A case of fatal multidrug intoxication involving flualprazolam: distribution in body fluids and solid tissues

Purpose Designer benzodiazepines (DBZDs) increasingly emerged on the novel psychoactive substance (NPS) market in the last few years. They are usually sold as readily available alternatives to prescription benzodiazepines (BZDs) or added to counterfeit medicines. BZDs are generally considered relatively safe drugs due to the low risk of serious acute adverse effects in mono-intoxication, though e.g., alprazolam seems to display an elevated risk of respiratory depression. Here we report on a fatal intoxication involving the novel DBZD flualprazolam. Methods A complete postmortem examination was performed. General unknown screenings and analysis of drugs of abuse were performed on postmortem samples by immunoassay, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and liquid chromatog- raphy–mass spectrometry. The standard addition method was employed to quantify flualprazolam in postmortem blood and tissues. Finally, a toxicological significance score (TSS) was assigned. Results Flualprazolam was detected in heart serum (25.4 ng/mL) and peripheral blood (21.9 ng/mL) as well as in urine, stomach contents, brain, liver and kidney (65.2–323 ng/g). The cause of death was deemed as central nervous system (CNS) and respiratory depression with agonal aspiration of stomach contents, in the setting of a multiple drug intake. Given the concentration levels of the co-consumed CNS depressants, the contribution of flualprazolam to the death was considered likely (TSS of 3). Conclusions Our results support that highly potent DBZDs like flualprazolam carry an elevated risk for unintended toxic- ity, especially in association with other CNS depressants. A multidisciplinary evaluation of fatalities remains mandatory, especially when pharmacological/toxicological data on intoxicating compounds are lacking. To our knowledge this is the first report of flualprazolam concentrations in solid tissues in human

Spin dependent fragmentation functions at Belle

The Belle detector at the KEKB e+e− collider provides large amounts of statistics to study the fragmentation of light quarks into final state hadrons. In addition to unpolarized fragmentation functions also spin dependent fragmentation can be studied. Belle has successfully extracted asymmetries related to the Collins and interference fagmentation functions for charged pions

Test of CPT and Lorentz invariance from muonium spectroscopy

Following a suggestion of Kostelecky et al. we have evaluated a test of CPT and Lorentz invariance from the microwave spectroscopy of muonium. Hamiltonian terms beyond the standard model violating CPT and Lorentz invariance would contribute frequency shifts $\delta\nu_{12}$ and $\delta\nu_{34}$ to $\nu_{12}$ and $\nu_{34}$, the two transitions involving muon spin flip, which were precisely measured in ground state muonium in a strong magnetic field of 1.7 T. The shifts would be indicated by anti-correlated oscillations in $\nu_{12}$ and $\nu_{34}$ at the earth's sidereal frequency. No time dependence was found in $\nu_{12}$ or $\nu_{34}$ at the level of 20 Hz, limiting the size of some CPT and Lorentz violating parameters at the level of $2\times10^{-23}$ GeV, representing Planck scale sensitivity and an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity over previous limits for the muon.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, uses REVTeX and epsf, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

The Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment and the Standard Model

The muon anomalous magnetic moment measurement, when compared with theory, can be used to test many extensions to the standard model. The most recent measurement made by the Brookhaven E821 Collaboration reduces the uncertainty on the world average of a_mu to 0.7 ppm, comparable in precision to theory. This paper describes the experiment and the current theoretical efforts to establish a correct standard model reference value for the muon anomaly.Comment: Plenary Talk; PANIC'02 XVI Particles and Nuclear International Conference, Osaka, Japan; Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, 2002; Report describes the published 0.7 ppm result and updates the theory statu

Search for Lorentz and CPT Violation Effects in Muon Spin Precession

The spin precession frequency of muons stored in the $(g-2)$ storage ring has been analyzed for evidence of Lorentz and CPT violation. Two Lorentz and CPT violation signatures were searched for: a nonzero $\Delta\omega_{a}$ (=$\omega_{a}^{\mu^{+}}-\omega_{a}^{\mu^{-}}$); and a sidereal variation of $\omega_{a}^{\mu^{\pm}}$. No significant effect is found, and the following limits on the standard-model extension parameters are obtained: $b_{Z} =-(1.0 \pm 1.1)\times 10^{-23}$ GeV; $(m_{\mu}d_{Z0}+H_{XY}) = (1.8 \pm 6.0 \times 10^{-23})$ GeV; and the 95% confidence level limits $\check{b}_{\perp}^{\mu^{+}}< 1.4 \times 10^{-24}$ GeV and $\check{b}_{\perp}^{\mu^{-}} < 2.6 \times 10^{-24}$ GeV.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letters, Modified to answer the referees suggestion

An Improved Limit on the Muon Electric Dipole Moment

Three independent searches for an electric dipole moment (EDM) of the positive and negative muons have been performed, using spin precession data from the muon g-2 storage ring at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Details on the experimental apparatus and the three analyses are presented. Since the individual results on the positive and negative muon, as well as the combined result, d=-0.1(0.9)E-19 e-cm, are all consistent with zero, we set a new muon EDM limit, |d| < 1.9E-19 e-cm (95% C.L.). This represents a factor of 5 improvement over the previous best limit on the muon EDM.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, 7 table

Search for Lorentz and CPT Violation Effects in Muon Spin Precession

The spin precession frequency of muons stored in the $(g-2)$ storage ring has been analyzed for evidence of Lorentz and CPT violation. Two Lorentz and CPT violation signatures were searched for: a nonzero $\Delta\omega_{a}$ (=$\omega_{a}^{\mu^{+}}-\omega_{a}^{\mu^{-}}$); and a sidereal variation of $\omega_{a}^{\mu^{\pm}}$. No significant effect is found, and the following limits on the standard-model extension parameters are obtained: $b_{Z} =-(1.0 \pm 1.1)\times 10^{-23}$ GeV; $(m_{\mu}d_{Z0}+H_{XY}) = (1.8 \pm 6.0 \times 10^{-23})$ GeV; and the 95% confidence level limits $\check{b}_{\perp}^{\mu^{+}}< 1.4 \times 10^{-24}$ GeV and $\check{b}_{\perp}^{\mu^{-}} < 2.6 \times 10^{-24}$ GeV.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letters, Modified to answer the referees suggestion

Final Report of the Muon E821 Anomalous Magnetic Moment Measurement at BNL

We present the final report from a series of precision measurements of the muon anomalous magnetic moment, a_mu = (g-2)/2. The details of the experimental method, apparatus, data taking, and analysis are summarized. Data obtained at Brookhaven National Laboratory, using nearly equal samples of positive and negative muons, were used to deduce a_mu(Expt) = 11 659 208.0(5.4)(3.3) x 10^-10, where the statistical and systematic uncertainties are given, respectively. The combined uncertainty of 0.54 ppm represents a 14-fold improvement compared to previous measurements at CERN. The standard model value for a_mu includes contributions from virtual QED, weak, and hadronic processes. While the QED processes account for most of the anomaly, the largest theoretical uncertainty, ~0.55 ppm, is associated with first-order hadronic vacuum polarization. Present standard model evaluations, based on e+e- hadronic cross sections, lie 2.2 - 2.7 standard deviations below the experimental result.Comment: Summary paper of E821 Collaboration measurements of the muon anomalous magnetic moment, each reported earlier in Letters or Brief Reports; 96 pages, 41 figures, 16 tables. Revised version submitted to PR

Improved Measurement of the Positive Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment

A new measurement of the positive muon's anomalous magnetic moment has been made at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron using the direct injection of polarized muons into the superferric storage ring. The angular frequency difference omega_{a} between the angular spin precession frequency omega_{s} and the angular orbital frequency omega_{c} is measured as well as the free proton NMR frequency omega_{p}. These determine R = omega_{a} / omega_{p} = 3.707~201(19) times 10^{-3}. With mu_{mu} / mu_{p} = 3.183~345~39(10) this gives a_{mu^+} = 11~659~191(59) times 10^{-10} (pm 5 ppm), in good agreement with the previous CERN and BNL measurements for mu^+ and mu^-, and with the standard model prediction.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D62 Rapid Communication

22^{22}Na Activation Level Measurements of Fused Silica Rods in the LHC Target Absorber for Neutrals (TAN) Compared to FLUKA Simulations

The Target Absorbers for Neutrals (TANs) are located in a high-intensity radiation environment inside the tunnel of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). TANs are positioned about $140$ m downstream from the beam interaction points. Seven $40$ cm long fused silica rods with different dopant specifications were irradiated in the TAN by the Beam RAte of Neutrals (BRAN) detector group during $p$+$p$ data taking from 2016 to 2018 at the LHC. The peak dose delivered to the fused silica rods was $18$ MGy. We report measurements of the $^{22}$Na activation of the fused silica rods carried out at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Argonne National Laboratory. At the end of the irradiation campaign, the maximum $^{22}$Na activity observed was $A=21$ kBq$/{\rm cm^3}$ corresponding to a density, $\rho= 2.5\times 10^{12} /{\rm cm^3}$, of $^{22}$Na nuclei. FLUKA Monte Carlo simulations have been performed by the CERN FLUKA team to estimate $^{22}$Na activities for the irradiated BRAN rod samples. The simulations reproduce the $^{22}$Na activity profile measured along the rods, with a 35% underestimation of the experimental measurement results.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures, to be submitted to PRA