Browsing by Author "Engelbrecht, A."

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    CORRIGENDUM: Integrative taxonomy resolves three new cryptic species of small southern African horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus)
    (2019) Taylor, P.J.; MacDonald, A.; Goodman, S.M.; Kearney, T.; Cotterill, F.P.D.; Stoffberg, S.; Monadjem, A.; Schoeman, M.C.; Guyton, J.; Naskrecki, P.; Engelbrecht, A.; Richards, L.R.
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    An electronic survey of preferred podcast format and content requirements among trainee emergency medicine specialists in four Southern African universities
    (Elsevier, 2021) Ekambaram, K.; Lamprecht, H.; Lalloo, V.; Caruso, N.; Engelbrecht, A.; Jooste, W.
    This study aims to explore the desired content, format and delivery characteristics of a potential educational, context- specific Southern African EM podcast, by investigating current podcast usages, trends and preferences among Southern African EM registrars of varying seniority. Methods: We developed an electronic survey - using a combination of existing literature, context-specific specialist-training guidance, and input from local experts – exploring preferred podcast characteristics among EM registrars from four Southern African universities. Results: The study’s response rate was 75%, with 24 of the 39 respondents being junior registrars. Ninety-four percent (94%) of respondents used EM podcasts as an educational medium: 64% predominantly using pod- casts to supplement a personal EM study program. The primary mode of accessing podcasts was via personal mobile devices (84%). Additionally, respondents preferred a shorter podcast duration (5–15 min), favoured multimedia podcasts (56%) and showed an apparent aversion toward recorded faculty lectures (5%). Eighty-two percent (82%) of respondents preferred context-specific podcast content, with popular topics including toxi- cology (95%), cardiovascular emergencies (79%) and medico-legal matters (74%). Just-in-Time learning proved an unpopular learning strategy in our study population, despite its substantial educational value. Conclusion: Podcast-usage proved to be near-ubiquitous among the studied Southern African EM registrars. Quintessentially, future context-specific podcast design should cater for mobile device-use, shorter duration podcasts, more video content, context-specific topics, and content optimised for both Just-in-Time learning.
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    Genetic variation in nodule size at different sites on the skins of slaughter ostriches
    (South African Society for Animal Science, 2006) Cloete, S. W. P. (Schalk Willem Petrus van der Merwe); Van Schalkwyk, S. J.; Engelbrecht, A.; Hoffman, L. C.
    ABSTRACT: Nodule size is an important indicator of leather quality in the ostrich leather trade. The present study investigated genetic variation in nodule size at five sites on the skin, namely the neck, back, upper leg, flank and butt. Nodule size increased with an increased chronological age at all sites. Estimates of h² for nodule size ranged from 0.09 ± 0.07 on the flank region to 0.24 ± 0.10 on the upper leg region. Genetic correlations between nodule sizes measured at different sites were generally lower than expected, linked to high standard errors and mostly not significant. These preliminary results seem to suggest that nodule size on different locations of the skin is not necessarily the same genetic trait. Apart from the limitations evident from these results, the objective measurement of nodules on ostrich skins is tedious when done manually, with little prospect for automation. The number of nodules per dm² (nodule density) was considered within skin sites as an indirect criterion for the improvement of nodule size. However, genetic correlations between nodule density and nodule size were negative, variable in size and generally not significantly different from zero or unity. Based on these preliminary results, alternative strategies for the genetic improvement of ostrich skin nodule size should be considered.
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    Meat quality, skin damage and reproductive performance of ostriches exposed to extensive human presence and interactions at an early age
    (Springer, 2020) Muvhali, P. T.; Bonato, M.; Engelbrecht, A.; Malecki, I. A.; Mapiye, Cletos; Cloete, S. W. P. (Schalk Willem Petrus van der Merwe)
    The effect human presence and interactions performed after hatch to 3 months of age has on ostrich meat quality, skin damage and reproductive performance at a later age was investigated in 416-day-old ostrich chicks. The chicks were allocated to one of the three treatments, which varied with regard to exposure to human presence and care for 3 months post-hatch: HP1—extensive human presence with physical contact (touch, stroking), gentle human voice and visual contact; HP2—extensive human presence with gentle human voice and visual contact without physical contact; S—standard control treatment, where human presence and visual contact were limited to routine management, feed and water supply only. Carcass attributes (carcass weight, dressing percentage and drumstick weight), meat quality traits (pH, colour and tenderness) and skin traits (skin size, skin grading and number of lesions) were evaluated on twenty-four 1-year-old South African Black (SAB) ostriches. Reproductive performance (egg production, average egg weight, number of clutches, clutch size, chick production, average chick weight, fertility and hatchability percentage) were recorded for the first three breeding seasons of 23 SAB pair-bred females from this study. No differences in carcass attributes, meat quality, skin traits and reproductive performance were found between treatments (P > 0.05). It was evident that exposure of day-old ostriches to extensive human presence and interaction as chicks did not influence carcass attributes, meat quality or skin traits at slaughter age, but more importantly, it did not compromise their reproductive performance.