bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring protein-protein interactions for the development of new analgesics
Authors: do Nascimento Alexandre Martins , Marques Rauni Borges , Roldão Allan Pradelli , Rodrigues Ana Maria , Eslava Rodrigo Mendes , Dale Camila Squarzoni , Reis Eduardo Moraes , Schechtman Deborah
Published: October 2024

The development of new analgesics has been challenging. Candidate drugs often have limited clinical utility due to side effects that arise because many drug targets are involved in signaling pathways other than pain transduction. Here, we explored the potential of targeting protein-protein interactions (PPIs) that mediate pain signaling as an approach to developing drugs to treat chronic pain. We reviewed the approaches used to identify small molecules and peptide modulators of PPIs and their ability to decrease pain-like behaviors in rodent animal models. We analyzed data from rodent and human sensory nerve tissues to build associated signaling networks and assessed both validated and potential interactions and the structures of the interacting domains that could inform the design of synthetic peptides and small molecules. This resource identifies PPIs that could be explored for the development of new analgesics, particularly between scaffolding proteins and receptors for various growth factors and neurotransmitters, as well as ion channels and other enzymes. Targeting the adaptor function of CBL by blocking interactions between its proline-rich carboxyl-terminal domain and its SH3-domain–containing protein partners, such as GRB2, could disrupt endosomal signaling induced by pain-associated growth factors. This approach would leave intact its E3-ligase functions, which are mediated by other domains and are critical for other cellular functions. This potential of PPI modulators to be more selective may mitigate side effects and improve the clinical management of pain.
Siah3 acts as a physiological mitophagy suppressor that facilitates axonal degeneration
Authors: Abraham Omer , Ben-Dor Shifra , Goliand Inna , Haffner-Krausz Rebecca , Colaiuta Sarah Phoebeluc , Kovalenko Andrew , Yaron Avraham
Published: October 2024

Mitophagy eliminates dysfunctional mitochondria, and defects in this cellular housekeeping mechanism are implicated in various age-related diseases. Here, we found that mitophagy suppression by the protein Siah3 promoted developmental axonal remodeling in mice. Siah3-deficient mice displayed increased peripheral sensory innervation. Cultured Siah3-deficient sensory neurons exhibited delays in both axonal degeneration and caspase-3 activation in response to withdrawal of nerve growth factor. Mechanistically, Siah3 was transcriptionally induced by the loss of trophic support and formed a complex with the cytosolic E3 ubiquitin ligase parkin, a core component of mitophagy, in transfected cells. Axons of Siah3-deficient neurons mounted profound mitophagy upon initiation of degeneration but not under basal conditions. Neurons lacking both Siah3 and parkin did not exhibit the delay in trophic deprivation–induced axonal degeneration or the induction of axonal mitophagy that was seen in Siah3-deficient neurons. Our findings reveal that mitophagy regulation acts as a gatekeeper of a physiological axon elimination program.
A Siah3 of relief: A role for mitophagy as a fail-safe during developmental axon pruning
Authors: Davidson Rina L. , Simon David J.
Published: October 2024

Developmental axon pruning is controlled by a careful balance of pro- and anti-apoptotic signals, which are activated in response to external cues to sculpt mature neuronal circuitry. In this issue of
Science Signaling
, Abraham
et al.
define a safeguard against apoptotic axon pruning and illustrate that Siah3 represses Parkin-mediated mitophagy to control the availability of axonal mitochondria that activate the pruning process.
Functional genomics screens reveal a role for TBC1D24 and SV2B in antibody-dependent enhancement of dengue virus infection
Authors: Belmont Laura , Contreras Maya , Cartwright-Acar Catiana H. , Marceau Caleb D. , Agrawal Aditi , Levoir Lisa M. , Lubow Jay , Goo Leslie
Published: October 2024

Under some conditions, dengue virus (DENV) can hijack IgG antibodies to facilitate its uptake into target cells expressing Fc gamma receptors (FcgR)—a process known as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of infection. Beyond a requirement for FcgR, host dependency factors for this unusual IgG-mediated infection route remain unknown. To identify cellular factors exclusively required for ADE, here, we performed CRISPR knockout (KO) screens in an
in vitro
system poorly permissive to infection in the absence of IgG antibodies. Validating our approach, a top hit was FcgRIIa, which facilitates the binding and internalization of IgG-bound DENV but is not required for canonical infection. Additionally, we identified host factors with no previously described role in DENV infection, including TBC1D24 and SV2B, which have known functions in regulated secretion. Using genetic knockout and
trans
-complemented cells, we validated a functional requirement for these host factors in ADE assays performed with monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal sera in multiple cell lines and using all four DENV serotypes. We show that knockout of TBC1D24 or SV2B impaired the binding of IgG-DENV complexes to cells without affecting FcgRIIa expression levels. Thus, we identify cellular factors beyond FcgR that promote efficient ADE of DENV infection. Our findings represent a first step toward advancing fundamental knowledge behind the biology of a non-canonical infection route implicated in disease.

IMPORTANCE

Antibodies can paradoxically enhance rather than inhibit dengue virus (DENV) infection in some cases. To advance knowledge of the functional requirements of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of infection beyond existing descriptive studies, we performed a genome-scale CRISPR knockout (KO) screen in an optimized
in vitro
system permissive to efficient DENV infection only in the presence of IgG. In addition to FcgRIIa, a known receptor that facilitates IgG-mediated uptake of IgG-bound, but not naked DENV particles, our screens identified TBC1D24 and SV2B, cellular factors with no known role in DENV infection. We validated a functional role for TBC1D24 and SV2B in mediating ADE of all four DENV serotypes in different cell lines and using various antibodies. Thus, we identify cellular factors beyond Fc gamma receptors that promote ADE mechanisms. This study represents a first step toward advancing fundamental knowledge beyond a poorly understood non-canonical viral entry mechanism.
Phosphorylation of Ser711 residue in the hypervariable region of zoonotic genotype 3 hepatitis E virus is important for virus replication
Authors: Wang Bo , Subramaniam Sakthivel , Tian Debin , Mahsoub Hassan M. , Heffron C. Lynn , Meng Xiang-Jin
Published: October 2024

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is distinct from other hepatotropic viruses because it is zoonotic. HEV-1 and HEV-2 exclusively infect humans, whereas HEV-3 and HEV-4 are zoonotic. However, the viral and/or host factors responsible for cross-species HEV transmission remain elusive. The hypervariable region (HVR) in HEV is extremely heterogenetic and is implicated in HEV adaptation. Here, we investigated the potential role of Serine phosphorylation in the HVR in HEV replication. We first analyzed HVR sequences across different HEV genotypes and identified a unique region at the N-terminus of the HVR, which is variable in the human-exclusive HEV genotypes but relatively conserved in zoonotic HEV genotypes. Using predictive tools, we identified four potential phosphorylation sites that are highly conserved in zoonotic HEV-3 and HEV-4 genomes but absent in human-exclusive HEV-1 strains. To explore the functional significance of these putative phosphorylation sites, we introduced mutations into the HEV-3 infectious clone and indicator replicon, replacing each Serine residue individually with alanine or aspartic acid, and assessed the impact of these substitutions on HEV-3 replication. We found that the phospho-blatant S711A mutant significantly reduced virus replication, whereas the phospho-mimetic S711D mutant modestly reduced virus replication. Conversely, mutations in the other three Serine residues did not significantly affect HEV-3 replication. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Ser711 phosphorylation did not alter host cell tropism of zoonotic HEV-3. In conclusion, our results showed that potential phosphorylation of the Ser711 residue significantly affects HEV-3 replication
in vitro
, providing new insights into the potential mechanisms of zoonotic HEV transmission.

IMPORTANCE

HEV is an important zoonotic pathogen, causing both acute and chronic hepatitis E and extrahepatic manifestation of diseases, such as neurological sequelae. The zoonotic HEV-3 is linked to chronic infection and neurological diseases. The specific viral and/or host factors facilitating cross-species HEV infection are unknown. The intrinsically disordered HVR in ORF1 is crucial for viral fitness and adaptation, both
in vitro
and
in vivo
. We hypothesized that phosphorylation of Serine residues in the HVR of zoonotic HEV by unknown host cellular kinases is associated with cross-species HEV transmission. In this study, we identified a conserved region within the HVR of zoonotic HEV strains but absent in the human-exclusive HEV-1 and HEV-2. We elucidated the important role of phosphorylation at the Ser711 residue in zoonotic HEV-3 replication, without altering the host cell tropism. These findings contribute to our understanding the mechanisms of cross-species HEV transmission.
Attenuated African swine fever viruses and the live vaccine candidates: a comprehensive review
Authors: Fan Jiaqi , Yu Haisheng , Miao Faming , Ke Junnan , Hu Rongliang
Published: October 2024

The African swine fever virus (ASFV) is spreading worldwide and causing huge economic losses to the global pig industry. The ASFV genome is 170–193 kb in length, contains approximately 150 open reading frames, and encodes more than 200 proteins, most of which have unknown functions. Owing to the unique viral structure, replication strategy, large number of genes of unknown function, and complicated pathogenesis, vaccine development research is challenging. Several naturally attenuated ASFV isolates have been extensively investigated and many genetically manipulated, gene-deleted, and cell-adapted ASFVs have been reported. Currently, live attenuated viruses prepared from weakly virulent strains are an efficient method to provide effective protection in vaccinated pigs; however, these have seldom been widely approved for vaccine use, except in Vietnam. Herein, we summarize the attenuated isolates or vaccine candidates for live vaccines derived from different sources, including naturally mutated, attenuated, cell-adapted, and genetically modified recombinant ASFVs. This will help to understand the gene function and immunogenicity of attenuated live ASFV, as well as the shortcomings of these viruses as vaccine candidates, and provide clues to prepare live, efficient, and safe vaccines for African swine fever.

IMPORTANCE

Outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) have caused devastating losses to the global pig industry. Pigs immunized with ASFV attenuated virus can resist the lethal challenge of a strongly virulent virus. Here, we summarize the virulence of naturally mutated, cell-adapted, and genetically recombinant ASFV for pigs, and the protective effect after facing an attack challenge. We also analyze the advantages and disadvantages of ASFV attenuated viruses as vaccine candidates to provide clues for the preparation of efficient and safe live African swine fever vaccines.
Gangrene and osteomyelitis of the toe in a previously healthy patient due to undiagnosed essential thrombocythemia
Authors: Schick Alex , Dhamoon Amit S
Published: October 2024

We report a case of gangrene and osteomyelitis of the toe in a young, previously healthy male with undiagnosed essential thrombocythemia (ET). The patient experienced persistent right fifth toe pain, discolouration and ulceration for 3–4 months, unresponsive to antibiotics. Despite multiple normal X-rays, 2 months later, MRI revealed osteomyelitis. On inpatient admission, testing revealed thrombocytosis and abnormal blood flow to right fourth and fifth toes without thrombus, consistent with vasospasm. This ultimately resulted in ischemia, gangrene and osteomyelitis of the toe, necessitating amputation. The patient was subsequently treated with hydroxyurea for ET. This unusual presentation underscores the importance of a broad differential in cases when conventional treatments fail to yield improvement.
Lactoferrin modulates oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines in a murine model of dysbiosis induced by clindamycin
Authors: Abad Inés , Bellés Andrea , Rodríguez-Largo Ana , Luján Lluís , de Blas Ignacio , Graikini Dimitra , Grasa Laura , Sánchez Lourdes
Published: October 2024

Antibiotics, specifically clindamycin (Clin), cause intestinal dysbiosis, reducing the microbiota with anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, Clin can induce alterations in the immune responses and oxidative stress. Lactoferrin, among other activities, participates in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis and reduces dysbiosis induced by antibiotic treatment. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of native and iron-saturated bovine LF in a murine model of dysbiosis induced by Clin. Six groups of male C57BL/6 mice were treated with saline (control), Clin, native lactoferrin (nLF), iron-saturated lactoferrin (sLF), nLF/Clin, or sLF/Clin. Oxidation caused in the intestinal cells of the ileum of animals subjected to different treatments was analyzed, focusing on lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl content. The expression of inflammatory mediators was determined by qRT-PCR. Treatment with Clin did not modify lipid peroxidation, but significantly increased protein carbonyl levels up to almost 5-fold respect to the control, an effect that was reversed by orally administering sLF to mice. Furthermore, Clin increased the expression of interleukin-6 and TNF-α by 1- and 2-fold change, respectively. This effect was reversed by treatment with nLF and sLF, decreasing the expression to basal levels. In conclusion, this study indicates that lactoferrin can prevent some of the effects of Clin on intestinal cells and their associated immune system.
Computed tomography-driven analysis of particle breakage using a coupled FDM–DEM approach
Authors: Wu Mengmeng , Sun Yuze , Situ Xianghao , Wang Jianfeng , Yin Zhen-Yu
Published: October 2024

This study proposes a refined approach for simulating the mechanical behavior of soils under high stress by integrating the finite difference method–discrete element method (FDM–DEM) with in situ experiment. This novel framework incorporates advanced technologies such as flexible membrane and X-ray computed tomography (CT) to enhance the predictive capabilities of the simulation with physical insight. The FDM–DEM model adeptly simulates irregular particle shapes, capturing their interactions and the dynamics of particle breakage. The use of flexible membrane within the model further enriches this approach by enabling the capture of deformation responses in granular materials during shearing. Moreover, the adoption of CT technology facilitates continuous optimization of the simulation process. Validation through in situ experiments has confirmed the model’s effectiveness. The ability of the model to predict areas of high stress concentration—and their correlation with observed particle breakage patterns—underscores the utility of the enhanced FDM–DEM framework as a robust predictive tool for understanding the behavior of granular materials under shearing.
Inhaled argon dilates pulmonary vasculature in rat isolated lungs
Authors: Hees Josephine E. , Cleveland William J. , Balzer Claudius , Riess Matthias L.
Published: October 2024

During cardiopulmonary resuscitation, pulmonary vasoconstriction due to hypoxia and hypercarbia restricts blood flow from the right to the left heart, resulting in reduced cardiac output that further inhibits adequate oxygenation and the ability to distribute oxygenated blood and medications. An inhaled pulmonary vasodilator could attenuate vasoconstriction and, therefore, increase cardiac output. We used rat isolated lungs to test if inhaled Argon leads to pulmonary vasodilation in phenylephrine-treated lungs. Lungs of 13 adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were isolated, ventilated, and perfused. Pulmonary artery and left atrium were cannulated and lungs perfused at constant flow with 4% albumin physiological saline solution. Controls ( n = 6) were ventilated with 65% N2, 5% CO2, 30% O2, and Argon lungs ( n = 7) with 65% Argon, 5% CO2, and 30% O2. Pulmonary mean arterial pressure (pMAP) and airway pressure (AWP) were recorded continuously, and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was calculated. Following baseline readings, phenylephrine, a pulmonary vasoconstrictor, was perfused at increasing concentrations from 10−7 to 10−3 mol/L every 5 min. Statistics: Student’s t test, α = 0.05. Argon led to significantly lower pMAPs and PVRs, independent of AWP. Thus, it significantly dilated pre-constricted pulmonary vessels in an ex vivo lung model. When given during resuscitation, this might aid to increase cardiac output.
Barrow’s nonlinear charged anti-de Sitter black hole and stability
Authors: Du Yun-Zhi , Gu Qiang
Published: October 2024

As we know, the horizon area of a black hole will increase when it absorbs matter. Based on Barrow’s concept of a fractal black hole horizon, it has been proposed (Phys Lett B 831:137181, 2022) that for a spherically fractal structure, the minimum increase in the horizon area is the area of the smallest bubble sphere. The corresponding black hole entropy is of a logarithmic form, which is similar to that of Boltzmann entropy under a certain condition. Based on this, we re-derive the entropy of Barrow’s Einstein–power-Yang–Mills (EPYM) anti-de Sitter (AdS) black hole, and calculate its temperature and heat capacity. There exists an interesting phenomenon wherein the ratio between Barrow’s temperature and the Hawking temperature of the EPYM AdS black hole is fully consistent with that of other Schwarzschild-like black holes. The Barrow and Hawking temperatures within a certain range of $$\Lambda $$
Λ
are found to increase monotonically, and the corresponding heat capacities are all positive, which means that these black holes are thermodynamically stable. In addition, for Barrow’s EPYM AdS black hole, its heat capacity has a Schottky anomaly-like behavior, which may reflect the existence of a discrete energy level and microscopic degrees of freedom.
Anisotropic model observing pulsars from Neutron Star Interior Composition with modified Van der Waals equation of state
Authors: Mardan S. A. , Khalid A. , Manzoor Rubab , Riaz Muhammad Bilal
Published: October 2024

This paper is designed for heavy pulsars coming from the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer. The research model is describe by Einstein field equations for anisotropic fluid configuration with spherical symmetry. As per present perceptiveness, modified non-linear Van der Waals equation of state is used to relate physical variables. The continuity of inner and outer matter is obtained by comparing inner spacetime to outer Schwarzschild metric. The physical viability of this model is evaluated and further it is compared with observational data of pulsars PSR J0348+0432, PSR J0740+6620 and PSR J0030+0451. The model fulfils all physical and mathematical characteristics of the dense structure studies. It offers the factual proofs carried by evolution of celestial configurations. The working model presented here is physically viable and shows stable behaviour.
Secondary vertex reconstruction with MaskFormers
Authors: Van Stroud Samuel , Pond Nikita , Hart Max , Barr Jackson , Rettie Sébastien , Facini Gabriel , Scanlon Timothy
Published: October 2024

In high-energy particle collisions, the reconstruction of secondary vertices from heavy-flavour hadron decays is crucial for identifying and studying jets initiated by b- or c-quarks. Traditional methods, while effective, require extensive manual optimisation and struggle to perform consistently across wide regions of phase space. Meanwhile, recent advancements in machine learning have improved performance but are unable to fully reconstruct multiple vertices. In this work we propose a novel approach to secondary vertex reconstruction based on recent advancements in object detection and computer vision. Our method directly predicts the presence and properties of an arbitrary number of vertices in a single model. This approach overcomes the limitations of existing techniques. Applied to simulated proton-proton collision events, our approach demonstrates significant improvements in vertex finding efficiency, achieving a 10% improvement over an existing state-of-the-art method. Moreover, it enables vertex fitting, providing accurate estimates of key vertex properties such as transverse momentum, radial flight distance, and angular displacement from the jet axis. When integrated into a flavour tagging pipeline, our method yields a 50% improvement in light-jet rejection and a 15% improvement in c-jet rejection at a b-jet selection efficiency of 70%. These results demonstrate the potential of adapting advanced object detection techniques for particle physics, and pave the way for more powerful and flexible reconstruction tools in high-energy physics experiments.
Graviton reggeization and high energy gravitational scattering of scalar particles
Authors: Bondarenko S.
Published: October 2024

In this paper we consider a high energy scattering of free scalar particles through a gravitational field. The one particle t-channel amplitude of the scattering in this limit is governed by reggeized graviton. Therefore, we discuss an appearance of the reggeized gravitons in the framework of Einstein–Hilbert gravity and consider Lipatov’s effective action for the reggeized gravitons. We calculate the trajectory of the corresponding t-channel amplitude in the framework and thereafter define the leading order amplitude of scattering of two massive scalar particles. An impact factor of the interaction of scalar particle with the reggeized gravitons is also calculated and possible applications of the approach are discussed as well.
Meta-Learning to Rank for Sparsely Supervised Queries
Authors: Wu Xuyang , Puthenputhussery Ajit , Shang Hongwei , Kang Changsung , Fang Yi
Published: October 2024

Supervisory signals are a critical resource for training learning to rank models. In many real-world search and retrieval scenarios, these signals may not be readily available or could be costly to obtain for some queries. The examples include domains where labeling requires professional expertise, applications with strong privacy constraints, and user engagement information that are too scarce. We refer to these scenarios as sparsely supervised queries which pose significant challenges to traditional learning to rank models. In this work, we address sparsely supervised queries by proposing a novel meta-learning to rank framework which leverages fast learning and adaption capability of meta-learning. The proposed approach accounts for the fact that different queries have different optimal parameters for their rankers, in contrast to traditional learning to rank models which only learn a global ranking model applied to all the queries. In consequence, the proposed method would yield significant advantages especially when new queries are of different characteristics with the training queries. Moreover, the proposed meta-learning to rank framework is generic and flexible. We conduct a set of comprehensive experiments on both public datasets and a real-world e-commerce dataset. The results demonstrate that the proposed meta-learning approach can significantly enhance the performance of learning to rank models with sparsely labeled queries.
Instance Space Analysis of Testing of Autonomous Vehicles in Critical Scenarios
Authors: Crespo-Rodriguez Victor , Neelofar  , Aleti Aldeida , Turhan Burak
Published: October 2024

Before being deployed on roads, Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) must undergo comprehensive testing. Safety-critical situations, however, are infrequent in usual driving conditions, so simulated scenarios are used to create them. A test scenario comprises static and dynamic features related to the AV and the test environment; the representation of these features is complex and makes testing a heavy process. A test scenario is effective if it identifies incorrect behaviors of the AV. In this article, we present a technique for identifying key features of test scenarios associated with their effectiveness using Instance Space Analysis (ISA). ISA generates a (

\(2D\)

) representation of test scenarios and their features. This visualization helps to identify combinations of features that make a test scenario effective. We present a graphical representation of each feature that helps identify how well each testing technique explores the search space. While identifying key features is a primary goal, this study specifically seeks to determine the critical features that differentiate the performance of algorithms. Finally, we present metrics to assess the robustness of testing algorithms and the scenarios generated. Collecting essential features in combination with their values associated with effectiveness can be used for selection and prioritization of effective test cases.
A Comprehensive Survey of Studies on Predicting Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classes of Drugs
Authors: Das Pranab , Mazumder Dilwar Hussain
Published: October 2024

Drug classification plays a crucial role in contemporary drug discovery, design, and development. Determining the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classes for new drugs is a laborious, costly, and intricate process, often requiring multiple clinical trial phases. Computational models offer significant benefits by accelerating drug evaluation, reducing complexity, and lowering costs; however, challenges persist in the drug classification system. To address this, a literature survey of computational models used for predicting ATC classes was conducted, covering research from 2008 to 2024. This study reviews numerous research articles on drug classification, focusing on drug descriptors, data sources, tasks, computational methods, model performance, and challenges in predicting ATC classes. It also examines the evolution of computational techniques and their application in identifying ATC classes. Finally, the study highlights open problems and research gaps, suggesting areas for further investigation in ATC class prediction.
FaceDefend: Copyright Protection to Prevent Face Embezzle
Authors: Zhai Rui , Ni Rongrong , Yu Yang , Zhao Yao
Published: October 2024

With the rapid evolution of deep learning and the advent of AI, the metaverse has emerged as a significant technology. Within the metaverse, diverse elements such as rich applications and realistic digital avatars provide users with immersive experiences, but it poses a series of security problems. Current research predominantly focuses on the data storage and transmission processes from the perspective of blockchain and the Internet of Things to achieve the protection of the metaverse. However, there exists a gap in security research on the digital avatar generation process. Given that digital avatars are the primary entities engaging in social activities within the metaverse and are crafted based on real face images, the virtual character can be generated easily by stealing the user’s face image and controlled to interact with others. In order to deal with the above problems, we propose a novel method to prevent the misuse of faces, which maintains the security of the metaverse by protecting facial data and thus preventing its misuse. We explore the common architecture of generative models and propose a defense method based on copyright protection to prevent face embezzling. Firstly, we utilize the copyright protection module to obtain copyright protection information. Secondly, we utilized the defense control module to ensure the representation of the protected images occurs errors in the latent space of the generation model. Therefore, the subsequent generation task output fails, which effectively protects the face data and prevents the generation of digital avatars. Furthermore, the results on public datasets and across multiple generative models present unnatural outputs, indicating the excellence of our defense and transfer capabilities.
SIGecom Job Market Candidate Profiles 2023
Authors: Gkatzelis Vasilis , Hartline Jason
Published: October 2024

This is the eighth annual collection of profiles of the junior faculty job market candidates of the SIGecom community. The thirty candidates for 2023 are listed alphabetically and indexed by research areas that define the interests of the community. The candidates can be contacted individually or via the moderated mailing list ecom-candidates2023@acm.org.
Market Design for AI Algorithms
Authors: Banchio Martino , Skrzypacz Andrzej
Published: October 2024

We discuss results from a few recent papers on how market design affects play between artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. We describe the results from Banchio and Skrzypacz [2022] where the first-price auction appears more prone to collusion than the second-price auction. We also discuss results showing that information feedback after the auction, which allows computation of counterfactual payoffs, can improve competition.
Recent Developments in Pandora's Box Problem: Variants and Applications
Authors: Beyhaghi Hedyeh , Cai Linda
Published: October 2024

In 1979, Weitzman introduced Pandora's box problem as a framework for sequential search with costly inspections. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in Pandora's box problem, particularly among researchers working at the intersection of economics and computation. This survey provides an overview of the recent literature on Pandora's box problem, including its latest extensions and applications in areas such as market design, decision theory, and machine learning.
Auto-Bidding and Auctions in Online Advertising: A Survey
Authors: Aggarwal Gagan , Badanidiyuru Ashwinkumar , Balseiro Santiago R. , Bhawalkar Kshipra , Deng Yuan , Feng Zhe , Goel Gagan , Liaw Christopher , Lu Haihao , Mahdian Mohammad , Mao Jieming , Mehta Aranyak , Mirrokni Vahab , Leme Renato Paes , Perlroth Andres , Piliouras Georgios , Schneider Jon , Schvartzman Ariel , Sivan Balasubramanian , Spendlove Kelly , Teng Yifeng , Wang Di , Zhang Hanrui , Zhao Mingfei , Zhu Wennan , Zuo Song
Published: October 2024

In this survey, we summarize recent developments in research fueled by the growing adoption of automated bidding strategies in online advertising. We explore the challenges and opportunities that have arisen as markets embrace this autobidding and cover a range of topics in this area, including bidding algorithms, equilibrium analysis and efficiency of common auction formats, and optimal auction design.
Logics with Concrete Domains: First-Order Properties, Abstract Expressive Power, and (Un)Decidability
Authors: Baader Franz , De Bortoli Filippo
Published: October 2024

Concrete domains have been introduced in description logic (DL) to enable reference to concrete objects (such as numbers) and predefined predicates on these objects (such as numerical comparisons) when defining concepts. The primary research goal in this context was to find restrictions on the concrete domain such that its integration into certain DLs preserves decidability or tractability. In this article, we complement these investigations by studying the abstract expressive power of both first-order and description logics extended with concrete domains, i.e., we analyze which classes of first-order interpretations can be expressed using these logics, compared to what their counterparts without concrete domains can express. We demonstrate that, under natural conditions on the concrete domain
D
(which also play a role for decidability), extensions of first-order logic (FOL) or the well-known DL
ALC
with
D
share important formal characteristics with FOL, such as the compactness and the Löwenheim-Skolem properties. Nevertheless, these conditions do not ensure that the abstract expressive power of the extensions we consider is contained in that of FOL, though in some cases it is. To be more precise, we show, on the one hand, that unary concrete domains leave the abstract expressive power within FOL if we are allowed to introduce auxiliary predicates. As a by-product, we obtain (semi-)decidability results for some fragments of FOL extended with the concrete domains considered in this article. On the other hand, we show that the ability to express equality between elements of
D
, another condition employed in the context of showing decidability of
ALC
(
D
), is sufficient to push the abstract expressive power of most first-order fragments with concrete domains beyond that of FOL. While for such concrete domains
D
decidability is retained for
ALC
(
D
), we show that the availability of equality in
D
causes undecidability of the two-variable fragment of FOL(
D
), although the two-variable fragment of FOL is decidable.
Green Video Streaming: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Afzal Samira , Prodan Radu , Timmerer Christian
Published: October 2024

Regarding the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report in 2021 and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 "climate action", urgent action is needed against climate change and global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the next few years [1]. This urgency also applies to the energy consumption of digital technologies. Internet data traffic is responsible for more than half of digital technology's global impact, which is 55% of energy consumption annually. The Shift Project forecast [2] shows an increase of 25% in data traffic associated with 9% more energy consumption per year, reaching 8% of all GHG emissions in 2025.
Correlation between Electrolyte Concentration and Lithium Morphology during Lithium Bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide–Tetraglyme Electrolyte Deposition–Dissolution Reactions
Authors: Kamesui Go , Nishikawa Kei , Ueda Mikito , Matsushima Hisayoshi
Published: October 2024

Electrodeposition and chemical dissolution reactions of Li are strongly affected by the electrolyte concentration at the electrode surface. In this study, we investigated the processes involved in the formation of Li deposits at various electrolyte concentrations and different numbers of deposition–dissolution cycles. Growth of the deposits during the cycles was assessed using a digital microscope. The thickness of the fibrous layer was strongly dependent on the electrolyte solute–solvent molar ratio. The thickness of the fibrous layer increased as the number of cycles increased when the electrolyte solute–solvent molar ratio was low but decreased when the molar ratio was high. Temporal changes in the electrolyte concentration and in the diffusion layers near the electrode were identified using a laser interference microscope. The results led us to conclude that there are three fibrous Li deposit growth models that occur at different solvent–solute molar ratios.
Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors: Clinical Presentation, Molecular Characterization, and Therapeutic Approach of Seven Patients
Authors: Gaidzik Verena I. , Mayer-Steinacker Regine , Wittau Mathias , Schultheiß Markus , v. Baer Alexandra , Oehl-Huber Kathrin , Dahlum Sonja , Fischer Anja , Gerstenmaier Uwe , Seufferlein Thomas , Buck Andreas , Beer Ambros , Thaiss Wolfgang , Möller Peter , Döhner Hartmut , Siebert Reiner , Marienfeld Ralf , Barth Thomas F. E.
Published: October 2024

Desmoplastic small round blue cell tumor (DSRCT) is a highly aggressive fatal sarcoma without evidence‐based therapeutic guidelines. We present here seven patients with DSRCT including immunohistochemistry combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), next generation sequencing (NGS, n = 6) as well as OncoScan array (n = 3) analyses and show consecutive therapeutic approaches. All seven DSRCT patients presented with an extended abdominal mass; median age at diagnosis was 24.8 years. NGS analyses revealed five class 4 or 5 sequence variants. Remarkably, OncoScan and targeted analyses by FISH identified genomic gains of CCND1 in two cases. Cyclin D1 expression was present in all seven tumors as shown by immunohistochemical staining. Multimodal therapeutic concepts included systemic therapies, resection, and radiation. Six patients were treated as first‐line therapy with conventional chemotherapy. All except one patient had a dismal therapy response. Subsequent therapy lines consisted of chemotherapeutic combinations followed by targeted therapies. Due to Cyclin D1 expression, the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib was applied to four patients. The median therapy duration until disease progression in these patients was 4.5 months (range, 1.5–5 months). So, CCND1 genomic gain and Cyclin D1 expression are common features pointing to cell‐cycle deregulation as a possible therapeutic target.
Transformer Outage Contingency in the Southern Interconnected Grid of Cameroon Based on Dynamic Power Flow Simulation
Authors: Iweh Chu Donatus , Nsanyuy Wirnkar Basil , Nguti Nde Donatus , Tanyi Emmanuel
Published: October 2024

The power system is a network of components having specific operational limits such that any violation of these limits during their operation could lead to more damage in the grid. The grid in Cameroon has been facing several undesired loading events at some sections of the network and the utility company has over the years, employed measures to mitigate these issues. This study has used the ETAP software to conduct a contingency analysis on the largest independent grid in Cameroon, supplying 6 regions in Cameroon. Seventeen transformer outage events in the network were used to conduct the N‐1 scenario‐based contingency, so that the vulnerability of the network can be evaluated. The fast decoupled power flow method was continuously applied on the network, and the different contingency scenarios were ranked using a combination of 4 performance indices. These four performance indices gave information on the impact of the various transformer outage scenarios on the grid. The four indices were added to give a combined value, and the outages were ranked in order of severity based on this combined index. A major contribution of this paper is the use of four scalar indices to classify the critical elements in the grid of a developing country. The initial load flow simulation of the network showed that 12 nodes had under voltages, while 3 transformers and one transmission line were overloaded. The Ngousso corridor suffered one of the worst under voltage situation during the initial power flow study. This is an indication that the utility company needs to undertake intensive network upgrade and implore measures to increase power generation to support the growing loads. It was observed that all the contingency scenarios experienced convergence. The Oyomabang transformer 1 had the highest combined index of 71.20, showing a huge negative impact on the network as a result of the outage of the transformer. This was followed by the Oyomabang transformer 2 with a combined index of 48.63. The results will be very useful to utility operators in prioritizing transformers in the network with high risk of causing huge impact on the network in case of an outage.
Water Reduction of Biodegradable Plastic From Bagasse By‐Product With Synergistic Effect of Graphene Oxide Reinforcement and Citric Acid Crosslinking
Authors: Alemayehu Atalay , Belay Mezigebu
Published: October 2024

In today’s world, plastics are vital as they are used in a wide range of applications although packaging is the most prevalent. Most of the plastics that are used for packaging applications are derived from petrochemicals. These plastics meet most of the requirements for good packing applications. However, they are not completely biodegradable. This consequently pollutes the environment. As a result, biodegradable plastics have emerged as an alternative to conventional plastics. Cellulose is one of the potential materials that are used for making biodegradable plastics. However, making plastic from cellulose causes deforestation. In this work, plastic was produced from cellulose bagasse, which is an industrial waste. Since bagasse is an industrial by‐product, it causes neither deforestation nor scarcity of food. However, the plastic made from bagasse showed high water absorption and low tensile strength. To overcome this problem, the plastic, which is made from bagasse, was reinforced with various concentrations of graphene oxide (GO) and crosslinked with various concentrations of citric acid (CA) at different crosslinking temperatures and crosslinking times. The water absorption and biodegradability of the films were studied. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of crosslinking and reinforcement was used to improve the interfacial bonding between the two. The water absorption of pure cellulose, cellulose crosslinked with 10% CA, cellulose reinforced with 15% GO reinforcement, and synergy of 10% CA crosslinking and 15% GO reinforcement at crosslinking temperature of 130°C and crosslinking time of 25 min was found to be 99.02%, 56.4%, 44.275%, and 36.78%, respectively. The biodegradability at the optimal values of crosslinker concentration, crosslinking time, and crosslinking temperature of pure cellulose of bagasse, 10% CA crosslinked bagasse, and 10% CA crosslinked bagasse with 15% GO reinforcement in 30 days were found to be 94.0397%, 56.91%, and 40.81%, respectively. The result of the study shows that water‐resistant biodegradable plastic can be produced with the synergistic effect of crosslinking and reinforcement.
Potential Role of APC Mutations in the Prognosis and Targeted Therapy of Gastric Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhang Cao , Qin Jingjing , Zhou Wenjuan , Huang Zexuan , Ye Jingjing , He Yaqin
Published: October 2024

Background: Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene, an oncogene, has been implicated in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD), which is a common type of gastric cancer (GC). Although the relationship between APC gene mutations and gastric adenocarcinoma has been comprehensively studied, the potential role of these mutations in the prognosis and targeted therapy remains known.

Methods: We utilized The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to obtain gene expression matrices, clinical information, and mutation data from patients with STAD. The mutation status of the APC gene was analyzed, and its correlation with tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and clinical prognosis in STAD was investigated. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to explore the pathological role of APC gene mutations in STAD metabolic pathways. Drug sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify potential targeted antitumor drugs for patients with APC gene mutations in gastric adenocarcinoma.

Results: The results revealed that 88% (46/52) of STAD samples had nonsynonymous mutations. The mutation group exhibited a significantly higher TMB than the wild‐type group (p < 0.001), and the percentage of high MSI (MSI‐H) was significantly higher in the mutation group than in the wild‐type group (p < 0.001). Patients with APC mutations had a worse prognosis than those with APC wild‐type (p = 0.009). The APC gene mutation group displayed significant enrichment in amino acids, RNA, and several pathways (|NES| > 1 and nominal p value < 0.01). Compared to the wild‐type group, the mutation group exhibited a higher infiltration proportion of natural killer (NK) cells resting and eosinophils, whereas a lower infiltration proportion of monocytes and resting mast cells (p value < 0.05). AZD5991 exhibited significant sensitivity in patients with STAD carrying APC mutations (p = 0.028).

Conclusion: APC gene mutations play a crucial role in the prognosis, molecular characteristics, and potential therapeutic strategies for gastric adenocarcinoma.
Assessing ChatGPT’s Information Quality Through the Lens of User Information Satisfaction and Information Quality Theory in Higher Education: A Theoretical Framework
Authors: Fu Chung-Jen , Silalahi Andri Dayarana K. , Shih I-Tung , Phuong Do Thi Thanh , Eunike Ixora Javanisa , Jargalsaikhan Shinetsetseg
Published: October 2024

Incorporating AI tools like ChatGPT into higher education has been beneficial, yet the extent of user satisfaction with the quality of information provided by these tools, known as user information satisfaction (UIS) and information quality (IQ) theory, remains underexplored. This study introduces a UIS model specifically designed for ChatGPT’s application in the educational sector based on multidimensions of IQ theory. Drawing from established UIS and IQ theory, we crafted a model centered around seven essential factors that influence the effective use of ChatGPT, aiming to guide educators and learners in overcoming common challenges such as plagiarism and ensuring the ethical use of AI. Data was collected from Indonesian university participants (N = 508) and analyzed using structural equation modeling with Smart‐PLS 4.0. The results reveal that completeness, precision, timeliness, convenience, and information format are the most influential factors driving user satisfaction with ChatGPT. Interestingly, our research indicated that the accuracy and reliability of the information, typically deemed paramount, were not the primary concerns in the academic use of ChatGPT. Our findings recommend a cautious approach to integrating ChatGPT in higher education. We advocate for strategic use that recognizes its innovative potential while acknowledging its limitations, ensuring responsible and effective application in educational contexts. This balanced perspective is crucial for integrating AI tools into the academic fabric without compromising educational integrity or quality.
Figure S3 from Antiangiogenic Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors have Differential Efficacy in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma in Bone
Authors: Maksimovic Stefan , Boscolo Nina C. , La Posta Ludovica , Barrios Sergio , Moussa Mohammad Jad , Gentile Emanuela , Pesquera Pedro I. , Li Wenjiao , Chen Jianfeng , Gomez Javier A. , Basi Akshay , Burks Jared K. , Alvarez-Breckenridge Christopher , Gao Jianjun , Campbell Matthew T. , Dondossola Eleonora
Published: October 2024

Efficacy of TKIs in VHL- RENCA tumors treated at day 14 post-tumor injection. A) Visual representation of the experimental approach. B) Representative images of bioluminescence signal in bones followed by quantification of photon flux, mean + SEM, n=8-16/group; P values by one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD post hoc test; p < 0.0001 = ****.
Figure S12 from Antiangiogenic Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors have Differential Efficacy in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma in Bone
Authors: Maksimovic Stefan , Boscolo Nina C. , La Posta Ludovica , Barrios Sergio , Moussa Mohammad Jad , Gentile Emanuela , Pesquera Pedro I. , Li Wenjiao , Chen Jianfeng , Gomez Javier A. , Basi Akshay , Burks Jared K. , Alvarez-Breckenridge Christopher , Gao Jianjun , Campbell Matthew T. , Dondossola Eleonora
Published: October 2024

Effects of TKI withdrawal on vascularization and immune cell infiltration in bone tumors. A) Representative images of bone tumors 12 days following withdrawal of TKIs; tumor (green, GFP), blood vessels (red, laminin) nuclei (blue, DAPI) and CD8+ cells (yellow) images captured by confocal microscope and quantifications are shown (B); mean + SEM, n=3/group. Bar, 100 µm. BV – blood vessels. Lam-laminin; IN-inner region.