Maastricht University

About: Maastricht University is a education organization based out in Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 19263 authors who have published 53291 publications receiving 2266866 citations. The organization is also known as: Universiteit Maastricht & UM.

A comprehensive assessment of RNA-seq accuracy, reproducibility and information content by the Sequencing Quality Control Consortium

Abstract: We present primary results from the Sequencing Quality Control (SEQC) project, coordinated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Examining Illumina HiSeq, Life Technologies SOLiD and Roche 454 platforms at multiple laboratory sites using reference RNA samples with built-in controls, we assess RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) performance for junction discovery and differential expression profiling and compare it to microarray and quantitative PCR (qPCR) data using complementary metrics. At all sequencing depths, we discover unannotated exon-exon junctions, with >80% validated by qPCR. We find that measurements of relative expression are accurate and reproducible across sites and platforms if specific filters are used. In contrast, RNA-seq and microarrays do not provide accurate absolute measurements, and gene-specific biases are observed for all examined platforms, including qPCR. Measurement performance depends on the platform and data analysis pipeline, and variation is large for transcript-level profiling. The complete SEQC data sets, comprising >100 billion reads (10Tb), provide unique resources for evaluating RNA-seq analyses for clinical and regulatory settings.

Changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 second over time in copd

Abstract: A b s t r ac t We analyzed the changes in FEV1 after administration of a bronchodilator over a 3-year period in 2163 patients. A random-coefficient model was used to evaluate possible predictors of both FEV1 levels and their changes over time. Results The mean (±SE) rate of change in FEV 1 was a decline of 33±2 ml per year, with sig - nificant variation among the patients studied. The between-patient standard devia- tion for the rate of decline was 59 ml per year. Over the 3-year study period, 38% of patients had an estimated decline in FEV1 of more than 40 ml per year, 31% had a decline of 21 to 40 ml per year, 23% had a change in FEV1 that ranged from a de- crease of 20 ml per year to an increase of 20 ml per year, and 8% had an increase of more than 20 ml per year. The mean rate of decline in FEV1 was 21±4 ml per year greater in current smokers than in current nonsmokers, 13±4 ml per year greater in patients with emphysema than in those without emphysema, and 17±4 ml per year greater in patients with bronchodilator reversibility than in those without reversibility. Conclusions The rate of change in FEV1 among patients with COPD is highly variable, with increased rates of decline among current smokers, patients with bronchodilator reversibility, and patients with emphysema. (Funded by GlaxoSmithKline; ECLIPSE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00292552.)

The Efficacy of Influenza Vaccination in Elderly Individuals: A Randomized Double-blind Placebo-Controlled Trial

Abstract: Objective. —To determine the efficacy of influenza vaccination in elderly people. Design. —Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Setting. —Fifteen family practices in the Netherlands during influenza season 1991-1992. Participants. —A total of 1838 subjects aged 60 years or older, not known as belonging to those high-risk groups in which vaccination was previously given. Intervention. —Purified split-virion vaccine containing A/Singapore/6/86(H1N1), A/Beijing/353/89(H3N2), B/Beijing/1/87, and B/Panama/45/90 (n=927) or intramuscular placebo containing physiological saline solution (n=911). Main Outcome Measures. —Patients presenting with influenzalike illness up to 5 months after vaccination; self-reported influenza in postal questionnaires 10 weeks and 5 months after vaccination; serological influenza (fourfold increase of antibody titer between 3 weeks and 5 months after vaccination). Results. —The incidence of serological influenza was 4% in the vaccine group and 9% in the placebo group (relative risk [RR], 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35 to 0.61). The incidences of clinical influenza were 2% and 3%, respectively (RR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.73). The effect was strongest for the combination of serological and clinical influenza (RR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.74). The effect was less pronounced for self-reported influenza. Conclusion. —In the elderly, influenza vaccination may halve the incidence of serological and clinical influenza (in periods of antigenic drift). (JAMA. 1994;272:1661-1665)

Comfort your online customer: quality, trust and loyalty on the internet

Abstract: In e‐commerce, loyal customers are considered extremely valuable. Loyalty is generally attributed to satisfaction with the quality of service. Since online transactions involve many uncertainties for the customer, trust is a condition for exchange. Trust in the electronic medium – here called “e‐trust” – is believed to increase online customer loyalty, but empirical confirmations are scarce. The present study empirically investigates the roles of service quality, satisfaction and trust in an e‐commerce context. In the study, e‐trust is found to directly affect loyalty. The e‐service quality dimension of assurance, i.e. trusting the merchant, influences loyalty via e‐trust and e‐satisfaction. Other e‐quality dimensions, such as ease of use, e‐scape, responsiveness, and customization influence e‐loyalty mainly indirectly, via satisfaction. Managerial implications and suggestions for further research are provided.