UH researcher aids in spotting cancer link
An international team led by University of Hawaii Cancer Center researcher Haining Yang has identified a protein known as HMGB1 as a critical link in the development of malignant mesothelioma, one of the deadliest forms of cancer.
The findings were published in the current issue of the online journal Cancer Research.
Mesothelioma has been linked to occupational and environmental exposure to asbestos and the naturally occurring mineral fiber erionite. The average survival for those with the disease is less than a year, in part because the cancer is highly aggressive and resistant to current treatments, and because it is usually diagnosed in its late stages.
HMGB1, a "damage-associated molecular pattern" protein, had been previously associated with the transformation of mesothelial cells. The new study outlines the specific role HMGB1 plays in the growth and development of malignant mesothelioma.
The new findings have been welcomed as a important step in improving the prospects for early detection of mesothelioma and developing strategies for prevention.
The study included investigators from the University of Hawaii Cancer Center; the John A. Burns School of Medicine; the San Raffaele University and Research Institute in Milan, Italy; the National Institutes for Health in Bethesda, Md.; and the New York University School of Medicine.
Sewer pipe floats to surface of Ala Wai
A temporary black sewer pipe surfaced Saturday in the Ala Wai Canal, but the pipe is not leaking or posing a health risk, the city Environmental Services Department said in a release.
The pipe was exposed after an air bubble floated a 100-foot section of it and its anchors near the Hawai‘i Convention Center, the city said. The 5,000-foot-long pipe was installed after the massive Beachwalk force main break in 2006.
Only a small amount of sewage flows through the temporary bypass pipe. The original rehabilitated main handles most of the sewage flow.
Work crews will resubmerge the pipe today.
Man apparently drowns while scuba diving
A man apparently drowned Sunday in the ocean off Kalapana on Hawaii island.
Hawaii News Now said the victim as a man who had been scuba diving.
According to a Hawaii Country Fire Department report, the victim was initially transported back toward the Pohoiki boat ramp by a dive vessel. The operator of the dive boat was unable to perform CPR due to a lack of personnel on the boat.
The fire rescue crew recovered the victim from the dive vessel using a net and brought the victim back to an area fronting Kalapana Seaview Estates.
Personnel on the scene determined that the victim was "obviously" dead on arrival, the fire report noted.
Body of adult is discovered on Garden Isle
A body was found Sunday in a pool of water near a popular tourist spot on Kauai’s north shore, a Kauai County spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman said a bystander found the body in a pool of water off Queen’s Bath Trail in Princeville and called police at 11:57 a.m. Sunday.
Police recovered the body and requested an autopsy for today.
The spokeswoman said it was unclear how long the body was in the pool.
She said the body was that of an adult, but could not provide its sex or age. Police were investigating to determine whether foul play was involved.
Further details were not available.
Queen’s Bath is a pool in a lava shelf along the ocean at the bottom of a steep path.
