The Congress of Micronesia: Development of the Legislative Process in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

In the western Pacific Ocean north of the equator, the far-flung islands of Micronesia extend across an area as large as that of the United States. Most of this area is administered by the United States as a trusteeship granted by the United Nations after World War II. Having been governed in turn by three other world powers— Spain, Germany, and Japan— the 91,000 Micronesian inhabitants are now at last in the process of working out their own political future. This book, a thorough, scholarly study of the development of the legislative process in the Trust Territory, focuses on the Congress of Micronesia, the legislature destined to carry the burden of the political development in the Territory. It examines institution-building over a period of two decades, describing how American forms and processes have been modified to fit the indigenous cultures of Micronesia, and how these cultures have accommodated to them. It also treats the impact of institutional change upon the role of indigenous leadership, highlighting the emergence of Micronesian leaders most capable of participating in the new political system. Here are detailed the day by day negotiations to set up a district legislature between the spokesmen for aboriginal Yap (of stone money fame) and the chiefs of the island empire which once paid it tribute. Here is described what happens when the U.S. Supreme Court’s “one man, one vote” formula is applied to people yet learning how to vote. The United States today has no defined policy for the eventual status of her Pacific island possessions. The future of Guam and American Samoa remains unclear. But the legislators of the Trust Territory have acted for the people they represent. Their adopted legislative institution will be central in determining whether or not the Trust Territory will become fully self-governing and independent

Saipan's Camp Susupe

ill., maps ; 28 cmIncludes bibliographical references (p. 131

Chemokine ligand-receptor interactions critically regulate cutaneous wound healing

Background: Wound healing represents a dynamic process involving directional migration of different cell types. Chemokines, a family of chemoattractive proteins, have been suggested to be key players in cell-to-cell communication and essential for directed migration of structural cells. Today, the role of the chemokine network in cutaneous wound healing is not fully understood. Unraveling the chemokine-driven communication pathways in this complex process could possibly lead to new therapeutic strategies in wound healing disorders. Methods: We performed a systematic, comprehensive time-course analysis of the expression and function of a broad variety of cytokines, growth factors, adhesion molecules, matrixmetalloproteinases and chemokines in a murine cutaneous wound healing model. Results: Strikingly, chemokines were found to be among the most highly regulated genes and their expression was found to coincide with the expression of their matching receptors. Accordingly, we could show that resting and activated human primary keratinocytes (CCR3, CCR4, CCR6, CXCR1, CXCR3), dermal fibroblasts (CCR3, CCR4, CCR10) and dermal microvascular endothelial cells (CCR3, CCR4, CCR6, CCR8, CCR9, CCR10, CXCR1, CXCR2, CXCR3) express a distinct and functionally active repertoire of chemokine receptors. Furthermore, chemokine ligand-receptor interactions markedly improved the wound repair of structural skin cells in vitro. Conclusion: Taken together, we here present the most comprehensive analysis of mediators critically involved in acute cutaneous wound healing. Our findings suggest therapeutic approaches for the management of wound closure by targeting the chemokine network

X chromosomal regulation in flies: when less is more

In Drosophila, dosage compensation of the single male X chromosome involves upregulation of expression of X linked genes. Dosage compensation complex or the male specific lethal (MSL) complex is intimately involved in this regulation. The MSL complex members decorate the male X chromosome by binding on hundreds of sites along the X chromosome. Recent genome wide analysis has brought new light into X chromosomal regulation. It is becoming increasingly clear that although the X chromosome achieves male specific regulation via the MSL complex members, a number of general factors also impinge on this regulation. Future studies integrating these aspects promise to shed more light into this epigenetic phenomenon

Silencing microRNA-134 produces neuroprotective and prolonged seizure-suppressive effects

Temporal lobe epilepsy is a common, chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs that regulate post-transcriptional expression of protein-coding mRNAs, which may have key roles in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. In experimental models of prolonged, injurious seizures (status epilepticus) and in human epilepsy, we found upregulation of miR-134, a brain-specific, activity-regulated miRNA that has been implicated in the control of dendritic spine morphology. Silencing of miR-134 expression in vivo using antagomirs reduced hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neuron dendrite spine density by 21% and rendered mice refractory to seizures and hippocampal injury caused by status epilepticus. Depletion of miR-134 after status epilepticus in mice reduced the later occurrence of spontaneous seizures by over 90% and mitigated the attendant pathological features of temporal lobe epilepsy. Thus, silencing miR-134 exerts prolonged seizure-suppressant and neuroprotective actions; determining whether these are anticonvulsant effects or are truly antiepileptogenic effects requires additional experimentation

Facility layout design using a multi-objective interactive genetic algorithm to support the DM

The unequal area facility layout problem (UA-FLP) has been addressed by many methods. Most of them only take aspects that can be quantified into account. This contribution presents a novel approach, which considers both quantitative aspects and subjective features. To this end, a multi-objective interactive genetic algorithm is proposed with the aim of allowing interaction between the algorithm and the human expert designer, normally called the decision maker (DM) in the field of UA-FLP. The contribution of the DM's knowledge into the approach guides the complex search process, adjusting it to the DM's preferences. The entire population associated to facility layout designs is evaluated by quantitative criteria in combination with an assessment prepared by the DM, who gives a subjective evaluation for a set of representative individuals of the population in each iteration. In order to choose these individuals, a soft computing clustering method is used. Two interesting real-world data sets are analysed to empirically probe the robustness of these models. The first UA-FLP case study describes an ovine slaughterhouse plant and the second, a design for recycling carton plant. Relevant results are obtained, and interesting conclusions are drawn from the application of this novel intelligent framework

Reduced Mature MicroRNA Levels in Association with Dicer Loss in Human Temporal Lobe Epilepsy with Hippocampal Sclerosis

Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is a common pathological finding in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and is associated with altered expression of genes controlling neuronal excitability, glial function, neuroinflammation and cell death. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, function as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and are critical for normal brain development and function. Production of mature miRNAs requires Dicer, an RNAase III, loss of which has been shown to cause neuronal and glial dysfunction, seizures, and neurodegeneration. Here we investigated miRNA biogenesis in hippocampal and neocortical resection specimens from pharmacoresistant TLE patients and autopsy controls. Western blot analysis revealed protein levels of Dicer were significantly lower in certain TLE patients with HS. Dicer levels were also reduced in the hippocampus of mice subject to experimentally-induced epilepsy. To determine if Dicer loss was associated with altered miRNA processing, we profiled levels of 380 mature miRNAs in control and TLE-HS samples. Expression of nearly 200 miRNAs was detected in control human hippocampus. In TLE-HS samples there was a large-scale reduction of miRNA expression, with 51% expressed at lower levels and a further 24% not detectable. Primary transcript (pri-miRNAs) expression levels for several tested miRNAs were not different between control and TLE-HS samples. These findings suggest loss of Dicer and failure of mature miRNA expression may be a feature of the pathophysiology of HS in patients with TLE

A comprehensive overview of radioguided surgery using gamma detection probe technology

The concept of radioguided surgery, which was first developed some 60 years ago, involves the use of a radiation detection probe system for the intraoperative detection of radionuclides. The use of gamma detection probe technology in radioguided surgery has tremendously expanded and has evolved into what is now considered an established discipline within the practice of surgery, revolutionizing the surgical management of many malignancies, including breast cancer, melanoma, and colorectal cancer, as well as the surgical management of parathyroid disease. The impact of radioguided surgery on the surgical management of cancer patients includes providing vital and real-time information to the surgeon regarding the location and extent of disease, as well as regarding the assessment of surgical resection margins. Additionally, it has allowed the surgeon to minimize the surgical invasiveness of many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, while still maintaining maximum benefit to the cancer patient. In the current review, we have attempted to comprehensively evaluate the history, technical aspects, and clinical applications of radioguided surgery using gamma detection probe technology