Wounding Therapies for Prevention of Photocarcinogenesis

The occurrence of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is closely linked with advanced age and ultraviolet-B (UVB) exposure. More specifically, the development of NMSC is linked to diminished insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling from senescent dermal fibroblasts in geriatric skin. Consequently, keratinocyte IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) remains inactive, resulting in failure to induce appropriate protective responses including DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoint signaling. This allows UVB-induced DNA damage to proliferate unchecked, which increases the likelihood of malignant transformation. NMSC is estimated to occur in 3.3 million individuals annually. The rising incidence results in increased morbidity and significant healthcare costs, which necessitate identification of effective treatment modalities. In this review, we highlight the pathogenesis of NMSC and discuss the potential of novel preventative therapies. In particular, wounding therapies such as dermabrasion, microneedling, chemical peeling, and fractionated laser resurfacing have been shown to restore IGF-1/IGF-1R signaling in geriatric skin and suppress the propagation of UVB-damaged keratinocytes. This wounding response effectively rejuvenates geriatric skin and decreases the incidence of age-associated NMSC.

Population-based incidence of food allergies in Olmsted County over 17 years

Background: There is growing concern about the rising incidence and prevalence of food allergy globally. We previously reported the incidence of food allergy in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between 2002 and 2011. We sought to update the incidence and temporal trends of food allergies in our region through 2018. Methods: By using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, all Olmsted County residents, with an incident diagnosis of food allergy between January 2, 2012, and December 31, 2018, were identified and their medical records were reviewed. These cases were combined with the previously collected incidence cases from January 2, 2002, and December 31, 2011, to understand longitudinal trends in food allergy incidence rates. Results: Over the 17-year study period, 1076 patients (58.0% male patients, 72.1% white) were diagnosed with an incident food allergy. The median (interquartile range) age at first diagnosis was 2.0 years (1.1-8.4 years). The overall annual incidence rate for all ages was 3.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.6‐4.1) per 10,000 person-years and was significantly higher in male than in female patients (4.4 [95% CI, 4.0‐4.7] and 3.3 [95% CI, 3.0‐3.6], respectively; p < 0.001). The most common food allergen was egg in infancy (57.7%), peanuts in ages 1‐4 years (58.3%), tree nuts in ages 5‐18 years (57.4%), and seafood in adults (≥19 years) (45.3%). Conclusion: The incidence of food allergy in Olmsted County steadily increased from 2002 to 2008, then remained relatively stable between the years 2008 and 2013, and again presented a rising trend over the next 5 years until 2018. This warrants further investigations into the effects of changes in guidelines for early introductions of allergenic foods and other factors that affect causality.

Vaccine Strategies for Human Papillomavirus-Associated Head and Neck Cancers

The rising incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers (OPSCC) in the United States is largely attributed to HPV. Prophylactic HPV vaccines have demonstrated effectiveness against oral infection of HPV 16 and HPV 18. We review the global epidemiology and biology of HPV-related cancers as well as the development of HPV vaccines and their use worldwide. We also review the various strategies and challenges in development of therapeutic HPV vaccines.

Medical Support for California Wildfire Response

Wildfires have become a regular seasonal disaster across the Western region of the United States. Wildfires require a multifaceted disaster response. In addition to fire suppression, there are public health and medical needs for responders and the general population in the path of the fire, as well as a much larger population impacted by smoke. This paper describes key aspects of the health and medical response to wildfires in California, including facility evacuation and shelter medical support, with emphasis on the organization, coordination, and management of medical teams deployed to fire incident base camps. This provides 1 model of medical support and references resources to help other jurisdictions that must respond to the rising incidence of large wildland fires.

Thyroid cancer in the era of endocrine disrupting compounds

Thyroid cancer has the highest prevalence of all endocrine malignancies, accounting for 1–3% of all human tumors. The incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer has increased globally in the last 10-20 years, faster than that of any other cancer type. The rising incidence has been observed in females, young adults, and children. The possible explanation might be the new achievements in diagnostic procedures, as thyroid ultrasonography and elastography, plus molecular testing and tumoral markers. Even though “over diagnosis” cannot be excluded, the increased incidence for all tumor sizes may suggest that other factors, such as lifestyle changes and environmental influences may contribute to a real increase.

Complete mitochondrial genome sequencing of Oxycarenus laetus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) from two geographically distinct regions of India

Oxycarenus laetus is a seed-sap sucking pest affecting a variety of crops, including cotton plants. Rising incidence and pesticide resistance by O. laetus have been reported from India and neighbouring countries. In this study, O. laetus samples were collected from Bhatinda and Coimbatore (India). Pure mtDNA was isolated and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq. Both the samples were found to be identical species (99.9%), and the complete genome was circular (15,672 bp), consisting of 13 PCGs, 2 rRNA, 23 tRNA genes, and a 962 bp control region. The mitogenome is 74.1% AT-rich, 0.11 AT, and − 0.19 GC skewed. All the genes had ATN as the start codon except cox1 (TTG), and an additional trnT was predicted. Nearly all tRNAs folded into the clover-leaf structure, except trnS1 and trnV. The intergenic space between trnH and nad4, considered as a synapomorphy of Lygaeoidea, was displaced. Two 5 bp motifs AATGA and ACCTA, two tandem repeats, and a few microsatellite sequences, were also found. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using 36 mitogenomes from 7 super-families of Hemiptera by employing rigorous bootstrapping and ML. Ours is the first study to sequence the complete mitogenome of O. laetus or any Oxycarenus species. The findings from this study would further help in the evolutionary studies of Lygaeidae.