PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Coral affected by stony coral tissue loss disease can produce viable offspring
items: The role of the Sunda shelf biogeographic barrier in the cryptic differentiation of Conus litteratus (Gastropoda: Conidae) across the Indo-Pacific region
items: Investigation of high flow nasal cannule efficiency with electric impedance tomography based parameters in COVID-19 adults patients: a retrospective study
items: Skin bacterial community differences among three species of co-occurring Ranid frogs
items: Immune responses in carp strains with different susceptibility to carp edema virus disease
items: Spatio-temporal dengue risk modelling in the south of Thailand: a Bayesian approach to dengue vulnerability
items: First report of the ectomycorrhizal fungal community associated with two herbaceous plants in Inner Mongolia, China
items: Late Jurassic teeth of plesiosauroid origin from the Owadów-Brzezinki Lägerstatte, Central Poland
items: Seasonal changes characterise the shark and ray assemblages in a subtropical shallow sandy habitat in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa
items: Current classification of zirconia in dentistry: an updated review

Coral affected by stony coral tissue loss disease can produce viable offspring
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has caused high mortality of at least 25 coral species across the Caribbean, with Pseudodiploria strigosa being the second most affected species in the Mexican Caribbean. The resulting decreased abundance and colony density reduces the fertilization potential of SCTLD-susceptible species. Therefore, larval-based restoration could be of great benefit, though precautionary concerns about disease transmission may foster reluctance to implement this approach with SCTLD-susceptible species. We evaluated the performance of offspring obtained by crossing gametes of a healthy P. strigosa colony (100% apparently healthy tissue) with that of a colony affected by SCTLD (>50% tissue loss) and compared these with prior crosses between healthy parents. Fertilization and settlement were as high as prior crosses among healthy parents, and post-settlement survivorship over a year in outdoor tanks was 7.8%. After thirteen months, the diseased-parent recruits were outplanted to a degraded reef. Their survivorship was ∼44% and their growth rate was 0.365 mm ± 1.29 SD per month. This study shows that even diseased parent colonies can be effective in assisted sexual reproduction for the restoration of species affected by SCTLD.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Sandra Mendoza Quiroz
creator: Raúl Tecalco Renteria
creator: Gandhi Germán Ramírez Tapia
creator: Margaret W. Miller
creator: Maria Victoria Grosso-Becerra
creator: Anastazia T. Banaszak
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Developmental Biology
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Population Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15519
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Mendoza Quiroz et al.
abstract: Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has caused high mortality of at least 25 coral species across the Caribbean, with Pseudodiploria strigosa being the second most affected species in the Mexican Caribbean. The resulting decreased abundance and colony density reduces the fertilization potential of SCTLD-susceptible species. Therefore, larval-based restoration could be of great benefit, though precautionary concerns about disease transmission may foster reluctance to implement this approach with SCTLD-susceptible species. We evaluated the performance of offspring obtained by crossing gametes of a healthy P. strigosa colony (100% apparently healthy tissue) with that of a colony affected by SCTLD (>50% tissue loss) and compared these with prior crosses between healthy parents. Fertilization and settlement were as high as prior crosses among healthy parents, and post-settlement survivorship over a year in outdoor tanks was 7.8%. After thirteen months, the diseased-parent recruits were outplanted to a degraded reef. Their survivorship was ∼44% and their growth rate was 0.365 mm ± 1.29 SD per month. This study shows that even diseased parent colonies can be effective in assisted sexual reproduction for the restoration of species affected by SCTLD.
bibliographic citation: Mendoza Quiroz et al. (2023) Coral affected by stony coral tissue loss disease can produce viable offspring. PeerJ 11:e15519 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15519
date submitted: 2022-11-11
date accepted: 2023-05-16
issued: 2023-07-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Mendoza Quiroz
  given name: Sandra
author list: Agent
  family name: Tecalco Renteria
  given name: Raúl
author list: Agent
  family name: Ramírez Tapia
  given name: Gandhi Germán
author list: Agent
  family name: Miller
  given name: Margaret W.
author list: Agent
  family name: Grosso-Becerra
  given name: Maria Victoria
author list: Agent
  family name: Banaszak
  given name: Anastazia T.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15519
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-07-14
copyright: ©2023 Mendoza Quiroz et al.
attribution name: Mendoza Quiroz et al.

The role of the Sunda shelf biogeographic barrier in the cryptic differentiation of Conus litteratus (Gastropoda: Conidae) across the Indo-Pacific region
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Geographical and oceanographic processes have influenced the speciation of marine organisms. Cone snails are marine mollusks that show high levels of endemism and a wide distributional range across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Discontinuities in distributions caused by biogeographic barriers can affect genetic connectivity. Here we analysed the connectivity within Conus litteratus using samples from the Lakshadweep archipelago (Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean) and from the Pacific Ocean. Maximum likelihood analyses based on the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) and on the non-coding 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) genes revealed cryptic diversity within C. literatus occupying distinct oceanographic regions. The intraspecific genetic distances between the two distinct clades of C. literatus from the Arabian Sea and the Pacific Ocean ranged from 7.4% to 7.6% for COI and from 2.4% to 2.8% for 16S rRNA genes, which is larger than the threshold limit for interspecific differentiation. The haplotype network analysis also corroborated the existence of two different lineages within C. litteratus. The detected genetic discontinuities reflect the effect of the Sunda shelf biogeographic barrier on the allopatric divergence of C. litteratus.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Shijin Ameri
creator: Laxmilatha Pappurajam
creator: K. A. Labeeb
creator: Ranjith Lakshmanan
creator: Kathirvelpandian P. V. Ayyathurai
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Biogeography
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Taxonomy
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15534
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Ameri et al.
abstract: Geographical and oceanographic processes have influenced the speciation of marine organisms. Cone snails are marine mollusks that show high levels of endemism and a wide distributional range across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Discontinuities in distributions caused by biogeographic barriers can affect genetic connectivity. Here we analysed the connectivity within Conus litteratus using samples from the Lakshadweep archipelago (Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean) and from the Pacific Ocean. Maximum likelihood analyses based on the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) and on the non-coding 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) genes revealed cryptic diversity within C. literatus occupying distinct oceanographic regions. The intraspecific genetic distances between the two distinct clades of C. literatus from the Arabian Sea and the Pacific Ocean ranged from 7.4% to 7.6% for COI and from 2.4% to 2.8% for 16S rRNA genes, which is larger than the threshold limit for interspecific differentiation. The haplotype network analysis also corroborated the existence of two different lineages within C. litteratus. The detected genetic discontinuities reflect the effect of the Sunda shelf biogeographic barrier on the allopatric divergence of C. litteratus.
bibliographic citation: Ameri et al. (2023) The role of the Sunda shelf biogeographic barrier in the cryptic differentiation of Conus litteratus (Gastropoda: Conidae) across the Indo-Pacific region. PeerJ 11:e15534 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15534
date submitted: 2022-12-14
date accepted: 2023-05-19
issued: 2023-07-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Ameri
  given name: Shijin
author list: Agent
  family name: Pappurajam
  given name: Laxmilatha
author list: Agent
  family name: Labeeb
  given name: K. A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Lakshmanan
  given name: Ranjith
author list: Agent
  family name: Ayyathurai
  given name: Kathirvelpandian P. V.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15534
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-07-14
copyright: © 2023 Ameri et al.
attribution name: Ameri et al.

Investigation of high flow nasal cannule efficiency with electric impedance tomography based parameters in COVID-19 adults patients: a retrospective study
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background/Aim This study aimed to investigate the effects of oxygen therapy using a high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) on patients diagnosed with COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (C-ARDS) by utilizing electrical impedance tomography (EIT)-based parameters. Materials and Methods Oxygen therapy was administered to the patients at two different flow rates and two different positions: T0—baseline measurements were taken in the supine position before any therapy was initiated. T1—HFNC was administered in the supine position with a flow rate of 30 L/min. T2—HFNC was administered in the supine position with a flow rate of 50 L/min. T3—HFNC was administered in the prone position with a flow rate of 30 L/min. T4—HFNC was administered in the prone position with a flow rate of 50 L/min. EIT-based parameters (global inhomogeneity index (GI index), center of ventilation (CoV), regional ventilation delay index (RVD index), region of interest ratio (ROI ratio)), as well as respiratory and hemodynamic parameters of the patients, were recorded from the database. Results A total of twenty patients were included in this retrospective observational study. The mean age of the included patients was 64.3 ± 10.6 years. Statistically significant differences were observed in the measurements of GI index, CoV, RVD index, ROI ratio, PaO2/FiO2 ratio, respiratory rate, and mean arterial pressure parameters across different time intervals (p < 0.005). Pairwise comparisons of EIT parameters and measurements of respiratory and hemodynamic parameters at five different time points revealed statistically significant differences. For the GI index, significant differences were observed between the mean measurements taken at T0–T1, T0–T2, T0–T3, T0–T4, T1–T3, T1–T4, T2–T3, T2–T4, and T3–T4 time intervals (p < 0.05). Regarding CoV, significant differences were found between the mean measurements taken at T0–T3, T1–T3, T2–T3, and T3–T4 time intervals (p < 0.05). Additionally, for the ROI ratio, si…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Özlem Öner
creator: Begum Ergan
creator: Ayse Sezin Kizil
creator: Mehmet Cagatay Gurkok
creator: Esra Dugral
creator: Necati Gökmen
subject: Anesthesiology and Pain Management
subject: Respiratory Medicine
subject: COVID-19
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15555
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Öner et al.
abstract: Background/Aim This study aimed to investigate the effects of oxygen therapy using a high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) on patients diagnosed with COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (C-ARDS) by utilizing electrical impedance tomography (EIT)-based parameters. Materials and Methods Oxygen therapy was administered to the patients at two different flow rates and two different positions: T0—baseline measurements were taken in the supine position before any therapy was initiated. T1—HFNC was administered in the supine position with a flow rate of 30 L/min. T2—HFNC was administered in the supine position with a flow rate of 50 L/min. T3—HFNC was administered in the prone position with a flow rate of 30 L/min. T4—HFNC was administered in the prone position with a flow rate of 50 L/min. EIT-based parameters (global inhomogeneity index (GI index), center of ventilation (CoV), regional ventilation delay index (RVD index), region of interest ratio (ROI ratio)), as well as respiratory and hemodynamic parameters of the patients, were recorded from the database. Results A total of twenty patients were included in this retrospective observational study. The mean age of the included patients was 64.3 ± 10.6 years. Statistically significant differences were observed in the measurements of GI index, CoV, RVD index, ROI ratio, PaO2/FiO2 ratio, respiratory rate, and mean arterial pressure parameters across different time intervals (p < 0.005). Pairwise comparisons of EIT parameters and measurements of respiratory and hemodynamic parameters at five different time points revealed statistically significant differences. For the GI index, significant differences were observed between the mean measurements taken at T0–T1, T0–T2, T0–T3, T0–T4, T1–T3, T1–T4, T2–T3, T2–T4, and T3–T4 time intervals (p < 0.05). Regarding CoV, significant differences were found between the mean measurements taken at T0–T3, T1–T3, T2–T3, and T3–T4 time intervals (p < 0.05). Additionally, for the ROI ratio, si…
bibliographic citation: Öner et al. (2023) Investigation of high flow nasal cannule efficiency with electric impedance tomography based parameters in COVID-19 adults patients: a retrospective study. PeerJ 11:e15555 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15555
date submitted: 2022-11-04
date accepted: 2023-05-23
issued: 2023-07-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Öner
  given name: Özlem
author list: Agent
  family name: Ergan
  given name: Begum
author list: Agent
  family name: Kizil
  given name: Ayse Sezin
author list: Agent
  family name: Gurkok
  given name: Mehmet Cagatay
author list: Agent
  family name: Dugral
  given name: Esra
author list: Agent
  family name: Gökmen
  given name: Necati
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15555
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-07-14
copyright: ©2023 Öner et al.
attribution name: Öner et al.

Skin bacterial community differences among three species of co-occurring Ranid frogs
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Skin microbial communities are an essential part of host health and can play a role in mitigating disease. Host and environmental factors can shape and alter these microbial communities and, therefore, we need to understand to what extent these factors influence microbial communities and how this can impact disease dynamics. Microbial communities have been studied in amphibian systems due to skin microbial communities providing some resistance to the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. However, we are only starting to understand how host and environmental factors shape these communities for amphibians. In this study, we examined whether amphibian skin bacterial communities differ among host species, host infection status, host developmental stage, and host habitat. We collected skin swabs from tadpoles and adults of three Ranid frog species (Lithobates spp.) at the Mianus River Gorge Preserve in Bedford, New York, USA, and used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to determine bacterial community composition. Our analysis suggests amphibian skin bacterial communities change across host developmental stages, as has been documented previously. Additionally, we found that skin bacterial communities differed among Ranid species, with skin communities on the host species captured in streams or bogs differing from the communities of the species captured on land. Thus, habitat use of different species may drive differences in host-associated microbial communities for closely-related host species.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Zachary Gajewski
creator: Leah R. Johnson
creator: Daniel Medina
creator: William W. Crainer
creator: Christopher M. Nagy
creator: Lisa K. Belden
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Ecology
subject: Microbiology
subject: Zoology
subject: Freshwater Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15556
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Gajewski et al.
abstract: Skin microbial communities are an essential part of host health and can play a role in mitigating disease. Host and environmental factors can shape and alter these microbial communities and, therefore, we need to understand to what extent these factors influence microbial communities and how this can impact disease dynamics. Microbial communities have been studied in amphibian systems due to skin microbial communities providing some resistance to the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. However, we are only starting to understand how host and environmental factors shape these communities for amphibians. In this study, we examined whether amphibian skin bacterial communities differ among host species, host infection status, host developmental stage, and host habitat. We collected skin swabs from tadpoles and adults of three Ranid frog species (Lithobates spp.) at the Mianus River Gorge Preserve in Bedford, New York, USA, and used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to determine bacterial community composition. Our analysis suggests amphibian skin bacterial communities change across host developmental stages, as has been documented previously. Additionally, we found that skin bacterial communities differed among Ranid species, with skin communities on the host species captured in streams or bogs differing from the communities of the species captured on land. Thus, habitat use of different species may drive differences in host-associated microbial communities for closely-related host species.
bibliographic citation: Gajewski et al. (2023) Skin bacterial community differences among three species of co-occurring Ranid frogs. PeerJ 11:e15556 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15556
date submitted: 2023-02-23
date accepted: 2023-05-23
issued: 2023-07-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Gajewski
  given name: Zachary
author list: Agent
  family name: Johnson
  given name: Leah R.
author list: Agent
  family name: Medina
  given name: Daniel
author list: Agent
  family name: Crainer
  given name: William W.
author list: Agent
  family name: Nagy
  given name: Christopher M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Belden
  given name: Lisa K.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15556
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-07-14
copyright: © 2023 Gajewski et al.
attribution name: Gajewski et al.

Immune responses in carp strains with different susceptibility to carp edema virus disease
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Carp edema virus disease (CEVD), also known as koi sleepy disease (KSD), represents a serious threat to the carp industry. The expression of immune-related genes to CEV infections could lead to the selection of crucial biomarkers of the development of the disease. The expression of a total of eleven immune-related genes encoding cytokines (IL-1β, IL-10, IL-6a, and TNF-α2), antiviral response (Mx2), cellular receptors (CD4, CD8b1, and GzmA), immunoglobulin (IgM), and genes encoding-mucins was monitored in gills of four differently KSD-susceptible strains of carp (Amur wild carp, Amur Sasan, AS; Ropsha scaly carp, Rop; Prerov scaly carp, PS; and koi) on days 6 and 11 post-infection. Carp strains were infected through two cohabitation infection trials with CEV genogroups I or IIa. The results showed that during the infection with both CEV genogroups, KSD-susceptible koi induced an innate immune response with significant up-regulation (p < 0.05) of IL-1β, IL-10, IL-6a, and TNF-α2 genes on both 6 and 11 days post-infection (dpi) compared to the fish sampled on day 0. Compared to koi, AS and Rop strains showed up-regulation of IL-6a and TNF-α2 but no other cytokine genes. During the infection with CEV genogroup IIa, Mx2 was significantly up-regulated in all strains and peaked on 6 dpi in AS, PS, and Rop. In koi, it remained high until 11 dpi. With genogroup I infection, Mx2 was up-expressed in koi on 6 dpi and in PS on both 6 and 11 dpi. No significant differences were noticed in selected mucin genes expression measured in gills of any carp strains exposed to both CEV genogroups. During both CEV genogroups infections, the expression levels of most of the genes for T cell response, including CD4, CD8b1, and GzmA were down-regulated in AS and koi at all time points compared to day 0 control. The expression data for the above experimental trials suggest that both CEV genogroups infections in common carp strains lead to activation of the same expression pattern regardless of …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Ali Asghar Baloch
creator: Dieter Steinhagen
creator: David Gela
creator: Martin Kocour
creator: Veronika Piačková
creator: Mikolaj Adamek
subject: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Fish Science
subject: Veterinary Medicine
subject: Virology
subject: Zoology
subject: Freshwater Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15614
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Baloch et al.
abstract: Carp edema virus disease (CEVD), also known as koi sleepy disease (KSD), represents a serious threat to the carp industry. The expression of immune-related genes to CEV infections could lead to the selection of crucial biomarkers of the development of the disease. The expression of a total of eleven immune-related genes encoding cytokines (IL-1β, IL-10, IL-6a, and TNF-α2), antiviral response (Mx2), cellular receptors (CD4, CD8b1, and GzmA), immunoglobulin (IgM), and genes encoding-mucins was monitored in gills of four differently KSD-susceptible strains of carp (Amur wild carp, Amur Sasan, AS; Ropsha scaly carp, Rop; Prerov scaly carp, PS; and koi) on days 6 and 11 post-infection. Carp strains were infected through two cohabitation infection trials with CEV genogroups I or IIa. The results showed that during the infection with both CEV genogroups, KSD-susceptible koi induced an innate immune response with significant up-regulation (p < 0.05) of IL-1β, IL-10, IL-6a, and TNF-α2 genes on both 6 and 11 days post-infection (dpi) compared to the fish sampled on day 0. Compared to koi, AS and Rop strains showed up-regulation of IL-6a and TNF-α2 but no other cytokine genes. During the infection with CEV genogroup IIa, Mx2 was significantly up-regulated in all strains and peaked on 6 dpi in AS, PS, and Rop. In koi, it remained high until 11 dpi. With genogroup I infection, Mx2 was up-expressed in koi on 6 dpi and in PS on both 6 and 11 dpi. No significant differences were noticed in selected mucin genes expression measured in gills of any carp strains exposed to both CEV genogroups. During both CEV genogroups infections, the expression levels of most of the genes for T cell response, including CD4, CD8b1, and GzmA were down-regulated in AS and koi at all time points compared to day 0 control. The expression data for the above experimental trials suggest that both CEV genogroups infections in common carp strains lead to activation of the same expression pattern regardless of …
bibliographic citation: Baloch et al. (2023) Immune responses in carp strains with different susceptibility to carp edema virus disease. PeerJ 11:e15614 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15614
date submitted: 2022-12-28
date accepted: 2023-06-01
issued: 2023-07-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Baloch
  given name: Ali Asghar
author list: Agent
  family name: Steinhagen
  given name: Dieter
author list: Agent
  family name: Gela
  given name: David
author list: Agent
  family name: Kocour
  given name: Martin
author list: Agent
  family name: Piačková
  given name: Veronika
author list: Agent
  family name: Adamek
  given name: Mikolaj
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15614
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-07-14
copyright: ©2023 Baloch et al.
attribution name: Baloch et al.

Spatio-temporal dengue risk modelling in the south of Thailand: a Bayesian approach to dengue vulnerability
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background More than half of the global population is predicted to be living in areas susceptible to dengue transmission with the vast majority in Asia. Dengue fever is of public health concern, particularly in the southern region of Thailand due to favourable environmental factors for its spread. The risk of dengue infection at the population level varies in time and space among sub-populations thus, it is important to study the risk of infection considering spatio-temporal variation. Methods This study presents a joint spatio-temporal epidemiological model in a Bayesian setting using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation with the CARBayesST package of R software. For this purpose, monthly dengue records by district from 2002 to 2018 from the southern region of Thailand provided by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand and eight environmental variables were used. Results Results show that an increasing level of temperature, number of rainy days and sea level pressure are associated with a higher occurrence of dengue fever and consequently higher incidence risk, while an increasing level of wind speed seems to suggest a protective factor. Likewise, we found that the elevated risks of dengue in the immediate future are in the districts of Phipun, Phrom Kili, Lan Saka, Phra Phrom and Chaloem Phakiat. The resulting estimates provide insights into the effects of covariate risk factors, spatio-temporal trends and dengue-related health inequalities at the district level in southern Thailand. Conclusion Possible implications are discussed considering some anthropogenic factors that could inhibit or enhance dengue occurrence. Risk maps indicated which districts are above and below baseline risk, allowing for the identification of local anomalies and high-risk boundaries. In the event of near future, the threat of elevated disease risk needs to be prevented and controlled considering the factors underlying the spread of mosquitoes in the Southeast Asian region.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Fatima Ibrahim Abdulsalam
creator: Pablo Antúnez
creator: Warit Jawjit
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Global Health
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: Environmental Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15619
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Abdulsalam et al.
abstract: Background More than half of the global population is predicted to be living in areas susceptible to dengue transmission with the vast majority in Asia. Dengue fever is of public health concern, particularly in the southern region of Thailand due to favourable environmental factors for its spread. The risk of dengue infection at the population level varies in time and space among sub-populations thus, it is important to study the risk of infection considering spatio-temporal variation. Methods This study presents a joint spatio-temporal epidemiological model in a Bayesian setting using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation with the CARBayesST package of R software. For this purpose, monthly dengue records by district from 2002 to 2018 from the southern region of Thailand provided by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand and eight environmental variables were used. Results Results show that an increasing level of temperature, number of rainy days and sea level pressure are associated with a higher occurrence of dengue fever and consequently higher incidence risk, while an increasing level of wind speed seems to suggest a protective factor. Likewise, we found that the elevated risks of dengue in the immediate future are in the districts of Phipun, Phrom Kili, Lan Saka, Phra Phrom and Chaloem Phakiat. The resulting estimates provide insights into the effects of covariate risk factors, spatio-temporal trends and dengue-related health inequalities at the district level in southern Thailand. Conclusion Possible implications are discussed considering some anthropogenic factors that could inhibit or enhance dengue occurrence. Risk maps indicated which districts are above and below baseline risk, allowing for the identification of local anomalies and high-risk boundaries. In the event of near future, the threat of elevated disease risk needs to be prevented and controlled considering the factors underlying the spread of mosquitoes in the Southeast Asian region.
bibliographic citation: Abdulsalam et al. (2023) Spatio-temporal dengue risk modelling in the south of Thailand: a Bayesian approach to dengue vulnerability. PeerJ 11:e15619 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15619
date submitted: 2022-12-23
date accepted: 2023-06-01
issued: 2023-07-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Abdulsalam
  given name: Fatima Ibrahim
author list: Agent
  family name: Antúnez
  given name: Pablo
author list: Agent
  family name: Jawjit
  given name: Warit
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15619
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-07-14
copyright: ©2023 Abdulsalam et al.
attribution name: Abdulsalam et al.

First report of the ectomycorrhizal fungal community associated with two herbaceous plants in Inner Mongolia, China
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi play a vital role in ensuring plant health, plant diversity, and ecosystem function. However, the study on fungal diversity and community assembly of EM fungi associated with herbaceous plants remains poorly understood. Thus, in our study, Carex pediformis and Polygonum divaricatum in the subalpine meadow of central Inner Mongolia, China were selected for exploring EM fungal diversity and community assembly mechanisms by using llumina MiSeq sequencing of the fungal internal transcribed spacer 2 region (ITS2). We evaluated the impact of soil, climatic, and spatial variables on EM fungal diversity and community turnover. Deterministic vs. stochastic processes for EM fungal community assembly were quantified using β-Nearest taxon index scores. The results showed that a total of 70 EM fungal OTUs belonging to 21 lineages were identified, of which Tomentella-Thelephora, Helotiales1, Tricholoma, Inocybe, Wilcoxina were the most dominant EM fungal lineages. EM fungal communities were significantly different between the two herbaceous plants and among the two sampling sites, and this difference was mainly influenced by soil organic matter (OM) content and mean annual precipitation (MAP). The neutral community model (NCM) explained 45.7% of the variations in EM fungi community assembly. A total of 99.27% of the β-Nearest Taxa Index (βNTI) value was between −2 and 2. These results suggest that the dominant role of stochastic processes in shaping EM fungal community assembly. In addition, RCbray values showed that ecological drift in stochastic processes dominantly determined community assembly of EM fungi. Overall, our study shed light on the EM fungal diversity and community assembly associated with herbaceous plants in the subalpine region of central Inner Mongolia for the first time, which provided a better understanding of the role of herbaceous EM fungi.
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format: text/html
creator: Yongjun Fan
creator: Simin Xiang
creator: Jing Wang
creator: Xuan Zhang
creator: Zhimin Yu
creator: Shupeng Zhu
creator: Meng Lv
creator: Lijun Bai
creator: Luyu Han
creator: Jianjun Ma
creator: Yonglong Wang
subject: Ecology
subject: Mycology
subject: Plant Science
subject: Soil Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15626
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Fan et al.
abstract: Ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi play a vital role in ensuring plant health, plant diversity, and ecosystem function. However, the study on fungal diversity and community assembly of EM fungi associated with herbaceous plants remains poorly understood. Thus, in our study, Carex pediformis and Polygonum divaricatum in the subalpine meadow of central Inner Mongolia, China were selected for exploring EM fungal diversity and community assembly mechanisms by using llumina MiSeq sequencing of the fungal internal transcribed spacer 2 region (ITS2). We evaluated the impact of soil, climatic, and spatial variables on EM fungal diversity and community turnover. Deterministic vs. stochastic processes for EM fungal community assembly were quantified using β-Nearest taxon index scores. The results showed that a total of 70 EM fungal OTUs belonging to 21 lineages were identified, of which Tomentella-Thelephora, Helotiales1, Tricholoma, Inocybe, Wilcoxina were the most dominant EM fungal lineages. EM fungal communities were significantly different between the two herbaceous plants and among the two sampling sites, and this difference was mainly influenced by soil organic matter (OM) content and mean annual precipitation (MAP). The neutral community model (NCM) explained 45.7% of the variations in EM fungi community assembly. A total of 99.27% of the β-Nearest Taxa Index (βNTI) value was between −2 and 2. These results suggest that the dominant role of stochastic processes in shaping EM fungal community assembly. In addition, RCbray values showed that ecological drift in stochastic processes dominantly determined community assembly of EM fungi. Overall, our study shed light on the EM fungal diversity and community assembly associated with herbaceous plants in the subalpine region of central Inner Mongolia for the first time, which provided a better understanding of the role of herbaceous EM fungi.
bibliographic citation: Fan et al. (2023) First report of the ectomycorrhizal fungal community associated with two herbaceous plants in Inner Mongolia, China. PeerJ 11:e15626 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15626
date submitted: 2022-12-21
date accepted: 2023-06-02
issued: 2023-07-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Fan
  given name: Yongjun
author list: Agent
  family name: Xiang
  given name: Simin
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Jing
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Xuan
author list: Agent
  family name: Yu
  given name: Zhimin
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhu
  given name: Shupeng
author list: Agent
  family name: Lv
  given name: Meng
author list: Agent
  family name: Bai
  given name: Lijun
author list: Agent
  family name: Han
  given name: Luyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Ma
  given name: Jianjun
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Yonglong
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15626
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-07-14
copyright: © 2023 Fan et al.
attribution name: Fan et al.

Late Jurassic teeth of plesiosauroid origin from the Owadów-Brzezinki Lägerstatte, Central Poland
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Owadów-Brzezinki is currently one of the most promising Upper Jurassic sites in Central Poland, with a wide array of both vertebrate and invertebrate fossil fauna present. The discoveries of large-bodied marine reptiles fossils such as ichthyosaurs, turtles, and marine crocodylomorphs attracted attention to the location. A particular Mesozoic marine group, plesiosaurs, remained to be found, and in this report, we note four isolated teeth with distinguishing apicobasal ridging pattern and elongated, conical shape characteristic for plesiosaurians. The outcomes of the Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) of the largest and most complete tooth specimen ZPAL R.11/OB/T4 enabled us to confirm its classification as Plesiosauroidea. This discovery affirms the importance of the site as the area of mixing between Boreal and Tethyan faunas, expanding the broad spectrum of fossil taxa found in this location. Together with previous findings of plesiosaur material in a nearby region, it provides the evidence for the presence of Plesiosauroidea in Owadów-Brzezinki Lägerstatte.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Łukasz Weryński
creator: Błazej Błażejowski
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Paleontology
subject: Taxonomy
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15628
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Weryński and Błażejowski
abstract: Owadów-Brzezinki is currently one of the most promising Upper Jurassic sites in Central Poland, with a wide array of both vertebrate and invertebrate fossil fauna present. The discoveries of large-bodied marine reptiles fossils such as ichthyosaurs, turtles, and marine crocodylomorphs attracted attention to the location. A particular Mesozoic marine group, plesiosaurs, remained to be found, and in this report, we note four isolated teeth with distinguishing apicobasal ridging pattern and elongated, conical shape characteristic for plesiosaurians. The outcomes of the Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) of the largest and most complete tooth specimen ZPAL R.11/OB/T4 enabled us to confirm its classification as Plesiosauroidea. This discovery affirms the importance of the site as the area of mixing between Boreal and Tethyan faunas, expanding the broad spectrum of fossil taxa found in this location. Together with previous findings of plesiosaur material in a nearby region, it provides the evidence for the presence of Plesiosauroidea in Owadów-Brzezinki Lägerstatte.
bibliographic citation: Weryński et al. (2023) Late Jurassic teeth of plesiosauroid origin from the Owadów-Brzezinki Lägerstatte, Central Poland. PeerJ 11:e15628 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15628
date submitted: 2022-12-30
date accepted: 2023-06-02
issued: 2023-07-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Weryński
  given name: Łukasz
author list: Agent
  family name: Błażejowski
  given name: Błazej
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15628
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-07-14
copyright: © 2023 Weryński and Błażejowski
attribution name: Weryński and Błażejowski

Seasonal changes characterise the shark and ray assemblages in a subtropical shallow sandy habitat in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Understanding how environmental drivers influence shark and ray spatial and temporal patterns can provide crucial knowledge for their evidence-based protection and long-term monitoring. However, information on which drivers of variation are most important for elasmobranch communities on soft sediments is limited. Using baited remote underwater stereo-video systems (stereo-BRUVs), we investigated how seasonal and environmental variables affected the elasmobranchs of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park marine protected area (MPA) in South Africa (SA). In total, 11 species were identified from 48 sites between 12 m and 33 m water depth in a sandy habitat. While species richness was similar across seasons, the total abundance of elasmobranchs recorded was higher in winter than summer. The species assemblage composition varied significantly between seasons, with the Human’s whaler shark Carcharhinus humani prevalent in summer and the Critically Endangered whitespotted wedgefish Rhynchobatus djiddensis more abundant during winter. Most species were sighted throughout the entire depth range, but rays were more common in shallower waters (< 25 m depth), while C. humani and R. djiddensis were more common in the deeper depth zone of this study. This research provides baseline information about this previously unexplored sandy habitat for elasmobranchs in a site of regional and global significance. Records of species of conservation concern in the sampling area highlight the importance of protecting sand environments within an MPA.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Jessica A. Ferreira
creator: Julie A. Alberts
creator: Grant Smith
creator: Anthony T.F. Bernard
creator: Mário J. Pereira
creator: Lauren De Vos
subject: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Fish Science
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Ecology
subject: Marine Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15636
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Ferreira et al.
abstract: Understanding how environmental drivers influence shark and ray spatial and temporal patterns can provide crucial knowledge for their evidence-based protection and long-term monitoring. However, information on which drivers of variation are most important for elasmobranch communities on soft sediments is limited. Using baited remote underwater stereo-video systems (stereo-BRUVs), we investigated how seasonal and environmental variables affected the elasmobranchs of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park marine protected area (MPA) in South Africa (SA). In total, 11 species were identified from 48 sites between 12 m and 33 m water depth in a sandy habitat. While species richness was similar across seasons, the total abundance of elasmobranchs recorded was higher in winter than summer. The species assemblage composition varied significantly between seasons, with the Human’s whaler shark Carcharhinus humani prevalent in summer and the Critically Endangered whitespotted wedgefish Rhynchobatus djiddensis more abundant during winter. Most species were sighted throughout the entire depth range, but rays were more common in shallower waters (< 25 m depth), while C. humani and R. djiddensis were more common in the deeper depth zone of this study. This research provides baseline information about this previously unexplored sandy habitat for elasmobranchs in a site of regional and global significance. Records of species of conservation concern in the sampling area highlight the importance of protecting sand environments within an MPA.
bibliographic citation: Ferreira et al. (2023) Seasonal changes characterise the shark and ray assemblages in a subtropical shallow sandy habitat in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa. PeerJ 11:e15636 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15636
date submitted: 2022-12-16
date accepted: 2023-06-05
issued: 2023-07-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Ferreira
  given name: Jessica A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Alberts
  given name: Julie A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Smith
  given name: Grant
author list: Agent
  family name: Bernard
  given name: Anthony T.F.
author list: Agent
  family name: Pereira
  given name: Mário J.
author list: Agent
  family name: De Vos
  given name: Lauren
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15636
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-07-14
copyright: ©2023 Ferreira et al.
attribution name: Ferreira et al.

Current classification of zirconia in dentistry: an updated review
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Zirconia, a crystalline oxide of zirconium, holds good mechanical, optical, and biological properties. The metal-free restorations, mostly consisting of all-ceramic/zirconia restorations, are becoming popular restorative materials in restorative and prosthetic dentistry choices for aesthetic and biological reasons. Dental zirconia has increased over the past years producing wide varieties of zirconia for prosthetic restorations in dentistry. At present, literature is lacking on the recent zirconia biomaterials in dentistry. Currently, no article has the latest information on the various zirconia biomaterials in dentistry. Hence, the aim of this article is to present an overview of recent dental zirconia biomaterials and tends to classify the recent zirconia biomaterials in dentistry. This article is useful for dentists, dental technicians, prosthodontists, academicians, and researchers in the field of dental zirconia.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Suchada Kongkiatkamon
creator: Dinesh Rokaya
creator: Santiphab Kengtanyakich
creator: Chaimongkon Peampring
subject: Bioengineering
subject: Dentistry
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15669
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Kongkiatkamon et al.
abstract: Zirconia, a crystalline oxide of zirconium, holds good mechanical, optical, and biological properties. The metal-free restorations, mostly consisting of all-ceramic/zirconia restorations, are becoming popular restorative materials in restorative and prosthetic dentistry choices for aesthetic and biological reasons. Dental zirconia has increased over the past years producing wide varieties of zirconia for prosthetic restorations in dentistry. At present, literature is lacking on the recent zirconia biomaterials in dentistry. Currently, no article has the latest information on the various zirconia biomaterials in dentistry. Hence, the aim of this article is to present an overview of recent dental zirconia biomaterials and tends to classify the recent zirconia biomaterials in dentistry. This article is useful for dentists, dental technicians, prosthodontists, academicians, and researchers in the field of dental zirconia.
bibliographic citation: Kongkiatkamon et al. (2023) Current classification of zirconia in dentistry: an updated review. PeerJ 11:e15669 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15669
date submitted: 2023-01-17
date accepted: 2023-06-09
issued: 2023-07-14
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Kongkiatkamon
  given name: Suchada
author list: Agent
  family name: Rokaya
  given name: Dinesh
author list: Agent
  family name: Kengtanyakich
  given name: Santiphab
author list: Agent
  family name: Peampring
  given name: Chaimongkon
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15669
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-07-14
copyright: ©2023 Kongkiatkamon et al.
attribution name: Kongkiatkamon et al.

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