NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Le rôle de la tomographie par cohérence optique dans la chirurgie endocrinienne cervico-faciale

Background. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging modality that renders real-time tissue images with resolution in the order of micrometers, allowing to unveil their microarchitecture. Given its properties, there is growing interest in determining the potential applications of OCT in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Methodology. Thirty-six patients undergoing thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy and/or neck dissection for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC) were prospectively recruited in a single tertiary center. Freshly excised specimens of healthy and pathologic thyroid, parathyroid glands, lymph nodes and adipose tissues were imaged with OCT prior to histopathological analysis. Images were reviewed by two blinded independent raters, and a multidisciplinary team. Results. Based on 137 surgical specimens, OCT could not consistently differentiate benign from malignant thyroid nodules, and parathyroid adenomas from normal lymph nodes. For healthy tissues, OCT could differentiate each tissue type with high sensitivity and specificity 100% and 99% for thyroid tissue, 93% and 100% for parathyroid glands, 100% and 99% for adipose tissue, and 98% and 99% for lymph nodes. Cohen’s kappa coefficients for intra- and inter-rater agreement were 0.968 and 0.951. OCT could also differentiate benign from malignant lymph nodes in WDTC with sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 85.1%, 89.5%, 80.8%, and 92.2%. Cohen’s kappa coefficients for intra- and inter-rater reliability were 0.836, and 0.792. Conclusion. Evidence suggests that OCT could serve as an adjunct tool to identify parathyroid glands during thyroidectomy and differentiate benign from metastatic lymph nodes in WDTC.

Keyphrases: thyroid, parathyroid, imaging, optical coherence tomography, tissue biopsy
The effects of celastrol on endothelial cells survival and proliferation

Introduction: Coronary artery bypass grafts are most commonly performed using saphenous vein grafts to complement the internal thoracic artery. The saphenous vein will remain popular despite its lower patency rate because it is easily accessible and lengthy enough to perform multiple bypasses. Therefore, several approaches have been studied, with the common goal of finding the optimal conditions that reduce graft failure. They include novel harvest techniques, new preservation preparations, innovative genetic therapies and experimental drugs. We believe a pharmacological pre-conditioning with an anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory drug during the crucial time of harvest may spark beneficial survival response from the endothelial cells. One particular compound is Celastrol, an HSP90 inhibitor, which displays those antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were pretreated with various concentrations of Celastrol (10-10M, 10-8M and 10-6M). In order to reproduce oxidative stress found in ischemia/reperfusion, cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide for a short and extended period (1h and 24h). To mimic storage condition encountered in clinical settings, cells were also exposed in heparinized normal saline. The viability was assessed by LIVE/DEAD assay. As for migrative and proliferative properties, scratch tests were performed. Finally, various protective intracellular pathways were evaluated by Western blot. Results: This study shows that pre-treatment with Celastrol promotes survival in HUVEC submitted to oxidative stress. Notable improvement in cellular viability was detected as early as 1 hour after oxidative stress (H2O2 4 mM), 76.6% vs 66.1% (p=0.005). Significant survival benefits are also reported after prolonged oxidative stress (H2O2 0.5 mM for 24 hours); viability was 93.7% vs 76.9% (p=0.001) for Cel 10- 8 M and 96.6% vs 76.9% (p=0.002) for Celastrol 10-10M when compared to the vehicle. Celastrol, however, did not significantly affect viability of HUVEC stored in heparinized normal saline.  Celastrol at 10-6 M promotes faster and more complete wound closure compared to the vehicle or to lower dosages. Celastrol triggers early activation of the RISK pathway, inducing activation of both Akt and ERK1/2 within the first 15 minutes of treatment. Celastrol also induces the expression of HSP70 and HO-1, effectors of the Heat Shock Response and the anti-oxidative response respectively.  Conclusion: Pre-treatment by Celastrol provides survival benefits in endothelial cells under oxidative stress. It also stimulates endothelial cell proliferation and migration, promoting faster and more complete re-endothelialisation. Celastrol can potentially be used as an additive to storage solutions to limit endothelial injury and promote graft protection.

Keyphrases: Endothelium, Endothelial dysfunction, Vein Graft Failure, Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Celastrol, Pharmacological Pre-treatment, Preservation solution
Signification des plis palmaires orangés dans l’évaluation des dyslipidémies

After a brief review of cardiovascular risk factors and lipid metabolism, classification of dyslipidemias, the pathophysiology of xanthomas as well as dysbetalipoproteinemia will be discussed.  This dyslipidemia which is characterized by the accumulation of remnants particules, generally secondary to an abnormal apolipoprotein E, is highly atherogenic, both at the peripheral vascular and coronary levels.  The striated palmar xanthomas, defined as a yellow to orange (sometimes brownish) coloration of the palmar and digital folds, are considered pathognomonic of this formerly called type III dyslipidemia. By studying an adult Caucasian population from the Saguenay–Lac Saint-Jean region, we were able to demonstrate a prevalence of 18.8% of orange palmar folds in patients with dysbetalipoproteinemia. Also, this study allowed to shed light on the absence of criteria for dysbetalipoproteinemia in 10.7% of subjects with this type of xanthoma.  These data suggest that the expression of striated palmar xanthomas is associated with the presence of a sustained or recurrent accumulation of remnants. The accumulation of these remnants is possible in a broad spectrum of lipid disorders where there is interference in the hydrolysis or clearance of the remnants, including postprandial dyslipidemia, chylomicronemia, partial lipoprotein lipase deficiency and familial hypercholesterolemia mainly in homozygotes. Clinical research of striated palmar xanthomas could provide additional information in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk as a marker of an accumulation of remnants which, for their part, have been shown to confer an increased cardiovascular risk, both in primary prevention and secondary.

Keyphrases: Remnants, Apolipoprotein E, Cardiovascular disease, Dyslipidemia diagnosis, Palmar striated xanthoma, Remnant lipoprotein
Caractérisation in silico et purification des ligases à ARN de type RtcB de Diplonema papillatum

Ribonucleic acids (RNA) undergo several post-transcriptional modifications before fulfilling their role in the cell. One of the actors responsible for these modifications are RNA ligases. There are two main families of RNA ligases, namely “ATP-grasp” and “RtcB-like”. Despite the fact that these enzymes have similar biological roles in the cell, their molecular mechanisms are very different. Our team has discovered in a marine eukaryote the presence of three genes encoding RtcB RNA ligase homologs. This is unusual considering that eukaryotes generally have only one gene encoding for an homolog of this ligase. Diplonema papillatum, the organism in question, is a eukaryote that has grown in popularity in recent years due to the particular mode of expression of its mitochondrial genetic material. Its genome is fragmented into several pieces called modules which, during the RNA maturation process, these modules undergo ligation via trans-splicing. We posit that one of the RtcB-type ligases present in D. papillatum, more specifically DpRTCB1, is a major player in this trans-splicing phenomenon. We also believe that the other two RtcB ligases present in this organism, DpRTCB2 and DpRTCB3, each have its own role in the cell. We therefore established in silico models for these proteins which could hint at the cofactors required by these three enzymes. We also propose a classification system for RtcB-type ligases according to their biological roles and variations in known active site residues. We attempted to purify DpRTCB fusion proteins for future enzymatic assays in order to get a better understanding in the biological role of these enzymes. These proteins, however, formed inclusion bodies making their purification difficult. Thus, we demonstrate various techniques that currently exist to attempt to purify proteins from insoluble aggregates. This Master’s thesis attempts to predict the potential cofactors and substrates necessary for future biochemical assays of DpRTCB enzymes. We also establish a robust foundation for a classification system of RtcB-type ligases. Among other things, this document provides basic solutions to researchers wishing to purify proteins that form inclusion bodies before considering switching to more laborious and expensive purification methods.

Keyphrases: Diplonema papillatum, RtcB-type RNA ligases, Classification of RtcB-type RNA ligases, in silico modeling, Protein purification
Role of GSK-3 and T-bet in anti-tumor immunity

The transcription factor T-bet plays a central role in regulating T-cell differentiation, while the protein tyrosine kinase, glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) inhibits T-cell activation and controls                           the expression of inhibitory receptors PD-1 and LAG-3 on T-cells. Although GSK-3 inhibition can increase T-bet expression, the inter-relationship between T-bet and GSK-3 in tumor immunity is unknown. In this study, we show that T-bet knock-out (Tbet-/-) mice are compromised in their ability to control the growth of the B16 melanoma tumor cells. However, the injection of a small              molecule inhibitor (SMI) of GSK-3 reverses this compromised condition resulting in the control of tumor growth similar to that seen in wild type mice. An examination of Tbet-/- showed a loss of                  dendritic cells (DC) and potentially suppressive polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) and CD4+ cell tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) accompanied by an increase in CD8+ cells. viSNE   analysis (advanced tSNE- t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding) further showed a reduction of antigen experienced effector marker CD44 in CD8+ TILs in           Tbet-/-. GSK-3 inhibition showed no effect on the loss of DCs, CD4+ TILs or the presence of PMNs or CD8+ T-cells or the loss of Granzyme B (GZMB) on CD8+ cells. The one exception was a minor but statistically significant increase in the transcription factor Eomesodermin (Eomes) in CD8+ TILs. The study demonstrates an unexpected compensatory effect of GSK-3 inhibition on the loss of T-bet. The full nature of the pathway that accounts for this compensation remains to be elucidated.

Keyphrases: T-bet, CD4+, CD8+, Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3), Small molecular inhibitor (SMI)
Vingt ans après l'arrêt Harper: l'évolution constitutionnelle du plafonnement des dépenses électorales des tierces parties

This work seeks to determine whether the reasoning of the Supreme Court majority in Harper v. Canada (Attorney General), which validates third parties’ spending limits during the election period,still avails almost two decades after being rendered. The limits on third parties' spending as established by the Canada Election Act are examined in detail. The majority’s reasons are also discussed at length. Then, the core analysis begins. Three new social phenomena are examined to determine whether the Court’s reasoning in Harper should be called into question. These phenomena are: the advent of a “permanent campaign” in Canada, the rise of new information technologies and the decline of political parties. It is concluded that Harper’s logic remains highly compelling, though it may entail some modifications to the current electoral law, such as the abolition of pre-electoral spending limits and the application of some form of limitation to electoral spending regarding personal web sites and social media account.

Keyphrases: Third party election spending, Harper v. Canada (Attorney General), Freedom of speech, Democratic rights, Permanent campaign, Election communications, Primacy of Political parties
La rivalité entre les croyants d'Allah : l'Iran et l'Arabie saoudite

This research is to address the strained relationship and interactions of different levels between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Indeed, the study questions the causes of this rigid bond since the Shiite Mullahs came to power in Iran in 1979, and the different perspectives of Islam being implemented by the two theocratic states. These two regional and major powers in the Arab-Muslim world are each trying in their own way to propagate their ideology in the Islamic world and even beyond.   However, the arrival of Mohamed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia whose political rise as crown prince has led to all-out offensives against Iran, but also against certain allies. Ultimately, under the current circumstances, it is difficult to reach an understanding between the two countries. Confidence is lacking and the different interpretation of religion complicates the relationship between Imamate Iran and Wahhabi Saudi Arabia.

Keyphrases: Iran, Khomeiny, Saudi Arabia, Khomeini, Wahhabism, Conflict, Shiism, Sunnism
Justice et réconciliation : perceptions des victimes de crimes contre l'humanité en Guinée

Since its independence in 1958, Guinea has been ruled by authoritarian regimes that caused many victims of serious violations, the most notable dating from 1958 to 1984 under the reign of Ahmed Sékou Touré and recently in 2009 under the reign of Moussa Dadis Camara.  The crimes against humanity in Guinea had direct and indirect impacts on the lives of the victims, their families, and their loved ones. They have left thousands of dead, they resulted in the exile of countless individuals and the rape and abuse of hundreds of women (Human Rights Watch, 2011).  While some efforts have been made to address this violence, victims nevertheless persist in their demand for justice. This raises many questions: what is justice for the victims of crimes against humanity in Guinea? How do victims come to the sense of justice? In this paper, we explore the perceptions of justice of 31 victims of crimes against humanity in Guinea. More specifically, we use justice as a theoretical framework to examine perceptions and experiences of victims in relation to justice in order to promote reconciliation and lasting peace. The results indicate that justice has several dimensions, namely distributive justice, procedural justice and interactional justice. Although distributive justice (punishment and reparation) comes more quickly in victims’ discourse, procedural justice (neutrality of authorities, constancy, etc.) and interactional justice (respect, information, etc.) are equally important in the eyes of the victims. There are several similarities between the two groups of victims (1958–1984 and 2009) as regards the violence committed, their consequences, and the definition of justice. However, there are differences as well, particularly regarding the types of violence, the duration of the crimes, the method used to commit the crimes, the interchangeability of victim-offender roles, the duration of the consequences of crimes and the importance of the elements included in the definition of justice. Some elements included in the definition of justice would be more important than others for each group of victims given the time that has passed since the commission of crimes, the death of most perpetrators, and the interchangeability of victims perpetrators’ roles. That said, justice as a whole is a condition for reconciliation. However, the lack of justice experienced by the victims calls into question reconciliation in Guinea.

Keyphrases: Sense of justice/justice judgments, Distributive justice, Procedural justice, Interactional justice, Crimes against humanity, Guinea
La mémoire d’un territoire : projet d’archéologie publique de camps forestiers du XXe siècle au Témiscouata, Québec

This study explores 20th century lumber camps through a public archaeology project in Témiscouata, Québec. Using archaeological, historical and oral sources, this research examines the material and structural conditions shaping lumberjacks’ lives. Two lumber camp sites of the 1940s located at Lake-Témiscouata national Park were examined archaeologically. The sites revealed an industrialized and homogenous artifact assemblage generally selected by the lumber company. Despite the controlled material world of the industrial frontier, it is possible to shed light on individual workers’ behaviour and consumption habits. Material culture analysis shows that workers used a variety of strategies to navigate their corporate environment and maintain a certain form of control over their lives, such as the consumption of alcohol and patent medicine. Today, how can we translate the material past of lumberjacks’ daily lives for present communities? Residents of Témiscouata maintain a strong historical connection and identity towards the lumber industry, and so public archaeology offers a compelling approach to conduct a more inclusive and relevant research for the local community. This study explores the role archaeology plays in the revitalization of memory surrounding lumber camps, while addressing how communities can contribute to the documentation of their past. We used numerous participative strategies such as a public excavation activity, an interactive public workshop and interviews with the elders who worked in the former lumber camps. An analytical framework enabled the categorization of participants’ comments generated during these activities. This analysis brings greater understanding to the nature of the community's contribution to research. Drawing on the mnemonic quality of material remains, this study shows that public archaeology can act as a “memory trigger” to encourage the sharing of local knowledge and personal stories.

Keyphrases: Témiscouata, Québec, public archaeology, lumber camps, industrial frontier, memory, lumber history, community
L’expérience vécue des professionnels de la santé dans un grand centre hospitalier universitaire à Montréal : un regard contextuel

The objective of this doctoral research is to understand how healthcare professionals live in their work environment and what attributes of this physical environment facilitate their work and promote their well-being. The recent emerging hospital context and the construction of new large university hospital centres (CHU) in Quebec during the last decade have changed the nature of the hospital environment significantly. This new environment considers the multiplicity of users, stressors and multiple interactions of health professionals. Furthermore, this new hospital complex integrates new design approaches to alleviate users stress levels and ensure their well-being. The patient centred design approach implemented prioritizes the patient’s well-being and yet little is known about how the physical environment affects the experiences of healthcare professionals. This study examines these issues and their pertinence in light of prior scientific literature, that until recently has placed less emphasis on the healthcare professionals’ interactions within the physical work environment itself. Using a constructivist approach, this study explores these issues in the context of experiences within two care units at one new university hospital complex known as the CHU (Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal), Canada. Data collection methods included observations of the physical setting and healthcare experiences, supported by semi structured interviews and cognitive mapping that were used to collect data from 44 healthcare professionals. Data analysis uses both a comparative and interpretative approach to analyse the lived experiences of healthcare professionals from diverse perspectives. Results indicate that healthcare professionals evaluated their work environment as supportive. However, they perceived some attributes of the physical environment in this hospital as stressors and the stress faced by these professionals affect the quality of care of patients within the physical environment. The physical environment has an impact on the functioning of the care unit and its management. This study’s contribution includes establishing a portrait of the lived experiences of healthcare professionals and identify both the quality of care issues and the stress limitations among healthcare professionals as these are related to the physical environment. It highlights the importance of adapting the organizational and management system to the spatial configuration of care units in order to achieve optimal performance.

Keyphrases: Stress, Lived experience, Healthcare facilities design, Physical environment, Healthcare professionals
Modèle épidémiologique compartimental à délai pour le virus de la dengue

Dengue is a viral infection affecting from 100 to 400 million people each year. According to the WHO, "severe dengue is a leading cause of serious illness and death in some Asian and Latin American countries". This justifies the modelling of this illness's propagation in a population using mathematical compartmental models. Results of Forshey et al. on dengue fever seem to indicate the possibility that a dengue infection does not yield a long term immunity against the different dengue serotypes, and that an homotypical reinfection could be common. We study a SIRS model for the dengue virus that takes into account this loss of immunity via a system of delay differential equations. We characterize the stationary states and their stability in terms of the different parameters considered, in particular the basic reproduction ratios associated to each dengue serotype. We study the system's bifurcations in its main parameters, especially the Hopf bifurcations arising from the presence of a delay in the system of differential equations. Numerical simulations of the model are presented to represent the model's different regimes.

Keyphrases: dengue, compartmental models, epidemiology, delay differential equations, retarded differential equations, Hopf bifurcation
Jean Stanislas Mittié et la syphilis

Jean-Stanislas Mittié, a medical doctor from the Paris region, develops and attempts to gain approval for a vegetal cure to syphilis between 1777 and 1795. The present memoir proposes an analysis of the various textual documents surrounding his endeavours in order to assess the impact of the end of the Ancien Régime and the French Revolution on his medical practice. His individual story reveals the important transformations of institutional, political and cultural power structures regulating medicine at the end of the 18th century.

Keyphrases: Jean-Stanislas Mittié, syphilis, French revolution, Medicine