Objective To analyze trends in cancer incidence and mortality (France, 1990-2018), with a focus on men-women disparities. Methods Incidence data stemmed from cancer registries (FRANCIM) and mortality ...data from national statistics (CépiDc). Incidence and mortality rates were modelled using bidimensional penalized splines of age and year (at diagnosis and at death, respectively). Trends in age-standardized rates were summarized by the average annual percent changes (AAPC) for all-cancers combined, 19 solid tumors, and 8 subsites. Sex gaps were indicated using male-to-female rate ratios (relative difference) and male-to-female rate differences (absolute difference) in 1990 and 2018, for incidence and mortality, respectively. Results For all-cancers, the sex gap narrowed over 1990-2018 in incidence (1.6 to 1.2) and mortality (2.3 to 1.7). The largest decreases of the male-to-female incidence rate ratio were for cancers of the lung (9.5 to 2.2), lip - oral cavity - pharynx (10.9 to 3.1), esophagus (12.6 to 4.5) and larynx (17.1 to 7.1). Mixed trends emerged in lung and oesophageal cancers, probably explained by differing risk factors for the two main histological subtypes. Sex incidence gaps narrowed due to increasing trends in men and women for skin melanoma (0.7 to 1, due to initially higher rates in women), cancers of the liver (7.4 to 4.4) and pancreas (2.0 to 1.4). Sex incidence gaps narrowed for colon-rectum (1.7 to 1.4), urinary bladder (6.9 to 6.1) and stomach (2.7 to 2.4) driven by decreasing trends among men. Other cancers showed similar increasing incidence trends in both sexes leading to stable sex gaps: thyroid gland (0.3 to 0.3), kidney (2.2 to 2.4) and central nervous system (1.4 to 1.5). Conclusion In France in 2018, while men still had higher risks of developing or dying from most cancers, the sex gap was narrowing. Efforts should focus on avoiding risk factors (e.g., smoking) and developing etiological studies to understand currently unexplained increasing trends. Keywords: Cancer, Incidence, Mortality, Registries, Sex, Trends
The study aimed to evaluate the effects of linseed and oregano supplementation to the diet of goats on fatty acid profile and sensory properties of Padraccio, a typical cheese produced during spring ...through summer in the Basilicata region (southern Italy). Extruded linseed and dried oregano inflorescences were integrated in the pelleted concentrate supplementation (500 g/head per day) in 21 grazing goats that were randomly assigned, 7 per group, to the following experimental treatments: concentrate, concentrate with addition of linseed, and concentrate with addition of linseed and oregano. Pooled milk from each group was used in cheesemaking. From a nutritional perspective, integration of extruded linseed in the goat diet improved the fatty acid profile of Padraccio cheese. Moreover, the cheese from this group evidenced the highest scoring on color, flavor, texture, and overall liking.
Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) have a prominent role in the maintenance of intestine mucosa homeostasis. The hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is an important modulator of immune cell activation ...and a key mechanism for cellular adaptation to oxygen deprivation. However, its role on ILC3 is not well known. In this study, we investigated how a hypoxic environment modulates ILC3 response and the subsequent participation of HIF-1 signaling in this process. We found increased proliferation and activation of intestinal ILC3 at low oxygen levels, a response that was phenocopied when HIF-1α was chemically stabilized and was reversed when HIF-1 was blocked. The increased activation of ILC3 relied on a HIF-1α-dependent transcriptional program, but not on mTOR-signaling or a switch to glycolysis. HIF-1α deficiency in RORyt compartment resulted in impaired IL-17 and IL-22 production by ILC3 in vivo, which reflected in a lower expression of their target genes in the intestinal epithelium and an increased susceptibility to Clostridiodes difficile infection. Taken together, our results show that HIF-1α activation in intestinal ILC3 is relevant for their functions in steady state and infectious conditions.
•The shear properties of SFRC with fibers recycled from scrap tires were studied.•Fresh and hardened concrete properties are reported.•Experimental direct shear tests were carried out on specimens ...varying the type of fibre reinforcements.•An analytical analysis was done aims to evaluate the shear stress versus displacement curves.•The obtained results confirm promising applications of concrete reinforced with RSF.
The sustainability of construction materials is a mandatory issue that started to be strongly felt in view of a global perspective of environmental protection. Wasted materials often may find a new lifecycle if well re-engineered, even in structural applications. In this field short steel fibers obtained from used tyres at the end of their life may find promising applications within a concrete matrix. In the present research the mechanical properties of recycled steel fiber-reinforced concrete in terms of workability, compressive and tensile strength, toughness and shear behaviour are analysed and compared with those of industrial steel fiber-reinforced concrete and ordinary Portland concrete. An experimental campaign is illustrated, and an extensive comparison in terms of shear strength has been studied considering different experimental works available in scientific literature. Moreover, a theoretical analysis aimed at evaluating and comparing the shear modulus of the analysed concrete type was carried out. The results obtained through this study show a satisfactory behaviour of the concrete reinforced with recycled steel fibers compared with industrial new steel fibers reinforced concrete, both in terms of toughness and shear behaviour.
Host innate responses to bacterial infections are primarily mediated by neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages. These cells express pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that bind conserved molecular ...structures shared by groups of microorganisms. Stimulation of PRR signalling pathways initiates secretion of proinflammatory mediators, which promote the elimination of infectious agents and the induction of tissue repair. Excessive inflammation owing to bacterial infections can lead to tissue damage and septic shock. Here we show that inflammatory responses to microbial products are amplified by a pathway mediated by triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM)-1. TREM-1 is an activating receptor expressed at high levels on neutrophils and monocytes that infiltrate human tissues infected with bacteria. Furthermore, it is upregulated on peritoneal neutrophils of patients with microbial sepsis and mice with experimental lipopolysaccaride (LPS)-induced shock. Notably, blockade of TREM-1 protects mice against LPS-induced shock, as well as microbial sepsis caused by live Escherichia coli or caecal ligation and puncture. These results demonstrate a critical function of TREM-1 in acute inflammatory responses to bacteria and implicate TREM-1 as a potential therapeutic target for septic shock.
•The parameters studied were influenced mainly by sex than by diet.•The males gave better growth performances but a lower dressing percentage at slaughter; the females presented a fatter carcass and ...a less bright meat.•The meat of male receiving linseed showed a higher ALA content but not a greater synthesis of long-chain PUFAs.•The males fed on linseed provide meat with the best PUFA: SFA and n-6: n-3 ratios.
This research aimed to evaluate the effect of diet lipid source and sex on meat quality and lipid fatty acid composition in fattening lambs. Twenty-eight Gentile di Puglia breed lambs were weaned at about 35 days of age and included in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme of two sexes (males vs. females) and two diets (soybean meal vs. extruded linseed).
Lambs fed linseed diet had a higher carcass fat score than lambs fed soybean diet. The linseed diet gave a higher (P < 0.05) PUFA content and a lower n-6/n-3 ratio than the soybean diet. The females had lower (P < 0.01) daily growth rates, higher (P < 0.01) feed conversion ratio, greater (P < 0.01) dressing percentages and fatter carcasses (P < 0.01); while, the meat of the males showed higher values of final pH, brightness and yellow index. The males showed a lower PUFA n-6:n-3 ratio in comparison with females.
In conclusion, the diet influenced fewer variables compared to sex. The fatty acid composition of meat resulted more satisfying in males than females.
The objective of this study was to provide updated estimates of national trends in cancer incidence and mortality for France for 1980-2005.
Twenty-five cancer sites were analysed. Incidence data over ...the 1975-2003 period were collected from 17 registries working at the department level, covering 16% of the French population. Mortality data for 1975-2004 were provided by the Inserm. National incidence estimates were based on the use of mortality as a correlate of incidence, mortality being available at both department and national levels. Observed incidence and mortality data were modelled using an age-cohort approach, including an interaction term. Short-term predictions from that model gave estimates of new cancer cases and cancer deaths in 2005 for France.
The number of new cancer cases in 2005 was approximately 320,000. This corresponds to an 89% increase since 1980. Demographic changes were responsible for almost half of that increase. The remainder was largely explained by increases in prostate cancer incidence in men and breast cancer incidence in women. The relative increase in the world age-standardised incidence rate was 39%. The number of deaths from cancer increased from 130,000 to 146,000. This 13% increase was much lower than anticipated on the basis of demographic changes (37%). The relative decrease in the age-standardised mortality rate was 22%. This decrease was steeper over the 2000-2005 period in both men and women. Alcohol-related cancer incidence and mortality continued to decrease in men. The increasing trend of lung cancer incidence and mortality among women continued; this cancer was the second cause of cancer death among women. Breast cancer incidence increased regularly, whereas mortality has decreased slowly since the end of the 1990s.
This study confirmed the divergence of cancer incidence and mortality trends in France over the 1980-2005 period. This divergence can be explained by the combined effects of a decrease in the incidence of the most aggressive cancers and an increase in the incidence of less aggressive cancers, partly due to changes in medical practices leading to earlier diagnoses.
Aims/hypothesis
To assess the associations between glucose metabolism status and a range of continuous measures of glycaemia with corneal nerve fibre measures, as assessed using corneal confocal ...microscopy.
Methods
We used population-based observational cross-sectional data from the Maastricht Study of
N
=3471 participants (mean age 59.4 years, 48.4% men, 14.7% with prediabetes, 21.0% with type 2 diabetes) to study the associations, after adjustment for demographic, cardiovascular risk and lifestyle factors, between glucose metabolism status (prediabetes and type 2 diabetes vs normal glucose metabolism) plus measures of glycaemia (fasting plasma glucose, 2 h post-load glucose, HbA
1c
, skin autofluorescence SAF and duration of diabetes) and composite
Z
-scores of corneal nerve fibre measures or individual corneal nerve fibre measures (corneal nerve bifurcation density, corneal nerve density, corneal nerve length and fractal dimension). We used linear regression analysis, and, for glucose metabolism status, performed a linear trend analysis.
Results
After full adjustment, a more adverse glucose metabolism status was associated with a lower composite
Z
-score for corneal nerve fibre measures (
β
coefficients 95% CI, prediabetes vs normal glucose metabolism −0.08 −0.17, 0.03, type 2 diabetes vs normal glucose metabolism −0.14 −0.25, −0.04; linear trend analysis showed a
p
value of 0.001), and higher levels of measures of glycaemia (fasting plasma glucose, 2 h post-load glucose, HbA
1c
, SAF and duration of diabetes) were all significantly associated with a lower composite
Z
-score for corneal nerve fibre measures (per SD: −0.09 −0.13, −0.05, −0.07 −0.11, −0.03, −0.08 −0.11, −0.04, −0.05 −0.08, −0.01, −0.09 −0.17, −0.001, respectively). In general, directionally similar associations were observed for individual corneal nerve fibre measures.
Conclusions/interpretation
To our knowledge, this is the first population-based study to show that a more adverse glucose metabolism status and higher levels of glycaemic measures were all linearly associated with corneal neurodegeneration after adjustment for an extensive set of potential confounders. Our results indicate that glycaemia-associated corneal neurodegeneration is a continuous process that starts before the onset of type 2 diabetes. Further research is needed to investigate whether early reduction of hyperglycaemia can prevent corneal neurodegeneration.
Graphical Abstract
•Performances of OPC/CSA concretes were investigated over time.•Drying shrinkage decrease as the amount of CSA cement blended with OPC increases.•Flexural behaviour of R.C. beams made with different ...CSA cement amount was studied.•Long-term behaviour of R.C. beams under sustained flexural load was investigated.•High creep deformation in case of R.C. beams made with low CSA amount was observed.
A worldwide increase of the use of Calcium Sulfoaluminate cement (CSA) is observed in the recent years, especially for application for which fast development of mechanical properties and volume stability are required. Moreover, the lower CO2 emission deriving by the CSA manufacturing process than Portland cement (OPC), allows to classify such type of cement as “green binder”. Limited information are still to date available in the scientific literature regarding the short and long-term behaviour of reinforced concrete elements made using pure CSA cement or blended with Portland. The aim of this work is to improve the knowledge about the use of CSA concrete for structural and non-structural application, providing information about the flexural behaviour of reinforced concrete structural beams made replacing different portions of CSA cement with OPC. Mechanical characterization at different ages of the concrete mixtures was performed as well as the monitoring of the volume change properties. Moreover, study of the influence of the environmental condition and service load on the flexural behaviour of the beams was performed. Concretes made with pure CSA or CSA blended with OPC have generally highlighted better mechanical properties than the reference mix made with OPC cements, including a reduction of the drying shrinkage deformations as the amount of CSA cement increases. However, despite the higher compressive strength obtained for the pure CSA and blended concrete mixtures, a comparable elastic modulus with that measured for the reference mixture was observed. The bending tests performed on the beam samples evidenced as the addition of CSA cement seems not influential for crack pattern in terms of crack width, while a better response was observed in case of pure CSA concrete. Moreover, a higher ductile behaviour was obtained for the beam made with a CSA cement amount equal to 30% of the total cement content, reasonably due to the relaxation concrete phenomena, as also confirmed by the long-term results regarding the same type of beams. In fact, such beam has highlighted the highest mid-span deflection at long-term compared with the other monitored beams. However, comparing the experimental results was observe an improvement of the flexural behaviour increasing the CSA amount. In particular the beam made replacing 50% of OPC with CSA binder that has highlighted the lowest percentage increase over time in terms of crack width and mid-span deflection.
Abstract
Background
Pesticide exposures are suspected to be implicated in the excess of central nervous system (CNS) tumours observed in farmers, but evidence concerning individual pesticides remains ...limited. Carbamate insecticides, used on a wide range of crops, have shown evidence of carcinogenicity in some experimental studies. In the cohort AGRICAN (AGRIculture & CANcer), we assessed the associations between potential exposures to carbamate insecticides and the incidence of CNS tumours, overall and by histological subtype.
Methods
AGRICAN enrolled 181 842 participants involved in agriculture. Incident CNS tumours were identified by linkage with cancer registries from enrolment (2005–07) until 2013. Carbamate exposure was assessed by combining information on lifetime periods of pesticide use on crop or livestock and the French crop-exposure matrix PESTIMAT, individually for each of the 19 carbamate insecticides registered in France since 1950. Associations were estimated using proportional hazards models with age as the underlying time scale, adjusting for gender, educational level and smoking.
Results
During a 6.9-year average follow-up, 381 incident cases of CNS tumours occurred, including 164 gliomas and 134 meningiomas. Analyses showed increased risks of CNS tumours with overall exposure to carbamate insecticides and linear trends with duration of use of each carbamate. Considering tumour subtypes, hazard ratios for gliomas ranged from 1.18 for thiofanox to 4.60 for formetanate, and for meningiomas from 1.51 for carbaryl to 3.67 for thiofanox.
Conclusions
Findings reinforce carcinogenicity evidence for already suspected active ingredients and draw attention to additional active ingredients, notably used on fruit trees, vineyards, potatoes and beets.
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