Project description:The concentration and distribution of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were investigated in three sediment cores representing 100-150years of accumulation in upriver, midriver, and estuarine environments in Río Espíritu Santo (RES), Puerto Rico. Grain-size distribution, organic matter and carbonate content were determined to assess their influence on metal concentrations. Minimum biotoxicity levels of Ni and Cu were exceeded in the upriver and midriver sites, while the minimum biotoxicity level of Cu was exceeded in the estuarine location. Pb concentration decreased by ~35% in the upper portion of the midriver and estuarine cores compared to downcore concentrations as a consequence of leaded gasoline regulation. Enrichment Factors and Geoaccumulation Indices were calculated for each metal revealing high levels of Cu in all three cores, likely from an igneous source. Our results provide a baseline for metal contamination in an area facing further land use change.
Project description:The majority of persons infected with HIV live in large metropolitan areas and many such areas have implemented intensified HIV testing programs. A national indicator of HIV testing outcomes is late diagnosis of HIV infection (stage 3, AIDS). Based on National HIV Surveillance System data, 23.3 % of persons with HIV diagnosed in 2012 had a late diagnosis in large MSAs, 26.3 % in smaller MSAs, and 29.6 % in non-metropolitan areas. In the 105 large MSAs, the percentage diagnosed late ranged from 13.2 to 47.4 %. During 2003-2012, the percentage diagnosed late decreased in large MSAs (32.2-23.3 %), with significant decreases in 41 of 105 MSAs overall and among men who have sex with men. Sustained testing efforts may help to continue the decreasing trend in late-stage HIV diagnosis and provide opportunities for early care and treatment and potential reduction in HIV transmission.
Project description:BackgroundLeukemia is a cancer of the early-forming cells. Over the past decade, leukemia racial/ethnic disparities have been documented in the United States of America (USA). Although the Puerto Rican population in the USA represents the second-largest Hispanic population in the nation, most of the existing studies do not include Puerto Rico. We compared the incidence and mortality rates for leukemia and its subtypes in Puerto Rico and four racial/ethnic groups in the USA.MethodsWe used data from the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (2015-2019). The racial/ethnic groups studied were non-Hispanic whites (NHW), non-Hispanic blacks (NHB), Hispanics (USH), and Asian/Pacific Islanders (NHAPI) living in the USA and the Puerto Rico population. We calculated the incidence and mortality rates. The relative risk of developing or dying due to leukemia was also calculated.ResultsCompared with Puerto Rico, NHW [standardized incidence rate (SIR) = 1.47; 95%CI = 1.40-1.53; standardized mortality rates (SMR) = 1.55; 95%CI = 1.45-1.65)] and NHB (SIR = 1.09; 95%CI = 1.04-1.15; SMR = 1.27; 95%CI = 1.19-1.35) had higher incidence and mortality rates; but lower than the NHAPI (SIR = 0.78; 95%CI = 0.74-0.82; SMR = 0.83; 95%CI = 0.77-0.89); and similar to USH. However, we found differences among leukemia subtypes. For example, NHAPI and USH had lower risk of developing chronic leukemias than Puerto Rico. We found a lower risk to develop acute lymphocytic leukemia in NHB than in Puerto Rico.ConclusionsOur study provides a better understanding of leukemia's racial/ethnic disparities and fills a knowledge gap by examining the incidence and mortality rates in Puerto Rico. Future studies are needed to better understand the factors influencing the differences found in the incidence and mortality of leukemia among different racial/ethnic groups.
Project description:BackgroundSpringtails (Arthropoda, Hexapoda, Collembola) are small arthropods commonly found in soil, litter and other habitats all around the Globe. More than 9,000 species have been described worldwide, but knowledge about their diversity and distribution remains far from complete. Reports of springtail diversity in the Antilles are uneven, some islands are relatively well known, whereas others have not been explored at all. The fauna of Puerto Rico is reasonably well known, but many recent reports are scattered in published literature and unpublished theses.New informationHere, we present a summary of all springtail species identified from the Bank of Puerto Rico, including unpublished records. As a result, we list 146 species including 43 unnamed, included in 65 genera and 17 families. Most species, 33, belong to Entomobryidae, but this possibly reflects the taxonomic expertise of specialists working in Puerto Rico rather than a real bias in the distribution of higher taxa in the islands. In addition to the new records, the database provides information on the world and local distribution of species listed. The dataset, presented here, is work in progress and will be updated as ongoing taxonomic inventories are completed.
Project description:Mosquitoes are efficient, militarily relevant vectors of infectious disease pathogens, including many RNA viruses. The vast majority of all viruses are thought to be undiscovered. Accordingly, recent studies have shown that viruses discovered in insects are very divergent from known pathogens and that many of them lack appropriate reference sequences in the public databases. Given that the majority of viruses are likely still undiscovered, environ mental sampling stands to provide much needed reference samples as well as genetic sequences for comparison. In this study, we sought to determine whether samples of mosquitoes collected from different sites (the Caribbean and locations on the US East Coast) could be differentiated using metagenomic analysis of the RNA viral fraction. We report here distinct virome profiles, even from samples collected short distances apart. In addition to profiling the previously known viruses from these samples, we detected a number of viruses that have been previously undiscovered.
Project description:ImportanceGeographic, racial, and ethnic variations in quality of care and outcomes have been well documented among the Medicare population. Few data exist on beneficiaries living in Puerto Rico, three-quarters of whom enroll in Medicare Advantage (MA).ObjectiveTo determine the quality of care provided to white and Hispanic MA enrollees in the United States and Puerto Rico.Design, setting, and participantsA cross-sectional study of MA enrollees in 2011 was conducted, including white enrollees in the United States (n = 6 289 374), Hispanic enrollees in the United States (n = 795 039), and Hispanic enrollees in Puerto Rico (n = 267 016). The study was conducted from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2011; data analysis took place from January 19, 2015, to January 2, 2016.Main outcomes and measuresSeventeen performance measures related to diabetes mellitus (including hemoglobin A1c control, retinal eye examination, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol control, nephropathy screening, and blood pressure control), cardiovascular disease (including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol control, blood pressure control, and use of a β-blocker after myocardial infarction), cancer screening (colorectal and breast), and appropriate medications (including systemic corticosteroids and bronchodilators for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs).ResultsOf the 7.35 million MA enrollees in the United States and Puerto Rico in our study, 1.06 million (14.4%) were Hispanic. Approximately 25.1% of all Hispanic MA enrollees resided in Puerto Rico, which was more than those residing in any state. For 15 of the 17 measures assessed, Hispanic MA enrollees in Puerto Rico received worse care compared with Hispanics in the United States, with absolute differences in performance rates ranging from 2.2 percentage points for blood pressure control in diabetes mellitus (P = .03) to 31.3 percentage points for use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy (P < .01). Adjusted performance differences between Hispanic MA enrollees in Puerto Rico and Hispanic MA enrollees in the United States exceeded 20 percentage points for 3 measures: use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy (-23.8 percentage points [95% CI, -30.9 to -16.8]), use of systemic corticosteroid in COPD exacerbation (-21.3 percentage points [95% CI, -27.5 to -15.1]), and use of bronchodilator therapy in COPD exacerbation (-22.7 percentage points [95% CI, -27.7 to -17.6]).Conclusions and relevanceWe found modest differences in care between white and Hispanic MA enrollees in the United States but substantially worse care for enrollees in Puerto Rico compared with their US counterparts. Major efforts are needed to improve care delivery on the island to a level equivalent to the United States.
Project description:BackgroundResearch on the role of body size on cancer screening is mixed with few studies among Latinas in the United States. We evaluated the association between body size and cancer screening adherence among Latinas living in Puerto Rico and the rest of the United States.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using 2012-2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data among Latinas 50-64 years of age (n = 16,410). Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening (guideline adherent: yes/no), height and weight were self-reported. Prevalence ratios (PRs) derived from Poisson models were estimated for each cancer screening utilization for Puerto Rico versus rest of the United States by body mass index (BMI) category.ResultsNearly a quarter of women lacked adherence with breast and cervical cancer screening and 43.6% were nonadherent to colorectal cancer screening. Latinas with BMI ≥40.0 kg/m2 in both groups were more likely to lack adherence to cervical cancer screening than women with BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2. For those with BMI ≥40.0 kg/m2, Latinas in Puerto Rico were more likely to lack adherence to colorectal cancer screening recommendations than Latinas living in the rest of the United States (adjusted PR: 1.38; 95% confidence interval = 1.12-1.70).ConclusionsThe role of body size in cancer screening utilization among Latinas differs in women living in Puerto Rico versus in the rest of the United States and varies by cancer type. Understanding Latinas' experience can inform culturally adapted interventions to promote cancer screening.
Project description:This study is an early effort to generate a multi-decadal convection-permitting regional climate dataset that covers nearly the entire North American continent. We assessed a 20 year dynamically downscaled regional climate simulation at a 4 km spatial resolution with explicit convection across the contiguous United States (CONUS), Alaska, and Puerto Rico. Specifically, we evaluated the model's performance in representing mean, 95th percentile, and extreme precipitation across regions. Our findings indicate that when compared with ERA5 reanalysis, the forcing data, convection-permitting simulation improves representations of seasonal, 95th percentile, and extreme precipitation over a large portion of the CONUS, Alaska, and Puerto Rico, particularly in areas where precipitation is heaviest. The simulation adds value over its forcing data (ERA5) in up to 53% of all grid cells in the CONUS, 68.8% in Alaska, and 84.0% in Puerto Rico. It is important to note that, however, despite improvements, model errors in Puerto Rico remain large. Similar improvements are observed in extreme indices, including consecutive dry days, maximum 5 days precipitation, and extreme precipitation. Analysis of the diurnal cycle of mean hourly precipitation suggests that representations of convective processes-including onset, dissipation, suppression, downstream propagation, and local circulation-improved overall.
Project description:Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease. Pathogenic leptospires colonize the renal tubules and genital tract of animals and are excreted via urine. Transmission occurs via direct contact or through contaminated water or soil. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is the gold standard for the serodiagnosis of leptospirosis. The present study aims to evaluate animal exposure to Leptospira in the U.S. and Puerto Rico during the period 2018-2020. The presence of antibodies against pathogenic Leptospira spp. was assessed with the MAT according to the standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health. A total of 568 sera were submitted for diagnostic, surveillance, or import/export testing from the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Seropositivity (≥1:100) was 51.8% (294/568) with agglutinating antibodies found in 115 (39.1%) cattle, 84 (28.6%) exotic animals, 38 (12.9%) horses, 22 (7.5%) goats, 15 (5.1%) dogs, 11 (3.7%) swine, and 9 (3.1%) sheep. The most detected serogroups were Australis, Grippotyphosa, and Ballum. The results showed that animals were exposed to serogroups/serovars not included in commercial bacterins such as Ballum, Bratislava (only in swine vaccine), and Tarassovi. Our findings suggest that more studies should include culture and concomitant genotyping to reduce animal disease and zoonotic risk through efficacious vaccine and diagnostic strategies.
Project description:Zika virus (ZIKV) caused a public health threat in the United States in 2016, leading to rapid development and implementation of blood screening assays for ZIKV RNA. Several ZIKV sequences from clinical cases have been reported, but none from asymptomatic/pre-symptomatic infections. We isolated and sequenced ZIKV from asymptomatic/pre-symptomatic blood donor (ABD-ZIKV) samples and compared with reported clinical sequences. Twelve ABD-ZIKV isolates were produced from 67 cultivated samples, and isolates were genetically similar among themselves. Most isolates shared mutations with the clinical isolate PRVABC59 2015, whereas two ABD-ZIKV isolates shared specific mutations with U.S. clinical isolates from 2016. The ABD-ZIKV strains clustered into two distinct subclades: one comprised mostly ABD-ZIKV from Puerto Rico, and another one comprised ABD-ZIKV from Florida and QTX-02 isolate (Puerto Rico). In this study, we showed the circulation of two slightly distinct virus strains among Puerto Rico blood donors, one of which was also reported in Florida.