Biophysical and Structural Features of αβT-Cell Receptor Mechanosensing: A Paradigmatic Shift in Understanding T-Cell Activation.

αβT cells protect vertebrates against many diseases, optimizing surveillance using mechanical force to distinguish between pathophysiologic cellular alterations and normal self-constituents. The multi-subunit αβT-cell receptor (TCR) operates outside of thermal equilibrium, harvesting energy via physical forces generated by T-cell motility and actin-myosin machinery. When a peptide-bound major histocompatibility complex molecule (pMHC) on an antigen presenting cell is ligated, the αβTCR on the T cell leverages force to form a catch bond, prolonging bond lifetime, and enhancing antigen discrimination.

Immunogenicity and safety of the 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Pneumococcal infections are a serious health issue associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This systematic review evaluated the efficacy, effectiveness, immunogenicity, and safety of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)15 compared to other pneumococcal vaccines or no vaccination in children and adults. We identified 20 randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Blended phytogenics as an alternative to growth-promoting antibiotics in newly weaned piglets.

The research aimed to evaluate the effects of a commercial blend of phytogenic compounds on the digestibility, antioxidant system, intestinal microbiota, and performance of weaned piglets. Two experiments compared three treatments (diets): control, zinc bacitracin (300 g/t) and blended phytogenic compounds (400 g/t). The first experiment analised of digestibility of the dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude energy and metabolizable energy, in addition to blood parameters and gut microbiota in 15 piglets commercial cross-bred, weaned at 28 days of age, castrated males, weighing 9.

Synthesis of evidence yields high social cost of carbon due to structural model variation and uncertainties.

Estimating the cost to society from a ton of CO-termed the social cost of carbon (SCC)-requires connecting a model of the climate system with a representation of the economic and social effects of changes in climate, and the aggregation of diverse, uncertain impacts across both time and space. A growing literature has examined the effect of fundamental structural elements of the models supporting SCC calculations. This work has accumulated in a piecemeal fashion, leaving their relative importance unclear.

Discovery of the Cytocapsular Membrane as Hallmark of Malignant Tumors.

While optimizing cancer cell growth conditions, we discovered that cancer stem cells can generate second membranes outside the plasma membranes forming compartments separated from the extracellular matrix. The encapsulating membranes can extend and generate long cytocapsular tubes, wherein multiple cells can migrate. SILAC proteomics of the second cytocapsular membranes identified 400 membrane proteins, and a small subset of them are highly upregulated in cytocapsular cancers compared to normal tissues.