bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Urinary iodine excretion in pregnant women residing in areas with adequate iodine intake
Authors: Azizi F , Aminorroya A , Hedayati M , Rezvanian H , Amini M , Mirmiran P 
Published: February 2003

AbstractObjective:Pregnancy is accompanied by profound alterations in thyroid economy and relative iodine deficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate urinary iodine excretion of pregnant women in cities with adequate and more than adequate iodine intake.Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed on schoolchildren and pregnant women in four cities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Urinary iodine excretion was measured for 438 schoolchildren and 403 pregnant women. In addition, in Isfahan City, thyroid volume was measured by sonography for 30 pregnant women in each trimester of pregnancy and for 90 non-pregnant women who also had urinary iodine measurement.Results:Median urinary iodine of schoolchildren was 31.2, 25.0, 20.2 and 19.3 μg/dl in Rasht, Isfahan, Ilam and Tehran, respectively. Corresponding values for pregnant women were 33.8, 21.2, 19.0 and 18.6μg/dl. The percentage of pregnant women with urinary iodine below 20μg/dl was 16, 45, 55 and 54, and below 10μg/dl was 1, 7, 7 and 13, in Rasht, Isfahan, Ilam and Tehran, respectively. In Isfahan, urinary iodine was significantly decreased in the third trimester of pregnancy, compared with controls. Mean thyroid volume was 7.8±3.1 ml and 7.8±2.8 ml in pregnant and non-pregnant women, respectively.Conclusion:Recommended values for dietary iodine through universal salt iodisation may not be adequate for pregnant women, and the specific problem of iodine and pregnancy should be considered further in the light of the latest recommendations.
Department of Health Research Initiative on Nutrition Phase 2: overview of findings and recommendations
Authors: Hughes Joyce M 
Published: February 2003

Objective:The purpose of this overview is to synthesise and summarise the findings and recommendations of all 14 projects funded between 1997 and 2002 under Phase 2 of the Department of Health's Policy Research Programme Nutrition Initiative. This is aimed at end users, including policy makers, practitioners, researchers and research funding bodies.Design:The main findings and recommendations for policy and practice, as well as for future research, contained in the peer-reviewed final report of each project are summarised under headings identified as being useful for policy groups and practitioners: Maintenance of a healthy weight; Functional outcomes related to different markers of iron status; Nutritional aspects of bone health in humans; and Dietary interventions.Results:The overview draws together the key findings and recommendations for current and future policy and practice from the second phase of the research programme and identifies research gaps.Conclusions:The findings and recommendations of the Department of Health's Nutrition Research Initiative have contributed to the scientific evidence base for policy development, policy evaluation, and will inform practitioners as well as researchers and research funding bodies.
Large-Scale Variation Among Human and Great Ape Genomes Determined by Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization
Authors: Locke Devin P. , Segraves Richard , Carbone Lucia , Archidiacono Nicoletta , Albertson Donna G. , Pinkel Daniel , Eichler Evan E. 
Published: March 2003

Large-scale genomic rearrangements are a major force of evolutionary change and the ascertainment of such events between the human and great ape genomes is fundamental to a complete understanding of the genetic history and evolution of our species. Here, we present the results of an evolutionary analysis utilizing array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH), measuring copy-number gains and losses among these species. Using an array of 2460 human bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) (12% of the genome), we identified a total of 63 sites of putative DNA copy-number variation between humans and the great apes (chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, and orangutan). Detailed molecular characterization of a subset of these sites confirmed rearrangements ranging from 40 to at least 175 kb in size. Surprisingly, the majority of variant sites differentiating great ape and human genomes were found within interstitial euchromatin. These data suggest that such large-scale events are not restricted solely to subtelomeric or pericentromeric regions, but also occur within genic regions. In addition, 5/9 of the verified variant sites localized to areas of intrachromosomal segmental duplication within the human genome. On the basis of the frequency of duplication in humans, this represents a 14-fold positional bias. In contrast to previous cytogenetic and comparative mapping studies, these results indicate extensive local repatterning of hominoid chromosomes in euchromatic regions through a duplication-driven mechanism of genome evolution.[Supplemental material is available online at www.genome.org. The following individuals kindly provided reagents, samples, or unpublished information as indicated in the paper: O. Ryder, L. Faust, and E. Adams.]
A Global Search Reveals Epistatic Interaction Between QTL for Early Growth in the Chicken
Authors: Carlborg Örjan , Kerje Susanne , Schütz Karin , Jacobsson Lina , Jensen Per , Andersson Leif 
Published: March 2003

We have identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) explaining a large proportion of the variation in body weights at different ages and growth between chronological ages in an F2 intercross between red junglefowl and White Leghorn chickens. QTL were mapped using forward selection for loci with significant marginal genetic effects and with a simultaneous search for epistatic QTL pairs. We found 22 significant loci contributing to these traits, nine of these were only found by the simultaneous two-dimensional search, which demonstrates the power of this approach for detecting loci affecting complex traits. We have also estimated the relative contribution of additive, dominance, and epistasis effects to growth and the contribution of epistasis was more pronounced prior to 46 days of age, whereas additive genetic effects explained the major portion of the genetic variance later in life. Several of the detected loci affected either early or late growth but not both. Very few loci affected the entire growth process, which points out that early and late growth, at least to some extent, have different genetic regulation.[Supplemental material is available online at www.genome.org.]
Disruption Mutations of ADA2b and GCN5 Transcriptional Adaptor Genes Dramatically Affect Arabidopsis Growth, Development, and Gene Expression[W]
Authors: Vlachonasios Konstantinos E. , Thomashow Michael F. , Triezenberg Steven J. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract
We previously identified Arabidopsis genes homologous with the yeast ADA2 and GCN5 genes that encode components of the ADA and SAGA histone acetyltransferase complexes. In this report, we explore the biological roles of the Arabidopsis ADA2b and GCN5 genes. T-DNA insertion mutations in ADA2b and GCN5 were found to have pleiotropic effects on plant growth and development, including dwarf size, aberrant root development, and short petals and stamens in flowers. Approximately 5% of the 8200 genes assayed by DNA microarray analysis showed changes of expression in the mutants, three-fourths of which were upregulated and only half of which were altered similarly in the two mutant strains. In cold acclimation experiments, C-repeat binding factors (CBFs) were induced in the mutants as in wild-type plants, but subsequent transcription of cold-regulated (COR) genes was reduced in both mutants. Remarkably, nonacclimated ada2b-1 (but not gcn5-1) mutant plants were more freezing tolerant than nonacclimated wild-type plants, suggesting that ADA2b may directly or indirectly repress a freezing tolerance mechanism that does not require the expression of CBF or COR genes. We conclude that the Arabidopsis ADA2b and GCN5 proteins have both similar and distinct functions in plant growth, development, and gene expression and may be components of both a common coactivator complex and separate complexes with distinct biological activities.
Alkaline Phosphatase Reporter Transposon for Identification of Genes Encoding Secreted Proteins in Gram-Positive Microorganisms
Authors: Gibson Carmela M. , Caparon Michael G. 
Published: February 2003

ABSTRACT

We describe the construction of TnFuZ, a genetic tool for the discovery and mutagenesis of proteins exported from gram-positive bacteria. This tool combines a transposable element (Tn
4001
) of broad host range in gram-positive bacteria and an alkaline phosphatase gene (
phoZ
) derived from a gram-positive bacterium that has been modified by removal of the region encoding its export signal. Mutagenesis of
Streptococcus pyogenes
with TnFuZ (“FuZ” stands for fusions to
phoZ
) identified genes encoding secreted proteins whose expression was enhanced during growth in an aerobic environment. Thus, TnFuZ should be valuable for analysis of protein secretion, gene regulation, and virulence in gram-positive bacteria.
Tolerance and Metabolic Response of Acetogenic Bacteria toward Oxygen
Authors: Karnholz Arno , Küsel Kirsten , Gößner Anita , Schramm Andreas , Drake Harold L. 
Published: February 2003

ABSTRACT

The acetogens
Sporomusa silvacetica
,
Moorella thermoacetica
,
Clostridium magnum
,
Acetobacterium woodii
, and
Thermoanaerobacter kivui
(i) grew in both semisolid and liquid cultivation media containing O
2
and (ii) consumed small amounts of O
2
. Low concentrations of O
2
caused a lag phase in growth but did not alter the ability of these acetogens to synthesize acetate via the acetyl coenzyme A pathway. Cell extracts of
S. silvacetica
,
M. thermoacetica
, and
C. magnum
contained peroxidase and NADH oxidase activities; catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were not detected.
Quantitation of DNA Sequences in Environmental PCR Products by a Multiplexed, Bead-Based Method
Authors: Spiro Alexander , Lowe Mary 
Published: February 2003

ABSTRACT
A first application of a multiplexed, bead-based method is described for determining the abundances of target sequences in an environmental PCR product. Target sequences as little as 0.3% of the total amount of DNA can be quantified. Tests were conducted on 16S ribosomal DNA sequences from microorganisms collected from contaminated groundwater.
Multiple Alternate Transcripts Direct the Biosynthesis of Microcystin, a Cyanobacterial
Authors: Kaebernick Melanie , Dittmann Elke , Börner Thomas , Neilan Brett A. 
Published: February 2003

ABSTRACT

The
mcyABCDEFGHIJ
gene cluster of
Microcystis aeruginosa
encodes the mixed polyketide synthase/nonribosomal peptide synthetase (microcystin synthetase) which is responsible for biosynthesis of the potent liver toxin microcystin. The sequence and orientation of the
mcy
genes have previously been reported, but no transcriptional analysis had been performed prior to this study. The
mcyABCDEFGHIJ
genes are transcribed as two polycistronic operons,
mcyABC
and
mcyDEFGHIJ
, from a central bidirectional promoter between
mcyA
and
mcyD
. Two transcription start sites were detected for both
mcyA
and
mcyD
when cells were exposed to light intensities of 68 and 16 μmol of photons m
−2
s
−1
. The start sites, located 206 and 254 bp upstream of the translational start for
mcyD
under high and low light conditions, respectively, indicate long untranslated leader regions. Putative transcription start sites were also identified for
mcyE
,
mcyF
,
mcyG
,
mcyH
,
mcyI
, and
mcyJ
but not for
mcyB
and
mcyC
. A combination of reverse transcription-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends was employed throughout this work, which may have been one of the first transcriptional analyses of a large nonribosomal polyketide gene cluster.
Enhanced Levels of Cold Shock Proteins in
Listeria monocytogenes
LO28 upon Exposure to Low Temperature and High Hydrostatic Pressure
Authors: Wemekamp-Kamphuis Henrike H. , Karatzas Andreas K. , Wouters Jeroen A. , Abee Tjakko 
Published: February 2003

ABSTRACT

Listeria monocytogenes
is a psychrotrophic food-borne pathogen that is problematic for the food industry because of its ubiquitous distribution in nature and its ability to grow at low temperatures and in the presence of high salt concentrations. Here we demonstrate that the process of adaptation to low temperature after cold shock includes elevated levels of cold shock proteins (CSPs) and that the levels of CSPs are also elevated after treatment with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP). Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis combined with Western blotting performed with anti-CspB of
Bacillus subtilis
was used to identify four 7-kDa proteins, designated Csp1, Csp2, Csp3, and Csp4. In addition, Southern blotting revealed four chromosomal DNA fragments that reacted with a
csp
probe, which also indicated that a CSP family is present in
L. monocytogenes
LO28. After a cold shock in which the temperature was decreased from 37°C to 10°C the levels of Csp1 and Csp3 increased 10- and 3.5-fold, respectively, but the levels of Csp2 and Csp4 were not elevated. Pressurization of
L. monocytogenes
LO28 cells resulted in 3.5- and 2-fold increases in the levels of Csp1 and Csp2, respectively. Strikingly, the level of survival after pressurization of cold-shocked cells was 100-fold higher than that of cells growing exponentially at 37°C. These findings imply that cold-shocked cells are protected from HHP treatment, which may affect the efficiency of combined preservation techniques.
FK506 Binding Protein from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon
Pyrococcus horikoshii
Suppresses the Aggregation of Proteins in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Ideno Akira , Furutani Masahiro , Iba Yoshitaka , Kurosawa Yoshikazu , Maruyama Tadashi 
Published: February 2003

ABSTRACT

The 29-kDa FK506 binding protein (FKBP) gene is the only peptidyl-prolyl
cis-trans
isomerase (PPIase) gene in the genome of
Pyrococcus horikoshii
. We characterized the function of this FKBP (PhFKBP29) and used it to increase the production yield of soluble recombinant protein in
Escherichia coli
. The PPIase activity (
k
cat
/

K
m

) of PhFKBP29 was found to be much lower than that of other archaeal 16- to 18-kDa FKBPs by a chymotrypsin-coupled assay of the oligo-peptidyl substrate at 15°C. Besides this low PPIase activity, PhFKBP29 showed chaperone-like protein folding activity which enhanced the refolding yield of chemically unfolded rhodanese in vitro. In addition, it suppressed thermal protein aggregation in a temperature range of 45 to 100°C. When the PhFKBP29 gene was coexpressed with the recombinant Fab fragment gene of the anti-hen egg lysozyme antibody in the cytoplasm of
E. coli
, whose expressed product tended to form an inactive aggregate in
E. coli
, it improved the yield of the soluble Fab fragments with antibody specificity. PhFKBP29 exerted protein folding and aggregation suppression in
E. coli
cells.
Occurrence and Phenotypic Characterization of
Yersinia ruckeri
Strains with Biofilm-Forming Capacity in a Rainbow Trout Farm
Authors: Coquet L. , Cosette P. , Quillet L. , Petit F. , Junter G.-A. , Jouenne T. 
Published: February 2003

ABSTRACT

The presence of
Yersinia ruckeri
in a French fish farm was investigated.
Y. ruckeri
was isolated mainly from algae and sediment samples rather than from water. Twenty-two
Y. ruckeri
isolates were obtained, and three strains were distinguished by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR amplification. These strains were able to adhere to solid supports. This characteristic was correlated with flagellum-mediated motility. Killing experiments showed that sessile cells were more resistant to oxolinic acid than their planktonic counterparts. Our results demonstrate that surface colonization of fish farm tanks by
Y. ruckeri
biofilms is a potential source of recurrent infection for extended periods of time.
Bacteria Associated with Hazelnut (
Corylus avellana
L.) Decline Are of Two Groups:
Pseudomonas avellanae
and Strains Resembling
P. syringae
pv. syringae
Authors: Scortichini Marco , Marchesi Ugo , Rossi Maria Pia , Di Prospero Paola 
Published: February 2003

ABSTRACT

A total of 118 fluorescent pseudomonads associated with hazelnut decline, which has been occurring for many years in different areas of northern Greece and Italy, were assessed by performing a repetitive PCR analysis with enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus, box element, and repetive extragenic palindromic primer sets, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of whole-cell protein extracts, a carbon compound utilization analysis, and an analysis to determine the presence of the
syrB
gene. A subset of 53 strains was also characterized by amplified 16S ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) by using nine restriction endonucleases. The virulence of 40 representative strains was assessed by using serial doses. The pathogenic specificities of the strains were also verified. ARDRA carried out with
Hin
fI revealed two main groups of strains, groups A and B, which exhibited a level of similarity of 57%. The other eight restriction endonucleases used did not separate the strains. In addition, a cluster analysis performed by the unweighted pair group method using arithmetic averages after repetitive PCR and SDS-PAGE of protein extracts also revealed the same two groups. Furthermore, the differential utilization of some carbon compounds made it possible to differentiate the groups. Virulence assessment clearly indicated that the group A strains are very virulent, whereas the group B strains proved to be mildly virulent for hazelnut. Group A included the strains isolated in northern Greece and central Italy (i.e., the province of Viterbo); these strains do not have the
syrB
gene, are pathogenically restricted to
Corylus avellana
, and belong to
Pseudomonas avellanae
. Group B includes the other strains obtained from hazelnut cultivated in Piedmont, Campania, Latium, Sicily, and Sardinia. They represent a distinct taxon closely related to
Pseudomonas syringae
pv. syringae.
Molecular Analysis of
Dehalococcoides
16S Ribosomal DNA from Chloroethene-Contaminated Sites throughout North America and Europe
Authors: Hendrickson Edwin R. , Payne Jo Ann , Young Roslyn M. , Starr Mark G. , Perry Michael P. , Fahnestock Stephen , Ellis David E. , Ebersole Richard C. 
Published: February 2003

ABSTRACT

The environmental distribution of
Dehalococcoides
group organisms and their association with chloroethene-contaminated sites were examined. Samples from 24 chloroethene-dechlorinating sites scattered throughout North America and Europe were tested for the presence of members of the
Dehalococcoides
group by using a PCR assay developed to detect
Dehalococcoides
16S rRNA gene (rDNA) sequences. Sequences identified by sequence analysis as sequences of members of the
Dehalococcoides
group were detected at 21 sites. Full dechlorination of chloroethenes to ethene occurred at these sites.
Dehalococcoides
sequences were not detected in samples from three sites at which partial dechlorination of chloroethenes occurred, where dechlorination appeared to stop at 1,2-
cis
-dichloroethene. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA amplicons confirmed that
Dehalococcoides
sequences formed a unique 16S rDNA group. These 16S rDNA sequences were divided into three subgroups based on specific base substitution patterns in variable regions 2 and 6 of the
Dehalococcoides
16S rDNA sequence. Analyses also demonstrated that specific base substitution patterns were signature patterns. The specific base substitutions distinguished the three sequence subgroups phylogenetically. These results demonstrated that members of the
Dehalococcoides
group are widely distributed in nature and can be found in a variety of geological formations and in different climatic zones. Furthermore, the association of these organisms with full dechlorination of chloroethenes suggests that they are promising candidates for engineered bioremediation and may be important contributors to natural attenuation of chloroethenes.
Numerical Dominance and Phylotype Diversity of Marine
Rhodobacter
Species during Early Colonization of Submerged Surfaces in Coastal Marine Waters as Determined by 16S Ribosomal DNA Sequence Analysis and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Authors: Dang Hongyue , Lovell Charles R. 
Published: February 2003

ABSTRACT

Early stages of surface colonization in coastal marine waters appear to be dominated by the marine
Rhodobacter
group of the α subdivision of the division
Proteobacteria
(α-
Proteobacteria
). However, the quantitative contribution of this group to primary surface colonization has not been determined. In this study, glass microscope slides were incubated in a salt marsh tidal creek for 3 or 6 days. Colonizing bacteria on the slides were examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization by employing DNA probes targeting 16S or 23S rRNA to identify specific phylogenetic groups. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was then used to quantify and track the dynamics of bacterial primary colonists during the early stages of surface colonization and growth. More than 60% of the surface-colonizing bacteria detectable by fluorescence staining (Yo-Pro-1) could also be detected with the
Bacteria
domain probe EUB338.
Archaea
were not detected on the surfaces and did not appear to participate in surface colonization. Of the three subdivisions of the
Proteobacteria
examined, the α-
Proteobacteria
were the most abundant surface-colonizing organisms. More than 28% of the total bacterial cells and more than 40% of the cells detected by EUB338 on the surfaces were affiliated with the marine
Rhodobacter
group. Bacterial abundance increased significantly on the surfaces during short-term incubation, mainly due to the growth of the marine
Rhodobacter
group organisms. These results demonstrated the quantitative importance of the marine
Rhodobacter
group in colonization of surfaces in salt marsh waters and confirmed that at least during the early stages of colonization, this group dominated the surface-colonizing bacterial assemblage.