A classification system for identifying persons with an unknown cardiovascular disease (CVD) status for a multiracial/ ethnic Caribbean population.

Background: The need for classification systems for cardiovascular disease (CVD) that is population-specific is important towards understanding the clinical disease and diagnostics associated with the disease. This paper presents the form and validation results of this classification system.

Method: The survey data used was captured from 778 participants, 526 persons with no prior CVD, and 252 who reported prior CVD.

Prostate Cancer in the Caribbean.

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the principal causes of cancer death worldwide. The mortality rate for PC in the Caribbean is higher than in many developed countries, and there is a difference in the incidence among the various Caribbean nations. Besides surveillance and screening, these factors increase concerns about genetic and other risk factors causing PC incidence.

Epidemiology of Cervical Cancer in the Caribbean.

Cervical cancer (CvC) is considered a preventable disease; however, in the Caribbean, it is still one of the fourth most common causes of death in women. Efforts to overcome obstacles to the treatment and control of this preventable disease are being made by several countries within the Caribbean. However, no health issue can be readily managed without first acquiring an understanding of the dynamics relating to its severity of impact reaching the target population, its clinical pathology, and the availability of treatment and/or preventative measures to control or halt its progression.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Antibiotic Dispensing amongst Pharmacists in Trinidad and Tobago: Exploring a Novel Dichotomy of Antibiotic Laws.

The inappropriate consumption, use, and dispensing of antibiotics are problems faced globally, with a pattern of inappropriate consumption differing in higher-income countries due to the ease of accessibility of antibiotics. The main drivers of consumption and inappropriate use are the over-the-counter sales of antibiotics by pharmacies. Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), a twin island state in the Caribbean, has two Acts of Parliament that regulate antibiotics: the Antibiotics Act and the Food and Drug Act, yet the Over-the-Counter (OTC) sale of antibiotics still exists.

An analysis of factors associated with neonatal, post-neonatal and child mortality in Haiti, including breastfeeding as a time-dependent variable.

Aim: The main objective of the study was to identify factors associated with neonatal, post-neonatal and child mortality. The study also investigated breastfeeding status as a time-dependent variable.

Methods: The 2016-2017 Haitian Demographic and Health Survey was analysed.

Needs affordance as a key factor in likelihood of problematic social media use: Validation, latent Profile analysis and comparison of TikTok and Facebook problematic use measures.

Despite increasing concerns of maladaptive cognitive responses associated with social media, estimates of its prevalence are lacking in the literature. Further, existing studies have disproportionately focused on Facebook, while ignoring the penetration of TikTok and concerns of associated maladaptive behaviors. This study aims to 1) validate scale measures for problematic Facebook and TikTok use (PFU and PTTU) 2) comparatively assess the underlying cognitive pathways of the PFU and PTTU among a sample of university students, 3) determine the cut-off score of the PTTU assessment scale using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) and 4) evaluate the contribution of specific criteria in the diagnosis of PTTU.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) regarding the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Post-lockdown in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. Trinidad and Tobago reported its first infection on March 12 2020. This study assessed knowledge, attitudes and practices toward COVID-19 among Trinidadians during the post-lockdown period.

Determinants of neonatal, post-neonatal and child mortality in Afghanistan using frailty models.

Background: Afghanistan has one of the highest under-five mortality rates in South Asia, 70.4 per 1000 live births. Determinants need to be identified to reduce this rate.

Perceptions of the appropriate response to norm violation in 57 societies.

Norm enforcement may be important for resolving conflicts and promoting cooperation. However, little is known about how preferred responses to norm violations vary across cultures and across domains. In a preregistered study of 57 countries (using convenience samples of 22,863 students and non-students), we measured perceptions of the appropriateness of various responses to a violation of a cooperative norm and to atypical social behaviors.

An environmental gap analysis at a university campus.

The environmental quality of the learning environment is a critical element for good health and well-being among beneficiaries of tertiary institutions, ultimately influencing staff productivity and learning performance of students. High population densities, inefficient resource use and unique microenvironments within tertiary institutions can result in myriad environmental challenges which require targeted solutions. An environmental gap analysis is a pragmatic and evidence-based approach that can be used to evaluate the environmental quality of institutions through the provision of baseline data and comparison to relevant environmental standards.

Health Systems' Resilience: COVID-19 Response in Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinidad and Tobago, a small island developing state, has been ranked as number one in a report published by the University of Oxford that assessed responses to COVID-19 based on four of the six WHO criteria for rolling back COVID-19 "lockdown" measures. The key mitigation and containment strategies implemented by the country were evidence-informed and demonstrated an "all-of-government" approach. The COVID-19 health system response of this country demonstrates that although developing countries face many health system challenges, political will, evidence-informed decision-making, respect for science, and timely, coordinated, collaborative actions can strengthen the resilience and response of the health system during a health emergency.

Identifying the primary sources of fecal contamination along the beaches and rivers of Trinidad.

The aim of this study was to identify the main sources of fecal pollution at popular beaches and rivers in the island of Trinidad. Escherichia coli enumeration and microbial source tracking (MST) were used to identify the primary sources of fecal bacteria contamination at the sites. Nineteen sites exceeded USEPA water quality standards for safe recreational use.

Evaluating Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk scores for participants with known CVD and non-CVD in a multiracial/ethnic Caribbean sample.

Background: Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk prediction models have been useful in estimating if individuals are at low, intermediate, or high risk, of experiencing a CVD event within some established time frame, usually 10 years. Central to this is the concern in Trinidad and Tobago of using pre-existing CVD risk prediction methods, based on populations in the developed world (e.g.

Floral Odors and the Interaction between Pollinating Ceratopogonid Midges and Cacao.

Most plant species depend upon insect pollination services, including many cash and subsistence crops. Plants compete to attract those insects using visual cues and floral odor which pollinators associate with a reward. The cacao tree, Theobroma cacao, has a highly specialized floral morphology permitting pollination primarily by Ceratopogonid midges.

Toxicity of crude organic extracts from the zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum: A biogeography approach.

Marine isolates such as palytoxin (PTX) are of concern within the Caribbean region due to their toxicity. PTX for example has been described as a one of the most known potent marine toxins, known to prevent predation from larger species (e.g.

Source apportionment and seasonal cancer risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of sediments in a multi-use coastal environment containing a Ramsar wetland, for a Caribbean island.

Although polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic pollutants for which some are known carcinogens, there is limited information on the cancer risk such substances pose to the population via marine sediments, despite a significant part of the world's food supply being derived from the coastal environment. This study was conducted in a heavily industrialized and urbanized coastal area, in Trinidad. PAHs were quantified in sediments during the dry and wet seasons and were observed to be significantly higher in the wet season compared to the dry season.

Health Dynamics in the Built Environment: An Urban Intensity Perspective - An Exploratory Study in Trinidad and Tobago.

The built environment encompasses the physical components of the environment, inclusive of infrastructure, households, buildings, streets, and open spaces, within which individuals reside and carry out their daily activities. It affects both indirectly and directly on the outdoor and indoor physical environment as well as the socio-economic environment. The elements which comprise the built environment and those of the physical and socio-economic environments, which are affected by it, are recognised as key determinants of health.

Impact of anthropogenic activities on mussel (Mytella guyanensis) in the Gulf of Paria, Trinidad.

This body of work demonstrated the levels of selected contaminants (as well as their potential sources), in mussels (Mytella guyanensis) - a known bio-indicator of pollution, along the west coast (Gulf-of-Paria) of Trinidad. The findings demonstrated that polyaromatic hydrocarbons levels in the mussels investigated were moderate to high (201.80-1200.

Gravity of human impacts mediates coral reef conservation gains.

Coral reefs provide ecosystem goods and services for millions of people in the tropics, but reef conditions are declining worldwide. Effective solutions to the crisis facing coral reefs depend in part on understanding the context under which different types of conservation benefits can be maximized. Our global analysis of nearly 1,800 tropical reefs reveals how the intensity of human impacts in the surrounding seascape, measured as a function of human population size and accessibility to reefs ("gravity"), diminishes the effectiveness of marine reserves at sustaining reef fish biomass and the presence of top predators, even where compliance with reserve rules is high.

Association of Place of Residence and Under-Five Mortality in Middle- and Low-Income Countries: A Meta-Analysis.

This review evaluated the association of place of residence (urban/rural) and under-five mortality in middle- and low-income countries. Both English and Spanish language studies conducted during the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) period (1990 to 2015) were reviewed. Twenty-six cross-sectional studies, all in the English language, were selected for further review.

Widespread local chronic stressors in Caribbean coastal habitats.

Coastal ecosystems and the livelihoods they support are threatened by stressors acting at global and local scales. Here we used the data produced by the Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity program (CARICOMP), the longest, largest monitoring program in the wider Caribbean, to evidence local-scale (decreases in water quality) and global-scale (increases in temperature) stressors across the basin. Trend analyses showed that visibility decreased at 42% of the stations, indicating that local-scale chronic stressors are widespread.

The relationship between circulating concentration of AMH and LH content in the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) preparations on follicular growth and ovulatory response to superovulation in water buffaloes.

The relationship between circulating concentration of anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) and the LH content of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) preparation on follicular growth and ovulatory response in water buffaloes was evaluated. A single blood sample was taken from cows (N=31; age: 9.06±0.

Potential of used frying oil in paving material: solution to environmental pollution problem.

The improper disposal of used frying oil (UFO) presents numerous ecological, environmental and municipal problems. Of great concern is the resultant blockage of municipal drainage systems and water treatment facilities, harm to wildlife when they become coated in it and detriment to aquatic life and ecosystems due to the depletion of the oxygen content in water bodies such as rivers and lakes that have become contaminated. Statistics show that in Trinidad and Tobago, in excess of one million liters of used cooking oil is collected annually from various restaurant chains.