Aggregation of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is regulated by fecal aggregation agents (pheromones), including volatile carboxylic acids (VCAs). We demonstrate that the gut microbial community contributes to production of these semiochemicals. Chemical analysis of the fecal extract of B. germanica revealed 40 VCAs. Feces from axenic cockroaches (no microorganisms in the alimentary t...

background: swimming is often recommended because of its potentially beneficial effects on the joints and on people’s general sense of well-being . swimming is a great way to relax and beat the summer heat. the dumping of urban and industrial waste waters into the sea, with their high level of pathogens and other polluting agents, raises concern about its consequences for both swimmers’ health ...

We read with interest the report of Guerrant et al. (1). It was stated that the fecal lactoferrin assay may be a useful diagnostic tool in the evaluation of patients with acute diarrhea syndrome (ADS), offering some advantages over microscopic examination for fecal leukocytes. We would like to comment on this and report data from a study carried out in Chile in which fecal lactoferrin was measu...

Fecal fat microscopy using the Sudan stain has suffered from a relative lack of specificity, and results are "qualitative." Therefore, we developed a quantitative fecal fat microscopic method with hopes of improving diagnostic accuracy. One hundred eighty patients with chronic diarrhea collected stools for 1 to 3 days, and fecal fat output was measured by a standard chemical method, and microsc...

Effects of corn fiber residue (5 g/day for 10 days) on fecal weight, moisture, pH, fecal flora, ammonia content, and on the activities of beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase were investigated in six healthy subjects. Corn fiber residue was remnant of hemicellulose extraction from corn fiber by calcium hydroxide. Fecal weight showed a tendency to increase, and fecal pH did not change during ...