An Innovative Security Screening Architecture for Detecting Illicit Goods and Threats

Every year, millions of letters/parcels containing illicit goods are detected by customs authorities, which use traditional security screening equipment. However this equipment cannot detect all kinds of illicit goods and the detection procedure heavily depends on the attention of the customs officer. In order to achieve sufficiently fast intelligent screening of the large volumes of letters/parcels and detect all common kinds of threats, this paper proposes a highly innovative architecture well-beyond the state-of–art. In particular the proposed architecture monitors every letter/parcel by incorporating: (a) terahertz/X-ray sensors, (b) chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBNR) sensors, (c) artificial robot-noses for narcotics, explosives etc., (d) magnetometers for weapons, firearms, banknotes etc., (e) acoustic sensors for liquids/gases/solids, (f) weight/pressure sensors to measure weight distribution, size and shape. Sensory information can be: (a) used to create a “Spectral Signatures Dictionary of Illicit Goods and Threats”, (b) fused to segment/isolate illicit goods and (c) visualized in the form of annotated high-resolution tensor-structured (3D/4D) multisensory image data. The proposed solution also gathers available information for the sender/recipient from various resources, while it also analyzes data from the dark web. All information is forwarded to an AI-based knowledge infrastructure.

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE LUMP CRUSHING THEORY. WORKING PROCESSES OF CRUSHING AND SCREENING EQUIPMENT. LECTURE 8

The article presents materials of Lecture 8 in Theory of carrying and lifting, construction and road vehicles and equipment, which describes the following issues: the rock properties, the rock crushing degree, the basics of the lump crushing theory and types of crushing machines. The technological process of crushing with a roll crusher is described; the values of forces acting in roll crushers are calculated.Along with the process of crushing, the article deals with the processes of segregation and concentration, the basic of the screening (fractionation) theory and features of the hydraulic classification of nonmetallic materials.

Preparing for a “dirty bomb” attack: the optimum mix of medical countermeasure resources

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.

A Powdered Simulant of Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) for Safe Testing of X-ray Transmission Screening Equipment

Explosives detection systems (EDS) based on X-ray are used at airports to screen baggage for the presence of explosives. Once EDS are installed in airports, however, it can be challenging to test the EDS equipment and verify that it continues to perform at the highest level, because of the impracticality of introducing bulk explosives into civil aviation airports. The problem is particularly acute for sensitive homemade explosives, such as triacetone triperoxide (TATP). This paper describes our work to develop a safe, accurate and stable simulant for TATP for EDS based on X-ray transmission. Bulk quantities of TATP were synthesised and characterised especially for this project, and we describe the unique challenges and safety considerations of collecting this data. Our calculations show that the expanded measurement uncertainty with a coverage factor of k = 2 is 5.7% for bulk density and 1.0% for Zeff at 24 months.

Overcoming Barriers in the Implementation of Programs for Breast and Cervical Cancers in Cali, Colombia: A Pilot Model

Breast and cervical cancers are leading causes of mortality among women in Latin America. Colombia has universal health care and a government-sponsored 10-year cancer control plan focused on prevention, early detection, and treatment. However, many administrative and social barriers have hindered its success, and a majority of patients are diagnosed at a late stage. Established in 2012, Partners for Cancer Care and Prevention (PFCCAP) works to decrease the burden of these cancers by mitigating the obstacles women face during their cancer diagnosis and treatment. Through community outreach meetings with medical personnel, hospital directors, and government officials, PFCCAP identified major barriers, including lack of trained health care personnel, few centers with adequate screening equipment, and a fragmented health system with significant administrative delays and poor continuity of care. Its solution included monthly teleconferences, biannual on-site training, quality control programs, and improved access to screening equipment. PFCCAP also initiated a patient navigation project. After implementation of the PFCCAP plan of action, from 2012 to 2018, the average time from initial consult to biopsy decreased from 65 to 20 days; from biopsy to diagnosis, 33 to 4 days; and from diagnosis to surgery, 121 to 60 days. To date, more than 1,500 women have benefited from this initiative, which has expanded to other regions. Overall, PFCCAP is creating centers of excellence in strategically located hospitals and promoting the implementation of national guidelines. Although several barriers still exist, PFCCAP is helping to implement an efficient health care model that can be replicated in other underserved populations.