Academic literature on the topic 'Saint Kitts'

Abstract The Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804), is an important resource in the Western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. A nemertean egg predator of P. argus, Carcinonemertes conanobrieniSimpson, Ambrosio & Baeza, 2017, was recorded in Florida in 2017 and Colombia in 2018. This study sought to investigate the presence of C. conanobrieni in P. argus in Saint Kitts and Nevis, eastern Caribbean Sea. Nemerteans were observed in the brood masses of P. argus. Molecular techniques confirmed its presence in the P. argus population on Saint Kitts. Egg, juvenile, and adult stages of C. conanobrieni and of an undescribed Carcinonemertes sp. were found in the brood masses of 27 of 31 (87%) ovigerous P. argus. Differences in the shape of the nemertean egg masses (string versus spherical arrangement) were confirmed as two distinct species of Carcinonemertes Coe, 1902 using molecular analyses. The juvenile stage of the undescribed Carcinonemertes sp. was detected in the gills of 72 of 320 (23%) of the P. argus individuals from Saint Kitts. The prevalence of branchial nemertean infestation was not significantly different among male and female P. argus. Female lobsters with ovaries in early stages of gonadal maturation were more likely to have branchial nemerteans relative to those with ovaries in late stages of maturation, suggestive of nemertean migration from gills to egg mass once the host oviposits. This is the first report of C. conanobrieni in the Caribbean spiny lobster from the eastern Caribbean, which is approximately 1,300 miles from Florida and 1,000 miles from Colombia. This is also the first report of an undescribed nemertean worm in P. argus. The high prevalence of Carcinonemertes spp. in P. argus raises concern for the extent to which these egg predators may be impacting P. argus in Saint Kitts, an important fishery on the island.

The land snail species Drymaeus virgulatus (Férussac, 1821) is recorded in St. Kitts in the form of 21 complete or fragmented shells collected on the island in November 2019. The complete shells were collected on the backshores of South Frigate Bay and Majors Bay, while shell fragments come from naturally exposed sections of the North Frigate Bay sand ridge, where they date to the pre-Columbian period. This evidence therefore attests to the past presence of this species on the island. The absence of this taxon from recent malacological surveys points to it having been extirpated from St. Kitts. Apertural fragments of a large bulimulidae collected in the caves of Tintamarre Island, near St. Martin, are also related to this taxon, adding a second West Indian island from which this species apparently disappeared in recent centuries.

Leptospirosis is an important bacterial zoonotic disease that affects humans and many animal species. Knowledge of prevalence of Leptospira in a given geographic region supports the implementation of effective control/prevention programmes and thus reduces the transmission risks. This study provides Leptospira seroprevalence and serovar distribution in dogs and cats on the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts. Convenient serum samples from domestic dogs (n=101) and cats (n=50) were tested by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) using 21 Leptospira serovars belonging to 17 serogroups. Seroprevalence was recorded at 73.2% in dogs (95% confidence interval CI: 62.5–80.1%). Agglutinating antibodies to Leptospira were present against 13 of the 21 serovars tested by MAT. The highest seroprevalence was observed for serovar Autumnalis (56.4%) followed by Icterohaemorrhagiae (27.7%), Canicola (17.8%), Djasiman (14.9%), Bratislava (11.9%), Pyrogenes (11.9%), and Pomona (7.9%). A very low seroprevalence (4%, 95% CI: 0.5–14%) was observed in cats. This data confirms that dogs in Saint Kitts have a high-level exposure to a diverse set of Leptospira serovars.

Dermatophilosis is a form of dermatitis caused by the bacterium Dermatophilus congolensis. The disease usually presents as localized purulent dermatitis, crusty hair masses or widespread matting of the hair. This condition is most common in domestic ruminants; but it can also affect other wild animals and humans. Antimicrobial therapy is used in many regions to treat clinical dermatophilosis with varying results. In this study, we aimed to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility of D. congolensis isolates. Fifty-two isolates were obtained from animals showing clinical signs of the disease at farms in St. Kitts. The isolates were then confirmed as D. congolensis by phenotypic tests, PCR and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry. Furthermore, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 16 antimicrobial agents were determined, using the broth microdilution method. Although most antimicrobials showed MICs in line with published values, the tetracycline results displayed a clear bimodal distribution over the tested range, with most isolates showing low MICs and 6 isolates much higher values (+/− 100-fold increase). These results indicate the presence of acquired tetracycline resistance in D. congolensis on the island of St. Kitts. Whether the current observation has implications for efficacy of treating the disease must be confirmed in further research.

A new species of deep-water brachyuran crab, Euphrosynoplax dincao, from southeastern Brazil is described and illustrated. The genus Euphrosynoplax currently consists of two species, E. clausa Guinot, 1969, and E. campechiensis Vázquez-Bader & Gracia, 1991, both only known from the Gulf of Mexico. The new species can be easily separated from its northern counterparts by a suite of carapace and appendage characters. Euphrosynoplax campechiensis is recorded for the first time from the Caribbenan Sea (Guadeloupe and between Saint Kitts and Nevis).

Chiroderma improvisum is a rare bat previously known only on the Caribbean Islands of Guadeloupe and Montserrat. We report the first recorded capture of C. improvisum on the island of Saint Kitts, 80 km northwest of Montserrat. Cytochrome b (cytB) gene analysis of the single captured specimen confirmed the identity of the bat as C. improvisum; however, there is enough difference to indicate some population divergence, and possibly differentiation at the subspecific level among islands. We also report the first records of an ectoparasite, Periglischrus iheringi (Acarina: Spinturnicidae), from this bat.

Antimicrobial resistance has been described in all ecosystems, including wildlife. Here we investigated the presence of methicillin-resistant and susceptible staphylococci in both colony-born and wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus). Through selective isolation, PCR, MALDI-TOF, and whole-genome sequencing, methicillin-resistant and susceptible Staphylococcus spp. isolated from vervet monkeys were characterized. We obtained putatively methicillin-resistant staphylococci from 29 of the 34 nasal samples collected. Strains were identified by MALDI-TOF analysis. Staphylococcus cohnii (n = 15) was the most commonly isolated species, while nine other species were isolated one or two times. PCR analysis indicated that eight [28%] strains were mecA positive. The whole-genome sequencing [WGS] included eight methicillin-resistant strains (S. epidermidis (n = 2), S. cohnii (n = 3), S. arlettae (n = 2) and S. hominis (n = 1)), nine additional S. cohnii strains and two strains that could not be identified by MALDI-TOF, but genetically characterized as one S. cohnii and one S. warneri. Different resistance genes carried by different mobile genetic elements, mainly blaZ (n = 10) and tet(K) (n = 5) were found, while msr(A), cat, fosB, dfrG, erm(C), mph(C) and str were identified in one to three strains. Phylogenetic analysis of the S. cohnii strains based on SNPs indicated four clusters associated with colony born or wild. In addition, one singleton S. cohnii isolated did not form a separate group and clustered within other S. cohnii strains submitted to the NCBI. In this study, we demonstrated the presence of AMR and mobile genetic elements to both colony-born and wild vervet monkeys. We also identified a previously undescribed prevalence of S. cohnii in the nasal flora of these monkeys, which merits further investigation.

This study investigates the possibility of genetic diversity between geographically separated demes of Cercopithecus aethiops on the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis. The island of St. Kitts was represented by two geographic demes, one from the Northern tip of the island and one from the Southern tip of the island. The island of Nevis was considered as one separate deme.
Eight plasma proteins were analyzed with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A preliminary DNA investigation was also completed.
Three of the plasma proteins--transferrin, albumin, and an unidentified protein that migrated faster than albumin--appeared to be monomorphic. Three proteins in the alpha globulin region (between transferrin and albumin) and pseudocholinesterase were polymorphic in the total population. The DNA locus identified by the Human Molecular Fingerprinting #1 probe (locus D1Z2) was also polymorphic in all demes.
The levels of heterozygosity for North Island, South Island, and Nevis were 2.02%, 2.49%, and 2.49% respectively.
North and South Island demes were more similar to each other than either was to the Nevis deme. The South Island deme was more unlike Nevis than the North Island deme. These figures do not provide sufficient genetic evidence to evaluate divergence within the West Indian vervets according to geography.

L’éducation préélémentaire n’a jamais eu une place importante dans les systèmes éducatifs des pays intégrés dans l'OECO par rapport aux autres niveaux. Dans certains cas tels que celui de Sainte-Lucie, l’absence des politiques éducatives viables pour gérer ce niveau contribue à un pourcentage très élevé des petits enfants non scolarisés et donc qui ne reçoivent pas la stimulation nécessaire pour se préparer pour leur cursus éducatif. En 2013, afin de répondre aux nombreuses demandes pour qu’il s’investisse dans l’éducation préélémentaire, le Ministère de l’éducation de Sainte-Lucie, en collaboration avec le Département de l’éducation préélémentaire, a lancé un programme de l’engagement visant à améliorer la qualité de l’éducation préélémentaire dans le pays. Mais, quelle est la limite de cet engagement si des véritables politiques éducatives ne sont pas mises en place ? De l'autre côté, Saint-Kitts et Nevis semblent avoir mieux maîtrisé l'éducation de leurs enfants, permettant de parler d'un succès remarquable. Cependant, pour tous ces pays et dans une perspective plus globale, il s'agit de rendre l'éducation accessible pour tous.Un des objectifs de la Banque Mondiale pour apaiser les crises de pauvretés dans le monde, c’est d’assurer l’éducation des masses avant l’année 2015. Il s’agit de rendre l’éducation primaire obligatoire pour tous. Les pays anglophones de l’Organisation de la Caraïbe Orientale, ayant accompli cet objectif bien avant cette promulgation par la Banque Mondiale, ont décidé de se concentrer sur l’éducation secondaire pendant la dernière décennie. Quels que soient les points positifs ou les conséquences négatives, ils réclament d’avoir accompli cet objectif. À cet égard, ils portent un très grand intérêt au niveau préélémentaire, mais quels projets pour l'avenir ? Des enquêtes menées à Saint-Lucie, par nos soins, en 2013 ont révélé une éducation préélémentaire sans structures, généralement gérée par des « promoteurs d’entreprises ». Par ailleurs, la créolisation de ces pays joue un rôle important dans l’éducation des jeunes. En effet, un enfant évolue dans un contexte culturel particulier à travers lequel il apprend à s’exprimer. Toutes ces considérations sont nécessaires dans cette éducation de la masse. Parallèlement, les Antilles françaises (Martinique et Guadeloupe), membres de l’Union Européenne et nouveaux membres associés de l’OECO sont soumises à une double contrainte : les standards éducatifs européens et la volonté de prendre en compte les spécificités culturelles et linguistiques dans un contexte caribéen. En outre, leur intégration dans l’OECO est l’occasion de comparer les politiques éducatives préélémentaires, afin d'évaluer les possibilités d'un fonctionnementopérationnel
Early childhood education had never occupied an important place in the education systems of the OECO islands as compared to other levels of education. In cases like St. Lucia, the absence of viable education policies to guide this level of education results in a high percentage of young children not accessing early childhood education, consequently not receiving the necessary stimulation to prepare for formal education.In 2013, in an effort to respond to the demands of the population for greater investment in early childhood education, the Ministry of Education in St. Lucia, in collaboration with the Early Childhood Department, launched a programme committing themselves to improving the quality of pre-elementary education in the country.However, what are the limits of this commitment if it is not reflected in the Education Act? On the other hand, St. Kitts seems to have effectively organised the education of their young children, which enables them to boast of tremendous success. However, as far as it applies to all countries in a more global context, the thrust is on making education accessible to all.One of the objectives of the World Bank towards alleviating poverty in the world, is ensuring education for all before the year 2015. It entails making primary education compulsory. The English-speaking islands of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, having accomplished this objective long before the promulgation by the World Bank, decided to concentrate on secondary education during the last decade.Regardless of the positive or the negative consequences, they pronounce that this objective has been accomplished. In light of this, they have focused on pre-elementary education, but how do they project into the future? A survey carried out in St. Lucia in 2013, as a preliminary stage of this research, revealed a preelementary programme without structure, generally governed by local entrepreneurs. Added to this, the creolisation of these countries plays an important role in the education of the young. In fact, a child is nurtured in a particular cultural context through which he learns to express himself. All these considerations are necessary in this thrust towards education for all. Simultaneously, the French Antilles, members of the European Union and recent associate members of the Organisation of Caribbean States (OECO), are subject to a dual challenge: the European educational standards and the eagerness to take into consideration the cultural and linguistic specificities in a Caribbean context. In effect, the integration of Martinique in the OECO gives an opportunity to compare pre-elementary education policies in order to evaluate the possibilities of working on common ground
La educación de primera infancia nunca ha ocupado un lugar importante en los sistemas de educación de las islas de la OECO comparados a otros niveles de educación. En casos como el de St. Lucia, la ausencia de políticas educacionales para guiar este nivel de educación resulta en un alto porcentaje de jóvenes sin acceso a la educación de primaria infancia, y por consiguiente sin la motivación necesaria para ingresarse en la educación formal. En 2013, tratando de dar respuesta a las demandas de la población por una inversión mayor en la educación de primaria infancia, el Ministerio de Educación en St. Lucia, en colaboración con el Departamento de Primera Infancia, lanzó un programa comprometiéndose al mejoramiento de la calidad de la enseñanza de primera infancia en el país.Sin embargo, ¿cuáles son los límites de este compromiso si no se refleja en la Ley de Educación? Por otro lado, parece que St. Kitts ha tenido una organización efectiva de la educación de sus jóvenes, lo cual los permite jactarse de mucho éxito. Sin embargo, en cuanto a la aplicación a otros países en un contexto global, el empuje es de hacer que la educación sea accesible a todo el mundo.Uno de los objetivos del Banco Mundial hacia la reducción de la pobreza en el mundo, es asegurar la educación para todos antes del año 2015. Impone un carácter obligatorio a la educación de primera infancia. Las islas de habla inglesa de la OECO, habiendo realizado este objetivo mucho antes de la declaración por el Banco Mundial, decidieron concentrar en la educación secundaria durante la última década. A pesar de las consecuencias positivas o negativas, declaran que se ha cumplido este objetivo. En luz de esto, han concentrado en la educación pre-elemental, pero ¿cómo se proyectan hacia el futuro? Una encuesta llevada a cabo en St. Lucia en 2013, como fase preliminar de esta investigación, reveló un programa de educación pre-elemental sin estructura, generalmente controlado por empresarios locales.Agregado a esto, la criollización de estos países juega papel importante en la educación de la juventud. De hecho, un niño se cría en un entorno cultural determinado mediante el cual aprende a expresarse. Todas estas consideraciones son necesarias en este empujón hacia la educación para todos. Al mismo tiempo, las Antillas Francesas, miembros de la Unión Europea y recientes miembros asociados de la OECO, están sujetos a un desafío doble: las normas educacionales europeas y la avidez de tomar en cuenta las especificidades lingüísticas en un contexto caribeño. En efecto, la integración de Martinica a la OECO proporciona la oportunidad de comparar las políticas de la educación de primera infancia para evaluar las posibilidades de colaborar en un terreno común

碩士
銘傳大學
國際事務研究所碩士班
101
This thesis examined the perceptions of citizens of the Federation of Saint Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis regarding the impact of The Republic of China (Taiwan’s) foreign aid provided to this country. In focus were three main aspects of development – Education, Social and Infrastructure. Using an online survey generator, a questionnaire (Cronbach Alpha of .886) was administered, with a response retrieval rate of fifty-seven percent. Generally, citizens agreed that Taiwan’s foreign aid had a strong educational impact (74%) through the provision of higher education scholarships, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development (50%) and least impact on infrastructural development (11%). Empirical evidence of Taiwan’s contribution at work in this developing nation was presented to support the findings. It was therefore concluded that foreign aid received by the government and people of Saint Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis over the decade 2002-2012 from the Republic of China (Taiwan), has in fact, impacted the Educational, Social and Infrastructural Development of St. Kitts and Nevis. In addition, it is hoped that through thorough assessment of available information on Taiwan’s foreign aid to St. Kitts and Nevis, this research can provide guidance for future policy decisions on seeking and/or acceptance of foreign aid by the government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis. This research also offers a cross-check and provides recommendations on realignment of national policy to guide future decision making for both the Republic of China and the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis on the topic of foreign aid.