bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification and Purification of the CPD Photolyase in Vibrio parahaemolyticus RIMD2210633
Authors: Su Zehong , Lian Gaojian , Mawatari Kazuaki , Tang Ping , He Shuya , Shimohata Takaaki , Wu Yimou , Yin Weidong , Takahashi Akira 
Published: June 2015

AbstractPhotoreactivation is an error‐free mechanism of DNA repair, utilized by prokaryotes and most eukaryotes and is catalyzed by specific enzymes called DNA photolyases. Photoreactivation has been reported in Vibrio parahaemolyticus WP28; however, information on photolyases in V. parahaemolyticus (V.p) strains has not been reported. This study examined the photoreactivation in V.p RIMD2210633. The photolyase responsible for repairing cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) in DNA was identified, and the corresponding gene was determined as VPA1471. The protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and was purified for functional assessment in vitro. The mRNA level and protein expression level of this gene increased after ultraviolet A (UVA) illumination following ultraviolet C (UVC) irradiation. In vitro experiments confirmed that the protein encoded by VPA1471 could reduce the quantity of CPD in DNA. We designated the corresponding gene and protein of VPA1471 phr and Phr, respectively, although the function of two other photolyase/cryptochrome family members, VPA0203 and VPA0204, remains unclear. UV (ultraviolet) irradiation experiments suggest that these two genes possess some photorepairing ability. Therefore, we hypothesize that VPA0203 and VPA0204 encode (6‐4) photolyase in V. parahaemolyticus RIMD2210633.
Regulating Public Services: How Public Managers Respond to External Performance Assessment
Authors: Döring Heike , Downe James , Martin Steve 
Published: June 2015

AbstractPerformance management systems have become a key component of contemporary public administration. However, there has been only limited analysis of the social construction of performance by public managers who are subject to them. This article examines the ways in which public managers create, maintain, and disrupt performance management practices. The authors find that managers make external performance assessments perform for themselves by constantly negotiating boundaries in ways that combine bureaucratic and managerial rationales. The authors argue that the ways in which organizational boundaries are constructed are fundamental to understanding the success or failure of performance management systems and the transformation of managerial ways of thinking about performance into a logic of improvement through which contemporary public sector reforms become embedded.
Causal Inference with Longitudinal Outcomes and Non-Ignorable Dropout: Estimating the Effect of Living Alone on Cognitive Decline
Authors: Josefsson Maria , de Luna Xavier , Daniels Michael J. , Nyberg Lars 
Published: June 2015

SummaryWe develop a model to estimate the causal effect of living arrangement (living alone versus living with someone) on cognitive decline based on a 15-year prospective cohort study, where episodic memory function is measured every 5 years. One key feature of the model is the combination of propensity score matching to balance confounding variables between the two living arrangement groups—to reduce bias due to unbalanced covariates at baseline, with a pattern–mixture model for longitudinal data—to deal with non-ignorable dropout. A fully Bayesian approach allows us to convey the uncertainty in the estimation of the propensity score and subsequent matching in the inference of the causal effect of interest. The analysis conducted adds to previous studies in the literature concerning the protective effect of living with someone, by proposing a modelling approach treating living arrangement as an exposure.
Service Deregulation, Competition, and the Performance of French and Italian Firms
Authors: Daveri Francesco , Lecat Rémy , Parisi Maria Laura 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThis article reports estimates of the impact of service regulation reform on the productivity of French and Italian firms in retail, transports and professional services over the period 1998–2007. We implement a two‐stage least squares estimation: the first‐stage instruments mark‐ups, a financial measure of rents, with barriers to entry and the second stage estimates the impact of instrumented mark‐ups on total factor productivity (TFP), a real measure of firm efficiency. We find that entry barriers lower firm productivity by raising mark‐ups and rents. These estimates imply that, if French and Italian regulators had adopted the OECD best practices in terms of entry barriers, firms in these sectors would have increased their TFP level by five percentage points. We do not find any robust evidence of a non‐linear relation between mark‐up and productivity.
State Legislation Related to Increasing Physical Activity: 2006–2012
Authors: Eyler Amy A. , Budd Elizabeth , Camberos Gabriela J. , Yan Yan , Brownson Ross C. 
Published: June 2015

Background:Strategies to improve physical activity prevalence often include policy and environmental changes. State-level policies can be influential in supporting access and opportunities for physical activity in schools and communities. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of state legislation related to physical activity and identify the correlates of enactment of this legislation.Methods:An online legislative database was used to collect bills from 50 states in the U.S. from 2006 to 2012 for 1010 topics related to physical activity. Bills were coded for content and compiled into a database with state-level variables (eg, obesity prevalence). With enactment status as the outcome, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted.Results:Of the 1,542 bills related to physical activity introduced, 30% (N = 460) were enacted. Bills on public transportation and trails were more likely to be enacted than those without these topics. Primary sponsorship by the Republican Party, bipartisan sponsorship, and mention of specific funding amounts were also correlates of enactment.Conclusion:Policy surveillance of bills and correlates of enactment are important for understanding patterns in legislative support for physical activity. This information can be used to prioritize advocacy efforts and identify ways for research to better inform policy.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa High-Level Resistance to Polymyxins and Other Antimicrobial Peptides Requires
cprA
, a Gene That Is Disrupted in the PAO1 Strain
Authors: Gutu Alina D. , Rodgers Nicole S. , Park Jihye , Moskowitz Samuel M. 
Published: June 2015

ABSTRACT

The
arn
locus, found in many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, mediates resistance to polymyxins and other cationic antimicrobial peptides through 4-amino-
l
-arabinose modification of the lipid A moiety of lipopolysaccharide. In
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, several two-component regulatory systems (TCSs) control the
arn
locus, which is necessary but not sufficient for these resistance phenotypes. A previous transposon mutagenesis screen to identify additional polymyxin resistance genes that these systems regulate implicated an open reading frame designated PA1559 in the genome of the
P. aeruginosa
PAO1 strain. Resequencing of this chromosomal region and bioinformatics analysis for a variety of
P. aeruginosa
strains revealed that in the sequenced PAO1 strain, a guanine deletion at the end of PA1559 results in a frameshift and truncation of a full-length open reading frame that also encompasses PA1560 in non-PAO1 strains, such as
P. aeruginosa
PAK. Deletion analysis in the PAK strain showed that this full-length open reading frame, designated
cprA
, is necessary for polymyxin resistance conferred by activating mutations in the PhoPQ, PmrAB, and CprRS TCSs. The
cprA
gene was also required for PmrAB-mediated resistance to other cationic antimicrobial peptides in the PAK strain. Repair of the mutated
cprA
allele in the PAO1 strain restored polymyxin resistance conferred by an activating TCS mutation. The deletion of
cprA
did not affect the
arn
-mediated lipid A modification, indicating that the CprA protein is necessary for a different aspect of polymyxin resistance. This protein has a domain structure with a strong similarity to the extended short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family that comprises isomerases, lyases, and oxidoreductases. These results suggest a new avenue through which to pursue targeted inhibition of polymyxin resistance.
AbaR-Type Genomic Islands in Non-baumannii Acinetobacter Species Isolates from South Korea
Authors: Kim Dae Hun , Ko Kwan Soo 
Published: June 2015

ABSTRACT

To investigate the presence and structure of AbaR-type genomic islands (GIs) in non-
Acinetobacter baumannii
isolates, a total of 155 non-
baumannii Acinetobacter
isolates from a South Korean hospital were analyzed. GIs were found in three
Acinetobacter nosocomialis
and two
Acinetobacter seifertii
isolates. Their structures were similar to those in
A. baumannii
isolates from Asian countries, including South Korea. The existence of AbaR-type GIs in non-
baumannii Acinetobacter
isolates is believed to be due to interspecies transfer of GI.
Lack of the Transcription Factor Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α (HIF-1α) in Macrophages Accelerates the Necrosis of Mycobacterium avium-Induced Granulomas
Authors: Cardoso Marcos S. , Silva Tânia M. , Resende Mariana , Appelberg Rui , Borges Margarida 
Published: June 2015

ABSTRACT

The establishment of mycobacterial infection is characterized by the formation of granulomas, which are well-organized aggregates of immune cells, namely, infected macrophages. The granuloma's main function is to constrain and prevent dissemination of the mycobacteria while focusing the immune response to a limited area. In some cases these lesions can grow progressively into large granulomas which can undergo central necrosis, thereby leading to their caseation. Macrophages are the most abundant cells present in the granuloma and are known to adapt under hypoxic conditions in order to avoid cell death. Our laboratory has developed a granuloma necrosis model that mimics the human pathology of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
, using C57BL/6 mice infected intravenously with a low dose of a highly virulent strain of
Mycobacterium avium
. In this work, a mouse strain deleted of the hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) under the Cre-lox system regulated by the lysozyme M gene promoter was used to determine the relevance of HIF-1α in the caseation of granulomas. The genetic ablation of HIF-1α in the myeloid lineage causes the earlier emergence of granuloma necrosis and clearly induces an impairment of the resistance against
M. avium
infection coincident with the emergence of necrosis. The data provide evidence that granulomas become hypoxic before undergoing necrosis through the analysis of vascularization and quantification of HIF-1α in a necrotizing mouse model. Our results show that interfering with macrophage adaptation to hypoxia, such as through HIF-1α inactivation, accelerates granuloma necrosis.
ArcA Controls Metabolism, Chemotaxis, and Motility Contributing to the Pathogenicity of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Jiang Fengwei , An Chunxia , Bao Yinli , Zhao Xuefeng , Jernigan Robert L. , Lithio Andrew , Nettleton Dan , Li Ling , Wurtele Eve Syrkin , Nolan Lisa K. , Lu Chengping , Li Ganwu 
Published: June 2015

ABSTRACT

Avian pathogenic
Escherichia coli
(APEC) strains cause one of the three most significant infectious diseases in the poultry industry and are also potential food-borne pathogens threating human health. In this study, we showed that ArcA (
a
erobic
r
espiratory
c
ontrol), a global regulator important for
E. coli
's adaptation from anaerobic to aerobic conditions and control of that bacterium's enzymatic defenses against reactive oxygen species (ROS), is involved in the virulence of APEC. Deletion of
arcA
significantly attenuates the virulence of APEC in the duck model. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) analyses comparing the APEC wild type and the
arcA
mutant indicate that ArcA regulates the expression of 129 genes, including genes involved in citrate transport and metabolism, flagellum synthesis, and chemotaxis. Further investigations revealed that
citCEFXG
contributed to APEC's microaerobic growth at the lag and log phases when cultured in duck serum and that ArcA played a dual role in the control of citrate metabolism and transportation. In addition, deletion of flagellar genes
motA
and
motB
and chemotaxis gene
cheA
significantly attenuated the virulence of APEC, and ArcA was shown to directly regulate the expression of
motA
,
motB
, and
cheA
. The combined results indicate that ArcA controls metabolism, chemotaxis, and motility contributing to the pathogenicity of APEC.
Platelet-Dependent Neutrophil Function Is Dysregulated by M Protein from Streptococcus pyogenes
Authors: Hurley Sinéad M. , Kahn Fredrik , Nordenfelt Pontus , Mörgelin Matthias , Sørensen Ole E. , Shannon Oonagh 
Published: June 2015

ABSTRACTPlatelets are rapidly responsive sentinel cells that patrol the bloodstream and contribute to the host response to infection. Platelets have been reported to form heterotypic aggregates with leukocytes and may modulate their function. Here, we have investigated platelet-neutrophil complex formation and neutrophil function in response to distinct agonists. The endogenous platelet activator thrombin gave rise to platelet-dependent neutrophil activation, resulting in enhanced phagocytosis and bacterial killing.Streptococcus pyogenesis an important causative agent of severe infectious disease, which can manifest as sepsis and septic shock. M1 protein fromS. pyogenesalso mediated platelet-neutrophil complex formation; however, these neutrophils were dysfunctional and exhibited diminished chemotactic ability and bacterial killing. This reveals an important agonist-dependent neutrophil dysfunction during platelet-neutrophil complex formation and highlights the role of platelets during the immune response to streptococcal infection.
Expression of the Oligopeptide Permease Operon of Moraxella catarrhalis Is Regulated by Temperature and Nutrient Availability
Authors: Jones Megan M. , Murphy Timothy F. 
Published: June 2015

ABSTRACT

Moraxella catarrhalis
causes otitis media in children and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults. Together, these two conditions contribute to enormous morbidity and mortality worldwide. The oligopeptide permease (
opp
) ABC transport system is a nutritional virulence factor important for the utilization of peptides. The substrate binding protein OppA, which binds peptides for uptake, is a potential vaccine antigen, but little was known about the regulation of gene expression. The five
opp
genes
oppB
,
oppC
,
oppD
,
oppF
, and
oppA
are in the same open reading frame. Sequence analysis predicted two promoters, one located upstream of
oppB
and one within the intergenic region between
oppF
and
oppA
. We have characterized the gene cluster as an operon with two functional promoters and show that cold shock at 26°C for ≤0.5 h and the presence of a peptide substrate increase gene transcript levels. Additionally, the putative promoter upstream of
oppA
contributes to the transcription of
oppA
but is not influenced by the same environmental cues as the promoter upstream of
oppB
. We conclude that temperature and nutrient availability contribute to the regulation of the Opp system, which is an important nutritional virulence factor in
M. catarrhalis
.
Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Attenuate Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A-Induced Toxic Shock
Authors: Asano Krisana , Yoshimura Sayuri , Nakane Akio 
Published: June 2015

ABSTRACTAdipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs), which are mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from adipose tissues, exhibit immunomodulatory effects that are promising for several applications, including the therapeutics of inflammatory diseases. In the present study, the effect of ASCs on bacterial toxin-induced inflammation was investigated. Intraperitoneal administration of ASCs rescued mice from lethal shock induced by staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) potentiated with lipopolysaccharide. In the sera and/or spleens of mice administered ASCs, the production of proinflammatory cytokines, including interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-2 was reduced. By quantitative real-time PCR, the expression of Foxp3 in the mice administered ASCs was not altered. On the other hand, the expression of IL-12 receptor and STAT4 was decreased with ASC administration. These results imply that the effect of ASCs is not involved in the lineage of regulatory T cells but that these cells may modulate TH1 differentiation. This information provides evidence that ASCs have properties that are effective to attenuate SEA-induced toxic shock and should prompt further exploration on other inflammatory diseases caused by bacterial toxins or bacterial infections.
A Mannose Family Phosphotransferase System Permease and Associated Enzymes Are Required for Utilization of Fructoselysine and Glucoselysine in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium
Authors: Miller Katherine A. , Phillips Robert S. , Kilgore Paul B. , Smith Grady L. , Hoover Timothy R. 
Published: June 2015

ABSTRACT

Salmonella enteric
serovar Typhimurium, a major cause of food-borne illness, is capable of using a variety of carbon and nitrogen sources. Fructoselysine and glucoselysine are Maillard reaction products formed by the reaction of glucose or fructose, respectively, with the ε-amine group of lysine. We report here that
S
. Typhimurium utilizes fructoselysine and glucoselysine as carbon and nitrogen sources via a mannose family phosphotransferase (PTS) encoded by
gfrABCD
(glucoselysine/fructoselysine PTS components EIIA, EIIB, EIIC, and EIID; locus numbers STM14_5449 to STM14_5454 in
S
. Typhimurium 14028s). Genes coding for two predicted deglycases within the
gfr
operon,
gfrE
and
gfrF
, were required for growth with glucoselysine and fructoselysine, respectively. GfrF demonstrated fructoselysine-6-phosphate deglycase activity in a coupled enzyme assay. The biochemical and genetic analyses were consistent with a pathway in which fructoselysine and glucoselysine are phosphorylated at the C-6 position of the sugar by the GfrABCD PTS as they are transported across the membrane. The resulting fructoselysine-6-phosphate and glucoselysine-6-phosphate subsequently are cleaved by GfrF and GfrE to form lysine and glucose-6-phosphate or fructose-6-phosphate. Interestingly, although
S
. Typhimurium can use lysine derived from fructoselysine or glucoselysine as a sole nitrogen source, it cannot use exogenous lysine as a nitrogen source to support growth. Expression of
gfrABCDEF
was dependent on the alternative sigma factor RpoN (σ
54
) and an RpoN-dependent LevR-like activator, which we designated GfrR.

IMPORTANCE
Salmonella
physiology has been studied intensively, but there is much we do not know regarding the repertoire of nutrients these bacteria are able to use for growth. This study shows that a previously uncharacterized PTS and associated enzymes function together to transport and catabolize fructoselysine and glucoselysine. Knowledge of the range of nutrients that
Salmonella
utilizes is important, as it could lead to the development of new strategies for reducing the load of
Salmonella
in food animals, thereby mitigating its entry into the human food supply.
Efficacy of a Telehealth Intervention on Colonoscopy Uptake When Cost Is a Barrier: The Family CARE Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Steffen Laurie E. , Boucher Kenneth M. , Damron Barbara H. , Pappas Lisa M. , Walters Scott T. , Flores Kristina G. , Boonyasiriwat Watcharaporn , Vernon Sally W. , Stroup Antoinette M. , Schwartz Marc D. , Edwards Sandra L. , Kohlmann Wendy K. , Lowery Jan T. , Wiggins Charles L. , Hill Deirdre A. , Higginbotham John C. , Burt Randall , Simmons Rebecca G. , Kinney Anita Y. 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
Background: We tested the efficacy of a remote tailored intervention Tele-Cancer Risk Assessment and Evaluation (TeleCARE) compared with a mailed educational brochure for improving colonoscopy uptake among at-risk relatives of colorectal cancer patients and examined subgroup differences based on participant reported cost barriers.
Methods: Family members of colorectal cancer patients who were not up-to-date with colonoscopy were randomly assigned as family units to TeleCARE (N = 232) or an educational brochure (N = 249). At the 9-month follow-up, a cost resource letter listing resources for free or reduced-cost colonoscopy was mailed to participants who had reported cost barriers and remained nonadherent. Rates of medically verified colonoscopy at the 15-month follow-up were compared on the basis of group assignment and within group stratification by cost barriers.
Results: In intent-to-treat analysis, 42.7% of participants in TeleCARE and 24.1% of participants in the educational brochure group had a medically verified colonoscopy [OR, 2.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.59–3.52]. Cost was identified as a barrier in both groups (TeleCARE = 62.5%; educational brochure = 57.0%). When cost was not a barrier, the TeleCARE group was almost four times as likely as the comparison to have a colonoscopy (OR, 3.66; 95% CI, 1.85–7.24). The intervention was efficacious among those who reported cost barriers; the TeleCARE group was nearly twice as likely to have a colonoscopy (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.12–3.52).
Conclusions: TeleCARE increased colonoscopy regardless of cost barriers.
Impact: Remote interventions may bolster screening colonoscopy regardless of cost barriers and be more efficacious when cost barriers are absent. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(9); 1311–8. ©2015 AACR.
Congruent and Incongruent Corticospinal Activations at the Level of Multiple Effectors
Authors: Sartori Luisa , Betti Sonia , Perrone Chiara , Castiello Umberto 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
Motor resonance is defined as the subliminal activation of the motor system while observing actions performed by others. However, resonating with another person's actions is not always an appropriate response: In real life, people do not just imitate but rather respond in a suitable fashion. A growing body of neurophysiologic studies has demonstrated that motor resonance can be overridden by complementary motor responses (such as preparing a precision grip on a small object when seeing an open hand in sign of request). In this study, we investigated the relationship between congruent and incongruent corticospinal activations at the level of multiple effectors. The modulation of motor evoked potentials evoked by single-pulse TMS over the motor cortex was assessed in upper and lower limb muscles of participants observing a soccer player performing a penalty kick straight in their direction. Study results revealed a double dissociation: Seeing the soccer player kicking the ball triggered a motor resonance in the observer's lower limb, whereas the upper limb response afforded by the object was overridden. On the other hand, seeing the ball approaching the observers elicited a complementary motor activation in upper limbs while motor resonance in lower limbs disappeared. Control conditions showing lateral kicks, mimicked kicks, and a ball in penalty area were also included to test the motor coding of object affordances. Results point to a modulation of motor responses in different limbs over the course of action and in function of their relevance in different contexts. We contend that ecologically valid paradigms are now needed to shed light on the motor system functioning in complex forms of interaction.