Overturning the common sense of capitalism: why the occupy movement’s diffused agenda may have been its greatest strength

Abstract: Drawing on the work of David Harvey and Henry Giroux and providing examples from student protests in Québec, this article explores the reach of neoliberal thinking and ways in which an ideological and eclectic movement has been created to protest it. When spaces open up in which people begin to imagine new power relations, there is an alignment between political and educational goals as exemplified by the Occupy movements that can act to counter neo-liberal thinking. The Occupy movement, which consists to a great extent of youth who do not have class privilege, must be diffused in order to counter the undeniable successes of neo-liberal politics. The university is a prime site of the type of intellectual engagement aligned with youth interests as well as goals of diversity in thinking that can lead to social and political renewal. Given this, what the student protesters seem to be articulating is a defiance of disposability as well as the singular ideology of neoliberalism, and a fierce belief in their own right to be integral human beings and human bodies, and to flourish so that they can contribute to the body politic.Résumé: Centré sur la pensée de David Harvey et de Henry Giroux de même que sur les manifestations étudiantes au Québec, cet article explore l’apogée de la pensée néolibérale et les conditions qui ont favorisé la création d’un mouvement idéologique et éclectique afin de critiquer cette même pensée. Quand de nouveaux espaces sont créés, au sein desquels des gens commencent à imaginer de nouvelles relations de pouvoir, les visées politiques s’ajustent à celles de l’éducation, comme l’ont montré les différents mouvements Occupy, qui peuvent contrer la pensée néolibérale. Le mouvement Occupy, qui consiste en grande partie en l’affirmation de jeunes qui ne détiennent aucun privilège de classe sociale, doit être diffus afin de contrer les succès indéniables des politiques néolibérales. L’université est un lieu de prédilection pour ce type d’engagement intellectuel, qui correspond aux intérêts des jeunes tout aussi bien qu’aux buts de la diversité, ainsi que pour la diffusion d’une pensée pouvant mener à un renouveau social et politique. En supposant cela, ce que les manifestants étudiants semblent vouloir exprimer est une résistance à la notion du « jetable », du « disposable », une vision singulière du néolibéralisme, mais aussi l’intime conviction d’être des êtres ainsi que des corps humains à part entière qui ont le droit de s’épanouir, contribuant ainsi à la prospérité de l’état-nation

Synthesis, X-ray structures and reactivity of the first bis(amino)metallastibanes and bis(amino)metallabismuthanes

The reaction of Me2Si(N-t-Bu)2ECl (E = Sb, Bi) with NaM(CO)nCp (M = Fe, Mo, W; Cp = ?5-C5H5) affords metallastibanes and bismuthanes, Cp(CO)nME(N-t-Bu)2SiMe2 (4a-c, 5a-c). The structures of 4c (E = Sb, M = W) and 5c (E = Bi, M = W) have been determined by X-ray crystallography. Both compounds are isotypic and isostructural and crystallize in the triclinic space group with a = 7.030 (9) A°, b = 10.51 (1) A°, c = 16.22 (2) A°, a = 94.1 (1)°, ß = 90.4 (1)°, ? = 104.9 (1)°, Z = 2 for 4c and a = 7.014 (9) A°, b = 10.57 (1) A°, c = 16.25 (2) A°, a = 94.1 (1)°, ß= 90.1 (1)°, ? = 104.6 (1)°, Z = 2 for 5c. The E-W s-bond lengths are 3.010 (1) A° for E = Sb and 3.082 (1) A° for E = Bi. The reaction of the antimony derivatives with Fe2(CO)9 yields [Fe(CO)4]Cp(CO)nMSb(N-t-Bu)2SiMe2 (6a-c) as a result of the complexation of the antimony lone pair. The crystal structures of 6a (M = Fe) and 6b (M = Mo) have been determined. 6a crystallizes in the monoclinic space group with a = 10.399 (9) A°, b = 16.76 (2) A°, c = 15.74 (1) A°, ß = 94.16 (6)°, and Z = 4. Both Sb-Fe bond lengths are almost similar: 2.547 (1) A° for the covalent bond and 2.530 (1) A° for the dative bond. 6b crystallizes in the monoclinic space group with a = 12.305 (7) A°, b = 13.812 (7) A°, c = 16.75 (1) A°, ß = 99.03 (5)°, and Z = 4. The Sb-Mo covalent bond length is 2.871 (1) A° and the Sb-Fe dative bond 2.539 (1) A°

Kids take charge : reflections on an emergent motif in school stories for young adults

Abstract : In this thesis, I explore the kids-take-charge (KTC) motif within recent school stories produced for young adult audiences, situated in terms of a genealogy of school stories. The corpus of school stories includes English- and French-language works produced as fiction, film, or life-writing, both for teens and adults in Canada, the US, and the UK. This thesis identifies the historical and ideological shifts that may have given rise to the motif. School stories lend themselves to the identification of some of the distinct models of selfhood and ‘coming into one’s own’ that have figured prominently in works about and for adolescents in various sociocultural contexts. The research question that is asked is: Why is this type of story emerging now, and what social purposes might it serve? The question is inspired by the possible impact of power relations on youth in society, discussed in Disturbing the Universe: Power and Repression in Adolescent Literature by Roberta Trites, who suggests that power is everywhere in young adult literature because power is the key category of the adolescent experience. The thesis also draws on the work of theorists such as Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Beverly Lyon Clark, Henry Giroux, George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley, among others. The corpus includes the following works: The Lightning Thief, part of the Percy Jackson series by American author Rick Riordan; Schooled, by Canadian-born author Gordon Korman; the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling; High School Musical, a film that appeared in movie theatres and was shown on the Disney Channel; Harriet’s Daughter by M. NourbeSe Philip; and variations on the classic residential and early school stories as they travelled to the New World, such as Louisa May Alcott's Jo's Boys; Thomas Hughes' Tom Brown School Days, LM Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, and Ralph Connor's Glengarry School Days, among other works. iv Chapter One establishes the contours of the KTC motif via a variety of contemporary fictional works for young adults through contrasting the stories of change-making by young adults in these works with patterns found both in classic British school stories of the 19th century and in early Canadian and American variations on the theme. The chapter explores what it means for young people to achieve an adult sense of self, and what resources they are expected to engage in the process. The chapter also examines the kinds of models of youth selfhood and emerging adulthood that can be linked to the KTC motif. In Chapter Two, I argue that a qualitatively new motif concerning power and agency has emerged within a number of school stories produced over the past two decades. As I identify it, the KTC motif is characterized by three defining features, whether it appears in works of fantasy or realism. First, the central protagonist must confront a problem or crisis of systemic importance; how this challenge is resolved will affect an entire school, community, or even—in works of fantasy—the fate of entire worlds. Second, stories that feature the KTC motif generally de-emphasize the importance of adult mentors in preparing young people for, and guiding them through, these challenges. Third, the KTC motif enshrines a particular notion of the ‘authentic self’ as the source of personal power and agency: victory is assured only insofar as the central protagonist becomes and remains ‘true’ to himself or herself. Finally, I ask what the vision of power and agency implicit in the KTC motif could mean for young people as they move toward becoming adult actors in a complex and globalizing world. In Chapter Three, I examine questions that enable me to access the model of social change, comparing these accounts to a narrative of social change in the broader world. I also assess how adolescents are liable to view and interpret their own experiences through a global v lens as prodigious consumers of narratives produced in a global culture. This chapter assesses the extent to which social forms of difference and inequality, such as gender, race, and class, are integrated into presentation of the problem and strategy/solution within the KTC motif, and how social changes are encouraged by young protagonists. In the KTC motif, I find that self-actualization brings power—and power from within trumps power from without, at least within cultures based on Western individualism. Exceptions are discussed through the examples of narratives based on Caribbean-Canadian identities (Norbese-Philip) and on indigenous identities. Contemporary school stories that follow the KTC motif continue to have a moralizing or didactic bent, in keeping with a trend in YA literature that underlines the agency of youth protagonists over that of adults. Where the classic school story ultimately affirms the existing order, the KTC motif suggests that the existing power order is corrupt. I suggest that the KTC motif may in part reflect the needs of a post-industrial, knowledge-based economy, in which people are flexible, self-motivated, and willing to believe that whether they succeed or fail depends not on the soundness of institutions, but on the strength of their own unique talents and even their personal 'authenticity.'Résumé : Dans cette thèse, j’explore le modèle de l’enfant qui prend charge "kids-take-charge (KTC)", à travers des récits produits pour des audiences de jeunes adultes, en termes de généalogie de récits scolaires. Le corpus des récits scolaires inclut des travaux en anglais et en français produits comme science-fiction, film ou faits vécus, pour les adolescents et les adultes du Canada, des États-Unis et le Royaume-Uni. Cette thèse identifie les changements historiques et idéologiques qui ont pu causer la naissance de ce modèle. Les récits scolaires ont mené à l’identification de certains modèles distincts d’individualité et "coming into one’s own" qui ont figurés principalement dans les travaux sur et pour les adolescents dans des contextes socioculturels variés. La questionrecherche qui est posée est : pourquoi ce genre d’histoire émerge maintenant, et quel but social peut-il servir ? La question est inspirée par l’impact possible du pouvoir des relations sur la jeunesse dans la société, examiné dans Disturbing the Universe : Power and Repression in Adolescent Literature par Roberta Trites, qui suggère que le pouvoir est partout et la littérature de jeunes adultes parce que le pouvoir est la catégorie clé de l’expérience des adolescents. Cette thèse nous amène aussi au travail des théoriciens comme Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Beverly Lyon Clark, Henry Giroux, George Herbert Mead et Charles Horton Cooley parmi tant d’autres. Le corpus inclut les travaux suivants : The Lightning Thief, partie de la série Percy Jackson des auteurs américains Rick Riordan; Schooled, de l’auteur canadien Gordon Korman; la série des Harry Potter de JK Rowling; High School Musical, un film qui est apparu sur les écrans de cinéma et qui a été diffusé sur la chaine Disney ; Harriet’s Daughter de M. NourbeSe Philip; et variations des classiques sur les pensionnats et récits scolaires qui ont voyagé dans le temps, comme Louisa May Alcott's Jo's Boys; Thomas Hughes' Tom Brown School Days, LM Montgomery's Anne of vii Green Gables, and Ralph Connor's Glengarry School Days, pour ne nommer que ceux-là. Le chapitre 1 établit les contours du motif "KTC” à travers une variété d’œuvres de fiction contemporaines pour jeunes adultes en contrastant les histoires des changements faits par les jeunes adultes dans ces travaux avec des modèles trouvés dans les classiques récits scolaires britanniques du 19e siècle et dans les premières variations canadiennes et américaines sur le sujet. Le chapitre examine également les types de modèles d’individualité des adolescents et jeunes adultes qui peuvent être liés au motif “KTC”. Au chapitre 2, je soutiens qu’un relativement nouveau concept concernant le pouvoir et l’agence est apparu dans un certain nombre de récits scolaires produits dans les deux dernières décennies. Comme je conceptualise le motive KTC, 3 fonctions bien définies que ce soit dans les ouvres de fantaisie ou le réalisme. Premièrement, le personnage central doit confronter un problème ou une crise d’importance systémique ; comment ce défi est résolu affectera une école entière, une communauté ou même – dans les œuvres de fantaisie – le destin du monde entier. Deuxièmement, les récits qui représentent le concept KTC insistent généralement moins de l’importance de mentors adultes dans la préparation et la supervision des jeunes à affronter ces défis. Troisièmement, le concept KTC conserve la notion particulière du "soi authentique" comme source du pouvoir personnel et agentivité : la victoire est assurée seulement dans la mesure où le protagoniste central devient et demeure "vrai" pour lui et elle-même. Finalement, je demande qu’est-ce que la vision du pouvoir et de l’agentivité du concept du KTC implique pour les jeunes lorsqu’ils deviennent des acteurs adultes dans un monde complexe et globalisé. Au chapitre 3, j’examine les questions qui me permettent d’accéder au modèle du changement social en comparant les explications du changement social dans un monde plus large. J’évalue aussi comment les adolescents sont susceptibles de voir et d’interpréter leur propre expérience à viii travers une lentille globale comme consommateurs prodigieux de récits produits dans une culture mondiale. Ce chapitre évalue la mesure dans laquelle les différentes formes sociales et l’inégalité, comme le sexe, la race et la classe sociale sont intégrés dans la présentation du problème et la stratégie/solution dans le motif KTC et comment les changements sociaux sont encouragés par les jeunes protagonistes. Dans le motif KTC, je constate que le développement personnel apporte le pouvoir – et le pouvoir de l’intérieur est un atout du pouvoir de l’extérieur, au moins dans les cultures basées sur l’individualisme occidental. Les exceptions sont traitées dans les exemples de récits basés sur les identités Carabes-canadiennes (Norbèse-Philip) et sur les identités indigènes. Les récits scolaires contemporains qui suivent le motif KTC continuent d’avoir un penchant moralisateur ou didactique, conformément à une tendance dans la littérature jeunesse qui souligne l’agentivité des jeunes protagonistes sur celui des adultes. Où l’histoire scolaire classique affirme en fin de compte l’ordre établi, le motif KTC suggère que le pouvoir établi est corrompu. Je suggère que le motif KTC peut en partie refléter les besoins d’une économie post-industrielle basée sur la connaissance dans laquelle les gens sont flexibles, motivés et décidés à croire que s’ils réussissent ou non de dépend pas de la force des institutions, mais de leur force de caractère et même de leur propre "authenticité"

Corticosterone Potentiation of Cocaine-Induced Reinstatement of Conditioned Place Preference in Mice is Mediated by Blockade of the Organic Cation Transporter 3

The mechanisms by which stressful life events increase the risk of relapse in recovering cocaine addicts are not well understood. We previously reported that stress, via elevated corticosterone, potentiates cocaine-primed reinstatement of cocaine seeking following self-administration in rats and that this potentiation appears to involve corticosterone-induced blockade of dopamine clearance via the organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3). In the present study, we use a conditioned place preference/reinstatement paradigm in mice to directly test the hypothesis that corticosterone potentiates cocaine-primed reinstatement by blockade of OCT3. Consistent with our findings following self-administration in rats, pretreatment of male C57/BL6 mice with corticosterone (using a dose that reproduced stress-level plasma concentrations) potentiated cocaine-primed reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-induced conditioned place preference. Corticosterone failed to re-establish extinguished preference alone but produced a leftward shift in the dose–response curve for cocaine-primed reinstatement. A similar potentiating effect was observed upon pretreatment of mice with the non-glucocorticoid OCT3 blocker, normetanephrine. To determine the role of OCT3 blockade in these effects, we examined the abilities of corticosterone and normetanephrine to potentiate cocaine-primed reinstatement in OCT3-deficient and wild-type mice. Conditioned place preference, extinction and reinstatement of extinguished preference in response to low-dose cocaine administration did not differ between genotypes. However, corticosterone and normetanephrine failed to potentiate cocaine-primed reinstatement in OCT3-deficient mice. Together, these data provide the first direct evidence that the interaction of corticosterone with OCT3 mediates corticosterone effects on drug-seeking behavior and establish OCT3 function as an important determinant of susceptibility to cocaine use

Serotonin and corticosterone rhythms in mice exposed to cigarette smoke and in patients with COPD:implication for COPD-associated neuropathogenesis

The circadian timing system controls daily rhythms of physiology and behavior, and disruption of clock function can trigger stressful life events. Daily exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) can lead to alteration in diverse biological and physiological processes. Smoking is associated with mood disorders, including depression and anxiety. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have abnormal circadian rhythms, reflected by daily changes in respiratory symptoms and lung function. Corticosterone (CORT) is an adrenal steroid that plays a considerable role in stress and anti-inflammatory responses. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5HT) is a neurohormone, which plays a role in sleep/wake regulation and affective disorders. Secretion of stress hormones (CORT and 5HT) is under the control of the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Since smoking is a contributing factor in the development of COPD, we hypothesize that CS can affect circadian rhythms of CORT and 5HT secretion leading to sleep and mood disorders in smokers and patients with COPD. We measured the daily rhythms of plasma CORT and 5HT in mice following acute (3 d), sub-chronic (10 d) or chronic (6 mo) CS exposure and in plasma from non-smokers, smokers and patients with COPD. Acute and chronic CS exposure affected both the timing (peak phase) and amplitude of the daily rhythm of plasma CORT and 5HT in mice. Acute CS appeared to have subtle time-dependent effects on CORT levels but more pronounced effects on 5HT. As compared with CORT, plasma 5HT was slightly elevated in smokers but was reduced in patients with COPD. Thus, the effects of CS on plasma 5HT were consistent between mice and patients with COPD. Together, these data reveal a significant impact of CS exposure on rhythms of stress hormone secretion and subsequent detrimental effects on cognitive function, depression-like behavior, mood/anxiety and sleep quality in smokers and patients with COPD

Examining the Variables Leading to Apparent Incongruity between Antimethanogenic Potential of Tannins and Their Observed Effects in Ruminants—A Review

In recent years, several secondary plant metabolites have been identified that possess antimethanogenic properties. Tannin-rich forages have the potential to reduce methane emissions in ruminants while also increasing their nutrient use efficiency and promoting overall animal health. However, results have been highly inconclusive to date, with their antimethanogenic potential and effects on both animal performance and nutrition being highly variable even within a plant species. This variability is attributed to the structural characteristics of the tannins, many of which have been linked to an increased antimethanogenic potential. However, these characteristics are seldom considered in ruminant nutrition studies—often because the analytical techniques are inadequate to identify tannin structure and the focus is mostly on total tannin concentrations. Hence, in this article, we (i) review previous research that illustrate the variability of the antimethanogenic potential of forages; (ii) identify the source of inconsistencies behind these results; and (iii) discuss how these could be optimized to generate comparable and repeatable results. By adhering to this roadmap, we propose that there are clear links between plant metabolome and physiology and their antimethanogenic potential that can be established with the ultimate goal of improving the sustainable intensification of livestock

Breast Milk Dioxins in Hong Kong and Pearl River Delta

There are no previous reports from South China on chemically determined polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in human breast milk expressed as World Health Organization (WHO) toxic equivalents (TEQs). In a 2002–2003 WHO exposure study, 13 pools of breast milk comprising samples from 316 primiparous women in Hong Kong in 2002 were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for 29 PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB congeners. Total WHO-TEQs ranged from 8.97 to 16.7 pg/g fat (weighted mean, 12.9 pg; weighted median, 13.4 pg). Variations in TEQs included positive associations with age (R(2) = 0.73, p < 0.0005), higher consumption of dairy products and seafood, and lower TEQs in overseas mothers and ever-smokers. Congener profiles indicated geographic specificity of exposure in Hong Kong, mainland China, and overseas Asian countries, including higher proportions of PCB-TEQs (overseas) and PCDF-TEQs (mainland China). The median TEQs of PCDD/Fs (8.69 pg/g fat) and PCBs (4.73 pg/g fat) in Hong Kong were highest among the five Asian Pacific countries but lower than the levels for at least half of the European countries that participated in the WHO study. However, future international studies should incorporate mother’s age in the design of the pooling strategy to allow standardization by other exposure factors and valid comparisons among different countries. The findings allow support for the WHO breast-feeding advisory. Trends in human dioxin levels in the region cannot yet be determined, and rigorous controls are needed to reduce emissions of dioxins and human exposure in mainland China

Large variability of proanthocyanidin content and composition in sainfoin (onobrychis viciifolia)

Proanthocyanidins (PAs) in sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) are of interest to ameliorate the sustainability of livestock production. However, sainfoin forage yield and PA concentrations, as well as their composition, require optimization. Individual plants of 27 sainfoin accessions from four continents were analyzed with LC-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS for PA concentrations and simple phenolic compounds. Large variability existed in PA concentrations (23.0–47.5 mg g–1 leaf dry matter (DM)), share of prodelphinidins (79–96%), and mean degree of polymerization (11–14) among, but also within, accessions. PAs were mainly located in leaves (26.8 mg g–1 DM), whereas stems had less PAs (7.8 mg g–1 DM). Overall, high-yielding plants had lower PA leaf concentrations (R2 = 0.16, P < 0.001) and fewer leaves (R2 = 0.66, P < 0.001). However, the results show that these two trade-offs between yield and bioactive PAs can be overcome