Calving and early mortality in the western Mediterranean striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1408-1412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Aguilar
Keyword(s):  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Optimum Conditions ◽  
Initial Value ◽  
Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽  
Striped Dolphin ◽  
Clear Peak ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Time Of Year ◽  
Using Data ◽  
And Coping

Foetal growth and associated calving parameters for the northwestern Mediterranean striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) population were studied using data from 437 strandings. Births occurred during autumn and length of calves was estimated as 92.5 cm, which corresponds to a weight of 11.3 kg. Calving was estimated to peak in mid-October according to the Huggett and Widdas model, and in mid-September according to the mean date of births for the population. In the western Mediterranean, calving in autumn coincides with the time of year when waters are warmest and precedes a peak of productivity, both of which provide optimum conditions for feeding and coping with the energetic demands of lactation. The frequency of strandings shows a clear peak in September–November, which suggests that mortality of neonates and of calves early in lactation is much higher than that of juveniles and calves during mid or late lactation. Consistent with previous studies on the genus Stenella, the sex ratio favoured males, falling from an initial value of 1.4 in foetuses to almost 1 postweaning.

Food of striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, in the Ligurian Sea

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 571-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Würtz ◽  
D. Marrale
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Important Food ◽  
Ligurian Sea ◽  
Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽  
Striped Dolphin ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Bony Fishes ◽  
Food Species ◽  
Ligurian Coast

The stomachsof 23 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba Meyen, 1833, Cetacea), stranded along the Ligurian coast (western Mediterranean Sea), contained 32 species of cephalopods, crustaceans and fishes, totalling an estimated 2,723 prey specimens representing about 36 kg in weight. Cephalopods and bony fishes were equally important in the diet (50%). Todarodes sagittatus (34.5%) and Micromesistius poutassou (25.9%) were found to be the most important food species. Other species belonging to six cephalopod families, three crustacean families and nine bony fish families, contributed to the diet with variable numbers, weights, and occurrences, demonstrating the opportunistic character of striped dolphin feeding.

Transmission and Predictors of Burden of Lungworms of the Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) in the Western Mediterranean

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
Rachel Pool ◽  
Nilani Chandradeva ◽  
Georgios Gkafas ◽  
Juan Antonio Raga ◽  
Mercedes Fernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽  
Striped Dolphin

scholarly journals Structure of intestinal helminth communities of the striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, in the western Mediterranean: a long-term analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aznar Francisco ◽  
Sanz Tamarit Ruth ◽  
Mateu Puncel Paula ◽  
Cervera Estevan Carlos ◽  
Fraija Fernández Natalia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Intestinal Helminth ◽  
Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽  
Striped Dolphin ◽  
Helminth Communities ◽  
Term Analysis

Marine mammals are natural hosts of Oceanivirga salmonicida, a bacterial pathogen of Atlantic salmon

2020 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 161-174
Author(s):  
R Palmer ◽  
GTA Fleming ◽  
S Glaeser ◽  
T Semmler ◽  
A Flamm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
16S Rrna Gene ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Bacterial Disease ◽  
Common Dolphin ◽  
Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽  
Striped Dolphin ◽  
Natural Hosts

During 1992 and 1993, a bacterial disease occurred in a seawater Atlantic salmon Salmo salar farm, causing serious mortalities. The causative agent was subsequently named as Oceanivirga salmonicida, a member of the Leptotrichiaceae. Searches of 16S rRNA gene sequence databases have shown sequence similarities between O. salmonicida and uncultured bacterial clones from the digestive tracts of marine mammals. In the current study, oral samples were taken from stranded dolphins (common dolphin Delphinus delphis, striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba) and healthy harbour seals Phoca vitulina. A bacterium with growth characteristics consistent with O. salmonicida was isolated from a common dolphin. The isolate was confirmed as O. salmonicida, by comparisons to the type strain, using 16S rRNA gene, gyrB, groEL, and recA sequence analyses, average nucleotide identity analysis, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Metagenomic analysis indicated that the genus Oceanivirga represented a significant component of the oral bacterial microbiomes of the dolphins and seals. However, sequences consistent with O. salmonicida were only found in the dolphin samples. Analyses of marine mammal microbiome studies in the NCBI databases showed sequences consistent with O. salmonicida from the common dolphin, striped dolphin, bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus, humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae, and harbour seal. Sequences from marine environmental studies in the NCBI databases showed no sequences consistent with O. salmonicida. The findings suggest that several species of marine mammals are natural hosts of O. salmonicida.

scholarly journals Trends in incidence rate, health care use, and costs due to rib fractures in the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonne T. H. Prins ◽  
Mathieu M. E. Wijffels ◽  
Sophie M. Wooldrik ◽  
Martien J. M. Panneman ◽  
Michael H. J. Verhofstad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Health Care Costs ◽  
Indirect Costs ◽  
Rib Fractures ◽  
Work Absence ◽  
Lost Productivity ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Care Costs

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to examine population-based trends in the incidence rate, health care consumption, and work absence with associated costs in patients with rib fractures. Methods A retrospective nationwide epidemiologic study was performed with data from patients with one or more rib fractures presented or admitted to a hospital in the Netherlands between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018 and have been registered in the Dutch Injury Surveillance System (DISS) or the Hospital Discharge Registry (HDR). Incidence rates were calculated using data from Statistics Netherlands. The associated direct health care costs, costs for lost productivity, and years lived with disability (YLD) were calculated using data from a questionnaire. Results In the 4-year study period, a total of 32,124 patients were registered of which 19,885 (61.9%) required hospitalization with a mean duration of 7.7 days. The incidence rate for the total cohort was 47.1 per 100,000 person years and increased with age. The mean associated direct health care costs were €6785 per patient and showed a sharp increase after the age of 75 years. The mean duration of work absence was 44.2 days with associated mean indirect costs for lost productivity of €22,886 per patient. The mean YLD was 0.35 years and decreased with age. Conclusion Rib fractures are common and associated with lengthy HLOS and work absenteeism as well as high direct and indirect costs which appear to be similar between patients with one or multiple rib fractures and mostly affected by admitted patients and age.

scholarly journals Determinants of lungworm specificity in five cetacean species in the western Mediterranean

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Pool ◽  
Clara Romero-Rubira ◽  
Juan Antonio Raga ◽  
Mercedes Fernández ◽  
Francisco Javier Aznar
Keyword(s):  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Parasite Burden ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Host Size ◽  
Cetacean Species ◽  
Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽  
Species Similarity ◽  
Pilot Whales ◽  
Common Dolphins ◽  
Prey Overlap

Abstract Background Current data about Pseudaliidae show contrasting patterns of host specificity between congeneric species. We investigated how both contact and compatibility between hosts and parasites contributed to the patterns of lungworm infection observed in a community of five species of cetaceans in the western Mediterranean. Methods The lungs of 119 striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba, 18 bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus, 7 Risso’s dolphins Grampus griseus, 7 long-finned pilot whales Globicephala melas, and 6 common dolphins Delphinus delphis were analysed for lungworms. Parasites were identified by morphology and analysis of ITS2 sequences using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. Body length was used as a proxy for lungworm species fitness in different hosts and compared with Kruskal-Wallis tests. Infection parameters were compared between cetacean species using Fisher’s exact tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Phylogenetic specificity was explored by collating the overall lungworm species prevalence values in hosts from previous surveys in various localities. To explore the relative importance of vertical and horizontal transmission, Spearman’s rank correlation was used to look for an association between host size and lungworm burden. A Mantel test was used to explore the association between lungworm species similarity and prey overlap using dietary data. Results Halocercus delphini had higher infection levels in striped dolphins and common dolphins; Stenurus ovatus had higher infection levels in bottlenose dolphins; and Stenurus globicephalae had higher infection levels in long-finned pilot whales. These results are congruent with findings on a global scale. Morphometric comparison showed that the larger nematodes were found in the same host species that had the highest parasite burden. Lungworms were found in neonatal striped dolphins and a Risso’s dolphin, and there was a weak but significant correlation between host size and parasite burden in striped dolphins and bottlenose dolphins. There was also a weak but significant association between prey overlap and lungworm species similarity. Conclusions Data indicate that phylogenetic specificity has an important role in governing host–parasite associations, as indicated by the higher infection levels and larger nematode size in certain hosts. However, diet can also influence infection patterns in these preferred hosts and contribute to less severe infections in other hosts.

scholarly journals Electrical stimulator with mechanomyography-based real-time monitoring, muscle fatigue detection, and safety shut-off: a pilot study

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-468
Author(s):  
Jannatul Naeem ◽  
Nur Azah Hamzaid ◽  
Amelia Wong Azman ◽  
Manfred Bijak
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Fatigue ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Isometric Force ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Clear Indication ◽  
Initial Value ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Electrical Stimulator ◽  
Fatigue Detection

AbstractFunctional electrical stimulation (FES) has been used to produce force-related activities on the paralyzed muscle among spinal cord injury (SCI) individuals. Early muscle fatigue is an issue in all FES applications. If not properly monitored, overstimulation can occur, which can lead to muscle damage. A real-time mechanomyography (MMG)-based FES system was implemented on the quadriceps muscles of three individuals with SCI to generate an isometric force on both legs. Three threshold drop levels of MMG-root mean square (MMG-RMS) feature (thr50, thr60, and thr70; representing 50%, 60%, and 70% drop from initial MMG-RMS values, respectively) were used to terminate the stimulation session. The mean stimulation time increased when the MMG-RMS drop threshold increased (thr50: 22.7 s, thr60: 25.7 s, and thr70: 27.3 s), indicating longer sessions when lower performance drop was allowed. Moreover, at thr70, the torque dropped below 50% from the initial value in 14 trials, more than at thr50 and thr60. This is a clear indication of muscle fatigue detection using the MMG-RMS value. The stimulation time at thr70 was significantly longer (p = 0.013) than that at thr50. The results demonstrated that a real-time MMG-based FES monitoring system has the potential to prevent the onset of critical muscle fatigue in individuals with SCI in prolonged FES sessions.

scholarly journals On Riemann—Liouville and Caputo Fractional Forward Difference Monotonicity Analysis

Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1303
Author(s):  
Pshtiwan Othman Mohammed ◽  
Thabet Abdeljawad ◽  
Faraidun Kadir Hamasalh
Keyword(s):  
Time Scale ◽  
Initial Value Problems ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Mean Value Theorem ◽  
Discrete Fractional Calculus ◽  
Initial Value ◽  
Forward Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Monotonicity Analysis ◽  
Monotonicity Results

Monotonicity analysis of delta fractional sums and differences of order υ∈(0,1] on the time scale hZ are presented in this study. For this analysis, two models of discrete fractional calculus, Riemann–Liouville and Caputo, are considered. There is a relationship between the delta Riemann–Liouville fractional h-difference and delta Caputo fractional h-differences, which we find in this study. Therefore, after we solve one, we can apply the same method to the other one due to their correlation. We show that y(z) is υ-increasing on Ma+υh,h, where the delta Riemann–Liouville fractional h-difference of order υ of a function y(z) starting at a+υh is greater or equal to zero, and then, we can show that y(z) is υ-increasing on Ma+υh,h, where the delta Caputo fractional h-difference of order υ of a function y(z) starting at a+υh is greater or equal to −1Γ(1−υ)(z−(a+υh))h(−υ)y(a+υh) for each z∈Ma+h,h. Conversely, if y(a+υh) is greater or equal to zero and y(z) is increasing on Ma+υh,h, we show that the delta Riemann–Liouville fractional h-difference of order υ of a function y(z) starting at a+υh is greater or equal to zero, and consequently, we can show that the delta Caputo fractional h-difference of order υ of a function y(z) starting at a+υh is greater or equal to −1Γ(1−υ)(z−(a+υh))h(−υ)y(a+υh) on Ma,h. Furthermore, we consider some related results for strictly increasing, decreasing, and strictly decreasing cases. Finally, the fractional forward difference initial value problems and their solutions are investigated to test the mean value theorem on the time scale hZ utilizing the monotonicity results.

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