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The 'microclass' approach advocated by Grusky, Weeden and colleagues emphasises fine-grained occupational differences and their relevance to social reproduction and social mobility. Using recent developments in historical occupational classifications, we adopted a microclass approach to the analysis of intergenerational social mobility using linked census data for Norway and the USA in the late 19th and early 20th century (1850–1910). We describe a procedure that offers an operationalisation of microclass units for these datasets, and show how its application enables us to disentangle different forms of immobility which would not be distinguished in other approaches. Results suggest that microclass immobility is an important part of social reproduction in both Norway and the United States during the era of industrialisation. Both countries reveal a similar balance between 'big class' and 'microclass' immobility patterns. In Norway, the relative importance of microclasses in social reproduction regimes, when compared to the role of 'big class' structures, seems to decline very slightly over the course of industrialisation; but in the USA the relative importance of microclasses seems if anything to increase over the period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights several topics discussed during the National Cancer Institute workshop on molecular signatures of infectious agents in the United States. Objectives of the workshop; Contribution of infectious agents in the development of cancer; Emphasis on knowledge deficit related to the identification of cancer etiology.

Humanpapillomaviruses (HPVs) are involved in approximately 5%of all human cancer. Although initially recognized for causing nearlyall cases of cervical carcinoma, much data has now emerged implicatingHPVs as a causal factor in other anogenital cancers as well as a subsetof head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), most commonlyoropharyngeal cancers. Numerous clinical trials have demonstratedthat patients with HPV+ oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC)have improved survival compared to patients with HPV– cancers.Furthermore, epidemiological evidence shows the incidence of OPSCChas been steadily rising over time in the United States. It has beenproposed that an increase in HPV-related OPSCCs is the driving forcebehind the increasing rate of OPSCC. Although some studies have revealedan increase in HPV+ head and neck malignancies over time in specificregions of the United States, there has not been a comprehensive studyvalidating this trend across the entire country. Therefore, we undertookthis meta-analysis to assess all literature through August 2013 thatreported on the prevalence of HPV in OPSCC for patient populationswithin the United States. The results show an increase in the prevalenceof HPV+ OPSCC from 20.9% in the pre-1990 time period to 51.4% in 1990–1999and finally to 65.4% for 2000–present. In this manner, ourstudy provides further evidence to support the hypothesis that HPV-associatedOPSCCs are driving the increasing incidence of OPSCC over time inthe United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]