Spatial Variation in Density and Total Size Estimates in Fragmented Primate Populations: The Golden-Crowned Sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli)

The golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli) is an endangered lemur species found only in the Daraina region, a very restricted area in north-eastern Madagascar. Its forest habitat is highly fragmented and expected to suffer from significant changes in the near future. The species is poorly known and only one census study, carried out in 2000, has ever been published. It is thus crucial to update the conservation status of the golden-crowned sifaka. before major anthropogenic environmental changes take place. Using the line-transect approach, we estimated the species density in the main forest fragments located in both the peripheral and central parts of the distribution range, including both protected and unprotected areas. In parallel, we tried to determine whether an edge effect could be detected by comparing densities at different distances from the forest edges. We found important variation of sifaka densities among forest fragments. The total species abundance is thus difficult to determine, but we estimated that it is likely to be over 18,000, two to three times higher than previously thought. However, our data also suggested that most P. tattersalli live in forests located in the central part of the distribution range and that the estimated densities in the central part were high (> 80 individuals/km(2)). Two forest fragments, found to host a large part of the total population, are currently outside the managed area and their incorporation to the managed area is strongly recommended. Lastly, as expected for a folivorous and not heavily hunted species, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that this species does not experience a clear edge effect, at least during the first half of the dry season. This could be due to a high resiliency to habitat fragmentation or to the fact that fragmentation has been going on for some time

Ruinas, círculos, construcciones

This article is organized around three groups of 'citations' from architectural forms, texts, images, which generate three options of imagination, representation and reading of space: ruins, circular constructions, and rhetoric (in particular figures of repetition). I discuss the story of Borges "Las ruinas circulares" and examples from Iain Sinclair, London orbital (2002), Gianni Biondillo and Michele Monina, Tangenziali. Due viandanti ai bordi della città (2010), and Nicolò Bassetti, Sapo Matteucci, Sacro romano GRA (2013). The circularity generates a repetitive and disparate look allowing the observation of a complementary rhythm of destruction and construction characteristic of progress in the world

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks: Investigating the Role of Psychopathy in Predicting the Level of Emotion and Frisson in Music Listening

Studies have examined the reactions to music within human emotion, but there is a lack of research on the relationship between music and psychopathy. Generally, psychopathic individuals demonstrate emotional abnormalities that would be consistent with insensitivity, lack of empathy, incapacity for love, or emotional response deficiencies. Because of this limited emotional control, such individuals also rarely experience emotional contagion: the ability to determine an expressed emotion from a stimulus and then mirror that emotion empathically. Research has shown that psychopathic individuals lack the ability to determine an expressed emotion or feeling from music and be able to internalize that feeling. The present study will analyze how people with psychopathic traits may be able to benefit from a type of music therapy that specializes in inducing chills, goosebumps, and thrills or “frisson” in people through distinctive musical excerpts and training them to seek out rewards in said excerpts. Such therapy could open up emotional pathways, giving those who are less able to express said emotions the chance to access them. The present study will employ questionnaire measures of psychopathy using the Revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) in a sample of incarcerated male individuals. This would allow a prescreen for psychopathy in the experimental sample. Participants will then be instructed to sit and listen to prepared musical excerpts that have been demonstrated to induce chills and goosebumps in a healthy sample, while having their GSR (galvanic skin response, a measure of electrodermal activity) monitored to detect the existence of frisson. After this part of the experiment, participants will be asked to fill out a self-report questionnaire, which will consist of questions like, “Did the auditory stimuli give you chills?”, “Did you feel moved by the auditory stimuli?”, “Do you feel happiness while listening to this stimulus?”. The study will then compare whether or not participants’ GSR matches the self-reported symptoms. The hypothesis is that those high on psychopathy on the PCL-R will have diverging results on their GSR and self-report. I hypothesize that those with more psychopathic traits will report not feeling as strongly about the stimuli on their self-report, but that the GSR results will nonetheless indicate frisson was present on the body. Essentially, what this result would imply is that psychopathic individuals are unaware, either purposefully or not, that music is causing emotions and bodily reactions that they may not know they had access to. This finding would suggest that music can be used to repeatedly allow those with psychopathic traits to access emotions through frisson. What this information would tell us about psychopathy and emotional processing is that psychopathic individuals do have the ability to experience emotions as neurotypicals, but the access of those emotions is harder, which is why through music those experiences can be unlocked

Spatial variation in density and total size estimates in fragmented primate populations : the golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli)

International audienc

HIV-Negative Seroconcordant Gay Male Couples' Attitudes, Intentions, and Perceived Behavioral Control for Planned Condom Use Within and Outside of Their Relationships

Despite high HIV rates among gay male couples, limited research exists about their attitudes, intentions, social norms, and perceived behavioral control for planned condom use within and outside of their relationships. Our cross-sectional study used multilevel modeling with dyadic data from 142 HIV-negative gay male couples to examine and identify which factors were statistically associated with planned condom use within and outside the relationship. Several differences for planned condom use were also noted based on the sample's prior history of unprotected anal intercourse and relationship type. Findings suggest additional prevention tools are needed for some HIV-negative gay male couples who are at risk for HIV

Décès en relation avec l’abus de médicaments et substances (Drames) : focus en région Languedoc-Roussillon

International audienceBut de l’étudeL’enquête nationale annuelle Drames (décès en relation avec l’usage de médicaments et autres substances) permet la collection et l’analyse de tous les cas de décès en lien avec l’usage des médicaments psychotropes ou substances illicites psychoactives. L’objectif du présent travail a été de caractériser les décès en relation avec la consommation de médicaments ou substances psychoactives, recueillis en région Languedoc-Roussillon via l’enquête Drames.Patients et méthodesLes cas de décès recueillis par le Centre d’évaluation et d’information sur la pharmacodépendance-addictovigilance (CEIP-A) du Languedoc-Roussillon entre 2009 et 2013 ont été collectés et analysés.RésultatsSur la période de l’étude, 65 décès ont été analysés. La méthadone semble responsable de la plus grande part des décès liés à l’utilisation de médicaments et substances, avec la même fréquence qu’au niveau national (45 %). L’impact de la buprénorphine semble moindre mais son association avec d’autres substances est systématique (notamment avec les benzodiazépines). La cocaïne semble bien plus impliquée en Languedoc-Roussillon que dans le reste de la France dans l’enquête Drames (22 % contre 9 %). Des disparités régionales peuvent donc exister et justifier des axes de vigilance spécifiques à renforcer.ConclusionLe recueil des cas Drames permet de mieux comprendre les circonstances des décès liés aux toxiques sur le plan national mais aussi régional. Une description plus systématique et plus précise permettrait d’affiner plus encore cette compréhension et de fournir les outils de prévention nécessaires à mettre en œuvre en réduction des risques

Réponses des végétaux et des invertébrés au régime hydrique et aux variations de la salinité dans les communautés halophiles de Camargue

Les réponses apportées par plusieurs espèces végétales et animales aux variations de la salinité et à l’alternance de périodes d’inondation et d’assèchement dans la sansouire camarguaise montre des convergences. L’espèce collective Salicornia herbacea comprend trois taxons, qui correspondent à des situations écologiques différentes. Les deux premiers possèdent un seul type de graine dont la germination s’effectue en automne pour S. brachystachya, au printemps après levée de la dormance par le froid pour S. emerici. Au contraire, S. patula possède deux types de graines : les graines centrales non dormantes qui germent à l’automne, les graines latérales dormantes qui germent au printemps. Les œufs des Copépodes Calanides possèdent également un polymorphisme morphologique et physiologique. Les femelles pondent des œufs à développement immédiat pendant l’hiver, des œufs de résistance dont l’éclosion est soumise à la levée d’une diapause au printemps chez trois espèces bivoltines adaptées respectivement à des basses, moyennes et fortes salinités. Au contraire deux espèces univoltines pondent un seul type d’œufs à diapause. L’enfouissement suivi de diapause chez les Copépodites IV des Cyclopides, suivi de quiescence chez les femelles de l’Harpacticide Cletocamptus retrogressus leur permet de survivre à l’assèchement et à la sursalure. Le Collembole Isotomurus palustris se maintient grâce à des œufs de résistance. La détérioration du milieu entraîne également l’apparition d’individus écomorphiques différents du type. L’étude du polymorphisme enzymatique a permis l’individualisation de deux espèces jumelles A et B chez le Culicide Aedes détritus. Ces deux taxons isolés sexuellement sont identiques au plan morphologique. L’autogénèse ne se manifeste que dans l’élément A. II existe entre eux une certaine ségrégation géographique et temporelle (A domine en Basse-Camargue, B en Haute-Camargue, A domine en hiver, B au printemps).Several plant and animal species react similarly to variations in salinity and to alternate periods of flooding and drying in the “ sansouire The collective species Salicornia herbacea consists of three taxa which correspond to different environmental situations. The first two have a single type of seed which germinates in autumn for S. brachystachya, and in the spring at the end of the dormant period for S. emerici. On the other hand, S. patula has two types of seeds : non-dormant central seeds which germinate in autumn, and dormant lateral seeds germinating in spring. The eggs of Calanoid Copepods also show a morphological and a physiological polymorphism. During the winter, the females lay eggs which develop immediately. Three bivoltine species respectively adapted to low, average and high salinities, lay resistant eggs as well, which hatch at the end of a spring diapause. In contrast, two univoltine species lay a single type of egg which undergoes diapause. Burying in the mud, followed by diapause at the copepodite IV stage in Cyclopidae, and by quiescence in females of the Harpacticoid CAetocamptus retrogressus, allows the individuals to survive drying and hypersalinity. The Collembola Isotomurus palustris survives thanks to its resistant eggs. The deterioration of the environment also entails the apparition of ecomorphic individuals of a different type. The study of enzymatic polymorphism has also permitted the differentiation of two sibling species (A and B) of the mosquito Aedes detritus. These two taxa, sexually isolated, are morpho logically identical. However, autogenesis occurs only in spe cies A. There is also some degree of geographic and temporal segregation between the two sibling species : A is more abundant in the “ lower ” Camargue and B in the “ upper ” ; A is more often found in winter and B in spring