Publications by authors named "B M E von Blomberg"

Purpose: To understand the mechanisms of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) from Tanzania and characterize the genomes carrying the carbapenemase genes.

Methods: Clinical CRKP isolates were selected from ongoing antimicrobial-resistant surveillance at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Whole-genome sequencing was performed utilizing Illumina and Nanopore platforms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The aging population is increasing worldwide, and there is also an increase in the aging population living with overweight and obesity, due to changes in lifestyle and in dietary patterns that elderly individuals experience later in life. Both aging and obesity are conditions of accelerated metabolic dysfunction and dysregulated immune responses. In this review, we summarize published findings showing that obesity induces changes in humoral immunity similar to those induced by aging and that the age-associated B cell defects are mainly due to metabolic changes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare immune responses to a COVID-19 booster vaccination between older adults and younger individuals, focusing on humoral and cellular immunity.
  • Researchers found that older adults (average age 86) initially had lower immune responses after earlier vaccinations compared to younger adults (average age 39), but both groups improved their antibody levels after the booster.
  • While young adults showed increased cellular immune responses after the booster, older adults did not, and their plasma showed higher levels of certain T cell activation and exhaustion markers, indicating potential immune dysfunction in the elderly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Cancer- and cancer treatment-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is reported by many women with breast cancer (BC). Distress tolerance (DT) refers to both the perceived capacity and behavioral act of withstanding uncomfortable/aversive/negative emotional and/or physical experiences. Poor DT has been associated with worse cognitive performance, including executive dysfunction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ebola virus disease kills more than half of people infected. Since the disease is transmitted via close human contact, identifying individuals at the highest risk of developing the disease is possible on the basis of the type of contact (correlated with viral exposure). Different candidates for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP; ie, vaccines, antivirals, and monoclonal antibodies) each have their specific benefits and limitations, which we discuss in this Viewpoint.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF