Résumé : From the PNCR, GAP MPs free to vote conscience on gay rights bill By Johann Earle Stabroek News June 11, 2003 The PNCR will allow its members to vote their conscience on the controversial Constitution (Amendment) Act of 2001 which seeks to prevent discrimination against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation and other grounds. A number of religious organisations are opposed to the passage of the bill because it includes sexual orientation as one of the grounds. They are concerned that it could lead to a legalisation of homosexual relations and demands for recognition of gay marriages among other things. PNCR Member of Parliament (MP) Vincent Alexander told a forum at the National Library on Saturday, that the Bill did not seek to legalise homosexuality, but to ensure that persons would not be discriminated against based on their sexual preferences. He was one of two parliamentarians who showed up - the other being PNCR member, Myrna Peterkin. The forum was organised by Students Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), a group comprising fifteen students from the University of Guyana which was formed about two weeks ago. Alexander expects the vote on the bill to come up before the National Assembly in a matter of months. Paul Hardy, Leader of the Guyana Action Party (GAP), told Stabroek News that his party would not be using the so-called parliamentary whip. He added that GAP took a decision that every member should vote according to his or her own conscience. “We have no right to deny the rights of others based on sexual orientation. [The Bill] will guarantee rights to the homosexual.” GAP is in Parliament as part of an alliance with the Working People’s Alliance. GAP/WPA has two MPs. The bill was met with rejection from some members of the religious community in 2001 and as a result of this, the President did not assent to it. In a statement on Monday, the Central Islamic Organisa-tion of Guyana (CIOG) said that it stood in firm opposition to the Bill. The CIOG says the general purpose of the bill may be commendable and that the organisation’s objection is not based on a willingness to promote discrimination. Rather, the CIOG said, it was based on the fact that specific legal protection on the basis of sexual orientation without definition or qualification gives tacit legitimacy to practices which are considered criminal in Islam. “It is foreseeable that such a legal nod of approval (subtle as it may be) of these practices may pave the way for greater social (or even legal) acceptability in the future which, from the perspective of all Muslims including those in Guyana, is an undesirable and sinful outcome,” the CIOG statement said. At Saturday’s event, Muslim teacher Moulana Mohamed Ali Zenjibari spoke of instances of abuse, discrimination and harsh penalties meted out to gay and lesbian persons in countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia and noted that the Quran did not sanction such punishments for homosexual behaviour. President of the CIOG, Fazeel Ferouz told Stabroek News that a meeting to discuss a strategy with regards to the bill was planned for tomorrow with various religious groups. Stabroek News tried to get a comment on the issue from the PPP/C but to no avail. ROAR leader, Ravi Dev said that his party was now having discussions on the issue. ROAR feels that it is an important question which has to do with morality and should be discussed across the country. He added legislators had to be in tune with their constituents on the issue. SASOD is lobbying for the legislation through the sensitisation of MPs. Keimo Benjamin, a law student at UG, gave a presentation based on the jurisprudential aspects of the discussion on sexual orientation. He argued that morality should not be the only guiding principle on which to base the laws. Sexual activities between two consenting male adults in private could not be equated with a violation of a person’s rights, he said, making the point that the thrust of his presentation was not whether homosexuality was wrong, but whether it violated the rights of others. He said that the attitudes of some towards this subject were based on preconceived notions and prejudices. He cited studies to show that the suppression of certain perceived deviant sexual impulses in persons might do more harm than good. One Harvard University study of teens who said they were gay indicated that those teens were three times more likely to commit suicide. Vidyaratha Kissoon, of Help and Shelter, in his contribution on Saturday, expressed his displeasure at the low turnout at the forum and urged the parliamentarians who showed up to take the message to their colleagues. He noted that because of homophobia, the numerical minority was terrified of speaking out against instances of discrimination. Gays and lesbians in Guyana were subjected to ridicule and abuse, and walk the streets at night not looking for sex necessarily, but for the companionship of persons who empathise with them. During his presentation, Joel Simpson, another member of SASOD, outlined a number of changes made within national jurisdictions that had international implications. One such crucial change was South Africa’s 1996 adoption of a new constitution, making that country the first in the world to expressly include sexual orientation as a prohibited ground of discrimination. It was the first time a developing country had taken the lead with respect to the rights of sexual minorities. He also said that according to Douglas Sanders, a Canadian jurist, the rights of homosexual, bisexual or transsexual men and women had never been officially recognised by the United Nations, despite the fact that international laws on the issue began to emerge at the close of the Second World War. Simpson said that under Article 170 (5), as amended by Section 8 of the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 4) Act 2000, the President is required to assent to any bill which is returned by the National Assembly unaltered after a two-thirds majority within 90 days of its presentation to him. To the parliamentarians present, Simpson stressed that the onus was now on them to adequately represent their constituents which include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual Guyanese. http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news301/ns306115.htm and Vote on sexual orientation should be a matter of conscience - MP Alexander By Esther Elijah Guyana Chronicle June 8, 2003 PEOPLE’S National Congress (PNC/R) Member of Parliament Mr. Vincent Alexander, said the Opposition will vote on “conscience” when the piece of legislation on sexual orientation is again brought before the National Assembly. “With specific reference to my party, when this Bill gets back to the Parliament in the spirit of the arguments here, we will not use the `whip’. Our party will not say we have to vote for the provision (in the Sexual Orientation Bill). We will allow our members to vote as a matter of conscience,” he told participants gathered in the Conference Room of the National Library. “We feel this is a matter of conscience. You may end up with a collective position but you have to deal with us individually,” Alexander said at a poorly attended public consultation aimed at gaining support for sexual orientation to be considered a fundamental right in Guyana. Alexander, one of the main persons who sat on the Constitutional Reform Commission that addressed this controversial clause, said the legislation was not meant to legalise homosexual activities in Guyana. “It was intended to ensure that persons who have an orientation - a way of thinking - which may or may not lead to a certain activity, to not be discriminated against, in terms of their rights,” he explained. Alexander noted that very often, discussions on the sexual orientation provision in the Bill have led to seepages into other areas where debates centre on the “right to be homosexual.” “I am saying the Bill does not comment on that… However, law is peculiar, especially in a Common Law system. Once you venture out and change the law, very often you open other windows which we cannot definitively say exist or does not exist in advance,” he said. “The fear of some people is that the legislators might say one thing and the Courts will eventually say something else. While some people can’t argue against the law, per say, they will say this has opened a window of opportunity not meant to be opened. So, it is better to stay without a window than open it and then have a possibility of something you didn’t intend to happen - happening sometime in the future.” Alexander added: “I want to say I’ve found this activity to have been rich from the perspective of the amount of research which was done by student (speakers). Without any comment as to whether I agree with the arguments, I would wish that much more research on other issues be done by students, and that at the University (of Guyana) students would find it convenient to have forums on other issues, with the same depth of research for their own intellectual development.” Alexander and other Opposition M.P, Lurlene Nestor were the only three Parliamentarians in attendance at the session organised by the recently formed `Students Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination’ (SASOD), a group that has a membership of 15 mostly University of Guyana (UG) students from various faculties. SASOD was established two weeks ago. With the exception of members of the press, the consultation only managed to attract 11 persons, a handful of who were SASOD members. While congratulating the students for an “insightful” presentation, Nestor pointed out that whether or not she chooses to agree with their position is “another issue” and she is entitled to her “own view”. “The issue of sexual orientation is very `toucheous’ …while we agree with the human rights provisions and all that as a society, we must also revert to our own society. Some of the very critical questions that I would want to ask is whether or not at the society (level) we are ready for that kind of thing,” she remarked. “We cannot, at (any) time, ignore the religious groups in our society. If we look at statistics going back to 1992 from a survey done by the Bureau of Statistics, we would see that a small section of the Guyanese population might be considered as people who do not subscribe to a religious view. While the laws are not necessarily based on moral values, we must acknowledge the fact that we might want to revert to many of the cases that (concern) laws that protect public morality.” Nestor told the speakers at the consultation these were some of the issues that they needed to deal with. She highlighted, too, that what must be examined is the effects of same-sex marriages on society and how this issue must be tackled. “These are some of the things we should consider and I don’t think you dealt with that in the presentations,” Nestor stated, adding that the issues must be addressed “frontally.” “Do we think that with the coming to being of this Bill that there might be quite a number of challenges to the Constitution in relation to the same issue of a man marrying a man? What do we do at the society (level)? Do we recognise that?” were the questions directed at the five speakers at the session. Nestor continued: “There is some argument that says, `Oh the Bill does not promote homosexuality or does not encourage a man to marry (another) man, but if you look at Section (15) that talks about `non-discrimination’ then how can we not, with the passage of this Bill, allow a man not to marry (another) man.” According to Nestor, matters of this nature constitute some of the “inconsistencies” of the Bill. On the argument raised by presenters at the session on who determines what is morality, Nestor said in the concept of democracy it is the people who are the determinants based on a “line of thinking.” She also rebutted on grounds that put the spotlight on teachers who may have been caught “interfering” with their young students and who may subsequently be dismissed from their jobs. “Could you imagine such a person interfering with a boy below age 10 - and by virtue of the fact that the Bill is there, the judges (in the case) will have to use their discretion in terms of what happens. We will have more Constitutional changes and problems (arising with the passage of the Bill).” SASOD member and law student, Joel Simpson, in reply, said he doesn’t think any homosexual in Guyana wants to “run into a church and ask that people marry them or anything of that sort.” At one point likening the church to a “club”, Simpson claimed the church has the right to exclude whomever it wants. He further stated that in accordance with the Constitution, people of the same sex do not currently have the right to marry, and will also not be able to do such an act with the passage of the Bill. However, Simpson said it is possible that the law, with the passage of the Bill, would have to recognise same-sex domestic partnerships in relation to employment benefits, sharing of properties, etc. Simpson said he believes there should be a realm of “public” and “private” morality between consenting adults, and implied that the Bill did not fully give “rights” to homosexuals. But, Nestor interjected: “I am informing you further…that the Sexual Orientation provision has, in fact, in some way recognised the rights of homosexuals and we must accept that.” Meanwhile, there was no vocal Christian representative(s) at the consultation and apart from the two Opposition representatives none other participant gave comments or directed questions at the presenters. Other speakers in support of the sexual orientation clause were: Moulana Mohammed Ali Zenjiban, Assistant Director of the International Islamic College; Denuka Radzik from Red Thread, Keimo Benjamin, UG law student and Vidyartha Kissoon from Help & Shelter. The Sunday Chronicle has been reliably informed that the Georgetown Ministers Fellowship, representing groups of Christian leaders staunchly against sexual orientation as a right in Guyana, have recently prepared a detailed 16-page document outlining issues arising from research to further boost their argument against the inclusion of the clause. The document is yet to be made public. http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news301/nc306083.htm

Droits : All rights reserved by the source institution.
http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00014700/00001

Éditeur(s) : University of the West Indies Cave Hill/University of Reading University of the West Indies Cave Hill/University of Reading ( Barbados )
Résumé : (Funding) Support for the development of the technical infrastructure and partner training provided by the United States Department of Education TICFIA program.
Outline from the website at http://www.reading.ac.uk/minorities/Projects/min-project-breaking-sexual-silences.aspx In recent years, some of the most urgent and highly-charged public and political debates in the Caribbean have centred on sexual citizenship and gay rights. To date, popular cultural forms and the acute homophobia of the dancehall have dominated national and international attention. The very public exchanges between Caribbean musicians and western-based gay rights campaigners have given the region a reputation for homophobia, intolerance and hate crimes. This project seeks to shift the axes of these debates by drawing on a recent body of Caribbean creative writing that addresses issues of sexual self-determination and sexual diversity in a more positive and progressive way. It will make visible the possibilities for understanding sexual differences and the modes of reconciliation to be found in a literary archive. The project will also engage a group of Caribbean scholars across other disciplines to develop a new language for articulating sexual difference. It will stage a panel debate for a Caribbean public, as well as producing academic publications and supporting graduate work.

Droits : All rights reserved by the source institution.

Éditeur(s) : Breaking Sexual Silences Project - University of Reading/ University of West Indies Breaking Sexual Silences Project - University of Reading/ University of West Indies ( Barbados )
Résumé : (Funding) Support for the development of the technical infrastructure and partner training provided by the United States Department of Education TICFIA program.
In recent years, some of the most urgent and highly-charged public and political debates in the Caribbean have centred on sexual citizenship and gay rights. To date, popular cultural forms and the acute homophobia of the dancehall have dominated national and international attention. The very public exchanges between Caribbean musicians and western-based gay rights campaigners have given the region a reputation for homophobia, intolerance and hate crimes. This project seeks to shift the axes of these debates by drawing on a recent body of Caribbean creative writing that addresses issues of sexual self-determination and sexual diversity in a more positive and progressive way. It will make visible the possibilities for understanding sexual differences and the modes of reconciliation to be found in a literary archive. The project will also engage a group of Caribbean scholars across other disciplines to develop a new language for articulating sexual difference. It will stage a panel debate for a Caribbean public, as well as producing academic publications and supporting graduate work.

Droits : All rights reserved by the source institution.

Éditeur(s) : University of the West Indies Cave Hill/University of Reading University of the West Indies Cave Hill/University of Reading ( Barbados )
Résumé : (Funding) Support for the development of the technical infrastructure and partner training provided by the United States Department of Education TICFIA program.
Outline In recent years, some of the most urgent and highly-charged public and political debates in the Caribbean have centred on sexual citizenship and gay rights. To date, popular cultural forms and the acute homophobia of the dancehall have dominated national and international attention. The very public exchanges between Caribbean musicians and western-based gay rights campaigners have given the region a reputation for homophobia, intolerance and hate crimes. This project seeks to shift the axes of these debates by drawing on a recent body of Caribbean creative writing that addresses issues of sexual self-determination and sexual diversity in a more positive and progressive way. It will make visible the possibilities for understanding sexual differences and the modes of reconciliation to be found in a literary archive. The project will also engage a group of Caribbean scholars across other disciplines to develop a new language for articulating sexual difference. It will stage a panel debate for a Caribbean public, as well as producing academic publications and supporting graduate work.

Droits : All rights reserved by the source institution.

Éditeur(s) : Breaking Sexual Silences Project - University of Reading/ University of West Indies Breaking Sexual Silences Project - University of Reading/ University of West Indies ( Barbados )
Résumé : (Funding) Support for the development of the technical infrastructure and partner training provided by the United States Department of Education TICFIA program.
In recent years, some of the most urgent and highly-charged public and political debates in the Caribbean have centred on sexual citizenship and gay rights. To date, popular cultural forms and the acute homophobia of the dancehall have dominated national and international attention. The very public exchanges between Caribbean musicians and western-based gay rights campaigners have given the region a reputation for homophobia, intolerance and hate crimes. This project seeks to shift the axes of these debates by drawing on a recent body of Caribbean creative writing that addresses issues of sexual self-determination and sexual diversity in a more positive and progressive way. It will make visible the possibilities for understanding sexual differences and the modes of reconciliation to be found in a literary archive. The project will also engage a group of Caribbean scholars across other disciplines to develop a new language for articulating sexual difference. It will stage a panel debate for a Caribbean public, as well as producing academic publications and supporting graduate work.

Droits : All rights reserved by the source institution.

Éditeur(s) : Caribbean IRN Caribbean IRN
Résumé : (Funding) Support for the development of the technical infrastructure and partner training provided by the United States Department of Education TICFIA program.
The first meeting of the Caribbean Region of the International Resource Network was an undeniable success. The more than thirty people present came from or have relationships with over a dozen Caribbean countries and territories using all four major languages of the region. They are activists, scholars, politicians, and artists – and many occupy more than one of these roles at once. In addition to individual introductions, an important element of the meeting was brief reports of the major issues faced by sexual minorities in different Caribbean countries and territories. This enabled participants to have a better idea of the historical and contemporary situations in places with which they were less familiar.

Droits : All rights reserved by the source institution.

Éditeur(s) : Ministry of Health Ministry of Health ( Guyana )
Résumé : (Funding) Support for the development of the technical infrastructure and partner training provided by the United States Department of Education TICFIA program.
(Publication Status) The Facilitator's Guide was produced by the Ministry of Health, Guyana in April 2008. It was revised in December 2010 to include a chapter on "Sexual Health of Men Who Have Sex with Men and Gay Men" and to add time frames for the activities.

Droits : All rights reserved by the source institution.

Éditeur(s) : Government of Jamaica Government of Jamaica ( Jamaica )
Résumé : (Funding) Support for the development of the technical infrastructure and partner training provided by the United States Department of Education TICFIA program.
This item has been added to this collection as a reflection of the policies in the Caribbean which proibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Droits : All rights reserved by the source institution.

Éditeur(s) : Office of Women in Development, Bureau for Research and Development, Agency for International Development, Office of Women in Development, Bureau for Research and Development, Agency for International Development Office of Women in Development, Bureau for Research and Development, Agency for International Development, Office of Women in Development, Bureau for Research and Development, Agency for International Development ( Washington D.C )
Résumé : (Statement of Responsibility) Mary Mulhern, Suzanne Mauzé.
"The Genesys Project, December 1992."
"Submitted to: Office of Women in Development and Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, Agency for International Development, Contract No. PDC-0100-Z-00-9044-00."
Latin America
Caribbean Area
Caribbean Area
Latin America
Caribbean Area
Latin America
Latin America
Caribbean Area

31298813

Éditeur(s) : UNDP Guyana UNDP Guyana ( Guyana )
Résumé : (Funding) Support for the development of the technical infrastructure and partner training provided by the United States Department of Education TICFIA program.
While the global response to HIV and AIDS has realized several successes in achieving universal access to prevention, care and treatment to date, challenges persist in ensuring equal access to these services for most at risk populations. The epidemiology of HIV reflects a stark disparity in access to prevention and treatment services for neglected most-at risk populations, such as men who have sex with men (MSM). World-wide, MSM often experience higher rates of HIV relative to the total population. The reasons for this dynamic are multi-faceted and include high risk behaviors, and cultural as well as structural barriers. For MSM in developing countries, for example, basic services for prevention and treatment of HIV infection have yet to reach the large majority of men. Homophobia and discrimination limit access of MSM to prevention services and markedly increase vulnerability, as do criminalization of same-sex behavior. Decriminalization of same-sex behavior is a structural intervention for prevention of HIV infection and has recently been embraced by a nonbinding statement from the United Nations (Beyrer C,Clin Infect Dis. 2010 May 15;50 Suppl 3:S108-13) In the Caribbean, all of the above mentioned barriers exist. In fact, recent evidence demonstrates that there is a correlation between the decriminalization of homosexuality and lower rates of HIV (UNAIDS). This correlation is attributed to improved access to services. Therefore, The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has recently launched an initiative to address the current situation regarding men who have sex with men in Guyana where the HIV prevalence in this population is 19.4% in contrast to 1.8% in the total population. This rapid assessment has been commissioned to supplement two previous studies that were conducted in Guyana in informing the design of upcoming activities to support local capacity building to enhance access to services and respect for the human rights protections for MSM. Unfortunately, in Guyana, like much of the Caribbean, MSM tend to be a hard to reach population, perhaps due to elevated levels of stigma and discrimination and difficulty in accessing men who might participate in high risk same sex behaviors yet do not self-identify as an MSM. As a result, there is a relative paucity of data concerning the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of this total population in Guyana. (i.e. those who self –identify and those who do not) The baseline report is organized as follows: the methodology is explained followed by the study limitations, the review (literature and desk). The report then proceeds with describing the reality of work and working with sexual and gender minorities in Guyana, the status quo and entry points. The main findings of the capacity assessment and focus groups are then discussed. Issues relating to the uniformed forces and health services providers are then presented followed by discussions and conclusions.

Droits : All rights reserved by the source institution.

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD BioScientifica
Résumé : International audience
Paracetamol/acetaminophen (N-Acetyl-p-Aminophenol; APAP) is the preferred analgesic for pain relief and fever during pregnancy. It has therefore caused concern that several studies have reported that prenatal exposure to APAP results in developmental alterations in both the reproductive tract and the brain. Genitals and nervous system of male mammals are actively masculinised during foetal development and early postnatal life by the combined actions of prostaglandins and androgens, resulting in the male-typical reproductive behaviour seen in adulthood. Both androgens and prostaglandins are known to be inhibited by APAP. Through intrauterine exposure experiments in C57BL/6 mice, we found that exposure to APAP decreased neuronal number in the sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) of the preoptic area (POA) in the anterior hypothalamus of male adult offspring. Likewise, exposure to the environmental pollutant and precursor of APAP, aniline, resulted in a similar reduction. Decrease in neuronal number in the SDN-POA is associated with reductions in male sexual behaviour. Consistent with the changes, male mice exposed in uteri to APAP exhibited changes in urinary marking behaviour as adults and had a less aggressive territorial display towards intruders of the same gender. Additionally, exposed males had reduced intromissions and ejaculations during mating with females in oestrus. Together, these data suggest that prenatal exposure to APAP may impair male sexual behaviour in adulthood by disrupting the sexual neurobehavioral programming. These findings add to the growing body of evidence suggesting the need to limit the widespread exposure and use of APAP by pregnant women.
ISSN: 1470-1626

hal-01560285
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01560285
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01560285/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01560285/file/Prenatal%20exposures%20to%20paracetamol-accepted.pdf
DOI : 10.1530/REP-17-0165

Éditeur(s) : Caribbean IRN Caribbean IRN
Résumé : The entire short course on sexuality theory and research methodologies are available under an ‘Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share Alike’ licence from Creative Commons. This licence allows for work to be used as is, amended or built upon, on provision that: • Any use or amendments are undertaken for a non-commercial purpose • Credit is given to: o Module creator o Short course developers: the Caribbean Region of the International Resource Network (IRN) and the Institute for Gender & Development Studies at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine (Trinidad). o The Ford Foundation (as short course funder). In addition, any new creations based on original modules or the original short course must be licensed under identical terms. This ensures that any derivatives of the module or the short course will also be non-commercial. Each module has the author and attribution information.
The materials for each module are the Facilitator Notes, the Outline with the suggested readings and a presentation file.

Droits : All rights reserved by the source institution.
CIRN
http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00027092/00001

Éditeur(s) : Gauthier-Villars
Résumé : The tropical alga Caulerpa taxifolia (Vahl) C. Agardh has been displayed over the last fifteen years in tropical aquaria at the Oceanographic Museum, Monaco. Its accidental introduction into the natural environment dates from 1984. It developed first in the sea immediately below the museum, and resisted winter temperatures of 11 to 13-degrees-C. Gradually the population spread over all types of substrate, including rock, sand and mud, and over a wide range of depth, 3 to 35 m, on this relatively exposed site. In summer 1990 we became aware of its presence both to the east and to the west of Monaco. To the east, it now occurs on the whole of the eastern side of Cap Martin (3 km from Monaco) and is spreading over the west face. To the west we have observed it 150 km from Monaco near Toulon. In those sites which it colonized three years ago, its coverage now reaches 100 % over extensive areas in depths between 5 and 25 m. Areas supporting stands of Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica are covered by fronds of C. taxifolia, which measure up to 45 cm in length. The development characteristics of the species in the Mediterranean, such as population density and frond length, are different from those in its native tropical areas. The rapid spreading of this alga is probably due both to sexual reproduction and to efficient vegetative reproduction. At the rate of spreading observed at present, further rapid extension of its range is to be feared. Moreover, wherever it becomes established, it considerably modifies the vegetal communities in the infralittoral zone. This species, like most of those in the genus Caulerpa, contains the toxin, caulerpenyn, which may play a role against other organisms such as grazers, epiphytes and competitors. This alga will be eaten only by certain animals such as the Mediterranean bream or saupe, Sarpa salpa. The toxin accumulated by fish which eat Caulerpa can render them unsuitable for human consumption, as their ingestion produces symptoms similar to those of Ciguatera poisoning. Never has a species so potentially harmful to the marine population been introduced into the Mediterranean. This biological pollution raises the major international problem of direct discharge of water having passed through aquaria or mariculture installations containing exotic species. As importing exotic marine species becomes technically easier, the lack of regulation risks further similar accidents concerning not only algae, but also metazoa and micro-organisms.
Oceanologica Acta (0399-1784) (Gauthier-Villars), 1991 , Vol. 14 , N. 4 , P. 415-426

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00101/21268/18879.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00101/21268/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Estrogens affect brain development of vertebrates, not only by impacting activity and morphology of existing circuits, but also by modulating embryonic and adult neurogenesis. The issue is complex as estrogens can not only originate from peripheral tissues, but also be locally produced within the brain itself due to local aromatization of androgens. In this respect, teleost fishes are quite unique because aromatase is expressed exclusively in radial glial cells, which represent pluripotent cells in the brain of all vertebrates. Expression of aromatase in the brain of fish is also strongly stimulated by estrogens and some androgens. This creates a very intriguing positive auto-regulatory loop leading to dramatic aromatase expression in sexually mature fish with elevated levels of circulating steroids. Looking at the effects of estrogens or anti-estrogens in the brain of adult zebrafish showed that estrogens inhibit rather than stimulate cell proliferation and newborn cell migration. The functional meaning of these observations is still unclear, but these data suggest that the brain of fish is experiencing constant remodeling under the influence of circulating steroids and brain-derived neurosteroids, possibly permitting a diversification of sexual strategies, notably hermaphroditism. Recent data in frogs indicate that aromatase expression is limited to neurons and do not concern radial glial cells. Thus, until now, there is no other example of vertebrates in which radial progenitors express aromatase. This raises the question of when and why these new features were gained and what are their adaptive benefits. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Nuclear receptors in animal development.
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Gene Regulatory Mechanisms

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess
hal-01102449
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01102449
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01102449/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01102449/file/Coumailleau%20et%20al%20final%20manuscript.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2014.07.002

Éditeur(s) : Actes de colloques Ifremer, Tahiti, French Polynesia, 20 Feb - 4 Mar 1989, n°9, chap. 43, pp.461-484
Résumé : Species with a very high potential for aquaculture, allowing development projects on a short terms basis: the seabass originating from S.E. Asia. Species, potentially interesting but presenting some drawbacks, as difficulties to perform larval rearing or presenting pathological problem. Species considered as difficult to rear and not retained like Siganus argenteus , Siganidae or Caranx ignobilis , Carangidae. The future development of finfish in Polynesia is emphasized and a project of sea bass netcage culture in Polynesian lagoon is presented.

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/1989/acte-1474.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/1474/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
The capacity of testicular somatic cells to promote and sustain germ cell differentiation is largely regulated by sexual steroids and notably androgens. In fish species the importance of androgens is emphasized by their ability to induce sex reversal of the developing fries and to trigger spermatogenesis. Here we studied the influence of androgens on testicular gene expression in trout testis using microarrays. Following treatment of immature males with physiological doses of testosterone or 11-ketotestosterone, 418 genes that exhibit changes in expression were identified. Interestingly, the activity of testosterone appeared stronger than that of 11-ketotestosterone. Expression profiles of responsive genes throughout testis development and in isolated germ cells confirmed androgens to mainly affect gene expression in somatic cells. Furthermore, specific clusters of genes that exhibit regulation coincidently with changes in the natural circulating levels of androgens during the reproductive cycle were highlighted, reinforcing the physiological significance of these data. Among somatic genes, a phylogenetic footprinting study identified putative androgen response elements within the proximal promoter regions of 42 potential direct androgen target genes. Finally, androgens were also found to alter the germ line towards meiotic expression profiles, supporting the hypothesis of a role for the somatic responsive genes in driving germ cell fate. This study significantly increases our understanding of molecular pathways regulated by androgens in vertebrates. The highly cyclic testicular development in trout together with functions associated with regulated genes reveal potential mechanisms for androgen actions in tubule formation, steroid production, germ cell development and sperm secretion.
ISSN: 1932-6203

inserm-00825763
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00825763
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00825763/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00825763/file/Rolland_et_al.pdf
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0053302

Éditeur(s) : Université des Antilles Études caribéennes
Résumé : The Caribbean has always been viewed as a tourist attraction for pleasure seeking individuals. Over several years, there has been evolved a rather intimate and interactive relationship between visitors and their hosts. The culmination of which is the rather romantic fascination of tourists toward locals in many Caribbean destinations. This is not a new phenomenon, as this pattern is one that evolved at the advent of tourism in the region. Economic and social factors are some of the competing contributors to this phenomenon.It would appear that with the increased influx of tourists in Caribbean destinations, that an astronomical increase in the reported cases of HIV/AIDS and other sexually related transmitted diseases are also witnessed. Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) is amongst the worst exposed in the Caribbean outside of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Latest reports by the UNAIDS indicates that the number of reported cases in T&T has reached unprecedented levels (over 20,000 in 2009) and continues to increase. This study looks critically at the extent to which tourism and other related leisure activities including carnival, and the cultural diffusion it brings may be contributing to this epidemic. It is also hoped that this study will try to articulate possible suggestions to contain what is increasingly leading to a myriad of cultural, social and economic challenges for the country.
Les Caraïbes ont toujours exercé un attrait touristique sur les personnes en quête de plaisir. Depuis plusieurs années, il a été développé une relation plutôt intime et interactif entre les visiteurs et leurs hôtes dont le point culminant est la fascination plutôt romantique des touristes envers de nombreuses destinations dans les Caraïbes. Il ne s’agit pas d’un phénomène nouveau, ce phénomène repose sur des facteurs économiques et sociaux concurrents. Il convient de s’interroger sur les relations entre que l'afflux croissant de touristes dans ces destinations caribéennes et l'augmentation considérable des cas de VIH/sida et autres maladies sexuellement transmissibles. Trinité-et-Tobago (T & T) est l'une des destinations les plus exposées au sein de la Caraïbe. Les derniers rapports de l'ONUSIDA indiquent que le nombre de cas signalés de T & T a atteint des niveaux sans précédent (plus de 20.000 en 2009) et continue d'augmenter. Cette étude porte un regard critique sur les corrélations établies entre le tourisme et les autres activités de loisirs connexes, comme le carnaval, et la diffusion culturelle pourrait contribuer à cette épidémie. Cette étude vise à articuler des suggestions possibles pour répondre à la myriade de défis culturels, sociaux et économiques) à laquelle est exposé le pays.
Caraïbes
Trinité-et-Tobago

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
urn:doi:10.4000/etudescaribeennes.5314
http://journals.openedition.org/etudescaribeennes/5314

Éditeur(s) : Actes de colloques Ifremer, Tahiti, French Polynesia, 20 Feb - 4 Mar 1989, n°9, chap. 47, pp.499-510
Résumé : Since 1981, in Martinique, a programme of selection of fishes suitable for aquaculture has been conducted. Zootechnical and socio-economical constraints have led to the choice of three species, endemic and exotic: the palometa (Trachinotus goodei ), the red drum (Sciaenops ocellata ) and the red florida hybrid (Oreochromis sp.).

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/1989/acte-1492.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/1492/

Résumé : La connaissance des facteurs qui influent sur les populations de tiques et en particulier sur leurs distributions est un préalable indispensable à l’étude des maladies qu’elles transmettent. Parmi eux, l’importance des facteurs biotiques et en particulier celle de la compétition interspécifique est peu connue et souvent négligée. L’objectif de ce travail était d’évaluer le rôle de la compétition interspécifique sur la distribution de deux espèces de tiques d’importance vétérinaire, Amblyomma variegatum et A. hebraeum. Alors que seule A. variegatum favorise la transmission de la dermatophilose, une maladie de peau débilitante pour les ruminants, les deux espèces sont vectrices de la cowdriose, maladie due à une bactérie Ehrlichia ruminantium qui représente une contrainte économique majeure pour l’élevage. L’impact de l’espèce vectrice dans l’épidémiologie de la cowdriose (différences de souches circulantes, sévérité des cas,…) est inconnu bien qu’ayant potentiellement des conséquences en termes de surveillance (risque épidémiologique à l’introduction d’animaux) et de contrôle (développement de vaccin régional adapté aux souches circulantes) de la maladie. Ces deux espèces ont une distribution contiguë en Afrique australe avec peu de chevauchement (distribution parapatrique) suggérant une préférence environnementale différentielle ou une compétition exclusive entre elles. Une revue des données de la littérature a permis de mettre en évidence un chevauchement de leur niche trophique, climatique, et temporelle, et une interférence comportementale via la production de leurs phéromones. Les deux espèces pourraient donc rentrer en compétition directement par interférence communicative ou reproductive (hybridation stérile), ou indirectement via le partage de ressources, prédateurs ou pathogènes communs. Le rôle des facteurs biotiques et abiotiques sur le maintien de la parapatrie de ces deux espèces a été analysée (i) d’une part par la comparaison de leur niche environnementale réalisée en Afrique australe, et aux deux zones de contact au Zimbabwe et Mozambique, par des méthodes d’ordination et de modèles de niche (Maxent) ; (ii) et d’autre part par l’étude de leurs distributions et de leurs interactions (distribution sur les hôtes, croisements hétérospécifiques) dans la zone de contact au Mozambique. Globalement les résultats montrent qu’en Afrique Sud-Est et au Zimbabwe les deux espèces occupent des niches environnementales distinctes, celle d’A. hebraeum incluant des zones plus chaudes et plus sèches que celle d’A. variegatum. Au contraire au Mozambique les deux niches se chevauchent considérablement. L’enquête de terrain dans cette zone montre que les deux espèces y sont moins souvent trouvées en sympatrie que les données prédites, suggérant une distribution en partie déterminée par des interactions biotiques. Dans les rares sites avec présence des deux espèces, A. variegatum et A. hebraeum partagent les mêmes sites de fixation sur les animaux et forment un pourcentage relativement élevé de couples hétérospécifiques. Ce pourcentage, bien que similaire entre les femelles A. variegatum et A. hebraeum, semble impliquer des processus de discrimination spécifique propres aux deux espèces intervenant au niveau de l’agrégation, de la fixation et du contact des individus. Nos résultats suggèrent l’existence d’une compétition exclusive entre les deux espèces, due à une compétition sexuelle probablement associée à une compétition indirecte. La frontière parapatrique semble occuper une position stable le long d’un gradient environnemental au Zimbabwe mais pas au Mozambique. Les conditions entrainant la coexistence ou l’exclusion des deux espèces avec formation d’une frontière parapatrique sont discutés à l’aide de modèles théoriques de compétition.
Studying the factors that influence tick populations and their distributions is an essential pre-requisite to understanding the dynamics of the diseases they transmit. The relative importance of biotic factors such as interspecific competition is not well known and often neglected. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of interspecific competition on the distribution of two tick species of veterinary importance, Amblyomma variegatum and A. hebraeum. Whereas only A. variegatum is known to favor dermatophilosis, a debilitating skin disease of ruminants, both species are good vectors of Ehrlichia ruminantium, the bacteria causing heartwater, a fatal disease of ruminants that presents a major constraint for livestock development in Africa. The impact of vector species in heartwater epidemiology (differences of circulating strains, severity of clinical cases…) is poorly known but may have important implications for surveillance (epidemiological risk of imported animals) and control (adapting regional vaccine programs to circulating strains) of the disease. These two ticks have abutting and marginally overlapping (i.e. parapatric) distributions in southern Africa, suggesting either differential environmental preferences or exclusive competition between the two species. A review of published data highlighted an important overlap of their trophic, climatic and seasonal niche, and existence of chemical behavior interference through pheromone production. Therefore, the two species might compete either directly by communicative or reproductive interference (sterile hybridization), or indirectly by sharing the same resources, predators or pathogens. The role of biotic and abiotic factors in determining parapatry of these species was assessed by (i) comparing their realized environmental niche in southern Africa, and at contact zones in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, using ordination techniques and environmental niche modeling (Maxent); (ii) studying their distributions and their interactions (distribution on co-infested host, heterospecific mating) at the contact zone in Mozambique. Globally, the results indicated the two species occupied distinctly different environmental niches in southern Africa and at the contact zone in Zimbabwe, with the niche of A. hebraeum including both hotter and drier areas than that of A. variegatum. However, in Mozambique their niches overlapped considerably. Field studies within this zone showed that sympatry was observed less frequently than predicted by niche models, suggesting an importance of biotic interactions. At the rare sites where both species were present, A. variegatum and A. hebraeum were observed to share the same preference sites on hosts and formed a high percentage of heterospecific pairs. Though this cross-mating rate was not significantly different between A. variegatum and A. hebraeum females, our observations suggest different mechanism of species discrimination involved for the two species acting at the aggregation, fixation and partner contact level. Our results strongly suggest exclusive competition between these species may arise from sexual competition probably interacting with other indirect forms of competition. The parapatric boundary apparently occupies a stable location along an environmental gradient at the contact zone in Zimbabwe but not in Mozambique. Conditions inducing coexistence or exclusion of both species with the formation of parapatric distributions are discussed in relation to theoretical models of competition. When sexual competition is introduced in these models, the relative frequency of two species is determined by their endogenous fitness (a function of environmental conditions), density dependent effects of competitive interactions, historical distributions and dispersal rates: survival of the first prevails when the immigration rate of a fitter invading species remains lower than an invasion threshold.

http://www.theses.fr/2014AGUY0705/document

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The last step of oestrogen biosynthesis is catalyzed by the enzyme aromatase, the product of the cyp19a1 gene. In vertebrates, cyp19a1 is expressed in the brain resulting in a local oestrogen production that seems important not only for the control of reproduction-related circuits and sexual behaviour, but also for the regulation of neural development, synaptic plasticity and cell survival. In adult amphibians, the precise sites of expression of cyp19a1 in the brain have not been investigated which prevents proper understanding of its potential physiological functions. The present study aimed at examining the precise neuroanatomical distribution of cyp19a1 transcripts in adult brains of both male and female Xenopus. We found that cyp19a1 expression is highly regionalized in the brains of both sexes. The highest expression was found in the anterior part of the preoptic area and in the caudal hypothalamus, but significant levels of cyp19a1 transcripts were also found in the supraoptic paraventricular and suprachiasmatic areas, and in brain regions corresponding to the septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdala. Importantly, no obvious difference between male and female Xenopus was detected at the level of cyp19a1 transcripts. Additionally, in the brain of adult Xenopus, cyp19a1 transcripts were detected in neurons, and not in glial cells. These data and those available in other vertebrates on cyp19a1/aromatase expression suggest that, with the intriguing exception of teleost fishes, cyp19a1 was under strong evolutionary conservation with respect to its sites of expression and the nature of the cells in which it is expressed
ISSN: 0016-6480

hal-01187140
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01187140
DOI : 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.08.008
PUBMED : 26255686