A Neural Network Approach to Muon Triggering in ATLAS

The extremely high rate of events that will be produced in the future Large Hadron Collider requires the triggering mechanism to make precise decisions in a few nano-seconds. This poses a complicated inverse problem, arising from the inhomogeneous nature of the magnetic fields in ATLAS. This thesis presents a study of an application of Artificial Neural Networks to the muon triggering problem in the ATLAS end-cap. A comparison with realistic results from the ATLAS first level trigger simulation was in favour of the neural network, but this is mainly due to superior resolution available off-line. Other options for applying a neural network to this problem are discussed

Bidirectional Associations Between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Depression: a Nationwide Longitudinal Study

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and depression may be associated with each other pathophysiologically, but few studies have been conducted on the interplay between these two diseases using longitudinal measurement. Therefore, we used the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to investigate the bidirectional associations between RA and depression. One cohort was included to analyze RA predicting the onset of depression and a second cohort for analysis of depression predicting RA. A sex- and age-matched control group was included for both. The incidence of depression in RA subjects was higher than in non-RA subjects [15.69 vs. 8.95 per 1,000 person-years (PYs)], with an adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.69 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.51–1.87]. The incidence of RA was higher in depressed than non-depressed individuals (2.07 vs. 1.21 per 1,000 PYs), with an adjusted HRs of 1.65 (95%CI, 1.41–1.77). This population-based cohort study suggested strong bidirectional relationships between RA and depression. Healthcare providers are recommended to facilitate the implementation of more effective therapeutic interventions to achieve favorable prognosis, especially for those with new-onset or younger cases

Increased risk of depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a seven-year population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a costly and crippling autoimmune disease that can lead to the development of depression, contributing to suboptimal clinical outcomes. However, no longitudinal studies have identified an association between rheumatoid arthritis and subsequent depression. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of depression among RA patients in Taiwan. METHODS: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 3,698 newly diagnosed RA patients aged 18 years or older, together with 7,396 subjects without RA matched by sex, age and index date, between 2000 and 2004. The incidence of depression and the risk factors among RA cases were evaluated using Cox proportional-hazard regression. RESULTS: The incidence of depression was 1.74-fold greater in the RA cohort than in the non-RA cohort (11.80 versus 6.89 per 1,000 person-years;

Reduced Risk of Dementia in Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using Chinese herbal medicine: A nested case-control study

Dementia is a prevalent condition in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. While Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is often employed as complementary therapy for glycemic control, its effect in controlling likelihood of dementia has not yet been fully elucidated. AIM To compare the risk of dementia between T2DM patients with and without CHM treatment. METHODS We undertook a nested case-control study and obtained data on patients 20-70 years of age who received medical care for T2DM between 2001 and 2010 from the National Health Insurance Research database in Taiwan. Cases, defined as those with dementia that occurred at least one year after the diagnosis of T2DM, were randomly matched to controls without dementia from the study cohort at a 1:1 ratio. We applied conditional logistic regression to explore the associations between CHM treatment and dementia. RESULTS A total of 11699 dementia cases were matched to 11699 non-dementia controls. We found that adding CHM to conventional care was related to a lower risk of dementia [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.51], and high-intensity CHM treatment was associated with an adjusted OR of 0.22. CONCLUSION This study shows that the cumulative CHM exposure was inversely associated with dementia risk in an exposureresponse manner, implying that CHM treatment may be embraced as a disease management approach for diabetic patients to prevent dementia

Adding Chinese Herbal Medicine to Routine Care is Associated With a Lower Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis Among Patients With Asthma: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective: Due to the shared pathogenesis of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), patients with asthma were found to have a higher risk of RA. While the benefits and safety of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for asthma have been reported, the scientific evidence regarding its effect on RA is limited. This longitudinal cohort study aimed to determine the relation between CHM use and RA risk in patients with asthma. Methods: Using the nationwide claims data, we enrolled 33,963 patients 20–80 years of age who were newly diagnosed with asthma and simultaneously free of RA between 2000 and 2007. From this sample, we utilized propensity score matching to create sets of participants as treatment and control groups, which comprised 13,440 CHM users and 13,440 non-CHM users. The incidence rate and hazard ratio (HR) for RA between the two groups were estimated at the end of 2013. A Cox proportional hazards model was constructed to examine the impact of the CHM use on the risk of RA. Results: The cumulative incidence of RA was substantially lower in the CHM user group. In the follow-up period, 214 patients in the CHM user group (1.92 per 1,000 person-years) and 359 patients in the non-CHM user group (2.92 per 1,000 person-years) developed RA (adjusted HR = 0.63, 95% confidence interval: 0.54–0.75). Of the commonly-prescribed formulae, nine CHM products were associated with a lower RA risk: Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang, Ma-Xing-Gan-Shi-Tang, Ding-Chuan-Tang, Xin-Yi-Qing-Fei-Tang, Bei Mu, Jie Geng, Xing Ren, Da Huang, and San Chi. Conclusion: This study found that patients with asthma who received CHM treatment, in addition to the conventional therapy, had a lower risk of RA. Use of CHM treatment may be integrated into conventional therapy to reduce subsequent RA risk among asthma patients

Effects of Acceptance of Disability on Death or Dialysis in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: a 3-Year Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Acceptance of disability (AOD) is a useful construct that assesses the ability of a patient to psychologically cope with chronic diseases, but its effect on long-term outcomes of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the relation between AOD level and clinical outcomes in a cohort of CKD patients in Taiwan. Methods: 262 CKD patients without dialysis at a hospital in Taiwan were consecutively recruited, from 2010 to 2011, and followed up for 3 years. At enrollment, demographic and clinical data were obtained, including baseline level measurement of AOD, using the Acceptance of Disability Scale-Revised (AODS-R). During follow-up, the authors assessed the effect of AOD on progression to dialysis and all-cause mortality by using Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Results: Of the patients included in the analyses, 145 (55.3 %) whose total scores of AOD were below the median (86.00) were regarded as having low AOD at enrollment. At the end of 3-year follow-up, 25 have died and 57 initiated dialysis. Participants with low AOD were more likely to have the composite end-point of progression to dialysis or death (adjusted hazard ratios [AHR] = 1.89, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.18-3.20). In addition, CKD stage at IV or above and hemoglobin level were found to be associated with the occurrence of the composite end-point. Conclusion: AOD was associated with an increased risk for poor clinical outcomes, thus suggesting that prompt awareness and management of the psychological reactions may improve clinical outcomes of patients with CKD

Long-term Effectiveness of the Diabetes Conversation Map Program: A Prepost Education Intervention Study Among Type 2 Diabetic patients in Taiwan

Health education is compulsory for patients with chronic and life-threatening disease, especially for those with diabetes mellitus (DM). This study aimed to examine the long-term effectiveness of the Diabetes Conversation Map Program (DCMP) among DM patients in Taiwan. A quasi-experimental research design using convenience sampling and nonrandom group assignment was applied to recruit 95 type 2 diabetic subjects from a hospital in Taiwan. In addition to routine care, the experiment group (n = 49) received 7 sessions of DCMP that delivered over 2 months, while the control group (n = 46) received only routine care during the same period. We conducted structured questionnaire survey and reviewed medical record at 3 time points (before DCMP, 3 days after DCMP, and 3 months after DCMP completion) to collect the effectiveness data. The effectiveness was determined using the generalized estimating equation model. We found that improvements in the body mass index, blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, self-monitoring of blood glucose, and diabetic health literacy in the DCMP group compared with controls (all P values The findings may serve as a reference for helping healthcare professionals provide appropriate interventions to improve adaptation processes and clinical outcomes for DM patients

Adding Pay-for-Performance Program to Routine Care Was Related to a Lower Risk of Depression Among Type 2 Diabetes Patients in Taiwan

Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) often experience depression during treatment, negatively influencing their treatment compliance and clinical outcomes. Recently, the pay-for-performance (P4P) program for chronic diseases, with high-cost and high-risk feature, such as T2DM, has been implemented and has been operational for several years. Nevertheless, its effect on the risk of developing depression among T2DM cases is unknown. This study aims to explore the association of P4P use with the subsequent risk of developing depression among these patients. Methods: This cohort study used a nationwide health insurance database to identify patients 20–70 years of age newly diagnosed with T2DM who enrolled in the P4P program between 2001 and 2010. From this group, we enrolled 17,022 P4P users and then 17,022 non-P4P users who were randomly selected using propensity-score–matching. Enrolled patients were followed until the end of 2012 to record the occurrence of depression. The Cox proportional hazards regression was utilized to obtain the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for P4P use. Results: During the study period, a total of 588 P4P users and 1,075 non-P4P users developed depression at incidence rates of 5.89 and 8.41 per 1,000 person-years, respectively. P4P users had a lower depression risk than did non-P4P users (aHR, 0.73; 95% Confidence Interval, 0.65–0.80). This positive effect was particularly prominent in those receiving high-intensity use of the P4P program. Conclusion: Integrating P4P into routine care for patients with T2DM may have beneficial effects on curtailing the subsequent risk of depression