Epidemiology of laryngeal cancer in Brazil: Historical data from 2000 to 2019

IntroductionTo determine the incidence, morbidity, and mortality rate of laryngeal cancer in two decades and its epidemiological, clinical, and histological characteristics by sex in Brazil.MethodsThis ecological study used three reliable sources of secondary data: population- and hospital-based cancer registries and the national mortality database. All data available from 2000 to 2019 were considered.ResultsThe incidence of male laryngeal cancer decreased from 9.20 to 4.95 per 100,000 from 2000 to 2018, while mortality slightly decreased from 3.37 to 3.30 per 100,000 from 2000 to 2019. In the same period, the female incidence decreased from 1.26 to 0.48 per 100,000; however, mortality slightly increased from 0.34 to 0.36 per 100,000. Of 221,566 individuals with head and neck cancer, 27 % presented laryngeal cancer. The median age was 61 years (54−69), and most individuals were male (86.6 %), smokers (66.2 %), diagnosed with locally advanced cancer (66.7 %), and squamous cell carcinoma as the main histological type (93.2 %). Male tended to be older (p < 0.001), white (p < 0.001), smokers (p < 0.001), and present late treatment initiation (p < 0.001) and early death (p < 0.001) compared with female.ConclusionThe male laryngeal cancer affected mainly at productive age but with a decreased incidence, probably due to a reduction in smoking habit. However, mortality did not change, which may be explained by the late diagnosis and lack of access to radiotherapy.     

Different Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors: Can They Prevent Death?

ObjectiveSodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) demonstrate cardiovascular (CV) safety and benefits. Some dedicated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrate benefit in terms of renal outcomes and hospitalization due to heart failure (HF). RCTs report differences in the secondary outcomes with respect to mortality (CV and/or all-cause). We undertook a meta-analysis of all SGLT2is for which in addition to CVOT, HF outcome/renal outcome studies are available to establish whether individual SGLT2is were able to prevent death.MethodsWe included available event-driven randomized, placebo-controlled CVOTs and dedicated RCTs of SGLT2is exploring renal outcomes and HF. We included 3 trials of empagliflozin, 3 of dapagliflozin, 2 of canagliflozin, and 2 of sotagliflozin. The efficacy outcomes included all-cause mortality and CV mortality. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs were pooled for individual molecules.ResultsThe HR for all-cause mortality including all trials was 0.86 (0.80-0.93). The HRs for all-cause mortality in empagliflozin (N = 16 738), dapagliflozin (N = 26 208), canagliflozin (N = 14 543), and sotagliflozin (N = 11 806) were 0.86 (0.69-1.08), 0.83 (0.72-0.97), 0.86 (0.75-0.97), and 0.95 (0.81-1.11), respectively. The HR for CV mortality including all trials was 0.85 (0.78-0.92). The HRs for CV mortality in empagliflozin, dapagliflozin, sotagliflozin, and canagliflozin were 0.81 (0.63-1.03), 0.88 (0.78-1.00), 0.89 (0.74-1.07), and 0.84 (0.72-0.98), respectively.ConclusionSGLT2is as a class reduce both all-cause mortality and CV mortality. Canagliflozin possibly reduces both all-cause mortality and CV mortality, whereas dapagliflozin may reduce all-cause mortality but not CV mortality. Empagliflozin and sotagliflozin may reduce neither.     

Cancer epidemiology in the small nations of Pacific Islands

BackgroundPacific island countries and territories (PICTs) comprise 20,000–30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. PICTs face challenges in relation to small population sizes, geographic dispersion, increasing adoption of unhealthy life-styles and the burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, including cancer. This study reviews data on cancer incidence and mortality in the PICTs, with special focus on indigenous populations.MethodsPICTs with populations of <1.5 million (‘small nations’) were included in this study. Information on cancer incidence and mortality was extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2012 database. Scientific and grey literature was narratively reviewed for publications published after 2000.ResultsOf the 21 PICTs, seven countries were included in the GLOBOCAN 2012 (Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu). The highest cancer incidence and mortality rates were reported in New Caledonia (age-standardized incidence and mortality rates 297.9 and 127.3 per 100.000) and French Polynesia (age-standardized incidence and mortality rates 255.0 and 134.4 per 100.000), with relatively low rates in other countries. Literature indicated that cancer was among the leading causes of deaths in most PICTs; thus they now experience a double burden of cancers linked to infections and life-style and reproductive factors. Further, ethnic differences in cancer incidence and mortality have been reported in some PICTs, including Fiji, Guam, New Caledonia and Northern Mariana Islands.ConclusionCancer incidence in the PICTs was recorded to be relatively low, with New Caledonia and French Polynesia being exceptions. Low recorded incidence is likely to be explained by incomplete cancer registration as cancer had an important contribution to mortality. Further endeavors are needed to develop and strengthen cancer registration infrastructure and practices and to improve data quality and registration coverage in the PICTs.     

The mortality and fat content of Adalia bipunctata during hibernation

Coccinellids were sampled at intervals from natural hibernation sites, to determine mortality in relation to fat content. The fat content was reduced by 65%, while fresh weight remained constant. A 36% mortality occurred in early spring, which was independent of the fat content and attributable to fungal pathogens.

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Résumé Des échantillons de coccinelles ont été récoltés à plusieurs reprises au cours de l'hiver, dans leurs lieux naturels d'hibernation, pour déterminer la mortalité en fonction de l'épuisement des réserves en graisse.Le poids frais reste constant pendant l'hibernation, tandis que la teneur en graisse baisse de 65% par un taux moyen de 0,01 mg par jour. On constate que la teneur en graisse dépend du poids sec et de la taille de la coccinelle. Une mortalité de 36% se produit au début du printemps, indépendemment de la teneur en graisse, par suite de l'action de champignons pathogènes.

     

Evaluation of the effect of different concentrations of organic amendments and botanical extracts on the mortality and hatching of Meloidogyne javanica

Organic amendments and botanical extracts are considered as some of the eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticide in suppressing plant pathogenic nematodes (PPN). Root-knot nematode (RKN) is the most important group of PPN distributed globally causing both qualitative and quantitative damage to many crops. Vermicompost and biogas digestate (BD) are two forms of organic amendments reported to have potential to limit RKN infestation. Likewise, marigold (Tagates spp.) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea) are two widely studied botanicals having shown their potential to control RKN. However, there was not much in vitro research related to organic amendments and botanicals targeting a particular species of RKN to observe their nematicidal effect. An in vitro experiment was undertaken to evaluate the effect of these organic amendments and botanical extracts at different concentrations (10.0%, 25.0%, 50.0% and 100.0%) on the hatching and mortality of Meloidogyne javanica at different time spans. Mortality of J₂ and inhibition of hatching of egg mass of M. javanica differed significantly (p < 0.0001) among the interaction effect of treatments and incubation time for both organic amendments and botanical extracts. Findings of this experiment indicated that potentiality for increasing mortality and inhibition of hatching was higher and steadier in botanical extracts than those of organic amendments.     

Population dynamics ofLuehdorfia japonica Leech (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)

Mortality processes from egg to final instar larval stage are examined in the papilionid butterfly Luehdorfia japonica for two generations in a natural populations. Special attention is given to the effects of initial egg cluster size on the survival rate by the 3rd instar. Mean egg cluster sizes for the two generations were 11.3 and 10.7. The hatching rate was not affected by the egg cluster size. Up to 3rd instar, larvae in a group were more likely to die en masse rather than to die individually, whereas most larvae in later instars died independently. The egg clusters of the average (and the most frequent) size class (11±1) had the second highest survival rate until the 3rd instar. A slightly higher survival rate occurred in clusters a little larger (14±1). The average size clusters were least likely to be exterminated and about 70% of them produced at least one individual surviving to the 3rd instar. Factors affecting the observed mortality patterns were discussed.     

The effect of income support programs on job search,workplace mobility and COVID-19: International evidence

This study examines the effect of Income Support Programs (ISPs) on job search effort, work- place mobility, COVID-19 cases, and mortality growth rates. To identify ISPs’ causal effect, I use the variation in their introductions’ timing across countries and implement a difference-in-difference and multi-event analysis method. I find that ISPs led to a 4.4–8.29 percentage points reduction in workplace mobility and a 6.6–11.6 percentage points reduction in job search effort levels. They also caused a 21.8–47.7 and 17.1–29.7 percentage points reduction in the COVID-19 case growth rate and COVID-19 mortality growth rates, respectively. Using the event analysis estimates, I simulated the counterfactual job search effort, workplace mobility, and the number of COVID-19 cases and mortality without income support programs. The average global job search effort and workplace mobility without ISPs would have been 11.12 and 9.26 percent higher than the observed mean job search effort and workplace mobility. However, these would have come at the cost of 3.69 million and 166, 690 additional COVID-19 cases and mortality than the cases and deaths registered by May 15th.     

Gastric cancer epidemiology from 2009 to 2019 in Dnipro Region,Ukraine

BackgroundGastric cancer (GC) is in top-five the most frequent cancers in Ukrainian males and is the third cause of death among patients with cancer. GC keeps its leading position in cancer ranks despite the decline in incidence and mortality over the last 50 years. Local epidemiological information will help in better targeting medical and public health interventions.Patients and methodsThe data about 8438 patients with newly diagnosed GC between 2009 and 2019 was obtained from Dnipro Cancer Registry.ResultsIncidence decreased from 24.5 to 22.6, mortality decreased from 21.4 to 15.7 (per 100000), death rate increased from 0.64 to 1.04 between 2009 and 2019. Over 11 years of observation incidence was 23.4, mortality was 19.4, death rate was 0.721. Standardised incidence ratio was 1.42, standardised mortality rate was 1.67; age-standardised incidence was 25.5, age-standardised mortality was 21.2 (European standard). Median (95% confidence interval (95% CI)) survival of the patients was 172 (165−178) days. One-year survival rate fluctuated between 27% and 34%. Male sex and older age were associated with higher risk of death (hazard ratio (95% CI) – 1.08 (1.03–1.13) vs females and 1.15 (1.12–1.17) per 10-years increase of age, respectively).ConclusionsThe study describes the trends in epidemiology of gastric cancer in Dnipro region, Ukraine, between 2009 and 2019. The need for the national prevention strategy of GC in Ukraine was identified.     

Toward generation XL: Anthropometrics of longevity in late 20th-century United States

All-cause and cause-specific mortality among white U.S. men and women are analyzed using the NHANES I data (1971-1975) and epidemiologic follow-up to 1992, to examine the effect of physical stature on mortality, controlling for other confounding variables within a discrete-time framework. We find an association between mortality and both body mass index (BMI) and height, but the height effect is sensitive with respect to the age range under consideration. Although the resulting minimum-mortality BMI is higher than the widely accepted healthy range, the recent increase in weight implies that further gains in life expectancy are unlikely to derive from the anthropometry-mortality relationship.     

Stochastic Penna model for biological aging

Summary A stochastic genetic model for biological aging is introduced bridging the gap between the bit-string Penna model and the Pletcher-Neuhauser approach. The phenomenon of exponentially increasing mortality function at intermediate ages and its deceleration at advanced ages is reproduced for both the evolutionary steady-state population and the genetically homogeneous individuals.