Novel Approach Using Administrative Claims to Evaluate Trends in Oncology Multigene Panel Testing for Patients Enrolled in Medicare Advantage Health Plans.

Purpose: To develop an approach to identify and evaluate recent use of multigene panel testing over time.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective database analysis using medical and pharmacy claims data. Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan members diagnosed with select malignant solid tumors were identified.

The utility of genetic counseling prior to offering first trimester screening options.

In order to evaluate the utility of genetic counseling at the time of first trimester screening in patients with no previously identified genetic concerns, we reviewed family history data for 700 women seen for genetic counseling in Utah during 2005-2006. The mean maternal age was 35 years (Range: 16-47 years). The majority of patients seen were non-Jewish Caucasians (90.

Identification and characterization of a Drosophila melanogaster ortholog of human beta1,4-galactosyltransferase VII.

Drosophila melanogaster is widely considered to be an attractive model organism for studying the functions of the carbohydrate moieties of glycoconjugates produced by higher eukaryotes. However, the pathways of glycoconjugate biosynthesis are not as well defined in insects as they are in higher eukaryotes. One way to address this problem is to identify genes in the Drosophila genome that might encode relevant functions, express them, and determine the functions of the gene products by direct biochemical assays.