bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ASSESSMENT OF BLOOD PRESSURE IN CATS PRESENTED WITH URETHRAL OBSTRUCTION
Authors: Malouin A , Milligan JA 
Published: September 2004

Introduction: The biochemical consequence of acute obstructive uropathy can alter the hemodynamic profile. The objectives of this study were to determine the arterial blood pressure at presentation of male cats with acute urethral obstruction and to correlate these measurements with concurrent metabolic abnormalities.Study Design: Prospective research study in a private small animal after‐hours emergency clinic. The subjects were client owned male cats presented with acute urethral obstruction and no other known concurrent disease.Measurements: Indirect oscillometric blood pressure measurements of urethral obstructed male cats were obtained at admission prior to blood sampling and treatment. Data recorded and studied: mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), physical examination parameters, serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, potassium, phosphorus, total calcium and magnesium concentration, venous pH, electrocardiogram lead II, and urine volume in bladder.Results: Twenty‐eight cats were included in the study. Using normal values for MAP in cats, the results fell into 2 groups: normotensive (MAP 90–140 mmHg) and hypertensive (MAP>140 mmHg). Seventy‐one percent (20/28) were considered normotensive (mean 113±14.6 mmHg). Twenty‐nine percent (8/28) were considered hypertensive (mean 154±9.8 mmHg). In the normotensive group, the mean body temperature was 37.6±1.5°C, the mean heart rate was 179±42.2/min, and 64% (9/20) had an abnormal cardiac rhythm. In the hypertensive group, the mean body temperature was 38.3±0.6°C, the mean heart rate was 219±18.0/min, and all had normal cardiac rhythm. In the normotensive group, the serum biochemical abnormalities were more severe. Sixty percent of the normotensive casts (12/20) were azotemic (BUN>34 mg/dl) with a mean of 114±95.2; 58% (11/19) were hypercreatinemic (>2.2 mg/dl) with a mean of 8.9±7.9, and 55% (11/20) were hyperkalemic (>4.2 mEq/L) (mean 6.2±7.9). Within the hypertensive cats group, 50% (4/8) were mildly azotemic (BUN – mean 49±24.4 mg/dl); 50% (4/8) were hypercreatinemic (mean 2.9±1.95 mg/dl), and only 1/8 was hyperkalemic (mean 3.9±0.6 mEq/L). The volume of urine in the bladder at the time of presentation did not seem to be significantly different between the 2 groups (94.7±57.1 ml in the normotensive group vs. 83.8±26.7 ml in the hypertensive group).Conclusions: The results suggest that cats with acute urethral obstruction and a normal mean arterial pressure at presentation were more likely to have severe azotemia, hypercreatinemia and hyperkalemia.
Race/ethnicity and untreated dental caries: the impact of material and behavioral factors
Authors: Reid Britt C. , Hyman Jeffrey J. , Macek Mark D. 
Published: September 2004

Abstract –  Objective:  To use nationally representative data, group variables into categories of material and behavioral factors, and assess their relative contribution to racial/ethnic variation in untreated caries.Methods:  Participants were from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), aged 20–50 years. Material factors were income, education, employment status, dental insurance status, and urban residence. Behavioral factors were marital status, tobacco use, alcohol use, obesity, and social support. All models were additionally adjusted for age, gender, and quartile of missing teeth. The outcome was three or more carious teeth.Results:  Non‐Hispanic blacks and Mexican‐Americans displayed excess risk of untreated caries compared with non‐Hispanic whites when adjusted for age, sex, and missing teeth (adjusted odds ratios 1.73 and 1.69, respectively). The addition of behavioral factors to this model resulted in virtually no changes in the adjusted odds ratios for race/ethnicity and untreated caries. When material factors were added to the basic model the excess risk for untreated caries among non‐Hispanic blacks was reduced by approximately 21% and that of Mexican‐Americans was no longer statistically significant compared with non‐Hispanic whites (adjusted odds ratios 1.36 and 0.83, respectively).Conclusions:  Much of the excess risk for untreated dental caries among non‐Hispanic blacks and Mexican‐Americans compared with non‐Hispanic whites was eliminated when material factors were controlled, while no risk reductions were observed when behavioral factors were controlled. Addressing material factors may provide greater reductions in untreated caries disparities than behavioral interventions, and these risk reductions may vary with racial/ethnic group.
The relationship between dental caries and dental fluorosis in areas with moderate‐ and high‐fluoride drinking water in Ethiopia
Authors: Wondwossen Fantaye , Åstrøm Anne Nordrehaug , Bjorvatn Kjell , Bårdsen Asgeir 
Published: September 2004

Abstract –  Objective:  The aim of the study is to assess the relationship between caries and dental fluorosis in Ethiopian children living in Rift Valley areas known for endemic fluorosis.Method:  A total of 306 children (12–15 years old), selected from areas with moderate (0.3–2.2 mg/l), or high (10–14 mg/l) fluoride concentration in the drinking water were interviewed and examined for caries and dental fluorosis. Scorings were recorded according to the DMF system, and the Thylstrup‐Fejerskov (TF) Index.Results:  Prevalence of dental fluorosis (TF‐score ≥1) was 91.8% (moderate area) and 100% (high‐fluoride area). The corresponding caries prevalence and mean DMFT in the areas were 45.3% versus 61.6%, and 1.2 versus 1.8, respectively. Age and severity of dental fluorosis were found to be independent predictors for DMFT ≥1. When compared with 12‐year olds with TF‐scores 0–4, odds ratios were 3.0 (95% CI 1.6–5.7) and 2.0 (95% CI 1.2–3.2) if TF‐scores were ≥5 and age 13–15 years, respectively. A positive relationship between caries and fluorosis was observed across tooth types in both areas. The percentage of children with DMFT ≥1 was highest in groups with TF‐score ≥5 in the second molar, followed by the first molar.Conclusion:  The present findings indicate that the second molar is the tooth most severely affected by dental fluorosis and dental caries. Dental caries increased with increasing severity of dental fluorosis, both in moderate‐ and high‐fluoride areas. Thus, a positive relationship between dental caries and dental fluorosis was observed across various tooth types, in both areas.
Preventing tobacco use in Norwegian dental practice
Authors: Lund Marianne , Lund Karl Erik , Rise Jostein 
Published: September 2004

Abstract –  Objectives:  To determine dentists’ and dental hygienists’ intervention activity towards patients who smoke or use snus (oral moist snuff), and to establish which factors impede interventions and cause variations in approach.Methods:  A questionnaire was mailed to a sample of 1500 dentists (response rate: 68%) and all dental hygienists in the country (522 in all; response rate: 61%).Results:  Dental hygienists conversed with patients on smoking habits on average 18 min/week, while the dentists spent 13 min doing the same. The issue of snus‐use was discussed, on average, for 3 min. In eight of 10 consultations with patients suffering from tobacco‐induced disorders in the oral cavity, the dentists/dental hygienists raised the subject of smoking habits with the patient. In cases without visible tobacco‐induced symptoms, inquiries were made concerning smoking habits in three of 10 dentist consultations and four of 10 consultations with dental hygienists. For first‐time consultations, six of 10 were queried concerning their smoking habits by their dentist, while dental hygienists enquired in seven of 10 cases. Self‐reported skills, perceived barriers and attitudes explained far more of the variance in intervention impact than background variables. There were moderate differences between dentists and dental hygienists.Conclusions:  There is room for improvement in smoking and snus‐use prevention efforts in the dental sector. If staff is to be rid of their misconceptions regarding the efficacy of intervention, it is important to inform them about the encouraging results at the population level.
Regulation of the Intracellular Free Iron Pool by Dpr Provides Oxygen Tolerance to
Streptococcus mutans
Authors: Yamamoto Yuji , Fukui Kôichi , Koujin Naoko , Ohya Hiroaki , Kimura Kazuhiko , Kamio Yoshiyuki 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

Dpr is an iron-binding protein required for oxygen tolerance in
Streptococcus mutans
. We previously proposed that Dpr could confer oxygen tolerance to the bacterium by sequestering intracellular free iron ions that catalyze generation of highly toxic radicals (Y. Yamamoto, M. Higuchi, L. B. Poole, and Y. Kamio, J. Bacteriol. 182:3740-3747, 2000; Y. Yamamoto, L. B. Poole, R. R. Hantgan, and Y. Kamio, J. Bacteriol. 184:2931-2939, 2002). Here, we examined the intracellular free iron status of wild-type (WT) and
dpr
mutant strains of
S. mutans
, before and after exposure to air, by using electron spin resonance spectrometry. Under anaerobic conditions, free iron ion concentrations of WT and
dpr
strains were 225.9 ± 2.6 and 333.0 ± 61.3 μM, respectively. Exposure of WT cells to air for 1 h induced Dpr expression and reduced intracellular free iron ion concentrations to 22.5 ± 5.3 μM; under these conditions,
dpr
mutant cells maintained intracellular iron concentration at 230.3 ± 28.8 μM. A decrease in cell viability and genomic DNA degradation was observed in the
dpr
mutant exposed to air. These data indicate that regulation of the intracellular free iron pool by Dpr is required for oxygen tolerance in
S. mutans
.
DegU-P Represses Expression of the Motilityfla-cheOperon inBacillus subtilis
Authors: Amati Giuseppe , Bisicchia Paola , Galizzi Alessandro 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACTBacillus subtilisimplements several adaptive strategies to cope with nutrient limitation experienced at the end of exponential growth. The DegS-DegU two-component system is part of the network involved in the regulation of postexponential responses, such as competence development, the production of exoenzymes, and motility. ThedegU32(Hy) mutation extends the half-life of the phosphorylated form of DegU (DegU-P); this in turn increases the production of alkaline protease, levan-sucrase, and other exoenzymes and inhibits motility and the production of flagella. The expression of the flagellum-specific sigma factor SigD, of the flagellin genehag, and of thefla-cheoperon is strongly reduced in adegU32(Hy) genetic background. To investigate the mechanism of action of DegU-P on motility, we isolated mutants ofdegU32(Hy) that completely suppressed the motility deficiency. The mutations were genetically mapped and characterized by PCR and sequencing. Most of the mutations were found to delete a transcriptional termination signal upstream of the main flagellar operon,fla-che, thus allowing transcriptional readthrough from thecodoperon. Two additional mutations improved the σA-dependent promoter sequence of thefla-cheoperon. Using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we have demonstrated that purified DegU binds specifically to the PApromoter region of thefla-cheoperon. The data suggest that DegU represses transcription of thefla-cheoperon, and they indicate a central role of the operon in regulating the synthesis and assembly of flagella.
Involvement of a Plasmid-Encoded Type IV Secretion System in the Plant Tissue Watersoaking Phenotype of
Burkholderia cenocepacia
Authors: Engledow Amanda S. , Medrano Enrique G. , Mahenthiralingam Eshwar , LiPuma John J. , Gonzalez Carlos F. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

Burkholderia cenocepacia
strain K56-2, a representative of the
Burkholderia cepacia
complex, is part of the epidemic and clinically problematic ET12 lineage. The strain produced plant tissue watersoaking (ptw) on onion tissue, which is a plant disease-associated trait. Using plasposon mutagenesis, mutants in the ptw phenotype were generated. The translated sequence of a disrupted gene (
ptwD4
) from a ptw-negative mutant showed homology to VirD4-like proteins. Analysis of the region proximal to the transfer gene homolog identified a gene cluster located on the 92-kb resident plasmid that showed homology to type IV secretion systems. The role of
ptwD4
,
ptwC
,
ptwB4
, and
ptwB10
in the expression of ptw activity was determined by conducting site-directed mutagenesis. The ptw phenotype was not expressed by K56-2 derivatives with a disruption in
ptwD4
,
ptwB4
, or
ptwB10
but was observed in a derivative with a disruption in
ptwC
. Complementation of ptw-negative K56-2 derivatives in
trans
resulted in complete restoration of the ptw phenotype. In addition, analysis of culture supernatants revealed that the putative ptw effector(s) was a secreted, heat-stable protein(s) that caused plasmolysis of plant protoplasts. A second chromosomally encoded type IV secretion system with complete homology to the VirB-VirD system was identified in K56-2. Site-directed mutagenesis of key secretory genes in the VirB-VirD system did not affect expression of the ptw phenotype. Our findings indicate that in strain K56-2, the plasmid-encoded Ptw type IV secretion system is responsible for the secretion of a plant cytotoxic protein(s).
Denitrification Genes RegulateBrucellaVirulence in Mice
Authors: Baek Seung-Hun , Rajashekara Gireesh , Splitter Gary A. , Shapleigh James P. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACTBrucellais the causative agent of the zoonotic disease brucellosis, which is endemic in many parts of the world. Genome sequencing ofB. suisandB. melitensisrevealed that both are complete denitrifiers. To learn more about the role of denitrification in these animal pathogens, a study of the role of denitrification in the closely relatedB. neotomaewas undertaken. In contrast toB. suisandB. melitensis, it was found thatB. neotomaeis a partial denitrifier that can reduce nitrate to nitrite but no further. Examination of theB. neotomaegenome showed that a deletion in the denitrification gene cluster resulted in complete loss ofnirVand the partial deletion ofnirKandnnrA. Even though thenoroperon is intact, anorC-lacZpromoter fusion was not expressed inB. neotomae. However, thenorC-lacZfusion was expressed in the related denitrifierAgrobacterium tumefaciens, suggesting that the lack of expression inB. neotomaeis due to inactivation of NnrA. AnarK-lacZpromoter fusion was found to exhibit nitrate-dependent expression consistent with the partial denitrifier phenotype. Complementation of the deleted region inB. neotomaeby usingnirK,nirV, andnnrAfromB. melitensisrestored the ability ofB. neotomaeto reduce nitrite. There was a significant difference in the death of IRF-1−/−mice when infected withB. neotomaecontainingnirK, nirV, andnnrAand those infected with wild-typeB. neotomae. The wild-type strain killed all the infected mice, whereas most of the mice infected withB. neotomaecontainingnirK,nirV, andnnrAsurvived.
Sinorhizobium melilotiExoR and ExoS Proteins Regulate both Succinoglycan and Flagellum Production
Authors: Yao Shi-Yi , Luo Li , Har Katherine J. , Becker Anke , Rüberg Silvia , Yu Guan-Qiao , Zhu Jia-Bi , Cheng Hai-Ping 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACTThe production of theSinorhizobium melilotiexopolysaccharide, succinoglycan, is required for the formation of infection threads inside root hairs, a critical step during the nodulation of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) byS. meliloti. Two bacterial mutations,exoR95::Tn5andexoS96::Tn5, resulted in the overproduction of succinoglycan and a reduction in symbiosis. Systematic analyses of the symbiotic phenotypes of the two mutants demonstrated their reduced efficiency of root hair colonization. In addition, both theexoR95andexoS96mutations caused a marked reduction in the biosynthesis of flagella and consequent loss of ability of the cells to swarm and swim. Succinoglycan overproduction did not appear to be the cause of the suppression of flagellum biosynthesis. Further analysis indicated that both theexoR95andexoS96mutations affected the expression of the flagellum biosynthesis genes. These findings suggest that both the ExoR protein and the ExoS/ChvI two-component regulatory system are involved in the regulation of both succinoglycan and flagellum biosynthesis. These findings provide new avenues of understanding of the physiological changesS. meliloticells go through during the early stages of symbiosis and of the signal transduction pathways that mediate such changes.
Targeted Mutagenesis of the
Mycobacterium smegmatis mca
Gene, Encoding a Mycothiol-Dependent Detoxification Protein
Authors: Rawat Mamta , Uppal Mandeep , Newton Gerald , Steffek Micah , Fahey Robert C. , Av-Gay Yossef 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

Mycothiol (MSH), a functional analogue of glutathione (GSH) that is found exclusively in actinomycetes, reacts with electrophiles and toxins to form MSH-toxin conjugates. Mycothiol
S
-conjugate amidase (Mca) then catalyzes the hydrolysis of an amide bond in the
S
conjugates, producing a mercapturic acid of the toxin, which is excreted from the bacterium, and glucosaminyl inositol, which is recycled back to MSH. In this study, we have generated and characterized an allelic exchange mutant of the
mca
gene of
Mycobacterium smegmatis
. The
mca
mutant accumulates the
S
conjugates of the thiol-specific alkylating agent monobromobimane and the antibiotic rifamycin S. Introduction of
M. tuberculosis mca
epichromosomally or introduction of
M. smegmatis mca
integratively resulted in complementation of Mca activity and reduced levels of
S
conjugates. The mutation in
mca
renders the mutant strain more susceptible to electrophilic toxins, such as
N
-ethylmalemide, iodoacetamide, and chlorodinitrobenzene, and to several oxidants, such as menadione and plumbagin. Additionally we have shown that the
mca
mutant is also more susceptible to the antituberculous antibiotic streptomycin. Mutants disrupted in genes belonging to MSH biosynthesis are also more susceptible to streptomycin, providing further evidence that Mca detoxifies streptomycin in the mycobacterial cell in an MSH-dependent manner.
Among Multiple Phosphomannomutase Gene Orthologues, Only One Gene Encodes a Protein with Phosphoglucomutase and Phosphomannomutase Activities in
Thermococcus kodakaraensis
Authors: Rashid Naeem , Kanai Tamotsu , Atomi Haruyuki , Imanaka Tadayuki 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

Four orthologous genes (TK1108, TK1404, TK1777, and TK2185) that can be annotated as phosphomannomutase (PMM) genes (COG1109) have been identified in the genome of the hyperthermophilic archaeon
Thermococcus kodakaraensis
KOD1. We previously found that TK1777 actually encodes a phosphopentomutase. In order to determine which of the remaining three orthologues encodes a phosphoglucomutase (PGM), we examined the PGM activity in
T. kodakaraensis
cells and identified the gene responsible for this activity. Heterologous gene expression and purification and characterization of the recombinant protein indicated that TK1108 encoded a protein with high levels of PGM activity (690 U mg
−1
), along with high levels of PMM activity (401 U mg
−1
). Similar analyses of the remaining two orthologues revealed that their protein products exhibited neither PGM nor PMM activity. PGM activity and transcription of TK1108 in
T. kodakaraensis
were found to be higher in cells grown on starch than in cells grown on pyruvate. Our results clearly indicate that, among the four PMM gene orthologues in
T. kodakaraensis
, only one gene, TK1108, actually encodes a protein with PGM and PMM activities.
The
Bacteroides fragilis
Pathogenicity Island Is Contained in a Putative Novel Conjugative Transposon
Authors: Franco Augusto A. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

The genetic element flanking the
Bacteroides fragilis
pathogenicity island (BfPAI) in enterotoxigenic
B. fragilis
(ETBF) strain 86-5443-2-2 and a related genetic element in NCTC 9343 were characterized. The results suggested that these genetic elements are members of a new family of conjugative transposons (CTns) not described previously. These putative CTns, designated CTn86 and CTn9343 for ETBF 86-5443-2-2 and NCTC 9343, respectively, differ from previously described
Bacteroides
species CTns in a number of ways. These new transposons do not carry
tetQ
, and the excision from the chromosome to form a circular intermediate is not regulated by tetracycline; they are predicted to differ in their mechanism of transposition; and their sequences have very limited similarity with CTnDOT or other described CTns. CTn9343 is 64,229 bp in length, contains 61 potential open reading frames, and both ends contain IS
21
transposases. Colony blot hybridization, PCR, and sequence analysis indicated that CTn86 has the same structure as CTn9343 except that CTn86 lacks a ∼7-kb region containing truncated integrase (
int2
) and
rteA
genes and it contains the BfPAI integrated between the
mob
region and the
bfmC
gene. If these putative CTns were to be demonstrated to be transmissible, this would suggest that the
bft
gene can be transferred from ETBF to nontoxigenic
B. fragilis
strains by a mechanism similar to that for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.
Biosynthesis of Chloro-β-Hydroxytyrosine, a Nonproteinogenic Amino Acid of the Peptidic Backbone of Glycopeptide Antibiotics
Authors: Puk Oliver , Bischoff Daniel , Kittel Claudia , Pelzer Stefan , Weist Stefan , Stegmann Efthimia , Süssmuth Roderich D. , Wohlleben Wolfgang 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT

The role of the putative P450 monooxygenase OxyD and the chlorination time point in the biosynthesis of the glycopeptide antibiotic balhimycin produced by
Amycolatopsis balhimycina
were analyzed. The
oxyD
gene is located directly downstream of the
bhp
(perhydrolase) and
bpsD
(nonribosomal peptide synthetase D) genes, which are involved in the synthesis of the balhimycin building block β-hydroxytyrosine (β-HT). Reverse transcriptase experiments revealed that
bhp
,
bpsD
, and
oxyD
form an operon.
oxyD
was inactivated by an in-frame deletion, and the resulting mutant was unable to produce an active compound. Balhimycin production could be restored (i) by complementation with an
oxyD
gene, (ii) in cross-feeding studies using
A. balhimycina
JR1 (a null mutant with a block in the biosynthesis pathway of the building blocks hydroxy- and dihydroxyphenylglycine) as an excretor of the missing precursor, and (iii) by supplementation of β-HT in the growth medium. These data demonstrated an essential role of OxyD in the formation pathway of this amino acid. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analysis indicated the biosynthesis of completely chlorinated balhimycin by the
oxyD
mutant when culture filtrates were supplemented with nonchlorinated β-HT. In contrast, supplementation with 3-chloro-β-HT did not restore balhimycin production. These results indicated that the chlorination time point was later than the stage of free β-HT, most likely during heptapeptide synthesis.