NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Oral-facial tissue reconstruction in the regenerative axolotl

Absence of large amounts of orofacial tissues caused by cancerous resections, congenital defects or trauma result in sequelae such as dysphagia and noticeable scars. Oral-neck tissue regeneration was studied in the axolotl (regenerative amphibian) following a 2.5mm punch biopsy that simultaneously removed skin, connective tissue, muscle, and cartilage in the tongue and intermandibular region. The untreated wound was studied macroscopically and histologically at 17 different time points ranging from 0-180d (N= 120 axolotls). At 12h the wound’s surface was smoothened and within 1mm, internal lingual muscular modifications occurred; at the same distance, between days 4-7 lingual muscle degradation was complete. Immunofluorescence indicates complete keratinocytes migration by 48h. These cells with epidermal Leydig cells, appearing yellow, lead the chin’s deep tissue outgrowth until its closure on the 14th day. Regeneration speeds varied and peaked in time for each tissue, 1) deep Immunofluorescence to Col IV showed basement membrane reconnected between days 30-45 coinciding with the chin’s dermal tissue’s surface area recovery. New muscle appeared at 21d and was always preceded by the formation of a collagen bed. Both chin tissues regain all surface area and practically all components while the lingual structure lacks some content but is generally similar to the original. The methodology and high-resolution observations described here are the first of its kind for this animal model and could serve as a basis for future studies in oral and facial regenerative research.

Keyphrases: Wound healing, Regeneration, Histology, Axolotl, Craniofacial biology
Do social characteristics influence smoking uptake and cessation during young adulthood?

Objectives  This study uses a Bourdieusian approach to assess young adults’ resources and examines their association with smoking initiation and cessation.  Methods  Data were drawn from 1450 young adults participating in the Interdisciplinary Study of Inequalities in Smoking, a cohort study in Montreal, Canada. We used logistic regression models to examine the association between young adults’ income, education, and peer smoking at baseline and smoking onset and cessation.  Results  Young adults where most or all of their friends smoked had greater odds of smoking onset. Young adults that had completed pre-university postsecondary education also had higher odds of smoking onset after controlling for social support, employment status, and lacking money to pay for expenses. Income and the sociodemographic variables age and sex were not associated with smoking onset. Young adults where half of their friends smoked or where most to all of their friends smoked had lowers odds of smoking cessation. Men were more likely to cease smoking than women. Education, income and age were not associated with cessation.  Conclusions  Interventions focusing on peer smoking may present promising avenues for tobacco prevention in young adults.

Keyphrases: Young adults, Smoking, Smoking onset, Cessation, Social characteristics, Bourdieu
Processus de composition et inspiration scientifique

Les conditions d'utilisation de théories scientifiques au cours du processus de composition musicale et plus généralement pour l'élaboration de théories esthétiques musicales sont au coeur du travail proposé. Une position critique est tout d'abord avancée relativement aux nombreux écueils historiques relevés. Elle permet d'en dégager quelques pistes d'exploration pour les processus compositionnels que je me suis proposé de suivre au fur et à mesure des pièces électroacoustiques et mixtes présentées. En particulier, des spécificités empruntées aux mécanismes vibratoires non-linéaires, aux modèles sociologiques déterministes ou prédictifs sont injectés au sein même des processus de création des mes oeuvres.  Cinq pièces sont présentées. Les thématiques et les contraintes occasionnées par les modèles empruntés sont décrits ainsi que les réalisations techniques qui leur ont servi de support. Chaque pièce présente donc une démarche et des outils technologiques et informatiques particuliers. Ces pistes exploratoires feront intervenir contrainte formelle, limitation du contrôle du compositeur,  improvisation, traitement et spatialisation en temps réel et développements originaux implémentés en Max/MSP et en Python. Par ailleurs, un outil d'aide à la composition spatiale proposant une perspective inédite de visualisation du champs de pression produit par les trajectoires et par le système de reproduction virtuel, et développé pendant ma maîtrise est présenté. The use of science theories during the compositionnal process, especially in a purpose of esthetical properties abstraction is questionned. First, a criticist point-of-vue is adressed, on the basis of several historical examples. A personnal method dedicated to the development of original compositionnal process were deduced. In particular, the specific mecanisms related to nonlinear vibrations and deterministic sociological model could be inserted into the creative processes. Five electroacoustic and contemporay music pieces are presented. Themes and constraints provoked by the model insertion are detailed. They gather form-contraints, control limitations, improvisation, real-time processing and real-time spatialization implemented in Max/MSP and Python. Moreover, a refined sound-field rendering tool dedicated to computer-assisted composition is introduced.

Keyphrases: Processus de composition, Théorie scientifique, Modèle sociologique, Spatialisation, Modèle non-linéaire, improvisation, Démarche critique, Traitement en temps réel, Python, Max/MSP, SpaRT : Logiciel d'aide à la composition spatialisée, improvisation, Performance, Python, Max/MSP, Compositional process, Scientific theories, Electroacoustic, Contemporary music with electronic, Real-time processing, Physical modelling, Sociological modelling, Computer-assisted Composition, Spatialization software, Python Max/MSP, Ableton Live
Activation of Smad2 but not Smad3 is required to mediate TGF-β
signaling during axolotl limb regeneration

Axolotls are unique among vertebrates in their ability to regenerate tissues, such as limbs, tail and skin. The axolotl limb is the most studied regenerating structure. The process is well characterized morphologically; however, it is not well understood at the molecular level. We demonstrate that TGF-β1 is highly upregulated during regeneration and that TGF-β signaling is necessary for the regenerative process. We show that the basement membrane is not prematurely formed in animals treated with the TGF-β antagonist SB- 431542. More importantly, Smad2 and Smad3 are differentially regulated post-translationally during the preparation phase of limb regeneration. Using specific antagonists for Smad2 and Smad3 we demonstrate that Smad2 is responsible for the action of TGF-β during regeneration, whereas Smad3 is not required. Smad2 target genes (Mmp2 and Mmp9) are inhibited in SB-431542-treated limbs, whereas non-canonical TGF-β targets (e.g. Mmp13) are unaffected. This is the first study to show that Smad2 and Smad3 are differentially regulated during regeneration and places Smad2 at the heart of TGF-β signaling supporting the regenerative process.

Keyphrases: Axolotl, Epimorphic, Regeneration, TGF-β signaling, Smad2, Smad3, Limb, Salamander, Urodeles, Ambystoma mexicanum
Les mini-écoles de la santé : pour encourager la persévérance scolaire

Depuis 2011, des centaines d’élèves autochtones et d’étudiants universitaires se sont rencontrés grâce aux Mini-écoles de la santé initiées par le Dr Stanley Vollant en collaboration avec l’Université de Montréal. Les Mini-écoles consistent en une série d’activités interactives. Dans les classes, des cercles de partage sont dirigés par des étudiants issus des programmes de la santé et visent à encourager la persévérance scolaire et à discuter des saines habitudes de vie. Dans le gymnase, les étudiants organisent des kiosques interactifs d’information sur leur future profession et partagent leur passion avec les élèves. L’utilisation ludique de matériel lié aux métiers de la santé favorise les échanges entre les étudiants universitaires et les élèves. Les Bibliothèques UdeM, en collaboration avec les écoles visitées, préparent et animent un kiosque de livres sur la santé et les sciences. Les livres sont ensuite offerts aux écoles. Chaque année, les communautés de Manawan et de Wemotaci sont visitées. Les étudiants rencontrent les élèves du primaire d’une communauté et ceux du secondaire de l’autre communauté, soit environ 600 élèves. La Mini-école se déplace aussi annuellement sur la Côte-Nord à la rencontre des communautés innues (Ekuanitshit, Nutashkuan et autres). Dans cet atelier, on présentera le projet de la Mini-école et ses retombées.

Keyphrases: Santé autochtone, Collaboration inteprofessionnelle
Relative Nash welfarism

Relative Nash welfarism is a solution to the problem of aggregating von Neumann-Morgenstern preferences over a set of lotteries. It ranks such lotteries according to the product of any collection of 0-normalized von Neumann-Morgenstern utilities they generate. We show that this criterion is characterized by the Weak Pareto Principle, Anonymity, and Independence of Harmless Expansions: the social ranking of two lotteries is unaffected by the addition of any alternative that every agent deems at least as good as the one she originally found worst. Relative Nash welfarism is more appealing than relative utilitarianism in contexts where the best relevant alternative for an agent is difficult to identify with confidence.

Keyphrases: Preference aggregation, Lotteries, Relative utilitarianism, Nash product
Art + Bioéthique : expériences interdisciplinaires dans une galerie émergente

Ce compte rendu retrace l’exposition et les principaux évènements qui ont marqué le projet collaboratif Art + Bioéthique. Ceux-ci se sont tenus à la galerie montréalaise Espace Projet du 25 février au 21 mars 2016. This review retraces the exhibition and the principle events of the collaborative project Art + Bioéthique. These were held at the Montreal gallery Espace Projet from February 25 to March 21, 2016.

Keyphrases: exposition, art, bioéthique, évènements, conférences, médiation culturelle et scientifique, galerie, projet interdisciplinaire, art, bioéthique, collaboration, bioethics, events, conferences, cultural and scientific mediation, interdisciplinary project
Two-Spirits : colonisations et décolonisations

Avant la colonisation de l’Amérique du Nord, il y avait dans les populations autochtones des individus au genre non dichotomique, possédant des rôles symboliques importants. Néanmoins, les allochtones les considéraient comme des menaces pour l’ordre social, et ces individus ont symboliquement et physiquement disparu pendant les siècles de colonisation. Ces Autochtones au genre non dichotomique ont cependant connu une certaine résurgence à partir des années 1990, par leur retour sur la scène publique grâce à l’invention du concept de « two-spirits », regroupant les LGBTQ* autochtones. Nous supposons néanmoins que ce concept possède certains problèmes qui méritent d’être abordés. En effet, les two-spirits sont encore à risque d’être colonisés, notamment par la réappropriation culturelle du concept par des populations allochtones.

Keyphrases: Two-spirit, Berdache, Genre, Autochtone, LGBTQ*
Dare to Dream: Promoting ndigenous children's interest in health professions through book collections

Objectives: Indigenous peoples in Canada face significant health challenges. They represent 4.3% of the population, but less than 1% are doctors, and few pursue careers in the health sciences. We will present descriptions of innovative programs by medical librarians in two Canadian provinces designed to encourage children in First Nations communities to dream of careers in the health professions. Methods: Case studies of two special projects will be presented in this paper. The first project was led by a university library in Quebec. Book collections in science and health were developed for Indigenous school libraries. Library and information science students, as well as a librarian from the University were involved in health and education related activities in the recipient schools. This experience informed the second project, which was adopted as the community service project of the joint CHLA/MLA/ICLC Mosaic 2016 conference. The mechanics, benefits, and challenges of the programs will be discussed including: methodology for selecting books, methodology for collecting or purchasing books, and partnerships formed for distributing books to remote First Nations communities. Some qualitative evaluative data collected informally from recipient communities through conversations with teachers and community leaders will provide evidence of the value of these projects. Results: Hundreds of books have been delivered to First Nations schools in both Quebec and Ontario. Qualitative evaluative data collected from the recipient communities indicates that the books are well received and has allowed us to identify children's favorite topics. This information will iinform future updating of the collections in the ongoing project. Some difficulties in providing optimal access to the 110 of 124 books were identified due to communication problems or the relative lack of library infrastructure in these schools. Conclusion: Reading for pleasure is linked to student's academic success. Access to varied and quality literature is therefore important for school achievement. Books are often in limited quantites in remote communities, and it is believed that the books donated will benefit both the students and their communities. Even if the effect of these collections on impacting the students’ future decisions to enter in to health professions cannot be easily measured, potential impact on future life chances and the fact that indigenous high school graduates choosing to pursue schooling tend to select a profession linked to the needs of the community are enough to consider those two programs as successful.

Keyphrases: First Nations, School libraries, Aboriginal peoples, Indigenous peoples, Consumer health, Children's literature, Community engagement
Multiple proteins differing between laboratory stocks of mammalian orthoreoviruses affect both virus sensitivity to interferon and induction of interferon production during infection

In the course of previous works, it was observed that the virus laboratory stock (T3DS) differs in sequence from the virus encoded by the ten plasmids currently in use in many laboratories (T3DK), and derived from a different original virus stock. Seven proteins are affected by these sequence differences. In the present study, replication of T3DK was shown to be more sensitive to the antiviral effect of interferon. Infection by the T3DK virus was also shown to induce the production of higher amount of β and α-interferons compared to T3DS. Two proteins, the μ2 and λ2 proteins, were found to be responsible for increased sensitivity to interferon while both μ2 and λ1 are responsible for increased interferon secretion. Altogether this supports the idea that multiple reovirus proteins are involved in the control of induction of interferon and virus sensitivity to the interferon-induced response. While interrelated, interferon induction and sensitivity can be separated by defined gene combinations. While both μ2 and λ2 were previously suspected of a role in the control of the interferon response, other proteins are also likely involved, as first shown here for λ1. This also further stresses that due caution should be exerted when comparing different virus isolates with different genetic background.

Keyphrases: Reovirus, Interferon, Reverse genetics
Le poids des chevrettes laitières à la mise à la reproduction : association avec l'âge et la probabilité de mettre bas

Le poids à la mise à la reproduction a été associé avec la productivité à long terme des chèvres laitières. L’objectif de cette étude était d’estimer la relation entre le poids à 210 jours de vie (W210) avec la probabilité subséquente d’atteindre la première mise bas (PK) et l’âge à cette première mise bas (AFK) chez des chèvres de race Alpine et Saanen. Un échantillon de convenance de 744 chevrettes Alpine et 217 chevrettes Saanen provenant de 17 troupeaux effectuant les contrôles laitiers dans la province de Québec, Canada, a été analysé. Le poids des chevrettes a été estimé à partir du périmètre thoracique entre l’âge de 5 et 9 mois. La régression linéaire mixte a été utilisée pour modéliser le poids à partir de l’âge, pour ensuite prédire le W210 de chacune des chevrettes. La moyenne de PK était de 88,0 et 92,7 % pour les races Alpine et Saanen respectivement. La régression logistique a montré que W210 était significativement associé avec PK. La moyenne AFK était de 502 ± 129,6 jours et 445,5 ± 92,6 jours pour la race Alpine et la race Saanen respectivement. La régression linéaire mixte a montré que les chevrettes Alpine et Saanen avec un W210 plus lourd mettaient bas plus tôt que les chevrettes avec un W210 plus léger. Selon nos analyses, les chevrettes de race Alpine et Saanen devraient peser au minimum 30 et 34 kg respectivement à l’âge de 7 mois pour atteindre un PK de 90 % et l’AFK médian par race et troupeau. Weight at mating has been associated with lifelong productivity in dairy goat. The objective of this study was to estimate the relationships between weight at 210 days old (W210) with subsequent probability of first kidding (PK) and age at first kidding (AFK) of Alpine and Saanen goats, respectively. A convenient sample of 744 Alpine and 217 Saanen dairy goats from 17 farms performing regular milk controls in the province of Québec, Canada, was analysed. Kids’ weights were measured using a heart girth tape between the age of 5 and 9 months. Mixed linear regressions were used to model the weight according to the age of goat, which was then used to predict the W210 of each goat. The PK means were respectively 88.0% and 92.7% for the Alpine and Saanen goats. Based on logistic regression, PK was significantly associated with W210. Mean AFK were 502 ± 129.6 and 445.5 ± 92.6 days for the Alpine and Saanen breeds, respectively. Mixed linear regression showed that Alpine and Saanen goats with higher W210 kidded at younger age than goats with low W210. According to our results, Alpine and Saanen goat kids should weigh at least 30 and 34 kg respectively at the age of seven months to achieve PK of at least 90 %, and a median AFK by breed and herd in a range of ± 30 days.

Keyphrases: chevrette, mise bas, croissance, chèvre, laitière, âge à la reproduction, âge à la mise bas, chevrotage, goat kid, doeling, growth, dairy goat, weight at mating, age at kidding, first kidding
Do universities have moral duties with regard to a human right to health?
In defense of some proposals by UAEM 1 (Universities Allied for Essential Medicines)

This article argues that universities have duties to negotiate contracts with the pharmaceutical industry that are favourable to the world’s poor, and to do more research into diseases which disproportionately strike the global poor. It is argued that these duties are related to human rights (in particular to a human right to health) and that they are therefore very weighty. Furthermore, these duties are in line with some of the most important things that Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM), a worldwide group of students and academics, wants universities to do. A number of objections are discussed, among other things to do with safeguarding pharmaceutical innovation, and it is argued that the aforementioned duties should, as UAEM also advocates, often be combined with efforts on the part of universities to work towards more long-term, large-scale institutional arrangements to ensure access to and availability of essential medicines for the global poor. Cet article soutient que les universités ont le devoir de négocier des contrats avec l'industrie pharmaceutique qui sont favorables aux pauvres dans le monde et de faire plus de recherches sur les maladies qui touchent de manière disproportionnée les pauvres dans le monde. On soutient que ces devoirs sont liés aux Droits de l'homme (en particulier à un droit humain à la santé) et qu'ils sont donc très importants. En outre, ces fonctions correspondent à certaines des choses les plus importantes que les universités alliées pour les médicaments essentiels (UAEM), un groupe mondial d'étudiants et d'universitaires, souhaitent que les universités fassent. Un certain nombre d'objections sont discutées, entre autres pour protéger l'innovation pharmaceutique, et il est soutenu que les fonctions susmentionnées devraient souvent, comme le préconise l'UAEM, être combinées avec les efforts des universités pour travailler à plus long terme, à des arrangements institutionnels à grande échelle pour assurer l'accès et la disponibilité des médicaments essentiels pour les pauvres dans le monde.

Keyphrases: philosophy, ethics, economics, moral duties of universities, essential medicines, human rights, human right to health, ethics/moral philosophy, philosophy, ethics, economics, philosophie morale, philosophie, éthique, économie, philosophie, éthique, économie, devoirs moraux des universités, médicaments essentiels, Droits de l'homme, droit de l'homme à la santé, éthique
N’oublions pas le futur. Valeurs, justice et taux d’actualisation

The consequences of discounting are often disputed, for various motives, such as the overexploitation of natural resources or the transmission of an unacceptable level of pollution to the future generations. It is then tempting for the public authorities to overcome this difficulty by delegating to a third party the choice of the discounting methods and the discount rate. But by doing so, it gives up some of its prerogatives, finally weakens itself, in order to get in return standards, however cleverly chosen they may be, which can only arouse reluctances or oppositions, on the grounds that that they do not respect certain values bound to considerations of inter-temporal justice. It seems that it would be preferable to ensure that the public debate is targeted on these values, then only to define and apply the methods and the discount rates that may arise therefrom. The discussions on the values would so concern the roots of the decisions, and not their consequences. Les conséquences de l’actualisation sont souvent contestées, pour différents motifs, comme la surexploitation des ressources naturelles ou la transmission aux générations futures d’un niveau de pollution peu acceptable. Il est alors tentant pour la Puissance publique de contourner la difficulté en délégant le choix des modalités et des taux d’actualisation à un organisme tiers. Mais ce faisant elle renonce à certaines de ses prérogatives, finalement s’affaiblit, pour obtenir en retour des normes, aussi intelligemment choisies soient-elles, qui ne peuvent que susciter réticences ou oppositions, au titre qu’elles ne respectent pas certaines valeurs liées à des considérations de justice inter-temporelle. Il semble qu’il serait préférable de faire d’abord porter le débat public sur ces valeurs, puis seulement de définir et appliquer les méthodes puis les taux qui en découlent. Les échanges sur les valeurs porteraient ainsi sur les racines des décisions, et non pas sur leurs conséquences.

Keyphrases: philosophy, ethics, economics, preference, present, trade-off, sustainability, altruism, legitimacy, planning, natural resources, philosophy, ethics, economics, préférence, présent, durabilité, légitimité, aménagement, philosophie, éthique, économie, philosophie, éthique, économie, arbitrage, altruisme, ressources naturelles