PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Examining the role of red background in magnocellular contribution to face perception
items: Ship noise extends to frequencies used for echolocation by endangered killer whales
items: Late Pleistocene fishes of the Tennessee River Basin: an analysis of a late Pleistocene freshwater fish fauna from Bell Cave (site ACb-2) in Colbert County, Alabama, USA
items: Poultry consumption and prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis
items: Physiological response of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus to thermal stress and ocean acidification
items: The effect of habitual and experimental antiperspirant and deodorant product use on the armpit microbiome
items: Auditory ERP response to successive stimuli in infancy
items: Performance of women with fibromyalgia in walking up stairs while carrying a load
items: Patterns of bird-window collisions inform mitigation on a university campus
items: New material and revision of Melanorosaurus thabanensis, a basal sauropodomorph from the Upper Triassic of Lesotho

Examining the role of red background in magnocellular contribution to face perception
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: This study examines the role of the magnocellular system in the early stages of face perception, in particular sex categorization. Utilizing the specific property of magnocellular suppression in red light, we investigated visually guided reaching to low and high spatial frequency hybrid faces against red and grey backgrounds. The arm movement curvature measure shows that reduced response of the magnocellular pathway interferes with the low spatial frequency component of face perception. This finding provides behavioral evidence for magnocellular contribution to non-emotional aspect of face perception.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Bhuvanesh Awasthi
creator: Mark A. Williams
creator: Jason Friedman
subject: Cognitive Disorders
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1617
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Awasthi et al.
abstract: This study examines the role of the magnocellular system in the early stages of face perception, in particular sex categorization. Utilizing the specific property of magnocellular suppression in red light, we investigated visually guided reaching to low and high spatial frequency hybrid faces against red and grey backgrounds. The arm movement curvature measure shows that reduced response of the magnocellular pathway interferes with the low spatial frequency component of face perception. This finding provides behavioral evidence for magnocellular contribution to non-emotional aspect of face perception.
bibliographic citation: Awasthi et al. (2016) Examining the role of red background in magnocellular contribution to face perception. PeerJ 4:e1617 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1617
date submitted: 2015-08-10
date accepted: 2016-01-01
issued: 2016-02-04
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Awasthi
  given name: Bhuvanesh
author list: Agent
  family name: Williams
  given name: Mark A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Friedman
  given name: Jason
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1617
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-02-04
copyright: © 2016 Awasthi et al.
attribution name: Awasthi et al.

Ship noise extends to frequencies used for echolocation by endangered killer whales
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Combining calibrated hydrophone measurements with vessel location data from the Automatic Identification System, we estimate underwater sound pressure levels for 1,582 unique ships that transited the core critical habitat of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales during 28 months between March, 2011, and October, 2013. Median received spectrum levels of noise from 2,809 isolated transits are elevated relative to median background levels not only at low frequencies (20–30 dB re 1 µPa2/Hz from 100 to 1,000 Hz), but also at high frequencies (5–13 dB from 10,000 to 96,000 Hz). Thus, noise received from ships at ranges less than 3 km extends to frequencies used by odontocetes. Broadband received levels (11.5–40,000 Hz) near the shoreline in Haro Strait (WA, USA) for the entire ship population were 110 ± 7 dB re 1 µPa on average. Assuming near-spherical spreading based on a transmission loss experiment we compute mean broadband source levels for the ship population of 173 ± 7 dB re 1 µPa 1 m without accounting for frequency-dependent absorption. Mean ship speed was 7.3 ± 2.0 m/s (14.1 ± 3.9 knots). Most ship classes show a linear relationship between source level and speed with a slope near +2 dB per m/s (+1 dB/knot). Spectrum, 1/12-octave, and 1/3-octave source levels for the whole population have median values that are comparable to previous measurements and models at most frequencies, but for select studies may be relatively low below 200 Hz and high above 20,000 Hz. Median source spectrum levels peak near 50 Hz for all 12 ship classes, have a maximum of 159 dB re 1 µPa2/Hz @ 1 m for container ships, and vary between classes. Below 200 Hz, the class-specific median spectrum levels bifurcate with large commercial ships grouping as higher power noise sources. Within all ship classes spectrum levels vary more at low frequencies than at high frequencies, and the degree of variability is almost halved for classes that have smaller speed standard deviations. This is …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Scott Veirs
creator: Val Veirs
creator: Jason D. Wood
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Environmental Sciences
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Science Policy
subject: Coupled Natural and Human Systems
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1657
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Veirs et al.
abstract: Combining calibrated hydrophone measurements with vessel location data from the Automatic Identification System, we estimate underwater sound pressure levels for 1,582 unique ships that transited the core critical habitat of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales during 28 months between March, 2011, and October, 2013. Median received spectrum levels of noise from 2,809 isolated transits are elevated relative to median background levels not only at low frequencies (20–30 dB re 1 µPa2/Hz from 100 to 1,000 Hz), but also at high frequencies (5–13 dB from 10,000 to 96,000 Hz). Thus, noise received from ships at ranges less than 3 km extends to frequencies used by odontocetes. Broadband received levels (11.5–40,000 Hz) near the shoreline in Haro Strait (WA, USA) for the entire ship population were 110 ± 7 dB re 1 µPa on average. Assuming near-spherical spreading based on a transmission loss experiment we compute mean broadband source levels for the ship population of 173 ± 7 dB re 1 µPa 1 m without accounting for frequency-dependent absorption. Mean ship speed was 7.3 ± 2.0 m/s (14.1 ± 3.9 knots). Most ship classes show a linear relationship between source level and speed with a slope near +2 dB per m/s (+1 dB/knot). Spectrum, 1/12-octave, and 1/3-octave source levels for the whole population have median values that are comparable to previous measurements and models at most frequencies, but for select studies may be relatively low below 200 Hz and high above 20,000 Hz. Median source spectrum levels peak near 50 Hz for all 12 ship classes, have a maximum of 159 dB re 1 µPa2/Hz @ 1 m for container ships, and vary between classes. Below 200 Hz, the class-specific median spectrum levels bifurcate with large commercial ships grouping as higher power noise sources. Within all ship classes spectrum levels vary more at low frequencies than at high frequencies, and the degree of variability is almost halved for classes that have smaller speed standard deviations. This is …
bibliographic citation: Veirs et al. (2016) Ship noise extends to frequencies used for echolocation by endangered killer whales. PeerJ 4:e1657 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1657
date submitted: 2015-09-29
date accepted: 2016-01-13
issued: 2016-02-02
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Veirs
  given name: Scott
author list: Agent
  family name: Veirs
  given name: Val
author list: Agent
  family name: Wood
  given name: Jason D.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1657
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-02-02
copyright: ©2016 Veirs et al.
attribution name: Veirs et al.

Late Pleistocene fishes of the Tennessee River Basin: an analysis of a late Pleistocene freshwater fish fauna from Bell Cave (site ACb-2) in Colbert County, Alabama, USA
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The Tennessee River Basin is considered one of the most important regions for freshwater biodiversity anywhere on the globe. The Tennessee River Basin currently includes populations of at least half of the described contemporary diversity of extant North American freshwater fishes, crayfish, mussel, and gastropod species. However, comparatively little is known about the biodiversity of this basin from the Pleistocene Epoch, particularly the late Pleistocene (∼10,000 to 30,000 years B.P.) leading to modern Holocene fish diversity patterns. The objective of this study was to describe the fish assemblages of the Tennessee River Basin from the late Pleistocene using a series of faunas from locales throughout the basin documented from published literature, unpublished reports, and an undocumented fauna from Bell Cave (site ACb-2, Colbert County, AL). Herein we discuss 41 unequivocal taxa from 10 late Pleistocene localities within the basin and include a systematic discussion of 11 families, 19 genera, and 24 identifiable species (28 unequivocal taxa) specific to the Bell Cave locality. Among the described fauna are several extirpated (e.g., Northern Pike Esox lucius, Northern Madtom Noturus stigmosus) and a single extinct (Harelip Sucker Moxostoma lacerum) taxa that suggest a combination of late Pleistocene displacement events coupled with more recent changes in habitat that have resulted in modern basin diversity patterns. The Bell Cave locality represents one of the most intact Pleistocene freshwater fish deposits anywhere in North America. Significant preservational, taphonomic, sampling, and identification biases preclude the identification of additional taxa. Overall, this study provides a detailed look into paleo-river ecology, as well as freshwater fish diversity and distribution leading up to the contemporary biodiversity patterns of the Tennessee River Basin and Mississippi River Basin as a whole.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Stephen J. Jacquemin
creator: Jun A. Ebersole
creator: William C. Dickinson
creator: Charles N. Ciampaglio
subject: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Fish Science
subject: Biogeography
subject: Ecology
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Paleontology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1648
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Jacquemin et al.
abstract: The Tennessee River Basin is considered one of the most important regions for freshwater biodiversity anywhere on the globe. The Tennessee River Basin currently includes populations of at least half of the described contemporary diversity of extant North American freshwater fishes, crayfish, mussel, and gastropod species. However, comparatively little is known about the biodiversity of this basin from the Pleistocene Epoch, particularly the late Pleistocene (∼10,000 to 30,000 years B.P.) leading to modern Holocene fish diversity patterns. The objective of this study was to describe the fish assemblages of the Tennessee River Basin from the late Pleistocene using a series of faunas from locales throughout the basin documented from published literature, unpublished reports, and an undocumented fauna from Bell Cave (site ACb-2, Colbert County, AL). Herein we discuss 41 unequivocal taxa from 10 late Pleistocene localities within the basin and include a systematic discussion of 11 families, 19 genera, and 24 identifiable species (28 unequivocal taxa) specific to the Bell Cave locality. Among the described fauna are several extirpated (e.g., Northern Pike Esox lucius, Northern Madtom Noturus stigmosus) and a single extinct (Harelip Sucker Moxostoma lacerum) taxa that suggest a combination of late Pleistocene displacement events coupled with more recent changes in habitat that have resulted in modern basin diversity patterns. The Bell Cave locality represents one of the most intact Pleistocene freshwater fish deposits anywhere in North America. Significant preservational, taphonomic, sampling, and identification biases preclude the identification of additional taxa. Overall, this study provides a detailed look into paleo-river ecology, as well as freshwater fish diversity and distribution leading up to the contemporary biodiversity patterns of the Tennessee River Basin and Mississippi River Basin as a whole.
bibliographic citation: Jacquemin et al. (2016) Late Pleistocene fishes of the Tennessee River Basin: an analysis of a late Pleistocene freshwater fish fauna from Bell Cave (site ACb-2) in Colbert County, Alabama, USA. PeerJ 4:e1648 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1648
date submitted: 2015-10-09
date accepted: 2016-01-11
issued: 2016-02-02
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Jacquemin
  given name: Stephen J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Ebersole
  given name: Jun A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Dickinson
  given name: William C.
author list: Agent
  family name: Ciampaglio
  given name: Charles N.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1648
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-02-02
copyright: ©2016 Jacquemin et al.
attribution name: Jacquemin et al.

Poultry consumption and prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background. Several kinds of foods are hypothesized to be potential factors contributing to the variation of prostate cancer (PCa) incidence. But the effect of poultry on PCa is still inconsistent and no quantitative assessment has been published up to date. So we conducted this meta-analysis to clarify the association between them. Materials and Methods. We conducted a literature search of PubMed and Embase for studies examining the association between poultry consumption and PCa up to June, 2015. Pooled risk ratio (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of the highest versus lowest poultry consumption categories were calculated by fixed-effect model or random-effect model. Results. A total of 27 (12 cohort and 15 case-control) studies comprising 23,703 cases and 469,986 noncases were eligible for inclusion. The summary RR of total PCa incidence was 1.03 (95% CI [0.95–1.11]) for the highest versus lowest categories of poultry intake. The heterogeneity between studies was not statistically significant (P = 0.768, I2 = 28.5%). Synthesized analysis of 11 studies on high stage PCa and 8 studies on chicken exposure also demonstrated null association. We also did not obtain significant association in the subgroup of cohort study (RR = 1.04, 95% CI [0.98–1.10]), as well as in the subgroups of population-based case-control study and hospital-based case-control study. Then the studies were divided into three geographic groups: Western countries, Asia and South America. The pooled RRs in these areas did not reveal statistically significant association between poultry and PCa. Conclusions. This meta-analysis suggests no association between poultry consumption and PCa risk. Further well-designed studies are warranted to confirm the result.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Qian He
creator: Zheng-ce Wan
creator: Xiao-bing Xu
creator: Jing Wu
creator: Guang-lian Xiong
subject: Evidence Based Medicine
subject: Nutrition
subject: Oncology
subject: Public Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1646
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 He et al.
abstract: Background. Several kinds of foods are hypothesized to be potential factors contributing to the variation of prostate cancer (PCa) incidence. But the effect of poultry on PCa is still inconsistent and no quantitative assessment has been published up to date. So we conducted this meta-analysis to clarify the association between them. Materials and Methods. We conducted a literature search of PubMed and Embase for studies examining the association between poultry consumption and PCa up to June, 2015. Pooled risk ratio (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of the highest versus lowest poultry consumption categories were calculated by fixed-effect model or random-effect model. Results. A total of 27 (12 cohort and 15 case-control) studies comprising 23,703 cases and 469,986 noncases were eligible for inclusion. The summary RR of total PCa incidence was 1.03 (95% CI [0.95–1.11]) for the highest versus lowest categories of poultry intake. The heterogeneity between studies was not statistically significant (P = 0.768, I2 = 28.5%). Synthesized analysis of 11 studies on high stage PCa and 8 studies on chicken exposure also demonstrated null association. We also did not obtain significant association in the subgroup of cohort study (RR = 1.04, 95% CI [0.98–1.10]), as well as in the subgroups of population-based case-control study and hospital-based case-control study. Then the studies were divided into three geographic groups: Western countries, Asia and South America. The pooled RRs in these areas did not reveal statistically significant association between poultry and PCa. Conclusions. This meta-analysis suggests no association between poultry consumption and PCa risk. Further well-designed studies are warranted to confirm the result.
bibliographic citation: He et al. (2016) Poultry consumption and prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis. PeerJ 4:e1646 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1646
date submitted: 2015-08-18
date accepted: 2016-01-11
issued: 2016-02-02
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: He
  given name: Qian
author list: Agent
  family name: Wan
  given name: Zheng-ce
author list: Agent
  family name: Xu
  given name: Xiao-bing
author list: Agent
  family name: Wu
  given name: Jing
author list: Agent
  family name: Xiong
  given name: Guang-lian
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1646
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-02-02
copyright: ©2016 He et al.
attribution name: He et al.

Physiological response of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus to thermal stress and ocean acidification
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Rising temperatures and ocean acidification driven by anthropogenic carbon emissions threaten both tropical and temperate corals. However, the synergistic effect of these stressors on coral physiology is still poorly understood, in particular for cold-water corals. This study assessed changes in key physiological parameters (calcification, respiration and ammonium excretion) of the widespread cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus maintained for ∼8 months at two temperatures (ambient 12 °C and elevated 15 °C) and two pCO2 conditions (ambient 390 ppm and elevated 750 ppm). At ambient temperatures no change in instantaneous calcification, respiration or ammonium excretion rates was observed at either pCO2 levels. Conversely, elevated temperature (15 °C) significantly reduced calcification rates, and combined elevated temperature and pCO2 significantly reduced respiration rates. Changes in the ratio of respired oxygen to excreted nitrogen (O:N), which provides information on the main sources of energy being metabolized, indicated a shift from mixed use of protein and carbohydrate/lipid as metabolic substrates under control conditions, to less efficient protein-dominated catabolism under both stressors. Overall, this study shows that the physiology of D. dianthus is more sensitive to thermal than pCO2 stress, and that the predicted combination of rising temperatures and ocean acidification in the coming decades may severely impact this cold-water coral species.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Andrea Gori
creator: Christine Ferrier-Pagès
creator: Sebastian J. Hennige
creator: Fiona Murray
creator: Cécile Rottier
creator: Laura C. Wicks
creator: J. Murray Roberts
subject: Ecology
subject: Marine Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1606
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Gori et al.
abstract: Rising temperatures and ocean acidification driven by anthropogenic carbon emissions threaten both tropical and temperate corals. However, the synergistic effect of these stressors on coral physiology is still poorly understood, in particular for cold-water corals. This study assessed changes in key physiological parameters (calcification, respiration and ammonium excretion) of the widespread cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus maintained for ∼8 months at two temperatures (ambient 12 °C and elevated 15 °C) and two pCO2 conditions (ambient 390 ppm and elevated 750 ppm). At ambient temperatures no change in instantaneous calcification, respiration or ammonium excretion rates was observed at either pCO2 levels. Conversely, elevated temperature (15 °C) significantly reduced calcification rates, and combined elevated temperature and pCO2 significantly reduced respiration rates. Changes in the ratio of respired oxygen to excreted nitrogen (O:N), which provides information on the main sources of energy being metabolized, indicated a shift from mixed use of protein and carbohydrate/lipid as metabolic substrates under control conditions, to less efficient protein-dominated catabolism under both stressors. Overall, this study shows that the physiology of D. dianthus is more sensitive to thermal than pCO2 stress, and that the predicted combination of rising temperatures and ocean acidification in the coming decades may severely impact this cold-water coral species.
bibliographic citation: Gori et al. (2016) Physiological response of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus to thermal stress and ocean acidification. PeerJ 4:e1606 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1606
date submitted: 2015-07-28
date accepted: 2015-12-27
issued: 2016-02-02
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Gori
  given name: Andrea
author list: Agent
  family name: Ferrier-Pagès
  given name: Christine
author list: Agent
  family name: Hennige
  given name: Sebastian J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Murray
  given name: Fiona
author list: Agent
  family name: Rottier
  given name: Cécile
author list: Agent
  family name: Wicks
  given name: Laura C.
author list: Agent
  family name: Roberts
  given name: J. Murray
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1606
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-02-02
copyright: ©2016 Gori et al.
attribution name: Gori et al.

The effect of habitual and experimental antiperspirant and deodorant product use on the armpit microbiome
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: An ever expanding body of research investigates the human microbiome in general and the skin microbiome in particular. Microbiomes vary greatly from individual to individual. Understanding the factors that account for this variation, however, has proven challenging, with many studies able to account statistically for just a small proportion of the inter-individual variation in the abundance, species richness or composition of bacteria. The human armpit has long been noted to host a high biomass bacterial community, and recent studies have highlighted substantial inter-individual variation in armpit bacteria, even relative to variation among individuals for other body habitats. One obvious potential explanation for this variation has to do with the use of personal hygiene products, particularly deodorants and antiperspirants. Here we experimentally manipulate product use to examine the abundance, species richness, and composition of bacterial communities that recolonize the armpits of people with different product use habits. In doing so, we find that when deodorant and antiperspirant use were stopped, culturable bacterial density increased and approached that found on individuals who regularly do not use any product. In addition, when antiperspirants were subsequently applied, bacterial density dramatically declined. These culture-based results are in line with sequence-based comparisons of the effects of long-term product use on bacterial species richness and composition. Sequence-based analyses suggested that individuals who habitually use antiperspirant tended to have a greater richness of bacterial OTUs in their armpits than those who use deodorant. In addition, individuals who used antiperspirants or deodorants long-term, but who stopped using product for two or more days as part of this study, had armpit communities dominated by Staphylococcaceae, whereas those of individuals in our study who habitually used no products were dominated by Corynebacterium. Colle…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Julie Urban
creator: Daniel J. Fergus
creator: Amy M. Savage
creator: Megan Ehlers
creator: Holly L. Menninger
creator: Robert R. Dunn
creator: Julie E. Horvath
subject: Ecology
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Genomics
subject: Microbiology
subject: Dermatology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1605
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Urban et al.
abstract: An ever expanding body of research investigates the human microbiome in general and the skin microbiome in particular. Microbiomes vary greatly from individual to individual. Understanding the factors that account for this variation, however, has proven challenging, with many studies able to account statistically for just a small proportion of the inter-individual variation in the abundance, species richness or composition of bacteria. The human armpit has long been noted to host a high biomass bacterial community, and recent studies have highlighted substantial inter-individual variation in armpit bacteria, even relative to variation among individuals for other body habitats. One obvious potential explanation for this variation has to do with the use of personal hygiene products, particularly deodorants and antiperspirants. Here we experimentally manipulate product use to examine the abundance, species richness, and composition of bacterial communities that recolonize the armpits of people with different product use habits. In doing so, we find that when deodorant and antiperspirant use were stopped, culturable bacterial density increased and approached that found on individuals who regularly do not use any product. In addition, when antiperspirants were subsequently applied, bacterial density dramatically declined. These culture-based results are in line with sequence-based comparisons of the effects of long-term product use on bacterial species richness and composition. Sequence-based analyses suggested that individuals who habitually use antiperspirant tended to have a greater richness of bacterial OTUs in their armpits than those who use deodorant. In addition, individuals who used antiperspirants or deodorants long-term, but who stopped using product for two or more days as part of this study, had armpit communities dominated by Staphylococcaceae, whereas those of individuals in our study who habitually used no products were dominated by Corynebacterium. Colle…
bibliographic citation: Urban et al. (2016) The effect of habitual and experimental antiperspirant and deodorant product use on the armpit microbiome. PeerJ 4:e1605 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1605
date submitted: 2014-12-08
date accepted: 2015-12-27
issued: 2016-02-02
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Urban
  given name: Julie
author list: Agent
  family name: Fergus
  given name: Daniel J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Savage
  given name: Amy M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Ehlers
  given name: Megan
author list: Agent
  family name: Menninger
  given name: Holly L.
author list: Agent
  family name: Dunn
  given name: Robert R.
author list: Agent
  family name: Horvath
  given name: Julie E.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1605
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-02-02
copyright: ©2016 Urban et al.
attribution name: Urban et al.

Auditory ERP response to successive stimuli in infancy
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background. Auditory Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) are useful for understanding early auditory development among infants, as it allows the collection of a relatively large amount of data in a short time. So far, studies that have investigated development in auditory ERPs in infancy have mainly used single sounds as stimuli. Yet in real life, infants must decode successive rather than single acoustic events. In the present study, we tested 4-, 8-, and 12-month-old infants’ auditory ERPs to musical melodies comprising three piano notes, and examined ERPs to each individual note in the melody. Methods. Infants were presented with 360 repetitions of a three-note melody while EEG was recorded from 128 channels on the scalp through a Geodesic Sensor Net. For each infant, both latency and amplitude of auditory components P1 and N2 were measured from averaged ERPs for each individual note. Results. Analysis was restricted to response collected at frontal central site. For all three notes, there was an overall reduction in latency for both P1 and N2 over age. For P1, latency reduction was significant from 4 to 8 months, but not from 8 to 12 months. N2 latency, on the other hand, decreased significantly from 4 to 8 to 12 months. With regard to amplitude, no significant change was found for either P1 or N2. Nevertheless, the waveforms of the three age groups were qualitatively different: for the 4-month-olds, the P1–N2 deflection was attenuated for the second and the third notes; for the 8-month-olds, such attenuation was observed only for the middle note; for the 12-month-olds, the P1 and N2 peaks show relatively equivalent amplitude and peak width across all three notes. Conclusion. Our findings indicate that the infant brain is able to register successive acoustic events in a stream, and ERPs become better time-locked to each composite event over age. Younger infants may have difficulties in responding to late occurring events in a stream, and the onset response to the la…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Ao Chen
creator: Varghese Peter
creator: Denis Burnham
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Pediatrics
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1580
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Chen et al.
abstract: Background. Auditory Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) are useful for understanding early auditory development among infants, as it allows the collection of a relatively large amount of data in a short time. So far, studies that have investigated development in auditory ERPs in infancy have mainly used single sounds as stimuli. Yet in real life, infants must decode successive rather than single acoustic events. In the present study, we tested 4-, 8-, and 12-month-old infants’ auditory ERPs to musical melodies comprising three piano notes, and examined ERPs to each individual note in the melody. Methods. Infants were presented with 360 repetitions of a three-note melody while EEG was recorded from 128 channels on the scalp through a Geodesic Sensor Net. For each infant, both latency and amplitude of auditory components P1 and N2 were measured from averaged ERPs for each individual note. Results. Analysis was restricted to response collected at frontal central site. For all three notes, there was an overall reduction in latency for both P1 and N2 over age. For P1, latency reduction was significant from 4 to 8 months, but not from 8 to 12 months. N2 latency, on the other hand, decreased significantly from 4 to 8 to 12 months. With regard to amplitude, no significant change was found for either P1 or N2. Nevertheless, the waveforms of the three age groups were qualitatively different: for the 4-month-olds, the P1–N2 deflection was attenuated for the second and the third notes; for the 8-month-olds, such attenuation was observed only for the middle note; for the 12-month-olds, the P1 and N2 peaks show relatively equivalent amplitude and peak width across all three notes. Conclusion. Our findings indicate that the infant brain is able to register successive acoustic events in a stream, and ERPs become better time-locked to each composite event over age. Younger infants may have difficulties in responding to late occurring events in a stream, and the onset response to the la…
bibliographic citation: Chen et al. (2016) Auditory ERP response to successive stimuli in infancy. PeerJ 4:e1580 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1580
date submitted: 2015-11-12
date accepted: 2015-12-18
issued: 2016-02-02
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Ao
author list: Agent
  family name: Peter
  given name: Varghese
author list: Agent
  family name: Burnham
  given name: Denis
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1580
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-02-02
copyright: © 2016 Chen et al.
attribution name: Chen et al.

Performance of women with fibromyalgia in walking up stairs while carrying a load
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background. Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease characterized by widespread pain and other associated symptoms. It has a relevant impact on physical fitness and the ability to perform daily living tasks. The objective of the study was to analyze the step-by-step-performance and the trunk tilt of women with fibromyalgia in the 10-step stair climbing test compared with healthy controls. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out. Twelve women suffering from fibromyalgia and eight healthy controls were recruited from a local association. Participants were asked to climb 10 stairs without carrying a load and 10 stairs carrying a load of 5 kg in each hand. Mediolateral trunk tilt was assessed using the “Functional Assessment of Biomechanics (FAB)” wireless motion capture device, and the time between steps was assessed via weight-bearing insoles. Results. Trunk tilt in the stair-climbing task carrying a load was significantly higher in women with fibromyalgia when compared to the healthy controls (2.31 (0.63) vs. 1.69 (0.51) respectively). The effect of carrying a load was significantly higher for women with fibromyalgia compared with healthy controls at the intermediate and final part of the task. Discussion. Trunk tilt during stair climbing while carrying a load was higher in women with FM, which could increase the risk of falling. Additionally, women with FM experienced a higher pace slowdown as a consequence of the load, which supports the need of including specific strength and resistance training to physical therapies for this population.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Daniel Collado-Mateo
creator: José C. Adsuar
creator: Pedro R. Olivares
creator: Francisco J. Dominguez-Muñoz
creator: Cristina Maestre-Cascales
creator: Narcis Gusi
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Women's Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1656
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Collado-Mateo et al.
abstract: Background. Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease characterized by widespread pain and other associated symptoms. It has a relevant impact on physical fitness and the ability to perform daily living tasks. The objective of the study was to analyze the step-by-step-performance and the trunk tilt of women with fibromyalgia in the 10-step stair climbing test compared with healthy controls. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out. Twelve women suffering from fibromyalgia and eight healthy controls were recruited from a local association. Participants were asked to climb 10 stairs without carrying a load and 10 stairs carrying a load of 5 kg in each hand. Mediolateral trunk tilt was assessed using the “Functional Assessment of Biomechanics (FAB)” wireless motion capture device, and the time between steps was assessed via weight-bearing insoles. Results. Trunk tilt in the stair-climbing task carrying a load was significantly higher in women with fibromyalgia when compared to the healthy controls (2.31 (0.63) vs. 1.69 (0.51) respectively). The effect of carrying a load was significantly higher for women with fibromyalgia compared with healthy controls at the intermediate and final part of the task. Discussion. Trunk tilt during stair climbing while carrying a load was higher in women with FM, which could increase the risk of falling. Additionally, women with FM experienced a higher pace slowdown as a consequence of the load, which supports the need of including specific strength and resistance training to physical therapies for this population.
bibliographic citation: Collado-Mateo et al. (2016) Performance of women with fibromyalgia in walking up stairs while carrying a load. PeerJ 4:e1656 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1656
date submitted: 2015-10-27
date accepted: 2016-01-13
issued: 2016-02-01
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Collado-Mateo
  given name: Daniel
author list: Agent
  family name: Adsuar
  given name: José C.
author list: Agent
  family name: Olivares
  given name: Pedro R.
author list: Agent
  family name: Dominguez-Muñoz
  given name: Francisco J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Maestre-Cascales
  given name: Cristina
author list: Agent
  family name: Gusi
  given name: Narcis
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1656
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-02-01
copyright: ©2016 Collado-Mateo et al.
attribution name: Collado-Mateo et al.

Patterns of bird-window collisions inform mitigation on a university campus
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Bird-window collisions cause an estimated one billion bird deaths annually in the United States. Building characteristics and surrounding habitat affect collision frequency. Given the importance of collisions as an anthropogenic threat to birds, mitigation is essential. Patterned glass and UV-reflective films have been proven to prevent collisions. At Duke University’s West campus in Durham, North Carolina, we set out to identify the buildings and building characteristics associated with the highest frequencies of collisions in order to propose a mitigation strategy. We surveyed six buildings, stratified by size, and measured architectural characteristics and surrounding area variables. During 21 consecutive days in spring and fall 2014, and spring 2015, we conducted carcass surveys to document collisions. In addition, we also collected ad hoc collision data year-round and recorded the data using the app iNaturalist. Consistent with previous studies, we found a positive relationship between glass area and collisions. Fitzpatrick, the building with the most window area, caused the most collisions. Schwartz and the Perk, the two small buildings with small window areas, had the lowest collision frequencies. Penn, the only building with bird deterrent pattern, caused just two collisions, despite being almost completely made out of glass. Unlike many research projects, our data collection led to mitigation action. A resolution supported by the student government, including news stories in the local media, resulted in the application of a bird deterrent film to the building with the most collisions: Fitzpatrick. We present our collision data and mitigation result to inspire other researchers and organizations to prevent bird-window collisions.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela
creator: R. Scott Winton
creator: Charlene J. Wu
creator: Erika Zambello
creator: Thomas W. Wittig
creator: Nicolette L. Cagle
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Veterinary Medicine
subject: Science Policy
subject: Coupled Natural and Human Systems
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1652
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Ocampo-Peñuela et al.
abstract: Bird-window collisions cause an estimated one billion bird deaths annually in the United States. Building characteristics and surrounding habitat affect collision frequency. Given the importance of collisions as an anthropogenic threat to birds, mitigation is essential. Patterned glass and UV-reflective films have been proven to prevent collisions. At Duke University’s West campus in Durham, North Carolina, we set out to identify the buildings and building characteristics associated with the highest frequencies of collisions in order to propose a mitigation strategy. We surveyed six buildings, stratified by size, and measured architectural characteristics and surrounding area variables. During 21 consecutive days in spring and fall 2014, and spring 2015, we conducted carcass surveys to document collisions. In addition, we also collected ad hoc collision data year-round and recorded the data using the app iNaturalist. Consistent with previous studies, we found a positive relationship between glass area and collisions. Fitzpatrick, the building with the most window area, caused the most collisions. Schwartz and the Perk, the two small buildings with small window areas, had the lowest collision frequencies. Penn, the only building with bird deterrent pattern, caused just two collisions, despite being almost completely made out of glass. Unlike many research projects, our data collection led to mitigation action. A resolution supported by the student government, including news stories in the local media, resulted in the application of a bird deterrent film to the building with the most collisions: Fitzpatrick. We present our collision data and mitigation result to inspire other researchers and organizations to prevent bird-window collisions.
bibliographic citation: Ocampo-Peñuela et al. (2016) Patterns of bird-window collisions inform mitigation on a university campus. PeerJ 4:e1652 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1652
date submitted: 2015-10-28
date accepted: 2016-01-12
issued: 2016-02-01
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Ocampo-Peñuela
  given name: Natalia
author list: Agent
  family name: Winton
  given name: R. Scott
author list: Agent
  family name: Wu
  given name: Charlene J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Zambello
  given name: Erika
author list: Agent
  family name: Wittig
  given name: Thomas W.
author list: Agent
  family name: Cagle
  given name: Nicolette L.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1652
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-02-01
copyright: ©2016 Ocampo-Peñuela et al.
attribution name: Ocampo-Peñuela et al.

New material and revision of Melanorosaurus thabanensis, a basal sauropodomorph from the Upper Triassic of Lesotho
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Melanorosaurus is a genus of basal sauropodomorph that currently includes two species from Southern Africa. In this paper, we redescribe the holotype femur of Melanorosaurus thabanensis from the Elliot Formation of Lesotho, as well as associated remains. The stratigraphic position of this taxon is reviewed, and it is clear that it comes from the Lower Elliot Formation being, therefore, Late Triassic in age, and not Early Jurassic as originally described. The knowledge of the anatomy of the basal sauropodomorph of Thabana Morena is enhanced by the description of six new skeletal elements from the type locality. The femur and the ilium from Thabana Morena are diagnostic and characterized by unusual proportions. The first phylogenetic analysis including both this specimen and Melanorosaurus is conducted. This analysis leads to the conclusion that the femur described in the original publication of Melanorosaurus thabanensis can no longer be referred to Melanorosaurus. For these reasons, we hereby create Meroktenos gen. nov. to encompass Meroktenos thabanensis comb. nov.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Claire Peyre de Fabrègues
creator: Ronan Allain
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Paleontology
subject: Taxonomy
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1639
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2016 Peyre de Fabrègues and Allain
abstract: Melanorosaurus is a genus of basal sauropodomorph that currently includes two species from Southern Africa. In this paper, we redescribe the holotype femur of Melanorosaurus thabanensis from the Elliot Formation of Lesotho, as well as associated remains. The stratigraphic position of this taxon is reviewed, and it is clear that it comes from the Lower Elliot Formation being, therefore, Late Triassic in age, and not Early Jurassic as originally described. The knowledge of the anatomy of the basal sauropodomorph of Thabana Morena is enhanced by the description of six new skeletal elements from the type locality. The femur and the ilium from Thabana Morena are diagnostic and characterized by unusual proportions. The first phylogenetic analysis including both this specimen and Melanorosaurus is conducted. This analysis leads to the conclusion that the femur described in the original publication of Melanorosaurus thabanensis can no longer be referred to Melanorosaurus. For these reasons, we hereby create Meroktenos gen. nov. to encompass Meroktenos thabanensis comb. nov.
bibliographic citation: Peyre de Fabrègues et al. (2016) New material and revision of Melanorosaurus thabanensis, a basal sauropodomorph from the Upper Triassic of Lesotho. PeerJ 4:e1639 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1639
date submitted: 2015-09-09
date accepted: 2016-01-07
issued: 2016-02-01
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Peyre de Fabrègues
  given name: Claire
author list: Agent
  family name: Allain
  given name: Ronan
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1639
volume: 4
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2016-02-01
copyright: ©2016 Peyre de Fabrègues and Allain
attribution name: Peyre de Fabrègues and Allain

PeerJ
type: Periodical
uri: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359