Publications by authors named "Ibrahim Zuniga-Chaves"

Article Synopsis
  • Using oral swabs to collect remnants of stomach content during rumination in dairy cows can closely replicate ruminal bacterial communities, making it beneficial for large-scale studies on the rumen microbiome.
  • The quality of these swabs can vary, affecting their ability to accurately reflect the microbiome due to factors such as sampling time, cow behavior, and swab color.
  • Our research shows that darker swabs correlate with increased bacterial diversity while lighter swabs display greater variation; darker swabs also relate to the ruminal fungal community, indicating their potential as a more accurate representation of the ruminal environment.
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Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) therapy is common among perinatal populations for the treatment of mood disorders. Medications can affect diversity and composition of the gut microbiome, which plays a key role in modulating health. While previous studies have examined the effects of antidepressant exposure on the maternal gut microbiome, whether SSRI exposure affects the offspring gut microbiome is unknown.

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This study aimed to determine the impact of a novel formulation of a supplement composed of the natural ingredients, bromelain, quercetin, and , on the gut microbiota of healthy adult dogs. Adult healthy female dogs were administered either a placebo (CTR, = 15) or the supplement (TRT, = 15) over 28 days. Stool samples were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing before supplement administration (T0), at completion of supplement administration (T28), and one week after the end of supplement administration (T35) to characterize changes in the gut microbial communities.

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Background: (Group B , GBS) is a commensal Gram-positive bacterium found in the human gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts. Much of what is known about GBS relates to the diseases it causes in pregnant people and neonates. However, GBS is a common cause of disease in the general population with 90% of GBS mortality occurring in non-pregnant people.

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Social disparities continue to limit universal access to health care, directly impacting both lifespan and quality of life. Concomitantly, the gut microbiome has been associated with downstream health outcomes including the global rise in antibiotic resistance. However, limited evidence exists examining socioeconomic status (SES) associations with gut microbiome composition.

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Introduction: The combined genetic material of the microorganisms in the human body, known as the microbiome, is being increasingly recognized as a major determinant of human health and disease. Although located predominantly on mucosal surfaces, these microorganisms have profound effects on brain functioning through the gut-brain axis.

Method: The content of the chapter is based on a study group session at the annual meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP).

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Background: Ruminants rely upon a complex community of microbes in their rumen to convert host-indigestible feed into nutrients. However, little is known about the association between the rumen microbiota and feed efficiency traits in Nellore (Bos indicus) cattle, a breed of major economic importance to the global beef market. Here, we compare the composition of the bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities in the rumen of Nellore steers with high and low feed efficiency (FE) phenotypes, as measured by residual feed intake (RFI).

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Amphibians have declined around the world in recent years, in parallel with the emergence of an epidermal disease called chytridiomycosis, caused by the chytrid fungus (). This disease has been associated with mass mortality in amphibians worldwide, including in Costa Rica, and is considered an important contributor to the disappearance of this group of vertebrates. While many species are susceptible to the disease, others show tolerance and manage to survive infection with the pathogen.

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Animal-associated microbiomes are integral to host health, yet key biotic and abiotic factors that shape host-associated microbial communities at the global scale remain poorly understood. We investigated global patterns in amphibian skin bacterial communities, incorporating samples from 2,349 individuals representing 205 amphibian species across a broad biogeographic range. We analysed how biotic and abiotic factors correlate with skin microbial communities using multiple statistical approaches.

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