BACKGROUND Airways of lung cancer patients are often colonized by fungi. Some of these colonizing fungi, under particular conditions, produce cancerogenic mycotoxins. Given the recent interest in the infective origin of lung cancer, with this preliminary study we aim to give our small contribution to this field of research by analysing the fungal microbiome of the exhaled breath condensate of l...

Recent studies in animal behavior have emphasized the ecological importance of individual variation in behavioral types (e.g., boldness, activity). Such studies have emphasized how variation in one species affects its interaction with other species. But few (if any) studies simultaneously examine variation in multiple interacting species, despite the potential for coevolutionary responses to wo...

We present a Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) model for the quintessential keystone predator, the rocky-intertidal sea star Pisaster ochraceus. Based on first principles, DEB theory is used to illuminate underlying physiological processes (maintenance, growth, development, and reproduction), thus providing a framework to predict individual-level responses to environmental change. We parameterized th...

This study aimed to identify the constituents of the essential oil from Hyptis suaveolens (L.) leaves using a Gas Chromatograph - Mass Spectrometer and assess its inhibitory effect on some potentially pathogenic Aspergilli (A. flavus, A. parasiticus, A. ochraceus, A. fumigatus and A. niger). Eucaliptol (47.64 %) was the most abundant component in the oil, followed for gama-ellemene (8.15 %), be...

Indoor mold concentrations were measured in the dust of moldy homes (MH) and reference homes (RH) by quantitative PCR (QPCR) assays for 82 species or related groups of species (assay groups). About 70% of the species and groups were never or only rarely detected. The ratios (MH geometric mean : RH geometric mean) for 6 commonly detected species (Aspergillus ochraceus, A. penicillioides, A. ungu...

The aim of this study was determine the volatile compounds, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the essential oils (EOs) of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum greacum), ginger (Zingiber officinale) and marjoram (Origanum majorana) widely consumed in Egypt. EOs showed a great variety of compounds in their chemical compositions, Trans-cinnamyl aldehyde, terpinen...