The apparent teleconnection between cosmic-ray muon flux over a base point in the Caribbean is discussed against the background of an extensive record of indices representing large-scale climatic phenomena, but limite...The apparent teleconnection between cosmic-ray muon flux over a base point in the Caribbean is discussed against the background of an extensive record of indices representing large-scale climatic phenomena, but limited cosmic-ray muon flux data. Many investigators have shown that large-scale climate phenomena influence sub-seasonal and seasonal climate variability, especially in the northern hemisphere and their impacts on the Caribbean are well documented. These climatic phenomena that impact the Caribbean include, but are not limited to, the El Nino Southern Oscillation, the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, and the Arctic Oscillation which is now being investigated. Although strong statistical correlation between variables over non-contiguous regions are not absolute as proof of teleconnections, the correlation strength can be used as an indication of its existence. The data gathered at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, in Jamaica, using a simple QuarkNet 6000 muon detector over the period September 2011 to September 2013, showed an apparent significant relationship with these climatic indices. This suggests that cosmic-ray muon flux might be linked to the behavior of the climate phenomena and therefore can be used as a climate or meteorological index over the Caribbean.展开更多
The World Health Organisation(WHO)declared coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)a pandemic on March 11,2020.COVID-19 is not the first infectious disease to affect Trinidad and Tobago.The country has faced outbreaks of bo...The World Health Organisation(WHO)declared coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)a pandemic on March 11,2020.COVID-19 is not the first infectious disease to affect Trinidad and Tobago.The country has faced outbreaks of both Chikungunya and Zika virus in 2014 and 2016 respectively.The viral pandemic is predicted to have a significant impact upon all countries,but the healthcare services in a developing country are especially vulnerable.The Government of Trinidad and Tobago swiftly established a parallel healthcare system to isolate and treat suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19.Strick‘lockdown’orders,office closures,social distancing and face mask usage recommendation were implemented following advice from the WHO.This approach has seen Trinidad and Tobago emerge from the second wave of infections,with the most recent Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker report indicating a favourable risk of openness index for the country.The effects of the pandemic on the orthopaedic services in the public and private healthcare systems show significant differences.Constrained by shortages in personal protective equipment and inadequate testing facilities,the public system moved into emergency mode prioritizing the care of urgent and critical cases.Private healthcare driven more by economic considerations,quickly instituted widespread safety measures to ensure that the clinics remained open and elective surgery was not interrupted.Orthopaedic teaching at The University of the West Indies was quickly migrated to an online platform to facilitate both medical students and residents.The Caribbean Association of Orthopedic Surgeons through its frequent virtual meetings provided a forum for continuing education and social interaction amongst colleagues.The pandemic has disrupted our daily routines leading to unparalleled changes to our lives and livelihoods.Many of these changes will remain long after the pandemic is over,permanently transforming the practice of orthopaedics.展开更多
文摘The apparent teleconnection between cosmic-ray muon flux over a base point in the Caribbean is discussed against the background of an extensive record of indices representing large-scale climatic phenomena, but limited cosmic-ray muon flux data. Many investigators have shown that large-scale climate phenomena influence sub-seasonal and seasonal climate variability, especially in the northern hemisphere and their impacts on the Caribbean are well documented. These climatic phenomena that impact the Caribbean include, but are not limited to, the El Nino Southern Oscillation, the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, and the Arctic Oscillation which is now being investigated. Although strong statistical correlation between variables over non-contiguous regions are not absolute as proof of teleconnections, the correlation strength can be used as an indication of its existence. The data gathered at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, in Jamaica, using a simple QuarkNet 6000 muon detector over the period September 2011 to September 2013, showed an apparent significant relationship with these climatic indices. This suggests that cosmic-ray muon flux might be linked to the behavior of the climate phenomena and therefore can be used as a climate or meteorological index over the Caribbean.
文摘The World Health Organisation(WHO)declared coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)a pandemic on March 11,2020.COVID-19 is not the first infectious disease to affect Trinidad and Tobago.The country has faced outbreaks of both Chikungunya and Zika virus in 2014 and 2016 respectively.The viral pandemic is predicted to have a significant impact upon all countries,but the healthcare services in a developing country are especially vulnerable.The Government of Trinidad and Tobago swiftly established a parallel healthcare system to isolate and treat suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19.Strick‘lockdown’orders,office closures,social distancing and face mask usage recommendation were implemented following advice from the WHO.This approach has seen Trinidad and Tobago emerge from the second wave of infections,with the most recent Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker report indicating a favourable risk of openness index for the country.The effects of the pandemic on the orthopaedic services in the public and private healthcare systems show significant differences.Constrained by shortages in personal protective equipment and inadequate testing facilities,the public system moved into emergency mode prioritizing the care of urgent and critical cases.Private healthcare driven more by economic considerations,quickly instituted widespread safety measures to ensure that the clinics remained open and elective surgery was not interrupted.Orthopaedic teaching at The University of the West Indies was quickly migrated to an online platform to facilitate both medical students and residents.The Caribbean Association of Orthopedic Surgeons through its frequent virtual meetings provided a forum for continuing education and social interaction amongst colleagues.The pandemic has disrupted our daily routines leading to unparalleled changes to our lives and livelihoods.Many of these changes will remain long after the pandemic is over,permanently transforming the practice of orthopaedics.
