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In March 2019 the HADES experiment recorded 14 billion Ag+Ag collisions at √sNN = 2.55 GeV as a part of the FAIR phase-0 physics program. In this contribution, we present and investigate our capabilities to reconstruct and analyze weakly decaying strange hadrons and hypernuclei emerging from these collisions. The focus is put on measuring the mean lifetimes of these particles.

Analysis of neutron distribution was carried out for two elongated targets. The targets have cylindrical shape and are made of lead and carbon, respectively. The dimensions are approximately one meter in length and 19 cm in diameter. The targets were irradiated with 660 MeV proton beam at Phasotron accelerator at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. The total number of protons was 2.35(18)E15 for the experiment with carbon target and the total number of particles at the second experiment was 2.32(19)E15. The produced neutron field was monitored by cobalt threshold activation detectors at various positions. The activation detectors were measured by means of gamma spectroscopy using HPGe detectors. Reaction rates of different radionuclides produced in the activation detectors were determined and the results from both experiments were compared. The ratios were calculated for 7 reactions produced in cobalt detectors. The ratio of the reaction rates shows that the number of residual nuclei with higher threshold energies is higher for experiment with carbon target than for the experiment with the lead target.

Persons who contract COVID-19 are at risk of developing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). The objective of this study was to describe the incidence of PASC in a pediatric Medicaid population. Using a retrospective cohort of children enrolled in New York State Medicaid Managed Care we compared incident diagnoses between children with a positive laboratory test for SARS-CoV-2 in 2021 to children without a positive test in 2021 and children with a viral respiratory diagnosis in 2019. Logistic regression models estimated adjusted odds ratios using the Cohen's d statistic to assess the strength of associations. Most unadjusted incidence of clinical outcomes were less than 1% for all cohorts. Relative to the 2021 comparison cohort, significant increases among SARS-CoV-2 cases were observed in sequela of infectious disease conditions, general signs and symptoms, and pericarditis and pericardial disease and for the 2019 comparison, sequela of infectious disease conditions and suicidal ideation. However, associations were mostly determined to be weak or marginal. In this low socioeconomic status pediatric population, incidence of new clinical sequelae was low with mostly weak or marginal increases associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Though the incidence was low, some outcomes may be severe. Observed associations may have been impacted by pandemic behavior modification including social distancing policies., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Background: Women with early-stage ovarian cancer may be asymptomatic or present with nonspecific symptoms. We examined health care utilization prior to ovarian cancer diagnosis to assess whether women with higher utilization differed in their prognosis and outcomes compared to women with low utilization., Methods: Using Medicaid, Medicare, and New York State Cancer Registry data for ovarian cancer cases diagnosed in 2006-2015, we examined selected health care visits that occurred 1-6 months before ovarian cancer diagnosis. We used multivariable-adjusted logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for associations of sociodemographic factors with number of prediagnostic visits and number of visits with tumor characteristics, and Cox proportional hazards regression to examine differences in survival by number of visits., Results: Women with >5 vs 0 prediagnostic visits were statistically significantly less likely to be diagnosed with distant vs local stage disease (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.54-0.96), and women with 3-5 or >5 vs 0 prediagnostic visits had better overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80-0.96 and HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83-0.98, respectively). In stratified analyses, the association with improved survival was observed only among cases with regional or distant stage disease., Conclusions: Women with high health care utilization prior to ovarian cancer diagnosis may have better prognosis and survival, possibly because of earlier detection or better access to care throughout treatment. Women and their health care providers should not ignore symptoms potentially indicative of ovarian cancer and should be persistent in following up on symptoms that do not resolve., (© 2024 National Cancer Registrars Association.)

The New York State Medicaid Breast Cancer Selective Contracting policy was implemented in 2009 and mandates that Medicaid enrollees receive breast cancer surgery at high-volume hospital and ambulatory surgery facilities. This article evaluates the policy's impact on 8 access and quality of care measures prepolicy and postpolicy implementation. Linked New York State (NYS) Cancer Registry, Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System, and NYS Medicaid encounter and claim data were used to calculate measures. Interrupted time series analysis was conducted to estimate the change in measure rates prepolicy and postpolicy implementation. Findings indicate that the policy was successful in shifting surgeries from low- to high-volume facilities and that high-volume facilities outperformed low-volume facilities on several access and quality of care measures., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Women with early-stage ovarian cancer may be asymptomatic or present with nonspecific symptoms. We examined health care utilization prior to ovarian cancer diagnosis to assess whether women with higher utilization differed in their prognosis and outcomes compared to women with low utilization., Methods: Using Medicaid, Medicare, and New York State Cancer Registry data for ovarian cancer cases diagnosed in 2006-2015, we examined selected health care visits that occurred 1-6 months before ovarian cancer diagnosis. We used multivariable-adjusted logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for associations of sociodemographic factors with number of prediagnostic visits and number of visits with tumor characteristics, and Cox proportional hazards regression to examine differences in survival by number of visits., Results: Women with >5 vs 0 prediagnostic visits were statistically significantly less likely to be diagnosed with distant vs local stage disease (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.54-0.96), and women with 3-5 or >5 vs 0 prediagnostic visits had better overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80-0.96 and HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83-0.98, respectively). In stratified analyses, the association with improved survival was observed only among cases with regional or distant stage disease., Conclusions: Women with high health care utilization prior to ovarian cancer diagnosis may have better prognosis and survival, possibly because of earlier detection or better access to care throughout treatment. Women and their health care providers should not ignore symptoms potentially indicative of ovarian cancer and should be persistent in following up on symptoms that do not resolve.

Previous reports suggest that periodontal treatment is associated with improved health care outcomes and reduced costs. Using data from the New York State Medicaid program, rates of emergency department (ED) use and inpatient admissions (IPs), as well as costs for ED, IPs, pharmacy, and total health care, were studied to determine the association of preventive dental care to health care outcomes. Utilization of dental services in the first 2 y (July 2012-June 2014) was compared to health care outcomes in the final year (July 2014-June 2015). Costs and utilization for members who did not receive dental services (No Dental) were compared to those who received any dental care (Any Dental), any preventive dental care (PDC), PDC without an extraction and/or endodontic treatment (PDC without Ext/Endo), PDC with an Ext/Endo (PDC with Ext/Endo), or Ext/Endo without PDC (Ext/Endo without PDC). Propensity scores were used to adjust for potential confounders. After adjustment, ED rate ratios were significantly lower for PDC and PDC without Ext/Endo but higher for the Any Dental and Ext/Endo without PDC. IP ratios were lower for all treatment groups except Ext/Endo without PDC. ED costs differed little compared to the No Dental group except for Ext/Endo without PDC. For IPs, costs per member were significantly lower for all groups (-$262.91 [95% confidence interval (CI), -325.40 to -200.42] to -$379.82 [95% CI, -451.27 to -308.37]) except for Ext/Endo without PDC. For total health care costs, Ext/Endo without PDC had a significantly greater total health care cost ($530.50 [95% CI, 156.99-904.01]). Each additional PDC visit was associated with a 3% reduction in the relative risk for ED and 9% reduction for IPs. Costs also decreased for total health care (-$235.64 [95% CI, -299.95 to -171.33]) and IP (-$181.39 [95% CI, -208.73 to -154.05]). In conclusion, an association between PDC and improved health care outcomes was observed, with the opposite association for Ext/Endo without PDC.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate an ongoing initiative to improve colorectal cancer (CRC) screening uptake in the New York State (NYS) Medicaid managed care population., Methods: Patients aged 50 to 75 years who were not up to date with CRC screening and resided in 2 NYS regions were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 cohorts: no mailed reminder, mailed reminder, and mailed reminder + incentive (in the form of a $25 cash card). Screening prevalence and the costs of the intervention were summarized., Results: In total, 7123 individuals in the Adirondack Region and 10,943 in the Central Region (including the Syracuse metropolitan area) were included. Screening prevalence in the Adirondack Region was 7.2% in the mailed reminder + incentive cohort, 7.0% in the mailed reminder cohort, and 5.8% in the no mailed reminder cohort. In the Central Region, screening prevalence was 7.2% in the mailed reminder cohort, 6.9% in the mailed reminder + incentive cohort, and 6.5% in the no mailed reminder cohort. The cost of implementing interventions in the Central Region was approximately 53% lower than in the Adirondack Region., Conclusions: Screening uptake was low and did not differ significantly across the 2 regions or within the 3 cohorts. The incentive payment and mailed reminder did not appear to be effective in increasing CRC screening. The total cost of implementation was lower in the Central Region because of efficiencies generated from lessons learned during the first round of implementation in the Adirondack Region. More varied multicomponent interventions may be required to facilitate the completion of CRC screening among Medicaid beneficiaries., (© 2018 American Cancer Society.)

Racial disparities in asthma care persist in New York State's Medicaid Program. African Americans with asthma experience higher rates of emergency department visits and inpatient hospitalizations, coupled with lower rates of long-term control medication use compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Within this context, and with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York State Department of Health designed and implemented the Eliminating Disparities in Asthma Care (EDAC) Collaborative to improve the quality of asthma care delivered in 7 provider sites located in Central Brooklyn, New York. EDAC was a partnership of the New York State Medicaid and Asthma Control Programs, 6 New York City-based managed care plans, and community-based health care providers. Over the 5-year funding period, improvements in documented asthma severity diagnosis and control classification were observed. This article describes the EDAC approach, successes, and challenges.

Introduction: In 2010, national guidelines recommended that women with nonmetastatic, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer take adjuvant hormone therapy for 5 years. As results from randomized clinical trials became available, guidelines were revised in 2014 to recommend 10 years of therapy. Despite evidence of its efficacy, low initiation rates have been documented among women insured by New York State Medicaid. This article describes a coordinated quality improvement pilot conducted by a state department of health and Medicaid managed care plans to engage women in guideline-concordant adjuvant hormone therapy., Methods: Women enrolled in Medicaid managed care with nonmetastatic, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer and who had surgery from May 1, 2012, through November 30, 2012, were identified using linked Medicaid and Cancer Registry data. Adjuvant hormone therapy status was determined from Medicaid pharmacy data. Contact information for nonadherent women was supplied to health plan care managers who conducted outreach activities. Adjuvant hormone therapy status in the 6 months following outreach was evaluated., Results: In the 6 months postoutreach, 61% of women in the contacted group filled at least 1 prescription, compared with 52% in the noncontacted group. Among those with at least 1 filled prescription, 50% of the contacted group were adherent, compared with 25% in the noncontacted group., Conclusion: This pilot suggests outreach conducted by health plan care managers, facilitated by linked Medicaid and Cancer Registry data, is an effective method to improve adjuvant hormone therapy initiation and adherence rates in Medicaid managed care-insured women.

Purpose: This study examines variation in emergency department reliance (EDR) between rural and metro pediatric Medicaid patients in New York State for noninjury, nonpoisoning primary diagnoses and seeks to determine the relationship between receipt of preventive care and the likelihood of EDR., Methods: Rural/urban designations were based on Urban Influence Codes established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS(®)) well-visit measures were calculated using 2008 Medicaid claims and encounter data. Well-child numerator status and location of residence variables were then entered as independent variables in multivariate logistic regression models. Models controlled for the effects of Medicaid financing system (fee-for-service vs managed care), Medicaid aid type, race/ethnicity, gender, and 2008 clinical risk group category., Findings: The likelihood of EDR was higher in all age categories for rural compared to metro residing Medicaid children in New York State. Meeting HEDIS well-child criteria was protective against emergency department (ED) reliance in the adolescence age group (OR = 0.84)., Conclusion: ED reliance is associated with rural residence. Increased access to primary and specialty care in rural settings could help reduce EDR, particularly among rural adolescents., (© 2011 National Rural Health Association.)

The collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, released a substantial amount of respiratory irritants into the air. To assess the asthma status of Medicaid managed care enrollees who may have been exposed, the New York State Department of Health, Office of Managed Care, conducted a mail survey among enrollees residing in New York City. All enrollees, aged 5-56 with persistent asthma before September 11, 2001, were surveyed during summer 2002. Administrative health service utilization data from the Medicaid Encounter Data System were used to validate and supplement survey responses. A total of 3,664 enrollees responded. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed to examine factors associated with self-reported worsened asthma post September 11, 2001, and with emergency department/inpatient hospitalizations related to asthma from September 11, 2001, through December 31, 2001. Forty-five percent of survey respondents reported worsened asthma post 9/11. Respondents who reported worsened asthma were significantly more likely to have utilized health services for asthma than those who reported stable or improved asthma. Residence in both lower Manhattan (adjusted OR = 2.28) and Western Brooklyn (adjusted OR = 2.40) were associated with self-reported worsened asthma. However, only residents of Western Brooklyn had an elevated odds ratio for emergency department/inpatient hospitalizations with diagnoses of asthma post 9/11 (adjusted OR = 1.52). Worsened asthma was reported by a significant proportion of this low-income, largely minority population and was associated with the location of residence. Results from this study provide guidance to health care organizations in the development of plans to ensure the health of people with asthma during disaster situations.

Patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery have complex needs that require expert care and the coordination of a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals. In general, patients requiring this surgery are cared for in intensive care units. An innovative program at the University of Virginia, developed 11 years ago, enables these patients to be cared for on an acute care unit for the entirety of their hospitalization. The success of this program is evident in positive clinical and financial outcomes.

ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels modulated by sulfonylurea compounds have been previously identified in the anterior pituitary of the rat and have been demonstrated to influence GH release. Recently, a sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) has been cloned from an islet cell tumor and identified as a member of the ATP binding cassette superfamily capable to coupling with inwardly rectifying potassium channels. To determine if the same receptor is expressed in pituitary tumors, SUR mRNA levels were measured in 28 human macroadenoma specimens using an RNase protection assay. All immunonegative, corticotrophin (ACTH), growth hormone (GH), and GH/prolactin (GH/Prl) immunostaining tumors expressed detectable amounts of SUR message. Among these tumors, only the GH and GH/ Prl adenomas were functional. Of the tumors immunostaining for luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), or both, SUR mRNA was present in small amounts in 5/11. Only 1/3 Prl immunostaining tumors contained SUR mRNA. In summary, we have demonstrated that SUR mRNA expression is common in several types of silent pituitary adenomas and in functional tumors that secrete GH. Lower levels are seen in some gonadotrophin immunostaining tumors.