Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Civil (Especialização em Construções Civis). Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 2010

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Concern for the plight of rural veterinary practice in Australia existed throughout the 20th century. During the 1970s, the profession highlighted the problems faced by rural practitioners and in 2003, the Frawley Review examined current rural veterinary services. However, neither influenced the course of rural practice in Australia. The present thesis examined the status of rural practice in Western Australia from the 1960s to the present day. It did this by investigating the historical changes in agriculture during this period and their effect on rural practice. The practice at Katanning, in rural Western Australia, was used as a case study – a study of the changes and adaptions made by that practice to remain viable. In 2006, surveys of both rural practitioners and government veterinary officers were conducted to obtain information of the veterinary services being provided to rural Western Australia. In addition, oral history interviews with a number of respondents to the surveys were carried out. Rapid expansion of Western Australian agriculture took place during the 1960s and was matched by growth in rural veterinary services. A government subsidy scheme recruited a number of veterinarians to the state. A Preventive Medicine/Animal Production service with sheep was established at Katanning in 1967. The reasons for developing such a service, its promotion, the results achieved and its subsequent failure are documented in the thesis. The 1970s was a troubled decade for agriculture and for those servicing it. The collapse of the beef-cattle boom was accompanied by a 20% reduction in veterinary staff in rural practice Australia-wide and a number of changes were implemented at Katanning to meet these circumstances. The 1980s saw a reduction in the economic significance of agriculture in Western Australia. At the same time, students from the Veterinary School at Murdoch University began graduating and, for the first time in the profession’s history, an overproduction of veterinarians existed. The 1990s was a period of relative stability, but was accompanied by major changes for the profession and rural practice. Many practices adopted merchandising and the sale of pet foods to supplement dwindling income. Previously, a male dominated profession, during this decade, it rapidly changed to one dominated by female graduates. Accompanying this gender change there was an increase in the demand for part-time work, whereas previously the profession had been predominantly a full-time vocation. The present decade opened with a questioning of the direction being taken by the profession and its undergraduate education. The current study revealed that the government veterinary services in Western Australia have contracted in size and scope, whilst at the same time, most rural practitioners attend companion animals at the expense of economic livestock. As a result, veterinary services to economic livestock have reduced and are likely to continue to do so and suggestions are made to counter this trend.

This work is a critical policy analysis of the Crossroads Review, especially those aspects of it that are most likely to have a significant impact on higher education in regional Western Australia. It aims to understand the place of higher education in regional Western Australia historically with a view to critiquing current policy directions and the potential consequences of Crossroads. The thesis argues that the ideologies of marketisation and corporatisation are driving current higher education policy and this may significantly damage the long-term viability of regional campuses and learning centres as well as public and private funding allocations. The implications for the dismantling of the social contract (or social democratic settlement) in the knowledge economy is an important issue for regional populations for their continued growth, health, education and welfare. The issues examined here are relevant to regional higher education in this State. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the potential policy effects with regard to accessibility of higher education in regional Western Australia. The thesis analyses the advantages and disadvantages of studying in regional WA in the current policy environment where there has been a dramatic shift in ideology from the welfare state to economic rationalism. Factors that impact on higher education in regional Western Australia include the provision of telecommunications services for access to and participation in the knowledge economy. The thesis considers the evolution of higher education in Australia in general and more particularly in Western Australia, as it has evolved since its foundations in the mid-nineteenth century to the beginning of the twenty-first century. In this time there have been radical changes in higher education in Australia in line with changes to our society and its place in an increasingly globalised environment. The thesis concludes by considering some possible options for the future such as the development of learning communities and branch campuses. In discussing such possible alternative forms of delivery of higher education to regional Western Australia, this thesis seeks to raise awareness in relevant government bodies and in rural and remote communities of their particular higher education needs. It is hoped also to encourage regional communities to become more confident and pro-active in their own endeavours to gain greater access and equity in higher education.

Social constructionists argue that what problems are recognized as social problems in a society reflect the efforts of various individuals and organizations to frame particular issues as deserving of public attention and action. Illegal drugs (heroin, LSD, crack cocaine) repeatedly have been identified as social problems harming innocent victims (e.g., crack babies) and leading to various forms of criminal activity. The focus of this project is how media, specifically newspaper coverage, rose as claims makers identified methamphetamine (meth) production as a serious problem in rural areas of the southeast. Although the drug had been available under various names for decades, its definition as a problem requiring passage of new laws and the allocation of government resources can be linked to claims that operators of meth labs in rural areas were harming children, homes, the environment, and themselves. The southeast and particularly Tennessee were identified as having substantial rural areas where meth labs could be easily concealed. Using electronic data banks newspapers in the four largest cities in Tennessee (Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga) and one city in a more rural area (Clarksville), from 1990 to 2005 (for the earliest date accessible) that included the terms meth or methamphetamine were content analyzed. For each available year in the study time period the number of articles and the number of words in each story were recorded to establish trend data. At the beginning of the period few stories appeared. The number of stories dramatically increased in each newspaper between 2002 and 2003 or 2003 and 2004. One newspaper was selected to examine the typical location of stories, i.e., section placement. A key word analysis indicated that the primary claims makers were successful in that the media focused on the rural lab aspects of the meth story and gave limited play to the Mexican connection and drug usage in the gay community.

Résumé Un programme PTME a été implanté à lHôpital Général de Référence de la Zone de Santé Rurale dOïcha au Nord-Est de la République Démocratique du Congo à partir de décembre 2002. Après la formation de léquipe, le dépistage de linfection par le VIH a été organisé parmi les femmes enceintes à loccasion de la consultation prénatale. Toute femme enceinte dâge gestationnel égal ou supérieur à 36 semaines a été invitée à participer au programme. Les femmes identifiées séropositives ont été informées de rejoindre la maternité aussitôt le travail commencé. Le protocole HIVNET 012 de prophylaxie antirétrovirale en vue dempêcher la transmission du virus à VIH de la mère à lenfant a été appliqué. Un suivi à domicile de 18 mois à partir de la naissance de lenfant a été effectué. Ces travaux poursuivaient les objectifs ci-dessous: établir un programme de prévention de transmission mère-enfant du VIH et Sida, au Nord- Est de la RDC et aider la mère et l'enfant à faire face à l'infection par le VIH sida dans leur milieu de vie. En ce qui concerne le dépistage de linfection par le VIH chez la femme enceinte lors de la consultation prénatale, nous avons observé: - 5016 femmes enceintes ont subi le dépistage de linfection par le VIH à la consultation prénatale de lhôpital dOïcha du 10 décembre 2002 au 28 décembre 2004. - En moyenne, 221,5 femmes enceintes ont fréquenté mensuellement le programme PTME Oïcha. Lacceptabilité du test de dépistage a été de 98,2 %. - Une prévalence de linfection par le VIH de 1,9% (I.C. à 95% de 1,5 2,3) a été observée dans laire de santé de lhôpital général de référence dOïcha. En se conformant aux normes de lOMS, lépidémie de linfection à VIH a été identifiée comme étant en phase généralisée dans cette région. - Habiter la campagne (OR 1,67; IC95%: 1,06 - 2,62; p: 0,0258), le veuvage et le divorce (OR 4,47; IC95%: 1,47 13,60), la mobilité liée à la profession du mari (OR: 4,00; IC95%: 2,36 6,75), le statut de déplacés (O.R. 5,77; IC95%: 3,59 9,29) sont les quatre facteurs discriminant linfection par le VIH dans laire de santé dOïcha. Quant à la pratique de la prophylaxie antirétrovirale, nous avons retenu les résultats ci-après: - Une administration non conforme au respect de la norme (du début des contractions utérines) dadministration de la Névirapine chez la femme a été observée parmi 24 femmes enceintes sur 59, soit 40,68%. La mère en milieu rural africain a reçu la Névirapine plus tard que lheure théorique recommandée, avec un retard moyen observé de 4 heures. - Par ailleurs, chez lenfant, ladministration non conforme au respect de la norme na concerné que 1 sur 101, soit 1% des enfants. - Un délai moyen de 20h a été observé pour ladministration de la Névirapine chez lenfant après sa naissance. - 52 enfants sur 101, soit 51,5% ont reçu la névirapine à 2,86 heures de laccouchement. Ils représentent la proportion des enfants dont les mères se sont présentées à la maternité prêtes à laccouchement. Summary A PTME program was established at the Général Hospital of Reference of the Health Rural Zone of Oïcha in the North-East of the Democratic Republic of Congo as from December 2002. After the training of the team, the tracking of the infection by the HIV was organized among the pregnant women at antenatal consultation. Any pregnant woman of gestational age equal or higher than 36 weeks was invited to take part in the program. The HIV positive identified women were informed to join maternity at once started work. Protocol HIVNET 012 of antiretroviral prevention in order to prevent the transmission of the virus HIV from the mother to the child was applied. A follow-up in 18 month old residence starting from the birth of the child was carried out. This work pursued the goals below: To establish a programme of prevention of transmission mother-child of the HIV and AIDS, in the North-East of the DRC and to help the mother and the child to face the infection by the HIV AIDS in their home With regard to the tracking of the infection by the HIV at the pregnant woman during the antenatal consultation we observed:  5016 pregnant women underwent the tracking of the infection by the HIV at the antenatal consultation of the Oïcha hospital from December 10, 2002 to December 28, 2004.  On average, 221,5 pregnant women attended Oïcha PTME program monthly.  The acceptability of the test of tracking was 98,2%.  A prevalence of the infection by the HIV of 1,9% (C.I. with 95% of 1,5 - 2,3) was observed in the surface of health of the Oïcha Général hospital of reference. While conforming to the standards of WHO, the epidemic of the infection with HIV was identified as being in Généralized phase.  To live the countryside (OR: 1,67; IC95%: 1,06 - 2,62; p: 0,0258, widowhood and divorces (OR 4,47; IC95%: 1,47 13,60), the mobility related to the profession of the husband (OR: 4,00; IC95%: 2,36 6,75), the statute of displacement (OR 5,77; IC95%: 3,59 9,29) are the four factors discriminating the infection by the HIV in Oïcha area of health. As for the practice of antiretroviral prevention disease, we observed the results hereafter:  An administration non in conformity with the respect of the standard (from the beginning of the uterine contractions) of administration of Névirapine at the woman was observed among 24 pregnant women out of 59, that is to say 40,68%. The mother in African rural area received Névirapine later that the recommended theoretical hour, with an average delay observed of 4 hours.  In addition, in the child, the no conformity administration with the respect of the standard related to only 1% of the children. An average time of 20h was observed for the administration of Névirapine in the child after his birth.

A disabling farm injury affects both the farmer and the farmers spouse. In Canada, injuries rank third as a leading cause of death and second as a leading cause of medical spending. There have been studies of agriculture-related injury and death, including research on the prevalence, incidence, and causes of farm injuries. There is a lack of empirical data on the impact of agricultural injuries on farm families. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of wives of Saskatchewan farmers who experienced a disabling farm injury and returned to farming. Potential study participants were contacted and invited to participate in the study with the assistance of the extension division of the Institute of Agriculture, Rural, and Environmental Health (IAREH) and the Farmers with Disabilities Program of the Saskatchewan Abilities Council of Saskatoon. Between October 2002 and October 2004 seven Saskatchewan farm women volunteered to participate and were interviewed. Participants who contacted the researcher to indicate their interest in the study were sent cameras and information inviting them to take photographs depicting their lives since the occurrence of the disabling farm injury. They were contacted later to set up the interviews. The grounded theory method of constant comparison was used for the thematic analysis of the interviews. Seven common themes emerged from the analysis: My world just crashed, Superwoman, Somethings got to give, Survival tactics, Definitely impacted them, Support, and Advice for others. The experiences of the seven Saskatchewan farm women have been heard. Their successes and the hardships they experienced with the injury event and the farmers return to farming have been recorded. Implications for health practice, the development of an Internet based support program, education of health care providers on the needs of people who have experienced a disabling farm injury, and future research are considered.

A disabling farm injury affects both the farmer and the farmers spouse. In Canada, injuries rank third as a leading cause of death and second as a leading cause of medical spending. There have been studies of agriculture-related injury and death, including research on the prevalence, incidence, and causes of farm injuries. There is a lack of empirical data on the impact of agricultural injuries on farm families. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of wives of Saskatchewan farmers who experienced a disabling farm injury and returned to farming. Potential study participants were contacted and invited to participate in the study with the assistance of the extension division of the Institute of Agriculture, Rural, and Environmental Health (IAREH) and the Farmers with Disabilities Program of the Saskatchewan Abilities Council of Saskatoon. Between October 2002 and October 2004 seven Saskatchewan farm women volunteered to participate and were interviewed. Participants who contacted the researcher to indicate their interest in the study were sent cameras and information inviting them to take photographs depicting their lives since the occurrence of the disabling farm injury. They were contacted later to set up the interviews. The grounded theory method of constant comparison was used for the thematic analysis of the interviews. Seven common themes emerged from the analysis: My world just crashed, Superwoman, Somethings got to give, Survival tactics, Definitely impacted them, Support, and Advice for others. The experiences of the seven Saskatchewan farm women have been heard. Their successes and the hardships they experienced with the injury event and the farmers return to farming have been recorded. Implications for health practice, the development of an Internet based support program, education of health care providers on the needs of people who have experienced a disabling farm injury, and future research are considered.

No description available.