bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Thalidomide Plus Dexamethasone Compared With Dexamethasone As Initial Therapy for Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Rajkumar S. Vincent , Rosiñol Laura , Hussein Mohamad , Catalano John , Jedrzejczak Wieslaw , Lucy Lela , Olesnyckyj Marta , Yu Zhinuan , Knight Robert , Zeldis Jerome B. , Bladé Joan 
Published: March 2008

Purpose The long-term impact of thalidomide plus dexamethasone (thal/dex) as primary therapy for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) is unknown. The goal of this study was to compare thalidomide plus dexamethasone versus placebo plus dexamethasone (placebo/dex)as primary therapy for newly diagnosed MM. Patients and Methods In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, patients with untreated symptomatic MM were randomized to thal/dex (arm A) or to placebo plus dexamethasone (dex) (arm B). Patients in arm A received oral thalidomide 50 mg daily, escalated to 100 mg on day 15, and to 200 mg from day 1 of cycle 2 (28-day cycles). Oral dex 40 mg was administered on days 1 through 4, 9 through 12, and 17 through 20 during cycles 1 through 4 and on days 1 through 4 only from cycle 5 onwards. Patients in arm B received placebo and dex, administered as in arm A. The primary end point of the study was time to progression. This study is registered at http://ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT00057564 ). Results A total of 470 patients were enrolled (235 randomly assigned to thal/dex and 235 to placebo/dex). The overall response rate was significantly higher with thal/dex compared with placebo/dex (63% v 46%), P < .001. Time to progression (TTP) was significantly longer with thal/dex compared with placebo/dex (median, 22.6 v 6.5 months, P < .001). Grade 4 adverse events were more frequent with thal/dex than with placebo/dex (30.3% v 22.8%). Conclusion Thal/dex results in significantly higher response rates and significantly prolongs TTP compared with dexamethasone alone in patients with newly diagnosed MM.
Impact of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Alone on Expected Management of Patients With Cancer: Initial Results From the National Oncologic PET Registry
Authors: Hillner Bruce E. , Siegel Barry A. , Liu Dawei , Shields Anthony F. , Gareen Ilana F. , Hanna Lucy , Stine Sharon Hartson , Coleman R. Edward 
Published: March 2008

Purpose Under Medicare's Coverage with Evidence Development policy, positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) and PET became covered services for previously noncovered cancer indications if prospective registry data were collected. The National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR) was developed to meet these coverage requirements and to assess how PET affects care decisions. Methods The NOPR collected questionnaire data from referring physicians on intended patient management before and after PET. After 1 year, the cohort included data from 22,975 studies (83.7% PET/CT) from 1,178 centers. The numbers of scans performed for diagnosis of suspected cancer (or unknown primary cancer), initial cancer staging, restaging, and suspected cancer recurrence were approximately equal. Prostatic, pancreatic and ovarian cancers represented approximately 30% of cases. Results If PET data were not available, the most common pre-PET plan would have been other imaging. In these patients, the post-PET strategies changed to watching in 37% and treatment in 48%. In patients with planned biopsy before PET, biopsy was avoided in approximately 70%. If the pre-PET strategy was treatment, the post-PET strategy involved a major change in type in 8.7% and goal in 5.6%. When intended management was classified as either treatment or nontreatment, the post-PET plan was three-fold more likely to lead to treatment than nontreatment (28.3% v 8.2%; odds ratio = 3.4; 95% CI, 3.2 to 3.6). Overall, physicians changed their intended management in 36.5% (95% CI, 35.9 to 37.2) of cases after PET. Conclusion This large, prospective, nationally representative registry of elderly cancer patients found that physicians often change their intended management on the basis of PET scan results across the full spectrum of its potential uses.
Preparation of Poly(acrylamide) with Configurational Sequences by Photo Living Polymerization
Authors: Fang Bing , Zhao Zhengguo , Li Xinxin , Wu Pingping , Han Zhewen 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
Poly(acrylamide) (PAM) with configurational sequences was synthesized under ultraviolet (UV) catalyzed by Lewis acid (here yttrium salts) and in the presence of dibenzyl trithiocarbonate (DBTTC). DBTTC is selected as the photoinitiator and also the chain-transfer agent to achieve a living manner for the polymerization process. A series of PAMs with narrow molecular weight distributions and different configurational sequences have been prepared. The catalysis effects on configurational control of different contents of the yttrium salts have been studied.
Coumarin-coupled Receptor as a Membrane-permeable, Cu2+-selective Fluorescent Chemosensor for Imaging Copper(II) in HEPG-2 Cell
Authors: Wang Mao-Xiang , Huang Sheng-Hai , Meng Xiang-Ming , Zhu Man-Zhou , Guo Qing-Xiang 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
A novel fluorescent chemosensor 1 for imaging labile Cu2+ in living biological samples was designed and synthesized; it exhibits very strong fluorescence responses to Cu2+, and its LSM images strongly support the existence of Cu2+ in HEGP-2 cell
A Novel Synthetic Route to Poly(crown ether) through Rotaxanation–Protection Protocol
Authors: Bilig Tuya , Koyama Yasuhito , Takata Toshikazu 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
Poly(crown ether) containing dibenzo-24-crown-8-ether moieties in the main chain was prepared by exploiting a rotaxanation–protection protocol, i.e., stepwise elaboration via the polymerization of cavity-filled [2]rotaxane and subsequent removal of the axle moiety.
Heterocycles based on the chemistry of alkylidenecyclopropanes and (aza)-cyclopropenes
Authors: Ma Shengming 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
Alkylidenecyclopropyl, cyclopropenyl, or azacyclocyclopropenyl ketones or carboxylates have been demonstrated to be versatile starting materials for the synthesis of oxygen- and/or nitrogen-containing heterocycles. The reactivities and regioselectivities may be nicely controlled by subtle choice of the catalysts and reaction condition parameters.
Quantitative Doppler-Echocardiographic Determination of Regurgitant Volume in Patients with Aortic Insufficiency
Authors: Schoenhagen Paul , Drude Ludwig , Klein Hermann H , Garcia Mario J 
Published: March 2008

Background:
The severity of aortic regurgitation (AR) can be determined by invasive or echocardiographic methods. We systematically compared quantitative invasive and echocardiographic data with semiquantitative invasive grades in a prospective series of patients.

Methods:
Using Doppler-echocardiography we determined the cardiac output over the aortic, pulmonary and mitral valve in 27 patients (20 with, 7 without AR). Aortic regurgitant volume was calculated as the difference between the cardiac output over aortic and pulmonary valve/ mitral valve. During angiography the severity of AR was assessed semiquantitatively by aortography and the regurgitant volume was calculated invasively as the difference between the left- and right ventricular cardiac output.

Results:
The echocardiographically and invasively determined regurgitant blood volume correlated closely (R≈0.8). The regurgitant volume increased with higher angiographic grade but there was significant overlap between adjoining qualitative grades.

Conclusion:
In patients with AR, quantitative echocardiographic and angiographic measurements of the regurgitant volume correlate closely.
The Complexity of Propositional Proofs
Authors: Segerlind Nathan 
Published: March 2008

AbstractPropositional proof complexity is the study of the sizes of propositional proofs, and more generally, the resources necessary to certify propositional tautologies. Questions about proof sizes have connections with computational complexity, theories of arithmetic, and satisfiability algorithms. This is article includes a broad survey of the field, and a technical exposition of some recently developed techniques for proving lower bounds on proof sizes.
Maximal chains in the Turing degrees
Authors: Chong C. T. , Yu Liang 
Published: March 2008

AbstractWe study the problem of existence of maximal chains in the Turing degrees. We show that:1. ZF + DC + “There exists no maximal chain in the Turing degrees” is equiconsistent with ZFC + “There exists an inaccessible cardinal”2. For all a ∈ 2ω, (ω1)L[a] = ω1 if and only if there exists a [a] maximal chain in the Turing degrees. As a corollary, ZFC + “There exists an inaccessible cardinal” is equiconsistent with ZFC + “There is no (bold face) maximal chain of Turing degrees”.
There may be infinitely many near-coherence classes underu< ∂
Authors: Mildenberger Heike 
Published: March 2008

AbstractWe show that in the models ofu< ∂ from [14] there are infinitely many near-coherence classes of ultrafilters, thus answering Banakh's and Blass' Question 30 of [3] negatively. By an unpublished result of Canjar, there are at least two classes in these models.
Survey-Reported Coverage in 2019-2022 and Implications for Unwinding Medicaid Continuous Eligibility
Authors: McIntyre Adrianna , Smith Rebecca B. , Sommers Benjamin D. 
Published: April 2024

ImportancePolicy changes and the COVID-19 pandemic affected health coverage rates, and the “unwinding” of Medicaid’s continuous coverage provision in 2023 and 2024 may cause widespread coverage loss. Recent coverage patterns in national survey and administrative data can inform these issues.ObjectiveTo assess national and state changes in survey-based Medicaid, private insurance, and uninsured rates between 2019 and 2022, as well as how these changes compare with administrative Medicaid enrollment totals.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cross-sectional study analyzes nationally representative survey data for all US residents in the American Community Survey (ACS) from 2019 to 2022 compared with administrative data on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program from the Centers for Medicare &amp;amp; Medicaid Services (CMS). Data analysis was conducted between June 2023 and January 2024.ExposuresThe COVID-19 pandemic, the Medicaid continuous coverage provision, and policy efforts to increase Marketplace coverage.Main Outcomes and MeasuresMedicaid coverage (self-reported [ACS] and administratively recorded [CMS]), survey-reported uninsured, Medicare, and private insurance status.ResultsA nationally representative sample consisted of 12 506 584 US residents of all ages (survey-weighted 59.7% aged 19-64 years and 50.6% female). CMS statistics showed an increase in Medicaid coverage of 5.2 percentage points as a share of the population from 2019 to 2022. However, changes in the uninsured rate and survey-reported Medicaid were smaller: −1.2 (95% CI, −1.3 to −1.2) percentage points and 1.3 (95% CI, 1.2-1.4) percentage points, respectively. There was a 3.9 percentage point increase in the ACS’s “undercount” of Medicaid enrollment, compared with CMS data, from 2019 to 2022. This undercount was larger among children than adults but smaller in states that recently expanded Medicaid. Rates of additional forms of coverage (such as private insurance) among those in Medicaid also grew during this time.Conclusion and RelevanceIn this cross-sectional study, the uninsured rate declined considerably from 2019 to 2022 but was just one-fourth as large as the growth in administrative Medicaid enrollment under the pandemic continuous coverage provision. Survey-based Medicaid growth was far smaller than administrative growth. This suggests that many people who remained enrolled in Medicaid during the pandemic did not realize that their coverage had continued. These findings have implications for projecting uninsured changes during unwinding, as well as the effect of continuous coverage policies on continuity of care.
Drug Shortages Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Callaway Kim Katherine , Rothenberger Scott D. , Tadrous Mina , Hernandez Inmaculada , Gellad Walid F. , Devine Joshua W. , Hershey Tina B. , Maillart Lisa M. , Suda Katie J. 
Published: April 2024

ImportanceDrug shortages are a chronic and worsening issue that compromises patient safety. Despite the destabilizing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmaceutical production, it remains unclear whether issues affecting the drug supply chain were more likely to result in meaningful shortages during the pandemic.ObjectiveTo estimate the proportion of supply chain issue reports associated with drug shortages overall and with the COVID-19 pandemic.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis longitudinal cross-sectional study used data from the IQVIA Multinational Integrated Data Analysis database, comprising more than 85% of drug purchases by US pharmacies from wholesalers and manufacturers, from 2017 to 2021. Data were analyzed from January to May 2023.ExposurePresence of a supply chain issue report to the US Food and Drug Administration or the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP).Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe main outcome was drug shortage, defined as at least 33% decrease in units purchased within 6 months of a supply chain issue report. Random-effects logistic regression models compared the marginal odds of shortages for drugs with vs without reports. Interaction terms assessed heterogeneity prior to vs during the COVID-19 pandemic and by drug characteristics (formulation, age, essential medicine status, clinician- vs self-administered, sales volume, and number of manufacturers).ResultsA total of 571 drugs exposed to 731 supply chain issue reports were matched to 7296 comparison medications with no reports. After adjusting for drug characteristics, 13.7% (95% CI, 10.4%-17.8%) of supply chain issue reports were associated with subsequent drug shortages vs 4.1% (95% CI, 3.6%-4.8%) of comparators (marginal odds ratio [mOR], 3.7 [95% CI, 2.6-5.1]). Shortages increased among both drugs with and without reports in February to April 2020 (34.2% of drugs with supply chain issue reports and 9.5% of comparison drugs; mOR, 4.9 [95% CI, 2.1-11.6]), and then decreased after May 2020 (9.8% of drugs with reports and 3.6% of comparison drugs; mOR, 2.9 [95% CI, 1.6-5.3]). Significant associations were identified by formulation (parenteral mOR, 1.9 [95% CI, 1.1-3.2] vs oral mOR, 5.4 [95% CI, 3.3-8.8]; P for interaction = .008), WHO essential medicine status (essential mOR, 2.2 [95% CI, 1.3-5.2] vs nonessential mOR, 4.6 [95% CI, 3.2-6.7]; P = .02), and for brand-name vs generic status (brand-name mOR, 8.1 [95% CI, 4.0-16.0] vs generic mOR, 2.4 [95% CI, 1.7-3.6]; P = .002).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this national cross-sectional study, supply chain issues associated with drug shortages increased at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ongoing policy work is needed to protect US drug supplies from future shocks and to prioritize clinically valuable drugs at greatest shortage risk.
Common Seasonal Pathogens and Epidemiology of Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Among Children
Authors: Felix Arthur , Assad Zein , Bidet Philippe , Caseris Marion , Dumaine Cécile , Faye Albert , Melki Isabelle , Kaguelidou Florentia , Valtuille Zaba , Ouldali Naïm , Meinzer Ulrich 
Published: April 2024

ImportanceHenoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is the most common type of vasculitis in children. The factors that trigger the disease are poorly understood. Although several viruses and seasonal bacterial infections have been associated with HSP, differentiating the specific associations of these pathogens with the onset of HSP remains a challenge due to their overlapping seasonal patterns.ObjectiveTo analyze the role of seasonal pathogens in the epidemiology of HSP.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study comprised an interrupted time-series analysis of patient records from a comprehensive national hospital-based surveillance system. Children younger than 18 years hospitalized for HSP in France between January 1, 2015, and March 31, 2023, were included.ExposureImplementation and relaxation of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) for the COVID-19 pandemic, such as social distancing and mask wearing.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe main outcomes were the monthly incidence of HSP per 100 000 children, analyzed via a quasi-Poisson regression model, and the estimated percentage of HSP incidence potentially associated with 14 selected common seasonal pathogens over the same period.ResultsThe study included 9790 children with HSP (median age, 5 years [IQR, 4-8 years]; 5538 boys [56.4%]) and 757 110 children with the infectious diseases included in the study (median age, 0.7 years [IQR, 0.2-2 years]; 393 697 boys [52.0%]). The incidence of HSP decreased significantly after implementation of NPIs in March 2020 (−53.6%; 95% CI, −66.6% to −40.6%; P &amp;lt; .001) and increased significantly after the relaxation of NPIs in April 2021 (37.2%; 95% CI, 28.0%-46.3%; P &amp;lt; .001). The percentage of HSP incidence potentially associated with Streptococcus pneumoniae was 37.3% (95% CI, 22.3%-52.3%; P &amp;lt; .001), the percentage of cases associated with Streptococcus pyogenes was 25.6% (95% CI, 16.7%-34.4%; P &amp;lt; .001), and the percentage of cases associated with human rhino enterovirus was 17.1% (95% CI, 3.8%-30.4%; P = .01). Three sensitivity analyses found similar results.Conclusions and RelevanceThis study found that significant changes in the incidence of HSP simultaneously with major shifts in circulating pathogens after NPIs for the COVID-19 pandemic indicated that approximately 60% of HSP incidence was potentially associated with pneumococcus and group A streptococcus. This finding suggests that preventive measures against these pathogens could reduce the incidence of pediatric HSP.
Dosimetric validation of intensity‐modulated bolus electron conformal therapy planning and delivery using an anthropomorphic cylindrical head phantom
Authors: McGuffey Andrew S. , Pitcher Garrett M. , Erhart Kevin J. , Hogstrom Kenneth R. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractPurposeThis work investigated the dosimetric accuracy of the intensity‐modulated bolus electron conformal therapy (IM‐BECT) planning and delivery process using the decimal ElectronRT (eRT) treatment planning system.MethodsAn IM‐BECT treatment plan was designed using eRT for a cylindrical, anthropomorphic retromolar trigone phantom. Treatment planning involved specification of beam parameters and design of a variable thickness wax bolus and Passive Radiotherapy Intensity Modulator for Electrons (PRIME) device, which was comprised of 33 tungsten island blocks of discrete diameters from 0.158 to 0.223 cm (Intensity Reduction Factors from 0.937 to 0.875, respectively) inside a 10.1 × 6.7 cm2 copper cutout. For comparison of calculation accuracy, a BECT plan was generated by copying the IM‐BECT plan and removing the intensity modulation. For both plans, a 16 MeV electron beam was used with 104.7 cm source‐to‐surface distance to bolus. In‐phantom TLD‐100 measurements (N = 47) were compared with both eRT planned dose distributions, which used the pencil beam redefinition algorithm with modifications for passive electron intensity modulation (IM‐PBRA). Dose difference and distance to agreement (DTA) metrics were computed for each measurement point.ResultsComparison of measured dose distributions with planned dose distributions yielded dose differences (calculated minus measured) characterized by a mean and standard deviation of −0.36% ± 1.64% for the IM‐BECT plan, which was similar to −0.36% ± 1.90% for the BECT plan. All dose measurements were within 5% of the planned dose distribution, with both the BECT and IM‐BECT measurement sets having 46/47 (97.8%) points within 3% or within 3 mm of the respective treatment plans.ConclusionsIt was found that the IM‐BECT treatment plan generated using eRT was sufficiently accurate for clinical use when compared to TLD measurements in a cylindrical, anthropomorphic phantom, and was similarly accurate to the BECT treatment plan in the same phantom.
Reversible Colossal Barocaloric Effect of a New FeII Molecular Complex with Low Hysteretic Spin Crossover Behavior
Authors: Seredyuk Maksym , Li Ruixin , Znovjyak Kateryna , Zhang Zhe , Valverde‐Muñoz Francisco Javier , Li Bing , Muñoz M. Carmen , Li Quanjin , Liu Bingbing , Levchenko Georgiy , Real José Antonio 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBarocaloric cooling, that is, lowering the temperature of a material under pressure action, is an attractive solid‐state effect that can potentially compete with volatile gas‐based cooling. To observe the barocaloric effect (BCE), it is necessary for materials to have high‐entropy, low‐hysteretic phase transitions with a large volume change between phases. Here details on a new FeII complex [Fe(L)(NCS)2], L = N1,N3‐bis((1‐propyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)methylene)‐2,2‐dimethylpropane‐1,3‐diamine) possessing spin crossover (SCO) behavior near room temperature with large entropy and volume change are reported, which provides high sensitivity to external pressure. The observed BCE effect, characterized using variable pressure calorimetry, powder X‐ray diffraction, UV–vis, IR, and Raman spectroscopy, shows a colossal isothermal entropy change of >100 J kg−1 K−1 and a reversible adiabatic temperature change of ≈16 K at a pressure of 1 kbar, demonstrating a high refrigerant efficiency compared to other solid‐state materials. These results stimulate further investigations of SCO materials as barocaloric refrigerants, which depend on the proper design of their constituent organic ligands.
Constructing Coated Grain Nanocomposites and Intracrystalline Precipitates to Simultaneously Improve the Thermoelectric and Mechanical Properties of SnTe by MgB2 and Sb Co‐Doping
Authors: Yang Houjiang , Wu Luoqi , Feng Xiaobin , Huang Xiege , Wang Hongtao , Duan Bo , Li Guodong , Zhai Pengcheng , Zhang Qingjie 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThermoelectric materials should be highly efficient and mechanically robust to satisfy the requirements of engineering applications. Herein, an integrated optimization strategy to improve both the thermoelectric performance and mechanical strength of SnTe is proposed. First, grain boundary engineering is applied to SnTe via MgB2 doping. The decomposition of MgB2 results in the Mg‐substituted SnTe solid solution and a special “core–shell” structure of Mg‐B compounds coated SnTe grain remarkably reducing the lattice thermal conductivity. Subsequently, trivalent Sb atoms are introduced to tune the carrier concentration and optimize the electrical performance of the MgB2‐doped sample. Sb‐rich Sn‐Te precipitates inside the grains further diminish the lattice's thermal conductivity. Consequently, a prominent improvement in average ZT of ≈117% is achieved for Sn0.78Sb0.16Te(MgB2)0.09 compared to pristine Sn1.03Te. Moreover, the compressive yield strength and Vickers hardness of Sn0.78Sb0.16Te(MgB2)0.09 are significantly increased by ≈168% and 176% relative to pristine Sn1.03Te, respectively. The quantitative strengthening models including grain boundary, dislocation, solid solution, intergranular, and precipitation strengthening in MgB2‐ and MgB2‐Sb‐doped Sn1.03Te samples are proposed, showing that the dominant strengthening mechanism is precipitation strengthening. This work provides an avenue for designing efficient and robust thermoelectric materials toward commercial application.