UCT Scientist Chairing Forensic Toxicology Workshop at EAS 2013

The Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS) will be holding its annual conference in Somerset, NJ from November 18-20.  At this year’s conference members from UCT, Inc. will be presenting a Forensic Toxicology workshop on November 19th in the Princeton Suite of the Garden State Exhibit Center.  The workshop will be chaired by Dr.Jeff Hackett.

Dr. Hackett will also be presenting case studies involving the forensic toxicological analyses of new designer drugs.  Mike Telepchak, CEO of UCT, will be presenting work on solid phase extraction (SPE) applications in forensic toxicology.  The session will include information on the SPE and analysis of Opiates using HILIC chromatography (James Anasti, Cedar Crest College, PA), and recommendations for the analysis of drugs in drugs and driving cases (Kayla Lowrie, Arcadia University, PA).  Attendees will learn how solid phase extraction is instrumental in creating efficient, productive analyses for the forensic toxicology lab.

Winners of the 2013 Excellence in SPE award

UCT, Inc. is proud to announce the 2013 winners of the Excellence in SPE award for forensic science. The award was presented this year by the CEO of UCT, Michael Telepchak. The awards were announced during the luncheon presentation ‘Advances in Sample Preparation’ at SOFT in Orlando, Florida.

This year there were two winning submissions. The first is from Dr. Jeanne Beano and her group at the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office. The work submitted was Identification and Quantitation of Cathinone Derivatives in Case Samples (DUID and postmortem) “Bath Salts”.

The second award goes to the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory and the team led by Dr. John Wyamn for their paper Postmortem tissue distribution of MDPV following lethal intoxication by “bath salts”; Journal of Analytical Toxicology 37, no. 3 (2013): 182-185.

Congratulations to these two winners and thank you to everyone that submitted works for consideration! We look forward to reviewing the ongoing innovation and progress in the field of forensic science when we open the competition for next year’s award.

SOFT 2013

It is that time of year again; time for the annual SOFT meeting, being held in Orlando, Florida from October 28 – November 1. UCT, a staunch supporter of the forensic community is again a platinum vendor of this year’s program. At this meeting UCT is launching an all new HPLC column phase – the Selectra® DA. In addition, UCT is now offering its own Selectrazyme™ line of beta-glucuronidase, and our latest instrumentation - the 96 well plate format positive pressure manifold will be on display. 

One highlight of our participation this year is Dr. Jeff Hackett co-chairing the workshop section ‘Solid Phase Extraction: Applications in Forensic Toxicology’ along with Mr. Albert Elian of the Massachusetts State Police Forensic Services Group. This workshop includes presentations from other forensic toxicologists and analytical scientists including Dr. Karen Scott, Mr. Mike Telepchak, Mr. Robert M. Sears, Dr. Tom Rosano, and Mr. Tracy McKinnon. 

Additionally, UCT will be hosting a ‘Lunch and Learn’ session on Tuesday, October 29 entitled ‘Advances in Sample Preparation’ presented by Dr. Mike Coyer of Northern Tier Research and Mr. Mike Telepchak of UCT. And for everyone’s entertainment, UCT is one of the co-sponsors for the signature social event of the week; an exclusive viewing of the Cirque du Soleil® show ‘La Nouba’.

PS200 Hydrophobic Glass Coating

PS200 is a product that serves the needs of several markets.  These markets include;

Ø  Optical Fibers

Ø  Laboratory Glassware

Ø  Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Ø  Clinical Analysis

Following treatment with PS200, Optical Fibers benefit by having greater lubricity and are less likely to break or shard during fabrication and operational flexing. 

After being treated with PS200, Laboratory Glass exhibits improved drainage, greater strength and is less likely to scratch or break if dropped.

When Fluorescent Light Bulbs are treated with PS200, the finished lights show greatly improved scratch resistance and surface resistivity.  And as in the aforementioned examples, the strength of the glass bulb is increased so that breakage is dramatically reduced.

Clinical analytical equipment can be treated with PS200 and result in extended clotting times and reduced hemolysis and protein adsorption with blood samples

And PS200 is easy to use!

Just clean the glass surface with an alkaline detergent and rinse well with tap water.

Using ordinary tap water, prepare a 1% PS200 solution.

Immerse the object in the PS200 solution for 5 to 10 seconds, ensuring that all the surfaces are wetted by the solution.

After immersion, remove the object from the solution and thoroughly rinse with tap water to remove the excess PS200 from the surface.

Cure the treated object by bringing the surface temperature to 100°C for three to five minutes.  Or cure by air drying for 24 hours in a relative humidity less than 65%.

PS200 has a 6 month shelf life and cannot be used for food or drug applications.

UCT Specialties is the manufacturer of Petrarch® brand high quality specialty silanes, reactive silicones, catalysts and coatings for a variety of manufacturing markets.

UCT at 2013 Gulf Coast Conference

UCT will be exhibiting at this year’s Gulf Coast Conference at the Moody Gardens Convention Center

in Galveston Texas.  The Gulf Coast Conference is a non-profit organization oriented toward the education and advancement of knowledge of Chemical Analysis Technology associated with the Petrochemical, Refining, and Environmental fields.  If you are at the event, stop by and see us at booth 803.  Our technical representatives will be on hand to talk about our new EPA Method 8270 extraction cartridge system as well as a new polystyrene DVB bead for EPA method 528 (UCT part# ECHLD156).

UCT at Joint CAT/SAT 2013 Meeting

UCT is proud of its support of Forensic Toxicologists and Toxicology groups around the world. The California Association of Toxicologists and Southwestern Association of Toxicologists are hosting a joint fall meeting in Las Vegas, NV this year on September 20-21.  UCT will be exhibiting at this meeting where many regional and national toxicologists will gather to discuss the latest advances in the field. UCT will be represented by Bill Leavitt and Ruchita Patel.  Stop by to learn about our latest applications and products including a new 96 well plate PPM and Beta-Glucuronidase.

Clean Screen DAU and Monoacetylmorphine

For Forensic toxicologists working with either post mortem or human performance testing samples, the confirmation of 6-acetylmorphine (6-MAM) is considered definitive evidence of heroin abuse.  A recent study conducted by forensic scientists at Cuyohoga Medical Examiners Laboratory and published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology (August 2013) investigated the possibility that aspirin, when in solution with morphine, may acetylate morphine to produce acetylmorphine (6-MAM).

Incubated samples were extracted using UCT's CleanScreen® DAU solid phase extraction cartridges and derivatized with UCT's Selectra-Sil® MSFA reagent.  Samples were then analyzed by gas chromatography with a mass spec detector. The analysts found that both 3- and 6-MAM were detected in samples containing morphine and aspirin in combination; no heroin was detected.  Production of acetylmorphine was pH dependent with optimal formation at pH above 4.  In gastric contents, concentrations of 3-MAM exceeded that of 6-MAM by 10-fold.  Production of 3-MAM in gastric contents was approximately twice as high as it was in water, meanwhile the matrix did not appear to affect 6-MAM production.

Over 10,000 urine specimens assayed at a pain management laboratory and over 6,000 postmortem cases were also investigated for in vivo formation of monoacetyl morphine.  Three cases exhibited unexplained 6-MAM results.  These data indicate that in vivo formation of 6-MAM from the co-administration of aspirin and morphine, if it happens, is quite rare.  In instances where this is suspected, 3-MAM should be monitored.  The study results also nullify the idea being purported in some areas that SPE columns can produce false positive results by acetylating morphine in situ. This supports data from other medical examiners laboratories who have failed to produce 6-MAM on mixed mode SPE columns.