Hyperuricemia in rats during acute carbon monoxide poisoning

The effect of carbon monoxide (CO) inhalation on plasma levels of uric acid and hypoxanthine in rats was investigated. Exposure to 3% CO caused respiratory arrest within about 2 minutes. The plasma uric acid level of CO-treated rats increased to 157% above that of ether-treated rats. When rats were exposed to 1% or 0.8% CO, the exposure periods until the onset of respiratory arrest were prolonged, and plasma uric acid levels at respiratory arrest were further elevated. Plasma uric acid levels at respiratory arrest increased with prolongation of the exposure periods. Under our experimental conditions, hypoxanthine or xanthine was not detected in plasma of CO-treated rats. These results are discussed in relation to the hyperuricemia in hemorrhagic shock or hypoxemia: CO-induced hyperuricemia can be attributed to the stimulated degradation of adenine nucleotides under tissue anoxia, and thus could be an excellent parameter of tissue anoxia.     

Storage of blood for methemoglobin determination: comparison of storage with a cryoprotectant at -30 degrees C and without any additions at -80 degrees C or -196 degrees C

Changes in methemoglobin (Met-Hb) concentrations during storage of whole blood or mixtures of blood and a cryoprotectant at refrigerated or various freezing temperatures were examined using blood samples from nitrite-administered rats and from autopsy cadavers. When whole blood was stored at 3 degrees C, Met-Hb reduction was observed in blood samples from nitrite-administered rats and in the blood from a victim poisoned by a weed killer containing some oxidant. When samples were stored at -30 degrees C, Met-Hb formation by autoxidation was inevitably observed in blood samples stored as whole blood, whereas addition of a cryoprotectant to whole blood could prevent Met-Hb formation in all the blood samples. When whole blood was stored at -80 degrees C or -196 degrees C, Met-Hb concentrations were practically stable until at least 30 days regardless of the initial values except in the control rat blood samples stored at -80 degrees C which showed slight formation of Met-Hb. From the results obtained, both the storage with a cryoprotectant at -30 degrees C and that without any additions at -80 degrees C or -196 degrees C proved to be suitable for long-term storage of blood samples from autopsy cadavers for Met-Hb determination.     

A simple spectrophotometric method for the determination of carboxyhemoglobin in blood

The spectrophotometric method for the determination of carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) in blood reported by Fretwurst and Meinecke was modified so as to give the same values of percentage HbCO (HbCO%) as those determined by the oxygen electrode method. Values of HbCO% of nine practical samples determined by both the oxygen electrode method and the present method were nearly identical regardless of the presence of methemoglobin (Met-Hb) in blood. The present method is suitable for forensic practice.     

A case of strangulation with postmortem amputation of the penis

A case of homicide with postmortem amputation of the penis was described. The penis found later in a home freezer in the apartment of the culprit showed "zigsaw" fit to the victim. In order to substantiate the morphological findings, phenotypes of three isozymes, phosphoglucomutase1 (PGM1), phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD), and esterase D (EsD) together with ABO blood type were determined in the skin of the penis amputated. All of the four genetic markers determined with the penis were the same as those determined with heart blood of the victim.     

Genetic variation and relationships at five STR loci in five distinct ethnic groups in China

Five short tandem repeat (STR) systems of TH01, vWA, LPL, F13B and FES/FPS were investigated in five ethnic groups living in China (Tujia, Miao, Bai, Chaoxian and Han). All five loci did not deviate from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P>0.05). At the five loci of each ethnic group, the observed heterozygosity, the mean exclusion chance (MEC), and the power of discrimination (PD) ranged from 0.42 to 0.86, from 0.20 to 0.66 and from 0.61 to 0.95, respectively. For the five ethnic groups, the combined MEC and combined PD were >0. 9360 and >0.9998, respectively, suggesting that combinations of these five systems are feasible for DNA typing in forensic investigations such as personal identification or paternity testing. Furthermore, the allelic frequencies at the five loci suggested that these five ethnic groups were distinctly different communities. Judging from the phylogenetic tree constructed based on the genetic distance among the five ethnic groups, Han, Chaoxian and Tujia were involved in an identical cluster, and Miao and Bai in another. These findings indicate that each of the five groups examined is not only a distinct community, but also has a relationship with each of the others.     

Democracy and market economy

In the following article, Professor Seizaburo Sato, former Research Director of the Institute for International Policy Studies, addresses the relation between democracy and market economy and the problems that might develop as economic globalization continues to deepen. Liberal democracy and market economy face a number of problems, he says, but they are at this stage the best political and economic systems to follow, and we should take steps to improve them where we can. Although recognizing the positive value of diversity, he emphasizes the importance of international cooperation and a minimum set of common rules. At the same time, he urges constant technological innovation and the fostering of capable political leaders who have a comprehensive vision for the future and a strong sense of public responsibility.     

公司法律制度的源泉问题研究——从制度经济学和制度社会学的视角分析

对制度的分析可以分为两种,一种是从经济学角度的分析,另一种是从社会学角度的分析.关于制度是怎样生成的的问题,两者存在很大的差异.两个看法的根本性区别在于前者关注受到社会规范的影响的人的良心和善对制度生成的作用,而后者关注个人追求自己利益行为的结果,不太强调人的良心和善对制度生成的作用.人认知这种行为并赋予某种意义才产生...     

社会责任对德国公司治理的影响

国公司社会责任的概念拥有浓厚的个人主义或自由主义色彩，而它们社会责任的承担方式与股东权的概念紧密相连。德国公司社会责任的一大特点是在追求公司自身利益的同时保护利益相关者的利益并调整其利益关系。而公司的社会责任也根据社会期待而形成，并进一步形成了德国独特的公司治理模式。     

Postmortem molecular screening for mutations in ryanodine receptor type 1 (RYR1) gene in psychiatric patients suspected of having died of neuroleptic malignant syndrome

Postmortem diagnosis of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is difficult to perform, because the clinical symptoms just before death are not usually available. Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a catastrophic, life-threatening hypermetabolic syndrome triggered by certain anesthetics. Ryanodine receptor type 1 (RYR1) gene mutations are known to be involved in susceptibility to MH. Similarities in clinical features, such as elevated body temperature, between NMS and MH have led to the suggestion that NMS is a neurogenic form of MH. In this study, we analyzed possible mutations of the RYR1 gene in 11 psychiatric patients suspected at autopsy to have died of NMS. All cases were suspected of having elevated body temperature at death, and their causes of death could not be determined by autopsy examinations. Two mutations (R4645Q and A612T) in the RYR1 gene were identified. The R4645Q mutation has previously been reported in MH patients, but five heterozygous mutations were also found in 400 Japanese control alleles. The other mutation was novel, and was not found in the same control alleles. The results of this study provide the first successful identification of RYR1 mutations in psychiatric patients suspected at autopsy of having died of NMS. However, the association between RYR1 gene mutations and cause of death in psychiatric patients suspected of dying of NMS remains unclear.     

A D19S433 primer binding site mutation and the frequency in Japanese of the silent allele it causes

Short tandem repeat studies are powerful tools for parentage analysis and for identification of missing persons, victims of murder, and victims of mass fatalities when reference samples are unavailable. The primer in the Identifiler kit failed to amplify an allele at the D19S433 locus, producing a silent ("null") allele. The causal mutation is a base change (G>A) 32 nucleotides downstream from the 3' end of the AAGG repeats. The silent alleles are problematical in parentage analysis because when transmitted, they can cause a parent-child inconsistency that is unrelated to Mendelian genetics. The inconsistency is sometimes termed an "apparent opposite homozygosity" and it produces false evidence of nonparentage. Alternative primers were designed to amplify the D19S433 locus alleles and they detect the silent allele. Frequencies of the (no longer) silent allele were determined to be 0.0114 in 176 people from Shizuoka (Honshu) and 0.0128 in 156 people from Okinawa.