Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Molecules Involved in Its Imunopathogenesis, Clinical Features, and Treatment.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an idiopathic chronic autoimmune disease that can affect any organ in the body, including the neurological system. Multiple factors, such as environmental (infections), genetic (many HLA alleles including DR2 and DR3, and genes including C4), and immunological influences on self-antigens, such as nuclear antigens, lead to the formation of multiple autoantibodies that cause deleterious damage to bodily tissues and organs. The production of autoantibodies, such as anti-dsDNA, anti-SS(A), anti-SS(B), anti-Smith, and anti-neuronal DNA are characteristic features of this disease.

Completing the Puzzle: A Cluster of Hunting Dogs with Tick-Borne Illness from a Fishing Community in Tobago, West Indies.

Eight hunting dogs were visited by a state veterinarian on the island of Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, as owners reported anorexia and paralysis in five of their dogs. The veterinarian observed a combination of clinical signs consistent with tick-borne illness, including fever, anorexia, anaemia, lethargy and paralysis. Blood and ticks were collected from each dog and submitted to a diagnostic laboratory for analysis.

The Original Rutherford Morison Incision: A Case Report.

In recent years, the Rutherford Morison incision has become synonymous with renal transplant surgery. However, this incision was originally intended for access to the sigmoid colon and pelvis, particularly in the case of a midline previously scarred from operation. We present a case of a middle-aged female with a caecal tumour, requiring resection.

"I think they should give primary health care a little more priority". The primary health care in Caribbean SIDS: what can be said about adaptation to the changing climate? The case of Dominica- a qualitative study.

Background: Adaptation to climate change (CC) is a priority for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean, as these countries and territories are particularly vulnerable to climate-related events. Primary health care (PHC) is an important contributor to CC adaptation. However, knowledge on how PHC is prepared for CC in Caribbean SIDS is very limited.

Effectiveness and Safety of Left Distal Transradial Access in Coronary Procedures in the Caribbean.

Introduction: This retrospective study investigated the effectiveness and safety of left distal transradial access (LDTRA) in patients with cardiovascular disease in Trinidad undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Method: Procedural parameters, including technical success and safety outcomes such as vascular complications and radial artery occlusion (RAO), were assessed in 111 consecutive patients undergoing CAG or PCI from January 2023 to June 2023 at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Trinidad and Tobago. Eighty-eight patients underwent LDTRA, while 23 received left transradial access (LTRA).

Barriers to early diagnosis and management of oral cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Objective: This study aimed to explore perceived barriers to early diagnosis and management of oral cancer, as well as potential pathways for improvement in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Methods: This cross-sectional study used a self-administered online questionnaire created via the Research Electronic Data Capture platform. The survey was distributed to health professionals trained in Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Dentists with clinical and academic expertise in oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) and oral cancer.

Simulating Z_{2} lattice gauge theory on a quantum computer.

The utility of quantum computers for simulating lattice gauge theories is currently limited by the noisiness of the physical hardware. Various quantum error mitigation strategies exist to reduce the statistical and systematic uncertainties in quantum simulations via improved algorithms and analysis strategies. We perform quantum simulations of Z_{2} gauge theory with matter to study the efficacy and interplay of different error mitigation methods: readout error mitigation, randomized compiling, rescaling, and dynamical decoupling.

Epidemiology and trends in the uptake of refractive error services in Harare, Zimbabwe: a hospital-based retrospective study.

Aim: The study aimed to determine the epidemiology and evaluate the trends in the uptake of refractive error services in Harare.

Methods: A clinic-based retrospective study at the Greenwood Park Eye Centre and its three subsidiaries was conducted from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2020.

Results: 12,216 patients' records were retrieved, out of which 1074 (8.

Axial dystonia as a manifestation of stiff-person syndrome in a paediatric patient.

Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare neurological condition that frequently affects adults, with the neurologist diagnosing only one or two cases during his or her career. Reports of paediatric SPS are exceedingly rare, with less than 20 cases described in the literature.The patient presented was initially diagnosed with a functional movement disorder then a genetic dystonia, with a poor response to treatment trials and negative genetic testing.

Chemical Characterization of Phoenix dactylifera L. Seeds and their Beneficial Effects on the Vascular Response in Hypertensive Rats.

Although Phoenix dactylifera dates are traditionally consumed for their health benefits, no research has been done on the vascular response in hypertensive animals. This study evaluated the vascular relaxation of hydroalcoholic extracts from seeds of three varieties of P. dactylifera; Sukkari seed (SS), Ajwa seed (AS), and Mabroom seed (MS) on L-NAME-induced hypertension and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

Anatomical variations in the circle of Willis on magnetic resonance angiography in a south Trinidad population.

Objectives: This article seeks to determine the prevalence of a complete circle of Willis (CoW) and its common morphological variations in a south Trinidad population, while also investigating the influence of gender, age, and ethnicity on CoW morphology.

Methods: A prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study was done on the magnetic resonance images for consecutive patients who had a brain MRI/magnetic resonance angiography at a tertiary health institution in south Trinidad between October 2019 and September 2020. Patients with significant cerebrovascular disease and/or a history of prior neurosurgical intervention were excluded.

A Long-Term Study on Chemical Compounds and Their Location in Sweet Basil Leaves from Organic and Conventional Producers.

Bioactive compound profiles in organic and conventional sweet basil were analyzed by HPLC, and the enzymatic status and antioxidant status of plants cultivated with the two systems were also examined. Fluorescence microscopy was used for the determination of compounds' locations in the basil leaves. The experiment was conducted from 2019 to 2021.

Key drivers of hysterectomy among women of reproductive age in three states in India: comparative evidence from NFHS-4 and NFHS-5.

Purpose: According to the 4th and 5th rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS), there is high prevalence of hysterectomies in the three states of Andhra Pradesh Telangana and Bihar. The three said states have more than double the number of hysterectomies taking place than the national average. Our purpose is to analyse whether these rates are increasing, decreasing or have stabilized and their reasons thereof.

Exploring the potential of Eu ions doped heavy metal oxide containing germanium borate glasses for high efficiency red emitting solid-state lasers.

Glasses activated with europium show promising potential for use in applications relating to photonics, in particular solid-state laser generation. In the current work, EuO incorporated gemanium borate glasses were developed and explored their potentiality towards lasing active medium by probing physical, structural, optical and lasing properties in detail. The physical and structural features of each glass indicated the presence of non-bridging oxygens (NBOs) and an enhancement in network stability on account of the inclusion of europium ions into the GeO glass network.

Weight gain during nutritional rehabilitation post-childhood malnutrition may influence the associations between adulthood desaturases activity and anthro-cardiometabolic risk factors.

Backgrounds & Aims: Childhood malnutrition is a major global health problem with long-term sequelae, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Mechanisms are unknown but may involve metabolic programming, resulting from "short-term" solutions to optimise survival by compromising non-priority organs. As key players in lipid metabolism, desaturases have been shown to be predictive of NCDs.

Sight impairment registration in Trinidad: trend in causes and population coverage in comparison to the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago.

Background: Little was known about the population coverage and causes of sight impairment (SI) registration within the Caribbean, or the extent to which register studies offer insights into population eye health.

Methods: We compared causes of SI registration in the Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association (TTBWA) register with findings from the 2014 National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago (NESTT), and estimated registration coverage. Cross-sectional validation studies of registered clients included interviews, visual function and cause ascertainment in July 2013, and interviews and visual function in July 2016.

DNA Barcoding Analysis of Trinidad Mosquitoes Reveals Evidence for Putative New Species.

is a primary sylvan vector of yellow fever virus and the emerging Mayaro virus. However, despite its medical importance, there is a dearth of data on the molecular taxonomy of this mosquito species. In this study, DNA barcoding analysis was performed on 64 adult female mosquitoes from Trinidad morphologically identified as The mitochondrial (COI) gene and ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of the mosquitoes were PCR amplified and sequenced, and molecular phylogenies inferred.

Complete genome sequence of a novel papillomavirus in Siamese fighting fish () from Trinidad and Tobago.

Here, we announce the complete genome of a previously undescribed papillomavirus from a betta fish, . The genome is 5,671 bp with a GC content of 38.2%.

The Knotted Urethral Catheter-Description of a Novel Technique and Steps for Removal.

The spontaneous intravesicular knotting of a feeding tube used for urethral catheterization is a rare but documented complication. The reported incidence in the world literature is 0.2 per 100,000, with only 40 cases reported.

Prevalence of CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*3 Allelic Variants and Clopidogrel Use in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease in Trinidad & Tobago.

Introduction: Trinidad & Tobago has the highest prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the Caribbean and clopidogrel is a ubiquitously used treatment. Yet, the extent of genetically mediated clopidogrel resistance is unknown. To determine this, we investigated whether the association between CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*3 genetic variants and clopidogrel resistance holds, and calculated the frequencies of these in the Trinidadian CVD population.

Chikungunya: a decade of burden in the Americas.

In the Americas, one decade following its emergence in 2013, chikungunya virus (CHIKV) continues to spread and cause epidemics across the region. To date, 3.7 million suspected and laboratory-confirmed chikungunya cases have been reported in 50 countries or territories in the Americas.

Climate Change, Community Action, and Health in the Anglophone Caribbean: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review investigates the status of research focusing on the nexus of community action, climate change, and health and wellbeing in anglophone Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley framework and utilized the PRISMA-ScR checklist. We searched Medline/OVID, PsychInfo, VHL, Sociological Abstracts, Google Scholar, and Scopus to capture interdisciplinary studies published from 1946 to 2021.