A REPORT FROM CANADA REGARDING THE USE OF DIAMOND CELL WINDOWS IN INFRARED ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY WAS DISTRIBUTED. A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS FROM SEVERAL PARTICIPANTS WERE FORWARDED TO THE CANADIAN AUTHORITIES, AND THE ANSWERS WERE PROVIDED. FINDINGS FOCUSING ON THE DETERMINATION TO THE SEPARATION, PURIFICATION, AND IDENTIFICATION OF MATERIALS WERE PRESENTED BY A LABORATORY REPRESENTATIVE FROM PORTUGAL. AN ISRAELI REPRESENTATIVE SUBMITTED A REPORT ON THE DETERMINATION OF THE CAUSES AND AGE OF CRACKS IN METAL. HE EMPHASIZED THAT RESEARCH HAD BEEN CONFINED TO CLEAN SURFACES WITH FRESH, CLEAN BREAKS; AND THAT THE METHOD HAD ONLY PROVED VALID FOR CRACKS 4 OR 5 HOURS OLD. DISCUSSION REVEALED THAT THE DETERMINATION OF THE AGE OF RUST DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM, AS THE RUSTING OCCURRED AT AN INDEFINITE MOMENT AFTER THE FRACTURE. ADDITIONAL REPORTS FOCUSED ON SUCH TOPICS AS THE STUDY OF PAINT FLAKES FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES, BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO BLOOD AND/OR SPERM, AND STUDY METHODS TO DETERMINE THE AGE OF DRIED BLOOD STAINS. SUBJECTS OF REPORTS ON NEW METHODS AND EQUIPMENT INCLUDED THE USE OF THE ELECTRONIC MICROPROBE, USE OF LASER BEAMS IN SPECTRONGRAPHY, GAS CHROMATOGRAHY, AND FREEZE DRYING IN TOXICOLOGY. THE AMERICAN REPRESENTATIVE OUTLINED THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS AND DESCRIBED THE RESULTS OBTAINED. THE SYMPOSIUM THEN ADOPTED A RESEARCH PROGRAM TO BE CARRIED OUT BY VOLUNTEER LABORATORIES. (LWM)