PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Evaluation of different Kabuli chickpea genotypes against Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in relation to biotic and abiotic factors
items: Filling the gaps in ecology of tropical tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae): first quantitative data of sexual dimorphism in semi-arboreal Therates from the Philippine biodiversity hotspot
items: Land potential assessment and trend-analysis using 2000–2021 FAPAR monthly time-series at 250 m spatial resolution
items: EPI-SF: essential protein identification in protein interaction networks using sequence features
items: Gut microbiota and its metabolites in Alzheimer’s disease: from pathogenesis to treatment
items: On population structure and breeding biology of burrowing crab Dotilla blanfordi Alcock, 1900
items: Academic stress in college students: descriptive analyses and scoring of the SISCO-II inventory
items: First evidence of sexual dimorphism in olfactory organs of deep-sea lanternfishes (Myctophidae)
items: Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the diversity of notifiable infectious diseases: a case study in Shanghai, China
items: Construction and validation of a nomogram model to predict the poor prognosis in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis

Evaluation of different Kabuli chickpea genotypes against Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in relation to biotic and abiotic factors
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background The chickpea pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) is a significant insect pest of chickpea crops, causing substantial global losses. Methods Field experiments were conducted in Central Punjab, Pakistan, to investigate the impact of biotic and abiotic factors on pod borer population dynamics and infestation in nine kabuli chickpea genotypes during two cropping seasons (2020–2021 and 2021–2022). The crops were sown in November in both years, with row-to-row and plant-to-plant distances of 30 and 15 cm, respectively, following a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Results Results showed a significant difference among the tested genotypes in trichome density, pod wall thickness, and leaf chlorophyll contents. Significantly lower larval population (0.85 and 1.10 larvae per plant) and percent damage (10.65% and 14.25%) were observed in genotype Noor-2019 during 2020–2021 and 2021–2022, respectively. Pod trichome density, pod wall thickness, and chlorophyll content of leaves also showed significant variation among the tested genotypes. Pod trichome density and pod wall thickness correlated negatively with larval infestation, while chlorophyll content in leaves showed a positive correlation. Additionally, the larval population positively correlated with minimum and maximum temperatures, while relative humidity negatively correlated with the larval population. Study results explore natural enemies as potential biological control agents and reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Hafiz Muhammad Bilal Yousuf
creator: Muhammad Yasin
creator: Habib Ali
creator: Khalid Naveed
creator: Ammara Riaz
creator: Amal Mohamed AlGarawi
creator: Ashraf Atef Hatamleh
creator: Yunfeng Shan
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Entomology
subject: Plant Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.16944
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Muhammad Bilal Yousuf et al.
abstract: Background The chickpea pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) is a significant insect pest of chickpea crops, causing substantial global losses. Methods Field experiments were conducted in Central Punjab, Pakistan, to investigate the impact of biotic and abiotic factors on pod borer population dynamics and infestation in nine kabuli chickpea genotypes during two cropping seasons (2020–2021 and 2021–2022). The crops were sown in November in both years, with row-to-row and plant-to-plant distances of 30 and 15 cm, respectively, following a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Results Results showed a significant difference among the tested genotypes in trichome density, pod wall thickness, and leaf chlorophyll contents. Significantly lower larval population (0.85 and 1.10 larvae per plant) and percent damage (10.65% and 14.25%) were observed in genotype Noor-2019 during 2020–2021 and 2021–2022, respectively. Pod trichome density, pod wall thickness, and chlorophyll content of leaves also showed significant variation among the tested genotypes. Pod trichome density and pod wall thickness correlated negatively with larval infestation, while chlorophyll content in leaves showed a positive correlation. Additionally, the larval population positively correlated with minimum and maximum temperatures, while relative humidity negatively correlated with the larval population. Study results explore natural enemies as potential biological control agents and reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.
bibliographic citation: Muhammad Bilal Yousuf et al. (2024) Evaluation of different Kabuli chickpea genotypes against Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in relation to biotic and abiotic factors. PeerJ 12:e16944 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16944
date submitted: 2023-10-27
date accepted: 2024-01-24
issued: 2024-03-13
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Muhammad Bilal Yousuf
  given name: Hafiz
author list: Agent
  family name: Yasin
  given name: Muhammad
author list: Agent
  family name: Ali
  given name: Habib
author list: Agent
  family name: Naveed
  given name: Khalid
author list: Agent
  family name: Riaz
  given name: Ammara
author list: Agent
  family name: AlGarawi
  given name: Amal Mohamed
author list: Agent
  family name: Hatamleh
  given name: Ashraf Atef
author list: Agent
  family name: Shan
  given name: Yunfeng
doi: 10.7717/peerj.16944
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-03-13
copyright: © 2024 Muhammad Bilal Yousuf et al.
attribution name: Muhammad Bilal Yousuf et al.

Filling the gaps in ecology of tropical tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae): first quantitative data of sexual dimorphism in semi-arboreal Therates from the Philippine biodiversity hotspot
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Sexual dimorphism, driven by sexual selection, leads to varied morphological distinctions in male and female insects, providing insights into selection pressures across species. However, research on the morphometric variability within specific taxa of tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), particularly arboreal and semi-arboreal species, remains very limited. Methods We investigate sexual dimorphism in six semi-arboreal Therates tiger beetle taxa from the Philippines, focusing on morphological traits. We employed morphometric measurements and multivariate analyses to reveal patterns of sexual dimorphism between sexes within the taxa. Results Our results indicate significant sexual dimorphism in elytra width, with females consistently displaying broader elytra, potentially enhancing fecundity. Notable sexual size dimorphism was observed in Therates fulvipennis bidentatus and T. coracinus coracinus, suggesting heightened sexual selection pressures on male body size. Ecological factors, mating behavior, and female mate choice might contribute to the observed morphological variation. These findings emphasize the need for further studies to comprehend mating dynamics, mate choice, and ecological influences on morphological variations in semi-arboreal and arboreal tiger beetles.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Dale Ann Acal
creator: Anna Sulikowska-Drozd
creator: Radomir Jaskuła
subject: Ecology
subject: Entomology
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Taxonomy
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.16956
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Acal et al.
abstract: Background Sexual dimorphism, driven by sexual selection, leads to varied morphological distinctions in male and female insects, providing insights into selection pressures across species. However, research on the morphometric variability within specific taxa of tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), particularly arboreal and semi-arboreal species, remains very limited. Methods We investigate sexual dimorphism in six semi-arboreal Therates tiger beetle taxa from the Philippines, focusing on morphological traits. We employed morphometric measurements and multivariate analyses to reveal patterns of sexual dimorphism between sexes within the taxa. Results Our results indicate significant sexual dimorphism in elytra width, with females consistently displaying broader elytra, potentially enhancing fecundity. Notable sexual size dimorphism was observed in Therates fulvipennis bidentatus and T. coracinus coracinus, suggesting heightened sexual selection pressures on male body size. Ecological factors, mating behavior, and female mate choice might contribute to the observed morphological variation. These findings emphasize the need for further studies to comprehend mating dynamics, mate choice, and ecological influences on morphological variations in semi-arboreal and arboreal tiger beetles.
bibliographic citation: Acal et al. (2024) Filling the gaps in ecology of tropical tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae): first quantitative data of sexual dimorphism in semi-arboreal Therates from the Philippine biodiversity hotspot. PeerJ 12:e16956 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16956
date submitted: 2023-10-25
date accepted: 2024-01-25
issued: 2024-03-13
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Acal
  given name: Dale Ann
author list: Agent
  family name: Sulikowska-Drozd
  given name: Anna
author list: Agent
  family name: Jaskuła
  given name: Radomir
doi: 10.7717/peerj.16956
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-03-13
copyright: © 2024 Acal et al.
attribution name: Acal et al.

Land potential assessment and trend-analysis using 2000–2021 FAPAR monthly time-series at 250 m spatial resolution
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The article presents results of using remote sensing images and machine learning to map and assess land potential based on time-series of potential Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) composites. Land potential here refers to the potential vegetation productivity in the hypothetical absence of short–term anthropogenic influence, such as intensive agriculture and urbanization. Knowledge on this ecological land potential could support the assessment of levels of land degradation as well as restoration potentials. Monthly aggregated FAPAR time-series of three percentiles (0.05, 0.50 and 0.95 probability) at 250 m spatial resolution were derived from the 8-day GLASS FAPAR V6 product for 2000–2021 and used to determine long-term trends in FAPAR, as well as to model potential FAPAR in the absence of human pressure. CCa 3 million training points sampled from 12,500 locations across the globe were overlaid with 68 bio-physical variables representing climate, terrain, landform, and vegetation cover, as well as several variables representing human pressure including: population count, cropland intensity, nightlights and a human footprint index. The training points were used in an ensemble machine learning model that stacks three base learners (extremely randomized trees, gradient descended trees and artificial neural network) using a linear regressor as meta-learner. The potential FAPAR was then projected by removing the impact of urbanization and intensive agriculture in the covariate layers. The results of strict cross-validation show that the global distribution of FAPAR can be explained with an R2 of 0.89, with the most important covariates being growing season length, forest cover indicator and annual precipitation. From this model, a global map of potential monthly FAPAR for the recent year (2021) was produced, and used to predict gaps in actual vs. potential FAPAR. The produced global maps of actual vs. potential FAPAR and long-term trends …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Julia Hackländer
creator: Leandro Parente
creator: Yu-Feng Ho
creator: Tomislav Hengl
creator: Rolf Simoes
creator: Davide Consoli
creator: Murat Şahin
creator: Xuemeng Tian
creator: Martin Jung
creator: Martin Herold
creator: Gregory Duveiller
creator: Melanie Weynants
creator: Ichsani Wheeler
subject: Ecosystem Science
subject: Data Mining and Machine Learning
subject: Data Science
subject: Environmental Impacts
subject: Spatial and Geographic Information Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.16972
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Hackländer et al.
abstract: The article presents results of using remote sensing images and machine learning to map and assess land potential based on time-series of potential Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) composites. Land potential here refers to the potential vegetation productivity in the hypothetical absence of short–term anthropogenic influence, such as intensive agriculture and urbanization. Knowledge on this ecological land potential could support the assessment of levels of land degradation as well as restoration potentials. Monthly aggregated FAPAR time-series of three percentiles (0.05, 0.50 and 0.95 probability) at 250 m spatial resolution were derived from the 8-day GLASS FAPAR V6 product for 2000–2021 and used to determine long-term trends in FAPAR, as well as to model potential FAPAR in the absence of human pressure. CCa 3 million training points sampled from 12,500 locations across the globe were overlaid with 68 bio-physical variables representing climate, terrain, landform, and vegetation cover, as well as several variables representing human pressure including: population count, cropland intensity, nightlights and a human footprint index. The training points were used in an ensemble machine learning model that stacks three base learners (extremely randomized trees, gradient descended trees and artificial neural network) using a linear regressor as meta-learner. The potential FAPAR was then projected by removing the impact of urbanization and intensive agriculture in the covariate layers. The results of strict cross-validation show that the global distribution of FAPAR can be explained with an R2 of 0.89, with the most important covariates being growing season length, forest cover indicator and annual precipitation. From this model, a global map of potential monthly FAPAR for the recent year (2021) was produced, and used to predict gaps in actual vs. potential FAPAR. The produced global maps of actual vs. potential FAPAR and long-term trends …
bibliographic citation: Hackländer et al. (2024) Land potential assessment and trend-analysis using 2000–2021 FAPAR monthly time-series at 250 m spatial resolution. PeerJ 12:e16972 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16972
date submitted: 2023-10-05
date accepted: 2024-01-29
issued: 2024-03-13
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Hackländer
  given name: Julia
author list: Agent
  family name: Parente
  given name: Leandro
author list: Agent
  family name: Ho
  given name: Yu-Feng
author list: Agent
  family name: Hengl
  given name: Tomislav
author list: Agent
  family name: Simoes
  given name: Rolf
author list: Agent
  family name: Consoli
  given name: Davide
author list: Agent
  family name: Şahin
  given name: Murat
author list: Agent
  family name: Tian
  given name: Xuemeng
author list: Agent
  family name: Jung
  given name: Martin
author list: Agent
  family name: Herold
  given name: Martin
author list: Agent
  family name: Duveiller
  given name: Gregory
author list: Agent
  family name: Weynants
  given name: Melanie
author list: Agent
  family name: Wheeler
  given name: Ichsani
doi: 10.7717/peerj.16972
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-03-13
copyright: © 2024 Hackländer et al.
attribution name: Hackländer et al.

EPI-SF: essential protein identification in protein interaction networks using sequence features
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Proteins are considered indispensable for facilitating an organism’s viability, reproductive capabilities, and other fundamental physiological functions. Conventional biological assays are characterized by prolonged duration, extensive labor requirements, and financial expenses in order to identify essential proteins. Therefore, it is widely accepted that employing computational methods is the most expeditious and effective approach to successfully discerning essential proteins. Despite being a popular choice in machine learning (ML) applications, the deep learning (DL) method is not suggested for this specific research work based on sequence features due to the restricted availability of high-quality training sets of positive and negative samples. However, some DL works on limited availability of data are also executed at recent times which will be our future scope of work. Conventional ML techniques are thus utilized in this work due to their superior performance compared to DL methodologies. In consideration of the aforementioned, a technique called EPI-SF is proposed here, which employs ML to identify essential proteins within the protein-protein interaction network (PPIN). The protein sequence is the primary determinant of protein structure and function. So, initially, relevant protein sequence features are extracted from the proteins within the PPIN. These features are subsequently utilized as input for various machine learning models, including XGB Boost Classifier, AdaBoost Classifier, logistic regression (LR), support vector classification (SVM), Decision Tree model (DT), Random Forest model (RF), and Naïve Bayes model (NB). The objective is to detect the essential proteins within the PPIN. The primary investigation conducted on yeast examined the performance of various ML models for yeast PPIN. Among these models, the RF model technique had the highest level of effectiveness, as indicated by its precision, recall, F1-score, and AUC values of 0.703, 0.720, …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Sovan Saha
creator: Piyali Chatterjee
creator: Subhadip Basu
creator: Mita Nasipuri
subject: Bioinformatics
subject: Computational Biology
subject: Computational Science
subject: Data Mining and Machine Learning
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17010
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Saha et al.
abstract: Proteins are considered indispensable for facilitating an organism’s viability, reproductive capabilities, and other fundamental physiological functions. Conventional biological assays are characterized by prolonged duration, extensive labor requirements, and financial expenses in order to identify essential proteins. Therefore, it is widely accepted that employing computational methods is the most expeditious and effective approach to successfully discerning essential proteins. Despite being a popular choice in machine learning (ML) applications, the deep learning (DL) method is not suggested for this specific research work based on sequence features due to the restricted availability of high-quality training sets of positive and negative samples. However, some DL works on limited availability of data are also executed at recent times which will be our future scope of work. Conventional ML techniques are thus utilized in this work due to their superior performance compared to DL methodologies. In consideration of the aforementioned, a technique called EPI-SF is proposed here, which employs ML to identify essential proteins within the protein-protein interaction network (PPIN). The protein sequence is the primary determinant of protein structure and function. So, initially, relevant protein sequence features are extracted from the proteins within the PPIN. These features are subsequently utilized as input for various machine learning models, including XGB Boost Classifier, AdaBoost Classifier, logistic regression (LR), support vector classification (SVM), Decision Tree model (DT), Random Forest model (RF), and Naïve Bayes model (NB). The objective is to detect the essential proteins within the PPIN. The primary investigation conducted on yeast examined the performance of various ML models for yeast PPIN. Among these models, the RF model technique had the highest level of effectiveness, as indicated by its precision, recall, F1-score, and AUC values of 0.703, 0.720, …
bibliographic citation: Saha et al. (2024) EPI-SF: essential protein identification in protein interaction networks using sequence features. PeerJ 12:e17010 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17010
date submitted: 2023-11-24
date accepted: 2024-02-05
issued: 2024-03-13
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Saha
  given name: Sovan
author list: Agent
  family name: Chatterjee
  given name: Piyali
author list: Agent
  family name: Basu
  given name: Subhadip
author list: Agent
  family name: Nasipuri
  given name: Mita
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17010
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-03-13
copyright: ©2024 Saha et al.
attribution name: Saha et al.

Gut microbiota and its metabolites in Alzheimer’s disease: from pathogenesis to treatment
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Introduction An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that altered microbial diversity and function (such as metabolites), or ecological disorders, regulate bowel–brain axis involvement in the pathophysiologic processes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The dysregulation of microbes and their metabolites can be a double-edged sword in AD, presenting the possibility of microbiome-based treatment options. This review describes the link between ecological imbalances and AD, the interactions between AD treatment modalities and the microbiota, and the potential of interventions such as prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and dietary interventions as complementary therapeutic strategies targeting AD pathogenesis and progression. Survey methodology Articles from PubMed and china.com on intestinal flora and AD were summarized to analyze the data and conclusions carefully to ensure the comprehensiveness, completeness, and accuracy of this review. Conclusions Regulating the gut flora ecological balance upregulates neurotrophic factor expression, regulates the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, and suppresses the inflammatory responses. Based on emerging research, this review explored novel directions for future AD research and clinical interventions, injecting new vitality into microbiota research development.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Xinfu Zou
creator: Guoqiang Zou
creator: Xinyan Zou
creator: Kangfeng Wang
creator: Zetao Chen
subject: Microbiology
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Cognitive Disorders
subject: Geriatrics
subject: Neurology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17061
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Zou et al.
abstract: Introduction An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that altered microbial diversity and function (such as metabolites), or ecological disorders, regulate bowel–brain axis involvement in the pathophysiologic processes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The dysregulation of microbes and their metabolites can be a double-edged sword in AD, presenting the possibility of microbiome-based treatment options. This review describes the link between ecological imbalances and AD, the interactions between AD treatment modalities and the microbiota, and the potential of interventions such as prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and dietary interventions as complementary therapeutic strategies targeting AD pathogenesis and progression. Survey methodology Articles from PubMed and china.com on intestinal flora and AD were summarized to analyze the data and conclusions carefully to ensure the comprehensiveness, completeness, and accuracy of this review. Conclusions Regulating the gut flora ecological balance upregulates neurotrophic factor expression, regulates the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, and suppresses the inflammatory responses. Based on emerging research, this review explored novel directions for future AD research and clinical interventions, injecting new vitality into microbiota research development.
bibliographic citation: Zou et al. (2024) Gut microbiota and its metabolites in Alzheimer’s disease: from pathogenesis to treatment. PeerJ 12:e17061 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17061
date submitted: 2023-12-22
date accepted: 2024-02-15
issued: 2024-03-13
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Zou
  given name: Xinfu
author list: Agent
  family name: Zou
  given name: Guoqiang
author list: Agent
  family name: Zou
  given name: Xinyan
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Kangfeng
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Zetao
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17061
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-03-13
copyright: ©2024 Zou et al.
attribution name: Zou et al.

On population structure and breeding biology of burrowing crab Dotilla blanfordi Alcock, 1900
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background The present study investigated the population structure and breeding biology of the burrowing brachyuran crab species Dotilla blanfordi Alcock, 1900, which is commonly found on the sandy beach of Bhavnagar, located on the Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat coast, India. Methods Monthly sampling was conducted from February 2021 to January 2022 at the time of low tide using three line transects perpendicular to the water line, intercepted by a quadrate (0.25 m2) each at three different levels of the middle intertidal region: 20 m, 70 m, and 120 m. The quadrate area was excavated up to 30 cm and sieved for specimen collection. The collected specimens were categorised into different sexes viz., male, non-ovigerous female, or ovigerous female. For the fecundity study of D. blanfordi, the carapace width (mm) as a measure of size as well as their wet weight (g), size, number, and mass of their eggs were also recorded. Results The study revealed sexual dimorphism among the population, with females having significantly smaller sizes as compared to males. The overall population was skewed towards females, with a bimodal distribution of males and females. The occurrence of ovigerous females throughout the year suggests that the population breeds incessantly throughout the year, with the highest occurrence in August and September. A positive correlation was observed between the morphology of crabs (carapace width and wet body weight) and the size, number, and mass of eggs.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Krupal Patel
creator: Heris Patel
creator: Daoud Ali
creator: Swapnil Gosavi
creator: Nisha Choudhary
creator: Virendra Kumar Yadav
creator: Kauresh Vachhrajani
creator: Ashish Patel
creator: Dipak Kumar Sahoo
creator: Jigneshkumar Trivedi
subject: Ecology
subject: Ecosystem Science
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17065
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Patel et al.
abstract: Background The present study investigated the population structure and breeding biology of the burrowing brachyuran crab species Dotilla blanfordi Alcock, 1900, which is commonly found on the sandy beach of Bhavnagar, located on the Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat coast, India. Methods Monthly sampling was conducted from February 2021 to January 2022 at the time of low tide using three line transects perpendicular to the water line, intercepted by a quadrate (0.25 m2) each at three different levels of the middle intertidal region: 20 m, 70 m, and 120 m. The quadrate area was excavated up to 30 cm and sieved for specimen collection. The collected specimens were categorised into different sexes viz., male, non-ovigerous female, or ovigerous female. For the fecundity study of D. blanfordi, the carapace width (mm) as a measure of size as well as their wet weight (g), size, number, and mass of their eggs were also recorded. Results The study revealed sexual dimorphism among the population, with females having significantly smaller sizes as compared to males. The overall population was skewed towards females, with a bimodal distribution of males and females. The occurrence of ovigerous females throughout the year suggests that the population breeds incessantly throughout the year, with the highest occurrence in August and September. A positive correlation was observed between the morphology of crabs (carapace width and wet body weight) and the size, number, and mass of eggs.
bibliographic citation: Patel et al. (2024) On population structure and breeding biology of burrowing crab Dotilla blanfordi Alcock, 1900. PeerJ 12:e17065 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17065
date submitted: 2023-11-01
date accepted: 2024-02-16
issued: 2024-03-13
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Patel
  given name: Krupal
author list: Agent
  family name: Patel
  given name: Heris
author list: Agent
  family name: Ali
  given name: Daoud
author list: Agent
  family name: Gosavi
  given name: Swapnil
author list: Agent
  family name: Choudhary
  given name: Nisha
author list: Agent
  family name: Yadav
  given name: Virendra Kumar
author list: Agent
  family name: Vachhrajani
  given name: Kauresh
author list: Agent
  family name: Patel
  given name: Ashish
author list: Agent
  family name: Sahoo
  given name: Dipak Kumar
author list: Agent
  family name: Trivedi
  given name: Jigneshkumar
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17065
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-03-13
copyright: ©2024 Patel et al.
attribution name: Patel et al.

Academic stress in college students: descriptive analyses and scoring of the SISCO-II inventory
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: In a competitive and demanding world, academic stress is of increasing concern to students. This systemic, adaptive, and psychological process is composed of stressful stimuli, imbalance symptoms, and coping strategies. The SISCO-II Academic Stress Inventory (SISCO-II-AS) is a psychometric instrument validated in Chile. It evaluates stressors, symptoms, and coping, both individually and globally. For its practical interpretation, a scale is required. Therefore, this study aims to descriptively analyze the SISCO-II-AS and to obtain its corresponding scales. Employing a non-experimental quantitative approach, we administered the SISCO-II-AS to 1,049 second and third-year students from three Chilean universities, with a disproportionate gender representation of 75.21% female to 24.79% male participants. Through descriptive and bivariate analysis, we established norms based on percentiles. For the complete instrument and its subscales, significant differences by sex were identified, with magnitudes varying from small to moderate. For the full instrument and its subscales, bar scale norms by percentile and sex are presented. Each subscale (stressors, physical and psychological reactions, social behavioural reactions, total reaction, and coping) has score ranges defined for low, medium, and high levels. These ranges vary according to the sex of the respondent, with notable differences in stressors and physical, psychological, and social behavioural reactions. This study stands out for its broad and heterogeneous sample, which enriches the representativeness of the data. It offers a comprehensive view of academic stress in college students, identifying distinctive factors and highlighting the importance of gender-sensitive approaches. Its findings contribute to understanding and guide future interventions. By offering a descriptive analysis of the SISCO-II-AS inventory and establishing bar norms, this research aids health professionals and educators in better assessing and…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Juan-Luis Castillo-Navarrete
creator: Claudio Bustos
creator: Alejandra Guzman-Castillo
creator: Walter Zavala
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Science and Medical Education
subject: Mental Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.16980
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Castillo-Navarrete et al.
abstract: In a competitive and demanding world, academic stress is of increasing concern to students. This systemic, adaptive, and psychological process is composed of stressful stimuli, imbalance symptoms, and coping strategies. The SISCO-II Academic Stress Inventory (SISCO-II-AS) is a psychometric instrument validated in Chile. It evaluates stressors, symptoms, and coping, both individually and globally. For its practical interpretation, a scale is required. Therefore, this study aims to descriptively analyze the SISCO-II-AS and to obtain its corresponding scales. Employing a non-experimental quantitative approach, we administered the SISCO-II-AS to 1,049 second and third-year students from three Chilean universities, with a disproportionate gender representation of 75.21% female to 24.79% male participants. Through descriptive and bivariate analysis, we established norms based on percentiles. For the complete instrument and its subscales, significant differences by sex were identified, with magnitudes varying from small to moderate. For the full instrument and its subscales, bar scale norms by percentile and sex are presented. Each subscale (stressors, physical and psychological reactions, social behavioural reactions, total reaction, and coping) has score ranges defined for low, medium, and high levels. These ranges vary according to the sex of the respondent, with notable differences in stressors and physical, psychological, and social behavioural reactions. This study stands out for its broad and heterogeneous sample, which enriches the representativeness of the data. It offers a comprehensive view of academic stress in college students, identifying distinctive factors and highlighting the importance of gender-sensitive approaches. Its findings contribute to understanding and guide future interventions. By offering a descriptive analysis of the SISCO-II-AS inventory and establishing bar norms, this research aids health professionals and educators in better assessing and…
bibliographic citation: Castillo-Navarrete et al. (2024) Academic stress in college students: descriptive analyses and scoring of the SISCO-II inventory. PeerJ 12:e16980 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16980
date submitted: 2023-08-07
date accepted: 2024-01-29
issued: 2024-03-12
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Castillo-Navarrete
  given name: Juan-Luis
author list: Agent
  family name: Bustos
  given name: Claudio
author list: Agent
  family name: Guzman-Castillo
  given name: Alejandra
author list: Agent
  family name: Zavala
  given name: Walter
doi: 10.7717/peerj.16980
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-03-12
copyright: ©2024 Castillo-Navarrete et al.
attribution name: Castillo-Navarrete et al.

First evidence of sexual dimorphism in olfactory organs of deep-sea lanternfishes (Myctophidae)
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Finding a mate is of the utmost importance for organisms, and the traits associated with successfully finding one can be under strong selective pressures. In habitats where biomass and population density is often low, like the enormous open spaces of the deep sea, animals have evolved many adaptations for finding mates. One convergent adaptation seen in many deep-sea fishes is sexual dimorphism in olfactory organs, where, relative to body size, males have evolved greatly enlarged olfactory organs compared to females. Females are known to give off chemical cues such as pheromones, and these chemical stimuli can traverse long distances in the stable, stratified water of the deep sea and be picked up by the olfactory organs of males. This adaptation is believed to help males in multiple lineages of fishes find mates in deep-sea habitats. In this study, we describe the first morphological evidence of sexual dimorphism in the olfactory organs of lanternfishes (Myctophidae) in the genus Loweina. Lanternfishes are one of the most abundant vertebrates in the deep sea and are hypothesized to use visual signals from bioluminescence for mate recognition or mate detection. Bioluminescent cues that are readily visible at distances as far as 10 m in the aphotic deep sea are likely important for high population density lanternfish species that have high mate encounter rates. In contrast, myctophids found in lower density environments where species encounter rates are lower, like those in Loweina, likely benefit from longer-range chemical or olfactory cues for finding and identifying mates.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Rene P. Martin
creator: W. Leo Smith
subject: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Fish Science
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Marine Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17075
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Martin and Smith
abstract: Finding a mate is of the utmost importance for organisms, and the traits associated with successfully finding one can be under strong selective pressures. In habitats where biomass and population density is often low, like the enormous open spaces of the deep sea, animals have evolved many adaptations for finding mates. One convergent adaptation seen in many deep-sea fishes is sexual dimorphism in olfactory organs, where, relative to body size, males have evolved greatly enlarged olfactory organs compared to females. Females are known to give off chemical cues such as pheromones, and these chemical stimuli can traverse long distances in the stable, stratified water of the deep sea and be picked up by the olfactory organs of males. This adaptation is believed to help males in multiple lineages of fishes find mates in deep-sea habitats. In this study, we describe the first morphological evidence of sexual dimorphism in the olfactory organs of lanternfishes (Myctophidae) in the genus Loweina. Lanternfishes are one of the most abundant vertebrates in the deep sea and are hypothesized to use visual signals from bioluminescence for mate recognition or mate detection. Bioluminescent cues that are readily visible at distances as far as 10 m in the aphotic deep sea are likely important for high population density lanternfish species that have high mate encounter rates. In contrast, myctophids found in lower density environments where species encounter rates are lower, like those in Loweina, likely benefit from longer-range chemical or olfactory cues for finding and identifying mates.
bibliographic citation: Martin et al. (2024) First evidence of sexual dimorphism in olfactory organs of deep-sea lanternfishes (Myctophidae). PeerJ 12:e17075 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17075
date submitted: 2023-12-21
date accepted: 2024-02-18
issued: 2024-03-12
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Martin
  given name: Rene P.
author list: Agent
  family name: Smith
  given name: W. Leo
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17075
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-03-12
copyright: © 2024 Martin and Smith
attribution name: Martin and Smith

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the diversity of notifiable infectious diseases: a case study in Shanghai, China
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not only posed significant challenges to public health but has also impacted every aspect of society and the environment. In this study, we propose an index of notifiable disease outbreaks (NDOI) to assess the impact of COVID-19 on other notifiable diseases in Shanghai, China. Additionally, we identify the critical factors influencing these diseases using multivariate statistical analysis. We collected monthly data on 34 notifiable infectious diseases (NIDs) and corresponding environmental and socioeconomic factors (17 indicators) from January 2017 to December 2020. The results revealed that the total number of cases and NDOI of all notifiable diseases decreased by 47.1% and 52.6%, respectively, compared to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to improved air quality as well as impacted the social economy and human life. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that population mobility, particulate matter (PM2.5), atmospheric pressure, and temperature were the primary factors influencing the spread of notifiable diseases. The NDOI is beneficial in establishing an early warning system for infectious disease epidemics at different scales. Furthermore, our findings also provide insight into the response mechanisms of notifiable diseases influenced by social and environmental factors.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yongfang Zhang
creator: Wenli Feng
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: Public Health
subject: Environmental Health
subject: COVID-19
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17124
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Zhang and Feng
abstract: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not only posed significant challenges to public health but has also impacted every aspect of society and the environment. In this study, we propose an index of notifiable disease outbreaks (NDOI) to assess the impact of COVID-19 on other notifiable diseases in Shanghai, China. Additionally, we identify the critical factors influencing these diseases using multivariate statistical analysis. We collected monthly data on 34 notifiable infectious diseases (NIDs) and corresponding environmental and socioeconomic factors (17 indicators) from January 2017 to December 2020. The results revealed that the total number of cases and NDOI of all notifiable diseases decreased by 47.1% and 52.6%, respectively, compared to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to improved air quality as well as impacted the social economy and human life. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that population mobility, particulate matter (PM2.5), atmospheric pressure, and temperature were the primary factors influencing the spread of notifiable diseases. The NDOI is beneficial in establishing an early warning system for infectious disease epidemics at different scales. Furthermore, our findings also provide insight into the response mechanisms of notifiable diseases influenced by social and environmental factors.
bibliographic citation: Zhang et al. (2024) Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the diversity of notifiable infectious diseases: a case study in Shanghai, China. PeerJ 12:e17124 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17124
date submitted: 2023-08-14
date accepted: 2024-02-26
issued: 2024-03-12
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Yongfang
author list: Agent
  family name: Feng
  given name: Wenli
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17124
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-03-12
copyright: © 2024 Zhang and Feng
attribution name: Zhang and Feng

Construction and validation of a nomogram model to predict the poor prognosis in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Patients with poor prognosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) are prone to other complications such as meningeal infection, recurrence or even death. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the influencing factors in the poor prognosis of patients with PC, so as to build a predictive nomograph model of poor prognosis of PC, and verify the predictive performance of the model. Methods This retrospective study included 410 patients (78.1%) with improved prognosis of PC and 115 patients (21.9%) with poor prognosis of PC. The 525 patients with PC were randomly divided into the training set and validation set according to the ratio of 7:3. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) algorithm was used to screen the demographic information, including clinical characteristics, laboratory test indicators, comorbidity and treatment methods of patients, and other independent factors that affect the prognosis of PC. These factors were included in the multivariable logistic regression model to build a predictive nomograph. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to verify the accuracy and application value of the model. Results It was finally confirmed that psychological symptoms, cytotoxic drugs, white blood cell count, hematocrit, platelet count, CRP, PCT, albumin, and CD4/CD8 were independent predictors of poor prognosis of PC patients. The area under the curve (AUC) of the predictive model for poor prognosis in the training set and validation set were 0.851 (95% CI: 0.818-0.881) and 0.949, respectively. At the same time, calibration curve and DCA results confirmed the excellent performance of the nomogram in predicting poor prognosis of PC. Conclusion The nomograph model for predicting the poor prognosis of PC constructed in this study has good prediction ability, which is helpful for improving the prognosis of PC and further optimizing the clinical management strategy.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Xiaoli Tan
creator: Yingqing Zhang
creator: Jianying Zhou
creator: Wenyu Chen
creator: Hua Zhou
subject: Allergy and Clinical Immunology
subject: Emergency and Critical Care
subject: Respiratory Medicine
subject: Healthcare Services
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17030
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Tan et al.
abstract: Background Patients with poor prognosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) are prone to other complications such as meningeal infection, recurrence or even death. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the influencing factors in the poor prognosis of patients with PC, so as to build a predictive nomograph model of poor prognosis of PC, and verify the predictive performance of the model. Methods This retrospective study included 410 patients (78.1%) with improved prognosis of PC and 115 patients (21.9%) with poor prognosis of PC. The 525 patients with PC were randomly divided into the training set and validation set according to the ratio of 7:3. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) algorithm was used to screen the demographic information, including clinical characteristics, laboratory test indicators, comorbidity and treatment methods of patients, and other independent factors that affect the prognosis of PC. These factors were included in the multivariable logistic regression model to build a predictive nomograph. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to verify the accuracy and application value of the model. Results It was finally confirmed that psychological symptoms, cytotoxic drugs, white blood cell count, hematocrit, platelet count, CRP, PCT, albumin, and CD4/CD8 were independent predictors of poor prognosis of PC patients. The area under the curve (AUC) of the predictive model for poor prognosis in the training set and validation set were 0.851 (95% CI: 0.818-0.881) and 0.949, respectively. At the same time, calibration curve and DCA results confirmed the excellent performance of the nomogram in predicting poor prognosis of PC. Conclusion The nomograph model for predicting the poor prognosis of PC constructed in this study has good prediction ability, which is helpful for improving the prognosis of PC and further optimizing the clinical management strategy.
bibliographic citation: Tan et al. (2024) Construction and validation of a nomogram model to predict the poor prognosis in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis. PeerJ 12:e17030 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17030
date submitted: 2023-08-31
date accepted: 2024-02-07
issued: 2024-03-11
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Tan
  given name: Xiaoli
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Yingqing
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Jianying
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Wenyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Hua
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17030
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-03-11
copyright: ©2024 Tan et al.
attribution name: Tan et al.

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