NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Étude sur la validité et la fiabilité d'un questionnaire sur l'activité physique de personnes âgées de 65 à 74 ans, du Québec et du Brésil

Assessment of the physical activity in elderly populations is a challenge in population studies. In a preliminary literature review, no measurement tool was found sufficiently valid or reliable to be used in an international and longitudinal study on elderly mobility determinants. Consequently, a pilot study took place in 2009 to build such a tool. This master’s thesis pursue the validity, reliability and predictive capacity of accelerometer’s values (gold standard) for two chosen questionnaires. The ultimate goal: combine the two questionnaires in one for an eventual longitudinal study in Canada, Brazil and Columbia. The first questionnaire (PAQ) attempts to measure energy expenses through frequency and duration of a selected list of physical leisure activities, and the second (IPAQ) attempts to estimate total energy expenses through duration of types of activities described by their intensity and through the daily sitting time. The Saint-Bruno’s sample (n=64) and the Santa Cruz’s (n=60) were asked to answer two questionnaires (PAQ, IPAQ 7 day recall), to participate to a lower limb capacity test (SPPB) and to wear an accelerometer. The PAQ’s and IPAQ’s criterion validity and IPAQ’s construct validity were only good in Saint-Bruno. Because of the refusal to wear the accelerometer in Santa Cruz, no criterion validity analysis were done. The PAQ has a good reliability in both sites but had nothing more to the predictive capacity of the energy expenditure, than does the IPAQ. Populations studies, that want an estimate of energy expenditure from physical activity of the elderly, should use measurement tools that assess the intensity (IPAQ) instead of the frequency or the duration of specific activities (PAQ).

Keyphrases: Validation, Questionnaire, Physical activity, Accelerometer, Elderly, Epidemiology
Psychiatric and neurological symptoms in schizophrenia and substance use disorder patients treated for 12-weeks with quetiapine

Background Psychiatric and neurological symptoms are consequences of substance abuse in schizophrenia and non-schizophrenia patients. The present case-control studies examined differences in substance abuse/dependence, and psychiatric symptoms and neurological symptoms in substance abusers with [dual diagnosis (DD) group] and without schizophrenia [substance use disorder (SUD) group] and in non-abusing schizophrenia patients (SCZ group) –undergoing 12-week treatment with quetiapine. Furthermore, two systematic reviews were conducted in order help explain our results. The first examined the usefulness of antipsychotics for the treatment of substance abuse/dependence in psychosis and non-psychosis patients. The second examined the dose-response and comparative efficacy of quetiapine across psychiatric disorders. Methods Psychiatric symptoms and neurological symptoms were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia, the Extrapyramidal Symptoms Rating Scale, and the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale. Results DD and SCZ patients were receiving significantly higher doses of quetiapine (mean = 554 and 478 mg per day, respectively), relative to SUD patients (mean = 150 mg per day). We found that SUD patients showed greater improvement in weekly dollars spent on alcohol and drugs and SUD severity, compared to DD patients. At endpoint, there was no significant difference in dollars spent, but DD patients still had a higher mean SUD severity. Interestingly, DD patients had significantly higher parkinsonism and depression than SCZ patients at baseline and endpoint. On the other hand, we found that SUD patients had significantly more akathisia at baseline, improved more than SCZ patients, and this was related to cannabis abuse/dependence. Finally, SUD patients improved more in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive scores than DD and SCZ patients. Conclusions Taken together, our results provide evidence for increased vulnerability to the adverse effects of alcohol and drugs in schizophrenia patients. They also suggest that substance abuse/withdrawal may mimic some symptoms of schizophrenia. Future studies will need to determine the role quetiapine played in these improvements.

Keyphrases: schizophrenia, quetiapine, atypical antipsychotic, extrapyramidal symptoms, Quétiapine, schizophrenie
Analyse qualitative du contenu alimentaire et nutritionnel de quatre blogues de mères québécoises

Objectives. Exploratory qualitative analysis of food and nutritional content of blogs run by Quebec mothers in order to identify the relative importance of life course events and experiences, source of influences, and personal food system on their food choices. Methods. Content analysis conducted using the conceptual model by Sobal and Bisogni. NVivo software was used to codify all references to food, nutrition and food choices in the four selected mothers’ blog. Results. The four main categories of Sobal and Bisogni’s model are found in blogs. The category influences is the one that gets the most mention, except for the blog run by a registered dietitian where the references are equally divided between influences and personal food system. Several sources of nutrition information are mentioned, both formal and informal sources. Conclusion. Analysis of blogs allows us to have access to information provided spontaneously by mothers and questions the effectiveness of nutrition messages from health professionals. As the mothers' food choices affect significantly the development of eating behaviors of their children, it is the role of dietitians and other professionals to better define their messages so that they are better understood and adopted.

Keyphrases: Communications, Food choices, Mothers, Children, Family, Cacophony, Social media, Communication
Transgressions et croisements : le cas de l'adolescent fugueur chez Leïla Sebbar

The purpose of this master’s thesis is to study the dynamic figure of the runaway in the writing of Leïla Sebbar. Mohamed in “Le Chinois Vert d’Afrique” (1982) and Shérazade in “Shérazade, 17 ans, brune, frisée, les yeux verts” (1984), personifie a reality that the young descendants of the North African immigration must encounter, torn between the cultural codes of the country of origin and the country of birth. The blend of the characters’ culture and their constant mobility reassess the dominant social discourse during a time when France was torn between the aspirations of a national unity and colonial history. The first chapter examines the cultural blend of the runaways with the pictorial representation and its place in the formation of the young protagonists’ identity. In light of these observations, the second part of the thesis will focus on the characters’ awareness of the Other’s perception. The stereotypical suburban teenager lacking culture resulting in the character feeling out of place is being questioned. The breakdown of the “cliché” in the third chapter will address the importance of culture by characters, allowing for a democratization of an upper class culture. The fourth chapter is devoted to the movement of the runaways in space and time. Between the city and its suburbs, the lost paradise that Algeria represents, and the distress of the parents that have left their beloved country, the last part of this study will focus on the characters’ contribution to the rewriting of the history of past and future generations.

Keyphrases: Leïla Sebbar, Orientalism, Colonial history, Runaway, Stereotype, Sociocritic, Plural identity
L'engagement parental des mères et des pères : associations avec la relation coparentale et l'adaptation socio-affective à l'âge préscolaire

Most studies that have sought to identify determinants of harmonious development in children have considered the impact of variables on maternal or paternal characteristics, but few of them took into account both parents, the influences and interactions between them, or even their relationship as co-parents. This research aims to overcome these weaknesses in order to better understand the determinants of parental involvement of mothers and fathers, as well as child adjustment. For this purpose, 70 families (father, mother and child) were recruited through daycare centers of the Montreal area, to form a sample which includes 38 boys and 32 girls aged 34 to 70 months. Participating parents were visited twice by a research assistant for the completion of questionnaires that were used to assess parental involvement, the co-parental relationship and child adjustment. There are several significant relationships between parental involvement and different dimensions of the co-parental relationship, especially in areas traditionally reserved for mothers. Co-parenting and parental involvement also appear related to the social competence of children, but not to anxiety/withdrawal, nor aggressiveness/irritability. Hierarchical regression analysis were performed to explain the variance in parental involvement by the characteristics of the co-parental relationship, and the variance in child adjustment by the co-parental relationship and the parental involvement of mothers and fathers. These analyses have shown that particular characteristics of the father moderate the relationship between parenting beliefs of mothers and the relative participation of both parents in emotional support, play and the introduction of novelty. They also allowed the identification of a mediation relationship, in which paternal beliefs are positively associated with paternal warmth, which is itself positively associated with social competence of children. The discussion highlights the importance of studying parental involvement and child adjustment in a systemic framework, which focuses on both the characteristics of mothers and fathers, the relationship between parents and the influences that mothers and fathers have on each other.

Keyphrases: Style parental, Alliance parentale, Gatekeeping maternel, Parental involvement, Parenting styles, Mothers, Fathers, Coparenting, Parenting alliance, Beliefs, Maternal gatekeeping, Children
Taxonomy, biogeography and phylogeny of Cretaceous frog crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) from the Neotropics

The aim of the present work is to present new paleontological evidence that depicts the clade Raninoida well established in the Neotropics during Cretaceous times, as represented by the oldest, or some of the oldest members of its earliest families. I describe raninoid and raninoidid–like taxa including Archaeochimaeridae n. fam., and Archaeochimaera macrophthalma n. gen. n. sp., from the upper Cenomanian (~95 Ma.) of Boyacá, Planocarcinus n. gen., Planocarcinus olssoni (Rathbun, 1937) n. comb., and Notopocorystes kerri n. sp., from the upper Aptian (~115 Ma.) of Santander. These newly described taxa, plus the occurrence of Cenomanocarcinus vanstraeleni Stenzel, 1945, in the upper Albian of Boyacá (Vega et al., 2010), and Araripecarcinus ferreirai Martins–Neto, 1987, in the lower Albian of Brazil (Luque et al., in progress), represent the oldest records of, at least, four out of seven raninoidid families known to date. The new family Archaeochimaeridae, stands as the sister taxon to Raninidae + Symethidae clade. However, its unique combination of primitive, advanced, and homoplasic traits is matchless within Raninoida, and in fact, with the remaining podotreme sections. While Cretaceous raninoid taxa from higher latitudes are well known, records from the tropical South America are scarce and sparse, resulting in considerable biases when attempting to address major biogeographic and phylogenetic questions. Based on taxonomic, paleobiogeographic and cladistic information, some reconsideration of the early spatio–temporal distributions of frog crabs are proposed, with the aim of contributing to a broader understanding of the diversity, phylogeny, and evolution of early brachyuran crabs throughout time.

Keyphrases: Raninoida, Raninoida, Phylogeny, Taxonomy, Paleobiogeography, Neotropics
Le pouvoir du premier ministre dans la nomination du haut personnel de l’État au Canada : vers un processus plus transparent et moins discrétionnaire, comme en Grande-Bretagne ?

This paper aims to assess the reforms that regulate the appointment power conferred by the Royal Prerogative to the Prime minister. Our study is largely based on historical institutionalism in political science and analysis in terms of “path dependency”. This theory argues that once policymakers begin a course of public policy, their subsequent decisions will follow the same direction. Based on governmental documents, transcripts of parliamentary committees and the example of Great Britain, this work seeks to assess whether the reforms to constrain the appointment power of the Prime Minister of Canada validates the “path dependence” approach. Our findings leads us rather to see that with regard to appointments, Canada is more monarchical than Great Britain. Our general conclusion is that the Canadian approach is not “path dependent” but can be better described as “disjointed incrementalism”.

Keyphrases: Canada, Royal prerogative, Appointment power, Prime minister, Parliamentary reform, Parliamentary Committees, Great Britain, Historical institutionalism, Disjuncted incrementalism
Identité narrative et temporalité chez Christian Bobin : l'écriture du care comme réplique poétique au désenchantement

This thesis on the work of Christian Bobin (1951-) is first and foremost a study of lyricism and contemporary disenchantment. Within the frame of these two modes of discourse, I interpret the French author’s ethical and poetic discourse of “simple enchantment”. From a hermeneutical perspective, I test the hypothesis according to which Bobin’s works convey a poetic discourse by “replying” (Ricoeur) to a certain dominant intellectual discourse directed against him, but also by reiterating many of his credos. The first part of this thesis presents the theoretical frame and method (comparatist), and defines lyricism and disenchantment as an interpretive horizon. The second part, which questions the author’s “poethic” (Pinson) identity (understood as category of the text), unveils the manner in which Bobin sees disenchantment and nihilism: by masculinizing disenchantment, linking it to logos, and by feminizing enchantment, associating it with muthos. The belief in authentic time is maintained by valorizing behaviours and temporal attitudes in accordance with the ethic of authenticity (Rousseau), whereas the bias of the feminine corresponds to the valorization of attitudes in accordance with the ethic of kindness (Levinas). Because the first ethic relies on the subject’s time and the second favours the other’s time, an initial paradox emerges at the heart of the conveyed speculative messages, which are freighted with the author’s discourse on time, men, women and kindness. In the third part, I illuminate the author’s grand ethical project: writing to care for, to nurse. After defining Bobin’s “writing of care”, I look at the founding feminine figures of his work and note that the author’s ambition is threefold: first, to care for the present; second, to protect women from misogyny and to reassert the value of care attitudes for which they are traditionally recognized; and third, to comprehend, defuse, and beautify their “madness”. Hence, a second paradox emerges: the simultaneous valorization of carnal figures inscribed in temporality (maternity) and those outside time (ecstasy). A look at Bobinian “women still to come” will reveal three anticipated figures committed to the practice of caregiving. Finally, not only is Bobinian poethic illuminated, but a light is also shed on central poetic and ethical postures in the West, which many lyrical poets adopt “in times of distress” (Hölderlin).

Keyphrases: Masculin, Disenchantment, Ethics, Feminine, Narrative Identity, New Lyricism, Nihilism, Masculine, Poetic Discourse, Temporality
Perception des professionnels de la santé par rapport à l'introduction d'une plateforme Web 2.0 dans leur pratique

Introduction: Health professionals are increasingly encouraged to adopt an evidence-based practice. However, gaps continue to be observed between scientific evidence and practice. Through its interactive capabilities, Web 2.0 can contribute to an evidence-based practice by improving exchange of relevant clinical and scientific information’s. Objective: This study is a part of a project that wants to design a Web 2.0 platform for health professionals working with stroke patients. The aim is to gain a better understanding of professionals’ perceptions of Web 2.0 before platform development. Methods: A qualitative study following the phenomenological approach was chosen. We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with 24 clinicians and managers. Results: Interviewed people were all women with a mean age of 45 years (± 18). Knowledge transfer was identified to be the most useful outcome of a Web 2.0 platform. Respondents also expressed their need for a user-friendly platform. Results also highlight a time paradox. Clinicians feel that the Web 2.0 will help them save time while they argue that they will not have time to use it. Conclusion: While Web 2.0 remains a knowledge transfer tool not yet integrated in clinical practice, professionals working with stroke patients generally receive its implementation positively.

Keyphrases: Internet, Recherche qualitative, Evidence-based practice, Information dissemination, Health professionals, Internet, Qualitative research
The effect of Nystatin on the inner ear : an experimental guinea pig study

Objective: Nystatin is an effective topical antifungal agent widely used in the treatment of otomycosis. Though it is safe for external ear use, current recommendations are to avoid its use in cases of tympanic membrane perforation. The objective of our study was to test the security of Nystatin when applied directly to the middle ear of a guinea pig model. Methods: We performed an experimental study with 18 Hartley guinea pigs that were divided into two groups. Exposing middle ears from one group to Nystatin (group I) and from the other to the ototoxic neomycin (group II), we compared results of auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing at three intervals during the study. Each animal’s contralateral ear was injected with a physiological solution (NaCl). At the end of the study, we performed a histological analysis of the animals’ cochleae using a scanning electron microscope. Results: Average hearing loss in the Nystatin group was 13.0 dB which was similar to the results obtained in the NaCl-exposed ears (4.0 dB in group I and 15.1 dB in group II). Average hearing loss in the neomycin group was 39.3 dB, which represents a clinically significant difference (p<0.001). Scanning electron microscope evaluation revealed intact cochlear hair cell architecture in the Nystatin and normal saline groups, compared to important destruction in the neomycin group. Conclusion: Nystatin does not cause hearing impairment or cochlear hair cell damage when exposed directly to the middle ear of a guinea pig model.

Keyphrases: Nystatin, Neomycine, otomycosis, Nystatin, Neomycin, ototoxicity, ciliated hair cells, middle ear
Tarification logit dans un réseau

The network pricing problem  consists in finding tolls to set on a subset of a network's arcs, so to maximize a revenue expression. A fixed demand of commuters, going from their origins to their destinations, is assumed. Each commuter chooses a path of minimal "disutility", a measure of discomfort associated with the use of a path and which takes into account fixed costs and tolls. A deterministic modelling of commuter behaviour  is mostly  found in the literature, according to which positive flow is only assigned to \og shortest\fg\: paths. Even though the determinist pricing model is amenable to global optimization by the use of enumeration techniques, it has often been criticized for its lack of realism. In this thesis, we consider a probabilistic extension of this model involving a logit dicrete choice model. This more realistic model is non-linear and non-concave, but  still possesses strong combinatorial features.  Our analysis  spans  three separate articles. In the first we tackle the problem from a theoretical perspective for the case of a single origin-destination pair and  develop a first order analysis that exploits the logit assignment  analytical properties. We show the validity of   simplification rules to the network topology which  yield  a reduction in the problem dimensionality.  This enables us to establish the problem's unimodality    for a wide class of topologies. We also establish a parallel with the  product-line pricing problem, for which we generalize some of our results.  In our second article, we address the problem from a numerical point of view for the case where multiple origin-destination pairs are present. We work out algorithms that exploit both local information and the pricing problem specific combinatorial features.   We provide theoretical results which put in perspective the deterministic and probabilistic models, as well as numerical evidence  according to which  a very simple  combinatorial approximation can lead to the best solutions. Also, our experiments clearly indicate that under any reasonable setting, the logit pricing problem is much smoother, and admits less optima then its deterministic counterpart.    The third article is concerned with an extension  to an heterogeneous demand  resulting from  a mixed-logit discrete choice model. Commuter price sensitivity is assumed  random and the corresponding revenue expression admits no closed form expression. We devise  nonlinear and combinatorial approximation schemes for its evaluation and optimization, which allow us to obtain quasi-optimal solutions. Numerical experiments here indicate that the most realistic model yields the best solution, independently of how well the model can actually be solved.  We finally illustrate how the output  of the model can be used for economic purposes by evaluating the contributions to the revenue of various commuter groups.

Keyphrases: network design, discrete choice models, mixed-logit, bilevel programming, combinatorial optimization, nonlinear optimization, logit
Développement de nouveaux outils de contrôle conformationnel utilisant des interactions  non-covalentes pour effectuer des macrocyclisations

Macrocycles have long attracted the attention of chemists.  Despite that interest, few general and efficient methods for the construction of macrocycles have been developed.  Recently our group has developed a research program aimed at developing novel routes towards the synthesis of paracyclophanes and the present thesis details the most recent efforts in this area.  Traditionally, the synthesis of rigid paracyclophanes is aided by the installation of functional groups capable of controlling the solution state structure of the molecules (ie.  a conformational control element (CCE)).  However, this auxiliary-like approach requires that the CCE be readily installed prior to macrocyclization and easily removed following the cyclization.  In the present thesis describes an alternative method to guiding difficult macrocyclizations through the use of additives as CCEs is described.  The additives are N-alkylated aromatic heterocycles that are cheap, easily prepared and can be easily added to a reaction mixture and removed following the macrocyclization through simple precipitation and filtration.  In addition, the CCEs are recyclable.  The use of the new CCEs is demonstrated in the synthesis of para- and metacyclophanes using either ring closing metathesis (RCM) or Glaser-Hay couplings.

Keyphrases: Paracyclophanes, Metacyclophane, Glaser-Hay, Ring closing olefin metathesis, Conformational control element, Macrocycles