Validity assessment of Michigan's proposed qPCR threshold value for rapid water-quality monitoring of E. coli contamination.

Michigan's water-quality standards specify that E. coli concentrations at bathing beaches must not exceed 300 E. coli per 100 mL, as determined by the geometric mean of culture-based concentrations in three or more representative samples from a given beach on a given day.

Interlaboratory performance and quantitative PCR data acceptance metrics for NIST SRM® 2917.

Surface water quality quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technologies are expanding from a subject of research to routine environmental and public health laboratory testing. Readily available, reliable reference material is needed to interpret qPCR measurements, particularly across laboratories. Standard Reference Material® 2917 (NIST SRM® 2917) is a DNA plasmid construct that functions with multiple water quality qPCR assays allowing for estimation of total fecal pollution and identification of key fecal sources.

A comparison of E. coli concentration estimates quantified by the EPA and a Michigan laboratory network using EPA Draft Method C.

We evaluated data from 10 laboratories that analyzed water samples from 82 recreational water sites across the state of Michigan between 2016 and 2018. Water sample replicates were analyzed by experienced U.S.

Simplified Analysis of Measurement Data from A Rapid qPCR Method (EPA Draft Method C) Using A Standardized Excel Workbook.

Draft method C is a standardized method for quantifying densities in recreational waters using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The method includes a Microsoft Excel workbook that automatically screens for poor-quality data using a set of previously proposed acceptance criteria, generates weighted linear regression (WLR) composite standard curves, and calculates target gene copies in test samples. We compared standard curve parameter values and test sample results calculated with the WLR model to those from a Bayesian master standard curve (MSC) model using data from a previous multi-lab study.

Impact of state medicaid expansion status on length of stay and in-hospital mortality for general medicine patients at US academic medical centers.

Background: Medicaid is often associated with longer hospitalizations and higher in-hospital mortality than other insurance types.

Objective: To characterize the impact of state Medicaid expansion status under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on payer mix, length of stay (LOS), and in-hospital mortality.

Design/setting/patients: Retrospective cohort study of general medicine patients discharged from academic medical centers (AMCs) within the University HealthSystem Consortium from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2015.

Adequacy of core needle biopsy specimens and fine-needle aspirates for molecular testing of lung adenocarcinomas.

Objectives: Molecular testing of lung adenocarcinomas for epidermal growth factor (EGFR) mutations and an anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocation is important to guide directed therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The goal of this study was to determine whether transthoracic computed tomography-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy specimens were equally suitable for molecular testing.

Methods: We determined the percentage of 52 CNB and 120 FNA specimens that contained sufficient paraffin-embedded tumor tissue for EGFR, KRAS, and ALK testing over a period of 2 years.