WINDWARD ISLANDS RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION€¦ · Mission Statement F ounded in 1994, WINDREF seeks to advance health and environmental development through multi-disciplinary

WINDWARD ISLANDS

RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION

2011 Annual Report

18th Anniversary

Mission Statement

F ounded in 1994, WINDREF seeks to advance health and environmental development through multi-disciplinary

research and education programs. WINDREF strives for program excellence by promoting collaborative relationships between internationally recognized scholars and regional scientists, and by adhering to the highest ethical and academic standards in the design and conduct of research.

Goals To provide a scientific resource center capable of

coordinating international collaborative research of the highest caliber in the areas of medical and veterinary public health, anthropology, ecology, marine and terrestrial biology, and ethics.

To provide a first rate academic opportunity to scientists from the Caribbean and around the world offering unique research opportunities to enhance the knowledge and welfare of local and international communities.

To conduct applied scientific research for the benefit of community and health development at the local, national and international levels.

To share relevant scientific information with local and international communities.

WINDREF Annual Report 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Director’s Report: WINDREF Activities in 2010 (Calum N.L. Macpherson, PhD, DIC) .............................................................................. 1

2.0 WINDREF Organization ............................................................................................... 5

2.1 WINDREF Research Institute Board of Directors .................................................. 5

2.2 WINDREF St. Vincent and the Grenadines Board of Directors ............................... 5

2.3 WINDREF Research Institute Scientific Advisory Board ........................................ 5

2.4 WINDREF Research Institute Administration ......................................................... 5

2.5 WINDREF (USA) ..................................................................................................... 5

2.6 WINDREF (UK) ....................................................................................................... 5

2.7 WINDREF (UK) Board of Trustees ......................................................................... 6

2.8 WINDREF (UK) Administration .............................................................................. 6

2.9 WINDREF Senior Research Fellows ........................................................................ 6

2.10 WINDREF Research Fellows ................................................................................... 6

2.11 WINDREF Research Scientists ................................................................................ 7

3.0 Institutional Review Board (IRB) ................................................................................. 7

3.1 IRB Projects Reviewed ............................................................................................. 8

4.0 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) ........................................... 8

5.0 Current Research Projects ............................................................................................ 8

5.1 Implementing Renewable Energy and Preventing Land Degradation: An Intervention in the Nutmeg Industry in Grenada ..................................................... 8

5.2 Biogeographic distribution and evolution of Gallionella ....................................... 10

5.3 Decoding genome of Ferroplasma .......................................................................... 13

5.4 Grenada Beach waters harbor antibiotic resistant bacteria ..................................... 14

5.5 Horizontal Gene Transfer contributed to evolution of Marine Vibrio isolated in Grenada .................................................................................................................. 18

5.6 Reducing Marine Litter in the Wider Caribbean:Developing and Implementing Best Waste Management Practices ........................................................................ 22

5.7 Caribbean EcoHealth Programme (CEHP) & Atlantis Mobile Laboratory (AML)

Report on Teasdale-Corti CEHP Grant ................................................................... 25

5.8 Ethical Issues and Challenges in Global Population Health Research Partnerships ............................................................................................................. 31

5.9 Photovoltaic Power Generation Program ................................................................ 34


5.10 A randomized trial of cardiopulmonary compression competence in basic sciences medical students ...................................................................................... 35

5.11 Faculty development workshop emphasizes simulation training for medical students at St. George’s University ........................................................................ 38

5.12 Investigation of disease in pre-growout fish in a commercial aquaculture operation in Ecuador and other marine related projects ......................................... 39

5.13 Grenada Dove Conservation Programme ............................................................... 40

5.14 World Diabetes Congress 2011, held in Dubai from 4-8 December, 2011 ............ 41

5.15 Soil Transmitted Helminths and Streptococci infections among school going children between the ages of 5- 15 years old in the Parish of St. Andrew’s. ......... 42

5.16 Genetic Correlates of the Addictive Diseases: Cocaine, Alcohol and Marijuana Addiction - Grenada, W.I. ..................................................................................... 45

6.0 2010 Grants ................................................................................................................... 47

6.1 Externally funded projects ....................................................................................... 47

6.2 Grant submissions .................................................................................................... 48

7.0 Past, Present, and Future Research Projects ............................................................ 49

7.1 Non-communicable Diseases ................................................................................... 49

7.2 Infectious Diseases ................................................................................................... 50

7.3 Unique Projects ........................................................................................................ 52

8.0 International Conferences Sponsored in Grenada ................................................... 49

9.0 Abstracts/Presentations at International Conferences

Invited Plenary/Workshop/Roundtable/Professional Meetings/CME .................... 49

10.0 Publications .................................................................................................................. 54

10.1 Books/Book Chapters ............................................................................................. 54

10.2 Journal Publications ................................................................................................ 55

11.0 Reviewers for Journals and Boards ............................................................................ 59

12.0 Thesis Defenses .............................................................................................................. 60

13.0 Graduate Seminars ....................................................................................................... 60

14.0 Contact Information ..................................................................................................... 64


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1.0 Highlights of the WINDREF Research Institute’s Activities

2011 has been another productive year for us with the hosting of international conferences, research project implementation activities, and collaborative research development. WINDREF Research Fellows published 67 publications in international peer reviewed journals, presented at 11 international conferences, and several local and regional seminars. Publication details are included at the end of the report. We have continued to be proactive in developing collaborations to address the urgent health p r o b l e ms a s s o c i a t e d w i t h N o n Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

In April, principals and sporting ambassadors from each of Grenada’s 22 secondary schools attended the local launch of WINDREF’s Sport for Health Program. A collaborative program between WINDREF, St. George’s University, the Ministries of

Sport and Health, and the Grenada National Olympic Committee, the goal is to help reduce the public health problem of chronic disease by increasing awareness and educating the public about delaying or preventing the onset of chronic disease by leading a healthier lifestyle.

Representatives from all secondary schools in the tri-island nation of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique participated with Sport for Health Program committee members in the launch of this ambitious, long term program. At the Grenada launch ceremony, each of the 22 school principals received a cheque for $2,000 XCD to support sporting activities at their schools. These

funds were raised at the launch of the Sport for Health Program at the House of Lords on November 10th, 2010. This memorable event was co-hosted by the President of WINDREF, Lord Soulsby, and Baroness Howells, and included speeches by Lord Sebastian Coe and Professor Alan Fenwick.

Launch of Sport for Health Program (SHEP) at WINDREF, 30th March 2011. Principals and Sporting Ambassadors of the 22 Secondary Schools in Grenada and Carriacou with several SHEP board members.


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Kirani James was a special guest of honor and it is with great pleasure that we witnessed history when he won Grenada’s first gold medal at the IAAF World Athletic Championships in South Korea this past August, becoming the youngest ever athlete to achieve such a feat and also became the first Grenadian to win a medal of any color at such a prestigious event. Kirani, now 19 years old, agreed to be the sporting ambassador for the Sport for Health Program and will no doubt be an inspiration to the youth of the region as this program evolves.

The participants at the local launch of the Sport for Health Program also received wrist bands with the inscription, “Sport for Health, Grenada. I Am the Future of My Country”, to be distributed to athletes participating in Intercol on April 6 and 7.

Preliminary research data started to be collected in December and more than 200 school children and 160 members of the community fitness boot camp at Calliste were enrolled. Body mass indices and risk factors were recorded. This cohort will be added to and followed over the coming years. This study is being made possible through WINDREF’s close collaboration with the SGU Dept. of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, in particular Dr. Satesh Bidaisee, and MPH students who choose to fulfill their practicum and capstone requirements with us.

On November 7th 2011 Baroness Howells hosted a reception at the House of Lords for the Sports for Health program. The reception was attended by many sportsmen of Caribbean decent including Tessa Sanderson (Jamaica) who is still the only Olympic gold medal winner in a field event for Great

Britain, Jason and Otis Roberts (Grenada), and Garth Crooks (Jamaica). Garth Crooks played football for England under 21 and Tottenham Hotspur, and after his retirement became president of the Professional Footballers’ Association and currently is a frequent contributor to BBC Sporting Programmes. Mr. Crooks graciously accepted our invitation to become the patron of our sports for health program and I would like to thank him on behalf of the WINDREF Board for accepting this role.

An opportunity for research collaboration to address NCD’s through the development of a training program for community health workers was developed also in September. A preliminary brainstorming meeting was held at WINDREF with participants from the Grenada Ministry of Health, SGU, New York University, Hackensack University Medical Center, and the Chronic Disease Research Centre, Barbados. This meeting was a good start to developing a process to increase our local capacity building in the field of NCD’s and further down the line grant writing and innovative research.

In June, Professor Neil Poulter from Imperial College brought the International

HE Ruth Elizabeth Rouse, Margaret Lambert, Patrick Orr, Garth Crooks, Baroness Howells of St. Davids and Calum Macpherson


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Society of Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention’s 43rd Ten-Day International Teaching Seminar on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention to Grenada which was hosted by WINDREF. This meeting brought 31 senior researchers on Cardiovascular Disease to Grenada for a successful 2 week training period.

A successful research collaboration has been developed with Richard Scribner, MD, MPH, Professor at Louisiana State University School of Public Health, WINDREF, and faculty members of SGU’s Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. In response to the International Development

Research Centre’s call for proposals to address healthy diets and NCD’s we submitted a concept note in September titled “Grenada School Nutrition Study: Evidence to Inform Policy”, that was accepted with an invitation to submit a full proposal. Upon acceptance of the full proposal Dr. Scribner is planning on spending a 6 month sabbatical at WINDREF in 2012 to initiate project activities and further strengthen our developing research collaboration with LSU.

In June, WINDREF was host for the Caribbean-Canada Emerging Leaders’ Dialogue (CCELD) as part of an intensive 2 week forum. A study group of 12 participants from the Caribbean and Canada visited communities and workplaces from both public and private sectors and civil society. These visits are intended to provide an opportunity for the team to be exposed to the diverse challenges being faced by these leaders. HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne is the Dialogue President and was in attendance during the Grenada visit. The Princess Royal spent one day in WINDREF to participate in debates held by leading individuals from various sectors from the

Participants of the NCD collaborative preliminary planning meeting, WINDREF conference room.

Professors Labarthe, Khaw, Reddy and Poulter, Dr. Macpherson and Brendon LaGrenade, Coordinator of Support Services, SGU


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Grenada community. Her visit provided a highlight for us in WINDREF Grenada for 2011.

In September, WINDREF hosted the USDA Regional Lepidoptera identification workshop which was funded by USDA. Participants and included trainees from throughout the region.

A significant capacity building was achieved through the appointment of a full time grants coordinator, Ms. Amber Larsen, following a meeting of the Board of

Directors in March 2011. Amber’s responsibilities include sourcing funding, proposal development and submission, interim and final agency reporting, and overall financial management for all WINDREF accounts.

The WINDREF Boards met twice in 2011, the first meeting was held in Grenada on March 1, 2011, and the second meeting was held at Lainston House near Winchester for the WINDREF UK Board of Trustees on November 18, 2011.

There are currently 9 ongoing funded projects with a total value of $2,281,793 that are detailed in the Annual Report and we would like to thank all WINDREF research fellows, scientists, collaborators, and donors for their contributions in 2011.

Submitted by Calum N.L. Macpherson, Director

Participants of the Regional Lepidoptera identification workshop held at WINDREF in September, 2011

CCELD country organizing committee representatives Trevor Noël and Nickolas Steele with Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, and Calum Macpherson


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2.0 WINDREF Organization

2.1 WINDREF Research Institute Board of Directors

Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior, MRCVS, DVSM, MA, C.Biol., F.I.Biol., DSc (Hon), (President)

Calum N.L. Macpherson, PhD, DIC, (Vice President)

Margaret Lambert, MA, (Secretary/Treasurer)

Mary Jeanne Kreek, MD, PharmD (Hon), PhD (Hon)

Karen Lawson, PhD

Trevor P. Noël, MPH

Allen Pensick, PhD

2.2 WINDREF St. Vincent and the Grenadines Board of Directors

Ed Johnson, MD, Director

Sir Fredrick Ballantyne, MD, Deputy Director

2.3 WINDREF Research Institute Scientific Advisory Board

Sir Frederick Ballantyne, MD

John R. David, MD

John J. Ferguson, MBChB, FRCGP Malcolm Ferguson-Smith, MBChB, FRCP,

FRCPath

Edmond Fischer, DSc

Sir Malcolm Macnaughton, MD, LLD, FRCPG, FRAC

Calum Macpherson, PhD, DIC

Thomas W. Meade, CBE, DM, FRS

Graham Serjeant, MD, FRCP, CMG

Sir Kenneth Stuart, MD, DSc (Hon)

M.S. Swaminathan, DSc

John B. Zabriskie, MD

2.4 WINDREF Research Institute Administration

Mrs. Isha English continued as Administrative Assistant, Ms. Meg Conlon as Executive Secretary. Ms. Naomi Alexander joined WINDREF this year as Secretary.

2.5 WINDREF (USA)

WINDREF (USA) was established as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization to facilitate coordination of the USA activities and to administer charitable donations from the United States. Its goal is to enhance the development of WINDREF’s research and educational programs. The offices are located on Long Island in the state of New York and provide administrative and logistical support. Ms. Valerie Smith continued as program coordinator in the New York Office.

2.6 WINDREF (UK)

WINDREF (UK) was set-up as a charitable trust in Winchester, England in 1999 to promote collaboration between WINDREF scientists and academic centers of research in the United Kingdom. It is hoped that by reaching out to a larger scientific community, WINDREF will broaden its research opportunities by forming collaborations with scientists from the European community. A Board of Trustees was appointed in 1999 to oversee the activities of WINDREF (UK). A Program Coordinator was appointed to provide the administrative support and expertise that is central to WINDREF’s (UK) fundraising, administrative and collaborative activities.


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2.7 WINDREF (UK) Board of Trustees

Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior, MRCVS, DVSM, MA, C.Biol., F.I.Biol., DSc(Hon), {Chairman)

Sir Kenneth Calman, KCB, FRCSE Baroness Howells of St. David, OBE Mr. Patrick Orr Sir Kenneth Stuart, MD, DSc Richard Summerfield, MB, BChir Neil Poulter, MD Margaret Lambert, MA (Ex Officio) Calum Macpherson, PhD, DIC (Ex Officio)

2.8 WINDREF (UK) Administration

Ms. Sue Huntington retired this year as Executive Secretary. Ms. Sallyanne George now provides the administrative support and expertise that is central to WINDREF’S (UK) fundraising, administrative and collaborative activities.

2.9 WINDREF Senior Research Fellows

Dr. Hugh Ferguson has been appointed to WINDREF as a Senior Research Fellow and is currently conducting a collaborative research project in Ecuador.

Hugh W. Ferguson, BVM&S, PhD, Dipl. ACVP, MRCVS, FRCPath

Paul Fields, PhD, Brigham Young University

Paul Garner, MBBS, PhD, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Mary Glenn, PhD, Humboldt State University

Duane Gubler, ScD, Hawaii University

Ruth Milner, MSc, Vancouver Hospital

Stephen Morse, PhD, Columbia University

Leslie Ramsammy, PhD, DSC (Hon) Minister of Health, Guyana

Douglas Slater, MD, MPH, Minister of Health, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Stanley Weiss, MD, UMDMJ

2.10 WINDREF Research Fellows

The following investigators have been appointed to WINDREF as Research Fellows and are currently conducting collaborative research projects.

WINDREF Research Fellows include:

Muge Akpinar-Elci, MD, MPH

John Adamski, MD, MSc, MPH

Zuri Amuleru-Marshall, PhD

Glennis Andall, PhD

Charles Avgeris, MD, MSc

Grant Burgess, PhD

Dirk Burkhardt, MD, MSc, PhD

Reccia Charles, PhD

Sonia Chehil, MD, FRCPC

Francis Fakoya, MBBS, PhD

Martin Forde, DSc

Orazio Giliberti, MD

Richard Kabuusu, DVM, MPH

Victoria Kimotho, MPH

Svetlana Kotelnikova, PhD

Matthias Lorenz, PhD

Marios Loukas, MD, PhD

Theresa McCann, MPH, PhD

Barrymore McBarnette, MD

Craig McCarty, PhD

Clare Morrall, PhD

Shamdeo Persaud, MD, MPH

Bonnie Rusk, MSc

Samina Rutrecht, PhD

Hugh Sealy, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Shanti Singh, MD, MPH

Dr. Hugh Ferguson


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2.11 WINDREF Research Scientists

Sadiq Al-Tamini, Jonathan Ashcroft, Sumita Asthana, Yitzhack Asulin, Bishara Baddour, Jean-Pierre Barakat, Matthew Beeson, Keith Bensen, Matthew Boles, Karen Brennan, William Brown, Matt Browne, Ella Cameron, Nicholas Caputo, Jessica Clayton, Mmakgomo Coangae, Rae Connolly, Abraham El-Sedfy, Daniel Firer, Scott Forman, Brandon Francis, Vamsi Guntur, François Hallé, Anthony Junck, Megan Kaminskyj, Sebastian Kreitzschitz, Erik Lacy, Ede Langevine, Richard Lehman, Setshidi Makwinja, Paul Mancuso, Baher Maximos, John McCormack, David Melamed, Kirk Minkus, Jerry Mitchell, Jessica Morlok, Kevin Neill, Bayela Nfila, Yolanda Ng, Michael Nillas, Steve Nimrod, Andre Panagos, Rakesh Patel, Barry Politi, Sandeep Pulim, Sean Ramsammy, Justin Rebo, Alan Rhoades, Laura Robinson, Karin Schioler, Corey Schwartz, Sarah Scott, Christopher Skaff, David Steinberg, Derrick Tlhoiwe, Sarah Treter, Nghia Truong, James Tsai, Dan Twyan, Frank Van Natta, Ru-Amir Walker, Juliette Williams, David Winokur, Colleen Wunderlich, Elliot Yung.

3.0 Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The St. George’s University Institutional Review Board (SGU IRB) exists to assure that all human research proposed under the auspices of SGU or referred for review is conducted according to the highest ethical standards SGU’s IRB is registered with the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. IRB review and approval is a prerequisite to obtaining academic or scientific grants from most agencies, and for publication in most

mainstream journals. It is also often required for presentation of research findings at conferences.

After approval by the SGU IRB, protocols that involve staff, resources or facilities at Grenada’s Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, or Education are reviewed by the Research Oversight Committee (ROC). The ROC determines whether to allow clearance for the project to proceed. Its members include the Chief Medical, Veterinary, and/or Education Officer, the respective Permanent Secretary, and from SGU, the University Provost, the Director of Research, and the IRB Chair (and/or the IACUC Chair as appropriate).

SGU IRB members are required to complete the research ethics online training module “Protecting Human Research Participants”, http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php. Members include scientists, physicians and health professionals, attorneys, clergy, and community representatives across a range of genders, ages, and cultures. At least half are Grenadian citizens and others are long time residents of Grenada. SGU IRB has an Executive Committee comprised of its officers. The Executive Committee conducts expedited review for protocols of low or minimal risk and engages in educational and administrative activities.

All investigators, supervisors, and collaborators including those overseas are required to complete the free electronic NIH course “Protecting Human Research Participants” http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php and to submit the printable certificate of completion with their

http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php�









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application for IRB review. The course takes two or three hours to complete and is valid for two years.

Applications for review may be submitted any time. Those that meet the criteria for Expedited Review are processed upon receipt.

3.1 IRB Projects Reviewed:

51 projects were submitted to the IRB in 2011. 33 projects were approved by expedited review, and 5 were formally exempted. The balance of the projects submitted were pending approval.

Submitted by Meg Conlon IRB Administrator Office of Research

4.0 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

The use of animals for research or teaching purposes must be pre-approved by the SGU IACUC. The IACUC forms are available on the Office of Research website, forms and policies page.

5.0 Current Research Projects

5.1 Implementing Renewable Energy and Preventing Land Degradation: An Intervention in the Nutmeg Industry in Grenada

The Intervention in the Nutmeg Industry project began in 2008 through collaboration with St. George’s University, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF), Grenada’s Ministry of Agriculture, and the Grenada Cooperative Nutmeg Association (GCNA). As the Principal Investigator, Dr. Muge Akpinar-Elci, an Associate Professor of Public Health

and Preventive Medicine and WINDREF research fellow, successfully received funding support from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and technical support from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), / National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

During the year 2011, this project focused on three main activities including Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) for nutmeg workers, installation of a solar dehydrator for the nutmeg processing plant in Gouyave, and assessment of nutmeg replanting efforts to address land degradation.

In April 2011, five workers from the GCNA received an intensive two day “Train the Trainers Course in OSH”. This training exercise was part of a training the trainer effort which included lectures, seminars, workshops, discussions and a practical exercise at the Gouyave processing plant. Workers who received the training were successfully assessed to meet the requirements for completing the certificate course. The workers were also required to prepare and present OSH sessions for the general worker population at the processing plant. The trainer’s general sessions to the workers were also evaluated by the project members to ensure competency of the trainer towards OSH. This activity was critical to build local capacity for OSH as well as ensure sustainability at the end of the project.

In June 2011, a solar dehydrator was installed at the Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Plant. This dehydrator was an outcome of the


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health and exposure assessment from 2010, which identified respiratory symptoms as a common health challenge to workers as well as noting the presence of mold and dust particles in nutmeg processing. A 20 foot long cargo container was converted to serve as a solar dehydrator to dry nutmegs in a controlled environment, as well as mitigate exposure from dust and mold particles during processing. A preliminary investigation in the use of a solar dehydrator for processing nutmegs recorded a drying time of four weeks to meet the standard of quality of nutmegs for further processing. The preliminary four week observation also represented a fifty percent reduction in the time for drying nutmeg using the conventional technique. The nutmeg workers are receiving training in the use of the solar dehydrator.

In 2010, 2000 nutmeg trees along with 1500 citrus, cinnamon and banana trees were planted on 40 acres of nutmeg plantation land in response to an assessment of land degradation. In 2010, evidence of land degradation included land slippage, land slides, soil runoff, decreasing bio diversity,

and land coverage. In October of 2011, the 40 acres of cultivated nutmeg plantation were assessed. After one year, the nutmeg tress have grown and established root systems, there is increased land coverage of flora and reduced soil run off. The assessment will continue in 2012 where it is expected that the reduction in land degradation will continue.

2011 was a successful year for the Intervention in the Nutmeg Industry project. 2012 also proves to be filled with potential as general workers will continue to receive OSH training from the trainers in the workplace and the dehydrator will become fully operational in nutmeg processing. These

Participating farmer with healthy nutmeg plants

Solar dehydrator in Gouyave nutmeg plant

Participants of Train the Trainers in OSH two day workshop


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activities will result in an increase in nutmeg production and improvement in worker’s health. A further reduction in the effects of land degradation in the nutmeg field is expected to continue together with increasing growth and development of the planted nutmeg trees.

Acknowledgement: We thank GCNA, all participant workers, Dr. Omur Cinar Elci, Dr. Dirk Burkhardt, Mrs. Amber Larsen, Mrs. Dianne Roberts, Ms. Rachael Solomon, Dr. Kamilah Thomas-Purcell.

Submitted by M. Akpinar-Elci MD, MPH S. Bidaisee DVM, MSPH

5.2 Biogeographic distribution and evolution of Gallionella

The diversity of circumneutral, microaerophilic Fe2+ oxidizers is restricted to six genera (Gallionella, Marinobacter, Leptothrix, Sideroxydans, Ferrotrophicum, Mariprofundus) and also include the unclassified strains TW-1 and TW-2.

Gallionella ferruginea was the first Fe2+ oxidizer to be described in detail almost 160 years ago. They are characteristically Gram negative, motile (polar flagellum), bean shaped cells of no larger than 0.5-0.8 µm. The cells are commonly associated with a secreted stalk of 0.3-0.5 µm width that can grow up to 400 µm in a helical manner. Iron oxidizers are important for bioremediation and de-contamination of water from radionuclides and heavy metals.

To deter abiotic Fe2+ oxidation, Gallionella can only grow in an environment with low redox potential (Eh +200-320 mv) (rH2 19-21), pH (5-7), low O2 (0.1-1 mg/L), low organic carbon (KMnO4 ≤ 12 mg/L),

CO2 ≥ 20 mg/L and Fe2+ (5-25 mg/L), in situ growth at temperatures between 17-20oC and does not survive at temperatures above 25-30oC.

Gallionella species were found associated with “ferruginous” mineral springs, water works, wells, drainages, seepings or stored ground water, salt water, marine bays and thermal springs. Therefore they are not only restricted to mesophilic and low saline conditions. However high salinity did not result in growth of Gallionella in situ.

Gallionella related sequences or signature stalk have been observed worldwide, however because of its stringent metabolic requirements it may be restricted to a specific niche. There still is no scientific evidence for biogeographic distribution of this species. Where can we find Gallionella?

The increase in research based on gene tracing has made it possible to carry out in silico study targeting major environmental parameters, which express selective pressure and promote the evolution of Gallionella. The environmental factors such as gas composition, water chemical content, pH, temperature, oxygen concentration might shape the evolution of this species. Which factors select for Gallionella? Would the genetic makeup correlate with a specific environmental factor?

Aim: To investigate biogeographic distribution of Gallionella and the effects of potentially selective environmental factors on survival and evolution of Gallionella.

Hypothesis: Gallionella is associated with aquatic environments providing an interface between air and reduced groundwater saturated with CO2, ferrous Fe2+, along with


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other typical minerals, at mesophilic temperature ranging between 16 and 30oC, pH ranging between 5.5 and 6.2.

Both pH and temperature are directly correlated with the rate of abiotic iron oxidation. Therefore, it would be expected that these parameters may drive selection, speciation and evolution of the selected Gallionella species.

Temperature is selecting for evolutionary distinct Gallionella

The 16S rDNA sequences for type strain Gallionella ferroginea (# L07897.1) and Gallionella capsiferriformans (# DQ386262.1) were compared to the NCBI database using the BLASTn program. We selected 34 related sequences for the 16S rRNA gene of size ranging between 850 and 1500 bp, with greater than 96% sequence similarity and 100% of coverage relative to

the query sequence, and had comparable environmental parameters and used them for combined phylogenetic and UNIFRAC analyses. They represented 12 different aquatic environments with indications of microbial iron oxidation (Table 1).

The sequences and their closest relatives were then aligned using MUSCLE v.3.6 from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory: European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI).

Phylogenetic trees were then constructed based on Jukes-Cantor distance correction tree model in conjunction with the Neighbor-Joining algorithm, using the MEGA v.5 software. The resulting confidence tree was verified using a bootstrap value of 1000.

Correlations between the phylogenetic sequences and environmental parameters (pH, temperature) were determined using the Fast UniFrac distance metric algorithm (http://bmf2.colorado.edu/fastunifrac). DO, DOC, salinity and geographic location will be analysed later.

Pairwise analysis based on 1000 random re-samplings predicted correlation of an environmental factor with the phylogenetic evolutionary branching. Comparison of each individual parameter to the rest of the group which has been treated as a single sample estimated the contribution of the parameter to the uniqueness of the organism.

Related species of Gallionella tend to survive mostly in subsurface groundwater, groundwater seeps, springs or spas located over 5 major areas of the World. The temperature ranged between 8 and 34oC while pH between 3 and 7.7 (Table 1).

Ref.

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

Table 1: Environmental parameters for Gallionella related sequences

Location Environment # Seq. Temp. (oC) pH Ref.

Germany(Wettinquelle)

Mineral spring water 17 10.5 5.8 [21]

UK "streamer in acidic, iron‐rich spa water“ well spa

1 10.1 3 [22]

Denmark Groundwater seep 1 8 5.2‐5.6 [23]

USA(West Berry Creek)

River/stream 8 15 6.5‐7.7 [24]

Russia Subsurface groundwa‐ter

1 14 6.9‐7.2 [25]

Germany(Lusatia)

Subsurface groundwa‐ter

1 17 3 [26]

Sweden Subsurface groundwa‐ter

1 8.5 6.5 [27]

USA(Michigan) Subsurface groundwa‐ter

1 10 7.1 [28]

USA(New York)

Adirondack lake 1 5.9 6.52 [29]

USA(Tuscaloosa)

Subsurface groundwa‐ter

1 nd 5.9‐6.7 [30]

Grenada Microbial mat, groundwater seep

1 34 5.5 [31]

Table 1: Environmental parameters for Gallionella related sequences

http://bmf2.colorado.edu/fastunifrac�





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The 16S rRNA gene may not be the most appropriate gene for the analysis as the environmental factors might influence Calvin cycle (ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase gene) and iron oxidation genes. However, the 16S rRNA gene is traditionally used as a major taxonomic marker and as a chronometer because of the level of conservation and its representation in the sequence databases.

Our results indicated that pH was significantly correlated with observed evolutionary branching of the selected Gallionella species. We did not find evidence that temperature correlated with the speciation of Gallionella.

Grenadian Gallionella was the most

unique species in accordance with “individual UNIFRAC analysis” of temperature.

This research represents the first known attempt to find an evidence of allopatric evolution (environmental factors serve as selective factors) for the iron oxidizing microorganisms. The research is still in its preliminary stage and further analysis using other environmental parameters ([O2], [CO2], etc.] are in progress. Therefore, we are acquiring an evidence for the dominating environmental factor, which shaped the evolutionary lineage of Gallionella species.

Biogeographic distribution was studied concerning geographic location, type of groundwater, pH and temperature (Table 1). We observed a greater significant correlation between a particular pH with topology of phylogenic tree than between temperature and the tree topology. The uniqueness test showed that Grenada (34oC) was highly significant (p<0.001) while UK (10.1oC), Sweden (8.5oC) marginally significant (0.01<p<0.05) and Germany (Lusatia) (17oC) were suggestively significant (0.05<p<0.1). Therefore, Gallionella found in Grenada is the unique out of the studied group. This was also confirmed by phylogenetic analysis that showed distinct early branching of this organism (# FJ037638) from a common ancestor with the rest of the studied group (Fig. 1A). This species represent the oldest type of Gallionella known today.

The pairwise analysis of individual environmental temperatures relative to the rest gave no significant results. Therefore, all studied Gallionella organisms could have evolved at any of the temperatures found within the studied environments.

Figure 1A: Phylogenetic tree showing evolutionary relationship between Gallionella related sequences (bootstrap=1000; outgroup=E. coli # J01859.1).

AM167956

AM167939

AM167953

AM167946

AM167944

AM167950

AM167969

AM167970

AM167964

AM167954

AM167968

AM167959

AM167957

AM167965

AM167940

AM167941

AM167951

AY766002

GLLRGDA

FM877999

DQ386262

EF520449

GQ339168

AJ583176

EU360492

EU937883

EU937895

EU937843

EU937835

EU937876

EU937842

EU937906

EU937863

FJ037638

ECORRD

100

41

65

100

49

90

77

34

45

27

68

63

79

58

84

10075

9989

98

7679

73

72

32

34

76

0.02

A

Wettinquelle, Germany

SwedenTuscaloosa, USA

Michigan, USA

New York, USADemark

Russia

Lusatia, Germany

West Berry Creek, USA

Grenada

J01859.1

L07897.1


13

Individual sample analysis of pH and phylogenetic sequence indicated significant difference (0.001<p<0.01) for Grenada & Denmark (pH 5.5) while marginal significance (0.01<p<0.05) for Germany (Lusatia) & UK (pH 3). However, pairwise analysis only indicated high significance between environments with pH 6.5 and pH 5.8. Therefore, based on pH, the Gallionella in Germany (Wettinquelle) would not have evolved in the environments in USA (West Berry Creek, NY, Tuscaloosa), Russia or Sweden where pH was 6.5 and vise versa.

Submitted by R. Naraine & S. Kotelnikova

5.3 Decoding genome of Ferroplasma

Analysis of the genomes of microorganisms is an important new tool in understanding the biology of organisms. With new technologies available in collaboration of SGU Department of Microbiology with Joint Genome Institute and Department of Energy, complete bacterial genomes can be sequenced in a matter of hours. Using IMG-ACT InSilico tools on JGI pre-sequenced genome of archaeum F. acidarmanus, the undergraduates derived new functions for 25% of hypothetical genes during Fall 2010 and 14% of Pfam associated genes in Spring 2011. More information may be found in WAR 2010. The research continued during Fall 2011. Using InSilico tools made it possible to identify the Open Reading Frame, infer the location of the gene product in the cell, identification of major functional segments, distribution of conserved functional segments, enzymatic and specific metabolic function of the gene product and even the evolutionary origin of the gene. Genome-enabled biochemical modelling may provide an opportunity to

determine how the organism functions and how it interacts with the environment.

The project engaged students from the pre-medical, pre-veterinary and the Life Science programs to online-based research. Undergraduates had the opportunity to computationally map the DNA of a microbe, conduct experiments to test their findings, publish their work in the worldwide online genome database and SGUGENETICS website and therefore gain valuable skills in molecular biology research, genetics, biochemistry, microbial physiology, biochemistry, genomics and usage of bioinformatic tools. They also learned about the limitations of the current methodology while dealing with hypothetical genes (genes with unknown function).

The participants (24 during Spring and 32 during Fall 2011) engaged deeper in the course material and incorporated state of the art research into the course curriculum. This allowed them to see that educational goals can be met while still generating meaningful scientific results.

You may review the research reports of group 1, group 2, group 3, group 4, and group 5 who performed gene annotations during Fall 2011 under supervision of Dr. Giesler Kotelnikova and Mr.Ravindra Naraine.

More details about the ongoing project may be found elsewhere.

References:

Edwards KJ. An Archaeal Iron-Oxidizing Extreme Acidophile Important in Acid Mine Drainage. Science. 2000;287(5459):1796-1799.

Dopson M, Baker-Austin C, Hind A, Bowman

http://img.jgi.doe.gov/cgi-bin/edu/main.cgi?section=TaxonDetail&page=taxonDetail&taxon_oid=638341092�

http://sgugenetics.pbworks.com/w/page/31758788/genome%20annotation%20project�

http://sgugenetics.pbworks.com/w/page/38653908/GA1%20,%20http:/sgugenetics.pbworks.com/w/page/38635365/Genome+annotation+sub-group+2�


http://sgugenetics.pbworks.com/w/page/47978243/Genome%20annotations%20Fall%202010�

http://www.sgu.edu/research/pdf/23LesseyL.pdf�








http://www.jgi.doe.gov/education/genomeannotation.html�


14

JP, Bond PL. Characterization of Ferroplasma Isolates and Ferroplasma acidarmanus sp. nov., Extreme Acidophiles from Acid Mine Drainage and Industrial Bioleaching Environments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 2004;70(4):2079-2088.

Podar M, Reysenbach AL. New opportunities revealed by biotechnological explorations of extremophiles. Current opinion in biotechnology. 2006;17(3):250–255.

DOE JGI. Ferroplasma acidarmanus Fer1 Genome. 2009 -/06/2009 [cited 2011 Aug]; Available from:

http://img.jgi.doe.gov/cgi-bin/edu/main.cgi?section=TaxonDetail&page=taxonDetail&taxon_oid=638341092

DOE JGI. Undergraduate Research in Microbial Genome Analysis. 2011 27/04/2011 [cited 2011 Aug]; Available from: w w w . j g i . d o e . g o v / e d u c a t i o n /genomeannotation.html

Jayamani, I. & John, N. I. Ferroplasma acidiphilum. 2010 25/08/2010 [cited 2011 A u g ] ; A v a i l a b l e f r o m : h t t p : / /m i c r o b e w i k i . k e n y o n . e d u / i n d e x . p h p /Ferroplasma_acidiphilum

Kotelnikova, S. (2010) Genome annotation in microorganisms and metagenomic libraries as a part of an undergraduate curriculum. WINDREF Research Institute Annual Report, 15-17.

Genome annotation team 2010. [cited 2011 Aug] http://sgugenetics.pbworks.com/w/page/31758788/genome%20annotation%20project

Genome annotation team 2011. [cited 2011 Aug] http://sgugenetics.pbworks.com/w/

p a g e / 3 8 6 5 3 9 0 8 / G A 1 , h t t p : / /sgugenetics.pbworks.com/w/page/38635365/Genome+annotation+sub-group+2

Submitted by S. Kotelnikova & R. Naraine

5.4 Grenada Beach waters harbor antibiotic resistant bacteria

Tourism is important for the national economies in the Caribbean region. Tourism and recreation is associated with the coastal environment which provides an opportunity for bathing, swimming, wind-surfing, diving, yachting, and fishing. This also applies to the Tri-Island state of Grenada where the scenic coastal lines and beaches circumvent the tropical island. Given the significance of the coastal environment, it is important that the quality of the coastal waters is monitored and maintained.

Studies have shown that aquatic environment may be an important reservoir of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and these bacteria may be able to transfer their genes to pathogens (Marti & Balcazar, 2011; McDaniel et al., 2010; Melani, 2011). Lupo et al., (2011) stressed that the environment (especially fresh water) plays a significant role in the accumulation and spread of antibiotic resistance, at both the microorganism and genetic level.

Here we present the long-term (2005-2010) results of a study on fecal microbial bioburden compliance levels of the four most frequently used beaches in the Southern part of Grenada (Figure 1). The Environmental Testing Unit of St George’s University monitored the quality of the recreational waters using the standard traditional most probable number (MPN) method. The level of compliance was represented by the annual














http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Ferroplasma_acidiphilum�


















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15

fraction of samples that did not exceed the water quality standards (limits of 200 fecal coliforms and 35 fecal enterococci per 100 ml of water) set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and World Health Organization (WHO).

Table 1 presents the number of samples collected and analyzed from the 4 studied sites during the period of six years, between 2005 and 2010.

Grand Anse Beach (GAB) showed the highest compliance with the EPA and WHO standard for fecal coliforms ranging between 74 and 98% followed by Prickly Bay (PB) (40-100%) and Black Sand Beach (BSB) (47-91%). The least was True Blue Bay (TBB) (18-76%).

For fecal enterococci, GAB showed the

highest compliance ranging between 78 and 98% followed by PB (60-98%) and BSB (56-86%) while the least was TBB (47-90%). Our t-test analysis revealed significant differences in the compliance values for fecal coliforms between GAB and TBB (p = 0.02), and GAB and BSB (p = 0.03). Differences between GAB and PB (p = 0.14), PB and TBB (p = 0.36), PB and BSB (p = 0.87), and TBB and BSB (p = 0.36) were not significant. The differences observed for fecal enterococci between GAB and TBB (p = 0.01), GAB and BSB (p = 0.04), and PB and TBB (p = 0.03) were significant while GAB and PB (p = 0.47), PB and BSB (p = 0.22), and TBB and BSB (p = 0.18), were not significant. All of the results above indicate that the studied Grenadian coastal waters met the appropriate standards for recreational activities most of the time.

The indicator organisms were isolated from 225 samples collected between 2008 and 2010 and identified using commercial and traditional tests. The temporal distribution and

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

GAB 46 41 34 30 28 45

PB 37 41 34 30 28 45

TBB 45 41 34 20 20 38

BSB 45 41 34 27 9 22

Samples were collected on weekly basis from 4 coastal waters of Southern Grenada: Grand Anse Beach (GAB), Prickly Bay (PB), True Blue Bay (TBB), and Black Sand Beach (BSB).

Table 1: Total number of samples monitored from the 4 coastal waters between 2005 and 2010


16

diversity of indicators was studied and reported (Amadi et al., 2011).

A clear difference in temporal variation of indicator organism’s counts was observed among the four studied sites. The levels of pollution and percentages of indicators that are resistant to individual antibiotics vary among the four coastal sites. Correlation analysis resulted in lack of correlation between volume of rainfall preceding the temporal distribution of fecal coliforms detected in the seawater in GAB (r = 0.15), PB (r = 0.01) and in TBB (r = 0.11). However, significant but still weak correlation was detected for fecal enterococci in BSB (r = 0.38). That may indicate that runoff from land of bacteria in sewage or the rhizosphere contributed the observed pollutions detected in the water of BSB. This is perhaps, not the case in GAB, PB, and TBB where the pollution was not a result of rainwater runoff. Further investigations are needed to study the possible effects of other factors such as different rainfall days, numbers of yachts visiting, direction of sea currents, numbers of visitors and students, and timing of sewage system treatment/delivery problems.

Transduction might be used as major mechanism of gene transfer between different bacteria as 90% of marine bacteria carry temperate bacteriophages. Once exposed to the resistant bacteria in the sea water, human related microflora may undergo horizontal gene transfer. Bacteria associated with humans and their livestock appear freely and rapidly exchange genetic material related to human disease and antibiotic resistance through horizontal gene transfer. The extent of this process was documented where 60% of transfers among human-associated bacteria

included a gene for antibiotic resistance. Horizontal gene transfer has also been observed in seawater. Therefore, potential risks of antibiotic-resistance gene transfer in the coastal waters of Grenada will be assessed in the future using the indicators isolated. Previous studies have shown the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial indicators and other opportunistic pathogens in the coastal waters of Grenada, which may be associated with discharging of raw sewage in these waters. We hypothesized that discharge of untreated sewage into the coastal water may pose a risk for exposure to antibiotic-resistant indicator bacteria, in addition to the increased exposure to pathogens and risk of the eutrophication. Combination of long-term monitoring of coastal water quality and bacteriological content with the data on antibiotic-resistance of indicators, provided the answer to the research question “How often the beaches in Grenada are contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacterial indicators?”

Our newly-created culture collection was used for testing susceptibility to the major classes of commonly used antibacterial agents (Table 2). The probability of exposure was defined as a chance of exposure to a particular

Amoxicillin/clavulanate = AmC-30

Cephalothin = CF-30

Meropenem = MEM-10

Ampicillin = AM-10

Chloramphenicol = C-30

Nitrofuran-toin = F/M-300

Cefepime = FEP-30

Ciprofloxacin = CIP-5

Penicillin = P-10

Cefotaxime = CTX-30

Ertapenem = ETP-10

Tetracycline = Te-30

Cefoxitin = FOX-30

Gentamicin = GM-10

Vancomycin = Va-30

Table 2: Key showing major class of anti-biotics and their concentration (ug/disk)

http://www.sgu.edu/research/pdf/5AmadiV.pdf�


17

antibiotic-resistant bacterial indicator by an individual that comes in contact with the coastal water during two year period (Figure 2).

The highest probability of exposure predicted for fecal coliforms was for ampicillin (11%) resistant followed by cefoxitin (2%), cephalothin (2%), chloramphenicol (2%), tetracycline (2%) while the least was for amoxicillin/clavulanate (1%) and ciprofloxacin (1%) in GAB (Escherichia coli, n=22; and Klebsiella pneumoniae, n=9); ampicillin (16%) resistant followed by chloramphenicol (2%) while the least was for cefoxitin (1%), cephalothin

(1%), and tetracycline (1%) in PB (E. coli, n=15; and K. pneumoniae, n=17); ampicillin (7%) resistant while the least was for tetracycline (3%) in TBB (E. coli, n=12; and K. pneumoniae, n=8); and ampicillin (6%) resistant followed by tetracycline (3%) while the least was for ciprofloxacin (1%) and gentamicin (1%) in BSB(E. coli, n=8; and K. pneumoniae, n=4) (Figure 2a). The highest probability of exposure predicted for fecal enterococci was for: penicillin (3%) resistant followed by tetracycline (2%) while the least was for nitrofurantoin (1%) in GAB (Enterococcus faecalis, n=7); tetracycline (2%), and nitrofurantoin (2%) resistant in PB (E. faecalis, n=5); nitrofurantoin (1%) resistant in TBB (E. faecalis, n=6); and nitrofurantoin (1%) resistant in BSB (E. faecalis, n=3) (Figure 2b).

Highest level of probability of exposure was predicted for GAB and PB for ampicillin (11-16%) resistant fecal coliforms, and nitrofurantoin (1-2%), penicillin (3%), and tetracycline (2%) resistant fecal enterococci. It means that at least one out of ten recreational occasions in Grand Anse water might expose one to ampicillin-resistant E. coli or K. pneumonia.

Culture collection of 116 isolates of indicators was created.

Previous studies have shown the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial indicators and other opportunistic pathogens in the coastal waters of Grenada which may be associated with discharge of raw sewage in this water. Potential for horizontal gene transfer in E. coli via conjugation with raw sewage bacteria isolated from the sub-tropical seawater has been studied by Qureshi and Qureshi (1992).


18

They showed that temperatures of 30-35oC were optimal for the highest rate of conjugation (10-1 cells) between E. coli cells. This temperature range is typical for the coastal seawater of Grenada.

Indicator bacteria are starving and stressed when subjected to the seawater and natural sunlight in tropical sea. We compared resistance patterns between the bacterial indicators from seawater and the antibiogram of clinical isolates of E.coli, Klebsiella pneumonia and E.fecalis isolated from patients at a typical large hospital in the USA (Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA) The marine coliforms presented resistance patterns (antibiograms) that were different from the antibiogram of the USA clinical isolates in three out of four tested sites. The resistance patterns of E. coli and E. faecalis from raw sewage-originated indicators from seawater also differed from our observations (Qureshi and Qureshi, 1969). They documented extended survival of multi-resistant coliforms in the marine water. There is a link between persistor phenotype and resistance to antibiotics as well as some antibiotics that induce an SOS response. The SOS response is global response to DNA damage in which the cell cycle is arrested while error-prone DNA repair generating mutations is induced. Recent research has shown that the SOS pathway may be essential in the acquisition of bacterial mutations which leads to resistance to antibiotics (rifampicin and ciprofloxacin) (Cirz et al., 2005). UV radiation damages DSDNA which induces exision DNA repair and nucleotide exosion DNA repair which involve formation of ssDNA at some steps. Post-replication repair will involve recA. Both ssDNA and recA will

induce SOS response. Along with 40 genes resulting in increased mutagenesis and cell cycle arrest (Cirs et al., 2005). Quorum sensing signals produced in results of starvation induced resistance to antibiotics in microbial biofilms (Nguyenet al., 2011) Based on the information to date, we hypothesize that stressful conditions of the coastal seawater (3.7% salinity, 30C, UVB exposure, and lack of nutrients) may induces the SOS response, cell protease activation and inhibition of cellular division) along with genetic competence and conjugative activity which eliminates cell targets for ampicillin and tetracycline, due to the fact that persistor cells do not need to replicate and synthesize a new peptidoglycan or proteins. Previous studies of persistor phenotype in E.coli showed that the phenotype was inheritable, resistant to aminoglycosides, kanamicin, ampicillin and tetracycline while the population of persistors presented considerable genetic heterogeneity when subcultured (Jacobs, 2009). Future research is needed to study the link between the survival of indicators in marine water and their antibiotic resistance to the SOS response or persistor phenotype using the established culture collection.

Submitted by V.A. Amadi S.V. Kotelnikova, & D. Jungkin

5.5 Horizontal Gene Transfer contributed to evolution of Marine Vibrio isolated in Grenada

Horizontal gene transfer by transduction, conjugation and transformation is a prominent mechanism affecting evolution of bacteria in the marine environment, especially those in biofilms where quorum sensing compounds


19

induce both transduction and transformation.

There are above 100 species that are currently affiliated with the dynamically growing genus of Vibrio. The genus includes several species that cause intestinal and extraintestinal tract infections in both humans and animals. One of these species includes Vibrio cholerae, an organism that has killed millions of people during numerous devastating epidemics of cholera that terrorized most parts of the world. Some, such as V. harveyii, V. anguillarum, V. splendidus, V. salmonicida cause a fatal septicemia that affect fish and shellfish in marine aquaculture, which results in economic losses worldwide. The marine Vibrio species such as V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. damsela, V. alginolyticus, V. mimicus and V. fluvialis are notable pathogens known for causing diarrhea and infections in humans.

Identification of marine Vibrio strains can be a challenging task since species within this group have a very high degree of both genetic and phenotypic similarity along with molecular chimerism that may be caused by efficient gene recombination among these organisms in marine biofilms. The identification of strains isolated in Grenada has been based on a combination of molecular and phenotypic studies. The differentiation power of the16S rRNA gene and Fatty Acid Methylesterase (FAME) comparisons have been shown to be low for this particular group of organisms. The reproducibility of identification can be limited by the changing phenotypes and genotypes in individual strains over time as well as by genomic complexity as they carry two chromosomes and multiple plasmids. It is still not known how fast these organisms are modifying their

genomes and therefore evolve new forms.

Due to health and economic implications of marine Vibrio infections, there is considerable interest in methods of identification and evolution of the Vibrio related populations associated with the marine environment. In addition, methods for direct detection of Vibrio in environmental samples are very relevant for the region. Therefore, we are currently adapting molecular methods for identification and typing of Vibrio related species isolated in Grenada at the Department of Microbiology (Kotelnikova et al., 2011). Relatedness and evolution of unknown marine Vibrio is elucidated using MultiLocus Sequence Analysis or MLSA.

Eight isolated gram-negative bacteria that originated from variable coastal environments in Grenada were analysed. These included strains PB 5-21, PB 4-31, PB 7-11, DB 6-33, XM10, XM 18, and IS8. The phenotypes of eight authentic (SGU culture collection) and three control strains (ATCC, DSZM) were studied using API 20E and API 20NE as well as tests for cytochrome oxidase, temperature, salinity, pH optima and luminescence.

Most of the new isolates were gram-negative, non-fluorescent, facultative aerobic, heterotrophic, neutrophilic, mesophilic halophiles. The phenotypic identification (percentage of relatedness) along with sources of isolation in Grenada are shown in Table 1.

In accordance with biochemical tests the Grenadian unknown isolated were related to V. cholera, V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. metschnikovii, S tenotrophomonas maltophi la and Brevundimonas diminuta (Table 1). Interestingly, isolates PB 7-11, XM 18 and IS-

http://www.sgu.edu/research/pdf/22KotelnikovaS.pdf�


20

8 presented phenotypes similar to V. cholera using API 20E system. Results of FAME and DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) are also shown in Table 1. Neighbour-joining phylogenetic analysis based on the comparative analysis of 1490 bp of 16S rRNA gene identified PB 7-11, PB 4-31, PB 5-21, PB6-33, IS8 and XM18 as members of Vibrio genus.

Five new Vibrio strains and two control type strains were selected for MLSA. The DNA was extracted using the Gene Elute Bacterial Genomic DNA kit (Sigma-Aldrich). The genes were amplified using gene specific primers with Stratagene Mx3005P RT thermocycler. Gel electrophoresis was used to verify size and integrity of the amplified fragments to both markers and positive control genes from control strains. Positive amplicons were eluted using MinElute

Extraction (Qiagen). The DNA was quantified using Nanodrop 2000C and then sent to MWG (USA) for sequencing. The sequences were aligned and compared using NCBI BLAST and MUSCLE. Phylogenetic analysis was based on the six-targeted genes that were amplified from the seven strains. The primers for all above-mentioned genes resulted in successful amplification in strains XM18, IS8, PB7-11, PB5-21, PB 4-31 and in control organisms V. campbellii CCUG4979T. V. parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802T was used as positive control for toxR. Phylogenetic concinated trees (Figure 1) were constructed using MEGA 5 and were based on several targeted conserved and single copy genes. These genes included recombinase A, recA; Factor σ70 RNA polymerase, rpoD; gene for 16S rRNA; Gyrase B subunit, GyrB, Replicator origin-binding protein and

Strain Source of isolation API20E DDH FAME

C2A Sea clams Vibrio metschnikovii, 98.9% NA NA

PB5-21 Sea rock biofilm, 4 m depth

V. alginolyticus, 97.3% V.fluvialis, 86%

V. campbellii, 70% V. alginolyti-cus, 38%

V. fluvialis, 0.789


V. alginolyticus, 95.3% V. alginolyti-cus, 100.0%,

V. fluvialis, 0.709


V. alginolyticus, 94.5% V.harveyii, 86%

V. alginolyti-cus, 38%,

V. natrigens, 0.829

IS8 Sponge Ircinia strobilina

V. cholerae, 95.3% NA NA

Table 1: Designation of organisms used in the study and their sources of isolation, phenotypic, DNA-DNA genomic and Fatty Acid relatedness

DB6-33 Sea rock biofilm, 6 m depth

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, 99.7% V. campbellii, 86%

V. har-veyii,46.4%

V. har-veyii,0.969

XM18 Sponge Xesto-spongia muta

Vibrio vulnificus, 99.6%; NA NA

XM10 Xestospongia muta Brevundimonas diminuta, 78.2%; NA NA

http://sgugenetics.pbworks.com/w/file/47933387/16S%20rRNA%20tree%20for%20PB%205-21_PB7-11_PB9-33_XM18_IS8_PB6-33.PNG�


21

regulator of chromosome II replication, rctB; and Transmembrane regulatory protein, toxR genes. The level of relatedness was estimated based on gene similarity to known type cultures using the online Vibrio database, while homology was determined by analyzing topology of concinated phylogenetic tree.

Here we present information for one strain only, PB 5-21T (BAA-1521=ATCC =CCUG 53124T) which was isolated from the chitinous biofilm of marine sea rock. It inhibited the growth of Enterobacter cloacae. The cells of PB 5-21 were Gram-negative (1.3x1.5 μm) curved rods which exhibit swarming motility. Colonies were large, mucoid, non-luminescent, and dark yellow in color when

grown on TSA and incubated 30º C for 48 h. Acid production from glucose was observed in Cystine Trypticase agar (CTA) medium containing 0.8% of the carbohydrate. The strain was both oxidase- and catalase- positive. It grew on RSASWA at mesophilic conditions, and salt concentrations ranging from 30 to 70 g/L. It showed negative reactions for ornithine decarboxylase, tryptophan and deaminase and positive reactions for Lysine decarboxylase. Cells utilized mannitol, sorbitol, inositol, D-maltose, trehalose, sucrose, pyruvate, N-acetyl-glucosamine, indol, and gelatin. The strain also could respire nitrate. Resistance to the UVB exposure for 10 hours at 30 g/l NaCl was observed.

The evolut ionary history was reconstructed using the Neighbor-Joining method. The bootstrap consensus tree based on 1000 replicates represents the evolutionary history of the taxa analyzed. Branches corresponding to partitions reproduced in less than 50% bootstrap replicates are collapsed. The probability of the trees topology based on bootstrap test of 1000 replicates are shown next to the branches. The length of the branches represent the evolutionary distances (number of base substitutions per gene fragment) which were computed using the Jukes-Cantor method. The analysis involved 45 nucleotide sequences including type and reference species of marine Vibrio. All positions containing gaps and missing data were curated. There were a total of 1757 positions analyzed. Evolutionary analysis was conducted in MEGA5.

Our results from MLSA (RpoD, RecA, 16S RNA) analysis placed the strain PB 5-21 as an organism branching within the cluster of

Vibrio campbellii CECT 523 T Vibrio campbellii CAIM 419 Vibrio campbellii CAIM 521

Vibrio campbellii CAIM 415 Vibrio campbellii CAIM 9

Vibrio campbellii CAIM 128 Vibrio campbellii CAIM 333

Vibrio campb ellii CAIM 392 Vibrio campbellii R379

Vibrio campbellii R1024 Vibrio campbellii R1311

Vibrio campbellii R1117 Vibrio campbellii CAIM 780

Vibrio harveyi CECT 525T Vibrio harveyi LPD 1 -3-1 Vibrio harveyi LPD 1 -1-10 Vibrio harveyi LPD 1 -3-27

Vibrio harveyi SA F3s 40 Vibrio harveyi H2

Vibrio harveyi LPD 1 -3-35 Vibrio harveyi SA F1S 10 Vibrio harveyi SA F4S 17 Vibrio harveyi DL F5 57

Vibrio rotiferianus LPD 1 -1-11 Vibrio rotiferianus LPD 1 -1-84

Vibrio rotiferianus LPD 1-1-86 Vibrio rotiferianus LPD 1 -1-24 Vibrio rotiferianus CAIM 575 Vibrio rotiferianus CAIM 573 Vibrio rotiferianus CAIM 577 T Vibrio rotiferianus CAIM 574 Vibrio rotiferianus CAIM 576

Vibrio alginolyticus CECT 586 Vibrio alginolyticus CECT 609

Vibrio sp. PB5 -21 Vibrio alginolyticus CECT 436

Vibrio alginolyticus CECT 521 T Vibrio natriegens CECT 7466

Vibrio natriegens CECT 526 T Vibrio natriegens CECT 7465

Vibrio parahaemolyticus CECT 511 T Vibrio parahaemolyticus CECT 611

Vibrio parah aemolyticus CECT 5271 Vibrio parahaemolyticus CECT 5305

Vibrio cholerae CECT 514 T100

67

100

94 88 47

100

86 96

83 100

51 100

99

99 73

64

99

56

74

57

65

72

52 34 59

95

96

57

65

61

100

62

38

0.002

Figure 1: Phylogenetic tree based on RecA (240 bp), RpoD (194 bp), and 16S rRNA gene (1382 bp) represents evolutionary relationship of new isolated Grenadian strain PB 5-21 and type strains of estab-lished species.


22

V. algynolyticus which was consistent with the phenotypic analysis (Table 1). Phylogenetic tree based on RecA (240 bp), RpoD (194 bp), and 16S rRNA gene (1382 bp) represents evolutionary relationship of new isolated Grenadian strain PB 5-21 and type strains of established species.

Phylogenetic analysis of individual recA gene demonstrated horizontal gene transfer of the gene originating from V.campbellii (Figure 1), while the analysis of gene rpoD demonstrated that our strain PB 5-21 is a part of cluster which is ancestrial for V. harveyii, V. campbellii and V. rotiferianus while being a close relative of V. natrigenes which is consistent with extreme halophilicity of our isolate.

FAME indicated relatedness to V. fluvialis while the 16S rRNA analysis showed that this strain was related to V. parahaemolyticus, 99% (1490 bp). In addition, the whole genome DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) placed this strain into species V. campbellii CCUG 4979T (70%) instead of V. alginolyticus CCUG 2343T (38%) (Table 1). Construction of phylogenetic trees based on individual genes recA and rpoD showed the strain PB 5-21 as an organism branching even deeper within the cluster of V. alginolyticus indicating a long evolutionary distance. Therefore, MLSA (Figure 1) and polyphasic taxonomy indicated that PB 5-21 is marine Vibrio (1); horizontal gene transfer and recombination of RecA genes in biofilms might have taken place during the evolution of this organism (2); this organism is a candidate for a new species (3).

Chitin induces competence for transformation in several species of the genus

Vibrio. Natural transformation in V. cholerae in chitinous biofilm was induced by QS signal synthetic cholera autoinducer-1 (CAI-1). V. cholera is a regular member of aquatic habitats, such as zooplankton and chitinous biofilms in coastal regions and estuaries. We found indication that our Grenadian isolate PB5-21 could evolve in result of gene recombination with other marine Vibrio which may indicate that chitinous biofilm may provide space for transformation by genes from other marine Vibrio leading to an emergence of a new human or fish pathogens.

Submitted by R. Naraine & S. Kotelnikova

5.6 Reducing Marine Litter in the Wider Caribbean: Developing and Implementing Best Waste Management Practices

A community based Marine Anti-litter Campaign was undertaken in collaboration with the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI). The project objectives were achieved through the conduct of the following activities:

Through the efforts of the project coordinating team public awareness of the impact of marine litter released into the waters of Grenada and the Caribbean region was increased through the successful implementation of a public education and awareness campaign. This campaign included poster, brochure, and signage design created in collaboration with North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA). Posters and brochures were distributed to schools, local businesses, and tourist destinations.

A public service announcement was developed and broadcast on local television.

http://sgugenetics.pbworks.com/w/file/47933389/phylogenetic%20concinated_%20PB5-21_recA_gyrB_16SRNA.PNG�

http://sgugenetics.pbworks.com/w/file/48011741/recA%20PB5-21.PNG�

http://sgugenetics.pbworks.com/w/file/48011751/RhoD%20PB5-21.PNG�

http://youtu.be/-60Yd080XDg�


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A school presentation was developed (http://etalk.sgu.edu/windref/pdf/WINDREF-Marine-Litter-Workshop-Presentation.pdf) and presented at 8 primary and 6 secondary schools. A 4 hour teacher training workshop titled “Marine Anti-Litter Awareness Workshop: How to encourage students to put their trash in the bin” complete with guidebook (http://etalk.sgu.edu/windref/pdf/W I N D R E F - M a r i n e - L i t t e r - T e a c h e r s -Guidebook.pdf) was developed and presented to representatives from 20 local schools.

Several anti-littering radio spots were developed and broadcast on local radio stations. TV interviews were broadcast with Ray Roberts on Spice Morning GIS TV show and Lexan Fletcher on Chit Chat Community TV show. A facebook page titled “Marine Anti-Litter Campaign (Grenada)” was created and managed by the project team.

In collaboration with the Grenada Ministry of Works four sites were approved for signage installation at the corner of Cherry Hill, St. George’s, Cornet Walk, Gouyave, St. John's, Sevan Swayzee, Bathway, St. Patricks, and Camerhogne Park, Grand Anse, St. George's.

Several meetings were held with local waste management authorities to discuss ways to develop best litter management practices. The Grenada Solid Waste Authority was skeptical about adding new bins to problem areas as they are currently lessening the amount of bins around the island. They believe that excess bins in areas where pick up is not frequent encourage more pests (rats etc.) So they are attempting to localize bins to general areas where everyone in a community can access. Due to the short period of time allocated to this project and limited resources

Participants in 4 hour teacher training workshop

Approved signage site in Cornet Walk, Gouyave, St. John's

http://etalk.sgu.edu/windref/pdf/WINDREF-Marine-Litter-Workshop-Presentation.pdf�




http://etalk.sgu.edu/windref/pdf/WINDREF-Marine-Litter-Teachers-Guidebook.pdf�










24

the establishment of a recycling program was not possible.

We were able to identify two problem areas in the north of the island which require urgent attention. A coastal cleanup was conducted at Sevan Swayzee, Bathway, St. Patrick’s with over 25 members from a local community group, the Snell Hall Sports and Cultural Club, along with the ECO group from St. George’s University. Local community members at the River Antoine, St. Patrick’s continue to dispose of their garbage next to the road and this needs to be further addressed.

Several meetings were also held with law and environment authorities regarding ways to collaboratively improve compliance with anti-

littering laws and regulations. A workshop titled “Marine Anti-Litter Awareness Workshop: Encouraging local police and other law enforcement agencies to target littering issues in Grenada” for representatives from the Royal Grenada Police Force, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agricultures, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Grenada Solid Waste Management Authority was held in June.

Based on the amount of garbage that has been observed on beaches and other coastal areas around Grenada we have come to the conclusion that many people have not yet changed their behaviour. Therefore, in order to reduce the amount of marine litter that enters the marine environment a long-term public education campaign is necessary. This would need to involve local Community members and organizations, schools, government and authority, and the tourism and fishing Industries. People require the knowledge, training, and motivation to voluntarily change their behaviour. Also, local community members need to be educated on the aesthetic, environmental and economic impacts of illegal dumping and the legislation associated with it.

Submitted by Clare Morrall, PhD

Participants in Sevan Swayzee coastal cleanup

Illegal dumping on the north end of Grenada

Participants in workshop for law and environmental authorities


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5.7 Caribbean EcoHealth Programme (CEHP) & Atlantis Mobile Laboratory (AML) Report on Teasdale-Corti CEHP Grant

Introduction and Background

During the period October 2010 to September 2011 the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) of the Caribbean EcoHealth Programme (CEHP) and the Atlantis Mobile Laboratory (AML) continued its tenure at the compounds of the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) hosted by the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences (FPAS), University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. However, the regional host of CEHP and AML remained the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF). The funds for the continued operation of the laboratory were obtained from the parent institution Laval University through WINDREF originating from the CEHP grant agreement with the International Development Research Institute (IDRC) under the Teasdale-Corti Grant.

The core research activities of CEHP continue to be executed out of Barbados:

Human monitoring of persistent organic pollutants executed jointly by Laval University and St. George’s University.

Collection of blood samples were conducted in 11 islands and requisite analyses completed for 8 of these islands. This allowed for the production of national reports of which have either been completed or in the draft stage. The main findings for the islands for which the national reports were completed are as follows:

Dominica

Legacy POPs concentrations levels were found to be generally very low in the Dominican maternal blood samples. For PCBs, congeners 138, 153 and 180 (variants of the same compound) were the most prominent. The geometric mean for PCB 153 was 0.056 µg/L compared to 0.11 and 0.148 in Canada and the U.S. respectively. The concentration of p,p’-DDE, the major metabolite of DDT was low at 0.437 µg/L compared to 0.91 and 1.69 µg/L in Canada and the U.S. respectively. The DDE/DDT ratio was 34 which indicates a global exposure from the food chain with no recent direct exposure. Other Dominican POPs concentration levels were found to be lower than those found in Canadian and U.S. samples.

Grenada

Legacy POPs were generally in very low concentrations in maternal blood from Grenada. For PCBs, congeners 138, 153, 170, and 180 (variants of the same compound) were the most prominent. The geometric mean for PCB 153 was 0.063 µg/L compared to 0.11 and 0.148 in Canada and USA respectively. p,p’-DDE, the major metabolite of DDT is low at 0.696 µg/L compared to 0.91 and 1.69 µg/L in Canada and USA respectively. The DDE/DDT ratio is 33.3 and points to a global exposure from the food chain with no recent direct exposure. Other POPs are also lower than in Canada and USA.

Jamaica

Legacy POPs were generally found in very low concentrations in the maternal blood from Jamaica. For PCBs, as expected, congeners 118, 138, 180, and 153 (variants of the same compound) were the most


26

prominent. The geometric mean for PCB 153 was 0.074 µg/L compared to 0.11 and 0.148 in Canada and USA respectively. p,p’-DDE, the major metabolite of DDT was low at 0.627 µg/L compared to 0.91 and 1.69 µg/L in Canada and USA respectively. Although DDT was detected just in 30 % of subjects, the DDE/DDT ratio was 12.8 which indicates a more recent direct exposure. Most of the other POPs readings were also lower in Jamaica than in Canada and USA.

St. Vincent & the Grenadines

POPs are generally in very low concentrations in maternal blood from St. Vincent. For PCBs, congeners 138, 153, and 180 (variants of the same compound) were the most prominent. The geometric mean for PCB 153 was 0.124 µg/L compared to 0.11 and 0.148 in Canada and USA respectively. p,p’-DDE, the major metabolite of DDT is low at 0.342 µg/L compared to 0.91 and 1.69 µg/L in Canada and USA respectively. DDT was not detected in any subject, which points to a global exposure from the food chain with no recent direct exposure. Other POPs are also lower in St. Vincent and the Grenadines than in Canada and USA.

Study Conclusions to Date

A prime objective of this study was to determine the level of prenatal exposure to legacy POPs and other toxicants. These compounds cross the placental barrier and are known to interfere with hormonal and neurological development, the immune system and other physiological functions. In general, legacy POPs were found in very low concentration for most samples in the four islands. It is therefore clear that pregnant and delivering mothers within these four islands

are exposing their fetuses to various chemical substances albeit very low levels.

Several congeners of PCB were present in most samples with PCB congeners 138, 153, and 180 being the most common. Whereas DDE, the major metabolite of DDT, was detected in most of the women sampled in this study (Dominica 96%, Grenada 100%; Jamaica 96%, St. Vincent 98%), levels of DDT detected varied for each island (Dominica 67%, Grenada 30%, Jamaica 30%, St. Vincent 0%).

Since DDT has a very short half life, whereas DDE, a key metabolite of DDT, has a much longer half life, the DDE/DDT ratio provides an indication of whether exposures where likely to be more recent, and hence more likely to be due to local sources, or more distal events and likely from global exposures. As a rule, when the DDE/DDT ratio is very high (> 30), this signals a long distance exposure whereas DDE/DDT ratios < 10 point to more direct, recent exposures. The DDE/DDT ratios were very high for Grenada, St. Vincent, and Dominica, whereas it was very low for Jamaica. Further analysis of the data will be needed in order to determine probable local sources of POPs exposure for the Jamaica data set.

Burden of Illness (BOI) Study

The BOI study is executed by the Caribbean Epidemiological Center (CAREC) in collaboration with the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) and Health Canada. Under CEHP the BOI study was concluded in six (6) islands (St. Lucia, Guyana, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago). National reports were completed for four (4) islands and the others


27

are in synthesis stage. The study has generated much interest from Ministry of Health throughout the region and has seen an expansion Barbados and Bermuda.

Microbial Contamination of Rainwater Harvesting Cisterns

The Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) study executed by the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) has been completed covering the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia, Grenada, and Carriacou. The main findings from the study inter alia:

1.Using E. Coli, Enterococci and Clostridium perfringens as indicator organisms of contamination revealed that rainwater in storage was generally not safe for drinking according to the guidelines for drinking water quality set by the World Health Organization;

2.Of the samples tested 49.9% from Carriacou, 20.0% from Barbuda, 3.3% from Antigua and 2.8% from St. Lucia met the WHO drinking water quality standard.

3.Of concern is contamination detected in the water supply of schools and other organizations where there is potential for consumption of the supply by large numbers of persons.

4.where in the case of St. Lucia, water quality of the households surveyed seems to be better Where the respondents were of a higher household income and educational attainment.

MSc Programme in Food Safety at UWI, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad

Post-Graduate programmes - Diploma and Master of Science in Agri-Food Safety and

Quality Assurance (Evening University) were offered in September 2010 at the Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. There are 22 registered students in the programmes and 8 qualifying students. The courses offered are Agri-Food Safety, Food Quality Assurance & Evaluation of Agri-Food Policies, Project Management in Food and Agriculture, Research Methodology, Agri-Food Safety Risk Analysis, Epidemiology and Food-borne diseases, International Trade and Agri-Food Legislation, Research Project on Agri-Food Safety and Quality Assurance.

Regional and National Training and Research Activities

The PCU of CEHP and AML facility resident in Barbados provided opportunities for research to be conducted regionally and nationally in collaboration with UWI, Cave Hill Campus.

Training Course in Oceans and Human Health

In October 2010, a one week training course was conducted in Oceans and Human Health for 42 participants (post-grad students and civil servants) from the Caribbean and Canada. The components of the course were delivered by a team of professors from CEHP collaborating institutions such as Dr. Eric Dewailly and Maurice Boissinot of Laval University, Dr. Martin Forde of St. George’s University (SGU), Dr. Neela Badrie, Dr. Marc Lavoie and Dr. Emma Smith of UWI, Dr. Terese Maithland from Turks and Caicos Islands, Dr. Karen Morrison from University of Guelph and Dr. Pierre Ayotte of the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec. The OHH Course covered areas including


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inter alai: Epidemiology and Toxicology of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Heavy Metals (Mercury and Lead); Microbial Contamination of Bathing Waters and Human Health; Contaminants in the Environment and Marine Ecosystems; Ciguatera Sea food Poisoning; and Sea Food Safety.

The OHH Course was attended by two students, (Jerry Mitchell and Victor Amadi) and one professional Stephen Nimrod of (WINDEF) and SGU (Figure 1). The participants were also engaged in a discussion on regional priorities for research and monitoring of which fish kills (causes and effects), parasites as indicators of water quality, organochlorine pesticides and atmospheric pollutants were considered to be important.

Assessment of the Adequacy of Faecal Bacterial Pollution Indicators in Tropical Marine Recreational Waters.

The Windward Islands and Barbados (geographic scope of the research project) are Caribbean islands that depend on tourism as their primary foreign exchange earner. Beautiful beaches and clean water are the main drivers of tourist activities in these islands. It has been estimated that global exposure to marine recreational waters was greater than two billion man-days per year and is increasing. Gastro-intestinal diseases associated with marine recreational waters were estimated to be greater than 120 million USD per year, leading to an approximate economical loss of 12 billion USD per year.

Recreational waters should conform to the standards of the proposed Marine Pollution Control Regulations. The USEPA recognises that recommended microbial indicators of

sewage contamination, Escherichia coli and enterococci, may not be suitable for assessing human health risks in tropical climates. Increasing evidence suggests that these indicators can be found in the absence of warm-blooded animals. This phenomenon could be significant because current monitoring practices may lead to unnecessary closures of recreational beaches. If this phenomenon occurs on a frequent basis it may be necessary to establish different indicators for areas where non-animal E. coli and enterococci are endemic.

Alternative indicators have been proposed for tropical regions. Cabelli et al compared various indicators and their correlation to “highly credible” gastrointestinal symptoms (HCGI) Aeromonas hydrophila, Vibrio parahemolyticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella and Clostridium perfringens correlated less well to HCGI than did enterococci. However, enterococci are present in animals and in soils not closely related to human activity. Data on bacteriophages has not proven useful in correlation studies. Sulphite-reducing clostridia have also been suggested, but their low prevalence in human faeces and their low oxygen tolerance constitute major drawbacks. Their spore-

Figure 1: Participants of the CEHP-AML OHH training Course at UWI, Barbados


29

forming ability means the persistence of these organisms may be misleading in assessing the consistency of pollution. Based solely on numbers, there is a strong case for bifidobacteria as potential indicators. However, they are fastidious and extremely oxygen sensitive, not being detected in the aquatic environment after ten hours.

The research project conducted between April and October 2011 was funded by UNEP-CEP/RCU. Ambient water samples were collected from the five (5) project scope islands (Figure 2) had the following findings:

1. In all the islands for which water samples were collected, the use of traditional indicators to assess microbial contamination of water bodies and inherent public health risk was questionable

2. Pathogens were detected in a significant number of samples for which the traditional indicator organisms were within the USEPA (2003) guideline limit values

3. E. coli correlates better with the pathogens than do enterococci for the freshwater samples

4. Enterococci correlates better with the pathogens than do E. coli for the marine samples

5. The proposed novel microbial indicators for water quality monitoring (WQM) are deemed more suitable for WQM and have a higher degree of reliability when used to assess public health risk associated with recreational water bodies

6. C. perfringens can be considered to be the more appropriate choice of the proposed novel indicator organisms as opposed to Bacteroides spp. because it is easier to assay

Based on the research conducted, results and findings, the following were recommended for recreational water quality monitoring at the regional and national levels:

The suite of novel indicators and pathogens be adopted by national and regional agencies for recreational water quality monitoring (RWQM) and assessment of associated health risk

Laboratory capacity be developed among national and regional environmental laboratories to test for novel indicators in particular Bacteriodes spp. and C. perfringens and the selected pathogens Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. and Pseudomonas spp. directly when conducting RWQM

Surveillance using novel indicators and pathogens alongside traditional indicators be

Figure 2: Microbiology MPhil Student Prepare for Water Sampling in Grenada


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conducted over a longer period of time to generate an adequate data set throughout the Caribbean that will scientifically justify the proposal to have the novel indicators and pathogens included in guidelines and standards

Epidemiological study be developed and executed alongside RWQM programmes determine incidence of GI illnesses as a result of use of recreational water bathers and evaluate health risk associated with levels of indicators (proposed and traditional) and pathogens

Investment in capacity building in the use of molecular techniques (qPCR) for the rapid detection of indicators and pathogens in the Caribbean

Further research in protozoan parasites in particular Giardia and Cryptosporidium, their epidemiological significance and associated health risk.

Antimicrobial resistance among faecal coliforms isolated from Caribbean recreational waters

The research in antimicrobial resistance led by Prof. Marc Lavoie of UWI, Cave Hill and executed by MPhil Student Shakira Grannum involved analyses of recreational water (Figure 3) from two Caribbean islands: Barbados and St. Lucia, identification of representative faecal coliforms and determination of their antimicrobial resistance were performed using the Vitek system. It was found that all isolates were resistant to one of the antibiotics tested and 91% were resistant to at least two. This led to the conclusion that since these antibiotic resistances can be transferred to human

pathogens, they constitute a health risk associated with the ocean.

Marine Pollution Monitoring of the coastal region of Barbados using the passive samplers: Semipermeable Membrane Devices (SPMDs) & Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCIS)

The POCIS research was conducted in Barbados by MPhil Student Lisa Sandy and Dr Emma Smith of UWI, Cave Hill Campus. Canisters containing the SPMDs and POCIS

were submerged at 8 sites along the west coast of Barbados (Figure 4) and retrieved after 30 days for analyses of organic chemicals (polar and non polar) present in the coastal environments. This study allowed for assessment of new groups of emerging contaminants and establishment baseline coastal contamination data. It also allows for the determination of the effects of these chemicals on marine biota. This is particularly important to Barbados and the rest of the region due to heavy reliance on seafood for daily intake of protein for sustenance and viability of the tourism market in the case of coral reef ecosystems protection.

Figure 3: Analyses Conducted at AML by MPhil Student Shakira Grannum


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Studies of emerging contaminants have been recently studied in North America and Canada, mostly in fresh water. The uptake rates of the various pharmaceuticals and fungicides being investigated in this study are available but for fresh water only. This novel

project in marine pollution monitoring has revealed that for some of the contaminants there is an effect of salt or marine water on the uptake rate of the chemicals. In addition, it has also allowed the investigators to determine the presence of the following compounds in the marine environment: Carbamazepine, Meprobamate, Trimethoprim, and Estrone, indicating a need for further studies on levels of concentration and impacts on marine biota and public health.

Submitted by Martin St. Clair Forde, ScD, P. Eng

5.8 Ethical Issues and Challenges in Global Population Health Research Partnerships

In 2010, Dr. Forde (SGU, Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine) and his co-PIs – Dr. Sandra Tomsons (University of

Winnipeg), Dr. Karen Morrison (Guelph University), and Dr. Angela Gomez (Research Consultant, Translocal.org) – were successful in obtaining a $70,000 grant from the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to conduct research looking at the ethical challenges facing researchers engaged in North-South research collaborations. This research was started in October 2010 with applications for ethics approval being sought and obtained from SGU’s Institutional Review Board and the ethics’ boards from the University of Winnipeg and the Guelph University.

The primary focus of this research is to examine the ethical dimensions of North-South (N-S) collaborative global population health research. For the purposes of this study, the 'N-S' concept identifies partnerships between developed (N) and less developed (S) countries.

This research has emerged mainly on two of the four co-PIs (Martin Forde and Karen Morrison) experiences as part of the Caribbean Ecohealth Programme (CEHP). The CEHP is one of 14 Global Health Research Initiative (GHRI) funded research grants under the Global Health Research Initiative (GHI) Teasdale-Corti (TC) grant program. The CEHP is a five-year, 1.6 million CAD program dedicated to building research capacity and capability among public and environmental health professionals within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region. The program has expanded from its original network to include all major Universities in CARICOM. By linking the academic community with the research needs of key regional institutions, the CEHP has created a cadre of engaged

Figure 4: Preparation for the deployment of SPMDs and POCIS at AML


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professionals investigating the link between human and environmental health.

Global population research projects such as typified by the TC grants program are typically characterised by North-South researchers, North-South multi-agency involvement, North-South cultural practices and expectations, and, perhaps North-South moral values and moral principles. Since it appears that the ethical thinking which created current research ethics guidelines and Ethics Board (EB) procedures is not informed by any of these North-South characteristics, we hypothesized that these guidelines and procedures may not adequately address the challenges faced by researchers involved in global population health research partnerships and that new ones will need to be created. Our analysis of the published literature and our preliminary analysis of the researchers’ survey responses support our hypothesis. We discovered that researchers generally support and rank as very important the values and ethical principles belonging to the dominant ethical paradigm and upheld by policy statements. However, they believe the interpretation of these values contained in the particular procedures and requirements of EBs can sometimes generate ethically problematic situations.

To date, the activities that have been implemented thus far are listed below.

1. Literature Review: an extensive literature review has been conducted.

Achievements:

Verification that the ethical issues we proposed are real and are awaiting solutions

Situate our discussion of the issues in the literature and establish the fundamental moral principles on which we will base our applied ethics analysis

Next steps:

A review of the literature is substantially completed. However, the literature review process is still ongoing and likely will not be fully completed until we begin writing the final report.

A further study of the methodology of participatory action research and its potential for avoiding some of the ethical issues that have been dominate in the literature review and may be documented by our survey results and other sources of empirical evidence.

Identify and explore other conceptual frameworks that may expand and support our applied ethics methodology

2. Document Reviews: We received consent from eight of the 14 Teasdale-Corti teams to review the proposals that they originally submitted to GHRI. These were requested for reviewing for the purpose of gaining some insight as to the nature of their projects and their contexts. The documents have undergone a preliminary review.

Achievements:

We began to identify the areas of emphasis for these projects and to develop questions to be explored in the in-depth interviews that might deepen our understanding of areas/concepts that may be the source of ethical challenges/discord.

Next steps:


33

Conduct an overall analysis of the patterns identified in the documents.

3. Surveys: The surveys are being implemented e lec t ron ica l ly us ing SurveyMonkey. Two separate surveys were developed, one for researchers and another for members of Ethics Boards. The survey questionnaires were piloted and the Researchers’ survey was translated into Spanish and French. The Researchers’ survey was implemented in May 2011 and to date, 39 individuals out of a possible 80 have completed the survey. The Ethics Boards’ survey is ready for launching. It has been translated into French and Spanish and a list of boards has been compiled.

Achievements:

15 of the 38 respondents thus far have agreed to participate in follow-up in-depth interviews. 50% of those who have agreed to participate in the interviews represent the North (Canada) and 50% the South. The interviews will provide richer and more detailed data regarding the experiences of researchers involved in North-South collaborations.

Next steps:

Finalize the uploading of the survey for Ethics Boards members.

Begin the analysis of the responses gathered from the Researchers’ survey.

4. CEHP Case Study: Interviews with CEHP team members are on-going as of this report. A total of ten interviews have been conducted.

Achievements:

Reviewed all CEHP documents.

Identified a core of potential interviewees who represent the various levels of participation within the project.

Next steps:

Continue implementation of surveys and interviews. Specific elements/sub-projects of the CEHP will be selected for further in-depth exploration.

5. Other Achievements:

Team meeting in Ottawa: the team met face-to-face in Ottawa in late August. During this three-day working meeting, the team participated in a brown-bag lunch presentation where the project was presented to a group of professionals from IDRC and other Canadian institutions.

Participated in a panel discussion on Ethical challenges facing North-South research partnerships, as part of panel ‘Ethics and global health research: The place of ethics in

the Knowledge-to-Action cycle of global health research,’ at the 2011 Global Health Conference: Advancing health equity in the 21st Century, November 13-15, Montreal, Canada

Presented a Poster titled “Research ethics reviews and North-South Research Collaborations: (Too much or too little

2011 Global Health Conference Panel discussion Dr. Martin Forde second from right and Dr. Karen Morrison.


34

ethics)” at the 2011 Global Health Conference: Advancing health equity in the 21st Century, November 13-15, Montreal, Canada

Submitted an abstract/summary for the upcoming Caribbean Health Research Conference in April 2012.

Developed the preliminary conceptual framework and methodology for doing applied ethics relevant to North-South research ethics.

Created an outline for the final interdisciplinary report for IDRC/GHRI.

Continued to develop and capture the team’s experience at the micro-level case study.

Developed five mini case examples of actual ethical challenges, which will be revised for the Workbook for the Workshop in the Fall of 2012.

Submitted by Martin St. Clair Forde, ScD, P. Eng

5.9 Photovoltaic Power Generation Program

Since August 2010, the side by side test field for different types of photovoltaic modules has been operational.

It compares three 2.5 kWp PV Systems, built with dual junction thin-film PV Modules

2011 Global Health Conference poster presentation Dr. Sandra Tomsons on the left.

Diff kwh kWp day

kWh kWp day

Output difference


35

and conventional thin film PV Modules with two 2.5 kWp conventional poly-crystalline and mono-crystalline PV Systems, with the poly-crystalline PV System being the reference System.

After one year of operation, we are able to present our first results:

1. Dual junction PV modules outperform all the other technologies.

2. Degradation of mono-crystalline PV modules is less than all the other technologies, making mono-crystalline PV modules the most suitable technology for this region of the world.

3. Degradation of conventional thin-film PV modules is quite notable.

All PV Systems worked flawlessly without any technical problems. The identical calibrated inverters performed without any disruptions.

Previous experiences show that the performance of PV Systems in the Caribbean region is very high compared to other regions of the world, with 1.75 MWh/kW/year optimally aligned systems, and can be confirmed with the study results. PV Systems in the Caribbean are extremely efficient, reliable, virtually free of maintenance, and they produce electrical power economically and ecologically.

The side-by-side PV test field will be further monitored and the further results will be presented.

Submitted by: G. Entzmann, K. Burkhardt, M. Kothe, D. Burkhardt, MD, MSc, PhD

5.10 A randomized trial of cardiopulmonary compression competence in basic sciences medical students

Basic Life Support (BLS), also known as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), is the first intervention that occurs in the event of a cardiopulmonary emergency, specifically when a casualty lacks any discernable vital signs. New AHA 2010 guidelines emphasize competence in performing chest compressions. While current guidelines recommend that health care providers recertify their skills and knowledge of BLS every two years, depreciation of BLS skills over time is widely acknowledged in practice. Limited research has recommended more frequent practice and refreshment of skills to support competence in performing BLS.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that all health care providers should be certified in BLS for Health Care Providers. Completion of BLS is a requirement in the Basic Sciences medical curriculum at St. George’s University. Most students take the practical and written 4 hour course at the beginning of Term 1. Students coming from the Global Scholars Program in Northumbria for Term 3 have not yet completed AHA BLS, so they are assigned to take the course during the first weeks of class in Grenada.

A natural opportunity was available to compare students who recently completed the BLS course with those who had taken the same course approximately 11 months earlier in the first term of medical school. The purpose was to assess the quantitative association between amount and recency of


36

deliberate practice and skill retention of BLS compression skills by pre-clinical undergraduate medical students. Another goal of the study was to involve students in a research study using epidemiologic and statistical concepts, thereby promoting active learning within the Epidemiology Module, part of the Term 3 Behavioral Sciences in Medicine (BEHS640) course during July 2011.

Students registered for the Behavioral Sciences in Medicine course during the fall 2011 term were randomly selected to participate. The study design was a randomized comparison of various levels of practice before a short, standardized demonstration of competence in providing cardiopulmonary chest compressions on a full body recording manikin (Laerdal Resusci-Anne). Primary outcomes included compression rate, compression depth, and percentage of correct compressions. Student BLS instructors assisted in completing the study. All sessions were done in upper Taylor Hall on the True Blue campus.

Each participating student was scheduled for a short (10-15 minute) session during a two week period in upper Taylor Hall on the True Blue campus. Participation in this session was completely voluntary and conducted outside of regularly scheduled classes and groups. All participants were assigned a number. No names were used and all findings were summarized by group, so no individuals could be identified.

Students were asked several questions with responses recorded on a Likert scale, and then level of participation was explained. Depending upon randomized assignment,

participants received verbal instructions, were asked to practice for 5 -10 minutes on the BLS manikin, and permitted to try out 10 chest compressions on the full body recording manikin. Subsequently each participant performed the standardized recorded assessment of 5 cycles of 30 chest compressions, with a brief pause between each cycle for the study investigator to provide 2 breaths using a bag-valve mask on the full body manikin. Only the chest compression component was assessed. Participants received a brief feedback after the session to see how they performed.

The students from Northumbria were randomly selected for Group 1, since this cohort had completed a recent July 2011 AHA BLS Provider course with video and 30-45 minute practice on BLS-CPR manikins. Groups 2 and 3 were comprised of randomly selected students who took the previous BLS course in Aug 2010, and were offered varying practice time before assessment. Since little variation was noted in practice time, Groups 2 & 3 were combined for analysis. A two sample t-test with equal variance compared students who completed BLS recently with students who completed BLS approximately

Term 3 Compression Study Ross-Jeff-Maryam


37

11 months earlier.

Out of 523 students registered in Behavioral Sciences, 180 were randomly selected to participate and of these, 66 attended the compression assessment sessions. Toward the end of recruitment, another 27 students volunteered to participate and were added to the study, and randomized as above. Recruits and volunteers were similar in demographic characteristics. Survey responses indicated that students in Group 1 who had recent CPR training reported having more confidence in providing BLS compressions in an unsupervised, out-of-hospital setting than did the other two groups.

Mean percentage correct of compressions in Group 1 was 73.4% (95% CI: 62.6 - 84.3) versus Groups 2 & 3 was 70.7% (95% CI:63.1 - 78.2) with p-value = 0.68. Group 1 students, who received more recent BLS CPR training and had more deliberate practice during the past two weeks performed slightly better than students in Groups 2 & 3 who had a CPR class 11 months earlier. The mean compression depth for Group 1 was 43 mm (95% CI: 41.2 - 44.8) versus Groups 2 & 3 having a mean of 42.3 (95% CI: 40.9 - 43.8) with p-value = 0.59. There was no statistically significant difference in groups regarding depth of compressions, despite Group 1 having recently completed the new guidelines in the BLS course. The average compression rate per minute for Group 1 was 100.8 (95% CI: 90.9 - 110.6) whereas Groups 2 & 3 was 98.2 (95% CI: 92.4 - 104.0) with a p-value = 0.64.

This study involved components of cardiopulmonary life support (CPR) courses that all SOM students are required to

complete. Performing good chest compressions is considered a life-saving skill that all physicians should be able to do upon demand. Overall our study showed that few students met the recommended AHA 2010 guidelines for a depth of chest compressions of 2 inches (50 mm). Both groups displayed good adherence to AHA recommended guidelines for rate of chest compressions.

Despite active recruitment by investigators, lack of participation by randomized students led to small numbers. A total of 180 participants, with 60 in each of the three groups were estimated as sufficient to achieve 80% power to detect a 25% difference in the percentage of correctly performed chest compressions. The small sample size likely contributed to our inability to show a difference between groups in the outcomes of interest.

Limited research data has recommended more frequent practice and refreshment of skills in order to meet BLS guidelines and more importantly, to perform competent CPR. While our data are supportive to some degree, the small size of this study limits our ability to make conclusions about frequency of courses and depreciation of skills.

This study provided student BLS instructors and investigators the opportunity to participate in planning and executing a research study. Student investigators summarized the findings for a poster presentation at WINDREF’s Research Day. While only a portion of the data were ready for presentation to the Term 3 students during the Epidemiology class presentations, having information about students in the class seemed helpful to explain certain aspects of


38

randomized trials. We have not yet received feedback on whether the study provided active learning of testable concepts in the course.

Submitted by T. McCann, PhD, MPH, Obinna Ivoke, Jeffrey Garon, Rochelle Rock,

Erin Dizon, Ross Mirman, Maryam Talai-Shahir, John Speake

5.11 Faculty development workshop emphasizes simulation training for medical students at St. George’s University

The annual meeting of School of Medicine faculty in Grenada includes a faculty development session. The topic chosen for the session in February 2011 was titled “Medical student education for the 21st century – incorporating simulations in clinical training.” This session was the perfect opportunity to showcase the University’s current simulation lab and to share details of our capacity for teaching with simulation in the basic sciences curriculum.

To have multiple instructional techniques we organized a program consisting of panel presentation, use of audience response system (ARS) and a competitive simulation match. Upon entry each faculty member was given a “clicker” for ARS and the faculty development/CME evaluation form.

The session began with a panel discussion by medical educators who actively teach with simulation in their academic and/or health care settings. The first presentation gave an overview of simulation-based medical education and how teaching with simulation had developed on the Grenada campus. Subsequent clinical presenters provided an overview of how they were using simulation

in their hospital setting and specialty for teaching medical students and residents in the United States and United Kingdom.

Following the panel was a “Sim Match”, a version modeled after the popular “Sim Wars” from the 2011 International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare. Our version comprised two teams of US and UK clinicians who had not previously worked together, along with SGU clinical students. The competition scenario involved a simulated urgent care situation with a patient (Laerdal SimMan 3G manikin) presenting with chest pain, along with his distraught wife and a stressed novice nurse. The simulated patient scenario was conducted live before the faculty audience who enthusiastically participated by calling out cues and encouragement to each team. After each 10 minute match, two panelists provided debriefing to the group and audience. Votes for the winning team, chosen on the basis of team communication and clinical management, were tabulated by ARS clickers.

The final simulation match was an exhibition involving second year basic sciences medical students who responded to a different simulated urgent care situation, again

Teaching ACLS in the Simulation Lab at SGU


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with distraught wife and novice nurse. The mostly clinical faculty audience seemed impressed to see the student team perform confidently in the high pressure situation. Students were picked to participate in the Sim Match because of their prior experience as BLS and Trauma Life Support instructors while in basic sciences. We felt this provided students in the exhibition simulation match with additional confidence to assess the patient, console the spouse, work through the differential diagnosis and apply appropriate treatment. The Provost rewarded the Basic Sciences simulation match team with a dinner at the University Club.

The faculty development workshop focused on principles of teaching and learning with simulation-based clinical scenarios. Most clinical faculty do not regularly teach with clickers, so having the opportunity to use them to provide answers interactively was a new technique. Data collected from the session are being used in a short research paper. All participants were encouraged to explore ways of teaching medical students with simulation resources. Faculty enjoyed having an interactive workshop. Clinicians

were pleasantly surprised to discover the extent to which simulation based medical education was already being used in Grenada.

Submitted by T. McCann, PhD, MPH

5.12 Investigation of disease in pre-growout fish in a commercial aquaculture operation in Ecuador, and other marine related projects

Main highlights include starting projects in coral reef rehabilitation, investigating a major disease outbreak in Ecuador, and continuing our work on common diseases of wild-caught “jacks” in Grenadian waters.

The work in Ecuador is being funded by a research grant of $63,000 from the affected farm (Produmar), and this is helping to fund a PhD programme for WINDREF Research Fellow Dr Richard Kabuusu.

Early histopathology results have revealed that the main organ systems affected include liver and gastro-intestinal tract. Of interest, it is only the farm-bred tilapia that seem to be affected, with an 80% mortality in the pre-growout fingerlings. By contrast, the brought-in hybrid tilapia have an 80% survival, and this of course provides a sort of in-built control as an aid to investigating the cause of

Sim Match participants-Clinical Meeting 2011

Produmar, S.A. Fish Farm, Ecuador


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this exceptionally high mortality.

The coral reef research is being conducted by a new stand-alone MSc student (Danielle Medellin), while the work on “jacks” is being conducted by a joint DVM/MSc student, Megan Herbers. Additional current projects include two MSc projects on fish, one looking into scombrotoxin (Dr Lucian Telesford) and the other investigating larval nematodes of “jacks” (Naudia Dundas) in conjunction with Dr. Rhonda Pinckney.

Submitted by Hugh W. Ferguson, BVM&S, PhD, DipACVP, MRCVS, FRCPath

5.13 Grenada Dove Conservation Programme

Bonnie Rusk, Founding Director of the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme, continues to collaborate closely with the Forestry and National Parks Department, Ministry of Agriculture and has since 1991. In addition to collaborations with international and local institutions, they have worked closely with the Grenada Scouts Association to carry out awareness and outreach activities.

Current Projects

Breeding study of the endangered endemic Grenada Dove: Data to inform species management decisions. In progress. 2010-2012. Funded by: Mohammed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund.

The objectives of the study are to:

1. Describe breeding biology (courtship, nest building, squab and fledgling behavior) in known habitats;

2. Describe nest sites, differences between xeric southwest and xeric to moister west coast variations in behavior, nest success

and fledgling mortality between the 2 locations;

3. Identify major threats to the breeding of this critically endangered species;

4. Use data collected to inform conservation and protected area management decisions by the Government of Grenada for the 2 National Parks and Protected Areas, and to inform recommendations for the protection of additional critical habitat;

5. Use information to update Grenada Dove Species Recovery Plan, as necessary;

6. Use information gathered in outreach efforts, particularly outreach efforts in local communities and within government.

7. Use information gathered in outreach efforts, particularly outreach efforts in local communities and within government.

Update on the Critically Endangered Grenada Dove (Leptotila wellsi): Status, Conservation and Lessons Learned. Bonnie L. Rusk, Grenada Dove Conservation Programme, c/o Forestry and National Parks, Queen’s Park, Grenada.

Conservation efforts for the Grenada Dove continue to focus on habitat protection, research and outreach, addressing the urgent goals of the Recovery and Action Plan drafted in 2008. In collaboration with the Forestry and National Parks Department, habitat protection remains a priority, and all sites and Important Bird Areas are now identified in Grenada’s new System for Parks and Protected Areas. We are currently carrying out breeding and dry season water use studies, and preliminary findings will be discussed.

Our most recent population estimate is 68


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territorial males, 48 confirmed territorial male Grenada Doves in the southwest and 20 on the west coast (Rusk 2007). Population estimates reflect a 25% decline from the 2003/2004 (pre-hurricane) census, with a 50% decline on west coast. Over 43% of all Grenada doves were recorded on the Mt. Hartman Estate.

Negotiations with the proposed Four Seasons development at Mt. Hartman (2007/2008) resulted in re-designated Mt. Hartman National Park boundaries which encompass more territories in one contiguous parcel. Mediation efforts between the developer and dove conservation were discussed, including lessons learned.

Submitted by Bonnie L. Rusk

5.14 World Diabetes Congress 2011, held in Dubai from 4-8 December

The spread of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) presents a global crisis. Data from the World Health Organization demonstrate that in almost all countries and in all income groups, men, women, and children are at risk of these diseases. Worldwide, substantial gains have been achieved in economic growth, health, and living standards in the past century. This progress is now threatened by the crisis in NCDs, principally heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory disease.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is based in Belgium and coordinates the efforts of national and regional diabetes associations. The Grenada Diabetes Association is a member of IDF and also part of the regional North America and Caribbean (NAC) federation. The IDF hosted the World Diabetes Congress 2011 which was held in Dubai from 4-8 December, 2011. Following

the recent United Nations High Level Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), this Congress included a high profile Global Diabetes Forum on 3 December to discuss how to turn political commitments of the Summit into practical actions. After several days of diverse sessions ranging from basic sciences to management, the Congress concluded with the Dubai Dialogue, a discussion of the way forward to deal not only with diabetes, but the entire group of NCDs.

Upon invitation, the Grenada Diabetes Association participated in the Congress by sending two representatives to the Global Village, as well as sending two persons to the Diabetes Youth Forum. Mrs. Rosalind Alexis, President of the Grenada Diabetes Association and former Nurse Practitioner with the Ministry of Health and Dr. Theresa McCann, an Associate Dean of Basic Sciences in the School of Medicine and Professor at St. George’s University and Board Member of the Grenada Diabetes Association, collaborated on two research abstracts

Caroline Alexis-Thomas, PhD, Theresa McCann, PhD, MPH, Ms. Lydia Atkins, MPH


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describing a recent pilot project done in Grenada. Both abstracts were accepted for poster presentations at the Congress in the session on Education and Integrated Care.

Diabetes education may be considered as one of the most effective interventions in diabetes management. The Grenada project aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of integrated diabetes education, based within local Health Centres and Medical Stations, upon client outcomes. Drs. Dolland Noel and George Mitchell were involved in conducting the pilot research and supported the Association’s efforts to publicize findings to a wider audience and obtain feedback for planning future work. The posters described different aspects of diabetes education that has been piloted at various institutions in Grenada over one year. The use of a structured education intervention provided a greater impact on glycemic control and self management compared to a more ad hoc educational approach. Over half of the participants in the structured education sessions demonstrated improvement in HbA1c and fasting glucose levels over time.

In a small group of 12 persons with abnormally high baseline values from St. David’s Parish, active participation in the intervention was associated with notable improvement in test values, including a shift in HbA1c toward safer levels. The research showed that when persons were empowered they made more informed choices regarding diet, exercise, medication and self-management. Further integration into the overall health care system is needed along with enhanced potential for multimedia options in diabetes education to impact prevention of new cases and to reduce complications for persons with diabetes.

Submitted by T. McCann, PhD, MPH

5.15 Soil Transmitted Helminths and Streptococci infections among school going children between the ages of 5- 15 years old in the Parish of St. Andrew’s

This research project is a two part study. The first component is the streptococcal portion being conducted in St. Andrew’s parish, Grenada. This component is to investigate the incidence of Streptococci infections among school going children between the ages of 5- 15 years old in the Parish of St. Andrew’s. The second component focuses on the Incidence of Neglected Tropical Diseases with a specific emphasis on the “Soil Transmitted Helminths” with the aim to eliminate the three main helminths, hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale , Necator amer icanus ) , Roundworms (Ascaris lumbricoides) and Whipworms (Trichuris trichiura). The second component of this study has evolved into an elimination program for Grenada, Carriacou

Nurse Rosalind Alexis, President of the Grenada Diabetes Association


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and Petite Martinique.

The streptococcal portion has all fourteen (14) Primary schools in the parish of St. Andrew’s included in the study. The schools included are Belair Government, St. Matthew’s Roman Catholic (R.C.), St. Michael’s R.C, Holy Cross R.C., Holy Innocent Anglican, St. Giles Anglican, St. Mary’s R.C., Telescope Government, Paraclete Government, St. Andrew’s R.C., St. Andrew’s Methodist, Tivoli R.C. St. Andrew’s Anglican and Crochu R.C.

Rheumatic Fever is as a result of exposure to Streptococcus pyogenes. The sequelae of this can lead to Rheumatic heart disease. Rheumatic heart disease is a debilitating condition that is usually brought on by stenosis of the mitral or aortic valves.

In Grenada, of the fourteen schools that were selected for the streptococcal study. Four of these schools had been included in 2000/2002 in an initial Streptococcal surveillance that was carried out in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The initial

study also included diagnostic work and an educational component and was carried out with the assistance of the Ministry of Health and Education (Grenada) and the Rockefeller University (New York) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta). That study was funded by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation.

The anticipated sample size for this study was 750 children. The throat and blood samples were observed in the laboratory for Streptococci (throat and blood samples). The current study involved drawing blood samples and throat swabs. A total of 585 blood samples and 360 throat samples were collected. The school children were randomly selected and were between the ages of 5 – 15 years old. These samples that were collected were analyzed.

The blood samples were subjected to Anti streptolysin O titres tests and the throat swabs to cultural isolation for beta hemolytic streptococci. All positive cases will be treated by the community nurse and physicians at the schools or at decentralized clinics in the community.

Trevor Noël, Emediong Udo and Idis Mark George with the Holy Innocents Anglican students wearing their sensitization “sore throat can cause heart disease” stickers after their screening and sensitization day.

Sister Idis Mark - George administering a throat swab at Holy Innocents Anglican School.


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Positive beta hemolytic streptococci samples are currently stored in the WINDREF Institute in Grenada and will be sent to Rockefeller University and the University of Minnesota for further subtyping. The Streptococcal sample collection component of the study began in May 2010 and was completed in December 2011. In addition, to this testing, there was an educational component that provided and continues to provide the primary prevention through multi media mass education. The educational component of the study was begun with the initial sensitization of the community nurse and educational workers.

The protocol for this study was passed and approved through St. George’s University IRB and subsequently passed and approved by the Research Oversight Committee at both the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health. Eleven hundred informed consent forms were distributed to the schools mentioned above. Within each school the distribution was random with the names being selected using a random number generator.

We received 729 signed informed consent forms, and 729 completed knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and practices (KABP)

questionnaires. To date 585 blood samples and 360 throat samples were collected and are being analyzed.

The 729 KABP questionnaires have been analyzed using Microsoft Excel. When the results of all blood and throat samples are ascertained we will investigate the possible correlation of these results with the KABP questionnaire.

The educational posters have been designed and produced as part of a mass media sensitization approach. These posters have been distributed in the 14 primary schools as part of the educational component.

The second portion of this study focuses on the Incidence of Neglected Tropical Diseases with a specific emphasis on the “Soil Transmitted Helminths” (STH), with the aim to tackle the three main helminthes. The STH component of this study has been expanded to not only include St. Andrew’s parish in Grenada, but also Carriacou and Petite Martinique making it a national elimination program. This section of the study focuses on the Incidence of Neglected Tropical Diseases with a specific emphasis on the “Soil

Trevor Noël, viewing a positive throat culture

MD student Emediong Udo, a primary prevention sensitization program volunteer, with one of the St. Andrew’s primary schoolchildren.


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Transmitted Helminths” with the aim to tackle the three main helminths, hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale , Necator americanus), Roundworms (Ascaris lumbricoides) and Whipworms (Trichuris trichiura). From an ethical perspective, the elimination program was approved by the St. George’s University IRB and the Research Oversight Committees of both the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health (Grenada).

The evolution of this project from solely the St. Andrew’s area, to be a Grenadian National elimination program has resulted in this portion of the study being looked at statistically to decide what number and which of the fifty eight primary schools will be used to ascertain the incidence of the Soil transmitted helminthes. The fecal samples obtained will be analyzed using the Kato-Katz technique and salt flotation.

We are in the process of printing the informed consent forms that will be needed as part of the national elimination program. In addition, we have completed knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and practices (KABP) questionnaires that have been pilot tested in the fourteen St. Andrew’s schools.

The KABP questionnaires will be analyzed using Microsoft Excel. The results from the Soil transmitted helminthes will be ascertained and we will investigate the possible correlation of these results with the KABP questionnaire. The pharmaceutical company, Glaxo Smith Kline has promised the drug, albendazole free of cost for three years for this elimination program.

The educational component continues in that we have printed posters for all the primary and secondary schools in Grenada, Carriacou

and Petite Martinique.

We hope to have these laminated posters placed in all these schools and health centers over the coming year. The initial funding for this two portioned study was provided by the Bartholomew J Lawson Foundation through REACH (Grenada).

Submitted by Trevor P. Noël, MPH Assistant Director, WINDREF

5.16 Genetic Correlates of the Addictive Diseases: Cocaine, Alcohol and Marijuana Addiction - Grenada, W.I.

In Grenada, blood samples are taken from normal volunteers, drug-free former cocaine users, drug-free former marijuana users, drug-free former alcohol users, or current drug and alcohol users. To assess their levels and types of addiction, a standard scale – developed by the Kreek Lab – is used for each patient, called the KMSK scale.

The KMSK scale is a brief survey that is 90-100% effective in screening for alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and heroin addiction. This scale is used for all patients studied in the Kreek Lab. The patients are also asked about

Poster on “Practices to prevent soil transmitted worm infections” in Crochu R.C School.


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their family origin, as this information may play a role in further genetic studies done by the Kreek Lab.

To date 53 case participants have completed the full KMSK questionnaires and blood draws in Grenada. Our control participant’s selection is ongoing and we have completed 90 control samples. The samples and KMSK and family origin questionnaires that are administered are sent to Rockefeller University (New York) where they are analyzed.

In the past, our research nurses, have

included, Nestar Edwards (Chief Nursing Officer for Grenada), Nurse Beverly Mends and Nurse Kathleen Collier. Most recently the nurse assisting with this project has been Nurse Idis Mark-George. These nurses have been entrusted with the process of receiving a signed informed consent form and drawing the bloods and administering the Family Origin Questionnaire and the KMSK scale to the participants.

The Kreek Lab collaborates with WINDREF in Grenada in an effort to gain a better understanding of the biology of addictive diseases, particularly the genetic basis of addiction. Grenada provides a unique study sample as heroin and other such opiates have yet to enter the country. In

most countries, opiate and cocaine addiction is rampant and sometimes may go hand in hand. Thus, the Grenada study acts as a control for any heroin-cocaine addiction comorbidity observed in previous genetic studies of addicts.

Whole blood samples taken from subjects in Grenada are shipped to the Kreek Lab at Rockefeller University for DNA isolation. The DNA is further analyzed by lab members who look for any polymorphisms – variations in DNA – that may occur in specific regions of the DNA: mu and kappa opioid receptor genes being two of the many.

Nurse Idis Mark – George speaks with a control subject

Dr. Mary Jeanne Kreek, Head of Kreek Laboratory, Rockefeller University, New York

Dave Alexander (Drug Avoidance Office), Trevor Noël (WINDREF), Mary Jeanne Kreek (Rockefeller University), Elizabeth Japal, Assistant Drug Control Officer


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Projects of a similar nature are being run in several other areas of the world, including Stockholm, Lund, and Uppsala in Sweden, Oslo in Norway, Tel Aviv in Israel, and Las Vegas in Nevada, Oakland in California, New York City in New York, USA.

Trevor Noel is the WINDREF representative on the Grenada Drug Intervention Network and we continue to work closely with the Drug Avoidance Officers from the Ministry of Education. Both WINDREF and Rockefeller University have been collaborating with the Drug Avoidance office on this project for just under ten years.

Submitted by Trevor P. Noël Assistant Director, WINDREF

6.0 2011 Grants

We would like to thank all of the donors who have made WINDREF’s work possible in 2011

The Bartholomew J. Lawson Foundation for Children, in partnership with Reach Grenada, for the St. Andrew’s Parish Helminths and Rheumatic Fever Project

Dr. Mary-Jeanne Kreek, Kreek Laboratory, Rockefeller University, NY, for the support of the “Genetic Correlation of Addictive Diseases” project

The Nature Conservancy, for their continued support of the Marine Protected Areas Program, Grenada

St. George’s University, for ongoing support, including the Small Research Grant Initiative which has helped some WINDREF scientists

The Teasdale-Corti Foundation for the grant supporting the Caribbean EcoHealth Programme (CEHP)

The World Bank (for the Canadian POPs Trust Fund) for the Caribbean Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Study

Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (GEF SGP) for support of the Nutmeg factory project

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for support of the Nutmeg factory project

US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI) for support of the Pilot Microbial Genome annotation project

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) for support of the “Ethical Issues and Challenges in Global Population Health Research Partnerships” project

Jonas Browne & Hubbard (Grenada) Ltd. for support of the Photovoltaic Power Generation Program

Kirsten Rausing for support of the Sport for Health Program

US Ambassadors' HIV Prevention Program (AHPP) for support of “The use of theatre as a medium to educate: Grenada secondary schools theatre production for the sensitization of risks and prevention of HIV/AIDS”.

Produmar, S.A. for support of the “Investigation of disease in pre-growout fish i n a c o m m e r c i a l a q u a c u l t u r e operation in Ecuador” project.

6.1 Ongoing externally funded projects

There are currently 10 ongoing funded projects with a total value of $2,281,793.

Noël, T.P. Neglected Tropical Diseases


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(NTDs) and Rheumatic Fever in St. Andrew’s Parish, Grenada: a project to prevent/eliminate helminthic and rheumatic fever infections among children (5-15 years of age). Bartholomew J. Lawson Foundation for Children. $41,903. 2009 - 2011.

Noël, T.P. Genetic Correlates of the Addictive Diseases: Cocaine, Alcohol and Marijuana Addiction - Grenada, W.I., Dr. Mary-Jeanne Kreek, Kreek Laboratory, Rockefeller University, NY. $25,000. 2005-2011

Morrall, C. Reducing marine Litter in the Wider Caribbean: Developing and Implementing Best Waste Management Practices. Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute, Inc. (GCFI). $19,500. 2010 - 2011.

Akpinar-Elci, M. Implementing Renewable Energy and Preventing Land Degradation: An Intervention in the Nutmeg Industry in Grenada. Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (GEF SGP) on behalf of the three GEF Implementing Agencies –United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Bank. $50,000. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) $64,313. 2010 - 2012.

Forde, M. Caribbean EcoHealth Programme (CEHP): public and environmental health interactions in food and water-borne illnesses. Teasdale-Corti Foundation. $442,268. 2008 -

2012.

VASES-MAPPES: Vocationalization of Animal Sector Education: MSc Animal Product Processing, Entrepreneurship & Safety. EDULINK: ACP-EU Cooperation Programe in Higher Education. $730,000. 2008 - 2011.

Forde, Martin. Ethical Issues and Challenges in Global Population Health Research Partnerships. IRDC 103460-093. $67,671 CAD 2010 - 2012

Macpherson, Calum. Sport for Health. House of Lords Fundraiser. $50,000. 2011 - 2012

Larsen, Amber. The use of theatre as a medium to educate: Grenada secondary schools theatre production for the sensitization of risks and prevention of HIV/AIDS. US Ambassadors’ HIV Prevention Program (AHPP). $6,000. 2011-2012

Ferguson, Hugh: Investigation of disease in pre-growout fish in a commercial aquaculture operation in Ecuador. Produmar, S.A. $61,995. 2011-2013

6.2 2011 Grant submissions

This year 8 grant applications were submitted to external funding agencies for a total value of $1,613.202.

Larsen, A. Edutainment: Personal empowerment for healthy sexual behaviour among the youth population in Grenada. Elton John AIDS Foundation. $23,911. May 2011.

Akpinar-Elci, M., Rodrigo, S., Elci, O. Prevalence and risk factors for chronic respiratory diseases in Grenada. NIH $108,000. Resubmission June 2011.

Larsen, A. The use of theatre as a medium to educate: Grenada secondary schools theatre

$‐

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

USD

Year

WINDREF: External Funding Summary


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production for the sensitization of risks and prevention of HIV/AIDS. US Ambassadors’ HIV Prevention Program (AHPP). $10,000. June 2011.

Macpherson, C. The Promotion of Healthy Dog Populations in Grenada Through Community Education and Veterinary Care. Morris Animal Foundation. $66,096. September 2011.

Sealy, H. Energy for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean (ESD-Caraibes) - Grenada. Global Environment Facility (GEF). $993,200. May 2011.

Ferguson, H. Investigation of disease in pre-growout fish in a commercial aquaculture operation in Ecuador. Produmar, S.A. $61,995,. October 2011.

Radix, R: Grenada School Nutrition Study: Evidence to Inform Policy. International Development Research Center (IDRC). $300,000. December 2011.

7.0 Past, Present, and Future Research Projects

7.1 Past, Present, and Future Research Projects: Non-communicable Diseases

Angiotensin converting enzyme and angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms in the Grenadian population: relation to hypertension

Development of a decision rule for screening Obstructive Sleep Apnea and its epidemologic relevance to the people of Grenada

Prevalence and associated risk factors of hypertension in a sample population of native Caribbean’s in Grenada, West Indies

Assessing the prevalence of diabetic complications by examining type I and type II

adult diabetics for signs of retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy and dermatological changes associated with poor glucose control within the native Caribbean population of Grenada

Hypertension management and control in two Caribbean countries

Assessment of the effectiveness of broad-spectrum treatment to children with protozoan and nemathelminthic parasitic infections on diarrhea and school attendance

The effects of iron-deficiency anemia on cognition and behavior in infants

Diurnal variation of urinary endothelin-I and blood pressure: related hypertension

Alcohol consumption in Grenada

The incidence and mortality of cancer in Grenada over the ten year period: 1990-1999

The prevalence of abnormal haemoglobin traits in Grenadian secondary school adolescents

Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices of sickle cell anemia in Grenadian primary and secondary school children

Decompression sickness among the indigenous fishing population in Grenada: Assessing the burden of disease

WINDREF / SGU Hurricane Relief

Spice Research Program

Sulfate-reducing bacteria in oxidized freshwater of tropical mangroves

Novel antibiotics from tropical marine environments: drug development in Grenada

Study of the mutacin C-7A

Gram-negative bacteria isolated from aquatic


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environments of Grenada (61.4°W, 12.0°N), West Indies

Identification of bacteria producing antibiotics isolated from deep marine biofilms of Grenada

SGU Environmental Testing Unit (ETU)

Post-hurricane water surveillance in problematic areas of Grenada

Evaluation of the relocation potential for villagers residing in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Study of the calls of the spotted hyena at feeding

Survey on the attitude of villagers in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda towards the threat of lions, leopards and hyenas

Epidemiology of human injuries resulting from wildlife in ten villages within Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Rural Ugandan village perspective on lion, leopard and hyena conservation

Epidemiology of human injuries by wildlife in six villages within Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Prevalence of Campylobacter fetus subspecies venerealis and other microorganisms in the reproductive tracts of cattle from the southern region of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Antimicrobial properties of skin secretions from Eleutherodactylus johnstonei on bacteriological isolates

Examination and analysis of prostate cancer in Grenada

A Church-based intervention to improve hypertension prevention and control among women in Grenada

Occupational Health Problems among Nutmeg Factories Workers, SGU Small Research Grant Initiative

Sport for Health

7.2 Past, Present, and Future Research Projects: Infectious Diseases

Investigation of the prevalence of SIV in the mona monkey (Cercopithcus mona) in Grenada

Seroprevalence of HIV-I and HIV-II in pregnant women in Grenada, W.I. – their knowledge of AIDS and their exposure hazards to the virus

A cross sectional study of the current status of Schistosoma mansoni in St. Lucia by field surveys and supplementary data collection

Identification and characterization of hantaviruses among the mammal population of Grenada

HIV/AIDS health education and evaluation program in Grenada

The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in a population of pregnant women and cats in Grenada, West Indies

The efficiency of diagnosing women of Toxoplasma gondii using PCR techniques in comparison with ELISA

Dengue virus in Grenada: seroprevalence and associated risk factors

A current appraisal of dengue virus in Grenada – serotype analysis and vector assessment

A site receptivity study determining the threat of reintroduction of malaria into Grenada through the study of Anopheline spp.


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mosquito vectors

Chlamydial infection among STD clinic attenders in Grenada

Fever in Grenada

Mosquitoes and tourism in Grenada

Effectiveness of a formula feeding/weaning intervention program in preventing transmission of HTLV-1 from seropositive mothers to newborns in Grenada

A multi-center longitudinal research study of the behavioral significance of the prevalence of HIV-1 infection in pregnant women and their babies on the islands of Grenada and St. Vincent

A multi-center longitudinal research study of the ethical analysis of informed consent of the prevalence of HIV-1 infection in pregnant women and their babies on the islands of Grenada and St. Vincent

Determining the role of IL-15 in mediating function of viral-specific CD8+ T cells in the myelopathogenesis of HTLV-1: symptomatic versus asymptomatic patients

Intestinal protozoan infections in 6-12 year old children in Grenada

Intestinal helminth infections in 6-12 year old children in Grenada

The prevalence of intestinal parasites in school children in rural Guyana

The prevalence of filariasis and its effects on children aged 8-14 in the central corentyne region of rural Guyana

The prevalence of streptococcal infection in school children aged 5 – 15 years in Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique

Studies examining the elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem in Guyana

Seroprevalence of heartworm infection in dogs in Grenada

Dengue in Grenada

Assessing the potential risk factors of dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever in the tri-island state of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique

A comparative study to find out if there is an association between sexual practices and knowledge in adult populations of Botswana and Grenada with the prevalence of HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS in rural Botswana differentiating between informing and educating

Evaluating the level of perceived fear and desensitization towards HIV/AIDS in Botswana

Rheumatic Fever in Grenada

Streptococcal program in St. Vincent

Isolating T cells from Rheumatic Fever positive blood: immunofluorescent assay of T lymphocytes via fluorescently labeled monoclonal antibodies

Possible genetic predisposition to Rheumatic Fever: demonstrating the inheritance fashion of non-HLA B lymphocyte alloantigen D8/17, a marker for Rheumatic Fever

ELISA antibody titres against group A streptococcal M protein moiety and cell wall N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine in Grenadian Rheumatic Fever patients

Evaluating the effectiveness of educational methods in the prevention of Rheumatic Fever


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and knowledge, awareness and practices

Prevalence of intestinal helminth infections in rural Grenadian school children

Cystic echinococcosis in Morocco and Uganda

Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis in Guyana Program

Neglected Tropical Diseases and Rheumatic Fever in St. Andrew’s Parish, Grenada: A project to prevent/eliminate helminthic and rheumatic fever infections among children (5-15 years of age)

The use of theatre as a medium to educate: Grenada secondary schools theatre production for the sensitization of risks and prevention of HIV/AIDS

7.3 Past, Present, and Future Research Projects: Unique Projects

Characterization of five amphibians inhabiting Grenada and subsequent isolation and antimicrobial assay of potential antibiotics derived from their skin

Mona monkey studies in West Africa

Investigation of medicinal plants in Grenada

Use of medicinal plants in Grenada

Medicinal drugs from the sea: what do Grenada’s waters have to offer?

Beekeeping in Grenada: effects of the mite Varroa jacobsoni and its control

Effects of Grenadian medicinal plants on endemic microbial causes of diarrhoeal diseases

The neurobiological basis of hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure

Stimulation of angiotensin 4 in cardiac

fibroblasts activates matrix metalloproteinases through MAP kinases pathways: A model for astrocytes

REM sleep and memory

End of life care in Grenada

Novel antibiotics from tropical marine environments

Genetic correlates of the addictive diseases: cocaine, alcohol, and marijuana addiction– Grenada

An investigation of pediatric botanical medicine for acute respiratory infections

Efficacy of phage therapy using an in vitro biofilm wound model system

Degradation of 7 keto cholesterol by Xenohydrolases

Ecological survival properties of pelagic and benthic indicator microorganisms from the St. John’s river outflow in Grenada

The public health importance of dogs, Grand Anse, Grenada

Greater occipital nerve zones for treatment of occipital neuralgia

Photovoltaic power generation program

Review of current biomedical waste management practices in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Countries

Microbial diversity in the iron-oxidizing biofilms of soda springs in Grenada

Circadian cycle of iron-oxidation in warm soda springs in St. Andrew’s, Grenada, West Indies

Do the microorganisms in the soda spring water derive energy from the oxidation of manganese?


53

Novel marine bacteria and their antagonistic properties against medically relevant biofilms

Physiological characterization of novel marine bacterial species isolated off Grenada

Characterization of marine sponge-associated bacteria and cytotoxic activity of sponge extracts towards human cancer cells

Examining HIV/AIDS provider stigma: assessing regional concerns in the islands of the Eastern Caribbean

Knowledge, attitudes and practice survey for women (baseline survey)

Caribbean EcoHealth Programme: public and environmental health interactions in food and water-borne illnesses (CEHP)

Persistent Organic Pollutants

Implementing Renewable Energy and Preventing Land Degradation: An Intervention in the Nutmeg Industry in Grenada

Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on the role of matrix-metalloproteinase mediated neural crest cells in an avian model

Assessing Medical Students’ Behavior, Perception, and Knowledge of UV Exposure and Sunscreen Application in the Caribbean (Grenada)

Basic Life Support Knowledge and Skill Retention in Pre-Clinical Undergraduate Medical Students

Student Satisfaction, Comfort and Self-confidence in a Simulation Lab Practice Session

Reducing marine Litter in the Wider Caribbean: Developing and Implementing Best Waste Management Practices

Ethical Issues and Challenges in Global Population Health Research Partnerships

Disaster Management in Grenada: Northumbria University Student Research

Baseline Coral Reef Monitoring Program for Sandy Island Oyster Bed Marine Protected Area Mooring Buoy Installation Project

Genome annotation in microorganisms and metagenomic libraries as a part of an undergraduate curriculum

Molecular identification of marine Vibrio isolated in Grenada

Occurrence of Antibiotic-resistant Fecal Indicators in Coastal waters of Southern Grenada

Investigation of disease in pre-growout fish i n a c o m m e r c i a l a q u a c u l t u r e operation in Ecuador

8.0 International Conferences Sponsored in Grenada

Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention’s 43rd Ten-Day International Teaching Seminar on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, June 2011.

Caribbean-Canada Emerging Leaders’ Dialogue (CCELD), June 2011.

USDA Regional Lepidoptera identification workshop, executed by the USDA-APHIS, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) CARICOM Secretariat with technical expertise provided by the Florida Association for Volunteer Action in the Caribbean and the Americas (FAVACA), September 2011.

9.0 Abstracts/Presentations at International Conferences Invited


54

Plenary/Workshop/Roundtable/Professional Meetings/CME

Akpinar-Elci, M., G. Day, S. Bidaisee, J. Cox-Ganser, S. Peters and O. Elci (2011). Occupational Exposure and Respiratory Health Problems among Nutmeg Production Workers in Grenada. Denver, Colorado, ATS.

Akpinar-Elci, M., P. Durgampudi, S. Bidaisee, S. Peters and O. Elci (2011). Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Occupational Health among Nutmeg Production Workers in Grenada, The Caribbean. Washington D.C., American Public Health Association.

Alexis, R. and T. McCann (2011). Diabetes education and integrated care in Grenada. Dubai, UAE, International Diabetes Federation, World Diabetes Congress.

Forde, M. and K. Morrison (2011). Ethical challenges facing North-South research partnerships, as part of panel ‘Ethics and global health research: The place of ethics in the Knowledge-to-Action cycle of global health research'. Montreal, Canada, 011 Global Health Conference: Advancing health equity in the 21st Century.

Martin, F., O. Elci, R. Hage and M. Akpinar-Elci (2011). Climate Change, Saharan Dust and the Emergency room visits due to asthma in Grenada. Denver, Colorado, ATS.

McCann, T. and R. Alexis (2011). Reduction in HbA1c levels among diabetic clients in St. David’s Parish, Grenada. Dubai, UAE, International Diabetes Federation, World Diabetes Congress.

McCann TJ, S. A and B. G (2011). The impact of teaching clinical faculty ACLS using a simulation lab at St. George’s

University (SGU), Grenada. New Orleans, LA, International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare.

Rooney, J., K. Bourne-Yearwood, F. McGill and T. McCann (2011). The introduction of a simulation laboratory to preclinical students at St. George’s University in Grenada. Port of Spain, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association 17th Medical Update and Research Conference.

Rusk, B. Presentation at the Society for Study and Conservation of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB) Annual Meeting. July 2011. Freeport, Bahamas.

Scott, A., T. McCann and G. Brady (2011). Teaching ACLS using low and medium fidelity simulation to year 2 medical students at St. George’s University (SGU), Grenada. New Orleans, LA, International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare.

Tomsoms, S., H. Watson-Bergess, A. Gomez, M. Forde and K. Morrison (2011). Research ethics reviews and North-South Research Collaborations: (Too much or too little ethics). Montreal, Canada, 2011 Global Health Conference: Advancing health equity in the 21st Century.

10.0 Publications

10.1 Publications - Books/ Book Chapters

Macpherson, C. N. L., F.-X. Meslin and A. I. Wandeler (2011) (In Press)). Dogs, Zoonoses and Public Health. Wallingford, Oxon, UK, CABI International Publishing. Akpinar-Elci, M. and O. Elci (2011). Noninvasive health assessment methods in sick building syndrome. Sick Building Syndrome in Public Buildings and Workplaces. S. Abdul-Wahab, Springer publication.


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Elci, O., S. Rodrigo and M. Akpinar-Elci (2011). Epidemiologic investigation method for sick building syndrome. Sick Building Syndrome in Public Buildings and Workplaces. S. Abdul-Wahab, Springer publication.

Macpherson, C. N. and P. R. Torgerson (2011 (In Press)). Dog Cestode Zoonoses. Dogs, Zoonoses and Public Health. C. Macpherson, Meslin, F-X, and AI Wandeler. Guildford, CABI International.

Torgerson, P., C. Macpherson and D. Vuitton (2011 (In Press)). Cystic echinococcosis (Echinococcus granulosus). Zoonoses 2nd edn. S. L. S. Palmer, Torgerson, P and Brown, D. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

10.2 Publications - Journal

Akpinar-Elci, M., O. Elci and A. Odabasi (2011). "United airways disease among florists." Chest Disease Reports 1(e10): 22-24. LINK

Chikweto, A., S. Kumthekar, K. Tiwari, B. Nyack, M. S. Deokar, G. Stratton, C. N. Macpherson, R. N. Sharma and J. P. Dubey (2011). "Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pigs, sheep, goats, and cattle from Grenada and Carriacou, West Indies." J Parasitol 97(5): 950-951. LINK

Dean, C., D. Etienne, B. Carpentier, J. Gielecki, R. Tubbs and M. Loukas (2011). "Hiatal hernias." Surg Radiol Anat. LINK

Delannoy, C., J. Houghton, N. Fleming and H. Ferguson (2011). "Mauve Stingers (Pelagia noctiluca) as carriers of the bacterial fish pathogen Tenacibaculum maritimum." Aquaculture 311(1-4): 255-257. LINK

Elci, O., M. Akpinar-Elci and N. Siddiqui (2011). "The concept of public health and its value in medicine." The Grenada Medical Journal 3(1): 19-21.

Forde, M., K. Morrison, E. Dewailly, N. Badrie and L. Robertson (2011). "Strengthening integrated research and capacity development within the Caribbean region." BMC International Health and Human Rights 11(Suppl 2): S7. LINK

Gopalakrishnan, A., B. A. Maran, V. Puvanendran, M. Rajkumar, T. Balasubramanian and H. W. Ferguson (2011). "Neoplasia in the Indian oil sardine, Sardinella longiceps (Valenciennes), and the great barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda (Edwards), from the south-east coast of India." J Fish Dis 34(11): 881-885. LINK

Hebert-Blouin, M., K. Amrami, M. Loukas and R. Spinner (2011). "A proposed anatomical explanation for perineural spread of breast adenocarcinoma to the brachial plexus." Clin Anat 24(1): 101-105. LINK

Hulsberg, P., L. Garza-Jordan Jde, R. Jordan, P. Matusz, R. Tubbs and M. Loukas (2011). "Hepatic aneurysm: a review." Am Surg 77(5): 586-591. LINK

Klaassen, Z., J. Chen, V. Dixit, R. Tubbs, M. Shoja and M. Loukas (2011). "Giovanni Maria Lancisi (1654-1720): anatomist and papal physician." Clin Anat 24(7): 802-806. LINK

Klaassen, Z., M. Choi, R. Musselman, D. Eapen, R. Shane Tubbs and M. Loukas (2011). "A review of supernumerary and absent limbs and digits of the upper limb." Surg Radiol Anat. LINK

Klaassen, Z., E. Marshall, R. Tubbs, R. Louis

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Jr., C. Wartmann and M. Loukas (2011). "Anatomy of the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves with observations of their spinal nerve contributions." Clin Anat 24(4): 454-461. LINK

Klaassen, Z., M. Shoja, R. Tubbs and M. Loukas (2011). "Supernumerary and absent limbs and digits of the lower limb: a review of the literature." Clin Anat 24(5): 570-575. LINK

Loukas, M., N. Abel, R. Tubbs, J. Grabska, J. Birungi and R. Anderson (2011). "The cardiac lymphatic system." Clin Anat 24(6): 684-691. LINK

Loukas, M., S. Bellary, M. Kuklinski, J. Ferrauiola, A. Yadav, M. Shoja, K. Shaffer and R. Tubbs (2011). "The lymphatic system: a historical perspective." Clin Anat 24(7): 807-816. LINK

Loukas, M., S. Bellary, R. Tubbs, M. Shoja and A. Cohen Gadol (2011). "Deep palmar communications between the ulnar and median nerves." Clin Anat 24(2): 197-201. LINK

Loukas, M., E. Bilinsky, S. Bilinsky, P. Abrahams, M. Diamond, M. Shoja and R. Tubbs (2011). "Surgery in early Jewish history." Clin Anat 24(2): 151-154. LINK

Loukas, M., D. El-Zammar, R. Tubbs, J. Birungi, J. Jacob, M. Shoja and R. Anderson (2011). "Intervenous tubercle of lower: True tubercle or normal interatrial fold?" Clin Anat. LINK

Loukas, M., M. Hanna, N. Alsaiegh, M. Shoja and R. Tubbs (2011). "Clinical anatomy as practiced by ancient Egyptians." Clin Anat 24(4): 409-415. LINK

Loukas, M., M. Hanna, J. Chen, R. Tubbs and R. Anderson (2011). "Extracardiac coronary arterial anastomoses." Clin Anat 24(2): 137-142. LINK

Loukas, M., M. Pellerin, Z. Kimball, J. de la Garza-Jordan, R. Tubbs and R. Jordan (2011). "Intussusception: an anatomical perspective with review of the literature." Clin Anat 24(5): 552-561. LINK

Loukas, M., B. Shayota, K. Oelhafen, J. Miller, J. Chern, R. Tubbs and W. Oakes (2011). "Associated disorders of Chiari Type I malformations: a review." Neurosurg Focus 31(3): E3. LINK

Loukas, M., R. Tubbs, N. Mirzayan, M. Shirak, A. Steinberg and M. Shoja (2011). "The history of mastectomy." Am Surg 77(5): 566-571. LINK

Loukas, M., K. Von Kriegenbergh, M. Gilkes, R. Tubbs, C. Walker, D. Malaiyandi and R. Anderson (2011). "Myocardial bridges: A review." Clin Anat 24(6): 675-683. LINK

Malenfant, J., M. Robitaille, J. Schaefer, R. Tubbs and M. Loukas (2011). "Henry Jacob Bigelow (1818-1890): his contributions to anatomy and surgery." Clin Anat 24(5): 539-543. LINK

Mortazavi, M., R. Tubbs, M. Brockerhoff, M. Loukas and W. Oakes (2011). "The first description of Chiari I malformation with intuitive correlation between tonsillar ectopia and syringomyelia." J Neurosurg Pediatr 7(3): 257-260. LINK

Mortazavi, M. M., R. S. Tubbs, S. Riech, K. Verma, M. M. Shoja, A. Zurada, B. Benninger, M. Loukas and A. A. Cohen Gadol (2011). "Anatomy and Pathology of the Cranial Emissary Veins: A Review with

















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Surgical Implications." Neurosurgery. LINK

Petrie, A., R. Tubbs, P. Matusz, K. Shaffer and M. Loukas (2011). "Obturator hernia: anatomy, embryology, diagnosis, and treatment." Clin Anat 24(5): 562-569. LINK

Porzionato, A., V. Macchi, C. Stecco, M. Loukas, R. S. Tubbs and R. De Caro (2011). "Surgical anatomy of the pectoral nerves and the pectoral musculature." Clin Anat. LINK

Rooney, J., K. Bourne-Yearwood, F. McGill and T. McCann (2011). "The introduction of a simulation laboratory to preclinical students at St. George’s University in Grenada." Caribbean Medical Journal 72(Supplement 3): 24.

Shane Tubbs, R., R. G. Louis, Y. B. Song, M. Mortazavi, M. Loukas, M. M. Shoja and A. A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "External landmarks for identifying the drainage site of the vein of Labbe: application to neurosurgical procedures." Br J Neurosurg. LINK

Sharma, M., M. Loukas and R. Spinner (2011). "Accessory phrenic nerve: a rarely discussed common variation with clinical implications." Clin Anat 24(5): 671-673. LINK

Shoja, M., A. Harris, Y. Shoshani, B. Siesky, S. Primus, M. Loukas and R. Shane Tubbs (2011). "Central retinal artery originating from the temporal short posterior ciliary artery associated with intraorbital external-to-internal carotid arterial anastomoses." Surg Radiol Anat. LINK

Shoja, M., M. Loukas, J. Etemadi and R. Shane Tubbs (2011). "Letter: Multiple renal vessels associated with testicular vessels." Surg Radiol Anat 33(6): 557. LINK

Shoja, M., M. Loukas, R. Tubbs, A. D'Antoni, A. Dilandro and J. Cure (2011). "An aberrant cerebellar artery originating from the internal carotid artery." Surg Radiol Anat. LINK

Torgerson, P. R. and C. N. Macpherson (2011). "The socioeconomic burden of parasitic zoonoses: global trends." Vet Parasitol 182(1): 79-95. LINK

Tubbs, R., D. Bauer, M. Chambers, M. Loukas, M. Shoja and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "A novel method for cerebrospinal fluid diversion: a cadaveric and animal study." Neurosurgery 68(2): 491-494; discussion 495. LINK

Tubbs, R., A. Bosmia, M. Mortazavi, M. Loukas, M. Shoja and A. Cohen Gadol (2011). "Hieronymus Brunschwig (c. 1450-1513): his life and contributions to surgery." Childs Nerv Syst. LINK

Tubbs, R., A. Bosmia, M. Shoja, M. Loukas, J. Cure and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "The oblique occipital sinus: a review of anatomy and imaging characteristics." Surg Radiol Anat 33(9): 747-749. LINK

Tubbs, R., J. Hallock, V. Radcliff, R. Naftel, M. Mortazavi, M. Shoja, M. Loukas and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Ligaments of the craniocervical junction." J Neurosurg Spine 14(6): 697-709. LINK

Tubbs, R., E. Hogan, A. Deep, M. Mortazavi, M. Loukas and W. Oakes (2011). "Lateral cephaloceles: case-based update." Childs Nerv Syst 27(3): 345-347. LINK

Tubbs, R., D. Kakati, J. Chern, M. Loukas, M. Shoja, M. Mortazavi and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Tatsuji Inouye: the mind's eye." Childs Nerv Syst. LINK

















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Tubbs, R., S. Krishnamurthy, K. Verma, M. Shoja, M. Loukas, M. Mortazavi and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Cavum velum interpositum, cavum septum pellucidum, and cavum vergae: a review." Childs Nerv Syst 27(11): 1927-1930. LINK

Tubbs, R., J. Lancaster, M. Mortazavi, M. Shoja, J. Chern, M. Loukas and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Morphometry of the outlet of the foramen magnum in crania with atlantooccipital fusion." J Neurosurg Spine 15(1): 55-59. LINK

Tubbs, R., R. Louis, Y. Song, M. Mortazavi, M. Loukas, M. Shoja and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "External landmarks for identifying the drainage site of the vein of Labbe: application to neurosurgical procedures." Br J Neurosurg. LINK

Tubbs, R. and M. Loukas (2011). "Arachnoid granulations of the middle cranial fossa." Surg Radiol Anat 33(3): 289. LINK

Tubbs, R., M. Mortazavi, M. Loukas, A. D'Antoni, M. Shoja, J. Chern and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Anatomical study of the third occipital nerve and its potential role in occipital headache/neck pain following midline dissections of the craniocervical junction." J Neurosurg Spine 15(1): 71-75. LINK

Tubbs, R., M. Mortazavi, M. Loukas, A. D'Antoni, M. Shoja and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Cruveilhier plexus: an anatomical study and a potential cause of failed treatments for occipital neuralgia and muscular and facet denervation procedures." J Neurosurg 115(5): 929-933. LINK

Tubbs, R., M. Mortazavi, M. Loukas, M. Shoja and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011).

"Intraoperative and anatomical descriptions of intracranial connections between the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves: clinical implications." J Neurosurg 115(1): 179-181. LINK

Tubbs, R., M. Mortazavi, M. Shoja, M. Loukas and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Contralateral spinal accessory nerve for ipsilateral neurotization of branches of the brachial plexus: a cadaveric feasibility study." J Neurosurg 114(6): 1538-1540. LINK

Tubbs, R., M. Mortazavi, M. Shoja, M. Loukas and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Maister Peter Lowe and His 16th Century Contributions to Cranial Surgery." Neurosurgery. LINK

Tubbs, R., M. Muhleman, M. Loukas and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction from cerebrospinal fluid eosinophilia in children: case-based update." Childs Nerv Syst. LINK

Tubbs, R., M. Muhleman, M. Loukas and W. Oakes (2011). "Chiari I malformation and syringomyelia in a child following a lightning strike." Childs Nerv Syst. LINK

Tubbs, R., M. Muhleman, M. Loukas and W. Oakes (2011). "A new form of herniation: the Chiari V malformation." Childs Nerv Syst. LINK

Tubbs, R., M. Muhleman, J. Miller, M. Shoja, M. Loukas, J. Wellons and W. Oakes (2011). "Cervical ribs with neurological sequelae in children: a case series." Childs Nerv Syst. LINK

Tubbs, R., H. Nguyen, M. M. Shoja, B. Benninger, M. Loukas and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "The medial tentorial artery of Bernasconi-Cassinari: a comprehensive















59

review of its anatomy and neurosurgical importance." Acta Neurochir (Wien) 153(12): 2485-2490. LINK

Tubbs, R., S. Riech, K. Verma, M. Loukas, M. Mortazavi and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772): pioneer of neuroanatomy." Childs Nerv Syst 27(8): 1353-1355. LINK

Tubbs, R., O. Rompala, K. Verma, M. Malakpour, M. Shoja, M. Mortazavi and M. Loukas (2011). "James Drake (1667-1707): Anatomist and political activist." Clin Anat. LINK

Tubbs, R., M. Shoja and M. Loukas (2011). "William Henry Battle (1855-1936)." J Neurol. LINK

Tubbs, R., M. M. Shoja, M. Loukas, J. Lancaster, M. Mortazavi, E. Hattab and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Study of the cervical plexus innervation of the trapezius muscle." J Neurosurg Spine 14(5): 626-629. LINK

Tubbs, R., P. Vahedi, M. Loukas and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Harvey Cushing's experience with treating childhood hydrocephalus: in his own words." Childs Nerv Syst 27(6): 995-999. LINK

Tubbs, R., K. Verma, S. Riech, M. Mortazavi, M. Shoja, M. Loukas, J. Cure, A. Zurada and A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "Persistent fetal intracranial arteries: a comprehensive review of anatomical and clinical significance." J Neurosurg 114(4): 1127-1134. LINK

Tubbs, R. S., H. S. Nguyen, M. M. Shoja, B. Benninger, M. Loukas and A. A. Cohen-Gadol (2011). "The medial tentorial artery of Bernasconi-Cassinari: a comprehensive review of its anatomy and neurosurgical importance." Acta Neurochir (Wien) 153(12):

2485-2490. LINK

Tubbs, R. S., V. Radcliff, M. M. Shoja, R. P. Naftel, M. M. Mortazavi, A. Zurada, M. Loukas and A. A. Cohen Gadol (2011). "Dorello Canal Revisited: An Observation That Potentially Explains the Frequency of Abducens Nerve Injury After Head Injury." World Neurosurg. LINK

Uppal, K., R. Shane Tubbs, P. Matusz, K. Shaffer and M. Loukas (2011). "Meckel's diverticulum: a review." Clin Anat 24(4): 416-422. LINK

Wartmann, C., C. Kinsella Jr., R. Tubbs and M. Loukas (2011). "A rare case of a complete left inferior vena cava associated with the symptoms of Dunbar syndrome." Clin Anat 24(2): 262-265. LINK

Yalcin, B., R. Tubbs, A. Durmaz, A. Comert, M. Toygar, M. Loukas and S. Develi (2011). "Branching pattern of the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve and its clinical importance." Clin Anat. LINK

Zurada, A., J. Gielecki, R. Shane Tubbs, M. Loukas, W. Maksymowicz, M. Chlebiej, A. Cohen-Gadol, J. Zawilinski, D. Nowak and M. Michalak (2011). "Detailed 3D-morphometry of the anterior communicating artery: potential clinical and neurosurgical implications." Surg Radiol Anat 33(6): 531-538. LINK

11.0 Reviewer for Journals and Boards

Dr. Francis Fakoya: Journal of Anatomical Sciences

Dr. Muge Akpinar-Elci: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Medicine, The Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, Chest.















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Dr. Martin Forde: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.

Dr. Svetlana Kotelnikova: Earth Science Reviews, Elsevier, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology

Dr. Marios Loukas: Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, Clinical Anatomy, Neuroanatomy, European Journal of Surgical Research, Journal of Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve Injury, Journal of Anatomy, Pain Practice, Medical Science Monitor, Indian Journal of Plastic surgery, American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Clinical Rehabilitative Tissue Engineering Research, Life Sciences, Anatomy, International Journal of Experimental and Clinical Anatomy, Current Urology, World Journal of Surgery, Clinical Medicine Case Reports, World Journal of Emergency Medicine, Acta Neurochirurgica, Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Medical Sciences, Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Ophthalmology, Journal Biomedicine International Journal of Clinical Medicine and Reseach, Anatomical Record, International Journal of Cardiology, Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, Case reports in Medicine Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, European Journal of Radiography, Pace.

Dr. Calum Macpherson: Acta Tropica, Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, BMC Infectious Diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology and Infection, Gastroenterology, International Journal for Parasitology, Journal of the Caribbean Veterinary Medical Association, Lancet, Parasitology International, Small Animal Practice, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene,

Trends in Parasitology, Veterinary Record.

Dr. Theresa McCann: Injury Prevention

Dr. Clare Morrall: Revisita de Biologia Tropical (the International Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation).

12.0 Thesis Defenses

13.0 Graduate Seminars

Andrew J. Russell, BA, MA, D. Phil., “The Social Basis of Medicine: Why Does it Matter?” 12 January 2011.

Eugene Rennie, DVM, SGU MSc student, “Morphological, Histological, and Histochemical characteristics of the vomeronasal organ in the donkey (Equus asinus)”, 19 January 2011.

Carin Muir, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology, Uppsala University, Sweden, “Neuroscientific Perspectives on Eastern and Western Minds”, 26 January 2011

Gavin Bart, MD, Director of the Division of Addictive Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center and Associate Professor, University of Minnesota, "Hippocratic Pharmacology", 2 February 2011

Martin Stransky, MD, FACP, Founder and Director of the Yale University - Charles University Neuroscience Exchange Program and Prague Selective, “Comparing Healthcare in the US, EU and Czech Republic”, 9 February 2011

Dr. Joe Schwartz, Professor at McGill University, Director of Office for Science and Society, “There are cockroaches in my chocolate ice cream”, 16 February 2011

Cecil E. Brownie, DVM, PhD, Professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George's University, “Natural Toxins: Plants/


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Mycotoxins”, 23 February 2011

Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior, MRCVS, DVSM, MA, C.Biol., DSc(Hon), “One Health, One Medicine”, 2 March 2011

Dr. Omur Cinar Elci, MD, PhD, “CEPH Accreditation and Beyond”, 9 March 2011

Dr. James A. Johnson, PhD, Professor of Health Administration and Policy in the Dow College of Health Professions, Central Michigan University, “Comparative Health Systems and Leadership Challenges”, 23 March 2011.

Lydia Atkins, “Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Hemo-dialysis in ESRD Diabetics from 2002-2009”; Obinna Ivoke, “The Trend of Dengue in Grenada over a Ten-Year Period”; Robert Kurtz, “Influence of Assisted Living Home Services on Satisfaction of Older Adult Residents”, 6 April 2011.

Glen Nanney, SGU 5th Term Medical Student, “Prescription Data Mining”, 13 April, 2011.

Christofre Martin, PhD, Cheryl Cox-Macpherson, PhD, Professors in the School of Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, “Fighting Climate change to be healthy and moral”, 20 April, 2011

Rebecca Hinton, SGU 5th Term Medical Student, “A different perspective: Healthcare delivery in Kenya”, 27 April 2011.

Andrew Groszkowski, DVM/MSc Student, SGU School of Veterinary Medicine, “Considerations for the Management of California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) in Captivity”, 5 May 2011.

Shakeera James, MSc Student, SGU School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology

“A Simple Screening Protocol for Identification of Quorum Signal Antagonists”, 11 May 2011.

Iona Heath, CBE, MRCP, PRCGP, “Health & Justice”, 17 August, 2011

Satesh Bidaisse, DVM, MSPH, SGU School of Medicine, Department of Public Health, “A veterinarian’s view on sex”, 7 September, 2011.

Valma Jessamy, PhD, “Bees and their role: Conservation of biodiversity with particular reference to work in Eden,” 14 September 2011.

Dr. John Morrow, MD, MPH, Director Pitt County Health Department, North Carolina, “A Review of the NACCHO profile 2010: What this means for Public Health in North Carolina”, 5 October 2011

Diane Beltrani, Director of Financial Aid, St. George's University, “Financing education at St. George's University: An opportunity for discussion”, 12 October 2011

Joanna Rayner, PhD, Associate Dean, Basic Sciences, SGU, “Oh really? The need for skepticism in Science and Medicine”. 19 October 2011

Michael Smalley, PhD, former Director General of the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), “Community Health: An African Perspective”, 26 October 2011

Brenda Kirkby, PhD, School of Medicine, SGU, “Stem Cells: From Funding Follies to Physician Fraud”, 2 November 2011

Marie Rush, BS, DVM, Associate Professor, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George's University, “Development of snake and serpent relations in Grenada”, 23 November 2011


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14.0 Contact Information

Director, WINDREF (Grenada) Dr. Calum N.L. Macpherson P.O. Box 7, St. George’s Grenada, West Indies Tel: 1 (473) 444-3068 Fax: 1 (473) 444-3041 E-mail: [email protected]

Assistant Director, WINDREF (Grenada) Mr. Trevor Noël P.O. Box 7, St. George’s Grenada, West Indies Tel: 1 (473) 444-3997 Fax: 1 (473) 444-3041 E-mail: [email protected]

Grants Coordinator (Grenada) Mrs. Amber Larsen P.O. Box 7, St. George’s Grenada, West Indies Tel: 1 (473) 444-3997 Fax: 1 (473) 444-3041 E-mail: [email protected]

Admin. Assistant, WINDREF (Grenada)Mrs. Isha English P.O. Box 7, St. George’s Grenada, West Indies Tel: 1 (473) 444-3997 Fax: 1 (473) 444-3041 E-mail: [email protected]

Secretary, WINDREF (Grenada) Ms. Naomi Alexander P.O. Box 7, St. George’s Grenada, West Indies Tel: 1 (473) 444-4175 x 2555 Fax: 1 (473) 444-3041 E-mail: [email protected]

SGU IRB & WINDREF (Grenada) Ms. Meg Conlon P.O. Box 7, St. George’s Grenada, West Indies Tel: 1 (473) 444-4175 x 2221

Fax: 1 (473) 439-4388 E-mail: [email protected]

Administrative Assistant, WINDREF (USA) Ms. Valerie Smith 3500 Sunrise Highway, Building 300 Great River, NY 11739 Tel: 1 (800) 899-6337 Fax: 1 (631) 665-2796 E-mail: [email protected]

Exec. Secretary, WINDREF (UK) Ms. Sallyanne George Kingdon’s Yard, Parchment Street Winchester, Hampshire, SO 23 8AT United Kingdom Tel: 01962 850650 Fax: 01962 850567 E-mail: [email protected]

Caribbean EcoHealth Programme (CEHP) Dr. Martin Forde P.O. Box 7, St. George’s Grenada, West Indies Tel: 1 (473) 439-2000 x.2349 Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Caribbean Environmental Health Initiative (CERI) Dr. Svetlana Kotelnikova P.O. Box 7, St. George’s Grenada, West Indies Tel: 1 (473) 444-4175 ext. 2465 Fax: 1 (473) 439-1845 E-mail: [email protected]

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Inititative (REEF) Dr. Hugh Sealy P.O. Box 7, St. George’s Grenada, West Indies Tel: 1 (473) 444-4175 ext. Fax: 1 (473) E-mail: [email protected]

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WINDWARD ISLANDS

RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Documents

WINDWARD ISLANDS RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION€¦ · Mission Statement F ounded in 1994, WINDREF seeks to advance health and environmental development through multi-disciplinary