BACKGROUND Evaluations of clinical assessments that use judgement-based methods have frequently shown them to have sub-optimal reliability and internal validity evidence for their interpretation and intended use. The aim of this study was to enhance that validity evidence by an evaluation of the internal validity and reliability of competency constructs from supervisors' end-of-term summative a...

BACKGROUND Determining the temporal variations and seasonal pattern of diseases and forecasting their incidence can help in promoting disease control and management programs. This study was performed to determine the seasonal variation of tuberculosis and forecast its incidence until the year 2015 in one of the northern provinces of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS A longitudinal time series study...

A micro-calorimeter, suitable for detecting rates of heat production of the order of 1 mcal/h in about 2*3 ml. fluid, is described. Measurements have been made with it of the anaerobic heat production of bull spermatozoa in semen. The result, for the first hour, 220+ 15 mcal/109 live spermatozoa/h at 37° C, is consistent with the hypothesis that, in the first hour of incubation, the heat produc...