Pre- and post-weaning performance of artificially reared lambs

No Abstract

Digital Elevation Models: Terminology and Definitions

Digital elevation models (DEMs) provide fundamental depictions of the three-dimensional shape of the Earth’s surface and are useful to a wide range of disciplines. Ideally, DEMs record the interface between the atmosphere and the lithosphere using a discrete two-dimensional grid, with complexities introduced by the intervening hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere. The treatment of DEM surfaces, affected by these intervening spheres, depends on their intended use, and the characteristics of the sensors that were used to create them. DEM is a general term, and more specific terms such as digital surface model (DSM) or digital terrain model (DTM) record the treatment of the intermediate surfaces. Several global DEMs generated with optical (visible and near-infrared) sensors and synthetic aperture radar (SAR), as well as single/multi-beam sonars and products of satellite altimetry, share the common characteristic of a georectified, gridded storage structure. Nevertheless, not all DEMs share the same vertical datum, not all use the same convention for the area on the ground represented by each pixel in the DEM, and some of them have variable data spacings depending on the latitude. This paper highlights the importance of knowing, understanding and reflecting on the sensor and DEM characteristics and consolidates terminology and definitions of key concepts to facilitate a common understanding among the growing community of DEM users, who do not necessarily share the same backgroun

Being well, being musical: Music composition as a resource and occupation for older people

Introduction: Participatory music making for older people has tended to focus on singing and performance. In a community music project undertaken by Manchester Camerata (a chamber orchestra), Blacon Community Trust and a small group of older adults, participants were given the opportunity to compose individual pieces of music interactively with professional musicians. This paper reports the findings of the research project. Method: An arts-based research method was adopted and incorporated action research and interpretive interactionism to articulate the experiences and perceptions of participants. Participants and Manchester Camerata musicians also worked together to represent the thematic findings of the research in a group composition. Findings: The findings demonstrate that individual and group music composition contributed to a sense of wellbeing through control over musical materials, opportunities for creativity and identity making, validation of life experience and social engagement with other participants and professional musicians. Conclusion; The results emphasised occupation as essential to health and wellbeing in the later stages of life. The findings also highlight the particularly innovative aspects of this research: (i) the use of music composition as a viable arts-in-health occupation for older people and (ii) the arts-based research method of group composition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved

Risk factors for asthma and allergy associated with urban migration: background and methodology of a cross-sectional study in Afro-Ecuadorian school children in Northeastern Ecuador (Esmeraldas-SCAALA Study)

BACKGROUND: Asthma and allergic diseases are becoming increasingly frequent in children in urban centres of Latin America although the prevalence of allergic disease is still low in rural areas. Understanding better why the prevalence of asthma is greater in urban migrant populations and the role of risk factors such as life style and environmental exposures, may be key to understand what is behind this trend. METHODS/DESIGN: The Esmeraldas-SCAALA (Social Changes, Asthma and Allergy in Latin America) study consists of cross-sectional and nested case-control studies of school children in rural and urban areas of Esmeraldas Province in Ecuador. The cross-sectional study will investigate risk factors for atopy and allergic disease in rural and migrant urban Afro-Ecuadorian school children and the nested case-control study will examine environmental, biologic and social risk factors for asthma among asthma cases and non-asthmatic controls from the cross-sectional study. Data will be collected through standardised questionnaires, skin prick testing to relevant aeroallergen extracts, stool examinations for parasites, blood sampling (for measurement of IgE, interleukins and other immunological parameters), anthropometric measurements for assessment of nutritional status, exercise testing for assessment of exercise-induced bronchospasm and dust sampling for measurement of household endotoxin and allergen levels. DISCUSSION: The information will be used to identify the factors associated with an increased risk of asthma and allergies in migrant and urbanizing populations, to improve the understanding of the causes of the increase in asthma prevalence and to identify potentially modifiable factors to inform the design of prevention programmes to reduce the risk of allergy in urban populations in Latin America

The human keratins: biology and pathology

The keratins are the typical intermediate filament proteins of epithelia, showing an outstanding degree of molecular diversity. Heteropolymeric filaments are formed by pairing of type I and type II molecules. In humans 54 functional keratin genes exist. They are expressed in highly specific patterns related to the epithelial type and stage of cellular differentiation. About half of all keratins—including numerous keratins characterized only recently—are restricted to the various compartments of hair follicles. As part of the epithelial cytoskeleton, keratins are important for the mechanical stability and integrity of epithelial cells and tissues. Moreover, some keratins also have regulatory functions and are involved in intracellular signaling pathways, e.g. protection from stress, wound healing, and apoptosis. Applying the new consensus nomenclature, this article summarizes, for all human keratins, their cell type and tissue distribution and their functional significance in relation to transgenic mouse models and human hereditary keratin diseases. Furthermore, since keratins also exhibit characteristic expression patterns in human tumors, several of them (notably K5, K7, K8/K18, K19, and K20) have great importance in immunohistochemical tumor diagnosis of carcinomas, in particular of unclear metastases and in precise classification and subtyping. Future research might open further fields of clinical application for this remarkable protein family

Copper and selenium supplementation of ewes grazing on pastures low in copper and selenium: Effect on reproduction and concentration of plasma copper and blood selenium during pregnancy

Influence of copper and selenium supplementationi n SA Mutton Merino ewes, kept on pastures with low copper and selenium concentrations, was investigated. Ewes which came into oestrus and conceived during March to April, were found to have concentrations of plasma copper of 60 to 80 pg /dl. Inadequare copper intake by ewes during late pregnancyr esultedi n decreasedc oncentrations of plasma copper, thereby leading to lorv concentrations of copper in the liver of young lambs. Selenium supplementation of ewes grazing pastures with a selenium content of 0,03-0,09 pg Se/g DM, has been found to raise concentrations of blood selenium but had no effect on the concentrations of selenium in the liver and kidneys of young lambs.Die invloed van koper- en seleniumaanvullingb y SA Vleismerinoooie, wat op weiding met 'n lae koper- en seleniumkonsentrasie aangehou is, is ondersoek. Ooie wat tydens Maart tot April in es[us gekom en suksesvol gepaar is, het    plasmakoperkonsentrasies van 60 nt B0 *g ldl gehad. Onvoldoende koperinname tydens laatdragtigheid het tot 'n daling in die plasmakoperkonsentrasivea n die ooi gelei, terwyl die lewerkoperkonsentrasivea n hierdie lammers kort na geboortea bnormaall aag was. Seleniumaanvullingv an ooie op weiding mel 'n seleniumkonsenrasivea n 0,03-0,09 pg Se/g DM, het   bloedseleniumkonsentrasiesvaono ie verhoog, maar het min invloed op die lewer- en nierseleniumkonsentrasievsa n lammers kort na geboorte gehad.Keywords: Blood selenium, copper supplementiation, fertility, plasma copper, pregnancy, selenium supplementation

Vooruitgang op die gebied van reproduksie-fisiologie

No Abstrac

The effect of an induced copper deficiency on the total plasma copper and unconjugated plasma progesterone concentrations during the oestrous cycle of the ewe

No Abstrac

Synchronization of oestrus in the Boer goat doe: Dose effect of prostaglandin in the double injection regime

No Abstract