Genetic variability and population structuring in the European Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus feldeggii

We analysed variation in 10 polymorphic microsatellites and a variable portion of control region of mtDNA in 24 specimens from 3 populations of European Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus feldeggii living in Sicily, continental Italy and the Balkan area to assess species' genetic diversity and population structure in the poorly investigated range of this threatened subspecies. We considered also a dataset of previously published mtDNA sequences of the other Lanner Falcon subspecies and of Hierofalco subgenus members (F. cherrug, F. rusticolus and F. jugger) to outline the genetic variation in the region on a wide-ranging basis. Regard with mtDNA we identified 6 haplotypes from our 24 European Lanner Falcon specimens, 3 of which were new and unique (1 Sicilian, 2 Balkans) and the 3 others already known and shared with other Hierofalcons. The 62.5% of our sample, including 14 of Sicilians and one Apulia specimen, belonged to haplotype H_24 shared with F. c. cherrug, F. rusticolus and F. jugger. MtDNA analyses of European Lanner Falcons showed a dispersed pattern of our specimens inside the main Hierofalco clades and haplo-groups in a way congruent to what found in recent literature. These analyses confirmed that none of the Hierofalcons form a monophyletic group, nonetheless the Lanner Falcons can be subdivided in two major Palaearctic (F. b. feldeggii, F. b. erlangeri and F. b. tanypterus) and sub-Sahara African (F. b. biarmicus and F. b. abyssinicus) clades. Microsatellites analysis yielded a first outline of population genetic structure, with genetic identity between continental Italy and Sicily and a moderate degree of differentiation of the Balkan area with Sicily and continental Italy. The 3 populations did not show significant departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, with low values of the inbreeding coefficients and had allele richness and haplotype diversity consistent with literature. Microsatellites analysis (Nm, frequency of private alleles) suggests a gene flow among the three examined populations and the connection of Sicilian population to those of mainland

Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease

Background: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P = 0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P = 0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P = 0.31). Conclusions: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. (Funded by Novartis; CANTOS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01327846.

Falcon Conservation: azioni pratiche per la tutela del lanario Falco biarmicus feldeggii

Il progetto Falcon Conservation nasce nel 2014 e dal 2016 è supportato dalla fondazione Nando ed Elsa Peretti, con lo scopo di acquisire nuovi dati sulla biologia e la conservazione dei Rapaci ed in particolar modo del lanario Falco biarmicus feldeggii e del pellegrino Falco peregrinus brookei. Falcon Conservation si basa sulla ricerca scientifica e sulla Citizen Science ed ha tra gli obiettivi la divulgazione e il coinvolgimento degli studenti universitari e dell’opinione pubblica in genere. Le azioni pratiche del progetto si sono concentrate sul monitoraggio di popolazione in tre aree-campione che corrispondono alla Sicilia occidentale, centrale ed orientale. I censimenti sul campo sono stati effettuati seguendo un modello predittivo multi-criterio ideato ad hoc per la popolazione di lanario che ha permesso la scoperta di nuovi siti riproduttivi. Annualmente nei siti monitorati vengono inanellati i giovani e prelevati campioni biologici per analisi genetiche, veterinarie ed analisi della dieta. Un campione di 19 pellegrini e 6 lanari è stato finora munito di trasmettitori GPS-GSM, per analizzare le dinamiche di dispersione post-natale e i tassi di mortalità. Le attività di Citizen Science si sono concentrate soprattutto su workshop di riconoscimento delle specie di Rapaci e sull’organizzazione di campi di sorveglianza, di 2-3 siti per anno, per evitare il prelievo illegale di uova e pulli. Nel 2017 sono stati coinvolti 33 volontari provenienti da tutta Italia. Il controllo continuato ha permesso di ridurre l’effettivo numero di fallimenti attribuibili al bracconaggio. Il progetto ha previsto inoltre la creazione di un sito web (www.biarmicus.wordpress.com) dove viene condiviso materiale di divulgazione e sono presenti circa 45 articoli scientifici. Il sito web ha una media di circa 1000 visite mensili. La pagina Facebook collegata al sito ha raggiunto circa 1200 follower. Un workshop sulla biologia e conservazione del lanario (novembre 2016) in diretta streaming ha riunito specialisti, ricercatori ed appassionati con l’obiettivo di analizzare lo stato della specie in Sicilia e proporre rimedi per la sua conservazione

First evidence by satellite telemetry of lanner falcon's falco biarmicus feldeggii natal dispersal outside sicily, and a review of existing data

The Italian population of the threatened European Lanner Falcon is mainly sedentary. Thanks to satellite telemetry, we recorded the first evidence on natal dispersal of a juvenile male (Falc36) outside Sicily. Falc36 was deployed with a GPS-GSM device in May 2017, after an initial phase of movements close to the natal cliff and of short wandering in Sicily crossed the Messina Strait in mid July and arrived in Apulia (south Italy). There we were able to follow his displacements and settling until the end of November when the transmitter broke up. Falc36 used mainly open habitats composed of arable field and heterogeneous agricultural areas firstly north of Altamura and Gravina, and from late August in the Cerignola-Ascoli Satriano-Candela area. He preferentially used single trees to spend the night in arable plots. We reviewed the existing information on species’ records at the main Italian migratory watch-points to put in context the Falc36’s dispersal

Environmental suitability model for the lanner falcon Falco biarmicus feldeggii: planning, study and monitoring the Sicilian population

The identification of suitable areas, by spatially explicit distribution models, is crucial for conservation of threatened species as the lanner falcon Falco biarmicus feldeggii. Monitoring and collecting data on lanner falcon during years has proven to be essential for better defining the areas of species environmental suitability. Recent research shows that breeding performances of this species are strongly influenced by bioclimatic factors, especially monthly temperature and rainfall, or linked to landscape morphology, such as the slope of territories. These environmental parameters combined with species productivity (number of fledged juveniles per checked pair) of geo-referenced breeding sites have been used to develop a predictive model (PM). A former PM, restricted to eastern Sicily, has been now extended to the whole Sicilian territory thanks to field records collected within the frame of the project: ‘Practical actions for preserving the main European population of Lanner falcon’ supported by the Nando & Elsa Peretti Foundation. Such a new PM contains the database of productivity and georeferenced breeding sitesof a representative sample of the known Sicilian lanner population. PM is composed by dynamic GIS-level of cartographic structures (as rainfall and temperature raster) and needs periodic implementation with annual data to improve its accuracy and long-term validity. The model was used during winter 2016-2017 to search new territories, with the noticeable discovery of 5 new sites. In addition, the comparison of the 2017 productivity data with the environmental quality value, as indicated by the PM, proved the good predictive performances of the model: the most productive were also the most suitable. A potential progress is to extend its application to continental Italy in order to explore the areas of environmental suitability of lanner falcon across the whole Italian species range. PM could be a valuable tool for monitoring the Italian population, defining attention areas of Lanner and concrete conservation actions in the view of global change

Antiinflammatory therapy with canakinumab for atherosclerotic disease

BACKGROUND: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P=0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P=0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P=0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P=0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P=0.31). CONCLUSIONS: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. Copyright © 2017 Massachusetts Medical Society