The nitrogen isotopes of the organic matter preserved in fossil fish otoliths (ear stones) are a promising tool for reconstructing past environmental changes. We analyzed the 15N/14N ratio (δ15N) of fossil otolith-bound organic matter in Late Cretaceous fish otoliths (of Eutawichthys maastrichtiensis, Eutawichthys zideki and Pterothrissus sp.) from three deposits along the US east coast, with two of Campanian (83.6 to 77.9 Ma) and one Maastrichtian (72.1 to 66 Ma) age. δ15N and N content were insensitive to cleaning protocol and the preservation state of otolith morphological features, and N content differences among taxa were consistent across deposits, pointing to a fossil-native origin for the organic matter. All three species showed an increase in otolith-bound organic matter δ15N of ~4‰ from Campanian to Maastrichtian. As to its cause, the similar change in distinct genera argues against changing trophic level, and modern field data argue against the different locations of the sedimentary deposits. Rather, the lower δ15N in the Campanian is best interpreted as an environmental signal at the regional scale or greater, and it may be a consequence of the warmer global climate. A similar decrease has been observed in foraminifera-bound δ15N during warm periods of the Cenozoic, reflecting decreased water column denitrification and thus contraction of the ocean\'s oxygen deficient zones (ODZs) under warm conditions. The same δ15N-climate correlation in Cretaceous otoliths raises the prospect of an ODZ-to-climate relationship that has been consistent over the last ~80 My, applying before and after the end-Cretaceous mass extinction and spanning changes in continental configuration.

This paper presents a dataset of 3D sagittal left otolith meshes from 339 individual red mullet (Mullus barbatus). These immature specimens were collected from 17 geographical areas covering the entire Mediterranean Sea. Measured biological parameters were: fish total length (TL ± 1 mm, range from 125 to 238 mm), total weight (W ± 0.1 g, range from 14.9 to 168.0 g), sex (S), sexual maturity staging (Mat). The 3D otolith dataset comprises high-resolution meshes of otoliths obtained using microtomography (29.2 μm voxel size). The data offer valuable insights into the morphological variability and population structure of red mullet populations in the Mediterranean Sea. Potential applications of the dataset include age determination, stock identification, and population connectivity analysis. These applications aim to enhance the understanding of red mullet populations and contribute to the sustainable management of marine resources in the Mediterranean Sea.

Anthropogenic deoxygenation of the Baltic Sea caused major declines in demersal and benthic habitat quality with consequent impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Using Baltic cod otolith chemical proxies of hypoxia, salinity, and fish metabolic status and growth, we tracked changes from baseline conditions in the late Neolithic (4500 BP) and early twentieth century to the present, in order to understand how recent, accelerating climate change has affected this key species. Otolith hypoxia proxies (Mn:Mg) increased with expanding anoxic water volumes, but decreased with increasing salinity indexed by otolith Sr:Ca. Metabolic status proxied by otolith Mg:Ca and reconstructed growth were positively related to dissolved oxygen percent saturation, with particularly severe declines since 2010. This long-term record of otolith indicators provides further evidence of a profound state change in oxygen for the worse, in one of the world\'s largest inland seas. Spreading hypoxia due to climate warming will likely impair fish populations globally and evidence can be tracked with otolith chemical biomarkers.

Ocean warming will continue to affect the growth, body condition and geographic distributions of marine fishes and understanding these effects is an urgent challenge for fisheries research and management. Determining how temperature is recorded in fish otolith carbonate, provides an additional chronological tool to investigate thermal histories, preferences and patterns of movement throughout an individual\'s life history. The influence of three water temperature treatments (22°C, 25°C, and 28°C) on hatchery-reared juvenile stout whiting, Sillago robusta, was tested using a controlled outdoor mesocosm system. Fish were measured for change in length and weight, and body condition was determined using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Sagittal otoliths were analysed for stable oxygen (δ18Ootolith) and carbon (δ13Cotolith) isotopes via isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Whiting kept at 22°C were significantly smaller and had diminished body condition compared to fish in 25°C and 28°C, which did not significantly differ from each other. The δ18O otolith values of stout whiting demonstrated a negative temperature-dependent fractionation relationship which was similar in slope but had a different intercept to the relationships reported for inorganic aragonite and other marine fish species. The δ13C otolith values also showed a negative relationship with water temperature, and the calculated proportion of metabolic carbon M in otoliths differed between fish reared in the coolest (22°C) and warmest (28°C) temperature treatments. Overall, the results suggest that stout whiting may have reached an upper growth threshold between 25°C and 28°C, and that growth and body condition may be optimised during warmer seasons and toward the northerly regions of their distribution. Otolith oxygen thermometry shows promise as a natural tracer of thermal life history, and species-specific fractionation equations should be utilised when possible to prevent errors in temperature reconstructions of wild-caught fish.

机体代谢异常可通过对耳石膜的结构及耳石正常生理代谢过程产生一定的影响，进而作用于良性阵发性位置性眩晕（benign paroxysmal positional vertigo，BPPV）的发生、发展和预后。本文就代谢异常与BPPV相关的基础研究和临床研究做一总结，探究代谢异常在BPPV中的影响。.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate otolithic functions in patients with residual dizziness after successful canalith repositioning procedures (CRPs) for unilateral posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), and to investigate possible risk factors.
METHODS: This case-control observational study included healthy controls and patients with residual dizziness after improvement following CRP for BPPV. All participants were subjected to full history taking, otoscopy, audiological basic evaluation, Dix-Hallpike test to search for posterior canal BPPV, residual dizziness screening, and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing. Between-group differences were assessed and possible factors associated with residual dizziness were identified by univariate analysis.
RESULTS: A total of 50 patients with residual dizziness (mean age, 56.53 ± 7.46 years [29 female: 21 male]) and 50 healthy controls (mean age, 58.13 ± 7.57 years [20 female: 30 male]) were included. A significant difference in VEMP latencies was found between the patient and control group (delayed in the patient group), with no significant between-group difference in amplitude in both ears. Aging, female sex, long duration of BPPV, number of CRPs, cervical VEMP and ocular VEMP abnormalities, and winter onset, were significantly associated with the risk of residual dizziness.
CONCLUSIONS: Residual dizziness is a frequent sequel of BPPV that may relate to otolithic dysfunction. VEMP changes were revealed in the form of delayed latencies.

In this study, we investigated the growth dynamics and otolith shape asymmetry of two fish species, Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (CN) and Oreochromis niloticus (ON), within urbanized watersheds of the southern lagoon system, Nigeria. Using the von Bertalanffy growth model (VBGM), in addition to sediment metal concentration indices such as the average shale content, index of geoaccumulation (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), and potential ecological risk (PER) index, contamination levels were classified, and ecological risks were assessed. Notably, a lower growth potential (t0) was observed in CN at Ikorodu than at Epe, with similar trends for ON in the Epe during the dry season. Otolith asymmetry patterns, particularly in the CN at Ikorodu and ON in the Epe during the dry season, exhibited distinct ecological variations, indicating heightened stress levels at Ikorodu. Sediment analyses revealed moderate to strong contamination (Cd, Pb, Ni, and Cr) in both Lagos Lagoon (Ikorodu) and Epe Lagoon, with Ikorodu exhibiting notably high to moderate contamination levels according to the CF index. Elevated PLI values for Cd and Pb in Ikorodu, in addition to greater PER, indicated increased risk, with Cd posing a high risk (61.42%) and Pb posing a moderate risk (49.50%). Additionally, the reduced asymptotic length in the Epe during the dry season suggests that Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus is adaptable to seasonal variations, while divergent growth patterns in both areas indicate the existence of trade-off mechanisms in response to changing conditions. Habitat-specific otolith asymmetry and metal contamination underscore species adaptability, with wider stressor variability in Lagos than in Epe. Furthermore, multidimensional scaling analysis highlights the intricate relationship between otolith shape variables and environmental factors, emphasizing the need for tailored conservation efforts in urbanized watersheds.

Ocean acidification could modify the bioavailability and chemical properties of trace elements in seawater, which could affect their incorporation into the calcareous structures of marine organisms. Fish otoliths, biomineralized ear stones made by aragonite, are suspended within the endolymph fluid of teleosts, indicating that the elemental incorporation of otoliths might also be susceptible to ocean acidification. In this study, we evaluated the combined effects of CO2-induced ocean acidification (pH 8.10, 7.70, and 7.30, corresponding to ocean acidification scenarios under the representative concentration pathway 8.5 model as projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and water elemental concentrations of strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba; low, medium, and high) on elemental incorporation into otoliths of the flounder Paralichthys olivaceus at early life stages. Our results revealed that the elemental incorporation of Sr and Ba into otoliths was principally dependent on the corresponding water elemental concentrations rather than on ocean acidification. Moreover, the partition coefficients (DMe) of Sr and Ba may stabilize after dynamic equilibrium is reached as the water elemental concentration increases, but are not affected by ocean acidification. Therefore, the incorporation of Sr and Ba into otoliths of the flounder at early life stages may not serve as an effective indicator of ocean acidification. In other words, the findings suggest that ocean acidification does not impact the incorporation of Sr and Ba incorporation into otoliths when tracing the temperature or salinity experiences of the flounder. Our findings will provide new knowledge for understanding the potential ecological effects of ocean acidification on the recruitment dynamics of fish species.

Objective: To investigate the altered function of the semicircular canal and otolith graviceptive pathway in patients diagnosed with motion sickness disorder (MSD) based on the diagnostic criteria of the Bárány society, and explore its relevance to the pathogenesis of MSD. Methods: This is a case-control study. Twenty patients with MSD and age-and sex-matched healthy controls without a history of MSD from the Department of Neurology of Aerospace Center Hospital between March and August 2022 were recruited. All subjects completed the motion sickness susceptibility questionnaire-short version (MSSQ-short) and the motion sickness assessment questionnaire (MSAQ). Canal function was evaluated using caloric stimulation test and video head impulse test (vHIT), and subjective visual vertical/horizontal (SVV/SVH) and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) were employed to assess otolith graviceptive function. Differences in vestibular function and correlations between the two groups were analyzed. Results: Each group consisted of 20 cases (9 males and 11 females). The mean age of the MSD and control groups was (26.9±3.9) years and (27.0±3.4) years, respectively. The scores of MSSQ-short [27.0 (22.5, 38.8) vs 1.2 (0, 3.2), P<0.001] and MSAQ [70.1 (54.5, 78.1) vs 11.8 (11.1, 13.9), P<0.001] were significantly higher in the MSD group compared with those of the control group. Evaluation of canal function revealed a significantly higher incidence of caloric stimulation intolerance in MSD patients (60.0%, 12/20) compared with that of the control group (20.0%, 4/20) (P=0.010). Evaluation of otolith graviceptive pathway indicated no significant difference in SVV, SVH and cervical VEMP (cVEMP) abnormality rates between the two groups (all P>0.05). The ocular VEMP (oVEMP) abnormality rate was significantly higher in the MSD group (55.0%, 11/20) than that of the control group (10.0%, 2/20) (P=0.002), with a delayed P1-wave latency compared with the control group [(18.4±1.2) ms vs (17.6±0.8) ms, P=0.018]. Further correlation analysis revealed that P1-wave latency in oVEMP was positively correlated with MSSQ-short (r=0.486, P=0.002) and MSAQ (r=0.391, P=0.015) scores, and duration of caloric intolerance symptoms (r=0.377, P=0.004). Conclusion: The presence of hypersensitivity to caloric stimulation and delayed latency of otolith function in patients with MSD suggests a \"separation\" between semicircular canal and otolithic function, which may be related to sensory conflict.
目的： 探讨基于Bárány协会诊断标准纳入的运动病（MSD）患者半规管与耳石重力通路功能改变及可能的发病机制。 方法： 病例对照研究。纳入2022年3至8月招募的20例MSD患者（MSD组）及20名性别、年龄相匹配，无MSD病史的健康对照（对照组），在航天中心医院完成研究。所有受试者均完成运动不耐受易感性问卷简版（MSSQ-short）、运动不耐受评估问卷（MSAQ），完善基于半规管功能的双温试验、视频头脉冲试验（vHIT）和耳石重力通路功能的主观视觉垂直/水平（SVV/SVH）、前庭诱发肌源性电位（VEMP）的功能评价，分析MSD患者前庭功能改变情况，并进一步探讨MSD可能的发病机制。 结果： 每组20例受试者中，男9例，女11例；MSD组年龄（26.9±3.9）岁，对照组年龄（27.0±3.4）岁。MSD组MSSQ-short得分［27.0（22.5，38.8）分比1.2（0，3.2）分，P<0.001］和MSAQ得分［70.1（54.5，78.1）分比11.8（11.1，13.9）分，P<0.001］均高于对照组。半规管功能评价结果显示，MSD患者双温试验不耐受的发生率（60.0%，12/20）高于对照组（20.0%，4/20）（P=0.010）。耳石重力通路评价结果显示，SVV、SVH、颈性VEMP（cVEMP）异常率两组差异均无统计学意义（均P>0.05）。MSD组眼性VEMP（oVEMP）异常率（55.0%，11/20）高于对照组（10.0%，2/20）（P=0.002），其中P1波潜伏期较对照组延迟［（18.4±1.2）ms比（17.6±0.8）ms，P=0.018］。相关性分析结果显示，oVEMP的P1波潜伏期与MSSQ-short（r=0.486，P=0.002）、MSAQ（r=0.391，P=0.015）得分及双温不耐受症状持续时间（r=0.377，P=0.004）均呈正相关。 结论： MSD患者存在半规管刺激的高敏及耳石器潜伏期延迟受损，提示半规管和耳石器功能“分离”现象，可能参与MSD感觉冲突的发生。.

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of personalized vestibular rehabilitation and otolith reposition in treating atypical benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Methods: A randomized controlled trial was carried out. Fifty patients diagnosed with atypical BPPV in the Vertigo Clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from October 2022 to September 2023 were recruited and randomly divided into manual reduction group (25 cases) and vestibular rehabilitation group (25 cases) according to the random number table. All patients were given flunarizine. Patients in the manual reduction group were treated by Epley maneuver and (or) Barbecue maneuver, while the vestibular rehabilitation group was given personalized vestibular rehabilitation therapy. After two weeks\' treatment, the clinical symptoms (positional vertigo/nystagmus) and total dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) score, DHI physical (DHI-P), DHI emotional (DHI-E), and DHI functional (DHI-F) of the two groups were evaluated and compared. Results: A total of 50 patients diagnosed with atypical BPPV were included, including 23 males and 27 females, with an average age of (48.8±14.5) years. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in age, gender, disease severity, Romberg, position test abnormality ratio (Dix-hallpike/Roll test), temperature test, and video head impulse test baseline test results (all P>0.05). After 2 weeks of treatment, the effective rates of the treatment in the manual reduction and vestibular rehabilitation groups were 56.0% (14/25) and 88.0% (22/25), respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.025). The total DHI score, DHI-P, DHI-E, and DHI-F scores in both groups were significantly decreased after treatment (all P<0.001). Compared with the manual reduction group, the total DHI score (23.2±2.7 vs 36.4±15.7, P=0.002), DHI-P (10.2±4.6 vs 13.7±5.3, P=0.016) and DHI-F (6.5±6.4 vs 13.0±7.2, P=0.002) in the vestibular group were lower, however, there was no significant difference in DHI-E score between the two groups (6.6±4.8 vs 9.6±7.3, P=0.087). Conclusion: Compared with otolith reposition, personalized vestibular rehabilitation therapy plays a better role in improving the symptoms and decreasing DHI score for patients with atypical BPPV.
目的： 比较个性化前庭康复和耳石复位对不典型良性阵发性位置性眩晕（BPPV）的疗效。 方法： 随机对照试验。纳入2022年10月至2023年9月就诊于山东第一医科大学第一附属医院眩晕门诊的50例不典型BPPV患者，根据随机数字表法分为耳石复位组（25例）和前庭康复组（25例）。在常规口服用药基础上，耳石复位组根据症状和体征分别给予Epley和（或）Barbecue复位法，前庭康复组则予以制定个性化前庭康复方案进行治疗。于治疗后2周进行随访，对两组患者的临床疗效、眩晕残障量表（DHI）总分及躯体（DHI-P）、情感（DHI-E）、功能（DHI-F）三个维度评分进行比较。 结果： 50例不典型BPPV患者中，男23例，女27例，年龄（48.8±14.5）岁。耳石复位组和前庭康复组患者年龄、性别、DHI评分、Romberg试验分级、位置试验异常比例、双温试验异常比例、视频头脉冲试验（vHIT）基线结果比较差异均无统计学意义（均P>0.05）。治疗2周后耳石复位组、前庭康复组的眩晕治疗有效率分别为56.0%（14/25）和88.0%（22/25），差异有统计学意义（P=0.025）。两组患者治疗后DHI总分及DHI-P、DHI-E、DHI-F三个维度评分均较治疗前改善，差异均有统计学意义（均P<0.001）。与耳石复位组比较，前庭康复组患者治疗2周后DHI总分［（23.2±2.7）分比（36.4±15.7）分，P=0.002］以及DHI-P［（10.2±4.6）分比（13.7±5.3）分，P=0.016］、DHI-F［（6.5±6.4）分比（13.0±7.2）分，P=0.002］评分均更低，但DHI-E评分两组差异无统计学意义［（6.6±4.8）分比（9.6±7.3）分，P=0.087］。 结论： 个性化前庭康复治疗可以改善不典型BPPV的眩晕残障程度，且临床疗效优于耳石复位治疗。.