A new species of Loimos MacCallum, 1917 is described more than half a century after the last species was described in 1972. The new species was collected from the gills of Rhizoprionodon taylori (Ogilby, 1915) off the Central Queensland coast, Australia, and is the first Loimos species and the first representative of the Loimoinae Price, 1936 known from Oceania. A detailed morphological description and 28S rDNA molecular sequences are provided for the new species. In the molecular phylogeny based on available 28S rDNA sequences for relevant Monocotylidae, the new species grouped together with the only other Loimos sequence available in GenBank, that of the nonugen Loimos sp. from China (OM060238), sister to Loimosina wilsoni Manter, 1944. The estimated genetic divergence between the new species and the nonugen Loimos sp. sequence is low, between 0.0452 and 0.0737, suggesting that the nonugen sequence may represent the new species, or a very closely related congener. Host identity was confirmed by comparing COI sequences with those of known sharks in GenBank. We also provide the first 12S and 16S molecular sequences for this shark species.

Trematodes of the genus Paralecithodendrium parasitize bats worldwide. Among them, the identification of Paralecithodendrium longiforme and Paralecithodendrium cryptolecithum is complicated by their high morphological similarity. We studied Paralecithodendrium trematodes from the small intestine of bats inhabiting the Middle Volga region (European Russia). The aim of our study was to analyze these two Paralecithodendrium species using both morphological and molecular phylogenetic approaches. Here, we present the first complete morphological description and molecular phylogenetic analysis of Paralecithodendrium cryptolecithum from bats in Russia and confirm the validity of this species.

Cattle (Bos spp.) grazing on weed–mixed forage biomass may potentially spread weed seeds, leading to plant invasions across pasturelands. Understanding the possibility and intensity of this spread is crucial for developing effective weed control methods in grazed areas. This research undertook an in vitro experiment to evaluate the germination and survival of five dominant weed species in the southern United States [Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson), yellow foxtail [Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. & Schult.], johnsongrass [Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.], field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) and pitted morningglory (Ipomoea lacunosa L.)] upon incubation in rumen fluid for eight time periods (0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h). For the 96-h treatment, a full Tilley and Terry procedure was applied after 48 h for stopping fermentation, followed by incubation for another 48 h simulating abomasum digestion. Seed germination, upon incubation, varied significantly among weed species, with I. lacunosa reaching zero germination after only 24 h of incubation, whereas A. palmeri and S. halepense retained up to 3% germination even after 96 h of incubation. The hard seed coats of A. palmeri and S. halepense likely made them highly resistant, whereas the I. lacunosa seed coat became easily permeable and ruptured under rumen fluid incubation. This suggests that cattle grazing can selectively affect seed distribution and invasiveness of weeds in grazed grasslands and rangelands, including the designated invasive and noxious weed species. As grazing is a significant component in animal husbandry, a major economic sector in the U.S. South, our research provides important insights into the potential role of grazing as a dispersal mechanism for some of the troublesome arable weeds in the United States. The results offer opportunities for devising customized feeding and grazing practices combined with timely removal of weeds in grazeable lands at the pre-flowering stage for effective containment of weeds.

In Iceland, sheltered rocky intertidal zones like Breiðafjörður bay are dominated by monospecific stands of Ascophyllum nodosum, providing key habitats for marine organisms. Increasing demand for A. nodosum has led to its commercial exploitation, yet impacts on fish assemblages remain poorly known. Using a novel multi-mesh netting approach, we characterised seasonal patterns in fish composition, abundance, size structure, age, and diet. Additionally, to assess the local effects of seaweed harvesting, commercial harvesting was conducted, with comparisons being made between treatment and control unharvested areas during different seasons. Nine fish species were identified, with Pollachius virens, Myoxocephalus scorpius, and Gadus morhua being the most common. Fish abundance peaked in summer, and declined the following spring, suggesting cohort turnover with juvenile gadoids relying on these habitats as nurseries. P. virens showed increased length through seasons, whereas no trends in length or abundance were observed for M. scorpius. Effects of seaweed harvesting were minimal, although fish diversity was slightly higher and G. morhua significantly larger in control plots. Stomach contents exhibited a greater diversity of prey types in harvested sites, suggesting potential impacts on trophic dynamics. These findings underscore the importance of A. nodosum-dominated habitats as nursery grounds for commercially valuable gadoids and highlight the need for a precautionary approach to seaweed harvesting to maintain ecosystem health.

Over the years, the number of parasitic helminth species discoveries has not ceased to increase and the popularisation of the use of molecular methods has contributed greatly to sustain the growth in knowledge. However, molecular approaches evolved rapidly in the last 20 years. I argue that the research community working on parasitic helminths has lagged behind in the application of molecular methods that examine multiple loci to study species diversity. In this paper, I review the recent historical trends in the molecular markers used to study trematode diversity. Except for the emergence of pioneer mitogenome studies, the use of markers has not changed in the past 10 years. It is still restricted to single locus or a combination of two, rarely three, mitochondrial and ribosomal loci. I identify past and current molecular approaches providing data on multiple loci across the genome which have found resistance in the trematode and the helminth parasitology fields over the last four decades. I discuss how the knowledge gained from the analysis of genome-wide markers would benefit research on parasite diversity today, in particular for cases of species complexes, cryptic (or nearly cryptic) species, recently diverged species, and species with a complex taxonomic history, or a history of suspected mitonuclear discordance as well as for taxa with wide geographical distributions or species with disjoint distributions. Furthermore, I argue that both, studies with classical markers and reduced-representation genome studies providing genome-wide markers should not walk different paths but feedback on each other to advance the field forward. I examine some challenges and make recommendations for obtaining high-throughput molecular data of parasitic helminths.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of cell-free DNA (CF-DNA) in the spent cleavage and blastocyst medium versus blastomere biopsy for sex identification using short tandem repeat (STR) markers for the first time. In total, 39 samples of spent culture medium (SCM) from six couples were collected of which 28 samples were CF-DNA from blastocoel fluid + SCM (day 5) and 11 samples from SCM alone (day 3). The frequencies of allele dropout (ADO), fail rate and informativity markers were considered. The relationship between the morphology of embryos and ADO and the fail number of all markers was investigated. Sex identification rate between CF-DNA isolated from culture medium and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was then compared with measurement of Agreement Kappa (AK). The highest frequency of informative markers belonged to DXS6801 and HPRT. There was no relationship between the ADO number of all markers and embryo morphology. A significant difference was seen between embryo morphology and fail numbers. AK value between CF-DNA isolated from culture medium and FISH was 0.516, which is moderate. The ability of CF-DNA to detect the correct diagnosis of males and females showed that all values of specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 100%. The presence of embryonic CF-DNA in the SCM on day 3 as well as blastocyst medium on day 5 using STR-based multiplex PCR is approximately consistent with FISH for sex identification. Advances in DNA extraction, amplification technique, and testing may allow for preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) and monogenic/single-gene disorders (PGT-M) as a non-invasive approach without biopsy in the future either in sex determination or chromosomal abnormality.

Persistent malnutrition is associated with poor clinical outcomes in cancer. However, assessing its reversibility can be challenging. The present study aimed to utilise machine learning (ML) to predict reversible malnutrition (RM) in patients with cancer. A multicentre cohort study including hospitalised oncology patients. Malnutrition was diagnosed using an international consensus. RM was defined as a positive diagnosis of malnutrition upon patient admission which turned negative one month later. Time-series data on body weight and skeletal muscle were modelled using a long short-term memory architecture to predict RM. The model was named as WAL-net, and its performance, explainability, clinical relevance and generalisability were evaluated. We investigated 4254 patients with cancer-associated malnutrition (discovery set = 2977, test set = 1277). There were 2783 men and 1471 women (median age = 61 years). RM was identified in 754 (17·7 %) patients. RM/non-RM groups showed distinct patterns of weight and muscle dynamics, and RM was negatively correlated to the progressive stages of cancer cachexia (r = –0·340, P < 0·001). WAL-net was the state-of-the-art model among all ML algorithms evaluated, demonstrating favourable performance to predict RM in the test set (AUC = 0·924, 95 % CI = 0·904, 0·944) and an external validation set (n 798, AUC = 0·909, 95 % CI = 0·876, 0·943). Model-predicted RM using baseline information was associated with lower future risks of underweight, sarcopenia, performance status decline and progression of malnutrition (all P < 0·05). This study presents an explainable deep learning model, the WAL-net, for early identification of RM in patients with cancer. These findings might help the management of cancer-associated malnutrition to optimise patient outcomes in multidisciplinary cancer care.

Kombucha is a fermented beverage rich in bioactive compounds. This beverage has demonstrated high antioxidant capacity in vitro and experimental animal studies. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of daily consumption of green tea kombucha on oxidative stress and endothelial health in individuals with excess body weight. This is a randomized controlled clinical trial, lasting 10 weeks, during which the control group followed a healthy −500 kcal/d energy-restricted diet. In contrast, the kombucha group, in addition to the energy-restricted diet, consumed 200 ml of kombucha green tea daily. This study included men and women aged 18–45 years without chronic diseases. At the beginning and end of the study, fasting blood was collected, and colorimetric assays and immunoassay protocols evaluated markers of oxidative stress and endothelial health. Compared to the control group, kombucha consumption significantly reduced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels (P = 0·007). Initial and final values were as follows: Control group (16·5 v. 15·09 µmol/ml; n 29) and Kombucha group (18·14 v. 14·67 µmol/ml; n 30). The other markers that were evaluated did not change after the kombucha consumption. In conclusion, daily consumption of 200 ml of green tea kombucha for 10 weeks reduces one pro-oxidant marker, without altering other markers of oxidative stress and endothelial health in individuals with excess body weight. Reducing a pro-oxidant marker suggests that kombucha is an antioxidant beverage with promising implications for human health. However, further studies are needed to elucidate other possible beneficial effects on health.

Weed seeds are potential contaminants of composts derived from biowastes. We assessed the effect of steam treatment alone and in combination with composting on the mortality of barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.] seeds in a biowaste substrate consisting of a mixture of onion (Allium spp.) waste (60%), horse (Equus spp.) manure (20%), and wood shavings (20%). In the first study, seeds of six populations of E. crus-galli exposed to temperatures ranging from ca. 60 to 99 C followed by a 3-min residence time exhibited a decline in seed germination from approximately 25% to 0%. The E. crus-galli populations varied greatly in germinability and responded differently to high temperatures. Samples with lower germinability as assessed in controls were killed at lower temperatures than samples with higher initial germinability. However, to ensure an almost 100% kill of all seeds in the populations, a mean temperature of 100 C was necessary. In another study, seed germination was assessed after steaming the biowaste mixture to a mean temperature of about 60 C and subsequently composting. A short steaming period of the biowaste mixture at approximately 60 C before composting was unnecessary, as all composted seed samples, including the non-steamed control seeds, died during the composting process.

The transition from conventional cage systems to cage-free egg production in China remains limited despite apparently increasing consumer demand for cage-free eggs. This study interviewed 15 large-scale Chinese egg producers using cages and/or cage-free systems (i.e. single-, multi-tier and free-range) to investigate the perceived challenges and opportunities during the transition. The cage farms’ scales range from 110,000 to 30 million, while the cage-free farms keep between 12,000 and 300,000 laying hens. Drawing upon the COM-B model of the Behaviour Change Wheel, this study explored how producers’ Capabilities, Opportunities, and Motivations impact decision-making processes. Key findings reveal that cage and cage-free producers considered consumer demand and profitability as primary drivers for adopting cage-free systems. While free-range producers were more confident in the market, barn system producers faced greater uncertainty due to limited engagement from corporate buyers. Moreover, these cage-free producers believed reliable certification and labelling schemes to be critical for building consumer trust and ensuring the success of cage-free operations. All the participants perceived access to sufficient land and financial resources to be essential for a successful transition. While most studies propose education as a long-term strategy to promote the growth of the cage-free egg sector, our findings are the first to highlight that engaging corporate buyers and establishing trustworthy certification schemes are the most crucial short-term interventions required to drive the development of large-scale cage-free farms and support sustained improvements in animal welfare in China.

Five species of monorchiids are known from fishes of the family Gerreidae, of which one is from Australian waters. Here, we report it and two new monorchiids from three species of Gerres Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 from off Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef, and Moreton Bay in south-eastern Queensland: Gerres oyena (Forsskål), Gerres oblongus Cuvier and Gerres subfasciatus Cuvier. One of the new species, found only in G. oblongus at Lizard Island, conforms most closely to the concept of Proctotrema Odhner, 1911. However, it differs from species of Proctotrema in oral sucker shape and location of intestinal bifurcation and termination. It is phylogenetically distinct from two sequenced species of Proctotrema; thus, we propose Obscuromonorchis ranae n. g., n. sp. The second new species infects all three gerreids, occurs at both Lizard Island and Moreton Bay, and is morphologically most similar to the concept of Monorchicestrahelmins Yamaguti, 1971. However, the combination of the length of the caeca, size of the testis and post-testicular region, and the form of spination in the genital atrium presents a clear genus-level distinction that warrants proposal of a new genus. There are no molecular data for the three recognised species of Monorchicestrahelmins. We propose Argenticola shuyinae n. g., n. sp. for this species. New specimens of Gerricola queenslandensis Wee, Cutmore & Cribb, 2021 were collected from off Lizard Island and Moreton Bay. The three species form a well-supported clade but with internal branch lengths and topology consistent with genus-level differentiation.

Coral reefs have been rapidly deteriorating, worldwide, due to global warming, ocean acidification, bleaching, diseases, and various local anthropogenic stressors, such as coastal development, habitat destruction, overfishing and eutrophication, all of which have significantly impacted the metabolic functions of corals and other marine organisms. Global warming has been identified as the main culprit in the decline of coral reefs. In response, we assessed the metabolic responses of one of the most iconic Caribbean corals to elevated temperatures. Accordingly, the proteomic profile of Acropora palmata was investigated during the cool dry and hot wet seasons of 2014 and 2015 in Puerto Rico using a combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE) and mass spectrometry. The study revealed that the average number of differentially abundant proteoforms between seasons was 527 in the inner-shelf reef at Enrique and 1,115 in the mid-shelf reef at San Cristobal, both located on the insular shelf of southwestern Puerto Rico. Our results show significant changes in A. palmata’s proteome, inducing alterations in key metabolic, enzymatic, translational, and apoptotic processes, between the cool dry and hot wet seasons. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the variation in the expression of five candidate stress-related genes under different seasonal temperatures. The findings highlight key proteoforms whose abundance varied with temperature, offering insight into A. palmata’s metabolic capacity to acclimate and respond to seasonal temperature fluctuations.

Previous studies on the association between fruit juice consumption and type 2 diabetes remain controversial, which might be due to heterogeneity in the polygenic risk score (PRS) for type 2 diabetes. We examined the association between fruit juice and type 2 diabetes by PRS for type 2 diabetes. We investigated whether fruit juice influences type 2 diabetes risk differently among individuals with varying genetic risks. Data from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) study, a cross-sectional study of 13 769 Japanese individuals was used for our analysis. The primary exposure was the frequency of fruit juice, categorised as do not drink, less than 1 cup per day or more than 1 cup per day. We selected PGS002379, a PRS for type 2 diabetes developed using East Asian populations. The primary outcome was physician-diagnosed type 2 diabetes, reported by participants. The consumption of fruit juice was significantly inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in the group with a high PRS for type 2 diabetes (OR: 0·78, 95 % CI: 0·65, 0·93 for < 1 cup/d and OR: 0·54, 95 % CI: 0·30, 0·96 for > 1/d), but this association was not observed in the low PRS group. Fruit juice consumption was inversely associated with type 2 diabetes, especially in genetically high-risk populations for type 2 diabetes.

Antarctica, which has always been of great interest to researchers worldwide, is currently attracting considerable attention owing to climate change and other topics. In this context, bibliometric analysis allows the identification of hot topics, scientific productivity, cooperation, research gaps and strategic areas of potential interest. We conducted a bibliometric study to evaluate the global production of Antarctic research between 1980 and 2023 and analysed Spanish National Antarctic Programme (NAP) production as a case study. Scientific publications were reviewed and classified based on their main themes, key word co-occurrence and international collaborations. We found that scientific production worldwide and in the Spanish NAP has progressively increased since 1980. Globally, the main areas of research are the geosciences, oceanography and atmospheric sciences. However, the Spanish NAP, which reported 2287 publications, has focused more on the geosciences and ecology. Spanish Antarctic researchers have mainly collaborated with researchers from the USA, the UK, Germany and Italy. Our research highlights the importance of strengthening research plans to diversify and facilitate international collaboration, promoting a more interdisciplinary approach to address the current and future challenges identified by the scientific community. In this context, specific opportunities for developing a Spanish NAP strategic plan are discussed.

The question of whether PCR is reliable sounds strange at first. However, looking at the scientific literature from the 1950s and 60s, one will find many publications on the physicochemistry of DNA that have been forgotten meanwhile. Quite a few of these studies have shown that DNA is thermolabile, which consequently raises the question of whether this thermolability is relevant in the context of PCR, namely in the denaturation phase. However, it can be shown that this is not the case: losses due to thermal hydrolysis are irrelevant for the performance of contemporary PCR protocols and their specificity as well as for the significance of their results. There is now a huge amount of scientifically verified and published data on technical and molecular aspects of PCR, a small selection of which we quote here. In addition, we present some primary data that also clearly demonstrate the reliability of PCR.

From December 2023 to November 2024, regular surveys were conducted to document finfish bycatch in the trawl fishery landing at Veraval Fishing Harbour, northeastern coast of the Arabian Sea. As an outcome of this exploration, three male specimens of Callionymus gardineri and five (four males and one female) specimens of C. omanensis were collected. Both species were recorded for the first time from the north-western Arabian Sea, coastal waters of India, accompanied by a new maximum length record for C. omanensis (Lmax = 122.1 mm standard length). Callionymus omanensis was originally described based on a single male specimen, whereas the description of female C. omanensis was interpreted. While the exact justification for their distribution in this new locality remains unknown, both dragonet species likely moved eastwards from their native habitats along the western Arabian Sea coast. This strongly suggests a significant research gap in our understanding of low-value deep-sea trawl bycatch, necessitating further exploration to improve biodiversity assessments. Herein, the detailed meristic counts and morphometric measurements are compared, and updated distributional information is collated.

Data on the infection of Middendorffʼs eelpout, Hadropareia middendorffii, by metacercariae of the trematodes Cryptocotyle lingua Creplin, 1825 and Liliatrema skrjabini Gubanov, 1953, which are causative agents of black spot disease, is provided here for the first time for Taui Bay, Sea of Okhotsk. The prevalence of infection of fish by larvae of C. lingua reached 79%, while the intensity of infection varied from one to 278 individuals (with an average of 53). The prevalence of infection by L. skrjabini was lower (40%), with an intensity from one to 22 larvae (on average, eight). Metacercariae of both trematode species were surrounded by two envelopes: an outer, connective tissue capsule formed by the host’s cells, and an inner cyst formed by the parasite. The examined metacercariae were found in all regions of the fish’s body (head, trunk, and fins), with approximately equal numbers of individuals of both species found in tissues of the head and trunk regions. Metacercariae of C. lingua were localised in the fishes’ muscles, not only immediately under the skin but also in deeper layers. The capsules formed around metacercariae of both trematode species were dominated by fibroblasts and collagen fibres and did not show pronounced signs of inflammation. Studying the distribution of black spot disease and its effects on fish is crucial for understanding disease patterns in relation to fish population dynamics. It may also inform the development of effective anthelmintic treatments for use in aquaculture farms.