NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Construction d'un Atlas 3D numérique de la cornée humaine par recalage d'images

We propose to build a 3D digital atlas which contains the average characteristics and variability of the morphology of an organ.  In particular our work consists in the construction of a 3D digital atlas of the entire human cornea including anterior and posterior surfaces. The atlas was built using topographies provided by the Orbscan II system. First, we normalized the given population of corneas using  a variant of the ICP (iterative closest point) algorithm for shape registration to fit simultaneously the anterior and posterior surfaces with the anterior and posterior surfaces of a reference cornea. Indeed, we developed a specific algorithm for corneas topographies that considers scaling during registration and which is based on neighborhood search via the Euclidean distance to find the correspondence between points. After that, we built the corneal atlas by averaging elevations of anterior and posterior surfaces and by calculating their associated standard deviations. A population of 100 healthy corneas was used to construct the normal corneal atlas. To illustrate the atlas, we used topographic color maps like those already offered by existing topographic systems. Finally, observations were made on the corneal atlas that reflects its precision and allows to develop a better understanding of corneal anatomy.

Keyphrases: Corneal Atlas, Recalage 3D, 3D Registration, Alignment, Iterative Closet Point, transformation affine, affine transformation, SVD
Neural correlates of affordance competition in dorsal premotor cortex

This thesis examines the role of the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) in the process of decision making (action selection) and visual guidance of arm movements. The work describes electrophysiological experiments conducted in awake monkeys (Macaca mulatta) and tests a number of important predictions suggested by the affordance competition hypothesis (Cisek, 2006; Cisek, 2007a). This hypothesis suggests that decisions can be viewed as the result of a competition between internal representations of conflicting demands and opportunities for actions or affordances (Gibson, 1979). Specific interest is given to the interaction between spatial information and expected value (EV) in a proposed affordance competition mechanism for action selection. The first study presented (article 1) explores how EV is represented during the delay period in PMd. This study also describes how this area reflects the spatial metrics of the options and examines the interaction between value and spatial information. The second study (article 2) explores the mechanism of action selection in more detail and extends the results to ventral premotor cortex (PMv). This study also addresses the nature of value and spatial representations from a learning perspective. In a novel environment the spatial metrics of the actions seem to be invariably present in PMd, meanwhile EV representations appear only once the animals make behaviorally informed decisions about the value of the available options. The third study (article 3) explores how PMd is involved in “changes of mind” in which action selection is updated following a movement instruction (GO signal). III IV The major findings in all these studies are reproduced by a computational model (Cisek, 2006) suggesting that decisions between actions can be made through a biased competition process that takes place in the same region that specifies the actions.

Keyphrases: Decisions, Decision, Bias, Competition, Affordance, Action selection, Action specification, Premotor cortex, PMd, PMv, Relative value, Absolute value, Distance, Spatial parameters, Electrophysiology, Electrophysiologie
Biomédecine et médecines alternatives : alliance possible ou scission inévitable? : le cas des acupuncteurs à Montréal

If the alternative is to our days and in our western societies a concept more and more in vogue, its character remains ambiguous. In effect, and even that number of practices called “alternatives” emerge on both sides of the society, in referring to in some areas is equivalent to plague itself-even a label on which would be marked “New-Age” in bold. Yet, its character far from referring to this single dimension, seems also be consistent to a more and more significant unbalance within the prerogatives of the State. This dissertation therefore attempts to account for this phenomenon while inquiry into the repercussions of this asymmetry on the integration of alternative medical practices in Quebec. This with the intention not only to further explore the nature of the relationship between alternative medicine and biomedicine, but also in order to install a new look on its expansion. A look, which would potentially lay the groundwork necessary to a space of conciliation between the medicines and which would lead to a new balance in the heart of the prerogatives of the State.

Keyphrases: Integration, Representation, Alternative, Etat social, Intervention, Acupuncture, Biomedicine, State of law, Social state, Professional practice
L’évolution de l’évaluation de la composante linguistique de la compétence à écrire par le ministère de l’Éducation : une étude longitudinale sur les épreuves uniques de 5e secondaire

This research aims to describe the ways in which the evaluation of written French has evolved within the “épreuves unique” of secondary 5. More specifically, it analyzes the evolution of evaluation methods regarding written language conventions in these examinations. A documentary research has allowed us to collect examinations and other related documents for a time span stretching from 1971 to 2012. Although our study specifically looks into the “épreuves uniques”, which were implanted in 1986, we have chosen to go back further in time in order to depict a larger portrait of certificate evaluation of French writing in secondary 5. Many aspects are analyzed: context of examinations, tasks contained within them, scoring parameters and pass levels regarding language conventions, examinations as a whole as well as writing and the French language. We have also observed the province-wide evolution of students’ results for these examinations. Using a variety of theoretical concepts related to the evaluation of written language conventions, a methodology was developed in order to allow the analysis of writing assignments. The latter notably reveals that the nature of such tasks and their parameters have remained relatively constant in time, particularly since 1986. The number of allowed language-related mistakes has augmented, whereas students’ results have remained stable. Furthermore, the historic perspective of this study illustrates how the ministère de l’Éducation nowadays allows a great importance to writing and the correction of spelling mistakes.

Keyphrases: ministère de l’Éducation, secondary 5, writing, writing evaluation, language conventions, French
Enforcing dendritic cell vaccines by manipulating the MHC II antigen presentation pathway

Dendritic cell peptide-based vaccines are the most common immunotherapy approach in cancer therapy. While, in principle, dendritic cells (DCs) could be loaded efficiently by exogenously added tumor peptides, their loading efficacy is severely reduced due to low number of peptide-receptive MHC II on cell surface. Most surface MHC II molecules are either occupied by endogenous peptides or are inactive due to a conformation that is not receptive for free peptides. In MHC II antigen presentation pathway, HLA-DM (DM) in acidic endosomal vesicles removes the self-peptides and grants a peptide receptive conformation to MHC II.  Mutating of an intracellular sorting motif in DM, renders its accumulation on cell surface. We hypothesized that the mutant DM (DMY) is functional on cell surface and can generate peptide receptive MHC II on surface of DCs for exogenous peptide loading. By using an adenoviral vector that expresses DMY, we found that DMY is functional on surface of DCs. DMY supplied peptide receptive MHC II on surface of DCs and improved exogenous peptide loading.  The improvement of peptide loading by DMY is both quantitative and qualitative. DMY improves helper T cell (Th) response in Th1 direction that favors anti-cancer immunity. The qualitative improvement of peptide loading extends to loading of superior conformational isomer (conformer) of peptide-MHC complexes. This superior conformer (type A) is the favourite type for vaccination approaches and DMY successfully edits peptide-MHC conformers on cell surface level by eliminating undesirable one (type B).    Function of DM is regulated by HLA-DO (DO) and it is well accepted that in acidic pH of late endosomes, DO inhibits function of DM by preventing removal of class II associated invariant chain peptide (CLIP) from peptide binding groove of MHC II. My results indicate that DO overexpression, changes binding of peptide-dependent superantigens to MHC II molecules. Superantigens (SAgs) are small microbial proteins that bind out side peptide binding groove of MHC II. DO probably enhances binding of peptide-dependent SAgs by forcing the accumulation of CLIP on the cell surface of antigen presenting cells. DO also neutralizes Th2 polarization by CLIP. Collectively, these results indicate that DMY is a valuable tool for improvement of exogenous peptide loading in DCs vaccines. An unnoticed effect of DO on SAgs binding was also recognized. Further investigations are needed to clarify the mechanisms by which, DMY and DO influence Th polarization. This would provide a better understanding of antigen presentation pathway and its interaction with immune system.

Keyphrases: Dendritic cells, CD4 T cells, MHC class II, Cancer vaccine, Superantigen, SEA, SEB, HLA-DM, HLA-DO, CLIP
Elementary steps in aqueous proton transfer reactions : a first principles molecular dynamics study

The nature of acids in an aqueous environment is fundamental to many aspects of chemistry and biology. The defining feature of an acid is its ability to transfer a proton to water or to any accepting base, but this seemingly simple process can be complex and highly dependent on the solvation involving different reaction intermediate species. This thesis describes computational studies based on first principles molecular dynamics simulations aimed at obtaining molecular-level descriptions of diverse proton transfer process involving acids and bases in liquid water.  For that, we have investigated a variety of systems including aqueous hydrofluoric acid, aqueous trifluoroacetic acid and a model system comprising of a phenol and a carboxyate molecule bridged by a water molecule in aqueous solution.    Two different intermediate stages of proton transfer from an acid were identified which are found to be stabilized by distinct local H-bond solvation pattern. Their spectroscopic signatures were characterized using infrared spectroscopy computed from first principles molecular dynamics simulations which incorporate nuclear quantum effects explicitly.  This study also identified three elementary reaction pathways that are responsible for proton translocation from acid to the base and their characteristic time scales. Conclusions drawn from this study are discussed in molecular detail, highlighting experimental comparisons.

Keyphrases: Ab initio Molecular Dynamics, Ab initio Centroid Molecular Dynamics, Proton Transfer, Proton Transfer Intermediates, Acid Dissociation, Acid dissociation Intermediates, Wavelet Trasform, Infrared Spectroscopy
Étude technologique et morphologique de la cornéenne dans le sud du Québec : le cas de la carrière préhistorique du mont Royal (BjFj-97) à Montréal

The Mount Royal quarry site (BjFj-97), discovered in 1993 by Yvon Codère and test pitted in 1997 by Ethnoscop Inc., is an interesting archaeological puzzle for anyone interested in the Montreal region prehistory. Following the 1997 archaeological testing, some ideas were raised about the quarry’s cultural affiliation and its chronological position. Archaeologists proposed a primary occupation focused on hornfels extraction and transformation dating back to the Terminal Archaic period (4000-3000 BP). Hornfels is a metamorphic rock that resulted from bedrock being “cooked” during cretaceous magmatic intrusion that created the Monteregian hills. The material recovered, includes more than 10,000 flakes and over 70 artefacts, and is analysed here for the first time.  This thesis provides a new perspective on the Mount Royal quarry site describing morphologically and technologically the stone tool production in order to better understand the hornfels’ chaîne opératoire. This lithic material is common on archaeological sites in southern Quebec can help us to address some issues of dating the quarry site. The entire lithic collection was subjected to an extensive analysis including all of the debitage and finished products, and shows the dominance of bifacial flintknapping, with some flake tools also being produced. All stages f the lithic reduction sequence are present on the Mount Royal quarry site. Hornfels is a difficult material to work because of its unpredictability, due to structure of matter, leading to a high rate of failures in the manufacture of tools. The main occupation of the site is dated to the Terminal Archaic, but the equivocal nature of the various objects makes it difficult to clearly define the period of occupation and exploitation.  Site BjFj-97 is similar to another site in New England where hornfels was worked using a similar lithic reduction sequence, suggesting a possible cultural kinship. Hornfels is common on sites in the Montreal area, often substituting for better materials. The presence of hornfels on these sites suggests a wider chronological spread than that established from the material analysis from the quarry and covers the Laurentian Archaic to Woodland periods. Hornfels is usually found in formal bifacial tool forms (bifaces, knives and projectile points) and less formal flakes tools (scrapers) suggesting a strictly utilitarian significance, characteristic of low quality materials. Little is known about hornfels extraction methods on the mountain. Mount Royal is more than a defensive point: it forms the basis of the livelihood of the prehistoric people where predation tools were associated with a mobile lifestyle dominated by hunting.

Keyphrases: Chaîne opératoire, Archaeology, Prehistory, Chaîne opératoire, Mount Royal, Hornfels, Prehistoric quarry, Chipped stone, Technology, Lithic analysis
De la relation d’aide à la rencontre créative : le récit numérique comme outil de reconnaissance mutuelle

This exploratory study describes, from the viewpoint of social workers and other support workers, the conditions needed to set up a project that makes use of digital storytelling tools, as well as the main contributions of these tools as part of an intervention. The tools may be digital stories in the form of short, two-to-five minute videos (with music, text, voice, and/or animations), or short audio files (i.e., podcasts). They may also be interactive video games or a video montage created from extracts drawn from personal stories. A study exploring intervention tools that encourage creativity becomes all the more pertinent in a context where, particularly in public health and social services, intervention practices are becoming increasingly standardized. As yet, this field has been only minimally explored. Semi-directed interviews were conducted with eight workers who used these tools in their practice. Analysis of their statements sheds light on the conditions necessary to carry out this type of project, as well as the ethical questions that arise in the process. The analysis also reveals that one of the main contributions of these tools lies within the collaborative creative process. The process enriches the intervention by providing a space for freer speech where support workers and the people they help create ties that modify the hierarchical relationship between them. Moreover, the professional attention given to creating and sharing the products helps provide greater visibility to people who are often excluded from the public arena. Thus, in addition to exploring the contributions of an artistic tool to interventions, this study also makes it possible to analyze the issues of visibility and recognition associated with using participatory media.

Keyphrases: empowerment, digital storytelling, visibility, creativity, participatory projects, empowerment
Analyse des figures féminines juives dans le roman québécois moderne et contemporain : L’avalée des avalés, La Québécoite et Hadassa

This thesis is devoted to the construction of Jewish female characters in three novels of modern and contemporary Quebec french literature. It examines the novels of Réjean Ducharme, L’avalée des avalés (1967), Régine Robin, La Québécoite (1983), Myriam Beaudoin, Hadassa (2006). Functions, values and discourses surrounding the presence of Jewish women figures are analyzed by means of dialogues between places and spaces in order to identify markers of identity, culture, society, linguistic and religion. We sought to update the chapter on the female figure of the Jewish pioneering book Mythes et Images du Juif au Québec (1977) from Victor Teboul. Teboul considers the female Jewish character as a secondary and mainly sexual character. This analysis, deeply entrenched in social discourses of the period of publication, deserves to be revisited with a corpus broader and more contemporary. To do this, we identified the main vectors of female Jewish identity by analyzing the discourses surrounding this presence, dialogue between identity, culture, history and society and the dynamics between spaces and places. We found that, in addition to stereotypes, the Jewish identity of the female figures of the three novels is shaped by its relation with places and spaces. The three novels differ widely in their relationship to Jewishness.

Keyphrases: Jewishness, Quebec's literature, Cultural identity, Place and space, Cultural hybridity
Analyse comparative de l'équivalence terminologique en corpus parallèle et en corpus comparable : application au domaine du changement climatique

The research undertaken for this thesis concerns the analysis of terminological equivalence in a parallel corpus and a comparable corpus. More specifically, we focus on specialized texts related to the domain of climate change. A unique aspect of this study is based on the analysis of the equivalents of single word terms. The theoretical frameworks on which we rely are the terminologie textuelle (Bourigault et Slodzian 1999) and the lexico-sémantique approaches (L’Homme 2005).  This study has two objectives. The first is to perform a comparative analysis of terminological equivalents in the two types of corpora in order to verify if the equivalents found in the parallel corpus are different from the ones observed in the comparable corpora. The second is to compare in detail equivalents associated with a same English term, in order to describe them and define a typology. A detailed analysis of the French equivalents of 343 English terms is carried out with the help of computer tools (term extractor, text aligner, etc.) and the establishment of a rigorous methodology divided into three parts. The first part, common to both objectives of the research concerns the elaboration of the corpus, the validation of the English terms and the identification of the French equivalents in the two corpora. The second part describes the criteria on which we rely to compare the equivalents of the two types of corpora. The third part sets up the typology of equivalents associated with a same English term. The results for the first objective shows that of the 343 English words analyzed, terms with equivalents that can be criticized in both corpora are relatively low in number (12), while the number of terms with similar equivalences between the two corpora is very high (272 identical and 55 equivalents not objectionable). The analysis described in this chapter confirms our hypothesis that terminology used in parallel corpora does not differ from that used in comparable corpora. The results of the second objective show that many English terms are rendered by several equivalents (70% of analyzed terms). It is also noted that synonyms are not the largest group of equivalents but near-synonyms. Also, equivalents from another part of speech constitute an important part of the equivalents analyzed. Thus, the typology developed in this thesis presents terminological equivalent mechanisms rarely described as systematically in previous work.

Keyphrases: Terminologie, Terminology, Equivalence, Aligned corpora, Comparable corpora, Automatic term extraction, Climate change
Found Footage, mouvement cinématographique contemporain

This research deals with the found footage, analyzed here as a practice of cultural recycling and as a major cinematographic movement of our time. The study first draws a parallel between the manufacturing of "found images" and the process of industrial recycling. The thesis then discusses the artistic influences of the experimental film movement initiated in the 1960s, which has been increasing its presence more and more since the introduction of the latest digital technologies. Finally, the study proposes an investigation of found footage in relation to the digital technology era, analyzing the causes and consequences of the [re]rise of the movement, and taking into account the multiplication of its format on the Internet through the practice of mashup.

Keyphrases: Found footage, Cultural recycling, Experimental film, Mashup, Digital remix, Digital technologie
The relevancy and effectiveness of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption

The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (adopted in 2003) is the first global in-depth treaty on corruption. This work attempts to assess its significance by analyzing its provisions, in particular concerning the areas of prevention, criminalization, international cooperation and asset recovery. It then seeks to assess its relevancy and effectiveness by giving an overview of the Convention's main compliance challenges, as well as other existing initiatives that tackle corruption. Although the Convention innovates in many respects, it is argued that it also suffers from weaknesses that cannot be overlooked, preventing it from having a real impact on States' behavior.

Keyphrases: Anti-corruption, International law, Anti-corruption, United Nations Convention Against Corruption, Review mechanism, Compliance