'Building back better' in the context of multi-hazards in the Caribbean.

The multi-hazard vulnerability of Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean has underpinned the repeated saga of destructive natural and anthropogenic events that have disrupted land, livelihoods, the economy, and society over the past several decades. Preparedness and response have been the focus of national governments and regional entities and the repeated battering calls into question the concept of recovery and 'building back better'. This paper examines the concept of recovery and 'building back better' in the context of the Caribbean, paying particular attention to the experience of the selected countries of Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. These nations have recently been impacted by different disasters, ranging from storms to earthquakes to volcanic eruptions. This paper also explores the similarities among the recommendations concerning recovery needs, presenting key insights into suggested approaches for an inclusive people-centred recovery process that 'builds back better'.

Formulation and characterisation of Azadirachta indica nanobiopesticides for ecofriendly control of wheat pest Tribolium castaneum and Rhyzopertha dominica.

This study aimed to formulate the green, sustainable, and ecofriendly nanobiopesticides of Azadirachta indica with enhanced pest control efficacy. Nanoprecipitation method was used for the development of nanobiopesticides. Optimisation was done by response surface methodology. Nanoformulations were characterised by zetasizer, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Pesticidal potential of nanosuspensions was evaluated by insecticide impregnated filter paper method. Optimised nanobiopesticide showed an average particle size of 275.8 ± 0.95 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) 0.351 ± 0.002, and zeta potential of -33 ± 0.90 mV. Nanobiopesticides exhibited significantly higher mortality rates of 86.81 ± 3.04 and 84.97 ± 2.83% against Tribolium castaneum and Ryzopertha dominica, respectively, as compared to their crude extract. Minor change in particle size from 275.8 ± 0.95 to 298.8 ± 1.00 nm and PDI from 0.351 ± 0.002 to 0.445 ± 0.02 were observed after 3 months of storage at 4 °C. Pesticidal efficacy of A. indica was significantly enhanced by the formulation of its nanobiopesticides.

Transcriptomic analysis of s-methoprene resistance in the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica, and evaluation of piperonyl butoxide as a resistance breaker.

BACKGROUND: The lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica is a serious pest of stored grains. Fumigation and contact insecticides play a major role in managing this pest globally. While insects are developing genetic resistance to chemicals, hormonal analogues such as s-methoprene play a key role in reducing general pest pressure as well as managing pest populations that are resistant to fumigants and neurotoxic contact insecticides. However, resistance to s-methoprene has been reported in R. dominica with some reports showing a remarkable high resistance, questioning the use of this compound and other related analogues in grain protection. The current study attempts to identify possible molecular mechanisms that contribute in resistance to s-methoprene in R. dominica. RESULTS: Transcriptome analysis of resistant and susceptible strains of this pest species identified a set of differentially expressed genes related to cytochrome P450s, indicating their potential role in resistance to s-methoprene. Laboratory bioassays were performed with s-methoprene treated wheat grains in presence and absence of piperonyl butoxide (PBO), a cytochrome P450 inhibitor. The results indicate that PBO, when applied alone, at least at the concentration tested here, had no effect on R. dominica adult emergence, but has a clear synergistic effect to s-methoprene. The number of produced progeny decreased in presence of the inhibitor, especially in the resistant strain. In addition, we also identified CYP complement (CYPome) of R. dominica, annotated and analysed phylogenetically, to understand the evolutionary relationships with other species. CONCLUSIONS: The information generated in current study suggest that PBO can effectively be used to break resistance to s-methoprene in R. dominica.

Early warning systems and evacuation: rare and extreme versus frequent and small-scale tropical cyclones in the Philippines and Dominica.

Survey questionnaires were administered among populations affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines in 2013 and Hurricane Maria in Dominica in 2017 to test the efficacy of early warning systems in prompting residents to take appropriate action ahead of severe hazards. Both events were rare and extreme but occurred in locations that regularly experience less severe tropical cyclones. The research assessed if, how, and when residents received warnings, what instructions were given, and where and when people decided to seek safety. In both of the cases under review, residents were aware of the approaching storms, but critical information on their severity and potential impacts was either not received in time or not understood fully, resulting in low levels of evacuation and safety-seeking behaviour. This paper suggests that planning and public communication need to focus on the uncertainty surrounding the severity and multifaceted nature of tropical cyclones and accompanying hazards and their consequences.

Genetic diversity and ancestry of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) in Dominica revealed by single nucleotide polymorphism markers.

Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.), an introduced tree crop in Dominica, is important for foreign exchange earnings from fine or flavour cocoa. The genetic structure of farmed cacao in Dominica was examined to identify varieties for conservation, breeding, and propagation to improve their cocoa industry. Cacao trees (156) from 73 sites over seven geographical regions were genotyped at 192 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Identity, regional differentiation, phylogenetic, multi-variate, ancestry, and core collection analyses were performed. Farmed cacao germplasm had moderate gene diversity (He = 0.320 ± 0.005) from generally unique trees, but cocoa growing regions were genetically similar. Synonymous matching (16.3%) showed that some clonal material was supplied to farmers. Cacao trees were mainly mixed from Amelonado, Criollo, Iquitos, Contamana, and Marañon ancestries, with predominantly Amelonado-Criollo hybrids. Criollo ancestry, linked to fine or flavour cocoa, was found at more than 30% in 28 unique trees. Forty-five trees, containing the SNP diversity of cacao in Dominica, are recommended as a core germplasm collection. This study identifies promising trees for improving cocoa quality; provides genetic evidence that community, regional, or country-wide pooling would not compromise the exclusive fine or flavour cocoa industry; and discusses other implications towards improving the Dominican cocoa industry.

Anthropometric heritability and child growth in a Caribbean village: A quantitative genetic analysis of longitudinal height, weight, and body mass index in Bwa Mawego, Dominica.

OBJECTIVES: Body size and composition vary widely among individuals and populations, and long-term research in diverse contexts informs our understanding of genetic, cultural, and environmental impacts on this variation. We analyze longitudinal measures of height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) from a Caribbean village, estimating the extent to which these anthropometrics are shaped by genetic variance in a small-scale population of mixed ancestry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Longitudinal data from a traditionally horticultural village in Dominica document height and weight in a non-Western population that is transitioning to increasingly Westernized lifestyles, and an 11-generation pedigree enables us to estimate the proportions of phenotypic variation in height, weight, and BMI attributed to genetic variation. We assess within-individual variation across growth curves as well as heritabilities of these traits for 260 individuals using Bayesian variance component estimation. RESULTS: Age, sex, and secular trends account for the majority of anthropometric variation in these longitudinal data. Independent of age, sex, and secular trends, our analyses show high repeatabilities for the remaining variation in height, weight, and BMI growth curves (>0.75), and moderate heritabilities (h2height = 0.68, h2weight = 0.64, h2BMI = 0.49) reveal clear genetic signals that account for large proportions of the variation in body size observed between families. Secular trends show increases of 6.5% in height and 16.0% in weight from 1997 to 2017. DISCUSSION: This horticultural Caribbean population has transitioned to include more Westernized foods and technologies over the decades captured in this analysis. BMI varies widely between individuals and is significantly shaped by genetic variation, warranting future exploration with other physiological correlates and associated genetic variants.

Outbreak of Zika Virus Infections, Dominica, 2016.

In February 2016, the World Health Organization declared the pandemic of Zika virus a public health emergency. On March 4, 2016, Dominica reported its first autochthonous Zika virus disease case; subsequently, 1,263 cases were reported. We describe the outbreak through November 2016, when the last known case was reported.

Contrasted patterns of genetic differentiation across eight bird species in the Lesser Antilles.

Archipelagoes are considered as "natural laboratories" for studying processes that shape the distribution of diversity. The Lesser Antilles provide a favorable geographical context for divergence to occur. However, although morphological subspecies have been described across this archipelago in numerous avian species, the potential for the Lesser Antilles in driving intra-specific genetic divergence in highly mobile organisms such as birds remains understudied. Here, we assessed level of intra-specific genetic diversity and differentiation between three islands of the Lesser Antilles (Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique) using a multi-species approach on eight bird species. For each species, we built a set of microsatellite markers from cross-species amplifications. Significant patterns of inter-island and/or within-island genetic differentiation were detected in all species. However, levels of intra-specific genetic differentiation among the eight bird species were not always consistent with the boundaries of subspecies previously described in the sampled islands. These results suggest different histories of colonization/expansion and/or different species-specific ecological traits affecting gene flow, advocating for multi-species studies of historical and contemporary factors shaping the distribution of diversity on islands.

Dominant predators mediate the impact of habitat size on trophic structure in bromeliad invertebrate communities.

Local habitat size has been shown to influence colonization and extinction processes of species in patchy environments. However, species differ in body size, mobility, and trophic level, and may not respond in the same way to habitat size. Thus far, we have a limited understanding of how habitat size influences the structure of multitrophic communities and to what extent the effects may be generalizable over a broad geographic range. Here, we used water-filled bromeliads of different sizes as a natural model system to examine the effects of habitat size on the trophic structure of their inhabiting invertebrate communities. We collected composition and biomass data from 651 bromeliad communities from eight sites across Central and South America differing in environmental conditions, species pools, and the presence of large-bodied odonate predators. We found that trophic structure in the communities changed dramatically with changes in habitat (bromeliad) size. Detritivore : resource ratios showed a consistent negative relationship with habitat size across sites. In contrast, changes in predator: detritivore (prey) ratios depended on the presence of odonates as dominant predators in the regional pool. At sites without odonates, predator: detritivore biomass ratios decreased with increasing habitat size. At sites with odonates, we found odonates to be more frequently present in large than in small bromeliads, and predator: detritivore biomass ratios increased with increasing habitat size to the point where some trophic pyramids became inverted. Our results show that the distribution of biomass amongst food-web levels depends strongly on habitat size, largely irrespective of geographic differences in environmental conditions or detritivore species compositions. However, the presence of large-bodied predators in the regional species pool may fundamentally alter this relationship between habitat size and trophic structure. We conclude that taking into account the response and multitrophic effects of dominant, mobile species may be critical when predicting changes in community structure along a habitat-size gradient.

Cytotoxic Barrigenol-like Triterpenoids from an Extract of Cyrilla racemiflora Housed in a Repository.

Two new [(+)-cyrillins A (1) and B (2)] and four known barrigenol-like triterpenoids (3-6), along with betulinic acid and (+)-3ß-O-trans-feruloylbetulinic acid, were isolated from a sample-restricted CH2Cl2-soluble extract of the bark of Cyrilla racemiflora, collected in Dominica. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by interpretation of their spectroscopic data, and the absolute configuration of the cyclic 1,2-diol unit of (+)-cyrillin A (1) was ascertained by analysis of the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectrum induced with [Mo2(OAc)4]. In the case of (+)-cyrillin B (2), which was found to contain a diangeloylated glucose residue, the structure proposed was supported by analysis of its MS(2) and MS(3) spectra. All compounds isolated were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against HT-29 human colon cancer cells, and the known compound, (+)-barringtogenol B (3), was found to be the most potent, exhibiting an IC50 value of 1.7 µM. This compound also showed inhibitory activity toward the CCD-112CoN human normal colon cell line, with an IC50 value of 5.9 µM, indicating a lack of cytotoxic selectivity.

Primary care performance in Dominica.

OBJECTIVE: To document the structure and functions of primary care (PC) in the country of Dominica using the Primary Care Assessment Tools (PCAT), a set of questionnaires that evaluate PC functions. METHODS: This cross-sectional study combined data from two surveys. The systems PCAT (S-PCAT) survey gathered national-level data from key informants about health system characteristics and PC performance. The provider version (P-PCAT) survey collected data on PC performance from health providers (nurses and physicians) at all PC facilities in the country. Provider-level data were aggregated to obtain national and district-level results for PC domains scored from 0.00 (worst) to 1.00 (best). RESULTS: From the systems perspective, results showed several knowledge gaps in PC policy, financing, and structure. Key informants gave “Good” (adequate) ratings for “first-contact” care (0.74), continuity of care (0.77), comprehensive care (0.70), and coordinated care (0.78); middling scores for family-centered care and community-oriented care (0.65); and low scores for access to care (0.57). PC providers assessed access to care (which included “first-contact” care, in the P-PCAT surveys) (0.84), continuity of care (0.86), information systems (0.84), family-centered care (0.92), and community-oriented care (0.85) as “Very Good”; comprehensive care as “Good” (0.79); and coordinated care as “Reasonable” (0.68). Overall, the scores for the country's health districts were good, although the ratings varied by specific PC domain. CONCLUSIONS: The assessments described here were carried out with relatively little expense and have provided important inputs into strategic planning, strategies for improving PC, and identification of priority areas for further investigation. This two-staged approach could be adapted and used in other countries.

Haromyia, a new genus of long-legged flies from Dominica (Diptera: Dolichopodidae).

The new micro-dolichopodid genus Haromyia gen. nov. and the type species H. iviei sp. nov. are described from the island of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles. Males and females of Haromyia are distinguished by the large setae on a bulging clypeus, minute size, and wing veins that are nearly straight and evenly diverging from wing base. Haromyia does not fit readily into any contemporary dolichopodid subfamily, although it superficially resembles the Enliniinae and Achalcinae. Haromyia should be regarded as incertae sedis until the dolichopodid subfamilies can be refined, particularly to better incorporate the tropical diversity of this large family.

"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. The aim of this paper is to discuss health system adaptation to climate change, with a focus on PHC. METHODS: We explored the perspectives of PHC professionals in Dominica on PHC adaptation to climate change. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in each of the seven health districts in Dominica, a Caribbean SIDS, between November 2021 and January 2022. The semi-structured interview guide was based on the Essential Public Health Functions: assessment, access to health care services, policy development and resource allocation. Data coding was organized accordingly. RESULTS: Findings suggest that health care providers perceive climate change as contributing to an increase in NCDs and mental health problems. Climate-related events create barriers to care and exacerbate the chronic deficiencies within the health system, especially in the absence of high-level policy support. Healthcare providers need to take a holistic view of health and act accordingly in terms of disease prevention and health promotion, epidemiological surveillance, and ensuring the widest possible access to healthcare, with a particular focus on the environmental and social determinants of vulnerability. CONCLUSION: The primary health care system is a key stakeholder in the design and operationalization of adaptation and transformative resilience. The Essential Public Health Functions should integrate social and climate and other environmental determinants of health to guide primary care activities to protect the health of communities. This study highlights the need for improved research on the linkages between climate events and health outcomes, surveillance, and development of plans informed by contextual knowledge in the SIDS.

Cooperative behaviour and prosocial reputation dynamics in a Dominican village.

Prosocial reputations play an important role, from the evolution of language to Internet transactions; however, questions remain about their behavioural correlates and dynamics. Formal models assume prosocial reputations correlate with the number of cooperative acts one performs; however, if reputations flow through information networks, then the number of individuals one assists may be a better proxy. Formal models demonstrate indirect experience must track behaviour with the same fidelity as direct experience for reputations to become viable; however, research on corporate reputations suggests performance change does not always affect reputation change. Debate exists over the cognitive mechanisms employed for assessing reputation dynamics. Image scoring suggests reputations fluctuate relative to the number of times one fails to assist others in need, while standing strategy claims reputations fluctuate relative to the number of times one fails to assist others in good standing. This study examines the behavioural correlates of prosocial reputations and their dynamics over a 20-month period in an Afro-Caribbean village. Analyses suggest prosocial reputations: (i) are correlated with the number of individuals one assists in economic production, not the number of cooperative acts; (ii) track cooperative behaviour, but are anchored across time; and (iii) are captured neither by image scoring nor standing strategy-type mechanisms.

Distribution, burden, and impact of acute gastroenteritis in Dominica, 2009-2010.

Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is an important public-health issue in Dominica. To determine the burden of AGE in Dominica, a retrospective, cross-sectional population survey was conducted in March-April 2009 and October 2010 (low- and-high-AGE seasons) and a laboratory survey from April 2009 to March 2010. The overall monthly prevalence of self-reported AGE was 8.6 % (95% CI 7.0-10.6); the incidence rate was 1.1 episodes/person-year and 79,157.1 episodes of AGE for the total population/year. Monthly prevalence of AGE was the highest in the 1-4 year(s) age-group (25.0%), higher in females (10.8%) and also varied by health district, with the highest monthly prevalence of AGE being reported in the Portsmouth district (13.1%). This difference in gender and across the health region was statistically significant. The estimated underreporting of syndromic AGE to the Ministry of Health was 83.3%. Furthermore, for every reported laboratory-confirmed case of AGE and foodbome disease (FBD), there was an estimated underreporting factor of 280. Overall, 47% of AGE specimens tested were positive for FBD pathogens. The predominant pathogens isolated were norovirus, followed by Giardia, Salmonella, and Shigella. The total annual estimated cost of AGE was US$ 1,371,852.92, and the total cost per capita due to AGE was US$ 19.06, indicating an economic burden of AGE-related illness on a small island of Dominica.

New pseudophyllinae from the Lesser Antilles (Orthoptera: Ensifera: Tettigoniidae).

Two new Cocconitini Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1895 species belonging to Nesonotus Beier, 1960 are described from the Lesser Antilles: Nesonotus caeruloglobus Hugel, n. sp. from Dominica, and Nesonotus vulneratus Hugel, n. sp. from Martinique. The songs of both species are described and elements of biology are given. The taxonomic status of species close to Nesonotus tricornis (Thunberg, 1815) is discussed.

Two new species of Dryophthorinae in the genera Metamasius and Melchus from the Lesser Antilles (Coleoptera: urculionidae).

Metamasius planatus and Melchus jessae, are described and illustrated from the Lesser Antilles islands of Dominica and St. Lucia.  Metamasius planatus (Dominica) is distinguished by a relatively flat profile and presence of dense, very fine, golden micropilosity covering most of the dorsal surface.  Melchus jessae (Dominica and St. Lucia) is the sixth species known in the genus and is distinguished by the cylindrical rostrum (not laterally compressed apically).  Information on natural history for both species is limited: some Metamasius planatus and one Melchus jessae were collected in bases of Euterpe globosa fronds. A revised key to genera of Neotropical Litosomini is presented.

Effect of three insect growth regulators on certain biological aspects of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae).

The current study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of certain insect growth regulators (IGRs), buprofezin, hexaflumuron, and lufenuron, at different concentrations (0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 ppm) against Rhyzopertha dominica in wheat grains. Our data showed that the three IGRs tested at different concentrations significantly affected the mortality of adults to varying extents. The percentage mortality of adults increased with increasing concentrations and time of exposure. After 21 days of treatment, the highest mortality (80.00%, 78.33%, and 60.00%) was observed at the highest concentration (0.8 ppm) and the lowest mortality (58.33%, 46.66%, and 30.00%) was observed at the lowest concentration (0.2 ppm) of lufenuron, buprofezin, and hexaflumuron, respectively. The tested IGRs reduced fecundity, hatchability, adult emergence, and weight loss in treated wheat grains and increased the developmental period of R. dominica compared with the control.

Real-world evaluation of smartphone-based artificial intelligence to screen for diabetic retinopathy in Dominica: a clinical validation study.

OBJECTIVE: Several artificial intelligence (AI) systems for diabetic retinopathy screening have been validated but there is limited evidence on their performance in real-world settings. This study aimed to assess the performance of an AI software deployed within the diabetic retinopathy screening programme in Dominica. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional clinical validation study. Patients with diabetes aged 18 years and above attending the diabetic retinopathy screening in primary care facilities in Dominica from 5 June to 3 July 2021 were enrolled.Grading was done at the point of care by the field grader, followed by counselling and referral to the eye clinic. Images were then graded by an AI system. Sensitivity, specificity with 95% CIs and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated for comparing the AI to field grader as gold standard. RESULTS: A total of 587 participants were screened. The AI had a sensitivity and specificity for detecting referable diabetic retinopathy of 77.5% and 91.5% compared with the grader, for all participants, including ungradable images. The AUC was 0.8455. Excluding 52 participants deemed ungradable by the grader, the AI had a sensitivity and specificity of 81.4% and 91.5%, with an AUC of 0.9648. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that AI has the potential to be deployed to assist a diabetic screening programme in a middle-income real-world setting and perform with reasonable accuracy compared with a specialist grader.

Efficiency of a Novel Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Trap for Trapping Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in Paddy Rice Storehouses.

The lesser grain borer Rhyzopertha dominica is the major pest of stored paddy rice globally, including in Taiwan. It has strong phototaxis and is good at flying, suitable for developing a light-trapping method to monitor and control it. In the present study, a wavelength of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), i.e., 373 nm, was determined to be the most efficient to trap R. dominica using a dodecagon maze. Accordingly, an LED trap, named the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute-LED (TARI-LED) trap, was invented, which comprised LEDs of two distinct wavelengths (373 and 408 nm), a wavelength switch, a suction fan, and an insect collector. The trapping efficiency was assessed in a 4-m3 laboratory arena and two paddy rice storehouses. An initial assessment was performed in the laboratory arena and showed that the TARI-LED trap with 373-nm wavelength for R. dominica rapidly increased in the first 30 min, reaching the highest trapping rate (68.5%) after 3 h. In addition, no significant difference was observed between the suction fan turned on or off. The field tests showed that the 373-nm wavelength had the highest effectiveness for trapping R. dominica in the two paddy rice storehouses, and no significant difference was observed in the number of R. dominica trapped by the 373-nm TARI-LED trap or the CDC-UV light trap. In conclusion, our TARI-LED trap 373 nm exhibited high efficiency in trapping R. dominica in paddy rice storehouses. Moreover, a suction fan-free design should benefit long-term and safe use in paddy rice storehouses trapping R. dominica.