This essay presents and discusses the state of the art in studies of desert ant (Cataglyphis) navigation. In dealing with behavioural performances, neural mechanisms, and ecological functions these ...studies ultimately aim at an evolutionary understanding of the insect's navigational toolkit: its skylight (polarization) compass, its path integrator, its view-dependent ways of recognizing places and following landmark routes, and its strategies of flexibly interlinking these modes of navigation to generate amazingly rich behavioural outputs. The general message is that Cataglyphis uses path integration as an egocentric guideline to acquire continually updated spatial information about places and routes. Hence, it relies on procedural knowledge, and largely context-dependent retrieval of such knowledge, rather than on all-embracing geocentred representations of space.
Coping with the current and future burden of cancer requires an in-depth understanding of trends in cancer incidences and deaths. Estimated projections of cancer incidences and deaths will be ...important to guide future research funding allocations, health care planning, and health policy efforts.
To estimate cancer incidences and deaths in the United States to the year 2040.
This cross-sectional study's estimated projection analysis used population growth projections and current population-based cancer incidence and death rates to calculate the changes in incidences and deaths to the year 2040. Cancer-specific incidences and deaths in the US were estimated for the most common cancer types. Demographic cancer-specific delay-adjusted incidence rates from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program were combined with US Census Bureau population growth projections (2016) and average annual percentage changes in incidence and death rates. Statistical analyses were performed from July 2020 to February 2021.
Total cancer incidences and deaths to the year 2040.
This study estimated that the most common cancers in 2040 will be breast (364 000 cases) with melanoma (219 000 cases) becoming the second most common cancer; lung, third (208 000 cases); colorectal remaining fourth (147 000 cases); and prostate cancer dropping to the fourteenth most common cancer (66 000 cases). Lung cancer (63 000 deaths) was estimated to continue as the leading cause of cancer-related death in 2040, with pancreatic cancer (46 000 deaths) and liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer (41 000 deaths) surpassing colorectal cancer (34 000 deaths) to become the second and third most common causes of cancer-related death, respectively. Breast cancer (30 000 deaths) was estimated to decrease to the fifth most common cause of cancer death.
These findings suggest that there will be marked changes in the landscape of cancer incidence and deaths by 2040.
Objective To synthesise the literature on indoor tanning and non-melanoma skin cancer.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.Data sources PubMed (1966 to present), Embase (1974 to present), and ...Web of Science (1898 to present).Study selection All articles that reported an original effect statistic for indoor tanning and non-melanoma skin cancer were included. Articles that presented no data, such as review articles and editorials, were excluded, as were articles in languages other than English.Data extraction Two investigators independently extracted data. Random effects meta-analysis was used to summarise the relative risk of ever use versus never use of indoor tanning. Dose-response effects and exposure to indoor tanning during early life were also examined. The population attributable risk fraction for the United States population was calculated.Results 12 studies with 9328 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer were included. Among people who reported ever using indoor tanning compared with those who never used indoor tanning, the summary relative risk for squamous cell carcinoma was 1.67 (95% confidence interval 1.29 to 2.17) and that for basal cell carcinoma was 1.29 (1.08 to 1.53). No significant heterogeneity existed between studies. The population attributable risk fraction for the United States was estimated to be 8.2% for squamous cell carcinoma and 3.7% for basal cell carcinoma. This corresponds to more than 170 000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer each year attributable to indoor tanning. On the basis of data from three studies, use of indoor tanning before age 25 was more strongly associated with both squamous cell carcinoma (relative risk 2.02, 0.70 to 5.86) and basal cell carcinoma (1.40, 1.29 to 1.52).Conclusions Indoor tanning is associated with a significantly increased risk of both basal and squamous cell skin cancer. The risk is higher with use in early life (<25 years). This modifiable risk factor may account for hundreds of thousands of cases of non-melanoma skin cancer each year in the United States alone and many more worldwide. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence on the harms of indoor tanning and support public health campaigns and regulation to reduce exposure to this carcinogen.
Population-level disease metrics are critical to guide the distribution of resources and implementation of public health initiatives. Internet search data reflect population interest in health topics ...and may be an alternative metric of disease characteristics when traditional sources are lacking, such as in basal and squamous cell carcinomas, which are not included in national cancer registries. However, these data are not yet well validated or understood.
To evaluate whether state-specific normalized internet search volume correlates with incidence and mortality rates of common cancers in the United States, including melanoma.
This was a cross-sectional analysis of Google search volume index data and US cancer incidences and mortalities of 8 of the most incident cancers in the United States in 2009 to 2013, at the state level, per the National Program of Cancer Registries. Participants were people performing Google searches and patients diagnosed as having cancers reported to cancer registries.
Correlation between Google search volumes, normalized to total Google search volume, and National Program of Cancer Registries recorded cancer incidence and mortality rates.
By state, relative Google search volume statistically significantly correlated with cancer incidence rates in 5 of 8 commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States (colon cancer: R = 0.61; P < .001; lung cancer: R = 0.73; P < .001; lymphoma: R = 0.51; P < .001; melanoma: R = 0.36; P = .01; and thyroid cancer: R = 0.30; P = .03). For 4 of those 5 cancers (colon cancer: R = 0.61; P < .001; lung cancer: R = 0.62; P < .001; lymphoma: R = 0.38; P = .006; and melanoma: R = 0.31; P = .03), relative Google search volume also correlated with mortality rates.
Population-level internet search behavior may be a valuable real-time tool to estimate cancer incidence and mortality rates, especially for cancers not included in national registries, such as basal and squamous cell carcinomas.
Cataglyphis ants can set out across vast expanses of desert terrain in search of prey, and then find the shortest way home. Rüdiger Wehner has devised elegant experiments to unmask how they do it. ...Through a lively and lucid narrative, he offers a firsthand look at the extraordinary navigational skills of these charismatic creatures.
This cross-sectional study assesses whether there were differences in the proportions of male and female corresponding authors in bioRxiv and medRxiv associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keratinocyte carcinomas are the most common cancers in the US. However, keratinocyte carcinomas are not included in US national cancer registries, and information on the anatomic locations of ...keratinocyte carcinomas is lacking.
To investigate the anatomic location of keratinocyte carcinomas in the US using a large claims data set.
We performed a cohort study using a deidentified, random sample of 4 999 999 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older (2009-2018).
Proportion of procedurally treated keratinocyte carcinomas at each anatomic location, identified by linking diagnosis and treatment codes.
A total of 2 415 514 keratinocyte carcinomas were identified in 792 393 beneficiaries. The mean (SD) age was 76.6 (8.1) years, 410 364 (51.8%) were women, and 96.7% were White. Of the 2 415 514 keratinocyte carcinomas, 796 542 could be subtyped into basal cell carcinoma (33.0%), 927 984 into squamous cell carcinoma (38.4%), and 690 988 (28.6%) could not be subtyped. The most common location of squamous cell carcinomas was the head and/or neck (44.3%) followed by upper limbs (26.7%). The most common location of basal cell carcinomas was head and/or neck (63.8%), followed by trunk (14.9%). In women, keratinocyte carcinomas were most common on the head and/or neck (47.3%) followed by upper and lower limb (18.5% and 16.6%, respectively). In men, keratinocyte carcinomas were most common on the head and/or neck (58.7%) followed by upper limb and trunk (17.3% and 11.4%, respectively).
The results of this large Medicare cohort study highlight the anatomic locations of keratinocyte carcinomas over recent years and show the predominance of lesions occurring at head and/or neck anatomic location. This foundational information on keratinocyte carcinoma anatomic locations in the US is valuable for improved keratinocyte risk factor differentiation and skin cancer surveillance.
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