Little research has addressed the needs of Native American veterans. This study aims to provide a better understanding of Native American women veterans’ experiences using data from the Veteran Administration and Indian Health Services. Fifteen interviews were conducted with special attention to quality and quantity of health and mental health care services available to veterans, the barriers and local contextual factors in accessing and utilizing services, and potential solutions to service gaps for women veterans from two Montana reservations, the Northern Cheyenne and Flathead Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. American Indians and Alaska Natives serve at a higher rate in the U.S military than any other population. Native American women veterans identified many barriers to accessing care, some of which include lack of information regarding eligibility and the type of services available. Many found the application process to be confusing and difficult. Other barriers included distance, cost of travel, and conflict with their work schedule. This research provides important data about Native American veterans who are often underrepresented in survey research and are a rapidly growing segment of the United States military and veteran population.

O cobre (Cu) é um íon essencial para as plantas, animais e para a saúde humana. Em elevadas concentrações, este elemento pode ser extremamente tóxico para os organismos. A determinação das variáveis físico químicas da água, índice do estado trófico, alterações histológicas, o índice hepatosomático, bioacumulação do Cu nos tecidos branquial e hepático e marcadores de estresse oxidativo como superóxido dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutationa peroxidase (GPx) nos fígados foram realizados. Os resultados mostraram que as maiores concentrações estavam na fração Cu dissolvido, no período chuvoso. A exposição a maiores concentrações de Cu provocou alterações como, descolamento do epitélio basal das lamelas, aneurismas, fusão lamelar entre outros nas brânquias, vacuolização e necroses no fígado. Os fígados mostraram-se grandes acumuladores do metal, por outro lado, o índice hepatosomático apresentou uma diminuição em relação ao aumento do Cu. As atividades enzimáticas não apresentaram diferenças significativas, com exceção da CAT. De forma geral, as atividades das enzimas antioxidantes CAT, SOD e GPX, apresentaram alterações após 120 horas de exposição ao Cu, proveniente dos 4 pontos de coleta da Represa Guarapiranga. / Copper is an essential ion for plants, animals and for human health. Although the crucial role of Cu in several enzymatic processes, this heavy metal can exert adverse toxicological effects, when present in high concentrations in water. The determination of waters physic chemistry parameters, trophic index, histological alterations, hepatosomatic index, Cu bioaccumulation in livers and gills and oxidative stress enzymes like, CAT, SOD and GPX were done. Our results show that the higher values of Cu concentration were in the dissolved Cu and in the rainy season. The exposition o the fishes to a higher Cu concentrations altered the gills; aneurism, lamellar fusion, basal epithelium lifting. In the liver the alterations were, vacuolization and necrosis among others. The livers were the greatest bioaccumulation organs, and the other hand the hepatosomatic index decreased with higher Cu concentrations. There was no significant difference in the enzyme activities with the exception of CAT that increased with Cu increase, nevertheless in general, the enzyme activities of SOD, CAT and GPx were altered some how after 120 hours of Cu treatment, with water sample from 4 points located at Guarapiranga Reservoir.

O cobre (Cu) é um íon essencial para as plantas, animais e para a saúde humana. Em elevadas concentrações, este elemento pode ser extremamente tóxico para os organismos. A determinação das variáveis físico químicas da água, índice do estado trófico, alterações histológicas, o índice hepatosomático, bioacumulação do Cu nos tecidos branquial e hepático e marcadores de estresse oxidativo como superóxido dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutationa peroxidase (GPx) nos fígados foram realizados. Os resultados mostraram que as maiores concentrações estavam na fração Cu dissolvido, no período chuvoso. A exposição a maiores concentrações de Cu provocou alterações como, descolamento do epitélio basal das lamelas, aneurismas, fusão lamelar entre outros nas brânquias, vacuolização e necroses no fígado. Os fígados mostraram-se grandes acumuladores do metal, por outro lado, o índice hepatosomático apresentou uma diminuição em relação ao aumento do Cu. As atividades enzimáticas não apresentaram diferenças significativas, com exceção da CAT. De forma geral, as atividades das enzimas antioxidantes CAT, SOD e GPX, apresentaram alterações após 120 horas de exposição ao Cu, proveniente dos 4 pontos de coleta da Represa Guarapiranga. / Copper is an essential ion for plants, animals and for human health. Although the crucial role of Cu in several enzymatic processes, this heavy metal can exert adverse toxicological effects, when present in high concentrations in water. The determination of waters physic chemistry parameters, trophic index, histological alterations, hepatosomatic index, Cu bioaccumulation in livers and gills and oxidative stress enzymes like, CAT, SOD and GPX were done. Our results show that the higher values of Cu concentration were in the dissolved Cu and in the rainy season. The exposition o the fishes to a higher Cu concentrations altered the gills; aneurism, lamellar fusion, basal epithelium lifting. In the liver the alterations were, vacuolization and necrosis among others. The livers were the greatest bioaccumulation organs, and the other hand the hepatosomatic index decreased with higher Cu concentrations. There was no significant difference in the enzyme activities with the exception of CAT that increased with Cu increase, nevertheless in general, the enzyme activities of SOD, CAT and GPx were altered some how after 120 hours of Cu treatment, with water sample from 4 points located at Guarapiranga Reservoir.

Ce manuscrit de thèse propose la première étude sédimentologique exhaustive de l’escarpement du Dur At Talah (150 km de long sur 120 m de hauteur). Ce dernier affleure dans la dépression d’Abu Tumayam, dans la partie méridionale du Bassin de Syrte (Libye). La Formation du Dur At Talah offre une séquence sédimentaire régressive (au 2nd ordre), allant de faciès marins peu profonds à des faciès fluviatiles, datée de l’Eocène supérieur. Les exceptionnelles conditions d'affleurement ont permis une analyse sédimentologique approfondie (lithofaciès, ichnofaciès, géométries et découpage séquentiel) conduisant à une caractérisation multiscalaire d'un système margino-littoral dominé par la dynamique tidale. Parmi les résultats saillants de cette étude figure l'identification de deux processus sédimentaires : la progradation signée par des structures clinoformes et l’accrétion latérale caractérisée par des stratifications hétérolithiques inclinées (IHS). Dès lors, plusieurs corps sédimentaires se distinguent sans ambiguïté tel que les barres d’embouchure hétérolithiques et les barres de méandres de chenaux tidaux. L'auscultation de ces grands corps sédimentaires permet alors d'en définir les critères de reconnaissance et le contexte séquentiel de mise en place, mais aussi d'en contraindre le potentiel réservoir. / This manuscript provides the first exhaustive sedimentological study of the Dur At Talah escarpment (≈120 m high and ≈150 km length). This latter is exposed in the Abu Tumayam Trough, in the southern Sirt Basin (Libya). The Dur At Talah Formation forms a 2nd order regressive sequence, from shallow marine to fluviatile deposits, dated as upper Eocene. This exceptional outcrop allows an extensive and detailed sedimentological analysis (lithofaciès, ichnofaciès, geometries and sequence stratigraphy) leading to a multi-scale characterization of nearshore to paralic environments dominated by tidal dynamic. Among outstanding results, two sedimentary processes have been recognized and characterized: the progradation is expressed by large-scale clinoform structures and the lateral accretion is characterized by inclined heterolithic stratifications (IHS). Several sedimentary bodies are, thus, unequivocally distinguishable such as heterolithic mouth-bars and tidal channel point-bars. Thorough analysis of these sedimentary bodies allows to define diagnostic criteria to recognize them. They can be replaced in a consistent stratigraphic framework explaining their architecture and their vertical evolution in order to be used as reservoir analog.

The present M. A. theses COUNT FRANZ ANTON SPORCK - SUPPORTER OF JANSENISM THOUGHTS AND RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE deals with Baroque period, the so called "Bohemian Baroque" in the 17th - 18th century, and ends at the beginning of the Enlightenment. On the main representatives of the Czech lands was Count Franz Anton Sporck. The first chapter looks at the emergence of the movement of Jansenism, founded by Cornelius Otto Jansen, and mentions the root movement within the environment of the University of Leuven. Cornelius Otto Jansen influenced French Jansenism which had been led by Jean-Antoine Duvergier de Hauranne (First Abbe de Saint-Cyran) at the monastery of Port-Royal des Champs, and a major French personality of the movement. The other major figures were Martin de Barcos, Antoine Arnauld, Blaise Pascal and Pasquier Quesnel, who were influenced by the Jansenism environment in the Czech lands. At the same time, the first chapter focuses on the Jesuit Order, which acts as a counterpoint to the same idea of Catholic reform during the time of post Trident. In the second chapter, the personalities of Czech Jansenism - Valerian Magni and Jerome Hirnhaim are introduced. This chapter deals with the central figure of the thesis, Count Franz Anton Sporck, who became the most significant personality of the Czech Catolic...

This thesis discusses the design and the utilization of the artificial neural networks as ECG classifiers and the detectors of heart diseases in ECG signal especially myocardial ischaemia. The changes of ST-T complexes are the important indicator of ischaemia in ECG signal. Different types of ischaemia are expressed particularly by depression or elevation of ST segments and changes of T wave. The first part of this thesis is orientated towards the theoretical knowledges and describes changes in the ECG signal rising close to different types of ischaemia. The second part deals with to the ECG signal pre-processing for the classification by neural network, filtration, QRS detection, ST-T detection, principal component analysis. In the last part there is described design of detector of myocardial ischaemia based on artificial neural networks with utilisation of two types of neural networks back – propagation and self-organizing map and the results of used algorithms. The appendix contains detailed description of each neural networks, description of the programme for classification of ECG signals by ANN and description of functions of programme. The programme was developed in Matlab R2007b.

Infant hearing screening (IHS) programs are not yet widespread in developing countries, such as South Africa. In order to ensure that the benefits of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs reach all infants, initial recommendations for the implementation of IHS programs in South Africa have been made by the Year 2002 Hearing Screening Position Statement by the Health Professions Council of South Africa. One of the platforms recommended for IHS in South Africa is the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). South African NICU infants are at an increased risk for hearing loss, resultant of their high-risk birth histories, as well as the prevalence of context-specific environmental risk factors for hearing loss. There is currently a general scarcity of contextual data regarding the prevalence of risk indicators for hearing loss, and the prevalence of auditory impairment in the South African NICU population. The objective of this study was to describe an IHS program for NICU infants at a secondary hospital in Gauteng, South Africa. A quantitative descriptive research design was used to report on a cohort of 129 NICU infants followed up during a 29 month period. The objective of the study was achieved by describing the sample of infants in terms of the presence of specific risk indicators for hearing loss, the efficiency of the IHS program, and the incidence of auditory pathologies. Infants received their initial hearing screening as part of their medical and developmental follow-up visit at the hospital at three months of age. Routine rescreening visits were scheduled three monthly, whilst infants who failed the hearing screening were requested to return after three weeks for a follow-up. A data collection sheet was used to collect biographical information and risk indicators for hearing loss. Immittance measurements were recorded in the form of high-frequency and low-frequency tympanometry. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and automated auditory brainstem responses (AABR) were recorded, as well as diagnostic auditory brainstem responses (ABR) in cases where infants referred the screening protocol. Results revealed that environmental risk factors present in this sample included poor maternal education levels and prenatal HIV/AIDS exposure. At least 32% of mothers participating in this study did not complete high school. Prenatal HIV/AIDS exposure was present in at least 21% of the current sample of infants. The screening coverage rate fell short of the 95% benchmark set by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH, 2000). A 67% coverage rate was achieved with AABR screening, and an 88% coverage rate was achieved with DPOAE screening. 93% of infants had immittance screening performed on their initial visit to the IHS program. According to the Fisher’s two-sided exact test and the logistic regression procedure, high frequency tympanometry proved to be more effective than low frequency tympanometry, when assessing the middle ear functioning of infants younger than seven months when compared with DPOAE results. Normative pressure and admittance data was compiled for the use of high frequency tympanometry in NICU infants. Poor follow-up rates were recorded for both routine and non-routine visits, but are expected to improve over time. Furthermore, results indicated a high incidence of hearing impairment. Permanent congenital hearing loss was identified in 3% (n=4) of the sample. Half of these presented with sensorineural hearing loss, whilst the other half had auditory neuropathy. The incidence of auditory impairment is estimated to be 3.75% if the percentage of infants who did not return for follow-up is taken into account. A high incidence of middle ear pathology was recorded, with an incidence rate of 60.4%, including bilateral and unilateral middle ear pathology. The high prevalence of auditory impairment in South African NICU infants, and the lack of widespread IHS programs, indicates that many vulnerable infants are being the denied the benefits of early identification of and intervention for hearing loss. The implementation of widespread IHS programs in South Africa is therefore essential, in order to ensure that all South African infants receive the benefits of EHDI programs. / Dissertation (MCommunication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / unrestricted