Early bacterial biofilm colonizers in the coastal waters of Mauritius

Background: The past years have witnessed a growing number of researches in biofilm forming communities due to their environmental and maritime industrial implications. To gain a better understanding of the early bacterial biofilm community, microfiber nets were used as artificial substrates and incubated for a period of 24 h in Mauritian coastal waters. Next-generation sequencing technologies were employed as a tool for identification of early bacterial communities. Different genes associated with quorum sensing and cell motility were further investigated. Results: Proteobacteria were identified as the predominant bacterial microorganisms in the biofilm within the 24 h incubation, of which members affiliated to Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria were among the most abundant classes. The biofilm community patterns were also driven by phyla such as Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. The functional analysis based on KEGG classification indicated high activities in carbohydrate, lipid and amino acids metabolism. Different genes encoding for luxI, lasI, agrC, flhA, cheA and cheB showed the involvement of microbial members in quorum sensing and cell motility. Conclusion: This study provides both an insight on the early bacterial biofilm forming community and the genes involved in quorum sensing and bacterial cell motility.

Forgotten, excluded or included? students with disabilities: a case study at the University of Mauritius

Background: Students with disabilities in the tertiary education sector are more than a just a phenomenon, they are a reality. In general, little attention is devoted to their needs despite the fact that they need more care and attention.Objectives: This paper, through a case study at the University of Mauritius, sought to answer some pertinent questions regarding students with disabilities. Does the University of Mauritius have sufficient facilities to support these students? Are students aware of existing facilities? What additional structures need to be put in place so that students with any form of disability are neither victimised, nor their education undermined? Are there any local laws about students with disabilities in higher education?Method: To answer these questions and others, an online questionnaire was sent to 500 students and the responses were then analysed and discussed. The response rate was 24.4% which showed that students were not reticent to participate in this study.Results: Our survey revealed that most students were not aware of existing facilities and were often neglected in terms of supporting structures and resources. ICT facilities were found to be the best support that is provided at the University of Mauritius. The right legal framework for tertiary education was also missing.Conclusion: Ideally, students with disabilities should have access to special facilities to facilitate their learning experiences at tertiary institutions. Awareness about existing facilities must also be raised in order to offer equal opportunities to them and to enable a seamless inclusion

Single nucleotide polymorphisms predisposing to asthma in children of Mauritian Indian and Chinese Han ethnicity

Our objective was to investigate the distributions of six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) MS4A2 E237G, MS4A2 C-109T, ADRB2 R16G, IL4RA I75V, IL4 C-590T, and IL13 C1923T in Mauritian Indian and Chinese Han children with asthma. This case-control association study enrolled 382 unrelated Mauritian Indian children, 193 with asthma and 189 healthy controls, and 384 unrelated Chinese Han children, 192 with asthma and 192 healthy controls. The SNP loci were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism for the Chinese Han samples and TaqMan real-time quantitative PCR for the Mauritian Indian samples. In the Mauritian Indian children, there was a significant difference in the distribution of IL13 C1923T between the asthma and control groups (P=0.033). The frequency of IL13 C1923T T/T in the Mauritian Indian asthma group was significantly higher than in the control group [odds ratio (OR)=2.119, 95% confidence interval=1.048-4.285]. The Chinese Han children with asthma had significantly higher frequencies of MS4A2 C-109T T/T (OR=1.961, P=0.001) and ADRB2 R16G A/A (OR=2.575, P=0.000) than the control group. The IL13 C1923T locus predisposed to asthma in Mauritian Indian children, which represents an ethnic difference from the Chinese Han population. The MS4A2 C-109T T/T and ADRB2 R16G A/A genotypes were associated with asthma in the Chinese Han children.

α-Amylase Production on Low-Cost Substrates by Naxibacter sp. Isolated from Mauritian Soils.

Alpha amylase is an important enzyme used in different industries, which degrades starch into smaller disaccharides. Extracellular α-amylase producing organisms were isolated from soil samples from Mauritius and identified by standard biochemical tests. In this study, the high yielding strain was used for amylase production. The potential of four readily available substrates, namely sugarcane bagasse, potato peel, kitchen wastes and banana peel to induce amylase production was investigated. Different parameters like temperature (30ºC, 40ºC, 50ºC, 60ºC & 70ºC), different pH (5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 & 9.0) and inoculum sizes (10%, 20%, 50%, 100% & 150% v/w) were used for the α-amylase production. It was found that α-amylase production and activity was highest for potato peel at 50ºC at pH 6.0 and inoculum size 50% (v/w). Amylase assays performed at different incubation temperatures (30ºC - 60ºC) and pH (5-9) showed that the amylase worked best at 50ºC and pH 7.Based on results of biochemical tests and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences, the isolate was identified to belong to the Betaproteobacteria, closely related to Naxibacter haematophilus (99% sequence similarity to the type strain).

A comparative study of cervical smears in an urban Hospital in India and a population-based screening program in Mauritius.

OBJECTIVE: To study cervical smear abnormalities in urban women in India and women in Mauritius and to compare the results in the two groups. STUDY DESIGN: An analysis of 6010 cervical smears taken as part of routine check-ups in an urban hospital was done and an analysis of 10,000 cervical smears taken from women participating in a National Cancer Screening Program in Mauritius was done. Emphasis was put on cervical epithelial cell abnormalities and the results in the two populations are compared with that of similar studies in other parts of the world. RESULTS: Non specific inflammation formed 19.6% and 25.34% of the smears in the Indian and Mauritian groups, respectively (with specific infection forming 6.05% and 15.08%). The epithelial abnormalities constituted 1.392% of the Indian group and 0.47% of the Mauritian group. The difference was statistically significant in the atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance (ASCUS) and atypical glandular cells of uncertain significance (AGUS) group. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) is similar to that in the developed world.

Awareness of issues related to torture among medical students in Mauritius.

Torture in custody is a global problem. Many declarations and conventions by different agencies throughout the world have sought to address this issue. Health professionals are required to detect, treat, and rehabilitate victims of torture. In the last few years, medical personnel have emphasised their stand against the practice of torture. We surveyed 155 second- and third-year medical graduates in Mauritius to assess their knowledge of and attitudes towards torture. A majority of the students have a basic awareness and would like to learn more about torture as a human rights issue. However, more than 37 per cent of students were in favour of beating in custody. Torture could be reduced if the medical profession maintains high standards of practice and ethics. Medical education for the prevention of torture should be included in the undergraduate medical curriculum.

Biotechnology in Mauritius: current status and constraints

Agriculture today faces the challenge of sustainable productivity and improved food security on a shrinking area of land under cultivation. Until recently, biotechnology has been viewed as an expensive technology affordable only by rich industrial countries. However, it is now increasingly considered as an essential tool for developing countries to tackle the numerous problems of underdevelopment. Unfortunately, to date, Mauritius, like many other countries in Africa, lags far behind in development, use and commercialisation of biotechnology. This paper outlines the current status of biotechnology in Mauritius, some important constraints faced, as well as how policy makers are planning to make Mauritius ôassume the role of a service provider and know-how disseminator in the field of biotechnology by acting as a regional hub and a regional nurseryõ.

Seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus infection in Mauritian volunteer blood donors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the seroprevalence of CMV antibodies in the Mauritian volunteer blood donor population and to establish a panel of CMV-seronegative blood donors. STUDY SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Five hundred and eighty four apparently healthy blood donors were screened for evidence of CMV infection by the complement fixation test. There were 551 males and 33 females with age ranging from 18 to 60 years. RESULTS: Complement-fixing antibodies were found in 93.5% of the blood donors. The prevalence was 93.1% in males and 100% in females. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that seroprevalence of CMV in the local blood donors is very high making CMV-seronegative blood very scarce. Therefore leucocyte-depleted blood should be used as an alternative to CMV-seronegative blood during transfusions.