Browsing by Subject "cotton swab"
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Item A prospective cost-benefit analysis for nylon 4N6FLOQSwabs(R): example of the process and potential benefits(Springer Nature, 2022-09-04) Budowle, Bruce; Ge, Jianye; Sajantila, AnttiLaboratories and their criminal justice systems are confronted with challenges for implementing new technologies, practices, and policies even when there appears to be demonstrative benefits to operational performance. Impacting decisions are the often higher costs associated with, for example, new technologies, limited current budgets, and making hard decisions on what to sacrifice to take on the seemingly better approach. A prospective cost-benefit analysis (CBA) could help an agency better formulate its strategies and plans and more importantly delineate how a relatively small increase to take on, for example, a new technology can have large impact on the system (e.g., the agency, other agencies, victims and families, and taxpayers). To demonstrate the process and potential value a CBA was performed on the use of an alternate and more expensive swab with reported better DNA yield and being certified human DNA free (i.e., nylon 4N6FLOQSwabs(R)), versus the traditional less costly swab (i.e., cotton swab). Assumptions are described, potential underestimates and overestimates noted, different values applied (for low and modest to high), and potential benefits (monetary and qualitative) presented. The overall outcome is that the cost of using the more expensive technology pales compared with the potential tangible and intangible benefits. This approach could be a guide for laboratories (and associated criminal justice systems) worldwide to support increased funding, although the costs and benefits may vary locally and for different technologies, practices, and policies. With well-developed CBAs, goals of providing the best services to support the criminal justice system and society can be attained.Item The Evaluation of Different Collection Methods for the Optimum Recovery of DNA from Bloodstains on Various Surfaces(2013-05-01) Stricklin, Sarah N; Arthur EisenbergThis study compared the ability of cotton tip swabs and 4N6FLOQ™Swabs (Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA) to collect dried bloodstains from various surfaces and recover the DNA transferred onto each swab. This study also examined whether swabs moistened with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) rather than distilled water (dH2O) provided any advantage in the recovery of DNA. The DNA yield; the quality of the Short Tandem Repeat (STR) profiles generated; and the ease of use were evaluated for the two swabs. The FLOQ™ swabs yielded the most DNA in the majority of the samples collected from each of the surfaces. There was no indication that PBS compared with dH2O provided any significant advantage in DNA yield and the quality of the STR profiles generated.