A note on the southern distribution range of inshore and offshore common bottlenose dolphins <i>Tursiops truncatus</i> in the Southeast Pacific. Scientific Committee document SC/60/SM18, International Whaling Commission, June 2008, Santiago, Chile

Both inshore and offshore forms of T. truncates occur off Peru and Chile. The inshore form in Chile is best documented from a single community resident around 29°S, while there is genetic evidence for a large, wide-ranging Peru-Chile offshore population. Oliver (1946) indicated T. truncates for the Gulf of Arauco (at 37°06’S,73°20’W) and despite there was no authentication for half a century it has been the accepted southernmost range in the SE Pacific. However five recent records shift the focus further south to Región de Aisén. In August 2004 two common bottlenose dolphins stranded at Isla Quenu (41°49'.41S,73°9'.01W); next a mother-calf pair was reported inside a fjord at ca. 42°22’S,72°24’W. From habitat and small group size an inshore form was suspected. However, three new sightings of large group size (40-120 individuals) between 43°-45°S in January and December 2007 compelled us to reevaluate the southern distribution range of the species and of each form/ecotype. The bottlenose dolphins were morphologically (very large, stocky bodies with short snout) and behaviourally (large group size) attributable to an offshore form, despite being encountered deep inside fjords of Chilean Patagonia, one at ca. 50 nmiles from open water. All groups were actively attracted to a large RIB and both video and still photographs were collected as voucher material. Our records extend the summer range of T. truncates in the SE Pacific south to 45°05'.597S,73°19'.996W, Magdalena Island, however we expect that additional survey effort may extend this even farther. The population will need to be identified with precision to allow management recommendations

Physiology of Midkine and Its Potential Pathophysiological Role in COVID-19

SARS-CoV2 infection not only causes abnormal severe pneumonia but also induces other relevant pathophysiological effects on several tissues and organs. In this regard, the clinical complications observed in COVID-19 include acute coronary syndrome, pulmonary thromboembolism, myocarditis and, in the severe cases, the occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Literature on COVID-19 highlighted the central role of the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System in the determinism of SARS-CoV2 cellular internalization in the target tissues. Lung degeneration and respiratory distress appear to be dependent on the perturbance of physiological mechanisms, such as the uncontrolled release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, a dysregulation of the fibrinolytic coagulative cascade and the hyperactivation of immune effector cells. In this mini review, we address the physiology of Midkine, a growth factor able to bind heparin, and its pathophysiological potential role in COVID-19 determinism. Midkine increases in many inflammatory and autoimmune conditions and correlates with several dysfunctional immune-inflammatory responses that appear to show similarities with the pathophysiological elicited by SARS-CoV2. Midkine, together with its receptor, could facilitate the virus entry, fostering its accumulation and increasing its affinity with Ace2 receptor. We also focus on Netosis, a particular mechanism of pathogen clearance exerted by neutrophils, which under certain pathological condition becomes dysfunctional and can cause tissue damage. Moreover, we highlight the mechanism of autophagy that the new coronavirus could try to escape in order to replicate itself, as well as on pulmonary fibrosis induced by hypoxia and on the release of cytokines and mediators of inflammation, correlating the interplay between Midkine and SARS-CoV2

A first confirmed specimen record in Chile, and sightings attributed to the lesser beaked whale <i>Mesoplodon peruvianus</i> Reyes, Mead and Van Waerebeek, 1991

Three sightings, totalling five small-sized beaked whales recorded off north-central Chile (ca. 29°S) in February 1998, two between Punta Zorros and Damas Island and one south of Choros Island, were attributed to Mesoplodon peruvianus. A ca. 1m neonate was observed for the first time. The occurrence of lesser beaked whales in shallow water habitat (20-70m depth) is unusual in the Family Ziphiidae. On 17 December 1997, during the IWC 3rd Blue Whale Survey off Chile, researchers (including two of the authors) assigned another beaked whale sighting at 20°26’S, 70°44’W, in deeper water (878-1245m), as a probable M. peruvianus. All individuals shared the following characteristics: small body size, short snout, nondescript dark colouration dorsally and a low, markedly triangular dorsal fin.An adult beaked whale skull (specimen GPS004) was collected at Los Choros beach (29°17.04’S, 71°23.54’W) in May 1995. Diagnostic cranial characteristics, including i.a. lateral maxillary excrescences on the distal rostrum, identified it as the first confirmed record of M. peruvianus in Chile. The specimen and probable sighting records extend the species’ known distribution range 14° latitude farther south in the Eastern Pacific. Evidence of two bullets shot through the head of GPS004 raises the issue of direct catches of small cetaceans in the area

A preliminary note on population structure in eastern South Pacific common bottlenose dolphins, <i>Tursiops truncatus</i>

Previous studies of eastern South Pacific common bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, defined offshore and inshore ecotypes in Peru based on cranial and tooth morphology, documented the presence of a single resident inshore community (‘pod-R’) in central-north Chile, and confirmed the presence of offshore bottlenose dolphins off Chile. Here, mtDNA control region (331bp) was examined to evaluate genetic relationships between four geographic areas: inshore pod-R (n=8), Chilean offshore population (n=8), Peruvian inshore (n=3) and offshore (n=12)ecotypes. This is the first genetic analysis of T. truncatus in this ocean basin. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the three Peruvian specimens morphologically identified as inshore ecotype in an independent cluster, supported by 100% bootstrap value. The net genetic distance between Peruvian inshore and Peruvian offshore ecotypes was estimated at 2.9%, and even higher when compared with Chilean bottlenose dolphins. Morphological and mtDNA evidence combined argues for considering inshore and offshore ecotypes as evolutionary significant units, to be managed accordingly. Despite its inshore behavioural ecology, pod-R presented a high divergence from the Peruvian inshore ecotype and a relatively closer affinity with the Chilean offshore stock (3.41% and 0.87% net interpopulational distance, respectively). However, homogeneity tests showed significant genetic differences of pod-R with all other groups, including Chilean offshore. This, combined with a low nucleotide diversity (0.0069) and behavioural observations, suggest that pod-R may be reproductively isolated and active protection measures are recommended. Only one haplotype from a total of 21 was shared by Peruvian and Chilean offshore animals. Their net genetic distance was estimated at 0.024 and no significant differences were found in haplotype frequencies, suggesting a single, wide-ranging ‘Peru-Chile offshore stock’

Live-captures of common bottlenose dolphins <i>Tursiops truncatus</i> and unassessed bycatch in Cuban waters: evidence of sustainability found wanting

In the period 1986-2004, 238 common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus were exported from Cuba, as shown by UNEP/WCMC data, more than 60% of these to facilities in Latin America and the Caribbean, some 32% to Europe and the rest to Canada and Israel. There is a very significant increase in exported numbers, reaching 28 individuals per annum in 2002. It is unclear how many T. truncatus have been used in domestic dolphinaria. A review of available information did not identify evidence to corroborate hypotheses that: (i) T. truncatus off Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago (where removals occur) does not show population structure; and (ii) virtually no bycatches occur in Cuban waters. Here it is argued that, considering Cuba's fully developed marine fisheries, some level of mortality from bycatch is inevitable. Other potential threats are also identified. Global phylogenetics research of T. truncatus is revealing unexpected and more complex, stock structures, in inshore (coastal) forms within relatively small areas. In Cuba, low mean group sizes (less than 10) suggest that one or more coastal stock(s) are exploited. Sex distribution of measured specimens suggest a significant bias towards extraction of females. It is concluded that sustainability of harvest levels of Cuban T. truncatus cannot be evaluated until abundance estimates become available and population structure is verified by molecular genetic methods. Pérez-Cao (2004) indicated that available density estimates should not be used to determine [safe] catch quotas. The authors strongly recommend that international trade of T. truncatus from Cuba ceases until no-detriment can be authenticated and that more research be developed. Similar arguments may be applicable to other unassessed but exploited populations in the Wider Caribbean

Quantum phase transitions in one-dimensional nanostructures: a comparison between DFT and DMRG methodologies

In the realm of quantum chemistry, the accurate prediction of electronic structure and properties of nanostructures remains a formidable challenge. Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG) have emerged as two powerful computational methods for addressing electronic correlation effects in diverse molecular systems. We compare ground-state energies ($e_0$), density profiles ($n$) and average entanglement entropies ($\bar S$) in metals, insulators and at the transition from metal to insulator, in homogeneous, superlattices and harmonically confined chains described by the fermionic one-dimensional Hubbard model. While for the homogeneous systems there is a clear hierarchy between the deviations, $D\%(\bar S)<D\%(e_0)< \bar D\%(n)$, and all the deviations decrease with the chain size; for superlattices and harmonical confinement the relation among the deviations is less trivial and strongly dependent on the superlattice structure and the confinement strength considered. For the superlattices, in general increasing the number of impurities in the unit cell represents less precision on the DFT calculations. For the confined chains, DFT performs better for metallic phases, while the highest deviations appear for the Mott and band-insulator phases. This work provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of these methodologies, shedding light on their respective strengths, limitations, and applications

Common bottlenose dolphins <i>Tursiops truncatus</i> of Pacific South America, asynoptic review of population identification data. Report of the IWC Scientific Committee Meeting SC/67A/SM/10, Bled, Slovenia, May 2017

We succinctly summarize population ID information for common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus of the Pacific coast of South America, covering four coastal range states. Phylogenetic uncertainties relate primarily to offshore vs. coastal (inshore) ecotypes and biogeographic borders between the five proposed populations (2 offshore, 3 coastal): Colombia-Ecuador Offshore stock (probably = ETP Offshore), Peru-Chile Offshore, Ecuador Coastal, Peru Coastal and an unique community (Pod-R) on the north-central coast of Chile. Main questions concern the extent of gene flow between the offshore stocks at one hand, and with -and between- the three coastal populations at the other hand. Seven cranial characters, four non-metric (separation of occipital condyles, pterygoid bone development, exostosis of periotic) and three metric (tooth width, antorbital process length, maximum width palatines), dorsal fin shape, body stockiness, mt-DNA (control region), habitat, prey composition, parasite load, behaviour and prevalence of some infectious diseases differentiate coastal from offshore forms. 'Pod-R' is the southernmost (29°15'S) and only confirmed coastal form community in Chilean waters, albeit with an offshore (falcate) dorsal fin. Bottlenose dolphins which regularly transit nearshore in the Lagos and Aysén regions (Chilean Patagonia) and occasionally enter deep fjords, present an offshore morphotype. We suggest that two other coastal areas in Chile where bottlenose dolphins have been documented over decades, one a ca. 60 km stretch of coastline centered at Valparaiso/Laguna Verde (33°10'S) in central Chile, and a 190 km coastline around the Mejillones Peninsula (23°10'S) in northern Chile, may not host coastal but offshore form animals. The continental border of the Atacama Trench off northern and northcentral Chile leaves an extremely narrow, steep shelf with nearshore deep water, locally with strong coastal upwelling and increased productivity. This habitat seems to attract oceanic cetaceans, including offshore T. truncatus, sperm whales, large balaenopterids, and other species. The southern distribution range of true coastal morphotype bottlenose dolphins in Pacific South America remains unknown but off Chile distance-to-shore may not be the reliable indicator of ecotype as it is further north in the study region

Skin diseases in cetaceans. Scientific Committee document SC/60/DW8, International Whaling Commission, June 2008, Santiago, Chile

Micro-organisms that are known or suspected to cause skin diseases in cetaceans are briefly reviewed. Viruses belonging to four families i.e. Caliciviridae, Herpesviridae, Papillomaviridae and Poxviridae were detected by electron microscopy, histology and molecular techniques in vesicular skin lesions, black dots perceptible by the touch, warts and tattoos in several species of odontocetes and mysticetes. Herpesviruses, poxviruses and likely a cutaneous papillomavirus are cetacean specific. Among bacteria, Dermatophilus spp., Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Mycobacterium marinum, Pseudomonas spp., Streptococcus iniae and Vibrio spp. were isolated from ulcerative dermatitis, pyogranulomatous dermatitis and panniculitis, diamond skin disease and slow-healing ulcers and abscesses. Aeremonas spp., Mycobacterium marinum, Pseudomonas spp. and Vibrio spp. are normally present in the marine environment while Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae and Streptococcus iniae are fish pathogens that may also infect captive dolphins. Most seem to be opportunistic pathogens, exploiting some break-down in the host’s defenses to initiate an infection. Selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria through the prophylactic use of antibiotics in aquaculture is suggested to be a growing problem in South America and may account for the emergence of unusual cutaneous conditions. At least four groups of fungi i.e. Candida albicans, Fusarium spp., Trichophyton spp. and Lacazia loboi cause skin diseases. Candidiasis occurs predominantly in captive odontocetes. The lesions are often localized around the body orifices and may become extensive, granulating and ulcerated. Fusariosis is characterized by firm, erythematous, cutaneous nodules. Trichophyton spp. was isolated from widespread superficial nodules in an Atlantic T. truncates kept in captivity in Japan. Lobomycosis or lacaziosis is distinguished by grayish, whitish to slightly pink, verrucuous lesions, often in pronounced relief that may ulcerate. While initially described only in Tursiops truncates and Sotalia guianensis from the Americas, lobomycosis seems to be expanding to other continents. The role of ballast water in transporting fungi worldwide should be investigated. Finally, ciliated protozoans, likely Kyaroikeus cetarius, caused invasive dermatitis in small cetaceans from the USA and Korea. The aquatic environment of cetaceans is naturally home to bacteria and fungi but cetacean skin has several mechanisms to impede invasion. Chemical contaminants may affect natural skin barriers and depress the immune system. Wounds and specific viral infection (poxvirus, herpesvirus) may provide routes of entry

Review of lobomycosis and lobomycosis-like disease (LLD) in Cetacea from South America. Scientific Committee document SC/60/DW13, International Whaling Commission, June 2008, Santiago, Chile

Caused by a yeast-like organism known as Lacazia loboi, Lobomycosis (or lacaziosis) naturally affects humans, common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) inhabiting coastal waters from southern Brazil to Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast of Florida, as well as botos-cinza (Sotalia guianensis). These species are usually found in coastal waters, subject to runoff provided by large rivers and a considerable burden of associated contaminants. Histological and morphological studies demonstrated that the etiological agent of L. loboi infecting humans is different from the one found to infected dolphins. Moreover, it likely that dolphin-human infections do not occur although infected bottlenose dolphins were from populations engaged in cooperative fishing that involve a relative small number of dolphins and humans. The records of Lobomycosis and Lobomycosis-like disease (LLD) in Tramandaí estuary (29o58´S), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, represent the southernmost distribution of L. loboi. On the other hand, the northernmost distribution of this disease is reported in the southern portion of Indian River Lagoon (27°25´N), Florida, USA. LLD seems to be more widespread, infecting both toothed small cetaceans and baleen whales, from the tropical Atlantic to the Pacific. Future studies should evaluate the association with impaired immune function in affected dolphins and the emergency of Lobomycosis. It may be associated with an immunosuppressive factor of environmental origin, such as exposure to pesticides or other agricultural or industrial contaminants, introduced through runoff or point sources of pollution, altering conditions to favour disease emergence. Lobomycosis should be assigned as neglected tropical disease, as should be the case of LLD, if future investigations indicate their connection as an emerging pathogen, its pathogenicity and environment requirements