Protecting the piglet gut microbiota against ETEC-mediated post-weaning diarrhoea using specific binding proteins.

Post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in piglets presents a widespread problem in industrial pig production and is often caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) strains. Current solutions, such as antibiotics and medicinal zinc oxide, are unsustainable and are increasingly being prohibited, resulting in a dire need for novel solutions.

Akkermansia muciniphila exoglycosidases target extended blood group antigens to generate ABO-universal blood.

Matching donor and recipient blood groups based on red blood cell (RBC) surface ABO glycans and antibodies in plasma is crucial to avoid potentially fatal reactions during transfusions. Enzymatic conversion of RBC glycans to the universal group O is an attractive solution to simplify blood logistics and prevent ABO-mismatched transfusions. The gut symbiont Akkermansia muciniphila can degrade mucin O-glycans including ABO epitopes.

Sialidases and fucosidases of Akkermansia muciniphila are crucial for growth on mucin and nutrient sharing with mucus-associated gut bacteria.

The mucolytic human gut microbiota specialist Akkermansia muciniphila is proposed to boost mucin-secretion by the host, thereby being a key player in mucus turnover. Mucin glycan utilization requires the removal of protective caps, notably fucose and sialic acid, but the enzymatic details of this process remain largely unknown. Here, we describe the specificities of ten A.

Butyrate-producing colonic clostridia: picky glycan utilization specialists.

Butyrate-producing human gut microbiota members are recognized for their strong association with a healthy immune-homeostasis and protection from inflammatory disorders and colorectal cancer. These effects are attributed to butyrate, the terminal electron sink of glycan fermentation by prevalent and abundant colonic Firmicutes from the Lachnospiraceae and Oscillospiraceae families. Remarkably, our insight into the glycan utilization mechanisms and preferences of butyrogenic Firmicutes remains very limited as compared with other gut symbionts, especially from the Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus genera.

Biopsy-Proven Amyloid-Beta Related Angiitis with Unusual Presentation and Long-Term Follow-Up.

Amyloid-beta related angiitis (ABRA) is a rare central nervous system inflammatory and vasculitic process. It is seen in patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and thought to be mediated by an autoimmune reaction against cerebrovascular β-amyloid. We describe the case of a patient with ABRA with clinical information and brain imaging over a 10-year period.

Orally active bivalent VH construct prevents proliferation of F4 enterotoxigenic in weaned piglets.

A major challenge in industrial pig production is the prevalence of post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in piglets, often caused by enterotoxigenic (ETEC). The increased use of antibiotics and zinc oxide to treat PWD has raised global concerns regarding antimicrobial resistance development and environmental pollution. Still, alternative treatments targeting ETEC and counteracting PWD are largely lacking.

Characterization of a Pan-Immunoglobulin Assay Quantifying Antibodies Directed against the Receptor Binding Domain of the SARS-CoV-2 S1-Subunit of the Spike Protein: A Population-Based Study.

Pan-immunoglobulin assays can simultaneously detect IgG, IgM and IgA directed against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the S1 subunit of the spike protein (S) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 S1-RBD Ig). In this work, we aim to evaluate a quantitative SARS-CoV-2 S1-RBD Ig electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) regarding analytical, diagnostic, operational and clinical characteristics. Our work takes the form of a population-based study in the principality of Liechtenstein, including 125 cases with clinically well-described and laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and 1159 individuals without evidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Butyrate producing colonic Clostridiales metabolise human milk oligosaccharides and cross feed on mucin via conserved pathways.

The early life human gut microbiota exerts life-long health effects on the host, but the mechanisms underpinning its assembly remain elusive. Particularly, the early colonization of Clostridiales from the Roseburia-Eubacterium group, associated with protection from colorectal cancer, immune- and metabolic disorders is enigmatic. Here, we describe catabolic pathways that support the growth of Roseburia and Eubacterium members on distinct human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs).

An 1,4-α-Glucosyltransferase Defines a New Maltodextrin Catabolism Scheme in Lactobacillus acidophilus.

The maltooligosaccharide (MOS) utilization locus in NCFM, a model for human small-intestine lactobacilli, encodes three glycoside hydrolases (GHs): a putative maltogenic α-amylase of family 13, subfamily 20 (GH13_20), a maltose phosphorylase of GH65 (GH65), and a family 13, subfamily 31, member (GH13_31B), annotated as a 1,6-α-glucosidase. Here, we reveal that GH13_31B is a 1,4-α-glucosyltransferase that disproportionates MOS with a degree of polymerization of ≥2, with a preference for maltotriose. Kinetic analyses of the three GHs encoded by the MOS locus revealed that the substrate preference of GH13_31B toward maltotriose complements the ~40-fold lower of GH13_20 toward this substrate, thereby enhancing the conversion of odd-numbered MOS to maltose.

Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Head and Neck MRI RF Array Integrated with a 511 keV Transmission Source for Attenuation Correction in PET/MR.

The goal of this work is to further improve positron emission tomography (PET) attenuation correction and magnetic resonance (MR) sensitivity for head and neck applications of PET/MR. A dedicated 24-channel receive-only array, fully-integrated with a hydraulic system to move a transmission source helically around the patient and radiofrequency (RF) coil array, is designed, implemented, and evaluated. The device enables the calculation of attenuation coefficients from PET measurements at 511 keV including the RF coil and the particular patient.

Flexible 23-channel coil array for high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla.

Purpose: The purpose of this work is the design, implementation and evaluation of a mechanically flexible receive-only coil array for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 T that can be applied to various target organs and provides high parallel imaging performance.

Methods: A 23-channel array was designed based on a rigid-flex printed circuit board (PCB). The flexible multi-layer part contains the copper traces forming the coil elements.

A flexible 12-channel transceiver array of transmission line resonators for 7 T MRI.

A flexible transceiver array based on transmission line resonators (TLRs) combining the advantages of coil arrays with the possibility of form-fitting targeting cardiac MRI at 7 T is presented. The design contains 12 elements which are fabricated on a flexible substrate with rigid PCBs attached on the center of each element to place the interface components, i.e.

Proton-decoupled carbon magnetic resonance spectroscopy in human calf muscles at 7 T using a multi-channel radiofrequency coil.

C magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a viable, non-invasive method to study cell metabolism in skeletal muscles. However, MR sensitivity of C is inherently low, which can be overcome by applying a higher static magnetic field strength together with radiofrequency coil arrays instead of single loop coils or large volume coils, and H decoupling, which leads to a simplified spectral pattern. H-decoupled C-MRS requires RF coils which support both, H and C, Larmor frequencies with sufficient electromagnetic isolation between the pathways of the two frequencies.

Prevalence and Natural History of Superficial Siderosis: A Population-Based Study.

Background And Purpose: Superficial siderosis (SS) is characterized by hemosiderin deposition in the superficial layers of the central nervous system and can be seen during postmortem examination or with iron-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging techniques. The distribution of SS may predict the probable underlying cause. This study aimed to report the prevalence and natural history of SS in a population-based study.

RhoA activation and nuclearization marks loss of chondrocyte phenotype in crosstalk with Wnt pathway.

De-differentiation comprises a major drawback for the use of autologous chondrocytes in cartilage repair. Here, we investigate the role of RhoA and canonical Wnt signaling in chondrocyte phenotype. Chondrocyte de-differentiation is accompanied by an upregulation and nuclear localization of RhoA.

Hypoxia regulates RhoA and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in a context-dependent way to control re-differentiation of chondrocytes.

Cartilage tissue is avascular and hypoxic which regulates chondrocyte phenotype via stabilization of HIFs. Here, we investigated the role of hypoxia and HIFs in regulation of Rho and canonical Wnt signaling in chondrocytes. Our data demonstrates that hypoxia controls the expression of RhoA in chondrocytes in a context-dependent manner on the culturing conditions.

A Woman in Her 60s With Chronic Meningitis.

A renal transplant recipient in her 60s presented with a history of chronic headaches and progressive encephalopathy. Serial cerebrospinal fluid examinations were consistent with chronic lymphocytic meningitis, but no definitive cause was identified. Imaging studies showed the development of an enhancing suprasellar mass lesion and hydrocephalus.

Conjunctival biopsy to diagnose neurosarcoidosis in patients with inflammatory nervous system disease of unknown etiology.

Neurosarcoidosis mimics many neurologic diseases and poses a major diagnostic challenge. Blind conjunctival biopsy is often used to help diagnose neurosarcoidosis when biopsy of affected nervous system tissue is not feasible. While this test is relatively inexpensive and well-tolerated, the diagnostic yield in patients with inflammatory nervous system disease of unknown etiology remained uncertain.

Adaptive immune regulation of glial homeostasis as an immunization strategy for neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurodegenerative diseases, notably Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, are amongst the most devastating disorders afflicting the elderly. Currently, no curative treatments or treatments that interdict disease progression exist. Over the past decade, immunization strategies have been proposed to combat disease progression.