Ion mobility spectrometric analysis of vaporous chemical warfare agents by the instrument with corona discharge ionization ammonia dopant ambient temperature operation.

The ion mobility behavior of nineteen chemical warfare agents (7 nerve gases, 5 blister agents, 2 lachrymators, 2 blood agents, 3 choking agents) and related compounds including simulants (8 agents) and organic solvents (39) was comparably investigated by the ion mobility spectrometry instrument utilizing weak electric field linear drift tube with corona discharge ionization, ammonia doping, purified inner air drift flow circulation operated at ambient temperature and pressure. Three alkyl methylphosphonofluoridates, tabun, and four organophosphorus simulants gave the intense characteristic positive monomer-derived ion peaks and small dimer-derived ion peaks, and the later ion peaks were increased with the vapor concentrations. VX, RVX and tabun gave both characteristic positive monomer-derived ions and degradation product ions.

Cross-language differences of articulation rate and its transfer into Japanese as a second language.

Recently, the articulation rate has been attracting attention in forensic speech investigation as an acoustic feature that varies across speakers, dialects, and languages. The present study investigates how cross-language differences in the articulation rate are transferred into Japanese as a second language. Participants were speakers of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.

The use of a sulfonated capillary on chiral capillary electrophoresis/mass spectrometry of amphetamine-type stimulants for methamphetamine impurity profiling.

Chiral capillary electrophoresis/tandem mass spectrometry (CE/MS/MS) using a chemically modified capillary containing sulfonated groups was developed for the following 8 amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS): amphetamine, methamphetamine (MA), norephedrine, norpseudoephedrine, ephedrine (EP), pseudoephedrine (pEP), dimethylamphetamine and methylephedrine. The running buffer was 10 mM formic acid containing 20 mM highly sulfated γ-cyclodextrin (pH 2.5) as the chiral selector.

The intention to conceal activates the right prefrontal cortex: an event-related potential study.

Recent studies on deception have shown that a late positive potential (LPP), a component of event-related brain potentials, is elicited when a participant wishes to conceal recognition of the eliciting stimulus. The LPP occurs about 500 ms after stimulus onset and has an occipital scalp distribution with concurrent negativity at frontal sites. The present study investigated the cortical sources of the LPP associated with the intention to conceal.

Evaporation characteristics of ETBE-blended gasoline.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming, production of gasoline blended with ethyl tert-buthyl ether (ETBE) is increasing annually. The flash point of ETBE is higher than that of gasoline, and blending ETBE into gasoline will change the flash point and the vapor pressure. Therefore, it is expected that the fire hazard caused by ETBE-blended gasoline would differ from that caused by normal gasoline.

Detection of main metabolites of XLR-11 and its thermal degradation product in human hepatoma HepaRG cells and human urine.

The metabolism of (1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indol-3-yl)(2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropyl)methanone (XLR-11), a novel synthetic cannabinoid, was studied using a HepaRG cell culture. The HepaRG cells were incubated with the drug for 48 hours and the metabolites were extracted from the culture medium by liquid-liquid extraction. The extract was analyzed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry to detect the metabolites.

Instability of the hydrochloride salts of cathinone derivatives in air.

We observed the decomposition of the hydrochloride salt of α-pyrrolidinoheptanophenone (α-PHPP-HCl), a newly distributed pyrrolidine-type cathinone derivative when 2.5ng of this substance was placed in glass test tubes and stored in a refrigerator for 3 days. To further investigate this phenomenon, we studied the (i) time course of the residual ratios of α-PHPP-HCl when a small amount (10μg) of α-PHPP-HCl was stored in glass vials in air at room temperature; (ii) identification of the decomposition products of α-PHPP-HCl; (iii) effect of air on the decomposition process; (iv) effect of the added amounts of α-PHPP-HCl on its decomposition; and (v) comparison of the stability between various cathinone derivatives and their decomposition products.

Suppression of production of baboon endogenous virus by dominant negative mutants of cellular factors involved in multivesicular body sorting pathway.

Baboon endogenous virus (BaEV) is an infectious endogenous gammaretrovirus isolated from a baboon placenta. BaEV-related sequences have been identified in both Old World monkeys and African apes, but not in humans or Asian apes. Recently, it was reported that BaEV-like particles were produced from Vero cells derived from African green monkeys by chemical induction, and thus BaEV-like particles may contaminate biological products manufactured using Vero cells.

Three-dimensional analyses of aging-induced alterations in facial shape: a longitudinal study of 171 Japanese males.

We sought to generate data to facilitate forensic facial comparisons. Specifically, we conducted a longitudinal study of alterations in face shape induced by aging. We obtained two three-dimensional facial shape measurements in 171 Japanese males at intervals of approximately 10 years.

Comparison of automated and manual purification of total RNA for mRNA-based identification of body fluids.

Silica column-based RNA purification procedures have widespread use in mRNA profiling for body fluid identification in forensic samples. Also, automated RNA purification systems employing magnetic bead technology have recently become available. In this preliminary study, to ascertain which RNA purification technology is more suitable for the identification of body fluids by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), comparative analyses of the yield and quality of total RNA were performed between automated purification using an EZ1 Advanced Instrument and manual purification using an RNeasy Mini Kit.

The Comparison Question Test versus the Concealed Information Test? That was the question in Japan: a comment on Palmatier and Rovner (2015).

Palmatier and Rovner (2015) discussed the possible interplay of two major methods of polygraph examination, the Comparison Question Test (CQT) and the Concealed Information Test (CIT). In this comment, we argue that such an attempt overlooks fundamental differences between the two methods. Specifically, both methods differ in their criterion variables; detecting deception versus detecting memory traces.

Using pretest data to screen low-reactivity individuals in the autonomic-based concealed information test.

The concealed information test (CIT) can be used to assess whether an individual possesses crime-related information. However, its discrimination performance has room for improvement. We examined whether screening out participants who do not respond distinctively on a pretest improves the diagnosticity of a mock-crime CIT.

Simultaneous determination of neonicotinoid insecticides in human serum and urine using diatomaceous earth-assisted extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A rapid and sensitive analytical method was developed for simultaneous determination of eight neonicotinoid insecticides (acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, flonicamid, imidacloprid, nitenpyram, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam) and three specific metabolites of acetamiprid (N-desmethylacetamiprid, 5-(N-acetyl-N-methylaminomethyl)-2-chloropyridine and 5-(N-acetylaminomethyl)-2-chloropyridine) in human serum and urine. A diatomaceous earth-assisted extraction using Extrelut NT3 column with chloroform/2-propanol (3:1, v/v) as eluent was selected for the single step cleanup procedure for all the target compounds. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with multiple reaction monitoring mode.

Bis(β-lactosyl)-[60]fullerene as novel class of glycolipids useful for the detection and the decontamination of biological toxins of the Ricinus communis family.

Glycosyl-[60]fullerenes were first used as decontaminants against ricin, a lactose recognition proteotoxin in the Ricinus communis family. A fullerene glycoconjugate carrying two lactose units was synthesized by a [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction between C60 and the azide group in 6-azidohexyl β-lactoside per-O-acetate. A colloidal aqueous solution with brown color was prepared from deprotected bis(lactosyl)-C60 and was found stable for more than 6 months keeping its red color.

Systematic changes in tonic physiological activities during the Concealed Information Test.

Many studies on the Concealed Information Test have focused on phasic physiological changes that are temporally locked to stimulus presentation. However, little is known about changes in tonic, basal physiological levels throughout a stimulus series. This study focused on changes in tonic physiological activities during the CIT.

Solid-phase extraction of phosphorous-containing amino acid herbicides from biological specimens with a zirconia-coated silica cartridge.

We report a rapid solid-phase extraction method for glyphosate (Glyp), glufosinate (Gluf), and bialaphos (Bial) using a zirconia-coated silica cartridge, which interacts specifically with phosphorous-containing amino acid herbicides (PAAHs). We extracted PAAHs from serum and urine samples. The PAAHs were derivatized with trimethyl orthoacetate-acetic acid and analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS).

Typology of driving-under-the-influence (DUI) offenders revisited: Inclusion of DUI-specific attitudes.

Objectives: Much work remains to improve rehabilitative interventions for driving-under-the-influence (DUI) offenders. There is heterogeneity of patterns of alcohol use, personality, and driving behaviour within DUI offenders, but little is known about how their appraisal of DUI differs. This study investigated within-offender variability in DUI-specific attitudinal variables.

Factors contributing to driver choice after hitting a pedestrian in Japan.

In Japan, where pedestrian deaths account for a third of road traffic fatalities, 7.4% of victims die from hit-and-run accidents. To identify determinants for drivers considering leaving an accident scene after hitting a pedestrian, environment-related, driver-related, and pedestrian-related factors were examined using Japanese national police data.

Application of a portable near infrared spectrometer for presumptive identification of psychoactive drugs.

A portable near infrared spectrometer was applied to the presumptive identification of psychotropic drugs based on library searching. Data-treatment methods (mathematical pretreatment and library search algorithm) were examined on the basis of differentiation ability. The optimized mathematical pretreatment was a standard normal variate followed by the 2nd derivative.

Motivational significance and cognitive effort elicit different late positive potentials.

Objective: The interaction between affective and cognitive processes has been examined using the late positive potential (LPP) component of the event-related brain potential. The LPP is elicited not only by affective stimuli but also by nonaffective stimuli that require effortful cognitive processing. However, it is unclear whether these LPPs are equivalent.

Inhibition of budding/release of porcine endogenous retrovirus.

PERV is integrated into the genome of all pigs. PERV-A and PERV-B are polytropic and can productively infect human cell lines, whereas PERV-C is ecotropic. Recombinant PERV-A/C can infect human cells and exhibits high titer replication.

Identification of scanner models by comparison of scanned hologram images.

A method to identify scanner models that had been used to forge low-level counterfeit currencies was proposed in this study. The method identified a scanner model by characterizing differences between hologram images that exist in low-level counterfeit currencies. Twenty scanners of 18 different models were used to make samples of hologram images used in this study.

A global analysis of Y-chromosomal haplotype diversity for 23 STR loci.

In a worldwide collaborative effort, 19,630 Y-chromosomes were sampled from 129 different populations in 51 countries. These chromosomes were typed for 23 short-tandem repeat (STR) loci (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385ab, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635, GATAH4, DYS481, DYS533, DYS549, DYS570, DYS576, and DYS643) and using the PowerPlex Y23 System (PPY23, Promega Corporation, Madison, WI). Locus-specific allelic spectra of these markers were determined and a consistently high level of allelic diversity was observed.

Utilization of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry to search for cannabis in herb mixtures.

Herb mixtures including cannabis among the other herbs have recently appeared. When cannabinoids from herb extracts are detected by chemical examinations such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, forensic analysts have to determine whether cannabis is actually in the mixture or the cannabinoids are spiked. Morphological examinations are time-consuming, since it is difficult to find several pieces of cannabis among a large number of herb pieces using a microscope.