Background: The Tawahka ethnic group, with approximately 2690 individuals in northeastern Honduras, represents one of the country’s smallest indigenous communities. No genetic studies have been published on this population, and population-specific databases are essential for forensic applications. Methods: Allele frequencies for 23 autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) loci were analyzed in 100 unrelated Tawahka individuals (61 females, 39 males) from the municipality of Wampusirpi. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from blood on Fast Technology for Analysis of nucleic acids (FTA) cards and amplified using the PowerPlex Fusion 6C System. Statistical parameters were calculated using Genepop v4.2 and Arlequin v5.3.2.2. Results: All loci showed substantial polymorphism with no Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium deviations after Bonferroni correction (α = 0.0022). Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.4968 to 0.8812. Combined power of discrimination was 99.9999% and combined chance of exclusion was 99.99%. Conclusions: This first genetic characterization of the Tawahka population provides essential reference data for forensic identification, paternity testing, and population genetics studies. The dataset contributes to understanding indigenous Central American genetic diversity and ensures accurate forensic analyses for individuals of Tawahka ancestry following Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and European Standard Set (ESS) standards.

Background: The Garifunas are a distinctive Afro-indigenous community of Honduras, originating from the historical admixture of Island Carib, Arawak, and West African peoples in the seventeenth-century Caribbean. With an estimated 43,111 individuals residing primarily along the northern Atlantic coast. Their dual ancestral composition yields a genetic profile that differs meaningfully from those of other Honduran reference populations, consistent with pairwise FST comparisons with previously published Lenca and Tawahka datasets generated on the identical platform; yet no population-specific short tandem repeat (STR) reference dataset had previously been established. Methods: We genotyped 23 autosomal STR loci using the PowerPlex Fusion 6C System (Promega Corporation) in 100 unrelated Garifuna individuals (70 females, 30 males) sampled from three coastal settlements in the department of Atlántida: Triunfo de la Cruz, Ensenada, and Corozal. DNA was extracted from blood collected on FTA cards, and statistical parameters were computed using Genepop v4.2 and Arlequin v5.3.2.2. Results: A total of 217 distinct alleles were identified, with 5 to 19 alleles per locus (mean 9.43 ± 3.54). Expected heterozygosity (He) ranged from 0.6392 (D13S317) to 0.9010 (SE33), with a population mean of 0.7893. No locus deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction (α = 0.0022). The combined random match probability was approximately 1.9 × 10⁻²⁶, and the combined chance of exclusion reached 99.99999993%. Conclusions: This study provides the first Honduran Garifuna population-specific autosomal STR reference database for precise forensic likelihood ratio estimates, kinship assessments, and population genetic studies. The Garifuna’s high diversity—consistent with their West African and Amerindian ancestry—indicates the risk of systematic bias when non-specific databases are used.

Background: The Pech ethnic group, comprising approximately 6024 individuals in northeastern Honduras, represents one of the country’s smallest indigenous communities with a rich cultural heritage extending to pre-Columbian times. Despite their historical significance, no population genetic studies have been conducted on this group, and population-specific databases are essential for accurate forensic applications. Methods: Allele frequencies for 23 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci were determined in 100 unrelated Pech individuals (58 females, 42 males) from communities in the departments of Olancho, Colón, and Gracias a Dios. DNA was extracted from blood samples collected on FTA cards and amplified using the PowerPlex Fusion 6C System. Statistical parameters were calculated using Genepop v4.2 and Arlequin v5.3.2.2. Results: All loci exhibited substantial polymorphism. No statistically significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium were detected after Bonferroni correction (α = 0.0022). Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.4033 (TH01) to 0.8563 (FGA). The combined power of discrimination exceeded 99.9999%, and the combined chance of exclusion was 99.9999%. Conclusions: This study presents the first genetic characterization of the Pech population, providing essential reference data for forensic identification, paternity testing, and population genetics research. The dataset fills a critical gap in the Honduran forensic genetic infrastructure and contributes to understanding indigenous Central American genetic diversity, enabling accurate forensic analyses for individuals of Pech ancestry in compliance with CODIS and ESS standards.

Background/Objectives: In low-resource settings, diagnostic delays and limited specialist access worsen health inequalities, making hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) defined by new-onset blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg after 20 weeks of gestation, with or without proteinuria, a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. This study evaluated the diagnostic effectiveness of a rural-applicable clinical model for detecting HDPs in a real-world population from Hospital General San Felipe (Tegucigalpa, Honduras). Methods: A cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study was conducted on 147 consecutive pregnant women in February 2025. Clinical documentation from the initial appointment defined HDP. We modeled HDP risk using penalized logistic regression and common factors such maternal age, gestational age, blood pressure, BMI, primary symptoms, semi-quantitative proteinuria, and medical history. Median imputation was utilized for missing numbers and stratified five-fold cross-validation assessed performance. We assessed AUROC, AUPRC, Brier score, calibration, and operational utility at a data-driven threshold. Results: Of patients, 27.9% (41/147) had HDP. The model had an AUROC of 0.614, AUPRC of 0.461 (cross-validation averages), and Brier score of 0.253. The threshold with the highest F1-score (0.474) had a sensitivity of 0.561, specificity of 0.679, positive predictive value of 0.404, and negative predictive value of 0.800. HDP had higher meaning systolic/diastolic/mean arterial pressure (130.7/82.9/98.9 vs. 120.5/76.1/90.9 mmHg) and ordinal proteinuria (0.59 vs. 0.36 units). Conclusions: The model had moderate but clinically meaningful discriminative performance using low-cost, commonly obtained variables, excellent calibration, and a good negative predictive value for first exclusion. These findings suggest modification of predictors, a larger sample size, and clinical usefulness assessment using decision curves and process outcomes, including quick referral and prophylaxis. This approach aligns with contemporary developments in the 2023–2025 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and 2024 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines, which emphasize earlier identification and risk-stratified management of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy as a cornerstone of women’s cardiovascular health.

This study evaluates, from a cost and entrepreneurial opportunity perspective, the viability of maintaining a university cluster composed of ten HP ProDesk 600 G1 nodes (40 cores, 60 GB RAM) versus contracting equivalent capacity on Amazon EC2 (C6i.2xlarge instances). A detailed total cost of ownership (TCO) model was developed, incorporating capital investment, maintenance, electricity (USD 0.22/kWh), internet connectivity (200 Mbps), and cloud tariffs under both On-Demand and three-year Savings Plan modalities. At 30% utilization, the local cluster achieves a unit cost of USD 0.025/core-hour, while EC2 ranges from USD 0.048 to 0.105/core-hour. Sensitivity curves indicate that the cloud only becomes cost-effective when utilization exceeds 65% or electricity surpasses USD 0.45/kWh. The analysis further explores implications for deep-tech startups, university spin-offs, and incubator programs: while the cloud provides elasticity and access to advanced hardware, it may erode early-stage margins. The study proposes a reproducible decision-making framework tailored to emerging innovation ecosystems in Latin America, highlighting the strategic value of hybrid infrastructures for balancing cost, flexibility, and regional value retention.

Cardiovascular diseases pose significant health challenges in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), making early detection of heart disease vital to improve outcomes, but access to conventional diagnostic tools. Mobile electrocardiography (MECG) offers a promising solution for remote and resourcelimited settings. To evaluate the use of MECG technology to detect cardiac disease in underserved areas of Honduras. It focuses on mobile health technologies' efficacy, challenges, and potential to expand access to cardiovascular diagnosis. MECG devices were deployed in the El Paraíso, Honduras, using Prince 180D devices and a cloud-based mobile application to record and transmit ECG data. A total of 1044 ECGs were collected between November 2023 and January 2024, and the data were analyzed remotely by cardiologists. Among the 1044 ECGs recorded, 262 had abnormalities, such as ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and third-degree atrioventricular block. MECG technology demonstrated sensitivity to various cardiac pathologies, and abnormalities were predominantly identified in women and patients aged 41 years or older. MECG technology demonstrated high accuracy and reliability in detecting multiple cardiac pathologies, especially in geographically isolated regions. This system enabled early diagnosis and facilitated timely referrals, offering a scalable solution to health disparities in LMICs.