Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shared decision-making in palliative care: A systematic mixed studies review using narrative synthesis

The aim of this study is to synthesize knowledge about the process of shared decision-making (SDM) in palliative care. Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Web of Science were searched with core concepts: shared decisions, patient participation in decision-making, and palliative care. Titles and abstracts were screened according to inclusion criteria (original research, adult patients, Western contexts, decision-making, palliative treatment or setting), yielding 37 articles for analysis. A narrative synthesis was created using the methods of thematic analysis, conceptual mapping, and critical reflection on the synthesis process. Results demonstrate that while a majority of patients want to participate in treatment decisions to some extent, most do not achieve their preferred levels of involvement because decisions are delayed and alternative treatment options are seldom discussed. The literature regarding the process of SDM itself remains scarce in palliative care. Further research is needed in order to better understand the longitudinal, interactive, and interdisciplinary process of decision-making in palliative care.
Improving Component Substitution Pansharpening Through Multivariate Regression of MS $+$Pan Data

In this paper, multivariate regression is adopted to improve spectral quality, without diminishing spatial quality, in image fusion methods based on the well-established component substitution (CS) approach. A general scheme that is capable of modeling any CS image fusion method is presented and discussed. According to this scheme, a generalized intensity component is defined as the weighted average of the multispectral (MS) bands. The weights are obtained as regression coefficients between the MS bands and the spatially degraded panchromatic (Pan) image, with the aim of capturing the spectral responses of the sensors. Once it has been integrated into the Gram-Schmidt spectral-sharpening method, which is implemented in environment for visualizing images (ENVI) program, and into the generalized intensity-hue-saturation fusion method, the proposed preprocessing module allows the production of fused images of the same spatial sharpness but of increased spectral quality with respect to the standard implementations. In addition, quantitative scores carried out on spatially degraded data clearly confirm the superiority of the enhanced methods over their baselines.
Progressive impairment of cerebellar mGluR signalling and its therapeutic potential for cerebellar ataxia in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 model mice

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by a gene defect, leading to movement disorder such as cerebellar ataxia. It remains largely unknown which functional defect contributes to the cerebellar ataxic phenotype in SCA1. In this study, we report progressive dysfunction of metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) signalling, which leads to smaller slow synaptic responses, reduced dendritic Ca2+ signals and impaired synaptic plasticity at cerebellar synapses, in the early disease stage of SCA1 model mice. We also show that enhancement of mGluR signalling by a clinically available drug, baclofen, leads to improvement of motor performance in SCA1 mice. SCA1 is an incurable disease with no effective treatment, and our results may provide mechanistic grounds for targeting mGluRs and a novel drug therapy with baclofen to treat SCA1 patients in the future.
Density Forecasts of Polish Industrial Production: a Probabilistic Perspective on Business Cycle Fluctuations

Current approaches used in empirical macroeconomic analyses use the probabilistic setup and focus on evaluation of uncertainties and risks, also with respect to future business cycle fluctuations. Therefore, forecast-based business conditions indicators should be constructed using not just point forecasts, but rather density forecasts. The latter represent whole predictive distribution and provide relevant description of forecast uncertainty.We discuss a problem of model-based probabilistic inference on business cycle conditions in Poland. In particular we consider a model choice problem for density forecasts of Polish monthly industrial production index and its selected sub-indices. Based on the results we develop indicators of future economic conditions constructed using probabilistic information on future values of the index. In order to develop a relevant model class we make use of univariate Dynamic Conditional Score models with Bayesian inference methods. We assume that the conditional distribution is of the generalized t form in order to allow for heavy tails. Another group of models under consideration relies on the idea of business cycle modelling using the Flexible Fourier Form. We compare performance of alternative models based on ex-post evaluation of density forecasting accuracy using such criteria as Log-Predictive Score (LPS) and Continuous Ranked Probability Score (CRPS). The assessment of density forecasting performance for Polish industrial production index turns out to be difficult since it depends on the choice of verification window. The pre-2013 data supports the deterministic cycle model whereas more recent observations can be explained by a very simple mean-reverting Gaussian AR(4) process. This provides an indirect evidence indicating the change of pattern of Polish business cycle fluctuations after 2013. A probabilistic indicator of business conditions is also sensitive to details of its construction. The results suggest application of forecast pooling strategies as a goal for further research.
Effects of d-amphetamine upon psychosocial stress responses

Psychostimulant drugs alter the salience of stimuli in both laboratory animals and humans. In animals, stimulants increase rates of responding to conditioned incentive stimuli, and in humans, amphetamine increases positive ratings of emotional images. However, the effects of stimulants on real-life emotional events have not been studied in humans. In this study, we examined the effect of d-amphetamine on responses to acute psychosocial stress using a public speaking task. Healthy volunteers (N=56) participated in two experimental sessions, one with a psychosocial stressor (the Trier Social Stress Test) and one with a non-stressful control task. They were randomly assigned to receive d-amphetamine (5 mg n=18, 10 mg n=20) or placebo (n=18) on both sessions under double blind conditions. Salivary cortisol, subjective mood, and vital signs were measured at regular intervals during the session. Subjects also provided cognitive appraisals of the tasks before and after their performances. Amphetamine produced its expected mood and physiological effects, and the Trier Social Stress Test produced its expected effects on cortisol and mood. Although neither dose of amphetamine altered cardiovascular or hormonal responses to stress, amphetamine (10 mg) increased participants’ pre-task appraisals of how challenging the task would be, and it increased post-task ratings of self-efficacy. Paradoxically, it also increased ratings of how stressful the task was, and prolonged aversive emotional responses. These findings suggest that amphetamine differentially affects stress response components: it may increase participants’ appraisals of self-efficacy without dampening the direct emotional or physiological responses to the stress.
Dual band metamaterial antenna with loaded resonators

In this paper, a dual band metamaterial antenna is presented. The antenna consists of complementary split ring resonator (CSRR), slotted capacitor loaded strip (SCLS) and a via. The CSRR and SCLS enable the resonance frequency at 5.33 GHz and 2.39 GHz respectively for the dual band operation. The overall size of the antenna is 0. 53λo × 0. 52λo × 0. 023λo (36 mm × 35 mm × 1.52 mm) at 2.39 GHz. The peak realized gains of 4.17 dBi and 2.2 dBi are obtained at 5.33 GHz and 2.39 GHz respectively. Simulated and measured reflection coefficient are presented and discussed.
Discouraging trends in reproductive health service use among adolescent and young adult women in the USA, 2002-2008.

BACKGROUND To investigate reproductive health service use by young women in the USA between 2002 and 2008. METHODS Using data from two waves of The National Survey of Family Growth, we investigated reproductive health service utilization among women aged 15-24 years (2002 n=2157; 2006-2008 n=2264). Descriptive and univariate statistics and multivariate regression models were employed to describe types of reproductive health services used and compare service use across years. Analyses focused on questions regarding specific recent use of reproductive health services (within the previous 12 months). RESULTS Over half the pooled sample (n=4421) reported lifetime family planning clinic (58%) and recent reproductive health service (59%) use, including contraceptive (48%), gynecological exam (47%) and counseling (37%) services. Lifetime family planning service use declined by 15% from 2002 to 2008 (P<0.001) and recent reproductive health service use by 8% (P=0.01), including gynecological exam (8%, P= 0.03) and contraceptive (6%, P= 0.02) services. By 2006-2008, women were less likely to use reproductive health and contraceptive services than in 2002 [odds ratio (OR) 0.6, confidence interval (CI) 0.5, 0.8, P< 0.001 and OR 0.7, CI 0.6, 0.9, P= 0.005, respectively]. Trends were similar but smaller in magnitude among the sexually experienced women, with a 5% decline in both reproductive health (OR 0.7, CI 0.6, 1.0, P= 0.02) and contraceptive (OR 0.8, CI 0.6, 1.0, P= 0.03) service use. CONCLUSIONS Reproductive health service use among young women in the USA has declined over the past decade. Public health and policy strategies are needed to promote service use, ultimately to improve reproductive health outcomes.
Intralesional immunotherapy for melanoma

Intralesional immunotherapy of melanoma has two complementary aims. One is to cause regression of the injected metastasis. The other is to incite or modulate systemic immune responses in such a way that non‐injected metastases will also undergo regression. A number of phase 1 and phase II studies with cytokines, viral, or bacterial agents have been conducted but their use has remained sporadic and has not progressed to become established treatments. Two treatments have progressed to randomized phase III studies. The most promising of these is based on intralesional injection of a genetically modified herpes simplex virus (HSV) (T‐Vec). Initial results have shown a significant effect on durable response rates (DRR) but effects on overall survival remain under study. The second involved injection of plasmids coding for the HLA B7 antigen (Allovectin). Despite encouraging early results the treatment did not reach its endpoints and its use has been discontinued. A phase II study involving intralesional injection of oncolytic A21 coxsackie virus (Cavatak) is also under way and is showing promise. J. Surg. Oncol. 2014 109:320–326. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Triple Band Frequency Selective Surface Design for GSM Systems by Utilizing a Novel Synthetic Resonator

In this communication, a novel triple band frequency selective surface (FSS) designed for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMs) frequency bands is presented. Unit cell of the proposed FSS consists of one rectangular-shaped resonator designed for 942 MHz and one synthetic resonator designed for both of 1842 and 2142 MHz frequencies. A novel technique is introduced to design a synthetic resonator in which two loop-shaped resonators intersect to each other resulting a unique resonator operating at two frequencies. The proposed design has the advantages of separating two very closely spaced frequency bands as in GSM systems with a narrow notch between the two frequencies of 1842 and 2142 MHz. Furthermore, a very low-frequency response sensitivity to the oblique incidence angles is achieved by using a miniaturized single synthetic resonator for the two frequencies in a single layer. Good agreement is observed between the measured and simulated results. A minimum of 20-dB attenuation for the transmission coefficient is achieved in all downlink frequency ranges of GSM system with a good stability against the oblique angle of incidence for both transverse-electric and transverse-magnetic polarizations.
Registration-assisted segmentation of real-time 3-D echocardiographic data using deformable models

Real-time three-dimensional (3-D) echocardiography is a new imaging modality that presents the unique opportunity to visualize the complex 3-D shape and motion of the left ventricle (LV) in vivo and to measure the associated global and local function parameters. To take advantage of this opportunity in routine clinical practice, automatic segmentation of the LV in the 3-D echocardiographic data, usually hundreds of megabytes large, is essential. We report a new segmentation algorithm for this task. Our algorithm has two distinct stages, initialization of a deformable model and its refinement, which are connected by a dual "voxel + wiremesh" template. In the first stage, mutual-information-based registration of the voxel template with the image to be segmented helps initialize the wiremesh template. In the second stage, the wiremesh is refined iteratively under the influence of external and internal forces. The internal forces have been customized to preserve the nonsymmetric shape of the wiremesh template in the absence of external forces, defined using the gradient vector flow approach. The algorithm was validated against expert-defined segmentation and demonstrated acceptable accuracy. Our segmentation algorithm is fully automatic and has the potential to be used clinically together with real-time 3-D echocardiography for improved cardiovascular disease diagnosis.
Can the CRRA-Lognormal Framework Explain CAPM-Anomalies in the Cross-Section of Stock Returns?

A large number of empirical studies find evidence for systematic deviations from the CAPM. The CAPM tends to understate the returns on low-beta stocks and overstate the returns on high-beta stocks, which means that the security market line is too steep. Other well-documented anomalies are the size premium and the value premium. The CAPM is a special case of the consumption-based CAPM. This study addresses the question whether the consumption-based CAPM with constant relative risk aversion preferences can explain CAPM-anomalies. An example of an economy with power utility and lognormal returns is examined that can be solved in closed form. The model leads to a security market line that is flatter than in the CAPM and generates a size and a value premium. The comparative statics suggest that cross-sectional anomalies and the equity premium puzzle are of a very similar nature.
Enhanced in Vivo Efficacy of a Type I Interferon Superagonist with Extended Plasma Half-life in a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis*

Background: IFNβ constitutes an approved drug to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), but it has limited efficacy. Results: A modified human IFN variant, which exhibits both superagonist properties and 10-fold increased lifespan, outperforms IFNβ in an animal MS model. Conclusion: This drug candidate has potential to supersede IFNβ for the treatment of MS. Significance: Protein engineering allows development of more effective drugs to treat autoimmune diseases. IFNβ is a common therapeutic option to treat multiple sclerosis. It is unique among the family of type I IFNs in that it binds to the interferon receptors with high affinity, conferring exceptional biological properties. We have previously reported the generation of an interferon superagonist (dubbed YNSα8) that is built on the backbone of a low affinity IFNα but modified to exhibit higher receptor affinity than even for IFNβ. Here, YNSα8 was fused with a 600-residue hydrophilic, unstructured N-terminal polypeptide chain comprising proline, alanine, and serine (PAS) to prolong its plasma half-life via “PASylation. ” PAS-YNSα8 exhibited a 10-fold increased half-life in both pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic assays in a transgenic mouse model harboring the human receptors, notably without any detectable loss in biological potency or bioavailability. This long-lived superagonist conferred significantly improved protection from MOG35–55-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis compared with IFNβ, despite being injected with a 4-fold less frequency and at an overall 16-fold lower dosage. These data were corroborated by FACS measurements showing a decrease of CD11b+/CD45hi myeloid lineage cells detectable in the CNS, as well as a decrease in IBA+ cells in spinal cord sections determined by immunohistochemistry for PAS-YNSα8-treated animals. Importantly, PAS-YNSα8 did not induce antibodies upon repeated administration, and its biological efficacy remained unchanged after 21 days of treatment. A striking correlation between increased levels of CD274 (PD-L1) transcripts from spleen-derived CD4+ cells and improved clinical response to autoimmune encephalomyelitis was observed, indicating that, at least in this mouse model of multiple sclerosis, CD274 may serve as a biomarker to predict the effectiveness of IFN therapy to treat this complex disease.
Review of wireless charging coupler for electric vehicles

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in electric vehicles. However they are still not a major choice for the consumer. This is probably due to many reasons including price and driving range, which is largely due the limitations of current battery technology and the speed with which they can be charged. Wireless charging systems have shown potential for electric vehicle charging. They are convenient, safe when compared to traditional plug-in charging systems. Wireless charging can help reducing electric vehicle pricing if it is done during travel because this will minimize the required battery storage on board. However wireless charging is still limited by the wireless coupler - they currently have low transfer efficiency. This paper presents a state-of-the-art literature review on the recent advancements in charging coupler design.
POLICY RELATED TO HEALTH PROMOTION AT CHIANG MAI UNIVERSITY: ADMINISTRATOR VIEWS

Objective A descriptive study was conducted to explore the health promotion characteristics of Chiang Mai University (CMU) in five action means: building healthy public policy, creating supportive environment, strengthening community action, developing personal skills, and reorienting health services. Methods All participants were powerful administrators at CMU. A semi-structured in-depth interview using an interview guide developed for this research obtained data from 8 informants. Data were collected during April-June, 2004 and were analyzed using deductive content analysis. Results Health promotion actions were discovered under the five action means of the Ottawa Charter. (1) The majority of the data were assigned to the theme of ‘building a healthy public policy’, which related to the physical environment, sport and recreation, and management. This manuscript is a report of the findings related to the first action means. Most of the data were under ‘the physical environment, which related to physical environment management and its improvement. ‘Sport and recreation policy’ encompassed policies promoting sport and recreation projects or activities for personnel and students, and policies to establish, provide, or improve the facilities needed for sport and recreation. Three categories in support of ‘management’ included change management, financial management, and regulations that support health. Conclusion. CMU has developed a number of innovative policies that are promoting health implicitly for its population, even though its policy is not explicit about health promotion. The evidence at this university demonstrates its policies aligned with the first action means of the Ottawa Charter. Nonetheless, these policies require further development. Results of the study provide baseline data for future studies and evaluation. Chiang Mai Med Bull 2006;45(2):65-77.
Experience with Surveillance, Perceived Threat of Surveillance, SNS Posting Behavior, and Identity Construction on SNSs: An examination of Chinese college students in the U.S.

Sung-Yeon Park, Advisor This study applied the uses and gratifications (U&G) perspective in order to explore Chinese students’ SNS (Social Networking Site) identity construction in four ways: (1) how Chinese young adults studying in the U.S. use various kinds of SNSs, (2) how their use of SNSs are influenced by the surveillance of the Chinese government, (3) how their experience with and perceived threat of surveillance varies depending on the type of SNS being used, and (4) how their experience with and perceived threat of surveillance are related to their SNS posting behaviors and identify construction on SNSs. This study categorized SNSs by their national origin (Chinese SNSs vs. U.S. SNSs) and by their network openness (open SNSs vs. closed SNSs). Thus, SNSs were assigned to one of the four categories: (1) Chinese open SNSs, (2) Chinese closed SNSs, (3) U.S. open SNSs, and (4) U.S. closed SNSs. 169 Chinese students attending colleges in the U.S. participated in a survey for this study. They were asked about their experience with and perceived threat of surveillance, posting behaviors, and identify construction on the four different types of SNSs. This study found that Chinese students in the U.S. have different experiences and perceptions of surveillance depending on the type of SNS they use. This study also found that the different level of surveillance experience and perceived threat of surveillance were related to different SNS posting behaviors and identity construction strategies. Implications of these findings are discussed, and limitations and opportunities for future research are addressed.
Chinese Bond Risk Premia

Considering the Chinese and U.S. bond risk premia jointly, we find that n-year bond excess return can be forecast by n-year forward rate, rather than forward spread, during 03/2006-12/2016 with R^2s up to 51% and 48%, which means that expectations hypothesis fails in these two markets. Based on a seminal one-factor model introduced by Cochrane and Piazzesi (2005), we develop a two-factor model forecasting excess returns with R^2 up to 63%. The two-factor model outperforms the one-factor model, measured by Generalized Method of Moments and Wald tests. An affine model shows that the state variables dynamics and risk attitude structures in the U.S. bond market change radically in last decade.