La territorialisation par et pour l'écotourisme dans les aires protégées

International audienceEcotourism is often seen as a panacea that can contribute to economic development, environmental protection, and the wellbeing of communities around protected areas. However, the empirical reality differs because the complex and multilevel nature of ecotourism is too often neglected during related interventions’ implementation. Through this presentation, we wish to contibute to the debate on ecotourism in protected areas by seeing it as a territorialisation process and focussing on the notions of access and exclusion. The state of knowledge, the urgency of socio-economical conditions that caracterises many communities in the South, as well as the excessive enthusiasm for ecotourism from different stakeholders suggest to take a fresh look at these issues.L’écotourisme est souvent présenté comme une panacée capable de concilier le développement économique, la protection de l’environnement et le bien-être des communautés autour des aires protégées. La réalité sur le terrain est cependant tout autre, car le caractère complexe et transcalaire de l’écotourisme est trop souvent négligé lors de la mise en oeuvre des interventions dans ce domaine. Cette communication souhaite contribuer à la réflexion sur le développement de l’écotourisme dans les aires protégées vu comme un processus de territorialisation et examiné à travers le prisme des notions d’accès et d’exclusion. L’état des connaissances dans ce domaine, l’urgence des conditions économiques et sociales qui caractérise plusieurs communautés des pays du Sud, ainsi que l’engouement démesuré pour l’écotourisme militent en faveur d’un regard renouvelé sur ces questions

Écologie politique de l'écotourisme dans les aires protégées des pays du Sud : le cas de Chi Phat dans les Cardamomes au Cambodge

L'écotourisme est souvent perçu comme une panacée capable de concilier le développement économique, la protection de l'environnement et le bien-être des communautés autour des aires protégées des pays en développement. La réalité sur le terrain est cependant tout autre, car son caractère complexe, politique et transcalaire est trop souvent négligé lors de la mise en œuvre des interventions. Le but de ce projet de recherche est de jeter un nouvel éclairage sur le développement de l'écotourisme dans les aires protégées des pays du Sud à travers une analyse critique des pratiques et des discours qui lui sont associés. Adoptant un cadre conceptuel dérivé de l'écologie politique, nous avons cherché à comprendre comment l'écotourisme affecte l'accès aux ressources naturelles pour différents acteurs sociaux. L'approche méthodologique s'appuie sur une étude de cas essentiellement qualitative qui s'attarde à un projet spécifique amorcé à Chi Phat, dans une forêt protégée des Cardamomes, au sud-ouest du Cambodge. Elle fait appel à l'analyse documentaire et discursive, à l'observation participante ainsi qu'à plus de 80 entretiens semi-directifs auprès d'acteurs clés. Nos résultats montrent d'abord qu'en matière d'écotourisme au Cambodge, il y a absence de lignes directrices claires et on observe très peu de collaboration, et ce, à tous les niveaux. Cela n'est pas étranger au fait que le gouvernement actuel accorde en général la priorité au développement devant la conservation. Ensuite, le projet d'écotourisme permet à Wildlife Alliance de justifier le maintien de la forêt protégée. Cette ONG se démarque par ailleurs des autres organisations au pays par son approche plus musclée. Le pouvoir dont elle jouit et les résultats qu'elle obtient sur le terrain tiennent en sa capacité à mobiliser, en temps opportun, l'ensemble des moyens disponibles pour contrôler l'accès. Globalement, nous pouvons affirmer que les principaux acteurs qui voient leur accès aux ressources naturelles touché négativement sont les paysans. Finalement, nous proposons deux ajouts au cadre conceptuel, soit la considération de l'aspect géographique de l'exclusion et l'introduction de modalités d'exclusion, qui permettent à notre avis une analyse plus juste de la situation.Ecotourism is often seen as a panacea for reconciling economic development, environmental protection and well-being of communities around protected areas in developing countries. However, the reality on the ground is different, because its complex, political and transcalar character is too often overlooked in the implementation of interventions. The purpose of this research project is thus to shed new light on the development of ecotourism in protected areas of the less developed countries through a critical analysis of practices and discourses that are linked to it. Adopting a theoretical framework derived from political ecology, we sought to understand how ecotourism affects access to natural resources for different social actors. The methodological approach is based on a qualitative case study that focuses on a specific project initiated in Chi Phat, located next to a protected forest in south-western Cambodia. It uses literature review, discourse analysis, participant observation as well as more than 80 semi-structured interviews with key actors. Our results show first that there are no clear guidelines for ecotourism development in Cambodia, and we observe very little collaboration at all levels. This is not unrelated to the fact that the current government is generally prioritizing development over conservation. Then we showed that the ecotourism project allows Wildlife Alliance to justify the existence of the protected forest. This NGO also stands out in the country by its more radical approach to conservation. The power it has and the results it obtains on the ground come from its ability to mobilize, in a timely manner, all available means to control access. Overall, we can say that the main actors whose access to natural resources are adversely affected through the ecotourism project are local farmers. Finally, we propose two additions to the conceptual framework, namely the consideration of the geographical aspect of access and exclusion, and the introduction of degrees of exclusion, which allow a more accurate analysis of the situation

Représentation abstraite pour l'animation automatique de scènes virtuelles par planification classique

Résumé La génération d'animations dans des scènes 3D nécessite un travail manuel important de la part des créateurs. Pour cette raison, nous tentons d'obtenir une certaine automatisation du processus d'animation d'une scène virtuelle. Parmi les diverses techniques possibles, nous nous intéressons à la planification classique, dont le but est de générer un plan à partir d'un problème donné en formulant les buts spécifiques à atteindre. Notre projet s'inscrit dans les travaux du projet GITAN, dont l'objectif global est la génération automatique d'animations 3D à partir de texte. Le but de notre projet est de démontrer la faisabilité de la génération automatique d'un plan d'animation par planification classique à partir d'une représentation conceptuelle abstraite. Notre solution est d'abord basée sur la définition d'un format de description de scène inspiré de concepts définis par l'ontologie GUM-Space ainsi qu'une représentation des actions basée sur la ressource sémantique FrameNet. Selon le type d'action, plusieurs attributs peuvent qualifier le déroulement de celle-ci en fonction des objets concernés où encore selon des modalités spatiales. Afin d'ajouter l'information nécessaire à la formulation d'un problème de planification, nous avons conçu et développé une ontologie d'objets du monde réel et de contrôleurs en langage OWL. Cette dernière permet d'enrichir chaque situation décrite par de l'information concrète sur les fonctionnalités offertes par les objets de la scène. Elle fournit également de l'information utile au déroulement de l'action dans la scène. Cette base de connaissances est combinée à la définition d'un domaine d'actions en langage PDDL pour la résolution du problème de planification formulé à partir de la représentation conceptuelle abstraite. Nous avons mis au point une méthodologie d'évaluation impliquant l'implémentation de 16 scénarios de tests divers que nous avons validés manuellement afin de vérifier la validité de notre solution. Nous avons ensuite procédé à une analyse de la couverture du domaine d'actions du monde réel. Cette dernière a révélé des taux de couverture potentielle de 50\% à 100\% pour chacune des catégories d'actions auxquelles nous nous intéressions, avec un taux global de 88\%. Au terme de l'analyse des résultats de notre expérimentation, nous sommes en mesure d'affirmer qu'il est possible de générer automatiquement un plan d'animation par planification classique à partir d'une représentation conceptuelle abstraite. Nous affirmons cela sous certaines limitations posées par notre solution et notre méthodologie d'évaluation, mais nous pouvons tout de même affirmer que nous avons atteint nos objectifs de recherche.----------Abstract Creation of 3D animations in virtual environments implies a lot of manual work from the hands of creators. Considering that, we aim to automate a part of this animation process by including an automated planning approach. The purpose of such an approach is to generate a plan from a given problem by formulating specific goals to reach. Our project is included in the GITAN project, whose goal is to generate 3D animations automatically from textual inputs. The specific goal of our project is to demonstrate the feasibility of animation plan generation from a conceptual representation offering a high level of abstraction, while using an automated planning approach. The solution we suggest involves defining a scene description format inspired from classes defined by the GUM-Space ontology. The resource used for the classification of actions is FrameNet, from which we can add parameters to describe the action's progress such as object-using constraints or spatial modalities. In order to add the required information for the formulation of a planning problem, we developed an OWL ontology to represent real-world objects and controllers. Using this ontology allows us to enhance each scene description by adding information on objects' features and action's progress. To get along with this knowledge base, we also defined an action domain in PDDL language for resolving the formulated planning problem. Our evaluation methodology involved the implementation of 16 test cases, from which we validated the results manually in order to confirm the validity of our solution. We then conducted an analysis of the action domain's potential coverage, which revealed coverage rates from 50\% to 100\% for the categories that we focused on, with a global coverage rate of 88\%. After our results' analysis, we can confirm the feasibility of our automated planning approach for animation plan generation from a conceptual representation. We consider a few limitations to our solution and evaluation methodology that are restricting our work's scope, but we can still assert that we have reached our research objectives

The development of a specific pathogen free (SPF) barrier colony of marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) for aging research

A specific pathogen free (SPF) barrier colony of breeding marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) was established at the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies. Rodent and other animal models maintained as SPF barrier colonies have demonstrated improved health and lengthened lifespans enhancing the quality and repeatability of aging research. The marmosets were screened for two viruses and several bacterial pathogens prior to establishing the new SPF colony. Twelve founding animals successfully established a breeding colony with increased reproductive success, improved health parameters, and increased median lifespan when compared to a conventionally housed, open colony. The improved health and longevity of marmosets from the SPF barrier colony suggests that such management can be used to produce a unique resource for future studies of aging processes in a nonhuman primate model

Regulated Ire1-dependent decay of messenger RNAs in mammalian cells

Maintenance of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function is achieved in part through Ire1 (inositol-requiring enzyme 1), a transmembrane protein activated by protein misfolding in the ER. The cytoplasmic nuclease domain of Ire1 cleaves the messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding XBP-1 (X-box–binding protein 1), enabling splicing and production of this active transcription factor. We recently showed that Ire1 activation independently induces the rapid turnover of mRNAs encoding membrane and secreted proteins in Drosophila melanogaster cells through a pathway we call regulated Ire1-dependent decay (RIDD). In this study, we show that mouse fibroblasts expressing wild-type Ire1 but not an Ire1 variant lacking nuclease activity also degrade mRNAs in response to ER stress. Using a second variant of Ire1 that is activated by a small adenosine triphosphate analogue, we show that although XBP-1 splicing can be artificially induced in the absence of ER stress, RIDD appears to require both Ire1 activity and ER stress. Our data suggest that cells use a multitiered mechanism by which different conditions in the ER lead to distinct outputs from Ire1

Reduced Cognitive Assessment Scores Among Individuals With Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Detected Vascular Brain Injury

Background and Purpose- Little is known about the association between covert vascular brain injury and cognitive impairment in middle-aged populations. We investigated if scores on a cognitive screen were lower in individuals with higher cardiovascular risk, and those with covert vascular brain injury. Methods- Seven thousand five hundred forty-seven adults, aged 35 to 69 years, free of cardiovascular disease underwent a cognitive assessment using the Digital Symbol Substitution test and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect covert vascular brain injury (high white matter hyperintensities, lacunar, and nonlacunar brain infarctions). Cardiovascular risk factors were quantified using the INTERHEART (A Global Study of Risk Factors for Acute Myocardial Infarction) risk score. Multivariable mixed models tested for independent determinants of reduced cognitive scores. The population attributable risk of risk factors and MRI vascular brain injury on low cognitive scores was calculated. Results- The mean age of participants was 58 (SD, 9) years; 55% were women. Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Digital Symbol Substitution test scores decreased significantly with increasing age

Cardiovascular risk scoring and magnetic resonance imaging detected subclinical cerebrovascular disease

AIMS: Cardiovascular risk factors are used for risk stratification in primary prevention. We sought to determine if simple cardiac risk scores are associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detected subclinical cerebrovascular disease including carotid wall volume (CWV), carotid intraplaque haemorrhage (IPH), and silent brain infarction (SBI). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 7594 adults with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) underwent risk factor assessment and a non-contrast enhanced MRI of the carotid arteries and brain using a standardized protocol in a population-based cohort recruited between 2014 and 2018. The non-lab-based INTERHEART risk score (IHRS) was calculated in all participants; the Framingham Risk Score was calculated in a subset who provided blood samples (n = 3889). The association between these risk scores and MRI measures of CWV, carotid IPH, and SBI was determined. The mean age of the cohort was 58 (8.9) years, 55% were women. Each 5-point increase (∼1 SD) in the IHRS was associated with a 9 mm3 increase in CWV, adjusted for sex (P \u3c 0.0001), a 23% increase in IPH [95% confidence interval (CI) 9-38%], and a 32% (95% CI 20-45%) increase in SBI. These associations were consistent for lacunar and non-lacunar brain infarction. The Framingham Risk Score was also significantly associated with CWV, IPH, and SBI. CWV was additive and independent to the risk scores in its association with IPH and SBI. CONCLUSION: Simple cardiovascular risk scores are significantly associated with the presence of MRI-detected subclinical cerebrovascular disease, including CWV, IPH, and SBI in an adult population without known clinical CVD

An Abundant Dysfunctional Apolipoprotein A1 in Human Atheroma

Recent studies have indicated that high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and their major structural protein, apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1), recovered from human atheroma are dysfunctional and are extensively oxidized by myeloperoxidase (MPO). In vitro oxidation of either apoA1 or HDL particles by MPO impairs their cholesterol acceptor function. Here, using phage display affinity maturation, we developed a high-affinity monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes both apoA1 and HDL that have been modified by the MPO-H2O2-Cl− system. An oxindolyl alanine (2-OH-Trp) moiety at Trp72 of apoA1 is the immunogenic epitope. Mutagenesis studies confirmed a critical role for apoA1 Trp72 in MPO-mediated inhibition of the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1)-dependent cholesterol acceptor activity of apoA1 in vitro and in vivo. ApoA1 containing a 2-OH-Trp72 group (oxTrp72-apoA1) is in low abundance within the circulation but accounts for 20% of the apoA1 in atherosclerosis-laden arteries. OxTrp72-apoA1 recovered from human atheroma or plasma is lipid poor, virtually devoid of cholesterol acceptor activity and demonstrated both a potent proinflammatory activity on endothelial cells and an impaired HDL biogenesis activity in vivo. Elevated oxTrp72-apoA1 levels in subjects presenting to a cardiology clinic (n = 627) were associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Circulating oxTrp72-apoA1 levels may serve as a way to monitor a proatherogenic process in the artery wall

Identification of a Sudden Cardiac Death Susceptibility Locus at 2q24.2 through Genome-Wide Association in European Ancestry Individuals

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) continues to be one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with an annual incidence estimated at 250,000–300,000 in the United States and with the vast majority occurring in the setting of coronary disease. We performed a genome-wide association meta-analysis in 1,283 SCD cases and >20,000 control individuals of European ancestry from 5 studies, with follow-up genotyping in up to 3,119 SCD cases and 11,146 controls from 11 European ancestry studies, and identify the BAZ2B locus as associated with SCD (P = 1.8×10−10). The risk allele, while ancestral, has a frequency of ∼1.4%, suggesting strong negative selection and increases risk for SCD by 1.92–fold per allele (95% CI 1.57–2.34). We also tested the role of 49 SNPs previously implicated in modulating electrocardiographic traits (QRS, QT, and RR intervals). Consistent with epidemiological studies showing increased risk of SCD with prolonged QRS/QT intervals, the interval-prolonging alleles are in aggregate associated with increased risk for SCD (P = 0.006)

The Polygenic and Monogenic Basis of Blood Traits and Diseases

Blood cells play essential roles in human health, underpinning physiological processes such as immunity, oxygen transport, and clotting, which when perturbed cause a significant global health burden. Here we integrate data from UK Biobank and a large-scale international collaborative effort, including data for 563,085 European ancestry participants, and discover 5,106 new genetic variants independently associated with 29 blood cell phenotypes covering a range of variation impacting hematopoiesis. We holistically characterize the genetic architecture of hematopoiesis, assess the relevance of the omnigenic model to blood cell phenotypes, delineate relevant hematopoietic cell states influenced by regulatory genetic variants and gene networks, identify novel splice-altering variants mediating the associations, and assess the polygenic prediction potential for blood traits and clinical disorders at the interface of complex and Mendelian genetics. These results show the power of large-scale blood cell trait GWAS to interrogate clinically meaningful variants across a wide allelic spectrum of human variation. Analysis of blood cell traits in the UK Biobank and other cohorts illuminates the full genetic architecture of hematopoietic phenotypes, with evidence supporting the omnigenic model for complex traits and linking polygenic burden with monogenic blood diseases