Renal cell cancer in Israel: Sex and ethnic differences in incidence and mortality, 1980–2004

Background: The causes of renal cell cancer (RCC) remain largely unexplained. While the incidence is generally higher in men than in women, little has been reported on ethnic differences. We examine trends in RCC incidence and mortality rates among Israeli Arab and Jewish populations and compared with the rates in other countries. Methods: Age-adjusted RCC incidence and mortality rates in Israel, during 1980–2004, were calculated by sex and population group, using the National Cancer Registry. They were compared with the United States based on the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results [SEER] program and the IARC database for international comparisons. Results: While RCC incidence rates in Israel are similar to the United States and the European average, the rates are significantly higher among Israeli Jews than Arabs. Men are affected more than women. Incidence rates over the last 24 years have increased among all men and Jewish women, but not among Arab women. Among men, the incidence rate ratio for Jews to Arabs declined from 3.96 in 1980–1982 to 2.34 in 2001–2004, whereas for women there was no change. The mortality rates were higher among Jews than Arab and among men than women. There were no significant change in the mortality rates and rate ratios. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate marked ethnic differences in RCC in Israel. The lower incidence among Arabs stands in contrast to the higher prevalence of potential risk factors for RCC in this population group. Genetic factors, diet and other lifestyle factors could play protective roles.     

The substantive equivalence of transgenic (Bt and Chi) and non-transgenic cotton based on metabolite profiles

Compositional studies comparing transgenic with non-transgenic counterpart plants are almost universally required by governmental regulatory bodies. In the present study, two T₂ transgenic cotton lines containing chitinase (Line 11/57) and Bt lines (Line 61) were compared with non-transgenic counterpart. To do this, biochemical characteristics of leaves and seeds, including amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, anions, and cations contents of the studied lines were analyzed using GC/MS, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and ion chromatography (IC) analyzers, respectively. polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot analyses confirmed the presence and expression of Chi and Bt genes in the studied transgenic lines. Although, compositional analysis of leaves contents confirmed no significant differences between transgenic and non-transgenic counterpart lines, but it was shown that glucose content of chitinase lines, fructose content of transgenic lines (Bt and chitinase) and asparagine and glutamine of chitinase lines were significantly higher than the non-transgenic counterpart plants. Both the transgenic lines (Bt and chitinase) showed significant decrease in the amounts of sodium in comparison to the non-transgenic counterpart plants. The experiments on the seeds showed that histidine, isoleucine, leucine, and phenylalanine contents of all transgenic and non-transgenic lines were the same, whereas other amino acids were significantly increased in the transgenic lines. Surprisingly, it was observed that the concentrations of stearic acid, myristic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid in the chitinase line were significantly different than those of non-transgenic counterpart plants, but these components were the same in both Bt line and its non-transgenic counterpart. It seems that more changes observed in the seed contents than leaves is via this point that seeds are known as metabolites storage organs, so they show greater changes in the metabolites contents comparing to the leaves.     

Resveratrol mitigates genotoxicity induced by iodine-131 in primary human lymphocytes

The purpose of this study was to investigate the radioprotective effects of resveratrol as a natural product that protects against genotoxic actions of ¹³¹I in cultured human lymphocytes. Whole-blood samples from human volunteers were treated with resveratrol at doses of 0.5, 1, 5, and 50 μg/mL for 1 h, after which the lymphocytes were incubated with ¹³¹I (100 μCi/1.5 mL) for 2 h. The lymphocyte cultures were then mitogenically stimulated to enable evaluation of the number of micronuclei in cytokinesis-blocked binucleated cells. Incubation of lymphocytes with ¹³¹I induced genotoxicity, which was reflected by an increase in micronuclei frequency. At the doses tested, resveratrol significantly reduced micronuclei frequency. Maximal protective effects occurred at a dose of 1 μg/mL, with total micronuclei values being reduced by 65 % compared to controls. In conclusion, our results indicate protective effects of resveratrol at low doses against genetic damage and adverse effects induced by ¹³¹I administration.     

NPR1-dependent salicylic acid signaling is not involved in elevated CO2-induced heat stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Elevated CO₂ can protect plants from heat stress (HS); however, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we used a set of Arabidopsis mutants such as salicylic acid (SA) signaling mutants nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related gene 1 (npr1-1 and npr1-5) and heat-shock proteins (HSPs) mutants (hsp21 and hsp70-1) to understand the requirement of SA signaling and HSPs in elevated CO₂-induced HS tolerance. Under ambient CO₂ (380 µmol mol⁻¹) conditions, HS (42°C, 24 h) drastically decreased maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) in all studied plant groups. Enrichment of CO₂ (800 µmol mol⁻¹) with HS remarkably increased the Fv/Fm value in all plant groups except hsp70-1, indicating that NPR1-dependent SA signaling is not involved in the elevated CO₂-induced HS tolerance. These results also suggest an essentiality of HSP70-1, but not HSP21 in elevated CO₂-induced HS mitigation.     

Tribromo- and trifluoroborane adducts of some pyrazines

The trifluoro- and tribromoborane adducts of some methyl substituted pyrazines were synthesized and characterized. The 2:1 molecular adducts (e.g., C₄H₄N₂·2BX₃) could be isolated with unsubstituted, 2-methyl, 2,3-dimethyl, and 2,6-dimethyl pyrazines. The 1:1 molecular adducts could be isolate only with 2,6-dimethylpyrazine. The adducts were characterized by elemental analyses and infrared spectroscopy. The adducts were studied using ¹¹B-NMR and chemical shift assignments made. The chemical shift assignments and the different reactivities of the two nitrogen sites in 2,6-dimethylpyrazine are discussed.     

N α -Dimethylcoprogens Three novel trihydroxamate siderophores from pathogenic fungi

Summary Three novel siderophores have been isolated from a highly pathogenic strain ofAlternaria longipes (ATCC 26293). The compounds are N -dimethylated analogs of coprogen, neocoprogen I and isoneocoprogen I. Structures of the compounds have been determined by¹H- and¹³C-NMR, fast-atom-bombardment (FAB) mass spectroscopy and partial hydrolysis. One of the new compounds, N -dimethylcoprogen, is also produced, as the major siderophore, in another fungus,Fusarium dimerum.     

Complete trisomy 17p a relatively new syndrome

A patient with a de novo duplication of 17p is described. A comparison with five other published cases indicates several features in common that seem characteristic of the syndrome. Primary features include, low birth weight, small size, severe mental and motor retardation, heart defect, failure to thrive and peculiar facial traits. The prominent facial features are, a tendency for round and flat mid face, small palpebral fissures, hypertelorism, microcephaly and low set prominent ears.