Collective decision-making in Pseudomonas aeruginosa involves transient segregation of quorum-sensing activities across cells.

A hallmark of bacterial sociality is that groups can coordinate cooperative actions through a cell-to-cell communication process called quorum sensing (QS). QS regulates key bacterial phenotypes such as virulence in infections and digestion of extracellular compounds in the environment. Although QS responses are typically studied as group-level phenotypes, it is unclear whether individuals coordinate their actions at the single-cell level or whether group phenotypes simply reflect the sum of their noisy members.

Bacterial Quorum Sensing Allows Graded and Bimodal Cellular Responses to Variations in Population Density.

Quorum sensing (QS) is a mechanism of cell-cell communication that connects gene expression to environmental conditions (e.g., cell density) in many bacterial species, mediated by diffusible signal molecules.

Author Correction: In silico bacteria evolve robust cooperation via complex quorum-sensing strategies.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

In silico bacteria evolve robust cooperaion via complex quorum-sensing strategies.

Many species of bacteria collectively sense and respond to their social and physical environment via 'quorum sensing' (QS), a communication system controlling extracellular cooperative traits. Despite detailed understanding of the mechanisms of signal production and response, there remains considerable debate over the functional role(s) of QS: in short, what is it for? Experimental studies have found support for diverse functional roles: density sensing, mass-transfer sensing, genotype sensing, etc. While consistent with theory, these results cannot separate whether these functions were drivers of QS adaption, or simply artifacts or 'spandrels' of systems shaped by distinct ecological pressures.

Focal urethral stricturing following intraurethral mitomycin-C gel and the use of a penile clamp.

We present a case of a 51-year-old gentleman, previously diagnosed with high-grade superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and treated with intravesical mitomycin C and BCG, who developed serial recurrences in the prostatic urethra. This was resected and treated further with intraurethral mitomycin-C gel. He subsequently developed an almost impassable distal penile urethral stricture, corresponding to the site of penile clamp application which we hypothesise is secondary to a combination of the mitomycin-C gel and penile clamp pressure.

Oncological outcomes after laparoscopic and open radical nephroureterectomy: results from an international cohort.

Objective: • To compare oncological outcomes in patients undergoing open radical nephroureterectomy (ONU) with those in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy (LNU).

Patients And Methods: • A total of 773 patients underwent radical nephroureterectomy at nine centres worldwide; 703 patients underwent ONU and 70 underwent LNU. • Demographic, perioperative and oncological outcome data were collected retrospectively.