Neutral Strategy Research Articles

The effect of the 2011 Arab uprising in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena region): Morocco's quest for constitutional reform and the 20 February Movement

Historically, Morocco experienced widespread political repression during the 1970s through to the early 1990s. Through its exploitations, the monarchy regime repressed any claims aimed at challenging its authoritarian form of public space and debate. Encouraged by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, and the Arab Spring, young Moroccans began to organise extensive demonstrations across the country demanding that a more substantive democracy, social justice and an anti-corruption mechanism be put in place. The 20 February movement, named after the first demonstration held on that date in 2011, is a worthy illustration of one of the latest social movements characterised by a concentrated use of technology and their disseminated membership. King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful and the highest authority in Morocco, promised in a televised speech to introduce radical and genuine constitutional reforms that would democratise the country. This article describes the historical trajectory of the monarchy, the emergence and structuring of the 20 February movement and the neutralization strategy pursued by the monarchy in bringing about a constitutional change.

Modification of long-term volatility trading methods based on a delta-neutral strategy

Delta-neutral trading strategies for trading volatility allow you to make a profit regardless of the direction of change in the price of the underlying asset. Despite their popularity and high efficiency, they are usually made manually, which makes them less systematic and vulnerable to the negative influence of the human factor (emotions, late actions, erroneous submission of applications, etc.). The article proposes a unified delta- neutral strategy, taking into account several parameters for long-term volatility trading through transactions with underlying assets (futures or stocks) and options on these underlying assets, which creates prerequisites for its automation. The use of the strategy helps to increase the liquidity of investment assets traded on the exchange, increases the receipt of taxes, exchange fees and commissions, which brings great socio-economic benefits. Automation of the strategy significantly simplifies calculations, increases the speed of decision-making and can significantly increase the number of transactions made in the financial markets. In addition, the automatic calculation of the optimal values of the method parameters can make a significant contribution to the theoretical research of the modifications of the volatility trading methods.

STRATEGIES AND PRAGMATIC EQUIVALENCE OF THE WORD FUCK TRANSLATION IN THE WOLF OF WALL STREET MOVIE

The choice of strategy for translating the word fuck in The Wolf of Wall Street movie has its own impact on the equivalence of pragmatic meanings in the target text. This study aims to explain: (1) form, pragmatic function, and translation strategy of the word fuck, and (2) the implication of the word fuck translation strategy on pragmatic equivalence in The Wolf of Wall Street movie. The words of fuck were identified from the both English and Indonesian subtitles. Then, the data were categorized and the implications were investigated. The results indicate that there are 506 words of fuck which are classified into three forms, namely: interjection, emphasizer, and expletive slot filler. The functions conveyed by these taboo words are: catharsis, abusive, and social. These taboo words were translated using omission (72.9%), cultural substitution (15.0%), neutral words (11.5%) and loan word (0.6%). The omission and the neutral word strategy largely eliminated the function of the word fuck, whereas the loan word and cultural substitution strategy were able to maintain the function of the word fuck. However, the very large percentage of use of the omission strategy makes the translation results lose much of its pragmatic function and emotive value.
 Keywords: Translation strategy, taboo word, pragmatic equivalence, the wolf of wall street movie

DNA aptamers masking angiotensin converting enzyme 2 as an innovative way to treat SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

All the different coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 variants isolated so far share the same mechanism of infection mediated by the interaction of their spike (S) glycoprotein with specific residues on their cellular receptor: the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Therefore, the steric hindrance on this cellular receptor created by a bulk macromolecule may represent an effective strategy for the prevention of the viral spreading and the onset of severe forms of Corona Virus disease 19 (COVID-19). Here, we applied a systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) procedure to identify two single strand DNA molecules (aptamers) binding specifically to the region surrounding the K353, the key residue in human ACE2 interacting with the N501 amino acid of the SARS-CoV-2 S. 3D docking in silico experiments and biochemical assays demonstrated that these aptamers bind to this region, efficiently prevent the SARS-CoV-2 S/human ACE2 interaction and the viral infection in the nanomolar range, regardless of the viral variant, thus suggesting the possible clinical development of these aptamers as SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibitors. Our approach brings a significant innovation to the therapeutic paradigm of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by protecting the target cell instead of focusing on the virus; this is particularly attractive in light of the increasing number of viral mutants that may potentially escape the currently developed immune-mediated neutralization strategies.

Charge Neutralization Strategy to Construct Salt-Tolerant and Cell-Permeable Nanoprobes: Application in Ratiometric Sensing and Imaging of Intracellular pH.

Intracellular pH homeostasis is essential for the survival and function of biological cells. Negatively charged molecular probes, such as pyranine (HPTS), tend to exhibit poor salt tolerance and unsatisfactory cell permeability, limiting their widespread use in intracellular assays. Herein, we explored a charge neutralization strategy using multicharged cationic nanocarriers for an efficient and stable assembly with the pH-sensitive HPTS. Through immobilization and neutralization with poly(allylamine hydrochloride)-stabilized red-emitting gold nanoclusters (PAH-AuNCs), the resulting nanoprobes (HPTS-PAH-AuNCs) offered improved salt tolerance, satisfactory cell permeability, and dual-emission properties. The fluorescence ratio exhibited a linear response over the pH range of 3.0-9.0. Moreover, the proposed HPTS-PAH-AuNCs were successfully applied to determine and visualize lysosomal pH variations in living cells, which indicated great potential for biosensing and bioimaging applications in living systems. Benefiting from the charge neutralization strategy, various types of probes can be expected to achieve broader analytical applications.

Integrated Modulation of Dual-Parallel Three-Level Inverters With Reduced Common Mode Voltage and Circulating Current

Many reduced common mode voltage (CMV) modulation methods have been proposed for three-level inverters. However, most of them suffer from large current distortion because only part of the available base vectors is utilized. The interleaved paralleling can reduce both CMV and the output current distortion, though the CMV reduction is limited and large zero-sequence circulating current (ZSCC) is inevitably caused by the phase-shifted carriers. To further reduce the CMV while maintaining smaller current distortion and ZSCC, a five-level reduced CMV (RCMV) modulation method is proposed in this article, which treats the parallel inverters as a whole. Theoretical analysis reveals that the integrated modulation provides additional base vectors that contribute to smaller total harmonic distortion (THD) of the current, and the selected vectors ensure the nearest-three-vector synthesis and half-reduced CMV. The switching sequences design and neutral point balancing strategy are also developed for dual-parallel three-level inverters, ensuring that the average circulating current is zero and the neutral point voltage is balanced, which are both critical to the proper operation of parallel inverters. Superior performance in terms of CMV, THD, and ZSCC provided by the proposed method in comparison with conventional modulation is verified by comprehensive simulation and experimental results.

Synergistic Regulatory Effect of Inhibin and Anti-Müllerian Hormone on Fertility of Mice.

Inhibin (INH) and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) are essential in ovarian folliculogenesis and play an inhibitory role in mammalian fertility. However, the interactive effect of INH and AMH on the animal reproduction remains unknown. This study aimed to determine the possible interaction and synergy between INH and AMH in steroidogenesis by primary granulosa cells, and investigate their synergistic effect on fertility in mice. In in vitro granulosa cell culture system, we found that the treatment of either INHA or AMH had no significant effect on basal estradiol and progesterone production, whereas both significantly attenuated FSH-induced steroid hormone secretion. Importantly, combined treatment with INHA and AMH showed additive inhibitory effect on FSH-induced estradiol and progesterone production, accompanying a significant downregulation in the expression of FSH-stimulated CYP19A1, HSD3B, CYP11A1, StAR transcripts. The interrelationship of INH and AMH combinations was further investigated through active immune neutralization strategy. Female mice were immunized against INH and AMH eukaryotic expression plasmids, and the litter size was recorded after successfully mating. We observed that both INH and AMH plasmids were able to induce either anti-AMH or anti-INH antibodies in the immunized mice. In comparison with the control group, co-immunization with INH and AMH plasmids induced higher levels of estradiol, resulting in more litter size. Moreover, there was no significant difference on the offspring's weight between each group. Collectively, the results of the present study suggest that INH and AMH have synergistic effect in regulating steroidogenesis and the litter size in mice.

Simulation and risk management of financial activities in the digital economy era

The present article attempts to study the role of financial risk management in the digital economy era. The main purpose of the article is to identify the main patterns that determine the features of risk assessment in business as the main element contributing to the achievement of economic security of the organization, as well as to carry out a comparative analysis of risk assessment and risk management methods in the context of digitalization. The contemporary economic analysis employs various risk management methods. Digitalization also creates new risks, most of which are related to cybercrime and fraud on the Internet. The most effective ways to reduce risk in the context of instability of the economic and political situation in Russia are the scenarios method and the method of analyzing hierarchies, as well as diversification, i.e. the distribution of risks among several business participants. The article discusses various types of economic risks, risk analysis, and assessment methods, as well as risk neutralizing strategies.

Measuring CO2 emissions performance of China's construction industry: A global Malmquist index analysis

Rapid urbanization in China has made the construction sector become a significant industry for CO2 emissions. Accurately measuring the CO2 emissions performance of the construction industry is a key to CO2 emissions management and the basis for successful implementation of the national carbon neutral strategy. From a total-factor production perspective, CO2 emission performance refers to the degree to which the desirable outputs are maximized, and the CO2 emissions are minimized under a certain level of inputs in production activities. To measure the dynamic evolution of CO2 emission performance and its reasons more reasonably, a global Malmquist CO2 emissions performance index (GMCPI) that can evaluate CO2 emission performance of multi-input and multi-output production process is proposed in this study. By using this index, the CO2 emissions performance of the construction industry in China's 30 provinces from 2004 to 2016 was investigated with three key findings. First, the overall CO2 emissions performance was improved by 13.6% during the study period, mainly contributed by technological progress rather than the increase of technical efficiency. Second, an imbalance growth of CO2 emissions performance was observed in different regions. The performance in the eastern region ranked the best, with an average annual increase of 14.5%. Third, the reasons contributing to different levels of CO2 emissions performance in different provinces were explained according to the decomposition of GMCPI. Thirteen provinces are the slow-efficiency-growth type with low technical efficiency change(EFFCH) and low technology change(TECHCH). Five provinces are the technology-driven type with high TECHCH and low EFFCH, four provinces are the technology-management dual-driven type with high EFFCH and high TECHCH. Eight provinces are the management-driven type with high EFFCH and low TECHCH. China's construction industry should further improve the overall CO2 emission performance by strengthening the driving role of technological progress and promoting the exchange of advanced management experience to reduce regional differences.

Development of a label-free plasmonic gold nanoparticles aggregates sensor on the basis of charge neutralization for the detection of zearalenone

Mycotoxin contamination of corn has been considered a serious problem because it can accumulate in different organs or tissues via ingestion or skin contact and cause several health problems in humans. We have constructed a label-free, colorimetric, and fluorescence dual-channel sensing platform for the detection of zearalenone. Here, we demonstrate that plasmonic gold nanoparticles aggregates could be rapidly formed on the basis of charge neutralization by positively charged SYBR Green I. The sensing platform allowed quantitative detection as low as 0.89 μg kg−1 and visual detection as low as 2.5 μg kg−1. The charge neutralization strategy eliminates a major source of instability in conventional gold nanoparticles colorimetric measurements and paves the way for accurate, label-free bioanalysis.

Dual-Stage Neutral Loss Tandem Mass Spectrometric Strategy for Confident Identification of Protein Prenylation.

Protein prenylation is an important post-translational modification that regulates protein interactions, localizations, and signaling pathways in normal functioning of eukaryotic cells. It is also a critical step in the oncogenic developments of various cancers. Direct identification of native protein prenylation by mass spectrometry (MS) has been challenging due to high hydrophobicity and the lack of an efficient enrichment technique. Prior MS studies of prenylation revealed that prenyl peptides readily generate high-intensity fragments after neutral loss of the prenyl group (R group), and more recent investigation of oxidized prenyl peptides discovered more consistent neutral loss of the oxidized prenyl group (RSOH group). Here, a dual-stage neutral loss MS3 (DS-NLMS3)-based strategy is therefore developed by combining both gas-phase cleavable properties of the prenyl thioether bond and mono-oxidized thioether to improve the large-scale identification of prenylation. Both neutral losses can individually and distinctively confirm the prenylation type in MS2 and the sequence of the prenyl peptide upon targeted MS3 fragmentation. This dual-faceted NLMS3 strategy significantly improves the confidence in the identification of protein prenylation from large-scale samples, which enables the unambiguous identification of prenylated sites of the spiked low-abundance farnesyl peptide and native prenyl proteins from mouse macrophage cells, even without prior enrichment during sample preparation. The ease of incorporating this strategy into the prenylation study workflow and minimum disruption to the biological lipidome are advantageous for unraveling unknown native protein prenylation and further developments in profiling and quantifying prenylome.

Pairs trading: is it applicable to exchange-traded funds?

Among the various statistical trading strategies, pairs trading has been widely employed as a market neutral strategy owing to its simple approach and ease of application. In this context, we develop a cointegration-based pairs trading framework with a set of pre-conditions for pair eligibility and apply it to different asset classes. The performance analysis of a portfolio of 45 pairs is considered for the period of January 2007 to January 2021, which covers the period of a full market cycle of adjacent bull and bear periods; it is studied and benchmarked against the S&P500 index, which is considered as a proxy for the general market. We find an average annual return of 15% with an average Sharpe ratio of 1.43 after considering the transaction costs; we observe that this performance does not vary significantly with a change in the transaction cost levels and does not pass below the risk-free return levels with changing market conditions. Further, the strategy is observed to perform better during bear market conditions. Considering the highly liquid trading environment of the strategy, our findings raise a call for a discussion on the semi-strong form market efficiency.

Potential and contribution factors of carbon emission reduction in the power sector of BTH (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) region

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is not only the national key strategic development area, but also the main battlefield of low-carbon transformation. Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region accounts for about 1/5 of the national carbon emissions, of which the power sector accounts for a large proportion of carbon emissions. Therefore, the research on the carbon reduction potential and contribution factors of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei power sector is of great strategic significance to the achievement of BTH Coordinated Development and carbon neutralization strategy. Based on the comprehensive consideration of power generation, transmission, power consumption, power supply and other links, this paper constructs a bottom-up accounting model of CO2 emissions in power industry, and studies the main driving factors affecting carbon emissions by using LMDI method.

Leukocyte-Derived High-Mobility Group Box 1 Governs Hepatic Immune Responses to Listeria monocytogenes.

High‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nucleoprotein with proinflammatory functions following cellular release during tissue damage. Moreover, antibody‐mediated HMGB1 neutralization alleviates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced shock, suggesting a role for HMGB1 as a superordinate therapeutic target for inflammatory and infectious diseases. Recent genetic studies have indicated cell‐intrinsic functions of HMGB1 in phagocytes as critical elements of immune responses to infections, yet the role of extracellular HMGB1 signaling in this context remains elusive. We performed antibody‐mediated and genetic HMGB1 deletion studies accompanied by in vitro experiments to discern context‐dependent cellular sources and functions of extracellular HMGB1 during murine bloodstream infection with Listeria monocytogenes. Antibody‐mediated neutralization of extracellular HMGB1 favors bacterial dissemination and hepatic inflammation in mice. Hepatocyte HMGB1, a key driver of postnecrotic inflammation in the liver, does not affect Listeria‐induced inflammation or mortality. While we confirm that leukocyte HMGB1 deficiency effectuates disseminated listeriosis, we observed no evidence of dysfunctional autophagy, xenophagy, intracellular bacterial degradation, or inflammatory gene induction in primary HMGB1‐deficient phagocytes or altered immune responses to LPS administration. Instead, we demonstrate that mice devoid of leukocyte HMGB1 exhibit impaired hepatic recruitment of inflammatory monocytes early during listeriosis, resulting in alterations of the transcriptional hepatic immune response and insufficient control of bacterial dissemination. Bone marrow chimera indicate that HMGB1 from both liver‐resident and circulating immune cells contributes to effective pathogen control. Conclusion: Leukocyte‐derived extracellular HMGB1 is a critical cofactor in the immunologic control of bloodstream listeriosis. HMGB1 neutralization strategies preclude an efficient host immune response against Listeria.

Effects of group interactions on the network Parrondo’s games

A minimalistic multi-agent Parrondo’s game structure with network evolution (Game A) and branching dependent on the number of wins and losses of neighbors (Game B) was previously introduced, indicating that Parrondo’s paradox occurs, in which a losing strategy and a neutral strategy combine to yield a winning one. Using a similar Game B’s structure and introducing a new Game A’s structure with competition and cooperation behaviors, we further analyze the influences of network evolution, cooperation and competition behaviors as different group interactions on the network Parrondo’s games. Based on the multi-agent Parrondo’s game, the discrete Markov chain method is used. Theoretical analysis reveals that losing configurations of Game B, when stochastically mixed with neutral Game A with competition and cooperation behaviors, can result in paradoxical winning scenarios like network evolution and can even produce larger parameter space. Simulation results indicate that under different network topology structures stochastically mixing Game A with different group interactions and Game B can produce different enhanced winning outcomes, despite Game B being individually losing. The underlying paradoxical mechanisms where the ratcheting mechanism of Game B and the agitating mechanism of Game A with different group interactions are analyzed. It is also elucidated that agitation from Game A with different group interactions improves the capital exchange between individuals.

Dysmorphic and illness anxiety-related unwanted intrusive thoughts in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Unwanted intrusive thoughts (UITs) are considered normal variants of the obsessions found in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Similarly, intrusive and persistent preoccupations about appearance defects in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and images and thoughts about illness in illness anxiety disorder (IAD) are abnormal variants of the thoughts and concerns about appearance and health found in non-clinical individuals. This study examines whether patients with OCD have frequent and distressing UITs with contents related to BDD and IAD, in addition to OCD-related UITs. Thirty-nine participants with OCD (Mage = 32.45, standard deviation [SD] = 11.57; 63% men) completed the Questionnaire of Unpleasant Intrusive Thoughts (QUIT), designed to assess obsessional, dysmorphic and illness anxiety UITs and their associated functional consequences (emotions, appraisals, and neutralizing or control strategies). Up to 71% of the individuals with OCD experienced the three UIT modalities. As expected, OCD-related UITs were the most frequent, although were no differences among the three UIT contents in terms of the disturbance they caused. The OCD intrusions were the most interfering, egodystonic and dysfunctionally appraised, and they instigated more neutralizing behaviours. Nonetheless, all UITs instigate the need to do something to alleviate the discomfort caused by their intrusion and attempts to suppress them. UITs with different contents not always related to typical obsessive themes are a common experience in patients with OCD. These UITs could have detrimental consequences for the course of the disorder itself, and they should be adequately addressed in both the assessment and treatment of these patients.

Professional development to support principals' vision of science instruction: Building from their prior experiences to support the science practices

AbstractThe implementation of science reform must be viewed as a systems‐level problem and not just focus on resources for teachers and students. High‐capacity instructional leadership is essential for supporting classroom science instruction. Recent reform efforts include a shift from learning about science facts to figuring out scientific phenomena in which students use science practices as they build and apply disciplinary core ideas. We report findings from a research study on professional development (PD) to support instructional leaders' learning about the science practices. After participating in the PD, the instructional leaders' familiarity with and leadership content knowledge of the science practices significantly improved. Initially, principals used their understandings from other disciplines and content neutral visions of classrooms to make sense of science instruction. For example, they initially used their understandings of models and argument from ELA and math to make sense of science classroom instruction. Furthermore, some principals focused on content neutral strategies, like a clear objective. Over the course of the PD workshops, principals took up the language of the science practices in more nuanced and sophisticated ways. Principals' use of the language of the science practices became more frequent and shifted from identifying or defining them to considering quality and implementation in science classrooms. As we design tools to support science, we need to consider instructional leaders as important stakeholders and develop resources to specifically meet their needs. If the science feels too unfamiliar or intimidating, principals may avoid or reframe science reform efforts. Consequently, it is important to leverage instructional leaders' resources from other disciplines and content neutral strategies as bridges for building understanding in science. We argue that the science practices are one potential lever to engage in this work and shift instructional leaders' understandings of science instruction.

Voltage compensation in multi-grounded distribution network with a three-phase five-wire DSTATCOM.☆

This paper presents a three-phase static synchronous compensator with five legs to be connected to a multi-grounded neutral distribution network. Several strategies are proposed in the literature to compensate for the imbalances in multi-grounded networks. Typically, three-phase static synchronous compensators with four legs can compensate for positive-, negative- and zero-sequence network voltages. However, they cannot simultaneously compensate also for the neutral voltage of multi-grounded network. Thus, the fifth-leg of the proposed compensator is controlled as a single-phase converter in order to compensate the neutral-voltage at the point of common coupling. Linearised mathematical models, in the synchronous reference frame, are developed and used to design the controllers used to compensate the network’s neutral voltage and to regulate the current synthesized by the fifth-leg of the compensator. A multi-grounded network, derived from the IEEE NEV test feeder, is modelled in the PSCAD/EMTDC to investigate the performance of the proposed compensator. The results of the digital simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the neutral voltage compensation strategy and validate the control loops designed for the three-phase five-wire static synchronous compensator.

To hedge or not to hedge: Carry trade dynamics in the emerging economies

In this paper, we show that the carry strategy matters in the emerging markets in the sense that the dollar neutral carry strategy outperforms the dollar carry strategy. We also show that carry trade is not a profitable strategy, compared to the returns from U.S. stocks and/or U.S. dollar risk-free rate. Our findings indicate that risk factors explain the dollar carry strategies better than the dollar neutral strategy particularly in the post-crisis period. Because emerging markets are riskier than developed ones, investors are expected to hedge using FX options. However, we find that hedging carry trade is not a good idea in the emerging markets because crash risk that is priced in the options seems to evaporate carry profits.

IL-21 Is an Accomplice of PD-L1 in the Induction of PD-1-Dependent Treg Generation in Head and Neck Cancer.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are immunosuppressive cells involved in antitumor immunity. However, the regulation of Treg generation by inflammation in the tumor microenvironment has not been carefully investigated. Here, we demonstrated that IL-21-polarized inflammation was enriched in the tumor microenvironment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and that IL-21 could promote PD-L1-induced Treg generation in a PD-1-dependent manner. Moreover, generated Tregs showed a greater ability to suppress the proliferation of tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-specific T cells than naturally occurring Tregs. Importantly, an anti-PD-1 antibody could inhibit only Treg expansion induced by clinical tumor explants with high expression of IL-21/PD-L1. In addition, neutralizing IL-21 could enhance the anti-PD-1 antibody-mediated inhibitory effect on Treg expansion. Furthermore, simultaneous high expression of IL-21 and PD-L1 was associated with more Treg infiltrates and predicted reduced overall and disease-free survival in patients with HNSCC. These findings indicate that IL-21 in the tumor microenvironment may promote PD-L1-induced, Treg-mediated immune escape in a PD-1-dependent manner and that an IL-21 neutralization strategy may enhance PD-1 blockade-based antitumor immunotherapy by targeting Treg-mediated immune evasion in patients with high expression of IL-21 and PD-L1.