Farmland practices are driving bird population decline across Europe

Declines in European bird populations are reported for decades but the direct effect of major anthropogenic pressures on such declines remains unquantified. Causal relationships between pressures and bird population responses are difficult to identify as pressures interact at different spatial scales and responses vary among species. Here, we uncover direct relationships between population time-series of 170 common bird species, monitored at more than 20,000 sites in 28 European countries, over 37 y, and four widespread anthropogenic pressures: agricultural intensification, change in forest cover, urbanisation and temperature change over the last decades. We quantify the influence of each pressure on population time-series and its importance relative to other pressures, and we identify traits of most affected species. We find that agricultural intensification, in particular pesticides and fertiliser use, is the main pressure for most bird population declines, especially for invertebrate feeders. Responses to changes in forest cover, urbanisation and temperature are more species-specific. Specifically, forest cover is associated with a positive effect and growing urbanisation with a negative effect on population dynamics, while temperature change has an effect on the dynamics of a large number of bird populations, the magnitude and direction of which depend on species' thermal preferences. Our results not only confirm the pervasive and strong effects of anthropogenic pressures on common breeding birds, but quantify the relative strength of these effects stressing the urgent need for transformative changes in the way of inhabiting the world in European countries, if bird populations shall have a chance of recovering.

Is targeting autophagy a promising lead to unveil the cloak of invisibility in pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma PDAC is considered as one of the less immunogenic solid tumor types. Pancreatic tumors are also known to present a high autophagy flux which supports tumor progression. Autophagy was recently described as a tumor-intrinsic immune escape process during tumor development by sequestration of Major Histocompatibility Complex class I (MHC-I) inside the PDAC cells. We comment this discovery and discuss the implications on how to limit immune escape in patients and how to improve immunotherapy efficiency. Currently, pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the most frequent pancreatic cancer with a poor prognosis, an important lethality, and a 5-year overall survival less than 5%. The development of some therapeutic solutions like targeted therapies are promising [1]. However, it is still important to understand this morbid pathology to improve the treatment, because PDAC is predicted to be the second leading cause of death in Western countries [2].

Evaluation of a fellowship abroad as part of the initial training of the French military surgeon

INTRODUCTION

Military surgery requires skills that in general cannot be easily learnt in civilian training. Participation in a fellowship abroad adapted to the particular operating conditions of the foreign deployment is one route that might secure the necessary supplementary training. We therefore assessed the relevance of such a fellowship in the preparedness of young military surgeons in their first deployment.

METHODS

This study included all active military surgeons who had completed a fellowship abroad during their initial training from 2004 to 2017 in Tchad or Senegal or Djibouti. The collection of data was performed using a questionnaire. The main judgement criterion was the rate of positive answers awarded to the relevance of this fellowship in the preparedness of respondents' first foreign deployment.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine of 73 surgeons answered. Sixty-one estimated the fellowship had allowed them to feel more operational during their first mission, with 83.61% rating this feeling as important. Also, 61 recommended the use of a fellowship for war surgery training. The grade assigned to the surgical benefit was 8.48/10.

CONCLUSION

A fellowship abroad permits one to become familiar with surgical practice under austere circumstances and the particularities of the surgical structures at the front. Current trainees' feedback confirms its relevance.

Metacarpal bone reconstruction by a cementless induced membrane technique

Gunshot wounds to the hand often produce complex injuries and large segmental bone defects. Bone reconstruction remains a challenge in this context. The induced membrane technique is a simple and effective procedure for reconstruction of segmental bone defects. The technique is straightforward but must be performed rigorously. Usually polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement is required for the first stage of the surgery. We describe four cases of metacarpal bone reconstruction after gunshot wounds in a limited-resource setting. Two patients were treated using the induced membrane technique with a polypropylene syringe body instead of PMMA cement, which was unavailable in this situation. A thick membrane was observed 6 weeks after spacer implantation. Bone union was achieved in all cases.

Microbiology of French military casualties repatriated from overseas for an open traumatic injury

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to describe the microbiological epidemiology of repatriated French soldiers with an open traumatic injury, and to measure the proportion of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB).

METHODS

Retrospective study including all French soldiers repatriated in 2011 and 2012 in Parisian military hospitals for open traumatic injury. Results of clinical samples and MDRB screening were collected. The antibiotic susceptibility was assessed using the agar disk diffusion method. Characterization of resistance mechanisms was performed using PCR. Genotyping of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) isolates was performed using rep-PCR.

RESULTS

A total of 139 patients were included; 70% of them were repatriated from Afghanistan. At admission, 24/88 were positive for MDRB (28%), mainly ESBL-E but no carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium were identified. Forty-five patients had lesion sample collection, and 28/45 had a positive culture. The most frequently isolated pathogens were Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. For eight patients, a MDRB was isolated from the wound, mainly ESBL-E (7/8) but also one methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and one imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Among ESBL-E, the PCR evidenced the high prevalence of CTX-M15 enzymes. Rep-PCR performed on the 23 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates highlighted numerous profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Controlling the spread of ESBL-E is currently challenging for French Armed Forces. Despite any evidence of an epidemic clone, a high-level compliance with hygiene precautions is required throughout the chain of care to avoid cross contamination.

Temporary fixation of limbs and pelvis

"Urgent, complete, definitive" treatment still today seems to be an appropriate attitude in many trauma cases. There are, however, several situations in which emergency definitive fixation is not the optimal strategy for all cases of fracture. Temporary fixation has a role to play in the orthopedic "trauma damage control" design comprising successive steps, as applied in multiple trauma, multiple fracture, severe multi-tissue limb lesions and soft-tissue lesions of unpredictable progression. The aim of this study is to define the strategies, indications, principles and limitations of temporary fixation in limb and pelvis fracture.

Could the orthopaedic surgeon deployed in austere setting perform flaps on the leg?

The orthopaedic military surgeons deployed in operations are led to perform soft tissue coverage on the lower limb. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if flaps performed by surgeons' non-specialist in reconstructive surgery are associated with good outcome. All patients operated for a flap on the leg in French Forward Surgical Team deployed in theatre of operations between 2003 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Forty-nine patients were included, for a total of 54 flaps' procedures. Indications were open fractures in 25 cases and osseous infections in 29 cases. No flap was performed on French soldiers. All the flaps were pedicle. Outcome was favourable for more than 90% of flaps with no statistical difference between muscular and fasciocutaneous flap and with regard to the indication. In conclusion, an orthopaedic surgeon deployed in austere setting with significant good outcome can perform reconstructive surgery with legs' flaps.

War-related extremity injuries in children: 89 cases managed in a combat support hospital in Afghanistan

BACKGROUND

Meeting paediatric needs is among the priorities of western healthcare providers working in Afghanistan.

HYPOTHESIS

Insufficient information is available on paediatric wartime injuries to the extremities. Our objective here was to describe these injuries and their management on the field.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed consecutive cases of injuries to the extremities in children (< 16 years of age) due to weapons and managed at the Kabul International Airport (KaIA) Combat Support Hospital between June 2009 and April 2013. We identified 89 patients with a mean age of 10.2 ± 3.5 years and a total of 137 elemental lesions.

RESULTS

Explosive devices accounted for most injuries (78.6%) and carried a significantly higher risk of multiple lesions. There were 54 bone lesions (traumatic amputations and fractures) and 83 soft-tissue lesions. The amputation rate was 18%. Presence of bone lesions was associated with a higher risk of injury to blood vessels and nerves. Of the 89 patients, four (4.5%) died and eight (9%) were transferred elsewhere. Of the 77 remaining patients, at last follow-up (median, one month; range, 0.1-16 months), 73 (95%) had achieved a full recovery (healed wound and/or fracture) or were recovering with no expectation that further surgery would be needed.

DISCUSSION

Despite the absence of paediatric surgeons, the combat support hospital provided appropriate care at the limb salvage and reconstruction phases. The highly specialised treatments needed to manage sequelae were very rarely provided. These treatments probably deserve to be developed in combat support hospitals.

[Idiopathic bilateral patellar tendon rupture]

In the absence of systemic disease, specific treatment or sport tendonitis, simultaneous bilateral patellar tendon rupture is rare. Often missed on the first glance, it represents a diagnostic difficulty that should not be overlooked at the initial medical visit. The loss of active extension of the lower limb and a radiographic patella alta, even in a bilateral context, should raise suspicion of this diagnosis. It is then necessary to search for predisposing causes and to evoke the differential, or frequently associated, diagnoses. The present report illustrates these diagnostic difficulties and summarizes some clinical considerations that might help to avoid neglecting these different elements at the first medical visit (positive diagnosis, associated lesions, favouring factors).

French surgical experience in the role 3 medical treatment facility of KaIA (Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan): the place of the orthopedic surgery

INTRODUCTION

In 2009, the French took command of the Medical Hospital (MH) or Role 3 Hospital at KaIA (Kabul International Airport) within the framework of its role in the military mission Operation Pamir in Afghanistan. The goal of this study was to analyze the volume of orthopedic surgical activity for the last four years, to identify its specificities and to improve training of military orthopedic surgeons.

HYPOTHESIS

Orthopedic surgery is the most important activity in the field and surgeons must adapt to situations and injuries that are different from those encountered in France.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All patients operated on between July 2009 and June 2013 were prospectively included in an electronic database. The analysis included the number of surgical acts and patients, the types of injuries and the surgical procedures.

RESULTS

Forty-three percent (n=1875) of 4318 procedures involved orthopedic surgery. Half of these were emergencies. French military personnel represented 17% of the patients, local civilians 47% and children 17%. Half of the procedures involved the soft tissues, 20% were for bone fixation and 10% for surgery of the hand. The rate of amputation was 6%. The diversity of the surgical acts was high ranging from emergency surgery to surgical reconstruction.

DISCUSSION

The activity of this Role 3 facility is comparable to that of other Role 3 facilities in Afghanistan, with an important percentage of acts involving medical assistance to the local population and scheduled surgeries as well as primary and/or secondary management of the wounded. The diversity of surgical acts confirms the challenge of training military orthopedic surgeons within the context of the hyperspecialization of the civilian sector. Specific training has been organized in France by the École du Val de Grâce. Specific continuing education is also necessary.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV (retrospective review).

Current issues with lower extremity amputations in a country at war: experience from the National Military Hospital of Kabul

PURPOSE

Management practices associated with war-related amputations in countries at war may be different from the recommendations of occidental Health Force Services due to the high numbers of wounded persons to treat in precarious conditions. This observational retrospective study documents the current management of local lower extremity amputees in Afghanistan. Surgical practices, with or without delayed primary closure (DPC), and prosthetic rehabilitation issues are analyzed.

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted in the National Military Hospital (NMH) of Kabul from May 2011 to November 2011. Fifty-four Afghan patients who underwent a lower extremity combat-related amputation were included. Ten of them sustained a bilateral amputation.

RESULTS

Injuries were caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or mines in 48 cases, bullets in three cases, and exploding shell fragments in three cases. Of the 64 amputations studied, 46 were open length preserving amputations and primary closure (PC) was applied in 18 cases. Patients were reviewed with a mean follow-up of 5.4 months (range 1-28 months). In the DPC group, secondary closure was performed with a mean time of 18.7 days (range 4-45 days) from injury. The proportion of infectious complications seemed to be higher in the PC group (5/18) than in the DPC group (3/46), but it was only a statistical trend (p = 0.1). Forty-three patients were not prosthetic fitted at the last follow-up.

CONCLUSION

This study supports the surgical strategy of a two-stage procedure for lower limb amputations in countries at war, but underlines the problems of late secondary closure and prosthetic fitting related to decreased sanitary conditions.

Wartime upper extremity injuries: experience from the Kabul International Airport combat support hospital

Few epidemiologic studies have been published about the surgical management of wartime upper extremity injuries (UEIs). The purpose of the present report was to analyze upper extremity combat-related injuries (CRIs) and non-combat related injuries (NCRIs) treated in the Kabul International Airport Combat Support Hospital. A retrospective study was conducted using the French surgical database OpEX (French military health service) from June 2009 to January 2013. During this period, 491 patients with a mean age of 28.7 ± 13 years were operated on because of an UEI. Among them, 244 (49.7%) sustained CRIs and 247 (50.3%) sustained NCRIs. A total number of 558 UEIs were analyzed. Multiple UEIs and associated injuries were significantly more common in the CRIs group. Debridement was the most common procedure in both groups. External fixator application, delayed primary closure and flap coverage were predominant in the CRIs group, as well as internal fracture fixation and tendon repair in the NCRIs group. The overall number of surgical episodes was significantly higher in the CRIs group. Due to the high frequency of UEIs in the theatres of operations, deployed orthopedic surgeons should be trained in basic hand surgery. Although the principles of CRIs treatment are well established, management of hand NCRIs remains controversial in this setting.

Bone transport techniques in posttraumatic bone defects

INTRODUCTION

The treatment of posttraumatic diaphyseal bone defects (BD) calls on a number of techniques including bone transport techniques: isolated shortening, compression-distraction at the fracture site, shortening followed by lengthening in a corticotomy distant from the site and segmental bone transport.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The multicenter retrospective study combined 38 cases: 22 cases of initial diaphyseal bone defect and 16 cases of secondary diaphyseal BD, sometimes associated with metaphyseal or metaphyseal-epiphyseal BD, involving the humerus, the forearm, the femur and the tibia. These techniques were mainly used on the lower extremity (33 cases), for the most part on the tibia (22 cases) in young men.

RESULTS

Bone healing was acquired in 37 cases out of 38 after a mean 14.9 months (range, 6-62 months). A mean 4.3 secondary interventions were required to obtain final union; most notably, a bone graft was necessary at the docking site for the segmental bone transport procedures.

DISCUSSION

Many reconstruction techniques can be proposed to treat posttraumatic BD. None responds to all situations. Bone transport techniques have their place and their indications. Isolated shortening is intended for bone loss not exceeding 3cm, notably in the humerus and to a lesser degree in the lower extremity. Shortening associated with lengthening is valuable in the femur and the tibia for bone loss up to 6cm. Segmental bone transport is the only technique that can treat bone defects associated with shortening in the lower limb. For substantial bone loss beyond 10cm, segmental bone transport is particularly indicated. However, these cases of substantial bone loss tend to be resolved by a hybridization of the procedures. The distraction gap of a bone segment can, for example, be prepared using an induced-membrane technique.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV. Retrospective study.

[A bilateral posterior shoulder dislocation caused by humeral head osteonecrosis]

We report a case of simultaneous bilateral posterior shoulders dislocations in a 46-year-old male with antecedent of high-dose corticotherapy. The mechanism was non-traumatic after a contraction of the sub scapularis muscle in internal rotation. The interscapular pain was not initially diagnosed although a tomodensitometry was realized to eliminate a cardiovascular emergency. After reduction, the shoulders were unstable and the MRI showed an osteonecrosis of the humeral heads. The patient underwent surgery with an iliac spongy bone graft in the humeral nick. At 3 months, there was no recurrence and mobilities were good. Bilateral posterior shoulders dislocations are unusual and it is the first case of non-traumatic dislocation. Aetiology are often epilepsy, electrocution, and extreme traumatism. Diagnosis is often misrecognized and the treatment is not well codified.

Cardiac troponin I release after hip surgery correlates with poor long-term cardiac outcome

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of perioperative myocardial damage detected by serial measurements of troponin I after hip surgery and its association with late cardiovascular outcome.

METHODS

Troponin I was measured during the first three postoperative days in 88 consecutive patients undergoing hip surgery. Values above the 99th percentile (0.08 ng mL(-1)) were considered positive. Major cardiac events (cardiac death, myocardial infarction and cardiac failure) were recorded during hospital stay and 1 yr after surgery.

RESULTS

Eleven patients (12.5%) exhibited elevated troponin I levels during hospital stay. Nine of them remained asymptomatic. During follow-up, 45% of them (5/11) suffered from a major cardiac event vs. 4% (3/76) for patients with normal postoperative troponin I levels (P = 0.0006). All-cause mortality rate was 36% (4/11) at 1 yr vs. 7% (5/71, P = 0.0131). Using multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusted for baseline data, independent factors associated with the occurrence of a cardiac event were troponin I elevation (OR=17.4-CI 95% 3.7-82) and age (OR=1.1 yr(-1)-CI 95% 1.01-1.21). Independent factors for all-cause mortality were troponin I elevation (OR=41.4-CI 95% 5.4-320.4), and age (OR=1.3 yr(-1)-CI 95% 1.1-1.4).

CONCLUSION

Troponin I release is common after hip surgery and is associated with a 10-fold increased incidence of long-term major cardiac events as compared to patients with normal troponin I levels (45% vs. 4%).

[Workshop of military reconstructive surgery in Conakry May 1999: example of civilian-military cooperation in responding to medical-surgical crisis emergencies]

During the period from 1998 to 1999, civil wars broke out in number of west African countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Bissau. Due to the situation in surrounding countries, Guinea Conakry was forced to accept nearly 650000 refugees whose presence represented a major risk for the socio-political stability of the country. International organizations and NGOs condemned the atrocities inflicted on civilian populations by the children serving as soldiers in the RUF rebels organizations of Sierra Leone and Liberia. These attacks included murders, gang rapes, abduction of children and young people, and mutilation of extremities of people of all ages ranging from infants to elderly. Treatment of mutilation victims requires the availability of facilities for surgical treatment and prosthetic fitting in Guinea Conakry. The humanitarian action division of the French Foreign Affairs Department and the NGO Handicap International decided to provide specialized training in the management of mutilation injuries to surgical groups in hospitals of Guinea and Sierra Leone. The program consisted in a workshop on reconstructive surgery for war-related injuries to allow optimal prosthetic fitting for reinsertion of mutilation victims into society.

[Reconstruction of post-traumatic diaphyseal bone loss by segmental bone transfer]

Until the beginning of the 1980s, reconstruction of major post-traumatic diaphyseal bone loss as an alternative to amputation was possible only by massive autologous bone grafts. Such a technique was limited by the amount of available bone required for grafting. Ilizarov explained the distraction osteogenesis principle and designed a circular external fixation material that was suitable for compression-extension. He described the concept of segmental bone transfer, which allows bone regeneration to take place within the actual injured limb. Our present experience is based on the literature and the study of 12 cases. All patients presented with significant post-traumatic tibial bone loss ranging from 45 to 145 mm. In this article, we discuss the indications, benefits and risks of such a technique compared to classic methods. Mainly indicated in patients who have sustained significant bone loss, bone transfer is the method of choice for preserving bone stock and correcting limb discrepancy, although it does not reduce consolidation time. Moreover, circular external fixations are often poorly tolerated and may be replaced by unilateral devices that are easier to install.

Chemokine SDF-1 enhances circulating CD34(+) cell proliferation in synergy with cytokines: possible role in progenitor survival

The chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), and its receptor, CXCR-4, have been implicated in the homing and mobilization of human CD34(+) cells. We show here that SDF-1 may also be involved in hematopoiesis, promoting the proliferation of human CD34(+) cells purified from normal adult peripheral blood (PB). CXCR-4 was expressed on PB CD34(+) cells. The amount of CXCR-4 on PB CD34(+) cells was 10 times higher when CD34(+) cells were purified following overnight incubation. CXCR-4 overexpression was correlated with a primitive PB CD34(+) cell subset defined by a CD34(high) CD38(low)CD71(low)c-Kit(low)Thy-1(+) antigenic profile. The functional significance of CXCR-4 expression was ascertained by assessing the promoting effect of SDF-1alpha on cell cycle, proliferation, and colony formation. SDF-1 alone increased the percentage of CD34(+) cells in the S+G(2)/M phases and sustained their survival. In synergy with cytokines, SDF-1 increased PB CD34(+) and CD34(high)CD38(low) cell expansion and colony formation. SDF-1 also stimulated the growth of colonies derived from primitive progenitors released from quiescence by anti-TGF-beta treatment. Thus, our results shed new light on the potential role of this chemokine in the stem cell engraftment process, which involves migration, adhesion, and proliferation. Furthermore, both adhesion-induced CXCR-4 overexpression and SDF-1 stimulating activity may be of clinical relevance for improving cell therapy settings in stem cell transplantation.

[Abdomino-pelvic-gluteal war injuries. Principles of treatment]

From a series of 316 cases of war wounds, the authors selected those cases in which the entry or exit wound was situated between the iliac crests and the inferior gluteal fold and report a series of 21 wounds (including 17 assault gunshot wounds) involving the perineal, pelvic and/or gluteal regions. Wounds of these regions are characterized by their immediate severity (10% mortality in this series), due to the complexity of combined lesions (urethra, rectum, hip, abdominal and vascular lesions) and the severity of sequelae. This series included 5 anorectal wounds, 5 urethral wounds and 4 hip wounds. Based on this series and a review of the literature, the authors discuss diagnostic problems (risk of missing abdominal penetration, a retroperitoneal rectal wound or an articular wound). Principles of treatments are also described (wide debridement and drainage, systematic colostomy for wounds of the rectum and large soft tissues wounds, systematic cystostomy for bladder and urethral wounds and alignment of urethral wounds whenever possible, articular lavage and immobilization by external fixation of hip wounds).

[Treatment of severe osteoarticular injuries in under conditions of war]

With the experience obtained in a surgical air borne unit and the long term results in a rear zone hospital, we analyse treatments of bone and joint acute traumas in a field hospital. This injuries appear in a particular context: delayed treatments with little staff and equipment. The surgeon has to be fast with protective measures, debridement of soft tissues, bone stabilisation and vascular repair. We discuss the respective place of each treatment: amputations are dictated by the gravity of the wounds; orthopedic methods are used for the upper limb, for the lower limb they are waiting technics; external fixation stabilizes fastly bone injuries, facilitates transportation and permits delayed reconstruction technics. Indications have to be adapted to circumstances: in a surgical unit with rear evacuation possibility the dramatic choice of amputation is often avoided by external fixator; in a short time mission for civilian populations, amputations are more often used but if conservative treatment is preferred, external fixator must be widely used.