Multi-omic profiling reveals early immunological indicators for identifying COVID-19 Progressors.

We sought to better understand the immune response during the immediate post-diagnosis phase of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by identifying molecular associations with longitudinal disease outcomes. Multi-omic analyses identified differences in immune cell composition, cytokine levels, and cell subset-specific transcriptomic and epigenomic signatures between individuals on a more serious disease trajectory (Progressors) as compared to those on a milder course (Non-progressors). Higher levels of multiple cytokines were observed in Progressors, with IL-6 showing the largest difference.

WoZ4U: An Open-Source Wizard-of-Oz Interface for Easy, Efficient and Robust HRI Experiments.

Wizard-of-Oz experiments play a vital role in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), as they allow for quick and simple hypothesis testing. Still, a publicly available general tool to conduct such experiments is currently not available in the research community, and researchers often develop and implement their own tools, customized for each individual experiment. Besides being inefficient in terms of programming efforts, this also makes it harder for non-technical researchers to conduct Wizard-of-Oz experiments.

A kinetic investigation of interacting, stimulated T cells identifies conditions for rapid functional enhancement, minimal phenotype differentiation, and improved adoptive cell transfer tumor eradication.

For adoptive cell transfer (ACT) immunotherapy of tumor-reactive T cells, an effective therapeutic outcome depends upon cell dose, cell expansion in vivo through a minimally differentiated phenotype, long term persistence, and strong cytolytic effector function. An incomplete understanding of the biological coupling between T cell expansion, differentiation, and response to stimulation hinders the co-optimization of these factors. We report on a biophysical investigation of how the short-term kinetics of T cell functional activation, through molecular stimulation and cell-cell interactions, competes with phenotype differentiation.

Relating Redox Properties of Polyvinylamine-g-TEMPO/Laccase Hydrogel Complexes to Cellulose Oxidation.

The structure and electrochemical properties of adsorbed complexes based on mixtures of polyvinylamine-g-TEMPO (PVAm-T) and laccase were related to the ability of the adsorbed complexes to oxidize cellulose. PVAm-T10 with 10% of the amines bearing TEMPO moieties (i.e.

Degradation of Akt using protein-catalyzed capture agents.

Abnormal signaling of the protein kinase Akt has been shown to contribute to human diseases such as diabetes and cancer, but Akt has proven to be a challenging target for drugging. Using iterative in situ click chemistry, we recently developed multiple protein-catalyzed capture (PCC) agents that allosterically modulate Akt enzymatic activity in a protein-based assay. Here, we utilize similar PCCs to exploit endogenous protein degradation pathways.

The influence of water on the optical properties of single-layer molybdenum disulfide.

Adsorbed molecules can significantly affect the properties of atomically thin materials. Physisorbed water plays a significant role in altering the optoelectronic properties of single-layer MoS2 , one such 2D film. Here the distinct quenching effect of adsorbed water on the photoluminescence of single-layer MoS2 is demonstrated through scanning-probe and optical microscopy.

D-dimer as the sole screening test for acute aortic dissection: a review of the literature.

Recent studies have proposed the use of D-dimer as a screening tool to "rule out" acute aortic dissection, claiming a sensitivity approaching 100%. We reviewed the literature to determine whether D-dimer can be used as the sole screening tool for acute aortic dissection. An Ovid MEDLINE search, 1966 to present, was performed with the key words "aortic dissection," "fibrin degradation products," and "D-dimer," limited to "human" and "English language.

Recognition of melting of nanoparticle catalysts with cubically shaped Co3O4 nanoparticles.

Cubically shaped cobalt oxide nanoparticle catalysts were used for the first time to investigate the melting of the nanoparticle catalysts responsible for the synthesis of silica nanocoils at 1050 degrees C and straight nanowires at 1100 degrees C. Cobalt nanoparticles remained morphologically highly anisotropic after the growth of nanocoils at 1050 degrees C, whereas they became predominately spherical after straight nanowires were made at 1100 degrees C. These results strongly indicated that cobalt nanoparticles responsible for the synthesis of straight nanowires were completely molten and that melting occurred to these nanoparticles between 1050 and 1100 degrees C.