Strategic Players Research Articles

Disassortative Mixing and Systemic Rational Behaviour: How System Rationality Is Influenced by Topology and Placement in Networked Systems

Interdependent decisionmaking of individuals in social systems can be modelled by games played on complex networks. Players in such systems have bounded rationality, which influences the computation of equilibrium solutions. It has been shown that the ‘system rationality’, which indicates the overall rationality of a network of players, may play a key role in the emergence of scale-free or core-periphery topologies in real-world networks. In this work, we identify optimal topologies and mixing patterns of players which can maximise system rationality. Based on simulation results, we show that irrespective of the placement of nodes with higher rationality, it is the disassortative mixing of node rationality that helps to maximize system rationality in a population. In other words, the findings of this work indicate that the overall rationality of a population may improve when more players with non-similar individual rationality levels interact with each other. We identify particular topologies such as the core-periphery topology, which facilitates the optimisation of system rationality. The findings presented in this work may have useful interpretations and applications in socio-economic systems for maximizing the utility of interactions in a population of strategic players.

PFKFB3 works on the FAK-STAT3-SOX2 axis to regulate the stemness in MPM.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive neoplasm and often acquires chemoresistance by increasing stemness in tumour tissue, thereby generating cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs escape treatment by deploying metabolic pathways to trigger dormancy or proliferation, also gaining the ability to exit and re-enter the cell cycle to hide their cellular identity. We employed various cellular and biochemical assays to identify the role of the glycolytic enzyme PFKFB3, by knocking it down and pharmacologically inhibiting it with PFK158, to determine its anticancer effects in vitro and in vivo by targeting the CSC population in MPM. Here, we have identified PFKFB3 as a strategic player to target the CSC population in MPM and demonstrated that both pharmacologic (PFK158) and genetic inhibition of PFKFB3 destroy the FAK-Stat3-SOX2 nexus resulting in a decline in conspicuous stem cell markers viz. ALDH, CD133, CD44, SOX2. Inhibition of PFKFB3 accumulates p21 and p27 in the nucleus by decreasing SKP2. Lastly, PFK158 diminishes tumour-initiating cells (TICs) mediated MPM xenograft in vivo. This study confers a comprehensive and mechanistic function of PFKFB3 in CSC maintenance that may foster exceptional opportunities for targeted small molecule blockade of the TICs in MPM.

A faith-based environmental approach for people and the planet: Some inter-religious perspectives on our Earth-embeddedness

For most people on our planet, spiritual values are vital in driving communitarian behaviour. It is becoming increasingly clear that a lasting and effective social commitment must consider cultural, sociological and religious dimensions. In particular, the current environmental crisis has demonstrated how effectively religious communities have mobilised to respond to climate change. With their emphasis on wisdom, social cohesion and interrelationships, religions can be a strategic player in ensuring effective integral human development. The ecological crisis is not just an ethical dilemma but an ontological and theological matter that demands both a new way of thinking and a new way of being. Think differently and act differently! The United Nations (UN) and many governments are increasingly recognising the vital contribution of religious leaders and organisations in political processes, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, hypostasised in the Faith Plans for People and Planet programme, representing the most prominent and boldest environmental initiative to date by the global faith community. Contribution: Today we realise that a combination of science and spirituality can engage and empower an array of stakeholders from different cultural and religious backgrounds. This article addresses the question of an integrated ecology by selecting appropriate and recent literature from mainstream religions and the subsequent interpretation and application.

The D-BEST Reference Model: A Flexible and Sustainable Support for the Digital Transformation of Small and Medium Enterprises

Nowadays, to remain competitive, manufacturing companies must address the Industry 4.0 paradigm, particularly the cyber-physical system (CPS) revolution, following sustainable challenges. Digital innovation hubs (DIHs), as ecosystems that provide technical knowhow, experimental skills, and specialist knowledge, are progressively gaining a strategic role in supporting such a transition, especially in European small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Several projects have been funded by the European Commission to support the growth and action of DIHs. However, which among the four main functionalities (networking, skills and training, test before investing, and access to funding) each DIH is capable of addressing in its daily support action to companies is still unclear. Thus, it is important to configure the service portfolios of DIHs (i.e. the set of services that each DIH can provide based on its characterising assets, knowledge, and capabilities). In this paper, the data-driven business–ecosystem–skills–technology (D-BEST) reference model is proposed and then tested through a survey. The model triggers the identification and materialisation of service-based collaboration processes among DIHs based on their service portfolio analysis and supports the modelling of Collaborative Networks 4.0, in which DIHs are a strategic player because of their ‘by-design’ innovation characteristics. Finally, through the extended adoption of the models developed by different emerging DIH networks, flexibility and interoperability can be reached, fostering the adoption of a unique digital platform to showcase and offer assets, triggering the creation of multiple inter- and intra-communications and collaborations among stakeholders belonging to the DIH ecosystems, and favouring the exchange and development of joint services.

A two-stage social network intervention for reducing alcohol and other drug use in residential colleges: Protocol for a feasibility trial

BackgroundIn many countries, the rate of binge drinking and alcohol-related harms among students living in residential colleges exceeds that observed among young people in the general population. Peer influence plays a key role in driving alcohol and other drug (AOD) use in colleges. This highlights the potential role of peer influence AOD-interventions in college student-networks. This protocol paper outlines the design of a two-stage social network intervention (SNI) for reducing AOD-use in four Australian first-year residential college networks. MethodsIn Stage 1, a peer-led workshop will provide education about AOD-use and harm-minimisation strategies to four first-year cohorts in the first week of semester one (N ~ 500). In Stage 2, a targeted SNI will be delivered to the largest co-educational, first-year cohort (N ~ 160), wherein heavy drinking ‘Strategic Players’ (influential students) will be identified and offered a brief, telephone-delivered motivational interviewing intervention for AOD-use (QuikFix). Participants will complete online surveys at baseline and 12-, 26-, and 52-weeks follow-up. ResultsRecruitment occurred in February 2021 and is now closed. Results are expected to be submitted for publication in late 2022. ConclusionsThis protocol paper outlines the design of a feasibility trial exploring the impact of applied SNIs for reducing AOD-use and related consequences in residential college student networks. If effective, the two-stage SNI proposed could (i) reduce AOD-use and risk of harm across first-year student networks and (ii) provide an effective brief intervention (QuikFix) to high-risk drinkers who have greatest potential to spread the intervention effects to other risky drinkers in their network. Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12621000494831).

Drivers of satisfaction and usage continuance in e-grocery retailing: a collaborative design supported perspective

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to identify the key antecedents relating to the interaction design of the e-groceryretail mobile applications and offer innovative marketing interventions to facilitate consumer–brand interaction and generate continuous usage intention.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from the subjects using a personally administered questionnaire by adopting a non-probability method. The target respondents of this study were individuals who are users of smartphone and have purchased groceries through mobile applications at least once in two months. On the basis of responses received, a sequential predictive analytic method that includes structural equation modelling (SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques were employed.FindingsThe findings of the study highlighted the critical role of collaboration design in harbouring satisfaction and maintaining a regular clientele for e-grocery applications by confirming the presence of complementary mediation. Such validated proposition and tested research model backed by significant methodological rigour advances the research based on post-acceptance behavioural affordances in interactive marketing literature.Originality/valueThe study endeavours to understand users' post-acceptance behaviour by analysing the contemporary factors relating to the interaction design of the platform in terms of mobile application attributes that would drive user patronage intentions. Further, the study highlights the pioneering role of collaboration design for e-grocery retailers, as the recent alliances among strategic players to achieve synergistic business leadership have proven to be a game-changing evolution in the industry.

The Strategies of the International Chamber of Commerce to Eliminate Double Taxation

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the role of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in developing the regime on the elimination of double taxation in the twentieth century. The objective of the article is to determine the ICC’s strategies and its structural advantages in developing the regime and contextualize these strategies in a broader socio-legal and historical context. The article adopts the interactional theory of Jutta Brunée and Stephan Toope to emphasize the actor-oriented outlook upon the development of the regime on double taxation. It relies on the micro-and macro-histories teased out from archival sources, biographies of prominent decision-makers, and deliberations of committee members in the League of Nations and the United Nations. The article concludes that the ICC is a strategic player within the community of practice in the international tax regime, which utilized its structural advantages and employed different strategies to facilitate the elimination of double taxation.

Discrete-time strategic job arrivals to a single machine with waiting and lateness penalties

A single machine processes a random number of identical jobs on a first-come first-served (FCFS) basis. Processing times are independent and identically distributed with a general integral distribution. Each job is held by a strategic player who needs to choose a time slot to arrive at. The individual objective is to reduce the sum of two types of linear in time costs: lateness and waiting. The resulting decision making model is, then, a symmetric non-cooperative game. We derive a symmetric Nash equilibrium for this game, and discuss its structural properties.

A two‐stage stochastic bilevel programming approach for offering strategy of DER aggregators in local and wholesale electricity markets

A two-stage stochastic programming scheme is proposed in order to evaluate the offering strategy of a distributed energy resource aggregator in both wholesale and local electricity markets and appropriately cope with uncertainties associated with its decision-making problem. In this regard, the aggregator combines a broad range of virtual and real distributed energy resources to simultaneously participate in the local electricity market as a price-maker or strategic player and the wholesale electricity market as a price-taker or non-strategic player. To model the studied aggregator as a strategic entity in the local market, a bilevel programming approach is exploited in this work. Accordingly, at the upper level of the raised problem, the aggregator tends to promote its expected profit through taking part in the wholesale and local electricity markets, while at the lower level, the considered local market is cleared in a way to maximise the social welfare. In the end, the effectiveness of the proposed framework for the simultaneous participation of the distributed energy resource aggregator in these two markets has been explored utilising a case study.

Preferences and strategic behavior in public goods games

In finitely repeated public goods games, contributions are initially high, and gradually decrease over time. Two main explanations are consistent with this pattern: (i) the population is composed of free-riders, who never contribute, and conditional cooperators, who contribute if others do so as well; (ii) strategic players contribute to sustain mutually beneficial future cooperation, but reduce their contributions as the end of the game approaches. This paper analyzes experimentally these explanations, by manipulating group composition to form homogeneous groups on both the preference and the strategic ability dimensions. Our results highlight the role of strategic ability in sustaining contributions, and suggest that the interaction between the two dimensions also matters: we find that groups that sustain high levels of cooperation are composed of members who share a common inclination toward cooperation and also have the strategic abilities to recognize and reap the benefits of enduring cooperation.

Równowaga sił jako kategoria analityczna sytuacji geopolitycznej wybranych państw nowej Europy Wschodniej

The aim of the article was to describe and assess the geopolitical situation of selected countries of the new Eastern Europe from the point of view of the balance of power as an analytical category. These countries include Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. The internal structure of the article consists of the following points: discussion of the concept of balance of power and the position of selected countries of the new Eastern Europe, then the political strategies of the most important geostrategic countries, i.e. the Russian Federation, the EU, the USA and the PRC towards the countries of this subregion, were presented, and an assessment of the extent to which the policy of these powers refers to the category of balance of power. The analysis shows that the theory of the balance of power can still be a useful research tool for assessing the policies of the great powers. The thesis that the territories occupied by Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine are an important area from the geopolitical point of view has also been confirmed. For most strategic players, the key country of this subregion is Ukraine. Of the analyzed powers, only Russia wants to change the balance of power and take control of the entire area of the subregion. Other geostrategic players would like to maintain the current balance of power.

The effect of seed money and matching gifts in fundraising: A lab experiment

Existing experimental studies find weak support for the theoretical prediction that matching leadership giving alleviates free-riding and raises more voluntary contributions for public goods relative to seed money. However, while most experimental studies use exogenous variations of the leadership gift, theoretical models allow for this choice to be made by a strategic lead donor. In order to provide a more direct test of the theoretical prediction, we conduct a laboratory experiment with three sequential strategic players: a fundraiser, a lead donor, and a follower donor. The fundraiser chooses between a matching and a seed money fundraising scheme, followed by sequential contributions by the two donors. We find that matching increases total contributions by almost 10% relative to seed money. Moreover, compared to seed money, matching results in lower contributions by the lead donor and significantly higher contributions by the follower donor, corroborating the theoretical prediction that matching alleviates free-riding by the follower donors. The scheme choice by the fundraisers depends on their level of experience with the two schemes. Fundraisers without prior experience choose matching only 36% of the time, while this percentage increases to 68% for experienced fundraisers.

Solving Bilevel AC OPF Problems by Smoothing the Complementary Conditions – Part I: Model Description and the Algorithm

The existing research on market price-affecting agents, i.e. price makers, neglects or simplifies the nature of AC power flows in the power system as it predominantly relies on DC power flows. This paper proposes a novel bilevel formulation based on the smoothing technique, where any price-affecting strategic player can be modelled in the upper level, while the market clearing problem in the lower level uses convex quadratic transmission AC optimal power flow (AC OPF), with the goal of achieving accuracy close to the one of the exact nonlinear formulations. Achieving convexity in the lower level is the foundation for bilevel modeling since traditional single-level reduction techniques do not hold for nonconvex models. The bilevel market participation problem with the AC OPF formulation in the lower level is transformed into a single-level problem and solved using multiple techniques such as the primal-dual counterpart, the strong duality theorem, the McCormick envelopes, the complementary slackness, the penalty factor, the interaction discretization as well as the proposed smoothing techniques. Due to an extensive amount of information and descriptions, the overall work is presented as a two-part paper. This first part provides a literature overview, positions the work and presents the model and the solution algorithm, while the solution techniques and case studies are provided in the accompanying paper.

Manipulation via endowments: Quantifying the influence of market power on the emission trading scheme

We introduce a two-stage game to analyze the strategic behaviors among participants in an emissions trading scheme (ETS). The classical Hahn–Westskog model predicts market performance only when there is at most one dominant agent in the ETS. Our model assumes that all noncooperative agents can influence the market through the manipulation via endowments (MvE) (i.e., initial allowances), and then coordinate the allowances trading to share the associated compliance costs. We show the existence and characteristics of the Cournot–Nash–Walras (CNW) equilibrium and numerically simulate regional allowance trading in China based on the MvE model. Our theoretical and quantitative analyses show promising properties of the proposed model, which can be considered as an alternative approach to analyzing the market power in an ETS market. The MvE model predicts a stable CNW equilibrium independent of the set of strategic players when the strategic behavior of allowance sellers and buyers are considered.

Failure to implement a turnaround strategy at South African Airways: Reflections from strategic players

ABSTRACT For a number of years now, the South African Airways limped from one turnaround strategy to another, with little or no success. While there is a body of knowledge on turnaround strategies, little is known about the implementation of turnaround strategies in developing economies such as South Africa and of state-owned enterprises at that. The aim of this article was to explore some constraints experienced by SAA in the implementation of its Long-Term Turnaround Strategy. Purposive sampling was used to select participants to be interviewed for this study. Data were collected primarily through semi-structured interviews from 37 participants. Using thematic analysis, the following six themes emerged from the data analysis: shareholder’s slow decision making, undercapitalisation of the airline, unstable political leadership, unhealthy board dynamics, leadership instability, and lack of management skills.

The Good and Bad of Nrf2: An Update in Cancer and New Perspectives in COVID-19

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a well-known transcription factor best recognised as one of the main regulators of the oxidative stress response. Beyond playing a crucial role in cell defence by transactivating cytoprotective genes encoding antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes, Nrf2 is also implicated in a wide network regulating anti-inflammatory response and metabolic reprogramming. Such a broad spectrum of actions renders the factor a key regulator of cell fate and a strategic player in the control of cell transformation and response to viral infections. The Nrf2 protective roles in normal cells account for its anti-tumour and anti-viral functions. However, Nrf2 overstimulation often occurs in tumour cells and a complex correlation of Nrf2 with cancer initiation and progression has been widely described. Therefore, if on one hand, Nrf2 has a dual role in cancer, on the other hand, the factor seems to display a univocal function in preventing inflammation and cytokine storm that occur under viral infections, specifically in coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). In such a variegate context, the present review aims to dissect the roles of Nrf2 in both cancer and COVID-19, two widespread diseases that represent a cause of major concern today. In particular, the review describes the molecular aspects of Nrf2 signalling in both pathological situations and the most recent findings about the advantages of Nrf2 inhibition or activation as possible strategies for cancer and COVID-19 treatment respectively.

Incorporating learning-by-doing into mixed complementarity equilibrium models

Market equilibrium models are often specified and solved as mixed complementarity problems (MCPs). These formulations combine the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) optimality conditions of the optimization problems faced by multiple strategic players with market-clearing conditions, such that the solution to this system provides the Nash equilibrium prices and quantities. MCPs are widely applied to energy markets including those for electricity, oil, and natural gas. While researchers have made substantial progress on expanding the model features included in MCPs and on solving these problems, a limitation of existing MCPs is that they treat costs as exogenous input parameters. Therefore, MCPs have not been able to capture learning-by-doing (LBD), the empirically observed phenomenon whereby production costs tend to decline as a function of cumulative production experience. In this paper, we demonstrate the incorporation of LBD into a mixed complementarity equilibrium model. We consider two closely related, but nevertheless distinct, LBD formulations: one with discrete changes in cost from period to period, and another where cost declines continuously. Through theoretical analysis and numerical exploration, we establish the conditions under which these LBD formulations lead to convex optimization problems. Confirming convexity is important because it guarantees that their KKT conditions are sufficient for optimality. Then, we demonstrate the practical application of a mixed complementarity equilibrium model with LBD using the North American natural gas market as an example. When LBD is incorporated into the cost of liquefaction, North America exports more liquefied natural gas, which raises prices and reduces domestic consumption.

Intra-Regional Alignment Strategy of Small States in Gulf area: Cases of Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The Middle East may not possess any great power, but the region has, within itself, several states that hold relatively bigger capabilities and resources compared to the others. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel, Egypt, and previously Iraq, are competing to be the main stakeholder in this highly chaotic region. This paper attempts to do a comparative analysis on two gulf countries: Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two countries are selected as both are the key economic and strategic players among the small states in the Middle East. The intra-regional alignment behavior of Qatar and UAE as small states in Middle East proves that even in a region where alignments are multi-layered (with intra-regional powers and with international big powers), small states alignment behavior is heavily driven by the intention of minimalizing threats, if not to diminish it completely. Such behavior is expected from states that feel vulnerable within the anarchical environment externally. The external threats and uncertainties, however, are selected and faced according to how the ruling elite perceives it. To preserve domestic political legitimacy, threats and alignment choices become the useful cards for the ruling elites to show their authority, performance, and stature to their domestic audience.

TRIMming viral infection: identification and characterization of the novel antiviral TRIM7

Abstract Noroviruses (NoVs) are the leading cause of acute viral gastroenteritis worldwide, causing up to 700 million infections and 200,000 deaths annually, and treatment is limited to supportive care as there are currently no targeted antivirals nor vaccines against NoVs. Therefore, it is critical to discover novel antivirals and develop targeted interventions in order to improve outcomes. Here we have used a novel genome-wide CRISPR activation screening approach to identify host genes that can inhibit murine norovirus (MNoV) infection or replication. A substantial number of high scoring gene candidates acted in interferon and immune regulation signaling networks, but several were not previously associated with antiviral activity or immunity. TRIM7, the strongest screen hit, was a little studied E3 ubiquitin ligase associated with metabolism and some cancers, yet its expression served as a powerful antiviral in an MNoV-infected cell. Since our initial screen, TRIM7 has begun to emerge as a strategic player in both positive and negative regulation of the innate immune response during infection. We have since characterized the antiviral mechanism of action of TRIM7 against MNoV in vitro, and have found TRIM7 to be acting early in the viral life cycle to limit viral protein production. Co-immunoprecipitation and in vitro viral evolution experiments have identified MNoV NS6 (viral protease) and NS7 (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase) as important targets of the antiviral activity of TRIM7, and also point to key residues of interest associated with MNoV resistance to TRIM7. Finally, we have investigated the relevance of TRIM7 during in vivo infection using knock-in mouse lines to determine tissue specificity and potency of the antiviral effect.

Incorporating Learning-by-Doing into Mixed Complementarity Equilibrium Models

Market equilibrium models are often specified and solved as mixed complementarity problems (MCPs). These formulations combine the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) optimality conditions of the optimization problems faced by multiple strategic players with market-clearing conditions, such that the solution to this system provides the Nash equilibrium prices and quantities. MCPs are widely applied to energy markets including those for electricity, oil, and natural gas. While researchers have made substantial progress on expanding the model features included in MCPs and on solving these problems, a limitation of existing MCPs is that they treat costs as exogenous input parameters. Therefore, MCPs have not been able to capture learning-by-doing (LBD), the empirically observed phenomenon whereby production costs tend to decline as a function of cumulative production experience. In this paper, we demonstrate the incorporation of LBD into a mixed complementarity equilibrium model. We consider two closely related, but nevertheless distinct, LBD formulations: one with discrete changes in cost from period to period, and another where cost declines continuously. Through theoretical analysis and numerical exploration, we establish the conditions under which these LBD formulations lead to convex optimization problems. Confirming convexity is important because it guarantees that their KKT conditions are sufficient for optimality. Then, we demonstrate the practical application of a mixed complementarity equilibrium model with LBD using the North American natural gas market as an example. When LBD is incorporated into the cost of liquefaction, North America exports more liquefied natural gas, which raises prices and reduces domestic consumption.