Les thérapies anticancéreuses nécessitent aujourd’hui une approche plus ciblée. L’approche immunologique est devenue dans cette optique un enjeu d’importance notamment grâce à sa capacité d’atteindre de manière plus spécifique des cibles tumorales. Récemment, mon équipe a identifié des peptides antigéniques issus de la préprocalcitonine (ppCT), qui étaient capables d’induire une réponse T cytotoxique spontanée chez un patient atteint de cancer bronchique non à petites cellules bénéficiant d’une longue survie et correspondent donc à des candidats potentiels dans des approches vaccinales. Dans ma thèse, je fournis une preuve de concept préclinique pour un vaccin fondé sur la ppCT à usage thérapeutique contre le cancer du poumon. Cette approche est optimisée en la combinant avec un anticorps monoclonal anti-PD- 1. En plus, j'ai identifiée de nouveaux épitopes issus de cet antigène et j'ai construit un lentivirus codant la ppCT pour des perspectives thérapeutiques. / Cancer therapies today require a more targeted approach to optimize the anti-tumor response. In this context, the immunological approach has become an important issue, mostly through the identification of specific tumor-associated antigens (TAA). Recently, my team identified new tumor antigens derived from the preprocalcitonin (ppCT) which were able to induce a spontaneous cytotoxic T-cell response with long term survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and therefore correspond to be potential candidates for vaccine approaches. In my thesis, I provide a preclinical proof of concept for the ppCT peptide vaccine for the therapeutic use against lung cancer which is optimized by combining the treatment with the monoclonal antibody anti-PD-1, nivolumab. In addition, I identified new epitopes from this Ag and constructed a lentivirus encoding ppCT for further therapeutic perspectives.

This is a study of parenting and child development in a slum area in a developing part of the world. The aims of the study were threefold. The first aim was to explore the physical and social contexts for parenting in a shantytown in Rio de Janeiro using an ecological perspective. The second aim was to examine parenting and subsequent child outcomes among a sample of families living in the shantytown. The third aim was to explore what factors contribute to differences among parents in how they nurture and protect their children. The theoretical framework of the study was an updated version of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development. Using self-report questionnaires developed by Rohner, data on perceived parental acceptance–rejection were collected from 72 families with adolescents 12–14 years old, representing approx. 75% of all households with children in this age group in the shantytown. Besides self-report questionnaires, each adolescent’s main caregiver replied to several standardized questionnaires developed by Garbarino et al., eliciting demographic and social-situational data about the family, neighborhood, and wider community. The results of the study paint a complex portrait of the social living conditions of the parents and children. Despite many difficulties, most parents seemed to raise their children with loving care. The results from the self-report questionnaires indicate that the majority of the adolescents perceived substantial parental acceptance. The adolescents’ experience of greater or lesser parental acceptance–rejection seems to influence their emotional and behavioral functioning; it also seems to be related to their school attendance. Much of the variation in degree of perceived acceptance–rejection seems to be related both to characteristics of the individual adolescents and their main caregiver(s) and to influences from the social and environmental context in which they and their caregivers interact and live their lives.

<p>This is a study of parenting and child development in a slum area in a developing part of the world. The aims of the study were threefold. The first aim was to explore the physical and social contexts for parenting in a shantytown in Rio de Janeiro using an ecological perspective. The second aim was to examine parenting and subsequent child outcomes among a sample of families living in the shantytown. The third aim was to explore what factors contribute to differences among parents in how they nurture and protect their children. The theoretical framework of the study was an updated version of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development. Using self-report questionnaires developed by Rohner, data on perceived parental acceptance–rejection were collected from 72 families with adolescents 12–14 years old, representing approx. 75% of all households with children in this age group in the shantytown. Besides self-report questionnaires, each adolescent’s main caregiver replied to several standardized questionnaires developed by Garbarino et al., eliciting demographic and social-situational data about the family, neighborhood, and wider community. The results of the study paint a complex portrait of the social living conditions of the parents and children. Despite many difficulties, most parents seemed to raise their children with loving care. The results from the self-report questionnaires indicate that the majority of the adolescents perceived substantial parental acceptance. The adolescents’ experience of greater or lesser parental acceptance–rejection seems to influence their emotional and behavioral functioning; it also seems to be related to their school attendance. Much of the variation in degree of perceived acceptance–rejection seems to be related both to characteristics of the individual adolescents and their main caregiver(s) and to influences from the social and environmental context in which they and their caregivers interact and live their lives.</p>

This study examined the developmental value of Japanese student intercultural interaction during short-term study abroad in the United States. It utilized a modified version of the Study Abroad Social Interaction Questionnaire for data collection and an approach to analysis framed by Bronfenbrenner and his colleagues’ bioecological theory of human development. Past research framed by the bioecological theory has identified sojourner personal characteristics as the most significant factors influencing the amount and quality of intercultural interaction that students experience during study abroad; this study, which included participants of two different programs, found characteristics of context and time to be equally if not more significant. Implications are presented as practical recommendations for programs, participants, policymakers, and other stakeholders in intercultural development during study abroad.

Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted neurological condition that impairs social interaction, communication and behaviour. The current increase in the prevalence of ASD is alarming. A large population of parents is left searching for answers regarding their child’s developmental delays. Once their child has been diagnosed, they have to deal with the challenge of raising such a child. Parenting a child with ASD is particularly challenging for mothers as it has been reported that they struggle with poor health and wellbeing as well as high stress levels. Literature has also shown that the maternal interaction style impacts the prognosis for the child’s development, again highlighting the importance of the mother’s wellbeing. Several studies refer to the severe impact of ASD on the family as a unit, yet the unique challenges that mothers face are often overlooked. To address the wellbeing of these mothers, it is necessary to understand their experiences of their child’s diagnosis with ASD. This qualitative phenomenological study explored and described mothers’ experiences of their child’s diagnosis with ASD by using the Process-Person-Context-Time model from Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory as a framework. Unstructured interviews with seven mothers were conducted, voice recorded and transcribed. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Findings revealed four interrelated themes: 1) the mother’s experience of the interactions and relationships within her immediate family (Proximal Process), 2) the mother’s experience of her internal and external characteristics and resources (Person), 3) the mother’s experience of her environment (Context), and 4) the mother’s experience of the journey through time (Time). Bronfenbrenner’s theory in its matured form also proved to be of value in understanding these mothers’ daily lives and challenges. The key findings provide valuable insight that may inform professionals who develop support programmes aimed at mothers with ASD children or that may guide such professionals’ therapeutic interventions with mothers with ASD children. / MSW, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted neurological condition that impairs social interaction, communication and behaviour. The current increase in the prevalence of ASD is alarming. A large population of parents is left searching for answers regarding their child’s developmental delays. Once their child has been diagnosed, they have to deal with the challenge of raising such a child. Parenting a child with ASD is particularly challenging for mothers as it has been reported that they struggle with poor health and wellbeing as well as high stress levels. Literature has also shown that the maternal interaction style impacts the prognosis for the child’s development, again highlighting the importance of the mother’s wellbeing. Several studies refer to the severe impact of ASD on the family as a unit, yet the unique challenges that mothers face are often overlooked. To address the wellbeing of these mothers, it is necessary to understand their experiences of their child’s diagnosis with ASD. This qualitative phenomenological study explored and described mothers’ experiences of their child’s diagnosis with ASD by using the Process-Person-Context-Time model from Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory as a framework. Unstructured interviews with seven mothers were conducted, voice recorded and transcribed. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Findings revealed four interrelated themes: 1) the mother’s experience of the interactions and relationships within her immediate family (Proximal Process), 2) the mother’s experience of her internal and external characteristics and resources (Person), 3) the mother’s experience of her environment (Context), and 4) the mother’s experience of the journey through time (Time). Bronfenbrenner’s theory in its matured form also proved to be of value in understanding these mothers’ daily lives and challenges. The key findings provide valuable insight that may inform professionals who develop support programmes aimed at mothers with ASD children or that may guide such professionals’ therapeutic interventions with mothers with ASD children. / MSW, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Masters of Art / High rates of substance use and its associated problems afflict Cape Town, underscoring the need for easily accessible substance abuse treatment. Despite the substantial benefits for both individuals and society at large that substance abuse treatment confers, substance abusers often first have to negotiate considerable challenges in order to access treatment and accumulate these gains. That is, experiencing barriers to accessing treatment, together with the presence of socio-demographic features, rather than “need for treatment”, decides who accesses treatment. Referrals are the gateway to inpatient substance abuse treatment in the Western Cape. While several barriers to accessing treatment have been identified by prior studies, none examine these phenomena from the point of view of the agents responsible for referring substance users for treatment. Moreover, access barriers to inpatient substance abuse services are a neglected area in extant literature. To address this gap, this study explored the perceptions of referring agents‟ of the barriers to accessing state-funded inpatient substance abuse treatment centres in the Western Cape. This enabled the researcher to compare existing access barriers to treatment as identified by prior research, to those elucidated in the study. Bronfenbrenner‟s Process-Person-Context-Time model was employed as the basis for understanding identified barriers. In accordance with the exploratory qualitative methodological framework of the study, six semi-structured individual in-depth interviews were conducted with referring agents‟ of differing professional titles who were purposefully selected and expressed a willingness to participate in the study. Interviews were audio-recorded, and transcripts were analysed and interpreted by means of Thematic Analysis. Two broad thematic categories of access barriers were identified: Person-related barriers (denial, motivation for treatment, gender considerations, disability, active TB disease, homelessness, psychiatric co-morbidity) and Context-related barriers to treatment (cultural and linguistic barriers, stigma, community beliefs about addiction and treatment, awareness of substance abuse treatment, affordability/ financial barriers, geographic locations of treatment facilities, waiting time, lack of collaboration within the treatment system, beliefs of service providers‟, lack of facilities/ resources within the treatment system, practices at inpatient facilities, referral protocol and uninformed staff). Results suggest that by targeting the aforementioned barriers, access to inpatient and outpatient treatment services can be improved, and recommendations for interventions are offered in this regard. Ethical principles such as obtaining informed consent and ensuring confidentiality were abided by throughout the study and thereafter.

This study focused on stress and resilience among teachers in 15 urban secondary schools serving areas of multiple and complex disadvantage in the Greater Manchester and Merseyside regions of England (UK). It utilised the mixed-methods approach to gather and analyse the data. This consisted of a questionnaire survey of 150 teachers and interviews of 20 teachers. It examined person characteristics of teachers in these schools; key stress risks in the schools; coping strategies employed by these teachers and their protective factors. The main quantitative analysis methodologies used in the study were descriptive analysis; factor analysis and regression analysis. Qualitative findings were analysed using thematic analysis and teacher pen portrait and school case study presentations. Integrative analysis of quantitative and qualitative findings was then conducted in the discussion of main findings. This study found that the teachers’ major force characteristics were self-efficacy; persistence; personal attitudes towards one’s job; personality and temperament and commitment to the job. Their main resource characteristic was experience while their major demand characteristic was their professional role. These teachers were also exposed to person, proximal processes, context and time risks. There were risks associated with force and demand person characteristics. The main process risks were within their interactions with pupils, parents, colleagues and senior management. There were also context risks in their microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem. There were also time risks across the microtime, mesotime and macrotime. To cope, teachers in this sample utilised both direct-action and palliative coping strategies. Results also indicated that these teachers’ protective factors were in their resource and force characteristics; proximal processes; context and time.

Purpose: Neurodevelopmental difficulties are correlated with lower mental well-being and more mental health problems. Issues in social relations such as bullying are a prominent risk factor in a social setting of high school, have also been associated with the status of disability. This thesis investigated the relation between mental health problems, mental well-being, and bullying in adolescents with self-reported neurodevelopmental difficulties and compared these with adolescents with Other disabilities. Materials and methods: Data from a Swedish longitudinal survey study (LoRDIA) was used. Mental health problems were measured through emotional and conduct problems scales of SDQ, mental well-being was measured with MHC-SF, and a bullying questionnaire was used. Results: Adolescents with NDD experience more bullying victimization and perpetration than adolescents with Other disabilities such as physical disability and autoimmune diseases. Significant association to bullying perpetration was found in NDD adolescents. Adolescents with Other disabilities indicated high mental well-being compared to NDD. While gender predicts high mental well-being, disability and emotional problems have a negative relation with it. Conclusion: Adolescents with NDD report more bullying victimization and perpetration experiences in comparison to adolescents with Other disabilities. Emotional problems have an inverse relation for predicting high mental well-being for adolescents with NDD and Other disabilities.