Neonatal candidiasis: analysis of epidemiology, drug susceptibility, and molecular typing of causative isolates.

A prospective observational study of invasive candidiasis was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit of Aristotle University in Hippokration Hospital between 1994 and 2000. During this period, 59 neonates developed invasive candidiasis (58 cases of candidemia and 1 case of peritonitis), resulting in an overall incidence of 1.28% that showed a decreasing trend over the study period.

Incidence and risk factors for concussion in high school athletes, North Carolina, 1996-1999.

A prospective cohort study was used to quantify risk factors for sports concussions. Analysis was based on a stratified cluster sample of North Carolina high school athletes followed during 1996-1999. Clustering was by school and sport, and the sample included 15,802 athletes with 1-8 seasons of follow-up per athlete.

Stem cells: cross-talk and developmental programs.

The thesis advanced in this essay is that stem cells-particularly those in the nervous system-are components in a series of inborn 'programs' that not only ensure normal development, but persist throughout life so as to maintain homeostasis in the face of perturbations-both small and great. These programs encode what has come to be called 'plasticity'. The stem cell is one of the repositories of this plasticity.

Catastrophic injuries in high school and college baseball players.

Background: There are few epidemiologic studies of catastrophic baseball injuries.

Purpose: To develop a profile of catastrophic injuries in baseball players and to describe relevant risk factors.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

The Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of C21orf80, a potential new protein O-fucosyltransferase, is required for normal development.

Down syndrome (DS), as a phenotypic result of trisomy 21, is the most frequent aneuploidy at birth and the most common known genetic cause of mental retardation. DS is also characterized by other phenotypes affecting many organs, including brain, muscle, heart, limbs, gastrointestinal tract, skeleton, and blood. Any of the human chromosome 21 (Hsa21) genes may contribute to some of the DS phenotypes.

Homozygosity at the MTL locus in clinical strains of Candida albicans: karyotypic rearrangements and tetraploid formation.

One hundred and twenty Candida albicans clinical isolates from the late 1980s and early 1990s were examined for homozygosity at the MTL locus. Of these, 108 were heterozygous (MTLa/MTLalpha), whereas seven were MTLa and five were MTLalpha. Five of the homozygous isolates were able to switch to the opaque cell morphology, while opaque cells were not detectable among the remaining seven.

A prospective cohort study of injury incidence and risk factors in North Carolina high school competitive cheerleaders.

Background: Cheerleaders suffer nearly half of catastrophic injuries observed in female scholastic athletes in the United States. However, incidence of noncatastrophic injury in this population has not been described.

Hypothesis: Coach, athlete, and injury circumstance variables may predict the injury rate among cheerleaders.

Catastrophic cheerleading injuries.

Background: There are few epidemiologic studies of cheerleading injuries.

Purpose: To develop a profile of catastrophic injuries in cheerleading and to describe relevant risk factors.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Catastrophic Head Injuries in High School and Collegiate Sports.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence of catastrophic head injuries in a variety of high school and college sports. DESIGN AND SETTING: Data on catastrophic head injuries were compiled in a national surveillance system maintained by the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research. The data were compiled with the assistance of coaches, athletic trainers, athletic directors, executive officers of state and national athletic organizations, a national newspaper clipping service, professional associates of the researchers, and national sport organizations.

Catastrophic spine injuries in American football, 1977-2001.

Objective: Cervical spinal cord injuries have been the most common catastrophic football injury and the second leading direct cause of death attributable to football skills. This study looks at the 25-year (1977-2001) experience with catastrophic neck injuries and examines not only the incidence but also the cause of injury and variables that have either increased or decreased these injuries.

Methods: Data were collected on a national level from all organized football programs, including public school, college, professional, and youth programs, through personal contact and questionnaires on each catastrophic football injury.

Is the in situ accessibility of the 16S rRNA of Escherichia coli for Cy3-labeled oligonucleotide probes predicted by a three-dimensional structure model of the 30S ribosomal subunit?

Systematic studies on the hybridization of fluorescently labeled, rRNA-targeted oligonucleotides have shown strong variations in in situ accessibility. Reliable predictions of target site accessibility would contribute to more-rational design of probes for the identification of individual microbial cells in their natural environments. During the past 3 years, numerous studies of the higher-order structure of the ribosome have advanced our understanding of its spatial conformation.

Transgenic overexpression of the oncofetal RNA binding protein KOC leads to remodeling of the exocrine pancreas.

Background & Aims: To elucidate the function of the oncofetal RNA-binding protein, K-homologous (KH) domain containing protein overexpressed in cancer (KOC), we studied the effect of a constitutive reexpression of KOC in transgenic mice.

Methods: Transgenic mouse lines expressing KOC under the control of the mouse metallothionein promoter were generated and were shown to express the 69-kilodalton protein. Two mouse lines with moderate to strong gene expression of the transgene were further analyzed.

Brain injury-related fatalities in American football, 1945-1999.

Objective: Brain injuries have been the most common direct cause of death among American football players since the annual recording of football-related deaths began in 1931. This study examines the 55-year experience with brain injury-related fatalities in American football from 1945 to 1999, including not only the incidence but also the cause of death in discrete 5-year spans to focus on the variables that have either increased or decreased fatalities. In addition, we describe the types of injuries that have occurred, the activities in which the players were engaged at the time of injury, the level of play involved, and whether the injuries occurred during games or in practice sessions.

KOC is a novel molecular indicator of malignancy.

The detection of malignant cells in fine-needle aspirates (FNA's) using marker genes is hampered by the fact that these markers are only expressed by certain malignancies or lack sensitivity and/or specificity. Here we report the results of a prospective pilot study examining the expression of KOC (KH-domain containing protein over expressed in cancer), a novel onco-foetal gene, in 76 patients who underwent fine-needle aspiration for further diagnosis of abdominal lesions, aszites, cysts or cerebrospinal fluid. Aspirates were examined by cytology and by a KOC RT-PCR assay.

Evaluation of safety balls and faceguards for prevention of injuries in youth baseball.

Context: Safety balls and faceguards are widely used in youth baseball, but their effectiveness in reducing injury is unknown.

Objective: To evaluate the association of the use of faceguards and safety balls and injuries in youth baseball.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Ecological study using a national database of compensated insurance claims maintained by Little League Baseball Incorporated, combined with data on the number of participants in Little League and data from a census of protective equipment usage for youth aged 5 to 18 years participating in Little League Baseball in the United States during 1997-1999.

Catastrophic injuries in wrestlers.

Background: There is a paucity of comprehensive information on catastrophic wrestling injuries.

Objective: Our objective was to develop a profile of catastrophic injuries in wrestling and a list of relevant risk factors.

Study Design: Retrospective review.

Crosslinking of 4.5S RNA to the Escherichia coli ribosome in the presence or absence of the protein Ffh.

Radioactively labeled 4.5S RNA containing statistically distributed 4-thiouridine residues in place of normal uridine was prepared by T7 transcription. The ability of this modified 4.

X-ray structure of junctional adhesion molecule: structural basis for homophilic adhesion via a novel dimerization motif.

Junctional adhesion molecules (JAMs) are a family of immunoglobulin-like single-span transmembrane molecules that are expressed in endothelial cells, epithelial cells, leukocytes and myocardia. JAM has been suggested to contribute to the adhesive function of tight junctions and to regulate leukocyte trans migration. We describe the crystal structure of the recombinant extracellular part of mouse JAM (rsJAM) at 2.

Autoimmune responses to mRNA binding proteins p62 and Koc in diverse malignancies.

Two tumor-associated antigens, p62 and Koc, are insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) messenger RNA binding proteins. Autoantibodies to p62 have been detected in cancer sera but have not been reported for Koc. This study determined the extent and frequency of autoantibodies to p62 and Koc in diverse malignancies, the epitopes on the antigens, and the presence or absence of cross-reactive antibodies.

Injuries in little league baseball from 1987 through 1996: implications for prevention.

Unlabelled: Baseball is a very popular team sport in the United States, but there has been concern with the number of injuries and fatalities.

Objective: This study describes the incidence of injuries to Little League Baseball, Inc, players from 5 to 12 years old from 1987 through 1996.

Methods: Descriptive statistical analyses of injuries derived from Little League Baseball, Inc, insurance data from 17,221,210 player-years of follow-up in the 10-year study period.

Evidence against an Interaction between the mRNA downstream box and 16S rRNA in translation initiation.

Based on the complementarity of the initial coding region (downstream box [db]) of several bacterial and phage mRNAs to bases 1469 to 1483 in helix 44 of 16S rRNA (anti-downstream box [adb]), it has been proposed that db-adb base pairing enhances translation in a way that is similar to that of the Shine-Dalgarno (SD)/anti-Shine-Dalgarno (aSD) interaction. Computer modeling of helix 44 on the 30S subunit shows that the topography of the 30S ribosome does not allow a simultaneous db-adb interaction and placement of the initiation codon in the ribosomal P site. Thus, the db-adb interaction cannot substitute for the SD-aSD interaction in translation initiation.