Confidence Interval For Intercept Research Articles

Minimally Invasive Method of Measuring Anti-Müllerian Hormone Level in Dried Blood Spots of Indonesian Infertile Population

This study aims to evaluate the certainty of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels in dried blood spots (DBS) compared to serum AMH. A total of 109 infertile women who planned to undergo their controlled ovarian stimulation cycle were recruited. Serum and DBS samples were collected from each patient for the quantification of AMH levels. Serum AMH was measured with an automated clinical chemistry assay (Roche) while DBS AMH was measured using the Ansh Labs DBS AMH ELISA reagent kit. Mean AMH level in DBS was [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]ng/mL, which ranged from 0.01 to 17.3[Formula: see text]ng/mL, while the mean AMH in serum samples was [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]ng/mL (0.01–10.8[Formula: see text]ng/mL). Comparable accuracy for low AMH quantification was observed between the two methods over basal antral follicle counts (AFC) as a clinical comparator (AUC 86%, cutoff [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]ng/mL, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] vs. 85%, cutoff [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]ng/mL, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], respectively for DBS and serum sample). Likewise, DBS AMH achieved high concordance for low AMH discrimination in comparison to serum AMH method (AUC 99% vs. 93%, respectively). A strong linear Spearman regression ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]) and sufficient agreement (94.5%, mean difference of −1.6, 2.7 to −5.9) was demonstrated among studied groups with mathematical Passing and Bablok regression equation of [Formula: see text]. The confidence interval of intercept (−0.12, 95% CI [−0.29 to −0.01]) and slope (1.80, 95% CI [1.66–1.94]) indicated a constant and proportional difference between the two methods but it was not significant ([Formula: see text]). AMH measurement in DBS could be useful as an alternative approach to screening ovarian reserve through a more convenient remote sample collection.

Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling for the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Everolimus in Patients Who Have Undergone Liver Transplant.

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of everolimus is required to prevent organ rejection in patients who have undergone transplant. Volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) is a minimally invasive method for accurately collecting a small amount of blood from a patient's fingers. This study aimed to assess the applicability of VAMS for TDM of everolimus. VAMS and venous blood samples were collected from 45 liver transplant recipients who had been receiving stable everolimus doses for at least 7 days. Whole blood everolimus concentrations were measured using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Deming regression and Bland-Altman analysis were performed to compare everolimus concentrations measured using VAMS (C VAMS ) and venous blood samples (C IV ). The regression coefficient (r 2 ) between C VAMS and C IV was calculated using a linear regression. The effects of the hematocrit and blood sampling time on the difference between C VAMS and C IV were investigated. Thirty-two participants were included in the final analysis. The Deming regression line was C IV = 1.04 × C VAMS + 0.55 [95% confidence interval (CI) of slope, 0.91-1.18; 95% CI of intercept, -0.05 to 1.16]. C VAMS and C IV were strongly correlated (r 2 = 0.92), with no proportional or constant bias. The mean difference between C VAMS and C IV was -0.79 ng/mL, with the 95% limit of agreement ranging from -2.55 to 0.97 ng/mL in a Bland-Altman plot. No effect of the hematocrit or blood sampling time was observed. VAMS and venous blood sampling showed good agreement for the measurement of whole blood everolimus concentrations. Less invasive VAMS can substitute for more invasive venous blood sampling in the TDM of everolimus in liver transplant patients.

Further study of stress-strain deformation of some structural reinforcement steel rods with different diameters from a mini mill in Nigeria using theoretical and regression analysis

Further study of stress-strain deformation of some structural reinforcement steel rods with different diameters from a mini mill in Nigeria using theoretical and regression analysis has been undertaken. The work utilized result test of mechanical testing carried out on different sizes of reinforcement steel bars for concrete reinforcement ranging from 10 mm to 28mm in diameter. The deformation pattern of the work was highlighted using stress-strain graph and subjected to theoretical analysis, where the result showed that it is a ductile material with all the deformation regions associated with a ductile material. It equally has an elongation % of 9.36 at the point of failure during the test. Values of % elongation, ultimate tensile strength generated with different sizes of reinforcement steel bar were subjected to different regression models to establish their relationship, and to also find out which model best fit the relationship between the diameter variation of the steel rod and the % elongation, and the diameter variation of the steel rod and the ultimate tensile strength. The result showed that the relationship was linear, and linear regression model was better than hyperbolic curve model, and exponential function model. Therefore linear regression model was used to develop prediction model equations to estimate the values of % elongation and ultimate tensile strength. These models were evaluated using coefficient of determination r2, standard error of regression, confidence limits, standard errors of the intercept (a) and the gradient (b), confidence interval for intercept and gradient, and finally significance test was carried out on the intercept and the gradient. The standard error of regression for model equation Y1 was very small; 0.37, and that of model equation Y2 was 60.18. The coefficient of determination r2 was 21% for model equation Y1 and 1.49% for model equation Y2. The results also show that the general confidence interval has a narrower range than the individual confidence interval. The rank correlation coefficient has indicated that the association of the diameter variation of the steel rod was in perfect negative to the % elongation at failure and ultimate tensile strength. In conclusion this work has further thrown light to the stress-strain deformation of different diameters of structural reinforcement steel rods.

Performance evaluation between two automated biochemical analyzer systems: Roche Cobas 8000 and Mindray BS2000M.

BackgroundThe values of biomarkers play a central role in routine clinical decision-making. Whereas the performance of different automated chemical analyzers remains unclear. To determine the performance of different platforms, we compared the consistency and accuracy between Roche Cobas 8000 and Mindray BS2000M.MethodsA total of 1869 remaining serum samples were collected. CK, LDH-1, RBP, Cys-C, IgA, IgM, and IgG were assessed using paired t-test, Passing-Bablok regression analysis, and Bland-Altman analysis according to CLSI EP5-A3.ResultsThere were significant differences in the average bias of all items between the two machines (P<0.001). Because the 95% confidence interval of intercept A included 0, CK, LDH-1, Cys-C and IgG did not show systematic error in Passing-Bablok regression analysis. The confidence interval of 95% of the slope B in IgM contained 1, and there was no difference in the two measurements in IgM. Except for IgA, the r values and correlation coefficient of all items were higher than 0.91, which showed that the correlation and consistency were good. The Bland-Altman analysis showed that two instruments had more than 95% of the points apart from CK, LDH-1, and IgA.ConclusionsIt can be considered that the two instruments have good correlation and consistency in CK, LDH-1, RBP, Cys-C, IgM, and IgG, and the two instruments are interchangeable and can replace each other.

Creatinine clearance as predictor of tobramycin elimination in adult patients with cystic fibrosis.

Assessment of renal function and relating this parameter to amino-glycoside clearance is important for an appropriate individualization of dosage regimens in patients with impaired renal function. However, it has been suggested that in cystic fibrosis (CF), creatinine clearance (CrCl) is not a good predictor of tobramycin clearance because of a lack of correlation. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the tobramycin clearance and the measured CrCl. In addition, because most pharmacokinetic computer models use an a priori relationship between CrCl and tobramycin elimination rate constant [k(el)], regression analysis of k(el) on CrCl was performed. Eighteen CF patients (12 men, 6 women, ages 21-55 years) were treated with intravenous tobramycin. Blood and urine samples were collected for tobramycin analysis and determination of the CrCl. For each patient, CrCl was also estimated using the formulas of Cockcroft and Gault (C/G), Jelliffe I (J I), and Jelliffe II (J II). Predictive performance of these formulas was evaluated using mean error and mean squared error as reflections of bias and precision. Tobramycin total body clearance as well as renal clearance correlated significantly with CrCl (r = 0.52; p = 0.02 and r = 0.78; p = 0.02, respectively). Regression of the tobramycin k(el) versus CrCl gave the following equation: k(el) = 0.135 + 0.00134*CrCl/1.73 m2 (r = 0.64; p = 0.004). The 95% confidence interval of intercept and slope of the regression line were 0.019-0.251 and 0.00049-0.00219, respectively. The formulas of C/G, J I, and J II all overpredicted CrCl. Bias was 19, 24, and 8 ml/min, and precision was 37, 42, and 33 ml/min, respectively, for the C/G, J I, and J II formulas. In our CF population the J II formula gave the best estimation of the CrCl but calculated estimates deviated -25(-)+62% from measured values.