Translational Medical Research Commons^™

Distribution Of Crown Of Thorns (Acanthaster Planci) Outbreaks Along The North Shore Of Tutuiladistribution Of Crown Of Thorns (Acanthaster Planci) Outbreaks Along The North Shore Of Tutuila, Johann Vollrath, Timothy Clark, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Outbreak levels of Crown of Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci, COTs) have been occurring around Tutuila since 2011. These outbreaks are thought to be caused by increased nutrients due to terrestrial runoff. Outbreaks were confined to the south side of Tutuila in 2011 and 2012, but spread to the north side in 2013. A possible reason for the observed outbreaks on the south side could be that most of Tutuila’s population live on the south side of the island. Thus, we hypothesize that due to the small population of people on the north side of Tutuila, there should be …

Marine Pollution Prevention In American Samoa, Taufagalupe Ve'e, Mia Theresa Comeros, Msc

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Most of the garbage in American Samoa heads to the landfill in Futiga on the island of Tutuila. Reports indicate that the landfill is expected to reach critical capacity in 2015. Some have started to look into advanced technology to deal with the problem, which could lead to millions of dollars of government spending. Our study focuses on how to reduce solid waste through composting, a natural way to recycle organic or biodegradable waste. Composting is a great option to look into since about fifty percent of waste sent to the landfill is biodegradable and because it is easily done …

Reducing Solid Waste Quantities Headed For The Landfill In Futiga, Jacob Van Der Ryn, Mia Theresa Comeros, Msc, Ione Tomanogi, Mst

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Most of the garbage in American Samoa heads to the landfill in Futiga on the island of Tutuila. Reports indicate that the landfill is expected to reach critical capacity in 2015. Some have started to look into advanced technology to deal with the problem, which could lead to millions of dollars of government spending. Our study focuses on how to reduce solid waste through composting, a natural way to recycle organic or biodegradable waste. Composting is a great option to look into since about fifty percent of waste sent to the landfill is biodegradable and because it is easily done …

Molecular Diagnosis Of The Causal Agent Of The Root And Corm Rot Of Taro (Colocasia Esculenta) In The Aunu’U Island Of American Samoa, Nora Toalepai, Ndeme Atibalentja, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Recently, taro (Colocasia esculenta) growers in Aunu’u have been complaining of a new disease characterized by the taro root and corm rot. Pythium spp. usually cause this type of disease. But, it was puzzling when the morphological features of the fungus isolated from diseased taros did not match those of Pythium. More sophisticated tools were needed. The objective of this study was to use molecular techniques for identification of this pathogen.

Potato dextrose broth (PDB) was inoculated with five agar plugs cut from one week-old pure cultures of the pathogen grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA). After …

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 …