Évaluation et optimisation des gains environnementaux découlant d'un programme municipal de plantation d'arbres

La plantation d’arbres en milieu urbain permet d’atténuer l’impact environnemental de l’urbanisation. L’écosystème urbain peut en effet bénéficier de services écologiques arboricoles qui permettent de régulariser le débit hydrique, d?améliorer la qualité de l?eau, d?augmenter la biodiversité, de séquestrer le carbone, de réduire le bruit, d?améliorer la qualité de l?air et d?atténuer les îlots de chaleur. Entre 2006 et 2009, la ville de Gatineau a mis en oeuvre un programme de plantation dont l?objectif était de procéder au verdissement, à l?embellissement et à l?amélioration du milieu de vie des citoyens de la ville de Gatineau par l?ajout de 100 000 arbres au cours du premier mandat du maire Marc Bureau. À échéance, le programme a largement atteint son objectif en termes d?arbres plantés. Le bilan du programme effectué par le Service de l?environnement de la municipalité comporte cependant peu de renseignements sur la performance environnementale du programme. Par ailleurs, les conclusions du bilan ne s?appuient aucunement sur les réalisations concrètes du programme; aucun site n?a fait l?objet d?une inspection post plantation. L?objectif de ce travail est de mesurer les gains environnementaux découlant du programme 100 000 arbres de la ville de Gatineau et de formuler des recommandations pour optimiser ces gains. L?étude de la documentation afférente au programme et l?analyse des résultats observés sur un échantillon de sites démontrent que les gains environnementaux sont principalement limités par le faible taux de survie et par des lacunes à l?égard du positionnement relatif des arbres aux structures urbaines. Pour optimiser ces gains, il est proposé d?effectuer un entretien et un suivi adéquat des plants, de déterminer les objectifs en termes de bénéfices mesurables et de sélectionner les projets de plantation en fonction de problèmes environnementaux précis. Les recommandations concrètes formulées en ce sens incluent l?élaboration d?un plan d?intervention environnemental arboricole, la mise sur pied d?un groupe de travail municipal multidisciplinaire, l?intégration de l?entretien et du suivi dans tous les projets, l?évaluation des bénéfices arboricoles à l?aide de logiciels de modélisation et l?élaboration d?un inventaire arboricole

La dynamique spatio-temporelle de l’attention en lecture chez les dyslexiques

La dyslexie est un trouble neurodéveloppemental nuisant au développement normal de la fluidité en lecture. Certains processus de base à la lecture pourraient être atteints chez les dyslexiques et entraîner des répercussions touchant les représentations de haut niveau des mots en découlant : orthographique, phonologique et sémantique. Un de ces processus de base est le déploiement spatio-temporel de l’attention sur des séquences de stimuli multiples alignés à l’horizontale. L’efficacité de ce déploiement pourrait être étroitement liée à l’expertise en lecture chez les normo-lecteurs, et des irrégularités dans celui-ci pourraient être observées chez des dyslexiques. Malheureusement, la caractérisation de ce déploiement en contexte de reconnaissance de mots écrits, son implication dans la vitesse de lecture et (potentiellement) même dans certaines habiletés langagières demeurent largement sous-spécifiées. Le premier article de cette thèse vise à révéler les divergences du déploiement de l’attention dans le temps et dans l’espace pendant la reconnaissance d’un mot familier chez un groupe d’adultes dyslexiques par rapport à un groupe de normo-lecteurs. Les groupes sont appariés en termes d’âge et de fonctionnement intellectuel. Cet objectif est poursuivi avec la technique de sonde attentionnelle. Les résultats révèlent que les dyslexiques dirigent moins de ressources attentionnelles vers la première lettre d’un mot, ce qui est sous-optimal considérant que la première lettre d’un mot est particulièrement informative sur son identité. Le deuxième article de cette thèse vise à déterminer si les habiletés en lecture de texte et de traitement phonologique chez les dyslexiques peuvent bénéficier d’un entraînement attentionnel court. Un protocole utilisant un entraînement visuo-attentionnel (NeuroTracker) et un entraînement placebo chez une vingtaine d’adultes dyslexiques met en évidence des gains systématiques immédiatement après l’entraînement actif. L’ordre des entraînements (actif puis placebo, ou placebo puis actif) était contrebalancé entre deux groupes. Ces gains s’observent en vitesse de lecture, et même au niveau de la conscience phonologique. Le troisième article de cette thèse apporte finalement une contribution additionnelle significative pour l’évaluation de la vitesse de la lecture chez les adultes universitaires franco-québécois. L’utilisation des phrases-tests d’un outil existant (MNRead) a été intégrée à un protocole de présentation visuelle sérielle rapide pour l’évaluation de la vitesse de lecture. En plus de cet ensemble de phrases-test, quatre autres ensembles de phrases-test ont été normés. L’outil développé permet d’obtenir une mesure de la vitesse de lecture fiable chez un même individu à différentes reprises (Exp. 1) et il satisfait différents standards psychométriques (Exps. 1 et 2), en étant notamment sensible à la présence des difficultés en lecture retrouvées chez les dyslexiques (Exp. 2). En somme, il appert que certains processus visuo-attentionnels sous-tendent l’expertise en lecture et que ceux-ci pourraient présenter des irrégularités chez les dyslexiques. La caractérisation d’un déploiement attentionnel sous-optimal en reconnaissance de mots familiers tout comme les bénéfices obtenus en lecture et en traitement phonologique subséquents à un entraînement attentionnels mettent en lumière l’importance de ces processus de base en lecture.Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the normal development of reading fluency. Deficits affecting basic reading processes may affect dyslexics and would thus alter high-level word representations: orthographic, phonological, and semantic. One of these basic processes is the attentional mechanism that is involved in the visual processing of horizontal multi-element strings such as words. The effectiveness of this mechanism could be closely related to reading expertise in normal readers and anomalies thereof could be observed in dyslexics. Unfortunately, it remains unclear how attention is deployed during visual word recognition and how it may impact on reading speed and potentially on certain language skills. The first article of this thesis aims to shed light on divergences in the deployment of attention through time and space during the recognition of familiar words in a group of adults with dyslexia in comparison to normal readers. These groups were matched in terms of age and intellectual functioning. This objective is pursued with the attentional probe technique. Results reveal that less attentional resources are directed to the first letter of a word in dyslexics, which is suboptimal considering that the first letter of a word has a higher diagnostic value than any other letter position. The goal of the second article is to determine if reading fluency and phonological awareness in dyslexics may benefit from a short attentional training. The effects of an active training using the NeuroTracker program and a placebo training in adults with dyslexia shows systematic gains immediately after active training. The order of the training (active then placebo, or placebo then active) was counter-balanced across two groups. These gains are observed on reading speed as well as on phonological awareness. The third article of this thesis finally brings a significant additional contribution to the evaluation of reading speed among Quebec university students. The use of test sentences from an existing tool (MNRead) has been incorporated into a rapid visual serial presentation protocol to assess reading speed. In addition to this set of test sentences, four other sets of test sentences have been standardized. The tool is reliable, as reading speed measurements are similar in the same individual at different times (Exp 1). Moreover, it meets different psychometric standards (Exps 1 and 2) while being particularly sensitive to the presence of the reading difficulties found in dyslexics (Exp.2). In sum, it appears that particular visual-attention processes underlie reading expertise and that these show anomalies in dyslexics. The characterization of a suboptimal attention deployment in visual word recognition as well as the benefits obtained in reading and phonological awareness subsequent to an attentional training highlight the importance of these basic processes in reading

A physician-physiotherapist collaborative model in a family medicine teaching clinic

Persons with musculoskeletal disorders frequently seek care in family medicine clinics. However, musculoskeletal education provided in medical schools is often considered insufficient. The implementation of a collaborative model that integrates physiotherapists into teaching clinics may benefit the musculoskeletal training of medical residents. This paper describes a model developed in a family medicine teaching clinic by examining the interprofessional educational and collaborative activities implemented in this model. The model allowed to provide physiotherapy services, involve the physiotherapist in the training of family medicine residents and enhance interprofessional collaboration, particularly for the management of persons with musculoskeletal disorders._____Les personnes ayant des troubles musculosquelettiques consultent fréquemment en cliniques de médecine de famille. Cependant, l’enseignement musculosquelettique dispensé dans les programmes de médecine est souvent considéré comme insuffisant. L’implantation d’un modèle de collaboration qui intègre les physiothérapeutes aux cliniques d’enseignement pourrait améliorer la formation des médecins résidents. Cet article décrit un modèle développé dans une clinique d’enseignement en médecine familiale en examinant les activités interprofessionnelles d’éducation et de collaboration implantées dans ce modèle. Le modèle a permis d’offrir des services de physiothérapie, d’impliquer le physiothérapeute dans la formation des médecins résidents et d’améliorer la collaboration interprofessionnelle, particulièrement pour la prise en charge des personnes ayant des troubles musculosquelettiques

Phenotypic impact of regulatory noise in cellular stress-response pathways

Recent studies indicate that intrinsic promoter-mediated gene expression noise can confer a selective advantage under acute environmental stress by providing beneficial phenotypic diversity within cell populations. To investigate how extrinsic gene expression noise impacts the fitness of cell populations under stress, we engineered two nearly isogenic budding yeast strains; one carrying a two-step regulatory cascade that allows for precise control of the noise transmitted from a transcriptional regulator to a downstream stress-inducing gene, and one carrying a network with low constant upstream noise. The fitness and gene expression of these strains were compared under acute and prolonged stress exposure. Using a phenomenological modeling approach, we predicted that increased noise should confer a fitness advantage under high stress conditions, but reciprocally reduce the resistance of the population to low stress. The model also predicted that extrinsic noise might serve as a basis for phenotypic plasticity whereby gene expression distributions are modulated in response to prolonged stress. Experimentally, we confirmed the predicted differential fitness advantage of extrinsic noise under acute stress, as well as the predicted modulation of gene expression under prolonged stress. However, contrary to model predictions, strains with low and high extrinsic noise showed very similar adaptive responses to prolonged stress. This suggests that while phenotypic heterogeneity generated by noise in regulatory signals can confer increased robustness to acute stress, it is not a requirement for the observed long-term phenotypic plasticity

An articulated assistive robot for intuitive hands-on-payload manipulation

This paper presents an intelligent assistive robot designed to help operators in lifting and moving large payloads through direct physical contact (hands-on-payload mode). The mechanical design of the robot is first presented. Although its kinematics are similar to that of a cable-suspended system, the proposed mechanism is based on articulated linkages, thereby allowing the payload to be offset from the rail support on which it is suspended. A dynamic model of the robot is then developed. It is shown that a simplified dynamic model can be obtained using geometric assumptions. Based on the simplified dynamic model, a controller is then presented that handles the physical human-robot interaction and that provides the operator with an intuitive direct control of the payload. Experimental validation on a full-scale prototype is presented in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed robot and controller

Quand les bactéries font la loi : regards éthiques, épistémiques, juridiques, politiques, sociales et techniques sur l’utilisation du microbiome humain à des fins judiciaires

L’utilisation du microbiome humain à des fins judiciaires comme objet d’étude implique divers enjeux allant d’une remise en question de notre conception traditionnelle de l’identité au respect de la vie privée, en passant par le type de consentement à recueillir lors du prélèvement d’un échantillon de microbiome. La particularité de cette étude nécessite le travail conjoint d’une équipe multidisciplinaire composée de spécialistes en éthique, criminalistique, droit, microbiologie, philosophie et science politique

Effects of reflux laryngitis on non-nutritive swallowing in newborn lambs

Reflux laryngitis in infants may be involved not only in laryngeal disorders, but also in disorders of cardiorespiratory control through its impact on laryngeal function. Our objective was to study the effect of reflux laryngitis on non-nutritive swallowing (NNS) and NNS-breathing coordination. Two groups of six newborn lambs, randomized into laryngitis and control groups, were surgically instrumented for recording states of alertness, swallowing and cardiorespiratory variables without sedation. A mild to moderate reflux laryngitis was induced in lambs from the experimental group. A significant decrease in the number of NNS bursts and apneas was observed in the laryngitis group in active sleep (p=0.03). In addition, lower heart and respiratory rates, as well as prolonged apnea duration (p<0.0001) were observed. No physiologically significant alterations in NNS-breathing coordination were observed in the laryngitis group. We conclude that a mild to moderate reflux laryngitis alters NNS burst frequency and autonomous control of cardiac activity and respiration in lambs

Audit Tendering in the UK: A Review of Stakeholders’ Views

This study reports the results of a content analysis of the comment letters sent to the UK Financial Reporting Council (FRC), in response to its consultation document on the 2012 revisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code, concerning the proposal for mandatory audit tendering. The results indicate a general support for the FRC’s proposals with a number of key concerns related to audit quality, auditor independence and audit cost. There is also clear conflict of interests among some stakeholder groups such as audit firms and companies on one side and institutional investors on the other side. There is evidence of conflict of interest between Big 4 and non-Big 4 audit firms. Implications for future consultations and legislations are also discussed

Tropical summer induces DNA fragmentation in boar spermatozoa: implications for evaluating seasonal infertility

Summer infertility continues to undermine pig productivity, costing the pig industry millions in annual losses. The boar’s inefficient capacity to sweat, non-pendulous scrotum and the extensive use of European breeds in tropical conditions, can make the boar particularly vulnerable to the effects of heat stress; however, the link between summer heat stress and boar sperm DNA damage has not yet been demonstrated. Semen from five Large White boars was collected and evaluated during the early dry, late dry and peak wet seasons to determine the effect of seasonal heat stress on the quality and DNA integrity of boar spermatozoa. DNA damage in spermatozoa during the peak wet was 16-fold greater than during the early dry and nearly 9-fold greater than during the late dry season. Sperm concentration was 1.6-fold lower in the peak wet than early dry whereas no difference was found across several motility parameters as determined by computer-assisted sperm analysis. These results demonstrate that tropical summer (peak wet season) induces DNA damage and reduces concentration without depressing motility in boar spermatozoa, suggesting that traditional methods of evaluating sperm motility may not detect inherently compromised spermatozoa. Boar management strategies (such as antioxidant supplementation) need to be developed to specifically mitigate this problem

Achieving Secondary Prevention Low-Density Lipoprotein Particle Concentration Goals Using Lipoprotein Cholesterol-Based Data

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies suggest that LDL particle concentration (LDL-P) may remain elevated at guideline recommended LDL cholesterol goals, representing a source of residual risk. We examined the following seven separate lipid parameters in achieving the LDL-P goal of <1000 nmol/L goal for very high risk secondary prevention: total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio, TC/HDL, <3; a composite of ATP-III very high risk targets, LDL-C<70 mg/dL, non-HDL-C<100 mg/dL and TG<150 mg/dL; a composite of standard secondary risk targets, LDL-C<100, non-HDL-C<130, TG<150; LDL phenotype; HDL-C ≥ 40; TG<150; and TG/HDL-C<3. METHODS: We measured ApoB, ApoAI, ultracentrifugation lipoprotein cholesterol and NMR lipoprotein particle concentration in 148 unselected primary and secondary prevention patients. RESULTS: TC/HDL-C<3 effectively discriminated subjects by LDL-P goal (F = 84.1, p<10(-6)). The ATP-III very high risk composite target (LDL-C<70, nonHDL-C<100, TG<150) was also effective (F = 42.8, p<10(-5)). However, the standard secondary prevention composite (LDL-C<100, non-HDL-C<130, TG<150) was also effective but yielded higher LDL-P than the very high risk composite (F = 42.0, p<10(-5)) with upper 95% confidence interval of LDL-P less than 1000 nmol/L. TG<150 and TG/HDL-C<3 cutpoints both significantly discriminated subjects but the LDL-P upper 95% confidence intervals fell above goal of 1000 nmol/L (F = 15.8, p = 0.0001 and F = 9.7, p = 0.002 respectively). LDL density phenotype neared significance (F = 2.85, p = 0.094) and the HDL-C cutpoint of 40 mg/dL did not discriminate (F = 0.53, p = 0.47) alone or add discriminatory power to ATP-III targets. CONCLUSIONS: A simple composite of ATP-III very high risk lipoprotein cholesterol based treatment targets or TC/HDL-C ratio <3 most effectively identified subjects meeting the secondary prevention target level of LDL-P<1000 nmol/L, providing a potential alternative to advanced lipid testing in many clinical circumstances