The Fury’s Revenge: An Ecofeminist Reading of Olga Tokarczuk’s Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

In this reading of Olga Tokarczuk’s novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, the theme of revenge is explored, as it relates to the protagonist’s ecofeminist revolt against what she considers to be a male-dominated society, which disregards human and animal life in its pursuit of power and profit. The novel is investigated through an analysis of plot structure and character analysis, and reveals how Janina Duszejko, an irate elderly lady – a former bridge engineer, now English teacher, Blake translator and hobby astrologer – constantly appears in the thick of things. By the twists and turns of events, be they caused by human will, animal agency or by planetary constellations, Tokarczuk lets mythical figurations appear, such as the Fury and the Wolf, whereby the destructive powers of nature are unleashed. By interpreting the subtle hints planted throughout the narrative, a final solution to the crime mystery is uncovered.publishedVersio

Affekt, hybriditet og trans-figurasjon i Nina Bouraouis Garçon manqué

In this reading of Nina Bouraoui’s auto-fictional novel Garçon manqué (2000), using Franz Fanon’s concepts of affectivity and hybridity, as well as Senghor’s notion of rhythm, I explore the narrator/protagonist Nina’s violent and turbulent journey from childhood to adulthood, caught in the transcultural conflict zone between France and Algeria. For Nina, it is above all the loss of her childhood friend, Amine, and their shared connection to the wild, beautiful and violent Algeria that causes her deep sense of melancholia. The young girl develops various strategies for survival in these precarious circumstances, one of them being gender travesty, by acting like a tomboy and assuming different masculine aliases. It is, however, the trans-figurative process of writing which becomes her main line of flight. Coming to terms with this loss of Amine and Algeria—through writing—Nina is eventually able to reconnect with her affectivity, and hence to embrace her own femininity and sexuality.publishedVersio

Introduction

La question de la citoyenneté fait actuellement l’objet de nouvelles réflexions. Les événements du siècle dernier, guerres de décolonisation, luttes pour les droits civiques aux États-Unis ainsi que pour l’émancipation des femmes et l’émancipation sexuelle, mondialisation, migrations et révolutions technologiques, ont créé de nouvelles conditions pour penser la citoyenneté d’aujourd’hui. Cette nouvelle conceptualisation remet en cause la notion de citoyenneté telle qu’elle a été pensée jusqu’..

Percepción de estrés asociado al uso de TIC en empresas Multipruebas, Kudert, Selecta, Prestro y Shinatex de la ciudad de Quito, Ecuador

Entre los factores de riesgo psicosocial que se presentan en el medio laboral, están aquellos derivados del uso generalizado de las tecnologías de información y comunicación, que producen en el gremio trabajador, los síntomas relacionados al tecnoestrés. Las tecnologías de información y comunicación, conocidas como TIC, comprenden una serie de dispositivos utilizados como medio para cumplir los objetivos laborales, y se han convertido en herramientas de uso generalizado y continuo en las diferentes áreas productivas de las empresas. Esta tesis buscó comprobar la percepción de estrés causado por el uso de las TIC en una muestra de la población de cinco empresas de la ciudad de Quito, para lo cual se realizó un estudio descriptivo, junto con un análisis estadístico correlacional de situaciones naturales que se producen en ese entorno, en el período de tiempo comprendido entre marzo del año 2015 y junio del año 2016. El análisis de los datos recopilados permitió hallar la presencia de percepción de estrés causada por el uso de dispositivos de telefonía celular, equipos computacionales, en correlación con el tiempo diario de uso de los mismos, el factor de la edad de la mayoría de la población estudiada, lo cual derivó en sintomatología física descubierta por la herramienta empleada en esta investigación. El aporte del estudio se enfocó a proponer a las empresas participantes de esta indagación, la aplicación de un manual de uso adecuado de tecnologías de información y comunicación, así como de un plan cero tecnología que comprende de pausas activas libres del uso de TIC durante la jornada laboral

Parental socioeconomic position and midlife allostatic load:a study of potential mediators

Abstract Background The mechanisms underlying the association of parental socioeconomic position with later life allostatic load remain unclear. The present study aims to examine potential pathways underlying this association: personality, social relations, intelligence and education. Methods The study comprised 361 members of the Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort who participated in two subsequent follow-ups: the Prenatal Development Project (mean age 27 years) and the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank study (mean age 50 years). Allostatic load was based on 14 biomarkers representing the inflammatory, metabolic and cardiovascular system measured at midlife. Information on potential mediators was collected in young adulthood, and their role in the association of parental socioeconomic position with midlife allostatic load were examined in linear regression path analyses. Results Parental socioeconomic position at one year was inversely associated with midlife allostatic load (β = − 0.238, p < .001). No mediation effects were found for personality or social relations. In a model including intelligence and education, a significant indirect effect was found for education (β = − 0.151, p < .001). A significant direct effect remained (β = − 0.111, p = .040). Conclusions Parental socioeconomic position was inversely associated with allostatic load in midlife. Results suggest that part of this association was mediated by education. A better understanding of the non-cognitive pathways related to education is an important prerequisite for the development of effective intervention strategies

Meldinger om blåskjell som er forsvunnet – oppsummering for 2016

I løpet av de siste årene har Havforskningsinstituttet mottatt et økende antall meldinger fra publikum om at blåskjell er blitt borte fra steder hvor de vanligvis sanker skjell. I denne rapporten har vi sammenstilt innmeldte observasjoner for 2016. Målet med rapporten er å undersøke om det er fellestrekk mellom de ulike lokaliteter som kan forklare hvorfor blåskjellene er blitt borte. Antallet henvendelser angående forsvunne blåskjell var 48 for 2016, og det er om lag 10 ganger høyrer sammenlignet med tidligere år. Det er også kommet inn meldinger fra et langt større geografisk område enn tidligere. Det er rimelig å anta at økning i antallet meldinger og nye steder er knyttet til medieomtale av saken, men økningen skyldes ikke utelukkende dette da trenden var økende innen saken ble omtalt i media. Samtidig med meldingene om fravær av blåskjell fra lokaliteter langs hele norskekysten, ble det også rapportert om tilsynelatende normale blåskjellbestander på lokaliteter i nærheten. En vurdering av mulige årsaker (isskuring, ferskvannsavrenning, økt beiting, næringsvirksomhet, temperatur og miljøgifter) indikerer at det ikke er en felles grunn til bortfall av lokale blåskjellbestander langs hele norskekysten, men dette betyr ikke at de ulike hypotesene kan utelukkes for enkelte av lokalitetene. Det er rapportert om dødelighet av blåskjell også fra Nederland og Frankrike, i noen tilfeller med mistanke om sykdom. Fremover ser vi et behov for å kartlegge og beskrive nedgangen i blåskjellforekomster langs norskekysten og undersøke tilfeller av akutt dødelighet i blåskjellbestander

Genome-wide identification of quantitative trait loci in a cross between Hampshire and Landrace II: Meat quality traits

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Meat quality traits are important in pig breeding programs, but they are difficult to include in a traditional selection program. Marker assisted selection (MAS) of meat quality traits is therefore of interest in breeding programs and a Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) analysis is the key to identifying markers that can be used in MAS. In this study, Landrace and Hampshire intercross and backcross families were used to investigate meat quality traits. Hampshire pigs are commonly used as the sire line in commercial pig breeding. This is the first time a pedigree including Hampshire pigs has been used for a QTL analysis of meat quality traits.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In total, we analyzed 39 meat quality traits and identified eight genome-wide significant QTL peaks in four regions: one on chromosome 3, two on chromosome 6 and one on chromosome 16. At least two of the QTLs do not appear to have been detected in previous studies. On chromosome 6 we identified QTLs for water content in <it>M. longissimus dorsi </it>(LD), drip loss in LD and <it>post mortem </it>pH decline in LD. On chromosomes 3 and 16 we identified previously undetected QTLs for protein content in LD and for freezing and cooking loss respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We identified at least two new meat quality trait QTLs at the genome-wide significance level. We detected two QTLs on chromosome 6 that possibly coincide with QTLs detected in other studies. We were also able to exclude the C1843T mutation in the ryanodine receptor (<it>RYR1</it>) as a causative mutation for one of the chromosome 6 QTLs in this cross.</p

Alien marine species in Norway - Mapping, monitoring and assessment of vectors for introductions

Norway has the second longest coastline in the world, and it is challenging to monitor non-indigenous marine species (NIMS) along the entire shore including the Norwegian areas in the Barents Sea and along Svalbard. There is currently no national program for such monitoring, however some activity is taking place on specific species and organism groups which is presented here. Historically transport of NIMS is ballast water have been the main pathway into the Norwegian coast, but with the implementation of the Ballast Water Convention this risk is minimized. Biofouling on vessels coming into the Norwegian coast is thus considered to be the most important vector for marine introduction of new species. An analysis of the frequency and origin (last port call) for 158 000 vessel arrivals into Norwegian ports in the period 2020-2021 is presented. The results show that the Oslofjord area and the west coast is the areas with highest risk for marine introductions by vessels. Other vectors for such introductions into Norway are evaluated like the increasing amount of floating debris which can carry fouling organisms, larvae and eggs to new areas. An analysis of historical data for the established NIMS in Norway show that the southern area of Norway is most susceptible to new species. This pattern is not only dependent on the vector pressure but also reflects the temperature gradient northwards along the coast. Measures for prevention of new species to arrive and management of problematic species is also discussed.publishedVersio