Changes in Health-related Parameters Associated with Sports Performance Enhancement Drugs.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in health-related parameters caused by the administration of anabolic-androgenic steroids and "fat-burning drugs" during a 6-month competition preparation period. The physiological, biochemical, and anthropometric parameters studied included serum cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, bilirubin, body mass, and percentage of total body fat. Changes in the parameters studied were analyzed at monthly intervals during six months of preparation for competition.

Mycotoxins in , A Traditional Non-Cereal Based Alcoholic Beverage of Botswana.

Mycotoxin contamination is a major food safety drawback towards the commercialization of food products. The commercialization of , a popular fermented alcoholic beverage of Botswana necessitates the investigation of the presence of mycotoxins. brewing involves the uncontrolled and unstandardized spontaneous fermentation of sun-dried fruits, which could be a source of mycotoxin-producing filamentous fungi (molds).

Age-dependent changes in fat- and water-soluble vitamins-National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys study.

Aging is an independent risk factor for the development of various diseases associated, among others, with detrimental blood levels of fat- and water-soluble vitamins. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate age-related changes in blood levels of vitamin A, B12, C, D, and E. Subject serum vitamin levels were obtained from the combined National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES).

Ecological interactions, local people awareness and practices on rodent-borne diseases in Africa: A review.

Several anthropogenic activities exposure humans to the risk of rodent-borne diseases. These activities are but not limited to logging, clearing land for crop cultivation, and consuming rodents. Rodents are a highly diverse mammalian group and harbor many zoonotic diseases.

Prevalence and tick loads in Nguni cattle reared in different environmental conditions across four provinces of South Africa.

Background And Aim: In tropical and subtropical countries, ixodid ticks are among livestock's most economically important ectoparasites. Although Nguni cattle from South Africa have adapted to harsh environments, it is unknown whether they will be resistant to ticks, and the diseases carried by ticks under various climatic conditions. Therefore, this study aimed to compare tick load and estimate the prevalence of different tick species among Nguni cattle under different environmental conditions.

Physicochemical properties and sensory quality of Motlopi () coffee prepared using different temperature-time combinations.

Motlopi coffee is a beverage prepared from roots of an indigenous tree and consumed in Botswana. To date, there is no published report about the quality characteristics of Motlopi coffee. This study was conducted to develop an improved Motlopi coffee by varying roasting time and temperature and assess its physicochemical properties and sensory quality.

Prevalence of among rodents captured in a semi-arid tropical ecosystem of south-western Zimbabwe.

This study assessed the prevalence of plague bacterium () among rodents captured in Umzingwane and Nkayi districts, south-western Zimbabwe. A total of 44 rodents were captured on three consecutive days per trapping session in the study sites using a removal trapping method in April 2018. Captured rodents were euthanized, and blood samples were collected.

Prediction of dry matter intake and gross feed efficiency using milk production and live weight in first-parity Holstein cows.

Direct measurement of dry matter intake (DMI) presents a major challenge in estimating gross feed efficiency (GFE) in dairy cattle. This challenge can, however, be resolved through the prediction of DMI and GFE from easy-to-measure traits such as milk production (i.e.

A Comparison Between Working and Nonworking Donkeys Welfare Issues in Nyala City, South Darfur, Sudan.

In impoverished nations, donkeys help people make a living. The welfare of donkeys in Sudan is neglected compared with developed countries. However, there is no information available about donkey welfare in Nyala.

A vaccination model for COVID-19 in Gauteng, South Africa.

The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to explore the impact of government mandates on movement restrictions and non-pharmaceutical interventions on a novel infection, and we investigate these strategies in early-stage outbreak dynamics. The rate of disease spread in South Africa varied over time as individuals changed behavior in response to the ongoing pandemic and to changing government policies. Using a system of ordinary differential equations, we model the outbreak in the province of Gauteng, assuming that several parameters vary over time.

Distribution of bovine cysticercosis prevalence in the southeastern districts of Botswana from 2015 to 2016.

Background And Aim: Bovine cysticercosis is defined as a foodborne parasitic zoonotic disease of cattle caused by the larval stage of the human tapeworm . In Botswana, bovine cysticercosis has inflicted major economic consequences on the beef industry due to downgrading, condemnation, or treatment of infected carcasses. Thus, in this study, we aim to (1) estimate the prevalence of bovine cysticercosis in Botswana's southeastern districts, (2) describe the distribution of bovine cysticercosis through geospatial mapping, and (3) investigate the effect of seasonality on bovine cysticercosis occurrence.

A way forward for the South African quail sector as a potential contributor to food and nutrition security following the aftermath of COVID-19: a review.

Commercial quail () farming has recently gained recognition from the South African poultry industry as a potential source of protein, which can be used to alleviate protein-energy malnutrition as well as food and nutrition insecurity in rural South Africa. Over six large-scale and hundred small-scale farmers are currently producing various quail breeds for commercial purposes in South Africa. However, these farmers face challenges of high feed costs, diseases, poor health care, low demand (for quail meat and eggs) and limited access to the markets.

Dynamics for a non-autonomous fall armyworm-maize interaction model with a saturation functional response.

In this study, we present a non-autonomous model with a Holling type II functional response, to study the complex dynamics for fall armyworm-maize biomass interacting in a periodic environment. Understanding how seasonal variations affect fall armyworm-maize dynamics is critical since maize is one of the most important cereals globally. Firstly, we study the dynamical behaviours of the basic model; that is, we investigate positive invariance, boundedness, permanence, global stability and non-persistence.

Optimization of nutritional and sensory qualities of complementary foods prepared from sorghum, soybean, karkade and premix in Benishangul - Gumuz region, Ethiopia.

Consumption of nutritionally deficient complementary foods in developing countries is among the main contributing factors to infants and young children's malnutrition. Therefore, this study was aimed to optimize the nutritional and sensory properties of complementary food made from malted sorghum, blanched soybean, boiled karkade seeds and premix. A D-optimal mixture experimental design with 18 runs was generated by design expert software within in the constrained: 40-60% malted sorghum, 20-30% blanched soybean, 10-20% boiled karkade seeds and 10% premix (5.

Biomass, carbon stock and sequestration potential of Oxytenanthera abyssinica forests in Lower Beles River Basin, Northwestern Ethiopia.

Background: Given the large bamboo resource base with considerable potential to act as an important carbon sink, Ethiopia has included bamboo in the national Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks (REDD+) and Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) programs. However, little is known about the carbon stock and sequestration potential of bamboo forests. As a result, this research was conducted to quantify the carbon sequestration and storage capacity of Oxytenanthera abyssinica forests in the Lower Beles River Basin, northwestern Ethiopia.

Fatty Acid Profile, Total Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Activity of Niger Seed () and Linseed ().

Fatty acid composition and antioxidant content are major determinants of vegetable oil quality. Antioxidants are important food components, and there is an increasing interest of replacing synthetic antioxidants with those from natural sources for food industry. The objective of this study was to evaluate fatty acid composition, total phenolic, carotenoid and chlorophyll contents, and antioxidant capacity of different varieties of two oilseed crops.

Premilling treatments effects on nutritional composition, antinutritional factors, and in vitro mineral bioavailability of the improved Assosa I sorghum variety ( L.).

Sorghum ( L.) is among the staple cereal crops in different parts of Ethiopia. However, the presence of antinutritional factors restricts the digestion of proteins and bioavailability different minerals.

Modeling the Effect of HIV/AIDS Stigma on HIV Infection Dynamics in Kenya.

Stigma toward people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has impeded the response to the disease across the world. Widespread stigma leads to poor adherence of preventative measures while also causing PLWHA to avoid testing and care, delaying important treatment. Stigma is clearly a hugely complex construct.

Effect of Elevation on the Density and Species Composition of Encroacher Woody Plants in Borana Rangeland, Southern Ethiopia.

Woody plant encroachments are major concerns across the grasslands biome, while the patterns of individual species existence at a landscape level can be limited locally and regionally. The paper assesses the species composition, community structure, and density of individual and combined encroacher woody species in terms of tree equivalent per hectare (TE ha) within five different height classes at four elevation levels in Borana arid thorn bush savanna grasslands in Southern Ethiopia. At each elevation class, a grid of 20 × 20 m main plot was placed, and samples were collected randomly from three 100 m sub-plot within the main plot.

Expression of cytokine genes at tick attachment and control sites of Namaqua Afrikaner, Dorper and South African Mutton Merino sheep.

Cytokines are immune response components important in innate immunity and inflammatory response. They are harnessed as part of local immunological responses by animals to combat local infections and/or infestations. This study investigated expression of four selected cytokine genes, namely, interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), chemokine C-C ligand 2 (CCL2), chemokine C-C ligand 26 (CCL26) and interleukin 8 (IL-8), at tick attachment and control sites in a South African indigenous sheep breed the Namaqua Afrikaner (NA) and two commercial breeds, the Dorper and South African Mutton Merino (SAMM).

Breed effects and heterosis for weight traits and tick count in a cross between an indigenous fat-tailed and a commercial sheep breed.

Ticks can compromise productivity and welfare in free-ranging sheep. Chemical tick control may not be sustainable in the long term. Alternative control measures must be sought for an integrated control programme.