Tropical

This study examined the effects of using mushroom mycelium to ferment tigernut and cassava pulp on the growth performance, haematology and immunology of rabbits. Seventy-five New Zealand Bulk grower rabbits were randomly distributed to four treatment groups and a control group in a completely randomized approach. The treatment groups were fed with formulated experimental diets containing one of fermented tigernut drink by-product (FT), fermented cassava sievate (FC), unfermented tigernut drink by-product (UT), or unfermented cassava sievate (UC)...

Buffalo bull semen traits are economically important traits that influence farm fertility and profitability. Genetic improvement of semen characteristics is an important detail of the genetic improvement. This study was conducted to assess the relationship between the breeding values as well as the phenotypic values for semen traits (VOL, MM, LS, AS and CONC) of the Egyptian buffalo bulls. A total of 7761 normal semen ejaculates were collected and characterized at ILMTC laboratory from 26 bulls from 2009 to 2019...

Terrestrial ecosystem resilience is crucial for maintaining the structural and functional stability of ecosystems following disturbances. However, changes in resilience over the past few decades and the risk of future resilience loss under ongoing climate change are unclear. Here, we identified resilience trends using two remotely sensed vegetation indices, analyzed the relative importance of potential driving factors to resilience changes, and finally assessed the risk of future resilience loss based on the output data of eight models from CMIP6...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Myiasis, an infestation caused by dipteran larvae, commonly known as maggots, is one of the most common parasitic skin disorders in the tropical regions. Authors report a case of cutaneous myiasis caused by Dermatobia hominis (Diptera: Oestridae) in a Polish traveller returning from a self-organized trip to South America. Species biology, prophylaxis, and medical implications of this tropical parasitosis are discussed.

BACKGROUND: After COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, people started to travel again. Each year, thousands of Poles travel internationally, and many travel to tropical or subtropical destinations in Asia, Africa or South America. The aim of this article was to describe the characteristics of Polish travellers based on the information from a retrospective 12-month review of the medical records of Polish patients seeking pre-travel advice at the largest diagnostic and treatment travel medicine centre in Poland in 2023...

Schistosomiasis, caused by Schistosoma trematode worms, represents a significant global health challenge. This review offers a thorough examination of the disease's epidemiology, transmission dynamics, diagnostic modalities, and treatment options. Diagnostic techniques encompass direct parasitological methods, immunological assays, DNA/RNA detection, and biomarker utilization, each with distinct advantages and limitations. There is an urgent need for improved diagnostic tools with enhanced sensitivity and specificity...

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most severe haemoglobinopathies, a group of blood disorders, typically inherited. The condition affects over 7.7 million people globally and results in more than 370,000 deaths per year. The highest morbidity and mortality rates are seen in Africa and most children with SCD are born in Tanzania. The available literature on SCD morbidity in Tanzania focus primarily on the residents of the mainland, while there is little data available on SCD morbidity among residents of the Tanzanian islands in the Indian Ocean...

BACKGROUND: Indonesia, with its expansive territorial waters, hosts numerous fishing communities residing on various islands. Many of these communities rely on diving activities, predominantly free diving without standardized safety equipment. This practice poses risks, including the potential for hypoxia-induced oxidative stress, which plays a role in disease pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in freediving fishermen and explore potential influencing factors...

BACKGROUND: Seafarers are at increased risk of diabetes due to their lifestyle and working conditions on board ships. There is, however, limited evidence regarding the magnitude of diabetes and its risk factors. In this study, we aimed to assess the prevalence of self-reported diabetes among seafarers on board ships and identify risk factors associated with it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted among seafarers aboard ships between November and December 2022...

BACKGROUND: The Philippines is the global maritime industry's single biggest source of seafarers. This article examines how the Philippines protects the welfare of its seafarers working on board ocean-going vessels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We employed a multi-method approach to better understand the POEA-SEC as a regulatory instrument. First, we analysed Philippine legislation and regulations that are shaping the employment, welfare, and working conditions of Filipino seafarers...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to screen for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) complaints, to analyse the activity and to identify their risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional epidemiological study involved 903 men aged > 20 years and with a seniority > 2 years. It included a questionnaire and an ergonomic analysis of the activity. The questionnaire included: socio-demographic and occupational characteristics, health status and life habits, stress and items from the Nordic questionnaire...

Over the past few years, insects have been used as samplers of vertebrate diversity by assessing the ingested-derived DNA (iDNA), and dung beetles have been shown to be a good mammal sampler given their broad feeding preference, wide distribution and easy sampling. Here, we tested and optimized the use of iDNA from dung beetles to assess the mammal community by evaluating if some biological and methodological aspects affect the use of dung beetles as mammal species samplers. We collected 403 dung beetles from 60 pitfall traps...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Exploring the effects of ant nests on soil CH4 emissions in the secondary tropical forests is of great scientific significance to understand the contribution of soil faunal activities to greenhouse gas emissions. With static chamber-gas chromatography method, we measured the dry-wet seasonal dynamics of CH4 emissions from ant nests and control soils in the secondary forest of Syzygium oblatum communities in Xishuangbanna. We also examined the linkages of ant-mediated changes in functional microbial diversity and soil physicochemical properties with CH4 emissions...

As one of the important blue carbon pools in tropical and subtropical intertidal zones, mangroves are widely distributed along the coast of Guangxi in China. To deeply explore the variations of potential suitable habitats for mangroves in China under the background of climate change, based on remote sensing interpretation data of coastal wetlands in Guangxi, global marine environment and bioclimatic environment data in 2021, we constructed a maximum entropy habitat distribution model to simulate the spatial distribution of potential suitable areas for mangroves and the invasive species, Spartina alterniflora, along the coast of Guangxi, and predicted the patterns under extreme climate change scenarios (SSP5-8...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Chewing gum reduces the duration of postoperative ileus and early recovery of bowel function following elective abdominal surgery. However, its role has not been studied in cases of gastroduodenal perforation peritonitis, prompting us to conduct this study. Patients were randomised into two groups, 39 patients received chewing gum (study group) and 43 patients were in the control group. Sensation of hunger, appearance of first bowel sound, and passages of flatus and faeces were significantly early in the study group; their hospital stay was also shorter...

Retrobulbar haematoma is a rare emergency that can potentially lead to blindness. Common causes include facial trauma and surgery. Timely surgical evacuation of the haematoma improves visual outcomes. In rural communities, patients often present to hospital after many hours and this increases the risk of poor visual outcomes. Radiological evaluation which is often not available in rural communities, results in further delay in surgical treatment. This case report highlights the need for urgent surgical intervention over radiological evaluation in patients with retrobulbar haematoma and orbital compartment syndrome...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.