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.

UCT Specialties, Manufacturer of the Petrarch® Line of Specialty Silicones, is Used as Standard for Linear Viscoelelastic Crosslinked Silica Reinforced Poly(dimethyl-siloxane) Rubber Study

Experimental  work by Palade, et.al,. recently published in Materiale Plastice (50, 1, 2013) utilized two UCT Specialty products in their studies.  The vinylmethylsiloxane copolymers, PS 424 and PS 426 (trimethylsiloxy-terminated, dimethylsiloxane, vinylmethylsiloxy copolymers) were compounded with two different silica samples on a roll mill.  The objective of the study was to better understand the influence of the material microstructure on the shear thermoviscoelastic behavior using temperatures above T_g.  Silica was introduced to the samples at 0%, 10% and 20% weight loadings.  The results of the study showed that after aging for up to 30 days at 200°C no significant influence on the viscoelastic behavior of the polymers was observed and that particle migration was not contrary to past experimental trials.  It was also stated that extended cure times would have to be used to better define the parameters of the experiments.

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