CBMTS III: Delayed until Friday, 05 May to Sunday, 14 May 2000

On 4 April 1999, Richard Price, CBMTS International Organizer and Coordinator, sent the following message to all CBMTS members via the CBMTS net.

Dear CBMTS III Members,

It is with regret that, because of the realities of the political situation in southeast Europe, we must announce a delay to the CBMTS III program originally set for 11-17 July 1999. This very difficult announcement comes only after extended discussions with Dr. Bernhard Brunner, Director AC-Laboratorium Spiez (ACLS), Dr. Ueli Huber, Deputy Director ACLS and other senior members of the CBMTS Executive Advisory Group including Dr. Barbara Price, Dr. Rudolf Portmann, Dr. Brian Davey, Dr. Leo Laughlin, and Mr. Fran Crimmins. The new program dates we are considering will either be in the Spring (April) 2000 or possibly late Fall 1999 – with Spring being the probable date. We will notify all when the new date is more firmly established. This notification should be within the next two weeks.

All of us recognize that the CBMTS attracts the very best scientists and medical professionals from all over the world. Because of this universal appeal, many of our professionals also come from those areas where conflict resolution remains but a goal. The CBMTS is committed to keeping the opportunity open for all professionals from all countries to come together at CBMTS III. This opportunity for the third international CBMTS meeting has therefore been delayed.

The CBMTS is Dormitory Dependent in order to minimize costs for all of our members and to make it possible to the maximum extent, the providing of support for those that may require assistance. Dr. Portmann had originally reserved the Dormitory for CBMTS III over 2.5 years ago. Now with Dr. Brunner's and Dr. Huber's assistance and encouragement, Dr. Portmann is searching for a break in the dormitory occupancy that would permit us to host all of those that would like to stay in the dorm. A positive development within this change in dates to a Spring or Fall start, is that the air fares and possibly the hotel rates should be more economical in costs.

Additional messages will follow. These will include items such as a full recap of the papers proposed to date, the professionals planning to attend and the countries they represent.

As soon as a fixed date is selected for CBMTS III, we will immediately notify all CBMTS.

With the very best regards, Richard

The response to this message has been very positive and the CBMTS members have voted their continuing support for our joint efforts at the success of the CBMTS. We thank all of you for your understanding, support and esprit de corps.

As we go to press, Dr. Ueli Huber, Deputy Director, AC-Laboratorium told ASA that they are in the process of attempting to secure a suitable date for CBMTS III next Spring. When we know the date, we will immediately inform you via the ASA CBMTS network. ASA and the CBMTS Executive Advisory Group are aware that scheduling conflicts may prohibit some of our members from attending the rescheduled CBMTS III; however, we hope that most will still have the opportunity to attend what promises to be an outstanding symposium in science and medicine across the chem/bio spectrum. If you wish to participate and have not yet applied, please send in your application.

[Note the new date is now May 5 - May 14, 2000]

A Modified Symposium Overview

Objective: Bring together the CBMTS professionals most concerned with and directly involved in the scientific and technical aspects of problems associated with medical treatment required for CB agent, agrichemical and industrial poisonings.

Symposium Model: To ensure the free flow of ideas, the CBMTS III will use the Gordon Research Conference model and approach in the conduct of the Symposium. Only official conference proceedings will be released.

Selection of participants: based on relevance of paper, time of receipt of request, geographical representation and CBMTS member priority.

Preregistration: Please forward your CBMTS III Preregistration information to ASA at e-mail: asa@ime.net; attn: Richard Price or fax: 1-207-829-3040, with info copy to AC-Laboratorium, e-mail: Rudolf.Portmann@x400.gr.admin.ch; or RPortmann @compuserve.com; attn: Dr. Rudolf Portmann or fax: 41-33-22-8-1402.

Please include the following information:

1. Full name and title
2. Organization and full address
3. Phone, fax and e-mail numbers
4. Preliminary name of proposed paper and to which basket (topic area) would you recommend it to be considered. Please include preference for poster or platform presentation.

Note: e-mail addresses are very important. Upon receipt ASA will enter you onto the CBMTS III internet network for transfer of all CBMTS III Update information.

Abstract Submission: Abstracts are to be no more than 250 words and list the Title, Authors, Full Address. No figures, tables, or references in the Abstract. Include five key words related to topic area.

The following listed baskets of major topic areas are the guide for the proposed papers: (Note: For an invitation, each potential participant is expected to prepare and submit a paper for presentation.)

1. Medical Treatment of OP Compounds and Other Insecticides, e.g., Carbamates, etc.
2. Medical Treatment of Other Agents, Mustard, etc.
3. Riot Control Agents such as Tear Gas, Pepper Sprays, New Agents within this area, etc.
4. Biological Agents, Self-Replicating and Viruses:
5. Toxins: Synthetic or Biological Origin
6. Preventive Measures Against Biological Agents and Toxins
7. Mass Casualty Management (Chemical) in case of major accidents, or incidents from war/combat actions or terrorist attacks.
8. Mass Casualty Management (Biological) in case of major accidents, or incidents from war/combat actions or terrorist attacks or in the event of epidemics - natural or manmade.
9. Analytical Methodologies of Important Chemicals according to the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as those chemicals of concern not yet included within the Convention.
10. A General Basket for papers for which identification of proper topic area may be difficult.
11. A short review of the CBMTS meetings that were held after CBMTS II in July 1996.
    

The Individuals, Countries, Proposed Papers to date: These papers are listed for information only. Decisions from the Science Review Committee will be be released in late September. A preliminary review indicates that the majority of papers, as usual, are outstanding. In this interim period, we will contact a few individuals with requests for considerations to change their papers to more adequately reflect the requirements of CBMTS III.

We have many proposed papers in Basket 1. Papers continue to be needed in the areas of epidemiology, bioterrorism, and the bio/toxin/virus areas, as well as mass casualty management. In covering the chemical and biological arena, we note that our CBMTS members are without doubt the finest professionals in the world in science and medicine. These professionals appear to be unencumbered by boundaries in science, medicine and politics. As proof, please review the below listed 90+ proposed papers for CBMTS III. And more papers are being processed.
1. ALBANIA

• Thoma Stergio - abstract in preparation
• Alfred Madhi - abstract in preparation

2. BELGIUM

• Willems, J. - Scavengers in the Treatment of Severe Organophosphate Poisoning: A Potential Therapeutic Improvement

3. BRAZIL

• Gui Santana; Communication in the Heat of a Crisis - The Crucial Element for Effective Crisis Decision Making

4. BULGARIA

• Chris Dishovski; Toxicological and pharmacological study of HI-6
• Roumiana Natcheva; Quantummechanical calculations in gas phase and polar medium of a series 2-[hydroxiimino-methyl]-piridinium derivatives; Quantummechanical calculation in gas phase and polar medium of a series 4-[hydroxiimino-methyl] - piridinium derivatives.

5. CANADA

• Phil O'Dell; Reactive Skin Decontaminant Lotion
• Doug Eaton; Mass CASEVAC using the CASCAD system
• Earl Laurie; The continuing importance of rubber polymers related to CBW threats
• Colin Harwood; Canada's Response to NBC Incidents

6. CHINA

• Y. Zhang; Effects of some reversible cholinesterase inhibitors on the reactivatability of Soman-inhibited human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase in vitro
• W. Zhou; Effects of some reversible cholinesterase inhibitors on the reactivatability of Soman-inhibited human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase in vitro

7. CROATIA

• Vera Simeon; Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activity measurements in human blood by the Ellman method: I. Evaluation of experimental conditions
• Mira Spoljar; Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activity measurements in human blood by the Ellman method: II. Procedure protocol and comparison with procedures suggested by other authors
• Zvonko Orehovec; An operational review of CBMTS-Industry I to include video
• Slavko Bokan; A scientific review of CBMTS-Industry I
• Slavko Bokan; Criteria for Selection of Human, Animal and Plant Pathogens and Toxins to be included in a list of Biological and Toxins in Relation to the BTWC
• Ivan Jukic; Study of Chemical Stability of HI-6 by Moleculeorbital Method
• Peter Gotovac; Infectious Diseases trends during the period three years after the war in Croatia (1996-1998)
• G. Sinko; co-author Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activity measurements in human blood by the Ellman method: 1. Evaluation of experimental conditions

8. CZECH REPUBLIC

• Jiri Matousek; Riot control agents and the CWC and potential CW-threats in the 21st century
• Jiri Matousek; Detection and early warning for terrorists CW-attacks
• Jiri Matousek; Polyvalent technology for decontamination of heavy equipment
• Jiri Kassa; The long-term effects of low level inhalation exposure of rats to sarin
• Jiri Bajgar; Inhalation intoxication with sarin: relationship between the dose of sarin and cholinesterase inhibition in the blood

9. ENGLAND

• Individual(s) to be selected

10. FRANCE

• Denis Josse; Human Paraoxonase as a Catalytic Scavenger Against CW OPs

11. GEORGIA

• G. Katsitadze; Toxicological Aspects of Events in Tbilsi on 9 April 1989
• Manana Juruli; On the Old Military "Heritage" in Georgia

12. GERMANY

• Franz Worek; New aspects on the reactivation by oximes of organophosphate-inhibited human acetylcholinesterase in vitro
• Peter Eyer; The determination of human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase in a modified Ellman assay
• Ladislaus Szinicz; Release of Cytokines in Cell Cultures after Sulfur Mustard (SM) Incubation

13. IRAN

• Mahdi Balali-Mood; Effects of pralidoxime and/or obidoxime with and without sodium bicarbonate in organophosphate poisoning
• Hamid Sohrabpour; The Evaluation of Air Way Hyperresponsivness in Mustard Gas
• Haybatollah Kalantari; Identification and determination of mycotoxins by HPLC in liver
• Lotfali Haghighi; abstract in preparation

14. KAZAHSTAN

• Gennadiy Lepeshkin; Conversion of Biotechnology (BW) Complex in Kazahstan: Scientific and Technical Aspects
• Yevgeniy Sergeyev; Conversion of Biotechnology (BW) Complex in Kazahstan: Organizing Aspects

15. KENYA

• Virginia Mathenge; Mass Casualty Management in the Event of a Chemical Accident

16. KUWAIT

• Individuals to be selected

17. MACEDONIA

• Vaso Taleski; Epidemiology and detection methods of the most important infectious diseases in the Republic of Macedonia

18. NETHERLANDS

• Brian Davey; Head Health and Safety OPCW; Symposium Chair and Chair's Overview
• Hassan Mashhadi (tentative); Head Emergency Assistance Branch OPCW "Emergency Assistance"
• Pia Bruce (tentative); Head OPCW Laboratory "The Laboratory Certification Process"
• Sukanya Devarjan (tentative); Technical Projects Officer OPCW "OPCW Assistance to Scientists Program"

19. POLAND

• Marek Kowalczyk; Imidazenil, a proposed drug for the treatment of convulsions in acute poisonings with organophosphates
• Slawomir Rump; Imidazenil, a proposed drug for the treatment of convulsions in acute poisonings with organophosphates

20. ROMANIA

• Florin Paul; Epidemiological Approach of Biological Crisis Caused by Criminal Use of Bacillus Anthracis
• Constantin Mircioiu; Pharmacokinetic component of the mechanism of action of decorporators
• Victor Voicu; Nonspecific, First Aid Antidotism of Organophosphorous Contamination at Skin Level

21. RUSSIA

• Sergey Netesov; will chair Biological and Toxin Group of Sessions including Session(s) on managing the diagnosis and struggle with unusual outbreaks of infectious diseases to include a specific session on Epidemiology with a gathering of the epidemiological experts from CIS, EC and Eastern European countries together with CDC specialists.
• Valerii Tonkopii; Structure and Efficiency of Carbamates as Drugs for Prophylaxis
• Ivan Surovtsev; Scanning Flow Cytometry for kinetics study of antigen-antibody interaction on the cell surface
• Elena Ryabchikova; Virus reproduction in macrophages; a common feature of viral hemorrhagic fevers
• Vadim Petrov; Creation of modern warning systems for population and personnel during emergencies at sites of chemical weapon storage and destruction in Russia
• A.V. Trubachyev; Peculiarities of Assessment of Level of Environmental Damage During Small CW Concentrations Attack
• Vladimir Feld; Discrimination Between the Irreversible Inhibitors of Cholinesterase
• Yuri Musijchuk; The Health Status of People Having Worked with Nerve Chemical Agents

22. SINGAPORE

• Loke Weng Keong; Muscarinic affinities of various oxime reactivators - correlation to antidotal efficacy in vivo
• Lim Siew Lan ; Direct Effects of Organophosphates on Contractility of Large Conductance Blood Vessels

23. SOUTH AFRICA

• Vali Yousefi; abstract in preparation
• Cornelis Erasmus; Compilation of a training curriculum for CB defence specialist advisers for the South African National Defence Force

24. SPAIN

• Rene Pita; The Spanish Autoinjector for Nerve Agent Antidote

25. SWEDEN

• Elisabeth French; An overview and comparison of governmental policies which deal with CB medical treatment in the event of war or terrorist incident
• Sven-ke Persson; Decontamination of casualties after exposure to harmful liquid chemicals

26. SWITZERLAND

• Bernhard Brunner; Director AC Laboratorium Spiez, Switzerland
• Ueli Huber; Director CBMTS Local Organization and Coordination; The Swiss Approach to Conteract Chemical Terrorism
• Rudolf Portmann; Symposium Co-Director and Technical Director; Update: Results of Interlaboratory Comparison Test on Measurements of ChE activity
• Anton Wicki; Capsaicin in Pepperspray - Mode of Action
• N. Schuerch; Current Developments in Gene Technology: The Impact of Biological Weapons
• M. Schuetz; Current Developments in Gene Technology: The Impact of Biological Weapons
• Urs Brodbeck; abstract in preparation
• S. Robinson; Monitoring of Potential Health Effects of Nerve Agent Destruction in Shchuch'ye, Kurgan Oblast (South Ural), Russian Federation
• Fred Schneider; CBMTS Logistics

27. TURKEY

• Gurayten Ozyurt; Role of serum cholinesterase activity in the treatment of organophosphate intoxication
• Atilla Hincal; Mass Casualty Management in the Turkish Pharmaceutical Industry
• Feliz Hincal; The role of Drug and Poison Information Centers in Emergency Assistance and Professional / Public Education for CBW
• K. Turan; Determination of Nitrogen Mustard by Using HPLC and GC-MS

28. U.S

• Leo Laughlin; History and Technological Evaluation of The U.S. Bio/Toxin Detection Program
• Joseph Hughart; Long-Term Health Services for Victims of Smoke Inhalation Involving Organophosphate Pesticides and Hydrocarbon Solvents
• David Moore; Applications of an Effective Biocidal Technology for Medical Defense Purposes
• Fran Crimmins; Symposium Technical Administrator
• K. Rajan; A Novel Approach Involving Polyvalent Cation(s) for the Destruction of Sulfur Containing Toxic Agents
• Scott Lillibridge; National Public health Preparedness and Response to Terrorism
• Bhupendra Doctor; Bioscavengers
• Robert Gum; Preparation for Chemical Agent Casualties at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta
• Anthony Tu; Analysis of Aum Shinrikyo's Chemical Terrorism
• Richard Gordon; Polyurethane Foam Linked Mammalian Cholinesterase for Decontamination and Detection of OP Nerve Agents
• Ch. Luo; Cholinesterases, Oximes, and OP Hydrolases in Tandem can Hydrolyze Organophosphates
• Ashima Saxena; Recombinant Cholinesterases: Developing an Ideal Bioscavenger for Protection against Organophosphate Nerve Agents
• G.E. Garcia; Buforin 1, a Natural Peptide Inhibits Botulinum Toxin B Activity
• T-C Cheng; Wide Range Application of Alterromonas Prolidase for Decontamination of G-Type Chemical Nerve Agents
• Barbara Price; Symposium Co-Chair
• Richard Price; Symposium Co-Director

29. YUGOSLAVIA;

• Milos Stojiljkovic; Efficacy of various corticosteroid regimens in treatment of T-2 toxin poisoning in rats
• Milos Stojiljkovic; Memantine treatment improves antidotal efficacy of atropine, HI-6 and diazepam in rats poisoned with soman
• Dusan Jovanovic; The Pharmacokinetics in Healthy and Poisoned Subjects
• Dj Jovanovic; Biochemical and histological alterations in rats subacutely poisoned with soman
• Vladimir Vojvodic; The Anticipated Organization of Medical Aid at the Battlefield
• Dragan Joksovic; Clinical Considerations Which were Raised from the Experience Obtained in more than 300 Patients
• S. Dobric; Efficacy of calcium channel blockers in soman- poisoned rats protected with atropine/HI-6/diazepam combination
• B. Antonijevic; Efficacy of a combination of oximes and adamantanes against soman poisoning in mice
   

99-2, issue no. 71