Molecular identification of the potentially forensically relevant cluster flies Pollenia rudis (Fabricius) and Pollenia vagabunda (Meigen) (Diptera: Polleniidae) — non-recorded species in Algeria

Cluster flies are represented by the genus Pollenia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 of the family Polleniidae Brauer and Bergenstamm, 1889. Their larvae are known to be internal parasites or predators of earthworms. Herein, we report for the first time the occurrence of the cluster flies Pollenia rudis Fabricius, 1794 and Pollenia vagabunda (Meigen, 1826) (Diptera: Polleniidae) on carcasses in Algeria and identify them through DNA barcoding. A region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene (COI) was amplified and sequenced. Genetic distances were determined. A phylogenetic tree was constructed with the maximum parsimony method using 10 000 bootstrap replicates. A total number of 157 adults of P. rudis were collected together with 325 adults of Pollenia vagabunda. The occurrence of Pollenia on animal carcasses does not seem to be correlated with a particular stage of decomposition. All the sequences were correctly identified using the BLASTn tool from the GenBank database and the BOLD identification engine. Intra- and interspecific sequence divergence values were less than 1% and greater than 3%, respectively. COI barcodes obtained from this study were robust enough to identify and distinguish unambiguously between P. rudis and P. vagabunda. In the tree-based analysis, the cluster flies were all assigned to their respective species separately from each other confirming the morphological identification. These results provide DNA barcodes that contribute to the growth of reference databases and allow fast and accurate identification.     

习近平主席访韩与中韩成熟性战略关系发展构想

中国国家领导人习近平2014年7月访问韩国,以及中韩建立成熟的战略合作伙伴关系,标志着双方关系进入了一个新的高度。这种关系发展现在处于一种非常有利的时机与地区环境中,要确保这种关系成为真正的战略合作伙伴关系,双方领导人、学界、舆论界需要有一种超越朝鲜半岛的远见与远景,把动力、机遇转化为互利与可持续的合作进程。这种努力包括:在务实认识朝鲜无核化问题面临的困境基础上,寻找协调解决问题的中短期现实目标;积极协调与合理平衡中美韩、中日韩两组三边关系;严峻面对日本右倾化对东北亚地区秩序产生的战略危害,并共同采取应对措施;以战略性、客观性的胆识抓住中国"丝绸之路经济带"与"亚洲基础设施银行"的倡议,推动中韩在地区框架内的全方位经济合作。     

Introducing the Great Successor: North Korean English language news coverage of Kim Jong Un 2010–2011

How did North Korea initially frame coverage of the “Great Successor” Kim Jong Un for an international audience? This paper argues that North Korea's daily English language news reports, while commonly dismissed as purely propaganda, provides potential insights into such framing. Through automated content analysis of daily news reports from 2010 through 2011 coupled with regression analysis, this analysis both suggests an increased focus on Kim Jong Un's formal positions and less on his pedigree.     

Performing ethnic relations in Russia's North Caucasus: regional spectacles in Stavropol’ krai

Using materials gathered during fieldwork carried out in Russia in 2008 and 2009, this paper examines the ‘Day of Stavropol’ krai 2009’ celebration and links it to debates on ethnic relations, identity and nationalism in post-Soviet Russia. It is argued that celebrations, festivals, parades and other ‘spectacles’ are significant, yet often overlooked, influences on ethnic relations. Although authorities at national and regional scale play a prominent role in governing ethnic relations, it is often the case that they revert to Soviet-era practices – such as the ‘folklorization’ of ethnic groups – and produce a narrative that proclaims the ‘eternal harmony’ of ethnic relations. Given widespread ethnic tensions that exist in Russia, such a representation of ethnic relations is far from the reality lived by people in everyday life. Thus, this paper explores how citizens' understandings of ethnic relations relates to that portrayed by state authorities.     

Genetic differentiation between and within Northern Native American language groups: an argument for the expansion of the Native American CODIS database

The National Research Council recommends that genetic differentiation among subgroups of ethnic samples be lower than 3% of the total genetic differentiation within the ethnic sample to be used for estimating reliable random match probabilities for forensic use. Native American samples in the United States’ Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database represent four language families: Algonquian, Na-Dene, Eskimo-Aleut, and Salishan. However, a minimum of 27 Native American language families exists in the US, not including language isolates. Our goal was to ascertain whether genetic differences are correlated with language groupings and, if so, whether additional language families would provide a more accurate representation of current genetic diversity among tribal populations. The 21 short tandem repeat (STR) loci included in the Globalfiler® PCR Amplification Kit were used to characterize six indigenous language families, including three of the four represented in the CODIS database (i.e. Algonquian, Na-Dene, and Eskimo-Aleut), and two language isolates (Miwok and Seri) using major population genetic diversity metrics such as F statistics and Bayesian clustering analysis of genotype frequencies. Most of the genetic variation (97%) was found to be within language families instead of among them (3%). In contrast, when only the three of the four language families represented in both the CODIS database and the present study were considered, 4% of the genetic variation occurred among the language groups. Bayesian clustering resulted in a maximum posterior probability indicating three genetically distinct groups among the eight language families and isolates: (1) Eskimo, (2) Seri, and (3) all other language groups and isolates, thus confirming genetic subdivision among subgroups of the CODIS Native American database. This genetic structure indicates the need for an increased number of Native American populations based on language affiliation in the CODIS database as well as more robust sample sets for those language families.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/20961790.2021.1963088 .     

General Sisters,General Store / Big Rock Candy Mountain

The article is a summary of conversations with two artist pairs: Dana Bishop-Root and Ginger Brooks Takahashi of the collective General Sisters, General Store in North Braddock, USA, and Helen Reed and Hannah Jickling of the project Big Rock Candy Mountain in Vancouver, Canada.     

Impact of plastic wrapping on carcass decomposition and arthropod colonisation in northern Africa during spring

The effect of plastic wrapping on decomposition rate and carrion fauna of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) was examined in spring in a semi-urban area in North Algeria. All decomposition stages were observed in all carcasses, with the same durations in the control but different durations in the wrapped carcasses. Decomposition of the carcasses in the plastic wrapping was significantly slower than that of the exposed ones. A total of 12,516 specimens, belonging to 36 families and 69 species, were morphologically identified. Thirteen species of forensic relevance were also identified at the molecular level using the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) barcode region, and the sequences were submitted to online databases. Wrapping had a significant effect on species composition (χ² = 569.269, df = 55, p < 0.001). Higher species richness, abundance, and diversity were found in the control group. No significant difference in species abundance was observed between the treatments. The plastic wrap did not influence the accessibility of carcasses to insects, nor did it delay the arrival of necrophagous flies. This study provides basic information on the decomposition and arthropod colonisation of wrapped remains and contributes to the literature on North African carrion fauna.     

South African foreign policy in the post-Mbeki period

President Thabo Mbeki's resignation in September 2008 six months before the expected end of his term was triggered by the recall issued by the ANC National Executive Committee. It is highly unlikely that any major changes in foreign policy will be made by the caretaker government of President Kgalema Motlanthe before the 2009 elections. However, the significant changes in the domestic political environment signal the start of a new era in South Africa's transformation — what might be called the ‘post post-apartheid period’. This paper explores what those changes might entail, especially in the realm of foreign policy. After reflecting on the legacy of Mbeki's foreign policy, the paper considers the potential implications of the relevant resolutions agreed at the December 2007 ANC National Conference in Polokwane. Constraints on South African foreign policy towards the African continent are considered, especially with regard to perception versus reality of its economic and political hegemony as well as its complex identity as a nation. In light of this analysis and the inevitable impact of the current global economic crisis, the paper concludes with a series of recommendations for a new vision and agenda for South Africa's foreign policy under the government to be elected in 2009.     

"We Came to Tell the Truth": Reflections On The Tokyo Women's Tribunal

This article analyzes the development agenda Western donors have been operating on over the past decade, particularly the agenda's focus on good governance. After analyzing the academic background of this agenda, which is most evident in so-called new institutional economics, the article discusses the change in the discourse on development assistance toward selectivity, and its implementation in the policies of the International Development Association, the United States, and the Netherlands. The analysis of the policies of these three donors, and of recent empirical studies demonstrates that the donors are biased in favor of rewarding certain policies—in particular, pro-market and trade-oriented policies—on the part of aid-receiving countries. The donors have, thus, introduced clearly ideological and political elements about the socioeconomic order into a seemingly technocratic discussion about the prerequisites of governance. Because of the emphasis on market orientation and trade openness as central criteria for the judging of “good governance,” the current development assistance agenda is located explicitly in the domain of the post-Washington consensus, which links the promotion of pro-market policies to the implementation of an agenda of political reform. The article concludes by pointing out several ambiguities in the current focus on good governance. In particular, the author argues that donors tend to emphasize the instrumental value of governance and overlook the underlying structural causes of bad governance in developing countries.