Evaluation of Bayesian Hui-Walter and logistic regression latent class models to estimate diagnostic test characteristics with simulated data.

Estimation of the accuracy of diagnostic tests in the absence of a gold standard is an important research subject in epidemiology (Dohoo et al., 2009). One of the most used methods the last few decades is the Bayesian Hui-Walter (HW) latent class model (Hui and Walter, 1980).

Expert opinion as priors for random effects in Bayesian prediction models: Subclinical ketosis in dairy cows as an example.

Random effects regression models are routinely used for clustered data in etiological and intervention research. However, in prediction models, the random effects are either neglected or conventionally substituted with zero for new clusters after model development. In this study, we applied a Bayesian prediction modelling method to the subclinical ketosis data previously collected by Van der Drift et al.

Prediction models for clustered data with informative priors for the random effects: a simulation study.

Background: Random effects modelling is routinely used in clustered data, but for prediction models, random effects are commonly substituted with the mean zero after model development. In this study, we proposed a novel approach of including prior knowledge through the random effects distribution and investigated to what extent this could improve the predictive performance.

Methods: Data were simulated on the basis of a random effects logistic regression model.

Crystalloid Coload Reduced the Incidence of Hypotension in Spinal Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery, When Compared to Crystalloid Preload: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To determine whether crystalloid infusion just after intrathecal injection (coload) would be better than infusion before anesthesia (preload) for hypotension prophylaxis in spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery.

Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and other databases for randomized controlled trials comparing coload of crystalloid with preload in parturients receiving spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery. Primary outcome was intraoperative incidence of hypotension.

Judgement bias in pigs is independent of performance in a spatial holeboard task and conditional discrimination learning.

Biases in judgement of ambiguous stimuli, as measured in a judgement bias task, have been proposed as a measure of the valence of affective states in animals. We recently suggested a list of criteria for behavioural tests of emotion, one of them stating that responses on the task used to assess emotionality should not be confounded by, among others, differences in learning capacity, i.e.

Hydrothermal synthesis of graphene/nickel oxide nanocomposites used as the electrode for supercapacitors.

Graphene (GR)-based nanocomposites with different mass ratios of NiO and GR are prepared via hydrothermal method using Ni(NO3)2 as the origin of nickel and urea as the hydrolysis-controlling agent. The morphology and electrochemical performance of the GR/NiO nanocomposites are closely associated with the mass ratios of GR to NiO. The chemical composition and morphology of the composites together with the pure GR and NiO are characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM).

Carbon-coated LiFePO4-porous carbon composites as cathode materials for lithium ion batteries.

This work introduces a facile strategy for the synthesis of carbon-coated LiFePO(4)-porous carbon (C-LiFePO(4)-PC) composites as a cathode material for lithium ion batteries. The LiFePO(4) particles obtained are about 200 nm in size and homogeneously dispersed in porous carbon matrix. These particles are further coated with the carbon layers pyrolyzed from sucrose.