Spatial-Temporal Analysis of PM2.5 and NO2 Concentrations Collected Using Low-Cost Sensors in Peñuelas, Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is involved in the discovery, evaluation, and application of low-cost air quality (AQ) sensors to support citizen scientists by directly engaging with them in the pursuit of community-based interests. The emergence of low-cost (<$2500) sensors have allowed a wide range of stakeholders to better understand local AQ conditions. Here we present results from the deployment of the EPA developed Citizen Science Air Monitor (CSAM) used to conduct approximately five months (October 2016⁻February 2017) of intensive AQ monitoring in an area of Puerto Rico (Tallaboa-Encarnación, Peñuelas) with little historical data on pollutant spatial variability. The CSAMs were constructed by combining low-cost particulate matter size fraction 2.5 micron (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sensors and distributed across eight locations with four collocated weather stations to measure local meteorological parameters. During this deployment 1 h average concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2 ranged between 0.3 to 33.6 µg/m³ and 1.3 to 50.6 ppb, respectively. Peak concentrations were observed for both PM2.5 and NO2 when conditions were dominated by coastal-originated winds. These results advanced the community's understanding of pollutant concentrations and trends while improving our understanding of the limitations and necessary procedures to properly interpret measurements produced by low-cost sensors.

Pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: fifteen year experience in Puerto Rico.

This study summarizes the development and progress of the pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) program in Puerto Rico. Data from the two pediatric transplant centers was collected from July 1994 through December 2009. Overall, in the last 15 years 97 transplants have been performed to 87 children and young adults. These included 55 males and 32 females, aged between 1 and 38 years of age. The diagnosis included: acute leukemia, chronic leukemia, myelodysplasia, aplastic anemia, histiocytosis, neuroblastoma, lymphomas, PNET, Wilms tumor, and desmoplastic round cell tumor. Sources of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation included: 5 autologous bone marrow, 23 allogeneic bone marrow using HLA matched sibling; 18 allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) using HLA-matched sibling and one syngeneic PBSC; 4 haploidentical T-cell depleted bone marrow transplant and 47 autologous PBSC. The results in the past 15 years are encouraging and conform that HSCT is a valuable treatment option in our pediatric population to no other alternative therapy. Our experience compares to those published by others with a 15-year overall survival of 48%. In this same group, the transplant related mortality was 14.9% comparable to published experience in Europe and USA.