Biomedical Publications ABOUT PR

Background Patients with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) typically present with a triad comprising tyrosinase-positive oculocutaneous albinism, a tendency to bleed easily, and ceroid accumulation in multiple tissues. Ocular findings in patients with HPS include poor vision, refractive errors, photophobia, periodic alternating nystagmus, iris transillumination, foveal hypoplasia, and albinotic mid-peripheral retina. Among these, foveal hypoplasia and reduced foveal thickness are key structural...

CONCLUSION: The PRIMERO birth cohort study, with its comprehensive data on viral exposures, respiratory outcomes, and airway molecular phenotypes in a high-risk population of Puerto Rican children, is uniquely positioned to address long-standing questions about the early-life determinants and mechanisms underlying virus-related asthma development.

INTRODUCTION: As demand for integrated behavioral health services grows, understanding specialized training programs' contribution to workforce development becomes crucial. This study examines the career trajectories of graduates from a primary care psychology internship program in Puerto Rico to inform integrated care workforce strategies.

CONCLUSION: This study highlights significant geographic disparities and barriers to accessing CMR in the US.

Effective control of local dengue virus transmission requires reducing the population of mosquitoes below a critical density threshold. Aedes aegypti density thresholds can serve as targets for intervention effectiveness. Most thresholds have been identified by correlating vector densities with pathogen transmission events. However, despite previous descriptive research there is a need for rigorously controlled field studies to clarify the interactions between Ae. aegypti density and human...

Phthalates are widely used plasticizers and solvents in a variety of consumer and personal care products, resulting in ubiquitous exposure across the general population. Pregnancy represents a particularly critical window of vulnerability, as prenatal phthalate exposures have been linked to adverse health outcomes, including preterm birth and child developmental problems. While growing evidence highlights potential neurotoxic effects in children, few studies have examined the combined impact of...

This study aims to explore the mechanism of lung and gut protection by Tanreqing Capsules on the mice infected with influenza virus based on "the lung-gut axis". A total of 110 C57BL/6J mice were randomized into control group, model group, oseltamivir group, and low-and high-dose Tanreqing Capsules groups. Ten mice in each group underwent body weight protection experiments, and the remaining 12 mice underwent experiments for mechanism exploration. Mice were infected with influenza...

CONCLUSIONS: Our novel assessment demonstrates that industrial air emissions of organic and inorganic pollutants that may be carcinogenic to humans disproportionately impact Americans of lower socioeconomic status and who identify as Black, Hispanic, or Latino.

Background/Objectives: Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic condition characterized by compromised mucociliary clearance and chronic respiratory manifestations. Anosmia, or the loss of smell, is a lesser-known but clinically relevant symptom that can significantly impact patient safety, nutritional status, and the overall quality of life. The RSPH4A (c.921+3_921+6delAAGT) founder mutation is highly prevalent among Puerto Rican individuals with PCD and may carry distinct phenotypic...

Margalefidinium polykrikoides is a cosmopolitan dinoflagellate that blooms in coastal waters. Despite genomic evidence that it belongs to Group III and so closely related to isolates from Puerto Rico, Malaysia, North America, and Central America, M. polykrikoides blooms in the Chesapeake Bay at warmer temperatures and lower salinities than in coastal ecosystems occupied by its closest relatives. In this study, the effect of temperature and salinity on the growth rate and total cell yield of an...

CONCLUSIONS: While significant progress has been made in reducing cancer incidence and mortality among Puerto Rico's oldest residents, challenges persist. Policies improving healthcare access could help reduce the burden of cancer incidence and mortality among Puerto Rico's aging population. Data revealing disaggregated ethnicity and nationality beyond Hispanic/Latino could further inform targeted efforts to advance cancer equity across the U.S.

Cave ecosystems harbor unique and diverse microbial ecology, with fungal communities playing important roles. This study utilizes internal transcribed spacer across seven caves in the northern limestone karst belt area of Puerto Rico to investigate fungal composition. This enhances scientific understanding of subterranean microbial dynamics and supports conservation efforts.

CONCLUSIONS: A large, US national, and racially diverse web-based cohort of SGM individuals at high risk for HIV has been successfully enrolled and will be followed through 2027. Persons who use methamphetamine have been oversampled and demonstrated an exceptionally greater risk for HIV. Our study will offer insight into the development and implementation of new interventions, which aim to have a meaningful impact on HIV transmission.

CONCLUSION: Many different types of interventions have been trialed to promote workforce DEI in the United States healthcare workforce. These efforts must continue to achieve a diverse and equitable healthcare workforce.

Species loss in fragile insular communities can alter the composition and stability of local assemblages. Climate change or anthropogenic pressures are sometimes attributed to the loss of Caribbean bats, but other factors are elusive to document. We studied time-scaled changes in bat assemblage composition from a palaeontological excavation in Cueva Matos, Puerto Rico. Over 800 individual fossils were identified to species, and charcoal was used to develop an AMS ^(14)C chronology. Although...

CONCLUSIONS: Oncologists caring for Hispanic older adults with CRC and MCC encounter complex challenges influenced by unmet social needs and the presence of comorbidities. Tailored approaches, culturally sensitive care, and improved coordination among physicians are vital to enhance the quality of care for this patient population.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: An estimated 450,000 enteric illnesses, 5,000 hospitalizations, and 76 deaths associated with animal contact occur each year in the United States. Enteric illnesses are diseases that affect the stomach or intestines and cause symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting, and are typically transmitted from animals to humans through the fecal-oral route. Humans might encounter animal feces or bodily fluids through contact with the animal itself, the animal's environment, or...

CONCLUSIONS: We develop an integrated R package "CompMix" that provides a platform for mixtures analysis where the practitioners can implement a pipeline that includes several approaches for mixtures analysis. Our study offers guidelines for selecting appropriate statistical methods for addressing specific scientific questions related to mixtures research. We identify critical gaps where new and better methods are needed. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15305.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that digital cytopathology, particularly through the Techcyte SureView™ system, can improve laboratory workflow and performance. Successful validation led CorePlus to integrate the AI algorithm into their workflow as a 100% QC review tool, resulting in improved accuracy, benefiting both laboratory professionals and patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The maternal nasal microbiome is an important source of bacteria in the early nasal microbiome. A large portion of transmitted bacteria from the maternal nasal microbiome belonged to the generally beneficial bacterial genus Corynebacterium. The results from this study will aid in the development of early-life intervention strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of childhood respiratory diseases and asthma.