Mining social media data to inform public health policies: a sentiment analysis case study.

In the face of growing health challenges, nontraditional sources of data, such as open data, have the potential to transform how decisions are made and used to inform public health policies. Focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, this article presents a case study employing sentiment analysis on unstructured social media data from Twitter (now X) to gauge public sentiment regarding pandemic-related restrictions. Our study aims to uncover and analyze Jamaican citizens' emotions and opinions surrounding COVID-19 restrictions following an outbreak at a call center in April 2020.

Data for population-based health analytics: the Cohorts Consortium of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Objective: We describe the daily operations of the Cohorts Consortium of Latin America and the Caribbean (CC-LAC), detailing the resources required and offering tips to Caribbean researchers so this guide can be used to start a data pooling project.

Methods: The CC-LAC began by developing a steering committee - that is, a team of regional experts who guided the project's set up and operations. The Consortium invites investigators who agree to share individual-level data about topics of interest to become members and they then have input into the project's goals and operations; they are also invited to coauthor papers.

Computer vision syndrome and associated factors among urban and rural bankers in Trinidad and Tobago.

Background: Modern workplace requirements in the banking sector require bankers to work on screens for more than 6 h a day, putting much stress and strain on their eyes, which leads to computer vision syndrome. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of computer vision syndrome and associated factors among urban and rural bankers in Trinidad and Tobago.

Methods And Materials: A cross-sectional design was applied to collect data from 399 bankers between April and June 2023.

Page kidney in a solid-organ transplant recipient with acute renal failure and arterial hypertension.

Page kidney (Page phenomenon) is a rare and treatable cause of hypertension which can occur if a haematoma, leading to extrinsic compression, occurs after renal transplant biopsy. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is activated leading to hypertension. This case report is that of a male in his 70s who had a renal transplant biopsy of his transplanted kidney and subsequently developed Page phenomenon as a result of an expanding haematoma.

Five year follow -up of a university initiated national voluntary non remunerated blood donation programme in a developing country.

International bodies continue to recommend blood services based on voluntary non remunerated blood donation as an essential prerequisite for blood safety and adequacy. Trinidad and Tobago is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, high income developing country with a long history of family replacement and remunerated blood donation. Delivery of blood services is fragmented across five autonomous Regional Health Authorities and policy is established by the National Blood Transfusion Service in the Ministry of Health.

Lophomonas spp. as an Emerging Infectious Disease in the Caribbean.

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing number of case reports of bronchopulmonary infection due to Lophomonas spp. The Caribbean has not been included in any reports. We describe two cases of bronchopulmonary infection due to spp.

Novel lineage of anelloviruses with large genomes identified in dolphins.

Unlabelled: Anellovirus infections are ubiquitous in mammals but lack any clear disease association, suggesting a commensal virus-host relationship. Although anelloviruses have been identified in numerous mammalian hosts, their presence in members of the family Delphinidae has yet to be reported. Here, using a metagenomic approach, we characterize complete anellovirus genomes ( = 69) from four Delphinidae host species: short-finned pilot whale (, = 19), killer whale (, = 9), false killer whale (, = 6), and pantropical spotted dolphin (, = 1).

Panniculitis in dermatomyositis: A systematic review of the clinicopathologic features.

Background: Panniculitis in patients with dermatomyositis (PDMS) is rare.

Objectives: Assess the clinicopathologic features described for PDMS.

Methods: A systematic review of the PubMed/MEDLINE database was performed.

Conventional and Nonconventional Therapies for COVID-19 Management in Trinidad.

This cross-sectional study investigated nonconventional therapies for COVID-19 in Trinidad, emphasizing the need for documentation supporting future pharmaceutical research. The survey, conducted from June 20 to July 19, 2022, garnered responses from 57 participants aged 18 and above, with 82.46% vaccinated.

EQ-5D-5L population norms and health inequality for Trinidad and Tobago in 2022-2023 and comparison with 2012.

Background: The use of EQ-5D instruments in clinical, policy and economic applications continues to grow internationally. Population norms studies provide baseline values against which demographic and patient groups are compared and inequality is assessed. This study presents updated EQ-5D-5L population norms for 2022-2023, evaluates inequality and compares the results with those of 2012.

Clustering of diet and physical activity behaviours in adolescents across home and school area-level deprivation in Cameroon, South Africa, and Jamaica.

Background: Adolescence is a crucial period for establishing healthy behaviours that can reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases. However, limited data exist on the clustering of health-related behaviours, in adolescents from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study examined how diet and physical activity behaviours cluster and how they are influenced by home and school area-level deprivation.

A cross-sectional study of physiologic volar melanotic macules: Demographic, historical, clinical, and dermatoscopic features of a common yet neglected pigmentary variant in individuals with skin of color.

Background: Physiologic volar melanotic macules (P-VMM) are understudied. Trauma has been suggested as a predisposing factor. Little has been published over the last several decades.

Diabetes and the associated complications: The role of antioxidants in diabetes therapy and care.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). Poorly managed diabetes can lead to complications affecting multiple organ systems. Antioxidants play a crucial role in reducing oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), primarily triggered by uncontrolled high blood sugar levels in diabetes.

Viral Myositis in a Pediatric Patient Following Influenza Infection: A Case Report.

Viral myositis is an uncommon sequela associated with influenza virus infection, more common in children. We report a case of a three-year-old girl who developed viral myositis after suffering from influenza A infection. The patient was found to have leg pain associated with difficulty in walking.

The molecular coordination of tuberization: Current status and future directions.

The integration of bulk transcriptomic, proteomic, and genomic data generated from numerous systems biology studies of tuberizing plants has resulted in a better understanding of the molecular and morphological aspects of tuberization. The identified conserved integrated hormonal, transcriptional, and metabolic pathways of tuberization in crops from various plant lineages support the hypothesis of a fundamental tuberization process. However, further studies are required to specify the additional processes defined by the genomics and phylogeny of the particular plant lineages, which control the morphological diversity of tubers.

: Self-esteem and body dissatisfaction in the drive for muscularity among Jamaican weight lifters.

This study examined a model of the associations among self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and the drive for muscularity among Jamaican male weight lifters, and compared model relationships between weight lifters from rural and urban areas of residence. Using a purposive sampling approach, cross-sectional data were collected from 225 male weight lifters, ages 18-67 years ( = 28.16,  = 9.

The Effectiveness of Triton Used With XP-3D Adaptive Files and Active Irrigation on Smear Layer Removal During Root Canal Preparation: A Qualitative Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Study.

Background: Standard irrigating protocols during root canal treatment call for the use of sodium hypochlorite during chemo-mechanical preparation, followed by final irrigation with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). This study determined the effectiveness of a new irrigant, Triton (Brasseler, USA), on smear layer removal during root canal treatment compared to that of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite and CanalPro EDTA 17% (Coltene).