PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: BAG3 regulates bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell proliferation by targeting INTS7
items: Constructing a prognostic tool for predicting the risk of non-adherence to antiplatelet therapy in discharged patients with coronary heart disease: a retrospective cohort study
items: Bighorn sheep associations: understanding tradeoffs of sociality and implications for disease transmission
items: Data-specific substitution models improve protein-based phylogenetics
items: Impact of ocean warming on a coral reef fish learning and memory
items: Implementation of artificial intelligence for the detection of cutaneous melanoma within a primary care setting: prevalence and types of skin cancer in outdoor enthusiasts
items: Recognition of emotion and pain by owners benefits the welfare of donkeys in a challenging working environment
items: Genetic and morphological diversity in populations of Annona senegalensis Pers. occurring in Western (Benin) and Southern (Mozambique) Africa
items: I feel addicted to watching TV series: association between binge-watching and mental health
items: Potential factors promoting the natural regeneration of Larix principis-rupprechtii in North China

BAG3 regulates bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell proliferation by targeting INTS7
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background BAG3 is an essential regulator of cell survival and has been investigated in the context of heart disease and cancer. Our previous study used immunoprecipitation-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to show that BAG3 might directly interact with INTS7 and regulate bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMMSCs) proliferation. However, whether BAG3 bound INTS7 directly and how it regulated BMMSCs expansion was unclear. Methods BAG3 expression was detected by quantitative real-time PCR in BMMSCs after siRNA-mediated BAG3 knockdown. BMMSC proliferation was determined using the CCK-8 and colony formation assays. The transwell migration, flow cytometry and TUNEL assays were performed to measure BMMSC migration, cell cycle and apoptosis, respectively. Moreover, co-immunoprecipitation, protein half-life assay and western blotting analyses were used to determine the regulatory mechanism underlying the BAG3-mediated increase in BMMSC proliferation. Results The results showed that knocking down BAG3 in BMMSCs markedly decreased their proliferative activity, colony formation and migratory capacity, and induced cell apoptosis as well as cell cycle arrest. Meanwhile, overexpression of BAG3 had the opposite effect. Bioinformatics and BAG3-INTS7 co-immunoprecipitation analyses revealed that BAG3 directly interacted with INTS7. Moreover, the downregulation of BAG3 inhibited the expression of INTS7 and promoted its ubiquitination. We also observed that BAG3 knockdown increased the levels of reactive oxygen species and the extent of DNA damage in BMMSCs. Notably, the upregulation of INTS7 or the addition of an antioxidant scavenger could rescue the BMMSC phenotype induced by BAG3 downregulation. Conclusions BAG3 directly interacts with INTS7 and promotes BMMSC expansion by reducing oxidative stress.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yubo Liu
creator: Renjie Xu
creator: Jinfu Xu
creator: Tiantian Wu
creator: Xiangxin Zhang
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15828
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Liu et al.
abstract: Background BAG3 is an essential regulator of cell survival and has been investigated in the context of heart disease and cancer. Our previous study used immunoprecipitation-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to show that BAG3 might directly interact with INTS7 and regulate bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMMSCs) proliferation. However, whether BAG3 bound INTS7 directly and how it regulated BMMSCs expansion was unclear. Methods BAG3 expression was detected by quantitative real-time PCR in BMMSCs after siRNA-mediated BAG3 knockdown. BMMSC proliferation was determined using the CCK-8 and colony formation assays. The transwell migration, flow cytometry and TUNEL assays were performed to measure BMMSC migration, cell cycle and apoptosis, respectively. Moreover, co-immunoprecipitation, protein half-life assay and western blotting analyses were used to determine the regulatory mechanism underlying the BAG3-mediated increase in BMMSC proliferation. Results The results showed that knocking down BAG3 in BMMSCs markedly decreased their proliferative activity, colony formation and migratory capacity, and induced cell apoptosis as well as cell cycle arrest. Meanwhile, overexpression of BAG3 had the opposite effect. Bioinformatics and BAG3-INTS7 co-immunoprecipitation analyses revealed that BAG3 directly interacted with INTS7. Moreover, the downregulation of BAG3 inhibited the expression of INTS7 and promoted its ubiquitination. We also observed that BAG3 knockdown increased the levels of reactive oxygen species and the extent of DNA damage in BMMSCs. Notably, the upregulation of INTS7 or the addition of an antioxidant scavenger could rescue the BMMSC phenotype induced by BAG3 downregulation. Conclusions BAG3 directly interacts with INTS7 and promotes BMMSC expansion by reducing oxidative stress.
bibliographic citation: Liu et al. (2023) BAG3 regulates bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell proliferation by targeting INTS7. PeerJ 11:e15828 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15828
date submitted: 2023-03-06
date accepted: 2023-07-11
issued: 2023-08-09
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Yubo
author list: Agent
  family name: Xu
  given name: Renjie
author list: Agent
  family name: Xu
  given name: Jinfu
author list: Agent
  family name: Wu
  given name: Tiantian
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Xiangxin
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15828
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-08-09
copyright: ©2023 Liu et al.
attribution name: Liu et al.

Constructing a prognostic tool for predicting the risk of non-adherence to antiplatelet therapy in discharged patients with coronary heart disease: a retrospective cohort study
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Objective To investigate the incidence and influencing factors affecting the non-adherence behavior of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) to antiplatelet therapy after discharge and to construct a personalized predictive tool. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, 289 patients with CHD who were admitted to the Department of Cardiology of The First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China between June 2021 and September 2021 were enrolled. The clinical data of all patients were retrospectively collected from the hospital information system, and patients were followed up for 1 year after discharge to evaluate their adherence level to antiplatelet therapy, analyze their present situation and influencing factors for post-discharge adherence to antiplatelet therapy, and construct a nomogram model to predict the risk of non-adherence. Results Based on the adherence level to antiplatelet therapy within 1 year after discharge, the patients were divided into the adherence (n = 216) and non-adherence (n = 73) groups. Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of variable distribution, including age, education level, medical payment method, number of combined risk factors, percutaneous coronary intervention, duration of antiplatelet medication, types of drugs taken at discharge, and CHD type (P < 0.05). Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that, except for the medical payment method, all the seven abovementioned variables were independent risk factors for non-adherence to antiplatelet therapy (P < 0.05). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve before and after the internal validation of the predictive tool based on the seven independent risk factors and the nomogram were 0.899 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.858–0.941) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.847–0.933), respectively; this indicates that the tool has good discrimination ability. The …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Jiaoyu Cao
creator: Lixiang Zhang
creator: Xiaojuan Zhou
subject: Cardiology
subject: Drugs and Devices
subject: Epidemiology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15876
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Cao et al.
abstract: Objective To investigate the incidence and influencing factors affecting the non-adherence behavior of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) to antiplatelet therapy after discharge and to construct a personalized predictive tool. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, 289 patients with CHD who were admitted to the Department of Cardiology of The First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China between June 2021 and September 2021 were enrolled. The clinical data of all patients were retrospectively collected from the hospital information system, and patients were followed up for 1 year after discharge to evaluate their adherence level to antiplatelet therapy, analyze their present situation and influencing factors for post-discharge adherence to antiplatelet therapy, and construct a nomogram model to predict the risk of non-adherence. Results Based on the adherence level to antiplatelet therapy within 1 year after discharge, the patients were divided into the adherence (n = 216) and non-adherence (n = 73) groups. Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of variable distribution, including age, education level, medical payment method, number of combined risk factors, percutaneous coronary intervention, duration of antiplatelet medication, types of drugs taken at discharge, and CHD type (P < 0.05). Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that, except for the medical payment method, all the seven abovementioned variables were independent risk factors for non-adherence to antiplatelet therapy (P < 0.05). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve before and after the internal validation of the predictive tool based on the seven independent risk factors and the nomogram were 0.899 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.858–0.941) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.847–0.933), respectively; this indicates that the tool has good discrimination ability. The …
bibliographic citation: Cao et al. (2023) Constructing a prognostic tool for predicting the risk of non-adherence to antiplatelet therapy in discharged patients with coronary heart disease: a retrospective cohort study. PeerJ 11:e15876 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15876
date submitted: 2023-03-30
date accepted: 2023-07-18
issued: 2023-08-09
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Cao
  given name: Jiaoyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Lixiang
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Xiaojuan
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15876
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-08-09
copyright: ©2023 Cao et al.
attribution name: Cao et al.

Bighorn sheep associations: understanding tradeoffs of sociality and implications for disease transmission
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Sociality directly influences mating success, survival rates, and disease, but ultimately likely evolved for its fitness benefits in a challenging environment. The tradeoffs between the costs and benefits of sociality can operate at multiple scales, resulting in different interpretations of animal behavior. We investigated the influence of intrinsic (e.g., relatedness, age) and extrinsic factors (e.g., land cover type, season) on direct contact (simultaneous GPS locations ≤ 25 m) rates of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) at multiple scales near the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. During 2002–2012, male and female bighorn were equipped with GPS collars. Indirect contact (GPS locations ≤ 25 m regardless of time) networks identified two major breaks whereas direct contact networks identified an additional barrier in the population, all of which corresponded with prior disease exposure metrics. More direct contacts occurred between same-sex dyads than female-male dyads and between bighorn groups with overlapping summer home ranges. Direct contacts occurred most often during the winter-spring season when bighorn traveled at low speeds and when an adequate number of bighorn were collared in the area. Direct contact probabilities for all dyad types were inversely related to habitat quality, and differences in contact probability were driven by variables related to survival such as terrain ruggedness, distance to escape terrain, and canopy cover. We provide evidence that probabilities of association are higher when there is greater predation risk and that contact analysis provides valuable information for understanding fitness tradeoffs of sociality and disease transmission potential.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Marie I. Tosa
creator: Mark J. Biel
creator: Tabitha A. Graves
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Ecology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15625
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Tosa et al.
abstract: Sociality directly influences mating success, survival rates, and disease, but ultimately likely evolved for its fitness benefits in a challenging environment. The tradeoffs between the costs and benefits of sociality can operate at multiple scales, resulting in different interpretations of animal behavior. We investigated the influence of intrinsic (e.g., relatedness, age) and extrinsic factors (e.g., land cover type, season) on direct contact (simultaneous GPS locations ≤ 25 m) rates of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) at multiple scales near the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. During 2002–2012, male and female bighorn were equipped with GPS collars. Indirect contact (GPS locations ≤ 25 m regardless of time) networks identified two major breaks whereas direct contact networks identified an additional barrier in the population, all of which corresponded with prior disease exposure metrics. More direct contacts occurred between same-sex dyads than female-male dyads and between bighorn groups with overlapping summer home ranges. Direct contacts occurred most often during the winter-spring season when bighorn traveled at low speeds and when an adequate number of bighorn were collared in the area. Direct contact probabilities for all dyad types were inversely related to habitat quality, and differences in contact probability were driven by variables related to survival such as terrain ruggedness, distance to escape terrain, and canopy cover. We provide evidence that probabilities of association are higher when there is greater predation risk and that contact analysis provides valuable information for understanding fitness tradeoffs of sociality and disease transmission potential.
bibliographic citation: Tosa et al. (2023) Bighorn sheep associations: understanding tradeoffs of sociality and implications for disease transmission. PeerJ 11:e15625 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15625
date submitted: 2023-01-12
date accepted: 2023-06-02
issued: 2023-08-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Tosa
  given name: Marie I.
author list: Agent
  family name: Biel
  given name: Mark J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Graves
  given name: Tabitha A.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15625
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-08-08
copyright: ©2023 Tosa et al.
attribution name: Tosa et al.

Data-specific substitution models improve protein-based phylogenetics
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Calculating amino-acid substitution models that are specific for individual protein data sets is often difficult due to the computational burden of estimating large numbers of rate parameters. In this study, we tested the computational efficiency and accuracy of five methods used to estimate substitution models, namely Codeml, FastMG, IQ-TREE, P4 (maximum likelihood), and P4 (Bayesian inference). Data-specific substitution models were estimated from simulated alignments (with different lengths) that were generated from a known simulation model and simulation tree. Each of the resulting data-specific substitution models was used to calculate the maximum likelihood score of the simulation tree and simulated data that was used to calculate the model, and compared with the maximum likelihood scores of the known simulation model and simulation tree on the same simulated data. Additionally, the commonly-used empirical models, cpREV and WAG, were assessed similarly. Data-specific models performed better than the empirical models, which under-fitted the simulated alignments, had the highest difference to the simulation model maximum-likelihood score, clustered further from the simulation model in principal component analysis ordination, and inferred less accurate trees. Data-specific models and the simulation model shared statistically indistinguishable maximum-likelihood scores, indicating that the five methods were reasonably accurate at estimating substitution models by this measure. Nevertheless, tree statistics showed differences between optimal maximum likelihood trees. Unlike other model estimating methods, trees inferred using data-specific models generated with IQ-TREE and P4 (maximum likelihood) were not significantly different from the trees derived from the simulation model in each analysis, indicating that these two methods alone were the most accurate at estimating data-specific models. To show the benefits of using data-specific protein models several publish…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: João M. Brazão
creator: Peter G. Foster
creator: Cymon J. Cox
subject: Bioinformatics
subject: Computational Biology
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Genomics
subject: Molecular Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15716
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Brazão et al.
abstract: Calculating amino-acid substitution models that are specific for individual protein data sets is often difficult due to the computational burden of estimating large numbers of rate parameters. In this study, we tested the computational efficiency and accuracy of five methods used to estimate substitution models, namely Codeml, FastMG, IQ-TREE, P4 (maximum likelihood), and P4 (Bayesian inference). Data-specific substitution models were estimated from simulated alignments (with different lengths) that were generated from a known simulation model and simulation tree. Each of the resulting data-specific substitution models was used to calculate the maximum likelihood score of the simulation tree and simulated data that was used to calculate the model, and compared with the maximum likelihood scores of the known simulation model and simulation tree on the same simulated data. Additionally, the commonly-used empirical models, cpREV and WAG, were assessed similarly. Data-specific models performed better than the empirical models, which under-fitted the simulated alignments, had the highest difference to the simulation model maximum-likelihood score, clustered further from the simulation model in principal component analysis ordination, and inferred less accurate trees. Data-specific models and the simulation model shared statistically indistinguishable maximum-likelihood scores, indicating that the five methods were reasonably accurate at estimating substitution models by this measure. Nevertheless, tree statistics showed differences between optimal maximum likelihood trees. Unlike other model estimating methods, trees inferred using data-specific models generated with IQ-TREE and P4 (maximum likelihood) were not significantly different from the trees derived from the simulation model in each analysis, indicating that these two methods alone were the most accurate at estimating data-specific models. To show the benefits of using data-specific protein models several publish…
bibliographic citation: Brazão et al. (2023) Data-specific substitution models improve protein-based phylogenetics. PeerJ 11:e15716 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15716
date submitted: 2023-02-17
date accepted: 2023-06-16
issued: 2023-08-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Brazão
  given name: João M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Foster
  given name: Peter G.
author list: Agent
  family name: Cox
  given name: Cymon J.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15716
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-08-08
copyright: © 2023 Brazão et al.
attribution name: Brazão et al.

Impact of ocean warming on a coral reef fish learning and memory
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Tropical ectotherms are highly sensitive to environmental warming, especially coral reef fishes, which are negatively impacted by an increase of a few degrees in ocean temperature. However, much of our understanding on the thermal sensitivity of reef fish is focused on a few traits (e.g., metabolism, reproduction) and we currently lack knowledge on warming effects on cognition, which may endanger decision-making and survival. Here, we investigated the effects of warming on learning and memory in a damselfish species, Acanthochromis polyacanthus. Fish were held at 28–28.5 °C (control group), 30–30.5 °C (moderate warming group) or 31.5–32 °C (high warming group) for 2 weeks, and then trained to associate a blue tag (cue) to the presence of a conspecific (reward). Following 20 training trials (5 days), fish were tested for associative learning (on the following day) and memory storage (after a 5-days interval). The control group A. polyacanthus showed learning of the task and memory retention after five days, but increasing water temperature impaired learning and memory. A thorough understanding of the effects of heat stress, cognition, and fitness is urgently required because cognition may be a key factor determining animals’ performance in the predicted scenario of climate changes. Knowing how different species respond to warming can lead to better predictions of future community dynamics, and because it is species specific, it could pinpoint vulnerable/resilience species.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Mayara M. Silveira
creator: Jennifer M. Donelson
creator: Mark I. McCormick
creator: Heloysa Araujo-Silva
creator: Ana C. Luchiari
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Ecology
subject: Marine Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15729
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Silveira et al.
abstract: Tropical ectotherms are highly sensitive to environmental warming, especially coral reef fishes, which are negatively impacted by an increase of a few degrees in ocean temperature. However, much of our understanding on the thermal sensitivity of reef fish is focused on a few traits (e.g., metabolism, reproduction) and we currently lack knowledge on warming effects on cognition, which may endanger decision-making and survival. Here, we investigated the effects of warming on learning and memory in a damselfish species, Acanthochromis polyacanthus. Fish were held at 28–28.5 °C (control group), 30–30.5 °C (moderate warming group) or 31.5–32 °C (high warming group) for 2 weeks, and then trained to associate a blue tag (cue) to the presence of a conspecific (reward). Following 20 training trials (5 days), fish were tested for associative learning (on the following day) and memory storage (after a 5-days interval). The control group A. polyacanthus showed learning of the task and memory retention after five days, but increasing water temperature impaired learning and memory. A thorough understanding of the effects of heat stress, cognition, and fitness is urgently required because cognition may be a key factor determining animals’ performance in the predicted scenario of climate changes. Knowing how different species respond to warming can lead to better predictions of future community dynamics, and because it is species specific, it could pinpoint vulnerable/resilience species.
bibliographic citation: Silveira et al. (2023) Impact of ocean warming on a coral reef fish learning and memory. PeerJ 11:e15729 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15729
date submitted: 2023-01-06
date accepted: 2023-06-18
issued: 2023-08-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Silveira
  given name: Mayara M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Donelson
  given name: Jennifer M.
author list: Agent
  family name: McCormick
  given name: Mark I.
author list: Agent
  family name: Araujo-Silva
  given name: Heloysa
author list: Agent
  family name: Luchiari
  given name: Ana C.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15729
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-08-08
copyright: ©2023 Silveira et al.
attribution name: Silveira et al.

Implementation of artificial intelligence for the detection of cutaneous melanoma within a primary care setting: prevalence and types of skin cancer in outdoor enthusiasts
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background There is enthusiasm for implementing artificial intelligence (AI) to assist clinicians detect skin cancer. Performance metrics of AI from dermoscopic images have been promising, with studies documenting sensitivity and specificity values equal to or superior to specialists for the detection of malignant melanomas (MM). Early detection rates would particularly benefit Australia, which has the worlds highest incidence of MM per capita. The detection of skin cancer may be delayed due to late screening or the inherent difficulty in diagnosing early skin cancers which often have a paucity of clinical features and may blend into sun damaged skin. Individuals who participate in outdoor sports and recreation experience high levels of intermittent ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which is associated with the development of skin cancer, including MM. This research aimed to assess the prevalence of skin cancer in individuals who regularly participate in activities outdoors and to report the performance parameters of a commercially available AI-powered software to assess the predictive risk of MM development. Methods Cross-sectional study design incorporating a survey, total body skin cancer screening and AI-embedded software capable of predictive scoring of queried MM. Results A total of 423 participants consisting of surfers (n = 108), swimmers (n = 60) and walkers/runners (n = 255) participated. Point prevalence for MM was highest for surfers (6.48%), followed by walkers/runners (4.3%) and swimmers (3.33%) respectively. When compared to the general Australian population, surfers had the highest odds ratio (OR) for MM (OR 119.8), followed by walkers/runners (OR 79.74), and swimmers (OR 61.61) rounded out the populations. Surfers and swimmers reported comparatively lower lifetime hours of sun exposure (5,594 and 5,686, respectively) but more significant amounts of activity within peak ultraviolet index compared with walkers/runners (9,554 h). A total of 48 suspicious pi…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Ian J. Miller
creator: Michael Stapelberg
creator: Nedeljka Rosic
creator: Jeremy Hudson
creator: Paul Coxon
creator: James Furness
creator: Joe Walsh
creator: Mike Climstein
subject: Dermatology
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Oncology
subject: Public Health
subject: Sports Medicine
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15737
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Miller et al.
abstract: Background There is enthusiasm for implementing artificial intelligence (AI) to assist clinicians detect skin cancer. Performance metrics of AI from dermoscopic images have been promising, with studies documenting sensitivity and specificity values equal to or superior to specialists for the detection of malignant melanomas (MM). Early detection rates would particularly benefit Australia, which has the worlds highest incidence of MM per capita. The detection of skin cancer may be delayed due to late screening or the inherent difficulty in diagnosing early skin cancers which often have a paucity of clinical features and may blend into sun damaged skin. Individuals who participate in outdoor sports and recreation experience high levels of intermittent ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which is associated with the development of skin cancer, including MM. This research aimed to assess the prevalence of skin cancer in individuals who regularly participate in activities outdoors and to report the performance parameters of a commercially available AI-powered software to assess the predictive risk of MM development. Methods Cross-sectional study design incorporating a survey, total body skin cancer screening and AI-embedded software capable of predictive scoring of queried MM. Results A total of 423 participants consisting of surfers (n = 108), swimmers (n = 60) and walkers/runners (n = 255) participated. Point prevalence for MM was highest for surfers (6.48%), followed by walkers/runners (4.3%) and swimmers (3.33%) respectively. When compared to the general Australian population, surfers had the highest odds ratio (OR) for MM (OR 119.8), followed by walkers/runners (OR 79.74), and swimmers (OR 61.61) rounded out the populations. Surfers and swimmers reported comparatively lower lifetime hours of sun exposure (5,594 and 5,686, respectively) but more significant amounts of activity within peak ultraviolet index compared with walkers/runners (9,554 h). A total of 48 suspicious pi…
bibliographic citation: Miller et al. (2023) Implementation of artificial intelligence for the detection of cutaneous melanoma within a primary care setting: prevalence and types of skin cancer in outdoor enthusiasts. PeerJ 11:e15737 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15737
date submitted: 2023-03-29
date accepted: 2023-06-20
issued: 2023-08-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Miller
  given name: Ian J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Stapelberg
  given name: Michael
author list: Agent
  family name: Rosic
  given name: Nedeljka
author list: Agent
  family name: Hudson
  given name: Jeremy
author list: Agent
  family name: Coxon
  given name: Paul
author list: Agent
  family name: Furness
  given name: James
author list: Agent
  family name: Walsh
  given name: Joe
author list: Agent
  family name: Climstein
  given name: Mike
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15737
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-08-08
copyright: © 2023 Miller et al.
attribution name: Miller et al.

Recognition of emotion and pain by owners benefits the welfare of donkeys in a challenging working environment
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Working donkeys (Equus asinus) support human living standards globally. However, there is little information on the effect of human perceptions of emotion and pain on the welfare of working donkeys. We interviewed donkey owners (n = 332) in Pakistan to determine the relationship between human perspectives on donkey sentience: emotions and the ability to feel pain, and the routine working practices that could impact donkey welfare. The majority of donkey owners used padding under the saddle (n = 211; 63.6%; 95% CI (58.3%–68.9%)) and provided access to food (n = 213; 64.2%; 95% CI (58.9%–69.3%)) and water (n = 195; 58.7%; 95% CI (53.4%–64.1%)) during the working day. Owners reported that at some point in their donkey’s life, 65.3% (95% CI (60.2%–70.5%)) had load-associated injuries, of which 27.7% (n = 92; 95% CI (22.8%–32.5%)) were wounds, 20.5% (n = 68; 95% CI (16.1%–24.8%)) were lameness and 7.2% (n = 24; 95% CI 4.4%–10.0%) were back pain. In total, 81.3% (95% CI 77.1%–85.5%; n = 270) of owners believed that their donkeys felt pain, and 70.2% (95% CI (65.2%–75.1%; n = 233) of owners believed that their donkeys had emotions. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was used to understand the relationship between owners’ recognition of emotions and pain in donkeys and their working practices. The MCA factor map revealed two clusters, named positive and negative clusters. The positive cluster included owner’s recognition of donkey pain and emotions, the availability of food and water, use of padding under the saddle, absence of injuries along with the willingness to follow loading guidelines. The negative cluster represented practices that did not benefit donkey welfare, such as using saddles without padding and a lack of food and water during work. The presence of injuries, owners not recognizing that donkeys feel pain and emotion along with an unwillingness to follow loading guidelines were also found in the negative cluster. We show that the owners who recognized sen…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Syed S.U.H. Bukhari
creator: Alan G. McElligott
creator: Sarah M. Rosanowski
creator: Rebecca S.V. Parkes
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Anthropology
subject: Veterinary Medicine
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15747
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Bukhari et al.
abstract: Working donkeys (Equus asinus) support human living standards globally. However, there is little information on the effect of human perceptions of emotion and pain on the welfare of working donkeys. We interviewed donkey owners (n = 332) in Pakistan to determine the relationship between human perspectives on donkey sentience: emotions and the ability to feel pain, and the routine working practices that could impact donkey welfare. The majority of donkey owners used padding under the saddle (n = 211; 63.6%; 95% CI (58.3%–68.9%)) and provided access to food (n = 213; 64.2%; 95% CI (58.9%–69.3%)) and water (n = 195; 58.7%; 95% CI (53.4%–64.1%)) during the working day. Owners reported that at some point in their donkey’s life, 65.3% (95% CI (60.2%–70.5%)) had load-associated injuries, of which 27.7% (n = 92; 95% CI (22.8%–32.5%)) were wounds, 20.5% (n = 68; 95% CI (16.1%–24.8%)) were lameness and 7.2% (n = 24; 95% CI 4.4%–10.0%) were back pain. In total, 81.3% (95% CI 77.1%–85.5%; n = 270) of owners believed that their donkeys felt pain, and 70.2% (95% CI (65.2%–75.1%; n = 233) of owners believed that their donkeys had emotions. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was used to understand the relationship between owners’ recognition of emotions and pain in donkeys and their working practices. The MCA factor map revealed two clusters, named positive and negative clusters. The positive cluster included owner’s recognition of donkey pain and emotions, the availability of food and water, use of padding under the saddle, absence of injuries along with the willingness to follow loading guidelines. The negative cluster represented practices that did not benefit donkey welfare, such as using saddles without padding and a lack of food and water during work. The presence of injuries, owners not recognizing that donkeys feel pain and emotion along with an unwillingness to follow loading guidelines were also found in the negative cluster. We show that the owners who recognized sen…
bibliographic citation: Bukhari et al. (2023) Recognition of emotion and pain by owners benefits the welfare of donkeys in a challenging working environment. PeerJ 11:e15747 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15747
date submitted: 2023-03-20
date accepted: 2023-06-22
issued: 2023-08-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Bukhari
  given name: Syed S.U.H.
author list: Agent
  family name: McElligott
  given name: Alan G.
author list: Agent
  family name: Rosanowski
  given name: Sarah M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Parkes
  given name: Rebecca S.V.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15747
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-08-08
copyright: ©2023 Bukhari et al.
attribution name: Bukhari et al.

Genetic and morphological diversity in populations of Annona senegalensis Pers. occurring in Western (Benin) and Southern (Mozambique) Africa
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Understanding morpho-genetic diversity and differentiation of species with relatively large distributions is crucial for the conservation and sustainable management of their genetic resources. The present study focused on Annona senegalensis Pers., an important multipurpose wild plant, distributed exclusively in natural ecosystems but facing several threats. The study assessed the genetic and morphological diversity, structure, and differentiation of the species in populations from Western (Benin) and Southern (Mozambique) Africa. The material was evaluated to ascertain the environmental (climatic) determinants of the variation within this species. Methods Four sub-populations comprised of 154 individuals were phenotyped based on nineteen plant, fruit, and leaf morphological traits and further genotyped using ten polymorphic nuclear microsatellite (nSSR) markers. Results The results indicated strong differences in plant, fruit, and leaf morphological traits between Western and Southern populations. Furthermore, the studied populations were characterized by high genetic diversity, with an average genetic diversity index of 1.02. Western populations showed higher heterozygosity values (0.61–0.71) than Southern populations (0.41–0.49). Western and Southern populations were clearly differentiated into two different genetic groups, with further genetic subdivisions reflecting four sub-populations. Genetic variation between regions (populations) was higher (69.1%) than among (21.3%) and within (9.6%) sub-populations. Four distinct morphological clusters were obtained, which were strongly associated with the four genetic groups representing each sub-population. Climate, mainly precipitation and temperature indexes, explained the relatively higher variation found in morphological traits from Western (40.47%) in relation to Southern (27.98%) populations. Our study suggests that both environmental and genetic dynamics play an important role in the development of mo…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Janine Conforte Fifonssi Donhouedé
creator: Isabel Marques
creator: Kolawolé Valère Salako
creator: Achille Ephrem Assogbadjo
creator: Natasha Ribeiro
creator: Ana IF Ribeiro-Barros
subject: Biogeography
subject: Ecology
subject: Genetics
subject: Plant Science
subject: Population Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15767
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Donhouedé et al.
abstract: Background Understanding morpho-genetic diversity and differentiation of species with relatively large distributions is crucial for the conservation and sustainable management of their genetic resources. The present study focused on Annona senegalensis Pers., an important multipurpose wild plant, distributed exclusively in natural ecosystems but facing several threats. The study assessed the genetic and morphological diversity, structure, and differentiation of the species in populations from Western (Benin) and Southern (Mozambique) Africa. The material was evaluated to ascertain the environmental (climatic) determinants of the variation within this species. Methods Four sub-populations comprised of 154 individuals were phenotyped based on nineteen plant, fruit, and leaf morphological traits and further genotyped using ten polymorphic nuclear microsatellite (nSSR) markers. Results The results indicated strong differences in plant, fruit, and leaf morphological traits between Western and Southern populations. Furthermore, the studied populations were characterized by high genetic diversity, with an average genetic diversity index of 1.02. Western populations showed higher heterozygosity values (0.61–0.71) than Southern populations (0.41–0.49). Western and Southern populations were clearly differentiated into two different genetic groups, with further genetic subdivisions reflecting four sub-populations. Genetic variation between regions (populations) was higher (69.1%) than among (21.3%) and within (9.6%) sub-populations. Four distinct morphological clusters were obtained, which were strongly associated with the four genetic groups representing each sub-population. Climate, mainly precipitation and temperature indexes, explained the relatively higher variation found in morphological traits from Western (40.47%) in relation to Southern (27.98%) populations. Our study suggests that both environmental and genetic dynamics play an important role in the development of mo…
bibliographic citation: Donhouedé et al. (2023) Genetic and morphological diversity in populations of Annona senegalensis Pers. occurring in Western (Benin) and Southern (Mozambique) Africa. PeerJ 11:e15767 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15767
date submitted: 2023-02-07
date accepted: 2023-06-27
issued: 2023-08-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Donhouedé
  given name: Janine Conforte Fifonssi
author list: Agent
  family name: Marques
  given name: Isabel
author list: Agent
  family name: Salako
  given name: Kolawolé Valère
author list: Agent
  family name: Assogbadjo
  given name: Achille Ephrem
author list: Agent
  family name: Ribeiro
  given name: Natasha
author list: Agent
  family name: Ribeiro-Barros
  given name: Ana IF
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15767
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-08-08
copyright: ©2023 Donhouedé et al.
attribution name: Donhouedé et al.

I feel addicted to watching TV series: association between binge-watching and mental health
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Binge-watching (BW) is the consecutive viewing of three or more episodes of the same series in one sitting. Although some negative effects on mental health were evidenced, the continuum of BW from leisure activity to problematic behavior is still unclear. This study aimed to analyze mental health (depression, trait anxiety, social anxiety, impulsivity, alexithymia) of people involved in different expressions of BW. Methods A cross-sectional survey collected data from 482 respondents. According to a validated BW questionnaire, participants were divided into Problematic BW, Moderate BW, Non-BW, and No-viewer, and differences between groups were tested on psychological dimensions assessed via standardized questionnaires evaluating: trait and social anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation. Results An association between problematic BW and worse mental health conditions was evidenced, and a positive effect of non-problematic BW was supported. A negative linear trend from the BW as a leisure activity to problematic BW was marked, indicating how a possible maladaptive behavior orientation of BW in specific mental health conditions could be figured out as a behavioral addiction.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Francesca Favieri
creator: Giuseppe Forte
creator: Renata Tambelli
creator: Manuela Tomai
creator: Maria Casagrande
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Mental Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15796
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Favieri et al.
abstract: Background Binge-watching (BW) is the consecutive viewing of three or more episodes of the same series in one sitting. Although some negative effects on mental health were evidenced, the continuum of BW from leisure activity to problematic behavior is still unclear. This study aimed to analyze mental health (depression, trait anxiety, social anxiety, impulsivity, alexithymia) of people involved in different expressions of BW. Methods A cross-sectional survey collected data from 482 respondents. According to a validated BW questionnaire, participants were divided into Problematic BW, Moderate BW, Non-BW, and No-viewer, and differences between groups were tested on psychological dimensions assessed via standardized questionnaires evaluating: trait and social anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation. Results An association between problematic BW and worse mental health conditions was evidenced, and a positive effect of non-problematic BW was supported. A negative linear trend from the BW as a leisure activity to problematic BW was marked, indicating how a possible maladaptive behavior orientation of BW in specific mental health conditions could be figured out as a behavioral addiction.
bibliographic citation: Favieri et al. (2023) I feel addicted to watching TV series: association between binge-watching and mental health. PeerJ 11:e15796 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15796
date submitted: 2023-05-12
date accepted: 2023-07-05
issued: 2023-08-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Favieri
  given name: Francesca
author list: Agent
  family name: Forte
  given name: Giuseppe
author list: Agent
  family name: Tambelli
  given name: Renata
author list: Agent
  family name: Tomai
  given name: Manuela
author list: Agent
  family name: Casagrande
  given name: Maria
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15796
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-08-08
copyright: ©2023 Favieri et al.
attribution name: Favieri et al.

Potential factors promoting the natural regeneration of Larix principis-rupprechtii in North China
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Natural regeneration plays an important role in species diversity and evolution. Exploring the causes of variation in regeneration dynamics can provide key insights into the factors affecting regeneration. However, the relationship between the regeneration of Larix principis-rupprechtii and environmental factors in North China has remained unexplored. In this study, 14 plots were established based on the three extents of regenerated plant numbers in Shanxi Province. Redundancy analysis determined that environmental factors (topography, stand structure, soil property, and litter) affected natural regeneration. Structural equation modeling identified the most important direct and indirect factors that affected L. principis-rupprechtii natural regeneration. Litter thickness, canopy density, and adult tree diameter at breast height were positively correlated with natural regeneration. Aspect and total nitrogen volume were negatively associated with natural regeneration. Additionally, there was no significant correlation between natural regeneration and other environmental factors (altitude, slope, adult tree height, stand density, soil water content, SOC, total P, available N, available P, or soil enzyme). Further artificial intervention measures should be considered to promote plantation regeneration. These findings provide an effective basis for future forest restorations and sustainable management.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Weiwen Zhao
creator: Yanjun Sun
creator: Yufeng Gao
subject: Ecology
subject: Ecosystem Science
subject: Plant Science
subject: Forestry
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15809
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Zhao et al.
abstract: Natural regeneration plays an important role in species diversity and evolution. Exploring the causes of variation in regeneration dynamics can provide key insights into the factors affecting regeneration. However, the relationship between the regeneration of Larix principis-rupprechtii and environmental factors in North China has remained unexplored. In this study, 14 plots were established based on the three extents of regenerated plant numbers in Shanxi Province. Redundancy analysis determined that environmental factors (topography, stand structure, soil property, and litter) affected natural regeneration. Structural equation modeling identified the most important direct and indirect factors that affected L. principis-rupprechtii natural regeneration. Litter thickness, canopy density, and adult tree diameter at breast height were positively correlated with natural regeneration. Aspect and total nitrogen volume were negatively associated with natural regeneration. Additionally, there was no significant correlation between natural regeneration and other environmental factors (altitude, slope, adult tree height, stand density, soil water content, SOC, total P, available N, available P, or soil enzyme). Further artificial intervention measures should be considered to promote plantation regeneration. These findings provide an effective basis for future forest restorations and sustainable management.
bibliographic citation: Zhao et al. (2023) Potential factors promoting the natural regeneration of Larix principis-rupprechtii in North China. PeerJ 11:e15809 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15809
date submitted: 2023-02-17
date accepted: 2023-07-07
issued: 2023-08-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhao
  given name: Weiwen
author list: Agent
  family name: Sun
  given name: Yanjun
author list: Agent
  family name: Gao
  given name: Yufeng
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15809
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-08-08
copyright: ©2023 Zhao et al.
attribution name: Zhao et al.

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