Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A CLT for second difference estimators with an application to volatility and intensity

In this paper we introduce a general method for estimating the quadratic covariation of one or more spot parameters processes associated with continuous time semimartingales. This estimator is applicable to a wide range of spot parameter processes, and may also be used to estimate the leverage effect of stochastic volatility models. The estimator we introduce is based on sums of squared increments of second differences of the observed process, and the intervals over which the differences are computed are rolling and overlapping. This latter feature lets us take full advantage of the data, and, by sufficiency considerations, ought to outperform estimators that are only based on one partition of the observational window. The main result of the paper is a central limit theorem for such triangular array rolling quadratic variations. We highlight the wide applicability of this theorem by showcasing how it might be applied to a novel leverage effect estimator. The principal motivation for the present study, however, is that the discrete times at which a continuous time semimartingale is observed might depend on features of the observable process other than its level, such as its (non-observable) spot-volatility process. As the main application of our estimator, we therefore show how it may be used to estimate the quadratic covariation between the spot-volatility process and the intensity process of the observation times, when both of these are taken to be semimartingales. The finite sample properties of this estimator are studied by way of a simulation experiment, and we also apply this estimator in an empirical analysis of the Apple stock. Our analysis of the Apple stock indicates a rather strong correlation between the spot volatility process of the log-prices process and the times at which this stock is traded (hence observed).
Modeling, post COVID-19

Much of the public first learned about epidemiological modeling during the early months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The first models resulted in more confusion than clarity. Even though coronavirus cases were rising exponentially in the United States and Europe, some models predicted a rapid peak followed by a rapid decline, whereas other models predicted cycles of infection continuing over several years. Much has been learned since those early months. In retrospect, it is clear that modeling requires both reliable data and an accurate understanding of how disease spreads, and that the field of epidemiological modeling requires a diversity of approaches. Support for this field must increase and be coordinated, with a designation of responsibilities among funding agencies.
Teacher education policy to improve teacher quality: Substantive reform or just another hurdle?

ABSTRACT Mounting criticism suggests that the recent introduction of a ‘gatekeeping’ test to improve the quality of teachers in Australia—the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE)—has had limited success in achieving its aim. Shaped by a discourse of inputs on how teacher quality might be achieved (‘quality in, quality out’), LANTITE was to address the apparent decline in the quality of Australian teachers by reforming how candidates were being admitted into initial teacher education courses. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of 2,013 LANTITE scores, alongside the qualitative perspectives of 109 final year teacher candidates, to argue that LANTITE does little to change who gains admission into initial teacher education but is instead an ineffective mechanism for improving quality and a costly hurdle for candidates.
Treatment of COVID‐19 patients with the anti‐CD6 antibody itolizumab

COVID‐19 can lead to a hyperinflammatory state. CD6 is a glycoprotein expressed on mature T lymphocytes which is a crucial regulator of the T‐cell activation. Itolizumab is a humanised antibody targeting CD6. Nonclinical and clinical data in autoimmune diseases indicate that it lowers multiple cytokines primarily involving the Th1/Th17 pathway. The primary objective of this study was to assess the impact of itolizumab in arresting the lung function deterioration of COVID‐19 patients. Secondary objectives included safety, duration of ventilation, 14‐day mortality and evaluation of interleukin 6 concentration.
Protecting consumers from collusive prices due to AI

Price-setting algorithms can lead to noncompetitive prices, but the law is ill equipped to stop it The efficacy of a market system is rooted in competition. In striving to attract customers, firms are led to charge lower prices and deliver better products and services. Nothing more fundamentally undermines this process than collusion, when firms agree not to compete with one another and consequently consumers are harmed by higher prices. Collusion is generally condemned by economists and policy-makers and is unlawful in almost all countries. But the increasing delegation of price-setting to algorithms (1) has the potential for opening a back door through which firms could collude lawfully (2). Such algorithmic collusion can occur when artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms learn to adopt collusive pricing rules without human intervention, oversight, or even knowledge. This possibility poses a challenge for policy. To meet this challenge, we propose a direction for policy change and call for computer scientists, economists, and legal scholars to act in concert to operationalize the proposed change.
A T‐cell reporter platform for high‐throughput and reliable investigation of TCR function and biology

Transgenic re‐expression enables unbiased investigation of T‐cell receptor (TCR)‐intrinsic characteristics detached from its original cellular context. Recent advancements in TCR repertoire sequencing and development of protocols for direct cloning of full TCRαβ constructs now facilitate large‐scale transgenic TCR re‐expression. Together, this offers unprecedented opportunities for the screening of TCRs for basic research as well as clinical use. However, the functional characterisation of re‐expressed TCRs is still a complicated and laborious matter. Here, we propose a Jurkat‐based triple parameter TCR signalling reporter endogenous TCR knockout cellular platform (TPRKO) that offers an unbiased, easy read‐out of TCR functionality and facilitates high‐throughput screening approaches.
Investigating Controls on the Formation and Distribution of Wintertime Storage of Water in Supraglacial Lakes

Supraglacial lakes over the Greenland Ice Sheet can demonstrate multi-model drainage states. Lakes can demonstrate incomplete drainage, where residual melt can become buried under ice and snow and survive throughout the winter. We evaluate atmospheric factors that influence the propensity for the formation of buried lakes over the ice sheet. We examine the spatial and temporal occurrence and behavior of buried lakes over the Jakobshavn Isbrae and Zachariae Isstrøm outlet basins and assess the magnitude of insolation necessary to preserve melt water using a numerical lake model from 2009 to 2012. Buried lakes tend to occur at higher elevations within the ablation zone and those present at elevations > 1000 m tend to reoccur over several seasons. Lakes without buried water are relatively small (∼1 km2), whereas lakes with buried water are larger (∼6–10 km2). Lake area is correlated with the number of seasons sub-surface water persists. Buried lakes are relatively deep and associated with complex supraglacial channel networks. Winter stored water could be a precursor to the formation of supraglacial channels. Simulations of the insulation potential of accumulated snow and ice on the surface of lakes indicate substantial regional differences and inter-annual variability. With the possibility of inland migration of supraglacial lakes, buried lakes could be important in the evolution of ablation/percolation zone hydrology.
Monoclonal Antibodies B38 and H4 Produced in Nicotiana benthamiana Neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused by novel zoonotic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was initially reported in Wuhan city, Hubei Province of China, in late December 2019. The rapid global spread of the virus calls for the urgent development of vaccines or therapeutics for human applications to combat the coronavirus infection. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been utilized as effective therapeutics for treating various infectious diseases. In the present study, we evaluated the feasibility of plant expression system for the rapid production of recently identified therapeutically suitable human anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs B38 and H4. Transient co-expression of heavy-chain and light-chain sequences of both the antibodies by using plant expression geminiviral vector resulted in rapid accumulation of assembled mAbs in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves within 4 days post-infiltration. Furthermore, both the mAbs were purified from the plant crude extracts with single-step protein A affinity column chromatography. The expression level of mAb B38 and H4 was estimated to be 4 and 35 μg/g leaf fresh weight, respectively. Both plant-produced mAbs demonstrated specific binding to receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 and exhibited efficient virus neutralization activity in vitro. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of functional anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs produced in plants, which demonstrates the ability of using a plant expression system as a suitable platform for the production of effective, safe, and affordable SARS-CoV-2 mAbs to fight against the spread of this highly infectious pathogen.
Purification et caractérisations physico-chimiques et électriques de silicium d'origine métallurgique destiné à la conversion photovoltaïque

L'elaboration de silicium de qualite solaire par une autre route que la voie chimique semble aujourd'hui prometteuse pour reduire les couts et garantir l'approvisionnement en materiau de la filiere photovoltaique. Un plasma inductif (Ar+H2+O2) couple a un brassage electromagnetique du silicium liquide permet d'extraire une impurete critique : le bore. La comprehension de la volatilisation du bore a ete etudiee via des calculs thermodynamiques sous FACTSAGE ainsi que des analyses chimiques en ligne des gaz de sortie par ICP-OES. L'etude du procede a ete divisee en deux etapes. Le brassage electromagnetique a fait l'objet d'une etude numerique et experimentale. La repartition des especes reactives a la surface a ete etudiee en remplacant le silicium par du graphite afin d'obtenir une image spatiale de la repartition des especes a la surface. L'optimisation du procede a permis d'obtenir un silicium avec une teneur en bore acceptable. Les caracterisations chimiques et electriques du materiau purifie ont revelees une quantite trop elevee d'aluminium, d'oxygene et de phosphore. Toutefois le materiau produit est utilisable par l'industrie, le rendement cellule est superieur a 14% sur la partie p du lingot.
Involvement of activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells in Henoch–Schönlein purpura nephritis

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis/Henoch–Schönlein purpura (IgAV/HSP) is a major cause of vasculitis in children. It is often accompanied by nephritis (HSPN) and could progress to chronic kidney disease. Galactose‐deficient IgA1 was recently reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of HSPN, for which immunosuppressive drugs are considered key treatment. However, the involvement of immune cells in the development of HSPN remains unclear.
How Impactful Is Presentation in Email? The Effect of Avatars and Signatures

A primary well-controlled study of 900 participants found that personal presentation choices in professional emails (non-content changes like Profile Avatar 8 Signature) impact the recipient’s perception of the sender’s personality and the quality of the email itself. By understanding the role these choices play, employees can gain better control over how they influence the recipient of their messages. Results further indicate that although some variations can positively impact the recipient’s view of the sender, these same variations often also have negative side effects. This implies that many seemingly innocuous presentation decisions should be made in the context of who is receiving the email, and if these effects negatively impact the content of the message. For example, although statements in a Signature about the email having been written on a phone are included to preemptively apologize for typing mistakes, this causes the sender to appear less agreeable, less conscientious, and less open, and the email itself appears less well written and more poorly formatted. This is surprising given that the email itself was not changed in the study.
IL-7 During Antigenic Stimulation Using Allogeneic Dendritic Cells Promotes Expansion of CD45RA-CD62L+CD4+ Invariant NKT Cells With Th-2 Biased Cytokine Production Profile

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are innate-like T lymphocytes cells that recognize glycolipid antigens associated with CD1d, non-classical antigen presenting proteins. They can drive either pro-inflammatory (Th-1) or anti-inflammatory (Th-2) immune microenvironment through the production of both Th-1 and Th-2 type cytokines upon activation, thus play a vital role in cancer, infection, and autoimmune diseases. Adoptive cell therapy using ex vivo expanded iNKT cells is a promising approach to enhance anti-tumor immunity or immunosuppression. However, overcoming phenotypic and functional heterogeneity and promoting in vivo persistency of iNKT cells remains to be a challenge. Here, we compared various methods for ex vivo expansion of human iNKT cells and assessed the quality of expansion, phenotype, and cytokine production profile of expanded iNKT cells. While a direct stimulation of iNKT cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells with agonist glycolipid led to the expansion of iNKT cells in varying degrees, stimulation of enriched iNKT cells by irradiated autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells or allogeneic dendritic cells resulted in consistent expansion of highly pure iNKT cells. Interestingly, the mode of antigenic stimulation influenced the dominant subtype of expanded iNKT cells. Further, we evaluated whether additional IL-7 or IL-15 during antigenic stimulation with allogeneic dendritic cells can improve the phenotypic heterogeneity and modify cytokine production profile of iNKT cells expanded from 18 consecutive donors. The presence of IL-7 or IL-15 during antigenic stimulation did not affect the fold of expansion or purity of expanded iNKT cells. However, IL-7, but not IL-15, led to a better expansion of CD4+ iNKT cells, enhanced Th-2 type cytokine production of CD4+ iNKT cells, and maintained the expansion of central memory (CD45RA-CD62L+) CD4+ iNKT cells. Our results suggest the addition of IL-7 during antigenic stimulation with allogeneic dendritic cells can promote the expansion of CD62L+Th-2+CD4+ human iNKT cells that can be used as novel immunotherapeutic to control excessive inflammation to treat various autoimmune diseases.
Xist-seeded nucleation sites form local concentration gradients of silencing proteins to inactivate the X-chromosome

The long non-coding RNA Xist exploits numerous effector proteins to progressively induce gene silencing across the X chromosome and form the inactive X (Xi)-compartment. The mechanism underlying formation of the chromosome-wide Xi-compartment is poorly understood. Here, we find that formation of the Xi-compartment is induced by ∼50 locally confined granules, where two Xist RNA molecules nucleate supra-molecular complexes (SMCs) of interacting proteins. Xist-SMCs are transient structures that concentrate rapidly recycling proteins in the X by increasing protein binding affinity. We find that gene silencing originates at Xist-SMCs and propagates across the entire chromosome over time, achieved by Polycomb-mediated coalescence of chromatin regions and aggregation, via its intrinsically disordered domains, of the critical silencing factor SPEN. Our results suggest a new model for X chromosome inactivation, in which Xist RNA induces macromolecular crowding of heterochromatinizing proteins near distinct sites which ultimately increases their density throughout the chromosome. This mechanism enables deterministic gene silencing without the need for Xist ribonucleoprotein complex-chromatin interactions at each target gene.
Manipulable Object and Human Contact: Preference and Modulation of Emotional States in Weaned Pigs

Enriching the life of farm animals is a legal obligation in intensive farming conditions in the European Union, though not worldwide. In pigs, manipulable materials are mandatory when no bedding is available. Like manipulable objects, positive human interactions might also be considered as enrichment, as they provide the animals with opportunities to interact, increase their activity and lead to positive emotional states. In this study, we investigated how weaned pigs perceived an inanimate manipulable object and a familiar human. After a similar (in length, frequency, and procedure) familiarization to both stimuli, 24 weaned pigs were tested for a potential preference for one of the stimuli and submitted to isolation/reunion tests to evaluate the emotional value of the stimuli. We hypothesized that being reunited with a stimulus would attenuate the stress of social isolation and promote a positive state, especially if the stimulus had a positive emotional value for pigs. Although our behavioral data showed no evidence that pigs spent more time close to, or in contact with, one of the stimuli during a choice test, pigs more often approached the human and were observed lying down only near the human. Using behavioral and bioacoustic data from isolation/reunion tests, we showed that a reunion with the human decreased the time spent in an attentive state and mobility of pigs to a greater extent than a reunion with the object, or isolation. Vocalizations differed between reunions with the object and the human, and were different from those during isolation. The human and object presence led to higher frequency range and more noisy grunts, but only the human led to the production of positive shorter grunts, usually associated with positive situations. In conclusion, pigs seemed to be in a more positive emotional state, or be reassured, in the presence of a familiar human compared to the object after a short period of social isolation. This confirms the potential need for positive pseudo-social interactions with a human to enrich the pigs' environment, at least in or after potentially stressful situations.
Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials With Enzyme-Like Properties for Biomedical Applications

Recently, remarkable progress has been made in nanozyme research due to the rapid development of nanomaterials. Two-dimensional nanomaterials such as metal nanosheets, graphene-based materials, transition metal oxides/dichalcogenides, etc., provide enhanced physical and chemical functionality owing to their ultrathin structures, high surface-to-volume ratios, and surface charges. They have also been found to have high catalytic activities in terms of natural enzymes such as peroxidase, oxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. This review provides an overview of the recent progress of nanozymes based on two-dimensional nanomaterials, with an emphasis on their synthetic strategies, hybridization, catalytic properties, and biomedical applications. Finally, the future challenges and prospects for this research are discussed.
Study on The Potential Application of Water Hyacinth as An Organic Corrosion Inhibitor

Alloy and iron are examples of metals that commonly used as building materials and industrial purposes. Although they are strong materials, they are extremely corrosion prone. One of the methods for shielding metals from oxidation is the use of inhibitors. Although the synthetic corrosion inhibitors are highly efficient, due to their costs and dangerous environmental impacts, they cannot always be used for corrosion inhibition purposes. Therefore, in recent years, researchers based their works on green inhibitors of corrosion. This work was focused on the potential utilization of water hyacinth (WH) as a green corrosion inhibitor. The result of this work shows that the highest inhibition efficiency of WH extract is 65.3% in tap water and 47.1% in sodium chloride solution, when applied to SS400 metal. However, with the addition of an appropriate dose of gum Arabic (GA), the inhibition efficiency can be increased significantly. The highest inhibition efficiency of the WH and GA mixture is 71.08% in hydrochloric acid 32% solution after 3 days of immersion and 79.75% in sodium chloride 3.5% after 4 days of immersion.
Developing Digital Wallet Services in Indonesia: A Multigeneration Perspective

Digital Wallet is growing rapidly in the last 5 years. This study aims to identify the influencing factors user intentions to use and recommend digital wallets based on a multi-generation preference perspective. 205 respondent's data obtained by filling in an online form at Google form. This study is using the Partial Least Square (PLS) method using SMARTPLS 3 software, the results of data analysis show in Generation X, Perceived ease of use, Perceived Usefulness, Compatibility, and Trust positively influence Intention to Use. factors that influence intention to use in generation Y are Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Behavioral Control, and Trust. Factors that influence generation Z are Perceived Ease of Use, and Perceived Usefulness. Based on these results, 10 strategic recommendations were proposed. Based on the TOPSIS method and importance-performance analysis, the best strategy for generation X is the compatibility of digital wallet to the payment of transportation services, while in generation Y and generation Z The priority strategy is campaigning the uses of the wallet digital. In general, strategies that have high priority are those related to conformity with public transportation payments, campaigns about the use of digital wallets, the conciseness of digital wallet applications, and the completeness of bill payment services.
Oxytocin promotes convergence in personality between members of a monogamous pair

Social context is critical in shaping behavioral responses to stimuli and can alter an individual’s behavioral type, which would otherwise be fixed in social isolation. For monogamous biparental vertebrates, social context is critical as interactions are frequent and consistent, involving high interindividual dependence and cooperation that can lead to large fitness impacts. We demonstrate that in the strictly monogamous and highly territorial California mouse, individuals alter approach response to an aggressive conspecific playback stimulus, barks, to become more similar to their partner during early bonding prior to pup birth; an effect distinct from assortative mating. Additionally, sustained vocalizations, an affiliative ultrasonic vocalization when used between members of a pair, are associated with increased behavioral convergence following pair formation suggesting a vocal communication role in emergent pair behavior. We identified the neuropeptide oxytocin as sufficient to promote behavioral convergence in paired individuals who differed in their initial behavioral type, as characterized by approach behavior. Social context, specifically pair-bonding, appears vital for behavioral responses to aggressive signals. While non-bonded animals maintained stable responses, pair-bonding led to a pair emergent property, a convergence in behavioral responses. This convergence can be driven by oxytocin, revealing a significant expansion in oxytocin’s effects on behavioral coordination.