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...

A pilot study asks whether something can be done, should the researchers proceed with it, and if so, how. However, a pilot study also has a specific design feature; it is conducted on a smaller scale than the main or full-scale study. In other words, the pilot study is important for improvement of the quality and efficiency of the main study. In addition, it is conducted in order to assess the ...

The strontium ion, in water-soluble forms, is one of the major pollutant in drinking water. Therefore, a simple, rapid, selective, and sensitive potentiometric carbon paste electrode was developed to measure strontium ion in real samples with complex matrices. To prepare the potentiometric sensor, a synthetic ligand ((E)-4-(((2-amino-4-chlorophenyl)imino)methyl)-5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methyl pyrid...

One of the main components of pavement management system (PMS) is pavement evaluation. Several indices have been defined for the evaluation of existing pavement. The Pavement Condition Index (PCI) is a common index used for pavement evaluation. In order to calculate PCI, a significant volume of condition data -based on distress surveying- is required. The objective of this research is to reduce...

Sample size calculation formulas for testing equality, noninferiority, superiority, and equivalence based on odds ratio were derived under both parallel and one-arm crossover designs. An example concerning the study of odds ratio between a test compound (treatment) and a standard therapy (control) for prevention of relapse in subjects with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder is presented...

BACKGROUND Previous reviews have focussed on the rationale for employing the stepped wedge design (SWD), the areas of research to which the design has been applied and the general characteristics of the design. However these did not focus on the statistical methods nor addressed the appropriateness of sample size methods used.This was a review of the literature of the statistical methodology us...