Coverage, Matching, and Beyond: New Results on Budgeted Mechanism Design

We study a type of reverse (procurement) auction problems in the presence of budget constraints. The general algorithmic problem is to purchase a set of resources, which come at a cost, so as not to exceed a given budget and at the same time maximize a given valuation function. This framework captures the budgeted version of several well known optimization problems, and when the resources are owned by strategic agents the goal is to design truthful and budget feasible mechanisms, i.e. elicit the true cost of the resources and ensure the payments of the mechanism do not exceed the budget. Budget feasibility introduces more challenges in mechanism design, and we study instantiations of this problem for certain classes of submodular and XOS valuation functions. We first obtain mechanisms with an improved approximation ratio for weighted coverage valuations, a special class of submodular functions that has already attracted attention in previous works. We then provide a general scheme for designing randomized and deterministic polynomial time mechanisms for a class of XOS problems. This class contains problems whose feasible set forms an independence system (a more general structure than matroids), and some representative problems include, among others, finding maximum weighted matchings, maximum weighted matroid members, and maximum weighted 3D-matchings. For most of these problems, only randomized mechanisms with very high approximation ratios were known prior to our results

A single MIU motif of MINDY-1 recognizes K48-linked polyubiquitin chains

The eight different types of ubiquitin (Ub) chains that can be formed play important roles in diverse cellular processes. Linkage‐selective recognition of Ub chains by Ub‐binding domain (UBD)‐containing proteins is central to coupling different Ub signals to specific cellular responses. The motif interacting with ubiquitin (MIU) is a small UBD that has been characterized for its binding to monoUb. The recently discovered deubiquitinase MINDY‐1/FAM63A contains a tandem MIU repeat (tMIU) that is highly selective at binding to K48‐linked polyUb. We here identify that this linkage‐selective binding is mediated by a single MIU motif (MIU2) in MINDY‐1. The crystal structure of MIU2 in complex with K48‐linked polyubiquitin chains reveals that MIU2 on its own binds to all three Ub moieties in an open conformation that can only be accommodated by K48‐linked triUb. The weak Ub binder MIU1 increases overall affinity of the tMIU for polyUb chains without affecting its linkage selectivity. Our analyses reveal new concepts for linkage selectivity and polyUb recognition by UBDs

On Tackling the Limits of Resolution in SAT Solving

The practical success of Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) solvers stems from the CDCL (Conflict-Driven Clause Learning) approach to SAT solving. However, from a propositional proof complexity perspective, CDCL is no more powerful than the resolution proof system, for which many hard examples exist. This paper proposes a new problem transformation, which enables reducing the decision problem for formulas in conjunctive normal form (CNF) to the problem of solving maximum satisfiability over Horn formulas. Given the new transformation, the paper proves a polynomial bound on the number of MaxSAT resolution steps for pigeonhole formulas. This result is in clear contrast with earlier results on the length of proofs of MaxSAT resolution for pigeonhole formulas. The paper also establishes the same polynomial bound in the case of modern core-guided MaxSAT solvers. Experimental results, obtained on CNF formulas known to be hard for CDCL SAT solvers, show that these can be efficiently solved with modern MaxSAT solvers

Factors Predicting Long-term Outcome and the Need for Surgery in Graves Orbitopathy: Extended Follow-up From the CIRTED Trial

UNLABELLED: Graves Orbitopathy is both disabling and disfiguring. Medical therapies to reduce inflammation are widely used, but there is limited trial data beyond 18 months of follow-up. METHODS: 3 year follow-up of a subset of the CIRTED trial (N=68) which randomized patients to receive high dose oral steroid with azathioprine/placebo and radiotherapy/sham radiotherapy. RESULTS: Data were available at 3 years from 68 of 126 randomised subjects (54%). No additional benefit was seen at 3 years for patients randomized to azathioprine or radiotherapy with regard to a Binary Clinical Composite Outcome Measure, modified EUGOGO score or Ophthalmopathy Index.Clinical Activity Score (CAS), Ophthalmopathy Index and Total Eye Score improved over 3 years (p<0.001). However, quality of life at 3 years remained poor. Of 64 individuals with available surgical outcome data, 24/64 (37.5%) required surgical intervention. Disease duration of greater than 6 months before treatment was associated with increased need for surgery OR=16.8 (95%CI 2.95, 95.0) p=0.001. Higher baseline levels of CAS, Ophthalmopathy Index and Total Eye Score but not early improvement in CAS were associated with increased requirement for surgery. CONCLUSION: In this long-term follow-up from a clinical trial, 3 year outcomes remained suboptimal with ongoing poor quality of life and high numbers requiring surgery. Importantly, reduction in CAS in the first year, a commonly used surrogate outcome measure, was not associated with improved long-term outcomes

Titin mutations in iPS cells define sarcomere insufficiency as a cause of dilated cardiomyopathy

Human mutations that truncate the massive sarcomere protein titin [TTN-truncating variants (TTNtvs)] are the most common genetic cause for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a major cause of heart failure and premature death. Here we show that cardiac microtissues engineered from human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are a powerful system for evaluating the pathogenicity of titin gene variants. We found that certain missense mutations, like TTNtvs, diminish contractile performance and are pathogenic. By combining functional analyses with RNA sequencing, we explain why truncations in the A-band domain of TTN cause DCM, whereas truncations in the I band are better tolerated. Finally, we demonstrate that mutant titin protein in iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes results in sarcomere insufficiency, impaired responses to mechanical and {beta}-adrenergic stress, and attenuated growth factor and cell signaling activation. Our findings indicate that titin mutations cause DCM by disrupting critical linkages between sarcomerogenesis and adaptive remodeling

Postcopulatory sexual selection

The female reproductive tract is where competition between the sperm of different males takes place, aided and abetted by the female herself. Intense postcopulatory sexual selection fosters inter-sexual conflict and drives rapid evolutionary change to generate a startling diversity of morphological, behavioural and physiological adaptations. We identify three main issues that should be resolved to advance our understanding of postcopulatory sexual selection. We need to determine the genetic basis of different male fertility traits and female traits that mediate sperm selection; identify the genes or genomic regions that control these traits; and establish the coevolutionary trajectory of sexes

Chiari’s Network as a Cause of Fetal and Neonatal Pathology

Chiari’s network is a remnant of the eustachian valve located in the right atrium. Incomplete involution of the fetal sinus venosus valves results in “redundant” Chiari’s network, which may compromise cardiovascular function. This report describes a case with the novel finding of prenatal compromise due to redundant Chiari’s network and an uncommon case with significant postnatal symptoms. In both cases, the symptoms (fetal hydrops and postnatal cyanosis) resolved spontaneously. The variety of cardiovascular pathologies described in the literature is believed to be associated with persistence of a Chiari network. Knowledge about this not always harmless structure is important for perinatologists, pediatricians, and pediatric cardiologists alike. The clinical importance of this rare pathology is that prenatal counseling may anticipate a generally positive outcome and that surgical intervention generally should be avoided