In this paper, an analytical approximation formula for pricing European options is obtained under a newly proposed hybrid model with the volatility of volatility in the Heston model following a ...Markov chain, the adoption of which is motivated by the empirical evidence of the existence of regime-switching in real markets. We first derive the coupled PDE (partial differential equation) system that governs the European option price, which is solved with the perturbation method. It should be noted that the newly derived formula is fast and easy to implement with only normal distribution function involved, and numerical experiments confirm that our formula could provide quite accurate option prices, especially for relatively short-tenor ones. Finally, empirical studies are carried out to show the superiority of our model based on S&P 500 returns and options with the time to expiry less than one month.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Local regime-switching models are a natural consequence of combining the concept of a local volatility model with that of a regime-switching model. However, even though Elliott et al. (2015) have ...derived a Dupire formula for a local regime-switching model, its calibration still remains a challenge, primarily due to the fact that the derived volatility function for each state involves all the state price variables whereas only one market price is available for model calibration, and a direct implementation of Elliott et al.’s formula may not yield stable results. In this paper, a closed system for option pricing and data extraction under the classical regime-switching model is proposed with a special approach, splitting one market price into two “market-implied state prices”. The success of our approach hinges on the recovery of the two local volatility functions being transformed into an optimal control problem, which is solved through the Tikhonov regularization. In addition, an efficient algorithm is proposed to obtain the optimal solution by iteration. Our numerical experiments show that different shapes of local volatility functions can be accurately and stably recovered with the newly-proposed algorithm, and this algorithm also works quite well with real market data.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Abstract
Solution-processed polycrystalline perovskite film is promising for the next generation X-ray imaging. However, the spatial resolution of current perovskite X-ray panel detectors is far ...lower than the theoretical limit. Herein we find that the pixel level non-uniformity, also known as fixed pattern noise, is the chief culprit affecting the signal-to-noise ratio and reducing the resolution of perovskite detectors. We report a synergistic strategy of rheological engineering the perovskite suspensions to achieve X-ray flat panel detectors with pixel-level high uniformity and near-to-limit spatial resolution. Our approach includes the addition of methylammonium iodide and polyacrylonitrile to the perovskite suspension, to synergistically enhance the flowability and particle stability of the oversaturated solution. The obtained suspension perfectly suits for the blade-coating process, avoiding the uneven distribution of solutes and particles within perovskite films. The assembled perovskite panel detector exhibits greatly improved fixed pattern noise value (1.39%), high sensitivity (2.24 × 10
4
μC Gy
air
−1
cm
−2
), low detection limit (28.57 nGy
air
·s
−1
) as well as good working stability, close to the performance of single crystal detectors. Moreover, the detector achieves a near-to-limit resolution of 0.51 lp/pix.
The reliability of GaN high-electron-mobility transistors remains limited by trapping, and a new way to characterize traps is through the drain current transient. In this paper, we report a ...differential amplitude spectrum (DAS) from which we could extract the exact amount that a trap contributes to charging/discharging from the current transient. We compared the time constant spectrum and the DAS in extracting traps' amplitudes theoretically and experimentally. Using the DAS, we investigated the trapping effect and systematically identified the positions and mechanisms of traps with E a values of 0.10, 0.38, 0.45, and 0.61 eV in our samples. In particular, we demonstrated that the semi-ON state with high-drain voltage in the filling process can maximize the charge trapping in both the AlGaN layer and GaN buffer. In addition, we experimentally proved that measured voltage in the linear region was the best choice for these samples.
Two Gram-stain negative, catalase positive, coccus shaped bacteria, designated 10023
T
and 10010, were isolated from the rectal contents of a plateau pika (
Ochotona curzoniae
) in Qinghai–Tibet ...Plateau, China. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, phylogenetic trees showed that these two isolates (10023
T
, 10010) group with members of the genus
Neisseria
. Additionally, these two isolates exhibited high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with
Neisseria zalophi
CSL 7565
T
(96.98%),
Neisseria wadsworthii
WC 05-9715
T
(96.92%) and
Neisseria canis
ATCC 14687
T
(96.79%). Further phylogenetic analysis based on the
rplF
gene showed that these two novel strains can be easily discriminated from phylogenetically closely related species. Optimal growth was found to occur on BHI agar with 5% defibrinated sheep blood at 37 °C and growth was also observed on nutrient agar, Columbia blood agar and chocolate agar plates; however, growth was not observed on MacConkey agar after 7 days. The major cellular fatty acids of these strains were identified as C
16:0
and C
16:1
ω7c/C
16:1
ω6c. The complete genome size of the type strain 10023
T
is 2,496,444 bp, with DNA G+C content of 54.0 mol %. The average nucleotide identity values were 73.5–79.3% between isolate 10023
T
and reference
Neisseria
spp. Based on polyphasic analysis, these isolates (10023
T
and 10010) are considered to represent a novel species in the genus
Neisseria
, for which the name
Neisseria chenwenguii
sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 10023
T
(= DSM 103440
T
= CGMCC 1.15736
T
).
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) of Asian ancestry reported that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) was associated with systemic lupus ...erythematosus (SLE). TERT has a critical role in maintaining the chromosomal stability and the length of telomere. Given that only a small portion of the genetic heritability of SLE has been explained so far, we aimed to identify novel loci in telomere-related genes responsible for SLE susceptibility in Chinese populations. We performed a comprehensive genetic association analysis of SLE with telomere-related genes. To identify functional significance, we analyzed the publicly available HaploReg v4.1 and RegulomeDB databases. Differential gene expression analysis was also performed using ArrayExpress. A novel signal of PINX1 rs6984094 was identified (Pdiscovery=4.13×10−2, OR=0.58, 95% CI 0.35-0.98) and successfully replicated (Preplication=5.73×10−3, OR=0.45, 95% CI 0.26-0.81). Multiple layers of functional analysis suggested that the PINX1 rs6984094 risk T allele exhibited increased nuclear protein binding. We also observed an increased expression of PINX1 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from SLE patients compared with healthy controls. Overall, we observed a novel genetic association between PINX1 (encodes the PinX1 protein, an inhibitory telomerase enzyme that lengthens telomeres) and SLE susceptibility in Chinese populations.
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DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Tropomyosin (TM) was reported to be a supercoil allergen of shellfish. However, little information is available about its link between structure and allergenicity. In this study, the subunit of TM ...(α-TM) and supercoil of TM (α2-TM) were identified from Haliotis discus hannai. α2-TM showed higher immunoreactivity than α-TM. Meanwhile, seven linear epitopes in α-TM and α2-TM were verified, and two conformational epitopes in α2-TM were predicted. The physicochemical properties and chemical bond assays confirmed the existence of the disulfide bond in α2-TM. According to spectroscopy and hydrophobicity analysis, α-TM showed higher α-helix features and blueshift of the fluorescence intensity peak compared with those of α2-TM. The structure analysis revealed the possibility of conformational epitopes in α2-TM, which could explain the immunoreactivity differences between α-TM and α2-TM further. These results improved the understanding of Haliotis discus hannai TM, which lay the foundation for the food processing of abalone.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common but severe psychiatric illness characterized by depressive mood and diminished interest. Both nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich ...repeat and pyrin domain-containing 1 (NLRP1) inflammasome and autophagy have been reported to implicate in the pathological processes of depression. However, the mechanistic interplay between NLRP1 inflammasome, autophagy, and depression is still poorly known.
Animal model of depression was established by chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). Depressive-like behaviors were determined by social interaction test (SIT), sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test (OFT), forced swim test (FST), and tail-suspension test (TST). The protein expression levels of NLRP1 inflammasome complexes, pro-inflammatory cytokines, phosphorylated-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (p-PI3K)/PI3K, phosphorylated-AKT (p-AKT)/AKT, phosphorylated-mechanistic target of rapamycin (p-mTOR)/mTOR, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), phosphorylated-tyrosine kinase receptor B (p-TrkB)/TrkB, Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax)/B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl2) and cleaved cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3 (caspase-3) were examined by western blotting. The mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were tested by quantitative real-time PCR. The interaction between proteins was detected by immunofluorescence and coimmunoprecipitation. Neuronal injury was assessed by Nissl staining. The autophagosomes were visualized by transmission electron microscopy. Nlrp1a knockdown was performed using an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector containing Nlrp1a-shRNA-eGFP infusion.
CSDS exposure caused a bidirectional change in hippocampal autophagy function, which was activated in the initial period but impaired at the later stage. In addition, CSDS exposure increased the expression levels of hippocampal NLRP1 inflammasome complexes, pro-inflammatory cytokines, p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-mTOR in a time-dependent manner. Interestingly, NLRP1 is immunoprecipitated with mTOR but not PI3K/AKT and CSDS exposure facilitated the immunoprecipitation between them. Hippocampal Nlrp1a knockdown inhibited the activity of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, rescued the impaired autophagy and ameliorated depressive-like behavior induced by CSDS. In addition, rapamycin, an autophagy inducer, abolished NLRP1 inflammasome-driven inflammatory reactions, alleviated depressive-like behavior and exerted a neuroprotective effect.
Autophagy dysfunction contributes to NLRP1 inflammasome-linked depressive-like behavior in mice and the regulation of autophagy could be a valuable therapeutic strategy for the management of depression.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Recently, an increasing number of studies have revealed that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) functions as a significant post-transcriptional modification which plays a critical role in the occurrence and ...progression of enriched tumors by regulating coding and non-coding RNA biogenesis. However, the biological function of m6A in breast cancer remains largely unclear.
In this study, we used a series of bioinformatic databases and tools to jointly analyze the expression of m6A methylation transferases (METTL3, METTL14, WTAP, RBM15, RBM15B and ZC3H13) and investigate the prognostic value of METTL14 and ZC3H13 in breast cancer. Besides, we analyzed the downstream carcinogenic molecular mechanisms related to METTL14 and ZC3H13 and their relationship with immune infiltration in breast tumor tissues.
The results showed that METTL14 and ZC3H13 were the down-regulated m6A methylation transferases in breast cancer. Survival outcome analysis suggested that abnormally low expression of METTL14 and ZC3H13 could predict unfavorable prognosis in four breast cancer subtypes. Moreover, their down-regulation was associated with ER-, PR- and triple-negative breast cancer patients, as well as tumor progression (increased Scarff, Bloom and Richardson grade status and Nottingham Prognostic Index classification). Co-expression analysis revealed that METTL14 and ZC3H13 had a strong positive correlation with APC, an antagonist of the Wnt signaling pathway, indicating they might cooperate in regulating proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of tumor cells. METTL14, ZC3H13, and APC expression levels had significant positive correlation with infiltrating levels of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells, and negative correlation with Treg cells in breast cancer.
This study demonstrated that down-regulation of METTL14 and ZC3H13 which act as two tumor suppressor genes was found in breast cancer and predicted poor prognosis. Their abnormal expression promoted breast cancer invasion by affecting pathways related to tumor progression and mediating immunosuppression.
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•Contribution of volatile compounds (VC) to odor from different waste treatments compared.•Sulfur compounds were the main odor in the majority of MSW disposal facilities.•Sorting ...system was an important emission site of VCs in MSW disposal plant.•Breaks in HDPE cover and gas extraction wells resulted in emissions of VCs from landfill.•MSW disposal facilities presented potential health risks for on-site workers.
Gaseous emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal plants pose serious odor pollution and health risks. In this study, the emission of volatile organic compounds and carbon disulfide was compared in the main processing units of three disposal methods, i.e., landfilling, eco-mechanical biological treatment (EMBT) and anaerobic fermentation in a MSW disposal plant. Among the detected volatile compounds (VCs), the top ten odor compounds were methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, carbon disulfide, styrene, m-xylene, 4-ethyltoluene, ethylbenzene, 2-hexyl ketone and n-hexane in the MSW disposal plant. Sulfur compounds were the main source of odor at the majority of sampling sites, and aromatic compounds were the dominant odor substrates at the tipping unit and sorting system of EMBT, while 2-hexanone was the major odor substrate at the tipping unit (AT) and sorting system (AS) of anaerobic fermentation and the landfill working surface. At AS and AT, the lifetime cancer risk values for 1,2-dichloroethane and trichloroethylene exceeded the carcinogenic risk value (>1.0E-04), and the hazard index values of naphthalene, trichloroethylene and acrolein all exceeded the acceptable level (>1). Therefore, special attention should be paid to VC emissions from MSW disposal facilities, and protection measures should be adopted for on-site workers to minimize health risks.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP