Topics of the papers include fingerprint detection, human identification and toxicology.

Mainland experts Liu Li and Zhai Yu-chun reported a simple physical developer for developing fingerprint in their paper.

According to extract of the paper, it is known that the process physical developer (PD) is currently used to develop the water insoluble components of a latent print. A simple solution of PD for developing fingerprints was reported and the mechanism discussed.

The components of the new PD are cheaper and easier. Besides, the new PD stock solutions are stable for several weeks if it is kept in a closed bottle, and it can made up to for the working solution at the time just before it is to be used.

In a study on the reliability of individual identification by wear characteristic by Yao Li from the Mainland tells that wear characteristics are in fact made by the feet despite of different pair of shoes worn and depend largely on the anatomic structure and walking pattern of the wearer.

Thus, bear particularity and stability to be used for individual identification. Some experiments were carried out by Yao so as to confirm this theory statistically.

Five hundred footwear impression samples were collected and their characteristics were recorded to make the data of the experiment.

The results show that the homogeneity of variance test of the same person's data was taken to show that all samples have the same variance. Also, the stability of wear characteristics of the same person was proved by means of two independent normal samples test.

In a paper done by Hong Kong experts, forensic applications in gas poisoning cases Hydrogen sulfide and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were dealt with which are commonly encountered in gas poisoning cases.

The paper reflects that methods for the analysis of LPG are either time consuming or lacking unique identification.

As introduced in the paper, Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) is a fast, simple and efficient sample extraction technique in which volatile analytes establish equilibra among the sample matrix, the headspace above the sample, and the specifically designed fiber.

The 17th Meeting of the International Association of Forensic Sciences kicked off on Aug. 22. More than 1,200 of the world's leading practitioners in forensic science and research including those from the Mainland and Hong Kong are taking part in the five-day meeting. 

(Xinhua News Agency August 24, 2005)