Do Schools Discriminate Against Homosexual Parents? Evidence from an Internet Field Experiment

The recognition of homosexual rights is a controversial issue in many countries. Spain was the third country in the world (after Netherlands and Belgium) to introduce a law recognizing homosexual marriage and adoption of children. In this paper, we examine for the first time whether schools are more hesitant to give feedback to homosexual parents during children's pre-registration period in Spain. In order to do that, we designed an internet field experiment to be conducted in schools. We created three types of fictitious couples; one heterosexual, one male homosexual and one female homosexual, and send emails to schools making sexual orientation explicit. Our results show that men homosexual couples had a significant lower probability to receive and answer than heterosexual couples (22.5 percentage points less). No statistically significant differences in the response rate were found between female homosexual and heterosexual couples. This result suggests that male homosexual couples might be penalized because of the lack of a maternal figure. Keywords: Discrimination, field experiment, schools, homosexual rights. JEL codes: H41, I20, K36

Sexual foraging segregation in South American sea lions increases during the pre-breeding period in the La Plata River plume

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in skin and bone of South American sea lions from Brazil and Uruguay were analysed to test the hypothesis that trophic overlap between the sexes is lower during the pre-breeding season than throughout the rest of the year. The isotopic values of skin and bone were used to infer the trophic relationships between the sexes during the pre-breeding period and year round, respectively. Prey species were also analysed to establish a baseline necessary for interpreting the stable isotope ratios of skin and bone. Standard ellipse areas, estimated using Bayesian inference in the SIBER routine of the SIAR package in R, suggested that males and females used a wide diversity of foraging strategies throughout the year and that no differences existed between the sexes. However, the diversity of foraging strategies was largely reduced during the pre-breeding period, with all the individuals of each sex adopting similar strategies, but with the two sexes differing considerably in stable isotope values and the ellipse areas of males and females not overlapping at all. Nevertheless, the results revealed a general increase in the consumption of pelagic prey by both sexes during the pre-breeding period. The progressive crowding of individuals in the areas surrounding the breeding rookeries during the pre-breeding period could lead to an increase in the local population density, which could explain the above reported changes.

The Emerging Human Rights Revolution: The Beginning of the Fifth Historical Process in the Consolidation of Human Rights

Emerging human rights are destined to modify, improve and transform a number of already traditional concepts so as to achieve greater guarantees and protection for the rights of individuals and collectivities. One of the big changes that will be brought about by the concept and conception of emerging human rights is that, following on from the processes of positivization, generalization, internationalization and specification, they represent the beginning of the fifth historical process in the consolidation of human rights, namely the process of interaction. A number of breakthroughs have already been achieved, such as the recognition of emerging biocultural rights in the recently adopted Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and shared benefits.

Sexual dimorphism of sonic apparatus and extreme intersexual variation of sounds in Ophidion rochei (Ophidiidae): first evidence of a tight relationship between morphology and sound characteristics in Ophidiidae

Many Ophidiidae are active in dark environments and display complex sonic apparatus morphologies. However, sound recordings are scarce and little is known about acoustic communication in this family. This paper focuses on Ophidion rochei which is known to display an important sexual dimorphism in swimbladder and anterior skeleton. The aims of this study were to compare the sound producing morphology, and the resulting sounds in juveniles, females and males of O. rochei.Results: Males, females, and juveniles possessed different morphotypes. Females and juveniles contrasted with males because they possessed dramatic differences in morphology of their sonic muscles, swimbladder, supraoccipital crest, and first vertebrae and associated ribs. Further, they lacked the ‘rocker bone’ typically found in males. Sounds from each morphotype were highly divergent. Males generally produced non harmonic, multiple-pulsed sounds that lasted for several seconds (3.5 ± 1.3 s) with a pulse period of ca. 100 ms. Juvenile and female sounds were recorded for the first time in ophidiids. Female sounds were harmonic, had shorter pulse period (±3.7 ms), and never exceeded a few dozen milliseconds (18 ± 11 ms). Moreover, unlike male sounds, female sounds did not have alternating long and short pulse periods. Juvenile sounds were weaker but appear to be similar to female sounds.Conclusions: Although it is not possible to distinguish externally male from female in O. rochei, they show a sonic apparatus and sounds that are dramatically different. This difference is likely due to their nocturnal habits that may have favored the evolution of internal secondary sexual characters that help to distinguish males from females and that could facilitate mate choice by females. Moreover, the comparison of different morphotypes in this study shows that these morphological differences result from a peramorphosis that takes place during the development of the gonads

¿Qué entienden los jóvenes universitarios por monogamia y sexo sin penetración, como estrategias preventivas de la transmisión sexual del virus del SIDA? = What university students understand by monogamy and sex without penetration as preventive strategies of sexual transmission of AIDS virus?

Monogamy and sex without penetration are behaviors recommended by the WHO to avoid AIDS virus sexual transmission. Seven hundred and fifty university students from 18 to 25 years (67.7% women) were surveyed and they were asked to give a maximum of three free definitions of the words monogamy and sex without penetration to prevent AIDS virus sexual transmission. Their participation was voluntary and anonymous. Although the majority of the answers was correct, there was a considerable percentage of wrong answers, either for monogamy (3.7% masturbation; 2.1% to have many partners; 0.9% homosexual relations), or for sex without penetration (20.5% oral sex; 1.1% anal coitus; 0.8% coitus without orgasm; 0.4% coitus interruptus). Some definitions or examples differ by gender. The amount of wrongs or incomplete answers put researchers on the alert about insufficient preventive knowledge in a population with a high educational level

Políticas de igualdad en las cárceles del siglo XXI. Avances, retrocesos y retos en la práctica del encarcelamiento femenino

El tradicional olvido e invisibilidad de las mujeres privadas de libertad en el ámbito académico se ha visto reducido parcialmente por cierta tradición académica que, desde fi nales de los noventa en España, ha puesto de manifi esto la discriminación que las mujeres sufren en los sistemas penitenciarios. En el ámbito político, el hito fundamental ha sido la aprobación del Programa de Acciones para la Igualdad entre mujeres y hombres en el ámbito penitenciario a fi nales de 2008, que ha supuesto la generalización de los Módulos de Respeto en el caso de las mujeres presas. Mediante el análisis de las políticas de igualdad de género en el ámbito penitenciario y del estudio de los Módulos de Respeto de mujeres, desde un enfoque feminista e interseccional, el artículo nos permitirá mostrar la debilidad en la aplicación de un enfoque de género que dé una respuesta integral a la situación de las mujeres encarceladas y abrirá el camino para indagar más ampliamente en el papel que juegan en la práctica actual del castigo femenino, tanto las identidades de género como la confl uencia entre las nuevas formas de ejercer el poder en el neoliberalismo y las premisas tradicionales del encarcelamiento de las mujeres.

Protestant Churches and the making of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Transdermal formulations containing human sexual steroids: development and validation of methods and in vitro drug release

In vitro release of bioidentical hormones in four different liposomal transdermal emulsions (containing testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, or estradiol and estriol) was assessed. For this purpose, novel high-performance liquid chromatography methods were developed and validated in an eco-friendly manner and used to determine the in vitro release of such products. The methods were suitable for our intended goal, and the emulsions employed were found to be effective as transporting candidates for the efficient release of hormones in the transdermal delivery of human sexual steroids.

Inter-relação sexual de Magnaporthe grisea do trigo e de outros hospedeiros

Foram identificados isolados de Magnaporthe grisea do Brasil a serem utilizados como parentais em estudos de determinação do tipo compatível ("mating type") do fungo. A escolha dos melhores parentais baseou-se naqueles isolados que determinaram o tipo compatível de maior número de isolados de M. grisea do trigo (Triticum aestivum). A inter-relação sexual da brusone do trigo com a brusone de diversos hospedeiros foi avaliada de acordo com os seguintes parâmetros: determinação de tipo compatível (MAT1-1 e MAT1-2), sexualidade (hermafrodita, fêmea e macho), fertilidade (número de peritécios) e produção de órgãos sexuais (peritécio, ascas e ascósporos). Os parentais Bp3a e Br118.2D possibilitaram a identificação do tipo compatível de maior porcentagem dos isolados da brusone do trigo. Entre as diversas gramíneas estudadas, os isolados de brusone provenientes de Brachiaria plantaginea e T. aestivum podem influenciar na alta variabilidade de M. grisea do trigo. Verificou-se variabilidade genética dentro de isolados de Setaria geniculata, sugerindo que a brusone desse hospedeiro pode influir na variabilidade da brusone do trigo. Isolados de brusone do arroz (Oryza sativa) apresentaram baixa fertilidade sexual.

Compatibilidade sexual e vegetativa do complexo Glomerella-Colletotrichum associado a sementes de algodão

Colletotrichum gossypii (Cg) (Glomerella gossipii) e Colletotrichum gossypii var. cephalosporioides (Cgc) são agentes etiológicos da antracnose e da ramulose no algodoeiro (Gossypium hirsutum). Ambos os patógenos são encontrados na forma mitospórica na natureza e a diferenciação entre eles é feita principalmente a partir dos sintomas das doenças causadas. O presente trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de verificar a ocorrência de reações de compatibilidade sexual e incompatibilidade vegetativa entre e dentro de isolados de Cg e Cgc e avaliar alguns aspectos citológicos das formas de esporulação. Pelos resultados, observou-se existência de grande variabilidade dentro dessa espécie. Os conídios diferiram em tamanho em todos os isolados, sendo encontrados conídios bi- e trinucleados. Em cultura, nas áreas de contato (entre as hifas), foram observadas reações de incompatibilidade vegetativa tanto entre quanto dentro dos isolados. Em apenas um dos isolados avaliados ocorreu reprodução sexuada de forma espontânea, sugerindo comportamento homotálico.

Caracterização, compatibilidade e ocorrência de reprodução sexual entre isolados de Pyricularia grisea de diferentes hospedeiros

A brusone, causada por Pyricularia grisea (teleomorfa Magnaphorthe grisea), possui uma ampla gama de hospedeiros. No Brasil, arroz, trigo, triticale e cevada são as culturas que sofrem quedas significativas de produtividade devido ao ataque desse patógeno. Além desses cereais, outras gramíneas também têm apresentado sintomas dessa doença. Os objetivos dessa pesquisa foram: a) caracterizar sexualmente isolados de P. grisea desses hospedeiros baseado na determinação do "mating type", fertilidade, sexualidade, compatibilidade sexual, b) analisar o grau de compatibilidade sexual entre isolados de brusone de trigo e de outras gramíneas, c) estudar a ocorrência da reprodução sexual em isolados de trigo. Os resultados obtidos através de ensaios "in vitro" constataram: 1) compatibilidade sexual de P. grisea do trigo com Bromus catharticus, Phalaris canariensis e X. triticosecal; 2) desbalanço entre porcentagem de MAT1-1 e MAT1-2, com predominância de MAT1-1 na população de P. grisea do trigo; 3) existência de um campo de isolados de trigo com baixa habilidade de cruzamento; 4) baixa possibilidade de ocorrência de reprodução sexual de P. grisea em campos de trigo, mesmo com existência de ambos "mating type" num mesmo campo.

Classification, comorbidity, heredity, and risk factors of female sexual dysfunctions

Female sexual dysfunctions, including desire, arousal, orgasm and pain problems, have been shown to be highly prevalent among women around the world. The etiology of these dysfunctions is unclear but associations with health, age, psychological problems, and relationship factors have been identified. Genetic effects explain individual variation in orgasm function to some extent but until now quantitative behavior genetic analyses have not been applied to other sexual functions. In addition, behavior genetics can be applied to exploring the cause of any observed comorbidity between the dysfunctions. Discovering more about the etiology of the dysfunctions may further improve the classification systems which are currently under intense debate. The aims of the present thesis were to evaluate the psychometric properties of a Finnish-language version of a commonly used questionnaire for measuring female sexual function, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), in order to investigate prevalence, comorbidity, and classification, and to explore the balance of genetic and environmental factors in the etiology as well as the associations of a number of biopsychosocial factors with female sexual functions. Female sexual functions were studied through survey methods in a population based sample of Finnish twins and their female siblings. There were two waves of data collection. The first data collection targeted 5,000 female twins aged 33–43 years and the second 7,680 female twins aged 18–33 and their over 18–year-old female siblings (n = 3,983). There was no overlap between the data collections. The combined overall response rate for both data collections was 53% (n = 8,868), with a better response rate in the second (57%) compared to the first (45%). In order to measure female sexual function, the FSFI was used. It includes 19 items which measure female sexual function during the previous four weeks in six subdomains; desire, subjective arousal, lubrication, orgasm, sexual satisfaction, and pain. In line with earlier research in clinical populations, a six factor solution of the Finnish-language version of the FSFI received supported. The internal consistencies of the scales were good to excellent. Some questions about how to avoid overestimating the prevalence of extreme dysfunctions due to women being allocated the score of zero if they had had no sexual activity during the preceding four weeks were raised. The prevalence of female sexual dysfunctions per se ranged from 11% for lubrication dysfunction to 55% for desire dysfunction. The prevalence rates for sexual dysfunction with concomitant sexual distress, in other words, sexual disorders were notably lower ranging from 7% for lubrication disorder to 23% for desire disorder. The comorbidity between the dysfunctions was substantial most notably between arousal and lubrication dysfunction even if these two dysfunctions showed distinct patterns of associations with the other dysfunctions. Genetic influences on individual variation in the six subdomains of FSFI were modest but significant ranging from 3–11% for additive genetic effects and 5–18% for nonadditive genetic effects. The rest of the variation in sexual functions was explained by nonshared environmental influences. A correlated factor model, including additive and nonadditive genetic effects and nonshared environmental effects had the best fit. All in all, every correlation between the genetic factors was significant except between lubrication and pain. All correlations between the nonshared environment factors were significant showing that there is a substantial overlap in genetic and nonshared environmental influences between the dysfunctions. In general, psychological problems, poor satisfaction with the relationship, sexual distress, and poor partner compatibility were associated with more sexual dysfunctions. Age was confounded with relationship length but had over and above relationship length a negative effect on desire and sexual satisfaction and a positive effect on orgasm and pain functions. Alcohol consumption in general was associated with better desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm function. Women pregnant with their first child had fewer pain problems than nulliparous nonpregnant women. Multiparous pregnant women had more orgasm problems compared to multiparous nonpregnant women. Having children was associated with less orgasm and pain problems. The conclusions were that desire, subjective arousal, lubrication, orgasm, sexual satisfaction, and pain are separate entities that have distinct associations with a number of different biopsychosocial factors. However, there is also considerable comorbidity between the dysfunctions which are explained by overlap in additive genetic, nonadditive genetic and nonshared environmental influences. Sexual dysfunctions are highly prevalent and are not always associated with sexual distress and this relationship might be moderated by a good relationship and compatibility with partner. Regarding classification, the results supports separate diagnoses for subjective arousal and genital arousal as well as the inclusion of pain under sexual dysfunctions.