Comment on ''Sedimentary DNA from a submerged site reveals wheat in the British Isles 8000 years ago''

Smith et al. (Reports, 27 February 2015, p. 998) identify wheat DNA from an 8000-calendar-years-before-the-present archaeological site in southern England and conclude that wheat was traded to Britain 2000 years before the arrival of agriculture. The DNA samples are not dated, either directly or from circumstantial evidence, so there is no chronological evidence to support the claim

Survival for oesophageal, stomach and small intestine cancers in Europe 1999-2007: Results from EUROCARE-5

Background: European regional variation in cancer survival was reported in the EUROCARE-4 study for patients diagnosed in 1995-1999. Relative survival (RS) estimates are here updated for patients diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, stomach and small intestine from 2000 to 2007. Trends in RS from 1999-2001 to 2005-2007 are presented to monitor and discuss improvements in patient survival in Europe. Materials and methods: EUROCARE-5 data from 29 countries (87 cancer registries) were used to investigate 1- and 5-year RS. Using registry-specific life-tables stratified by age, gender and calendar year, age-standardised 'complete analysis' RS estimates by country and region were calculated for Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central Europe, and for Ireland and United Kingdom (UK). Survival trends of patients in periods 1999-2001, 2002-2004 and 2005-2007 were investigated using the 'period' RS approach. We computed the 5-year RS conditional on surviving the first year (5-year conditional survival), as the ratio of age-standardised 5-year RS to 1-year RS. Results Oesophageal cancer 1- and 5-year RS (40% and 12%, respectively) remained poor in Europe. Patient survival was worst in Eastern (8%), Northern (11%) and Southern Europe (10%). Europe-wide, there was a 3% improvement in oesophageal cancer 5-year survival by 2005-2007, with Ireland and the UK (3%), and Central Europe (4%) showing large improvements. Europe-wide, stomach cancer 5-year RS was 25%. Ireland and UK (17%) and Eastern Europe (19%) had the poorest 5-year patient survival. Southern Europe had the best 5-year survival (30%), though only showing an improvement of 2% by 2005-2007. Small intestine cancer 5-year RS for Europe was 48%, with Central Europe having the best (54%), and Ireland and UK the poorest (37%). Five-year patient survival improvement for Europe was 8% by 2005-2007, with Central, Southern and Eastern Europe showing the greatest increases (≥9%). Conclusions Survival for these cancer sites, particularly oesophageal cancer, remains poor in Europe with wide variation. Further investigation into the wide variation, including analysis by histology and anatomical sub-site, will yield insights to better monitor and explain the improvements in survival observed over time.

Global surveillance of cancer survival 1995–2009: analysis of individual data for 25 676 887 patients from 279 population-based registries in 67 countries (CONCORD-2)

BACKGROUND: Worldwide data for cancer survival are scarce. We aimed to initiate worldwide surveillance of cancer survival by central analysis of population-based registry data, as a metric of the effectiveness of health systems, and to inform global policy on cancer control.

METHODS: Individual tumour records were submitted by 279 population-based cancer registries in 67 countries for 25·7 million adults (age 15-99 years) and 75,000 children (age 0-14 years) diagnosed with cancer during 1995-2009 and followed up to Dec 31, 2009, or later. We looked at cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, liver, lung, breast (women), cervix, ovary, and prostate in adults, and adult and childhood leukaemia. Standardised quality control procedures were applied; errors were corrected by the registry concerned. We estimated 5-year net survival, adjusted for background mortality in every country or region by age (single year), sex, and calendar year, and by race or ethnic origin in some countries. Estimates were age-standardised with the International Cancer Survival Standard weights.

FINDINGS: 5-year survival from colon, rectal, and breast cancers has increased steadily in most developed countries. For patients diagnosed during 2005-09, survival for colon and rectal cancer reached 60% or more in 22 countries around the world; for breast cancer, 5-year survival rose to 85% or higher in 17 countries worldwide. Liver and lung cancer remain lethal in all nations: for both cancers, 5-year survival is below 20% everywhere in Europe, in the range 15-19% in North America, and as low as 7-9% in Mongolia and Thailand. Striking rises in 5-year survival from prostate cancer have occurred in many countries: survival rose by 10-20% between 1995-99 and 2005-09 in 22 countries in South America, Asia, and Europe, but survival still varies widely around the world, from less than 60% in Bulgaria and Thailand to 95% or more in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the USA. For cervical cancer, national estimates of 5-year survival range from less than 50% to more than 70%; regional variations are much wider, and improvements between 1995-99 and 2005-09 have generally been slight. For women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005-09, 5-year survival was 40% or higher only in Ecuador, the USA, and 17 countries in Asia and Europe. 5-year survival for stomach cancer in 2005-09 was high (54-58%) in Japan and South Korea, compared with less than 40% in other countries. By contrast, 5-year survival from adult leukaemia in Japan and South Korea (18-23%) is lower than in most other countries. 5-year survival from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is less than 60% in several countries, but as high as 90% in Canada and four European countries, which suggests major deficiencies in the management of a largely curable disease.

INTERPRETATION: International comparison of survival trends reveals very wide differences that are likely to be attributable to differences in access to early diagnosis and optimum treatment. Continuous worldwide surveillance of cancer survival should become an indispensable source of information for cancer patients and researchers and a stimulus for politicians to improve health policy and health-care systems.

Human Rights in Northern Ireland in 2013

This is a report of the variety of developments in human rights law in Northern Ireland during the calendar year 2013. It pays particular attention to references to human rights issues in judicial decisions taken within Northern Ireland.

Call & response - Fall 2008

Call & Response is the newsletter of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, whose mission is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. This is volume III, number 3 and includes a message from the chair, list of board members, preservation project profile, remembrance of Mr. Herbert Alexander DeCosta, Jr., news from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, annual meeting information, and events calendar.

Call & response - Spring/Summer 2008

Call & Response is the newsletter of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, whose mission is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. This is volume III, number 2 and includes a message from the chair, list of board members, preservation project profile, spotlight on Michael A. Allen, news from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and events calendar.

Call & response - Winter 2008

Call & Response is the newsletter of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, whose mission is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. This is volume III, number 1 and includes a message from the chair, list of board members, preservation project profile, news from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and events calendar.

Call & response - Fall 2009

Call & Response is the newsletter of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, whose mission is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. This is volume IV, number 3 and includes a message from the chair, list of board members, preservation project profile, African Americans during the Civil War, news from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and events calendar.

Call & response - Spring/Summer 2009

Call & Response is the newsletter of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, whose mission is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. This is volume IV, number 2 and includes a message from the chair, list of board members, preservation project profile, news from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, annual meeting information, and events calendar.

Call & response - Winter 2009

Call & Response is the newsletter of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, whose mission is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. This is volume IV, number 1 and includes a message from the chair, list of board members, preservation project profile, news from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and events calendar.

Call & response - Fall 2010

Call & Response is the newsletter of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, whose mission is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. This is volume V, number 3 and includes a message from the chair, list of board members, preservation project profile, news from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, annual meeting information, and events calendar.

Call & response - Spring/Summer 2010

Call & Response is the newsletter of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, whose mission is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. This is volume V, number 2 and includes a message from the chair, list of board members, preservation project profile, news from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and events calendar.

Call & response - Winter 2010

Call & Response is the newsletter of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, whose mission is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. This is volume V, number 1 and includes a message from the chair, list of board members, preservation project profile, news from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, annual meeting information, and events calendar.

Call & response - 2011

Call & Response is the newsletter of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, whose mission is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina. This is volume VI and includes a message from the chair, list of board members, preservation project profile, news from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and events calendar.

2011 mortgage log analysis report

The mortgage log report is a requirement of the South Carolina Mortgage Lending Act. The composite information contained herein is derived from the more than 31,000 entries logged by mortgage lenders and mortgage brokers for the 2011 calendar year.