The northern Great Plains of Saskatchewan is one of the most significantly modified landscapes in Canada. While the majority of anthropogenic disturbance to Saskatchewans grasslands is the result of agricultural practices, oil and gas activity are of increasing concern to grassland conservation efforts. Although such developments require formal regulatory approval (Environmental Impact Assessment), follow-up and monitoring of the effects of oil and gas development on grasslands is not common practice. In the absence of empirical based follow-up and monitoring, the actual environmental effects of petroleum and natural gas (PNG) development on grassland ecology and the spatial extent of development are largely unknown.<p> This thesis examines the spatial and temporal extent of PNG development and its effects on grassland ecology within a PFRA (Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration) pasture in southwest Saskatchewan. The extent of the changes to infrastructure and the actual impacts from development within the study area were documented from 1955 to 2006. The actual impacts of oil and gas activity on grassland ecology were determined by analyzing ground cover characteristics, soil properties, and community composition at lease sites and compared to reference pasture sites. Associated with construction practices, lease sites had low herbaceous, Lycopodiaceae, litter, organic horizon (Ah) thickness, and soil compaction values. Lease sites were also found to have low desirable species diversity, range health values, and greater undesirable species presence. Impacts from development were amplified at active, highly productive lease sites. The impacts associated with PNG development were also found to persist for more than 50 years, and extend 20m 25m beyond the physical footprint of infrastructure. This research will contribute to monitoring and mitigation measures for oil and gas development within Saskatchewan and Canadian grasslands.

The current maxim concerning diagnosis and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders is that family physicians fail to appropriately respond to patients with anxiety and depression. This estimate is based upon a collection of studies that have found that accurate recognition in general practice occurred in 9% to 75% of patients with depression, and 34% to 50% of patients with anxiety. However, most studies have found that more than half of physicians accurately detected depression and anxiety in their patients.<p> This dissertation examined physicians responses (detection, treatment, and follow-up) to clinical scenarios of patients presenting with symptoms of either depression or anxiety. Furthermore, this study evaluated the associations between physicians responses and physician attributes (personal and professional), organizational setting, information/resource use, and barriers to care.<p> A cross-sectional study of Saskatchewan family physicians yielded a response rate of 49.7% (N=331/666). The results of this study revealed that most physicians provided appropriate depression and anxiety care with respect to recognition of disorders and follow-up care. Specifically, 85.4% of physicians provided an accurate tentative diagnosis of depression, and 86.3% provided an accurate tentative diagnosis of anxiety; 82.5% of physicians suggested adequate follow-up depression care while 79.4% offered adequate follow-up anxiety care. However, a notable proportion of physicians did not provide effective treatment; 65.6% of physicians recommended effective (immediate) anxiety treatment, and 55.6% recommended effective (immediate) depression treatment.<p> This study found that physicians provision of care to patients with anxiety and depression was more likely to be associated with their personal attributes, organizational setting, and information/resource use than with their professional attributes. First, neither tentative diagnosis of depression nor tentative diagnosis of anxiety was significiantly associated with any of the tested measures. Second, ineffective treatment of depression was significantly more likely among physicians who were female, educated at the undergraduate level in Canada (versus elsewhere), scored lower on anxiety attitude factor 1 (social context view of anxiety amenable to intervention), had a low patient load (< 100 patients/week), and used medical textbooks to make specific clinical decisions; ineffective treatment of anxiety was significantly more likely among physicians who had completed their undergraduate and postgraduate medical training in Canada (versus elsewhere), had a low patient load ( <100 patients/week), did not practice in a private office/clinic, and used colleagues within as well as outside their main patient care setting to update their general medical knowledge. Third, physicians were significantly more likely to provide inadequate follow-up care to the depressed patient if they were in solo practice and used drug manuals to update their general medical knowledge, and significantly more likely to provide inadequate follow-up care to the anxious patient if they (the physician) were female and did not use mental health professionals to update their general medical knowledge.<p> Results indicated that after controlling for the effects of other factors, physicians with low patient loads were three times more likely to provide ineffective treatment of depression than physicians with high patient loads. Furthermore, when holding the effects of all other factors constant, physicians who had completed postgraduate training in Canada were approximately five times more likely to provide ineffective treatment of the anxious patient than physicians who had completed their postgraduate training outside of Canada.

The northern Great Plains of Saskatchewan is one of the most significantly modified landscapes in Canada. While the majority of anthropogenic disturbance to Saskatchewans grasslands is the result of agricultural practices, oil and gas activity are of increasing concern to grassland conservation efforts. Although such developments require formal regulatory approval (Environmental Impact Assessment), follow-up and monitoring of the effects of oil and gas development on grasslands is not common practice. In the absence of empirical based follow-up and monitoring, the actual environmental effects of petroleum and natural gas (PNG) development on grassland ecology and the spatial extent of development are largely unknown.<p> This thesis examines the spatial and temporal extent of PNG development and its effects on grassland ecology within a PFRA (Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration) pasture in southwest Saskatchewan. The extent of the changes to infrastructure and the actual impacts from development within the study area were documented from 1955 to 2006. The actual impacts of oil and gas activity on grassland ecology were determined by analyzing ground cover characteristics, soil properties, and community composition at lease sites and compared to reference pasture sites. Associated with construction practices, lease sites had low herbaceous, Lycopodiaceae, litter, organic horizon (Ah) thickness, and soil compaction values. Lease sites were also found to have low desirable species diversity, range health values, and greater undesirable species presence. Impacts from development were amplified at active, highly productive lease sites. The impacts associated with PNG development were also found to persist for more than 50 years, and extend 20m 25m beyond the physical footprint of infrastructure. This research will contribute to monitoring and mitigation measures for oil and gas development within Saskatchewan and Canadian grasslands.

In this study, I develop a transition follow-up system (TFS) — a data-collection system that tracks information about persons with disabilities from high school to adulthood — that is socially valid in Manitoba. I investigate the current data-collection practices regarding persons with disabilities in Manitoba and analyze stakeholders’ needs for a transition follow-up system using document review, surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews. There is currently no formal data-collection system documenting the transition from school to adulthood of persons with disabilities in the province. Stakeholders have acknowledged the need for such a data-collection system in order to improve current support systems. The key suggestions that stakeholders have made with regard to implementing a transition follow-up system are (a) ensuring impartial, reliable data management, (b) minimizing any additional work required for schools and adult services programs/agencies, (c) utilizing existing data collection practices, (d) applying various data collection methods, (e) carrying out longitudinal data collection regarding individuals with disabilities, (f) including persons with various disabilities, from mild to severe, (g) involving various government departments in the transition process, (h) protecting privacy and confidentiality, and i) ensuring user-friendly data collection and reporting. The most significant concern that stakeholders express relates to securing the financial and human capacity to develop and maintain a transition follow-up system. Based on these suggestions and the current Manitoba context, I propose a transition follow-up system model, recommending operative aspects such as scope, purpose, administrators, target youth, information to collect, data collectors, data-collection methods, data sources, timeline of data collection, reporting, confidentiality and privacy, and methods of ensuring the reliability and validity of data. Although the model proposed is relevant to the Manitoba context, it also offers a useful set of general guidelines on critical issues that need to be considered in developing and implementing a transition follow-up system.

Since the implementation of the prevention of mother–to–child transmission of HIV program in South Africa in 2001, infant deaths due to HIV and AIDS have still remained high. HIV–exposed infants need to be taken for follow–up, schedule at six weeks, for PCR HIV testing. When the infant is found to be HIV–positive, the antiretroviral treatment is commenced for life (DOH, 2010). This benefits them in that the earlier they start treatment, the higher their quality of life and their life expectancy will be. Health workers face a problem in that there are still mothers of HIV–exposed infants who do not return their babies for the 6 weeks of age follow–up schedule and their babies therefore do not benefit from the treatment and care. The study looked at the reasons for the low follow–up of babies born to HIV–positive mothers according to HIV–positive mothers and nurses and counsellors and what strategies can be used by nurses and counsellors to encourage the mothers to bring their babies for follow–up. To answer these questions, qualitative, exploratory and contextual design was used. Purposive sampling was done with participants who had knowledge about the research problem. HIV–positive mothers were individually interviewed and nurses and counsellors were interviewed in a focus group. Five individual interviews and three focus group interviews were conducted. The focus groups were interviewed twice for each question mentioned. Responses were satisfactory with the following categories emerging from the findings: fear about disclosure, denial of status, insufficient knowledge about HIV, accusations about who is the actual “giver” of HIV and incongruent health education on HIV and AIDS and the management thereof in the case of babies with HIV, with specific reference to incorrect and/or insufficient information. Recommendations are made concerning these issues, so as to effect an increase in the follow–up of babies born to HIV–positive mothers. / Thesis (M.Cur.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

In this study, I develop a transition follow-up system (TFS) — a data-collection system that tracks information about persons with disabilities from high school to adulthood — that is socially valid in Manitoba. I investigate the current data-collection practices regarding persons with disabilities in Manitoba and analyze stakeholders’ needs for a transition follow-up system using document review, surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews. There is currently no formal data-collection system documenting the transition from school to adulthood of persons with disabilities in the province. Stakeholders have acknowledged the need for such a data-collection system in order to improve current support systems. The key suggestions that stakeholders have made with regard to implementing a transition follow-up system are (a) ensuring impartial, reliable data management, (b) minimizing any additional work required for schools and adult services programs/agencies, (c) utilizing existing data collection practices, (d) applying various data collection methods, (e) carrying out longitudinal data collection regarding individuals with disabilities, (f) including persons with various disabilities, from mild to severe, (g) involving various government departments in the transition process, (h) protecting privacy and confidentiality, and i) ensuring user-friendly data collection and reporting. The most significant concern that stakeholders express relates to securing the financial and human capacity to develop and maintain a transition follow-up system. Based on these suggestions and the current Manitoba context, I propose a transition follow-up system model, recommending operative aspects such as scope, purpose, administrators, target youth, information to collect, data collectors, data-collection methods, data sources, timeline of data collection, reporting, confidentiality and privacy, and methods of ensuring the reliability and validity of data. Although the model proposed is relevant to the Manitoba context, it also offers a useful set of general guidelines on critical issues that need to be considered in developing and implementing a transition follow-up system.

Since the implementation of the prevention of mother–to–child transmission of HIV program in South Africa in 2001, infant deaths due to HIV and AIDS have still remained high. HIV–exposed infants need to be taken for follow–up, schedule at six weeks, for PCR HIV testing. When the infant is found to be HIV–positive, the antiretroviral treatment is commenced for life (DOH, 2010). This benefits them in that the earlier they start treatment, the higher their quality of life and their life expectancy will be. Health workers face a problem in that there are still mothers of HIV–exposed infants who do not return their babies for the 6 weeks of age follow–up schedule and their babies therefore do not benefit from the treatment and care. The study looked at the reasons for the low follow–up of babies born to HIV–positive mothers according to HIV–positive mothers and nurses and counsellors and what strategies can be used by nurses and counsellors to encourage the mothers to bring their babies for follow–up. To answer these questions, qualitative, exploratory and contextual design was used. Purposive sampling was done with participants who had knowledge about the research problem. HIV–positive mothers were individually interviewed and nurses and counsellors were interviewed in a focus group. Five individual interviews and three focus group interviews were conducted. The focus groups were interviewed twice for each question mentioned. Responses were satisfactory with the following categories emerging from the findings: fear about disclosure, denial of status, insufficient knowledge about HIV, accusations about who is the actual “giver” of HIV and incongruent health education on HIV and AIDS and the management thereof in the case of babies with HIV, with specific reference to incorrect and/or insufficient information. Recommendations are made concerning these issues, so as to effect an increase in the follow–up of babies born to HIV–positive mothers. / Thesis (M.Cur.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1941.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1947. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 283-293).

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Helsinki.