Meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy assessment studies with varying number of thresholds

Current meta-analytic methods for diagnostic test accuracy are generally applicable to a selection of studies reporting only estimates of sensitivity and specificity, or at most, to studies whose results are reported using an equal number of ordered categories. In this article, we propose a new meta-analytic method to evaluate test accuracy and arrive at a summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for a collection of studies evaluating diagnostic tests, even when test results are reported in an unequal number of nonnested ordered categories. We discuss both non-Bayesian and Bayesian formulations of the approach. In the Bayesian setting, we propose several ways to construct summary ROC curves and their credible bands. We illustrate our approach with data from a recently published meta-analysis evaluating a single serum progesterone test for diagnosing pregnancy failure.     

Analysis of the Sarcocystis neurona microneme protein SnMIC10: protein characteristics and expression during intracellular development

Sarcocystis neurona, an apicomplexan parasite, is the primary causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Like other members of the Apicomplexa, S. neurona zoites possess secretory organelles that contain proteins necessary for host cell invasion and intracellular survival. From a collection of S. neurona expressed sequence tags, we identified a sequence encoding a putative microneme protein based on similarity to Toxoplasma gondii MIC10 (TgMIC10). Pairwise sequence alignments of SnMIC10 to TgMIC10 and NcMIC10 from Neospora caninum revealed approximately 33% identity to both orthologues. The open reading frame of the S. neurona gene encodes a 255 amino acid protein with a predicted 39-residue signal peptide. Like TgMIC10 and NcMIC10, SnMIC10 is predicted to be hydrophilic, highly alpha-helical in structure, and devoid of identifiable adhesive domains. Antibodies raised against recombinant SnMIC10 recognised a protein band with an apparent molecular weight of 24 kDa in Western blots of S. neurona merozoites, consistent with the size predicted for SnMIC10. In vitro secretion assays demonstrated that this protein is secreted by extracellular merozoites in a temperature-dependent manner. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis of SnMIC10 showed a polar labelling pattern, which is consistent with the apical position of the micronemes, and immunoelectron microscopy provided definitive localisation of the protein to these secretory organelles. Further analysis of SnMIC10 in intracellular parasites revealed that expression of this protein is temporally regulated during endopolygeny, supporting the view that micronemes are only needed during host cell invasion. Collectively, the data indicate that SnMIC10 is a microneme protein that is part of the excreted/secreted antigen fraction of S. neurona. Identification and characterisation of additional S. neurona microneme antigens and comparisons to orthologues in other Apicomplexa could provide further insight into the functions that these proteins serve during invasion of host cells.     

The temperature-dependent duration of development and parasitism of three cereal aphid parasitoids, Aphidius ervi, A. rhopalosiphi, and Praon volucre

Temperature dependencies were established for the egg-to-mummy and mummy-to-adult phases, for mummy mortality, and for parasitism of Aphidius ervi Haliday, Aphidius rhopalosiphi De Stefani-Perez, and Praon volucre (Haliday) (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae), three parasitoids of Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Homoptera, Aphididae), at 8°C, 12°C, 16°C, 20°C, and 25°C on winter wheat (cv. Haven). A physiological model described temperature-dependent development over the full temperature range, whereas a linear model was fitted for data above 8°C and used to estimate the lower temperature thresholds and day-degrees (° D) required for development. The thresholds for A. ervi were 2.2°C for egg-mummy development and 6.6°C for mummy-adult development, those for A. rhopalosiphi were 4.5°C and 7.2°C, and those for P. volucre were 3.8°C and 5.5°C. The time to develop into mummies and adults differed significantly between the three species: A. ervi development into mummies required an average of 159 ° D, while development into adults took an average of 73 ° D. The corresponding average times required for A. rhopalosiphi and P. volucre to develop mummies were 124° D and 126° D, while their development into adults required an average of 70° D and 150° D, respectively. Mummy mortality was 25–35% at 8°C and less at the higher temperatures tested, but began to increase again at 25°C, showing a quadratic relationship between mortality and temperature. Parasitization was very low or, in the case of P. volucre, absent up to 12°C and thereafter increased with increasing temperature. The relationship between parasitization, recorded as percent aphids mummified, and temperature was linear at the temperatures tested and depended on species. A. ervisuperparasitized 11.1% aphids at 20°C and 16.6% aphids at 25°C, whereas superparasitism was low in A. rhopalosiphi and absent in P. volucre. From 16°C to 25°C the P. volucre sex ratio increased. For A. ervi and A. rhopalosiphi there was no trend with temperature, but at 20°C and 25°C it was close to even. Field data for 1996 and 1997 allowed for a comparison of actual and expected emergence of overwintering mummies. In both years, parasitoids were predicted to have emerged from overwintering mummies well in advance of the onset of aphid infestation, and more than a month earlier than the first parasitized aphids were found in winter wheat. Observations from trap plants in other crops supported the predictions of the models. Other factors that can affect biological control by cereal aphid parasitoids are discussed.     

Seedling establishment in different microsites on Mount St. Helens,Washington, USA

On the volcanically devastated Pumice Plain of Mount St. Helens, plant species colonized microsites differentially. Peak colonization did not occur in the same microsites as peak establishment and growth. In addition, observed microsite colonization patterns differed between years. Two studies were conducted. The first assessed seedling establishment and growth from seeds sown at different microsites. The second assessed colonization into four microsite types that were constructed on the Pumice Plain. Hypochaeris radicata was the most common species to survive when the same number of seeds of four species were planted; however, Anaphalis margaritacea was the most common colonizer of microsites. Microsites with the largest biomass plants in the first study generally had the highest colonization in the second study. Sites that do not possess features to trap seeds, such as flats and ridges, are not opportune places for a plant to grow since there is little microclimatic or substrate amelioration. Thus, flat microsites had low biomass in the establishment experiment due to the lack of amelioration and contained few plants in the colonization experiment due to a lack of seed trapping mechanisms. These results show that in the primary successional landscape of Mount St. Helens microsites are critical to revegetation dynamics. Changes in the pattern of microsite colonization between years emphasizes the dynamic nature of the landscape and the important influences of climate, substrate amelioration and seed rain to plant establishment.     

Extreme value analysis in biometrics

We review some approaches of extreme value analysis in the context of biometrical applications. The classical extreme value analysis is based on iid random variables. Two different general methods are applied, which will be discussed together with biometrical examples. Different estimation, testing, goodness‐of‐fit procedures for applications are discussed. Furthermore, some non‐classical situations are considered where the data are possibly dependent, where a non‐stationary behavior is observed in the data or where the observations are not univariate. A few open problems are also stated.     

MUC1对人结肠癌细胞HCT116生物学行为的影响

目的:观察MUC1对人结肠癌细胞HCT116增殖、侵袭及化疗敏感性的影响。方法:采用MUC1表达阴性的结肠癌细胞株HCT116,通过慢病毒转染、嘌呤霉素筛选、半定量RT-PCR和Western blot鉴定构建稳定表达MUC1的HCT116细胞株;实验分空病毒组和MUC1病毒组;CCK实验和软琼脂克隆形成实验检测两组细胞的增殖能力,Transwell侵袭实验检测两组细胞的侵袭能力;MTT法和流式细胞仪检测两组细胞对奥沙利铂的敏感性,酶底物法检测Caspase-3活性。结果:获得稳定表达MUC1的HCT116细胞株;两组细胞贴壁生长无差异;与空病毒组相比,MUC1病毒组细胞软克隆形成数增加,穿过小室的细胞数增加(P0.05);MUC1病毒组细胞对奥沙利铂的敏感性降低,MUC1病毒组Caspase-3活性水平低于空病毒组(P0.05)。结论:MUC1与结肠癌的非锚定依赖生长、侵袭和化疗敏感性有关。     

口蹄疫病毒入侵宿主细胞研究进展

口蹄疫病毒(FMDV)是小RNA病毒科,口蹄疫病毒属的典型成员,是一种基因组大约含有8 400个核苷酸的无囊膜单股正链RNA病毒。大量研究发现识别细胞表面受体并侵入细胞是FMDV感染宿主细胞非常重要的环节;对FMDV而言,利用哪种受体就决定了利用哪种內吞路径。近年来在口蹄疫病毒入侵宿主细胞方面进行了大量研究,在一定程度上解释了口蹄疫病毒感染机制方面的问题,为解决实际生产问题提供了重要依据。对前期工作进行阶段性总结,为后期深入研究口蹄疫病毒致病机制和探索更有效的防治措施提供参考。     

miR27a对结肠癌细胞增殖和侵袭能力的影响

目的:检测mi R196a、mi R146a、mi R27a和mi R200a在结肠癌患者中的表达情况,研究差异mi RNA对结肠癌细胞功能的影响。方法:用PCR检测mi R196a、mi R146a、mi R27a和mi R200a在结肠癌患者癌组织中的表达情况;用转染技术高表达和低表达mi R27a后,检测结肠癌细胞的增殖能力和侵袭能力。结果:结肠癌组mi R27a的表达水平与正常组和大肠炎组相比显著增加(P0.05);mi R27a mimics转染组结肠癌细胞的增殖速度和侵袭能力显著增高(P0.05),且mi R27a inhibitors转染组结肠癌细胞的增殖速度和侵袭能力明显降低,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:结肠癌患者mi R27a的表达水平显著增高,且mi R27a能增强结肠癌细胞的增殖能力和侵袭能力。     

PP2 对人胆管癌细胞株QBC939 侵袭能力的影响

目的：探讨Src 激酶特异性抑制剂PP2 对人胆管癌QBC939 细胞侵袭能力的影响和机制。方法：通过Western Blotting 技术 检测PP2 对人胆管癌QBC939细胞中Src 激酶活化的影响;用Transwell 小室法观察PP2 对QBC939细胞的影响;用RT-PCR 和 Western Blotting 技术检测PP2对QBC939 细胞侵袭能力相关分子的作用。结果：实验组p-Src 蛋白表达水平明显低于对照组,差 异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）;实验组QBC939 细胞体外侵袭能力较对照组显著降低,差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）;与对照组相 比,实验组E-cadherin 表达显著增强,CD44表达明显减弱,差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论：PP2 通过抑制Src 激酶活化,增 强E-cadherin 表达、减弱CD44 表达,抑制人胆管癌QBC939 细胞侵袭能力。