The EcoChip : a wireless multi-sensor platform for comprehensive environmental monitoring

This paper presents the EcoChip, a new system based on state-of-the-art electro-chemical impedance (EIS) technologies allowing the growth of single strain organisms isolated from northern habitats. This portable system is a complete and autonomous wireless platform designed to monitor and cultivate microorganisms directly sampled from their natural environment, particularly from harsh northern environments. Using 96-well plates, the EcoChip can be used in the field for realtime monitoring of bacterial growth. Manufactured with highquality electronic components, this new EIS monitoring system is designed to function at a low excitation voltage signal to avoid damaging the cultured cells. The high-precision calibration network leads to high-precision results, even in the most limiting contexts. Luminosity, humidity and temperature can also be monitored with the addition of appropriate sensors. Access to robust data storage systems and power supplies is an obvious limitation for northern research. That is why the EcoChip is equipped with a flash memory that can store data over long periods of time. To resolve the power issue, a low-power microcontroller and a power management unit control and supply all electronic building blocks. Data stored in the EcoChip’s flash memory can be transmitted through a transceiver whenever a receiver is located within the functional transmission range. In this paper, we present the measured performance of the system, along with results from laboratory tests in-vitro and from two field tests. The EcoChip has been utilized to collect bio-environemental data in the field from the northern soils and ecosystems of Kuujjuarapik and Puvirnituq, during two expeditions, in 2017 and 2018, respectively. We show that the EcoChip can effectively carry out EIS analyses over an excitation frequency ranging from 750 Hz to 10 kHz with an accuracy of 2.35%. The overall power consumption of the system was 140.4 mW in normal operating mode and 81 µW in sleep mode. The proper development of the isolated bacteria was confirmed through DNA sequencing, indicating that bacteria thrive in the EcoChip’s culture wells while the growing conditions are successfully gathered and stored

Epidemiology of autochtonous protozooses in South-Eastern Franced : from optimisation of diagnosis to eco-epidemiology

La présence de Leishmania infantum et Toxoplasma gondii en Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur (PACA) est connue depuis plus d’un siècle. Depuis, leur distribution évolue, l'environnement change, les populations touchées se déplacent, et de nouveaux outils techniques et statistiques permettent de mieux les saisir. Une réactualisation de nos connaissances paraissait donc nécessaire. Nous avons d’abord mené une revue de la littérature sur les leishmanioses viscérales. Ensuite, nous avons montré que la leishmaniose muqueuse à L. infantum est marquée par un probable sous-diagnostic, un caractère peu invasif localement et un risque de viscéralisation significatif. Puis une étude éco-épidémiologique a montré que les deux foyers de leishmaniose en PACA impliquaient des biotopes différents, avec une transmission en zone urbanisée dans le foyer marseillais. Enfin, une étude entomologique a confirmé cette transmission urbaine.Nous avons ensuite étudié la toxoplasmose congénitale. D’abord, nous avons essayé d'améliorer les performances techniques du dépistage en montrant l’intérêt pour le diagnostic moléculaire anténatal d’une extraction optimisée de l’ADN parasitaire sur liquide amniotique en utilisant NucliSENS easyMAG plutôt qu’une extraction manuelle utilisant QIAamp DNA minikit. Nous avons également montré l’apport pour le diagnostic néonatal de la toxoplasmose congénitale des IgM ciblant des antigènes de haut poids moléculaire lors de la comparaison des sera des mères et des enfants par Western Blot. Enfin, nous avons rapporté l’évolution sur 16 ans de 127 patients traités pour toxoplasmose congénitale et montré que 19% des enfants présentaient une choriorétinite au cours du suivi.The epidemiology of Leishmania infantum and Toxoplasma gondii in the Mediterranean basin has been studied for more than a century. Yet, our understanding of these diseases must be updated because ongoing environmental modifications impact their distribution, because affected population change, and because new technical and statistical tools have become available. We first reviewed scientific literature about visceral leishmaniasis. Then, we conducted a clinical study about autochtonous mucosal leishmaniasis due to L. infantum: we showed that this disease was characterized by underrecognition, low local invasiveness, and risk of visceral spreading. Afterwards, an eco-epidemiological study showed that foci of leishmanisis involved different biotopes in South-Eastern France: we specifically highlighted a urban transmission in the Marseille focus. Finally, an entomological survey confirmed this urban transmission and addressed cocirculation with phleboviruses.Then, we studied congenital toxoplasmosis. We contributed to improve technical performances of current screening strategy: we first showed that an optimized extraction of Toxoplasma DNA from amniotic fluid using NucliSENS easyMAG proved superior to manual extraction using QIAamp DNA minikit. Then, we found that comparison of mother and child antibodies that target high-molecular-mass Toxoplasma gondii antigens by immunoblotting improves neonatal diagnosis. Finally, we reported the 16-year long evolution of 127 children congenitally infected with T. gondii and showed that despite early treatment 19% of children finally developed chorioretinitis

Les vermiculations de la grotte Wilson (Lac la Pêche, Québec, Canada). Contexte morpho-climatique, analyses sédimentologiques et distribution spatiale

Le but de cet article est d’examiner la nature et la distribution des vermiculations dans une grotte de la province géologique de Grenville située à la limite est du bouclier canadien. Il s’agit de la première étude sur cette question, au Canada, et plus spécifiquement dans la région de la forêt mixte laurentienne. Les résultats indiquent que ces vermiculations ont une texture qui n’est pas différente du matériel inter-vermiculaire et du matériel meuble qui couvre le plancher et les parois. Ces vermiculations ont des tailles variables, et leur grand axe a parfois tendance à être orienté suivant l’axe de la galerie, ou perpendiculairement par rapport à celle-ci. On suggère que le matériel de ces vermiculations provient des particules qui couvrent le plancher de la caverne. Ces particules sont soulevées dans l’air par le passage des animaux. Elles se déposent ensuite sur les parois, où elles s’agglomèrent. Cette agglomération se fait sous l’influence de l’écoulement de l’air et de l’eau. La présence des vermiculations de la caverne Wilson, ainsi que celle de l’eau contenue dans celles-ci expliquent en partie la dissolution du marbre sur lequel elles sont construites.The aim of this article is to examine the distribution and characteristics of vermiculations found in a cave located in the easternmost region of the Canadian Shield. This is the first study undertaken on this particular topic, on Canadian soil, and more specifically in the Laurentian mixed forest region. Our results indicate that the texture of the material which constitutes the vermiculations found on the Wilson cave walls does not differ from the texture of the inter-vermicular material and the loose soil found on the ground. On the other hand, the size of the vermiculations varies throughout the cave and their longest axis tends to be parallel or perpendicular to the ground. We suggest that these vermiculations are composed of loose material found on the ground of the cave that has been lifted up by animals. The airborne material then accumulates on the walls of the cave and forms these particular patterns. This accumulation depends on the air and water circulation inside the cave. The presence of vermiculations and their water content partially explains the local marble dissolution of walls and ceilings of the Wilson cave

Sous la surface des lacs des Laurentides : des témoignages de la dernière période glaciaire

De remarquables formes rocheuses insolubles se dressent dans le fond de lacs creusés dans le marbre de Grenville de la région des Laurentides, au Québec (Canada). Elles atteignent une hauteur pouvant aller jusqu’à plusieurs décimètres. Selon les études sur les taux de dissolution du marbre du Bouclier canadien, il est improbable que celles-ci aient été mises en relief seulement pendant l’Holocène. Nous proposons qu’une érosion hydrique dans des poches d’eau alimentées par l’eau de fonte de la dernière calotte de glace des Laurentides soit à l’origine de la mise en relief de ces roches insolubles. Nous envisageons aussi la possibilité que les roches insolubles aient été dégagées de leur matrice de marbre par une eau courante bien avant la dernière déglaciation, et que celle-ci ait été précédée par un ou des lacs sous-glaciaires.Remarkable insoluble rock forms resulting from differential hydraulic erosion of Grenville marble have been discovered at the bottom of lakes in the Laurentian region (Québec, Canada). Some of these forms are several decimetres tall. Given the results of studies on the chemical dissolution rate of Canadian Shield marble, it is unlikely that these insoluble units were only released from the encasing marble during the Holocene. Instead, it is proposed that they likely result largely from differential hydraulic erosion caused by pockets of meltwater fed by the retreating Laurentide ice sheet. The authors also consider the possibility that the insoluble rocks were released from their marble matrix by running water well before the last deglaciation, and that this retreat of the ice would have been preceded by one or more subglacial lakes

Epidemiology of urban dog-related injuries requiring rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in Marseille, France

International audienceDog bites are a serious public health concern. Besides injuries and the adverse psychological impacts, dog bites can be complicated by infections including rabies, which has the highest case-fatality rate of all infectious diseases. 1 The last case of human rabies acquired in mainland France was reported in 1924 and the last case of fox rabies in 1998. However, rabid dogs are repeatedly imported into France by travelers, with the majority originating from Morocco after having been transported through Spain by car. 2–6 The decision to prescribe rabies vaccine and/or rabies immunoglobulin to patients injured by dogs depends on the origin of the animal. Over-prescription of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) has been questioned in France. 7 In Marseille, efforts to minimize over-prescription of the vaccination for rabies PEP has been conducted, by delaying the initiation of rabies treatment in injuries involving an apparently healthy dog that can be kept under observation. 8 However, significant numbers of rabies PEP vaccinations are still given to injured patients due to the high proportion of dogs that cannot be kept under observation. In this context, interventions aimed at reducing the number of dog bites are critical. The reduction of dog-related injuries by educational interventions has shown some success in children, 9,10 although this has been contradicted. 11 As a first step towards the possible implementation of such a strategy in Marseille, we conducted a preliminary survey to describe the epidemiology of dog-related injuries requiring rabies PEP in the city. 2. Materials and methods From 2007 to 2010, epidemiological data on dog-related injuries and associated rabies PEP treatment were prospectively collected from patients attending the Marseille rabies treatment center (RTC) using standardized forms. At the Marseille RTC, Background: Dog bites are a serious public health concern. Besides injuries and the adverse psychological impacts, dog bites can be complicated by infections including rabies, which has the highest case-fatality rate of all infectious diseases. Methods: Dog-associated injuries occurring in the city of Marseille, France were investigated in 245 individuals among patients presenting to the rabies treatment center over a 4-year period. Results: Male patients were more likely to report dog bites compared to female patients (66.5% vs. 33.5%; odds ratio 2.25, 95% confidence interval 1.72–2.93). The mean age of injured patients was 32 years (range 1–85 years). Children and young adults under 30 years of age were more than four times more likely to report dog bites compared to others. Most cases occurred outdoors (73.0%) – in public areas (38.0%) – and involved animals of unknown owners in 56.3% of the cases. Only 28.2% of dogs were available for observation. Most patients (63.7%) received complete rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. The distribution of dog bites in the city was not homogeneous and the incidence of bites was significantly higher in some areas. Eleven percent of patients declared having been bitten by dogs whose owner was a street beggar, and a clustered distribution was evidenced for these cases in one area of the city. Conclusions: Programs offering low-cost rabies vaccination and veterinary care to pets belonging to the group of street beggars should be considered. Such programs may be implemented in other large cities in France and Europe where street beggars are frequently seen.

Heterogeneity of Environments Associated with Transmission of Visceral Leishmaniasis in South-Eastern France and Implication for Control Strategies

International audienceBackground: Visceral leishmaniasis due to Leishmania infantum is currently spreading into new foci across Europe. Leishmania infantum transmission in the Old World was reported to be strongly associated with a few specific environments. Environmental changes due to global warming or human activity were therefore incriminated in the spread of the disease. However, comprehensive studies were lacking to reliably identify all the environments at risk and thereby optimize monitoring and control strategy. Methodology/Findings: We exhaustively collected 328 cases of autochthonous visceral leishmaniasis from 1993 to 2009 in SouthEastern France. Leishmaniasis incidence decreased from 31 yearly cases between 1993 and 1997 to 12 yearly cases between 2005 and 2009 mostly because Leishmania/HIV coinfection were less frequent. No spread of human visceral leishmaniasis was observed in the studied region. Two major foci were identified, associated with opposite environments: whereas one involved semi-rural hillside environments partly made of mixed forests, the other involved urban and peri-urban areas in and around the region main town, Marseille. The two neighboring foci were related to differing environments despite similar vectors (P. perniciosus), canine reservoir, parasite (L. infantum zymodeme MON-1), and human host. Conclusions/Significance: This unprecedented collection of cases highlighted the occurrence of protracted urban transmission of L. infantum in France, a worrisome finding as the disease is currently spreading in other areas around the Mediterranean. These results complete previous studies about more widespread canine leishmaniasis or human asymptomatic carriage. This first application of systematic geostatistical methods to European human visceral leishmaniasis demonstrated an unsuspected heterogeneity of environments associated with the transmission of the disease. These findings modify the current view of leishmaniasis epidemiology. They notably stress the need for locally defined control strategies and extensive monitoring including in urban environments