Incidence and mortality rates of selected infection-related cancers in Puerto Rico and in the United States

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 2002, 17.8% of the global cancer burden was attributable to infections. This study assessed the age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of stomach, liver, and cervical cancer in Puerto Rico (PR) for the period 1992-2003 and compared them to those of Hispanics (USH), non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), and non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB) in the United States (US).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Age-standardized rates [ASR(World)] were calculated based on cancer incidence and mortality data from the PR Cancer Central Registry and SEER, using the direct method and the world population as the standard. Annual percent changes (APC) were calculated using the Poisson regression model from 1992-2003.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The incidence and mortality rates from stomach, liver and cervical cancer were lower in NHW than PR; with the exception of mortality from cervical cancer which was similar in both populations. Meanwhile, the incidence rates of stomach, liver and cervical cancers were similar between NHB and PR; except for NHB women who had a lower incidence rate of liver cancer than women in PR. NHB had a lower mortality from liver cancer than persons in PR, and similar mortality from stomach cancer.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The burden of liver, stomach, and cervical cancer in PR compares to that of USH and NHB and continues to be a public health priority. Public health efforts are necessary to further decrease the burden of cancers associated to infections in these groups, the largest minority population groups in the US. Future studies need to identify factors that may prevent infections with cancer-related agents in these populations. Strategies to increase the use of preventive strategies, such as vaccination and screening, among minority populations should also be developed.</p

ECMO for COVID-19 patients in Europe and Israel

Since March 15th, 2020, 177 centres from Europe and Israel have joined the study, routinely reporting on the ECMO support they provide to COVID-19 patients. The mean annual number of cases treated with ECMO in the participating centres before the pandemic (2019) was 55. The number of COVID-19 patients has increased rapidly each week reaching 1531 treated patients as of September 14th. The greatest number of cases has been reported from France (n = 385), UK (n = 193), Germany (n = 176), Spain (n = 166), and Italy (n = 136) .The mean age of treated patients was 52.6 years (range 16–80), 79% were male. The ECMO configuration used was VV in 91% of cases, VA in 5% and other in 4%. The mean PaO2 before ECMO implantation was 65 mmHg. The mean duration of ECMO support thus far has been 18 days and the mean ICU length of stay of these patients was 33 days. As of the 14th September, overall 841 patients have been weaned from ECMO support, 601 died during ECMO support, 71 died after withdrawal of ECMO, 79 are still receiving ECMO support and for 10 patients status n.a. . Our preliminary data suggest that patients placed on ECMO with severe refractory respiratory or cardiac failure secondary to COVID-19 have a reasonable (55%) chance of survival. Further extensive data analysis is expected to provide invaluable information on the demographics, severity of illness, indications and different ECMO management strategies in these patients

Malignant Tumors of the Central Nervous System

Malignant tumors of the central nervous system in adults comprise a heterogeneous group of malignancies, the largest subgroups comprising astrocytomas, ependymomas, and oligodendrogliomas. Glioblastomas are the most common tumor type, and they have dismal prognosis. Due to differences in cell type of origin, as well as pathogenesis, it is plausible that their etiology also differs between tumor types. The etiology of malignant CNS tumors is largely unknown and no occupational risk factors have been definitively identified. High doses of ionizing radiation increase the risk, but in occupational settings the dose levels appear too small to result in discernible excesses. Several studies have assessed possible effect of extremely low frequency and radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, but the results are inconsistent. Increased brain tumor risk has been reported in agricultural workers, but no specific exposure has been linked to them. Pesticides have been analyzed in several studies without showing a clear increase in risk.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

The binding of the small heat-shock protein αB-crystallin to fibrils of α-synuclein is driven by entropic forces.

Molecular chaperones are key components of the cellular proteostasis network whose role includes the suppression of the formation and proliferation of pathogenic aggregates associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The molecular principles that allow chaperones to recognize misfolded and aggregated proteins remain, however, incompletely understood. To address this challenge, here we probe the thermodynamics and kinetics of the interactions between chaperones and protein aggregates under native solution conditions using a microfluidic platform. We focus on the binding between amyloid fibrils of α-synuclein, associated with Parkinson's disease, to the small heat-shock protein αB-crystallin, a chaperone widely involved in the cellular stress response. We find that αB-crystallin binds to α-synuclein fibrils with high nanomolar affinity and that the binding is driven by entropy rather than enthalpy. Measurements of the change in heat capacity indicate significant entropic gain originates from the disassembly of the oligomeric chaperones that function as an entropic buffer system. These results shed light on the functional roles of chaperone oligomerization and show that chaperones are stored as inactive complexes which are capable of releasing active subunits to target aberrant misfolded species.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007- 2013) through the ERC grant PhysProt (agreement n◦ 337969) (TS, TPJK). Furthermore, we acknowledge financial support from the Marie Curie fellowship scheme for career development (PA), EPSRC (EP/J01835x/1) (OT,JLPB), BBSRC, the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust (MMJB), the NIHOxford Cambridge Scholars Programme (MMJB), the Oppenheimer Fellowship (THW), the Frances and Augustus Newman Foundation (TPJK), the Wellcome Trust (094425/Z/10/Z) (CMD, MV, TPJK), the UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship (MR/S033947/1) (FAA) and the Alzheimer’s Society, UK (511) (FAA). Furthermore, we thank Eva Klimont for protein preparation and Alexander Büll for helpful discussion

Fish Capture Strategies in Atlantic Littoral of Monte Hermoso District (Pampean Region Argentina) During Middle Holocene

Pampean hunter-gatherers marine fish capture strategies during the Middle Holocene are analyzed based on fish remains, lithic technology, paleoenviron-mental reconstructions and fish ethology. Barrio Las Dunas site and El Americano II site archaeofaunistic record evidence of the exploitation of estuarine-dependent fish species: Pogonias cromis and Micropogonias furnieri. Lithic assemblages comprise scarce lithic weights corresponding to net weights and line weights that evidence the use of two fishing gears. It is concluded that the study sector was a hunter-gatherers preferential place for marine resource acquisition due to its palaeoenvironmental conditions.Fil: Frontini, Romina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Bayón, María Cristina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Humanidades. Area de Historia; ArgentinaFil: Vecchi, Rodrigo Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Humanidades. Area de Historia; Argentin

Reproductive factors and hormone use and risk of adult gliomas

Previous research suggests there may be a hormonal influence on glioma risk as evidenced by lower rates in females, change in incidence rates around ages at menarche and menopause and presence of hormone receptors in glial tumors. Using the large San Francisco Bay Area Adult Glioma Study, we investigated whether reported reproductive factors and hormone use were associated with gliomas overall or with histologic subtypes among female cases (n=619) and controls (n=650). We found that reproductive factors were generally not associated with gliomas. Weak to moderately elevated odds ratios were observed for self-reported later age at menarche (14+ years old versus 12–13 years old: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02 –1.89), particularly for non-glioblastoma histologies (AOR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.11–2.43). Inverse associations were observed for ever self-reported use of exogenous hormones (oral contraceptive use: AOR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.53–0.99; postmenopausal hormone use: AOR = 0.56, CI: 0.37–0.84). However, cumulative hormone exposure defined multiple ways demonstrated no clear pattern of association. The results of this study suggest that any protective effect of hormones on gliomas may be limited to exogenous hormones, but a more detailed history of exogenous hormone use are needed to confirm findings

Neuroscience and End-of-Life Decisions: What Kind of Coexistence?

One of the most far-reaching challenges posed to the law by the development of neuroscience is the possibility to unveil some of the interior elements of human beings in the absence of external manifestations. The perception of pain, the presence of consciousness and the wishes of incompetent patients, once unfathomable because they could not be externalized, are nowadays accessible also from persons unable to express themselves (such as infants, people in comas, severely disabled people, etc.). These new frontiers raise an anthropological question and place heavy demands for lawyers embroiled in end-of-life matters, especially for constitutional lawyers. The present paper aims to highlight how the search for a balanced relationship between neuroscientific acquisitions and end-of-life decisions is weakened by at least two risks: the utmost deference towards science and scientific authority and the maximization of self-determination. In view of all this, the paper will provide, at the beginning, a framework of case law and end-of-life regulatory attempts with a specific focus on the recent law on informed consent and living will approved by the Italian Parliament; it will follow the analysis of the main challenges posed to law by advances in neuroscience. In the final part of this paper, we will offer food for thought on the role of neuroscience and\u2014in a broader perspective\u2014of science in law