The World in Paris and Ireland too: The French Diplomacy of Sinn Féin, 1919-1921

In a Europe traumatised by four years of slaughter, Ireland began its war of independence, a conflict whose fate was to be decided within as much as outside of the country. In fact, while the belligerents at rest redrew parts of the map of the world, Ireland looked for international recognition and the development of a diplomacy, in the heart of the negotiations of the peace treaties. France, the host of the Peace Conference but placed in a difficult situation by Great Britain, focused a lot of the Sinn Féin envoys’ attention, sent to Paris to represent the changing Ireland. Consequently, a considerable challenge awaited those men: the implementation of a pragmatic Irish diplomatic policy faced with the realities of the raison d’Etat.Dans une Europe traumatisée par une saignée de quatre ans, l’Irlande entamait sa guerre d’indépendance. Un conflit dont le sort allait se jouer à l’intérieur comme à l’extérieur du pays. Car au moment où les belligérants au repos redessinaient une partie de la mappemonde, l’Irlande se cherchait une reconnaissance internationale et se construisait une diplomatie, au cœur de la négociation des traités de paix. La France, hôte de la Conférence de la Paix mais allié « maltraité » de la Grande-Bretagne, provoqua une attention particulière chez les délégués du Sinn Féin, envoyés à Paris pour représenter l’Irlande en devenir. Dès lors, un défi de taille attendait ces hommes : la mise en œuvre d’une politique diplomatique irlandaise pragmatique face aux réalités de la raison d’État

La France et les propagandes nationalistes irlandaises durant la Première Guerre mondiale

Cet article explore la façon dont la presse nationaliste irlandaise a utilisé l’image de la France durant la première guerre mondiale. La radicalisation des politiques nationalistes, entre constitutionnalistes poussant au recrutement et radicaux s’y opposant, est forte dès 1914, encore plus accentuée après Pâques 1916. Combattant aux côtés de la Grande-Bretagne, la France, qui continue malgré tout à bénéficier d’une place à part au sein de l’identité nationale irlandaise, ajoute à la complexité de la situation jusqu’en 1916, car la situation évolue par la suite. C’est ce rôle unique que nous chercherons à comprendre. Entre utilisation des symboles du traditionnel lien franco-irlandais pour les uns, et rejet de cet héritage pour ceux qui l’avaient longtemps mis en valeur.This article explores how the Irish nationalist press used the image of France during the First World War to feed its own divisions. The radicalization of nationalist politics, between constitutionalists supporting recruitment, and radicals opposing it, is pronounced from 1914, and even more so after Easter 1916. France, which fought alongside great Britain, still enjoyed a special place in Irish nationalism. This relationship became more complex after 1916 and the representation of France changed as a result of the Easter Rising. The present article seeks to explore this representation, caught between the traditional symbols of Franco-Irish complicity and the rejection of this heritage by certain sectors of the community which had so long cherished it

Olivier Coquelin, L’Irlande en révolutions, entre nationalismes et conservatismes : une histoire politique et sociale, 18e-20e siècles

Dans cet ouvrage, tiré d’une thèse enrichie de multiples travaux entrepris depuis, Olivier Coquelin propose de faire l’étude de ce qui semble être une singularité irlandaise. La décennie révolutionnaire qui s’achève en 1923 a vu émerger les clivages qui dominent encore la vie politique de l’île. Cependant ceux-ci ne se sont pas matérialisés par des différences d’approches sociales ou économiques, cet épisode débouchant sur le renforcement d’une idéologie nationale conservatrice transpartisane..

The increased synthesis of inducible nitric oxide inhibits IL-1ra synthesis by human articular chondrocytes: possible role in osteoarthritic cartilage degradation

SummaryThe degradation of osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage is likely related to the synthesis and the release of catabolic factors by chondrocytes. Nitric oxide (NO) has recently been suggested as playing a role in cartilage degradation. Since NO production is largely dependent on stimulation by IL-1, its effects on factors regulating the IL-1 biological activity, such as IL-1ra, are of the utmost importance. This study examined and compared the level of NO production by normal and OA cartilage and chondrocytes, as well as studied the effect of IL-1-induced NO production on the synthesis and steady-state mRNA of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra).The NO baseline production by normal cartilage explants was undetectable but inducible by rhIL-1β. OA cartilage spontaneously produced NO. About a two-fold increase in NO production was found in OA rhIL-1β-stimulated (0.5–100 units/ml) cartilage as compared with the similarly stimulated normal cartilage. On chondrocytes rhIL-1β-stimulation (0.5–100 units/ml) produced a dose-dependent enhancement of both NO production and IL-1ra synthesis. Treatment with 200 μm Ng-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMA), a well known NO synthase inhibitor, induced over 70% inhibition of the NO production and a marked increased IL-1ra synthesis (average of 84%) and expression (mRNA level). Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis by indomethacin had no effect on both the NO production or the IL-1ra level.In the present study, we demonstrated the capacity of OA cartilage to produce a larger amount of NO than the normal controls, both in spontaneous and IL-1-stimulated conditions. These data support the notion that, in vivo, OA chondrocytes are stimulated by factors, possibly IL-1, which in turn may induce the expression of NO synthase, thus the synthesis of NO itself. Importantly, our results showed that the elevation of NO production may be an important factor in the pathophysiology of OA since it can reduce IL-1ra synthesis by chondrocytes. As such, an increased level of IL-1, associated with a decreased IL-1ra level, may be responsible for the stimulation of OA chondrocytes by this cytokine, leading to an enhancement of cartilage matrix degradation

Effect of IL-13 on cytokines, cytokine receptors and inhibitors on human osteoarthritis synovium and synovial fibroblasts

AbstractObjective: In this study we investigated the effect of interleukin-13 (IL-13), an anti-inflammatory cytokine, for potential therapeutic use in osteoarthritis (OA).Design: We examined the effect of IL-13 on the synthesis and expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and stromelysin-1 on human OA synovial membrane inex vivocultures. In addition, we explored the effect of IL-13 on both the IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) and TNF-receptor (TNF-R) systems on OA synovial fibroblasts. This included determination of the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α receptor binding, IL-1Ra and TNF-soluble receptors 55 and 75 (TNF-sR55 and TNF-sR75).Results: In OA synovial membrane treated with LPS, IL-13 inhibited the synthesis of IL-1β, TNF-α and stromelysin-1, but increased IL-1Ra production. In addition, IL-13 reduced the level of IL-1β mRNA and stimulated the level of IL-1Ra mRNA. In synovial fibroblasts, IL-13 decreased the level of IL-1 binding, an effect related to the increased production of IL-1Ra. Although IL-13 had no effect on the TNF-R level, this cytokine markedly decreased the shedding of TNF-R75.Conclusion: These experiments suggest that IL-13 is potentially useful in the therapeutic treatment of OA, as it could regulate the major pathological process of this disease by reducing the production of proinflammatory cytokines and metalloproteases, and favoring the production of IL-1Ra

Expression and regulation of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 in human osteoarthritic cartilage and chondrocytes.

ABSTRACT. Objective. Elevated production of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of arthritis. Recently, an inducible microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) was identified. This enzyme is functionally coupled with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and converts the COX product PGH 2 to PGE 2 . We analyzed expression of mPGES-1 in human normal and osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage and determined the effect of different inflammatory agonists on the expression of mPGES-1 in OA chondrocytes. Biochemical, genetic, and clinical evidence indicates that prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) plays a critical role in inflammation and in the pathophysiology of articular joint diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). For example, arthritic joint tissues produce large quantities of PGE 2 1 . Treatment with neutralizing anti-PGE 2 antibodies prevents acute and chronic inflammation in a rat adjuvant arthritis model 2 . More direct evidence for the role of PGE 2 in arthritis has been provided by gene targeting studies. Genetic disruption of either the PGE 2 receptor EP4 3 or cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) 4 , one of the key enzymes in PGE 2 biosynthesis, reduced incidence and severity of collagen-induced arthritis in mice. These animals showed reduced inflammation and less cartilage and bone destruction. The role of PGE 2 in arthritis is also supported by effective suppression of pain and inflammatory responses in arthritis by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) that reduce PGE 2 biosynthesis Chondrocytes are a major source of PGE 2 in the joint; the production of this prostanoid can be induced by proinflammatory cytokines, mitogens, mechanical stress, and traum

Approche isotopique pour tracer la dynamique de l’eau et des nutriments dans les sols forestiers

La fertilité des sols forestiers est généralement estimée par l’étude des cycles de l’eau et des éléments nutritifs essentiels aux êtres vivants (cycles biogéochimiques). Parmi l’ensemble des méthodes d’étude de ces cycles, une approche innovante, complémentaire des études plus classiques, consiste à utiliser des traceurs géochimiques ou isotopiques. Les démarches expérimentales et résultats de quelques études récentes dans le domaine, utilisant des traceurs naturellement présents dans les écosystèmes (ex. 18O, 13C, 26Mg) ou artificiellement apportés (ex. enrichissements en Sr, Rb, 15N, 44Ca, 26Mg, 32P) seront présentés. Ces résultats seront discutés pour faire un point sur la pertinence d’utilisation de ces outils pour définir les sources, avoir accès au temps de résidence de l’eau et des éléments, et tracer les flux de nutriments qu’ils soient d’origine organique ou minérale, internes ou externes à l’écosystème