Formation of an interfering substance, 3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidine, during a pseudoephedrine urinalysis

During fatal aviation accident investigations, biosamples from the victims are submitted to the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) for drug analysis. In the process of one such analysis by CAMI, an unknown substance was found in a urine sample. Simultaneous screening by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and gas chromatography/FID (GC/FID) suggested the presence of pseudoephedrine. A subsequent routine confirmation analysis of a separate urine aliquot by GC Fourier transform infrared (GC/FTIR) and GC mass spectrometry (GC/MS) indicated that the retention times of the unknown substance matched with those of pseudoephedrine. However, its infrared and mass spectra were different--the -OH and -NH groups were missing, a C-O-C group was present, and the molar mass was 12 atomic mass units (amu) more than that of pseudoephedrine. A subsequent literature search suggested that ephedrine-like amines react with aldehydes to form oxazolidines. Therefore, the 12-amu increase could be accounted for by condensation of pseudoephedrine with formaldehyde. Since this aldehyde is present in various grades of methanol and ethyl acetate, and these solvents were used during the solid-phase extraction, 3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidine was synthesized by using (+)-pseudoephedrine HCl and formaldehyde. The analytical findings of the synthesized compound were consistent with those of the unknown interfering substance, confirming that it was the oxazolidine. Aldehyde contaminants in solvents or specimens can transform drugs of interest and may result in misidentification of a compound originally present in specimens. Therefore, chemicals used in analyses should be of the highest available purity, and a multi-analytical approach should be adopted to maintain a high degree of quality assurance.     

DNA typing of samples for polymarker, DQA1, and nine STR loci from a human body exhumed after 27 years

A body was exhumed from the ground after 27 years. Samples of femur bone, tooth, and a fingernail were collected and successfully subjected to DNA extraction, quantitation, amplification, and subsequently typed for DQA1, polymarker, and nine STR loci. All three types of samples were typed for D3S1358, vWA, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S17, D7S820, and amelogenin using ABI Prism 377 DNA sequencer.     

The Frye hearing in Florida: an attempt to exclude scientific evidence

State Supreme Courts require a minimum threshold of reliability and acceptance in the scientific community for all medical and similar evidence to be admitted at trial. In Florida and some other states, the courts adhere to what is known as the Frye standard, whereas in most states and in Federal Courts, it is the so-called Daubert standard. The jurisdiction of the present case is Hillsborough County (Tampa), Florida. Forensic pathologists seldom, if ever, are requested to participate in such hearings, unlike their toxicological and basic science colleagues who are more involved in research methodology and technical procedures. The burden is on the proponent of the evidence to prove the general acceptance of both the underlying scientific principle of the test and procedures used to apply that principle to the facts of the case at hand. The trial judge has the sole discretion to determine this question and general acceptance must be established by a preponderance of the evidence. The authors describe in detail a hearing in a case in which they were all involved. One author (WQS) had researched and documented the original scientific methodology in the literature. The situation involved a car and tractor trailer crash with the two occupants of the car dying of multiple trauma, whereas the truck driver was not injured. Autopsy of the auto driver revealed multiple injuries with exsanguination, and only vitreous humor and liver tissue, but not blood, were tested for ethyl alcohol. The estate of the driver of the automobile brought suit against the owner of the trucking company for wrongful death. The plaintiff requested a Frye hearing to question the reliability of testing other body specimens to translate to probable blood alcohol level. The testimony, submitted documents, and eventual decision by the judge are discussed.     

Population genetics of HPRTB, F13B, and LPL in Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil

One hundred thirty-four unrelated Northeast Brazilian individuals were typed for the HPRTB, F13B, and LPL short tandem repeats (STRs). DNA was amplified by specific primers and identified by silver staining of polyacrylamide gels. The allelic frequencies of these loci were in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg proportions. The most frequent alleles were HPRTB*13, F13B*10, LPL*10. The combined probability of paternity and the discrimination power of these 3 STRs were high, permitting their utilization for forensic science purposes.     

A new visibly-excited fluorescent component in latent fingerprint residue induced by gaseous electrical discharge

A technique that exposes fingerprint residue to a gaseous electrical discharge in nitrogen followed by treatment with ammonium hydrogen carbonate vapors to produce fluorescence is investigated. Particular attention is made to fluorescence observed via laser illumination at 514 nm. Insight into the nature of the fluorescent components is achieved through the use of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) of fingerprint residue. Results reported indicate the fluorescence observed is from previously non-fluorescent fractions of the fingerprint residue, and TLC results point towards lipid derivatives as a possible source of the fluorescence.     

Assessing the risk of recidivism in physicians with histories of sexual misconduct

Physicians who engage in sexual conduct with patients usually cause serious harm and have a high rate of recidivism. Although offending physicians may lose their privilege to practice, they have the right to appeal for restoration of the license. Yet medical licensing board members do not currently have any clear standards by which to predict whether a given physician is likely to abuse again. Using New York as a paradigm, this paper offers practical, clinically based guidelines for assessing the risk of restoring an offending physician's license. These guidelines are derived from psychoanalytic theories of character, the insights of therapists who have worked with abusive physicians, and the psychiatric model of assessing dangerousness. Recognizing character patterns and psychological vulnerabilities of physicians with histories of sexual misconduct will help board members identify those who are at high risk of abusing again if their licenses are restored.     

Forensic medical significance of anti-P1 immunoreagents with incomplete antibodies in blood analysis

Anti-P1 immunoreagents with incomplete antibodies are intended for detection of antigen of different degree of manifestation in blood traces during expert evaluation of material evidences by the adsorption-elution test. These reagents can be used for detecting weakly manifest P1 antigen in liquid blood in forensic medical studies.     

New variant for detecting ABO antigens in human bones

AB0 antigens can be extracted from human bone tissue into aqueous solution during boiling and then identified by absorption elution test.     

Comparative analysis fo heroin

A protocol for comparative analysis of heroin making use of chromatographic methods and infra-red spectroscopy is presented.