• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.239-242
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• 2012

The influence of temperature on the development and embryonation of Ascaris suum eggs was studied using coarse sand medium in an environmental chamber with 50% humidity. The time required for development and embryonation of eggs was examined under 3 different temperature conditions, $5^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$, and $35^{\circ}C$. A. suum eggs did not develop over 1 month at the temperature of $5^{\circ}C$. However, other temperature conditions, $25^{\circ}C$ and $35^{\circ}C$, induced egg development to the 8-cell-stage at days 5-6 after incubation. All eggs examined developed to the 8-cell stage at day 6 after incubation in the sand medium at $25^{\circ}C$. The higher temperature, $35^{\circ}C$, slightly accelerated the A. suum egg development compared to $25^{\circ}C$, and the development to the 8-cell stage occurred within day 5 after incubation. The formation of larvae in A. suum eggs at temperatures of $35^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$ appeared at days 17 and 19 after incubation, respectively. These findings show that $35^{\circ}C$ condition shortens the time for the development of A. suum eggs to the 8-cell-stage in comparison to $25^{\circ}C$, and suggest the possibility of accelerated transmission of this parasite, resulting from global warming and ecosystem changes.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.169-172
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• 2008

Indian tropical tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta D is reported to have forty four ecoraces by way of their adoption to different topographical and vegetational conditions. Of late, another ecorace 'JATA' - univoltine under in-situ condition has been explored which is localized in Thakurmunda area of the foot hills of Simlipal biosphere (Mayurbhanj district) of Orissa, India. The ecorace 'Jata' exhibits superior economic characters over widely commercialized ecoraces of Daba and Sukinda. The cocoon production of localized 'Jata' ecorace is depleting day by day in in-situ condition. In the present study, efforts were made to stabilize the ecorace 'Jata' under ex-situ condition at Ranchi (Jharkhand), where the 'Jata' ecorace silkworms were reared on Terminalia tomentosa for four successive generations during 2006 and 2007 and the cocoons were preserved in grainage house under prevailing climatic conditions. The results indicated change in voltinism behaviour of the 'Jata' ecorace from univoltine to bivoltine. The rearing performance and grainage efficiencies indicate the tendency of 'Jata' ecorace towards acclimatization and stabilization under Ranchi climatic conditions. The 'Jata' ecorace manifests the prospects for acclimatization, stabilization and commercial exploitation.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.551-555
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• 2014

Trichomonas vaginalis, a causative agent of trichomoniasis, may trigger symptomatic or asymptomatic non-gonococcal urethritis and chronic prostatitis in men. Despite the availability of highly sensitive diagnostic tests, such as nucleic acid amplification tests, including PCR, few prospective studies present data on male T. vaginalis infection in South Korea. In the present study, the prevalence of T. vaginalis and associated clinical conditions were evaluated in 201 male patients from a primary care urology clinic in South Korea. The prevalence of T. vaginalis infection in our cohort was 4% (8/201) by PCR. T. vaginalis infection was common in men older than 40 years (median age, 52 years). Among the 8 Trichomonas-positive patients, 87.5% (7/8) had prostatic diseases, such as prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia, and 25.0% (2/8) and 12.5% (1/8) were coinfected with Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium, respectively. Our results suggest that T. vaginalis infection is not rare in men attending primary care urology clinics in South Korea, especially in those older than 40 years, in whom it may explain the presence of prostatic disease. The possibility of T. vaginalis infection should be routinely considered in older male patients with prostatic diseases in South Korea.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2022

Although tropical cyclones with wind speeds weaker than 17 ms^-1 (weak tropical cyclones: WTCs) can cause significant damage, particularly over the Seoul metropolitan area, only a few studies have focused on WTC activity over South Korea. In this study, we found that WTC activity is likely associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). During the negative phases of the PDO, landfall frequency of WTCs increased significantly compared to the positive phases at 95% confidence level. When related to the negative phases of the PDO, a positive relative vorticity anomaly is found in the northern sector of the western North Pacific while a negative relative vorticity anomaly and enhanced vertical wind shear prevail in the southern sector of the WNP. These factors are favorable for the northward shift of the genesis location of tropical cyclones on average, thereby reducing the total lifetime of WTCs. Moreover, a high-pressure anomaly over the Japanese islands would shift a tropical cyclone track westward in addition to the landfall location. Consequently, the effects of the topographical friction and the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water on a tropical cyclone may increase. These conditions could result in a weaker lifetime maximum intensity and landfall intensity, ultimately resulting in WTCs becoming more frequent over South Korea during the negative phases of the PDO.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.941-948
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• 2020

Objective: This study was carried out to determine the effects of elevated dietary cation and anion difference (DCAD) on dry matter intake (DMI) and ruminal fermentation pattern in lactating dairy goats under tropical conditions. Methods: Ten dairy goats were divided into two groups of five animals each. The groups received diets at different DCAD levels, either a control diet (22.81 mEq/100 g dry matter [DM], DCAD-23) or a DCAD-39 diet (39.08 mEq/100 g DM, DCAD-39). After parturition, DMI and water intake were recorded daily. Ruminal fluid and urine were collected, and nutrient digestibility measurements were carried out at 8th weeks postpartum (PP-8). Blood samples were collected at PP-4 and PP-8 to measure plasma leptin. Results: Dry matter intake/body weight (DMI/BW) at PP-8 of the animals fed the DCAD-39 diet was significantly higher than those fed with DCAD-23 diet (p<0.05). Animals fed with DCAD-39 consumed more water than those fed DCAD-23 over 24 h, particularly at night (p<0.05). Ruminal pH, acetate concentration, and urinary allantoin excretion increased with the DCAD-39 diet, whereas ruminal butyrate concentration was lower with the DCAD-39 diet. On the other hand, other ruminal parameters, such as total volatile fatty acid concentration, propionate molar proportion and acetate/propionate average ratio, were not affected by increased DCAD supplementation. Apparent digestibility was improved by increased DCAD supplementation. Plasma leptin concentration was higher with DCAD supplementation. Conclusion: When feeding goats with DCAD-39 under tropical conditions, an increase in DMI was associated with improved apparent digestibility of nutrients, ruminal fermentation and microbial protein synthesis. An increase in plasma leptin concentration could not explain the effect of high DCAD on DMI.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.469-480
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• 2017

Controversy has surrounded the potential impacts of phytoplankton on the tropical climate, since climate models produce diverse behaviors in terms of the equatorial mean state and El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) amplitude. We explored biophysical impacts on the tropical ocean temperature using an ocean general circulation model coupled to a biogeochemistry model in which chlorophyll can modify solar attenuation and in turn feed back to ocean physics. Compared with a control model run excluding biophysical processes, our model with biogeochemistry showed that subsurface chlorophyll concentrations led to an increase in sea surface temperature (particularly in the western Pacific) via horizontal accumulation of heat contents. In the central Pacific, however, a mild cold anomaly appeared, accompanying the strengthened westward currents. The magnitude and skewness of ENSO were also modulated by biophysical feedbacks resulting from the chlorophyll affecting El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ and La $Ni{\tilde{n}}a$ in an asymmetric way. That is, El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ conditions were intensified by the higher contribution of the second baroclinic mode to sea surface temperature anomalies, whereas La $Ni{\tilde{n}}a$ conditions were slightly weakened by the absorption of shortwave radiation by phytoplankton. In our model experiments, the intensification of El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ was more dominant than the dampening of La $Ni{\tilde{n}}a$, resulting in the amplification of ENSO and higher skewness.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2016

Tropical tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta is a commercial forest silkworm in India that produces tasar silk, but never experimented in Uttarakhand, a Himalayan state of India. A. mylitta express divergent phenotypic characters under different ecological conditions; so, we studied the effect of seven forest tree species in two rearing seasons on variability in silk gland weight of Daba (bivoltine) ecorace of A. mylitta at Forest Research Institute in Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand during 2012 and 2013. We used two-way completely randomized block factorial design and Post HOC Tukey's HSD test to analyse the collected data and there after carried out multiple regression analysis. Results indicated that silk gland weight differed significantly between rearing seasons (DF=1, F=2333.98, p <0.05), host plants (DF 6, F= 1516.25, p <0.05) and their interactions (DF=6, F=7.10, p <0.05). Higher silk gland weight was found in second rearing season than the first on all the host tree species. Terminalia alata fed A. mylitta larvae showed the highest silk gland weight of 8.03 and 9.47 g in first and second rearing seasons, followed by T. tomentosa (7.19 & 9.01g), T. arjuna (6.8 & 8.08 g) and L. speciosa (6.57 & 7.83 g) fed larvae, respectively. Post HOC Tukey's HSD test indicated that silk gland weight of L. speciosa and T. arjuna fed larvae in both the rearing seasons did not differ significantly. E.I. analysis also confirmed that T. alata, T. tomentosa, T. arjuna and L. speciosa are better in their order of merit than T. bellirica , T. chebula and L. tomentosa. Multiple regression analysis indicates that larval weight gain is a strong predictor (β=1.002, t=346.777, p = <0.05) for the silk gland weight of A. mylitta ; however, larval duration had significant negative regression weight (β=-0.270, t=-8.436, p = <0.05) on mean weight of silk gland.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.321-343
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• 2022

Museum buildings display artefacts for public education and enjoyment, ensuring their long-term safety and the comfort of visitors by following strict indoor environment control protocols using mechanical Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems to keep the (environmental) variables at a fixed comfort level. Maintaining this requires constant supply of energy currently mostly sourced from the combustion of fossil fuels which exacerbates climate change. However, a review on the effects of the indoor environmental variables on museum artefacts as well as museum visitors revealed that there is no specific point at which artefact deterioration occurs, and that there are wide ranges of conditions that guarantee the long-term safety of artefacts and human comfort. Visits to museum buildings in hot-humid tropical climate of Nigeria revealed that strict indoor environmental practices were adopted. Even when appropriate micro-climatic conditions are provided for artefacts, mechanical HVAC systems remain necessary for visitor comfort because almost no consideration is given to natural ventilation. With the current global push towards energy management, this paper reviewed passive environmental control practices, architectural design strategies, and discusses the adaptation of double skin façade with jali screens, and the notion of smart materials, which can satisfy the range of requirements for the long-term safety of artefacts and levels of human comfort in buildings in hot-humid tropical climate, without mechanical HVAC systems. This review would inspire more discussions on passive, energy efficient, smart and climate responsible popular architecture, challenging current thinking on the impact of the more accepted representative architecture.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

Tropical forests whether fragmented or undisturbed or be they equatorial or deciduous, remain the storehouse of biodiversity for hundreds of thousands of plant and animal species. This unique characteristic continues to attract a wide range of scientists and international organizations to study and attempt to understand tropical forest ecosystems. Gene flow is mediated by pollen, seed and seedling dispersal, and factors affecting this gene flow include phenology, spatial distribution, population structures, seed predation, sexual and mating systems as well as physical and biological barriers to gene flow. Two methods are used in measuring gene flow: direct method that relies on the actual observation of seed and pollen dispersal, whereas indirect methods involve the use of genetic markers such as allozymes and DNA techniques. Political strife, extreme natural and artificial disasters, the lack of a comprehensive forestry research vision, coupled with difficult socio-economic conditions in Africa have made the environment quite difficult for sustained research activities on the part of those undertaking or wishing to undertake such studies. Gene flow studies in this region are few and far between. This review elaborates on the mechanisms of gene flow mediation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.867-872
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• 2010

A comprehensive study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of naked neck (Na) gene on immune competence, serum biochemical parameters and carcass quality traits in three genotypes (NaNa, Nana and nana) of the naked neck chicken under a tropical climate (Southern India). Sixty day-old chicks (20 from each genotype) were selected randomly and reared under similar environmental conditions up to eight weeks of age. The cell mediated immune (CMI) response to phytohaemoagglutinin-P (PHA-P) was significantly higher ($p{\lgq}0.01$) in NaNa and Nana genotypes compared to nana birds. The humoral response as measured by antibody titre to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) was also significantly higher in NaNa. The total cholesterol, LDL and VLDL cholesterol levels were significantly ($p{\leq}0.01$) lower whereas HDL cholesterol level was significantly higher in NaNa and Nana compared to nana genotype. The presence of Na allele significantly increased the live weight and dressing yield, and decreased the feather cover and abdominal fat. The naked neck genotypes (NaNa/Nana) performed better than the normal (nana) siblings for almost all the traits studied.