Wool production and quality traits of pure- and crossbred Merino-type sheep.

Very little information is available on the quality of wool produced by terminal crosses out of wool producing dam lines. This study was therefore undertaken to elucidate the wool quality traits of four crossbred lines relative to Merinos and Dohne Merinos, which served as dam lines. Each dam line was mated to rams of their own breed as well as to Dormer or Ile de France rams to create four crossbred lines, namely, Dohne x Dormer, Dohne x Ile de France, Merino x Dormer, and Merino x Ile de France, in addition to the purebred Dohne Merino and Merino lines. Four rams and four ewes from each of these lines were reared up to one year of age under optimal growth conditions and shorn at the end of that time. Fleeces were weighed and samples collected for analysis. Neither sex nor genotype influenced clean fleece weight or clean yield percentage, but fibre diameter differed between genotypes. Purebred Merino had the finest wool (18.26 µm) and the Merino x Dormer cross the coarsest (26.01 µm). However, all lines still produced wool that could be used in manufacturing clothing, while fleeces showed good uniformity. The two purebred lines had the highest comfort factor (> 98%). The crossbred lines produced a similar quantity of wool as the purebreds, although of poorer quality. All genotypes except Merino x Dormer appear to produce wool that could be processed into garments, although the crossbred wool would only be suitable for outerwear.

Determining and predicting feed intake in crossbred sheep from weaning until maturity.

Access to simple, accurate feed intake models would facilitate decision-making in feedlots as feed costs are a major part of operational expenditure. This study aimed to develop genotype-specific feed intake models for South African feedlot lambs. Four ram and four ewe lambs each of eight genotypes were raised under ideal growth conditions from weaning until 1 year of age. Feed intake and growth were monitored throughout this period. The intake data were then used to fit various models to predict daily feed intake, intake as percentage of body weight, cumulative intake and feed conversion ratio. No satisfactory univariate models could be found for the prediction of daily or percentage intake, but a good fit was found for cumulative intake data (R2 >0.80, P <0.01). The slope parameters of these linear models show a strong correlation (72%) with feed conversion and can therefore also serve as proxies for feed conversion. A model was also developed that can predict feed conversion ratio with a moderate accuracy (R2 =0.5, P <0.05) at a given body weight. The cumulative intake model was deemed accurate and simple enough for practical use.

Modelling and predicting fat deposition rates in various South African sheep crosses using ultrasound technology.

Producers require an accurate predictive tool that can determine the optimal point of slaughter based on fat depth. The modelling of fat deposition with a simple mathematical model could supply in this need. Dohne Merino and Merino ewes were crossed with Dorper, Dormer and Ile de France rams or rams of their own breeds to create two purebred (Dohne Merino and Merino) and six crossbred groups (Dohne x Dorper, Dohne x Dormer, Dohne x Ile de France, Merino x Dorper, Merino x Dormer and Merino x Ile de France) of offspring. Fat deposition of four lambs of each sex per genotypic group was monitored from 80 to 360 days using ultrasound, and the data subsequently fitted to various equations and evaluated for goodness of fit. A linear fitting of fat depth to age (R2 > 0.77) and live weight (R2 > 0.56) were deemed to provide the best fit. The slope parameters of the equations indicated that ewes deposited fat faster than rams and that Dorper crosses had the highest fat deposition rate. An attempt was also made to model loin muscle growth, but the model fit was judged to be unsatisfactory. The predictive models developed here are deemed suitable for inclusion in feedlot management systems to aid in the production of optimally classified lamb carcasses.

The effect of different dietary flavourants and salt levels on feed intake of juvenile ostriches.

Yearly the ostrich industry loses up to 40% of newly-hatched chicks, partly due to insufficient feed intake. This study was conducted to determine whether the inclusion of various feed flavourants would improve feed intake in ostrich chicks (Trial 1). Ninety-six dayold ostrich chicks were raised in groups of 12 at a Western Cape research farm until 28 days of age. These chicks were provided with free-choice access to a variety of flavoured diets, namely sweet, sour, bitter, salt or an unflavoured control diet. Chicks were found to prefer salty feed, as the salt-flavoured diet had the highest daily feed intake (34% of total) throughout the trial. Subsequently Trial 2 was conducted to determine the preferred level of dietary salt (Experiment 1) as well as the influence dietary salt had on various production parameters (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, three groups of seven chicks each were offered ad libitum access to diets containing 4 g/kg, 14 g/kg, 24 g/kg, and 34 g/kg of salt respectively. Experiment 1 found that chicks preferred the diet containing 14 g salt/kg (36.4% of total daily feed consumed). For Experiment 2, 56 birds were divided into eight groups of seven. Conversely to the current conventional inclusion of 4 g salt/kg, Experiment 2 showed that chicks reared on a diet containing 14 g salt/kg had a 41.7% higher average daily gain than the group consuming 4 g salt/kg. It can therefore be concluded that ostriches prefer diets with a higher dietary salt level than current conventional diets provide (14 g/kg vs 4 g/kg).

Soil mesofauna as bioindicators to assess environmental disturbance at a platinum mine in South Africa.

South Africa is rich in mineral resources and is one of the leading raw material exporters in the world. Mining is essential for economic development, but also has detrimental environmental consequences in the form of chemical waste products which are being dumped as tailings material. The aim of this study was to establish whether mesofauna could be utilized to assess the influence of the tailings disposal facility on the surrounding soil environment. The sampled soil was chemically analyzed and the extracted mesofauna identified. High metal concentrations on the tailings dam (Cu, Cr and Ni), apparently had the greatest influence on the soil mesofauna. Only a few mite species were abundant at the two sites on the tailings dam, representing the prostigmatic-, cryptostigmatic- and the mesostigmatic-taxa. Metal pollution is evident in the sites on the tailings dam facility and the number of species generally increased towards the more natural environment.

Vasectomy under local anaesthesia performed free of charge as a family planning service: complications and results.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of vasectomy performed under local anaesthesia by junior doctors at a secondary level hospital as part of a free family planning service. METHOD: Men requesting vasectomy were counselled and given written instructions to use alternative contraception until two semen analyses 3 and 4 months after vasectomy had confirmed azoospermia. Bilateral vasectomy was performed as an outpatient procedure under local anaesthesia by junior urology registrars. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Fisher's exact or Spearman's rank correlation tests as appropriate. RESULTS: Between January 2004 and December 2005, 479 men underwent vasectomy at Karl Bremer Hospital, Western Cape, South Africa; their average age was 36.1 (range 21 - 66) years, they had a median of 2 (range 0 - 10) children, and only 19% had 4 or more children. The average operation time was 15.5 (range 5 - 53) minutes. Complications occurred in 12.9%; these were pain (7.3%), swelling (5.4%), haematoma (1.3%), sepsis (1%), difficulty locating the vas (1%), vasovagal episode (0.6%), bleeding (0.6%), wound rupture (0.4%) and dysuria (0.2%) (some men had more than one complication). Of the men 63.3% returned for one semen analysis and 17.5% for a second. The vasectomy failure rate ranged from 0.4% (sperm persisting > 365 days after vasectomy) to 2.3% (sperm seen > 180 days after vasectomy and/or in the second semen specimen). No pregnancies were reported. The complication (5.6%) and failure rates (0%) were lowest for the registrar who had performed the smallest number of vasectomies and whose average operation time was longest. Comparing the first one-third of procedures performed by each of the doctors with the last one-third, there was a significant decrease in average operating times but not in complication rates. CONCLUSIONS: Vasectomy can be performed safely and effectively by junior doctors as an outpatient procedure under local anaesthesia, and should be actively promoted in South Africa as a safe and effective form of male contraception.

Penectomy with Simultaneous Compared to deferred Bilateral Inguinal Lymph Node Dissection for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Penis - Evaluation of Surgical Complications

Objective: In men with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the penis; inguinal lymph node dissection is usually deferred for 6 weeks after primary penectomy. The rationale is that the penile lesion is usually infected and immediate lymphadenectomy may lead to a higher surgical complication rate. However; some patients do not return for deferred node dissection and then present much later with incurable metastatic disease. The aim of this study was to compare the complication rates of simultaneous versus deferred bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection. Patients and Methodsn: From October 1999 to September 2006; 29 men with histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the penis were treated. Penectomy with simultaneous bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection was performed in 18 patients with locally advanced primary lesions (cT2 in 8; cT3 in 10) and palpable inguinal nodes. The complications were compared with a previous study of 34 men who underwent bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection at a mean of 72 days after penectomy at Tygerberg Hospital during the period November 1983 to April 1995. Results: Post-operative complications occurred in 11 of 18 patients (61.1): lymphocele formation in 8; lymph leak in 1; wound dehiscence and skin edge necrosis in 5; wound sepsis in 1; lymphedema of the legs in 2; scrotal edema in 1 and cellulitis in 2 patients (more than one complication occurred in some patients). In the previously reported comparison group who had undergone deferred inguinal lymph node dissection at a mean of 72 days after penectomy; complications occurred in 26 of 34 (76.5) patients: wound sepsis in 12; wound dehiscence in 7; lymphocele in 7; lymph leak in 4; wound abscess in 3; necrosis of wound edges in 2 and hematoma formation in 1. Conclusion: Penectomy with simultaneous bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection in men with squamous cell carcinoma of the penis does not lead to a higher complication rate compared with primary penectomy and deferred inguinal lymph node dissection performed at a mean of 10 weeks after the primary procedure

Aluminium phosphide poisoning.

We describe a lethal poisoning in a healthy woman caused by deliberate ingestion of aluminium phosphide (AlP), a pesticide used to kill rodents and insects. Toxicity of AlP and review of cases reported to the National Poisons Information Service (London) 1997-2003 are discussed.

Evaluation of 1-octanol degradation by photocatalysis and ultrasound using SPME.

Solid-phase micro-extraction has been used for identifying, quantifying and following the evolution of intermediate products of octanol degradation by two advanced oxidation treatments (AOTs), photocatalytic and ultrasound processes, inducing mainly the same active species. Headspace extraction enabled direct extraction of the organic compounds in a heterogeneous process like photocatalysis. The presence of a solid does not affect the extraction percentage of alkanes, alkenes and aldehydes while alcohols and carboxylic acids are not completely extracted if the extraction time is too short. To extract C3-C8 alkanes, alkenes and aldehydes a Carboxen/PDMS fiber and an extraction time of 25 min are used. The presence of alcohol and carboxylic acids requires the use of the presence of salt under acidic conditions, a longer extraction time and a polyacrylate fiber (PA), having a polar fiber. The in situ derivatization--pyrenyldiazomethane on a PA fiber--increases the carboxylic acid extraction containing smaller hydrocarboned chain while diazomethane derivatization is not as efficient due to its volatility. Whatever be the treatment, photocatalysis or ultrasound processes, aldehydes are the main intermediate products, which is not surprising since the same oxidation species (HO2(o), O2(o-), OH(o)) are formed. Alkanes and alkenes are also detected in both processes; however, alkane formation is more important in photocatalysis while alkenes are formed in higher amounts by ultrasound. Moreover, the presence of carboxylic acids in more important amounts by ultrasound than by photocatalysis is attributed to the presence of holes (h+) in photocatalysis which induces photo-Kolbe degradation. The sonochemical formation of small-chained dienes and alkynes is probably due to pyrolysis of hydrophobic compounds in cavitation bubbles.

Water treatment by TiO2 photocatalysis and/or ultrasound: degradations of phenyltrifluoromethylketone, a trifluoroacetic-acid-forming pollutant, and octan-1 -ol, a very hydrophobic pollutant.

TiO2 photocatalysis and ultrasound are advanced oxidation processes for water treatment. Our study aimed at showing, via the purposely chosen title compounds, that these techniques can be complementary. For C6H5COCF3 (PTMK), the photocatalytic removal rate was higher than the ultrasonic (515 kHz) removal rate in the presence of TiO2 in the dark, whereas it was the opposite for octan-1-ol under the conditions employed. Simultaneous UV and ultrasound irradiation of the TiO2 suspension led, for PTMK, to a removal rate about equal to the sum of the removal rates observed for separate irradiations, and decreased by a factor of approximately 20% for octan- 1 -ol as if the photocatalytic degradation was suppressed by the dominant distribution of octan-1-ol to the cavitation bubbles. This distribution was substantiated by the large detrimental effect of octan- 1-ol on the PTMK ultrasonic removal rate. The concurrent use of both techniques allowed a faster removal of both pollutants in binary mixtures. The amount of CF3COOH from PTMK was approximately eight times lower in sonicated, than in UV-irradiated, TiO2 suspensions. Several intermediate products showed the occurrence of chemical transformations occurring in and/or on the cavitation bubbles. COD decline and CO2 formation were initially higher for ultrasonic than for photocatalytic treatment. However, complete mineralization (except for CF3COOH) was achieved more rapidly by photocatalysis and even more rapidly by simultaneous use of both techniques.

[Relative failure of mefloquine chemoprophylaxis on the occasion of a trip to Togo. 3 cases within the same family]. / Echec relatif de chimioprophylaxie par méfloquine à l'occasion d'un voyage au Togo. 3 Cas au sein d'une même famille.

BACKGROUND: In France, 3,500 to 4,000 cases of imported malaria are observed annually. Outcome is fatal in 30 to 50 patients, usually because of inappropriately applied preventive measures. We report three cases of imported malaria despite well-conducted chemoprophylaxis. CASE REPORTS: Three members of a family who had traveled to Togo developed malaria 9 to 13 weeks after returning to France. All had taken mefloquine (1 week before travel and continued for 3 weeks after departure from Togo). The mother (aged 40 years) was treated with quinine and her son and daughter (aged 12 and 9 years) were given halofatrine. Outcome was favorable. DISCUSSION: These familial cases illustrate the imperfect protection provided by anti-malaria chemotherapy and the continuing need for anti-vector preventive measures.