Acknowledgement of the Secret Protocol of the German–Soviet Non-aggression Pact and the Declaration of State Sovereignty by the Union Republics of the USSR

In June 1989, the First Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union established the Commission for Historical and Legal Estimation of the Soviet–German Non-aggression Pact of 1939. In the commission, representatives from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania condemned the Soviet annexation of the Baltic States, prompting heated arguments regarding the invalidity of the related secret protocol of the pact with other members who continued to hold the traditional Soviet ideological view of the pact as something positive. The debate over the secret protocol had the further potential to extend to disputes over ‘recovery of lost territory’ amongst the Baltic States, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and Russia. This article analyses the arguments used by commission members, considering the interplay of national interests, how they balanced arguments between restoration of ‘state sovereignty’ and maintenance of borders, and how they finally compromised and concluded the commission's report.     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for determination of plasma thyroglobulin and its application to post-mortem diagnosis of mechanical asphyxia

A high sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determination of plasma thyroglobulin was devised and applied to the postmortem diagnosis of mechanical asphyxia. The sensitivity of the present ELISA was 5 ng/ml. All of the 15 victims who died from causes other than mechanical asphyxia showed plasma thyroglobulin levels lower than 200 ng/ml (99.8 +/- 37.9 ng/ml), while 12 out of 14 victims of mechanical asphyxia showed the levels higher than 200 ng/ml (2100 +/- 3450 ng/ml in 14 victims). Thus, the present ELISA appears to be useful for postmortem diagnosis of mechanical asphyxia.     

Hyperuricemia in rats during acute carbon monoxide poisoning

The effect of carbon monoxide (CO) inhalation on plasma levels of uric acid and hypoxanthine in rats was investigated. Exposure to 3% CO caused respiratory arrest within about 2 minutes. The plasma uric acid level of CO-treated rats increased to 157% above that of ether-treated rats. When rats were exposed to 1% or 0.8% CO, the exposure periods until the onset of respiratory arrest were prolonged, and plasma uric acid levels at respiratory arrest were further elevated. Plasma uric acid levels at respiratory arrest increased with prolongation of the exposure periods. Under our experimental conditions, hypoxanthine or xanthine was not detected in plasma of CO-treated rats. These results are discussed in relation to the hyperuricemia in hemorrhagic shock or hypoxemia: CO-induced hyperuricemia can be attributed to the stimulated degradation of adenine nucleotides under tissue anoxia, and thus could be an excellent parameter of tissue anoxia.     

Storage of blood for methemoglobin determination: comparison of storage with a cryoprotectant at -30 degrees C and without any additions at -80 degrees C or -196 degrees C

Changes in methemoglobin (Met-Hb) concentrations during storage of whole blood or mixtures of blood and a cryoprotectant at refrigerated or various freezing temperatures were examined using blood samples from nitrite-administered rats and from autopsy cadavers. When whole blood was stored at 3 degrees C, Met-Hb reduction was observed in blood samples from nitrite-administered rats and in the blood from a victim poisoned by a weed killer containing some oxidant. When samples were stored at -30 degrees C, Met-Hb formation by autoxidation was inevitably observed in blood samples stored as whole blood, whereas addition of a cryoprotectant to whole blood could prevent Met-Hb formation in all the blood samples. When whole blood was stored at -80 degrees C or -196 degrees C, Met-Hb concentrations were practically stable until at least 30 days regardless of the initial values except in the control rat blood samples stored at -80 degrees C which showed slight formation of Met-Hb. From the results obtained, both the storage with a cryoprotectant at -30 degrees C and that without any additions at -80 degrees C or -196 degrees C proved to be suitable for long-term storage of blood samples from autopsy cadavers for Met-Hb determination.     

A simple spectrophotometric method for the determination of carboxyhemoglobin in blood

The spectrophotometric method for the determination of carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) in blood reported by Fretwurst and Meinecke was modified so as to give the same values of percentage HbCO (HbCO%) as those determined by the oxygen electrode method. Values of HbCO% of nine practical samples determined by both the oxygen electrode method and the present method were nearly identical regardless of the presence of methemoglobin (Met-Hb) in blood. The present method is suitable for forensic practice.     

Sex identification of bloodstains by radioimmunoassay of sex hormones

A forensic application is reported for the sex determination of subjects whose dried bloodstains are analyzed by radioimmunoassay for testosterone and progesterone. Blood specimens of ten males and 15 females were collected, prepared as bloodstains, and then assayed at four-different time intervals for testosterone (T) and progesterone (P) contents up to 3 months later. The ratio of the two hormone contents ($\text{P}\text{T}$) was used to establish the sex origin of the dried blood specimens.     

A case of strangulation with postmortem amputation of the penis

A case of homicide with postmortem amputation of the penis was described. The penis found later in a home freezer in the apartment of the culprit showed "zigsaw" fit to the victim. In order to substantiate the morphological findings, phenotypes of three isozymes, phosphoglucomutase1 (PGM1), phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD), and esterase D (EsD) together with ABO blood type were determined in the skin of the penis amputated. All of the four genetic markers determined with the penis were the same as those determined with heart blood of the victim.     

Genetic variation and relationships at five STR loci in five distinct ethnic groups in China

Five short tandem repeat (STR) systems of TH01, vWA, LPL, F13B and FES/FPS were investigated in five ethnic groups living in China (Tujia, Miao, Bai, Chaoxian and Han). All five loci did not deviate from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P>0.05). At the five loci of each ethnic group, the observed heterozygosity, the mean exclusion chance (MEC), and the power of discrimination (PD) ranged from 0.42 to 0.86, from 0.20 to 0.66 and from 0.61 to 0.95, respectively. For the five ethnic groups, the combined MEC and combined PD were >0. 9360 and >0.9998, respectively, suggesting that combinations of these five systems are feasible for DNA typing in forensic investigations such as personal identification or paternity testing. Furthermore, the allelic frequencies at the five loci suggested that these five ethnic groups were distinctly different communities. Judging from the phylogenetic tree constructed based on the genetic distance among the five ethnic groups, Han, Chaoxian and Tujia were involved in an identical cluster, and Miao and Bai in another. These findings indicate that each of the five groups examined is not only a distinct community, but also has a relationship with each of the others.     

Democracy and market economy

In the following article, Professor Seizaburo Sato, former Research Director of the Institute for International Policy Studies, addresses the relation between democracy and market economy and the problems that might develop as economic globalization continues to deepen. Liberal democracy and market economy face a number of problems, he says, but they are at this stage the best political and economic systems to follow, and we should take steps to improve them where we can. Although recognizing the positive value of diversity, he emphasizes the importance of international cooperation and a minimum set of common rules. At the same time, he urges constant technological innovation and the fostering of capable political leaders who have a comprehensive vision for the future and a strong sense of public responsibility.     

公司法律制度的源泉问题研究——从制度经济学和制度社会学的视角分析

对制度的分析可以分为两种,一种是从经济学角度的分析,另一种是从社会学角度的分析.关于制度是怎样生成的的问题,两者存在很大的差异.两个看法的根本性区别在于前者关注受到社会规范的影响的人的良心和善对制度生成的作用,而后者关注个人追求自己利益行为的结果,不太强调人的良心和善对制度生成的作用.人认知这种行为并赋予某种意义才产生...