OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to determine the factors associated with malaria infection among forest rangers by systematically reviewing electronic articles from three databases (EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, and ResearchGate).
METHODS: The current review was prepared based on the updated preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. First, three independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts of the data collected. The information was then stored in Endnote20 based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The articles were critically appraised with the mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) to assess their quality.
RESULT: A total of 103, 31, and 51 articles from EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, and ResearchGate, respectively, were selected, resulting in 185 unique hits. Nevertheless, only 63 full-text publications were assessed following a rigorous selection screening, from which only five were included in the final review. The studies revealed that several factors contribute to malaria infection among forest rangers. The parameters were classified into sociodemographic, individual, and living condition-related.
CONCLUSION: A better understanding of malaria progresses and identifying its potential risk factors is essential to impact worker well-being. The findings might be utilised to improve malaria infection prevention programme implementations, hence maximising their success. Pre-employment and regular health screenings could also aid in evaluating and identifying potential risks for malaria infection among forest rangers.
METHODS: We examined how isotopic enrichment varied in the diverse genus Nepenthes, among species producing pitchers for invertebrate capture and species exhibiting mutualisms for the collection of mammal excreta. Enrichment factors were calculated from δ15N and δ13C values from eight Nepenthes species and naturally occurring hybrids along with co-occurring reference (non-carnivorous) plants from three mountain massifs in Borneo: Mount Kinabalu, Mount Tambuyukon and Mount Trus Madi.
RESULTS: All Nepenthes examined, except N. edwardsiana, were significantly enriched in 15N compared to co-occurring non-carnivorous plants, and 15N enrichment was more than two-fold higher in species with adaptations for the collection of mammal excreta compared with other Nepenthes.
CONCLUSIONS: The collection of mammal faeces clearly represents a highly effective strategy for heterotrophic nitrogen gain in Nepenthes. Species with adaptations for capturing mammal excreta occur exclusively at high elevation (i.e. are typically summit-occurring) where previous studies suggest invertebrate prey are less abundant and less frequently captured. As such, we propose this strategy may maximize nutritional return by specializing towards ensuring the collection and retention of few but higher-value N sources in environments where invertebrate prey may be scarce.