Incidence and trends of first basal cell carcinomas in France between 1980 and 2019: a regional population-based registry study.

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequent malignancy reported in populations with fair skin. In most countries, BCCs are only partially or not at all recorded, and incidence data are lacking. OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the current incidence rates and trends in the only two French départements where BCCs have been recorded for several decades. METHODS: This regional population-based study thus used data from two French cancer registries (Doubs and Haut-Rhin) where first-time BCC diagnoses were recorded. The European age-standardized incidence rates (EASR) were calculated per 100 000 person-years (PY). The trends and the annual percentages of change were assessed using joinpoint analysis. RESULTS: In all, 48 989 patients were diagnosed with a first BCC in the study period. The median age at diagnosis was 69 years and the BCCs were mainly located on the head and neck (68.8%). In the Doubs area between 1980 and 2016, the EASR of BCC increased from 59.9 to 183.1 per 100 000 PY. The annual increase for men was 5.73% before 1999 and 1.49% thereafter, and among women 4.56% before 2001 and 1.31% thereafter. In the Haut-Rhin area, the EASR increased from 139.2 in 1991 to 182.8 per 100 000 PY in 2019. Among men, the EASR increased annually by 2.31% before 2000, and by 0.29% after 2000; among women, it increased by 0.95% over the entire period (1991-2019). In the most recent period and for these two départements, the age-specific incidence rates of BCC for men and women were close before the age of 60 years, except for the 40-49-year age group, where the rates were significantly higher among women. For patients aged 60 years and over, men had much higher rates of BCC. CONCLUSIONS: BCC incidence has increased since 1980 and is still rising, particularly among men and the elderly. A slowing was observed from 2000, which could be explained by a shift in the management of BCCs and by the possible efficacy of prevention actions. This study provides insight into the BCC burden in France and highlights the need to maintain effective prevention strategies, as incidence is still increasing.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignant tumour reported among people with fair skin. BCC is a type of skin cancer that usually develops following prolonged exposure to sunlight. BCC typically grows slowly and is unlikely to spread to other parts of the body. However, if not treated, it can cause damage to nearby tissues and structures. In many countries, cases of BCC are not accurately recorded by cancer monitoring systems, leading to a lack of data on their frequency. Using population-based data, we aimed to determine the frequency of BCC occurrence and the changes in occurrence rates over time in two regions of France where BCC cases have been recorded consistently for many years. We collected information from two French cancer registries, in Doubs and Haut-Rhin, focusing on patients' first diagnosis of BCC. We calculated the incidence rates of BCC and the trends over time. We found that BCCs were diagnosed at a mean age of 68 years and that they were mainly located in the head and neck area. In recent years, we estimated that around 180 new cases were diagnosed each year for every 100 000 people. In both regions, the BCC occurrence rates increased significantly over time, with a slowing since 2000. Overall, the incidence of BCC has been rising since 1980 and is still increasing, especially among men and in older age groups. Our research points to the importance of promoting effective prevention strategies to limit the increase in BCC incidence in France.

High-Pressure Crystallization of iPP Nucleated with 1,3:2,4-bis(3,4-dimethylbenzylidene)sorbitol.

1,3:2,4-bis(3,4-dimethylbenzylidene)sorbitol (DMDBS) is highly effective in nucleation of the α- form of isotactic polypropylene (iPP). However, its role in high-pressure crystallization of iPP, facilitating the formation of the γ- polymorph, has not been explored. The present paper focuses on the influence of DMDBS on nucleation of high-pressure crystallization of iPP. iPP with 0.2-1.0 wt.% of the DMDBS was crystallized under elevated pressure, up to 300 MPa, in various thermal conditions, and then analyzed by PLM, WAXD, SEM, and DSC. During cooling, crystallization temperatures (Tc) were determined. It was found that under high-pressure DMDBS nucleated crystallization of iPP in the orthorhombic γ- form. As a consequence, Tc and the γ- form content increased for the nucleated iPP, while the size of polycrystalline aggregates decreased, although the effects depended on DMDBS content. The significant increase of Tc and the decrease of grain size under high pressure of 200-300 MPa required higher content of DMDBS than the nucleation of the α-form under lower pressure, possibly due to the effect of pressure on crystallization of DMDBS itself, which is a prerequisite for its nucleating activity.

Global vulnerability of marine mammals to global warming.

Although extinctions due to climate change are still uncommon, they might surpass those caused by habitat loss or overexploitation over the next few decades. Among marine megafauna, mammals fulfill key and irreplaceable ecological roles in the ocean, and the collapse of their populations may therefore have irreversible consequences for ecosystem functioning and services. Using a trait-based approach, we assessed the vulnerability of all marine mammals to global warming under high and low greenhouse gas emission scenarios for the middle and the end of the 21st century. We showed that the North Pacific Ocean, the Greenland Sea and the Barents Sea host the species that are most vulnerable to global warming. Future conservation plans should therefore focus on these regions, where there are long histories of overexploitation and there are high levels of current threats to marine mammals. Among the most vulnerable marine mammals were several threatened species, such as the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) and the dugong (Dugong dugon), that displayed unique combinations of functional traits. Beyond species loss, we showed that the potential extinctions of the marine mammals that were most vulnerable to global warming might induce a disproportionate loss of functional diversity, which may have profound impacts on the future functioning of marine ecosystems worldwide.

Author Correction: Global vulnerability of marine mammals to global warming.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Identifying the drivers of abundance and size of the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in Northwestern Mediterranean lagoons.

Acknowledged as among the worst invasive marine species, Mnemiopsis leidyi has spread through European Seas since the mid-1980's. Here we report a bimonthly survey conducted in 2010-11 in three lagoons (Bages-Sigean, Thau and Berre) and at two adjacent coastal stations (Sète and SOMLIT-Marseille) along the French Mediterranean coast. M. leidyi was present only in Berre and Bages-Sigean with maximum abundances observed in late summer. M. leidyi adults were present year round in Berre with the largest organisms (∼6 cm) observed in April. In Bages-Sigean, they occurred in sufficient abundance to be recorded by fishermen between August and November. Multiple linear regressions highlighted that abundance in both lagoons was mainly influenced by direct effects of salinity and chlorophyll-a, and temperature to a lesser extent. While M. leidyi has not yet been recorded in Thau, the lagoon is continually monitored to detect the potential establishment of M. leidyi.

The role of nucleating agents in high-pressure-induced gamma crystallization in isotactic polypropylene.

Nucleation of the γ-form in isotactic polypropylene (PP) under high pressure was investigated. Three nucleating agents were used to nucleate crystallization of PP under atmospheric pressure: commercial Hyperform HPN-20E from Milliken Chemical, poly(tetrafluoroethylene) particles nucleating the α-form, and calcium pimelate nucleating the ß-form. Crystallization of neat PP and PP with addition of 0.2 wt% of the nucleating agents was studied. Specimens were either kept at 200 °C under pressure of 200 MPa for time ranging from 2 min to 4 h or for 15 min under pressure ranging from 1.3 to 300 MPa. After cooling to ambient temperature and releasing the pressure, the specimens were analyzed by DSC, WAXD, and PLM to have an insight into the structure and to determine a crystallinity level and contents of crystallographic forms. Both α-nucleating agents strongly nucleated crystallization of PP under high pressure in the γ-form, whereas the ß-nucleating agent had only a slight effect. The results show the possibility to use nucleating agents to nucleate the γ-form of PP under high pressure.