Weaponized storytelling a la francaise: Demystifying France's narratives around its arms export policies

Through the five conflict case studies, the report explores other arguments that make up this storytelling a la francaise. Two of its pillars are the idea that French export control processes are already "strict, transparent and responsible" enough as they are, and the proposition that weapons sales are an intrinsically essential support to the country's strategic autonomy and foreign policy interests. This latter priority include the crucial need to be a reliable long-term supplier and to sustain strategic partnerships often associated with such arms trade

Early cave art and ancient DNA record the origin of European bison

The two living species of bison (European and American) are among the few terrestrial megafauna to have survived the late Pleistocene extinctions. Despite the extensive bovid fossil record in Eurasia, the evolutionary history of the European bison (or wisent, Bison bonasus) before the Holocene (<11.7 thousand years ago (kya)) remains a mystery. We use complete ancient mitochondrial genomes and genome-wide nuclear DNA surveys to reveal that the wisent is the product of hybridization between the extinct steppe bison (Bison priscus) and ancestors of modern cattle (aurochs, Bos primigenius) before 120 kya, and contains up to 10% aurochs genomic ancestry. Although undetected within the fossil record, ancestors of the wisent have alternated ecological dominance with steppe bison in association with major environmental shifts since at least 55 kya. Early cave artists recorded distinct morphological forms consistent with these replacement events, around the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM ∼1/421-18 kya).This research was supported by the Australian Research Council, the European Commission (PIRSES-GA-2009-247652—BIOGEAST), the Polish National Science Centre (N N304 301940 and 2013/11/B/NZ8/00914), the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF94), the Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (7th European Community Framework Program—MEDITADNA, PIOF-GA-2011-300854, FP7-PEOPLE) and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (N 15-04-03882).Peer Reviewe

Population structure, recruitment and distribution patterns of Patella depressa Pennant, 1777 on the central Portuguese coast

Using in situ individual measurements at two levels of the shore during a one-year period, recruitment peaks of Patella depressa Pennant, 1777, possibly related to breeding periods, were identified during autumn-winter. Recruits were associated with lower levels on the shore, and juveniles mainly inhabited Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819 patches. Niche partitioning, intraspecific competition, and desiccation stress are discussed as decisive factors in the different size-class distributions found. A mark-recapture growth study was made at two substrata within study sites, one substratum with irregular depressions mainly composed of Chthamalus spp., and a second regular substratum comprising mostly bare rock. Our results indicated lower growth increments in the irregular substratum zone, probably due to space availability and limited foraging activity.Utilizando mediciones individuales in situ a dos niveles de la orilla durante un año, se han identificado en otoño-invierno los picos de reclutamiento de Patella depressa Pennant, 1777 relacionados, posiblemente, con los periodos de reproducción. Los reclutamientos se asocian con bajos niveles en la orilla y juveniles ocupando principalmente pequeñas extensiones junto a Mytillus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819. Se discute la influencia del reparto de nichos, la competencia intraespecífica y el estrés por desecación como factores decisivos en las distribución de las distintas clases de tallas encontradas. Se ha hecho un estudio de marcado y recaptura en dos sustratos comparando uno con otro: un primer sustrato con depresiones irregulares compuesto principalmente por Chthamalus spp. y un segundo, regular, compuesto fundamentalmente por rocas desnudas. Nuestros resultados indicaron incrementos bajos de crecimiento en la zona de sustrato irregular, probablemente debido a la limitada disponibilidad de espacio y a la actividad de forraje.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

La chlamydiose abortive ovine : éléments de diagnostic lors d’une serie abortive & analyse des facteurs de risque d’avortements a chlamydia en contexte vaccinal

Plusieurs cas d’avortements imputés à Chlamydia abortus ont été observés par le GDS12 dans des élevages de brebis aveyronnais alors que ces élevages pratiquaient la vaccination contre la chlamydiose depuis plusieurs années avec un vaccin vivant. La cause de ces avortements a été établie grâce au protocole avortement du dispositif OSCAR. Des rappels concernant la chlamydiose, son diagnostic et les mesures de lutte contre la maladie sont présentés en première partie. Un typage des souches de C. abortus a ensuite été réalisé pour essayer de déterminer quelle était la souche en cause lors des épisodes abortifs recensés et donc apporter une première information sur la persistance d’avortement dans ces élevages. Enfin, une enquête menée auprès de 42 éleveurs est exposée pour essayer d’expliquer ce phénomène est tenter de trouver des moyens d’y remédier

Reproduction of Patella depressa Pennant, 1777 on the central Portuguese coast

The reproductive cycle and the sex ratio of the limpet Patella depressa Pennant, 1777 were studied on two rocky shores of the central coast of the Portugal, over a period of one year. The gonads were examined and their stage of development was assessed. The gonads of P. depressa were found to develop mainly from September/October to December, and between February and April. The spawning peaks occurred in January and between May and August. From June to August the gonads seem to go into a resting phase. In P. depressa the sex proportions seem to be approximately equal, suggesting the absence of sex reversal in these limpets. High wind speed under optimum conditions of air temperatures appears to induce spawning in this species.Estudiamos el ciclo reproductor y la proporción de sexos de la lapa Patella depressa Pennant, 1777 en dos litorales rocosos de la costa central de Portugal. Examinamos las gónadas y valoramos su fase de desarrollo. Encontramos gónadas de P. depressa desarrollándose principalmente desde septiembre/octubre hasta diciembre y entre febrero y abril. Los picos de puesta aparecieron en enero y entre mayo y agosto. Las gónadas parecen permanecer en una fase de reposo desde junio hasta agosto. En P. depressa la proporción de sexos parece ser aproximadamente uno, lo que sugiere la ausencia de inversión sexual en estas lapas. Bajo condiciones óptimas de temperatura del aire, la alta velocidad del viento parece inducir la puesta en esta especie.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Myths and lessons of liberal intervention: The British campaign for the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade to Brazil

This is the Pre-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2012 Martinus NijhoffThis article takes issue with recent references to the British nineteenth century campaign for the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to Brazil that serve to bolster interventionist or imperialist agendas. In particular, such accounts reproduce two and a half myths about the campaign: that it can serve as a model for the present age; that the success of the campaign can be explained through the actions of the intervening party alone (with a corresponding neglect of those of the ‘target’ state); and the half-myth that the campaign’s success was due to military action (at the expense of institutional (legal) and normative factors and the capacity of the target state). I argue instead that this case – and interventions more generally – would benefit from an analysis that considers the role of force in relation to a series of residual institutional and cultural constraints within the liberal state and to political conditions in the target state. In light of the complexities and contingencies that these factors present the underlying lesson is that military force should be used sparingly, if at all