[An Autopsy Case of Abnormal Behaviour Induced by Zolpidem].

Zolpidem is a widely used ultrashort-acting non-benzodiazepine in clinical practice; compared with benzodiazepines, it does not have side effects such as daytime hangover, rebound insomnia, and development of tolerance. We report an autopsy case of abnormal behaviour induced by zolpidem. A man in his 60's had suffered from postherpetic neuralgia about 2 months ago and had been prescribed zolpidem for insomnia.

A fatal case of poisoning related to new cathinone designer drugs, 4-methoxy PV8, PV9, and 4-methoxy PV9, and a dissociative agent, diphenidine.

A woman in her thirties was found dead on a bed. Considerable amounts of "aroma liquid" and "bath salt" products and hypnotic drug tablets were scattered beside the bed. Autopsy showed pulmonary congestion and edema.

Medical neglect death due to acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: an autopsy case report.

We report the case of 2-year-old girl who died of precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common cancer in children. She had no remarkable medical history. She was transferred to a hospital because of respiratory distress and died 4 hours after arrival.

A familial case of ABO phenotype-genotype discrepancy.

In the present study, we detected a familial case of ABO phenotype-genotype discrepancy. Although the observed phenotypes were B and O, the corresponding ABO genotypes were AB and AOG, respectively, by routine examination. Exons 6 and 7 of the ABO gene were sequenced and subsequently, the sequence of the allele responsible for ABO phenotype-genotype discrepancy was examined.

Rapid and reliable screening method for detection of 70 pesticides in whole blood by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using a constructed calibration-locking database.

Pesticide poisoning is one of the most common causes of death by poisoning in Japan, and various kinds of pesticides including organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids are listed as causative substances. The purpose of our study was to develop a rapid and reliable screening method for various kinds of pesticides in whole blood by using a unique calibration-locking database and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A database of 70 pesticides was constructed using NAGINATA™ software with parameters such as mass spectrum, retention time and qualifier ion/target ion ratio (QT ratio) and calibration curve.

Carotenoids in marine invertebrates living along the Kuroshio current coast.

Carotenoids of the corals Acropora japonica, A. secale, and A. hyacinthus, the tridacnid clam Tridacna squamosa, the crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci, and the small sea snail Drupella fragum were investigated.

An autopsy case of misdiagnosis based on postmortem computed tomography findings.

A middle-aged man was found lying beside his bicycle on an early winter morning. The cause of death was diagnosed by clinicians as traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage and cerebral contusion with frontal bone fracture based on the findings of Computed Tomography (CT) of the head. However, forensic autopsy revealed that there were no evidences of intracerebral hemorrhage and left frontal bone fracture but the defect of golf ball size on the frontal lobe which was considered to be a complication from the old cerebral contusion and old bone fracture.

Structure of minor carotenoids from the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci.

Four new carotenoids, named 4-ketodeepoxyneoxanthin (1), 4-keto-4'-hydroxydiatoxanthin (2), 3'-epigobiusxanthin (3), and 7,8-dihydrodiadinoxanthin (4), were isolated from the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci. Their structures were determined on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic data.

Estimation of postmortem interval based on the spectrophotometric analysis of postmortem lividity.

The color of postmortem lividity and control skin in 21 adult cadavers whose postmortem interval was within 72h, was measured by spectrophotometry in order to estimate the postmortem interval, objectively. The L *a *b * system, which has been widely used for the digital expression of skin color, was used and linear regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between the postmortem interval and 31 color factors including L * (Value), a * and b * (Chroma and Hue) and C * (Chroma). The difference in Chroma between postmortem lividity and control skin (DeltaC * and DeltaC( *)/C(c)( *)) was only weakly correlated with the postmortem interval.

Electrolyte analysis of pleural effusion as an indicator of drowning in seawater and freshwater.

It is important for forensic pathologists to determine the diagnosis of drowning as well as the site of drowning. In a previous study, we propose that analysis of electrolytes in pleural effusion from rats may be useful for determining whether drowning has occurred in seawater or freshwater. To test this proposal, we measured the concentration of sodium, potassium and chloride ions and total protein in pleural effusion from 40 autopsy cases: 24 involving seawater drowning, 9 freshwater drowning and 7 no drowning.

Vulnerability of experimentally induced fatty liver to heat stress in rats.

Background: The aim of this study was to confirm the vulnerability of fatty liver to heat stress using fatty liver rats from the viewpoint of the induction of apoptosis.

Methods: We exposed rats with and without a fatty liver to heat stress and then looked for apoptotic cells within the liver tissue using two apoptosis detection kits. We also determined the mRNA expression of heat shock protein (HSP) 70, caspase-3, bcl-2, and bax using a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method.