bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Propionibacterium acnes biotypes and susceptibility to minocycline and Keigai‐rengyo‐to
Authors: Higaki Shuichi , Nakamura Motokazu , Morohashi Masaaki , Yamagishi Takayoshi 
Published: February 2004

AbstractBackground  Propionibacterium acnes is the predominant organism in acne lesions, but the sensitivity of different biotypes of P. acnes to therapeutic agents has seldom been reported.Methods  To characterize biotypes of P. acnes and to measure the effects of Keigai‐rengyo‐to (KRT) and minocycline (MINO) on clinical P. acnes isolates.Results  Propionibacterium acnes biotype III (BIII) is the most common form of identified acne lesion, followed by P. acnes biotype I. BIII was isolated from mild, moderate and severe severity and the average lipase activity of BIII was higher than that of Biotypes I, II, IV and V. No significant differences in the decrease of free fatty acid production elicited by KRT or by MINO were found between BIII and the other biotypes. The degree of decreased butyric acid production was greater than that of propionic acid production in the medium supplemented with MINO. The percent decrease of butyric acid production elicited by 1 mg/mL of KRT was the same as that elicited by 0.1 µg/mL of MINO. Among biotypes of P. acnes, the minimal inhibitory concentrations of agents tested were generally higher in erythritol‐positive biotypes than in erythritol‐negative biotypes.Conclusion  The high frequency of BIII might be responsible for the severity of acne in patients. It seems that if the same concentrations of MINO and KRT are used, the antilipase activity of MINO is stronger than that of KRT. Minocycline also has a direct anti‐lipase activity against P. acnes. The mechanism underlying the influence of erythritol on the susceptibility of P. acnes to these agents remains unknown.
Clinicopathologic features of ulcerative‐atrophic sarcoidosis
Authors: Yoo Simon S. , Mimouni Daniel , Nikolskaia Olga V. , Kouba David J. , Sauder Daniel N. , Nousari Carlos H. 
Published: February 2004

AbstractBackground  Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. Cutaneous disease is common and includes two clinicopathologic categories: granulomatous infiltration or a reactive phenomenon. In the granulomatous infiltrative group, clinical manifestations can be variable. Ulcers in sarcoidosis are uncommonly recognized and have been categorized previously under the rubric of atrophic, necrobiosis‐like, or ulcerative sarcoidosis.Patients and methods  We evaluated retrospectively sarcoidosis patients presenting to the Johns Hopkins Department of Dermatology between June 1989 and May 2002. Multiple skin biopsies were performed for histopathologic evaluation. Investigation for extracutaneous manifestations, including routine serologic assays, chest radiography, pulmonary function tests, electrocardiogram, and angiotensin‐converting enzyme level, and referral for ophthalmologic examination were performed in all patients.Results  Of 147 consecutive patients presenting with cutaneous sarcoidosis, seven demonstrated ulcerative‐atrophic sarcoidosis lesions. All patients were African‐American (five females and two males). All patients had ulcers surrounded by atrophic necrobiosis lipoidica‐like plaques on the pretibial areas. All patients had other mucocutaneous manifestations of sarcoidosis, with the majority having evidence of internal disease. Combined immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapy was effective in controlling the cutaneous manifestations of all patients with ulcerative sarcoidosis.Conclusions  The ulcerative variant is a poorly defined subset of cutaneous sarcoidosis. Trauma, superimposed on atrophic plaques, appears to be the principal mechanism of this rare variant of cutaneous sarcoidosis.
Therapeutic potential of azithromycin in rosacea
Authors: Bakar Özgür , Demirçay Zeynep , Gürbüz Oya 
Published: February 2004

AbstractBackground  Systemic antibiotics currently used in the treatment of rosacea are sometimes associated with uncomfortable side‐effects. Therefore, a need for an effective agent with few side‐effects and good patient compliance exists. Azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic with prolonged mode of action, has recently been found to be an effective alternative in the treatment of inflammatory acne. We planned a study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of azithromycin in rosacea.Methods  An open‐labeled study was performed in a population of 18 patients, with Plewig‐Kligman stage 2 rosacea. Patients were given oral azithromycin for 12 weeks in decreasing doses.Results  Fourteen subjects completed the trial. The treatment produced therapeutic benefits with regard to total scores as well as inflammatory lesion scores. At the end of 12 weeks, there was a 75% decrease in total scores (P < 0.001) and an 89% decrease in inflammatory lesion scores compared with basal values. Improvement continued during the 4 weeks after treatment. Adverse effects were minimal and well tolerated in most patients.Conclusion  Azithromycin is a promising agent in the treatment of rosacea with its few side‐effects and good patient compliance.
The attitudes of a group of operating room nurses and nurse anaesthetists towards perioperative conversation
Authors: Hansson Elsa , Söderhamn Olle 
Published: February 2004

AbstractPerioperative nursing roles continue to change rapidly as we enter the 21st century. The need for good leadership skills, expert clinical skills, creative management and ongoing education and research, continues to grow in many surgical departments. Perioperative nursing roles are evolving in response to healthcare reforms, technological developments, patient demands and changing opportunities for advanced nursing practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of a group of operating room nurses and nurse anaesthetists towards perioperative conversation. A questionnaire, which included a specific attitude scale, was constructed and used in the collection of data. The informants were 86 operating room nurses and nurse anaesthetists. The results showed that the nurses had a positive attitude towards perioperative conversation. There were significant differences in attitudes related to age, gender, educational level, category of profession and working hours. Reliability, measured using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the attitude scale, was 0.96. The validity of the scale was high.
Application of Real-Time PCR To Study Effects of Ammonium on Population Size of Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria in Soil
Authors: Okano Yutaka , Hristova Krassimira R. , Leutenegger Christian M. , Jackson Louise E. , Denison R. Ford , Gebreyesus Binyam , Lebauer David , Scow Kate M. 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

Ammonium oxidation by autotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) is a key process in agricultural and natural ecosystems and has a large global impact. In the past, the ecology and physiology of AOB were not well understood because these organisms are notoriously difficult to culture. Recent applications of molecular techniques have advanced our knowledge of AOB, but the necessity of using PCR-based techniques has made quantitative measurements difficult. A quantitative real-time PCR assay targeting part of the ammonia-monooxygenase gene (
amoA
) was developed to estimate AOB population size in soil. This assay has a detection limit of 1.3 × 10
5
cells/g of dry soil. The effect of the ammonium concentration on AOB population density was measured in soil microcosms by applying 0, 1.5, or 7.5 mM ammonium sulfate. AOB population size and ammonium and nitrate concentrations were monitored for 28 days after (NH
4
)
2
SO
4
application. AOB populations in amended treatments increased from an initial density of approximately 4 × 10
6
cells/g of dry soil to peak values (day 7) of 35 × 10
6
and 66 × 10
6
cells/g of dry soil in the 1.5 and 7.5 mM treatments, respectively. The population size of total bacteria (quantified by real-time PCR with a universal bacterial probe) remained between 0.7 × 10
9
and 2.2 × 10
9
cells/g of soil, regardless of the ammonia concentration. A fertilization experiment was conducted in a tomato field plot to test whether the changes in AOB density observed in microcosms could also be detected in the field. AOB population size increased from 8.9 × 10
6
to 38.0 × 10
6
cells/g of soil by day 39. Generation times were 28 and 52 h in the 1.5 and 7.5 mM treatments, respectively, in the microcosm experiment and 373 h in the ammonium treatment in the field study. Estimated oxidation rates per cell ranged initially from 0.5 to 25.0 fmol of NH
4
+
h
−1
cell
−1
and decreased with time in both microcosms and the field. Growth yields were 5.6 × 10
6
, 17.5 × 10
6
, and 1.7 × 10
6
cells/mol of NH
4
+
in the 1.5 and 7.5 mM microcosm treatments and the field study, respectively. In a second field experiment, AOB population size was significantly greater in annually fertilized versus unfertilized soil, even though the last ammonium application occurred 8 months prior to measurement, suggesting a long-term effect of ammonium fertilization on AOB population size.
Cyanophage Diversity, Inferred from
g20
Gene Analyses, in the Largest Natural Lake in France, Lake Bourget
Authors: Dorigo Ursula , Jacquet Stéphan , Humbert Jean-François 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

The genetic diversity of the natural freshwater community of cyanophages and its variations over time have been investigated for the first time in the surface waters of the largest natural lake in France. This was done by random screening of clone libraries for the
g20
gene and by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed 35 distinct cyanomyovirus
g20
genotypes among the 47 sequences analyzed. Phylogenetic analyses showed that these sequences fell into seven genetically distinct operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The distances between these OTUs were comparable to those reported between marine clusters. Moreover, some of these freshwater cyanophage sequences were genetically more closely related to marine cyanophage sequences than to other freshwater sequences. Both approaches for the
g20
gene (sequencing and DGGE analysis) showed that there was a clear seasonal pattern of variation in the composition of the cyanophage community that could reflect changes in its biological, chemical, and/or physical environment.
Induction of Methyl
Tertiary
Butyl Ether (MTBE)-Oxidizing Activity in
Mycobacterium vaccae
JOB5 by MTBE
Authors: Johnson Erika L. , Smith Christy A. , O'Reilly Kirk T. , Hyman Michael R. 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

Alkane-grown cells of
Mycobacterium vaccae
JOB5 cometabolically degrade the gasoline oxygenate methyl
tertiary
butyl ether (MTBE) through the activities of an alkane-inducible monooxygenase and other enzymes in the alkane oxidation pathway. In this study we examined the effects of MTBE on the MTBE-oxidizing activity of
M. vaccae
JOB5 grown on diverse nonalkane substrates. Carbon-limited cultures were grown on glycerol, lactate, several sugars, and tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, both in the presence and absence of MTBE. In all MTBE-containing cultures, MTBE consumption occurred and
tertiary
butyl alcohol (TBA) and
tertiary
butyl formate accumulated in the culture medium. Acetylene, a specific inactivator of alkane- and MTBE-oxidizing activities, fully inhibited MTBE consumption and product accumulation but had no other apparent effects on culture growth. The MTBE-dependent stimulation of MTBE-oxidizing activity in fructose- and glycerol-grown cells was saturable with respect to MTBE concentration (50% saturation level = 2.4 to 2.75 mM), and the onset of MTBE oxidation in glycerol-grown cells was inhibited by both rifampin and chloramphenicol. Other oxygenates (TBA and
tertiary
amyl methyl ether) also induced the enzyme activity required for their own degradation in glycerol-grown cells. Presence of MTBE also promoted MTBE oxidation in cells grown on organic acids, compounds that are often found in anaerobic, gasoline-contaminated environments. Experiments with acid-grown cells suggested induction of MTBE-oxidizing activity by MTBE is subject to catabolite repression. The results of this study are discussed in terms of their potential implications towards our understanding of the role of cometabolism in MTBE and TBA biodegradation in gasoline-contaminated environments.
Inactivation of the
lys7
Gene, Encoding Saccharopine Reductase in
Penicillium chrysogenum
, Leads to Accumulation of the Secondary Metabolite Precursors Piperideine-6-Carboxylic Acid and Pipecolic Acid from α-Aminoadipic Acid
Authors: Naranjo Leopoldo , Martín de Valmaseda Eva , Casqueiro Javier , Ullán Ricardo V. , Lamas-Maceiras Mónica , Bañuelos Oscar , Martín Juan F. 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

Pipecolic acid serves as a precursor of the biosynthesis of the alkaloids slaframine and swainsonine (an antitumor agent) in some fungi. It is not known whether other fungi are able to synthesize pipecolic acid.
Penicillium chrysogenum
has a very active α-aminoadipic acid pathway that is used for the synthesis of this precursor of penicillin. The
lys7
gene, encoding saccharopine reductase in
P. chrysogenum
, was target inactivated by the double-recombination method. Analysis of a disrupted strain (named
P. chrysogenum
SR1
−
) showed the presence of a mutant
lys7
gene lacking about 1,000 bp in the 3′-end region.
P. chrysogenum
SR1
−
lacked saccharopine reductase activity, which was recovered after transformation of this mutant with the intact
lys7
gene in an autonomously replicating plasmid.
P. chrysogenum
SR1
−
was a lysine auxotroph and accumulated piperideine-6-carboxylic acid. When mutant
P. chrysogenum
SR1
−
was grown with
l-
lysine as the sole nitrogen source and supplemented with
dl
-α-aminoadipic acid, a high level of pipecolic acid accumulated intracellularly. A comparison of strain SR1
−
with a
lys2
-defective mutant provided evidence showing that
P. chrysogenum
synthesizes pipecolic acid from α-aminoadipic acid and not from
l-
lysine catabolism.
Development and Validation of Experimental Protocols for Use of Cardinal Models for Prediction of Microorganism Growth in Food Products
Authors: Pinon Anthony , Zwietering Marcel , Perrier Louise , Membré Jeanne-Marie , Leporq Benoît , Mettler Eric , Thuault Dominique , Coroller Louis , Stahl Valérie , Vialette Michèle 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

An experimental protocol to validate secondary-model application to foods was suggested.
Escherichia coli
,
Listeria monocytogenes
,
Bacillus cereus
,
Clostridium perfringens
, and
Salmonella
were observed in various food categories, such as meat, dairy, egg, or seafood products. The secondary model validated in this study was based on the gamma concept, in which the environmental factors temperature, pH, and water activity (aw) were introduced as individual terms with microbe-dependent parameters, and the effect of foodstuffs on the growth rates of these species was described with a food- and microbe-dependent parameter. This food-oriented approach was carried out by challenge testing, generally at 15 and 10°C for
L. monocytogenes
,
E. coli
,
B. cereus
, and
Salmonella
and at 25 and 20°C for
C. perfringens
. About 222 kinetics in foods were generated. The results were compared to simulations generated by existing software, such as PMP. The bias factor was also calculated. The methodology to obtain a food-dependent parameter (fitting step) and therefore to compare results given by models with new independent data (validation step) is discussed in regard to its food safety application. The proposed methods were used within the French national program of predictive microbiology, Sym′Previus, to include challenge test results in the database and to obtain predictive models designed for microbial growth in food products.
Biodegradation of the Hexahydro-1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-Triazine Ring Cleavage Product 4-Nitro-2,4-Diazabutanal by
Phanerochaete chrysosporium
Authors: Fournier Diane , Halasz Annamaria , Spain Jim , Spanggord Ronald J. , Bottaro Jeffrey C. , Hawari Jalal 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

Initial denitration of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) by
Rhodococcus
sp. strain DN22 produces CO
2
and the dead-end product 4-nitro-2,4-diazabutanal (NDAB), OHCNHCH
2
NHNO
2
, in high yield. Here we describe experiments to determine the biodegradability of NDAB in liquid culture and soils containing
Phanerochaete chrysosporium
. A soil sample taken from an ammunition plant contained RDX (342 μmol kg
−1
), HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine; 3,057 μmol kg
−1
), MNX (hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine; 155 μmol kg
−1
), and traces of NDAB (3.8 μmol kg
−1
). The detection of the last in real soil provided the first experimental evidence for the occurrence of natural attenuation that involved ring cleavage of RDX. When we incubated the soil with strain DN22, both RDX and MNX (but not HMX) degraded and produced NDAB (388 ± 22 μmol kg
−1
) in 5 days. Subsequent incubation of the soil with the fungus led to the removal of NDAB, with the liberation of nitrous oxide (N
2
O). In cultures with the fungus alone NDAB degraded to give a stoichiometric amount of N
2
O. To determine C stoichiometry, we first generated [
14
C]NDAB in situ by incubating [
14
C]RDX with strain DN22, followed by incubation with the fungus. The production of
14
CO
2
increased from 30 (DN22 only) to 76% (fungus). Experiments with pure enzymes revealed that manganese-dependent peroxidase rather than lignin peroxidase was responsible for NDAB degradation. The detection of NDAB in contaminated soil and its effective mineralization by the fungus
P. chrysosporium
may constitute the basis for the development of bioremediation technologies.
Detection and Characterization of a Dehalogenating Microorganism by Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Fingerprinting of 16S rRNA in a Sulfidogenic, 2-Bromophenol-Utilizing Enrichment
Authors: Fennell Donna E. , Rhee Sung-Keun , Ahn Young-Beom , Häggblom Max M. , Kerkhof Lee J. 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACTTerminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of reverse-transcribed 16S rRNA during periods of community flux was used as a tool to delineate the roles of the members of a 2-bromophenol-degrading, sulfate-reducing consortium. Starved, washed cultures were amended with 2-bromophenol plus sulfate, 2-bromophenol plus hydrogen, phenol plus sulfate, or phenol with no electron acceptor and were monitored for substrate use. In the presence of sulfate, 2-bromophenol and phenol were completely degraded. In the absence of sulfate, 2-bromophenol was dehalogenated and phenol accumulated. Direct terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting of the 16S rRNA in the various subcultures indicated that phylotype 2BP-48 (aDesulfovibrio-like sequence) was responsible for the dehalogenation of 2-bromophenol. A stable coculture was established which contained predominantly 2BP-48 and a secondDesulfovibrio-like bacterium (designated BP212 based on terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting) that was capable of dehalogenating 2-bromophenol to phenol. Strain 2BP-48 in the coculture could couple reductive dehalogenation to growth with 2-bromophenol, 2,6-dibromophenol, or 2-iodophenol and lactate or formate as the electron donor. In addition to halophenols, strain 2BP-48 appears to use sulfate, sulfite, and thiosulfate as electron acceptors and is capable of simultaneous sulfidogenesis and reductive dehalogenation in the presence of sulfate.
Synergistic Saccharification, and Direct Fermentation to Ethanol, of Amorphous Cellulose by Use of an Engineered Yeast Strain Codisplaying Three Types of Cellulolytic Enzyme
Authors: Fujita Yasuya , Ito Junji , Ueda Mitsuyoshi , Fukuda Hideki , Kondo Akihiko 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

A whole-cell biocatalyst with the ability to induce synergistic and sequential cellulose-degradation reaction was constructed through codisplay of three types of cellulolytic enzyme on the cell surface of the yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. When a cell surface display system based on α-agglutinin was used,
Trichoderma reesei
endoglucanase II and cellobiohydrolase II and
Aspergillus aculeatus
β-glucosidase 1 were simultaneously codisplayed as individual fusion proteins with the C-terminal-half region of α-agglutinin. Codisplay of the three enzymes on the cell surface was confirmed by observation of immunofluorescence-labeled cells with a fluorescence microscope. A yeast strain codisplaying endoglucanase II and cellobiohydrolase II showed significantly higher hydrolytic activity with amorphous cellulose (phosphoric acid-swollen cellulose) than one displaying only endoglucanase II, and its main product was cellobiose; codisplay of β-glucosidase 1, endoglucanase II, and cellobiohydrolase II enabled the yeast strain to directly produce ethanol from the amorphous cellulose (which a yeast strain codisplaying β-glucosidase 1 and endoglucanase II could not), with a yield of approximately 3 g per liter from 10 g per liter within 40 h. The yield (in grams of ethanol produced per gram of carbohydrate consumed) was 0.45 g/g, which corresponds to 88.5% of the theoretical yield. This indicates that simultaneous and synergistic saccharification and fermentation of amorphous cellulose to ethanol can be efficiently accomplished using a yeast strain codisplaying the three cellulolytic enzymes.
Electron Transfer by
Desulfobulbus propionicus
to Fe(III) and Graphite Electrodes
Authors: Holmes Dawn E. , Bond Daniel R. , Lovley Derek R. 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

Desulfobulbus propionicus
was able to grow with Fe(III), the humic acids analog anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS), or a graphite electrode as an electron acceptor. These results provide an explanation for the enrichment of
Desulfobulbaceae
species on the surface of electrodes harvesting electricity from anaerobic marine sediments and further expand the diversity of microorganisms known to have the ability to use both sulfate and Fe(III) as an electron acceptor.
Evaluation of Colilert-18 for Detection of Coliforms and
Eschericha coli
in Subtropical Freshwater
Authors: Chao Kuo-Kuang , Chao Chen-Ching , Chao Wei-Liang 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

The accuracy of Colilert-18 as a test for coliforms and
Escherichia coli
in subtropical freshwater was evaluated by using API 20E strips and fatty acid methyl ester analysis. The false-positive and -negative rates of detection were 7.4 and 3.5%, respectively, for
E. coli
and 9.6 and 6.3%, respectively, for coliforms.
Stabilization of Penicillin G Acylase from
Escherichia coli
: Site-Directed Mutagenesis of the Protein Surface To Increase Multipoint Covalent Attachment
Authors: Abian Olga , Grazú Valeria , Hermoso Juan , González Ramón , García José Luis , Fernández-Lafuente Roberto , Guisán José Manuel 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT
Three mutations on the penicillin acylase surface (increasing the number of Lys in a defined area) were performed. They did not alter the enzyme's stability and kinetic properties; however, after immobilization on glyoxyl-agarose, the mutant enzyme showed improved stability under all tested conditions (e.g., pH 2.5 at 4°C, pH 5 at 60°C, pH 7 at 55°C, or 60% dimethylformamide), with stabilization factors ranging from 4 to 11 compared with the native enzyme immobilized on glyoxyl-agarose.