Properties of winning Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma strategies.

Researchers have explored the performance of Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma strategies for decades, from the celebrated performance of Tit for Tat to the introduction of the zero-determinant strategies and the use of sophisticated learning structures such as neural networks. Many new strategies have been introduced and tested in a variety of tournaments and population dynamics. Typical results in the literature, however, rely on performance against a small number of somewhat arbitrarily selected strategies, casting doubt on the generalizability of conclusions.

Close-Up on Ambulance Service Estimation in Indonesia: Monte Carlo Simulation Study.

Background: Emergency medical services have a pivotal role in giving timely and appropriate responses to emergency events caused by medical, natural, or human-caused disasters. To provide adequate resources for the emergency services, such as ambulances, it is necessary to understand the demand for such services. In Indonesia, estimates of demand for emergency services cannot be obtained easily due to a lack of published literature or official reports concerning the matter.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence screening study of a children's hospital health care workers.

Background: Health care workers (HCWs) are front line responders to the COVID-19 pandemic, but limited data is available for pediatric HCWs, as the research response has largely focused on adult patients and medical personnel that treat these patients.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and risk factors in HCWs at a Children's Hospital in CO, USA from September 2020 to April 2021. Pediatric HCWs were defined as clinical care providers and administrative staff.

Quieter Nurse Call System to Reduce Alarm Noise in Hospitals.

Healthcare staff are typically exposed to hundreds of alarms each shift; researchers believe that the number of alarms may be more than 1000 alarms per shift. This may lead to staff becoming desensitised to the alarm, leading to a delayed or inadequate response to the alarm, known as alarm fatigue. Clinical-grade wireless smartphones are now carried by clinical staff to receive calls and notifications from a nurse call system.

Recognising and evaluating the effectiveness of extortion in the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma.

Establishing and maintaining mutual cooperation in agent-to-agent interactions can be viewed as a question of direct reciprocity and readily applied to the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma. Agents cooperate, at a small cost to themselves, in the hope of obtaining a future benefit. Zero-determinant strategies, introduced in 2012, have a subclass of strategies that are provably extortionate.

Addition of CD14 improves discrimination of lymphocytes in the TBNK phenotyping panel.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte phenotyping panels typically include CD45 for discrimination of the lymphocyte population, and fluorophore-conjugated monoclonal antibodies to identify T, B, and Natural Killer (NK) cells. While CD45 combined with side scatter is generally sufficient to clearly distinguish lymphocytes from monocytes in the majority of peripheral blood samples, it is challenging to accurately gate lymphocytes in samples from patients with monocytosis or significant lymphopenia, or from very young infants. Addition of a monocyte marker to lymphocyte phenotyping panels for monocyte exclusion has previously been evaluated for improved discrimination of lymphocytes, albeit largely in healthy donor adult samples.

Exploring the Antarctic aminopeptidase P from sp. strain AMS3 through structural analysis and molecular dynamics simulation.

Aminopeptidase P (APPro) is a crucial metalloaminopeptidase involved in amino acid cleavage from peptide N-termini, playing essential roles as versatile biocatalysts with applications ranging from pharmaceuticals to industrial processes. Despite acknowledging its potential for catalysis in lower temperatures, detailed molecular basis and biotechnological implications in cold environments are yet to be explored. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the cold-adapted characteristics of APPro from sp.

Correction: Carbon nanotubes: functionalisation and their application in chemical sensors.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D0RA09438B.].

Subclinical Inflammation in Asymptomatic Schoolchildren With Plasmodium falciparum Parasitemia Correlates With Impaired Cognition.

Background: Subclinical inflammation and cognitive deficits have been separately associated with asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infections in schoolchildren. However, whether parasite-induced inflammation is associated with worse cognition has not been addressed. We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study to better assess the effect of asymptomatic P.

A narrative review of the controversy on the risk of mycobacterial infections with immune checkpoint inhibitor use: does Goldilocks have the answer?

Background And Objective: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized oncologic treatment. Whether ICIs increase susceptibility to or provide protection against mycobacterial infections remains controversial. The objective of this narrative review is to summarize the literature on the link between ICI use and mycobacterial infections-tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections-and to critically discuss evidence linking ICIs with mycobacterial infections, the possible confounders, and, if indeed the ICIs predispose to such infections, the potential mechanisms of how this may occur.

Composition of the CD27+ Memory-B-Cell Compartment Delineates Immunoglobulin Deficiency Endotypes.

Abstract Purpose: The finding of reduced numbers of class-switched memory B cells (CSM) in peripheral blood is widely used to assist the diagnosis and subclassification of CVID. Limited data exists on this finding in relation to the entire class of PADs. In this study, consecutive 8-marker comprehensive B-cell panel results were analyzed to determine how reduced CSM quantities might inform the pathophysiology of CVID and other humoral immunodeficiencies.

Effectiveness of a Recertification Vision Screening Training Module for Preschool Teachers.

Background: Certified training must be provided for lay vision screeners prior to their conduct of a vision screening programme. However, the effectiveness of trained lay screeners does deteriorate over time. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a recertification vision screening training module using the KieVision Preschool Vision Screening Kit for preschool teachers in Malaysia.

A Review of Solid-State Proton-Polymer Batteries: Materials and Characterizations.

The ever-increasing global population necessitates a secure and ample energy supply, the majority of which is derived from fossil fuels. However, due to the immense energy demand, the exponential depletion of these non-renewable energy sources is both unavoidable and inevitable in the approaching century. Therefore, exploring the use of polymer electrolytes as alternatives in proton-conducting batteries opens an intriguing research field, as demonstrated by the growing number of publications on the subject.

Ultrasound-Guided Injections of HYADD4 for Knee Osteoarthritis Improves Pain and Functional Outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 Months without Changes in Measured Synovial Fluid, Serum Collagen Biomarkers, or Most Synovial Fluid Biomarker Proteins at 3 Months.

Background: Prior studies have demonstrated improved efficacy when intra-articular (IA) therapeutics are injected using ultrasound (US) guidance. The aim of this study was to determine if clinical improvement in pain and function after IA hyaluronic acid injections using US is associated with changes in SF volumes and biomarker proteins at 3 months.

Methods: 49 subjects with symptomatic knee OA, BMI < 40, and KL radiographic grade II or III participated.

Starch-Based Polymer Materials as Advanced Adsorbents for Sustainable Water Treatment: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Perspectives.

Over the past three decades, chemical and biological water contamination has become a major concern, particularly in the industrialized world. Heavy metals, aromatic compounds, and dyes are among the harmful substances that contribute to water pollution, which jeopardies the human health. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance to locate methods for the cleanup of wastewater that are not genuinely effective.

A Variational Synthesis of Evolutionary and Developmental Dynamics.

This paper introduces a variational formulation of natural selection, paying special attention to the nature of 'things' and the way that different 'kinds' of 'things' are individuated from-and influence-each other. We use the Bayesian mechanics of particular partitions to understand how slow phylogenetic processes constrain-and are constrained by-fast, phenotypic processes. The main result is a formulation of adaptive fitness as a path integral of phenotypic fitness.

SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Compared with Confirmed COVID-19 Cases among Children, Colorado, USA, May-July 2021.

To compare SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence among children with seropositive confirmed COVID-19 case counts (case ascertainment by molecular amplification) in Colorado, USA, we conducted a cross-sectional serosurvey during May-July 2021. For a convenience sample of 829 Colorado children, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was 36.7%, compared with prevalence of 6.

Effect of Wood Dust Fibre Treatments Reinforcement on the Properties of Recycled Polypropylene Composite (r-WoPPC) Filament for Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM).

The efficacy of wood dust fibre treatment on the property of wood dust reinforced recycled polypropylene composite (r-WoPPC) filament was investigated. The wood dust fibre was treated using alkali, silane, and NaOH-silane. The treated wood fibre was incorporated with r-PP using a twin-screw extruder to produce filament.

Effect of Agar on the Mechanical, Thermal, and Moisture Absorption Properties of Thermoplastic Sago Starch Composites.

Thermoplastic starch is a material that has the potential to be environmentally friendly and biodegradable. However, it has certain drawbacks concerning its mechanical performance and is sensitive to the presence of moisture. The current study assessed agar-containing thermoplastic sago starch (TPSS) properties at various loadings.