A review of applications of the Bayes factor in psychological research

The last 25 years have shown a steady increase in attention for the Bayes factor as a tool for hypothesis evaluation and model selection. The present review highlights the potential of the Bayes factor in psychological research. We discuss six types of applications: Bayesian evaluation of point null, interval, and informative hypotheses, Bayesian evidence synthesis, Bayesian variable selection and model averaging, and Bayesian evaluation of cognitive models. We elaborate what each application entails, give illustrative examples, and provide an overview of key references and software with links to other applications. The paper is concluded with a discussion of the opportunities and pitfalls of Bayes factor applications and a sketch of corresponding future research lines

Detection and localization of early- and late-stage cancers using platelet RNA

Cancer patients benefit from early tumor detection since treatment outcomes are more favorable for less advanced cancers. Platelets are involved in cancer progression and are considered a promising biosource for cancer detection, as they alter their RNA content upon local and systemic cues. We show that tumor-educated platelet (TEP) RNA-based blood tests enable the detection of 18 cancer types. With 99% specificity in asymptomatic controls, thromboSeq correctly detected the presence of cancer in two-thirds of 1,096 blood samples from stage I–IV cancer patients and in half of 352 stage I–III tumors. Symptomatic controls, including inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, and benign tumors had increased false-positive test results with an average specificity of 78%. Moreover, thromboSeq determined the tumor site of origin in five different tumor types correctly in over 80% of the cancer patients. These results highlight the potential properties of TEP-derived RNA panels to supplement current approaches for blood-based cancer screening

Colorectal liver metastases: Surgery versus thermal ablation (COLLISION) - a phase III single-blind prospective randomized controlled trial

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) are widely accepted techniques to eliminate small unresectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). Although previous studies labelled thermal ablation inferior to surgical resection, the apparent selection bias when comparing patients with unresectable disease to surgical candidates, the superior safety profile, and the competitive overall survival results for the more recent reports mandate the setup of a randomized controlled trial. The objective of the COLLISION trial is to prove non-inferiority of thermal ablation compared to hepatic resection in patients with at least one resectable and ablatable CRLM and no extrahepatic disease. Methods: In this two-arm, single-blind multi-center phase-III clinical trial, six hundred and eighteen patients with at least one CRLM (≤3cm) will be included to undergo either surgical resection or thermal ablation of appointed target lesion(s) (≤3cm). Primary endpoint is OS (overall survival, intention-to-treat analysis). Main secondary endpoints are overall disease-free survival (DFS), time to progression (TTP), time to local progression (TTLP), primary and assisted technique efficacy (PTE, ATE), procedural morbidity and mortality, length of hospital stay, assessment of pain and quality of life (QoL), cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and quality-adjusted life years (QALY). Discussion: If thermal ablation proves to be non-inferior in treating lesions ≤3cm, a switch in treatment-method may lead to a reduction of the post-procedural morbidity and mortality, length of hospital stay and incremental costs without compromising oncological outcome for patients with CRLM. Trial registration:NCT03088150 , January 11th 2017

De koppeling van contractie en grendeling aan de prikkel in de anterior byssus retractor van Mytilus edulis L

Contains fulltext : mmubn000001_208672192.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Promotor : L. van Nieuwenhoven108 p

Species specificity for HBsAg binding protein endoexin II

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No decrease in the rate of early or missed colorectal cancers after colonoscopy with polypectomy over a 10-year period: a population-based analysis

Item does not contain fulltextBACKGROUND & AIMS: It is not clear whether the incidence of missed or early colorectal cancers (CRCs) has decreased over time. We compared the rates of missed or early CRC after polypectomy between 1996 and 2006, and aimed to identify risk factors for these. METHODS: We performed a population-based, case-control study linking data from the Dutch Pathology Registry with data from The Netherlands Cancer Registry. Of all patients with an incident CRC in 1996 and 2006, we identified whether colonic histology specimens were available in the preceding 3 years. Patients with early or missed CRC were defined as those with previous colonic histology in the 6 to 36 months preceding CRC diagnosis. We performed multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with missed or early CRCs. RESULTS: CRC was diagnosed in 6941 patients in 1996 and in 10,963 patients in 2006. The proportion of patients with early or missed CRC was 1.7% of all CRC patients in 1996 and 2.3% in 2006 (P = .012). Early or missed CRCs had a lower tumor, nodal, and metastasis stage than regularly diagnosed CRCs (P < .001), but rate of survival, adjusted for TNM stage, did not differ. CRCs of the right colon and transverse colon and splenic flexure were associated with a missed or early CRC (odds ratio [OR], 2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80-3.05; and OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.49-3.08, respectively), as was male sex (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.06-1.62). CONCLUSIONS: Based on an analysis of the Dutch population, there has been no decrease in the occurrence of missed or early CRCs over a 10-year period. Location in the right side of the colon was an independent risk factor for missed or early CRCs

Differential effects of coexisting dopamine, GABA and NPY on α-MSH secretion from melanotrope cells of Xenopus laevis

The secretion of α-MSH from the intermediate lobe of the pituitary gland of the amphibian Xenopus laevis is under complex neural control. Three neurotransmitters, dopamine, GABA and NPY, coexist in nerve terminals that contact the melanotrope cells. All three neurotransmitters inhibit α-MSH release. We have investigated the significance of this neurotransmitter coexistence for the regulation of α-MSH release, using an in vitro superfusion system. From experiments where lobes were treated with various combinations of receptor agonists we conclude that the transmitters act in an additive way but have clear, differential actions. Inhibition of secretion by either dopamine, isoguvacine (GABA&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt; receptor agonist) or baclofen (GABA&lt;sub&gt;B&lt;/sub&gt;receptor agonist) occurs rapidly and α-MSH secretion rapidly returns when treatment is terminated (recovery from baclofen being relatively fast, that from dopamine relatively slow); in contrast, inhibition by NPY and recovery from NPY-induced inhibition occurs only very slowly. Differential effects of the transmitters were also seen in experiments with 8-bromo-cyclic AMP, which strongly stimulates α-MSH secretion from isoguvacine- or baclofen-treated lobes, but is relatively ineffective in stimulating secretion from lobes treated with dopamine or NPY. NPY, furthermore, enables a short phasic stimulation of secretion by isoguvacine and attenuates the inhibitory action of dopamine and baclofen. Altogether it is concluded that the coexisting factors differentially affect the secretory process of the melanotrope cells of Xenopus laevis. NPY has a slow, sustained action whereas dopamine and GABA act fast

The lack of clinical value of peritoneal washing cytology in high risk patients undergoing risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy: a retrospective study and review

__Background__ To assess the clinical value of peritoneal washing cytology (PWC) in women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations