Air weapons use compressed gas to fire projectiles without igniting gunpowder. Although commonly perceived as recreational devices, modern air rifles can reach muzzle velocities exceeding 1000 feet per second and are capable of inflicting fatal injuries. This report describes 2 unusual fatalities from air weapon chest wounds: a 15-year-old male who sustained a self-inflicted injury while handling an air rifle, and a 61-year-old male shot by another individual. Both victims died shortly after sustaining the wound despite medical intervention. Autopsies revealed penetrating chest injuries with retained wasp-waisted pellets within the left lung, and the manner of death was certified as suicide and homicide, respectively. A literature review identified only a few comparable fatalities, including 2 suicides and 3 homicides involving chest injuries. Despite their small caliber and widespread availability, air weapons can produce sufficient kinetic energy to penetrate skin, bone, and vital organs. These cases emphasize the lethal potential of air rifles and the diagnostic challenges they can present during forensic investigation. While commonly regarded as low-risk devices, these weapons demonstrate considerable lethality and should be subject to stronger regulatory oversight.
Air weapons use compressed gas to fire projectiles without igniting gunpowder. Although commonly perceived as recreational devices, modern air rifles can reach muzzle velocities exceeding 1000 feet per second and are capable of inflicting fatal injuries. This report describes 2 unusual fatalities from air weapon chest wounds: a 15-year-old male who sustained a self-inflicted injury while handling an air rifle, and a 61-year-old male shot by another individual. Both victims died shortly after sustaining the wound despite medical intervention. Autopsies revealed penetrating chest injuries with retained wasp-waisted pellets within the left lung, and the manner of death was certified as suicide and homicide, respectively. A literature review identified only a few comparable fatalities, including 2 suicides and 3 homicides involving chest injuries. Despite their small caliber and widespread availability, air weapons can produce sufficient kinetic energy to penetrate skin, bone, and vital organs. These cases emphasize the lethal potential of air rifles and the diagnostic challenges they can present during forensic investigation. While commonly regarded as low-risk devices, these weapons demonstrate considerable lethality and should be subject to stronger regulatory oversight.
This study presents the synthesis and characterization of monosubstituted cationic porphyrin as a photodynamic therapeutic agent. Cationic porphyrin was converted into ionic materials by using a single-step ion exchange reaction. The small iodide counteranion was replaced with bulky BETI and IR783 anions to reduce aggregation and enhance the photodynamic effect of porphyrin. Carrier-free ionic nanomedicines were then prepared by using the reprecipitation method. The photophysical characterization of parent porphyrin, ionic materials, and ionic nanomaterials, including absorbance, fluorescence and phosphorescence emission, quantum yield, radiative and nonradiative rate, and lifetimes, was performed. The results revealed that the counteranion significantly affects the photophysical properties of porphyrin. The ionic nanomaterials exhibited an increase in the reactive oxygen yield and enhanced cytotoxicity toward the MCF-7 cancer cell line. Examination of results revealed that the ionic materials exhibited an enhanced photodynamic therapeutic activity with a low IC50 value (nanomolar) in cancerous cells. These nanomedicines were mainly localized in the mitochondria. The improved light cytotoxicity is attributed to the enhanced photophysical properties and positive surface charge of the ionic nanomedicines that facilitate efficient cellular uptake. These results demonstrate that ionic material-based nanodrugs are promising photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy.
Marijuana legalization has increased the demand for testing of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and THC metabolites. The THC ToxBox® test kit (THC ToxBox®) is commercially available and supports high-throughput LC-MS/MS analytical methods designed to quantify low levels of THC and THC metabolites in blood. The purpose of this study is to determine if this new test kit meets the rigors of laboratory accreditation and produces equivalent results across six states- and locally-funded laboratories. Each laboratory followed internal method validation procedures established for their clinical (CLIA) or international (ISO17025) accreditation program. Test performance indicators included accuracy, precision, measurement of uncertainty, calibration models, reportable range, sensitivity, specificity, carryover, interference, ion suppression/enhancement and analyte stability. Analytes and interferents were resolved within the 6-min analytical runtime, and the 48-well plate pre-manufactured with calibrators, second source quality control material, and internal standards at precise concentrations allowed for simple and consistent sample preparation in less than one hour. Every laboratory successfully validated test kit procedures for forensic use. Differences in sensitivity were generally associated with the use of older equipment. Statistical analysis of results spanning reportable ranges show that laboratories with different instrument platforms produce equivalent results at levels sufficiently low enough to support per se limit testing of THC and THC metabolites (1-5 ng/mL). THC ToxBox® represents a viable option for state- and locally-funded laboratories charged with investigating impaired driving cases involving marijuana use.
Recently, medical examiners reported two cases of a 21‐year‐old male and 24‐year‐old male with high amounts of morphine in their blood at autopsy. It was suspected that the decedents ingested lethal amounts of morphine from home‐brewed poppy seed tea. No studies to date have investigated opium alkaloid content extracted from poppy seeds by home‐brewing methods. Various poppy seed products were purchased from online sources and extracted with four home‐brewing methods representative of recipes found on drug user forums. Morphine, codeine, and thebaine were quantified in the tea extracts by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry using a validated analytical method. Morphine, codeine, and thebaine concentrations from seeds were <1–2788 mg/kg, <1–247.6 mg/kg, and <1–124 mg/kg, respectively. Alkaloid yield varied between extractions, but regardless of extraction conditions, lethal amounts of morphine can be rinsed from poppy seed coats by home‐brewing methods.
