A Patient-Centered Transitional Care Case Management Program: Taking Case Management to the Streets and Beyond.

Background: In 2011, the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) in Richmond, VA, had a cumulative readmission rate and emergency department (ED) revisits for discharged Veterans of 1 in 5. In 2012, a transitional care program (TCP) was implemented to improve care coordination and outcomes among Veterans, with an emphasis on geriatric patients with chronic disease. This TCP was created with an interdisciplinary approach using intensive case management interventions, with a goal of reducing Veteran ED and hospital revisits by 30%.

Development of SRM 2907 trace terrorist explosives simulants for the detection of Semtex and triacetone triperoxide.

Effective and accurate detection of trace explosives is crucial in the effort to thwart terrorist explosives attacks. A National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard reference material (SRM) has been developed for the evaluation of trace explosives detectors that sample by collection of residue particles using swiping or air filtration. SRM 2907 Trace Terrorist Explosives Simulants consists of two materials individually simulating the residues of the plastic explosive Semtex [for pentaerytritol tetranitrate (PETN)] and the improvised explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP).

Characterization of a suite of ginkgo-containing standard reference materials.

A suite of three ginkgo-containing dietary supplement Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) has been issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with certified values for flavonoid aglycones, ginkgolides, bilobalide, and selected toxic trace elements. The materials represent a range of matrices (i.e.

Methods to Characterize Ricin for the Development of Reference Materials.

Ricin is an abundant protein from the castor bean plant Ricinus communis. Because of its high toxicity and the simplicity of producing mass quantities, ricin is considered a biological terrorism agent. We have characterized ricin extensively with a view to develop Reference Materials that could be used to test and calibrate detection devices.

Comparison of the complete mtDNA genome sequences of human cell lines--HL-60 and GM10742A--from individuals with pro-myelocytic leukemia and leber hereditary optic neuropathy, respectively, and the inclusion of HL-60 in the NIST human mitochondrial DNA standard reference material--SRM 2392-I.

Forensic and clinical laboratories benefit from DNA standard reference materials (SRMs) that provide the quality control and assurance that their results from sequencing unknown samples are correct. Therefore, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome of HL-60, a promyelocytic leukemia cell line, has been completely sequenced by four laboratories and will be available to the forensic and medical communities in the spring of 2003; it will be called National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SRM 2392-I. NIST human mtDNA SRM 2392 will continue to be available and includes the DNA from two apparently healthy individuals.

A Standard Reference Material to determine the sensitivity of techniques for detecting low-frequency mutations, SNPs, and heteroplasmies in mitochondrial DNA.

Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations are important for forensic identifications and mitochondrial disease diagnostics. Low-frequency mutations, heteroplasmies, or SNPs scattered throughout the DNA in the presence of a majority of mtDNA with the Cambridge Reference Sequence (CRS) are almost impossible to detect. Therefore, the National Institute of Science and Technology has developed heteroplasmic human mtDNA Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2394 to allow scientists to determine their sensitivity in detecting such differences.

Design and use of a peptide nucleic acid for detection of the heteroplasmic low-frequency mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) mutation in human mitochondrial DNA.

Background: Most pathogenic human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations are heteroplasmic (i.e., mutant and wild-type mtDNA coexist in the same individual) and are difficult to detect when their concentration is a small proportion of that of wild-type mtDNA molecules.