Precursors of exhausted T cells are preemptively formed in acute infection.

T cell exhaustion limits effector T cell function in chronic infection and tumors. The development of these hypofunctional T cells and of their precursors was considered to require stimulatory conditions met only upon persisting exposure to antigen and inflammation. In sharp contrast, we found similar T cell populations in the early phase of acute infections.

Gene Signatures of T-Cell Activation Can Serve as Predictors of Functionality for SARS-CoV-2-Specific T-Cell Receptors.

The importance of T cells in controlling SARS-CoV-2 infections has been demonstrated widely, but insights into the quality of these responses are still limited due to technical challenges. Indeed, understanding the functionality of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of a polyclonal antigen-specific population still requires the tedious work of T-cell cloning or TCR re-expression and subsequent characterization. In this work, we show that it is possible to discriminate highly functional and bystander TCRs based on gene signatures of T-cell activation induced by recent peptide stimulation.

Geomorpho90m, empirical evaluation and accuracy assessment of global high-resolution geomorphometric layers.

Topographical relief comprises the vertical and horizontal variations of the Earth's terrain and drives processes in geomorphology, biogeography, climatology, hydrology and ecology. Its characterisation and assessment, through geomorphometry and feature extraction, is fundamental to numerous environmental modelling and simulation analyses. We, therefore, developed the Geomorpho90m global dataset comprising of different geomorphometric features derived from the MERIT-Digital Elevation Model (DEM) - the best global, high-resolution DEM available.

Neutrino Masses from Planck-Scale Lepton Number Breaking.

We consider an extension of the standard model by right-handed neutrinos and we argue that, under plausible assumptions, a neutrino mass of O(0.1)  eV is naturally generated by the breaking of the lepton number at the Planck scale, possibly by gravitational effects, without the necessity of introducing new mass scales in the model. Some implications of this framework are also briefly discussed.

Migration, Knowledge Transfer, and the Emergence of Australian Post-War Skiing: The Story of Charles William Anton.

Skiing underwent substantial changes during the post-war years when the sport turned into a multi-billion dollar industry and a leisure activity for the masses. Despite its global nature and popularity, skiing in academic writing has not gained much recognition. This paper explores the role of knowledge transfer during the pioneering phase of post-war skiing in Australia.

[Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists as treatment option for acute and chronic central serous chorioretinopathy].

Background: It is well known that central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is triggered by endogenous and exogenous glucocorticoids but the exact pathomechanism is not completely understood. According to the results of previous studies overactivation of mineralocorticoid receptors may play a decisive role in the pathogenesis of CSCR.

Methods And Results: Experimental studies have shown that overactivation of mineralocorticoid receptors in endothelial cells of the choroid induces increased permeability.

Restless legs syndrome: evidence for nocturnal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system activation.

Epidemiological studies consistently point to a relationship between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and cardiovascular disease. The mechanism underlying this association is unclear. Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system has been shown to contribute to the metabolic syndrome and an enhanced cardiovascular risk.

Aortoesophageal fistula secondary to mycotic aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta: CT demonstration.

We report a case of an aortoesophageal fistula secondary to a mycotic aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta in which the actively bleeding fistulous tract was demonstrated on contrast-enhanced CT, allowing definitive diagnosis.