The Schur-Convexity of the Generalized Muirhead-Heronian Means

We give a unified generalization of the generalized Muirhead means and the generalized Heronian means involving three parameters. The Schur-convexity of the generalized Muirhead-Heronian means is investigated. Our main result implies the sufficient conditions of the Schur-convexity of the generalized Heronian means and the generalized Muirhead means

Effects of transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton on non-target mealybug pest Ferrisia virgata and its predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

Recently, several invasive mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) have rapidly spread to Asia and have become a serious threat to the production of cotton including transgenic cotton. Thus far, studies have mainly focused on the effects of mealybugs on non-transgenic cotton, without fully considering their effects on transgenic cotton and trophic interactions. Therefore, investigating the potential effects of mealybugs on transgenic cotton and their key natural enemies is vitally important. A first study on the effects of transgenic cotton on a non-target mealybug, Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) was performed by comparing its development, survival and body weight on transgenic cotton leaves expressing Cry1Ac (Bt toxin) + CpTI (Cowpea Trypsin Inhibitor) with those on its near-isogenic non-transgenic line. Furthermore, the development, survival, body weight, fecundity, adult longevity and feeding preference of the mealybug predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was assessed when fed F. virgata maintained on transgenic cotton. In order to investigate potential transfer of Cry1Ac and CpTI proteins via the food chain, protein levels in cotton leaves, mealybugs and ladybirds were quantified. Experimental results showed that F. virgata could infest this bivalent transgenic cotton. No significant differences were observed in the physiological parameters of the predator C. montrouzieri offered F. virgata reared on transgenic cotton or its near-isogenic line. Cry1Ac and CpTI proteins were detected in transgenic cotton leaves, but no detectable levels of both proteins were present in the mealybug or its predator when reared on transgenic cotton leaves. Our bioassays indicated that transgenic cotton poses a negligible risk to the predatory coccinellid C. montrouzieri via its prey, the mealybug F.virgata

Study on the medical insurance inpatient payment scope

目的  随着医保支付从按项目为主向多种预付制支付方式转变，对补偿范围的划定也必将从基于项目的“目录”向适应支付改革的方向发展。本研究以疾病诊断相关分组（Diagnosis Related Groups，DRG）为基础就住院补偿范围及报销比例的测算进行研究。方法  采集2011—2014年北京市新型农村合作医疗短期住院（住院天数＜60天）病案首页数据，利用DRG工具进行统计分析，结合专家咨询，最终确定短期住院疾病补偿范围，并依新农合筹资额模拟测算补偿比。 结果  可供研究的病例共计638,191份，可覆盖26个MDC、 697个DRG组。将住院费用和出院人次两个维度下最大限度重合的DRG组作为初步纳入住院补偿范畴的重点，按照临床必要性、合理性和成本效益性遴选原则征求临床专家意见。最终确定应纳入短期住院基本补偿范围的共计664个病组；将费用较低，住院时间短，药占比高，多为内科治疗的13个DRG组划至门诊补偿范围；将花费较高，症状严重，治疗难度大的8个DRG组纳入大病补偿范围, 将不适用DRG付费的病种和无关生命健康、非基本医疗必要的12个DRG组剔除出补偿范围。采用2014年数据进行模拟计算，实际住院补偿比例为48.69%。 结论  以DRG分组为基础的住院补偿范围及报销比例测算是适应医保支付改革的一种新思路，既可以使医保基金支出便于掌控，也使更多的患者得到合理补偿。在具备DRG支付基础的地区均可以采用此类方法确定住院疾病补偿范围，并可随医保筹资额的增减动态测算补偿比例变化。Objective: As the emerging of medical insurance payment reform, the payment scope will  turn form the "catalog" of drugs, treatments and facilities to whole payment upon disease or disease groups. In this paper, the rational reimbursement scope and rate  for NRCMS are studied via Diagnosis Related Groups(DRG) tools. Methods: Information of the first page of medical records for short-term hospitalized patients (length of stay< 60 days) enrolled in NCMS in Beijing was collected, and was analyzed based on the DRG tools. Together with the information collected through interviewing key informants and scholars in medical insurance studies, this study was able to put a recommended frame to the disease groups that should be covered by NCMS for short-term hospitalization, and to project the simulating reimbursement rate based on our recommended frame. Results: A final number of 638,191 medical cases entered final analyses, covering 26 MDC and 697 DRG. At the first step of drawing our recommended disease frame covered by NCMS, we use expenditure and discharge volume as criteria. At the second step, the frame was revised according to comments from experts in clinical medicine, based on the inclusion criteria that include clinical value and essentiality, rationality as well as cost-effectiveness. 664 groups of DRG were included in the final recommended frame for short-term hospitalization reimbursement. Among the excluded 34 groups, 13 groups that have low cost, relatively short length of stay, high medicine cost and are mainly internal diseases were categorized into the sector as "outpatient service insurance"; 8 groups that have high cost, severe syndromes and difficult treatment plans were categorized into the sector as “severe disease insurance”; 12 groups that are much less vital and out of basic healthcare were excluded out of the insurance sector. Based on the NCMS data in 2014, we ran a simulation analysis and calculated out the actual reimbursement rate for short-term hospitalization was 48.69%. Conclusion: This study provided an innovative sight into the researches on hospitalization reimbursement rate under NCMS. It analyzed the health data by DRG that is good for not only making the use of NCMS fund more controllable, but also benefiting more NCMS users through rational reimbursement.  Where the medical insurance payment reform adopted, the methods in this paper are suitable for determine the scope of inpatient payment and calculate the reimbursement rate

Effect modification of environmental factors on influenza-associated mortality: a time-series study in two Chinese cities

Background: Environmental factors have been associated with transmission and survival of influenza viruses but no studies have ever explored the role of environmental factors on severity of influenza infection.Methods: We applied a Poisson regression model to the mortality data of two Chinese metropolitan cities located within the subtropical zone, to calculate the influenza associated excess mortality risks during the periods with different levels of temperature and humidity.Results: The results showed that high absolute humidity (measured by vapor pressure) was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with increased risks of all-cause and cardiorespiratory deaths, but not with increased risks of pneumonia and influenza deaths. The association between absolute humidity and mortality risks was found consistent among the two cities. An increasing pattern of influenza associated mortality risks was also found across the strata of low to high relative humidity, but the results were less consistent for temperature.Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for people with chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases to take extra caution against influenza during hot and humid days in the subtropics and tropics. © 2011 Yang et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.published_or_final_versio