Gold-rush in a forested El Dorado: deforestation leakages and the need for regional cooperation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dezécache, Camille; Faure, Emmanuel; Gond, Valéry; Salles, Jean-Michel; Vieilledent, Ghislain; Hérault, Bruno

2017-03-01

Tropical forests of the Guiana Shield are the most affected by gold-mining in South America, experiencing an exponential increase in deforestation since the early 2000’s. Using yearly deforestation data encompassing Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and the Brazilian State of Amapá, we demonstrated a strong relationship between deforestation due to gold-mining and gold-prices at the regional scale. In order to assess additional drivers of deforestation due to gold-mining, we focused on the national scale and highlighted the heterogeneity of the response to gold-prices under different political contexts. Deforestation due to gold-mining over the Guiana Shield occurs mainly in Guyana and Suriname. On the contrary, past and current repressive policies in Amapá and French Guiana likely contribute to the decorrelation of deforestation and gold prices. In this work, we finally present a case study focusing on French Guiana and Suriname, two neighbouring countries with very different levels of law enforcement against illegal gold-mining. We developed a modelling framework to estimate potential deforestation leakages from French Guiana to Suriname in the border areas. Based on our assumptions, we estimated a decrease in deforestation due to gold-mining of approx. 4300 hectares in French Guiana and an increase of approx. 12 100 hectares in Suriname in response to the active military repression of illegal gold-mining launched in French Guiana. Gold-mining in the Guiana Shield provides challenging questions regarding REDD+ implementation. These questions are discussed at the end of this study and are important to policy makers who need to provide sustainable alternative employment to local populations in order to ensure the effectiveness of environmental policies.

HIV transmission patterns among The Netherlands, Suriname, and The Netherlands Antilles: a molecular epidemiological study.

PubMed

Kramer, Merlijn A; Cornelissen, Marion; Paraskevis, Dimitrios; Prins, Maria; Coutinho, Roel A; van Sighem, Ard I; Sabajo, Lesley; Duits, Ashley J; Winkel, Cai N; Prins, Jan M; van der Ende, Marchina E; Kauffmann, Robert H; Op de Coul, Eline L

2011-02-01

We aimed to study patterns of HIV transmission among Suriname, The Netherlands Antilles, and The Netherlands. Fragments of env, gag, and pol genes of 55 HIV-infected Surinamese, Antillean, and Dutch heterosexuals living in The Netherlands and 72 HIV-infected heterosexuals living in Suriname and the Antilles were amplified and sequenced. We included 145 pol sequences of HIV-infected Surinamese, Antillean, and Dutch heterosexuals living in The Netherlands from an observational cohort. All sequences were phylogenetically analyzed by neighbor-joining. Additionally, HIV-1 mobility among ethnic groups was estimated. A phylogenetic tree of all pol sequences showed two Surinamese and three Antillean clusters of related strains, but no clustering between ethnic groups. Clusters included sequences of individuals living in Suriname and the Antilles as well as those who have migrated to The Netherlands. Similar clustering patterns were observed in env and gag. Analysis of HIV mobility among ethnic groups showed significantly lower migration between groups than expected under the hypothesis of panmixis, apart from higher HIV migration between Antilleans in The Netherlands and all other groups. Our study shows that HIV transmission mainly occurs within the ethnic group. This suggests that cultural factors could have a larger impact on HIV mobility than geographic distance.

[Tuberculosis among Trio-Indians in Surinam].

PubMed

van Crevel, R; van Doorninck, D J; van Ams, J E; Fat, H Tjon; Vreden, S G; van der Meer, J M

2004-02-28

Evaluation of the extent and possible causes of the increased incidence of tuberculosis among Amazonian Indians in Surinam. Descriptive. In two cross-sectional surveys in 1998 and 2000, the inhabitants of Kwamalasamutu, a village of Trio-Indians in Surinam, were examined for the presence of active and latent tuberculosis. Previous cases from the period 1995-2000 were evaluated retrospectively by consulting individual physicians and the archives of the 'Medische Zending' (Medical Mission), the 'Diakonessenhuis' hospital, the clinic for pulmonary diseases, and the Central Laboratory. Family ties and other factors that might be associated with tuberculosis were examined. Spoligotyping was done on all patient isolates. Between 1995 and 2000, active tuberculosis was diagnosed in 25 Indians from Kwamalasamutu, equal to 4.2 cases/1000 person-years (95% CI: 2.7-6.1). Tuberculin skin tests were positive in 105/733 Indians (14.3%). Cases of tuberculosis were found predominantly within certain families, who were genetically related. Spoligotyping of 5 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Trio-Indians showed unique patterns, which were also found in 34 isolates from elsewhere in Surinam. Tuberculosis was relatively common among Trio-Indians, clustering in certain families. This isolated tribe may have a genetic predisposition for tuberculosis, but their lifestyle and limited access to health care certainly play a role as well.

The Wealth of the Body: Trade Relations, Objects, and Personhood in Northeastern Amazonia

PubMed Central

Grotti, Vanessa

2016-01-01

This article is an analysis of trade among the Trio (Suriname), and their relationship with objects and persons in their quest for manufactured goods. Based on data mostly collected in the Trio village of Tëpu in southern Suriname, it discusses trade from the point of view of Amerindian sociality, with regard to the nature of the interpersonal relations involved. I examine trade through the prism of an Amerindian understanding of personhood, the body and materiality, and show how these relationships tend to be fabricated over a lifetime, eventually becoming an integral and material part of the actors involved. This is manifested in the way Trio social space is constructed and inhabited as an extension of the body, and how objects acquired through trade come to elicit narratives of past exploits and travels to distant spheres of alterity. [Brazil, Guyana, indigenous people, social anthropology, Surinam] PMID:27175223

Trends of influenza infection in Suriname

PubMed Central

Adhin, Malti R.; Grunberg, Meritha; Labadie‐Bracho, Mergiory

2012-01-01

Please cite this paper as: Adhin et al. (2012) Trends of Influenza infection in Suriname. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses DOI: 10.1111/irv.12037. The trends of influenza infection in Suriname were assessed from February 2010 through February 2011. Testing of 393 patients with symptoms of acute respiratory infection (ARI) revealed 15·3% Influenza B and 18·6% could be identified as influenza A positive, consisting of 56% influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 44% seasonal A(H3N2). Influenza infection occurred throughout the year, and all three influenza types affected young children as the primary population. The annual incidence of A(H1N1)pdm09 was 6·88 per 100 000 inhabitants [CI] 4·87–9·45. The spread of influenza could neither be linked to tourist flow from the Netherlands nor to contact rates related to school schedules. PMID:23136977

Intervention mapping to address social and economic factors impacting indigenous people's health in Suriname's interior region.

PubMed

Peplow, Daniel; Augustine, Sarah

2017-03-01

Previous studies found that while internationally financed economic development projects reduced poverty when measured in terms of per capita GDP, they also caused indigenous people to become disassociated, impoverished and alienated minorities whose health status has declined to unacceptable lows when measured in terms of mercury poisoning and the burgeoning rate of suicide. In this study, we developed a needs assessment and a policy-oriented causal diagram to determine whether the impaired health of the people in this region was at least partially due to the role the country has played within the global economy. Specifically, could the health and well-being of indigenous people in Suriname be understood in terms of the foreign investment programs and economic development policies traceable to the Inter-American Development Bank's Suriname Land Management Project. Interviews took place from 2004 through 2015 involving stakeholders with an interest in public health and economic development. A policy-oriented causal diagram was created to model a complex community health system and weave together a wide range of ideas and views captured during the interview process. Converting land and resources held by indigenous people into private ownership has created an active market for land, increased investment and productivity, and reduced poverty when measured in terms of per capita GDP. However, it has also caused indigenous people to become disassociated, impoverished and alienated minorities whose health status has declined to unacceptable lows. While the effects of economic development programs on the health of vulnerable indigenous communities are clear, the governance response is not. The governance response appeared to be determined less by the urgency of the public health issue or by the compelling logic of an appropriate response, and more by competing economic interests and the exercise of power. The health and well-being of the indigenous Wayana in Suriname's interior region is at least partially due to the role the country has played within the global economy. Specifically, the health and well-being of indigenous people in Suriname can be understood to be a result of foreign development bank-funded projects that drive the government of Suriname to trade land and natural resources on the global market to manage their country's balance of payments.

Urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis infections among ethnic groups in Paramaribo, Suriname; determinants and ethnic sexual mixing patterns.

PubMed

van der Helm, Jannie J; Bom, Reinier J M; Grünberg, Antoon W; Bruisten, Sylvia M; Schim van der Loeff, Maarten F; Sabajo, Leslie O A; de Vries, Henry J C

2013-01-01

Little is known about the epidemiology of urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis infection (chlamydia) in Suriname. Suriname is a society composed of many ethnic groups, such as Creoles, Maroons, Hindustani, Javanese, Chinese, Caucasians, and indigenous Amerindians. We estimated determinants for chlamydia, including the role of ethnicity, and identified transmission patterns and ethnic sexual networks among clients of two clinics in Paramaribo, Suriname. Participants were recruited at two sites a sexually transmitted infections (STI) clinic and a family planning (FP) clinic in Paramaribo. Urine samples from men and nurse-collected vaginal swabs were obtained for nucleic acid amplification testing. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify determinants of chlamydia. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed to genotype C. trachomatis. To identify transmission patterns and sexual networks, a minimum spanning tree was created, using full MLST profiles. Clusters in the minimum spanning tree were compared for ethnic composition. Between March 2008 and July 2010, 415 men and 274 women were included at the STI clinic and 819 women at the FP clinic. Overall chlamydia prevalence was 15% (224/1508). Age, ethnicity, and recruitment site were significantly associated with chlamydia in multivariable analysis. Participants of Creole and Javanese ethnicity were more frequently infected with urogenital chlamydia. Although sexual mixing with other ethnic groups did differ significantly per ethnicity, this mixing was not independently significantly associated with chlamydia. We typed 170 C. trachomatis-positive samples (76%) and identified three large C. trachomatis clusters. Although the proportion from various ethnic groups differed significantly between the clusters (P = 0.003), all five major ethnic groups were represented in all three clusters. Chlamydia prevalence in Suriname is high and targeted prevention measures are required. Although ethnic sexual mixing differed between ethnic groups, differences in prevalence between ethnic groups could not be explained by sexual mixing.

Urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis Infections among Ethnic Groups in Paramaribo, Suriname; Determinants and Ethnic Sexual Mixing Patterns

PubMed Central

van der Helm, Jannie J.; Bom, Reinier J. M.; Grünberg, Antoon W.; Bruisten, Sylvia M.; Schim van der Loeff, Maarten F.; Sabajo, Leslie O. A.; de Vries, Henry J. C.

2013-01-01

Background Little is known about the epidemiology of urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis infection (chlamydia) in Suriname. Suriname is a society composed of many ethnic groups, such as Creoles, Maroons, Hindustani, Javanese, Chinese, Caucasians, and indigenous Amerindians. We estimated determinants for chlamydia, including the role of ethnicity, and identified transmission patterns and ethnic sexual networks among clients of two clinics in Paramaribo, Suriname. Methods Participants were recruited at two sites a sexually transmitted infections (STI) clinic and a family planning (FP) clinic in Paramaribo. Urine samples from men and nurse-collected vaginal swabs were obtained for nucleic acid amplification testing. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify determinants of chlamydia. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed to genotype C. trachomatis. To identify transmission patterns and sexual networks, a minimum spanning tree was created, using full MLST profiles. Clusters in the minimum spanning tree were compared for ethnic composition. Results Between March 2008 and July 2010, 415 men and 274 women were included at the STI clinic and 819 women at the FP clinic. Overall chlamydia prevalence was 15% (224/1508). Age, ethnicity, and recruitment site were significantly associated with chlamydia in multivariable analysis. Participants of Creole and Javanese ethnicity were more frequently infected with urogenital chlamydia. Although sexual mixing with other ethnic groups did differ significantly per ethnicity, this mixing was not independently significantly associated with chlamydia. We typed 170 C. trachomatis-positive samples (76%) and identified three large C. trachomatis clusters. Although the proportion from various ethnic groups differed significantly between the clusters (P = 0.003), all five major ethnic groups were represented in all three clusters. Conclusion Chlamydia prevalence in Suriname is high and targeted prevention measures are required. Although ethnic sexual mixing differed between ethnic groups, differences in prevalence between ethnic groups could not be explained by sexual mixing. PMID:23874730

Quantification of bioactive compounds in pulps and by-products of tropical fruits from Brazil.

PubMed

Ribeiro da Silva, Larissa Morais; Teixeira de Figueiredo, Evania Altina; Silva Ricardo, Nagila Maria Pontes; Pinto Vieira, Icaro Gusmao; Wilane de Figueiredo, Raimundo; Brasil, Isabella Montenegro; Gomes, Carmen L

2014-01-15

This study aimed to quantify the levels of resveratrol, coumarin, and other bioactives in pulps and by-products of twelve tropical fruits from Brazil obtained during pulp production process. Pineapple, acerola, monbin, cashew apple, guava, soursop, papaya, mango, passion fruit, surinam cherry, sapodilla, and tamarind pulps were evaluated as well as their by-products (peel, pulp's leftovers, and seed). Total phenolic, anthocyanins, yellow flavonoids, β-carotene and lycopene levels were also determined. Resveratrol was identified in guava and surinam cherry by-products and coumarin in passion fruit, guava and surinam cherry by-products and mango pulp. These fruit pulp and by-products could be considered a new natural source of both compounds. Overall, fruit by-products presented higher (P<0.05) bioactive content than their respective fruit pulps. This study provides novel information about tropical fruits and their by-products bioactive composition, which is essential for the understanding of their nutraceutical potential and future application in the food industry. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Zika virus infection in 18 travellers returning from Surinam and the Dominican Republic, The Netherlands, November 2015-March 2016.

PubMed

Duijster, Janneke W; Goorhuis, Abraham; van Genderen, Perry J J; Visser, Leo G; Koopmans, Marion P; Reimerink, Johan H; Grobusch, Martin P; van der Eijk, Annemiek A; van den Kerkhof, Johannes H C T; Reusken, Chantal B; Hahné, Susan J M

2016-12-01

We report 18 cases of confirmed Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in travellers returning to the Netherlands from Surinam (South America, bordering northern Brazil) and the Dominican Republic. In a multi-centre study, we collected epidemiological, virological and clinical characteristics, as well as data on travel history, underlying illness and laboratory results of the 18 imported ZIKV infection cases using a standardised form. Most cases had a self-limiting course of disease, two patients developed complications, one had Guillain-Barré and another had severe thrombocytopenia. Four patients had underlying illness. One of the reported cases was pregnant. Three of 13 patients tested had a weak-positive result for dengue IgM. The majority of patients were born in Suriname and/or visiting friends and relatives (VFR). Providing pre-travel advice among travellers, especially VFR travellers, is needed to enhance the use of preventive measures against ZIKV infection. Further evidence on health risks associated with ZIKV infection is urgently needed.

A new species of Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Suriname

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moratelli, Ricardo; Wilson, Don E.; Gardner, Alfred; Fisher, Robert D.; Gutiérrez, Eliécer E.

2016-01-01

We describe a new species of bat in the genus Myotis (Vespertilionidae: Myotinae) from the district of Sipaliwini, Suriname. The new species (Myotis clydejonesi sp. nov.), known from a single specimen, is sister to a clade of M. nigricans (Schinz) from southern South America, but differs from all Neotropical species of Myotis in qualitative and quantitative morphological characters and in its cytochrome-b gene sequence. Our findings also indicate that M. nigricans remains composite and provide support for restricting M. nigricans (sensu stricto) to southern South America.

Recent morphodynamics of a chenier beach in the Amazon-influenced mud-bank setting of Suriname, South America.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anthony, Edward; Brunier, Guillaume; Hiwat, Micheal; Bilo, Karin

2017-04-01

The 350-km long coast of Suriname is part of a unique system in the world characterized by large-scale muddy sedimentation and chenier development. The mud is organized into discrete banks migrating alongshore under the influence of waves and currents, separated by 'inter-bank' zones, where cheniers commonly form. Braamspunt beach is a fine example of an open-coast chenier between the mouths of the Maroni and the Suriname Rivers. The former is the primary sand source for the beach, whereas the latter, near which the presently subsisting remnant of the beach is situated, forms a downdrift sink zone for this chenier. Satellite images between 1987 and 2016 shows that Braamspunt beach has significantly shortened over this period. This process has resulted from much of the sand supply coming from updrift (the Maroni) being integrated into a chenier driven landward by waves over mangroves and becoming overwhelmed by a mud bank migrating between the Maroni and Suriname Rivers. Two ground (hydrodynamics, GPS) and drone-photogrammetry surveys in 2016 show that Braamspunt beach is characterized by clear-cut longshore morphodynamic variations reflecting between the 'source' and the 'sink' zones. This gradient is related to different updrift (approaching mud bank) and downdrift (approaches to the Suriname estuary) contexts. The northern sector comprised two elements: the leading edge of the mud bank where the existing chenier (former open beach) has been isolated from the sea by mud and fossilized inland, and the 'terrestrial' shoreline junction with the leading edge of the mud bank. The latter segment consisted of a narrow 150 m-long sandy chenier migrating landward as mud has gained ground, resulting in shortening of the beach. As the chenier migrated inland over back-beach stands of Avicennia germinans mangroves, it left in its wake a muddy foreshore with subsisting mangroves that were part of the muddy mangrove-colonized muddy plain. The southern sector also comprised two segments: a narrow, strongly eroding 1.7 km-long reflective beach, and a relatively large, accretionary 0.6 km-long downdrift beach segment that constituted the downdrift sink for sand transferred alongshore. The multi-decadal to recent evolution of Braamspunt beach thus shows a classical chenier beach that depends essentially on sand supply from the Maroni, but transport is not direct and continuous as one would expect on a classical open-ocean beach because the sand from the Maroni source transported alongshore by wave-induced drift is partially sequestered over more or less long periods of time (multi-decadal) by mud banks migrating westward towards Guyana. Sand availability is, thus, neither constant nor perennial on Braamspunt beach. In other words, this chenier beach does not function as a classical through-put source-to-sink (Maroni-Suriname) sediment cell, but as a potentially fragmented temporally and alongshore-variable cell. This has serious implications for the overall sediment budget of the beach and its sustainability. It also implies that sand mining, practised on a large-scale on this beach, which also serves as a major marine turtle-nesting site in Suriname, could endanger the future existence of this chenier beach.

How do psychosocial determinants in migrant women in the Netherlands differ from these among their counterparts in their country of origin? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Nierkens, Vera; van der Ploeg, Maya V; van Eer, Marja Y; Stronks, Karien

2011-05-26

Migration of non-Western women into Western countries often results in an increase in smoking prevalence among migrant women. To gain more insight into how to prevent this increase, we compared psychosocial determinants of smoking between Surinamese women in Suriname and those in the Netherlands. Data were obtained between 2000 and 2004 from two cross-sectional studies, the CVRFO study in Suriname (n = 702) and the SUNSET study in the Netherlands (n = 674). For analyses of determinants, we collected additional data in CVRFO study population (n = 85). Differences between the two groups were analysed by chi-square analyses and logistic regression analyses. As was found in other studies among migrant women, more Surinamese migrant women in the Netherlands smoked (31%) than women in Suriname (16%). More Surinamese women in the Netherlands than in Suriname had a positive affective and cognitive attitude towards smoking (OR = 2.6 (95%CI 1.05;6.39) and OR = 3.3 (95%CI 1.31;8.41)). They perceived a positive norm within their partners and friends regarding smoking more frequently (OR = 6.5 (95%CI 2.7;15.6) and OR = 3.3 (95%CI 1.50;7.25)). Migrant women are more positive towards smoking and perceived a more positive norm towards smoking when compared with women in the country of origin. Interventions targeted at the psychosocial determinants regarding smoking for newly migrated women, in particular the consequences of smoking and the norm towards smoking might help to prevent an increase in smoking in those populations.

Cruel disease, cruel medicine: self-treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with harmful chemical substances in Suriname.

PubMed

Ramdas, Sahienshadebie

2012-09-01

Why are potentially harmful, non-biomedical chemical substances, such as battery acid, chlorine, herbicides, and insecticides, used in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL)? What drives people to use these products as medicine? This article is about perceptions of CL, and the quest for a cure, in Suriname, South America. It highlights the associative style of reasoning behind health seeking and discusses the use of harmful chemical substances as medicines. Cutaneous leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease, affects 1 to 1.5 million people globally. It has a spectrum of clinical manifestations, but the most prominent and disfiguring elements are extensive dermatological ulceration and scar formation from lesions. The data upon which this article is based are derived from anthropological research carried out in different parts of Suriname between September 2009 and December 2010. Data was collected through mainly qualitative methods, including interviewing 205 CL patients using structured questionnaires at the Dermatological Service in the capital Paramaribo. Almost all people with CL said they tried self-treatment, varying from the use of ethno-botanical products to non-biomedical chemical solutions. This article presents and interprets the views and practices of CL patients who sought treatment using harsh chemicals. It argues that a confluence of contextual factors - environmental, occupational, infrastructural, geographical, socio-cultural, economic, socio-psychological - leads to the use of harmful chemical substances to treat CL sores. This study is the first in Suriname - and one of the few done globally - focusing on social and cultural aspects related to CL health seeking. It aims to encourage health policy makers and health professionals to carefully initiate, provide, and evaluate CL treatment and prevention programs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating the risk of dengue transmission from Dutch blood donors travelling to Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean.

PubMed

Oei, W; Lieshout-Krikke, R W; Kretzschmar, M E; Zaaijer, H L; Coutinho, R A; Eersel, M; Jubithana, B; Halabi, Y; Gerstenbluth, I; Maduro, E; Tromp, M; Janssen, M P

2016-05-01

The risk of dengue transmitted by travellers is known. Methods to estimate the transmission by transfusion (TT) risk from blood donors travelling to risk areas are available, for instance, the European Up-Front Risk Assessment Tool (EUFRAT). This study aimed to validate the estimated risk from travelling donors obtained from EUFRAT. Surveillance data on notified dengue cases in Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean islands (Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba) in 2001-2011 was used to calculate local incidence rates. Information on travel and donation behaviour of Dutch donors was collected. With the EUFRAT model, the TT risks from Dutch travelling donors were calculated. Model estimates were compared with the number of infections in Dutch travellers found by laboratory tests in the Netherlands. The expected cumulative number of donors becoming infected during travels to Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean from 2001 to 2011 was estimated at 5 (95% CI, 2-11) and 86 (45-179), respectively. The infection risk inferred from the laboratory-based study was 19 (9-61) and 28 (14-92). Given the independence of the data sources, these estimates are remarkably close. The model estimated that 0·02 (0·001-0·06) and 0·40 (0·01-1·4) recipients would have been infected by these travelling donors. The EUFRAT model provided an estimate close to actual observed number of dengue infections. The dengue TT risk among Dutch travelling donors can be estimated using basic transmission, travel and donation information. The TT risk from Dutch donors travelling to Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean is small. © 2016 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

The lived experiences of flemish midwifery students undertaking an internship in Suriname: A phenomenological study.

PubMed

Hilde, Curinckx; Marion, Welsh; Marianne, Nieuwenhuijze

2018-05-01

The aim of this study is to explore the lived experience of Flemish midwifery students undertaking an internship in Suriname. Hermeneutic phenomenological method as described by van Manen. Seven midwifery students from one University College were selected purposefully for an in-depth interview during their internship abroad within the period October-November 2014. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. The study revealed five overarching themes: (1) A time to reconsider the time, (2) a time of connection and disconnection, (3) spatiality for thought and rethinking, (4) a body to undergo or a body to respond and (5) the other(s) among the others. The experience of an internship in Suriname presents itself in each individual as: 'A process of awareness from the self with a main focus on the professional'. Meaning that it was a process of 'disconnection' from their own culture towards 'connection' with another culture. Both, the 'rethinking' of their role as a midwife, as well as, balancing between guarding one's own authenticity by 'responding' or being the friendly stranger through 'undergoing', was noticeably striking. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating the reproductive number, total outbreak size, and reporting rates for Zika epidemics in South and Central America.

PubMed

Shutt, Deborah P; Manore, Carrie A; Pankavich, Stephen; Porter, Aaron T; Del Valle, Sara Y

2017-12-01

As South and Central American countries prepare for increased birth defects from Zika virus outbreaks and plan for mitigation strategies to minimize ongoing and future outbreaks, understanding important characteristics of Zika outbreaks and how they vary across regions is a challenging and important problem. We developed a mathematical model for the 2015/2016 Zika virus outbreak dynamics in Colombia, El Salvador, and Suriname. We fit the model to publicly available data provided by the Pan American Health Organization, using Approximate Bayesian Computation to estimate parameter distributions and provide uncertainty quantification. The model indicated that a country-level analysis was not appropriate for Colombia. We then estimated the basic reproduction number to range between 4 and 6 for El Salvador and Suriname with a median of 4.3 and 5.3, respectively. We estimated the reporting rate to be around 16% in El Salvador and 18% in Suriname with estimated total outbreak sizes of 73,395 and 21,647 people, respectively. The uncertainty in parameter estimates highlights a need for research and data collection that will better constrain parameter ranges. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimating the reproductive number, total outbreak size, and reporting rates for Zika epidemics in South and Central America

DOE PAGES

Shutt, Deborah P.; Manore, Carrie A.; Pankavich, Stephen; ...

2017-07-13

As South and Central American countries prepare for increased birth defects from Zika virus outbreaks and plan for mitigation strategies to minimize ongoing and future outbreaks, understanding important characteristics of Zika outbreaks and how they vary across regions is a challenging and important problem. We developed a mathematical model for the 2015/2016 Zika virus outbreak dynamics in Colombia, El Salvador, and Suriname. We fit the model to publicly available data provided by the Pan American Health Organization, using Approximate Bayesian Computation to estimate parameter distributions and provide uncertainty quantification. The model indicated that a country-level analysis was not appropriate formore » Colombia. We then estimated the basic reproduction number to range between 4 and 6 for El Salvador and Suriname with a median of 4.3 and 5.3, respectively. We estimated the reporting rate to be around 16% in El Salvador and 18% in Suriname with estimated total outbreak sizes of 73,395 and 21,647 people, respectively. The uncertainty in parameter estimates highlights a need for research and data collection that will better constrain parameter ranges.« less

Estimating the reproductive number, total outbreak size, and reporting rates for Zika epidemics in South and Central America

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shutt, Deborah P.; Manore, Carrie A.; Pankavich, Stephen

As South and Central American countries prepare for increased birth defects from Zika virus outbreaks and plan for mitigation strategies to minimize ongoing and future outbreaks, understanding important characteristics of Zika outbreaks and how they vary across regions is a challenging and important problem. We developed a mathematical model for the 2015/2016 Zika virus outbreak dynamics in Colombia, El Salvador, and Suriname. We fit the model to publicly available data provided by the Pan American Health Organization, using Approximate Bayesian Computation to estimate parameter distributions and provide uncertainty quantification. The model indicated that a country-level analysis was not appropriate formore » Colombia. We then estimated the basic reproduction number to range between 4 and 6 for El Salvador and Suriname with a median of 4.3 and 5.3, respectively. We estimated the reporting rate to be around 16% in El Salvador and 18% in Suriname with estimated total outbreak sizes of 73,395 and 21,647 people, respectively. The uncertainty in parameter estimates highlights a need for research and data collection that will better constrain parameter ranges.« less

Causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in children in the Republic of Suriname.

PubMed

Heijthuijsen, Astrid Anna Maria; Beunders, Victoria Apollonia Annemarie; Jiawan, Dinesh; de Mesquita-Voigt, Anne-Marie Bueno; Pawiroredjo, Jerrel; Mourits, Maarten; Tanck, Michael; Verhoeff, Joost; Saeed, Peerooz

2013-07-01

To determine the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL) in children in Suriname (Dutch Guyana) and to identify preventable and treatable causes. 4643 children under 16 years of age were recruited from two locations: 33 children attending the only school for the blind were examined and 4610 medical records were analysed at an eye clinic. Data have been collected using the WHO Prevention of Blindness Programme eye examination record for children. 65 children were identified with SVI/BL, 58.5% were blind and 41.5% were severely visually impaired (SVI). The major anatomical site of SVI/BL was the retina in 33.8%, lens in 15.4% and normal appearing globe in 15.4%. The major underlying aetiology of SVI/BL was undetermined in 56.9% (mainly cataract and abnormality since birth) and perinatal factors 21.5% (mainly retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)). Avoidable causes of SVI/BL accounted for 40% of cases; 7.7% were preventable and 32.3% were treatable with cataracts and ROP the most common causes (15.4% and 12.3%, respectively). More than a third of the SVI/BL causes are potentially avoidable, with childhood cataract and ROP the leading causes. Corneal scarring from vitamin A deficiency does not seem to be a continuing issue in Suriname.

SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes): A Project Overview and New Insights on Tropical Tropospheric Ozone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Anne M.; Witte, Jacquelyn C.; Oltmans, S. J.; Schmidlin, F. J.

2004-01-01

The SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes) ozone sounding network was initiated in 1998 to improve the coverage of tropical in-situ ozone measurements for satellite validation, algorithm development and related process studies. Over 2000 soundings have been archived at the website, http://croc.gsfc.nasa.gov/shadoz, for 12 stations: Ascension Island; Nairobi and Malindi, Kenya; Irene, South Africa; Reunion Island; Watukosek, Java; Fiji; Tahiti; American Samoa; San Cristobal, Galapagos; Natal, Brazil; Paramaribo, Surinam. Key results from SHADOZ will be described from among the following: 1) By using ECC sondes with similar procedures, 5-10% accuracy and precision (1-sigma) of the sonde total ozone measurement is achieved; 2) Week-to-week variability in tropospheric ozone is so great that statistics are frequently not Gaussian; most stations vary up to a factor of 3 in tropospheric column over the course of a year; 3) Longitudinal variability in tropospheric ozone profiles is a consistent feature, with a 10-15 DU column-integrated difference between Atlantic and Pacific sites; this causes a "zonal wave-one" feature in total ozone; 4) The ozone record from Paramaribo, Surinam (6N, 55W) is a marked contrast to southern tropical ozone because Surinam is often north of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

The influence of sea-level changes on tropical coastal lowlands; the Pleistocene Coropina Formation, Suriname

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Th. E.; de Kramer, R.; de Boer, P. L.; Langereis, C.; Sew-A-Tjon, J.

2009-04-01

The Pleistocene Coropina Formation largely constitutes the Old Coastal Plain of Suriname. It is exposed fully only in open-pit bauxite mines in the central coastal plain as part of the unconsolidated overburden of Paleocene-Eocene bauxites. This study deals with the stratigraphy, sedimentology and chronology of this formation, and is based on a study in the recently closed Lelydorp-III bauxite mine operated by N.V. BHP Billiton Maatschappij Suriname. The Coropina Formation consists of the Para and Lelydorp Members. We present a detailed lithological subdivision of these members. In the Para Member, four units are discerned which are grouped in two transgressive cycles, both ranging upward from terrestrial towards chenier and coastal mudflat deposits reflecting glacio-eustatic sea-level changes. The sandy sediments represent fluviatile and beach-bar (chenier) deposits, and were supplied by rivers from the Precambrian basement and to a lesser extent by westward longshore coastal drift. Clays, largely derived from the Amazon River and transported alongshore over the shelf, were deposited in extensive coastal mudflats. The Lelydorp Member, also comprising four units, represents a depositional system that is closely comparable to the recent Suriname coastal setting, i.e., a lateral and vertical alternation of mudflat and chenier deposits formed over a period characterised by more or less constant sea level. Palaeomagnetic data indicate a dominantly reversed magnetic polarity in the Para Member, whereas the Lelydorp Member shows a normal magnetic polarity with a minor reversed polarity overprint. The reversed polarities of the Para Member exclude a Brunhes Chron (0.78-0.0 Ma) age, and thus assign it to the Matuyama Chron (2.58-0.78 Ma). This implies that the Coropina Formation is much older than hitherto assumed, and that one or more (long-term) hiatuses are not recognizable in the lithological succession.

Novel strategies lead to pre-elimination of malaria in previously high-risk areas in Suriname, South America.

PubMed

Hiwat, Hélène; Hardjopawiro, Loretta S; Takken, Willem; Villegas, Leopoldo

2012-01-09

Suriname was a high malaria risk country before the introduction of a new five-year malaria control program in 2005, the Medical Mission Malaria Programme (MM-MP). Malaria was endemic in the forested interior, where especially the stabile village communities were affected. The interventions of the MM-MP included new strategies for prevention, vector control, case management, behavioral change communication (BCC)/information, education and communication (IEC), and strengthening of the health system (surveillance, monitoring and evaluation and epidemic detection system). After a slow first year with non-satisfying scores for the performance indicators, the MM-MP truly engaged in its intervention activities in 2006 and kept its performance up until the end of 2009. A total of 69,994 long-lasting insecticide-treated nets were distributed and more than 15,000 nets re-impregnated. In high-risk areas, this was complemented with residual spraying of insecticides. Over 10,000 people were screened with active case detection in outbreak and high-risk areas. Additional notification points were established and the national health system was strengthened. In the current paper, the MM-MP is evaluated both on account of the targets established within the programme and on account of its impact on the malaria situation in Suriname. Malaria vector populations, monitored in sentinel sites, collapsed after 2006 and concurrently the number of national malaria cases decreased from 8,618 in 2005 to 1,509 in 2009. Malaria transmission risk shifted from the stabile village communities to the mobile gold mining communities, especially those along the French Guiana border. The novel strategies for malaria control introduced in Suriname within the MM-MP have led to a significant decrease in the national malaria burden. The challenge is to further reduce malaria using the available strategies as appropriate in the affected areas and populations. Elimination of malaria in the country will require a thorough understanding of transmission dynamics and a dedicated investment in key effective interventions.

Causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in children in the Republic of Suriname

PubMed Central

Heijthuijsen, Astrid Anna Maria; Beunders, Victoria Apollonia Annemarie; Jiawan, Dinesh; de Mesquita-Voigt, Anne-Marie Bueno; Pawiroredjo, Jerrel; Mourits, Maarten; Tanck, Michael; Verhoeff, Joost; Saeed, Peerooz

2013-01-01

Aims To determine the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL) in children in Suriname (Dutch Guyana) and to identify preventable and treatable causes. Methods 4643 children under 16 years of age were recruited from two locations: 33 children attending the only school for the blind were examined and 4610 medical records were analysed at an eye clinic. Data have been collected using the WHO Prevention of Blindness Programme eye examination record for children. Results 65 children were identified with SVI/BL, 58.5% were blind and 41.5% were severely visually impaired (SVI). The major anatomical site of SVI/BL was the retina in 33.8%, lens in 15.4% and normal appearing globe in 15.4%. The major underlying aetiology of SVI/BL was undetermined in 56.9% (mainly cataract and abnormality since birth) and perinatal factors 21.5% (mainly retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)). Avoidable causes of SVI/BL accounted for 40% of cases; 7.7% were preventable and 32.3% were treatable with cataracts and ROP the most common causes (15.4% and 12.3%, respectively). Conclusions More than a third of the SVI/BL causes are potentially avoidable, with childhood cataract and ROP the leading causes. Corneal scarring from vitamin A deficiency does not seem to be a continuing issue in Suriname. PMID:23603759

Health-Related Fitness, Motor Coordination, and Physical and Sedentary Activities of Urban and Rural Children in Suriname.

PubMed

Walhain, Fenna; van Gorp, Marloes; Lamur, Kenneth S; Veeger, Dirkjan H E J; Ledebt, Annick

2016-10-01

Health-related fitness (HRF) and motor coordination (MC) can be influenced by children's environment and lifestyle behavior. This study evaluates the association between living environment and HRF, MC, and physical and sedentary activities of children in Suriname. Tests were performed for HRF (morphological, muscular, and cardiorespiratory component), gross MC (Körperkoordinations Test für Kinder), fine MC (Movement Assessment Battery for Children), and self-reported activities in 79 urban and 77 rural 7-year-old Maroon children. Urban-rural differences were calculated by an independent sample t test (Mann-Whitney U test if not normally distributed) and χ 2 test. No difference was found in body mass index, muscle strength, and the overall score of gross and fine MC. However, urban children scored lower in HRF on the cardiorespiratory component (P ≤ .001), in gross MC on walking backward (P = .014), and jumping sideways (P = 0.011). They scored higher in the gross MC component moving sideways (P ≤ .001) and lower in fine MC on the trail test (P = .036) and reported significantly more sedentary and fewer physical activities than rural children. Living environment was associated with certain components of HRF, MC, and physical and sedentary activities of 7-year-old children in Suriname. Further research is needed to evaluate the development of urban children to provide information for possible intervention and prevention strategies.

Utilizing the "Plan, Do, Study, Act" Framework to Explore the Process of Curricular Assessment and Redesign in a Physical Therapy Education Program in Suriname.

PubMed

Audette, Jennifer Gail; Baldew, Se-Sergio; Chang, Tony C M S; de Vries, Jessica; Ho A Tham, Nancy; Janssen, Johanna; Vyt, Andre

2017-01-01

To describe how a multinational team worked together to transition a physical therapy (PT) educational program in Paramaribo, Suriname, from a Bachelor level to a Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MSPT) level. The team was made up of PT faculty from Anton De Kom Universiteit van Suriname (AdeKUS), the Flemish Interuniversity Council University Development Cooperation (VLIR-UOS) leadership, and Health Volunteers Overseas volunteers. In this case study, the process for curricular assessment, redesign, and upgrade is described retrospectively using a Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) framework. PT educational programs in developing countries are eager for upgrade to meet international expectations and to better meet community health-care needs. An ongoing process which included baseline assessment of all aspects of the existing bachelor's program in PT, development of a plan for a MSPT, implementation of the master's program, and evaluation following implementation is described. Curricular assessment and upgrade in resource-limited countries requires the implementation of process-oriented methods. The PDSA process is a useful tool to explore curricular development. The international collaboration described in this paper provides an example of the diligence, consistency, and dedication required to see a project through and achieve success while providing adequate support to the host site. This project might provide valuable insights for those involved in curricular redesign in similar settings.

Chagas Disease

MedlinePlus

... if they: ■ Have lived in rural areas of Mexico, Central America or South America, in countries such ... El Salvador, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay or Venezuela ■ ...

Quality of anti-malarials collected in the private and informal sectors in Guyana and Suriname

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Despite a significant reduction in the number of malaria cases in Guyana and Suriname, this disease remains a major problem in the interior of both countries, especially in areas with gold mining and logging operations, where malaria is endemic. National malaria control programmes in these countries provide treatment to patients with medicines that are procured and distributed through regulated processes in the public sector. However, availability to medicines in licensed facilities (private sector) and unlicensed facilities (informal sector) is common, posing the risk of access to and use of non-recommended treatments and/or poor quality products. Methods To assess the quality of circulating anti-malarial medicines, samples were purchased in the private and informal sectors of Guyana and Suriname in 2009. The sampling sites were selected based on epidemiological data and/or distance from health facilities. Samples were analysed for identity, content, dissolution or disintegration, impurities, and uniformity of dosage units or weight variation according to manufacturer, pharmacopeial, or other validated method. Results Quality issues were observed in 45 of 77 (58%) anti-malarial medicines sampled in Guyana of which 30 failed visual & physical inspection and 18 failed quality control tests. The proportion of monotherapy and ACT medicines failing quality control tests was 43% (13/30) and 11% (5/47) respectively. A higher proportion of medicines sampled from the private sector 34% (11/32) failed quality control tests versus 16% (7/45) in the informal sector. In Suriname, 58 medicines were sampled, of which 50 (86%) were Artecom®, the fixed-dose combination of piperaquine-dihydroartemisinin-trimethoprim co-blistered with a primaquine phosphate tablet. All Artecom samples were found to lack a label claim for primaquine, thus failing visual and physical inspection. Conclusions The findings of the studies in both countries point to significant problems with the quality of anti-malarial medicines available in private and informal sector facilities as well as the availability of therapy not compliant with national treatment guidelines. They also stress the need to strengthen regulatory control efforts on the availability of anti-malarial medicines in these sectors and in endemic areas. PMID:22704709

Spatio-temporal distribution patterns of the epibenthic community in the coastal waters of Suriname

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willems, Tomas; De Backer, Annelies; Wan Tong You, Kenneth; Vincx, Magda; Hostens, Kris

2015-10-01

This study aimed to characterize the spatio-temporal patterns of the epibenthic community in the coastal waters of Suriname. Data were collected on a (bi)monthly basis in 2012-2013 at 15 locations in the shallow (<40 m) coastal area, revealing three spatially distinct species assemblages, related to clear gradients in some environmental parameters. A species-poor coastal assemblage was discerned within the muddy, turbid-water zone (6-20 m depth), dominated by Atlantic seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Crustacea: Penaeoidea). Near the 30 m isobath, sediments were much coarser (median grain size on average 345±103 μm vs. 128±53 μm in the coastal assemblage) and water transparency was much higher (on average 7.6±3.5 m vs. 2.4±2.1 m in the coastal assemblage). In this zone, a diverse offshore assemblage was found, characterized by brittle stars (mainly Ophioderma brevispina and Ophiolepis elegans) and a variety of crabs, sea stars and hermit crabs. In between both zones, a transition assemblage was noted, with epibenthic species typically found in either the coastal or offshore assemblages, but mainly characterized by the absence of X. kroyeri. Although the epibenthic community was primarily structured in an on-offshore gradient related to depth, sediment grain size and sediment total organic carbon content, a longitudinal (west-east) gradient was apparent as well. The zones in the eastern part of the Suriname coastal shelf seemed to be more widely stretched along the on-offshore gradient. Although clear seasonal differences were noted in the environmental characteristics (e.g. dry vs. rainy season), this was not reflected in the epibenthic community structure. X. kroyeri reached very high densities (up to 1383 ind 1000 m-²) in the shallow coastal waters of Suriname. As X. kroyeri is increasingly exploited throughout its range, the current study provides the ecological context for its presence and abundance, which is crucial for an ecosystem approach and the sustainable management of this commercially important species and its habitat.

A National Surveillance Survey on Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors: Suriname Health Study Protocol

PubMed Central

Smits, Christel CF; Jaddoe, Vincent WV; Hofman, Albert; Toelsie, Jerry R

2015-01-01

Background Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, the surveillance of risk factors has become an issue of major importance for planning and implementation of preventive measures. Unfortunately, in these countries data on NCDs and their risk factors are limited. This also prevails in Suriname, a middle-income country of the Caribbean, with a multiethnic/multicultural population living in diverse residential areas. For these reasons, “The Suriname Health Study” was designed. Objective The main objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of NCD risk factors, including metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and diabetes in Suriname. Differences between specific age groups, sexes, ethnic groups, and geographical areas will be emphasized. In addition, risk groups will be identified and targeted actions will be designed and evaluated. Methods In this study, several methodologies were combined. A stratified multistage cluster sample was used to select the participants of 6 ethnic groups (Hindustani, Creole, Javanese, Maroon, Chinese, Amerindians, and mixed) divided into 5 age groups (between 15 and 65 years) who live in urban/rural areas or the hinterland. A standardized World Health Organization STEPwise approach to surveillance questionnaire was adapted and used to obtain information about demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and risk factors. Physical examinations were performed to measure blood pressure, height, weight, and waist circumference. Biochemical analysis of collected blood samples evaluated the levels of glucose, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Statistical analysis will be used to identify the burden of modifiable and unmodifiable risk factors in the aforementioned subgroups. Subsequently, tailor-made interventions will be prepared and their effects will be evaluated. Results The data as collected allow for national inference and valid analysis of the age, sex, and ethnicity subgroups in the Surinamese population. A publication of the basic survey results is anticipated in mid-2015. Secondary results on the effect of targeted lifestyle interventions are anticipated in late 2017. Conclusions Using the data collected in this study, the national prevalence of NCD risk factors will be approximated and described in a diverse population. This study is an entry point for formulating the structure of NCD prevention and surveillance. PMID:26085372

Mercury and methylmercury contamination related to artisanal gold mining, Suriname

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, J.E.; Labson, V.F.; Weaver, J.N.; Krabbenhoft, D.P.

2002-01-01

Elemental Hg-Au amalgamation mining practices are used widely in many developing countries resulting in significant Hg contamination of surrounding ecosystems. We have measured total Hg and methyl-Hg concentrations in sediment and water collected from artisanal Au mines and these are the first Hg speciation data from such mines in Suriname. Total Hg and methyl-Hg contents in mine-waste sediment and water are elevated over local uncontaminated baselines. Total Hg (10-930 ng/L) and methyl-Hg (0.02-3.8 ng/L) are highly elevated in mine waters. Increasing total Hg contents in discharged mine waters correlate with increasing water turbidity indicating that most Hg transport is on suspended particulates. Our Hg results are similar to those found in artisanal Au mines in the Amazon basin, where Hg contamination has led to adverse effects on tropical ecosystems.

Variability in Tropical Tropospheric Ozone as Observed by SHADOZ

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Anne M.; Witte, Jacquelyn C.; Coetzee, Geert J. R.; Chatfield, Robert B.; Hudson, Robert D.

2004-01-01

The SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes) ozone sounding network was initiated in 1998 to improve the coverage of tropical in-situ ozone measurements for satellite validation, algorithm development and related process studies. Over 2000 soundings have been archived at the central website, , for 12 stations: Ascension Island; Nairobi and Malindi, Kenya; Irene, South Africa; Reunion Island; Watukosek, Java; Fiji; Tahiti; American Samoa; San Cristobal, Galapagos; Natal, Brazil; Paramaribo, Surinam. Some results to date indicate reliability of the measurement and highly variable interactions between ozone and tropical meteorology. For example: 1. By using ECC sondes with similar procedures, 5-10% accuracy and precision (1-sigma) of the sonde total ozone measurement was achieved [Thompson et al., 2003al; 2. Week-to-week variability in tropospheric ozone is so great that statistics are frequently not Gaussian and most stations vary up to a factor of 3 in column amount over the course of a year [Thompson et al., 2002b]. 3. Longitudinal variability in tropospheric ozone profiles is a consistent feature, with a 10- 15 DU column-integrated difference between Atlantic and Pacific sites; this is the cause of the zonal wave-one feature in total ozone [Shiotani, 1992]. The ozone record from Paramaribo, Surinam (6N, 55W) is a marked contrast to southern tropical ozone because Surinam is often north of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Interpretations of SHADOZ time-series and approaches to classification suggested by SHADOZ data over Africa and the Indian Ocean will be described.

Revision of the Neotropical water scavenger beetle genus Quadriops Hansen, 1999 (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Acidocerinae)

PubMed Central

Girón, Jennifer C.; Short, Andrew Edward Z.

2017-01-01

Abstract The genus Quadriops Hansen, 1999 is revised and redescribed. The genus is found to contain six species, including two that are here described as new: Quadriops clusia sp. n. (Brazil, Guyana, Suriname) and Q. acroreius sp. n. (Suriname, French Guiana). Two species are found to be junior subjective synonyms of Q. depressus Hansen, 1999: Q. amazonensis García, 2000, syn. n. and Q. politus Hansen, 1999, syn. n. The male of Q. similaris Hansen, 1999 is described for the first time. New records are provided for Q. dentatus Hansen, 1999, Q. reticulatus Hansen, 1999, and Q. similaris. All species are described and illustrated in detail. Most species are confirmed as having a terrestrial way of life, with several species being found in rotten fruits, sap flows, and dead wood. Furthermore, we discuss ecological trends of the species given their collecting information. PMID:29118615

Revision of the Neotropical water scavenger beetle genus Globulosis García, 2001 (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Acidocerinae).

PubMed

Short, Andrew Edward Z; García, Mauricio; Girón, Jennifer C

2017-02-15

The Neotropical water scavenger beetle genus Globulosis García, 2001 is revised. Originally described from a single male specimen from southeastern Venezuela, the genus has since been found in localities across the Guiana Shield region and beyond, including Colombia, Suriname, Guyana, and Brazil. The genus is redescribed. Morphological characters and genetic data from the mitochondrial gene COI from ten populations across its range provide support for two distinct species, corresponding loosely to geography. The type species, G. hemisphericus García, is redescribed and newly recorded from Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil (Amazonas, Para). One new species is described, Globulosis flavus sp. n. from southwestern Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolivar). The genus is associated with lotic habitats, and typically found along the margins of small to medium sized streams. High-resolution habitus and aedeagal images and distribution maps for all species are provided.

Self-reported physical activity behavior of a multi-ethnic adult population within the urban and rural setting in Suriname.

PubMed

Baldew, Se-Sergio M; Krishnadath, Ingrid S K; Smits, Christel C F; Toelsie, Jerry R; Vanhees, Luc; Cornelissen, Veronique

2015-05-12

Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in the combat against noncommunicable diseases including cardiovascular diseases. In order to develop appropriate PA intervention programs, there is a need to evaluate PA behavior. So far, there are no published data on PA available for Suriname. Therefore, we aim to describe PA behavior among the multi-ethnic population living in urban and rural areas of Suriname. The World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise approach to chronic disease risk factor surveillance (STEPS) was conducted in a national representative sample (N = 5751; 48.6% men) aged 15-64 years between March and September 2013. Physical activity data were assessed using the Global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ) and analyzed according to the GPAQ guidelines. The prevalence of meeting the recommended PA level and prevalence ratios (PR) were computed. Only 55.5% of the overall population met the WHO recommended PA levels (urban coastal area: 55.7%, rural coastal area: 57.9%, rural interior area: 49.1%). Women were less likely to meet the recommended PA level (49% vs 62.4%; p < 0.0001) and with increasing age the PR for recommended level of PA decreased (p < 0.0001). Compared to the Hindustani's, the largest ethnic group, the Javanese reported the lowest percentage of people meeting recommended PA level (PR = 0.92; p = 0.07). Around half of the population meets the recommended PA level. Future lifestyle interventions aiming at increasing PA should especially focus on women and older individuals as they are less likely to meet the recommended levels of PA.

GEMINI-TITAN (GT)-10 - EARTH - SKY

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-07-01

S66-46054 (18 July 1966) --- Venezuela, British Guyana, Surinam and Trinidad, as seen from the Gemini-10 spacecraft. On the left is the mouth of the Orinoco River in Venezuela. Mouth of Essequibo River in British Guyana is in right center. Photo credit: NASA

Ethnic differences in prediabetes and diabetes in the Suriname Health Study.

PubMed

Krishnadath, Ingrid S K; Nahar-van Venrooij, Lenny M; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Toelsie, Jerry R

2016-01-01

Diabetes is increasing worldwide, and information on risk factors to develop targeted interventions is limited. Therefore, we analyzed data of the Suriname Health Study to estimate the prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes. We also explored whether ethnic differences in prediabetes or diabetes risk could be explained by biological, demographic, lifestyle, anthropometric, and metabolic risk factors. The study was designed according to the WHO Steps guidelines. Fasting blood glucose levels were measured in 3393 respondents, aged 15-65 years, from an Amerindian, Creole, Hindustani, Javanese, Maroon or Mixed ethnic background. Prediabetes was defined by fasting blood glucose levels between 6.1 and 7.0 mmol/L and diabetes by fasting blood glucose levels ≥7.0 mmol/L or 'self-reported diabetes medication use.' For all ethnicities, we analyzed sex, age, marital status, educational level, income status, employment, smoking status, residence, physical activity, body mass index, waist circumference, hypertension, and the levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. The prevalence of prediabetes was 7.4%, while that of diabetes was 13 0%. From these diabetes cases, 39.6% were not diagnosed previously. No ethnic differences were observed in the prevalence of prediabetes. For diabetes, Hindustanis (23.3%) had twice the prevalence compared to other ethnic groups (4.7-14.2%). The associations of the risk factors with prediabetes or diabetes varied among the ethnic groups. The differences in the associations of ethnic groups with prediabetes or diabetes were partly explained by these risk factors. The prevalence of diabetes in Suriname is high and most elevated in Hindustanis. The observed variations in risk factors among ethnic groups might explain the ethnic differences between these groups, but follow-up studies are needed to explore this in more depth.

19 CFR 4.22 - Exemptions from special tonnage taxes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... money: Algeria Antigua and Barbuda Arab Republic of Egypt Argentina Australia Austria Bahamas, The.... Vincent and The Grenadines Surinam, Republic of Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Thailand Togo Tonga Tunisia Turkey Tuvalu Union of South Africa Union of Soviet Socialist Republics United Arab...

19 CFR 4.22 - Exemptions from special tonnage taxes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... money: Algeria Antigua and Barbuda Arab Republic of Egypt Argentina Australia Austria Bahamas, The... Grenadines Surinam, Republic of Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Thailand Togo Tonga Tunisia Turkey Tuvalu Union of South Africa Union of Soviet Socialist Republics United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi...

19 CFR 4.22 - Exemptions from special tonnage taxes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... money: Algeria Antigua and Barbuda Arab Republic of Egypt Argentina Australia Austria Bahamas, The.... Vincent and The Grenadines Surinam, Republic of Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Thailand Togo Tonga Tunisia Turkey Tuvalu Union of South Africa Union of Soviet Socialist Republics United Arab...

19 CFR 4.22 - Exemptions from special tonnage taxes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... money: Algeria Antigua and Barbuda Arab Republic of Egypt Argentina Australia Austria Bahamas, The.... Vincent and The Grenadines Surinam, Republic of Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Thailand Togo Tonga Tunisia Turkey Tuvalu Union of South Africa Union of Soviet Socialist Republics United Arab...

Comparison of the Rheology of Bauxite Residue Suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pashias, N.; Boger, D. V.; Summers, J.; Glenister, D. J.

The paper presents an overview on the rheology of bauxite residue suspensions. Comparative viscosity and yield stress data are presented for bauxite residues generated in Australia, Jamaica, Surinam, and the USA. A yield stress for optimum dry disposal is specified as is the concentration for minimum energy consumption for the pumping of the four different materials. The data show that bauxite residues can be characterised at two structural states: the initial and the equilibrium or time-independent state. Data can be collected and reproduced for different muds providing there is an understanding of the time dependent nature of the material. The four red mud samples obtained from around the world have been characterised in both the initial and final equilibrium state. A comparison shows that after the course particle fraction has been removed the US, Surinam, and three samples from Western Australia all show similar rheological characteristics in the reduced structural state. A fundamental understanding of the basic rheology of bauxite residue is necessary for establishing an optimal waste disposal strategy.

Multiple Introductions of Zika Virus into the United States Revealed Through Genomic Epidemiology

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-02

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the US Army, the...Central Americas (Guatemala, Mexico, Suriname, and Venezuela ), the Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, and Puerto Rico), and

Gene flow and genetic structure of Bactrocera carambolae (Diptera, Tephritidae) among geographical differences and sister species, B. dorsalis, inferred from microsatellite DNA data.

PubMed

Aketarawong, Nidchaya; Isasawin, Siriwan; Sojikul, Punchapat; Thanaphum, Sujinda

2015-01-01

The Carambola fruit fly, Bactrocera carambolae, is an invasive pest in Southeast Asia. It has been introduced into areas in South America such as Suriname and Brazil. Bactrocera carambolae belongs to the Bactrocera dorsalis species complex, and seems to be separated from Bactrocera dorsalis based on morphological and multilocus phylogenetic studies. Even though the Carambola fruit fly is an important quarantine species and has an impact on international trade, knowledge of the molecular ecology of Bactrocera carambolae, concerning species status and pest management aspects, is lacking. Seven populations sampled from the known geographical areas of Bactrocera carambolae including Southeast Asia (i.e., Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand) and South America (i.e., Suriname), were genotyped using eight microsatellite DNA markers. Genetic variation, genetic structure, and genetic network among populations illustrated that the Suriname samples were genetically differentiated from Southeast Asian populations. The genetic network revealed that samples from West Sumatra (Pekanbaru, PK) and Java (Jakarta, JK) were presumably the source populations of Bactrocera carambolae in Suriname, which was congruent with human migration records between the two continents. Additionally, three populations of Bactrocera dorsalis were included to better understand the species boundary. The genetic structure between the two species was significantly separated and approximately 11% of total individuals were detected as admixed (0.100 ≤ Q ≤ 0.900). The genetic network showed connections between Bactrocera carambolae and Bactrocera dorsalis groups throughout Depok (DP), JK, and Nakhon Sri Thammarat (NT) populations. These data supported the hypothesis that the reproductive isolation between the two species may be leaky. Although the morphology and monophyly of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences in previous studies showed discrete entities, the hypothesis of semipermeable boundaries may not be rejected. Alleles at microsatellite loci could be introgressed rather than other nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Bactrocera carambolae may be an incipient rather than a distinct species of Bactrocera dorsalis. Regarding the pest management aspect, the genetic sexing Salaya5 strain (SY5) was included for comparison with wild populations. The SY5 strain was genetically assigned to the Bactrocera carambolae cluster. Likewise, the genetic network showed that the strain shared greatest genetic similarity to JK, suggesting that SY5 did not divert away from its original genetic makeup. Under laboratory conditions, at least 12 generations apart, selection did not strongly affect genetic compatibility between the strain and wild populations. This knowledge further confirms the potential utilization of the Salaya5 strain in regional programs of area-wide integrated pest management using SIT.

Gene flow and genetic structure of Bactrocera carambolae (Diptera, Tephritidae) among geographical differences and sister species, B. dorsalis, inferred from microsatellite DNA data

PubMed Central

Aketarawong, Nidchaya; Isasawin, Siriwan; Sojikul, Punchapat; Thanaphum, Sujinda

2015-01-01

Abstract The Carambola fruit fly, Bactrocera carambolae, is an invasive pest in Southeast Asia. It has been introduced into areas in South America such as Suriname and Brazil. Bactrocera carambolae belongs to the Bactrocera dorsalis species complex, and seems to be separated from Bactrocera dorsalis based on morphological and multilocus phylogenetic studies. Even though the Carambola fruit fly is an important quarantine species and has an impact on international trade, knowledge of the molecular ecology of Bactrocera carambolae, concerning species status and pest management aspects, is lacking. Seven populations sampled from the known geographical areas of Bactrocera carambolae including Southeast Asia (i.e., Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand) and South America (i.e., Suriname), were genotyped using eight microsatellite DNA markers. Genetic variation, genetic structure, and genetic network among populations illustrated that the Suriname samples were genetically differentiated from Southeast Asian populations. The genetic network revealed that samples from West Sumatra (Pekanbaru, PK) and Java (Jakarta, JK) were presumably the source populations of Bactrocera carambolae in Suriname, which was congruent with human migration records between the two continents. Additionally, three populations of Bactrocera dorsalis were included to better understand the species boundary. The genetic structure between the two species was significantly separated and approximately 11% of total individuals were detected as admixed (0.100 ≤ Q ≤ 0.900). The genetic network showed connections between Bactrocera carambolae and Bactrocera dorsalis groups throughout Depok (DP), JK, and Nakhon Sri Thammarat (NT) populations. These data supported the hypothesis that the reproductive isolation between the two species may be leaky. Although the morphology and monophyly of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences in previous studies showed discrete entities, the hypothesis of semipermeable boundaries may not be rejected. Alleles at microsatellite loci could be introgressed rather than other nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Bactrocera carambolae may be an incipient rather than a distinct species of Bactrocera dorsalis. Regarding the pest management aspect, the genetic sexing Salaya5 strain (SY5) was included for comparison with wild populations. The SY5 strain was genetically assigned to the Bactrocera carambolae cluster. Likewise, the genetic network showed that the strain shared greatest genetic similarity to JK, suggesting that SY5 did not divert away from its original genetic makeup. Under laboratory conditions, at least 12 generations apart, selection did not strongly affect genetic compatibility between the strain and wild populations. This knowledge further confirms the potential utilization of the Salaya5 strain in regional programs of area-wide integrated pest management using SIT. PMID:26798262

New combinations in Eumachia (Rubiaceae) for species occurring on the Guiana Shield

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Thirteen new combinations are made in the genus Eumachia for species formerly in the genus Margaritopsis in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. For these 13 new combinations, their basionyms, other synonyms, types, and distributions are given. Three new combinations are also made for the...

Catechistic Teaching, National Canons, and the Regimentation of Students' Voice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroon, Sjaak

2013-01-01

Drawing on key incident analysis of classroom transcripts from Bashkortostan, France, North Korea, and Suriname, this article discusses the relationship between an increasingly canonical content of education and the discursive organization of teaching processes at the expense of both teachers' and students' voice. It argues that canonical…

Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 1999-2006

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-26

rifles and the production of 7.62mm ammunition at a cost in excess of $500 million. Venezuela’s populist President, Hugo Chavez, has taken a hostile...Martinique Mexico Montserrat Netherlands Antilles Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre & Miquelon St. Vincent Suriname Trinidad Turks & Caicos Venezuela

Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 1998-2005

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-23

populist President, Hugo Chavez, has taken a hostile approach to relations with the United States. Among the actions he has taken that have raised...Martinique Mexico Montserrat Netherlands Antilles Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre & Miquelon St. Vincent Suriname Trinidad Turks & Caicos Venezuela

21 CFR 1310.08 - Excluded transactions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Excluded transactions. 1310.08 Section 1310.08 Food and Drugs DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RECORDS AND REPORTS OF LISTED...) Colombia (6) Ecuador (7) French Guiana (8) Guyana (9) Panama (10) Paraguay (11) Peru (12) Suriname (13...

Angelique : Dicorynia guianensis Amsh.

Treesearch

B. Francis Kukachka

1964-01-01

Angelique has for many years been incorrectly identified with the botanical name Dicorynia paraensis Benth. It differs from this species and from other described species of Dicorynia in the structure of the flowers and its restricted range of growth. Presently known as Dicorynia guianensis, angelique occurs only in French Guiana and Surinam. Dicorynia paraensis occurs...

U. S. Multinational Corporations and National Security Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-08-01

tfol/o) action between them. A random .Ci • t° def^ne the areas of inter- Acers A ä^^^-ä z^r***- were no references to foreign or mil^Lf, as1...the rubber of Malaysia ,and the bauxite of Jamaica, Surinam and Australia. The essential characteristics of these natural resource regions have

Country Reports on Terrorism 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

by stronger government responses. Ecuador and Panama have responded with a mix of containment and non-confrontation with Colombian narco-terrorist...Spanish government officials, security and military forces, politicians, and judicial figures, but the group also targeted journalists and tourist areas...Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Suriname Trinidad and

Expanding the Field of Inquiry: A Cross-Country Study of Higher Education Institutions' Responses to HIV and AIDS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 2006

2006-01-01

This report compares, analyses, and summarises findings from twelve case studies commissioned by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in higher education institutions in Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Lebanon, Lesotho, Suriname,…

Intergenerational family solidarity: value differences between immigrant groups and generations.

PubMed

Merz, Eva-Maria; Ozeke-Kocabas, Ezgi; Oort, Frans J; Schuengel, Carlo

2009-06-01

Although immigrants may be more dependent on their immediate family for support, they may also experience a wider generation-gap in values regarding intergenerational solidarity, because of processes of acculturation. Based on large scale survey data (N = 2,028), differences between first and second generation immigrants in values regarding intergenerational solidarity were examined among family members in the Netherlands with an immigration background from Turkey, Morocco, Suriname, and The Dutch Antilles. Using a multilevel analytic approach, effects of family and individual characteristics on values regarding intergenerational solidarity were tested, considering the perspectives of two generations. It was found that immigrants with Moroccan and Turkish backgrounds scored higher on values with respect to intergenerational family solidarity than immigrants stemming from Suriname and The Antilles. First generation immigrants placed higher values on family solidarity compared to second generation immigrants. Additionally, religious denomination was a significant predictor of higher values with respect to intergenerational family solidarity. Immigration and acculturation may create great strains in migrant families. Policies to support the fabric of intergenerational solidarity should consider ethnic and religious background and immigration history. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Consequences of the trans-Atlantic slave trade on medicinal plant selection: plant use for cultural bound syndromes affecting children in Suriname and Western Africa.

PubMed

Vossen, Tessa; Towns, Alexandra; Ruysschaert, Sofie; Quiroz, Diana; van Andel, Tinde

2014-01-01

Folk perceptions of health and illness include cultural bound syndromes (CBS), ailments generally confined to certain cultural groups or geographic regions and often treated with medicinal plants. Our aim was to compare definitions and plant use for CBS regarding child health in the context of the largest migration in recent human history: the trans-Atlantic slave trade. We compared definitions of four CBS (walk early, evil eye, atita and fontanels) and associated plant use among three Afro-Surinamese populations and their African ancestor groups in Ghana, Bénin and Gabon. We expected plant use to be similar on species level, and assumed the majority to be weedy or domesticated species, as these occur on both continents and were probably recognized by enslaved Africans. Data were obtained by identifying plants mentioned during interviews with local women from the six different populations. To analyse differences and similarities in plant use we used Detrended Component Analysis (DCA) and a Wald Chi-square test. Definitions of the four cultural bound syndromes were roughly the same on both continents. In total, 324 plant species were used. There was little overlap between Suriname and Africa: 15 species were used on two continents, of which seven species were used for the same CBS. Correspondence on family level was much higher. Surinamese populations used significantly more weedy species than Africans, but equal percentages of domesticated plants. Our data indicate that Afro-Surinamers have searched for similar plants to treat their CBS as they remembered from Africa. In some cases, they have found the same species, but they had to reinvent the largest part of their herbal pharmacopeia to treat their CBS using known plant families or trying out new species. Ideas on health and illness appear to be more resilient than the use of plants to treat them.

Exploring cardiovascular health: the Healthy Life in Suriname (HELISUR) study. A protocol of a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Diemer, Frederieke S; Aartman, Jet Q; Karamat, Fares A; Baldew, Sergio M; Jarbandhan, Ameerani V; van Montfrans, Gert A; Oehlers, Glenn P; Brewster, Lizzy M

2014-01-01

Introduction Obesity, hypertension and diabetes are on a dramatic rise in low-income and middle-income countries, and this foretells an overwhelming increase in chronic disease burden from cardiovascular disease. Therefore, rapid action should be taken through preventive population-based programmes. However, in these regions, data on the population distribution of cardiovascular risk factors, and of intermediate and final end points for cardiovascular disease are scarce. The Healthy Life in Suriname (HELISUR) study is a cardiovascular population study in Suriname, which is part of the Caribbean Community. The HELISUR study is dedicated to provide data on risk factors and prevalent cardiovascular disease in the multiethnic population, which is mainly of African and Asian descent. Methods and analysis In a cross-sectional, observational population-based setting, a random representative sample of 1800 citizens aged between 18 and 70 years will be selected using a cluster household sampling method. Self-reported demographic, socioeconomic and (cardiovascular) health-related data will be collected. Physical examination will include the assessment of cardiovascular risk factors and prevalent cardiovascular disease. In addition, we will study cardiovascular haemodynamics non-invasively, as a novel intermediate outcome. Finally, fasting blood and overnight urine samples will be collected to monitor cardiometabolic risk factors. The main outcome will be descriptive in reporting the prevalence of risk factors and measures of (sub) clinical end organ damage, stratified for ethnicity and sex-age groups. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval has been obtained from the State Secretary of Health. Data analysis and manuscript submission are scheduled for 2016. Findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, and at national, regional and international scientific meetings. Importantly, data will be presented to Surinamese policymakers and healthcare workers, to develop preventive strategies to combat the rapid rise of cardiovascular disease. PMID:25537786

Exploring cardiovascular health: the Healthy Life in Suriname (HELISUR) study. A protocol of a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Diemer, Frederieke S; Aartman, Jet Q; Karamat, Fares A; Baldew, Sergio M; Jarbandhan, Ameerani V; van Montfrans, Gert A; Oehlers, Glenn P; Brewster, Lizzy M

2014-12-23

Obesity, hypertension and diabetes are on a dramatic rise in low-income and middle-income countries, and this foretells an overwhelming increase in chronic disease burden from cardiovascular disease. Therefore, rapid action should be taken through preventive population-based programmes. However, in these regions, data on the population distribution of cardiovascular risk factors, and of intermediate and final end points for cardiovascular disease are scarce. The Healthy Life in Suriname (HELISUR) study is a cardiovascular population study in Suriname, which is part of the Caribbean Community. The HELISUR study is dedicated to provide data on risk factors and prevalent cardiovascular disease in the multiethnic population, which is mainly of African and Asian descent. In a cross-sectional, observational population-based setting, a random representative sample of 1800 citizens aged between 18 and 70 years will be selected using a cluster household sampling method. Self-reported demographic, socioeconomic and (cardiovascular) health-related data will be collected. Physical examination will include the assessment of cardiovascular risk factors and prevalent cardiovascular disease. In addition, we will study cardiovascular haemodynamics non-invasively, as a novel intermediate outcome. Finally, fasting blood and overnight urine samples will be collected to monitor cardiometabolic risk factors. The main outcome will be descriptive in reporting the prevalence of risk factors and measures of (sub) clinical end organ damage, stratified for ethnicity and sex-age groups. Ethical approval has been obtained from the State Secretary of Health. Data analysis and manuscript submission are scheduled for 2016. Findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, and at national, regional and international scientific meetings. Importantly, data will be presented to Surinamese policymakers and healthcare workers, to develop preventive strategies to combat the rapid rise of cardiovascular disease. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Treatment seeking for alcohol and drug use disorders by immigrants to the Netherlands

PubMed Central

Wierdsma, André; Mulder, Niels; Burger, Huibert

2007-01-01

Background We compared risks of first contact with services for an alcohol use disorder (AUD) or drug use disorder (DUD) between the largest immigrant groups to the Netherlands and Dutch nationals. We tested the hypothesis that the ethnic pattern for DUD is similar to the previously demonstrated pattern for schizophrenia. Methods Retrospective, population-based cohort study of First Admissions to Dutch psychiatric hospitals during the period 1990–1996 (national data) and First Contacts with inpatient or outpatient centres in Rotterdam for treatment of AUD or DUD during the period 1992–2001 (Rotterdam data). Results In both datasets the risk of service contact for AUD was significantly lower in immigrants from Surinam, Turkey and Morocco than in Dutch nationals. The risk was lower or moderately higher in immigrants from western countries. Analysis of the national data showed that, compared with Dutch males, the risk of first hospital admission for DUD was higher for male immigrants from the Dutch Antilles (RR = 4.6; 95% CI: 4.0–5.3), Surinam (RR = 4.3; 3.9–4.7) and Morocco (RR = 2.3; 2.0–2.6), but not for male immigrants from Turkey (RR = 0.9; 0.7–1.1). A similar pattern was found with the Rotterdam data. Female immigrants from Surinam and the Dutch Antilles had a higher risk for DUD according to the national data, but a lower risk according to the Rotterdam data. Female immigrants from Turkey and Morocco had a lower risk (both datasets). Immigrants from western countries had a higher risk for DUD, but many had developed the disorder before emigrating. Conclusion Those immigrant groups in the Netherlands that are at increased risk of schizophrenia appear also at increased risk of developing DUD, but not AUD. PMID:17334900

75 FR 17198 - Trade Policy Staff Committee: Public Comments Regarding Granting Suriname Eligibility for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-05

... become a party to and implement the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption; and (7) the extent to... associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice by selecting ``Notice'' under ``Document Type... an attached document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to type ``See attached'' in the...

State-of-the-Art in the Development of the Lokono Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rybka, Konrad

2015-01-01

Lokono is a critically endangered Northern Arawakan language spoken in the pericoastal areas of the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana). Today, in every Lokono village there remains only a small number of elderly native speakers. However, in spite of the ongoing language loss, across the three Guianas as well as in the Netherlands, where a…

Cognitive and Conversational Strategies in the Expression of Ethnic Prejudice. Prepublication/Working Paper No. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Dijk, Teun A.

In order to design a cognitive model of ethnic attitudes, an interdisciplinary project has analyzed strategies used in everyday conversation among majority members about minority groups, e.g., immigrant workers from Turkey and Morocco and people from Surinam. Data were collected through undirected interviews among people in an Amsterdam…

Wood anatomy of the neotropical Sapotaceae : XIV. Elaeoluma

Treesearch

Bohumil Francis Kukachka

1980-01-01

The genus Elaeoluma consists of three species distributed in the Amazon Basin, Surinam, Guyana, and Venezuela. The description presented here is based on E. glabrescens of the Amazon Basin. The wood is easily differentiated from all other neotropical Sapotaceae by its pale brown color, reticulate parenchyma, which is hardly discernable with a hand lens, and a low...

77 FR 40221 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing the Scarlet Macaw

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-06

..., Case No. 10 CV 00357 D.D.C.). On July 21, 2010, a settlement agreement was approved by the Court (CV-10... cases, it is sufficient to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal, described above in..., Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, and Bolivia and Brazil as far south as Santa...

Studies in Phlebotomine Sand Flies.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-30

Phlebotomus duboscqi, a vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis, was developed in Kenya at a site where Leishmania major has been isolated from rodents , A...fauna. Addi- tional species, including 2 undescribed taxa, were studied from Ecuador, Peru and Surinam. The reference collection of New World...was discovered in Kenya at a site where Leishmania a has been isolated from rodents . A paper describing the previously unknown male of Sergentomyia

The Epidemiology of Malaria in Belize, 1989-1999

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-02-01

and Suriname reported the greatest risk of transmission, followed by regions within Brazil (PAHO 1998). Within the four countries, the indigenous...with malaria transmission. Higher total rainfall was associated with a higher malaria risk in villages. An assessment of the relationship between...significant in Cayo and Toledo Districts, where higher rainfall increased malaria risk in villages; whereas, the opposite was seen for v Corozal and

JPRS Report Latin America Reference Aid Abbreviations and Acronyms in the Latin American Press.

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-26

Haiti Honduras Jamaica Martinique Mexico Montserrat Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru St. Kitts-Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent Suriname...de Mexico Autonomous Associations of Academic Personnel of the National University of Mexico (Me) AAPC Asociaciön de Amistad Portugal-Cuba...organization] (Ch) ADN Acciön Democrätica Nacionalista Nationalist Democratic Action (Bo) ADO Autodefensa Obrera Workers Self-Defense (Co) (Formerly MAO

Brazil and the United States: Security Issues for the Twenty-First Century

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

American continent. Its Atlantic Ocean coastline stretches for 4,600 miles. The country contains the bulk of the Amazon Basin with the largest...Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru , Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.[2] With the exception of Columbia, Brazil has cordial diplomatic...relations with its contiguous neighbors. Brazil’s Amazon jungle border with Columbia poses serious challenges from Columbia’s narcotics trade. Brazil

Bathe the baby to make it strong and healthy: plant use and child care among Saramaccan Maroons in Suriname.

PubMed

Ruysschaert, Sofie; van Andel, Tinde; Van de Putte, Kobeke; Van Damme, Patrick

2009-01-12

Young children are vulnerable to a range of illnesses and evil forces. Ethnobotanical folk remedies often play a major role in combating these afflictions. Here we show that plant use is highly valued and practiced within the Saramaccan Maroon Society in Suriname to maintain the general health and well-being of children. To assess the plant use importance in child care, we (1) quantified diversity and current status of herbal pharmacopoeia used in child care and (2) elucidated the reasons why care takers (mostly mothers) use these plants. We collected botanical vouchers of plants used in child care, carried out an ethnobotanical household survey with 105 women and interviewed 19 key informants. A total of 178 plant species were used in child care for different purposes. Preventive practices were preferred over curing remedies and plants were most frequently used to keep young children strong and healthy. Child care had a strong magical connotation. Bathing proved to be the most important type of application, often combined with drinking small amounts of the bath water. Plants play an important role in child care, but more research is needed on how Maroon plant use reflects actual health problems in young children in the Surinamese interior.

New species and new behavioral data of Phlugiola Karny, 1907 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae) from the Brazilian Amazonian Rainforest.

PubMed

Mendes, Diego Matheus DE Mello; Oliveira, Jomara Cavalcante DE; Alves-Oliveira, João Rafael; Rafael, José Albertino

2017-03-16

Phlugiola Karny, 1907 is a genus of small predatory katydids with six included species distributed in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Suriname. In this paper two new Brazilian species are described, Phlugiola longipedes sp. nov. (type locality: Amazonas, Tefé) and Phlugiola igarape sp. nov., (type locality: Acre, Bujari) both from tropical rainforests. Behavioral data and natural history notes are provided.

Why Surinamese migrants in the Netherlands continue to use medicinal herbs from their home country.

PubMed

van Andel, Tinde; Westers, Paul

2010-02-17

When people migrate, they tend to bring along their medicinal plants. In order to improve migrant health, we need information on their traditional health beliefs and practices. This paper investigates medicinal plant use among Surinamese migrants in the Netherlands. Data from 210 semi-structured interviews among 1st and 2nd generation Surinamese migrants were analysed to determine which medicinal plants were used, for what purposes, which demographic, socio-economic or psycho-social factors play a role in the choice for traditional medicine and to clarify people's personal motives to use herbs. Variables associated with medicinal plant use were identified by using the Pearson gamma2 test and the two-sample t-test. After selecting significant variables by means of bivariate analyses, multinomial logistic regression with stepwise forward selection was used to assess whether medicinal plant use could be explained by a combination of these variables. More than 75% of the respondents used herbal medicine, and 66% did so in the past year. Herbs were more frequently employed for health promotion (39%) than for disease prevention or cure (both 27%). Almost half of the respondents who had been ill the last year had used herbal medicine. More than 140 herb species were mentioned during the interviews. Plant use was often related to certain culture-bound health beliefs. Spiritual baths were the most popular traditional practice, followed by genital steam baths, bitter tonics, and the consumption of bitter vegetables. Afro-Surinamers more frequently used herbal medicine than Hindustani. The WINTI belief strongly influenced plant use, as well as the occurrence of an illness in the past year, and frequent visits to Suriname. Age, gender, income and education had no significant effect on the use of traditional medicine. Surinamers stated that they used medicinal herbs because they grew up with them; herbs were more effective and had fewer side effects than conventional therapies. As long as certain culture-bound beliefs and health concepts remain prevalent among Surinamese migrants, and ties with their home country remain strong, they will continue using medicinal herbs from their country of origin. More research is needed on the health effects of frequently used medicinal plants by migrants in the Netherlands. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

DoD Global Emerging Infections System Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2001

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

Singapore Brunei Kenya South Korea Bolivia Laos Suriname Cambodia Malaysia Syria Canada Mexico Trinidad and Tobago Djibouti Myanmar Thailand Ecuador Nepal...34 Varicella Susceptibility And Vaccine Use In Young Adults Enlisting In The U.S. Navy." Shah KV, Daniel RW, Tennant MK, Shah N, McKee KT, Jr, Gaydos...Symposium, 17-20 April 2001, San Antonio, TX. Ryan MAK, Smith TC, Honner WK, Gray GC. " Varicella Susceptibility And Vaccine Use In Young Adults

DoD Global Emerging Infections System Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2000

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-01-01

partners in Peru , Bolivia, and Suriname and was conducted largely under the supervision of a CDC officer assigned to NMRCD. Surveillance in the Amazon ...pyrimethamine on the north coast of Peru . In the Amazon basin, resistance to both chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is noted in the central Amazon ...the north coast and in the Amazon region, respectively.As a result of this work, Peru now has better and more up-to-date information on antimalarial

C2 System Engineering for the Adversities of the Amazon Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

within Brazil (60%), followed by Peru (13%), Colombia (10%), and with minor amounts in Venezuela, Ecuador , Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana...connection is permanently maintained. The UAVs fly according to a given movement pattern, such as a random movement for instance. In the case of a...with the Aerostat or the island of sensor nodes in the case of the UAVs that are in the extremities of this network) is about to break. This

Illness perceptions of leprosy-cured individuals in Surinam with residual disfigurements - "I am cured, but still I am ill".

PubMed

van Haaren, Mark Ac; Reyme, Melinda; Lawrence, Maggie; Menke, Jack; Kaptein, Ad A

2017-06-01

Objective Leprosy has rarely been the subject of health psychology research despite its substantial impact. Our aim was to explore illness perceptions in patients and their health care providers in Surinam. The Common Sense Model (CSM) was the guiding theoretical model. Design Patients with biomedically cured leprosy and their health care providers completed the B-IPQ and took part in semi-structured interviews. The literature on illness perceptions in patients with leprosy was reviewed. Main outcome measures Patients' B-IPQ scores were compared with samples of patients with other (chronic) illnesses, and with health care providers completing the questionnaire as if they were visibly disfigured patients. Quotations from the semi-structured interviews were used to contextualise the illness perceptions. Results Patients' B-IPQ scores reflected the chronic nature of leprosy and were comparable with those with other chronic illnesses. Health care providers perceived leprosy to have a greater negative impact than did the patients. Perceived understanding of causes differed considerably between patients and health care providers. Conclusion Leprosy continues to be experienced as an illness with major psychological and social consequences such as stigmatisation, even after biomedical cure. Interventions that target patients, health care providers, and society at large may help reduce perceived shame and stigma. The CSM is a helpful theoretical model in studying this population.

Best practices in intercultural health: five case studies in Latin America.

PubMed

Mignone, Javier; Bartlett, Judith; O'Neil, John; Orchard, Treena

2007-09-05

The practice of integrating western and traditional indigenous medicine is fast becoming an accepted and more widely used approach in health care systems throughout the world. However, debates about intercultural health approaches have raised significant concerns. This paper reports findings of five case studies on intercultural health in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Suriname. It presents summary information on each case study, comparatively analyzes the initiatives following four main analytical themes, and examines the case studies against a series of the best practice criteria.

Translations on Telecommunications Policy, Research and Development, Number 54

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-09-22

parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, and all of Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Surinam and Guyana. Argentina, in turn, is...between Rome and Palermo , by way of a cable contain- ing eight 2.6/9.5 mm (0.104/0.375") coaxial pairs, equipped with 12 MHz systems, and that of a...circuit by way of a 3600-channel sub- marine cable abaut of 500 km lenght, the distance by sea between Rome and Palermo . On the basis of these

Best practices in intercultural health: five case studies in Latin America

PubMed Central

Mignone, Javier; Bartlett, Judith; O'Neil, John; Orchard, Treena

2007-01-01

The practice of integrating western and traditional indigenous medicine is fast becoming an accepted and more widely used approach in health care systems throughout the world. However, debates about intercultural health approaches have raised significant concerns. This paper reports findings of five case studies on intercultural health in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Suriname. It presents summary information on each case study, comparatively analyzes the initiatives following four main analytical themes, and examines the case studies against a series of the best practice criteria. PMID:17803820

The impact of tree age on biomass growth and carbon accumulation capacity: A retrospective analysis using tree ring data of three tropical tree species grown in natural forests of Suriname

PubMed Central

Neupane, Prem R.

2017-01-01

The world’s forests play a pivotal role in the mitigation of global climate change. By photosynthesis they remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store carbon in their biomass. While old trees are generally acknowledged for a long carbon residence time, there is no consensus on their contribution to carbon accumulation due to a lack of long-term individual tree data. Tree ring analyses, which use anatomical differences in the annual formation of wood for dating growth zones, are a retrospective approach that provides growth patterns of individual trees over their entire lifetime. We developed time series of diameter growth and related annual carbon accumulation for 61 trees of the species Cedrela odorata L. (Meliacea), Hymenaea courbaril L. (Fabacea) and Goupia glabra Aubl. (Goupiacea). The trees grew in unmanaged tropical wet-forests of Suriname and reached ages from 84 to 255 years. Most of the trees show positive trends of diameter growth and carbon accumulation over time. For some trees we observed fluctuating growth—periods of lower growth alternate with periods of increased growth. In the last quarter of their lifetime trees accumulate on average between 39 percent (C. odorata) and 50 percent (G. glabra) of their final carbon stock. This suggests that old-growth trees in tropical forests do not only contribute to carbon stocks by long carbon resistance times, but maintain high rates of carbon accumulation at later stages of their life time. PMID:28813429

The impact of tree age on biomass growth and carbon accumulation capacity: A retrospective analysis using tree ring data of three tropical tree species grown in natural forests of Suriname.

PubMed

Köhl, Michael; Neupane, Prem R; Lotfiomran, Neda

2017-01-01

The world's forests play a pivotal role in the mitigation of global climate change. By photosynthesis they remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store carbon in their biomass. While old trees are generally acknowledged for a long carbon residence time, there is no consensus on their contribution to carbon accumulation due to a lack of long-term individual tree data. Tree ring analyses, which use anatomical differences in the annual formation of wood for dating growth zones, are a retrospective approach that provides growth patterns of individual trees over their entire lifetime. We developed time series of diameter growth and related annual carbon accumulation for 61 trees of the species Cedrela odorata L. (Meliacea), Hymenaea courbaril L. (Fabacea) and Goupia glabra Aubl. (Goupiacea). The trees grew in unmanaged tropical wet-forests of Suriname and reached ages from 84 to 255 years. Most of the trees show positive trends of diameter growth and carbon accumulation over time. For some trees we observed fluctuating growth-periods of lower growth alternate with periods of increased growth. In the last quarter of their lifetime trees accumulate on average between 39 percent (C. odorata) and 50 percent (G. glabra) of their final carbon stock. This suggests that old-growth trees in tropical forests do not only contribute to carbon stocks by long carbon resistance times, but maintain high rates of carbon accumulation at later stages of their life time.

Molecular characterization of a human G20P[28] rotavirus a strain with multiple genes related to bat rotaviruses.

PubMed

Esona, Mathew D; Roy, Sunando; Rungsrisuriyachai, Kunchala; Gautam, Rashi; Hermelijn, Sandra; Rey-Benito, Gloria; Bowen, Michael D

2018-01-01

Group A rotaviruses are the major cause of severe gastroenteritis in the young of mammals and birds. This report describes characterization of an unusual G20P[28] rotavirus strain detected in a 24month old child from Suriname. Genomic sequence analyses revealed that the genotype constellation of the Suriname strain RVA/Human-wt/SUR/2014735512/2013/G20P[28] was G20-P[28]-I13-R13-C13-M12-A23-N13-T15-E20-H15. Genes VP1, VP2, VP3, NSP1, NSP2, NSP3, NSP4 and NSP5 were recently assigned novel genotypes by the Rotavirus Classification Working Group (RCWG). Three of the 11 gene segments (VP7, VP4, VP6) were similar to cognate gene sequences of bat-like human rotavirus strain Ecu534 from Ecuador and the VP7, NSP3 and NSP5 gene segments of strain RVA/Human-wt/SUR/2014735512/2013/G20P[28] were found to be closely related to gene sequences of bat rotavirus strain 3081/BRA detected in Brazil. Although distantly related, the VP1 gene of the study strain and bat strain BatLi09 detected in Cameroon in 2014 are monophyletic. The NSP1 gene was found to be most closely related to human strain QUI-35-F5 from Brazil. These findings suggest that strain RVA/Human-wt/SUR/2014735512/2013/G20P[28] represents a zoonotic infection from a bat host. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Malaria in Guiana. II. The characteristics of different foci and antimalarial control].

PubMed

Mouchet, J; Nadire-Galliot, M; Gay, F; Poman, J P; Lepelletier, L; Claustre, J; Bellony, S

1989-01-01

In French Guiana, the distribution of malaria in foci inhabited by quite different ethnic groups calls for specific studies. Along the Oyapock on the Brasilian border and along the Litani on the Surinam border, incidence among American Indians and Creoles ranges from 300 and 900 per thousand; Plasmodium falciparum accounts for 65% and P. vivax for 35%. Along the middle and lower Maroni on the Surinam border, the Boni and Ndjukas Negroes move freely through the frontier and since the civil strife Surinamese used to attend health centres of Guiana. Therefore it is difficult to find the sources of contamination and the incidence among French citizens; P. falciparum is the only parasite recorded in this focus. In 1987 a small outbreak mainly due to P. vivax, occurred in a Lao refugees village in the hinterland. The coastal foci harbour large communities of Haitian and Brazilian migrants. The vector is Anopheles darlingi and up to now there is no evidence that other species could be involved. The rise of malaria despite of control measures involves several factors: the house spraying is no more accepted by a large percentage of house holders and the alternative larviciding has only a limited efficacy; the houses of American Indians have no walls to be sprayed; there is a continuous introduction of parasites by migrants. It has been said that vectors have change their behaviour toward exophily but such a statement has not yet been supported by evidence. All these factors should be taken in account to improve malaria control.

Age of Jurassic continental tholeiites of French Guyana, Surinam and Guinea: Implications for the initial opening of the Central Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deckart, Katja; Féraud, Gilbert; Bertrand, Hervé

1997-08-01

A detailed 40Ar/39Ar study, of mineral separates from the Jurassic Atlantic Continental Tholeiites (JACT) of Guyana (French Guyana and Surinam, South America), and Guinea (West Africa) related to the initial opening of the Central Atlantic, has been carried out. In French Guyana, plateau ages of 196.0 ± 5.7 Ma and 196.1 ± 7.5 Ma were obtained on single, small amphibole grains from NNW—SSE trending dykes. In Guinea, single biotite grains from intrusive formations from the Kakoulima and Fouta Djalon areas yielded plateau ages of 200.4 ± 0.2 Ma and 194.8 ± 0.5 Ma, concordant with high temperature apparent ages on other biotites. The bulk plagioclase samples display disturbed age spectra due to alteration and excess argon. However, intermediate temperature, weighted mean plagioclase ages are similar in both regions of Guyana and Guinea, ranging from 200.2 ± 2.4 Ma to 188.7 ± 1.9 Ma, partly in agreement with the amphibole and biotite data. These data, combined with previous 40Ar/39Ar and U/Pb results from the northern part of the Central Atlantic margins, indicate intense magmatic activity distributed over a large area from Iberia to Liberia (ca. 4500 km long) for a short period of time (204-195 Ma, perhaps less for the bulk of the magmatism) during the initial break-up of Pangea continent. These data do not support an initiation of the magmatism from a radial volcano-tectonic system centred in the south of the region, as suggested by May [1], and the initial break-up seems to affect the whole Central Atlantic during a period of 9 Ma.

Test implementation of a school-oriented drug prevention program "Study without Drugs": pre- and post-testing for effectiveness.

PubMed

Ishaak, Fariel; de Vries, Nanne Karel; van der Wolf, Kees

2014-06-11

In this article, the test implementation of a school-oriented drug prevention program "Study without Drugs" is discussed. The aims of this study were to determine the results of the process evaluation and to determine whether the proposed school-oriented drug prevention program during a pilot project was effective for the participating pupils. Sixty second-grade pupils at a junior high school in Paramaribo, Suriname participated in the test implementation. They were divided into two classes. For the process evaluation the students completed a structured questionnaire focusing on content and teaching method after every lesson. Lessons were qualified with a score from 0-10. The process was also evaluated by the teachers through structured interviews. Attention was paid to reach, dose delivered, dose received, fidelity, connection, achieved effects/observed behaviors, areas for improvement, and lesson strengths. The effect evaluation was conducted by using the General Liniair Model (repeated measure). The research (-design) was a pre-experimental design with pre-and post-test. No class or sex differences were detected among the pupils with regard to the assessment of content, methodology, and qualification of the lessons. Post-testing showed that participating pupils obtained an increased knowledge of drugs, their drug-resisting skills were enhanced, and behavior determinants (attitude, subjective norm, self-efficacy, and intention) became more negative towards drugs. From the results of the test implementation can be cautiously concluded that the program "Study without Drugs" may yield positive results when applied in schools). Thus, this pilot program can be considered a step towards the development and implementation of an evidence-based school-oriented program for pupils in Suriname.

[Incidence of cervical cancer in women in North-Holland by country of birth from 1988-1998].

PubMed

Visser, O; Busquet, E H; van Leeuwen, F E; Aaronson, N K; Ory, F G

2003-01-11

To describe the incidence of cervical cancer in women in North-Holland by country of birth. Descriptive epidemiological study based on data from cancer registries. The number of cases of cervical cancer in North-Holland for the period 1988-1998 was determined using data from the regional cancer registry of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Amsterdam. Based on data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry, a comparison was made between the observed (O) and the expected (E) number of cases by area of residence (i.e., Amsterdam versus the rest of North-Holland) and by the woman's country of birth. In the period 1988-1998, the incidence of cervical cancer among women living in North-Holland was significantly higher than that of the nation as a whole (O/E-ratio: 1.2; 95% CI: 1.1-1.2). In particular, the incidence of cervical cancer for women living in Amsterdam (O/E-ratio: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.4-1.6), and for women born in Morocco (O/E-ratio: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.4-3.1) or Surinam (O/E-ratio: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-2.0) was much higher. The country of birth was unknown in 10% of the women. The percentage of patients with extension of the disease outside the uterus (TNM-stages II-IV) did not differ between women born in the Netherlands and those born abroad. The incidence of cervical cancer during the period 1988-1998 was significantly higher for women living in Amsterdam and for women born in Morocco or Surinam than that for the Netherlands as a whole. No significant difference in stage of disease at diagnosis was observed between women born in the Netherlands versus those born abroad.

Monitoring the response of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis to treatment with pentamidine isethionate by quantitative real-time PCR, and identification of Leishmania parasites not responding to therapy.

PubMed

Mans, D R A; Kent, A D; Hu, R V; Lai A Fat, E J; Schoone, G J; Adams, E R; Rood, E J; Alba, S; Sabajo, L O A; Lai A Fat, R F; de Vries, H J C; Schallig, H D F H

2016-08-01

Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis is believed to be the principal cause of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Suriname. This disease is treated with pentamidine isethionate (PI), but treatment failure has increasingly been reported. To evaluate PI for its clinical efficacy, to compare parasite load, and to assess the possibility of treatment failure due to other infecting Leishmania species. Parasite load of patients with CL was determined in skin biopsies using real-time quantitative PCR before treatment and 6 and 12 weeks after treatment. Clinical responses were evaluated at week 12 and compared with parasite load. In parallel, molecular species differentiation was performed. L. (V.) guyanensis was the main infecting species in 129 of 143 patients (about 90%). PI treatment led to a significant decrease (P < 0.001) in parasite counts, and cured about 75% of these patients. Treatment failure was attributable to infections with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and L. (V.) guyanensis (1/92, 1/92 and 22/92 evaluable cases, respectively). There was substantial agreement beyond chance between the parasite load at week 6 and the clinical outcome at week 12, as indicated by the κ value of 0.61. L. (V.) guyanensis is the main infecting species of CL in Suriname, followed by L. (V.) braziliensis and L. (L.) amazonensis. Furthermore, patient response to PI can be better anticipated based on the parasite load 6 weeks after the treatment rather than on parasite load before treatment. © 2015 The Authors Clinical and Experimental Dermatology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists, North American Clinical Dermatologic Society and St Johns Dermatological Society.

Advocacy in the Western Hemisphere Region: some FPA success stories.

PubMed

Andrews, D J

1996-01-01

The International Planned Parenthood Federation's Vision 2000 Strategic Plan has emphasized advocacy and the training of family planning associations (FPAs) in the Western Hemisphere region. During the summer of 1995 training programs in advocacy leadership management were sponsored for six FPAs in the Bahamas, Suriname, Belize, Colombia, Honduras, and Brazil. At the Western Hemisphere Regional Council Meeting in September 1995 awards were presented to FPAs for media outstanding projects. These FPAs used outreach to the community to promote the goals of Vision 2000. The Bahamas FPA won the Rosa Cisneros Award for articles published in a magazine that is distributed in primary and secondary schools and deals with the activities, achievements, and opinions of students. Issues include: love, relationships, responsibility, and teen pregnancy. A weekly television talk show also addresses the issues facing youth including education, music, community work, sexuality, pregnancy, and the relationship between teenagers and adults. The Family Planning Association of Honduras was also nominated for the award for a radio show on the health of mothers and children, the problems of adolescents, and FP. The newspaper Tiempo received the award for feature articles on social issues and FP. In 1994 the Association distributed thousands of booklets on contraceptives as well as fliers on vasectomy, female sterilization, oral contraceptives, IUDs, condoms, responsible parenthood, high-risk pregnancy, vaginal cytology, and cervical cancer. Similar posters were placed in hospitals and health centers, in 1997 FP posts, and 400 commercial outlets. The Family Planning Association of Suriname also carried out an impressive advocacy program during the period of 1968-93 with the goals of establishing a balance between population growth and the available resources to achieve well-being with regard to education, health care, nutrition, and housing.

Tropospheric Ozone Over a Tropical Atlantic Station in the Northern Hemisphere: Paramaribo, Surinam (6 deg N, 55 deg W)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peters, W.; Krol, M. C.; Fortuin, J. P. F.; Kelder, H. M.; Thompson, A. M.; Becker, C. R.; Lelieveld, J.; Crutzen, P. J.

2003-01-01

We present an analysis of 2.5 years of weekly ozone soundings conducted at a new monitoring station in Paramaribo, Surinam (6 deg N,55 deg W). This is currently one of only three ozone sounding stations in the northern hemisphere (NH) tropics, and the only one in the equatorial Atlantic region. Paramaribo is part of the Southern Hemisphere ADditional Ozone Sounding program (SHADOZ). Due to its position close to the equator, the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) passes over Paramaribo twice per year, which results in a semi-annual seasonality of many parameters including relative humidity and ozone. The dataset from Paramaribo is used to: (1) evaluate ozone variability relative to precipitation, atmospheric circulation patterns and biomass burning; (2) contrast ozone at the NH equatorial Atlantic with that at nearby southern hemisphere (SH) stations Natal (6 deg S,35 deg W) and Ascension (8 deg S,14 deg W); (3) compare the seasonality of tropospheric ozone with a satellite-derived ozone product: Tropical Tropospheric Ozone Columns from the Modified Residual method (MR-TTOC). We find that Paramaribo is a distinctly Atlantic station. Despite its position north of the equator, it resembles nearby SH stations during most of the year. Transport patterns in the lower and middle troposphere during February and March differ from SH stations, which leads to a seasonality of ozone with two maxima. MR-TTOC over Paramaribo does not match the observed seasonality of ozone due to the use of a SH ozone sonde climatology in the MR method. The Paramaribo ozone record is used to suggest an improvement for northern hemisphere MR-TTOC retrievals. We conclude that station Paramaribo shows unique features in the region, and clearly adds new information to the existing SHADOZ record.

Trophic ecology of Atlantic seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri: Intertidal benthic microalgae support the subtidal food web off Suriname

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willems, Tomas; De Backer, Annelies; Kerkhove, Thomas; Dakriet, Nyasha Nanseerà; De Troch, Marleen; Vincx, Magda; Hostens, Kris

2016-12-01

A combination of stomach content analyses and dual stable isotope analyses was used to reveal the trophic ecology of Atlantic seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri off the coast of Suriname. This coastal penaeid shrimp species has a rather omnivorous diet, feeding opportunistically on both animal prey and primary food sources. The species is a predator of hyperbenthic crustaceans, including copepods, amphipods and the luciferid shrimp Lucifer faxoni, which are mainly preyed upon during daytime, when these prey typically reside near the seabed. Benthic microalgae (BM) from intertidal mudflats and offshore sedimentary organic matter (SOM) were important primary food sources. Due to their depleted 13C values, coastal sedimentary and suspended organic matter, and carbon from riverine and mangrove-derived detritus were not incorporated by X. kroyeri. An ontogenetic diet shift was observed from postlavae to juveniles and adults. Adult X. kroyeri were located higher in the food chain, mainly preying on larger benthic organisms. Intertidal BM were an important food source for all life stages of X. kroyeri, contributing up to 64% to the overall diet based on a Bayesian mixing model. Because X. kroyeri is the main epibenthic organism found at high densities in nearshore waters up to 30 m depth, the species plays a crucial role in transferring energy from low trophic level prey and primary food sources up to higher levels in the food chain. Our results indicate that primary production on intertidal mudflats, through BM, forms an important energy source for the subtidal turbid-water food web in muddy tropical coasts. Conservation of intertidal areas and their associated mangrove systems will therefore likely benefit coastal shrimp production and fisheries in tropical ecosystems.

Test implementation of a school-oriented drug prevention program “Study without Drugs”: pre- and post-testing for effectiveness

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In this article, the test implementation of a school-oriented drug prevention program “Study without Drugs” is discussed. The aims of this study were to determine the results of the process evaluation and to determine whether the proposed school-oriented drug prevention program during a pilot project was effective for the participating pupils. Methods Sixty second-grade pupils at a junior high school in Paramaribo, Suriname participated in the test implementation. They were divided into two classes. For the process evaluation the students completed a structured questionnaire focusing on content and teaching method after every lesson. Lessons were qualified with a score from 0–10. The process was also evaluated by the teachers through structured interviews. Attention was paid to reach, dose delivered, dose received, fidelity, connection, achieved effects/observed behaviors, areas for improvement, and lesson strengths. The effect evaluation was conducted by using the General Liniair Model (repeated measure). The research (-design) was a pre-experimental design with pre-and post-test. Results No class or sex differences were detected among the pupils with regard to the assessment of content, methodology, and qualification of the lessons. Post-testing showed that participating pupils obtained an increased knowledge of drugs, their drug-resisting skills were enhanced, and behavior determinants (attitude, subjective norm, self-efficacy, and intention) became more negative towards drugs. Conclusions From the results of the test implementation can be cautiously concluded that the program “Study without Drugs” may yield positive results when applied in schools). Thus, this pilot program can be considered a step towards the development and implementation of an evidence-based school-oriented program for pupils in Suriname. PMID:24920468

Use of phytoproductivity data in the choice of native plant species to restore a degraded coal mining site amended with a stabilized industrial organic sludge.

PubMed

Chiochetta, Claudete G; Toumi, Hela; Böhm, Renata F S; Engel, Fernanda; Poyer-Radetski, Gabriel; Rörig, Leonardo R; Adani, Fabrizio; Radetski, Claudemir M

2017-11-01

Coal mining-related activities result in a degraded landscape and sites associated with large amounts of dumped waste material. The arid soil resulting from acid mine drainage affects terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and thus, site remediation programs must be implemented to mitigate this sequential deleterious processes. A low-cost alternative material to counterbalance the affected physico-chemical-microbiological aspects of the degraded soil is the amendment with low contaminated and stabilized industrial organic sludge. The content of nutrients P and N, together with stabilized organic matter, makes this material an excellent fertilizer and soil conditioner, fostering biota colonization and succession in the degraded site. However, choice of native plant species to restore a degraded site must be guided by some minimal criteria, such as plant survival/adaptation and plant biomass productivity. Thus, in this 3-month study under environmental conditions, phytoproductivity tests with five native plant species (Surinam cherry Eugenia uniflora L., C. myrianthum-Citharexylum myrianthum, Inga-Inga spp., Brazilian peppertree Schinus terebinthifolius, and Sour cherry Prunus cerasus) were performed to assess these criteria, and additional biochemical parameters were measured in plant tissues (i.e., protein content and peroxidase activity) exposed to different soil/sludge mixture proportions. The results show that three native plants were more adequate to restore vegetation on degraded sites: Surinam cherry, C. myrianthum, and Brazilian peppertree. Thus, this study demonstrates that phytoproductivity tests associated with biochemical endpoint measurements can help in the choice of native plant species, as well as aiding in the choice of the most appropriate soil/stabilized sludge proportion in order to optimize biomass production.

Perinatal outcomes in gestational diabetes in relation to ethnicity in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Kosman, M W M; Eskes, S A; van Selst, J; Birnie, E; van Gemund, N; Karsdorp, V H M; Roeters van Lennep, J E; Castro Cabezas, M

2016-01-01

The influence of ethnicity in women with gestational diabetes in relation to maternal, pregnancy and neonatal outcome is not well defined. To compare the perinatal outcome in women with gestational diabetes between different ethnic groups reflecting the multi-ethnic population in the Netherlands. Patients with gestational diabetes (n = 388) who visited the multidisciplinary outpatient clinic for Diabetes Care and Obstetrics of the Sint Franciscus Gasthuis in Rotterdam between 2010 and 2013 were included. Ethnicity was distinguished into six groups: Moroccan (n = 100); Turkish (n = 43); Caucasian (n = 146); Suriname-Creole (n = 23); Suriname-Hindu (n = 32); and Miscellaneous (n = 44). Caucasians were the largest group with gestational diabetes (37.7%), followed by Moroccans (25.8%). Body mass index before pregnancy was highest in Surinamese-Creole women, followed by Turks and Moroccans (p < 0.001). Gravidity and parity were highest in Moroccans. Gravidity was lowest in Surinamese-Hindus and parity was lowest in Caucasians (p < 0.001). There was also a remarkable, significant difference in the mode of delivery between the ethnicities with the lowest number of normal deliveries in Caucasians and the highest in Moroccans (p = 0.03). Assisted delivery occurred most frequently in Caucasian women, although there was no difference in the frequency of caesarean sections. Birth weight was the only neonatal parameter showing significant differences between the ethnicities, with the highest birth weight for Moroccan children and the lowest for Surinamese children (3542 g vs. 3200; p = 0.001). This study did not show major differences in maternal or neonatal complications, however there are significant disparities in (percentile) birth weight and mode of delivery across the different ethnic groups.

Suicide among young people in the Americas.

PubMed

Quinlan-Davidson, Meaghen; Sanhueza, Antonio; Espinosa, Isabel; Escamilla-Cejudo, José Antonio; Maddaleno, Matilde

2014-03-01

To examine suicide mortality trends among young people (10-24 years of age(1)) in selected countries and territories of the Americas. An ecological study was conducted using a time series of suicide mortality data from 19 countries and one territory in the Region of the Americas from 2001 to 2008, comprising 90.3% of the regional population. The analyses included age-adjusted suicide mortality rates, average annual variation in suicide mortality rates, and relative risks for suicide, by age and sex. The mean suicide rate for the selected study period and countries/territory was 5.7/100,000 young people (10-24 years), with suicide rates higher among males (7.7/100,000) than females (2.4/100,000). Countries with the highest total suicide mortality rates among young people (10-24 years) were Guyana, Suriname, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chile, and Ecuador; countries with the lowest total suicide mortality rates included Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, and Brazil, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. During this period, there was a significant increase in suicide mortality rates among young people in the following countries: Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and Suriname; countries with significant decreases in suicide mortality rates included Canada, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, and Venezuela. The three leading suicide methods in the Americas were hanging, firearms, and poisoning. Some countries of the Americas have experienced a rise in adolescent and youth suicide during the study period, with males at a higher risk of committing suicide than females. Adolescent and youth suicide policies and programs are recommended, to curb this problem. Methodological limitations are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Revisions of Ruizodendron and Pseudephedranthus (Annonaceae) including a new species and an overview of most up-to-date revisions of Neotropical Annonaceae genera

PubMed Central

Erkens, Roy H.J.; Oosterhof, Jessica; Westra, Lubbert Y.T.; Maas, Paul J.M.

2017-01-01

Abstract We present revisions of the Neotropical genera Ruizodendron and Pseudephedranthus (Annonaceae). Ruizodendron includes a single species R. ovale. Pseudephedranthus now comprises two species, with the description of the new species P. enigmaticus sp. nov. extending the range of the genus beyond the Upper Rio Negro region of Brazil (Amazonas) and adjacent Venezuela (P. fragrans), to include Guyana, Suriname, and the Brazilian state of Pará. An overview is provided of current revisions of Neotropical Annonaceae genera that will aid in accessing proper species information for this frequently encountered tropical rain forest family. PMID:29158697

Antiproliferative cardenolides from Pentopetia androsaemifolia Decne. from the Madagascar rain forest.

PubMed

Adou, Eba; Miller, James S; Ratovoson, Fidisoa; Birkinshaw, Chris; Andriantsiferana, Rabodo; Rasamison, Vincent E; Kingston, David G I

2010-03-01

Plant natural products have historically been very important to drug discovery and development, particularly in the anticancer field. This is illustrated by a discussion of the structures and activities of camptothecin and its analogues, paclitaxel (Taxol), the vinca alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine, and podophyllotoxin and its analogues. A description of the isolation of one new and three known cardenolides from the Madagascar plant Pentopetia androsaemifolia is then provided as an example of this approach to drug discovery. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of betulinic acid, an old compound which is being developed into an anticancer and anti-HIV agent, and ipomoeassin F, an interesting antiproliferative compound isolated from a plant collected in Suriname.

Drivers of Holocene sea-level change in the Caribbean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Khan, Nicole; Ashe, Erica; Horton, Benjamin P.; Dutton, Andrea; Kopp, Robert E.; Brocard, Gilles; Engelhart, Simon E.; Hill, David F.; Peltier, W.R.; Vane, Christopher H.; Scatena, Fred N.

2017-01-01

We present a Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) database for the Caribbean region (5°N to 25°N and 55°W to 90°W) that consists of 499 sea-level index points and 238 limiting dates. The database was compiled from multiple sea-level indicators (mangrove peat, microbial mats, beach rock and acroporid and massive corals). We subdivided the database into 20 regions to investigate the influence of tectonics and glacial isostatic adjustment on RSL. We account for the local-scale processes of sediment compaction and tidal range change using the stratigraphic position (overburden thickness) of index points and paleotidal modeling, respectively. We use a spatio-temporal empirical hierarchical model to estimate RSL position and its rates of change in the Caribbean over 1-ka time slices. Because of meltwater input, the rates of RSL change were highest during the early Holocene, with a maximum of 10.9 ± 0.6 m/ka in Suriname and Guyana and minimum of 7.4 ± 0.7 m/ka in south Florida from 12 to 8 ka. Following complete deglaciation of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) by ∼7 ka, mid-to late-Holocene rates slowed to < 2.4 ± 0.4 m/ka. The hierarchical model constrains the spatial extent of the mid-Holocene highstand. RSL did not exceed the present height during the Holocene, except on the northern coast of South America, where in Suriname and Guyana, RSL attained a height higher than present by 6.6 ka (82% probability). The highstand reached a maximum elevation of +1.0 ± 1.1 m between 5.3 and 5.2 ka. Regions with a highstand were located furthest away from the former LIS, where the effects from ocean syphoning and hydro-isostasy outweigh the influence of subsidence from forebulge collapse.

Attitudes towards homosexuals in seven Caribbean countries: implications for an effective HIV response.

PubMed

Beck, Eduard J; Espinosa, Kenika; Ash, Tanisha; Wickham, Peter; Barrow, Christine; Massiah, Ernest; Alli, Ben; Nunez, Cesar

2017-12-01

Between 2000 and 2015, the number of people newly infected with HIV in the Caribbean decreased by 76% and HIV-related deaths by 42%. The number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) increased from near zero to 50% (44% to 57%) in 2015. In many Caribbean countries communities of men-who-have-sex-with-other-men (MSM) have higher incidence and prevalence of HIV. They are often stigmatized and subjected to both social and institutional discrimination. This study compared attitudes of the general public obtained through public opinion polls 2013-2014 towards homosexuals and willingness to socialize with them in seven Caribbean countries. Informants were asked if they "hate, tolerate or accept" homosexuals and if they would socialize with them. In St. Vincent 53% indicated they "hate" homosexuals, compared with 12% in Suriname; the converse was observed for those who "accept" homosexuals; 63% of St. Vincent informants would not socialize with homosexuals, compared with 25% in Suriname. Findings for the other 5 countries fell within these ranges. Women were more likely to accept and socialize with homosexuals, as were informants with a tertiary education and "passive" religious believers. These groups are less likely to adhere to a culture of "compulsory heterosexuality" or "hyper-masculinity" dominant among Caribbean men. The homophobic views expressed by these cultures result in stigma and discrimination by members of the "general" public towards MSM. This negatively affects the involvement of MSM in successful national HIV responses. Public messaging, communications campaigns and educational measures need to be employed to change the culture of "compulsory heterosexuality" or "hyper-masculinity" that result in stigma and discrimination of homosexuals to improve early access to services by MSM. Repeat use of well performed opinion polls is one method that can be employed to monitor progress over time in "key" and "general" populations.

Alumina Calcination in the Fluid-Flash Calciner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fish, William M.

In the mid 40's, Alcoa turned to fluidized solids techniques as a means of improving the efficiency of the alumina calcining process. This paper traces calciner development from the first pilot operation in 1946 through the first plant fluid-bed unit in 1952, the early "fluid-flash" calciner designs in 1960, the first 300 ton/day fluid-flash calciner at Alcoa's Bauxite, Arkansas plant in 1963, the 600 ton/day calciners installed in Suriname and Australia in 1965 and 1966, up to the 1500 ton/day Mark III calciners now operating in Jamaica, Australia and the United States. These Mark III fluid-flash calciners have provided a 30 to 40 percent fuel saving in addition to major savings in capital investment and maintenance costs.

Modern Natural Products Drug Discovery and its Relevance to Biodiversity Conservation†

PubMed Central

Kingston, David G. I.

2010-01-01

Natural products continue to provide a diverse and unique source of bioactive lead compounds for drug discovery, but maintaining their continued eminence as source compounds is challenging in the face of the changing face of the pharmaceutical industry and the changing nature of biodiversity prospecting brought about by the Convention of Biodiversity. This review provides an overview of some of these challenges, and suggests ways in which they can be addressed so that natural products research can remain a viable and productive route to drug discovery. Results from International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBGs) working in Madagascar, Panama, and Suriname are used as examples of what can be achieved when biodiversity conservation is linked to drug discovery. PMID:21138324

Snakebites in French Guiana: Conclusions of an international symposium.

PubMed

Kallel, Hatem; Hommel, Didier; Mehdaoui, Hossein; Megarbane, Bruno; Resiere, Dabor

2018-05-01

A workshop on epidemiology and management of snakebites in French Guiana was performed at Cayenne, French Guiana from September 15 to September 16, 2017, under the auspices of the French Regional Health Agency (ARS) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The activity was attended by experts from France (Angers, Martinique, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Paris), Costa Rica, Brazil, Saint Lucia, and Surinam. The epidemiology, clinical manifestations, clinical grading and the management of snakebite in French Guiana were discussed. The conclusions of this symposium illustrated the urgent need to ensure accessibility of effective and safe polyvalent viperid antivenom in French Guiana. Finally, the results of this symposium have forged ties based on mutual goals and objectives. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maps showing geology, oil and gas fields, and geological provinces of South America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, C. J.; Viger, R.J.; Anderson, C.P.

1999-01-01

This digitally compiled map includes geology, geologic provinces, and oil and gas fields of South America. The map is part of a worldwide series on CD-ROM by World Energy Project released of the U.S. Geological Survey . The goal of the project is to assess the undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources of the world and report these results by the year 2000. For data management purposes the world is divided into eight energy regions corresponding approximately to the economic regions of the world as defined by the U.S. Department of State. South America (Region 6) includes Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guyuna, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Both sides of the Atlantic Ocean are visible from Apollo 8 spacecraft

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-12-22

AS08-16-2588 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- Both sides of the Atlantic Ocean are visible in this view from Apollo 8 spacecraft. (Hold picture with Earth at bottom left). The large, most prominent land mass is the bulge of West Africa. The portion of Africa near the equator is dark and cloudy, but the more northerly portions are clear, showing the prominent cape at Dakar and the Senegal River in Senegal; Cap Blanc; the Adrar Plateau in Mauretania; the wide expanse of desert in Algeria and Spanish Sahara; and the far edge, the Atlas and Anti-Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Clouds cover the eastern coast of South America, southward from Surinam and Guyana to near the city of Salvador, Brazil. The view was photographed following trans-lunar insertion.

Patterns in medicinal plant knowledge and use in a Maroon village in Suriname.

PubMed

Van't Klooster, Charlotte; van Andel, Tinde; Reis, Ria

2016-08-02

Traditional medicine plays an important role in the primary health care practices of Maroons living in the interior of Suriname. Large numbers of medicinal plants are employed to maintain general health and cure illnesses. Little is known, however, on how knowledge of herbal medicine varies within the community and whether plant use remains important when modern health care becomes available. To document the diversity in medicinal plant knowledge and use in a remote Saramaccan Maroon community and to assess the importance of medicinal plants vis a vis locally available modern healthcare. We hypothesized that ailments which could be treated by the village health center would be less salient in herbal medicine reports. During three months fieldwork in the Saramaccan village of Pikin Slee, ethnobotanical data were collected by means of participant observations, voucher collections and 27 semi-structured interviews and informal discussions with 20 respondents. To test whether knowledge of medicinal plant species was kept within families, we performed a Detrended Correspondence Analysis. In total, 110 medicinal plant species were recorded, with 302 health use reports and 72 uses, mostly related to general health concerns (42%), diseases of the digestive system (10%), musculoskeletal system and fever (each 7%). Bathing was the most important mode of application. Most health use reports related to cure (58%) and health promotion (39%), while disease prevention played a minor role. Traditional medicine not only treated cultural illnesses, but also health concerns that could be treated with locally available modern medicines. Knowledge of medicinal plant species is not strictly kept within families, but also shared with friends. Certain recipes and applications, however, may be specific family knowledge. Medicinal plants play a very important role in the daily lives of the Pikin Slee villagers. Plant use reflects actual health concerns, but as modern medicines are available for most of these concerns, the use of herbal medicines seems to be a deep rooted cultural preference, especially when concerned with cultural illnesses and health promotion. Locally provided healthcare could be enriched if traditional knowledge, illness concepts, and medicinal plant uses could fit into a larger, community-oriented framework. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Herbal bathing: an analysis of variation in plant use among Saramaccan and Aucan Maroons in Suriname.

PubMed

van 't Klooster, Charlotte I E A; Haabo, Vinije; Ruysschaert, Sofie; Vossen, Tessa; van Andel, Tinde R

2018-03-15

Herbal baths play an important role in the traditional health care of Maroons living in the interior of Suriname. However, little is known on the differences in plant ingredients used among and within the Maroon groups. We compared plant use in herbal baths documented for Saramaccan and Aucan Maroons, to see whether similarity in species was related to bath type, ethnic group, or geographical location. We hypothesized that because of their dissimilar cultural background, they used different species for the same type of bath. We assumed, however, that plants used in genital baths were more similar, as certain plant ingredients (e.g., essential oils), are preferred in these baths. We compiled a database from published and unpublished sources on herbal bath ingredients and constructed a presence/absence matrix per bath type and study site. To assess similarity in plant use among and within Saramaccan and Aucan communities, we performed three Detrended Correspondence Analyses on species level and the Jaccard Similarity Index to quantify similarity in bath ingredients. We recorded 349 plants used in six commonly used bath types: baby strength, adult strength, skin diseases, respiratory ailments, genital steam baths, and spiritual issues. Our results showed a large variation in plant ingredients among the Saramaccan and Aucans and little similarity between Saramaccans and Aucans, even for the same type of baths. Plant ingredients for baby baths and genital baths shared more species than the others. Even within the Saramaccan community, plant ingredients were stronger associated with location than with bath type. Plant use in bathing was strongly influenced by study site and then by ethnicity, but less by bath type. As Maroons escaped from different plantations and developed their ethnomedicinal practices in isolation, there has been little exchange in ethnobotanical knowledge after the seventeenth century between ethnic groups. Care should be taken in extrapolating plant use data collected from one location to a whole ethnic community. Maroon plant use deserves more scientific attention, especially now as there are indications that traditional knowledge is disappearing.

Does epigenetic polymorphism contribute to phenotypic variances in Jatropha curcas L.?

PubMed

Yi, Chengxin; Zhang, Shilu; Liu, Xiaokun; Bui, Ha T N; Hong, Yan

2010-11-23

There is a growing interest in Jatropha curcas L. (jatropha) as a biodiesel feedstock plant. Variations in its morphology and seed productivity have been well documented. However, there is the lack of systematic comparative evaluation of distinct collections under same climate and agronomic practices. With the several reports on low genetic diversity in jatropha collections, there is uncertainty on genetic contribution to jatropha morphology. In this study, five populations of jatropha plants collected from China (CN), Indonesia (MD), Suriname (SU), Tanzania (AF) and India (TN) were planted in one farm under the same agronomic practices. Their agronomic traits (branching pattern, height, diameter of canopy, time to first flowering, dormancy, accumulated seed yield and oil content) were observed and tracked for two years. Significant variations were found for all the agronomic traits studied. Genetic diversity and epigenetic diversity were evaluated using florescence Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (fAFLP) and methylation sensitive florescence AFLP (MfAFLP) methods. Very low level of genetic diversity was detected (polymorphic band <0.1%) within and among populations. In contrast, intermediate but significant epigenetic diversity was detected (25.3% of bands were polymorphic) within and among populations. More than half of CCGG sites surveyed by MfAFLP were methylated with significant difference in inner cytosine and double cytosine methylation among populations. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) based on Nei's epigenetic distance showed Tanzania/India group distinct from China/Indonesia/Suriname group. Inheritance of epigenetic markers was assessed in one F1 hybrid population between two morphologically distinct parent plants and one selfed population. 30 out of 39 polymorphic markers (77%) were found heritable and followed Mendelian segregation. One epiallele was further confirmed by bisulphite sequencing of its corresponding genomic region. Our study confirmed climate and practice independent differences in agronomic performance among jatropha collections. Such agronomic trait variations, however, were matched by very low genetic diversity and medium level but significant epigenetic diversity. Significant difference in inner cytosine and double cytosine methylation at CCGG sites was also found among populations. Most epigenetic differential markers can be inherited as epialleles following Mendelian segregation. These results suggest possible involvement of epigenetics in jatropha development.

Does epigenetic polymorphism contribute to phenotypic variances in Jatropha curcas L.?

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background There is a growing interest in Jatropha curcas L. (jatropha) as a biodiesel feedstock plant. Variations in its morphology and seed productivity have been well documented. However, there is the lack of systematic comparative evaluation of distinct collections under same climate and agronomic practices. With the several reports on low genetic diversity in jatropha collections, there is uncertainty on genetic contribution to jatropha morphology. Result In this study, five populations of jatropha plants collected from China (CN), Indonesia (MD), Suriname (SU), Tanzania (AF) and India (TN) were planted in one farm under the same agronomic practices. Their agronomic traits (branching pattern, height, diameter of canopy, time to first flowering, dormancy, accumulated seed yield and oil content) were observed and tracked for two years. Significant variations were found for all the agronomic traits studied. Genetic diversity and epigenetic diversity were evaluated using florescence Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (fAFLP) and methylation sensitive florescence AFLP (MfAFLP) methods. Very low level of genetic diversity was detected (polymorphic band <0.1%) within and among populations. In contrast, intermediate but significant epigenetic diversity was detected (25.3% of bands were polymorphic) within and among populations. More than half of CCGG sites surveyed by MfAFLP were methylated with significant difference in inner cytosine and double cytosine methylation among populations. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) based on Nei's epigenetic distance showed Tanzania/India group distinct from China/Indonesia/Suriname group. Inheritance of epigenetic markers was assessed in one F1 hybrid population between two morphologically distinct parent plants and one selfed population. 30 out of 39 polymorphic markers (77%) were found heritable and followed Mendelian segregation. One epiallele was further confirmed by bisulphite sequencing of its corresponding genomic region. Conclusion Our study confirmed climate and practice independent differences in agronomic performance among jatropha collections. Such agronomic trait variations, however, were matched by very low genetic diversity and medium level but significant epigenetic diversity. Significant difference in inner cytosine and double cytosine methylation at CCGG sites was also found among populations. Most epigenetic differential markers can be inherited as epialleles following Mendelian segregation. These results suggest possible involvement of epigenetics in jatropha development. PMID:21092236

Ethnic disparities in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its risk factors in the Suriname Health Study: a cross-sectional population study.

PubMed

Krishnadath, Ingrid S K; Toelsie, Jerry R; Hofman, Albert; Jaddoe, Vincent W V

2016-12-07

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) indicates increased risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. We estimated the overall and ethnic-specific prevalence of MetS and explored the associations of risk factors with MetS among Amerindian, Creole, Hindustani, Javanese, Maroon and Mixed ethnic groups. We used the 2009 Joint Interim Statement (JIS) to define MetS in a subgroup of 2946 participants of the Suriname Health Study, a national survey designed according to the WHO Steps guidelines. The prevalences of MetS and its components were determined for all ethnicities. Hierarchical logistic regressions were used to determine the associations of ethnicity, sex, age, marital status, educational level, income status, employment, smoking status, residence, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake with MetS. The overall estimated prevalence of MetS was 39.2%. From MetS components, central obesity and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) had the highest prevalences. The prevalence of MetS was highest for the Hindustanis (52.7%) and lowest for Maroons (24.2%). The analyses showed that in the overall population sex (women: OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.2 to 1.6), age (OR 5.5 CI 4.3 to 7.2), education (OR 0.7 CI 0.6 to 0.9), living area (OR 0.6 CI 0.5 to 0.8), income (OR 0.7 CI 0.5 to 0.9) and marital status (OR 1.3 CI 1.1 to 1.6) were associated with MetS. Variations observed in the associations of the risk factors with MetS in the ethnic groups did not materially influence the associations of ethnicities with MetS. The prevalence of MetS was high and varied widely among ethnicities. Overall, central obesity and low HDL-C contributed most to MetS. Further studies are needed to assess the prospective associations of risk factors with MetS in different ethnic groups. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Structure and functional characteristics of the meiofauna community in highly unstable intertidal mudbanks in Suriname and French Guiana (North Atlantic coast of South America)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christine, Dupuy; Hien, Nguyen Thanh; David, Mizrahi; Jérôme, Jourde; Martine, Bréret; Hélène, Agogué; Laureen, Beaugeard; Pierrick, Bocher

2015-11-01

The North Atlantic coast of South America is influenced by the Amazon River. This coast is considered the muddiest in the world due to the enormous suspended sediment input from the Amazon River. The mobility of the sediment imposes a geomorphological dynamic with a rapid change of shoreline and fast alternation of facies types of the sediment. This study first describes the spatial and functional structure of meiofauna communities of highly unstable intertidal flats along coasts of French Guiana and Suriname in relation to environmental variables. Six sampling sites, composed mainly of muddy sediment, were located 700 km (Kourou) to 1200 km (Nickerie) from the mouth of the Amazon River. The granulometry, chlorophyll a biomass, prokaryote abundance, percentage of organic matter, meiofauna abundance and feeding guilds of nematodes in sediment stations were independent of the distance of the Amazon River mouth and likely were more influenced by the local dynamism of migration of mudbanks. Meiofauna was not more abundant when the sediment was dominated by the finest sediment particles and also when chlorophyll a and prokaryotes, potential prey of meiofauna, were greater. However, as a percentage, small nematodes (biomass of 0.07±0.001 μg ind-1), which are mainly epigrowth-feeders, were more abundant in very fluid mud. Local granulometry and organic matter content appeared to be driving factors of the size structure and functional characteristics of nematodes. Despite the high instability of mudflats, chlorophyll a biomass and meiofauna abundance always tended to be higher toward other world areas. No foraminifera among the six stations of the study were found. Very fluid mud with physical instability of sediment caused a large perturbation to the settlement of meiofauna; the least amounts of chlorophyll a biomass and prokaryotic and meiofauna abundances were found there. Thus, the probable mobility of sediment may select for smaller meiobenthic organisms, mainly epigrowth-feeders nematodes, and disturb the larger organisms in the sediment, and, therefore, they would not permit the settlement of the foraminifera. In addition, no non-permanent meiofauna largely was found in the sediment.

Public health programs as surrogates for social action in Suriname, South America.

PubMed

Peplow, Daniel; Augustine, Sarah

2015-01-01

This paper addresses the merits of public health activism that advocates for social change in which health is the outcome of interest. We acknowledge that while efforts at the individual level are important, social network models consider the underlying mechanisms that lie outside the public health sector. This paper considers the inequitable health of Indigenous people who bear a disproportionate share of the negative health consequences due to economic development programs that follow an assimilation model. This paper discusses a combination of theoretical constructs to understand and solve the problems at hand. It concludes that while the attention paid to technological and behavioral solutions at the individual level yields important health outcomes, attention should also be paid to structural causes that address social, political and economic barriers to prevent disease, disability and premature death. © The Author(s) 2014.

First Record of Culex (Microculex) daumastocampa (Diptera: Culicidae) in Mexico, with Notes on Cx. rejector and Cx. imitator.

PubMed

Ortega-Morales, A; Garza-Hernández, J A; González-Álvarez, V H; Hernández-Triana, L M; Rodríguez-Pérez, M A

2018-03-08

Culex (Microculex) daumastocampa Dyar & Knab was originally described by Dyar and Knab (Proc US Nat Mus 35:53-70, 1908) from larvae collected at axils of bromeliads in Port San Felipe, Panama. Culex daumastocampa is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Suriname, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico, although its presence had not been reported suggesting its northernmost distribution. In Mexico, the subgenus Microculex had included Cx. rejector Dyar and Knab, and Cx. imitator Theobald. However, after that collection specimens were re-examined along with other specimens collected during 2016 in Chiapas (all specimens are available in the Culicidae Collection of the Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro Unidad Laguna [UAAAN-UL], Mexico). Culex daumastocampa is now reported for the first time in Mexico, Cx. rejector for Chiapas, and Cx. imitator removed from the checklist of previous reports as to be present in Mexico.

Geologic map of the Venezuela part of the Puerto Ayacucho 2 degrees x 3 degrees Quadrangle, Amazonas Federal Territory, Venezuela

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wynn, Jeffrey C.; Olmore, Steven D.; Mendoza, Vicente; García, Andrés; Rendon, Ines; Estanga, Yasmin; Rincon, Haydee; Martinez, Felix; Lugo, Elis; Rivero, Nelson; Schruben, Paul G.

1994-01-01

This map is one of a series of 1:500,000-scale maps that, along with several other products, stems from a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana, Tecnica Minera, C.A. (TECMIN), a Venezuelan Government-owned mining and mineral exploration company. The agreement covered cooperative work carried out in the Precambrian Shield of southern Venezuela during 1987-1991 and included a geologic and mineral resource inventory, technology transfer, and scientific training (Wynn and others, in press). The Precambrian Guayana Shield (Escudo de Guyana, not to be confused with the neighboring country of Guyana) includes some of the oldest known rocks in the world (Mendoza, 1977) and also covers parts of neighboring Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Columbia, and Brazil. In Venezuela, it underlies most of Bolivar state and all of the Amazonas Federal Territory (see index map).

A new species of broad-nosed bat Platyrrhinus Saussure, 1860 (Chiroptera:   Phyllostomidae) from the Guianan Shield.

PubMed

Velazco, Paúl M; Lim, Burton K

2014-05-16

A new species of broad-nosed bat Platyrrhinus Saussure, 1860 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae) from the Guianan Shield is described based on molecular and morphological data. Previously confused with P. helleri and P. recifinus, the new taxon is currently known from only Guyana and Suriname and is most closely related to P. recifinus from eastern Brazil and not to the two sympatric species (P. fusciventris and P. incarum) also recently recognized as distinct from P. helleri. Morphometrically the new taxon overlaps with the smaller species of the genus (P. angustirostris, P. brachycephalus, P. fusciventris, P. helleri, P. incarum, and P. matapalensis), but forms a different cluster from the larger P. recifinus. Morphologically the new taxon is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of external and craniodental characteristics. Platyrrhinus now includes 21 species making it the most speciose genus in the Neotropical family Phyllostomidae.

Systematics of the Platyrrhinus helleri species complex (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae), with descriptions of two new species

USGS Publications Warehouse

Velazco, Paúl M.; Gardner, Alfred L.; Patterson, Bruce D.

2010-01-01

Platyrrhinus is a diverse genus of small to large phyllostomid bats characterized by a comparatively narrow uropatagium thickly fringed with hair, a white dorsal stripe, comparatively large inner upper incisors that are convergent at the tips, and three upper and three lower molars. Eighteen species are currently recognized, the majority occurring in the Andes. Molecular, morphological, and morphometric analyses of specimens formerly identified as Platyrrhinus helleri support recognition of Platyrrhinus incarum as a separate species and reveal the presence of two species from western and northern South America that we describe herein as new (Platyrrhinus angustirostris sp. nov. from eastern Colombia and Ecuador, north-eastern Peru, and Venezuela and Platyrrhinus fusciventris sp. nov. from Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, northern Brazil, eastern Ecuador, and southern Venezuela). These two new species are sister taxa and, in turn, sister to Platyrrhinus incarum.

Securitization, alterity, and the state Human (in)security on an Amazonian frontier

PubMed Central

Brightman, Marc; Grotti, Vanessa

2016-01-01

Focusing on the region surrounding the Maroni River, which forms the border between Suriname and French Guiana, we examine how relations between different state and non-state social groups are articulated in terms of security. The region is characterised by multiple “borders” and frontiers of various kinds, the state boundary having the features of an interface or contact zone. Several key collectivities meet in this border zone: native Amazonians, tribal Maroon peoples, migrant Brazilian gold prospectors, and metropolitan French state functionaries. We explore the relationships between these different sets of actors and describe how their mutual encounters center on discourses of human and state security, thus challenging the commonly held view of the region as a stateless zone and showing that the “human security” of citizens from the perspective of the state may compete with locally salient ideas or experiences of well-being. PMID:27996063

Early meteorological records from Latin-America and the Caribbean during the 18th and 19th centuries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domínguez-Castro, Fernando; Vaquero, José Manuel; Gallego, María Cruz; Farrona, Ana María Marín; Antuña-Marrero, Juan Carlos; Cevallos, Erika Elizabeth; Herrera, Ricardo García; de La Guía, Cristina; Mejía, Raúl David; Naranjo, José Manuel; Del Rosario Prieto, María; Ramos Guadalupe, Luis Enrique; Seiner, Lizardo; Trigo, Ricardo Machado; Villacís, Marcos

2017-11-01

This paper provides early instrumental data recovered for 20 countries of Latin-America and the Caribbean (Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, British Guiana, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, France (Martinique and Guadalupe), Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, El Salvador and Suriname) during the 18th and 19th centuries. The main meteorological variables retrieved were air temperature, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation, but other variables, such as humidity, wind direction, and state of the sky were retrieved when possible. In total, more than 300,000 early instrumental data were rescued (96% with daily resolution). Especial effort was made to document all the available metadata in order to allow further post-processing. The compilation is far from being exhaustive, but the dataset will contribute to a better understanding of climate variability in the region, and to enlarging the period of overlap between instrumental data and natural/documentary proxies.

Early meteorological records from Latin-America and the Caribbean during the 18th and 19th centuries.

PubMed

Domínguez-Castro, Fernando; Vaquero, José Manuel; Gallego, María Cruz; Farrona, Ana María Marín; Antuña-Marrero, Juan Carlos; Cevallos, Erika Elizabeth; Herrera, Ricardo García; de la Guía, Cristina; Mejía, Raúl David; Naranjo, José Manuel; Del Rosario Prieto, María; Ramos Guadalupe, Luis Enrique; Seiner, Lizardo; Trigo, Ricardo Machado; Villacís, Marcos

2017-11-14

This paper provides early instrumental data recovered for 20 countries of Latin-America and the Caribbean (Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, British Guiana, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, France (Martinique and Guadalupe), Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, El Salvador and Suriname) during the 18th and 19th centuries. The main meteorological variables retrieved were air temperature, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation, but other variables, such as humidity, wind direction, and state of the sky were retrieved when possible. In total, more than 300,000 early instrumental data were rescued (96% with daily resolution). Especial effort was made to document all the available metadata in order to allow further post-processing. The compilation is far from being exhaustive, but the dataset will contribute to a better understanding of climate variability in the region, and to enlarging the period of overlap between instrumental data and natural/documentary proxies.

[Tobacco advertisement exposure and tobacco consumption among youths in South America].

PubMed

Plamondon, Geneviève; Guindon, G Emmanuel; Paraje, Guillermo

2017-01-01

To assesses the statistical association between exposure to tobacco marketing and tobacco consumption among adolescents in South America, by using data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey. Using data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), the exposure to tobacco marketing at the school level was studied from advertising in TV, radio, massive public events and street advertisement. Tobacco behaviour was considered. The total pooled sample used was 134 073 youths from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Suriname, Colombia, Guyana, Ecuador, Paraguay and Venezuela. The exposure to tobacco marketing is positively and significantly associated to the probability of youths experimenting with tobacco (at least once in their lifetime). For regular smokers, exposure to tobacco marketing is positively and significantly associated to smoking intensity. These results call for the implementation of strong restrictions on tobacco advertisement of various types in South American countries.

Seroepidemiological survey of pathogenic Yersinia in breeding squirrel monkeys in Japan.

PubMed

Iwata, Taketoshi; Une, Yumi; Lee, Ken-ichi; Nakamura, Shin-ichi; Taniguchi, Takahide; Hayashidani, Hideki

2010-08-01

To investigate the prevalence of antibodies to pathogenic Yersinia in breeding squirrel monkeys, the serum samples of 252 squirrel monkeys from 9 zoological gardens in Japan were tested by ELISA using plasmid-encoded Yersinia outer membrane protein (Yops) as the antigen. The cutoff value was calculated by using the serum samples of the squirrel monkeys from Suriname, where no prevalence of pathogenic Yersinia have been reported. According to the cutoff value, 164 of 252 (65.1%) squirrel monkeys were considered positive against pathogenic Yersinia. These positive monkeys belonged to 8 of the 9 zoological gardens, and the percentage of the seropositive monkeys ranged from 22.2 to 89.4%. Furthermore, in one zoological garden, the positive rate of the squirrel monkeys which were over 1 year old (95.7%) was significantly higher than those which were under 1 year old (23.3%). These results suggested that pathogenic Yersinia is highly prevalent among breeding monkeys in Japan.

Using features of a Creole language to reconstruct population history and cultural evolution: tracing the English origins of Sranan.

PubMed

Sherriah, André C; Devonish, Hubert; Thomas, Ewart A C; Creanza, Nicole

2018-04-05

Creole languages are formed in conditions where speakers from distinct languages are brought together without a shared first language, typically under the domination of speakers from one of the languages and particularly in the context of the transatlantic slave trade and European colonialism. One such Creole in Suriname, Sranan, developed around the mid-seventeenth century, primarily out of contact between varieties of English from England, spoken by the dominant group, and multiple West African languages. The vast majority of the basic words in Sranan come from the language of the dominant group, English. Here, we compare linguistic features of modern-day Sranan with those of English as spoken in 313 localities across England. By way of testing proposed hypotheses for the origin of English words in Sranan, we find that 80% of the studied features of Sranan can be explained by similarity to regional dialect features at two distinct input locations within England, a cluster of locations near the port of Bristol and another cluster near Essex in eastern England. Our new hypothesis is supported by the geographical distribution of specific regional dialect features, such as post-vocalic rhoticity and word-initial 'h', and by phylogenetic analysis of these features, which shows evidence favouring input from at least two English dialects in the formation of Sranan. In addition to explicating the dialect features most prominent in the linguistic evolution of Sranan, our historical analyses also provide supporting evidence for two distinct hypotheses about the likely geographical origins of the English speakers whose language was an input to Sranan. The emergence as a likely input to Sranan of the speech forms of a cluster near Bristol is consistent with historical records, indicating that most of the indentured servants going to the Americas between 1654 and 1666 were from Bristol and nearby counties, and that of the cluster near Essex is consistent with documents showing that many of the governors and important planters came from the southeast of England (including London) (Smith 1987 The Genesis of the Creole Languages of Surinam ; Smith 2009 In The handbook of pidgin and creole studies , pp. 98-129).This article is part of the theme issue 'Bridging cultural gaps: interdisciplinary studies in human cultural evolution'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Revision of the Neotropical water scavenger beetle genus Tobochares Short & García, 2007 (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Acidocerinae)

PubMed Central

Kohlenberg, Alex T.; Short, Andrew Edward Z.

2017-01-01

Abstract The genus Tobochares Short & García, 2007 is revised. A combination of morphological and molecular data provide support for ten distinct species. Five new species are described: T. canaliculatus sp. n. (Venezuela), T. canthus sp. n. (Venezuela), T. emarginatus sp. n. (Suriname), T. kusad sp. n. (Guyana), and T. pallidus sp. n. (Venezuela). All four preexisting species are redescribed. A tenth species, known from a single female from Venezuela, is left undescribed pending the collection of additional specimens. New collecting records are provided for T. sulcatus Short & García, 2007 and T. kasikasima Short, 2013. Tobochares sipaliwini Short & Kadosoe, 2011 is newly recorded from Guyana. All species are associated with seepage or wet rock habitats, although some species have also been found along the margins of streams that flow over rocky substrates. High-resolution images including scanning electron micrographs are provided, as well as a key to species and habitat photographs. PMID:28769656

First Human Cases of Leishmania (Viannia) lainsoni Infection and a Search for the Vector Sand Flies in Ecuador

PubMed Central

Kato, Hirotomo; Bone, Abdon E.; Mimori, Tatsuyuki; Hashiguchi, Kazue; Shiguango, Gonzalo F.; Gonzales, Silvio V.; Velez, Lenin N.; Guevara, Angel G.; Gomez, Eduardo A.; Hashiguchi, Yoshihisa

2016-01-01

An epidemiological study of leishmaniasis was performed in Amazonian areas of Ecuador since little information on the prevalent Leishmania and sand fly species responsible for the transmission is available. Of 33 clinical specimens from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), causative parasites were identified in 25 samples based on cytochrome b gene analysis. As reported previously, Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis and L. (V.) braziliensis were among the causative agents identified. In addition, L. (V.) lainsoni, for which infection is reported in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Suriname, and French Guiana, was identified in patients with CL from geographically separate areas in the Ecuadorian Amazon, corroborating the notion that L. (V.) lainsoni is widely distributed in South America. Sand flies were surveyed around the area where a patient with L. (V.) lainsoni was suspected to have been infected. However, natural infection of sand flies by L. (V.) lainsoni was not detected. Further extensive vector searches are necessary to define the transmission cycle of L. (V.) lainsoni in Ecuador. PMID:27191391

Primates in 21st century ecosystems: does primate conservation promote ecosystem conservation?

PubMed

Norconk, Marilyn A; Boinski, Sue; Forget, Pierre-Michel

2011-01-01

Contributors to this issue of the American Journal of Primatology were among the participants in an invited symposium at the 2008 Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation meeting in Paramaribo, Suriname. They were asked to assess how essential primates are to tropical ecosystems and, given their research interests, discuss how primate research contributes to the broader understanding about how ecosystems function. This introduction to the issue is divided into three parts: a review of the roles that nonhuman primates play in tropical ecosystems; the implementation of large-scale landscape methods used to identify primate densities; and concerns about the increasingly porous boundaries between humans, nonhuman primates, and pathogens. Although 20th century primate research created a rich database on individual species, including both theoretical and descriptive approaches, the dual effects of high human population densities and widespread habitat destruction should warn us that creative, interdisciplinary and human-related research is needed to solve 21st century problems. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Challenges with minimising mercury pollution in the small-scale gold mining sector: experiences from the Guianas.

PubMed

Hilson, Gavin; Vieira, Rickford

2007-12-01

This paper examines the barriers to mitigating mercury pollution at small-scale gold mines in the Guianas (Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname), and prescribes recommendations for overcoming these obstacles. Whilst considerable attention has been paid to analysing the environmental impacts of operations in the region, minimal research has been undertaken to identify appropriate policy and educational initiatives for addressing the mounting mercury problem. Findings from recent fieldwork and selected interviews with operators from Guyanese and Surinamese gold mining regions reveal that legislative incapacity, the region's varied industry policy stances, various technological problems, and low environmental awareness on the part of communities are impeding efforts to facilitate improved mercury management at small-scale gold mines in the Guianas. Marked improvements can be achieved, however, if legislation, particularly that pertaining to mercury, is harmonised in the region; educational seminars continue to be held in important mining districts; and additional outlets for disseminating environmental equipment and mercury-free technologies are provided.

Are country reputations for good and bad leadership on AIDS deserved? An exploratory quantitative analysis.

PubMed

Nattrass, Nicoli

2008-12-01

Some countries (e.g. Brazil) have good reputations on AIDS policy, whereas others, (notably South Africa) have been criticized for inadequate leadership. Cross-country regression analysis reveals that these 'poster children' for AIDS leadership have indeed performed better or worse than expected given their economic and institutional constraints and the demographic and health challenges facing them. Regressions were run on HAART coverage (number on highly active antiretroviral therapy as percentage of total need) and MTCTP coverage (pregnant HIV+ women accessing mother-to-child-transmission prevention services as percentage of total need). Brazil, Cambodia, Thailand and Uganda (all of whom have established reputations for good leadership on AIDS performed consistently better than expected-as did Burkina-Faso, Suriname, Paraguay Costa Rica, Mali and Namibia. South Africa, which has the worst reputation for AIDS leadership, performed significantly below expectations-as did Uruguay and Trinidad and Tobago. The paper thus confirms much of the conventional wisdom on AIDS leadership at country level and suggests new areas for research.

Gaps in Capacity in Primary Care in Low-Resource Settings for Implementation of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions

PubMed Central

Mendis, S.; Al Bashir, Igbal; Dissanayake, Lanka; Varghese, Cherian; Fadhil, Ibtihal; Marhe, Esha; Sambo, Boureima; Mehta, Firdosi; Elsayad, Hind; Sow, Idrisa; Algoe, Maltie; Tennakoon, Herbert; Truong, Lai Die; Lan, Le Thi Tuyet; Huiuinato, Dismond; Hewageegana, Neelamni; Fahal, Naiema A. W.; Mebrhatu, Goitom; Tshering, Gado; Chestnov, Oleg

2012-01-01

Objective. The objective was to evaluate the capacity of primary care (PC) facilities to implement basic interventions for prevention and management of major noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was done in eight low- and middle-income countries (Benin, Bhutan, Eritrea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, and Vietnam) in 90 PC facilities randomly selected. The survey included questions on the availability of human resources, equipment, infrastructure, medicines, utilization of services, financing, medical information, and referral systems. Results and Conclusions. Major deficits were identified in health financing, access to basic technologies and medicines, medical information systems, and the health workforce. The study has provided the foundation for strengthening PC to address noncommunicable diseases. There are important implications of the findings of this study for all low- and middle-income countries as capacity of PC is fundamental for equitable prevention and control of NCDs. PMID:23251789

Early meteorological records from Latin-America and the Caribbean during the 18th and 19th centuries

PubMed Central

Domínguez-Castro, Fernando; Vaquero, José Manuel; Gallego, María Cruz; Farrona, Ana María Marín; Antuña-Marrero, Juan Carlos; Cevallos, Erika Elizabeth; Herrera, Ricardo García; de la Guía, Cristina; Mejía, Raúl David; Naranjo, José Manuel; del Rosario Prieto, María; Ramos Guadalupe, Luis Enrique; Seiner, Lizardo; Trigo, Ricardo Machado; Villacís, Marcos

2017-01-01

This paper provides early instrumental data recovered for 20 countries of Latin-America and the Caribbean (Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, British Guiana, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, France (Martinique and Guadalupe), Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, El Salvador and Suriname) during the 18th and 19th centuries. The main meteorological variables retrieved were air temperature, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation, but other variables, such as humidity, wind direction, and state of the sky were retrieved when possible. In total, more than 300,000 early instrumental data were rescued (96% with daily resolution). Especial effort was made to document all the available metadata in order to allow further post-processing. The compilation is far from being exhaustive, but the dataset will contribute to a better understanding of climate variability in the region, and to enlarging the period of overlap between instrumental data and natural/documentary proxies. PMID:29135974

Neotropical Thoasia Liebke, 1939 and Straneotia Mateu, 1961 of the Cryptobatida group, subtribe Agrina: Taxonomic revisions with notes on their ways of life (Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini)

PubMed Central

Erwin, Terry L.; Aldebron, Charlotte

2018-01-01

Abstract Thoasia Liebke, 1939 and Straneotia Mateu, 1961 of the Cryptobatida group, subtribe Agrina, Lebiini, living in the Neotropics are diagnosed, described, and illustrated. Occurrences of known species ranges are limited to the northern and western Amazon Basin and Guyana Shield. The following species are described as new: Thoasia surinamensis Erwin & Aldebron, sp. n., Suriname, Thoasia pterosmaragdos Aldebron & Erwin, sp. n., French Guiana, Thoasia manu Erwin & Aldebron, sp. n., Ecuador, Perú; Straneotia cylindroceps Erwin & Aldebron, sp. n., French Guiana, Straneotia confundis Aldebron & Erwin, sp. n., Ecuador, and Straneotia moi Aldebron & Erwin, sp. n., French Guiana. Two of these species, Thoasia manu and Straneotia moi are known from adults collected by insecticidal fogging of lowland rainforest trees, and these trees are listed in their respective descriptions. The following species are redescribed: Thoasia rugifrons Liebke, 1939, French Guiana, Venezuela; Straneotia freyi Mateu, 1961, Brazil; Straneotia amazonica Mateu, 1961, Brazil. PMID:29670431

Gynacantha dryadula sp. nov. from the Guiana Shield (Odonata, Anisoptera: Aeshnidae).

PubMed

Neiss, Ulisses Gaspar; Marmels, Jürg DE

2017-04-20

The new species is described and illustrated on the basis of two reared, subteneral males from Brazil, their larval exuviae, a mature male from French Guiana, a mature female from Venezuela, and a mature female from Surinam. One of the Brazilian males is the holotype (BRAZIL, Amazonas State, Manaus, Reserva Florestal Ducke, BR 174-km 26, trail to Acará creek, 02º55'47"S, 59º58'22"W, 0.7 m elevation, deposited in INPA). The new species (total length 50-54 mm) differs from other small species of same genus by color pattern of thorax, middle and hind tibiae dark with external (dorsal) yellow streak, male cercus with truncated tip lacking apical spine, and male epiproct reaching or slightly surpassing midlength of cercus. The larva, besides of its small size (28-31 mm), has an epiproct with well-developed and slightly diverging apical spines and an unusually long paraproct.

The Blattodea s.s. (Insecta, Dictyoptera) of the Guiana Shield

PubMed Central

Evangelista, Dominic A.; Chan, Kimberly; Kaplan, Kayla L.; Wilson, Megan M.; Ware, Jessica L.

2015-01-01

Abstract Here we provide a checklist of cockroach species known from areas within the Guiana Shield based on literature records and new field collection. We give records of sixteen species collected in Guyana, eight of which are new records for Guyana and one of which is a new generic record for the entire Guiana Shield. We also provide a description for a geographically disparate species of Calhypnorna Stal, and the new species Xestoblatta berenbaumae. The complete checklist contains 234 species of Blattodea s.s. currently known in the shield. This checklist shows particularly low richness in Guianan Venezuela, Roraima and Amapa Brazil, but this is likely an artifact due to under–sampling. Indeed, based on previously published data and current fieldwork, we believe that most regions of the Guiana Shield are under–sampled for cockroaches. Despite this, French Guiana (151 spp.) and Suriname (136 spp.) rank as the second and sixth most species dense faunas of cockroaches in the neotropics. PMID:25684997

A review of the Paectes arcigera species complex (Guenée) (Lepidoptera, Euteliidae)

PubMed Central

Pogue, Michael G.

2013-01-01

Abstract Five new species of Paectes Hübner [1818] related to Paectes arcigera (Guenée) (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Lucia, Trinidad) and Paectes longiformis Pogue (Brazil) are described: Paectes asper sp. n. (Florida, Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominica, Colombia), Paectes medialba sp. n. (Argentina), Paectes similis sp. n. (Brazil), Paectes sinuosa sp. n. (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay), and Paectes tumida sp. n. (Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana). Adults and genitalia are illustrated for all species. Taxonomic changes include the rev. stat. of Paectes nana (Walker) (Florida, Greater Antilles, Mexico, Guatemala, Galapagos) as a valid species and revised synonyms Paectes indefatigabilis Schaus and Paectes isabel Schaus as junior synonyms of Paectes nana instead of Paectes arcigera. New host records for Paectes sinuosa and Paectes nana reared on Brazilian peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Anacardiaceae) are presented. The holotype and female genitalia of Paectes obrotunda (Guenée) are illustrated. PMID:23730180

Consumption of Carbonated Soft Drinks Among Young Adolescents Aged 12 to 15 Years in 53 Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

PubMed

Yang, Lili; Bovet, Pascal; Liu, Yunxia; Zhao, Min; Ma, Chuanwei; Liang, Yajun; Xi, Bo

2017-07-01

To compare consumption of carbonated soft drinks among young adolescents in 53 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We used 2009 to 2013 Global School-based Student Health Survey data to assess 137 449 young adolescents aged 12 to 15 years with available data (via a standardized questionnaire) on frequency of carbonated soft drink consumption. Overall, young adolescents reported having consumed carbonated soft drinks 1.39 times per day (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26, 1.51), and 54.3% of adolescents reported consuming a carbonated soft drink at least once per day. Frequency (times per day) varied greatly across countries, ranging from 0.52 (95% CI = 0.43, 0.60) in Kiribati to 2.39 (95% CI = 2.25, 2.53) in Suriname. Our data confirm that consumption of carbonated soft drinks is frequent among young adolescents in LMICs. Our findings highlight the need for interventions in these countries to reduce adolescents' carbonated soft drink consumption.

The low and declining risk of malaria in travellers to Latin America: is there still an indication for chemoprophylaxis?

PubMed Central

Behrens, Ron H; Carroll, Bernadette; Beran, Jiri; Bouchaud, Olivier; Hellgren, Urban; Hatz, Christoph; Jelinek, Tomas; Legros, Fabrice; Mühlberger, Nikolai; Myrvang, Bjørn; Siikamäki, Heli; Visser, Leo

2007-01-01

A comparison was made between local malaria transmission and malaria imported by travellers to identify the utility of national and regional annual parasite index (API) in predicting malaria risk and its value in generating recommendations on malaria prophylaxis for travellers. Regional malaria transmission data was correlated with malaria acquired in Latin America and imported into the USA and nine European countries. Between 2000 and 2004, most countries reported declining malaria transmission. Highest API's in 2003/4 were in Surinam (287.4) Guyana (209.2) and French Guiana (147.4). The major source of travel associated malaria was Honduras, French Guiana, Guatemala, Mexico and Ecuador. During 2004 there were 6.3 million visits from the ten study countries and in 2005, 209 cases of malaria of which 22 (11%) were Plasmodium falciparum. The risk of adverse events are high and the benefit of avoided benign vivax malaria is very low under current policy, which may be causing more harm than benefit. PMID:17716367

The Guianese paradox: How can the freshwater outflow from the Amazon increase the salinity of the Guianan shore?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambs, Luc; Muller, Etienne; Fromard, F.

2007-08-01

SummaryFrench Guiana is notable for the extent of its rain forests, which occupy 97% of the country, and the influence of the Amazon along its shores. In fact, the shores and estuaries support a mangrove forest typical of saline conditions. This paper reports the chemical characteristics, conductivity and salinity and the stable isotopes (oxygen and deuterium) of the rivers and shores between the Cayenne area and the border with Surinam. The results show a quite homogenous freshwater pool over the country. However, the low slope of the coast, a result of the wide mud banks deposited by the Amazonian plume, have turned the mouths of the smaller rivers to the northwest, creating large salty areas where mangroves grow several kilometers inland. Despite the large amount of Amazonian water, the Guianan coast exhibits high salinity. In fact, the freshwater itself remains far from the shore, following the north Brazilian current, while only the mud plume arrives at the coast, creating this paradox.

Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Typing of Mycobacterium ulcerans

PubMed Central

Ablordey, Anthony; Swings, Jean; Hubans, Christine; Chemlal, Karim; Locht, Camille; Portaels, Françoise; Supply, Philip

2005-01-01

The apparent genetic homogeneity of Mycobacterium ulcerans contributes to the poorly understood epidemiology of M. ulcerans infection. Here, we report the identification of variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) sequences as novel polymorphic elements in the genome of this species. A total of 19 potential VNTR loci identified in the closely related M. marinum genome sequence were screened in a collection of 23 M. ulcerans isolates, one Mycobacterium species referred to here as an intermediate species, and five M. marinum strains. Nine of the 19 loci were polymorphic in the three species (including the intermediate species) and revealed eight M. ulcerans and five M. marinum genotypes. The results from the VNTR analysis corroborated the genetic relationships of M. ulcerans isolates from various geographical origins, as defined by independent molecular markers. Although these results further highlight the extremely high clonal homogeneity within certain geographic regions, we report for the first time the discrimination of the two South American strains from Surinam and French Guyana. These findings support the potential of a VNTR-based genotyping method for strain discrimination within M. ulcerans and M. marinum. PMID:15814964

Towards a System Combining SAR and Optical Sentinel Data to Monitor Gold Mining in the Guiana Shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahm, Mathieu; Lardeux, Cedric; Frison, Pierre-Louis; Bedeau, Caroline; Crabbe, Sarah; Svensson, Sara; Hardjoprajitno, Mercedes; Moe soe Let, Valentien; Miranda, Pricilla; Paloeng, Consuela; Kasanpawiro, Cindyrella; Smartt, Towana; Totaram, Jasmin; Funi, Claudia; Farias, Patrick; Lauger, Anthony

2016-08-01

Included in the Guiana Shield ecosystem which is one of the largest blocks of intact tropical forest worldwide, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and the Brazilian state of Amapá play a critical role in mitigating climate change, preserving biodiversity and regulating water of the Amazon basin. Under low pressure in the past, degradation of this fragile ecosystem is growing, especially driven by gold mining activities.The REDD+ for the Guiana Shield project developed a method involving each country in data production to monitor the impact of this activity on the forest cover and freshwater at the regional level. This paper presents the data and methodology that were used to quantify the impact on the forest cover. It discusses the results of three reference years (2001, 2008 and 2014) which confirmed the alarming expansion of gold mining in the region. Furthermore, the paper shows the results of innovative methods combining the use of optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite data on pilot sites to improve the efficiency of future monitoring.

Checklist of the flower flies of Ecuador (Diptera, Syrphidae).

PubMed

Marín-Armijos, Diego; Quezada-Ríos, Noelia; Soto-Armijos, Carolina; Mengual, Ximo

2017-01-01

Syrphidae is one of the most speciose families of true flies, with more than 6,100 described species and worldwide distribution. They are important for humans acting as crucial pollinators, biological control agents, decomposers, and bioindicators. One third of its diversity is found in the Neotropical Region, but the taxonomic knowledge for this region is incomplete. Thus, taxonomic revisions and species checklists of Syrphidae in the Neotropics are the highest priority for biodiversity studies. Therefore, we present the first checklist of Syrphidae for Ecuador based on literature records, and provide as well the original reference for the first time species citations for the country. A total of 201 species were recorded for Ecuador, with more than 600 records from 24 provinces and 237 localities. Tungurahua, Pastaza, and Galápagos were the best sampled provinces. Although the reported Ecuadorian syrphid fauna only comprises 11.2 % of the described Neotropical species, Ecuador has the third highest flower fly diversity density after Costa Rica and Suriname. These data indicate the high species diversity for this country in such small geographic area.

Checklist of the flower flies of Ecuador (Diptera, Syrphidae)

PubMed Central

Marín-Armijos, Diego; Quezada-Ríos, Noelia; Soto-Armijos, Carolina; Mengual, Ximo

2017-01-01

Abstract Syrphidae is one of the most speciose families of true flies, with more than 6,100 described species and worldwide distribution. They are important for humans acting as crucial pollinators, biological control agents, decomposers, and bioindicators. One third of its diversity is found in the Neotropical Region, but the taxonomic knowledge for this region is incomplete. Thus, taxonomic revisions and species checklists of Syrphidae in the Neotropics are the highest priority for biodiversity studies. Therefore, we present the first checklist of Syrphidae for Ecuador based on literature records, and provide as well the original reference for the first time species citations for the country. A total of 201 species were recorded for Ecuador, with more than 600 records from 24 provinces and 237 localities. Tungurahua, Pastaza, and Galápagos were the best sampled provinces. Although the reported Ecuadorian syrphid fauna only comprises 11.2 % of the described Neotropical species, Ecuador has the third highest flower fly diversity density after Costa Rica and Suriname. These data indicate the high species diversity for this country in such small geographic area. PMID:29200924

Mercury contamination in freshwater, estuarine, and marine fishes in relation to small-scale gold mining in Suriname, South America.

PubMed

Mol, J H; Ramlal, J S; Lietar, C; Verloo, M

2001-06-01

The extent of mercury contamination in Surinamese food fishes due to small-scale gold mining was investigated by determination of the total mercury concentration in 318 freshwater fishes, 109 estuarine fishes, and 110 fishes from the Atlantic Ocean. High background levels were found in the piranha Serrasalmus rhombeus (0.35 microg Hg x g(-1) muscle tissue, wet mass basis) and the peacock cichlid Cichla ocellaris (0.39 microg x g(-1)) from the Central Suriname Nature Reserve. Average mercury levels in freshwater fishes were higher in piscivorous species than in nonpiscivorous species, both in potentially contaminated water bodies (0.71 and 0.19 microg x g(-1), respectively) and in the control site (0.25 and 0.04 microg x g(-1), respectively). Mercury concentrations in piscivorous freshwater fishes were significantly higher in rivers potentially affected by gold mining than in the control site. In 57% of 269 piscivorous freshwater fishes from potentially contaminated sites, mercury levels exceeded the maximum permissible concentration of 0.5 microg Hg x g(-1). The highest mercury concentrations (3.13 and 4.26 microg x g(-1)) were found in two piranhas S. rhombeus from the hydroelectric reservoir Lake Brokopondo. The high mercury levels in fishes from Lake Brokopondo were to some extent related to gold mining because fishes collected at eastern sites (i.e., close to the gold fields) showed significantly higher mercury concentrations than fishes from western localities. In the estuaries, mercury levels in ariid catfish (0.22 microg x g(-1)) and croakers (0.04-0.33 microg x g(-1)) were distinctly lower than those in piscivorous fishes from contaminated freshwater sites. In the isolated Bigi Pan Lagoon, the piscivores snook Centropomus undecimalis (0.04 microg x g(-1)) and tarpon Megalops atlanticus (0.03 microg x g(-1)) showed low mercury levels. Mercury levels were significantly higher in marine fishes than in estuarine fishes, even with the Bigi Pan fishes excluded. High mercury concentrations were found in the shark Mustelus higmani (0.71 microg x g(-1)), the crevalle jack Caranx hippos (1.17 microg x g(-1)), and the barracuda Sphyraena guachancho (0.39 microg x g(-1)), but also in nonpiscivorous species such as Calamus bajonado (0.54 microg x g(-1)), Haemulon plumieri (0.47 microg x g(-1)), and Isopisthus parvipinnis (0.48 microg x g(-1)). Mercury levels were positively correlated with the length of the fish in populations of the freshwater piscivores S. rhombeus, Hoplias malabaricus, and Plagioscion squamosissimus, in estuarine species (Arius couma, Cynoscion virescens, and Macrodon ancylodon), and in S. guachancho from the Atlantic Ocean. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Multidisciplinary scientific program of investigation of the structure and evolution of the Demerara marginal plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loncke, Lies; Basile, Christophe; Roest, Walter; Graindorge, David; Mercier de Lépinay, Marion; Klinghelhoefer, Frauke; Heuret, Arnauld; Pattier, France; Tallobre, Cedric; Lebrun, Jean-Frédéric; Poetisi, Ewald; Loubrieu, Benoît; Iguanes, Dradem, Margats Scientific Parties, Plus

2017-04-01

Mercier de Lépinay et al. published in 2016 an updated inventory of transform passive margins in the world. This inventory shows that those margins represent 30% of continental passive margins and a cumulative length of 16% of non-convergent margins. It also highlights the fact that many submarine plateaus prolong transform continental margins, systematically at the junction of oceanic domains of different ages. In the world, we identified twenty of those continental submarine plateaus (Falklands, Voring, Demerara, Tasman, etc). Those marginal plateaus systematically experiment two phases of deformation: a first extensional phase and a second transform phase that allows the individualization of those submarine reliefs appearing on bathymetry as seaward continental-like salients. The understanding of the origin, nature, evolution of those marginal plateaus has many scientific and economic issues. The Demerara marginal plateau located off French Guiana and Surinam belongs to this category of submarine provinces. The French part of this plateau has been the locus of a first investigation in 2003 in the framework of the GUYAPLAC cruise dedicated to support French submissions about extension of the limit of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. This cruise was the starting point of a scientific program dedicated to geological investigations of the Demerara plateau that was sustained by different cruises and collaborations (1) IGUANES (2013) that completed the mapping of this plateau including off Surinam, allowed to better understand the segmentation of the Northern edge of this plateau, and to evidence the combined importance of contourite and mass-wasting processes in the recent sedimentary evolution of this domain, (2) Collaboration with TOTAL (Mercier de Lépinay's PhD thesis) that allowed to better qualify the two main phases of structural evolution of the plateau respectively during Jurassic times for its Western border, Cretaceous times for its Northern and Eastern border (2) DRADEM (2016) (see poster session) that better mapped the continental slope domain of the transform margin north of the Demerara plateau and was dedicated to the dredging of rocks outcropping on the continental slope, suspected to be Cretaceous in age and older, (3) MARGATS (2016) (see poster session) that was dedicated to the better understanding of the internal structure of the plateau and its different margins using multi-channels seismic and refraction methods. The combination of all those experiments allow us to paint an integrated portrait of the Demerara marginal plateau - that may be very useful in understanding the processes involved (1) in the individualization of such plateaus (volcanism, heritages, kinematics, …) (2) in their evolution (subsidence, mass-wasting processes, domains of deep-sea current acceleration). In the future, those scientific advances may allow to better define the natural resources associated with such marginal domains.

Primaquine double dose for 7 days is inferior to single-dose treatment for 14 days in preventing Plasmodium vivax recurrent episodes in Suriname

PubMed Central

Mac Donald-Ottevanger, M Sigrid; Adhin, Malti R; Jitan, Jeetendra Kumar; Bretas, Gustavo; Vreden, Stephen GS

2018-01-01

Background Recurrent episodes of Plasmodium vivax are caused by dormant liver stages of the parasite, which are not eradicated by choloroquine. Therefore, effective treatment also includes the use of primaquine (PQ). However, this secondary preventive therapy is often not effective, mostly due to poor adherence to the relatively long treatment course, justifying a comparative study of the efficacy of different durations of PQ treatment. Materials and methods We included patients presenting with an acute and documented P. vivax infection from January 2006 to February 2008. All patients received chloroquine 25 mg/kg over a 3-day period. Subsequently, patients in group 7D received PQ 30 mg/day for 7 days, and patients in group 14D received standard PQ 15 mg/day for 14 days. All doses were given under supervision and patients were followed up for at least 6 months. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate cumulative probability of recurrence up to 12 months after treatment initiation stratified by treatment group. Cox regression was used to assess possible determinants for recurrent parasitemia. Results Forty-seven of the 79 included patients (59.5%) were allocated to group 7D and 32 patients (40.5%) were allocated to group 14D. Recurrent parasitemia was detected in 31.9% of the cases in group 7D compared to 12.5% of the cases in group 14D (hazard ratio [HR] =3.36, 95% CI 1.11–10.16). Cumulative probability for recurrent parasitemia at 3, 6, and 12 months was 0.201 (95% CI 0.106–0.362), 0.312 (95% CI 0.190–0.485), and 0.424 (95% CI 0.274–0.615) for group 7D and 0.100 (95% CI 0.033–0.279), 0.100 (95% CI 0.033–0.279), and 0.138 (95% CI 0.054–0.327) for group 14D, respectively. When adjusted for possible confounders, differences in recurrent parasitemia remained significant between the two regimens in Cox regression analysis. Conclusion More than 30% of the patients receiving shorter treatment course had recurrent parasitemia, suggesting that the standard dose of 15 mg/day PQ for 14 days is more efficacious than 30 mg for 7 days in preventing P. vivax recurrent episodes. Furthermore, we suggest that P. vivax treatment in Suriname should be changed to PQ 30 mg/day for 14 days, as per Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation, in light of a recurrence rate of over 10%, even in group 14D. PMID:29317838

Phanerozoic burial, uplift and denudation of the Equatorial Atlantic margin of South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Japsen, Peter; Bonow, Johan M.; Green, Paul F.; dall'Asta, Massimo; Roig, Jean-Yves; Theveniaut, Hervé

2017-04-01

We have initiated a study aimed at understanding the history of burial, uplift and denudation of the South American Equatorial Atlantic Margin (SAEAM Uplift) including the Guiana Shield to provide a framework for investigating the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the offshore region. We report first results including observations from fieldwork at the northern and southern flank of the Guiana Shield. The study combines apatite fission-track analysis (AFTA) and vitrinite reflectance data from samples of outcrops and drillcores, sonic velocity data from drill holes and stratigraphic landscape analysis (mapping of peneplains) - all constrained by geological evidence, following the methods of Green et al. (2013). The study will thus combine the thermal history from AFTA data with the denudation history from stratigraphic landscape analysis to provide magnitudes and timing of vertical movements (Japsen et al. 2012, 2016). Along the Atlantic margin of Suriname and French Guiana, tilted and truncated Lower Cretaceous strata rest on Precambrian basement (Sapin et al. 2016). Our AFTA data show that the basement underwent Mesozoic exhumation prior to deposition of the Lower Cretaceous cover. Sub-horizontal peneplains define the landscape of the Guiana Shield at elevations up to 500 m a.s.l. As these sub-horizontal peneplains truncate the tilted, sub-Cretaceous surface along the Atlantic margin, these peneplains were therefore formed and uplifted in post-Cretaceous time. This interpretation is in good agreement with our AFTA data that define Paleogene exhumation along the margin and with the results of Theveniaut and Freyssinet (2002) who used palaeomagnetic data to conclude that bauxitic surfaces across basement at up to 400 m a.s.l. on the Guiana Shield formed during the Palaeogene. Integration of the results from AFTA with stratigraphic landscape analysis (currently in progress) and geological evidence will provide a robust reconstruction of the tectonic development of the onshore margin. References Green, Lidmar-Bergström, Japsen, Bonow & Chalmers 2013: Stratigraphic landscape analysis, thermochronology and the episodic development of elevated passive continental margins. GEUS Bulletin. Japsen, Green, Bonow & Erlström 2016: Episodic burial and exhumation of the southern Baltic Shield: Epeirogenic uplifts during and after break-up of Pangea. Gondwana Research. Japsen, Bonow, Green, Cobbold, Chiossi et al. 2012: Episodic burial and exhumation history of NE Brazil after opening of the South Atlantic. GSA Bulletin. Sapin, Davaux, dall'Asta et al. 2016: Post-rift subsidence of the French Guiana hyper-oblique margin: from rift-inherited subsidence to Amazon deposition effect. Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. Theveniaut & Freyssinet 2002: Timing of lateritization on the Guiana Shield: synthesis of paleomagnetic results from French Guiana and Suriname. 3 x Palaeo.

Caladium bicolor (Araceae) and Cyclocephala celata (Coleoptera, Dynastinae): a well-established pollination system in the Northern Atlantic rainforest of Pernambuco, Brazil.

PubMed

Maia, A C D; Schlindwein, C

2006-07-01

Flowering, pollination ecology, and floral thermogenesis of Caladium bicolor were studied in the Atlantic Rainforest of Pernambuco, NE Brazil. Inflorescences of this species are adapted to the characteristic pollination syndrome performed by Cyclocephalini beetles. They bear nutritious rewards inside well-developed floral chambers and exhibit a thermogenic cycle which is synchronized to the activity period of visiting beetles. Heating intervals of the spadix were observed during consecutive evenings corresponding to the beginning of the female and male phases of anthesis. Highest temperatures were recorded during the longer-lasting female phase. An intense sweet odour was volatized on both evenings. Beetles of a single species, Cyclocephala celata, were attracted to odoriferous inflorescences of C. bicolor and are reported for the first time as Araceae visitors. All the inflorescences visited by C. celata developed into infructescences, whereas unvisited inflorescences showed no fruit development. Findings of previous studies in the Amazon basin of Surinam indicated that Cyclocephala rustica is a likely pollinator of C. bicolor. This leads to the assumption that locally abundant Cyclocephalini species are involved in the pollination of this species.

Dr. Alexander Garden, a Linnaean in colonial America, and the saga of five "electric eels".

PubMed

Finger, Stanley

2010-01-01

Alexander Garden (1730-1791) was born in Scotland, where he trained in medicine before settling in South Carolina in 1752. With a passion for collecting and a love of nature, he sent specimens to Linnaeus and his associates in Europe. In 1774, Garden observed and conducted electrical experiments on some "eels" that had survived the trip from Surinam to Charleston. His detailed observations and reasons for believing they emit electricity were read before the Royal Society of London and subsequently published. He also advised the sea captain who owned the eels on how to preserve them and where to deliver their bodies if they died en route to London. Although they did die en route, John Hunter of the Royal Society was able to provide excellent descriptions of their electric organs because they were so well preserved. The sequence of events that followed led to other live eels surviving the voyage to London, where they were observed to spark in darkness in 1776. This was a critical piece of evidence in favor of fish electricity and eventually for the more revolutionary idea that even human nerves and muscles might function electrically.

A new species of Xystonotus Wolcott, 1900 (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Mideopsidae) from bromeliad phytotelmata in Brazilian Atlantic rainforest.

PubMed

Pešić, Vladimir; Piccoli, Gustavo Cauê De Oliveira; Araújo, Marcel Santos De; Rezende, José Marcos; Gonçalves, Ana Zangirolame

2015-07-02

The rosette architecture of some bromeliad species traps water and organic matter from the canopy in leaf axils (forming phytotelmata) and harbors many species of invertebrate animals (Frank & Lounibos 2009). Some water mites are adapted to live in phytotelmata; typically recorded from water-filled tree holes, bromeliad tanks, and a range of plant axils. Karl Viets (1939) was the first acarologist who discovered Micruracaropsis phytotelmaticola (Viets, 1939) in the water contained in the leaf bases of epiphytic Bromeliaceae in Surinam. Later on, Orghidan et al. (1977) described Arrenurus bromeliacearum Orghidan, Gruia & Viña Bayés, 1977 from phytotelmata in Cuba. Orghidan & Gruia (1987) reported Arrenurus andrewfieldi Orghidan & Gruia, 1983 from phytotelmata of epiphytic bromeliad Vriesea platynema in Venezuela. Smith & Harvey (1989) described Arrenurus kitchingi Smith & Harvey, 1989 from water-filled tree holes in Queensland, Australia. The same authors (Smith & Harvey 1989) also reported that members of genus Thyopsis occur in water-filled tree holes in Ohio, USA. Rosso de Ferradás & Fernández (2001) reported two Arrenurus species from water accumulated in Guzmania mucronata (Bromeliaceae) in Venezuela, A. andrewfieldi Orghidan & Gruia, 1983 and A. caquetiorum Rosso de Ferradás & Fernández, 2001.

Highlights from the 1998-2000 SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes) Satellite Validation Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witte, J. C.; Thompson, A. M.; Fortuin, P.; Einsudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

There are three years of data (more than 1000 individual ozone profiles) available from a network of 10 southern hemisphere tropical and subtropical stations, designated the Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes (SHADOZ) project. Since late 1999, a tropical station in the northern hemisphere (Paramaribo, Surinam; lat/long) joined SHADOZ, providing coordinated weekly ozone and radiosonde data from the surface to approx. 7 hPa for satellite validation, process studies, and model evaluation. Profiles are also collected at: Ascension Island; Nairobi, Kenya; Irene, South Africa; R (union Island; Watukosek, Java; Fiji; Tahiti; American Samoa; San Cristobal, Galapagos; Natal, Brazil. The archive, station characteristics and photos are available at http://code9l6.gsfc.nasa.gov/Data_ services/shadoz>. SHADOZ ozone time-series and profiles in 1998-2000 display highly variable tropospheric ozone, a zonal wave-one pattern in total (and tropospheric) column ozone, and signatures of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) in stratospheric ozone. Total, stratospheric and tropospheric column ozone amounts peak between August and November and are lowest between March and May. Integrated total ozone column amounts from the sondes are lower than independent measurements from a ground-based network and from the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) satellite (version 7 data).

Contrasting Patterns of Clinal Genetic Diversity and Potential Colonization Pathways in Two Species of Western Atlantic Fiddler Crabs.

PubMed

Laurenzano, Claudia; Costa, Tânia M; Schubart, Christoph D

2016-01-01

Fiddler crabs (Brachyura, Ocypodidae), like many other marine organisms, disperse via planktonic larvae. A lengthy pelagic larval duration is generally assumed to result in genetic connectivity even among distant populations. However, major river outflows, such as of the Amazon or Orinoco, or strong currents may act as phylogeographic barriers to ongoing gene flow. For example, the Mona Passage, located between Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, has been postulated to impair larval exchange of several species. In this study, Cox1 mtDNA data was used to analyze population genetic structure of two fiddler crab species from the western Atlantic, comparing the continental coastline and Caribbean islands. The results indicate genetic homogeneity in Minuca rapax among Atlantic (continental) populations (Suriname, Brazil), whereas Caribbean populations show significantly restricted gene flow among the constituent islands and towards continental populations. Our data support the hypothesis of the Mona Passage hindering larval exchange. Contrastingly, Caribbean Leptuca leptodactyla populations appear to be devoid of detectable variation, while Atlantic-continental (i.e. Brazilian) populations show much higher haplotype and nucleotide diversities and display slight genetic differentiation among populations within the Atlantic region, though not statistically significant. Both species show a pronounced divergence between regions, supporting the presence of a phylogeographic barrier.

Serum aluminium levels of workers in the bauxite mines.

PubMed

de Kom, J F; Dissels, H M; van der Voet, G B; de Wolff, F A

1997-01-01

Aluminium is produced from the mineral bauxite. Occupational exposure is reported during the industrial processing of aluminium and is associated with pulmonary and neurotoxicity. However, data on exposure and toxicity of workers in the open bauxite mining industry do not exist. Therefore, a study was performed to explore aluminium exposure in employees involved in this bauxite mining process in a Surinam mine. A group of workers occupationally exposed to aluminium in an open bauxite mine were compared with a group of nonexposed wood processors. Serum aluminium was analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry Data from the clinical chemistry of the blood and a questionnaire were used to explore determinants for aluminium exposure. No significant difference between serum aluminium in the exposed (4.4 +/- 2.0 micrograms/L, n = 27) and control group (5.1 +/- 1.5 micrograms/L, n = 27) was detected. For the serum concentration of the clinical chemical variables (calcium, citrate, and creatinine), a statistically significant difference was computed (p < or = 0.02) between the exposed and control group. All levels were slightly higher in the exposed group; no statistically significant correlations with serum aluminium were found. In this study, serum aluminium values were in the normal range, no significant difference between the groups could be detected despite long-term occupational exposure.

The El Niño Southern Oscillation and malaria epidemics in South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagnon, Alexandre S.; Smoyer-Tomic, Karen E.; Bush, Andrew B.

2002-05-01

A better understanding of the relationship between the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the climatic anomalies it engenders, and malaria epidemics could help mitigate the world-wide increase in incidence of this mosquito-transmitted disease. The purpose of this paper is to assess the possibility of using ENSO forecasts for improving malaria control. This paper analyses the relationship between ENSO events and malaria epidemics in a number of South American countries (Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela). A statistically significant relationship was found between El Niño and malaria epidemics in Colombia, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela. We demonstrate that flooding engenders malaria epidemics in the dry coastal region of northern Peru, while droughts favor the development of epidemics in Colombia and Guyana, and epidemics lag a drought by 1 year in Venezuela. In Brazil, French Guiana, and Ecuador, where we did not detect an ENSO/malaria signal, non-climatic factors such as insecticide sprayings, variation in availability of anti-malaria drugs, and population migration are likely to play a stronger role in malaria epidemics than ENSO-generated climatic anomalies. In some South American countries, El Niño forecasts show strong potential for informing public health efforts to control malaria.

Comparison of growth between native and immigrant infants between 0-3 years from the Dutch ABCD cohort.

PubMed

Hof, M H P; van Dijk, A E; van Eijsden, M; Vrijkotte, T G M; Zwinderman, A H

2011-09-01

In the Netherlands separate reference charts have been developed for native and immigrant groups to deal with differences in growth patterns in later childhood. The use of these charts, however, is complicated by methodological issues; they do not represent all large Dutch immigrant groups in separate charts despite the differences that have been suggested and the evidence of ethnic disparities in growth dates back to 1997. Anthropometric measurements from a contemporary multi-ethnic cohort study were created to quantify differences in childhood growth by creating growth charts, separately for boys and girls between the ages of 0-3 years. The infants modelled in the charts had a mother born in the Netherlands (n = 3107), Suriname (n = 225), Turkey (n = 203) and Morocco (n = 336). Charts with and without correction for country of origin of the mother were created by using the LMST method. All models including the covariate country of origin of the mother fitted the data better (p < 0.0005), but the observed differences were small. Most remarkable differences were found in the BMI and weight measurements for age charts. Especially girls from mothers born in Turkey and Morocco had an increasingly heavier weight for their age than girls from mothers born in the Netherlands.

Sexual behaviour and sexually transmitted infections in sexually transmitted infection clinic attendees in the Netherlands, 2007-2011.

PubMed

de Coul, E L M Op; Warning, T D; Koedijk, F D H

2014-01-01

High annual figures of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diagnosed in the Netherlands despite significant efforts to control them. Herein, we analyse trends and determinants of STI diagnoses, co-infections, and sexual risks among visitors of 26 STI clinics between 2007 and 2011. We recorded increased positivity rates of STIs (chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhoea, and/or HIV) in women and heterosexual men up to 12.6% and 13.4%, respectively, in 2011, while rates in men having sex with men (MSM) were stable but high (18.8%) through the documented years. Younger age, origin from Surinam/Antilles, history of previous STI, multiple partners, or a previous notification are the identified risk factors for an STI in this population. Known HIV-infected men (MSM and heterosexuals) were at highest risk for co-infections (relative rate heterosexual men: 15.6; MSM: 11.6). STI positivity rates remained high (MSM) or increased over time (women and heterosexual men), a fact that highlights the importance of continuing STI prevention. Most importantly, the very high STI co-infection rates among HIV-positive men requires intensified STI reduction strategies to put an end to the vicious circle of re-infection and spread of HIV and other STIs.

Disease concepts and treatment by tribal healers of an Amazonian forest culture.

PubMed

Herndon, Christopher N; Uiterloo, Melvin; Uremaru, Amasina; Plotkin, Mark J; Emanuels-Smith, Gwendolyn; Jitan, Jeetendra

2009-10-12

The extensive medicinal plant knowledge of Amazonian tribal peoples is widely recognized in the scientific literature and celebrated in popular lore. Despite this broad interest, the ethnomedical systems and knowledge of disease which guide indigenous utilization of botanical diversity for healing remain poorly characterized and understood. No study, to our knowledge, has attempted to directly examine patterns of actual disease recognition and treatment by healers of an Amazonian indigenous culture. The establishment of traditional medicine clinics, operated and directed by elder tribal shamans in two remote Trio villages of the Suriname rainforest, presented a unique investigational opportunity. Quantitative analysis of clinic records from both villages permitted examination of diseases treated over a continuous period of four years. Cross-cultural comparative translations were articulated of recorded disease conditions through ethnographic interviews of elder Trio shamans and a comprehensive atlas of indigenous anatomical nomenclature was developed. 20,337 patient visits within the period 2000 to 2004 were analyzed. 75 disease conditions and 127 anatomical terms are presented. Trio concepts of disease and medical practices are broadly examined within the present and historical state of their culture. The findings of this investigation support the presence of a comprehensive and highly formalized ethnomedical institution within Trio culture with attendant health policy and conservation implications.

Pre-travel care for immunocompromised and chronically ill travellers: A retrospective study.

PubMed

van Aalst, Mariëlle; Verhoeven, Roos; Omar, Freshta; Stijnis, Cornelis; van Vugt, Michèle; de Bree, Godelieve J; Goorhuis, Abraham; Grobusch, Martin P

2017-09-01

Immunocompromised and chronically ill travellers (ICCITs) are susceptible to travel related diseases. In ICCITs, pre-travel care regarding vaccinations and prophylactics is complex. We evaluated the protection level by preventive measures in ICCITs by analysing rates of vaccination protection, antibody titres, and the prescription of standby antibiotics. We analysed, and reported according to STROBE guidelines, pre-travel care data for ICCITs visiting the medical pre-travel clinic at the Academic Medical Centre, The Netherlands from 2011 to 2016. We analysed 2104 visits of 1826 ICCITs. Mean age was 46.6 years and mean travel duration 34.5 days. ICCITs on immunosuppressive treatment (29.7%), HIV (17.2%) or diabetes mellitus (10.2%) comprised the largest groups. Most frequently visited countries were Suriname, Indonesia, and Ghana. Most vaccination rates were >90%. Of travellers in high need of hepatitis A and B protection, 56.6 and 75.7%, underwent titre assessments, respectively. Of ICCITs with a respective indication, 50.6% received a prescription for standby antibiotics. Vaccination rates in our study population were overall comparable to those of healthy travellers studied previously in our centre. However, regarding antibody titre assessments and prescription of standby antibiotics, this study demonstrates that uniform pre-travel guidelines for ICCITs are highly needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

G6PD deficiency in Latin America: systematic review on prevalence and variants

PubMed Central

Monteiro, Wuelton M; Val, Fernando FA; Siqueira, André M; Franca, Gabriel P; Sampaio, Vanderson S; Melo, Gisely C; Almeida, Anne CG; Brito, Marcelo AM; Peixoto, Henry M; Fuller, Douglas; Bassat, Quique; Romero, Gustavo AS; Maria Regina F, Oliveira; Marcus Vinícius G, Lacerda

2014-01-01

Plasmodium vivax radical cure requires the use of primaquine (PQ), a drug that induces haemolysis in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient (G6PDd) individuals, which further hampers malaria control efforts. The aim of this work was to study the G6PDd prevalence and variants in Latin America (LA) and the Caribbean region. A systematic search of the published literature was undertaken in August 2013. Bibliographies of manuscripts were also searched and additional references were identified. Low prevalence rates of G6PDd were documented in Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay, but studies from Curaçao, Ecuador, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad, as well as some surveys carried out in areas of Brazil, Colombia and Cuba, have shown a high prevalence (> 10%) of G6PDd. The G6PD A-202A mutation was the variant most broadly distributed across LA and was identified in 81.1% of the deficient individuals surveyed. G6PDd is a frequent phenomenon in LA, although certain Amerindian populations may not be affected, suggesting that PQ could be safely used in these specific populations. Population-wide use of PQ as part of malaria elimination strategies in LA cannot be supported unless a rapid, accurate and field-deployable G6PDd diagnostic test is made available. PMID:25141282

Disappointing performance of literature-derived selective screening criteria for asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infection in an inner-city population.

PubMed

van Valkengoed, I G; Boeke, A J; Morré, S A; van den Brule, A J; Meijer, C J; Devillé, W; Bouter, L M

2000-10-01

In an inner-city population with a low prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection, selective screening may be indicated to increase the efficiency of screening. To evaluate the performance of sets of selective screening criteria for asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infection in an inner-city population. The criteria were derived from reports of studies carried out in various settings. A total of 5714 women age 15 to 40 years living in Amsterdam were invited for a screening based on home-obtained urine specimens. Criteria identified from the literature were applied to the screening population. A calculated area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC) of greater than 0.75 was considered a good measure of diagnostic accuracy. Of the four sets of criteria, selection based on the following determinants showed the highest diagnostic accuracy: younger than 25 years, being unmarried, number of partners during the previous 6 months, Surinam or Antillean origin (black), and vaginal douching (AUC, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.65-0.69). Selection based on age alone showed an AUC of 0.57 (95% CI, 0.55-0.69). The performance of selective screening criteria for asymptomatic C trachomatis infection in an inner-city population in Amsterdam was insufficient to recommend its implementation in practice.

The United Mexican States: an update.

PubMed

Hakkert, R; Aguirre, E J

1988-09-01

Although the popular North American opinion of Mexico is one that paints a picture of a poor, disadvantaged country, South America sees Mexico has a richer more prosperous nation. It is observed that only in the Latin American countries of Venezuela, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago do consumers have higher incomes than Mexican consumers. Moreover, while millions of Mexicans migrate to the United States to seek a better standard of living, several thousand Central American refugees illegally migrate to Mexico in search of a better life. This better life includes an increased age of lie expectancy from 51 years in the 1950s to 64 years in the late 1970s. There have also been improvements in health care and school enrollments and in the low cost availability of education. Tourism and the prospect of the manufacturing of energy are significant, positive factors working in favor of an improved Mexican economy and a higher overall quality of life. However, Mexico faces serious problems such as a mounting foreign debt. Also rising is Mexico's population which has doubled since 1964 and which continues to grow at a rate of 1.9%. Economic programs and reforms and family development planning have been instituted in response to the countries' current recession and population growth and have begun to show positive results.

Contrasting Patterns of Clinal Genetic Diversity and Potential Colonization Pathways in Two Species of Western Atlantic Fiddler Crabs

PubMed Central

Laurenzano, Claudia; Costa, Tânia M.; Schubart, Christoph D.

2016-01-01

Fiddler crabs (Brachyura, Ocypodidae), like many other marine organisms, disperse via planktonic larvae. A lengthy pelagic larval duration is generally assumed to result in genetic connectivity even among distant populations. However, major river outflows, such as of the Amazon or Orinoco, or strong currents may act as phylogeographic barriers to ongoing gene flow. For example, the Mona Passage, located between Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, has been postulated to impair larval exchange of several species. In this study, Cox1 mtDNA data was used to analyze population genetic structure of two fiddler crab species from the western Atlantic, comparing the continental coastline and Caribbean islands. The results indicate genetic homogeneity in Minuca rapax among Atlantic (continental) populations (Suriname, Brazil), whereas Caribbean populations show significantly restricted gene flow among the constituent islands and towards continental populations. Our data support the hypothesis of the Mona Passage hindering larval exchange. Contrastingly, Caribbean Leptuca leptodactyla populations appear to be devoid of detectable variation, while Atlantic-continental (i.e. Brazilian) populations show much higher haplotype and nucleotide diversities and display slight genetic differentiation among populations within the Atlantic region, though not statistically significant. Both species show a pronounced divergence between regions, supporting the presence of a phylogeographic barrier. PMID:27861598

Total mercury loadings in sediment from gold mining and conservation areas in Guyana.

PubMed

Howard, Joniqua; Trotz, Maya A; Thomas, Ken; Omisca, Erlande; Chiu, Hong Ting; Halfhide, Trina; Akiwumi, Fenda; Michael, Ryan; Stuart, Amy L

2011-08-01

The Low Carbon Development Strategy proposed in June 2009 by the government of Guyana in response to the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries program has triggered evaluation of forest-related activities, thereby acting as a catalyst for improvements in Guyana's small- to medium-scale gold mining industry. This has also shed light on areas committed to conservation, something that has also been handled by Non Governmental Organizations. This paper compares water quality and mercury concentrations in sediment from four main areas in Guyana, two that are heavily mined for gold using mercury amalgamation methods (Arakaka and Mahdia) and two that are considered conservation areas (Iwokrama and Konashen). Fifty-three sediment and soil mercury loadings ranged from 29 to 1,200 ng/g and averaged 215 ± 187 ng/g for all sites with similar averages in conservation and mining areas. Sediment loadings are within the range seen in French Guiana and Suriname, but conservation area samples had higher loadings than the corresponding uncontaminated baselines. Type of ore and location in the mining process seemed to influence mercury loadings. Mercury sediment loadings were slightly positively correlated with pH (correlation coefficient = 0.2; p value < 0.001) whereas no significant correlations were found with dissolved oxygen or turbidity.

A Simple PCR Method for Rapid Genotype Analysis of Mycobacterium ulcerans

PubMed Central

Stinear, Timothy; Davies, John K.; Jenkin, Grant A.; Portaels, Françoise; Ross, Bruce C.; OppEdIsano, Frances; Purcell, Maria; Hayman, John A.; Johnson, Paul D. R.

2000-01-01

Two high-copy-number insertion sequences, IS2404 and IS2606, were recently identified in Mycobacterium ulcerans and were shown by Southern hybridization to possess restriction fragment length polymorphism between strains from different geographic origins. We have designed a simple genotyping method that captures these differences by PCR amplification of the region between adjacent copies of IS2404 and IS2606. We have called this system 2426 PCR. The method is rapid, reproducible, sensitive, and specific for M. ulcerans, and it has confirmed previous studies suggesting a clonal population structure of M. ulcerans within a geographic region. M. ulcerans isolates from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Surinam, Mexico, Japan, China, and several countries in Africa were easily differentiated based on an array of 4 to 14 PCR products ranging in size from 200 to 900 bp. Numerical analysis of the banding patterns suggested a close evolutionary link between M. ulcerans isolates from Africa and southeast Asia. The application of 2426 PCR to total DNA, extracted directly from M. ulcerans-infected tissue specimens without culture, demonstrated the sensitivity and specificity of this method and confirmed for the first time that both animal and human isolates from areas of endemicity in southeast Australia have the same genotype. PMID:10747130

Community structure and diversity of tropical forest mammals: data from a global camera trap network.

PubMed

Ahumada, Jorge A; Silva, Carlos E F; Gajapersad, Krisna; Hallam, Chris; Hurtado, Johanna; Martin, Emanuel; McWilliam, Alex; Mugerwa, Badru; O'Brien, Tim; Rovero, Francesco; Sheil, Douglas; Spironello, Wilson R; Winarni, Nurul; Andelman, Sandy J

2011-09-27

Terrestrial mammals are a key component of tropical forest communities as indicators of ecosystem health and providers of important ecosystem services. However, there is little quantitative information about how they change with local, regional and global threats. In this paper, the first standardized pantropical forest terrestrial mammal community study, we examine several aspects of terrestrial mammal species and community diversity (species richness, species diversity, evenness, dominance, functional diversity and community structure) at seven sites around the globe using a single standardized camera trapping methodology approach. The sites-located in Uganda, Tanzania, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Suriname, Brazil and Costa Rica-are surrounded by different landscape configurations, from continuous forests to highly fragmented forests. We obtained more than 51 000 images and detected 105 species of mammals with a total sampling effort of 12 687 camera trap days. We find that mammal communities from highly fragmented sites have lower species richness, species diversity, functional diversity and higher dominance when compared with sites in partially fragmented and continuous forest. We emphasize the importance of standardized camera trapping approaches for obtaining baselines for monitoring forest mammal communities so as to adequately understand the effect of global, regional and local threats and appropriately inform conservation actions.

Disease concepts and treatment by tribal healers of an Amazonian forest culture

PubMed Central

Herndon, Christopher N; Uiterloo, Melvin; Uremaru, Amasina; Plotkin, Mark J; Emanuels-Smith, Gwendolyn; Jitan, Jeetendra

2009-01-01

Background The extensive medicinal plant knowledge of Amazonian tribal peoples is widely recognized in the scientific literature and celebrated in popular lore. Despite this broad interest, the ethnomedical systems and knowledge of disease which guide indigenous utilization of botanical diversity for healing remain poorly characterized and understood. No study, to our knowledge, has attempted to directly examine patterns of actual disease recognition and treatment by healers of an Amazonian indigenous culture. Methods The establishment of traditional medicine clinics, operated and directed by elder tribal shamans in two remote Trio villages of the Suriname rainforest, presented a unique investigational opportunity. Quantitative analysis of clinic records from both villages permitted examination of diseases treated over a continuous period of four years. Cross-cultural comparative translations were articulated of recorded disease conditions through ethnographic interviews of elder Trio shamans and a comprehensive atlas of indigenous anatomical nomenclature was developed. Results 20,337 patient visits within the period 2000 to 2004 were analyzed. 75 disease conditions and 127 anatomical terms are presented. Trio concepts of disease and medical practices are broadly examined within the present and historical state of their culture. Conclusion The findings of this investigation support the presence of a comprehensive and highly formalized ethnomedical institution within Trio culture with attendant health policy and conservation implications. PMID:19821968

A synopsis of the tribe Lachnophorini, with a new genus of Neotropical distribution and a revision of the Neotropical genus Asklepia Liebke, 1938 (Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae)

PubMed Central

Erwin, Terry L.; Zamorano, Laura S.

2014-01-01

Abstract This synopsis provides an identification key to the genera of Tribe Lachnophorini of the Western and Eastern Hemispheres including five genera previously misplaced in carabid classifications. The genus Asklepia Liebke, 1938 is revised with 23 new species added and four species reassigned from Eucaerus LeConte, 1853 to Asklepia Liebke, 1938. In addition, a new genus is added herein to the Tribe: Peruphorticus gen. n. with its type species P. gulliveri sp. n. from Perú. Five taxa previously assigned to other tribes have adult attributes that make them candidates for classification in the Lachnophorini: Homethes Newman, Aeolodermus Andrewes, Stenocheila Laporte de Castelnau, Diplacanthogaster Liebke, and Selina Motschulsky are now considered to belong to the Lachnophorini as genera incertae sedis. Three higher level groups are proposed to contain the 18 recognized genera: the Lachnophorina, Eucaerina, and incertae sedis. Twenty-three new species of the genus Asklepia are described and four new combinations are presented. They are listed with their type localities as follows: (geminata species group) Asklepia geminata (Bates, 1871), comb. n, Santarém, Rio Tapajós, Brazil; (hilaris species group) Asklepia campbellorum Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., 20 km SW Manaus, Brazil, Asklepia demiti Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., circa Rio Demiti, Brazil, Asklepia duofos Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., 20 km SW Manaus, Brazil, Asklepia hilaris (Bates, 1871), comb. n, São Paulo de Olivença, Brazil, Asklepia grammechrysea Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., circa Pithecia, Cocha Shinguito, Perú, Asklepia lebioides (Bates, 1871), comb. n, Santarém, Rio Tapajós, Brazil, Asklepia laetitia Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Leticia, Colombia, Asklepia matomena Zamorano & Erwin, sp.n., 20 km SW Manaus, Brazil; (pulchripennis species group) Asklepia adisi Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Ilha de Marchantaria, Lago Camaleão, Brazil, Asklepia asuncionensis Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Asunción, Río Paraguay, Paraguay, Asklepia biolat Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., BIOLAT Biological Station, Pakitza, Perú, Asklepia bracheia Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., circa Explornapo Camp, Río Napo, Cocha Shimagai, Perú, Asklepia cuiabaensis Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Cuiabá, Brazil, Asklepia ecuadoriana Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Limoncocha, Ecuador, Asklepia kathleenae Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Belém, Brazil, Asklepia macrops Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Concordia, Río Uruguay, Argentina, Asklepia marchantaria Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Ilha de Marchantaria, Lago Camaleão, Brazil, Asklepia marituba Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Marituba, Ananindeua, Brazil, Asklepia paraguayensis Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., San Lorenzo, Rio Paraguay, Paraguay, Asklepia pakitza Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., BIOLAT Biological Station, Pakitza, Perú, Asklepia pulchripennis (Bates, 1871), comb. n, Santarém, Rio Tapajós, Brazil, Asklepia samiriaensis Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Boca del Río Samiria, Perú, Asklepia stalametlitos Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Guayamer, Río Mamoré, Bolivia, Asklepia strandi Liebke, 1938, Guyana, Asklepia surinamensis Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., l’Hermitage, Surinam River, Surinam, Asklepia vigilante Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Boca del Río Samiria, Perú. Images of adults of all 18 genera are provided. PMID:25152663

A synopsis of the tribe Lachnophorini, with a new genus of Neotropical distribution and a revision of the Neotropical genus Asklepia Liebke, 1938 (Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae).

PubMed

Erwin, Terry L; Zamorano, Laura S

2014-01-01

This synopsis provides an identification key to the genera of Tribe Lachnophorini of the Western and Eastern Hemispheres including five genera previously misplaced in carabid classifications. The genus Asklepia Liebke, 1938 is revised with 23 new species added and four species reassigned from Eucaerus LeConte, 1853 to Asklepia Liebke, 1938. In addition, a new genus is added herein to the Tribe: Peruphorticus gen. n. with its type species P. gulliveri sp. n. from Perú. Five taxa previously assigned to other tribes have adult attributes that make them candidates for classification in the Lachnophorini: Homethes Newman, Aeolodermus Andrewes, Stenocheila Laporte de Castelnau, Diplacanthogaster Liebke, and Selina Motschulsky are now considered to belong to the Lachnophorini as genera incertae sedis. Three higher level groups are proposed to contain the 18 recognized genera: the Lachnophorina, Eucaerina, and incertae sedis. Twenty-three new species of the genus Asklepia are described and four new combinations are presented. They are listed with their type localities as follows: ( geminata species group) Asklepia geminata (Bates, 1871), comb. n, Santarém, Rio Tapajós, Brazil; ( hilaris species group) Asklepia campbellorum Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., 20 km SW Manaus, Brazil, Asklepia demiti Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., circa Rio Demiti, Brazil, Asklepia duofos Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., 20 km SW Manaus, Brazil, Asklepia hilaris (Bates, 1871), comb. n, São Paulo de Olivença, Brazil, Asklepia grammechrysea Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., circa Pithecia, Cocha Shinguito, Perú, Asklepia lebioides (Bates, 1871), comb. n, Santarém, Rio Tapajós, Brazil, Asklepia laetitia Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Leticia, Colombia, Asklepia matomena Zamorano & Erwin, sp.n., 20 km SW Manaus, Brazil; ( pulchripennis species group) Asklepia adisi Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Ilha de Marchantaria, Lago Camaleão, Brazil, Asklepia asuncionensis Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Asunción, Río Paraguay, Paraguay, Asklepia biolat Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., BIOLAT Biological Station, Pakitza, Perú, Asklepia bracheia Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., circa Explornapo Camp, Río Napo, Cocha Shimagai, Perú, Asklepia cuiabaensis Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Cuiabá, Brazil, Asklepia ecuadoriana Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Limoncocha, Ecuador, Asklepia kathleenae Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Belém, Brazil, Asklepia macrops Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Concordia, Río Uruguay, Argentina, Asklepia marchantaria Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Ilha de Marchantaria, Lago Camaleão, Brazil, Asklepia marituba Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Marituba, Ananindeua, Brazil, Asklepia paraguayensis Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., San Lorenzo, Rio Paraguay, Paraguay, Asklepia pakitza Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., BIOLAT Biological Station, Pakitza, Perú, Asklepia pulchripennis (Bates, 1871), comb. n, Santarém, Rio Tapajós, Brazil, Asklepia samiriaensis Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Boca del Río Samiria, Perú, Asklepia stalametlitos Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Guayamer, Río Mamoré, Bolivia, Asklepia strandi Liebke, 1938, Guyana, Asklepia surinamensis Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., l'Hermitage, Surinam River, Surinam, Asklepia vigilante Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Boca del Río Samiria, Perú. Images of adults of all 18 genera are provided.

Phylogeography and population dynamics of dengue viruses in the Americas.

PubMed

Allicock, Orchid M; Lemey, Philippe; Tatem, Andrew J; Pybus, Oliver G; Bennett, Shannon N; Mueller, Brandi A; Suchard, Marc A; Foster, Jerome E; Rambaut, Andrew; Carrington, Christine V F

2012-06-01

Changes in Dengue virus (DENV) disease patterns in the Americas over recent decades have been attributed, at least in part, to repeated introduction of DENV strains from other regions, resulting in a shift from hypoendemicity to hyperendemicity. Using newly sequenced DENV-1 and DENV-3 envelope (E) gene isolates from 11 Caribbean countries, along with sequences available on GenBank, we sought to document the population genetic and spatiotemporal transmission histories of the four main invading DENV genotypes within the Americas and investigate factors that influence the rate and intensity of DENV transmission. For all genotypes, there was an initial invasion phase characterized by rapid increases in genetic diversity, which coincided with the first confirmed cases of each genotype in the region. Rapid geographic dispersal occurred upon each genotype's introduction, after which individual lineages were locally maintained, and gene flow was primarily observed among neighboring and nearby countries. There were, however, centers of viral diversity (Barbados, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Suriname, Venezuela, and Brazil) that were repeatedly involved in gene flow with more distant locations. For DENV-1 and DENV-2, we found that a "distance-informed" model, which posits that the intensity of virus movement between locations is inversely proportional to the distance between them, provided a better fit than a model assuming equal rates of movement between all pairs of countries. However, for DENV-3 and DENV-4, the more stochastic "equal rates" model was preferred.

Do Humans Really Prefer Semi-open Natural Landscapes? A Cross-Cultural Reappraisal

PubMed Central

Hägerhäll, Caroline M.; Ode Sang, Åsa; Englund, Jan-Eric; Ahlner, Felix; Rybka, Konrad; Huber, Juliette; Burenhult, Niclas

2018-01-01

There is an assumption in current landscape preference theory of universal consensus in human preferences for moderate to high openness in a natural landscape. This premise is largely based on empirical studies of urban Western populations. Here we examine for the first time landscape preference across a number of geographically, ecologically and culturally diverse indigenous populations. Included in the study were two urban Western samples of university students (from southern Sweden) and five non-Western, indigenous and primarily rural communities: Jahai (Malay Peninsula), Lokono (Suriname), Makalero (Timor), Makasae (Timor), and Wayuu (Colombia). Preference judgements were obtained using pairwise forced choice assessments of digital visualizations of a natural landscape varied systematically on three different levels of topography and vegetation density. The results show differences between the Western and non-Western samples, with interaction effects between topography and vegetation being present for the two Swedish student samples but not for the other five samples. The theoretical claim of human preferences for half-open landscapes was only significantly confirmed for the student sample comprising landscape architects. The five non Western indigenous groups all preferred the highest level of vegetation density. Results show there are internal similarities between the two Western samples on the one hand, and between the five non-Western samples on the other. To some extent this supports the idea of consensus in preference, not universally but within those categories respectively. PMID:29896141

Cryptic, Sympatric Diversity in Tegu Lizards of the Tupinambis teguixin Group (Squamata, Sauria, Teiidae) and the Description of Three New Species

PubMed Central

Jowers, Michael J.; Lehtinen, Richard M.; Charles, Stevland P.; Colli, Guarino R.; Peres, Ayrton K.; Hendry, Catriona R.; Pyron, R. Alexander

2016-01-01

Tegus of the genera Tupinambis and Salvator are the largest Neotropical lizards and the most exploited clade of Neotropical reptiles. For three decades more than 34 million tegu skins were in trade, about 1.02 million per year. The genus Tupinambis is distributed in South America east of the Andes, and currently contains four recognized species, three of which are found only in Brazil. However, the type species of the genus, T. teguixin, is known from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela (including the Isla de Margarita). Here we present molecular and morphological evidence that this species is genetically divergent across its range and identify four distinct clades some of which are sympatric. The occurrence of cryptic sympatric species undoubtedly exacerbated the nomenclatural problems of the past. We discuss the species supported by molecular and morphological evidence and increase the number of species in the genus Tupinambis to seven. The four members of the T. teguixin group continue to be confused with Salvator merianae, despite having a distinctly different morphology and reproductive mode. All members of the genus Tupinambis are CITES Appendix II. Yet, they continue to be heavily exploited, under studied, and confused in the minds of the public, conservationists, and scientists. PMID:27487019

Cryptic, Sympatric Diversity in Tegu Lizards of the Tupinambis teguixin Group (Squamata, Sauria, Teiidae) and the Description of Three New Species.

PubMed

Murphy, John C; Jowers, Michael J; Lehtinen, Richard M; Charles, Stevland P; Colli, Guarino R; Peres, Ayrton K; Hendry, Catriona R; Pyron, R Alexander

2016-01-01

Tegus of the genera Tupinambis and Salvator are the largest Neotropical lizards and the most exploited clade of Neotropical reptiles. For three decades more than 34 million tegu skins were in trade, about 1.02 million per year. The genus Tupinambis is distributed in South America east of the Andes, and currently contains four recognized species, three of which are found only in Brazil. However, the type species of the genus, T. teguixin, is known from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela (including the Isla de Margarita). Here we present molecular and morphological evidence that this species is genetically divergent across its range and identify four distinct clades some of which are sympatric. The occurrence of cryptic sympatric species undoubtedly exacerbated the nomenclatural problems of the past. We discuss the species supported by molecular and morphological evidence and increase the number of species in the genus Tupinambis to seven. The four members of the T. teguixin group continue to be confused with Salvator merianae, despite having a distinctly different morphology and reproductive mode. All members of the genus Tupinambis are CITES Appendix II. Yet, they continue to be heavily exploited, under studied, and confused in the minds of the public, conservationists, and scientists.

Constitution, 30 September 1987.

PubMed

1987-01-01

This document reprints provisions of Suriname's 1987 Constitution relating to freedom of movement, equality of the sexes, the right to life, the right to physical integrity, equal opportunity in employment, the family, children, maternity benefits, the right to health care, parental responsibilities, free and compulsory education, illiteracy, and housing. All citizens enjoy freedom of movement within the bounds of the law. All people within the territory may claim protection of their person and property, and discrimination is forbidden on the basis of birth, sex, race, language, religion, education, political beliefs, economic position, or other status. Torture or inhuman treatment and punishment is banned, and the right to life is protected by the law. The state guarantees the right to work, and all employees have the right to equal remuneration for equal work, safe working conditions, and sufficient rest and recreation. The family is protected, and husbands and wives are equal before the law. Children have the right to protection, and working women are entitled to paid maternity leave. The state promotes the right to good health by systematic improvements in living and working conditions and dissemination of health education. The right to education is protected by the provision of free general primary education and efforts of the state to enable all citizens to achieve the highest educational levels possible. The Constitution also calls for the institution of a plan to allow the state to create public housing.

Influence of corona discharge on the ozone budget in the tropical free troposphere: a case study of deep convection during GABRIEL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozem, H.; Fischer, H.; Gurk, C.; Schiller, C. L.; Parchatka, U.; Koenigstedt, R.; Stickler, A.; Martinez, M.; Harder, H.; Kubistin, D.; Williams, J.; Eerdekens, G.; Lelieveld, J.

2014-09-01

Convective redistribution of ozone and its precursors between the boundary layer (BL) and the free troposphere (FT) influences photochemistry, in particular in the middle and upper troposphere (UT). We present a case study of convective transport during the GABRIEL campaign over the tropical rain forest in Suriname in October 2005. During one measurement flight the inflow and outflow regions of a cumulonimbus cloud (Cb) have been characterized. We identified a distinct layer between 9 and 11 km altitude with enhanced mixing ratios of CO, O3, HOx, acetone and acetonitrile. The elevated O3 contradicts the expectation that convective transport brings low-ozone air from the boundary layer to the outflow region. Entrainment of ozone-rich air is estimated to account for 62% (range: 33-91%) of the observed O3. Ozone is enhanced by only 5-6% by photochemical production in the outflow due to enhanced NO from lightning, based on model calculations using observations including the first reported HOx measurements over the tropical rainforest. The "excess" ozone in the outflow is most probably due to direct production by corona discharge associated with lightning. We deduce a production rate of 5.12 × 1028 molecules O3 flash-1 (range: 9.89 × 1026-9.82 × 1028 molecules O3 flash-1), which is at the upper limit of the range reported previously.

Zika virus: a new arboviral public health problem.

PubMed

Demir, Tulin; Kilic, Selcuk

2016-11-01

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a single-stranded RNA virus in the Flaviviridae family and transmitted to human through infected mosquitos (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus). Virus is closely related with other flaviviruses; dengue virus, yellow fever virus, West Nile virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus phylogenetically. Due to the possible relationship between virus and clinical features including microcephaly, ventricule, and eye deformities, Guillain-Barre syndrome increases the interest on this virus gradually. Along with the vector-borne transmission, exposure via blood transfusion and sexual contact are further concerns. Since December 2015, CDC reported 440.000-1.300.000 possible cases in Brazil and as of 19 January 2016, El Salvador, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Surinam, French Guana, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama are the countries with active epidemic. CDC recommends ZIKV screening for all pregnants including asymptomatic cases those living in the active epidemic areas. Recently, virus is detected in the USA and most European countries including UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, and Italy as a travel-associated infection. Owing to the changing world with increased capabilities for transportation globally, this vector-borne infection represents a valuable marker for the ability of spreading of any infection from its original area that it was first seen. In this review, we summarized the up-to-date data and reports in terms of the importance of the ZIKV infection in the public health.

A new Heraclides swallowtail (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae) from North America is recognized by the pattern on its neck

PubMed Central

Shiraiwa, Kojiro; Cong, Qian; Grishin, Nick V.

2014-01-01

Abstract Heraclides rumiko Shiraiwa & Grishin, sp. n. is described from southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America (type locality: USA, Texas, Duval County). It is closely allied to Heraclides cresphontes (Cramer, 1777) and the two species are sympatric in central Texas. The new species is diagnosed by male genitalia and exhibits a nearly 3% difference from Heraclides cresphontes in the COI DNA barcode sequence of mitochondrial DNA. The two Heraclides species can usually be told apart by the shape and size of yellow spots on the neck, by the wing shape, and the details of wing patterns. “Western Giant Swallowtail” is proposed as the English name for Heraclides rumiko. To stabilize nomenclature, neotype for Papilio cresphontes Cramer, 1777, an eastern United States species, is designated from Brooklyn, New York, USA; and lectotype for Papilio thoas Linnaeus, 1771 is designated from Suriname. We sequenced DNA barcodes and ID tags of nearly 400 Papilionini specimens completing coverage of all Heraclides species. Comparative analyses of DNA barcodes, genitalia, and facies suggest that Heraclides oviedo (Gundlach, 1866), reinstated status, is a species-level taxon rather than a subspecies of Heraclides thoas (Linnaeus, 1771); and Heraclides pallas (G. Gray, [1853]), reinstated status, with its subspecies Heraclides Papilio bajaensis (J. Brown & Faulkner, 1992), comb. n., and Heraclides anchicayaensis Constantino, Le Crom & Salazar, 2002, stat. n., are not conspecific with Heraclides astyalus (Godart, 1819). PMID:25610342

Population-based study on the seroprevalence of hepatitis A, B, and C virus infection in Amsterdam, 2004.

PubMed

Baaten, G G G; Sonder, G J B; Dukers, N H T M; Coutinho, R A; Van den Hoek, J A R

2007-12-01

In order to enhance screening and preventive strategies, this study investigated the seroprevalence of hepatitis A, B, and C in the general adult urban population and in subgroups. In 2004, sera from 1,364 adult residents of Amsterdam were tested for viral markers. Sociodemographic characteristics were collected using a standardized questionnaire. For hepatitis A, 57.0% was immune. Of first-generation immigrants from Turkey and Morocco, 100% was immune. Of all Western persons and second-generation non-Western immigrants, approximately half was still susceptible. For hepatitis B, 9.9% had antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and 0.4% had hepatitis B surface antigen. Anti-HBc seroprevalences were highest among first-generation immigrants from Surinam, Morocco, and Turkey, and correlated with age at the time of immigration, and among men with a sexual preference for men. Seroprevalence among second-generation immigrants was comparable to Western persons. The seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies was 0.6%. In conclusion, a country with overall low endemicity for viral hepatitis can show higher endemicity in urban regions, indicating the need for differentiated regional studies and prevention strategies. More prevention efforts in cities like Amsterdam are warranted, particularly for hepatitis A and B among second-generation immigrants, for hepatitis B among men with a sexual preference for men, and for hepatitis C. Active case finding strategies are needed for both hepatitis B and C. (c) Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Experience with a Multinational, Secondary School Education Module with a Focus on Prevention of Virus Infections

PubMed Central

Doornekamp, Laura; Stegers-Jager, Karen M.; Vlek, Odette M.; Klop, Tanja; Goeijenbier, Marco; van Gorp, Eric C. M.

2017-01-01

Abstract. Worldwide, virus infections are responsible for many diseases in terms of morbidity and mortality. Vaccinations and therapies are only available for relatively few virus infections and not always where they are needed. However, knowledge of transmission routes can prevent virus infection. In the context of this study, we measured the effects of a secondary school education module, named Viruskenner, on knowledge, attitude, and risk behavior as these relate to virus infections. A nonrandomized intervention study was conducted between April and August 2015 to assess the effect of this 2-month education module on knowledge, attitude, and behavior of 684 secondary school students in the Netherlands, Suriname, and Indonesia. For the Netherlands, a control group of a further 184 students was added. Factor analysis was performed on questions pertaining to attitude and behavior. Comparative analyses between pre- and posttest per country were done using multiple linear regression, independent sample T-tests, and one-way analysis of variance. These showed a significant increase in knowledge about virus infections and the prevention of infectious diseases among the Dutch and Surinamese groups, whereas a trend of increased knowledge was evident among the Indonesian participants. The Dutch control group showed an overall decrease in knowledge. Regression analyses showed that there was a significant interaction effect between participation and time on knowledge, attitude, and awareness and behavior and risk infection. Attitudes improved significantly in the intervention group. Pearson correlation coefficients between knowledge, attitude, and behavior were found to be positive. PMID:28719318

Discrimination and the incidence of psychotic disorders among ethnic minorities in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Veling, Wim; Selten, Jean-Paul; Susser, Ezra; Laan, Winfried; Mackenbach, Johan P; Hoek, Hans W

2007-08-01

It is well established now that the incidence of schizophrenia is extremely high for several ethnic minority groups in western Europe, but there is considerable variation among groups. We investigated whether the increased risk among these groups depends upon the degree to which they perceive discrimination based on race or ethnicity. We studied the incidence of psychotic disorders over 7 years in The Hague, a city with a large and diverse population of ethnic minorities. To compare the incidence of schizophrenic disorders (DSM IV: schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder) in each ethnic minority group with the incidence in native Dutch, we computed incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Based on a population study and on rates of reported incidents of discrimination in The Hague, the degree of perceived discrimination of ethnic minority groups was rated: high (Morocco), medium (Netherlands-Antilles, Surinam and 'other non-western countries'), low (Turkey) or very low ('western or westernized countries'). The age- and gender-adjusted IRRs of schizophrenic disorders for ethnic minority groups exposed to high, medium, low, and very low discrimination were 4.00 (95% CI 3.00-5.35), 1.99 (1.58-2.51), 1.58 (1.10-2.27), and 1.20 (0.81-1.90), respectively. When not only schizophrenic, but all psychotic disorders were included in the analysis, the results were similar. These results suggest that discrimination perceived by ethnic minority groups in western Europe, or some factor closely related to it, may contribute to their increased risk of schizophrenia.

Evaluacion de los recursos potenciales del petroleo y gas, en Centro y Suramerica [Evaluation of potential petroleum and gas resources in Central and South America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, C.S.

2001-01-01

El Servicio Geológico de los Estados Unidos (USGS, por sus siglas en inglés) completó recientemente un estudio evaluativo de recursos potenciales de petróleo y gas en 130 provincias de petróleo seleccionadas en diferentes partes del mundo (USGS, 2000). De estas 130 provincias, 23 se encuentran en Suramérica, Centroamérica, y la región del Caribe (fig. 1). El estudio comprendió desde las provincias de petróleo establecidas con un largo historial de producción, como la Cuenca de Maracaibo, hasta las provincias fronterizas de poca o ninguna producción, como la Cuenca de Guyana-Suriname. No todas las provincias con historial de producción o con potencial de producción fueron evaluadas en el Estudio Evaluativo USGS 2000. Al presente, el USGS está evaluando muchas de las provincias restantes de petróleo y gas, en Centro y Suramérica. En cada provincia hemos (1) definido geológicamente el total de los sistemas de petróleo, (2) definido las unidades evaluadas que forman parte de todos los sistemas de petróleo, y (3) evaluado el volumen potencial de petróleo y gas convencional en cada unidad evaluada. Definimos un total de 26 sistemas de petróleo y 55 unidades evaluadas en las 23 provincias

Phylogeography and Population Dynamics of Dengue Viruses in the Americas

PubMed Central

Allicock, Orchid M.; Lemey, Philippe; Tatem, Andrew J.; Pybus, Oliver G.; Bennett, Shannon N.; Mueller, Brandi A.; Suchard, Marc A.; Foster, Jerome E.; Rambaut, Andrew; Carrington, Christine V. F.

2012-01-01

Changes in Dengue virus (DENV) disease patterns in the Americas over recent decades have been attributed, at least in part, to repeated introduction of DENV strains from other regions, resulting in a shift from hypoendemicity to hyperendemicity. Using newly sequenced DENV-1 and DENV-3 envelope (E) gene isolates from 11 Caribbean countries, along with sequences available on GenBank, we sought to document the population genetic and spatiotemporal transmission histories of the four main invading DENV genotypes within the Americas and investigate factors that influence the rate and intensity of DENV transmission. For all genotypes, there was an initial invasion phase characterized by rapid increases in genetic diversity, which coincided with the first confirmed cases of each genotype in the region. Rapid geographic dispersal occurred upon each genotype's introduction, after which individual lineages were locally maintained, and gene flow was primarily observed among neighboring and nearby countries. There were, however, centers of viral diversity (Barbados, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Suriname, Venezuela, and Brazil) that were repeatedly involved in gene flow with more distant locations. For DENV-1 and DENV-2, we found that a “distance-informed” model, which posits that the intensity of virus movement between locations is inversely proportional to the distance between them, provided a better fit than a model assuming equal rates of movement between all pairs of countries. However, for DENV-3 and DENV-4, the more stochastic “equal rates” model was preferred. PMID:22319149

Experience with a Multinational, Secondary School Education Module with a Focus on Prevention of Virus Infections.

PubMed

Doornekamp, Laura; Stegers-Jager, Karen M; Vlek, Odette M; Klop, Tanja; Goeijenbier, Marco; van Gorp, Eric C M

2017-07-01

Worldwide, virus infections are responsible for many diseases in terms of morbidity and mortality. Vaccinations and therapies are only available for relatively few virus infections and not always where they are needed. However, knowledge of transmission routes can prevent virus infection. In the context of this study, we measured the effects of a secondary school education module, named Viruskenner, on knowledge, attitude, and risk behavior as these relate to virus infections. A nonrandomized intervention study was conducted between April and August 2015 to assess the effect of this 2-month education module on knowledge, attitude, and behavior of 684 secondary school students in the Netherlands, Suriname, and Indonesia. For the Netherlands, a control group of a further 184 students was added. Factor analysis was performed on questions pertaining to attitude and behavior. Comparative analyses between pre- and posttest per country were done using multiple linear regression, independent sample T-tests, and one-way analysis of variance. These showed a significant increase in knowledge about virus infections and the prevention of infectious diseases among the Dutch and Surinamese groups, whereas a trend of increased knowledge was evident among the Indonesian participants. The Dutch control group showed an overall decrease in knowledge. Regression analyses showed that there was a significant interaction effect between participation and time on knowledge, attitude, and awareness and behavior and risk infection. Attitudes improved significantly in the intervention group. Pearson correlation coefficients between knowledge, attitude, and behavior were found to be positive.

The interplay of homing and dispersal in green turtles: a focus on the southwestern atlantic.

PubMed

Naro-Maciel, Eugenia; Bondioli, Ana Cristina Vigliar; Martin, Meredith; de Pádua Almeida, Antônio; Baptistotte, Cecília; Bellini, Claudio; Marcovaldi, Maria Ângela; Santos, Armando José Barsante; Amato, George

2012-01-01

Current understanding of spatial ecology is insufficient in many threatened marine species, failing to provide a solid basis for conservation and management. To address this issue for globally endangered green turtles, we investigated their population distribution by sequencing a mitochondrial control region segment from the Rocas Atoll courtship area (n = 30 males) and four feeding grounds (FGs) in Brazil (n = 397), and compared our findings to published data (n (nesting) = 1205; n (feeding) = 1587). At Rocas Atoll, the first Atlantic courtship area sequenced to date, we found males were differentiated from local juveniles but not from nesting females. In combination with tag data, this indicates possible male philopatry. The most common haplotypes detected at the study sites were CMA-08 and CMA-05, and significant temporal variation was not revealed. Although feeding grounds were differentiated overall, intra-regional structure was less pronounced. Ascension was the primary natal source of the study FGs, with Surinam and Trindade as secondary sources. The study clarified the primary connectivity between Trindade and Brazil. Possible linkages to African populations were considered, but there was insufficient resolution to conclusively determine this connection. The distribution of FG haplotype lineages was nonrandom and indicative of regional clustering. The study investigated impacts of population size, geographic distance, ocean currents, and juvenile natal homing on connectivity, addressed calls for increased genetic sampling in the southwestern Atlantic, and provided data important for conservation of globally endangered green turtles.

Countries population determination to test rice crisis indicator at national level using k-means cluster analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayat, Y.; Purwandari, T.; Sukono; Ariska, Y. D.

2017-01-01

This study aimed to obtain information on the population of the countries which is have similarities with Indonesia based on three characteristics, that is the democratic atmosphere, rice consumption and purchasing power of rice. It is useful as a reference material for research which tested the strength and predictability of the rice crisis indicators Unprecedented Restlessness (UR). The similarities countries with Indonesia were conducted using multivariate analysis that is non-hierarchical cluster analysis k-Means with 38 countries as the data population. This analysis is done repeatedly until the obtainment number of clusters which is capable to show the differentiator power of the three characteristics and describe the high similarity within clusters. Based on the results, it turns out with 6 clusters can describe the differentiator power of characteristics of formed clusters. However, to answer the purpose of the study, only one cluster which will be taken accordance with the criteria of success for the population of countries that have similarities with Indonesia that cluster contain Indonesia therein, there are countries which is sustain crisis and non-crisis of rice in 2008, and cluster which is have the largest member among them. This criterion is met by cluster 2, which consists of 22 countries, namely Indonesia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Japan, Korea South, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Suriname.

[Early coronary heart disease together with tyoe II diabetes mellitus in persons of Hindustani origin].

PubMed

Bongers, I; Westendorp, R G; Stolk, B; Huysmans, H A; Vandenbroucke, J P

1995-01-07

To investigate the association between early coronary heart disease and non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in South Asian patients in the Netherlands, a homogeneous population which descends from Indian immigrants to Surinam in the late nineteenth century. Case control study. University hospital Leiden. South Asian patients (n = 38) and control patients (n = 76) were identified in an automated data base comprising all patients who had aortocoronary surgery in the period January 1st 1990 to January 1st 1993. Control patients were from the general population and matched for calendar time. Patients' characteristics such as the onset of coronary heart disease and the presence of non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus were obtained from the medical records at the time of surgery. The onset of coronary heart disease in South Asian patients occurred about eight years earlier than in control patients (49.8 versus 58.2 years; 95% confidence interval of the difference: 4.3-12.5). Non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus was about four times more frequent in South Asian patients (50% versus 13%; 19-54). This difference was the same after correction for differences in sex, age, and body mass index. Diabetes mellitus caused by insulin resistance significantly contributes to early coronary heart disease in South Asian immigrant patients, in accordance with the literature on the present population of India. These findings strengthen the belief that genetic factor are important in the development of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis.

Cardiovascular disease mortality in the Americas: current trends and disparities.

PubMed

de Fatima Marinho de Souza, Maria; Gawryszewski, Vilma Pinheiro; Orduñez, Pedro; Sanhueza, Antonio; Espinal, Marcos A

2012-08-01

To describe the current situation and trends in mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the Americas and explore their association with economic indicators. This time series study analysed mortality data from 21 countries in the region of the Americas from 2000 to the latest available year. Age-adjusted death rates, annual variation in death rates. Regression analysis was used to estimate the annual variation and the association between age-adjusted rates and country income. Currently, CVD comprised 33.7% of all deaths in the Americas. Rates were higher in Guyana (292/100 000), Trinidad and Tobago (289/100 000) and Venezuela (246/100 000), and lower in Canada (108/100 000), Puerto Rico (121/100 000) and Chile (125/100 000). Male rates were higher than female rates in all countries. The trend analysis showed that CVD death rates in the Americas declined -19% overall (-20% among women and -18% among men). Most countries had a significant annual decline, except Guatemala, Guyana, Suriname, Paraguay and Panama. The largest annual declines were observed in Canada (-4.8%), the USA (-3.9%) and Puerto Rico (-3.6%). Minor declines were in Mexico (-0.8%) and Cuba (-1.1%). Compared with high-income countries the difference between the median of death rates in lower middle-income countries was 56.7% higher and between upper middle-income countries was 20.6% higher. CVD death rates have been decreasing in most countries in the Americas. Considerable disparities still remain in the current rates and trends.

Local plant names reveal that enslaved Africans recognized substantial parts of the New World flora.

PubMed

van Andel, Tinde R; van 't Klooster, Charlotte I E A; Quiroz, Diana; Towns, Alexandra M; Ruysschaert, Sofie; van den Berg, Margot

2014-12-16

How did the forced migration of nearly 11 million enslaved Africans to the Americas influence their knowledge of plants? Vernacular plant names give insight into the process of species recognition, acquisition of new knowledge, and replacement of African species with American ones. This study traces the origin of 2,350 Afro-Surinamese (Sranantongo and Maroon) plant names to those plant names used by local Amerindians, Europeans, and related groups in West and Central Africa. We compared vernacular names from herbarium collections, literature, and recent ethnobotanical fieldwork in Suriname, Ghana, Benin, and Gabon. A strong correspondence in sound, structure, and meaning among Afro-Surinamese vernaculars and their equivalents in other languages for botanically related taxa was considered as evidence for a shared origin. Although 65% of the Afro-Surinamese plant names contained European lexical items, enslaved Africans have recognized a substantial part of the neotropical flora. Twenty percent of the Sranantongo and 43% of the Maroon plant names strongly resemble names currently used in diverse African languages for related taxa, represent translations of African ones, or directly refer to an Old World origin. The acquisition of new ethnobotanical knowledge is captured in vernaculars derived from Amerindian languages and the invention of new names for neotropical plants from African lexical terms. Plant names that combine African, Amerindian, and European words reflect a creolization process that merged ethnobotanical skills from diverse geographical and cultural sources into new Afro-American knowledge systems. Our study confirms the role of Africans as significant agents of environmental knowledge in the New World.

Hosts and distribution of Amblyomma auricularium (Conil 1878) and Amblyomma pseudoconcolor Aragão, 1908 (Acari: Ixodidae).

PubMed

Guglielmone, A A; Estrada-Peña, A; Luciani, C A; Mangold, A J; Keirans, J E

2003-01-01

Collections of Amblyomma auricularium (Conil 1878) and A. pseudoconcolor Aragão, 1908 are discussed in relation to distribution and hosts. Three tick collections (two from Argentina and a third from the USA) house a total of 574 A. auricularium (307 males, 162 females, 73 nymphs and 32 larvae) and 179 A. pseudoconcolor (96 males, 74 females, 4 nymphs and 5 larvae). Apart from an adult A. pseudoconcolor found on a bird, Nothura maculosa Temminck, 1815, all ticks were found on mammals. The great majority of specimens of both ticks species were removed from the family Dasypodidae Gray, 1821 (84.9% and 93.8% of A. auricularium and A. pseudoconcolor, respectively). Amblyomma auricularium has also been found on wild hosts of the families Myrmecophagidae and occasionally Didelphidae, Caviidae, Chinchillidae, Hydrochaeridae, Muridae, Canidae, Mustelidae, Procyonidae and domestic animals (cattle, dogs, horses), while A. pseudoconcolor has also been found occasionally on wild hosts of the family Didelphidae and on domestic animals (cattle, dogs). Amblyomma pseudoconcolor appears to be restricted to the Neotropical region, covering northern Argentina and the eastern region of South America from Uruguay to Surinam, including south-eastern Paraguay, eastern Brazil and French Guiana. Amblyomma auricularium is distributed from northern Patagonia in Argentina throughout the Neotropics into the Nearctic region up to the southern USA (Texas, Florida), with collection localities also in Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela. It is not known whether A. auricularium is an established resident of the USA.

Do sexual risk behaviour, risk perception and testing behaviour differ across generations of migrants?

PubMed

Kramer, Merlijn A; van Veen, Maaike G; Op de Coul, Eline L M; Coutinho, Roel A; Prins, Maria

2014-02-01

Behaviour and related health outcomes of migrants have been suggested to shift towards the practices of the indigenous population of the host country. To investigate this, we studied generational differences in sexual behaviour between first- and second-generation migrants (FGMs and SGMs) in The Netherlands. In 2003-05, persons aged 16-70 years with origins in Surinam, the Antilles and Aruba were interviewed on their sexual behaviour in The Netherlands and their country of origin. The relationship of generation, age at migration and sexual behaviour was studied by multinomial logistic regression analyses. Generational differences were observed regarding concurrent partnerships, anal sex and history of sexually transmitted infection. Compared with FGMs who migrated at an age >25 years, those who migrated between 10 and 25 years of age were more likely to report concurrency [odds ratio (OR): 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-2.04], whereas SGMs were less likely to report concurrency (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43-0.98). FGMs who migrated before the age of 10 were more likely to have had anal sex (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.34-2.71) or a sexually transmitted infection diagnosis (OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.20-2.71) than those who had migrated at >25 years of age. Our study shows that not only SGMs but also FGMs who migrated at an early age tend to differ from the sexual patterns of FGMs who migrated at an older age. Generational differences in sexual behaviour could be explained by acculturation and increased identity with the values of the host country.

Dispersal and Diving Adjustments of the Green Turtle Chelonia mydas in Response to Dynamic Environmental Conditions during Post-Nesting Migration

PubMed Central

Chambault, Philippine; Pinaud, David; Vantrepotte, Vincent; Kelle, Laurent; Entraygues, Mathieu; Guinet, Christophe; Berzins, Rachel; Bilo, Karin; Gaspar, Philippe; de Thoisy, Benoît; Le Maho, Yvon; Chevallier, Damien

2015-01-01

In response to seasonality and spatial segregation of resources, sea turtles undertake long journeys between their nesting sites and foraging grounds. While satellite tracking has made it possible to outline their migration routes, we still have little knowledge of how they select their foraging grounds and adapt their migration to dynamic environmental conditions. Here, we analyzed the trajectories and diving behavior of 19 adult green turtles (Chelonia mydas) during their post-nesting migration from French Guiana and Suriname to their foraging grounds off the coast of Brazil. First Passage Time analysis was used to identify foraging areas located off Ceará state of Brazil, where the associated habitat corresponds to favorable conditions for seagrass growth, i.e. clear and shallow waters. The dispersal and diving patterns of the turtles revealed several behavioral adaptations to the strong hydrodynamic processes induced by both the North Brazil current and the Amazon River plume. All green turtles migrated south-eastward after the nesting season, confirming that they coped with the strong counter North Brazil current by using a tight corridor close to the shore. The time spent within the Amazon plume also altered the location of their feeding habitats as the longer individuals stayed within the plume, the sooner they initiated foraging. The green turtles performed deeper and shorter dives while crossing the mouth of the Amazon, a strategy which would help turtles avoid the most turbulent upper surface layers of the plume. These adjustments reveal the remarkable plasticity of this green turtle population when reducing energy costs induced by migration. PMID:26398528

Dispersal and Diving Adjustments of the Green Turtle Chelonia mydas in Response to Dynamic Environmental Conditions during Post-Nesting Migration.

PubMed

Chambault, Philippine; Pinaud, David; Vantrepotte, Vincent; Kelle, Laurent; Entraygues, Mathieu; Guinet, Christophe; Berzins, Rachel; Bilo, Karin; Gaspar, Philippe; de Thoisy, Benoît; Le Maho, Yvon; Chevallier, Damien

2015-01-01

In response to seasonality and spatial segregation of resources, sea turtles undertake long journeys between their nesting sites and foraging grounds. While satellite tracking has made it possible to outline their migration routes, we still have little knowledge of how they select their foraging grounds and adapt their migration to dynamic environmental conditions. Here, we analyzed the trajectories and diving behavior of 19 adult green turtles (Chelonia mydas) during their post-nesting migration from French Guiana and Suriname to their foraging grounds off the coast of Brazil. First Passage Time analysis was used to identify foraging areas located off Ceará state of Brazil, where the associated habitat corresponds to favorable conditions for seagrass growth, i.e. clear and shallow waters. The dispersal and diving patterns of the turtles revealed several behavioral adaptations to the strong hydrodynamic processes induced by both the North Brazil current and the Amazon River plume. All green turtles migrated south-eastward after the nesting season, confirming that they coped with the strong counter North Brazil current by using a tight corridor close to the shore. The time spent within the Amazon plume also altered the location of their feeding habitats as the longer individuals stayed within the plume, the sooner they initiated foraging. The green turtles performed deeper and shorter dives while crossing the mouth of the Amazon, a strategy which would help turtles avoid the most turbulent upper surface layers of the plume. These adjustments reveal the remarkable plasticity of this green turtle population when reducing energy costs induced by migration.

Characterization, mapping, and mitigation of mercury vapour emissions from artisanal mining gold shops.

PubMed

Cordy, Paul; Veiga, Marcello; Crawford, Ben; Garcia, Oseas; Gonzalez, Victor; Moraga, Daniel; Roeser, Monika; Wip, Dennis

2013-08-01

Artisanal miners sell their gold to shops that are usually located in the urban core, where the mercury-gold amalgam is burned to evaporate the mercury that was added during ore processing. People living and working near these gold shops are exposed to intermittent and extreme concentrations of mercury vapour. In the urban centres of Segovia, Colombia, and Andacollo, Chile, the average concentrations measured by mobile mercury vapour analyzer transects taken repeatedly over several weeks were 1.26 and 0.338μgm(-3), respectively. By World Health Organization standards, these towns are exposed to significant health hazard, and globally, the millions of miners, as well as non-miners who live near gold shops, are at serious risk of neurological and renal deficits. Measurements taken in Suriname, Ecuador and Peru reveal this to be a widespread phenomenon with unique regional variations and myriad attempts at remediation. Maps of average mercury concentrations show the spatial distribution of the hazard in relation to residential buildings and schools. Measurements from towers show the temporal variability of mercury concentrations, and suggest that large quantities of mercury are available for long-range atmospheric transport. Mercury mapping in Segovia in 2011 suggest a 10% reduction in airborne mercury concentrations over 2010, despite a 30% increase in gold production. This is attributable to the adoption of retorts by miners and regulations banning new processing centres to the rural periphery. This is the first full description of artisanal mining gold shop practices and of the character, quantity, and remediation of mercury emissions within urban mining centres. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Local plant names reveal that enslaved Africans recognized substantial parts of the New World flora

PubMed Central

van ‘t Klooster, Charlotte I. E. A.; Towns, Alexandra M.; Ruysschaert, Sofie; van den Berg, Margot

2014-01-01

How did the forced migration of nearly 11 million enslaved Africans to the Americas influence their knowledge of plants? Vernacular plant names give insight into the process of species recognition, acquisition of new knowledge, and replacement of African species with American ones. This study traces the origin of 2,350 Afro-Surinamese (Sranantongo and Maroon) plant names to those plant names used by local Amerindians, Europeans, and related groups in West and Central Africa. We compared vernacular names from herbarium collections, literature, and recent ethnobotanical fieldwork in Suriname, Ghana, Benin, and Gabon. A strong correspondence in sound, structure, and meaning among Afro-Surinamese vernaculars and their equivalents in other languages for botanically related taxa was considered as evidence for a shared origin. Although 65% of the Afro-Surinamese plant names contained European lexical items, enslaved Africans have recognized a substantial part of the neotropical flora. Twenty percent of the Sranantongo and 43% of the Maroon plant names strongly resemble names currently used in diverse African languages for related taxa, represent translations of African ones, or directly refer to an Old World origin. The acquisition of new ethnobotanical knowledge is captured in vernaculars derived from Amerindian languages and the invention of new names for neotropical plants from African lexical terms. Plant names that combine African, Amerindian, and European words reflect a creolization process that merged ethnobotanical skills from diverse geographical and cultural sources into new Afro-American knowledge systems. Our study confirms the role of Africans as significant agents of environmental knowledge in the New World. PMID:25453066

War and hunting poisons of the New World. Part 1. Notes on the early history of curare.

PubMed

Bisset, N G

1992-02-01

The history to about 1850 of the muscle-relaxant poison curare is discussed, especially the developments leading to the botanical identification of the plants that yield the alkaloidal active principles: Loganiaceae (Strychnos species) and Menispermaceae (Abuta, Chondrodendron, and Curarea species). One of the earliest encounters with the poison appears to have been during the exploration of the Lake Maracaibo region in Colombia by Alonso Pérez de Tolosa in 1548. It is pointed out (yet again) that Sir Walter Ralegh did not bring back the poison to Europe in 1595 and that it was Keymis who first came across the word ourari when exploring the lower reaches of the Orinoco in 1596. Gumilla, La Condamine, Ulloa, Veigl, and others gave much additional information about the poison during the 18th century. Scientific studies began in the latter part of the century when Schreber listed the botanical identities of four of the plant components entering into the curare prepared by the Akawai Indians of Surinam. As far as is known, none of these people actually saw curare being made. Thereafter, progress was rapid. Humboldt and Bonpland were the first trained scientists to witness the preparation of the poison, at the very beginning of the 19th century. Subsequent exploration by Martius and Spix, Poeppig, Youd, the Schomburgk brothers, De Castelnau and Deville, Spruce, and others, up to the middle of the century, extended and deepened botanical and ethnological knowledge of curare. Study of its physiology started at about that time with the classical experiments of Rudolf von Koelliker and Claude Bernard.

Returning ex-patriot Chinese to Guangdong, China, increase the risk for local transmission of Zika virus.

PubMed

Sun, Jiufeng; Wu, De; Zhong, Haojie; Guan, Dawei; Zhang, Huan; Tan, Qiqi; Zhou, Huiqiong; Zhang, Meng; Ning, Dan; Zhang, Baohuan; Ke, Changwen; Song, Tie; Lin, Jinyan; Zhang, Yonghui; Koopmans, Marion; Gao, George F

2017-10-01

Fast expansion and linkage to microcephaly and Guillain Barre syndrome have made Zika virus (ZIKV) track attention of global health authority concerns. The epidemiology, virological characteristics and genetic evolution of introduced ZIKV to Guangdong, China, were investigated. Analyses of the epidemiological characteristics and genetic diversity of ZIKV isolates were performed. A total of twenty-eight confirmed ZIKV infection cases were imported into China in 2016, of which 19 were imported into Guangdong, China from Venezuela (16), the Samoa Islands (1), Suriname (1) and Guatemala (1). Serial sampling studies of the cases indicated longer shedding times of ZIKV particles from urine and saliva samples than from serum and conjunctiva swab samples. Seven ZIKV strains were successfully isolated from serum, urine and conjunctiva swab samples using cell culture and neonatal mouse injection methods. Genomic analysis indicated that all viruses belonged to the Asian lineage but had different evolutionary transmission routes with different geographic origins. The molecular clock phylogenetic analysis of the ZIKV genomes indicated independent local transmission that appeared to have been previously established in Venezuela and Samoa. Additionally, we found 7 unique non-synonymous mutations in the genomes of ZIKV that were imported to China. The mutations may indicate that ZIKV has undergone independent evolutionary history not caused by sudden adaptation to Chinese hosts. The increasing number of ex-patriot Chinese returning from ZIKV hyper-endemic areas to Guangdong combined with the presence of a variety of Aedes species indicate the potential for autochthonous transmission of ZIKV in Guangdong. Copyright © 2017 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae)

PubMed Central

Staines, Charles L.; García-Robledo, Carlos

2014-01-01

Abstract The species of the Neotropical genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 are revised. We present a key to the known larvae of Cephaloleia (8 species), a key to the 95 species known to occur in Mexico, Central America and the West Indies, and a key to the 138 species known to occur in South America. All identification keys were translated to Spanish. Descriptions for the 214 known species of Cephaloleia as well as illustrations for 212 species are presented. The following species are removed from Cephaloleia: C. bipartita Pic, 1926c is transferred to Hybosispa Weise, 1910; C. minasensis Pic, 1931 and C. viridis Pic, 1931 are transferred to Stenispa Baly, 1858. The following species are described as new: C. abdita sp. n. from Brazil; C. amba sp. n. from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru; C. angustacollis sp. n. from Ecuador; C. brevis sp. n. from French Guiana; C. calathae sp. n. from Costa Rica; C. chica sp. n. from Peru; C. conforma sp. n. from Costa Rica; C. crenulata sp. n. from Ecuador; C. gemma sp. n. from Bolivia and Brazil; C. horvitzae sp. n. from French Guiana; C. interrupta sp. n. from Costa Rica; C. kressi sp. n. from Costa Rica; C. lenticula sp. n. from Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, and Suriname; C. nana sp. n. from Ecuador; C. ochra sp. n. from Ecuador; C. stainesi sp. n. from Costa Rica; and C. susanae sp. n. from Brazil and Ecuador. Cephaloleia simoni Pic, 1934 is treated as Incertae sedis. The larvae of C. erichsonii Baly, 1858 and C. puncticollis Baly, 1885 are described and illustrated. PMID:25197208

Depositional environment and distribution of Late Cretaceous [open quotes]source rocks[close quotes] from Costa Rica to West Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Erlich, R.N.; Sofer, Z.; Pratt, L.M.

1993-02-01

Late Cretaceous [open quotes]source rocks[close quotes] from Costa Rica, western and eastern Venezuela, and Trinidad were studied using organic and inorganic geochemistry, biostratigraphy, and sedimentology in order to determine their depositional environments. Bulk mineralogy and major element geochemistry for 304 samples were combined with Rock Eval data and extract biomaker analysis to infer the types and distributions of the various Late Cretaceous productivity systems represented in the dataset. When data from this study are combined with published and proprietary data from offshore West Africa, Guyana/Suriname, and the central Caribbean, they show that these Late Cretaceous units can be correlated bymore » their biogeochemical characteristics to establish their temporal and spatial relationships. Paleogeographic maps constructed for the early to late Cenomanian, Turonian, Coniacian to middle Santonian, and late Santonian to latest Campanian show that upwelling and excessive fluvial runoff were probably the dominant sources of nutrient supply to the coastal productivity systems. The late Santonian to Maastrichtian rocks examined in this study indicate that organic material was poorly preserved after deposition, even though biologic productivity remained constant or changed only slightly. A rapid influx of oxygenated bottom water may have occurred following the opening of a deep water connection between the North and South Atlantic oceans, and/or separation of India from Africa and the establishment of an Antarctic oceanic connection. This study suggests that the most important factors that controlled source rock quality in northern South America were productivity, preservation, degree of clastic dilution, and subsurface diagenesis.« less

On how Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) spread to the Americas: meteorological tools to assess probable colonization trajectories.

PubMed

Massa, Carolina; Doyle, Moira; Fortunato, Roberta Callicó

2014-11-01

The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) is native to the old world. Before 1877 no Cattle Egrets had been sighted in the Americas. There are no written records of this species being transported to or escaping from captivity in South America and there is enough evidence to suggest that individuals are capable of making the crossing from Africa to the Americas unaided. Since long-distance movements of species are partly dependent on meteorological events we analyze the possibility of B. ibis crossing the Atlantic Ocean aided only by wind conditions evaluating existing theories and shedding light on their feasibility through the analysis of weather patterns and atmospheric circulation. Zonal and meridional wind components taken from the Twentieth Century Reanalysis Project were used to calculate trajectories between different points along the West African coast and South America between 1871 and 1920 in two seasons (March-April and September-October). From a total of 192,864 trajectories analyzed, 1,695 with origin in the west coast of Africa reached the NE coast of South America or the Caribbean islands in less than a week (successful trajectories). The probability of these successful trajectories originating in Central Africa was above 0.65 for the majority of the destinations analyzed. Particularly, in Guyana and Suriname where B. ibis was first sighted, the probability of the origin being Central Africa was 0.84, most of them occurring during March. Several weather events favored not only the colonization of the Cattle Egret but also its establishment and spread all throughout the Americas.

[Resistance to first-line drugs and major genotypic lineages of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the 3 French Department of the Americas: Profiles, evolution, and trends (1995-2011)].

PubMed

Millet, J; Berchel, M; Prudenté, F; Streit, E; Bomer, A-G; Schuster, F; Vanhomwegen, J; Paasch, D; Galbert, I; Valery, E; Aga, R; Rastogi, N

2014-05-01

This is the first overview on resistant and multidrug resistant isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis circulating in the French Department of the Americas (Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana) over 17 years (January 1995-December 2011). A total of 1,239 cases were studied: 1,199 new cases (primary and multidrug resistance of 11.8 and 1.6% respectively), and 40 persistent (defined as cases with a previous history of positive culture over 6 months interval and whose spoligotypes remain unchanged), in which significantly higher proportions of resistance to at least isoniazid (22.5%, P = 0.002), rifampicin (20.0%, P < 0.001), and multidrug resistance (17.5%, P < 0.001) were observed as compared to new cases. The 281 spoligotypes obtained showed the presence of five major lineages, T (29.9%), LAM (23.9%), Haarlem (22.1%), EAI (7.1%), and X (6.7%). Two of these lineages, X and LAM, predominate among resistant and multidrug resistant isolates respectively (X: 10.5% of resistant isolates, P = 0.04; LAM: 42.3% of multidrug resistant isolates, P = 0.02). Four of the 19 major spoligo-profiles, corresponding to SIT 20, 64, 45, and 46, were significantly associated with drug resistance. Among them, genotype SIT 20, associated with monoresistance to isoniazid and multidrug resistance, would be actively and persistently in circulation, since 1999, in French Guiana, department in which one may also observe the presence of strains of M. tuberculosis phylogeographically associated to Guiana and Suriname (SIT 131 and SIT 1340).

Prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in illegal gold miners in French Guiana in 2015: a hidden but critical malaria reservoir.

PubMed

Douine, Maylis; Musset, Lise; Corlin, Florine; Pelleau, Stéphane; Pasquier, Jérémie; Mutricy, Louise; Adenis, Antoine; Djossou, Felix; Brousse, Paul; Perotti, Frédérique; Hiwat, Helene; Vreden, Stephen; Demar, Magalie; Nacher, Mathieu

2016-06-09

Malaria is endemic in French Guiana, an overseas territory of France on the Guiana Shield. Since 2005, notified malaria cases are decreasing. However, new data show that malaria affects many Brazilian gold miners working illegally in French Guiana, the majority of whom are not counted in official data. In addition, one major concern is the usual practice of improper self-treatment in this mining population, raising fear of the development of anti-malarial resistance. This prospective study, conducted in 2015, aimed to estimate the prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in illegal gold miners working in French Guiana. The recruitment of gold miners was carried out in resting sites along the French Guiana-Suriname border, where they go for supplies, medical care or leisure. After recording agreement, three malaria diagnostic methods were performed: rapid diagnostic test, microscopy and PCR. Among 421 persons recruited in the study, malaria prevalence, detected by nested-PCR, was 22.3 % (CI [18.3-26.3], n = 94/421) of which 84 % were asymptomatic. This significant malaria reservoir in a mobile and illegal population with difficult access to a health care system raises the threat of artemisinin resistance and puts the population of the Guiana Shield at risk of new transmission foci while countries of the region aim at malaria elimination. Even though French legislation may hamper dealing with this population, France must face the reality of malaria in illegal gold miners in order to meet its commitment to malaria elimination.

Present and Potential Future Distribution of Common Vampire Bats in the Americas and the Associated Risk to Cattle

PubMed Central

Lee, Dana N.; Papeş, Monica; Van Den Bussche, Ronald A.

2012-01-01

Success of the cattle industry in Latin America is impeded by the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, through decreases in milk production and mass gain and increased risk of secondary infection and rabies. We used ecological niche modeling to predict the current potential distribution of D. rotundus and the future distribution of the species for the years 2030, 2050, and 2080 based on the A2, A1B, and B1 climate scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We then combined the present day potential distribution with cattle density estimates to identify areas where cattle are at higher risk for the negative impacts due to D. rotundus. We evaluated our risk prediction by plotting 17 documented outbreaks of cattle rabies. Our results indicated highly suitable habitat for D. rotundus occurs throughout most of Mexico and Central America as well as portions of Venezuela, Guyana, the Brazilian highlands, western Ecuador, northern Argentina, and east of the Andes in Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay. With future climate projections suitable habitat for D. rotundus is predicted in these same areas and additional areas in French Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela and Columbia; however D. rotundus are not likely to expand into the U.S. because of inadequate ‘temperature seasonality.’ Areas with large portions of cattle at risk include Mexico, Central America, Paraguay, and Brazil. Twelve of 17 documented cattle rabies outbreaks were represented in regions predicted at risk. Our present day and future predictions can help authorities focus rabies prevention efforts and inform cattle ranchers which areas are at an increased risk of cattle rabies because it has suitable habitat for D. rotundus. PMID:22900023

Water-mass evolution in the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway of North America and equatorial Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eldrett, James S.; Dodsworth, Paul; Bergman, Steven C.; Wright, Milly; Minisini, Daniel

2017-07-01

The Late Cretaceous Epoch was characterized by major global perturbations in the carbon cycle, the most prominent occurring near the Cenomanian-Turonian (CT) transition marked by Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE-2) at 94.9-93.7 Ma. The Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway (KWIS) was one of several epicontinental seas in which a complex water-mass evolution was recorded in widespread sedimentary successions. This contribution integrates new data on the main components of organic matter, geochemistry, and stable isotopes along a north-south transect from the KWIS to the equatorial western Atlantic and Southern Ocean. In particular, cored sedimentary rocks from the Eagle Ford Group of west Texas (˜ 90-98 Ma) demonstrate subtle temporal and spatial variations in palaeoenvironmental conditions and provide an important geographic constraint for interpreting water-mass evolution. High-latitude (boreal-austral), equatorial Atlantic Tethyan and locally sourced Western Interior Seaway water masses are distinguished by distinct palynological assemblages and geochemical signatures. The northward migration of an equatorial Atlantic Tethyan water mass into the KWIS occurred during the early-middle Cenomanian (98-95 Ma) followed by a major re-organization during the latest Cenomanian-Turonian (95-94 Ma) as a full connection with a northerly boreal water mass was established during peak transgression. This oceanographic change promoted de-stratification of the water column and improved oxygenation throughout the KWIS and as far south as the Demerara Rise off Suriname. In addition, the recorded decline in redox-sensitive trace metals during the onset of OAE-2 likely reflects a genuine oxygenation event related to open water-mass exchange and may have been complicated by variable contribution of organic matter from different sources (e.g. refractory/terrigenous material), requiring further investigation.

[Leptospirosis in French Guiana and the Guiana shield: Current knowledge in 2016].

PubMed

Epelboin, L; Bourhy, P; Le Turnier, P; Schaub, R; Mosnier, E; Berlioz-Arthaud, A; Reynaud, Y; Nacher, M; De Thoisy, B; Carles, G; Richard-Hansen, C; Demar, M; Picardeau, M; Djossou, F

2017-08-01

Leptospirosis is a cosmopolitan zoonosis caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Whether the distribution is worldwide, the hot and humid climate of the tropics is particularly conducive to its expansion. In most French overseas departments and territories, leptospirosis is considered as a public health problem. In French Guiana, a French department located in the northeastern part of the Amazon rainforest, it is supposed to be rare. The objective of this review was to make an inventory of the knowledge on human and animal leptospirosis in French Guiana and neighboring countries. A comprehensive search was conducted through the indexed and informal medical literature in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Thus, respectively ten and four publications were identified on human and animal leptospirosis in French Guiana, published between 1940 and 1995 in the form of case reports or case series. The publications concerning this disease in the other countries of the Guiana Shield, eastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and Brazilian state of Amapá, also scarce or nonexistent. However recent data from the French National Centre of leptospirosis showed a recent and sudden increase in the number of cases in the department, probably partly due to the development of diagnostic tools such as Elisa IgM serology. It is likely that leptospirosis is a neglected disease in the region, due to the lack of diagnostic tools readily available, the lack of knowledge of the local clinicians on this disease and the existence of many other pathogens with similar clinical presentation such as malaria, arboviruses and Q fever and Amazonian toxoplasmosis. The establishment of more large-scale studies on animal and human leptospirosis is necessary and urgent to know the true burden of this disease in our region.

Treerunners, cryptic lizards of the Plica plica group (Squamata, Sauria, Tropiduridae) of northern South America

PubMed Central

Murphy, John C.; Jowers, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Abstract The arboreal, Neotropical lizard Plica plica (Linnaeus, 1758) has been long considered a widespread species with a distribution east of the Andes. A preliminary examination of 101 specimens from about 28 locations mostly north of the Amazon suggests that Plica plica is a cryptic species complex with taxa that can be distinguished on the basis of the number of scale rows at mid-body; the arrangement, shape and ornamentation of scales on the snout; the number of lamellae on the fourth toe; the number of subocular plates; as well as other commonly used external morphological traits. The allopatric species discussed here are concordant with northern South American geography. Plica plica (Linnaeus, 1758) is associated with the Guiana Shield (Suriname, Guyana and Venezuela). A second species, P. caribeana sp. n. is associated with the Caribbean Coastal Range of Venezuela including Trinidad and Tobago. A third, distinctive species, P. rayi sp. n. is associated with the middle Orinoco at the eastern edge of the Guiana Shield. Two other species, P. kathleenae sp. n. and P. medemi sp. n., each based upon a single specimen, one from the Sierra Acarai Mountains of Guyana, and the other from southern Meta, Colombia are described. In addition to morphological analyses, we sequenced 12S and 16S rDNA gene fragments from one Plica plica from Trinidad to assess its relationship and taxonomy to other mainland Plica cf. plica. The results suggest Plica caribeana sp. n. likely diverged prior to the separation of Trinidad from northern Venezuela. Isolation in the Caribbean Coastal Range during its rapid uplift in the late Miocene, combined with a marine incursion into northern Venezuela may have contributed to their genetic divergence from other populations. PMID:24363569

Cultural differences in family, marital, and gender-role values among immigrants and majority members in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Arends-Tóth, Judit; van de Vijver, Fons J R

2009-06-01

This study examined the size of differences in self-reported family, marital, and gender-role values in five cultural groups in the Netherlands (6338 Dutch mainstreamers and 422 Turkish, 369 Moroccan, 429 Surinamese, and 394 Antillean first- and second-generation immigrants). It was found that the three value scales were neither completely independent, nor could they be merged into a single value scale. The factor structures of all scales were identical for the five cultural groups, implying that the concepts can be compared. Age, sex, and notably education accounted for a substantial part of the cultural differences in all values. Cultural differences were larger for marital and family values than for gender-role values. Family and marital values yielded the same rank order of mean scores in the five cultural groups: Turks and Moroccans scored the lowest (having the most traditional values), followed by Surinamers, Antilleans, and Dutch mainstreamers. This rank order corresponds with the ethnic hierarchy of cultural groups that is based on the evaluation of ethnic groups by mainstreamers according to their liking of and likeness to ethnic groups. Generational differences were not found for family and gender-role values but first-generation immigrants in all groups had more traditional marital values than had second-generation immigrants. It was concluded that the theoretical framework based on a combination of three Hofstede dimensions (individualism-collectivism, power-distance, and femininity-masculinity), a model of the hierarchy of the ethnic groups in the Dutch society, and acculturation theory provided an adequate way to address family, marital, and gender-role value differences in the five cultural groups.

Review of mammalogical research in the Guianas of northern South America.

PubMed

Lim, Burton K

2016-03-01

Research on mammals in the Guianas of northern South America has had a checkered history. In this review, I summarize the notable contributions to mammalogical study in Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. These studies began in the mid-18th century with the binomial nomenclature system of scientific classification created by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who described 23 species new to science based on holotype specimens from the Guianas. Notwithstanding popular accounts by amateur naturalists visiting this region, over the next 7 decades there was only sporadic taxonomic work done on Guianan mammals primarily by researchers at European museums. The first comprehensive biological exploration took place in the 1840s during a geographic survey of the boundaries of British Guiana. However, it was not until almost half a century later that scientific publications began to regularly document the increasing species diversity in the region, including the prodigious work of Oldfield Thomas at the British Museum of Natural History in London. Another lull in the study of mammals occurred in the mid-1910s to the early 1960s after which foreign researchers began to rediscover the Guianas and their pristine habitats. This biological renaissance is still ongoing and I give a prospectus on the direction of future research in one of the last frontiers of tropical rainforest. An initiative that would be greatly beneficial is the establishment of a university network in the Guianas with graduate-based research to develop a cadre of professional experts on biodiversity and evolution as seen in other countries of South America. © 2016 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Estimativas de possiveis recursos de petroleo e gas na America Central e na America do Sul [Estimates of possible petroleum and gas resources in Central American and South America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, C.S.

2001-01-01

O U.S. Geological Survey recentemente completou estimativas de possíveis recursos de petróleo e gás em 130 áreas petrolíferas pré-determinadas no mundo (USGS, 2000). Vinte e três destas áreas ficam na América do Sul, na América Central, e no Caribe (fig. 1). Os resultados estão apresentados na tabela 1. Nas 23 áreas, estimamos um total de 105 BBO e um total de 487 TCFG. A região composta de América Central mais América do Sul ficou em terceiro lugar no mundo em termos de possíveis recursos de petróleo e gás. No primeiro lugar ficou o Oriente Médio e no segundo lugar ficou a antiga União Soviética (USGS, 2000). As áreas com maiores probabilidades de encontrar depósitos gigantes de petróleo e gás se localizam nas áreas do Oceano Atlântico começando com a Bacia de Santos no sul até a Bacia Guyana-Suriname no norte. As possibilidades de existirem depósitos gigantes são maiores nas áreas submersas do mar até profundidades de 3,600 m. Diversos depósitos gigantes de petróleo foram descobertos no mar na Bacia de Campos e ainda podem serem encontrados depósitos similares na Bacia de Campos e suas imediações.

Differences in ADHD medication usage patterns in children and adolescents from different cultural backgrounds in the Netherlands.

PubMed

van den Ban, Els F; Souverein, Patrick C; van Engeland, Herman; Swaab, Hanna; Egberts, Toine C G; Heerdink, Eibert R

2015-07-01

Differences in incidence and prevalence of ADHD medication use between ethnic groups have been reported. Goal of this study was to determine whether there are also differences in usage patterns of ADHD medication among native Dutch children and adolescents and those with a Moroccan, Turkish and Surinam cultural background in the Netherlands between 1999 and 2010. In a cohort of ADHD patients <19 years (N = 817) incident use and discontinuation of ADHD medication were measured for ethnicity and adjusted for age, gender and socio-economic status. A significant higher proportion of ADHD-diagnosed patients from Moroccan (32 %) and Turkish (42 %) cultural background never used ADHD medication compared to Dutch natives (21 %). One-fifth of native Dutch and Turkish patients already used ADHD medication before the ADHD diagnosis date. Discontinuation of ADHD medication within 5 years was significantly higher in Moroccan [HR 2.4 (95 % CI 1.8-3.1)] and Turkish [HR 1.7 (95 % CI 1.1-2.6)] patients. A sensitivity analysis with a zip code-matched comparison between Dutch natives and non-natives showed similar results, suggesting this effect is probably not explained by socio-economic status (SES). Differences are found in prescribing and use of ADHD medication between patients with a different cultural background. Native Dutch and Turkish patients start more frequently with ADHD medication before the ADHD diagnose date, which can be an indication of differences in either referral patterns and/or access to care. A higher percentage of patients with a Moroccan and Turkish cultural background never start using ADHD medication at all and discontinuation rate is higher compared to Dutch natives and Surinamese.

Influence of corona discharge on the ozone budget in the tropical free troposphere: a case study of deep convection during GABRIEL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozem, H.; Fischer, H.; Gurk, C.; Schiller, C. L.; Parchatka, U.; Koenigstedt, R.; Stickler, A.; Martinez, M.; Harder, H.; Kubistin, D.; Williams, J.; Eerdekens, G.; Lelieveld, J.

2014-02-01

Convective redistribution of ozone and its precursors between the boundary layer (BL) and the free troposphere (FT) influences photochemistry, in particular that of the middle and upper troposphere (UT). We present a case study of convective transport during the GABRIEL campaign over the tropical rain forest in Suriname in October 2005. During a measurement flight on 12 October the inflow and outflow regions of a cumulonimbus cloud (Cb) have been characterized, providing evidence of convective transport. We identified a distinct layer between 9 and 11 km altitude with enhanced mixing ratios of CO, O3, HOx, acetone and acetonitrile. The elevated O3 contradicts the expectation that convective transport brings low ozone air from the boundary layer to the outflow region. The enhanced mixing ratio of ozone in the outflow was mainly of dynamical origin. Entrainment of ozone rich air at the outflow level into the convective outflow accounts for 62% (range: 33-91%) of the observed O3. Ozone is enhanced by only 5-6% by photochemical production in the outflow due to enhanced NO from lightning, based on steady state model calculations, using in-situ observations including the first reported HOx measurements over the tropical rainforest. The "excess" ozone in the outflow is most probably due to direct production by corona discharge associated with lightning. We deduce a production rate of 5.12 × 1028 molecules O3 flash-1 (range: 9.89 × 1026-9.82 × 1028 molecules O3 flash-1), which is at the upper limit of the range of the values reported previously.

A Systematic Follow-Up of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Drug-Resistance and Associated Genotypic Lineages in the French Departments of the Americas over a Seventeen-Year Period

PubMed Central

Millet, Julie; Berchel, Mylène; Bomer, Anne-Gaël; Schuster, Franziska; Paasch, Delaina; Cadelis, Gilbert

2014-01-01

The population of the French Departments of the Americas (FDA) is highly influenced by the intense migratory flows with mainland France and surrounding countries of the Caribbean and Latin America, some of which have high incidence rates of tuberculosis (Haiti: 230/100,000; Guyana: 111/100,000; and Suriname: 145/100,000) and drug resistance. Since the development of drug resistance to conventional antituberculous drugs has a major impact on the treatment success of tuberculosis, we therefore decided to review carefully Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance and associated genotypic lineages in the FDA over a seventeen-year period (January 1995–December 2011). A total of 1239 cases were studied, including 153 drug-resistant and 26 multidrug-resistant- (MDR-) TB cases, representing 12.3% and 2.1% of the TB cases in our study setting. A significantly higher proportion of M. tuberculosis isolates among relapse cases showed drug resistance to isoniazid (22.5%, P = 0.002), rifampicin (20.0%, P < 0.001), or both (MDR-TB, 17.5%; P < 0.001). Determination of spoligotyping based phylogenetic clades showed that among the five major lineages observed—T family (30.1%); Latin-American and Mediterranean (LAM, 23.7%); Haarlem (H, 22.2%); East-African Indian (EAI, 7.2%); and X family (6.5%)—two lineages, X and LAM, were overrepresented in drug-resistant and MDR-TB cases, respectively. Finally, 19 predominant spoligotypes were identified for the 1239 isolates of M. tuberculosis in our study among which 4 were significantly associated with drug resistance corresponding to SIT20/LAM1, SIT64/LAM6, SIT45/H1, and SIT46/undefined lineage. PMID:24738068

Present and potential future distribution of common vampire bats in the Americas and the associated risk to cattle.

PubMed

Lee, Dana N; Papeş, Monica; Van den Bussche, Ronald A

2012-01-01

Success of the cattle industry in Latin America is impeded by the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, through decreases in milk production and mass gain and increased risk of secondary infection and rabies. We used ecological niche modeling to predict the current potential distribution of D. rotundus and the future distribution of the species for the years 2030, 2050, and 2080 based on the A2, A1B, and B1 climate scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We then combined the present day potential distribution with cattle density estimates to identify areas where cattle are at higher risk for the negative impacts due to D. rotundus. We evaluated our risk prediction by plotting 17 documented outbreaks of cattle rabies. Our results indicated highly suitable habitat for D. rotundus occurs throughout most of Mexico and Central America as well as portions of Venezuela, Guyana, the Brazilian highlands, western Ecuador, northern Argentina, and east of the Andes in Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay. With future climate projections suitable habitat for D. rotundus is predicted in these same areas and additional areas in French Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela and Columbia; however D. rotundus are not likely to expand into the U.S. because of inadequate 'temperature seasonality.' Areas with large portions of cattle at risk include Mexico, Central America, Paraguay, and Brazil. Twelve of 17 documented cattle rabies outbreaks were represented in regions predicted at risk. Our present day and future predictions can help authorities focus rabies prevention efforts and inform cattle ranchers which areas are at an increased risk of cattle rabies because it has suitable habitat for D. rotundus.

A systematic follow-up of Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug-resistance and associated genotypic lineages in the French Departments of the Americas over a seventeen-year period.

PubMed

Millet, Julie; Streit, Elisabeth; Berchel, Mylène; Bomer, Anne-Gaël; Schuster, Franziska; Paasch, Delaina; Vanhomwegen, Jessica; Cadelis, Gilbert; Rastogi, Nalin

2014-01-01

THE population of the French Departments of the Americas (FDA) is highly influenced by the intense migratory flows with mainland france and surrounding countries of the Caribbean and Latin America, some of which have high incidence rates of tuberculosis (Haiti: 230/100,000; Guyana: 111/100,000; and Suriname: 145/100,000) and drug resistance. Since the development of drug resistance to conventional antituberculous drugs has a major impact on the treatment success of tuberculosis, we therefore decided to review carefully Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance and associated genotypic lineages in the FDA over a seventeen-year period (January 1995-December 2011). A total of 1239 cases were studied, including 153 drug-resistant and 26 multidrug-resistant- (MDR-) TB cases, representing 12.3% and 2.1% of the TB cases in our study setting. A significantly higher proportion of M. tuberculosis isolates among relapse cases showed drug resistance to isoniazid (22.5%, P = 0.002), rifampicin (20.0%, P < 0.001), or both (MDR-TB, 17.5%; P < 0.001). Determination of spoligotyping based phylogenetic clades showed that among the five major lineages observed--T family (30.1%); Latin-American and Mediterranean (LAM, 23.7%); Haarlem (H, 22.2%); East-African Indian (EAI, 7.2%); and X family (6.5%)--two lineages, X and LAM, were overrepresented in drug-resistant and MDR-TB cases, respectively. Finally, 19 predominant spoligotypes were identified for the 1239 isolates of M. tuberculosis in our study among which 4 were significantly associated with drug resistance corresponding to SIT20/LAM1, SIT64/LAM6, SIT45/H1, and SIT46/undefined lineage.

Discoveries about Tropical Tropospheric Ozone from Satellite and SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes) and a Future Perspective on NASA's Ozone Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Anne

2003-01-01

We have been producing near-real tropical tropospheric ozone ('TTO') data from TOMS since 1997 with Prof. Hudson and students at the University of Maryland. Maps for 1996-2000 for the operational Earth-Probe instrument reside at: . We also have archived 'TTO' data from the Nimbus 7/TOMS satellite (1979-1992). The tropics is a region strongly influenced by natural variability and anthropogenic activity and the satellite data have been used to track biomass burning pollution and to detect interannual variability and climate signals in ozone. We look forward to future ozone sensors from NASA; four will be launched in 2004 as part of the EOS AURA Mission. The satellite view of chemical-dynamical interactions in tropospheric ozone is not adequate to capture vertical variability. Thus, in 1998, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, NOAA's Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (CMDL) and a team of international sponsors established the SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes) project to address the gap in tropical ozone soundings. SHADOZ augments launches at selected sites and provides a public archive of ozonesonde data from twelve tropical and subtropical stations at http://croc.nsfc.nasa.gov/shadoz. The stations are: Ascension Island; Nairobi, Kenya; Irene, South Africa; R,union Island; Watukosek, Java; Fiji; Tahiti; American Samoa; San Cristobal, Galapagos; Natal, Brazil, Malindi, Kenya; Paramaribo, Surinam. From the first 3-4 years of data (presently greater than 1700 sondes), the following features emerge: (a) highly variable tropospheric ozone; (b) a zonal wave-one pattern in tropospheric column ozone; (c) tropospheric ozone variability over the Indian and Pacific Ocean displays strong convective signatures.

Coendutermes tucum Fontes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae): description of the imago caste and additional notes.

PubMed

Cuezzo, Carolina

2016-12-09

Coendutermes Fontes, 1985 is a monotypic South American termite genus. Coendutermes tucum Fontes, 1985, was described based on morphological characters from soldiers and workers collected in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and Jodensavanne, Suriname. Herein, I describe the imago caste of C. tucum for the first time with additional notes on soldiers, workers, and new distributional records. The studied material is deposited at the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (MZUSP). I use the terminology of Fontes (1987) to describe worker mandibles, and that of Noirot (2001) for the different parts of the digestive tube of workers. I measured the imagoes morphometric characters following Roonwal (1970): LH, length of head capsule (9); WH, width of head capsule without eyes (18); OF, occipito-fontanelle distance (23); DE, diameter of eye (48); LO, length of ocellus (55); WO, width of ocellus (56); EOD, eye-ocellus distance (57); LP, length of pronotum (65); WP, width of pronotum (68); LT, length of hind tibia (85). I took photographs of all castes with a stereomicroscope (Leica M205C) attached to a video camera (Leica DFC295) and images of gizzard and enteric valve under a microscope (Leica DM750B) attached to a video camera (Leica ICC50HD), then I combined the stacks of images with the software Leica LAS EZ 2.0 or Helicon Focus 5.2.11 X64. For the scanning electron micrographs (SEM), one soldier was dried to critical point while directly mounted on a stub with double face adhesive tape, then coated with gold and photographed with the SEM (Zeiss LEO 440 ®).

Leading Causes of Cancer Mortality - Caribbean Region, 2003-2013.

PubMed

Razzaghi, Hilda; Quesnel-Crooks, Sarah; Sherman, Recinda; Joseph, Rachael; Kohler, Betsy; Andall-Brereton, Glennis; Ivey, Marsha A; Edwards, Brenda K; Mery, Les; Gawryszewski, Vilma; Saraiya, Mona

2016-12-16

Cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide (1); in 2012, an estimated 65% of all cancer deaths occurred in the less developed regions of the world (2). In the Caribbean region, cancer is the second leading cause of mortality, with an estimated 87,430 cancer-related deaths reported in 2012 (3). The Pan American Health Organization defines the Caribbean region as a group of 27 countries that vary in size, geography, resources, and surveillance systems.* CDC calculated site- and sex-specific proportions of cancer deaths and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) for 21 English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries, the United States, and two U.S. territories (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands [USVI]), using the most recent 5 years of mortality data available from each jurisdiction during 2003-2013. The selection of years varied by availability of the data from the countries and territories in 2015. ASMR for all cancers combined ranged from 46.1 to 139.3 per 100,000. Among males, prostate cancers were the leading cause of cancer deaths, followed by lung cancers; the percentage of cancer deaths attributable to prostate cancer ranged from 18.4% in Suriname to 47.4% in Dominica, and the percentage of cancer deaths attributable to lung cancer ranged from 5.6% in Barbados to 24.4% in Bermuda. Among females, breast cancer was the most common cause of cancer deaths, ranging from 14.0% of cancer deaths in Belize to 29.7% in the Cayman Islands, followed by cervical cancer. Several of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the Caribbean can be reduced through primary and secondary preventions, including prevention of exposure to risk factors, screening, early detection, and timely and effective treatment.

Genome-wide Ancestry and Demographic History of African-Descendant Maroon Communities from French Guiana and Suriname.

PubMed

Fortes-Lima, Cesar; Gessain, Antoine; Ruiz-Linares, Andres; Bortolini, Maria-Cátira; Migot-Nabias, Florence; Bellis, Gil; Moreno-Mayar, J Víctor; Restrepo, Berta Nelly; Rojas, Winston; Avendaño-Tamayo, Efren; Bedoya, Gabriel; Orlando, Ludovic; Salas, Antonio; Helgason, Agnar; Gilbert, M Thomas P; Sikora, Martin; Schroeder, Hannes; Dugoujon, Jean-Michel

2017-11-02

The transatlantic slave trade was the largest forced migration in world history. However, the origins of the enslaved Africans and their admixture dynamics remain unclear. To investigate the demographic history of African-descendant Marron populations, we generated genome-wide data (4.3 million markers) from 107 individuals from three African-descendant populations in South America, as well as 124 individuals from six west African populations. Throughout the Americas, thousands of enslaved Africans managed to escape captivity and establish lasting communities, such as the Noir Marron. We find that this population has the highest proportion of African ancestry (∼98%) of any African-descendant population analyzed to date, presumably because of centuries of genetic isolation. By contrast, African-descendant populations in Brazil and Colombia harbor substantially more European and Native American ancestry as a result of their complex admixture histories. Using ancestry tract-length analysis, we detect different dates for the European admixture events in the African-Colombian (1749 CE; confidence interval [CI]: 1737-1764) and African-Brazilian (1796 CE; CI: 1789-1804) populations in our dataset, consistent with the historically attested earlier influx of Africans into Colombia. Furthermore, we find evidence for sex-specific admixture patterns, resulting from predominantly European paternal gene flow. Finally, we detect strong genetic links between the African-descendant populations and specific source populations in Africa on the basis of haplotype sharing patterns. Although the Noir Marron and African-Colombians show stronger affinities with African populations from the Bight of Benin and the Gold Coast, the African-Brazilian population from Rio de Janeiro has greater genetic affinity with Bantu-speaking populations from the Bight of Biafra and west central Africa. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pathogenicity for onion and genetic diversity of isolates of the pathogenic fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Phyllachoraceae) from the State of Pernambuco, Brazil.

PubMed

Nova, M X Vila; Borges, L R; de Sousa, A C B; Brasileiro, B T R V; Lima, E A L A; da Costa, A F; de Oliveira, N T

2011-02-22

Onion anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, is one of the main diseases of onions in the State of Pernambuco. We examined the pathogenicity of 15 C. gloeosporioides strains and analyzed their genetic variability using RAPDs and internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of the rDNA region. Ten of the strains were obtained from substrates and hosts other than onion, including chayote (Sechium edule), guava (Psidium guajava), pomegranate (Punica granatum), water from the Capibaribe River, maracock (Passiflora sp), coconut (Cocus nucifera), surinam cherry (Eugenia uniflora), and marine soil; five isolates came from onions collected from four different regions of the State of Pernambuco and one region of the State of Amazonas. Pathogenicity tests were carried out using onion leaves and bulbs. All strains were capable of causing disease in leaves, causing a variable degree of lesions on the leaves; four strains caused the most severe damage. In the onion bulb tests, only three of the above strains caused lesions. Seven primers of arbitrary sequences were used in the RAPD analysis, generating polymorphic bands that allowed the separation of the strains into three distinct groups. The amplification products generated with the primers ITS1 and ITS4 also showed polymorphism when digested with three restriction enzymes, DraI, HaeIII and MspI. Only the latter two demonstrated genetic variations among the strains. These two types of molecular markers were able to differentiate the strain from the State of Amazonas from those of the State of Pernambuco. However, there was no relationship between groups of strains, based on molecular markers, and degree of pathogenicity for onion leaves and bulbs.

Cancer incidence and mortality of Surinamese migrants in the Netherlands: in-between Surinamese and Dutch levels?

PubMed

Williams, Graciëlle; Mans, Dennis R A; Garssen, Joop; Visser, Otto; Kramer, Daniëlle; Kunst, Anton E

2013-07-01

It has been suggested that the cancer risk of migrants from low-income to high-income countries will converge toward the levels of their host country. However, comparisons with country of origin are mostly lacking. We compared cancer incidence and mortality rates of Surinamese migrants in the Netherlands to both native Dutch and Surinamese levels. Data covering the period 1995-2008 were obtained from Surinamese and Dutch national cancer registries and national cause-of-death registries. Cancer incidence was studied for 21 types of cancer and cancer mortality for nine types. We calculated age-standardized incidence/mortality ratios (SIR/SMR) for the Surinamese migrants and for Suriname, using the native Dutch population as reference. Significantly lower overall cancer incidence (SIR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.69-0.84) and mortality rates (SMR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.55-0.72) were found for Surinamese migrants compared to native Dutch. Generally, cancer risk was lower for most cancers (e.g., cancer of the breast, colon and rectum, lung), but higher for other cancers (e.g., cancer of the uterine cervix, liver). For most cancers, cancer risk of the Surinamese migrants was in-between Surinamese and native Dutch levels. Importantly, for many cancers, migrants' incidence and mortality rates had not closely approached native Dutch rates. For skin cancer, incidence levels for Surinamese migrants were lower than both Surinamese and native Dutch levels. The results suggest that cancer incidence and mortality rates of Surinamese migrants generally converge from Surinamese toward Dutch levels, though not for all cancer types. Overall, Surinamese migrants still had a much more favorable cancer profile than the native Dutch population.

Host and microbiological factors related to dental caries development.

PubMed

De Soet, J J; van Gemert-Schriks, M C M; Laine, M L; van Amerongen, W E; Morré, S A; van Winkelhoff, A J

2008-01-01

Studies on dental caries suggest that in severe cases it may induce a systemic immune response. This occurs particularly when caries progresses into pulpal inflammation and results in abscess or fistula formation (AFF). We hypothesized that severe dental caries will affect the general health of children. The acute phase proteins alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), C-reactive protein (CRP) and the cytokine neopterin were chosen as parameters to monitor general health. Also, a polymorphism in the bacterial ligand CD14 (-260) was studied to investigate the relationship between genotype sensitivity for bacterial infections and AFF. In Suriname, children aged 6 years were recruited and enrolled into a dental care scheme, randomly assigned to 4 groups with different treatment strategies and monitored longitudinally. 348 children were included in the present study. Blood and saliva samples were taken at baseline and 1 year, and concentrations of serum AGP, CRP, neopterin, salivary Streptococcus mutans and CD14-260 C>T polymorphism were determined. There was no significant association between different treatment strategies and the serum parameters. Binary logistic regression analyses revealed a significant association between AFF as the outcome variable and the CD14 genotype and the concentrations of CRP and of neopterin as factors (p < 0.05). A significant negative association was found between the CD14-260 TT and AFF (p = 0.035, OR = 3.3) for the whole population. For children who had 4 or more carious lesions at baseline, the significance increased (p = 0.005, OR = 4.8), suggesting that the CD14-260 TT genotype was protective for AFF as a consequence of dental caries. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Molecular Evidences of a Hidden Complex Scenario in Leporinus cf. friderici

PubMed Central

Silva-Santos, Rosane; Ramirez, Jorge L.; Galetti, Pedro M.; Freitas, Patrícia D.

2018-01-01

The megadiversity of the neotropical ichthyofauna has been associated to recent diversification processes, reflecting in subtle or lacking morphological differentiation between species, challenging the classical taxonomic identification. Leporinus friderici occurs in several river basins of South America, and its nominal taxonomic validity has been questioned. Its wide distribution within the Brazilian Shield suggests that this species could be genetically structured among the hydrographic basins, despite a sharp morphological similarity. In this study, we performed phylogenetic analyses, based on three nuclear (recombination activating gene 1, RAG1, recombination activating gene 2, RAG2, and myosin heavy chain 6 cardiac muscle alpha gene, Myh6) and two mitochondrial (COI and Cytochrome b, Cytb) markers, in specimens morphologically similar to L. friderici and related species from different hydrographic basins in South America. Our phylogenetic tree identified four well-supported clades, which point out to the existence of taxonomic inconsistencies within this fish group. A clade named L. cf. friderici sensu stricto included eight Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units recently diversified in the Brazilian Shield basins. These results were also confirmed by a single-gene species delimitation analysis. It is suggested that this clade includes a species complex, characterizing taxonomic uncertainties. Another clade recovered only L. friderici from the Suriname rivers, validating this nominal species in its type locality. A third no-named clade, characterized by deeper species divergence, recovered five different nominal species interleaved with other undescribed forms previously also recognized as L. cf. friderici, indicating taxonomic errors. The fourth clade only included L. taeniatus. Our results showed a complex scenario involving the morphotype L. cf. friderici and allowed us to address aspects related to evolutionary diversification of this fish group and historical processes involved with, highlighting the importance of revealing hidden biodiversity for the taxonomy and conservationist action plans of these fish. PMID:29497440

Current status of organ transplant in Islamic countries.

PubMed

Ghods, Ahad J

2015-04-01

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation consists of 57 member states whose people are mainly followers of the Islamic religion. During the past several decades, organ transplants have been increasingly used for the treatment of end-stage organ failures worldwide. This study is to investigate the current status of organ transplant in Islamic countries. For data collection a literature, review was carried out. Information from international registries was used and key persons from some countries were contacted. In all 5 Islamic countries of North Africa, living-donor kidney transplant was performed. Tunisia was the only country with deceased-donor organ transplant in North Africa. In 22 Islamic countries of sub-Saharan Africa, living-donor kidney transplant was performed only in Sudan and Nigeria. Deceased-donor organ transplant was illegal and nonexistent in this region. In all 14 Islamic countries of the Middle East, living-donor kidney transplant was an established practice. Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia had the highest rates of organ transplant activity. In 2013, Turkey performed the highest rate of living-donor kidney and liver transplants, and Iran performed the highest rate of deceased-donor kidney and liver transplants. For 7 Islamic countries of Central Asia, organ transplant was nonexistent in Afghanistan and Turkmenistan; in the other 5 countries, a limited number of living-donor kidney or liver transplants were performed. In all 6 countries located in South and Southeast Asia, living-donor kidney transplant was performed. Only Malaysia had a limited-scale deceased-donor transplant program. Albania in the Balkans, and 2 countries (Suriname and Guyana) in South America, were also member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation; in these countries, only few living-donor kidney transplants were performed. The organ transplant rates, especially for deceased-donor transplant, in most Islamic countries were less than expected. Some of the causes of low transplant activity included lack of public education and awareness, lack of approval and support by Islamic scholars, and lack of government infrastructure and financial resources.

Conservation Kickstart- Catalyzing Conservation Initiatives Worldwide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treinish, G.

2014-12-01

Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation (ASC) is a nonprofit organization that collects environmental data to catalyze conservation initiatives worldwide. Adventure athletes have the skills and motivation to reach the most remote corners of the world. ASC utilizes those skills to provide the scientific community with data while providing the outdoor community with purpose beyond the personal high of reaching a summit or rowing across an ocean. We carefully select projects, choosing partnerships that will maximize the impact of ASC volunteers. Each project must have a clear path to a tangible conservation outcome and demonstrate a clear need for our brand of volunteers. We partner with government agencies, universities, and independant reseachers to kickstart data collection efforts around the world. Last year, through a partnership with the Olympic National Forest, 20 volunteers from the Seattle area set up and monitored camera traps in an effort to survey for costal Pacific marten. Our work led to the species' listing as "critically imperiled" with NatureServe. A partnership with the inaugural Great Pacific Race, engaging trans-Pacific rowing teams, searched for microplastics in the Pacific Ocean as part of our ongoing microplastics campaign. In a multi-year partnership with the American Prairie Reserve (APR), ASC volunteer crews live and work on the Reserve collecting wildlife data year round. The data we obtain directly informs the Reserve's wildlife management decisions. On this project, our crews have safely and effectively navigated temperature extremes from -30 degrees to 100+ degrees while traveling in a remote location. We are currently scouting projects in the Okavango Delta of Botswana and the rainforest of Suriname where we will be able to cover large amounts of area in a short periord of time. ASC is at the crossroads of the adventure and coservation science communities. Our approach of answering specific questions by using highly skilled and motivate volunteers ensures that we are able to collect quality data, cost effectively, and in a fraction of the traditional timeframe.

Calcium Isotopic Compositions of Forearc Sediments from DSDP Site 144

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Z.; Zhu, H.; Nan, X.; Li, X.; Huang, F.

2016-12-01

It is important to investigate calcium isotopic compositions of reservoirs of the Earth for better application of Ca isotopes into studies of a variety of geochemical problems. Because Ca isotopic compositions for igneous rocks and carbonates are increasingly reported, this maybe bring new requirements on carefully understanding the isotopic compositions of subducted marine sediments. Marine sediments mainly contains carbonates and clays, controlling the compositions of slab-derived materials which are added to the mantle wedge. Obviously, it could have different elemental and calcium isotopic compositions with marine carbonate. Thus, it could also put biases on calcium isotopic signatures of basalts resulted from recycling oceanic carbonate into the mantle. Here, we report calcium isotopic compositions of 17 sediment samples from Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) site 144 (09°27.23' N, 54°20.52' W) which is located about 400 km north of Surinam on the northern flank of the Demerara Rise with a water depth of 2957 meters. These samples have CaO contents ranging from 14.56 wt.% to 41.46 wt.% with an average of 29.61 ± 18.21 (2SD), δ44/40Ca ranges from 0.19 to 0.58 (relative to SRM915a) with an average of 0.40 ± 0.22 (2SD). These carbonate-rich sediments can be used to represent an endmember with high CaO content and low δ44/40Ca, which could modify chemical composition of the upper mantle and subduction zone lavas if they are recycled to the convective mantle during subduction. The positive linear correlation between CaO and δ44/40Ca in the sediments cannot be explained by a simple mixing between marine carbonate and clay. Instead, δ44/40Ca of these samples roughly increase from the Upper Cretaceous to the Early Oligocene, which might reflect the evolution of calcium isotopic compositions of seawater through time.

The imprint of the Slave Trade in an African American population: mitochondrial DNA, Y chromosome and HTLV-1 analysis in the Noir Marron of French Guiana

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Retracing the genetic histories of the descendant populations of the Slave Trade (16th-19th centuries) is particularly challenging due to the diversity of African ethnic groups involved and the different hybridisation processes with Europeans and Amerindians, which have blurred their original genetic inheritances. The Noir Marron in French Guiana are the direct descendants of maroons who escaped from Dutch plantations in the current day Surinam. They represent an original ethnic group with a highly blended culture. Uniparental markers (mtDNA and NRY) coupled with HTLV-1 sequences (env and LTR) were studied to establish the genetic relationships linking them to African American and African populations. Results All genetic systems presented a high conservation of the African gene pool (African ancestry: mtDNA = 99.3%; NRY = 97.6%; HTLV-1 env = 20/23; HTLV-1 LTR = 6/8). Neither founder effect nor genetic drift was detected and the genetic diversity is within a range commonly observed in Africa. Higher genetic similarities were observed with the populations inhabiting the Bight of Benin (from Ivory Coast to Benin). Other ancestries were identified but they presented an interesting sex-bias. Whilst male origins spread throughout the north of the bight (from Benin to Senegal), female origins were spread throughout the south (from the Ivory Coast to Angola). Conclusions The Noir Marron are unique in having conserved their African genetic ancestry, despite major cultural exchanges with Amerindians and Europeans through inhabiting the same region for four centuries. Their maroon identity and the important number of slaves deported in this region have maintained the original African diversity. All these characteristics permit to identify a major origin located in the former region of the Gold Coast and the Bight of Benin; regions highly impacted by slavery, from which goes a sex-biased longitudinal gradient of ancestry. PMID:20958967

Ethnic and regional differences in STI clinic use: a Dutch epidemiological study using aggregated STI clinic data combined with population numbers.

PubMed

van Oeffelen, A A M; van den Broek, I V F; Doesburg, M; Boogmans, B; Götz, H M; van Leeuwen-Voerman, F A M; van Veen, M G; Woestenberg, P J; van Benthem, B H B; van Steenbergen, J E

2017-02-01

Ethnic minorities (EM) from STI-endemic countries are at increased risk to acquire an STI. The objectives of this study were to investigate the difference in STI clinic consultation and positivity rates between ethnic groups, and compare findings between Dutch cities. Aggregated population numbers from 2011 to 2013 of 15-44 year-old citizens of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht extracted from the population register (N=3 129 941 person-years) were combined with aggregated STI clinic consultation data in these cities from the national STI surveillance database (N=113 536). Using negative binomial regression analyses (adjusted for age and gender), we compared STI consultation and positivity rates between ethnic groups and cities. Compared with ethnic Dutch (consultation rate: 40.3/1000 person-years), EM from Eastern Europe, Sub-Sahara Africa, Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles/Aruba and Latin America had higher consultation rates (range relative risk (RR): 1.27-2.26), whereas EM from Turkey, North Africa, Asia and Western countries had lower consultation rates (range RR: 0.29-0.82). Of the consultations among ethnic Dutch, 12.2% was STI positive. Positivity rates were higher among all EM groups (range RR: 1.14-1.81). Consultation rates were highest in Amsterdam and lowest in Utrecht independent of ethnic background (range RR Amsterdam vs Utrecht: 4.30-10.30). Positivity rates differed less between cities. There were substantial differences in STI clinic use between ethnic groups and cities in the Netherlands. Although higher positivity rates among EM suggest that these high-risk individuals reach STI clinics, it remains unknown whether their reach is optimal. Special attention should be given to EM with comparatively low consultation rates. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and established risk factors among populations of sub-Saharan African descent in Europe: a literature review

PubMed Central

Agyemang, Charles; Addo, Juliet; Bhopal, Raj; de Graft Aikins, Ama; Stronks, Karien

2009-01-01

Background Most European countries are ethnically and culturally diverse. Globally, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death. The major risk factors for CVD have been well established. This picture holds true for all regions of the world and in different ethnic groups. However, the prevalence of CVD and related risk factors vary among ethnic groups. Methods This article provides a review of current understanding of the epidemiology of vascular disease, principally coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and related risk factors among populations of Sub-Sahara African descent (henceforth, African descent) in comparison with the European populations in Europe. Results Compared with European populations, populations of African descent have an increased risk of stroke, whereas CHD is less common. They also have higher rates of hypertension and diabetes than European populations. Obesity is highly prevalent, but smoking rate is lower among African descent women. Older people of African descent have more favourable lipid profile and dietary habits than their European counterparts. Alcohol consumption is less common among populations of African descent. The rate of physical activity differs between European countries. Dutch African-Suriname men and women are less physically active than the White-Dutch whereas British African women are more physically active than women in the general population. Literature on psychosocial stress shows inconsistent results. Conclusion Hypertension and diabetes are highly prevalent among African populations, which may explain their high rate of stroke in Europe. The relatively low rate of CHD may be explained by the low rates of other risk factors including a more favourable lipid profile and the low prevalence of smoking. The risk factors are changing, and on the whole, getting worse especially among African women. Cohort studies and clinical trials are therefore needed among these groups to determine the relative contribution of vascular risk factors, and to help guide the prevention efforts. There is a clear need for intervention studies among these populations in Europe. PMID:19671137

The imprint of the Slave Trade in an African American population: mitochondrial DNA, Y chromosome and HTLV-1 analysis in the Noir Marron of French Guiana.

PubMed

Brucato, Nicolas; Cassar, Olivier; Tonasso, Laure; Tortevoye, Patricia; Migot-Nabias, Florence; Plancoulaine, Sabine; Guitard, Evelyne; Larrouy, Georges; Gessain, Antoine; Dugoujon, Jean-Michel

2010-10-19

Retracing the genetic histories of the descendant populations of the Slave Trade (16th-19th centuries) is particularly challenging due to the diversity of African ethnic groups involved and the different hybridisation processes with Europeans and Amerindians, which have blurred their original genetic inheritances. The Noir Marron in French Guiana are the direct descendants of maroons who escaped from Dutch plantations in the current day Surinam. They represent an original ethnic group with a highly blended culture. Uniparental markers (mtDNA and NRY) coupled with HTLV-1 sequences (env and LTR) were studied to establish the genetic relationships linking them to African American and African populations. All genetic systems presented a high conservation of the African gene pool (African ancestry: mtDNA = 99.3%; NRY = 97.6%; HTLV-1 env = 20/23; HTLV-1 LTR = 6/8). Neither founder effect nor genetic drift was detected and the genetic diversity is within a range commonly observed in Africa. Higher genetic similarities were observed with the populations inhabiting the Bight of Benin (from Ivory Coast to Benin). Other ancestries were identified but they presented an interesting sex-bias. Whilst male origins spread throughout the north of the bight (from Benin to Senegal), female origins were spread throughout the south (from the Ivory Coast to Angola). The Noir Marron are unique in having conserved their African genetic ancestry, despite major cultural exchanges with Amerindians and Europeans through inhabiting the same region for four centuries. Their maroon identity and the important number of slaves deported in this region have maintained the original African diversity. All these characteristics permit to identify a major origin located in the former region of the Gold Coast and the Bight of Benin; regions highly impacted by slavery, from which goes a sex-biased longitudinal gradient of ancestry.

Design of study without drugs--a Surinamese school-based drug-prevention program for adolescents.

PubMed

Ishaak, Fariel; de Vries, Nanne Karel; van der Wolf, Kees

2015-10-12

The aim of this study was to design the content and accompanying materials for a school-based program--Study without Drugs--for adolescents in junior secondary schools in Suriname based on the starting points and tasks of the fourth step of the Intervention Mapping protocol (which consists of six steps). A program based on this protocol should include a combination of theory, empirical evidence, and qualitative and quantitative research. Two surveys were conducted when designing the program. In Survey I, teachers and students were asked to complete a questionnaire to determine which school year they thought would be most appropriate for implementing a drug-prevention program for adolescents (we completed a similar survey as part of previous research). An attempt was made to identify suitable culturally sensitive elements to include in the program. In Survey II, the same teachers were asked to complete a questionnaire to determine the programs' scope, sequence, structure, and topics as well as the general didactic principles to serve as a basis for program design. After outlining the program plan, lessons, and materials, we conducted a formative pretest evaluation among teachers, students, and parents. That evaluation included measures related to the program's attractiveness, comprehensibility, and usefulness. The resulting lessons were presented to the teachers for assessment. The drug-prevention program we developed comprises 10 activities and lasts 2-2.5 months in an actual school setting. The activities take place during Dutch, biology, physical education, art, religion, and social studies lessons. We based the structure of the lessons in the program on McGuire's Persuasion Communication Model, which takes into account important didactic principles. Evaluations of the program materials and lesson plans by students, teachers, and parents were mostly positive. We believe that using the fourth step of the Intervention Mapping protocol to develop a drug-prevention intervention for adolescents has a produced promising, feasible program.

Data and Information Management: Essential Basis for Sustainable Urban Management and Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geerders, P.; Kokke, E.

2011-08-01

Management of the urban environment and urban development require well organized data and information as a basis for decision making, planning and policy development. Such data and information needs to be up-to-date, reliable and complete, and moreover be available at the time of need. The latter is especially relevant in the case of disasters such as fires, flooding, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Current and future impacts of the on-going climate changes increase the need for geo-referenced data and information on environment, biodiversity and public health, in support of preparation, protection, mitigation and reconstruction. It is important that urban authorities devote more attention and resources to data and information management in order to be able to cope with the present and future challenges of ever growing cities with increasing impacts on their surroundings, and moreover to deal with the impacts of environment and biodiversity on the cities, their population and economies. SOD, Woerden has a long and successful track record of certified training and education in the field of data and information management for authorities, including urban government. The courses provided by SOD cover a wide range of subjects from metadata and digitizing, to enterprise content management and geo-information management. While focused on the Netherlands, SOD also has initiated similar training opportunities in Belgium and Surinam, and efforts are under way in other countries. P. Geerders Consultancy has considerable experience as a consultant and trainer in the field of methods and technologies for the provision of information in support of decision-making, planning and policy development related to integrated management and sustainable development of natural resources. Besides in various countries of Europe, he has worked in Latin America and the Caribbean region. Since several years, P. Geerders works as a freelance teacher with SOD. The paper presents a vision on training and education of urban authorities in information handling and management.

Estimating and interpreting migration of Amazonian forests using spatially implicit and semi-explicit neutral models.

PubMed

Pos, Edwin; Guevara Andino, Juan Ernesto; Sabatier, Daniel; Molino, Jean-François; Pitman, Nigel; Mogollón, Hugo; Neill, David; Cerón, Carlos; Rivas-Torres, Gonzalo; Di Fiore, Anthony; Thomas, Raquel; Tirado, Milton; Young, Kenneth R; Wang, Ophelia; Sierra, Rodrigo; García-Villacorta, Roosevelt; Zagt, Roderick; Palacios Cuenca, Walter; Aulestia, Milton; Ter Steege, Hans

2017-06-01

With many sophisticated methods available for estimating migration, ecologists face the difficult decision of choosing for their specific line of work. Here we test and compare several methods, performing sanity and robustness tests, applying to large-scale data and discussing the results and interpretation. Five methods were selected to compare for their ability to estimate migration from spatially implicit and semi-explicit simulations based on three large-scale field datasets from South America (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Ecuador). Space was incorporated semi-explicitly by a discrete probability mass function for local recruitment, migration from adjacent plots or from a metacommunity. Most methods were able to accurately estimate migration from spatially implicit simulations. For spatially semi-explicit simulations, estimation was shown to be the additive effect of migration from adjacent plots and the metacommunity. It was only accurate when migration from the metacommunity outweighed that of adjacent plots, discrimination, however, proved to be impossible. We show that migration should be considered more an approximation of the resemblance between communities and the summed regional species pool. Application of migration estimates to simulate field datasets did show reasonably good fits and indicated consistent differences between sets in comparison with earlier studies. We conclude that estimates of migration using these methods are more an approximation of the homogenization among local communities over time rather than a direct measurement of migration and hence have a direct relationship with beta diversity. As betadiversity is the result of many (non)-neutral processes, we have to admit that migration as estimated in a spatial explicit world encompasses not only direct migration but is an ecological aggregate of these processes. The parameter m of neutral models then appears more as an emerging property revealed by neutral theory instead of being an effective mechanistic parameter and spatially implicit models should be rejected as an approximation of forest dynamics.

Detection of Rickettsia and Ehrlichia spp. in Ticks Associated with Exotic Reptiles and Amphibians Imported into Japan.

PubMed

Andoh, Masako; Sakata, Akiko; Takano, Ai; Kawabata, Hiroki; Fujita, Hiromi; Une, Yumi; Goka, Koichi; Kishimoto, Toshio; Ando, Shuji

2015-01-01

One of the major routes of transmission of rickettsial and ehrlichial diseases is via ticks that infest numerous host species, including humans. Besides mammals, reptiles and amphibians also carry ticks that may harbor Rickettsia and Ehrlichia strains that are pathogenic to humans. Furthermore, reptiles and amphibians are exempt from quarantine in Japan, thus facilitating the entry of parasites and pathogens to the country through import. Accordingly, in the current study, we examined the presence of Rickettsia and Ehrlichia spp. genes in ticks associated with reptiles and amphibians originating from outside Japan. Ninety-three ticks representing nine tick species (genera Amblyomma and Hyalomma) were isolated from at least 28 animals spanning 10 species and originating from 12 countries (Ghana, Jordan, Madagascar, Panama, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Uzbekistan, and Zambia). None of the nine tick species are indigenous in Japan. The genes encoding the common rickettsial 17-kDa antigen, citrate synthase (gltA), and outer membrane protein A (ompA) were positively detected in 45.2% (42/93), 40.9% (38/93), and 23.7% (22/93) of the ticks, respectively, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The genes encoding ehrlichial heat shock protein (groEL) and major outer membrane protein (omp-1) were PCR-positive in 7.5% (7/93) and 2.2% (2/93) of the ticks, respectively. The p44 gene, which encodes the Anaplasma outer membrane protein, was not detected. Phylogenetic analysis showed that several of the rickettsial and ehrlichial sequences isolated in this study were highly similar to human pathogen genes, including agents not previously detected in Japan. These data demonstrate the global transportation of pathogenic Rickettsia and Ehrlichia through reptile- and amphibian-associated ticks. These imported animals have potential to transfer pathogens into human life. These results highlight the need to control the international transportation of known and potential pathogens carried by ticks in reptiles, amphibians, and other animals, in order to improve national and international public health.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of DENV-2 Asian-American genotype lineages in the Americas.

PubMed

Mir, Daiana; Romero, Hector; Fagundes de Carvalho, Luiz Max; Bello, Gonzalo

2014-01-01

The Asian/American (AS/AM) genotype of dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) has been evolving in the Americas over the last 30 years, leading to several waves of dengue epidemics and to the emergence of different viral lineages in the region. In this study, we investigate the spatiotemporal dissemination pattern of the DENV-2 lineages at a regional level. We applied phylogenetic and phylogeographic analytical methods to a comprehensive data set of 582 DENV-2 E gene sequences of the AS/AM genotype isolated from 29 different American countries over a period of 30 years (1983 to 2012). Our study reveals that genetic diversity of DENV-2 AS/AM genotype circulating in the Americas mainly resulted from one single founder event and can be organized in at least four major lineages (I to IV), which emerged in the Caribbean region at the early 1980s and then spread and die out with different dynamics. Lineages I and II dominate the epidemics in the Caribbean region during the 1980s and early 1990 s, lineage III becomes the prevalent DENV-2 one in the Caribbean and South America during the 1990 s, whereas lineage IV dominates the epidemics in South and Central America during the 2000s. Suriname and Guyana seem to represent important entry points for DENV-2 from the Lesser Antilles to South America, whereas Venezuela, Brazil and Nicaragua were pointed as the main secondary hubs of dissemination to other mainland countries. Our study also indicates that DENV-2 AS/AM genotype was disseminated within South America following two main routes. The first route hits Venezuela and the western side of the Andes, while the second route mainly hits Brazil and the eastern side of the Andes. The phenomenon of DENV-2 lineage replacement across successive epidemic outbreaks was a common characteristic in all American countries, although the timing of lineage replacements greatly vary across locations.

Local annual survival and seasonal residency rates of Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) in Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rice, S.M.; Collazo, J.A.; Alldredge, M.W.; Harrington, B.A.; Lewis, A.R.

2007-01-01

We report seasonal residency and local annual survival rates of migratory Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) at the Cabo Rojo salt flats, Puerto Rico. Residency rate (daily probability of remaining on the flats) was 0.991 ± 0.001 (x̄ ± SE), yielding a mean length of stay of 110 days. This finding supports the inclusion of the Caribbean as part of the species' winter range. Average estimated percentage of fat was low but increased throughout the season, which suggests that birds replenish some spent fat reserves and strive for energetic maintenance. Local annual survival rate was 0.62 ± 0.04, within the range of values reported for breeding populations at Manitoba and Alaska (0.53–0.76). The similarity was not unexpected because estimates were obtained annually but at opposite sites of their annual migratory movements. Birds captured at the salt flats appeared to be a mix of birds from various parts of the breeding range, judging from morphology (culmen's coefficient of variation = 9.1, n = 106). This suggested that origin (breeding area) of birds and their proportion in the data should be ascertained and accounted for in analyses to glean the full conservation implications of winter-based annual survival estimates. Those data are needed to unravel the possibility that individuals of distinct populations are affected by differential mortality factors across different migratory routes. Mean length of stay strongly suggested that habitat quality at the salt flats was high. Rainfall and tidal flow combine to increase food availability during fall. The salt flats dry up gradually toward late January, at the onset of the dry season. Semipalmated Sandpipers may move west to other Greater Antilles or south to sites such as coastal Surinam until the onset of spring migration. They are not an oversummering species at the salt flats. Conservation efforts in the Caribbean region require understanding the dynamics of this species throughout winter to protect essential habitat.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of DENV-2 Asian-American Genotype Lineages in the Americas

PubMed Central

Fagundes de Carvalho, Luiz Max

2014-01-01

The Asian/American (AS/AM) genotype of dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) has been evolving in the Americas over the last 30 years, leading to several waves of dengue epidemics and to the emergence of different viral lineages in the region. In this study, we investigate the spatiotemporal dissemination pattern of the DENV-2 lineages at a regional level. We applied phylogenetic and phylogeographic analytical methods to a comprehensive data set of 582 DENV-2 E gene sequences of the AS/AM genotype isolated from 29 different American countries over a period of 30 years (1983 to 2012). Our study reveals that genetic diversity of DENV-2 AS/AM genotype circulating in the Americas mainly resulted from one single founder event and can be organized in at least four major lineages (I to IV), which emerged in the Caribbean region at the early 1980s and then spread and die out with different dynamics. Lineages I and II dominate the epidemics in the Caribbean region during the 1980s and early 1990s, lineage III becomes the prevalent DENV-2 one in the Caribbean and South America during the 1990s, whereas lineage IV dominates the epidemics in South and Central America during the 2000s. Suriname and Guyana seem to represent important entry points for DENV-2 from the Lesser Antilles to South America, whereas Venezuela, Brazil and Nicaragua were pointed as the main secondary hubs of dissemination to other mainland countries. Our study also indicates that DENV-2 AS/AM genotype was disseminated within South America following two main routes. The first route hits Venezuela and the western side of the Andes, while the second route mainly hits Brazil and the eastern side of the Andes. The phenomenon of DENV-2 lineage replacement across successive epidemic outbreaks was a common characteristic in all American countries, although the timing of lineage replacements greatly vary across locations. PMID:24897118

Is channel segmentation necessary to reach a multiethnic population with weight-related health promotion? An analysis of use and perception of communication channels

PubMed Central

Nierkens, Vera; Cremer, Stephan W.; Verhoeff, Arnoud; Stronks, Karien

2014-01-01

Objective To explore similarities and differences in the use and perception of communication channels to access weight-related health promotion among women in three ethnic minority groups. The ultimate aim was to determine whether similar channels might reach ethnic minority women in general or whether segmentation to ethnic groups would be required. Design Eight ethnically homogeneous focus groups were conducted among 48 women of Ghanaian, Antillean/Aruban, or Afro-Surinamese background living in Amsterdam. Our questions concerned which communication channels they usually used to access weight-related health advice or information about programs and whose information they most valued. The content analysis of data was performed. Results The participants mentioned four channels – regular and traditional healthcare, general or ethnically specific media, multiethnic and ethnic gatherings, and interpersonal communication with peers in the Netherlands and with people in the home country. Ghanaian women emphasized ethnically specific channels (e.g., traditional healthcare, Ghanaian churches). They were comfortable with these channels and trusted them. They mentioned fewer general channels – mainly limited to healthcare – and if discussed, negative perceptions were expressed. Antillean women mentioned the use of ethnically specific channels (e.g., communication with Antilleans in the home country) on balance with general audience–oriented channels (e.g., regular healthcare). Perceptions were mixed. Surinamese participants discussed, in a positive manner, the use of general audience–oriented channels, while they said they did not use traditional healthcare or advice from Surinam. Local language proficiency, time resided in the Netherlands, and approaches and messages received seemed to explain channel use and perception. Conclusion The predominant differences in channel use and perception among the ethnic groups indicate a need for channel segmentation to reach a multiethnic target group with weight-related health promotion. The study results reveal possible segmentation criteria besides ethnicity, such as local language proficiency and time since migration, worthy of further investigation. PMID:24750018

Is channel segmentation necessary to reach a multiethnic population with weight-related health promotion? An analysis of use and perception of communication channels.

PubMed

Hartman, Marieke A; Nierkens, Vera; Cremer, Stephan W; Verhoeff, Arnoud; Stronks, Karien

2015-01-01

To explore similarities and differences in the use and perception of communication channels to access weight-related health promotion among women in three ethnic minority groups. The ultimate aim was to determine whether similar channels might reach ethnic minority women in general or whether segmentation to ethnic groups would be required. Eight ethnically homogeneous focus groups were conducted among 48 women of Ghanaian, Antillean/Aruban, or Afro-Surinamese background living in Amsterdam. Our questions concerned which communication channels they usually used to access weight-related health advice or information about programs and whose information they most valued. The content analysis of data was performed. The participants mentioned four channels - regular and traditional health care, general or ethnically specific media, multiethnic and ethnic gatherings, and interpersonal communication with peers in the Netherlands and with people in the home country. Ghanaian women emphasized ethnically specific channels (e.g., traditional health care, Ghanaian churches). They were comfortable with these channels and trusted them. They mentioned fewer general channels - mainly limited to health care - and if discussed, negative perceptions were expressed. Antillean women mentioned the use of ethnically specific channels (e.g., communication with Antilleans in the home country) on balance with general audience-oriented channels (e.g., regular health care). Perceptions were mixed. Surinamese participants discussed, in a positive manner, the use of general audience-oriented channels, while they said they did not use traditional health care or advice from Surinam. Local language proficiency, time resided in the Netherlands, and approaches and messages received seemed to explain channel use and perception. The predominant differences in channel use and perception among the ethnic groups indicate a need for channel segmentation to reach a multiethnic target group with weight-related health promotion. The study results reveal possible segmentation criteria besides ethnicity, such as local language proficiency and time since migration, worthy of further investigation.

Stakeholders' perspectives on access-to-medicines policy and research priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean: face-to-face and web-based interviews.

PubMed

Azeredo, Thiago Botelho; Luiza, Vera Lucia; Oliveira, Maria Auxiliadora; Emmerick, Isabel Cristina Martins; Bigdeli, Maryam

2014-06-25

This study aims to rank policy concerns and policy-related research issues in order to identify policy and research gaps on access to medicines (ATM) in low- and middle-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), as perceived by policy makers, researchers, NGO and international organization representatives, as part of a global prioritization exercise. Data collection, conducted between January and May 2011, involved face-to-face interviews in El Salvador, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Suriname, and an e-mail survey with key-stakeholders. Respondents were asked to choose the five most relevant criteria for research prioritization and to score policy/research items according to the degree to which they represented current policies, desired policies, current research topics, and/or desired research topics. Mean scores and summary rankings were obtained. Linear regressions were performed to contrast rankings concerning current and desired policies (policy gaps), and current and desired research (research gaps). Relevance, feasibility, and research utilization were the top ranked criteria for prioritizing research. Technical capacity, research and development for new drugs, and responsiveness, were the main policy gaps. Quality assurance, staff technical capacity, price regulation, out-of-pocket payments, and cost containment policies, were the main research gaps. There was high level of coherence between current and desired policies: coefficients of determination (R2) varied from 0.46 (Health system structure; r = 0.68, P <0.01) to 0.86 (Sustainable financing; r = 0.93, P <0.01). There was also high coherence between current and desired research on Rational selection and use of medicines (r = 0.71, P <0.05, R2 = 0.51), Pricing/affordability (r = 0.82, P <0.01, R2 = 0.67), and Sustainable financing (r = 0.76, P <0.01, R2 = 0.58). Coherence was less for Health system structure (r = 0.61, P <0.01, R2 = 0.38). This study combines metrics approaches, contributing to priority setting methodology development, with country and regional level stakeholder participation. Stakeholders received feedback with the results, and we hope to have contributed to the discussion and implementation of ATM research and policy priorities in LAC.

Carbon uptake by mature Amazon forests has mitigated Amazon nations' carbon emissions.

PubMed

Phillips, Oliver L; Brienen, Roel J W

2017-12-01

Several independent lines of evidence suggest that Amazon forests have provided a significant carbon sink service, and also that the Amazon carbon sink in intact, mature forests may now be threatened as a result of different processes. There has however been no work done to quantify non-land-use-change forest carbon fluxes on a national basis within Amazonia, or to place these national fluxes and their possible changes in the context of the major anthropogenic carbon fluxes in the region. Here we present a first attempt to interpret results from ground-based monitoring of mature forest carbon fluxes in a biogeographically, politically, and temporally differentiated way. Specifically, using results from a large long-term network of forest plots, we estimate the Amazon biomass carbon balance over the last three decades for the different regions and nine nations of Amazonia, and evaluate the magnitude and trajectory of these differentiated balances in relation to major national anthropogenic carbon emissions. The sink of carbon into mature forests has been remarkably geographically ubiquitous across Amazonia, being substantial and persistent in each of the five biogeographic regions within Amazonia. Between 1980 and 2010, it has more than mitigated the fossil fuel emissions of every single national economy, except that of Venezuela. For most nations (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname) the sink has probably additionally mitigated all anthropogenic carbon emissions due to Amazon deforestation and other land use change. While the sink has weakened in some regions since 2000, our analysis suggests that Amazon nations which are able to conserve large areas of natural and semi-natural landscape still contribute globally-significant carbon sequestration. Mature forests across all of Amazonia have contributed significantly to mitigating climate change for decades. Yet Amazon nations have not directly benefited from providing this global scale ecosystem service. We suggest that better monitoring and reporting of the carbon fluxes within mature forests, and understanding the drivers of changes in their balance, must become national, as well as international, priorities.

Design of a prospective study on mental health and quality of life of maltreated children (aged 5–16 years) after a report to an advice and reporting center on child abuse and neglect

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Child maltreatment is recognized as a widespread problem with huge implications for mental health and quality of life. Studies have repeatedly shown that victims of child maltreatment report significantly more adverse life outcomes than non-victims. The main objective of the study is (1) to examine the mental health and quality of life of maltreated children over a 1.5 year period beginning shortly after a report has been filed with an Advies- en Meldpunt Kindermishandeling (AMK) (advice and reporting center on child abuse and neglect). Secondary objectives are: (2) to examine how relevant determinants influence the mental health and quality of life of maltreated children, and (3) to examine differences in mental health and quality of life outcomes when comparing families of Dutch origin with families originating from Morocco and Suriname. Methods/Design A prospective study will be performed, in which parent–child dyads will be followed over a 1.5 year period. Participants will be recruited shortly after the report to the AMK and they will be asked to complete a questionnaire four times, at baseline and every six months thereafter. Data will be analyzed using a longitudinal multi-level analysis. Discussion The study is expected to yield evidence about the mental health and quality of life of maltreated children and about determinants that influence their mental health and quality of life outcomes. Strengths of this study are (1) the design which makes it possible to start examining outcomes shortly after or even during the actual maltreatment and to follow parent–child dyads for 1.5 years, and (2) asking children as informants about their own situation by making use of self-report questionnaires as much as possible. Limitations include the risks of selection bias and loss to follow-up during 1.5 years of data collection. Trial registration NTR3674, funded by ZonMw, project 15700.2012. PMID:24106987

Aspects of medical migration with particular reference to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

PubMed

Herfs, Paul G P

2014-10-14

In most countries of the European Economic Area (EEA), there is no large-scale migration of medical graduates with diplomas obtained outside the EEA, which are international medical graduates (IMGs). In the United Kingdom however, health care is in part dependent on the influx of IMGs. In 2005, of all the doctors practising in the UK, 31% were educated outside the country. In most EEA-countries, health care is not dependent on the influx of IMGs.The aim of this study is to present data relating to the changes in IMG migration in the UK since the extension of the European Union in May 2004. In addition, data are presented on IMG migration in the Netherlands. These migration flows show that migration patterns differ strongly within these two EU-countries. This study makes use of registration data on migrating doctors from the General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK and from the Dutch Department of Health. Moreover, data on the ratio of medical doctors in relation to a country's population were extracted from the World Health Organization (WHO). The influx of IMGs in the UK has changed in recent years due to the extension of the European Union in 2004, the expansion of UK medical schools and changes in the policy towards non-EEA doctors.The influx of IMGs in the Netherlands is described in detail. In the Netherlands, many IMGs come from Afghanistan, Iraq and Surinam. There are clear differences between IMG immigration in the UK and in the Netherlands. In the UK, the National Health Service continues to be very reliant on immigration to fill shortage posts, whereas the number of immigrant doctors working in the Netherlands is much smaller. Both the UK and the Netherlands' regulatory bodies have shared great concerns about the linguistic and communication skills of both EEA and non-EEA doctors seeking to work in these countries. IMG migration is a global and intricate problem. The source countries, not only those where English is the first or second language, experience massive IMG migration flows.

Detection of Rickettsia and Ehrlichia spp. in Ticks Associated with Exotic Reptiles and Amphibians Imported into Japan

PubMed Central

Andoh, Masako; Sakata, Akiko; Takano, Ai; Kawabata, Hiroki; Fujita, Hiromi; Une, Yumi; Goka, Koichi; Kishimoto, Toshio; Ando, Shuji

2015-01-01

One of the major routes of transmission of rickettsial and ehrlichial diseases is via ticks that infest numerous host species, including humans. Besides mammals, reptiles and amphibians also carry ticks that may harbor Rickettsia and Ehrlichia strains that are pathogenic to humans. Furthermore, reptiles and amphibians are exempt from quarantine in Japan, thus facilitating the entry of parasites and pathogens to the country through import. Accordingly, in the current study, we examined the presence of Rickettsia and Ehrlichia spp. genes in ticks associated with reptiles and amphibians originating from outside Japan. Ninety-three ticks representing nine tick species (genera Amblyomma and Hyalomma) were isolated from at least 28 animals spanning 10 species and originating from 12 countries (Ghana, Jordan, Madagascar, Panama, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Uzbekistan, and Zambia). None of the nine tick species are indigenous in Japan. The genes encoding the common rickettsial 17-kDa antigen, citrate synthase (gltA), and outer membrane protein A (ompA) were positively detected in 45.2% (42/93), 40.9% (38/93), and 23.7% (22/93) of the ticks, respectively, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The genes encoding ehrlichial heat shock protein (groEL) and major outer membrane protein (omp-1) were PCR-positive in 7.5% (7/93) and 2.2% (2/93) of the ticks, respectively. The p44 gene, which encodes the Anaplasma outer membrane protein, was not detected. Phylogenetic analysis showed that several of the rickettsial and ehrlichial sequences isolated in this study were highly similar to human pathogen genes, including agents not previously detected in Japan. These data demonstrate the global transportation of pathogenic Rickettsia and Ehrlichia through reptile- and amphibian-associated ticks. These imported animals have potential to transfer pathogens into human life. These results highlight the need to control the international transportation of known and potential pathogens carried by ticks in reptiles, amphibians, and other animals, in order to improve national and international public health. PMID:26207382

Gaps and opportunities for the World Heritage Convention to contribute to global wilderness conservation.

PubMed

Allan, James R; Kormos, Cyril; Jaeger, Tilman; Venter, Oscar; Bertzky, Bastian; Shi, Yichuan; Mackey, Brendan; van Merm, Remco; Osipova, Elena; Watson, James E M

2018-02-01

Wilderness areas are ecologically intact landscapes predominantly free of human uses, especially industrial-scale activities that result in substantial biophysical disturbance. This definition does not exclude land and resource use by local communities who depend on such areas for subsistence and bio-cultural connections. Wilderness areas are important for biodiversity conservation and sustain key ecological processes and ecosystem services that underpin planetary life-support systems. Despite these widely recognized benefits and values of wilderness, they are insufficiently protected and are consequently being rapidly eroded. There are increasing calls for multilateral environmental agreements to make a greater and more systematic contribution to wilderness conservation before it is too late. We created a global map of remaining terrestrial wilderness following the established last-of-the-wild method, which identifies the 10% of areas with the lowest human pressure within each of Earth's 62 biogeographic realms and identifies the 10 largest contiguous areas and all contiguous areas >10,000 km 2 . We used our map to assess wilderness coverage by the World Heritage Convention and to identify gaps in coverage. We then identified large nationally designated protected areas with good wilderness coverage within these gaps. One-quarter of natural and mixed (i.e., sites of both natural and cultural value) World Heritage Sites (WHS) contained wilderness (total of 545,307 km 2 ), which is approximately 1.8% of the world's wilderness extent. Many WHS had excellent wilderness coverage, for example, the Okavango Delta in Botswana (11,914 km 2 ) and the Central Suriname Nature Reserve (16,029 km 2 ). However, 22 (35%) of the world's terrestrial biorealms had no wilderness representation within WHS. We identified 840 protected areas of >500 km 2 that were predominantly wilderness (>50% of their area) and represented 18 of the 22 missing biorealms. These areas offer a starting point for assessing the potential for the designation of new WHSs that could help increase wilderness representation on the World Heritage list. We urge the World Heritage Convention to ensure that the ecological integrity and outstanding universal value of existing WHS with wilderness values are preserved. © 2017 Society for Conservation Biology.

Gender differences in health and health care utilisation in various ethnic groups in the Netherlands: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Gerritsen, Annette AM; Devillé, Walter L

2009-01-01

Background To determine gender differences in health and health care utilisation within and between various ethnic groups in the Netherlands. Methods Data from the second Dutch National Survey of General Practice (2000–2002) were used. A total of 7,789 persons from the indigenous population and 1,512 persons from the four largest migrant groups in the Netherlands – Morocco, Netherlands Antilles, Turkey and Surinam – aged 18 years and older were interviewed. Self-reported health outcomes studied were general health status and the presence of acute (past 14 days) and chronic conditions (past 12 months). And self-reported utilisation of the following health care services was analysed: having contacted a general practitioner (past 2 months), a medical specialist, physiotherapist or ambulatory mental health service (past 12 months), hospitalisation (past 12 months) and use of medication (past 14 days). Gender differences in these outcomes were examined within and between the ethnic groups, using logistic regression analyses. Results In general, women showed poorer health than men; the largest differences were found for the Turkish respondents, followed by Moroccans, and Surinamese. Furthermore, women from Morocco and the Netherlands Antilles more often contacted a general practitioner than men from these countries. Women from Turkey were more hospitalised than Turkish men. Women from Morocco more often contacted ambulatory mental health care than men from this country, and women with an indigenous background more often used over the counter medication than men with an indigenous background. Conclusion In general the self-reported health of women is worse compared to that of men, although the size of the gender differences may vary according to the particular health outcome and among the ethnic groups. This information might be helpful to develop policy to improve the health status of specific groups according to gender and ethnicity. In addition, in some ethnic groups, and for some types of health care services, the use by women is higher compared to that by men. More research is needed to explain these differences. PMID:19379499

Reactive hydro- end chlorocarbons in the troposphere and lower stratosphere : sources, distributions, and chemical impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheeren, H. A.

2003-09-01

The work presented in this thesis focuses on measurements of chemical reactive C2 C7 non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) and C1 C2 chlorocarbons with atmospheric lifetimes of a few hours up to about a year. The group of reactive chlorocarbons includes the most abundant atmospheric species with large natural sources, which are chloromethane (CH3Cl), dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), and trichloromethane (CHCl3), and tetrachloroethylene (C2Cl4) with mainly anthropogenic sources. The NMHC and chlorocarbons are present at relatively low quantities in our atmosphere (10-12 10-9 mol mol-1 of air). Nevertheless, they play a key role in atmospheric photochemistry. For example, the oxidation of NMHC plays a dominant role in the formation of ozone in the troposphere, while the photolysis of chlorocarbons contributes to enhanced ozone depletion in the stratosphere. In spite of their important role, however, their global source and sinks budgets are still poorly understood. Hence, this study aims at improving our understanding of the sources, distribution, and chemical role of reactive NMHC and chlorocarbons in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. To meet this aim, a comprehensive data set of selected C2 C7 NMHC and chlorocarbons has been analyzed, derived from six aircraft measurement campaigns with two different jet aircrafts (the Dutch TUD/NLR Cessna Citation PH-LAB, and the German DLR Falcon) conducted between 1995 and 2001 (STREAM 1995 and 1997 and 1998, LBA-CLAIRE 1998, INDOEX 1999, MINOS 2001). The NMHC and chlorocarbons have been detected by gas-chromatography (GC-FID/ECD) in pre-concentrated whole air samples collected in stainless steel canister on-board the measurement aircrafts. The measurement locations include tropical (Maldives/Indian Ocean and Surinam), midlatitude (Western Europe and Canada) and polar regions (Lapland/northern Sweden) between the equator to about 70ºN, covering different seasons and pollution levels in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. Of special interest in this thesis are the tropical regions because they are becoming increasingly important in terms of global anthropogenic pollution and climate change. In addition, natural emissions of hydrocarbons (notably isoprene and terpenes from plants) and reactive chlorocarbons appear to be concentrated in the tropics, where the largest uncertainties exist with respect to source type and source strength. Whenever available, the reactive NMHC and chlorocarbon data have been analyzed with the help of concurrent measurements, which includes ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO), total reactive oxidized nitrogen (NOy), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), acetone (CH3COCH3), methanol (CH3OH), acetonitrile (CH3CN), the chlorofluorocarbons CFC-11 (CCl3F) and CFC-12 (CCl2F2), the hydrofluorocarbon HFC-134a (CH2FCF3), and the hydrochlorofluorocarbons HCFC-141b (CH3CCl2F) and HCFC-142b (CH3CClF2). These additional measurements provided important information about the air mass origin, pollution sources, and chemical age of the encountered air masses. The STREAM-measurements contribute to the present understanding of the budgets of reactive organic trace species in the mid-latitude lower stratosphere at different seasonal conditions. It was found that during summer and fall, the mean concentrations of reactive NMHC and acetone in the lower stratosphere were a factor of two or more higher than during winter, as a result of more intense and frequent mixing across the tropopause. The role of tropical emissions in the global budget of hydrocarbons and the chlorocarbons CH3Cl, CH2Cl2, CHCl3, and C2Cl4 has been investigated during the LBA/CLAIRE 1998, INDOEX 1999 and MINOS 2001 campaigns. The INDOEX measurements over the Indian Ocean showed that strongly enhanced CH3Cl and related combustion tracers, such as CO, hydrocarbons and CH3CN in polluted air masses from India and Southeast Asia, relate to the extensive use of biofuels (notably the burning of agricultural waste and dung) in households and small industries. During the MINOS campaign it was found that deep convection associated with the Asian summer monsoon followed by long-range transport carries Asian pollution towards the eastern Mediterranean and northern Africa, thus affecting tropospheric chemistry on a hemispheric scale. Enhanced levels of CO, and hydrocarbons in Asian pollution were found to be comparable to or higher than those found in westerly air masses, containing pollution from the North American continent. It is expected that the increasing use of fossil fuel in Asia will enhance photochemical ozone formation in the Asian plume in the future. This is important because ozone acts as an effective greenhouse gas near the tropopause. Based on measurements performed over the Surinam rainforest during LBA-CLAIRE it is concluded that tropical forests are the most important source of organic chlorine, mainly in the form of CH3Cl, to the atmosphere. It is shown that the reduction of tropical forest area over the past 20 years could largely explain the observed downward trend in atmospheric CH3Cl.

MARGATS cruise: investigation of the deep internal structure and the heterogeneous margins of the Demerara plateau reveals a polyphased volcanic history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graindorge, D.; Museur, T.; Roest, W. R.; Klingelhoefer, F.; Loncke, L.; Basile, C.; Poetisi, E.; Deverchere, J.; Heuret, A.; Jean-Frederic, L.; Perrot, J.

2017-12-01

The MARGATS scientific cruise was carried out from October 20th to November 16th 2016 on board the R/V L'Atalante, offshore Suriname and French Guiana. This cruise is part of a program dedicated to the geological investigation of the continental margin, including the Demerara plateau, following the GUYAPLAC (2003), IGUANES (2013) and DRADEM (2016) cruises. The aim of MARGATS was to image the internal structure of the Demerara plateau and its different margins using coincident deep penetrating wide angle refraction and multi channel reflection seismic (MCS) methods. During the MARGATS experiment 171 OBS deployments were distributed along 4 wide-angle lines. Along each wide-angle line we also recorded coincident MCS data using a 3 km long 480 channel streamer. The dataset was completed by three MCS lines along the eastern part of the Demerara plateau. MCS MAR007 line which is coincident with line OBS MAR-3 was extended on land by 13 land stations deployed along the Maroni River. This line, together with MCS MAR001 and the coincident OBS MAR-1 line reveal the highly homogeneous deep structure of the internal part of the plateau. MCS MAR005 line, which is coincident with OBS MAR-2, MCS MAR006 line coincident with OBS MAR-4, MCS MAR002, MCS MAR003 and MCS MAR004 helps to elucidate the structural complexity of the northern transform margin and the eastern divergent margin of the plateau. These new datasets are highly complementary to the DRADEM dredge results which provide evidence for mid Jurassic volcanic rocks along the plateau and significant vertical displacements along the transform margin. These results allow to interpret the plateau as the remains of a huge jurassic volcanic divergent margin along the Central Atlantic ocean to the west, possibly remobilized during the cretaceous opening of the Equatorial Atlantic ocean as an highly oblique margin to the north and a divergent margin to the east in persistent presence of volcanism. This AGU session will be a great opportunity to present the exceptional quality of the seismic data, after the initial processing steps and how these data are conditioning a new understanding of the Demarara plateau and its margins which implies the hypothetic role of a new hot spot shaping the complex polyphased history of the structure.

Development of a genetic sexing strain in Bactrocera carambolae (Diptera: Tephritidae) by introgression of sex sorting components from B. dorsalis, Salaya1 strain.

PubMed

Isasawin, Siriwan; Aketarawong, Nidchaya; Lertsiri, Sittiwat; Thanaphum, Sujinda

2014-01-01

The carambola fruit fly, Bactrocera carambolae Drew & Hancock is a high profile key pest that is widely distributed in the southwestern ASEAN region. In addition, it has trans-continentally invaded Suriname, where it has been expanding east and southward since 1975. This fruit fly belongs to Bactrocera dorsalis species complex. The development and application of a genetic sexing strain (Salaya1) of B. dorsalis sensu stricto (s.s.) (Hendel) for the sterile insect technique (SIT) has improved the fruit fly control. However, matings between B. dorsalis s.s. and B. carambolae are incompatible, which hinder the application of the Salaya1 strain to control the carambola fruit fly. To solve this problem, we introduced genetic sexing components from the Salaya1 strain into the B. carambolae genome by interspecific hybridization. Morphological characteristics, mating competitiveness, male pheromone profiles, and genetic relationships revealed consistencies that helped to distinguish Salaya1 and B. carambolae strains. A Y-autosome translocation linking the dominant wild-type allele of white pupae gene and a free autosome carrying a recessive white pupae homologue from the Salaya1 strain were introgressed into the gene pool of B. carambolae. A panel of Y-pseudo-linked microsatellite loci of the Salaya1 strain served as markers for the introgression experiments. This resulted in a newly derived genetic sexing strain called Salaya5, with morphological characteristics corresponding to B. carambolae. The rectal gland pheromone profile of Salaya5 males also contained a distinctive component of B. carambolae. Microsatellite DNA analyses confirmed the close genetic relationships between the Salaya5 strain and wild B. carambolae populations. Further experiments showed that the sterile males of Salaya5 can compete with wild males for mating with wild females in field cage conditions. Introgression of sex sorting components from the Salaya1 strain to a closely related B. carambolae strain generated a new genetic sexing strain, Salaya5. Morphology-based taxonomic characteristics, distinctive pheromone components, microsatellite DNA markers, genetic relationships, and mating competitiveness provided parental baseline data and validation tools for the new strain. The Salaya5 strain shows a close similarity with those features in the wild B. carambolae strain. In addition, mating competitiveness tests suggested that Salaya5 has a potential to be used in B. carambolae SIT programs based on male-only releases.

Uncertainty in projected point precipitation extremes for hydrological impact analysis of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Uytven, Els; Willems, Patrick

2017-04-01

Current trends in the hydro-meteorological variables indicate the potential impact of climate change on hydrological extremes. Therefore, they trigger an increased importance climate adaptation strategies in water management. The impact of climate change on hydro-meteorological and hydrological extremes is, however, highly uncertain. This is due to uncertainties introduced by the climate models, the internal variability inherent to the climate system, the greenhouse gas scenarios and the statistical downscaling methods. In view of the need to define sustainable climate adaptation strategies, there is a need to assess these uncertainties. This is commonly done by means of ensemble approaches. Because more and more climate models and statistical downscaling methods become available, there is a need to facilitate the climate impact and uncertainty analysis. A Climate Perturbation Tool has been developed for that purpose, which combines a set of statistical downscaling methods including weather typing, weather generator, transfer function and advanced perturbation based approaches. By use of an interactive interface, climate impact modelers can apply these statistical downscaling methods in a semi-automatic way to an ensemble of climate model runs. The tool is applicable to any region, but has been demonstrated so far to cases in Belgium, Suriname, Vietnam and Bangladesh. Time series representing future local-scale precipitation, temperature and potential evapotranspiration (PET) conditions were obtained, starting from time series of historical observations. Uncertainties on the future meteorological conditions are represented in two different ways: through an ensemble of time series, and a reduced set of synthetic scenarios. The both aim to span the full uncertainty range as assessed from the ensemble of climate model runs and downscaling methods. For Belgium, for instance, use was made of 100-year time series of 10-minutes precipitation observations and daily temperature and PET observations at Uccle and a large ensemble of 160 global climate model runs (CMIP5). They cover all four representative concentration pathway based greenhouse gas scenarios. While evaluating the downscaled meteorological series, particular attention was given to the performance of extreme value metrics (e.g. for precipitation, by means of intensity-duration-frequency statistics). Moreover, the total uncertainty was decomposed in the fractional uncertainties for each of the uncertainty sources considered. Research assessing the additional uncertainty due to parameter and structural uncertainties of the hydrological impact model is ongoing.

Tectonic History and Deep Structure of the Demerara Plateau from Combined Wide-Angle and Reflection Seismic Data and Plate Kinematic Reconstructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klingelhoefer, F.; Museur, T.; Roest, W. R.; Graindorge, D.; Chauvet, F.; Loncke, L.; Basile, C.; Poetisi, E.; Deverchere, J.; Lebrun, J. F.; Perrot, J.; Heuret, A.

2017-12-01

Many transform margins have associated intermediate depth marginal plateaus, which are commonly located between two oceanic basins. The Demerara plateau is located offshore Surinam and French Guiana. Plate kinematic reconstructions show that the plateau is located between the central and equatorial Atlantic in a position conjugate to the Guinean Plateau. In the fall of 2016, the MARGATS cruise acquired geophysical data along the 400 km wide Demerara plateau. The main objective of the cruise was to image the deep structure of the Demerara plateau and to study its tectonic history. A set of 4 combined wide-angle and reflection seismic profiles was acquired along the plateau, using 80 ocean-bottom seismometers, a 3 km long seismic streamer and a 8000 cu inch tuned airgun array. Forward modelling of the wide-angle seismic data on a profile, located in the eastern part of the plateau and oriented in a NE-SW direction, images the crustal structure of the plateau, the transition zone and the neighbouring crust of oceanic origin, up to a depth of 40 km. The plateau itself is characterised by a crust of 30 km thickness, subdivided into three distinct layers. However, the velocities and velocity gradients do not fit typical continental crust, with a lower crustal layer showing untypically high velocities and an upper layer having a steep velocity gradient. From this model we propose that the lowermost layer is probably formed from volcanic underplated material and that the upper crustal layer likely consists of the corresponding extrusive volcanic material, forming thick seaward-dipping reflector sequences on the plateau. A basement high is imaged at the foot of the slope and forms the ocean-continent transition zone. Further oceanward, a 5-6 km thick crust is imaged with velocities and velocity gradients corresponding to a thin oceanic crust. A compilation of magnetic data from the MARGATS and 3 previous cruises shows a high amplitude magnetic anomaly along the northern edge of the plateau thereby strengthening the hypothesis of an volcanic origin of at least part of the structure. We propose, that the plateau was formed by large-scale volcanism, possibly intruding into a thinner existing continental crust.

The relative role of Amazonian and non-Amazonian fires in building up the aerosol optical depth in South America: A five year study (2005-2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castro Videla, Fernando; Barnaba, Francesca; Angelini, Federico; Cremades, Pablo; Gobbi, Gian Paolo

2013-03-01

In South America (SA) biomass burning is the major source of atmospheric aerosols. Fires are mostly registered in the dry season (July-November) and are mainly concentrated in the Amazonia and Cerrado regions. Nonetheless, the growing systematic employment of fires for land clearing and pasture maintenance across the SA continent is introducing other, potentially significant, sources of BB aerosols. This study investigates the relative contributions of different SA biomass burning regions in building up the continental aerosol load. To this purpose, the SA continent is divided into four biomass burning source regions and their impact on the aerosol optical depth (AOD) is evaluated in eight different SA target domains. The dataset used includes multi-year (2005-2009) satellite observations of both aerosol and fires and model-based atmospheric trajectories. The methodology followed couples fire counts and atmospheric transport through the definition of a specific quantity, referred to as ‘fire weighted residence time’ (FWRT), which is used to assess the contribution of the four identified fire source regions to the continental aerosol load. Results show that local fires play an important role in building up the regional aerosols load all over SA. Nevertheless, in some regions, contribution of BB aerosols transported from outside their boundaries is comparable to the local one. The major ‘smoke exporter’ regions are found to be the eastern Brazil and the Amazonia-Cerrado regions. In the dry season, due to the typical continental circulation pattern, the first is estimated to contribute to half of the AOD in Northern Amazonia, Southern Amazonia and Cerrado regions, while over 30% of the AOD in Paraguay and North Argentina derives from the Amazonia-Cerrado fires. Due to the presence of the inter-tropical convergence zone, which decouples wind circulation of the two hemispheres, regions north of the Equator (Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname) are found to receive almost no contribution to the local AOD from fires occurring in the nearby active regions of Amazonia and Caatinga. Similarly, Venezuela fires are shown not to impact the Northern Amazonia AOD. Finally, in excluding the continental fire driver of some AOD enhancements observed in the wet season, this study indirectly points to an important role of aerosol transoceanic transport from Africa.

Illegal gold miners in French Guiana: a neglected population with poor health.

PubMed

Douine, Maylis; Mosnier, Emilie; Le Hingrat, Quentin; Charpentier, Charlotte; Corlin, Florine; Hureau, Louise; Adenis, Antoine; Lazrek, Yassamine; Niemetsky, Florence; Aucouturier, Anne-Laure; Demar, Magalie; Musset, Lise; Nacher, Mathieu

2017-07-17

In French Guiana, a French overseas territory in South America, 6 to 10 thousands undocumented persons work illegally in gold mining sites in the Amazonian forest. Precarious life conditions lead to poor health but few data exist on the health status of illegal gold miners in French Guiana. The objective of this article was to describe the sociodemographic and health status of this vulnerable population. A prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 on gold mine supply sites at the border between French Guiana and Suriname. Health status was assessed through medical examination, past medical history, haemoglobin concentration, and HIV and malaria testing. A questionnaire was used to collect data about the migration itinerary and life conditions on mining sites. Among the 421 adults included in the study, 93.8% (395/421) were Brazilian, mainly from Maranhão (55.7%, 220/395), the poorest Brazilian state. The sex ratio was 2.4. Overall, 48% of persons never went to school or beyond the primary level. The median time spent in gold mining was quite long (10 years), with a high turn-over. One third of the surveyed population (37.1%, 156/421) had high blood pressure, and only two had a medical follow-up. Most persons had experienced malaria (89.3%, 376/421). They declared frequent arboviroses and digestive disorders. Active leishmaniasis was observed in 8.3% of gold miners. Among women, 28.5% were anemic. Concerning HIV, 36.6% (154/421) of persons, mainly men, never got tested before and 6 were tested positive, which represented an HIV prevalence of 1.43% (95%CI =0.29-2.5). These findings support the hypothesis that mining in remote areas is linked to several specific illnesses. Theoretically, gold miners would be presumed to start their economical migration to French Guiana as a healthy group. However, their strenuous working and living conditions there lead to poor health caused by infectious and non infectious diseases. This description of their health status is precious for health policy planners in French Guiana given the importance of controlling communicable disease, and the severity and range of specific illnesses acquired by this neglected population. Clinical trial registration PRS N° NCT02903706 . Retrospectively registered 09/13/2016.

Stakeholders’ perspectives on access-to-medicines policy and research priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean: face-to-face and web-based interviews

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background This study aims to rank policy concerns and policy-related research issues in order to identify policy and research gaps on access to medicines (ATM) in low- and middle-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), as perceived by policy makers, researchers, NGO and international organization representatives, as part of a global prioritization exercise. Methods Data collection, conducted between January and May 2011, involved face-to-face interviews in El Salvador, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Suriname, and an e-mail survey with key-stakeholders. Respondents were asked to choose the five most relevant criteria for research prioritization and to score policy/research items according to the degree to which they represented current policies, desired policies, current research topics, and/or desired research topics. Mean scores and summary rankings were obtained. Linear regressions were performed to contrast rankings concerning current and desired policies (policy gaps), and current and desired research (research gaps). Results Relevance, feasibility, and research utilization were the top ranked criteria for prioritizing research. Technical capacity, research and development for new drugs, and responsiveness, were the main policy gaps. Quality assurance, staff technical capacity, price regulation, out-of-pocket payments, and cost containment policies, were the main research gaps. There was high level of coherence between current and desired policies: coefficients of determination (R2) varied from 0.46 (Health system structure; r = 0.68, P <0.01) to 0.86 (Sustainable financing; r = 0.93, P <0.01). There was also high coherence between current and desired research on Rational selection and use of medicines (r = 0.71, P <0.05, R2 = 0.51), Pricing/affordability (r = 0.82, P <0.01, R2 = 0.67), and Sustainable financing (r = 0.76, P <0.01, R2 = 0.58). Coherence was less for Health system structure (r = 0.61, P <0.01, R2 = 0.38). Conclusions This study combines metrics approaches, contributing to priority setting methodology development, with country and regional level stakeholder participation. Stakeholders received feedback with the results, and we hope to have contributed to the discussion and implementation of ATM research and policy priorities in LAC. PMID:24965383

Schistosomiasis Prevalence and Intensity of Infection in Latin America and the Caribbean Countries, 1942-2014: A Systematic Review in the Context of a Regional Elimination Goal

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background In 2012 the World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA65.21 on elimination of schistosomiasis, calling for increased investment in schistosomiasis control and support for countries to initiate elimination programs. This study aims to analyze prevalence and intensity of Schistosoma mansoni infection in children in Latin America and the Caribbean countries and territories (LAC), at the second administrative level or lower. Methodology A systematic review of schistosomiasis prevalence and intensity of infection was conducted by searching at PubMed, LILACS and EMBASE. Experts on the topic were informally consulted and institutional web pages were reviewed (PAHO/WHO, Ministries of Health). Only SCH infection among children was registered because it can be a ‘proxi-indicator’ of recent transmission by the time the study is conducted. Principal Findings One hundred thirty two full-text articles met the inclusion criteria and provided 1,242 prevalence and 199 intensity of infection data points. Most of them were from Brazil (69.7%). Only Brazil published studies after 2001, showing several 'hot spots' with high prevalence. Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname and Saint Lucia need to update the epidemiological status of schistosomiasis to re-design their national programs and target the elimination of Schistosoma mansoni transmission by 2020. In Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat and Puerto Rico schistosomiasis transmission may be interrupted. However the compilation of an elimination dossier and follow-up surveys, per WHO recommendations, are needed to verify that status. Hence, the burden of subtle SCH chronic infection may be still present and even high in countries that may have eliminated transmission. Heterogeneity in the methodologies used for monitoring and evaluating the progress of the schistosomiasis programs was found, making cross-national and chronological comparisons difficult. Conclusions There is a need for updating the schistosomiasis status in the historically endemic countries and territories in LAC to address the required public health interventions for control and elimination programs or to verify the elimination of transmission of Schistosoma mansoni. Improved reporting and standardization of the monitoring and evaluation methodologies used are recommended, while using available WHO guidelines. Meeting a regional elimination goal will require additional and improved epidemiological data by age group and sex. PMID:27007193

Factors associated with presenting late or with advanced HIV disease in the Netherlands, 1996–2014: results from a national observational cohort

PubMed Central

Op de Coul, Eline L M; van Sighem, Ard; Brinkman, Kees; van Benthem, Birgit H; van der Ende, Marchina E; Geerlings, Suzanne; Reiss, Peter

2016-01-01

Objectives Early testing for HIV and entry into care are crucial to optimise treatment outcomes of HIV-infected patients and to prevent spread of HIV. We examined risk factors for presentation with late or advanced disease in HIV-infected patients in the Netherlands. Methods HIV-infected patients registered in care between January 1996 and June 2014 were selected from the ATHENA national observational HIV cohort. Risk factors for late presentation and advanced disease were analysed by multivariable logistic regression. Furthermore, geographical differences and time trends were examined. Results Of 20 965 patients, 53% presented with late-stage HIV infection, and 35% had advanced disease. Late presentation decreased from 62% (1996) to 42% (2013), while advanced disease decreased from 46% to 26%. Late presentation only declined significantly among men having sex with men (MSM; p <0.001), but not among heterosexual males (p=0.08) and females (p=0.73). Factors associated with late presentation were: heterosexual male (adjusted OR (aOR), 1.59; 95% CI 1.44 to 1.75 vs MSM), injecting drug use (2.00; CI 1.69 to 2.38), age ≥50 years (1.46; CI 1.33 to 1.60 vs 30–49 years), region of origin (South-East Asia 2.14; 1.80 to 2.54, sub-Saharan Africa 2.11; 1.88 to 2.36, Surinam 1.59; 1.37 to 1.84, Caribbean 1.31; 1.13 to 1.53, Latin America 1.23; 1.04 to 1.46 vs the Netherlands), and location of HIV diagnosis (hospital 3.27; 2.94 to 3.63, general practitioner 1.66; 1.50 to 1.83, antenatal screening 1.76; 1.38 to 2.34 vs sexually transmitted infection clinic). No association was found for socioeconomic status or level of urbanisation. Compared with Amsterdam, 2 regions had higher adjusted odds and 2 regions had lower odds of late presentation. Results were highly similar for advanced disease. Conclusions Although the overall rate of late presentation is declining in the Netherlands, targeted programmes to reduce late HIV diagnoses remain needed for all risk groups, but should be prioritised for heterosexual males, migrant populations, people aged ≥50 years and certain regions in the Netherlands. PMID:26729389

Schistosomiasis Prevalence and Intensity of Infection in Latin America and the Caribbean Countries, 1942-2014: A Systematic Review in the Context of a Regional Elimination Goal.

PubMed

Zoni, Ana Clara; Catalá, Laura; Ault, Steven K

2016-03-01

In 2012 the World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA65.21 on elimination of schistosomiasis, calling for increased investment in schistosomiasis control and support for countries to initiate elimination programs. This study aims to analyze prevalence and intensity of Schistosoma mansoni infection in children in Latin America and the Caribbean countries and territories (LAC), at the second administrative level or lower. A systematic review of schistosomiasis prevalence and intensity of infection was conducted by searching at PubMed, LILACS and EMBASE. Experts on the topic were informally consulted and institutional web pages were reviewed (PAHO/WHO, Ministries of Health). Only SCH infection among children was registered because it can be a 'proxi-indicator' of recent transmission by the time the study is conducted. One hundred thirty two full-text articles met the inclusion criteria and provided 1,242 prevalence and 199 intensity of infection data points. Most of them were from Brazil (69.7%). Only Brazil published studies after 2001, showing several 'hot spots' with high prevalence. Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname and Saint Lucia need to update the epidemiological status of schistosomiasis to re-design their national programs and target the elimination of Schistosoma mansoni transmission by 2020. In Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat and Puerto Rico schistosomiasis transmission may be interrupted. However the compilation of an elimination dossier and follow-up surveys, per WHO recommendations, are needed to verify that status. Hence, the burden of subtle SCH chronic infection may be still present and even high in countries that may have eliminated transmission. Heterogeneity in the methodologies used for monitoring and evaluating the progress of the schistosomiasis programs was found, making cross-national and chronological comparisons difficult. There is a need for updating the schistosomiasis status in the historically endemic countries and territories in LAC to address the required public health interventions for control and elimination programs or to verify the elimination of transmission of Schistosoma mansoni. Improved reporting and standardization of the monitoring and evaluation methodologies used are recommended, while using available WHO guidelines. Meeting a regional elimination goal will require additional and improved epidemiological data by age group and sex.

Development of a genetic sexing strain in Bactrocera carambolae (Diptera: Tephritidae) by introgression of sex sorting components from B. dorsalis, Salaya1 strain

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The carambola fruit fly, Bactrocera carambolae Drew & Hancock is a high profile key pest that is widely distributed in the southwestern ASEAN region. In addition, it has trans-continentally invaded Suriname, where it has been expanding east and southward since 1975. This fruit fly belongs to Bactrocera dorsalis species complex. The development and application of a genetic sexing strain (Salaya1) of B. dorsalis sensu stricto (s.s.) (Hendel) for the sterile insect technique (SIT) has improved the fruit fly control. However, matings between B. dorsalis s.s. and B. carambolae are incompatible, which hinder the application of the Salaya1 strain to control the carambola fruit fly. To solve this problem, we introduced genetic sexing components from the Salaya1 strain into the B. carambolae genome by interspecific hybridization. Results Morphological characteristics, mating competitiveness, male pheromone profiles, and genetic relationships revealed consistencies that helped to distinguish Salaya1 and B. carambolae strains. A Y-autosome translocation linking the dominant wild-type allele of white pupae gene and a free autosome carrying a recessive white pupae homologue from the Salaya1 strain were introgressed into the gene pool of B. carambolae. A panel of Y-pseudo-linked microsatellite loci of the Salaya1 strain served as markers for the introgression experiments. This resulted in a newly derived genetic sexing strain called Salaya5, with morphological characteristics corresponding to B. carambolae. The rectal gland pheromone profile of Salaya5 males also contained a distinctive component of B. carambolae. Microsatellite DNA analyses confirmed the close genetic relationships between the Salaya5 strain and wild B. carambolae populations. Further experiments showed that the sterile males of Salaya5 can compete with wild males for mating with wild females in field cage conditions. Conclusions Introgression of sex sorting components from the Salaya1 strain to a closely related B. carambolae strain generated a new genetic sexing strain, Salaya5. Morphology-based taxonomic characteristics, distinctive pheromone components, microsatellite DNA markers, genetic relationships, and mating competitiveness provided parental baseline data and validation tools for the new strain. The Salaya5 strain shows a close similarity with those features in the wild B. carambolae strain. In addition, mating competitiveness tests suggested that Salaya5 has a potential to be used in B. carambolae SIT programs based on male-only releases. PMID:25471905

Morphological and molecular characterization of Isospora neochmiae n. sp. in a captive-bred red-browed finch (Neochmia temporalis) (Latham, 1802).

PubMed

Yang, Rongchang; Brice, Belinda; Ryan, Una

2016-07-01

A new Isospora (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) species is described from a single red-browed finch (Neochmia temporalis) (subspecies N. temporalis temporalis), that was part of a captive population in Western Australia. Sporulated oocysts of this isolate are spherical, 18.3 (18.2-18.9) × 18.2 (18.2-18.6) μm, with a shape index (length/width) of 1.0; and a smooth and bilayered oocyst wall, 1.2 μm thick (outer layer 0.9 μm, inner 0.3 μm). A polar granule is present, but the oocyst residuum and a micropyle are absent. The sporocysts are ovoid-shaped, 13.3 (9.5-16.4) × 8.6 (6.8-10.0) μm, with a shape index of 1.5. An indistinct Stieda body is present, but the substieda body is absent. A sporocyst residuum is present and composed of numerous granules of different size scattered among the sporozoites. Morphologically, the oocysts from this isolate are different from those of all known valid Isospora spp. Molecular analysis was conducted at 4 loci; the 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COI) gene and the heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) gene. At the 18S locus, this new isolate exhibited 99.9%, 99.8%, 99.7%, and 99.5% similarity to I. sp. MAH-2013a from a superb starling (Lamprotornis superbus), I. MS-2003 from a Southern cape sparrow (Passer melanurus), I. sp. Tokyo from a domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) and I. MS-2003 from a Surinam crested oropendula (Psarocolius decumanus). At the 28S locus, this new isolate exhibited 99.7% similarity to both an Isospora sp (MS-2003) from a Northern house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and an Isospora sp. (MS-2003) from a Southern cape sparrow. At the COI locus, this new isolate exhibited 98.9% similarity to an Isospora sp. ex Apodemus flavicollis. At the hsp70 locus, this new isolate exhibited 99% similarity to isolate MS-2003 (AY283879) from a wattled starling (Creatophora cinerea). Based on morphological and molecular data, this isolate is a new species of Isospora, which is named Isospora neochmiae n. sp. after its host, the red-browed finch (Neochmia temporalis). Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with presenting late or with advanced HIV disease in the Netherlands, 1996-2014: results from a national observational cohort.

PubMed

Op de Coul, Eline L M; van Sighem, Ard; Brinkman, Kees; van Benthem, Birgit H; van der Ende, Marchina E; Geerlings, Suzanne; Reiss, Peter

2016-01-04

Early testing for HIV and entry into care are crucial to optimise treatment outcomes of HIV-infected patients and to prevent spread of HIV. We examined risk factors for presentation with late or advanced disease in HIV-infected patients in the Netherlands. HIV-infected patients registered in care between January 1996 and June 2014 were selected from the ATHENA national observational HIV cohort. Risk factors for late presentation and advanced disease were analysed by multivariable logistic regression. Furthermore, geographical differences and time trends were examined. Of 20,965 patients, 53% presented with late-stage HIV infection, and 35% had advanced disease. Late presentation decreased from 62% (1996) to 42% (2013), while advanced disease decreased from 46% to 26%. Late presentation only declined significantly among men having sex with men (MSM; p <0.001), but not among heterosexual males (p=0.08) and females (p=0.73). Factors associated with late presentation were: heterosexual male (adjusted OR (aOR), 1.59; 95% CI 1.44 to 1.75 vs MSM), injecting drug use (2.00; CI 1.69 to 2.38), age ≥ 50 years (1.46; CI 1.33 to 1.60 vs 30-49 years), region of origin (South-East Asia 2.14; 1.80 to 2.54, sub-Saharan Africa 2.11; 1.88 to 2.36, Surinam 1.59; 1.37 to 1.84, Caribbean 1.31; 1.13 to 1.53, Latin America 1.23; 1.04 to 1.46 vs the Netherlands), and location of HIV diagnosis (hospital 3.27; 2.94 to 3.63, general practitioner 1.66; 1.50 to 1.83, antenatal screening 1.76; 1.38 to 2.34 vs sexually transmitted infection clinic). No association was found for socioeconomic status or level of urbanisation. Compared with Amsterdam, 2 regions had higher adjusted odds and 2 regions had lower odds of late presentation. Results were highly similar for advanced disease. Although the overall rate of late presentation is declining in the Netherlands, targeted programmes to reduce late HIV diagnoses remain needed for all risk groups, but should be prioritised for heterosexual males, migrant populations, people aged ≥ 50 years and certain regions in the Netherlands. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Medicinal chemistry of antischistosomal drugs: Praziquantel and oxamniquine.

PubMed

da Silva, Vinícius Barros Ribeiro; Campos, Bruna Rafaella Koresch Leiva; de Oliveira, Jamerson Ferreira; Decout, Jean-Luc; do Carmo Alves de Lima, Maria

2017-07-01

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of diseases that, besides prevailing in poverty conditions, contribute to the maintenance of social inequality, being a strong barrier to a country development. Schistosomiasis, a NTD, is a tropical and subtropical disease caused by the trematode Schistosoma mansoni (Africa, Middle East, Caribbean, Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname), japonicum (China, Indonesia, the Philippines), mekongi (several districts of Cambodia and the Lao People's Democratic Republic), intercalatum and guianensis (areas of tropical rainforests in Central Africa) and hematobium (Middle East Africa, Corsica, France) whose adult forms inhabit the mesenteric vessels of the host, while the intermediate forms are found in the aquatic gastropod snails of the genus Biomphalaria. Currently, praziquantel (PZQ) is the first line drug chosen for the treatment of schistosomiasis according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Model List of Essential Medicines, 2015. PZQ chemotherapy is considered to be the most important development for decades in the treatment of schistosomiasis. Beside the PZQ, oxamniquine (OXA) has been first described in 1969 and launched in Brazil by Pfizer under the name of Mansil® for oral administration. It has a lower cost when compared to PZQ, being active in the intestinal and hepatosplenic infections caused exclusively by S. mansoni, single species in Brazil. Both PZQ and OXA have limitations, as low efficacy in the treatment of acute schistosomiasis, low activity against S. mansoni in immature stages and resistance or tolerance, which is the reason why further research are still necessary for the development of a second generation of antischistosomal drugs. For the development of new PZQ analogs, three main strategies can be adopted: (a) synthesis and evaluation of PZQ analogues; (b) rational design of new pharmacophores; (c) discovery of new active compounds from screening programs on a large scale. Such (b) approach is difficult as the target of PZQ still unknown, the synthesis of new active analogues is possible from delineation of structure-activity relationships for PZQ. Thus, we proposed for a review article an accurate analysis of PZQ and OXA medicinal properties and uses, focusing on the pharmacochemical aspects of both drugs through 178 bibliographic references. The mechanisms of action will be discussed, with the latest information available in the literature (for the first time in the case of the oxamniquine). Cases of resistance are also discussed. As both drugs are available as a racemic mixture the biological impact of their stereochemistry to activity and side effects are reviewed. The results obtained for the combination of PZQ and artemisinin derivatives against immature worms are also introduced in the discussion. Using the information about more than 200 PZQ new derivatives synthetized during almost 35years since its discovery, a deep structure-activity relationship (SAR) is also proposed in this study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Precolombian settlements in French Guiana : geoarchaeological approach toward a new understanding of the human impact on landscape.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brancier, J.; Cammas, C.; Todisco, D.; Fouache, E.

2012-04-01

Recent archaeological research in French Guiana conducted by INRAP (Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives), specifically in the Couac Program (Cirad, Inra, Inrap) revealed precolombian settlements on different geomorphic contexts like coastal and fluvial areas, as is seen in Brazil, but also what seems to be quite a dense occupation on higher grounds (mounds). Most of the times, the excavation shows cultural remains like pottery, archaeological pits and ditches, as well as sediments that are described by the archaeologists as "thick and dark-coloured layers". In Brazil, dark layers found in archaeological sites are called Terra Preta do Indio or Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE), and their study is thought necessary to explain and understand ancient human settlement. In Brazil, geoarchaeological methods as well as chemical analyses, pedology and micromorphology helped to describe ADE and understand their archaeological potential and characteristics. In order to better understand the French Guiana dark layers, we studied two sites from the estuarine zone of the lower Maroni River (Surinam border) (Chemin Saint Louis and Balaté at Saint Laurent du Maroni), and two ring-ditched hilltop sites, on ferralsols, in the interfluvial forest area ("Montagnes Couronnées" in French) (MC 87 et 88, near Regina). Regarding Brazilians research on ADE, we described for the first time the archaeological stratigraphy of French Guiana ancient settlement using a geoarchaeological approach combining biogeochemistry, pedology in correlation with micromorphological analyses. Our first results show that dark layers from archaeological sites studied are very different from natural soils underneath in the estuarine zone. Although, the pH is quite low, micromorphological analyses show clay coatings in the alluvial terrace before human settlement. These analyses also show more organic matter and charcoals in the archaeological layers than beneath, and very large amounts of phytolithes, that give to botanists a new way of research. Due to either the acid context and / or to the ancient lifestyle, very few bones were found. We also found geochemical and micromorphological differences between the sites in the estuarine zone or in forest area. First geoarchaeological results give information about the nature of the sites, and suggest that French Guiana dark layers have original properties. We therefore suggest, in accordance with the archaeologist team, to call them Guianan Dark Earth (GDE). If we compare the GDE of this study with data from bibliographic review on ADE, micromorphological analyses show that GDE presents less anthropogenic components than ADE. Chemical analyses also show differences between GDE and ADE, like pH and available nutrients, lower in estuarine GDE. These differences suggested that GDE can have different properties than those of ADE, but are nonetheless part of the archaeological soils of the Amazonian basin.

Regional Impacts of Climate Change on the Amazon Rainforest: 2080-2100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, K. H.; Vizy, E. K.

2006-12-01

A regional climate model with resolution of 60 km is coupled with a potential vegetation model to simulate future climate over South America. The following steps are taken to effectively communicate the results across disciplines and to make them useful to the policy and impacts communities: the simulation is aimed at a particular time period (2081-2100), the climate change results are translated into changes in vegetation distribution, and the results are reported on regional space scales relative to political boundaries. In addition, the model validation in clearly presented to provide perspective on uncertainty for the prognosis. The model reproduces today's climate and vegetation over tropical and subtropical South America accurately. In simulations of the future, the model is forced by the IPCC's A2 scenario of future emissions, which assumes that CO2 emissions continue to grow at essentially today's rate throughout the 21st century, reaching 757 ppmv averaged over 2081-2100. The model is constrained on its lateral boundaries by atmospheric conditions simulated by a global climate model, applied as anomalies to present day conditions, and predicted changes in sea surface temperatures. The extent of the Amazon rainforest is reduced by about 70 per cent in the simulation, and the shrubland (caatinga) vegetation of Brazil's Nordeste region spreads westward and southward well into the continental interior. Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina lose all of their rainforest vegetation, and Brazil and Peru lose most of it. The surviving rain forest is concentrated near the equator. Columbia's rainforest survives largely intact and, along the northern coast, Venezuela and French Guiana suffer relatively small reductions. The loss in Guyana and Surinam is 30-50 per cent. Much of the rainforest in the central Amazon north of about 15S is replaced by savanna vegetation, but in southern Bolivia, northern Paraguay, and southern Brazil, grasslands take the place of the rainforest. Over a large portion of eastern Brazil, present day savanna is replaced by shrubland as the so-called caatinga vegetation of the Nordeste region spreads, and the present day caatinga vegetation is replaced by barren land. The simulated changes in vegetation are caused by changes in moisture, not temperature. Reductions in annual mean precipitation are widespread and rainfall becomes insufficient to support the rainforest in these regions, but some areas receive more precipitation. The length of the dry season increases in the central and southern Amazon in association with changes in the global-scale tropical Hadley circulation. Without this change in seasonality, local "refugia" of Amazon vegetation would be preserved and the retreat of the rainforest would be somewhat less extensive.

Moniliophthora perniciosa, the causal agent of witches' broom disease of cacao: what's new from this old foe?

PubMed

Meinhardt, Lyndel W; Rincones, Johana; Bailey, Bryan A; Aime, M Catherine; Griffith, Gareth W; Zhang, Dapeng; Pereira, Gonçalo A G

2008-09-01

Moniliophthora perniciosa (=Crinipellis perniciosa) causes one of the three main fungal diseases of Theobroma cacao (cacao), the source of chocolate. This pathogen causes Witches' broom disease (WBD) and has brought about severe economic losses in all of the cacao-growing regions to which it has spread with yield reductions that range from 50 to 90%. Cacao production in South America reflects the severity of this pathogen, as the yields in most of the infected regions have not returned to pre-outbreak levels, even with the introduction of resistant varieties. In this review we give a brief historical account and summarize the current state of knowledge focusing on developments in the areas of systematics, fungal physiology, biochemistry, genomics and gene expression in an attempt to highlight this disease. Moniliophthora perniciosa is a hemibiotrophic fungus with two distinct growth phases. The ability to culture a biotrophic-like phase in vitro along with new findings derived from the nearly complete genome and expression studies clearly show that these different fungal growth phases function under distinct metabolic parameters. These new findings have greatly improved our understanding of this fungal/host interaction and we may be at the crossroads of understanding how hemibiotrophic fungal plant pathogens cause disease in other crops. The first WDB symptoms appear to have been described in the diaries of Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira (described as lagartão; meaning big lizard) from his observations of cacao trees in 1785 and 1787 in Amazonia, which is consistent with the generally accepted idea that M. perniciosa, like its main host T. cacao, evolved in this region. The disease subsequently arrived in Surinam in 1895. WBD moved rapidly, spreading to Guyana in 1906, Ecuador in 1918, Trinidad in 1928, Colombia in 1929 and Grenada in 1948. In each case, cacao production was catastrophically affected with yield reductions of 50-90%. After the arrival of M. perniciosa in Bahia in 1989, Brazil went from being the world's 3rd largest producer of cacao (347 000 tonnes in 1988-1990; c. 15% of the total world production at that time) to a net importer (141 000 tonnes in 1998-2000). Fortunately for chocolate lovers, other regions of the world such as West Africa and South East Asia have not yet been affected by this disease and have expanded production to meet growing world demand (predicted to reach 3 700 000 tonnes by 2010). Moniliophthora perniciosa (Stahel) Aime & Phillips-Mora: super-kingdom Eukaryota; kingdom Fungi; phylum Basidiomycota; subphylum Agaricomycotina; class Agaricomycetes; subclass Agaricomycetidae; order Agaricales; family Marasmiaceae; genus Moniliophthora. http://www.lge.ibi.unicamp.br/vassoura/, http://nt.ars-grin.gov/taxadescriptions/keys/TrichodermaIndex.cfm, http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/info-center/research-updates.asp, http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/psi/spcl.

The role of fluvial sediment supply and river-mouth hydrology in the dynamics of the muddy, Amazon-dominated Amapá-Guianas coast, South America: A three-point research agenda

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anthony, Edward J.; Gardel, Antoine; Proisy, Christophe; Fromard, François; Gensac, Erwan; Peron, Christina; Walcker, Romain; Lesourd, Sandric

2013-07-01

The morphology and sediment dynamics of the 1500 km-long coast of South America between the mouths of the Amazon and the Orinoco Rivers are largely dependent on the massive suspended-sediment discharge of the Amazon, part of which is transported alongshore as mud banks. These mud banks have an overwhelming impact on the geology, the geomorphology, the ecology and the economy of this coast. Although numerous field investigations and remote sensing studies have considerably enhanced our understanding of the dynamics of this coast over the last three decades, much still remains to be understood of the unique functional mechanisms and processes driving its evolution. Among the themes that we deem as requiring further attention three come out as fundamental. The first concerns the mechanisms of formation of individual mud banks from mud streaming on the shelf off the mouth of the Amazon. An unknown quantity of the fluid mud generated by offshore estuarine front activity is transported shoreward and progressively forms mud banks on the Amapá coast, Brazil. The volume of each mud bank can contain from the equivalent of the annual mud supply of the Amazon to several times this annual sediment discharge. The mechanisms by which individual banks are generated from the Amazon turbidity maximum are still to be elucidated. Areas of research include regional mesoscale oceanographic conditions and mud supply from the Amazon. The second theme is that of variations in rates of migration of mud banks, which influence patterns of coastal accretion. Research emphasis needs to be placed on the analysis of both regional meteorological-hydrodynamic forcing and distant Atlantic forcing, as well as on the hydrology of the large rivers draining the Guyana Shield. The rivers appear to generate significant offshore deflection of mud banks in transit alongshore, through a hydraulic-groyne effect. This may favour both muddy accretion on the updrift coast and downdrift mud liquefaction with probably lessened muddy deposition. The third theme concerns sand supply by the Guiana Shield rivers. The rare sand deposits are important in providing sites for human settlements and routes and for nesting by marine turtles. The limited presence of sand bodies on this coast may reflect 'mud blanketing', a hypothesis that requires verification through high-resolution seismic analyses of shelf deposits and coring operations. The large Guiana Shield rivers, especially in Surinam and Guyana, have supplied sand for the construction of significant bands of cheniers, probably enhanced by the afore-mentioned downdrift hydraulic-groyne effect on hindered mud deposition. In all the three themes of this future research agenda, two central elements are the sediment input of the rivers of the Amazon basin, starting with the massive mud supply from the Amazon catchment itself, followed by sand inputs by the Guiana Shield rivers and their river-mouth effects on mud banks.

Climate change, allergy and asthma, and the role of tropical forests.

PubMed

D'Amato, Gennaro; Vitale, Carolina; Rosario, Nelson; Neto, Herberto Josè Chong; Chong-Silva, Deborah Carla; Mendonça, Francisco; Perini, Josè; Landgraf, Loraine; Solé, Dirceu; Sánchez-Borges, Mario; Ansotegui, Ignacio; D'Amato, Maria

2017-01-01

Tropical forests cover less than 10 per cent of all land area (1.8 × 107 km 2 ) and over half of the tropical-forest area (1.1 × 107 Km 2 ) is represented by humid tropical forests (also called tropical rainforests). The Amazon basin contains the largest rainforest on Earth, almost 5.8 million km 2 , and occupies about 40% of South America; more than 60% of the basin is located in Brazil and the rest in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Over the past decade the positive role of tropical rainforests in capturing large amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) has been demonstrated. In response to the increase in atmospheric CO 2 concentration, tropical forests act as a global carbon sink. Accumulation of carbon in the tropical terrestrial biosphere strongly contributes to slowing the rate of increase of CO 2 into the atmosphere, thus resulting in the reduction of greenhouse gas effect. Tropical rainforests have been estimated to account for 32-36% of terrestrial Net Primary Productivity (NPP) that is the difference between total forest photosynthesis and plant respiration. Tropical rainforests have been acting as a strong carbon sink in this way for decades. However, over the past years, increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, and especially CO 2 , in the atmosphere have significantly affected the net carbon balance of tropical rainforests, and have warmed the planet substantially driving climate changes through more severe and prolonged heat waves, variability in temperature, increased air pollution, forest fires, droughts, and floods. The role of tropical forests in mitigating climate change is therefore critical. Over the past 30 years almost 600,000 km 2 have been deforested in Brazil alone due to the rapid development of Amazonia, this is the reason why currently the region is one of the 'hotspots' of global environmental change on the planet. Deforestation represents the second largest anthropogenic source of CO 2 to the atmosphere, after fossil fuel combustion. There are many causes of deforestation, including socioeconomic and natural factors, such as clear-cutting for agriculture, ranching and development, unsustainable logging for timber, as well as droughts, fires and degradation due to climate change. About natural causes of forest degradation, in the context of the Amazon, the major agent of change in the forest ecosystem would most likely be decreased dry-season precipitation. Of the 23 global climate models employed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in their 2007 report, 50-70% predict a substantial (above 20%) reduction of dry-season rainfall in eastern Amazonia under mid-range greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, 40% in central Amazonia and 20% in the west. While annual carbon emissions from fossil-fuel combustion have been continually increasing since 1960s, historical trends of deforestation and associated carbon emissions have remained poorly understood.

Quantifying the risk of deforestation in Latin America and the Caribbean.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manners, Rhys; Varela-Ortega, Consuelo

2015-04-01

Latin American and Caribbean countries have seen considerable deforestation due to a complex web of interconnected and interdependent causes, which include agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, social demographics and governmental policies and activity. It is necessary for successful and efficient policy development to understand how variability in these causes can potentially result in increased or decreased deforestation. The purpose of this study is to develop a tool that can quantify the risk, as in the threat or pressure, of potential deforestation, whilst identifying the key indicators that contribute to this risk. This tool will take the form of a composite index that will provide spatial and temporal trends of deforestation risk across Latin America and the Caribbean. The development of the Deforestation Risk Index (DRI) was based upon work performed in the EU project ROBIN1. Indicators of deforestation included in the index were identified based upon the multi-scalar approach adopted in ROBIN- nationally from principal component analysis and econometric modelling, provincially from extensive interviews with experts and farmers (subsistence and commercial) in Amazonian regions of Bolivia and Brazil, and locally from stakeholder workshops in Bolivia, Brazil and Mexico. The identification process was supported by an extensive literature review. In total, 11 indicators were identified and grouped into four components (biophysical, economic, governance and social) capable of explaining the risk of deforestation in Latin America and Caribbean countries. The DRI was calculated for 24 Latin American and Caribbean countries in the years 2000, 2005 and 2010 using national-level data collected from open access databases (FAOStat, WorldBank and UNDP). The DRI was subjected to two weighting schemes; the first based upon the opinions of experts from ROBIN (weighted biophysical and governance components heavily), and the second developed from the results of the ROBIN stakeholder workshops (heavily weighted the governance component). The results from the DRI were categorised as; low risk, moderate risk, at risk, elevated risk, high risk and extreme risk. The DRI demonstrated that in over 60% of countries, the risk of deforestation reduced between 2000-2010 with Belize, Costa Rica, Guyana and Venezuela being notable exceptions. Countries that saw reductions in their risk did so through economic growth (per capita GDP), institutional development (governmental effectiveness and regulatory quality), as well reductions in the scale of agricultural expansion. Despite the general trend towards lower risk, Amazonian countries were still found to be subject to potential deforestation. Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana and Suriname were estimated to have an elevated risk of deforestation, with Brazil, Colombia and Peru considered to be at risk in 2010. The DRI provides an innovative, potentially multi-scalar tool, that can be used by national policy makers to identify where policies should be developed and directed, where specific measures in international programs such as REDD/+ could be most effectively pursued, and for international policy makers to identify and to tailor development or aid packages that reduce rather than contribute to deforestation.

Rapid shoreline erosion induced by human impacts in a tropical muddy coast context, an example from western French Guiana.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunier, Guillaume; Anthony, Edward; Gardel, Antoine

2015-04-01

The Guyanas coast (French Guiana, Surinam and Guiana) is the longest muddy coast in the world (1500 km). It is under the influence of mud banks in transit from the Amazon delta in Brazil to the Orinoco delta in Venezuela. This westward mud bank migration induces a strong geomorphic control on the shoreline which can be summarized in terms of "bank" (shoreline advance and wave energy dissipation) and "inter-bank" phases (erosion of shoreline by waves). Our study site, rice polders close to Mana city (western French Guiana), is a fine example of the exacerbation, by human activities, of the erosional dynamics on this muddy coast during an "inter-bank" phase. The polders cover 50,000 ha, in 200 x 600 m compartments flanked by earth dikes and canals. They were built in the muddy Holocene coastal plain in the 1980s and are rapidly eroding. Waves (mean significant height = 1.5 m height) comprise Atlantic swell and local trade wind-waves, and the tidal context is semi-diurnal and meso-tidal. We determined historical shoreline evolution from satellite (Landsat & SPOT) and orthophotography images, and conducted four field campaigns between October 2013 and October 2014, comprising topographic (RTK-DGPS) and hydrodynamic (pressure sensors) measurements. The results show intense erosion of 150 m/year affecting the polders since 2001, and lesser retreat (30 to 100 m/year) of the adjacent sectors colonized by mangrove forests. The erosive shoreface shows the same structure in each polder compartment: a chenier beach which freely retreats backwards under the influence of wave overwash. The chenier retreat rate is 100 m/year and it appears to be more intense (net retreat of 45 m) during the high wave-energy season (December to March), which generates more overwashing. In front of the chenier, we observed a large (50 m) inter-tidal mud bed showing different levels of induration and bioturbation by mangrove roots. The mud shorefaces exhibit an erosion rate of 100 m/year on average during our study, with large spatial variations, ranging from 80 m/year in the western side of the study area, to 150 m/year in the eastern side, which is more exposed to waves. The main erosion process clearly appears to be a differential and mechanic one determined by the degree of bioturbation and desiccation (during low tide) of muds layers. Indeed, we observed that breaking wave stresses result in the shearing of large mud blocks from networks of bioturbated alveolar and desiccation faults, producing large erosion scars and scarps. These erosional processes are reinforced by the polder engineering structures. Cross-shore dikes segment the shoreline and chenier deposits, and also enhance wave reflection. The absence of mangrove colonization in these empoldered areas also implies that cheniers are not fixed by vegetation and are therefore subject to free and rapid retreat. These polders are therefore likely to be completely eroded in the coming years, illustrating short-sightedness in the use and management of these muddy coastal lands.

Measurements of OH and HO2 Radicals and OH Reactivity at Tropical Locations Using Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furneaux, K. L.; Whalley, L. K.; Edwards, P.; Goddard, A.; Ingham, T.; Evans, M. J.; Heard, D. E.

2009-04-01

The OH radical is the dominant daytime oxidant in the atmosphere. Together with the closely coupled HO2 radical, these two species (termed HOx) play an important role in determining the composition of the atmosphere. Tropical latitudes are active regions of atmospheric chemistry due to high solar radiation, humidity and temperature. For these reasons, field measurements of HOx in the tropics are crucial to improve understanding of atmospheric chemistry through model - measurement comparisons. Due to the low number of HOx measurements in the tropics, these comparisons are sparse. An aircraft campaign over the pristine Amazon rainforest found HOx concentrations to be high1,2. It has been proposed that this is due to a previously overlooked OH recycling mechanism via the oxidation of isoprene1,2. The need to determine if this is ubiquitous across tropical rainforest regions is necessary. The Leeds FAGE instrument was deployed at the Bukit Atur Global Atmospheric Watch Station, Borneo (5.0N, 117.8E) from April - July 2008 as part of the OP3 project (Oxidant and Particle Photochemical Processes above a South-East Asian tropical rainforest) to measure OH and HO2 concentrations and the OH chemical lifetime by Fluorescence Assay by Gas Expansion (FAGE). These measurements represent the first ground based [HOx] measurements in a tropical rainforest. Chemical activity differed significantly throughout the measurement period. HOx concentrations were elevated in July (average peak [OH] = 5.3 ×106 molecule cm-3) compared to April (average peak [OH] = 2.5 ×106 molecule cm-3), attributed to higher OH sinks in April. Measurements of the OH chemical lifetime can be used to quantify unknown OH sinks. The OH chemical lifetime displayed a diurnal cycle that correlated with isoprene concentrations. At this site isoprene represents the major OH loss route but there are significant unknown fractions. Model calculations result in an under prediction of HOx when measured sinks are included, indicating a missing HOx source. Both OH and HO2 were observed at night. Measurements of HOx at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory (16.9N, 24.9W) were made from May - June 2007 as part of the RHaMBLe (Reactive Halogens in the Marine Boundary Layer) programme. The site is located adjacent to the ocean with an absence of macro algae, providing conditions analogous to open ocean, clean marine air. However, background tropical conditions were not dictated by simple chemistry. Peak OH and HO2 concentrations were 9 × 106 molecule cm-3 and 6 ×108 molecule cm-3, respectively. HO2 was observed at night between 5 - 20 × 106 molecule cm-3. Modelling studies determined oxygenated-VOCs and halogen chemistry to play an important role in HOx chemistry. A comparison of HOx measurements at tropical open ocean and tropical rainforest locations shows that HOx chemistry varies greatly throughout the tropics. Higher HOx sinks in tropical rainforest environments result in a decrease of HOx compared to the tropical open ocean. 1. Lelieveld, J., T. M. Butler, et al. (2008). Atmospheric oxidation capacity sustained by a tropical forest, Nature, 452(7188): 737-740. 2. Martinez, M., Harder, H., et al. (2008). Hydroxyl radicals in the tropical troposphere over the Suriname rainforest: airborne measurements, ACPD, 8, 15491-15536.

Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of Avicularia Lamarck, 1818 (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Aviculariinae) with description of three new aviculariine genera

PubMed Central

Fukushima, Caroline Sayuri; Bertani, Rogério

2017-01-01

Abstract The genus Avicularia Lamarck, 1818 is revised and all species are rediagnosed. The type species, described as Aranea avicularia Linnaeus, 1758, is the oldest mygalomorph species described and its taxonomic history is extensive and confusing. Cladistic analyses using both equal and implied weights were carried out with a matrix of 46 taxa from seven theraphosid subfamilies, and 71 morphological and ecological characters. The optimal cladogram found with Piwe and concavity = 6 suggests Avicularia and Aviculariinae are monophyletic. Subfamily Aviculariinae includes Avicularia Lamarck, 1818, Typhochlaena C. L. Koch, 1850, Tapinauchenius Ausserer, 1871, Stromatopelma Karsch, 1881, Ephebopus Simon, 1892, Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895, Heteroscodra Pocock, 1899, Iridopelma Pocock, 1901, Pachistopelma Pocock, 1901, Ybyrapora gen. n., Caribena gen. n., and Antillena gen. n. The clade is supported by well-developed scopulae on tarsi and metatarsi, greatly extended laterally. Avicularia synapomorphies are juveniles bearing black tarsi contrasting with other lighter articles; spermathecae with an accentuated outwards curvature medially, and male palpal bulb with embolus medial portion and tegulum’s margin form an acute angle in retrolateral view. Avicularia is composed of twelve species, including three new species: Avicularia avicularia (Linnaeus, 1818), Avicularia glauca Simon, 1891, Avicularia variegata (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896) stat. n., Avicularia minatrix Pocock, 1903, Avicularia taunayi (Mello-Leitão, 1920), Avicularia juruensis Mello-Leitão, 1923, Avicularia rufa Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1945, Avicularia purpurea Kirk, 1990, Avicularia hirschii Bullmer et al. 2006, Avicularia merianae sp. n., Avicularia lynnae sp. n., and Avicularia caei sp. n.. Avicularia species are distributed throughout Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Three new genera are erected to accommodate former Avicularia species: Caribena gen. n., composed of Caribena laeta (C. L. Koch, 1842), comb. n. and Caribena versicolor (Walckenaer, 1837), comb. n.; Antillena gen. n., with a single species, Antillena rickwesti (Bertani & Huff, 2013), comb. n., both from the Caribbean; and Ybyrapora gen. n., composed of Ybyrapora sooretama (Bertani & Fukushima, 2009), comb. n., Ybyrapora gamba (Bertani & Fukushima, 2009), comb. n. and Ybyrapora diversipes (C. L. Koch, 1842), comb. n. from Brazilian rainforest. The subspecies Avicularia avicularia variegata F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896 is elevated to species status, resulting in the combination Avicularia variegata (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896) stat. n.. The following new synonymies are established: Avicularia velutina Simon 1889, Avicularia exilis Strand, 1907, Avicularia ancylochyra Mello-Leitão, 1923, Avicularia cuminami Mello-Leitão, 1930, and Avicularia nigrotaeniata Mello-Leitão, 1940 are junior synonyms of Avicularia avicularia; Avicularia bicegoi Mello-Leitão, 1923 is a junior synonym of Avicularia variegata stat. n., and Avicularia urticans Schmidt, 1994 is a junior synonym of Avicularia juruensis Mello-Leitão, 1923. Species transferred to other genera: Avicularia affinis (Nicolet, 1849) is transferred to Euathlus Ausserer, 1875, making the new combination Euathlus affinis (Nicolet, 1849), comb. n.; Avicularia subvulpina Strand, 1906 is transferred to Grammostola Simon, 1892, making the new combination Grammostola subvulpina (Strand, 1906), comb. n.; Avicularia aymara (Chamberlin, 1916) is transferred to Thrixopelma Schmidt, 1994, making the new combination Thrixopelma aymara (Chamberlin, 1916), comb. n.; Avicularia leporina (C. L. Koch, 1841) and Avicularia plantaris (C. L. Koch, 1842) are transferred to Iridopelma Pocock, 1901, making the new combinations Iridopelma leporina (C. L. Koch, 1841), comb. n. and Iridopelma plantaris (C. L. Koch, 1842), comb. n.; the two last species are considered nomina dubia. The following species are considered nomina dubia: Avicularia hirsutissima (C. L. Koch, 1842) nomen dubium; Ischnocolus hirsutum Ausserer, 1875 nomen dubium; Ischnocolus gracilis Keyserling, 1891 nomen dubium; Avicularia arabica (Strand, 1908) nomen dubium; Araneus hirtipes (Fabricius, 1787) nomen dubium; Avicularia ochracea (Perty, 1833) nomen dubium; Avicularia walckenaerii (Perty, 1833) nomen dubium; Avicularia testacea (C. L. Koch, 1841) nomen dubium; Avicularia detrita (C. L. Koch, 1842) nomen dubium; Ischnocolus doleschalli Ausserer, 1871 nomen dubium; Avicularia metallica Ausserer, 1875 nomen dubium; Avicularia rapax (Ausserer, 1875) nomen dubium; Avicularia holmbergi Thorell, 1890 nomen dubium; Avicularia aurantiaca Bauer, 1996 nomen dubium; Avicularia azuraklaasi Tesmoingt, 1996 nomen dubium; Avicularia huriana Tesmoingt, 1996 nomen dubium; Avicularia ulrichea Tesmoingt, 1996 nomen dubium; Avicularia braunshauseni Tesmoingt, 1999 nomen dubium; Avicularia geroldi Tesmoingt, 1999 nomen dubium; Avicularia soratae Strand, 1907 nomen dubium; Avicularia fasciculata Strand, 1907 nomen dubium; Avicularia fasciculata clara Strand, 1907 nomen dubium; and Avicularia surinamensis Strand, 1907 nomen dubium. Avicularia vestiaria (De Geer, 1778) is considered nomen nudum. Keys are provided for identification of all aviculariine genera, as well as to Avicularia, Caribena gen. n., Ybyrapora gen. n. and Antillena gen. n. species. Maps with records and information on species habitat are also presented. Lectotypes are newly designed for Avicularia avicularia, Avicularia variegata stat. n., Avicularia juruensis, Caribena laeta comb. n., Euathlus affinis comb. n. and a neotype is established for Caribena versicolor comb. n. PMID:28331414