Acidic and neutral drugs screen in blood with quantitation using microbore high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection and capillary gas chromatography–flame ionization detection

Blood previously acidified with aqueous saturated ammonium chloride solution was extracted with ethyl acetate. The dried extract was subjected to acetonitrile–hexane partition. The acetonitrile portion was analysed for the presence of acidic and neutral drugs by HPLC–DAD (200 mm×2.1 mm I.D. microbore ODS-Hypersil column) and GC–FID (25 m narrow-bore×0.25 mm I.D. HP-5 column with 0.33 μm film thickness). The protocol was found to be suitable for both clinical toxicology (including emergency toxicology) and postmortem toxicology. At least 66 drugs of interest were unequivocally identified by RRTs (HPLC) and UV spectra (DAD) match while another 12 were unequivocally identified by double RRTs match (HPLC and GC). Quantitation was facilitated by incorporating calibration blood standards in each assay batch. The five drugs most commonly encountered in clinical blood specimens (1150 cases) were: paracetamol (47.4% of the cases); chlormezanone (6.6%), theophylline (1.74%), naproxen (1.65%) and mefenamic acid (1.56%). The following drugs were detected in toxicologically significant quantities in postmortem blood specimens (245 cases): phenobarbitone (1.22% of the cases), naproxen (0.82%), chlormezanone (0.82%), theophylline (0.82%), carbamazepine (0.41%) and paracetamol (0.41%).     

Identification and dating of the fountain pen ink entries on documents by ion-pairing high-performance liquid chromatography

A novel approach for the identification and dating of the fountain pen ink entries on paper has been established by ion-pairing high-performance liquid chromatography (IP-HPLC). Twelve black and six red fountain inks have been collected, and their ink entries have been prepared by drawing lines on paper. The chromatographic conditions for separation of their dye components after extraction with solvents were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the 18 fountain pen inks were differentiated individually by comparing the number of detectable main or minor dye components, and the relative peak intensities of each component. The ink entries were artificially and naturally aged, and the analysis results showed that the ink dye components were significantly decomposed when exposed to UV or fluorescent light compare to those of inks stored under natural condition. The changes of the relative peak height for the dye components were linearly related to the aging time, especially under natural aging conditions. The degradation characteristics of the dye components under different aging conditions provide scientific evidences for dating of the suspicious fountain pen ink entries on document.     

Analysis of pain management drugs, specifically fentanyl, in hair: application to forensic specimens

This article discusses the immunoassay screening of pain management drugs, and the mass spectrometric confirmation of fentanyl in human hair. Hair specimens were screened for fentanyl, opiates (including oxycodone), tramadol, propoxyphene, carisoprodol, methadone, and benzodiazepines and any positive results were confirmed using gas chromatography or liquid chromatography with mass spectral detection. The specific focus of the work was the determination of fentanyl in hair, since autopsy specimens were also available for comparison with hair concentrations. Using two-dimensional gas chromatography with electron impact mass spectrometric detection, fentanyl was confirmed in four of nine hair specimens collected at autopsy. The accuracy of the assay at 10 pg/mg was 95.17% and the inter-day and intra-day precision was 5.04 and 13.24%, respectively (n=5). The assay was linear over the range 5-200 pg/mg with a correlation of r(2)>0.99. The equation of the calibration curve forced through the origin was y=0.0053x and the limit of quantitation of the assay was 5 pg/mg. The fentanyl concentrations detected were 12, 17, 490, and 1930 pg/mg and the results were compared with toxicology from routine post-mortem analysis. The screening of pain management drugs in hair is useful in cases where other matrices may not be available, and in routine testing of hair for abused drugs.     

Peak Oil as a stimulus for a green economy transition in South Africa: Alternative liquid fuel and transport options

Abstract

While the arguments in favour of a green economy often rest on the need to reduce environmental damage, mitigate climate change and create environmentally friendly jobs, this article argues that the inevitable and possibly imminent peak and decline in world oil production provides another strong rationale for green economy policies and investments in South Africa. The South African economy has a high degree of reliance on imported petroleum fuels and evidence suggests that oil price and supply shocks – resulting from diminishing world oil exports and a decline in the energy return on investment for oil globally – are likely to have a debilitating socioeconomic impact under business-as-usual policies and behaviour patterns. Two broad strategies for mitigating the impact of increasing world oil scarcity and oil price shocks are considered. The first evaluates the prospects for developing indigenous sources of liquid fuels, including coal-to-liquids, gas-to-liquids and biofuels, and finds that there are significant resource and environmental risks associated with these options. The second strategy involves short-term measures to reduce demand for liquid transport fuels together with a long-term shift toward electrified mass transport, supported by accelerated investments in renewable energy. The latter strategy is argued to be compatible with and necessary for a societal transition towards a green economy.     

过敏性休克死亡机体内白三烯变化的研究

本研究采用反相洗脱高效液相色谱(HPLC)法检测青霉素和血清过敏休克致死机体中自三烯(Leukotrienes,LTs)。(1)过敏休克前血中未检出LTs的任一组分,休克死亡后检出LTB_4和LTD_4。青霉素过敏血中LTB_4含量是10.10±4.76(ng/ml),LTD_4是26.75±6.55(ng/ml),未检出LTC_4和LTF_4。(2)正常动物肺,脾和肾中均未检出LTs。过敏休克的肺,脾和肾中不仅检出LTB_4和LTD_4,而且在不同脏器中呈规律分布。青霉素过敏肺中LTs_4是23.75±3.80(ng/g),LTD4是58.58±11.39(ng/g))未检出LTC_4和LTE_4。脾中仅有LTB_424.36±3.62(ng/g)。肾中仅有LTD_12.17±2.55(ng/g)。(3)过敏休克致死机体置室温6或12h,或置冰箱48h再测LTs,未见明显变化。(4)青霉素和血清诱发的过敏休克中,LTs的增加和分布是一致的。本研究提示:LTs含量和分布的变化是过敏性休克所共有,可为过敏性休克急死的法医学死因检定提供有价值的证据。     

GC／MS检测尿中4种苯氧羧酸类除草剂

目的建立尿中2，4-D、2，4-DP、MCPA、MCPP等4种苯氧羧酸类除草剂的分析方法；方法液液提取分离，乙醚为提取液，DCPA为内标，硫酸正丁醇酯化衍生化，气质联用分析法分析；结果尿中4种除草剂添加样品的相对回收率在80％以上，检测限都在5ng／ml以下，对中毒兔尿样进行了分析；结论对实际发生的中毒案件分析有足够的灵敏度。     

Student–Teacher Relationships Matter for School Inclusion: School Belonging,Disability, and School Transitions

For students with disabilities, the process of school inclusion often begins with a move from segregated settings into general education classrooms. School transitions can be stressful as students adjust to a new environment. This study examines the adjustment of 133 students with and without disabilities who moved from a school that served primarily students with disabilities into 23 public schools in a large urban school district in the Midwest. These students and 111 of their teachers and other school staff rated the degree that students felt they belonged in their new schools and the quality of their social interactions. Results show that students who experienced more positive and fewer negative social interactions with school staff had higher school belonging. Teachers accurately noted whether students felt they belonged in their new settings, but were not consistently able to identify student perceptions of negative social interactions with staff. Implications for inclusion and improving our educational system are explored.     

绵羊血浆阿维菌素荧光高效液相色谱检测法的建立

建立了一种绵羊血浆中阿维菌素 (AVM )荧光高效液相色谱 (HPLC)检测法。用甲醇提取绵羊血浆中的AVM ,并用ODS C18固相萃取法进行纯化 ,纯化后的AVM经干燥处理后 ,用三氟乙酸酐和N 甲基咪唑对其进行荧光衍生化 ,用荧光HPLC进行检测。本方法的最低检测限为 0 .1ng/mL ,在血浆AVM含量 2 .5～ 5 0 .0ng/mL范围内 ,标准曲线方程为Y =2 72 12x -10 412 (r =0 .9995 ) ,样品的平均回收率为 92 .0 2 %± 6.3 3 %。批内变异系数 1.98%～ 6.2 2 % ,批间变异系数 2 .3 1%～ 8.94%。检测结果显示 ,本方法灵敏度高 ,干扰少 ,重复性好。     

From clouds of chemical warfare to blue skies of peace: the Tehran Peace Museum,Iran

Despite the limited number of peace museums around the world, there exists an essential role for existing peace museums to promote a culture of peace and peace education. The purpose of this article was to introduce the origins, rationale, scope and work of the Tehran Peace Museum in Iran. The concept of the museum is to facilitate peace education and develop peaceful environments drawn from the personal experiences of war survivors. The museum encompasses exhibitions about the horrors of chemical and nuclear warfare and is balanced with awareness programmes, bridge-building dialogues, connections with other peace museums and a comprehensive peace education programme catering for younger and older members of society. It offers the space and opportunity for a community of learning within the museum and welcomes fresh ideas and initiatives from visitors and volunteers. The Tehran Peace Museum is unique in its body of volunteers, men and women who have been directly affected by chemical weapons. They are involved in the Veterans Voices of Peace Oral History Project and actively voice the need for creating peaceful societies in today’s world.     

Sino-Ghana bilateral relations and Chinese migrants’ illegal gold mining in Ghana

ABSTRACT

This article examines the participation of some Chinese migrants in illegal gold mining (known as galamsey) in Ghana, and how the Government’s policy to address the issue created diplomatic tension between China and Ghana. Drawing on primary data from in-depth, face-to-face interviews with 250 respondents and supplementary information from archival sources and personal observation, the study found that small-scale gold mining is an area legally reserved for Ghanaian indigenes, who faced stern competition from some Chinese migrants’ miners. Their ability to mobilize resources and machinery to execute galamsey virtually displaced the indigenes from their source of livelihood and caused environmental catastrophes. The Ghana Government’s policy response to the Chinese migrants’ galamsey, which led to arrests, sentencing and deportations of some Chinese miners, angered Beijing and fractured Ghana–China diplomatic ties. But the dispute could not collapse the entrenched bilateral relations between the two nations because the calculated mutual benefit derived from the relations was thought to be higher than the Chinese galamsey issue. Policy reforms which legally integrate Chinese migrants’ miners into the small-scale mining sector would stop galamsey and strengthen Sino-Ghana relations.