Development and validation of a LC–MS/MS method for analysis of vortioxetine in postmortem specimens. First data from an authentic case

Vortioxetine is an antidepressant recently licensed in USA and EU for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Neither fatal case due to overdose nor data about postmortem concentrations on blood or other specimens have been reported. The aims of this study were the development and validation of a method for vortioxetine analysis by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) in postmortem samples and its application in an authentic case. The method was validated and applied on blood, vitreous humor, bile, brain, liver, kidney, and gastric content. After protein precipitation, the supernatant was directly injected into LC–MS/MS. Analysis was carried out by Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode. The authentic case concerned a 38 years-old woman, affected by depression, who was found hanged at home. The method determined an acceptable sensitivity, selectivity, linearity, precision, and accuracy for all matrices. No interference was shown for all matrices. The matrices do not significantly reduce the peak intensity of vortioxetine. No carryover was shown. Toxicological analysis of the authentic case showed vortioxetine in blood (234 ng/ml), vitreous humor (10.5 ng/ml), brain (490 ng/g), lung (479 ng/g), liver (3751 ng/g), kidney (798 ng/g), bile (2267 ng/ml) and gastric content (253 ng/ml). Our case suggests that even at blood concentrations of vortioxetine equal to 234 ng/ml, the subject was able to stage and carry out the hanging. Vortioxetine concentrations found in the other cadaveric samples (biological fluids, organs, and gastric content) may be helpful to evaluate further similar comparable cases.     

Death by compaction in a robotic dumpster

Robotic waste management automation systems are increasingly utilized around the globe as a user-friendly, ecological and hygienic alternative to waste disposal, simultaneously reducing the volume and frequency of waste collection. The present paper aims to report a case of death by compaction in an automated robotic waste management system and review relevant literature on compactor-related fatalities. The unusual fatal accident involved a 37-year-old male citizen who deliberately entered the robotic dumpster to retrieve his accidentally discarded medication. Upon entering the robotic chamber, the compaction system was automatically activated, although all safety measures were in full operation. This paper highlights the lack of standardized reporting on compactor-related mortality, which however is of importance both in terms of its social impact and public safety. These deaths occur rarely, in scattered areas of the globe, associated with various situations (e.g., occupational fatalities, homeless people, infanticide) and trash compactors of different types, technology, age, maintenance quality, warning signage and safety interlocks. In all previously reported fatalities, the technology involved was considerably older (as in conventional waste containers, garbage compaction trucks, chute-fed compactors in buildings, etc.). The case described in the present report is a rare event in both literature and international news coverage as it encompasses a fully automated technology intended for unsupervised, direct use by the public being located in public spaces where all citizens can interact with it. The aim of this report is to raise awareness and improve knowledge about safety parameters so that similar incidents can be avoided in the future.     

Understanding deliberate indifference to suicide in corrections facilities: A review of recent legal cases

The US corrections system is the largest provider of mental health care in the country. Suicide is a leading cause of death in corrections facilities with rates of inmate suicide being far higher than the national average. Suicide is an event that can lead to legal action against the facility, staff, and treating health-care providers. Some claims are based on medical malpractice. In this setting, claims may also be brought based on violations of the detainee's constitutional rights. Pretrial detainees and prisoners, alike, have a constitutional right to adequate medical and psychiatric care through the Fourteenth Amendment and Eighth Amendment, respectively. But, there is limited information on constitutional claims made against correctional health-care providers for cases of inmate suicide. To help bridge this gap, the authors conducted a search of federal legal case decisions involving claims against health-care providers for deliberate indifference to a detainee's serious illness or injury in the event of attempted suicide or death by suicide over a 5 year period from 2016 to 2021. Fifteen cases were identified. Five themes emerged from the cases, which could serve as bases for claims against health-care professionals: receiving screening, mental health assessment, treatment, documentation, and attention to facility policies. The cases and their clinical significance are summarized in this article. The materials provide an overview of the problems surrounding correctional suicides and can serve as practice pointers in the corporeal setting.     

Deep learning for sex determination: Analyzing over 200,000 panoramic radiographs

The objective of this study is to assess the performance of an innovative AI-powered tool for sex determination using panoramic radiographs (PR) and to explore factors affecting the performance of the convolutional neural network (CNN). The study involved 207,946 panoramic dental X-rays and their corresponding reports from 15 clinical centers in São Paulo, Brazil. The PRs were acquired with four different devices, and 58% of the patients were female. Data preprocessing included anonymizing the exams, extracting pertinent information from the reports, such as sex, age, type of dentition, and number of missing teeth, and organizing the data into a PostgreSQL database. Two neural network architectures, a standard CNN and a ResNet, were utilized for sex classification, with both undergoing hyperparameter tuning and cross-validation to ensure optimal performance. The CNN model achieved 95.02% accuracy in sex estimation, with image resolution being a significant influencing factor. The ResNet model attained over 86% accuracy in subjects older than 6 years and over 96% in those over 16 years. The algorithm performed better on female images, and the area under the curve (AUC) exceeded 96% for most age groups, except the youngest. Accuracy values were also assessed for different dentition types (deciduous, mixed, and permanent) and missing teeth. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of an AI-driven tool for sex determination using PR and emphasizes the role of image resolution, age, and sex in determining the algorithm's performance.     

Fatal poisoning due to ingestion of boiled oleander leaf extract

Nerium oleander is an ornamental evergreen shrub belonging to the family Apocynaceae. The Apocynaceae family includes the attractive evergreen shrub known as oleander. The cardiotoxic glycoside, oleandrin, is present in all portions of the common oleander plant. Oleander consumption can result in deadly situations accidentally or as a suicide attempt. After consuming kettle-boiled oleander leaf extract as part of a suicide attempt, an 80-year-old man was discovered comatose in his home and taken to our emergency room. The patient's heart rate was 30 beats per minute, and he had hypotension. Arterial blood gas analysis revealed remarkable metabolic acidosis and hyperkalemia (K: 7.7 mEq/L). An electrocardiogram showed a wide QRS wave, similar to a sine curve. The patient collapsed following cardiac arrest soon after hospital arrival. Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was initiated; however, the patient eventually died. The serum level of oleandrin at hospital arrival, subsequently measured by LC–MS/MS, was found to be 33.4 ng/mL, far above the levels reported in previous fatal cases.     

纪念尼克松访华40周年——在利益与冲突中发展前行的中美关系

中美关系自尼克松访华以来经历了多次跌宕起伏、反复曲折,但总体趋势是向前发展的。日益紧密联系和相互依存的经贸关系是推动中美关系积极发展的基础;不断增多的共同利益,谋求互利共赢的愿望成为维系中美关系向前发展的动力;而中美综合国力的消长使两国力量结构渐趋平衡,为双方平等对话、发展关系创造了条件。40年来美国对华定位的摇摆一直影响中美关系的发展方向和趋势,成为中美关系起伏曲折的主要原因,其中,中美社会制度和意识形态的差异是两国关系中具有对抗性的消极因素,而台湾问题则是影响中美关系向前发展的最大障碍。     

X线骨龄评估方法研究进展与展望

骨龄评估的传统方法主要包括计数法、图谱法及计分法等,近年来又有一些学者不断提出其他新的方法。利用骨骼X线片影像学特征推断骨龄是当前法医学工作者进行骨龄评估的主要手段。但是,将此骨龄推断结论作为"证据"直接提供给司法审判机关,因其存在着一定的误差尚值得商榷。因此,为了提高骨龄鉴定结论的精确度,还需进行更多方法学的研究。经参阅国内、外大量相关文献,现就X线片骨龄评估方法的研究与进展进行综述。     

氯胺酮滥用的研究进展

氯胺酮为非竞争性NMDA受体阻断剂,作为一种分离性麻醉药应用于临床,其作用机制复杂,由于其具有一定的致幻作用而被滥用于各种娱乐场所,是目前药物滥用中的一个新问题。本文在阐述氯胺酮的药理学及毒理学特性的基础上,复习了氯胺酮与NMDA受体、多巴胺受体等神经生物学相关受体的相互作用,综述氯胺酮滥用的现状、滥用的可能生理机制及其滥用后的检测方法等方面的研究进展。     

跨国合作：全球化视阈下食品安全治理的新构想

食品安全是关系到整个人类生存与发展的严峻问题,已成为各国政府和人民共同关注的焦点。经济全球化使得食品安全成为全球性问题,各合作治理主体加强合作,采取协调行动,实施跨国合作治理是解决该世界难题的有效之策。