The number of environmental antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) has increased dramatically since the start of antibiotic mass production for broad bacterial infection treatment in 1944. Nowadays, ARB and their resistance-determining genes (ARGs) are readily detected in all environments, including the human food chain. A highly relevant food group in this context is fresh produce, frequent raw consumption of which facilitates direct transfer of ARB and ARGs to the consumer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the brain capillaries, endothelial cells, pericytes, astrocytes and microglia form a structural and functional complex called neurovascular unit (NVU) which is critically involved in maintaining neuronal homeostasis. In the present study, we applied a comprehensive immunohistochemical approach to investigate the structural alterations in the NVU across different Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathological stages. Post-mortem human cortical and hippocampal samples derived from AD patients and non-demented elderly control individuals were immunostained using a panel of markers representing specific components of the NVU including Collagen IV (basement membrane), PDGFR-β (pericytes), GFAP (astrocytes), Iba1 (microglia), MRC1 (perivascular macrophages) and lectin as an endothelial cell label.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn impairment of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) clearance is suggested to play a key role in the pathogenesis of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). Amyloid degradation is mediated by various mechanisms including fragmentation by enzymes like neprilysin, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and a recently identified amyloidolytic activity of β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1). BACE1 cleavage of Aβ40 and Aβ42 results in the formation of a common Aβ34 intermediate which was found elevated in cerebrospinal fluid levels of patients at the earliest disease stages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate DECT diagnostic accuracy in the identification of vertebral bone marrow edema, using MRI as standard of reference.
Methods: This prospective institutional review board-approved study included 76 consecutive patients (29 males and 47 females; mean age 62.3, range 51-82 years) studied with DECT (90 kV and tin filter 150 kV) and MRI within 7 days.
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is initiated and maintained by leukemia stem cells (LSC). LSCs are therapy-resistant, cause relapse, and represent a major obstacle for the cure of AML. Resistance to therapy is often mediated by aberrant tyrosine kinase (TK) activation.
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