A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo compreender a produção do espaço e de suas representações no bairro Restinga - Porto Alegre/RS. São construções atravessados por materialidades, idéias, intenções e vidas, que formam, de forma contraditória, complexa e singular, o bairro. Sua produção material é indissociável de seus imaginários e, embora o espaço seja abstração, é também materialidade na vida das pessoas, envolvendo desde a ordem distante, do Estado e instituições, até a ordem próxima, dada pelas relações em redes ou de vizinhança. Nesse sentido, a produção do espaço é acompanhada por distintas (e contraditórias) representações, constituídas dentro e fora da Restinga. São imaginários que originaram com a produção do bairro e a remoção das malocas, reproduzindo hoje, sob outras roupagens, as distâncias sociais. Contudo, o morador que encontra no bairro o abrigo dentro de uma sociedade desigual, constitui valores positivos, dissociando-o dos imaginários que o estigmatizam. É nesse sentido, que fatos e idéias compõem o viver do morador da periferia, constituindo os vínculos entre sujeito e bairro, em elaborações constantes do espaço de representação. / This research aims to understand the production of space and its representations at Restinga neighborhood, in Porto Alegre, RS. They are constructions built by materialities, ideas, intentions and lives, which form, in a contradictory, complex and singular way, this neighborhood. Its material production is not separable from its imaginary and, although the space is abstraction, it is also materiality in people's lives, evolving from the distant order - State and institutions - to the nearer order, given by the relationships of neighborhood or in nets. Thus, the production of space is kept up with distinct (and contradictory) representations, formed inside and outside Restinga. These imaginaries were created with the production of the neighborhood and the removing of the poorest handmade houses, which reproduces, in another way, the social distances. However, the person who finds in the neighborhood a shelter inside an unequal society has positive values, undoing it from the imaginaries that stigmatize it. Facts and ideas compound the people from outskirts' lives, which build the links between individual and neighborhood, in constant elaborations of space of representation.

Submitted by Marlene Santos (marlene.bc.ufg@gmail.com) on 2014-10-29T17:30:54Z No. of bitstreams: 2 dissertação -Carolina Oliveira e Oliveira.pdf: 2078994 bytes, checksum: 0cfd8ec168dbca1ef277b8811edf310b (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2014-10-30T10:03:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 dissertação -Carolina Oliveira e Oliveira.pdf: 2078994 bytes, checksum: 0cfd8ec168dbca1ef277b8811edf310b (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-30T10:03:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 dissertação -Carolina Oliveira e Oliveira.pdf: 2078994 bytes, checksum: 0cfd8ec168dbca1ef277b8811edf310b (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-06-11 / Emancipated in 1895, Jataí, a city located in southwestern Goias, had as main economic activities, since its inception, animal husbandry and subsistence agriculture. From the second half of the twentieth century, with the shift of the economic frontier for the region, Jataí urbanized and modernized to invest in new agricultural techniques. The process of modernization of the city can be seen in the transformation of the commercial sector. From simple emporiums warehouses, the shops have specialized, rationalized its work, and gradually turned into "take-pay", expanding its structure, more recently, for large format supermarkets. This dissertation examines what were the main changes in the trading houses of the city in the twentieth century, specifically in the 1950s to 1970 when the city was modernized, and how people coped with these changes. / Emancipada em 1895, Jataí, cidade localizada no sudoeste de Goiás, teve como principais atividades econômicas, desde seu surgimento, a pecuária e a agricultura de subsistência. A partir da segunda metade do século XX, com o deslocamento da fronteira econômica para a região, Jataí se urbanizou e modernizou ao investir em novas técnicas agrícolas. O processo de modernização da cidade pode ser observado nas transformações do setor comercial. De simples empórios ou armazéns, os estabelecimentos comerciais se especializaram, racionalizaram o seu trabalho e aos poucos se transformaram em ―pegue-pague‖, ampliando sua estrutura, mais recentemente, para o formato de grandes supermercados. Esta dissertação analisa quais foram as principais transformações ocorridas nas casas de comércio da cidade no século XX, especificamente nas décadas de 1950 à 1970, quando a cidade se moderniza, e como a população lidou com essas mudanças.

Objetivos: Realizou-se estudos de dinâmica populacional de colônias de Panstrongylus megistus Burmeister, 1835 (Hemíptera: Reduviidae) espontaneamente estabelecida em Galinheiro Experimental (GE). Interpretou-se as correlações entre os fatores climáticos e os dados populacionais observados. Métodos: Pesquisou-se população triatomínica espontaneamente instalada em GE localizado no Sítio Carandá, Araraquara-SP, Brasil no período de novembro de 1998 a março de 2002. Através de revisões sistemáticas, marcação do dorso, soltura e recaptura; estudo da dinâmica populacional foi procedido pela análise das distribuições das freqüências de insetos de Kiritani-Nakasuji e pelo uso do índice de correlação linear de Pearson aplicado aos dados climáticos e populacionais. Resultados: Obteve-se colonização espontânea do GE por Panstrongylus megistus. O tamanho da população variou de 19 a 208 indivíduos. Maior presença de ninfas nos períodos de inverno e verão e de adultos durante a primavera e outono; as fêmeas permaneceram mais tempo no abrigo que os machos; estes estiveram em maior número na maior parte das revisões (razão de sexo = 1,22). O ciclo de desenvolvimento completo de ninfa I-adulto foi 540 dias, a sobrevivência diária para todos os estádios foi de 0,9975 e a sobrevivência total foi de 0,2573; não houve correlação significativa entre os dados populacionais e os fatores climáticos segundo índice de correlação linear de Pearson (r = 0,1780 para temperatura e r = 0,1078 para pluviosidade). Conclusões: Os GEs constituem ferramenta bastante útil para estudos ecológicos de triatomíneos; as colônias desenvolvidas em ecótopos artificiais por P. megistus são estáveis; disponibilizou-se dados relativos a estudos anteriores; são necessários novos estudos para esclarecer melhor o comportamento de domiciliação dessa espécie que é K-estrategistas conforme RABINOVICH, 1972 / Studies on spontaneous domiciliation in experimental chickens houses for wild populations of triatomines in the municipal district of Araraquara, São Paulo, in the period of XI/1998 III/2002. Objective: Studies of the dynamic of population, of colonies of Panstrongylus megistus Burmeister, 1835 (Hemiptera:Reduviidae) spontaneously established in chickens houses (CH) was accomplished. The correlation between climate factors and population data observed were interpreted. Method: The population of Triatominae spontaneously established in a chicken house of the ranch Carandá, Araraquara, SP, Brazil in the period of November of 1998 to March of 2002. Was researched by systematic revisions, dorsum markings, release and recapture; the study of the dynamic of the population was proceeded by the Kiritani-Nakasuji method for analysing of the insects stage-frequency data and by the Pearson´s linear correlation index applied to climatic and population data. Results: A spontaneous colonisation of the chicken house by Panstrongylus megistus was obtained. The size of the population varied from 19 to 208 individual. The greatest presence of nymphs was in the winter and summer time and the great presence of adults was during spring and fall; the females stayed more time in the shelter than the males; those ones were in the greatest number in the majority of the revisions (Sex ratio =1,22). The cycle of the development from nymph I to adult was 540 days, the daily survival for all stages was 0,9975 and the total survival was 0,2573; and according to the Pearson´s linear correlation index, it had not significant correlation between population data and climate factors (r= 0,1780 for temperature and r= 0,1078 for rainfall). Conclusion: The chicken house constitute a useful tool for ecological studies of Triatominae, the colonies of Panstrongylus megistus which are developed in artificial ecotopes are stable, data from previous studies was disposed and new researches are necessary to better clarify the dwelling behaviour of this specie, that according to RABINOVICH, 1972 is K- strategical.

O setor da construção civil é hoje considerado não somente o maior consumidor de recursos e energia, mas também o maior gerador de resíduos nos centros urbanos. Uma reformulação no setor faz-se necessária para a melhoria dos processos de produção e prevenção dos efeitos da poluição. Estas mudanças são essenciais para que se desenvolvam tecnologias construtivas mais limpas e mais eficientes, que reduzam os impactos ao meio ambiente através de um uso mais racional dos recursos naturais (com menor consumo energético e diminuição dos resíduos gerados), minimizando o desperdício de matéria-prima já escassas. Este trabalho foi realizado a partir de dados coletados em 10 serrarias que processam madeira serrada de pinus na região administrativa de Sorocaba. Nesta região concentra-se atualmente o maior potencial madeireiro do Estado de São Paulo, 42,3% de toda a área de florestas plantadas do Estado, sendo também o maior centro produtor de pinus do Estado, com 58,5%. Esses dados foram convertidos para o cálculo do consumo energético no processamento do eucalipto. Dada a relevância do consumo de energia e a quantidade de entulhos gerados pelo setor da construção civil, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar, dentro da cadeia produtiva da madeira serrada, o consumo energético e os resíduos gerados na produção de componentes construtivos utilizados em painéis de vedação para casas de madeira. Foram analisadas peças de seções comerciais utilizadas em três tipos diferentes de painéis. Dois destes sistemas pré-fabricados, executados na cidade de São Carlos - SP, possuem sistema estrutural em madeira serrada de eucalipto com paredes duplas de pinus. Um deles possui na face interna, lambri e, na externa, deck horizontal, enquanto o outro sistema construtivo possui na face interna, lambri e, na face externa, tábua mata-junta. O terceiro sistema de vedação, construído em Campos do Jordão - SP, é composto por estrutura em pórticos de madeira serrada de pinus com paredes externas de fechamento duplo de lambri de 2,2 cm de espessura. A parede interna é simples com apenas uma camada de lambri de igual espessura. O consumo de energia foi medido para cada tipologia de painel construído, calculando-se o número de operações de corte e a potência de cada equipamento envolvido. Os resíduos gerados foram obtidos a partir do cálculo da área de material particulado removido. O índice de desempenho energético foi aferido em kWh por metro quadrado de painel (energia) e em metros cúbicos por metro quadrado de painel (resíduo). Estes resultados poderão vir a ser comparados com diferentes materiais de construção utilizados em sistemas de vedação, assim como fornecer informações para análise do grau de sustentabilidade na produção de um edifício de madeira em relação ao consumo energético. / The civil construction sector today is considered not only the greatest consumer of material and energy resources in urban centres, but also a major generator of waste. The sector needs a reformulation for the improvement of production and for the prevention of pollution. It is therefore essential to consider cleaner and more efficient technological processes, i. e., to decrease environmental impacts through a more rational use of resources (with lower consumption of energy anbd less production-related waste), minimizing the squandering of scarce resources. The study reported on here was based on data collected from ten pine sawmills in the region of Sorocaba, state of São Paulo, Brazil. This region currently possesses the greatest potential for sawed wood in the state of São Paulo, 42.3% of all the forest planted in State, and is the state\'s largest pinewood producer, about 58.5%. Those datas were also aplicated to calculate the energy consumed for sawn eucalyptus pieces. Given the relevance of energy consumption and the quantity of produced rubbish by the construction sector, the purpose of this work is to analyse the consumption of energy and the produced waste in the productive cycle of boards for wooden housing, from the cutting stage, processing, and prefabrication of componentes to the assembly of wall panels. This study involved wooden boards of commercial dimensions applied in three different types of panelling in three buildings. Two of theseprefabricated systems, executed in the city of São Carlos, have a structural system made of sawn eucalyptus wood with double walls of pine. One of them is lined internally with wainscoting and externally with horizontal decking, while the other system has internal wainscotting and external match boarding. The third system, built in Campos de Jordão, is composed of a structural framework of sawed pine, with external double shutter walls of 2.2 mm match boarding and simple internal walls consisting of a single layer of 2.2 mm thick match boarding. The consumption of energy was measured for each kind of board produced, calculated from the number of cutting operations and the power of each machines involved. The produced waste was calculated by the area of removed particulate material. The energy performance index were expressed in kWh consumed per square meter of wood panel produced (enegy) and in m3 produced per square meter of wood panel produced (waste). These data will serve as the basis for a comparison with various types of construction materials used in wall systems (concrete, brick and others), and provide information for the analysis of the sustainability of wooden construction systems from the standpoint of energy consumption.

Esta tese tem o objetivo de demonstrar as paridades entre os cortiços de São Paulo (Brasil) e as ilhas da cidade do Porto (Portugal). Por meio das semelhanças no que concerne às tipologias e ao modo de morar, pretendemos demonstrar a importância de um levantamento aprimorado para conhecer essas habitações e propor projetos de intervenção mais participatvos. / This thesis aims to demonstrate the parities between the tenements of São Paulo, Brazil, and the islands in the city of Porto, Portugal. Through the similarities, within the typologies and the way of living, demonstrate the importance of an improved survey, to know these dwellings and to propose more participative intervention projects.

O debate sobre os conceitos, princípios e estratégias para práticas mais sustentáveis indicam a necessidade de interagir as múltiplas dimensões da sustentabilidade: política, ambiental, social, econômica e cultural. A escolha de um sistema de vedação estrutural para habitação social rural, além de examinar as dimensões da sustentabilidade, deve levar em conta: a participação dos usuários nas decisões, as características do local, a disponibilidade de recursos financeiros e ambientais, entre outras variáveis. O objetivo do presente trabalho é analisar as múltiplas dimensões da sustentabilidade no processo de construção de duas moradias, no assentamento rural Pirituba II, que utilizaram o adobe e o bloco cerâmico como sistema de vedação estrutural. A pesquisa foi realizada no assentamento rural Pirituba II, no município de Itapeva-SP, onde a maioria das famílias, envolvidas no projeto e construção de 42 habitações, optou por executar a construção de suas casas utilizando blocos cerâmicos, não escolhendo o adobe por diferentes motivos. Adotou-se como estratégia deste trabalho a revisão da literatura existente sobre assentamentos rurais e sustentabilidade; e o estudo de caso nas duas moradias. Para a coleta de dados utilizaram-se registros escritos e fotográficos durante a construção das casas e entrevistas com alguns moradores. Os produtos obtidos referem-se a comparação entre diferentes variáveis, de acordo com as dimensões da sustentabilidade, na cadeia de produção da parede utilizando os dois sistemas construtivos. Os resultados obtidos indicam a necessidade de levar em conta a compreensão das famílias sobre as vantagens e desvantagens entre as duas alternativas, seus interesses, valores pessoais e os recursos disponíveis, sugerindo que prevaleceu a participação das famílias no processo decisório. Com relação à análise da sustentabilidade, o adobe prevaleceu nas variáveis relacionadas às dimensões ambientais e econômicas e o bloco cerâmico prevaleceu nas variáveis relacionadas às dimensões sociais e culturais. / Discussions about concepts, principles and strategies for practices more sustainable emphasize, considering time and geografic scales, the necessity of interacting several dimensions of sustainability: political, environment, social, economic and cultural. Besides dimensions of sustainability, for the choice of structural wall system in rural social habitation, it is important to consider: opinions of the future residents, characteristics of the place where the houses will be build, financial and environment resources, etc. The aim of this work is to analysis dimensions of sustainability in the process of the building of two houses, one of them built in adobe (brick made with soil and dried in sun) and the other built in ceramic blocks, at assentamento rural Pirituba II, Itapeva-SP/Brazil. It is important to mention that the overwhelming majority of families choose ceramic blocks for building their houses and only one family opts to adobe. For the study of the two houses was collected photographics and wrote registers during the building of them, besides interview with the residents. The result was the list of variable based on the dimensions of sustainability, indicating the importance of participation of the future residents in the process of construction, our interest, personal values and financial resources. With regard to analyse of sustainability, the adobe prevail in environment and economics dimensions while that the ceramic block prevail in social and cultural dimensions.

La recherche vise à replacer la façade, face majeure d’une habitation, au cœur d’un discours sur l’architecture domestique romaine – lequel a souvent délaissé cet espace. L’étude se focalise sur l’Italie centro-méridionale entre le IIe s. av. J.-C. et le IIe s. ap. J.-C. mais propose également une incursion en Italie du nord. Elle porte sur un corpus constitué de villas de plaisance et de maisons construites sur les remparts de certaines cités littorales : elle s’intéresse donc à une architecture domestique appartenant aux catégories supérieures de la société. L’objectif est de comprendre la place et le rôle de la façade dans la conception de l’espace domestique et de son rapport avec l’extérieur. Trois types de sources sont envisagés : les sources archéologiques, base du travail, les sources écrites, les sources iconographiques. Trois angles d’analyse principaux sont développés : ils définissent une approche à la fois architecturale, spatiale et sémiologique, menée dans une perspective diachronique. Il s’agit en effet d’étudier les conditions et les modalités du développement d’une « architecture de façade » dans la construction domestique et d’en analyser les formes, les significations, les évolutions. Les trois premiers chapitres sont ainsi consacrés aux façades des villas, étudiées dans le cadre d’une périodisation en trois temps. Un quatrième chapitre traite du cas des maisons urbaines de front de mer, qui présentent l’intérêt de posséder deux façades opposées, l’une vers la ville et l’autre vers l’extérieur de la cité : ces domus sont envisagées de manière synchronique, dans leurs rapports à la fois avec l’architecture de villa et l’architecture domestique urbaine. / This research is concerned with the façade in Roman domestic architecture, a topic often neglected by previous studies in the field. The study focuses on residential villas and houses built on the ramparts of some coastal cities in central-southern Italy (and to a lesser extent in northern Italy) between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD. This research aims at defining the role of the façade in the design of domestic space and in its relationship with its environment. It brings together archaeological data, written sources and iconographic documents. I approach the subject from three main viewpoints – architectural, spatial and semiological – and in a diachronic perspective, in order to study the conditions and terms of the development of a "facade architecture" in domestic buildings and to analyze its forms, meanings and evolutions. The first three chapters are dedicated to a chronological study of the façades of villas. Three main periods have been defined for this study (2nd c. BC ; 1st c. BC from Sylla to August ; 1st and 2nd c. AD). A fourth chapter deals with the case of houses built on urban seafront. These houses are of particular interest insofar as they have two opposing fronts, one towards the town and the other towards the outside of the city. I study, from a synchronic viewpoint, the forms of their façades, in connection with both villa architecture and urban domestic architecture.

This study examines the implementation of the procurement policy with reference to the reconstruction and development housing programme (RDP) in Limpopo Province. The research objective of this study is to assess the institutional capacity of the Department of Local Government and Housing (DLGH) in Limpopo Province in implementing the procurement policy in relation to the reconstruction and development housing programme. Further, the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms determined by the Department of Local Government and Housing to oversee the implementation of the procurement policy with reference to the RDP houses. In realising the research objectives of this study, the qualitative research methodology was adopted as the study seeks to understand the situation in its naturalistic form. Therefore, pre-determined interview questions were used to interview those who interact directly or indirectly with the implementation of the procurement policy with reference to the RDP houses. The purpose was to solicit relevant information and subjective experience from the agents of procurement policy implementation as well as the beneficiaries of the RDP houses. Not forgetting that qualitative research, studies phenomenon in its natural occurrence and it avoids simplifying, rather, it observes a subject on its multifaceted form. The data collected through interviews was useful in providing relevant policy information of which was unknown and instrumental for this study’s investigation. The study of Public Administration is regarded as the management of public programmes and as such that is possible through public policy, organising, finance, human resource, work standard and procedure, and control measures. It is therefore, indispensable for the Department of Local Government and Housing in Limpopo Province to embody these functions of public management. Thus this study focused on the institutional capacity in terms of procurement policy implementation, focusing on whether the Department of Local Government and Housing has sufficient resources such as human capital, equipments and material in implementing the procurement policy. An empirical study was conducted to collect insights and subjective experiences from those who constantly interact with the implementation of the procurement policy concerning the effectiveness and success of the procurement policy with reference to the RDP houses. The interview questions were directed to prospective members of the DLGH those responsible for procuring, implementing and those affected (beneficiaries). From the findings, the study proved that the Department of Local Government and Housing in Limpopo is confronted with many challenges as far as the implementation of the procurement policy with reference to the RDP houses is concerned. The study has suggested recommendations for the improvement of the institutional capacity of the Department of Local Government and Housing in implementing the procurement policy with reference to the RDP houses. Copyright / Dissertation (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) / unrestricted

The South African ostrich industry is presently characterised by a drastic decline in the slaughter price of slaughter birds, due to the drop in the price of meat as well as leather. As a result, the economic viability of ostrich farming is severely hampered by these developments, and many generally accepted industry practices have to be reviewed. Among the practices under review is the possibility of slaughtering ostriches at an earlier age than the traditional slaughter age of 12 - 14 months, in order to minimise feed costs and the incidence of damage to the skin. However, little information is available on the effect of the slaughter age on the yield and quality of the economically important end-products. The effect of slaughter age on production and the economic viability of a commercially intensive ostrich production system was consequently evaluated in a completely randomised experimental design involving two batches (n= 81 and n= 94) of ostriches. The experiments took place at Kromme Rhee experimental farm of the Elsenburg Research Centre near Stellenbosch. The birds were subject to experimental treatment at the age of 4 months (n= 81, from May 2004 to March 2005) and 6 months (n= 94, from August 2004 to August 2005) respectively. The ostriches were randomly divided into 10 groups of between 16 and 20 birds per group. Standard production practices, as applied in an intensive ostrich production unit, were implemented. Clean drinking water and self-mixed grower diet (min 15 percent crude protein, 0.68 percent lysine and 11.4 MJ ME per kg feed) and finisher diet (min 14 percent crude protein, 0.55 percent lysine and 9.8 MJ ME per kg feed) were provided ad libitum to the birds. Birds were slaughtered at the ages of 8.5, 10.5, 12.5, 14.5, and 16.5 months respectively. Data on feed intake and yields of cold carcass, crust skin size, skin grade and total feathers was recorded for birds slaughtered at the respective ages. Data was analysed according to the analysis of variances. Values for meat yield, skin size yield and feed intake were predicted by regression analysis based on experimental values. Industry figures and norms were used as proxy for other production inputs and costs. A gross margin type analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of different slaughter ages on the profitability of each production system. There was a positive correlation between age and feed intake (r2= 0.40), slaughter weight (r2= 0.97), cold carcass yield (r2= 0.48), skin surface area (r2= 0.39), skin grade (r2= 0.19) and total yield of feathers (r2= 0.29). The dry skin grade showed deterioration as slaughter age was prolonged. Highly significant differences (P< 0.01) in slaughter weight, cold carcass yield, skin surface area, dry skin grade and total feathers were detected at the different slaughter ages. There were no significant differences (P> 0.05) with respect to gender for slaughter weight, skin surface area and dry skin grade within the different age groups. Males had significantly higher (P< 0.05) cold carcass yield and total feather yield than their female counterparts. From this study it can be concluded that an increase in slaughter age significantly increases feed intake, slaughter weight, cold carcass yield, and skin surface area. It is also clear that an increase in slaughter age can be detrimental to dry skin grade. The relative income contribution of the three main products (skin: meat: feathers) occurred in a ratio of 47:53:0, 52:47:1, 47:50:3, 44:51:5, 39:56:5 at the respective slaughter ages. Total income revealed an increase of 26 percent from 8.5 to 10.5 months slaughtering, an increase of 4 percent between 10.5 and 12.5 months, and an increase of 11 percent between 12.5 and 14.5 months. The income dropped by 0.3 percent between 14.5 and 16.5 months slaughtering. Total costs increased with slaughter age, particularly feed costs which showed an increase (at a decreasing rate) between the different slaughter ages. The margin above specified cost per bird was the highest for birds slaughtered at the age of 10.5 months. The margin above cost showed a steady decline as birds were slaughtered at higher ages. Slaughtering at 16.5 months revealed a negative margin. To compare the effect of differences in time span on different slaughter age regimes, margin above costs for each system over 5 years were discounted to a present value. In this study, with current feed costs and income from end products, slaughtering at 10.5 months revealed the highest present value for the margin above cost. Furthermore, slaughtering at 16.5 months revealed a negative present value on the margin above cost after 5 years. Financial viability calculations are relevant and valid for data obtained in this case study. Financial viability is however case-specific and may vary between producers, depending on their individual management practices, production systems and cost structures. Results from this study may be of significant value to managerial decision-making in the ostrich industry.

Effects of pre-slaughter sheep handling and animal-related factors on Creatine Kinase levels and physico-chemical attributes of mutton By Chulayo Amanda Yucca The objective of the study was to determine the effects of pre-slaughter sheep handling and animal-related factors on Creatine kinase (CK) levels and physico-chemical characteristics of mutton from South African sheep breeds. One hundred and seventy-three castrated male sheep from four breeds (15 Dormer, 46 South African Mutton Merino, 77 Dorper and 35 Blackhead Persian) were used. The animals were grouped according to age categories. The grouping was as follows: Group 1 (6 ≤ 8 months), Group 2 (9 ≤ 12 months) and Group 3 (13 ≤ 16 months). Blood samples for CK determination were collected at exanguination using disposable vacutainer tubes. Representative samples of the Muscularis longissimuss thoracis et. lumborum (LTL) muscle were taken for the determination of ultimate pH (pHu), colour (L*-lightness, b*- redness and a*- yellowness), thawing and cooking losses and meat tenderness. Significant (P<0.01) breed effects were observed on CK levels with Dormer having the highest CK values. Significant linear relationships were observed between pre-slaughter condition and CK levels. There were positive correlations between colour coordinates L* and b* (r =+0.22) and between a* and b* (r =+0.63). Cooking loss and Warner Braztler Shear Force (WBSF) values were positively correlated (r =+0.29). The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed a significant variance for CK and between physico-chemical characteristics of mutton. There were no relationships between CK levels and physico-chemical characteristics of mutton. Significant breed and age effects on pHu, L, a*, b*, thaw %, CL and WBSF of mutton were observed. iv It was concluded that, pre-slaughter conditions affect CK levels and physico-chemical characteristics of mutton. However, there were no relationships between CK levels and physico-chemical characteristics of mutton.