NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Protection à long terme du système nerveux : étude de facteurs extrinsèques chez C. elegans

Throughout life, the architecture of the nervous system is challenged by processes of maturation, growth, mechanical stress and aging. Although neuronal maintenance mechanisms of ganglia and fascicles organization involving conserved factors have been identified in the nematode C. elegans, little is known about processes that aim for the long-term protection of the nervous system architecture.   In sax-7/L1CAM neuronal maintenance mutants, some neuronal ganglia and fascicles initially develop normally, but become disorganized over time. A genetic screen performed in the laboratory indicated the involvement of mig-6/Papilin in neuronal maintenance: loss of mig-6 function suppresses progressive neuronal disorganization in sax-7 mutants. Moreover, the neuronal organization of mig-6 mutants is better preserved under mechanical stress than in the wild-type strain. A balance between the adhesion of neurons to their environment and the flexibility of the surrounding extracellular matrix thus seems of importance. Furthermore, glial cells are closely related to neurons, but their involvement in the maintenance of the organization of neuronal structures remains unexplored.   The main question of this work is to study the contribution of the extracellular matrix and of two types of glial cells in the context of maintenance of the nervous system architecture in C. elegans. Our results reveal that MIG-6/Papilin regulates the state of the extracellular matrix by altering the organization of collagen IV, an abundant and conserved component of basement membranes, thus compensating for cell adhesion defects in sax-7/L1CAM maintenance mutants and counteracting a neural ganglia displacement upon increased mechanical stress. Our exploration of glial cells in the context of neuronal maintenance also revealed defects in sax-7/L1CAM maintenance mutants. Understanding the general principles of maintenance of neuronal architecture and connectivity could help identify key factors influencing the onset and progression of neuropathologies.

Keyphrases: Neuronal maintenance, Nervous system, Extracellular matrix, Glial cells, C. elegans, Neuronal maintenance, Nervous system, Extracellular matrix
État des connaissances sur les fauteuils roulants motorisés intelligents (FRMIs) et recommandations pour la poursuite de leur développement : un examen de la portée

Background: The level of social participation among wheelchair users can be affected by factors such as accessibility, as well as their individual clinical profile, which can limit their full involvement in meaningful activities of daily living. To meet their needs in terms of mobility and social participation, different prototypes of intelligent powered wheelchairs (IPW) are being developed, in order to improve the mobility of people with physical, cognitive or sensorial impairments, who have difficulties using standard powered wheelchairs. Objective: The aim of this study was to map the existing literature on the nature of studies carried out on IPWs to better understand how the existing IPWs meet the needs of powered wheelchair users, and to better guide the ongoing development of IPWs.  Methods: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the six stages of Arskeys and O’Malley’s (2005) framework which was later enhanced by Levac et al. (2010). All studies available until September 2020, written in English or in French, were included.  Results: A total of 41 studies were included in the scoping review. The results suggest that the various technologies integrated into IPWs could meet some of the needs of powered wheelchair users (PWu), could help improve mobility, provide independence, and promote social participation of some PWu. Moreover, additional results were identified: (a) other technologies, that could provide more independence and comfort to users, and (b) other clinical uses of IPW. An important limitation of the literature is the lack of experimental studies that could help assessing the efficiency of IPW. The point of view of caregivers is also less reported in the literature.  Conclusion: Further studies should be considered to improve the functioning of the existing prototypes of IPW.

Keyphrases: Technologies, Intelligent powered wheelchair, Power wheelchair users, Caregivers, Operating mode, Navigation mode, Technology, Social participation
Prédiction des atteintes motrices chez les nourrissons nés entre 29 et 36 semaines de gestation par la combinaison de facteurs périnataux, environnementaux et du statut neurologique à l’âge équivalent du terme

Background: Between 25 and 45% of children born prematurely between 29 and 36 weeks of gestation will present with developmental delay by 2 years of corrected age (CA). Children born between 29 and 36 weeks of gestation do not systematically benefit from specialized follow-up, which allows the early identification of developmental delay. Factors such as perinatal characteristics, environmental characteristics and neurological status have been studied as potential markers of developmental delay. However, their capacity for predicting an early manifestation of developmental delay remains poorly understood. Aims: To determine the best-fitting model for the prediction of motor delay at 3.5 months CA by the combination of perinatal factors, environmental factors, and neurological status at term equivalent age (TEA) in children born between 29 and 36 weeks' gestation. Methods: This prospective observational cohort study included 129 infants born between 29 and 36 weeks of gestation and admitted for >48h in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). At TEA, perinatal and environmental factors were collected, and a standardized neurological examination of the child was also performed. At 3.5 months CA, a motor assessment was performed using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale: delay was defined as a score <10th percentile. Logistic regressions were used in order to identify factors associated with motor delay at 3.5 months CA and to create a prediction model. Results: Factors that remained significant in the multivariate model at 3.5 months CA were maternal smoking, gestational diabetes, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score, neonatal risk index, and environmental risk index. The final model had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 84% for predicting motor delay at 3.5 months. Conclusion: The statistical model developed demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity strong enough to support its use in a clinical context for the early identification of the risk of motor delay in children born between 29 and 36 weeks of gestation.

Keyphrases: prematurity, developmental delay, motor delay, early identification, risk factors
Pratique et perception des ergothérapeutes sur l'évaluation et l'entraînement des habiletés en fauteuil roulant manuel en contexte de réadaptation pédiatrique

Introduction : Suboptimal manual wheelchair use can have repercussions on different aspects of the lives of children and adolescents who use this mobility aid. Despite the availability and effectiveness of the Wheelchair Skill Program (WSP), manual wheelchair skills training is often inadequate or absent in clinical practice among occupational therapists (OTs). To bridge this evidence-practice gap, this thesis aims to identify and understand the needs and challenges regarding manual wheelchair skills testing and training practices in pediatric rehabilitation.  Methods: Guided by the Knowledge to Action Framework, an explanatory sequential mixed methods design was employed. The quantitative phase involved an online survey with OTs working in a pediatric rehabilitation center and its affiliated schools and a paper survey with pediatric manual wheelchair users and their parents. The qualitative phase involved focus groups with the OTs. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a deductive analysis based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.  Results: According to the OT survey results (n=35), there is a discrepancy between the perceived importance of wheelchair skills testing and training (94% consider it important) and their prevalence in practice. Of the training provided, children are primarily trained indoor skills, while parents are primarily educated about wheelchair maintenance. Standardized, evidence-based tools are rarely used. The child survey results corroborate these findings as the children and parent described difficulties with many community and advanced wheelchair skills, as well as falls experienced in these situations. The focus group findings identified barriers to using the WSP which explained the gaps observed in practice.  Conclusion: To address the identified barriers, recommendations of WSP adaptations and knowledge translation (KT) tools production were proposed with creation of new knowledge. Findings from this thesis establish a first step towards bridging the evidence-practice gap in manual wheelchair skills testing and training.

Keyphrases: Paediatric rehabilitation, Occupational therapy, Manual wheelchair skills, Knowledge translation, Mixed-methods study
Synthèse et relâche de l’angiopoïétine 1 chez les patients insuffisants cardiaques et/ou diabétiques de type 2

Neutrophils can induce the synthesis and release of angiopoietin 1 (Ang1), a cytosolic growth factor involved in angiogenesis capable of inducing several neutrophil-driven pro-inflammatory activities. Neutrophils also synthesize and release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) composed of decondensed nuclear DNA filaments carrying proteins such as neutrophil elastase (NE), myeloperoxidase (MPO), proteinase 3 (PR3) and calprotectin (S100A8/S100A9) which contribute to the innate immune response to combat pathogens (e.g., bacteria). NETs are also implicated in various pathological conditions through pro-inflammatory, pro-thrombotic properties, leading to endothelial dysfunction, and have recently been found in heart failure (HF) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The purpose of this study is to determine the synthesis and release of Ang1 in patients with T2DM and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) (stable or acute decompensated (ADHFpEF)) with or without T2DM, compared to healthy volunteers (HV) as control group. Our results show that in absence of agonist (PBS) and after LPS treatment, NETs levels are increased in ADHFpEF + T2DM patients compared to HV. We also observed that LPS, PMA or A23187 treatments increase the synthesis of Ang1 (from 150 to 250%) in HV and this effect is amplified in T2DM and HF patients. Ang1 is completely released (100%) by neutrophils isolated from all cohorts and does not bind to NETs compared to calprotectin. Our study suggests that severely ill patients with decompensated heart failure (ADHFpEF + T2DM) synthesize and release more NETs and that Ang1 exocytosis is independent from NETs synthesis.

Keyphrases: Neutrophil extracellular traps, Ang1, Calprotectine (S100A8/A9), Inflammation, Neutrophils, Angiopoietins, Calprotectin, Heart failure, Type 2 diabetes
Une approche computationnelle de la complexité linguistique par le traitement automatique du langage naturel et l'oculométrie

The lack of integration of cognitive science and psychometrics is commonly deplored - and ignored. In the assessment of reading, one manifestation of this problem is a theoretical avoidance regarding sources of text difficulty and cognitive processes underlying text comprehension. To facilitate the desired integration of cognitive science and psychometrics, we adopt a computational approach. By considering computational procedures as simplified and partial representations of cognitivist models, a computational approach facilitates the integration of theoretical elements in psychometrics, as well as the development of theories in cognitive psychology. This thesis studies the contribution of a computational perspective to the measurement of two facets of linguistic complexity, using complementary perspectives. Intrinsic text complexity is approached from the perspective of natural language processing, with the goal of identifying and measuring text features that best model text difficulty. Paper 1 introduces ISLA (Integrated Lexico-Syntactic Analyzer), a new natural language processing tool that extracts a variety of linguistic features from French text, primarily taken from research in psycholinguistics and computational linguistics. We then evaluate the features’ potential to estimate text difficulty. Paper 2 uses ISLA and statistical learning methods to estimate difficulty of texts used in primary and secondary education in Quebec. In the second part of the thesis, complexity associated with reading processes is addressed using eye-tracking, which allows inferences to be made about cognitive load and visual attention allocation strategies in reading. Paper 3 describes a methodology for analyzing mobile eye-tracking recordings using computer vision techniques (a branch of artificial intelligence); this methodology is then tested on simulated data. Paper 4 deploys the same methodology in the context of an eye-tracking pilot experiment comparing reading processes in novices and experts during an argumentative text comprehension test. Overall, our work demonstrates that it is possible to obtain convincing results by combining theoretical contributions with a computational approach using statistical learning techniques. The tools created or perfected in the context of this thesis constitute a significant advance in the development of digital technologies for the measurement and evaluation of reading, with easy-to-identify applications in both academic and research contexts.

Keyphrases: linguistic complexity, reading comprehension, natural language processing, eye tracking, computer vision, educational measurement, computational linguistics, supervised learning, psycholinguistics
Évolution des pratiques mises en place en contexte d’atelier d’écriture et leurs effets sur le développement de la compétence à écrire en français langue étrangère

The purpose of this collaborative research is to describe (1) the implementation of writing workshop practices by two Vietnamese teachers of French as a foreign language at the upper secondary level who received in-service training on this device; (2) the impact of their writing workshop practices on the development of their students’ competence in writing French as a foreign language; and (3) the repercussions of their participation in the collaborative research on the change in their writing teaching practices. Our results indicate that during the research, teachers implemented the writing workshop in their classrooms. Through direct classroom observations using Bucheton and Soulé’s (2009) multi-agenda model, we noted an improvement in the quality of weaving, piloting, scaffolding, and atmospheric practices implemented by the teachers at the end of the experiment. The reported practices show that the teachers implemented the writing workshop on a regular basis and complied almost fully with the principles of this device presented during the training. On the students’ side, they significantly improved the quality of their written productions in terms of content, organization, sentence fluency, word choice, authorial voice and linguistic conventions on the post-test. In addition, their written productions were longer and better in terms of lexical and syntactic complexity. Finally, the teachers reported making changes in their practices of teaching writing, thanks to the training we had organized for them, to our support during their experimentation, and to their mutual observation of the implementation of the writing workshop.

Keyphrases: Writing instructional practices, Writing workshops, Writing proficiency, French as a foreign language, Collaborative research, Professional development
The research for international response to the loss and damage caused by climate change

Climate change is becoming more and more serious, which has triggered extensive discussion on how to deal with it. The international response are mitigation and adaptation. This thesis considers that adaptation is more important for the Loss and Damage caused by climate change. The first question addressed in the present thesis is what the definition of Loss and Damage caused by climate change is. Another principal question is how to fulfill the adaptation obligation in response to the Loss and Damage. For the adaptation obligation, the research aims to give some suggestions: to make full use of the measures under the Warsaw International Mechanism; to improve the implementation mechanism of the Paris Agreement to ensure that the contracting parties fulfill their international obligations. The thesis also analyzes China’s countermeasures, and it suggests that China should formulate appropriate emission reduction policies and foreign aid policies. The thesis analyzes the “common but differentiated responsibility principle”. The purpose is to discuss the prospect of the principle on adaptation obligations. Countries adhere to the principle and fulfill the adaptation obligations or the assistance obligations for other countries.

Keyphrases: Climate change, Loss and damage, Mitigation obligations, Adaptation obligations, Implementation and compliance mechanism
La fonction réformatrice du droit comparé : essai de conceptualisation à la lumière du droit civil iranien

This research focuses on two main topics. First, with the aim of reforming the law and improving legal systems, we will study various forms of applying the science of comparative law. At the first part, we will focus on the reforming function of comparative law through an analysis of the methodology and contemporary developments in this discipline. Moreover, the concept of reform and the preliminary conditions necessary for the reform operation will be studied, and we will demonstrate how this operation imposes more complexity than merely legislative revision through the transplantation of foreign rules and institutions. These difficulties make it necessary to mobilize different functional and cultural methods to increase the chance of taking legal transplant from the more developed countries to the developing countries. An interdisciplinary study of the context of various legal orders could help us to take into account the varying circumstances of each nation. In a second part, we will try to apply or conceptualize this model concerning the reform on a concrete case: the Iranian civil law. This law is a good example of the interbreeding of the traditional rules of Shiite Muslim law (Sharia or more precisely feqh) with the RomanoGermanic civil law tradition. We will present a historical perspective of the modernization of Iranian law and the context in which it has evolved and transformed. Throughout the century following the Constitutional Revolution (Mashrouteh) and aimed at modernizing the political and legal structure, Iran went through different eras, sometimes favoring traditional values and other times giving advantage to modern values. A movement of modernization inspired by European countries was initiated, but the lack of institutionalization of modernity in Iran and the Islamic Revolution have pushed the majority of the fruits of the Mashrouteh towards a traditional-Islamic ideology. The comparative method therefore helps us to concretize the phase of legal and social diagnosis in Iran, particularly in the light of the comparison with the Quebec and French legal systems. Finally, we will try to present some solutions through the internormative (with other interpretations of the feqh) and legislative (with the observation of other positive foreign laws) comparisons to build a new Iranian legal order in harmony with the contemporary evolutions in Iran

Keyphrases: Legal transplants, Tradition, Feqh, Legal reform, Methodology of comparative law, Functional method, Cultural or contextual method, Legal transplants, Modern, Iranian civil law, Sharia
Vieillissement et mobilité quotidienne : regards croisés sur les stratégies de déplacements d’individus vieillissants résidant dans les régions de Montréal et Laval

This thesis focuses on the challenges of maintaining daily mobility and the activities associated with different lifestyles over the course of aging. This endeavor uses an ecological approach to study the variation of daily mobility experiences according to lifestyles, residential environments, and moments in the life cycle. Supported by interdisciplinary theoretical framework, the thesis makes use of a mixed-method approach to identify various profiles of older adults according to their spatial practices and travel behavior using quantitative data (n=153), before studying how individuals of each profile experience mobility in different types of residential environments using semi-directed interviews, go-along and cartographic data. In doing so, the main question structuring the thesis concerns the possible differences between the travel behavior and daily mobility adaptation strategies of seniors and elders. From a review of recent literature, it can be anticipated that the passage to what Laslett calls the “Fourth age” can mark a turning point in the adaptation of mobility, as the culmination of trajectories of differential aging. The results of the thesis suggest nuancing these perspectives, by showing a certain continuity between senior and elders' lifestyles, namely in regard to relationship to automobility and adaptation strategies of mobility in different residential environments. In doing so, the thesis brings to light a diversity of older adult’s profiles facing contrasting challenges in the residential environments they live in. These results invite to nuance planning initiatives such as Age-Friendly Cities in light of knowledge gained about daily mobility aspirations of older adults with different lifestyles, living in residential areas with urban forms that may also vary.

Keyphrases: Aging, Older adults, Daily mobility, Lifestyles, Seniors, Quantitative, Mixed-methods, Metropolitan
La vidéomusique comme matière en mouvement

Videomusic presents a rich field of experimentation to the composer. It takes the form of a network where music, moving images and a language closer to poetry than prose coexist. It explores the ways in which sound and image can be related and what kind of expression these relationships allow.   This work proposes a typology of sound/image relations and presents the author's creative process through the study of three videomusic works and the context in which they were created. In the course of the analyses, our attention will focus on three axes: 1) the typology of sound/image relations as a tool for both analysis and composition; 2) the simultaneous work on sound and image; 3) the creation of an aesthetic experience that evokes emotions and meaning by drawing on the movement of materials captured in the natural environment.

Keyphrases: composition, videomusic, music, electroacoustic, experimental, video art, audiovisual