In this study, Imani et al. investigate whether a new proprietary herbal formulation, HF1, can inhibit expression of immune suppressor protein PD-L1. PD-L1 is a transmembrane protein that can be expressed by cancer cells to assist in their ability to avoid attacks from the immune system. Work from this study demonstrates that HF1 treatment can reduce expression of PD-L1 in cultured cancer cells, implicating HF1 as a potential new cancer therapy.
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High school students show some reluctance to COVID-19 guidelines
COVID-19 has officially been downgraded from the status of a global health emergency, but have COVID-19 safety practices become a new way of life for students? The authors collected survey data on COVID-19-related knowledge and behaviors of high-school students in Punjab, Pakistan and Santa Clara County, California, USA, so see where high-schoolers stand on pandemic safety today.
Read More...A novel calibration algorithm and its effects on heading measurement accuracy of a low-cost magnetometer
Digital compasses are essential in technology that we use in our everyday lives: phones, vehicles, and more. Li and Liu address the accuracy of these devices by presenting a new algorithm for accurately calibrating low-cost magnetometers.
Read More...Pruning replay buffer for efficient training of deep reinforcement learning
Reinforcement learning (RL) is a form of machine learning that can be harnessed to develop artificial intelligence by exposing the intelligence to multiple generations of data. The study demonstrates how reply buffer reward mechanics can inform the creation of new pruning methods to improve RL efficiency.
Read More...Comparing the performance of lateral control algorithms on long rigid vehicles in urban environments
Here, seeking to better understand the control algorithms used in autonomous vehicles, the authors compared the Stanley and pure pursuit control algorithms along with a new version of each. Unexpectedly, they found that no control algorithm offered optimal performance, but rather resulted in tradeoffs between the various ideal results.
Read More...An improved video fingerprinting attack on users of the Tor network
The Tor network allows individuals to secure their online identities by encrypting their traffic, however it is vulnerable to fingerprinting attacks that threaten users' online privacy. In this paper, the authors develop a new video fingerprinting model to explore how well video streaming can be fingerprinted in Tor. They found that their model could distinguish which one of 50 videos a user was hypothetically watching on the Tor network with 85% accuracy, demonstrating that video fingerprinting is a serious threat to the privacy of Tor users.
Read More...Comparative Analysis of Vital Capacities of Athletes, Singers and Other Students of Age 13-14 Years: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study
Physical activity when performed regularly has beneficial effects on all systems of the body, including pulmonary functions. This study, conducted at Springdales School in Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi, aimed to determine the effect of sports and singing on the vital capacity (the maximum amount of air a person can expel from the lungs after a maximum inhalation), an important measure of pulmonary health.
Read More...Determining the Effect of Chemical and Physical Pretreatments on the Yield and Energy Output of Cellulosic Ethanol from Panicum Virgatum
Fossil fuels are a limited resource; thus, it is important to explore new sources of energy. The authors examine the ability of switchgrass to produce ethanol and test the effects of pretreatment and grinding on ethanol yield.
Read More...The Effect of Delivery Method, Speaker Demographics, and Physical Environment on the Engagement Level of Older Adults
With an increasing older adult population and rapid advancements in technology, it is important that senior citizens learn to use new technologies to remain active in society. A variety of factors on learning were investigated through surveys of senior citizens. Older adults preferred an interactive lesson style, which also seemed to help them retain more course material.
Read More...A meta-analysis on NIST post-quantum cryptographic primitive finalists
The advent of quantum computing will pose a substantial threat to the security of classical cryptographic methods, which could become vulnerable to quantum-based attacks. In response to this impending challenge, the field of post-quantum cryptography has emerged, aiming to develop algorithms that can withstand the computational power of quantum computers. This study addressed the pressing concern of classical cryptographic methods becoming vulnerable to quantum-based attacks due to the rise of quantum computing. The emergence of post-quantum cryptography has led to the development of new resistant algorithms. Our research focused on four quantum-resistant algorithms endorsed by America’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2022: CRYSTALS-Kyber, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, FALCON, and SPHINCS+. This study evaluated the security, performance, and comparative attributes of the four algorithms, considering factors such as key size, encryption/decryption speed, and complexity. Comparative analyses against each other and existing quantum-resistant algorithms provided insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each program. This research explored potential applications and future directions in the realm of quantum-resistant cryptography. Our findings concluded that the NIST algorithms were substantially more effective and efficient compared to classical cryptographic algorithms. Ultimately, this work underscored the need to adapt cryptographic techniques in the face of advancing quantum computing capabilities, offering valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in the field. Implementing NIST-endorsed quantum-resistant algorithms substantially reduced the vulnerability of cryptographic systems to quantum-based attacks compared to classical cryptographic methods.
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