[The Role of Segmental Analysis of Clonazepam in Hair in Drug Facilitated Cases]

OBJECTIVES

To infer the frequency of dosage and medication history investigate of the victims in drug facilitated cases by the segmental analysis of clonazepam in hair.

METHODS

Freezing milling under liquid nitrogen environment combined with ultrasonic bath was used as sample pretreatment in this study, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used for the segmental analysis of the hair samples collected from 6 victims in different cases. The concentrations of clonazepam and 7-aminoclonazepam were detected in each hair section.

RESULTS

Clonazepam and its metabolite 7-aminoclonazepam were detected in parts of hair sections from the 6 victims. The occurrence time of drug peak concentration was consistent with the intake timing provided by victims.

CONCLUSIONS

Segmental analysis of hair can provide the information of frequency of dosage and intake timing, which shows an unique evidential value in drug facilitated crimes.

[Evaluation of Brodifacoum-induced Toxicity by Metabonomics Approach Based on HPLC-TOF-MS]

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the metabolic changes in urine of rats with brodifacoum intoxication, and to reveal the molecular mechanism of brodifacoum-induced toxicity on rats.

METHODS

By establishing a brodifacoum poisoning rats model, the urine metabolic profiling data of rats were acquired using high performance liquid chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry （HPLC-TOF-MS）. The orthogonal partial least squares analysis-discrimination analysis （OPLS-DA） was applied for the multivariate statistics and the discovery of differential metabolites closely related to toxicity of brodifacoum.

RESULTS

OPLS-DA score plot showed that the urinary metabolic at different time points before and after drug administration had good similarity within time period and presented clustering phenomenon. Comparing the urine samples of rats before drug administration with which after drug administration, twenty-two metabolites related to brodifacoum-induced toxicity were selected.

CONCLUSIONS

The toxic effect of brodifacoum worked by disturbing the metabolic pathways in rats such as tricarboxylic cycle, glycolysis, sphingolipid metabolism and tryptophan metabolism, and the toxicity of brodifacoum is characterized of accumulation effect. The metabonomic method based on urine HPLC-TOF-MS can provide a novel insight into the study on molecular mechanism of brodifacoum-induced toxicity.

[Determination of Sulfide Ion in Blood from Hydrogen Sulfide Poisoning Cases]

OBJECTIVES

To establish a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS） method for the determination of sulfide ion in blood and apply it to the practical cases.

METHODS

The 1, 3, 5-tribromobenzene was selected as an internal standard, and 0.2 mL blood sample was collected and analyzed using GC-MS after α-Bromo-2, 3, 4, 5, 6-pentafluorobenzyl bromide derivatization.

RESULTS

The mass concentration of sulfide ion in blood had good linearity in the range of 0.2-40 μg/mL with a limit of detection （LOD） of 0.05 μg/mL. The mass concentration of sulfide ion was less than 0.05 μg/mL in blank blood from different sources such as healthy subjects and dead cases. In 3 sulfide poisoning cases, sulfide ion was detected in the blood samples of 6 victims, and the mass concentration range was 1.02-3.13 μg/mL.

CONCLUSIONS

This study establishes a method for investigation of sulfide ion in blood which has been applied successfully to the cases of fatal sulfide poisonings.

Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 1

Genera of Phytopathogenic Fungi (GOPHY) is introduced as a new series of publications in order to provide a stable platform for the taxonomy of phytopathogenic fungi. This first paper focuses on 21 genera of phytopathogenic fungi: Bipolaris, Boeremia, Calonectria, Ceratocystis, Cladosporium, Colletotrichum, Coniella, Curvularia, Monilinia, Neofabraea, Neofusicoccum, Pilidium, Pleiochaeta, Plenodomus, Protostegia, Pseudopyricularia, Puccinia, Saccharata, Thyrostroma, Venturia and Wilsonomyces. For each genus, a morphological description and information about its pathology, distribution, hosts and disease symptoms are provided. In addition, this information is linked to primary and secondary DNA barcodes of the presently accepted species, and relevant literature. Moreover, several novelties are introduced, i.e. new genera, species and combinations, and neo-, lecto- and epitypes designated to provide a stable taxonomy. This first paper includes one new genus, 26 new species, ten new combinations, and four typifications of older names.

Evolution of In-Cylinder Diesel Engine Soot and Emission Characteristics Investigated with Online Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

To design diesel engines with low environmental impact, it is important to link health and climate-relevant soot (black carbon) emission characteristics to specific combustion conditions. The in-cylinder evolution of soot properties over the combustion cycle and as a function of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) was investigated in a modern heavy-duty diesel engine. A novel combination of a fast gas-sampling valve and a soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS) enabled online measurements of the in-cylinder soot chemistry. The results show that EGR reduced the soot formation rate. However, the late cycle soot oxidation rate (soot removal) was reduced even more, and the net effect was increased soot emissions. EGR resulted in an accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during combustion, and led to increased PAH emissions. We show that mass spectral and optical signatures of the in-cylinder soot and associated low volatility organics change dramatically from the soot formation dominated phase to the soot oxidation dominated phase. These signatures include a class of fullerene carbon clusters that we hypothesize represent less graphitized, C₅-containing fullerenic (high tortuosity or curved) soot nanostructures arising from decreased combustion temperatures and increased premixing of air and fuel with EGR. Altered soot properties are of key importance when designing emission control strategies such as diesel particulate filters and when introducing novel biofuels.

[Relationship between domestic violence and posttraumatic stress disorder among women living in the communities of Wuhan city]

Objective: To understand the prevalence of domestic violence and the correlation between domestic violence and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) so as to improve the mental health status of women in Wuhan city of China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the community health service center in Wuhan. Participants were women who came to the center for gynecological examination. Data on general condition, social support, injury, epidemiological characteristics of domestic violence and PTSD were gathered. Chi-square, student-t and Cochran-Armitage trend tests were employed to compare the distribution of each characteristic variable between PTSD and non-PTSD group. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between domestic violence and PTSD. Results: A total of 1 015 women were effectively surveyed. The life-time incidence rates of events related to domestic, psychological, physical and sexual violence were 29.36%, 28.28%, 6.60% and 3.55%, respectively. The overall prevalence rate of PTSD was 4.73%. Women who suffered from domestic violence had higher risk of PTSD (OR=2.11, 95%CI: 1.04-4.29) than those who never experiencing domestic violence. Women who suffered from psychological or physical violence were 5.06 times more likely to suffer from PTSD (OR=5.06, 95% CI: 1.91-13.42). Conclusion: A strong correlation between domestic violence and PTSD was seen. Victims who suffered from domestic violence should be provided with psychological counseling to reduce the risk of PTSD.

Mesolimbic leptin signaling negatively regulates cocaine-conditioned reward

The regulatory mechanisms underlying the response to addictive drugs are complex, and increasing evidence indicates that there is a role for appetite-regulating pathways in substance abuse. Leptin, an important adipose hormone that regulates energy balance and appetite, exerts its physiological functions via leptin receptors. However, the role of leptin signaling in regulating the response to cocaine remains unclear. Here we examined the potential role of leptin signaling in cocaine reward using a conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure. Our results showed that inhibition of leptin signaling by intracerebroventricular infusion of the leptin receptor (LepR) antagonist SMLA during cocaine conditioning increased the cocaine-CPP and upregulated the level of dopamine and its metabolites in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We then selectively knocked down the LepR in the mesolimbic ventral tegmental area (VTA), NAc core and central amygdala (CeA) by injecting AAV-Cre into Lepr^flox/flox mice. LepR deletion in the VTA increased the dopamine levels in the NAc and enhanced the cocaine-conditioned reward. LepR deletion in the NAc core enhanced the cocaine-conditioned reward and impaired the effect of the D2-dopamine receptor on cocaine-CPP, whereas LepR deletion in the CeA had no effect on cocaine-CPP but increased the anxiety level of mice. In addition, prior exposure to saccharin increased LepR mRNA and STAT3 phosphorylation in the NAc and VTA and impaired cocaine-CPP. These results indicate that leptin signaling is critically involved in cocaine-conditioned reward and the regulation of drug reward by a natural reward and that these effects are dependent on mesolimbic LepR.

Investigation on self-absorption at reduced air pressure in quantitative analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

The self-absorption at reduced air pressure for quantitative analysis of Mn and Cu elements in steel using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy was investigated. The calibration curves of Mn and Cu elements at the air pressures of 100, 80, 50, 20, and 1 kPa were studied. The results show that, the nonlinearity of calibration curves which caused by self-absorption effects at atmosphere could be significantly improved by reducing the air pressure to 1 kPa, and the coefficients of determination (R²) of linear calibration curves of Mn and Cu lines are all higher than 0.99. The further study explored that the reason for the improvement was that the induced plasma became low density and the self-absorption coefficient was close to 1 when the air pressure reduced to 1 kPa.

[A clinical analysis of 69 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients with renal insufficiency]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and outcome in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients with renal insufficiency using bortezomib- or thalidomide-based regimens as front line treatment. Method: Sixty-nine newly diagnosed MM patients with renal insufficiency were retrospectively analyzed from August 2006 to August 2014. Results: ① Among thirty-nine patients with bortezomib based regimens (the bortezomib group), the overall response rate (ORR) was 89.7% and complete response (CR) plus near CR(nCR) rate was 41.0%. By contrast, among thirty patients with thalidomide based regimens (the thalidomide group), the ORR was 83.3% and CR+ nCR rate was 26.7%. There was no significant difference of either ORR or CR+ nCR rate between bortezomib and thalidomide groups. ② The improvement rate of renal function in bortezomib group and thalidomide group were 87.2% and 60.0% respectively (P=0.012). The median duration time of renal injury was 45 days in 52 patients with renal function improved, which was significantly shorter compared with 222 days in 17 patients without improvement (P<0.05). There was no difference of median serum creatinine and creatinine clearance rate between the two groups.③ The median progression-free survival (PFS) and the overall survival (OS) were 18 and 33.5 months, respectively in all patients. The three-year and five-year OS rates were 57% and 17%, respectively. The median PFS was 19 months in bortezomib group, while it was only 12 months in thalidomide group (P=0.023). The median OS were 36.5 months and 25.5 months respectively, which was no difference (P=0.285). Conclusions: The newly diagnosed MM patients with renal insufficiency could get higher ORR and the longer PFS using bortezomib-containing regimens as initial therapy. Meanwhile the improvement rate of renal function and the living quality in patients with bortezomib are better compared with those with thalidomide based treatment.

First case of hepatopancreatic necrosis disease in pond-reared Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, associated with microsporidian

An epidemic of hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (HPND) with a high mortality rate (40%-50%) recently occurred in the cultured Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, which is a very important economic crustacean species in China. Histology revealed infection by a microsporidian parasite within the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells of the hepatopancreas. Numerous discrete inclusions in the infected cells and presumably free parasite spores were also observed. By negative staining using electron microscopy, a typical morphology of spores was observed with a protuberant front of the anchoring disc. Infection was confined to the epithelial cells of the hepatopancreas, with no other organ implicated. By sequencing the PCR products using specific primers based on conserved regions of microsporidian small subunit (18S) ribosomal DNA, it was revealed that the parasite from HPND ponds had 99% sequence identity to that of Hepatospora eriocheir. Phylogentic analysis also placed the microsporidian in the same lineage as H. eriocheir. This study reported the first case of widespread infections of H. eriocheir associated with HPND found in the pond-reared Chinese mitten crab, E. sinensis. The description of microsporidian in this important commercial host is fundamental for future consideration of factors affecting stock health and sustainability.

Passive Paradigm Single-Tone Elicited ERPs in Tension-Type Headaches and Migraine

The active 'oddball' event-related potential (ERP) P3 is elongated or reduced in migraine and tension-type headaches, indicating a deficit of active attention in these primary headaches. It is then reasonable to study the passive attention function in these headaches through the technology of passive paradigm singletone elicited ERPs. We invited 32 patients suffering from chronic tension-type headache (CTTH), 17 from frequent episodic tension-type headache (FETH) and 32 from interictal migraine without aura, as well as 28 healthy subjects to undergo passive paradigm single-tone ERPs. There were no statistically significant differences when the mean latencies and amplitudes of N1, P2, N2 or the mean latencies of P3 of the four groups were considered. In contrast, the P3 amplitudes were significantly reduced in the patient groups when compared with healthy controls. However, no further significant difference was found between patient groups when considering P3 amplitude. Our study demonstrated a deficit of passive attention in CTTH, FETH and migraine, but could not separate these headache types in this regard. The reduced P3 in patients might be due to the head pain experienced.

Sensitive determinations of Cu, Pb, Cd, and Cr elements in aqueous solutions using chemical replacement combined with surface-enhanced laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

In this study, chemical replacement combined with surface-enhanced laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CR-SENLIBS) was for the first time applied to improve the detection sensitivities of trace heavy metal elements in aqueous solutions. Utilizing chemical replacement effect, heavy metal ions in aqueous solution were enriched on the magnesium alloy surface as a solid replacement layer through reacting with the high chemical activity metallic magnesium (Mg) within 1 minute. Unitary and mixed solutions with Cu, Pb, Cd, and Cr elements were prepared to construct calibration curves, respectively. The CR-SENLIBS showed a much better detection sensitivity and accuracy for both unitary and mixed solutions. The coefficients of determination R² of the calibration curves were above 0.96, and the LoDs were of the same order of magnitude, i.e., in the range of 0.016-0.386 μg/mL for the unitary solution, and in the range of 0.025-0.420 μg/mL for the mixed solution. These results show that CR-SENLIBS is a feasible method for improving the detection sensitivity of trace element in liquid sample, which definitely provides a way for wider application of LIBS in water quality monitoring.

Vitamin D improves diabetic nephropathy in rats by inhibiting renin and relieving oxidative stress

BACKGROUND

It is well established that the activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the oxidative stress caused by hyperglycemia are major mediators of the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Vitamin D may be important in maintaining podocyte health, preventing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transformation, and suppressing renin gene expression and inflammation, but its mechanism requires clarification. This study evaluated the specific mechanism of vitamin D to DN improvement.

METHODS

We induced a rat model of diabetes with an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). The streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were fed normal chow for about 2 months to induce the DN model. The DN rats were then treated with irbesartan and/or calcitriol, administered intragastrically about 1 month.

RESULTS

The rats displayed the early characteristics of DN, including increased microalbuminuria, obvious hypertrophic kidney, and a markedly increased kidney weight/bodyweight ratio. Vitamin D inhibited the compensatory increase in renin expression. Malondialdehyde, which reflects oxidative stress levels, was elevated in the DN group rats and their antioxidant capacity was significantly reduced. The irbesartan and calcitriol interventions markedly improved the renal pathology and pathophysiological changes. Irbesartan combined with vitamin D (calcitriol) more effectively ameliorated DN than irbesartan alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Vitamin D combined with angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers exerts a synergistic effect on the treatment of DN, not only by inhibiting renin but also by reducing oxidative stress and increasing the renal antioxidant capacity.