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Canola meal (CM) is a locally produced protein source that may be less expensive than soybean meal (SBM). This study evaluated the effects of replacing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% SBM with CM in diets for slaughter ostriches. The CM was added at the expense of SBM and other concentrates, with minor changes in other ingredients. Birds (n = 15 per treatment) were reared from 77 to 337 days old on the trial diets, which were supplied ad libitum for starter, grower, and finisher phases. Bodyweights and feed intake were measured during these phases. No differences (P >0.05) were found between treatments for live weight at the end of each phase, dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) over all the growth phases. Although no differences were observed in live weight at the end of each phase, the birds reared on the diet with 50% CM were heaviest at slaughter, and birds reared with 100% CM were lightest (P 0.05) were observed between diets for fat pad weight, dressing percentage, and weights of thighs and Muscularis gastrocnemius. The results indicate that CM could replace SBM in the diets of slaughter ostriches without affecting production traits and slaughter yields.Keywords: alternative protein, average daily gain, canola, dry matter intake, feed conversion ratio, growth, ostrich nutrition, production

We describe an impressive ~55 m high outcrop from the Pilanesberg Platinum Mine open pit, located in the North-Western Bushveld Complex. The outcrop exposes the complete two-dimensional structure of three Merensky Unit potholes that cut several metres down into the underlying footwall anorthosites. The transgressive field relationships are interpreted to have resulted from thermochemical erosion of the footwall rocks by new pulses of magma replenishing the chamber and resulting in incremental growth of the Bushveld Complex.

The efundja is the annual flooding experienced in the Cuvelai-Etosha basin of northern Namibia. This recurring flooding varies in intensity and impact the lives of the inhabitants of the basin in disparate ways. The rural population of the basin is especially vulnerable to the impacts associated with these floods. The governmental response to the efundja is mostly reactive, and the voices of the rural community are lacking in the development and execution of the disaster response strategy for the area. Limited studies exist to include the voices of rural communities in the narrative about the efundja and its impact and mitigation. This study used focus group discussions to investigate the experiences of heads of households in the affected rural communities in the study area to address this hiatus in the research. The results of the study can also aid in addressing the deficiencies in the governmental response strategy used to deal with the floods. Rural communities in the study area articulated the impacts of the efundja on their lives well and indicated that the impacts are pervasive and affect their entire way of life. They reported that the nature and duration of the efundja have changed over time, with a longer duration, more severe impacts, pollution, and poor water quality associated with recent efundja events. They attribute this mainly to climate change, an increase in the population of the basin, inappropriate human behavior and bad spatial planning. Although the rural communities reported various practical methods to alleviate the adverse impacts of the flooding, they expressed a general lack of capacity to deal with the flooding effectively. Empowerment through education and training on how to mitigate effects and participation in disaster response planning and execution were affirmed needs in the communities surveyed. The research and its results can be used to inform a better disaster response strategy for northern Namibia. The study can also be emulated in other areas of the Global South. The results of such studies can be compared with that of the present study to expand the disaster response narrative. Adding the voices of vulnerable rural communities can be a particularly valuable addition to the disaster response narrative since their views are sometimes excluded in disaster response studies.

This study investigated the relationships/correlations that exist between mandibular and skeletal cephalometric measurements in an attempt to better understand the geometric properties of the mandible. These correlations are intended to aid in pre-operative planning and mandibular implant design. The analysis was performed on 30 male (25.46 ± 4.3 years) and 20 female (27.94 ± 4.2 years) South African specimens, by retrospectively analysing CT scan data. Results of the study showed a number of moderate to strong correlations existing between mandibular measurements. Conversely, no strong correlations existed between upper facial and mandibular measurements. The strongest correlations existed between bilateral mandibular measurements. This supports the intuitive observation of the mandible being symmetrical across the sagittal plane. A comparison was also drawn between certain measurements across different ethnic groups. The significant differences in measurements across these ethnic groups emphasises the need for an analysis specific to the South African population.

The main consumer products derived from ostriches are feathers, leather and meat. Despite progress in optimizing production practices, additional information is still necessary about the value of various raw materials as feed to ensure cost-efficient production. This study aimed to determine the effects of the gradual replacement of soybean oilcake meal with sweet lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) seed in the diet of feedlot ostriches on the feather, leather and meat production characteristics. The chicks received a standard commercial pre-starter ostrich diet, with the trial utilizing 141 ostrich chicks (± 10 chicks per group), beginning with the starter phase (83 days posthatching) and reared until 11 months of age. Five iso-nutritional diets were formulated for each feeding phase (starter, grower and finisher) according to specifications for each phase. In each phase, a control diet (Diet 1, 0% lupin diet (LD)) was formulated using soybean oilcake meal as the sole protein source and Diet 5 (100LD) was formulated to include the maximum amount of sweet lupin according to the specifications for the species and feeding phase. The maximum amount of sweet lupin included in 100LD therefore differs among the three feeding phases. The remaining three diets were formulated by gradually replacing soybean oilcake meal with lupins in the following increments: 100 : 0 (0LD); 75 : 25 (25LD); 50 : 50 (50LD); 25 : 75 (75LD), and 0 : 100 (100LD). There were three replications per treatment, resulting in 15 groups of birds. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum. No differences were found for moisture, crude protein and ash contents of the meat. However, the intra-muscular fat content was significantly influenced by the sweet lupin content of the diet. No differences were found for any of the feather classes that were measured. Regarding leather traits, the treatment diets had no effect on the crust sizes, leather grades, nodule diameters, and nodule densities. Differences were observed for leather thickness and pinhole number. It can be concluded that the sweet lupin inclusion levels evaluated in this study had little influence on leather traits, meat composition and feather classes.Keywords: Diets, nutrition, ostrich products, slaughter ostriches

CITATION: Brand, T. S., et al. 2019. Effect of varying levels of protein concentration on production traits of ostriches (Struthio camelus var. domesticus). South African Journal of Animal Science, 49(4):doi:0.4314/sajas.v49i4.10.

Nutrition contributes approximately 75% of the total input costs to an intensive ostrich production unit. An increase in the price of traditional protein sources thus necessitates finding cheaper alternatives. Sweet lupins were identified as a possible alternative; therefore, the effect of feeding various sweet lupin inclusion levels was evaluated throughout the different feeding phases. One hundred and forty ostrich chicks were randomly divided into five dietary treatments with three replications each. The chicks all received a standard commercial pre-starter ostrich diet. Five iso-nutritional diets were formulated for each feeding phase according to specifications set out for each of the different feeding phases using Mixit2+ software. For each feeding phase the diets contained either soybean oilcake meal (control diet, 0LD) or sweet lupins (alternative protein source). The 100 lupin diet (LD) was formulated to include the maximum amount of sweet lupins according to the specifications for the specific species and the feeding phase, and therefore differs between the three feeding phases. Soybean oilcake meal was thus gradually replaced by sweet lupins in the following ratios: 100:0 (0LD), 75:25 (25LD), 50:50 (50LD), 25:75 (75LD), and 0:100 (100LD). Feed and water were supplied ad libitum. Feed intakes and live weights were measured every fortnight until slaughter at ca. 11 months of age. No differences were found between the treatment diets for the live weight, dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG) or feed conversion ratio (FCR) at the end of each feeding phase. However, the birds on the 75LD tended to have the highest end weight and ADG, and those on the 100LD the lowest at the end of the starter phase. No differences were found for slaughter weight, dressing percentage and big drum muscle weight of the birds. Birds on the 50LD and 75LD tended to have the heaviest cold carcasses; this differed from the 100LD birds which had the lightest. Birds fed the 50LD had heavier thigh weights than those on the other diets. The results of this study indicate that soybean oilcake meal can be replaced in the diets of slaughter ostriches with sweet lupins up to 15% (75LD) in starter diets and 30% (100LD) in grower and finisher diets without any significant effect on any of the production and slaughter traits.

Objective: To evaluate temporal changes in male urethral stricture etiology and socio-demographic features by comparing a contemporary with a previously studied cohort. Patients and methods: A total of 125 men with proven urethral strictures were interviewed April 2007 through March 2008 using a structured questionnaire on demographic, socio-economic and clinical aspects. The findings were compared with those reported in 120 urethral stricture patients seen at the same institution during 1991. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Fisher's exact tests (p 6 years of schooling (77.5% vs 45.8%), mean number of sex partners (7.3 vs 4.6) and illegal drug use (20.8% vs 10%). Stricture etiology showed a decrease in urethritis (25.6% vs 45%) and external trauma (16.8% vs 28.3%) and an increase in internal (iatrogenic) trauma (36.8% vs 10%). The groups with urethritis and external trauma were significantly younger (mean age 46.1 and 36.3 years) than those with iatrogenic trauma or idiopathic etiology (55.5 and 53.8 years, respectively). Urethritis etiology was associated with a greater number of sex partners, lower education level, previous imprisonment, and illegal drug use. Conclusions: Over the past 15 years there was an increase in education levels, illegal drug usage and number of sex partners in men with urethral strictures. There was a decrease in urethritis and external trauma, and an increase in iatrogenic trauma as stricture etiology.

Objective: To compare efficacy of sterilization reversals by laparotomy versus laparoscopy. Design: Meta-analysis. Search Strategy: Electronic searches were carried out for randomized controlled trials and retrospective and prospective clinical studies. Search engines such as PubMed, Science Direct, Medline and the Cochrane database were made use of. Our restrictions were English human studies published from 1989 to January 2010. Interventions: Microsurgical tubal reanastomosis performed comparing laparoscopy with laparotomy using a microsurgical technique. Outcome Measures:Primary: overall pregnancy rates, including positive clinical pregnancy, intrauterine and ectopic pregnancy rates. Secondary: surgery time. Results: Three retrospective comparative studies were retrieved from international data that investigated laparotomy versus laparoscopy. A total number of 184 patients were included, 88 and 96 respectively undergoing laparoscopy and laparotomy. Pregnancy rates achieved by laparoscopy ranged from 65 to 80.5% (mean 74.43%) and by laparotomy from 70 to 80% (mean 71.33%). A subanalysis of two of the three comparative studies show that laparoscopy reversal surgery requires a statistically significant longer operative time than does laparotomy (p < 0.00001). Conclusions: There is no difference between the laparoscopy and laparotomy approach to tubal reanastomosis when regarding overall pregnancy rates, intrauterine and ectopic pregnancy rates.

The incidence of infertility is approximately 15–20% (one in every five to six couples). The investigation of the infertile couple begins with a careful history, followed by a physical examination. If any abnormality is observed in the history, the couple must be referred. The principle of evaluation of the infertile couple is to establish if the female is ovulatory or anovulatory. If ovulatory, the couple must be referred for more detailed examinations. If anovulatory and her prolactin and TSH as well as his semen analysis are normal, ovulation induction with a low dose of clomiphene citrate can be offered. On the other hand, if her prolactin and TSH as well as his semen analysis are abnormal, it is best to refer the patient.

Feed costs contribute the largest proportion of the input costs of slaughter birds in an intensive ostrich production unit. Alternative, cheaper feedstuffs, such as lupins (sweet and bitter cultivars), were therefore evaluated to determine the optimal lupin inclusion level in ostrich rations without affecting feed preference and intake. Sixty South African Black ostriches were randomly divided into ten paddocks of six birds per paddock. Three trials, with five different experimental diets, were conducted to investigate the diet preference of grower ostriches in a free-choice system. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum . The position of the diets in the successive paddocks was varied by rotating the five feed troughs in a clockwise direction, but within each paddock the position of each feeder and diet stayed the same throughout the three trials. In the first two trials, sweet (trial 1) or bitter (trial 2) lupins replaced soybean oilcake meal to have 0, 7.5, 15, 22.5, and 30% lupin inclusion levels in the diet. In trial 3 the soybean oilcake meal was replaced with either sweet or bitter lupins to have dietary inclusion levels as follows: 0% lupins, 15% sweet, 15% bitter, 30% sweet, or 30% bitter. The daily intake per group for each diet was monitored over a period of five days each. The average initial body weight of the birds was 73.6 ± 0.5 kg. No interaction was found between day and diet for the three trials and dry matter intake (DMI) did not differ between the five treatments for any of the three trials. In the second trial the birds tended to show a preference for the 7.5% bitter lupin inclusion level and discriminated against the 15% and 30% bitter lupin inclusion levels. Regression analysis of DMI on lupin inclusion rates revealed no significant trends. In conclusion, the study revealed that soybean oilcake meal can be replaced in the diets of grower ostriches by sweet lupin inclusion levels up to 30%, without any significant detrimental effect on diet preference and feed intake. Keywords: Alkaloids, dry matter intake, feed palatability, lupins, visual appearance of the feed

Energy is essential for the continuous survival of any living organism. In ostrich diets, energy is usually derived from maize, which is often subject to fluctuations in yield as a result of drought conditions. Therefore, the optimal utilization of energy in the diets of ostriches becomes of paramount importance, but without affecting the performance of the birds negatively. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of five treatment diets, each with a different energy concentration, on the growth performance of 300 slaughter ostriches. Three replications per treatment resulted in 15 camps of ostriches being fed through the four feeding phases from pre-starter to starter, then grower, and finally finisher. A high mortality rate was experienced during the pre-starter phase, while the chicks were still young. Significant differences were found among the live weights of the birds after the pre-starter phase, with birds that consumed the middle diet (Diet 3) being the heaviest, at an average of 22.3 ± 0.33 kg. However, by the end of the trial, these differences were not significant. This was reflected in the production parameters, namely dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Differences were found only in the prestarter phase in ADG, with Diet 3 displaying the highest gain per day of 216.0 ± 8.08 g. Thus, in this study, dietary energy above and below the predicted optimum (Diet 3) seemed to have little influence on the performance of the ostriches, but results may have been affected by the above-average mortalities.Keywords: Average daily gain, dry matter intake, energy, feed conversion ratio, growth performance, ostrich nutrition

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess mother's/caregiver's understanding, practical application and cultural acceptability of a preliminary set of South African food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) for children aged 6–12 months living in the Little Karoo area of the Western Cape Province.DesignAn observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study design was followed. Focus group interviews, recorded on videotape, were analysed for qualitative data. Quantitative questionnaires measured knowledge and comprehension of guidelines, perceived constraints to compliance with and importance of guidelines as well as socio demographic data prior to the focus group interviews.SettingAfrikaans-, English- and Xhosa-speaking communities of the Little Karoo area of the Western Cape Province of South Africa, including the urban areas of Oudtshoorn, Bongulethu, Bridgton, Toekomsrus and the adjacent rural areas of Dysselsdorp, Calitzdorp, Uniondale, Ladismith and Zoar.SubjectsSixty-four mothers or caregivers to infants 6–12 months of age were included in the sample.ResultsInformation obtained through the questionnaires supported what was said during discussions. Although perceived as important by the majority of respondents, some of the guidelines were not well understood without prior explanation. Such guidelines were those pertaining to meal frequency and cup feeding, while application of the guideline to prolonged breast-feeding seemed the most problematic.ConclusionsThe FBDGs for this age group will have to be supported by extensive and appropriate educational material to be effective when introduced to the public. The fact that the applicability of the guideline to prolonged breast-feeding seemed to be the most problematic is a cause for concern.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the current data to understand the impact of intramural leiomyomata on pregnancy outcome in assisted reproduction. Patients and Methods: In this review, articles were found by means of computerized Medline and Cochrane Library search using the key words uterine myomata, leiomyomata, fibroids, implantation, pregnancy, infertility and in vitro fertilization. Limitations were English, human, 1990–2002. Inclusion criteria were pregnancy data on in vitro fertilization, intramural myomata with no cavitary distortion and control groups without myomas for each patient with a myoma. Results: There was a significant negative impact on implantation rate in the intramural myomata groups versus the control groups, 16.4 vs. 27.7% OR 0.62 (0.48–0.8). The delivery rate per transfer cycle was also significantly lower (myomata vs. control), 31.2 vs. 40.9% OR 0.69 (0.50–0.95). Conclusion: Our study supports the notion that patients with intramural fibroids have a lower implantation rate per cycle. The studies did not shed new light on the size of intramural myomata that could affect the outcome. In previous failed in vitro fertilization cycles, microsurgical removal of myomata must be considered.

A finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) analysis is presented to simulate, up to the high-frequency regime, transients on multiconductor transmission lines above dissipative earth. Excitation is in the high-frequency regime if the pulse has significant spectral content up to /spl omega//spl ap//spl omega//sub c/, with /spl omega//sub c/ the frequency where the conduction and displacement current densities have equal magnitude. Thus, /spl omega//sub c/=/spl sigma//sub g///spl epsi//sub 0//spl epsi//sub rg/ with /spl sigma//sub g/ and /spl epsi//sub rg/ the ground conductance and relative permittivity. The FDTD algorithm extends the formulation of Agrawal et al. (1980), by incorporating the theory of D'Amore and Sarto for the interaction of wide-band transients with the earth. Careful experimental testing of the new algorithm is presented. The measurement configuration consists of two parallel wires; first suspended above an aluminum sheet to test the code in the low-frequency regime; then above a block of absorbing material for experiments in the high-frequency regime. The end of one of the conductors is driven with a 2-ns synthesized impulse by a stepped-frequency, automatic network analyzer. Reflected and cross-talk signals are presented in the time domain. These show good agreement with the numerically predicted common mode, differential mode and mode-converted pulses.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to gain an insight into the optimal management of the infertile couple with the husband suffering from azoospermia.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of male and female factors on the pregnancy rate in an intrauterine insemination (IUI) programme. Data on 522 cycles were retrospectively studied. All patients 39 years or younger were included in the study where data were available on male and female diagnosis, as well as on ovulation induction methodology. Regression analysis was possible on 495 cycles to study different factors affecting the pregnancy rate per treatment cycle. Logistic regression identified variables which were related to outcome and were subsequently incorporated into a statistical model. The number of follicles was found to have a linear association with the risk ratio (chance) of pregnancy. The age of the woman was also found to have a linear (negative) association with pregnancy. The percentage motility and percentage normal morphology (by strict criteria) of spermatozoa in the fresh ejaculate were the male factors that significantly and independently predicted the outcome. Percentage motility > or = 50 was associated with a risk ratio of pregnancy of 2.95 compared to percentage motility 14% was associated with a risk ratio of pregnancy of 1.8 compared to percentage normal morphology 14% normal forms). A female diagnosis of endometriosis or tubal factor impacted negatively on the probability of pregnancy (risk ratio of 0.17), compared with other female diagnoses. Male and female factors contribute to pregnancy outcome, but the clinician can influence prognosis by increasing the number of follicles, especially in severe male factor cases.

Brand, T.S., Brandt, D.A., van der Merwe, J.P. and Cruywagen, C.W. 2000. Field peas (Pisum sativum) as protein source in diets of growing-finishing pigs. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 18: 159–164. The field pea (Pisum sativum) cultivar Glenroy (187g/kg CP) was evaluated as an alternative protein source in diets of grower-finisher pigs. Four diets were formulated on iso-nutrient basis (≈14.4 MJ/kg DE, 160 g/kg CP, 9.3 g/kg lysine, 5.3g/kg methionine and cystine, 2.1g/kg tryptophan) so that soybean oilcake meal and maize meal were substituted by increasing levels of fieldpeas (16%, 32%, 48% and 64%). Forty castrated pigs (78 d, 21.7±2.6 kg) were individually housed and 10 pigs were fed on each diet ad libitum for 84 days. DM intake, average daily gain and feed conversion efficiency, all depressed on the highest peas level in the diet. The DE content and N-retention of the 64% peas diet were significantly (P

The determination of the breakdown electric field of air between two identical conducting spheres is a good example of the use of the method of images to solve a practical problem in engineering electromagnetics. The sparkover electric field is computed from published or measured data for the breakdown voltage by using the theoretical solution for the image charges. Thus students are exposed to a sophisticated method of images solution involving two sets of infinitely many charges. Additional educational benefits include an enhanced appreciation for the properties of air as an insulator, for the limits of the electroquasistatic approximation, for the numerical convergence properties of infinite series, and for the history of science. Instead of using published tables, an exposure to high-voltage engineering to obtain measured breakthrough data is an option if a suitable laboratory is available.

A frequency-domain method is presented, which yields accurate characteristic matrices of uniform multiconductor transmission lines (MTLs). It uses simple two-port network analyzer S-parameter measurements of a set of open-circuit and short-circuited MTL configurations. The method eliminates the need for voltage and current probes, which introduce errors. Transversely inhomogeneous MTLs can be accurately characterized in their quasi-TEM propagation regime. The influence of the skin effect on the inductance matrix is taken into account. The technique was used to determine the inductance and capacitance matrices of a low-loss three-conductor ribbon cable above a ground plane. Comparisons with numerically and analytically obtained data are given. Measurements are found to be repeatable for lines of length /spl Lscr/

Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is characterised by absence of the vagina and uterus and the presence of normal ovaries. It is a rare congenital anomaly of the female genital tract with a prevalence of 1 in 5 000 female newborns. There is no standard treatment, but a few techniques for creating a vagina, allowing a normal sex life, have been described. We report on a new laparoscopic vaginoplasty procedure that will create a further option for patients with vaginal agenesis.

Interstitial pregnancies constitute 2 - 4% of all tubal pregnancies. The maternal mortality rate for interstitial pregnancies is still 2 - 2.5% in contrast to the overall ectopic pregnancy mortality rate which has fallen dramatically to 0.14% in developed countries. For this reason it is imperative that the interstitial pregnancy is diagnosed early and treated effectively. Due to technological improvements management options that can be offered today include a spectrum of medical and surgical possibilities. Treatment choice will be influenced by various factors such as patient choice desire for future pregnancies as well as the availability and degree of laparoscopic operator skill. (excerpt)

To determine the value of basal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol (E2) levels on cycle day 3 in predicting the ovulation stimulation response in patients receiving exogenous gonadotropins for in vitro fertilization (IVF) or gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT).One hundred eleven consecutive females with infertility due to various etiologies were investigated. Cycle day 3 serum levels of FSH, LH, and E2 were determined prior to ovulation induction with a combination of clomiphene citrate and human gonadotropins. Follicular growth was monitored ultrasonically, and when appropriate, oocytes were recruited, counted, graded, and then used, as prearranged, for either IVF or GIFT. Basal hormone levels were compared to the peak E2 concentration, the number of follicles aspirated, and the number of preovulatory oocytes recovered following drug therapy. Details of resulting pregnancies were also recorded.Patients with low basal FSH levels (11.5 mIu/ml) yielded a higher mean number of preovulatory oocytes than those with high values (11.5 mIu/ml), i.e., 6.7 oocytes per cycle vs 2.5 oocytes (P0.001). In the low group 97% of cycles yielded more than three fertilizable oocytes compared to 42% in the high group (P0.5). There were 16 term pregnancies (16%) in the low group and 1 (8.3%) in the high group. Basal LH and E2 levels did not improve on the ability to distinguish between different populations of infertile females who responded differently to ovulation induction.Cycle day 3 FSH levels are predictive of the ovulation response and probability of pregnancy in stimulated cycles and can be of value in patient selection and counseling in IVF and GIFT programs.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of sperm morphology, swim-up concentration, and insemination volume on pregnancy outcome in patients undergoing gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) treatment in whom the male partner had a morphology of less than 14%. Only patients who received four oocytes were entered into this study (n = 103). In all cases the swim-up procedure time was standardized to 1 h and the insemination concentration was standardized to 500,000 per oviduct. There was no significant difference in pregnancy rate when normal morphology, swim-up concentration, or insemination volume were used as predictors. In the P pattern group (4% normal forms) only four of the 28 (14%) patients had ongoing pregnancies, whereas in the G pattern group (5% to 14% normal forms) 16 out of 75 (21%) had ongoing pregnancies (P vs G, p0.05; not significant). The fertilization rate among excess oocytes in the P pattern group was 18% but was 39% (p.0001) in the G pattern group. When an attempt was made to compensate for low morphology by increasing insemination concentration no significant difference in the pregnancy rate between the P and G pattern groups in the GIFT program was recorded. This was not the case when the in vitro fertilization rate was used as an endpoint. Insemination volume and swim-up concentration played no role in pregnancy rate.

No Abstract.

A case is reported of a 42-year-old female patient, who presented with clinical symptoms of Eagle's syndrome, radiographic evidence of marginally elongated styloid processes as well as markedly elongated lesser cornua of the hyoid. The symptoms were successfully treated by amputating the lesser cornua of the hyoid. The patient has now been asymptomatic for more than 6 years.

Sixteen couples were diagnosed as having immunological infertility. To detect sperm-bound immunoglobulin (Ig), i.e., IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies, the direct immunobead test (IBT) was used. In each individual patient, the direct IBT was greater than or equal to 70% positive for either IgA or IgG or both. The indirect IBT was positive for IgA and IgG antibodies in the serum of all the patients. Semen was collected in 15 mL medium (Ham's F10 [Gibco, Grand Island, NY] + 10% whole blood serum) and prepared with the wash and swim-up method. Patients in the study group were treated for their immunological infertility problem by performing the gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) procedure. An ongoing pregnancy was achieved in 7 of the 16 (43%) couples treated with the GIFT procedure with an ongoing pregnancy rate of 24.1% (7 of 29) per cycle. The GIFT procedure appears to be an effective and safe way of treating male immunological infertility.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the current data to understand the impact of intramural leiomyomata on pregnancy outcome in assisted reproduction.In this review, articles were found by means of computerized Medline and Cochrane Library search using the key words uterine myomata, leiomyomata, fibroids, implantation, pregnancy, infertility and in vitro fertilization. Limitations were English, human, 1990-2002. Inclusion criteria were pregnancy data on in vitro fertilization, intramural myomata with no cavitary distortion and control groups without myomas for each patient with a myoma.There was a significant negative impact on implantation rate in the intramural myomata groups versus the control groups, 16.4 vs. 27.7% OR 0.62 (0.48-0.8). The delivery rate per transfer cycle was also significantly lower (myomata vs. control), 31.2 vs. 40.9% OR 0.69 (0.50-0.95).Our study supports the notion that patients with intramural fibroids have a lower implantation rate per cycle. The studies did not shed new light on the size of intramural myomata that could affect the outcome. In previous failed in vitro fertilization cycles, microsurgical removal of myomata must be considered.

To identify the factors that most significantly affected pregnancy rates in a gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) programme.A total of 863 GIFT cycles were analysed retrospectively. The variables found to be associated significantly with pregnancy were then used to obtain multivariate analysis using logistical regression.Overall and ongoing pregnancy rates were significantly better in patientsor = 38 years than in patients38 years (37.3% and 28.4% v. 23.7% and 11.0% respectively), and age was positively associated with success after GIFT (odds ratio (OR) 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22-2.85). Metaphase I (MI) oocytes were negatively associated with pregnancy (OR 1.54, 95% CI: 0.28-1.04). The highest pregnancy rates occurred when 3 metaphase II (MII) oocytes were transferred (39.8%, OR 7.51, 95% CI: 1.74-32.42). With regard to sperm morphology, overall pregnancy rates of 25.5% (or = 4% normal forms) and 37.2% (4% normal forms) were obtained. Morphology of4% normal forms was positively associated with pregnancy (OR 1.58, 95% CI: 1.04-2.42).The results of this study suggest that the most important factors influencing pregnancy rates in a GIFT programme are the woman's age and those factors pertaining to the characteristics of the gametes. Considering the emotional and financial costs it is important to relate this information to all prospective participants in a GIFT programme.

A transmission line above both an ideal and a lossy ground is illuminated by a plane wave, while its terminations are varied. The intention of this study, for EMI purposes, is to explore the minimisation of power induced in the loads, both by simulation and measurement. The simulations are performed in the time domain and the frequency domain, while measurements are made in the frequency domain with a network analyser. Great care is needed for the measurement procedures.

Discusses the third year course on electromagnetic theory in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Stellenbosch, the follow up fourth year course on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and the experiments which have been developed in support of them.

A frequency domain method is presented which yields accurate characteristic matrices of uniform multiconductor transmission lines (MTLs). It uses simple two-port network analyzer S-parameter measurements of a set of open-circuit and short-circuited MTL configurations. Transversely inhomogeneous MTLs can be characterized accurately in their quasi-TEM propagation regime. The technique was used to determine the inductance and capacitance matrices of a low loss three conductor ribbon cable above a ground plane. Comparisons with numerically and analytically obtained data are given. Measurements are found to be repeatable for lines of length l

The aim of the study was to gain an insight into the optimal management of the infertile couple with the husband suffering from azoospermia.One hundred and forty-two intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles performed with testicular extracted spermatozoa were retrospectively analysed. The following factors were investigated for their possible influence on fertilization, cleavage, damage, pregnancy, and ongoing pregnancy rates: the use of fresh, cryopreserved, and preincubated (24 h) spermatozoa and the etiology of the husbands' azoospermia (obstructive and nonobstructive). All microinjections were performed with apparently normal spermatozoa--a head with a tail of normal length. In 116 cycles at least two embryos were available for transfer.The overall fertilization, clinical pregnancy, and ongoing pregnancy rates obtained for the 116 cycles were 65.0, 30.2, and 22.4% respectively. Similar outcomes were obtained for cycles using fresh testicular and cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa. Similarly, no significant differences were obtained between the cycles using spermatozoa from obstructive or nonobstructive azoospermic patients. An increase in motility after a 24-h preincubation was observed, and although this group was relatively small (n = 17), a significant improvement in fertilization (73.7%) and pregnancy (53.9%) rate was obtained when the testicular sample was preincubated for 24 h. This improvement prevailed in the obstructive azoospermic group, but was less pronounced in nonobstructive patients.This study shows that the outcome of fresh and frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa in ICSI is comparable, obstructive and nonobstructive etiologies perform the same, and that preincubation of testicular spermatozoa results in increased fertilization and pregnancy rates. All testicular biopsies are therefore performed the day before oocyte retrieval, superfluous spermatozoa cryopreserved, and the remaining testicular homogenate preincubated for the 24 h prior to oocyte retrieval. With this regime, most azoospermic patients are treated successfully, irrespective of the use of fresh or frozen-thawed spermatozoa from obstructive or nonobstructive cases.