NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Le cadre juridique des investissements miniers et pétroliers chinois en Afrique : instruments pour une lex mercatoria sino-africaine

The main objective of this analysis is to determine the juridical patterns of the Chinese and African legal cultures cohabitations, in order to pursue a Chinese-African lex mercatoria. The survey of Chinese mines and oil investments in Africa will be done in two principal parts. First, the study goes over the origin of the Chinese funds invested in Africa. Sovereign wealth funds in general causes questioning concerning their real purpose: are they financial or political instruments? Nevertheless, it is still obvious that this questioning does not stop Chinese sovereign wealth funds to continue to expand all over Africa. Also, going into the contracts and the legislation itself, the analysis of the contractual figures used in the mining and oil extractive industry individually in the Chinese and African context reveals the African contracts and legislation is not adequate to the continent’s economical and technological needs. Continuing into the particular analysis of the applicable law and the arbitration clauses in the Chinese and African context individually, it was possible to outpoint some options to the Chinese-African context. Secondly, the survey points out the mechanisms enabling Chinese investment into Africa and the consequences of these investments in the economical, social and environmental context. It was then pointed out that fiscal and customs mechanisms and also bilateral investment treaties signed in between China and numerous African countries favors Chinese investments in Africa. Still, the main social impact reveals some interrogations concerning the fight against corruption and promotion of transparency in Africa. Is the Chinese partnership considerate of this aspect? Moreover, the lack of technology transfer gets to negatively influence local competition and employment as well as economical and technological development. Also, environmental protection in the Chinese-African context seems to me sent far behind. Therefore, the African environment risks to face an environmental crisis just like China did because of the country’s industrialization. Civil society here, considering these less attractive impacts of Chinese investment in oil and mining sectors in Africa, appears to be a very useful third party with the role of mediation and regulation between the two others.

Keyphrases: Investments, Lex mercatoria, Joint-venture, China-Africa, Sovereign wealth fund
Collaborations complexes : modèle théorique et vérification empirique préliminaire en contexte de projets interdisciplinaires et interorganisationnels

Collaboration is an effective strategy to help organizations and individuals evolve in turbulent and complex environments, yielding numerous cognitive, affective, financial benefits. Increasingly, work teams are involved in complex collaborations, which require working across national, organizational and disciplinary boundaries. Although complex collaborations are increasingly prevalent and studied, there are few empirical studies on the subject and related literature is scattered in parallel knowledge silos, and poorly integrated conceptually. The growing ubiquity and reliance on these forms of collaboration creates a scientific and practical imperative to improve their understanding, as well as to identify and assess conditions and factors that promote their success and effectiveness.  This thesis aims to address abovementioned gaps and knowledge advances through two articles, each targeting several objectives. The first paper provides a clear definition of complex collaborations, meant to decipher some of the confusion surrounding this construct. It also presents the first review of literature on factors fostering success of complex collaborations, unifying findings across research disciplines and contexts, which allowed to uncover 14 key variables from 26 empirical studies. Based on these findings, a theoretically grounded framework capturing functional and dynamic relationships among identified factors is introduced and developed, providing comprehensive and systemic view of the phenomenon and orienting pertinent research paths. The second article capitalizes on findings from the first paper to empirically investigate relationships between key factors affecting important outcomes of complex collaborations. The multi-wave survey is conducted with 16 interdisciplinary and inter-organizational projects teams (N=93) participating in intense work sessions aimed at producing innovative integrated design concepts. Correlational analyses show positive relationships between openness to diversity, collaborative processes, viability, team performance, and project performance, as well as negative relations between conflicts and the latter constructs. Further, multiple mediation analyses reveal that greater openness to diversity affects viability, team performance, and project performance by way of promoting efficient collaborative processes and inhibiting conflicts. Theoretical and practical implications from these findings are discussed.

Keyphrases: Complex collaborations, Work groups, Compositional diversity, Openness to diversity, Collaborative processes, Conflicts, Effectiveness
D’un didactisme à l’autre : étude sociocritique du roman québécois pour adolescents (1980-2000)

While critics often argue that didacticism in Quebec youth literature is obsolescent, a sociocritical analysis of some novels written for teenagers since 1980 shows that themes (parent-teenager conflicts, family, sexuality) and forms (narration and focalisation from the perspective of teen characters) frequently used to prove didacticism’s disappearance are, in reality, the manifestations of a new kind of didacticism. Their portraits of parents, judgments of family models and advice on sexuality, always shared by teenage characters, can in fact be considered didactic strategies. In addition to promoting specific values, those discourses build a metadidacticism which reiterates, in the novels themselves, the relationship that defines youth literature : a relationship between a knowledgeable adult and a young human being in training.

Keyphrases: Parents, Quebec literature, Young adult literature, Sociocriticism, Didacticism, Parents, Family, Sexuality
Étude des facteurs associés à l’aveu lors de l’interrogatoire policier

This study seeks to determine whether there are factors that lead to the confession in sex offenders, during an interrogation. For this purpose, the study is based on 183 cases of sexual abuse handled by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal. The 137 participants who made one or two victims (one file for each victim) were aged from 15 to 71 years old at the time of crime, and are mostly French-speaking, Caucasians and unemployed. All selected variables were divided into three categories: characteristics of the sex offender, characteristics of the crime and characteristics of the context of the interviews. Sex offenders who have confessed their crime had the following characteristics: Caucasian, unmarried, who did not use threat, who did not commit injuries and their victim was a young male or an adult female. Against them, there were no physical evidence, nor biological evidence, nor the presence of semen on the victim, and there was no identification parade. In addition, they have had several interviews, often in a private office with a single interrogator who isn’t the principal inspector, but they wrote and signed their statement. These results should help the police to identify the factors most favorable to confession, showing that it’s usually a combination of factors that lead sex offenders to confession during an interrogation.

Keyphrases: Interrogation, Confession, Sex offenders, Factors of confession
Politiques canadienne et soviétique lors de la seconde crise de Berlin 1958-1961

The second Berlin crisis(1958-1961)is a major event of the Cold War. The hypothesis of our research revises the role of Canada and the negative perception of the occidental countries toward USSR during this crisis. This study is divided in three parts : firstly, a historiographical review of the canadian policy toward NATO; secondly, a presentation of the events in regard to the implication of the canadian governement during the Berlin crisis, the importance of the the multilateral canadian diplomacy and the nuclear policy during the Diefenbaker's governement; at last, an examination of the soviet foreign policy. With the help of canadian primary sources, it will be demonstrated firstly that : while the tensions are to their peaks, Canada succeeded to influence NATO and american policy and tried to spare both soviet and american governements. Secondly, soviet and east-german archives showed that the soviet governement manifested during this crisis his pacific intentions, contradicting the most often supported orthodox interpretation of the Cold War.

Keyphrases: Cold war, Second Berlin crisis 1958-1961, German reunification, Canadian foreign policy, American foreign policy, Soviet foreign policy, NATO, Live Oak organisation, Berlin wall
La négociation de l’ordre au sein des interactions entre les membres d’une équipe multidisciplinaire

This research aims to identify the mechanisms for the resolution of disputes and the accomplishment of order that members of a multidisciplinary team use to find “common ground.” To this end, we have analyzed the interactions between members of a team that works in a CSSS program regarding services offered seniors who have lost autonomy and with physical impairments while using Negotiated Order Theory, developed by Anselm Strauss, as a framework. Our analysis shows that members‟ negotiation experience and the legitimacy of the goals that are being pursued during meetings influence the “success” of everyday negotiations. The results also show that the analytical categories proposed by NOT should be adapted to each situation, as recommended by Strauss. Finally, this study suggests that the structural context may not affect negotiations as strongly as Strauss claimed, which raises questions about its utility in NOT.

Keyphrases: negociation, order, conflict, multidisciplanary team
Rethinking community in Dionne Brand’s What we all long for, Ahdaf Soueif’s The map of love, Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s ghost and Joseph Boyden’s Three day road and through black spruce

This dissertation studies alternatives to communities in crisis proposed in Dionne Brand’s What We All Long For, Ahdaf Soueif’s The Map of Love, Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost and Joseph Boyden’s Three Day Road and Through Black Spruce.  Using a number of keywords (longing, subversive (cultural) translation, healing, touch and self-determination), I examine each novel’s contestation of a normative, oppressive configuration of community as well as the alternative community it proposes.  Juxtaposing three diasporic novels and two Indigenous (Canadian) texts, I establish a dialogue between different worldviews and the ways they read and respond to communal crises.  Unlike the alternative conceptions of community presented in the diasporic novels under consideration, the alternative conception proposed in Boyden’s novels stresses the importance of strong families to the building of an alternative postcolonial society.  The diasporic texts, however, do not align their alternative communities with the traditional family as a unit of social organization and trope.  These alternative communities evolve around affiliation rather than filiation.  They build solidarities with the other beyond national, cultural, religious and ethnic lines of division. The first chapter studies an alternative to Canadian multiculturalism in Brand’s What We All Long For.  The second chapter examines the alternative community and the mezzaterra from which it emerges in Soueif’s The Map of Love.  The third chapter explores the tightly-knit relation between healing, touch and the emergence of an alternative community in Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost.  The last chapter studies the contribution of legal autonomy and storytelling to discovering the vision that guides the Cree community portrayed in Boyden’s novels in its attempt to build an alternative postcolonial community. Keywords: Alternative communities, subversive (cultural) translation, affect, normative communities in crisis, multiculturalism and healing

Keyphrases: Community, justice, art, healing, history, Globalization, Civil war, Art, History, Justice
MARCH1 : new insights in the activation of B cells

 Increasing evidence suggests a major role for B cells in the onset of auto-immune diseases. B cells present self-antigens to auto-reactive T cells which leads to the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and auto-immune antibodies. Here we look at the process of antigen presentation and at post-transcriptional modifications of the MHC-II molecule. MARCH1 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase which targets MHC-II and re-localises the complex into recycling endosomes. Thus, MARCH1 is a direct inhibitor of exogenous antigen presentation. Here we show that only follicular B cells express MARCH1 and that upon germinal center entry, these cells lose all traces of MARCH1. We propose that MARCH1 may establish a threshold for germinal center creation. Moreover we demonstrate that the well-established increase in surface MHC-II induced by IL-10 on murine B cells is a result of a decrease in MARCH1 expression. We tested different B cell activation stimuli and showed that upon activation, MARCH1 mRNA is decreased in a time-dependent manner. In addition, we demonstrate the implication of the canonical NF-κB pathway in this regulation. Finally, we developed a lentiviral vector system expressing MARCH1 which enables us to force the expression of our target protein in non-transfectable cell types. We discuss the implication of MARCH1 in the presentation of self-antigens to auto-reactive T cells and the generation of auto-immunity.

Keyphrases: MHC-II, MARCH1, MARCH1, Auto-Immunity, Antigenic Presentation, B cells
Alternative splicing by hnRNP L as a new modulator of hematopoietic cell differentiation, survival and migration

Post-transcriptional modifications of pre-mRNA by alternative splicing are important for cellular function, development and immunity. New evidence reveals that alternative splicing is implicated in the regulation of maturation and activation of hematopoietic cells. HnRNP L has been identified as the main regulator of alternative splicing of CD45 in vitro. The receptor tyrosine phosphatase CD45, which is expressed on all hematopoietic cells, is known for its role in the development and activation of T cells.  First, we have investigated the function of hnRNP L in T cell development and CD45 pre-mRNA splicing in vivo using T cell specific deletion of hnRNP L in mice. The hnRNP L deletion results in aberrant expression of CD45 isoforms, predominantly CD45RA, which is usually absent from the thymus. Ablation of hnRNP L results in a partial block in pre-T cell development at the DN4 stage. This reduction in thymic cellularity is not due to an increase in cell death.  In fact, hnRNP L deficient thymocytes demonstrate accelerated proliferation compared to wild-type cells due principally to a hyper-activation of the kinases Lck, Erk1/2 and Akt. Moreover, hnRNP L deletion results in a loss of peripheral T cells. In vitro studies suggest that this loss of peripheral cells is caused by a defect in response to chemokine signals. Since CD45 pre-mRNA splicing cannot explain this phenotype, the identification of hnRNP L targets by RNA-Seq has shown that hnRNP L plays a role in the regulation of alternative splicing of factors involved in actin polymerization.  Secondly, we studied the role of hnRNP L in hematopoiesis using knockout mice in which hnRNP L is conditionally deleted specifically in fetal liver and bone marrow hematopoietic cells. Ablation of hnRNP L reduces the number of cell lineage committed progenitors including the common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs), common myeloid and granulocyte progenitors (CMPs, GMPs) and the megakaryocyte-erythrocyte progenitors (MEPs) as well as the mature hematopoietic cells. In contrast to multipotent progenitors (MPPs) that are affected by the absence of hnRNP L, the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) population is not reduced. In fact, HSCs from hnRNP L deleted mice demonstrate increased cell cycling. However, hnRNP L deficient HSCs express high levels of Annexin V and CD95, which suggests an increased cell death. As for the thymus, a RNA-Seq analysis of fetal livers revealed different targets of hnRNP L among gene categories related to cell death, DNA damage responses and cell adhesion that may explain the phenotype observed in the hnRNP L deficient HSCs.  These results suggest that hnRNP L and alternative splicing are essential for the survival and maintenance of the differentiation potential of HSCs. HnRNP L is also crucial for the development of T cells by regulating both their migration and the splicing of CD45.

Keyphrases: hnRNP L, hnRNP L, CD45, CD45, cellule T, T cell, hematopoietic stem cell
Impact of a neonatal parenteral nutrition on the hepatic activity of methionine adenosyltransferase, a limiting step for glutathione synthesis

Introduction: The low glutathione level in premature newborns can partly explain the high incidence of complications associated with oxidative stress in this population. Since the synthetic activity of glutathione is mature, a lack of substrate, especially cysteine, is suspected. Methionine provided by their parenteral nutrition (PN) is the in vivo precursor of cysteine. Since, methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT), the first enzyme in methionine transformation, has redox sensitive cysteines, we hypothesize that peroxides contaminating PN inhibit the activity of MAT, leading to a lower availability of cysteine for glutathione synthesis. Methods:  At 3 days of life, guinea pigs a catheter fixed in jugular vein, the animals were separated in 4 groups: 1) Control: animals without any treatment and no catheter   2) sham: animals fed regular chow, a node closed their catheter; 3) PN: animals fed exclusively with parenteral nutrition (dextrose, amino acids, fat, vitamins) containing about 400 µM peroxides; 4) H2O2: animals fed regular chow and received continuously 400 µM H2O2 through the catheter. Four days later, liver and blood were sampling for determination of reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), redox potential and activities of MAT, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase. Results: MAT activity was lower in groups receiving PN or H2O2. Liver redox was more oxidized in PN group whereas blood redox was more oxidized in PN and H2O2.  Liver and blood GSH is lower in PN and H2O2. Liver GSSG was higher in PN. Conclusion:  The inhibition of MAT in the PN group could explain the disruption of the glutathione system observed in premature infants. Furthermore the impact of a lower activity of MAT on GSH level is observed in liver and blood. Suggesting that the hepatic synthesis of GSH is insufficient to maintain its own level of glutathione and sustain the rate of export.

Keyphrases: Newborn, Parenteral Nutrition, Peroxides, Peroxides
Évaluation de la capacité de l'estradiol à inhiber l'activation pro-inflammatoire des cellules endothéliales vasculaires induite par la protéine C-réactive

Numerous studies have contributed to reveal the mechanisms underlying cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. This disease is mediated by an important homeostatic imbalance, which causes vascular inflammation contributing to its progression. Several research groups have focused their studies on inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP). Considered as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, it also participates in various stages of atherosclerosis development. Our study shows for the first time a process of self-induction of the CRP expression regulated by vascular EC. This mechanism represents a new potential therapeutic target for the prevention of atherosclerosis formation. Estrogen (E2) is a female hormone which has an atheroprotective role through various vascular regulation mechanisms including modulation of the inflammatory response. Thus, we sought to determine whether it had a beneficial effect on atherogenic profile of CRP expressed by endothelial cells (EC). Indeed, our work has demonstrated for the first time that E2 has the ability to modulate the CRP expression positive feedback identified in our study, which also helps to reduce the inflammatory profile of the latter. In addition, we determined that E2 restores an important proangiogenic response involving migration of vascular EC to VEGF, by countering the inhibition effect of CRP. This new discovery has enabled us to clarify an important vascular healing mechanism of this hormone in an inflammatory context. Thus, these data provide further advances that contribute to a better understanding of the endogenous CRP production by vascular EC and the cardioprotective activity of E2.

Keyphrases: Inflammation, C-reactive protein, Estrogen, Atherosclerosis, Inflammation, Endothelial cells
Ethics in Health Policy for Allergy : A Practical Approach for Decision-Makers

Like a slowly rising wave approaching shore, the growing incidence of allergic disease now afflicts over 30% of the population in the developed world. Being the cause of severe morbidities and a significant risk of mortality, allergy requires huge resource expenditures in health care and is a leading cause of disability. This thesis aims to contribute to ameliorating decision-making capacities in health policy development for this chronic immune disease by employing principles of ethics as tools to help structure policy initiatives. The first chapter will demonstrate the current deficiency of ethical analysis in allergology and show how ethical assessments could have utility in guiding policy developments and treatment strategies for allergy. The subsequent chapters present a focused application of ethical principles within specific contexts as a means to provide reflective tools and theoretical frameworks that could be used by decision-makers to guide health interventions for allergy and co-morbid conditions. The second chapter presents a conceptual framework for evaluating and prioritizing public health interventions in minimizing environmental allergens based on theories of social justice. Policy assessment criteria centre on justice issues pertaining to vulnerable populations, the fair distribution of health benefits, and the imperative to avoid stigma. The third chapter provides school administrators with a framework to guide the development of efficacious and ethically sound food allergy policies for schools. In this context, core principles in public health ethics and bioethics – examples being the empowerment of vulnerable populations in controlling their health and protecting confidentiality of medical information – serve as tools for policy assessments. The final chapter employs core principles from research ethics as a method to argue for regulatory reforms in the production of allergenimmunotherapeutic drugs. The ethical imperative to avoid risks of harm to human subjects in research will serve as a guide to structure future health policies in the global production of immuno-therapeutics.

Keyphrases: Allergy, Bioethics, Health policy, Public Health, Policy assessment, Principles of ethics, Conceptual frameworks