NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
De l’influence du type de substance injectée sur le comportement du partage du matériel d’injection

Among behaviors considered as public health concerns in the Quebec population, those that concern the abuse or addiction to drugs are major. Intravenous drug use is an essential part of drug use dynamics because this mode of consumption is considered to be a risk for the spread of viral infections, in particular through the sharing of injection equipment. Although this practice has declined in the last two decades in Quebec, it has not disappeared and seems to have stabilized in recent years. Since not all intravenous drug users share their injection equipment, it is important to identify the factors that contribute to the persistence of such behavior in order to develop effective measures that can stem this problem. In addition to the individual characteristics of people who inject drugs and the socioenvironmental contexts in which this consumption occurs, several actors recommend that the influence of substances consumed on injection practices be taken into account. In order to do this, we chose to examine the role and influence that the injected substance may have on the behavior of sharing injection equipment by soliciting the experience of people who inject drugs. Nine participants were selected through four community organizations in Montreal, Quebec and Gatineau to participate in a semi-directed, individual interview on specific episodes of substance use. The objective was to better understand the meaning they give to their injections experiences, with or without the sharing of equipment, as well as the types of sequences and the underlying mechanisms that are at work between the injection of a specific drug and the sharing of injection equipment. This study shows that the influence of the injected substance on injection behavior is considerable and has several aspects. Thus, the chemical composition, physical composition, economic dimensions and cultural norms associated with the various substances act in ways that are either common to all the drugs injected or specific to each of them. In the first case, the sharing of injection equipment seems to be mainly influenced by the centralization of the process of preparation of the injections and by the sharing of the substance consumed between several consumers. In the second, we observe the influence of the degree of confusion induced by the intoxication by a substance, the feeling of urgency resulting from the symptoms related to the suppression of its effects, the frequency of injection necessary to maintain them, and the process of preparation which is sometimes unique to it. Ultimately, the influence of the injected substance on the behavior of sharing injection equipment, and the resulting degree of vulnerability, seems to be due to the combination of these factors, since these factors have the potential to amplify or mitigate each other.

Keyphrases: Drug sharing, Injecting risk behavior, Injection drug use, Needle sharing, Sharing drug paraphernalia
Analyse de la pratique des professionnels de la santé à l’égard des maladies fébriles aigües non paludiques au Burkina Faso

In tropical regions, febrile diseases are the main cause of consultation with malaria playing a major role. Many efforts have been made, particularly in Africa, in the fight against malaria with significant progress in recent years. Unfortunately, little attention has been given to the management of febrile diseases other than malaria. There is, in fact, evidence that mortality is higher in the group of febrile patients without malaria than among those with malaria in endemic regions. This is a public health issue that has been further highlighted by the widespread use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria.  The main objective of this research is to carry out an analysis of the professional practices of healthcare providers in the management of non-malaria acute febrile illness in urban and rural sites in Burkina Faso. Inspired by Schön’s approach, which supports the evaluation of professional practice in the course of action, we have attempted to decipher this practice through clinical vignettes. The general hypothesis of this research is that the professional practice regarding non-malarial acute febrile illness in Burkina Faso is not in accordance to the guidelines issued by the Burkinabe Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO). A survey of practices, characterized on clinical situations and based on officials’ standards and guides of the Ministry of Health Burkinabè and the WHO, was conducted among 286 Burkinabè healthcare providers.  The use of a linear mixed hierarchical model on the survey data showed limited knowledge about management of non-malaria acute febrile diseases. This gap was more evident at the admission and diagnosis level. The healthcare providers answers from rural areas answered to diagnosis, treatment and the use of antibiotics were more in accordance with official’s standards and guides. Overall, more educated participants had higher scores. Nearly 50% of participants felt that they needed training in at least one of the clinical situations in clinical vignettes. There is a need to strengthen capacity of non-malaria acute febrile illness management of Burkinabè healthcare providers. It can be acheived through continuing education, but also by including this important issue in the basic training courses of primary healthcare providers.

Keyphrases: Burkina Faso, Cross-sectional study, Healthcare providers, Professional practice, Non-malaria acute febrile illness (NMAFI)
Nouvelle thérapie épigénétique dans le traitement du neuroblastome pédiatrique

Pediatric neuroblastoma is one of the most common extracranial cancer in children. Despite an improvement in survival with the currently available therapies, neuroblastoma with an amplification of the transcription factor MYCN has a very poor prognosis. New therapeutic approaches must be developed to increase the survival of patients. One such approach is epigenetic drug therapy. Neuroblastoma, like many other pediatric cancers, contains several epigenetic alterations at the level of DNA methylation and histone modifications. In a screening of FDA-approved drugs, we discovered some molecules having characteristics of epigenetic drugs that were unknown until now. Our study seeks to demonstrate the efficacy of these molecules in the treatment of neuroblastoma cell lines. Following preliminary tests, one of the molecules approved by the FDA stood out: disulfiram, a medication approved for the treatment of chronic alcoholism. We treated neuroblastoma cell lines (MYCN amplified: IMR-32, N91 and SK-N-DZ; MYCN non-amplified: SK-N-AS and SK-N-SH) for 48 hours with disulfiram at clinically relevant concentrations (from 10 nM to 20 µM). Our results demonstrate a 50% growth inhibition (IC50) of 80nM for the cell lines tested. In addition, after analysis by flow cytometry, we found a cell cycle block in G2/M. RNA sequencing also revealed that disulfiram affects a many genes (downregulated n=508, upregulated n=207). We also observed a decrease in the transcription factor MYCN and a reduction in acetylation of several histone marks by Western blot’s analysis. Further studies are underway to determine the mechanism of action of disulfiram. This study shows the potential of disulfiram in the treatment of neuroblastoma.

Keyphrases: MYCN, Neuroblastoma, Epigenetic, Pharmacology
Apport du gène Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) au diabète induit par les statines

Statins usage increases the risk of diabetes apparition by 11% compared to a placebo [1]. In the present study, we used a genomic approach focused on the TCF7L2 gene, strongly linked to diabetes, to show the relationship with statin-induced diabetes. We used data from two Phase 4 randomized clinical trial studies where statins where used: TNT (Treating to New Targets) and IDEAL (Incremental Decrease in End Points Through Aggressive Lipid Lowering). Both studies compare a high atorvastatin dosage (80 mg) to either a moderate dose or a lower dose simvastatin. The genomic study was performed using the MEGA genotyping chip (Illumina). Statistical results of both studies were combined by meta-analysis. Our results show a 16% increase in risk of new onset of diabetes (p=0.022) in high dosage users, compared to lower dosage users confirming our observations. We show that the T allele of the rs7903146 variant of the TCF7L2 gene has a 29% increase in risk of diabetes at baseline or any time during the study (p=1.98E-13) compared to the C allele in any dosage. No genetic variant in or near the TCF7L2 gene was associated to the new onset diabetes in both high and low statins dosage. Furthermore, the rs7903146 variant was not significantly associated with diabetes aggravation in subjects who had diabetes at study baseline (p=0.266). These results contribute to a better understanding of the role of the TCF7L2 gene and the risk of new onset of type 2 diabetes in statins users.

Keyphrases: Transcription factor 7-like 2 gene, TCF7L2, Treating New Targets, TNT, Incremental Decrease in End Points Through Aggressive Lipid Lowering, IDEAL, statin, genetic epidemiology, type 2 diabetes, pharmecogenomics, meta-analysis, atorvastatin, simvastatin
Marco Micone, écrivain-traducteur québécois? : une étude sociographique de ses transitions littéraires

The present research focuses on Marco Micone, a writer-translator of Italian origins who migrated to Montreal in 1958. His literary production has been the subject of numerous studies, the vast majority of which concern his original writings and, to a lesser extent, his self-translations. His translation-adaptations for the theatre, on the other hand, have been largely neglected. Our research is aimed at filling this gap and suggests exploring Micone’s literary and professional trajectory from a sociological standpoint. Accordingly, the adoption of the sociographical approach (Bourdieu, 1992) sheds light on 1) the interdependence between Micone’s texts (both originals and translations) and the contexts in which they have been conceived; 2) the articulation between Micone’s original contributions, translations and self-translations. Insofar as these different practices of writing have succeeded - and barely overlapped - each other in time, we attach special importance to the transitions marking the passage from one type of writing to another. To do this, we propose a diachronic rereading of Micone’s works, from 1982 to 2008, by situating them in relation to the literary and social fields in which they were inscribed. In addition to the two objectives mentioned above, this approach aims to better understand the habitus of this plurilingual writer-translator, his position in the social and literary fields as well as his complex relationship with literary elites. Ultimately, two original findings emerge from this analysis: his apparent linguistic and literary insecurity – related to a possible ill-assured position within the literary field – as well as his marked taste for experimentation and linguistic hybridity. These two aspects, which cross the whole of his trajectory and give it meaning, originate from Micone's social, political and aesthetic affinities as well as from the status of "migrant writer" that was attached to him very early in his career. By integrating a social dimension to migration literature, our case study frees the latter from any romantic interpretation and highlights the tight eligibility criteria which characterize it and influence writers’ cultural production. From a translational point of view, the contribution of our thesis is twofold. First, it demonstrates that self-translation, like translation, can be a way of integrating a new literary national field. Secondly, this study shows that the habitus of a migrant writer-translator, influenced by numerous variables, can be hybrid and more malleable, as it derives from the coexistence of different professions, languages and cultures. Keywords: Marco Micone, sociology of translation, sociographical approach, linguistic hybridity, migration literature, translation-adaptation, self-translation, Québécois theatre.

Keyphrases: Marco Micone, Sociology of translation, Sociographical approach, Linguistic hybridity, Migration literature, Translation-adaptation, Self-translation, Québécois theatre
Étude de l’association entre la consommation de cocaïne par épisode de binge et les troubles de santé mentale

Objectives: Although cocaine binges and mental health problems have both been identified as significant risk factors for bloodborne infections and other health hazards, little is known about the relationship between mental health and cocaine binging. Hence, the aim of this study is to examine the association between psychiatric disorders and cocaine binging. Methods: Participants were part of a prospective cohort study of individuals who either smoke or inject cocaine. The main outcome, namely a cocaine binge within the last month, was defined as the repetitive use of large quantities of cocaine until the individual was unable to access more of the drug or was physically unable to keep using. Psychiatric disorders were assessed using the CIDI and the DIS questionnaires. Logistic regression models were performed to examine the association between cocaine binging and psychiatric disorders, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Of the 492 participants 24.4% reported at least one cocaine binging episode during the prior month. 48.0% of the study population met the criteria for antisocial personality disorder, 45.5% for anxiety disorders, and 28.2% for mood disorders. Participants with antisocial personality disorder were more likely to binge (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.10-2.73) while those with a mood disorder were not. The association between anxiety disorders and cocaine binging was significant only in univariate analyses. Conclusion: Antisocial personality disorder increased the odds of reporting cocaine binging in our study population. These results highlight the need for a better understanding of the specific dimensions of antisocial personality disorder contributing to the increased risk of unsafe drug use behaviors.

Keyphrases: Crack, Binge, Cocaine, Psychiatric Disorders, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Anxiety
L'adénylate cyclase de type 9 favorise le développement de l'athérosclérose chez la souris

A pharmacogenomic study recently showed that polymorphisms in the ADCY9 gene determine the clinical response to the cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor dalcetrapib in patients suffering from atherosclerosis. Theses variants controlling dalcetrapib response had no effect in patients treated on placebo, suggesting interaction between ADCY9 and CETP activity. The study revealed that dalcetrapib was associated with change in body weight. We then investigated the role of Adcy9 in atherosclerosis development and in lipid metabolism in interaction with CETP. Mice inactivated for Adcy9 showed a 65% reduction in the development of atherosclerosis lesions compared to WT. Atheroprotection in Adcy9-inactivated mice was associated with a protection of endothelial function and a reduced accumulation of foam cells in the atherosclerotic lesion of the vascular wall. Metabolic study during atherosclerosis demonstrated that Adcy9 controls body weight and fat metabolism. These results were associated with an increase in feed efficiency when Adcy9 was inactivated and a modulation of the SNA activity. In transgenic mice expressing CETP, the atheroprotection resulting from Adcy9 inactivation was lost. Atherosclerosis development and body weight variation were the same between mice groups. We concluded that Adcy9 inactivation protects against atherosclerosis, but only in the absence of CETP activity. These results in mice support our pharmacogenomic discovery in patients and emphasize the interaction between of CETP activity and ADCY9 function in the treatment of patients suffering from atherosclerosis.

Keyphrases: Adénylate cyclase, Adcy9, CETP, Atherosclerosis, adenylyl cyclase, mice
Thérapie avec hormone de croissance en fécondation in vitro : une étude randomisée contrôlée

IVF protocols are constantly in revision to improve follicular development and increase the number of live births. Studies in mammals have shown that growth hormone (GH) was important for follicular development. The addition of GH could increase IVF pregnancy rates. This study is a randomized, controlled, open label trial including 528 participants into two groups receiving an ovarian stimulation antagonist protocol at the clinique ovo (Montréal). The women assigned to the treatment group will take 2.5mg/d of Saizen® subcutaneously following the patient’s stimulation medication. The primary objective is to determine if the clinical pregnancy rate after a fresh transfer in women receiving GH in addition to GnRH antagonist protocol is significantly higher than the control group. The secondary objectives are the outcomes of the stimulation cycle and pregnancy for fresh and frozen transfers. An analysis was performed in September 2016 to determine the interest of pursuing the study due to “Bill 20” which entails a decrease in recruitment. From June 2014 to September 2016 (date of the interim analysis), 212 patients were enrolled (n= 105 study group, n=107 control group), 96 patients in the study got oocytes retrieval and 98 in the control group. No statistically significant difference was observed in clinical pregnancy rate (33.33% study group VS 40.28% control group, p = 0.405). No statistically significant difference was observed for the mean number of oocytes retrieved (11.57 study group VS 9.65 control group, p = 0.064). The number of freeze all was significantly higher in the study group (15.63% VS 5.10% p = 0.016). All types of transfers, 101 transfers occurred in each group. 21 live birth were observed in the control group and 17 in the study group (p = 0.471). In conclusion, with the current data, the analysis performed cannot allow us to prescribe co- treatment with GH in antagonist protocol in normal-responders women. It is necessary to continue recruitment in order to increase the power of the results before confirming on using GH for these patients undergoing IVF treatments.

Keyphrases: Fécondation in Vitro (FIV), In vitro fertilization (IVF), Growth Hormone (GH), Ovarian stimulation, Antagonist protocol, Pregnancy rate
Médicaliser au féminin : quand la médecine occidentale rencontre la maternité en Chine du Sud, 1879-1938

This thesis examines the medicalization of maternity in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong between 1879 and 1938. By exploring this phenomenon through the medical missionary work carried out in the region, this analysis tries to understand how the medical care of the Chinese parturients and mothers was implemented on the ground, alongside or outside the limited government policies of the time. It highlights the local manifestations of this process and examine it from the perspective of those who are most involved: the women.  The Christian missionaries in Guangdong, especially those belonging to the American Presbyterian Mission, hoped to convert the female population and developed care services that met the Chinese social norms and expectations of gender segregation. In specialized or adapted health facilities, they also organized maternity hospitals, as well as maternal and child health services, which aimed to extend the care before and after delivery. While their efforts may have been partially hampered by the doubly-subordinate position of women in Confucian social organization, the missionaries encountered more than one Chinese society in the south of the country. Some local features may have facilitated their efforts to bring Western medicine to the population. Being less subject to gender segregation and more involved in the family economy than other Chinese women, many women in Guangdong completed medical and nursing training in mission programs. As a result, the medical profession experienced a genuine feminization and sinicization. Moreover, this region of the world proved to be much more conducive to social innovation and women's emancipation than some of the Western countries from which the missionaries came. As the main driving forces in the medicalization of maternity, women (both professionals and non professionals, as caregivers or as patients), did not just passively receive and accept the norms, knowledges and practices of Western medicine. Rather, they negotiated them on the basis of their own socio-cultural values and, by doing so, helped to reshape their contours. In this way, medicalization became, at the same time, a process of naturalization.

Keyphrases: Guangdong, Chine, medicalization, maternity, women, gender, Guangdong, China, Western medicine, missionary medicine
Éléments pour une esthétique de la chair : l'art tel un boucher au temps de la viande libre

Out of the cities, slaughterhouses are places in which cruelty, a cruelty fondamental to our societies, is concealed, remains unseen, as if not existing. There, the animal, led to be slaughtered, is transformed from flesh to meat: its flesh, reified, bloodless and abolished in the process, into a guiltless to be swallowed product. The same thing, the same reification is happening to man. In his relation to technology, in his will to not-see and to screen away, at least from his own gaze, cruelties which hurt him in his flesh, to neutralize all affect, man has become a « thing », « meat in the making », lost himself, mindless, one with the cattle. A new idealism takes him away from material reality – to drive him toward a reassuring abstraction where, so he thinks – without really thinking, he is safe from violence and death. In the face of this numbing and blinding of the mind, art only can awake the flesh to all its ambiguities, its life, and can make visible reality’s repressed cruelty: nor science nor philosophy, which tends to subsume any particular and concrete reality (pain becoming a concept of pain), but an art that represents this reality in a constantly new and changing way. This thesis strives to think theorize conceptualize an aesthetic of the flesh as a potential resurrection of the reified flesh (i.e. meat) by art that concretizes reality. The aesthetic of the flesh (of works of art depicting forms of cruelty) wants to oppose an aesthetic of the meat (the art concealing cruelty, leaving the body to his abstraction, to his free meat). It is the figures, always ever more present as the 20th century advances, of the slaughterhouse, the meat, the techno-reified flesh, in modern literature, philosophy and visual arts (in the works of Kafka, Döblin, Bacon, Franju, Pynchon, etc.), that will help me create and conceptualize this aesthetic of the flesh. Horror produced by these works of art is not vain provocation. But an awareness, a knowledge of a cruelty that we tend, it’s only natural, to repress but that we have to acknowledge if we don’t want to be unknowingly subject to its devise. There is in the horror staged by these works something of a truth, that we have to recognize if we want to go beyond it. The aesthetic of the flesh endeavours to such a truth and its possible, its impossible going further.

Keyphrases: Abstraction, Aesthetic of the flesh, Aesthetic of the meat, Slaughterhouse, Cruelty, Abstraction