Zielsetzung: In dieser Studie wurde an 15 gesunden Rindern die Methode der Thorakoskopie erprobt mit dem Ziel, eine Grundlage für den weiteren Einsatz dieses Verfahrens am bovinen Thorax zu schaffen. Im Mittelpunkt standen die Entwicklung einer geeigneten Untersuchungstechnik und die Beschreibung der endoskopisch dargestellten, im Pleuraspalt gelegenen Organe sowie möglicher pathologischer Befunde. Weiterhin galt es Komplikationen zu ermitteln und anhand der Erfahrungen aus diesem Versuch Indikationen für den Einsatz dieses minimal-invasiven Verfahrens beim Rind zu formulieren. Methodik: Alle Tiere wurden einer links- und rechtsseitigen Thorakoskopie jeweils mit und ohne intrapleurale Insufflation von Kohlenstoffdioxid über einen interkostalen Zugang unterzogen. Im Rahmen des Versuches fanden folglich vier Thorakoskopien je Rind und insgesamt 60 Thorakoskopien mit einer Wartezeit von 24 Stunden zwischen den einzelnen Untersuchungen statt. Die Untersuchungen erfolgten am im Zwangsstand fixierten, lokal anästhesierten Tier. Der endoskopische Zugang lag stets auf Höhe des Tuber coxae und variierte vom 8. bis zum 10. Interkostalraum. Nach interkostaler Schnittinzision wurde eine Zitzenkanüle bis in den Pleuraspalt vorgeschoben. Der spontane Einstrom von Raumluft in das Cavum pleurae führte zum Teilkollaps des ipsilateralen Lungenflügels. Die Kanüle wurde durch eine Trokar-Hülsen-Einheit ersetzt und die Hülse stellte nach Entfernung des Trokars den Zugang für die Optik. Je Hemithorax wurde die Untersuchungszeit auf 20 Minuten festgelegt. Sie begann im kranialen Pleuraspalt, wurde über (dorso)-kranial, (dorso)-medial, (dorso)-kaudal, ventrokaudal und ventral fortgeführt und endete mit ventrokranial ausgerichteter Optik. Ergebnisse: Die meisten im Cavum pleurae gelegenen Organe konnten ohne die Insufflation von CO2 ausreichend adspiziert werden. Während der links- und rechtsseitigen Thorakoskopien gelang die Adspektion großer Bereiche der Pleura costalis mit den Mm. intercostales interni sowie den Aa. et Vv. intercostales dorsales, Anteile der Lungenflügel und des Ligamentum pulmonale, der Aorta thoracica, des thorakalen Ösophagus, des M. longus colli, von Lymphknoten des Lc. thoracicum dorsale sowie der Lnn. mediastinales caudales, der Pars thoracica des Truncus sympathicus und des Truncus vagalis dorsalis des N. vagus. Des Weiteren konnten der M. psoas major, Anteile des Diaphragmas und der V. phrenica cranialis, der Hiatus aorticus, der Arcus lumbocostalis sowie unregelmäßig die A. et V. bronchoesophagea adspiziert werden. Die Untersuchung des rechten kranialen Pleuraspaltes war mit Einschränkungen behaftet und spiegelte sich in einer reduzierten Darstellung der sympathische Nervenfasern aus dem Ggl. cervicothoracicum, des Truncus costocervicalis dextra sowie der V. costocervicalis dextra wider. Linksseitig war die Betrachtung dieser Organe bzw. der korrespondierenden linksseitig angelegten Organe regelmäßig möglich. Weiterhin gelang während der linksseitigen Untersuchung die Adspektion des Ln. tracheobronchalis sinister, des Truncus brachiocephalicus sowie der V. azygos sinistra. Rechtsseitig konnte die V. azygos dextra stets adspiziert werden. Die Darstellung des Ductus thoracicus erfolgte nur bei einem der untersuchten Rinder infolge einer pathologischen Kompression. Während der Untersuchungen unter passivem Lungenkollaps war das Perikard nur bei einer rechtsseitigen Thorakoskopie zu sehen. Die Zweituntersuchungen des ipsilateralen Pleuraspaltes fanden während der Insufflation von CO2 bis zu einem Überdruck von 5 mm Hg statt. Dies sollte einen stärkeren Lungenkollaps bewirken und damit die Sicht auf intrapleural gelegene Organe verbessern. Während der Insufflation waren beidseits größere Anteile der Rippen und des Zwerchfells sowie das Perikard linksseitig bei drei Rindern und rechtsseitig bei einem Rind darstellbar. Postoperative Röntgenaufnahmen dienten dem Ausschluss des Vorhandenseins eines ipsi- oder kontralateralen Pneumothorax. Schlussfolgerung: Die Studie zeigt, dass Thorakoskopien an stehenden, gesunden Rindern sicher und komplikationsarm durchzuführen sind. Die beschriebene, minimal-invasive Technik stellt eine wertvolle, zusätzliche Methode zur tierschonenden Abklärung intrathorakaler Erkrankungen beim Rind dar. Der diagnostische, palliative oder therapeutische Nutzen muss in weiterführenden Untersuchungen ermittelt werden. / Objective: A study on 15 healthy cows was conducted to prove the thoracoscopic technique with the aim to establish a basis for further application of this procedure on cattle. Focus was on developing an adequate examination technique, displaying and describing of physical as well as pathological findings on intrathoracic organs examined endoscopically. Furthermore perioperative complications and indications of this minimally invasive method on cattle should be presented. Methods: The animals underwent a left and right side thoracoscopy under passive lung collapse and under insufflation of CO2. Therefore four thoracoscopies at each cow and a total of 60 thoracoscopies were performed with a waiting time of 24 hours between each examination. The cows were restrained in a stock and locally anesthetized. The endoscopic portal was lined up horizontally with the level of the ventral margin of the coxal tuber, at the point where the local anaesthetic had been injected and varied between the eighth and the tenth intercostal space. After a vertical stab incision through the skin and subcutaneous tissues a blunt stainless teat cannula was introduced into the pleural space. At this point air streamed spontaneously into the pleural space following by an ipsilateral lung collapse. The teat cannula was then removed and replaced by a sharp guarded trocar. After that the trocar was removed and the endoscope was passed through the remaining cannula. The time assessment for examination of each thorax was 20 minutes, started in the cranial pleural space, was continued in the (dorso)-cranial, (dorso)-medial, (dorso)-caudal, ventrocaudal und ventral direction and ended with ventrocranially aligned optic. Results: Most of the intrathoracic organs were seen without additional CO2 insufflation. During left and right side thoracoscopies large parts of the costal pleura, the internal intercostal muscles, the dorsal intercostal veins and arteries, parts of the lungs and the pulmonary ligament, the thoracic aorta, the thoracic part of the esophagus and the longus colli muscle, caudal mediastinal lymph nodes and lymph nodes associated with the dorsal thoracic lymph center, the thoracic part of the sympathic trunk and the dorsal vagus nerve were seen. Furthermore the psoas major muscle, parts of the diaphragm and the cranial phrenic vein, the aortic hiatus, the lumbocostal arch and intermittently the broncho-esophageal artery and vein could be identified. There were some constraints during right side thoracoscopy of the cranial pleural space which caused a limited view at the sympathic nerve fibres associated with the cervicothoracic ganglion, the right costocervical trunk and the right costocervical vein. At the left side these organs, the corresponding left side organs respectively, were constantly seen. Moreover during the exam at the left pleural space the left tracheobronchial lymph node, the brachiocephalic trunk and the left azygos could be well identified. During right side thoracoscopy the right azygos vein was always visible. In one case the presentation of the thoracic duct succeeded as a result of its pathological compression. During examination under passive lung collapse the pericard was visualized in one cow during right side thoracoscopy. The second thoracoscopies of the ipsilateral pleural space were conducted during insufflation of CO2 with a pressure of 5 mm Hg. A stronger lung collapse should result during insufflation with an enhanced view of the organs located intrapleurally. During insufflation at both sides larger parts of the ribs and diaphragm as well as the pericard on the left side at three cattle and on the right side at one cattle could be seen. Postoperative radiographies ensured the absence of an ipsi- or contralateral pneumothorax. Conclusion: This study shows that thoracoscopies on standing healthy cattle could be safely performed without major perioperative complications or side effects. The described minimally invasive procedure is a valuable, gentle and additional method to diagnose intrathoracic diseases in cattle. The use of thoracoscopy as diagnostic tool, for curative and palliative therapy should be identified in further studies.

Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum [L.] Kuhn) is an indigenous invasive plant and it is known to have a negative impact on biodiversity. This research focuses on infestations of bracken fern in two areas within the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site; the Royal Natal National Park and the Rugged Glen Nature Reserve. Prior change detection research on bracken fern were constrained due to the low resolution satellite imagery and the inability of hard classification techniques to account for the mixtures of land cover types that occur within pixels of low resolution imagery. To overcome these constraints this research applied the fuzzy image classification technique to multispectral digital aerial imagery of 0.5 m spatial resolution. Multi date imagery used for image classification was captured in the mid-winter of 2009 and mid-spring of 2011. Thereafter post-classification change detection analysis was conducted using the fuzzy classified images. The classified images were verified using ground truth surveys. The 2009 and 2011 fuzzy classified images produced overall accuracies of 81.4% and 94.4% with Kappa coefficients of 0.63 and 0.89 respectively. This research found that the distinct seasonal development pattern of bracken fern and the time of year imagery were captured were significant factors in its detection. As bracken fern was found to be more spectrally distinct in spring as compared to winter, due to the plant growth of bracken fern, grass and other shrubbery. These classified images were used in post-classification change detection analysis which revealed that the bracken fern infestation in the Royal Natal National Park and Rugged Glen Nature Reserve had increased at a rate of 24 % and 27 % per annum respectively. This showed that bracken fern is spreading in the Royal Natal National Park and Rugged Glen Nature Reserve, as expected. Fire regimes, slope and aspect were found as factors that could be promoting the spread of bracken fern, 67.5 % and 75 % of the bracken fern infestation in the Park and Reserve respectively, occurred in areas that were burnt by fire regimes and have gentle to moderately gentle slopes facing east, south east and south. / Thesis (M.Sc.Sur.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Thesis (M.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Botany, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 22-29).

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 72-79). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Indiana University, 2008. / Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Pierre-Andre Jacinthe, Lenore P. Tedesco, Philippe G. Vidon. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-99).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-100). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Botany, 2004. / Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p.70-79).

Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-38). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

Background. Barlow’s mitral valve (MV) disease re- mains a surgical challenge. We compared short- and medium-term outcomes of neochordal (“loop”) versus edge-to-edge (“Alfieri”) minimally invasive MV repair in patients with Barlow’s disease. Methods. From January 2009 to April 2014, 123 consecutive patients with Barlow’s disease (defined as bileaflet billowing or prolapse [or both], excessive leaflet tissue, and annular dilatation with or without calcifica- tion) underwent minimally invasive MV operations for severe mitral regurgitation (MR) at our institution. Three patients (2.4%) underwent MV replacement during the study period and were excluded from subsequent anal- ysis. The loop MV repair technique was used in 68 pa- tients (55.3%) and an edge-to-edge repair was performed in 44 patients (35.8%). Patients who underwent a combi- nation of these 2 techniques (n [ 8 [6.5%]) were excluded. The median age was 48 years, and 62.5% of patients were men. Concomitant procedures included closure of a patent foramen ovale or atrial septal defect (n [ 19), tricuspid valve repair (n [ 5), and atrial fibril- lation ablation (n [ 15). Follow-up was performed 24.7 ± 17 months postoperatively and was 98% complete. Results. No deaths occurred perioperatively or during follow-up. Aortic cross-clamp time (64.1 ± 17.6 minutes versus 95.9 ± 29.5 minutes) and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (110.0 ± 24.2 minutes versus 146.4 ± 39.1 mi- nutes) were significantly shorter (p < 0.001) in patients who received edge-to-edge repair. Although patients who underwent edge-to-edge repair received a larger annulo- plasty ring (38.6 ± 1.5 mm versus 35.8 ± 2.7 mm; p < 0.001), the early postoperative resting mean gradients were higher(3.3±1.2mmHgversus2.6±1.2mmHg;p[ 0.007) and the mitral orifice area tended to be smaller in this group (2.8 ± 0.7 cm2 versus 3.0 ± 0.7 cm2; p [ 0.06). The amount of residual MR was similar between groups (0.3 ± 0.6 versus 0.6 ± 1.0 for edge-to-edge versus loop procedures, respectively; p [ 0.08). More than mild MR requiring early MV reoperation was present in 3 patients who underwent loop procedures (4.4%) and in no patients who had edge-to-edge procedures (p [ 0.51). During follow-up, 2 patients (1 in each group) required MV replacement for severe MR. The 4-year freedom from MV reoperation was 92.8% ± 5.0% in the Alfieri group compared with 90.9% ± 4.6% in the loop group (p [ 0.94). Conclusions. Minimally invasive MV repair can be accomplished with excellent early and medium-term outcomes in patients with Barlow’s disease. The edge- to-edge (Alfieri) repair can be performed with reduced operative times when compared with the loop technique, but it results in mildly increased transvalvular gradients and mildly decreased valve opening areas without any difference in residual MR.

Invasive tree species pose a huge problem in the Garden Route and are particularly damaging to aquatic ecosystems, including wetlands, riparian zones, lakes and estuaries. Therefore, this study aimed to determine priority areas for invasive tree species management, with a focus on aquatic ecosystems. This was achieved by using existing literature to identify priority species, based on their impact on aquatic ecosystems and their associated ecosystem services, and then testing the suitability of SPOT-6 and WorldView-3 multispectral data at detecting these focal species. The priority species identified were: Acacia cyclops (rooikrans), Acacia longifolia (long-leaved wattle), Acacia mearnsii (black wattle), Acacia melanoxylon (blackwood), Acacia saligna (Port Jackson willow), Eucalyptus camaldulensis (red river gum), Pinus pinaster (cluster pine) and Pinus radiata (radiata pine). The Random Forest classifier on SPOT-6 data achieved an overall accuracy of 62.5% and this method was consequently deemed ineffective at separating invasive tree species from other tree species in the Garden Route. The overall accuracy of the WorldView-3 classifier was higher (78.9%) but the cost of the data limited the use of more images for the detection of the focal species throughout the Garden Route. Therefore, to identify priority areas for invasive tree management, criteria derived from existing literature were input into spatial conservation planning software. The analysis identified the: Saasveld section of the Garden Route National Park, the Wilderness Lakes, Knysna Forest, Knysna Estuary, Tsitsikamma Forest around Stormsriver and a disturbed area of fynbos southeast of Kareedouw as management priorities. Currently spatial conservation planning software proved to be cost-affordable and useful tool and is recommended for invasive tree management in the Garden Route.