Otariid gammaherpesvirus 1 in South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) and a novel related herpesvirus in free-ranging South American sea lions (Otaria byronia): Prevalence and effects of age, sex, and sample type.

Otariid gammaherpesvirus 1 (OtGHV1) is associated with high rates of urogenital carcinoma in free-ranging California sea lions (Zalophus californianus; CSL), and until recently was reported only in the Northern Hemisphere. The objective of this study was to survey free-ranging South American sea lions (Otaria byronia; SASL) and South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis: SAFS) in Punta San Juan, Peru for OtGHV1 and to determine prevalence characteristics. Twenty-one percent (14/67) of urogenital swabs collected over three years (2011, 2014, 2015) from live pinnipeds of both species tested positive with a pan-herpesvirus conventional PCR.

Causes of death and pathogen prevalence in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus stranded in Alabama, USA, between 2015 and 2020, following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Between 2010 and 2014, an unusual mortality event (UME) involving bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus occurred in the northern Gulf of Mexico, associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWHOS). Cause of death (COD) patterns in bottlenose dolphins since then have not been analyzed, and baseline prevalence data for Brucella ceti and cetacean morbillivirus, 2 pathogens previously reported in this region, are lacking. We analyzed records from bottlenose dolphins stranded in Alabama from 2015 to 2020 with necropsy and histological findings to determine COD (n = 108).

Environmental Enrichment Devices Are Safe and Effective at Reducing Undesirable Behaviors in California Sea Lions and Northern Elephant Seals during Rehabilitation.

Environmental enrichment devices (EEDs) have been proven to promote positive wellbeing in zoos and aquariums, and support animals' reintroduction success; however, their use in rehabilitation centers is still limited. This pilot study investigated the safety and efficacy of three EEDs, Artificial Kelp, Horse KONG and Wubba Kong, and their ability to decrease and/or eliminate undesired stereotypic behaviors or looking at staff/staff areas in seven wild California sea lions (CSLs) and eight northern elephant seals (NESs) undergoing rehabilitation in Southern California. Observers conducted instantaneous sampling once a minute during a 30-min baseline, followed by a 30-min EED implementation on one focal animal at a time.

Draft Genome Sequences of sp. Strains Isolated from Stranded Septic Bottlenose Dolphins in Alabama, USA.

We report the genome sequences of two isolates from fatal cases of sepsis in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The genomes were found to be most closely related to Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae and Erysipelothrix piscisicarius. This information expands our knowledge of the genetic characteristics of this pathogen, which can affect free-ranging marine mammals.

Cardiac assessments of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico following exposure to Deepwater Horizon oil.

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill profoundly impacted the health of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Barataria Bay, LA (BB). To comprehensively assess the cardiac health of dolphins living within the DWH oil spill footprint, techniques for in-water cardiac evaluation were refined with dolphins cared for by the U.S.

Unlocking the Role of a Genital Herpesvirus, Otarine Herpesvirus 1, in California Sea Lion Cervical Cancer.

Urogenital carcinoma in California sea lions () is the most common cancer of marine mammals. Primary tumors occur in the cervix, vagina, penis, or prepuce and aggressively metastasize resulting in death. This cancer has been strongly associated with a sexually transmitted herpesvirus, otarine herpesvirus 1 (OtHV1), but the virus has been detected in genital tracts of sea lions without cancer and a causative link has not been established.

Health Impacts and Recovery From Prolonged Freshwater Exposure in a Common Bottlenose Dolphin ().

Common bottlenose dolphins ( exposed to freshwater or low salinity (<10 practical salinity units; PSU) for prolonged periods of time have been documented to develop skin lesions, corneal edema and electrolyte abnormalities, and in some instances they have died. Here we review a case of an out-of-habitat subadult, female common bottlenose dolphin that remained in a freshwater lake in Seminole, Alabama for at least 32 days. Due to concerns for the dolphin's health a rescue was initiated.

Pregnancy profiles in the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): Clinical biochemical and hematological variations during healthy gestation and a successful outcome.

The physiological demands of pregnancy inevitably result in changes of both biochemical and hematological parameters as the fetus develops. Alterations in blood parameters have been observed to shift according to both trimester and species, to support fetal physiological needs and maternal basal requirements. Establishing normal reference ranges for each stage in gestation is important to facilitate diagnosis of underlying health concerns and prevent over-diagnosing abnormalities.

The Absence of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) in the Treatment of Sexual Abusers: Recommendations for Moving Toward the Use of a True EBP Model.

Despite a continued evolution of the field of sexual abuser treatment toward a distinct professional discipline with clinicians using an increasing variety of treatment approaches, there is no consensus regarding the strength of our various clinical interventions as evidence-based practices (EBPs). This article provides a brief history of the development and goals of EBPs in medicine and mental health, and a review of the earnest efforts of researchers within the field to establish treatment approaches with sexual abusers as evidence-based. An appraisal of the current status of EBP's with sexual abusers is provided.

Review of the Empirical and Clinical Support for Group Therapy Specific to Sexual Abusers.

This review compiles 48 empirical studies and 55 clinical/practice articles specific to group therapy with sex offenders. Historically, group therapy has always been the predominant modality in sex offender-specific treatment. In the first decades of the field, treatment applied a psychoanalytic methodology that, although not empirically supported, fully appreciated the primary therapeutic importance of the group modality.

IL-10 and NOS2 modulate antigen-specific reactivity and nerve infiltration by T cells in experimental leprosy.

Background: Although immunopathology dictates clinical outcome in leprosy, the dynamics of early and chronic infection are poorly defined. In the tuberculoid region of the spectrum, Mycobacterium leprae growth is restricted yet a severe granulomatous lesion can occur. The evolution and maintenance of chronic inflammatory processes like those observed in the leprosy granuloma involve an ongoing network of communications via cytokines.

Predicting recidivism in sex offenders with the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS).

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) was capable of predicting recidivism in 322 male sex offenders released from prison-based sex offender programs in a Midwestern state. The Static-99R and PICTS General Criminal Thinking (GCT), Reactive (R), and Entitlement (En) scores all correlated significantly with general recidivism, the Static-99R correlated significantly with violent recidivism, and the Static-99R score and PICTS GCT, Proactive (P), and En scores correlated significantly with failure to register as a sex offender (FTR) recidivism. Area under the curve effect size estimates varied from small to large, and Cox regression analyses revealed that the PICTS En score achieved incremental validity relative to the Static-99R in predicting general recidivism and the PICTS GCT, P, and En scores achieved incremental validity relative to the Static-99R in predicting FTR recidivism.

Concurrent triplication and uniparental isodisomy: evidence for microhomology-mediated break-induced replication model for genomic rearrangements.

Whole-genome oligonucleotide single-nucleotide polymorphism (oligo-SNP) arrays enable simultaneous interrogation of copy number variations (CNVs), copy neutral regions of homozygosity (ROH) and uniparental disomy (UPD). Structural variation in the human genome contributes significantly to genetic variation, and often has deleterious effects leading to disease causation. Co-occurrence of CNV and regions of allelic homozygosity in tandem involving the same chromosomal arm are extremely rare.

Hypnosis, rumination, and depression: catalyzing attention and mindfulness-based treatments.

Over the past 30 years, mental health practitioners, encouraged by rigorous empirical studies and literature and meta-analytic reviews, have increasingly appreciated the ability of hypnosis to modulate attention, imagination, and motivation in the service of therapeutic goals. This article describes how hypnosis can be used as an adjunctive procedure in the treatment of depression and rumination symptoms, in particular. The focus is on attention-based treatments that include rumination-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive control training, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

The pathogenesis of leprosy in the nine-banded armadillo and the significance of IgM antibodies to PGL-1.

Twenty-seven nine-banded armadillos captured from the wild and tested free of wild M. leprae infection were distributed into four groups. They were injected at the right hind footpad with saline suspensions of M.

Comparison of polymerase chain reaction technique with other methods for detection of Mycobacterium leprae in tissues of wild nine-banded armadillos.

Thirty, nine-banded armadillos weighing between 3 and 5 kilograms trapped from an area endemic for armadillo leprosy were collected at random; killed, autopsied and examined histopathologically. Also, one of the right inguinal lymph nodes was removed under sterile precautions and examined using PCR, direct smear examination, mouse footpad study, culture in laboratory media and histopathology with a view to detecting Mycobacterium leprae. Blood was collected at death and tested for IgM antibodies to PGL-1.