Prenatal screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can prevent adverse perinatal outcomes. In Guam, the largest of the three U.S. territories in the Pacific, primary and secondary syphilis rates among women increased 473%, from 1.1 to 6.3 per 100,000 during 2009-2013 (1). In 2013, the first congenital syphilis case after no cases since 2008 was reported (1,2). Little is...

Subject to environmental changes and recurrent isolation in the last ca. 250 Ma, cycads are often described as relicts of a previously common lineage, with populations characterized by low genetic variation and restricted gene flow. We found that on the island of Guam, the endemic Cycas micronesica has most of the genetic variation of 14 EST-microsatellites distributed within each of 18 genetic...

The brown treesnake (BTS) has been on Guam for about 50 years and in this period has caused extensive ecological, economic, and social damage. It has also repeatedly dispersed from Guam via the transportation network, arriving at numerous locations. However, the conditions snakes face in surface shipping are unknown, making assessment of the risk of snake survival impossible. To address this, w...

Most of the prior studies conducted in mobile commerce and wireless service adoption are using the technology acceptance model as their theoretical foundation and are conducted in metropolis. To gain a better understanding on whether the findings of these adoption studies can be generalized in other regions, and in particular, those communities with a small population and have a unique cultural...

Compared with the United States overall, Guam has higher mortality rates from cardiovascular disease and stroke (1). Excess sodium intake can increase blood pressure and risk for cardiovascular disease (2,3). To determine the availability and promotion of lower-sodium options in the nutrition environment, the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) conducted an assessment i...

This descriptive qualitative study examined perceived barriers to health care among Chuukese migrant women in Guam and explored which factors influenced health-seeking behaviors. Study participants recommended interventions which may reduce those perceived barriers. Since the Compact of Free Association with the United States was enacted in 1985, there has been a dramatic rise in the numbers of...

We here report biomagnification (the increasing accumulation of bioactive, often deleterious molecules through higher trophic levels of a food chain) of the neurotoxic nonprotein amino acid beta-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) in the Guam ecosystem. Free-living cyanobacteria produce 0.3 microg/g BMAA, but produce 2-37 microg/g as symbionts in the coralloid roots of cycad trees. BMAA is concentrate...

The purpose of this study was to compare the body mass index (BMI) and dietary intakes of Chamorro (n=66) and Filipino (n=61) adults, ages 25-65 years, living in Guam. Participants were recruited via community-based sampling; however, recruitment was targeted to ensure approximately equal numbers from each ethnic group, equal numbers of men and women within each ethnic group, and proportional r...

Leon Taylor Abstract In 1975, Guam stopped testing food workers for foodborne disease. Instead, it taught them how to avoid spreading disease to restaurant patrons. But this new policy did not much cut the rate of foodborne disease among patrons, suggests a statistical study. A major typhoon may have cut the disease rate more, perhaps by closing restaurants. [JEL I18, J28] Introduction More edu...