To the AmaZulu a warthog is "inhlovudawana" or "little elephant"; to arrogant hunters it is the "poor man's rhinoceros"; to some writers of encyclopaediae it is a "grotesque and hideous beast"; to stockmen it has long been a carrier of diseases. Injury was added to insult with the discovery that the blood of these self-assured, often comical and certainly engaging animals supports the greater proportion of tsetse flies in the African savannas. Their significance as the primary hosts of Glossina morsitans Westw., the vectors of tryanosomiasis, justified an extended field study of warthog biology. This thesis reports four years of field work on warthogs, together with complementary observations of hand-reared warthogs (and their offspring) which roamed freely in the vicinity of the remote field station on which I live. The Sengwa Research Project, of which this study forms a part, was initiated in 1965 to study relationships between game animals and tsetse flies. One of the main problems investigated in the Sengwa Project is that of "host encounter" (Glasgow, 1961, Bursell, 1970) and how the distribution, abundance and behaviour of game animals may affect their availability to hungry tsetse flies. I have, accordingly, been concerned with discovering how warthog are dispersed in the Sengwa area and have attempted to gain some understanding of the factors, both environmental and social, which may affect or govern their dispersion and possibly population number. Intro. p. 1.

The introduced common warthog, Phacochoerus africanus, in the Eastern Cape is increasing rapidly both in numbers and distribution, despite attempts by landowners to reduce numbers and exclude warthogs. These control attempts are motivated by concerns over the impacts of warthogs, on vegetation, soil and other animal species. This expansion of warthog populations is paradoxical given that a species of warthog occurred historically in this part of the world, apparently at low densities and was wiped out in the mid-1800s. The question therefore arises as to why warthogs are able to overcome population regulation attempts now, and this becomes an invasive species issue as the species now occurring in the Eastern Cape is in fact an introduced species. The objectives of the study were to investigate the status of warthogs as an introduced invasive species in the Eastern Cape by documenting the rate and direction of population expansion, ecological impacts and possible dietary shift of the introduced species, P. africanus compared to the extinct species P. aethiopicus. The research approach adapted here was to test the hypotheses that, (1) the success of P. africanus in the Eastern Cape reflects dietary differences of the two species based on observations of different dental adaptations, as P. africanus has functional incisors, which are absent in P. aethiopicus. Stable carbon isotope analysis of the tooth enamel was used to determine the diet of the two species. (2) Common warthogs are specialized grazers and will impact on a limited range of grass species, this hypothesis was addressed by describing the diet of common warthogs in one site in the Eastern Cape to identify plant species at risk due to invasion by P. africanus, and microhistological faecal analysis was used. (3) Common warthogs have successfully expanded their range in the Eastern Cape since their introduction and are now showing impact, this was addressed by describing the range of expansion of P. africanus in the Eastern Cape, as well as reviewing landowner perceptions of the impacts of warthogs, this was based on questionnaire surveys distributed in the Sundays and the Fish River valleys. The results of the study showed that there are differences in the diet of Cape warthog P. aethiopicus and common warthog P. africanus. The Cape warthog was largely a grazer (86 percent C4 grasses in their diet), while P. africanus is also a grazer (71 percent of C4 grasses in their diet), but with a larger proportion of browse in their diet. These results support the hypothesis that the presence of functional incisors in the common warthog might provide the common warthog with foraging advantages over the Cape warthog. This might be a contributing factor to the success of this invasive species in the Eastern Cape, and might explain the rapid disappearance of Cape warthogs in the 1800s, which coincided with rapid expansion of herds of domestic grazers. A total of twelve grass species are used by common warthogs and are therefore most vulnerable to impacts of this invasive species. Common warthogs are rapidly expanding their range particularly around the Sundays and the Great Fish River valleys and they are perceived by landowners to have impacts on grass cover, soils and fencing. This spread of warthog in the Eastern Cape exhibits characteristics of an invasive species. In light of the findings of this study, it is therefore important that government authorities and other parties concerned recognize that common warthogs are invasive in the Eastern Cape.

Thesis (MSc (Veterinary Tropical Diseases.))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print format.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2008. / "December, 2008." Includes bibliographical references. Online version available on the World Wide Web.

The common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) has recently been recognised as an alien invasive species in the Eastern Cape and their population is increasing rapidly within the region. This then raises a concern as it is recorded that invasive species have negative impacts on both economic and ecological aspects of biodiversity in the receiving community. There are few studies that have documented the impacts of this species in the Eastern Cape. This study therefore seeks to determine the diet and population trends of this species in the Addo Elephant National Park (AENP) Main Camp and the results obtained can be correlated with previous studies and used to quantify the impacts of this species in the Eastern Cape. Warthogs are specialized grazers, it was therefore hypothesized that they will have potential impacts on grazing resources in the AENP Main Camp. The diet of common warthogs in the AENP Main Camp was determined through microhistological analysis of faecal material of samples collected seasonally. Population trends of common warthogs were determined in relation to the effects of predation on the population growth and population age structure of these animals within the AENP Main Camp. The results were compared with the findings for common warthog population growth and population age structure of Great Fish River Nature Reserve (GFRNR), a predator free population. It was hypothesized that the population growth rate of common warthogs in the AENP Main Camp before the introduction of lions and hyaenas in the AENP would not differ from the population growth rate of common warthogs in GFRNR. Secondly, the post-lion/hyaena common warthog population in the AENP Main Camp would differ from both the AENP Main Camp pre-lion/hyaena and GFRNR common warthog populations due to the presence of large predators in the AENP Main Camp. For population age structure it was hypothesized that the two populations, AENP Main Camp and GFRNR would differ because of predators increasing mortality. The diet of common warthogs was dominated by grass (87.4 percent), with Cynodon dactylon being the dominant grass species. Common warthogs in the AENP Main Camp should be properly managed because they have potential impact on grasses. The population growth of common warthogs in the AENP Main Camp showed no effect of predation, with population growth not differing from that of GFRNR. Predation had an effect on common warthog population age structure with AENP Main Camp and GFRNR populations differing, particularly in terms of adult structure. Thus, population growth of common warthogs in the AENP Main Camp is not determined by the presence of predators. These findings highlight the status of common warthog as an invasive species in the AENP Main Camp and potentially impacting on grass species and show little effects of top-down population regulation. These results show a need of monitoring common warthog population as well as their potential impacts in the area.

<p>Hedgehog related genes have been shown to play a major role in development in all deuterostomes. In C.elegans, such genes have been found where the similarity is restricted to the C-terminal domain. This work has focused on the hedgehog related C.elegans proteins called ground (grd), ground-like (grl), and wart (wrt) which appear to form a unique structural family.These proteins are cysteine rich and have conserved cysteine patterns which, together with thethought that they are secreted, are expected to be in disulfide form. Since the extracellular environment is very oxidizing and due to the conserved cysteine pattern, disulfide bonds are thought to play a big part in the folding and stabilization of these proteins. The stability of the protein and the formation of a disulfide bond are related through a thermodynamic cycle, which insures that the stabilization of the protein by the disulfide is reflected by the identical stabilization of the disulfide by the protein. Practically, there are numerous parameters that can be used to try to achieve the correct disulfide bonds and folding, when doing in vitro trials, some of which were used in this project. C.elegans proteins grd-5, grd-13, grl-24, wrt-3 and wrt-5 were studied in this project. All of the proteins were expressed and purified with success, with theexception of grl-24. All constructs formed inclusion bodies. Some refolding attempts were performed on grd-13 and wrt-3. The presence of a disulfide bond in refolded grd-13 was demonstrated using chemical fragmentation. In general, these attempts did not give correctly folded proteins but provide a foundation to continue experiments aimed at producing a native-like protein for structural and functional studies.</p>

Hedgehog related genes have been shown to play a major role in development in all deuterostomes. In C.elegans, such genes have been found where the similarity is restricted to the C-terminal domain. This work has focused on the hedgehog related C.elegans proteins called ground (grd), ground-like (grl), and wart (wrt) which appear to form a unique structural family.These proteins are cysteine rich and have conserved cysteine patterns which, together with thethought that they are secreted, are expected to be in disulfide form. Since the extracellular environment is very oxidizing and due to the conserved cysteine pattern, disulfide bonds are thought to play a big part in the folding and stabilization of these proteins. The stability of the protein and the formation of a disulfide bond are related through a thermodynamic cycle, which insures that the stabilization of the protein by the disulfide is reflected by the identical stabilization of the disulfide by the protein. Practically, there are numerous parameters that can be used to try to achieve the correct disulfide bonds and folding, when doing in vitro trials, some of which were used in this project. C.elegans proteins grd-5, grd-13, grl-24, wrt-3 and wrt-5 were studied in this project. All of the proteins were expressed and purified with success, with theexception of grl-24. All constructs formed inclusion bodies. Some refolding attempts were performed on grd-13 and wrt-3. The presence of a disulfide bond in refolded grd-13 was demonstrated using chemical fragmentation. In general, these attempts did not give correctly folded proteins but provide a foundation to continue experiments aimed at producing a native-like protein for structural and functional studies.

The aim of the study was to describe the helminth parasites of the common game species in the Limpopo Province, focusing on the northern and western parts where the climate is harsh and dry, with a large area considered to be semi-arid. In total 36 animals were examined which included ten impala, Aepyceros melampus, eight kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros, four blue wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus, two black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou, three gemsbok, Oryx gazelle, one nyala, Tragelaphus angasii, one bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus and one waterbuck, Kobus ellipsiprymnus, as well as six warthogs, Phacochoerus aethiopicus, and a single bushpig, Potamochoerus porcus. New host records for species include Trichostrongylus deflexus in the blue wildebeest, Agriostomum gorgonis in the black wildebeest, Stilesia globipunctata in the waterbuck, and Fasciola hepatica in the kudu. The only known zoonotic helminth recovered was one hydatid cyst of an Echinococcus sp. from the lungs of a warthog. The total burdens and species variation of the helminths in this study were all consistently low compared to other studies done in areas with higher rainfall. This has practical implications when animals are translocated to areas with higher rainfall and higher prevalence of helminths. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-07-04T14:09:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 NILENE RODRIGUES DOS SANTOS - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGEA 2003..PDF: 9864701 bytes, checksum: d75a590a50b67444833851b131a9e950 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-04T14:09:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 NILENE RODRIGUES DOS SANTOS - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGEA 2003..PDF: 9864701 bytes, checksum: d75a590a50b67444833851b131a9e950 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2003-06-18 / CNPq / A presença de praga em milho armazenado é um dos fatores limitantes a manutenção da viabilidade dessas sementes, sendo uma das principais responsáveis na queda da produção, devido ao grande número de perdas e danos nas sementes armazenadas. Com base nessas considerações, este trabalho busca alternativas no controle do Sitophilus zeamais, na fase adulta e de ovo mediante o emprego de seis espécies vegetais por conter em sua composição substâncias com propriedades inseticidas e por os extratos dessas plantas poder configurar-se numa alternativa aos produtos químicos comerciais com vantagens ecológicas bastante interessantes, devido à baixa agressividade ao ambiente e ao homem. O trabalho foi conduzido no período de agosto/2001 a maio/2003, no LAPPA da UFCG. Os extratos foram obtidos pelo método de extração a frio por percolação. O delineamento experimental utilizado nos bioensaios foi o inteiramente casualizado com os tratamentos distribuídos em esquema fatorial, exceto na terceira etapa onde não se empregou a distribuição fatorial, sendo utilizado na primeira etapa, regressão na análise de variância para os fatores estudados de acordo com o número que se apresentavam em cada ensaio (extratos, doses, forma de aplicação e período de armazenamento) e as variáveis de respostas (mortalidade de adultos, estágio de ovo, sementes infestadas, perda do peso, viabilidade de sementes e teor de umidade). Com base nos resultados de cada bioensaio, tem-se que a aplicação dos extratos diretamente sobre as sementes foi o método que melhor controlou os Sitophilus zeamais presente na massa de sementes, sendo os extratos de Calopogonium caeruleum e Ruta graveolens os mais eficientes em seu controle, tanto na fase adulta como de ovo e a melhor dose foi a de 12 ml. A qualidade fisiológica da semente de milho não foi afetada pela aplicação dos extratos, sendo estes considerados eficazes na manutenção da qualidade fisiológica das sementes durante os 90 dias de armazenamento e os extratos de Calopogonium caeruleum e Ruta graveolens que atuaram com maior eficiência em matar os insetos, possuem grupos químicos: alcalóides, flavonóides e taninos, com propriedadesinseticidas que justificam essa ação. / The plague presence in stored corn is one of the factors limits the maintenance of the viability of those seeds, being responsible one of the main ones in the fali of the producrion, due to the great number of losses and damages in the stored seeds. With base in those considerations, this work search alternatives in the control of the Sitophilus zeamais, in the adult phase and of egg by means of the employment of six vegetable species for containing in its composition substances with insecticide properties and for the extracts of those plants to configure in an alternative to tiie commercial chemical products with quite interesting ecological advantages, due to the low aggressiveness to the atmosphere and the man. The work was driven in the period august/2001 to may/2003, in the Department of Agricultural Engineering of UFCG. The extracts were obtained by the extraction method to cold for percolação. The experimental lineation used in the biopractices was it entirely casualty with the treatments distributed in outline factorial, except in the third stage where the distribution factorial was not used, being used being used in the first stage, regression in the variance analysis for the factors studied in agreement with the number that you/they carne each rehearsal (extracts, doses, application form and storage period) and the variables of answers (adults' mortality, egg apprenticeship, infested seeds, loss of the weight, viability of seeds and humidity text). With base in the results of biopractices each, it is had that the application of the extracts directly on the seeds the method that best controlled Sitophilus zeamais present in the mass of seeds was, being the extracts of Calopogonium caeruleum and Ruta graveolens the most efficient in the control of the S. zeamais, so much in the adult phase as of egg and the best dose was the one of 12 ml. The physiologic quality of the corn seed was not affected by the application of the extracts, being these considered effective in the maintenance of the physiologic quality of the seeds during the 90 days of storage and the extracts of Calopogonium caeruleum and Ruta graveolens that acted with larger efficiency in killing the insects, they possess chemical groups: alkaloids, flavonóides and tannins, with insecticide properties tiiat justify that action.