Fungal degradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) film in soil was described mathematically in terms of the surface growth rate of fungal hyphae and the degradation ability of fungal depolymerase. The surface growth rate of fungi was derived from the notion of equivalent symmetric tree model and was expressed for the two different growth phases, i.e. exponential phase an...

Background: Superficial fungal infections of skin are very common in rural areas of Bangladesh. The prevalence and characteristics of superficial fungal infections (SFIs) vary with age, sex, climatic conditions, lifestyle, and population migration patterns. There is no study in Bangladesh to determine the prevalence and pattern of superficial fungal infection. This study was undertaken to deter...

While fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are relatively rare, fungal pathogens are increasingly being recognized as an important etiology of CNS infections, particularly amongst the growing immunocompromized population. In this paper we aim to provide a practical approach to the diagnosis of fungal infections of the CNS, review some of the diagnostic methods currently availab...

Fungal infections pose a significant risk for the increasing population of individuals who are immunocompromised. Phagocytes play an important role in immune defense against fungal pathogens, but the interactions between host and fungi are still not well understood. Sphingolipids have been shown to play an important role in many cell functions, including the function of phagocytes. In this revi...

When microorganisms live together in high numbers, they need to communicate with each other. To achieve cell-cell communication, microorganisms secrete molecules called quorum-sensing molecules (QSMs) that control their biological activities and behaviors. Fungi secrete QSMs such as farnesol, tyrosol, phenylethanol, and tryptophol. The role of QSMs in fungi has been widely studied in both yeast...

The effect of essential oils (EO) of medical plant seeds and spices on rumen microbial fermentation of alfalfa hay, sugar beet pulp and barley grain (as substrate) were evaluated under in vitro conditions. In vitro incubations were carried out using the gas production method with glass syringes. Treatments were as follows; a control (no additive), monensin, EO of cinnamon, black pepper seed, cu...

In this study, effects of continuous cropping on soil properties, enzyme activities, and relative abundance, community composition and diversity of fungal taxa were investigated. Rhizosphere soil from field continuously cropped for one-year, three-year and five-year by Coptis chinensis Franch. was collected and analyzed. Illumina high-throughput sequencing analysis showed that continuous croppi...

A protocol for direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products from mycelia of Discula umbrinella, a fungal endophyte, using bufferless electrophoresis is described. This improved method allows researchers to conduct high-capacity screening of multiple gene regions for fungal endophytes applicable to microbial ecology and population genetic studies.