COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes: A strong link with the coronavirus spread in the surrounding population, France, March to July 2020

Background Worldwide, COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes have often been sudden and massive. The study investigated the role SARS-CoV-2 virus spread in nearby population plays in introducing the disease in nursing homes. Material and methods This was carried out through modelling the occurrences of first cases in each of 943 nursing homes of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes French Region over the first epidemic wave (March-July, 2020). The cumulative probabilities of COVID-19 outbreak in the nursing homes and those of hospitalization for the disease in the population were modelled in each of the twelve Départements of the Region over period March-July 2020. This allowed estimating the duration of the active outbreak period, the dates and heights of the peaks of outbreak probabilities in nursing homes, and the dates and heights of the peaks of hospitalization probabilities in the population. Spearman coefficient estimated the correlation between the two peak series. Results The cumulative proportion of nursing homes with COVID-19 outbreaks was 52% (490/943; range: 22–70% acc. Département). The active outbreak period in the nursing homes lasted 11 to 21 days (acc. Département) and ended before lockdown end. Spearman correlation between outbreak probability peaks in nursing homes and hospitalization probability peaks in the population (surrogate of the incidence peaks) was estimated at 0.71 (95% CI: [0.66; 0.78]). Conclusion The modelling highlighted a strong correlation between the outbreak in nursing homes and the external pressure of the disease. It indicated that avoiding disease outbreaks in nursing homes requires a tight control of virus spread in the surrounding populations.

The Bretons in French Politics: Regional Mobilization within and beyond the Central State

This article revisits the French region of Brittany on the basis of sustained empirical research over a 25-year period. It identifies the twin use of influence and identity as forming a key part of an accepted and largely diffused territorial repertoire, based on affirming distinctiveness for reasons of vertical linkage, as well as horizontal capacity building. This article explores the different facets of this model of territorial influence. The two twin dimensions concern: first, a well-versed mechanism of lobbying central institutions and actors to defend the Breton interest; second, the use of territorial identity markers to forward the regional cause, relying on social movements and a broad capacity for regional mobilization. Within this overarching context, the Breton case demonstrates an intelligent instrumental use of identity and identity markers, but mainstream Breton forces recognize that this only makes sense in the light of the national level of regulation and structure of opportunities. The logic of this position is to integrate the Brittany region into a national model of territorial integration, while playing up identity markers to secure the maximum benefit for the region.

Spatiotemporal Large-Scale Networks Shaped by Air Mass Movements

The movement of atmospheric air masses can be seen as a continuous flow of gases and particles hovering over our planet, and it can be locally simplified by means of three-dimensional trajectories. These trajectories can hence be seen as a way of connecting distant areas of the globe during a given period of time. In this paper we present a mathematical formalism to construct spatial and spatiotemporal networks where the nodes represent the subsets of a partition of a geographical area and the links between them are inferred from sampled trajectories of air masses passing over and across them. We propose different estimators of the intensity of the links, relying on different bio-physical hypotheses and covering adjustable time periods. This construction leads to a new definition of spatiotemporal networks characterized by adjacency matrices giving, e.g., the probability of connection between distant areas during a chosen period of time. We applied our methodology to characterize tropospheric connectivity in two real geographical contexts: the watersheds of the French region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. The analysis of the constructed networks allowed identifying a marked seasonal pattern in air mass movements in the two study areas. If our methodology is applied to samples of air-mass trajectories, with potential implications in aerobiology and plant epidemiology, it could be applied to other types of trajectories, such as animal trajectories, to characterize connectivity between different components of the landscape hosting the animals.

Epidemiology and microbiology of ventilator-associated pneumonia in COVID-19 patients: a multicenter retrospective study in 188 patients in an un-inundated French region

Background The COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for many hospitalizations in intensive care units (ICU), with widespread use of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) which exposes patients to the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The characteristics of VAP in COVID-19 patients remain unclear. Methods We retrospectively collected data on all patients hospitalized for COVID-19 during the first phase of the epidemic in one of the seven ICUs of the Pays-de-Loire region (North-West France) and who were on invasive mechanical ventilation for more than 48 h. We studied the characteristics of VAP in these patients. VAP was diagnosed based on official recommendations, and we included only cases of VAP that were confirmed by a quantitative microbiological culture. Findings We analyzed data from 188 patients. Of these patients, 48.9% had VAP and 19.7% experienced multiple episodes. Our study showed an incidence of 39.0 VAP per 1000 days of IMV (until the first VAP episode) and an incidence of 33.7 VAP per 1000 days of IMV (including all 141 episodes of VAP). Multi-microbial VAP accounted for 39.0% of all VAP, and 205 pathogens were identified. Enterobacteria accounted for 49.8% of all the isolated pathogens. Bacteremia was associated in 15 (10.6%) cases of VAP. Pneumonia was complicated by thoracic empyema in five cases (3.5%) and by pulmonary abscess in two cases (1.4%). Males were associated with a higher risk of VAP (sHR 2.24 CI95% [1.18; 4.26] p = 0.013). Interpretation Our study showed an unusually high incidence of VAP in patients admitted to the ICU for severe COVID-19, even though our services were not inundated during the first wave of the epidemic. We also noted a significant proportion of enterobacteria. VAP-associated complications (abscess, empyema) were not exceptional. Registration As an observational study, this study has not been registered.

‘Le terroir, c’est la vie’: Re-animating a concept among Burgundy’s wine producers

Organic and biodynamic methods of cultivation present particular challenges for the production of wine in a terroir-based system. This remains underexplored in academic work, yet it represents the confluence of two important contemporary trends in the wine industry. In this article, I draw upon interviews and participant observation with wine producers in the French region of Burgundy to examine emergent tensions between terroir and environmentally sustainable modes of production. Following an introduction to the subject, in the first section of the article I show how claims made about vineyard soils operated within the context of a simultaneously agronomic, environmental and cultural notion of terroir. In the second, I show how organic and biodynamic wine producers drew my attention to ecological dimensions of terroir by reference to things that could be appreciated aesthetically in the landscape. Reflecting on producers’ opinions, media coverage and wider scholarship, I make some initial steps in examining how environmentally sustainable modes of production are rhetorically and practically mobilised in the service of the widely shared notion of terroir, and, by extension, how these modes of production shape the sense of terroir that is promulgated in the cultural, economic and political organisation of wine.

Ergosterol and Amino Acids Contents of Culinary-Medicinal Shiitake from Various Culture Conditions

Lentinus edodes (shiitake) is an edible mushroom cultivated and marketed due to its nutritional and medicinal values. L. edodes is appreciated for its unique fragrant taste and its high dietetic potential. Its bioactive molecules explain its interest as medicinal mushroom. This mushroom can be grown using various substrates and culture conditions. Thus, our work focused on the comparison of chemical constituents (i.e., amino acids and ergosterol) of L. edodes fruit bodies cultivated in organic or nonorganic growing conditions in the French region of Occitanie. Sequential extraction was performed on freeze-dried fungal materials. Quantitative evaluation of amino acids was done using high performance thin layer chromatography. Assay of ergosterol was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography. For both ergosterol and amino acids, differences were highlighted between extracts (depending on the nature of the solvents) and between growing conditions (organic versus nonorganic). Extracts from organically produced shiitake contained the highest content of ergosterol, isoleucine and alanine. In conclusion, this work demonstrated that culture conditions influence the chemical profile of L. edodes as far as ergosterol and amino acids are concerned, which could improve nutrition and human health.

Contribution à la connaissance des abeilles de la Loire-Atlantique, du Maine-et-Loire et de la Vendée

We present an overview of a study on bees carried out by the Centre Vétérinaire de la Faune Sauvage et des Écosystèmes (CVFSE, Nantes, France) between 2014 and 2018. Bees were collected through net sampling in 84 sites located in 43 cities of the French region Pays de la Loire (32 cities in Loire-Atlantique, 4 in Maine-et-Loire, and 7 in Vendée). Sampling occurred in different types of habitats: urban areas, agricultural areas, and semi-natural habitats like grasslands, woodlands, and coastal zones. This study provided information on the distribution of 278 bee species, among which several were previously unknown to the Armorican Massif (Andrena florivaga, Chelostoma distinctum, Coelioxys obtusa, Eucera clypeata, E. pannonica, Hylaeus clypearis, H. leptocephalus, H. punctatus, Lasioglossum tarsatum, Nomada errans, N. furva, N. lisenmaieri, N. rubiginosa, N. villosa, and Sphecodes pseudofasciatus). It highlighted the great bee species richness in semi-natural habitats, notably in the coastal dunes, but also in some urban or suburban sites, as long as the management is favourable to bees.

What drives competition on the farmland market? A case study in Brittany (France)

We investigate factors which may drive the number of agents who compete for a specific piece of farmland in the French region of Brittany by fitting count models to data originating from a local committee, the CDOA, which is responsible for guidance in delivering the necessary “authorisations to farm”. Results are analysed in the light of a conceptual framework which provides an explanation why the subset of farmers who actually apply for an authorisation to farm may differ from the whole set of potential applicants. Several results reflect the impact of an informal mediation by local farmer unions, which aims to lower potential conflicts and hence competition.