Investigating mortality salience as a potential causal influence and moderator of responses to laboratory pain
Background Because pain can have profound ramifications for quality of life and daily functioning, understanding nuances in the interplay of psychosocial experiences with pain perception is vital for effective pain management. In separate lines of research, pain resilience and mortality salience have emerged as potentially important psychological correlates of reduced pain severity and increased tolerance of pain. However, to date, there has been a paucity of research examining potentially interactive effects of these factors on pain perception. To address this gap, the present experiment investigated mortality salience as a causal influence on tolerance of laboratory pain and a moderator of associations between pain resilience and pain tolerance within a Chinese sample. Methods Participants were healthy young Chinese adults (86 women, 84 men) who first completed a brief initial cold pressor test (CPT) followed by measures of demographics and pain resilience. Subsequently, participants randomly assigned to a mortality salience (MS) condition completed two open-ended essay questions in which they wrote about their death as well as a death anxiety scale while those randomly assigned to a control condition completed analogous tasks about watching television. Finally, all participants engaged in a delay task and a second CPT designed to measure post-manipulation pain tolerance and subjective pain intensity levels. Results MS condition cohorts showed greater pain tolerance than controls on the post-manipulation CPT, though pain intensity levels did not differ between groups. Moderator analyses indicated that the relationship between the behavior perseverance facet of pain resilience and pain tolerance was significantly stronger among MS condition participants than controls. Conclusions This experiment is the first to document potential causal effects of MS on pain tolerance and Ms as a moderator of the association between self-reported behavior perseverance and behavioral pain tolerance. Findings provide foundations for extensions within clinical pain samples.
You et al. (2024) Investigating mortality salience as a potential causal influence and moderator of responses to laboratory pain. PeerJ 12:e17204 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17204
Seasonal fluctuations of litter and soil Collembola and their drivers in rainforest and plantation systems
Rainforest conversion and expansion of plantations in tropical regions change local microclimate and are associated with biodiversity decline. Tropical soils are a hotspot of animal biodiversity and may sensitively respond to microclimate changes, but these responses remain unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, here we investigated seasonal fluctuations in density and community composition of Collembola, a dominant group of soil invertebrates, in rainforest, and in rubber and oil palm plantations in Jambi province (Sumatra, Indonesia). Across land-use systems, the density of Collembola in the litter was at a maximum at the beginning of the wet season, whereas in soil it generally varied little. The community composition of Collembola changed with season and the differences between land-use systems were most pronounced at the beginning of the dry season. Water content, pH, fungal and bacterial biomarkers, C/N ratio and root biomass were identified as factors related to seasonal variations in species composition of Collembola across different land-use systems. We conclude that (1) conversion of rainforest into plantation systems aggravates detrimental effects of low moisture during the dry season on soil invertebrate communities; (2) Collembola communities are driven by common environmental factors across land-use systems, with water content, pH and food availability being most important; (3) Collembola in litter are more sensitive to climatic variations than those in soil. Overall, the results document the sensitivity of tropical soil invertebrate communities to seasonal climatic variations, which intensifies the effects of the conversion of rainforest into plantation systems on soil biodiversity.
Susanti et al. (2024) Seasonal fluctuations of litter and soil Collembola and their drivers in rainforest and plantation systems. PeerJ 12:e17125 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17125
Health and ecological risk of heavy metals in agricultural soils related to Tungsten mining in Southern Jiangxi Province, China
Background Dayu County, a major tungsten producer in China, experiences severe heavy metal pollution. This study evaluated the pollution status, the accumulation characteristics in paddy rice, and the potential ecological risks of heavy metals in agricutural soils near tungsten mining areas of Dayu County. Furthermore, the impacts of soil properties on the accumulation of heavy metals in soil were explored. Methods The geo-accumulation index (Igeo), the contamination factor (CF), and the pollution load index (PLI) were used to evaluate the pollution status of metals (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, Mo, W, and Zn) in soils. The ecological risk factor (RI) was used to assess the potential ecological risks of heavy metals in soil. The health risks and accumulation of heavy metals in paddy rice were evaluated using the health risk index and the translocation factor (TF), respectively. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to discuss the influence of soil factors on heavy metal contents in soil. Results The concentrations of metals exceeded the respective average background values for soils (As: 10.4, Cd: 0.10, Cu: 20.8, Cr: 48.0, Pb: 32.1, Mo: 0.30, W: 4.93, Zn: 69.0, mg/kg). The levels of As, Cd, Mo, and tungsten(W) exceeded the risk screening values for Chinese agricultural soil contamination and the Dutch standard. The mean concentrations of the eight tested heavy metals followed the order FJ-S > QL > FJ-N > HL > CJ-E > CJ-W, with a significant distribution throughout the Zhangjiang River basin. Heavy metals, especially Cd, were enriched in paddy rice. The Igeo and CF assessment indicated that the soil was moderately to heavily polluted by Mo, W and Cd, and the PLI assessment indicated the the sites of FJ-S and QL were extremely severely polluted due to the contribution of Cd, Mo and W. The RI results indicated that Cd posed the highest risk near tungsten mining areas. The non-carcinogenic and total carcinogenic risks were above the threshold values (non-carcinogenic risk by HQ > 1, carcinogenic risks by CR > 1 × 10−4 a−1) for As and Cd. Correlation analysis indicated that K2O, Na2O, and CaO are main factors affecting the accumulation and migration of heavy metals in soils and plants. Our findings reveal significant contamination of soils and crops with heavy metals, especially Cd, Mo, and W, near mining areas, highlighting serious health risks. This emphasizes the need for immediate remedial actions and the implementation of stringent environmental policies to safeguard health and the environment.
Environmental Contamination and Remediation
Lai et al. (2024) Health and ecological risk of heavy metals in agricultural soils related to Tungsten mining in Southern Jiangxi Province, China. PeerJ 12:e17200 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17200
Spatial habitat suitability prediction of essential oil wild plants on Indonesia’s degraded lands
Background Essential oils are natural products of aromatic plants with numerous uses. Essential oils have been traded worldwide and utilized in various industries. Indonesia is the sixth largest essential oil producing country, but land degradation is a risk to the continuing extraction and utilization of natural products. Production of essential oil plants on degraded lands is a potential strategy to mitigate this risk. This study aimed to identify degraded lands in Indonesia that could be suitable habitats for five wild native essential oil producing plants, namely Acronychia pedunculata (L.) Miq., Baeckea frutescens L., Cynometra cauliflora L., Magnolia montana (Blume) Figlar, and Magnolia sumatrana var. glauca (Blume) Figlar & Noot using various species distribution models. Methods The habitat suitability of these species was predicted by comparing ten species distribution models, including Bioclim, classification and regression trees (CART), flexible discriminant analysis (FDA), Maxlike, boosted regression trees (BRT), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), generalized linear models (GLM), Ranger, support vector machine (SVM), and Random Forests (RF). Bioclimatic, topographic and soil variables were used as the predictors of the model habitat suitability. The models were evaluated according to their AUC and TSS metrics. Model selection was based on ranking performance. The total suitable area for five native essential oil producing plants in Indonesia’s degraded lands was derived by overlaying the models with degraded land locations. Results The habitat suitability model for these species was well predicted with an AUC value >0.8 and a TSS value >0.7. The most important predictor variables affecting the habitat suitability of these species are mean temperature of wettest quarter, precipitation seasonality, precipitation of warmest quarter, precipitation of coldest quarter, cation exchange capacity, nitrogen, sand, and soil organic carbon. C. cauliflora has the largest predicted suitable area, followed by M. montana, B. frutescens, M. sumatrana var. glauca, and A. pedunculata. The overlapping area between predictive habitat suitability and degraded lands indicates that the majority of degraded lands in Indonesia’s forest areas are suitable for those species. Conclusion The degraded lands predicted as suitable habitats for five native essential oil producing plants were widely spread throughout Indonesia, mostly in its main islands. These findings can be used by the Indonesian Government for evaluating policies for degraded land utilization and restorations that can enhance the lands’ productivity.
Renjana et al. (2024) Spatial habitat suitability prediction of essential oil wild plants on Indonesia’s degraded lands. PeerJ 12:e17210 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17210
Higher body condition with infection by Haemoproteus parasites in Bananaquits (Coereba flaveola)
Parasite transmission is a heterogenous process in host-parasite interactions. This heterogeneity is particularly apparent in vector-borne parasite transmission where the vector adds an additional level of complexity. Haemosporidian parasites, a widespread protist, cause a malaria-like disease in birds globally, but we still have much to learn about the consequences of infection to hosts’ health. In the Caribbean, where malarial parasites are endemic, studying host-parasites interactions may give us important insights about energetic trade-offs involved in malarial parasites infections in birds. In this study, we tested the consequences of Haemoproteus infection on the Bananaquit, a resident species of Puerto Rico. We also tested for potential sources of individual heterogeneity in the consequences of infection such as host age and sex. To quantify the consequences of infection to hosts’ health we compared three complementary body condition indices between infected and uninfected individuals. Our results showed that Bananaquits infected by Haemoproteus had higher body condition than uninfected individuals. This result was consistent among the three body condition indices. Still, we found no clear evidence that this effect was mediated by host age or sex. We discuss a set of non-mutually exclusive hypotheses that may explain this pattern including metabolic syndrome, immunological responses leading to host tolerance or resistance to infection, and potential changes in consumption rates. Overall, our results suggest that other mechanisms, may drive the consequences of avian malarial infection.
Gutiérrez-Ramos et al. (2024) Higher body condition with infection by Haemoproteus parasites in Bananaquits (Coereba flaveola). PeerJ 12:e16361 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16361
Factors associated with intention to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 booster dose: a cross-sectional study in Peru
Introduction The pandemic of COVID-19 continues to impact people worldwide, with more than 755 million confirmed cases and more than 6.8 million reported deaths. Although two types of treatment, antiviral and immunomodulatory therapy, have been approved to date, vaccination has been the best method to control the spread of the disease. Objective To explore factors associated with the intention to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 booster dose in Peru. Material and Methods Cross-sectional study, using virtual and physical surveys of adults with two or more doses of COVID-19 vaccine, where the dependent variable was the intention to be vaccinated (IBV) with the booster dose. We calculated prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals, using generalized linear models of the Poisson family with robust varying, determining associations between sociodemographic, clinical, and booster dose perception variables. Results Data from 924 adults were analyzed. The IBV of the booster doses was 88.1%. A higher prevalence was associated with being male (aPR = 1.05; 95% CI [1.01–1.10]), having a good perception of efficacy and protective effect (PR = 3.69; 95% CI [2.57–5.30]) and belonging to the health sector (PR = 1.10; 95% CI [1.04–1.16]). There was greater acceptance of the recommendation of physicians and other health professionals (aPR = 1.40; 95% CI [1.27–1.55]). Conclusions Factors associated with higher IBV with booster dose include male gender, health sciences, physician recommendation, and good perception of efficacy.
Camacho-Neciosup et al. (2024) Factors associated with intention to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 booster dose: a cross-sectional study in Peru. PeerJ 12:e16727 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16727
On the elephant trails: habitat suitability and connectivity for Asian elephants in eastern Indian landscape
Identifying suitable habitats and conserving corridors are crucial to the long-term conservation of large and conflict-prone animals. Being a flagship species, survival of Asian elephants is threatened by human-induced mortality and habitat modification. We aimed to assess the habitat suitability and connectivity of the Asian elephant Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 habitat in the state of Odisha in eastern India. We followed the ensemble of spatial prediction models using species presence data and five environmental variables. We used least-cost path and circuit theory approaches to identify the spatial connectivity between core habitats for Asian elephants. The results revealed that normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; variable importance 42%) and terrain ruggedness (19%) are the most influential variables for predicting habitat suitability of species within the study area. Our habitat suitability map estimated 14.6% of Odisha’s geographical area (c. 22,442 km2) as highly suitable and 13.3% (c. 20,464 km2) as moderate highly suitable. We identified 58 potential linkages to maintain the habitat connectivity across study area. Furthermore, we identified pinch points, bottlenecks, and high centrality links between core habitats. Our study offers management implications for long-term landscape conservation for Asian elephants in Odisha and highlights priority zones that can help maintain spatial links between elephant habitats.
Spatial and Geographic Information Science
Palei et al. (2024) On the elephant trails: habitat suitability and connectivity for Asian elephants in eastern Indian landscape. PeerJ 12:e16746 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16746
An androgen receptor-based signature to predict prognosis and identification of ORC1 as a therapeutical target for prostate adenocarcinoma
Background Aberrant activation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling plays a crucial role in the progression of prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) and contributes significantly to the development of enzalutamide resistance. In this study, we aimed to identify a novel AR-driven signature that can predict prognosis and endows potentially reveal novel therapeutic targets for PRAD. Methods The Seurat package was used to preprocess the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Differentially expressed genes were visualized using limma and pheamap packages. LASSO and multi-variate Cox regression models were established using glmnet package. The package “Consensus Cluster Plus” was utilized to perform the consensus clustering analysis. The biological roles of origin recognition complex subunit 1 (ORC1) in PRAD were determined by gain- and loss-of-function studies in vitro and in vivo. Result We characterized the scRNA-seq data from GSE99795 and identified 10 AR-associated genes (ARGs). The ARGs model was trained and validated in internal and external cohorts. The ARGs were identified as an independent hazard factor in PRAD and correlated with clinical risk characteristics. In addition, the ARGs were found to be correlated with somatic tumor mutation burden (TMB) levels. Two groups that have distinct prognostic and molecular features were identified through consensus clustering analysis. ORC1 was identified as a critical target among these ARGs, and it ORC1 promoted proliferation and stem-like properties of PRAD cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR assay confirmed that AR could directly bind the promoter of ORC1. Activated AR/ORC1 axis contributed to enzalutamide resistance, and targeting ORC1 rendered PRAD cells more susceptible to enzalutamide. Conclusions This study defines an AR-driven signature that AR activates ORC1 expressions to promote PRAD progression and enzalutamide resistance, which may provide novel targets for PRAD treatment.
Li et al. (2024) An androgen receptor-based signature to predict prognosis and identification of ORC1 as a therapeutical target for prostate adenocarcinoma. PeerJ 12:e16850 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16850
First record of Apanteles hemara (N.) on Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée and biodiversity of Hymenoptera parasitoids on Brinjal
The brinjal fruit and shoot borer (BFSB), Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is a very detrimental pest that causes significant economic losses to brinjal crop worldwide. Infested brinjal fruits were collected from vegetable fields located at the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), New Delhi, India, during two consecutive seasons (2021–2022). The larvae of the pest were brought to the laboratory and reared under controlled conditions of 25 ± 0.5 °C and 70 ± 5% relative humidity, for the emergence of parasitoids. In addition, the survey of Hymenoptera parasitoids in brinjal was conducted utilizing a sweep net and yellow pan trap over the course of two seasons. The results reveal that five parasitoid species were emerged from L. orbonalis viz., Apanteles hemara Nixon, 1965, Bracon greeni Ashmead 1896 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Goryphus nursei (Cameron, 1907), Trathala flavoorbitalis (Cameron, 1907) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) and Spalangia gemina Boucek 1963 (Hymenoptera: Spalangiidae). Out of these, A. hemara and S. gemina were documented as new occurrences in Delhi. Additionally, A. hemara was recorded for the first time as a parasite on L. orbonalis. Trathala flavoorbitalis was observed during both seasons and exhibited higher parasitism reaching 15.55% and 18.46% in July and August 2022, respectively. However, the average parasitism (%) recorded by A. hemara, B. greeni, G. nursei, T. flavoorbitalis and S. gemina was 3.10%, 1.76%, 1.10%, 9.28% and 1.20% respectively. Furthermore, the findings showed a significant (p ≤ 0.01) strongly positive correlation between fruit infestation (%) by L. orbonalis and parasitism (%). The survey indicates the presence of a broad group (19 families and 60 species) of Hymenoptera parasitoids in the brinjal crop ecosystem in Delhi which could be valuable in biological control. In light of these results, this study revealed that A. hemara and other parasitoids identified in this study alongside T. flavoorbitalis would be ideal biocontrol agents within the integrated pest management (IPM) program of BFSB in Delhi.
Saleh et al. (2024) First record of Apanteles hemara (N.) on Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée and biodiversity of Hymenoptera parasitoids on Brinjal. PeerJ 12:e16870 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16870
Vocal repertoire of Microhyla nilphamariensis from Delhi and comparison with closely related M. ornata populations from the western coast of India and Sri Lanka
Advertisement calls in frogs have evolved to be species-specific signals of recognition and are therefore considered an essential component of integrative taxonomic approaches to identify species and delineate their distribution range. The species rich genus Microhyla is a particularly challenging group for species identification, discovery and conservation management due to the small size, conserved morphology and wide distribution of its members, necessitating the need for a thorough description of their vocalization. In this study, we provide quantitative description of the vocal behaviour of Microhyla nilphamariensis, a widely distributed south Asian species, from Delhi, India, based on call recordings of 18 individuals and assessment of 21 call properties. Based on the properties measured acrossed 360 calls, we find that a typical advertisement call of M. nilphamariensis lasts for 393.5 ± 57.5 ms, has 17 pulses on average and produce pulses at rate of 39 pulses/s. The overall call dominant frequency was found to be 2.8 KHz and the call spectrum consisted of two dominant frequency peaks centered at 1.6 KHz and 3.6 KHz, ranging between 1.5–4.1 KHz. Apart from its typical advertisement call, our study also reveals the presence of three ‘rare’ call types, previously unreported in this species. We describe variability in call properties and discuss their relation to body size and temperature. We found that overall dominant frequency 1 (spectral property) was found to be correlated with body size, while first pulse period (temporal property) was found to be correlated with temperature. Further, we compare the vocal repertoire of M. nilphamariensis with that of the congener Microhyla ornata from the western coast of India and Sri Lanka and also compare the call properties of these two populations of M. ornata to investigate intra-specific call variation. We find statistically significant differentiation in their acoustic repertoire in both cases. Based on 18 call properties (out of 20), individuals of each locality clearly segregate on PCA factor plane forming separate groups. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) using PCA factors shows 100% classification success with individuals of each locality getting classified to a discrete group. This confirms significant acoustic differentiation between these species as well as between geographically distant conspecifics. The data generated in this study will be useful for comparative bioacoustic analysis of Microhyla species and can be utilized to monitor populations and devise conservation management plan for threatened species in this group.
Srigyan et al. (2024) Vocal repertoire of Microhyla nilphamariensis from Delhi and comparison with closely related M. ornata populations from the western coast of India and Sri Lanka. PeerJ 12:e16903 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16903