scholarly journals Socially Complex Breeding Interactions in Humpback Whales Are Mediated Using a Complex Acoustic Repertoire

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana A. Cusano ◽  
David Paton ◽  
Michael J. Noad ◽  
Rebecca A. Dunlop
Keyword(s):  
High Intensity ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Intensity Level ◽  
Visual Displays ◽  
Resource Holding Potential ◽  
Group Relationships ◽  
Discrete Calls ◽  
Call Repertoire ◽  
Different Levels

Intraspecific conflict can be costly; therefore, many species engage in ritualized contests composed of several stages. Each stage is typically characterized by different levels of aggression, arousal, and physical conflict. During these different levels of “intensity,” animals benefit from communicating potential information related to features such as resource holding potential, relative fighting ability, level of aggression, intent (i.e., fight or flight), and whether or not the competitor currently holds the resource (e.g., a receptive female). This information may be conveyed using both visual displays and a complex acoustic repertoire containing fixed (e.g., age, sex, and body size) and flexible information (e.g., motivation or arousal). Calls that contain fixed information are generally considered “discrete” or stereotyped, while calls that convey flexible information are more “graded,” existing along an acoustic continuum. The use of displays and calls, and the potential information they convey, is likely dependent on factors like intensity level. The breeding system of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) involves intense male competition for access to a relatively limited number of breeding females (the resource). Here, we investigated the behavior and acoustic repertoire of competitive groups of humpback whales to determine if an increase in intensity level of the group was correlated with an increase in the complexity of the vocal repertoire. We categorized the behavior of humpback whales in competitive groups into three mutually exclusive stages from low to high intensity. While discrete calls were infrequent compared to graded calls overall, their use was highest in “low” and “moderate” intensity groups, which may indicate that this stage of contest is important for assessing the relative resource holding potential of competitors. In contrast, visual displays, call rates, and the use of graded call types, were highest during “high intensity” competitive groups. This suggests that flexible information may be more important in “high intensity” levels as males continue to assess the motivation and intent of competitors while actively engaged in costly conflict. We have shown that the relatively complex social call repertoire and visual displays of humpback whales in competitive groups likely functions to mediate frequently changing within-group relationships.

A Comparison of a Moderate with Moderate-high Intensity Oral Anticoagulant Treatment in Patients with Mechanical Heart Valve Prostheses

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (05) ◽  
pp. 0839-0844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vittorio Pengo ◽  
Fabio Barbero ◽  
Alberto Banzato ◽  
Elisabetta Garelli ◽  
Franco Noventa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Valve ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Oral Anticoagulant ◽  
Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Mechanical Heart Valve ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Minor Bleeding ◽  
Anticoagulant Treatment ◽  
Oral Anticoagulant Treatment ◽  
Valve Prostheses

SummaryBackground. The long-term administration of oral anticoagulants to patients with mechanical heart valve prostheses is generally accepted. However, the appropriate intensity of oral anticoagulant treatment in these patients is still controversial.Methods and Results. From March 1991 to March 1994, patients referred to the Padova Thrombosis Center who had undergone mechanical heart valve substitution at least 6 months earlier were randomly assigned to receive oral anticoagulants at moderate intensity (target INR = 3) or moderate-high intensity (target INR = 4). Principal end points were major bleeding, thromboembolism and vascular death. Minor bleeding was a secondary end-point.A total of 104 patients were assigned to the target 3 group and 101 to the target 4 group; they were followed for from 1.5 years to up 4.5 years (mean, 3 years). Principal end-points occurred in 13 patients in the target 3 group (4 per 100 patient-years) and in 20 patients in the target 4 group (6.9 per 100 patient-years). Major hemorrhagic events occurred in 15 patients, 4 in the target 3 group (1.2 per 100 patient-years) and 11 in the target 4 group (3.8 per 100 patient-years) (p = 0.019). The 12 recorded episodes of thromboembolism, 4 of which consisted of a visual deficit, were all transient ischemic attacks, 6 in the target 3 group (1.8 per 100 patient-years) and 6 in the target 4 group (2.1 per 100 patient- years). There were 3 vascular deaths in each group (0.9 and 1 per 100 patient-years for target 3 and target 4 groups, respectively). Minor bleeding episodes occurred 85 times (26 per 100 patient-years) in the target 3 group and 123 times (43 per 100 patient-years) in the target 4 group (p = 0.001).Conclusions. Mechanical heart valve patients on anticoagulant treatment who had been operated on at least 6 months earlier experienced fewer bleeding complications when maintained on a moderate intensity regimen (target INR = 3) than those on a moderate-high intensity regimen (target INR = 4). The number of thromboembolic events and vascular deaths did not differ between the two groups.

Effects of High Intensity Statin Therapy in the Treatment of Diabetic Dyslipidemia in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Vavlukis ◽  
Sasko Kedev
Keyword(s):  
Statin Therapy ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Incident Diabetes ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Pcsk9 Inhibitors ◽  
Diabetic Dyslipidemia ◽  
Patients With Diabetes

Background: Diabetic dyslipidemia has specifics that differ from dyslipidemia in patients without diabetes, which contributes to accelerated atherosclerosis equally as dysglycemia. The aim of this study was to deduce the interdependence of diabetic dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), therapeutic strategies and the risk of diabetes development with statin therapy. Method: We conducted a literature review of English articles through PubMed, PubMed Central and Cochrane, on the role of diabetic dyslipidemia in atherosclerosis, the antilipemic treatment with statins, and the role of statin therapy in newly developed diabetes, by using key words: atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, diabetic dyslipidemia, CVD, statins, nicotinic acid, fibrates, PCSK9 inhibitors. Results: hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia cannot be treated separately in patients with diabetes. It seems that dyslipidemia plays one of the key roles in the development of atherosclerosis. High levels of TG, decreased levels of HDL-C and increased levels of small dense LDL- C particles in the systemic circulation are the most specific attributes of diabetic dyslipidemia, all of which originate from an inflated flux of free fatty acids occurring due to the preceding resistance to insulin, and exacerbated by elevated levels of inflammatory adipokines. Statins are a fundamental treatment for diabetic dyslipidemia, both for dyslipidemia and for CVD prevention. The use of statin treatment with high intensity is endorsed for all diabetes-and-CVD patients, while a moderate - intensity treatment can be applied to patients with diabetes, having additional risk factors for CVD. Statins alone are thought to possess a small, although of statistical significance, risk of incident diabetes, outweighed by their benefits. Conclusion: As important as hyperglycemia and glycoregulation are in CVD development in patients with diabetes, diabetic dyslipidemia plays an even more important role. Statins remain the cornerstone of antilipemic treatment in diabetic dyslipidemia, and their protective effects in CVD progression overcome the risk of statin- associated incident diabetes.

Six-month outcomes of a high intensity exercise programme in young patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: The SAFE-HCM trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Basu ◽  
S Jayakumar ◽  
C Miles ◽  
G Parry-Williams ◽  
H Maclachlan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Young Patients ◽  
Exercise Adherence ◽  
Exercise Programme ◽  
Exercise Group ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): Cardiac Risk in the Young Background Moderate intensity exercise training in older patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can improve functional capacity, without significant harm. However, younger patients are attracted to high intensity training (HIT) regimes. The SAFE-HCM study demonstrated that an individually tailored, HIT programme in young patients with HCM was feasible, and provided both health and psychological benefits, without an increase in the burden of arrhythmia. Purpose To assess whether observed benefits of a HIT programme in young patients with HCM are sustained at 6 months. Methods Eighty patients with HCM (45.7y+/-8.6) underwent baseline clinical and psychological assessment. Individuals were randomised to a 12-week HIT programme (n = 40) or usual care (n = 40). Baseline evaluation was repeated at 12 weeks (T12). Feasibility, safety, health and psychological benefits were assessed. At 12-weeks individuals were encouraged to continue with the frequency and intensity of physical activity (PA) achieved at the end of the cardiac rehabilitation programme. Participants in the exercise arm were invited to follow-up at 6 months (T6m). Results The majority (83%) of participants completed the 12-week study. At T12 there was no significant difference between groups in the composite arrhythmia safety outcome (p = 0.99). The indices of exercise capacity were significantly improved in the exercise compared to the control group; peak VO2 (+3.7ml/kg/min [CI 1.1,6.3], p = 0.006), VO2/kg at anaerobic threshold (VO2/kgAT) (+2.44ml/kg/min [CI 0.6,4.2], p = 0.009), time to AT (+115s [CI 54.3,175.9], p < 0.001) and exercise time (max ET) (+108s [CI 33.7,182.2], p = 0.005). The exercise group also demonstrated greater reduction in systolic BP (-7.3mmHg [CI -11.7,-2.8], p = 0.002), BMI (-0.8kg/m2 [CI-1.1,-0.4], p < 0.001), anxiety (-2.6 [CI-3.6,-1.6], p= <0.001) and depression (-1.1 [CI -2.0,-0.2], p = 0.015) scores. At T6m patient reported exercise adherence was comparable to baseline PA in 33/34 of the exercise group attending for follow up. Most exercise gains dissipated with the exception of time to AT (p = 0.002), max ET (p = 0.003), VO2/kgAT (p = 0.04) and anxiety score (p < 0.001) (Figure 1). There were no sustained episodes of atrial or ventricular arrhythmias. The incidence of NSVT did not differ between time points (p = 0.09). Conclusion A 12-week HIT programme in young patients with HCM offers considerable gains in fitness and psychological outcomes, with no increase in arrhythmic burden. At T6m exercise levels as well as most physiological adaptations and health benefits returned to baseline, as seen in other studies when formal participation in an exercise programme comes to an end. This highlights the importance of the implementation of strategies to encourage ongoing engagement in PA. Potential solutions include identification of barriers to exercise, as well as adoption of novel tele-rehabilation approaches. Abstract Figure 1 Sustained benefits at T6m

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