Copper thiocyanato complexes and cocaine – a case of ‘black cocaine’

The chemical composition of a black powder confiscated by German customs was elucidated. Black powders are occasionally used as a ‘transporter’ for cocaine and are obviously especially designed to cloak the presence of the drug. The material consisting of cocaine, copper, iron, thiocyanate, and graphite was approached by analytical tools and chemical modelling. Graphite is added to the material probably with the intention of masking the typical infrared (IR) fingerprints of cocaine and can be clearly detected by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Cu²⁺ and NCS^? ions, when carefully reacted with cocaine hydrochloride, form the novel compound (CocH)₂[Cu(NCS)₄] (CocH⁺ = protonated cocaine), which has been characterised by single crystal XRD, IR, NMR, UV/Vis absorption and EPR spectroscopy. Based on some further experiments the assumed composition of the original black powder is discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

3米后向步行试验评估脑卒中患者动态平衡功能的信效度和反应性

目的：检验3米后向步行试验（3MBWT）在脑卒中患者动态平衡功能评估中的信效度和反应性。方法：选取2020年12月至2021年6月温州医科大学附属第二医院40例脑卒中患者,完成3MBWT、Berg平衡量表（BBS）、“计时-起立-行走”测试（TUGT）和改良版Barthel指数（MBI）后进行Spearman相关分析。两位护理人员分别测试同一患者的3MBWT,2 h后其中1名研究人员重新测试该患者的3MBWT,计算组内相关系数（ICC）。治疗1周后,40例患者再次测试3MBWT、BBS和TUGT,比较3种工具对治疗前后效果的反应性。结果：3MBWT重测信度检验显示ICC值为0.889,评定者间信度ICC值为0.998;3MBWT与BBS(r=-0.854,P<0.001)、TUGT(r=0.872,P<0.001)强相关,3MBWT与MBI中度相关（r=-0.519,P<0.001）;|ES|和|ERM|值排序依次为3MBWT>TUGT>BBS。结论：3MBWT在评价卒中患者动态平衡功能中具备良好的信度、效度和反应性。     

羟丙基-β-环糊精对龙胆草提取物的包合工艺及掩味作用研究

目的:研究羟丙基-β-环糊精(Hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin,HP-β-CD)对龙胆草提取物的包合工艺及掩味作用.方法:采用研磨法制备龙胆草提取物/HP-β-CD包合物,以包合物的苦味为评价指标,通过正交试验设计,确定最佳制备工艺.通过差示扫描量热法(DSC)、紫外分光光度法(UV)对包合物进行鉴定.结果:提取物用量为5 mg/ml,HP-β-CD用量为20%(W/V),研磨时间为25 min,水浴温度为55℃,水浴时间为6h时,包合效果较好,掩味效果较好.DSC及UV法确证形成了包合物.结论:HP-β-CD可与龙胆草提取物形成包合物,包合物对龙胆草液体制剂有很好的掩味效果.     

正常气骨导听性脑干反应及其应用

［摘要］目的：研究骨导听性脑干反应(ABR)的波形特点及正常的气、骨导ABR Ⅴ波潜伏期-强度曲线及相应的反应阈值,为临床气导ABR（AC ABR）和骨导ABR(BC ABR)的联合应用提供参考依据。方法：利用Nicolet spirit型诱发电位仪、EAR 3A插入式耳机和Radioear B 71骨振动器对一组听力正常年轻人（男32耳、女24耳）进行短声气骨导ABR测试,并观察对侧给予白噪声掩蔽对BC ABR阈值及潜伏期的影响。结果：气骨导ABR相应强度下波形相似波Ⅴ潜伏期－强度曲线表明,随着刺激强度逐渐减低,潜伏期逐渐延长。骨导Click的潜伏期要比气导Click潜伏期延长的程度大,BC ABR反应阈比气导ABR高。对侧70?dBSPL以下强度宽带噪声的使用对BC ABR阈值及阈上10?dB强度下波Ⅴ潜伏期均无显著影响（P＞0.05）。结论：(1) BC ABR波形特点与相应刺激强度的AC ABR极为相似。BC ABR与AC ABR潜伏期-强度函数曲线可望联合用于传导障碍及其程度的评估;(2) 骨导行为的听阈水平超过40?dBHL时,BC ABR难以引出,对其结果的解释应持慎重态度;(3) 骨导ABR测试时常规加对侧噪声掩蔽,但掩蔽声强度不应超过60?dB。     

Binaural masking-level differences in non-simultaneous masking

Masking and binaural masking-level differences (BMLDs) were measured using short 400 and 800 Hz test tones masked by uniform masking noise in both pre- and post-masking conditions. The BMLD shows the same dependence on the temporal position of the test signal as masking itself. Additional data produced with interrupted broad-band masker and with low-frequency tonal masker lead to the conclusion that more information about temporal structure is transmitted towards higher levels of processing than can be seen in simple post-masking experiments.     

Apperceptive agnosia due to carbon monoxide poisoning. An interpretation based on critical band masking from disseminated lesions

Apperceptive visual agnosia is normally held to be a specific deficit in 'apperception' - a hypothetical postsensory stage in visual processing. This paper describes the investigation of a patient diagnosed as suffering from a classical apperceptive agnosia resulting from carbon monoxide poisoning. Controlled behavioural testing confirmed the apparent agnosia but revealed that he could be trained to make a number of visual discriminations which had not been apparent from routine clinical examination and that he suffered a number of subtle sensory impairments which likewise had not hitherto been apparent. Evoked potential recording to grating patterns showed a complex pattern of brain responses involving interactions between spatial frequency, orientation and hemisphere recorded from. The data suggested that the agnosia was caused by sensory impairments rather than a deficit in apperception. We proposed that the impairments were caused by loss of certain spatial frequency and orientation information but rejected an interpretation based on the concept of processing channels in favour of one based on object contour masking by a peppery field defect caused by disseminated lesions. This interpretation received some support from fine grain static perimetry, contrast sensitivity function measurement and orientation discrimination in the two hemifields. Qualitatively similar results were obtained in normal subjects whose field was artificially masked. The results have implications for theories of visual agnosia and for theories of vision based on the concept of processing channels.     

氢化物发生原子吸收法测定硒

作者使用铁氰化钾作掩蔽剂,有效地消除了氢化物发生原子吸收测定硒中的干扰。推荐的测定最佳条件为:原子化温度800℃,载气流速1.2L/min,测定液中盐酸浓度2mol/L,掩蔽剂浓度1％,还原剂硼氢化钾浓度1％。在该条件下,常见干扰物Cu~(2+)、Ni~(2+)在其浓度为10μg/ml时对测定也无干扰。数理统计研究表明,测定液室温下至少10小时以内是稳定的,硼氢化钾溶液贮于4℃冰箱中至少1周内是稳定的。本方法最小检出量为2ng。     

Clinical masking with tragal rubbing and the Bárány noise-box

When assessing hearing by free-field voice testing, it is essential to mask the non-test ear. An appropriate method of masking must be chosen to suit the stimulus used. This study demonstrates that tragal rubbing is an effective means of masking a whispered or conversational voice, but a Bárány noise-box is required to mask a loud voice. However, a Bárány noise-box should not be used routinely as it is likely to overmask a normal or mildly impaired ear.     

Group cognitive therapy for medical patients: An application to tinnitus

Patients distressed by tinnitus were randomly allocated to one of five treatments: aural masker, placebo masker, waiting list, group cognitive therapy (GCT), or GCT plus masker. At followup, only patients receiving GCT (with or without a masker) were significantly improved over baseline on a tinnitus distress questionnaire. Irrational beliefs about tinnitus were modified in the baseline period only in patients receiving an explanatory booklet about cognitive therapy. These beliefs continued to change from baseline to followup only in GCT. Measures of general affective state changed little and not to a significantly greater extent in GCT than in other conditions. Overall results indicate a specific effect of GCT on tinnitus distress, not observed in alternative treatments.We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Locally Organised Research Scheme in funding this research.     

Relationships between temperament dimensions in personality and unconscious emotional responses.

BACKGROUND: In addition to character dimensions, personality includes temperament dimensions, defined as individual differences in implicit associative learning responses to environmental stimuli processed by unconscious memories. We examined whether temperament dimensions were associated with patterns of unconscious emotional responses of an autonomic nature. METHODS: From 70 healthy men, high and low novelty-seeking (NS) groups and high and low harm-avoidance (HA) groups were selected using scores on the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire measuring temperament dimensions. Emotionally negative, neutral, and positive visual stimuli were presented subliminally using backward masking, and skin conductance responses (SCRs) were measured as an autonomic index of emotional responses. Skin conductance responses to the three emotional stimulus conditions were compared between groups. RESULTS: Skin conductance responses in the high NS group were significantly greater than in the low NS group when positive or negative emotional stimuli were presented but not neutral stimuli. Skin conductance responses in the high HA group were significantly greater than in the low HA group for stimuli of all three valences. CONCLUSIONS: Autonomic response patterns to unconscious emotional perception differed between NS and HA, suggesting that different dimensions of temperament may be associated with different patterns of unconscious emotional responses. Novelty seeking and HA may be associated with specificity and susceptibility of preattentive emotional perception, respectively.