Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimating time-changes in noisy L\'evy models

In quantitative finance, we often model asset prices as a noisy Ito semimartingale. As this model is not identifiable, approximating by a time-changed Levy process can be useful for generative modelling. We give a new estimate of the normalised volatility or time change in this model, which obtains minimax convergence rates, and is unaffected by infinite-variation jumps. In the semimartingale model, our estimate remains accurate for the normalised volatility, obtaining convergence rates as good as any previously implied in the literature.
Circulating liver function markers and the risk of COPD in the UK Biobank

Objective To investigate the associations of circulating liver function marker levels with the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods We leveraged the data of 372,056 participants from the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010. The assessed circulating liver function markers included alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TBIL), albumin (ALB), and total protein (TP). Incident COPD was identified through linkage to the National Health Service registries. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results During a median follow-up period of 12.3 (interquartile range:11.4-13.2) years, we documented 10,001 newly diagnosed COPD cases. Lower levels of ALT, TBIL, ALB, and TP and higher levels of GGT and ALP were nonlinearly associated with elevated COPD risk. The HR (95% CI) for decile 10 vs. 1 was 0.92 (0.84-1.01) for ALT, 0.82 (0.75-0.89) for TBIL, 0.74 (0.67-0.81) for ALB, 0.96 (0.88-1.04) for TP, 1.45 (1.31-1.62) for GGT, and 1.31 (1.19-1.45) for ALP. Restricted cubic spline analyses suggested a U-shaped relationship between AST levels and COPD risk (P for nonlinearity <0.05). Conclusion We observed that all seven circulating liver function markers were nonlinearly associated with the risk of COPD, indicating the importance of liver function in COPD.
The Role of cGAS-STING in Age-Related Diseases from Mechanisms to Therapies

With aging, the incidence of age-related diseases increases. Hence, age-related diseases are inevitable. However, the mechanisms by which aging leads to the onset and progression of age-related diseases remain unclear. It has been reported that inflammation is closely associated with age-related diseases and that the cGAS-STING signaling pathway, which can sense the aberrant presence of cytosolic DNA during aging and induce an inflammatory response, is an important mediator of inflammation in age-related diseases. With a better understanding of the structure and molecular biology of the cGAS-STING signaling axis, numerous selective inhibitors and agonists targeting the cGAS-STING pathway in human age-related diseases have been developed to modulate inflammatory responses. Here, we provide a narrative review of the activity of the cGAS-STING pathway in age-related diseases and discuss its general mechanisms in the onset and progression of age-related diseases. In addition, we outline treatments targeting the cGAS-STING pathway, which may constitute a potential therapeutic alternative for age-related diseases.
Moiré-driven multiferroic order in twisted CrCl3, CrBr3 and CrI3 bilayers

Layered van der Waals materials have risen as a powerful platform to engineer artificial competing states of matter. Here we show the emergence of multiferroic order in twisted chromium trihalide bilayers, an order fully driven by the moiré pattern and absent in aligned multilayers. Using a combination of spin models and ab initio calculations, we show that a spin texture is generated in the moiré supercell of the twisted system as a consequence of the competition between stacking-dependent interlayer magnetic exchange and magnetic anisotropy. An electric polarization arises associated with such a non-collinear magnetic state due to the spin–orbit coupling, leading to the emergence of a local ferroelectric order following the moiré. Among the stochiometric trihalides, our results show that twisted CrBr3 bilayers give rise to the strongest multiferroic order. We further show the emergence of a strong magnetoelectric coupling, which allows the electric generation and control of magnetic skyrmions. Our results put forward twisted chromium trihalide bilayers, and in particular CrBr3 bilayers, as a powerful platform to engineer artificial multiferroic materials and electrically tunable topological magnetic textures.
Heuristic UTD coefficients for electromagnetic scattering by lossy conducting wedges

In this study, heuristic uniform theory of diffraction coefficients are suited to account for scattering by lossy conducting wedges.The novel heuristic solution is determined from other previously developed heuristic coefficients, combining their characteristics to improve the estimation of radiowave propagation in urban scenarios. Slope diffraction is also considered to account for double‐diffracted fields in consecutive wedges. Maliuzhinets' coefficients provide base solutions to validate the novel formulation. The novel solution is then applied to the wave propagation in a typical urban scenario, and results are compared against measurements provided in the literature. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52:2657–2662, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25557
Ray-theoretic localization of an impulsive source in a stratified ocean using two hydrophones

A method is presented for passive localization of impulsive acoustic sources in a stratified ocean by measuring relative times of direct and surface-reflected arrivals at two hydrophones. The proposed method is based on ray theory and takes into account the effects of refraction on the geometry of acoustic paths (ray bending) and travel times, generalizing previous approaches based on the homogeneous-ocean assumption (straight-line localization). If the hydrophone depths are known, then the source depth and distance from each hydrophone can be estimated from the three differential arrival times. If in addition the hydrophone separation is known, the bearing of the source can be estimated as well. Apart from the effects on ray geometry and travel times, stratification affects localization by introducing shadow zones and caustics. For source locations in the neighborhood of caustics, the localization problem accepts two solutions, one of which is the true source location and the other one which is an artifa.
The abundance of CH3D and the D/H ratio in Jupiter.

From observations of the nu 2 parallel band of mono-deuterated methane (CH3D) in the Jovian atmosphere, we have deduced a CH3D abundance and mixing ratio and a value for the D/H ratio in this planet, with due regard to the problems of Jovian atmospheric structure and deuterium fractionation. We find the D/H ratio to be significantly less than the terrestrial value and discuss some of the implications to the early history of the solar system. This observation marks the first-ever detection of deuterium by any astronomical technique.
The Effect of Priming Structural Fairness on Inequality Beliefs and Preferences

Experimental research on pay inequality attitudes often provides information about pay inequality with the expectation that greater awareness of pay differences will increase the belief that pay inequality is unfair, thereby strengthening support for policies addressing pay inequality. Less explored is whether providing information about why pay inequality might be justified may lower support for addressing pay inequality or counteract the effect of providing information about such inequality. This paper finds that providing static information about pay differences across the income distribution generally does not affect support for policies addressing pay inequality. However, providing information about pay inequality followed by a labor economics argument in support of pay differences (priming structural fairness) generally decreases support for such policies. One mechanism through which this effect may operate is by increasing the belief that differences in pay are justified.
Web construction behavior of Deinopis cf. cylindracea (Deinopidae: Araneae) and its comparison to webs of other Deinopidae

Abstract. Deinopid spiders use highly specialized webs composed of a triangular non-sticky scaffolding (NS scaffolding) containing three radii and a modified orbicular web with a rectangular shape to capture prey. Spiders actively manipulate their webs to capture prey. We describe the web construction behavior of Deinopis cf. cylindracea and compare it and the shape of the sticky silk spiral (SS spiral) of other deinopid species using images in the literature and on the Internet. The web-building behavior in D. cf. cylindracea follows the pattern previously described for other species of Deinopis MacLeay, 1839. Web construction takes approximately 15 min in D. cf. cylindracea and has two stages: NS scaffolding construction and SS spiral construction. The final structure of the SS spiral has four closely spaced capture cords, five placed further apart, three near the top of the web, and two cords on the handles, making a total of 12. Other species of Deinopis have different numbers of cords. Finally, a novel finding is that the youngest spiders do not make webs with sticky lines, but instead use a simplified web to lunge forward, using only their legs to contact prey. To our knowledge, such behavior has never been described in this or any other group.
Time scale extensions of a theorem of Wintner on systems with asymptotic equilibrium

We consider quasilinear dynamic systems of the form where 𝕋 is a time scale, and provide extensions of a theorem of Wintner on systems with asymptotic equilibrium to arbitrary time scales. More specifically, we give sufficient conditions for the asymptotic equilibrium of the above system in the sense that for any given constant vector c, there is a solution satisfying Our results are new for difference equations, q-difference equations and many other time scale systems even though their analogous for differential equations have been known for some time.
The Lived Experiences of Adult Crystal Methamphetamine Users: A Qualitative Study

Crystal methamphetamine, also known as “ice” or “crystal meth,” is a potent psychostimulant drug that can cause irreversible physical and psychological damage to users (Halkitis, 2009). This qualitative research investigated the lived experiences of users, the background of their addiction, and the effects of using this drug. Six men between 31 and 39 years of age participated in the research. Three main themes emerged from the data: context, aftermath, and recovery. Respondents identified an inability to cope with dysfunctional family environments and negative social influences as the main causes of their crystal methamphetamine addiction, which resulted in significant adverse effects on their physical and mental health, relationships, occupation, and behaviour. They expressed a need for integrated and family focussed services, as well as a decriminalised approach towards crystal methamphetamine usage to help individuals and their families in the recovery journey.
Influence of Injection Molding Parameters on the Peel Strength between Plasma-Treated Fluoropolymer Films and Polycarbonate

Light guiding is used to direct light from an emitting source to a different location. It is frequently realized through a clad–core structure with a difference in the refractive index of the materials. This paper explores the possibility of combining a fluoropolymer (THV) film of low refractive index, serving as a cladding layer, with a polycarbonate (PC) core, via injection molding. Pristine THV lacks adherence to the PC. However, when treated with O2 plasma prior to overmolding, bonding can be established that was quantified in peel tests. The effect of this surface treatment was further investigated by adjusting the plasma treatment duration and time to overmolding. Furthermore, parameter studies comprising the four molding parameters, namely packing pressure, injection speed, melt temperature, and mold temperature, were performed. Numerical injection molding simulations assessed the prevailing temperatures at the PC–THV boundary. Consequently, the temperature–time integral could be calculated and linked with the measured peel strengths by fitting a proportionality constant. While the plasma treatment duration showed minor influence, the activation diminished with time, halving the measured peel loads within 24 h. The adhesion was experimentally found to increase with a lower packing pressure, faster injection speed, and higher melt and mold temperature. Those same molding relations influencing the peel loads were also found with the temperature–time integral when scaled by the proportionality constant in the simulations (R2=85%). Apparently, adhesion is added by molding settings which promote higher interface temperatures that prevail for longer. Hereby, the faster injection speed increases the melt temperature through shear heating. A higher packing pressure, in contrast, presumably increases the heat transfer at the PC–THV interface, accelerating the cooling. The measured peel loads were 0.3–1.6 N/mm for plasma-treated samples and nearly zero for pristine THV.
Disturbance Observer-Based Event-Triggered Control of Vehicle Suspension With Finite-Time Prescribed Performance

In this article, we develop a disturbance observer-based event-triggered control (ETC) strategy for uncertain active suspension systems (ASSs), while guaranteeing the transient behavior and reducing the communication burden over the controller area network (CAN). In order to improve the transient and steady-state performances of ASSs, a novel global finite-time prescribed performance function (GFTPPF) is proposed. Unlike the existing vehicle suspension results on prescribed performance control (PPC), the proposed scheme is able to relax the restriction that the initial value depends on the prescribed function. Meanwhile, the proposed approach ensures that the tracking error is stabilized in a prescribed zone in a finite time independent of the initial condition. Then, a performance function-dependent event-triggered mechanism is suggested to alleviate the bandwidth occupancy on the CAN while obtaining satisfactory tracking performance. In addition, a disturbance observer is employed to estimate the lumped uncertainty in ASSs. All signals in the resulting close-loop ASSs are ensured bounded. Finally, the effectiveness of the developed methodology is demonstrated in simulation results.
Observations of Centaur 8405 Asbolus: Searching for Water Ice

Abstract Near-infrared spectra of Centaur 8405 Asbolus have been obtained, covering the whole rotational period. Complementary photometry and visible spectroscopy have also been performed. The aim of this project was to confirm or refute the water ice detection on one side of Asbolus reported by Kern et al. (2000 Astrophys. J. 542 , L155–L159). We found no absorption feature at any rotational phase of Asbolus. Our study is the first in-depth investigation of a centaur over a complete rotational period. Our results seem also to indicate that a change in the slope from 0.8 to 1.0 μm may occur in Asbolus spectrum.
Vorticity equation for the streamline and the velocity profile

Water flow over short hydraulic transitions is usually modelled by the irrotational flow theory, for which the energy head remains constant over the entire flow domain. Velocity and pressure distributions are then obtained based on the stream and potential functions of the flow net. However, experimental evidence may dictate non-uniform energy profiles resulting either from vorticity, viscous effects, or both. For rapidly-varied flows, Hunter Rouse (1906–1996) proposed in the early 1930s the inviscid Euler flow equations. Most of the current curvilinear flow models, however, resort to irrotational flow. In this work, a generalized curvilinear method for real fluid flow is proposed. Based on the streamline vorticity equation, a practical approach is presented for inviscid, rotational flow. The model is verified by data pertaining to the free overfall and further tested with data on viscous flow in undular jumps, thereby resulting in good agreement.
Adding Nocturnal Advanced Practice Providers to an Academic Inpatient Neurology Service Improves Residents’ Educational Experience

Background and Objectives: In the inpatient academic medical center, increased demand for clinical services often equates to an increased workload for trainees, which could have a positive or negative impact on their educational experience. In 2020, our academic medical center hired Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) to provide continuous additional overnight coverage for our neurology ward teaching service. We hypothesized that adding APPs and reducing overnight clinical workload for residents would have a positive impact on resident education. Methods: We performed a mixed-methods, prospective study that included needs-assessments by residents, semi-structured interviews with both residents and APPs, and surveys to residents and nursing staff. In addition, we collected quantitative data such as hours of sleep, number of admissions, and number of pages to capture the impact of APPs on resident overnight shifts. Results: The addition of APPs overnight increased the median hours of sleep overnight from 1 hour to 3 hours (P < .001) and decreased the median number of pages overnight from 31.5 to 17 (P < .001). The median number of patients the resident was responsible for cross-covering overnight decreased from 24 patients to 14 patients (P < .001). The majority of resident responses (94%) agreed that the addition of APPs benefited their education by reducing workload and increasing time allotted to reading and formulating plans for overnight admissions. 88% of residents agreed that the addition of APPs improved quality of life and reduced risk of burnout. Conclusion: Advanced Practice Providers significantly reduced resident workload, leading residents to report improvements in the educational experience overnight and reduced perceived risk of burnout.
Human seminal plasma stimulates the migration of CD11c+ mononuclear phagocytes to the apical side of the colonic epithelium without altering the junctional complexes in an ex vivo human intestinal model

Introduction Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) transmission mostly occurs through the genital and intestinal mucosae. Although HIV-1 transmission has been extensively investigated, gaps remain in understanding the initial steps of HIV entry through the colonic mucosa. We previously showed that HIV can selectively trigger mononuclear phagocytes (MNP) to migrate within colonic epithelial cells to sample virions. Mucosal exposure to human seminal plasma (HSP), rich in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and growth factors, may as well induce alterations of the colonic mucosa and recruit immune cells, hence, affecting pathogen sampling and transmission. Methods Here, we studied the role of HSP on the paracellular intestinal permeability by analyzing the distribution of two proteins known to play a key role in controlling the intestinal barrier integrity, namely the tight junctions-associated junctional adhesion molecule (JAM-A) and the adherents junction associated protein E-cadherin (E-CAD), by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Also, we evaluated if HSP promotes the recruitment of MNP cells, specifically, the CD11c and CD64 positive MNPs, to the apical side of the human colonic mucosa. At this scope, HSP of HIV-infected and uninfected individuals with known fertility status was tested for cytokines, chemokines and growth factors concentration and used in an ex vivo polarized colonic tissue culture system to mimic as closely as possible the physiological process. Results HSP showed statistically significant differences in cytokines and chemokines concentrations between the three groups of donors, i.e. HIV infected, or uninfected fertile or randomly identified. Nevertheless, we showed that in the ex vivo tissue culture HSP in general, neither affected the morphological structure of the colonic mucosa nor modulated the paracellular intestinal permeability. Interestingly, CD11c+ MNP cells migrated to the apical surface of the colonic epithelium regardless, if incubated with HIV-infected or -uninfected HSPs, while CD64+ MNP cells, did not change their distribution within the colonic mucosa. Discussion In conclusion, even if HSP did not perturb the integrity of the human colonic mucosa, it affected the migration of a specific subset of MNPs that express CD11c towards the apical side of the colonic mucosa, which in turn may be involved in pathogen sampling.
The contraction of flare loops and its impact on the solar lower atmosphere

This short reviewing article is intended to introduce a possibly existing relevance for three important macroscopic behaviors of solar flares. The behaviors include the contraction of flare loops (implosion), the rapid change of magnetic fields and seismic waves during flares. We show that the phenomena basically reflects a process of rapid restructuring of sheared magnetic field by a release of free magnetic energy. The contraction and rapid magnetic changes might be the direct consequences of the restructuring. Also the flattening of magnetic loops caused by the contraction in the corona will impart momentum down to the photosphere even to the solar interior. Part of the energy transported by the downward momentum can account for seismic waves. All phenomena, putting together, show that the magnetic reconnection process during the early impulsive phase is quite different from during the gradual phase and plays a dominant role in powering solar flares.
Continuum representation of a continuous size distribution of particles engaged in rapid granular flow

Natural and industrial granular flows often consist of several particle sizes, approximately forming a continuous particle size distribution (PSD). Continuous PSDs are ubiquitous, though existing kinetic-theory-based, hydrodynamic models for rapid granular flows are limited to a discrete number of species. The objective of this work is twofold: (i) to determine the number of discrete species required to accurately approximate a continuous PSD and (ii) to validate these results via a comparison with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of continuous PSDs. With regard to the former, several analytic (Gaussian and lognormal) and experimental (coal and lunar soil simulants) distributions are investigated. Transport coefficients (pressure, shear viscosity, etc.) of the granular mixture given by the polydisperse theory of Garzo et al. [“Enskog theory for polydisperse granular mixtures. I. Navier-Stokes order transport,” Phys. Rev. E 76, 031303 (2007)10.1103/PhysRevE.76. 031303;Garzo et al. “Enskog theory for poly.