Protein Signature of Lung Cancer Tissues

Lung cancer remains the most common cause of cancer-related mortality. We applied a highly multiplexed proteomic technology (SOMAscan) to compare protein expression signatures of non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues with healthy adjacent and distant tissues from surgical resections. In this first report of SOMAscan applied to tissues, we highlight 36 proteins that exhibit the largest expression differences between matched tumor and non-tumor tissues. The concentrations of twenty proteins increased and sixteen decreased in tumor tissue, thirteen of which are novel for NSCLC. NSCLC tissue biomarkers identified here overlap with a core set identified in a large serum-based NSCLC study with SOMAscan. We show that large-scale comparative analysis of protein expression can be used to develop novel histochemical probes. As expected, relative differences in protein expression are greater in tissues than in serum. The combined results from tissue and serum present the most extensive view to date of the complex changes in NSCLC protein expression and provide important implications for diagnosis and treatment

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Habitat Selection in Female-Calf Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Pairs on the Hawaiian Breeding Grounds

The Au'au Channel between the islands of Maui and Lanai, Hawaii comprises critical breeding habitat for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) of the Central North Pacific stock. However, like many regions where marine mega-fauna gather, these waters are also the focus of a flourishing local eco-tourism and whale watching industry. Our aim was to establish current trends in habitat preference in female-calf humpback whale pairs within this region, focusing specifically on the busy, eastern portions of the channel. We used an equally-spaced zigzag transect survey design, compiled our results in a GIS model to identify spatial trends and calculated Neu's Indices to quantify levels of habitat use. Our study revealed that while mysticete female-calf pairs on breeding grounds typically favor shallow, inshore waters, female-calf pairs in the Au'au Channel avoided shallow waters (<20 m) and regions within 2 km of the shoreline. Preferred regions for female-calf pairs comprised water depths between 40–60 m, regions of rugged bottom topography and regions that lay between 4 and 6 km from a small boat harbor (Lahaina Harbor) that fell within the study area. In contrast to other humpback whale breeding grounds, there was only minimal evidence of typical patterns of stratification or segregation according to group composition. A review of habitat use by maternal females across Hawaiian waters indicates that maternal habitat choice varies between localities within the Hawaiian Islands, suggesting that maternal females alter their use of habitat according to locally varying pressures. This ability to respond to varying environments may be the key that allows wildlife species to persist in regions where human activity and critical habitat overlap

Identifying social clusters of endangered main Hawaiian Islands false killer whales

The presence of distinct social groups within an animal population can result in heterogeneity in many aspects of its life history and ecology. The ability to accurately assess social group membership increases with the number of times individuals are identified, but obtaining sufficient sightings of rarely encountered species can be difficult. Three social clusters were previously identified for the endangered population of false killer whales Pseudorca crassidens around the main Hawaiian Islands, using modularity among associations within a 12 yr photographic dataset with no restrictions on the number of times seen. In this study, we used photo-identification data over a 23 yr period to reassess the number and membership of social clusters, restricted to individuals seen on at least 5 different days. We compared the robustness of clustering assignments from 6 community detection algorithms using modularity and found that the 3 highest-ranking algorithms all identified the same number (4) and membership of social clusters. Spatial use of clusters varied among the islands, with 3 of the 4 clusters encountered regularly only off 1 or 2 of the 3 main island study areas. Comparison of genetic differentiation among social clusters revealed significant differentiation in nuclear DNA. Furthermore, all individuals in 2 of the clusters possess the same mitochondrial DNA haplotype, while in the other 2 clusters, approximately 40% of animals possess a second haplotype. This level of clustering and associated heterogeneity within the population may have implications for mark-recapture abundance estimation, as well as for mitigating exposure to anthropogenic activities, including interactions with fisheries.HŌ‘ULU‘ULU MANA‘O: Pili nā ‘ano like ‘ole o ka nohona a me ke kālaikaiaola o nā pū‘uo holoholona i ka loa‘a ‘ana o nā pū‘ulu kiko‘ī. Pi‘i a‘e ka hiki ke helu kūpono‘ia ka māhuahua ‘ana o nā heluna o ia mau pū‘ulu i ka helu ‘ana i nā wā e ‘ike ‘ia ai kēlā me kēia holoholona, ‘o ka lawa ‘ana na‘e o ka ‘ike ‘ana i nā lāhulu ‘ane halapohe kekahi ālaina. Hō‘ia ‘ia ‘ekolu pū‘ulu o ke koholā ‘ane halapohe, ‘o ka Pseudorca crassidens, a puni nā mokupuni nui ‘ewalu o Hawai‘i, ma ka ho‘owae‘anona ‘ana i ka pilina i loko o kekahi ‘ikepili ki‘a he ‘umikūmālua makahiki me ke kāohi ‘ole i ka nui o ka ‘ike ‘ia ‘ana. Ma kēia kilo ‘ana, ua ho‘ohana mākou i ka ‘ikepili ma o nā makahiki he iwakāluakūmākolu i mea e hō‘oia hou ai i ka heluna a me nā lālā o nā pū‘ulu launa i loko o kekahi pū‘uo holoholona, a pāpā ‘ia nā kālailaina i nā mea i ‘ike ‘ia ma ‘elima mau lā ‘oko‘a ma ka li‘ili‘i loa. Ho‘ohālikelike mākou i ke ‘ano me ka ikaika o kēia mau pū‘ulu launa ma ka ho‘ohana ‘ana i ka ho‘owae‘anona ‘ana ma ‘eono pū‘ulu ha‘ilula a ‘o ka mea i loa‘a, ‘o ia ho‘i ka ‘ike ‘ana, ma o nā ha‘ilula nui ‘ekolu, i ka heluna a me ka lālā ho‘okahi o nā pū‘ulu launa. Loli ka ho‘ohana ‘ana i ke koana o nā pū‘ulu ma waena o nā mokupuni, ‘ike ‘ia ‘ekolu pū‘ulu ma ho‘okahi a ‘elua paha mokupuni mai loko mai o nā mokupuni nui ‘ekolu e kālailai ‘ia ana. Ma ka ho‘ohālikelike ‘ana aku i nā hi‘ohi‘ona ōewe ‘oko‘a o nā pū‘ulu launa, ‘ike ‘ia ka ‘oko‘a ‘ano nui ma ka piko ōewe o nā pū‘ulu. A no laila, loa‘a i nā mea a pau o ia mau pū‘ulu ‘elua ke ōewe ho‘oilina ho‘okahi, a ma nā pū‘ulu ‘ē a‘e ‘elua, loa‘a he hi‘ohi‘ona ōewe ‘elua i nā holoholona he 40 pākēneka. Hiki nō paha i kēia ‘ano ho‘opū‘ulu ‘ana me kēia ‘ano wae‘anona ōewe ho‘opili ma kekahi pū‘uo ke pili i ke kuhi ‘ana i ka nui ma ka hopu kaha ‘ana, a i ke kāohi a ho‘ēmi ‘ana mai i nā hopena o nā hana kanaka, e la‘a ho‘i me ka hana ma ke kai lawai‘a