NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Survivances de Sarah Kofman

This thesis considers the notion of survival—a concept that has attracted the attention of thinkers from various disciplines, from Janine Altounian to Jacques Derrida and Georges Didi-Huberman—in the work of Sarah Kofman, and specifically in her autobiography, Rue Ordener, rue Labat, which came out in 1994.   Four lines of inquiry guide this work, whose theoretical approach lies at the crossroads of literature, philosophy, psychoanalysis, and history (both social history and art history), and which, in the central chapter, addresses the legal sphere as well. We begin by looking not only into what it means to “escape death,” (including the attempts to achieve such a goal), but also into the drive to “live on” after the event of the Shoah. Secondly, we study various manifestations of the “active survival of the inner child” (J.-B. Pontalis), as well as the manifestations of the “lost object” in the work of impossible mourning, equally “interminable,” as it takes shape in Kofman’s works. Thirdly, we address the question of “survival” in the sense of Aby Warburg’s Nachleben (a concept studied by Georges Didi-Huberman) and find traces of other writings by Kofman, elliptically condensed in her autobiography, which takes up themes and revisits subjects previously touched upon in her writings. Fourthly, we question the pronominal French locution “se survivre” (to outlive, to outlast) and the scope of its complements: “in his/her work,” “in his/her testimonial,” “in memories”—all drawn together in Kofman’s work in an exemplary manner.   Among the points analyzed in depth in the chapters of this thesis are the motifs of resentment, the tragic double, forgiveness and forgetting, “disgrace,” shame and guilt, as well as various modalities of survival—the adaptation ability and the role of mothers, reading, laughter, the visual arts—all used by Kofman. This “LifeWork” (Pleshett DeArmitt), this singular and unique corpus, has always been about “ceaselessly affirming survival,” in the words of Jacques Derrida—no matter how high the price.

Keyphrases: Sarah Kofman, Sarah Kofman, French Philosophy, French Literature, Survival, World War II, Shoah (1939-1935), Jewish Identity, Autobiography, Childhood, Resentment, Guilt
Building Beyond Limits : Fantastic Collisions Between Bodies and Machines in French and English Fin-de-Siècle Literature

“Building Beyond Limits: Fantastic Collisions Between Bodies and Machines in French and English Fin-de-Siècle Literature” explores late-nineteenth-century texts that emerged in response, or in reaction to, the rapidly evolving scientific and technological environment and which specifically consider man’s relationship to the machine by fantasizing about the grey area where they intersect.  The core texts examined include Villiers de l’Isle-Adam’s L’Ève future, Alfred Jarry’s Le Surmâle, George Du Maurier’s Trilby, Jules Verne’s Le Château des Carpathes, and a selection of short stories which we may refer to as contes à appareils, most prominently Marcel Schwob’s “La Machine à parler.”   Using systems theory as its underlying structure, this dissertation sets out to reinterpret late-nineteenth-century texts that navigate the limits of the human and the mechanical and the sensitive surfaces where they touch and interact by re-inscribing them into a greater project of identity-building that defies chronological time and mathematical scale.  As such, the connection between systems theory and architecture – as a method of organizing blank space into space that is inhabitable – is explored in order to understand the way in which we shape and make sense of the void at the origin of individual, and by extension collective, identity by engaging in the literal act of body mapping and building.  Authors such as Villiers and Jarry set up the building of bodies as a scientific endeavor which must necessarily rely on available materials and technologies only to level this proposition by condemning the technological body to destruction.  The construction of a technologically-enabled identity thus takes on promethean proportions which are perpetually redesigned in the cyclical acts of raising and razing, and reflected in the palimpsestic qualities of the texts.  At stake is the integrity of the organic body, of the very nucleus of what it means to be human which, as evidenced by the equating of pathology with the loss of voice in the texts of Du Maurier, Verne and Schwob, may very well prove to be a structure which is distinctly unsound.

Keyphrases: Bodies, Machine, Machines, System, Network, Architecture, Architecture, Technologie, Technology, Sound, Appareil, Apparatus, Origin, Décadence, Decadence
The dismembered family : youth, memory, and modernity in rural southern Chile

This thesis tells a story of the supposed loss of political and citizen culture in post-dictatorship Chile. Focusing on the learning of civic behaviour among the country’s youngest political generation, now in its twenties, I question the taken-for-granted nature of this sense of loss. Given that members of this generation were either children or not yet born at the time of the 1990 democratic transition, they have largely learned from others about recent state repression and democratic reconciliation. This is amplified in sectors of the rural South, where much of what younger generations know about the conflicted past, including colonialism, revolutionary socialism, and fascism, has not been communicated through deliberate or verbal instruction, but transmitted indirectly as cultural tastes and habits that nevertheless influence political decisions. Through analysis of inter-generational transmissions of perspectives on the contested past, this thesis explores micro-level processes by which certain kinds of political behaviour are learned within families and small community networks. These are often in tension with lessons transmitted in public domains, such as in schools and among civic associations. Such tensions raise important questions about uneven membership in the national community, especially in a neoliberal era in which the restructuring of social services and of control over natural resources have transformed relationships between the rural poor and dominant society emanating from urban centres.  Among Chile’s youngest political generation, in what ways do situated understandings of the contested past and its impacts on the current distribution of power in the country, shape budding political identities? I broach this question through ethnographic analysis of the means by which youth acquire and express knowledge about history and its lingering influence on civic life today. Observations draw on over two years of anthropological fieldwork in three localities of the southern countryside impacted by industrial interventions in nearby rivers. These include the contamination of one from a pulp mill, and the proposed hydroelectric damming and diversion of several others. Industrial activities offer backdrops for assessing emergent political identities, as well as for identifying what the learning of political behaviour communicates about citizenship in Chile today.

Keyphrases: Chile, post-dictatorship, memory, development, youth, family, environment, Corporate Social Responsibility, Valdivia, mémoire
Jeux d'acteurs et enchevêtrement des vecteurs d'action : sociologie qualitative et approche interdisciplinaire du processus de patrimonialisation de l’usine de Paulilles devenue «site classé»

This thesis proposes an empirical study of the patrimonialization of the Nobel dynamite factory in southern France. This factory is now a public-open site since June 28th 2008. When it stopped its production in 1984, the company abandoned the factory and left its employees jobless. This situation had many consequences and created numerous controversies, partly because of the real estate interest that was shown for the territory on which the old factory was built. This thesis explores the different steps that led the authorities to declare the Nobel factory a public territory, according to a 1930 French law. This study also analyses the role played and the positions taken by different actors (associations, workers, medias, public agents, territorial communities, etc.) form 1984 to 2008, when the factory was made a public site. By doing so, the author wishes to trace the different processes that led to the patrimonialization of the Nobel dynamite factory.

Keyphrases: Mémoire collective, Sociologie qualitative, Patrimonialization, Collective memory, Nobel dynamite factory, Classified site, Qualitative sociology, Grounded theory
Zinc as an agent for the prevention of biofilm formation by pathogenic bacteria

Biofilms are structured communities of microorganisms enclosed in a self-produced extracellular matrix. Biofilms are responsible for the persistence of most infectious diseases, because the biofilm matrix acts as a form of protection for the bacteria against the host immune system, antibiotic and disinfectants. Recent work in our laboratory demonstrated that zinc could inhibit biofilm formation of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, a swine pathogen.   The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of zinc on growth and biofilm formation of other bacterial swine pathogens, such as Bordetella bronchiseptica, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus parasuis, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus suis. Bacteria were grown on 96-well plates under optimal biofilm forming conditions and the biofilms were stained with crystal violet. The presence of biofilms was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy with FilmTracerTM FM® 1-43. At micromolar concentrations, zinc weakly inhibited bacterial growth and effectively blocked biofilm-formation by A. pleuropneumoniae, Salmonella Typhimurium, and H. parasuis in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, biofilm formation of E. coli, S. aureus and S. suis was slightly inhibited by zinc. Our results indicate that zinc has an inhibitory effect on biofilm formation of most bacteria of porcine origin. However, the mechanism behind the antibiofilm activity of zinc has yet to be characterized.

Keyphrases: Biofilm, Zinc, Inhibition, Bacterial pathogens, Swine
IL-23 receptor and IL-12 receptor expression is restricted to distinct cell types in the IL-23R-GFP reporter mouse

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are characterised by uncontrolled immune responses in the gut. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a protective polymorphism for IBD in the IL23R gene. IL23R codes for the IL-23r protein, one of the two subunits of IL-23R. IL-23R belongs to the IL-12R family, which contains many heterodimeric receptors. For example, both IL-12R and IL-23R share the IL-12Rβ1 subunit. Nevertheless, IL-12R and IL-23R are associated with different immune processes (Th1 vs. Th17).   This thesis characterizes the cellular patterns of expression of both IL-23R and IL-12R, to further elucidate their roles in inflammation. We established that IL-23R and IL-12R were never co-expressed together, even though they share the IL-12Rβ2 subunit. Analysis of murine splenocytes revealed that IL-23R is expressed by some TCRγδ T-cells, a few B-cells, CD4+ T-cells and several Lti-like cells. IL-12R protein was found in a few B-cells.  The analysis of IL-23R and IL-12R expression in different organs revealed that the lamina propria of the small intestine was the organ containing the largest proportion of IL-23r+ cells. IL-12R+ cells were found in constant numbers throughout the organs.  Finally, in vitro cultures showed that IL-23R and IL-12R had crossed reaction to IL-12 and IL-23. Study of IL-23R in IBD should always be accompanied by IL-12R analysis, because both receptors could have complementary roles.

Keyphrases: Inflammatory bowel diseases, IL-23, IL-12, IL-23R, IL-12R, Lamina propria, Lti-like cells, IL-23R-GFP reporter mouse, IL-23
Équité d’utilisation des services de santé et de disponibilité des ressources en matière de santé dans la province de Québec

Objectives: The general objective of this study is to understand in what the use of health services and the availability of health resources in Quebec are fair.  Methods: This cross-sectional and corelational study interests the 95 territories CSSS of Quebec, and covers the years 2006-2007 and 2008-2009. The material and social deprivation index of Pampalon is put in connection with two series of variables, such those of the use of the services by CSSS (hospital services; medical services; CLSC services) and those of availability of the resources (financial capacity; material capacity, human capacity; viability). To do it, analyses of variance were made. The integrative model of the health service performance (EGIPSS) and that of the use of the health services of Donabedian serve as frame of analysis.  Results: The use of health services is fair as regards the material deprivation, but not in what concerned the social deprivation. The use of medical services dispensed by the general practitioners is more raised at the population the most favored socially compared with the most disadvantaged population. However, the use of the specialists is fairer than that of the general practitioners, it, for the populations disadvantaged so materially as socially. The avoidable hospitalizations are more raised at the population the most disadvantaged socially compared with the most favored. In terms of the availability of resources, the disadvantaged populations have more resources than the most favored populations.  Conclusion: Generally, there are very few inequities in the use of health services in Quebec. Besides, the availability of the resources regarding health is relatively fair in Quebec, exception made by the distribution of the staff.

Keyphrases: CSSS, Equity, Use of health services, Availability of resources, Deprivation index
Consumption of black tea and coffee and the risk of lung cancer

Objective: To investigate the associations between the consumption of black tea and coffee and lung cancer. Methods: This research was conducted using data from a Montreal lung cancer case-control study that included Canadian residents aged 35 to 75 years old recruited between 1996 and 2001. Cases were individuals diagnosed with lung cancer between 1996 and 1997 from one of 18 Montreal-area hospitals. Controls were randomly selected from the electoral list and frequency matched to the distribution of the cases by 5 year age groups, sex and electoral district. In total, 1130 cases and 1484 controls were included in this analysis. The odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between black tea and coffee consumption and lung cancer were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. Four aspects of the consumption were analyzed in separate multivariate models: the frequency of consumption, average daily amount of consumption, duration of consumption and cumulative consumption. Potential covariates included: age, sex, smoking, respondent status, ethnicity, alcohol intake, fruit and vegetable intake, energy intake, exposure to occupational agents and socioeconomic variables. Analyses by sex, smoking level and tumor histological type were also conducted. Results: No statistically significant association was observed between the consumption of black tea and lung cancer. There were indications that consuming black tea for 50 years or more was associated with an increase in the risk of adenocarcinoma relative to no consumption. A significant inverse association between the consumption of coffee and lung cancer was observed for occasional coffee drinkers when compared to never drinkers with an estimated OR (95%CI) of 0.32 (0.17 - 0.59). The duration of coffee consumption was not statistically significantly associated with lung cancer. Conclusion: Our results suggest that long-term consumption of black tea may increase the risk of adenocarcinoma. On the other hand, the occasional consumption of coffee may reduce the risk of lung cancer.

Keyphrases: Epidemiology, Case-control, Lung cancer, Coffee, Tea, Black tea
Les représentations médiatiques de la mort cérébrale :
perspectives publiques, débats d’experts et enjeux éthiques

Despite being widely accepted by the medical community, the concept of brain death is still misunderstood by healthcare providers and the general public. It is central to several debates and remains a source of controversy. In spite of documented practice variations and conceptual confusion surrounding brain death, the upstream sources of variability and uncertainty have not been extensively investigated. This confusion is likely to influence debates and decisions about end-of-life and organ donation, and thus raises serious medical and ethical considerations. This thesis first proposes a review of the literature discussing the origins, the evolution and the debates related to the concept of brain death, as well as the ethical issues associated with brain death. The methodological approaches used for the realization of this research are then described. The results obtained from the qualitative content analysis of Canadian and American media about the different depictions of brain death follow. These results describe the use of the term “brain death” in contexts of organ donation, definitions of brain death, determination of death, end-of-life issues, legal issues and also colloquial uses of the term. Finally, a general discussion about the role of the terminology used to discuss the concept and that of healthcare professionals involved in its determination and organ donation practices, as well as recommendations for the future will conclude this thesis.

Keyphrases: Brain death, Neurological criteria for death, Organ donation, End-of-life, Neuroethics
Characterization of Carotid Plaques with Ultrasound Non-Invasive Vascular Elastography (NIVE) : Feasibility and Correlation with High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Stroke is a leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide, and a significant proportion of strokes are caused by carotid atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Prevention of stroke in patients with carotid plaque poses a significant challenge to physicians, as risks and benefits of surgical or medical treatments remain equivocal. Many imaging techniques have been developed to identify and study vulnerable (high-risk) atherosclerotic plaques, but none is sufficiently validated or accessible for population screening. Non-invasive vascular elastography (NIVE) is a novel ultrasonic technique that maps carotid plaque strain (elasticity) characteristics to detect its vulnerability; it has not been clinically validated yet. The goal of this project is to evaluate the ability of ultrasound NIVE strain analysis to characterize carotid plaque composition and vulnerability in vivo in patients with significant plaque burden, as determined by the reference standard, high resolution MRI. To undertake this study, a thorough understanding of stroke, atherosclerosis, vulnerable plaque, and current non-invasive carotid plaque imaging techniques is required. Thirty-one subjects underwent NIVE and high-resolution MRI of internal carotid arteries. Of 31 plaques, 9 were symptomatic, 17 contained lipid and 7 were vulnerable on MRI. Strains were significantly lower in plaques containing a lipid core compared to those without lipid, with high sensitivity and moderate specificity. A quadratic fit was found between strain and lipid content. Strains did not discriminate symptomatic patients or vulnerable plaques. In conclusion, ultrasound NIVE is feasible in patients with significant carotid stenosis and can detect the presence of a lipid core. Further studies of plaque progression with NIVE are required to identify vulnerable plaques.

Keyphrases: Stroke, Carotid artery plaque, Atherosclerotic plaque, Elastography, Ultrasound, Non-invasive vascular elastography, Magnetic resonance imaging, Lipid core
L’étude de l’impact des protéines non structurales NS1 et NS2 du virus respiratoire syncitial sur la réponse immunitaire innée

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a RNA virus with negative polarity. RSV infections are the most common cause of hospitalization among infants. Among populations at risk, infection of RSV can be quite severe. RSV infections can cause bronchiolitis, pneumonia, while severe infections are linked to the development of asthma. Early in the infectious cycle of RSV, the cytosolic sensor RIG-I captures viral particles, and activates the immune response by engaging the transcription factors IRF-3 and NF-κB. At the heart of RSV mediated pathologies is a skewed immune response. More precisely, RSV over stimulates the release of proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines. Intriguingly, while RSV is able to stimulate the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, RSV under stimulates the antiviral response. The ability of RSV to evade the antiviral response is thought to be mediated by its non-structural proteins: NS1 and NS2. However, the mechanism by which NS1 and NS2 enable RSV to evade the antiviral response remains to be determined. In this memoir we investigated, how RSV is recognized by the innate immune response in airway epithelial cells. With this information we hope to improve our understanding of how NS1 and NS2 allow RSV to circumvent the antiviral response. We show for the first time that cytosolic sensor MDA5 plays a role in the recognition of RSV particles. Using a combination of interfering RNA directed against RIG-I, and transfection of MDA5, we show that MDA5 does not contribute to the phosphorylation of IRF-3. According to the data presented, we suggest that MDA5’s role in the immune response is to prevent the degradation of IRF-3. Contrary to previous research, we show that the inhibition of the nonstructural protein does not increase the production of the antiviral cytokine IFN-β. However, the ectopic expression of NS1 and NS2 does lead to a reduction of the promoter activity of IFN-β and the antiviral protein ISG56 when measured by luciferase assay. This research highlights the importance of MDA5 as a potential therapeutic target in the development of a cure for RSV.

Keyphrases: Mda5, Rig-I, RSV, NS1, NS2