The occurrence of kerolite in association with various secondary Ca-Mg carbonate mineral deposits (speleothems) was identified in basaltic sea caves on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Kerolite is the dominant clay mineral in the deposits. X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks of the kerolite are characteristically broadened indicating its extremely poor crystallinity. Few changes were observed in the XRD patterns of this kerolite when it was subjected to various humidity, temperature and ethylene-glycol treatments. The crystals appear as flaky masses with irregular or jagged edges in scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electron probe and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis show that the clay material is dominated by Mg-Si-O, with minor amounts of Al and Ca in some samples. The chemical composition, thermal analysis and TEM observations suggest that smaller amounts of an amorphous serpentine-like phase are mixed with the kerolite. Kerolite is often the only mineral associated with poorly mineralized, actively-growing microbial mats in these caves and it is common in completely lithified microbial mats. The latter commonly have microstromatolitic structures with kerolite as a dominant phase. These features suggest that kerolite formation is at least in part a result of microbial activity. The abundant extracellular polymers of the mat-forming bacteria bind and concentrate ions (Mg2+, silica) from solution and serve as nucleation sites for kerolite precipitation. Conditions within the mats also probably lead to formation of Mg-Si-gels, amorphous Mg-silicate precursors and ultimately kerolite. Evaporation of the cave solutions may also contribute to kerolite formation.

Historians have correctly interpreted the Gilded Age and Progressive Era as periods in which African Americans faced unpreceded violence, a significant decline in franchise, and the loss of many civil rights. These years however, were far more complex when viewed from the vantage point of African American families who attempted to empower themselves through education, securing employment in white-collar occupations, such as teaching, and working to advance themselves through race betterment groups, including women’s clubs and civil rights organizations. Yet some middle-class Black families like the Stewarts not only rejected white society’s widely held belief of Blacks as racially inferior and incapable of progress. They also embraced migration as a constructive strategy to advance their individual careers and to elevate the race. In an era when the majority of Black workers had minimal literacy and worked unskilled menial jobs, T. McCants Stewart and his children each graduated from college or professional school, worked in white-collar or professional jobs, and paved the way for the next generation. Yet each also understood that migration outside of the Jim Crow South, including to Africa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the territory of Hawaii, held the key to their success. Thus, the Stewarts constructed a new vision of freedom and opportunity and believed that even despite the repressive conditions imposed upon Blacks during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era that there was room for growth and an opportunity to advance their careers. Migration, therefore, should be reconsidered as a viable strategy that some Black families adopted to find their place in American society.

The ‘a‘o, or Newell’s Shearwater Puffinus newelli, is an endangered shearwater species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, with 90% of the world population found on Kaua‘i. Understanding the breeding phenology of the species is vital for identifying key periods for colony management actions and the timing and exposure frequency to infrastructure threats such as powerline collisions and light attraction. We used a combination of direct burrow monitoring and remote cameras at multiple colonies between 2012 and 2019 for a detailed assessment of the breeding phenology for this species. Breeding adults started arriving at the burrow in mid-April, some (but not all) underwent a two-week exodus in May and returned at the end of May to commence incubation. Incubation continued until mid-July. The chick-rearing period ran until the end of September. Fledging peaked in October with the last birds fledging towards the middle of November. Breeding was not synchronised, with a 59-day gap between the first and last fledging birds. The importance of this information to management actions is discussed, particularly in terms of directing management actions to key periods of vulnerability to introduced predators (such as peak incubation, chick emergence, and exercising prior to fledging), the precise timing of fledgling fallout related to light attraction, and directing colony-monitoring actions and translocation projects. We also consider the utility of the data in assessing species composition of powerline collisions and collision risk. Future work using acoustic monitoring is recommended for assessing the phenology of non-breeders and prospectors at colonies.

This paper describes chronic features of neuroangiostrongyliasis (NAS), a long-term outcome of the disease that has not been adequately described. Current and past literature is predominantly limited to acute manifestations of NAS, and mention of chronic, ongoing clinical symptoms is usually limited to brief notes in a discussion of severe cases. This study investigated the long-term outcomes in ten individuals who were diagnosed with acute neuroangiostrongyliasis in Hawaii between 2009 and 2017. The study demonstrates a significant number of persons in Hawaii sustain residual symptoms for many years, including troublesome sensory paresthesia (abnormal spontaneous sensations of skin experienced as ‘burning, pricking, pins and needles’; also described as allodynia or hyperesthesia) and extremity muscle pains. As a consequence, employment and economic hardships, domestic relocations, and psychological impairments affecting personal relationships occurred. The study summarizes common features of chronic disease, sensory paresthesia and hyperesthesia, diffuse muscular pain, insomnia, and accompanying emotional distress; highlights the frequently unsuccessful endeavours of individuals struggling to find effective treatment; proposes pathogenic mechanisms responsible for prolonged illness including possible reasons for differences in disease presentation in Hawaii compared to Southeast Asia.

Education is essential for lowering cases of Angiostrongyliasis in Hawaii. A professional development course on rat lungworm disease (RLWD) prevention was offered to Hawaii K-12 teachers during the 2018–2019 school year. Fourteen teachers, 11 from Hawaii Island and three from Maui, representing grades K, 2, 6–8, and 10−12, completed workshops and activities and received course credit. Teachers reached 652 students and educated 86 teachers and staff and approximately 900 community members including parents. A pre-course survey showed 55% of teachers agreed to a basic understanding of rat lungworm and its impact on Hawaii; this increased to 100% post-course. A sixth-grade class was the first to document the arrival of a highly competent intermediate host of the rat lungworm in a new location, an important discovery that initiated community awareness and control efforts. Six, 1-day workshops were held in 2018–2019, each on one of the main Hawaiian Islands. These were attended by 106 participants including teachers, community educators, and interested individuals from agencies, non-profits, businesses and the private sector. Of participants surveyed, 100% responded the workshop improved their overall understanding of RLWD. Efforts are being made to continue these programmes.

Basalt glass from Kilauea, Hawaii (SBG) starts to crystallize upon heat treatment in air at ∽840°C. In addition, oxidation takes place. The kinetics of both processes may be readily quantified though the mechanism is difficult to access. This work investigates the relationship between these processes, crystallization and oxidation, and the escape of volatiles from the glass/liquid upon reheating. Evolved gas analyses and differential scanning calorimetry are the techniques used. In addition, isothermal heat treatment in argon is carried out in order to eliminate the external reason for oxidation, the oxygen gradient, and to focus on intrinsic oxidation. Products are examined with 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. As expected, degassing temperatures of SBG, and of two MORB samples, considered for comparison, are above the glass transition temperature. We find no convincing evidence of intrinsic oxidation. Degassing is likely to induce interface-controlled crystallization.

Ka Loko Dam, in Kauai, Hawaii, failed suddenly and catastrophically on March 14, 2006. The resulting breachwas marked by three topographic benches, the lowest of which exposed native volcanic deposits once resident in the dam foundation. These deposits were found to contain outcrops of a waxy, gel-like material that appeared to result from in situ weathering processes. This unusual material was found to be highly enriched in halloysite. Gravel-size pieces in the hydraulic fill of the embankment derived from these materials also exhibited significant in situ weathering and significant halloysite content. Engineers and geologists generally recognize that bedrock materials weather progressively into soil constituents over ‘geological time’, and that this process is accelerated in tropical environments. Still, the strength, stiffness and durability of bedrock, earth and embankment materials are not expected to vary significantly over the geologically short life of a dam. In the case of Ka Loko Dam, however, the volcaniclastic sediments that comprise the local bedrock experienced substantial in situ weathering over its geologically brief 115-year operational lifetime. Prolonged exposure to seepage of anoxic water weathered the sediments completely to saprolite, including weak, sensitive, fine, spherical halloysite.

In situ Pleistocene reefs form a gently sloping nearshore terrace around the island of Oahu. TIMS Th–U ages of in situ corals indicate that most of the terrace is composed of reefal limestones correlating to Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 7 (MIS 7, ~ 190–245 ka). The position of the in situ MIS 7 reef complex indicates that it formed during periods when local sea level was ~ 9 to 20 m below present sea level. Its extensiveness and geomorphic prominence as well as a paucity of emergent in situ MIS 7 reef-framework deposits on Oahu suggest that much of MIS 7 was characterized by regional sea levels below present. Later accretion along the seaward front of the terrace occurred during the latter part of MIS 5 (i.e., MIS 5a–5d, ~ 76–113 ka). The position of the late MIS 5 reefal limestones is consistent with formation during a period when local sea level was below present. The extensiveness of the submerged Pleistocene reefs around Oahu compared to the relative dearth of Holocene accretion is due to the fact that Pleistocene reefs had both more time and more accommodation space available for accretion than their Holocene counterparts.

Miconia (Miconia calvescens DC.) is a tropical tree species from South and Central America that is a highly invasive colonizer of Hawaii's forested watersheds. Elimination of satellite populations is critical to an effective containment strategy, but extreme topography limits accessibility to remote populations by helicopter operations only. Herbicide Ballistic Technology (HBT) is a novel weed control tool designed to pneumatically deliver encapsulated herbicide projectiles. It is capable of accurately treating miconia satellites within a 30 m range in either horizontal or vertical trajectories. Efficacy was examined for the encapsulated herbicide projectiles, each containing 199.4 mg ae triclopyr, when applied to miconia in 5-unit increments. Experimental calibrations of the HBT platform were recorded on a Hughes 500-D helicopter while conducting surveillance operations from November 2010 through October 2011 on the islands of Maui and Kauai. Search efficiency (min ha−1; n = 13, R2 = 0.933, P< 0.001) and target acquisition rate (plants hr−1, n = 13, R2 = 0.926, P< 0.001) displayed positive linear and logarithmic relationships, respectively, to plant target density. The search efficiency equation estimated target acquisition time at 25.1 sec and a minimum surveillance rate of 67.8 s ha−1 when no targets were detected. The maximum target acquisition rate for the HBT platform was estimated at 143 targets hr−1. An average mortality factor of 0.542 was derived from the product of detection efficacy (0.560) and operational treatment efficacy (0.972) in overlapping buffer areas generated from repeated flight segments (n = 5). This population reduction value was used in simulation models to estimate the expected costs for one- and multi-year satellite population control strategies for qualifying options in cost optimization and risk aversion. This is a first report on the performance of an HBT helicopter platform demonstrating the capability for immediate, rapid-response control of new satellite plant detections, while conducting aerial surveillance of incipient miconia populations.

The optimal size and location of an invasive species population depend upon spatially differentiated biological growth, economic costs, and damages. Although largely absent from most economic models, spatial considerations matter because the likelihood and magnitude of the invasion vary spatially and the threatened assets may be unevenly distributed across space. We map the current and future populations of an invasive species, Miconia calvescens, on Oahu, Hawaii, and the potential damages to water quantity, quality, and endangered-species habitat, and weigh these against treatment costs. We find that optimal densities vary from approximately 1% to 18% cover throughout the island.

Introduction. Breadfruit, Artocarpus spp., is a staple crop with the potential to alleviate hunger and increase food security in tropical regions. Guidelines and recommendations for cultivar selection and production practices are now required for establishment of breadfruit in new areas. Materials and methods. To respond to this need for spreading breadfruit, our study quantified the growth, development, yield and seasonality of 24 breadfruit cultivars (26 trees) established in Kauai, Hawaii, over a 7-year period from 2006–2012. Individual production profiles were generated for each accessioned cultivar based on major agricultural factors. Results. Across all cultivars of breadfruit ( A. altilis), an average of 269 fruits per year was produced by each tree with an average fruit weight of 1.2 kg. Based on the planting density of 50 trees×ha–1, this translates to an average projected yield of 5.23 t×ha–1 after 7 years. Hybrids (A. altilis × A. mariannensis) had a higher yield than breadfruit. The data of our article support the previously proposed hypothesis for predicting breadfruit seasonality. On average, the peak season occurred from July to November. Conclusions. Ma’afala, the first widely available commercial cultivar, started to bear fruit within 22 to 23 months of planting. Other cultivars with potential for commercial production include Toneno, White, Rotuma and Meinpadahk.

Next-generation 454 sequencing techniques were used to re-examine diversity of mitochondrial cytochrome b lineages of avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) in Hawaii. We document a minimum of 23 variant lineages of the parasite based on single nucleotide transitional changes, in addition to the previously reported single lineage (GRW4). A new, publicly available portal (Integroomer) was developed for initial parsing of 454 datasets. Mean variant prevalence and frequency was higher in low elevation Hawaii Amakihi (Hemignathus virens) with Avipoxvirus-like lesions (P = 0·001), suggesting that the variants may be biologically distinct. By contrast, variant prevalence and frequency did not differ significantly among mid-elevation Apapane (Himatione sanguinea) with or without lesions (P = 0·691). The low frequency and the lack of detection of variants independent of GRW4 suggest that multiple independent introductions of P. relictum to Hawaii are unlikely. Multiple variants may have been introduced in heteroplasmy with GRW4 or exist within the tandem repeat structure of the mitochondrial genome. The discovery of multiple mitochondrial lineages of P. relictum in Hawaii provides a measure of genetic diversity within a geographically isolated population of this parasite and suggests the origins and evolution of parasite diversity may be more complicated than previously recognized.