Seasonal contributions of water and pollutants to Lake St. Charles, a drinking water reservoir.

Les eaux de surface sont largement utilisées comme sources d’eau potable au Canada. L'identification des principales sources de polluants dans les eaux de surface, souvent associées à une urbanisation croissante, est nécessaire pour élaborer des stratégies de gestion améliorée. Nous avons utilisé des isotopes stables dans l’eau (δ18O et δD) et des charges en nutriments et coliformes fécaux pour estimer les contributions saisonnières de différents affluents vers le lac Saint-Charles (LSC). Nos résultats indiquent que parmi les six sources d'eau identifiées, les eaux souterraines (GW), la rivière des Hurons (HR) et les petits tributaires (SSTs) représentent les principaux contributeurs (en termes de volume d'eau). Les trois autres sources d'eau, dont deux stations d'épuration d’eaux usées (WWTPs), Lac Delage (DL) et les précipitations (pluie et neige), représentent une contribution saisonnière moins importante. Pendant les saisons de fort débit (printemps et automne), LSC reçoit de l’eau principalement des SSTs et HR, tandis que pendant la saison de faible débit (été), le lac dépend principalement de GW pour maintenir son niveau d’eau. Les estimations des sources ponctuelles (WWTPs) par rapport aux sources non ponctuelles (principalement des installations septiques) de nutriments et coliformes fécaux ont démontré que cette dernière source représente une contribution saisonnière variable, mais plus importante de polluants (5% des WWTPs contre 95% des installations septiques). HR et SSTs qui drainent les zones densément occupées par des maisons avec des installations septiques privées, sont classées comme des sources non ponctuelles et, à ce titre, sont considérées comme des contributeurs majeurs en nutriments et coliformes fécaux. Les précipitations plus abondantes au printemps et à l'automne ont entraîné une augmentation des flux de nutriments et coliformes fécaux en raison du débit plus élevé. La dynamique de débits saisonniers difficile à prévoir des SSTs et HR, représente une menace potentiellement plus grande pour la qualité de l'eau du LSC que d'autres sources. Nous préconisons que l'amélioration de la gestion nécessite de réduire le nombre d'installations septiques privées dans le bassin versant du LSC.AbstractSurface waters are widely used as sources of drinking water in Canada. The identification of the main sources of pollutants to surface waters, often associated with increasing urbanization, is needed to improve management strategies. We used stable water isotopes (δ18O and δD), and nutrient and fecal coliform mass fluxes to estimate the seasonal contributions of water and pollutants of different inflows to Lake St. Charles (LSC). Our results indicate that out of six identified LSC water sources, groundwater (GW), Hurons River (HR) and small stream tributaries (SSTs) represent the major contributors (in terms of water volume). The three other water sources, including two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), Delage Lake (DL) and precipitation (rain and snow), represent smaller seasonal contributions. During the high-flow seasons (spring and fall), LSC receives water mainly from SSTs and HR, while during the low-flow season (summer), the lake relies mainly on GW inflows. Estimates of point source (WWTPs) versus non-point source (primarily septic installations) concentrations of nutrients and fecal coliforms show that the latter represents a seasonally variable and greater source of pollutants (5% WWTPs vs. 95% septic installations). HR and SSTs, draining densely occupied areas of single housing units with individual septic installations, are categorized as non-point sources, and as such are considered major nutrient and fecal coliform contributors. The higher precipitation in spring and fall caused increased fluxes of nutrients and fecal coliforms through higher stream discharge. Due to the seasonally variable and difficult to predict discharge dynamics of SSTs and HR, these two sources represent a potentially larger threat to LSC water quality. We advocate that improved management requires reducing the number of individual septic installations in the LSC watershed.</p

Proper environmental DNA metabarcoding data transformation reveals temporal stability of fish communities in a dendritic river system.

Protecting freshwater biodiversity is considered an ultimate challenge but depends on reliable surveys of species distribution and abundance which eDNA metabarcoding (environmental DNA metabarcoding) may offer. To do so, a better understanding of the sources of temporal variation among species eDNA abundance and of data transformation in eDNA metabarcoding studies is needed. Here, we show that transformation based on relative abundance is critical to suitable analyses of eDNA metabarcoding data and that Hellinger transformation performed slightly better than other methods. Furthermore, we show that site localities significantly explain eDNA metabarcoding variation, while no variation is explained by time of sampling. This indicates that species communities vary more spatially than temporally within a dendritic system composed of small rivers. We then further documented the community structure in the St. Charles River (Québec City, Canada) and six of its tributaries. This revealed the existence of eight species communities explaining 82.1% of eDNA read variation within this river network. Moreover, variation in environmental variables among sites explained 53.0% of eDNA reads, while sampling events and temporal environmental variation explained no eDNA metabarcoding variation. Altogether, this supports the claim that eDNA metabarcoding is a powerful tool to document and monitor fish communities in watersheds composed of small river dendritic systems

Glypican-3–Deficient Mice Exhibit Developmental Overgrowth and Some of the Abnormalities Typical of Simpson-Golabi-Behmel Syndrome

Glypicans are a family of heparan sulfate proteoglycans that are linked to the cell surface through a glycosyl–phosphatidylinositol anchor. One member of this family, glypican-3 (Gpc3), is mutated in patients with the Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (SGBS). These patients display pre- and postnatal overgrowth, and a varying range of dysmorphisms. The clinical features of SGBS are very similar to the more extensively studied Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS). Since BWS has been associated with biallelic expression of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II), it has been proposed that GPC3 is a negative regulator of IGF-II. However, there is still no biochemical evidence indicating that GPC3 plays such a role

Pseudoacromegaly

© 2018 Elsevier Inc. Individuals with acromegaloid physical appearance or tall stature may be referred to endocrinologists to exclude growth hormone (GH) excess. While some of these subjects could be healthy individuals with normal variants of growth or physical traits, others will have acromegaly or pituitary gigantism, which are, in general, straightforward diagnoses upon assessment of the GH/IGF-1 axis. However, some patients with physical features resembling acromegaly – usually affecting the face and extremities –, or gigantism – accelerated growth/tall stature – will have no abnormalities in the GH axis. This scenario is termed pseudoacromegaly, and its correct diagnosis can be challenging due to the rarity and variability of these conditions, as well as due to significant overlap in their characteristics. In this review we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of pseudoacromegaly conditions, highlighting their similarities and differences with acromegaly and pituitary gigantism, to aid physicians with the diagnosis of patients with pseudoacromegaly.PM is supported by a clinical fellowship by Barts and the London Charity. Our studies on pituitary adenomas and related conditions received support from the Medical Research Council, Rosetrees Trust and the Wellcome Trust

[DEMO] MRI Design Review System

Experience and control your design using natural interfaces! Most of todays conventional design review systems require special programming skills for preparation and high-capacity hard- and software for demonstration. Interacting with 3D data sometimes can be complicated. Today we face five major problem fields using design review systems: Interaction with 3D data, navigation in 3D space, controlling design alternatives, design presentation using less extensive hardware, content development without special software and programming skills

Intelligent decision support system to optimize, manage and plan water quality monitoring programs based on a participative approach

Tableau d'honneur de la Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales, 2017-2018Cette thèse s’intéresse au développement d’un système intelligent d’aide à la décision (SIAD) destiné à la conception, à la gestion et à l’optimisation des programmes de suivi de la qualité de l’eau (PSQE). Toute son originalité repose sur le fait qu’elle aborde la question dans une perspective holistique qui se traduit par le développement d’une approche participative dans le but de déterminer les besoins en connaissances sur la qualité et la quantité de l’eau sur lesquels se base le SIAD pour assister les gestionnaires de PSQE à toutes les étapes de la planification, de la gestion et de l’optimisation d’un PSQE. ...This thesis focuses on the development of an intelligent decision-support system (IDSS) to plan, manage and optimize water quality monitoring programs (WQMPs). The main originality of this thesis is to have approached thequestion of planning, managing and optimizing WQMPs in a holistic manner. The holistic approach transcends into the developing of a participative approach to identify knowledge needs on water quality and quantity to feed an IDSS which assists WQMP managers in every aspect of planning, managing and optimizing WQMPs. ..