Principal inpatient diagnostic cost group model for Medicare risk adjustment

The Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 required HCFA to implement health-status-based risk adjustment for Medicare capitation payments for managed care plans by January 1, 2000. In support of this mandate, HCFA has been collecting inpatient encounter data from health plans since 1997. These data include diagnoses and other information that can be used to identify chronic medical problems that contribute to higher costs, so that health plans can be paid more when they care for sicker patients. In this article, the authors describe the risk-adjustment model HCFA is implementing in the year 2000, known as the Principal Inpatient Diagnostic Cost Group (PIPDCG) model

Probing structural relaxation in complex fluids by critical fluctuations

Complex fluids, such as polymer solutions and blends, colloids and gels, are of growing interest in fundamental and applied soft-condensed-matter science. A common feature of all such systems is the presence of a mesoscopic structural length scale intermediate between atomic and macroscopic scales. This mesoscopic structure of complex fluids is often fragile and sensitive to external perturbations. Complex fluids are frequently viscoelastic (showing a combination of viscous and elastic behaviour) with their dynamic response depending on the time and length scales. Recently, non-invasive methods to infer the rheological response of complex fluids have gained popularity through the technique of microrheology, where the diffusion of probe spheres in a viscoelastic fluid is monitored with the aid of light scattering or microscopy. Here we propose an alternative to traditional microrheology that does not require doping of probe particles in the fluid (which can sometimes drastically alter the molecular environment). Instead, our proposed method makes use of the phenomenon of "avoided crossing" between modes associated with the structural relaxation and critical fluctuations that are spontaneously generated in the system.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

An integrated approach using M. truncatula to identify loci/genes controlling nutritional and physiological quality of legume seeds

An integrated approach using M. truncatula to identify loci/genes controlling nutritional and physiological quality of legume seeds

QTLs for oil yield components in an elite oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) cross

Increased modern farming of superior types of the oil palm, Elaeis guineensis Jacq., which has naturally efficient oil biosynthesis, has made it the world’s foremost edible oil crop. Breeding improvement is, however, circumscribed by time and costs associated with the tree’s long reproductive cycle, large size and 10–15 years of field testing. Marker-assisted breeding has considerable potential for improving this crop. Towards this, quantitative trait loci (QTL) linked to oil yield component traits were mapped in a high-yield population. In total, 164 QTLs associated with 21 oil yield component traits were discovered, with cumulative QTL effects increasing in tandem with the number of QTL markers and matching the QT+ alleles for each trait. The QTLs confirmed all traits to be polygenic, with many genes of individual small effects on independent loci, but epistatic interactions are not ruled out. Furthermore, several QTLs maybe pleiotropic as suggested by QTL clustering of inter-related traits on almost all linkage groups. Certain regions of the chromosomes seem richer in the genes affecting a particular yield component trait and likely encompass pleiotropic, epistatic and heterotic effects. A large proportion of the identified additive effects from QTLs may actually arise from genic interactions between loci. Comparisons with previous mapping studies show that most of the QTLs were for similar traits and shared similar marker intervals on the same linkage groups. Practical applications for such QTLs in marker-assisted breeding will require seeking them out in different genetic backgrounds and environments

The masterpieces of John Forbes Nash Jr.

In this set of notes I follow Nash’s four groundbreaking works on real algebraic manifolds, on isometric embeddings of Riemannian manifolds and on the continuity of solutions to parabolic equations. My aim has been to stay as close as possible to Nash’s original arguments, but at the same time present them with a more modern language and notation. Occasionally I have also provided detailed proofs of the points that Nash leaves to the reader

NEDD9 Is a Positive Regulator of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Promotes Invasion in Aggressive Breast Cancer

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in many biological processes. The latest studies revealed that aggressive breast cancer, especially the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype was frequently associated with apparent EMT, but the mechanisms are still unclear. NEDD9/HEF1/Cas-L is a member of the Cas protein family and was identified as a metastasis marker in multiple cancer types. In this study, we wished to discern the role of NEDD9 in breast cancer progression and to investigate the molecular mechanism by which NEDD9 regulates EMT and promotes invasion in triple-negative breast cancer. We showed that expression of NEDD9 was frequently upregulated in TNBC cell lines, and in aggressive breast tumors, especially in TNBC subtype. Knockdown of endogenous NEDD9 reduced the migration, invasion and proliferation of TNBC cells. Moreover, ectopic overexpression of NEDD9 in mammary epithelial cells led to a string of events including the trigger of EMT, activation of ERK signaling, increase of several EMT-inducing transcription factors and promotion of their interactions with the E-cadherin promoter. Data presented in this report contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms by which NEDD9 promotes EMT, and provide useful clues to the evaluation of the potential of NEDD9 as a responsive molecular target for TNBC chemotherapy

Quantum dot loaded immunomicelles for tumor imaging

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Optical imaging is a promising method for the detection of tumors in animals, with speed and minimal invasiveness. We have previously developed a lipid coated quantum dot system that doubles the fluorescence of PEG-grafted quantum dots at half the dose. Here, we describe a tumor-targeted near infrared imaging agent composed of cancer-specific monoclonal anti-nucleosome antibody 2C5, coupled to quantum dot (QD)-containing polymeric micelles, prepared from a polyethylene glycol/phosphatidylethanolamine (PEG-PE) conjugate. Its production is simple and involves no special equipment. Its imaging potential is great since the fluorescence intensity in the tumor is twofold that of non-targeted QD-loaded PEG-PE micelles at one hour after injection.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Para-nitrophenol-containing (5%) PEG-PE quantum dot micelles were produced by the thin layer method. Following hydration, 2C5 antibody was attached to the PEG-PE micelles and the QD-micelles were purified using dialysis. 4T1 breast tumors were inoculated subcutaneously in the flank of the animals. A lung pseudometastatic B16F10 melanoma model was developed using tail vein injection. The contrast agents were injected via the tail vein and mice were depilated, anesthetized and imaged on a Kodak Image Station. Images were taken at one, two, and four hours and analyzed using a methodology that produces normalized signal-to-noise data. This allowed for the comparison between different subjects and time points. For the pseudometastatic model, lungs were removed and imaged <it>ex vivo </it>at one and twenty four hours.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The contrast agent signal intensity at the tumor was double that of the passively targeted QD-micelles with equally fast and sharply contrasted images. With the side views of the animals only tumor is visible, while in the dorsal view internal organs including liver and kidney are visible. <it>Ex vivo </it>results demonstrated that the agent detects melanoma nodes in a lung pseudometastatic model after a 24 hours wash-out period, while at one hour, only a uniform signal is detected.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The targeted agent produces ultrabright tumor images and double the fluorescence intensity, as rapidly and at the same low dose as the passively targeted agents. It represents a development that may potentially serve to enhance early detection for metastases.</p