A population-based case-control study of risk factors for childhood cancer was conducted for 593 cases diagnosed over the period 1986-1988 in Moscow children 0 to 14 years of age. Two healthy controls to every case were selected from registers of local pediatric polyclinics by age, gender and residence. The parents of 593 cases and 1181 controls were interviewed face-to-face. Significantly higher odds ratios (OR) were associated with cancer in close relatives [OR 1.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-1.9], any pathology associated with pregnancy (OR 2.9; 95% CI 2.4-3.6), including threatened miscarriage (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.5-3.0), toxemia (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.8-2.8) and hormone treatment during pregnancy (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.0-4.5). Pre-term births were significantly associated with brain-cancer risk (6/1; OR 13.3; 95% CI 1.5-301.2). For low birth weight (I2500 g) children born from full-term pregnancy, the OR for all cancers combined was 2.5 (23/22; 95% CI 1.4-4.7) and for leukemias 4.7 (9/4; 95% CI 1.4-16.5). In all, 100 cases and 151 controls had birth weight H4000 g (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1-1.9). Risk of nephroblastoma was also significantly related to this factor (11/5; OR 5.1; 95% CI 1.6-16.4). A positive trend of OR with decreasing duration of breastfeeding was significant for all cancer combined (p F 0.05). Significantly higher OR were observed for dermatitis (12/6; OR 4.0; 95% CI 1.4-12.1) and viral hepatitis (40/22; OR 3.8; 95% CI 2.3-6.3) in child medical history. Int. J.

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Electronic tongue is a sensor array that aims to discriminate and analyze complex media like food and beverages on the base of chemometrics approaches for data mining and pattern recognition. In this review, the concept of electronic tongue comprising of solid-contact potentiometric sensors with polyaniline and thacalix[4]arene derivatives is described. The electrochemical reactions of polyaniline as a background of solid-contact sensors and the characteristics of thiacalixarenes and pillararenes as neutral ionophores are briefly considered. The electronic tongue systems described were successfully applied for assessment of fruit juices, green tea, beer, and alcoholic drinks They were classified in accordance with the origination, brands and styles. Variation of the sensor response resulted from the reactions between Fe(III) ions added and sample components, i.e., antioxidants and complexing agents. The use of principal component analysis and discriminant analysis is shown for multisensor signal treatment and visualization. The discrimination conditions can be optimized by variation of the ionophores, Fe(III) concentration, and sample dilution. The results obtained were compared with other electronic tongue systems reported for the same subjects.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer a unique variety of properties and morphology of the structure that make it possible to extend the performance of existing and design new electrochemical biosensors. High porosity, variable size and morphology, compatibility with common components of electrochemical sensors, and easy combination with bioreceptors make MOFs very attractive for application in the assembly of electrochemical aptasensors. In this review, the progress in the synthesis and application of the MOFs in electrochemical aptasensors are considered with an emphasis on the role of the MOF materials in aptamer immobilization and signal generation. The literature information of the use of MOFs in electrochemical aptasensors is classified in accordance with the nature and role of MOFs and a signal mode. In conclusion, future trends in the application of MOFs in electrochemical aptasensors are briefly discussed.

A population-based case-control study was conducted on 593 cancer cases in children from 0 to 14 years of age diagnosed in Moscow from 1986 to 1988. The study included 1181 healthy controls matched by age, gender and residence. Parental exposures prior to conception, including exposures to petroleum products, organic solvents, unspecified chemicals, soldering aerosols, ionizing radiation, electromagnetic fields (EMF), visual display units (VDU) and high temperature in the work environment, were significantly more frequent among the cases than among the controls (p F 0.05). Leukemia risk was associated with paternal exposure to ionizing radiation [odds ratio (OR) 6.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.8-15.8], EMF (OR 4.6; 95% CI 1.8-11.9), VDU (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.0-5.8) and unspecified chemicals (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.02-4.1). Leukemia risk was also higher when mothers were exposed to solvents (OR 3.1; 95% CI 1.5-6.3), unspecified chemicals (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.0-4.3), ionizing radiation (OR 10.3; 95% CI 1.3-83.4) and EMF (OR 5.2; 95% CI 1.6-16.8). Increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was shown to be related to maternal exposure to oil products (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.01-10.7) and unspecified chemicals (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.01-10.7). Exposure to VDU was found to be associated with increased risk of neuroblastoma (6/1; OR 13.8; 95% CI 1.9-100.0). Int. J. Cancer 83:718-722, 1999.1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.