Daniel Zhao

Amid the rapid development of information communication technologies (ICTs), residents of future smart cities are expected to be exposed to unprecedented amounts of real-time information on a daily basis. The cognitive overload driven by an excess of complex information has become a potential issue. Nonetheless, standardized information systems are still widely used, despite individual differences in information intake. To set a foundation for the intelligent information systems of smart cities, this paper introduces methods and tools for a cognition-driven, personalized information system, which acknowledges individual differences in information preference and helps reduce the cognitive load in daily lives and at work. The proposed method includes the use of virtual reality (VR) to simulate complex tasks paired with the digital twin modeling of workers’ cognitive reactions to different information formats and contents in VR simulation. Collected data are then used to build a personal digital twins model of information-driven cognition, or Cog-DT. A human subject experiment was performed with a simulated industrial facility shutdown maintenance task as a proof of concept of Cog-DT. The latest neuroimaging technology and analysis methods were applied to model unique cognitive processes pertaining to information processing. Results indicate that cognitive activities driven by different information stimuli in the work context are distinguishable and modelable with Cog-DT methods and tools. This study is expected to contribute to digital twin literature by testing a human-centered, individual-level digital twin modeling method of cognitive activities. It also sets a preliminary foundation for developing personalized information systems for the smart cities of the future.

T cells can recognize evolutionarily diverse coronaviruses. Analysis of individual TCR clones may help define vaccine epitopes that can induce long-term immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.

BCa to E-selectin-expressing human endothelial cells (HMVECs) at a level equal to ESTA. Chemical conjugation of methoxy-polyethylene-glycol (PEG) at the sizes of 5 and 10 kDa did not interfere with ESTA7-mediated shear-resistant adhesion. However, in vivo study demonstrated that only 10 kDa PEG-conjugated ESTA7 (ESTA7-p10) retains the activity to inhibit metastases at a level equal to parental ESTA. Additionally, a single intravenous injection of ESTA7-p10 inhibited the development of lung, brain, and bone metastases of MDA-MB-231, through the blockade of E-selectin. Moreover, PEGylation led to an extension of elimination half-life and increase of AUC, resulting in superior inhibition of metastasis development compared to parental ESTA with a longer interval between dosing in a spontaneous metastasis model. Lastly, repeated intravenous administration of ESTA7-p10 was tolerated in mice, highlighting the potential prophylactic application of ESTA7-p10 for metastasis prevention.