears to be very important for understanding not only the history but also the possible future of both phenomena. This article looks at some historical examples of the use of drugs as chemical weapons and, conversely, the use of chemical weapons as medicines. It seeks to find answers to some questions that are particularly relevant to the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which aims to achieve a world without chemical warfare.

Comparison of Frequency of Home Births in the Member States of the EU Between 2015 and 2019.

Introduction. The disagreement of the general public's views on home births is practically identical for the professional public and specialists also. The core of the problem lies in the disunity between individual countries of the European Union-complete prohibition under the risk of committing a crime on one side and standard procedure perceived as something completely common on the other side. Methods. The authors focused on the prevalence of home births in individual EU countries, together with the proportion of neonatological mortality compared to the number of live births, which are data that, unlike home births, are mandatory in each EU Member State. Data on home births were obtained from available official and verified sources such as the Ministry of Health, reviews published by the WHO, or published peer-reviewed scientific and professional works. Secondary data were procured via Web of Science, Scopus, or PubMed. Results. The aim of the study was to trace the documented numbers of home births in the individual states of the European Union in the years 2015 to 2019, to analyze them with data on live births together and with data on infant mortality. A comparative analysis of the compiled data can be used to conclude which countries have the highest domestic birth rates and how the birth rate is manifested in these countries. Based on the analysis of available data, it can be determined that the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany have the highest share of domestic births. The link between home births and increased neonatal mortality has not been established. Eastern Europe countries have the highest neonatal mortality, namely Romania (1.19%) and Malta (0.63%). Conclusion. The Netherlands has the highest domestic birth rate per 100 000 inhabitants with a 5-year average of 161 922 (overall average of all live births 993.40), but is also in 11th place in neonatal mortality, together with Denmark and Belgium, which have 0.35% neonatal neonatal mortality. The country with the lowest neonatal mortality of 0.19% is Slovenia. The total average of all children born in 5 years (915 live births) is 1.422. When monitoring the number of domestic births in other countries in the years 2015 to 2019, an increasing tendency of this trend is observed.

Military Importance of Natural Toxins and Their Analogs.

Toxin weapon research, development, production and the ban on its uses is an integral part of international law, with particular attention paid to the protection against these weapons. In spite of this, hazards associated with toxins cannot be completely excluded. Some of these hazards are also pointed out in the present review. The article deals with the characteristics and properties of natural toxins and synthetic analogs potentially constituting the basis of toxin weapons. It briefly describes the history of military research and the use of toxins from distant history up to the present age. With respect to effective disarmament conventions, it mentions certain contemporary concepts of possible toxin applications for military purposes and the protection of public order (suppression of riots); it also briefly refers to the question of terrorism. In addition, it deals with certain traditional as well as modern technologies of the research, synthesis, and use of toxins, which can affect the continuing development of toxin weapons. These are, for example, cases of new toxins from natural sources, their chemical synthesis, production of synthetic analogs, the possibility of using methods of genetic engineering and modern biotechnologies or the possible applications of nanotechnology and certain pharmaceutical methods for the effective transfer of toxins into the organism. The authors evaluate the military importance of toxins based on their comparison with traditional chemical warfare agents. They appeal to the ethics of the scientific work as a principal condition for the prevention of toxin abuse in wars, military conflicts, as well as in non-military attacks.

Micronuclei in lymphocytes from radon spa personnel in the Czech Republic.

PURPOSE: To assess the radiation exposure of radon spa personnel in Jáchymov, Czech Republic. METHODS: The frequency of micronucleus-containing cells and the percentage of centromere-free micronuclei (micronuclei containing only acentric fragments) was determined in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 42 individuals working at the Jáchymov spa and 42 control individuals. RESULTS: There was a highly significant increase in the frequency of micronucleus-containing cells as well as the percentage of centromere-free micronuclei in the lymphocytes of spa personnel versus controls. No individual dosimetry data were available. A comparison with results from currently active uranium miners suggests that the individuals examined at the Jáchymov spa had accumulated effective doses in the order of several tens of mSv, very similar to those of the miners. CONCLUSION: The spa personnel in Jáchymov needs to be monitored on an individual level.

Micronuclei in lymphocytes from currently active uranium miners.

Micronuclei can be used as markers of past radiation exposure, but only few studies have dealt with uranium miners. In this paper, we report on micronuclei in lymphocytes from individuals currently working at Rozná, Czech Republic, the last functioning uranium mine in the European Union. A modified micronucleus-centromere test was applied to assess the occurrence of micronuclei in stimulated lymphocytes, as well as their content in terms of whole chromosomes or fragments. Compared with unexposed individuals, the miners had higher frequencies of micronucleus-containing lymphocytes and higher percentages of micronuclei without centromeres, and the differences were significant for both parameters (0.74 ± 0.60 vs. 0.50 ± 0.42, p = 0.017 and 49 ± 44 vs. 12 ± 21, p = 0.0002; means ± standard deviations). There were also significant correlations between one or other of these parameters on the one hand and various dose values on the other, in particular with a 'retrievable' dose, that is, a dose whose effect should still be recognisable in lymphocytes assuming a half-life of 3 years. The 'retrievable' dose at which a doubling of the micronucleus frequency was observed was around 35 mSv, corresponding to a total dose of 90 mSv received while working in the mines. Altogether, our data show that the micronucleus-centromere test is a valuable tool for the assessment of past radiation exposure in uranium miners. The scatter in the data is of course far too great to allow individual dosimetry, but for groups of a few dozen exposed individuals, the method can be used to monitor doses clearly below 100 mSv.

Ethylene glycol, hazardous substance in the household.

Ethylene glycol is a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting but poisonous type of alcohol found in many household products. The major use of ethylene glycol is as an antifreeze in, for example, automobiles, in air conditioning systems, in de-icing fluid for windshields, and else. People sometimes drink ethylene glycol mistakenly or on purpose as a substitute for alcohol. Ethylene glycol is toxic, and its drinking should be considered a medical emergency. The major danger from ethylene glycol is following ingestion. Due to its sweet taste, peoples and occasionally animals will sometimes consume large quantities of it if given access to antifreeze. While ethylene glycol itself has a relatively low degree of toxicity, its metabolites are responsible for extensive cellular damage to various tissues, especially the kidneys. This injury is caused by the metabolites, glycolic and oxalic acid and their respective salts, through crystal formation and possibly other mechanisms. Toxic metabolites of ethylene glycol can damage the brain, liver, kidneys, and lungs. The poisoning causes disturbances in the metabolism pathways, including metabolic acidosis. The disturbances may be severe enough to cause profound shock, organ failure, and death. Ethylene glycol is a common poisoning requiring antidotal treatment.