[Future of premature infants of less than 33 weeks gestational age: results of an inquiry undertaken in 1985 in the Paris region]. / Devenir des prématurés de moins de 33 semaines d'âge gestationnel: résultats d'une enquête menée en 1985 dans la région parisienne.

Improvements in combining obstetrics and neonatology led to a trend to intervene earlier in premature babies born before the 33rd week of gestational age. The enquiry that was carried out in 1985 in the Paris geographical region had as its objective to assess on the one part how many premature deliveries occurred between the 25th and 33rd week of amenorrhea and on the other hand what happened in the short term to the infants born from these pregnancies, i.e., their mortality; and for those who survived, their quality of life. The study was carried out on a representative sample of the deliveries in 1985 in the four departments of the Paris region--Paris and the three departments of the Petite Couronne--where half of all deliveries were assessed. The enquiry covered 53,430 deliveries for which the overall prematurity rate was 4.5%, and those deliveries that occurred before 33 weeks of gestational age constituted 1.0% (539 babies). Twenty children were lost for follow-up after a year. This was 4.9% of the live births and 6.3% of the live children who left the neonatology centres. At 2 years of age, the numbers that were not followed up were eventually 24, which was 5.8% of live births and 7.6% of those that left the centres of neonatology. The results show a very high rate of antepartum mortality but also of mortality during and after labour. Only 379 infants out of the 539 (70%) were transferred into special care baby units. By 1 year of age, the survivors were 57% of the total number of deliveries and 75% of the live births and 82% of those transferred to the special units. As far as concerned those that were live born, the survival rate at the age of 1 year varied considerably according to the duration of the pregnancy. The number of those that survived a pregnancy of less than 27 weeks was low (31%). It was, at 28 weeks, 53%. This is the age where births have to be registered. It reached 87% of the live births that occurred at 32 weeks. One has to point out that there is no statistically significant difference between 27 and 28 weeks of gestation. Whereas there is a significant difference (p less than 0.05) with those delivered at 29 weeks (75%). 80% of those 291 infants that were examined at 1 year of age were considered to be normal as far as psychomotor and sensorial behaviour was concerned.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Influence of different sampling systems on evaluation of bacteriological and virological performance for an activated-sludge treatment plant (author's transl)]. / Influence de différents modes de prélèvement sur l'estimation du rendement bactériologique et virologique d'une station d'épuration biologique.

Various quantitative evaluations of the performance of an activated-sludge treatment plant for viruses and bacteria removal and ameliorating physicochemical characteristics have been performed over a period of 24 hours, using successive and continuous samplings. The performance of the treatment plant evaluated using these two sampling systems shows no difference with the one obtained from punctual sampling. In every case, one can observe at the discharge a reduction amounting to 1 or 2 log. for the bacterial density and from 1/2 to 2 log. for the viral charge. Statistical study shows that whatever the sampling method used - punctual or successive and continuous over 24 hours - there is no fundamental difference between values of viral and bacterial densities. This comparison can only be established if a previous study has been made to determine the most representative hour to effect the punctual sampling.

[Evaluation of the viral contamination of the sea water after the emission of an effluent into the sea (author's transl)]. / Evaluation de la contamination virale marine après rejet d'un effluent par un émissaire en mer.

Research of virus in the sea water has been made by the concentrated method of adsorption-elution on glass powder. --This method has enabled us to strike the balance on the concentration of virus in the sea water, from the emission to the bank. The frequency of isolation of virus in the bathing zone considered as healthy is very high. The concentration of virus is practically constant in the length of an axis, 200 m distant in comparison with the bank.--The increase of particles of virus in the sea, in the estuary of the emission, reflects in the same way in the bathing zone, 5 m away from the bank. The phenomenon of dilution of the effluent in the sea water doesn't seem to play a part.

[The presence of antibodies inhibiting hemagglutination of rubeola virus in urban biset pigeons]. / Présence d'anticorps inhibant l'hémagglutination du virus de la rubéole chez des pigeons bisets urbains.

In 88 cases out of 126 (70%), antibodies to rubella were found by inhibition of viral hemagglutination in wild pigeons collected in the area of Nice. When experimentally infected with live virus, the rubella negative pigeons develop HI antibodies, thus showing that the virus replicates in these birds. The epidemiological meanings of these findings are considered.