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Wild animals are increasingly exposed to human‐induced threats in the ocean realm. Cetacean species, as predators and biomonitoring models, are subjected to a variety of stressors that may result in poor health, injuries, and persistent marks. These malformations can easily be documented by photography or video and can be used to infer about the animals' health, especially if combined with long‐term photographic identification. However, the value of such information for monitoring is vastly increased if a standardised language is used. We provide a broad definition of deformity, as a general concept for conditions or abnormal features in cetacean species, and categorise externally detected deformities in free‐ranging individuals.We define six categories and 58 sub‐categories of deformities in cetaceans: anatomical malformations (11 sub‐categories), skin lesions (29), anomalous pigmentation (4), injuries due to physical impacts (14), emaciation, and epibionts.Categorisation was based on peer‐reviewed literature published between 2000 and 2021 (n = 253 studies), comprising 80 of the 101 extant species, documented in studies conducted across 50 countries; reviewed literature included papers from 86 scientific journals, with three journals contributing 100 out of the 253 documents.Overall, and for both Odontoceti and Mysticeti, physical impact was the most reported category; injuries due to physical impacts were documented in 74% of the 253 studies we reviewed. This may be related to the common exposure of cetaceans to intense human marine traffic and fishing activities.Especially with the growing use of open science, a consistent and common language is fundamental for data comparison and to support cetacean research, management and conservation efficiently. We suggest that researchers adopt these definitions and categories when describing abnormalities observed in free‐living cetaceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In oceanic ecosystems, the nature of barriers to gene flow and the processes by which populations may become isolated are different from the terrestrial environment, and less well understood. In this study we investigate a highly mobile species (the sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus) that is genetically differentiated between an open North Atlantic population and the populations in the Mediterranean Sea. We apply high‐resolution single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis to study the nature of barriers to gene flow in this system, assessing the putative boundary into the Mediterranean (Strait of Gibraltar and Alboran Sea region), and including novel analyses on structuring among sperm whale populations within the Mediterranean basin. Our data support a recent founding of the Mediterranean population, around the time of the last glacial maximum, and show concerted historical demographic profiles in both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. In each region there is evidence for a population decline around the time of the founder event. The largest decline was seen within the Mediterranean Sea where effective population size is substantially lower (especially in the eastern basin). While differentiation is strongest at the Atlantic/Mediterranean boundary, there is also weaker but significant differentiation between the eastern and western basins of the Mediterranean Sea. We propose, however, that the mechanisms are different. While post‐founding gene flow was reduced between the Mediterranean and Atlantic populations, within the Mediterranean an important factor differentiating the basins is probably a greater degree of admixture between the western basin and the North Atlantic and some level of isolation between the western and eastern Mediterranean basins. Subdivision within the Mediterranean Sea exacerbates conservation concerns and will require consideration of what distinct impacts may affect populations in the two basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the challenges of all synchrotron facilities is to offer the highest performance detectors for all their specific experiments, in particular for X‐ray diffraction imaging and its high throughput data collection. In that context, the DiffAbs beamline, the Detectors and the Design and Engineering groups at Synchrotron SOLEIL, in collaboration with ImXPAD and Cegitek companies, have developed an original and unique detector with a circular shape. This detector is based on the hybrid pixel photon‐counting technology and consists of the specific assembly of 20 hybrid pixel array detector (XPAD) modules. This article aims to demonstrate the main characteristics of the CirPAD (for Circular Pixel Array Detector) and its performance – i.e. excellent pixel quality, flat‐field correction, high‐count‐rate performance, etc. Additionally, the powder X‐ray diffraction pattern of an LaB6 reference sample is presented and refined. The obtained results demonstrate the high quality of the data recorded from the CirPAD, which allows the proposal of its use to all scientific communities interested in performing experiments at the DiffAbs beamline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conservation of marine megafauna presents numerous difficulties owing to their high mobility over difficult‐to‐access oceanic areas that impairs the collection of basic, but essential, biological information.The Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) is one of the most elusive species of baleen whales, and although it is known to be a seasonal visitor to several archipelagos in Macaronesia (the Azores, Madeira, and Canaries), there are no studies regarding its occurrence or geographical connectivity in this area of the Atlantic.A 14‐year photographic database was used to determine short‐term (intra‐seasonal) and long‐term (inter‐annual) Bryde's whale site fidelity and to estimate individual residency times in Madeira, whereas photographic catalogues from Madeira and the Canaries were compared in order to assess large‐scale movements (i.e. on the scale of hundreds of kilometres).In Madeira, 59 individuals were identified, 27 (45.8%) of which were recaptured. Of these, 10 individuals (37.0%) presented short‐term site fidelity and 17 individuals (63.0%) presented long‐term site fidelity, with a maximum recapture interval of 12 years. Lagged identification rates showed that five individuals (SE = 2) remained in the area for 32 days (SE = 108 days) before leaving and not returning during the same year. Seven individuals were seen both in Madeira and the Canaries (catalogue comprising 51 individuals), three of which were identified multiple times in both archipelagos, with a minimum of 43 days between consecutive sightings.This information combined with the fact that this species is commonly sighted accompanied by calves and feeding in both archipelagos highlights the ecological importance of this area for Bryde's whales. This should be taken into consideration by policymakers when implementing conservation measures, where coordination of effort among countries is needed. This study also reinforces the value of using data from platforms of opportunity and of making photographic data open access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cetaceans are considered ecosystem engineers and useful bioindicators of the health of marine environments. The Eastern North Atlantic is an area of great geographical and oceanographic complexity that favours ecosystem richness and, consequently, cetacean occurrence. Although this occurrence has led to relevant scientific research on this taxon, information on the composition of this research has not been assessed.We aimed to describe and quantify the evolution of research on cetaceans in the Eastern North Atlantic, highlighting the main focal areas and trends.We considered 380 peer‐reviewed publications between 1900 and 2018. For each paper, we collected publication year, research topics and regions, and species studied. We assessed differences among regions with distinct socio‐economic landscapes, and between coastal and oceanic habitats. To evaluate the changes in scientific production over time, we fitted a General Additive Model to the time series of numbers of papers.Although research in this region has been increasing, the results show relatively little research output in North African and coastal regions within the study area. Moreover, except for four studies, research was restricted to a few miles around the coast of the main islands, leaving offshore regions less well surveyed. There was little research on genetics, acoustics, and behaviour. Most papers were focused on the Azores and Canary Islands, and mostly involved Tursiops truncatus, Delphinus delphis, and Physeter macrocephalus. Species considered Endangered or Near Threatened were the subjects of only 10% of the studies.We suggest a greater research focus on beaked whales (Ziphiidae) in Macaronesia, as well as collaborative efforts between research teams in the region, by sharing data sets, and aiming to produce long‐term research. Moreover, a Delphi method approach, based on questionnaires answered by experts, could be attempted to identify priority research for cetaceans in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the aims were (a) to test the usefulness of using genomic and phenotypic information from public databases (open access) to predict genetic values for tropical maize inbred lines regarding plant and ear height; (b) to identify how the population structure, the use of optimized training sets (OTSs) and the amount of information originating from public databases affect the predictive ability. Thus, 29 training sets (TSs) were defined considering three diversity panels: the University of São Paulo (USP—validation set (VS)) and the ASSO and USDA North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS) (external public panels—predictors), which were divided into four scenarios with different TS configurations. We showed that it is possible to use public datasets as a primary TS and that population structure can modify the predictive abilities of GS. In the four scenarios proposed, very large or very small sets did not provide predictive abilities over 0.53 for GS. However, OTSs composed of 250 individuals were sufficient to achieve predictive abilities over this limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The knowledge of a species biogeographical patterns greatly enhances our understanding of geographical ecology, which can improve identifying key conservation needs. Yet, this knowledge is still scarce for many marine top predators. Here, we aim to analyse movement patterns and spatial structuring of a large predator, the short‐finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus, over a wide geographical area. Location: North‐east Atlantic, in Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira and Canaries) and Iberian Peninsula (Sagres). Methods: We used likelihood techniques to estimate residency times and transition probabilities and carried out social analysis from individual photographic identification data, and analysed year‐round distribution from effort‐related sightings, collated between 1999 and 2015. Results: The best‐fitting models included emigration and reimmigration and showed different residency times within each archipelago. A total of 26 individual movements from 21 individuals (from a sample of >2,300 individuals) were recorded between Madeira and the neighbouring archipelagos, and heterogeneous transition probabilities were estimated within and between areas. A social network diagram showed associations from animals with distinct residency patterns. Higher significant sighting rates were recorded during autumn in the Azores and Madeira. Main conclusions: The variation in site fidelity and year‐round occupancy among areas of the Macaronesia is consistent with some degree of population structuring, which combined with a connectivity network and seasonal inflows from animals inhabiting offshore waters, support the development of a complex social and geographical ecology in short‐finned pilot whales. The combination of techniques applied in this study was an effective way to estimate parameters of movement, which could be a good practice to be used for other scenarios and species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypic datasets in plant breeding are commonly incomplete due to missing phenotypic information. The best approach for correcting these datasets for a stage-wise genomic prediction (GP) is not unanimous in the scientific community. Therefore, this study evaluates a two-step GP based on different methods of phenotypic correction considering complete and incomplete datasets of maize (Zea mays L.) single crosses. The dataset consists of 325 hybrids evaluated for grain yield and plant height in four sites. Sequential levels of data loss were simulated to the original dataset (from 0 to 30%) to assess the impact of missing information. The prediction was performed by an additive genomic best linear unbiased prediction model (GBLUP) using best linear unbiased estimations (BLUEs), best linear unbiased predictions (BLUPs), and deregressed BLUPs as the response variable. Mean reliability and predictive ability slightly decreased as missing phenotypic information increased, irrespective of the response variable. Regarding phenotypic correction, all methods yielded similar results for these parameters over most missing information percentages. The coincidence of selection between single- and two-stage GP was not systematically affected by response variable across multiple selection intensities, and missing data only led to a minor decrease in coincidence. Therefore, from a breeding standpoint, regardless of phenotypic correction method and missing data level, a similar set of genotypes tend to be selected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Management and conservation issues are addressed through the identification of areas of particular importance, which requires the acquisition of baseline information on species distribution and dynamics. These types of data are particularly difficult to obtain at high resolution for large marine vertebrates like cetaceans, given that dedicated surveys are complex and logistically expensive. This study uses daily presence–absence sighting data of cetaceans collected year‐round from whale‐watching boats to support the theory that fine‐scale data obtained from platforms of opportunity can provide valuable information on species occurrence and group dynamics. Data from 7,551 (daily) sightings comprising 22 species were collected from 3,527 surveyed days over 11 years (mean of 321 days per year, SD = 17) in the pelagic environment of Madeira Island. Cetaceans were observed on 92% of the surveyed days, and a mean of 15.4 (SD = 1.5), 8.2 (SD = 2.0) and 2.1 (SD = 1.2) species were recorded per year, month, and day, respectively. There were significant differences in the number of species per month (p < .001), with the highest diversity recorded in June. At least nine species, comprising 96% of all sightings, were found to use the Madeiran waters on a regular basis, such as the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis), the short‐beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and others featured in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Endangered, Vulnerable, and Data Deficient. In addition, 10 species were found to use the Madeiran waters for travelling, feeding, resting, socializing and calving, which suggests that the southern and southeastern waters of Madeira Island constitute an area of interest for cetaceans. This study characterizes the cetaceans’ community structure (occurrence, aggregation sizes, behaviours, proportion of calves, and inter‐specific relationships) of a poorly studied region, providing important information for managers. Finally, the advantages and limitations of using fine‐scale data from a type of platform of opportunity that is increasing along coastlines globally are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on topics related to beaked whales. Topics mentioned include the rostrum deformities of whales, its behavior, and the species diversity of whales. Topics mentioned include the health management of marine mammals, the stranded northern bottlenose whale, and the causes of deformities in whales including acquired malformations, predation, and competition.

Estimates of population parameters for the short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus, are scarce in literature, contributing to an International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) status of Data Deficient. In this study, photo-identification data collected over 7 yr from Madeira were used to estimate for the first time survivorship, capture probability, and abundance in this species using mark-recapture methodology. The Cormack-Jolly-Seber model estimated that the adult island-associated ( i.e., resident and regular visitor) whales had a constant survival rate of 0.960 (95% CI: 0.853-0.990) and an annual capture probability varying between 0.372 ( CI: 0.178-0.619) and 0.843 ( CI: 0.619-0.947). A parameterization of the Jolly-Seber model estimated that 140 island-associated whales ( CI: 131-151) used the area throughout the course of the study. Based on a closed population model, the most precise (lower CV) annual estimate of the total number of pilot whales using the southern and eastern waters of Madeira (~900 km2) in a 3 mo period covering summer/autumn was 334 animals ( CI: 260-437). No trend was observed. Despite including biases, the approach used in this study provided plausible estimates of population parameters, which can contribute to the regional conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Pilot whales Globicephala spp. are known to display a hierarchical social pattern, but longitudinal data to infer population structure of short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus are rare., Using data collected between 2003-2011 in the oceanic archipelago of Madeira, the grouping structure of short-finned pilot whales was studied using photo-identification methods and mtDNA sequences and microsatellite markers to test the hypotheses that (1) there is at least one pelagic and one or more island-associated communities, and (2) groups are made of related individuals, with a matrilineal social structure., Pilot whales demonstrated a large degree of variability in site fidelity, including residents (up to 14-year interval), regular visitors and transients. The social and temporal analyses revealed a well-differentiated society with long-lasting relationships (of years). The genetic analyses suggested that individuals of the three residency patterns may not be genetically isolated, and that small groups are made up of related individuals, suggesting some degree of social philopatry, while large groups are probably temporary associations of smaller groups., It is proposed that the pilot whales encountered in Madeira belong to a single population encompassing several clans, possibly three clans of island-associated whales and others of transients, each containing two to three matrilineal pods, each with a mean of 15 individuals (SD=9, range: 4-29). We suggest that the clans interact for mating purposes when they meet., For management decisions, it is considered that the island-associated whales should not be regarded as demographically independent populations, but instead as stable social entities to be included in governmental management plans and requiring periodic evaluation of their status. The high proportion of marked individuals and low rate of mark change encourages further research in this species., Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the value of diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) as a potential noninvasive marker of tumor aggressiveness in rectal cancer, by analyzing the relationship between tumoral apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and MRI and histological prognostic parameters. Materials and Methods: Fifty rectal cancer patients underwent primary staging MRI including DWI before surgery and neo-adjuvant therapy. In 47, surgery was preceded by short-course radiation therapy (n = 28) or long-course chemoradiation therapy (n = 19). Mean tumor ADC was measured and compared between subgroups based on pretreatment CEA levels, MRI parameters (mesorectal fascia - MRF - status; T-stage; N-stage) and histological parameters (differentiation grade: poorly differentiated, poorly moderately differentiated, moderately differentiated, moderately well differentiated, well-differentiated; lymphangiovascular invasion). Results: Mean tumor ADCs differ between MRF-free versus MRF-invaded tumors ( P = 0.013), the groups of cN0 versus cN+ cancers ( P = 0.011), and between the several groups of histological differentiation grades ( P = 0.025). There was no significant difference in mean ADCs between the various groups of CEA levels, the T stage, and the presence of lymphangiovascular invasion. Conclusion: Lower ADC values were associated with a more aggressive tumor profile. Significant correlations were found between mean ADC values and radiological MRF status, N stage and differentiation grade. ADC has the potential to become an imaging biomarker of tumor aggressiveness profile. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study examining the foraging behavior of Bryde's whales. It highlights an observation of the whale's deep dives at early night and the sequentially deep dives at early morning. Moreover, a study on the maximum dive duration, the dive depth, and the synchronization of deep dive are also discussed.

The article presents a case study of a 57-year-old woman with a history of migraine without aura underwent tympanoplasty type due to a traumatic perforated eardrum. Topics include red ear syndrome (RES) has a rare entity described by Lance1 and characterized by attacks of redness and pain of the external ear; and the pathophysiology of RES has unclear4 and attempt to define requires an appreciation of the neural and vascular supply.

Purpose: To determine the accuracy of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for nodal staging in patients with head and neck cancer.Materials and Methods: Twenty patients with carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract were prospectively enrolled. MRI was performed before and 24-36 hours after intravenous infusion of an USPIO agent, ferumoxtran-10 (Sinerem; Guerbet, France; and Combidex; Advanced Magnetics) at a dose of 2.6 mg Fe/kg using T2-weighted spin-echo and gradient-echo sequences. Surgery was performed the same day or the day after the ferumoxtran-10-enhanced MR examination. Based on MRI, selected nodes were surgically removed and directly correlated with pathology using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Perls stainings.Results: A total of 63 nodes were studied; 36 were nonmetastatic, 25 metastatic, and two inflammatory. Ferumoxtran-10-enhanced MRI allowed diagnosis of 24 metastatic and 30 nonmetastatic nodes, yielding a sensitivity of 96%, a specificity of 78.9%, a positive predictive value of 75%, and a negative predictive value of 96.8%, compared to 64%, 78.9%, 66.6%, and 76.9%, respectively, for nonenhanced MRI. Accuracy of ferumoxtran-10-enhanced MRI was 85.7%. The gradient-echo T2-weighted sequence was the most accurate to detect signal loss in nonmetastatic nodes.Conclusion: USPIO-enhanced MRI is useful for nodal staging of patients with head and neck cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]