Effect of farnesol on Candida dubliniensis morphogenesis

Cell–cell signalling in Candida albicans is a known phenomenon and farnesol was identified as a quorum sensing molecule determining the yeast morphology. The aim of this work was to verify if farnesol had a similar effect on Candida dubliniensis, highlighting the effect of farnesol on Candida spp. morphogenesis. Methods and Results: Two different strains of C. dubliniensis and one of C. albicans were grown both in RPMI 1640 and in serum in the presence of absence of farnesol. At 150 μmol l -1 farnesol the growth rate of both Candida species was not affected. On the contrary, farnesol inhibited hyphae and pseudohyphae formation in C. dubliniensis. Conclusion: Farnesol seems to mediate cell morphology in both Candida species. Significance and Impact of the Study: The effect of farnesol on C. dubliniensis morphology was not reported previously.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Making Growth More Environmentally Sustainable in Germany

This document analyses German environmental policies, including, among others, discussion of air and water quality policy, use of the waste management hierarchy approach and of voluntary agreements. The German public has been highly sensitive to environmental concerns, leading to many policy initiatives in this area since the early 1980s. Significant environmental improvements have been achieved, using an approach frequently based on detailed regulations, often developed with the close involvement of industry and even individual polluters. There has developed a tendency to relieve some of the heaviest polluters from the most stringent regulation, on the grounds of competitiveness concerns, and some polluting activities receive considerable direct or indirect subsidies; these policies will increasingly make it unnecessarily expensive to meet environmental targets. Objectives need to be defined more clearly and consistently and a less discriminatory approach to taxation and ... Ce document analyse les politiques environnementales de l’Allemagne, en particulier les politiques pour l'air et l'eau, l'utilisation de l'approche de la hiérarchie de traitement des déchets et des approches volontaires. L'opinion allemande est très sensibilisée aux problèmes d'environnement, ce qui a mené depuis le début des années 80 à de nombreuses initiatives de politique dans ce domaine. Des progrès significatifs ont été accomplis, en utilisant le plus souvent une approche fondée sur des réglementations détaillées, développées en étroite coopération avec l'industrie et même les pollueurs individuels. En général, les pollueurs les plus importants ont eu tendance à être exemptés des réglementations les plus strictes, du fait de préoccupations de compétitivité, et certaines activités polluantes reçoivent des subventions directes ou indirectes considérables; ces politiques rendront de plus en plus inutilement coûteuse la réalisation des objectifs environnementaux. Les objectifs ...sustainable development, environmental policy, Germany, Allemagne, politique environnementale, développement durable

Antifungal treatment affects the laboratory diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis

<b>Aims</b> The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of non-invasive diagnostic tests such as galactomannan enzyme immunoassay and quantitative PCR in the early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA), and how these tests are impacted upon by the use of different classes of antifungal agents in an in-vivo model of IA.<p></p> <b>Methods</b> A standardised rat inhalation model of IA was used to examine the effects of an azole, posaconazole, a polyene, amphotericin B and an echinocandin caspofungin. Daily blood samples were collected for subsequent analysis using a commercially available galactomannan assay and an inhouse qPCR assay.<p></p> <b>Results</b> No significant differences were observed in the CE/g of Aspergillus fumigatus in the lungs of each group. qPCR was statistically more sensitive than galactomannan for both the early detection of infected controls (p=0.045) and for overall detection (p=0.018). However, antifungal treatment significantly reduced the overall sensitivity of qPCR (p=0.020); these effects were due to posaconazole and caspofungin. In the latter stages of infection (days 4 and 5) there were no significant differences in the numbers of infections detected by galactomannan and qPCR; however, the antifungal class used caused significant qualitative differences (p=0.041). Galactomannan showed improved detection in posaconazole-treated animals.<p></p> <b>Conclusions</b> Previous exposure to antifungal therapy must be considered when interpreting either qPCR or galactomannan-based IA diagnostics as this study has shown that individual classes of antifungal agents impact upon the dynamics of antigen and DNA release into the circulation