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 ...

Background Native T1 mapping is becoming established to help diagnose and monitor myocardial disease. The reproducibility of T1 mapping has not been well characterized, despite the important implications both for interpreting serial clinical studies, and for sample size calculation for surrogate endpoint in clinical trials. The SCMR consensus statement recommends measuring T1 in 2 imaging views...

Data from the first run of the BABAR detector at the PEP II accelerator are presented. Measurements of many rare B decay modes are now possible using the large data sets currently being collected by BABAR. An overview of analysis techniques and results on data collected in 2000 are described.

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...

The speed of digital circuit is one of the most restricting factors in the deep sub-micron and multigigahertz integrated circuits design. It is directly dependent on the circuit delay. Scaling down the technologies and increasing the operational frequency make the delay problems more important. This paper studies the delay in digital circuits, starting from the design process, scaling down the ...

BACKGROUND There are several numerical investigations on bone remodelling after total hip arthroplasty (THA) on the basis of the finite element analysis (FEA). For such computations certain boundary conditions have to be defined. The authors chose a maximum of three static load situations, usually taken from the gait cycle because this is the most frequent dynamic activity of a patient after TH...

In this paper, distortion in the output envelope of AM modulated a class E RF power amplifier with a nonlinear capacitance with the grading coefficient 5 . 0 = m is analyzed. The calculation of output amplitude incorporates the influence of power loss versus dc supply voltage. Derivation of half cycle output voltage waveform is done with incorporating output amplitude as a function of dc supply...

in this paper, the effects of input temperature and compression ratio on the net output work and efficiency of the air standard cycles, i.e. atkinson cycle, diesel cycle and otto cycle are analyzed. we assumed that the compression and power processes are adiabatic and reversible and any convective, conductive and radiative heat transfer to cylinder wall during the heat rejection process may be ...

We report differential measurements of Ar++ ion momentum distributions from nonsequential double ionization in phase-stabilized few-cycle laser pulses. The distributions depend strongly on the carrier-envelope (CE) phase. Via control over the CE phase one is able to direct the nonsequential double-ionization dynamics. Data analysis through a classical model calculation reveals that the influenc...

Objective Women undergoing IVF cycles should go successfully through multiple points during the procedure (i.e., implantation, clinical pregnancy, no spontaneous abortion and delivery) to achieve live births. On the other there is a need to consider previous reproductive outcomes and as well as the current cycle. In this study, data on multiple cycles and multiple points during the IVF cycle ar...