Biofilms in Medicine

In 1862 Louis Pasteur introduced the “Germ Theory of Disease.” Subsequently the study of microbiology has flourished greatly and its medical significance has continuously grown. Many microbial organisms implicated in disease have been identified and studies. A general science of medical bacteriology has been determined and is widely taught. Such study has been largely based upon the activity of individual free-swimming (planktonic) cells and colonies that they form. However, microorganisms often form communities called biofilms which can have properties that very different from their planktonic predecessors. Biofilms are mucoid aggregates of microorganisms which tend to grow on surfaces exposed to water. Biofilms are not the only form of microbial cell aggregate but are distinguished from other aggregates by specific properties. Another form of microbial aggregate is the familiar bacterial colony. Colonies tend to feed on their undersurface and utilize the gaseous surface above for gas exchange; they are usually clones of a single preceding cell (Wimpenny 2000). Biofilms are characterized by their locations at phase boundaries (ibid.) and their production of Extracellular Polymeric Substance or EPS. The sliminess of biofilms is due to their enveloping EPS matrix. The phase boundary at which biofilms generally form is Solid: Liquid (there are a few examples of biofilms growing at other phase boundaries but they tend to have industrial or environmental applications). An additional characteristic of biofilms which is 32 not generally cited in their description is the strong alteration of their cell physiology from that of planktonic cells (Donlan and Costerton 2002)

Exploring the role of women entrepreneurs in revitalizing historic Nazareth

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THE EXAMINATION OF THE RESIDENTS’ ACTIVITIES AND DEDICATION TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY — AN AGRITOURISM ACCESS TO THE SUBJECT

The paper deals with conceptual guidelines, basic aspects and spatial frameworks of the development of agritourism. The holistic approach, in this regard, includes the integrated and the comprehensive aspects of tourist stays in the countryside. The authors define the impact of agritourism on rural surroundings and analyze the influence of spending leisure time outside urban areas and consuming agritourism activities. Understanding the many components of agritourism is essential for future planning, management, business decisions and strategies. For success in agritourism, knowledge is necessary in many economic fields, including organization, management and marketing, among others. In addition, this article emphasizes products and services in agritourism and provides insight into the facilities and opportunities that are offered to tourists in rural areas. The research findings represent a useful tool for obtaining information about many elements of agritourism development and can serve as a relevant instrument in travel industry research or in academic investigation

Gallstone Obstructive Ileus 3 Years Post-cholecystectomy to a Patient with an Old Ileoileal Anastomosis

The present case is one of gallstone obstructive ileus due to gallstones 3 yr after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It is interesting because of the sex of the patient, the fact that ileus occurred 3 yr after cholecystectomy and that the localization of the obstruction was an old side-to-side ileoileal anastomosis due to a diverticulectomy following intussusception of Meckels' diverticulum at the age of 3

Inflammatory Transcriptome Profiling of Human Monocytes Exposed Acutely to Cigarette Smoke

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Cigarette smoking is responsible for 5 million deaths worldwide each year, and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and lung diseases. Cigarette smoke contains a complex mixture of over 4000 chemicals containing 10¹⁵ free radicals. Studies show smoke is perceived by cells as an inflammatory and xenobiotic stimulus, which activates an immune response. The specific cellular mechanisms driving cigarette smoke-induced inflammation and disease are not fully understood, although the innate immune system is involved in the pathology of smoking related diseases.</p> <h3>Methodology/Principle findings</h3><p>To address the impact of smoke as an inflammagen on the innate immune system, THP-1 cells and Human PBMCs were stimulated with 3 and 10% (v/v) cigarette smoke extract (CSE) for 8 and 24 hours. Total RNA was extracted and the transcriptome analysed using Illumina BeadChip arrays. In THP-1 cells, 10% CSE resulted in 80 genes being upregulated and 37 downregulated by ≥1.5 fold after 8 hours. In PBMCs stimulated with 10% CSE for 8 hours, 199 genes were upregulated and 206 genes downregulated by ≥1.5 fold. After 24 hours, the number of genes activated and repressed by ≥1.5 fold had risen to 311 and 306 respectively. The major pathways that were altered are associated with cell survival, such as inducible antioxidants, protein chaperone and folding proteins, and the ubiquitin/proteosome pathway.</p> <h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Our results suggest that cigarette smoke causes inflammation and has detrimental effects on the metabolism and function of innate immune cells. In addition, THP-1 cells provide a genetically stable alternative to primary cells for the study of the effects of cigarette smoke on human monocytes.</p> </div