conclusions direct sample pcr has the potential to rapidly and accurately diagnose candida vulvovaginitis in patients, especially if sufficient samples are obtained. results the results showed that out of the 150 samples, 55 were positive and 63 samples were negative by both methods, and 32 samples were positive using the culture method, but negative by ds-pcr. all positive ds-pcr samples had >...

In this research, optimization of the pulsed gas tungsten arc welding including pulse current, background current, pulse frequency and on time were investigated in welding of non-similar materials of austenitic stainless steel AISI 316L and nickel-base super alloy of Monel 400 by using ERNiCr3 filler metal. In order to obtain optimum conditions of welding the Taguchi method with the L9 array wa...

A good estimate of the design effect is critical for calculating the most efficient sample size for cluster surveys. We reviewed the design effects for seven nutrition and health outcomes from nine population-based cluster surveys conducted in emergency settings. Most of the design effects for outcomes in children, and one-half of the design effects for crude mortality, were below two. A reasse...

BACKGROUND Cluster-randomized trials, in which health interventions are allocated randomly to intact clusters or communities rather than to individual subjects, are increasingly being used to evaluate disease control strategies both in industrialized and in developing countries. Sample size computations for such trials need to take into account between-cluster variation, but field epidemiologis...

BACKGROUND Random errors in measurement of a risk factor will introduce downward bias of an estimated association to a disease or a disease marker. This phenomenon is called regression dilution bias. A bias correction may be made with data from a validity study or a reliability study. AIMS AND METHODS In this article we give a non-technical description of designs of reliability studies with e...