NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
The Double Pareto-Lognormal Distribution and its applications in actuarial science and finance

The purpose of this Master's thesis is to describe the double Pareto-lognormal distribution, show how the model can be extended by introducing explanatory variables in the model and present its large potential of applications in actuarial science and finance.  First, we give the definition of the double Pareto-lognormal distribution and present some of its properties based on the work of Reed and Jorgensen (2004). The parameters could be estimated by using the method of moments or maximum likelihood. Next, we add an explanatory variable to our model. The procedure of estimation for this model is also discussed. Finally, some numerical applications of our model are illustrated and some useful statistical tests are conducted.

Keyphrases: Loi normale-Laplace, Normal-Laplace distribution, double Pareto-lognormal distribution, maximum likelihood estimation, Box-Cox transformation, explanatory variables, goodness-of-fit test
La culture comme ressource : des groupes musicaux populaires au sein du processus de réaménagement urbain à Rio de Janeiro

This master’s thesis treats the interaction between local actors in popular musical culture and the public administration in the context of the public-private project of renewing the port of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Maravilha. The study is centred on the idea that this interaction is based primarily on the ways that « culture » is understood and used as a resource that can add value to urban space, differentiate groups from each other and bring support for the processes of autonomization and legitimation of social actors.  New urbanist paradigms, such as that of the « creative city »  (Landry, 2005), propose that local culture be integrated into the development and realization of projects through the participation of artists who are perceived as a fundamental source of creativity for making the city more competitive in an increasingly urbanized world. In this vein, the Porto Maravilha project is inspired directly by cases of successful creative urban renewal, and aims to stimulate local culture, while idealizing the port of Rio as a “new postcard of Brazil”.  Starting from the observation that local actors see the potential of their cultural activities for becoming an important resource in this context, we analyse the strategies and discourses they develop, as well as the resources to which they have access in order to affirm agency.  Besides their intentional actions, we analyse their day-to-day cultural practices.  Moreover, we question the way that the administrators of the project understand the local actors’ musical activities and how they manage the needs and creative contributions of these groups.

Keyphrases: creative city, culture as resource, agency, cultural practices
Analyse foucaldienne du dispositif policier à l'ère des manifestations altermondialistes et assembléistes

This thesis pursues Foucault's reflections on the "security society" through an investigation into the theme of the modulation of the conduct of "interstitials subjects": individuals on the margins of powers whose presence and demands provoke concern and threaten the social order. More precisely, the thesis investigates the history of police and its strategies of crowd control as they lead to the adoption of a strategy of "preventive incapacitation," the aftermath of anti-globalization protests. On a theoretical and methodological level, the thesis draws on Foucault's theories of the police, law, and communication, in dialogue with the work of sociologists of social movements and historians of police, with the aim of better understanding the "hard" tendencies and (State) rationality characteristizing today's policing. The thesis will also examine the laws concerning protests, in order to shed light on how their implementation augments the power of those with the authority to enact them. Furthering these analyses of the ratio of security and the tactics of control, the thesis identifies the principal objects and objectives employed to circumscribe the actions of protesters. This is done in order to reconceptualize the different functions now fulfilled by policing and to schematize the constitutive relations of the contemporary police apparatus. The overall aim of the thesis is to produce an "analytic of the present" of policing, and more generally to elaborate a "diagram" of power.

Keyphrases: Foucault, Police, Manifestation altermondialiste, Protest policing, Counter-globalization demonstration
Social movements and environmentalism, a Luhmannian view

Since the fifties sociology has been concerned with the phenomenon of social movements. Various theories tried to explain them. From collective behaviour to resource mobilization, through political processes and framing perspective all the way to the theory of new social movements, sociology found ways to explain these phenomena. Although all these perspectives cover and capture important facets and angles of collective action, they do so in disparate ways, looking at one side and neglecting the other. The differences between the perspectives come, on the one hand, from a change in the social, historical and scientific contexts, and on the other hand from the fact that the various approaches don’t ask the same questions, even though some questions overlap. Asking different questions leads to looking at different things. Thus, it is not only a matter of giving a different answer to the same question, but also a matter of looking at the same object of study from a different angle.  This situation resides at the root of the first part of my main thesis: the field of social movement theory is not sufficient nor integrated enough to explain collective action and we need a more comprehensive theory in order to obtain a better understanding of movements and the way in which they fulfill their role of promoters of change in society. Hence, I consider that we need a theory that is able to look at all facets of the movements at the same time and furthermore, is able to look beyond the form of the object in order to focus on the object itself. This brings me to the second part of the argument, which is the claim that the general systems theory as formulated by Niklas Luhmann can contribute to a better understanding of collective action. It is a comprehensive theory that can supplement the field of social movement theory by providing us with the necessary tools to look dynamically at social movements and understand them within the shifting social context. An analysis of environmentalism will be used to show how the tools provided by this communication theory help us to better understand not only social movements but also the context in which they function, how they fulfill their role, how they are changed and in turn change society as well.

Keyphrases: Niklas Luhmann, Social movements, Environmentalism
Prolégomènes à une interprétation de la figure du zombie

No figure, in the Twentieth Century, and today, is comparable to the zombie. Its proliferation and reiteration make it an exceptional case study. Yet a figure is inseparable from the discourses that give birth to it. There is a profound and subtle correlation between the figure’s productions and interpretation, as well as the economy of meaning generating it. My modest ambition, in this thesis, is anchored in an epistemological reflection in which the narrative stakes and the critical notions framing the zombie phenomenon will be examined. For that economy of sense to emerge, the metaphor’s modalities of meaning must be grasped. Thus, this thesis takes the form of a series of prolegomena necessary for understanding an important contemporary problem: the interpretation of a figure such as that of the zombie.  The first chapter presents a synthesis of the figure’s manifestations. The 60s bring an important transformation in the zombie (and horror) corpus that is conveyed in George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. The second chapter focuses on narrative issues and critical notions framing the zombie phenomenon. The strict separation between form and content shapes the horror discourse and many of its interpretations from which Zombie Studies emerge. Subsequently, I revisit Todorov’s and Ingarden’s thought about representation in order to grasp the fundamental issues of interpretation. Ultimately, the question concerns knowing whether the zombie can be taken à la lettre. The third chapter examines metaphor’s inherent modalities of meaning. This chapter is divided into two sections that represent the essential aspects of metaphor: production and reading. In this connection, I refer to the theoretical tradition on metaphor so as to discern the nature of the poetic affirmation that, through metaphor, links zombies and humans. What does this affirmation signify, as it takes up and guides both the zombie figure’s narrative and the metaphorical reading of the human being? In conclusion, I reflect on the modalities of reading underlying interpretations of the zombie figure. In this sense, I will explore the inextricable link between the mode - that is, the metaphor - and its content or, rather, interpretations.

Keyphrases: Chronotope, Zombie, Horror, Fantastic, Figure, Metaphor, Chronotope, Epistemology, Economy of meaning
Lier la spéciation chimique du cérium à sa biodisponibilité sous différentes conditions environnementales

The following study is on the ecotoxicological risk evaluation of cerium, the most widely exploited element of the lanthanide family. The increasing presence of this element in our everyday lives renders possible its release in the environment. It is therefore of primary importance to understand the impact this metal will have on living organisms in aquatic environments. An approach centered on the biotic ligand model was used here to evaluate the interaction between cerium and a biotic ligand at the surface of the unicellular algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. To study the ecotoxicological risk of a metallic element one must understand the speciation (partitioning between its multiple chemical species) of the element in question. The first chapters of this thesis will discuss the experiments performed to evaluate cerium speciation under exposure conditions C. reinhardtii. The issue will be to distinguish between the particulate and dissolved species of the metal, to characterise these changes by spectroscopy, as well as to evaluate the complex formation capacity of the metal with natural organic matter. Results indicate an important depletion of dissolved metal in neutral and alkaline solutions as well as a strong interaction with natural organic matter, regardless of solution pH. Bioaccumulation experiments will then be explained and will compare the effects of pH, the presence of competing ions and the presence of natural organic matter on cerium uptake. Results show that cerium’s behaviour is more predictable under acidic pH conditions. Nonetheless, considering the complexity of the natural environment, the interaction of the metal with natural ligands will most likely reduce the risk of cerium’s interaction with living organisms.

Keyphrases: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, bioaccumulation
Postures de soldat et devenirs dans Apocalypse Now (1979, 2001) de Francis Coppola

This master’s thesis addresses some moral issues of the body/spirit dichotomy, induced in the military training, in the Vietnam War vets as portrayed in several films on that war. Our work will be centered on the work of the individual as suggested in Apocalypse Now, rather than on the depiction of the war. We contend that this film puts the individuals in front of the contradictions of a society that pretends to pacify the world using war, and inasmuch, as was the case in Vietnam, using a conspicuous outburst of violence (torture, mass murder, napalm, Agent Orange). We hypothesize that the film, through its main character, propose a “way” which doesn’t eradicate war, but suggest that we can take a step to redefine our moral standpoint in front of ourselves to heal the wounds caused by Wars. This individual moral mutation, in the main character, is the result of a reflexive process, on all accords at the “heart of darkness”, of the jungle as much as of his soul.

Keyphrases: Francis Ford Coppola, Vietnam War, soldier, morality, becoming (Deleuze and Guattari), United-States
Sur les prolongements de sous-copules

The extension of subcopulas is an important domain. One of possible applications is the nonparametric estimation  of a copula: it consists of the smoothing of a subcopula (the empirical copula) while preserving the copulas properties.   In Chapter 2, we present  an extension of the empirical copula based on the tensor product of splines functions. Our estimators are bona fide estimators of the copula.  Chapter 3 tackles the problem of finding all possible extensions of a given subcopula. This subject has been treated in the literature  but these characterizations do not apply on very general spaces. Chapter 4 deals with the following problem: finding the expression of the upper bound of the extensions of a finite subcopula in dimension 3.

Keyphrases: copulas, subcopulas, extensions, upper bound, density
Reproduire pour déconstruire : le paradoxe de l'engagement dans la série Body techniques de Carey Young

British artist Carey Young’s Body Techniques (2007) series was created in the context of a residency at the Sharjah Biennal, in the United Arab Emirates. The eight large-scale photographs of the series depict the artist, dressed in a business woman’s attire, reenacting eight famous works associated with conceptual art. The backdrops to these actions are unusual and futuristic-looking landscapes from in and around the cities of Dubai and Sharjah. This analysis attempts to demonstrate the paradoxical essence of the series, which calls into question the political status that Young claims for her artwork. The paradox unfolds through three axes, which are used to structure this investigation: the varied mediations between Body Techniques and the artworks it is inspired from, the deconstruction of the landscape as “medium”, and the active role played by the photographic apparatus. This detailed examination of each of the paradox’s occurrences serves to reveal Body Techniques as an exemplary embodiment of the double bind presiding over any work of political contemporary art: that which allows artists to criticize the system they participate in, but also constrains them to participate in the system which they criticize.

Keyphrases: Body Techniques, Carey Young, photography, landscape, sociology of art, political art
Études vers la synthèse totale du cylindrocyclophane F et Synthèse d’hétérocycles azotés fluorescents

In this thesis, two main points will be introduced. First, we focused our efforts on a synthetic approach towards cylindrocyclophane F, a natural [7,7]-paracyclophane. Then, the synthesis of a new fluorescent class of molecule will be disclosed. First, an asymmetric cyclopropanation, one of the key steps of the synthesis of cylindrocyclophane F, will be revisited. Furthermore, a new route, including a cyclopropenation reaction, was explored. Then, the possibility of using a Suzuki coupling reaction on two sp3 centres for macrocyclisation has been studied on a model substrate. In a separate study, the synthesis of benzo[a]imidazo[2,1,5-c,d]indolizines from N-[(6-bromo-2-pyridinyl)methyl]benzamides will be disclosed. A mild cyclodehydratation-aromatisation was performed in the presence of 2-methoxypyridne in order to obtain 5-bromo-3-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyridine. This sequence was followed by an intramolecular direct arylation to form the desired compound. The photophysical properties of this new heterocycle class were measured.

Keyphrases: Macrocyclisation, Indolizines, Catalytic, Catalyse, Suzuki, Coupling, Cyclopropanation, Enantioselective, Cyclopropenation
Les relations franco-japonaises de 1859 à 1895

The history of Franco-Japanese relations is a source of surprise to many historians, both countries having a few reason to become closer. France's Second Empire is one of the first powers to go to Japan and quickly showed a keen interest in the development of Japan. From the first treaties signed in 1859, the French presence grows to reach the top a few years later. Despite the regimes changes in Japan and France, this presence has remained strong until the early 1880s before declining.  What explains this interest? And most importantly, what explains the lack of interest in France after the 1880s? There are only a few authors who have attempted to find an answer, and their results are, in our view, inconclusive: either France acts to increase its prestige, or it acts according to its representatives.  We try in this paper to identify and, if possible, to find other causes explaining the French position in Japan. Would it be the trade of some resources that motivated France to go to Japan, partly because of the crisis of the silkworm? Could it be the religion with the whole issue of persecution of Christians? Or is it a larger issue related to the colonization of Indochina?  To answer this question, we have studied the archives of the French government and the economic data of the time, to identify the importance that had certain reasons, such as the crisis of silk, religious persecution and French presence in Indochina, in the decisions of the French government.

Keyphrases: France, Christianity, France, Japan, trade, silk
L’infirmière libanaise et le sens au travail en milieu hospitalier

This study aims to expand the conceptual basis of the phenomenon of meaning at work and seeks to provide a theoretical model to explain the process of constructing meaning at work by Lebanese nurses. The meaning at work is presented as a process that emerges through the dynamic interactions developed between an individual and his work environment and as a product that is expressed by the individual level of satisfaction, motivation, organizational commitment, performance and health at work. The study of this phenomenon is a new way to shed light to a work context, such as the Lebanese context, suffering for years from a problem of shortage of nurses. Symbolic interactionism was the epistemological and methodological framework of this study based on a qualitative approach using grounded theory. The study was conducted in a region with nine Lebanese hospital nurses practicing the profession in various work contexts. Data collection was done by the use of individual interviews recorded on digital media; data were subsequently transcribed and analysed following the constructivist method developed by Charmaz (2006). The results were used to propose a theoretical model that explains the process of constructing meaningful work that arises from interactions of the Lebanese nurses with the various elements of their work context. These nurses have developed a representation of the work context marked by an excessive workload, an inadequate pay, an reduced opportunities for development and professional advancement, an unfair behaviour of their supervisors and a devalued nurse’s public image. This context affects the satisfaction of these three objectives that emerged threw analysis witch are pursuit by these nurses through their work: 1) to take care for patients; 2) to meet they one needs; and 3) to be recognized as a professional. These nurses construct meaning at work and compose with theses context constraints by using their personal resources. By enhancing the value of the nurse and the value of her work, by getting satisfied threw their effort, by self-actualization and career advancement, these nurses get to protect and maintain meaningful work. Finally, the meaning at work could be conceptualized as a subjective and multidimensional positive phenomenon fuelled by the love of the profession and resulting in work that meets the expectations of nurses. Knowledge that emerged from this study will help develop personal and contextual strategies to foster the process of construction of meaning at work in order to reduce the shortage of nurses. Research avenues and recommendations for education are suggested.

Keyphrases: Meaning at work, Meaning of work, Meaning making, Nurses, Grounded theory, Shortage of nurses
Validation et conditionnement d'un test PAMPA amélioré pour l'évaluation de la perméabilité membranaire de médicaments

PAMPA tests and Caco-2 tests are in vitro assays used in the evaluation of the intestinal permeability of drugs. They are performed during the discovery phase of a drug. PAMPA tests are not biologically representative of the intestinal membrane, but they can be done quickly and are low cost. On the other hand, Caco-2 tests require a cell culture time of 21 days and specific installations. They are composed of a confluent enterocyte monolayer and, therefore, more biologically representative. There is a need to develop a hightroughput biologically representative assay of the human intestinal membrane at low cost. The first goal of this project is to develop an analytical method for the simultaneous quantification of eight control drugs used in the assay validation. The second goal of this project is to optimize an improved PAMPA membrane, the neoPAMPA. This new membrane is constituted of three components: (1) a porous filter that acts as a support, (2) a negatively charged polydopamine cushion that serves as an anchor and ensures the bilayer fluidity (3) a lipid bilayer formed by the fusion of vesicles. An HPLC-MS/MS analytical method was validated according to FDA and EMA specifications. This method allowed to simultaneously quantify eight standard drugs used in the neoPAMPA test. A PAMPA test was also performed as a control assay. The permeability coefficients measured through the PAMPA membrane for the eight drugs compared favorably to literature results. The components of the neoPAMPA membrane were optimised. The optimal conditions were polycarbonate hydrophilic filters having pores of 15 nm, Costar 12 wells plates used as the device for the permeability assays, a lipid bilayer composed of 70 % DOPC and of 30 % cationic cholesterol and a deposition of liposomes in presence of 150 mM NaCl followed by an equilibration time of 1 h in presence of a saturated DOPC solution. The stability of the eight drug cassette and the liposomes was insufficient for the conditioning of commercial neoPAMPA membranes. Different optimisation parameters improved the neoPAMPA membrane, although without making it functional. The neoPAMPA membrane was not sufficiently able to discriminate molecules as a function of their expected permeability.

Keyphrases: PAMPA, Polydopamine, Permeability, Lipid bilayer, hplc-ms/ms