Look, the World is Watching How We Treat Migrants! The Making of the Anti-Trafficking Legislation during the Ma Administration

Employing the spiral model, this research analyses how anti-human trafficking legislation was promulgated during the Ma Ying-jeou (Ma Yingjiu) presidency. This research found that the gov- ernment of Taiwan was just as accountable for the violation of mi- grants’ human rights as the exploitive placement agencies and abusive employers. This research argues that, given its reliance on the United States for political and security support, Taiwan has made great ef- forts to improve its human rights records and meet US standards for protecting human rights. The reform was a result of multilevel inputs, including US pressure and collaboration between transnational and domestic advocacy groups. A major contribution of this research is to challenge the belief that human rights protection is intrinsic to dem- ocracy. In the same light, this research also cautions against Taiwan’s subscription to US norms since the reform was achieved at the cost of stereotyping trafficking victimhood, legitimising state surveillance, and further marginalising sex workers

Measurement of the production cross section for Z + b jets in proton-proton collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

The measurement of the cross section for the production of a Z boson, decaying to dielectrons or dimuons, in association with at least one bottom quark jet is performed with proton-proton collision data at √s=13  TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 137  fb$^{-1}$, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC during 2016–2018. The integrated cross sections for Z+≥1 b jet and Z+≥2 b jets are reported for the electron, muon, and combined channels. The fiducial cross sections in the combined channel are 6.52±0.04(stat)±0.40(syst)±0.14(theo)  pb for Z+≥1 b jet and 0.65±0.03(stat)±0.07(syst)±0.02(theo)  pb for Z+≥2 b jets. The differential cross section distributions are measured as functions of various kinematic observables that are useful for precision tests of perturbative quantum chromodynamics predictions. The ratios of integrated and differential cross sections for Z+≥2b  jets and Z+≥1 b jet processes are also determined. The value of the integrated cross section ratio measured in the combined channel is 0.100±0.005(stat)±0.007(syst)±0.003(theo). All measurements are compared with predictions from various event generators

[[alternative]]The impact of diabetes on the prognosis of patients with different stages of hepatocellular carcinoma

[[abstract]]背景: 肝癌是全球常見的惡性腫瘤，過去已知糖尿病對肝癌病人的發生率、復發風險、總生存期有不一樣的影響機制，較少有研究探討糖尿病對不同分期肝癌病人預後的影響。目的: 探討糖尿病對於肝癌病人以Barcelona Clínic Liver Cancer (BCLC)系統所定義的肝功能狀態、米蘭標準及體能狀態分組的次群體其預後的影響。方法:使用某醫學中心胃腸肝膽科肝癌資料庫的資料，針對2002年1月1日至2016年12月31日新診斷肝癌的3,573位病人，使用回溯性世代研究方法，採用Kaplan-Meier方法檢驗肝癌病人在進行不同分組之間糖尿病和非糖尿病患者的累積存活率，並進行log-rank檢驗。採用Cox proportional hazards model比例風險回歸模型進行風險比評估，依照肝功能狀態、米蘭標準、體能狀態的期別分層分析，分析糖尿病與不同分期肝癌病人存活之關聯性。結果:病人的平均年齡為65歲，男性2,733位(77%)，女性840位(24%)，在3,573位診斷有肝癌的病人中共有910位(26%)為糖尿病病人，分析糖尿病對肝癌病人整體存活的影響，在Cox比例風險複迴歸分析中，糖尿病非影響存活顯著因子（校正風險比 [hazard ratio] 1.084, 95%信賴區間 [confidence interval]: 0.984-1.194，p=0.1044）在肝功能分類Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP)A級或肝功能分類CTP B or C肝癌病人中，糖尿病非影響存活的顯著因子。在符合米蘭標準的肝癌病人中，糖尿病是影響存活的顯著因子(HR: 1.360,95% CI:1.155-1.601,p=0.0002)，在超出米蘭標準的肝癌病人中，糖尿病非影響存活顯著因子(HR:1.012,95% CI:0.897-1.142, p=0.8464)。在體能狀態= 0肝癌病人中，糖尿病是影響存活的顯著因子(HR: 1.213, 95% CI: 1.055-1.394, p= 0.0067)，在體能狀態= 1-4肝癌病人中，糖尿病非影響存活的顯著因子(HR: 0.968, 95% CI: 0.845-1.108 , p= 0.6341)。結論: 糖尿病在肝癌病人中有較高的盛行率，顯著增加了肝癌的發生風險並對肝癌預後有差異性的影響，特別在體能狀態得分為0分及符合米蘭標準的肝癌患者中是獨立顯著影響預後的危險因子。所以對於這類肝癌患者應該是考慮給予積極的追蹤及治療，密切的監測血糖及控制糖尿病。[[abstract]]Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer globally. Published studies showed that diabetes mellitus (DM) may affect the incidence, risk of tumor recurrence, and overall survival in HCC patients through specific mechanisms. However, very few studies focused on the impact of DM on different cancer stages in different patient groups.Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic impact of DM on HCC patients stratified by liver dysfunction, Milan criteria and performance status defined in the Barcelona Clínic Liver Cancer (BCLC) scheme.Methods: By using the database in a medical center in Taiwan, we retrospectively investigated the newly diagnosed HCC patients between Jan 1, 2002 and Dec 12, 2016; a total of 3,573 patients were identified. The survival differences between diabetic and non-diabetic patients in different patient subgroups were compared by the Kaplan-Meier method with a log-rank test. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the independent prognostic predictors stratified by liver reserve, Milan criteria and performance status to clarify the association between DM and long-term survival.Results: The mean age was 65 years, with males in 2,733(77%)and females in 840(%). Among 3,573 HCC patients, 910(26%) were diabetic. Of all patients, DM was not an independent survival predictor in the Cox model (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.084, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.984-1.194，p=0.1044). In subgroup analysis, DM did not significantly influence the survival either in Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP)class A or class B or C patient subgroups. For patients within the Milan criteria, DM patients were associated with a decreased survival compared with those without DM (HR: 1.360, 95% CI:1.155-1.601, p=0.0002), but no significant survival difference was found between diabetic and non-diabetic patients beyond the Milan criteria (HR:1.012, 95% CI:0.897-1.142, p=0.8464). For patients with performance status 0, diabetic patients had a decreased survival compared to non-diabetic patients (HR: 1.213, 95% CI: 1.055-1.394, p=0.0067). However, for patients with performance status 1-4, no significant survival difference was found (HR: 0.968, 95% CI: 0.845-1.108, p=0.6341).Conclusions: DM is highly prevalent in HCC patients, and has a differential and distinct survival impact for different patient subgroups.DM is an independent survival predictor among patients within the Milan criteria and good performance status.These patients should be closely monitored, and aggressive treatment including tight blood glucose control should be considered

Differential Survival Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Role of Staging Determinants

[[abstract]]Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is common in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and may impact survival. Very few studies focused on the influence of DM in different clinical scenarios. We evaluated the prognostic impact of DM on HCC patients stratified by liver dysfunction, Milan criteria, and performance status defined in the Barcelona Clínic Liver Cancer staging parameters. Methods: A prospective dataset of 3573 HCC patients between 2002 and 2016 was retrospectively analyzed. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify independent prognostic predictors. The Kaplan-Meier method with a log-rank test was applied to compare the survival distributions between different patient groups. Results: Among all, DM was not an independent prognostic predictor in the Cox multivariate analysis (p = 0.1044). In the subgroup analysis, DM was not a significant prognostic predictor in Child-Turcotte-Pugh class A or class B/C patients. However, DM was associated with a decreased survival in patients within the Milan criteria (hazard ratio [HR] 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.155-1.601, p = 0.0002) and in those with the performance status 0 (HR 1.213, 95% CI 1.055-1.394, p = 0.0067) in the multivariate Cox analysis, but not in those beyond the Milan criteria and poor performance status. Conclusions: DM is highly prevalent in HCC patients and has a distinct survival impact. DM is an independent survival predictor among patients within the Milan criteria and good performance status. These high-risk patients should be closely monitored, and aggressive anticancer treatment should be considered

The incidence of fatal breast cancer measures the increased effectiveness of therapy in women participating in mammography screening

Background: Women and their health care providers need a reliable answer to this important question: If a woman chooses to participate in regular mammography screening, then how much will this choice improve her chances of avoiding a death from breast cancer compared with women who choose not to participate? Methods: To answer this question, we used comprehensive registries for population, screening history, breast cancer incidence, and disease-specific death data in a defined population in Dalarna County, Sweden. The annual incidence of breast cancer was calculated along with the annual incidence of breast cancers that were fatal within 10 and within 11 to 20 years of diagnosis among women aged 40 to 69 years who either did or did not participate in mammography screening during a 39-year period (1977-2015). For an additional comparison, corresponding data are presented from 19 years of the prescreening period (1958-1976). All patients received stage-specific therapy according to the latest national guidelines, irrespective of the mode of detection. Results: The benefit for women who chose to participate in an organized breast cancer screening program was a 60% lower risk of dying from breast cancer within 10 years after diagnosis (relative risk, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-0.48) and a 47% lower risk of dying from breast cancer within 20 years after diagnosis (relative risk, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.44-0.63) compared with the corresponding risks for nonparticipants. Conclusions: Although all patients with breast cancer stand to benefit from advances in breast cancer therapy, the current results demonstrate that women who have participated in mammography screening obtain a significantly greater benefit from the therapy available at the time of diagnosis than do those who have not participated.First published: 08 November 2018</p

Population-Based Breast Cancer Screening With Risk-Based and Universal Mammography Screening Compared With Clinical Breast Examination A Propensity Score Analysis of 1 429 890 Taiwanese Women

IMPORTANCE Different screening strategies for breast cancer are available but have not been researched in quantitative detail. ;OBJECTIVE To assess the benefits and the harms of risk-based and universal mammography screening in comparison with annual clinical breast examination (CBE). DESIGN Population-based cohort study comparing incidences of stage II+ disease and death from breast cancer across 3 breast cancer screening strategies, with adjustment for a propensity score for participation based on risk factors for breast cancer and comparing the 3 strategies for overdetection between January 1999 and December 2009. Asymptomatic women attending outreach screening in the community or undergoing mammography in hospitals were enrolled in the 3 screening programs. ;INTERVENTIONS Risk-based biennial mammography, universal biennial mammography, and annual CBE. ;MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Detection rates, stage II+ disease incidence, mortality from breast cancer, and overdiagnosis were compared using a time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression model. ;RESULTS A total of 1 429 890 asymptomatic women attending outreach screening in the community or undergoing mammography in hospitals were enrolled in the 3 screening programs. Detection rates (prevalent screen and subsequent screens per 1000) were the highest for universal biennial mammography (4.86 and 2.98, respectively), followed by risk-based mammography (2.80 and 2.77, respectively), and lowest for annual CBE (0.97 and 0.70, respectively). Universal biennial mammography screening, compared with annual CBE, was associated with a 41% mortality reduction (risk ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.48-0.73) and a 30% reduction of stage II+ breast cancer (RR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.66-0.74). Risk-based mammography screening was associated with an 8% reduction of stage II+ breast cancer (RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.99) but was not associated with a statistically significant mortality reduction (risk ratio [ RR], 0.86; 95% CI, 0.73-1.02). Estimates of overdiagnosis were no different from CBE for risk-based screening and 13% higher than CBE for universal mammography. ;CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Compared with population-based screening for breast cancer with annual CBE, universal biennial mammography resulted in a substantial reduction in breast cancer deaths, whereas risk-based biennial mammography resulted in only a modest benefit. Compared with annual CBE, risk-based and universal mammography screening did not result in significant overdiagnosis of breast cancer