Search

Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are the largest living animal and, like other baleen whales, became endangered due to whaling. Here, we used population genomics to infer the number, distribution and other characteristics of subspecies and populations. We used the largest DNA dataset in blue whales, both in terms of genomic markers (16,661 SNPs and mtDNA) and geographic coverage (n = 276 for SNPs; n = 531 for mtDNA). We found greatest divergence among the eastern Pacific, Indo‐western Pacific and Antarctic blue whales. There were indications that natural selection in different environments promoted divergence among these groupings. Within these regions, there was divergence between the eastern North and eastern South Pacific, and among the eastern Indian Ocean, the western South Pacific and the northern Indian Ocean. There was no divergence within the Antarctic. These findings are consistent with the current classification of Antarctic and Indo‐western Pacific blue whales in the Southern Hemisphere as different subspecies but call into question the subspecies taxonomy of eastern Pacific blue whales. The study shows that opposite breeding seasons on either side of the equator do not necessarily inhibit connectivity across the equator, and reinforces that population structure needs to be well understood to conserve the diversity within species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kasper Fjellhaugen Hjuler,1,2 Louise Faurskov Møller,2,3 Cathrine Dawn Büttner Elgaard,2,3 Laura Gaïni,4 Lars Iversen,2,3 Tirill Fjellhaugen Hjuler5 1Department of Dermatology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark; 2Danish National Centre for Autoimmune Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 3Department of Dermatology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 4Institute of Psychology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; 5Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkCorrespondence: Kasper Fjellhaugen Hjuler, Department of Dermatology, Aalborg University Hospital, Mølleparkvej 4, Aalborg, DK-9000, Denmark, Tel +4531244813, Email kf.hjuler@rn.dkPurpose: Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (eg, axial spondylitis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa) are common diseases that exert an extensive effect on the health-related quality of life, particularly when multiple concomitant conditions are present. Previous reports indicate that the traditional siloed approach to care can lead to a lack of patient centricity and inefficient disease management. In this article, we aimed to evaluate an interdisciplinary program for the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases compared to routine clinical practice.Patients and Methods: This was a mixed-method study, combining qualitative and quantitative data. Patients with co-occurrence of ≥ 2 immune-mediated inflammatory diseases treated in an interdisciplinary clinic (n = 48) or traditional usual care (n = 17) answered open-ended questions about their care experiences. Two independent coders blinded to patients’ treatment group coded three aspects of the narratives provided by the patients’ responses: Themes, Emotional valence, and Personal growth (ie, redemption). Themes were analyzed descriptively to explore possible differences between patients assigned to the interdisciplinary clinic and patients assigned to the usual care setting. Group differences in patients’ emotional experiences were assessed, and we examined potential group differences in positive personal growth.Results: Our findings indicate that an interdisciplinary combined clinic approach provides benefits for patients with multiple inflammatory diseases towards the usual setup. Patients experienced benefits on a number of specific quality-of-life themes including acceptance, optimism, disease understanding, personal growth, and better disease control. The narratives of the patients in the interdisciplinary group were significantly more emotionally positive and included more positive personal growth compared to the usual care group.Conclusion: The findings indicate a patient-reported benefit, especially from the holistic approach and cross-specialty combined consultations in an interdisciplinary clinic compared to usual specialized healthcare, which was underscored by narratives highlighting an overall improved quality of life.Keywords: patient-centered healthcare, interdisciplinary care, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondylitis, inflammatory bowel disease, hidradenitis suppurativa