PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Analysis of influencing factors of serum total protein and serum calcium content in plasma donors
items: The influence of parenting style and coping behavior on nonsuicidal self-injury behavior in different genders based on path analysis
items: Biomechanical analyses of pterygotid sea scorpion chelicerae uncover predatory specialisation within eurypterids
items: Generation of raptor diversity in Europe: linking speciation with climate changes and the ability to migrate
items: Metagenomics analysis of the effects of Agaricus bisporus mycelia on microbial diversity and CAZymes in compost
items: Characteristics and usefulness of trunk muscle endurance tests on the Roman chair in healthy adults
items: Sex ratio and relatedness in the Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) population of Serbia
items: Catalases in the pathogenesis of Sporothrix schenckii research
items: Estimation of common percentile of rainfall datasets in Thailand using delta-lognormal distributions
items: Symbiotic association of microalgae and plants in a deep water culture system

Analysis of influencing factors of serum total protein and serum calcium content in plasma donors
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background and objectives The adverse effects of plasma donation on the body has lowered the odds of donation. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of abnormal serum calcium and total serum protein related to plasma donation, identify the influencing factors, and come up with suggestions to make plasma donation safer. Methods Donors from 10 plasmapheresis centers in five provinces of China participated in this study. Serum samples were collected before donation. Serum calcium was measured by arsenazo III colorimetry, and the biuret method was used for total serum protein assay. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to conduct serum calcium and total serum protein tests. Results The mean serum calcium was 2.3 ± 0.15 mmol/L and total serum protein was 67.75 ± 6.02 g/L. The proportions of plasma donors whose serum calcium and total serum protein were lower than normal were 20.55% (815/3,966) and 27.99% (1,111/3,969), respectively. There were significant differences in mean serum calcium and total serum protein of plasma donors with different plasma donation frequencies, gender, age, regions, and body mass index (BMI), (all p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that donation frequencies, age, BMI and regions were significantly associated with a higher risk of low serum calcium level, and donation frequencies, gender, age and regions were significant determinants factors of odds of abnormal total serum protein. Conclusions Donation frequencies, gender, age, regions, and BMI showed different effects on serum calcium and total serum protein. More attention should be paid to the age, donation frequency and region of plasma donors to reduce the probability of low serum calcium and low total serum protein.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Bin Liu
creator: Demei Dong
creator: Zongkui Wang
creator: Yang Gao
creator: Ding Yu
creator: Shengliang Ye
creator: Xi Du
creator: Li Ma
creator: Haijun Cao
creator: Fengjuan Liu
creator: Rong Zhang
creator: Changqing Li
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Hematology
subject: Metabolic Sciences
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14474
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Liu et al.
abstract: Background and objectives The adverse effects of plasma donation on the body has lowered the odds of donation. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of abnormal serum calcium and total serum protein related to plasma donation, identify the influencing factors, and come up with suggestions to make plasma donation safer. Methods Donors from 10 plasmapheresis centers in five provinces of China participated in this study. Serum samples were collected before donation. Serum calcium was measured by arsenazo III colorimetry, and the biuret method was used for total serum protein assay. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to conduct serum calcium and total serum protein tests. Results The mean serum calcium was 2.3 ± 0.15 mmol/L and total serum protein was 67.75 ± 6.02 g/L. The proportions of plasma donors whose serum calcium and total serum protein were lower than normal were 20.55% (815/3,966) and 27.99% (1,111/3,969), respectively. There were significant differences in mean serum calcium and total serum protein of plasma donors with different plasma donation frequencies, gender, age, regions, and body mass index (BMI), (all p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that donation frequencies, age, BMI and regions were significantly associated with a higher risk of low serum calcium level, and donation frequencies, gender, age and regions were significant determinants factors of odds of abnormal total serum protein. Conclusions Donation frequencies, gender, age, regions, and BMI showed different effects on serum calcium and total serum protein. More attention should be paid to the age, donation frequency and region of plasma donors to reduce the probability of low serum calcium and low total serum protein.
bibliographic citation: Liu et al. (2022) Analysis of influencing factors of serum total protein and serum calcium content in plasma donors. PeerJ 10:e14474 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14474
date submitted: 2022-07-15
date accepted: 2022-11-07
issued: 2022-12-09
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Bin
author list: Agent
  family name: Dong
  given name: Demei
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Zongkui
author list: Agent
  family name: Gao
  given name: Yang
author list: Agent
  family name: Yu
  given name: Ding
author list: Agent
  family name: Ye
  given name: Shengliang
author list: Agent
  family name: Du
  given name: Xi
author list: Agent
  family name: Ma
  given name: Li
author list: Agent
  family name: Cao
  given name: Haijun
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Fengjuan
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Rong
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Changqing
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14474
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-12-09
copyright: ©2022 Liu et al.
attribution name: Liu et al.

The influence of parenting style and coping behavior on nonsuicidal self-injury behavior in different genders based on path analysis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors—an important factor that profoundly affects the physical and mental health of young people—are induced by complex and diverse factors, while showing significant differences at the gender level. We examined mediating behaviors among parenting styles, students’ coping styles, and endogenous and exogenous influencing variables of adolescents’ NSSI behaviors. Methods In this cross-sectional study, Secondary school students in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China (n = 2,689; F/M:1532/1157) were surveyed for basic attributes, parenting styles, coping styles, and NSSI behaviors. After the initial screening of the sample data, several external derivatives were screened based on the single factor analysis method. On this basis, the construction of path analysis models under multivariate multiple elicitations was carried out. Results The overall prevalence of NSSI was 15.16%, and the incidence of NSSI in boys was lower than that in girls (OR = 0.334, 95% CI [0.235–0.474]). The path analysis model data fit well; the indicators of female and male part are: CFI = 0.913/0.923, GFI = 0.964/0.977, SRMR = 0.055/0.047, RMSEA = 0.097/0.069 with 90% confidence interval (CI) [0.084–0.111]/[0.054–0.084]. For female, when negative coping style and extreme education affect NSSI respectively, the standardized path coefficient values are 0.478 (z = 20.636, P = 0.000 < 0.01) and 0.151 (z = 6.524, P = 0.000 < 0.01) respectively, while for male, the corresponding values become 0.225 (z = 7.057, P < 0.001) and 0.104 (z = 3.262, P < 0.001). Conclusion In particular, we investigated the mediating effects of gender-specific NSSI influences and found that NSSI behaviors were strongly associated with environmental variables and individual factors, especially family parenting style and adolescent coping style, which influenced NSSI in a gender-specific manner. The results showed that males were the target of both positive and negative parenting styles, w…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Fang Cheng
creator: Changzhou Hu
creator: Wenwu Zhang
creator: Huabing Xie
creator: Liangliang Shen
creator: Beini Wang
creator: Zhenyu Hu
creator: Yucheng Wang
creator: Haihang Yu
subject: Pediatrics
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Public Health
subject: Ethical Issues
subject: Mental Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14507
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Cheng et al.
abstract: Background Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors—an important factor that profoundly affects the physical and mental health of young people—are induced by complex and diverse factors, while showing significant differences at the gender level. We examined mediating behaviors among parenting styles, students’ coping styles, and endogenous and exogenous influencing variables of adolescents’ NSSI behaviors. Methods In this cross-sectional study, Secondary school students in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China (n = 2,689; F/M:1532/1157) were surveyed for basic attributes, parenting styles, coping styles, and NSSI behaviors. After the initial screening of the sample data, several external derivatives were screened based on the single factor analysis method. On this basis, the construction of path analysis models under multivariate multiple elicitations was carried out. Results The overall prevalence of NSSI was 15.16%, and the incidence of NSSI in boys was lower than that in girls (OR = 0.334, 95% CI [0.235–0.474]). The path analysis model data fit well; the indicators of female and male part are: CFI = 0.913/0.923, GFI = 0.964/0.977, SRMR = 0.055/0.047, RMSEA = 0.097/0.069 with 90% confidence interval (CI) [0.084–0.111]/[0.054–0.084]. For female, when negative coping style and extreme education affect NSSI respectively, the standardized path coefficient values are 0.478 (z = 20.636, P = 0.000 < 0.01) and 0.151 (z = 6.524, P = 0.000 < 0.01) respectively, while for male, the corresponding values become 0.225 (z = 7.057, P < 0.001) and 0.104 (z = 3.262, P < 0.001). Conclusion In particular, we investigated the mediating effects of gender-specific NSSI influences and found that NSSI behaviors were strongly associated with environmental variables and individual factors, especially family parenting style and adolescent coping style, which influenced NSSI in a gender-specific manner. The results showed that males were the target of both positive and negative parenting styles, w…
bibliographic citation: Cheng et al. (2022) The influence of parenting style and coping behavior on nonsuicidal self-injury behavior in different genders based on path analysis. PeerJ 10:e14507 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14507
date submitted: 2022-09-11
date accepted: 2022-11-13
issued: 2022-12-09
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Cheng
  given name: Fang
author list: Agent
  family name: Hu
  given name: Changzhou
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Wenwu
author list: Agent
  family name: Xie
  given name: Huabing
author list: Agent
  family name: Shen
  given name: Liangliang
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Beini
author list: Agent
  family name: Hu
  given name: Zhenyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Yucheng
author list: Agent
  family name: Yu
  given name: Haihang
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14507
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-12-09
copyright: © 2022 Cheng et al.
attribution name: Cheng et al.

Biomechanical analyses of pterygotid sea scorpion chelicerae uncover predatory specialisation within eurypterids
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Eurypterids (sea scorpions) are extinct aquatic chelicerates. Within this group, members of Pterygotidae represent some of the largest known marine arthropods. Representatives of this family all have hypertrophied, anteriorly-directed chelicerae and are commonly considered Silurian and Devonian apex predators. Despite a long history of research interest in these appendages, pterygotids have been subject to limited biomechanical investigation. Here, we present finite element analysis (FEA) models of four different pterygotid chelicerae—those of Acutiramus bohemicus, Erettopterus bilobus, Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, and Pterygotus anglicus—informed through muscle data and finite element models (FEMs) of chelae from 16 extant scorpion taxa. We find that Er. bilobus and Pt. anglicus have comparable stress patterns to modern scorpions, suggesting a generalised diet that probably included other eurypterids and, in the Devonian species, armoured fishes, as indicated by co-occurring fauna. Acutiramus bohemicus is markedly different, with the stress being concentrated in the proximal free ramus and the serrated denticles. This indicates a morphology better suited for targeting softer prey. Jaekelopterus rhenaniae exhibits much lower stress across the entire model. This, combined with an extremely large body size, suggests that the species likely fed on larger and harder prey, including heavily armoured fishes. The range of cheliceral morphologies and stress patterns within Pterygotidae demonstrate that members of this family had variable diets, with only the most derived species likely to feed on armoured prey, such as placoderms. Indeed, increased sizes of these forms throughout the mid-Palaeozoic may represent an ‘arms race’ between eurypterids and armoured fishes, with Devonian pterygotids adapting to the rapid diversification of placoderms.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Russell D. C. Bicknell
creator: Yuri Simone
creator: Arie van der Meijden
creator: Stephen Wroe
creator: Gregory D. Edgecombe
creator: John R. Paterson
subject: Computational Biology
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Paleontology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14515
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Bicknell et al.
abstract: Eurypterids (sea scorpions) are extinct aquatic chelicerates. Within this group, members of Pterygotidae represent some of the largest known marine arthropods. Representatives of this family all have hypertrophied, anteriorly-directed chelicerae and are commonly considered Silurian and Devonian apex predators. Despite a long history of research interest in these appendages, pterygotids have been subject to limited biomechanical investigation. Here, we present finite element analysis (FEA) models of four different pterygotid chelicerae—those of Acutiramus bohemicus, Erettopterus bilobus, Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, and Pterygotus anglicus—informed through muscle data and finite element models (FEMs) of chelae from 16 extant scorpion taxa. We find that Er. bilobus and Pt. anglicus have comparable stress patterns to modern scorpions, suggesting a generalised diet that probably included other eurypterids and, in the Devonian species, armoured fishes, as indicated by co-occurring fauna. Acutiramus bohemicus is markedly different, with the stress being concentrated in the proximal free ramus and the serrated denticles. This indicates a morphology better suited for targeting softer prey. Jaekelopterus rhenaniae exhibits much lower stress across the entire model. This, combined with an extremely large body size, suggests that the species likely fed on larger and harder prey, including heavily armoured fishes. The range of cheliceral morphologies and stress patterns within Pterygotidae demonstrate that members of this family had variable diets, with only the most derived species likely to feed on armoured prey, such as placoderms. Indeed, increased sizes of these forms throughout the mid-Palaeozoic may represent an ‘arms race’ between eurypterids and armoured fishes, with Devonian pterygotids adapting to the rapid diversification of placoderms.
bibliographic citation: Bicknell et al. (2022) Biomechanical analyses of pterygotid sea scorpion chelicerae uncover predatory specialisation within eurypterids. PeerJ 10:e14515 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14515
date submitted: 2022-09-30
date accepted: 2022-11-14
issued: 2022-12-09
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Bicknell
  given name: Russell D. C.
author list: Agent
  family name: Simone
  given name: Yuri
author list: Agent
  family name: van der Meijden
  given name: Arie
author list: Agent
  family name: Wroe
  given name: Stephen
author list: Agent
  family name: Edgecombe
  given name: Gregory D.
author list: Agent
  family name: Paterson
  given name: John R.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14515
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-12-09
copyright: © 2022 Bicknell et al.
attribution name: Bicknell et al.

Generation of raptor diversity in Europe: linking speciation with climate changes and the ability to migrate
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Europe holds a rich community of diurnal birds of prey, and the highest proportion of transcontinental migratory raptorial species of any landmass. This study will test the hypotheses that the high diversification of the raptor assemblage in Europe is a recent event, that closely related species sharing the same trophic niches can only coexist in sympatry during the breeding period, when food availability is higher, and finally that migration is a function of size, with the smaller species in every trophic group moving further. A consensus molecular phylogeny for the 38 regular breeding species of raptors in Europe was obtained from BirdTree (www.birdtree.org). For the same species, a trophic niche cluster dendrogram was constructed. Size and migratory strategy were introduced in the resulting phylogeny, where trophic groups were also identified. Multispecific trophic groups tended to be composed of reciprocal sister species of different sizes, while monospecific groups (n = 3) were composed of highly specialized species. Many speciation events took place recently, during the glacial cycles of the Quaternary, and size divergence among competing species may be due to character displacement. Nowadays, the smaller species in every trophic group migrate to sub-Saharan Africa. This investigation illustrates how the rich assemblage of diurnal birds of prey in Europe, more diverse and more migratory than, for instance, the North American assemblage at equivalent latitudes, has emerged recently due to the multiplication of look-alike species with similar trophic ecologies, possibly in climate refugia during cold periods.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Juan J. Negro
creator: Eduardo J. Rodríguez-Rodríguez
creator: Airam Rodríguez
creator: Keith Bildstein
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Ecology
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Genetics
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14505
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Negro et al.
abstract: Europe holds a rich community of diurnal birds of prey, and the highest proportion of transcontinental migratory raptorial species of any landmass. This study will test the hypotheses that the high diversification of the raptor assemblage in Europe is a recent event, that closely related species sharing the same trophic niches can only coexist in sympatry during the breeding period, when food availability is higher, and finally that migration is a function of size, with the smaller species in every trophic group moving further. A consensus molecular phylogeny for the 38 regular breeding species of raptors in Europe was obtained from BirdTree (www.birdtree.org). For the same species, a trophic niche cluster dendrogram was constructed. Size and migratory strategy were introduced in the resulting phylogeny, where trophic groups were also identified. Multispecific trophic groups tended to be composed of reciprocal sister species of different sizes, while monospecific groups (n = 3) were composed of highly specialized species. Many speciation events took place recently, during the glacial cycles of the Quaternary, and size divergence among competing species may be due to character displacement. Nowadays, the smaller species in every trophic group migrate to sub-Saharan Africa. This investigation illustrates how the rich assemblage of diurnal birds of prey in Europe, more diverse and more migratory than, for instance, the North American assemblage at equivalent latitudes, has emerged recently due to the multiplication of look-alike species with similar trophic ecologies, possibly in climate refugia during cold periods.
bibliographic citation: Negro et al. (2022) Generation of raptor diversity in Europe: linking speciation with climate changes and the ability to migrate. PeerJ 10:e14505 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14505
date submitted: 2022-06-22
date accepted: 2022-11-13
issued: 2022-12-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Negro
  given name: Juan J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Rodríguez-Rodríguez
  given name: Eduardo J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Rodríguez
  given name: Airam
author list: Agent
  family name: Bildstein
  given name: Keith
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14505
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-12-08
copyright: © 2022 Negro et al.
attribution name: Negro et al.

Metagenomics analysis of the effects of Agaricus bisporus mycelia on microbial diversity and CAZymes in compost
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Agaricus bisporus growth alters the lignocellulosic composition and structure of compost. However, it is difficult to differentiate the enzyme activities of A. bisporus mycelia from the wider microbial community owing to the complication of completely speareting the mycelia from compost cultures. Macrogenomics analysis was employed in this study to examine the fermentation substrate of A. bisporus before and after mycelial growth, and the molecular mechanism of substrate utilization by A. bisporus mycelia was elucidated from the perspective of microbial communities and CAZymes in the substrate. The results showed that the relative abundance of A. bisporus mycelia increased by 77.57-fold after mycelial colonization, the laccase content was significantly increased and the lignin content was significantly decreased. Analysis of the CAZymes showed that AA10 family was extremely differentiated. Laccase-producing strains associated with AA10 family were mostly bacteria belonging to Thermobifida and Thermostaphylospora, suggesting that these bacteria may play a synergistic role in lignin decomposition along with A. bisporus mycelia. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the molecular mechanism of compost utilization by A. bisporus mycelia and offer a reference for the development and utilization of strains related to lignocellulose degradation.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Wanqiu Chang
creator: Weilin Feng
creator: Yang Yang
creator: Yingyue Shen
creator: Tingting Song
creator: Yu Li
creator: Weiming Cai
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Microbiology
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Mycology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14426
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Chang et al.
abstract: Agaricus bisporus growth alters the lignocellulosic composition and structure of compost. However, it is difficult to differentiate the enzyme activities of A. bisporus mycelia from the wider microbial community owing to the complication of completely speareting the mycelia from compost cultures. Macrogenomics analysis was employed in this study to examine the fermentation substrate of A. bisporus before and after mycelial growth, and the molecular mechanism of substrate utilization by A. bisporus mycelia was elucidated from the perspective of microbial communities and CAZymes in the substrate. The results showed that the relative abundance of A. bisporus mycelia increased by 77.57-fold after mycelial colonization, the laccase content was significantly increased and the lignin content was significantly decreased. Analysis of the CAZymes showed that AA10 family was extremely differentiated. Laccase-producing strains associated with AA10 family were mostly bacteria belonging to Thermobifida and Thermostaphylospora, suggesting that these bacteria may play a synergistic role in lignin decomposition along with A. bisporus mycelia. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the molecular mechanism of compost utilization by A. bisporus mycelia and offer a reference for the development and utilization of strains related to lignocellulose degradation.
bibliographic citation: Chang et al. (2022) Metagenomics analysis of the effects of Agaricus bisporus mycelia on microbial diversity and CAZymes in compost. PeerJ 10:e14426 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14426
date submitted: 2022-08-10
date accepted: 2022-10-30
issued: 2022-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Chang
  given name: Wanqiu
author list: Agent
  family name: Feng
  given name: Weilin
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Yang
author list: Agent
  family name: Shen
  given name: Yingyue
author list: Agent
  family name: Song
  given name: Tingting
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Yu
author list: Agent
  family name: Cai
  given name: Weiming
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14426
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-12-07
copyright: ©2022 Chang et al.
attribution name: Chang et al.

Characteristics and usefulness of trunk muscle endurance tests on the Roman chair in healthy adults
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Adequate trunk muscle endurance is considered to be an important indicator of good low back stability; therefore, its assessment is needed when determining an individual’s risk for back pain. Optimal tests to assess each trunk muscle group separately are difficult to find. The objective of this study was to verify if two groups of trunk muscle endurance tests (standard and alternative) show comparable results in terms of muscle endurance ratios, holding times and rated perceived effort to perform each test. Methods The study was designed as a quasi-experimental repeated-measures design. There was a single group of participants who took part in two different trunk muscle endurance testing. Sixty-eight healthy adult volunteers, aged 20–45 years (31.9 ± 7.2 years), without recent musculoskeletal injury or disorder participated in the study. All participants finished the study. Trunk muscle endurance tests as tested on the Roman chair (B tests) were compared with standard tests as suggested by McGill (A tests). Each group of tests consisted of an endurance test for trunk extensors, trunk flexors, and lateral trunk muscles for left and right side. The order of tests’ performances was randomly assigned to each participant, whereby a participant did perform A and B tests in the same order. In each test of A and B the holding time was recorded and a perceived effort in each test performance was also assessed by participants. Post testing performance the four ratios of trunk muscles endurance comparison were calculated for each group of tests to determine if there is a good or poor ratio between muscles. Results of each participant were compared for trunk muscle endurance ratio calculations, holding times and rated perceived effort for A and B tests. Results Results showed comparable trunk muscle endurance ratios in the three ratios observed, except for the flexors:extensors ratio (AFL:EX: 1.2 (IQR: 0.7–1.6) vs. BFL:EX: 0.6 (IQR: 0.3–0.8); p < 0.001). As compared …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Maja Petrič
creator: Lijana Zaletel-Kragelj
creator: Renata Vauhnik
subject: Anatomy and Physiology
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Public Health
subject: Sports Medicine
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14469
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Petrič et al.
abstract: Background Adequate trunk muscle endurance is considered to be an important indicator of good low back stability; therefore, its assessment is needed when determining an individual’s risk for back pain. Optimal tests to assess each trunk muscle group separately are difficult to find. The objective of this study was to verify if two groups of trunk muscle endurance tests (standard and alternative) show comparable results in terms of muscle endurance ratios, holding times and rated perceived effort to perform each test. Methods The study was designed as a quasi-experimental repeated-measures design. There was a single group of participants who took part in two different trunk muscle endurance testing. Sixty-eight healthy adult volunteers, aged 20–45 years (31.9 ± 7.2 years), without recent musculoskeletal injury or disorder participated in the study. All participants finished the study. Trunk muscle endurance tests as tested on the Roman chair (B tests) were compared with standard tests as suggested by McGill (A tests). Each group of tests consisted of an endurance test for trunk extensors, trunk flexors, and lateral trunk muscles for left and right side. The order of tests’ performances was randomly assigned to each participant, whereby a participant did perform A and B tests in the same order. In each test of A and B the holding time was recorded and a perceived effort in each test performance was also assessed by participants. Post testing performance the four ratios of trunk muscles endurance comparison were calculated for each group of tests to determine if there is a good or poor ratio between muscles. Results of each participant were compared for trunk muscle endurance ratio calculations, holding times and rated perceived effort for A and B tests. Results Results showed comparable trunk muscle endurance ratios in the three ratios observed, except for the flexors:extensors ratio (AFL:EX: 1.2 (IQR: 0.7–1.6) vs. BFL:EX: 0.6 (IQR: 0.3–0.8); p < 0.001). As compared …
bibliographic citation: Petrič et al. (2022) Characteristics and usefulness of trunk muscle endurance tests on the Roman chair in healthy adults. PeerJ 10:e14469 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14469
date submitted: 2022-07-13
date accepted: 2022-11-06
issued: 2022-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Petrič
  given name: Maja
author list: Agent
  family name: Zaletel-Kragelj
  given name: Lijana
author list: Agent
  family name: Vauhnik
  given name: Renata
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14469
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-12-07
copyright: © 2022 Petrič et al.
attribution name: Petrič et al.

Sex ratio and relatedness in the Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) population of Serbia
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Once a widespread species across the region of Southeast Europe, the Griffon vulture is now confined to small and isolated populations across the Balkan Peninsula. The population from Serbia represents its biggest and most viable population that can serve as an important reservoir of genetic diversity from which the birds can be used for the region’s reintroduction programmes. The available genetic data for this valuable population are scarce and as a protected species that belongs to the highly endangered vulture group, it needs to be well described so that it can be properly managed and used as a restocking population. Considering the serious recent bottleneck event that the Griffon vulture population from Serbia experienced we estimated the overall relatedness among the birds from this population. Sex ratio, another important parameter that shows the vitality and strength of the population was evaluated as well. Methods During the annual monitoring that was performed in the period from 2013–2021, we collected blood samples from individual birds that were marked in the nests. In total, 169 samples were collected and each was used for molecular sexing while 58 presumably unrelated birds from different nests were used for inbreeding and relatedness analyses. The relatedness was estimated using both biparentally (10 microsatellite loci) and uniparentally (Cytb and D-loop I of mitochondrial DNA) inherited markers. Results The level of inbreeding was relatively high and on average it was 8.3% while the mean number of relatives for each bird was close to three. The sex ratio was close to 1:1 and for the analysed period of 9 years, it didn’t demonstrate a statistically significant deviation from the expected ratio of 1:1, suggesting that this is a stable and healthy population. Our data suggest that, even though a relatively high level of inbreeding can be detected among the individual birds, the Griffon vulture population from Serbia can be used as a source p…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Slobodan Davidović
creator: Saša Marinković
creator: Irena Hribšek
creator: Aleksandra Patenković
creator: Marina Stamenković-Radak
creator: Marija Tanasković
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Genetics
subject: Zoology
subject: Population Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14477
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Davidović et al.
abstract: Background Once a widespread species across the region of Southeast Europe, the Griffon vulture is now confined to small and isolated populations across the Balkan Peninsula. The population from Serbia represents its biggest and most viable population that can serve as an important reservoir of genetic diversity from which the birds can be used for the region’s reintroduction programmes. The available genetic data for this valuable population are scarce and as a protected species that belongs to the highly endangered vulture group, it needs to be well described so that it can be properly managed and used as a restocking population. Considering the serious recent bottleneck event that the Griffon vulture population from Serbia experienced we estimated the overall relatedness among the birds from this population. Sex ratio, another important parameter that shows the vitality and strength of the population was evaluated as well. Methods During the annual monitoring that was performed in the period from 2013–2021, we collected blood samples from individual birds that were marked in the nests. In total, 169 samples were collected and each was used for molecular sexing while 58 presumably unrelated birds from different nests were used for inbreeding and relatedness analyses. The relatedness was estimated using both biparentally (10 microsatellite loci) and uniparentally (Cytb and D-loop I of mitochondrial DNA) inherited markers. Results The level of inbreeding was relatively high and on average it was 8.3% while the mean number of relatives for each bird was close to three. The sex ratio was close to 1:1 and for the analysed period of 9 years, it didn’t demonstrate a statistically significant deviation from the expected ratio of 1:1, suggesting that this is a stable and healthy population. Our data suggest that, even though a relatively high level of inbreeding can be detected among the individual birds, the Griffon vulture population from Serbia can be used as a source p…
bibliographic citation: Davidović et al. (2022) Sex ratio and relatedness in the Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) population of Serbia. PeerJ 10:e14477 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14477
date submitted: 2022-07-13
date accepted: 2022-11-07
issued: 2022-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Davidović
  given name: Slobodan
author list: Agent
  family name: Marinković
  given name: Saša
author list: Agent
  family name: Hribšek
  given name: Irena
author list: Agent
  family name: Patenković
  given name: Aleksandra
author list: Agent
  family name: Stamenković-Radak
  given name: Marina
author list: Agent
  family name: Tanasković
  given name: Marija
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14477
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-12-07
copyright: © 2022 Davidović et al.
attribution name: Davidović et al.

Catalases in the pathogenesis of Sporothrix schenckii research
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Pathogenic fungal infection success depends on the ability to escape the immune response. Most strategies for fungal infection control are focused on the inhibition of virulence factors and increasing the effectiveness of antifungal drugs. Nevertheless, little attention has been focused on their physiological resistance to the host immune system. Hints may be found in pathogenic fungi that also inhabit the soil. In nature, the saprophyte lifestyle of fungi is also associated with predators that can induce oxidative stress upon cell damage. The natural sources of nutrients for fungi are linked to cellulose degradation, which in turn generates reactive oxygen species (ROS). Overall, the antioxidant arsenal needed to thrive both in free-living and pathogenic lifestyles in fungi is fundamental for success. In this review, we present recent findings regarding catalases and oxidative stress in fungi and how these can be in close relationship with pathogenesis. Additionally, special focus is placed on catalases of Sporothrix schenckii as a pathogenic model with a dual lifestyle. It is assumed that catalase expression is activated upon exposure to H2O2, but there are reports where this is not always the case. Additionally, it may be relevant to consider the role of catalases in S. schenckii survival in the saprophytic lifestyle and why their study can assess their involvement in the survival and therefore, in the virulence phenotype of different species of Sporothrix and when each of the three catalases are required. Also, studying antioxidant mechanisms in other isolates of pathogenic and free-living fungi may be linked to the virulence phenotype and be potential therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Thus, the rationale for this review to place focus on fungal catalases and their role in pathogenesis in addition to counteracting the effect of immune system reactive oxygen species. Fungi that thrive in soil and have mammal hosts could shed light on the importance of these enz…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Naurú Idalia Vargas-Maya
creator: Vianey Olmedo-Monfil
creator: Jorge Humberto Ramírez-Prado
creator: Ruth Reyes-Cortés
creator: Felipe Padilla-Vaca
creator: Bernardo Franco
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Microbiology
subject: Mycology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14478
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Vargas-Maya et al.
abstract: Pathogenic fungal infection success depends on the ability to escape the immune response. Most strategies for fungal infection control are focused on the inhibition of virulence factors and increasing the effectiveness of antifungal drugs. Nevertheless, little attention has been focused on their physiological resistance to the host immune system. Hints may be found in pathogenic fungi that also inhabit the soil. In nature, the saprophyte lifestyle of fungi is also associated with predators that can induce oxidative stress upon cell damage. The natural sources of nutrients for fungi are linked to cellulose degradation, which in turn generates reactive oxygen species (ROS). Overall, the antioxidant arsenal needed to thrive both in free-living and pathogenic lifestyles in fungi is fundamental for success. In this review, we present recent findings regarding catalases and oxidative stress in fungi and how these can be in close relationship with pathogenesis. Additionally, special focus is placed on catalases of Sporothrix schenckii as a pathogenic model with a dual lifestyle. It is assumed that catalase expression is activated upon exposure to H2O2, but there are reports where this is not always the case. Additionally, it may be relevant to consider the role of catalases in S. schenckii survival in the saprophytic lifestyle and why their study can assess their involvement in the survival and therefore, in the virulence phenotype of different species of Sporothrix and when each of the three catalases are required. Also, studying antioxidant mechanisms in other isolates of pathogenic and free-living fungi may be linked to the virulence phenotype and be potential therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Thus, the rationale for this review to place focus on fungal catalases and their role in pathogenesis in addition to counteracting the effect of immune system reactive oxygen species. Fungi that thrive in soil and have mammal hosts could shed light on the importance of these enz…
bibliographic citation: Vargas-Maya et al. (2022) Catalases in the pathogenesis of Sporothrix schenckii research. PeerJ 10:e14478 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14478
date submitted: 2022-09-08
date accepted: 2022-11-07
issued: 2022-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Vargas-Maya
  given name: Naurú Idalia
author list: Agent
  family name: Olmedo-Monfil
  given name: Vianey
author list: Agent
  family name: Ramírez-Prado
  given name: Jorge Humberto
author list: Agent
  family name: Reyes-Cortés
  given name: Ruth
author list: Agent
  family name: Padilla-Vaca
  given name: Felipe
author list: Agent
  family name: Franco
  given name: Bernardo
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14478
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-12-07
copyright: ©2022 Vargas-Maya et al.
attribution name: Vargas-Maya et al.

Estimation of common percentile of rainfall datasets in Thailand using delta-lognormal distributions
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Weighted percentiles in many areas can be used to investigate the overall trend in a particular context. In this article, the confidence intervals for the common percentile are constructed to estimate rainfall in Thailand. The confidence interval for the common percentile help to indicate intensity of rainfall. Herein, four new approaches for estimating confidence intervals for the common percentile of several delta-lognormal distributions are presented: the fiducial generalized confidence interval, the adjusted method of variance estimates recovery, and two Bayesian approaches using fiducial quantity and approximate fiducial distribution. The Monte Carlo simulation was used to evaluate the coverage probabilities and average lengths via the R statistical program. The proposed confidence intervals are compared in terms of their coverage probabilities and average lengths, and the results of a comparative study based on these metrics indicate that one of the Bayesian confidence intervals is better than the others. The efficacies of the approaches are also illustrated by applying them to daily rainfall datasets from various regions in Thailand.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Warisa Thangjai
creator: Sa-Aat Niwitpong
creator: Suparat Niwitpong
subject: Statistics
subject: Computational Science
subject: Natural Resource Management
subject: Environmental Impacts
subject: Food, Water and Energy Nexus
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14498
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Thangjai et al.
abstract: Weighted percentiles in many areas can be used to investigate the overall trend in a particular context. In this article, the confidence intervals for the common percentile are constructed to estimate rainfall in Thailand. The confidence interval for the common percentile help to indicate intensity of rainfall. Herein, four new approaches for estimating confidence intervals for the common percentile of several delta-lognormal distributions are presented: the fiducial generalized confidence interval, the adjusted method of variance estimates recovery, and two Bayesian approaches using fiducial quantity and approximate fiducial distribution. The Monte Carlo simulation was used to evaluate the coverage probabilities and average lengths via the R statistical program. The proposed confidence intervals are compared in terms of their coverage probabilities and average lengths, and the results of a comparative study based on these metrics indicate that one of the Bayesian confidence intervals is better than the others. The efficacies of the approaches are also illustrated by applying them to daily rainfall datasets from various regions in Thailand.
bibliographic citation: Thangjai et al. (2022) Estimation of common percentile of rainfall datasets in Thailand using delta-lognormal distributions. PeerJ 10:e14498 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14498
date submitted: 2022-09-06
date accepted: 2022-11-10
issued: 2022-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Thangjai
  given name: Warisa
author list: Agent
  family name: Niwitpong
  given name: Sa-Aat
author list: Agent
  family name: Niwitpong
  given name: Suparat
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14498
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-12-07
copyright: © 2022 Thangjai et al.
attribution name: Thangjai et al.

Symbiotic association of microalgae and plants in a deep water culture system
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: In this study, microalgae culture (Chlorella vulgaris) and mint seedlings (Mentha spp.) were combined in a hydroponic system to improve plant growth. Mint seedlings were grown both in microalgae-containing and in microalgae-free trial groups, and both groups were subjected to aerated and non-aerated conditions to show the effect of aeration and microalgae co-cultivation on the mint weight and height. The plant quality was also determined with color measurements of the mint leaves. The increase in the weight of the plants was the highest in microalgae-containing and aerated group (0.47 g) and the lowest in microalgae-free and non-aerated group (0.22 g). On the other hand, the variation in the plant height was not significant between the groups, the growth was lateral. The best quality mint leaves were also produced in microalgae-containing and aerated group. Our results have revealed the symbiotic life of the mint plant placed in the hydroponic system with microalgae and demonstrated improved mint growth and quality. This co-cultivation system is also potentially more environmentally friendly compared to growing microalgae and mint independently because of lower cost of aeration and mixing for microalgae cultivation, higher nutrient consumption efficiency, and reduced nutrient outflow.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Gülsüm Ebru Özer Uyar
creator: Nurdan Mısmıl
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Food Science and Technology
subject: Plant Science
subject: Food, Water and Energy Nexus
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14536
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Özer Uyar and Mısmıl
abstract: In this study, microalgae culture (Chlorella vulgaris) and mint seedlings (Mentha spp.) were combined in a hydroponic system to improve plant growth. Mint seedlings were grown both in microalgae-containing and in microalgae-free trial groups, and both groups were subjected to aerated and non-aerated conditions to show the effect of aeration and microalgae co-cultivation on the mint weight and height. The plant quality was also determined with color measurements of the mint leaves. The increase in the weight of the plants was the highest in microalgae-containing and aerated group (0.47 g) and the lowest in microalgae-free and non-aerated group (0.22 g). On the other hand, the variation in the plant height was not significant between the groups, the growth was lateral. The best quality mint leaves were also produced in microalgae-containing and aerated group. Our results have revealed the symbiotic life of the mint plant placed in the hydroponic system with microalgae and demonstrated improved mint growth and quality. This co-cultivation system is also potentially more environmentally friendly compared to growing microalgae and mint independently because of lower cost of aeration and mixing for microalgae cultivation, higher nutrient consumption efficiency, and reduced nutrient outflow.
bibliographic citation: Özer Uyar et al. (2022) Symbiotic association of microalgae and plants in a deep water culture system. PeerJ 10:e14536 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14536
date submitted: 2022-09-11
date accepted: 2022-11-17
issued: 2022-12-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Özer Uyar
  given name: Gülsüm Ebru
author list: Agent
  family name: Mısmıl
  given name: Nurdan
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14536
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-12-07
copyright: © 2022 Özer Uyar and Mısmıl
attribution name: Özer Uyar and Mısmıl

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