Hair analysis by using radioimmunoassay, high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis to investigate chronic exposure to heroin, cocaine and/or ecstasy in applicants for driving licences

The present paper describes an integrated diagnostic strategy to check the physical fitness of subjects, formerly users of illicit drugs, to obtain a driving license, after having quit their addiction. According to the Italian law, applicants for a driving license with a history of drug abuse must give evidence to have quit this behaviour and to show no risk of relapse in the future. To prove this, at our institute, they undergo medical examination, hair analysis and a urinalysis program on eight seriate samples, collected over about 40 days. About 700 subjects per year are investigated with this strategy. The hair samples are screened for opiates (morphine), cocaine and ecstasy, the most abused illicit substances in our region, by using commercial radioimmunoassays adopting cut-off levels of 0.1 ng/mg. All positive samples and about 10% of negatives are confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Further confirmation of results can be carried out by capillary electrophoresis (and/or GC/MS or MS/MS). In 1998, the prevalence of positives for morphine, cocaine and ecstasy was 4.8, 11.3 and 2.6%, respectively. In this year, for the first time, the percentage of hair samples positive for cocaine was greater than that for opiates. The results of this integrated diagnostic strategy are presented and discussed, with particular emphasis on the comparison between hair analysis on a single sample and seriate urinalyses (on eight samples).     

Analysis of eight STR loci in two Hungarian populations

A collection of eight STR loci (D3S1358, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820) was used to generate allele frequency databases for two Hungarian population samples, Caucasians from the Budapest area and Romanies from Baranya county. During the analysis two intermediate sized alleles and a sequence variant allele were observed at the D7S820 locus. All three types of allelic variants were found to have modification (deletion, insertion, transversion) in the same block of a (T)(9) stretch located within the 3' flanking region of each allele, which may indicate a possible higher mutation rate of this (T)(9) block. For the loci D3S1358 and D7S820 the Romany population database showed departures from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The forensic efficiency values for the Romany population were slightly different from those found in the Hungarian Caucasian population. Comparing the allele frequency values by G-statistic, calculating the F(st) indices and with the pairwise comparisons of inter-population variance, the two Hungarian populations could be distinguished using data of the eight STR loci.     

Delimitation of the time of death by immunohistochemical detection of thyroglobulin

To improve the possibilities to delimit the time of death after longer laytime it was examined if this is possible by immunohistochemical detection of thyroglobulin. The results show that in our examination material the colloid and the follicular cells of the thyroid glands of up to 5-day-old corpses produce a positive immunoreaction towards thyroglobulin in all cases whereas none of the corpses older than 13 days show such a reaction. This means that in case of a negative immunoreaction the time of death can be assumed to lie more than 6 days before the autopsy. The fact that a negative immunoreaction occurs consistently after 13 days leads to the conclusion that when thyroglobulin has been stained in a specimen, the death of the respective person must lie a maximum of 12 days earlier, whereby these time-limits may change in considerably different surrounding conditions.     

Immunohistochemical detection of methadone in the human brain

To develop a method of detecting methadone in the human brain by immunohistochemistry, brain tissue of frontal cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, basal ganglions and brain stem from victims of a lethal methadone overdose was examined. The staining was performed with a monoclonal anti-methadone antibody from the mouse, originally developed for immunochemichal purposes (ELISA). With the help of the DAKO((R)) Catalyzed Signal Amplification (CSA) System, a specific positive immunoreaction was obtained in the neurons of the frontal cortex and hippocampus, as compared with specimen from deaths without exposition to methadone. Thus, along with metamphetamine, phenobarbital, morphine and insulin, immunohistochemical detection is also possible for methadone and the intake of this medicament can now be proven morphologically.     

Streifenlichttopometrie (SLT): a new method for the three-dimensional photorealistic forensic documentation in colour

By means of the new method of Streifenlichttopometrie (SLT) it is possible to record the complete body surface of casualties in a practically photorealistic fashion, i.e. three-dimensionally and in colour. In comparison with the classic method of Photogrammetry Streifenlichttopometrie (SLT) is remarkably faster (10,000 points/s instead of 1 point/s) and in addition the colour of every point measured upon the corpse's surface is instantly recorded. Taking into consideration the resolution required and the qualities of the camera system the body surface is recorded in 'patches', i.e., areas of a defined extension (in the present case 500 mmx500 mmx200 mm) which are marked with a body fixed reference frame to grant the exact matching of the data after the recording process. Length, perimeter, square and volume of the body segments and injuries can be determined. Furthermore the natural colour of the wounds can be used for an immediate classification according to the intensity of the impact forces. In addition the 3-D coordinates of the body surface including the wounds can be transferred into an animated computer simulation for the reconstruction of the traumatic events.     

Numerical density of delta-opioid receptor expressing neurons in the frontal cortex of drug-related fatalities

In animal experiment and in cell culture, chronic morphine treatment has been followed by a reduction as well as an increase of the delta-opioid receptor (OR) number. The present postmortem morphometric study of morphine-related fatalities of drug addicts (n=12, 22-35 years old, with blood unconjugated morphine levels from 27.1 to 407 ng/ml, m.v. 176.9 ng/ml) versus a non-addicted control group (n=13, 10-44 years old) is intended to examine whether chronic opiate exposure also affects the numerical density of deltaOR expressing neurons in the human neocortex (area 10 according to Brodmann (Vergleichende Lokalisationslehre der Grosshirnrinde (1909) Johann Ambrosius Barth, Leipzig)). For the immunohistochemical procedure, vibratome sections (100 microm) were incubated with a monoclonal antibody against the deltaOR diluted 1:100, and immunoreactive sites were visualized using an immunoperoxidase protocol. The numerical densities of OR expressing and Nissl-stained neurons were assessed morphometrically (camera lucida drawings). In both collectives, the anti deltaOR immunoreactivity was predominantly localized in pyramidal neurons of layers (L) II/III and V as well as in round and ovoid neurons of L VI. In the drug-related fatalities, the density of neurons expressing deltaOR protein amounted for 2515+/-240/mm(3), in the control group for 2616+/-204/mm(3), thus displaying no statistically significant difference. These findings go along with the binding behavior of opioid ligands in postmortem brains of heroin addicts revealing similar receptor densities and affinities in the control subjects and addicts.     

十三年来美国对泰国的“援助”

近几年来美国把对泰国援助中一部分“贈欵”改为貸欵,泰报认为是援助減少了。作者认为貸欵也是援助,但可能使泰国经济发展計划降低要求或中止,言外之音是希望增加“贈欵”。     

越南的少数民族問題

这是一篇替法帝国主义統治越南时期的少數民族政策辯护的文章。它把法帝国主义“分而治之”的反动政策說成是“善意好心”的,把法帝国主义所頒布的使越南泰族脫离越南,直接与法兰西联邦联系的法律,說成是符合民族特点和民族愿望的。它也透露了目前南越西原地区少數民族对吳庭艳集团的不滿,对越南民主共和国的民族政策的响往。但它却歪曲那些少數民族的意志,說他們热烈地怀念法国人。文章的观点是反动的,但可以看出帝国主义是如何欺騙当地少數民族的。     

柬埔寨的外国援助

西哈努克亲王最近从法国返国,西哈努克在法国逗留了将近七个星期,进行手术并作短期休息,众所周知,柬埔寨首相的奇異的经历和突出的个性:1955年3月西哈努克采取了史无前例的决定,放弃了王位的继承。自此以后,西哈努克亲王或者作为柬埔寨政府的首脑或者暂时退居于在野地位,都促进着柬埔寨的政治生活,並在东南亚地区执行不同路线的各个国家(亲美的国家如泰国、南越、甚至以及近几个月以来的老撾;亲共产主义国家如北越)之间,扮演着微妙的中立主义的战士和技师     

印度尼西亚财政政策及其影响

序言印度尼西亚的财政金融形势向来没有朝着好的方向发展,相反的,最近是更恶化了。这种情况是早为公众和政府所理解和承认的事实。还需要认真加以探讨的则是政府对财政困难的基本原因及其出路的意见。某些负责的政府官员和社会上的某些人士,更偏重于从货币流通量的发展情况这个角度来观察财政形势。用这种方法,他们甚至得出结论说:向来就是政府方面造成通货膨涨,所以国家预算必须压