PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Over-expression of CcMYB24, encoding a R2R3-MYB transcription factor from a high-leaf-number mutant of Cymbidium, increases the number of leaves in Arabidopsis
items: Exposure to mass media family planning messages among men in Nigeria: analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey data
items: Relationships between locomotive and non-locomotive MVPA and ‘ikigai’ in older Japanese adults
items: A survey of epibiont hydrozoans on Sargassum
items: A new species of Nanhsiungchelys (Testudines: Cryptodira: Nanhsiungchelyidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Nanxiong Basin, China
items: Time series analysis of survival and oviposition cycle duration of Anopheles funestus (Giles) in Mozambique
items: Does ankle push-off correct for errors in anterior–posterior foot placement relative to center-of-mass states?
items: The behaviour and activity budgets of two sympatric sloths; Bradypus variegatus and Choloepus hoffmanni
items: CTHRC1 promotes anaplastic thyroid cancer progression by upregulating the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells
items: Assessment of eight insulin resistance surrogate indexes for predicting metabolic syndrome and hypertension in Thai law enforcement officers

Over-expression of CcMYB24, encoding a R2R3-MYB transcription factor from a high-leaf-number mutant of Cymbidium, increases the number of leaves in Arabidopsis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Ornamental foliage plants have long been cultivated for their attractive leaves. Variation in leaf traits of ornamental foliage plants is one of the goals in breeding. MYB transcription factors regulate many aspects of leaf development, and thus influence morphological traits of leaves. However, little is known about the function of MYB transcription factors in leaf development of Cymbidium, one of the most economically important ornamental plants in the world. In the present study, a MYB transcription factor, CcMYB24, was identified and the corresponding gene cloned from a new orchid mutant, TRIR-2, which produces more leaves than control plants. The CcMYB24 showed a higher expression level in ‘TRIR-2’ than in control plants, and the protein was located in the nucleus. The sequence of CcMYB24 showed a high similarity with RAX2-like genes which belong to the R2R3-MYB gene family in other Cymbidium plants. Overexpression of CcMYB24 resulted in a phenotype with an increased number of leaves, elevated chlorophyll content, and decreased contents of carotenoids and flavonoids in Arabidopsis. These results provide functional evidence for the role of CcMYB24 in promoting the production of leaves in ‘TRIR-2’. Understanding the role of CcMYB24 in Cymbidium will be beneficial for the molecular breeding of ornamental foliage plants.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Gengyun Li
creator: Longjie Cheng
creator: Zhilin Li
creator: Yiran Zhao
creator: Yuying Wang
subject: Genetics
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Plant Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15490
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Li et al.
abstract: Ornamental foliage plants have long been cultivated for their attractive leaves. Variation in leaf traits of ornamental foliage plants is one of the goals in breeding. MYB transcription factors regulate many aspects of leaf development, and thus influence morphological traits of leaves. However, little is known about the function of MYB transcription factors in leaf development of Cymbidium, one of the most economically important ornamental plants in the world. In the present study, a MYB transcription factor, CcMYB24, was identified and the corresponding gene cloned from a new orchid mutant, TRIR-2, which produces more leaves than control plants. The CcMYB24 showed a higher expression level in ‘TRIR-2’ than in control plants, and the protein was located in the nucleus. The sequence of CcMYB24 showed a high similarity with RAX2-like genes which belong to the R2R3-MYB gene family in other Cymbidium plants. Overexpression of CcMYB24 resulted in a phenotype with an increased number of leaves, elevated chlorophyll content, and decreased contents of carotenoids and flavonoids in Arabidopsis. These results provide functional evidence for the role of CcMYB24 in promoting the production of leaves in ‘TRIR-2’. Understanding the role of CcMYB24 in Cymbidium will be beneficial for the molecular breeding of ornamental foliage plants.
bibliographic citation: Li et al. (2023) Over-expression of CcMYB24, encoding a R2R3-MYB transcription factor from a high-leaf-number mutant of Cymbidium, increases the number of leaves in Arabidopsis. PeerJ 11:e15490 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15490
date submitted: 2023-02-01
date accepted: 2023-05-10
issued: 2023-05-31
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Gengyun
author list: Agent
  family name: Cheng
  given name: Longjie
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Zhilin
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhao
  given name: Yiran
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Yuying
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15490
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-05-31
copyright: © 2023 Li et al.
attribution name: Li et al.

Exposure to mass media family planning messages among men in Nigeria: analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey data
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Family planning (FP) is essential for improving health and achieving reproductive goals. Although men are important participants in FP decision-making within households in Nigeria, a country with one of the highest rates of maternal mortality, we know very little about their exposure to mass media FP messages. Methods Drawing theoretical insights from the structural influence model of health communication and using the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (n = 13,294), and applying logistic regression analysis, we explored the factors associated with men’s exposure to mass media FP messages in Nigeria. Results A range of socioeconomic, locational, and demographic factors were associated with men’s exposure to mass media FP messages. For example, wealthier, more educated, and employed men were more likely to be exposed to mass media FP messages than their poorer, less educated, and unemployed counterparts. In addition, compared to those in rural areas and other regions, men in urban areas as well as South East Region, were more likely to be exposed to mass media FP messages. Finally, younger men and those who belong to the traditional religion were less likely to be exposed to mass media FP messages, compared to their older and Christian counterparts. Conclusions Based on these findings, we discuss implications and recommendations for policymakers as well as directions for future research.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Daniel Amoak
creator: Irenius Konkor
creator: Kamaldeen Mohammed
creator: Sulemana Ansumah Saaka
creator: Roger Antabe
subject: Global Health
subject: Health Policy
subject: Public Health
subject: Healthcare Services
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15391
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Amoak et al.
abstract: Background Family planning (FP) is essential for improving health and achieving reproductive goals. Although men are important participants in FP decision-making within households in Nigeria, a country with one of the highest rates of maternal mortality, we know very little about their exposure to mass media FP messages. Methods Drawing theoretical insights from the structural influence model of health communication and using the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (n = 13,294), and applying logistic regression analysis, we explored the factors associated with men’s exposure to mass media FP messages in Nigeria. Results A range of socioeconomic, locational, and demographic factors were associated with men’s exposure to mass media FP messages. For example, wealthier, more educated, and employed men were more likely to be exposed to mass media FP messages than their poorer, less educated, and unemployed counterparts. In addition, compared to those in rural areas and other regions, men in urban areas as well as South East Region, were more likely to be exposed to mass media FP messages. Finally, younger men and those who belong to the traditional religion were less likely to be exposed to mass media FP messages, compared to their older and Christian counterparts. Conclusions Based on these findings, we discuss implications and recommendations for policymakers as well as directions for future research.
bibliographic citation: Amoak et al. (2023) Exposure to mass media family planning messages among men in Nigeria: analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey data. PeerJ 11:e15391 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15391
date submitted: 2023-01-10
date accepted: 2023-04-19
issued: 2023-05-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Amoak
  given name: Daniel
author list: Agent
  family name: Konkor
  given name: Irenius
author list: Agent
  family name: Mohammed
  given name: Kamaldeen
author list: Agent
  family name: Saaka
  given name: Sulemana Ansumah
author list: Agent
  family name: Antabe
  given name: Roger
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15391
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-05-30
copyright: ©2023 Amoak et al.
attribution name: Amoak et al.

Relationships between locomotive and non-locomotive MVPA and ‘ikigai’ in older Japanese adults
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Objective This study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity (PA) of moderate to vigorous intensity (MVPA) and ikigai in older Japanese adults. We evaluated the amount of PA using an activity meter equipped with a three-axis accelerometer. The measured activities were classified into locomotive PA and non-locomotive PA to clarify not only the relationship between MVPA and ikigai, but the types of activities that lead to increased ikigai as well. Methods Participants were 86 community-dwelling older adult Japanese men and women. Measurement items included basic information (age, sex, BMI, and the number of underlying diseases), PA, Self-completed Occupational Performance Index (SOPI), and ikigai (the K-1 Scale). Confounding factors presumed to be related to ikigai were also elicited from previous studies. Associations of ikigai into three groups (high, middle, and low) with PA were analyzed by group comparisons and multivariate analyses. Results The comparison of PA indices among the high, middle, and low ikigai groups revealed that non-locomotive MVPA is significantly associated with ikigai (p < 0.05). In multiple comparisons, the low ikigai group was significantly and negatively affected by non-locomotive MVPA (p < 0.05) compared to the middle and high ikigai groups. Furthermore, in a multivariate analysis with ikigai as the dependent variable and sex, age, locomotive MVPA, and non-locomotive MVPA as independent variables, only non-locomotive MVPA (p < 0.05) was associated. Discussion These results suggest that non-locomotive MVPA is effective in enhancing ikigai.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Soma Tsujishita
creator: Masaki Nagamatsu
creator: Aiko Imai
creator: Kiyoshi Sanada
subject: Geriatrics
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Public Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15413
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Tsujishita et al.
abstract: Objective This study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity (PA) of moderate to vigorous intensity (MVPA) and ikigai in older Japanese adults. We evaluated the amount of PA using an activity meter equipped with a three-axis accelerometer. The measured activities were classified into locomotive PA and non-locomotive PA to clarify not only the relationship between MVPA and ikigai, but the types of activities that lead to increased ikigai as well. Methods Participants were 86 community-dwelling older adult Japanese men and women. Measurement items included basic information (age, sex, BMI, and the number of underlying diseases), PA, Self-completed Occupational Performance Index (SOPI), and ikigai (the K-1 Scale). Confounding factors presumed to be related to ikigai were also elicited from previous studies. Associations of ikigai into three groups (high, middle, and low) with PA were analyzed by group comparisons and multivariate analyses. Results The comparison of PA indices among the high, middle, and low ikigai groups revealed that non-locomotive MVPA is significantly associated with ikigai (p < 0.05). In multiple comparisons, the low ikigai group was significantly and negatively affected by non-locomotive MVPA (p < 0.05) compared to the middle and high ikigai groups. Furthermore, in a multivariate analysis with ikigai as the dependent variable and sex, age, locomotive MVPA, and non-locomotive MVPA as independent variables, only non-locomotive MVPA (p < 0.05) was associated. Discussion These results suggest that non-locomotive MVPA is effective in enhancing ikigai.
bibliographic citation: Tsujishita et al. (2023) Relationships between locomotive and non-locomotive MVPA and ‘ikigai’ in older Japanese adults. PeerJ 11:e15413 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15413
date submitted: 2023-02-15
date accepted: 2023-04-24
issued: 2023-05-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Tsujishita
  given name: Soma
author list: Agent
  family name: Nagamatsu
  given name: Masaki
author list: Agent
  family name: Imai
  given name: Aiko
author list: Agent
  family name: Sanada
  given name: Kiyoshi
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15413
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-05-30
copyright: © 2023 Tsujishita et al.
attribution name: Tsujishita et al.

A survey of epibiont hydrozoans on Sargassum
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The brown alga Sargassum provides a natural substrate occupied by hydrozoans in shallow marine waters. A global count in 2007 listed 39 epibiotic species of Hydrozoa growing on Sargassum, but more studies have been published since, therefore, an update is timely, particularly due to the increased abundance of Sargassum in the Caribbean. This review, based on a recent literature survey and new records from Mexico, includes 133 publications of epibiotic hydrozoans on Sargassum spanning 220 years, from 1802 to 2022. A total of 131 hydrozoan species were recorded on 26 species of Sargassum, most belonging to the subclass Hydroidolina (130), with only one record of a trachyline medusa (Gonionemus vertens, subclass Trachylinae). Most publications centered on the Tropical Atlantic, where the greatest number of hydrozoan species (67 species) were recorded. All hydrozoan species possess a hydrorhiza, except one hydromedusae species that attach to Sargassum via adhesive tentacles. Most of the hydrozoan species associated with Sargassum exhibited a benthic life cycle (93 species) and are comprised of erect, branched colonies (67 species) and large hydrothecae (69 species). Although the number of studies of epibiotic hydrozoans on Sargassum has increased since the mid-20th century, nevertheless hydrozoan richness has not reached an asymptote. Therefore, more sampling of Sargassum species would likely identify more hydrozoan species associated with Sargassum, especially among benthic Sargassum, and might help reveal potential biogeographical and ecological patterns between Sargassum and hydrozoan epibionts.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Cecilia Odette Carral-Murrieta
creator: Antonio C. Marques
creator: Elisa Serviere-Zaragoza
creator: Mariae C. Estrada-González
creator: Amanda F. Cunha
creator: Marina O. Fernandez
creator: Alejandra Mazariegos-Villarreal
creator: Karla León-Cisneros
creator: Juan López-Vivas
creator: José Agüero
creator: María A. Mendoza-Becerril
subject: Ecology
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Taxonomy
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15423
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Carral-Murrieta et al.
abstract: The brown alga Sargassum provides a natural substrate occupied by hydrozoans in shallow marine waters. A global count in 2007 listed 39 epibiotic species of Hydrozoa growing on Sargassum, but more studies have been published since, therefore, an update is timely, particularly due to the increased abundance of Sargassum in the Caribbean. This review, based on a recent literature survey and new records from Mexico, includes 133 publications of epibiotic hydrozoans on Sargassum spanning 220 years, from 1802 to 2022. A total of 131 hydrozoan species were recorded on 26 species of Sargassum, most belonging to the subclass Hydroidolina (130), with only one record of a trachyline medusa (Gonionemus vertens, subclass Trachylinae). Most publications centered on the Tropical Atlantic, where the greatest number of hydrozoan species (67 species) were recorded. All hydrozoan species possess a hydrorhiza, except one hydromedusae species that attach to Sargassum via adhesive tentacles. Most of the hydrozoan species associated with Sargassum exhibited a benthic life cycle (93 species) and are comprised of erect, branched colonies (67 species) and large hydrothecae (69 species). Although the number of studies of epibiotic hydrozoans on Sargassum has increased since the mid-20th century, nevertheless hydrozoan richness has not reached an asymptote. Therefore, more sampling of Sargassum species would likely identify more hydrozoan species associated with Sargassum, especially among benthic Sargassum, and might help reveal potential biogeographical and ecological patterns between Sargassum and hydrozoan epibionts.
bibliographic citation: Carral-Murrieta et al. (2023) A survey of epibiont hydrozoans on Sargassum. PeerJ 11:e15423 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15423
date submitted: 2022-09-27
date accepted: 2023-04-25
issued: 2023-05-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Carral-Murrieta
  given name: Cecilia Odette
author list: Agent
  family name: Marques
  given name: Antonio C.
author list: Agent
  family name: Serviere-Zaragoza
  given name: Elisa
author list: Agent
  family name: Estrada-González
  given name: Mariae C.
author list: Agent
  family name: Cunha
  given name: Amanda F.
author list: Agent
  family name: Fernandez
  given name: Marina O.
author list: Agent
  family name: Mazariegos-Villarreal
  given name: Alejandra
author list: Agent
  family name: León-Cisneros
  given name: Karla
author list: Agent
  family name: López-Vivas
  given name: Juan
author list: Agent
  family name: Agüero
  given name: José
author list: Agent
  family name: Mendoza-Becerril
  given name: María A.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15423
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-05-30
copyright: ©2023 Carral-Murrieta et al.
attribution name: Carral-Murrieta et al.

A new species of Nanhsiungchelys (Testudines: Cryptodira: Nanhsiungchelyidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Nanxiong Basin, China
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Nanhsiungchelyidae are a group of large turtles that lived in Asia and North America during the Cretaceous. Here we report a new species of nanhsiungchelyid, Nanhsiungchelys yangi sp. nov., from the Upper Cretaceous of Nanxiong Basin, China. The specimen consists of a well-preserved skull and lower jaw, as well as the anterior parts of the carapace and plastron. The diagnostic features of Nanhsiungchelys include a large entire carapace length (∼55.5 cm), a network of sculptures consisting of pits and ridges on the surface of the skull and shell, shallow cheek emargination and temporal emargination, deep nuchal emargination, and a pair of anterolateral processes on the carapace. However, Nanhsiungchelys yangi differs from the other species of Nanhsiungchelys mainly in having a triangular-shaped snout (in dorsal view) and wide anterolateral processes on the carapace. Additionally, some other characteristics (e.g., the premaxilla is higher than wide, the maxilla is unseen in dorsal views, a small portion of the maxilla extends posterior and ventral of the orbit, and the parietal is bigger than the frontal) are strong evidence to distinguish Nanhsiungchelys yangi from Nanhsiungchelys wuchingensis. A phylogenetic analysis of nanhsiungchelyids places Nanhsiungchelys yangi and Nanhsiungchelys wuchingensis as sister taxa. Nanhsiungchelys yangi and some other nanhsiungchelyids bear distinct anterolateral processes on the carapace, which have not been reported in any extant turtles and may have played a role in protecting the head. The Nanxiong Basin was extremely hot during the Late Cretaceous, and so we suggest that nanhsiungchelyids might have immersed themselves in mud or water to avoid the heat, similar to some extant tortoises. If they were capable of swimming, our computer simulations of fluid flow suggest the anterolateral processes could have reduced drag during locomotion.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yuzheng Ke
creator: Imran A. Rahman
creator: Hanchen Song
creator: Jinfeng Hu
creator: Kecheng Niu
creator: Fasheng Lou
creator: Hongwei Li
creator: Fenglu Han
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Paleontology
subject: Taxonomy
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15439
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Ke et al.
abstract: Nanhsiungchelyidae are a group of large turtles that lived in Asia and North America during the Cretaceous. Here we report a new species of nanhsiungchelyid, Nanhsiungchelys yangi sp. nov., from the Upper Cretaceous of Nanxiong Basin, China. The specimen consists of a well-preserved skull and lower jaw, as well as the anterior parts of the carapace and plastron. The diagnostic features of Nanhsiungchelys include a large entire carapace length (∼55.5 cm), a network of sculptures consisting of pits and ridges on the surface of the skull and shell, shallow cheek emargination and temporal emargination, deep nuchal emargination, and a pair of anterolateral processes on the carapace. However, Nanhsiungchelys yangi differs from the other species of Nanhsiungchelys mainly in having a triangular-shaped snout (in dorsal view) and wide anterolateral processes on the carapace. Additionally, some other characteristics (e.g., the premaxilla is higher than wide, the maxilla is unseen in dorsal views, a small portion of the maxilla extends posterior and ventral of the orbit, and the parietal is bigger than the frontal) are strong evidence to distinguish Nanhsiungchelys yangi from Nanhsiungchelys wuchingensis. A phylogenetic analysis of nanhsiungchelyids places Nanhsiungchelys yangi and Nanhsiungchelys wuchingensis as sister taxa. Nanhsiungchelys yangi and some other nanhsiungchelyids bear distinct anterolateral processes on the carapace, which have not been reported in any extant turtles and may have played a role in protecting the head. The Nanxiong Basin was extremely hot during the Late Cretaceous, and so we suggest that nanhsiungchelyids might have immersed themselves in mud or water to avoid the heat, similar to some extant tortoises. If they were capable of swimming, our computer simulations of fluid flow suggest the anterolateral processes could have reduced drag during locomotion.
bibliographic citation: Ke et al. (2023) A new species of Nanhsiungchelys (Testudines: Cryptodira: Nanhsiungchelyidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Nanxiong Basin, China. PeerJ 11:e15439 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15439
date submitted: 2023-02-10
date accepted: 2023-04-28
issued: 2023-05-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Ke
  given name: Yuzheng
author list: Agent
  family name: Rahman
  given name: Imran A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Song
  given name: Hanchen
author list: Agent
  family name: Hu
  given name: Jinfeng
author list: Agent
  family name: Niu
  given name: Kecheng
author list: Agent
  family name: Lou
  given name: Fasheng
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Hongwei
author list: Agent
  family name: Han
  given name: Fenglu
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15439
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-05-30
copyright: ©2023 Ke et al.
attribution name: Ke et al.

Time series analysis of survival and oviposition cycle duration of Anopheles funestus (Giles) in Mozambique
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Survival and gonotrophic cycle duration are important determinants of the vectorial capacity of malaria vectors but there are a limited number of approaches to estimate these quantities from field data. Time-series of observations of mosquitoes at different stages in the life-cycle are under-used. Methods Anopheles funestus mosquitoes were caught using various methods over a 7.6-year period in Furvela, Mozambique. Survival and oviposition cycle duration were estimated using (i) an existing time-series approach for analysing dissections of mosquitoes caught in light-traps, extended to allow for variability in the duration of the cycle; (ii) an established approach for estimating cycle duration from resting collection data; (iii) a novel time-series approach fitted to numbers and categories of mosquitoes caught in exit-traps. Results Data were available from 7,396, 6,041 and 1,527 trap-nights for exit-traps, light-traps and resting collections respectively. Estimates of cycle duration varied considerably between the different methods. The estimated proportion of female mosquitoes surviving each day of 0.740 (95% credible interval [0.650–0.815]) derived from light-trap data was much lower than the estimated daily survival of male mosquitoes from the model fitted to exit-trap data (0.881, 95% credible interval [0.747–0.987]). There was no tendency for the oviposition cycle to become shorter at higher temperature while the odds of survival of females through the cycle was estimated to be multiplied by 1.021 for every degree of mean weekly temperature increase (95% credible interval [0.991–1.051]). There was negligible temperature dependence and little inter-annual variation in male survival. Discussion The time-series approach fitted to the exit-traps suggests that male An. funestus have higher survival than do females, and that male survival was temperature independent and unaffected by the introduction of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). The patterns …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Jacques D. Charlwood
creator: Thomas A. Smith
creator: Ayubo Kampango
creator: Erzelia V. E. Tomas
creator: Nakul Chitnis
subject: Ecology
subject: Entomology
subject: Zoology
subject: Population Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15230
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Charlwood et al.
abstract: Background Survival and gonotrophic cycle duration are important determinants of the vectorial capacity of malaria vectors but there are a limited number of approaches to estimate these quantities from field data. Time-series of observations of mosquitoes at different stages in the life-cycle are under-used. Methods Anopheles funestus mosquitoes were caught using various methods over a 7.6-year period in Furvela, Mozambique. Survival and oviposition cycle duration were estimated using (i) an existing time-series approach for analysing dissections of mosquitoes caught in light-traps, extended to allow for variability in the duration of the cycle; (ii) an established approach for estimating cycle duration from resting collection data; (iii) a novel time-series approach fitted to numbers and categories of mosquitoes caught in exit-traps. Results Data were available from 7,396, 6,041 and 1,527 trap-nights for exit-traps, light-traps and resting collections respectively. Estimates of cycle duration varied considerably between the different methods. The estimated proportion of female mosquitoes surviving each day of 0.740 (95% credible interval [0.650–0.815]) derived from light-trap data was much lower than the estimated daily survival of male mosquitoes from the model fitted to exit-trap data (0.881, 95% credible interval [0.747–0.987]). There was no tendency for the oviposition cycle to become shorter at higher temperature while the odds of survival of females through the cycle was estimated to be multiplied by 1.021 for every degree of mean weekly temperature increase (95% credible interval [0.991–1.051]). There was negligible temperature dependence and little inter-annual variation in male survival. Discussion The time-series approach fitted to the exit-traps suggests that male An. funestus have higher survival than do females, and that male survival was temperature independent and unaffected by the introduction of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). The patterns …
bibliographic citation: Charlwood et al. (2023) Time series analysis of survival and oviposition cycle duration of Anopheles funestus (Giles) in Mozambique. PeerJ 11:e15230 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15230
date submitted: 2022-11-30
date accepted: 2023-03-24
issued: 2023-05-29
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Charlwood
  given name: Jacques D.
author list: Agent
  family name: Smith
  given name: Thomas A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Kampango
  given name: Ayubo
author list: Agent
  family name: Tomas
  given name: Erzelia V. E.
author list: Agent
  family name: Chitnis
  given name: Nakul
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15230
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-05-29
copyright: © 2023 Charlwood et al.
attribution name: Charlwood et al.

Does ankle push-off correct for errors in anterior–posterior foot placement relative to center-of-mass states?
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Understanding the mechanisms humans use to stabilize walking is vital for predicting falls in elderly. Modeling studies identified two potential mechanisms to stabilize gait in the anterior-posterior direction: foot placement control and ankle push-off control: foot placement depends on position and velocity of the center-of-mass (CoM) and push-off covaries with deviations between actual and predicted CoM trajectories. While both control mechanisms have been reported in humans, it is unknown whether especially the latter one is employed in unperturbed steady-state walking. Based on the finding of Wang and Srinivasan that foot placement deviates in the same direction as the CoM states in the preceding swing phase, and assuming that this covariance serves the role of stabilizing gait, the covariance between the CoM states and foot placement can be seen as a measure of foot placement accuracy. We subsequently interpreted the residual variance in foot placement from a linear regression model as “errors” that must be compensated, and investigated whether these foot placement errors were correlated to push-off kinetic time series of the subsequent double stance phase. We found ankle push-off torque to be correlated to the foot placement errors in 30 participants when walking at normal and slow speeds, with peak correlations over the double stance phase up to 0.39. Our study suggests that humans use a push-off strategy for correcting foot placement errors in steady-state walking.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Jian Jin
creator: Jaap H. van Dieën
creator: Dinant Kistemaker
creator: Andreas Daffertshofer
creator: Sjoerd M. Bruijn
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Biomechanics
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15375
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Jin et al.
abstract: Understanding the mechanisms humans use to stabilize walking is vital for predicting falls in elderly. Modeling studies identified two potential mechanisms to stabilize gait in the anterior-posterior direction: foot placement control and ankle push-off control: foot placement depends on position and velocity of the center-of-mass (CoM) and push-off covaries with deviations between actual and predicted CoM trajectories. While both control mechanisms have been reported in humans, it is unknown whether especially the latter one is employed in unperturbed steady-state walking. Based on the finding of Wang and Srinivasan that foot placement deviates in the same direction as the CoM states in the preceding swing phase, and assuming that this covariance serves the role of stabilizing gait, the covariance between the CoM states and foot placement can be seen as a measure of foot placement accuracy. We subsequently interpreted the residual variance in foot placement from a linear regression model as “errors” that must be compensated, and investigated whether these foot placement errors were correlated to push-off kinetic time series of the subsequent double stance phase. We found ankle push-off torque to be correlated to the foot placement errors in 30 participants when walking at normal and slow speeds, with peak correlations over the double stance phase up to 0.39. Our study suggests that humans use a push-off strategy for correcting foot placement errors in steady-state walking.
bibliographic citation: Jin et al. (2023) Does ankle push-off correct for errors in anterior–posterior foot placement relative to center-of-mass states?. PeerJ 11:e15375 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15375
date submitted: 2022-12-09
date accepted: 2023-04-18
issued: 2023-05-29
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Jin
  given name: Jian
author list: Agent
  family name: van Dieën
  given name: Jaap H.
author list: Agent
  family name: Kistemaker
  given name: Dinant
author list: Agent
  family name: Daffertshofer
  given name: Andreas
author list: Agent
  family name: Bruijn
  given name: Sjoerd M.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15375
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-05-29
copyright: ©2023 Jin et al.
attribution name: Jin et al.

The behaviour and activity budgets of two sympatric sloths; Bradypus variegatus and Choloepus hoffmanni
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: It is usually beneficial for species to restrict activity to a particular phase of the 24-hour cycle as this enables the development of morphological and behavioural adaptations to enhance survival under specific biotic and abiotic conditions. Sloth activity patterns are thought to be strongly related to the environmental conditions due to the metabolic consequences of having a low and highly variable core body temperature. Understanding the drivers of sloth activity and their ability to withstand environmental fluctuations is of growing importance for the development of effective conservation measures, particularly when we consider the vulnerability of tropical ecosystems to climate change and the escalating impacts of anthropogenic activities in South and Central America. Unfortunately, the cryptic nature of sloths makes long term observational research difficult and so there is very little existing literature examining the behavioural ecology of wild sloths. Here, we used micro data loggers to continuously record, for the first time, the behaviour of both Bradypus and Choloepus sloths over periods of days to weeks. We investigate how fluctuations in the environmental conditions affect the activity of sloths inhabiting a lowland rainforest on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and examined how this might relate to their low power lifestyle. Both Bradypus and Choloepus sloths were found to be cathemeral in their activity, with high levels of between-individual and within-individual variation in the amounts of time spent active, and in the temporal distribution of activity over the 24-hour cycle. Daily temperature did not affect activity, although Bradypus sloths were found to show increased nocturnal activity on colder nights, and on nights following colder days. Our results demonstrate a distinct lack of synchronicity within the same population, and we suggest that this pattern provides sloths with the flexibility to exploit favourable environmental conditions whil…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Rebecca N. Cliffe
creator: Ryan J. Haupt
creator: Sarah Kennedy
creator: Cerys Felton
creator: Hannah J. Williams
creator: Judy Avey-Arroyo
creator: Rory Wilson
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Ecology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15430
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Cliffe et al.
abstract: It is usually beneficial for species to restrict activity to a particular phase of the 24-hour cycle as this enables the development of morphological and behavioural adaptations to enhance survival under specific biotic and abiotic conditions. Sloth activity patterns are thought to be strongly related to the environmental conditions due to the metabolic consequences of having a low and highly variable core body temperature. Understanding the drivers of sloth activity and their ability to withstand environmental fluctuations is of growing importance for the development of effective conservation measures, particularly when we consider the vulnerability of tropical ecosystems to climate change and the escalating impacts of anthropogenic activities in South and Central America. Unfortunately, the cryptic nature of sloths makes long term observational research difficult and so there is very little existing literature examining the behavioural ecology of wild sloths. Here, we used micro data loggers to continuously record, for the first time, the behaviour of both Bradypus and Choloepus sloths over periods of days to weeks. We investigate how fluctuations in the environmental conditions affect the activity of sloths inhabiting a lowland rainforest on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and examined how this might relate to their low power lifestyle. Both Bradypus and Choloepus sloths were found to be cathemeral in their activity, with high levels of between-individual and within-individual variation in the amounts of time spent active, and in the temporal distribution of activity over the 24-hour cycle. Daily temperature did not affect activity, although Bradypus sloths were found to show increased nocturnal activity on colder nights, and on nights following colder days. Our results demonstrate a distinct lack of synchronicity within the same population, and we suggest that this pattern provides sloths with the flexibility to exploit favourable environmental conditions whil…
bibliographic citation: Cliffe et al. (2023) The behaviour and activity budgets of two sympatric sloths; Bradypus variegatus and Choloepus hoffmanni. PeerJ 11:e15430 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15430
date submitted: 2022-09-15
date accepted: 2023-04-26
issued: 2023-05-29
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Cliffe
  given name: Rebecca N.
author list: Agent
  family name: Haupt
  given name: Ryan J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Kennedy
  given name: Sarah
author list: Agent
  family name: Felton
  given name: Cerys
author list: Agent
  family name: Williams
  given name: Hannah J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Avey-Arroyo
  given name: Judy
author list: Agent
  family name: Wilson
  given name: Rory
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15430
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-05-29
copyright: ©2023 Cliffe et al.
attribution name: Cliffe et al.

CTHRC1 promotes anaplastic thyroid cancer progression by upregulating the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an extremely aggressive tumor with a high mortality rate and poor prognosis. However, the pathogenesis of ATC is complex and poorly understood, and the effective treatment options are limited. Analysis of data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases showed that collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (CTHRC1) was specifically upregulated in ATC tissues and was negatively correlated with overall survival (OS) in thyroid carcinoma patients. In vitro knockdown of CTHRC1 dramatically decreased the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of ATC cells, and in vivo studies in BALB/c nude mice confirmed that CTHRC1 knockdown significantly inhibited tumor growth. Mechanistically, CTHRC1 knockdown was found to suppress the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) at the protein level. These findings suggest that CTHRC1 promotes the progression of ATC via upregulating tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, which may be achieved by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and EMT.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yong Chen
creator: Lanning Jia
creator: Ke Zhao
creator: Zuoyu Chen
creator: Yue Han
creator: Xianghui He
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Oncology
subject: Histology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15458
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Chen et al.
abstract: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an extremely aggressive tumor with a high mortality rate and poor prognosis. However, the pathogenesis of ATC is complex and poorly understood, and the effective treatment options are limited. Analysis of data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases showed that collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (CTHRC1) was specifically upregulated in ATC tissues and was negatively correlated with overall survival (OS) in thyroid carcinoma patients. In vitro knockdown of CTHRC1 dramatically decreased the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of ATC cells, and in vivo studies in BALB/c nude mice confirmed that CTHRC1 knockdown significantly inhibited tumor growth. Mechanistically, CTHRC1 knockdown was found to suppress the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) at the protein level. These findings suggest that CTHRC1 promotes the progression of ATC via upregulating tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, which may be achieved by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and EMT.
bibliographic citation: Chen et al. (2023) CTHRC1 promotes anaplastic thyroid cancer progression by upregulating the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells. PeerJ 11:e15458 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15458
date submitted: 2022-12-30
date accepted: 2023-05-03
issued: 2023-05-29
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Yong
author list: Agent
  family name: Jia
  given name: Lanning
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhao
  given name: Ke
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Zuoyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Han
  given name: Yue
author list: Agent
  family name: He
  given name: Xianghui
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15458
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-05-29
copyright: © 2023 Chen et al.
attribution name: Chen et al.

Assessment of eight insulin resistance surrogate indexes for predicting metabolic syndrome and hypertension in Thai law enforcement officers
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Police officers in Thailand have an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, possibly due to a high prevalence of hypertension and metabolic syndrome (MetS). In this study, the researchers aimed to understand the relationship between surrogate markers of insulin resistance (IR) and the prevalence of MetS and hypertension in Thai police officers. The study included 7,852 police officer participants, of which 91.8% were men with an average age of 48.56 years. The prevalence of hypertension and MetS were found to be 51.1% and 30.8%, respectively, and the participants with MetS and hypertension were older compared to the regular group. The study looked at eight IR indices, including markers such as atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), lipid accumulation product (LAP), metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR), triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, TyG index with body mass index (TyG-BMI), TyG index with waist circumference (TyG-WC), the ratio of triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-c), and visceral obesity index (VAI). These indices were found to be positively correlated with waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and triglycerides (TG), while being negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c). In addition, the multiple regression analysis showed that higher quartiles of all IR indices were significantly associated with increased risks of MetS and hypertension. Interestingly, the IR indices were more accurate in predicting MetS (ranges 0.848 to 0.892) than traditional obesity indices, with the AUC difference at p < 0.001. Among the IR indices, TyG-WC performed the best in predicting MetS (AUC value 0.892 and Youden index 0.620). At the same time, TyG-BMI had the highest accuracy in predicting hypertension (AUC value of 0.659 and Youden index of 0.236). In addition, this study found that when two markers were combined …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Rujikorn Rattanatham
creator: Jitbanjong Tangpong
creator: Moragot Chatatikun
creator: Dali Sun
creator: Fumitaka Kawakami
creator: Motoki Imai
creator: Wiyada Kwanhian Klangbud
subject: Diabetes and Endocrinology
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Global Health
subject: Metabolic Sciences
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.15463
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2023 Rattanatham et al.
abstract: Police officers in Thailand have an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, possibly due to a high prevalence of hypertension and metabolic syndrome (MetS). In this study, the researchers aimed to understand the relationship between surrogate markers of insulin resistance (IR) and the prevalence of MetS and hypertension in Thai police officers. The study included 7,852 police officer participants, of which 91.8% were men with an average age of 48.56 years. The prevalence of hypertension and MetS were found to be 51.1% and 30.8%, respectively, and the participants with MetS and hypertension were older compared to the regular group. The study looked at eight IR indices, including markers such as atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), lipid accumulation product (LAP), metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR), triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, TyG index with body mass index (TyG-BMI), TyG index with waist circumference (TyG-WC), the ratio of triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-c), and visceral obesity index (VAI). These indices were found to be positively correlated with waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and triglycerides (TG), while being negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c). In addition, the multiple regression analysis showed that higher quartiles of all IR indices were significantly associated with increased risks of MetS and hypertension. Interestingly, the IR indices were more accurate in predicting MetS (ranges 0.848 to 0.892) than traditional obesity indices, with the AUC difference at p < 0.001. Among the IR indices, TyG-WC performed the best in predicting MetS (AUC value 0.892 and Youden index 0.620). At the same time, TyG-BMI had the highest accuracy in predicting hypertension (AUC value of 0.659 and Youden index of 0.236). In addition, this study found that when two markers were combined …
bibliographic citation: Rattanatham et al. (2023) Assessment of eight insulin resistance surrogate indexes for predicting metabolic syndrome and hypertension in Thai law enforcement officers. PeerJ 11:e15463 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15463
date submitted: 2023-02-27
date accepted: 2023-05-04
issued: 2023-05-29
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Rattanatham
  given name: Rujikorn
author list: Agent
  family name: Tangpong
  given name: Jitbanjong
author list: Agent
  family name: Chatatikun
  given name: Moragot
author list: Agent
  family name: Sun
  given name: Dali
author list: Agent
  family name: Kawakami
  given name: Fumitaka
author list: Agent
  family name: Imai
  given name: Motoki
author list: Agent
  family name: Klangbud
  given name: Wiyada Kwanhian
doi: 10.7717/peerj.15463
volume: 11
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2023-05-29
copyright: © 2023 Rattanatham et al.
attribution name: Rattanatham et al.

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