Temporal trends in fish mercury in response to Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) removal in Little Moose Lake, Adirondacks, New York

Mercury contamination within aquatic ecosystems is a concern in the Adirondack Park of New York State due to mercury deposition from global and regional atmospheric sources coupled with watershed characteristics that drive biophysical processes which mobilize and transform mercury, increasing its bioavailability. Short-term internal biological forces also impact mercury bioaccumulation as fish communities and populations change due to species introductions and lake management practices causing alterations in food web structure and energy transfer. Little Moose Lake, located in the southwestern region of the Adirondacks, provides an opportunity to study how shifts in food web dynamics may impact biological cycling of mercury. To promote the native Lake Trout fishery in Little Moose Lake, large-scale annual removal of non-native Smallmouth Bass has been utilized as a management strategy for over 15 years. Utilizing archived tissue and otolith samples and historical data, changes in total mercury concentrations, stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes, diet, age and growth were evaluated over time for Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush), the native top-predator in Little Moose Lake. Mercury concentrations in Lake Trout have increased over the 15-year period, while Smallmouth Bass mercury concentrations decreased over the same interval. Thus, changes in mercury deposition were likely not the main driver for these observations. Diets also changed over time, with Lake Trout consuming higher trophic level prey with higher concentrations of mercury and growth for both predator species increased. Changes in stable isotope signatures were also observed for both predator fish species and several lower trophic level organisms with a tendency for both δ13C and δ15N to be more depleted over time. The annual Smallmouth Bass removal resulted in shifts in trophic transfer mechanisms that influenced the temporal mercury trends in the two top-predator species. The knowledge gained from this in-depth study will allow better understanding of spatial patterns and temporal trends in sportfish mercury concentrations in the context of food web changes

Skin cancer screening: recommendations for data-driven screening guidelines and a review of the US Preventive Services Task Force controversy

Melanoma is usually apparent on the skin and readily detected by trained medical providers using a routine total body skin examination, yet this malignancy is responsible for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths. Currently, there is no national consensus on skin cancer screening in the USA, but dermatologists and primary care providers are routinely confronted with making the decision about when to recommend total body skin examinations and at what interval. The objectives of this paper are: to propose rational, risk-based, data-driven guidelines commensurate with the US Preventive Services Task Force screening guidelines for other disorders; to compare our proposed guidelines to recommendations made by other national and international organizations; and to review the US Preventive Services Task Force's 2016 Draft Recommendation Statement on skin cancer screening

Skin cancer screening: recommendations for data-driven screening guidelines and a review of the US Preventive Services Task Force controversy

Melanoma is usually apparent on the skin and readily detected by trained medical providers using a routine total body skin examination, yet this malignancy is responsible for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths. Currently, there is no national consensus on skin cancer screening in the USA, but dermatologists and primary care providers are routinely confronted with making the decision about when to recommend total body skin examinations and at what interval. The objectives of this paper are: to propose rational, risk-based, data-driven guidelines commensurate with the US Preventive Services Task Force screening guidelines for other disorders; to compare our proposed guidelines to recommendations made by other national and international organizations; and to review the US Preventive Services Task Force's 2016 Draft Recommendation Statement on skin cancer screening