Preface

The workshop organizers wanted to insure a wide range of content and meaningful participation of First Nation's people. The displays in the lobby and the caribou skin hut constructed on site greeted participants as they entered the Yukon Art's Center, the site of the conference. Elders told stories at the beginning of each session and these stories set a respectful tone to the whole conference. One of these stories is presented in these proceedings. In addition each session was accompanied by a selection of cartoons by Doug Urquhart to bring humor to participants during breaks. A selection of these cartoons is included in these proceedings so that the lighter side of our work can be referenced in the permanent record

Biodiversity and springtime patterns of egg production and development for parasites of the Chisana Caribou herd, Yukon Territory, Canada

We investigated the biodiversity and springtime patterns of parasite egg/oocyst and larval production from feces and parasite development in the environment for the Chisana caribou herd in the southwest Yukon Territory, Canada from 29 March to 14 June 2006. Fecal samples from 50 adult cows that were housed in a temporary enclosure within the herd’s natural range at Boundary Lake, Yukon Territory were collected and analyzed during 5 sampling periods. A minimum of 6 parasite genera were recovered: eggs of Trichostrongylidae species (most likely Ostertagia gruehneri and Teladorsagia boreoarcticus), Marshallagia sp., Anoplocephalidae cestodes, and Skrjabinema sp.; oocysts of Eimeria spp.; and dorsal-spined first-stage protostrongylid larvae, including Parelaphostrongylus andersoni. Prevalence of Trichostrongylidae spp. eggs in fresh fecals was at or near 100% throughout the sampling period, however, the median intensity increased significantly from 8 to 34 eggs per gram (epg) at the peak of calving and then decreased to 12 epg 2 weeks post-calving (P = 2.83e-07). Three plots of feces collected from these animals were established outside of the enclosure on 4 May 2006 and monitored every 10 days to investigate patterns of parasite development under natural conditions. The total number of Trichostrongylidae spp. (eggs + larvae) in fecal plots did not change over time, but as the number of larvae increased, egg counts decreased. The presence of other parasite species in the fecal plots remained constant over time. This study is the first to document the parasite diversity for the Chisana caribou herd and to exam¬ine the development and survival of eggs and larvae in feces throughout the spring and early summer. Abstract in Norwegian / Sammendrag: Parasitters artssammensetning og forløp av eggproduksjon og parasittutvikling om våren hos Chisanavillreinen i Yukon, Canada I en periode fra 29. mars til 14. juni 2006 tok vi prøver fra reinmøkk og under¬søkte artsammensetning, egg/oocysteproduksjon og parasittutvikling i et område sørvest i Yukon, Canada, der Chisana caribou’en holder til. Møkkprøver fra 50 voksne simler, holdt i en midlertidig inngjerding i det naturlige beiteområdet ved Bondary Lake, ble samlet og analysert i løpet av fem prøveperioder. Parasitter fra minst seks slekter ble funnet: materialet omfattet egg av Trichostrongylidae-arter (mest sannsynlig Ostertagia gruehneri og Teledorsagia boreoarcti¬cus), Marshallagia-art, Anaplocephalidae-bendelmark og Skrjabinema-art, oocyster av Eimeria-arter, og ryggpiggete førstestadiums Protostrongylidae-larver, bl.a. av Parelaphostrongylus andersoni. I ferske møkkprøver var prosentvis tilstedeværelse av Trichostrongylidae-egg nesten 100 % gjennom prøveperioden, men median intensitet (parasittmengde) økte statistisk signifikant fra 8 til 34 egg per gram under kalvingens mest intense periode og avtok til 12 egg per gram to uker etter kalving. Møkk fra forsøkssimlene ble den 4. mai plassert i tre felt utenfor området der simlene ble holdt inngjerdet, og undersøkt hver tiende dag for å følge parasittutviklingen under naturlige betingelser. Det totale antall av egg + larver Trichostrongylidae i feltene forandret seg ikke; larvemengden økte samtidig som eggmengden avtok. Tilstedeværelsen av andre parasitter i feltene forble også konstant over tid. Vår studie er den første til å dokumentere parasittdiversiteten i Chisanavillreinen og å undersøke utviklingen og overlevelsen av egg og larver gjennom vår og tidlig sommer

Comparisons of Allergenic and Metazoan Parasite Proteins:Allergy the Price of Immunity

Allergic reactions can be considered as maladaptive IgE immune responses towards environmental antigens. Intriguingly, these mechanisms are observed to be very similar to those implicated in the acquisition of an important degree of immunity against metazoan parasites (helminths and arthropods) in mammalian hosts. Based on the hypothesis that IgE-mediated immune responses evolved in mammals to provide extra protection against metazoan parasites rather than to cause allergy, we predict that the environmental allergens will share key properties with the metazoan parasite antigens that are specifically targeted by IgE in infected human populations. We seek to test this prediction by examining if significant similarity exists between molecular features of allergens and helminth proteins that induce an IgE response in the human host. By employing various computational approaches, 2712 unique protein molecules that are known IgE antigens were searched against a dataset of proteins from helminths and parasitic arthropods, resulting in a comprehensive list of 2445 parasite proteins that show significant similarity through sequence and structure with allergenic proteins. Nearly half of these parasite proteins from 31 species fall within the 10 most abundant allergenic protein domain families (EF-hand, Tropomyosin, CAP, Profilin, Lipocalin, Trypsin-like serine protease, Cupin, BetV1, Expansin and Prolamin). We identified epitopic-like regions in 206 parasite proteins and present the first example of a plant protein (BetV1) that is the commonest allergen in pollen in a worm, and confirming it as the target of IgE in schistosomiasis infected humans. The identification of significant similarity, inclusive of the epitopic regions, between allergens and helminth proteins against which IgE is an observed marker of protective immunity explains the 'off-target' effects of the IgE-mediated immune system in allergy. All these findings can impact the discovery and design of molecules used in immunotherapy of allergic conditions

Comparisons of Allergenic and Metazoan Parasite Proteins: Allergy the Price of Immunity.

Allergic reactions can be considered as maladaptive IgE immune responses towards environmental antigens. Intriguingly, these mechanisms are observed to be very similar to those implicated in the acquisition of an important degree of immunity against metazoan parasites (helminths and arthropods) in mammalian hosts. Based on the hypothesis that IgE-mediated immune responses evolved in mammals to provide extra protection against metazoan parasites rather than to cause allergy, we predict that the environmental allergens will share key properties with the metazoan parasite antigens that are specifically targeted by IgE in infected human populations. We seek to test this prediction by examining if significant similarity exists between molecular features of allergens and helminth proteins that induce an IgE response in the human host. By employing various computational approaches, 2712 unique protein molecules that are known IgE antigens were searched against a dataset of proteins from helminths and parasitic arthropods, resulting in a comprehensive list of 2445 parasite proteins that show significant similarity through sequence and structure with allergenic proteins. Nearly half of these parasite proteins from 31 species fall within the 10 most abundant allergenic protein domain families (EF-hand, Tropomyosin, CAP, Profilin, Lipocalin, Trypsin-like serine protease, Cupin, BetV1, Expansin and Prolamin). We identified epitopic-like regions in 206 parasite proteins and present the first example of a plant protein (BetV1) that is the commonest allergen in pollen in a worm, and confirming it as the target of IgE in schistosomiasis infected humans. The identification of significant similarity, inclusive of the epitopic regions, between allergens and helminth proteins against which IgE is an observed marker of protective immunity explains the 'off-target' effects of the IgE-mediated immune system in allergy. All these findings can impact the discovery and design of molecules used in immunotherapy of allergic conditions

Saskatchewan Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2008 (SIS‑2008): Major Findings

Non‑commercial reproduction of this report in whole or in part is permitted, provided the authors are acknowledged as the source of all copies.The following report presents the major descriptive findings from the Saskatchewan Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (SIS‑2008). The SIS‑2008 is the first province-wide study to examine the incidence of reported child maltreatment and the characteristics of the children and families investigated by child welfare services in Saskatchewan. The estimates presented in this report are primarily based on information collected from child welfare investigators on a representative sample of 8,933 child welfare investigations conducted across Saskatchewan.The SIS‑2008 research was funded by: Government of Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services, and the Injury and Child Maltreatment Section, Public Health Agency of Canada. Additional support was provided by the University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work

Pfam domain families that are highly populated with allergenic protein sequences.

<p>Protein domain families considered for this analysis are highlighted in the box based on the families presented in the article co-authored by Fitzsimmons and Dunne [<a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004546#pcbi.1004546.ref021" target="_blank">21</a>].</p

Categorization of 10 protein domain families into groups.

<p>Categorization of 10 protein domain families into groups.</p

Magnitudes of specific IgE, IgG4 and IgG1 responses to <i>S</i>. <i>mansoni</i> Bet v 1-like protein, SmBv1L, in a population of 222 individuals infected with <i>S</i>. <i>mansoni</i>, dotted lines indicate threshold of magnitude for a response.

<p>Data were normalized for expression on a log scale by the addition of constants so as to include zero values.</p

Venn diagram showing the distribution of Ab isotype responses to SmBv1L within IgG1, IgG4 and IgE responders in a population of 222 individuals endemically infected with <i>S</i>. <i>mansoni</i>.

<p>Venn diagram showing the distribution of Ab isotype responses to SmBv1L within IgG1, IgG4 and IgE responders in a population of 222 individuals endemically infected with <i>S</i>. <i>mansoni</i>.</p

List of the protein domain families/superfamilies that are populated predominantly with allergenic molecules.

<p>Total number of allergenic molecules (retrieved form Allergome database) in these families/superfamily and their ‘close homologs’ in eukaryotic metazoan parasites are shown.</p