Growth curve analyses in selected duck lines.

1. Growth patterns of male ducks from 4 lines (lines A, B, C and D) selected for market weight were analysed and compared to growth patterns of ducks in the respective line 7 generations earlier. Growth curves were analysed using procedures derived from the Weibull sigmoidal function and the linear-linear relative growth rate model and simple allometry. 2. The ducks were fed ad libitum under 24-h lighting throughout the experiment. At weekly intervals from the time of hatch through 70 d of age, 16 ducks from each line were killed to determine body, carcase, breast-muscle, leg and thigh-muscle, and abdominal fat weights. 3. Line A was the heaviest line, followed by line B, line C and line D. However, body weight, carcase weight and breast-muscle weight at 49 d of age were not significantly different between lines A and B. After 7 generations of selection, the breast-muscle yield was increased to >19% and the abdominal fat percent was reduced to <1.4% in all lines. 4. The Weibull growth curve analysis of body weight showed an increase in the asymptotes during selection, while the age of the inflection point remained constant in all lines (21.3 to 26.0 d). For breast-muscle growth, ducks reached the inflection point 12.8 to 14.3 d later than for body weight. Between line A and line B, asymptotes for body weight, asymptotes for breast-muscle weight and allometric growth coefficients of breast muscle and leg and thigh muscles from 14 to 49 d were not significantly different. 5. The relative growth rate model discriminated body and breast-muscle growth patterns of line A and line B. The initial decline in the relative body growth rate was less and the time to reach the transition was longer in line A than line B. On the other hand, the initial decline in the relative breast-muscle growth rate was greater in line A than line B.

Mine blast injuries: ocular and social aspects.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Landmines have long been used in conventional warfare. These are antipersonnel mines which continue to injure people long after a ceasefire without differentiating between friend or foe, soldier or civilian, women or children. This study focuses on Afghan non-combatants engaged in mine clearing operations in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Russo-Afghan war. The patterns and types of injuries seen are described and experiences in their management, ways, and means to prevent them, and recommendations for the rehabilitation of the affected individuals are given. METHODS: It is a retrospective and analytical study of 84 patients aged 19-56 years who sustained mine blast injuries during mine clearing operations in Afghanistan from November 1992 to January 1996. The study was carried out at a military hospital with tertiary care facilities. The patients were divided into three groups on the basis of their injuries. Group 1 required only general surgical attention, group 2 sustained only ocular injuries, while group 3 had combined ocular and general injuries. Patients in groups 2 and 3 were treated in two phases. The first phase aimed at immediate restoration of the anatomy, while restoration of function wherever possible was done in subsequent surgical procedures in the second phase. RESULTS: It was observed that 51 out of 84 patients (60.7%) had sustained ocular trauma of a variable degree as a result of the blasts. The mean age of the victims was 29 years and they were all male. A total of 91 eyes of 51 patients (89.2%) had been damaged. Bilaterality of damage was seen in 40 (78.4%) patients. Most, 34 (37.3%), eyes became totally blind (NPL). Only a few escaped with injury mild enough not to impair vision. Foreign bodies, small and multiple, were found in the majority of eyes; most, however, were found in the anterior segment, and posterior segment injuries were proportionally less. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of blindness caused by mine blast injuries is quite high. The resulting psychosocial trauma to the patients and their families is tremendous and has not been adequately highlighted. These injuries are a great drain on the country's resources. Enforcement of preventive measures and the use of protective gear and sophisticated equipment by the mine clearing personnel would prove to be far more economical in terms of human life as well as medical and economic resources. There is also need for greater attention towards the establishment of support groups and rehabilitation programmes for these individuals.

Growth pattern and carcase development in male ducks selected for growth rate.

1. Growth patterns of the whole body, eviscerated carcases, breast muscle, leg and thigh muscles and abdominal fat pads were compared in 4 lines (Lines A, B, C, and D) of male ducks selected for market weight (n = 1305) using growth curve analysis, allometric growth analysis and repeated measure analysis. At 49 d of age, Line A was heaviest, followed by Line B, Line C and Line D. 2. Ducks were fed ad libitum under 24-h lighting and 12 or 24 ducks were killed to determine body, carcase, breast-muscle, leg and thigh-muscle, and abdominal fat weights at time points from hatching until 53 d of age. 3. The Weibull function was chosen for growth curve analysis. The asymptote and inflection point from the Weibull growth curves identified 3 lines (Lines B, C, and D) with discrete body and carcase growth patterns but did not distinguish Line A from Line B. In all 4 lines the asymptote ranged from 4437 g to 3008 g for body weight and from 3334 g to 2098 g for carcase weight; the inflection point ranged from 22.5 d to 25.3 d for body weight and from 25.4 d to 29.6 d for carcase weight. 4. The allometric growth coefficient, relative to whole-body growth, was higher than 1.00 for breast muscle and lower than 1.00 for leg and thigh muscles during from 4 d to 53 d of age. 5. Body fat accumulation was estimated by abdominal fat. Line D accumulated more abdominal fat than other lines. The pattern of fat accumulation in Line D was different from Lines A, B and C and there were no differences between Lines A, B and C.

Relationship between activity at a young age and feed efficiency in chickens.

Feed conversions of three Ottawa strains of Leghorns were measured from hatch to 27 days and bird activity at 1, 2, and 4 weeks of age was assessed. Males were more active than females. Chicks of the more active strain consumed more feed and had poorer conversion than those from the least active strain. Ranking of the strains on feed conversion to 27 days was similar to their ranking on feed consumed per egg mass produced in an earlier study.