Geographical distribution of close kin in southern right whales on feeding grounds.

This study investigated the close kinship structure of southern right whales on feeding grounds during austral summer seasons. The study was based on biopsy samples of 171 individual whales, which were genotyped with 14 microsatellite DNA loci. Kinship was investigated by using the LOD (Log Odds) score, a relatedness index for a pair of genotypes. Based on a cut-off point of LODPO > 6, which was chosen to balance false positives and negatives, a total of 28 dyads were inferred. Among these, 25 were classified as parent-offspring pairs. Additional genetic (mitochondrial DNA haplotypes) and biological (estimated body length, sex) data were used to provide additional information on the inferred close kin pairs. The elapsed time between sampling varied from 0 (close kin detected in the same austral summer season) to 17 years. All the kin pairs occurred within the Antarctic Indo sector (85°-135°E) and no pair occurred between whales within and outside of this sector. Six pairs were between individuals in high (Antarctic) and lower latitudes. Results of the present analysis on kinship are consistent with the views that whales in the Indo sector of the Antarctic are related with the breeding ground in Southwest Australia, and that whales from this population can occupy different feeding grounds. The present study has the potential to contribute to the conservation of the southern right whales through the monitoring of important population parameters such as population sizes and growth rate, in addition to assist the interpretation of stock structure derived from standard population genetic analyses.

Hybrid whale algorithm with evolutionary strategies and filtering for high-dimensional optimization: Application to microarray cancer data.

The standard whale algorithm is prone to suboptimal results and inefficiencies in high-dimensional search spaces. Therefore, examining the whale optimization algorithm components is critical. The computer-generated initial populations often exhibit an uneven distribution in the solution space, leading to low diversity. We propose a fusion of this algorithm with a discrete recombinant evolutionary strategy to enhance initialization diversity. We conduct simulation experiments and compare the proposed algorithm with the original WOA on thirteen benchmark test functions. Simulation experiments on unimodal or multimodal benchmarks verified the better performance of the proposed RESHWOA, such as accuracy, minimum mean, and low standard deviation rate. Furthermore, we performed two data reduction techniques, Bhattacharya distance and signal-to-noise ratio. Support Vector Machine (SVM) excels in dealing with high-dimensional datasets and numerical features. When users optimize the parameters, they can significantly improve the SVM's performance, even though it already works well with its default settings. We applied RESHWOA and WOA methods on six microarray cancer datasets to optimize the SVM parameters. The exhaustive examination and detailed results demonstrate that the new structure has addressed WOA's main shortcomings. We conclude that the proposed RESHWOA performed significantly better than the WOA.

A whale of a tale: whale cells evade the driving mechanism for hexavalent chromium-induced chromosome instability.

Chromosome instability, a hallmark of lung cancer, is a driving mechanism for hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] carcinogenesis in humans. Cr(VI) induces structural and numerical chromosome instability in human lung cells by inducing DNA double-strand breaks and inhibiting homologous recombination repair and causing spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) bypass and centrosome amplification. Great whales are long-lived species with long-term exposures to Cr(VI) and accumulate Cr in their tissue, but exhibit a low incidence of cancer. Data show Cr(VI) induces fewer chromosome aberrations in whale cells after acute Cr(VI) exposure suggesting whale cells can evade Cr(VI)-induced chromosome instability. However, it is unknown if whales can evade Cr(VI)-induced chromosome instability. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that whale cells resist Cr(VI)-induced loss of homologous recombination repair activity and increased SAC bypass and centrosome amplification. We found Cr(VI) induces similar amounts of DNA double-strand breaks after acute (24 h) and prolonged (120 h) exposures in whale lung cells, but does not inhibit homologous recombination repair, SAC bypass, or centrosome amplification, and does not induce chromosome instability. These data indicate whale lung cells resist Cr(VI)-induced chromosome instability, the major driver for Cr(VI) carcinogenesis at a cellular level, consistent with observations that whales are resistant to cancer.

Bone metastasis detection method based on improving golden jackal optimization using whale optimization algorithm.

This paper presents a machine learning-based technique for interpreting bone scintigraphy images, focusing on feature extraction and introducing a new feature selection method called GJOW. GJOW enhances the effectiveness of the golden jackal optimization (GJO) algorithm by integrating operators from the whale optimization algorithm (WOA). The technique's performance is evaluated through extensive experiments using 18 benchmark datasets and 581 bone scan images obtained from a gamma camera, including 362 abnormal and 219 normal cases. The results highlight the superior predictive effectiveness of the GJOW algorithm in bone metastasis detection, achieving an accuracy of 71.79% and specificity of 91.14%. The contributions of this study include the introduction of a new machine learning-based approach for detecting bone metastasis using gamma camera scans, leading to improved accuracy in identifying bone metastases. The findings have practical implications for early detection and intervention, potentially improving patient outcomes.

Wild pedigrees inform mutation rates and historic abundance in baleen whales.

Phylogeny-based estimates suggesting a low germline mutation rate (µ) in baleen whales have influenced research ranging from assessments of whaling impacts to evolutionary cancer biology. We estimated µ directly from pedigrees in four baleen whale species for both the mitochondrial control region and nuclear genome. The results suggest values higher than those obtained through phylogeny-based estimates and similar to pedigree-based values for primates and toothed whales. Applying our estimate of µ reduces previous genetic-based estimates of preexploitation whale abundance by 86% and suggests that µ cannot explain low cancer rates in gigantic mammals. Our study shows that it is feasible to estimate µ directly from pedigrees in natural populations, with wide-ranging implications for ecological and evolutionary research.

Ethanolamine plasmalogens derived from whale brain stimulate both follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone secretion by bovine gonadotrophs.

Ethanolamine plasmalogens (EPls) are the only known ligands of a novel receptor, G protein-coupled receptor 61, and bovine brain EPls stimulate follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) but not luteinizing hormone (LH), secreted by bovine gonadotrophs. We hypothesized that the brain EPls of whales (Balaenoptera edeni), another Cetartiodactyla with at least twice the lifespan of bovines, could stimulate FSH secretion by gonadotrophs. To test this hypothesis, bovine gonadotrophs (from approximately 2-year-old Japanese Black heifers) were cultured for 3.5 days and treated with increasing concentrations of brain EP1s from whales (approximately 22 years old). FSH and LH secretion was stimulated by all tested concentrations of whale EPls (p < 0.05). To clarify the important differences between bovine and whale EPls, we utilized two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, which revealed 35 peaks. Among them, we observed significant differences between 12 EPl molecular species. Additionally, we identified differentially expressed genes for enzymes involved in EPl synthesis or degradation in the hypothalamus of young heifers and old cows (approximately 10 years old) as compared to whales (approximately 28 years old) via deep sequencing of the transcriptome. We conclude that whale brains contain unique EPls that stimulate both FSH and LH secretion by bovine gonadotrophs.

The genome of the pygmy right whale illuminates the evolution of rorquals.

BACKGROUND: Baleen whales are a clade of gigantic and highly specialized marine mammals. Their genomes have been used to investigate their complex evolutionary history and to decipher the molecular mechanisms that allowed them to reach these dimensions. However, many unanswered questions remain, especially about the early radiation of rorquals and how cancer resistance interplays with their huge number of cells. The pygmy right whale is the smallest and most elusive among the baleen whales. It reaches only a fraction of the body length compared to its relatives and it is the only living member of an otherwise extinct family. This placement makes the pygmy right whale genome an interesting target to update the complex phylogenetic past of baleen whales, because it splits up an otherwise long branch that leads to the radiation of rorquals. Apart from that, genomic data of this species might help to investigate cancer resistance in large whales, since these mechanisms are not as important for the pygmy right whale as in other giant rorquals and right whales. RESULTS: Here, we present a first de novo genome of the species and test its potential in phylogenomics and cancer research. To do so, we constructed a multi-species coalescent tree from fragments of a whole-genome alignment and quantified the amount of introgression in the early evolution of rorquals. Furthermore, a genome-wide comparison of selection rates between large and small-bodied baleen whales revealed a small set of conserved candidate genes with potential connections to cancer resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the evolution of rorquals is best described as a hard polytomy with a rapid radiation and high levels of introgression. The lack of shared positive selected genes between different large-bodied whale species supports a previously proposed convergent evolution of gigantism and hence cancer resistance in baleen whales.

Comparison of visual and passive acoustic estimates of beaked whale density off El Hierro, Canary Islands.

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) offers considerable potential for density estimation of cryptic cetaceans, such as beaked whales. However, comparative studies on the accuracy of PAM density estimates from these species are lacking. Concurrent, low-cost drifting PAM, with SoundTraps suspended at 200 m depth, and land-based sightings, were conducted off the Canary Islands. Beaked whale density was estimated using a cue-count method, with click production rate and the probability of click detection derived from digital acoustic recording tags (DTags), and distance sampling techniques, adapted to fixed-point visual surveys. Of 32 870 detections obtained throughout 206 h of PAM recordings, 68% were classified as "certain" beaked whale clicks. Acoustic detection probability was 0.15 [coefficient variation (CV) 0.24] and click production rate was 0.46 clicks s - 1 (CV 0.05). PAM density estimates were in the range of 21.5 or 48.6 whales per 1000 km2 [CV 0.50 or 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 20.7-22.4 or 47-50.9), depending on whether "uncertain" clicks were considered. Density estimates from concurrent sightings resulted in 33.7 whales per 1000 km2 (CV 0.77, 95% CI 8.9-50.5). Cue-count PAM methods under application provide reliable estimates of beaked whale density, over relatively long time periods and in realistic scenarios, as these match the concurrent density estimates obtained from visual observations.

Why are whales big? Genes behind ocean giants.

Gigantism is prevalent in animals, but it has never reached more extreme levels than in aquatic mammals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. A new study by Silva et al. has uncovered five genes underlying this gigantism, a phenotype with important connections to aging and cancer suppression in long-lived animals.

Long term trends in floating plastic pollution within a marine protected area identifies threats for Endangered northern bottlenose whales.

"The Gully", situated off Nova Scotia, Canada, is the largest submarine canyon in the western North Atlantic. This unique oceanographic feature, which became a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in 2004, is rich in marine biodiversity and is part of the critical habitat of Endangered northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus). To understand the potential impact of plastic pollution in the MPA and on this Endangered cetacean, we evaluated trends over time in the abundance and composition of plastics and compared these to the stomach contents of recently stranded northern bottlenose whales. From the 1990s-2010s, the median abundance of micro-sized (<5 mm) and small plastics (5 mm-2.5 cm) increased significantly, while the median abundance of large plastics (>2.5 cm) decreased significantly. Plastic abundance from the 2010s for micro-sized and small plastics varied from 5586-438 196 particles km-2, higher than previously measured estimates for surrounding offshore areas. Polymers identified using FTIR spectroscopy included polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate polyester, nylon, alkyds (paint), and natural and semi-synthetic cellulosic fibers. The abundance of large debris ranged from 0 to 108.6 items km-2 and consisted of plastic sheets and bags, food wrappers and containers, rope, fishing buoys, and small plastic fragments. Whale stomach contents contained fragments of fishing nets, ropes, bottle caps, cups, food wrappers, smaller plastic fragments, fibers, and paint flakes, consistent with the composition and character of items collected from their critical habitat. Despite being far from centres of human population, the unique oceanographic features of The Gully (i.e. currents and bathymetric complexity) may concentrate plastic debris, increasing exposure rates of whales to plastic pollution. The increase in micro-sized and small plastics over time suggests associated health and welfare impacts of ingested plastics should be accounted for in future recovery plans for this Endangered species.

An efficient multi-threshold image segmentation for skin cancer using boosting whale optimizer.

Due to the terrible manifestations of skin cancer, it seriously disturbs the quality of life status and health of patients, so we needs treatment plans to detect it early and avoid it causing more harm to patients. Medical disease image threshold segmentation technique can well extract the region of interest and effectively assist in disease recognition. Moreover, in multi-threshold image segmentation, the selection of the threshold set determines the image segmentation quality. Among the common threshold selection methods, the selection based on metaheuristic algorithm has the advantages of simplicity, easy implementation and avoidable local optimization. However, different algorithms have different performances for different medical disease images. For example, the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) does not give a satisfactory performance for thresholding skin cancer images. We propose an improved WOA (LCWOA) in which the Levy operator and chaotic random mutation strategy are introduced to enhance the ability of the algorithm to jump out of the local optimum and to explore the search space. Comparing with different existing WOA variants on the CEC2014 function set, our proposed and improved algorithm improves the efficiency of the search. Experimental results show that our method outperforms the extant WOA variants in terms of optimization performances, improving the convergence accuracy and velocity. The method is also applied to solve the threshold selection in the skin cancer image segmentation problem, and LCWOA also gives excellent performance in obtaining optimal segmentation results.

Comparative polyphasic characterization of Weissella strains isolated from beaked whale and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): confirmation of Weissella ceti sp. nov. and description of the novel Weissella tructae sp. nov. isolated from farmed rainbow trout.

The weissellosis agent bacterium (WS08T = CBMAI 2730) was isolated from diseased rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Brazil. The whole genome sequence of this strain was compared with the Mexican W-1 strain, also isolated from diseased rainbow trout, and with the Weissella ceti type strain CECT 7719 T (= 1119-1A-09 T = CCUG 59653 T), recovered from the beaked whale. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization pairwise analyses scored 98.7% between the Mexican W-1 and Brazilian WS08T but just 24.4% for both fish isolates compared to the W. ceti type strain CECT 7719 T. The 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons with isolates of W. ceti, available at GenBank, were conducted. All rainbow trout-pathogenic isolates grouped close (97% bootstrap confirmation), but when this group was compared to the W. ceti type strain CECT 7719 T the similarity varied from 78.9 to 79.1%. Phenotypic assays were also conducted, and the W. ceti type strain diverged from WS08T and W-1 in the hydrolysis of aesculin, D-mannose, and potassium gluconate and in the hydrolysis of hippurate. Moreover, WS08T and W-1 showed weak growth at 5 °C whereas no growth was observed for W. ceti CECT 7719 T. The major fatty acids (> 10% total fatty acids) presented by WS08T and W-1 were summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c/C18:1 ω6c), summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω6c/C16:1ω7c), and C16:0. The results of phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses clearly differentiated the W. ceti CECT 7719 T type strain from the assessed pathogenic strains obtained from rainbow trout. Therefore, Weissella strains isolated from rainbow trout, here represented by strain WS08T (= CBMAI 2730), should be known as members of a novel species for which the name Weissella tructae sp. nov. is proposed.

Budd-Chiari-like pathology in dolphins.

Nearly two decades ago, pathologic examination results suggested that acoustic factors, such as mid-frequency active naval military sonar (MFAS) could be the cause of acute decompression-like sickness in stranded beaked whales. Acute systemic gas embolism in these whales was reported together with enigmatic cystic liver lesions (CLL), characterized by intrahepatic encapsulated gas-filled cysts, tentatively interpreted as "gas-bubble" lesions in various other cetacean species. Here we provide a pathologic reinterpretation of CLL in odontocetes. Among 1,200 cetaceans necropsied, CLL were only observed in four striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), with a low prevalence (2%, N = 179). Together, our data strongly suggest that CLL are the result of the combination of a pre-existing or concomitant hepatic vascular disorder superimposed and exacerbated by gas bubbles, and clearly differ from acute systemic gas embolism in stranded beaked whales that is linked to MFAS. Budd-Chiari-like syndrome in dolphins is hypothesized based on the present pathologic findings. Nonetheless, further researched is warranted to determine precise etiopathogenesis(es) and contributing factors for CLL in cetaceans.

Gas Concentration Prediction Based on IWOA-LSTM-CEEMDAN Residual Correction Model.

In this study, to further improve the prediction accuracy of coal mine gas concentration and thereby preventing gas accidents and improving coal mine safety management, the standard whale optimisation algorithm's (WOA) susceptibility to falling into local optima, slow convergence speed, and low prediction accuracy of the single-factor long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network residual correction model are addressed. A new IWOA-LSTM-CEEMDAN model is constructed based on the improved whale optimisation algorithm (IWOA) to improve the IWOA-LSTM one-factor residual correction model through the use of the complete ensemble empirical model decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) method. The population diversity of the WOA is enhanced through multiple strategies and its ability to exit local optima and perform global search is improved. In addition, the optimal weight combination model for subsequence is determined by analysing the prediction error of the intrinsic mode function (IMF) of the residual sequence. The experimental results show that the prediction accuracy of the IWOA-LSTM-CEEMDAN model is higher than that of the BP neural network and the GRU, LSTM, WOA-LSTM, and IWOA-LSTM residual correction models by 47.48%, 36.48%, 30.71%, 27.38%, and 12.96%, respectively. The IWOA-LSTM-CEEMDAN model also achieves the highest prediction accuracy in multi-step prediction.

AltWOA: Altruistic Whale Optimization Algorithm for feature selection on microarray datasets.

The data-driven modern era has enabled the collection of large amounts of biomedical and clinical data. DNA microarray gene expression datasets have mainly gained significant attention to the research community owing to their ability to identify diseases through the "bio-markers" or specific alterations in the gene sequence that represent that particular disease (for example, different types of cancer). However, gene expression datasets are very high-dimensional, while only a few of those are "bio-markers". Meta-heuristic-based feature selection effectively filters out only the relevant genes from a large set of attributes efficiently to reduce data storage and computation requirements. To this end, in this paper, we propose an Altruistic Whale Optimization Algorithm (AltWOA) for the feature selection problem in high-dimensional microarray data. AltWOA is an improvement on the basic Whale Optimization Algorithm. We embed the concept of altruism in the whale population to help efficient propagation of candidate solutions that can reach the global optima over the iterations. Evaluation of the proposed method on eight high dimensional microarray datasets reveals the superiority of AltWOA compared to popular and classical techniques in the literature on the same datasets both in terms of accuracy and the final number of features selected. The relevant codes for the proposed approach are available publicly at https://github.com/Rohit-Kundu/AltWOA.

Implementation of Whale Optimization for Budding Healthiness of Fishes with Preprocessing Approach.

This article examines distinctive techniques for monitoring the condition of fishes in underwater and also provides tranquil procedures after catching the fishes. Once the fishes are hooked, two different techniques that are explicitly designed for smoking and drying are implemented for saving the time of fish suppliers. Existing methods do not focus on the optimization algorithms for solving this issue. When considering the optimization problem, the solution is adequate for any number of inputs at time t. For this combined new flanged technique, a precise system model has been designed and incorporated with a set of rules using contention protocols. In addition, the designed system is also instigated with a whale optimization algorithm that is having sufficient capability to test the different parameters of assimilated sensing devices using different sensors. Further to test the effectiveness of the proposed method, an online monitoring system has been presented that can monitor and in turn provides the consequences using a simulation model for better understanding. Moreover, after examining the simulation results under three different scenarios, it has been observed that the proposed method provides an enhancement in real-time monitoring systems for an average of 78%.

Red Pepper and Turmeric-Flavored Virgin Olive Oil Oleogels Prepared with Whale Spermaceti Wax.

This study aimed to prepare and evaluate ground red pepper and turmeric added virgin olive oil (VOO) oleogels with whale spermaceti wax (WSW) as organogelator. The concentration of WSW was 8 wt%, and each spice was added at 1 overall wt%. Prepared oleogels were analyzed for main physico-chemical, structural, thermal, rheological properties. Further, aromatics volatile compositions, sensory descriptive analysis and consumer tests were completed. Results indicated that the new oleogels were quite spreadable preparates with acceptable quality indices. The oleogels included ß type polymorphs, and showed up to 38℃ of peak melting temperatures. Rheological measurements proved true gel structure stable within applicable frequencies and above 38°C surrounding temperatures. The oleogels were thermo-reversible, and their gel state was recoverable after high shear. Around 25 different aromatic volatile compounds were identified in the two oleogels, most shown to be originating from the VOO, and the spices added. The panel defined and scored the samples with 12 sensory descriptive (hardness, spreadability, liquefaction, sandiness, olive fruit, grassy, waxy, rancid, bitter, hay, cooling and mouth coating) terms. Sensory scores were mostly similar to each other and also within the ranges given in the literature for similar spreadable fat products. Consumer test identified the samples with liked scores (above 4 in 5-max point scale) for appearance, aroma, flavour and overall acceptability. In conclusion, ground spices enriched VOO oleogels with WSW were developed successively to offer consumers spreadable olive oil products to extent consumption patterns with special flavors and health benefits of the spices.

Application of endocrine biomarkers to update information on reproductive physiology in gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus).

Most of our knowledge on reproductive biology of gray whales dates back to scientific research conducted during commercial whaling in the late 1950s and 1960s. The goal of the present study was to provide updated insights on reproductive physiology of gray whales, using progesterone and testosterone as biomarkers. We measured hormone concentrations using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) techniques in blubber biopsies collected from 106 individual whales from March to November over a span of 12 years (2004-2016) between California and Alaska. We found testosterone concentrations in males to increase significantly with age (P = 0.03). Adult males showed significantly elevated testosterone concentrations when sampled in the fall compared to the summer (P = 0.01), likely indicating physiological preparation for mating. We measured testosterone concentrations in females of different age classes, but no statistical differences were found. We found significantly higher progesterone concentrations in pregnant females compared to non-pregnant females and adult males (P< 0.001), indicating progesterone is a valid biomarker for pregnancy in gray whales. Both female and male calves had elevated progesterone concentrations, suggesting maternal transfer via lactation. We fit a mixture of two normal distributions to progesterone data from all non-calf females to identify clusters of high and low progesterone and estimated the probability of being pregnant for whales of unknown reproductive status. With this approach we identified likely pregnant and non-pregnant animals. This study represents an important milestone on reproductive profiles in this population, that can be used to estimate more accurate and precise reproductive parameters to be used for better understanding population dynamics of gray whales.