This qualitative study investigated the experiences of family caregivers who cared for a stroke survivor throughout weekend passes from an in-patient rehabilitation facility. Following a Husserlian phenomenological perspective, I interviewed 15 family caregivers of stroke survivors on two separate occasions: within one week after their first scheduled weekend pass, and again two weeks after their final transition home. Interviews followed a semi-structured interview guide, and were audio recorded. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using the principles outlined by Giorgi (1997). Analysis of the caregivers’ descriptions of their experiences led to five themes: (i) Caregivers feel overwhelmed throughout the weekend pass, (ii) Access to supportive resources influences caregiving experiences, (iii) Caregivers adjust to the weekend pass throughout its subsequent use, (iv) Caregivers feel a responsibility and a need to be included by health professionals in the care of their family stroke survivor, and (v) Caregivers describe the weekend pass as a means towards recovery. This study has implications for future health services. By appropriately training and supporting caregivers throughout the weekend pass health care professionals can increase the positive experiences of caregivers, and optimize the opportunity to prepare caregivers and stroke survivors for the eventual transition home.

This qualitative study investigated the experiences of family caregivers who cared for a stroke survivor throughout weekend passes from an in-patient rehabilitation facility. Following a Husserlian phenomenological perspective, I interviewed 15 family caregivers of stroke survivors on two separate occasions: within one week after their first scheduled weekend pass, and again two weeks after their final transition home. Interviews followed a semi-structured interview guide, and were audio recorded. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using the principles outlined by Giorgi (1997). Analysis of the caregivers’ descriptions of their experiences led to five themes: (i) Caregivers feel overwhelmed throughout the weekend pass, (ii) Access to supportive resources influences caregiving experiences, (iii) Caregivers adjust to the weekend pass throughout its subsequent use, (iv) Caregivers feel a responsibility and a need to be included by health professionals in the care of their family stroke survivor, and (v) Caregivers describe the weekend pass as a means towards recovery. This study has implications for future health services. By appropriately training and supporting caregivers throughout the weekend pass health care professionals can increase the positive experiences of caregivers, and optimize the opportunity to prepare caregivers and stroke survivors for the eventual transition home.

With the use of photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy one can able to get a great deal of information about electronic structure and optical processes in semiconductors by the aid of optical characterization. Among various compound semiconductors, Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) and Gallium Selenide (GaSe) are interesting materials for their PL emissions. Particularly, due to its strong anisotropy, investigation of GaSe necessitates new experimental approaches to the PL technique. We have designed, fabricated and used new experimental set-up for this purpose. In this thesis, we have investigated the PL spectra of both CdS and GaSe as a function of temperature. We observed interesting features in these samples. These features were analyzed experimentally and described by taking the band structure of the crystals into account. From the excitonic emissions, we determined the bandgap energy of both materials. We studied various peaks that appear in the PL spectra and their origin in the material. We have found that donor acceptor transitions are effective in CdS at low temperatures. A transition giving rise to a red emission was observed and attributed to a donor level which is likely to result form an S vacancy in CdS crystal. The PL peaks with energy close to the bandgap were observed in GaSe. These peak were attributed to the bound excitons connected either to the direct or indirect band edge of GaSe. The striking experimental finding in this work was the PL spectra of GaSe measured in different angular position with respect to the crystal axis. We observed that PL spectra exhibit substantial differences when the angular position of the laser beam and the detector is changed. The optical anisotropy which is responsible for these differences was measured experimentally and discussed by considering the selection rules of the band states of GaSe.

Poorly executed transitions between health care settings can lead to poor outcomes and greater use of health care resources for older adults. Older adults with complex needs often receive care from many health care providers in multiple care settings, and face greater risk of experiencing fragmented care. System navigation roles have been suggested as an innovative strategy to address these challenges, yet there is a lack of consensus on the desired characteristics and effectiveness of the role. The goal of this research is to develop a framework for a system navigation role to enhance coordination of formal and community-based services to older persons with chronic disease through health care transitions. This research gathered information from multiple perspectives and a variety of data sources, including a systematic literature review, focus group interviews and in-depth interviews with a variety of health care consumers and providers. A critical analysis of collected data, using a frame derived from content analysis, sought to understand how older adults navigate the health care system, and subsequently to explore the potential of a “system navigator” role to facilitate successful transitions across care settings. Finally, following a grounded theory approach, a model was empirically derived to reflect what role system navigators may have on the experience of older adults navigating the health care system in Waterloo Wellington. This research study aimed to describe optimal care coordination practices across the continuum of care for complex, high-risk individuals, such as those with chronic disease or hip fracture. Ultimately, this study may lead to improved patient care coordination, safety and satisfaction during transitions and in accessing community services, which may assist patients to achieve a higher quality of life.

Thèse de doctorat : Génie des matériaux : Villeurbanne, INSA : 2002. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Bibliogr. p.144-150.

Reproduction de : Thèse de doctorat : Énergétique et transferts : Toulouse, INPT : 2006. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Bibliogr. 45 réf.

Reproduction de : Thèse de doctorat : Physique : Metz : 1989. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Notes bibliographiques. Index.

Reproduction de : Thèse de doctorat : Physique : Metz : 1985. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Notes bibliographiques. Index.

Reproduction de : Thèse de doctorat : Génie des procédés et de l'environnement : Toulouse, INPT : 2008. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Bibliogr. 140 réf.

Photosynthesis in higher plants relies upon collection of light by chlorophyll molecules associated with light harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding (LHC) proteins. The two most abundant of these are Lhcb1 and Lhcb2, which make up light harvesting complex (LHC) II trimers. They are also involved in facilitating state transitions, a process during which energy balancing between photosystem (PS) II and I is achieved. Overexcitation of PSII reduces the plastoquinone pool which activates STN7, a kinase, that phosphorylates a threonine residue on Lhcb1 and Lhcb2. In order to studythe kinetics of this we developed antibodies capable of recognizingphosphorylated forms of each of these proteins. This showed that Lhcb2 is more rapidly phosphorylated than Lhcb1, that there are no differences in the migration of phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated forms of Lhcb1 and Lhcb2 and that the majority of phosphorylated LHCII (P-Lhcb1 and PLhcb2) are associated with super- and megacomplexes. Furthermore, a state 2-specific LHCII-PSI-LHCI band contains P-Lhcb2 but almost no P-Lhcb1, and a band corresponding to M trimers (band 4 from sucrose gradients, composed of LHCII, CP24 and CP29), contains only P-Lhcb1 but no P-Lhcb2. We also developed artificial microRNA lines specifically depleted in either Lhcb1 or Lhcb2, amiLhcb1 and amiLhcb2 respectively. We show that the roles of Lhcb1 and Lhcb2 in state transitions are complementary. Lhcb1 modulate the size of grana stacks. In the absence of Lhcb1 only a few LHC trimers are formed, while in the absence of Lhcb2, the antenna looks like in the wild type although the plants cannot perform state transitions normally. Trimers containing P-Lhcb2 functionally detach from PSII and connect to PSI to balance the relative excitation pressure. State transitions only occur when both Lhcb1 and Lhcb2 are present, presumably in a (Lhcb1)2 Lhcb2 heterotrimer. In absence of Lhcb2, the LHCII-PSI-LHCI supercomplex is not formed indicting that P-Lhcb2 mediates attachment of LHCII to PSI. We tried complementing amiLhcb2 with modified Lhcb2 genes coding for proteins with altered amino acids, Arg2 to Lys or the phosphorylatable Thr3 residue to Asn or Ser. Introduction of the additional gene often causes loss of amiRNA-inhibition, however we could confirm that substitution of the Thr3 with Asn led to the absence of Lhcb2 phosphorylation and thus no state transition. / Klorofyll a/b-bindande proteiner (s k light harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins eller LHC proteiner) är viktiga för högre växters fotosyntes, då deras klorofyllmolekyler skördar solljuset. Två av dessa proteiner, Lhcb1 och Lhcb2, bygger upp ”LHCII trimerer” och finns i större mängd än de andra och dessa är även viktiga för s k ”state transtions”, en process som ser till att fotosystem (PS) I och PSII exciteras lika mycket. Om PSII exciteras för mycket reduceras plastoquinon-poolen som i sin tur aktiverar ett proteinkinas, STN7, som fosforylerar en av Lhcb1/Lhcb2s treoniner. För att studera denna fosforylering har vi utvecklat antikroppar som är specifika för dessa fosforylerade former av proteinerna, och vi använde dem för att visa att Lhcb2 fosforyleras snabbare än Lhcb1, och att största delen av det fosforylerade proteinerna (P-Lhcb1 och P-Lhcb2) finns i s k super- eller megakomplex. Ett komplex som bara finns finns i ”state 2” består av LHCII, PSI och LHCI, och det innehåller endast P-Lhcb2 men nästan inget P-Lhcb1, och ett band som består av LHCII, CP24 och CP29 innehåller endast PLhcb1. Vi skapade artificiella mikro-RNA-linjer, amiLhcb1 och amiLhcb2, som saknade antingen Lhcb1 eller Lhcb2. Lhcb1 påverkar höjden av grana stackarna. Med hjälp av dessa visade vi att Lhcb1 och Lhcb2 har komplementära roller för state transitions, saknas Lhcb1 gör växten bara få LHCII trimerer, medan om Lhcb2 gör växten antennener som liknar vildtypens, men den kan inte utföra state transitions som den. Mängden Lhcb1 påverkar storleken av ”grana stacks”. Trimerer som innehåller PLhcb2 kopplas över från PSII till PSI för att balansera excitationstrycket. Både Lhcb1 och Lhcb2, antagligen i trimerer bestående av en Lhcb2 och the Lhcb1, behövs för state transitions. Saknas Lhcb2 bildas inga komplex bestående av LHCII, PSI och LHCI, vilket visar att P-Lhcb2 antagligen möjliggör LHCIIs bindning till PSI. Vi försökte komplementera amiLhcb2 med Lhcb2 gener där amino syror bytts ut, Arg2 till Lys eller den fosforylerbara Thr3 till Asn eller Ser. När denna gen introducerades försvann dock ofta amiRNA-inhiberingen, men vi kunde visa att om Thr3 ersattes med Asn skedde inga state transitions.