NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Mise à jour et étude de sources de variation des niveaux d’exposition au chlordane, au BPC, au toxaphène et au mercure chez les Inuits de l’Arctique canadien

Traditional food is a part of Inuit culture. Nevertheless, contamination of this food by organochlorines and heavy metals is the subject of constant attention since it’s exceeding Canadians guidelines in some cases. The purpose of this work is to do an update of the exposure estimates for chlordane, PCB, toxaphene and mercury and to explore sources of variation. To do so, new data on concentration of contaminants in traditional food have been combined to dietary recalls collected in the Canadian arctic in 1998 and 1999 assuming that the quantity and the type of traditional food consumed didn’t change.   According to the new estimates, changes in the contaminant database affected more the extremes of the distributions rather than the measures of central tendency. The estimates of organochlorines intakes can be considered updated since the five types of food for which data are available represent the majority of total exposure. For mercury, additional data are necessary for caribou, narwhal, beluga muktuk and lake trout to generate more exact estimates of exposure.   The sources of variation of the exposure estimates have been explored by evaluating the coefficients of variation related to the measure of the dietary intake and those related to the contaminant concentrations in traditional food. The variation attributable to the methods of collecting food intake data is higher than the variability attributable to the contaminant database.  New methods to measure the levels of traditional food consumption should be developed.

Keyphrases: Inuits, Inuits, Traditional food, Organochlorines, Chlordane, Chlordane, Toxaphene, PCB, Mercury, Exposure level, Variation, Variation
Dépistage prénatal de la trisomie 21 et autres aneuploïdies au premier trimestre

In this thesis by articles, we explore different facets of first trimester prenatal screening of aneuploidy. Introduction retraces the origin of prenatal screening and enunciates current biochemical and ultrasound markers associated with aneuploidy. In the first article, impact of maternal smoking on first-trimester prenatal screening results is assessed for Down syndrome and trisomy 18. Both maternal blood levels of PAPP-A and free β-hCG are significantly decreased by maternal smoking while fetal nuchal translucency (NT) thickness is significantly increased. Without adjustment, this results in an increase of false positives, at least for trisomy 18. Based on these results, adjustment for smoking should be mandatory in first-trimester prenatal screening. In the second article, we identify NT threshold values above which biochemical screening provides no additional benefit. In pregnancies in which NT is above the proposed upper cut-offs, invasive prenatal screening should be offered without undue delay. In the third and last article, maternal plasma levels of follistatin- related gene protein (FLRG) are determined for the first time in first trimester of pregnancy. Its potential role as a new marker for Down syndrome is assessed. Although FLRG can be successfully detected in maternal plasma, its levels are not significantly altered by the presence of Down syndrome fetuses. In the general discussion, articles are mainly addressed under a Quebec standpoint. Additional and complementary original data are presented and different clinical research avenues are proposed.

Keyphrases: Aneuploidy, Nuchal translucency measurement, Pregnancy, Chorionic gonadotropin, beta subunit, human, Smoking, First trimester, Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome , Trisomy
Étude de variabilité photométrique infrarouge de naines brunes

Brown dwarfs are astronomical objects of low mass ( 0.012 - 0.075 M_Sun  ) and low temperature ( T < 3,500 K ).  While they do form like stars through gravitational collapse of a molecular gas cloud, they do not have sufficient mass to sustain nuclear fusion reactions in their core. Relatively hot brown dwarfs (type L) are covered by an homogeneous dust cloud cover that progressively disappears from their atmosphere when the temperature falls below 1,500 K (type T).  Therefore, brown dwarfs near the L/T transition should be partially covered with clouds. Due to the fast rotation of brown dwarfs (2 h - 12 h), this inhomogeneous cloud cover should produce photometric variability observable in the J band (1.2 um), the wavelength at which the clouds have the strongest opacity.  This thesis presents the results of a search for infrared photometric variability in brown dwarfs near the L/T transition. The observations, obtained at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic, have allowed the photometric follow-up of nine targets in the J band.  Only one of them, SDSS J105213.51+442255.7 (T0.5), showed periodic variations with a period of about 3 hours with a peak-to-peak amplitude ranging from 40 to 80 mmag.  For the remaining eight targets, we can place upper limits (3 sigma) of 15 mmag for the amplitude of periodic variability over a period range betwen 1 and 6 hours.  While these results support the hypothesis that partial dust cloud covers do exist among L/T dwarfs, this phenomenon is by no means ubiquitous.

Keyphrases: CPAPIR, Brown dwarfs, Variability, Photometry, Infrared, CPAPIR
Souveraineté, démocratie et gouvernance mondiale chez David Held : le problème de la démocratie au-delà de l’État national

In the context of contemporary globalization, the development of a multi-layered structure of governance forces us to reexamine our understanding of the sovereignty of states and of the practice of democracy. Our objective consists in outlining the thinking of David Held concerning the consequences of these transformations of political governance on democratic theory. First, we shall analyze the consequences of the weakening of the sovereignty of states, from now on shared with diverse supranational organizations, on the theory of the modern democratic state. We shall see how Held responds to the democratic deficit noticed within these organizations, by adapting the principle of subsidiarity to the emerging multilayered system of governance, in order to restore the congruence between decision-makers and the recipients of political decisions, characteristic of the (liberal) democratic activity. Secondly, we shall present the normative foundations of the theoretical model which he recommends to ensure the democratization of this new system of governance. We shall see why today, according to Held, the pursuit of the democratic ideal requires the enactment of clusters of rights, inspired by social-democratic values, which it is necessary to set in the constitutional framework of all the institutions of governance of the contemporary world. Furthermore, we shall see what institutional objectives it is necessary to meet for the realization of a global social democracy. We shall end with a brief critical analysis of his interpretation of the principle of subsidiarity and of his top-down approach to processes leading to the democratization of supranational institutions.

Keyphrases: Democracy, Sovereignty, Governance, Cosmopolitanism, Subsidiarity, Social democracy
Le rôle du paysage dans l’évolution d’une ville industrielle : la géographie structurale de Drummondville

This research project aims to demonstrate the role of the landscape in the structuring of industrial cities in order to justify its consideration in planning tools. To reach this goal, we will study a factory town located in the Centre-du-Québec region: Drummondville. A three tiered methodology will be applied. Firstly, a historical analysis will be presented, followed by a landscape analysis. Going beyond a mere description of the landscape and of the evolution of the urban form, we will subsequently interpret the results according to the areas of consistency of the structural geography. According to this theory, Drummondville constitutes an area of cohabitation. The role of the landscape in the development and structuring of this type of territory varies according to the prevailing sensitivities. Thus, it is more important during periods that enhance the aesthetic and cultural forms and is less structural when the dominant values favour the rational forms. In the areas of cohabitation where the industrial forces are more constant, utilitarian developments are sometimes created into the landscape. Considering their low value and their struggle against utilitarian interests, landscapes are more often threatened. In this sense, it is even more important to consider them into the planning documentation.

Keyphrases: Drummondville, landscape, structural geography, Drummondville, heritage, planning, urban planning, tourism
De la typicité des différentes mesures de tendance centrale dans la représentation mentale des catégories implicites

What is the nature of the representations people form of the categories they learn? It is generally accepted that the type of learning task has an influence on the answer to that question. That being said, most of the categorization theories elaborated during the last decades have focused almost exclusively on classification-learning tasks. The master thesis presented here had four objectives. First, to verify if a classification-learning task leads to the integration of more diagnostic dimensions than an inference-learning task in the context of implicit categories. Second, to verify if an inference-learning task leads to the integration of more typical dimensions than a classification-learning task, once again in the context of implicit categories. Third, to evaluate if a prototype enhancement effect can be observed in an inference-learning task. Fourth, to clarify which central tendency measure really presents a prototype enhancement effect: the mode, the median or the mean. Given the results obtained, implications for three categorization theories are discussed. The three theories are prototype theory, exemplar theory and decision-bound theory.

Keyphrases: Tendances centrales, Categories, Central tendencies, Typicality, Diagnosticity
Expression des cotransporteurs cation-chlorure KCC2 et NKCC1 au cours du développement de la moelle épinière de l’opossum Monodelphis domestica

Inhibition is necessary to generate coordinated outputs between antagonistic muscles during locomotion. Inhibition is set by a lowering in neuronal chloride concentration during mammalian development. This lowering relies on the proper balance between two cation-chloride cotransporters, KCC2 and NKCC1. KCC2 extrudes Cl- out of the cell while NKCC1 pumps Cl- into the cell. The opossum Monodelphis domestica is born at a very rudimentary stage of development. Newborn opossums show rhythmic and alternate movements of the forelimbs as they crawl on the mother's belly to a nipple. The hindlimbs are immobile paddle-shaped buds and their development is mostly postnatal. Thus, this species is an ideal model to study motor development. In order to investigate the mechanisms involved in the appearance of inhibition during motor development, we described the developmental expression of KCC2 and NKCC1 on postnatal opossums using immunohistochemistry in the spinal cord enlargements. Motoneurons and primary sensory afferents were identified using retrograde labeling with TRDA. Immunolabeling for both KCC2 and NKCC1 is detected in the ventral spinal cord in the presumptive grey and white matter from birth on, suggesting that the development of inhibition begins before birth, enabling the alternate movements exhibited by the newborns. The developmental expression of KCC2 and NKCC1 follows ventrodorsal and mediolateral gradients, similar to those demonstrated in rodents (rats and mice). The mature pattern for both cotransporters is observed around the 5th week at a time when opossums demonstrate mature patterns of locomotion. Between birth and P5, dendrites expressing KCC2 in the dorsal horn superimpose on the primary afferents, suggesting a role for KCC2 in the establishment of sensorimotor circuits.

Keyphrases: Inhibition, Locomotion, Cation chloride cotransporters, Development, Inhibition, Locomotion, Mammals, Spinal cord
Web2.0, knowledge sharing and privacy in E-learning

E-learning emerged over 20 years ago, and was merely book like text displayed on a computer screen. With the changes and advances in technology, E-learning has come a long way, providing personal and interactive rich content. Today, E-learning is again going through major changes. Indeed, with the proliferation of E-learning systems and content authoring tools, as well as established standards, it has become easier to share and reuse learning content. Moreover, with the shift to learner centered education and the effect of Web2.0 techniques and technologies, learners are no longer just recipients of the learning content, but can play an active role into enriching such content. Additionally, with the amount of information E-learning systems can gather about learners, and the impact this has on their privacy, concerns are being raised in order to protect learners’ privacy. Nonetheless, to the best of our knowledge, there is no existing work that supports the various challenges raised by these changes. In this work, we address these issues by presenting Cadmus, SHAREK, and privacy preserving E-learning. Specifically, Cadmus is an IMS QTI compliant web based assessment authoring tool, offering the proper framework and tools to enable tutors author and share questions and exams. In detail, Cadmus provides functionalities such as the EQRS (Exam Questions Recommender System) to help tutors locate suitable questions, ICE (Identification of Conflicts in Exams) to help resolve conflicts between questions within the same exam, and the topic tree, designed to help tutors better organize their exam questions and easily ensure the content coverage of their exams. On the other hand, SHAREK (Sharing REsources and Knowledge) provides the framework to take advantage of both the rigidity of E-learning systems and the flexibility of PLEs (Personal Learning Environment) while enabling learners to enrich the learning content, and helping them locate new learning resources. Specifically, SHAREK utilizes a multi-criteria content based recommender system, and combines Web2.0 technologies and techniques such as RSS and social web to promote new learning resources and help learners locate suitable content. Lastly, in order to address the various needs for privacy in E-learning, we propose a framework with four levels of privacy, and four levels of tracking, and we detail ACES (Anonymous Credentials for E-learning Systems), a set of protocols, based on well established cryptographic techniques, to help learners achieve their desired level of privacy.

Keyphrases: E-learning, Web2.0, Privacy, Knowledge sharing
La responsabilité civile des conseillers en génétique au Québec et les conséquences juridiques de la non-reconnaissance : vers un encadrement juridique?

In recent decades, genetic counselors have played an increasingly important role in the field of medical genetics. Today, their contribution and the importance of their role are indisputable. Their legal status, however, remains uncertain and requires further analysis. Indeed, not being recognized by the Professional Code of Quebec, the practice of genetic counselors is consequently deprived of the protection granted by this Code to other professionals, notably the exclusivity of their titles and acts. Given this status quo and with the aim of protecting the public, a study of the civil liability of genetic counselors becomes necessary. Three main duties of genetic counselors emerge from this analysis: the duty to proficiency, the duty to inform, and the duty of confidentiality. Moreover, there are several legal consequences for non-recognition of this emerging profession. Indeed, the inaction of the Quebec legislator has resulted in a confusing relationship between the genetic counselor and the other members of the multidisciplinary team, especially with regard to the delimitation of services which the counselor can provide. Indeed, the latter may infringe on certain aspects of the medical practice and nursing, thereby engendering his penal liability. This situation leads us to foreign jurisdictions in an effort to find possible solutions which can be transposed in Quebec. The situation in France comes as a relevant example, since the French legislature has legally recognized the genetic counselor as a professional and has protected his title as well as the exclusivity of his practice.

Keyphrases: Genetic counselors, Civil Liability, Medical practice, Nursing, Duty to proficiency, Duty to inform, Duty of confidentiality, Penal liability
Formulation interactive des requêtes pour l’analyse et la compréhension du code source

We propose an interactive querying approach for program analysis and comprehension tasks. In our approach, an analyst uses a set of basic filters (linguistic, structural, quantitative, and user selection) to define complex queries. These queries are built following an interactive and iterative process where basic filters are selected and executed, and their results displayed, changed, and combined using predefined operators. We evaluated our querying approach by implementing recent state-of-the-art contributions on feature location and design defect detection. Our results show that, in addition to be generic; our approach helps improving existing solutions implemented by fully-automated tools.

Keyphrases: program comprehension, source code analysis, source code querying, interactive visualization
Usages et compétence TIC en formation initiale à l'ENS d'Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire : le cas des formateurs et des futurs enseignants

Information and communications technologies (ICT) play an ever-increasing role in every aspect of our lives, including education. To encourage teachers to make effective use of ICT in their classrooms, it is important to consider how teacher educators and preservice teachers employ them in initial training programs. The research objective was therefore to conduct a qualitative exploratory study to document ICT use and competence in an initial teacher training program at the École normale supérieure (ENS) d’Abidjan, Ivory Coast. We held individual, semi-directed interviews with teacher educators (n = 9) and preservice teachers (n = 15) and analyzed them using a content analysis approach. Results are presented as scientific articles.  We also attempted to describe ICT use by preservice teachers and to develop a profile of teacher educators who used ICT in the initial teacher training program at ENS d’Abidjan. In addition, we examined ICT use by preservice teachers in their initial training in terms of specific components of ICT competence.  Based on the results, we developed a typology of ICT use by preservice teachers in their initial training program. We also developed three profiles of teacher educators, as follows:  1. Beginners, who used ICT solely to do research and produce documents 2. Intermediates, who, in addition to research and document production, used computerized communication tools in their professional practice, and frequently used ICT in the classroom  3. Adepts, who, in addition to communication for professional purposes and integration of ICT in the classroom, used educational Web pages.  Moreover, from the analysis of the interviews with preservice teachers concerning their ICT use, ICT competence appears to vary across four of its components. Furthermore, although preservice teachers did not have a critical attitude toward ICT, they were aware that ICT could benefit their training. Thus, they used ICT to communicate, find information and interpret it in order to solve problems, and set up networks for exchange and continuing professional development. Although effective integration of ICT into initial teacher training in Ivory Coast has not been fully realized, teacher educators and preservice teachers are nevertheless using ICT in teacher training.

Keyphrases: TIC, Teacher training, Preservice teachers, Teacher educators, ICT, ICT use, Professional competencies, ICT competence, Ivory Coast
Évaluation des coûts de traitement de la tyrosinémie de type I

Introduction : Tyrosinemia type I is a severe genetic disorder. Symptoms include hepatic,renal and neurological manifestations. NTBC became the first-line therapy in 1994. This drug has led to a drastic improvement in the prognosis. Objective : To evaluate direct medical costs of healthcare services related to the treatment for this disease. This economic evaluation was conducted among the 3 following groups: an historical group of untreated patients, a late-treatment group and an early-treatment group with NTBC. Methods : The costs-consequences analysis includes costs incurred by hospitalizations, medical services and related treatments. Data are derived from the RAMQ and Med-Echo administrative databases and patients’ hospital charts. Results : NTBC treatment is associated with a significant reduction in hospitalizations, intensive care unit stays and liver transplantations. The cost of hospitalizations is significantly less for both treated groups (13,979 $, 6,347 $ and 673 $ per year-patient for the historical group, the late-treatment and the early-treatment group, respectively; pvalue< 0,0001). The cost of hospitalizations for liver transplantations per year-patient is 4,676 $ for the historical group and 3,567 $ for the late-treatment group. The cost of NTBC per year-patient is 66,965$ and 51,493$ for the late-treatment and the earlytreatment groups, respectively. Conclusion : These results demonstrate that NTBC treatment results in a major reduction in healthcare resources utilization, liver transplantations and associated costs.

Keyphrases: NTBC, Services pharmaceutiques, Tyrosinemia type I, NTBC, Liver transplantation, Costs-consequences analysis, Economic evaluation, Hospitalizations, Medical services, Pharmaceutical services, Healthcare costs
Narrative in the music of Jay Chou : a case study of music, globalization and semantics

Can an audience consisting of a variety of different national cultures and traditions come to a common understanding of a single pop song? Using musematic analysis, a methodology devised by Tagg (in Tagg & Clarida 2003), we cross-referenced musical structures not only with other pieces of music in varying musical styles but also with the results from simple reception tests. A piece by Taiwanese artist Jay Chou was played to respondents from various cultural backgrounds. The results were surprising, how was it that respondents from quite disparate cultural backgrounds associated in similar directions?  Does globalization play a role in prompting such similar reactions? What differences in interpretation, nevertheless exist between listeners from different cultural backgrounds? The empirical basis for my study is twofold: 1) reception data based on listening tests and online surveys; 2) detailed structural analysis, including full transcriptions. Relationships between these two information categories will be examined using Tagg’s musematic analysis techniques. It is obvious that it will be necessary to put the above-mentioned semiotic aspects in their particular socio-cultural context, specifically that relating to the Chinese diaspora; more specifically, I shall concentrate this part of the study on members of the Chinese community in Montreal.

Keyphrases: Musemes, Paradigmatic analysis, Reception test, Transcription, Transcription, Popular music, Chinese, Montreal, Jay Chou, Jay Chou