The influence of supplementary feeding on the conception rate of young Africander cows

No Abstrac

Descriptions of anatomical differences between skulls and mandibles of Equus zebra and E. burchelli from Southern Africa

The external anatomical differences between the skulls and mandibles of 10 mountain zebras Equus zebra and 10 plains zebras E. burchelli of both sexes were studied. The nomenclature used conforms to Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria (1983). Eleven structural differences are described for the first time and illustrated, viz., outline of the foramen magnum; length of the alar canal; comparative presence of the For. alare parvum; proportions of the mastoid process of the temporal bone; shape and development of the pterygoid crest; notch at the rostral end of the facial crest in E. burchelli; different inclination of the caudal end of the zygomatic arch; shape and length of the retroarticular process; relative size of the supraorbital foramina; presence of incisive canals in E. zebra; difference in the junction of the interalveolar border of the mandible with the alveolar border of the first cheek tooth. If three or more differences are used for identification, it should be possible to train any worker to distinguish between the skulls of these two species

The chromosomes Damaliscus lunatus

S. Afr. J. Zool. 1987,22(4

Internet radio "broadcasting" in South Africa.

Thesis (M.Mus.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1999.No abstract available

Consistency and convergence of SPH approximations

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-59).Includes abstract.This thesis is about a new approach to SPH. Instead of using a single kernel or shape function for approximation of a function and its derivatives, individual shape functions are used for each derivative. The investigation is carried out in one space dimension. After producing the conditions for consistency and convergence for the zeroth, first and second derivatives, a new set of linear or piecewise-linear shape functions which meet the minimum of these requirements are presented for each

The implementation, monitoring and management of an effective legal deposit system for South Africa

The aim of this study is to explore the issues surrounding the implementation, monitoring and management of legal deposit in South Africa. Legal deposit is a statutory obligation which requires that a producer of any type of publication which is available to the public, be it a commercial, public or private organisation or an individual, deposit one or more copies of the publication with a recognised national institution. The Legal Deposit Act of 1997 governs the deposit of publications in South Africa. Section 8 of the Legal Deposit Act makes provision for the constitution of a Legal Deposit Committee to oversee the implementation of the Act. This Committee, which consists of a broad spectrum of role players, expressed a need for an investigation into the many issues and questions relating to the provision of publications subject to legal deposit as required by the Legal Deposit Act. Although the Legal Deposit Act, at the time of its promulgation in 1998, was one of the first in the world to make provision for the deposit of electronic publications, this study focuses mainly on the legal deposit of books as this was identified by the Committee as an area of immediate and critical concern. The study begins with a comprehensive literature study to obtain sufficient theoretical information on legal deposit and of the problems and issues surrounding the subject internationally and in South Africa. - An overview of elements and issues covered in legal deposit legislation provides the background against which the investigation into the state of legal deposit and its implementation is undertaken. With the aim of contextualising South African legislative issues, a comparative study of legislation in the United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia and South Africa is also undertaken. -A discussion of the stages and activities involved in legal deposit, the need for monitoring and enforcement procedures and the external and internal factors that influence the way in which legal deposit is implemented in a country, provides an overall understanding of the legal deposit process -The implementation of legal deposit also depends on the committed participation of various role players. The individual roles and needs of these stakeholders in the legal deposit process are identified. The empirical investigation was conducted in two stages. The first phase of the study involved a survey to explore the attitudes, opinions and actions of publishers and legal deposit libraries, as the two main role players, to determine how these factors affect the successful implementation of legal deposit in South Africa. This forms the bulk of the study. The second phase of the study consisted of a feasibility study to determine the state of compliance with legal deposit in the country The outcomes of the empirical study were used to identify gaps and weaknesses in the current legal deposit system. This formed the basis to make recommendations for the improvement of procedures, methods and services. Areas critical to the successful implementation of a legal deposit system are highlighted. The study concludes with a view to the future. The importance of implementing a sustainable system of legal deposit on which the development of an effective system for the legal deposit of electronic publications can be built, is stressed.Thesis (DPhil(Information Science))--University of Pretoria, 2008.Information ScienceDPhilunrestricte

An investigation into the feasibility of using a participatory research approach in determining the information needs of a group of Coloured women in Eersterust

The primary aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of using a participatory research approach as a method for determining information needs. Participatory research is a qualitative research methodology that challenges the principles and practices of objective, detached, quantitative research approaches in the social sciences. Three main trends converged to contribute to the emergence of the practice of participatory research namely: dissatisfaction in the development arena with the planning of projects without the involvement of the people themselves; the work of adult educators from which evolved a methodology in which learners gained control over their own learning processes; and the disenchantment of social scientists with traditional positivist research methods that distance researchers from the realities and social environment of the subjects of their research. Dissatisfaction with the use of quantitative methods and techniques, similar to that in the social sciences, occurred in information needs research, which resulted in a call for the development of an alternative set of premises and assumptions. This effected a move away from a view of information use from a system-oriented perspective, towards the use of qualitative methods focusing on the users themselves in determining their information needs. Both Coloureds and women in South Africa have been exposed to hardship and discrimination over many years. A literature review indicated that the planned participatory research project with Coloured women from Eersterust would be feasible. It became apparent that no studies on the information needs of Coloureds in South Africa had been done, and very little research was done dealing with the information needs of women. The literature on participatory research furthermore clearly indicated that the concept had become familiar in a diversity of settings and disciplines outside that of development. For the purposes of this study with women, it was also of significant interest to note the many similarities between participatory research and feminist research. With the practical implementation of the project, the pre-requisites and underlying principles of participatory research were strictly adhered to. Information needs that were identified during the course of the project were compared to needs identified in other similar South African studies. The active involvement of the women in the research project resulted in the identification of reliable and relevant information needs. These results can serve as an example for the increasing use of qualitative techniques in determining information needs, and affirm that participatory research methods can be a valuable alternative in the area of information needs research.Dissertation (MIS (Information Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Information Scienceunrestricte

A century of teaching veterinary parasitology in South Africa – Lessons learnt

Finding a healthy balance between classical parasitology and clinical veterinary medicine remains a challenge. Veterinary Parasitology, of vital interest in sub-Saharan Africa, has always featured prominently at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria (founded in 1920). The faculty was initially an integral part of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI), and parasitology was taught by specialist researchers from OVI – a cult of total coverage prevailed. Presenting three separate courses – ectoparasitology, helminthology and protozoology – continued for many decades. From 1949 to 1973 an attendance course in veterinary parasitology was presented in the final academic year. This was revived in 1995, with a “refresher” in parasitology for final-year students (during their clinic rotation), including diagnostic parasite identification and problem-solving group discussions (prepared and led by students). Student contact time (including practical classes and assessments), initially 80 h/discipline/year, was gradually reduced. A species-based approach (introduced in 1998) had a major impact - an introductory course in general parasitology was followed by fragmented lectures in the subsequent 2 years on key parasitic diseases in the species-based subjects. In 2013 the curriculum reverted to being discipline-based, i.e. all aspects of parasitology and parasitic diseases covered during one academic year. The 3 sub-disciplines are included in a 2-semester course, with a total contact time of 100 h, which barely meets the minimum recommended by the WAAVP. Various lessons learnt are discussed.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/vetpar2019-03-15hj2018Veterinary Tropical Disease

Don't let sleeping dogs lie: unravelling the identity and taxonomy of Babesia canis, Babesia rossi and Babesia vogeli

For most of the 20th century the causative agent of canine babesiosis, wherever it occurred in the world, was commonly referred to as Babesia canis. Early research, from the 1890s to the 1930s, had shown that there were three distinctly different vector-specific parasite entities occurring in specific geographical regions, that host response to infection ranged from subclinical to acute, and that immunity to one stock of the parasite did not necessarily protect against infection with other stocks. This substantial body of knowledge was overlooked or ignored for 50 years. In this review the first records and descriptions of the disease in four geographical regions were traced: sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, North Africa and Asia. Research leading to identification of the specific tick vector species involved is documented. Evidence is given of the growing realisation that there were substantial biological differences between stocks originating from different geographical regions. Etymological provenance for Babesia vogeli is proposed.http://www.parasitesandvectors.comhj2020Veterinary Tropical Disease