Gradient boosting based estimates for trigger efficiency in the CMS experiment

The Standard Model of particle physics describes the nature of fundamental physics, and it is so far the most precise theory regarding this topic. All the particles predicted by this theory have been experimentally discovered, with the Higgs boson being the latest in 2012. The Standard Model, however, cannot explain some of the known phenomena, such as the dark matter or the asymmetry between matter and antimatter, and therefore studies regarding extended versions of the Standard Model are being conducted. The European Organization for Nuclear Physics (CERN) operates the world's leading particle physics laboratory. This thesis is conducted in the context of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment, which is one of the four main experiments in CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The particle beams accelerated in the LHC collide inside the CMS nearly 40 million times per second, meaning that the amount of data these collisions produce would be impossible to save in its entirety. This is why the CMS implements a trigger system, which is used to discard the majority of the collision events, while still keeping the most interesting ones. In this thesis, a new method for measuring the trigger efficiency using a gradient boosting algorithm is presented. Trigger efficiency measures how well the trigger is able to select the events it is supposed to select, and it is defined as the ratio between the events the trigger accepted and all of the events it is supposed to accept. In many ongoing analyses in the CMS, a combination of several trigger algorithms is used, and this may cause complicated relationships between the variables, which the efficiency can be dependent on. These dependencies are difficult to estimate using traditional trigger efficiency measurement methods, so this new method targets these cases, where the efficiency can depend on several partially correlated variables. This method is developed using data and simulation samples from two ongoing analyses in the CMS: a boosted Higgs boson pair production analysis, and a charged Higgs boson search.Hiukkasfysiikan standardimalli kuvaa perusvuorovaikutusten ja alkeishiukkasten luonnetta, ja se on toistaiseksi tarkin teoria kyseisestä aiheesta. Kaikki standardimallin ennustamat hiukkaset on havaittu kokeellisesti, viimeisimpänä Higgsin bosoni vuonna 2012. Standardimalli ei kuitenkaan kykene selittämään joitakin tunnettuja ilmiöitä, kuten pimeää ainetta tai epätasapainoa aineen ja antiaineen välillä, ja tästä syystä tutkitaan myös laajennettuja versioita standardimallista. European Organization for Nuclear Physics (CERN) on maailman johtava hiukkasfysiikan tutkimuslaitos. Tämä tutkielma on toteutettu CMS-koeaseman (engl. Compact Muon Solenoid) kontekstissa. CMS on yksi CERNin suuren hadronitörmäyttimen (engl. Large Hadron Collider, LHC) pääkokeista. LHC-törmäyttimessä kiihdytetyt hiukkaset törmäävät CMS-hiukkasilmaisimessa lähes 40 miljoonaa kertaa sekunnissa johtaen siihen, että näiden törmäysten tuottama datamäärä olisi mahdotonta tallentaa kokonaisuudessaan. Tämän vuoksi CMS-koeasema hyödyntää liipaisujärjestelmää (engl. trigger system), jota käytetään hylkäämään suurin osa törmäystapahtumista säilyttäen silti kaikista kiinnostavimmat tapahtumat. Tässä tutkielmassa esitellään uusi tapa mitata liipaisutehokkuutta (engl. trigger efficiency) käyttämällä gradienttitehostuspohjaista (engl. gradient boosting) algoritmia. Liipaisutehokkuudella mitataan liipaisimen kykyä valita niitä törmäystapahtumia, joita sen on tarkoitus valita, ja liipaisutehokkuus määritellään liipaisimen valitsemien törmäystapahtumien ja kaikkien törmäystapahtumien suhteena. Monissa CMS-koeaseman analyyseissä käytetään useiden liipaisinalgoritmien yhdistelmiä, mikä voi aiheuttaa monimutkaisia suhteita muuttujien välillä, joista myös liipaisutehokkuus voi olla riippuvainen. Nämä riippuvuudet ovat vaikeita arvioida käyttäen perinteisiä liipaisutehokkuuden arviointimenetelmiä, joten tässä tutkielmassa esitelty uusi menetelmä kohdistuu erityisesti näihin tilanteisiin, joissa liipaisutehokkuus voi riippua useista osittain keskenään korreloivista muuttujista. Tämä menetelmä on kehitetty käyttäen dataa ja simulaatiota kahdesta eri CMS-kokeessa käynnissä olevasta analyysistä: kahden korkean liikemäärän Higgsin bosonin tuotannon analyysistä, sekä sähköisesti varatun Higgsin bosonin etsinnästä

Flipped Learning for novices and advanced yarn crafters in Higher Education

We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and critiques. We also thank Ike Laine and Miika Laine for transcribing the interviewsPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Effects of acute lysergic acid diethylamide on intermittent ethanol and sucrose drinking and intracranial self-stimulation in C57BL/6 mice

Background: Psychedelics, like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), are again being studied as potential therapies for many neuropsychiatric disorders, including addictions. At the same time, the acute effects of psychedelics on rewarding behaviours have been scarcely studied. Aims: The current study aimed to clarify if LSD decreases binge-like ethanol drinking in mice, and whether the observed acute effects on ethanol consumption are generalizable to a natural reinforcer, sucrose, and if the effects resulted from aversive or reward-attenuating effects caused by LSD. Methods: The effects of acute LSD were examined using 2-bottle choice intermittent ethanol (20%) and sucrose drinking (10%), discrete-trial current-intensity threshold method of intracranial self-stimulation and short-term feeding behaviour assay in C57BL/6 male mice. Results: The results showed that acute 0.1 mg/kg, but not 0.05 mg/kg, dose (i.p.) of LSD reduced 2-h intermittent ethanol drinking transiently without any prolonged effects. No effects were seen in intermittent 2-h sucrose drinking. The tested LSD doses had neither effect on the intracranial self-stimulation current-intensity thresholds, nor did LSD affect the threshold-lowering, or rewarding, effects of simultaneous amphetamine treatment. Furthermore, LSD had small, acute diminishing effects on 2-h food and water intake. Conclusions: Based on these results, LSD decreases binge-like ethanol drinking in mice, but only acutely. This effect is not likely to stem from reward-attenuating effects but could be in part due to reduced consummatory behaviour.Peer reviewe

A cohort study of 49 933 women with surgically verified endometriosis : Increased incidence of breast cancer below the age of 40

Introduction The association between endometriosis and breast cancer is unclear. We assessed the risk of breast cancer in women with surgically verified endometriosis, with special focus on the age at cancer diagnosis, time from endometriosis diagnosis and breast cancer histology. Material and methods All women with first endometriosis-associated diagnoses occurring concomitantly with relevant surgical codes during 1987-2012 were retrieved from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register in Finland. Breast cancers diagnosed after the endometriosis diagnosis were identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry. The Finnish female population served as the reference. The endometriosis cohort consisted of 49 933 women (23 210 cases of ovarian, 20 187 peritoneal and 2372 deep infiltrating endometriosis). The outcome measure was the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of breast cancer calculated for the whole cohort and for the subtypes of endometriosis, stratified by the age at breast cancer diagnosis, histology and time from endometriosis diagnosis. Results The overall risk of breast cancer (1555 cases) was similar to the reference population (SIR 0.99; 95% CI 0.94-1.03), did not differ in types of endometriosis, and was similar for ductal and lobular breast cancer. However, the SIR of breast cancer was increased in the age group of 20-29 years (SIR 4.44; 95% CI 2.22-7.94) and in the age group of 30-39 years (SIR 1.28; 95% CI 1.03-1.57). The risk of in situ breast cancer (170 cases) was increased in the entire endometriosis cohort (SIR 1.25; 95% CI 1.07-1.44). Conclusions The overall risk of breast cancer in women with surgically verified endometriosis was similar to that of general population. However, the risk of breast cancer at young age was increased. Young women with surgically verified endometriosis represent highly symptomatic patients with more frequent surgeries and additional therapies that might also contribute to the risk of breast cancer.Peer reviewe

Pharmacological and optical activation of TrkB in Parvalbumin interneurons regulate intrinsic states to orchestrate cortical plasticity

Elevated states of brain plasticity typical for critical periods of early postnatal life can be reinstated in the adult brain through interventions, such as antidepressant treatment and environmental enrichment, and induced plasticity may be critical for the antidepressant action. Parvalbumin-positive (PV) interneurons regulate the closure of developmental critical periods and can alternate between high and low plasticity states in response to experience in adulthood. We now show that PV plasticity states and cortical networks are regulated through the activation of TrkB neurotrophin receptors. Visual cortical plasticity induced by fluoxetine, a widely prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant, was lost in mice with reduced expression of TrkB in PV interneurons. Conversely, optogenetic gain-of-function studies revealed that activation of an optically activatable TrkB (optoTrkB) specifically in PV interneurons switches adult cortical networks into a state of elevated plasticity within minutes by decreasing the intrinsic excitability of PV interneurons, recapitulating the effects of fluoxetine. TrkB activation shifted cortical networks towards a low PV configuration, promoting oscillatory synchrony, increased excitatory-inhibitory balance, and ocular dominance plasticity. OptoTrkB activation promotes the phosphorylation of Kv3.1 channels and reduces the expression of Kv3.2 mRNA providing a mechanism for the lower excitability. In addition, decreased expression and puncta of Synaptotagmin2 (Syt2), a presynaptic marker of PV interneurons involved in Ca2+-dependent neurotransmitter release, suggests lower inputs onto pyramidal neurons suppressing feed-forward inhibition. Together, the results provide mechanistic insights into how TrkB activation in PV interneurons orchestrates the activity of cortical networks and mediating antidepressant responses in the adult brain.Peer reviewe

Pelvic organ prolapse after hysterectomy: A 10-year national follow-up study

Introduction: Hysterectomy may have an effect on the pelvic floor. Here, we evaluated the rates and risks for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgeries and visits among women with a history of hysterectomy for benign indication excluding POP.Material and methods: In this retrospective cohort study 3582 women who underwent hysterectomy in 2006 were followed until the end of 2016. The cohort was linked to the Finnish Care Register to catch any prolapse-related diagnoses and operation codes following the hysterectomy. Different hysterectomy approaches were compared according to the risk for a prolapse, including abdominal, laparoscopic, laparoscopic-assisted vaginal and vaginal. The main outcomes were POP surgery and outpatient visit for POP, and Cox regression was used to identify risk factors (hazard ratios [HR]).Results: During the follow-up, 58 women (1.6%) underwent a POP operation, of which a posterior repair was the most common (n = 39, 1.1%). Outpatient visits for POP symptoms occurred in 92 (2.6%) women of which posterior wall prolapses (n = 58, 1.6%) were the most common. History of laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy were associated with risk for POP operation (HR 3.0, p = 0.02), vaginal vault prolapse operation (HR 4.3, p = 0.01) and POP visits (HR 2.2, p Conclusions: Risk for POP operations and outpatient visits for POP symptoms in hysterectomized women without a preceding POP seems to be small at least 10 years after hysterectomy. History of LAVH, vaginal deliveries and concomitant stress urinary incontinence operations increased the risk for POP operations after hysterectomy. These data can be utilized in counseling women considering hysterectomy for benign indication.</p

Minilaparotomically Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy

Endoscopic hysterectomy is increasingly selected as a current trend to minimize invasion, tissue trauma and early recovery. However it has disadvantages of the difficulty to learn and needs expensive equipments. So we developed a new minimally invasive method of vaginal hysterectomy-minilaparotomically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (MAVH) in order to complement the current laparoscopic surgery. The principle of MAVH is based on suprapubic minilaparotomical incision and uterine elevator that allows access and maximal exposure of the pelvic anatomy and an easy approach to the surrounding anatomy enabling division of round ligaments, Fallopian tubes, tuboovarian ligaments, and dissection of bladder peritoneum. After then, the vaginal phase of MAVH is done by the traditional vaginal hysterectomy. We enrolled 75 consecutive cases and in 73 cases thereof MAVH was accomplished successfully. The technique of MAVH is simple and easy to learn and it involves a small incision causing less pain and complications. This practice does not require expensive equipments. MAVH is considered as a safe and effective alternative method for abdominal hysterectomy in most cases

CT-optimal touch modulates alcohol-cue-elicited heart rate variability in Alcohol Use Disorder patients during early abstinence: a randomized controlled study

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic brain disorder associated with a high risk of relapse and a limited treatment efficacy. Relapses may occur even after long periods of abstinence and are often triggered by stress or cue induced alcohol craving. C-tactile afferents (CT) are cutaneous nerve fibers postulated to encode pleasant affective touch and known to modulate physiological stress responses. However, their translational potential has not yet been explored extensively in controlled clinical trials. This randomized controlled study aimed to investigate the potential of CT stimulation in modulating relapse predicting biomarkers, physiological cue-reactivity, and subjective alcohol craving in AUD patients in early abstinence. Twenty-one participants meeting DSM-5 criteria for mild to moderate AUD received CT-optimal touch or a non-CT-optimal control treatment while exposed to neutral, stress-inducing, and alcohol-related visual stimuli. The tactile treatment was provided with a robotic device, eliminating the social elements of touch. Heart rate variability (HRV), salivary cortisol, and subjective craving were assessed at the baseline, during and after the treatment and stimuli exposure. The results showed that CT-optimal touch significantly reduced alcohol-cue-elicited standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) HRV compared to the control group, shifting the HRV reactivity to the direction known to indicate lower relapse susceptibility. Cortisol levels showed no significant differences between the groups, and subjective alcohol craving increased after alcohol cue exposure in both groups. This study found that CT-optimal touch modulates autonomic cue-reactivity in AUD patients, encouraging further research on the therapeutic potential of affective touch. Future research should explore the long-term effects and real-world clinical relevance of CT-optimal touch in alcohol relapse prevention. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gynaecologists estimate and experience laparoscopic hysterectomy as more difficult compared with abdominal hysterectomy

The level of difficulty of various types of hysterectomy differs and may influence the choice of either approach. When surgeons consider one specific approach to hysterectomy as more difficult, they may be reluctant to perform this type of hysterectomy. The main objective of this study was to investigate the potential different levels of difficulty for laparoscopic and abdominal hysterectomy. Furthermore, the accuracy of estimating the level of difficulty was examined. In a randomized controlled trial between laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) and abdominal hysterectomy (AH), gynaecologists were asked to record the preoperatively estimated and postoperatively experienced level of difficulty on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Differences between LH and AH were examined and the correlation between the estimated uterine weight on bimanual palpation and the actual uterine weight was calculated. A difference on the VAS of three points or more (ΔVAS ≥ 3) was considered clinically relevant. In 72 out of 76 cases, both VAS scores were recorded. LH was estimated and experienced as significantly more difficult as compared with AH. In 13 (18%) cases, ΔVAS was ≥3, equally distributed between LH (n = 6) and AH (n = 7). Eleven of these 13 cases had a positive ΔVAS ≥3, meaning that surgery was experienced as more difficult than it was estimated. Surgeon’s estimation of uterine size correlated well with the actual uterine weight. LH is considered as more difficult than AH, which might be a reason for its slow implementation. In a large proportion of cases, gynaecologists seem to be able to estimate the level of difficulty of hysterectomy accurately