Impact of dry weather discharges on annual pollution from a separate storm sewer in Toulouse, France

The city of Toulouse with its separate sewer system is ideal for studying stormwater. However, during dry weather, the storm sewer also discharges water into the environment, and it is the impact of these discharges on annual pollution from storm sewer that is the object of this study. Samples have been taken from the outlets of two storm drains located in heavily and moderately urbanized areas. Sampling has been undertaken during wet weather and during dry weather between January 2010 and February 2011. Three dry weather and two wet weather samples have been taken every three months and from each outlet. The overall pollution parameters have been analyzed (chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, total nitrogen, ammonium, nitrate, total phosphorus, suspended solid matter, volatile suspended matter, pH, conductivity, turbidity). Characterization has been completed by analysis of trace organic compounds: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, total hydrocarbons, methyl tert-butyl ether, diethylhexylphthalate, nonylphenols, hormones (estradiol, ethinylestradiol). For certain parameters, the results obtained did not conform to legislative requirements concerning discharge into the natural environment. Correlations between these parameters have been studied, and identified between several of them using principal component analysis. The most important correlation observed was between conductivity and concentration in total phosphorus for one of the outlet. Results showed that dry weather had an impact on annual pollution load from separate storm sewer and that level of urbanization was also a factor. The effect of season has been studied but no significant impact was found

Monitoring of stormwater between 2002 and 2010. What is the evolution of stormwater quality ?

The city of Toulouse with its separate storm sewer system is ideal for studying stormwater. That is why since 2002, three stormwater sampling campaigns were conducted. Samples were taken from the outlets of two storm drains located in heavily and moderately urbanized areas. Sampling was undertaken during wet weather and dry weather during the year 2002 for the first campaign, during the year 2007 for the second one and during the year 2010 for the last one. The overall pollution parameters were analyzed (chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, total nitrogen, ammonium, nitrate, total phosphorus, suspended solid matter, volatile suspended matter, pH, conductivity, turbidity) and the presence of some micropollutants was studied (6 PAHs, MTBE and total hydrocarbons). Results showed an evolution of stormwater quality between the three campaigns and an improvement of nutrient and suspended solid concentrations. They indicated also that dry weather had an impact on annual pollution load from separate storm sewer and that level of urbanization was also a factor whatever the year of sampling

Specificity of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Neuromyelitis Optica in Comparison With Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Purpose The aim of this study was to describe lower urinary tract symptoms in neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and to compare these data with urinary disorders observed in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Methods Retrospective study of data collected from January 1997 to July 2017 using the database from a Neuro-Urology Department of a university hospital. NMO and MS patients were matched for sex, age, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) Results Twenty-six patients with NMO were included and compared with 33 MS patients. Mean age was 41.6 years (standard deviation [SD], 14,8), mostly female patients (24 vs. 2 males). Mean EDSS was 4.6 (SD, 1.8) in the 2 groups. In NMO group, 57% of the patients (n=15) had overactive bladder with urgency and urge incontinence and 38.5% (n=10) of them had nocturia. Voiding symptoms was observed in 69.2% of the patients (n=18); 42.3% of NMO patients performed self-intermittent catheterization versus 12.1% in MS patients (P=0.012). Low bladder compliance and severe urinary tract infections (pyelonephritis) were more frequent in NMO than in MS patients (respectively 15% vs. 0%, P=0.016 and 42% vs. 12%, P=0.024). Conclusions Lower urinary tract symptoms, especially overactive bladder and urinary retention, are frequent in NMO. Low bladder compliance, serious urinary infections, and high prevalence of urinary retention requiring self-intermittent catheterization are the main symptoms significantly more frequent than in MS

Derivation and Characterization of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Equine Fibroblasts

Pluripotent stem cells offer unprecedented potential not only for human medicine but also for veterinary medicine, particularly in relation to the horse. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are particularly promising, as they are functionally similar to embryonic stem cells and can be generated in vitro in a patient-specific manner. In this study, we report the generation of equine iPSCs from skin fibroblasts obtained from a foal and reprogrammed using viral vectors coding for murine Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4 sequences. The reprogrammed cell lines were morphologically similar to iPSCs reported from other species and could be stably maintained over more than 30 passages. Immunostaining and polymerase chain reaction analyses revealed that these cell lines expressed an array of endogenous markers associated with pluripotency, including OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, REX1, LIN28, SSEA1, SSEA4, and TRA1-60. Furthermore, under the appropriate conditions, the equine iPSCs readily formed embryoid bodies and differentiated in vitro into cells expressing markers of ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm, and when injected into immunodeficient mice, gave raise to tumors containing differentiated derivatives of the 3 germ layers. Finally, we also reprogrammed fibroblasts from a 2-year-old horse. The reprogrammed cells were similar to iPSCs derived from neonatal fibroblasts in terms of morphology, expression of pluripotency markers, and differentiation ability. The generation of these novel cell lines constitutes an important step toward the understanding of pluripotency in the horse, and paves the way for iPSC technology to potentially become a powerful research and clinical tool in veterinary biomedicine

Gender-specific associations between functional autonomy and physical capacities in independent older adults: Results from the NuAge study

Abstract : Background: Even with healthy and active aging, many older adults will experience a decrease in physical capacities. This decrease might be associated with diminished functional autonomy. However, little is known about the physical capacities associated with functional autonomy in older women and men. Objective: This study aimed to examine gender-specific associations between functional autonomy and physical capacities in independent older women and men. Methods: Secondary analyses were carried out using cross-sectional data from 652 women and 613 men who participated in the NuAge longitudinal study. The "functional autonomy measurement system" (SMAF) was used to evaluate functional autonomy. The physical capacities measured (tests used) were: biceps and quadriceps strength (Microfet dynamometer), grip strength (Martin vigorimeter), unipodal balance, changing position & walking (timed up and go), normal & fast walking (four-meter walking speed) and changing position (chair stand). Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for age, depressive symptoms and body composition were performed. Results: On average, participants were aged 73 years and had mild to moderate functional autonomy loss. In women, after controlling for age, depressive symptoms and body composition, greater functional autonomy was best explained by faster changing position & walking skills and superior biceps strength (R2 = 0.46; p < 0.001). After controlling for depressive symptoms, faster changing position & walking skills and better unipodal balance best explained greater functional autonomy in men (R2 = 0.21; p < 0.001). Conclusion: According to these results, physical capacities are moderately associated with functional autonomy among independent older adults, especially women

Assessing the evolution of primary healthcare organizations and their performance (2005-2010) in two regions of Québec province: Montréal and Montérégie

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Canadian healthcare system is currently experiencing important organizational transformations through the reform of primary healthcare (PHC). These reforms vary in scope but share a common feature of proposing the transformation of PHC organizations by implementing new models of PHC organization. These models vary in their performance with respect to client affiliation, utilization of services, experience of care and perceived outcomes of care.</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>In early 2005 we conducted a study in the two most populous regions of Quebec province (Montreal and Montérégie) which assessed the association between prevailing models of primary healthcare (PHC) and population-level experience of care. The <b>goal </b>of the present research project is to track the <it>evolution </it>of PHC organizational models and their relative performance through the reform process (from 2005 until 2010) and to assess factors at the organizational and contextual levels that are associated with the transformation of PHC organizations and their performance.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This study will consist of three interrelated surveys, hierarchically nested. The first survey is a population-based survey of randomly-selected adults from two populous regions in the province of Quebec. This survey will assess the current affiliation of people with PHC organizations, their level of utilization of healthcare services, attributes of their experience of care, reception of preventive and curative services and perception of unmet needs for care. The second survey is an organizational survey of PHC organizations assessing aspects related to their vision, organizational structure, level of resources, and clinical practice characteristics. This information will serve to develop a taxonomy of organizations using a mixed methods approach of factorial analysis and principal component analysis. The third survey is an assessment of the organizational context in which PHC organizations are evolving. The five year prospective period will serve as a natural experiment to assess contextual and organizational factors (in 2005) associated with migration of PHC organizational models into new forms or models (in 2010) and assess the impact of this evolution on the performance of PHC.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The results of this study will shed light on changes brought about in the organization of PHC and on factors associated with these changes.</p

Functional abdominal pain disorders and patient- and parent- reported outcomes in children with inflammatory bowel disease in remission

BACKGROUND: Chronic abdominal pain occurs frequently in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in remission. AIMS: To assess the prevalence and factors associated with Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders among IBD children in remission (IBD-FAPD). METHODS: Patients with IBD for > 1 year, in clinical remission for ≥ 3 months were recruited from a National IBD network. IBD-FAPDs were assessed using the Rome III questionnaire criteria. Patient- or parent- reported outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Among 102 included patients, 57 (56%) were boys, mean age (DS) was 15.0 (± 2.0) years and 75 (74%) had Crohn's disease. Twenty-two patients (22%) had at least one Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder among which 17 had at least one IBD-FAPD. Past severity of disease or treatments received and level of remission were not significantly associated with IBD-FAPD. Patients with IBD-FAPD reported more fatigue (peds-FACIT-F: 35.9 ± 9.8 vs. 43.0 ± 6.9, p = 0.01) and a lower HR-QoL (IMPACT III: 76.5 ± 9.6 vs. 81.6 ± 9.2, p = 0.04) than patients without FAPD, and their parents had higher levels of State and Trait anxiety than the other parents. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of IBD-FAPD was 17%. IBD-FAPD was not associated with past severity of disease, but with fatigue and lower HR-QoL

DMTs and Covid-19 severity in MS: a pooled analysis from Italy and France

We evaluated the effect of DMTs on Covid-19 severity in patients with MS, with a pooled-analysis of two large cohorts from Italy and France. The association of baseline characteristics and DMTs with Covid-19 severity was assessed by multivariate ordinal-logistic models and pooled by a fixed-effect meta-analysis. 1066 patients with MS from Italy and 721 from France were included. In the multivariate model, anti-CD20 therapies were significantly associated (OR&nbsp;=&nbsp;2.05, 95%CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;1.39–3.02, p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.001) with Covid-19 severity, whereas interferon indicated a decreased risk (OR&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.42, 95%CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.18–0.99, p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.047). This pooled-analysis confirms an increased risk of severe Covid-19 in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and supports the protective role of interferon

AI is a viable alternative to high throughput screening: a 318-target study

: High throughput screening (HTS) is routinely used to identify bioactive small molecules. This requires physical compounds, which limits coverage of accessible chemical space. Computational approaches combined with vast on-demand chemical libraries can access far greater chemical space, provided that the predictive accuracy is sufficient to identify useful molecules. Through the largest and most diverse virtual HTS campaign reported to date, comprising 318 individual projects, we demonstrate that our AtomNet® convolutional neural network successfully finds novel hits across every major therapeutic area and protein class. We address historical limitations of computational screening by demonstrating success for target proteins without known binders, high-quality X-ray crystal structures, or manual cherry-picking of compounds. We show that the molecules selected by the AtomNet® model are novel drug-like scaffolds rather than minor modifications to known bioactive compounds. Our empirical results suggest that computational methods can substantially replace HTS as the first step of small-molecule drug discovery

Potential of plant biomass for the treatment of domestic wastewater : development of a biofiltration process for on-site wastewater treatment

En France, 13 millions de personnes sont concernées par l’assainissement non collectif (ANC). Un système d’ANC est composé d’un prétraitement, en général une fosse toutes eaux, suivi d’un système de traitement. Les récentes évolutions réglementaires ouvrent un éventail de possibilités quant aux systèmes de traitement possibles pour traiter les eaux usées. L’objectif de ce travail de thèse est de développer un système de traitement des eaux usées à partir de biomasse végétale issue de déchets de l’agriculture. Un suivi analytique de six habitations individuelles a permis l’étude des caractéristiques des eaux usées avant et après leur entrée dans le système de prétraitement. Ces eaux sont caractérisées par une grande variabilité d’une famille à une autre ainsi qu’au sein d’une même habitation. La charge organique par habitant à traiter est en moyenne de 60 gDBO5.j-1 pour un volume d’eau rejeté de 90 L.j-1, soit des effluents deux fois plus concentrés que ce qu’indique la réglementation. Le dimensionnement et le suivi d’un pilote à l’échelle laboratoire ont permis d’évaluer la potentialité de plusieurs milieux végétaux pour le traitement des eaux usées prétraitées. Ils sont comparés à un milieu de référence ayant une efficacité prouvée en traitement des eaux. L’étude des performances épuratoires, pour deux charges volumiques différentes, des différents milieux a été réalisée sur quarante semaines. Cette étude a permis l’élaboration et la mise en place d’un pilote in situ à l’échelle de la maison individuelle. La démarche de l’analyse de cycle de vie a été appliquée au pilote in situ dans le but d’optimiser le procédé mis en place. De plus, l’ACV a permis d’effectuer une comparaison avec différents procédés existants.In France, 13 million people are concerned by on-site wastewater treatment (OSWWT). An OSWWT system consists of pretreatment, usually a septic tank, followed by a treatment system. Recent regulatory developments open up a range of possibilities as to possible treatment systems for wastewater treatment. The objective of this thesis is to develop a system of wastewater treatment based on plant biomass from waste of agriculture. Analytical monitoring of six individual houses allowed the study of the characteristics of the wastewater before and after their entry into the pretreatment system. Waters are characterized by a wide variability from one family to another and from the same house. The organic load per person is treating an average of 60 gDBO5.j-1 for a volume of water discharged 90 L.j-1, that to say effluent two times more concentrated than indicated by the regulations. The design and monitoring of a pilot scale laboratory were used to evaluate the potential of several plant biomass for the treatment of pretreated wastewater. They are compared to a reference medium with proven effectiveness in water treatment. The study of treatment performance for two different volume loads of different backgrounds was performed during forty weeks. This study resulted in the development and implementation of a pilot in situ for single house. The approach of life cycle analysis has been applied to in situ pilot in order to optimize the process in place. In addition, LCA has to make a comparison with different existing OSWWT