Frequencies of salivary genetic marker systems in the Japanese population and their application to forensic medicine

Seven salivary polymorphic systems were studied using whole and parotid saliva from random Japanese individuals. The gene frequencies obtained were: Pa⁺ = 0.212, Pb¹ = 1.000, Pb² = 0, Pr¹ = 0.763, Pr² = 0.237, Db⁺ = 0.051, Pm⁺ = 0.409, Ph⁺ = 0.026 and Amy₁^v = 0.013, respectively. Based on these gene frequencies, the chances for exclusion of falsely alleged fathers were calculated. The chance of exclusion on the basis of five salivary polymorphic systems was 0.305. The combined chance of exclusion utilizing only blood, serum and red-cell enzyme polymorphic systems among the Japanese population was 0.919; however, by applying salivary polymorphic systems to the calculation, the total exclusion rose to 0.944.     

Cross-reactivities of various phenethylamine-type designer drugs to immunoassays for amphetamines, with special attention to the evaluation of the one-step urine drug test Instant-View™, and the Emit® assays for use in drug enforcement

Cross-reactivities of 76 kinds of phenethylamine-type designer drugs and related compounds to the urine drug tests Instant-View ? (IV) (the Methamphetamine (MA) test, the Amphetamine 300 test, and the MDMA test) have been investigated. An on-site urine test kit consisting of these three IV tests has been evaluated for the on-site screening of MA users, and the kit has been found to have satisfactory specificity for drug enforcement purposes by separately detecting both MA and its metabolite amphetamine. The cross-reactivity profiles of Emit(?) II Plus Amphetamines Assay, Emit(?) II Plus Ecstasy assay, and Emit(?) d.a.u.(?) Amphetamine Class assay have also been investigated and discussed.     

Sudden death of an alcoholic elderly man with acute esophageal necrosis (black esophagus)

We report a fatal case of acute esophageal necrosis (black esophagus) in an elderly male with alcohol abuse who was found dead with coffee-ground vomiting. A postmortem examination revealed severe anemia and marked black coloring of the esophagus from the upper to the bottom end. This was accompanied by histologic evidence of extensive mucosal necrosis. Alcohol abuse and esophagitis-related vomiting were both considered to be factors that led to the acute fatal esophageal necrosis. The cause of death was undetermined. We discuss the possible role of acute esophageal necrosis in the cause of sudden death.     

Statistical comparison of dog and cat guard hairs using numerical morphology

Numerical features obtained from the guard hairs of dogs and cats (total 300 hairs per dog or cat) were statistically compared, in an attempt to discriminate between them. Using hairs from each of five mongrel dogs and cats, eight measurements (length (Len), maximum width (MaxWid), cross sectional maximum diameter, cross sectional minimum diameter, cuticular thickness of the cross section and three scale counts per 100 microm length (observed at three positions: distal third (disSC), middle (midSC) and the proximal third (proSC) portions) and five indexes (hair width index (HWI), medulla index (MI), hair index, cuticle index and the difference in scale counts between the distal and proximal parts (defSC)) were examined. The range for each numerical feature overlapped each other extensively, and none of the features permitted a discrimination between dog and cat hairs, based on the values obtained. However, 12 numerical features, except for the midSC, showed a statistically significant difference between dog and cat hairs, as evidenced by a t-test. For the purpose of comprehensively comparing numerical features and statistically discriminating between dog and cat hairs, a discriminant analysis between the two were carried out using a multiple regression analysis. Four types of discriminant functions produced by combining over five numerical features were examined. Dog and cat hairs could clearly be discriminated using any of the discriminant functions. Species discrimination using the discriminant function permitted the species of a dog or cat to be determined, based on the overall morphologies of various numerical features. When experimentally collected test samples were investigated using the discriminant function using Combination-2, consisting of eight numerical features (Len, MaxWid, MI, HWI, disSC, midSC, proSC and defSC), all 10 cat hairs were correctly determined to be cat hair and 22 of 23 dog hairs were correctly identified. This discriminant function produced good results for species discrimination between dog and cat hairs.     

Serum tryptase levels in sudden infant death syndrome in forensic autopsy cases

An elevated serum tryptase concentration is considered to be a specific marker for systemic mast-cell activation, a central feature of anaphylaxis, which has been observed in some cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). However, it is still unclear whether anaphylaxis is involved in the etiology for SIDS. In the present study, we measured serum tryptase levels in 21 infants with SIDS, and 14 control infants from forensic autopsy cases by Uni-CAP TRYPTASE Fluoroenzyme immunoassay system, which detects both alpha- and beta-tryptase. The assay did not show any significant elevation of tryptase levels in the SIDS group compared with controls. Additionally, increased concentrations of tryptase were not observed in any SIDS case. Our results indicated that anaphylaxis does not seem to be involved in the etiology of SIDS.     

Cross-National Transfer of Policy Ideas: Agencification in Britain and Japan

This study seeks to contribute to the policy transfer literature through a comparison of the British "Next Steps" initiative of agencification (i.e., organizational separation of policy implementation from policy formulation in central departments) and the Japanese reform that officially proclaimed to be inspired by the British example. In addition to confirming the crucial role played by domestic structural constraints in producing variant outputs in different countries, this article also shows that the transfer of policy ideas can be a highly proactive political process in which political actors in the learning country interpret and define both problems and solution as they "borrow" from another country.     

Development of a Real‐Time PCR‐Based Method for Analyzing Semen‐Specific Unmethylated DNA Regions and Methylation Status in Aged Body Fluid Stains

The detection of semen in forensic investigation is considered important evidence of sexual assault. In this study, we report the development of a real‐time polymerase chain reaction‐based method for identifying semen that can simply and rapidly analyze the semen‐specific unmethylated region of the DACT1 gene. Using two fluorescent probes designed for the methylated or unmethylated status, this method could perform quantitative analysis of the methylation status in this region. Furthermore, this method was used to analyze various body fluid samples, including 29‐year‐old semen and blood stains. The results showed that this method can detect almost exclusively semen or nonsemen signals even in highly decomposed samples, while a few semen or nonsemen samples showed slight signals of the other fluorescence probe. Although there is still a need for further analysis such as setting thresholds to analyze unknown samples, this method could be a useful supplementary tool for identifying semen, especially in old stains such as those in cold‐case investigations.     

A fatal case of amniotic fluid embolism with elevation of serum mast cell tryptase

A case of a 40-year-old female who died of amniotic fluid embolism is presented. This case showed typical histological findings of this syndrome. Postmortem serum of this case showed an elevated tryptase level (67.2ng/ml, normal levels <10ng/ml). Tryptase is a neutral protease of mast cells, and an important indicator of mast cell activation and degranulation. Thus, mast cell activation, a central feature of anaphylaxis, may have been involved in the pathogenetic mechanism of this case.     

The role of ideology and elite networks in the decentralisation reforms in 1980s France

France saw historic decentralisation reforms under the leadership of Mitterrand and Defferre, his first Minister of the Interior, in the 1980s. This article highlights the role played by ideology and elite networks in the reform process. Ideological renewal determined the broad direction of policy change towards decentralisation, and placed the decentralist cause at the heart of the legislative programme of the incoming Socialist government. Yet it was the networks that linked the political, administrative and local elites, more than ideology, that shaped and constrained the details of the actual reform outcomes.     

Evaluation of Tamm‐Horsfall Protein and Uroplakin III for Forensic Identification of Urine

Abstract: In this study, Tamm‐Horsfall protein (THP), a major component of urinary protein, and uroplakin III (UPIII), a transmembrane protein widely regarded as a urothelium‐specific marker, were evaluated for forensic identification of urine by ELISA and/or immunohistochemistry. THP was detected in urine, but not in plasma, saliva, semen, vaginal fluid, or sweat by the simple ELISA method developed in this study. In addition, most aged urine stains showed positive results. The urine specificity of THP was confirmed by gene expression analysis. Therefore, as reported previously, ELISA detection of THP can be used as a presumptive test for urine identification. UPIII was specific for immunohistochemical staining of cells in centrifuged precipitate of urine. However, ELISA and RT‐PCR for UPIII were not specific for urine. UPIII may be applicable for forensic urine identification by immunohistochemistry.