Biological proliferation is optimized at various levels of organization, including the molecule (e.g. nucleic acids, prions), the cell (e.g. prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic cells), and the community (e.g. microbial biofilms, bioaggregates). Although it was initially assumed that this occurred through the genesis of information within DNA alone, it now appears that innovative design originates at ...

Controlling microbial proliferation in water systems, including wastewater, recreational water, and drinking is essential to societal health. Microbial inactivation through electrochemically generated reactive species (RS) mediated pathways provides an effective route toward this control. Herein we provide overview of recent progress electrocatalytic generation RS their application disinfection...

Zinc as therapeutic agent in skin and wound care has been known for centuries, but its role is controversial and comprehensive investigations in nutrient-deficient environments are lacking. We aimed to provide a broad analysis of different zinc derivatives on proliferation, apoptosis and antimicrobial properties in a simulated nutrient-deficient environment in-vitro. Human fibroblasts (CRL2522)...

The medical industry is challenged by the presence of microorganisms and the negative effects they cause. Deterioration, defacement and odors are all dramatic effects which occur from the microbial contamination of surfaces as varied as carpeting and medical non-woven fabrics. These surfaces can also act as a microbial "harbor", as most offer ideal environments for the proliferation of microorg...

Deferrioxamine B and rhodotorulic acid, iron-chelating agents of microbial origin, exerted a pronounced inhibitory effect on pathogenic Naegleria fowleri at microgram levels. This inhibition was diminished by adding iron to the chelators before incubation with Naegleria isolates. These and related microbial iron chelators occur naturally in the environment. This could be of considerable ecologi...

A wound is a breach in the skin, and exposure of subcutaneous tissue following loss of skin integrity. It provides a moist, warm, nutritive conducive to microbial colonization and proliferation. Wound contaminants may not persist, but species that grow and divide may become established, causing wound colonization or infection. The outcome depends on the interaction of complex host and microbial...

PURPOSE Microbial products stimulate the immune system by interacting with Toll-like receptors (TLR) on antigen-presenting cells. This study examined the hypothesis that microbial products, which function as TLR ligands, are playing a major role in triggering pathogenic autoimmunity. METHODS An experimental system was developed in which microbial TLR ligands were tested in vivo for their capa...

4 cell receptor (BCR) triggering and T cell help induced initial B cell proliferation but were not sufficient to sustain prolonged survival and accumulation of B cells. Extensive proliferation, isotypic switch and differentiation to Ig-secreting cells were promoted by microbial agents acting on TLRs expressed by naïve B cells upon BCR stimulation. This finding demonstrates that humoral immune r...

Chronic inflammation associated with cigarette smoke fosters malignant transformation and tumor cell proliferation and promotes certain nonneoplastic pulmonary diseases. The question arises as to whether chronic inflammation and/or colonization of the airway can be attributed, at least in part, to tobacco-associated microbes (bacteria, fungi, and spores) and/or microbial toxins (endotoxins and ...

Chronic immune activation is a key factor in HIV-1 disease progression. The translocation of microbial products from the intestinal lumen into the systemic circulation occurs during HIV-1 infection and is associated closely with immune activation; however, it has not been determined conclusively whether microbial translocation drives immune activation or occurs as a consequence of HIV-1 infecti...