Synopsis of researcher meeting -- Bottlenose Dolphin Health & Risk Assessment Project, February 22-24, 2005

A meeting was convened on February 22-24, 2005 in Charleston, South Carolina to bring together researchers collaborating on the Bottlenose Dolphin Health and Risk Assessment (HERA) Project to review and discuss preliminary health-related findings from captured dolphins during 2003 and 2004 in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), FL and Charleston (CHS), SC. Over 30 researchers with diverse research expertise representing government, academic and marine institutions participated in the 2-1/2 day meeting. The Bottlenose Dolphin HERA Project is a comprehensive, integrated, multi-disciplinary research program designed to assess environmental and anthropogenic stressors, as well as the health and long-term viability of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Standardized and comprehensive protocols are being used to evaluate dolphin health in the coastal ecosystems in the IRL and CHS. The Bottlenose Dolphin Health and Risk Assessment (HERA) Project was initiated in 2003 by Dr. Patricia Fair at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Ocean Service/Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research and Dr. Gregory Bossart at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution under NMFS Scientific Research Permit No. 998-1678-00 issued to Dr. Bossart. Towards this end, this study focuses on developing tools and techniques to better identify health threats to these dolphins, and to develop links to possible environmental stressors. Thus, the primary objective of the Dolphin HERA Project is to measure the overall health and as well as the potential health hazards for dolphin populations in the two sites by performing screening-level risk assessments using standardized methods. The screening-level assessment involves capture, sampling and release activities during which physical examinations are performed on dolphins and a suite of nonlethal morphologic and clinicopathologic parameters, to be used to develop indices of dolphin health, are collected. Thus far, standardized health assessments have been performed on 155 dolphins during capture-release studies conducted in Years 2003 and 2004 at the two sites. A major collaboration has been established involving numerous individuals and institutions, which provide the project with a broad assessment capability toward accomplishing the goals and objectives of this project

Apparent Resilience to Fire of Native Bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) Communities From Upland Longleaf Pine Forests in Louisiana and Mississippi

Controlled burning is an essential tool for restoration and management of Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) habitats, yet effects of controlled burning on insect species, including pollinators, are rarely considered in conservation planning. We used blue vane traps to sample native bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) at recently burned and unburned sites in 2 Longleaf Pine upland forests in Mississippi and Louisiana. Our objective was to quantify short-term effects of controlled burns given fire-return intervals of 1-2 years are now regularly employed to manage Longleaf Pine woodlands. We sampled during 2016 and 2017 and collected 1777 native bees, representing 43 species. Recent fire was found to have no clear effect on species composition, richness, or community structure. Overall, bee communities from burned and unburned sites were similar. Even the community collected from a site that had remained unburned for 8 years was only marginally different from the others. These results suggest that native bee communities may be resilient to low intensity burns

An Uncommon Presentation of Coxa Saltans: A Case Report

Coxa saltans, or “snapping hip,” refers to various conditions that produce a palpable or audible snapping of the hip after movement. We present an uncommon case of coxa saltans in a patient with a snapping proximal hamstring tendon. Findings of dynamic ultrasound evaluation were used to confirm the source of snapping, characterized by a lateral subluxation of the conjoint tendon over the ischial tuberosity. Our patient was treated nonoperatively, and we observed mild improvement of her symptoms. Few cases of similar pathological findings have been described, with varying causes of tendon instability. The results of the current case may help physicians in diagnosing and treating this condition

Investigation of EMT-like Phenotypes in Established and Novel Model Systems of Invasive Lobular Breast Carcinoma

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) is an understudied, unique subtype of breast cancer. E-cadherin (CDH1) loss is a hallmark of ILC that contributes to its many observed epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like features. Though ILCs predominantly express clinically actionable target estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), common late recurrences suggest a role for endocrine therapy resistance. We recently identified de novo resistance to the partial estrogen receptor antagonist/agonist Tamoxifen (4OHT) in MDA-MB-134-VI ILC cells that was accompanied by upregulation of EMT transcription factor (EMT-TF) SNAIL (SNAI1). We therefore hypothesized that 4OHT induction of SNAIL contributes to endocrine therapy resistance in a subset of ILCs. We demonstrated estrogen induction of SNAI1 in multiple invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ILC cell lines. In contrast, 4OHT induction of SNAI1 was restricted to ILC cells tested, and was associated with recruitment of ERα to the SNAI1 promoter. We observed upregulation of additional EMT genes in ILC cells, partially translatable to clinical samples. However, 4OHT regulation of SNAIL was unique, thus we pursued study of SNAIL-mediated phenotypes in ILC cells. Unfortunately, manipulation of SNAIL levels in ILC cells was challenging, with expression rebound in stable constitutive knockdown/overexpression attempts. Inducible SNAIL overexpression revealed unexpected repression of 2D and 3D proliferation. These data suggest a role for SNAIL in unexplored, critical ILC phenotypes (e.g. tumor dormancy). Lack of ILC models for these studies highlighted need for novel ILC cell lines. We therefore established and characterized ILC cell line WCRC-25 from a pleural effusion from a patient with ER+ ILC. WCRC-25 maintained phenotypes consistent with other ILC cells (e.g. slow proliferation, poor soft agar formation). We identified a somatic CDH1 mutation (2240C>T, p.Q706*) in gDNA from WCRC-25 that we confirmed in liquid biopsies from the patient. DNA/RNA sequencing analyses are being performed using clinical samples from the patient. While loss of ER impeded testing endocrine therapy resistance in WCRC-25 cells, additional drug responses revealed sensitivity to a PI3K inhibitor. In summary, these studies provided the foundation for better understanding of the role of EMT-TF SNAIL in endocrine therapy resistance, and led to establishment and characterization of a novel ILC research tool

Dating of the oldest continental sediments from the Himalayan foreland basin

A detailed knowledge of Himalayan development is important for our wider understanding of several global processes, ranging from models of plateau uplift to changes in oceanic chemistry and climate(1-4). Continental sediments 55 Myr old found in a foreland basin in Pakistan(5) are, by more than 20 Myr, the oldest deposits thought to have been eroded from the Himalayan metamorphic mountain belt. This constraint on when erosion began has influenced models of the timing and diachrony of the India-Eurasia collision(6-8), timing and mechanisms of exhumation(9,10) and uplift(11), as well as our general understanding of foreland basin dynamics(12). But the depositional age of these basin sediments was based on biostratigraphy from four intercalated marl units(5). Here we present dates of 257 detrital grains of white mica from this succession, using the Ar-40-(39) Ar method, and find that the largest concentration of ages are at 36-40 Myr. These dates are incompatible with the biostratigraphy unless the mineral ages have been reset, a possibility that we reject on the basis of a number of lines of evidence. A more detailed mapping of this formation suggests that the marl units are structurally intercalated with the continental sediments and accordingly that biostratigraphy cannot be used to date the clastic succession. The oldest continental foreland basin sediments containing metamorphic detritus eroded from the Himalaya orogeny therefore seem to be at least 15-20 Myr younger than previously believed, and models based on the older age must be re-evaluated

Simulation of the CTF drive beam line and comparison with the experiment

The tracking of particles in accelerating structures is presented for cases where the effects of the wake-fields are high. This is particularly the case when the structures are used with high current and relatively low energy as in the drive beam of the Compact Linear Collider Test Facility (CTF 2) with its 3 GHz accelerator and its 30 GHz decelerator. High initial energy spread and transverse wake-fields may impair the beam stability and generate particle loss. The CTF modelling is made with the code PARMELA for the 3 GHz part of the beam line, which includes 3 GHz accelerating sections and a magnetic bunch compressor. For the part containing the 30 GHz power-extracting structures, simulations are done with WAKE, a new algorithm dealing with the effects of the wake-field modes 0 and 1, as well as of the group velocity. Beam transmission through the overall beam line is studied, and results are compared with measurements made on the CTF beam

Risk Factors for Colonization of E. coli in Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida

Opportunistic pathogens related to degradation in water quality are of concern to both wildlife and public health. The objective of this study was to identify spatial, temporal, and environmental risk factors for E. coli colonization among Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabiting the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), FL between 2003 and 2007. Age, gender, capture location, coastal human population density, proximity of sewage treatment plants, number of septic tanks, cumulative precipitation 48 hrs and 30 days prior to capture, salinity, and water temperature were analyzed as potential risk factors. Highest E. coli colonization rates occurred in the northern segments of the IRL. The risk of E. coli colonization was the highest among the youngest individuals, in counties with the highest cumulative rainfall 48 hrs and in counties with the highest number of septic systems during the year of capture. The prevalence of colonization was the highest during 2004, a year during which multiple hurricanes hit the coast of Florida. Septic tanks, in combination with weather-related events suggest a possible pathway for introduction of fecal coliforms into estuarine ecosystems. The ability of E. coli and related bacteria to act as primary pathogens or cause opportunistic infections adds importance of these findings