In search of effective bioassessment of urban stormwater pond sediments: enhancing the 'sediment quality triad' approach with oligochaete metrics.

Stormwater ponds have been widely used to control increased volumes and rates of surface runoff resulting from urbanization. As receiving waters, they are under the influence of intermittent pollution from urban wet-weather discharges. Meanwhile they offer new aquatic habitats balancing the transformation of initial ecosystems and their associated biodiversity. Bioassessment of stormwater facilities is therefore crucial to insure the preservation and rehabilitation of biodiversity in urban areas. Nonetheless, the application of traditional bioassessment methodologies such as the sediment quality triad (SQT), based on the comparisons with reference sites, is challenged by the artificial and atypical features of urban stormwater ponds. Our concern in finding a more specific and effective bioassessment methodology led us to consider associating the Oligochaete Index Methodology (OIM) with the SQT. This study shows that although some adjustments were needed, the OIM brought new and complementary information to the SQT assessment on the effects of contaminants and on the biological quality status of the sediment in a test urban stormwater pond.

Evaluation of streamwater composition changes in the Vosges Mountains (NE France): 1955-2005.

In 1995, in the southwestern Vosges Mountains (NE France), 158 of 395 streams (40%) had a pH lower than 5.5 at baseflow. As elsewhere in Europe, acid deposition has decreased since the seventies, as has base cation deposition. In order to assess the response of streamwater to decreasing deposition, we compared their present chemical composition to their former composition. All comparisons showed a decrease in sulphate concentration, which was greater on granite than on sandstone. In addition calcium, magnesium and aluminium concentrations generally decreased. Acidity in streams draining granite decreased in spring, especially during the eighties; decreases were not observed on sandstone. Continuous monitoring of 5 streams since 1998 confirmed that Al concentrations decreased while changes in pH were small. Chemical trends in streams from the Vosges massif fell between those measured in Northern Europe and Central Europe. This study provides the first broad-scale overview of surface water acidification and recovery in France and emphasizes the need for continuous monitoring to assess long-term changes in aquatic ecosystems.

Bioassessment of wet-weather pollution impacts on fine sediments in urban waters by benthic indices and the sediment quality triad.

Benthic invertebrate assessments can be used to gauge the impact of urban wet-weather flows in receiving waters. Experiences from Cemagref in France have shown that standardized benthic indices (e.g. Oligochaete Index of Sediment Bioindication - IOBS) can be used to reliably determine the ecological status of urban streams and can be incorporated into the new European Water Framework Directive. The Canadian studies on streams and stormwater ponds using chemical analyses, benthic toxicity testing and benthic invertebrate community structure (i.e. the sediment quality triad) comparisons have shown that toxicity was more likely to occur in ponds at sites with higher concentrations of heavy metals and heavier polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and at greater water depths, where fine sediments from urban runoff accumulated. A more comprehensive evaluation of wet-weather flow impacts could be obtained by combining approaches from both countries.

[Purgative medications in Vichy's hospital in 1759]. / Les formules purgatives de l'hôpital de Vichy en 1759.

Since 1754 in Vichy the poor have been admitted in a new hospital with 70 beds. In 1759 Doctor Inspector of thermal waters, Emmanuel Tardy, wants for sick people new purgative medications. Ten preparation, and the lenitive, are made for the children, the pregnant women, and the men as in the famous Manuel des Dames de Charite.

The application of the ELISA technique to the serology of chlamydiosis in goats: statistical evaluation of a method.

The evaluation of the ELISA technique has been studied in the special case of its application to the serological diagnosis of chlamydiosis in goats. The results showed that this technique is reliable (accurate and reproducible) and efficient. Sera from 96 goats were studied with the ELISA technique, indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and complement fixation (CF), the latter being the standard method in France. A comparison of the results revealed a similarity of findings with ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence and the greater sensitivity of the ELISA technique relative to that of complement fixation.

[Serological response of the dog after primary antirabies vaccination using adjuvant or non-adjuvant vaccines]. / Réponse sérologique du chien aprés primovaccination antirabique à l'aide de vaccins adjuvés ou non.

The serological responses following a primary vaccination carried out one year before in two groups of dogs which received an inactivated cell culture vaccine containing or not an adjuvant (alumine-hydroxide) are compared. Neutralizing antibody titers assayed in mice, obtained with only one injection of the adjuvanted vaccine are at the same or a greater level than those induced by two injections of the non-adjuvanted vaccine administered two to four weeks apart (statutory schedule of rabies primary vaccination applied in France).

[Correlation between the NIH test and the seroneutralizing antibodies obtained after vaccination in the dog]. / Etude de la corrélation existant entre le test NIH et les anticorps séroneutralisants obtenus après vaccination chez le chien.

This work reports on two distinct studies on the analysis of correlation of results of potency tests of rabies vaccine intended for dogs. In a first study, the analysis compares the results of the conventional NIH test in mice with seroneutralizing antibodies obtained after 21 days of vaccination in dogs. Arithmetical analysis (109 NIH results, 466 antibody titres) did not reveal significant linear correlation between the results. In a second study, the analysis compares the results of the conventional NIH test and of the NIH test without booster in mice with seroneutralizing antibodies obtained after 21 days of vaccination in dogs. Arithmetical analysis (27 conventional NIH results (without booster), 118 antibody titres) did not reveal any significant linear correlation between the results.

[Haemagglutination inhibition test: improvements, limits and advantages of the method. Comparison with neutralization test]. / Test d'inhibition de l'hémagglutination de la rage amélioration, limites, intérêt de la methode. Comparaison avec les tests de neutralisation.

In this study, we report some technical improvements which enable us to envisage wider use of the haemagglutination test and haemagglutination inhibition of the rabies virus. Moderated trypsination of sensitive red blood cells and their counting are important parameters. An interesting application of the test was the haemagglutination competition enabling the amount of soluble glycoprotein (obtained during the fractionating of the virus components) to be evaluated. From antibody kinetics of vaccinated dogs, a study of the correlation which exists between the IHA titres, SN mice titres and SN-RFFIT titres was carried out. Satisfactory correlation was obtained between these three techniques.

Rabies virus pathogenicity and challenge. Influence of the method of preparation, the route of inoculation, and the species. Comparison of the characteristics of the modified, fixed and wild strains.

The challenge we carried out, which regularly brought about the death of the control animals, led us to study the different factors influencing the pathogenicity of the rabies virus. So, the method of preparation is important. The strain NYC, prepared from the salivary glands is extremely pathogenic for dogs; however, when it is prepared from mouse brains after nine passages have been made, it proves to be already partially modified. One then notices a death-rate which is less severe, even when larger quantities of virus are employed, and also the presence of some aberrant phenomena. (The survival of some of the infected animals and the nature of their inapparent forms of infection were confirmed by serology.) The significance of the route of inoculation in the different species of animals was studied. The injection in the crotaphytes was reserved for dogs, the cervical muscles for cats and the masseters for sheep. Paradoxically, cats prove to be most resistant to the challenge under our conditions. Finally the numerical data, allowing us to compare the different strains, modified, fixed or wild, was established. The data was based on the incubation period and on the differences between the titres obtained via intramuscular routes and intracerebral routes in the mice.

[Cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity in a French reference population using the cell-mediated immunity multitest device]. / Etude sur une population française de référence de l'hypersensibilité cutanée retardée par le dispositif multitest I.M.C.

The authors present a disposable device which may be used for skin tests studying delayed cellular hypersensitivity with 7 antigens and a glycerin control. With the aim of more objective evaluation of the results, they suggest the establishment of a score taking into account the number of positive reactions and the degree of the reactions. Finally, they describe the results of a large multicentre study involving 830 subjects considered to be healthy and divided into 4 groups according to the response to the tests.

[Purification and some properties of "Clostridium perfringens" delta toxin (author's transl)]. / Essai de purification et propriétés de la toxine delta de Clostridium perfringens type C

Delta toxin, a hemolytic exocellular protein excreted by C. perfringens type C has been purified to homogeneity, assessed by polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis. Purification steps involved successively calcium phosphate gel formation in culture supernatant fluid, salting-out of unadsorbed material by ammonium sulfate to 50 % saturation, isoelectric focusing and gel filtration on Sephadex G75. Purified toxin appears as a basic protein occuring in two forms with isoelectric points of 8.8 and 9.4 as disclosed by isoelectric focusing. Molecular weight estimated by SDS-polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis was found to be close to 42,000 for the two forms. The lytic activity of delta toxin is inhibited by Ca++ and EDTA. The toxin is activated by short-term treatment with low concentration of trypsin.

[Application of a truncated Poisson distribution for the counting of virus plaques by micromethod. Variation of its relative inaccuracy]. / Application d'une loi de Poisson tronquée pour le dènombrement de plages virales en micro-méthode. Variations de l'imprécision relative

The microculture plaque titration of virus shows an important disadvantage : the reduction of the areas observation brings out plaque convergence and prevents from their exact enumeration. Nevertheless, a method, proposed by Moore, enables the estimation of virus title. The influence of the dilution and repetition factors on the title precision has been investigated. Two examples are treated.

[Mannose dependent horse erythrocyte agglutinin specific to bovine enterotoxic E coli strains]. / Mise en évidence d'une structure agglutinant les hématies de cheval en présence de mannose et spécifique des souches d'E. coli entérotoxiques d'origine bovine

We show that in enterotoxic or not enterotoxic E. coli strains from various origins, enterotoxic strains of E. coli from calves only agglutin horse red cells in presence of mannose. The haemagglutinins structure, not visible with electron microscope is compatible with presence of fimbriae. It would be K 99 antigen, specific adhesiveness structure for strains from calves.