Miami Dade College

ABSTRACT Zeuxine membranacea has been rediscovered from Hong Kong after a gap of almost 50 years. A color plate has been provided with notes on taxonomy, history, and flowering phenology. This species is assessed as Critically Endangered at the regional level owing to observed and inferred decline in area of occurrence, number of locations, number of mature individuals, and quality of habitat.

Eight fatalities between September 2020 and July 2024 in Miami-Dade County involving the ingestion of colored powders, referred to as "tusi," "tucibi," or "pink cocaine," are reported. For each case, a description of the terminal event, the postmortem toxicology findings, the cause and manner of death, and the chemical composition of the "tusi" powder(s) found on or near the decedent are summarized. Fourteen powders, mostly pink with a sweet or fruity aroma, were submitted for analysis. Ketamine was identified in all submissions, with the majority also containing methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Other substances identified in the powders include stimulants (cocaine, methylenedioxyamphetamine [MDA], and methamphetamine), opioids (oxycodone), benzodiazepines (alprazolam), synthetic cathinones (eutylone), and over-the-counter medications (diphenhydramine and loratadine). Five of the powders contained cocaine; however, none contained fentanyl or 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B). Five deaths were ruled as accidents, with four attributed to a drug overdose and one attributed to a fall from height. The remaining cases were classified as suicides (one fall from height, one hanging, and one self-inflicted gunshot wound). All cases reported multiple drugs in the decedent's postmortem blood in addition to ketamine and MDMA. The peripheral blood concentrations of ketamine and its metabolite, norketamine, ranged from 0.38-8.8 and 0.16-3.0 mg/L, respectively, and the concentration of MDMA and its metabolite, MDA, ranged from 0.10-3.0 and <0.01-0.27 mg/L, respectively. The medical examiner cases reported are the first to illustrate, through analytical testing, the variable drug composition of "tusi" powders and the impact its use may have in medicolegal death investigation.

Abstract Courtship behavior in the polka-dot wasp moth Syntomieda epilais is the most elaborate acoustic communication system known in the Erebidae. Both males and females must emit their acoustic signals for successful mating under natural conditions in the presence of insectivorous echolocating bats. Females of S. epilais were stimulated during their courtship period (between 02 ÷ 30 and 06 ÷ 30) with playback of conspecific male and female signals and of a sympatric bat attack sequence and their acoustic emissions were recorded. On the third night post-eclosion at the initiation of courtship behavior, females discriminate among these types of acoustic series, responding preferentially to conspecific male signals. In contrast, during the first two nights post-eclosion, they respond strongly to the bat attack sequence but not to conspecific male signals. It is demonstrated that post-mated female moths stop responding to conspecific male signals, while continuing to respond to the bat attack series. These and other novel observations suggest that these female moths can modulate their acoustic signals, according to the stimulating conditions for defense against bats or courtship, by varying their response thresholds and latencies.

The use of fentanyl and the emergence of fentanyl analogs over recent decades has become an increasing concern to the community at large. Fentanyl and its analogs are the major contributors to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the United States. Most recent cases of fentanyl-related overdose are linked to illicitly manufactured fentanyl and its associated extreme potency. In the present work, we describe a high-throughput analytical protocol for the screening of fentanyl analogs. The use of complementary liquid chromatography, trapped ion mobility spectrometry, and tandem mass spectrometry allow for the separation and assignment of hundreds of fentanyl analogs from a single sample in a single scan. The described approach takes advantage of the recent development of data-dependent acquisition and data-independent acquisition using parallel accumulation in the mobility trap followed by sequential fragmentation using collision-induced dissociation. The fentanyl analogs are confidently assigned based on their retention time, mobility, and MS fragmentation pattern.

In this paper we propose and solve a generalization of the Bernoulli Differential Equation, by means of a generalized fractional derivative. First we prove a generalization of Gronwall's inequality, which is useful for studying the stability of systems of fractional differential equations and we state results about the qualitative behavior of the trivial solution of the proposed equation. After that, we prove and state the main results about the solution of the generalized Bernoulli Differential Equation and also we give some examples that show the advantage of considering this fractional derivative approach. We also present a finite difference method as an alternative to the solution of the generalized Bernoulli equation and prove its validity by means of examples.

Vascular diseases, including peripheral arterial disease (PAD), pulmonary arterial hypertension, and atherosclerosis, significantly impact global health due to their intricate relationship with vascular remodeling. This process, characterized by structural alterations in resistance vessels, is a hallmark of heightened vascular resistance seen in these disorders. The influence of environmental estrogenic endocrine disruptors (EEDs) on the vasculature suggests a potential exacerbation of these alterations. Our study employs an integrative approach, combining data mining with bioinformatics, to unravel the interactions between EEDs and vascular remodeling genes in the context of PAD. We explore the molecular dynamics by which EED exposure may alter vascular function in PAD patients. The investigation highlights the profound effect of EEDs on pivotal genes such as ID3, LY6E, FOS, PTP4A1, NAMPT, GADD45A, PDGF-BB, and NFKB, all of which play significant roles in PAD pathophysiology. The insights gained from our study enhance the understanding of genomic alterations induced by EEDs in vascular remodeling processes. Such knowledge is invaluable for developing strategies to prevent and manage vascular diseases, potentially mitigating the impact of harmful environmental pollutants like EEDs on conditions such as PAD.

As the U.S. population becomes more racially/ethnically diverse, the Hispanic American immigrant population has slowly grown in recent years. In the face of anti-immigrant policies, limited access to care, fear of deportation, discrimination, stigmatization, poverty, and other stressors, Hispanic American immigrants seek services from botánicas for religious, spiritual, medical, and psychosocial health reasons, including the accessibility and affordability of services from folk practitioners in these herbal dispensaries. Hispanics are the primary consumers of herbal remedies and complementary and alternative medicines in the United States. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the critical role of botánicas in the health and wellness of Hispanic American immigrants. Recommendations for health professionals are provided in the care of Hispanic Americans who utilize folk, traditional, and herbal medicines for health and healing.

To evaluate the equivalence of immunogenicity, safety and efficacy of Gan & Lee (GL) Glargine (Basalin®; Gan & Lee Pharmaceutical) with that of the reference product (Lantus®) in adult participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This was a phase 3, multicenter, open-label, equivalence trial conducted across 57 sites. In total, 567 participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to undergo treatment with either GL Glargine or Lantus® for 26 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of participants in each treatment arm who manifested treatment-induced anti-insulin antibodies (AIA). Secondary endpoints included efficacy and safety metrics, changes in glycated haemoglobin levels, and a comparative assessment of adverse events. Results were analysed using an equivalence test comparing the limits of the 90% confidence interval (CI) for treatment-induced AIA development to the prespecified margins. The percentages of participants positive for treatment-induced glycated haemoglobin by week 26 were similar between the GL Glargine (19.2%) and Lantus® (21.3%) treatment groups, with a treatment difference of -2.1 percentage points and a 90% CI (-7.6%, 3.5%) (predefined similarity margins: -10.7%, 10.7%). The difference in glycated haemoglobin was -0.08% (90% CI, -0.23, 0.06). The overall percentage of participants with any treatment-emergent adverse events was similar between the GL Glargine (80.1%) and Lantus® (81.6%) treatment groups. GL Glargine was similar to Lantus® in terms of immunogenicity, efficacy,and safety, based on the current study.