Language plurality as power struggle, or: Translating politics in Canada

For this paper, heterolingualism or language plurality will be considered as the presence in a single text or in a social environment of both French and English, Canada’s official languages. Language plurality will here be studied from an institutional viewpoint: the influence of the Canadian government on the translation of political speeches. The first part of this article will establish that political speeches are written in a bilingual environment where the two official languages are often in contact. This bilingualism, however, is often homogenised when it comes to speech delivery and publication. Therefore, the second part focuses on the speeches’ paratextua

Investigation of frugivory in North American migratory songbirds using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses

Several species of North American migratory songbirds reportedly experience seasonal diet shifts involving a shift from an insect diet during the breeding season to one incorporating fruits during migration and non-breeding periods but the extent to which dietary plasticity occurs in migratory songbirds is poorly quantified. Thus, I used stable carbon (ä13C) and nitrogen (ä15N) isotope analyses to evaluate the timing and extent of frugivory throughout the annual life cycle of 16 species of migratory songbirds, representing wide ranges in body size and reported diets. Birds were sampled during spring and fall migration at the Delta Marsh Bird Observatory in 2003. To investigate dietary patterns, I sampled multiple tissues (muscle, liver, whole blood, claws, bone collagen, feathers) as these represent different periods of diet integration due to varying elemental turnover rates.Assuming that relatively low ä15N values represent a fruit diet and relatively high ä15N values represent an insect diet, I expected tissues representing fall migration (liver, blood, and muscle from fall-captured birds) and winter (greater coverts and claws from spring-captured birds) to have lower ä15N values than tissues representing spring migration (liver, blood, and muscle from spring-captured birds) and summer (tail feathers and claws from fall-captured birds) when fruits are presumed to be less common in songbird diets. Based on blood and claw ä15N values, there was no isotopic segregation of species I classified a priori as insectivores or omnivores. For most species, tissue ä15N values showed either no seasonal change or a shift opposite to my prediction (e.g., ä15N values higher in fall birds compared to spring birds). Boreal fruit ä15N values were lower than those for insects; however, ä15N values of agricultural fruits overlapped both boreal fruit and insect values suggesting that food web baselines did not conform to a simple (single) linear trophic-enrichment model. In Yellow-rumped Warblers (Dendroica coronata), within-tissue seasonal comparisons for liver, muscle and blood indicated a fruit diet during fall and winter and an insect diet during spring and summer; claws and feathers of birds captured in spring (representing winter diet) had unexpectedly high ä15N values. Diet-tissue isotopic discrimination factors associated with both a fruit diet and insect diet were taken from the literature and used to correct stable isotope values of tissues to putative diet because, currently, little is known about the nature of factors influencing discrimination factors to be used in simple linear dietary mixing models. There were differences in tissue ä13C and ä15N values depending on which discrimination factor was used. Based on mixing model results for tissue ä15N values, a higher proportion of insects vs. fruits was detected in the diet of Yellow-rumped Warblers for all tissues except muscle and claws. My interpretations are contingent on the fact that the available natural history information, on which guild classifications were based, was correct and that elemental turnover rates and discrimination factors used were accurate. However, much uncertainty remains about the appropriate diet-tissue isotopic discrimination factors corresponding to fruit and insect diets. Due to extensive natural variability of stable nitrogen isotope values in food sources, possible anthropogenic influences and a lack of knowledge of the metabolic processes that can potentially affect stable isotope values, I caution against using stable isotope analysis alone to track frugivory in temperate North American migratory songbirds. Future research should focus on captive studies aimed at determining and validating discrimination factors of various tissues, particularly claws and feathers, for birds feeding on varying proportions of fruits and insects. Additionally, more information on the dietary habits of these migratory songbirds is needed, as previous estimates of insectivory and frugivory in songbirds may not be accurate

Philosophy for children and mindfulness during COVID-19: Results from a randomized cluster trial and impact on mental health in elementary school students

significant impacts throughout the lifespan, preventing the negative repercussions of COVID-19 on children’s mental health is essential. Philosophy for children (P4C) and mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) show promise in this regard. Objective: The goal of the present study was to compare the impact of online MBI and P4C interventions on mental health, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a randomized cluster trial to assess and compare the impact of both interventions on elementary school students’ (N = 37) anxiety and inattention symptoms as well as on their basic psychological need satisfaction (BPN). Results: ANCOVAs revealed a significant effect of the P4C intervention on mental health difficulties, controlling for baseline levels. Participants in the P4C group showed lower scores on the measured symptoms at post-test than participants in the MBI group. Significant effects of the MBI on levels of BPN were also found. Participants in the MBI intervention reported greater BPN satisfaction at post-test than participants in the P4C intervention. Conclusion: Results from this study suggest that, in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a P4C intervention centered around COVID-19 related themes may be helpful to reduce mental health difficulties, that a MBI may be useful to satisfy BPN, and that both interventions were easy to offer online to elementary school students. Future work including a larger sample size and follow-up measures is warranted. Public significance: Practice: Philosophy for children (P4C) and mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can be used to foster mental health in elementary school students, in the current COVID-19 context. Policy: As we do not anticipate that facilitators will be allowed in schools during the 2020–2021 school year and that children will, most likely, be attending school in the current COVID-19 context, policymakers who want to implement psychological support measures in elementary schools should consider an online modality, which has shown in this study to work well, be feasible, and yield positive results on youth mental health

Les enjeux sociotraductologiques et idéologiques de deux grands discours traduits de René Lévesque et de Pierre Elliott Trudeau

In Canada and in Quebec, studying the translations of political speeches raises a number of problems, particularly the linguistic, political, and social questions that have long been associated with Quebecois society's, and to a lesser degree Canadian society's, search for identity. This thesis illustrates these issues through the examination of the translations of two important speeches, one delivered by René Lévesque and the other by Pierre Elliott Trudeau. More specifically, the thesis analyzes the sociopolitical issues involved in these speeches using a table developed by Christina Schäffner and Teun A. van Dijk. At first, both speeches appear to represent the nation. In other words, it seems that each prime minister was naturally speaking for the entire population they represent. However, further research proves that once translated, the texts reveal that the two prime ministers were not necessarily speaking for all citizens: they were addressing only those who had voted for them. Furthermore, the research shows that in Quebec and Canada, the translation of political speeches is an effective tool used for the dissemination of ideologies

Les enjeux sociotraductologiques et idéologiques de deux grands discours traduits de René Lévesque et de Pierre Elliott Trudeau

In Canada and in Quebec, studying the translations of political speeches raises a number of problems, particularly the linguistic, political, and social questions that have long been associated with Quebecois society's, and to a lesser degree Canadian society's, search for identity. This thesis illustrates these issues through the examination of the translations of two important speeches, one delivered by René Lévesque and the other by Pierre Elliott Trudeau. More specifically, the thesis analyzes the sociopolitical issues involved in these speeches using a table developed by Christina Schäffner and Teun A. van Dijk. At first, both speeches appear to represent the nation. In other words, it seems that each prime minister was naturally speaking for the entire population they represent. However, further research proves that once translated, the texts reveal that the two prime ministers were not necessarily speaking for all citizens: they were addressing only those who had voted for them. Furthermore, the research shows that in Quebec and Canada, the translation of political speeches is an effective tool used for the dissemination of ideologies

Social participation and interventions supporting teenagers and young adults living with developmental coordination disorder (DCD): results from a Scoping Review

Background: The impact of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) on teenagers’ and young adults’ participation is not well documented. This article aims to synthesize the current knowledge on social participation, which is the performance of an individual in realizing his daily activities and social roles within its life environment. Strategies and interventions to support youths (15-25 years old) with DCD were also synthesized. Methods: A scoping review interrogating three databases and using ‘snowballing techniques’ was performed to identify both scientific and grey literature published between 2004 and 2014. Over 1000 documents were screened and 57 were read in full; 28 met inclusion criteria. A charting form based on 12 life habits described in the Disability Creation Process (DCP) and developed by two reviewers was used to extract data and report the results. Results: All life habits were reported to be affected for teenagers and young adults with DCD, with education and interpersonal relationships being the most frequently discussed. During adolescence and adulthood, new tasks and subsequent difficulties emerge, such as driving. Mental health difficulties emerged as a key theme. Few strategies and interventions were described to support social participation of youths with DCD. Conclusion: Many life habits are challenging for youths with DCD, but few evidence-based strategies and interventions have been designed to help them to increase their social participation

Les changements technologiques: Une stratégie d'étude exploratoire

Cet article présente une stratégie d'investigation reliée à l'implantation de changements technologiques dans les milieux syndiqués.Two distinct categories can be established in the field of exploratory studies. First, there are studies on subjects that are relevant but which, for various reasons, have been left more or less unexplored. The second category of exploratory studies comes above the first category since these studies revolve around issues which relevance has not been yet supported in a way that would justify thorough consideration and adéquate investment, even if a certain form of argumentation could be elaborated on their potential interest. To work with the second category of exploratory studies, it is necessary to create an approach that will confïrm or invalidate their potential interest and, in the case of a confirmation, determine the orientation of the subsequent studies.A problem may arise from the use of the last mentioned category of stratégies. When these strategies do confirm the potential interest of the studies, they have to be given up for other strategies that are best suited to carry out the research. Consequently, new resources as well as additional time are required. In both scientifically and professionally oriented fields, this problem could have a negative impact since the researches carried out in these fields often give rise to more immediate concerns and expectations. In our opinion, the problem arising from this discontinuity is not necessarily unavoidable.In this article, our objective is to set out and examine an investigation strategy that we already used to tackle a problem falling in the second category of exploratory studies and relating to the implementation of technological changes in unionized environments.This strategy uses concepts such as «concrete action System», «power», and «uncertainty zone» which form the basis of the theory of organizations elaborated by Crozier and Friedberg (1977). This approach avoids the discontinuity problem previously mentioned and indicates interesting investigation paths, when such paths exist. Moreover, it does not require a large investment at the beginning of the research. Finally, it seems to us that this strategy can easily be used and adapted for several research problems that arise in the field of relations in the workplace

Detection of Fetomaternal Genotype Associations in Early-Onset Disorders: Evaluation of Different Methods and Their Application to Childhood Leukemia

Several designs and analytical approaches have been proposed to dissect offspring from maternal genetic contributions to early-onset diseases. However, lack of parental controls halts the direct verification of the assumption of mating symmetry (MS) required to assess maternally-mediated effects. In this study, we used simulations to investigate the performance of existing methods under mating asymmetry (MA) when parents of controls are missing. Our results show that the log-linear, likelihood-based framework using a case-triad/case-control hybrid design provides valid tests for maternal genetic effects even under MA. Using this approach, we examined fetomaternal associations between 29 SNPs in 12 cell-cycle genes and childhood pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We identified putative fetomaternal effects at loci CDKN2A rs36228834 (P = .017) and CDKN2B rs36229158 (P = .022) that modulate the risk of childhood ALL. These data further corroborate the importance of the mother's genotype on the susceptibility to early-onset diseases

Gray matter hypertrophy and thickening with obstructive sleep apnea in middle-aged and older adults

Rationale: Obstructive sleep apnea causes intermittent hypoxemia, hemodynamic fluctuations, and sleep fragmentation, all of which could damage cerebral gray matter that can be indirectly assessed with neuroimaging. Objectives: To investigate whether markers of obstructive sleep apnea severity are associated with gray matter changes among middle-aged and older individuals. Methods: Seventy-one subjects (ages: 55 to 76; apnea–hypopnea index: 0.2 to 96.6 events/h) were evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging. Two techniques were used: 1) voxel-based morphometry, which measures gray matter volume and concentration; 2) FreeSurfer automated segmentation, which estimates the volume of predefined cortical/subcortical regions and cortical thickness. Regression analyses were performed between gray matter characteristics and markers of obstructive sleep apnea severity (hypoxemia, respiratory disturbances, sleep fragmentation). Measurements and Main Results: Subjects had few symptoms, i.e. sleepiness, depression, anxiety and cognitive deficits. While no association was found with voxel-based morphometry, FreeSurfer revealed increased gray matter with obstructive sleep apnea. Higher levels of hypoxemia correlated with increased volume and thickness of the left lateral prefrontal cortex as well as increased thickness of the right frontal pole, the right lateral parietal lobules, and the left posterior cingulate cortex. Respiratory disturbances positively correlated with right amygdala volume while more severe sleep fragmentation was associated with increased thickness of the inferior frontal gyrus. Conclusions: Gray matter hypertrophy and thickening were associated with hypoxemia, respiratory disturbances, and sleep fragmentation. These structural changes in a group of middle-aged and older individuals may represent adaptive/reactive brain mechanisms attributed to a presymptomatic stage of obstructive sleep apnea