PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: A comparison of two gluteus maximus EMG maximum voluntary isometric contraction positions
items: Metatranscriptomic analysis of a high-sulfide aquatic spring reveals insights into sulfur cycling and unexpected aerobic metabolism
items: Temporal and spatial strategies in an active place avoidance task on Carousel: a study of effects of stability of arena rotation speed in rats
items: Demographics and density estimates of two three-toed box turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis) populations within forest and restored prairie sites in central Missouri
items: Novel epitopes identified from efflux pumps of Mycobacterium tuberculosis could induce cytotoxic T lymphocyte response
items: Improved estimates of age, growth and reproduction for the regionally endemic Galapagos sailfin grouper Mycteroperca olfax (Jenyns, 1840)
items: Moth flies and sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Cretaceous Burmese amber
items: Detection of Alzheimer’s disease by displacement field and machine learning
items: Diet, exercise and mental-wellbeing of healthcare professionals (doctors, dentists and nurses) in Pakistan
items: Chinese Interpreting Studies: a data-driven analysis of a dynamic field of enquiry

A comparison of two gluteus maximus EMG maximum voluntary isometric contraction positions
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background. The purpose of this study was to compare the peak electromyography (EMG) of the most commonly-used position in the literature, the prone bent-leg (90°) hip extension against manual resistance applied to the distal thigh (PRONE), to a novel position, the standing glute squeeze (SQUEEZE). Methods. Surface EMG electrodes were placed on the upper and lower gluteus maximus of thirteen recreationally active females (age = 28.9 years; height = 164 cm; body mass = 58.2 kg), before three maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) trials for each position were obtained in a randomized, counterbalanced fashion. Results. No statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences were observed between PRONE (upper: 91.94%; lower: 94.52%) and SQUEEZE (upper: 92.04%; lower: 85.12%) for both the upper and lower gluteus maximus. Neither the PRONE nor SQUEEZE was more effective between all subjects. Conclusions. In agreement with other studies, no single testing position is ideal for every participant. Therefore, it is recommended that investigators employ multiple MVIC positions, when possible, to ensure accuracy. Future research should investigate a variety of gluteus maximus MVIC positions in heterogeneous samples.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Bret Contreras
creator: Andrew D. Vigotsky
creator: Brad J. Schoenfeld
creator: Chris Beardsley
creator: John Cronin
subject: Anatomy and Physiology
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Orthopedics
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1261
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2015 Contreras et al.
abstract: Background. The purpose of this study was to compare the peak electromyography (EMG) of the most commonly-used position in the literature, the prone bent-leg (90°) hip extension against manual resistance applied to the distal thigh (PRONE), to a novel position, the standing glute squeeze (SQUEEZE). Methods. Surface EMG electrodes were placed on the upper and lower gluteus maximus of thirteen recreationally active females (age = 28.9 years; height = 164 cm; body mass = 58.2 kg), before three maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) trials for each position were obtained in a randomized, counterbalanced fashion. Results. No statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences were observed between PRONE (upper: 91.94%; lower: 94.52%) and SQUEEZE (upper: 92.04%; lower: 85.12%) for both the upper and lower gluteus maximus. Neither the PRONE nor SQUEEZE was more effective between all subjects. Conclusions. In agreement with other studies, no single testing position is ideal for every participant. Therefore, it is recommended that investigators employ multiple MVIC positions, when possible, to ensure accuracy. Future research should investigate a variety of gluteus maximus MVIC positions in heterogeneous samples.
bibliographic citation: Contreras et al. (2015) A comparison of two gluteus maximus EMG maximum voluntary isometric contraction positions. PeerJ 3:e1261 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1261
date submitted: 2015-08-14
date accepted: 2015-09-02
issued: 2015-09-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Contreras
  given name: Bret
author list: Agent
  family name: Vigotsky
  given name: Andrew D.
author list: Agent
  family name: Schoenfeld
  given name: Brad J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Beardsley
  given name: Chris
author list: Agent
  family name: Cronin
  given name: John
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1261
volume: 3
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2015-09-22
copyright: © 2015 Contreras et al.
attribution name: Contreras et al.

Metatranscriptomic analysis of a high-sulfide aquatic spring reveals insights into sulfur cycling and unexpected aerobic metabolism
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Zodletone spring is a sulfide-rich spring in southwestern Oklahoma characterized by shallow, microoxic, light-exposed spring water overlaying anoxic sediments. Previously, culture-independent 16S rRNA gene based diversity surveys have revealed that Zodletone spring source sediments harbor a highly diverse microbial community, with multiple lineages putatively involved in various sulfur-cycling processes. Here, we conducted a metatranscriptomic survey of microbial populations in Zodletone spring source sediments to characterize the relative prevalence and importance of putative phototrophic, chemolithotrophic, and heterotrophic microorganisms in the sulfur cycle, the identity of lineages actively involved in various sulfur cycling processes, and the interaction between sulfur cycling and other geochemical processes at the spring source. Sediment samples at the spring’s source were taken at three different times within a 24-h period for geochemical analyses and RNA sequencing. In depth mining of datasets for sulfur cycling transcripts revealed major sulfur cycling pathways and taxa involved, including an unexpected potential role of Actinobacteria in sulfide oxidation and thiosulfate transformation. Surprisingly, transcripts coding for the cyanobacterial Photosystem II D1 protein, methane monooxygenase, and terminal cytochrome oxidases were encountered, indicating that genes for oxygen production and aerobic modes of metabolism are actively being transcribed, despite below-detectable levels (<1 µM) of oxygen in source sediment. Results highlight transcripts involved in sulfur, methane, and oxygen cycles, propose that oxygenic photosynthesis could support aerobic methane and sulfide oxidation in anoxic sediments exposed to sunlight, and provide a viewpoint of microbial metabolic lifestyles under conditions similar to those seen during late Archaean and Proterozoic eons.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Anne M. Spain
creator: Mostafa S. Elshahed
creator: Fares Z. Najar
creator: Lee R. Krumholz
subject: Ecology
subject: Microbiology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1259
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2015 Spain et al.
abstract: Zodletone spring is a sulfide-rich spring in southwestern Oklahoma characterized by shallow, microoxic, light-exposed spring water overlaying anoxic sediments. Previously, culture-independent 16S rRNA gene based diversity surveys have revealed that Zodletone spring source sediments harbor a highly diverse microbial community, with multiple lineages putatively involved in various sulfur-cycling processes. Here, we conducted a metatranscriptomic survey of microbial populations in Zodletone spring source sediments to characterize the relative prevalence and importance of putative phototrophic, chemolithotrophic, and heterotrophic microorganisms in the sulfur cycle, the identity of lineages actively involved in various sulfur cycling processes, and the interaction between sulfur cycling and other geochemical processes at the spring source. Sediment samples at the spring’s source were taken at three different times within a 24-h period for geochemical analyses and RNA sequencing. In depth mining of datasets for sulfur cycling transcripts revealed major sulfur cycling pathways and taxa involved, including an unexpected potential role of Actinobacteria in sulfide oxidation and thiosulfate transformation. Surprisingly, transcripts coding for the cyanobacterial Photosystem II D1 protein, methane monooxygenase, and terminal cytochrome oxidases were encountered, indicating that genes for oxygen production and aerobic modes of metabolism are actively being transcribed, despite below-detectable levels (<1 µM) of oxygen in source sediment. Results highlight transcripts involved in sulfur, methane, and oxygen cycles, propose that oxygenic photosynthesis could support aerobic methane and sulfide oxidation in anoxic sediments exposed to sunlight, and provide a viewpoint of microbial metabolic lifestyles under conditions similar to those seen during late Archaean and Proterozoic eons.
bibliographic citation: Spain et al. (2015) Metatranscriptomic analysis of a high-sulfide aquatic spring reveals insights into sulfur cycling and unexpected aerobic metabolism. PeerJ 3:e1259 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1259
date submitted: 2015-06-17
date accepted: 2015-09-02
issued: 2015-09-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Spain
  given name: Anne M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Elshahed
  given name: Mostafa S.
author list: Agent
  family name: Najar
  given name: Fares Z.
author list: Agent
  family name: Krumholz
  given name: Lee R.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1259
volume: 3
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2015-09-22
copyright: © 2015 Spain et al.
attribution name: Spain et al.

Temporal and spatial strategies in an active place avoidance task on Carousel: a study of effects of stability of arena rotation speed in rats
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The active place avoidance task is a dry-arena task used to assess spatial navigation and memory in rodents. In this task, a subject is put on a rotating circular arena and avoids an invisible sector that is stable in relation to the room. Rotation of the arena means that the subject’s avoidance must be active, otherwise the subject will be moved in the to-be-avoided sector by the rotation of the arena and a slight electric shock will be administered. The present experiment explored the effect of variable arena rotation speed on the ability to avoid the to-be-avoided sector. Subjects in a group with variable arena rotation speed learned to avoid the sector with the same speed and attained the same avoidance ability as rats in a group with a stable arena rotation speed. Only a slight difference in preferred position within the room was found between the two groups. No difference was found between the two groups in the dark phase, where subjects could not use orientation cues in the room. Only one rat was able to learn the avoidance of the to-be-avoided sector in this phase. The results of the experiment suggest that idiothetic orientation and interval timing are not crucial for learning avoidance of the to-be-avoided sector. However, idiothetic orientation might be sufficient for avoiding the sector in the dark.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Štěpán Bahník
creator: Aleš Stuchlík
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Neuroscience
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1257
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2015 Bahník and Stuchlík
abstract: The active place avoidance task is a dry-arena task used to assess spatial navigation and memory in rodents. In this task, a subject is put on a rotating circular arena and avoids an invisible sector that is stable in relation to the room. Rotation of the arena means that the subject’s avoidance must be active, otherwise the subject will be moved in the to-be-avoided sector by the rotation of the arena and a slight electric shock will be administered. The present experiment explored the effect of variable arena rotation speed on the ability to avoid the to-be-avoided sector. Subjects in a group with variable arena rotation speed learned to avoid the sector with the same speed and attained the same avoidance ability as rats in a group with a stable arena rotation speed. Only a slight difference in preferred position within the room was found between the two groups. No difference was found between the two groups in the dark phase, where subjects could not use orientation cues in the room. Only one rat was able to learn the avoidance of the to-be-avoided sector in this phase. The results of the experiment suggest that idiothetic orientation and interval timing are not crucial for learning avoidance of the to-be-avoided sector. However, idiothetic orientation might be sufficient for avoiding the sector in the dark.
bibliographic citation: Bahník et al. (2015) Temporal and spatial strategies in an active place avoidance task on Carousel: a study of effects of stability of arena rotation speed in rats. PeerJ 3:e1257 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1257
date submitted: 2015-05-06
date accepted: 2015-09-01
issued: 2015-09-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Bahník
  given name: Štěpán
author list: Agent
  family name: Stuchlík
  given name: Aleš
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1257
volume: 3
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2015-09-22
copyright: © 2015 Bahník and Stuchlík
attribution name: Bahník and Stuchlík

Demographics and density estimates of two three-toed box turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis) populations within forest and restored prairie sites in central Missouri
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Box turtles (Terrapene carolina) are widely distributed but vulnerable to population decline across their range. Using distance sampling, morphometric data, and an index of carapace damage, we surveyed three-toed box turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis) at 2 sites in central Missouri, and compared differences in detection probabilities when transects were walked by one or two observers. Our estimated turtle densities within forested cover was less at the Thomas S. Baskett Wildlife Research and Education Center, a site dominated by eastern hardwood forest (d = 1.85 turtles/ha, 95% CI [1.13, 3.03]) than at the Prairie Fork Conservation Area, a site containing a mix of open field and hardwood forest (d = 4.14 turtles/ha, 95% CI [1.99, 8.62]). Turtles at Baskett were significantly older and larger than turtles at Prairie Fork. Damage to the carapace did not differ significantly between the 2 populations despite the more prevalent habitat management including mowing and prescribed fire at Prairie Fork. We achieved improved estimates of density using two rather than one observer at Prairie Fork, but negligible differences in density estimates between the two methods at Baskett. Error associated with probability of detection decreased at both sites with the addition of a second observer. We provide demographic data on three-toed box turtles that suggest the use of a range of habitat conditions by three-toed box turtles. This case study suggests that habitat management practices and their impacts on habitat composition may be a cause of the differences observed in our focal populations of turtles.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Kelly M. O’Connor
creator: Chadwick D. Rittenhouse
creator: Joshua J. Millspaugh
creator: Tracy A.G. Rittenhouse
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Ecology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1256
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2015 O’Connor et al.
abstract: Box turtles (Terrapene carolina) are widely distributed but vulnerable to population decline across their range. Using distance sampling, morphometric data, and an index of carapace damage, we surveyed three-toed box turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis) at 2 sites in central Missouri, and compared differences in detection probabilities when transects were walked by one or two observers. Our estimated turtle densities within forested cover was less at the Thomas S. Baskett Wildlife Research and Education Center, a site dominated by eastern hardwood forest (d = 1.85 turtles/ha, 95% CI [1.13, 3.03]) than at the Prairie Fork Conservation Area, a site containing a mix of open field and hardwood forest (d = 4.14 turtles/ha, 95% CI [1.99, 8.62]). Turtles at Baskett were significantly older and larger than turtles at Prairie Fork. Damage to the carapace did not differ significantly between the 2 populations despite the more prevalent habitat management including mowing and prescribed fire at Prairie Fork. We achieved improved estimates of density using two rather than one observer at Prairie Fork, but negligible differences in density estimates between the two methods at Baskett. Error associated with probability of detection decreased at both sites with the addition of a second observer. We provide demographic data on three-toed box turtles that suggest the use of a range of habitat conditions by three-toed box turtles. This case study suggests that habitat management practices and their impacts on habitat composition may be a cause of the differences observed in our focal populations of turtles.
bibliographic citation: O’Connor et al. (2015) Demographics and density estimates of two three-toed box turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis) populations within forest and restored prairie sites in central Missouri. PeerJ 3:e1256 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1256
date submitted: 2015-03-26
date accepted: 2015-09-01
issued: 2015-09-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: O’Connor
  given name: Kelly M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Rittenhouse
  given name: Chadwick D.
author list: Agent
  family name: Millspaugh
  given name: Joshua J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Rittenhouse
  given name: Tracy A.G.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1256
volume: 3
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2015-09-22
copyright: © 2015 O’Connor et al.
attribution name: O’Connor et al.

Novel epitopes identified from efflux pumps of Mycobacterium tuberculosis could induce cytotoxic T lymphocyte response
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Overcoming drug-resistance is one of the major challenges to control tuberculosis (TB). The up-regulation of efflux pumps is one common mechanism that leads to drug-resistance. Therefore, immunotherapy targeting these efflux pump antigens could be promising strategy to be combined with current chemotherapy. Considering that CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) induced by antigenic peptides (epitopes) could elicit HLA-restricted anti-TB immune response, efflux pumps from classical ABC family (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mtb) were chosen as target antigens to identify CTL epitopes. HLA-A2 restricted candidate peptides from Rv2937, Rv2686c and Rv2687c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were predicted, synthesized and tested. Five peptides could induce IFN-γ release and cytotoxic activity in PBMCs from HLA-A2+ PPD+ donors. Results from HLA-A2/Kb transgenic mice immunization assay suggested that four peptides Rv2937-p168, Rv2937-p266, Rv2686c-p151, and Rv2686c-p181 could induce significant CTL response in vivo. These results suggested that these novel epitopes could be used as immunotherapy candidates to TB drug-resistance.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Ming-xia Zhai
creator: Fei Chen
creator: Yuan-yuan Zhao
creator: Ya-hong Wu
creator: Guo-dong Li
creator: Yan-feng Gao
creator: Yuan-ming Qi
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Microbiology
subject: Immunology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1229
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2015 Zhai et al.
abstract: Overcoming drug-resistance is one of the major challenges to control tuberculosis (TB). The up-regulation of efflux pumps is one common mechanism that leads to drug-resistance. Therefore, immunotherapy targeting these efflux pump antigens could be promising strategy to be combined with current chemotherapy. Considering that CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) induced by antigenic peptides (epitopes) could elicit HLA-restricted anti-TB immune response, efflux pumps from classical ABC family (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mtb) were chosen as target antigens to identify CTL epitopes. HLA-A2 restricted candidate peptides from Rv2937, Rv2686c and Rv2687c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were predicted, synthesized and tested. Five peptides could induce IFN-γ release and cytotoxic activity in PBMCs from HLA-A2+ PPD+ donors. Results from HLA-A2/Kb transgenic mice immunization assay suggested that four peptides Rv2937-p168, Rv2937-p266, Rv2686c-p151, and Rv2686c-p181 could induce significant CTL response in vivo. These results suggested that these novel epitopes could be used as immunotherapy candidates to TB drug-resistance.
bibliographic citation: Zhai et al. (2015) Novel epitopes identified from efflux pumps of Mycobacterium tuberculosis could induce cytotoxic T lymphocyte response. PeerJ 3:e1229 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1229
date submitted: 2015-04-15
date accepted: 2015-08-14
issued: 2015-09-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhai
  given name: Ming-xia
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Fei
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhao
  given name: Yuan-yuan
author list: Agent
  family name: Wu
  given name: Ya-hong
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Guo-dong
author list: Agent
  family name: Gao
  given name: Yan-feng
author list: Agent
  family name: Qi
  given name: Yuan-ming
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1229
volume: 3
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2015-09-22
copyright: © 2015 Zhai et al.
attribution name: Zhai et al.

Improved estimates of age, growth and reproduction for the regionally endemic Galapagos sailfin grouper Mycteroperca olfax (Jenyns, 1840)
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The Galapagos Sailfin grouper, Mycteroperca olfax, locally known as bacalao and listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, is culturally, economically, and ecologically important to the Galapagos archipelago and its people. It is regionally endemic to the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and, while an important fishery resource that has shown substantial declines in recent years, to date no effective management regulations are in place to ensure the sustainability of the Galapagos fishery for this species. Previous estimates of longevity and size at maturity for bacalao are inconsistent with estimates for congeners, which brings into question the accuracy of prior estimates. We set out to assess the age, growth, and reproductive biology of bacalao in order to provide more accurate life history information to inform more effective fisheries management for this species. The oldest fish in our sample was 21 years old, which is 2–3 times greater than previously reported estimates of longevity. Parameter estimates for the von Bertalanffy growth function (k = 0.11, L∞ = 110 cm TL, and to = − 1.7 years) show bacalao to grow much slower and attain substantially larger asymptotic maximum length than previous studies. Mean size at maturity (as female) was estimated at 65.3 cm TL, corresponding to a mean age of 6.5 years. We found that sex ratios were extremely female biased (0.009 M:1F), with a large majority of the individuals in our experimental catch being immature (79%). Our results show that bacalao grow slower, live longer, and mature at a much larger size and greater age than previously thought, with very few mature males in the population. These findings have important implications for the fishery of this valuable species and provide the impetus for a long-overdue species management plan to ensure its long-term sustainability.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Paolo Usseglio
creator: Alan M. Friedlander
creator: Edward E. DeMartini
creator: Anna Schuhbauer
creator: Eva Schemmel
creator: Pelayo Salinas de Léon
subject: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Fish Science
subject: Marine Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1270
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2015
abstract: The Galapagos Sailfin grouper, Mycteroperca olfax, locally known as bacalao and listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, is culturally, economically, and ecologically important to the Galapagos archipelago and its people. It is regionally endemic to the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and, while an important fishery resource that has shown substantial declines in recent years, to date no effective management regulations are in place to ensure the sustainability of the Galapagos fishery for this species. Previous estimates of longevity and size at maturity for bacalao are inconsistent with estimates for congeners, which brings into question the accuracy of prior estimates. We set out to assess the age, growth, and reproductive biology of bacalao in order to provide more accurate life history information to inform more effective fisheries management for this species. The oldest fish in our sample was 21 years old, which is 2–3 times greater than previously reported estimates of longevity. Parameter estimates for the von Bertalanffy growth function (k = 0.11, L∞ = 110 cm TL, and to = − 1.7 years) show bacalao to grow much slower and attain substantially larger asymptotic maximum length than previous studies. Mean size at maturity (as female) was estimated at 65.3 cm TL, corresponding to a mean age of 6.5 years. We found that sex ratios were extremely female biased (0.009 M:1F), with a large majority of the individuals in our experimental catch being immature (79%). Our results show that bacalao grow slower, live longer, and mature at a much larger size and greater age than previously thought, with very few mature males in the population. These findings have important implications for the fishery of this valuable species and provide the impetus for a long-overdue species management plan to ensure its long-term sustainability.
bibliographic citation: Usseglio et al. (2015) Improved estimates of age, growth and reproduction for the regionally endemic Galapagos sailfin grouper Mycteroperca olfax (Jenyns, 1840). PeerJ 3:e1270 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1270
date submitted: 2015-06-12
date accepted: 2015-09-03
issued: 2015-09-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Usseglio
  given name: Paolo
author list: Agent
  family name: Friedlander
  given name: Alan M.
author list: Agent
  family name: DeMartini
  given name: Edward E.
author list: Agent
  family name: Schuhbauer
  given name: Anna
author list: Agent
  family name: Schemmel
  given name: Eva
author list: Agent
  family name: Salinas de Léon
  given name: Pelayo
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1270
volume: 3
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2015-09-17

Moth flies and sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Cretaceous Burmese amber
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: One new subfamily, four new genera and 10 new species of Psychodidae are described from Burmese amber which significantly increases our knowledge about this group in the Cretaceous. Protopsychodinae n. subfam. probably represents the oldest known ancestor of modern Psychodinae and includes three species within two genera: Datzia setosa gen. et sp. n., Datzia bispina gen. et sp. n., and Mandalayia beumersorum gen. et sp. n. Sycoracinae and Phlebotominae are represented by two genera each in the studied material, Palaeoparasycorax globosus gen. et sp. n., Palaeoparasycorax suppus gen. et sp. n., Parasycorax simplex sp. n., and Phlebotomites aphoe sp. n. and Phlebotomus vetus sp. n., respectively. Bruchomyiinae is represented by Nemopalpus quadrispiculatus sp. n. Furthermore, one genus of an incertae sedis subfamily, Bamara groehni gen. et sp. n., is described. The systematic positions of the new taxa are discussed.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Frauke Stebner
creator: Mónica M. Solórzano Kraemer
creator: Sergio Ibáñez-Bernal
creator: Rüdiger Wagner
subject: Entomology
subject: Paleontology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1254
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2015 Stebner et al.
abstract: One new subfamily, four new genera and 10 new species of Psychodidae are described from Burmese amber which significantly increases our knowledge about this group in the Cretaceous. Protopsychodinae n. subfam. probably represents the oldest known ancestor of modern Psychodinae and includes three species within two genera: Datzia setosa gen. et sp. n., Datzia bispina gen. et sp. n., and Mandalayia beumersorum gen. et sp. n. Sycoracinae and Phlebotominae are represented by two genera each in the studied material, Palaeoparasycorax globosus gen. et sp. n., Palaeoparasycorax suppus gen. et sp. n., Parasycorax simplex sp. n., and Phlebotomites aphoe sp. n. and Phlebotomus vetus sp. n., respectively. Bruchomyiinae is represented by Nemopalpus quadrispiculatus sp. n. Furthermore, one genus of an incertae sedis subfamily, Bamara groehni gen. et sp. n., is described. The systematic positions of the new taxa are discussed.
bibliographic citation: Stebner et al. (2015) Moth flies and sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Cretaceous Burmese amber. PeerJ 3:e1254 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1254
date submitted: 2015-04-14
date accepted: 2015-08-31
issued: 2015-09-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Stebner
  given name: Frauke
author list: Agent
  family name: Solórzano Kraemer
  given name: Mónica M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Ibáñez-Bernal
  given name: Sergio
author list: Agent
  family name: Wagner
  given name: Rüdiger
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1254
volume: 3
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2015-09-17
copyright: © 2015 Stebner et al.
attribution name: Stebner et al.

Detection of Alzheimer’s disease by displacement field and machine learning
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Aim. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. Recently, computer scientists have developed various methods for early detection based on computer vision and machine learning techniques. Method. In this study, we proposed a novel AD detection method by displacement field (DF) estimation between a normal brain and an AD brain. The DF was treated as the AD-related features, reduced by principal component analysis (PCA), and finally fed into three classifiers: support vector machine (SVM), generalized eigenvalue proximal SVM (GEPSVM), and twin SVM (TSVM). The 10-fold cross validation repeated 50 times. Results. The results showed the “DF + PCA + TSVM” achieved the accuracy of 92.75 ± 1.77, sensitivity of 90.56 ± 1.15, specificity of 93.37 ± 2.05, and precision of 79.61 ± 2.21. This result is better than or comparable with not only the other proposed two methods, but also ten state-of-the-art methods. Besides, our method discovers the AD is related to following brain regions disclosed in recent publications: Angular Gyrus, Anterior Cingulate, Cingulate Gyrus, Culmen, Cuneus, Fusiform Gyrus, Inferior Frontal Gyrus, Inferior Occipital Gyrus, Inferior Parietal Lobule, Inferior Semi-Lunar Lobule, Inferior Temporal Gyrus, Insula, Lateral Ventricle, Lingual Gyrus, Medial Frontal Gyrus, Middle Frontal Gyrus, Middle Occipital Gyrus, Middle Temporal Gyrus, Paracentral Lobule, Parahippocampal Gyrus, Postcentral Gyrus, Posterior Cingulate, Precentral Gyrus, Precuneus, Sub-Gyral, Superior Parietal Lobule, Superior Temporal Gyrus, Supramarginal Gyrus, and Uncus. Conclusion. The displacement filed is effective in detection of AD and related brain-regions.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yudong Zhang
creator: Shuihua Wang
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Radiology and Medical Imaging
subject: Computational Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1251
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2015 Zhang and Wang
abstract: Aim. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. Recently, computer scientists have developed various methods for early detection based on computer vision and machine learning techniques. Method. In this study, we proposed a novel AD detection method by displacement field (DF) estimation between a normal brain and an AD brain. The DF was treated as the AD-related features, reduced by principal component analysis (PCA), and finally fed into three classifiers: support vector machine (SVM), generalized eigenvalue proximal SVM (GEPSVM), and twin SVM (TSVM). The 10-fold cross validation repeated 50 times. Results. The results showed the “DF + PCA + TSVM” achieved the accuracy of 92.75 ± 1.77, sensitivity of 90.56 ± 1.15, specificity of 93.37 ± 2.05, and precision of 79.61 ± 2.21. This result is better than or comparable with not only the other proposed two methods, but also ten state-of-the-art methods. Besides, our method discovers the AD is related to following brain regions disclosed in recent publications: Angular Gyrus, Anterior Cingulate, Cingulate Gyrus, Culmen, Cuneus, Fusiform Gyrus, Inferior Frontal Gyrus, Inferior Occipital Gyrus, Inferior Parietal Lobule, Inferior Semi-Lunar Lobule, Inferior Temporal Gyrus, Insula, Lateral Ventricle, Lingual Gyrus, Medial Frontal Gyrus, Middle Frontal Gyrus, Middle Occipital Gyrus, Middle Temporal Gyrus, Paracentral Lobule, Parahippocampal Gyrus, Postcentral Gyrus, Posterior Cingulate, Precentral Gyrus, Precuneus, Sub-Gyral, Superior Parietal Lobule, Superior Temporal Gyrus, Supramarginal Gyrus, and Uncus. Conclusion. The displacement filed is effective in detection of AD and related brain-regions.
bibliographic citation: Zhang et al. (2015) Detection of Alzheimer’s disease by displacement field and machine learning. PeerJ 3:e1251 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1251
date submitted: 2015-07-28
date accepted: 2015-08-29
issued: 2015-09-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Yudong
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Shuihua
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1251
volume: 3
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2015-09-17
copyright: © 2015 Zhang and Wang
attribution name: Zhang and Wang

Diet, exercise and mental-wellbeing of healthcare professionals (doctors, dentists and nurses) in Pakistan
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background. “Health is wealth” is a time tested adage. Health becomes more relevant when it comes to professionals whose job is to provide people with services that maintain an optimum state of mental, physical and social well-being. Healthcare professionals (HCP) differ from general population in regards to the nature of their work, stress, burnout etc. which begs the need to have a robust state of health for the ones who provide it to others. We initiated this study to see if healthcare professionals “practice what they preach others.” Methods. We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience-sampling technique. Questionnaires were administered directly to the three groups of healthcare professionals (Doctors, Dentists and Nurses) across the province Punjab after their consent. 1,319 healthcare professionals took part in the study (response rate of 87.35). Warwick Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) was used to assess mental wellbeing. USDA Dietary Guidelines-2010 were employed to quantify diet. American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines were employed for the analysis of exercise. Results. A total of 1,190 healthcare professionals formed the final sample with doctors and nurses forming the major proportion. Out of 1,190 participants only one healthcare professional was found to eat according to USDA Dietary Guidelines; others ate more of protein group and less of fruits, dairy and vegetable groups. 76% did not perform any exercise. 71.5% worked >48 h/week. More than 50% of healthcare professionals were sleeping <7 h/day. WEMWBS score of the entire sample was 47.97 ± 9.53 S.D. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that healthcare professionals do not practice what they preach. Their mental wellbeing, diet and exercise habits are not up to the mark and should be improved to foster the whole healthcare system for individual and community benefits.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Waqas Ahmad
creator: Frances Taggart
creator: Muhammad Shoaib Shafique
creator: Yumna Muzafar
creator: Shehnam Abidi
creator: Noor Ghani
creator: Zahra Malik
creator: Tehmina Zahid
creator: Ahmed Waqas
creator: Naila Ghaffar
subject: Internal Medicine
subject: Nutrition
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Public Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1250
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2015 Ahmad et al.
abstract: Background. “Health is wealth” is a time tested adage. Health becomes more relevant when it comes to professionals whose job is to provide people with services that maintain an optimum state of mental, physical and social well-being. Healthcare professionals (HCP) differ from general population in regards to the nature of their work, stress, burnout etc. which begs the need to have a robust state of health for the ones who provide it to others. We initiated this study to see if healthcare professionals “practice what they preach others.” Methods. We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience-sampling technique. Questionnaires were administered directly to the three groups of healthcare professionals (Doctors, Dentists and Nurses) across the province Punjab after their consent. 1,319 healthcare professionals took part in the study (response rate of 87.35). Warwick Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) was used to assess mental wellbeing. USDA Dietary Guidelines-2010 were employed to quantify diet. American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines were employed for the analysis of exercise. Results. A total of 1,190 healthcare professionals formed the final sample with doctors and nurses forming the major proportion. Out of 1,190 participants only one healthcare professional was found to eat according to USDA Dietary Guidelines; others ate more of protein group and less of fruits, dairy and vegetable groups. 76% did not perform any exercise. 71.5% worked >48 h/week. More than 50% of healthcare professionals were sleeping <7 h/day. WEMWBS score of the entire sample was 47.97 ± 9.53 S.D. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that healthcare professionals do not practice what they preach. Their mental wellbeing, diet and exercise habits are not up to the mark and should be improved to foster the whole healthcare system for individual and community benefits.
bibliographic citation: Ahmad et al. (2015) Diet, exercise and mental-wellbeing of healthcare professionals (doctors, dentists and nurses) in Pakistan. PeerJ 3:e1250 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1250
date submitted: 2015-05-19
date accepted: 2015-08-29
issued: 2015-09-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Ahmad
  given name: Waqas
author list: Agent
  family name: Taggart
  given name: Frances
author list: Agent
  family name: Shafique
  given name: Muhammad Shoaib
author list: Agent
  family name: Muzafar
  given name: Yumna
author list: Agent
  family name: Abidi
  given name: Shehnam
author list: Agent
  family name: Ghani
  given name: Noor
author list: Agent
  family name: Malik
  given name: Zahra
author list: Agent
  family name: Zahid
  given name: Tehmina
author list: Agent
  family name: Waqas
  given name: Ahmed
author list: Agent
  family name: Ghaffar
  given name: Naila
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1250
volume: 3
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2015-09-17
copyright: © 2015 Ahmad et al.
attribution name: Ahmad et al.

Chinese Interpreting Studies: a data-driven analysis of a dynamic field of enquiry
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Over the five decades since its beginnings, Chinese Interpreting Studies (CIS) has evolved into a dynamic field of academic enquiry with more than 3,500 scholars and 4,200 publications. Using quantitative and qualitative analysis, this scientometric study delves deep into CIS citation data to examine some of the noteworthy trends and patterns of behavior in the field: how can the field’s progress be quantified by means of citation analysis? Do its authors tend repeatedly to cite ‘classic’ papers or are they more drawn to their colleagues’ latest research? What different effects does the choice of empirical vs. theoretical research have on the use of citations in the various research brackets? The findings show that the field is steadily moving forward with new papers continuously being cited, although a number of influential papers stand out, having received a stream of citations in all the years examined. CIS scholars also have a tendency to cite much older English than Chinese publications across all document types, and empirical research has the greatest influence on the citation behavior of doctoral scholars, while theoretical studies have the largest impact on that of article authors. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the merits of blending quantitative and qualitative analyses to uncover hidden trends.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Ziyun Xu
creator: Leonid Pekelis
subject: Science and Medical Education
subject: Science Policy
subject: Statistics
subject: Computational Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.1249
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2015 Xu and Pekelis
abstract: Over the five decades since its beginnings, Chinese Interpreting Studies (CIS) has evolved into a dynamic field of academic enquiry with more than 3,500 scholars and 4,200 publications. Using quantitative and qualitative analysis, this scientometric study delves deep into CIS citation data to examine some of the noteworthy trends and patterns of behavior in the field: how can the field’s progress be quantified by means of citation analysis? Do its authors tend repeatedly to cite ‘classic’ papers or are they more drawn to their colleagues’ latest research? What different effects does the choice of empirical vs. theoretical research have on the use of citations in the various research brackets? The findings show that the field is steadily moving forward with new papers continuously being cited, although a number of influential papers stand out, having received a stream of citations in all the years examined. CIS scholars also have a tendency to cite much older English than Chinese publications across all document types, and empirical research has the greatest influence on the citation behavior of doctoral scholars, while theoretical studies have the largest impact on that of article authors. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the merits of blending quantitative and qualitative analyses to uncover hidden trends.
bibliographic citation: Xu et al. (2015) Chinese Interpreting Studies: a data-driven analysis of a dynamic field of enquiry. PeerJ 3:e1249 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1249
date submitted: 2015-04-15
date accepted: 2015-08-28
issued: 2015-09-17
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Xu
  given name: Ziyun
author list: Agent
  family name: Pekelis
  given name: Leonid
doi: 10.7717/peerj.1249
volume: 3
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2015-09-17
copyright: © 2015 Xu and Pekelis
attribution name: Xu and Pekelis

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