Multimodal optical mesoscopy reveals the quantity and spatial distribution of Gram-positive biofilms in ex vivo tonsils.

Biofilms are known to be present in tonsils, but little is known about their spatial location and size distribution throughout the tonsil. Studies of the location and distribution of biofilms in tonsil specimens have thus far been limited to either high-magnification methods such as electron microscopy, which enables high-resolution imaging but only from a tiny tissue volume, or lower magnification techniques such as light microscopy, which allow imaging of larger specimens but with poor spatial resolution. To overcome these limitations, we report the use of multimodal optical mesoscopy to visualise and quantify the number and spatial distribution of Gram-positive biofilms in fresh, excised paediatric tonsils.

Anaemia in pregnancy: associations with parity, abortions and child spacing in primary healthcare clinic attendees in Trinidad and Tobago.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of anaemia in antenatal clinic attendees; to investigate the effects of parity, age, gravidity, previous abortions, child spacing and other factors on the prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy.

Methods: This was a retrospective and cross-sectional study. Antenatal records of 2287 pregnant women attending 40 public healthcare centres from January 2000 to December 2005 in Trinidad and Tobago were used.

Traits associated with innate and adaptive immunity in pigs: heritability and associations with performance under different health status conditions.

There is a need for genetic markers or biomarkers that can predict resistance towards a wide range of infectious diseases, especially within a health environment typical of commercial farms. Such markers also need to be heritable under these conditions and ideally correlate with commercial performance traits. In this study, we estimated the heritabilities of a wide range of immune traits, as potential biomarkers, and measured their relationship with performance within both specific pathogen-free (SPF) and non-SPF environments.

Is gestational diabetes mellitus an important contributor to metabolic disorders in trinidad and tobago?

Objective. To investigate the incidence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus at the Mt. Hope Women's Hospital and to describe its epidemiological pattern.