Effect of drying on the reproducibility of DIAGNOdent to detect caries-like lesions

The aim of this study was to verify the drying effect on the reproducibility of DIAGNOdent (Dd) devices to detect caries-like lesions. Three areas were created in each of the 34 bovine incisors: sound (S), demineralized (DE) and remineralized (RE). One examiner measured each area with two Dd devices (denominated X and Y), twice under humid, and twice under dry condition. Intra-rater agreement according each device and inter-device agreement were estimated by kappa statistics (k). Intra-rater agreement for device Y was substantial under humid (k DE=0.68 and k RE+S=0.68) and dry condition (k DE=0.64 and k RE+S=0.67). For device X, it was substantial under humid condition (k DE=0.57 and k RE+S=0.49), and it was almost perfect after air drying (k DE=1.0 and kRE+S=1.0). Inter-device agreement was slight (k =0.17) under humid condition, and it was substantial under dry condition (k =0.62). As reproducibility increased under dry condition, drying is advised to detect caries-like lesions on free smooth surfaces when different devices are used.

Reproducibility of free-breathing cardiovascular magnetic resonance coronary angiography.

OBJECTIVE: Contemporary free-breathing non contrast enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA) was qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated to ascertain the reproducibility of the method for coronary artery luminal dimension measurements. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two healthy volunteers (mean age 32 +/- 7 years, 12 males) without coronary artery disease were imaged at 2 centers (1 each in Europe and North America) using navigator-gated and corrected SSFP CMRA on a commercial whole body 1.5T System. Repeat images of right (RCA, n = 21), left anterior descending (LAD, n = 14) and left circumflex (LCX, n = 14) coronary arteries were obtained in separate sessions using identical scan protocol and imaging parameters. True visible vessel length, signal-to-noise (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) and the average luminal diameter over the first 4 cm of the vessel were measured. Intra-observer, inter-observer and inter-scan reproducibility of coronary artery luminal diameter were determined using Pearson's correlation, Bland-Altman analysis and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). RESULTS: CNR, SNR and the mean length of the RCA, LAD and LCX imaged for original and repeat scans were not significantly different (all p > 0.30). There was a high degree of intra-observer, inter-observer and inter-scan agreements for RCA, LAD and LCX luminal diameter respectively on Bland-Altman and ICC analysis (ICC's for RCA: 0.98. 0.98 and 0.86; LAD: 0.89, 0.89 and 0.63; LCX: 0.95, 0.94 and 0.79). CONCLUSION: In a 2-center study, we demonstrate that free-breathing 3D SSFP CMRA can visualize long continuous segments of coronary vessels with highly reproducible measurements of luminal diameter.

Validation and reproducibility of a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire for use in elderly Swiss women.

OBJECTIVE: The principal aim of this study was to develop a Swiss Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) for the elderly population for use in a study to investigate the influence of nutritional factors on bone health. The secondary aim was to assess its validity and both short-term and long-term reproducibility. DESIGN: A 4-day weighed record (4 d WR) was applied to 51 randomly selected women of a mean age of 80.3 years. Subsequently, a detailed FFQ was developed, cross-validated against a further 44 4-d WR, and the short- (1 month, n = 15) and long-term (12 months, n = 14) reproducibility examined. SETTING: French speaking part of Switzerland. SUBJECTS: The subjects were randomly selected women recruited from the Swiss Evaluation of the Methods of Measurement of Osteoporotic Fracture cohort study. RESULTS: Mean energy intakes by 4-d WR and FFQ showed no significant difference [1564.9 kcal (SD 351.1); 1641.3 kcal (SD 523.2) respectively]. Mean crude nutrient intakes were also similar (with nonsignifcant P-values examining the differences in intake) and ranged from 0.13 (potassium) to 0.48 (magnesium). Similar results were found in the reproducibility studies. CONCLUSION: These findings provide evidence that this FFQ adequately estimates nutrient intakes and can be used to rank individuals within distributions of intake in specific populations.

Reproducibility of 3D free-breathing magnetic resonance coronary vessel wall imaging.

AIMS: Although the coronary artery vessel wall can be imaged non-invasively using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the in vivo reproducibility of wall thickness measures has not been previously investigated. Using a refined magnetization preparation scheme, we sought to assess the reproducibility of three-dimensional (3D) free-breathing black-blood coronary MRI in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS: MRI vessel wall scans parallel to the right coronary artery (RCA) were obtained in 18 healthy individuals (age range 25-43, six women), with no known history of coronary artery disease, using a 3D dual-inversion navigator-gated black-blood spiral imaging sequence. Vessel wall scans were repeated 1 month later in eight subjects. The visible vessel wall segment and the wall thickness were quantitatively assessed using a semi-automatic tool and the intra-observer, inter-observer, and inter-scan reproducibilities were determined. The average imaged length of the RCA vessel wall was 44.5+/-7 mm. The average wall thickness was 1.6+/-0.2 mm. There was a highly significant intra-observer (r=0.97), inter-observer (r=0.94), and inter-scan (r=0.90) correlation for wall thickness (all P<0.001). There was also a significant agreement for intra-observer, inter-observer, and inter-scan measurements on Bland-Altman analysis. The intra-class correlation coefficients for intra-observer (r=0.97), inter-observer (r=0.92), and inter-scan (r=0.86) analyses were also excellent. CONCLUSION: The use of black-blood free-breathing 3D MRI in conjunction with semi-automated analysis software allows for reproducible measurements of right coronary arterial vessel-wall thickness. This technique may be well-suited for non-invasive longitudinal studies of coronary atherosclerosis.

Reproducibility of twitch mouth pressure, sniff nasal inspiratory pressure, and maximal inspiratory pressure.

Twitch mouth pressure (Pmo,tw) during magnetic phrenic nerve stimulation and sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) were recently proposed as alternative noninvasive methods for assessing inspiratory muscle strength. This study aimed to compare their reproducibility with maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) in normal subjects. Ten healthy subjects were studied at functional residual capacity in semirecumbent position. Cervical magnetic phrenic nerve stimulation was performed during gentle expiration against an occlusion incorporating a small leak. Constancy of stimulation was controlled by recording diaphragmatic electromyogram. Within and between-session reproducibility of pressure were studied for Pmo,tw, SNIP, and MIP. The subjects were studied during a session of 10 manoeuvres repeated after 1 day and 1 month. The mean values were 16 cmH2O for Pmo,tw, 118 cmH2O for SNIP, and 115 cmH2O for MIP. For the three tests, the within subject variation was small in relation to between-subject variation, with the intraclass correlation coefficient ranging 0.79-0.90 for Pmo,tw, 0.85-0.92 for SNIP, and 0.88-0.92 for MIP. At 1 day interval, the coefficient of repeatability (2 SD of differences) was 3.6 cmH2O for Pmo,tw, 32 cmH2O for SNIP and 28 cmH2O for MIP. At 1 month interval, the coefficient of repeatability was 5.8 cmH2O for Pmo,tw, 23 cmH2O for SNIP and 21 cmH2O for MIP. We conclude that the within session reproducibility of the new tests twitch mouth pressure and sniff nasal inspiratory pressure is sufficient to be clinically useful. For sniff nasal inspiratory pressure, the between session reproducibility established after 1 day was maintained after 1 month. For twitch mouth pressure, the between session reproducibility declined slightly after 1 month. These characteristics should be considered when using these methods to follow an individual patient over time.

A comparative study on inter and intralaboratory reproducibility of renin measurement with a conventional enzymatic method and a new chemiluminescent assay of immunoreactive renin.

BACKGROUND: The activity of the renin-angiotensin system is usually evaluated as plasma renin activity (PRA, ngAI/ml per h) but the reproducibility of this enzymatic assay is notoriously scarce. We compared the inter and intralaboratory reproducibilities of PRA with those of a new automated chemiluminescent assay, which allows the direct quantification of immunoreactive renin [chemiluminescent immunoreactive renin (CLIR), microU/ml]. METHODS: Aliquots from six pool plasmas of patients with very low to very high PRA levels were measured in 12 centres with both the enzymatic and the direct assays. The same methods were applied to three control plasma preparations with known renin content. RESULTS: In pool plasmas, mean PRA values ranged from 0.14 +/- 0.08 to 18.9 +/- 4.1 ngAI/ml per h, whereas those of CLIR ranged from 4.2 +/- 1.7 to 436 +/- 47 microU/ml. In control plasmas, mean values of PRA and of CLIR were always within the expected range. Overall, there was a significant correlation between the two methods (r = 0.73, P < 0.01). Similar correlations were found in plasmas subdivided in those with low, intermediate and high PRA. However, the coefficients of variation among laboratories found for PRA were always higher than those of CLIR, ranging from 59.4 to 17.1% for PRA, and from 41.0 to 10.7% for CLIR (P < 0.01). Also, the mean intralaboratory variability was higher for PRA than for CLIR, being respectively, 8.5 and 4.5% (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The measurement of renin with the chemiluminescent method is a reliable alternative to PRA, having the advantage of a superior inter and intralaboratory reproducibility.

Reproducibility of 6-minute walking test in patients with COPD

The reproducibility of the 6-min walking test (6MWT) needs to be more solidly studied. This study aimed to investigate the reproducibility of two 6MWTs performed on subsequent days in a large and representative sample of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to quantify the learning effect between the two tests, as well as its determinants.In a retrospective observational study, 1,514 patients with COPD performed two 6MWTs on subsequent days. Other measurements included body composition (dual X-ray absorptiometry), dyspnoea (Medical Research Council scale) and comorbidity (Charlson index).Although the 6MWT was reproducible (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.93), patients walked farther in the second test (391 m, 95% CI 155-585 m versus 418 m, 95% CI 185-605 m; p < 0.0001). on average, the second 6MWT increased by 27 m (or 7%), and 82% of patients improved in the second test. Determinants of improvement >= 42 m in the second test (upper limit of the clinically important change) were as follows: first 6MWT < 350 m, Charlson index < 2 and body mass index < 30 kg.m(-2) (OR 2.49, 0.76 and 0.60, respectively).The 6MWT was statistically reproducible in a representative sample of patients with COPD. However, the vast majority of patients improved significantly in the second test by an average learning effect of 27 m.

Effect of drying on the reproducibility of DIAGNOdent to detect caries-like lesions

The aim of this study was to verify the drying effect on the reproducibility of DIAGNOdent (Dd) devices to detect caries-like lesions. Three areas were created in each of the 34 bovine incisors: sound (S), demineralized (DE) and remineralized (RE). One examiner measured each area with two Dd devices (denominated X and Y), twice under humid, and twice under dry condition. Intra-rater agreement according each device and inter-device agreement were estimated by kappa statistics (κ). Intra-rater agreement for device Y was substantial under humid (κ DE=0.68 and κ RE+S=0.68) and dry condition (κ DE=0.64 and κ RE+S=0.67). For device X, it was substantial under humid condition (κ DE=0.57 and κ RE+S=0.49), and it was almost perfect after air drying (κ DE=1.0 and κRE+S=1.0). Inter-device agreement was slight (κ =0.17) under humid condition, and it was substantial under dry condition (κ =0.62). As reproducibility increased under dry condition, drying is advised to detect caries-like lesions on free smooth surfaces when different devices are used.

Reproducibility of microhandeness measurements in different surfices

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Reporting Results After Bariatric Surgery: Reproducibility of Predicted Body Mass Index

There is a controversy about the best way to report results after bariatric surgery. Several indices have been proposed over the years such as percentage of total weight loss (%TWL), percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL), and percentage of excess body mass index loss (%EBMIL). More recently, it has been suggested to individualize the body mass index (BMI) goal to be achieved by the patients (predicted BMI-PBMI). The objective was to assess the reproducibility of this PBMI in our service. In this retrospective study, we assessed the %TWL, %EWL, %EBMIL (with expected BMI of 25 kg/m(2)), and %EBMIL (with PBMI) over 4 years of observation in two groups of patients: BMI < 50 kg/m(2) and BMI a parts per thousand yen50 kg/m(2). The medical records of 403 patients were studied. From 18 to 42 months after surgery, %TWL was higher in the superobese group, whereas %EWL was similar for the two groups. %EBMIL was higher in less obese patients up to 24 months and similar thereafter. In contrast, %EBMIL with PBMI was greater in the superobese group, although it never reached the 100% goal. We conclude that %EBMIL results according to PBMI were not reproducible in our institution. There is a need to elaborate a new easy-to-obtain and reproducible index.

Evaluation of reproducibility of protein identification results after multidimensional human serum protein separation

We developed a gel- and label-free proteomics platform for comparative studies of human serum. The method involves the depletion of the six most abundant proteins, protein fractionation by Off-Gel IEF and RP-HPLC, followed by tryptic digestion, LC-MS/MS, protein identification, and relative quantification using probabilistic peptide match score summation (PMSS). We evaluated performance and reproducibility of the complete platform and the individual dimensions, by using chromatograms of the RP-HPLC runs, PMSS based abundance scores and abundance distributions as objective endpoints. We were interested if a relationship exists between the quantity ratio and the PMSS score ratio. The complete analysis was performed four times with two sets of serum samples containing different concentrations of spiked bovine beta-lactoglobulin (0.1 and 0.3%, w/w). The two concentrations resulted in significantly differing PMSS scores when compared to the variability in PMSS scores of all other protein identifications. We identified 196 proteins, of which 116 were identified four times in corresponding fractions whereof 73 qualified for relative quantification. Finally, we characterized the PMSS based protein abundance distributions with respect to the two dimensions of fractionation and discussed some interesting patterns representing discrete isoforms. We conclude that combination of Off-Gel electrophoresis (OGE) and HPLC is a reproducible protein fractionation technique, that PMSS is applicable for relative quantification, that the number of quantifiable proteins is always smaller than the number of identified proteins and that reproducibility of protein identifications should supplement probabilistic acceptance criteria.

Loss on ignition as a method for estimating organic and carbonate content in sediments: reproducibility and comparability of results

Five test runs were performed to assess possible bias when performing the loss on ignition (LOI) method to estimate organic matter and carbonate content of lake sediments. An accurate and stable weight loss was achieved after 2 h of burning pure CaCO3 at 950 °C, whereas LOI of pure graphite at 530 °C showed a direct relation to sample size and exposure time, with only 40-70% of the possible weight loss reached after 2 h of exposure and smaller samples losing weight faster than larger ones. Experiments with a standardised lake sediment revealed a strong initial weight loss at 550 °C, but samples continued to lose weight at a slow rate at exposure of up to 64 h, which was likely the effect of loss of volatile salts, structural water of clay minerals or metal oxides, or of inorganic carbon after the initial burning of organic matter. A further test-run revealed that at 550 °C samples in the centre of the furnace lost more weight than marginal samples. At 950 °C this pattern was still apparent but the differences became negligible. Again, LOI was dependent on sample size. An analytical LOI quality control experiment including ten different laboratories was carried out using each laboratory's own LOI procedure as well as a standardised LOI procedure to analyse three different sediments. The range of LOI values between laboratories measured at 550 °C was generally larger when each laboratory used its own method than when using the standard method. This was similar for 950 °C, although the range of values tended to be smaller. The within-laboratory range of LOI measurements for a given sediment was generally small. Comparisons of the results of the individual and the standardised method suggest that there is a laboratory-specific pattern in the results, probably due to differences in laboratory equipment and/or handling that could not be eliminated by standardising the LOI procedure. Factors such as sample size, exposure time, position of samples in the furnace and the laboratory measuring affected LOI results, with LOI at 550 °C being more susceptible to these factors than LOI at 950 °C. We, therefore, recommend analysts to be consistent in the LOI method used in relation to the ignition temperatures, exposure times, and the sample size and to include information on these three parameters when referring to the method.

Reproducibility, reliability and validity of measurements obtained from Cecile3 digital models

The aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility, reliability and validity of measurements in digital models compared to plaster models. Fifteen pairs of plaster models were obtained from orthodontic patients with permanent dentition before treatment. These were digitized to be evaluated with the program Cécile3 v2.554.2 beta. Two examiners measured three times the mesiodistal width of all the teeth present, intercanine, interpremolar and intermolar distances, overjet and overbite. The plaster models were measured using a digital vernier. The t-Student test for paired samples and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used for statistical analysis. The ICC of the digital models were 0.84 ± 0.15 (intra-examiner) and 0.80 ± 0.19 (inter-examiner). The average mean difference of the digital models was 0.23 ± 0.14 and 0.24 ± 0.11 for each examiner, respectively. When the two types of measurements were compared, the values obtained from the digital models were lower than those obtained from the plaster models (p < 0.05), although the differences were considered clinically insignificant (differences < 0.1 mm). The Cécile digital models are a clinically acceptable alternative for use in Orthodontics.

Effect of image compression of digital lateral cephalograms on the reproducibility of cephalometric points

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of JPEG quality factors 100, 80 and 60 on the reproducibility of identification of cephalometric points on images of lateral cephalograms, compared with the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format. Methods: The sample was composed of 30 images of digital lateral cephalograms obtained from 30 individuals (15 males and 15 females) on a phosphor plate system in DICOM format. The images were converted to JPEG with quality factors 100, 80 and 60 with the aid of software, adding up to 90 images. The 120 images (DICOM, JPEG 100, 80 and 60) were blinded and 12 cephalometric points were identified on each image by three calibrated orthodontists, using the x-y coordinate system, on a cephalometric software. Results: The results revealed that identification of cephalometric points was highly reproducible, except for the point Orbitale (Or) on the x-axis. The different file formats did not present a statistically significant difference. Conclusions: JPEG images of lateral cephalograms with quality factors 100, 80 and 60 did not present alterations in the reproducibility of identification of cephalometric points compared with the DICOM format. Good reproducibility was achieved for the 12 points, except for point Or on the x-axis. Dentomaxillofacial Radiology (2009) 38, 393-400. doi: 10.1259/dmfr/40996636