Vegetation and Flora of the Aleipata Islands, Western Samoa

The botany of four small, relatively undisturbed tuff cone islands off the east coast of Upolu, Western Samoa, is examined. During a series of visits to the islands, the vegetation was studied in nine sample plots, and a checklist of the 260 species comprising the flora was compiled. Six types of native vegetation are recognized, one of which (Diospyros coastal forest) appears to be unique to tuff cone islands. Casual observations were made on the avifauna and turtle species, and the ecological significance of the islands is discussed

Impaired immune function in Gulf War Illness

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gulf War Illness (GWI) remains a serious health consequence for at least 11,000 veterans of the first Gulf War in the early 1990s. Our understanding of the health consequences that resulted remains inadequate, and this is of great concern with another deployment to the same theater of operations occurring now. Chronic immune cell dysfunction and activation have been demonstrated in patients with GWI, although the literature is not uniform. We exposed GWI patients and matched controls to an exercise challenge to explore differences in immune cell function measured by classic immune assays and gene expression profiling.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This pilot study enrolled 9 GWI cases identified from the Department of Veterans Affairs GWI registry, and 11 sedentary control veterans who had not been deployed to the Persian Gulf and were matched to cases by sex, body mass index (BMI) and age. We measured peripheral blood cell numbers, NK cytotoxicity, cytokines and expression levels of 20,000 genes immediately before, immediately after and 4 hours following a standard bicycle ergometer exercise challenge.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences for three NK cell subsets and NK cytotoxicity between cases and controls (p < 0.05). Linear regression analysis correlating NK cell numbers to the gene expression profiles showed high correlation of genes associated with NK cell function, serving as a biologic validation of both the <it>in vitro </it>assays and the microarray platform. Intracellular perforin levels in NK and CD8 T-cells trended lower and showed a flatter profile in GWI cases than controls, as did the expression levels of the perforin gene PRF1. Genes distinguishing cases from controls were associated with the glucocorticoid signaling pathway.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>GWI patients demonstrated impaired immune function as demonstrated by decreased NK cytotoxicity and altered gene expression associated with NK cell function. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, T-cell ratios, and dysregulated mediators of the stress response (including salivary cortisol) were also altered in GWI cases compared to control subjects. An interesting and potentially important observation was that the exercise challenge augments these differences, with the most significant effects observed immediately after the stressor, possibly implicating some block in the NK and CD8 T-cells ability to respond to "stress-mediated activation". This has positive implications for the development of laboratory diagnostic tests for this syndrome and provides a paradigm for exploration of the immuno-physiological mechanisms that are operating in GWI, and similar complex syndromes. Our results do not necessarily elucidate the cause of GWI, but they do reveal a role for immune cell dysfunction in sustaining illness.</p

Vegetation of Samoa and Tonga

Based on field studies and a previous review of the literature, 22 plant communities are recognized in the two adjacent South Pacific archipelagoes of Samoa and Tonga. Because of similarities of climate and flora, most of the communities are similar in the two archipelagoes; the major differences result from the coralline nature of most of Tonga and the volcanic nature of Samoa. The communities are briefly described, the dominant species are listed, and the variation between the two archipelagoes is noted

Vegetation of the Montane Region of Savai'i, Western Samoa

The natural vegetation of the volcanic region of Savai'i, Western Samoa, as surveyed on an expedition in 1975, is described. The natural vegetation of the highlands consists of cloud forest and smaller amounts of lavaflow scrub, scrub and herbaceous vegetation of cinder and ash deposits, and montane meadows. All but the latter were sampled for species composition and relative dominance of species. An annotated checklist of all flowering plant species collected or recorded on the expedition is included

The Other Polynesian Gourd

A review of botanical specimens and ethnographic literature indicates that a small calabash used as a vessel for scented coconut oil in Polynesia before European contact belongs to Benin casa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn., the wax gourd, rather than to Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl., the bottle gourd. Current literature does not mention any use of the edible wax gourd fruit as a calabash. It was also determined that there is no verifiable record of the bottle gourd having been present in western Polynesia before 1965, suggesting that the known occurrence of this species in eastern Polynesia before European contact may be attributed to dispersal from South America rather than from the west as is commonly believed

Vegetation of Eastern Samoa

Ph.D. University of Hawaii at Manoa 1979Includes bibliographical references (leaves 317-325).Ph.D

Botanical inventory of the proposed Ta'u Unit of the National Park of American Samoa

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.Two or three decades ago, Samoa had the highest percentage of intact native vegetation of any Polynesian archipelago. This may still be true, but since then nearly all of the forests of the lowlands (up to ca. 400 m elevation) have been felled or burned for agriculture to keep up with the explosive population growth of the islands, or were decimated by commercial logging operations (particularly in Western Samoa). Nearly all that is left of native Samoan forest is in the montane regions, and even those are currently under siege. Because of this tragic loss of Samoan rain forest, the area of the park represents a significant remnant of native Samoan vegetation, and is important for the unique plant communities it contains. The park is also important because of its rich flora. Only a few of the native species are endemic to the island (less than six), but 329 native vascular plant species have been recorded there. Although only few of the species on Ta'u would end up on an endangered species list, the importance of preserving such a diverse assemblage of plants in their native habitat cannot be over-emphasized. Even with the protection afforded the area by its ranking as a national park, there are threats to the native vegetation and flora, the most serious of which come from human activities.National Park Service Cooperative Agreement CA 8034 2 000

Botanical Inventory of the Proposed Tutuila and Ofu Units of the National Park of American Samoa

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.The park is important because of the native vegetation it contains. Some of the best lowland forest remaining in the archipelago is found on Tutuila. It occurs in two main areas, one within the park boundaries between Fagasa and Afono, the other on the northwest Tutuila coast between the villages of Fagamalo and Fagasa. The park is also important for floristic reasons. The native flora of the whole archipelago consists of about 540 species of flowering plants and 230 species of ferns and fern allies. Tutuila is home to 57% of the native flowering plants of the archipelago and 50% of the native fern and fern allies. The park itself contains 39% (209 species) and 35% (81 species), respectively.National Park Service Cooperative Agreement CA 8034 2 000

Permanent forest plot data from the National Park of American Samoa

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.The National Park of American Samoa comprises units on three islands, Tutuila, Ta'u, and Ofu. The basis for this project began in December of 1990 with field work for a botanical inventory of the vegetation and flora of the proposed National Park unit on the island of Ta'u, the culmination of which was subsequently published. A second phase of the work began in 1992 with field work for a similar survey on the island of Tutuila, which was also published. However, these surveys did not establish any permanent plots that could be sampled at a later date to determine vegetational and successional changes and trends over time. Consequently, in 1993 a new project was carried out on Tutuila and Ta'u to establish permanent forest plots. The survey established three permanent plots on Ta'u and five on Tutuila in areas of secondary and primary forest.National Park Service Cooperative Agreement CA 8034 2 000

A REVISION OF SYZYGIUM (MYRTACEAE) IN SAMOA

Volume: 69Start Page: 167End Page: 19