NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Étude sur l’oxygénation des lits capillaires du disque optique au cours du cycle menstruel chez les femmes

Postmenopausal women, when compared to men from the same age group, are more prone to develop ocular disease. It is thought that long term hormonal changes caused by ovarian senescence, and especially the drop in estradiol, are the etiological mechanism by which this phenomenon occurs. Whether variations in the levels of endogenous sexual hormones can produce short term effects in the tissues of the eye is less understood and, therefore, constitutes the main reason for carrying out the present study.  Given that non menopausal women have repeated short term changes in the levels of sex steroid hormones during their menstrual cycle, we have recruited such women as study subjects. We also reviewed the scientific literature to establish what would be the parameter of interest and found a well characterised phenomenon: estrogens promote vasodilation by increasing nitrogen oxide production and thus promote a rise in blood flow. As to measuring variations in blood flow within the eye, it was explained in the discussion of the present memoir that changes in the oxygenation of an organ with a constant metabolism are induced by changes in the blood flow irrigating that organ. Using a method based on spectroreflectometry, it is possible to measure oxyhaemoglobin levels (HbO2) in the capillaries of the optic disc. By studying the variation of the HbO2 levels during the menstrual cycle, we can appreciate the effect of the cyclic hormonal changes on the ocular blood flow.       The supply in oxygen and nutrients brought to an organ by its blood flow is essential for its metabolism. Therefore, the discovery of a correlation between sex hormone levels and the oxygenation of the retina would prove to be an important step towards understanding the higher frequency of certain ocular diseases in postmenopausal women, as compared to men of the same age group.   The results of our study show that HbO2 levels in the capillary beds of the optic disc do not undergo statistically significant variations during the menstrual cycle. The same results were found, during a similar observational period, for male subjects used in the study as controls. These results suggest that cyclic variations in the levels of sex hormones, which occur only in nonmenaopausal women, do not induce significant changes in the oxygenation of the optic disc. In short, despite the possible effect of estrogens on the arteriolar diameter, it seems that local regulatory mechanisms of the blood flow maintain a tissue in a state of equilibrium that is adapted to its specific metabolic demand.

Keyphrases: Oxyhemoglobin, optic nerve disease, ocular disease, sex steroid hormones, menstrual cycle
Le traitement du harcèlement discriminatoire et du harcèlement psychologique en milieu de travail : continuité ou rupture?

The Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms prohibits harassment on the basis of a discriminatory ground. Since June 2004, the Act respecting Labour Standards (ARLS) prohibits harassment in the workplace. By this provision, the legislature intended to increase the availability of recourse for employees. Now, the employee who is victim of discriminatory harassment in the workplace has access to both remedies. Currently, the victims rely almost exclusively on the action based on the ARLS. Indeed, the Human Rights Tribunal (HRT) has only pronounced one decision on the matter after 2004. This new remedy has also modified the legal treatment of discriminatory harassment in the workplace.   Our study focuses on the impact of a Labour Act on the protection of employees as well as on the concept of constitutionalized Labour Law. We examine the continuance of discriminatory harassment in the non-unionized workplace from 1990 to 2010.  Our study is based on various qualitative methods: comparison of existing remedies; review of the doctrine and comparative study of seventy (70) law cases of the HRT and the Commission des relations du travail (CRT). Our results show that failures exist in the treatment of complaints of discriminatory harassment in non-unionized workplace since the provisions enforcement of the ARLS. Except from the court seized, discontinuities are identified in the constitutive elements of the harassment and the sources of law. This research provides an essential assessment to understand the efficiency of the recent recourses available for employees who are victim of discriminatory harassment in the workplace.

Keyphrases: travail, Commission des relations du travail, Discriminatory harassment, Psychological harassment, Rights, Workplace, Human Rights Tribunal
Étude qualitative sur les attitudes des bibliothécaires québécois vis-à-vis la liberté intellectuelle et la censure

The objective of this qualitative study is to understand the attitudes of Quebec librarians with respect to intellectual freedom and censorship in the public library arena. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 11 librarians, including six directors. These staff were involved in varying degrees in the development process of their library collections and/or in the management of challenges. Their comments were subjected to a rigorous thematic analysis. Similar to previous studies which have focused on this topic, this research showcases the difference between participants’ attitudes regarding intellectual freedom as a concept, and intellectual freedom as an activity. In other words, the participants were in favor of freedom of expression, while at the same time being supportive, under certain circumstances, of restrictive measures. The analysis of the results shows that librarians, while proponents of intellectual freedom, serve primarly as guardians of societal consensus, continually drawing and redrawing the boundary between individual values and societal values. This research ultimately shows that Quebec librarians are less actively engaged than their Canadian and U.S. counterparts in efforts to defend and promote intellectual freedom. Analysis of the data leads to the hypothesis that this weak commitment is intimately related to cultural variables unique to Quebec. The contemporary absence of religious pressure groups and the tardy development of public libraries in Quebec have in fact been identified as two factors tied to the history of the province influencing the professional work environment and the behavior of librarians in the struggle for the defense and promotion of intellectual freedom.

Keyphrases: Attitude, Québec (Province), Intellectual freedom, Censorship, Public library, Librarian, Quebec (Province)
Kindergarten classroom engagement skills : the road to academic success in elementary school

How children begin school is an important predictor of their eventual academic attainment. Although kindergarten knowledge of numbers and vocabulary represent robust indicators of children’s readiness to learn at school entry, theory and research suggest that self-directed learning skills are also important for helping children meet the challenges of the elementary school classroom. In the present thesis, three papers examine the potential benefit of targeting classroom engagement skills in terms of task-orientation and industriousness to improve children’s academic outcomes. In Paper 1, kindergarten classroom engagement skills were found to predict later academic performance and psychosocial adjustment. These results remained significant even after adjusting for kindergarten mathematics, verbal, and attention skills and established child and family risk factors. Paper 2 addresses the origins of classroom engagement and shows that early childhood cognitive control skills represent robust predictors of school entry classroom engagement skills. These findings suggest that developmental continuity in cognitive control may culminate in better school entry engagement skills. Finally in Paper 3, person-centered analyses were used to identify three subgroups of children showing low, moderate, and high patterns of engagement across elementary school. Belongingness to the low engagement trajectory was predicted by early childhood cognitive control skills and parental risk factors. Taken together these results underscore the importance of considering classroom engagement skills in school readiness assessments. This research also has implications for the development of early interventions designed to bolster school readiness in order to circumvent later academic and social impairments.

Keyphrases: Classoom engagement, Academic achievement, Psychosocial adjustment, Cognitive control
Développement de papier bioactif par couchage à grande échelle d’enzymes immobilisées par microencapsulation

The main objective of this research is the development of a commercial biosensor immobilized on paper surfaces, able to produce a colorimetric signal detected by human sensorial limits. This kind of biosensor could be used, for example, in the detection of toxic substances or pathogens. To achieve this objective, microencapsulated enzymes fixed on paper are proposed. Enzymes are biological catalysts with a high selectivity that can accelerate the speed of some chemical reactions up to a million times. However, the enzymes are very sensitive substances that lose their functionality easily; it is therefore necessary to protect them from conditions that could damage them. Microencapsulation is a technique that protects the enzymes without totally isolating them from their environment. In fact, microencapsulation entraps the enzymes into a micron size sphere, made of a porous polymer which prevents the enzyme to be released but allows the diffusion of its substrate inside. The microencapsulation process consists in making an emulsion containing a polymer dissolved in an aqueous phase with the desired enzyme, and the wall of the microcapsule is formed by adding a crosslinking agent that forms a polymer network at the interface of the emulsion. The crosslinked polymer solidifies and it encloses the enzyme in the interior of the capsule. Thereafter, this kind of microcapsules are used to give biosensor properties to the paper. Blade coating technique is used in order to immobilize the enzyme capsules on paper because it is the most widely used method in the paper industry. The microcapsules are mixed with a coating suspension and applied on sheets of paper. The viscosity parameters of the suspension and those of the coating are optimized to obtain a uniform coating in order to meet the industry standards. Bioactive paper obtained is first studied to assess whether the enzymes are still active or not after all the treatments because, as described above, enzymes are iii very sensitive substances. An enzyme known as laccase is used, which allows an easy evaluation of its activity. Enzymatic activity was evaluated through existing analytical techniques or new analysis techniques developed in the Rochefort lab. The results demonstrate the possibility to transfer microencapsulated enzyme systems onto paper by blade coating, by using large scale settings, with paper surfaces of 0.75 x 3 m2 modified at speeds ranging up to 800 m/min. Biosensors retained their activity, despite a drying process by evaporation of water using an IR lamp of 36 kW. The microencapsulation technique proposed here is an effective technique to increase the storage stability of the biosensor and its resistance to exposure to NaN3, which is a known inhibitor of this biosensor. This research is part of a national effort in order to develop a commercial device called bioactive paper; it is supported by the NSERC research network Sentinel.

Keyphrases: Laccase, Microencapsulation, Large-scale coating, Bioactive paper, Enzyme activity
L'endostatine et autres marqueurs angiogéniques de la prééclampsie

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a new anti-angiogenic factor, endostatin, in relation to the risk of preeclampsia (PE).  STUDY DESIGN: We performed a case control study nested in two separate prospective cohorts. Serum samples were collected at 11-17 weeks and 18-26 weeks of gestation. Maternal endostatin levels were measured by ELISA. Results were expressed as multiples of the median (MoM) adjusted for maternal age, gestational age, ethnicity, and cohort of origin. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of PE.  RESULTS: A total of 77 PE and 150 controls of singleton pregnancies were studied, including 21 early-onset PE (diagnosis before 34 weeks) and 41 severe PE. Cases had a higher pre-pregnancy BMI and were more likely of African ethnicity than controls. Endostatin levels were significantly higher in women with PE compared to controls at both the first and second trimester (median 94.2 vs. 90.7 ng/ml p=0.004 and 105.8 vs. 99.3 ng/ml p= 0.002 respectively). Endostatin levels were even higher in women with early-onset PE. At a cut-off level of 75th percentile of endostatin MoMs, the adjusted ORs for PE were 1.33, 95CI [0.68-2.58] at 11-17 weeks and 1.77 [0.94-3.34] at 18-26 weeks. The aORs for early-onset PE were 3.51 [1.18-10.43] at 11-17 weeks and 2.17 [0.67-7.06] at 18-26 weeks, respectively.  CONCLUSION: Higher endostatin levels as early as in the first trimester may  indicate an increased risk of subsequent PE, especially early onset PE. However endostatin alone has a poor predictive value for clinical usefulness.

Keyphrases: Preeclampsia, Angiogenic biomarker, Endostatin, Screening
Représentation de la révolution grecque dans la presse écrite du Bas-Canada (1821-1831)

The thesis aims to analyse the Greek War of Independence as it was represented in the newspapers of Lower Canada during the years 1821 to 1831. I have identified five sorts of documents present in the newspapers which enable an empirical knowledge of the Greek people's struggle for independence, viz. foreign newspapers, works, letters, official documents and editorial opinion. The sales catalogues of the Montreal publishing house Fabre, for the period, have also been studied. The viewpoints and the arguments of the newspaper editors have been evaluated for their influence upon public opinion. Finally, what was written in Lower Canada concerning the Greek Revolution sheds light on the thought patterns of the well-read, their classical education, their construction of an image of the Orient, concepts of Liberty, History and the meanings given to a war of national liberation.

Keyphrases: XIXe siècle, Greek revolution, Greek War of Independance 1821-1829, Lower Canada, Newspapers, Public opinion, 19th century, Philhellenism
Analyse de mouvements faciaux à partir d'images vidéo

In a face-to-face talk, language is supported by nonverbal communication, which plays a central role in human social behavior by adding cues to the meaning of speech, providing feedback, and managing synchronization. Information about the emotional state of a person is usually carried out by facial attributes. In fact, 55% of a message is communicated by facial expressions whereas only 7% is due to linguistic language and 38% to paralanguage. However, there are currently no established instruments to measure such behavior. The computer vision community is therefore interested in the development of automated techniques for prototypic facial expression analysis, for human computer interaction applications, meeting video analysis, security and clinical applications. For gathering observable cues, we try to design, in this research, a framework that can build a relatively comprehensive source of visual information, which will be able to distinguish the facial deformations, thus allowing to point out the presence or absence of a particular facial action. A detailed review of identified techniques led us to explore two different approaches. The first approach involves appearance modeling, in which we use the gradient orientations to generate a dense representation of facial attributes. Besides the facial representation problem, the main difficulty of a system, which is intended to be general, is the implementation of a generic model independent of individual identity, face geometry and size. We therefore introduce a concept of prototypic referential mapping through a SIFT-flow registration that demonstrates, in this thesis, its superiority to the conventional eyes-based alignment. In a second approach, we use a geometric model through which the facial primitives are represented by Gabor filtering. Motivated by the fact that facial expressions are not only ambiguous and inconsistent across human but also dependent on the behavioral context; in this approach, we present a personalized facial expression recognition system whose overall performance is directly related to the localization performance of a set of facial fiducial points. These points are tracked through a sequence of video frames by a modification of a fast Gabor phase-based disparity estimation technique. In this thesis, we revisit the confidence measure, and introduce an iterative conditional procedure for displacement estimation that improves the robustness of the original methods.

Keyphrases: Computer vision, Image processing, Facial expression recognition, Emotion analysis, Face analysis, Feature representation, Gabor filtering, Registration, Tracking
Caractérisation de la translocation (12;13)(p12;q12-14) et l’insertion (X;6)(p11.23;q21q23.3) dans des leucémies aiguës pédiatriques

By a screening strategy combining standard cytogenetics and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), an insertion (X;6) in twins with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and a translocation (12;13) in 2 cases of AML and a case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have been identified. Insertion (X;6) is not reported and could be a variant of translocation (X;6) described in 4 cases of AML, one of which is associated with a MYB-GATA1 fusion gene. We have identified the disruption of MYB and GATA1 in the insertion but no MYB-GATA1 fusion seems to be present. Other mechanisms could be in play for the disruption of these genes’ expression. Moreover, in the first case of translocation (12;13) identified, ETV6 is fused to either CDX2 or FLT3. The second case associates the deletion of miR-15a and miR-16-1 genes to an ETV6 fusion. In the third case, an ETV6- FOXO1 fusion seems to be involved.

Keyphrases: Chromosomes, translocation, Fish, cytogenetics, karyotype, acute pediatric leukemia
La «crise» du recensement canadien en 2010 : pourquoi se mobiliser pour s’opposer à un changement méthodologique?

In 2010, the Canadian government announced the cancelation of the long-form mandatory census of 2011. It was replaced by the non-mandatory National Household Survey. Many protests were heard, because the data will be less accurate and there will be no continuity with the previous censuses. This data has many purposes, like the application of laws or governmental programs. Different groups also use it in research and advocacy activities. This master’s thesis analyses different situations of controversy over the census methodology, in various countries, to understand how it becomes a political conflict, who are the actors that get involved and why they do so. We find that 3 conditions are necessary to turn a census into a political battlefield. It is : (1) an identity concern; (2) an ideological dimension, about the role of the State and of affirmative action; and (3) the presence of laws or programs that depend directly on the census data. To test this affirmation, we interviewed groups that contested the decision of the cancelation of the mandatory long-form census in Canada in 2010. They took the case in front of the Courts, and think that the government has now the opportunity to escape from some of its obligations, one of which is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This controversy’s analysis shows patterns in the relations between the Canadian government and the civil society. Interest groups and minorities now face very little opportunity of doing advocacy activities before the federal government.

Keyphrases: Census, Canada, Advocacy groups, Affirmative action, Ideology, Legal action
The Discourse of Home Recording : Accessibility, Exclusion and Power

This thesis proposes a critical analysis of the discourse of home recording. It aims to question home recording's will to truth by investigating what makes its statements possible, or what is the system of rules that authorize certain things to be said within the discourse. Driven by enunciations regarding home recording's "accessibility" and "democratization", this thesis analyzes the power/knowledge relations that have been produced and legitimized within the discourse, as well as what they enable and constrain, allow and exclude. Music magazines and Internet discussion forums form the corpus of this thesis. The methods used in this research are inspired by Michel Foucault's theory and method of discourse and by the approach known as critical interpretation (Johnson et al., 2004). This thesis' analysis shows that the government in home recording seems to be exerted by two main subjects: recording professionals and home recording "pros", who are overall characterized as well-off men. Moreover, the rules of home recording seem to be a replication and an adaptation to the home environment of the organizing principles of professional studios. This thesis suggests that "democratization" as enunciated and produced within and by the discourse of home recording articulates the discursive notion of a "contemporary accessibility" in terms of technology and knowledge to the exclusions – such as that of women and people of limited means – that make this discourse possible. These exclusions are legitimized through what is considered the "truth" within the discourse, as well as the norms and regulations established within it, which in turn follow the logic of the professional studio.  Keywords: home, recording, studios, democratization, technology, discourse analysis, power/knowledge relations, Michel Foucault.

Keyphrases: Home, Recording, Studio, Democratization, Technology, Discourse Analysis, Power knowledge relations, Michel Foucault
Impact du bicarbonate de sodium sur la prévention de la néphropathie induite par le produit de contraste en chirurgie endovasculaire pour anévrysme de l’aorte

Background: The endovascular approach for the repair of aortic aneurysm involves the administration of large quantities of contrast media, which can cause contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in the post operative period. The only proven strategy to prevent CIN is intravenous hydration, but what type of infusion to use is not clear. We evaluated the efficacy of sodium bicarbonate, compared with NaCl 0.9%, to reduce the incidence of postoperative renal failure. Methods: We conducted a prospective, controlled, double-blind, randomized study in patients presenting for endovascular aortic aneurysm surgery. Patients in group A (n = 17) received sodium bicarbonate 3 mL/kg/h for 1 h before the procedure and then 1 mL/kg/h until 6 h after surgery, whereas patients in group B (n= 17) received the same amount of NaCl 0.9%. All patients received N-acetylcysteine. The primary end point was CIN, defined by serum creatinine greater than 25 % above baseline 48 h post operatively.  Biomarkers of renal injury were measured. Results: CIN developed in one patient in the bicarbonate group (5,88%), compared with no patient in the NaCl 0,9% group (0%) (difference 5.88%;95% CI -5.3% to 17.06%, P = 0.31). Interleukin-18, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase and Kidney Injury Molecule-1 increased significantly in both groups after exposure to contrast media.    Conclusions: We demonstrated a low rate of renal failure following endovascular aortic surgery using contrast media, regardless of whether bicarbonate or NaCl 0.9% was used for hydration, despite significant elevation in biomarkers of renal injury.

Keyphrases: cystatine c, interleukine 18, KidneyInjury Molecule-1, N-acétyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, Neutrophilgelatinase-associatedlipocalin, Aortic aneurysm, creatinine, cystatin c, interleukin-18, Kidney Injury Molecule-1, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin