Authigenic mineral phases as a driver of the upper-ocean iron cycle.

Iron is important in regulating the ocean carbon cycle1. Although several dissolved and particulate species participate in oceanic iron cycling, current understanding emphasizes the importance of complexation by organic ligands in stabilizing oceanic dissolved iron concentrations2-6. However, it is difficult to reconcile this view of ligands as a primary control on dissolved iron cycling with the observed size partitioning of dissolved iron species, inefficient dissolved iron regeneration at depth or the potential importance of authigenic iron phases in particulate iron observational datasets7-12. Here we present a new dissolved iron, ligand and particulate iron seasonal dataset from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) region. We find that upper-ocean dissolved iron dynamics were decoupled from those of ligands, which necessitates a process by which dissolved iron escapes ligand stabilization to generate a reservoir of authigenic iron particles that settle to depth. When this 'colloidal shunt' mechanism was implemented in a global-scale biogeochemical model, it reproduced both seasonal iron-cycle dynamics observations and independent global datasets when previous models failed13-15. Overall, we argue that the turnover of authigenic particulate iron phases must be considered alongside biological activity and ligands in controlling ocean-dissolved iron distributions and the coupling between dissolved and particulate iron pools.

'Choice should be made through educated decisions not regressive dictates': discursive framings of a proposed 'sugar tax' in Bermuda: analysis of submissions to a government consultation.

BACKGROUND: Several governments have introduced taxes on products with high sugar content as part of their obesity prevention strategies. Bermuda is the first jurisdiction to apply such measures in the Caribbean - a region of small island developing states and territories with high obesity prevalence and substantial reliance on imported food products. This study examines how commercial and health actors framed the proposed introduction of a 75% import tariff on high-sugar products, based on written submissions to the Bermudan government. METHODS: Eleven submissions containing written comments were analysed with reference to their framing of the proposed import tariff, the 'problem' of obesity, and the relationship between the two (including alternative policy approaches for tackling obesity). RESULTS: Key emergent frames were complexity, partnership, products, personal responsibility, affordability and evidence. Respondents favoured different framings, depending on whether they supported or opposed the proposed import duty. Commercial actors were universally opposed, presenting obesity as a 'complex' problem that would be better addressed through government-industry partnerships (a framing particularly favoured by international and regional business associations). Increased product range and an emphasis on personal responsibility were also positioned as policy alternatives. Health actors expressed partial support for the proposed sugar tax, although this was tempered by a perceived lack of evidence where the proposal differed from sugar taxes introduced elsewhere. Like commercial respondents, health actors framed obesity as a 'complex' problem and emphasised the need for other measures, including efforts to address the affordability of fruits and vegetables. CONCLUSION: In responding to a proposed 'sugar tax' in Bermuda, commercial actors opposed the proposal and stated a clear preference for 'partnership' approaches to tackling obesity. Commercial responses were dominated by local businesses (with only two responses received from international or regional business associations), perhaps reflecting Bermuda's reliance on tourism and hospitality and the specificity of the proposed intervention (that is, an import tariff rather than an excise tax). The much smaller number of responses from health actors suggests limited civil society capacity. Nevertheless, the Bermudan government successfully introduced a 75% tariff on high-sugar imports, demonstrating the potential for policy innovation to address obesity in small-island jurisdictions.

The black coral fauna (Cnidaria: Antipatharia) of Bermuda with new records.

The black coral fauna of Bermudan waters is poorly known, in large part due to the logistical challenges of surveying deep-water (>50 m) environments where most species occur. In 2016, the Nekton Expedition sought to survey the deep-water biodiversity around Bermuda using manned submersibles and mixed-gas technical SCUBA. A total of 28 black coral specimens were collected, and these were examined based on skeletal spine morphology, polyp morphology, colony branching pattern and in situ photographs. The specimens were assigned to seven species in three families and four genera, including (1) Antipathes atlantica Gray, 1857, (2) Antipathes furcata Gray, 1857, (3) Stichopathes pourtalesi Brook, 1889, (4) Stichopathes sp., (5) Distichopathes filix (Pourtales, 1867), (6) Tanacetipathes hirta (Gray, 1857), and (7) Tanacetipathes tanacetum (Pourtales, 1867). Of these, three species (Stichopathes sp., S. pourtalesi, and D. filix), one genus (Distichopathes) and one family (Aphanipathidae) are reported from Bermudan waters for the first time, thereby increasing the known black coral diversity of Bermuda to twelve species, five genera and four families. The diagnostic characters of the taxa identified as part of this study are illustrated and described.

First reported enterovirus D68 infection in pediatric patients from the Caribbean region: evidence of spread from the U.S. outbreak / Primeros casos notificados en el Caribe de infección por enterovirus D68 en pacientes pediátricos: pruebas de la propagación del brote de los Estados Unidos

ABSTRACT The 2014 enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) outbreak in the United States raised concerns about the introduction of the virus in the Caribbean region. The objective of this study was to provide rapid evidence of the introduction of EV-D68 strains in the Caribbean region during the 2014 outbreak in the United States, using a relatively simple phylogenetic approach. From October 2014 to May 2015, four EV-D68 cases from two countries (Bermuda and Dominica) were detected at the regional referral laboratory at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) based on molecular testing of respiratory specimens. All cases were children presenting to hospitals with moderate respiratory distress. No cases of acute flaccid paralysis were detected. Phylogenetic analysis of the Caribbean strains showed more than 99% similarity with the 2014 U.S.-outbreak strain, providing evidence of the introduction and circulation of the virus in the region.(AU)

RESUMEN El brote de enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) registrado en el 2014 en los Estados Unidos suscitó preocupación acerca de la introducción del virus en el Caribe. El objetivo de este estudio fue aportar pruebas rápidas, mediante la adopción de un enfoque filogénico relativamente sencillo, de que durante ese brote ingresaron en el Caribe cepas del EV-D68. Entre octubre del 2014 y mayo del 2015, el laboratorio regional de referencia ubicado en el Organismo de Salud Pública del Caribe (Puerto España, Trinidad y Tabago) detectó cuatro casos de EV-D68 provenientes de dos países (Bermudas y Dominica) mediante el análisis molecular de muestras respiratorias. Todos los casos correspondían a niños que acudieron al hospital con dificultad respiratoria moderada. No se detectó ningún caso de parálisis flácida aguda. El análisis filogénico de las cepas encontradas en el Caribe demostró una semejanza superior al 99 % con la cepa responsable del brote del 2014 en los Estados Unidos, lo que demuestra la introducción y la circulación del virus en la región.(AU)

Toward health reform for seniors in Bermuda: historical constraints on political possibilities.

In 2009, as the United States moved toward health care reform, the government of Bermuda implemented its FutureCare program to make health care for seniors more affordable. This article investigates how preferences for reform and its eventual design were shaped by the country's social history and commitment to free market values. Data derive from 36 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders deemed knowledgeable about health care financing and delivery in Bermuda, including government officials, provider representatives, insurance executives, and consumer advocates. Data also derive from a variety of documentary sources. Results indicate that although a clear need for health care and the ability to finance it for seniors exists in Bermuda, the scope of reform was circumscribed by preferences for prior policy decisions, creating a favorable tax and business environment for international corporations and a minimalist social welfare state for addressing racial and economic inequality. This suggests that widespread agreement on the challenges in meeting the health and long-term care needs of the elderly does not necessarily lead to equally commensurable solutions to addressing it.

Cancer incidence and mortality rates in Bermuda / Incidencia del cáncer y tasas de mortalidad en Bermuda

OBJECTIVE: To describe cancer and mortality rates in Bermuda and to compare such rates to those of the United States of America (USA). METHODS: Age-adjusted race-specific cancer incidence rates for Bermuda were calculated using the Bermuda Cancer Registry. These rates were then compared to USA cancer rates published by the National Cancer Institute. RESULTS: Overall age-adjusted incidence rate was 495 cases per 100 000for Blacks and 527 cases per 100 000 for Whites. Incident cases were more frequent among men than women in both races. For Blacks, the highest incidences were prostate for men and breast for women, followed by colon/rectum and lung cancer. For Whites, if we exclude benign skin cancers, the picture was similar with the notable exception of lung cancer being more frequent than colon/rectum in White males. When Bermuda's rates were compared to those of the USA, overall cancer rates were similar in both countries. Rates in Bermuda were higher for cancer of the mouth, ovarian cancer (Black women), melanoma (Whites), colorectal cancer (White women) and breast cancer (White women). Lung and colorectal cancers were less frequent in Bermuda s Black population. CONCLUSION: Further epidemiological studies are needed to identify potential risk factors that could contribute to these differences. Screening and prevention strategies could be adjusted accordingly.

OBJETIVO: Describir las tasas de cáncer y mortalidad en la Bermudas y comparar estas tasas con las de los Estados Unidos de América (EE. UU.). MÉTODOS: Las tasas de incidencia de cáncer específicas por raza y ajustadas por edad en Bermuda, se calcularon usando el Registro de Cáncer de Bermuda. Estas tasas fueron comparadas con las tasas de cáncer en los EE. UU. publicadas por el Instituto Nacional del Cáncer. RESULTADOS: La tasa general de incidencia ajustada por edad fue de 495 casos por 100 000 negros y 527 casos por 100 000 blancos. Los casos incidentes fueron más frecuentes entre los hombres que entre las mujeres en ambas razas. En el caso de los negros, las incidencias más altas estuvieron en la próstata para los hombres y en las mamas para las mujeres, seguidas por el cáncer de colon y recto, y el cáncer de pulmón. En el caso de los blancos, si se excluyen los cánceres benignos de la piel, el cuadro fue similar con la excepción notable de que el cáncer pulmonar fue más frecuente que el cáncer de colon y recto en los varones blancos. Cuando las tasas de Bermudas se compararon con las de EE.UU., las tasas generales de cáncer resultaron ser similares en ambos países. Las tasas en Bermuda fueron más altas para el cáncer de la boca, el cáncer ovárico (mujeres negras), el melanoma (blancos), el cáncer del colorectal (mujeres blancas), y el cáncer de mamas (mujeres blancas). Los cánceres de pulmón y colorectal fueron menos frecuentes en la población negra de Bermudas. CONCLUSIÓN: Se necesita continuar los estudios epidemiológicos a fin de identificar los factores de riesgo potenciales que podrían contribuir a estas diferencias. Las estrategias de pesquisaje y prevención podrían ajustarse en consecuencia con ello.

Cancer incidence and mortality rates in Bermuda.

OBJECTIVE: To describe cancer and mortality rates in Bermuda and to compare such rates to those of the United States of America (U.S.A.). METHODS: Age-adjusted race-specific cancer incidence rates for Bermuda were calculated using the Bermuda Cancer Registry. These rates were then compared to U.S.A. cancer rates published by the National Cancer Institute. RESULTS: Overall age-adjusted incidence rate was 495 cases per 100,000 for Blacks and 527 cases per 100,000 for Whites. Incident cases were more frequent among men than women in both races. For Blacks, the highest incidences were prostate for men and breast for women, followed by colon/rectum and lung cancer. For Whites, if we exclude benign skin cancers, the picture was similar with the notable exception of lung cancer being more frequent than colon/rectum in White males. When Bermuda's rates were compared to those of the U.S.A., overall cancer rates were similar in both countries. Rates in Bermuda were higher for cancer of the mouth, ovarian cancer (Black women), melanoma (Whites), colorectal cancer (White women) and breast cancer (White women). Lung and colorectal cancers were less frequent in Bermuda's Black population. CONCLUSION: Further epidemiological studies are needed to identify potential risk factors that could contribute to these differences. Screening and prevention strategies could be adjusted accordingly.

Strong relationship between DMS and the solar radiation dose over the global surface ocean.

Marine biogenic dimethylsulfide (DMS) is the main natural source of tropospheric sulfur, which may play a key role in cloud formation and albedo over the remote ocean. Through a global data analysis, we found that DMS concentrations are highly positively correlated with the solar radiation dose in the upper mixed layer of the open ocean, irrespective of latitude, plankton biomass, or temperature. This is a necessary condition for the feasibility of a negative feedback in which light-attenuating DMS emissions are in turn driven by the light dose received by the pelagic ecosystem.

Role of environmental pollutants on immune functions, parasitic infections and limb malformations in marine toads and whistling frogs from Bermuda.

Soil, water, and amphibian tissues collected between 1995 and 1999 from 15 study sites in Bermuda were analysed for pesticides and heavy metals. The most abundant pesticide residue in soil was p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) which was found at all sites in concentrations ranging from 0.003 to 4.023 p.p.m. No pesticide residues were found in water. DDE was also recovered from the livers and fat bodies of marine toads (Bufo marinus) and whistling frogs (Eleutherodactylus johnstonei). Analyses of food sources consumed by these anuran species revealed residue levels of p, p'-DDE ranging from 0.05 to 0.217 p.p.m. Other soil residues included dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) at eight study sites, Dicofol(kelthane) at eight sites, dieldrin at five sites, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as Arochlor 1254 and Arochlor 1260 at seven sites. Analyses of toad livers revealed significant concentrations of cadmium, chromium, copper and zinc. Livers of Bermuda toads exhibited altered hepatocytic morphology and an increased number of melanomacrophages and possible granulomas, while spleens showed a marked decrease in white pulp. Spleen cells from Bufo marinus collected at one site having high levels of cadmium exhibited a decreased B cell response to lipopolysaccharide. The incidence of trematode infection in Bufo marinus increased from 53.8% in 1995 to 90% in 1999. Deformity rates in the limbs of subadult and adult toads ranged between 15 and 25%. Examination of 1,995 newly-metamorphosed toads revealed deformity rates as high as 47%. The current comprehensive study suggests that environmental pollutants may account for immunosuppression, increased susceptibility to infections, limb malformations and possible decline in amphibian populations from Bermuda.

Employer-based health insurance and seniors: the case of Bermuda.

This article examines the importance of economic factors in physician and other health service utilization among older adults living in Bermuda. Using data drawn from a national survey of 500 Bermudian elders, the findings reveal economic factors to be unrelated to the use of physician services directly, but to be significant determinants of the use of other health services. Need plus non-need factors are related to the use of both physician and other health services. The employer-based system does seem to provide universal access, but factors in addition to need influence the receipt of care.

Poxvirus infection of the white-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) in Bermuda.

Lesions caused by an avian poxvirus were identified on the face and nares of fledgling white-tailed tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus catesbyi) in the natural environment on Bermuda. Between 1958 and 1978, 6 of 81 fledglings found off the nest and unable to fly at departure time had lesions suggestive of poxvirus infection. More detailed nest-site surveys from 1974 to 1978 indicated an overall prevalence of less than 0.5%, involving the fledgling population only.

Chemical composition and potential 'genotoxic' aspects of polluted atmospheres.

The chemical composition of the gaseous, vapour and particulate phases of the atmosphere has been reported in terms of background, urban and highly polluted levels. Too little is known about the chemical composition of polluted atmospheres and other environments, and the situation will worsen as a result of the steadily increasing production of a wide variety of chemicals. This and other evidence presented in this paper indicates that the human race has not yet felt the full impact of the burgeoning chemical environment in terms of genotoxic effects. Some highly suggestive data from the literature have been presented to indicate that carcinogenesis and mutagenesis in human beings involve not only the attack of a primary genotoxicant, but that genetic factors, cofactors, antifactors and sometimes precursors can play important roles in the process of genotoxicity. Evidence has been presented to indicate that genotoxic effects are much more prevalent among human beings than is commonly believed. Since inherited effects arise from mutation of a germ cell, cancer probably from mutation of a somatic cell, atherosclerosis possibly from some mutagenic effect and the debilitating effects of some aspects of ageing possibly from a somatic mutation of the metabolic type, then mutagenesis in these four postulated types could be the overwhelmingly major cause of death in modern society.

Nasopharyngeal cancer in Bermuda.

Six cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) were diagnosed in residents of Bermuda in the 7-year period 1966-1972. While epidemiologic study revealed no history of common environmental exposures, two of the six cases occurred in adult sibs from a family in which a third adult sib developed NPC in 1963. These three cases were from a large, possibly in-bred Portuguese family with origins in the Azores Islands. The remaining four cases were all in black children ages 10-15; two of these were first cousins. These observations suggest the possibility that genetic influence may contribute to the etiology of NPC.