Routine Monitoring Procedures Research Articles

Identification of Optimal Urinary Biomarkers of Synthetic Cannabinoids BZO-HEXOXIZID, BZO-POXIZID, 5F-BZO-POXIZID, and BZO-CHMOXIZID for Illicit Abuse Monitoring.

The continuous introduction of new synthetic cannabinoid (SC) subtypes and analogues remains a major problem worldwide. Recently, a new "OXIZID" generation of SCs surfaced in seized materials across various countries. Hence, there is an impetus to identify urinary biomarkers of the OXIZIDs to detect their abuse. We adapted our previously reported two-pronged approach to investigate the metabolite profiles and disposition kinetics of 4 OXIZID analogues, namely, BZO-HEXOXIZID (MDA-19), BZO-POXIZID (5C-MDA-19), 5F-BZO-POXIZID (5F-MDA-19), and BZO-CHMOXIZID (CHM-MDA-19). First, bottom-up in vitro incubation experiments comprising metabolite identification, metabolic stability, and reaction phenotyping were performed using human liver microsomes and recombinant human cytochrome P450 enzymes. Second, top-down analysis of authentic urine samples from drug abusers was performed to corroborate the in vitro findings and establish a panel of urinary biomarkers. A total of 42 to 51 metabolites were detected for each OXIZID, and their major metabolic pathways included N-alkyl and phenyl hydroxylation, oxidative defluorination (for 5F-BZO-POXIZID), oxidation to ketone and carboxylate, amide hydrolysis, and N-dealkylation. The OXIZIDs were metabolically unstable, mainly metabolized by cytochromes P3A4, P3A5, and P2C9, and demonstrated mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P3A4. Integrating with the results of 4 authentic urine samples, the parent drug and both N-alkyl and phenyl mono-hydroxylated metabolites of each OXIZID were determined as suitable urinary biomarkers. Drug enforcement agencies worldwide may apply these biomarkers in routine monitoring procedures to identify abusers and counter the escalation of OXIZID abuse.

Volcanic Cloud Top Height Estimation Using the Plume Elevation Model Procedure Applied to Orthorectified Landsat 8 Data. Test Case: 26 October 2013 Mt. Etna Eruption

In this study, we present a method for extracting the volcanic cloud top height (VCTH) as a plume elevation model (PEM) from orthorectified Landsat 8 data (Level 1). A similar methodology was previously applied to raw Landsat-8 data (Level 0). But level 0 data are not the standard product provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/United States Geological Survey (USGS). Level 0 data are available only on demand and consist on 14 data stripes multiplied by the number of multispectral bands. The standard product for Landsat 8 is the ortho image, available free of charge for end-users. Therefore, there is the need to adapt our previous methodology to Level 1 Landsat data. The advantages of using the standard Landsat products instead of raw data mainly include the fast -ready to use- availability of the data and free access to registered users, which is of major importance during volcanic crises. In this study, we adapt the PEM methodology to the standard Landsat-8 products, with the aim of simplifying the procedure for routine monitoring, offering an opportunity to produce PEM maps. In this study, we present the method. Our approach is applied to the 26 October 2013 Mt. Etna episodes comparing results independent VCTH measures from the spinning enhanced visible and infrared imager (SEVIRI) and the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS).

Urinary MDMA, MDA, HMMA, and HMA Excretion Following Controlled MDMA Administration to Humans

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), or ecstasy, is excreted as unchanged drug, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), and free and glucuronidated/sulfated 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine (HMMA), and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyamphetamine (HMA) metabolites. The aim of this paper is to describe the pattern and timeframe of excretion of MDMA and its metabolites in urine. Placebo, 1.0 mg/kg, and 1.6 mg/kg oral MDMA doses were administered double-blind to healthy adult MDMA users on a monitored research unit. All urine was collected, aliquots were hydrolyzed, and analytes quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Median C(max), T(max), ratios, first and last detection times, and detection rates were determined. Sixteen participants provided 916 urine specimens. After 1.6 mg/kg, median C(max) were 21,470 (MDMA), 2229 (MDA), 20,793 (HMMA), and 876 ng/mL (HMA) at median T(max) of 13.9, 23.0, 9.2 and 23.3 h. In the first 24 h, 30.2-34.3% total urinary excretion occurred. HMMA last detection exceeded MDMA's by more than 33 h after both doses. Identification of HMMA as well as MDMA increased the ability to identify positive specimens but required hydrolysis. These MDMA, MDA, HMMA, and HMA pharmacokinetic data may be useful for interpreting workplace, drug treatment, criminal justice, and military urine drug tests. Measurement of urinary HMMA provides the longest detection of MDMA exposure yet is not included in routine monitoring procedures.

Monitoring of Alexandrium species in the Mediterranean Sea using a combined filter system–PCR assay detection method

A filter system for collecting phytoplankton cells coupled to a target species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was performed on a spatial and temporal series of net and seawater samples as part of the Mediterranean Sea EU project Strategy (EVK-CT-2001-00046). The application of PCR allowed rapid detection of several harmful dinoflagellate species and genera, including Alexandrium spp. In this study, oligonucleotide primers targeting the 5.8S rDNA and ITS regions of the genus Alexandrium and the species A. minutum were developed. Field samples were concentrated onto filter membranes, total DNA was extracted from mixed phytoplankton populations and PCR assays were carried out with specific primers. Qualitative PCR results were compared with light and epifluorescence microscopic examinations. Results indicated that the molecular assay was able to detect harmful target cells at concentrations undetectable by microscopy. Application of this filter PCR assay to seawater samples revealed it to be a sensitive and rapid procedure for routine monitoring of field samples.

Potentially harmful microalgal distribution in an area of the NW Adriatic coastline: Sampling procedure and correlations with environmental factors

In this study, the trend of potentially Harmful Algal (HA) taxa (genera and species), was analysed along a coastal area of the NW Adriatic Sea on a monthly scale. The study included the use of a phytoplankton net for sample collection. The investigation was carried out in four sampling stations characterised by different ecological features. The composition of potentially HA phytoplankton taxa and their succession were related to the environmental factors. The potentially HA group abundance accounted for 8% of all the phytoplankton taxa considered. Multivariate analyses of environmental factors suggested that potentially HA taxa are sensitive to phosphate content: potential DSP-YTX (Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning-Yessotoxin) producers were positively correlated with P content ( p = 0.023), while potential ASP (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) producers were negatively correlated with P content ( p = 0.006). Phosphorus could be considered to be the limiting factor for phytoplankton taxa density in the NW Adriatic Sea. There was a highly positive correlation between the occurrences of potentially HA taxa and low values of salinity ( p = 0.001 for potential producers of ASP, p = 0.029 for potential DSP-YTX producers). The counting of potential HA dinoflagellates in net samples represented a more accurate estimation of potential HA abundances in the water column making it possible to concentrate a greater number of potential HA dinoflagellate cells by net sampling along the entire water column rather than by sampling only at the surface as in routine monitoring procedures.

A microplate technique to quantify nutrients (NO2 − , NO3 − , NH4 + and PO4 3− ) in seawater

Many methods to measure nutrients (NO2−, NO3−, NH4+, and PO43−) in water are based on the formation of coloured complexes that are measured by spectrophotometry, frequently using large-volume (10 mL) spectrophotometer cells. Miniaturization of the techniques using microplate readers and sample volumes as small as 250 μL is an affordable alternative for these determinations. This work describes the adaptation to microtechniques using a 96-well microplate to measure nitrogen compounds and phosphate in seawater. They can be used as an inexpensive procedure for routine monitoring in aquaculture ponds because of the smaller sample, reagent requirements, and suitable ranges.

Thin layers and camouflage: hidden Pseudo-nitzschia spp. (Bacillariophyceae) populations in a fjord in the San Juan Islands, Washington, USA

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 225:123-137 (2002) - doi:10.3354/meps225123 Thin layers and camouflage: hidden Pseudo-nitzschia spp. (Bacillariophyceae) populations in a fjord in the San Juan Islands, Washington, USA J. E. B. Rines1,*, P. L. Donaghay1, M. M. Dekshenieks2, J. M. Sullivan1, M. S. Twardowski3 1Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, South Ferry Road, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882-1197, USA 2Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA 3Department of Research, Western Environmental Technology Laboratories, Inc., 165 Dean Knauss Drive, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882, USA *E-mail: jrines@gso.uri.edu ABSTRACT: Two sets of observations were made on the distribution of Pseudo-nitzschia taxa in a fjord in the San Juan Islands, Washington, USA. From May 21 to 31, 1996, we observed the spatio-temporal distribution of a dense bloom of P. fraudulenta. Microscopic observations of live material were compared to physical-optical water-column structure, currents and wind. At the start of the study, dense concentrations of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. were observed directly at the surface. Optical profiles indicated that most cells were concentrated in a thin layer at ~5 m depth, which appeared to be contiguous throughout the sound. Several days later, sustained winds forced a plume of lighter water over the surface of the sound, displacing the original water mass, with its entrained flora, to depth. The resulting near-bottom thin layer persisted for several days, and contained >106 Pseudo-nitzschia spp. cells l-1. Microscopic examination of live cells from the deep layer revealed that colonies were alive and motile. In 1996 and again in 1998, we observed P. pseudodelicatissima living within colonies of Chaetoceros socialis. Water-column thin layers, near-bottom thin layers and populations of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. within C. socialis colonies could easily escape detection by routine monitoring procedures, and may be a potential source of unexplained toxicity events. KEY WORDS: Pseudo-nitzschia · Chaetoceros socialis · Thin layers · Physical forcing Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 225. Online publication date: January 11, 2002 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2002 Inter-Research.

Genetic monitoring of supportive breeding in brown trout (Salmo truttaL.), using microsatellite DNA markers

Stocking with offspring of local wild fish, so-called supportive breeding, is often advocated as an alternative to stocking domesticated fish. However, it is important to ensure that supportive breeding does not result in inbreeding and loss of genetic variability. We analysed eight microsatellite loci in samples of wild and hatchery-reared brown trout (Salmo trutta) from three populations subject to supportive breeding. For calibrating statistical procedures, we included two test samples of reared offspring for which the precise number of parent fish was known and a sample from a further wild reference population. Three different statistical procedures were used to detect population bottlenecks and loss of variability: (i) a randomization test for comparing allelic diversity between samples; (ii) estimates of effective number of breeders from gametic-phase disequilibrium; and (iii) a test for assessing population bottlenecks based on detecting deviations from mutation-drift equilibrium. All three procedures were useful but they also exhibited different strengths and limitations, with the test for population bottlenecks probably being the single most useful procedure for routine monitoring. In two populations subject to supportive breeding, there were strong indications of reduced effective population sizes, and significant genetic differentiation was observed between different samples from the same population.

Rótulos de alimentos infantis: alguns aspectos das práticas de marketing no Brasil

Foi realizado um estudo com o objetivo da avaliar como as indústrias tem se adaptado à Norma Brasileira de Comercialização de Alimentos para Lactentes no que diz respeito à rotulagem e embalagem de seus produtos. Em 32 cidades de 13 estados brasileiros no período de 1995 a 1996, cerca de 125 produtos compreendendo mamadeiras, bicos, chupetas, alimentos infantis, fórmulas e leites fluidos foram analisados. Observou-se alguma tentativa de adequação à Norma, comparado a avaliações similares realizadas anteriormente. No entanto, diversos produtos permaneceram com rótulos em desacordo com as regras em todos os tipos estudados, destacando-se o caso de mamadeiras e chupetas. Nos produtos onde se exige "advertência", as vezes estas são observadas, mas precisam ser revistas devido ao não destaque que elas recebem. Monitoramentos como este devem ser periódicos para que os órgãos fiscalizadores da vigilância Sanitária recebam subsídios para um trabalho continuado e necessário de proteção contra o marketing inapropriado de substitutos do leite materno.

Use of refractometers to detect controlled-substance tampering

Hospital pharmacies presently lack a simple and cost-effective procedure to monitor the integrity of solutions of controlled substances that they distribute. Thus, the use of refractive-index values, measured by inexpensive hand-held refractometers, in monitoring such solutions was studied. Four refractometers were used to measure the refractive index or % Brix (an index of the percentage of solid in solution) of solutions of a number of controlled substances, including fentanyl citrate, morphine sulfate, hydromorphone hydrochloride, and meperidine hydrochloride. The hand-held refractometers provided precise readings with small variabilities. Although this method does not determine the actual drug concentration per se, subversion of the monitoring procedure for many solutions would require considerable forethought and scientific knowledge. A refractometric survey of 83 controlled-substance solutions returned to the hospital pharmacy showed the procedure to be capable of identifying a solution of unexpected concentration. The described refractometric procedure is rapid, simple, reproducible, inexpensive, and applicable to a wide array of drug solutions. Hospital pharmacies may consider using the procedure for routine monitoring of solutions of controlled substances.

Surveillance continue de la S [formula omitted] au cours de l'anesthésie pour chirurgie pulmonaire

The multiplicity of potential causes of variations in mixed venous oxygen saturation (Sv̄ 2) during one lung ventilation (OLV), including a constant ventilation/perfusion mismatch, explains that it has been suggested as a routine monitoring procedure. To assess its usefulness, 12 adults undergoing OLV were monitored during surgery with an Oximetrix ® pulmonary catheter, placed on the side opposite to the surgical field under fluoroscopic control. Seventy two complete sets of haemodynamic measurements were obtained at 6 different times during surgery. We studied the ability of changes in Sv̄ 2 to predict changes in arterial oxygen saturation (Sao 2), cardiac output (CO), and venous admixture (VA) by calculating sensitivities (Se), specificities (Sp) and predictive values with regard to these variables. There were no complications due to the protocol. However left-sided catheter placement failed in four cases. Correlation between optical and measured Sv̄ 2 was very strong (r=0.94; p<0.001). Sv̄ 2, oxygen consumption ( V ˙ o 2 ) and the rate of oxygen extraction remained constant throughout the procedure, even when CO, mean arterial pressure, VA, Sao 2 and Pao 2 varied. Clamping the pulmonary artery returned VA, Sao 2 and Pao 2 values to those found before OLV, but produced a significant decrease in CO. Sv̄ 2 had low Se and Sp for changes in other variables (CO: 76±7, 48±9; Pao 2: 79±6, 59±9; VA: 54±7, 48±7 respectively). In this type of surgery, alterations in variables related to oxygen are probably balanced by haemodynamic changes. In fact, according to Fick's formula, Sv̄ 2 is almost completely determined by Sao 2 and CO, when V ˙ o 2 and haemoglobin remain stable. However, a decrease in Sv̄ 2 should alert the clinician to a potential change in haemodynamic indices or to a problem in some component in the oxygen delivery system. Sv̄ 2 values do not add to or correlate well with other data, but facilitate their continuous monitoring.

A systems approach to quantitative pharmacology a review of the authors' methodology

A systems approach to data-handling is described and its application to a number of pharmacological screening tests is illustrated. Its use has led to more effective utilization of our data resources, more immediate control over the research process, and greater predictive power. Routine monitoring procedures based on the systems approach have led us to question some basic assumptions made about laboratory animal populations, and several examples are given.