Perry and Other Voices

«Perry And Other Voices» [Perry et d'autres voix] est le récit très personnel d'un partenariat qui s'est échelonné sur plusieurs décennies entre des gens en théâtre des deux côtés du Rideau de fer. L'auteur Jack Winter a rencontré le chansonnier Perry Friedman pour la première fois à Toronto lorsqu'il a demandé à Friedman de composer et d'interpréter la musique de Waiting, une pièce sur le chômage écrite et mise en scène par Winter, en partenariat avec le ministère de la Main-d'œuvre et de l'Immigration, créée puis inter-prétée par des victimes représentatives de ce malaise social. Suivant la production de la pièce, Winter et Friedman ont continué de travailler ensemble dans le cadre d'une collaboration qu'ils ont baptisée « Cabaret Canada ». L'initiative a donné lieu à des documentaires radio, des séries télévisées, des spectacles et des tournées… la dernière ayant mené à des projets à Berlin et à Moscou avant l'effondrement du Mur et le démantèlement de l'URSS. Après une période d'une dizaine d'années pendant lesquelles les deux hommes ont quitté leur pays respectif et travaillé chacun de leur côté au Royaume-Uni et en Allemagne, Winter et Friedman ont repris contact et sont restés de très bons amis jusqu'au décès de Friedman en 1993. La vie professionnelle et personnelle de Friedman au Canada et en Allemagne est documentée et examinée dans "Wenn die Neugier nicht wär'": Ein Kanadier in der DDR (Berlin: Karl Dietz Verlag, 2004). Le présent article, publié pour la première fois en anglais ici, est paru dans une traduction allemande sous le titre Mein Bruder Perry [Mon frère Perry]

Studies of in situ nitrosative stress following nitrate ingestion in the human upper gastrointestinal tract

Nitrate ingestion leads to high luminal concentrations of nitric oxide being generated where saliva meets gastric acid. Nitric oxide generates N-nitrosative stress on reacting with oxygen at neutral pH. We aimed to ascertain if luminal nitric oxide exerts nitrosative stress in the upper GI tract, and to assess the influence of acid reflux. We utilised a specialised silicone tube as an epithelial model, inserting it into the upper gastro-intestinal tract of humans. Healthy volunteers were studied with and without ingestion of 15N enriched nitrate and Barrett’s oesophagus patients with and without stimulation of reflux. In volunteers, nitrate ingestion resulted in significantly higher concentrations of N-nitrosomorpholine in the tube sections exposed to acid. In Barrett’s patients, generation of N-nitrosomorpholine shifted proximally, with most nitrosative stress occurring within the oesophagus during reflux episodes. This chemistry may be harmful to patients with erosive esophagitis whose epithelium will be more sensitive to chemical mutagenesis

Lack of Brown-Headed Cowbird Nest Parasitism in a Short Grass Region

While conducting field work in Morton County, southwestern Kansas and Baca County, southeastern Colorado, during the period 27 May to 2 July 1997, we found 36 nests of seven bird species. Nests were not searched for systematically, but were found coincidentally as data were collected along transects during research investigating the breeding bird and plant communities of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies and noncolonized shortgrass prairie (Winter 1999). Low densities of the brown-headed cowbird in our study region, which is characterized by a semi-arid climate, might be a consequence of host populations that exhibit extreme temporal and spatial variability in response to the climatic variability of these regions (Wiens 1974, Cody 1985, Winter et al. 2003). As host populations vary greatly in time and space over large areas on the western Great Plains (Wiens 1974, Cody 1985), perhaps the brown-headed cowbird is simply unable to effectively respond to host population changes

Breeding Season Avifauna of Prairie Dog Colonies and Non-Colonized Areas in Shortgrass Prairie

Avian assemblages of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies were compared to those present at two types of non-colonized grassland, during the breeding season, in southwestern Kansas and southeastern Colorado. Relative abundances were quantified in 1996 during a period of drought and in 1997 during a period of above average precipitation. We detected fewer bird species at all sites in 1996 than in 1997, and the total number of bird species detected on prairie dog colonies was lower than that detected on both types of non-colonized areas during both years. Homed larks (Eremophila alpestris) had higher relative abundances on non-colonized sites in 1996, but were more abundant on prairie dog colonies in 1997. Lark buntings (Calamospiza melanocorys) and grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) were not recorded at the study sites in 1996, but appeared in high numbers in 1997. These two species, and western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta), had higher relative abundances on non-colonized sites in 1997 than on prairie dog colonies. A comparison of our results with those of other studies suggest that the effects of prairie dogs on associated biota might not be identical in all regions of the Great Plains, or under all environmental conditions

X-ray properties of an Unbiased Hard X-ray Detected Sample of AGN

The SWIFT gamma ray observatory's Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) has detected a sample of active galactic nuclei (AGN) based solely on their hard X-ray flux (14-195 keV). In this paper, we present for the first time {\it XMM-Newton} X-ray spectra for 22 BAT AGNs with no previously analyzed X-ray spectra. If our sources are a representative sample of the BAT AGN, as we claim, our results present for the first time global X-ray properties of an unbiased towards absorption (n$_H = 0.03$), AGN sample. We find 9/22 low absorption (n$_H < 10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$), simple power law model sources, where 4 of these sources have a statistically significant soft component. Among these sources, we find the presence of a warm absorber statistically significant for only one Seyfert 1 source, contrasting with the ASCA results of \citet{rey97} and \citet{geo98}, who find signatures of warm absorption in half or more of their Seyfert 1 samples at similar redshifts. Additionally, the remaining sources (14/22) have more complex spectra, well-fit by an absorbed power law at $E > 2.0$ keV. Five of the complex sources are classified as Compton-thick candidates. Further, we find four more sources with properties consistent with the hidden/buried AGN reported by Ueda {\it et al.} (2007). Finally, we include a comparison of the {\it XMM-Newton} EPIC spectra with available SWIFT X-ray Telescope (XRT) observations. From these comparisons, we find 6/16 sources with varying column densities, 6/16 sources with varying power law indices, and 13/16 sources with varying fluxes, over periods of hours to months. Flux and power law index are correlated for objects where both parameters vary.Comment: 39 pages, 16 figures, accepted to Ap

Studies of in situ nitrosative stress following nitrate ingestion in the human upper gastrointestinal tract

Nitrate ingestion leads to high luminal concentrations of nitric oxide being generated where saliva meets gastric acid. Nitric oxide generates N-nitrosative stress on reacting with oxygen at neutral pH. We aimed to ascertain if luminal nitric oxide exerts nitrosative stress in the upper GI tract, and to assess the influence of acid reflux. We utilised a specialised silicone tube as an epithelial model, inserting it into the upper gastro-intestinal tract of humans. Healthy volunteers were studied with and without ingestion of 15N enriched nitrate and Barrett’s oesophagus patients with and without stimulation of reflux. In volunteers, nitrate ingestion resulted in significantly higher concentrations of N-nitrosomorpholine in the tube sections exposed to acid. In Barrett’s patients, generation of N-nitrosomorpholine shifted proximally, with most nitrosative stress occurring within the oesophagus during reflux episodes. This chemistry may be harmful to patients with erosive esophagitis whose epithelium will be more sensitive to chemical mutagenesis.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Policy Advice to Alberta’s New Premier

On September 6th, 2014, members of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta elected Jim Prentice as leader of their party, and Premier of Alberta.The School of Public Policy assembled its key thinkers in economic, taxation, energy and natural resource policy to provide unsolicited but important advice to Premier Prentice on some areas of policy that matter most to Alberta, and that will demand the Premier’s attention as he takes office.These are opinion pieces, are not peer reviewed, and reflect the views of their authors alone