Since DNA analysis technology was introduced to forensic science field in 1985, the effective application of this technology to evidential samples such as bloodstains, body fluid stains and the tissue samples, has been a matter of great interest of forensic science laboratories in the world. As a first step of the application of the DNA analysis to evidential samples, single locus VNTR (Variable Number of Tandem Repeat) was investigated using specific probes to each locus (YNH24, CMM101, MS1, MS32 etc.) and hybridization methods. Since Saiki et al. reported the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) amplification techniques using Taq polymerase, the adoption of the PCR-based DNA typing systems such as HLADQα, AMPFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms), and STR (Short Tandem Repeat) has become very common in the forensic community. Now, many reports concerning single locus RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism)-VNTR, AMPFLP (MCT118), HLADQα, Polymarker and STR have been widely published in the scientific journal and a reasonable combination of these systems has commonly been used for identifying evidential samples. Moreover, the guideline of a quality assurance for DNA analysis has been published from the national forensic science laboratory of each country (FBI in USA, FSS in UK etc.).
  Recently, the validation studies and the population studies have been performed with respect to STRs such as TH01, CSF1PO, vWA, FES/FPS etc. Studies on the technical strategy for applying mitochondrial DNA analysis to evidential samples and on the application of DNA analysis to ABO blood group are now progressing in the forensic science laboratories in the world.

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  It has been well known that the majority of fire-related deaths are due to the inhalation of toxic combustion products and carbon monoxide (CO) plays a main lethal role in fire accidents. Furthermore, hypoxia and carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the hypoxic condition have recently been shown to potentiate CO-induced death. This study was aimed at examining whether the relation between pO₂ and COHb concentration clarify the major cause for death of fire victims.
  Blood gases and COHb concentration in the blood of fire victims (n=10) and the rabbits inhaled with the toxic gases (CO₂-toxic gas : O₂ 5.0% ; CO₂ 16.0% ; CO 1.8% ; N₂ 77.2%, room air + CO gas : O₂ 21.0% ; CO 1.8% ; N₂ 77.2%, hypoxic condition : O₂ 2.0% ; N₂ 98.0%) were measured. From the relation between pO₂ level and COHb concentration of the victims and the rabbits, the major causes for death classified into 4 groups : 1) pure CO intoxication, 2) hypoxia + (CO intoxication), 3) potentiation of CO₂ in the hypoxic condition and/or potentiation of hypoxia for CO intoxication, 4) others.

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  The method studied in this paper is developing latent fingerprints based on ruthenium tetroxide (RuO₄) method. Ruthenium tetroxide fuming promptly react with various organic compound, particularly oils or fats contained in sebaceous secretions in latent print and producing brownish black or black ruthenium dioxide (RuO₂).
  Ruthnium Tetroxide is yellow, volatile crystails (melting point; 25.5°C, boiling point; 100.8°C) at room temperature.
  Conventional methods using RuO₄ have been almost impractical because it is very difficult to handle by its strong oxidizability. Additionally because of the two liquid method, it is not only troublesome to produce RuO₄ fumes immediately before developing latent fingerprints, but also is difficult to produce necessary ammounts of RuO₄ fumes.
  In this method, these problems were resolved by utilizing a saturated hydrocarbon halogenid solution of RuO₄

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  Simultaneous determination of inorganic ions including cyanide by photometric ion chromatography was useful for a cyanide analysis in drinks, but not applicable to that in blood, because of its poor resolution for cyanide and chloride. In this report, to determine cyanide in blood, we adopted a selective and sensitive method for cyanide based on a fluorometric reaction with 2,3-naphthalenedialdehyde (NDA) and taurine to afford 1-cyanobenz[f]isoindole derivative. Cyanide was extracted from blood by adding water and methanol to whole blood, and then derivatized with NDA and taurine. The cyanide derivative was analyzed on a reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatograph system with fluorescence detector.
  In the analysis of standard solutions, the reagent blank showed a minor peak of cyanide corresponding to ca. 0.04 ng/ml. Thus the lower detection limit for cyanide standard solution was 0.1 ng/ml as 2.5-fold concentration of the reagent blank peak. The peak seemed to be due to trace cyanide in reagents, however, it was so minor peak that it didn't interfere with cyanide determination in blood. The calibration curve for cyanide standard solution was linear in the range 0.1-200 ng/ml. In the blood analysis, the method enabled us to determine cyanide from healthy persons level (ca. 10 ng/ml) to fatal level (ca. 3000 ng/ml) employing the same treatment.

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  Nucleotide sequences of 2 hypervariable regions (HV1, HV2) within the control region of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were analyzed from 55 unrelated Japanese. About 700 nucleotides were sequenced by using the nested PCR and the solid-phase direct sequencing methods. Comparison of these sequences with Anderson's reference sequence revealed 97 mutation types within 93 positions, and 11 positions of them were novel. Fifty five samples analyzed were classified into 52 different sequences, while 3 pairs have shown the same sequences. Comparison of the Japanese sequences to those reported from other populations indicated many differences in such a point that the substitutions at 16,223 and 73 in Japanese were more frequent than those in Caucasian, while the substitutions at 16,126 and 16,311 in Japanese were less frequent than those in Caucasian. Twenty one of 55 samples analyzed showed a T-to-C transition at the position 16,189 of the C-stretch region in the HV1 region. This replacement caused the blurred bands on the sequence image, which resulted in the ambiguity of exact number of cytosine in the C-stretch region of HV1. For this ambiguity, the number of cytosine in the C-stretch region should not be currently taken into account in forensic practices of individualization of evidence samples. Regardless of such problem, the polymorphisms of HV1 and HV2 regions are highly useful for individual identification.

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  The detection of latent fingerprints by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic mapping method was investigated. The fingerprint attached on an aluminum plate was measured by the reflection spectroscopy at 100 μm square units. Mapping was conducted to utilize the absorbance area of lipid peak (C-H stretching) at 2,750cm^-1 and 3,050cm^-1 in each measurement. Although this method was time consuming to measure even the narrow surface on aluminum plate, it was possible to reconstruct a clear picture of latent fingerprints. However, application of this method to latent fingerprints on non-flat surface was difficult.

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