Hawaii Community College

The Hawaiian Islands provide the venue of one of nature's grand experiments in evolution. Here, we present morphological, behavioral, genetic, and geologic data from a young subterranean insect lineage in lava tube caves on Hawai'i Island. The Oliarus polyphemus species complex has the potential to become a model for studying rapid speciation by stochastic events. All species in this lineage live in extremely similar environments but show strong differentiation in behavioral and morphometric characters, which are random with respect to cave age and geographic distribution. Our observation that phenotypic variability within populations decreases with increasing cave age challenges traditional views on founder effects. Furthermore, these cave populations are natural replicates that can be used to test the contradictory hypotheses. Moreover, Hawaiian cave planthoppers exhibit one of the highest speciation rates among animals and, thus, radically shift our perception on the evolutionary potential of obligate cavernicoles.

Phylogenetic relationships among termites, mantids and the five traditionally recognized cockroach families have been the subject of several studies during the last half-century. One cockroach lineage that has remained notably absent from such studies is the Nocticolidae. This group of small, elusive surface- and cave-dwelling species from the Old World Tropics has been proposed to represent an additional family. Using molecular sequences, we performed an initial phylogenetic examination of Nocticola spp. The hypothesis that they are phylogenetically divergent was confirmed from the analyses of three genes and a combined dataset. To supplement our phylogenetic analyses, we attempted to amplify 16S rRNA from the obligate mutualistic endosymbiont Blattabacterium cuenoti, present in all cockroaches studied to date. Unexpectedly, amplification was unsuccessful in all Nocticola spp. examined. This result was confirmed by microscopic examinations of fat body tissue. These Nocticola spp. are the first cockroaches found to be uninfected by B. cuenoti, which raise questions about when the bacterium first infected cockroaches.

Hybridization in the ocean was once considered rare, a process prohibited by the rapid evolution of intrinsic reproductive barriers in a high-dispersal medium. However, recent genetic surveys have prompted a reappraisal of marine hybridization as an important demographic and evolutionary process. The Hawaiian Archipelago offers an unusual case history in this arena, due to the recent arrival of the widely distributed Indo-Pacific sergeant (Abudefduf vaigiensis), which is hybridizing with the endemic congener, A. abdominalis. Surveys of mtDNA and three nuclear loci across Hawai'i (N = 396, Abudefduf abdominalis and N = 314, A. vaigiensis) reveal that hybridization is significantly higher in the human-perturbed southeast archipelago (19.8%), tapering off to 5.9% in the pristine northwest archipelago. While densities of the two species varied throughout Hawai'i, hybridization was highest in regions with similar species densities, contradicting the generalization that the rarity of one species promotes interspecific mating. Our finding of later generation hybrids throughout the archipelago invokes the possibility of genetic swamping of the endemic species. Exaptation, an adaptation with unintended consequences, may explain these findings: the endemic species has transient yellow coloration during reproduction, whereas the introduced species has yellow coloration continuously as adults, in effect a permanent signal of reproductive receptivity. Haplotype diversity is higher in Hawaiian A. vaigiensis than in our samples from the native range, indicating large-scale colonization almost certainly facilitated by the historically recent surge of marine debris. In this chain of events, marine debris promotes colonization, exaptation promotes hybridization, and introgression invokes the possible collapse of an endemic species.

In this paper, we propose that spiritual approaches rooted in the practice of Hawai‘i ritual provide a powerful portal to revealing, supporting, and enhancing our collective aloha (love, fondness, reciprocity, as with a family member) for and dedication to the places and processes that we steward. We provide a case study from Hawai‘i, where we, a group of conservation professionals known as Hālau ‘Ōhi’a, have begun to foster a collective resurgence of sacred commitment to the places and processes we steward through remembering and manifesting genealogical relationships to our landscapes through Indigenous Hawaiian ritual expression. We discuss how a ritual approach to our lands and seas makes us better stewards of our places, better members of our families and communities, and more fulfilled individuals. We assert that foundations of the spiritual and the sacred are required for effectively advancing the science of sustainability, the management of natural resources, and the conservation of nature.

BACKGROUND: Job strain has been implicated in risk of cardiovascular disease, and there is evidence for increased blood pressure among men with job strain. It is unclear, however, to what degree job strain affects blood pressure in women. This study examined the relationships between job strain, norepinephrine and epinephrine excretion in the workplace, and ambulatory blood pressure variability during waking hours in women working as nurses or nurse's aides in Hilo, Hawaii. METHODS: Women from two ethnic groups, Filipino-Americans (n = 36) and Euro-Americans (n = 23), were measured on a workday, urinary catecholamine excretion and ambulatory blood pressure being measured over a 4-h period at work and home, and overnight over an 8-h period. The rates of catecholamine excretion were measured in timed urine samples using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, and ambulatory blood pressure was measured at 15-min intervals using a SpaceLabs 90207 monitor. The women filled out the Job Content Questionnaire prior to the physiological measurements. RESULTS: Scores on the Job Content Questionnaire were not significantly associated with the physiological measures, although correlations were higher for Euro-American participants than Filipino-Americans. Catecholamine excretion rates in the workplace were significantly related to blood pressure variability throughout the day and to systolic blood pressure means, but catecholamine excretion rates in other daily settings were not significantly related to blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the idea that stress in the workplace has special significance for the prediction of cardiovascular health risk, and that catecholamine excretion at work is significantly associated with increased blood pressure variability during the day. Job strain, as measured by subscales from the Job Content Questionnaire, was not associated with any of the physiological measures. This lack of association may be the result of ethnic and circumstantial bias in the questionnaire, suggesting that job strain should be evaluated in a more critical manner in populations differing from the ones in which the concept was developed.

Although several studies have examined differences in daily blood pressure variability between African-American and Caucasian groups in the United States, little is known about the blood pressure variation of other ethnic groups. This study examined the effects of emotional state, setting, posture, and ethnicity on the ambulatory blood pressure of female health care workers (nurses and nurse's aides) from 2 ethnic groups: Filipino-Americans (N = 38) and Caucasians (N = 22). Ambulatory blood pressure measurements were obtained at 15-min intervals during a typical work day. Participants reported in a diary their setting (work or home), posture, mood, and specific activity at each measurement. The effects of these factors and ethnicity were examined using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results show that for all subjects blood pressure was higher at work (P < 0.05), while standing (P < 0.05), during reports of negative moods (anxiety, anger, or sadness) (P < 0.05), and while engaging in activities such as interacting with fellow staff members at work and "washing up" at home. However, the Filipino-American women reported negative moods more frequently than their Caucasian counterparts (P < 0.05), had a greater proportion of readings taken while standing at work, and reacted differently than the Caucasian women to some specific activities; for instance, their blood pressure was not elevated when doing household chores. These results suggest that the extent of blood pressure variation in daily life may depend upon cognitive processes which are influenced by the cultural background and emotional state of the individual. They further suggest that ethnicity has an important impact on blood pressure variation.

Abstract Extreme precision radial velocity (EPRV) measurements contend with internal noise (instrumental systematics) and external noise (intrinsic stellar variability) on the road to 10 cm s −1 “exo-Earth” sensitivity. Both of these noise sources are well-probed using “Sun-as-a-star” RVs and cross-instrument comparisons. We built the Solar Calibrator (SoCal), an autonomous system that feeds stable, disk-integrated sunlight to the recently commissioned Keck Planet Finder (KPF) at the W. M. Keck Observatory. With SoCal, KPF acquires signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) ∼ 1200, R = 98,000 optical (445–870 nm) spectra of the Sun in 5 s exposures at unprecedented cadence for an EPRV facility using KPF’s fast readout mode (&lt;16 s between exposures). Daily autonomous operation is achieved by defining an operations loop using state machine logic. Data affected by clouds are automatically flagged using a reliable quality control metric derived from simultaneous irradiance measurements. Comparing solar data across the growing global network of EPRV spectrographs with solar feeds will allow EPRV teams to disentangle internal and external noise sources and benchmark spectrograph performance. To facilitate this, all SoCal data products are immediately available to the public on the Keck Observatory Archive. We compared SoCal RVs to contemporaneous RVs from NEID, the only other immediately public EPRV solar data set. We find agreement at the 30–40 cm s −1 level on timescales of several hours, which is comparable to the combined photon-limited precision. Data from SoCal were also used to assess a detector problem and wavelength calibration inaccuracies associated with KPF during early operations. Long-term SoCal operations will collect upwards of 1000 solar spectra per six-hour day using KPF’s fast readout mode, enabling stellar activity studies at high S/N on our nearest solar-type star.

Traditionally, the new graduate registered nurse (RN) transition has included a didactic and skills-based orientation accompanied by a period of preceptored practice. However, these methods do not ensure that new RNs are in a state of reduced anxiety to fully interact with their new environment. Transition to practice may cause anxiety, and the new graduate RN may perceive moderate to severe stress. One method of stress reduction is the use of guided imagery, which has shown strong potential with a variety of populations undergoing stressful events. Today, new graduate RNs expect institutions to facilitate orientation to their new employment settings and assist in the transition to their role as a professional nurse. This article proposes a model that incorporates guided imagery for refining the new graduate RN transition process. The model can be adapted for use in the context of orienting other adult learners to unfamiliar practice situations.

An increasingly larger portion of the environmental movement claims that environmental destruction can only be stopped when our concern about environmental destruction is coupled with an “ecological consciousness,” that is, a wholistic understanding of the relationship between self, society, and nature. The author offers three interconnected theses to explain the increasing affinity for ecological consciousness: (a) Ecological consciousness, as opposed to traditional environmental consciousness, has prerational social causes that challenge modern rationality and, as such, is less reliant on knowledge and experience of environmental degradation for its spread; (b) the prerational dimension of social order links our affective responses and our most basic ontological presuppositions into a cognitive framework in which material and ideal interests are perceived as such; and (c) the experience of powerlessness can, under the right conditions, lead to a change in selfunderstanding such that individuals are left with an affinity for ecological consciousness.

With the introduction of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) on CD-ROM, research was initiated to compare coverage of nursing journals by CINAHL and MEDLINE in this format, expanding on previous comparison of these databases in print and online. The study assessed search results for eight topics in 1989 and 1990 citations in both databases, each produced by SilverPlatter. Results were tallied and analyzed for number of records retrieved, unique and overlapping records, relevance, and appropriateness. An overall precision score was developed. The goal of the research was to develop quantifiable tools to help determine which database to purchase for an academic library serving an undergraduate nursing program.

Broadcasts of hydramethylnon, S-methoprene, and metaflumizone baits, metaflumizone spray, and hot water drenching were evaluated for their efficacy against the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger), in potted nursery plants. Two applications one month apart of either a bait containing 0.365% hydramethylnon and 0.25% S-methoprene (Extinguish Plus) or a spray containing 24% metaflumizone (BAS 320 I 240 SC) reduced foraging worker numbers by >97% as compared with untreated controls. The persistence of weather-exposed metaflumizone (0.063%) bait was also evaluated: bait applied fresh or after 7 days of weather exposure resulted in >98% ant mortality; bait exposed to weather for 14 d before application still achieved >90% mortality. In vitro submersion of W. auropunctata in 45°C water for 10 min resulted in >99% mortality as compared with 28.9% mortality from submersion in ambient temperature water (26°C) for 12 min. When W. auropunctata -infested potted plants were drenched with hot water (45.6°C) for 11 min, the number of live ants were reduced by 99.3 and 89.3% in rhapis and fishtail palm, respectively, as compared with control plants drenched with ambient temperature water. The presence of a single W. auropunctata worker in a potted plant would fail to meet export requirements; therefore, the chemical baits and sprays and hot water treatment (45.6°C for 11 min) as evaluated in this study would not individually be a sufficient quarantine protocol against little fire ants in containerized nursery plants.

Two laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the most effective method of using vermicompost for reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis) management in Hawaiian soils. The trials were conducted in January 2014 and June 2014 using 1-mon-old and 6-mon-old vermicompost.  The vermicomposts were incorporated into reniform nematode-infested soil at 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% (w/w) in 10-cm-d plastic pots. After 3 wk, nematodes were extracted using the Baermann funnel technique, and reniform nematodes were counted under an inverted microscope. Soil incorporation of 1-mon-old vermicompost at 1.0% resulted in the greatest reduction in reniform nematode numbers, but when the study was repeated with 6-mon-old vermicompost, a 1% vermicompost amendment did not decrease reniform nematode numbers. It appears that incorporation of 1-mon-old vermicompost at 1% to field soils will lower existing reniform nematode population density.

The Alice programming language and environment has been used successfully to teach entry level students the fundamental concepts behind object oriented programming. While there are numerous studies regarding the pedagogical effectiveness of the narrative approach offered by Alice, the incorporation of cultural perspective into the teaching of Alice presents numerous challenges and opportunities. In this paper, we discuss the challenges of implementing Hawai'ian mythology into the Alice approach, while demonstrating how the inclusion of these myths and legends into an introductory Alice course presents a natural vehicle for the narrative approach offered by this language. Finally, we discuss the instructional efficacy of this approach by exploring student survey data.

Background/Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second-most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia Nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Experimental models that replicate core features of PD are critical to investigate underlying mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. Here we evaluated the effects of an acute unilateral intrastriatal lesion induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on neuronal loss and the associated inflammatory response. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats received an injection of 6-OHDA into the right striatum, while the contralateral side received vehicle. Motor behavior was assessed by cylinder and open field tests on post-lesion days (PLDs) 7 and 14. Brains were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), glial response (GFAP and Iba1), and caspase-3 at PLD +14. Results: A marked reduction in TH-immunoreactivity in the lesioned striatum was observed, with ~40% loss of TH-positive neurons in the ipsilateral SNpc. Surviving neurons displayed a 28% increase in soma size compared to the contralateral side. The lesion was accompanied by robust astrocytic and microglial activation at the injection site, as well as enhanced GFAP immunoreactivity in the ipsilateral SN pars reticulata. Apoptotic profiles emerged in the SNpc at PLD +14. Functionally, these alterations were reflected in significant motor asymmetry and decreased locomotor activity. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that neuroinflammation accompanies early dopaminergic degeneration following intrastriatal 6-OHDA administration, contributing to motor deficits. Future studies with older animals and broader behavioral and anatomical assessments—including regions such as the ventral tegmental area and motivational or anxiety-related paradigms—may enhance translational relevance.

Although there are no published studies and limited data documenting damage by rodents in Hawaiian caves, our incidental observations during more than 40 years of surveying caves indicate that introduced rodents, especially the roof rat, Rattus rattus, pose significant threats to vulnerable cave resources. Caves, with their nearly constant and predictable physical environment often house important natural and cultural features including biological, paleontological, geological, climatic, mineralogical, cultural, and archaeological resources. All four invasive rodents in Hawai‘i commonly nest in cave entrances and rock shelters, but only the roof rat (Rattus rattus) habitually enters caves and utilizes areas in total darkness. Skeletons and feces have been found in the deepest passages, sometimes over a kilometer from the nearest known entrance although the animals may have used nearby small, inconspicuous entrances. Their impacts include damage to rare native plants in cave entrances; predation on vulnerable cave-inhabiting species, such as Thaumatogryllus tree crickets, and native moths roosting in caves; destruction of the irreplaceable remains of the extinct terrestrial fauna; damage to organic material associated with cultural and archaeological resources, thereby obscuring the historical record of humans in the islands; introduction of unnatural nutrients into subterranean ecosystems via their bodies and feces allowing the colonization of caves by other harmful alien species; and disturbance of research sites. Furthermore, the extirpation of colonies of cave-roosting moths has impacted native birds nesting in the entrance and twilight zones.

(2003). Individualization in the Inclusive Preschool: a Planning Process. Childhood Education: Vol. 79, No. 4, pp. 212-217.

In Brief Learn how to help your patient overcome the debilitating effects of these common mental disorders. These common and debilitating psychiatric disorders can trouble patients you care for in any health care setting. Read this to make sure you're up-to-date on the latest treatments and nursing interventions.

Foundations investing in community systems change often fail to prioritize field-level and cross-initiative evaluation questions in building initiatives. As a result, many of the documented evaluations of such investments lack translatable lessons specific and influential enough to drive related decisions and actions of others in the field. This article developed from ongoing, multiyear peer learning across several foundations that collectively compiled recommendations for community systems-change funders and evaluators to implement more powerful evaluations. They are intended to help funders and evaluators engaged in these efforts build sectorwide knowledge capable of informing improved work across initiatives and communities. This article also prioritizes the inclusion of community in the entire process of field-knowledge creation and use. As the managers and advisers responsible for evaluating funder-led community systems change, we have struggled to ensure that our evaluations are capable of providing useful knowledge to future efforts. For that reason, this article focuses on strategies to address the gaps we see and with the intention that important lessons are captured, analyzed, shared, and used by others.

Keeping up-to-date on the changes in caring for newborns is crucial to ensure that standards of care continue to be met. We review the knowledge and skills needed to provide basic neonatal care.

This study was initiated after members of the Puna community brought to the attention of the Historic Preservation Office that major lava tube systems extended from the Pahoa area into at least portions of the former Puna Forest Reserve. They were concerned that planned geothermal exploration and development could damage these lava tubes which they said contained extensive evidence of past Hawaiian use including fortifications, shrines, platforms and burials. Geothermal development is currently being planned by Campbell Estate and True Geothermal Energy Company in the southern portion of the former Reserve which has been designated by the State of Hawaii as one of the three Geothermal Sub-Zones in Puna. To demonstrate these claims, two staff members of the Historic Sites Section were shown examples in a lava tube makai of the Campbell Estate boundary. After reviewing the archaeological and historical reports commissioned for geothermal exploration, it was agreed that if these lava tubes did extend inland and continued to contain archaeological sites or burials then the potential of significant sub-surface sites had not been adequately addressed in the Historic Sites Section review process. Most reports acknowledged the possibility of lava tubes in the area and that they could contain burials, but no tube systems were ever identified or explored during any of the field surveys. These surveys primarily assessed the presence or absence of cultural properties that occur on the surface or as deposits within the soil layer. With the assistance of the Division of Water Resource Management (DWRM), the Historic Sites Section agreed to conduct this survey because those community members who came forward requested that this information be handled by a neutral party. They asked that documentation occur in such a manner that it could be kept as confidential as possible while still providing enough information to protect any sites from damage. The survey had three major aims. The first was to establish whether or not the lava tubes continued into the land now held by Campbell Estate or the Geothermal Sub-Zone. The second was to assess the extent to which any lava tube systems found contained archaeological remains or burials and, if so, to evaluate their general significance. The third was to define, if possible, any patterns in the distribution of the lava tube systems or the archaeological remains within them. Such patterns can allow general predictions to be made about which areas are most likely to have similar tube systems with significant archaeological sites. This is of particular importance in this region where large portions of the former Forest Reserve and the Geothermal Sub-Zone have not been inspected, and conducting extensive surveys is extremely difficult because of dense vegetation, hazardous conditions and poor ground visibility. One of the authors (Stone) has a background in Hawaiian lava tube biology, so we were able to include a preliminary survey of the invertebrate fauna found in these underground ecosystems.