The communication complexity of private value single-item auctions

This paper is concerned with information revelation in single-item auctions. We compute how much data needs to be transmitted in three strategically equivalent auctions—the Vickrey auction, the English auction and the recently proposed bisection auction—and show that in the truth-telling equilibrium the bisection auction is the best performer.     

Macromodeling of high-speed interconnects by positive interpolation of vertical segments

In this paper a novel macromodeling scheme is presented to model the per unit of length (p.u.l.) parameters of uniform transmission lines. In particular, it is focused on single on-chip interconnects, because their p.u.l. parameters are influenced by the presence of semiconductor (s) and as such exhibit a strong frequency-dependency, making the modeling process harder. Starting from a set of very accurate tabulated data samples, obtained by two-dimensional electromagnetic modeling, rational models for the four p.u.l. parameters are constructed. The novelty of the approach lies in the fact that the rational models are positive by construction and that a controllable accuracy is obtained. These models can then further be used to construct multivariate models, e.g., for variability analysis. Here, the novel scheme is applied to an on-chip inverted embedded microstrip line, of which the signal integrity behavior is assessed in both the frequency and the time domain, demonstrating the applicability of the macromodels.     

Mutant-Selective Allosteric EGFR Degraders are Effective Against a Broad Range of Drug-Resistant Mutations

Targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) through an allosteric mechanism provides a potential therapeutic strategy to overcome drug-resistant EGFR mutations that emerge within the ATP binding site. Here, we develop an allosteric EGFR degrader, DDC-01-163, which can selectively inhibit the proliferation of L858R/T790M (L/T) mutant Ba/F3 cells while leaving wildtype EGFR Ba/F3 cells unaffected. DDC-01-163 is also effective against osimertinib-resistant cells with L/T/C797S and L/T/L718Q EGFR mutations. When combined with an ATP-site EGFR inhibitor, osimertinib, the anti-proliferative activity of DDC-01-163 against L858R/T790M EGFR-Ba/F3 cells is enhanced. Collectively, DDC-01-163 is a promising allosteric EGFR degrader with selective activity against various clinically relevant EGFR mutants as a single agent and when combined with an ATP-site inhibitor. Our data suggests that targeted protein degradation is a promising drug development approach for mutant EGFR.     

The four-block Adamjan-Arov-Krein problem

This paper is concerned with the mixed sensitivity H^∞ design in the most general, i.e., the four-block, case. This problem involves in a crucial manner the so-called four-block operator Γ, the norm of which is the achievable feedback tolerance. Our objective in this paper is to provide an interpretation for all singular values of Γ. These singular values are given an Adamjan-Arov-Krein interpretation in terms of the L^∞ distance of an L^∞ function to H^∞(l). Intuitively, the singular values of Γ are the various tolerance levels that can be achieved if we allow a various number of unstable poles in the closed loop. We finally provide an upper bound on the number of singular values.     

Magnetic field enhanced coherence length in cold atomic gases

We study the effect of an external magnetic field on coherent backscattering of light from a cold rubidium vapor. We observe that the backscattering enhancement factor can be increased with B. This surprising behavior shows that the coherence length of the system can be increased by adding a magnetic field, in sharp contrast with usual situations. This is mainly due to the lifting of the degeneracy between Zeeman sublevels. We find good agreement between our experimental data and a full Monte Carlo simulation, taking into account the magneto-optical effects and the geometry of the atomic cloud.     

Controllable π junction in a Josephson quantum-dot device with molecular spin

We consider a model for a single molecule with a large frozen spin sandwiched in between two BCS superconductors at equilibrium, and show that this system has a π junction behavior at low temperature. The π shift can be reversed by varying the other parameters of the system, e.g., temperature or the position of the quantum dot level, implying a controllable π junction with novel application as a Josephson current switch. We show that the mechanism leading to the π shift can be explained simply in terms of the contributions of the Andreev bound states and of the continuum of states above the superconducting gap. The free energy for certain configuration of parameters shows a bistable nature, which is a necessary pre-condition for achievement of a qubit.