An Exploration of the Understanding and Experiences of Health in Urban Dominican American Adolescents.

Introduction: This study explored the understanding and experiences related to health among Dominican American adolescents in an urban setting in the northeastern United States.

Method: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted, applying thematic analysis to focus group interview data from 23 students.

Results: Five themes emerged: (1) Health is All About Healthy Eating, (2) Sugarcoating, (3) Dynamics Affecting Adherence, (4) Dominican Cultural Influences on Health, and (5) Toll of the Immigrant Life.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in HIV Diagnosis Rates by Social Determinants of Health at the Census Tract Level Among Adults in the United States and Puerto Rico, 2021.

Background: We compared racial and ethnic disparities in HIV diagnosis rates among adults in census tracts with the most disadvantaged vs. the most advantaged levels of social determinants of health.

Methods: In this ecologic analysis, we used the National HIV Surveillance System data from 2021 and social determinants of health data from 2017-2021 American Community Survey.

Are We Resecting Too Much Colon in Perforated Diverticulitis?

Initially, the Hartmann's procedure was done to reduce mortality in surgery cases of malignant rectal lesions, and not benign disease. However, the procedure was popularized in the management of perforated diverticular disease (PDD) in the 1970s. Herein, we present a case of a patient who had laparotomy and colostomy for PDD.

Craniomandibular variation in the endemic Hispaniolan primate, Antillothrix bernensis.

Here we describe new fossil material of Antillothrix bernensis, a Pleistocene-Holocene primate taxon from Hispaniola. It is now represented by seven crania, five mandibles, and dozens of postcranial elements from several paleontologically rich cave systems. The five adult crania included here share a similar overall profile as well as specific features such as a deep depression at the glabella.

Clinical profiles of older adults in French Caribbean nursing homes: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

Background: Nursing homes in the Caribbean are scarce and the characteristics of their residents have not been previously documented. This study aimed to describe the clinical profiles of residents living in nursing homes in Guadeloupe and Martinique (French West Indies).

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of the baseline screening data from the KASEHPAD (Karukera Study of Ageing in nursing homes) study.

Challenges for eGFR equations in the developing world.

The populations in countries that have the highest number of individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are the low and middle-income countries which are ethnically diverse. The regional and international data highlighting the need for continuous monitoring of renal function warrants that such countries use equations that give the best estimates of glomerular filtration rate for their settings. While chronic disease conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are the main conditions associated with CKD in adult populations and complicated urinary tract infections and congenital anomalies in the kidney and the urinary tract in the young, the management of patients with CKD at any age can be impacted by medical and non-biological factors.

Collaboration for Lead Poisoning Prevention in Puerto Rico.

In 2010, Puerto Rico experienced a cluster of childhood lead poisoning cases stemming from parental occupational exposure to lead. Following the immediate response to this crisis, a dedicated coalition of pediatricians and public health practitioners sustained a collaborative effort to advance pediatric environmental health initiatives across Puerto Rico. Their commitment laid the groundwork for the establishment and evolution of Puerto Rico's comprehensive Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Blood Lead Level Surveillance Program.

The Grenada Learning and Memory Scale: Psychometric features and normative data in Caribbean preschool children.

Objective: Neuropsychological assessment of preschool children is essential for early detection of delays and referral for intervention prior to school entry. This is especially pertinent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which are disproportionately impacted by micronutrient deficiencies and teratogenic exposures. The Grenada Learning and Memory Scale (GLAMS) was created for use in limited resource settings and includes a shopping list and face-name association test.

Treatment Patterns and Health Care Resource Utilization of Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Puerto Rico: The TREATLINES-ONCOLUNG Study.

Purpose: Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. It is the third cause of death among patients with cancer in Puerto Rico (PR) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent. This study aims to describe the first-line treatment (1LT) and health care resource utilization (HCRU) among patients with NSCLC in PR.

Follicular thyroid carcinoma in an inbred family of mongrel dogs in Trinidad & Tobago.

Thyroid tumors occur in many domestic species, but are most common in the dog, in which they are classified as follicular or medullary. During 2012-2016, we received tissue specimens or whole carcasses of 4 dogs with variable enlargement of the thyroid glands. The 2 males and 2 females were of mixed (mongrel) inbreeding, 3-4.

interspecific hybrid 'KX4-Hawaii' as a source of agricultural biomass in a water-scarce small island developing state.

Background: is a useful multipurpose tree species for agroforestry systems, but traditional seeded cultivars often become weedy and invasive. A seedless hybrid cultivar, 'KX4-Hawaii', offers a potential solution to this problem. However, relevant agronomic information and information on the performance of 'KX4-Hawaii' under varying growth conditions is required.

Heart Failure Care Facilitators and Barriers in Rural Haiti: A Qualitative Study.

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalizations in Haiti. However, few patients return for outpatient care. The factors contributing to chronic HF care access are poorly understood.

Determinants of adoption of household water treatment in Haiti using two analysis methods: logistic regression and machine learning.

Household water treatment (HWT) is recommended when safe drinking water is limited. To understand determinants of HWT adoption, we conducted a cross-sectional survey with 650 households across different regions in Haiti. Data were collected on 71 demographic and psychosocial factors and 2 outcomes (self-reported and confirmed HWT use).

The Impact of Climate on Human Dengue Infections in the Caribbean.

Climate change is no longer a hypothetical problem in the Caribbean but a new reality to which regional public health systems must adapt. One of its significant impacts is the increased transmission of infectious diseases, such as dengue fever, which is endemic in the region, and the presence of the mosquito vector responsible for transmitting the disease. (1) Methods: To assess the association between climatic factors and human dengue virus infections in the Caribbean, we conducted a systematic review of published studies on MEDLINE and Web of Science databases according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria.

Evidence for Horizontal Transmission and Recirculation of Shiga Toxin-Producing in the Beef Production Chain in South Africa Using Whole Genome Sequencing.

We used whole genome sequencing (WGS) as an epidemiologic surveillance tool to elucidate the transmission dynamics of Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) strains along the beef production chain in South Africa. Isolates were obtained from a cattle farm, abattoirs and retail outlets. Isolates were analysed using WGS on a MiSeq platform (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) and phylogenetic analysis was carried out.

Hispanic Cancer Survivors Exposed to Multiple Natural Disasters: Pre-Post-Disaster Changes in Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Perceived Stress, and Physical Symptom Burden.

Background: Studies evaluating the effects of natural disasters on cancer outcomes are scarce, especially among USA ethnic minority groups, and none have focused on the effects of concurrent natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this secondary data analysis is to explore the impact of concurrent exposure to COVID-19 and earthquakes on psychological distress and symptom burden among Puerto Rican cancer survivors.

Methods: This secondary data analysis ( = 101) was part of a longitudinal case-control cohort study ( = 402) aimed at describing unmet psychological needs among Puerto Rican cancer patients and non-cancer subjects previously exposed to Hurricane María in 2017.