NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
La gestion des plantes médicinales chez les communautés autochtones Nahuas de la Huasteca Potosina, Mexique

Plant species can have different uses. However, medicinal purposes play a central role in different cultures whether they are used for traditional medicine or for commercialization. At present, medicinal plant species are under strong pressure. This is due to their commercial uses and is related to the loss of their habitat. It is imperative to find options that will allow the utilisation of medicinal plant species in a sustainable way. Thus, it would allow a contribution to the socioeconomic well-being of those communities that depend upon the plants. Similarly, it is also important to understand the perception that communities have of their plants and their uses. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to better understand the relationships between traditional knowledge and the utilisation of medicinal plant species among these local communities. The research constitutes an exploratory-inductive study with strong geographical and ethno-botanical bases. In this research, we describe the patterns followed by indigenous Nahuas communities of la Huasteca Potosina in the management of medicinal plant species. Descriptive, historical, qualitative and quantitative data used for this study were gathered through bibliographic research and fieldwork. The result of the study describes a series of practices, values and social representations. It relates to the use of medicinal plant species within a specific ethnic group. The importance of this research is to highlight local practices and, thus, come up with additional recommendations to the sustainable utilisation of medicinal plant species.

Keyphrases: Nahuas, medicinal plante species, traditional ecological knowledge, sustainable use, ethnobotany, Huasteca Potosina Mexicana
Compliance measurement-guided medication management programs in hypertension : a systematic review

Objective: Whether interventions including measurement and correction of patients’ attitude to antihypertensive medication can improve hypertension management is unclear. The review aims to determine the effectiveness of patient compliance measurement-guided medication management (CMGM) programs in essential hypertension.   Design: Systematic review. Data sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, hypertension meetings abstracts, and bibliographies of identified articles.   Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) and observational studies (OS) were assessed by 2 reviewers independently. Quality assessment was performed with the Cochrane risk of bias tool and evaluated in a four-point continuum. A narrative data synthesis was performed due to significant heterogeneity among studies. Results: 13 studies (8 RCT, 5 OS) involving 2150 hypertensives were included. Five trials of CMGM with electronic devices as a sole intervention suggested decrease in blood pressure (BP) but the result may have been due to bias. Short-term BP improvement under CMGM in complex interventions was revealed in 4 studies of low-to-moderate quality. In 4 integrated care studies of higher quality the impact of CMGM component was not possible to distil and may be compromised by medication regimens. Regular feedback to the treating physician seems to be an essential component of CMGM and may be effectively mediated by a nurse or a pharmacist and via telecommunication.  Conclusions: No convincing evidence for the effectiveness of CMGM as a health technology was found due to non-optimal study designs and methodological quality. Future research should follow accepted quality standards and current guidelines for the treatment of hypertension, include specific groups of patients with compliance problems and consider clinical, economic, patient-reported and organizational outcomes.

Keyphrases: Hypertension, Hypertension, Antihypertensive medication, Patient compliance, Patient adherence, Medication adherence, Electronic monitoring, Pill count, Systematic review, Health technology assessment, Integrated care
Analyse comparative des conceptions de l’enfant et des institutions de l’adoption dans le monde arabo-musulman et en Occident : une réconciliation est-elle possible?

This thesis examines adoption law in comparative perspectives between Arab-Muslim, French and Quebec legal systems. First is reviewed the position of children within Islamic law: from a child’s legal status within the traditional Muslim family, to its aggregate statutory rights within Shari’a law. This overview subsequently allows for a discourse on the ban to adopt in the Qu’ran, and the alternatives developed around this thorny issue, notably the idea of “guardianship” or “kafala”. Specifically, the Kafala is reviewed with regards to international public policy and vis-à-vis four different legislative contexts: Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Lebanon. Secondly, the issue is then judged from a Western perspective; discussing hitherto the problems surrounding the application of Muslim law on personal statutory rights in France, and on personal statutory rights in Quebec. Finally, this thesis considers how the latter two societies have welcomed the concept of Kafala within their respective legal systems.

Keyphrases: kafala, adoption, muslim law, Moroccan law, Tunisian law, Algerian Law, lebanese law, muslim personal status, kafala
Les conditions nécessaires pour créer une solidarité entre féministes
occidentales et musulmanes en Occident

This research was started in the midst of a heated controversy which was affecting many Western countries but was especially predominant in the province of Quebec. Having much to do with globalization, the controversy was specifically based on the accommodation practices related to cultural differences and was instigated primarily due to a social identity crisis. During the media frenzy the one culture that came up very regularly was Islam and with that came a discussion on women in Islam—especially those that wear the hijab, and their rights as citizens. The purpose of this study was to see how Christian feminists and Muslim feminists could create solidarity despite what they sometimes see as insurmountable differences in ideologies and practices. The methodologies used during the research were (post)colonial theory and feminist studies in order to guide the analysis and the research (the body of knowledge) took an interdisciplinary approach to be able to construct a holistic perspective of the argument. In the conclusion it was shown that creating this solidarity was essential to upholding women’s rights and freedoms (including freedom of religion). A necessary part of this solidarity was interreligious dialogue and the basic conditions that create a successful dialogue are activelistening, inclusion and open-mindedness amongst others. Interreligious dialogues are an important tool in a religiously diverse society and knowing the other is fundamental in overcoming obstacles and creating understanding.

Keyphrases: Postcolonialisme, Islam, Postcolonialism, Feminism, Christianity, Islam, the West, Interreligious dialogue, Islamophobia, Accomodation practices
Expérience comportementale et modélisation par réseau neuronal des différences entre les processus de catégorisation par règles logiques et par ressemblance familiale

Our present research was twofold. First, we conducted a study of the differences in the categorization processes between explicit (verbalizable) and implicit (nonverbalizable) tasks. The differentiation was done in term of difficulty and time necessary to learn the rule of the category for family resemblance, conjunctive and disjunctive rules. We then used a neural network to model the categorization and had it complete the same tasks. The comparison between the two gave us insight into how (and if) the network can be used as a model of human categorization. The empirical data confirmed an effect of familiarity and typicality, as supported by previous studies, and we confirmed that the disjunctive task was the hardest to learn for humans while our results point toward the family resemblance task as being the easiest. The modelization by the neural network was partially successful at best but we present options that could permit a next generation neural network to model the categorization process truthfully

Keyphrases: implicit categorization, explicit categorization, neural networks, modelization, learning transfer
Los métodos de enseñanza en ELE : el método comunicativo revisado

This study emphasize the review of the communicative approach in the teaching Spanish as a foreign language manuals (ELE in Spanish), by referring to the ones used actually in the province of Quebec. From a historic perspective, the first preoccupation about the teaching and the acquisition of second languages appeared in the Antiquity. During many centuries teaching through mechanical structures ruled, but past the Middle Ages, other pedagogical plans saw the light. In the Spanish Golden Age, influenced by some thinkers such as Montaigne and Locke, these plans attempted to show that the formal study of the language wasn’t useful and that the apprentice needed a motivation. The 20th century has been characterized by the display of methodological propositions in the teaching of second languages, and this is how the direct method, the audio-lingual, the community language learning and the natural approach, among others, were born. In the middle of the 20th century, in Europe, a proposition was developed based on the communicative needs of the students, and what, in the beginning, was known as the notional functional focus, evolved and became the communicative teaching. This approach deals more with the use of language than with the linguistic knowledge, and its main objective is that the student-speaker develops the interpretative and expressive skills of the target language. Based on the relevant theoretical framework and the analysis of the manuals Nuevo ELE, Prisma y Español en marcha (levels A1-B2), we intend to verify the presence of the communicative approach in this manuals and demonstrate that in the activities known as “communicative”, we find different applications of traditional methods in the teaching of second languages, hence the communicative approach takes various propositions from other methods.  Keywords: Spanish Second Language, Communicative Approach, Manuals Analysis, Nuevo ELE, Prisma, Español en marcha.

Keyphrases: Nuevo ELE, Prisma, Español en marcha, Spanish second language, Communicative approach, Manuals analysis
Changements sociaux, instabilité et bien-être psychologique : le rôle de la trajectoire de
la privation relative

Temporal comparisons are essential for one’s self evaluation. Several studies have examined the negative consequences of being dissatisfied after unfavorable temporal comparisons (i.e., having a feeling of relative deprivation). However, few studies have examined how changes in relative deprivation affect well-being. The present master’s thesis proposes that feeling different levels of relative deprivation over time (i.e., an unstable trajectory of relative deprivation) negatively affects people’s well-being. Three experimental studies were conducted. Results showed that perceiving an unstable trajectory of relative deprivation negatively affects well-being. A fourth correlational study was conducted in Kyrgyzstan in order to examine whether perceptions of relative deprivation and instability measured retrospectively across a group’s history are associated with people’s well-being in times of social change. Results suggested that perceiving high instability and a high level of relative deprivation over time is negatively associated with well-being. The theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.

Keyphrases: Relative deprivation, Temporal comparisons, Psychological well-being, Social change, Instability
Sélection de mutations affectant la formation de biofilm chez Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

A. pleuropneumoniae (App) is the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, a contagious pulmonary infection in swine. Among the numerous virulence mechanisms found in bacteria, the formation of biofilms often plays an important role in pathogenesis. It has been recently demonstrated that App has the ability to form biofilms in vitro. In our laboratory, the formation of biofilms by App has been evaluated in microplates under different growth conditions. We showed that the reference strain of serotype 1 is capable of forming biofilms when cultured in a specific growth medium. The objective of this work is to identifiy genes implicated in the biosynthesis and regulation of biofilm formation in App. The objective of this study was to generate a mutant library of App using the mini-Tn10 transposon. A total of 1200 mutants has been screened with the help of in vitro models for biofilm formation which use microtiter plates or test tubes; 24 mutants exhibited modified biofilm formation when compared to the parental strain 4074NalR. The selection and identification of these mutants allowed the identification of the insertion site of the transposon. Analysis revealed novel genes implicated in biosynthesis and regulation of the biofilm formation in App. Our screen allowed the identification of genes already associated in biofilm formation of App (hns) or other pathogens (potD2, ptsI, tig and rpmF). Genes (APL_0049, APL_0637 and APL_1573) that have not yet been associated with biofilm formation were also identified. Further characterization of the genes mentioned above would permit a greater understanding of the mechanisms implicated in biofilm formation of App.

Keyphrases: biofilm, screen, mutagenesis, genes
La rétroaction négative optimale en sport : étude de l’impact relatif de la quantité et de la qualité

Past studies have looked at the consequences of various coaches’ behaviours. However, a specific behaviour has not yet received all the attention it deserves: negative feedback. Yet, this type of feedback is both essential and risky considering that it can lead to negative consequences (Brewer et al., 1991; Kluger & DeNisi, 1996). The present thesis proposes that negative feedback quality plays a crucial role in predicting athletes’ outcomes. In total, 315 athletes and 54 coaches participated in a cross-sectional study. Results of hierarchical linear modeling confirmed that a high quality negative feedback supports athletes’ autonomy. Six specific characteristics defining this type of feedback were also identified. Finally, results showed that negative feedback quality predicts athletes’ phenomenological experiences and performance above and beyond what could be explained by negative feedback quantity and coaches’ interpersonal style. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keyphrases: motivation, performance, sport, negative feedback, autonomy support, coach-athlete relationship, self-determination theory, well-being, motivation, performance, coaches, sport
Problème centre-foyer et application

In this thesis, we study the center-focus problem in a polynomial system. We describe two mechanisms to conclude that a monodromic singular point in this polynomial system is a center. The first one is the method of Darboux. In this method, one uses invariant algebraic curves to build a first integral. The second method is the algebraic (and analytic) reversibility. A monodromic singularity, which is algebraically or analytically reversible at the singular point, is necessarily a center. As an application, in the last chapter, we consider the generalized Gause model with prey harvesting and a generalized Holling response function of type III.

Keyphrases: Generalized Gause model with prey harvesting, Center-focus problem, Darboux's Method, Algebraic and analytic reversibility, Hopf bifurcation, Nilpotent saddle bifurcation
Montage et caractérisation d’un système de spectroscopie Raman accordable en longueur d’onde utilisant des réseaux de Bragg comme filtre : application aux nanotubes de carbone

Raman spectroscopy is a useful and non-destructive tool for material characterization. It uses inelastic light scattering interaction with matter to investigate materials. The major part of the performances in a Raman spectroscopy system comes from two light filter units: the first shapes the light source (usually a laser) and the other attenuates the elastic scattered light in the signal beam. In resonant Raman spectroscopy (RRS), the excitation energy (wavelength) is tuned to match an electronic transition of the sample. When in resonance, the Raman cross section is increased by a factor up to 106. Current RRS setups are limited by filtering devices technology. RRS is a complex technique which, for the moment, remains tedious to implement. This master thesis presents the construction of a tunable Raman spectroscopy system based on volume Bragg gratings light filters. The setup is designed to operate in the near infrared region so as to study carbon nanotubes resonances. Steps leading to the operation of the system are described. They cover conceptualization, fabrication, characterization and optimisation of the setup. Collaboration with a local small company, Photon etc, led to the building of two new light filters that allow to tune easily the excitation wavelength.  These filters have been adapted to work with a tunable titanium-sapphire laser (tunable from 700 to 1100 nm) and assembled with a homemade microscope and a detection system combining a CCD camera with a grating spectrometer.  This document is arranged as follow: First are presented the theoretical aspects surrounding RRS. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are than described to illustrate the relevance of such technique applied to material science. Principles behind the use of the Bragg filters are described to be followed by a scientific paper in which the main results of this work are presented. These include the optical characterisation of the filters and measurements with the system. Low frequency limits of the system are demonstrated using a sulphur powder where the 27 cm-1 line is clearly resolved. The tunability of the setup is also demonstrated using a bulk carbon nanotube sample. By changing the excitation wavelength, different nanotube chiralities become resonant, leading to different signals in the Raman spectra. Finally, clarifications regarding the alignment, optimisation and operation of the system are described. Low angular acceptance has been found to be the main drawback of the system leading to attenuation problems especially critical for the notch filter. Possible improvements on this limitation are discussed.

Keyphrases: Raman, Nanotube de carbone, Spectroscopy, Volume Bragg grating, Carbon nanotube, Laser optics
La gestion des ressources humaines et le succès des projets : le cas des pays en voie de développement

The specialists in the project management are divided between those who defend the importance of human resources practices in the project success and those who remain sceptics about the existence of such a relationship. Our study aims to enrich this debate and try to confirm or invalidate the existence of a relationship between the human resources management (HRM) and the project success.  The realization of a study in the developing countries where the economical, social, cultural and legal conditions are different from the industrialized countries will make it possible to verify whether the relationship between the HRM and the project success would vary or not according to the countries where the project is established.  Our results revealed that although the HRM has a significant relationship to the project success in the developing countries, it has the least strong correlation with this success. This surprising result can be explained essentially by the characteristics of the developing countries which affect the project management and the human resource management. This result could be also explained by the characteristics relating to the HRM in the project context.  In order to better understand the relationship between the HR practices and the project success in the developing countries, future research should pay attention to the characteristics of the HRM in the project context, particularly in the developing countries.

Keyphrases: Project success in developing countries, Success factors, Human resource management, Project life cycle, Project structure, Project activity sectors, Characteristics of developing countries
Utilisation de splines monotones afin de condenser des tables de mortalité dans un contexte bayésien

This master’s thesis is about the estimation of bivariate tables which are monotone within the rows and/or the columns, with a special interest in the approximation of life tables. This problem is approached through a nonparametric Bayesian regression model, in particular linear combinations of regression splines. By condensing a life table, our goal is to reduce its storage space without losing the entries’ accuracy. We will also study the reconstruction time of the table with our estimators. The properties of the reference table, specifically its monotonicity, must be preserved in the estimation. We are working with a monotone spline basis since splines are flexible and their derivatives can easily be manipulated. Those properties enable the imposition of constraints of monotonicity on our model. A brief review on univariate approximations of monotone functions is then extended to bivariate estimations. We use hierarchical Bayesian modeling to include the constraints in the prior distributions. We then explain the Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm to obtain a posterior estimator. Finally, we study the estimator’s behaviour by applying our model on the Standard Normal table and the Student’s t table. We estimate our data of interest, the life table, to establish the improvement in data accessibility.

Keyphrases: Monotone bivariate functions, Life tables, Monotone splines, Constraints of monotonicity, Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques
La signification de la demande d’aide pour des hommes atteints d’un cancer de la sphère oto-rhino-laryngologique (ORL)

To date, few studies have been conducted to better understand the phenomenon of help seeking of men in the context of cancer. The reviewed studies elicited many questions and hypotheses about men’s understanding of help seeking in the context of cancer. Therefore, the research student has conducted a phenomenological study to describe this phenomenon in men with otorhinolaryngological cancer.  Eight men have agreed to participate in the study. Following semi-structured interviews, the data analysis, assisted by the method proposed by Giorgi (1997), highlighted the following key themes: 1) Feeling able to cope alone with the various adversities, 2) Having the support of the family and the care team, and 3) Using  cognitive strategies. The results showed that the lived experience of help seeking is closely linked to the social construction of gender, that is to say to the culturally acquired male norms.  Values of autonomy, self-esteem and “male ego” explain in part why most of the participants did not ask for help. Moreover, the constant presence of the spouse and the support of the professional health care team appear to have greatly modulated participants’ help seeking behaviors by anticipating their needs, before they could even express them; this issue invites us to a reflection on the phenomenon of empowerment, intervention strategy based on the individual responsabilisation. Recommendations for practice and nursing research are formulated to optimize nursing care and to insure the pursuit of the development of nursing knowledge in this area of interest.

Keyphrases: Cancer ORL, ORL Cancer, help seeking, male, lived experience, phenomenology