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Pathogens ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Kevin Maclean ◽  
Fernande Olpa J Pankendem Njamo ◽  
Mahloro Hope Serepa-Dlamini ◽  
Kulsum Kondiah ◽  
Ezekiel Green

SCUBA divers are predisposed to otitis externa caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is becoming increasingly multi-drug resistant (MDR). The present work assessed the antibiotic resistance profiles of P. aeruginosa obtained from SCUBA divers and their environment in Sodwana Bay, South Africa. Bacterial isolates from a total of 137 random water and ear swab samples were identified using biochemical and molecular methods. P. aeruginosa strains were further evaluated for antibiotic susceptibility using the Kirby–Bauer assay. Double disk synergy test (DDST) to confirm metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) production and PCR amplification of specific antibiotic resistance genes was performed. All (100%) 22 P. aeruginosa isolates recovered were resistant to 6 of the β-lactams tested including imipenem but exhibited susceptibility to trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole. MBL production was observed in 77% of isolates while the most prevalent extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes present included blaAmpC (86.9%) followed by blaTEM (82.6%). Sulfonamide resistance was largely encoded by sul1 (63.6%) and sul2 (77.3%) genes with a high abundance of class 1 integrons (77.3%) of which 18.2% carried both Intl1 and Intl2. P. aeruginosa found in Sodwana Bay exhibits multi-drug resistance (MDRce) to several pharmaceutically important drugs with the potential to transfer antibiotic resistance to other bacteria if the judicious use of antibiotics for their treatment is not practiced.


2022 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Osama A. Elsayad ◽  
Basel Alsharif

Abstract Background Scuba diving has become a popular hobby. However, diving puts the auditory system at the risk of a wide variety of complaints including tinnitus. Low-level laser therapy is a new modality in treatment of tinnitus. This study evaluates effect of laser therapy on tinnitus of scuba divers in Red Sea. This randomized study included 200 scuba diving patients with tinnitus without any other audiological symptoms. They were randomly divided into two groups: GI (n=100) patients were subjected to 60 sessions of laser therapy, and in the other group GII (n=100), the machine was off while doing the procedure. The Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) was done every 20 days to evaluate the severity of the tinnitus for both groups. Results Both groups were matched regarding age and sex distribution. GI group experienced significantly decreased tinnitus severity compared to GII after laser therapy. There was no relation between duration of diving and laser therapy effect in GI. Conclusion Laser therapy is effective in treatment of tinnitus of scuba divers and its effect is increased by number of laser sessions.


2022 ◽  
pp. 946-958
Author(s):  
Anacleto Correia ◽  
Pedro B. Água

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that is becoming more common for applications in the field of education and training. VR can be used to create simulated two- and three-dimensional scenarios, promoting interactions between the user and the environment, which allows experiencing virtual training situations very close to real actions. The aim of this text is to describe the development of a teaching and training tool using VR technology for scuba divers' operations within the aquatic context for enhancing critical thinking. To this end, a survey of requirements based on real procedures was carried out in order to transpose them into a synthetic environment. After the construction of the artefact, it was tested and evaluated by qualified users, and the results are promising.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 01-09
Author(s):  
Reymark Pabilando ◽  
Kenjie Caparro ◽  
Jeffrey Bantilan

  A beach resort is a tourist spot, which is excellent for family outings and friends. It is a great place to relax and enjoy. Biliran has known for several different tourist spots, especially the beaches. Beach is one of the famous tourist spots, and those beaches are a haven for scuba divers because of the abundance of marine life. The study’s goal was to find out how beach resorts in Almeria, Biliran, dealt with waste. A descriptive research design was adopted in this study. It's descriptive in the sense that it describes beach resort trash management procedures. Leaves and seaweeds are the most general rubbish found at resorts, according to the findings of the study. According to the results, management should provide more training to employees to improve their knowledge of work and how to become more effective workers in their respective fields.


F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 1301
Author(s):  
Khalifa S. Al-Khalifa ◽  
Muneer H. Alshuyukh ◽  
Amal Alfaraj ◽  
Ashwin C. Shetty ◽  
Yaser A. Alsahafi ◽  
...  

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among scuba divers in Saudi Arabia towards equipment infection control measures, protective guidelines measures and potential post COVID-19 infection complications. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a pre-validated questionnaire was conducted. The questionnaire consisted of 35 close-ended questions, which covered the scuba divers’ profile and experience, the KAP of COVID-19 precautionary measures during diving activities as well as the demographic data and background of the scuba divers. KAP scores were subjected to non-parametric tests of statistical significance (Mann Whitney and Kruskal Wallis test). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Most of the 461 participants’ answers were in agreeance on the proper KAP of infection control during the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a statistically significant difference in attitude between all the demographic and professional variables (p<0.05) except for gender and region of residence (p>0.05). In addition, there was a statistically significant practice difference among age groups, education levels, and employee status in the diving center (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our findings showed that scuba divers presented a good level of KAP of infection control measures against the spread of the coronavirus disease. Local officials and diving organizations need to continue their efforts in combating and control the spread of this pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurul Haqimin Mohd Salleh ◽  
◽  
Norlinda Mohd Rozar ◽  
Noor Apandi Osnin ◽  
Mohd Safuan Che Din ◽  
...  

Dive sites which are home to various forms of marine life, unique structures and corals have become the main attraction for scuba divers. Divers normally choose the most attractive diving sites by visiting dive centers or getting referrals from other divers. However, there is problem in conventional subjective judgments where no standard measures have been considered. As a result, the judgments on dive site attractiveness may satisfy some divers but not others. To avoid these uncertainties, this research innovatively developed the world’s first index model for the attractiveness a dive site. Eight factors have been carefully selected, namely visibility, current stability, uniqueness of underwater scenery, coral health, the immensity of the coral reef, diversity and density of marine life. Then, these identified factors were ranked and assessed by using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Evidential Reasoning (ER). Finally, all dive sites are indexed so it can be compared with others for better decision-making. To test the applicability of this proposed model, 22 dive sites in Perhentian Island were successfully assessed, indexed, and mapped. Terumbu Tiga (T3), Sail Rock and Tokong Laut were indexed as the top three dive sites in Perhentian Islands. The results also showed that the most profound factor that determined the attractiveness of a dive site was the diversity of its marine life followed by the diversity of its coral species, and the uniqueness of its underwater scenery. Practically, this model can be applied and widely used for indexing all dive sites in the world based on decision-makers’ preferences. It is expected that this index model will benefit divers, dive centers, marine parks, and related agencies by providing a new information that can be used in marine tourism.


2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 264-270
Author(s):  
Simone E Taylor ◽  
◽  
David McD Taylor ◽  
Daisy Pisasale ◽  
Kyle Booth ◽  
...  

Introduction: The aim of this study was to describe the nature of regular medications taken by active comorbid scuba divers (having a declared medical comorbidity) and scuba divers and snorkellers who died following a diving incident. Methods: We undertook a retrospective, observational study from July to October, 2020. Data on 268 active comorbid divers were obtained through a 2013 survey of Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific members. Data on 126 deceased scuba divers and 175 deceased snorkellers were obtained predominantly from 2001–2013 reports to Australian State Coronial Services. Results: The active comorbid divers were significantly older, less likely to be male, and more likely to be taking one or more medications than the two deceased subject groups (P < 0.001). Cardiovascular, endocrine and psychotropic medications accounted for 53.4%, 9.9% and 6.4% of all medications taken, respectively. Almost one tenth of the deceased divers took at least one psychotropic medication, a proportion significantly greater than the other groups (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Medication use among active comorbid divers is common which likely reflects their declared medical condition. Nevertheless, they appear to be diving relatively safely, often with conditions once thought to be absolute contradictions to scuba diving. The deceased divers took significantly more psychotropic medications. It is possible that their underlying psychological/psychiatric conditions rendered them more at risk of a diving incident. Increased vigilance for psychological conditions may need to be considered during diving medical examinations.


Author(s):  
SERENA LUCREZI

Marine algae offer numerous extrinsic and intrinsic ecosystem services. Human impacts and climate change, however, have contributed to disrupting or compromising their ecology and distribution. Continuing research and monitoring of marine algae are pivotal but require public support. This study investigated public knowledge of and attitude towards marine algae and support for their research and monitoring. The focus was coastal users, a diversified group of interest for research into the perceptions of marine algae. The study was carried out in the Conero Riviera (Adriatic Sea, Italy), a location where coastal users come into contact with several types of marine algae. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2020 with 202 randomly selected scuba divers, beach and promenade visitors in the Riviera. Data analysis was thematic and statistical. Participants possessed basic knowledge of marine algae, which was more sophisticated among scuba divers. Coastal users ascribed both extrinsic and intrinsic values to marine algae. Most participants recognised the importance of protecting and managing marine algae while supported research and monitoring, prioritising types of marine algae which provide specific extrinsic and intrinsic ecosystem services. Based on the results, strategies of outreach, communication and engagement are suggested for the study location and types of coastal users. This study contributed to the growing body of research on Ocean Literacy, confirming the importance of investigating perceptions of marine resources to steer research, management and outreach strategies. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 236-240
Author(s):  
T Fichtner ◽  
A Chekhanova ◽  
A Wuensche ◽  
HJ Starkloff ◽  
T Fieback ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
ALAN DEIDUN ◽  
MONICA PREVIATI ◽  
ALESSIO MARRONE ◽  
ADAM GAUCI ◽  
AUDREY ZAMMIT ◽  
...  

The genus Pinna includes two species in the Mediterranean Sea: Pinna nobilis and Pinna rudis. Both these species are under threat from multiple stressors. Pinna nobilis, in particular, has been exhibiting mass mortality events (MMEs) since 2016. The population and distribution of these species have never been comprehensively explored in the Maltese archipelago, and in this work, we collate information collected between 2006 and 2019 through a number of SCUBA underwater visual census monitoring programs. The logistical barriers surrounding SCUBA-based sampling techniques and the low-density distribution of these species constitute significant obstacles to  an extensive conventional population assessment. Citizen science was thus also deployed in this study to supplement the data collected through SCUBA surveys: recreational SCUBA divers worked as citizen scientists, providing data on the distribution of these two endangered species from areas never explored before. This information can be used for assessing the conservation status of P. nobilis and P. rudis in Maltese waters, whilst contributing to the next generation of ocean-literate citizens.


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