NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Recognition of Facial Expressions with Autoencoders and Convolutional-Nets

Humans communicate via different types of channels: words, voice, body gesture, emotions …etc.  For this reason, implementing these channels in computers is inevitable to make them interact intelligently with humans. Using a webcam and a microphone, computers should figure out what we want to tell from our voice, gesture and face emotions. In this thesis we are interested in figuring human emotions from their images or video in order to use that later in different applications. The thesis starts by giving an introduction to machine learning and some of the models and algorithms we used like multilayer perceptron, convolutional neural networks, autoencoders and finally report the results of applying these models on several facial emotion expression datasets.  We moreover concentrate on studying different kinds of autoencoders (Denoising Autoencoder , Contractive Autoencoder, …etc.) and identify some limitations like the possibility of obtaining filters co-adaptation and undesirably smooth spectral curve and we investigate new ideas to address these problems. We also overcome the limitations of training autoencoders in a purely unsupervised manner, i.e. without using any knowledge of task we ultimately want to solve (such as predicting class labels) and develop a new semi-supervised training criterion which exploits the knowledge of the few labeled data to train the autoencoder together with a large amount of unlabeled data in order to learn a representation better suited for the classification task, and obtain better classification performance. Finally, we describe the general pipeline for our emotion detection system and suggest new ideas for future work.

Keyphrases: Artificial intelligence, Machine learning, Neural nets, Autoencoders, Unsupervised pre-training, Deep learning, Dropout
Une comparaison entre l’utilisation des troupes africaines par la France et l’Allemagne pendant la Première Guerre mondiale

During World War I, the Western powers were forced to deploy every resource available to prevail. In the German colonies, the defence was conducted by the Schutztruppe, the protectorate forces composed mainly by black Africans. France, for her part, feared the demographic imbalance with Germany and so decided to reinforce her forces with African troops, the Tirailleurs Sénégalais being the most numerous. The present thesis aims to analyze and compare the recruitment and deployment of both countries, particularly the ideology that buttressed each case, the relations between Africans and Europeans during the war, the contribution of Africans to the war effort, as well as the implications of the increased visibility of Africans in European society. Overall, it is possible to observe remarkable similarities between France and Germany, particularly the fact that their utilization of colonial troops served to justify their own colonial policies and to demonize the opponent’s.

Keyphrases: Tirailleurs, Askari, France, First World War, Germany
Télédétection du carbone organique des lacs boréaux

A remote sensing approach to estimate carbon stocks in the millions of boreal lakes is highly desirable to improve our understanding of carbon cycles. Lakes carbon content is often correlated to colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) content, which is visible from space. Meanwhile, current sensors offer limited radiometry and spatial resolution in regard to boreal lakes opacity and size. Landsat 8, launched in February 2013, offers improved radiometry and spatial resolution, and will provide large-scale coverage of boreal regions. Limnologists gathered years of field campaigns in the boreal regions for which a clear Landsat 8 image will be available. Yet the possibility to combine legacy field data with new satellite imagery has not been assessed yet. Furthermore, the different strategies to select and combine timely repeated lakes measurements in the field and on the satellite have not been assessed either. In this study, we address the opportunities and limits to combine legacy field data with new satellite imagery to develop CDOM predictive models. Methods are based on field data from Quebec collected in 53 boreal lakes and 10 satellite images acquired with the prototype of Landsat 8. Delays between field campaigns and satellite overpasses varied from 1 month to 6 years. Results show that a CDOM predictive model based on existing field data compares favorably with models based on carefully coordinated field campaigns. The quality of the model does not improve by adding repeat measurements in the field and on the satellite, or by using atmospherically corrected images. Two images from different sites show different distributions of lakes dissolved organic carbon concentrations and volumes, but the total dissolved organic carbon storage per landscape unit in the two sites are in the same range. Additional work to link satellite data to lakes sediments carbon content is needed to refine the global carbon budget in the boreal regions.

Keyphrases: Quebec, boreal lakes, CDOM, DOC, Advanced Land Imager, Landsat 8
Citoyenneté, mondialisation et migration internationale : les réfugiés et demandeurs d’asile mexicains à Montréal

This research focuses on the migration of Mexicans to Canada in the form of asylum, a migration flow that Canada tried to counter by tightening its borders. This exclusion occurred simultaneously with that experienced by Mexicans living in or wishing to travel to the United States. Thus, in North America, in a context of deep economic integration, the majority of Mexicans are deprived of access to mobility and hence the ability to enjoy rights across borders. This phenomenon creates a hierarchical regime of citizenship in this space. Intimately related to the themes of inclusion / exclusion, citizenship is generally conceptualized as a status attached to the state or as a set of rights deriving from this status. This research focuses on ways of understanding the concept of citizenship including as a practice or as a hegemonic process. Thus, we attempt to understand why Mexicans have sought asylum in Montreal (Canada) and the ways in which their actions can be linked to citizenship. We seek to verify whether the exclusion of Mexicans in the United States has a role to play in this migration. We also explore the correlation between this migration flow and the concept of an act of citizenship, theorized by Isin (2008), which refers to a practice where individuals claim rights, regardless of whether they possess or not the status associated to citizenship. The findings of this research indicate that Mexicans sought asylum due to deprivation of substantial citizenship in Mexico, strongly related to the formation of the North American space. Moreover, asylum applications are direct consequences of the exclusion of Mexicans from the same transnational space. Moreover, they coincide with the notion of "act of citizenship." Finally, the result of this act, which sought inclusion and rights acquisition, proves to be mixed and uneven.

Keyphrases: Political geography, Mexico, North America, globalization, Neoliberalism, Citizenship, Asylum
La responsabilité sociale des entreprises transnationales : études de cas sur les audits sociaux et les droits des travailleurs en Chine

Current regulation of global supply chains mainly relies on non state mechanisms such as codes of conduct and social audits implemented by corporations, non governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations. This research seeks to assess if the audits carried out by Nike, Adidas and Puma can help strengthen the rights of Chinese workers. Through field work interviews conducted with auditors and NGOs, four basic conditions were defined and involve direct participation of workers, local capacity building, respect of freedom of association and professionalization of social auditors. The outcome of the study reveals progress still needs to be achieved for audits to become tools for the advancement of fundamental rights. The primary issue remains the development of democratic systems to allow workers to form free unions and negotiate their own collective labour agreements.

Keyphrases: Audit social, Chine, Nike, Entreprise transnationale, Corporate social responsibility, Social audit, Code of conduct, Supply chain, China, Freedom of Association, Norm, Transnational Corporation, International Labour Standard
El habla de la comunidad cubana en Montreal

This paper presents a first general characterization of the speech of the Cuban community in Montreal, with special attention to two aspects: the behavior of some of the characterizing features of Cuban Spanish in migrant speakers, and the possible contact-induced variations. To do this, we use data from a corpus collected by the researcher through recorded conversations (colloquial speech) with 19 Cubans: ten men and nine women currently living in Montreal. After analyzing the data, we have found that the characterizing features are preserved in the speech of Cuban residents in the city. The data also show some variations induced by the contact with the dominant languages (French-Spanish and, to a lesser extent, English-Spanish) band other varieties of Spanish, as well as with a new reality that is socio-economically, politically and culturally very different from the Cuban one. The detected variations at the morphosyntactic level are mainly in invariable words (prepositions).At the lexical-semantic level, we have found predominantly loanwords. There are also semantic loans, calques and frequency changes of some words. Concerning the pragmatic level, a slower rhythm of speech, possibly due to the condition of functional bilingualism, has been observed. In sum, the speech of the Cuban participants in this study shows some of the characteristic features of any language contact situation, but also has peculiarities relating to the characteristics of the community under study (language attitudes, for example), the typological distance between the languages involved (Spanish-French) and the contrast between the societies, among other factors.

Keyphrases: Migration, Language contact, Cuban Spanish, Spanish in Montreal, Lexicon
Les pratiques entourant le programme d'hébergement avec encadrement intensif : une analyse qualitative de la perception des intervenants

This dissertation outlines practices regarding the placement in intensive supervision unit for youth centers since the advent of the reform. This was influenced by polemics and controversies caused by the belief that this measure does not respect the rights of young people by restraining their freedom. The intensive supervision unit was perceived by lawyers as illegal because no legal basis existed. To resolve this debate, the legislature established in the Youth Protection Act, in 2007, the article 11.1.1 that now frames the use of this measure. To know the effects of this reform in the practices of counsellors, qualitative interviews were conducted with twenty-five employees of youth centers in Montreal and Laval. Despite some implementation difficulties and some signs of resistance to change, the results suggest that this reform enhances the rights of young people. About living conditions, major changes are at the heavy profile of the clientele and the overcrowding intensive supervision units. Also, the mix profiles on the rehabilitation of youth is discussed and analyzed in terms of the concept of socio-cultural inertia and in regard of respecting human children rights.

Keyphrases: Adolescents, Placement, Youth, Residential care, Rehabilitation, Behavior disorder, Intensive supervision unit, Decisional criteria
Une étude communicationnelle de l’expérience émotionnelle de travailleurs expatriés à Taïwan

Grounded in Montréal School of organizational communication research, this qualitative study investigates the sources of emotions that are perceived as making a difference in the adaptation of occidental expatriate workers in Taiwan by viewing these sources as “agents.” Thus, this study uncovers how the agents are seen as influencing expats’ emotional experience during their adaptation to Taiwanese professional culture, showing that many organizational aspects are viewed as sources of negative emotions. For example, expats’ accounts show that they treat adherence to hierarchy and organizational rules and rigid work schedules as agents that provoke negative emotions during their adaptation to their new environments. In addition, this study shows that the emotions were also, for the expatriated workers, seen as agents that they mobilized to justify their actions during this particular period of their lives.

Keyphrases: adaptation, Expatriates, adaptation, emotions, Taiwan, agency, Montreal School, emotional experience, organizational communication
Intramolecular Direct Functionalization of Cyclopropanes via Silver-Mediated, Palladium Catalysis

Over the last decade, the field of direct C–H functionalization has expanded as a consequence of the demand for cheaper, more efficient and greener chemical processes. Cyclopropanes represent a privileged moiety possessing numerous functions including the use as important biologically active agents and as useful synthetic intermediates towards accessing complex architectures. Despite their inherent value, cyclopropanes have not been widely explored as targets for direct C¬–H functionalization processes.   This thesis will discuss two related but equally different methodologies involving the direct C–H functionalization of cyclopropanes via intramolecular palladium-catalyzed, silver-mediated reactions. Chapter One will provide a brief glimpse into the foundations of direct functionalization and the contribution of these original findings towards key themes and concepts currently utilized in this field.  Challenges and strategies associated with the direct functionalization of sp3 centers will be highlighted with pertinent examples. Recent contributions from the literature towards directly functionalizing cyclopropanes will also be addressed. Key investigations regarding the mechanism and catalytic cycles for these processes will also be discussed.   Chapter Two will describe how 2-bromoanilides can be used to access valuable spiro 3,3’-cyclopropyl oxindoles. The optimization and scope for this project will be discussed, followed by mechanistic studies to disprove the formation of a putative palladium-enolate. These mechanistic studies include a kinetic isotope effect and epimerization experiments, both of which confirmed that the reaction proceeds via a direct arylation manifold. Based on the findings from Chapter Two, the direct functionalization of cyclopropyl benzamides will be presented, whereby subsequent ring-opening gives rise to novel benzo[c]azepin-1-ones (Chapter Three). After presenting a brief optimization and scope, mechanistic studies will be presented to support the proposed catalytic cycle. Isomerization studies will also be discussed for both benzazepinone products. This section will conclude that cyclopropyl C–H functionalization occurs prior to ring-opening and that acetate is responsible for mediating the concerted-metallation deprotonation event.   The final chapter (Chapter Four) will conclude with insights into what has been learned from both divergent, yet related methodologies and how these findings can be exploited to further explore other direct functionalizations targeting cyclopropanes.

Keyphrases: Palladium, Silver, Direct arylation, Direct functionalization, Cyclopropanes, Catalysis, Benzoazepinones, Spirooxindoles, Catalyse
Développement et radiosynthèse de ligands du récepteur tyrosine kinase neurotrophique type 2 (TrkB) marqués aux carbone-11 et fluor-18 pour l’imagerie cérébrale par tomographie d’émission de positons

This thesis describes my contribution leading to the development of the first-generation positron emission tomography (PET) radioligands labeled with fluorine-18 (t1/2 = 110 min) or carbon-11 (t1/2 = 20.4 min) for the in vivo brain imaging of tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB). This research follows from the recent discovery of non-peptidic, high-affinity TrkB ligands derived from 7,8-dihydroxyflavone. The synthesis of non-radioactive 7,8-dihydroxyflavone derivatives and radiolabeling precursors amenable to fluorine-18 and carbon-11 incorporation was performed. Two synthesized compounds have been brought forward as precursors for radiolabeling with either fluorine-18 or carbon-11. Radiosynthesis involved either a novel nucleophilic aromatic subsitution with [18F]fluoride, or N-methylation with [11C]methyl iodide or [11C] methyl triflate. The resulting radiotracers were assessed in vitro by autoradiography and in vivo by PET scans of rats. The physicochemical properties and serum stability of these tracers were also evaluated. X-ray crystal structures of a series of synthetic flavone analogues were used as basis for structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis. In combination with the above in vivo PET evaluation of these compounds, certain pharmacophores were shown essential for ligand binding affinity. In addition, some structural fragments were associated with in vivo ligand metabolism.  The development and  radiosynthesis of a third TrkB radiotracer, along with its in vivo PET evaluation and structural analysis, is also described here. In all, better understanding of these tracers have led to the design of potential second-generation TrkB ligands with more optimal properties as PET radiotracers.

Keyphrases: 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone, Positron emission tomography imaging, Central nervous system radioligand, 18F-Radiochemistry, 11C-Radiochemistry, Tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, Flavonoid, 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone, Nucleophilic aromatic 18F-substitution, 11C-Methylation
Dynamique de séparation de charges à l'hétérojonction de semi-conducteurs organiques

A deep understanding of charge separation at organic semiconductor heterojunctions is instrumental in developing organic photovoltaic diodes with higher power conversion efficiencies, which could be a game changer for meeting sustainable global energy needs. The goal of this thesis is to describe the processes involved in charge separation at organic semiconductor heterojonctions, taking the special case of PCDTBT:PCBM as an example. We probe interfacial excitations using time-resolved spectroscopic methods covering timescales from 100 femtoseconds to 1 millisecond. These main spectroscopic methods are femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy, time resolved fluorescence and transient absorption. Our results unambiguously show that charge transfer from PCDTBT to PCBM happens before the exciton is relaxed and localised, an experimental fact that in irreconcilable with semi-classical Marcus theory. The charge pair that is created then falls into two categories : un-trapped geminate polaron pairs or deeply trapped geminate polaron pairs. The former quickly relax to charge transfer exciton, which relax radiatively with a time constant of 1–2 nanosecond, while the latter form a charge transfer exciton on much longer timescales via tunneling. Our quantitative photo-physical model demonstrate that 2% of created excitation can never dissociate into free charge carrier, a figure that is in agreement with the high efficiencies reported for this type of system.

Keyphrases: Exciton, Polaron, Raman, Photoluminescence, PCDTBT, Polymer, Organic semiconductor, Spectroscopy, Recombination, Charge transfer
Évaluation des niveaux d’éthanolémie résultant de l’exposition à l’éthanol par inhalation : études chez des volontaires et modélisation toxicocinétique

A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model (PBPK) on inhalation exposure to ethanol has previously been developed based on data from an inhalation study in volunteers exposed to more than 5000 ppm. However, there remains uncertainty about the ability of the PBPK model to predict the blood levels of ethanol (BLE) for exposure to low concentrations. These levels are frequently encountered by a large part of the population and workers by using products such as varnishes and alcoholic solutions (HAS). It is therefore necessary to verify the validity of the existing model and determine the internal exposure to ethanol in such conditions. The objectives of this master’s thesis are 1) to document the BLE resulting from inhalation exposure to low concentrations of ethanol (i.e., ≤ 1000 ppm) and validate/refine the existing PBPK model for these concentrations, and 2) to determine the atmospheric concentrations of ethanol following the use of alcoholic solutions (HAS) and varnish as well as to predict the BLE resulting from their use. Toxicokinetic data collected from volunteers suggest that it is insufficient to limit metabolic clearance of ethanol to the liver during exposures to low levels of ethanol, unlike exposures to stronger levels. In addition, it was clearly demonstrated that light exercise (50W) increased (2-3 fold) the BLE in volunteers exposed to 750 ppm. An addition to the PBPK model of a metabolic clearance of high affinity and low capacity associated with richly perfused tissue was performed to simulate more accurately the toxicokinetic data from low and high ethanol exposure levels. Measurements of ethanol concentrations in inhaled air generated during the use of HAS and varnishes were used to simulate the exposure during the use of these products. The simulation for HAS, for 1.5 g and 3 g, gave a maximum blood concentration (Cmax) of 0.383 and 0.366 mg.L-1 respectively in a poorly ventilated room. In a well-ventilated room, the simulated Cmax for 1.5 g and 3 g of HAS were 0.264 and 0.414 mg.L-1, respectively. The simulation results from the use of ethanol-based varnish yielded a Cmax for men and women of 0.719 and 0.729 mg.L-1 respectively. The blood Cmax of ethanol previously listed for the various simulations are well below the toxic dose for humans (50 mg.L-1). Thus, such exposures do not seem to be a health hazard. The results of this study helped to better describe and understand the elimination of ethanol at low doses and refine the evaluation process associated with chronic inhalation of low levels of ethanol to the population risk, particularly in workers.

Keyphrases: Inhalation, Solution hydro-alcoolique, Blood levels of ethanol, PBPK modeling, Human exposure, Occupational population, General population, Hydro-alcoholic solution, Ethanol-based varnish
Médiation urbaine à Montréal : étude sur les cercles de résolution de conflits

In Quebec, community mediation is a newly developed practice which has started to be used during the last decade.  Studies on the practice of social mediation in the Province are very rare and that’s why our discussion will review the conflict resolution process of one community mediation team in Montreal. Moreover, the literature on this subject shows that social mediation is used and defined in numerous ways. It is also linked to multiple functions and while some authors will emphasize the urgency of more precisely defining the theoretical nature of social mediation, others will focus on the multiplicity of practices as a main challenge. For this reason, our study is all the more relevant since it aims at clarifying both the theoretical and practical aspects of this practice in order to enhance it. Among other things, we have analysed the processes of community mediation in Montreal and the experiences and views of the parties involved. To do this, we conducted unguided self-directed interviews and complemented them with participation observations, as part of our qualitative method approach. Community mediation in Montreal is a very innovative practice which has become more complex because of the political challenges within the community. However, given its positive effects and its huge potential it is worth developing further.

Keyphrases: Cohabitation, Community mediation, Conflict resolution, Living together, Urban space