Barcoding and mitochondrial phylogenetics of Porites corals.

Coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystem on the planet based on the abundance and diversity of phyla and higher taxa. However, it is still difficult to assess the diversity of lower taxa, especially at the species level. One tool for improving the identification of lower taxa are genetic markers that can distinguish cryptic species and assess species boundaries. Here, we present one such approach for an important and challenging group of reef-building corals. Porites corals are the main reef-builders of many coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific, owing to the massive growth forms of some species. The current number of valid Porites species is controversial, inflated with many synonymies, and often based on gross colony morphology although several morphospecies believed to be widespread and common can only be distinguished based on detailed microstructure analyses by taxonomic experts. Here, we test the suitability of multiple regions of mtDNA as genetic barcodes to identify suitable markers for species differentiation and unambiguous identification. Resulting sequencing data was further used for the first phylogenetic analysis of Guam's Porites species. We tested eight different mitochondrial markers and analyzed four in detail for 135 Porites specimens: mtDNA markers were amplified for 67 Porites specimens from Guam, representing 12 nominal Porites species, and combined with 69 mitochondrial genomes, mostly from Hawaii. The combination of all 4 markers distinguished 10 common and 7 uncommon Central-West Pacific Porites species. Most clades separate species along taxonomic boundaries, which is uncommon for Porites corals and testifies to the suitability of our multi-marker approach, and a combination of the two most promising barcodes distinguished 8/10 common species. These barcodes are thus suitable to distinguish virtually cryptic species in one of the most important and challenging coral genera. They offer a cheap, fast and reliable way to identify Porites species for species-level research, monitoring and conservation.

Perceived Barriers and Benefits of COVID-19 Testing among Pacific Islanders on Guam.

Pacific Islanders residing in the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands have had among the highest COVID-19-associated morbidity and mortality rates in the U.S. To reduce this disparity, we conducted a study to increase the reach and uptake of COVID-19 testing in Guam. Participants, who completed a pre-survey on demographics, health status, history of COVID-19 testing and vaccination, access to COVID-19 testing, sources of COVID-19 information, and knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 test results and transmission, were invited to attend an online educational session about COVID-19 testing and transmission and to complete a post-survey. There were significant positive changes between pre- and post-survey in knowledge and perceptions about COVID-19 testing and transmission, but changes were not necessarily due to exposure to the educational session. Compared to CHamoru participants (n = 380), Other Micronesians (n = 90) were significantly less knowledgeable about COVID-19 transmission and testing, were significantly more likely to not want to know if they had COVID-19, were more likely to believe if they did have COVID-19 there was not much that could be done for them, and that they would have difficulty in getting the needed healthcare. This study is another example of disparities in health knowledge and perceptions of certain Pacific Islander groups.

Barriers, Facilitators, and Strategies for Developing a Culturally Informed Lifestyle Intervention for Native Hawaiian, CHamoru, and Filipino Breast Cancer Survivors: Mixed-Methods Findings from Focus Group Participants.

Breast cancer disproportionately impacts Native Hawaiian, CHamoru, and Filipino women. Few culturally informed interventions addressing breast cancer survivors exist and none have been developed or tested specifically for Native Hawaiian, CHamoru, and Filipino women. This study aimed to conduct focus groups with Native Hawaiian, CHamoru, and Filipino women previously diagnosed with breast cancer to inform future research in Guam and Hawai'i. Convenience sampling and grounded theory approaches were used. Focus group sessions were conducted during summer 2023 and included questions to understand the barriers, motivators, and implementation recommendations for lifestyle interventions aimed at reducing the risk for breast cancer recurrence among the target population. Data saturation was reached after a total of seven focus groups (an average of four survivors/group per site) were conducted (three in Hawai'i and four in Guam), which represented 28 breast cancer survivors. Themes from the focus groups emerged around developing support systems with other survivors, providing physical activity and nutrition intervention activities and materials in multiple formats, and incorporating activities and foods that accommodate the side effects of breast cancer treatments and are culturally relevant. The average desired intervention length was eight weeks. These findings will inform the development and feasibility testing of a culturally informed lifestyle intervention for breast cancer survivors in Guam and Hawai'i.