bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chlorination of Indicator Bacteria and Viruses in Primary Sewage Effluent
Authors: Tree Julia A. , Adams Martin R. , Lees David N. 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

Wastewater disinfection is used in many countries for reducing fecal coliform levels in effluents. Disinfection is therefore frequently used to improve recreational bathing waters which do not comply with microbiological standards. It is unknown whether human enteric viruses (which are responsible for waterborne disease) are simultaneously inactivated alongside fecal coliforms. This laboratory study focused on the chlorination of primary treated effluent with three doses (8, 16, and 30 mg/liter) of free chlorine as sodium hypochlorite. Seeding experiments showed that inactivation (>5 log
10
units) of
Escherichia coli
and
Enterococcus faecalis
was rapid and complete but that there was poor inactivation (0.2 to 1.0 log
10
unit) of F
+
-specific RNA (FRNA) bacteriophage (MS2) (a potential virus indicator) at all three doses. However, seeded poliovirus was significantly more susceptible (2.8 log
10
units) to inactivation by chlorine than was the FRNA bacteriophage. To ensure that these results were not artifacts of the seeding process, comparisons were made between inactivation rates of laboratory-seeded organisms in sterilized sewage and inactivation rates of organisms occurring naturally in sewage. Multifactorial analysis of variance showed that there was no significant difference (
P
> 0.05) between the inactivation rates for seeded and naturally occurring FRNA bacteriophage. However, laboratory-grown poliovirus was inactivated much more rapidly than were naturally occurring, indigenous enteroviruses (
P
< 0.001). This may reflect differences in the way indigenous virus is presented to the disinfectant. Inactivation rates for indigenous enteroviruses were quite similar to those seen for FRNA bacteriophage at lower doses of chlorine. These results have significance for the effectiveness of chlorination as a sewage treatment process, particularly where virus contamination is of concern, and suggest that FRNA bacteriophage would be an appropriate indicator of such viral inactivation under field conditions.
Effects of Inactivation and Constitutive Expression of the Unfolded- Protein Response Pathway on Protein Production in the Yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Valkonen Mari , Penttilä Merja , Saloheimo Markku 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

One strategy to obtain better yields of secreted proteins has been overexpression of single endoplasmic reticulum-resident foldases or chaperones. We report here that manipulation of the unfolded-protein response (UPR) pathway regulator,
HAC1
, affects production of both native and foreign proteins in the yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. The effects of
HAC1
deletion and overexpression on the production of a native protein, invertase, and two foreign proteins,
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
α-amylase and
Trichoderma reesei
endoglucanase EGI, were studied. Disruption of
HAC1
caused decreases in the secretion of both α-amylase (70 to 75% reduction) and EGI (40 to 50% reduction) compared to the secretion by the parental strain. Constitutive overexpression of
HAC1
caused a 70% increase in α-amylase secretion but had no effect on EGI secretion. The invertase levels were twofold higher in the strain overexpressing
HAC1
. Also, the effect of the active form of
T. reesei hac1
was tested in
S. cerevisiae
.
hac1
expression caused a 2.4-fold increase in the secretion of α-amylase in
S. cerevisiae
and also slight increases in invertase and total protein production. Overexpression of both
S. cerevisiae HAC1
and
T. reesei hac1
caused an increase in the expression of the known UPR target gene
KAR2
at early time points during cultivation.
Identification of Equine Cecal Bacteria Producing Amines in an In Vitro Model of Carbohydrate Overload
Authors: Bailey S. R. , Baillon M.-L. , Rycroft A. N. , Harris P. A. , Elliott J. 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

Acute laminitis has been associated with the overgrowth of gram-positive bacteria within the equine hindgut, causing the release of factor(s) leading to ischemia-reperfusion of the digits. The products of fermentation which trigger acute laminitis are, as yet, unknown; however, vasoactive amines are possible candidates. The objectives of this study were to use an in vitro model of carbohydrate overload to study the change in populations of cecal streptococci and lactobacilli and to establish whether certain species of these bacteria were capable of producing vasoactive amines from amino acids. Cecal contents from 10 horses were divided into aliquots and incubated anaerobically with either corn starch or inulin (fructan; both at 1 g/100 ml). Samples were taken at 6-h intervals over a 24-h period for enumeration of streptococci, lactobacilli, and gram-negative anaerobes by a dilution method onto standard selective growth media. The effects of the antibiotic virginiamycin (1 mg/100 ml) and calcium hydrogen phosphate (CaHPO
4
; 0.3 g/100 ml) were also examined. Fermentation of excess carbohydrate was associated with increases in numbers of streptococci and lactobacilli (2- to 3.5-log unit increases; inhibited by virginiamycin) but numbers of gram-negative anaerobes were not significantly affected. A screening agar technique followed by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis enabled the identification of 26 different bacterial strains capable of producing one or more vasoactive amines. These included members of the species
Streptococcus bovis
and five different
Lactobacillus
spp. These data suggest that certain bacteria, whose overgrowth is associated with carbohydrate fermentation, are capable of producing vasoactive amines which may play a role in the pathogenesis of acute laminitis.
Metabolism of Fructooligosaccharides by
Lactobacillus paracasei
1195
Authors: Kaplan Handan , Hutkins Robert W. 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

Fermentation of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and other oligosaccharides has been suggested to be an important property for the selection of bacterial strains used as probiotics. However, little information is available on FOS transport and metabolism by lactic acid bacteria and other probiotic bacteria. The objectives of this research were to identify and characterize the FOS transport system of
Lactobacillus paracasei
1195. Radiolabeled FOS was synthesized enzymatically from [
3
H]sucrose and purified by column and thin-layer chromatography, yielding three main products: glucose (G) α-1,2 linked to two, three, or four fructose (F) units (GF
2
, GF
3
, and GF
4
, respectively). FOS hydrolysis activity was detected only in cell extracts prepared from FOS- or sucrose-grown cells and was absent in cell supernatants, indicating that transport must precede hydrolysis. FOS transport assays revealed that the uptake of GF
2
and GF
3
was rapid, whereas little GF
4
uptake occurred. Competition experiments showed that glucose, fructose, and sucrose reduced FOS uptake but that other mono-, di-, and trisaccharides were less inhibitory. When cells were treated with sodium fluoride, iodoacetic acid, or other metabolic inhibitors, FOS transport rates were reduced by up to 60%; however, ionophores that abolished the proton motive force only slightly decreased FOS transport. In contrast, uptake was inhibited by
ortho
-vanadate, an inhibitor of ATP-binding cassette transport systems. De-energized cells had low intracellular ATP concentrations and had a reduced capacity to accumulate FOS. These results suggest that FOS transport in
L. paracasei
1195 is mediated by an ATP-dependent transport system having specificity for a narrow range of substrates.
Disinfection of Water Containing Natural Organic Matter by Using Ozone-Initiated Radical Reactions
Authors: Cho Min , Chung Hyenmi , Yoon Jeyong 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

Ozone is widely used to disinfect drinking water and wastewater due to its strong biocidal oxidizing properties. Recently, it was reported that hydroxyl radicals (
·
OH), resulting from ozone decomposition, play a significant role in microbial inactivation when
Bacillus subtilis
endospores were used as the test microorganisms in pH controlled distilled water. However, it is not yet known how natural organic matter (NOM), which is ubiquitous in sources of drinking water, affects this process of disinfection by ozone-initiated radical reactions. Two types of water matrix were considered for this study. One is water containing humic acid, which is commercially available. The other is water from the Han River. This study reported that hydroxyl radicals, initiated by the ozone chain reaction, were significantly effective at
B. subtilis
endospore inactivation in water containing NOM, as well as in pH-controlled distilled water. The type of NOM and the pH have a considerable effect on the percentage of disinfection by hydroxyl radicals, which ranged from 20 to 50%. In addition, the theoretical
C̅T
value of hydroxyl radicals for 2-log
B. subtilis
removal was estimated to be about 2.4 × 10
4
times smaller than that of ozone, assuming that there is no synergistic activity between ozone and hydroxyl radicals.
Cloning of a Gene Encoding an Alt a 1 Isoallergen Differentially Expressed by the Necrotrophic Fungus
Alternaria brassicicola
during
Arabidopsis
Infection
Authors: Cramer Robert A. , Lawrence Christopher B. 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

Alternaria
species are considered some of the most important fungi responsible for allergenic morbidity in humans. The
Alternaria
protein that elicits the most intense allergic reaction in humans is Alt a 1, yet no biological function has been identified for this protein. In this study, suppression subtractive hybridization and virtual Northern blots were used to identify and characterize an Alt a 1 homolog in the phytopathogenic fungus
Alternaria brassicicola
. RNA was extracted from
A. brassicicola
spores germinated in water and on leaf surfaces of the
Arabidopsis
ecotype Landsberg for 24 h and used to create cDNA by PCR. Double-stranded cDNA was then used in suppression subtractive hybridization to identify differentially expressed genes. mRNA transcript levels were assessed by virtual Northern blotting. A sequence with significant homology (90% amino acid, 92% cDNA) to the Alt a 1 subunit from
Alternaria alternata
was identified. Virtual Northern blots demonstrated that this homolog, designated Alt b 1 precursor, was highly up-regulated during the infection process of
A. brassicicola
on
Arabidopsis
. The full-length cDNA sequence of Alt b 1 was 815 bp, with an open reading frame of 477 bp. In this preliminary study, we identified a homolog of the major
Alternaria
allergen precursor, Alt a 1, in
A. brassicicola
, designated Alt b 1. This isoallergen is differentially expressed during fungal pathogenesis on
Arabidopsis
, suggesting a possible biological role in pathogenesis.
Production of Diarrheal Enterotoxins and Other Potential Virulence Factors by Veterinary Isolates of
Bacillus
Species Associated with Nongastrointestinal Infections
Authors: Rowan Neil J. , Caldow George , Gemmell Curtis G. , Hunter Iain S. 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

With the exceptions of
Bacillus cereus
and
Bacillus anthracis
,
Bacillus
species are generally perceived to be inconsequential. However, the relevance of other
Bacillus
species as food poisoning organisms and etiological agents in nongastrointestinal infections is being increasingly recognized. Eleven
Bacillus
species isolated from veterinary samples associated with severe nongastrointestinal infections were assessed for the presence and expression of diarrheagenic enterotoxins and other potential virulence factors. PCR studies revealed the presence of DNA sequences encoding hemolysin BL (HBL) enterotoxin complex and
B. cereus
enterotoxin T (BceT) in five
B. cereus
strains and in
Bacillus
coagulans
NB11. Enterotoxin HBL was also harbored by
Bacillus
polymyxa
NB6. After 18 h of growth in brain heart infusion broth, all seven
Bacillus
isolates carrying genes encoding enterotoxin HBL produced this toxin. Cell-free supernatant fluids from all 11
Bacillus
isolates demonstrated cytotoxicity toward human HEp-2 cells; only one
Bacillus
licheniformis
strain adhered to this test cell line, and none of the
Bacillus
isolates were invasive. This study constitutes the first demonstration that
Bacillus
spp. associated with serious nongastrointestinal infections in animals may harbor and express diarrheagenic enterotoxins traditionally linked to toxigenic
B. cereus
.
Direct Profiling of Environmental Microbial Populations by Thermal Dissociation Analysis of Native rRNAs Hybridized to Oligonucleotide Microarrays
Authors: El Fantroussi Said , Urakawa Hidetoshi , Bernhard Anne E. , Kelly John J. , Noble Peter A. , Smidt H. , Yershov G. M. , Stahl David A. 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT
Oligonucleotide microarrays were used to profile directly extracted rRNA from environmental microbial populations without PCR amplification. In our initial inspection of two distinct estuarine study sites, the hybridization patterns were reproducible and varied between estuarine sediments of differing salinities. The determination of a thermal dissociation curve (i.e., melting profile) for each probe-target duplex provided information on hybridization specificity, which is essential for confirming adequate discrimination between target and nontarget sequences.
Dose-dependent toxicity of diphenhydramine overdose
Authors: Radovanovic D , Meier P J , Guirguis M , Lorent J-P , Kupferschmidt H 
Published: April 2003

Background: Diphenhydramine (DPHM) overdose is a frequent cause of acute poisoning. Although its clinical features are well known, information about the dose dependent toxicity of DPHM is still scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate the dose-dependent toxicity of DPHM in patients with acute DPHM poisoning. Methods: We have analyzed retrospectively all well-documented cases with DPHM monointoxications reported by physicians to the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre (STIC) between January 1984 and April 1996. In addition, a prospective study focusing on ingested DPHM doses and severity of symptoms was performed between May 1996 and December 1998. Results: The retrospective and prospective studies included 232 and 50 patients with DPHM monointoxications, respectively. In both studies, mild symptoms (somnolence, anticholinergic signs, tachycardia, nausea/vomiting) occurred in 55-64%, moderate symptoms (isolated and spontaneously resolving agitation, confusion, hallucinations and ECG disturbances) in 22-27% and severe symptoms (delirium/psychosis, seizures, coma) in 14-18% of patients. Moderate symptoms occurred above ingested doses of 0.3 g DPHM. For severe symptoms the critical dose limit was 1.0 g DPHM. Although the frequency of delirium/psychosis remained constant or even decreased, coma and seizures were significantly (p<0.05) more frequent in the >1.5-g compared with the 1.0-to 1.5-g-dose group. Conclusions: These data demonstrate a clear dose-dependent acute toxicity of DPHM. They indicate that only patients with DPHM ingestions above 1.0 g are at risk for the development of severe symptoms and, therefore, should be hospitalized. Thus, the results contribute to the data basis required for a cost effective management of patients with DPHM overdose.
Repeated acetaminophen dosing in rats: adaptation of hepatic antioxidant system
Authors: O'Brien P J , Slaughter M R , Swain A , Birmingham J M , Greenhill R W , Elcock F , Bugelski P J 
Published: April 2003

Repeated dosing of acetaminophen (paracetamol) to rats is reported to decrease their sensitivity to its hepatotoxic effects, which are associated with oxidative stress and glutathione depletion. We determined if repeated acetaminophen dosing produced adaptive response of key antioxidant system enzymes. Male rats (Sprague-Dawley, 10 weeks) were given 800, 1200, or 1600 mg/kg/day acetaminophen by oral gavage for 4 days. Liver was assayed for oxidative stress and antioxidant markers: malondialdehyde (MDA), thiobar-bituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), total antioxidant status (TAS), glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and alanine transaminase (ALT) as a marker of hepatocellular injury. Acetaminophen at 1200/1600 mg/kg decreased GSH 26/47%, GPx 21/26%, CAT 35/28%, SOD 21/12%; and TAS 28/18% (correlated with CAT, r=0.91; SOD, r=0.66; GPx, r = 0.45). Despite antioxidant deficiencies, and no TBARS change, MDA decreased 26%/33%/37% at 800/1200/1600 mg/kg, which correlated with increased GR (61%/62%/76%, r = 0.77) and G6PD (130%/110%/190%, r = 0.78). Both MDA (r = 0.68) and G6PD (r = 0.71) correlated with hepatic ALT, which decreased 27%o/43%/48%, respectively. Resistance to acetaminophen hepatotoxicity produced by repeated exposure is partially attributable to upregulation of hepatic G6PD and GR activity as an adaptive and protective response to oxidative stress and glutathione depletion.
Glycyrrhizic acid: the assessment of a no effect level
Authors: van Gelderen C E M , Bijlsma J A , van Dokkum W , Savelkoull T J F 
Published: April 2003

Because from earlier experiments in rats and a pilot study in humans a no effect level of glycyrrhizic acid could not be established, a second experiment was performed in healthy volunteers. The experiment was performed in females only, because the effects were most marked in females in the pilot study. Doses of 0, 1, 2 and 4 mg glycyrrhizic acid/kg body weight were administered orally for 8 weeks to 39 healthy female volunteers aged 19-40 years. The experimentlasted 12 weeks including an adaptation and a “wash-out” period.Ano-effectlevel of2 mg/kgis proposed from the results ofthis study, from which an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0.2 mg/kg body weight can be extrapolated with a safety factor of 10. This means consumption of 12 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day for a person with a body weight of 60 kg. This would be equal to 6 g licorice a day, assuming that licorice contains 0.2% of glycyrrhizic acid. The proposed ADI is below the limit advised by the Dutch Nutrition Council of 200 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day. This reflects the relatively mild acute toxicity of glycyrrhizic acid, which is also emphasised by the “generally recognised as safe” (GRAS) status of glycyrrhizic acid in the USA in 1983. However, the long-term effects of a mild chronic intoxication (causing, for example, a mild hypertension), although not immediately lethal, justify special attention to the amount of glycyrrhizic acid used daily.
CD14 Monocyte Receptor, Involved in the Inflammatory Cascade, and Insulin Sensitivity
Authors: Fernández-Real José Manuel , Broch Montserrat , Richart Cristóbal , Vendrell Joan , López-Bermejo Abel , Ricart Wifredo 
Published: April 2003

Soluble CD14 (sCD14), detectable at high concentrations constitutively present in the circulation, plays a key role in the neutralization of lipopolysaccharide, one of the most potent biologic response modifiers currently recognized and involved in the regulation of the inflammatory cascade. We tested whether circulating sCD14 was linked to inflammatory parameters and to insulin resistance in apparently healthy subjects.
Serum sCD14 concentration did not significantly correlate with body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio, systolic or diastolic blood pressure, serum glucose, fasting insulin, fasting insulin resistance index [homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)], or serum uric acid among 123 subjects. The association between sCD14 and fasting insulin (r = −0.19, P = 0.08) and between sCD14 and HOMA (r = −0.21, P = 0.06) tended toward statistical significance among men. Unexpectedly, sCD14 correlated positively with fasting triglycerides (TG) in all the subjects (r = 0.22, P = 0.014), and this association was most significant in men (r = 0.34, P = 0.002). After controlling for TG, the relationships between sCD14 levels and fasting insulin (r = −0.25, P = 0.029), HOMA (r = −0.28, P = 0.014), and uric acid (r = −0.30, P = 0.006) were significant in men. Among nonsmoking men (n = 44), sCD14 significantly correlated with waist diameter (r = −0.30, P = 0.03), diastolic blood pressure (r = −0.34, P = 0.022), and HOMA (r = −0.30, P = 0.03). In a multiple linear regression analysis, BMI (P &lt; 0.00001), TG (P = 0.003), and sCD14 (P = 0.04) (but not age, sex, waist, or smoking status) independently contributed to 26% of HOMA variance.
A polymorphism of the CD14 gene, a C-to-T transition at bp −159 from the major transcription start site, seems to play a significant role in regulating serum sCD14 levels. In a subsample of 33 healthy subjects, carriers of the T allele were similar (in age, sex, BMI, fat mass, waist to hip ratio, blood pressure, and fasting glucose and insulin levels) to C/C homozygotes. In the former, integrated area under the curve for serum glucose concentrations after an oral glucose tolerance test was significantly lower (P = 0.02), and insulin sensitivity (SI) index (minimal model analysis) significantly higher (P = 0.036), than in C/C homozygotes. Among 32 type 2 diabetic subjects, carriers of the T allele also showed a significantly higher SI index (P = 0.03) and had significantly lower C-reactive protein (P = 0.03) and lower circulating soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 concentrations (P = 0.01) than did C/C homozygotes.
To our knowledge, this is the first study to suggest an effect of a genetic polymorphism on both SI (healthy subjects and type 2 diabetic patients) and endothelial dysfunction (sICAM-1 levels) in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
A Consensus Report of the Role of Serum Thyroglobulin as a Monitoring Method for Low-Risk Patients with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Mazzaferri E. L. , Robbins R. J. , Spencer C. A. , Braverman L. E. , Pacini F. , Wartofsky L. , Haugen B. R. , Sherman S. I. , Cooper D. S. , Braunstein G. D. , Lee S. , Davies T. F. , Arafah B. M. , Ladenson P. W. , Pinchera A. 
Published: April 2003

Recent studies have provided new information regarding the optimal surveillance protocols for low-risk patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). This article summarizes the main issues brought out in a consensus conference of thyroid cancer specialists who analyzed and discussed this new data.
There is growing recognition of the value of serum thyroglobulin (Tg) as part of routine surveillance. An undetectable serum Tg measured during thyroid hormone suppression of TSH (THST) is often misleading. Eight studies show that 21% of 784 patients who had no clinical evidence of tumor with baseline serum Tg levels usually below 1 μg/liter during THST had, in response to recombinant human TSH (rhTSH), a rise in serum Tg to more than 2 μg/liter. When this happened, 36% of the patients were found to have metastases (36% at distant sites) that were identified in 91% by an rhTSH-stimulated Tg above 2 μg/liter. Diagnostic whole body scanning, after either rhTSH or thyroid hormone withdrawal, identified only 19% of the cases of metastases. Ten studies comprising 1599 patients demonstrate that a TSH-stimulated Tg test using a Tg cutoff of 2 μg/liter (either after thyroid hormone withdrawal or 72 h after rhTSH) is sufficiently sensitive to be used as the principal test in the follow-up management of low-risk patients with DTC and that the routine use of diagnostic whole body scanning in follow-up should be discouraged. On the basis of the foregoing, we propose a surveillance guideline using TSH-stimulated Tg levels for patients who have undergone total or near-total thyroidectomy and 131I ablation for DTC and have no clinical evidence of residual tumor with a serum Tg below 1 μg/liter during THST.
Crystal Structure of 2,6-Dimethylpyridinium Hydrogen Fumarate: Hydrogen Bonds of C(sp3)–H···O, C(sp2)–H···O and N+–H···O−(sp3)
Authors: Pan Yuan Jiang , Jin Zhi Min , Sun Cui Rong , Jiang Chong Wen 
Published: April 2003

Abstract
X-ray diffraction study on 2,6-dimethylpyridinium hydrogen fumarate reveals that the same site of O−(sp3) is confined by hydrogen bonds not only of N+–H···O−, but also those of C(sp3)–H···O and C(sp2)–H···O.