Mucosal surfaces in the intestinal, respiratory, and urogenital tracts are populated by a highly diverse bacterial flora. Most host-dwelling bacteria are commensals and maintain a symbiotic relationship with the host; however, a minority are pathogens that attack the mucosa, causing tissue damage and disease symptoms. Bacterial pathogens differ from commensals by the expression of specific viru...

Previous studies have noted substantial human-macaque interactions involving physical contact in Bali, Indonesia; Gibraltar; and Mt. Emei, China [Fuentes, American Journal of Primatology 68:880-896, 2006; Zhao, Tibetan macaques, visitors, and local people at Mt. Emei: problems and countermeasures. In: Paterson and Wallis, editor. Commensalism and conflict: the human-primate interface. Norman, O...

Molecules present in the most external layers of Candida cells are essential for the adherence to host surfaces, playing a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of candidiasis. Receptors for fibrinogen, fibronectin and other components of the extracellular matrix have been described in Candida surfaces. Their expression may be influenced by particular host conditions, and these changes may be imp...

Despite advances in medicine, infectious diseases remain major causes of death and disability worldwide. Acute or chronic infectious agents mediate host tissue damage and cause a spectrum of disease as diverse as overwhelming sepsis and shock within hours to persistent tissue inflammation causing organ failure or even cancer over years. Although pathogen exposure can cause disease via host-deri...

In planktonic ecosystems, algae and bacteria exhibit complex interrelationships, as algae provide an important organic matter source for microbial growth while microbial metabolism recycles limiting nutrients for algae in a loose commensalism. However, algae and bacteria can also compete for available nutrients if supplies of organic matter are sufficient to satisfy bacterial demand. We develop...

In recent years, symbiosis as a rich source of potential engineering applications and computational model has attracted more and more attentions in the adaptive complex systems and evolution computing domains. Inspired by different symbiotic coevolution forms in nature, this paper proposed a series of multi-swarm particle swarm optimizers called PS2Os, which extend the single population particl...