Carbonate chemistry seasonality in a tropical mangrove lagoon in La Parguera, Puerto Rico.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Garcia-Troche EM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8099052 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Puerto Ricans are a unique Hispanic population with European, Native American (Taino), and higher West African ancestral contributions than other non-Caribbean Hispanics. In admixed populations, such as Puerto Ricans, genetic variants can be found at different frequencies when compared to parental populations and uniquely combined and distributed. Therefore, in this review, we aimed to collect data from studies conducted in healthy Puerto Ricans and to report the frequencies of genetic polymorphisms with major relevance in drug response. Filtering for healthy volunteers or individuals, we performed a search of pharmacogenetic studies in academic literature databases without limiting the period of the results. The search was limited to Puerto Ricans living in the island, excluding those studies performed in mainland (United States). We found that the genetic markers impacting pharmacological therapy in the areas of cardiovascular, oncology, and neurology are the most frequently investigated. Coincidently, the top causes of mortality in the island are cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke. In addition, polymorphisms in genes that encode for members of the CYP450 family (CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP2D6) are also available due to their relevance in the metabolism of drugs. The complex genetic background of Puerto Ricans is responsible for the divergence in the reported allele frequencies when compared to parental populations (Africans, East Asians, and Europeans). The importance of reporting the findings of pharmacogenetic studies conducted in Puerto Ricans is to identify genetic variants with potential utility among this genetically complex population and eventually move forward the adoption of personalized medicine in the island.
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Project description:PURPOSE:To identify rates of postoperative radiation therapy (RT) after breast conservation surgery (BCS) in women with stage I or II invasive breast cancer treated in Puerto Rico and to examine the sociodemographic and health services characteristics associated with variations in receipt of RT. METHODS:The Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry-Health Insurance Linkage Database was used to identify patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2008 and 2012 in Puerto Rico. Claims codes identified the type of surgery and the use of RT. Logistic regression models were used to examine the independent association between sociodemographic and clinical covariates. RESULTS:Among women who received BCS as their primary definitive treatment, 64% received adjuvant RT. Significant predictors of RT after BCS included enrollment in Medicare (odds ratio [OR], 2.14; 95% CI, 1.46 to 3.13; P ? .01) and dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.14 to 2.27; P < .01). In addition, it was found that RT was more likely to have been received in certain geographic locations, including the Metro-North (OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.48 to 3.28; P < .01), North (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.20 to 2.64; P < .01), West (OR, 4.04; 95% CI, 2.61 to 6.25; P < .01), and Southwest (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.70 to 4.59; P < .01). Furthermore, patients with tumor size > 2.0 cm and ? 5.0 cm (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.93; P = .02) and those with tumor size > 5.0 cm (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.92; P = .03) were found to be significantly less likely to receive RT. CONCLUSION:Underuse of RT after BCS was identified in Puerto Rico. Patients enrolled in Medicare and those who were dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare were more likely to receive RT after BCS compared with patients with Medicaid alone. There were geographic variations in the receipt of RT on the island.
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Project description:Background:Low birth weight (LBW) has been associated with adverse health outcomes across the lifespan. Among ethnic/racial minority populations, few studies have examined the association between LBW (<2,500 or ?2,500 g) and prenatal exposure to air pollution, a key modifiable environmental risk factor. Methods:We examined the association between LBW and prenatal exposure to PM2.5 in a Hispanic and black population in Puerto Rico between 1999 and 2013, adjusting for individual and municipality-level confounders. We used modified Poisson regression to estimate the association and performed sensitivity analyses treating birth weight as continuous or polychotomous. In secondary analyses, we applied a 2-stage mixed effects model suitable for longitudinally measured exposures and binary outcomes. Results:Among 332,129 total and 275,814 term births, 12.2% and 6.3% of infants had LBW, respectively. Eighty-eight percent of mothers were Hispanic. Mean (SD) PM2.5 concentrations declined from 9.9 (1.7) ?g/m3 in 1999 to 6.1 (1.1) ?g/m3 in 2013. Mean birth weights dropped to 3,044 g in 2010 and rose steadily afterward. Among term births, a SD increase in PM2.5 was associated with a 3.2% (95% CI = -1.0%, 6.3%) higher risk of LBW. First (risk ratio, 1.02; 95% CI = 1.00, 1.04) and second (1.02; 95% CI = 1.01, 1.05) trimester exposures were associated with increased LBW risk. In a 2-stage approach that longitudinally modeled monthly prenatal exposure levels, a standard deviation increase in average PM2.5 was associated with higher risk of LBW (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% CI = 1.01, 1.08). Conclusions:In Puerto Rico, LBW is associated with prenatal PM2.5 exposure.
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