bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Novel Deaminase Involved in Chloronitrobenzene and Nitrobenzene Degradation with
Comamonas
sp. Strain CNB-1
Authors: Liu Lei , Wu Jian-Feng , Ma Ying-Fei , Wang Sheng-Yue , Zhao Guo-Ping , Liu Shuang-Jiang 
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACT

Comamonas
sp. strain CNB-1 degrades nitrobenzene and chloronitrobenzene via the intermediates 2-aminomuconate and 2-amino-5-chloromuconate, respectively. Deamination of these two compounds results in the release of ammonia, which is used as a source of nitrogen for bacterial growth. In this study, a novel deaminase was purified from
Comamonas
strain CNB-1, and the gene (
cnbZ
) encoding this enzyme was cloned. The N-terminal sequence and peptide fingerprints of this deaminase were determined, and BLAST searches revealed no match with significant similarity to any functionally characterized proteins. The purified deaminase is a monomer (30 kDa), and its
V
max
values for 2-aminomuconate and 2-amino-5-chloromuconate were 147 μmol·min
−1
·mg
−1
and 196 μmol·min
−1
·mg
−1
, respectively. Its catalytic products from 2-aminomuconate and 2-amino-5-chloromuconate were 2-hydroxymuconate and 2-hydroxy-5-chloromuconate, respectively, which are different from those previously reported for the deaminases of
Pseudomonas
species. In the catalytic mechanism proposed, the α-carbon and nitrogen atoms (of both 2-aminomuconate and 2-amino-5-chloromuconate) were simultaneously attacked by a hydroxyl group and a proton, respectively. Homologs of
cnbZ
were identified in the genomes of
Bradyrhizobium japonicum
,
Rhodopseudomonas palustris
, and
Roseiflexus
sp. strain RS-1; these genes were previously annotated as encoding hypothetical proteins of unknown function. It is concluded that CnbZ represents a novel enzyme that deaminates xenobiotic compounds and/or α-amino acids.
UvrD Limits the Number and Intensities of RecA-Green Fluorescent Protein Structures in
Escherichia coli
K-12
Authors: Centore Richard C. , Sandler Steven J. 
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACT

RecA is important for recombination, DNA repair, and SOS induction. In
Escherichia coli
, RecBCD, RecFOR, and RecJQ prepare DNA substrates onto which RecA binds. UvrD is a 3′-to-5′ helicase that participates in methyl-directed mismatch repair and nucleotide excision repair.
uvrD
deletion mutants are sensitive to UV irradiation, hypermutable, and hyper-rec. In vitro, UvrD can dissociate RecA from single-stranded DNA. Other experiments suggest that UvrD removes RecA from DNA where it promotes unproductive reactions. To test if UvrD limits the number and/or the size of RecA-DNA structures in vivo, an
uvrD
mutation was combined with
recA-gfp
. This
recA
allele allows the number of RecA structures and the amount of RecA at these structures to be assayed in living cells.
uvrD
mutants show a threefold increase in the number of RecA-GFP foci, and these foci are, on average, nearly twofold higher in relative intensity. The increased number of RecA-green fluorescent protein foci in the
uvrD
mutant is dependent on
recF
,
recO
,
recR
,
recJ
, and
recQ
. The increase in average relative intensity is dependent on
recO
and
recQ
. These data support an in vivo role for UvrD in removing RecA from the DNA.
Negative Regulation ofBacillus anthracisSporulation by the Spo0E Family of Phosphatases
Authors: Bongiorni Cristina , Stoessel Ricarda , Perego Marta 
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACTThe initiation of sporulation inBacillusspecies is controlled by the phosphorelay signal transduction system. Multiple regulatory elements act on the phosphorelay to modulate the level of protein phosphorylation in response to cellular, environmental, and metabolic signals. InBacillus anthracisnine possible histidine sensor kinases can positively activate the system, while two response regulator aspartyl phosphate phosphatases of the Rap family negatively impact the pathway by dephosphorylating the Spo0F intermediate response regulator. In this study, we have characterized theB. anthracismembers of the Spo0E family of phosphatases that specifically dephosphorylate the Spo0A response regulator of the phosphorelay and master regulator of sporulation. The products of four genes were able to promote the dephosphorylation of Spo0A∼P in vitro. The overexpression of two of theseB. anthracisSpo0E-like proteins from a multicopy vector consistently resulted in a sporulation-deficient phenotype. A third gene was found to be not transcribed in vivo. A fourth gene encoded a prematurely truncated protein due to a base pair deletion that nevertheless was subject to translational frameshift repair in anEscherichia coliprotein expression system. A fifth Spo0E-like protein has been structurally and functionally characterized as a phosphatase of Spo0A∼P by R. N. Grenha et al. (J. Biol. Chem.281:37993-38003, 2006). We propose that these proteins may contribute to maintainB. anthracisin the transition phase of growth during an active infection and therefore contribute to the virulence of this organism.
The IclR-Type Transcriptional Repressor LtbR Regulates the Expression of Leucine and Tryptophan Biosynthesis Genes in the Amino Acid ProducerCorynebacterium glutamicum
Authors: Brune Iris , Jochmann Nina , Brinkrolf Karina , Hüser Andrea T. , Gerstmeir Robert , Eikmanns Bernhard J. , Kalinowski Jörn , Pühler Alfred , Tauch Andreas 
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACTThe transcriptional regulator Cg1486 ofCorynebacterium glutamicumATCC 13032 is a member of the IclR protein family and belongs to the conserved set of regulatory proteins in corynebacteria. A defined deletion in the cg1486 gene, now designatedltbR(leucine and tryptophan biosynthesis regulator), led to the mutant strainC. glutamicumIB1486. According to whole-genome expression analysis by DNA microarray hybridizations, transcription of theleuBandleuCDgenes encoding enzymes of the leucine biosynthesis pathway was enhanced inC. glutamicumIB1486 compared with the wild-type strain. Moreover, the genes of thetrpEGDCFBAoperon involved in tryptophan biosynthesis ofC. glutamicumshowed an enhanced expression in the cg1486 mutant strain. Bioinformatics pattern searches in the upstream regions of the differentially expressed genes revealed the common 12-bp motif CA(T/C)ATAGTG(A/G)GA that is located downstream of the −10 region of the mapped promoter sequences. DNA band shift assays with a streptavidin-tagged LtbR protein demonstrated the specific binding of the purified protein to 40-mers containing the 12-bp motif localized in front ofleuB,leuC, andtrpE, thereby confirming the direct regulatory role of LtbR in the expression of the leucine and tryptophan biosynthesis pathway genes ofC. glutamicum. Genes homologous withltbRwere detected upstream of theleuCDgenes in almost all sequenced genomes of bacteria belonging to the taxonomic classActinobacteria. TheltbR-like genes ofCorynebacterium diphtheriae,Corynebacterium jeikeium,Mycobacterium bovis, andBifidobacterium longumwere cloned and shown to complement the deregulation ofleuB,leuCD, andtrpEgene expression inC. glutamicumIB1486.
Frequency of theTMPRSS2:ERGgene fusion is increased in moderate to poorly differentiated prostate cancers
Authors: Rajput Ashish B , Miller Melinda A , De Luca Alessandro , Boyd Niki , Leung Sam , Hurtado-Coll Antonio , Fazli Ladan , Jones Edward C , Palmer Jodie B , Gleave Martin E , Cox Michael E , Huntsman David G 
Published: January 2007

Background:Recent reports indicate that prostate cancers (CaP) frequently over-express the potential oncogenes,ERGorETV1. Many cases have chromosomal rearrangements leading to the fusion of the 5′ end of the androgen-regulated serine proteaseTMPRSS2(21q22.2) to the 3′ end of eitherERG(21q22.3) orETV1(7p21.3). The consequence of these rearrangements is aberrant androgen receptor-driven expression of the potential oncogenes,ETV1orERG.Aim:To determine the frequency of rearrangements involvingTMPRSS2,ERG, orETV1genes in CaP of varying Gleason grades through fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) on CaP tissue microarrays (TMAs).Methods:Two independent assays, aTMPRSS2break-apart assay and a three-colour gene fusion FISH assay were applied to TMAs. FISH positive cases were confirmed by reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR and DNA sequence analysis.Results:A total of 106/196 (54.1%) cases were analysed by FISH. None of the five benign prostatic hyperplasia cases analysed exhibited these gene rearrangements.TMPRSS2:ERGfusion was found more frequently in moderate to poorly differentiated tumours (35/86, 40.7%) than in well differentiated tumours (1/15, 6.7%, p = 0.017).TMPRSS2:ETV1gene fusions were not detected in any of the cases tested.TMPRSS2:ERGfusion product was verified by RT-PCR followed by DNA sequencing in 7/7 randomly selected positive cases analysed.Conclusion:This study indicates thatTMPRSS2:ERGgene rearrangements in CaP may be used as a diagnostic tool to identify prognostically relevant sub-classifications of these cancers.
Gross synovial fluid analysis in the differential diagnosis of joint effusion
Authors: Abdullah S , Young-Min S A , Hudson S J , Kelly C A , Heycock C R , Hamilton J D 
Published: January 2007

Aims:To develop an objective and easy to complete standardised questionnaire for documentation of synovial fluid (SF) gross appearance and use it in the assessment of patients presenting to the rheumatology service with a joint effusion.Methods:A standardised questionnaire to record the gross appearance of SF was developed. Interobserver error in recorded observations and direct gross analysis of synovial fluid between four observers was calculated in a pilot study. In a prospective study over 8 months, SF gross analysis and cell count were documented in all patients presenting with a joint effusion. Fusch Rosenthal manual counting chamber was used for calculating SF cell counts.Results:There was good interobserver agreement on direct gross analysis and between questionnaire assessors (mean κ 0.889). 80 SF samples were collected. Gross analysis was performed in all samples and cell count in 72. Of the specimens thought to be inflammatory on gross analysis, 31% were found to be non-inflammatory based on cell count; however, 12 of these patients had an established inflammatory arthritis. Gross analysis had a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 58% when used to determine whether SF is inflammatory or non-inflammatory. The positive and negative predictive values were 0.69 and 0.91 respectively.Conclusions:SF cell count did not add any information when SF gross analysis suggested a non-inflammatory process. Gross analysis was better than cell count to determine a potentially septic joint fluid. Further work needs to be done on the value of SF cell counts if gross analysis suggests the fluid to be inflammatory.
Patient self management of oral anticoagulation in routine care in the UK
Authors: McCahon D , Murray E T , Jowett S , Sandhar H S , Holder R L , Hussain S , O’Donoghue B , Fitzmaurice D A 
Published: January 2007

Background:Self management of anticoagulation: a randomised trial (SMART) was the first large scale UK trial to assess clinical and cost effectiveness of patient self management (PSM) of oral anticoagulation therapy compared to routine care. SMART showed that while PSM was as clinically effective as routine care, it was not as cost effective. SMART adds to the growing body of trial data to support PSM; however there are no data on clinical effectiveness and cost of PSM in routine care.Aim:To evaluate clinical effectiveness of PSM compared to routine care outside trial conditions.Methods:A retrospective multicentre matched control study. 63 PSM patients from primary care in the West Midlands were matched by age and international normalised ratio (INR) target with controls. INR results were collected for the period 1 July 2003–30 June 2004. The primary outcome measure was INR control.Results:38 PSM and 40 control patients were recruited. INR percentage time in range was 70% PSM vs 64% controls. 60% PSM were having a regular clinical review, 45% were performing an internal quality control (IQC) test and 82% were performing external quality assurance (EQA) on a regular basis.Conclusion:PSM outside trial conditions is as clinically effective as routine UK care.
Frequency and reliability of oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2 in breast carcinoma determined by immunohistochemistry in Australasia: results of the RCPA Quality Assurance Program
Authors: Francis Glenn D , Dimech Margaret , Giles Leanne , Hopkins Alison 
Published: January 2007

Background and Aims:Immunohistochemistry (IHC) has replaced radioligand binding assay for the determination of oestrogen receptor (ER) status in breast carcinoma. IHC is also used for assessment of progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2. The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) Quality Assurance Program (QAP) introduced a breast markers module in 2003 to evaluate the performance of laboratories with IHC for ER, PR and HER2.Methods:An audit of laboratories reporting breast carcinomas was performed in 2005 and 2006 to evaluate in-house results. Laboratories were asked to submit the hormone receptor and HER2 status on each invasive breast carcinoma for the previous 6 month period up to a maximum of 100 cases. The time periods were 1 July 2004 to 31 December 2004, and 1 July 2005 to 31 December 2005. A total of 55 laboratories returned information for 2004 and 67 for 2005.Results:Complete data on 8128 patients was returned for both surveys, 3353 cases for 2004 and 4775 for 2005. The results were similar for both surveys. Of the 8128 cases, 59.0% were ER+/PR+, 15.9% ER+/PR−, 2.4% ER−/PR+ and 22.7% ER−/PR−. HER2 data were submitted for a total of 6512 patients (excludes 52 patients with incomplete data sets); 17.1% were reported as 3+ positive on IHC, 12.5% as 2+ and 70.4% as negative.Conclusions:A laboratory audit was introduced into the RCPA QAP for breast markers due to concerns raised by participating laboratories about technical differences in supplied tissues for testing. This audit indicates that overall the results for ER, PR and HER2 fall inside established parameters. However, a number of individual laboratories do not meet the target values and variation in results would impact on patient treatment decisions.
Health response of two communities to military antennae in Cyprus
Authors: Preece A W , Georgiou A G , Dunn E J , Farrow S C 
Published: January 2007

Objectives:This study investigated concerns that have been raised about past and future health effects caused by high power transmissions of high frequency (7–30 MHz) radio waves from military antenna systems at Akrotiri, Cyprus.Methods:A cross-sectional study of three villages (two exposed, one unexposed) collected longitudinal and short-term radiofrequency measurements. Health data were collected using questionnaires containing information on demographic factors, specific illnesses, general health (SF-36 well-being questionnaire), reproductive history, childhood illnesses, risk perception and mortality. Analysis was with SPSS v11.5 using cross tabulations of non-parametric data and tests for significance. Key health outcomes were subjected to logistic regression analysis.Results:Field strengths within the two “exposed” villages were a maximum of 0.30 (Volts/Vm−1metre) from the 17.6 MHz military transmissions and up to 1.4 Vm−1from unspecified sources, mainly cell phone frequencies. The corresponding readings in the control village were <0.01 Vm−1. Compared with the control village there were highly significant differences in the reporting of migraine (OR 2.7, p<0.001), headache (OR 3.7, p<0.001), and dizziness (OR 2.7, p<0.001). Residents of the exposed villages showed greater negative views of their health in all eight domains of the SF-36. There were also higher levels of perceived risk, particularly to noise and electromagnetic “pollution”. All three villages reported higher values of risk perception than a UK population. There was no evidence of birth abnormalities or differences in gynaecological or obstetric history. Numbers of cancers were too small to show differences.Conclusion:It was clear that even this close (1–3 km) to powerful transmissions, the dominant sources of radiofrequency fields were cell phone and national broadcast systems. There was no excess of cancer, birth defects or obstetric problems. There was heightened risk perception and a considerable excess of migraine, headache and dizziness, which appears to share a gradient with radiofrequency exposure. The authors report this association but suggest this is unlikely to be an effect of radiofrequency and more likely to be antenna visibility or aircraft noise.
Mortality study update of acrylamide workers
Authors: Swaen Gerard M H , Haidar Salma , Burns Carol J , Bodner Kenneth , Parsons Tracy , Collins James J , Baase Catherine 
Published: January 2007

Objective:The authors examined the long-term health effects of occupational exposure to acrylamide among production and polymerisation workers.Methods:An earlier study of 371 acrylamide workers was expanded to include employees hired since 1979. In this updated study, 696 acrylamide workers were followed from 1955 through 2001 to ascertain vital status and cause of death. Exposure to acrylamide was retrospectively assessed based on personal samples from the 1970s onwards and area samples over the whole study period.Results:Fewer of the acrylamide workers died (n = 141) compared to an expected number of 172.1 (SMR 81.9, 95% CI 69.0 to 96.6). No cause-specific SMR for any of the investigated types of cancer was exposure related. The authors did, however, find more pancreatic cancer deaths than expected (SMR 222.2, 95% CI 72.1 to 518.5). With respect to non-malignant disease, more diabetes deaths were observed than expected (SMR 288.7, 95% CI 138.4 to 531.0). To assess the influence of regional factors, the analysis was repeated with an internal reference population. The elevated SMR for diabetes persisted.Conclusion:This study provides little evidence for a cancer risk from occupational exposure to acrylamide at production facilities. However, the increased rates of pancreatic cancer in this study and another larger study of acrylamide production workers indicate that caution is needed to rule out a cancer risk. The authors believe that the excess of diabetes mortality in this study is most likely not related to acrylamide exposure, because a larger study of acrylamide workers reported a deficit in this cause of death. The authors conclude that the increased SMR for diabetes mortality is probably not related to regional influences.
Effort-reward imbalance, procedural injustice and relational injustice as psychosocial predictors of health: complementary or redundant models?
Authors: Kivimäki Mika , Vahtera Jussi , Elovainio Marko , Virtanen Marianna , Siegrist Johannes 
Published: January 2007

Objective:Effort-reward imbalance at work is an established psychosocial risk factor but there are also newer conceptualisations, such as procedural injustice (decisions at work lack consistency, openness and input from all affected parties) and relational injustice (problems in considerate and fair treatment of employees by supervisors). The authors examined whether procedural injustice and relational injustice are associated with employee health in addition to, and in combination with, effort-reward imbalance.Methods:Prospective survey data from two cohorts related to public-sector employees: the 10-Town study (n = 18 066 (78% women, age range 19–62) and the Finnish Hospital Personnel study (n = 4833, 89% women, age range 20–60). Self-rated poor health, minor psychiatric morbidity and doctor-diagnosed depression were assessed at baseline (2000–2) and at follow-up (2004). To determine incident morbidity, baseline cases were excluded.Results:In multivariate models including age, sex, occupational status and all three psychosocial factors as predictors, high effort-reward imbalance and either high procedural injustice or high relational injustice were associated with increased morbidity at follow-up in both cohorts. After combining procedural and relational injustice into a single measure of organisational injustice, high effort-reward imbalance and high injustice were both independently associated with health. For all outcome measures, a combination of high effort-reward imbalance and high organisational injustice was related to a greater health risk than high effort-reward imbalance or injustice alone.Conclusion:Evidence from two independent occupational cohorts suggests that procedural and relational components of injustice, as a combined index, and effort-reward imbalance are complementary risk factors.
Adaptación de la escala de Orientación a la Dominancia Social al castellano: validación de la Dominancia Grupal y la Oposición a la Igualdad como factores subyacentes
Authors: Silván-Ferrero María del Prado , Bustillos Antonio 
Published: January 2007

Pratto, Sidanius, Stallwarth y Malle (1994) formularon la Teoría de la Dominancia Social para expresar el deseo de los individuos por establecer y mantener la jerarquía social y la subordinación de grupos inferiores a los superiores. Para medir las diferencias individuales en este constructo elaboraron la escala de la Orientación a la Dominancia Social (SDO). Recientes investigaciones han señalado la existencia de una estructura bifactorial de la escala: Antiigualitarismo y Orientación a la Dominancia Grupal (Jost y Thompson, 2000; Sidanius y Peña, 2002), a pesar de que en la formulación original se abogaba por la presencia de un constructo unitario. El presente estudio tiene como finalidad validar la escala de Orientación a la Dominancia Social en una muestra española, así como comprobar qué estructura factorial es más adecuada. Nuestros resultados muestran una buena fiabilidad de la adaptación y validez predictiva. Por su parte, los análisis factoriales realizados muestran un mejor apoyo para la estructura en dos factores propuesta por Jost y Thompson (2000).
Elaboración de una escala para medir Cultura del Honor
Authors: López-Zafra Esther 
Published: January 2007

En el presente estudio se propone una escala que permita medir “Cultura del Honor”. Mediante este concepto, inicialmente proveniente de la Antropología y adoptado por la Psicología Social, se pretenden explicar las diferencias en cuanto a normas culturales existentes entre grupos sociales que hacen que las justificaciones sobre actos de violencia cometidos hacia determinados grupos sociales, e.g. mujeres, se basen en el honor y en el mantenimiento del orden social de predominancia de un grupo sobre otro. Sin embargo, no existe una escala que nos permita medir directamente el nivel en el que es importante para una persona. Además, los análisis actuales se basan en estudios sobre actitudes hacia la violencia y experimentos sobre reacciones ante una ofensa. Utilizando las técnicas de análisis de ítems, análisis factoriales explotarorios así como la fiabilidad del instrumento conseguimos proponer una escala final compuesta por 17 ítems que forman tres factores para medir la importancia individual de la cultura del honor.