A Late Pleistocene coastal ecosystem in French Guiana was hyperdiverse relative to today.

Warmer temperatures and higher sea level than today characterized the Last Interglacial interval [Pleistocene, 128 to 116 thousand years ago (ka)]. This period is a remarkable deep-time analog for temperature and sea-level conditions as projected for 2100 AD, yet there has been no evidence of fossil assemblages in the equatorial Atlantic. Here, we report foraminifer, metazoan (mollusks, bony fish, bryozoans, decapods, and sharks among others), and plant communities of coastal tropical marine and mangrove affinities, dating precisely from a ca. 130 to 115 ka time interval near the Equator, at Kourou, in French Guiana. These communities include ca. 230 recent species, some being endangered today and/or first recorded as fossils. The hyperdiverse Kourou mollusk assemblage suggests stronger affinities between Guianese and Caribbean coastal waters by the Last Interglacial than today, questioning the structuring role of the Amazon Plume on tropical Western Atlantic communities at the time. Grassland-dominated pollen, phytoliths, and charcoals from younger deposits in the same sections attest to a marine retreat and dryer conditions during the onset of the last glacial (ca. 110 to 50 ka), with a savanna-dominated landscape and episodes of fire. Charcoals from the last millennia suggest human presence in a mosaic of modern-like continental habitats. Our results provide key information about the ecology and biogeography of pristine Pleistocene tropical coastal ecosystems, especially relevant regarding the-widely anthropogenic-ongoing global warming.

Genome-wide detection of multiple variants associated with teat number in French Yorkshire pigs.

BACKGROUND: Teat number is a vital reproductive trait in sows, crucial for providing immunity and nutrition to piglets during lactation. However, "missing heritability" in Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP)-based Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) has led to an increasing focus on structural variations in the genetic analysis of complex biological traits. RESULTS: In this study, we generated a comprehensive CNV map in a population of French Yorkshire pigs (n = 644) and identified 429 CNVRs. Notably, 44% (189 CNVRs) of these were detected for the first time. Subsequently, we conducted GWAS for teat number in the French Yorkshire pig population using both 80K chip and its imputed data, as well as a GWAS analysis based on CNV regions (CNVR). Interestingly, 80K chip GWAS identified two SNPs located on Sus scrofa chromosome 5 (SSC5) that were simultaneously associated with Total Teat Number (TTN), Left Teat Number (LTN), and Right Teat Number (RTN). The leading SNP (WU_10.2_5_76130558) explained 3.33%, 2.69%, and 2.67% of the phenotypic variance for TTN, LTN, and RTN, respectively. Moreover, through imputed GWAS, we successfully identified 30 genetic variants associated with TTN located within the 73.22 -73.30 Mb region on SSC5. The two SNPs identified in the 80K chip GWAS were also located in this region. In addition, CNVR-based GWAS revealed three significant CNVRs associated with TTN. Finally, through gene annotation, we pinpointed two candidate genes, TRIM66 and PRICKLE1, which are related to diverse processes such as breast cancer and abnormal vertebral development. CONCLUSIONS: Our research provides an in-depth analysis of the complex genetic structure underlying teat number, contributing to the genetic enhancement of sows with improved reproductive performance and, ultimately, bolstering the economic benefits of swine production enterprises.

Retrospective Study of Infections with Corynebacterium diphtheriae Species Complex, French Guiana, 2016-2021.

Human infections with Corynebacterium diphtheriae species complex (CdSC) bacteria were rare in French Guiana until 2016, when the number of cases diagnosed increased. We conducted an epidemiologic, multicenter, retrospective study of all human CdSC infections diagnosed in French Guiana during January 1, 2016-December 31, 2021. A total of 64 infectious episodes were observed in 60 patients; 61 infections were caused by C. diphtheriae and 3 by C. ulcerans. Estimated incidence increased from 0.7 cases/100,000 population in 2016 to 7.7 cases/100,000 population in 2021. The mean patient age was 30.4 (+23.7) years, and male-to-female ratio was 1.7:1 (38/22). Of the 61 C. diphtheriae isolates, 5 tested positive for the diphtheria toxin gene, and all results were negative by Elek test; 95% (61/64) of cases were cutaneous, including the C. ulcerans cases. The increase in reported human infections underscores the need to raise awareness among frontline healthcare practitioners to improve prevention.

Sea anemone (Anthozoa, Actiniaria) diversity in Mo'orea (French Polynesia).

Sea anemones (Order Actiniaria) are a diverse group of marine invertebrates ubiquitous across marine ecosystems. Despite their wide distribution and success, a knowledge gap persists in our understanding of their diversity within tropical systems, owed to sampling bias of larger and more charismatic species overshadowing cryptic lineages. This study aims to delineate the sea anemone diversity in Mo'orea (French Polynesia) with the use of a dataset from the Mo'orea Biocode's "BioBlitz" initiative, which prioritized the sampling of more cryptic and understudied taxa. Implementing a target enrichment approach, we integrate 71 newly sequenced samples into an expansive phylogenetic framework and contextualize Mo'orea's diversity within global distribution patterns of sea anemones. Our analysis corroborates the presence of several previously documented sea anemones in French Polynesia and identifies for the first time the occurrence of members of genera Andvakia and Aiptasiomorpha. This research unveils the diverse sea anemone ecosystem in Mo'orea, spotlighting the area's ecological significance and emphasizing the need for continued exploration. Our methodology, encompassing a broad BLAST search coupled with phylogenetic analysis, proved to be a practical and effective approach for overcoming the limitations posed by the lack of comprehensive sequence data for sea anemones. We discuss the merits and limitations of current molecular methodologies and stress the importance of further research into lesser-studied marine organisms like sea anemones. Our work sets a precedent for future phylogenetic studies stemming from BioBlitz endeavors.

Use of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying therapies during pregnancy in France: Nationwide study between 2010 and 2021.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently affects women of childbearing age and pregnant women. OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of MS disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) during pregnancy in France over the last decade, marked by an increasing DMTs availability. METHODS: All pregnancies ended from April 2010 to December 2021 in women with MS were identified based on the nationwide Mother-Child Register EPI-MERES, built from the French National Health Data System (Système National des Données de Santé (SNDS)). RESULTS: Of a total of 20,567 pregnancies in women with MS, 7587 were exposed to DMT. The number of DMT-exposed pregnancies markedly increased from 1079 in 2010-2012 to 2413 in 2019-2021 (+124%), especially those exposed to glatiramer acetate, natalizumab, dimethyl fumarate, and anti-CD20. Among pregnancies of women on DMT 6 months before pregnancy, 78.0% underwent DMT discontinuation and 7.6% switched DMT, generally before (33.0% and 77.0%, respectively) or during the first trimester of pregnancy (58.3% and 17.8%, respectively). DMT discontinuation decreased from 84.0% in 2010-2012 to 72.4% in 2019-2021 and was less frequent among women aged ⩾35 years and those socioeconomically disadvantaged. CONCLUSION: Despite MS therapeutic management adaptations to pregnancy, exposure during pregnancy to treatments whose safety profile has not yet been clearly established has increased sharply over the last decade.

Kinetics of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity during Plasmodium vivax infection: implications for early radical malaria treatment.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium vivax relapses due to dormant liver hypnozoites can be prevented with primaquine. However, the dose must be adjusted in individuals with glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. In French Guiana, assessment of G6PD activity is typically delayed until day (D)14 to avoid the risk if misclassification. This study assessed the kinetics of G6PD activity throughout P. vivax infection to inform the timing of treatment. METHODS: For this retrospective monocentric study, data on G6PD activity between D1 and D28 after treatment initiation with chloroquine or artemisinin-based combination therapy were collected for patients followed at Cayenne Hospital, French Guiana, between January 2018 and December 2020. Patients were divided into three groups based on the number of available G6PD activity assessments: (i) at least two measurements during the P. vivax malaria infection; (ii) two measurements: one during the current infection and one previously; (iii) only one measurement during the malaria infection. RESULTS: In total, 210 patients were included (80, 20 and 110 in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively). Data from group 1 showed that G6PD activity remained stable in each patient over time (D1, D3, D7, D14, D21, D28). None of the patients with normal G6PD activity during the initial phase (D1-D3) of the malaria episode (n = 44) was categorized as G6PD-deficient at D14. Patients with G6PD activity < 80% at D1 or D3 showed normal activity at D14. Sex and reticulocyte count were statistically associated with G6PD activity variation. In the whole sample (n = 210), no patient had severe G6PD deficiency (< 10%) and only three between 10 and 30%, giving a G6PD deficiency prevalence of 1.4%. Among the 100 patients from group 1 and 2, 30 patients (26.5%) were lost to follow-up before primaquine initiation. CONCLUSIONS: In patients treated for P. vivax infection, G6PD activity did not vary over time. Therefore, G6PD activity on D1 instead of D14 could be used for primaquine dose-adjustment. This could allow earlier radical treatment with primaquine, that could have a public health impact by decreasing early recurrences and patients lost to follow-up before primaquine initiation. This hypothesis needs to be confirmed in larger prospective studies.

Invertebrate sounds from photic to mesophotic coral reefs reveal vertical stratification and diel diversity.

Although mesophotic coral ecosystems account for approximately 80% of coral reefs, they remain largely unexplored due to their challenging accessibility. The acoustic richness within reefs has led scientists to consider passive acoustic monitoring as a reliable method for studying both altiphotic and mesophotic coral reefs. We investigated the relationship between benthic invertebrate sounds (1.5-22.5 kHz), depth, and benthic cover composition, key ecological factors that determine differences between altiphotic and mesophotic reefs. Diel patterns of snaps and peak frequencies were also explored at different depths to assess variations in biorhythms. Acoustic recorders were deployed at 20 m, 60 m, and 120 m depths across six islands in French Polynesia. The results indicated that depth is the primary driver of differences in broadband transient sound (BTS) soundscapes, with sound intensity decreasing as depth increases. At 20-60 m, sounds were louder at night. At 120 m depth, benthic activity rhythms exhibited low or highly variable levels of diel variation, likely a consequence of reduced solar irradiation. On three islands, a peculiar peak in the number of BTS was observed every day between 7 and 9 PM at 120 m, suggesting the presence of cyclic activities of a specific species. Our results support the existence of different invertebrate communities or distinct behaviors, particularly in deep mesophotic reefs. Overall, this study adds to the growing evidence supporting the use of passive acoustic monitoring to describe and understand ecological patterns in mesophotic reefs.

Exposure of the general French population to metals and metalloids in 2014-2016: Results from the Esteban study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the Esteban study was to describe levels of various biomarkers of exposure to several environmental pollutants, including metals and metalloids, among the French population. This paper describes the distribution of concentrations of 28 metals and metalloids in two different populations, and estimates the main determinants of exposure to total arsenic, the sum of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and its two metabolites monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury and nickel. METHODS: Esteban is a cross-sectional study conducted between 2014 and 2016 on a random sample of 2503 adults (18-74 years old) and 1104 children (6-17 years old) from the general population. The data collected included biological samples (blood, hair, and urines), socio-demographic characteristics, environmental and occupational exposure, and information on dietary factors and lifestyle. The geometric mean and percentiles of the distribution were estimated for each metal. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify the determinants of exposure using a generalized linear model. RESULTS: Only four metals had a quantification rate below 90% in adults (beryllium, iridium, palladium, and platinum), and three metals in children (beryllium, iridium, and platinum). The concentrations of total arsenic, cadmium, chromium and mercury were higher than those found in most international studies. The determinants significantly associated with exposure were mainly diet and smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Esteban provided a nationwide description of 28 metal and metalloid exposure levels for adults (some never measured before) and for the first time in children. The study results highlighted widespread exposure to several metals and metalloids. These results could be used to advocate public health decisions for continued efforts to reduce harmful exposure to toxic metals. The Reference values (RV95) built from Esteban could also be used to support future government strategies.

Prokaryotic communities of the French Polynesian sponge Dactylospongia metachromia display a site-specific and stable diversity during an aquaculture trial.

Dynamics of microbiomes through time are fundamental regarding survival and resilience of their hosts when facing environmental alterations. As for marine species with commercial applications, such as marine sponges, assessing the temporal change of prokaryotic communities allows us to better consider the adaptation of sponges to aquaculture designs. The present study aims to investigate the factors shaping the microbiome of the sponge Dactylospongia metachromia, in a context of aquaculture development in French Polynesia, Rangiroa, Tuamotu archipelago. A temporal approach targeting explants collected during farming trials revealed a relative high stability of the prokaryotic diversity, meanwhile a complementary biogeographical study confirmed a spatial specificity amongst samples at different longitudinal scales. Results from this additional spatial analysis confirmed that differences in prokaryotic communities might first be explained by environmental changes (mainly temperature and salinity), while no significant effect of the host phylogeny was observed. The core community of D. metachromia is thus characterized by a high spatiotemporal constancy, which is a good prospect for the sustainable exploitation of this species towards drug development. Indeed, a microbiome stability across locations and throughout the farming process, as evidenced by our results, should go against a negative influence of sponge translocation during in situ aquaculture.

Return Migration and Fertility: French Overseas Emigrants, Returnees, and Nonmigrants at Origin and Destination.

Although growing research has emphasized the critical importance of studying returns for understanding various aspects of migration processes, knowledge regarding return migrants' fertility behaviors remains limited. This study addresses this knowledge gap by comparing rates of first births and completed fertility among three groups: nonmigrants (at origin), migrants, and return migrants. Using extensive data collected both in the home regions and at destination, we analyze female migration from Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Réunion Island to metropolitan France (European France). We find intermediate fertility behaviors for return migrants relative to nonmigrants and migrants: on average, completed fertility levels are lower among return migrants than nonmigrants but slightly higher among return migrants than migrants. Some of these differences can be attributed to selection into migration and return, although significant gaps persist among women with similar socioeconomic characteristics. Our findings highlight three key observations. First, when migrants return before beginning childbearing, their transition to motherhood closely resembles that of nonmigrants with similar characteristics. Second, the lower fertility rates among prospective return migrants indicate an anticipation of disruption effects. Finally, reduced fertility while residing in metropolitan France translates into lower completed fertility rates for return migrants.

Establishing non-fasting reference values for plasma lipids levels based on age, sex, and puberty stage in a French-Canadian pediatric population.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemias, including familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), are a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. FH is a genetic disorder resulting in elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and an increased probability of early cardiovascular disorders. Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) is the most common form, affecting approximately 1 in 250 individuals worldwide, with a higher prevalence among the French-Canadian population. Childhood is a critical period for screening risk factors, but the recommendation for non-fasting screening remains controversial due to a lack of specific reference values for this state. This study aims to establish reference values for lipid levels in non-fasting children from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, that will be specific for sex, age, and pubertal stages. METHODS: Blood samples and corresponding anthropometric data were collected from 356 healthy children aged from 6 to 13. They were categorized either into two age groups: Cohort 6-8 and Cohort 9-13, or into pubertal stages. Reference values, specifically the 2.5th, 5th, 10th, 50th, 90th, 95th, and 97.5th percentiles were determined using the CLSI C28-A3 guidelines. RESULTS: Lipid profiles did not significantly differ between sexes, except for higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) in boys within Cohort 6-8. HDL-C levels significantly increased, while LDL-C and non-HDL-C levels significantly decreased in both sexes with age. Non-fasting age- and pubertal stages-specific reference values were established. CONCLUSION: This study established reference intervals for lipid markers in non-fasting state within the pediatric French-Canadian population. These findings could be used in dyslipidemia screening in daily practice.

The impact of air pollution on the facial skin of Caucasian women using real-life pollutant exposure measurements.

BACKGROUND: To date, studies examining the effect of air pollution on skin characteristics have relied on regional pollution estimates obtained from fixed monitoring sites. Hence, there remains a need to characterize the impact of air pollution in vivo in real-time conditions. We conducted an initial investigation under real-life conditions, with the purpose of characterizing the in vivo impact of various pollutants on the facial skin condition of women living in Paris over a 6-month period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A smartphone application linked to the Breezometer platform was used to collect participants' individual exposures to pollutants through the recovery of global positioning system (GPS) data over a 6-month period. Daily exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 µm and PM 10 µm), pollen, and air quality was measured. Facial skin color, roughness, pore, hydration, elasticity, and wrinkle measurements were taken at the end of the 6-month period. Participants' cumulated pollutant exposure over 6 months was calculated. Data were stratified into two groups (lower vs. higher pollutant exposure) for each pollutant. RESULTS: 156 women (20-60 years-old) were recruited, with 124 women completing the study. Higher PM 2.5 µm exposure was associated with altered skin color and increased roughness under the eye. Higher PM 10 µm exposure with increased wrinkles and roughness under the eye, increased pore appearance, and decreased skin hydration. Exposure to poorer air quality was linked with increased forehead wrinkles and decreased skin elasticity, while higher pollen exposure increased skin roughness and crow's feet. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a potential correlation between air pollution and facial skin in real-life conditions. Prolonged exposure to PM, gases, and pollen may be linked to clinical signs of skin ageing. This study highlights the importance of longer monitoring over time in real conditions to characterize the effect of pollution on the skin.

Relationship between children's eating behavior (1-6 years) and body mass index: a cross-sectional study in French maternal-infant protection centers within the Parisian region.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of obesity-promoting dietary behavior patterns improves the identification of at-risk families and the implementation of interventions. This is accomplished through the use of the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). No study has been conducted using the CEBQ in children followed in Essonne's Maternal-Infant Protection (PMI) centers. We investigated, in a cross-sectional design, the differences in children's eating behavior with PMI follow-up according to their weight status. METHODS: A questionnaire addressed to parents was collected in PMI centers. Multiple hierarchical regression analysis was used to investigate the predictability of the child's CEBQ on body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: From January to April 2022, 850 children were selected, from which 500 (aged 1-6 years) were included, and of whom 10.6% were obese. There was a significant positive association between 'Food Responsiveness', 'Enjoyment of Food' and BMI. In contrast, there was a significant negative association between 'Satiety Responsiveness', 'Slowness in Eating' and BMI. Besides, 'Food approach' and 'food avoidance' behaviors were positively and negatively related to BMI z-scores, respectively. CONCLUSION: Due to significant differences in children's eating behavior according to their weight, it is needed to raise awareness among parents about their impact on them.

Tonal interference in word learning? A comparison of Cantonese and French.

Most languages of the world use lexical tones to contrast words. Thus, understanding how individuals process tones when learning new words is fundamental for a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying word learning. The current study asked how tonal information is integrated during word learning. We investigated whether variability in tonal information during learning can interfere with the learning of new words and whether this is language and age dependent. Cantonese- and French-learning 30-month-olds (N = 97) and Cantonese- and French-speaking adults (N = 50) were tested with an eye-tracking task on their ability to learn phonetically different pairs of novel words in two learning conditions: a 1-tone condition in which each object was named with a single label and a 3-tone condition in which each object was named with three different labels varying in tone. We predicted learning in all groups in the 1-tone condition. For the 3-tone condition, because tones are part of the phonological system of Cantonese but not of French, we expected the Cantonese groups to either fail (toddlers) or show lower performance than in the 1-tone condition (adults), whereas the French groups might show less sensitivity to this manipulation. The results show that all participants learned in the 1-tone condition and were sensitive to tone variation to some extent. Learning in the 3-tone condition was impeded in both groups of toddlers. We argue that tonal interference in word learning likely comes from the phonological level in the Cantonese groups and from the acoustic level in the French groups.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and associated factors of infection before and after the Delta wave in French Polynesia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: French Polynesia (FP) comprises 75 inhabited islands scattered across five archipelagos. Between July and October 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant triggered a much stronger second epidemic wave in FP than the original Wuhan strain, which was dominant from August 2020 to March 2021. Although previous seroprevalence surveys made it possible to determine the proportion of the population infected by SARS-CoV-2 on the two most populated islands (Tahiti and Moorea) after the first (20.6% in Tahiti and 9.4% in Moorea) and second (57.7% in Tahiti) epidemic waves, no data are available for more remote islands. We used blood samples and personal data collected before, during, and after the second wave from inhabitants of several islands within the five archipelagos to assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections and identify associated factors. METHODS: Blood samples and personal data were collected between April and December 2021 as part of the MATAEA study, a cross-sectional survey conducted on a random sample of the adult population representative of the five FP archipelagos and stratified by age and gender. IgG antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein were detected using a recombinant antigen-based microsphere immunoassay. Factors associated with anti-SARS-CoV-2-N seropositivity were identified using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Of 1,120 participants, 503 (44.9%) tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2-N antibodies, corresponding to a weighted prevalence of 56.8% for the FP population aged 18-69 years. The seroprevalence increased from 21.9% to 62.1% before and during/after the Delta wave. Of these infections, only 28.4% had been diagnosed by health professionals. The odds of being seropositive were lower in males, participants recruited before the Delta wave, those who had never been married, those with a diagnosed respiratory allergy, smokers, and those vaccinated against COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm the high impact of the Delta wave in FP. By the end of 2021, 56.8% of the FP population aged 18-69 years had been infected by SARS-CoV-2; the majority of these infections went undetected. Individuals with respiratory allergies were found to be less susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

[Canada's guidance on alcohol and health : A paradigm shift]. / Kanadas Leitlinienempfehlung zu Alkohol und Gesundheit : Ein Paradigmenwechsel.

Alcohol is a socially accepted food and beverage and as a cultural asset is also part of religious rituals. It can be an intoxicant and an addictive substance. It is also a noxious substance as around 3 million people worldwide die every year as a result of alcohol consumption. With the publication by Zhao et al. 2023 the relationship between the quantity of alcohol consumption and mortality reached a new level and changed the recommendations of Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health. The J­curve of the French paradox became a linear relationship between alcohol consumption and mortality because the review of several control groups in previous studies revealed a recruitment error from abstinent ex-drinkers. In their systematic analysis, taking this bias into account the assessment of small amounts of alcohol as a cardioprotective stimulant had to be revised. This is a paradigm shift.

The French Ambulatory Cesarean Section: Safety and Recovery Characteristics.

OBJECTIVES: The French AmbUlatory Extraperitoneal Cesarean Section (FAUCS) is aimed at improving patients' birth experience and recovery. However, data are scarce regarding its maternal and neonatal safety. This study seeks to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes between FAUCS and conventional cesarean deliveries at term. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study involving women who underwent scheduled cesarean deliveries at term. We compared a total of 810 cases using the FAUCS technique with 217 cases using conventional cesarean deliveries. Surgical complications, adverse neonatal events, and maternal recovery parameters were compared. RESULTS: The incidence of overall surgical complications was comparable between the 2 groups, with rates of 1.97% for FAUCS and 1.85% for the conventional cesarean deliveries. The rates of specific complications such as bladder injury (0.1%), bowel injury (0.1%), blood transfusion (1.35%), and postpartum hemorrhage (1%) were consistent with existing literature. Neonatal outcomes, including neonatal acidemia and admission rates to the neonatal intensive care unit, were comparable between the groups and demonstrated favourable comparisons with previously reported data. Notably, women in the FAUCS group required less analgesia, with only 0.8% receiving morphine, as opposed to 38% in the control group. Furthermore, the FAUCS group demonstrated significantly quicker recovery, with 86% achieving autonomy and early discharge at their discretion within 48 hours after operation, in contrast to only 17% in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: When performed by experienced practitioners, FAUCS proves to be a safe procedure, with no increased risk for maternal or neonatal complications. Its significant benefits in terms of enhancing maternal recovery are noteworthy.

Advances in pediatric anesthesia services over the past 10 years in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa.

INTRODUCTION: To improve and maintain quality and safety in anesthesia, standards have been proposed regarding human resources, facilities and equipment, medications and intravenous fluids, monitoring, and the conduct of anesthesia. Compliance with these standards remains a challenge in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and results in high morbidity and mortality particularly in children. This aim of this study was to assess the progress made in improving the pediatric anesthesia infrastructures, human resources, education, medications, and equipment in French-speaking SSA over the past 10 years (2013-2022). METHODS: This is a descriptive, multicenter, cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection, conducted from September 1 to November 5, 2023. Comparative data from 2012 to 2022 were collected through an online survey. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data. RESULTS: Data were obtained from 12 countries out of 14. The number of hospitals providing pediatric surgery and anesthesia rose from 94 in 2012 to 142 in 2022 (+51%). The total number of physician anesthesiologists rose from 293 (0.1 physician anesthesiologists/100 000 inhabitants) in 2012 to 597 (0.2 physician anesthesiologists/100 000 inhabitants) in 2022 (+103.7%). Five (0.006 physician anesthesiologists/100 000 children) had completed a fellowship in pediatric anesthesia and intensive care in 2012, and 15 (0.01 physician anesthesiologists/100 000 children) in 2022 (+200%). Five physician anesthesiologists had an exclusive pediatric anesthesia practice in 2012, whereas they were 32 in 2022 (+540%). There is no specialized training in pediatric anesthesia and intensive care in any of these countries. Halothane was always available in 81.5% of the hospitals in 2012, and in 50.4% of the hospitals in 2022. Sevoflurane was always available in 5% of the hospitals in 2012, and in 36.2% in 2022. Morphine was always available in 32.2% in 2012, whereas it was available in 52.9% of them in 2022. Pediatric pulse oximeter sensors were available in 36% of the hospitals in 2012, and in 63.4% in 2022. Capnography was available in 5.3% of the hospitals in 2012, and in 48% in 2022. CONCLUSION: Progress have been made over the last 10 years in French-speaking SSA to improve infrastructures, human resources, education, medications, and equipment for pediatric anesthesia in French-speaking SSA. However, major efforts must be continued. Standards adapted to the local context should be formulated.

Influence of a hydroelectric dam on fish mercury contamination along the Sinnamary River (French Guiana).

The Petit Saut hydroelectric dam and the upstream and downstream areas of the Sinnamary River in French Guiana (Amazon basin) have been studied from 1993 to 2020. The nearly thirty-years-long study of the monitoring of total mercury concentration in fish and the physicochemical survey of the environment made it possible to demonstrate the impact of the flooding of the forest and the role of the hydroelectric dam on the methylation of mercury. Results show that the physicochemical modifications generated by the construction of the dam led to a significant production of methylmercury (MeHg) in the anoxic part of the reservoir and downstream of the river leading to a strong spatio-temporal impact of the dam. Seven species of fishes are studied and their mercury concentrations vary according to many parameters: fish diet, position in the water column, site, lake oxycline level and time.

Automatic de-identification of French electronic health records: a cost-effective approach exploiting distant supervision and deep learning models.

BACKGROUND: Electronic health records (EHRs) contain valuable information for clinical research; however, the sensitive nature of healthcare data presents security and confidentiality challenges. De-identification is therefore essential to protect personal data in EHRs and comply with government regulations. Named entity recognition (NER) methods have been proposed to remove personal identifiers, with deep learning-based models achieving better performance. However, manual annotation of training data is time-consuming and expensive. The aim of this study was to develop an automatic de-identification pipeline for all kinds of clinical documents based on a distant supervised method to significantly reduce the cost of manual annotations and to facilitate the transfer of the de-identification pipeline to other clinical centers. METHODS: We proposed an automated annotation process for French clinical de-identification, exploiting data from the eHOP clinical data warehouse (CDW) of the CHU de Rennes and national knowledge bases, as well as other features. In addition, this paper proposes an assisted data annotation solution using the Prodigy annotation tool. This approach aims to reduce the cost required to create a reference corpus for the evaluation of state-of-the-art NER models. Finally, we evaluated and compared the effectiveness of different NER methods. RESULTS: A French de-identification dataset was developed in this work, based on EHRs provided by the eHOP CDW at Rennes University Hospital, France. The dataset was rich in terms of personal information, and the distribution of entities was quite similar in the training and test datasets. We evaluated a Bi-LSTM + CRF sequence labeling architecture, combined with Flair + FastText word embeddings, on a test set of manually annotated clinical reports. The model outperformed the other tested models with a significant F1 score of 96,96%, demonstrating the effectiveness of our automatic approach for deidentifying sensitive information. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an automatic de-identification pipeline for clinical notes, which can facilitate the reuse of EHRs for secondary purposes such as clinical research. Our study highlights the importance of using advanced NLP techniques for effective de-identification, as well as the need for innovative solutions such as distant supervision to overcome the challenge of limited annotated data in the medical domain.