Procedural Justice and the Assessment of Civil Justice in Japan

In analyzing the data from a structured interview survey with Japanese litigants of civil trials, we examined the relationships between their perceptions of outcomes and process of the trials, responses to the trials, and evaluation of the judicial system. The results showed that both favorability of trial outcomes and procedural fairness of trials increased satisfaction with the trial outcomes and evaluation of the judicial system. Satisfaction was largely determined by perceived favorability, while the evaluation of the judicial system was largely determined by perceived procedural fairness, suggesting a justice bond effect that justice fortifies people's societal commitment. Consistent with procedural justice theories, the perception of procedural fairness was increased by the sense of control and the appraisal of relational factors, though both were affected by favorability.     

Japanese population database for nine STR loci of the AmpFlSTR Profiler kit

Allele frequencies for nine short tandem repeats (STR) loci: D3S1358, vWA, FGA, TH01, TPOX, CSF1PO, D5S818, D13S317 and D7S820 were determined in a Japanese population using the AmpFlSTR Profiler PCR amplification kit (Applied biosystems).     

Seat belt induced transection of the trachea in a child on the lap of an adult

As a victim of his parents' suicide, a three-year-old boy was found dead on the lap of the passenger in the left front seat of a car that dove from the wharf and crashed into the sea. He died from the transection of trachea due to shoulder belt in the absence of the signs of drowning. The seat belt paradoxically injured the child on the passenger's lap in the traffic accident. The popular custom of Japanese parents of holding their children on their laps in cars is dangerous, while another custom of killing their children upon suicide of parents or couples should be socially and legally controlled.     

A study on house fire victims: age, carboxyhemoglobin, hydrogen cyanide and hemolysis.

Correlation among age, concentrations of carboxyhemoglobin and hydrogen cyanide, oxygen density and hemolysis were studied in 120 house fire victims. Victims aged over 60 years comprised approximately 50% of the pooled subjects. Blood samples were mainly collected from the left ventricle, but sometimes from both the right and left ventricles. The concentration of carboxyhemoglobin ranged from 1-95%, of which 71 persons (59.7%) died with carboxyhemoglobin concentrations below 60%. Carboxyhemoglobin concentrations below 10% were found in 9 persons (7.5%). Most of these cases involved the elderly persons. In this paper, we report on the death of elderly victims as a result of low carboxyhemoglobin concentrations. A significant correlation of blood carboxyhemoglobin concentrations existed between the right and left ventricles. The concentration of carboxyhemoglobin in the left ventricle was significantly higher than that in the right. Two out of 31 victims whose hydrogen cyanide concentrations were determined, succumbed to hydrogen cyanide poisoning, having a high concentration of hydrogen cyanide and a low concentration of carboxyhemoglobin. On analysis, oxygen density was found to be low in 13 persons. A negative correlation was shown between carboxyhemoglobin concentration and hemolysis. Inasmuch as hemolysis may indicate the extent of heat dissociation, hemolysis should provide an index of carbon monoxide dissociation from carboxyhemoglobin. In the present study of victims, possible causes of death i.e., carbon monoxide gas poisoning, hydrogen cyanide poisoning, oxygen deprivation, burning, shock due to burns and others were estimated. The survival time for elderly victims was considered to be short.     

The typing of group-specific component (Gc protein) in human blood stains

It is known that the typing of group-specific component (Gc protein) in human blood stains is difficult since Gc protein of the extracts of blood stains migrates more anodally to the α₁-globulin region in agar-gel immunoelectrophoresis, while Gc protein in liquid blood normally migrates to the α₂-globulin region. We have reported that the Gc protein found in the α₁-region is the result of binding of actin to Gc protein (Shinomiya, K., Kimura, H., Yoshida, K., and Shinomiya, T., J. Biochem., 92 (1982) 1163–1171, which renders it difficult to determine the Gc-phenotypes in the blood stains. On the basis of the above findings, we developed the method of phenotyping the Gc protein of human blood stains by agar-gel immunoelectrophoresis. Since the binding activity of actin to Gc protein is lost after treatment with a high concentration of guanidine HCl, the extracts of blood stains were treated with 4 M guanidine HCl to dissociate Gc protein and actin and then dialyzed to remove guanidine HCl. By this method we are able to determine the phenotypes of Gc protein in blood stains. The method we have developed is a useful tool in the forensic laboratory.     

Technical and interpretive pitfalls of postmortem CT: Five examples of errors revealed by autopsy

Image acquisition of dead bodies, particularly using postmortem computed tomography (PMCT), has become common in forensic investigations worldwide. Meanwhile, in countries such as Japan which have an extremely low rate of autopsy, PMCT is being increasingly used in the clinical field to certify the cause of death (COD) without performing an autopsy or toxicological tests, even in cases of unnatural death. Additionally, these PMCT images are predominantly interpreted by clinical personnel such as emergency physicians or clinicians who are not trained in PMCT interpretation and who work for the police, that is, the so-called police doctors. Many potential pitfalls associated with the use of PMCT have been previously described in textbooks and published papers, including the pitfalls of not performing a complete forensic pathology investigation, and the use of physicians without appropriate PMCT training to interpret PMCT and direct death investigation and certification. We describe five examples in which apparent misdiagnosis of COD based on PMCT misinterpretation was revealed by autopsy. Here are the five examples of errors: (1) Postmortem changes were misinterpreted as COD, (2) resuscitation effects were misinterpreted as COD, (3) COD was determined after an incomplete examination, (4) fatal findings caused by external origin were wrongly interpreted as ‘of internal origin’ based on PMCT, and (5) non-fatal findings on PMCT were wrongly interpreted as fatal. Interpretation of PMCT by appropriately trained physicians and an accompanying complete forensic investigation, including autopsy when indicated, is necessary to prevent significant errors in COD determination and related potential adverse medicolegal consequences.     

A Fatal Case of Poisoning with Fentanyl Transdermal Patches in Japan

Fentanyl transdermal patches have been used to treat cancer‐ and noncancer‐related chronic pain. However, its inappropriate or illegal application may cause fatal poisoning. We herein present the case of a Japanese woman in her 40s who was found dead with seven 25‐μg/h fentanyl transdermal patches on her body. We established a detailed toxicological analysis procedure to quantify fentanyl, and its metabolite norfentanyl, and other drugs (acetaminophen, allylisopropylacetylurea, celecoxib, estazolam, promethazine, and sertraline) in human whole blood by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The measured fentanyl and norfentanyl concentrations in the femoral and cardiac blood were 0.051 and 0.072 μg/mL and 0.033 and 0.076 μg/mL, respectively. The decedent's fentanyl concentrations were consistent with previously reported postmortem blood levels for fatal cases of poisoning by fentanyl transdermal patches. Based on the decedent's case history, autopsy findings, and toxicological analyses, the cause of death was identified as intoxication with transdermal fentanyl.     

A solid-phase microextraction method for the detection of ignitable liquids in fire debris

A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) procedure involving direct contact between the SPME fibers and the solid matrix and subsequent gas chromatography/mass spectrometric analysis for the detection of accelerants in fire debris is described. The extraction performances of six fibers (100 mum polydimethylsiloxane, 65 mum polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene, 85 mum polyacrylate, 85 mum carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane, 70 mum Carbowax-divinylbenzene, and 50/30 mum divinylbenzene-Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane) were investigated by directly immersing the fibers into gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel. For simulated fire debris, in the direct contact extraction method, the SPME fiber was kept in contact with the fire debris matrix during extraction by penetrating plastic bags wrapping the sample. This method gave comparable results to the headspace SPME method in the extraction of gasoline and kerosene, and gave an improved recovery of low-volatile components in the extraction of diesel fuel from fire debris. The results demonstrate that this procedure is suitable as a simple and rapid screening method for detecting ignitable liquids in fire debris packed in plastic bags.     

An autopsy case of malignant hyperthermia

A report is made of a 44-year-old female who died of malignant hyperthermia during general anesthesia for an operation of left subtrochanteric femoral fracture. Symptoms began with increases in heart rate and blood pressure after the introduction of anesthesia with halothane and were accelerated by the administration of succinylcholine, followed by muscle rigidity and high temperature. The typical wine red urine was observed. The oral temperature of 42 degrees C was recorded within 1 h after succinylcholine. The rectal temperature was 30 degrees C 22 h after death. Severe pulmonary edema and tubular necrosis of the kidney were found by postmortem examination. No latent myopathy was observed. The creatine phosphokinase levels in plasma obtained after the onset of malignant hyperthermia and at the time of autopsy were abnormally high and were 5632 and 34,854 mU/ml, respectively. Plasma myoglobin levels were 130,000 and 2.8 X 10(6) ng/ml, respectively.     

Determination of salvinorin A and salvinorin B in Salvia divinorum-related products circulated in Japan

Two major salvinorins, salvinorin A (SalA) and salvinorin B (SalB), in three Salvia divinorum dried leaf products and nine of its “concentrated extract” products circulated in Japan were determined. These ingredients were extracted twice with acetonitrile and decolored with graphite carbon powder. SalA and SalB were confirmed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry in product ion scan mode, and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (for SalA) and by mass spectrometry in single ion monitoring mode (for SalB). The SalA/SalB contents (μg/mg) were in the range of 3.2–5.0/0.10–0.17 in the dried leaf products and 4.1–38.9/0.26–2.42 in the “concentrated extract” products. These findings would be useful for analysis of S. divinorum-related products circulated in the drug market.