Hawaii Pacific University

BackgroundOral nicotine pouches (ONPs), such as Zyn, have gained popularity among young people; however, their portrayal on social media remains under-studied. Instagram memes, a widely shared form of digital communication, may shape young people’s perceptions about ONPs and contribute to the widespread acceptance of ONP use.ObjectiveThis study examines the thematic content of Instagram memes related to ONPs to understand how these products are represented online.MethodsThe content of Instagram memes tagged with ONP-related hashtags—#oralnicotinepouch, #zyn, #on, #velo, and #nicotinepouch—was systematically analyzed. After screening, a total of 244 photo- and text-based memes were included in the final dataset. Using a structured coding framework, 3 researchers categorized the memes into key themes using NVivo software.ResultsThree dominant themes emerged: (1) the Zyn community (35.6%)—memes fostered a sense of belonging among users; (2) marketing and branding (27.8%)—humorous critiques of product advertising and accessibility; and (3) perceived consequences of use (13.9%)—memes highlighted perceived positive or negative consequences of ONP use. Engagement metrics revealed high levels of interaction, with the Zyn community theme garnering the most user engagement.ConclusionsONP-related Instagram memes are primarily focused on community identity, humor, and marketing, with community-centered content receiving the highest engagement. These findings indicate that social belonging and humor are central to the online representation of ONPs.

Endosymbionts in the dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae can form mutualisms with a diverse array of host invertebrates, constituting a widespread and ecologically important family. While those associated with reef-building corals (order Scleractinia) have received considerable research attention, the diversity and ecology of zooxanthellae from soft coral hosts (Octocorallia) have remained understudied and unappreciated. To address this lack of understanding, octocoral zooxanthellae were sampled across the Indo-Pacific and genetic, morphological, ecological, and geographic evidence were utilized to formally characterize five new species in the genus Cladocopium. Four species were associated with hosts in the family Sarcophytidae that horizontally acquire their endosymbionts. Of these new species, C. fabriciae sp. nov. and C. peratum sp. nov. are widespread across the Indo-Pacific whereas C. zanzibariense sp. nov. and C. belauense sp. nov. are known only from their type localities in Zanzibar and Palau, respectively. The fifth species, C. bilineaum sp. nov., occurs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans associated with hosts in the families Xeniidae, which can display either horizontal or vertical mode of transmission and Lemnaliidae, which horizontally transmit their endosymbionts. Because soft coral abundances are increasing with ocean warming across many geographic provinces and in various reef habitats, formal species descriptions of their endosymbionts should facilitate future physiological and ecological research toward a more comprehensive understanding of their natural history and contributions to coral reef ecosystem productivity.

Flavonoids, secondary phytometabolites, play many roles in human health and plant resistance, growth, and development. They are commonly glycosylated in the last step of their biosynthesis. In this study, a gene encoding an efficient flavonoid glycosyltransferase, ZmUGT76B1, was cloned from maize and expressed. The enzyme activity and function were characterized. ZmUGT76B1 catalyzed selective glycosylation at 3-, 7-, 3'-, and 4'-hydroxyl sites of flavonoids to form mono-O-glycoside and di-O-glycoside products. Moreover, ZmUGT76B1 had a broad substrate preference and strict sugar donor selectivity. Guided by simulated molecular docking and simulated mutagenesis, three ZmUGT76B1 mutants, Q338P, E361P, and Q338P/E361P, were constructed. The mutation of either of the two sites substantially reduced the enzyme activity, whereas the double mutation eliminated the activity. The determination of enzyme activity and prediction of the active site of this enzyme have expanded our knowledge of maize uridine diphosphate-dependent glycosyltransferases, providing an important glycosyltransferase for metabolic engineering of mono- and dioxygenated glucosyl flavonoids.

IntroductionStandardized patient (SP) simulations are an important component of interprofessional education, fostering collaboration among students. The standardized patient team experience (SPTE) was developed for medical, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and physical therapy students to simulate care planning for a patient poststroke. Admission or discharge scenarios of same case are used depending on professions participating, enhancing role-specific learning.MethodsTwelve SPTE sessions occurred over two academic years (August 2022–June 2024). Participants included students from each profession who had completed stroke management curriculum. Student teams developed interprofessional admission or discharge plans during 90-minute structured SP encounters. Facilitated debriefing emphasized communication, role delineation, and collaborative decision-making. Postsession surveys assessed students’ attitudes toward interprofessional teams, perceived achievement of learning objectives, and satisfaction. Facilitator surveys assessed perceptions of their training's effectiveness and recommendations for improvements.ResultsSurveys were collected from 905 participants and fully completed by 736 students. Responses indicated positive attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration. Overall, 91% of students reported satisfaction with the SPTE. Satisfaction varied by profession but not by case scenario. Facilitator survey respondents expressed confidence in leading SPTE sessions but recommended improvements to training, particularly in structured feedback delivery.DiscussionThe SPTE fosters appreciation of interprofessional collaboration in patient care. While most students reported satisfaction, variability by profession suggests tailored experiences may optimize engagement. Future iterations will refine facilitator training and explore team composition's influence on student experience. We hope these detailed SPTE instructions enable other institutions to incorporate a similar activity in their programs.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force expanded lung cancer (LC) screening eligibility in 2021 (USPSTF-2021) by decreasing the minimum number of smoking pack-years from 30 to 20. Underrepresented minorities still experience disparities in screening eligibility. To evaluate screening eligibility and prognostic performance of alternative smoking duration-based criteria versus USPSTF-2021 (primary outcome) and risk-based screening using the recalibrated Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial 2012 (PLCOm2012update) model (secondary outcome) across diverse racial and ethnic groups. Prospective, population-based Multiethnic Cohort linked to SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) registries. California and Hawai'i, with recruitment from 1993 to 1996. 105 261 adults aged 45 to 75 years with a history of smoking. Hypothetical eligibility and prognostic performance (sensitivity and specificity) in detecting 6-year LC. Under USPSTF-2021, 24.0% of the cohort would be eligible for screening; a 30-year smoking duration yielded the closest eligibility rate (27.5%). Compared with USPSTF-2021, the 30-year duration criteria would reduce eligibility gaps across all races relative to Whites, most notably in African Americans (30.4% vs. 28.8% for Whites under duration-based; 21.4% vs. 30.2% for Whites under USPSTF-2021) and Latinos (25.1% vs. 28.8% for Whites under duration-based; 15.7% vs. 30.2% for Whites under USPSTF-2021). Prognostic sensitivity to identify LC within 6 years increased across all races under the 30-year duration criteria, although specificity decreased commensurately. At matched overall eligibility (27.5%), a risk-based PLCOm2012update 6-year threshold of 1.1% improved both sensitivity and specificity in the overall cohort. However, it widened the eligibility gap between Latinos and Whites (14.4% vs. 31.3%) and demonstrated lower sensitivity in Latinos than duration-based criteria (59.7% vs. 69.8%). Cohort geography and enrollment period may limit generalizability. Overdiagnosis was not measured. Compared with USPSTF-2021, the 30-year duration-based criteria could reduce the eligibility gaps among African Americans and Latinos relative to Whites while improving 6-year LC detection sensitivity across all races. National Institutes of Health.

Understanding connectivity between populations is key to identifying hotspots of diversity, dispersal sinks and sources, and effective management units for natural resources. Multi-species connectivity seeks to overcome species-specific idiosyncrasies to identify shared patterns that are most critical to spatial management. The linear Hawaiian archipelago provides an excellent platform to assess multi-species connectivity patterns, with shared boundaries to gene flow identified across a majority of the 41 coral reef species surveyed to date. Here, we evaluate genome-scale data by comparing consistency and resolution to previous connectivity studies using far fewer loci. We used pool-seq to genotype 22,503–232,730 single nucleotide polymorphisms per species (625,215 SNPs total) from the same individuals published in previous studies of two fishes, two corals, and two lobsters. Additionally, one coral species (Pocillopora meandrina) without previous archipelago-wide population genetic data was included. With greater statistical power, most genetic differences between pairwise comparisons of islands were significant (250 of 308), consistent with the most recent larval dispersal models for the Hawaiian Archipelago. These data reveal significant differentiation at a finer scale than previously reported using single-marker studies, yet did not overturn any of the conclusions or management implications drawn from previous studies. We confirm that population genomic datasets are consistent with previously reported patterns of multispecies connectivity but add a finer layer of population resolution that is pertinent to management.

There is little known about the clinical supervision experiences of transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive (TNG) graduate students, despite supervision being a central part of the training experience for health service psychologists. In this study, we used reflexive thematic analysis informed by intersectional feminist perspectives to analyze the clinical training experiences of fourteen TNG graduate students in counseling psychology. Analysis yielded seven themes and two subthemes, which are discussed along with representative quotes: gender bias, power analysis, non-prioritization of trainee needs, evaluating safety with power holders, personal is political, balancing visibility and authenticity, and coalition building. Results reveal the importance of supervisors being proactive in their exploration of their own gender, the role of power in supervision, and creating an inclusive space to explore professional identity. Implications for advocating for social change to support TNG trainees in the context of hierarchical clinical training systems are offered.

ABSTRACT Photo‐identification (photo‐ID) is a widely used, non‐invasive method for monitoring individual animals, including humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ; HBWs), and has provided valuable insights into their population dynamics, movement patterns, and social structures. Traditional identification relies on the trailing edge and ventral pigment patterns of the tail fluke (fluke‐ID); however, not all whales present their flukes, limiting identification and re‐sighting opportunities. We developed a novel aerial‐identification (aerial‐ID) approach using drone imagery to identify individual HBWs based on the arrangement of two features, tubercles (TB) and cookiecutter shark scars (CCS). Between January and March 2022, we sampled 1498 HBWs, including repeated individuals, capturing fluke‐ID images for 772 and aerial‐ID images for 1437. Fluke‐ID yielded 164 re‐sightings (76 lactating females, 88 others), while aerial‐ID yielded 372 (249 and 123, respectively), representing a 227% increase for lactating females and 40% for others. We extended this approach to a multi‐year, cross‐regional dataset (2018–2025) of 54 individuals verified with fluke‐ID. All were matched using aerial‐ID, with the longest re‐sight spanning 2737 days (6.5 years), representing the maximum interval within our study period. Aerial‐ID thus offers a powerful complement to fluke‐ID, expanding demographic coverage, increasing re‐sighting rates, and enabling long‐term, cross‐regional monitoring.