Impact of Delftia tsuruhatensis and Achromobacter xylosoxidans on Escherichia coli dual-species biofilms treated with antibiotic agents

Recently it was demonstrated that for urinary tract infections species with a lower or unproven pathogenic potential, such as Delftia tsuruhatensis and Achromobacter xylosoxidans, might interact with conventional pathogenic agents such as Escherichia coli. Here, single- and dual-species biofilms of these microorganisms were characterized in terms of microbial composition over time, the average fitness of E. coli, the spatial organization and the biofilm antimicrobial profile. The results revealed a positive impact of these species on the fitness of E. coli and a greater tolerance to the antibiotic agents. In dual-species biofilms exposed to antibiotics, E. coli was able to dominate the microbial consortia in spite of being the most sensitive strain. This is the first study demonstrating the protective effect of less common species over E. coli under adverse conditions imposed by the use of antibiotic agents.This work was financially supported by the FCT/MEC with national funds and when applicable co-funded by FEDER in the scope of the P2020 Partnership Agreement [Project UID/ EQU/00511/2013-LEPABE]; FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors – COMPETE, O Novo Norte–North Portugal Regional Operational Programme – ON2 and National Funds through Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT [Project NORTE-07-0124- FEDER-000025–RL2_ Environment&Health and Project ‘DNAmimics’ PIC/IC/82815/2007]; PhD fellowship [SFRH/ BD/82663/2011]; and postdoctoral fellowship [SFRH/ BPD/74480/2010]

Magna Carta, the Rule of Law and the Limits on Government

This paper surveys the legal tradition that links Magna Carta with the modern concepts of the rule of law and the limits on government. It documents that the original understanding of the rule of law included substantive commitments to individual freedom and limited government. Then, it attempts at explaining how and why such commitments were lost to a formalist interpretation of the rule of law from 1848 to 1939. The paper concludes by arguing how a revival of the substantive commitments of the rule of law is central in a project of reshaping modern states

Charakteristika der staatlichen Einbindung von Eliten und Bevölkerung in Ideokratien

"This paper shows that ideocracies, especially communist ideocracies, have a specific pattern of cooptation and incorporation of elites and ordinary citizens, which is different from all other political regime types. Ideocracies dominate society through and through by a net of measures that make the citizens materially dependent on the state, from which the individual citizen cannot escape. The strong concentration of the distribution of goods and positions in the hands of the ideocratic state goes hand in glove with the great power to repress non - co - opted people. However, there are trade - offs in the ideocratic pattern of cooptation. The tendency of ideocracies to infantilize its citizens, may provoke reluctance even among otherwise politically indifferent citizens. Nevertheless, despite the trade - offs, the specific pattern of cooptation and incorporation of citizens and elites might help to explain why communist ideocracies were very durable in comparison to other types of political regimes." (author's abstract