Chaminade University of Honolulu

About: Chaminade University of Honolulu is a education organization based out in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Experiential learning. The organization has 164 authors who have published 223 publications receiving 5381 citations.

Cover Essay: Ka Ahupua‘a

Abstract: (Prayer of Healing for the Earth) We begin this essay in the language of our ancestors who were cognizant of all things in the cosmos as living and communicating, and that if the earth lives and the forests grow, then future generations of mankind will also flourish and survive. In early Hawai‘i, well before Western contact, kanaka maoli (indigenous Hawaiians) believed that every thing in nature was alive with mana, spiritual power, and coexisted in nature with mankind. Kanaka maoli believed in a multitude of gods, and these gods took many different forms. The four primary gods were: Kane, creator of man, symbol of life, god of freshwater and sunlight; Lono, god of agriculture, clouds, and weather; Ku, god of the forest, leadership, medicine, and war; and Kanaloa, god of the wind and ocean. Early kanaka maoli believed that they were direct descendants of the mating of Wakea, sky father and Papa, earth mother. Since we all share the same parents, we are ‘ohana or family. And since our parents are living, everything is living. Everything is conscious and communicating, inclusive of animate and inanimate objects. The wind, the sounds, the rocks—all we have to do is open our receptors—everything is alive. Wellness is the constant interaction between all life forces. When there is proper interaction, things are pono or in harmony, and mana maintains this balance. Spiritual interrelationships are primary, and proper thoughts and actions maintain pono. Ill health is loss of pono and loss of mana, whether it is in humans or in the environment. Kanaka maoli believed that our siblings are the plants and animals in nature. Therefore, through these relationships, it was everyone’s responsibility to m alama ‘ aina, care for the land and all her natural resources. These were collective relationships with all in the cosmos. The early kanaka maoli had a saying, ‘‘He ali‘i no ka ‘ aina; he kauw a wale ke kanaka,’’ the land is chief; the human is but a servant. Artist and illustrator, Ms. Marilyn Kahalewai’s painting of an ahupua‘a on the cover of this issue provides a glimpse of a traditional time in Hawai‘i’s pre-Western history. Ahupua‘a was a self-sustaining environment, extending from the mountain to the sea with productive interdependence of all life forms. Each district or territory was marked by an ahu (altar) made of stones and surmounted by a carved image of the head of a pua‘a (hog), which was a form of Lono, the god of rain and agriculture. The ali‘i or chief of the island divided his land into moku or districts. The subdivisions of the moku were the ahupua‘a. An ahupua‘a contained the range of products and resources from the upland, the plains, and the sea—everything the people needed to survive. From the uka or uplands and mountains, the koa trees were cut down and hollowed to make canoes, spears and tools were carved from the kauila hardwood, durable cordage for fish nets and fish lines were made EcoHealth 2, 373–375, 2005 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-005-8932-8

Understanding the Role of Mental Health Clubhouses in Promoting Wellness and Health Equity Using Pilinahā—An Indigenous Framework for Health

Abstract: Individuals with severe mental illness need to be engaged in defining their own vision of wellness to promote equity and reduce disparities. This photovoice study helps define what wellness is and how it is achieved in mental health Clubhouses in Hawai'i. Results from a photovoice study with 43 members and staff were analyzed using Pilinahā, a Native Hawaiian framework for health. Pilinahā envisions health through connection to place, community, past and future, and one's better self. Within Clubhouses, connection to place included connection to 'āina (land) and the access to a safe space. Connection to community occurred through reciprocal social support, which developed kuleana (responsibility), and a sense of 'ohana (family) for many members who were previously isolated. Connection to one's better self-involved positive identity change, development of hope, and pursuing opportunities within and outside the Clubhouse. Connection to past and future was described through individual narratives, remembering members who had died, and connection to cultural traditions. Overall, wellness was conceptualized as the ability to work toward dreams, engage in cultural practice, and feel accepted, respected, and valued-to be treated with aloha. Findings provide a culturally responsive perspective on wellness and illustrate the value of Clubhouses as a space for mental health recovery and transformative change.

Comparative Analysis of Lipotoxicity Induced by Endocrine, Pharmacological, and Innate Immune Stimuli in Rat Basophilic Leukemia Cells

Abstract: Cellular lipotoxicity manifests as the steatotic accumulation of lipid droplets or lipid bodies, and/or induction of phospholipidosis Lipotoxicity can be induced by hyperinsulinemia/nutrient overload, cationic amphiphilic drugs (CAD), and innate immunological stimuli, all of which are stimuli relevant to mast cell physiology Hyper-accumulation of mast cell lipid bodies in response to hyperinsulinemia has been documented, but lipotoxicity in response to CAD or innate immunologic stimuli has not been analysed comparatively Moreover, gaps in our understanding of this steatosis remain, specifically as to whether hyperinsulinemia-driven steatosis in these cells attains lipotoxic levels or is accompanied by phospholipidosis To compare endocrine, pharmacological, and innate immunological stimuli for their ability to induce steatosis and phospholipidosis in a rat basophilic leukemia mast cell model (RBL2H3), differential fluorescence microscopy staining and quantitation of phospholipidosis and steatos

Cleaning Puparia for Forensic Analysis.

Abstract: We tested procedures for removing adipocere from insect samples to allow identification. An acceptable procedure was determined: (i) Samples were sorted in petri dishes with 75% alcohol to remove any larvae, adult insects, or other soft-bodied material. (ii) Samples of up to 24 puparia were placed in a vial with 15 mL of 95% acetone, capped, and vortexed for a total of 30–90 sec in 10- to 15-sec bursts. This step removed large masses of adipocere or soil from specimen. (iii) Specimens were removed from acetone and placed in a vial of 15 mL of 2% potassium hydroxide (KOH) and vortexed in 10- to 15-sec bursts until all puparia appeared clean (with our samples this required a total of 60–120 sec). (iv) Specimens were removed from the 2% KOH, placed in 75% ethanol, and examined microscopically. (v) Material was stored in 75% ethanol for identification and long-term preservation.