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The Temperature Tolerance Of The Symbiotic Algae (Zooxanthellae) Of Cauliflower Coral (Pocillopora Damicornis) And Staghorn Coral (Acropora Sp.), Roselyn Tanghal, John Furey, Msc

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Investigating how corals react to rising temperatures due to global climate change is important in understanding the long-term preservation of coral reefs. It has been observed that an increase of water temperature leads to bleaching of corals, an event in which the symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) are expelled from the coral, resulting in the coral turning white in color. The purpose of this project is to examine at which temperature the two coral species, Pocillopora Damicornis and Acropora sp., will start to change in color. In addition, we will also examine which species will expel their zooxanthellae first.

To conduct …

Diet, Water, And Exercise: Impacts On Non-Communicable Disease In Madolenihmw And Uh Municipalities On Pohnpei Island, Federated States Of Micronesia, Johner Sehna, Nacanieli Tuivavalagi, Phd, Fredson Ardos, As, Jackson Philip, Bs, Paul Dacanay, Md

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

A 2013 article referred to non-communicable diseases (NCD) as “a health emergency” in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and identified five critical NCD risk factors in FSM: daily smoking, overweight, high blood pressure, low consumption of fruits and vegetables, and a low level of physical activity. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of diet, water, and exercise on NCD in Madolenihmw and Uh municipalities, Pohnpei, FSM. We hypothesize that poor diet, poor quality of drinking water, and inadequate exercise contribute significantly to the incidence of NCD in Madolenihmw and Uh municipalities.

Data were collected from …

Traditional Medicine As A Treatment For Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus, Ronalei Ronny, Christopher U. Kitalong, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Diabetes is a common life-long health condition. It is a serious and costly metabolic disease which is now one of a growing concern in the whole world including the Republic of Palau. There are two main types of diabetes: Type I diabetes and type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). People living with diabetes may have to deal with short-term or long-term complications as a result of their condition. Short-term complications include hypoglycaemia diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS). Long-term complications include how diabetes affects your eyes (retinopathy), heart (cardiovascular disease), kidneys (nephropathy), and nerves and feet (neuropathy). In the …

Effects Of Salinity On Plant Development Of In Vitro Sweet Potato (Ipomoea Batatas) Explants And Growth Of Pakchoi (Brassica Rapa Var. Chinensis) Seedlings, Tristan Paulino, Mari Marutani, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Climate change has affected the Pacific Islands with increased sea levels, and the contamination of freshwater with saltwater, which has become a serious problem for plant development. Bioassays were performed to examine the effects of salinity on root and shoot development of in-vitro sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), and effects on the seedling growth of pakchoi (Brassica rapa var. chinensis).

Sterilized stems with one or two nodes of sweet potato cv. Liberty were placed in in-vitro Murashige & Skoog solid media with NaCl concentrations of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%. Newly emerged roots and shoots were recorded …

Effectiveness Of Traditional Treatments Of Diabetes In Pohnpei, Federated States Of Micronesia, Sonsha Padock, Nacanieli Tuivavalagi, Phd, Fredson Ardos, As, Jackson Philip, Bs, Paul Dacanay, Md

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Diabetes is the second leading cause of death in Pohnpei – next only to heart disease. However, households in Pohnpei are struggling to make ends meet and find it difficult to afford hospital treatments. The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of selected traditional treatment methods for diabetes using local plant products. We hypothesize that the traditional treatment methods of diabetes could also be effective.

Data was collected through interviews and discussions with 17 diabetic patients who have undergone different forms of treatments, and with five medical practitioners. Effects of five treatments were explored: lime and lemon …

The Exocyst Complex Regulates Cell Differentiation During Ureter Development, Erica Owan, Ben Fogelgren, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Congenital urinary tract obstructions are the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease in children. The most common cause of these obstructions is a blockage at the ureteropelvic junction (UPJ), where the kidney transitions into the ureter. Prenatal UPJ obstructions cause severe hydronephrosis, which is swelling of the kidney due to the accumulation of urine in the kidney. There are few non-surgical mouse models of this disease and the causes are poorly understood. Sec10 is a central component of the eight-protein exocyst complex involved exocytosis and cell signaling. We have created a unique transgenic mouse model that …

Attractiveness Of Three Gravid Trap Infusions For Ovipositing Polynesian Tiger Mosquitoes (Aedes Polynesiensis) In American Samoa, Hyun-Duck Oh, Mark Schmaedick, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The Polynesian tiger mosquito, Aedes polynesiensis, is a carrier of filariasis, chikungunya and dengue in American Samoa. The most commonly used tool for monitoring Ae. polynesiensis is the BG Sentinel trap; however, this trap catches relatively few mosquitoes and targets females searching for a blood meal. Recently developed gravid traps targeting females that have already blood-fed and are searching for oviposition sites may be a better alternative. But results of the initial trials of these gravid traps using a weedy grass hay infusion lure were disappointing. This experiment evaluates two alternative infusions made from dried banana leaves and Bermuda …

Survey Of Virus Diseases Of Taro, Colocasia Esculenta, On The Aunu’U Island Of American Samoa, Darlene Meli, Ndeme Atibalentja, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Taro, Colocasia esculenta, is the most important staple crop in American Samoa, especially in Aunu’u, a small (1.5 km²) island, approximately 2 km southeast of the main island of Tutuila. However, the sustainability of taro production is threatened by the occurrence of numerous diseases and pests, as evidenced by the leaf blight (Phytophthora colocasiae) epidemic that devastated the Samoan taro production in early 1990s. Crop losses due to viruses alone have been estimated at 20 - 60%. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence of virus diseases of taro in Aunu’u.

Overall, …

Sodium Chloride Affects Growth In Taro, Inny Mareko, Ian Gurr, Ms

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Salt-water intrusion due to rising sea levels may negatively affect wetland taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] production in low-lying Pacific islands. Measurements of water electrical conductivity (EC) values in taro producing wetlands on Aunu’u Island, American Samoa, ranged from 0.34 – 6.60 mS/cm.

In the lab, the growth of taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, cv. Samoa 2] at different concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) was evaluated in a hydroponic system. Taro was grown at seven NaCl concentrations: 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mM, representing EC values of 0.34, 0.63, 0.95, 1.53, 2.71, 4.82, 8.99 mS/cm, …

Wellness From Diabetes: Community Health And Diabetes Assessment, Kelly Lorennij, Alexander Hirata, Ma, Emily Gifford, Mph

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is highly prevalent in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with a prevalence rate of 37.37%, the highest in the world. T2DM dominates Majuro, the country’s capital, as a leading cause of mortality and morbidity, despite efforts of health care workers, local community organizations, and government.

Income and education are social determinants of health. The correlations between good health and high income, and between good health and high education level, are positive. However, there is a continuous growth of T2DM incidence and prevalence on Majuro. Therefore, we hypothesized that there is no significant difference …

Prevalence Of Oral Cancer In Adolescents Related To Areca (Betel) Nut Chewing, Using Tobacco And Other Additives In Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands: A Review Of Literature, Eloise Lopez, Rosa Tudela, Bsn, Msn, Rn

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Oral cancer can involve the lip, tongue, mouth and pharynx. It is the sixth most prevalent cancer worldwide. One of the leading causes of Oral Cancerin the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is chewing betel nut with tobacco and other additives. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) linked areca nut, betel quid with tobacco and betel quid without tobacco as carcinogenic to humans.

Areca nut, also known as betel nut comes from the areca palm tree. The use of areca nut is common throughout the Pacific, and is widespread in Papua New …

The Recuperating Ability Of Cauliflower Coral (Pocillopora Damicornis) And Staghorn Coral (Acropora Sp.) To Temperature Stress, Diana Lopera, Roy Adsit, Bs

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Rising temperatures of the world’s waters place our coral reefs under stress, which can lead to coral bleaching, where corals expel their zooxanthellae. With the alarming rates of the depletion of coral reefs over the last 30 years, it is crucial to comprehend the corals’ ability to recover from stressful situations. In this experiment, we will investigate the recuperating ability of the corals Pocillopora Damicornis and Acropora sp. by exposing them to elevated temperatures that causes these corals to “stress”, and then measure their rate of recovery through the comparison of color pigmentations with healthy corals. Terminal branch samples will …

Unhealthy Eating Habits In The Marshall Islands Result From Deteriorating Reef Systems, Josephine Lalita, Lyla Lemari, Aa

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Small Island nations such as the Marshall Islands (RMI) have limited resources. In order to provide food to its population of about 60,000, the Marshallese have had to replace traditional food with foreign imports. A result of this is the prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The most common NCD is diabetes. Diabetic patients are encouraged to follow strict diets that include mostly traditional, local food such as fish; however, because of environmental factors, fish populations are threatened.

The objective of this study was to understand the relationship between healthy reefs, healthy fish populations and the health of communities …

Isolated Cardiomyocytes From Transgenic Mouse Hearts Show Tissue-Specific Mtor Overexpression, Regina Kuhia, Takashi Matsui, Md, Phd, Jason K. Higa, Phd, Naaiko Yorichika, Ms, Briana K. Shimada, Ba

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key downstream effector of insulin that plays an important role in glucose uptake and cardioprotection. We previously used transgenic (Tg) mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of mTOR driven by the murine alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter to demonstrate that mTOR protects the heart against acute MI by inhibiting necrosis in cardiac cells (cardiomyocyte, CM). Since the heart consists of multiple cell types, including CMs and fibroblasts, protein assays with tissue lysates from the whole heart alone cannot demonstrate tissue specific protein expression in transgenic mice.

To determine whether our hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged rat mTOR transgene is …

Starch-Based Diet And Type 2 Diabetes, Rosper John Jr, Tetaake Y. Ting

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The starch based diet was discovered and developed by Dr. John McDougal who claimed that a diet consisting of 70% starch, 20% vegetable and 10% fruit while eliminating meat, fat and diary products has helped his patients reverse their diabetes. In this study, we will re-examine the effect of this diet on blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes. We hypothesize that eating on a starch-based diet improves insulin sensitivity in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

A survey of 10 selected type 2 diabetes diagnosed individuals was conducted. Each individual was interviewed and given the option to participate in …

Aspartame: An Investigation Of The Use Of Artificial Sweeteners, Carlson John, Alvin Page, Bsc

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in many foods and beverages. Aspartame is two hundred times sweeter than regular sugar. Many people prefer to use artificial sweeteners like aspartame as it does not affect blood sugar in the same way as natural sweeteners, does not promote tooth decay, and has been shown to be beneficial in weight control. However, it has also been linked with the development or aggravation of diabetes mellitus, convulsions, headaches, depression, hypertension, arthritis, and other medical conditions. We hypothesize that natural sweeteners are healthier than artificial sweeteners, like Splenda.

Artificial sweeteners …

The Genetic And Environmental Etiology Of Schizophrenia In Palau, Elora James, William Byerley, Md, Christopher U. Kitalong, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that has been affecting people throughout the world. There is an established worldwide 1% average prevalence of schizophrenia; however there are high degrees of variability between different regions. Palau, an oceanic nation located in Micronesia, has an abnormally high prevalence rate of schizophrenia at 1.99%. When separated by gender, women have abnormal prevalence rate of 1.24%, while the men have a high prevalence rate of 2.77%, which is over twice the average worldwide. There has been a plethora of research conducted over the years to determine the genetic and environmental etiology …

Antibacterial Activity Of Extracts From Physalis Peruviana (Poha Berry), Rachel Higaki, Leng C. Chang, Phd, Mayuramas Sang-Ngern

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Physalis Peruviana (Pp) L., a member of Solanaceae family, has been used traditionally since Columbian times, particularly to treat various diseases. It is native to Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. Pp is known for its high amounts of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibers. Several species in Solanaceae have been shown to exhibit antibacterial properties against gram-positive and gram­negative bacteria.

In Hawai'i, Poha berry fruits are eaten fresh and used for jams. For this experiment, Physalis peruviana whole plants and fruits were collected and further extracted. Both crude methanol extract of aerial (PpA) and 70% ethanol extract of fruits (PpF) from Pp …

Species Diversity And Population Structure In Worm-Snails Of The Dendropoma Genus In Palau, Masasinge Hideos, Julien Lorion, Phd, Kelutel Yoshiwo

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This report is a preliminary analysis of the mitochondrial genetic diversity of worm-snails (Gastropods, Vermetidae) in Palau. Worm-snails are suspension-feeding gastropods that have tubular uncoiled shells attached to the substrate. Some aggregate to form reefs of their own, forming mats along the water’s edge. There are here used as a model to understand connectivity of populations across Palau.

Samples were collected at 12 different areas with a total of 199 samples overall. Samples were dissected to extract DNA and a fragment of the COI mtDNA gene was then amplified by PCR and sequenced. Pairwise genetic distances were calculated with the …

Banded Application Of Phosgard 0-40-0 To A Representative Area In Guam’S Pago Watershed, Victoria Flisco, Laura Biggs, Phd, Bart Lawrence, Mohammad Golabi, Phd, Joseph Casila

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Water quality and coral reef health in Guam are greatly affected by surface runoff from sedimentation. Mitigation strategies (i.e. tree planting) are difficult to implement in highly degraded settings. We propose to conduct research testing mitigation strategies focusing on ameliorative soil enrichment. We hypothesize that increasing the soils’ resiliency in Guam’s Pago Watershed by banded application of Phosgard 0-40-0 will address critical soil fertility deficiencies (i.e. phosphorus, organic matter, and pH levels). Subsequent landscape scale mitigation projects on Guam may better address reduction from the damaging energy in surface water runoff resulting in extreme soil erosion and sedimentation. These actions …

Determining The Antibacterial Efficacy Of Ylang Ylang (Cananga Odorata) Plant Extract On Staphylococcus Aureus, Maria T. Dizon, Johnny Aldan, Bsn

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata) plant extract is highly popular among the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) and is frequently used in local medicine. This can be attributed to its properties as an antiseptic, antidepressant, antiseborrheic, hypotensive, sedative, and nervine substance. It is also used in aromatherapy treatments, perfume, and cosmetic products all over the world. The key chemical constituents of the Ylang Ylang are linalool, germacrene, geranyl acetate, methyl benzoate, and p-cresyl methyl ether, which all contribute to its medicinal effects. With the presence of antibacterial properties, it may be used as an alternative to conventional …

Comparison Of Three Mosquito Traps For Lymphatic Filariasis Molecular Xenomonitoring In American Samoa Villages, Louisa Crawley, Mark Schmaedick, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a mosquito-borne disease caused by Wuchereria bancrofti, which is endemic in American Samoa. The effort to eliminate LF has been highly successful, and is now in the monitoring phase to ensure continued progress. One of the monitoring methods is molecular xenomonitoring (MX) using PCR to detect W. bancrofti DNA in mosquitoes. Currently MX uses BG Sentinel traps to collect the LF vector Aedes polynesiensis. But the BG Sentinel traps catch relatively few Ae. polynesiensis, and most of those captured have not yet fed on blood. Gravid traps target mosquitoes that have already fed on …

Banded Application Of Geojute® Barriers To A Representative Area In Guam’S Pago Watershed, Joseph L. Casila, Laura Biggs, Phd, Victoria Flisco, Bart Lawrence

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Coral reefs around Guam are faced with multiple threats including soil erosion and sedimentation. In several of Guam’s southern watersheds, infertile soil upland has significantly deterred the growth of erosion-mitigating vegetation. Additionally, sediments that wash down to sea reduce the ability of coral reefs to thrive. The need to ameliorate the ecosystem decline related to erosion and sedimentation is particularly patent and pertinent in Pago Watershed. To inform restoration efforts, this research will identify the efficiency of GeoJute® barriers as a method of erosion control. Factoring cost, labor, and effectiveness in containing sediment, GeoJute® barriers are hypothesized as a practical …

Effect Of Stocking Density On The Growth, Survival, And Settlement Of Sandfish Sea Cucumber (Holothuria Scabra), Quilan Cantero, Manoj Nair, Phd, Justino Smith

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The US Affiliated Pacific Islands of Micronesia have several commercially important species of sea cucumbers in their water including the sandfish sea cucumbers, Holothuria scabra. Due to their commercial importance, they have been widely exploited and are in the danger of being extinct.

The College of Micronesia Land Grant Program has undertaken the development of hatchery-based sandfish sea cucumber farming technology for local community based economic development, future commercialization, and restocking the depleted stocks in the wild.

In this regard, an experiment was conducted to find out the effect of different stocking densities on the growth, survival, and settlement of …

Determining The Antibacterial Efficacy Of Ylang Ylang (Cananga Ordorata) Plant Extract On Esherichia Coli, Noemi Caacbay, Hervin Jacinto, Md, Rn

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Esherichia coli (E.coli) is a bacterium with high prevalence in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals. Discovered in 1885, E. coli is part of normal gut bacteria flora. However, some strains can be pathogenic and may also lead to serious infection. For instance, the pathogen E. coli O157:H7 produces a Shiga toxin, a toxin also produced by the bacterium Shigella dysenteriae, and can cause dysentery in humans. This pathogen is notorious for causing illness, hospitalizations, and deaths annually.

The objective of our research is to determine the antibacterial effectiveness of the Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata) and …

West Nile Virus And Pattern Recognition Receptors, Jordan Boswell, Verma Saguna, Phd, Chih-Yun Lai

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

West Nile Virus (WNV), RNA virus is a member of the flaviviridae family that causes flu like symptoms in infected individuals, however in 1-2% cases, it causes severe neurological diseases such as encephalitis. There is no antiviral or vaccine approved so far to prevent WNV disease, therefore research to understand immune pathology is very important.

Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRR) are proteins that are expressed by cells to detect virus infection and play an important role in the innate immune system. When a PRR such as Toll-Like Receptors (TLR) and Nod-Like Receptors (NLR) detects a replicating virus, signals are sent out …

Mapping Snail Spatial Distribution In Guam’S Rivers, Anna Katrina Aragon, Timothy Righetti, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The family Hydrobiidae, otherwise known as the common mud snail, can be further classified into more specific divisions—and can live in both fresh and brackish water. One example, New Zealand Mud Snails are considered to be a nuisance to the environment because of two recognizable characteristics: its ability to reproduce quickly in high densities, and its capability to survive in many environmental conditions, which allow them to negatively influence the ecosystem’s food-chain and even alter the physical features of its surroundings. Also because of these traits, the family is able to withstand diverse environmental factors, which in turn allow …

Water Borne Diseases In The Rmi During The Years 2004-2015, Patricia Andrew, Abraham Hicking

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Water borne diseases in the Marshall Islands contribute to one of the heavy burdens on the government’s medical expenses for hospitals in the country. These diseases are preventable. Expenses are therefore unnecessary as these can be eliminated or reduced dramatically if proper education and awareness is done regarding water and sanitation issues. These are common issues that government in developing and poor countries take for granted. Little is provided and supported in terms of finance, infrastructure and political commitment.

Gastroenteritis is listed as the highest recorded cases among all other water borne related diseases such as typhoid, amebiasis, giardiasis and …

Igniting Passion For Science Across A Vast Ocean: Nurturing A New Generation Of Pacific Island Scientists, George Hui, Danielle Clements

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This article introduces the work that was done through the Coordinating Center at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii.

Low Alcohol Beneficial Effects On The Cardiac Function During Cardiac Hypertrophy, Kiera Williams, Georges E. Haddad, Phd, Sima Tarzami, Phd, Mustafa Baker

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Chronic low alcohol exposure has been shown clinically to have beneficial cardiac effects; whereas chronic high alcohol consumption can lead to heart failure. We have previously shown that cardiac inotropy is closely related to the activation of the survival PI3K/Akt.

This study aimed to determine the effects of chronic low and high alcohol on cardiac function as well as to determine if low alcohol can alleviate the development of volume-overload-dependent (shunt) cardiac hypertrophy.

Littermate adult rats were put on a 3-months isocaloric Lieber-Decarli liquid diet with either low alcohol (LA: 5mM) or high alcohol (HA: 100mM) levels. The rats were …