Convergence provides strong evidence for adaptation, reflecting similar responses to recurring selection pressures. Waterfowl (order Anseriformes) have repeatedly evolved morphotypes putatively correlated with foraging ecology (e.g., dabbler, grazer, diver), making them an ideal model for testing hypotheses of adaptive evolution. Here, we estimated the most robust time-calibrated phylogenetic tree for the waterfowl to date and quantified the shape of the skull, femur, tibiotarsus, and...

Peptide-based vaccines offer a modular and readily manufacturable platform for both prophylactic and therapeutic immunization. However, their broader translation has been constrained by the limited capacity to predict protective immunity directly from sequence-level features. Recent advances in systems vaccinology and high-throughput immune profiling have substantially expanded the experimental evidence, while generative artificial intelligence now enables de novo design of peptide immunogens...

As cancer mortality rates rise globally, malignancies have become the second leading cause of death. Recently, efforts have been made to understand the impact of the tumor microenvironment that involves fluid shear forces. Biomechanical stimulation, which uses shear stress to activate mechanosensitive ion channels, e.g., Piezo1, increases calcium influx into the intracellular space and activates T cells. Novel 3D cancer cultures with T cells have been proposed. Such models use cell/scaffold...

Opuntia ficus-indica L. is a prominent crop in Mexico, requiring advanced non-destructive technologies for the real-time monitoring and quality control of fresh commercial cladodes. The primary research objective of this study was to develop and validate high-precision mathematical models that correlate hyperspectral signatures (400-1000 nm) with the specific nutritional, morphological, and antioxidant attributes of fresh cladodes (cultivar Villanueva) at their peak commercial maturity. By...

Microbial biofilms pose significant health risks by causing infections associated with prosthetic and indwelling medical devices. Factors such as the high tolerance levels of biofilm microorganisms to antibiotics and the inability of antimicrobial agents to penetrate the biofilm matrix render antibiotic-based treatment methods ineffective against biofilm-related infections. Surfaces patterned with nanoscale topographical features have shown promising results in controlling the attachment of...