The Gut Microbiome of an Indigenous Agropastoralist Population in a Remote Area of Colombia with High Rates of Gastrointestinal Infections and Dysbiosis.

An Indigenous agropastoralist population called the Wiwa from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, in North-East Colombia, shows high rates of gastrointestinal infections. Chronic gut inflammatory processes and dysbiosis could be a reason, suggesting an influence or predisposing potential of the gut microbiome composition. The latter was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon next generation sequencing from stool samples. Results of the Wiwa population microbiomes were associated with available epidemiological and morphometric data and compared to control samples from a local urban population. Indeed, locational-, age-, and gender-specific differences in the Firmicutes/Bacteriodetes ratio, core microbiome, and overall genera-level microbiome composition were shown. Alpha- and ß-diversity separated the urban site from the Indigenous locations. Urban microbiomes were dominated by Bacteriodetes, whereas Indigenous samples revealed a four times higher abundance of Proteobacteria. Even differences among the two Indigenous villages were noted. PICRUSt analysis identified several enriched location-specific bacterial pathways. Moreover, on a general comparative scale and with a high predictive accuracy, we found Sutterella associated with the abundance of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), Faecalibacteria associated with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and helminth species Hymenolepsis nana and Enterobius vermicularis. Parabacteroides, Prevotella, and Butyrivibrio are enriched in cases of salmonellosis, EPEC, and helminth infections. Presence of Dialister was associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, whereas Clostridia were exclusively found in children under the age of 5 years. Odoribacter and Parabacteroides were exclusively identified in the microbiomes of the urban population of Valledupar. In summary, dysbiotic alterations in the gut microbiome in the Indigenous population with frequent episodes of self-reported gastrointestinal infections were confirmed with epidemiological and pathogen-specific associations. Our data provide strong hints of microbiome alterations associated with the clinical conditions of the Indigenous population.

A Bibliometric Analysis on Dengue Outbreaks in Tropical and Sub-Tropical Climates Worldwide Since 1950.

Severe dengue outbreaks (DOs) affect the majority of Asian and Latin American countries. Whether all DOs always occurred in sub-tropical and tropical areas (STTA) has not been verified. We downloaded abstracts by searching keywords "dengue (MeSH Major Topic)" from Pubmed Central since 1950, including three collections: country names in abstracts (CNA), no abstracts (WA), and no country names in abstracts (Non-CNA). Visualizations were created to present the DOs across countries/areas in STTA. The percentages of mentioned country names and authors' countries in STTA were computed on the CNA and Non-CNA bases. The social network analysis was applied to highlight the most cited articles and countries. We found that (1) three collections are 3427 (25.48%), 3137 (23.33%), and 6884 (51.19%) in CNA, WA, and Non-CNA, respectively; (2) the percentages of 94.3% and 79.9% were found in the CNA and Non-CNA groups; (3) the most mentioned country in abstracts were India, Thailand, and Brazil; (4) most authors in the Non-CNA collections were from the United States, Brazil, and China; (5) the most cited article (PMID = 23563266) authored by Bhatt et al. had 2604 citations since 2013. Our findings provide in-depth insights into the DO knowledge. The research approaches are recommended for authors in research on other infectious diseases in the future, not just limited to the DO topic.

Impact of weather on the risk of surgical site infections in a tropical area.

We studied the impact of average daily temperature and relative humidity on the risk of surgical site infections in 36,429 surgeries performed in a hospital in inner Brazil. Adjusted Poisson regression models found an association between surgical site infections and temperature (rate ratio [RR], 1.013; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.001-1.025). The effect was concentrated on clean wound procedures and was greater over the 75th (RR, 1.109; 95% CI, 1.015-1.212) and 90th (RR, 1.196; 95% CI, 1.055-1.355) percentiles of daily temperature.

Effects of land use and seasonality on stream water quality in a small tropical catchment: The headwater of Córrego Água Limpa, São Paulo (Brazil).

Stream water quality is controlled by the interaction of natural and anthropogenic factors over a range of temporal and spatial scales. Among these anthropogenic factors, land cover changes at catchment scale can affect stream water quality. This work aims to evaluate the influence of land use and seasonality on stream water quality in a representative tropical headwater catchment named as Córrego Água Limpa (Sao Paulo, Brasil), which is highly influenced by intensive agricultural activities and urban areas. Two systematic sampling approach campaigns were implemented with six sampling points along the stream of the headwater catchment to evaluate water quality during the rainy and dry seasons. Three replicates were collected at each sampling point in 2011. Electrical conductivity, nitrates, nitrites, sodium superoxide, Chemical Oxygen Demand (DQO), colour, turbidity, suspended solids, soluble solids and total solids were measured. Water quality parameters differed among sampling points, being lower at the headwater sampling point (0m above sea level), and then progressively higher until the last downstream sampling point (2500m above sea level). For the dry season, the mean discharge was 39.5ls-1 (from April to September) whereas 113.0ls-1 were averaged during the rainy season (from October to March). In addition, significant temporal and spatial differences were observed (P<0.05) for the fourteen parameters during the rainy and dry period. The study enhance significant relationships among land use and water quality and its temporal effect, showing seasonal differences between the land use and water quality connection, highlighting the importance of multiple spatial and temporal scales for understanding the impacts of human activities on catchment ecosystem services.

Isotopic niche of the catfishes Bagre bagre and Genidens barbus in a coastal area of south-eastern Brazil / Nicho isotópico dos bagres Bagre bagre e Genidens barbus em área costeira do sudeste do Brasil

Abstract: The isotopic niche of Bagre bagre and Genidens barbus target of commercial fisheries in a marine coastal area from northern Rio de Janeiro State (~21ºS), south-eastern Brazil was compared to evaluate the feeding assimilation and the trophic relationship. The mean isotopic values of the catfishes and their food items in the δ13C-δ15N space were coherent with their respective trophic positions. The relative contributions of the food items highlighted the shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri as the most assimilated item in the diet of B. bagre, while for G. barbus the model highlighted the fish Porichthys porosissimus. The absence of niche overlap together with the trophic evenness point to a reduced feeding overlap between B. bagre and G. barbus in northern Rio de Janeiro State.

Resumo: O nicho isotópico de Bagre bagre e Genidens barbus alvos de pescarias comerciais em uma área costeira marinha do norte do estado do Rio de Janeiro (~21ºS), sudeste do Brasil, foi comparado para avaliar a assimilação alimentar e a relação trófica. Os valores isotópicos médios dos bagres e de seus itens alimentares em δ13C-δ15N foram coerentes com suas respectivas posições tróficas. As contribuições relativas dos itens alimentares destacaram o camarão Xiphopenaeus kroyeri como o item mais assimilado na dieta de B. bagre, enquanto para G. barbus o modelo destacou o peixe Porichthys porosissimus. A ausência de sobreposição de nicho juntamente com a uniformidade trófica aponta para uma sobreposição alimentar reduzida entre B. bagre e G. barbus no norte do estado do Rio de Janeiro.

Analysis of the environmental issues concerning the deployment of an OTEC power plant in Martinique.

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a form of power generation, which exploits the temperature difference between warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater. Suitable conditions for OTEC occur in deep warm seas, especially the Caribbean, the Red Sea and parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. The continuous power provided by this renewable power source makes a useful contribution to a renewable energy mix because of the intermittence of the other major renewable power sources, i.e. solar or wind power. Industrial-scale OTEC power plants have simply not been built. However, recent innovations and greater political awareness of power transition to renewable energy sources have strengthened the support for such power plants and, after preliminary studies in the Reunion Island (Indian Ocean), the Martinique Island (West Indies) has been selected for the development of the first full-size OTEC power plant in the world, to be a showcase for testing and demonstration. An OTEC plant, even if the energy produced is cheap, calls for high initial capital investment. However, this technology is of interest mainly in tropical areas where funding is limited. The cost of innovations to create an operational OTEC plant has to be amortized, and this technology remains expensive. This paper will discuss the heuristic, technical and socio-economic limits and consequences of deploying an OTEC plant in Martinique to highlight respectively the impact of the OTEC plant on the environment the impact of the environment on the OTEC plant. After defining OTEC, we will describe the different constraints relating to the setting up of the first operational-scale plant worldwide. This includes the investigations performed (reporting declassified data), the political context and the local acceptance of the project. We will then provide an overview of the processes involved in the OTEC plant and discuss the feasibility of future OTEC installations. We will also list the extensive marine investigations required prior to installation and the dangers of setting up OTEC plants in inappropriate locations.

Comparative study of lymphocytes from individuals that were vaccinated and unvaccinated against the pandemic 2009-2011 H1N1 influenza virus in Southern Brazil

ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION:While no single factor is sufficient to guarantee the success of influenza vaccine programs, knowledge of the levels of immunity in local populations is critical. Here, we analyzed influenza immunity in a population from Southern Brazil, a region with weather conditions that are distinct from those in the rest of country, where influenza infections are endemic, and where greater than 50% of the population is vaccinated annually.METHODS:Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from 40 individuals. Of these, 20 had received the H1N1 vaccine, while the remaining 20 were unvaccinated against the disease. Cells were stimulated in vitro with the trivalent post-pandemic influenza vaccine or with conserved major histocompatibility complex I (MHC I) peptides derived from hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. Cell viability was then analyzed by [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide)]-based colorimetric assay (MTT), and culture supernatants were assayed for helper T type 1 (Th1) and Th2-specific cytokine levels.RESULTS:Peripheral blood lymphocytes from vaccinated, but not unvaccinated, individuals exhibited significant proliferation in vitro in the presence of a cognate influenza antigen. After culturing with vaccine antigens, cells from vaccinated individuals produced similar levels of interleukin (IL)-10 and interferon (IFN)-γ, while those from unvaccinated individuals produced higher levels of IFN-γ than of IL-10.CONCLUSIONS:Our data indicate that peripheral blood lymphocytes from vaccinated individuals are stimulated upon encountering a cognate antigen, but did not support the hypothesis that cross-reactive responses related to previous infections can ameliorate the immune response. Moreover, monitoring IL-10 production in vaccinated individuals could comprise a valuable tool for predicting disease evolution.

Influence of cypermethrin on avoidance behavior, survival and reproduction of Folsomia candida in soil.

Cypermethrin is a pyrethroid widely used in agriculture and in control of animal ectoparasites, being effective against a large number of insects. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of cypermethrin on soil fauna using reproduction and behavior ecotoxicological tests with the springtail Folsomia candida. The surface layer of a soil characteristic of the western region of the Santa Catarina State, classified as Typic Dystrupept, was used as test substrate. The treatments on both tests consisted of five concentrations of cypermethrin (0, 7.5, 15.0, 22.5, and 30.0mgkg(-)(1)) corresponding to 0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0gm(-2), respectively. This range was chosen according to technical instruction for the use of this product in broilers beds (that are used afterwards as organic fertilizer in soil) that recommends 15mgkg(-1) (3.0gm(-2)). The results obtained with tests for F. candida showed toxicity at all doses tested, following a dose-related response resulting in reduction in survival rate (LC50 of 18.41mgkg(-1), equivalent to 3.8gm(-2)), in the number of juveniles (EC50 of 15.05mgkg(-1), corresponding to 3.01gm(-2)), and an increase in avoidance response (AC50 of 29mgkg(-1), corresponding to 5.8gm(-2)). Although more studies are needed focusing on the fate of cypermethrin in soil when the poultry beds are used as fertilizer and how it may affect soil fauna, data obtained in this study, by showing effects within the range of the doses that are recommended implies that caution and possible mitigation measures should be taken when using this compound.