Use of tetrahydrozoline for chemical submission.

Background: We report two cases of drug-facilitated sexual assault which presented with CNS depression rendering the victims vulnerable to sexual assault and unable to recall the events surrounding the crimes. In each tetrahydrozoline (THZ) was quantified.

Case Report: Case #1 ingested an unknown amount of eye drops containing THZ mixed with alcoholic beverages.

Production of porous silica microparticles by membrane emulsification.

A method for the production of near-monodispersed spherical silica particles with controllable porosity based on the formation of uniform emulsion droplets using membrane emulsification is described. A hydrophobic metal membrane with a 15 μm pore size and 200 μm pore spacing was used to produce near-monodispersed droplets, with a mean size that could be controlled between 65 and 240 μm containing acidified sodium silicate solution (with 4 and 6 wt % SiO(2)) in kerosene. After drying and shrinking, the final silica particles had a mean size in the range between 30 and 70 μm.

The Use of Over-The-Counter Medications to Facilitate Sexual Assault.

Over-the-counter drugs are medications that are available without the requirement of a prescription. They are considered relatively safe and well-tolerated when taken in accordance with the dosing instructions on the package label. However, when taken alone or in combination with other drugs, they possess pharmacological properties that have the potential to facilitate sexual assault.

Antimicrobial activity of doripenem tested against prevalent Gram-positive pathogens: results from a global surveillance study (2003-2007).

Doripenem is a broad-spectrum parenteral carbapenem recently approved in the United States for treatment of complicated urinary tract and intra-abdominal infections. Although pronounced doripenem antimicrobial activity against various Gram-negative pathogens, including anaerobes, has been confirmed, limited information has been forthcoming on the activity of this agent against leading Gram-positive species. We evaluated the activity of doripenem using reference broth microdilution procedures against a large collection of staphylococci, enterococci, and streptococci collected as part of a global (North America, 43.

Preparation and characterization of PLGA particles for subcutaneous controlled drug release by membrane emulsification.

Uniformly sized microparticles of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic) (PLGA) acid, with controllable median diameters within the size range 40-140 microm, were successfully prepared by membrane emulsification of an oil phase injected into an aqueous phase, followed by solvent removal. Initially, simple particles were produced as an oil in water emulsion, where dichloromethane (DCM) and PLGA were the oil phase and water with stabiliser was the continuous phase. The oil was injected into the aqueous phase through an array type microporous membrane, which has very regular pores equally spaced apart, and two different pore sizes were used: 20 and 40 microm in diameter.

A reported case involving impaired driving following self-administration of xylazine.

A case of suspected drug-impaired driving involving self-administration of xylazine (Xyla-Ject), a veterinary tranquilizing agent, and paroxetine is presented. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of xylazine and paroxetine were performed by gas chromatography with a flame-ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Whole blood xylazine and paroxetine concentrations were 0.

Zaleplon and driving impairment.

Zaleplon, a sedative-hypnotic, was identified in the blood of a subject arrested for impaired driving. Symptoms reported were those of central nervous system (CNS) depression. The zaleplon concentration was determined to be 0.

Drug-facilitated sexual assault involving gamma-hydroxybutyric acid.

The first case involving an alleged sexual assault linked to the use of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in Oklahoma is reported. A-48-year-old Caucasian woman taking amitriptyline was known to have voluntarily ingested a sports drink containing a relaxing health product. She purportedly experienced unconsciousness that persisted for approximately 4 h.

Efficacy of nuclear scintigraphy in the diagnosis and management of sinusitis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not nuclear scintigraphy is useful in the diagnosis and management of chronic sinusitis. The ideal isotope(s) and drawbacks of the different isotopes in different clinical situations are reviewed and discussed.

Design: A retrospective review of patients undergoing nuclear medicine studies to aid in the diagnosis and management of sinus disease was carried out.

Posttraumatic meningococcal meningitis: case report.

A case is described of fulminant meningococcal meningitis occurring 1 day after serious head and facial trauma. Although meningococcus is one of the most common causes of bacterial meningitis in general, it is distinctly rare as a cause of posttraumatic meningitis. A review of the literature is included.

The septic multiple-trauma patient.

Sepsis in the multiple trauma patient is being seen with increased frequency now that more of these patients are surviving the initial period. Traumatic destruction of tissue barriers, the placement of various tubes and drains, and surgical repair with debridement all provide conduits for colonization and infection with pathogens. Many components of the host immune system also become altered after trauma and surgery, predisposing this population to infectious complications.

The septic multiple-trauma patient.

Sepsis in the multiple trauma patient is being seen with increased frequency now that more of these patients are surviving the initial period. Traumatic destruction of tissue barriers, the placement of various tubes and drains, and surgical repair with debridement all provide conduits for colonization and infection with pathogens. Many components of the host immune system also become altered after trauma and surgery, predisposing this population to infectious complications.

Little bluestem litter dynamics in Minnesota old fields.

We studied the decay and nitrogen dynamics of little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) litter in fertilized and unfertilized Minnesota old fields, using the litterbag technique. Annual decay rates and nitrogen leaching losses during the first month of decay were highly correlated with N content of litter and not with fertilizer additions. After the first month of decay, nitrogen was immobilized for at least 18 months.

Nitrogen mineralization and nitrification in four Minnesota old fields.

Nitrogen availability and its response to fertilizer amendments was measured by in situ incubation in four old fields ranging in age from 16 to >100 years at Cedar Creek Natural History Area. Net nitrogen mineralization in control plots increased with field age, from 4.4 g/m in the youngest field to 6.