Endovascular treatment of intractable epistaxis - results of a 4-year local audit

Objective. Transcatheter embolisation is an accepted and effective treatment for intractable epistaxis. We analysed our success and complication rates and compared these with results from other published series.Design. Retrospective review.Setting. Unitas Interventional Unit, Centurion.Methods. Case record review (57 procedures) and telephonic interviews (36 traceable respondents).Outcome measures. A numerical audit of the success and complication rates for embolisation procedures performed during the 4-year period between July 1999 and June 2003.Results. A total of 57 endovascular embolisation procedures were performed for intractable epistaxis in 51 patients during this period. Eight patients (15.7%) developed a re-bleed between 1 and 33 days after embolisation of whom 5 were re- embolised, giving a primary short-term success rate of 86.3% and secondary assisted success rate of 94.1%. Thirty-five of 36 respondents {97.2%) reported no further epistaxis during the long-term follow-up period of 1-47months. The mortality rate was 0%, the major morbidity rate was 2% (l stroke) and the minor morbidity rate was 25%.Conclusion. Our Success and complication rates are acceptable and compare favourably with those reported in other large series

Awareness of Porcine Helminthiasis and the Prevalent Farm Management Operations Among Smallholder Pig Farmers in the Free State

Published ArticlePorcine helminthiasis and its zoonotic tendencies can lead to considerable loss of productivity and food security, especially in subsistence farming systems. Using open- and closed-ended questionnaires, this study was designed to ascertain the level of awareness of smallholder pig farmers in the selected districts of the Free State Province of South Africa to porcine helminthiasis and to gather information on the various pre- and post-slaughter practices prevalent in these areas. Results show that intestinal helminths emerged as the most common herd health problem (65.2%). There was a high rate of ignorance towards anthelmintic resistance and zoonoses among farmers. Similarly, 53.3% of respondents described the cost of anthelmintics as “expensive”. A high positive correlation (P<0.01) between some farming practices exist. Furthermore, 73.9% of respondents do not slaughter their pigs in an abattoir due to the high cost of slaughter and transportation, long distances to the abattoir, and small scale of production. Moreover, 50.0% of the farmers reported that their pig production enterprise was not profitable or viable. The information from this study may be used as baseline knowledge to help formulate the development of extension programmes for sustainable pig rearing and pork production, especially among smallholder farmers

Evaluation of a Water Channel-Based Platform for Characterizing Aerostat Flight Dynamics: A Case Study on a Lighter-Than-Air Wind Energy System

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140442/1/6.2014-2711.pd

Cover crops with biofumigation properties for the suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes : a review

The original publication is available at http://www.sawislibrary.co.za/dbtw-wpd/textbase/sajev.htmPlant-parasitic nematodes are a problem in vineyards worldwide, with some species acting as vectors of grapevine soil-transmitted viruses. Global pressure on the use of soil-applied chemical nematicides has led to a search for new control options, or for alternative methods to suppress plant-parasitic nematodes as part of integrated pest management. This paper gives valuable background information on the use of cover crops with biofumigation properties for the suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes in vineyards.Winetech, Dried Fruit Technical Services and the National Research Foundation of South AfricaPublishers' Versio