ASPIC: a novel method to predict the exon-intron structure of a gene that is optimally compatible to a set of transcript sequences.

Background: Currently available methods to predict splice sites are mainly based on the independent and progressive alignment of transcript data (mostly ESTs) to the genomic sequence. Apart from often being computationally expensive, this approach is vulnerable to several problems--hence the need to develop novel strategies.

Results: We propose a method, based on a novel multiple genome-EST alignment algorithm, for the detection of splice sites.

FLAG-IDA in the treatment of refractory/relapsed adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Relapsed or refractory adult acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) have poor prognosis. The strategy for treating these patients is through reinduction chemotherapy followed by allogeneic stem cell transplantation, provided that the toxicity of the salvage regimen is acceptable. Twenty three patients with relapsed/refractory adult ALL were treated with fludarabine, cytarabine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and idarubicin (FLAG-IDA).

Breadboard of a Fourier-transform spectrometer for the radiation explorer in the far infrared atmospheric mission.

In preparation for a possible space mission, a breadboard version named REFIR-BB of the Radiation Explorer in the Far Infrared (REFIR) instrument has been built. The REFIR is a Fourier-transform spectrometer with a new optical layout operating in the spectral range 100-1100 cm(-1) with a resolution of 0.5 cm(-1), a 7-s acquisition time, and a signal-to-noise ratio of better than 100.

Digestive endoscopy is not a major risk factor for transmitting hepatitis C virus.

Background: The potential role of digestive endoscopy as a mode for transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is controversial.

Objective: To evaluate the role of digestive endoscopy in transmitting HCV by comparing the incidence of HCV infection in a cohort of patients undergoing endoscopy and in a cohort of blood donors.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

More reliable protein NMR peak assignment via improved 2-interval scheduling.

Protein NMR peak assignment refers to the process of assigning a group of "spin systems" obtained experimentally to a protein sequence of amino acids. The automation of this process is still an unsolved and challenging problem in NMR protein structure determination. Recently, protein NMR peak assignment has been formulated as an interval scheduling problem (ISP), where a protein sequence P of amino acids is viewed as a discrete time interval I (the amino acids on P one-to-one correspond to the time units of I), each subset S of spin systems that are known to originate from consecutive amino acids from P is viewed as a "job" j(s), the preference of assigning S to a subsequence P of consecutive amino acids on P is viewed as the profit of executing job j(s) in the subinterval of I corresponding to P, and the goal is to maximize the total profit of executing the jobs (on a single machine) during I.

Fungemia in acute leukemia patients: a single institution's experience.

A retrospective study was conducted in 22 episodes of candidemia in 445 patients with acute leukemia (AL) (incidence 4.9%) observed at our Institution between February 1996 and November 2003 to evaluate the variables related to the onset and outcome of infection. Of 22 patients, 20 (90.

T cells support osteoclastogenesis in an in vitro model derived from human multiple myeloma bone disease: the role of the OPG/TRAIL interaction.

The development of multiple myeloma (MM) bone disease is mediated by increased number and activity of osteoclasts (OCs). Using an in vitro osteoclastogenesis model consisting of unstimulated and unfractionated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with MM, we showed that T cells support the formation of OCs with longer survival. Different from T-cell-depleted MM PBMC cultures, exogenous macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL) were necessary for the formation of OCs; however, they did not exhibit longer survival.

Autoimmune myelofibrosis: report of three cases and review of the literature.

Autoimmune myelofibrosis is a distinct clinicopathological entity, recognizing immunopathogenetic mechanisms and occurring isolately or in association with systemic and/or organ-specific autoimmune diseases. It results in chronic cytopenias, and is defined by a pattern including bone marrow, peripheral blood, serological and clinical features. It has to be distinguished from other disorders having myelofibrosis.

Postnatal stress in mice: does "stressing" the mother have the same effect as "stressing" the pups?

Short- and long-term effects of brief maternal separation, maternal exposure to novel male odor, and standard rearing were compared in NMRI mice. The first condition consisted of 15 min of daily exposure of pups to clean bedding (CB), and the second condition consisted of 15 min of mothers' exposure to the odor of strange males (SM), for 14 days after birth starting from postnatal Day 1. Thus, both conditions entailed the same period of maternal separation.

Direct Methods Optimised for Solving Crystal Structure by Powder Diffraction Data: Limits, Strategies, and Prospects.

The ab-initio crystal structure solution by powder diffraction data requires great efforts because of the collapse of the experimental information onto the one dimensional 2θ axis of the pattern. Different strategies will be described aiming at improving the process of extraction of the integrated intensities from the experimental pattern in order to make more straightforward the structure solution process by direct methods. Particular attention will be devoted to the EXPO program.

Non-treatment-related chronic myeloid leukemia as a second malignancy.

The characteristics of the very rare non-treatment-related chronic myeloid leukemia (nTr-CML) cases have never before been analyzed. The literature up to December 2002 was screened using the Medline database to identify cases of Tr-CML and nTr-CML. We considered five cases with nTr-CML identified among 270 newly diagnosed CML at our Department.

Vascular endothelial growth factor serum levels are elevated in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Background: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a genetic angiodysplasia affecting multiple organs. Two genes involved in the transduction of TGF-beta signalling are responsible for HHT. An additional role for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been proposed.

[Autoimmune hemolytic anemia presenting during treatment of chronic hepatitis C with interferon alpha].

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia has been rarely described in patients with chronic hepatitis C during interferon-alpha therapy. We report a case of Coombs-positive autoimmune hemolytic anemia, occurring 9 months after the onset of monotherapy with interferon-alpha-2b (3 million units thrice in week) for chronic hepatitis C. Interferon withdrawal and prednisone treatment induced a complete remission of hematological findings after 3 months.

FLAG-IDA in the treatment of refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia: single-center experience.

We evaluated the efficacy and toxicity profiles of the combination of fludarabine, high-dose cytosine arabinoside (AraC), idarubicin, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in refractory/relapsed acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) patients. Between October 1998 and February 2002, 46 AML patients were treated with FLAG-IDA (fludarabine 30 mg/m(2), AraC 2 g/m(2) for 5 days, idarubicin 10 mg/m(2) for 3 days, and G-CSF 5 micro g/kg from day +6 until neutrophil recovery). Thirty patients were in relapse after conventional chemotherapy including cytarabine, etoposide, and daunorubicin or mitoxantrone according to the GIMEMA protocols.

Pneumonia in acute leukemia patients during induction therapy: experience in a single institution.

Pneumonia is still a complication leading to high morbidity and mortality rates in acute leukemia (AL) patients. To evaluate the incidence, risk factors and outcome of pneumonia in a single institution we retrospectively studied 288 patients observed between 1994 and 2000, affected by AL (218 acute myeloblastic leukemia and 70 acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL]) treated with an anthracycline-containing induction regimen. Of 288 patients, 80 (27.

The number of male pups within a litter of NMRI mice is associated with the dam's food preferences late in pregnancy.

Pregnancy related differences in food preferences and food intake are well recognized in animals and humans. Changes in maternal hormonal profiles are supposed to be implicated in such a phenomenon. Since fetal sex hormones are excreted in their dams' bloodstream, they can affect the behaviour of mothers during gestation.

Concomitant primary polycythemia vera and follicle center cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report and review of the literature.

The association of myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative disorders is well known after cytotoxic drug or radiation exposure, while it is remarkably rare prior to therapy. We report on a patient simultaneously diagnosed as having polycythemia vera and II3A follicle center cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (grade 1). At this timepoint, he is on 12-year follow-up, characterized by post-polycythemia myeloid metaplasia with myelofibrosis and persistent complete remission of lymphoma.

Synthesis, X-ray powder structure, and magnetic properties of the new, weak ferromagnet iron(II) phenylphosphonate.

A new molecule-based weak ferromagnet of formula Fe[C6H5PO3].H2O was synthesized. It was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and UV-visible and infrared spectroscopy, and the magnetic properties were studied using a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer.

Radiances simulated in the presence of clouds by use of a fast radiative transfer model and a multiple-scattering scheme.

A fast-forward radiative transfer (RTF) model is presented that includes cloud-radiation interaction for any number of cloud layers. Layer cloud fraction and transmittance are treated separately and combined with that of gaseous transmittances. RTF is tested against a reference procedure that uses line-by-line gaseous transmittances and solves the radiative transfer equation by use of the adding-doubling method to handle multiple-scattering conditions properly.

Homomorphism between cloudy and clear spectral radiance in the 800-900-cm(-1) atmospheric window region.

The sensitivity of a new algorithm for cloud detection over a sea surface has been assessed on the basis of extensive simulations of clear and cloudy radiance spectra, including water and ice and low- and high-altitude clouds. The new algorithm makes use of autocorrelation and cross correlation between an observed spectrum and either a synthetic or a laboratory spectrum and can be used to determine quantitatively the degree of homogeneity of two spectra in the 800-900-cm(-1) region (11.11-12.

Simulation of uplooking and downlooking high-resolution radiance spectra with two different radiative transfer models.

Measurements of up-looking spectral radiances measured during the Convection and Moisture Experiment and down-looking spectral radiances measured at one of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement sites are compared with simulations with use of two different line-by-line models. Simulations are performed in tightly controlled conditions to verify the behavior of the models. Spectra computed at higher samplings are used to study the spectral structure of the differences between simulations and measurements.

Angiogenesis and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Rendu-Osler-Weber disease.

To date much of the recent work on pathological angiogenesis has focused on inflammatory diseases, diabetes and cancer in particular. Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia or Rendu-Osler-Weber disease provides an example of the genetic disorder of angiogenesis in which a multisystemic angiodysplasia is responsible for severe hemorrhage. The disease pathogenesis is partially explained by a defect in the TGF-beta signaling system, although in more recent works a possible role of other vascular growth factors has been proposed.

Flow injection analysis of L-lactate in milk and yoghurt by on-line microdialysis and amperometric detection at a disposable biosensor.

A disposable lactate biosensor able to operate in flow injection analysis is described and characterized. The biosensing layer, obtained by glutaraldehyde co-crosslinking of lactate oxidase with bovine serum albumin, was cast on an underlying electropolymerized layer of overoxidized polypyrrole. The resulting biosensor was interference-free and showed a K'M value of 2.