Cyanide and amygdalin as indicators of the presence of bitter almonds in imported raw almonds

Abstract: Consumer complaints received by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August 2010 about raw organic almonds tasting “bitter” opened an investigation into the presence of bitter almonds in the imported product. Bitter almonds (Prunus amygdalus) contain the cyanogenic glucoside amygdalin, which hydrolyzes to produce cyanide. Ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry was used to detect and quantitate cyanide, and liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry was utilized to detect amygdalin in the submitted samples. Control bitter almonds were found to contain 1.4 mg cyanide/g and an estimated level of 20–25 mg amygdalin/g. The questioned samples contained between 14 and 42 μg cyanide/g and were positive for the presence of amygdalin. Sweet almonds were found to be negative for both compounds, at levels of detection of 4 μg cyanide/g and 200 μg amygdalin/g.     

Stereochemical Analysis of Methorphan Using (−)‐Menthyl Chloroformate

Abstract: Forensic laboratories around the world have seen an increase in the number of drug seizures containing methorphan. Levomethorphan is a narcotic and a controlled substance, and its enantiomer dextromethorphan is an antitussive agent used in over‐the‐counter medications. For the forensic analysis of seized drugs containing methorphan, it is important to report the stereochemical composition of the drug. Ideally, a method based on common forensic laboratory instrumentation is desirable. The use of the chiral derivatizing agent (?)‐menthyl chloroformate followed by routine gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of the derivative was shown to successfully determine the stereochemical composition of methorphan. This approach was applied to a street seizure containing methorphan proving that it was pure dextromethorphan. The derivatives of dextro‐ and levomethorphan were subjected to mass spectroscopic and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, which confirmed that the structure of the derivatives remained unchanged as a result of the derivatization process.     

论经济法的理论基础

任何法部门都要有理论基础。经济法理论基础应当以讲求法意理论、突出经济法特征和承认其他部门法理论基础为立论之本,并从经济法价值层面推衍出来。以往学界关于经济法理论基础的研究还没能够符合这些条件,故诸说成立的根据不充分;而民商法、行政法、社会法等理论基础对于从经济法价值层面推衍的"整体经济效益"的价值取向及覆盖的法内容,又无力支撑。于是,寻找经济法自身的根本理论支撑就十分关键了。笔者研究发现,经济法为了实现"整体经济效益"的价值取向,必须不断解决个体性经营无序带来的"整体"损害问题,于是,经济法配置的整体性经济权应当是限定个体性经营权的职权。笔者将这一理论称为"限权论"并定位为经济法理论基础。这一理论也是在与民商法的"保权论"、行政法的"控权论"、社会法的"扶权论"等理论基础的界分和协调中形成的。     

政府在群体性事件各阶段中的应对之策

群体性事件从产生到发展直至最后爆发一般都要经过萌芽阶段、显露阶段、发展阶段和激化阶段四个阶段。因此,政府作为主导社会正常运行的一方,也要做到因势而为,采取预防和处置两种应对之策。在萌芽阶段,政府要高度重视改善民生在化解社会矛盾中的基础作用,并采取切实有效的措施建立民众利益表达机制。在显露阶段,政府要建立社会矛盾化解机制。在发展阶段,政府要努力畅通政府信访渠道,妥善处理具体案件和依法及时做好信息公开。在激化阶段,要坚持尽快平息事件原则,建立群体性事件的预警与协调机制,恰当谨慎使用警力,并注意引导社会舆论。     

对群体性事件的群众观点分析

探讨群体性事件是当前乃至今后一个时期我国维护社会和谐稳定的一项重要课题。群众观点是唯物史观的本质要求,是无产阶级政党的显著特征,也是我们正确处理党群关系、干群关系的基本准则。近年来发生的一些群体性事件,损害了党群关系和干群关系,其根源在于严重脱离人民群众,预防和处置的根本之道是牢固确立和扎实践行群众观点,并将之融入到日常工作中。     

群体性事件中的舆论引导与控制——“英国骚乱”的启示

实践中很多群体性事件处置不力,其关键因素之一就是没有正确认识群体性事件中社会舆论的功能、特点,没有妥善引导和掌控舆论走向,以致加大了处置难度。英国政府在处置2011年8月伦敦骚乱中的成功经验警示我们要转变理念,加强与媒体沟通,主动设置议题,引导和控制社会舆论,从而营造良好舆论氛围,促进群体性事件的妥善解决。     

动员与整合:群众路线实践的政治过程

群众路线是共产党的根本工作路线和组织路线的统一,是被经验证明正确的党的认识路线。中国共产党与人民群众的互动过程即群众路线的实践过程,这一过程主要包括政治动员和政治整合两个层面。政治动员是群众路线实践的政治基础,政治整合是群众路实践的政治目标,有效的政治动员和政治整合过程共同推动群众路线的丰富和实践。为推动群众路线实践的丰富发展,关键在于群众路线中的政治动员和政治整合在党的执政水平、群众的政治参与、机制实践的路径拓宽和道德规范及意识形态的构建这些方面应得到进一步完善和发展。     

Hierarchical Cluster Analysis of Ignitable Liquids Based on the Total Ion Spectrum

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) data of ignitable liquids in the Ignitable Liquids Reference Collection (ILRC) database were processed to obtain 445 total ion spectra (TIS), that is, average mass spectra across the chromatographic profile. Hierarchical cluster analysis, an unsupervised learning technique, was applied to find features useful for classification of ignitable liquids. A combination of the correlation distance and average linkage was utilized for grouping ignitable liquids with similar chemical composition. This study evaluated whether hierarchical cluster analysis of the TIS would cluster together ignitable liquids of the same ASTM class assignment, as designated in the ILRC database. The ignitable liquids clustered based on their chemical composition, and the ignitable liquids within each cluster were predominantly from one ASTM E1618‐11 class. These results reinforce use of the TIS as a tool to aid in forensic fire debris analysis.     

对做好民族地区群众工作的思考

党的宗旨是全心全意为人民服务。做好民族地区群众工作是践行党的宗旨的需要,是维护国家边疆稳定的需要,是促进民族地区科学发展,维护各族人民利益的需要。本文在分析民族地区群众工作面临新挑战的基础上。提出了做好民族地区群众工作的对策。     

The Church,Ethnonationalism, and the State

Although the process of the acquisition of independence by countries and large ethnic groups in the post-Soviet region and the Eastern Bloc as a whole is complete, over the next few decades Churches are hardly likely to become propagandists of peace and tolerance.