Pregnancy outcome after in vitro fertilisation at the Pretoria unit

This retrospective study was conducted to ascertain the success rate of a university-based in vitro fertilisation (IVF) programme. Over a 4-year period a total of881 patients was aspirated with an 81,8% embryo transfer (ET) rate. This resulted in 150 biochemical pregnancies (20,8% per ET), and 92 births that produced 100 babies were recorded (12,8% per ET). Multiple pregnancies accounted for 8,7% of births and 6,5% of the 100 babies presented with minor congenital abnormalities. Delivery took place by caesarean section in 46% of cases. Birth mass of babies ranged from 1,06 to 4 kg with a mean of 2,944 ± 0,629 kg. Mean gestational age was 260 ± 18,2 days. Twenty-three percent of babies born were pretenn, 13,8% of these were twins and presented with a low birth mass. It was concluded that the conception rate of patients did not differ with regard to the number of IVF attempts but that those who conceived during the first two attempts had a significantly better chance (P < 0,05) of carrying to tenn

QTL associated with resistance to cassava brown streak and cassava mosaic diseases in a bi-parental cross of two Tanzanian farmer varieties, Namikonga and Albert

Article purchasedCassava production in Africa is compromised by cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease (CMD). To reduce costs and increase the precision of resistance breeding, a QTL study was conducted to identify molecular markers linked to resistance against these diseases. A bi-parental F1 mapping population was developed from a cross between the Tanzanian farmer varieties, Namikonga and Albert. A one-step genetic linkage map comprising 943 SNP markers and 18 linkage groups spanning 1776.2 cM was generated. Phenotypic data from 240 F1 progeny were obtained from two disease hotspots in Tanzania, over two successive seasons, 2013 and 2014. Two consistent QTLs linked to resistance to CBSD-induced root necrosis were identified in Namikonga on chromosomes II (qCBSDRNFc2Nm) and XI (qCBSDRNc11Nm) and a putative QTL on chromosome XVIII (qCBSDRNc18Nm). qCBSDRNFc2Nm was identified at Naliendele in both seasons. The same QTL was also associated with CBSD foliar resistance. qCBSDRNc11Nm was identified at Chambezi in both seasons, and was characterized by three peaks, spanning a distance of 253 kb. Twenty-seven genes were identified within this region including two LRR proteins and a signal recognition particle. In addition, two highly significant CMD resistance QTL (qCMDc12.1A and qCMDc12.2A) were detected in Albert, on chromosome 12. Both qCMDc12.1A and qCMDc12.2A lay within the range of markers reported earlier, defining the CMD2 locus. This is the first time that two loci have been identified within the CMD2 QTL, and in germplasm of apparent East African origin. Additional QTLs with minor effects on CBSD and CMD resistance were also identified

QTL associated with resistance to cassava brown streak and cassava mosaic diseases in a bi-parental cross of two Tanzanian farmer varieties, Namikonga and Albert

Cassava production in Africa is compromised by cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease (CMD). To reduce costs and increase the precision of resistance breeding, a QTL study was conducted to identify molecular markers linked to resistance against these diseases. A bi-parental F1 mapping population was developed from a cross between the Tanzanian farmer varieties, Namikonga and Albert. A one-step genetic linkage map comprising 943 SNP markers and 18 linkage groups spanning 1776.2 cM was generated. Phenotypic data from 240 F1 progeny were obtained from two disease hotspots in Tanzania, over two successive seasons, 2013 and 2014. Two consistent QTLs linked to resistance to CBSD-induced root necrosis were identified in Namikonga on chromosomes II (qCBSDRNFc2Nm) and XI (qCBSDRNc11Nm) and a putative QTL on chromosome XVIII (qCBSDRNc18Nm). qCBSDRNFc2Nm was identified at Naliendele in both seasons. The same QTL was also associated with CBSD foliar resistance. qCBSDRNc11Nm was identified at Chambezi in both seasons, and was characterized by three peaks, spanning a distance of 253 kb. Twenty-seven genes were identified within this region including two LRR proteins and a signal recognition particle. In addition, two highly significant CMD resistance QTL (qCMDc12.1A and qCMDc12.2A) were detected in Albert, on chromosome 12. Both qCMDc12.1A and qCMDc12.2A lay within the range of markers reported earlier, defining the CMD2 locus. This is the first time that two loci have been identified within the CMD2 QTL, and in germplasm of apparent East African origin. Additional QTLs with minor effects on CBSD and CMD resistance were also identified.The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for funding under Contract ID OPPGD1016.http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/0040-5752/am2017Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)Genetic

Sedimentology, stratigraphic context, and implications of Miocene intrashelf bottomset deposits, offshore New Jersey

Drilling of intrashelf Miocene clinothems onshore and offshore New Jersey has provided better understanding of their topset and foreset deposits, but the sedimentology and stratigraphy of their bottomset deposits have not been documented in detail. Three coreholes (Sites M27–M29), collected during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 313, intersect multiple bottomset deposits, and their analysis helps to refine sequence stratigraphic interpretations and process response models for intrashelf clinothems. At Site M29, the most downdip location, chronostratigraphically well-constrained bottomset deposits follow a repeated stratigraphic motif. Coarse-grained glauconitic quartz sand packages abruptly overlie deeply burrowed surfaces. Typically, these packages coarsen then fine upwards and pass upward into bioturbated siltstones. These coarse sand beds are amalgamated and poorly sorted and contain thin-walled shells, benthic foraminifera, and extrabasinal clasts, consistent with an interpretation of debrites. The sedimentology and mounded seismic character of these packages support interpretation as debrite-dominated lobe complexes. Farther updip, at Site M28, the same chronostratigraphic units are amalgamated, with the absence of bioturbated silts pointing to more erosion in proximal locations. Graded sandstones and dune-scale cross-bedding in the younger sequences in Site M28 indicate deposition from turbidity currents and channelization. The sharp base of each package is interpreted as a sequence boundary, with a period of erosion and sediment bypass evidenced by the burrowed surface, and the coarse-grained debritic and turbiditic deposits representing the lowstand systems tract. The overlying fine-grained deposits are interpreted as the combined transgressive and highstand systems tract deposits and contain the deepwater equivalent of the maximum flooding surface. The variety in thickness and grain-size trends in the coarse-grained bottomset packages point to an autogenic control, through compensational stacking of lobes and lobe complexes. However, the large-scale stratigraphic organization of the bottomset deposits and the coarse-grained immature extrabasinal and reworked glauconitic detritus point to external controls, likely a combination of relative sea-level fall and waxing-and-waning cycles of sediment supply. This study demonstrates that large amounts of sediment gravity-flow deposits can be generated in relatively shallow (~100–200 m deep) and low-gradient (~1°–4°) clinothems that prograded across a deep continental shelf. This physiography likely led to the dominance of debris flow deposits due to the short transport distance limiting transformation to low-concentration turbidity currents

Challenges facing a gynaecology and obstetrics department in the space age

The responsibilities of a department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of a medical school are the following: patient care, teaching and training, research, administration and, lastly, official duties. These tasks should be performed in an atmosphere of characterbuilding and continuous stimulation; THINK should be the motto of all times. Other essentials include good management and a team approach, which should be combined with proper planning, consultation and contact - nationally as well as internationally - with scientists in this particular field. The cost-benefit factor should always feature prominently in all departmental activities, and of particular importance in this connection would be periodical analyses of the departmental activities aimed at ensuring that objectives are being fulfilled. Patient care should have a high priority rating in departmental objectives. A comparison of the departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the three Afrikaans-language medical schools in the country shows that this university attends to approximately 48% of the total number of out-patients and 47% of the total number of deliveries handled by these three units annually, while having only 22% of the total personnel complement. Moreover, as regards apparatus facilities, this department has only 15% of the total number of colposcopes and 23% of fetal heart monitors at its disposal. Specific facilities for which provision should be made include a reproductive biology unit including a gynaecological endocrinology and infertility department, preconception clinic, family planning unit and mature-women clinic; a gynaecological oncology unit including a clinic for colposcopy and cytology and a trophoblastic disease unit; a perinatalogy unit including an intensive-care unit, facilitites for ante-natal fetal monitoring, fetoscopv and pre-natal diagnosis and genetic advisory clinics; uro-gynaecological unit; an ultra-sound unit; and a comprehensive service in the form of social workers and psycologists who must be part of the team. It should also be the responsibility of the department to convey information to patients by every possible means, such as symposia and publications in the lay press. Training on a pre- and postgraduate level is a specific responsibility of this department, and once again when comparing the three Afrikaans universities it appears that this department provides training to 43% of the total number of students but has only 33% of the lecturing staff and 16% of the administrative staff of the three medical schools combined. A specific aim should be to increase the retention of medical scientists by stimulating interest in research and academical medicine. Ongoing training should also be encouraged in order to maintain the standard of practice of medicine at an optimal level in this country. The training of nurses and paramedical staff should also be maintained at a high level, since these people have an important role in the team approach of this department. The value of research cannot be overestimated. Such research should not only be clinically orientated but should include experimental animal and laboratory research as well. The newly established in vitro fertilization research programme of the department is discussed at length, and reference is made to the ethical consequences of this new technique.p. 33-39 : Publikasies van die Universiteit van Pretoria (Nuwe Reeks)http://explore.up.ac.za/record=b178825

A mathematical ranking model in learning analytics

The introduction of new educationa l trends triggers the development of innovative methods to collect, analyse and report the data subsequently generated. This paper discusses the implementation of a multi-stage mathematical class ranking model as a method in learning analytics, applied to a Computer Science module. The model applies the principle of Pareto optimality in an outputs-only data envelopment model to categorise st udents into classes of similar efficiency which are ranked according to dominance. The model is then adapted to calculate improvem ent targets for each stude

Student ranking by means of non-linear mathematical optimization of participation marks

Ranking students according to their growing participation marks could encourage them to develop self-motivational attitudes toward their academic progress. This paper describes the ranking of students by means of a non-linear mathematical optimization model. The model uses optimization techniques to find the best weights for calculating students’ participation marks, effectively eliminating manual evaluation of all possible equations. The optimal weights are used to calculate the average participation marks and the students are ranked accordingl