NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Étude de la phase pseudogap de supraconducteurs Haut-Tc Nd-LSCO par analyse optique de l'anisotropie de la génération de seconde harmonique

This paper discusses the study of the second harmonic generation (GSH) anisotropy on superconducting cuprates of rare-earth elements La1:6xNd0:4SrxCuO4 (Nd-LSCO). Broken inversion symmetries, temporal and space, of the pseudogap phase will be analyzed to understand the mechanism of pairing quasiparticles present in the subsequent superconducting state. Above the transition temperature of the pseudogap (T ), the patterns of anisotropy of the second harmonic generation show contributions to the effective polarization from a bulk electric quadrupole moment on which is added a surface electric dipole moment and a magnetic dipole moment of the bulk, the latter two being isotropic. However, we could not attribute the nature of the anisotropy under T  to a particular contribution. Still, it seems that the latter retains an electric quadrupole moment participation by its eightfold symmetry, showing at the same time a symmetry reduction. Thus, the temperature dependence does not seem to show any variations linked to these inversion symmetry hypotheses. On the other hand, a complete theoretical study of the second harmonic generation anisotropy of GaAs is presented and compared with experimental measurements. The good agreement between the two guarantees the quality and the efficiency of the setup used here.

Keyphrases: Pseudogap, Nd-LSCO, Second harmonic generation, High-Tc, Superconductor
Modélisation de la structure du silicium amorphe à l’aide d’algorithmes d’apprentissage profond

Amorphous silicon is a canonical system for the study of disordered materials because of both its technological importance and fundamental interest. The details of its atomic structure are not yet well-known, and its theoretical study relies mainly on numerical simulations. But Monte Carlo approaches for generating continuous random networks show a realism that depend heavily on the considered description of the energy landscape. Ab initio methods provide a faithful description but are limited to small systems, typically of a few hundreds of atoms. On the other hand, empirical potentials are efficient alternatives as they enable the modeling of large-scale systems up to a million atoms, at the price of a reduced reliability. Recent advances in machine learning have led to the emergence of powerful deep generative models that are able to approximate complex high-dimensional functions from a dataset, which have shown great success in difficult generation tasks such as image and audio synthesis. Their efficiency lead the way to a better compromise between performance and realism for the modelization of disordered systems. In order to explore this alternative, a convolutional neural network is trained to approximate the potential energy surface of amorphous silicon as given by the Stillinger- Weber potential, which resulted in a root mean square error of 5.05 meV per atom, corresponding to 0,16% of the atomic energy. Then a deep generative model, the Wasserstein Auto-Encoder, is trained to generate amorphous configurations. The resulting model generates qualitatively realistic configurations, although with a strong structural disorder, thus confirming viability of the method.

Keyphrases: Amorphous silicon, Deep learning
Étude de la convection dans les étoiles naines blanches de type ZZ Ceti et les implications sur la mesure de leurs paramètres atmosphériques

We present a theoretical and observational study of ZZ Ceti white dwarf stars aimed at improving their atmospheric parameter determinations. Convective energy transfer remains the dominant theoretical uncertainty. On the observational side, the quality and calibration of the object’s observed spectrum have great incidence on the determined parameters. To this end, we first replaced the mixing length theory of convection used in our model atmospheres by the non-local formalism of Shaviv & Salpeter, properly generalized to take into account radiative exchanges by the convective fluid. In addition, unlike in any other study involving non-local mixing length formalisms, we explicitely treated downflows as well as allowed for departures of all thermodynamic variables from the mean state. By virtue of recognizing the stratified nature of the stellar environment, we were able to replicate certain features predicted by radiation hydrodynamics simulations, granted that we are deep enough in the convection zone. Deficiencies in the parameterization of physical processes occuring in the superadiabatic layer undermine our ability to make realistic predictions in that region. Secondly, following Bond et al., we averaged atmospheric parameter determinations obtained by multiple spectra, allowing us more accurate determinations. While doing so, we have recalibrated the mixing length theory and redone the spectrophotometric analysis of Bergeron et al.. We produced a larger ZZ Ceti instability strip along a better defined empirical blue edge.

Keyphrases: stars: atmospheric parameters, stars: convective transport, stars: variables: ZZ Ceti, white dwarfs, techniques: photometric and spectroscopic
Le blogue à l’université : journal d’un enseignement

In 2018, at Université de Montréal, the author gave a creative writing class on blogs and kept a journal based on his teaching. He comments on class activities, talks about French and Québec blogs, and questions the nature of this digital writing practice, in particular its relationship with the essay as a literary genre. The article is the narrative of an experiment as well as the opportunity to discuss methodological questions: how does one describe and study blogs? How does one distinguish this mode of expression from what circulates on social networks?

Keyphrases: Québec, France, Essay, Blog, Digital writing, Digital identity, Social networks
Donald Trump et l’Agneau de Scythie

In the first volume of the Encyclopédie (1751), Diderot published an article titled « Agnus Scythicus ». Not only does he show that this plant is a myth, but he offers a lesson in historical and scientific method. Imagine if Donald Trump were to read Diderot’s article.

Keyphrases: Encyclopédie, Diderot (Denis), Fake news, Infox, Science, XVIIIe siècle, Encyclopedia, Botanic, XVIIIth century, Age of Enlightenment
Étude de la cinétique de croissance du graphène en conditions purifiées

The synthesis of graphene via CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) has become the goto method to grow high-quality monolayer graphene. Still, numerous parameters stay unknown and growth mechanism isn’t solved. Different growth conditions between groups make it hard to rationalize the research. Without precise control of gas purity, it will be impossible to understand the role of each parameter. Our work focused on the suppression of impurities during growth to get a clear picture of the growth mechanism. This way, we obtain an objective view of each parameter during the growth, like gas pressure and growth temperature. We synthesized and characterized a large number of graphene samples using the SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) in order to extract the information needed to analyze the growth parameters. We were able to study the effect of methane pressure on the growth rate, leading to the validation of our growth kinetics model in purified conditions. Two different regimes were observed for graphene grains growth. The first is a linear growth regime until graphene coverage reaches 40% where a saturation regime takes place. These two regimes are the result of the catalytic activity of the copper substrate getting more and more covered. The effect of growth temperature on kinetics was studied and helped us determine the activation energies related to the nucleation process (2.2 ± 0.2 eV) and grain growth (1.20 ± 0.1 eV). By validating the kinetic model of purified growths, we have attained an unprecedented level of control on graphene growth, we know the behavior of graphene grains at every moment of the growth.

Keyphrases: CVD, Graphene, Monolayer, Impurities, SEM, Kinetics, Activation energy, Critical germ size
Rethinking a defense of sweatshops

In this paper, I criticize Benjamin Powell’s alleged comprehensive moral defense of sweatshops in his book Out of Poverty: Sweatshops and the Global Economy New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014. I argue that his book is not comprehensive, for it fails to argue against his strongest moral opponent. Through two examples that I call “bullying” and “half rescue,” I argue that sweatshop employees are not being treated in accordance with the minimal moral treatment that they all deserve by virtue of the fact that they are persons. I also argue that we all have a moral duty to set up those institutions, policies and laws that can help sweatshop employees get this minimal moral treatment that they deserve. In addition, I contend that sweatshops no longer should be seen as the “first rung on the ladder out of extreme poverty.” Rather, it is more likely that sweatshops in today’s global economy keep the poor in poverty and cover up the fact that multinational enterprises can involve sweatshop employees in endless schemes that pit poor people against other poor people, ensuring that none of them will get the treatment that they deserve as persons.

Keyphrases: Philosophy, Ethics, Economics, Powell, Sweatshops, Morality, Human rights, Bullying, Half rescue, Minimal moral treatment
Caring for structural vulnerabilities : Can we hear all voices?

In this essay, I argue that care ethics faces a fundamental challenge in addressing structural vulnerabilities. I argue that one of its main strengths – its focus on alleviating individuals’ material needs – also generates a weakness regarding one of its other key aims – namely, respecting the voice of the concrete other. As a result, I will argue that a full application of care ethics in response to structural vulnerabilities must moderate or supplement its focus on material needs.

Keyphrases: Philosophy, Ethics, Economics, Injustice structurelle, Vulnérabilité structurelle
L’attitude des mangeurs à l’égard de l’entomophagie

Since 2013, interest in entomophagy has exploded following the publication by the FAO of a reference document dealing with future prospects for insects consumption. This food practice is now positioned as an option to address the planet’s nutritional and environmental concerns. Entomophagy is already a component of traditional diets in many human populations. However, for the Westerners, the situation is different. This consumption behavior is often perceived as disgusting or primitive by them. The main objective of this thesis is to document the population’s attitude towards the consumption of insects. During the summer of 2017, a set of data was collected among visitors of the Montreal Insectarium, internet users visiting its website, as well as nutritionists members of the Ordre des Diététiste du Québec (OPDQ) who subscribed to the organization’s Facebook page. Data collection was conducted via a self-administered questionnaires in an electronic format. The questionnaire was inspired by the literature, the theory of the diffusion of innovation, and the food motivations. Data was analyzed with SPSS software. This project has received ethical approval by the Health Research Ethics Board of the University of Montreal's Faculty of Medicine (CERES). A total of 253 public participants and 179 nutritionists responded to the questionnaire. At first the groups results are analyzed seperately and, then the differences of the respondents’ attitude are compared between the two groups. The results show that the majority of respondents never consumed or even cooked with insects. Our results demonstrate that the intention of insect consumption decreases once the insect is visible. It should also be noted that the factors that would seem to facilitate the integration of insects are, the safety of the insects, the knowledge of their method of preparation & conservation, and the knowledge of their nutritional advantages. In the near future, many are considering access to insect-based products, catering, cooking programs and tastings in grocery stores. Regarding the food motivations of the respondents, taste would be the most important one. In terms of differences between the two groups of participants public respondents would be more open than nutritionists to consuming insects where they are visible. In a near future, it is possible to see insects as a source of protein to Western menus. The future looks promising for the world of entomophagy.

Keyphrases: Motivations, Barriers, Entomophagy, Future perspectives, Insectarium of Montreal, Insects, Nutritionists
An alliance beyond the human realm for ecological justice

This paper proposes to argue that ecological justice that is rooted in an ecocentric approach to nature is the key to achieving integral human development which goes beyond ‘development that is only worth our while’. Ecological justice is achievable if there is a clear understanding of relations at two distinct levels - one, the relation among humans and another between the entire human community and other elements of the ecosystem. These relations are the basis of the alliances that we form to address issues of integral human development. The focus of the paper is the second kind of alliance that is based on an understanding of the relation between the human and the non-human realm. However, an ‘alliance’ is normally formed between partners with equal standing. Is there a sense in which both humans and the non-human world can be considered to be ‘equal partners in an alliance? The paper considers how one might establish this by examining diverse philosophical viewpoints that have addressed the issue of the treatment of non-human animals for anthropocentric ends. It discusses whether equality between parties is necessary for the formation of an alliance drawing extensively from ethical theories and examples from the world. From rights approach, recipients of justice, to care ethics, several theories offer guidance to support what would constitute a ‘humane’ approach to non-human animals. While these approaches crucially pin the broad perspective, they have not explicitly considered the role of an alliance between humans and non-human animals in achieving a basic level of wellbeing for the latter. Taking cues from the different kinds of ‘ruling over’ from Stuart Gray’s understanding of the relation between humans and non-human nature, the paper seeks to establish that an alliance between humans and the non-human realm is possible even without committing to their equal status and this could form the basis of ecological justice and well-being.

Keyphrases: Philosophy, Ethics, Economics, Environmental justice, Integral human development, Ecological justice, Alliance beyond the human realm, Ruling over nature
Stubborn realities, shared humanity : the state of humanitarian ethics today

This paper explores the current standing of humanitarian ethics from two different, and yet interrelated perspectives. The first argues that shortcomings of humanitarianism are symptoms of deeper social and political problems inextricably linked to the nature of humanitarian practices, while the second takes notion of humanitarian compassion as the primary moral (and political) disposition of the 21st century individual under critical scrutiny. By bringing inconsistencies of humanitarianism into the spotlight I show how humanitarianism has become a language that inextricably serves to govern human beings. Hence, by disclosing pathologies internal to the humanitarian system, I hope that I am at the same time pointing at things that a reimagined humanitarianism needs to avoid. Ultimately, I argue that this is only possible if we rethink the objectives and nature of humanitarian assistance today. Instead of falling prey to unhealthy dependencies of crisis relief and pathologies that it engenders, humanitarianism should focus on restoring the autonomy of those affected by humanitarian crises and foster further development of their social environment and individual capabilities. A satisfactory humanitarian regime should enable people to help themselves and their communities, particularly through improving their sustainability and resilience in the face of increasing global challenges and vulnerabilities.

Keyphrases: Philosophy, Ethics, Economics, Humanitarianism, Humanitarian ethics, Compassion, Development, Resilience, Humanitarian sustainability, Compassion
La liberté des femmes dans un contexte de chirurgies esthétiques intimes

In a liberal society, by detaining sole ownership over their bodies, women are free to resort to intimate cosmetic surgeries. However, the extent of these liberties in making decisions regarding their body’s integrity may be questioned. In certain cases, exploring the ambiguity surrounding the freedom of choice in intimate cosmetic surgeries raises concerns over several factors that may serve as significant influences on their thinking. In order to secure women’s ownership over their bodies, some authors appeal to the notion of paternalism. “Soft paternalism” would serve as a tool for women to counteract most of the elements that are known as hindrances to women’s freedom. Such notion may however be deemed problematic in itself, for it tends to recreate the problem in its attempt to solve it, for imposing laws or rules on women to shelter them from social constructions of society does not necessarily secure their freedom. The most relevant option for increasing women’s freedom in the context of intimate cosmetic surgeries lies in their education. Educating women on all the influencing factors, and thereby providing them with the tools and information to make informed decisions, appears to be the suitable solution to free women from these restrictive voices. In doing so, any decision regarding these permanent surgeries would ensue from a thorough process of critical reflection and would therefore be made free of any influencing factors.

Keyphrases: Objections, Construction sociale, Intimate aesthetic/cosmetic surgery, Freedom, Choice, Liberalism, Objections, Power, Social construction, Paternalism, Education
Le mouvement énactif et le problème difficile de la conscience

The phenomenality of experience—the fact that things appear for us with a subjective character—is still one of the most important questions for contemporary philosophy of mind. The difficulty to provide any functional analysis or to identify any physical mechanism which would allow us to explain adequately what phenomenality consists in, is what gives rise to the ongoing “hard problem of consciousness”. This work explores the contributions of a relatively new set of perspectives on cognition—the enactive approaches—in light of the hard problem. The enactive positions consider cognition as a doing or an activity deployed by an embodied subject, rather that a passive reception and processing of information. This change of perspective invites us at the same time to reconceive phenomenality on the basis of the whole set of interactions between the organism and its environment and provides us with new ways to reflect on how to possibly resolve the “explanatory gap” between phenomenal and empirical data. By elaborating on the three main figures of this orientation of research—autopoïetic enactivism, sensorimotor enactivism and radical enactivism—this thesis provides an intelligible synthesis of the main ressources in the hands of the enactive movement to progress on the hard problem of consciousness. Additionally, the comparison of these three points of view brings forth a fundamental difference between two opposite conceptions of philosophical naturalism whithin the enactive movement. The transcendantal perspective of husserlian background which the autopoïetic movement seeks to preserve is shown to lead to a dead-end, which should be abandonned for the sake of a deeper integration of sensorimotor and radical positions with the neurosciences.

Keyphrases: radical, hard problem, explanatory gap, consciousness, phenomenality, enactivism, autopoietic, sensorimotor, naturalism, materialism
The persistence of non-identity : spiritual experience in Adorno

Adorno’s conception of spiritual experience gains its critical import from its predominantly negative character: experience is no longer understood as a vehicle for what is communicated to us directly, but instead as the expression of an objective lack that blocks the possibility of direct communication altogether. This lack is expressed epistemically by the subject-object split in Idealism, and socially by the process of “disenchantment” that is intrinsic to modernity. The aim of reconstructing Adorno’s conception of spiritual experience is to show how this social lack can be adequately communicated within an epistemic context that blocks the possibility of direct communication; conversely, it is only once this problem is surmounted that the critical import of spiritual experience can be established. We will reconstruct Adorno’s conception of spiritual experience on the basis of its relation to what is given, or what we assume is communicated directly to us in experience. As the given gains its problematic character in relation to idealistic accounts of experience, we will depart with the failure of subjective idealism to properly account for the given object in experience. Following this, we will show how the positive aspects of spiritual experience are established through the sustained critique of reified accounts of experience such as positivism and phenomenology. As both accounts aim to smooth-over the subject-object split by grounding experience in a particular form of givenness, we will show how their respective failures in reducing experience to givenness express the possibility of an un-reduced account of the former. The final section of the work will attempt to establish Adorno’s conception of spiritual experience as a positive response to these failures: in other words, it attempts to get something right about experience on the basis of how the latter is wrongly construed. More precisely, the concept’s adequacy as a response is demonstrated through its ability to make connections between the epistemic insufficiencies of reductionistic accounts of experience and the social processes which underpin the phenomenon of disenchantment.

Keyphrases: Theodor Adorno, Spiritual Experience, The Given, Positivism, Phenomenology, Idealism
L'herméneutique de la réversibilité dans l’œuvre de Walter Benjamin : interprétations de Kafka et Baudelaire

This thesis addresses the question of interpretation within the works of Walter Benjamin. Based on the premise according to which Benjamin’s theories of history and of literary criticism should be considered as intimately intertwined, our analyses will try to demonstrate how the literary figures that appear in Benjamin’s works during the decade that spans from 1930 to 1940 represent fundamental tools for grasping the enigmatic theses of “On The Concept of History”. The purpose of our enquiry is actually twofold. Firstly, in an attempt to describe and exemplify the hermeneutics of Walter Benjamin, we have set out to interpret Benjamin’s essays on Franz Kafka and Charles Baudelaire in the spirit of his own methodological and critical dispositions. These readings will allow us to extricate from Benjamin’s literary essays his own fundamental philosophical concepts as well as the proper evolution of these concepts between the early and the later 1930’s. Secondly, we will also set out to demonstrate that the transition from Kafka to Baudelaire in Benjamin’s career serves as an indicator to his own transition, moving from the greater theological influences of his earlier works to the rather dialectical and material influences of his later works. On this occasion, we will suggest considering the articulation between these two conceptual heritages in Benjamin’s thought in terms of “reversibility” and reciprocity.

Keyphrases: Walter Benjamin, Franz Kafka, Charles Baudelaire, Critical theory, Philosophy of history, Hermeneutics, Judaism, Literature, XXe siècle, 20th century