NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Rôle du gène Polycomb BMI1 dans le maintien et la radiorésistance des cellules souches cancéreuses

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is the most common and lethal primary brain tumor found in adults. Despite the advances made in the field of cancer therapy in the last decade, the median survival rate remains less than a year. Therefore, a better understanding of the molecular biology of GBM will reveal the mechanisms responsible for the initiation and progression of the tumor, and allow the development of new therapeutic strategies. GBM contains a minority cell population, characterized by tumor initiating cells expressing the stem cell marker, CD133. The CD133+ GBM cells are responsible for tumor initiation, maintenance, progression and resistance to chemo/radiotherapy. The CD133+ cells represent a valuable and specific therapeutic target against GBM. The Polycomb (PcG) group family of transcriptional repressors have been involved in a vast range of cancers. The PcG protein and oncogene BMI1 is the best-characterized PcG protein. The implication of BMI1 in normal and cancer stem cell survival, self-renewal and maintenance has been thoroughly investigated. BMI1 is highly expressed in GBM and more precisely; it is enriched specifically in CD133+ cell populations. The main goal of this thesis was to elucidate the potential role of BMI1 in GBM CD133 + cancer stem cell (CSC) maintenance and radioresistance. The main function of BMI1 is to repress the expression of the genes encoded by the INK4A/ARF locus, which is implicated in the activation of two major tumor suppressor pathways, P53 and RB. However, BMI1 depletion in vitro induces a reduction in proliferation potential, as well as an increase in differentiation, apoptosis, and radiosensitivity regardless of INK4A/ARF status. Indeed, two-thirds of all tumors posses a deletion of this locus, suggesting that BMI1 regulates other targets. P21, a cell cycle regulator, was identified as a new BMI1 target. Moreover, we have observed that the loss of BMI1 inhibits the establishment of a cerebral tumor in a xenograft mouse model. In addition to transcription related activity, we identified a new transcription independent function of BMI1. After the induction of a DNA double-strand-break, BMI1 is rapidly recruited to the damage site and influences the recruitment of DNA damage response proteins. Furthermore, defects in DNA damage recognition and repair are observed after BMI1 knockdown. Consistent with these results, BMI1 overexpression induces DNA damage response and increases radioresistance potential. These results emphasize for the first time the requirement of BMI1 for the maintenance, self-renewal, and radioresistance in GBM CSC, thus providing a potential target for future therapeutic strategies against GBM.

Keyphrases: BMI1, DNA damage, cancer stem cells (CSC), self renewal, radioresistance
Nord de L.-F. Céline : une réécriture des chroniques médiévales

Rooted in the chronicle writing exercise that Céline upholds when speaking about his post-war work, this memoire examines the hypothesis that the genre of medieval chronicles establish, in Nord, a permanent and definitive rewriting of Céline’s version of the Second World War. Jauss’ reception theory permits a demonstration of how Nord reconstructs the testimonial discourse and the ethos of truth, which are the foundation of the chroniclers Villehardouin or Clari, in order to give credence to an illegitimate version of the events of 1939-1945. In the magnified narrative of “Liberation”, Celine in fact opposes a chronicle of the épuration and an eyewitness account of daily life in Germany, 1944. Nationalist in ideology, medieval chronicles trace a French tradition from which Celine creates a pacifist political fiction and projects the geopolitics of medieval Europe upon the events of 1939-1945 in order to legitimize the author’s extreme right political leanings. Nord accentuates the autobiographical propensities of certain chronicles and merges them with a tradition of disgraced memorialists. This provides the pro domo plea instrumental in orchestrating the rhetoric of self-justification in the writer’s post-war works : to proclaim himself a victim of history in order to justify a posteriori the anti-semite pamphlets and therefore to self-exonerate of all admission of guilt. Finally, Céline qualifies North as a novel as a reference towards the fabrication of the chroniclers. To represent history as the coming Apocalypse without divine justice and without heroes, North proceeds to reactivate fictional genres such as legend, epic, and chivalry which become entangled with history in the Chroniques of Froissart. This rewriting between fabula and historia is therefore a creation of a novelist who, within the context of the post-war fiction crisis, proceeds to deconstruct the novel through history.

Keyphrases: Céline, Chronique, Froissart, Twentieth century french novel, Chronicle
L’impact du loisir sur l’intégration sociale des minorités ethniques à Montréal : le cas des nouveaux arrivants originaires du Pérou

Immigration in Quebec has recently experienced a new trend. In fact, the arrival of immigrants socially perceived as "ethnic minorities", or more specifically as "visible minorities", has become increasingly evident, especially in the urban context where ethnic diversity is palpable every day. In this master’s thesis, we focus on the impact of leisure defined as a set of cultural practices, that is to say leisure practices embedded in the “habitus,” to support the analysis of the social integration of a group of Peruvian immigrants recently arrived in Montréal.   This investigation seeks to explore the relationship between leisure and integration. Utilizing a theoretical framework allowed us to approach leisure, as a field that encourages participation in the host society. To achieve this goal, we used a qualitative approach in order to "rebuild" the integration trajectory of five Peruvian newcomers who had settled in Montréal for five years or less.   The data analysis reveals that the integration process of these immigrants is difficult, since this process presents challenges of adaptation (acculturation) to the host society, and leisure activities have a positive impact on that process in part because they play a strategic role that promotes adaptation and participation. These activities also illustrate the modes of incorporation into some areas of social life (employment, cultural life, friendship and socialization), which does not completely break the ties to the community of origin.  In daily practice, leisure promotes the rapprochement with the majority group and more generally, with the other ethnic groups living in Montréal: the friendship develops, the practices of sociability are deployed, the consumption of some goods and services is stimulated, and the individual meet more people, etc.  The connection between ethnic communalization and integration can allow the individual to enter different areas and groups. Moreover, pleasure is the engine of leisure, so this means that leisure activities chosen by these individuals match their personal tastes and interests. This link facilitates the deployment of specific “responses” by these newcomers (coping responses), in order to face their problems of adaptation, and the confirmation of a sort of integration feeling among them.

Keyphrases: free time, leisure, newcomers, Peruvians, ethnic minorities, integration
Le Corrector sive Medicus de Burchard de Worms (1000-1025) : présentation, traduction et commentaire ethno-historique

The Corrector sive Medicus is a penitential written by Burchard, the bishop of Worms (1000-1025). It is a book used by confessors to guide them when they must administer the Sacrament of Penance. It has been fully integrated into Burchard's greatest work, the Decretum, and is amongst the most complete of the known penitentials. It is mainly composed of an elaborate set of questions about the sins committed by the Church's followers. This thesis' subject matter regards the Corrector sive Medicus' 194 questions. Between the seventh and the twelfth century, penitentials were a literary tradition where texts were continuously reused. The Corrector sive Medicus' series of questions distinguishes itself from this because it mainly originates from Burchard himself. He introduces in his penitential precise details about pagan survivals and the popular religion that allow, more than any literary source of the time, an ethnohistorical analysis of Germanic culture. The first section of this thesis is dedicated to presenting the Corrector sive Medicus. I first describe the historical and biographical context surrounding its creation, then explain my method of analysis for the penitential, and finally propose a diachronic summary of Germanic traditions. The second section offers, for the first time in French, a complete translation of Burchard's series of questions, as well as comments pertaining to different themes or problems raised by it, most notably those concerning Germanic culture. Finally, some documents are appended to this thesis that show, similarly to the Corrector sive Medicus, a deeply rooted religious syncretism.

Keyphrases: Corrector sive Medicus, Corrector sive Medicus, Burchard of Worms, Penitentials, Germanic culture, Ethnohistory, Popular religion, Pagan survivals
"Se sentir vivant" : le regard d’aînés et d’auxiliaires familiaux et sociaux 
sur le soutien à domicile en contexte d’inégalités sociales

This study aims to explore the elder’s home support, more narrowly the experience of people characterized as « in loss of autonomy » in a context where, on one hand, socioeconomic inequalities in this group are important, and, on the other hand, home support services tend toward a standardization and a commoditization. The concept of autonomy has been used to better apprehend the living conditions and the social relations that positively or negatively affect the wellbeing of elders at home, from their own perspective or from those of the visiting caregivers who work with them. The latter are generally mentioned in the literature has having a social and global perspective on the people they visit, as they are closely tied to them and intrude in their own living space.  In the gerontology literature and in institutional documents, the dominant discourse related to wellbeing of the elderly (« successful aging » or, in French, « bien-vieillir ») is articulated around a functional conception of autonomy, depriving it of its more social and relational dimensions. This research has developed a social perspective on autonomy grounded in social sciences and based on authors such as Druhle, Sen, McAll, Honneth, Guillemard and Castoriadis. This conceptual framework relies on notions of recognition and social inequality and was used in analyzing our 10 semistructured interviews with caregivers and 14 more with elders receiving homecare. Each of the 10 caregivers were asked to relate their last three visits, adding up to a total of 30 case studies.   At the crossroads of these narratives, the results of this research suggest that material and relational living conditions do have a decisive impact on elders’ possibility to « feel alive ». For those most disadvantaged and/or isolated, home support most often translates in situations of containment, of retention at home. With regards to relationships with caregivers, it appears that improvement of elders’ wellbeing receiving home support is related, among other things, to the creation of autonomous relational space where the person exists not only as a « body » with needs, but also as a « spirit ». Beyond the provided services, it is the kind of interaction (careful, mindful, respectful of habits, intentions and projects that fulfill the life of the assisted individuals), that occupies most of their narrative on home care services. According to the elders, from time to time, it seems that the health care system can have more significant positive impact by creating spaces propitious to collective autonomy and with marginal intervention.

Keyphrases: Home care services, Relational autonomy, Social inequality, Recognition, Well-being, Ill-being, Functionality, Older people, Caregivers
O6-Methylguanine-DNA-Methyltransferase methylation: prevalence and predictive value in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background: The O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene encodes a specific DNA repair enzyme that protects cells from toxicity of alkylating agents. Thus, MGMT activity is a major mechanism of resistance to alkylating drugs. It has been shown that decreased MGMT gene expression by promoter hypermethylation results in improved survival in patients with certain types of tumors that are treated with alkylating chemotherapeutic agents. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of MGMT methylation in patients with locally advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with chemoradiation therapy and to evaluate the impact of this methylation on survival. Methods: Out of 428 consecutive patients treated with chemoradiation therapy at our institution and followed for a median of 37 months, 199 paraffin embedded biopsy or surgical specimens were retrieved. DNA was extracted and subjected to bisulfite treatment. A methylation specific PCR (MSP) was conducted to assess the methylation status of the MGMT gene promoter. Laboratory data was correlated with clinical response. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher’s test for categorical data and Kaplan-Meier’s curves and logrank statistics for failure times. Results: From the initial 199 DNA extracts, 173 (87%) were successfully modified with bisulfite. Out of these, 71 (41%) demonstrated hypermethylation of MGMT. For MGMT methylated cases and nonmethylated cases, patients characteristics were not significantly different. Response rates were 71 and 73% (p=NS), respectively. Local control rate (LCR) was respectively 87 and 77% (p=0.26), Disease-free survival (DFS) was 80 and 60% (p=0.38), distant metastasis free survival (DMFS) was 92 and 78% (p=0.08) and overall survival (OS) was 64 and 62% (p=0.99) at 3 years respectively. Conclusions: MGMT methylation status is highly prevalent (41%) and seems to have a possible beneficial impact on survival when chemoradiation therapy is given to patients with advanced stage HNSCC.

Keyphrases: MGMT, O6-methylguanine-ADN methyltransferase, O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase, head and neck cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), promoter hypermethylation
Analyse de la position des groupes et des individus dans un réseau criminel structuré autour des motards criminalisés

The scientific study of criminal networks reveals that their structure is flexible and dynamic and that the thesis supporting the control or the centralization of the criminal markets are at the least debatable. Nevertheless when a «traditional» criminal organization is active in a criminal market, the people, the media, the politicians, the police force and the judiciary tend to perceive that the market is under the control of that organization. In over-evaluating the real threat posed by certain criminal groups and in considering that there is a centralization of the criminal markets held by a known criminal organization, police strategy is biased and underscores the importance and influence of other individuals or groups of persons within the criminal market. Police strategy is then oriented in thinking that the structure of a criminal organization is transposed in the criminal market wherein its members operate. Consequently, the organization becomes the main target of the authorities and giving less attention to the other actors in the activities of the market. The following research paper presents the results of a network analysis taking its main sources from transcripts of electronic and physical surveillance collected during an important police operation against criminal bikers in the Province of Québec, Canada, and known as Operation Springtime 2001. From these transcripts, a network of 349 individuals was created. Though, the Hells Angels organization and more precisely the Nomads Chapter and its farm team, the Rockers, were the main targets of the police operation, other groups and individuals were also intercepted by police surveillance. After analysis of the position occupied by all the groups and individual that were identified it became apparent that the main target of the police authorities were not those who held the most strategic positions to exercise influence and last in the market under examination by the operation Operation Springtime 2001.

Keyphrases: Organized crime, Criminal networks, Social network analysis, Criminal bikers, Drug trafficking, Police investigation
Le primitivisme et l'art des enfants dans l'oeuvre de Léon Bellefleur (1945-1950)

This Master’s thesis focuses on the artistic production of Montreal painter Léon Bellefleur between 1945 and 1950, analyzed in terms of primitivism. The works studied all show a style similar to children's art, as described by philosopher Georges-Henri Luquet in his book Le dessin enfantin. Children's drawing being considered "primitive art", just as tribal art, peasant art and the artistic productions of the mentally ill, an artist who is inspired by them also, consequently, relates to primitivism. Léon Bellefleur is not only dedicated to reproducing an aesthetic reminiscent of children's drawing in his work, he also tries to find, through his artistic production, the authenticity that characterizes childhood and activities that relate to it. He looks for different ways to achieve this authenticity, first by seeking proximity with the unconscious mind and the collective memory by experimenting with surrealism, "tribal" primitivism and the dream. The artist is also trying to reconnect with his childish mind by exploring the inclusion of play in art, both in its practice of “exquisite corpse” and by the use of games and toys as figurative themes. Through his experimentation with games and his association with childhood, Bellefleur distances himself from the adult world and thereby expresses his opposition to tradition.

Keyphrases: Léon Bellefleur, Child art, Primitivism, Quebec 1940-1950
Les incidences littéraires du fragment dans les oeuvres "Monsieur Teste" de Paul Valéry et "Palomar" d'Italo Calvino

Written in non-linear fashion, Paul Valery’s "Monsieur Teste" (1946) and Italo Calvino’s "Palomar" (1983) establish limits for pure intellection and modern literatures possibility to account for subjective consciousness – that is, for Teste and Palomar – as thinking witness to phenomena of the universe. Althought stemming from different literary movement (for Valery, modern poetry of the inter-war period and, for Calvino, Italian Neorealism), both writers produce a similar form of writing that valorises the formal explosion of conventional categories (plot, spacetime, character) and points toward a new realism, freer and less restrictive. Whether it is in the composite narrative of "Monsieur Teste" representing Teste, a taciturn and solitary man with an inner life, or that of "Palomar" who suddenly decides to visually inventory the smallest parcels of the universe, one element remains constant : the fragment as a way of seizing and understanding the world and, indirectly, one self. Analyzing the fragment’s literary effects will allow us to reflect on and demonstrate by way of comparison, how the fragmentary writes of "Monsieur Teste" and "Palomar" create a textual structure as well of a form giving life to a content : thought becoming aware of its actions.

Keyphrases: fragment, construction, oeuvre, fragment, literature, construction, work, subject, knowledge
Impact des services d'animation pédagogique de la Biosphère sur certaines conceptions d'élèves du deuxième cycle du primaire

Science education is essential in elementary school, but it is often neglected. Science museums can overcome this gap by providing practical educational resources, including educational programs.  This research determines the impact of a Biosphere’s educational animation of certain conceptions of students from elementary school. The researcher chose a qualitative research and the chosen method is an exploratory case study. Students from a class have participated to this study. They attended a museum visit, insert in a didactic sequence. Using several data collection tools (questionnaires, interviews and observations), the researcher has been able to identify four levels of modified conceptions of students (significant evolution, a certain evolution, stable conceptions, confusion conceptions). Finally, she suggests some ways of improving the Biosphere’s animation to maximize the impact of the visit on student learning.

Keyphrases: Science didactic, Elementary education, Conceptual change, Scientific culture, Museums, Museum education, Museum education services, Learning in science museum
Troubles du rythme cardiaque dans les modèles murins transgéniques

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world each year. If no action is taken to improve cardiovascular health and current trends continue, WHO estimates that 25% more healthy life years will be lost to cardiovascular disease globally by 2020. Cardiac hypertrophy is the consequence of an excessive workload of the heart muscle leading to cardiac remodeling process. As the workload increases, the ventricular walls grow thicker, lose elasticity and eventually may fail to pump with as much force as a healthy heart. Furthermore, hypertrophied myocardium is not physiologically normal and may confer a predisposition to potentially fatal arrhythmias. Generally, the causal mechanism is ventricular fibrillation, a cardiac rhythm disorder which is irreversible but the pathophysiological mechanisms are complex and poorly understood. The functional consequences of mutations or ionic remodeling are relatively simple to study in vitro, but their role in the pathophysiology of arrhythmias in vivo is more difficult to grasp. Among the different animal models developed in cardiac arrhythmias research, the mouse is increasingly used because of our ability to mutate, knock-out or over-express genes of interest. The objective of my thesis was to study the role of ion channels in physiology as well as cardiac pathophysiology, particularly in the involvement of the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias in vivo. This thesis will improve our understanding of the role of genetic abnormalities involving ionic remodeling in the pathogenesis of the heart and may also open new therapeutic perspectives in the treatment of cardiac remodeling as well as sudden cardiac death.

Keyphrases: transgenic mouse, cardiac remodeling, myocardial infarction, complete heart block, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, ionic channels, sudden death
Dialectique et sécularisation chez Charles Taylor

The central aim of this work is to assess the most general implications of the interpretation of secularization by Charles Taylor, as it is deployed in ‘A Secular Age’ (2007), for the domain of philosophy of religion. We argue that the hermeneutical approach of Taylor, resting on his philosophical anthropology, binds together in an original and indivisible fashion the problem of secularization and the philosophical reflection on religion. To this effect, I describe his critique of naturalism and the broad lines of his ‘dialectic’ in order to clarify the general orientation of his work. I then move to an analysis of his interpretation of secularization and its implications for the constitutive questions in philosophy of religion, notably regarding the nature of religion, the epistemological status of religious beliefs, the relations between faith and reason as well as between religion and modern science. I conclude on a more critical note with an examination of the ‘metaethical realism’ of our author and by showing that his position might best be understood as the basis for a deepened and reinforced ‘subtraction story’.

Keyphrases: Secularization, Dialectic, Hermeneutic, Naturalism, Faith, Rationality, Realism, Constructivism, Metaethics, Transcendental