API-Bank: A Comprehensive Benchmark for Tool-Augmented LLMs

Recent research has demonstrated that Large Language Models (LLMs) can enhance their capabilities by utilizing external tools. However, three pivotal questions remain unanswered: (1) How effective are current LLMs in utilizing tools? (2) How can we enhance LLMs' ability to utilize tools? (3) What obstacles need to be overcome to leverage tools? To address these questions, we introduce API-Bank, a groundbreaking benchmark, specifically designed for tool-augmented LLMs. For the first question, we develop a runnable evaluation system consisting of 73 API tools. We annotate 314 tool-use dialogues with 753 API calls to assess the existing LLMs' capabilities in planning, retrieving, and calling APIs. For the second question, we construct a comprehensive training set containing 1,888 tool-use dialogues from 2,138 APIs spanning 1,000 distinct domains. Using this dataset, we train Lynx, a tool-augmented LLM initialized from Alpaca. Experimental results demonstrate that GPT-3.5 exhibits improved tool utilization compared to GPT-3, while GPT-4 excels in planning. However, there is still significant potential for further improvement. Moreover, Lynx surpasses Alpaca's tool utilization performance by more than 26 pts and approaches the effectiveness of GPT-3.5. Through error analysis, we highlight the key challenges for future research in this field to answer the third question.Comment: EMNLP 202

The Impact of Two-Sided Market Platforms on Participants’ Trading Strategies: An Evolutionary Game Analysis

With the development of internet technology, more two-sided market platforms, e.g., Tabao, Amazon and Lending Club, have emerged, and it is worth exploring the role that these two-sided market platforms can play in better serving users. This paper explores the impacts of platforms on participants’ trading strategies in the two-sided market, taking the online loan market as an example. Based on the management strategies of online lending platforms, we divided them into two categories: active online lending platforms and inactive online lending platforms. Evolutionary game theory and numerical simulation were employed to investigate the influences of these two types of platforms on the trading strategies of lenders and borrowers. We found that active and appropriate management measures taken by active online lending platforms can steer lenders and borrowers towards adopting win-win trading strategies, thus attracting more high-quality borrowers and corresponding investors. These results imply that a platform with two-sided market characteristics plays a crucial role in coordinating and guiding participants on both sides, and active management measures adopted by the platform can promote the benign operation of the two-sided market

Cyr61 Mediates Angiotensin II-Induced Podocyte Apoptosis via the Upregulation of TXNIP

Purpose. It is well documented that angiotensin II (Ang II) elevation promotes apoptosis of podocytes in vivo and vitro, but the potential mechanism is still oscular. The current study is aimed at probing into the assignment of cysteine-rich protein 61 (Cyr61) in Ang II-induced podocyte apoptosis. Methods. Podocytes were treated with Ang II (10-6 mol/L) for 48 hours to establish an injury model in vitro. Western blot assays were detected the expression of Cyr61, Cyt-c, Bax, and Bcl-2. Gene microarray was used to analyze the expression of mRNAs after treatment with Ang II. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to knock down Cyr61 and overexpress TXNIP gene, respectively. Results. The expression of Cyr61, TXNIP, Cyt-c, and Bax in podocytes treated with Ang II were upregulated, but the expression and apoptotic rates of Bcl-2 in podocytes were inhibited. The level of the above factors was not significantly different after the knockdown of Cyr61 with Ang II in podocytes. In Ang II group, when knocked down Cyr61, the expressed level of TXNIP, Cyt-c, and Bax was diminished after Ang II treatment; interestingly Bcl-2 expression and podocyte apoptotic rate were reduced. Under the stimulation of Ang II, the expression of Cyt-c and Bax were growing, whereas Bcl-2 was reduced, and the apoptotic rates were higher in the TXNIP overexpression group. Cyt-c and Bax were put on, whereas that of Bcl-2 was to be cut down when the Cyr61 was knockdown, and the apoptotic rates were gained in the TXNIP overexpression+Cyr61 knockdown group. Conclusions. The results of the study extrapolate that Cyr61 plays a dominant role in Ang II-induced podocyte apoptosis. Additionally, Cyr61 may mediate the Ang II-induced podocyte apoptosis by promoting the expression of TNXIP

Correction: Spectrums of Opportunistic Infections and Malignancies in HIV-Infected Patients in Tertiary Care Hospital, China

BACKGROUND: HIV-related opportunistic infections (OIs) and malignancies continued to cause morbidity and mortality in Chinese HIV-infected individuals. The objective for this study is to elucidate the prevalence and spectrums of OIs and malignancies in HIV-infected patients in the Beijing Ditan Hospital. METHODS: The evaluation of the prevalence and spectrums of OIs and malignancies was conducted by using the clinical data of 834 HIV-infected patients admitted in the Beijing Ditan hospital from January 1, 2009, to November 30, 2012. RESULTS: The prevalence and spectrums of OIs and malignancies varied contingent on geographic region, transmission routes, and CD4 levels. We found that tuberculosis was most common OI and prevalence was 32.5%, followed by candidiasis(29.3%), Pneumocystis pneumonia(PCP)(22.4%), cytomegalovirus(CMV) infection(21.7%), other fungal infections(16.2%), mycobacterium avium complex(MAC)(11.3%), cryptococcosis(8.0%), progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy(PML)(4.4%), Cerebral Toxoplasmosis(3.5%) and Penicillium marneffei infection(1.4%); while Lymphoma(2.9%), Kaposi’s sarcoma(0.8%) and cervix carcinoma(0.3%) were emerged as common AIDS-defining malignancies. Pulmonary OI infections were the most prevalent morbidity and mortality in patients in the AIDS stage including pulmonary tuberculosis (26.6%) and PCP (22.4%). CMV infection(21.7%) was most common viral infection; Fungal OIs were one of most prevalent morbidity in patients in the AIDS stage, including oral candidiasis (29.3%), other fungal infection (16.2%), Cryptococcosis (8.0%) and Penicillium marneffei infection (1.4%). We found the low prevalence of AIDS-defining illnesses in central neural system in this study, including progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (4.4%), cerebral toxoplasmosis (3.5%), tuberculosis meningitis (3.2%), cryptococcal meningitis (2.4%) and CMV encephalitis (1.1%). In-hospital mortality rate was 4.3 per 100 person-years due to severe OIs, malignancies, and medical cost constraints. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence and spectrums of OIs, malignancies and co-infections were discussed in this study. It would help increase the awareness for physicians to make a diagnosis and empirical treatment sooner and plan good management strategies, especially in resource limited regions

HCC1, a Polygalacturonase, Regulates Chlorophyll Degradation via the Ethylene Synthesis Pathway

Abstract Chlorophyll degradation is an important physiological process and is essential for plant growth and development. However, how chlorophyll degradation is controlled at the cellular and molecular level remains largely elusive. Pectin is a main component of the primary cell wall, and polygalacturonases (PGs) is a group of pectin-hydrolases that cleaves the pectin backbone and release oligogalacturonide. Whether and how PGs affect chlorophyll degradation metabolism and its association with ethylene (ETH) have not been reported before. Here, we report a novel function of PG in a mutant ‘high chlorophyll content1’ hcc1, which displayed a decrease in growth and yield. Our morphological, biochemical and genetic analyses of hcc1, knockout lines and complementation lines confirm the function of HCC1 in chlorophyll degradation. In hcc1, the PG activity, ETH content and D-galacturonic acid (D-GA) was significantly decreased and showed an increase in the thickness of the cell wall. Exogenous application of ETH and D-GA can increase ETH content and induce the expression of HCC1, which further can successfully induce the chlorophyll degradation in hcc1. Together, our data demonstrated a novel function of HCC1 in chlorophyll degradation via the ETH pathway