In forensic science, soil, dust, and vegetable traces have as high a value as evidence as classical traces such as fingerprints or toolmarks. It is imperative that the potential information in these traces can be identified by a combination of analytical methods selected by a qualified expert. Experience has shown that the best results can be expected when all of the aspects of evidence, includ...

Serial results from an individual are often obtained using more than one method. Results should be transferable over time and locale. Every method has inherent analytical error, and goals are required to delineate the maximum allowable random (imprecision) and systematic (inaccuracy, bias) errors to facilitate optimal patient care. Based on Harris's proposal [Am J Clin Pathol 1979;72:374-82] th...

To understand the biogeochemistry of nutrients and contaminants in environmental media, their speciation and behavior under different conditions and at multiple scales must be determined. Synchrotron radiation-based X-ray techniques allow scientists to elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for nutrient and contaminant mobility, bioavailability, and behavior. The continuous improvement...

Before quality control techniques and protocols can be applied to a laboratory procedure, the quality itself must be evaluated. This involves among other considerations an assessment of analytical accuracy. Some, but not all (and perhaps not even many), clinical laboratory analytical procedures can be considered accurate in the sense that every laboratory should get the same quantitative result...

Understanding of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in human populations could facilitate the discovery of genes that influence complex human diseases. The "HapMap" project is now underway to characterize patterns of LD in the human genome. A pilot study showed "haplotype blocks" in 51 regions scattered throughout the genome. These intriguing results raise important questions about the nature of recom...

OBJECTIVE To systematically review guidance documents for the estimation of the social cost of illegal drugs, and to define standards for this estimation. METHOD A systematic literature search was conducted between April and May 2015 and updated in November 2015. Pubmed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched. Studies were included only if they provided indications of analytical methods for...

This study develops a model for selecting Korean dramas based on TV station manager’s perceptions. First, the proposed model adopts the modified Delphi method to find out the suitable evaluative criteria of Korean dramas. Next, the model apply the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the relative weights of evaluative criteria, then ranks the alternatives and selects the best Korean dr...

The model-based image reconstruction approaches in photoacoustic tomography have a distinct advantage compared to traditional analytical methods for cases where limited data is available. These methods typically deploy Tikhonov based regularization scheme to reconstruct the initial pressure from the boundary acoustic data. The model-resolution for these cases represents the blur induced by the ...

Laboratories may use different analytical methods that may not be harmonized, possibly with different units of reporting. We should not assume that the differing numbers can be directly compared especially if the transfer of results from the laboratory to the report recipient does not highlight differences in units of reporting or in assay methods in use. To Corresponding author: Jillian R. Tat...