Does Consistency Predict Accuracy of Beliefs?: Economists Surveyed About PSA

Subjective beliefs and behavior regarding the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer were surveyed among attendees of the 2006 meeting of the American Economic Association. Logical inconsistency was measured in percentage deviations from a restriction imposed by Bayes’ Rule on pairs of conditional beliefs. Economists with inconsistent beliefs tended to be more accurate than average, and consistent Bayesians were substantially less accurate. Within a loss function framework, we look for and cannot find evidence that inconsistent beliefs cause economic losses. Subjective beliefs about cancer risks do not predict PSA testing decisions, but social influences do.logical consistency, predictive accuracy, elicitation, non-Bayesian, ecological rationality

Does consistency predict accuracy of beliefs?: Economists surveyed about PSA

Subjective beliefs and behavior regarding the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer were surveyed among attendees of the 2006 meeting of the American Economic Association. Logical inconsistency was measured in percentage deviations from a restriction imposed by Bayes’ Rule on pairs of conditional beliefs. Economists with inconsistent beliefs tended to be more accurate than average, and consistent Bayesians were substantially less accurate. Within a loss function framework, we look for and cannot find evidence that inconsistent beliefs cause economic losses. Subjective beliefs about cancer risks do not predict PSA testing decisions, but social influences do.logical consistency, predictive accuracy, elicitation, non-Bayesian, ecological rationality

Texture Analysis Platform for Imaging Biomarker Research

abstract: The rate of progress in improving survival of patients with solid tumors is slow due to late stage diagnosis and poor tumor characterization processes that fail to effectively reflect the nature of tumor before treatment or the subsequent change in its dynamics because of treatment. Further advancement of targeted therapies relies on advancements in biomarker research. In the context of solid tumors, bio-specimen samples such as biopsies serve as the main source of biomarkers used in the treatment and monitoring of cancer, even though biopsy samples are susceptible to sampling error and more importantly, are local and offer a narrow temporal scope. Because of its established role in cancer care and its non-invasive nature imaging offers the potential to complement the findings of cancer biology. Over the past decade, a compelling body of literature has emerged suggesting a more pivotal role for imaging in the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of diseases. These advances have facilitated the rise of an emerging practice known as Radiomics: the extraction and analysis of large numbers of quantitative features from medical images to improve disease characterization and prediction of outcome. It has been suggested that radiomics can contribute to biomarker discovery by detecting imaging traits that are complementary or interchangeable with other markers. This thesis seeks further advancement of imaging biomarker discovery. This research unfolds over two aims: I) developing a comprehensive methodological pipeline for converting diagnostic imaging data into mineable sources of information, and II) investigating the utility of imaging data in clinical diagnostic applications. Four validation studies were conducted using the radiomics pipeline developed in aim I. These studies had the following goals: (1 distinguishing between benign and malignant head and neck lesions (2) differentiating benign and malignant breast cancers, (3) predicting the status of Human Papillomavirus in head and neck cancers, and (4) predicting neuropsychological performances as they relate to Alzheimer’s disease progression. The long-term objective of this thesis is to improve patient outcome and survival by facilitating incorporation of routine care imaging data into decision making processes.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Biomedical Informatics 201

Summary of WTC Health Program research : NIOSH research compendium

"This research compendium describes the World Trade Center Research Program and the extraordinary contribution of researchers, responders, and survivors in providing research information necessary to ensure excellence in the clinical care for the population affected by the 9/11 attacks. It is intended as a resource to assist the WTC Health Program staff with activities such as planning future research directions, assessing the impact of current studies, identifying gaps in the research, and coordinating external program reviews." - NIOSHTIC-2NIOSH number 20054311WTC_Health_Program_Research_Compendium_November_2018_1.2.pdf201

Network analysis of depression in prostate cancer patients: Implications for assessment and treatment

Objectives: Many prostate cancer patients also suffer from depression, which can decrease their life satisfaction and also impede recovery from their cancer. This study described the network structure of depressive symptomatology in prostate cancer patients, with a view to providing suggestions for clinical interventions for depressed patients.
 Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 555 prostate cancer patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).
 Results: Network analysis and multidimensional scaling indicated that anhedonia was the most central symptom for these men, and that several sets of depression symptoms were closely associated with each other. These included anhedonia-depressed mood; sleeping problems-fatigue/lethargy; and suicidal ideation-low self-worth-depressed mood. Other depression symptoms such as appetite problems, concentration problems, and motor problems, were less well-related with the remainder of the network. Patients receiving treatment for reocurring prostate cancer (PCa) had significantly higher PHQ9 scores than patients undergoing their initial treatment, but no major differences in their network structures. Implications for clinical practice were derived from the relationships between individual depression symptoms and the overall depression network by examining node predictability.
 Conclusions: The use of total depression scores on an inventory does not reflect the underlying network structure of depression in PCa patients. Identification and treatment of the central symptom of anhedonia in PCa patients suggests the need to adopt specific therapies that are focussed upon this symptom

Summary of WTC Health Program research : NIOSH research compendium 20/21 August

Suggested citation: Kubale T, Katruska A, Brown EP, Santiago-Col\uf3n A, Daniels RD, Reissman DB [2021]. Summary of World Trade Center Health Program research: NIOSH research compendium. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health:1\u2013595.Summary-of-WTC-Health-Program-Research-2021-03282022.pd

a longitudinal study among men and women with non-small cell lung cancer

Background We investigated the determinants of trajectories of physical symptoms related to lung cancer (a quality of life [QOL] aspect) and self- efficacy among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It was hypothesized that gender and family cancer history in first-degree relatives would have synergistic effects on QOL-lung cancer specific symptoms and self- efficacy. Women with family cancer history were expected to be at risk of poorer adjustment. Methods Quantitative, longitudinal design was applied. Participants provided their responses at 3–4 days after surgery, 1-month follow-up, and 4-month follow-up. We recruited 102 in-patients (men: 51%) with NSCLC who underwent surgery aimed at removing a lung tumor. Self-report data were collected with QLQ-LC13 and a scale for self-efficacy for managing illness. Results Mixed-models analysis indicated that trajectories of physical quality of life (symptoms of lung cancer) as well as self-efficacy were unfavorable among women with family cancer history. Conclusions Among NSCLC patients, gender and family cancer history may be considered basic screening criteria for identifying groups of patients at risk for poorer physical QOL (higher level of physical symptoms related to lung cancer) and lower incline of self-efficacy after cancer surgery