Organic gunshot residues: observations about sampling and transfer mechanisms

This work aimed at studying the sampling, storage, transfer and persistence of organic gunshot residue (OGSR), mainly stabilizers, using liquid chromatography hyphenated to mass spectrometry. Collection using swabs and stubs was compared through sequential sampling in terms of amount of residues left on the hand of a shooter. While stubs collected nearly all residues, swabs left about 50% of the residues on the hands. Moreover, the study of storage conditions after sampling showed that stubs were more stable than swabs and could be held at room temperature without significant compound loss up to two weeks. Then, shooting experiments were performed to evaluate transfer of OGSR. It was not possible to differentiate different brands of ammunition based on a single compound concentration. Moreover, a memory effect was identified when different ammunition was shot using the same firearm. Finally, various exposed skin surfaces and hair as well as clothing were sampled to estimate what surfaces might be the best targets for OGSR sampling by comparing results just after discharge and two hours after discharging a pistol. The results indicated that OGSR were more rapidly lost from hands than from clothing. Moreover, it was shown that the face and hair of a suspect might be contaminated through secondary transfer. Thus, OGSR might remain longer on other skin surfaces, hair and clothing than on the hands of a suspect. As a consequence, sampling should also include clothing, hair and face

Common mechanisms of placental dysfunction in preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and COVID-19 in pregnant women

COVID-19 infection, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnancy cause similar changes in the placenta and influence development of the fetus between conception and birth in gestation. Proper uterine and placental vascularization is essential for normal fetal development. The transplacental exchange is regulated and maintained by the placental endothelium. During placental implantation, the trophoblast differentiates into two distinct layers, the inner cytotrophoblast and outer syncytiotrophoblast, which are key elements of the human placental barrier. Proinflammatory cytokines exacerbate ischemic events and create an upward spiral of an inflammatory reaction in the placenta. Placental pathology in gestational COVID-19 shows desquamation and damage of trophoblast and chronic histiocytic intervillositis. Similar lesions also occur in gestational diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia. The systemic inflammatory response of the mother, the increased inflammation in the placenta and cytokine production by placental trophoblasts should be monitored throughout pregnancy. Placental angiogenesis can be evaluated by serum vascular endothelial growth factor, Annexin A2, placental growth factor or sclerostin. Tissue damage can be assessed by measuring levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase and myeloperoxidase. Blood flow can be monitored with three-dimensional Doppler and pathological changes can be documented with paraffin-embedded tissue sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and electron microscope images as well as immunohistochemistry tests for vascular endothelial growth factor, placental growth factor, sclerostin and Annexin A2. The damage of maternal and fetal vascular perfusion (villitis and fibrin deposition) is a common mechanism of gestational diseases. The placenta lesions liberate anti-endothelial factors that lead to anti-angiogenic conditions and are the common mechanism of maternal placental vascular malperfusion in gestational diseases. Keywords: dysfunction, inflammation, pathology, placenta, pregnancy, vascularizatio

Magnetite nanoparticles with aminomethylenephosphonic groups: synthesis, characterization and uptake of europium(III) ions from aqueous media

Two adsorbents with covalently bound aminomethylenephosphonic acid functions (and referred to as MNPs/AMPA and MNPs/SiO2-AMPA) were synthesized from two types of amino-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) via Moedritzer-Irani reaction. The sorbents with anchored dopamine ligand (MNPs/dopa) or aminopropyl groups (MNPs/SiO2-NH2), and the MNPs/AMPA were characterized by X-ray diffraction, FTIR, transmission electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry. Surface modification does not adversely impact the physical properties of the starting magnetite. Compared to the size of the unmodified Fe3O4 (magnetite) nanoparticles (7–12 nm), the average size of functionalized nanoparticles is increased to 10–16 nm. Similarly, the magnetic saturation decreased from 67.5 emu g-1 to 42.0 emu g−1, and the surface area is increased up to 205 m2 g−1 for MNPs/SiO2-AMPA. The kinetics of the adsorption of Eu(III) on the sorbent is ultra-fast, and equilibria are attained within 5–10 min at room temperature. The adsorption kinetics can be described by a pseudo-second-order model. Adsorption and desorption conditions were tested with respect to the removal of Eu(III) ions from water solution. The adsorption capacities for Eu(III) at pH 7.0 are 77 mg g−1 and 69 mg g−1 for MNPs/AMPA and MNPs/SiO2-AMPA nanoparticles, respectively. Eu(III) was quantified by ICP-MS. The limit of detection (LOD) for Eu(III) is 0.05 ng L−1 (based on the 3σ criterion), with an enrichment factor of 150. The selectivity over ions such as Tb(III), Fe(III), Zn(II), Cu(II), and Ca(II) ions was studied. Under optimal condition the distribution coefficient for Eu(III) relative to these ions is near 105 mL g−1. The sorbents can be easily retrieved from even large volumes of aqueous solutions by magnetic separations. The method was tested for spiked water samples (with recoveries from 96.6–102.5%) and for rock minerals.Financial support was provided by Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, Spain) MAT2016-78155-C2-1-R and EU (FP-7-PEOPLE-2009-IRSES grant No. 247603)

Biological and analytical studies of peritoneal dialysis solutions

The purpose of our work was to conduct biological and analytical studies of the peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions containing glucose and sodium lactate and establish correlations between cell viability of the Vero cell line and values of analytical indexes of the tested solutions. The results of this study confirm the cytotoxicity of the PD solutions even compared with the isotonic solution of sodium chloride, which may be due to the low pH of the solutions, presence of glucose degradation products (GDPs) and high osmolarity of the solutions, and unphysiological concentrations of glucose and sodium lactate. However, it is not yet known what factors or their combination and to what extent cause the cytotoxicity of PD solutions. In the neutral red (NR) test the weak, almost middle (r = -0.496 and 0.498, respectively) and unexpected correlations were found between reduced viability of monkey kidney cells and increased pH of the PD solutions and between increased cell viability and increased absorbance at 228 nm of the tested PD solutions. These two correlations can be explained by a strong correlation (r = -0.948) between a decrease in pH and an increase in the solution absorbance at 228 nm. The opposite effect was observed in the MTT test. The weak, but expected correlations (r = 0.32 and -0.202, respectively) were found between increased cell viability and increased pH in the PD solutions and between decreased cell viability and increased absorbance at 228 nm of the tested PD solutions. The middle and weak correlations (r = 0.56 and 0.29, respectively) were detected between increased cell viability and increased lactate concentration in the NR test and MTT test. The data of these correlations can be partially explained by the fact that a correlation with a coefficient r = -0.34 was found between decreased pH in the solutions and increased lactate concentration. The very weak correlations (0.138 and 0.196, respectively) were found between increased cell viability and increased glucose concentration in the NR test and MTT test. These experimental data indicate that pH is the dominating factor, which determines almost all of the established correlations. However, the character of the correlations is quite different: the higher the pH, the greater was the cell viability in the MTT test, and conversely, the higher the pH, the lower was the cell viability in the NR test. Secondly, the unexpected correlation coefficient was determined as -0.473 between decreased cell viability in the MTT test and increased cell viability in the NR test. Moreover, this phenomenon indicates that the mitochondrial enzyme succinate dehydrogenase is more vulnerable to the action of PD solutions than membrane permeability. Finally, we conclude that the NR test is not suitable for comparative studies of PD solutions which differ in pH, as it is pH dependent and does not enable the comparison of plausible cell viability

STUDY OF EMULSION PRODUCTS STABILIZED WITH SURFACTANTS BASED ON RHAMNOLIPIDS PSEUDOMONAS SP. PS-17

Objective: To study the effectiveness of the biocomplex of surfactants based on rhamnolipids Pseudomonas sp. PS-17 (biocomplex PS) as an emulsifier in emulsions for use in dermatology. Methods: Technological methods of o/w emulsions manufacturing, ultrasonic dispersion, as well as microscopic studies of manufactured emulsions have been used. Results: To select the concentration of biocomplex PS as an emulsifier, studies of the emulsifying properties of bio complex PS in comparison with polysorbate 80 have been performed, taking into account the similarity of the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of these substances. Several compositions of emulsions have been studied in which the biocomplex PS has been used as an independent emulsifier in a concentration from 4 to 10%, as well as in combination with other emulsifiers-lanolin and glycerol monostearate. Conclusion: The creation of stable o/w emulsions requires the use of high concentrations of biocomplex PS as an emulsifier, more than 10%, which is impractical and economically unreasonable. The use of biocomplex PS as a co-emulsifier with emulsifiers of the second type allows obtaining stable emulsions at a total concentration of complex emulsifier 7-10%

Evaluation of the spectral characteristics, purity and antioxidant activity of C-phycocyanin from the cyanobacteria collected in Kaunas Lagoon (Lithuania)

The physicochemical characteristics of phycocyanin extracted from cyanobacteria collected in Kaunas Lagoon were studied (spectrum characteristics, C-PC content in the dry mass and chemical purity). It was determined that the tested concentrations of C-PC in purified water should be in the range of 0.02–0.16% for measuring C-PC content in the dry mass and its spectrum characteristics. The two clear absorption maxima were detected in the spectrum of C-PC at the wavelengths of 277 and 619 nm. The content of C-PC in the dry powder form was in the range of 7.25% to 9.30% depending on its concentration in the solution and type of spectrophotometer. Furthermore, a purity factor of 1.5 was calculated, which indicated the food qualification of the obtained biomass of C-PC. Finally, the analytical procedure for studying the pro- and anti-oxidant activity of C-PC was developed and the antioxidant activity of C-PC was measured for the available markers. It was revealed that C-PC has dual properties (pro- and anti-oxidant ones) depending on its concentration, more exactly, its content in reaction mixtures with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The following issues were resolved during the research: the concentration of ethanol in the DPPH solution was chosen in order to avoid precipitation of proteins in the reaction mixtures (50%); the ratio of the solution of C-PC to the DPPH solution was selected; the selected concentrations of the markers for the construction of their calibration curves were chosen for quercetin and for rutin. The antioxidant activity of the obtained C-PC sample was determined

Enhanced Proapoptotic Effects of Water Dispersed Complexes of 4-Thiazolidinone-Based Chemotherapeutics with a PEG-Containing Polymeric Nanocarrier

Abstract Aim To study whether water formulation of the complex of 4-thiazolidinone derivatives with a PEG-containing polymeric nanocarrier enhances their pro-apoptotic action towards rat glioma C6 cells. Methods Mechanisms of antineoplastic effects of 4-thiazolidinone derivatives were investigated in vitro with rat glioma C6 cells. Cell nativity, cell cycling pattern, and Annexin V expression were evaluated and DNA damage was estimated by DNA comet analysis. A novel water-based formulation of 4-thiazolidinone derivatives complexed with a polymeric nanocarrier was utilized for enhancing pro-apoptotic action towards C6 cells. Results The studied 4-thiazolidinone derivatives use apoptosis mechanisms for killing rat glioma C6 cells, as confirmed by FACS analysis of these cells in pre-G1 stage, the appearance of Annexin V positive C6 cells, and an increased number of DNA comets of higher classes. Complexation of the studied compounds with a PEG-containing polymeric nanocarrier significantly increased pro-apoptotic effects in rat glioma C6 cells measured by all methods mentioned above. Conclusion Complexation of 4-thiazolidinone derivatives with a PEG-containing polymeric nanocarrier provided them with water solubility and enhanced pro-apoptotic effects in rat glioma C6 cells

Comparative study of the cytotoxic properties of isatin-containing derivatives of 4-thiazolidinone with different structure toward human tumor cells in vitro

Compounds on the basis of 4-thiazolidinone and its isatin-containing derivatives are characterized by a broad spectrum of biological activities and are potential antineoplastic agents. We have shown that the combination of 4-thiazolidinone and isatine (1H-indole-2,3-dione) in one molecule enhances the cytotoxic action of novel compounds towards lukemic and carcinoma cells in vitro. The level of cytotoxic action of ID-3833, ID-4522, ID-4523, ID-4524, ID-4525, ID-4526, ID-4527 compounds strongly depends on the presence of a halogen in the 5th position of the indoline moiety and the type of the atom (chlorine or bromine) in the aryl groups in the 3rd and 5th positions in pyrazoline moiety. Compound ID-3833 demonstrates the highest activity, which can be associated with the presence of bromine in the 5th position of indoline and 4-methoxyphenyl in the 5th position of pyrazoline and naphthyl in the 3rd position of pyrazoline. ID-4524 compound, whose molecule contains 5-bromindoline and two para-chlorophenyl groups also possessed high cytotoxic effect towards tumor cells. At the same time, ID-4522 compound was found to possess the lowest cytotoxic activity towards tumor cells. Like ID-4524 compound, it is characterized by the presence of two para-chlorophenyl groups in 3rd and 5th position of pyrazoline in isatin-pyrazoline-thiazolidinonr system, but it does not contain halogen in the 5th position of the indoline moiety. Thus, cytotoxic effect of isatin-containing 4-thiazolidinones mostly depends on the presence of halogen in the 5th position of the indoline, and the type of halogen in the 3rd and 5th position of the aryl groups of pirazoline cycle. All of these substances induce apoptosis in tumor cells. It has been shown that the ID-3833 substance induces apoptosis of mixed type, which includes the ER stress and mitochondrial apoptosis. The identified structure-functional relationships of 4-thiazolidones will be of high importance for further enhancement of their antineoplastic activity towards tumor cells