Des nouvelles de l'ennemi : la réception des romans de Mordecai Richler au Québec francophone

Les polémiques ont joué un rôle important dans la réception des romans de Mordecai Richler au Québec francophone. Contrairement à l’idée reçue voulant que cet antagonisme ait empêché la lecture de l’oeuvre richlérienne, c’est plutôt à partir de la publication des essais sur le nationalisme québécois que la critique commencera à s’intéresser à l’écrivain. En effet, que ce soit avant ou après les polémiques, c’est au nom d’un rapport de correspondance au collectif que sera jugée l’oeuvre de Richler. L’abandon d’une conception restreinte de l’identité québécoise ouvre la porte à la relecture contemporaine des romans de Richler, même si cette relecture ne fait pas pour autant l’économie d’un rapport au collectif et cherche plutôt à opposer une identité québécoise exclusivement francophone à une identité prête à inclure un auteur longtemps identifié comme un ennemi public. Les mécanismes de ce rapatriement peuvent être mis en parallèle avec les conflits identitaires qui marquent le personnage richlérien. Dans Son Of A Smaller Hero (1955), Noah Adler tente de se définir en tant qu’être humain et de trouver une morale qui lui est propre en fuyant ses origines. Toutefois, cette fuite ne peut se solder que par un échec et le héros apprend que son idéal d’émancipation passe par une réinterprétation de son héritage plutôt que par l’abandon de celui-ci. Barney’s Version (1997) est en partie le récit de formation d’un écrivain tardif. Si Barney Panofsky s’en prend aux impostures collectives dans le roman, son incapacité à être totalement honnête par rapport à lui-même et à plonger dans une création et une défense sincères de ce en quoi il croit le poussera à s’aliéner ceux à qui il tient véritablement. Cette situation laisse le narrateur avec une oeuvre inachevée qui ne pourra s’accomplir que par l’intervention de ses héritiers. Dans les deux romans, la définition du personnage passe par une réappropriation herméneutique de son héritage qui rappelle, dans son rapport à la trace, au collectif et à l’illégitimité, les relectures francophones de l’oeuvre richlérienne.Polemics have played an important role in the reception of Mordecai Richler’s novels in French Quebec. Contrary to the common idea that this opposition has prevented Quebec’s critics from reading the novelist’s work, Richler’s articles and essays on nationalism are the starting point of its reception. Whether it has been published before or just after the polemics, Richler’s writing is evaluated for the accuracy of his depiction of communities. The progressive rejection of a strictly French conception of Quebec’s identity opens the way to contemporary readings of the writer’s production. Still, these new readings are mostly attached to a conception of the collective, opposing an inclusive portrayal of Quebec’s identity, ready to let in the old enemy, to a uniquely French perspective on the imaginary. The mechanisms of this repatriation can be read in parallel with conflicting identities in Richler’s novels. In Son Of A Smaller Hero (1955), Noah Adler tries to define himself as a human being and to find his own moral standards by rejecting his origins. However, this escape path can only lead to failure and the main character learns that his ideal of freedom can only happen by a reinterpretation of his heritage rather than by its denial. Barney’s Version (1997) is, in part, the story of the education of a late writer. If Barney Panofsky attacks every collective imposture in the novel, his incapacity to be completely honest with himself and to accept a sincere creative activity and defence of his beliefs leads him to be alienated from those he truly loves. This situation leaves the narrator with an unfinished story, which can only be told by his successors. In both novels, the self definition of the character’s identity can only happen by a hermeneutical re-appropriation of his heritage that is similar to francophone readings of Richler’s work by its relation to the trace, the collective and illegitimacy

Individual factors associated with baseball pitching performance: scoping review

Background Ball velocity, accuracy and game statistics represent three methods used to measure pitching performance. However, individual determinants of pitching performance are more elusive.Objectives The aims of this study were to classify the performance factors associated with baseball pitchers, to identify the methods used to quantify their abilities through all features of the game and to document relationships between performance factors and indicators.Design Scoping review.Data sources Electronic searches of MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, SportDiscus, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane and of grey literature were undertaken from inception to January 2019.Eligibility criteria for selecting studies Cross-sectional studies that investigated the relationship between performance indicators and individual performance factors in healthy baseball pitchers were selected.Results Thirty-four cross-sectional studies investigating individual potential factors of pitching performance met the inclusion criteria. The primary performance factors investigated were kinematic, kinetic, timing outcomes, personal characteristics, physical tests and range of motion. Shoulder horizontal adduction (SHA), upper torso forward flexion, maximal shoulder external rotation, upper torso rotation angle, upper torso lateral flexion, lead knee flexion (LKF) and forward trunk tilt (FTT) were identified as key kinematic features associated with increased ball velocity. Shoulder proximal force and peak elbow proximal forces were associated with greater ball velocity. Individual performances in jumping tests and body weight (BW) are also associated with pitching performance.Summary/conclusion Based on studies presenting low and moderate risk of bias, we conclude that BW, age and kinematics, such as FTT, LKF, SHA and lateral trunk tilt, are associated with pitching performance

Eicosapentaenoic acid decreases postprandial beta-hydroxybutyrate and free fatty acid responses in healthy young and elderly

Objectives: We investigated whether a dietary supplement rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) increases fasting plasma ketones or postprandial ketone responses in healthy young and elderly subjects. Methods: Ten young (22 ± 1 y old) and 10 elderly (75 ± 1 y old) subjects were recruited and participated in two identical study days, one before and one 6 wk after providing an EPA-enriched supplement (1.4 g/d of EPA and 0.2 g/d of docosahexaenoic acid). On the study days, blood samples were collected at fasting and every hour for 6 h after giving a breakfast. Fasting and postprandial plasma β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB), free fatty acid (FFA), triacylglycerol, glucose, and insulin responses were measured. Fatty acid profiles were assessed in fasting plasma samples before and after the EPA supplement. Results: After the EPA supplement, postprandial plasma β-OHB responses decreased by 44% in the young and by 24% in the elderly subjects, in addition to 20% and 34% lower FFA responses in the young and elderly adults, respectively. β-OHB and FFAs were positively and significantly correlated in young but not in elderly subjects before and after the EPA supplement. In both groups, postprandial plasma triacylglycerols, glucose, and insulin were not significantly different after the intake of the EPA supplement. Before and after the EPA supplement, fasting plasma EPA was 50% higher in the elderly but increased by about five times in both groups after intake of the EPA supplement. Conclusion: Contrary to our expectations, EPA supplementation lowered postprandial β-OHB response and, in the elderly subjects, the concentration of postprandial β-OHB was not lowered after intake of the EPA supplement

Linking low docosahexaenoic acid intake to Alzheimer's disease : caution recommended

Prospective cohort studies and animal models support the concept that low docosahexaenoic acid intake is implicated in the etiology or progression of Alzheimer’s disease. However, other studies crucial to this relationship are less encouraging. To date, the few trials using docosahexaenoic acid to treat declining cognition in the elderly have either been very small or, in the largest trial, the beneficial effect was mild and limited to a sub-group of patients. The supplements used in each of these clinical trials contained at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid other than docosahexaenoic acid, so the active ingredient remains unclear. One widely cited study reported markedly lower brain docosahexaenoic acid in Alzheimer’s disease but at least five other much less commonly cited reports have not corroborated this effect. There are numerous inconsistencies or confounders in the data and several challenges to overcome before definitively attributing a specific role to docosahexaenoic acid in the protection of cognitive function in the elderl

Plasma n-3 fatty acids in the elderly

The elderly reportedly have a significantly higher % of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids in plasma and red cell lipids. However, these observations are from a few small studies and the health status of the elderly in these studies is for the most part unclear. Since the elderly are susceptible to cardiovascular and neurological illnesses that seem to be related in part to lower intake of n-3 fatty acids it seems paradoxical that their blood levels of EPA and DHA would be higher than in young adults. We report here plasma fatty acid profiles and their response to supplementation with two types of fish oils from several of our recent studies in the moderately healthy elderly. We define the moderately healthy elderly as those who were in good physical condition, had no cognitive decline and, if present, in whom hypothyroidism, hyperlipidemia and/or hypertension were well-controlled. As shown previously, we confirm the higher % EPA and % total n-3 fatty acids (but not DHA) in fasting plasma and extend these findings to include higher plasma concentrations (mg/L) of n-3 fatty acids as well. The EPA-predominant supplement raised DHA only in the young, whereas the DHA-predominant supplement raised EPA more in the young than in the elderly. The moderately healthy elderly clearly have higher plasma n-3 fatty acids but whether this reflects differences in intake versus aging-related changes in n-3 fatty acid metabolism remains to be elucidated

Repetitive afferent electrical stimulation of the lower-limb : effect on corticomotor excitability and implications for rehabilitation

Despite the extensive work published on the effects of electrical stimulation on corticomotor excitability, very few studies have focused on lower limb muscles. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of high-frequency afferent electrical stimulation of the anterior thigh area on the corticomotor excitability of lower limb muscles. Twenty-two healthy subjects (mean age 23 ± 7 yrs) participated in the study. Electrical stimulation was applied for 60 minutes on the anterior thigh area (frequency 100 Hz, pulse duration 60 µs, intensity below motor threshold). Motor evoked potentials (MEP) of the rectus femoris and biceps femoris muscles were recorded before, and after the electrical stimulation paradigm with a Magstim 200 stimulator. Analyses revealed a significant modulation in MEP amplitude for the RF but not for the BF muscle. Specifically, there was a significant reduction in MEP amplitude for the RF muscle immediately, 15 minutes and 30 minutes after the end of electrical stimulation when compared with baseline. The present results indicate that a 60-minute high-frequency electrical stimulation protocol applied on the anterior thigh area decreases the corticomotor excitability of the RF muscle. Although the exact duration remains unknown, the pattern of modulation observed indicates that the inhibitory effect lasts for more than 30 minutes after the end of stimulation, giving enough time for clinicians to work on the desired motor task during rehabilitation

Distinct Effects of Two HIV-1 Capsid Assembly Inhibitor Families That Bind the Same Site within the N-Terminal Domain of the Viral CA Protein

The emergence of resistance to existing classes of antiretroviral drugs necessitates finding new HIV-1 targets for drug discovery. The viral capsid (CA) protein represents one such potential new target. CA is sufficient to form mature HIV-1 capsids in vitro, and extensive structure-function and mutational analyses of CA have shown that the proper assembly, morphology, and stability of the mature capsid core are essential for the infectivity of HIV-1 virions. Here we describe the development of an in vitro capsid assembly assay based on the association of CA-NC subunits on immobilized oligonucleotides. This assay was used to screen a compound library, yielding several different families of compounds that inhibited capsid assembly. Optimization of two chemical series, termed the benzodiazepines (BD) and the benzimidazoles (BM), resulted in compounds with potent antiviral activity against wild-type and drug-resistant HIV-1. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analyses showed that both series of inhibitors bound to the N-terminal domain of CA. These inhibitors induce the formation of a pocket that overlaps with the binding site for the previously reported CAP inhibitors but is expanded significantly by these new, more potent CA inhibitors. Virus release and electron microscopic (EM) studies showed that the BD compounds prevented virion release, whereas the BM compounds inhibited the formation of the mature capsid. Passage of virus in the presence of the inhibitors selected for resistance mutations that mapped to highly conserved residues surrounding the inhibitor binding pocket, but also to the C-terminal domain of CA. The resistance mutations selected by the two series differed, consistent with differences in their interactions within the pocket, and most also impaired virus replicative capacity. Resistance mutations had two modes of action, either directly impacting inhibitor binding affinity or apparently increasing the overall stability of the viral capsid without affecting inhibitor binding. These studies demonstrate that CA is a viable antiviral target and demonstrate that inhibitors that bind within the same site on CA can have distinct binding modes and mechanisms of action

Plasma response to fish oil in the elderly

Little information is available concerning whether incorporation of dietary omega-3 fatty acids into plasma lipids changes during healthy aging. Elderly (74 ± 4 years old) and young (24 ± 2 years old) adults were given a fish oil supplement for 3 weeks that provided 680 mg/day of docosahexaenoic acid and 320 mg/day of eicosapentaenoic acid, followed by a 2 week wash-out period. Compliance was monitored by spiking the capsules with carbon-13 glucose, the excretion of which was measured in breath CO2. In response to the supplement, plasma docosahexaenoic acid rose 42% more in the elderly but eicosapentaenoic responded similarly in both groups. Despite raising docosahexaenoic acid intake by five to tenfold, the supplement did not raise plasma free docosahexaenoic acid (% or mg/dL) in either group. We conclude that healthy aging is accompanied by subtle but significant changes in DHA incorporation into plasma lipids

Cancer associated fibroblasts: the architects of stroma remodelling

Fibroblasts have exceptional phenotypic plasticity and capability to secrete vast amount of soluble factors, ECM components and extracellular vesicles. While in physiological conditions this makes fibroblasts master regulators of tissue homeostasis and healing of injured tissues, in solid tumours cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) co-evolve with the disease, and alter the biochemical and physical structure of the tumour microenvironment, as well as the behaviour of the surrounding stromal and cancer cells. Thus CAFs are fundamental regulators of tumour progression and influence response to therapeutic treatments. Increasing efforts are devoted to better understand the biology of CAFs to bring insights to develop complementary strategies to target this cell type in cancer. Here we highlight components of the tumour microenvironment that play key roles in cancer progression and invasion, and provide an extensive overview of past and emerging understanding of CAF biology as well as the contribution that mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics has made to this field