PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Effect of humic acid derived from leonardite on the redistribution of uranium fractions in soil
items: Effect of salt stress and nitrogen supply on seed germination and early seedling growth of three coastal halophytes
items: Spatiotemporal relationships of coyotes and free-ranging domestic cats as indicators of conflict in Culver City, California
items: Regional water footprint assessment for a semi-arid basin in India
items: The cloacal microbiome of a cavity-nesting raptor, the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni)
items: Vegetation height and structure drive foraging habitat selection of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) in intensive agricultural landscapes
items: Incidence rate, risk factors, and management of Bell’s palsy in the Qurayyat region of Saudi Arabia
items: Stigma and its associated factors among patients with COVID-19 in Dhaka City: evidence from a cross-sectional investigation
items: Targeted metabolomic profiles of serum amino acids and acylcarnitines related to gastric cancer
items: Correlations between muscle strength and psychological health in Chinese adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis

Effect of humic acid derived from leonardite on the redistribution of uranium fractions in soil
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Humic acids (HAs) are complex organic substances with abundant functional groups (e.g., carboxyl, phenolic-OH, etc.). They are commonly distributed in the soil environment and exert a double-edged sword effect in controlling the migration and transformation of uranium. However, the effects of HAs on dynamic processes associated with uranium transformation are still unclear. In this study, we used HAs derived from leonardite (L-HA) and commercial HA (C-HA) as exogenous organic matter and C-HA as the reference. UO2, UO3, and UO2(NO3)2 were used as the sources of U to explore the fractionations of uranium in the soil. We also studied the behavior of the HA. The incubation experiments were designed to investigate the effects of HA on the soil pH, uranium fraction transformation, dynamic behavior of exchangeable, weak acid, and labile uranium. The observations were made for one month. The results showed that soil pH decreased for L-HA but increased for C-HA. Under these conditions, uranium tended to transform into an inactive fraction. The dynamic behavior of exchangeable, weak acid, and labile uranium varied with the sources of HA and uranium. This study highlighted that HA could affect soil pH and the dynamic redistribution of U fractions. The results suggest that the sources of HA and U should be considered when using HA as the remediation material for uranium-contaminated soils.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Fande Meng
creator: Qiuxiang Huang
creator: Yongbing Cai
creator: Guodong Yuan
creator: Liang Xiao
creator: Fengxiang X. Han
subject: Soil Science
subject: Ecotoxicology
subject: Biogeochemistry
subject: Environmental Contamination and Remediation
subject: Environmental Impacts
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14162
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Meng et al.
abstract: Humic acids (HAs) are complex organic substances with abundant functional groups (e.g., carboxyl, phenolic-OH, etc.). They are commonly distributed in the soil environment and exert a double-edged sword effect in controlling the migration and transformation of uranium. However, the effects of HAs on dynamic processes associated with uranium transformation are still unclear. In this study, we used HAs derived from leonardite (L-HA) and commercial HA (C-HA) as exogenous organic matter and C-HA as the reference. UO2, UO3, and UO2(NO3)2 were used as the sources of U to explore the fractionations of uranium in the soil. We also studied the behavior of the HA. The incubation experiments were designed to investigate the effects of HA on the soil pH, uranium fraction transformation, dynamic behavior of exchangeable, weak acid, and labile uranium. The observations were made for one month. The results showed that soil pH decreased for L-HA but increased for C-HA. Under these conditions, uranium tended to transform into an inactive fraction. The dynamic behavior of exchangeable, weak acid, and labile uranium varied with the sources of HA and uranium. This study highlighted that HA could affect soil pH and the dynamic redistribution of U fractions. The results suggest that the sources of HA and U should be considered when using HA as the remediation material for uranium-contaminated soils.
bibliographic citation: Meng et al. (2022) Effect of humic acid derived from leonardite on the redistribution of uranium fractions in soil. PeerJ 10:e14162 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14162
date submitted: 2022-07-28
date accepted: 2022-09-09
issued: 2022-10-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Meng
  given name: Fande
author list: Agent
  family name: Huang
  given name: Qiuxiang
author list: Agent
  family name: Cai
  given name: Yongbing
author list: Agent
  family name: Yuan
  given name: Guodong
author list: Agent
  family name: Xiao
  given name: Liang
author list: Agent
  family name: Han
  given name: Fengxiang X.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14162
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-10-07
copyright: ©2022 Meng et al.
attribution name: Meng et al.

Effect of salt stress and nitrogen supply on seed germination and early seedling growth of three coastal halophytes
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Due to high salinity and low nutrient concentrations, the coastal zone is considered as one of the most vulnerable of the earth’s habitats. Thus, the effect of salt and nitrogen on growth and development of coastal halophytes has been extensively investigated in recent years, but insufficient attention has been paid to the crucial stages of plant establishment, such as seed germination and seedling growth. Thus, we carried out a field experiment to evaluate the effects of salt stress (6, 10 and 20 g/kg NaCl) and nitrogen supply (0, 6 and 12 gm−2year−1) on seed germination and seedling growth of three coastal halophytes (including two dominant herb species Glehnia littoralis and Calystegia soldanella, one constructive shrub species Vitex rotundifolia) from September 2020 to June 2021. The results of our experiment showed that seeds of G. littoralis exhibited an explosive germination strategy in the early spring of 2021 with 70% of the seeds germinating. Conversely, the seeds of V. rotundifolia exhibited slow germination in the late spring of 2021 with only 60% of the seeds germinating. C. soldanella seed germination exhibited two obvious peak periods, but only 6% of the seeds germinated, which means that most seeds may be stored in the soil by stratification or died. All three halophytes showed greater sensitivity to nitrogen than salt stress during the seed germination stage. Nitrogen supply significantly delayed seed germination and reduced the cumulative germination percentage, particularly for G. littoralis. Despite the large impact of nitrogen on seed germination, nitrogen had a larger impact on seedling growth suggesting that the seedling growth stage of halophytes is more vulnerable to changes in nitrogen supply. Moreover, nitrogen supply significantly reduced the individual biomass of G. littoralis, C. soldanella and V. rotundifolia, with greater decreases seen in the dominant species than in the constructive species. Conversely, nitrogen supply increased und…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yanfeng Chen
creator: Yan Liu
creator: Lan Zhang
creator: Lingwei Zhang
creator: Nan Wu
creator: Huiliang Liu
subject: Ecology
subject: Plant Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14164
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Chen et al.
abstract: Due to high salinity and low nutrient concentrations, the coastal zone is considered as one of the most vulnerable of the earth’s habitats. Thus, the effect of salt and nitrogen on growth and development of coastal halophytes has been extensively investigated in recent years, but insufficient attention has been paid to the crucial stages of plant establishment, such as seed germination and seedling growth. Thus, we carried out a field experiment to evaluate the effects of salt stress (6, 10 and 20 g/kg NaCl) and nitrogen supply (0, 6 and 12 gm−2year−1) on seed germination and seedling growth of three coastal halophytes (including two dominant herb species Glehnia littoralis and Calystegia soldanella, one constructive shrub species Vitex rotundifolia) from September 2020 to June 2021. The results of our experiment showed that seeds of G. littoralis exhibited an explosive germination strategy in the early spring of 2021 with 70% of the seeds germinating. Conversely, the seeds of V. rotundifolia exhibited slow germination in the late spring of 2021 with only 60% of the seeds germinating. C. soldanella seed germination exhibited two obvious peak periods, but only 6% of the seeds germinated, which means that most seeds may be stored in the soil by stratification or died. All three halophytes showed greater sensitivity to nitrogen than salt stress during the seed germination stage. Nitrogen supply significantly delayed seed germination and reduced the cumulative germination percentage, particularly for G. littoralis. Despite the large impact of nitrogen on seed germination, nitrogen had a larger impact on seedling growth suggesting that the seedling growth stage of halophytes is more vulnerable to changes in nitrogen supply. Moreover, nitrogen supply significantly reduced the individual biomass of G. littoralis, C. soldanella and V. rotundifolia, with greater decreases seen in the dominant species than in the constructive species. Conversely, nitrogen supply increased und…
bibliographic citation: Chen et al. (2022) Effect of salt stress and nitrogen supply on seed germination and early seedling growth of three coastal halophytes. PeerJ 10:e14164 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14164
date submitted: 2022-04-29
date accepted: 2022-09-12
issued: 2022-10-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Yanfeng
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Yan
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Lan
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Lingwei
author list: Agent
  family name: Wu
  given name: Nan
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Huiliang
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14164
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-10-07
copyright: © 2022 Chen et al.
attribution name: Chen et al.

Spatiotemporal relationships of coyotes and free-ranging domestic cats as indicators of conflict in Culver City, California
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: As habitat generalists, urban coyote (Canis latrans) populations often utilize an abundance of diverse food sources in cities. Within southern California, domestic cats (Felis catus) comprise a higher proportion of coyote diets than in other studied urban areas throughout the United States. However, it is unclear which ecological factors contribute to higher rates of cat depredation by coyotes in this region. While previous research suggests that coyote presence may have a negative effect on free-ranging domestic cat distributions, few studies have determined whether urban green spaces affect coyote or free-ranging domestic cat occurrence and activity within a predominantly urbanized landscape. We placed 20 remote wildlife cameras across a range of green spaces and residential sites in Culver City, California, an area of Los Angeles County experiencing pronounced coyote-domestic cat conflict. Using data collected across 6 months from 2019–2020, we assessed the influence of green space and prey species (i.e., cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.) and domestic cats) on coyote habitat use and activity. Coyotes exhibited a preference for sites with higher amounts of green space, while domestic cat habitat use was high throughout our study region. Although cottontail rabbit habitat use was also highly associated with urban green space, neither cottontails nor domestic cats appeared to temporally overlap significantly with coyotes. Unlike other cities where coyotes and domestic cats exhibit strong habitat partitioning across the landscape, domestic cats and coyotes spatially overlapped in green space fragments throughout Culver City. We suggest that this pattern of overlap may be responsible for the frequent cases of domestic cat depredation by coyotes in Culver City.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Rebecca N. Davenport
creator: Melinda Weaver
creator: Katherine C. B. Weiss
creator: Eric G. Strauss
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Ecology
subject: Zoology
subject: Population Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14169
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Davenport et al.
abstract: As habitat generalists, urban coyote (Canis latrans) populations often utilize an abundance of diverse food sources in cities. Within southern California, domestic cats (Felis catus) comprise a higher proportion of coyote diets than in other studied urban areas throughout the United States. However, it is unclear which ecological factors contribute to higher rates of cat depredation by coyotes in this region. While previous research suggests that coyote presence may have a negative effect on free-ranging domestic cat distributions, few studies have determined whether urban green spaces affect coyote or free-ranging domestic cat occurrence and activity within a predominantly urbanized landscape. We placed 20 remote wildlife cameras across a range of green spaces and residential sites in Culver City, California, an area of Los Angeles County experiencing pronounced coyote-domestic cat conflict. Using data collected across 6 months from 2019–2020, we assessed the influence of green space and prey species (i.e., cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.) and domestic cats) on coyote habitat use and activity. Coyotes exhibited a preference for sites with higher amounts of green space, while domestic cat habitat use was high throughout our study region. Although cottontail rabbit habitat use was also highly associated with urban green space, neither cottontails nor domestic cats appeared to temporally overlap significantly with coyotes. Unlike other cities where coyotes and domestic cats exhibit strong habitat partitioning across the landscape, domestic cats and coyotes spatially overlapped in green space fragments throughout Culver City. We suggest that this pattern of overlap may be responsible for the frequent cases of domestic cat depredation by coyotes in Culver City.
bibliographic citation: Davenport et al. (2022) Spatiotemporal relationships of coyotes and free-ranging domestic cats as indicators of conflict in Culver City, California. PeerJ 10:e14169 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14169
date submitted: 2022-01-11
date accepted: 2022-09-12
issued: 2022-10-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Davenport
  given name: Rebecca N.
author list: Agent
  family name: Weaver
  given name: Melinda
author list: Agent
  family name: Weiss
  given name: Katherine C. B.
author list: Agent
  family name: Strauss
  given name: Eric G.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14169
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-10-07
copyright: © 2022 Davenport et al.
attribution name: Davenport et al.

Regional water footprint assessment for a semi-arid basin in India
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Water footprint assessment enables us to pinpoint the impacts and limitations of the current systems. Identifying vulnerabilities across various regions and times helps us prepare for suitable actions for improving water productivity and promoting sustainable water use. This study aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the sector-wise water footprint in the Banas River Basin from 2008–2020. The water footprint of the Banas River Basin was estimated as 20.2 billion cubic meters (BCM)/year from all sectors. The water footprint has increased over the year with the increase in population, the number of industries, and crop production demand. The average annual water footprint of crop production varied from 11.4–23.1 BCM/year (mean 19.3 BCM/year) during the study period. Results indicate that the water footprint has nearly doubled in the past decade. Wheat, bajra, maize, and rapeseed & mustard make up 67.4% of crop production’s total average annual water footprint. Suitable measures should be implemented in the basin to improve water productivity and promote sustainable water use in agriculture, which accounts for nearly 95.5% of the total water footprint (WF) of the Banas basin. The outcomes of the study provide a reference point for further research and planning of appropriate actions to combat water scarcity challenges in the Banas basin.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Mukesh Kumar Mehla
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Natural Resource Management
subject: Ecohydrology
subject: Food, Water and Energy Nexus
subject: Spatial and Geographic Information Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14207
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Mehla
abstract: Water footprint assessment enables us to pinpoint the impacts and limitations of the current systems. Identifying vulnerabilities across various regions and times helps us prepare for suitable actions for improving water productivity and promoting sustainable water use. This study aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the sector-wise water footprint in the Banas River Basin from 2008–2020. The water footprint of the Banas River Basin was estimated as 20.2 billion cubic meters (BCM)/year from all sectors. The water footprint has increased over the year with the increase in population, the number of industries, and crop production demand. The average annual water footprint of crop production varied from 11.4–23.1 BCM/year (mean 19.3 BCM/year) during the study period. Results indicate that the water footprint has nearly doubled in the past decade. Wheat, bajra, maize, and rapeseed & mustard make up 67.4% of crop production’s total average annual water footprint. Suitable measures should be implemented in the basin to improve water productivity and promote sustainable water use in agriculture, which accounts for nearly 95.5% of the total water footprint (WF) of the Banas basin. The outcomes of the study provide a reference point for further research and planning of appropriate actions to combat water scarcity challenges in the Banas basin.
bibliographic citation: Mehla (2022) Regional water footprint assessment for a semi-arid basin in India. PeerJ 10:e14207 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14207
date submitted: 2022-08-11
date accepted: 2022-09-19
issued: 2022-10-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Mehla
  given name: Mukesh Kumar
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14207
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-10-07
copyright: © 2022 Mehla
attribution name: Mehla

The cloacal microbiome of a cavity-nesting raptor, the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni)
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Microbial communities are found on any part of animal bodies exposed to the environment, and are particularly prominent in the gut, where they play such a major role in the host metabolism and physiology to be considered a “second genome”. These communities, collectively known as “microbiome”, are well studied in humans and model species, while studies on wild animals have lagged behind. This is unfortunate, as different studies suggested the central role of the gut microbiome in shaping the evolutionary trajectories of species and their population dynamics. Among bird species, only few descriptions of raptor gut microbiomes are available, and mainly carried out on captive individuals. Objectives In this study, we aimed at improving the knowledge of raptor microbiomes by providing the first description of the gut microbiome of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), a cavity-nesting raptor. Results The gut microbiome of the lesser kestrel was dominated by Actinobacteria (83.9%), Proteobacteria (8.6%) and Firmicutes (4.3%). We detected no differences in microbiome composition between males and females. Furthermore, the general composition of the microbiome appears similar to that of phylogenetically distant cavity-nesting species. Conclusions Our results broaden the knowledge of raptor gut microbial communities and let us hypothesize that the distinct nest environment in terms of microclimate and presence of organic material from previous breeding attempts, to which cavity-nesting species that reuse the nest are exposed, might be an important driver shaping microbiomes.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Alessandra Costanzo
creator: Roberto Ambrosini
creator: Andrea Franzetti
creator: Andrea Romano
creator: Jacopo G. Cecere
creator: Michelangelo Morganti
creator: Diego Rubolini
creator: Isabella Gandolfi
subject: Ecology
subject: Microbiology
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13927
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Costanzo et al.
abstract: Background Microbial communities are found on any part of animal bodies exposed to the environment, and are particularly prominent in the gut, where they play such a major role in the host metabolism and physiology to be considered a “second genome”. These communities, collectively known as “microbiome”, are well studied in humans and model species, while studies on wild animals have lagged behind. This is unfortunate, as different studies suggested the central role of the gut microbiome in shaping the evolutionary trajectories of species and their population dynamics. Among bird species, only few descriptions of raptor gut microbiomes are available, and mainly carried out on captive individuals. Objectives In this study, we aimed at improving the knowledge of raptor microbiomes by providing the first description of the gut microbiome of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), a cavity-nesting raptor. Results The gut microbiome of the lesser kestrel was dominated by Actinobacteria (83.9%), Proteobacteria (8.6%) and Firmicutes (4.3%). We detected no differences in microbiome composition between males and females. Furthermore, the general composition of the microbiome appears similar to that of phylogenetically distant cavity-nesting species. Conclusions Our results broaden the knowledge of raptor gut microbial communities and let us hypothesize that the distinct nest environment in terms of microclimate and presence of organic material from previous breeding attempts, to which cavity-nesting species that reuse the nest are exposed, might be an important driver shaping microbiomes.
bibliographic citation: Costanzo et al. (2022) The cloacal microbiome of a cavity-nesting raptor, the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni). PeerJ 10:e13927 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13927
date submitted: 2022-03-18
date accepted: 2022-07-30
issued: 2022-10-06
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Costanzo
  given name: Alessandra
author list: Agent
  family name: Ambrosini
  given name: Roberto
author list: Agent
  family name: Franzetti
  given name: Andrea
author list: Agent
  family name: Romano
  given name: Andrea
author list: Agent
  family name: Cecere
  given name: Jacopo G.
author list: Agent
  family name: Morganti
  given name: Michelangelo
author list: Agent
  family name: Rubolini
  given name: Diego
author list: Agent
  family name: Gandolfi
  given name: Isabella
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13927
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-10-06
copyright: ©2022 Costanzo et al.
attribution name: Costanzo et al.

Vegetation height and structure drive foraging habitat selection of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) in intensive agricultural landscapes
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Habitat selection in animals is a fundamental ecological process with key conservation implications. Assessing habitat selection in endangered species and populations occupying the extreme edges of their distribution range, or living in highly anthropized landscapes, may be of particular interest as it may provide hints to mechanisms promoting potential range expansions. We assessed second- and third-order foraging habitat selection in the northernmost European breeding population of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), a migratory falcon of European conservation interest, by integrating results obtained from 411 direct observations with those gathered from nine GPS-tracked individuals. The study population breeds in the intensively cultivated Po Plain (northern Italy). Direct observations and GPS data coincide in showing that foraging lesser kestrels shifted their habitat preferences through the breeding cycle. They positively selected alfalfa and other non-irrigated crops during the early breeding season, while winter cereals were selected during the nestling-rearing phase. Maize was selected during the early breeding season, after sowing, but significantly avoided later. Overall, vegetation height emerged as the main predictor of foraging habitat selection, with birds preferring short vegetation, which is likely to maximise prey accessibility. Such a flexibility in foraging habitat selection according to spatio-temporal variation in the agricultural landscape determined by local crop management practices may have allowed the species to successfully thrive in one of the most intensively cultivated areas of Europe. In the southeastern Po Plain, the broad extent of hay and non-irrigated crops is possibly functioning as a surrogate habitat for the pseudo-steppe environment where most of the European breeding population is settled, fostering the northward expansion of the species in Europe. In intensive agricultural landscapes, the maintenance of alfalfa and winter ce…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Sara Cioccarelli
creator: Anna Terras
creator: Giacomo Assandri
creator: Alessandro Berlusconi
creator: Nunzio Grattini
creator: Alessandro Mercogliano
creator: Aliona Pazhera
creator: Andrea Sbrilli
creator: Jacopo G. Cecere
creator: Diego Rubolini
creator: Michelangelo Morganti
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Ecology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13979
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Cioccarelli et al.
abstract: Habitat selection in animals is a fundamental ecological process with key conservation implications. Assessing habitat selection in endangered species and populations occupying the extreme edges of their distribution range, or living in highly anthropized landscapes, may be of particular interest as it may provide hints to mechanisms promoting potential range expansions. We assessed second- and third-order foraging habitat selection in the northernmost European breeding population of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), a migratory falcon of European conservation interest, by integrating results obtained from 411 direct observations with those gathered from nine GPS-tracked individuals. The study population breeds in the intensively cultivated Po Plain (northern Italy). Direct observations and GPS data coincide in showing that foraging lesser kestrels shifted their habitat preferences through the breeding cycle. They positively selected alfalfa and other non-irrigated crops during the early breeding season, while winter cereals were selected during the nestling-rearing phase. Maize was selected during the early breeding season, after sowing, but significantly avoided later. Overall, vegetation height emerged as the main predictor of foraging habitat selection, with birds preferring short vegetation, which is likely to maximise prey accessibility. Such a flexibility in foraging habitat selection according to spatio-temporal variation in the agricultural landscape determined by local crop management practices may have allowed the species to successfully thrive in one of the most intensively cultivated areas of Europe. In the southeastern Po Plain, the broad extent of hay and non-irrigated crops is possibly functioning as a surrogate habitat for the pseudo-steppe environment where most of the European breeding population is settled, fostering the northward expansion of the species in Europe. In intensive agricultural landscapes, the maintenance of alfalfa and winter ce…
bibliographic citation: Cioccarelli et al. (2022) Vegetation height and structure drive foraging habitat selection of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) in intensive agricultural landscapes. PeerJ 10:e13979 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13979
date submitted: 2022-01-06
date accepted: 2022-08-10
issued: 2022-10-06
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Cioccarelli
  given name: Sara
author list: Agent
  family name: Terras
  given name: Anna
author list: Agent
  family name: Assandri
  given name: Giacomo
author list: Agent
  family name: Berlusconi
  given name: Alessandro
author list: Agent
  family name: Grattini
  given name: Nunzio
author list: Agent
  family name: Mercogliano
  given name: Alessandro
author list: Agent
  family name: Pazhera
  given name: Aliona
author list: Agent
  family name: Sbrilli
  given name: Andrea
author list: Agent
  family name: Cecere
  given name: Jacopo G.
author list: Agent
  family name: Rubolini
  given name: Diego
author list: Agent
  family name: Morganti
  given name: Michelangelo
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13979
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-10-06
copyright: ©2022 Cioccarelli et al.
attribution name: Cioccarelli et al.

Incidence rate, risk factors, and management of Bell’s palsy in the Qurayyat region of Saudi Arabia
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Bell’s palsy is an idiopathic facial nerve dysfunction causing temporary paralysis of muscles of facial expression. This study aimed to determine the incidence rate, common risk factors, and preferred treatment by the Saudi patients with Bell’s palsy. Method This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Qurayyat region of Saudi Arabia. The retrospective medical records were searched from 2015–2020 of patients diagnosed with Bell’s palsy at Qurayyat General Hospital and King Fahad hospital. A 28-item questionnaire was developed by a team of experts and pre-tested among patients with Bell’s palsy before being sent to the eligible participants. The data were analyzed using summary statistics, Chi-square test, Fisher exact test and Likelihood ratio test. Results We identified 279 cases of Bell’s palsy from the medical records of the hospitals from the years 2015 to 2020, accounting for 46.5 cases per year and an incidence rate of 25.7 per 100,000 per year. Out of 279 patients with Bell’s palsy, only 171 returned the questionnaire accounting for a response rate of 61.2%. Out of 171 patients with Bell’s palsy, females (n = 147, 86.0%) accounted for the majority of cases. The most affected age group among participants with Bell’s palsy was 21–30 years (n = 76, 44.4%). There were 153 (89.5%) cases who reported Bell’s palsy for the first time. The majority of the participants experienced right-sided facial paralysis (n = 96, 56.1%). Likelihood ratio test revealed significant relationship between exposure to cold air and common cold with age groups (χ2(6, N = 171) = 14.92, p = 0.021), χ2(6, N = 171) = 16.35, pp = 0.012 respectively. The post hoc analyses revealed that participants in the age group of 20–31-years were mostly affected due to exposure to cold air and common cold than the other age groups. The main therapeutic approach preferred was physiotherapy (n = 149, 87.1%), followed by corticosteroids and antivirals medications (n = 61, 35.7%), acupressure (…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Fahad Alanazi
creator: Faizan Z. Kashoo
creator: Anas Alduhishy
creator: Mishal Aldaihan
creator: Fuzail Ahmad
creator: Ahmad Alanazi
subject: Neurology
subject: Rehabilitation
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14076
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Alanazi et al.
abstract: Background Bell’s palsy is an idiopathic facial nerve dysfunction causing temporary paralysis of muscles of facial expression. This study aimed to determine the incidence rate, common risk factors, and preferred treatment by the Saudi patients with Bell’s palsy. Method This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Qurayyat region of Saudi Arabia. The retrospective medical records were searched from 2015–2020 of patients diagnosed with Bell’s palsy at Qurayyat General Hospital and King Fahad hospital. A 28-item questionnaire was developed by a team of experts and pre-tested among patients with Bell’s palsy before being sent to the eligible participants. The data were analyzed using summary statistics, Chi-square test, Fisher exact test and Likelihood ratio test. Results We identified 279 cases of Bell’s palsy from the medical records of the hospitals from the years 2015 to 2020, accounting for 46.5 cases per year and an incidence rate of 25.7 per 100,000 per year. Out of 279 patients with Bell’s palsy, only 171 returned the questionnaire accounting for a response rate of 61.2%. Out of 171 patients with Bell’s palsy, females (n = 147, 86.0%) accounted for the majority of cases. The most affected age group among participants with Bell’s palsy was 21–30 years (n = 76, 44.4%). There were 153 (89.5%) cases who reported Bell’s palsy for the first time. The majority of the participants experienced right-sided facial paralysis (n = 96, 56.1%). Likelihood ratio test revealed significant relationship between exposure to cold air and common cold with age groups (χ2(6, N = 171) = 14.92, p = 0.021), χ2(6, N = 171) = 16.35, pp = 0.012 respectively. The post hoc analyses revealed that participants in the age group of 20–31-years were mostly affected due to exposure to cold air and common cold than the other age groups. The main therapeutic approach preferred was physiotherapy (n = 149, 87.1%), followed by corticosteroids and antivirals medications (n = 61, 35.7%), acupressure (…
bibliographic citation: Alanazi et al. (2022) Incidence rate, risk factors, and management of Bell’s palsy in the Qurayyat region of Saudi Arabia. PeerJ 10:e14076 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14076
date submitted: 2022-02-24
date accepted: 2022-08-27
issued: 2022-10-06
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Alanazi
  given name: Fahad
author list: Agent
  family name: Kashoo
  given name: Faizan Z.
author list: Agent
  family name: Alduhishy
  given name: Anas
author list: Agent
  family name: Aldaihan
  given name: Mishal
author list: Agent
  family name: Ahmad
  given name: Fuzail
author list: Agent
  family name: Alanazi
  given name: Ahmad
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14076
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-10-06
copyright: ©2022 Alanazi et al.
attribution name: Alanazi et al.

Stigma and its associated factors among patients with COVID-19 in Dhaka City: evidence from a cross-sectional investigation
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a significant disease pandemic. Dhaka City alone has contributed about one-third to the total COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh. Globally, patients with infectious diseases, including COVID-19, experience stigma. There was no quantitative estimate of stigma experienced by patients with COVID-19 in the country. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of stigma and its associated factors among patients with COVID-19 in Dhaka. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 respondents aged 18 years or older who had been hospitalized or had stayed at home and were tested negative 15 days to 6 months before the day of data collection. Data collection was done through in-person and telephone interviews using a semi-structured survey questionnaire. A 15-item COVID-19-related stigma scale questionnaire was used to assess stigma. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of stigma. Results More than half (53.1%) of the respondents experienced stigma when they were COVID-19 positive. Females were at a 3.24 times higher risk of experiencing stigma than their male counterparts. Respondents from the 60+ age group and 40–59 age group were 63.0% and 48.0% less likely to experience stigma than those from the 18–39 age group. Non-hospitalised patients had 1.67 times higher odds of facing stigma than those hospitalised. Conclusions This study reported a high prevalence of stigma among the patients with COVID-19 in Dhaka City. The current evidence base of stigma experience among patients with COVID-19 offers a solid foundation for creating effective strategies and policies and designing appropriate interventions to counter stigma, which will improve the psychological well-being of patients with COVID-19 in Bangladesh.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Md. Golam Kibria
creator: Taslima Islam
creator: Md. Tajul Islam
creator: Russell Kabir
creator: Shakil Ahmed
creator: Papia Sultana
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Public Health
subject: Mental Health
subject: COVID-19
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14092
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Kibria et al.
abstract: Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a significant disease pandemic. Dhaka City alone has contributed about one-third to the total COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh. Globally, patients with infectious diseases, including COVID-19, experience stigma. There was no quantitative estimate of stigma experienced by patients with COVID-19 in the country. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of stigma and its associated factors among patients with COVID-19 in Dhaka. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 respondents aged 18 years or older who had been hospitalized or had stayed at home and were tested negative 15 days to 6 months before the day of data collection. Data collection was done through in-person and telephone interviews using a semi-structured survey questionnaire. A 15-item COVID-19-related stigma scale questionnaire was used to assess stigma. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of stigma. Results More than half (53.1%) of the respondents experienced stigma when they were COVID-19 positive. Females were at a 3.24 times higher risk of experiencing stigma than their male counterparts. Respondents from the 60+ age group and 40–59 age group were 63.0% and 48.0% less likely to experience stigma than those from the 18–39 age group. Non-hospitalised patients had 1.67 times higher odds of facing stigma than those hospitalised. Conclusions This study reported a high prevalence of stigma among the patients with COVID-19 in Dhaka City. The current evidence base of stigma experience among patients with COVID-19 offers a solid foundation for creating effective strategies and policies and designing appropriate interventions to counter stigma, which will improve the psychological well-being of patients with COVID-19 in Bangladesh.
bibliographic citation: Kibria et al. (2022) Stigma and its associated factors among patients with COVID-19 in Dhaka City: evidence from a cross-sectional investigation. PeerJ 10:e14092 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14092
date submitted: 2022-06-02
date accepted: 2022-08-30
issued: 2022-10-06
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Kibria
  given name: Md. Golam
author list: Agent
  family name: Islam
  given name: Taslima
author list: Agent
  family name: Islam
  given name: Md. Tajul
author list: Agent
  family name: Kabir
  given name: Russell
author list: Agent
  family name: Ahmed
  given name: Shakil
author list: Agent
  family name: Sultana
  given name: Papia
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14092
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-10-06
copyright: © 2022 Kibria et al.
attribution name: Kibria et al.

Targeted metabolomic profiles of serum amino acids and acylcarnitines related to gastric cancer
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Early diagnosis and treatment are imperative for improving survival in gastric cancer (GC). This work aimed to assess the ability of human serum amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles in distinguishing GC cases from atrophic gastritis (AG) and control superficial gastritis (SG) patients. Methods Sixty-nine GC, seventy-four AG and seventy-two SG control patients treated from May 2018 to May 2019 in Gansu Provincial Hospitalwere included. The levels of 42 serum metabolites in the GC, AG and SG groups were detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Then, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and the Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to identify a metabolomic signature among the three groups. Metabolites with highest significance were examined for further validation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was carried out for evaluating diagnostic utility. Results The metabolomic analysis found adipylcarnitine (C6DC), 3-hydroxy-hexadecanoylcarnitine (C16OH), hexanoylcarnitine (C6), free carnitine (C0) and arginine (ARG) were differentially expressed (all VIP >1) and could distinguish GC patients from AG and SG cases. In comparison with the AG and SG groups, GC cases had significantly higher C6DC, C16OH, C6, C0 and ARG amounts. Jointly quantitating these five metabolites had specificity and sensitivity in GC diagnosis of 98.55% and 99.32%, respectively, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.9977. Conclusion This study indicates C6DC, C16OH, C6, C0 and ARG could effectively differentiate GC cases from AG and SG patients, and may jointly serve as a valuable circulating multi-marker panel for GC detection.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Dehong Li
creator: Yan Lu
creator: Fenghui Zhao
creator: Li Yan
creator: Xingwen Yang
creator: Lianhua Wei
creator: Xiaoyan Yang
creator: Xiumei Yuan
creator: Kehu Yang
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Gastroenterology and Hepatology
subject: Hematology
subject: Oncology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14115
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Li et al.
abstract: Background Early diagnosis and treatment are imperative for improving survival in gastric cancer (GC). This work aimed to assess the ability of human serum amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles in distinguishing GC cases from atrophic gastritis (AG) and control superficial gastritis (SG) patients. Methods Sixty-nine GC, seventy-four AG and seventy-two SG control patients treated from May 2018 to May 2019 in Gansu Provincial Hospitalwere included. The levels of 42 serum metabolites in the GC, AG and SG groups were detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Then, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and the Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to identify a metabolomic signature among the three groups. Metabolites with highest significance were examined for further validation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was carried out for evaluating diagnostic utility. Results The metabolomic analysis found adipylcarnitine (C6DC), 3-hydroxy-hexadecanoylcarnitine (C16OH), hexanoylcarnitine (C6), free carnitine (C0) and arginine (ARG) were differentially expressed (all VIP >1) and could distinguish GC patients from AG and SG cases. In comparison with the AG and SG groups, GC cases had significantly higher C6DC, C16OH, C6, C0 and ARG amounts. Jointly quantitating these five metabolites had specificity and sensitivity in GC diagnosis of 98.55% and 99.32%, respectively, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.9977. Conclusion This study indicates C6DC, C16OH, C6, C0 and ARG could effectively differentiate GC cases from AG and SG patients, and may jointly serve as a valuable circulating multi-marker panel for GC detection.
bibliographic citation: Li et al. (2022) Targeted metabolomic profiles of serum amino acids and acylcarnitines related to gastric cancer. PeerJ 10:e14115 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14115
date submitted: 2022-06-09
date accepted: 2022-09-04
issued: 2022-10-06
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Dehong
author list: Agent
  family name: Lu
  given name: Yan
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhao
  given name: Fenghui
author list: Agent
  family name: Yan
  given name: Li
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Xingwen
author list: Agent
  family name: Wei
  given name: Lianhua
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Xiaoyan
author list: Agent
  family name: Yuan
  given name: Xiumei
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Kehu
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14115
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-10-06
copyright: ©2022 Li et al.
attribution name: Li et al.

Correlations between muscle strength and psychological health in Chinese adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Studies indicate that muscle strength is associated with good mental health. However, it remains unclear whether muscle strength is directly correlated with psychological symptoms in Chinese adolescents. Given the declining muscle strength and worrying mental health status of Chinese adolescents, the present study aimed to estimate the correlation between muscle strength and psychological symptoms as well as explore the gender differences in those correlations in Chinese adolescents. Method From April to July 2018, a total of 14,344 Chinese adolescents from eight provinces were selected using a stratified clustered sampling method. Psychological symptoms were evaluated using the Multidimensional Sub-health Questionnaire of Adolescents (MSQA), a verified and validated questionnaire that assesses three psychological areas: emotional symptoms, behavioral symptoms, and social adaptation difficulties. Muscle strength was assessed using grip strength, sit-ups, and standing long jump. The Chi-square test was used to compare the detection rates of the different categories of psychological symptoms. A logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlations between muscle strength and psychological symptoms and explore the gender differences in those correlations in Chinese adolescents. Results In general, the detection rate of psychological symptoms for Chinese adolescents was 21.39%. Males had a higher detection rate of psychological symptoms (22.12%) than females (20.66%, p < 0.05). Psychological symptoms were present in significantly fewer Chinese adolescents with a muscle strength index >P75 (19.26%) than among Chinese adolescents with a muscle strength index ≤P25 (23.00%) (χ2 = 23.417, p < 0.01). Compared with females, the OR values for males in most groups were over one (OR = 1.04–1.43), indicating that males have a higher risk of psychological symptoms than females. Conclusions The psychological symptom detection rate of Chinese adolescents is cor…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Jinkui Lu
creator: Hao Sun
creator: Ningling Liu
creator: Jianhua Qiu
creator: Xiaofei Xia
subject: Kinesiology
subject: Pediatrics
subject: Public Health
subject: Mental Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.14133
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Lu et al.
abstract: Background Studies indicate that muscle strength is associated with good mental health. However, it remains unclear whether muscle strength is directly correlated with psychological symptoms in Chinese adolescents. Given the declining muscle strength and worrying mental health status of Chinese adolescents, the present study aimed to estimate the correlation between muscle strength and psychological symptoms as well as explore the gender differences in those correlations in Chinese adolescents. Method From April to July 2018, a total of 14,344 Chinese adolescents from eight provinces were selected using a stratified clustered sampling method. Psychological symptoms were evaluated using the Multidimensional Sub-health Questionnaire of Adolescents (MSQA), a verified and validated questionnaire that assesses three psychological areas: emotional symptoms, behavioral symptoms, and social adaptation difficulties. Muscle strength was assessed using grip strength, sit-ups, and standing long jump. The Chi-square test was used to compare the detection rates of the different categories of psychological symptoms. A logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlations between muscle strength and psychological symptoms and explore the gender differences in those correlations in Chinese adolescents. Results In general, the detection rate of psychological symptoms for Chinese adolescents was 21.39%. Males had a higher detection rate of psychological symptoms (22.12%) than females (20.66%, p < 0.05). Psychological symptoms were present in significantly fewer Chinese adolescents with a muscle strength index >P75 (19.26%) than among Chinese adolescents with a muscle strength index ≤P25 (23.00%) (χ2 = 23.417, p < 0.01). Compared with females, the OR values for males in most groups were over one (OR = 1.04–1.43), indicating that males have a higher risk of psychological symptoms than females. Conclusions The psychological symptom detection rate of Chinese adolescents is cor…
bibliographic citation: Lu et al. (2022) Correlations between muscle strength and psychological health in Chinese adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis. PeerJ 10:e14133 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14133
date submitted: 2022-03-10
date accepted: 2022-09-06
issued: 2022-10-06
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Lu
  given name: Jinkui
author list: Agent
  family name: Sun
  given name: Hao
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Ningling
author list: Agent
  family name: Qiu
  given name: Jianhua
author list: Agent
  family name: Xia
  given name: Xiaofei
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14133
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-10-06
copyright: © 2022 Lu et al.
attribution name: Lu et al.

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