Conservation genetics and population monitoring of the Alpine Salamander (Salamandra Atra) :

SUMMARYIn the context of the biodiversity crisis, amphibians are experiencing the most severe worldwide decline of all vertebrates and are in urgent need of better management. Efficient conservation strategies rely on sound knowledge of the species biology and of the genetic and demographic processes that might impair their welfare. Nonetheless, these processes are poorly understood in amphibians. Delineating population boundaries remains consequently problematic for these species, while it is of critical importance to define adequate management units for conservation. In this study, our attention focused on the alpine salamander (Salamandra atra), a species that deserves much interest in terms of both conservation biology and evolution. This endemic alpine species shows peculiar life-history traits (viviparity, reduced activity period, slow maturation) and has a slow population turnover, which might be problematic for its persistence in a changing environment. Due to its elusive behaviour (individuals spend most of their time underground and are unavailable for sampling), dynamic processes of gene and individuals were poorly understood for that species. Consequently, its conservation status could hardly be reliably assessed. Similarly the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) also poses special challenges for conservation, as no clear demarcation of geographical populations exists and dispersal patterns are poorly known. Through a phylogeographic analysis, we first studied the evolutionary history of the alpine salamander to better document the distribution of the genetic diversity along its geographical range. This study highlighted the presence of multiple divergent lineages in Italy together with a clear genetic divergence between populations from Northern and Dinaric Alps. These signs of cryptic genetic differentiation, which are not accounted for by the current taxonomy of the species, should not be neglected for further definition of conservation units. In addition, our data supported glacial survival of the species in northern peripheral glacial réfugia and nunataks, a pattern rarely documented for long-lived species. Then, we evaluated the level of gene flow between populations at the local scale and tested for asymmetries in male versus female dispersal using both field-based (mark-recapture) and genetic approaches. This study revealed high level of gene flow between populations, which stems mainly from male dispersal. This corroborated the idea that salamanders are much better dispersers than hitherto thought and provided a well- supported example of male-biased dispersal in amphibians. In a third step, based on a mark- recapture survey, we addressed the problem of sampling unavailability in alpine salamanders and evaluated its impact on two monitoring methods. We showed that about three quarters of individuals were unavailable for sampling during sampling sessions, a proportion that can vary with climatic conditions. If not taken into account, these complexities would result in false assumptions on population trends and misdirect conservation efforts. Finally, regarding the daunting task of delineating management units, our attention was drawn on the fire salamander. We conducted a local population genetic study that revealed high levels of gene flow among sampling sites. Management units for this species should consequently be large. Interestingly, despite the presence of several landscape features often reported to act as barriers, genetic breaks occurred at unexpected places. This suggests that landscape features may rather have idiosyncratic effects on population structure. In conclusion, this work brought new insights on both genetic and demographic processes occurring in salamanders. The results suggest that some biological paradigms should be taken with caution when particular species are in focus. Species- specific studies remain thus fundamental for a better understanding of species evolution and conservation, particularly in the context of current global changes.RESUMEDans le contexte de la crise de la biodiversité actuelle, les amphibiens subissent le déclin le plus important de tous les vertébrés et ont urgemment besoin d'une meilleure protection. L'établissement de stratégies de conservation efficaces repose sur des connaissances solides de la biologie des espèces et des processus génétiques et démographiques pouvant menacer leur survie. Ces processus sont néanmoins encore peu étudiés chez les amphibiens.Dans cette étude, notre attention s'est portée sur la salamandre noire (Salamandra atra), une espèce endémique des Alpes dont les traits d'histoire de vie atypiques (viviparité, phase d'activité réduite, lent turnover des populations) pourraient la rendre très vulnérable face aux changements environnementaux. Par ailleurs, en raison de son comportement cryptique (les individus passent la plupart de leur temps sous terre) la dynamique des gènes et des individus est mal comprise chez cette espèce. Il est donc difficile d'évaluer son statut de conservation de manière fiable. La salamandre tachetée {Salamandra salamandra), pour qui il n'existe aucune démarcation géographique apparente des populations, pose également des problèmes en termes de gestion. Dans un premier temps, nous avons étudié l'histoire évolutive de la salamandre noire afin de mieux décrire la distribution de sa diversité génétique au sein de son aire géographique. Cela a permis de mettre en évidence la présence de multiples lignées en Italie, ainsi qu'une nette divergence entre les populations du nord des Alpes et des Alpes dinariques. Ces résultats seront à prendre en compte lorsqu'il s'agira de définir des unités de conservation pour cette espèce. D'autre part, nos données soutiennent l'hypothèse d'une survie glaciaire dans des refuges nordiques périglaciaires ou dans des nunataks, fait rarement documenté pour une espèce longévive. Nous avons ensuite évalué la différentiation génétique des populations à l'échelle locale, ce qui a révélé d'important flux de gènes, ainsi qu'une asymétrie de dispersion en faveur des mâles. Ces résultats corroborent l'idée que les amphibiens dispersent mieux que ce que l'on pensait, et fournissent un exemple robuste de dispersion biaisée en faveur des mâles chez les amphibiens. Nous avons ensuite abordé le problème de Γ inaccessibilité des individus à la capture. Nous avons montré qu'environ trois quarts des individus sont inaccessibles lors des échantillonnages, une proportion qui peut varier en fonction des conditions climatiques. Ignoré, ce processus pourrait entraîner une mauvaise interprétation des fluctuations de populations ainsi qu'une mauvaise allocation des efforts de conservation. Concernant la définition d'unités de gestion pour la salamandre tachetée, nous avons pu mettre en évidence un flux de gènes important entre les sites échantillonnés. Les unités de gestion pour cette espèce devraient donc être étendues. Etonnamment, malgré la présence de nombreuses barrières potentielles au flux de gènes, les démarcations génétiques sont apparues à des endroits inattendus. En conclusion, ce travail a apporté une meilleure compréhension des processus génétiques et démographiques en action chez les salamandres. Les résultats suggèrent que certains paradigmes biologiques devraient être considérés avec précaution quand il s'agit de les appliquer à des espèces particulières. Les études spécifiques demeurent donc fondamentales pour une meilleure compréhension de l'évolution des espèces et leur conservation, tout particulièrement dans le contexte des changements globaux actuels.

Inhibition of glial cell proinflammatory activities by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonist confers partial protection during antimyelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein demyelination in vitro.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma) is a member of the nuclear hormone superfamily originally characterized as a regulator of adipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism. In addition, PPAR-gamma has important immunomodulatory functions. If the effect of PPAR-gamma's activation in T-cell-mediated demyelination has been recently demonstrated, nothing is known about the role of PPAR-gamma in antibody-induced demyelination in the absence of T-cell interactions and monocyte/macrophage activation. Therefore, we investigated PPAR-gamma's involvement by using an in vitro model of inflammatory demyelination in three-dimensional aggregating rat brain cell cultures. We found that PPAR-gamma was not constitutively expressed in these cultures but was strongly up-regulated following demyelination mediated by antibodies directed against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) in the presence of complement. Pioglitazone, a selective PPAR-gamma agonist, partially protected aggregates from anti-MOG demyelination. Heat shock responses and the expression of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha were diminished by pioglitazone treatment. Therefore, pioglitazone protection seems to be linked to an inhibition of glial cell proinflammatory activities following anti-MOG induced demyelination. We show that PPAR-gamma agonists act not only on T cells but also on antibody-mediated demyelination. This may represent a significant benefit in treating multiple sclerosis patients.

Research activities at european level performed at the Institute for Públic Safety of Catalonia

To start off, this document describes the Catalan model for emergencies response and its reference frame in terms of geography, location population…In addition, describes the main actors involved in emergencies response such as: police, the Fire and Rescue Emergency Service, the Emergency Medical System, Civil Protection, Reception and Management of Emergency Calls, Rural Agents, ADF’s and UME. Civil Protection, Firefighters and Police are includes in the training model developed by the Institute for Public Safety of Catalonia which at the same time does research in both security and safety matters. Research activities are performed by the Area for Research, Knowledge and International Cooperation at the ISPC and an example of these activities are European Research Projects such as COIM-Best (Coordination Improvement by Best Practices) and BESECU (cross-cultural differences of human behaviour in fire disasters and other crisis situations) among others.

Resolution of an Infection with Leishmania braziliensis Confers Complete Protection to a Subsequent Challenge with Leishmania major in BALB/c Mice

Both Leishmania major and L. braziliensis induce cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice. Whereas BALB/c mice die of infection with L. major, they cure an infection with L. braziliensis. We report here that after curing an infection with L. braziliensis, BALB/c mice are resistant to challenge with L. major. When challenged with L. major, L. braziliensis pre-treated BALB/c mice mounted a delayed-type hypersensitivity response to L. major and produced high amounts of interferon-g (IFN-g ) but low amounts of interleukin-4. The IFN-g produced by the L. braziliensis pre-infected mice was involved in the protection seen against L. major challenge since treating the mice with a neutralizing anti-IFN-g abrogated the protection. This suggests that cross-reactive antigen epitopes exist between L. braziliensis and L. major and that pre-infection with L. braziliensis primes BALB/c mice to epitopes on L. major that can elicit a protective Th1 response to the parasite.

Partial Protection of Mice against Trypanosoma cruzi after Immunizing with the TcY 72 Antigenic Preparation

A 72 kDa Trypanosoma cruzi glycoprotein recognized by the 164C11 monoclonal antibody (IgM isotype) was purified by preparative electrophoresis. The antigenic preparation obtained, named TcY 72, was used to immunize C57Bl/10 mice. The following results were observed after immunization: (1) induction of higher titres of IgG than IgM antibodies, as evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence; (2) significant DTH after injection of epimastigotes in mice footpads; (3) peak parasitemia in immunized mice was significantly reduced and animals were negative by 13 days post-infection, although the mice still succumb to infection; (4) the phenotypic analysis of spleen cell populations showed a decrease in the CD4/CD8 ratio in immunized mice. Taken as a whole, these findings indicate that TcY 72 is immunogenic and potentially important for protective immunity.

Renal protection with calcium antagonists: the role of lercanidipine.

Abstract Background: Clinical research in the field of hypertension is now increasingly focusing on the potential effects of antihypertensive treatments that may go beyond the reduction of blood pressure (BP). In particular, renal protection appears as a desirable goal, especially considering that hypertension is associated with an increased risk of developing kidney damage, which may eventually lead to end-stage renal disease and a higher mortality. Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are widely used in the field of hypertension therapy but the different renal effects of the various CCBs have been poorly explored to date. Scope: This review will discuss available evidence on the renal effects of two calcium channel blockers: amlodipine and lercanidipine, on the basis of clinical data. Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for inclusion of relevant studies. No limitations in time were considered. Results: Results from preclinical and clinical studies suggest that amlodipine is overall less effective in terms of renal protection when compared with other antihypertensive tested agents. Its beneficial effect in retarding the progression of renal disease is achievable only when combined with a blocker of the renin-angiotensin system. Conversely lercanidipine seems to provide renal protection in a similar way to ACE inhibitors, probably thanks to its mechanism of action which acts directly on the afferent and efferent renal arterioles. Conclusions: Treatment of hypertension with CCBs should take into consideration the special effects of each single agent at different levels; lercanidipine for example may play a useful role in the management not only of hypertension but also in renal protection of hypertensive patients.

Protection against Toxoplasmosis in Mice Immunized with Different Antigens of Toxoplasma gondii Incorporated into Liposomes

Different toxoplasma antigens were entrapped within liposomes and evaluated, in this form, for their ability to protect Swiss mice against toxoplasma infection: soluble tachyzoite antigen (L/TAg), tissue cyst (L/CAg), tachyzoite plus tissue cyst (L/TCAg) or purified antigen of tachyzoite (L/pTAg). The protein used in L/pTAg was purified from tachyzoites using a stage-specific monoclonal antibody which reacted at a molecular weight of 32 kD in SDS PAGE and silver stain using reduced condition. To compare the immuno-adjuvant action of liposomes and of Freund's Complete Adjuvant (FCA), another group of mice was immunized with soluble tachyzoite antigen (STAg) emulsified in FCA (FCA/TAg). Control groups were inoculated with (STAg) alone, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), FCA with PBS (FCA/PBS) and empty liposomes (L/PBS). Mice were inoculated subcutaneously with these antigens six, four and two weeks before a challenge with 80 tissue cysts of the P strain of Toxoplasma gondii orally. All mice immunized with or without adjuvant showed a humoral response, as measured by Elisa. However, no correlation was found between antibody titer and protection against the challenge. All mice immunized with L/pTAg or L/TCAg survived (100), whereas 80% and 90% of mice from groups which received respectively PBS or FCA/PBS and L/PBS died. All mice immunized with antigens entrapped within liposomes (L/TAg, L/CAg, L/TCAg and L/pTAg) showed low numbers of intracerebral cysts.

IPH response to the Environmental Protection Agency Consultation on Stategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Process Checklist

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland is an all-island body which aims to improve health in Ireland by working to combat health inequalities and influence public policies in favour of health. The Institute promotes co-operation in research, training, information and policy in order to contribute to policies which tackle inequalities in health. Over the past six years the Institute has worked closely with the Department of Health and Children and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland to build capacity for Health Impact Assessment. The Institute takes the view that health is determined by policies, plans and programmes in many sectors outside the health sector as well as being dependent on access to and availability of first class health services. The importance of other sectors is encapsulated in a social determinants of health perspective which recognises that health is largely shaped and influenced by the physical, social, economic and cultural environments in which people live, work and play. Figure 1 illustrates these multi-dimensional impacts on health and also serves to highlight the clear and inextricable links between health and sustainable development. Factors that impact on long-term sustainability will thus also impact on health.

Is there a role for autoimmunity in immune protection against malaria?

Much remains to be known about the mechanisms involved in protective immunity against malaria and the way it is acquired. This is probably the reason why, in spite of so much progress, it has not yet been possible to develop an anti-malaria vaccine able to induce parasite specific antibodies (Ab) and/or T-cells. It has been considered in the early 80s that the induction of efficient protection against the blood stage forms of Plasmodium falciparum would not be possible without simultaneously eliciting an autoimmune (AI) response against erythrocytes, even at the price of inducing an AI pathology. Despite the description of the reciprocal relationship, i.e. the protective effect of malaria on the development of AI diseases - demonstrated since 1970 - no effort has been made to verify the possible involvement of the AI response in protection against malaria. With this end in view - and in the light of the knowledge acquired in autoimmunity and the existence of the so called "natural" (not associated with pathology) autoantibodies - we propose to examine the hypothesis that the participation of the AI response (not necessarily restricted to autologous erythrocyte antigens) in the immune protection against malaria is possible or even necessary.

Northern Ireland Fire (PDF 75KB)

Practice Note 3 Escape bed lifts

Joint Communique Under The Auspices of The North South Ministerial Council On Safeguarding Child Protection (PDF 28KB)

This Communication Strategy has been developed by representatives of the statutory sector and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) from the voluntary and community sectors from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

Data Protection Manual (MS Word 461KB)

Departmental Data Protection manual