Suicide behaviour and arsenic levels in drinking water: a possible association?: A review of the literature about the effects of arsenic contamination in drinking water on suicides

BACKGROUND

A considerable part of the global population is exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water which is the main source of inorganic arsenic(As) exposure in humans. Arsenic exposure interferes with the action of enzymes, essential cations, and transcriptional events in cells throughout the body, and a multitude of multisystemic non-cancer effects might ensue. The aim of our review was to evaluate the effects of arsenic contamination in drinking water on suicides rates.

METHODS

A systematic literature search (English written literature) was conducted in electronic databases MEDLINE, SCOPUS. Evidences dating from 1999 till 2016 have been collected. A manual search of reference lists of included studies and review articles was successively performed. All references of the retrieved studies were also reviewed to avoid missing relevant publications. The key search terms included: "arsenic AND water AND suicide".

RESULTS

The literature search yielded 13 publications, but we identified 2 manuscripts available for this systematic review. The 2 studies included in the review, were published in 2015 and in 2017 and settled in Italy and Hungary. The levels of arsenic in the waters ranged from 0.016 μg/l to >50 μg/l. The findings of the two studies are conflicting, in fact Pompili et al. reported an apparently beneficial effect of arsenic on suicides rates, with an inverse correlation of arsenic concentration and local suicide rates, in contrast to a positive correlation with natural-cause mortality rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Our review led to conflicting results, so the diatribe about the real effects of arsenic intake of suicidal behaviors is still open. Therefore, we encourage other colleagues to conduct further studies in other locations in order to have more reliable results.

Contemporary artists' spinel pigments: Non-invasive characterization by means of electronic spectroscopy

The identification of artistic materials represents a fundamental step in supporting the conservation of cultural heritage objects. The importance of their appropriate characterization is particularly relevant in modern-contemporary art, since they could be affected by the occurrence of rapid changes in chemical formulation over time. This paper focuses on an investigation of a series of contemporary blue-green commercial acrylic paints constituted of spinel pigments, using non-invasive spectroscopic techniques. The spectroscopic and color measurements obtained make it possible to characterize the acrylic paints under investigation and to compare the results obtained with those reported in the literature and in spectral databases. To be more precise, the proposed UV-vis-NIR reflectance spectroscopic technique was sensitive enough to characterize the acrylic paints according to their d-d ligand field and the charge transfer (CT) electronic transitions involved in the spinel structures. In addition, an overview of this class of inorganic pigments is also given.

Fatal Clostridium perfringens Septicemia After Colonoscopic Polypectomy, Without Bowel Perforation

Since its introduction, colonoscopy has played an important role as a diagnostic, therapeutic, and screening tool. In general, colonoscopy is regarded as a safe procedure, but complications may occur. The most dreaded of these complications is colonic perforation. Bacteremia postprocedure may occur, and although it is not uncommon, it rarely results in clinically significant complications. Patients with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) are a high-risk population for bacteremia, which may leads to bowel wall overstepping by the bacteria. With regard to that, we report a fatal case of gas gangrene complicating colonoscopy polypectomy without bowel perforation in a healthy adult. To the best of our knowledge, only two other cases of retroperitoneal gas gangrene associated with colonoscopy polypectomy without bowel perforation have been described in international literature, but none of which was completed by a molecular biology analysis.

Prevalence of the genus Cladosporium on the integument of leaf-cutting ants characterized by 454 pyrosequencing

The relationship of attine ants with their mutualistic fungus and other microorganisms has been studied during the last two centuries. However, previous studies about the diversity of fungi in the ants' microenvironment are based mostly on culture-dependent approaches, lacking a broad characterization of the fungal ant-associated community. Here, we analysed the fungal diversity found on the integument of Atta capiguara and Atta laevigata alate ants using 454 pyrosequencing. We obtained 35,453 ITS reads grouped into 99 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs). Data analysis revealed that A. capiguara drones had the highest diversity of MOTUs. Besides the occurrence of several uncultured fungi, the mycobiota analysis revealed that the most abundant taxa were the Cladosporium-complex, Cryptococcus laurentii and Epicoccum sp. Taxa in the genus Cladosporium were predominant in all samples, comprising 67.9 % of all reads. The remarkable presence of the genus Cladosporium on the integument of leaf-cutting ants alates from distinct ant species suggests that this fungus is favored in this microenvironment.

De novo assembly and characterization of leaf and floral transcriptomes of the hybridizing bromeliad species (Pitcairnia spp.) adapted to Neotropical Inselbergs

We present the leaf and floral transcriptomes of two hybridizing bromeliad species that differ in their major pollinator systems. Here we identified candidate genes responsible for pollinator attraction and reproductive isolation in these two species. We searched for candidate genes involved in floral traits, such as colour. Approximately 34 Gbp of cDNA sequence data were produced from both tissues and species, resulting in a total of 424 506 914 raw reads. The de novo-assembled transcriptomes consisted of a total of 263 955 contigs, further clustered into 110 977 unigenes. Over 58% of the unigenes were functionally annotated and assigned to one or more Gene Ontology terms. The transcriptomes revealed 144 unique transcripts that encode key enzymes in the flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathways. The domain/family annotation and phylogenetic analysis allowed us to infer, by homology, potential functions of the genes encoding MYB, HD-ZIP and bZIP-HY5 transcription factors, as well as WD40 protein, which may be involved in anthocyanin and flavonoid regulation in these species. These candidate genes are associated with natural regulation in flower colour in other plant species and will facilitate future studies aimed at elucidating the molecular basis of adaptive differentiation and the evolution of mechanisms of pollinator-mediated reproductive isolation in these two bromeliads. In addition, we identified a total of 49 439 microsatellite loci. These resources will assist future research into adaptation and speciation events in bromeliad species, thus providing a starting point for investigation of the molecular mechanisms of the traits responsible for their reproductive isolation.

Norcocaine and cocaethylene distribution patterns in hair samples from light, moderate, and heavy cocaine users

Even though hair analysis often seems to be the best choice for retrospective monitoring of cocaine intake, differentiating between incorporated cocaine and external contamination is widely debated. In this study we report results obtained in 90 hair samples from addicts. All samples were analyzed for cocaine, benzoylecgonine, norcocaine, cocaethylene, and tropococaine by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) techniques coupled with direct immersion solid‐phase micro‐extraction. Cocaine concentrations were stratified into three classes of usage: light (0.5–3 ng/mg), moderate (3.1–10 ng/mg) and heavy (10.1–40 ng/mg). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration cut‐off criteria for establishing active cocaine use were applied to the results. For all samples criteria were cocaine levels above 0.5 ng/mg (ranging from 1.63 to 39.29 ng/mg, mean 9.49 ng/mg), benzoylecgonine concentrations ≥ 0.05 ng/mg (ranging from 0.19 to 5.77 ng/mg, mean 1.40), and benzoylecgonine to cocaine % ratio ≥5% (from 6.43 to 26.09%). Norcocaine was present in 58.9% of samples (concentration range: 0.22–3.14 ng/mg) and was strongly predictive only of heavy cocaine use (sensitivity 100% for cocaine concentrations above 9.58 ng/mg). Twenty hair samples from moderate and heavy users tested positive for cocaethylene (concentration range: 0.22–1.98 ng/mg, mean 0.73 ng/mg). This study on hair samples with no chance of false positive cases highlights the very limited applications of testing minor cocaine metabolites for definitive proof of active cocaine consumption. © 2015 The Authors. Drug Testing and Analysis Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Giant Diaphragmatic Lipoma: Two Autopsy Case Reports and Review of the Literature

Lipomas are common benign tumors most frequently found within the subcutaneous areas of the body. Deep-seated lipomas are rare and tend to be larger than cutaneous ones. Lipomas are rarely seen in the thoracic cavity, and they are usually located in the mediastinum, bronchiole, and lungs. Diaphragmatic lipomas have been occasionally reported in the literature, the first being described by Clark et al. in 1886. The authors report two rare cases of giant diaphragmatic lipoma incidentally found during forensic autopsies. In the first case, a Caucasian 85-year-old woman burned to death with another passenger, after her methane-fueled car collided with another car on a highway near Terni, Umbria, Italy. In the second case, a Caucasian 45-year-old man collapsed while walking through the countryside of Perugia. In either case, a large mass in the thorax was observed. The definitive pathologic diagnosis was giant intrathoracic diaphragmatic lipoma without evidence of malignancy. The authors also review the relevant literature and discuss differential diagnoses. These case reports contribute to the establishment of the actual incidence of diaphragmatic lipomas.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment and Home Remedies: Use of the Scopolamine Transdermal Patch

Recently, there has been an enormous increase in the number of people seeking treatment for cocaine addiction. Fifteen male cocaine users aged 20-30 years who requested hair analysis from our forensic toxicology laboratory (Perugia, Italy) from March to June 2012, reported using scopolamine without medical supervision to reduce the anxiety associated with cocaine withdrawal. Self-reports were verified with the results obtained from the hair analysis. We discuss whether the use of scopolamine in cocaine abusers could be supported by a neurobiological and pharmacological point of view.

Sweat testing to monitor drug exposure

It may be advantageous to use sweat, rather than blood or urine, to monitor individuals' drug exposure for the purposes of drug treatment programs, employment initiatives, and forensic investigations. Forty-eight patients receiving methadone at the Public Service for the Treatment of Drug Dependence of Perugia (Italy) were monitored for 14 days by the analysis of methadone and cocaine present in two sweat patches, each worn for 7 days. The results were compared to those from the analysis of urine samples collected at the beginning of the study and after 7 days, as well as those from the analysis of hair collected on the fourteenth day. Sweat patch analysis was positive for methadone and its metabolite EDDP in 100% of patients. Some individuals were positive for cocaine in urine, sweat, and hair while others were positive for cocaine in only one of those samples. Results suggest analysis of a sweat patch indicates an individual's drug use or drug washout for the previous week, and provides an alternative to blood or urine analyses.

Library of UV-Vis-NIR reflectance spectra of modern organic dyes from historic pattern-card coloured papers

An accurate characterisation of the organic dyes used in artworks, especially those made of paper, is an important factor in designing safe conservation treatments. In the case of synthetic organic dyes used in modern works of art, for example, one frequently encountered difficulty is that some of these dyes are not still commercially available. Recognizing this problem, the authors of this paper present the results of an analysis of UV-Vis-NIR fibre optic reflectance spectra of 82 samples of dyed paper prepared with 41 dyes. The samples come from a historic book, The Dyeing of Paper in the Pulp, which was published by Interessen-Gemeinschaft (I.G.) Farbenindustrie in 1925. The dyes used in the paper pulp belong to the azo compounds, acridine, anthraquinone, azine, diphenylmethane, indigoid, methine, nitro, quinoline, thiazine, triphenylmethane, sulphur and xanthene classes.