NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Exclusion de liaison génétique au locus SPAX2 de cas canadiens-français d’ataxie spastique

Hereditary ataxias are neurodegenerative disorders which share ataxia as common feature  is manifested by a decrease in limb coordination, imbalance and an unsteady gait. They consist in a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group. Many ataxia classifications have been proposed, however, the current consensus is to first characterize them according to their mode of transmission. Hereditary ataxias as a whole have a prevalence of 6/100 000, with variable estimation between country and region. In the Province of Quebec where the French Canadian genetic pool can be seen has a mosaic of regional gene pools there is clear differences in local variation in the prevalence of different ataxias. Acadia is also a French Canadian region with a history of many founder effects and a higher prevalence for certain hereditary ataxias. We recruit 8 French Canadian families from Quebec and with genealogical links with Acadia in which 10 cases manifest a presumably relatively mild autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of unknown etiology. The shared phenotype and Acadian background raised the possibility that they suffered from a new form of ataxia with a founder effect. To identify the mutated gene causing this ataxia, the individuals recruited were genotyped. By homozygosity mapping, a region of 2,5 Mb was identified in one family on chromosome 17p13. A literature review established that in 2007 four North Africans families segregating also a mild spastic ataxia were linked to the same locus on chromosome 17. To support our hypothesis that our patients were carrier of the same founder mutation we look closer at their haplotype in the region. We defined an interval of 200kb (70 SNP) between markers rs9900036 and rs7222052 shared by all affected cases. The two most promising gene in the interval were sequenced. No mutation was found in SLC25A11 and KIF1C. Thereafter a linkage analysis by LOD score excluded the candidate interval of 200 kb in the majority of our families. We conclude that even if in one family exists a large homozygous region on chromosome 17, the lack of informative SNP in the 200 kb region was responsible for the apparent sharing rather than they shared a common mutation. Further work will be necessary to identify the mutate gene causing the ataxia presentation in these cases of mild spastic ataxia.

Keyphrases: Recessive ataxia, Genetic, Spasticity, Dysarthria, Founder effect, Acadian population, Genome-wide scan, Homozygosity mapping
Détection de la retransmission sélective sur les réseaux de capteurs

The selective forwarding attack is a serious threat in wireless sensor networks (WSN), especially in surveillance systems. Nodes can maliciously delete some sensitive data packets, which could destroy the value of the data assembled in the network and reduce its sensors availability. After describing the drawbacks of the existing systems in this thesis, we will present a lightweight security system based on sending fake reports used to identify selective forwarding attacks. The great advantage in our approach is that the base station expects a number of packets at a specific time. Therefore, it will be able to detect missing or delayed packets. Theoretical analysis shows that the proposed system can identify this type of attack, which will improve the robustness of the network under conditions of a good tradeoff between the security, reliability and communication overhead. Our system can achieve a high ratio of identification when facing a large number of malicious nodes, while the communication overhead can be controlled within reasonable bounds.

Keyphrases: Selective forwarding attack, WSN security, WSN routing protocols
Le primat de l’éthique sur l’ontologie dans l’œuvre d’Emmanuel Levinas

This paper will analyze one of the major theses of the work of Emmanuel Levinas, his affirmation of the primacy of ethics over ontology. The argument will concentrate on the phenomenological description of the approach of Otherness, incarnated in the concreteness of the neighbour’s face, in which we could encounter the idea of infinity. This idea would not be a concept, but a transcendent phenomenal reality, leading Levinas to question the role of thematizing consciousness in the moral experience, characterised by the immediacy of the presence of an Other. Does the essential part of consciousness consist of liberty and knowledge ? Is there not another aspect, forgotten by a rationality qualified as Greek, which would be better suited to the nature of consciousness? Does ontology rely on a subject conceived as autonomous and in control of its destiny? Through his analysis in an ontological language in Totality and infinity, and through his deconstructive prose in Otherwise than Being, Levinas compromises the very core of the modern subject, bringing back to the forefront of philosophical inquiries an idea that the western tradition tended to evacuate from its discourse : Otherness. And this Otherness, irreducible to the immanent concepts of a subject’s consciousness, is what justifies the primacy of an ethic, positioning the I in front of a you that demands absolute responsibility. The contribution of several authors and commentators will be taken into account in this paper, mainly Husserl and Heidegger, but also S.Critchley, B. Bergo, J.-M. Salanskis and Jacques Roland.

Keyphrases: Levinas, Ontology, Ethic, Otherness, Thematization, Intentionality, Phenomenology
Le phénomène d’influence entre pairs : observation des interactions sociales à l’intérieur de groupes d’entraînement aux habiletés sociales impliquant des élèves ayant des troubles du comportement et des pairs aidants sans trouble du comportement

In recent years, a growing number of students with behavioral disorders have been integrated into regular classrooms. Various intervention programs have emerged to support this integration, with many being implemented in Quebec’s schools. One of these programs, the Ally intervention program, distinguishes itself from others, notably, through its use of peer helpers. Though very promising, this intervention framework raises some questions about the possibility of negative influence among the children. The goal of this study is to describe, in a behavioral approach, the influence process in social interactions between peers. Systematic observation is the method selected to conduct this study. Results indicate that there was no negative influence in Ally groups. Furthermore, a disruptive behavior was more likely to stop when participants ignored it, than when peers responded to it. Selective ignoring of behavior thus seems to be an important influential process in groups made up of children.

Keyphrases: Influence, Influence, Behavioral Disorder, Intervention Program, Peers, Systematic Observation
Les effets de la similarité physique dans l’observation d’actions : études comportementales et neurophysiologiques

It has been suggested that physical similarity with an observed model facilitates action perception and understanding. For example, increased corticospinal excitability is found in participants observing actors of their own ethnicity performing culture-specific hand movements (Molnar-Szakacs et al., 2007). Tactile perception is also said to be increased when individuals watch a model of the same race being touched (Serino et al., 2009). Moreover, imaging data suggest that stronger activations are observed in the cingulate cortex when a subject observes a person of their own race feeling pain (Xu et al., 2009). Some studies have linked these findings with a motor resonance mechanism, possibly associated with the mirror neuron system (MNS), suggesting that action representation in motor areas is facilitated by physical similarity. However, most of the observed stimuli in those studies include emotional or cultural components, which may blur the link between physical similarity and motor resonance per se.  The present thesis is comprised of three studies that aimed at evaluating the effect of physical similarity on motor resonance using stimuli that are purely motor in nature. The effect of physical similarity on motor responses during action observation was assessed with behavioral and electrophysiological measures. To this end, imitation of simple finger movements, as well as corticospinal excitability and mu rhythm desynchronization during passive observation of simple finger movements was evaluated, using stimuli that were similar or dissimilar to the participant in terms of skin color. In line with previous results, observation of biological movement resulted in faster reaction times and greater mu desynchronization compared to non-biological movement. Physical similarity with the imitated or observed hand did not affect imitation speed or mu desynchronization. It did, however, have a surprising effect on corticospinal excitability, where the amplitude of transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced motor evoked potentials was greater in the right hemisphere of female participants observing hand movement executed by hands of a different color.   These data suggest that physical similarity with an observed action in terms of skin color does not modulate MNS activity in sensorimotor cortex when cultural and emotional components are absent. The present results also strengthen the notion that the motor cortex node of the MNS is tuned to the biological nature of an observed action.

Keyphrases: Action observation, Mirror neurons, Physical similarity, Biological movement, Transcranial magnetic stimulation, Imitation, Imitation, Mu rhythm
Géométrie et évolution de la dialectique dans le Ménon de Platon

The purpose of this dissertation is to show the impact of the geometrical paradigm on the evolution of the dialectic in the Meno. The first part of this research is devoted to the dialectic of the first dialogues, the Socratic elenchus. This practice of philosophy is then compared to the dialectic of the Meno which is characterized by the introduction of the concept of recollection. The second part of this study concerns the two geometrical passages of the Meno: the duplication of the square and the hypothetical method. The first passage allows Plato to defend the possibility of scientific research, while the second (inspired by geometrical analysis) is presented as a new model for conducting philosophical inquiry. This new method, which consists in reducing the difficulty of a problem by postulating hypotheses, allows to reason from logically posterior things (quality: “is virtue teachable?”) to logically prior things (essence: “what is virtue?”).

Keyphrases: Philosophy, Plato, Dialectic, Geometry, Analysis, Elenchus, Recollection, Epistemology, Meno, Phaedo
Le monde à l'envers : analyse de la structure du trafic transnational de drogues illicites

This dissertation proposes an analysis of the structure of transnational drug trafficking. Based on the world-system perspective, it is hypothesized that cocaine, heroin and marijuana form separate markets that are opposite to other legal trades in many ways. The analysis relies on two data sources. The first is a unique compilation of seizures gathered together by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The seizures were made between 1998 and 2007 (n = 47629). It is completed by intelligence published by various agencies across the world.  The dataset allows the construction of directed networks of drug trade between most countries of the world. Chapters 3 and 4 analyze the structure of the trade itself. Firstly, the roles played by the countries in each market are described and compared. The flow of drugs and interception rates are estimated for each 16 geographic areas defined by the UNODC. Secondly, several structural characteristics of the drug markets are compared to other legal trade, namely coffee and chocolate. It is shown that drug trade networks are less dense and that peripheral countries play more important roles. While inequality is characteristic of both legal and illegal economies, their structure is reversed.  In chapter 5, it is demonstrated that seizure data are mostly indicative of drug trafficking within a country. The expected law enforcement bias is negligible for quantities seized but more apparent when we look at the number of seizures. Thus, law enforcement agencies are better at planning operations against drug trafficking than at predicting their outcomes. The results presented in chapter 5 also suggest that traffickers use counter-strategies to reduce losses caused by drug seizures.  The price and value of drugs show significant variations among countries. Those variations are usually explained by varying costs and pressures suffered by traffickers. Chapter 6 seeks to measure the impact of structural features on wholesale price and value. The value of drugs increases more sharply when the drugs are bound to countries where the risks of seizures are higher. Furthermore, price mark-ups are higher when the trade is directed to core countries. Again, the situation is reversed: richer countries that generally control all economic activities rely on peripheral countries to be supplied in drugs.

Keyphrases: transnational drug trafficking, world-system, drug prices, network analysis
Stratégies de reproduction et de transmission de l’identité autochtone au Mexique : le cas des migrants nahuas à Cuernavaca

The Mexican city of Cuernavaca, Morelos, has had an influx of many Nahua indigenous migrants from the neighbouring state of Guerrero since 1970. Migrants who settled down in the same residential district survive by selling handicrafts and by collectively speaking Nahuatl as a native language. This study examines strategies implemented by the migrants in the reproduction of the Nahua identity and its transmission to new generations. Practicing traditional handicrafts and maintaining social relationships with the villages of Guerrero are at the forefront of Nahua identity strategies; in addition to ensuring the transmission of cultural heritage to young Nahuas born in Cuernavaca, they facilitate the participation of migrants in the village social life. Thus, over the decades, migrants have favoured the survival of the Nahua identity and ensured the cohesion of the community based on sharing a common identity.

Keyphrases: Migration, Anthropology, Ethnology, Mexico, Identity, Indigenous, Handicraft, Migration
Le roseau commun (Phragmites Australis) influence-t-il la composition spécifique et le développement larvaire d'amphibiens?

Invasive plants are considered one of the greatest threats to species, but their impact on amphibians is still poorly understood. The objective of this project is to determine the effect of the establishment of common reed (Phragmites australis) on amphibian distribution and larval development. It is thought that this plant monopolizes space and resources by producing a large biomass, and may alter wetland hydrology and amphibian community structure. I evaluated the factors influencing amphibian distribution according to the characteristics of ponds and the surrounding landscape in 50 sites invaded or not by reeds to varying degrees. Experiments were also conducted to study the impacts of three reed densities on wood frog tadpoles (Lithobates sylvaticus) and the quality of their habitat. My results suggest that high reed density slows wood frog larval development and influences phytoplankton assemblages. However, there is no relationship between, plant density and survival, tadpole morphology and water biotic and abiotic characteristic. In our study area, the landscape surrounding ponds has a greater influence on amphibian distribution than does reed establishment. However, the desiccation probability is higher when the plant is established in high quantities, which, if the invasion intensifies, will have an adverse effect on tadpole survival and therefore population persistence.

Keyphrases: Plantes invasives, Amphibian, Animal ecology, Invasive plants, Exotic common reed (Phragmites australis), Habitat use, Larval development
Diagnostic de l'accessibilité aux soins de santé en Haïti

Health care accessibility is a priority for numerous governments across the world.  In Haiti, governments have succeeded one another and attempted interventions across the years in which the results are not often satisfactory.  The Cuban medical care program, nowadays applied in the country, has been implemented in more than about twenty developing countries, but little independent assessment has been conducted to allow capturing it.  This assessment has given itself the objective of verifying mainly the well-founded of this intervention; by taking into account not only the context but also the practical aspect regarding the country’s wealth.   The case study has been chosen as analyzing technique. It allows a better understanding of the context and its effects on the project.  Some semi-structured interviews have been done to help the strategic and logic analysis important for reaching the goals of this study.  The interviews enable us to do the modeling of the intervention, to understand all the problems currently existing within the health system, the causal model of the retention difficulties and finally the analysis of the logic model.  The evaluation revealed that accessibility to healthcare is complex, and a huge number of factors influence it.  In Haiti those factors do not differ from those found in the literature review, but geographical accessibility associated to the management of the  healthcare system constitute the elements that have the most important impact in the accessibility of the system.  In view of actual conditions, the modernization of management constitutes the pathway to be favored until other important aspects can be resolved.   Health professionals retention is an important part of accessing healthcare, but must also be accompanied by improvement of working conditions and competitive salaries.  The living conditions in rural Haitian cannot be compared to any developed country; therefore, the same results cannot be expected.  New professions accounting for the socio-economic and the epidemiologic contexts of the country should provide a more efficient solution.  The current program is evidence based, however; it neglects to integrate specific parameters of the Haitian context that is important to attain its objectives.  Excessive political interference is also a factor that eventually could drive to its failure.  In short-term, the program succeeds in increasing the number of health professionals in the country, it is unlikely that situation continues based on the country’s poor resources.  To be successful, the intervention must include the specific characteristics of the environment and emphasize more the managerial aspects of the system, if it wants to achieve sustainable results.

Keyphrases: ELAM, Health care accessibility, Health professionals retention, Cuban cooperation, Health care utilization
Le Baylisascaris procyonis dans le sud du Québec : prévalence chez le raton laveur et étude de contamination des latrines

Raccoons are carriers of many parasites, some of which are zoonotic. We wanted to expand our knowledge of the Quebec raccoon intestinal parasitic fauna, specifically the Baylisascaris procyonis species. The study consisted of fecal matter (n = 301) and intestinal content examinations (n = 203) collected from 351 raccoons originating from two government programs on raccoon’s rabies and excrements collected (n = 409) from latrines in Quebec national parks. Eggs from B. procyonis were excreted by 23.3 % of raccoons while 29.1 % were worm carriers. The average parasitic burden of all stages of B. procyonis worms varied from 8.5 in adults to 27.1 in juveniles. In juveniles, the parasitic burden was 11.4 times superior to adult raccoons (p < 0.0001) with 23.7 times more immature worms (p < 0.0001) and 9.1 times more mature worms (p = 0.01). The number of eggs was 24.7 times superior in juvenile raccoons (p = 0.02) and 50.0 times lower in breast-feeding females. The probability of raccoons excreting eggs in autumn was 11.1 (IC95 %: 1.21-101.60) in comparison to spring and 21.1 (IC95 %: 2.91-153.18) in comparison to summer (p < 0.01). The sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of coproscopy compared to necropsy (gold standard) were calculated based on observations of mature worms (Se: 81.8 %; Sp: 97.7 %) and worms of all stages (Se: 53.9 %; Sp: 97.0 %). In addition, our intestinal parasitic research permitted the finding of Giardia oocysts (6/159), which is a newly found parasite species in raccoons. In 2007, B. procyonis eggs were found in 15.8 % of latrines (n = 165) identified in Southern Quebec national parks and in 89.7% of active latrines (n = 26) in three Eastern Townships national parks sites accessible to man in 2008. The zoonotic potential of B. procyonis is a public health issue that could become serious considering the high percentage of raccoons excreting the parasite thus contaminating sectors accessible to man.

Keyphrases: Parasite intestinal, Baylisascaris procyonis, Intestinal parasites, Raccoons, Zoonosis
Étude du système binaire CV Ser à l'aide du satellite MOST

This thesis focuses on the massive binary CV Serpentis, consisting of a carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet star and a main-sequence O-type star (WC8d + O8-9IV). First off, different phenomena linked to massive stars throughout their existence - from main sequence to the supernova explosion - are mentioned. The first chapter offers a brief overview of some of the basics of observational stellar astrophysics (Hertzsprung- Russell diagram, evolution, etc...). The next chapter covers one of the most important aspects of massive stars : mass loss through stellar winds. The chapter opens with a chronology of the discovery of stellar winds, followed by the foundations of stellar wind theory. Finally, different processes involved in wind ejection are presented. The third chapter reviews chronologically the main studies carried out on CV Ser and helps introduce this peculiar system. Its main characteristics are given in this chapter. Finally, chapter 4 is the central part of this work. MOST light curves taken in 2009 and 2010 show what appears to be a 62% increase of the mass-loss rate over one or- bital period (29.701d). There also seems to be evidence for the presence of corotating interaction regions (CIR) in the WR wind. Indeed, the analysis of the residuals yields a CIR-like signature. A new orbit is derived, as well as the wind-collision zone parame- ters, while the spectral types of both stars are confirmed.

Keyphrases: Binaries: eclipsing, Stars: mass-loss, Stars: winds, outflows, Stars: Wolf-Rayet