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A study of plant remains from seven archaeological wells at Mas de Vignoles IX, near Nîmes, southern France, was used to shed light on a current gap in the archaeological record caused by erosion and modern agriculture. The analysis also explored the reliability of these sources for palaeoenvironmental and palaeoeconomical information. Significant results on the spatial organization of human habitation, economic activities, and on the environment and its exploitation were obtained for the Middle Neolithic to Roman periods. Furthermore, the Neolithic wells also provided the first early finds of fig seeds in France. The abundance of weed and ruderal plants up to the Iron Age is consistent with data from other studies and their dramatic decrease during the Roman period may have resulted from radical changes in land management. The study marks the first time, in southern France, that a group of wells from a single site have provided a complete record throughout the later prehistoric and Roman periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to examine physiological responses of firefighters performing a firefighting simulation test (FST) and to determine the relationship between physical fitness parameters and FST performance. Aerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and anaerobic capabilities were evaluated in 37 firefighters (21-profesionals and 16-volunteers firefighters). Furthermore, participants carried out the FST during which we measured performance, respiratory gas exchange, heart rate (HR), perceived exertion and blood lactate concentrations. Males were significantly faster than females for all tasks of the FST (p < 0.01); however, final performance score (16.5 ± 2.9 and 14.5 ± 2.6 points for males and females, respectively), HR (94.0 ± 2.0% and 93.7 ± 2.3% of HRmax) and perceived exertion (8.1 ± 0.9 and 7.1 ± 1.3) were not significantly different. Prediction of FST performance by LASSO regression revealed a model that included mainly aerobic capacity and maximal strength. In conclusion, FST challenged both aerobic and anaerobic energy metabolisms for both males and females and requires various physiological abilities to perform. Practitioner Summary: For the safety of firefighters and victims, firefighters must meet minimum physical requirements. 37 firefighters performed physical tests and a new firefighting test implemented for the recruitment of firefighters in France. The results revealed that this test is strenuous and that performance is associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength. Abbreviations: V̇O2: oxygen consumption; V̇CO2: carbon dioxyde production; V̇E: expired ventilation; RER: respiratory exchange ratio; FST: firefighting simulation test; MAS: maximal aerobic speed; HR: heart rate; RPE: rating of perceived exertion; MVC: maximum voluntary contraction; IMTP: isometric mid-thigh pull; TTE: time to exhaustion; Ppeak: peak power; Pmean: mean power; LASSO: least absolute shrinkage and selection operator; La-: blood lactate concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many conservation scientists, interdisciplinarity and participation can be efficient in the management of biodiversity. For both methods, new tools and new participative processes such as the so-called “co-modeling process” are required. The key questions addressed in this article are how group dynamics shape the model and why certain perspectives dominate in a process designed to be democratic. It is necessary, therefore, in order to appreciate the design and the legitimacy of the model that has been co-constructed, to address the questions of both the stakeholders' interests and their status in the process. Our case study is a co-modeling program based in a French biosphere reserve. It enabled us to highlight the key role of the mediator who had to govern social relationships and translate disciplinary jargon into a common technical language through a list of co-modeling rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently there has been a marked shift reflecting increased theoretical interest and political practices embracing strategies of localism or relocalization against neoliberal globalization. Specifically, individuals, farmers, and communities embracing the framework of food sovereignty have increasingly adopted localism tactics in response to the globalization of food systems, the corporate agribusiness model, and attendant food crises. The spread of the food sovereignty concept from the global peasants' movement Via Campesina to locales as diverse as industrial France and the rural state of Vermont in the United States demonstrates the way in which food sovereignty has been appropriated in different international settings. Additionally, the turn toward localism merits further scrutiny as a reflection of an unsettling of forms of collective resistance at a moment of structural crisis in global capitalism. Localism as an alter-globalization tactic is still overshadowed by protest summitry and large-scale mobilizations, when small-scale micro-encounters arguably are part of a growing, broader, and more nuanced process of transnational diffusion of resistances, struggles, and reformulations over sovereignty at multiple political and social scales. Recientemente ha habido un cambio que se refleja en el incremento de un interes teorico y practicas politicas, que incluyen estrategias de localismo o relocalizacion contra la globalizacion neoliberal. Como tactica de respuesta a los sistemas de globalizacion alimentaria, a los modelos agroindustriales corporativos, y a las crisis alimentarias, los individuos, agricultores y comunidades responden abogando por la soberania alimentaria, adoptando mecanismos locales. La propagacion del concepto de soberania alimentaria que parte de movimientos globales de campesinos 'Via Campesina', en lugares tan diferentes como la Francia industrial y el estado rural de Vermont en los Estados Unidos, demuestra la manera como la soberania alimentaria se ha apropiado de diferentes ambitos internacionales. Ademas, el giro hacia el localismo merece un estudio mas detallado, como reflejo de formas inquietantes de resistencia colectiva, en un momento de crisis estructural del capitalismo global. El localismo como una tactica alterna a la globalizacion, esta todavia opacado por las protestas de las cumbres y las movilizaciones a gran escala, sin embargo los micro-encuentros son sin duda, parte de un proceso creciente, mas amplio y con mas matices, de la difusion trasnacional de las resistencias, los conflictos y la reformulacion de la soberania, a multiples escalas politicas y sociales. 最近有一个明显的转向，反映出以地方主义或再地方化抵制新自由主义全球化的理论兴趣和政治实践在增长。具体来说，拥护粮食主权的个人、农民和社群越来越多地采用地方化策略来应对粮食体系全球化、公司化农业经营模式化和随之而来的粮食危机等。从全球性农民运动'农民之路'到地方如工业化的法国和美国农业州佛蒙特，粮食主权这一概念广泛传播，表明其已在不同国际场合被认可。此外，在全球资本主义发生结构性危机之时，这一本土化转向作为未成形的集体抵制的一种反映，值得进一步研究。地方化作为改造全球化运动的一种策略，其作用仍然被抗议峰会和大规模群众运动所掩盖，而小规模微观层面的抵抗是正在进行中的更广泛和细微的、在诸多政治和社会层面对主权进行抵制、斗争和重建的跨国扩散过程的一部分。 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elite athletes are continually subjected to a range of constraints specific to high performance, and these can have a negative impact on their health. Although many studies have explored the individual factors related to risky behaviours and disorders in elite sport contexts, few have focused on health promotion. Consequently, the interpersonal, institutional, and policy factors of the healthrelated behaviours of elite athletes are still poorly explored. Based on the socioecological model, this study aimed to identify the factors involved in the health-related lifestyle of elite athletes. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 45 participants: athletes (N = 32), their coaches (N = 6) and the managers of elite sport centres (N = 7). Both deductive and inductive thematic analyses were performed. Our results highlight the views of the actors. Regarding intrapersonal factors, resilience qualities and health literacy appeared as key factors in influencing the health-related lifestyle of elite athletes. At the interpersonal level, parents and coaches emerged as the main sources of educational support. Regarding institutional factors, the health policies of the elite sport centres were key factors in supporting the athletes' healthy lifestyle. These results encourage the development of health promotion programs at different levels of intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, large-scale modelling tools are needed for anticipating the expected impacts of climate change on hydrosystems and for planning mitigation measures. We developed a spatially-distributed model for the MARTHE (Modélisation d'Aquifères avec un maillage Rectangulaire, Transport et HydrodynamiquE; Modelling Aquifers with Rectangular cells, Transport and Hydrodynamics) hydrogeological modelling computer code as a preliminary tool for France, and carried out a first evaluation over a 10-year period, comparing observed and modelled time series of groundwater levels and river flows. Then, prospective hydrological simulations were undertaken using five regionalized climate simulations. The evaluation results show varying performance depending upon the regions and variables considered, but they provide encouraging perspectives. Future hydrological projections anticipate increased recharge by +15% on average over France, accompanied by increases in wetter/drier groundwater extreme events in the north/south by the 2070–2099 period compared to the 1976–2005 reference period. Based on these results, the MARTHE model can be considered a promising template for the construction of a nation-wide hydrological model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relict communities of Prunus lusitanica are globally threatened, mainly by climatic and anthropic factors. Solid knowledge about floristic composition and serial dynamics provides a valuable basis for the implementation of management and conservation measures. This article focuses on peculiar communities that occur in hydric-compensated areas of the Iberian Peninsula and south of France, a submediterranean ecotonal area. A hierarchical cluster analysis allowed to identify two new syntaxa. For the first time an association of Prunus lusitanica, Lonicero periclymeni-Prunetum lusitanicae ass. nova, is reported for France, representing the mature stage of a minoriseries of vegetation, attributed to Lonicerion periclymeni. The discovery of populations of P. lusitanica in valleys embedded in the Municipality of Mação (Portugal), represent the new association Smilaco asperae-Prunetum lusitanicae ass. nova, enriched by thermophilous taxa. This relict association occurs in the South Beira District and corresponds to the southern limit of the natural distribution area in mainland Portugal, integrated in the suballiance Fraxino angustifoliae-Ulmenion minoris. Additional notes on the occurrence of P. lusitanica in other areas of the Iberian Peninsula are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lafourcade M. and Paluzie E. European integration, foreign direct investment (FDI), and the geography of French trade, Regional Studies. An augmented gravity model is used to investigate whether the 1978-2000 process of European integration has changed the geography of trade within France, with a particular focus on border regions. It is found that once controlled for bilateral distance, origin- and destination-specific characteristics, French border regions trade on average 73% more with neighbouring countries than predicted by the gravity norm. The regions perform even better if they have good transport connections with these countries. However, French border regions at the periphery of Europe experienced a downward trend over the period that was partly due to the decrease in the propensity of Spanish and Italian foreign affiliates to trade with their home countries. [image omitted] Lafourcade M. et Paluzie E. Integration europeenne, investissement direct etranger (IDE) et geographie du commerce francais, Regional Studies. On emploie un modele de gravite augmente afin d'etudier l'impact du processus d'integration europeenne sur la geographie du commerce international des departements francais, au cours de la periode 1978-2000, en pretant une attention particuliere aux departements frontaliers. Il s'avere que ces derniers commercent en moyenne 1.7 fois plus avec le pays limitrophe que ne le predit la norme de gravite, meme si on tient compte de leur proximite relative, de leurs caracteristiques specifiques et de celles du pays de destination. Les departements dotes d'infrastructures de transport transfrontalieres ont une performance encore superieure. Cet avantage s'est cependant erode sur la periode pour les departements francais frontaliers de la peripherie europeenne, en raison du declin de la propension des filiales espagnoles et italiennes a commercer avec leur pays d'origine. Gravite Regions transfrontalieres Investissement direct etranger (IDE) Infrastructure de transport Lafourcade M. und Paluzie E. Europaische Integration, auslandische Direktinvestitionen und die Geografie des franzosischen Handels, Regional Studies. Wir untersuchen mit Hilfe eines erweiterten Schwerkraftmodells die Frage, ob sich die Handelsgeografie in Frankreich und insbesondere in den Grenzregionen durch den Prozess der europaischen Integration im Zeitraum von 1978 bis 2000 verandert hat. Wir stellen fest, dass franzosische Grenzregionen bei einer Berucksichtigung der bilateralen Entfernung und der ursprungs- und zielspezifischen Merkmale durchschnittlich 73% mehr mit Nachbarlandern handeln als mit Hilfe der Schwerkraftnorm prognostiziert. Die Leistung der Regionen fallt sogar noch hoher aus, wenn sie uber gute Verkehrsverbindungen mit diesen Landern verfugen. Allerdings verzeichneten die franzosischen Grenzregionen in der europaischen Peripherie wahrend dieses Zeitraums einen Abwartstrend, was zum Teil auf die abnehmende Neigung der spanischen und italienischen Schwestergesellschaften zum Handel mit ihren Heimatlandern zuruckzufuhren ist. Schwerkraft Grenzregionen Auslandische Direktinvestitionen Verkehrsinfrastruktur Lafourcade M. y Paluzie E. Integracion europea, inversion extranjera directa (IED) y la geografia del comercio frances, Regional Studies. Utilizamos un modelo de gravedad aumentado para analizar si el proceso de integracion europea entre 1978 y 2000 ha cambiado la geografia del comercio en Francia, especialmente en las regiones fronterizas. Observamos, que una vez controladas la distancia bilateral y las caracteristicas especificas de origen y destino, las regiones fronterizas de Francia comercian con los paises vecinos en promedio un 73% mas de lo que predice la norma de la gravedad. Las regiones dotadas con buenas infraestructuras de transporte transfronterizo tienen incluso un rendimiento superior. Sin embargo, esta ventaja se ha erosionado a lo largo del tiempo, en particular para los departamentos franceses contiguos a la periferia europea, debido a la disminucion de la predisposicion de las filiales espanolas e italianas a comerciar con sus paises de origen. Gravedad Regiones fronterizas Inversion directa extranjera (IDE) Infraestructura de transporte [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Economic Geography presents increasing returns to agglomeration as a central explanation for concentration of economic activity. The estimation of the size of these effects remains, however, a standing issue in the field. The focus of this study is to investigate the presence of increasing returns to agglomeration in the spatial structure of wages in France, using the methodology developed by Fingleton and initially used in the UK. The central finding is the statistically significant presence of such returns to density for France, as was the case for the UK in the original study. Compared to Fingleton's original work, it is shown that returns to density play a larger role in explaining French labour productivity, while commuting plays a smaller role than in the UK. Rendements croissants et structure spatiale des salaires francais RESUME La nouvelle economie geographique presente les 'rendements croissants d'agglomeration' comme une variable explicative privilegiee de la concentration spatiale de l'activite economique. Un des enjeux empiriques de la nouvelle economie geographique reste cependant l'estimation de leur taille. Dans cette etude, nous cherchons a evaluer la presence de tels rendements croissants d'agglomeration dans la structure spatiale des salaires francais, en utilisant la methodologie d'estimation developpee pour le Royaume-Uni par Fingleton. Le resultat central de notre etude est la presence statistiquement significative de rendements croissants d'agglomeration sur les zones d'emploi francaises, du meme ordre de grandeur que ceux qui avaient ete etablis pour le Royaume-Uni dans l'etude originale. De plus, par rapport a l'analyse originale de Fingleton, nous montrons que les retours a la densite sont plus determinants dans l'explication de la productivite du travail en France, tandis que les deplacements domicile—travail y jouent un role moins important qu'au Royaume-Uni. Rendimientos crecientes y la estructura espacial de los sueldos franceses RESUMEN La nueva geografia economica presenta los rendimientos crecientes de aglomeracion como una explicacion central para la concentracion de actividad economica. No obstante, la estimacion de la magnitud de estos efectos continua siendo una cuestion pendiente en el campo. El enfoque de este estudio es investigar la presencia de rendimientos crecientes de aglomeracion en la estructura espacial de los sueldos en Francia, utilizando la metodologia desarrollada por Fingleton y empleada inicialmente en el Reino Unido. El hallazgo central es la presencia estadisticamente significativa de tales rendimientos de densidad en Francia, como fue el caso del Reino Unido en el estudio original. En comparacion con el trabajo original de Fingleton, se muestra que los rendimientos de densidad desempenan un papel mas importante en explicar la productividad laboral francesa, mientras que viajar largas distancias al trabajo diariamente tiene una funcion menor que en el Reino Unido. [image omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas are increasing since several years as a result of development of built-up areas, network infrastructure, industrial areas or other built-up areas. This urban sprawl has a considerable impact on natural areas by changing the functioning of ecosystems. Mapping and monitoring Urban Fabrics (UF) is therefore relevant for urban planning and management, risk analysis, human health or biodiversity. For this research, Sentinel-2 (level 2A) single-date images of the East of France, with a high spatial resolution (10 m), are used to assess two semantic segmentation networks (U-Net) that we combined using feature fusion between a from scratch network and a pre-trained network on ImageNet. Moreover three spectral or textural indices have been added to the both networks in order to improve the classification results. The results showed a performance gain for the fusion methods in classifying several UF. However, there is a difference in performance depending on the urbanization gradient; highly urbanized areas provide a better distinction of some UF's classes than rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents assessment of 2000 wine tasting of Languedoc and Roussillon region of France at Vintner's hall on April 10, 2002. Overview of the vintage information; Description of Domaine de L'Aigle, Terres Rouges 2000 wine; Details about Domaine Clovallon, Les Pommaredes.

Hypersensitivity reactions are an important aspect of perioperative care and are a crucial interdisciplinary issue in anaesthesiological practice, as well as allergological and laboratory diagnostics. This phenomenon was observed as early as the 1980s and 1990s in Western European countries, and knowledge on this subject has grown significantly over time. Although hypersensitivity reactions are not frequent events (the incidence of perioperative hypersensitivity reactions ranges from 1:386 to 1:13 000 procedures, with higher frequency − 1 per 6500 general anaesthesias with neuromuscular blocking agents administrations), their courses are unfortunately serious and life-threatening. It should also be noted that there is no information regarding the occurrence of perioperative hypersensitivity reactions in many countries. Hence, global assessment of the problem is underestimated. The primary source of actual knowledge comes from epidemiological studies, which indicate an increasing frequency of hypersensitivity reaction occurrence and changes in aetiological factors. The first report from France (1984 to 1989) described two main causes – neuromuscular blocking agents and hypnotic agents. The following years confirmed an increase in perioperative hypersensitivity reactions associated with latex and antibiotics. The most recent data from the National Audit Project 6 indicated increased participation of antibiotics, chlorhexidine, and contrast agents. The results of epidemiological analyses are the basis of medical management guidelines and practice modification. Thanks to the activity of many organisations monitoring the intensity and nature of perioperative hypersensitivity reactions, guidelines for diagnostics and management have been developed. This article presents the results of numerous studies, including the first and the most recent, from various geographical regions. The clinical significance, pathogenesis mechanisms are also discussed. This publication also presents important directions for further scientific and epidemiological research on perioperative hypersensitivity reactions. The incidence of perioperative hypersensitivity reactions ranges from 1:386 to 1:13 000 procedures, with higher frequency – 1 per 6500 general anaesthesias with neuromuscular blocking agents administrations. Reactions may occur during the first episode of anaesthesia, most frequently in the induction of general anaesthesia, and much less frequently during postoperative follow-up. The first reports of perioperative hypersensitivity reaction come from the 1990s, and knowledge on this subject has grown significantly over time. In many countries, multidisciplinary teams and organisations have been established to identify, monitor the occurrence of this phenomenon, and have set the directions of medical activities and have changed the rules and recommendations. There is no information about the occurrence of perioperative hypersensitivity reactions in many countries, and global assessment of the problem is underestimated. Additionally, there is a great need to develop a system to monitor their occurrence in other countries. The long-term epidemiologic studies have demonstrated variability in pharmacologic triggers. However, the main pharmacological substances (antibiotics, muscle relaxants, disinfectans, contrast agents) are related to aspects of patient safety during anaesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research question: The research aims to identify the determinants of 'coopetitive' strategies compared to more competitive or cooperative ones, while examining the contingency of strategic choices to strategic groups. The focus is on French professional football over the 2006–2017 period. The contribution to the literature comes from using strategic groups and breaking down specific characteristics of player transactions in this industry. Research methods: The methodology is based on an exploratory statistical analysis composed by cluster analysis. First, a Pearson's principal component analysis (PCA) is conducted, before using K-means classification. Results and Findings: Results provide empirical evidence for a high contingency of strategic choices. The taxonomy found is closely related to the economic, financial and sporting characteristics of a club. Belonging to a specific class highly influences the strategy a club can implement. In addition, the diversity of club behaviours in the league are highlighted. Implications: Our findings bring relevant information for practitioners about their strategies and the managerial implications of a potential reform of player transactions between teams. Indeed, FIFA is working on a reform to limit the number of outgoing loans that a team can use and better control the transfer system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossiliferous localities of Aumelas and Saint-Martin-de-Londres in the Montpellier limestones (Hérault, France), known since the 1960s and 1980s, were originally dated as late middle Eocene (Lutetian), close to the European Mammal Palaeogene Reference Level 13 (MP13). This period is a key time interval in the initial radiation of European endemic mammals. We present here a systematic revision of the artiodactyl fauna from Aumelas and Saint-Martin-de-Londres in order to propose a biochronological revision of these localities. We identified five artiodactyl species: Aumelasia gabineaudi, Dichobune aff. robertiana, Eurodexis cf. russelli, Eurodexeinae indet. and Lophiobunodon minervoisensis. Two of these species are known in both localities. Comparisons with other European localities support an earlier dating than late middle Eocene for Aumelas and Saint-Martin-de-Londres. These localities seem to be close to the Ypresian/Lutetian boundary and could constitute a rare record of this period in Europe. The age of these localities is critical for discussing the initial radiations of endemic European artiodactyl families (Cebochoeridae, Choeropotamidae, Mixtotheriidae, Anoplotheriidae, Xiphodontidae, Cainotheriidae and Amphimerycidae). This systematic revision allows us to test the validity of phylogenetic relationships between these families using cladistic analyses. Our results question the monophyly of Dichobunidae and Choeropotamidae but support the older concept of Haplobunodontidae. This study, which constitutes a first step towards a better understanding of their evolutionary history, suggests that the European artiodactyl radiation took place close to the Ypresian/Lutetian boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cainotheriids are a family of small artiodactyls, known in the fossil record from the late Eocene to the middle Miocene in Western Europe. Contrary to several European endemic ungulate groups that became extinct at the end of the Eocene or close to the Eocene–Oligocene transition (Grande Coupure), cainotheriids crossed this boundary and diversified during the Oligocene. The evolutionary history of cainotheriids around the Grande Coupure remains poorly documented and only a few works deal with the modalities of their evolution, notably because of the scarcity of available Eocene remains. A new fossiliferous karstic network named Dams was discovered during field prospecting in the Quercy area (Tarn-et-Garonne, France). It notably displays two infillings that yielded a great abundance of cainotheriid remains, namely DAM1 (MP19, late Eocene) and DAM3 (MP22, early Oligocene), bracketing the Eocene–Oligocene transition. A detailed study of cainotheriid mandibular and dental remains from these infillings reveals that only Paroxacron valdense occurs at DAM1, while five species are found in DAM3. The karstic network at Dams seemingly records a local taxonomic diversification of cainotheriids after the Grande Coupure, with Cainotheriinae being particularly successful. Our phylogenetic analysis, including cainotheriids from Dams, constitutes the first formal phylogeny of Cainotheriidae. Our results, based on mandibular and dental characters, allow us to (i) clarify relationships within Cainotheriidae, (ii) erect a new family Robiacinidae, as being the sister taxon to Cainotheriidae among Cainotherioidea, and, more broadly, (iii) discuss the controversial position of Cainotheriidae within Artiodactyla, as being more closely related to Ruminantia than to Tylopoda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THIS PAPER INTRODUCES and discusses a group of broadly 14th-century single-looped buckles. These oval buckles are characterised by an outer edge which widens gradually towards its centre, thus providing a sizeable field either side of the pin rest. Two-thirds of the corpus of over 100 examples are decorated with engraved and punched motifs. These motifs comprise abstract forms, schematic or realistic vegetal or animal motifs, representations of humans and architectural features, and religious inscriptions. Such buckles are typical of the South of France, but are documented here for the first time from the eastern and southern coasts of England. Their presence in England can be framed in a commercial context; once diffused, they might have been copied, and other decorative motifs introduced in order to meet local needs. Compositional analyses revealed the existence of alloy groups with high proportions of lead or tin, potentially testifying to production in separate workshops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental dust samples obtained from 65 turkey flocks in France, of which six suffered from histomonosis whereas the rest remained apparent healthy until the end of production, were tested for the presence of Histomonas meleagridis DNA by recently developed real-time PCR based on the 18S rRNA locus. In order to determine the genotype of detected histomonads, positive samples were further subjected to conventional 18S PCR and sequencing. Additionally, production data of all tested flocks, such as average daily gain, feed conversion ratio and production index, were statistically evaluated and compared to see the effect of positive dust samples in apparently healthy flocks. Histomonad DNA was detected in the dust obtained from all six clinically affected and, surprisingly, in nine apparent healthy flocks. Sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene resulted in only one DNA sample homologous to H. meleagridis whereas 11 others revealed the presence of several other flagellates. Average daily gain and production index were negatively affected in flocks with clinical histomonosis, resulting in significant difference in comparison with the data obtained from clinically healthy flocks independent of the presence of histomonad DNA in the dust. Overall, there was no significant difference following statistical analysis of production parameters between the two last mentioned groups of tested flocks. Altogether, this is the first investigation demonstrating the presence of H. meleagridis DNA in environmental dust samples obtained from clinically unaffected turkey flocks. However, this finding could not be correlated with impact on production based on analysis and comparison of selected production data. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Environmental dust obtained from clinically healthy turkey flocks, in addition to dust from flocks affected by histomonosis, was found positive for the presence of Histomonas meleagridis DNA. Histomonas-positive dust samples in clinically unaffected flocks did not have a negative effect on production parameters. The results demonstrate a wider spread of H. meleagridis DNA in flocks of commercial meat turkeys than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass migration of non-Europeans into Schengen Europe and the terrorist attacks perpetrated in the name of Islam in various cities in the European Union have led to a series of mediated public debates on the control of the nation-state border over the past few years. Right-wing populist parties have been prominent in structuring these debates. However, can the urban media, and specifically the commercial ones often accused of sensationalism, be considered as tools that promote the securitization and progressive closure of the state border within Schengen Europe? Based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the representation of non-European migration and terrorism by a metropolitan commercial paper in borderland France, the current article shows that reporters can be instead instrumental in the definition of a "Mediapolis" that is a debordered, global, and moral space of mediated appearances helping to deal with international crises. The promotion of this Mediapolis is presented as the result of multiple spatial and temporal conditions in a series of interconnected cities contained in the French nation-state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a speech by L. Kowarski, Scientific Director of the French Atomic Energy Commission, delivered at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, February 6, 1948. He discusses the developments of atomic energy in France including the construction of nuclear reactor and cyclotron, and the development of physical testing methods and chemical research programs for preparation of graphite and uranium. Atomic energy developments in other European countries are also presented.

The article critically examines administrative restructuring of the French health care system. Despite calculated benefits of New Public Management (NPM) reforms, conflicts between values escalated. NPM-endorsed decentralization never took off in France. Instead, a re-concentration of health policy decisions benefited a Ministry-level welfare elite that sought to restore fiscal discipline rather than responsiveness to users. That process triggered a clash of culture with the medical profession and was at the expense of democratic participation. The role of citizens as reform overseers, although initially contained in the NPM doctrinal puzzle, never materialized. Key issues such as greater accountability and responsibility remain unresolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines conflict management in small firm networks. Informal conflict management strategies used in exchange relationships are identified and analysed. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 22 small and medium-sized enterprise managers in an industrial district in the south-east of France are analysed. Results point to managers adopting accommodating behaviours in conflicts with clients and compromising and collaborative strategies with local partners. This research reveals the mobilization of local norms in the management of conflicts and also contributes to research concerning coopetition and the possibility that managers of small firms may both separate and integrate coopetition activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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From the HISTRHONE database we extracted 1483 hydro-meteorological events from AD 1300 to 2000 that occurred in the Lower Rhône Valley, France. Daily heights of the Rhône River at Beaucaire and Arles are also available, from 1816 and 1829, respectively. A total of 517 floods were divided into three categories and a synthetic frequency severity index (FSI) was computed. Running averages of 11 and 31 years show a succession of poor and rich flood fluctuations. Extreme floods tripled in the second half of the period (1650–2000). Singular spectrum analysis isolates a dominant irregular component (main positive anomalies in 1450–1580, around 1700, late 18th century, and most of the 20th century). We focus on the 17th century, with rare flooding events between two secular so-called “hyper phases”, i.e. frequent and/or severe floods. We also recorded 173 episodes of ice in the river, during the Little Ice Age. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the French modernist Fauves' use of "primitivism," deriving from African and Oceanic primitive art masks, in their art from 1905 through 1908. An overview of the influence that African and Oceanic masks had on French Fauve artists Henri Matisse, André Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck's art is provided.

This article focuses on the circulation of a single artefact, the Museu Escolar Brasileiro (Brazilian School Museum) and its use in education through the pedagogical method of object lessons. Concentrating on the activities of particular individuals and enterprises (Menezes Vieira, Oliveira Lopes and Maison Deyrolle), within three geographical spaces (Brazil, Portugal and France), this article seeks to explore the relationship between the national and the international in educational proposals and initiatives that emerged at the end of the nineteenth century. The approach adopted also allows connections between the history of education and the history of science during this period to be pursued. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In France, social housing is perceived as an instrument for promoting social mix. In particular, there is an expectation that introducing social housing into wealthy areas will bring in low-income households and lead to greater coexistence between lower and higher socio-economic groups. However, several factors tend to hinder the pro-mix effects of social housing: financial constraints that reduce the number of new buildings, especially in high-income neighbourhoods;Not in my backyardattitudes in wealthy areas; allocation practices by social landlords who seldom rent dwellings in expensive neighbourhoods to poor households. Previous experiments with social housing have often proved disappointing in their impact on social mix. What about today’s experiments? Has the social housing built in recent times increased social mix? The empirical evaluation we carried out in Paris, Lyon and Marseille shows that recent social housing developments have stimulated social mix but the impact measured is very small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ayatollah Khomeini's 1989 fatwa against Salman Rushdie cemented Iran's space within Western discourses surrounding blasphemy and Islam. The fatwa has earned its place within the polarizing debate between free speech and religious tolerance, which fundamentally serves the political ambitions of those involved. This article therefore argues that, in order to understand accusations of blasphemy in Iran, one must address the political concerns in which the accusation takes place since these reveal Iran's tendency towards pragmatic dogma – the practice of meeting the needs of the state in a way that accords with its religious ideology. The responses of Iranian officials to theCharlie Hebdokillings in 2015 provide a useful case study for the analysis of this pragmatic dogma, since the Islamic Republic pursued a different approach to theCharlie Hebdo“blasphemy” from that which it had followed with Rushdie. Instead of condoning the killings, Iran's political and religious elite chose to condemn the actions of both the cartoonists and the gunmen, without outlining a punishment. The article will argue that this case demonstrates many of the continuing themes in Iran's approach to blasphemy, since theCharlie Hebdocartoons have largely been used to reinforce the Islamic Republic's overall worldview. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

New public management (NPM) provides an opportunity to analyze a reform trajectory that is influenced by country-specific institutional and social traditions. France adopted its own version of NPM, embracing some of its “traditional” elements such as quasi-markets and performance evaluation and rejecting others. NPM reforms in France pursued a re-centralization agenda rather than a disaggregation of public agencies. Outcomes were below expectations in core areas such as citizen participation and physician professional satisfaction. Subsequent health reforms indicate convergence toward a hybrid system rather than toward a post-NPM paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper analyses the interlinked usages of the concepts of ‘governance’ and ‘sustainable development’ over the past two decades of French urban policies. It shows that the importance of ‘sustainable development’ procedural principles has significantly declined in public agendas alongside the rise to prominence of climate change issues. Based on a study of the urban policies developed by central French government authorities since the 1990s, it identifies two main phases. In the 1990s and early 2000s, ‘sustainable development’ and ‘governance’ slogans were extensively mobilized in urban policies for the purposes of modernizing public action. In a context of economic, social and institutional transformations, these urban policies aimed at constructing local dynamics of collective action and encouraged the emergence of projects relying on incremental and deliberative practices. As of the mid-2000s, this dynamic weakened and climate change replaced sustainable development as a reference in urban policies. This shift occurred in the context of a neo-managerial restructuring, with central government authorities regaining influence over cities and urban policies being redefined around quantitative and technical objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Modern & Contemporary France is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A palaeoenvironmental study of a palaeochannel within the lower alluvial floodplain of the Allier River, France, has been carried out at a high temporal resolution. Research was based upon a multi-proxy approach using different sedimentological (magnetic susceptibility, sediment texture and loss on ignition) and palaeoecological (pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), diatoms – indicators). The palaeochannel was dated from six radiocarbon dates and spans from the second to the eleventh century AD. The cultural landscape history of this floodplain and the progressive hydrological disconnection of the palaeochannel between the Antiquity and the early Middle Ages could be reconstructed according to several characteristic environmental phases. Co-inertia analysis linking pollen, NPPs and diatom corroborated the significant co-structure of these proxies and allowed to distinguish functional palaeoecological groups in terms of landscape openness, on-site aquatic and hygrophilous vegetation, riparian woodland, soil moisture and grazing pressure. Results obtained underpin the importance of grazing as a major agent of landscape change in floodplains, especially since the ninth century AD, when the clearance of the riparian woodland is attested. Gallo-Roman and Late-Antiquity land-use systems, on the contrary, allowed for the preservation of riparian fluvial landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Hydrological Sciences Journal/Journal des Sciences Hydrologiques is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The tourism potential of rural areas represents a source of opportunities for entrepreneurship that can enhance regional development. The impact of tourism is, however, complex, representing a combination of benefits and costs. Despite the necessity to evaluate and understand in depth the relationship between tourism, community life and regional development from a local perspective, many studies adopt a descriptive approach, focusing mainly on the perception and attitudes of local residents. Adopting a qualitative methodology, this article makes a comparative analysis of two rural communities in the south of France. Although the geographic distance between the two villages is only 12 km, the communities present unlike profiles in terms of attractions, entrepreneurial activities, community and regional development. The article provides a twofold contribution to the existing literature: first, it enriches the methodological perspective using an interpretative framework based on the specific functions of rural territories; and second, it applies this framework to explain the specific evolution of the investigated villages, as well as the existing tensions and challenges for regional development and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeners use several cues to segment speech into words. However, it is unclear how these cues work together. This study examines the relative weight of distributional and (natural) acoustic–phonetic cues in French listeners' recognition of temporarily ambiguous vowel-initial words in liaison contexts (e.g.,parfai t [t]abri“perfect shelter”) and corresponding consonant-initial words (e.g.,parfait tableau“perfect painting”). Participants completed a visual-world eye-tracking experiment in which they heard adjective–noun sequences where the pivotal consonant was /t/ (more frequent as word-initial consonant and thus expected advantage for consonant-initial words), /z/ (more frequent as liaison consonant and thus expected advantage for liaison-initial words), or /n/ (roughly as frequent as word-initial and liaison consonants and thus no expected advantage). The results for /t/ and /z/ were as expected, but those for /n/ showed an advantage for consonant-initial words over liaison-initial ones. These results are consistent with speech segmentation theories in which distributional information supersedes acoustic–phonetic information, but they also suggest a privileged status for consonant-initial words when the input does not strongly favour liaison-initial words. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An introduction to the issue is presented in which the author discusses the issue's focus on the relationship between history and geography, noting such topics as the Roman Empire's road network, the growth of France's railroad system, and population distribution on the Iberian Peninsula.

Copyright of Modern & Contemporary France is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Industrialisation developed in Europe particularly in the aftermath of the First World War, surfing the wave generated by an increasing need for reconstruction and modernisation in Western societies. In this context, the issue of workers’ physical fitness became an economic concern for both industry leaders and governments. Focus was on Ergonomics, as seen by the creation of the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors in the UK in September 1949, and the publication of its journal Ergonomics in 1957. In France, the concern for enhancing a worker's performance through systematic training reached its climax in the mid 1950s. A doctrine was locally elaborated by educators and paved the way for a wider diffusion of new concepts, with France and at a later stage other European countries, organising several international congresses on the topic. The first three of these meetings, held in Paris in 1954, Brussels in 1958 and Helsinki in 1959 were of particular importance. There, the French perspectives took an important place in the final recommendations and resulted in the creation of the commission ‘Sport and Work’ within the International Council for Physical Education and Sport, and with the support of UNESCO. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Primary objective: To describe the long-term disorders of consciousness in patients with dysautonomia and hypertonia treated with intrathecal baclofen therapy (IBT). Methods and procedures: Forty-three patients with severe traumatic brain injuries who were previously implanted with an intrathecal baclofen pump were included to be evaluated in the long-term with the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised. The Barthel Index, the Glasgow Outcome Scale, the Ashworth scale, the scores of hypertonic attacks, of sweating episodes and of voluntary motor responses were used to describe functional abilities and residual impairments. A retrospective analysis highlighted patients' characteristics at admission, before surgery and their complications. Main outcomes and results: After a mean follow-up of 10 years, nine of 43 (20.9%) patients had died, 13/43 (30.2%) patients were severely disabled or in an unresponsive wakefulness syndrome and 21/43 (48.8%) patients had good recovery of consciousness. The latter patients tended to receive IBT later, suggesting a later development of uncontrolled symptoms of dysautonomia and hypertonia. They needed lower doses of baclofen, suggesting that they had less severe symptoms. Their dysautonomia, limb hypertonia and voluntary motor responses improved significantly compared to patients with poor outcome. Conclusions: Recovery of good long-term consciousness is possible. A low level of consciousness recovery and the early development of severe and persistent symptoms of dysautonomia associated with hypertonia could be linked to poor long-term outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the contemporary practice of the danced fighting-form and ritualized game known as capoeira Angola, in and beyond Brazil. Located in terms of the Black Atlantic, the practice of this art places the meaning of ‘blackness’ doubly in movement: in the embodied experience of the game, no less than across the varied cultural and historical contexts to which practitioners associate such experiences. Attentive to both the shifting dynamic of the game – alternately playful, serious or one disguised as the other – and to the mobile interpretations practitioners give to the game and to its history of racialized conflict, our analysis likewise privileges the uncertainties of movement over the desire for fixity. Adopting a multi-sited approach juxtaposing four different ethnographic perspectives – on the game, and that of particular practitioners – in Brazil and in France, we treat capoeira as a diasporic constellation of identity-in-difference spurring varied and novel forms of identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine biofilm communities that developed on artificial substrata were investigated using molecular and microscopic approaches. Polystyrene, Teflon® and four antifouling (AF) paints were immersed for 2 weeks at two contrasting sites near Toulon on the French Mediterranean coast (Toulon military harbour and the natural protected area of Porquerolles Island). Biofilms comprising bacteria and diatoms were detected on all the coatings. The population structure as well as the densities of the microorganisms differed in terms of both sites and coatings. Lower fouling densities were observed at Porquerolles Island compared to Toulon harbour. All bacterial communities (analysed by PCR-DGGE) showed related structure, controlled both by the sites and the type of substrata. Pioneer microalgal communities were dominated by the same two diatom species, viz. Licmophora gracilis and Cylindrotheca closterium, at both sites, irrespective of the substrata involved. However, the density of diatoms followed the same trend at both sites with a significant effect of all the AF coatings compared to Teflon and polystyrene. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

From 1956 to 1960, the French Army developed a force of Muslim auxiliaries (supplétifs) as a major component of its strategy to combat the National Liberation Front (FLN) insurgency in Algeria. Aside from their military utility in hunting down the guerrillas in the mountains and forests, the supplétifs were instrumental in undermining FLN legitimacy in the countryside. The rapid growth and employment of the supplétif force dismantled FLN political control in the villages, undermined the enemy's unity, and critically weakened the revolutionaries' claim to represent all of Algeria's Muslims. The military and political activities of France's Muslim soldiers also projected an image of Muslim–European unity behind the French cause, and portrayed the French Army as the only legitimate political force in numerous villages. These political successes, however, were limited to the local, tactical level of revolutionary warfare, and the Army was never able to convert the supplétifs into a force of decisive, strategic political significance. They thus had little ultimate impact on the outcome of the conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, the salient characteristics of the French higher education system are examined in the light of its recent evolution and in the context of overwhelming Europeanisation trends. In spite of major weaknesses still hindering the performance of French universities, it is argued that following the recent wave of reforms, the country is well-equipped to face the numerous challenges of the global knowledge economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In treating illness and suffering, the Akan anti-witchcraft shrine is often presented as a model of unchanging, tightly bounded and antiquated ideals. This fails to acknowledge the extensive repertoire of Ghanaian witchcraft discourses and contemporary divinatory practices uncovered at Akan anti-witchcraft shrines. This paper analyses how one of the most popular Akan anti-witchcraft shrine in Europe, in an eastern banlieue of Paris, diagnoses the seemingly common and innocuous coughs and colds suffered by recently arrived, unskilled female Ghanaian migrants as something more socially and economically malignant, witchcraft. Successful treatment combines divinatory techniques, paracetamol medicines and positive thinking in order to empower clients and present them with the possibility of new social and gainful employment prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of research studies made at the COGIT laboratory of IGN France in the fields of generalisation and symbol specification, particularly considering evaluation aspects. It then discusses how generalisation and symbol specification interact. Finally it explores some possible adaptations of the presented works in generalisation and symbol specification to cartography in the context of crisis management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photographs of José Ortiz EchagUe are often read in terms of artistic and documentary values, with the two poles in tension within his work. Echague's project Spain. Types and Costumes was an attempt to document systematically traditional Spanish costumes. At the same time, Echague never abandoned pictorialist techniques, which are often considered contrary to documentary intentions. This article discusses the types and costumes series from a historic perspective based in the social uses of photography. This perspective shows how the same images were considered in different contexts as artistic or documentary images, or as propaganda icons in both sides during the Spanish Civil War. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophyll fluorescence (ChF) is a relevant indicator of the actual plant physiological status. In this article different methods to measure ChF from remote sensing are evaluated: the Fraunhofer Line Discrimination (FLD), the Fluorescence Radiative Method (FRM) and the improved Fraunhofer Line Discrimination (iFLD). The three methods have been applied to data acquired in the framework of the CarboEurope, FLEX and Sentinel-2 (CEFLES2) campaign in Les Landes, France in September 2007. Comparing with in situ measurements, the results indicate that the methods that provide the best results are the FLD and the iFLD with root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 0.4 and 0.5 mW m-2 sr-1 nm-1, respectively, while the FRM provides an error of 0.8 mW m-2 sr-1 nm-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of differing decentralisation strategies - political, administrative and horizontal - on administrative performance subsequent to reform. In this respect, the paper presents core results from a comprehensive research project that has been carried out between 2006 and 2009 on the impact of decentralisation in three European countries. The aim of the project has been to develop and apply an analytical framework for the measurement of the effects of national decentralisation policies on local government performance. A total of six reform ventures were scrutinised in French, German and English local communities applying a multidimensional set of performance measures. Surprisingly, many of the theoretical assumptions about the effects of decentralisation strategies could not be confirmed. Moreover, straightforward relations were not discovered between decentralisation strategies and performance effects but between policy fields, political interests and the time elapsed since the reform and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]