Resolving a paradox-high mercury deposition, but low bioaccumulation in northeastern Puerto Rico.

Ecotoxicology. 2019 Oct 23;:

Authors: Shanley JB, Marvin-DiPasquale M, Lane O, Arendt W, Hall S, McDowell WH

Abstract
At a "clean air" trade winds site in northeastern Puerto Rico, we found an apparent paradox: atmospheric total mercury (THg) deposition was highest of any site in the USA Mercury Deposition Network, but assimilation into the local food web was quite low. Avian blood THg concentrations (n = 31, from eight species in five foraging guilds) ranged widely from 0.2 to 32 ng g-1 (median of 4.3 ng g-1). Within this population, THg was significantly greater at a low-elevation site near a wetland compared to an upland montane site, even when the comparison was limited to a single species. Overall, however, THg concentrations were approximately an order of magnitude lower than comparable populations in the continental U.S. In surface soil and sediment, potential rates of demethylation were 3 to 9-fold greater than those for Hg(II)-methylation (based on six radiotracer amendment incubations), but rates of change of ambient MeHg pools showed a slight net positive Hg(II)-methylation. Thus, the resolution of the paradox is that MeHg degradation approximately keeps pace with MeHg production in this landscape. Further, any net production of MeHg is subject to frequent flushing by high rainfall on chronically wet soils. The interplay of these microbial processes and hydrology appears to shield the local food web from adverse effects of high atmospheric mercury loading. This scenario may play out in other humid tropical ecosystems as well, but it is difficult to evaluate because coordinated studies of Hg deposition, methylation, and trophic uptake have not been conducted at other tropical sites.

PMID: 31643013 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Monitoring Emergency Department Visits From Puerto Rico in the Aftermath of Hurricane Maria Using Syndromic Surveillance - New York City, 2017.

Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2019 Oct 23;:1-5

Authors: Wong PW, Parton HB

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Syndromic surveillance has been useful for routine surveillance on a variety of health outcomes and for informing situational awareness during public health emergencies. Following the landfall of Hurricane Maria in 2017, the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) implemented an enhanced syndromic surveillance system to characterize related emergency department (ED) visits.
METHODS: ED visits with any mention of specific key words ("Puerto," "Rico," "hurricane," "Maria") in the ED chief complaint or Puerto Rico patient home Zip Code were identified from the DOHMH syndromic surveillance system in the 8-week window leading up to and following landfall. Visit volume comparisons pre- and post-Hurricane Maria were performed using Fisher's exact test.
RESULTS: Analyses identified an overall increase in NYC ED utilization relating to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria landfall. In particular, there was a small but significant increase in visits involving a medication refill or essential medical equipment. Visits for other outcomes, such as mental illness, also increased, but the differences were not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: Gaining this situational awareness of medical service use was informative following Hurricane Maria, and, following any natural disaster, the same surveillance methods could be easily established to aid an effective emergency response.

PMID: 31642419 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Lessons Learned from a Medical Response Team 45 Days Post-Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2019 Oct 23;:1-6

Authors: Gordon JM, Orriola D, Unangst M, Gordon F, Vellon YER

Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Describe the lived experience of a grassroots, nongovernmental disaster medical team (DMT) through a research lens and share practical lessons learned based on the DMT's experience to support and inform future response teams.
METHOD: Forty-five days after Hurricane Maria, a nongovernmental DMT provided primary medical care by means of community-based pop-up clinics and home visitations in 5 different areas of Puerto Rico. Observational data, photo images, and debriefing notes were collected and documented in the response team's daily activity log. Field notes were coded using a descriptive coding method and then categorized into 2 domains specific to public health and medical diagnosis.
RESULTS: Medical aid was provided to nearly 300 (N = 296) residents. Field note observations identified exhaustion related to living conditions and the exacerbation of underlying conditions, such as reactive airway diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and depression due to the compounding effects of multiple post-disaster triggers. During home visitations, feelings of sadness and helplessness were identified secondary to natural disaster trauma and current living conditions.
CONCLUSION: Our nongovernmental DMT displayed similar characteristics demonstrated by federal DMTs post-natural disaster. Several strategic lessons learned emerged from the public health intervention important to future nongovernmental DMTs.

PMID: 31642418 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Colonization history and population differentiation of the Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.) in Puerto Rico.

Ecol Evol. 2019 Oct;9(19):10895-10902

Authors: Acevedo-Gonzalez JP, Galindo-Cardona A, Avalos A, Whitfield CW, Rodriguez DM, Uribe-Rubio JL, Giray T

Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are the primary commercial pollinators across the world. The subspecies A. m. scutellata originated in Africa and was introduced to the Americas in 1956. For the last 60 years, it hybridized successfully with European subspecies, previous residents in the area. The result of this hybridization was called Africanized honey bee (AHB). AHB has spread since then, arriving to Puerto Rico (PR) in 1994. The honey bee population on the island acquired a mosaic of features from AHB or the European honey bee (EHB). AHB in Puerto Rico shows a major distinctive characteristic, docile behavior, and is called gentle Africanized honey bees (gAHB). We used 917 SNPs to examine the population structure, genetic differentiation, origin, and history of range expansion and colonization of gAHB in PR. We compared gAHB to populations that span the current distribution of A. mellifera worldwide. The gAHB population is shown to be a single population that differs genetically from the examined populations of AHB. Texas and PR groups are the closest genetically. Our results support the hypothesis that the Texas AHB population is the source of gAHB in Puerto Rico.

PMID: 31641443 [PubMed]

Phenotypes of Hypertensive Ambulatory Blood Pressure Patterns: Design and Rationale of the ECHORN Hypertension Study.

Ethn Dis. 2019;29(4):535-544

Authors: Spatz ES, Martinez-Brockman JL, Tessier-Sherman B, Mortazavi B, Roy B, Schwartz JI, Nazario CM, Maharaj R, Nunez M, Adams OP, Burg M, Nunez-Smith M, ECHORN Writing Group

Abstract
Objective: To describe the rationale and design of a prospective study of ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM) combined with measurement of contextual factors to identify hypertensive phenotypes in a Caribbean population with high rates of HTN and cardiovascular disease.
Design: Prospective, multi-center sub-study.
Setting: Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network Cohort (ECHORN) Study, with study sites in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados.
Participants: Community-residing adults without a diagnosis of HTN and not taking antihypertensive medication.
Intervention: Ambulatory BP patterns are assessed using 24-hour ABPM. Contextual factors are assessed with: ecological momentary assessment (7-item survey of experiences, exposures and responses associated with daytime BP measurements); actigraphy (capturing physical activity and sleep quality); and self-report surveys (assessing physical and social health, environmental and social stressors and supports).
Main Outcome Measures: Phenotypes of contextual factors associated with hypertensive BP patterns (sustained HTN, masked HTN, and nocturnal non-dipping).
Methods and Results: This study will enroll 500 participants; assessments of blood pressure and contextual factors will be conducted during Waves 2 and 3 of the ECHORN parent study, occurring 2 years apart. In Wave 2, we will assess the association between contextual factors and ABPM patterns. Using advanced analytic clustering methods, we will identify phenotypes of contextual factors associated with hypertensive ABPM patterns. We will then test the stability of these phenotypes and their ability to predict change in ABPM patterns between Waves 2 and 3.
Conclusions: Assessment of ABPM, and the contextual factors influencing ABPM, can identify unique phenotypes of HTN, which can then be used to develop more precision-based approaches to the prevention, detection and treatment of HTN in high-risk populations.

PMID: 31641320 [PubMed - in process]

Warming and pollutants interact to modulate octocoral immunity and shape disease outcomes.

Ecol Appl. 2019 Oct 19;:

Authors: Tracy AM, Weil E, Harvell CD

Abstract
Warming environments can alter the outcome of host-parasite relationships with important consequences for biodiversity. Warming often increases disease risk, and interactions with other environmental factors can intensify impacts by modifying the underlying mechanisms, such as host immunity. In coastal ecosystems, metal pollution is a pervasive stressor that influences disease and immunity in many organisms. Despite the crisis facing coral reefs, which stems in part from warming-associated disease outbreaks, the impacts of metal pollutants on scleractinian and octocoral disease are largely unknown. We investigated how warming oceans and copper pollution affect host immunity and disease risk for two diseases of the abundant Caribbean octocoral, the sea fan Gorgonia ventalina. Field surveys across a sediment copper concentration gradient in Puerto Rico revealed that cellular immunity of sea fans increased by 12.6% at higher sediment copper concentrations, while recovery from multifocal purple spots disease (MFPS) tended to decrease. MFPS severity in the field increased at warmer sites. In a controlled laboratory experiment, sea fans were inoculated with live cultures of a labyrinthulid parasite to test the interactive effects of temperature and copper on immune activation. As in the field, higher copper induced greater immunity, but the factorial design of the experiment revealed that copper and temperature interacted to modulate the immune response to the parasite: immune cell densities increased with elevated temperature at lower copper concentrations, but not with high copper concentrations. Tissue damage was also greater in treatments with higher copper and warmer temperatures. Field and lab evidence confirm that elevated copper hinders sea fan immune defenses against damaging parasites. Temperature and copper influenced host-pathogen interactions in octocorals by modulating immunity, disease severity and disease recovery. This is the first evidence that metal pollution affects processes influencing disease in octocorals and highlights the importance of immune mechanisms in environmentally-mediated disease outbreaks. Although coral conservation efforts must include a focus on global factors, such as rapid warming, reducing copper and other pollutants that compromise coral health on a local scale may help corals fight disease in a warming ocean.

PMID: 31628889 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Preventing Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus Infection during Pregnancy, Puerto Rico, USA, 20161.

Emerg Infect Dis. 2019 Nov;25(11):2115-2119

Authors: Salvesen von Essen B, Kortsmit K, Warner L, D'Angelo DV, Shulman HB, Virella WH, Taraporewalla A, Harrison L, Ellington S, Shapiro-Mendoza C, Barfield W, Smith RA, Jamieson DJ, Cox S, Pazol K, Díaz PG, Herrera BR, Bernal MV, Puerto Rico Department of Health, and the Women’s Health and Fertility Branch, Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Abstract
We examined condom use throughout pregnancy during the Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico during 2016. Overall, <25% of women reported consistent condom use during pregnancy. However, healthcare provider counseling was associated with a 3-fold increase in consistent use, reinforcing the value of provider counseling in Zika prevention efforts.

PMID: 31625850 [PubMed - in process]

[Antiviral effect of «Kagocel» substance in vitro on influenza viruses H1N1, H1N1pdm09 and H3N2.]

Vopr Virusol. 2019;64(3):125-131

Authors: Fediakina IT, Konopleva MV, Proshina ES, Linnik EV, Nikitina NI

Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Active circulation of pandemic influenza and new variants of influenza H3N2 strains requires monitoring of antiviral efficacy of drugs permitted for influenza therapy in the Russian Federation.
PURPOSE: Assessment of antiviral efficacy of «Kagocel» substance against influenza viruses H1N1, H1N1pdm09 and H3N2 in vitro.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cytotoxic effect of «Kagocel» substance on MDCK cells had been determined by stained with MTS. Antiviral efficacy of «Kagocel» substance against influenza infection has been studied in vitro in the culture of MDCK cells infected with influenza virus strains: A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1), А/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09, А/Hong Kong/1/68 (H3N2) and А/ Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2). The antiviral activity of «Kagocel» substance was tested by its effect on the infectious titer of the influenza viruses and on its impact on the expression level of viral antigens in the enzyme immunoassay test system.
RESULTS: «Kagocel» substance had low toxicity for MDCK cells. «Kagocel» inhibited the infection titer of influenza virus strains A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1), А/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09, А/Hong Kong/1/68 (H3N2) and А/ Hong Kong /4801/2014 (H3N2) in the MDCK cell culture with equal efficacy. Study of the impact of «Kagocel» substance on the expression level of viral antigens by ELISA also revealed its antiviral efficacy for all tested strains. Dose dependence was observed from concentration of substance and from infective dose of virus.
DISCUSSION: Effective suppression of the reproduction of influenza virus strains A(H1N1), A(Н1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) in the different sublines of MDCK cells with «Kagocel» was shown by the different methods. These results give the possibility to suggest that along with the ability to induce interferons, «Kagocel» can impact on the reproduction of influenza virus, but the further research is needed.
CONCLUSION: «Kagocel» substance effectively inhibits the reproduction of influenza virus strains A(H1N1), A(Н1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) in vitro. At the same time, the selectivity index is quite high.

PMID: 31622059 [PubMed - in process]

Passive Sampling of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Four Coastal Aquatic Systems of Puerto Rico: A Pilot Study.

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2019 Oct 16;:

Authors: Rodríguez-Sierra CJ, Adelman D, Vojta Š, Mansilla-Rivera I, Lohmann R

Abstract
Little is known about the presence and effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in Puerto Rico's waters. Four coastal aquatic systems were investigated using low-density polyethylene passive sampling for PCBs and OCPs in water and its overlying air. The highest total freely dissolved and gaseous concentrations of PCBs were found in Guánica Bay, with 4000 pg/L and 270 pg/m3, respectively. Five OCPs were detected, mainly in water, with greatest concentrations (pg/L) in Guánica Bay: α-HCH (7400), p,p'-DDE (390), aldrin (2000), dieldrin (420), and endrin (77). The compound α-HCH was also measured at elevated water concentrations in Condado Lagoon (5700 pg/L) and Laguna Grande (2900 pg/L). Jobos Bay did not show values of concern for these persistence organic pollutants. Levels of PCBs and OCPs in water, particularly in Guánica Bay, exceeded USEPA ambient water quality criteria values representing a human health risk regarding consumption of aquatic organisms.

PMID: 31620816 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Selective Disruption of the Blood-Brain Barrier by Zika Virus.

Front Microbiol. 2019;10:2158

Authors: Leda AR, Bertrand L, Andras IE, El-Hage N, Nair M, Toborek M

Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) selectively regulates the cellular exchange of macromolecules between the circulation and the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we hypothesize that Zika virus (ZIKV) infects the brain via a disrupted BBB and altered expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins, which are structural components of the BBB. To assess this hypothesis, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed using three different strains of ZIKV: Honduras (ZIKV-H), Puerto Rico (ZIKV-PR), and Uganda (ZIKV-U). Primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) were productively infected by all studied ZIKV strains at MOI 0.01, and were analyzed by plaque assay, immunofluorescence for NS1 protein, and qRT-PCR at 2 and 6 days post-infection (dpi). Compared to mock-infected controls, expression level of ZO-1 was significantly upregulated in ZIKV-H-infected BMECs, while occludin and claudin-5 levels were significantly downregulated in BMECs infected by all three studied viral strains. Interestingly, BMEC permeability was not disturbed by ZIKV infection, even in the presence of a very high viral load (MOI 10). All studied ZIKV strains productively infected wild-type C57BL/J mice after intravenous infection with 107 PFU. Viral load was detected in the plasma, spleen, and brain from 1 to 8 dpi. Peak brain infection was observed at 2 dpi; therefore, TJ protein expression was assessed at this time point. Claudin-5 was significantly downregulated in ZIKV-U-infected animals and the BBB integrity was significantly disturbed in ZIKV-H-infected animals. Our results suggest that ZIKV penetrates the brain parenchyma early after infection with concurrent alterations of TJ protein expression and disruption of the BBB permeability in a strain-dependent manner.

PMID: 31620112 [PubMed]

The longitudinal effect of early-life sensation seeking on gambling and gambling problems among Puerto Rican young adults.

Psychol Addict Behav. 2019 Oct 14;:

Authors: Levy NS, Duarte CS, Segura LE, Santaella-Tenorio J, Okuda M, Wall M, Chen C, Ramos-Olazagasti MA, Canino G, Bird H, Martins SS

Abstract
Sensation seeking has been proposed as a risk factor for gambling and gambling problems; however, existing evidence for a relationship between sensation seeking and gambling behaviors is inconclusive and data are lacking for emerging adults and racial and ethnic minorities. In this longitudinal study, we explored the association between developmental trajectories of sensation seeking in childhood and adolescence and gambling and gambling problems in early adulthood in individuals of Puerto Rican origin. Gambling data were collected during 2014-2018 from a subsample of participants in the Boricua Youth Study who were recruited in the South Bronx of New York City and in San Juan and Caguas, Puerto Rico. Sensation seeking was measured using a 10-item instrument modified from the scale created by Russo et al. for use in children as young as 5 years old. Developmental trajectories of age-adjusted sensation seeking were created using growth mixture models. Gambling and gambling problems were assessed based on the Canadian Adolescent Gambling Inventory (CAGI) Version 1.09. Data were analyzed using descriptive methods and multivariable logistic regression. Individuals in the high sensation-seeking class had lower adjusted odds of past-year gambling (OR = .36; 95% confidence interval [.14, .92]) than did those in the normative sensation-seeking class, whereas no differences were observed for individuals in the low and accelerated classes. No relationship was found between sensation seeking and past-year gambling problems. Given the severe consequences of early initiation of gambling and gambling problems, other early life risk factors and alternative hypotheses for the elevated prevalence of gambling problems in young adults and racial and ethnic minority populations should be explored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID: 31613115 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Leishmania spp. and leishmaniasis on the Caribbean islands.

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2019 Oct 14;:

Authors: Yao C

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

PMID: 31608958 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

The association between, depression, anxiety and mortality in older people across eight low- and middle-income countries: results from the 10/66 cohort study.

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2019 Oct 13;:

Authors: Wu YT, Kralj C, Acosta D, Guerra M, Huang Y, Jotheeswaran AT, Jimenez-Velazquez IZ, Liu Z, Llibre Rodriguez JJ, Salas A, Sosa AL, Alkholy R, Prince M, Prina AM

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Depression and anxiety are common mental disorders in later life. Few population-based studies have investigated their potential impacts on mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim of this study is to examine the associations between depression, anxiety, their comorbidity and mortality in later life using a population-based cohort study across eight LMICs.
METHODS: This analysis was based on the 10/66 cohort study including 15991 people aged 65 or above in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, China and India, with an average follow-up time of 3.9 years. Sub-threshold and clinical levels of depression were determined using EURO-D and ICD-10 criteria and anxiety was based on GMS-AGECAT. Cox proportional hazard modelling was used to estimate how having depression, anxiety or both was associated with mortality adjusting for sociodemographic and health factors.
RESULTS: Participants with clinical depression (Hazard Ratio (HR): 1.45; 95%CI:1.24-1.70) and sub-threshold anxiety (HR: 1.26; 95%CI:1.15-1.38) had higher risk of mortality than those without the conditions after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and health conditions. Co-morbidity of depression and anxiety was associated with a 30% increased risk of mortality but the effect sizes varied across countries (Higgins I2 =58.8%), with the strongest association in India (HR: 1.99; 95%CI:1.21-3.27).
CONCLUSIONS: Depression and anxiety appear to be associated with mortality in older people living in LMICs. Variation in effect sizes may indicate different barriers to health service access across countries. Future studies may investigate underlying mechanisms and identify potential interventions to reduce the impact of common mental disorders.

PMID: 31608478 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Trends in Mortality Among Patients Initiating Maintenance Dialysis in Puerto Rico Compared to US States, 2006-2015.

Am J Kidney Dis. 2019 Oct 09;:

Authors: Rivera-Hernandez M, Swaminathan S, Thorsness R, Lee Y, Mehrotra R, Sommers BD, Trivedi AN

PMID: 31606231 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Comorbidity of Lifetime Alcohol Use Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2019 Sep;80(5):546-551

Authors: Caetano R, Vaeth PAC, Canino G

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to update estimates of comorbidity between lifetime alcohol use disorder (AUD) severity and lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
METHOD: Data are from a household random sample of 1,510 individuals (816 female) 18-64 years of age in San Juan, Puerto Rico. AUD and MDD identification follow criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition and Fourth Edition, respectively, both implemented with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). It is possible to implement DSM-5 AUD identification with the CIDI, but only DSM-IV criteria can be applied to identify MDD.
RESULTS: The prevalence of lifetime MDD was 11% among men, 17% among women, and 14% for both genders; the prevalence of lifetime AUD was 38% among men, 16% among women, and 26% for both genders. Among those with AUD, the rate of MDD was 17% among men and 35% among women. Among those without AUD the rate of MDD was 7% among men and 15% among women. Results of multiple logistic regression analysis controlling for gender, illegal drug use, age, level of family cohesion, religion, employment status, marital status, education, and family annual income showed that AUD severity was positively associated with the likelihood of MDD, as follows: mild AUD, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.78 (95% CI [1.09, 2.91], p < .05); moderate AUD, AOR = 2.58 (95% CI [1.33, 5.01], p < .01); and severe AUD, AOR = 3.34 (95% CI [1.70, 6.56], p < .01).
CONCLUSIONS: MDD frequently occurs as a comorbid condition with AUD in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The frequency of occurrence increases as AUD severity increases. AUD treatment providers should therefore be equally prepared to treat these two comorbid conditions.

PMID: 31603756 [PubMed - in process]

High susceptibility, viral dynamics and persistence of South American Zika virus in New World monkey species.

Sci Rep. 2019 Oct 10;9(1):14495

Authors: Berry N, Ferguson D, Ham C, Hall J, Jenkins A, Giles E, Devshi D, Kempster S, Rose N, Dowall S, Fritzsche M, Bleazard T, Hewson R, Almond N

Abstract
South American Zika virus (ZIKV) recently emerged as a novel human pathogen, linked with neurological disorders. However, comparative ZIKV infectivity studies in New World primates are lacking. Two members of the Callitrichidae family, common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) and red-bellied tamarins (Saguinus labiatus), were highly susceptible to sub-cutaneous challenge with the Puerto Rico-origin ZIKVPRVABC59 strain. Both exhibited rapid, high, acute viraemia with early neuroinvasion (3 days) in peripheral and central nervous tissue. ZIKV RNA levels in blood and tissues were significantly higher in New World hosts compared to Old World species (Macaca mulatta, Macaca fascicularis). Tamarins and rhesus macaques exhibited loss of zonal occludens-1 (ZO-1) staining, indicative of a compromised blood-brain barrier 3 days post-ZIKV exposure. Early, widespread dissemination across multiple anatomical sites distant to the inoculation site preceded extensive ZIKV persistence after 100 days in New and Old World lineages, especially lymphoid, neurological and reproductive sites. Prolonged persistence in brain tissue has implications for otherwise resolved human ZIKV infection. High susceptibility of distinct New World species underscores possible establishment of ZIKV sylvatic cycles in primates indigenous to ZIKV endemic regions. Tamarins and marmosets represent viable New World models for ZIKV pathogenesis and therapeutic intervention studies, including vaccines, with contemporary strains.

PMID: 31601848 [PubMed - in process]

Recovery when you are on your own: Slow population responses in an isolated marine reserve.

PLoS One. 2019;14(10):e0223102

Authors: Olson JC, Appeldoorn RS, Schärer-Umpierre MT, Cruz-Motta JJ

Abstract
Geographic isolation is an important yet underappreciated factor affecting marine reserve performance. Isolation, in combination with other factors, may preclude recruit subsidies, thus slowing recovery when base populations are small and causing a mismatch between performance and stakeholder expectations. Mona Island is a small, oceanic island located within a partial biogeographic barrier-44 km from the Puerto Rico shelf. We investigated if Mona Island's no-take zone (MNTZ), the largest in the U.S. Caribbean, was successful in increasing mean size and density of a suite of snapper and grouper species 14 years after designation. The La Parguera Natural Reserve (LPNR) was chosen for evaluation of temporal trends at a fished location. Despite indications of fishing within the no-take area, a reserve effect at Mona Island was evidenced from increasing mean sizes and densities of some taxa and mean total density 36% greater relative to 2005. However, the largest predatory species remained rare at Mona, preventing meaningful analysis of population trends. In the LPNR, most commercial species (e.g., Lutjanus synagris, Lutjanus apodus, Lutjanus mahogoni) did not change significantly in biomass or abundance, but some (Ocyurus chrysurus, Lachnolaimus maximus), increased in abundance owing to strong recent recruitment. This study documents slow recovery in the MNTZ that is limited to smaller sized species, highlighting both the need for better compliance and the substantial recovery time required by commercially valuable, coral reef fishes in isolated marine reserves.

PMID: 31600245 [PubMed - in process]

Factors Associated With Underestimation of Weight Among Adults Living in Puerto Rico.

Int Q Community Health Educ. 2019 Oct 10;:272684X19879809

Authors: Amaro-Rivera K, Carbone ET

PMID: 31600110 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Differential modulation of innate immune responses in human primary cells by influenza A viruses carrying human or avian non-structural 1 proteins.

J Virol. 2019 Oct 09;:

Authors: Monteagudo PL, Muñoz-Moreno R, Fribourg M, Potla U, Mena I, Marjanovic N, Hartmann BM, Sealfon SC, García-Sastre A, Ramos I, Fernández-Sesma A

Abstract
The influenza A virus (IAV) non-structural protein 1 (NS1) contributes to disease pathogenesis through the inhibition of host innate immune responses. Dendritic cells (DCs) release interferons (IFN), pro-inflammatory cytokines and promote the adaptive immunity upon viral infection. In order to characterize the strain-specific effects of IAV NS1 on human DC activation, we infected human DCs with a panel of recombinant viruses with the same backbone (A/Puerto Rico/08/1934) expressing different NS1 from human and avian origin. We found that these viruses induced a clearly distinct phenotype in DCs. Specifically, viruses expressing NS1 from human IAV (either H1N1 or H3N2) induced higher levels of expression of type I (IFNα and IFNβ) and type III (IFNλ1-3) than viruses expressing avian IAV NS1 proteins (H5N1, H7N9 and H7N2), but the differences observed in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNFα or IL-6 were not significant. In addition, using Imaging Flow Cytometry, we found that human and avian NS1 segregate based on their subcellular trafficking dynamics, which might be associated with the different innate immune profile induced in DCs by viruses expressing those NS1 proteins. Innate immune responses induced by our panel of IAV recombinant viruses were also characterized in Normal Human Bronchial Epithelial cells and the results were consistent with those in DCs. Altogether, our results reveal an increased ability of NS1 from avian viruses to antagonize innate immune responses in human primary cells as compared to NS1 from human viruses which could contribute to the severe disease induced by avian IAV in humans.Importance Influenza A viruses (IAV) cause seasonal epidemics which result in an important health and economic burden. Wild aquatic birds are the natural host of IAV. However, IAV can infect diverse hosts, including humans, domestic poultry, pigs, and others. IAV circulating in animals occasionally cross the species barrier infecting humans, which results in mild to very severe disease. In some cases, these viruses can acquire the ability to transmit among humans and initiate a pandemic. The non-structural (NS) 1 protein of IAV is an important antagonist of the innate immune response. In this study, using recombinant viruses and primary human cells, we show that NS1 proteins from human and avian hosts show intrinsic differences in the modulation of the innate immunity in human dendritic cells and epithelial cells, as well as different cellular localization dynamics in infected cells.

PMID: 31597767 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Big Data Analysis on Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats.

Alldata. 2015 Apr;2015:29-34

Authors: Li X, Yu L, Kaeli D, Yao Y, Wang P, Giese R, Alshawabkeh A

Abstract
In this paper, we present the use of Principal Component Analysis and customized software, to accelerate the spectral analysis of biological samples. The work is part of the mission of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences sponsored Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats Center, establishing linkages between environmental pollutants and preterm birth. This paper provides an overview of the data repository developed for the Center, and presents a use case analysis of biological sample data maintained in the database system.

PMID: 31592519 [PubMed]