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| Although a tropical depression tracking toward Hawai`i Island is growing, forecasters expect it to lose strength before arriving. Map from NHC |
RESEARCH IN COFFEE BERRY BORER management is opening new paths in pest control, according to a story in the Economist, and it could be coming from the gut. Researchers have found that, while caffeine is toxic to most insects, coffee berry borers have bacteria that shield them from harmful effects of caffeine by destroying it before it can be absorbed through the bugs’ gut linings.
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| Unlike other insects, coffee berry borers have a natural tolerance of caffeine. |
Researchers hope to create bacteriaphages that would kill the bacteria, allowing caffeine to migrate into other parts of CBBs and kill them.
In one experiment, researchers led by Eoin Brodie, of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Fernando Vega, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sterilized pests’ guts and place them through an entire life cycle lasting 44 days. They reported that population dropped by 95 percent and that those that survived had trouble moving from larva to pupa stages.
“Many plants use poisons to protect themselves from insects,” researchers said. “Being able to circumvent these natural insecticides is an important part of becoming abundant enough to constitute a pest. It is possible other agronomists who have been seeking to understand how critters do this have been looking in the wrong place – i.e., at the critters themselves, rather than among the bacteria in their guts.”
In one experiment, researchers led by Eoin Brodie, of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Fernando Vega, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sterilized pests’ guts and place them through an entire life cycle lasting 44 days. They reported that population dropped by 95 percent and that those that survived had trouble moving from larva to pupa stages.
“Many plants use poisons to protect themselves from insects,” researchers said. “Being able to circumvent these natural insecticides is an important part of becoming abundant enough to constitute a pest. It is possible other agronomists who have been seeking to understand how critters do this have been looking in the wrong place – i.e., at the critters themselves, rather than among the bacteria in their guts.”
See economist.com.
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| Members of a group on Mauna Kea show documents delivered by DLNR. Image from Na`au News Now |
NA`AU NEWS NOW ON FACEBOOK is providing daily updates from the summit of Mauna Loa, where a group is holding vigil in opposition to construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope despite state emergency rules in place that limit camping supplies and access to the summit. On yesterday’s video entry, one person held up a list of rules and pointed out that one of the documents had no official state seal or signatures. The text on the entry states that, “While most of our kia`i were out doing morning pule, DLNR stopped by our aloha `aina checkpoint to serve one of our protectors a couple of frivolous documents while again being reminded of the rights and laws that protect us as kanaka maoli, Hawaiian Nationals, and religious and cultural practicioners here on our sacred Mauna. Mahalo nui for the commited support. We love you guys!”
According to an entry this morning, DLNR today served a paper along with the emergency rule changes. “Looks like they are incompetently suggesting that a bunch of frivolous state laws may apply to our vigil here to protect our mauna,” the entry states. “If this doesn’t convince you of the level of shear dysfunction the defacto state and its agencies operates at, maybe the fact that they still haven’t addressed the mounting piles of fecal matter, from unaccommodated visitors and tourists, littering our critical mamane habitat will.”
According to an entry this morning, DLNR today served a paper along with the emergency rule changes. “Looks like they are incompetently suggesting that a bunch of frivolous state laws may apply to our vigil here to protect our mauna,” the entry states. “If this doesn’t convince you of the level of shear dysfunction the defacto state and its agencies operates at, maybe the fact that they still haven’t addressed the mounting piles of fecal matter, from unaccommodated visitors and tourists, littering our critical mamane habitat will.”
See facebook.com/pages/NAAU-News-Now.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
HAWAI`I IS FACING OF SHORTAGE of translators who speak English and languages of Compact of Free Association nations, including the Marshall Island, Palau and Micronesia. According to an Associated Press story by Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, court requests for translation services “have soared due to an influx of migrants” from these nations.
On Hawai`i Island, a case is currently delayed because of a defendant’s right to hear the proceedings “in the Marshall Island’s tongue,” Sinco Kelleher said. The man is accused of shooting a woman and a police officer.
“The Pacific Island languages are a really hard one,” Debi Tulang-De Silva, program director of the state Judiciary’s Office on Equality and Access to the Courts, told Sinco Kelleher. “It’s really difficult to find qualified interpreters in those languages.”
The story states that Republic of Marshall Islands Consulate in Honolulu estimates that 3,000 to 4,000 people in the state speak Marshallese. The total number of COFA citizens is estimated at 20,000.
For more information about translation opportunities, see http://www.courts.state.hi.us/services/court_interpreting/court_interpreting.html.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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A LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM MORE THAN 1,900 miles east-southeast of Hilo has acquired enough persistent deep convection near the center to be upgraded to a tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Center. TD Eight-E has a well defined circulation center and inner-core wind field. Although the depression is a sheared tropical cyclone, a Dvorak satellite classification also justifies upgrading the low to a tropical depression at this time.
The NHC model guidance expects the tropical cyclone to move toward the west-northwest for the next 72 hours or so due to a strong deep-layer ridge locate to its north.
The cyclone is not expected to intensify much due to persistent moderate northwesterly vertical wind shear and the cyclone moving over marginal sea-surface temperatures after 72 hours.
There will also likely be occasional intrusions of drier and more stable air, which lies just to the north of the forecast track, into the cyclone. However, the well-established southerly low-level inflow of unstable air should help to maintain enough convection to keep this system as a tropical cyclone throughout the forecast period.
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“The Pacific Island languages are a really hard one,” Debi Tulang-De Silva, program director of the state Judiciary’s Office on Equality and Access to the Courts, told Sinco Kelleher. “It’s really difficult to find qualified interpreters in those languages.”
The story states that Republic of Marshall Islands Consulate in Honolulu estimates that 3,000 to 4,000 people in the state speak Marshallese. The total number of COFA citizens is estimated at 20,000.
For more information about translation opportunities, see http://www.courts.state.hi.us/services/court_interpreting/court_interpreting.html.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
A LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM MORE THAN 1,900 miles east-southeast of Hilo has acquired enough persistent deep convection near the center to be upgraded to a tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Center. TD Eight-E has a well defined circulation center and inner-core wind field. Although the depression is a sheared tropical cyclone, a Dvorak satellite classification also justifies upgrading the low to a tropical depression at this time.
The NHC model guidance expects the tropical cyclone to move toward the west-northwest for the next 72 hours or so due to a strong deep-layer ridge locate to its north.
The cyclone is not expected to intensify much due to persistent moderate northwesterly vertical wind shear and the cyclone moving over marginal sea-surface temperatures after 72 hours.
There will also likely be occasional intrusions of drier and more stable air, which lies just to the north of the forecast track, into the cyclone. However, the well-established southerly low-level inflow of unstable air should help to maintain enough convection to keep this system as a tropical cyclone throughout the forecast period.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
ONE IN EIGHT CHILDREN IN HAWAI`I LIVE in poverty, according to KIDS COUNT data. University of Hawai`i reported Ivette Rodriguez Stern, of the University of Hawai`i at Manoa Center on the Family, saying, “We have more children in poverty now, more children living in high-poverty neighborhoods, and over a quarter of our children living in families where parents lack secure employment.” That’s over 40,000 children – worse than in 2008, at the height of the recession. The mainland is also seeing worsening child poverty.
UH’s numbers are from the 2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which presents data on education, health and family and community as well as economic well-being.
Stern said that three of the four economic conditions tracked have worsened since 2008. The only one that improved was the share of children living in households with a high housing burden, where more than 30 percent of household income goes for housing. Despite this improvement, Hawai`i still has the fifth-worst high housing burden rate in the nation. In general, Hawai`i’s high cost of living makes the poverty burden worse.
Living in poverty can also worsen other outcomes for kids, UH reported. “Research shows that growing up in poor and low-income households can have long-lasting effects on children’s learning, health and earning potential as adults,” said Marianne Berry, director of UH's Center on the Family.
Income boosters can help change outcomes for children. “The good news,” Berry pointed out, “is that when we invest in the right strategies and policies, we can make a difference for kids.” Stern said, “Studies show that boosting low family income by just a few thousand dollars can really make a difference in changing outcomes for children, especially early in childhood.” She suggests that a state Earned Income Tax Credit would bolster effects of the successful federal EITC to provide those critical dollars.
High-quality and reliable early care and education programs targeting low-income families can also minimize achievement gaps caused by poverty.
The Data Book, which ranks each state on overall child well-being, shows Hawai`i is right in the middle, 24 out of 50. There have been some gains in education, with steady improvements in reading and math proficiency rates and in on-time high school graduation. However, Hawai`i is still near the bottom third among states in education. Health conditions – percent of low-birthweight babies, children without health insurance, child and teen deaths and percent of teens who abuse substances – have remained somewhat stable since 2008, and Hawai`i has the second-smallest share of children without health insurance. Hawai`i is also relatively high among states in the area of family and community well-being, 11 out of 50.
See aecf.org/resources/the-2015-kids-count-data-book and hawaii.edu.news.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
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Stern said that three of the four economic conditions tracked have worsened since 2008. The only one that improved was the share of children living in households with a high housing burden, where more than 30 percent of household income goes for housing. Despite this improvement, Hawai`i still has the fifth-worst high housing burden rate in the nation. In general, Hawai`i’s high cost of living makes the poverty burden worse.
Living in poverty can also worsen other outcomes for kids, UH reported. “Research shows that growing up in poor and low-income households can have long-lasting effects on children’s learning, health and earning potential as adults,” said Marianne Berry, director of UH's Center on the Family.
Income boosters can help change outcomes for children. “The good news,” Berry pointed out, “is that when we invest in the right strategies and policies, we can make a difference for kids.” Stern said, “Studies show that boosting low family income by just a few thousand dollars can really make a difference in changing outcomes for children, especially early in childhood.” She suggests that a state Earned Income Tax Credit would bolster effects of the successful federal EITC to provide those critical dollars.
High-quality and reliable early care and education programs targeting low-income families can also minimize achievement gaps caused by poverty.
The Data Book, which ranks each state on overall child well-being, shows Hawai`i is right in the middle, 24 out of 50. There have been some gains in education, with steady improvements in reading and math proficiency rates and in on-time high school graduation. However, Hawai`i is still near the bottom third among states in education. Health conditions – percent of low-birthweight babies, children without health insurance, child and teen deaths and percent of teens who abuse substances – have remained somewhat stable since 2008, and Hawai`i has the second-smallest share of children without health insurance. Hawai`i is also relatively high among states in the area of family and community well-being, 11 out of 50.
See aecf.org/resources/the-2015-kids-count-data-book and hawaii.edu.news.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
TODAY, U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD commemorated National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, marking the anniversary of the Korean War ceasefire agreement signed on July 27, 1953.
“Today our nation honors the 5.7 million American men and women who served during the Korean War era,” Gabbard said. “We pay tribute to 407 service members from Hawai`i who made the ultimate sacrifice. The service and sacrifice of our Korean War veterans will never be forgotten.”
Gabbard is a cosponsor of H.R. 1475, the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act, and H.Con.Res. 50, a bill that would establish a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery for service members who died or who are missing in action, unaccounted for or died on the Korean peninsula after the Korean War armistice was signed.
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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
“Today our nation honors the 5.7 million American men and women who served during the Korean War era,” Gabbard said. “We pay tribute to 407 service members from Hawai`i who made the ultimate sacrifice. The service and sacrifice of our Korean War veterans will never be forgotten.”
Gabbard is a cosponsor of H.R. 1475, the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act, and H.Con.Res. 50, a bill that would establish a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery for service members who died or who are missing in action, unaccounted for or died on the Korean peninsula after the Korean War armistice was signed.
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HOVE ROAD MAINTENANCE board of directors meets tomorrow at 10 a.m. at St. Jude’s Church. Call 929-9910 for more information.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
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| See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf. |
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| See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_July2015.pdf. |
