Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Population based records'

In cases of forensic dental identification, a key factor in the comparison of the dental status of deceased persons with antemortem dental records is the matching of dental restorations in individual teeth. Many studies have been performed showing the prevalence of dental interventions. This has mostly been performed by counting the numbers of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) in each mouth without detailed data collection on a per-tooth basis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the research question: to what extent would data on the distribution and prevalence of restoration types in the human dentition facilitate forensic identification? A database program was developed to allow efficient collection and collation of dental trait information. Provision was made for storing information relating to a subject's individual teeth, such as restorative materials used and surfaces filled. Other data, such as missing teeth, caries status on a per-individual tooth basis and presence and details of types of prostheses may be stored. iii Data from patients attending a private group practice in Hobart was collected and a system was devised to enable the likelihood of dental trait occurrence to be calculated in cases of forensic dental identification. The capabilities of the system are demonstrated in a series of mock cases of dental identification. An opportunity to make use of the database for which it was designed arose in relation to the analysis of person identification evidence in a murder trial at the Tasmanian Supreme Court. The use of this reference database in evidence invoked lengthy debate involving the judge, crown prosecutor and defence barristers. The resulting voire dire was resolved in favour of conclusions drawn from the use of the database being admitted in evidence. The legal precedent set in the Marlow trial may possibly offer encouragement for practising odontologists to further the concept of establishing and using reference databases of dental traits in population groups in other parts of Australia.

In cases of forensic dental identification, a key factor in the comparison of the dental status of deceased persons with antemortem dental records is the matching of dental restorations in individual teeth. Many studies have been performed showing the prevalence of dental interventions. This has mostly been performed by counting the numbers of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) in each mouth without detailed data collection on a per-tooth basis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the research question: to what extent would data on the distribution and prevalence of restoration types in the human dentition facilitate forensic identification? A database program was developed to allow efficient collection and collation of dental trait information. Provision was made for storing information relating to a subject's individual teeth, such as restorative materials used and surfaces filled. Other data, such as missing teeth, caries status on a per-individual tooth basis and presence and details of types of prostheses may be stored. iii Data from patients attending a private group practice in Hobart was collected and a system was devised to enable the likelihood of dental trait occurrence to be calculated in cases of forensic dental identification. The capabilities of the system are demonstrated in a series of mock cases of dental identification. An opportunity to make use of the database for which it was designed arose in relation to the analysis of person identification evidence in a murder trial at the Tasmanian Supreme Court. The use of this reference database in evidence invoked lengthy debate involving the judge, crown prosecutor and defence barristers. The resulting voire dire was resolved in favour of conclusions drawn from the use of the database being admitted in evidence. The legal precedent set in the Marlow trial may possibly offer encouragement for practising odontologists to further the concept of establishing and using reference databases of dental traits in population groups in other parts of Australia.

Abstract The present study surveyed medical problems and mental health in an unselected population-based series of people with Down syndrome (DS). All people with DS identified in the Intellectual Disability Service Register in the Kainuu region (n=138) were included, and their health and disability case records in the public services were analysed. The severity of intellectual disability was related to age, gender, and recorded medical problems. Adaptive behaviour changes were assessed among adults repeatedly during ten years using the Adaptive Behaviour Scale - Residential and Community, Part I. The study evaluated health surveillance and practices were compared to the national Current Care guidelines. Numerous medical problems and behavioural symptoms were recorded in this population. Surgical treatments were used extensively. The number of medical problems varied to a great degree among participants. Health problems were extensive from birth to old age. Many health concerns were age-related. The degree of intellectual disability related to visual and neurological impairments. Depression, and among participants in their forties and older, Alzheimer’s disease were the most common underlying reasons for changes in adaptive behaviour. A gradual functional decline and dementia affected many participants at a relatively early age. Visual acuity and hearing should be regularly monitored in all individuals with DS because of a high prevalence of visual impairment and hearing loss in this population. There was a general lack of evidence that the health care guidelines initiated five years ago were being followed. This suggests that possibilities to enhance health have not been optimally implemented. Therefore, further efforts are needed to diagnose and treat medical problems in people with DS
Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksessa kuvattiin todettujen terveysongelmien yleisyyttä ja terveysseurannasta annettujen suositusten toteutumista Downin oireyhtymässä. Nykyisin Kainuussa elävien Down -henkilöiden tietojen lisäksi alueella aiemmin asuneiden saatavissa olevat sairaus- ja huoltokertomustiedot analysoitiin (n=138). Kehitysvammaisuuden vaikeusasteen, iän, sukupuolen ja todettujen sairauksien yhteyksiä selvitettiin. Aikuisten ja ikääntyvien Down -henkilöiden toimintakykyä seurattiin kymmenen vuoden ajan käyttäen Adaptiivisen käyttäytymisen asteikkoa. Käypä hoito -suosituksen toteutumista terveysseurannan osalta arvioitiin. Down -henkilöillä oli todettu lukuisia terveysongelmia ja käytösoireita kaikissa ikäryhmissä. Kirurgisia hoitoja oli tehty paljon. Yksilölliset erot sairastavuudessa ja toimintakyvyssä olivat erittäin huomattavat. Monet terveysongelmista liittyivät tiettyyn ikään. Vaikeasti kehitysvammaisilla todettiin enemmän silmäsairauksia ja näön ongelmia sekä neurologisia sairauksia kuin lievästi tai keskivaikeasti kehitysvammaisilla. Masennus ja yli 40 vuoden ikäisillä Alzheimerin tauti olivat yleisimmät toimintakyvyn heikentymisen syyt. Toimintakykvyn heikentyminen alkoi usein 40 ikävuoden jälkeen ja moni sairastui suhteellisen nuorena dementiaan. Kaikkien Down -henkilöiden kuuloa ja näköä tulisi seurata säännöllisesti, koska kuulon alentuminen ja näön ongelmat ovat yleisiä ja jäävät usein toteamatta. Hoitosuositukset eivät toteutuneet ainakaan säännöllisen kuulon ja kilpirauhasen toiminnan seurannan osalta viiden vuoden kuluessa suositusten antamisesta. Terveysseurannan parempi toimeenpano terveyden edistämiseksi on mahdollista. Down henkilöiden sairauksien toteamisen ja hoidon kehittäminen vaatii edelleen työtä

Limited data exists describing the long-term prognosis of patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) further stratified according to currently recommended ejection fraction (EF) findings. In addition, little is known about the magnitude of, and factors associated with, long-term prognosis for these patients. Based on previously validated and clinically relevant criteria, we defined HF-REF as patients with an EF value ≤40%, HF-PEF was defined as an EF value > 50%, and HF-BREF was defined as patients with an EF value during their index hospitalization between 41 and 49%. The hospital medical records of residents of the Worcester (MA) metropolitan area who were discharged after ADHF from all 11 medical centers in central Massachusetts during the 5 study years of 1995, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006 were reviewed. Follow-up was completed through 2011 for all patient cohorts. The average age of this population was 75 years, the majority was white, and 44% were men. Patients with HF-PEF experienced higher post discharge survival rates than patients with either HF-REF or HF-BREF at 1, 2, and 5-years after discharge. Advanced age and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate findings at the time of hospital admission were important predictors of 1-year death rates, irrespective of EF findings. Previously diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, and atrial fibrillation were associated with a poor prognosis in patients with PEF and REF whereas a history of diabetes was an important prognostic factor for patients with REF and BREF. In conclusion, although improvements in 1-year post-discharge survival were observed for patients in each of the 3 EF groups examined to varying degrees, the post- 7 discharge prognosis of all patients with ADHF remains guarded. In addition, we observed differences in several prognostic factors between patients with ADHF with varying EF findings, which have implications for more refined treatment and surveillance plans for these patients.

Limited data exists describing the long-term prognosis of patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) further stratified according to currently recommended ejection fraction (EF) findings. In addition, little is known about the magnitude of, and factors associated with, long-term prognosis for these patients. Based on previously validated and clinically relevant criteria, we defined HF-REF as patients with an EF value ≤40%, HF-PEF was defined as an EF value > 50%, and HF-BREF was defined as patients with an EF value during their index hospitalization between 41 and 49%. The hospital medical records of residents of the Worcester (MA) metropolitan area who were discharged after ADHF from all 11 medical centers in central Massachusetts during the 5 study years of 1995, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006 were reviewed. Follow-up was completed through 2011 for all patient cohorts. The average age of this population was 75 years, the majority was white, and 44% were men. Patients with HF-PEF experienced higher post discharge survival rates than patients with either HF-REF or HF-BREF at 1, 2, and 5-years after discharge. Advanced age and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate findings at the time of hospital admission were important predictors of 1-year death rates, irrespective of EF findings. Previously diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, and atrial fibrillation were associated with a poor prognosis in patients with PEF and REF whereas a history of diabetes was an important prognostic factor for patients with REF and BREF. In conclusion, although improvements in 1-year post-discharge survival were observed for patients in each of the 3 EF groups examined to varying degrees, the post- 7 discharge prognosis of all patients with ADHF remains guarded. In addition, we observed differences in several prognostic factors between patients with ADHF with varying EF findings, which have implications for more refined treatment and surveillance plans for these patients.

Female tubal sterilisation, often referred to as "tubal ligation" but more often performed these days using laparoscopically-applied metal clips, remains a popular form of contraception in women who have completed their families. A review of the literature on the incidence of failure of tubal sterilisation found many reports of case-series and small clinic-based studies, but only a few larger studies with good epidemiological designs, most recently the US CREST study conducted during the 1980s and early 1990s. The CREST study reported a conditional (life-table) cumulative incidence of failure of 0.55, 0.84, 1.18 and 1.85 per 100 women at 1, 2, 4 and 10 years of follow-up respectively. The study described here estimated a lower bound for the incidence of tubal sterilisation failure in NSW by probabilistically linking routinely-collected hospital admission records for women undergoing sterilisation surgery to hospital admission records for the same women which were indicative of subsequent conception or which represented censoring events such as hysterectomy or death in hospital. Data for the period July 1992 to June 2000 were used. Kaplan-Meier and proportional-hazards survival analyses were performed on the resulting linked data set. The conditional cumulative incidence per 100 women at 1, 2 4 and 8 years of follow-up was estimated to be 0.74 (95% CI 0.68-0.81), 1.05 (0.97-1.13), 1.33 (1.23-1.42) and 1.51 (1.39-1.62) respectively. Forty percent of failures ended in abortion and 14% presented as ectopic pregnancies. Age, private health insurance status and sterilisation in a smaller hospital were all found to be associated with lower rates of failure. Strong evidence of time-limited excess numbers of failures in women undergoing surgery in particular hospitals was also found. The study demonstrates the feasibility of using linked, routinely-collected health data to evaluate relatively rare, long-term outcomes such as sterilisation failure on a population-wide basis.

Background. In Sweden 10 percent (550,000) of the labour force, aged 18 to 65 years are disability pensioners and about four percent are on sick leave. The knowledge of the course from healthy individual to disability pensioner is not well known and was the theme of this thesis. Objectives, Material and Methods. The aims of the thesis were to follow the study population regarding sickness absence, health care utilisation, quality of life, and survival. Population based data including 14,538 women and men from three cities in Sweden were used, of whom 1,952 were granted a disability pension at baseline or received one during follow up. Register data, including sickness spells, health care utilisation, and mortality data during 30 years of follow up, and questionnaire data including socio-economic and quality of life data were used. Results. The most powerful determinant for being granted a disability pension was cumulative annual sick leave days, more powerful than all other tested determinants together. The degree of explanation for all determinants combined was 96%. Health care utilisation among disability pensioners continued to be high also after disability pension, 2.3 times higher for hospital admissions and 8 times higher for primary health case appointments than among referents. Disability pensioners had lower quality of life than non-pensioners and old age pensioners. For those who became disability pensioners after the baseline measurements quality of life measures decreased progressively until disability pension was granted and were then stabilised on a low level. During follow up 525 (7.6%) subjects died. Compared with subjects who did not become disability pensioners the hazards ratio was 2.78 among women and 3.43 among men, even when the effect of a number of other outcome affecting variables were taken into account. The mortality differences were not explained by underlying disease. Conclusions. The risk of disability pension may be predicted but only late in the course of events. Disability pensioners continue to have a high level of health care utilisation, and have a worse quality of life development and a higher mortality rate than non-pensioners. Given the unfavourable outcome of disability pension, other means of managing the reduced work capacity might be considered.

A disponibilidade de grandes bases de dados informatizadas em saúde tornou a técnica de relacionamento de fontes de dados, também conhecida como linkage, uma alternativa para diferentes tipos de estudos. Esta técnica proporciona a geração de uma base de dados mais completa e de baixo custo operacional. Objetivo- Investigar a possibilidade de completar/aperfeiçoar as informações da base de dados do RCBP-SP, no período de 1997 a 2005, utilizando o processo de linkage com três outras bases, a saber: Programa de Aprimoramento de Mortalidade (PRO-AIM), Autorização e Procedimentos de Alta Complexidade (APAC-SIA/SUS) e Fundação Sistema Estadual de Análise de Dados (FSeade). Métodos- Neste estudo foi utilizada a base de dados do RCBP-SP, composta por 343.306 com casos incidentes de câncer do município de São Paulo, registrados no período de 1997 a 2005, com idades que variaram de menos de um a 106 anos, de ambos os sexos. Para a completitude das informações do RCBP-SP foram utilizadas as bases de dados, a saber: PRO-AIM, APAC-SIA/SUS e FSeade. Foram utilizadas as técnicas de linkage probabilística e determinística. O linkage probabilístico foi realizado pelo programa Reclink III versão 3.1.6. Quanto ao linkage determinístico as rotinas foram realizadas em Visual Basic, com as bases hospedadas em SQL Server. Foram calculados os coeficientes brutos de incidência (CBI) e mortalidade (CBM) antes e após o linkage. A análise de sobrevida global foi realizada pela técnica de Kaplan-Meier e para na comparação entre as curvas, utilizou-se o teste de log rank. Foram calculados os valores da área sob a curva, sensibilidade e especificidade para determinar o ponto de corte do escore de maior precisão na identificação dos pares verdadeiros. Resultados- Após o linkage, verificou-se um ganho de 101,5 por cento para a variável endereço e 31,5 por cento para a data do óbito e 80,0 por cento para a data da última informação. Quanto à variável nome da mãe, na base de dados do RCBP-SP antes do linkage esta informação representava somente 0,5 por cento , tendo sido complementada, no geral, em 76.332 registros. A análise de sobrevida global mostrou que antes do processo de linkage havia uma subestimação na probabilidade de estar vivo em todos os períodos analisados. No geral, para a análise de sobrevida truncada em sete anos, a probabilidade de estar vivo no primeiro ano de seguimento antes do linkage foi menor quando comparada a probabilidade de estar vivo ao primeiro ano de seguimento após o linkage (48,8 por cento x 61,1 por cento ; p< 0,001). Conclusão- A técnica de linkage tanto probabilística quanto determinística foi efetiva para completar/aperfeiçoar as informações da base de dados do RCBP-SP. Além do mais, o CBI apresentou um ganho de 3,4 por cento . Quanto ao CBM houve um ganho de 25,8 por cento . Após o uso da técnica de linkage, foi verificado que os valores para a sobrevida global estavam subestimados para ambos os sexos, faixas etárias e para as topografias de câncer
The availability of large computerized databases on health has enabled the record linkage technique, an alternative for different study designs. This technique provides the generation of a more complete database, at low operational cost. Objective to investigate the possibility of completing/improving information from the database of the RCBP-SP, in the period between 1997 and 2005, using the record linkage technique with other three databases, namely: Mortality Improvement Program (PRO-AIM), Authorization of Highly Complex Procedures (APAC-SIA/SUS) and State System of Data Analysis (FSeade), comparing different strategies. Methods In this study we used the database of the RCBP-SP composed of 343,306 incident cancer cases in the Municipality of São Paulo registered in the period between 1997 and 2005 with ages raging from under one to 106 years, from both sexes. To complete the database of the RCBP-SP three databases were used, namely: PRO-AIM, APAC-SIA/SUS and FSeade. Both probabilistic and deterministic record linkage were used. Probabilistic linkage was performed using the Reclink III software, version 3.1.6. As for the the deterministic record linkage, the routines were run in the Visual Basic and databases hosted on a SQL Server. Before and after record linkage, crude incidence (CIR) and mortality rates (CMR) were calculated. The overall survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier technique and for the comparison between curves, the log rank test was employed. In order to determine the most precise cut-off scores in identifying true matches, we calculated the area under the curve, as well as, sensitivity and specificity. Results After record linkage, it was verified a gain of 101.5 per cent for the variable address, 31.5 per cent for death date and 80,0 per cent for the date of latest information. As for the variable mother´s name, in the database of the RCBP-SP before record linkage, this information represented only 0.5 per cent , having been completed, in general, in 76,332 registries. The overall survival analysis showed that before the record linkage there was an underestimation of the probability of being alive for all periods assessed. In general, for the truncated survival at seven years, the probability of being alive at the first year of follow up before record linkage was lower when compared to the probability of being alive at the first year of follow up after record linkage (48.8 per cent x 61.1 per cent ; p< 0.001). Conclusion Both the probabilistic and deterministic record linkage were effective to complete/improve information from the database of the RCBP-SP. Moreover, the CIR had a gain of de 3.4 per cent . As for the CMR, there was a gain of 25.8 per cent . After using the record linkage technique, it was verified that values for overall survival were underestimated for both sexes, all age groups, and cancer sites

Introdução: A associação entre a infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV) e o câncer tem sido documentada desde os primórdios da epidemia da síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (Aids). A introdução da highly active antirretroviral therapy (HAART) alterou, profundamente, o curso da epidemia da Aids, reduzindo, drasticamente, a incidência de manifestações definidoras da síndrome, incluindo cânceres. No entanto, existem informações limitadas sobre a incidência de câncer em crianças e adolescentes com Aids vivendo em países em desenvolvimento. Objetivo: Descrever a epidemiologia do câncer em crianças e adolescentes com Aids no Município de São Paulo, no período de 1997 a 2012. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo de base populacional, utilizando as bases de dados do Registro de Câncer de Base Populacional do Município de São Paulo e do Sistema de Informações de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN). As crianças e adolescentes (< 20 anos) com Aids e câncer foram identificadas por meio de um processo de linkage probabilístico entre as bases de dados supracitadas. Foram calculadas as taxas de incidência brutas e ajustadas por milhão de habitantes. Para comparar a incidência de câncer na população com Aids e a população geral foi calculada a razão de incidência padronizada (RIP) e respectivos intervalos de confiança de 95 por cento (IC 95 por cento ). A análise de tendência foi feita por meio do cálculo do annual percent change (APC) e IC 95 por cento correspondentes. A análise da sobrevida global de cinco anos após o câncer entre pacientes com Aids e na população geral foi calculada por meio do estimador produto limite de Kaplan-Meier e modelos univariados de riscos proporcionais de Cox. Mapas coropléticos em escalas monocromáticas foram gerados para descrever a distribuição de casos no Município. Resultados: Foram identificados 24 casos de câncer em pacientes com Aids menores de 20 anos, sendo 62,5 por cento cânceres definidores de Aids. Os cânceres mais incidentes foram o linfoma não Hodgkin, incluindo o linfoma de Burkitt (12; 50,0 por cento ), o linfoma de Hodgkin (6; 25,0 por cento ) e o sarcoma de Kaposi (3; 12,5 por cento ). A taxa bruta de incidência foi de 1.461,3 casos/milhão. A análise de tendência revelou redução significativa da incidência para todos os cânceres (APC= -14,5), influenciada pela queda nos cânceres definidores de Aids (APC= -17,0). O risco para câncer se mostrou aumentado (RIP= 3,9), sobretudo para o linfoma não Hodgkin, excluindo linfoma de Burkitt (RIP= 22,5), linfoma de Burkitt (RIP= 29,7) e linfoma de Hodgkin (RIP= 18,7). A probabilidade acumulada de sobrevida aos cinco anos foi de 56,3 por cento em crianças e adolescentes com Aids versus 87,5 por cento na população geral. A hazard ratio para óbito foi 5,2 (IC 95 por cento = 2,0; 13,6). O mapa da distribuição geográfica mostrou concentração dos casos nas áreas de classes sociais mais baixas do Município. Conclusão: Houve redução acentuada da incidência de cânceres definidores de Aids, como provável resultado da introdução da HAART. No entanto, crianças e adolescentes com Aids permanecem sob risco aumentado para o desenvolvimento de câncer quando comparadas à população geral. Para aquelas que desenvolveram câncer, o risco para óbito também se mostrou substancialmente elevado
Introduction: The association between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and cancer has been documented since the beginning of the epidemic of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The introduction of the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has profoundly altered the course of the AIDS epidemic, drastically reducing the incidence of AIDS-defining manifestations, including cancers. Nevertheless, there is limited information on the incidence of cancer in children and adolescents with AIDS living in developing countries. Objective: To describe the cancer epidemiology in children and adolescents with AIDS in the Municipality of São Paulo from 1997 to 2012. Methods: It is a population-based study, using the databases of the Population-based Cancer Registry of São Paulo and the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). Children and adolescents (< 20 years) with AIDS and cancer have been identified by means of a probabilistic record linkage process between the aforementioned databases. Crude and age-standardized incidence rates per million inhabitants were calculated. To compare the incidence of cancer in people with AIDS and that of the general population, standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and respective 95 per cent confidence intervals (95 per cent CI) were calculated. We examined trends by calculating the annual percent change (APC) and corresponding 95 per cent CI. The analyses of the overall five-year survival after cancer diagnosis among children and adolescents with AIDS and that of the general population were based on the Kaplan-Meier product limit estimator and univariate Cox proportional hazards models. Choropleth maps on monochromatic scales were generated to describe the distribution of cases across the Municipality. Results: We identified 24 cases of cancer in patients with AIDS aged 20 years and younger, of which, 62.5 per cent were AIDS-defining malignancies. The most incident cancers were non-Hodgkin\'s lymphoma, including Burkitt\'s lymphoma (12; 50.0 per cent ), Hodgkin\'s lymphoma (6; 25.0 per cent ) and Kaposi sarcoma (3; 12.5 per cent ). The age-standardized incidence rate was 1,461.3 cases/million. The trend analyses revealed a significant reduction in the incidence of all cancers (APC= -14.5), driven by the decrease in AIDS-defining cancers (APC= -17.0). The overall risk for cancer was significantly increased (SIR= 3.9), especially for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, excluding Burkitts lymphoma (SIR= 22.5), Burkitt\'s lymphoma (SIR= 29.7) and Hodgkin\'s lymphoma (SIR= 18.7). The overall probability of survival at five years after cancer was 56.3 per cent in children and adolescents with AIDS versus 87.5 per cent in the general population. The hazard ratio for death was 5.2 (95 per cent CI= 2.0, 13.6). The map of the geographical distribution showed a concentration of cases in the low-income areas of the Municipality. Conclusion: There was a marked reduction in the incidence of AIDS-defining cancers, likely to be a result of the introduction of HAART. However, children and adolescents with AIDS remain at increased risk for the development of cancer when compared to the general population. For those who developed cancer, the risk of death was also significantly higher

Yip Kin Fung.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-104).
Abstracts in English and Chinese.
Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1
Chapter 2 --- The Distribution of Fluctuations in Financial Data --- p.5
Chapter 2.1 --- Empirical Statistics --- p.5
Chapter 2.2 --- Data analyzed --- p.8
Chapter 2.3 --- Levy Distribution --- p.10
Chapter 2.4 --- Returns Distribution and Scaling Properties --- p.12
Chapter 2.5 --- Volatility Clustering --- p.19
Chapter 2.6 --- Conclusion --- p.21
Chapter 3 --- Models of Herd behaviour in Financial Markets --- p.22
Chapter 3.1 --- Cont and Bouchaud's model --- p.22
Chapter 3.2 --- The Model of Egiuluz and Zimmerman --- p.24
Chapter 3.3 --- EZ Model with Size-Dependent Dissociation Rates --- p.28
Chapter 3.4 --- Democratic and Dictatorship Self-Organized Model --- p.31
Chapter 3.5 --- Effect of Size-Dependent Fragmentation and Coagulation Prob- abilities --- p.33
Chapter 3.6 --- Extensions of EZ model --- p.35
Chapter 3.7 --- Conclusion --- p.39
Chapter 4 --- Review on the Minority Game(MG) --- p.42
Chapter 4.1 --- The Model and Results --- p.42
Chapter 4.2 --- Crowd-anticrowd Theory and Phase Transition --- p.46
Chapter 4.3 --- Market Efficiency --- p.48
Chapter 5 --- MG with biased strategy pool --- p.52
Chapter 5.1 --- The Model --- p.53
Chapter 5.2 --- Numerical Results and Discussion --- p.53
Chapter 5.3 --- Theory: MG with Biased Strategy Pool --- p.61
Chapter 5.4 --- Conclusion --- p.69
Chapter 6 --- MG with Randomly Participating Agents --- p.71
Chapter 6.1 --- The Model with One RPA --- p.71
Chapter 6.2 --- Results for q = 0.5 --- p.72
Chapter 6.3 --- Inefficiency and Success Rate --- p.76
Chapter 6.4 --- Results for q ≠ 0.5 --- p.82
Chapter 6.5 --- Many RPAs --- p.85
Chapter 6.6 --- Conclusion --- p.86
Chapter 7 --- A Model on Coupled Minority Games --- p.88
Chapter 7.1 --- The Model --- p.89
Chapter 7.2 --- Results and Discussion。 --- p.90
Chapter 7.3 --- Conclusion --- p.95
Chapter 8 --- Conclusion --- p.97
Bibliography --- p.101
Chapter A --- Solving Cluster Size distribution in EZ model --- p.105

Chan Hoi-Yeung = 網絡與競爭系統的物理 : 個體為本模型中的網絡效應 / 陳凱揚.
Thesis submitted in: September 2005.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-197).
Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese.
Chan Hoi-Yeung = Wang luo yu jing zheng xi tong de wu li : ge ti wei ben mo xing zhong de wang luo xiao ying / Chen Kaiyang.
Abstract --- p.i
Acknowledgments --- p.v
Contents --- p.vii
Chapter 1 --- Overview --- p.1
Chapter I --- Networks --- p.3
Chapter 2 --- Networks in nature --- p.4
Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.4
Chapter 2.2 --- Terminology of the networks studies --- p.6
Chapter 2.2.1 --- Nodes --- p.6
Chapter 2.2.2 --- Links --- p.6
Chapter 2.2.3 --- Adjacency matrix --- p.9
Chapter 2.2.4 --- Connectivity --- p.10
Chapter 2.2.5 --- Clustering coefficient --- p.11
Chapter 2.2.6 --- Shortest path --- p.11
Chapter 2.2.7 --- Connectivity correlation --- p.12
Chapter 2.3 --- Topology in the real-world networks --- p.13
Chapter 2.3.1 --- The Internet --- p.13
Chapter 2.3.2 --- The WWW --- p.15
Chapter 2.3.3 --- Collaboration networks --- p.15
Chapter 2.3.4 --- Food webs --- p.16
Chapter 2.3.5 --- Power grids --- p.17
Chapter 2.4 --- Discussion --- p.17
Chapter 3 --- Review on Network Models --- p.19
Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.19
Chapter 3.2 --- Graph Theory --- p.20
Chapter 3.2.1 --- Classical random graph --- p.20
Chapter 3.3 --- Evolving networks --- p.23
Chapter 3.3.1 --- Random growing network --- p.23
Chapter 3.3.2 --- Fitness growing network --- p.25
Chapter 3.3.3 --- Barabasi-Albert model --- p.27
Chapter 3.3.4 --- Fitness model --- p.31
Chapter 3.4 --- Lattice --- p.33
Chapter 3.4.1 --- Regular hypercubic lattices (Periodic) --- p.33
Chapter 3.4.2 --- Regular hypercubic lattices (Free boundary conditions) . --- p.35
Chapter 3.5 --- Discussion --- p.35
Chapter 4 --- Network Properties --- p.38
Chapter 4.1 --- More derivations on existing models --- p.38
Chapter 4.1.1 --- Classical random graphs --- p.38
Chapter 4.1.2 --- Barabasi-Albert model --- p.40
Chapter 4.1.3 --- Fitness Model --- p.42
Chapter 4.1.4 --- Regular hypercubic lattices (Periodic) --- p.45
Chapter 4.2 --- New model --- p.48
Chapter 4.2.1 --- Fitness-BA hybrid model --- p.48
Chapter 4.3 --- Link removal --- p.55
Chapter 4.3.1 --- Introduction --- p.55
Chapter 4.3.2 --- Formalism in connectivity --- p.55
Chapter 4.3.3 --- Pruned BA Model --- p.56
Chapter 4.4 --- Link addition --- p.58
Chapter 4.4.1 --- Introduction --- p.58
Chapter 4.4.2 --- Regular hypercubic lattices (Periodic) --- p.58
Chapter 4.5 --- Discussion --- p.60
Chapter II --- Games --- p.62
Chapter 5 --- Review on Agent-based models of competing population --- p.63
Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.63
Chapter 5.2 --- The El Farol Bar attendance problem --- p.65
Chapter 5.2.1 --- Model --- p.65
Chapter 5.2.2 --- Strategies --- p.66
Chapter 5.2.3 --- Discussion --- p.66
Chapter 5.3 --- Minority game --- p.67
Chapter 5.3.1 --- Model --- p.67
Chapter 5.3.2 --- Strategies --- p.68
Chapter 5.3.3 --- Attendance --- p.69
Chapter 5.3.4 --- History and quasi-Eulerian state --- p.69
Chapter 5.3.5 --- Success rate and Hamming distance --- p.71
Chapter 5.3.6 --- Volatility --- p.73
Chapter 5.3.7 --- Crowd-anticrowd theory --- p.75
Chapter 5.3.8 --- Discussion --- p.76
Chapter 6 --- B-A-R model : Dynamics --- p.78
Chapter 6.1 --- Model --- p.78
Chapter 6.2 --- Results: Plateaux and periodicity --- p.81
Chapter 6.3 --- A microscopic view: Agents' decisions and strategy performance --- p.86
Chapter 6.4 --- A macroscopic view: Bit-string patterns --- p.92
Chapter 6.4.1 --- The history space --- p.92
Chapter 6.4.2 --- Bit-string statistics of different states --- p.94
Chapter 6.5 --- The (max = 1 states --- p.97
Chapter 6.5.1 --- Values of wm3iX --- p.97
Chapter 6.5.2 --- "Strategy ranking evolvement: ni, (w)" --- p.101
Chapter 6.5.3 --- Substates . --- p.105
Chapter 7 --- B-A-R model : Formalism --- p.108
Chapter 7.1 --- Resource level at transitions of Cmax = 0 state --- p.108
Chapter 7.2 --- Resource levels at transitions of Cmax 二 1 states --- p.109
Chapter 7.2.1 --- Method --- p.109
Chapter 7.2.2 --- Lmin for upper substate --- p.110
Chapter 7.2.3 --- Lmin for lower substate --- p.113
Chapter 7.3 --- Discussion --- p.116
Chapter 8 --- B-A-R model : Statistics --- p.121
Chapter 8.1 --- Problem --- p.121
Chapter 8.2 --- Bit-string statistics --- p.122
Chapter 8.2.1 --- Allowed transitions --- p.122
Chapter 8.2.2 --- Grouping the history space --- p.122
Chapter 8.2.3 --- "Grouping the states, Cmax" --- p.127
Chapter 8.2.4 --- "Labelling each state, /(C)" --- p.129
Chapter 8.3 --- Discussion --- p.130
Chapter III --- Networked games --- p.131
Chapter 9 --- Networked minority game --- p.132
Chapter 9.1 --- Model --- p.132
Chapter 9.2 --- Preliminary results: Agents' success rates --- p.133
Chapter 9.3 --- Ranking the strategies --- p.135
Chapter 9.3.1 --- Ranking pattern --- p.136
Chapter 9.3.2 --- Fraction of strategies in each rank --- p.140
Chapter 9.4 --- Number of agents using a best strategy belonging to rank r --- p.141
Chapter 9.4.1 --- Unconnected population --- p.141
Chapter 9.4.2 --- Networked population . --- p.142
Chapter 9.5 --- Application: Mean success rate --- p.143
Chapter 9.6 --- Mean success rate of agents with degree k --- p.147
Chapter 9.7 --- Application in other networks --- p.149
Chapter 9.8 --- Discussion --- p.151
Chapter 10 --- Interacting agents: Networked B-A-R model --- p.154
Chapter 10.1 --- Model --- p.154
Chapter 10.2 --- The quasi-Eulerian state (wmax = 1/2 state) --- p.155
Chapter 10.3 --- The emergent states --- p.159
Chapter 10.3.1 --- General results --- p.159
Chapter 10.3.2 --- The Cmax = 0 state --- p.160
Chapter 10.3.3 --- The Cmax = 1 state --- p.161
Chapter 10.4 --- Discussion --- p.162
Chapter IV --- Conclusion --- p.164
Chapter 11 --- Conclusion --- p.165
Chapter V --- Appendices --- p.172
Chapter A --- List of symbols --- p.173
Chapter A.1 --- Networks --- p.173
Chapter A.2 --- Games --- p.174
Chapter A.3 --- Networked games --- p.176
Chapter B --- Distance distribution in classical random graphs --- p.177
Chapter B.1 --- Method --- p.177
Chapter B.2 --- Distance distribution --- p.177
Chapter B.3 --- Behaviour at small L --- p.178
Chapter B.4 --- Behaviour at large L --- p.179
Chapter C --- Co-ordination number in infinite hypercubic lattice --- p.181
Chapter C.1 --- Method --- p.181
Chapter C.1.1 --- ID lattice --- p.181
Chapter C.1.2 --- 2D square lattice --- p.182
Chapter C.1.3 --- Higher dimension hypercubic lattices --- p.183
Chapter C.2 --- Coefficients --- p.185
Chapter D --- Connectivity distribution in fitness-BA hybrid model --- p.187
Chapter D.1 --- Mean field approach --- p.187
Chapter D.2 --- Connectivity distribution --- p.188
Chapter D.3 --- Power-law exponent --- p.190
Bibliography --- p.191

Chan King Pak Keven = 競爭性系統個體模型中的策略動態、決策及整體表現 / 陳景柏.
Thesis submitted in: August 2005.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves vii-viii (4th gp.)).
Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese.
Chan King Pak Keven = Jing zheng xing xi tong ge ti mo xing zhong de ce lüe dong tai, jue ce ji zheng ti biao xian / Chen Jingbo.
Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1
Chapter 2 --- Review on the Minority Game --- p.5
Chapter 2.1 --- Background --- p.5
Chapter 2.2 --- Model of MG --- p.6
Chapter 2.3 --- Features --- p.7
Chapter 2.3.1 --- Phase Transition --- p.7
Chapter 2.3.2 --- Inefficient and Efficient Phase --- p.8
Chapter 2.3.3 --- Anti-persistence --- p.9
Chapter 2.3.4 --- Data Collapse --- p.10
Chapter 2.4 --- Existing Theories --- p.10
Chapter 2.4.1 --- Reduced Strategy Space --- p.11
Chapter 2.4.2 --- The Crowd-Anticrowd Theory --- p.12
Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.13
Chapter 3 --- Introduction to Strategy Ranking Theory --- p.15
Chapter 3.1 --- Strategy Ranking Theory for Mean Success Rate --- p.15
Chapter 3.1.1 --- Time evolution of Virtual Point Ranking --- p.15
Chapter 3.1.2 --- Winning Probability for m = 1 --- p.17
Chapter 3.2 --- Calculation of Mean Success Rate --- p.21
Chapter 3.3 --- "Size Dependence of weυen(K) (""Market Impact"" Effect)" --- p.23
Chapter 3.4 --- Size Dependence of wodd、K) (Uneven Distribution of Agents into Split Ranks) --- p.25
Chapter 4 --- Implementation of Strategy Ranking Theory --- p.30
Chapter 4.1 --- Feature of wodd(k) for higher m --- p.30
Chapter 4.2 --- Derivation of wodd(k) from Strategy Ranking Theory --- p.32
Chapter 4.3 --- Proof of Eq. (4.14) --- p.36
Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion on wodd(k) --- p.41
Chapter 4.4.1 --- Asymptotic Behavior of wodd(k) --- p.42
Chapter 4.4.2 --- Finite size correction of wodd(k) --- p.43
Chapter 5 --- Applications of Strategy Ranking Theory --- p.46
Chapter 5.1 --- Probability Density Function of Agents Making a Particular Choice --- p.46
Chapter 5.1.1 --- Odd time steps： k = 1 --- p.47
Chapter 5.1.2 --- Odd time steps： k = 2 --- p.48
Chapter 5.1.3 --- "Rodd,K" --- p.49
Chapter 5.1.4 --- Even time steps --- p.51
Chapter 5.1.5 --- Overall Attendance Distribution --- p.51
Chapter 5.2 --- The Variance of the Attendance --- p.52
Chapter 5.2.1 --- Asymptotic behavior of the variance --- p.54
Chapter 5.3 --- Anti-persistent Nature of Efficient Phase of MG --- p.55
Chapter 5.4 --- Summary --- p.58
Chapter 6 --- Strategy Ranking Theory and Crowd-Anticrowd Theory --- p.59
Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.59
Chapter 6.1.1 --- Strategy Ranking Theory --- p.60
Chapter 6.1.2 --- Crowd-Anticrowd Theory --- p.61
Chapter 6.2 --- Crowd-Anticrowd Theory with Ranking Patterns Characterized by k --- p.63
Chapter 6.3 --- Variance: Crowd-Anticrowd Theory --- p.65
Chapter 6.3.1 --- m = 1 --- p.65
Chapter 6.3.2 --- m = 2 --- p.66
Chapter 6.4 --- Variance： Modified Crowd-Anticrowd Theory for m̐ơح 1 --- p.66
Chapter 6.4.1 --- k = 0 --- p.67
Chapter 6.4.2 --- k = 1 --- p.67
Chapter 6.4.3 --- k = 2 --- p.67
Chapter 6.4.4 --- Sum over all k --- p.68
Chapter 6.5 --- Variance: Modified Crowd-Ant icrowd Theory for m=2 --- p.68
Chapter 6.5.1 --- k = 3 --- p.69
Chapter 6.5.2 --- k = 4 --- p.70
Chapter 6.5.3 --- Sum over all k --- p.71
Chapter 6.6 --- "Strategy Ranking Theory Expressed in (Nkl-Nk,(l)" --- p.71
Chapter 6.7 --- Summary --- p.73
Chapter 7 --- Variance of the Attendance in MG: Data Collapse --- p.75
Chapter 7.1 --- Previous Studies --- p.75
Chapter 7.2 --- Attempt 1 --- p.76
Chapter 7.2.1 --- Understanding from the Existing Theories --- p.76
Chapter 7.2.2 --- Numerical Results --- p.79
Chapter 7.3 --- Attempt 2 --- p.80
Chapter 7.3.1 --- Modification Based on αc ß 1/2 --- p.81
Chapter 7.3.2 --- Numerical Results --- p.81
Chapter 7.4 --- Summary --- p.82
Chapter 8 --- Minority Game in Networked Population --- p.83
Chapter 8.1 --- Introduction --- p.83
Chapter 8.2 --- Model --- p.84
Chapter 8.3 --- Numerical Results --- p.85
Chapter 8.4 --- Classification of Predictors --- p.86
Chapter 8.4.1 --- Major Classification of Predictors - Hamming Distance D --- p.87
Chapter 8.4.2 --- "Minor Classification of Predictors - Dynamical Ranking (k,1)" --- p.88
Chapter 8.4.3 --- "Using the Classification (k,l, D)" --- p.89
Chapter 8.5 --- "Winning Probability of a Predictor (wk,l,d)" --- p.89
Chapter 8.5.1 --- "Odd Steps, k = 1" --- p.90
Chapter 8.5.2 --- "Odd Steps, k = 2" --- p.91
Chapter 8.6 --- Number of Predictors --- p.93
Chapter 8.7 --- Mean Success Rate of Non-networked MG： m = 1 --- p.93
Chapter 8.8 --- "Cluster Size of a Predictor (sk,l,D)" --- p.95
Chapter 8.9 --- Mean Success Rate of Networked MG --- p.97
Chapter 8.9.1 --- With wK(even)=0.5 --- p.97
Chapter 8.9.2 --- "Modification of wK(even) Using skl,D" --- p.98
Chapter 8.9.3 --- Modification of Using Modified wK(even) --- p.100
Chapter 8.10 --- Variance of the Attendance in Networked MG --- p.101
Chapter 8.11 --- Attendance Distribution --- p.103
Chapter 8.12 --- A Network-type Independent Approach --- p.104
Chapter 8.12.1 --- Degree Depending Success Rate --- p.104
Chapter 8.12.2 --- Evaluating w(k) --- p.107
Chapter 8.12.3 --- Application on Random Graph as Underlying Network --- p.108
Chapter 8.13 --- The Position of the Minimum Variance --- p.108
Chapter 8.14 --- Summary --- p.110
Chapter 9 --- Conclusion --- p.111
Bibliography --- p.115

MPhilPH
Female tubal sterilisation, often referred to as "tubal ligation" but more often performed these days using laparoscopically-applied metal clips, remains a popular form of contraception in women who have completed their families. A review of the literature on the incidence of failure of tubal sterilisation found many reports of case-series and small clinic-based studies, but only a few larger studies with good epidemiological designs, most recently the US CREST study conducted during the 1980s and early 1990s. The CREST study reported a conditional (life-table) cumulative incidence of failure of 0.55, 0.84, 1.18 and 1.85 per 100 women at 1, 2, 4 and 10 years of follow-up respectively. The study described here estimated a lower bound for the incidence of tubal sterilisation failure in NSW by probabilistically linking routinely-collected hospital admission records for women undergoing sterilisation surgery to hospital admission records for the same women which were indicative of subsequent conception or which represented censoring events such as hysterectomy or death in hospital. Data for the period July 1992 to June 2000 were used. Kaplan-Meier and proportional-hazards survival analyses were performed on the resulting linked data set. The conditional cumulative incidence per 100 women at 1, 2 4 and 8 years of follow-up was estimated to be 0.74 (95% CI 0.68-0.81), 1.05 (0.97-1.13), 1.33 (1.23-1.42) and 1.51 (1.39-1.62) respectively. Forty percent of failures ended in abortion and 14% presented as ectopic pregnancies. Age, private health insurance status and sterilisation in a smaller hospital were all found to be associated with lower rates of failure. Strong evidence of time-limited excess numbers of failures in women undergoing surgery in particular hospitals was also found. The study demonstrates the feasibility of using linked, routinely-collected health data to evaluate relatively rare, long-term outcomes such as sterilisation failure on a population-wide basis.