Gender Disparities in Academic Otolaryngology.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate representation of women in otolaryngology by examining authorship of research publications and presentations, awards, research grants, leadership, and membership in related organizations. METHODS: Authorship was reviewed from articles published in three otolaryngology journals from 2000 through 2021 to assess the frequency and percentages of female and combination of male and female gender authorship. Gender was evaluated for poster and scientific abstract presentations from 2007 to 2021. Gender representation was reviewed for institutional and society leadership positions, award, and grant recipients in the American Laryngological Society (ALA). Changes in the frequency of female and combination of male and female gender authorship over time were examined with Cochran-Armitage test for trend. RESULTS: A total of 16,921 articles, 1,017 presentations, 480 leadership positions, 129 president positions, and 1,137 awards and grants were studied. Women were first authors in 4,153 (24.9%) and last authors in 2,935 (17.8%) published articles for which gender could be determined. Women were first authors in 372 (37.4%) presentations and last authors in 199 (20.2%). Most presentations had a combination of male and female presentation authorship (630, 68%). Women held 69 (14.4%) leadership positions. Of the award and grant recipients, 327 (28.8%) were female. Significant trends were observed for increasing female representation (first authorship publications increased 69.9% from 2000 to 2020, first authorship presentations increased 73.9% from 2007 to 2013, p < 0.001; leadership and awards from 3% to 18% representation, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: The proportion of women receiving awards and holding leadership positions is increasing. Efforts that promote gender diversity may further increase representation of women in otolaryngology literature and among the grant and award winners. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 134:2144-2152, 2024.

Validation of a serum ELISA test for cyathostomin infection in equines.

Cyathostomins are ubiquitous equine nematodes. Infection can result in larval cyathostominosis due to mass larval emergence. Although faecal egg count (FEC) tests provide estimates of egg shedding, these correlate poorly with burden and provide no information on mucosal/luminal larvae. Previous studies describe a serum IgG(T)-based ELISA (CT3) that exhibits utility for detection of mucosal/luminal cyathostomins. Here, this ELISA is optimised/validated for commercial application using sera from horses for which burden data were available. Optimisation included addition of total IgG-based calibrators to provide standard curves for quantification of antigen-specific IgG(T) used to generate a CT3-specific 'serum score' for each horse. Validation dataset results were then used to assess the optimised test's performance and select serum score cut-off values for diagnosis of burdens above 1000, 5000 and 10,000 cyathostomins. The test demonstrated excellent performance (Receiver Operating Characteristic Area Under the Curve values >0.9) in diagnosing infection, with >90% sensitivity and >70% specificity at the selected serum score cut-off values. CT3-specific serum IgG(T) profiles in equines in different settings were assessed to provide information for commercial test use. These studies demonstrated maternal transfer of CT3-specific IgG(T) in colostrum to newborns, levels of which declined before increasing as foals consumed contaminated pasture. Studies in geographically distinct populations demonstrated that the proportion of horses that reported as test positive at a 14.37 CT3 serum score (1000-cyathostomin threshold) was associated with parasite transmission risk. Based on the results, inclusion criteria for commercial use were developed. Logistic regression models were developed to predict probabilities that burdens of individuals are above defined thresholds based on the reported serum score. The models performed at a similar level to the serum score cut-off approach. In conclusion, the CT3 test provides an option for veterinarians to obtain evidence of low cyathostomin burdens that do not require anthelmintic treatment and to support diagnosis of infection.

Evolution of endoglucanase genes in subterranean and surface isopod crustaceans from Central Western Australia.

Recent studies have identified a significant number of endogenous cellulase genes in various arthropods, including isopods, allowing them to process hydrocarbons efficiently as a food source. While this research has provided insight into underlying gene-level processes in cellulose decomposition by arthropods, little is known about the existence and expression of cellulase genes in species from cave environments where carbohydrates are sparse. To investigate whether endogenous cellulase genes are maintained in subterranean species, we sequenced the transcriptomes of two subterranean paraplatyarthrid isopod species from calcrete (carbonate) aquifers of central Western Australia and a related surface isopod species. Seven protein-coding open-reading frames associated with endoglucanase genes were identified in all species. Orthology inference analyses, using a wide range of cellulase sequences from available databases, supported the endogenous origin of the putative endoglucanase genes. Selection analyses revealed that these genes are primarily subject to purifying selection in most of the sites for both surface and subterranean isopod species, indicating that they are likely to encode functional peptides. Furthermore, evolutionary branch models supported the hypothesis of an adaptive shift in selective pressure acting on the subterranean lineages compared with the ancestral lineage and surface species. Branch-site models also revealed a few amino acid sites on the subterranean branches to be under positive selection, suggesting the acquisition of novel adaptations to the subterranean environments. These findings also imply that hydrocarbons exist in subsurface aquifers, albeit at reduced levels, and have been utilized by subterranean isopods as a source of energy for millions of years.

In severe alcohol-related hepatitis, acute kidney injury is prevalent, associated with mortality independent of liver disease severity, and can be predicted using IL-8 and micro-RNAs.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence, prediction and impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) in alcohol-related hepatitis (AH) is uncertain. AIMS: We aimed to determine AKI incidence; association with mortality; evaluate serum biomarkers and the modifying effects of prednisolone and pentoxifylline in the largest AH cohort to date. METHODS: Participants in the Steroids or Pentoxifylline for Alcoholic Hepatitis trial with day zero (D0) creatinine available were included. AKI was defined by modified International Club of Ascites criteria; incident AKI as day 7 (D7) AKI without D0-AKI. Survival was compared by Kaplan-Meier; mortality associations by Cox regression; associations with AKI by binary logistic regression; biomarkers by AUROC analyses. RESULTS: D0-AKI was present in 198/1051 (19%) participants; incident AKI developed in a further 119/571 (21%) with available data. Participants with D0-AKI had higher 90-day mortality than those without (32% vs. 25%, p = 0.008), as did participants with incident AKI compared to those without D0-AKI or incident AKI (47% vs. 25%, p < 0.001). Incident AKI was associated with D90 mortality adjusted for age and discriminant function (AHR 2.15, 1.56-2.97, p < 0.001); D0-AKI was not. Prednisolone therapy reduced incident AKI (AOR 0.55, 0.36-0.85, p = 0.007) but not mortality. D0 bilirubin and IL-8 combined, miR-6826-5p, and miR-6811-3p predicted incident AKI (AUROCs 0.726, 0.821, 0.770, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Incident AKI is associated with 90-day mortality independent of liver function. Prednisolone therapy was associated with reduced incident AKI. IL-8 and several miRNAs are potential biomarkers to predict AKI. Novel therapies to prevent incident AKI should be evaluated in AH to reduce mortality.

Taking eDNA underground: Factors affecting eDNA detection of subterranean fauna in groundwater.

Stygofauna are aquatic fauna that have evolved to live underground. The impacts of anthropogenic climate change, extraction and pollution on groundwater pose major threats to groundwater health, prompting the need for efficient and reliable means to detect and monitor stygofaunal communities. Conventional survey techniques for these species rely on morphological identification and can be biased, labour-intensive and often indeterminate to lower taxonomic levels. By contrast, environmental DNA (eDNA)-based methods have the potential to dramatically improve on existing stygofaunal survey methods in a large range of habitats and for all life stages, reducing the need for the destructive manual collection of often critically endangered species or for specialized taxonomic expertise. We compared eDNA and haul-net samples collected in 2020 and 2021 from 19 groundwater bores and a cave on Barrow Island, northwest Western Australia, and assessed how sampling factors influenced the quality of eDNA detection of stygofauna. The two detection methods were complementary; eDNA metabarcoding was able to detect soft-bodied taxa and fish often missed by nets, but only detected seven of the nine stygofaunal crustacean orders identified from haul-net specimens. Our results also indicated that eDNA metabarcoding could detect 54%-100% of stygofauna from shallow-water samples and 82%-90% from sediment samples. However, there was significant variation in stygofaunal diversity between sample years and sampling types. The findings of this study demonstrate that haul-net sampling has a tendency to underestimate stygofaunal diversity and that eDNA metabarcoding of groundwater can substantially improve the efficiency of stygofaunal surveys.

Comparing magnetic resonance liver fat fraction measurements with histology in fibrosis: the difference between proton density fat fraction and tissue mass fat fraction.

OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides a powerful method of measuring fat fraction. However, previous studies have shown that MRS results give lower values compared with visual estimates from biopsies in fibrotic livers. This study investigated these discrepancies and considered whether a tissue water content correction, as assessed by MRI relaxometry, could provide better agreement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 110 patients were scanned in a 1.5 T Philips scanner and biopsies were obtained. Multiple echo MRS (30 × 30 × 30 mm volume) was used to determine Proton Density Fat Fraction (PDFF). Biopsies were assessed by visual assessment for fibrosis and steatosis grading. Digital image analysis (DIA) was also used to quantify fat fraction within tissue samples. T1 relaxation times were then used to estimate tissue water content to correct PDFF for confounding factors. RESULTS: PDFF values across the four visually assessed steatosis grades were significantly less in the higher fibrosis group (F3-F4) compared to the lower fibrosis group (F0-F2). The slope of the linear regression of PDFF vs DIA fat fraction was ~ 1 in the low fibrosis group and 0.77 in the high fibrosis group. Correcting for water content based on T1 increased the gradient but it did not reach unity. DISCUSSION: In fibrotic livers, PDFF underestimated fat fraction compared to DIA methods. Values were improved by applying a water content correction, but fat fractions were still underestimated.

Differential transcriptomic responses to heat stress in surface and subterranean diving beetles.

Subterranean habitats are generally very stable environments, and as such evolutionary transitions of organisms from surface to subterranean lifestyles may cause considerable shifts in physiology, particularly with respect to thermal tolerance. In this study we compared responses to heat shock at the molecular level in a geographically widespread, surface-dwelling water beetle to a congeneric subterranean species restricted to a single aquifer (Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae). The obligate subterranean beetle Paroster macrosturtensis is known to have a lower thermal tolerance compared to surface lineages (CTmax 38 °C cf. 42-46 °C), but the genetic basis of this physiological difference has not been characterized. We experimentally manipulated the thermal environment of 24 individuals to demonstrate that both species can mount a heat shock response at high temperatures (35 °C), as determined by comparative transcriptomics. However, genes involved in these responses differ between species and a far greater number were differentially expressed in the surface taxon, suggesting it can mount a more robust heat shock response; these data may underpin its higher thermal tolerance compared to subterranean relatives. In contrast, the subterranean species examined not only differentially expressed fewer genes in response to increasing temperatures, but also in the presence of the experimental setup employed here alone. Our results suggest P. macrosturtensis may be comparatively poorly equipped to respond to both thermally induced stress and environmental disturbances more broadly. The molecular findings presented here have conservation implications for P. macrosturtensis and contribute to a growing narrative concerning weakened thermal tolerances in obligate subterranean organisms at the molecular level.

Endothelial leptin receptor is dispensable for leptin-induced sympatho-activation and hypertension in male mice.

Leptin plays a crucial role in blood pressure (BP) regulation, notably in the context of obesity through central sympatho-mediated pressor effects. Leptin also relaxes arteries via endothelial (EC) leptin receptor (LepREC)-mediated increases in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Herein, we investigated whether leptin-mediated increases in NO bioavailability represent a buffering mechanism against leptin-induced sympatho-activation. We tested the direct contribution of LepREC to BP regulation in physiological conditions and in response to chronic leptin infusion using mice deficient in LepREC. LepREC deficiency did not alter baseline metabolic profile nor leptin-induced reduction in adiposity and increases in energy expenditure. LepREC-/- mice demonstrated no increase in baseline BP and heart rate (HR) (MAP: LepREC+/+:94.7 ± 1.6, LepREC-/-:95.1 ± 1.8 mmHg; HR:LepREC+/+:492.4 ± 11.7, LepREC-/-:509.5 ± 13.4 bpm) nor in response to leptin (MAP, LepREC+/+:101.1 ± 1.7, LepREC-/-:101.7 ± 1.8 mmHg; HR, LepREC+/+:535.6 ± 11.1, LepREC-/-:539.3 ± 14.2 bpm). Moreover, baseline neurogenic control of BP and HR was preserved in LepREC-/- mice as well as leptin-mediated increases in sympathetic control of BP and HR and decreases in vagal tone. Remarkably, LepREC deficiency did not alter endothelium-dependent relaxation in resistance vessels, nor NO contribution to vasodilatation. Lastly, leptin induced similar increases in adrenergic contractility in mesenteric arteries from both LepREC+/+ and LepREC-/- mice. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the NO buffering effects of leptin are absent in resistance arteries and do not contribute to BP regulation. We provide further evidence that leptin-mediated hypertension involves increased vascular sympatho-activation and extend these findings by demonstrating for the first time that increased cardiac sympatho-activation and reduced vagal tone also contribute to leptin-mediated hypertension.

Parallel decay of vision genes in subterranean water beetles.

In the framework of neutral theory of molecular evolution, genes specific to the development and function of eyes in subterranean animals living in permanent darkness are expected to evolve by relaxed selection, ultimately becoming pseudogenes. However, definitive empirical evidence for the role of neutral processes in the loss of vision over evolutionary time remains controversial. In previous studies, we characterized an assemblage of independently-evolved water beetle (Dytiscidae) species from a subterranean archipelago in Western Australia, where parallel vision and eye loss have occurred. Using a combination of transcriptomics and exon capture, we present evidence of parallel coding sequence decay, resulting from the accumulation of frameshift mutations and premature stop codons, in eight phototransduction genes (arrestins, opsins, ninaC and transient receptor potential channel genes) in 32 subterranean species in contrast to surface species, where these genes have open reading frames. Our results provide strong evidence to support neutral evolutionary processes as a major contributing factor to the loss of phototransduction genes in subterranean animals, with the ultimate fate being the irreversible loss of a light detection system.

eDNA in subterranean ecosystems: Applications, technical aspects, and future prospects.

Monitoring of biota is pivotal for the assessment and conservation of ecosystems. Environments worldwide are being continuously and increasingly exposed to multiple adverse impacts, and the accuracy and reliability of the biomonitoring tools that can be employed shape not only the present, but more importantly, the future of entire habitats. The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding data provides a quick, affordable, and reliable molecular approach for biodiversity assessments. However, while extensively employed in aquatic and terrestrial surface environments, eDNA-based studies targeting subterranean ecosystems are still uncommon due to the lack of accessibility and the cryptic nature of these environments and their species. Recent advances in genetic and genomic analyses have established a promising framework for shedding new light on subterranean biodiversity and ecology. To address current knowledge and the future use of eDNA methods in groundwaters and caves, this review explores conceptual and technical aspects of the application and its potential in subterranean systems. We briefly introduce subterranean biota and describe the most used traditional sampling techniques. Next, eDNA characteristics, application, and limitations in the subsurface environment are outlined. Last, we provide suggestions on how to overcome caveats and delineate some of the research avenues that will likely shape this field in the near future. We advocate that eDNA analyses, when carefully conducted and ideally combined with conventional sampling techniques, will substantially increase understanding and enable crucial expansion of subterranean community characterisation. Given the importance of groundwater and cave ecosystems for nature and humans, eDNA can bring to the surface essential insights, such as study of ecosystem assemblages and rare species detection, which are critical for the preservation of life below, as well as above, the ground.

Pilbarana, a new subterranean amphipod genus (Hadzioidea: Eriopisidae) of environmental assessment importance from the Pilbara, Western Australia.

The Pilbara and nearby regions in north-western Western Australia have an exceptionally high diversity of short-range endemic invertebrates inhabiting threatened groundwater-dependent habitats. Amphipod crustaceans, in particular, are dominant in these communities, but are poorly understood taxonomically, with many undescribed species. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses of Pilbara eriopisid amphipods have, nonetheless, uncovered a previously unknown biodiversity. In this study, we formally establish a new genus, Pilbarana Stringer & King gen. nov., and describe two new species, P. grandis Stringer & King sp. nov. from Cane River Conservation Park and P. lowryi Stringer & King sp. nov. from the Fortescue River Basin near the Hamersley Range, using a combination of molecular and morphological data. The new genus is similar morphologically to the two additional Western Australian eriopisid genera, Nedsia Barnard & Williams, 1995 and Norcapensis Bradbury & Williams, 1997, but represents a genetically divergent, reciprocally monophyletic lineage, which can be differentiated by its vermiform body shape, the presence of an antennal sinus, and by the length and form of the antennae and uropods. This research signifies an important contribution to knowledge of Pilbara subterranean communities and has critical implications for future environmental impact assessments and conservation management.

Development and evaluation of a custom bait design based on 469 single-copy protein-coding genes for exon capture of isopods (Philosciidae: Haloniscus).

Transcriptome-based exon capture approaches, along with next-generation sequencing, are allowing for the rapid and cost-effective production of extensive and informative phylogenomic datasets from non-model organisms for phylogenetics and population genetics research. These approaches generally employ a reference genome to infer the intron-exon structure of targeted loci and preferentially select longer exons. However, in the absence of an existing and well-annotated genome, we applied this exon capture method directly, without initially identifying intron-exon boundaries for bait design, to a group of highly diverse Haloniscus (Philosciidae), paraplatyarthrid and armadillid isopods, and examined the performance of our methods and bait design for phylogenetic inference. Here, we identified an isopod-specific set of single-copy protein-coding loci, and a custom bait design to capture targeted regions from 469 genes, and analysed the resulting sequence data with a mapping approach and newly-created post-processing scripts. We effectively recovered a large and informative dataset comprising both short (<100 bp) and longer (>300 bp) exons, with high uniformity in sequencing depth. We were also able to successfully capture exon data from up to 16-year-old museum specimens along with more distantly related outgroup taxa, and efficiently pool multiple samples prior to capture. Our well-resolved phylogenies highlight the overall utility of this methodological approach and custom bait design, which offer enormous potential for application to future isopod, as well as broader crustacean, molecular studies.

Four new species of parasitoid wasp (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) described through a citizen science partnership with schools in regional South Australia.

Involving the community in taxonomic research has the potential to increase the awareness, appreciation and value of taxonomy in the public sphere. We report here on a trial citizen science project, Insect Investigators, which partners taxonomists with school students to monitor Malaise traps and prioritise the description of new species collected. In this initial trial, four schools in regional South Australia participated in the program and all collected new species of the braconid subfamily Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). These four species are here described as new, with the names being chosen in collaboration with the participating school students: Choeras ramcomarmorata Fagan-Jeffries Austin sp. nov., Glyptapanteles drioplanetus Fagan-Jeffries Austin sp. nov., Dolichogenidea franklinharbourensis Fagan-Jeffries Austin sp. nov. and Miropotes waikerieyeties Fagan-Jeffries Austin sp. nov. All four species are diagnosed against the known members of the genera from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa and Papua New Guinea, and images and COI DNA barcodes are provided of the holotypes. Students had positive feedback about their experiences of the program, and there is significant potential for it to be expanded and used as a means to connect communities with taxonomic science.

The diagnostic and prognostic significance of liver histology in alcoholic hepatitis.

BACKGROUND: Liver biopsy may be of diagnostic and prognostic value but its role in alcoholic hepatitis (AH) has been controversial. AIM: To assess the utility of liver biopsy in the assessment of clinically severe AH METHODS: The histological features of alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) were recorded and scored in patients enrolled in the Steroids or Pentoxifylline for Alcoholic Hepatitis (STOPAH) trial who underwent liver biopsy. These features were then assessed relative to outcome and established clinical prognostic scores. RESULTS: The STOPAH trial recruited 1068 patients; biopsies were obtained in 182 (17%). One hundred and sixty-one biopsies were adequate for histological assessment and 140 (87%) were diagnostic for ASH. Only three biopsies (2%) did not have histological features of alcohol-related liver injury. In biopsies performed prior to randomisation, ASH was identified in 92.5% of patients meeting clinical trial definitions of severe AH. In biopsies with ASH, taken before or within 48 hours of randomisation, survival differences between Alcoholic Hepatitis Histological Score (AHHS) groups were not significant: comparison of mild / moderate (91%: 21 of 23 patients) with severe (78%: 29 of 37 patients) groups: P = 0.18. The AHHS was not superior to clinical scores of prognosis: area under the curve for 28-day mortality was 0.728, compared with 0.799 for the Glasgow alcoholic hepatitis score and 0.728 for the MELD score. CONCLUSION: Liver histology taken before treatment rarely changes the diagnosis in patients meeting strict criteria for a clinical diagnosis of AH. The AHHS is similar to clinical scores in determining prognosis. Clinical trial registration EudraCT reference number: 2009-013897-42. ISRCTN reference number: 88782125. MREC number: 09/MRE09/59. UKCRIN ID: 9143.

Evidence for speciation underground in diving beetles (Dytiscidae) from a subterranean archipelago.

Most subterranean animals are assumed to have evolved from surface ancestors following colonization of a cave system; however, very few studies have raised the possibility of "subterranean speciation" in underground habitats (i.e., obligate cave-dwelling organisms [troglobionts] descended from troglobiotic ancestors). Numerous endemic subterranean diving beetle species from spatially discrete calcrete aquifers in Western Australia (stygobionts) have evolved independently from surface ancestors; however, several cases of sympatric sister species raise the possibility of subterranean speciation. We tested this hypothesis using vision (phototransduction) genes that are evolving under neutral processes in subterranean species and purifying selection in surface species. Using sequence data from 32 subterranean and five surface species in the genus Paroster (Dytiscidae), we identified deleterious mutations in long wavelength opsin (lwop), arrestin 1 (arr1), and arrestin 2 (arr2) shared by a sympatric sister-species triplet, arr1 shared by a sympatric sister-species pair, and lwop and arr2 shared among closely related species in adjacent calcrete aquifers. In all cases, a common ancestor possessed the function-altering mutations, implying they were already adapted to aphotic environments. Our study represents one of the first confirmed cases of subterranean speciation in cave insects. The assessment of genes undergoing pseudogenization provides a novel way of testing modes of speciation and the history of diversification in blind cave animals.

Extreme genetic diversity among springtails (Collembola) in subterranean calcretes of arid Australia.

The subterranean islands hypothesis for calcretes of the Yilgarn region in Western Australia applies to many stygobitic (subterranean-aquatic) species that are "trapped" evolutionarily within isolated aquifers due to their aquatic lifestyles. In contrast, little is known about the distribution of terrestrial-subterranean invertebrates associated with the calcretes. We used subterranean Collembola from the Yilgarn calcretes to test the hypothesis that troglobitic species, those inhabiting the subterranean unsaturated (non-aquatic) zone of calcretes, are also restricted in their distribution and represent reciprocally monophyletic and endemic lineages. We used the barcoding fragment of the mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene from 183 individuals to reconstruct the phylogenetic history of the genus Pseudosinella Schäffer (Collembola, Lepidocyrtidae) from 10 calcretes in the Yilgarn. These calcretes represent less than 5% of the total possible calcretes in this region, yet we show that their diversity for subterranean Collembola comprises a minimum of 25 new species. Regionally, multiple levels of diversity exist in Pseudosinella, indicative of a complex evolutionary history for this genus in the Yilgarn. These species have probably been impacted by climatic oscillations, facilitating their dispersal across the landscape. The results represent a small proportion of the undiscovered diversity in Australia's arid zone.

Refining trophic dynamics through multi-factor Bayesian mixing models: A case study of subterranean beetles.

Food web dynamics are vital in shaping the functional ecology of ecosystems. However, trophic ecology is still in its infancy in groundwater ecosystems due to the cryptic nature of these environments. To unravel trophic interactions between subterranean biota, we applied an interdisciplinary Bayesian mixing model design (multi-factor BMM) based on the integration of faunal C and N bulk tissue stable isotope data (δ13C and δ15N) with radiocarbon data (Δ14C), and prior information from metagenomic analyses. We further compared outcomes from multi-factor BMM with a conventional isotope double proxy mixing model (SIA BMM), triple proxy (δ13C, δ15N, and Δ14C, multi-proxy BMM), and double proxy combined with DNA prior information (SIA + DNA BMM) designs. Three species of subterranean beetles (Paroster macrosturtensis, Paroster mesosturtensis, and Paroster microsturtensis) and their main prey items Chiltoniidae amphipods (AM1: Scutachiltonia axfordi and AM2: Yilgarniella sturtensis), cyclopoids and harpacticoids from a calcrete in Western Australia were targeted. Diet estimations from stable isotope only models (SIA BMM) indicated homogeneous patterns with modest preferences for amphipods as prey items. Multi-proxy BMM suggested increased-and species-specific-predatory pressures on amphipods coupled with high rates of scavenging/predation on sister species. SIA + DNA BMM showed marked preferences for amphipods AM1 and AM2, and reduced interspecific scavenging/predation on Paroster species. Multi-factorial BMM revealed the most precise estimations (lower overall SD and very marginal beetles' interspecific interactions), indicating consistent preferences for amphipods AM1 in all the beetles' diets. Incorporation of genetic priors allowed crucial refining of the feeding preferences, while integration of more expensive radiocarbon data as a third proxy (when combined with genetic data) produced more precise outcomes but close dietary reconstruction to that from SIA + DNA BMM. Further multidisciplinary modeling from other groundwater environments will help elucidate the potential behind these designs and bring light to the feeding ecology of one the most vital ecosystems worldwide.

Correction to: Evaluation of Liver Function Tests and Risk Score Assessment to Screen Patients for Significant Liver Disease Prior to Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery.

The name of author Anthony Antypas was misspelled in the original article. It is correct here.

Evaluation of Liver Function Tests and Risk Score Assessment to Screen Patients for Significant Liver Disease Prior to Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery.

Bariatric and metabolic surgery is associated with significant improvement in obesity-related comorbidities, but for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), clinical outcomes are dependent on the severity of liver disease, i.e. improvement of NAFLD in most patients but increased risks of fulminant hepatic failure and/or bleeding varices in patients with more advanced cirrhosis. Our study showed that absolute values of liver enzymes were poor indicator of risk of liver fibrosis. The use of AST/ALT ratio, Fib 4 or NAFLD scores were appropriate screening tools, with each risk score appearing to pick out a certain phenotype of patients based on age, BMI or individual values of ALT, AST or platelet count. There is lack of agreement in some cases between FIB-4 scores and NAFLD scores when ruling out patients at high risk of liver fibrosis. Meticulous screening of patients at risk of liver fibrosis is crucial in order to reduce the risk of liver-related complications following bariatric and metabolic surgery.

Scratching the surface of subterranean biodiversity: Molecular analysis reveals a diverse and previously unknown fauna of Parabathynellidae (Crustacea: Bathynellacea) from the Pilbara, Western Australia.

Like other crustacean families, the Parabathynellidae is a poorly studied subterranean and aquatic (stygobiontic) group in Australia, with many regions of available habitat having not yet been surveyed. Here we used a combined approach of molecular species delimitation methods, applied to mitochondrial and nuclear genetic data, to identify putative new species from material obtained from remote subterranean habitats in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Based on collections from these new localities, we delineated a minimum of eight and up to 24 putative new species using a consensus from a range of molecular delineation methods and additional evidence. When we placed our new putative species into the broader phylogenetic framework of Australian Parabathynellidae, they grouped with two known genera and also within one new and distinct Pilbara-only clade. These new species significantly expand the known diversity of Parabathynellidae in that they represent a 22% increase to the 109 currently recognised species globally. Our investigations showed that sampling at new localities can yield extraordinary levels of new species diversity, with the majority of species showing likely restricted endemic geographical ranges. These findings represent only a small sample from a region comprising less than 2.5% of the Australian continent.