scholarly journals Unraveling the Gut Microbiome of the Invasive Small Indian Mongoose (Urva auropunctata) in the Caribbean

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 465
Author(s):  
Anne A. M. J. Becker ◽  
KC Hill ◽  
Patrick Butaye
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Microbial Profile ◽  
Vegetation Zones ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Metabolic Properties ◽  
Small Indian Mongoose

Small Indian mongooses (Urva auropunctata) are among the most pervasive predators to disrupt the native ecology on Caribbean islands and are strongly entrenched in their areas of introduction. Few studies, however, have considered the microbial ecology of such biological invasions. In this study, we investigated the gut microbiota of invasive small Indian mongooses in terms of taxonomic diversity and functional potential. To this end, we collected fecal samples from 60 free-roaming mongooses trapped in different vegetation zones on the island Saint Kitts. The core gut microbiome, assessed by 16S rRNA amplicon gene sequencing on the Ion S5TM XL platform, reflects a carnivore-like signature with a dominant abundance of Firmicutes (54.96%), followed by Proteobacteria (13.98%) and Fusobacteria (12.39%), and a relatively minor contribution of Actinobacteria (10.4%) and Bacteroidetes (6.40%). Mongooses trapped at coastal sites exhibited a higher relative abundance of Fusobacterium spp. whereas those trapped in scrubland areas were enriched in Bacteroidetes, but there was no site-specific difference in predicted metabolic properties. Between males and females, beta-diversity was not significantly different and no sex-specific strategies for energy production were observed. However, the relative abundance of Gammaproteobacteria, and more specifically, Enterobacteriaceae, was significantly higher in males. This first description of the microbial profile of small Indian mongooses provides new insights into their bioecology and can serve as a springboard to further elucidating this invasive predator’s impact throughout the Caribbean.

Attitudes toward Love in the Caribbean

1987 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 715-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Payne ◽  
Michel Vandewiele
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
West Indians ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Conjugal Love ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Caribbean

The Munro-Adams Love Attitude Scale was administered to 369 subjects aged 15 to 35 yr. in the Caribbean islands of Barbados and St. Lucia. Unlike North American and African samples surveyed with this instrument, West Indians endorsed Romantic Idealism more strongly than Conjugal Love. Data are interpreted in terms of Caribbean household structures and patterns of males' and females' relationships.

Abstract 48: Plant-based Diet Index and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers: Exploring the Role of the Gut Microbiome

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanping Li ◽  
Ambika Satija ◽  
Dong Wang ◽  
Kerry L Ivey ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Cardiometabolic Risk ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Risk Markers ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Microbial Profile ◽  
Haemophilus Parainfluenzae ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Cardiometabolic Risk Markers

Objectives: To investigate the association between a plant-based diet index and microbial composition and functionality, as well as the inter-relationships between plant-based diets, gut microbiome, and cardiometabolic risk markers. Design and method: Metagenomic profiling was performed on 916 fecal samples collected among 301 men who participated in the Men’s Lifestyle Validation Study. Using data from a food frequency questionnaire, a Plant-based Diet Index (PDI) was derived to assess the adherence to a plant-based diets. The associations between PDI adherence and the relative abundance of microbial species and pathways were evaluated using Multivariate Association with Linear Models (MaAsLin2). P values below 0.25 after false discovery rate correction following the Benjamini-Hochberg method were considered statistically significant. Results: After multivariate adjustment, the value of the PDI score was significantly and positively associated with the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (Spearman r=0.10, P=0.005). Specifically, the PDI was significantly associated with the relative abundance of 77 taxa (including 39 species) out of 506 filtered taxa and 15 pathways (out of 80 filtered features). In particular, a higher adherence to the PDI was significantly, positively, associated with of the relative abundance of Firmicutes and of pathways involving degradation of complex plant carbohydrates. It was also inversely associated with the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, as well as pathways involved in the urea cycle and amino acid biosynthesis. We also found that 14 species significantly interacted with PDI in modulating plasma ratio of TG to HDL-C. The association of PDI with lower TG to HDL ratio was significantly strengthened in the presence of the species positively correlated with the PDI score, such as Ruminococcus lactaris , Haemophilus parainfluenzae, and Methanobrevibacter smithii or in the absence of the species inversely correlated with the PDI score, such as Paraprevotella spp. Conclusions: A greater adherence to a plant-based diet was associated with a microbial profile featured by higher abundance of species in Firmicutes and depletion of species in Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, and such a profile may further strengthen the favorable associations between plant-based diets and human cardiometabolic risk.

scholarly journals Is the Martinique ground snake Erythrolamprus cursor extinct?

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 545-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephane Caut ◽  
Michael J. Jowers
Keyword(s):  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Early 19Th Century ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Rugged Terrain ◽  
South West ◽  
Maximum Elevation ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Small Indian Mongoose

AbstractThe Caribbean Islands are a biodiversity hotspot where anthropogenic disturbances have had a significant impact, causing population declines and extinction of endemic species. The ground snake Erythrolamprus cursor is a dipsadid endemic to Martinique; it is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is known only from museum specimens. The snake was common on Martinique during the 18th and 19th centuries but there have been no reliable sightings since 1968, suggesting it may have gone extinct, probably as a result of the introduction of the small Indian mongoose Herpestes javanicus auropunctatus. However, the islet known as Diamond Rock, south-west of Martinique, is mongoose-free and the last reported sighting of E. cursor there was in 1968. The islet was last occupied during the Napoleonic Empire (the early 19th century), is now completely protected, and is difficult to access (it spans 5.8 ha, with a maximum elevation of 175 m). We conducted the first extensive survey of the islet, over 10 days, to clarifty the status of E. cursor. Our study revealed that unique conditions exist on Diamond Rock (i.e. aridity and a distinct potential prey community) and that E. cursor would have had to modify its ecology to persist on the islet. Although the rugged terrain of Diamond Rock makes it difficult to explore, it is probable that E. cursor is now extinct.

Geology and hydrogeology of the Caribbean islands aquifer system of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Renken ◽  
W. C. Ward ◽  
I.P. Gill ◽  
Fernando Gómez-Gómez ◽  
Jesús Rodríguez-Martínez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
The U.S

scholarly journals Gut Microbiome in a Russian Cohort of Pre- and Post-Cholecystectomy Female Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 294
Author(s):  
Irina Grigor’eva ◽  
Tatiana Romanova ◽  
Natalia Naumova ◽  
Tatiana Alikina ◽  
Alexey Kuznetsov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Gallstone Disease ◽  
Illumina Miseq ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Bacterial Phyla ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Before And After

The last decade saw extensive studies of the human gut microbiome and its relationship to specific diseases, including gallstone disease (GSD). The information about the gut microbiome in GSD-afflicted Russian patients is scarce, despite the increasing GSD incidence worldwide. Although the gut microbiota was described in some GSD cohorts, little is known regarding the gut microbiome before and after cholecystectomy (CCE). By using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, we inventoried the fecal bacteriobiome composition and structure in GSD-afflicted females, seeking to reveal associations with age, BMI and some blood biochemistry. Overall, 11 bacterial phyla were identified, containing 916 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The fecal bacteriobiome was dominated by Firmicutes (66% relative abundance), followed by Bacteroidetes (19%), Actinobacteria (8%) and Proteobacteria (4%) phyla. Most (97%) of the OTUs were minor or rare species with ≤1% relative abundance. Prevotella and Enterocossus were linked to blood bilirubin. Some taxa had differential pre- and post-CCE abundance, despite the very short time (1–3 days) elapsed after CCE. The detailed description of the bacteriobiome in pre-CCE female patients suggests bacterial foci for further research to elucidate the gut microbiota and GSD relationship and has potentially important biological and medical implications regarding gut bacteria involvement in the increased GSD incidence rate in females.

Leishmania spp. and leishmaniasis on the Caribbean islands

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaoqun Yao
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Trinidad And Tobago ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Sand Fly ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Leishmania Spp ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Human Infections ◽  
Sand Fly Vectors

Abstract The kinetoplastid protozoan Leishmania spp. cause leishmaniasis, which clinically exhibit mainly as a cutaneous, mucocutanous or visceral form depending upon the parasite species in humans. The disease is widespread geographically, leading to 20 000 annual deaths. Here, leishmaniases in both humans and animals, reservoirs and sand fly vectors on the Caribbean islands are reviewed. Autochthonous human infections by Leishmania spp. were found in the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe and Martinique as well as Trinidad and Tobago; canine infections were found in St. Kitts and Grenada; and equine infections were found in Puerto Rico. Imported human cases have been reported in Cuba. The parasites included Leishmania amazonensis, Le. martiniquensis and Le. waltoni. Possible sand fly vectors included Lutzomyia christophei, Lu. atroclavatus, Lu. cayennensis and Lu. flaviscutellata as well as Phlebotomus guadeloupensis. Reservoirs included rats, rice rats and mouse opossum. An updated study is warranted for the control and elimination of leishmaniasis in the region because some of the data are four decades old.

scholarly journals Impact of the gut microbiome on the atorvastatin-dependent modulation of the serum lipidome

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Roessler ◽  
F Zimmermann ◽  
D Schmidt ◽  
U Escher ◽  
A Jasina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Interindividual Variation ◽  
Funding Source ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Atorvastatin Treatment ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
16S Rna ◽  
Regulatory Properties

Abstract Background and aims The modulation of serum lipids, in particular of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), by statins varies between individuals. The mechanisms regulating this interindividual variation are only poorly understood. Here, we investigated the relation between the gut microbiome and the regulatory properties of atorvastatin on the serum lipidome using mice with depleted gut microbiome. Methods Over a period of 6 weeks, mice (C57BL/6) with either an intact (conventional mice, CONV, n=24) or antibiotic-based depleted gut microbiome (antibiotic treated mice, ABS, n=16) were put on standard chow diet (SCD) or high fat diet (HFD), respectively. During the last 4 weeks of treatment atorvastatin (Ator, 10mg/kg body weight/day) or control vehicle was administered via daily oral gavage. Blood lipids (total cholesterol, VLDL, LDL-C, HDL-C) and serum sphingolipids were compared among the groups. The expressions of hepatic and intestinal genes involved in cholesterol metabolism were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Alterations in the gut microbiota profile of mice with intact gut microbiome were examined using 16S RNA qRT-PCR. Results In CONV mice, HFD led to significantly increased blood LDL-C levels as compared with SCD (HFD: 36.8±1.4 mg/dl vs. SCD: 22.0±1.8 mg/dl; P<0.01). In CONV mice atorvastatin treatment significantly reduced blood LDL-C levels after HFD, whereas in ABS mice the LDL-C lowering effect of atorvastatin was markedly attenuated (CONV+HFD+Ator: 31.0±1.8 mg/dl vs. ABS+HFD+Ator: 46.4±3 mg/dl; P<0.01). A significant reduction in the abundance of several plasma lipids, in particular sphingolipids and glycerophospholipids upon atorvastatin treatment was observed in CONV mice, but not in ABS mice. The expressions of distinct hepatic and intestinal cholesterol-regulating genes (ldlr, srebp2, pcsk9 and npc1l1) upon atorvastatin treatment were significantly altered in gut microbiota depleted mice. In response to HFD a decrease in the relative abundance of the bacterial phyla Bacteroides and an increase in the relative abundance of Firmicutes was observed. The altered ratio between Bacteroides and Firmicutes in HFD fed mice was partly reversed upon atorvastatin treatment. Conclusions Our findings indicate a crucial role of the gut microbiome for the regulatory properties of atorvastatin on the serum lipidome and, in turn, support a critical impact of atorvastatin on the gut microbial composition. The results provide novel insights into potential microbiota related mechanisms underlying interindividual variation in modulation of the serum lipidome by statins, given interindividual differences in microbiome composition and function. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Foundation. Main funding source(s): German Heart Research Foundation

scholarly journals Chikungunya Fever in Japan Imported from the Caribbean Islands

2016 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuo Imai ◽  
Eri Nakayama ◽  
Takuya Maeda ◽  
Kei Mikita ◽  
Yukiko Kobayashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chikungunya Fever ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
The Caribbean

scholarly journals Maternal Infection and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes among Pregnant Travellers: Results of the International Zika Virus in Pregnancy Registry

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 341
Author(s):  
Manon Vouga ◽  
Léo Pomar ◽  
Antoni Soriano-Arandes ◽  
Carlota Rodó ◽  
Anna Goncé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnancy Outcomes ◽  
Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes ◽  
Minimal Risk ◽  
Maternal Infection ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Multicentre Cohort Study ◽  
Epidemic Period ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Adverse Pregnancy ◽  
Multicentre Cohort

In this multicentre cohort study, we evaluated the risks of maternal ZIKV infections and adverse pregnancy outcomes among exposed travellers compared to women living in areas with ZIKV circulation (residents). The risk of maternal infection was lower among travellers compared to residents: 25.0% (n = 36/144) versus 42.9% (n = 309/721); aRR 0.6; 95% CI 0.5–0.8. Risk factors associated with maternal infection among travellers were travelling during the epidemic period (i.e., June 2015 to December 2016) (aOR 29.4; 95% CI 3.7–228.1), travelling to the Caribbean Islands (aOR 3.2; 95% CI 1.2–8.7) and stay duration >2 weeks (aOR 8.7; 95% CI 1.1–71.5). Adverse pregnancy outcomes were observed in 8.3% (n = 3/36) of infected travellers and 12.7% (n = 39/309) of infected residents. Overall, the risk of maternal infections is lower among travellers compared to residents and related to the presence of ongoing outbreaks and stay duration, with stays <2 weeks associated with minimal risk in the absence of ongoing outbreaks.

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