How the power of Canada’s unions helped slow the growth of inequality.

As has been the case in the U.S., the level of inequality in Canada has been on the rise since the 1980s, though at a slower rate. In new research, Barry Eidlin explores the reasons behind this divergence. He argues that one major factor which has received little attention is the power of Canada’s unions. He writes that because unions have been able to keep their role and legitimacy as defenders of working class interests, they have largely retained their power. He argues that in order to address inequality, we need to talk more about the growing divide between the wealthy and the working class, and the role that unions can play in decreasing that divide

Long read: Why Canada has a labor party and the US does not

In this year’s Democratic presidential primary, Bernie Sanders ran as a Democrat, despite describing himself as a ‘socialist’. In other countries, Sanders would have run as part of a ‘labor’ party, a political grouping that the US lacks. Barry Eidlin explores why the US does not have such a party, while its neighbor, Canada, does. He writes that in the 1930s, President Roosevelt co-opted labor and workers’ interests into the New Deal coalition; while at the same time, Canadian parties’ repression and neglect for workers’ created an opportunity for a new party to emerge which eventually became the New Democratic Party

A Comparative Analysis of High-Speed Rail Station Development into Destination and Multi-Use Facilities: The Case of San Jose Diridon

As a burgeoning literature on high-speed rail development indicates, good station-area planning is a very important prerequisite for the eventual successful operation of a high-speed rail station; it can also trigger opportunities for economic development in the station area and the station-city. At the same time, “on the ground” experiences from international examples of high-speed rail stations can provide valuable lessons for the California high-speed rail system in general, and the San Jose Diridon station in particular. This study identifies and draws lessons from European HSR stations that share similarities across several criteria with the San Jose area context. From an initial consideration of twenty European HSR stations, the researchers chose five stations for in depth case studies: Euralille and Lyon Part Dieu in France, Rotterdam Centraal and Utrecht Centraal in the Netherlands, and Torino Porta Susa in Italy. Additionally, the study drew information from relevant local actors and stakeholders to better tailor recommendations to the particular California context.Through the undertaking of different research tasks–literature review, case studies of European railway stations, survey of existing station plans and other planning documents for the Diridon station, station area analysis, and interviews with station area planners and designers–the study compiles timely recommendations for the successful planning of the Diridon station and other stations along the California high-speed rail corridor

Crossed Wires, Noisy Signals: Language, Identity, and Resistance in Caribbean Literature

I ask the question: is it possible to posit a Return that is historically informed by the disjunctive, fractured narratives of the Caribbean, one which both challenges and negotiates what Spivak has termed the neo-colonial structures of violence? Likewise, can the Caribbean subject articulate a space for communal identity, self-representation, and historical agency, in opposition to the disempowering dissection of the (neo-)colonizing gaze? I would argue that such a discursive project is possible, indeed necessary, in order to continue developing the insurgent narrative of resistance to colonialism that traces its roots back to the arrival of the first white colonizers in the islands. For it is important to remember that although we are discussing these questions of identity and agency at the level of language and culture, they cannot simply be viewed allegorically, somehow divorced from political systems of domination. Ultimately, the question is one of political power, a struggle against neo-colonial hegemony and oppression. The two works I have chosen to study in this thesis as a means of answering these questions highlight the tremendous diversity of literary production in the Caribbean, while also exhibiting many examples of the recurring patterns and linkages that form the noisy networks of the Caribbean meta-archipelago. The criteria for selection can only be described as arbitrary at best, as there is so much to choose from. I have managed to include works by two major (meaning better-known) authors from two of the major linguistic traditions: the Martinician Aimé Césaire, and the St. Lucian Derek Walcott. Both works deal in some way with questions of Caribbean identity, and both are written from a strongly anti- colonialist framework. I would not consider these works representative of any particular literature, although they do share certain relations. Most of all, I simply view them as particular points of entry into the tangled web of signals that constitutes Caribbean cultural production

The Class Idea: Politics, Ideology, and Class Formation in the United States and Canada in the Twentieth Century

Why are class politics more prevalent in Canada than in the U.S., even though the two countries share similar cultures, societies, and economies? Many view this cross­border distinction as a byproduct of long­standing differences in political cultures and institutions, but I find that it is actually a relatively recent divergence resulting from how the working class was politically incorporated in both countries before, during, and after World War II. My central argument is that in Canada, this incorporation process embedded "the class idea"--the idea of class as a salient, legitimate political category--more deeply in policies, institutions, and practices than in the U.S.Out of the social and political struggles of that period emerged two working class movements that, although bearing a surface resemblance, were organized along different logics. In Canada, the working class was incorporated as a class representative, whereas in the U.S. It was incorporated as an interest group. That difference in political incorporation enabled or constrained labor's legitimacy and organizational capacity in different ways in both countries. Canadian labor's role as a class representative legitimized it and expanded its organizational capacity, while U.S. labor's role as an interest group delegitimized it and undermined its organizational capacity.I show this through a detailed analysis of trajectories of labor movement strength in both countries over the course of the twentieth century, as measured by unionization rates, or union density. Starting from the observation that union density was very similar in both countries until the mid-1960s, then diverged, I first examine competing explanations for this divergence. Having illustrated their strengths and limitations, I then develop an argument showing how the divergence in working class organizational strength was the outcome of struggles for political incorporation.I identify two key moments that shaped these different processes of political incorporation. The first was the restructuring of party-class alliances in both countries in the 1930s and 40s, where U.S. labor decisively abandoned the project of building an independent working class party in favor of an alliance with the Democratic Party, at the same moment that Canadian labor forged an independent class alliance with progressive agrarian forces under the banner of the CCF. The second was differences in the effects of postwar Red scares on the relationship between labor and the left in both countries. While anti-Communism took its toll on working class movements in both countries, the labor-left alliance was severed in the U.S., but only strained in Canada. The outcome of these processes was a U.S. labor movement that conceived of itself more as an interest group representing a specific constituency within the Democratic Party, and a Canadian labor movement that conceived of itself more as a class representative with closer ties to a broader social movement.Differences in labor's political incorporation also shaped the formation and development of the regimes governing labor-management relations in both countries. The Canadian labor regime was created as a result of working class upsurge from below, whereas the U.S. labor regime was created as part of an elite reform project from above. This original difference influenced the organizing logics of each regime. Whereas the Canadian labor regime was organized around recognizing the existence of class conflict and seeking to mitigate it, the U.S. regime was organized around protecting workers' individual rights. Although this created a more interventionist Canadian system that restricted labor's scope of action in important ways, it also reinforced a collective, oppositional class identity vis-à-vis both employers and the state. Meanwhile, the U.S. system's focus on rights led to a stronger focus on legalistic proceduralism and imposing a formal equality between labor and management that obscured the power imbalance inherent in the employment relationship. Additionally, labor drew different lessons from these different processes of regime formation. Whereas Canadian labor learned the value of winning gains through disruptive mass mobilization, U.S. labor learned the value of winning gains through sympathetic politicians and favorable legal precedents.The combination of a more protective and institutionally stable labor regime and a labor movement more accustomed to winning gains through mass mobilization, Canadian labor was better positioned to defend itself than its U.S. counterpart when employers began a counter-offensive beginning in the late 1960s. While U.S. labor spiraled into decline, Canadian labor proved more resilient, leading to the divergence in union density rates

Маркер-опосредованный отбор при создании устойчивых к пероноспорозу линий закрепителей стерильности лука репчатого (A. cepa L.)

Relevance. F1 hybrids breeding programs of onion are based on the use of nuclear cytoplasmic male sterility (NCMS). Breeding and seed production based on NCMS suggest a development of a female sterile maternal line, a maintainer line and a paternal component. The development of an isogenic pair of sterile line – maintainer line is one of the most labor-, time-consuming and intellectually-intensive stages of a breeding program, the implementation of which becomes more complicated with an increase in the number of traits / genes for which selection is carried out.Methods and results. This paper presents a genetic scheme for the development of a Downy mildewresistant (pathogen P. destructor) maintainer line of onion using marker-assisted selection (MAS). F2 populations were obtained from the cross of the female maintainer inbred line, Bn1- (13) (genotype – cytN msms pdpd) and male inbred line resistant to Downy mildew, No. 136 (genotype – cytT MsMs PdPd). DNA marker DMR1 were used for Downy mildew resistance gene Pd, jnurf13 – for maintainer gene ms and marker system 5`cob: orfA501 – for N, S and T cytoplasms. It was shown that the MAS application allow to develop a stable Downy mildew resistant maintainer line cytN msms PdPd in two generations.Актуальность. Селекционные программы по созданию F1 гибридов лука репчатого строятся на основе использования ядерно-цитоплазматической мужской стерильности (ЯЦМС). Селекция и семеноводство на основе ЯЦМС предполагают трехлинейную схему – стерильную материнскую линию, закрепитель стерильности и отцовский компонент. Создание изогенной пары стерильная линия – закрепитель стерильности – один из наиболее трудо-, время- и интелектуальноемких этапов селекционной программы, выполнение которого усложняется с увеличением числа признаков/генов, по которым проводится отбор.Материал исследований и результаты. В данной работе представлена схема создания устойчивой к пероноспорозу (возб. P. destructor) линии закрепителя стерильности лука репчатого с применением маркер-опосредованного отбора по ядерному гену устойчивости к пероноспорозу Pd (молекулярный маркер DMR1), ядерному гену закрепления стерильности ms (молекулярный маркер jnurf13) и по цитоплазматическим генам, определяющим N, S и T цитоплазмы (маркерная система 5`cob:orfA501). В результате гибридизации инбредной линии лука репчатого №136 (генотип – цитT MsMs PdPd) с геном Pd устойчивости к пероноспорозу и донора аллелей закрепления стерильности (ms), инбредной линии лука репчатого Бн1-(13) (генотип – цитN msms pdpd) получены расщепляющиеся популяции F2, из которых маркер-опосредованным отбором выделены гомозиготные по устойчивости к пероноспорозу линии – закрепители стерильности – цитN msms PdPd. Показано, что наследование гена устойчивости к пероноспорозу Pd в расщепляющихся популяциях от самоопыления гетерозигот Pdpd нестабильно и имеет существенное отклонение от менделевского распределения доминантных и рецессивных признаков в потомстве F2 при моногенном наследовании. Применение маркер-опосредованного отбора по целевым генам позволило создать устойчивую линию закрепитель стерильности цитN msms PdPd за два поколения

ОПЕРАЦИИ НА СОННЫХ АРТЕРИЯХ В ОСТРОМ ПЕРИОДЕ ИШЕМИЧЕСКОГО ИНСУЛЬТА

Introduction. The study reviewed the experience of surgical treatment of 145 patients in Samara State Clinical Hospital (SSCH) №1 named after N.I. Pirogov, city of Samara, during the period 2013 - 2016, which had 146 reconstructive operations on carotid arteries during acute period of ischemic stroke. Materials and methods. Indications for urgent intervention were 3 groups of clinicalmorphological criteria (analysis groups): 1. Stenosis of the internal carotid artery  (ICA) over 55% of lumen with unstable neurological symptoms; stenosis of ICA more than 70% of lumen with stable neurological symptoms; heterogeneous atherosclerotic plaque with tire defect, according to  colour duplex ultrasonography of brachiocephalic artery – in 94 patients, 81 of them have undergone everting  carotid endarterectomy (CEAE), 13 of them -CEAE with plasty of the autovenous patch.  2. Pathological tortuosity of ICA on the side of symptom-based brain injury in combination with or without stenosis + unstable neurologic symptoms - in 22 patients, 18 of them have undergone everting CEAE in combination with resection of ICA, 4 patients have undergone resection of ICA and elimination of pathologic tortuosity. 3. Thrombotic occlusion of ICA on the side of the stroke, regardless of stability of neurological symptoms - in 29 patients, 17 of them have undergone resection of ICA with plasty of the external carotid artery, 6 patients have undergone thrombendarterectomy from ICA with plasty with the autovenous patch, 6 patients have undergone everting CEAE for thrombotic occlusion of ICA. Results. By the time of discharge from the hospital the regression of neurological symptoms reported for 124 (85%) patients. Early lethality was 3.4%. Conclusions. Thus, the findings allow considering that under conditions of multispeciality hospital, with strict compliance with the selection criteria, the surgical treatment on the brachiocephalic vessel in the acute period of ischemic stroke, has the right to be regarded as one of the most effective treatments for this disease.Введение. Проанализирован опыт хирургического лечения 145 больных СГКБ №1 имени Н.И. Пирогова г. Самара за период с 2013 по 2016 гг., которым было выполнено 146 реконструктивных операций на сонных артериях в острый период ишемического инсульта. Материалы и методы. Показаниями к срочному оперативному вмешательству служили 3 группы клинико-морфологических критериев (группы анализа): 1-я группа - стеноз внутренней сонной артерии (ВСА) более 55 % просвета сосуда с нестабильной неврологической симптоматикой; стеноз ВСА более 70% просвета сосуда со стабильной неврологической симптоматикой; гетерогенная атеросклеротическая бляшка с дефектом покрышки по данным цветного дуплексного сканирования (ЦДС) брахиоцефального ствола (БЦС) - 94 пациента, из них 81 была выполнена эверсионная каротидная эндартерэктомия (КЭАЭ), 13 – КЭАЭ с пластикой аутовенозной заплатой; 2-я группа - патологическая извитость ВСА на стороне симптомного поражения головного мозга в сочетании со стенозом или без него + нестабильная неврологическая симптоматика - 22 пациента, из них 18 выполнена эверсионная КЭАЭ в сочетании с резекцией ВСА, 4 пациентам - резекция ВСА и устранение патологической извитости; 3-я группа - тромботическая окклюзия ВСА со стороны инсульта независимо от стабильности неврологической симптоматики - 29 пациентов, из них 17 пациентам выполнена резекция окклюзированной ВСА с пластикой наружной сонной артерии, 6 пациентам – тромбэндартерэктомия из ВСА с пластикой аутовенозной заплатой, 6 пациентам - эверсионная КЭАЭ при тромботической окклюзии ВСА. Результаты. К моменту выписки из стационара регресс неврологической симптоматики отмечен у 124 (85%) пациентов. Ранняя летальность составила 3,4%. Заключение. Таким образом, установлено, что в условиях многопрофильного стационара при строгом соблюдении критериев отбора, оперативное лечение на БЦС в остром периоде ишемического инсульта имеет право рассматриваться как один из эффективных методов лечения данной патологии