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The protective structures required for performing critical operations are vulnerable to the blast and shock loads of advanced weapons. A blast valve is an important component of such structures for ventilation during normal conditions and for protection from blast/ shock during explosion. In this paper, various aspects of blast valve design and related studies are briefly reviewed. The concept and effects of blast wave, blast impact, numerical modelling and deformation of circular plate (one of the critical components of blast valve) have been discussed. The merits and demerits of sensing mechanisms viz. remote and direct sensing are discussed. The leakage of blast pressure during finite closing period of the valve (one of the critical problems) and the shock tube as a major experimental facility for testing of blast valves are briefly discussed.

The proposed paper gives an Idea regarding the Geo Location based vegetation data storage repository for purpose of smartenvironmental management. The proposed system overcomes the shortcomings in the current systems and software tools used for the saidpurpose of environmental management and analysis [28]. The system proposed can function as a full fledge Environmental Management andAudit System and abide by operating principles and rules of any traditional EMS i.e Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle [8][14][15].Our system is extension of the above mentioned concept and proposes a collaborative model for community based crowd sourced environmentaldata storage and management with help of big data storage coupled with Data Mining & Analysis tools[28[29]. It is used along with highlyscalable database management and storage of historical and highly dynamic environmental monitoring data in order to tackle serious problemsrelated to the environment by studying data and the factors affecting the environment for that location .Effective management of theenvironmental resources is possible by mapping of real time vegetation data and various other forms of environmental based data. this will helpthe corporate ,government and the concerned authorities to take smart and informed decision also simultaneously educating the masses usingweb as a medium of propagation of information and promoting a social sense of responsibility for every citizen to contribute for the bettermentof the environment of the city.Keywords: Location Based ,Database ,Big Data Storage and Analysis, Environmental Management System Architecture, Data Mining, DataAnalysis, Geospatial, Crowd Sourced Monitoring Architecture, Remote Sensing, Sensor Networks ,Geo Information Systems, GPS, VegetationDatabase, Environmental Planning, Mobile Application, Smart Phone, Tablet

Chlorine (Cl2) gas exposure and toxicity remains a concern in military and industrial sectors. While post-Cl2 exposure damage to the lungs and other tissues has been documented and major underlying mechanisms elucidated, no targeted therapeutics that are effective when administered post-exposure, and which are amenable to mass-casualty scenarios have been developed. Our recent studies show nitrite administered by intramuscular (IM) injection post-Cl2 exposure is effective in preventing acute lung injury and improving survival in rodent models. Our goal in this study was to develop a rabbit model of Cl2 toxicity and test whether nitrite affords protection in a non-rodent model. Exposure of New Zealand White rabbits to Cl2 gas (600ppm, 45min) caused significant increases in protein and neutrophil accumulation in the airways and ~35% mortality over 18h. Nitrite administered 30min post Cl2 exposure by a single IM injection, at 1mg/Kg or 10mg/Kg, prevented indices of acute lung injury at 6h by up to 50%. Moreover, all rabbits that received nitrite survived over the study period. These data provide further rationale for developing nitrite as post-exposure therapeutic to mitigate against Cl2 gas exposure injury.

This investigation deals with a comparative analysis of the impact of spongy structure based on the model of Kozeny-Carman and Irmay on a hydromagnetic squeeze film in a rough circular step bearing. Christensen and Tonder's stochastic averaging process has been utilized to determine the role of an arbitrary transverse surface irregularity. The distribution of the pressure in the bearing is obtained by solving the concerned generalised stochastically averaged equation of Reynolds' with appropriate boundary conditions. The outcomes show that increasing values of magnetization results in an augmented load. The impact of the surface irregularity (transverse) has been found to be adverse. In addition, the negative effect of the surface irregularity and porosity can be minimised by the positive impact of magnetization, at least in the case of the globular sphere model of Kozeny-Carman. Furthermore, the lower strength of the magnetic field results in an approximately similar performance for both these models. This study offers the possibility that the Kozeny-Carman model could be deployed in comparison with Irmay's model.

Purpose: Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) from the clandestine intelligence sector are being increasingly employed in infectious disease outbreaks. The purpose of this article is to explore how such tools might be employed in the detection, reporting, and control of outbreaks designated as a 'threat' by the global community. It is also intended to analyse previous use of such tools during the Ebola and SARS epidemics and to discuss key questions regarding the ethics and legality of initiatives that further blur the military and humanitarian spaces. Methods: We undertake qualitative analysis of current discussions on OSINT and SIGINT and their intersection with global health. We also review current literature and describe the debates. We built on quantitative and qualitative research done into current health collection capabilities. Results: This article presents an argument for the use of OSINT in the detection of infectious disease outbreaks and how this might occur. Conclusion: We conclude that there is a place for OSINT and SIGINT in the detection and reporting of outbreaks. However, such tools are not sufficient on their own and must be corroborated for the intelligence to be relevant and actionable. Finally, we conclude that further discussion on key ethical issues needs to take place before such research can continue. In particular, this involves questions of jurisdiction, data ownership, and ethical considerations.

OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of the complicity of British American Tobacco (BAT) in the illicit trade of cigarettes across the African continent in terms of rationale, supply routes and scale. METHODS: Analysis of internal BAT documents and industry publications. RESULTS: BAT has relied on illegal channels to supply markets across Africa since the 1980s. Available documents suggest smuggling has been an important component of BAT's market entry strategy in order to gain leverage in negotiating with governments for tax concessions, compete with other transnational tobacco companies, circumvent local import restrictions and unstable political and economic conditions and gain a market presence. BAT worked through distributors and local agents to exploit weak government capacity to gain substantial market share in major countries. CONCLUSIONS: Documents demonstrate that the complicity of BAT in cigarette smuggling extends to Africa, which includes many of the poorest countries in the world. This is in direct conflict with offers by the company to contribute to stronger international cooperation to tackle the illicit tobacco trade.

Objective: To compare the trends in age-standardised incidence and mortality from interstitial lung diseases (ILD) in the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). Design: Observational study using data obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study. Setting and Participants: Residents of the UK and of the twenty-seven EU countries. Main outcome measures: ILD age-standardised incidence rates per 100 000 (ASIR), age-standardised death rates per 100 000 (ASDR), and mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIRs) are presented for males and females separately for each country, for the years 2001–2017. Trends were analysed using Joinpoint regression analysis. Results: For men, in 2017, the median incidence of ILD was 7.22 (IQR 5.57–8.96) per 100 000 population. For women, in 2017, the median incidence of ILD was 4.34 (IQR 3.36–6.29) per 100 000 population. For men, in 2017, the median ASDR attributed to ILD was 2.04 (IQR 1.13–2.71) per 100 000 population. For women, the median ASDR in 2017 for ILD was 1.02 (0.68–1.37) per 100 000 population. There was an overall increase in ASDR during the observation period with a median change of +20.42% (IQR 5.44–31.40) for men and an increase of +15.44% (IQR −1.01–31.52) for women. Despite increases in mortality over the entire observation period, there were decreasing mortality trends in the majority of countries at the end of the observation period (75% for men and 86% for women). Conclusion: Over the past two decades, there have been increases in the incidence and mortality of interstitial lung diseases in Europe. The most recent trends, however, demonstrate decreases in mortality from ILD in the majority of European countries for both men and women. These data support the ongoing improvements in the diagnosis and management of ILD.