NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Mesures de soutien offertes aux enseignants en insertion professionnelle au Québec et degré d’aide perçue

In order to offer novice teachers relevant and effective support, it is important to know which support measures are provided to them and how these teachers benefited from this help. The purpose of this article is, on the one hand, to identify the support measures offered to beginning teachers and, on the other hand, to describe and understand the perception of the help provided by them. The data analyzed are borrowed from a survey (n = 156) and semi-structured interviews (n = 10). The results reveal that the support measures most often offered to novice teachers are not necessarily the most helpful from their point of view.

Keyphrases: Teacher induction, Novice teacher, Support measure, Teacher induction program
Un modèle du leadership infirmier transformationnel pour l’intégration précoce de l’approche palliative en centre d’hébergement de soins de longue durée

Regarding of the fragility and precariousness of the elderly living in CHSLDs in Quebec, it is important that these environments integrate the palliative approach to support residents and their loved ones while respecting their wishes until the end of life (Hawley, 2015), which the nurse can influence through her nursing directives to the care and interprofessional team. Based on the Conceptual Model for Developing and Sustaining Leadership (Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario [RNAO], 2013) an integrative review carried out according to the method of Whittemore and Knafl (2005) enabled a documentary search in the databases PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo and Web of Science. The analysis of the results follows a thematic analysis method (Paillé and Mucchielli, 2012) based on the themes of the RNAO model (2013): 1) building relationships & trust, 2) creating an empowering work environment, 3) creating a culture that supports knowledge development & integration, 4) leading & sustaining change, 5) balancing the complexities of the system, managing competing values & priorities, 6) organizational supports and 7) personal resources. An integrative model presents the main results such as the involvement of residents and their families, the importance of communication, everyone's knowledge and skills, consistency and continuity of care, respect for individual values and beliefs, organizational and personal culture, and resources. Barriers and facilitators are identified and the involvement at different levels, including practice, training, research, and management.

Keyphrases: Leadership, CHSLD
Absorption and luminescence spectroscopy of transition metal
compounds : from coordination geometries to excited-state
properties

Absorption spectra of transition metal compounds provide important experimental information for the understanding of their chemistry. The combination with luminescence spectra yields quantitative insight on excited-state properties, in particular from spectra with resolved vibronic structure measured at low temperature. Three categories of complexes are used to illustrate how their electronic structure can be characterized in detail. The first examples are aquo complexes of first row d-block metal ions with absorption spectra showing interference dips, the second category are trans-dioxo rhenium(V) complexes with metal-ligand single and double bonds leading to luminescence spectra with characteristic vibronic structure, and finally square-planar complexes of palladium(II) and platinum(II) with large changes of luminescence intensities and wavelengths induced by external pressure are presented.

Keyphrases: Absorption spectroscopy, Luminescence spectroscopy, Transition metal complexes, Award lecture, Review
Understanding and attenuating pandemic‑related disruptions : a plan
to reduce inequalities in child development

The Secretary General of the United Nations described the impact of COVID-19-related school closures as a “generational catastrophe.” What will be the legacy of the 2020–2021 pandemic-related disruptions in 5, 10, 20 years from now, as regards education and well-being of children and youth? Addressing the disproportionate impact on those growing up in socio-economically disadvantaged areas or on those with pre-existing learning challenges is key to sustainable recovery. This commentary builds on the four literature reviews presented in this Special Section on a Pandemic Recovery Plan for Children and proposes strategies to understand and attenuate the impact of pandemic-related lockdown measures. Importantly, we need a monitoring strategy to assess indicators of child development in three areas of functioning: education and learning, health, and well-being (or mental health). Surveillance needs to begin in the critical prenatal period (with prenatal care to expectant parents), and extend to the end of formal high school/college education. Based on child development indicators, a stepped strategy for intervention, ranging from all-encompassing population-based health and education promotion initiatives to targeted prevention programs and targeted remedial/therapeutic interventions, can be offered. As proposed in the UN plan for recovery, ensuring healthy present and future generations involves a concerted and intensive intersectoral effort from the education, health, psychosocial services, and scientific communities.

Keyphrases: Children, Education, COVID-19, Mental health, Prevention, COVID-19, Prévention
L’IL-7 et les cellules dendritiques dans le développement et l’homéostasie des lymphocytes T

Dendritic cells (DCs) and interleukin-7 (IL-7) are two factors essential for the development and homeostasis of T lymphocytes. An abnormality in the production or signaling of IL-7 is associated with a defective thymopoiesis and severe lymphopenia. DCs deficiency leads to a breakdown in self-tolerance leading to the development of autoimmune diseases and impaired T cells homeostasis. In this thesis, we have focused on the contribution of IL-7 and DCs in the reconstitution and homeostasis of lymphocytes in two different therapeutic contexts. Firstly, imatinib (drug used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)) has been shown to induce a decrease of T lymphocytes number in patients with CML. From our in vitro study on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) cultured in the presence of imatinib before stimulation by IL-7 at different concentrations, we demonstrated a disruption of IL-7 signaling in T cells following interference with imatinib. Using our imatinib-treated mouse model, we also showed in vivo impaired T cells homeostasis. The negative modulation of T lymphocytes homeostasis by imatinib is also accompanied by a dramatic decrease in the proportion of DCs, which could also decline T cells pool. Secondly, we used murine syngeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) models to study the contribution of IL-7 produced by DCs in thymopoiesis and T cells homeostasis. To assess the role of IL-7 produced by DCs in T cell reconstitution and homeostasis, we generated BM chimeras with IL-7 production exclusively limited to stromal cells, by BMT of IL-7 - / - into Rag - / - mice. Rag - / - mice transplanted with IL-7 -/- BM cells develop a lethal systemic autoimmune disease post-transplant at 4-5 weeks post-BMT. Our results strongly suggest a major contribution of Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC)-produced IL-7 in immune reconstitution after BM transplantation. Our work contributes to expanding our understanding of the biology of the IL-7 / IL-7Rα axis and DCs in T cell development and homeostasis.

Keyphrases: IL-7, Thymus, Rag-/-, Lymphopenia, CML, Immune reconstitution, Autoimmunity, Dendritic cells, T lymphocytes
Régulation et fonctions de la phosphatase PP2A-Twins pendant la mitose chez Drosophila melanogaster

Mitosis is triggered by the cyclin B – Cdk1 complex that phosphorylates multiple substrates to promote transformations such as chromosome condensation, nuclear envelope breakdown and mitotic spindle formation. These transformations are required for cell division. The protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in complex with its B55/Twins (Tws) subunit dephosphorylates cyclin B – Cdk1 substrates. To prevent premature dephosphorylation of the mitotic phosphoproteins, PP2A-B55/Tws is inhibited upon mitotic entry. The Greatwall (Gwl) – endosulfines pathway is responsible for PP2AB55/Tws inhibition. Activated upon mitotic entry, the Gwl kinase phosphorylates small proteins called endosulfines to turn them into specific inhibitors of PP2A-B55/Tws. Gwl is exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm before nuclear envelope breakdown. However, the mechanisms of spatiotemporal regulation of the Gwl – endosulfines – PP2A module are not entirely elucidated. Moreover, the identity of the proteins targeted by PP2A-Tws during mitotic exit is still unclear.  During my PhD training, I found that Tws can transit through the nucleus via a nuclear localization signal (NLS), but its essential functions are cytoplasmic. Moreover, the sole endosulfine present in Drosophila melanogaster, Endos, has a cytoplasmic localization. Such localization is required for efficient phosphorylation of Endos by active and cytoplasmic Gwl. Once phosphorylated, Endos binds PP2A-Tws to inhibit its activity. Preventing the cytoplasmic localization of Endos prior to nuclear envelope breakdown causes mitotic defects that are PP2A-Tws-dependent. The mitotic substrates of PP2A-Tws are not all identified. By phosphoproteomic screening, I identified potential novel PP2A-Tws substrates. Among the hits that are hyperphosphorylated following Tws depletion, there is the nuclear envelope protein Otefin (Ote). The identified phosphosites on Otefin are adjacent to its domain of interaction with BAF, a protein binding DNA and nuclear envelope proteins. Introducing phosphomimetic mutations at these sites abolishes the Otefin – BAF association and delays Otefin recruitment at the reforming nuclear envelope during mitotic exit. Moreover, the Otefin – BAF association is PP2A-Tws-dependent. Finally, loss of Otefin in the syncytial embryo of the fly impairs development.  Altogether, my results deepen our understanding of the spatiotemporal coordination of the Gwl – endosulfines – PP2A module and provide potential novel PP2A-Tws substrates.

Keyphrases: Greatwall, Endosulfines, PP2A, Phosphatases, Otefin, Mitosis, Phosphoproteomics
Insights on interspecies disease tolerance mechanisms through comparative and functional genomics

Primates vary remarkably in their disease susceptibility to pathogens and chronic inflammatory diseases. For instance, apes (such as humans and chimps) are highly sensitive to very small doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a pathogen mimicry molecule, that causes severe tissue damage due to immunopathology while sister clade African and Asian monkeys AAMs (such as macaque and baboon) are far more tolerant to much higher doses of LPS. This discrepancy between humans and other primates is known to be, at least partially, due to interspecies differences of the immune response. In this dissertation, I performed comparative analyses of immune responses across different primate lineages to gain further insights on the evolution of immune response. I found that apes elicit a much stronger immune response to stimulants (bacterial or viral) relative to AMMs. Such a higher response was also found to be correlated with the primate phylogeny, highest in the higher primate (human) and lowest in the basal primate (lemur). Moreover, this high response may be beneficial in mediating effective pathogen killing but it is likely accompanied by higher tissue damage, which might explain why humans are more susceptible to immunopathological diseases such as sepsis. I also characterized the regulatory landscape of immune response across these primates. I found the regulatory elements activity to be significantly different between different primate species after immune stimulation highlighting the role of epigenetics in driving the immune response change across primates. In addition, I found a signature of adaptive evolution on active regions associated with genes that have the highest response in humans versus AMMs revealing the role of natural selection in shaping the immune response in primates.

Keyphrases: lipopolysaccharide, Immune response evolution, Regulatory elements, Primate evolution
Transcriptional regulation of temporal identity transitions in retinal progenitor cells

How neural diversity is established in the developing central nervous system has been a question of great interest for more than a century. Neural progenitors are spatially and temporally patterned to generate a diverse set of neurons. Although molecular components of spatial patterning in vertebrates are well understood, the molecular framework behind temporal patterning in vertebrates has been largely unexplored. Work done in the past decade on mouse retinal development has revealed insights on how temporal patterning could be established in the CNS. Retinal neurons and glia are born in a sequential but overlapping manner from a pool of multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs), consisting of an early embryonic and late post-natal window of cell birth. Two temporal transcription factors (tTFs), Ikzf1 and Casz1, confer early and late temporal competence to retinal progenitor cells (RPCs), respectively. However, out of the seven cell types in the retina, these tTFs do not regulate the competence for early born cones and late born Müller glia, suggesting the presence of other unidentified tTFs. The prime goal of this thesis was to uncover the molecular mechanisms controlling cone specification during early, and Müller glia specification during late retinal development. In this thesis, Pou2f1 was discovered as a novel tTF that confers temporal competence to RPCs to generate cones. Pou2f1 activates Pou2f2, which binds to the promoter of Nrl, a key rod specification gene, and represses its expression. Early tTF Ikzf1 activates Pou2f1, whereas Pou2f1 represses late tTF Casz1 in RPCs. Additionally, Ikzf4 was discovered as an important regulator of cone specification early, and Müller glia specification late during retinal development. Ikzf4 binds to genomic regions near Pou2f1/Pou2f2 gene bodies and activates their expression during early retinogenesis. During late retinogenesis, Ikzf4 binds to promoters of Notch signaling genes and activates their expression to promote Müller glia differentiation. Taken together, these results reveal important insights on how cone and Müller glia production is temporally controlled during early and late retinogenesis. This work lays the groundwork for future studies in other parts of the developing CNS that could employ similar tTFs for temporal patterning. Finally, this thesis proposes novel tTFs as therapeutic tools to efficiently generate cones from ESC-derived retinal organoids and sheets.

Keyphrases: Pou2f1, Pou2f2, Ikzf4, Temporal competence, Retina, Cone development, Müller glia development
Humour et vivre ensemble : l’industrie humoristique québécoise au prisme de la diversité culturelle et religieuse

This dissertation focuses on the implications of humour in the establishment of the Quebecois concept of "le vivre ensemble" (that we could translate into social cohesion). In particular, I am looking at the role and effects of comedic speech in the development of political attitudes towards communities stemming from Quebec's cultural and religious diversity. All of the research was carried out through the writing of three articles, which aim to better understand the trajectory taken by humorous messages dealing with these kinds of issues.   The first article focuses on the motivations and processes through which humorists and members of Quebec’s comedy industry construct their acts. The objective of this part of the study is to understand the influencing factors of the creative process dealing with the issues of the "vivre ensemble" as perceived by members of this industry. Based on about twenty semi-directed interviews, we can see that the first and main vector of comedy creation remains the individual, the stand-up comic themself. It is above all their points of view, their way of understanding the "vivre ensemble" that is put forward. The comedian’s thoughts on society are, however, influenced by the pressures they perceive from the audience. Thus, creators of comic communications, like so many other public figures or groups, are subject to a communication contract, which remains in the minds of many stand-up comics.   The second article proposes a content analysis of 76 humorous videos listed on the YouTube viewing platform and addressing issues of pluralism. It reveals that although more than 25 cultural and religious communities are the subject of caricatures and taunting, it is the Arab-Muslim community that represents the main target of humoristic videos whether they come from the majority or minority group. The stereotype linking Islam and terrorism is then evoked repeatedly.    The third and final article looks at the effects of humour on the feeding of prejudices among individuals. It is an experimental study carried out with some 216 people separated into two groups: one group was exposed to acts that conveys cultural and religious stereotypes, particularly towards Arab-Muslims, while the other group was confronted with performances that did not contain such stereotypes. On one hand, there were no significant direct effects, without controlling for intervening factors, between the two groups, suggesting that conditional factors may need to be taken into account. On the other hand, however, significant impacts are indeed observable depending on the religious participation of the audience. Clearly, the effects of humour are complex to measure and it is important to take into account moderated effects in order to empirically assess the impact.

Keyphrases: Vivre ensemble, Humour, Religion, Arabe, Islam, Social cohesion, Diversity, Pluralism, Political communication, Satire, Stereotypes, Identity, Recognition, Quebec, Arab, Islam, Muslim, Minority, Majority, Comedy, Comics, Stand-up
Tensions en éthique de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) : un guide herméneutique pour les décideurs politiques

The ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) is a growing field of multidisciplinary research. This thesis falls within AI ethics and suggests a new interpretation. The numerous challenges and opportunities generated by AI systems are described at the outset. A key assumption of the thesis is that, given that politics consists of responding to conflict with dialogue, policy-makers dealing with the questions surrounding AI can benefit from the guidance provided by different ethical traditions. Furthermore, in order to facilitate an optimal dialogue, this thesis puts forward a particular metaethical position, that of “unorthodox monism” at the theoretical level, and one consisting of a series of pertinent questions at the practical level.   Divided into three main sections, the thesis begins by exploring the metaethical foundations at work in most contemporary thinking about AI. Using a continuum that distinguishes between monism and pluralism in ethics, the particular schools examined are virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and deontology. These monistic approaches are then contrasted with value pluralism, which is an approach that is often employed and yet rarely identified explicitly.    The second section consists of a metaethical analysis of a sample of some twenty sets of AI ethical guidelines produced within private companies, civil society and by multi-partner organizations, as well as by governmental and intergovernmental bodies. It is this portrait which reveals how value pluralism recurs in many of these sets of guidelines. Moreover, it is also often implicitly combined with other ethical approaches to generate “mixed” versions, which exhibit metaethical tensions. As a result, the proposals associated with these approaches are sometimes contradictory, both in regards to how they are formulated as well as to how they are to be implemented.    Third, an alternative ethical approach is proposed. It consists of elements derived in particular from virtue ethics and value pluralism. They form the basis upon which, in the thesis’ final chapter, a “dialogical guide” is formulated for use by policy-makers. Prudence, a deep sensitivity to context, a “soft” teleological orientation towards a common good, along with openness to the possibility of intractable dilemmas characterize this approach. Hermeneutical philosophy is also drawn upon in order to justify the articulation of a series of questions meant to guide the dialogue of policy-makers. Indeed, hermeneutics calls forth a logic of questions rather than one based on principles or theories.

Keyphrases: dialogue, tension, ethics, artificial intelligence (AI), politics, policy-makers, hermeneutics, monism, pluralism, dilemma
Essays in financial economics

This thesis reviews some economic risk factors (labor income risk, shadow banking risk, and carbon risk) using new data sources and novel methodologies. The first chapter investigates how the response of consumption to human capital risk affects household finance. Using joint data on consumption, income, and assets of representative US households, I document the excess smoothness of consumption as an essential factor for portfolio choice and show that it can explain household finance puzzles. Furthermore, I formalized the effect of the excess smoothness on the portfolio choice using a structural life-cycle model where a household faces an idiosyncratic wage income risk. The model is calibrated to match relevant aspects of the dynamics and the life cycle of risky asset holding from the PSID. The second chapter assesses banks’ risk-shifting in the non regulated banking activity, also called shadow banking. Exploiting variations in risks disclosed by banks in their financial reports and using textual analysis tools, this document provides a new measure non regulated banking activity. The paper empirically documents that (1) banks are more likely to shift risk out of the regulator’s reach when their risk-based capital constraints become binding, (2) there is a positive relationship between risk-shifting and tail risk of banks. The paper then rationalizes banks’ risk-shifting behavior using a macroeconomic model with a financial sector. In the model, the event of default on debt and the presence of externality due to imperfect regulation enforcement encourage banks to engage in risk-shifting strategies. As a result, banks behave as cross-sector arbitrageurs. Finally, the paper uses this framework to study optimal regulation. We show that a tax on sectoral activity effectively reduces banks’ risk-shifting compared to other bank’s equity regulation policies. Finally, the third chapter studies the effect of carbon risk on economic stability using a consumption-based carbon emissions approach for 50 U.S. states over the years 1998 - 2018. The paper assumes a cross-sectional dependence from unobserved common factors (e.g., trade linkage, financial integration) between the states. Under this assumption, we find that one unit decreases in carbon emissions is associated with 4.5 percentage points decrease in the per capita output growth over the long run. Besides, we find differential impacts across the distribution of per capita states income. These findings inform the debate over the optimal transition path toward a low carbon economy.

Keyphrases: Consommation carbone, Income risk, Hedging, Consumption, Shadow banking, Financial regulation, Textual analysis, Carbon consumption, Carbon risk