Call number: LD2668 .T4 1957 S82 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1957 S86 / Master of Science

No description available.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science October 2012 Johannesburg, South Africa / Food is not always readily available and therefore an important limiting resource to birds. South African forests have a similar fruiting and flowering phenology to tropical forests in that food availability fluctuates over space and time. South African indigenous forest is naturally fragmented in a non-forest matrix and therefore differs from tropical forests. Anthropogenic landuse change has contributed to the increased fragmentation of indigenous forest. The isolated nature of patches provides a suitable platform from which to assess changes in a forest bird community between seasons because they are structurally and functionally distinct from the surrounding vegetation. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess food as a driver of community dynamics and dietary patterns of birds in a Mist Belt Mixed Podocarpus forest patch between two distinct seasons, winter and summer. This was assessed through a combination of field techniques and stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen. Further, birds were categorised as forest specialists, forest generalists, and forest visitors based on published information to provide extra insight into community changes. Species richness and abundance differed between seasons due to the local movements and turnover of birds and due to the influx of migrants into the forest. In addition, nectarivores and frugivores increased in abundance and biomass in the forest in winter when flowers and fruit were readily available from canopy trees, such as Halleria lucida and Podocarpus latifolius. However, insect-eating guilds increased in summer when there was a greater diversity of invertebrates. Nectarivores, granivores, and omnivores vertically tracked food within forest height strat to where it was most abundant, demonstrating a close association with the location of their food resources. Further, the niche of several species, particularly insectivores and nectarivores, broadened in winter when food resources were limited. However, there was niche contraction in several bird species in summer when resources were more readily available. Overall, the forest acted as a refuge for guilds, particularly frugivores and nectarivores, in winter. Furthermore, this study suggested that food limitation is species-specific and does not apply to all species. Understanding the drivers of community change has important implications for forest management and conservation of forest flora and fauna.

Context: Despite the many initiatives implemented over the past decades as part of the global priority on child survival, there still exists high infant mortality in Southern Africa. Although studies have examined factors contributing to poor child health outcomes including the effect of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, there is paucity of studies on the possible effect of infant feeding practices on infant mortality in the region. This study examines the association between infant feeding practices and infant mortality in Southern Africa. The need to reduce infant mortality is a global health concern hence the United Nations through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) declared the reduction of infant and child mortality as one of its major targets by the year 2015. Methods: A merged dataset from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys for Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe was analysed in this study. A total number of 13, 218 infants born in the last five years preceding the surveys whose information on infant feeding practices was available formed the analysis sample. The outcome variable was infant mortality and infant feeding practices which had the categories, no breastfeeding, partial breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding was the main explanatory variable of the study. Other explanatory variables used in the study pertained to maternal demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as well as the infants’ bio-demographic characteristics. The Cox Hazard Regression Model was employed to examine both the unadjusted and adjusted effect of infant feeding practices on infant mortality in Southern Africa. Results: Although, exclusive breastfeeding was quite low (12%), its mortality reduction effect was significant, and infants who were exclusively breastfed exhibited a 97% lower risk of dying during infancy compared to no breastfeeding in the region. Further, variations exist by country in the levels and patterns of both infant mortality and infant feeding practices. Country, highest educational level, marital status, sex of child, preceding birth interval and birth weight were the significant predictors of infant mortality in Southern Africa. Conclusions: Overall, the study found that any form of breastfeeding whether exclusive or partial breastfeeding greatly reduces the risk of infant mortality, with the mortality reduction effect being higher among exclusively breastfed infants in the Southern African region. Thus, in order to reduce the upsurge of infant mortality, there is need to step up the effectiveness of child nutrition programmes that promote breastfeeding and put emphasis on exclusive breastfeeding of infants in the region.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo verificar a prevalência de anemia em crianças de 3 a 12 meses de idade, associada às variáveis maternas, neonatais e de aleitamento materno, atendidas num serviço de saúde de Ribeirão Preto, SP. Neste estudo, que foi um recorte de um projeto multicêntrico, utilizou-se parte dos dados coletados na UBDS Vila Virginia, em Ribeirão Preto-SP, a fim de se atingirem os objetivos propostos. Estudo transversal, observacional, descritivo e quantitativo, do qual participaram 121 mães e seus respectivos filhos, de 3 a 12 meses de idade, atendidos no serviço de puericultura da UBDS Vila Virgínia, turno da tarde, no período de 01 de setembro/2005 a 31 de julho/2006. No seu desenvolvimento, realizaram-se entrevistas com as mães, para preenchimento do formulário, e também colheu-se amostra de sangue da região do calcâneo da criança, para dosagem da hemoglobina (Hb). Adotaram-se três critérios internacionais, como parâmetros de anemia, usando-se para as crianças de 3 a 5 meses de idade completos dois critérios, de Hb < 10,0 g/dL segundo padrão Brault-Dubuc e Hb< 10,3 g/dL, padrão Saarinen; para as crianças e 6 a 12 meses de idade incompletos, critério de Hb < 11,0 g/dL, adotado pela OMS. Na análise dos dados, utilizaram-se distribuição de freqüências, médias, desvios padrões e medianas, teste de associação e regressão logística. Do total de 69 crianças de 3 a 5 meses de idade completos, a prevalência de anemia foi de 17,4 e 20,2%, segundo padrões Brault-Dubuc e Saarinen, respectivamente. Nas crianças de 6 a 12 meses de idade incompletos, a prevalência de anemia foi de 48,0%, segundo critério da OMS. No total de 121 crianças de 3 a 12 meses de idade, a prevalência de anemia foi de 30,6 e 32,2%, respectivamente, segundo combinação dos três critérios. Não encontrou-se associação entre anemia e variáveis maternas e formas de morar e viver das famílias; porém, com relação às variáveis infantis, encontrou-se forte associação entre anemia e idade da criança; não se identificou associação entre anemia e sexo, peso ao nascer, idade gestacional e consumo de ferro medicamentoso. Quanto à anemia e aleitamento não se encontrou associação estatisticamente significativa entre os diferentes tipos e duração do aleitamento materno. O consumo de água e chá aumentou 1,8 vez o risco de adquirir anemia mas, o resultado não foi estatisticamente significativo. O uso de leite de vaca fluido apresentou-se associado à anemia, aumentando em 1,7 vez o risco de adquiri-la. / This study aimed to verify the prevalence of anemia in children 3 to 12 months old associated to maternal, neonatal and breastfeed variables, assisted in a health service in Ribeirão Preto, SP. Part of the data collected for a multicenter project in the UBDS (Basic and District Health Unit) Vila Virginia was used. This is a cross-sectional, observational, descriptive and quantitative study. A total of 121 mothers and their respective children, 3 to 12 moths old, assisted in the child care service of the UBDS Vila Virginia in the afternoon shift in the period between September 1st, 2005 to July 31st, 2006 participated in the study. Mothers were interviewed in order to fill in the form and blood samples were collected from the children\'s calcaneus region to determine the hemoglobin (Hb) dosage. Three international criteria were adopted as parameters of anemia. For children 3 to 5 months old, two criteria were used, the standard Brault-Dubuc, Hb<10.0 g/dl and the standard Saarinen, Hb<10.3 g/dl and for children 6 to under 12 months old, the criterion adopted by WHO, Hb < 11,0 g/dl, was used. In the data analysis, frequency distribution, mean, standard deviation and median, association test and logistic regression were used. From the 69 children, 3 to 5 months old, the prevalence of anemia was 17.4 and 20.2%, according to Brault-Dubuc and Saarinen standards, respectively. For children 6 to under 12 months old, the prevalence of anemia was 48.0% according to the WHO criterion. In the total, for 121 children 3 to 12 months old, the prevalence of anemia was 30.6 and 32.2% respectively, according to the three combined standards. There was no association between anemia and maternal variables and families\' living conditions. However, there was strong association between anemia and children\'s age; no association between anemia and gender, weight at birth, gestational age and consumption of medicamentous iron were found. There was also no statistically significant association between anemia and breastfeeding in terms of types and duration of breastfeeding. The consumption of water and tea increased 1.8 times the risk of acquiring anemia though the results was not statistically significant. The consumption of liquid cow milk was associated to anemia and increased 1.7 times the risk of acquiring it.

by Chow Cheuk Yi. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 179-192.

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Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries