Sporadic Retinoblastoma and Parental Smoking and Alcohol Consumption before and after Conception: A Report from the Children’s Oncology Group

Background

Retinoblastoma is the most frequent tumor of the eye in children and very little is known about the etiology of non-familial (sporadic) retinoblastoma. In this study we examined whether parental tobacco smoking or alcohol consumption (pre- or post-conception) contribute to the two phenotypes (bilateral or unilateral) of sporadic retinoblastoma.

Methods

Two large multicenter case-control studies identified 488 cases through eye referral centers in the United States and Canada or through the Children’s Oncology Group. Controls (n = 424) were selected from among friends and relatives of cases and matched by age. Risk factor information was obtained via telephone interview. We employed multivariable logistic regression to estimate the effects of parental tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption on retinoblastoma.

Findings

Maternal smoking before and during pregnancy contributed to unilateral retinoblastoma risk in the child: year before pregnancy conditional Odds Ratio (OR), 8.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5–51, and unconditional OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.3–4.7; month before or during pregnancy, conditional OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 0.5–20.8, and unconditional OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.1–7.0. No association was found for maternal or paternal alcohol consumption.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that maternal active smoking during pregnancy may be a risk factor for sporadic retinoblastoma. Our study supports a role for tobacco exposures in embryonal tumors.     

Tunable Extraordinary Transmission through a Graphene-Covered Hole Array: an Analytical Equivalent-Circuit Modeling Approach

Plasmonics - We study two-dimensional (2D) hole arrays drilled into a perfect conductor slab covered with a graphene sheet. Such arrays support the extraordinary transmission of electromagnetic...     

Expression of biologically active human clotting factor IX in Drosophila S2 cells: γ-carboxylation of a human vitamin K-dependent protein by the insect enzyme

The Drosophila γ-glutamyl carboxylase (dγC) has substrate recognition properties similar to that of the vertebrate γ-carboxylase (γC), and its carboxylated product yield, in vitro, was shown to be more than that obtained with the human enzyme. However, whether the Drosophila enzyme is able to γ-carboxylate the human vitamin K-dependent (VKD) proteins, such as the human coagulation factor IX (hFIX), as synthesized in cultured Drosophila cells was not known. To examine this possibility, the Drosophila Schnider (S2) cell line was transfected with a metallothionein promoter-regulated hFIX-expressing plasmid. After induction with copper ion, expression efficiency of the active hFIX was analyzed by performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assey (ELISA) and coagulation test on the culture supernatant of the transfected S2 cells during 72 h of postinduction. In comparison with Chinese hamster ovary cell line, S2 cells showed higher (≈ 12-fold) expression level of the hFIX. The γ-carboxylation of the Drosophila-derived hFIX was confirmed by evaluation of the expressed protein, after being precipitated with barium citrate. The biological activity of the S2 cell-derived hFIX indicated the capability of S2 cells to fulfill the required γ-carboxylation of the expressed hFIX. Coexpression of the human γ-glutamyl carboxylases (hγC) was also shown to improve both expression and γ-carboxylation of the hFIX. This is the first in vivo data to describe the ability of the dγC to recognize the human-based propeptide as substrate, which is an essential step for production of biologically active γ-carboxylated VKD proteins.     

Analysis of Stacked Structures Composed of Arrays of Thick Slits: an Accurate Analytical Circuit Model

In this paper, a stacked structure composed of periodic arrays of one-dimensional thick slits embedded in a conventional dielectric medium is investigated in the subwavelength regime. Arrays of thick slits are known to support extraordinary transmission resonances. When periodically embedded in multilayered structures, they demonstrate band gap properties, which can produce flat passband regions in some structures, applicable to filter designs. In addition, by adjusting the parameters of the structures, they can be designed to create epsilon-near-zero and negative permittivity metamaterials. The analysis is carried out based on a simple and accurate analytical solution. The employed circuit model includes a transmission line corresponding to the slits, terminated by two surface admittances at the interfaces. The surface admittances assume the role of the diffractive modes and dominate the limitations of the usual analytical surface admittances obtained through heuristic approaches. A Π network of lumped elements equivalent to this circuit model is introduced in the present paper. This network helps to find the source of extraordinary resonances. Finally, the electromagnetic wave transmission through the stacked structure is studied and the effects of the thickness of the slits and dielectric slabs on the transmission spectra are analyzed. The results are compared to those obtained by full wave simulations, showing good agreement.

     

Morpho–physiological responses of Rocket (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eruca sativa</Emphasis> L.) varieties to sodium sulfate (Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>SO<Subscript>4</Subscript>) stress: an experimental approach

Rocket (Eruca sativa L.) is a medicinal plant that belongs to the Brassicaceae family and was reported to be a tolerant plant under soil salinity as well as high genetic diversity among its varieties. Since morphological and physiological changes to sodium sulfate stress toward this plant have not been investigated yet, the present study was implemented to assess the response of rocket (Eruca sativa L.) varieties to sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) stress as well as the relationship among these traits. Two varieties of rocket plants, the Iranian and Italian ones, were subjected to four salinity (Na₂SO₄) treatments [0 (control), 15, 30 and 60 mM of Na₂SO₄ solution] and three growth stages (49, 65, and 74 days) in factorial experiment with completely randomized design and three replications were considered. Some morphologic traits such as grain yield were measured during the growth period. The results of the analysis of variances between the mentioned variables indicated a significant difference between the varieties in terms of K⁺, Na⁺, Na⁺/K⁺, leaf length, grain yield, organic and mineral matter. The results of correlation and regression of the amounts of K⁺ showed a linear relationship with the grain yield and its variations were not independent from the variations of grain yield. Eventually, it seems that the Italian variety was more tolerant and having better performance in comparison with the Iranian variety, in response to salt stress.     

The ENPP1 K121Q polymorphism is not associated with type 2 diabetes and related metabolic traits in an Iranian population

The K121Q polymorphism of the ectoenzyme nucleotide pyrophosphate phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) gene has been variably associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in several populations. However, this association has not been studied in Iranian subjects and we hypothesized that the K121Q variant might be associated with T2D and related metabolic traits in this population. The K121Q genotypes were determined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 377 normoglycemic controls and 155 T2D patients. T2D patients had significantly higher values for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, BMI, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, apoB, insulin, and HOMA-IR, and lower levels of HDL than the normoglycemic subjects. The frequency of the Q allele did not differ between T2D and normoglycemic subjects (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.90-2.00, P?=?0.70). The Q allele frequency was 16.5% in T2D and 15.2% in normoglycemic subjects. The ENPP1 genotype (KQ?+?QQ) was not associated with the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C, apo B, BMI, HOMA-IR, and insulin levels in both normoglycemic and T2D groups. Our results suggest that the ENPP1 121Q allele might not be associated with T2D and related metabolic traits among Iranian subjects.