Vegetation height and structure drive foraging habitat selection of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) in intensive agricultural landscapes
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 cereals crops and an overall high crop heterogeneity (deriving from crop rotation) is fundamental to accommodate the ecological requirements of the species in different phases of its breeding cycle.
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
Incidence rate, risk factors, and management of Bell’s palsy in the Qurayyat region of Saudi Arabia
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 (n = 35, 20.5%), traditional Saudi herb medicine (n = 32, 18.7%), cauterization by hot iron rod (n = 23, 13.5%), supplementary therapy (n = 2, 1.2%), facial cosmetic surgery (n = 1, 0.6%) and no treatment (n = 1, 0.6%). The most preferred combined therapy was physiotherapy (87.6%) with corticosteroid and antiviral drugs (35.9%), and acupressure (17.6%). Conclusion The rate of Bell’s palsy was approximately 25.7 per 100,000 per year in the Qurayyat region of Saudi Arabia. Exposure to cold air and common cold were the significant risk factors associated with Bell’s palsy. Females were predominantly affected by Bell’s palsy in the Qurayyat region of Saudi Arabia. Bell’s palsy most commonly occurred in the age group 21–30 years. The most favored treatment was physiotherapy following Bell’s palsy.
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
Stigma and its associated factors among patients with COVID-19 in Dhaka City: evidence from a cross-sectional investigation
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.
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
Targeted metabolomic profiles of serum amino acids and acylcarnitines related to gastric cancer
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.
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
Correlations between muscle strength and psychological health in Chinese adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis
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 correlated with muscle strength. Psychological symptoms were more correlated to muscle strength in males than in females. The significance of the present study lies in the important insights for integrated mental and physical fitness intervention strategies that promote muscle strength and psychological symptoms simultaneously.
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
Time-dependent effect of intense capsule-coffee and bleaching on the color of resin-infiltrated enamel white spot lesions: an in vitro study
Background and Objectives White spot lesions (WSLs) are a common problem that can be conservatively managed by resin infiltration. Consumption of dark beverages such as coffee causes staining of dental hard tissues, which can deteriorate the esthetic qualities of treated WSLs. The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of dark coffee heavy consumption on ICON® resin infiltrated WSLs and the influence of bleaching on them after staining. Methods Twenty surfaces from sound human extracted third molars were used in the study. Two square-shaped buccal and lingual window areas had artificially created WSLs (received buccal resin infiltration afterward). Using VITA Easyshade, the baseline ΔE was recorded. Espresso coffee was used to immerse all surfaces for 8 days. The color coordinates according to CIE LAB were recorded for all surfaces at 2, 4, 6, and 8 days of immersion, and ΔE was calculated at each timepoint. After 8 days, in-office bleaching was applied to all surfaces according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the color. Coordinates and ΔE were recorded. For statistical analysis, an independent sample t-test was used to compare each group. A general linear mixed model (GLMM) repeated measure ANOVA was applied for statistical analysis of L*and changes due to staining over time. Results Analysis of time as a main effect on the L values of surfaces was statistically highly significant (p < 0.01). The interaction of time with surfaces under investigation and type of surface (test vs. control) as a main effect were non-significant (p = 0.47 and p = 0.35, respectively). Bleaching showed a significant difference in color lightness in both test and control surfaces compared to the mean L value at 8 days of staining (p < 0.01). Conclusion Capsule-coffee consumption gradually influences the esthetic of resin infiltration on treated teeth. However, bleaching materials might restore an esthetic shade.
Yeslam et al. (2022) Time-dependent effect of intense capsule-coffee and bleaching on the color of resin-infiltrated enamel white spot lesions: an in vitro study. PeerJ 10:e14135 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14135
Genomic differences between sequence types 1 and 104 of Streptococcus suis Serotype 2
Background Streptococcus suis is a zoonotic pathogen that can cause invasive infections in humans who are in close contact with infected pigs or contaminated pork-derived products. S. suis serotype 2 sequence type (ST) 1 strains are mostly associated with meningitis, whereas ST104 strains are mostly recovered from sepsis cases in humans. No data are available for comparison of the ST1 and ST104 strains at the genomic level, particularly concerning virulence-associated genes. Thus, genomic comparison of both STs was performed in this study. Methods An ST1 isolate (ID26154) from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with meningitis and an ST104 isolate (ID24525) from the blood of a patient with sepsis were subjected to shotgun pyrosequencing using the 454 GS Junior System. Genomic comparison was conducted between the ST1 isolate and the ST104 isolate using the Artemis Comparison Tool (ACT) to identify the region of differences (RDs) between ST1 and ST104. Results Fifty-eight RDs were unique to the ST104 genome and were mainly involved in metabolism and cell functional activities, cell wall anchored proteins, bacteriophages and mobile genetic elements, ABC-type transporters, two-component signal transductions, and lantibiotic proteins. Some virulence genes mostly found in ST1 strains were also present in the ST104 genome. Whole-genome comparison is a powerful tool for identifying genomic region differences between different STs of S. suis serotype 2, leading to the identification of the molecular basis of virulence involved in the pathogenesis of the infection.
Kerdsin et al. (2022) Genomic differences between sequence types 1 and 104 of Streptococcus suis Serotype 2. PeerJ 10:e14144 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14144
Shallow epifaunal sea cucumber densities and their relationship with the benthic community in the Okinawa Islands
Sea cucumbers are important ecological engineers in marine ecosystems. However, the fishery demand of some species, especially large-epifaunal and commercially used (LEC) sea cucumbers, has risen drastically, resulting in serious depletion of local populations for many species. Despite this problem, basic ecological data on sea cucumbers, such as population densities and preferred habitats, are often still insufficient. Here, we report on the population densities of multiple LEC sea cucumber species, and their ambient benthic communities at eight sites around Okinawa Islands. Further, we discuss the correspondence between sea cucumber densities and the surrounding coral communities. Our results show two sites within national or quasi-national parks, Aka and Manza, where stricter rules have been placed on fisheries and land reclamation compared to other areas, had the highest and third highest sea cucumber population densities among sites, respectively. Holothuria atra was observed at all survey sites and made up the majority of sea cucumber populations at all sites except for Chatan and Sesoko, where Holothuria leucospilota and Stichopus chloronotus were most abundant, respectively. Regarding the relationships between benthic composition and LEC sea cucumber species, S. chloronotus was significantly correlated with dead corals, scleractinian corals, and coralline algae. As well, H. leucospilota had significant correlations with rubble. Although there were no significant correlations between any specific scleractinian coral genus and sea cucumber densities, S. chloronotus was marginally insignificant with Platygyra and Psammocora. Notably, medium- to highly valued species were sparse in our surveys, and most of them appeared at only one site. Additionally, at one site (Odo), only three LEC sea cucumber individuals were observed. Combining these facts with relatively low population densities around the Okinawa Islands compared to densities reported in previous research from the Indo-West Pacific Ocean region, we conclude that Okinawan LEC sea cucumber populations have been and are being impacted by high levels of direct (e.g., overexploitation, as well as coastal development) and indirect anthropogenic pressure (e.g., decreasing water quality). To address the current situation, repeated monitoring and more detailed investigations to reveal the drivers that determine LEC sea cucumber species aggregations and population densities are urgently needed, along with more robust management of remaining LEC sea cucumber populations.
Hamamoto et al. (2022) Shallow epifaunal sea cucumber densities and their relationship with the benthic community in the Okinawa Islands. PeerJ 10:e14181 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14181
Histone H3K9 demethylase JMJD2B/KDM4B promotes osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells by regulating H3K9me2 on RUNX2
Background A variety of proteins including epigenetic factors are involved in the differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. These cells also exhibited an epigenetic plasticity that enabled them to trans-differentiate from adipocytes to osteoblasts (and vice versa) after commitment. Further in-depth study of their epigenetic alterations may make sense. Methods Chromatin Immunoprecipitation-PCR (ChIP-PCR) was used to detect the methylation enrichment status of H3K9me2 in the Runx2 promoter, alizarin red and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining were used to detect osteogenic differentiation and mineralization ability, western blot and quantitative RT-PCR were used to measure the differential expression of osteogenesis-related proteins and genes. Recombinant Lentivirus mediated gain-of-function and loss-of-function study. The scale of epigenetic modification was detected by laser confocal. Results Our results showed that compared with human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) without osteogenic differentiation treatment, hBMSCs after osteogenic differentiation significantly promoted osteogenic differentiation and mRNA expression such as JMJD2B/KDM4B, osteogenesis-related genes like Runx2 and FAM210A in hBMSCs cells, suggesting that upregulation of JMJD2B/KDM4B is involved in the promoting effect of osteogenesis. After overexpression and silencing expression of JMJD2B, we found a completely opposite and significant difference in mRNA expression of osteogenesis-related genes and staining in hBMSCs. Overexpression of JMJD2B/KDM4B significantly promoted osteogenic differentiation, suggesting that JMJD2B/KDM4B could promote osteogenesis. In addition, ChIP-PCR showed that overexpression of JMJD2B/KDM4B significantly reversed the methylation enrichment status of H3K9me2 in Runx2 promoter. Furthermore, overexpression of JMJD2B/KDM4B significantly reverses the inhibitory effect of BIX01294 on H3K9me2, suggesting that JMJD2B/KDM4B regulates the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs by changing the methylation status of H3K9me2 at the Runx2 promoter. Conclusions Taken together, these results suggest that JMJD2B/ KDM4B may induce the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs by regulating the methylation level of H3K9me2 at the Runx2 promoter.
Kang et al. (2022) Histone H3K9 demethylase JMJD2B/KDM4B promotes osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells by regulating H3K9me2 on RUNX2. PeerJ 10:e13862 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13862
Maximum aerobic speed, maximum oxygen consumption, and running spatiotemporal parameters during an incremental test among middle- and long-distance runners and endurance non-running athletes
Background Maximal aerobic speed (MAS) is a useful parameter to assess aerobic capacity and estimate training intensity in middle- and long-distance runners. However, whether middle- and long-distance runners reach different levels of MAS compared to other endurance athletes with similar V̇O2max has not been previously studied. Therefore, we aimed to compare V̇O2max, MAS and spatiotemporal parameters between sub-elite middle- and long-distance runners (n = 6) and endurance non-runners (n = 6). In addition, we aimed to compare the maximal blood lactate concentration [BLa] experienced by participants after conducting these tests. Methods Telemetric portable respiratory gas analysis, contact and flight time, and stride length and rate were measured using a 5-m contact platform during an incremental test at a synthetic athletics track. V̇O2, heart rate, respiratory quotient values in any 15 s average period during the test were measured. [BLa] was analyzed after the test . Running spatiotemporal parameters were recorded at the last two steps of each 400 m lap. A coefficient of variation (%CV) was calculated for each spatiotemporal variable in each participant from 8 km h−1 onwards. Results Whereas runners reported faster MAS (21.0 vs. 18.2 km h−1) than non-runners (p = 0.0001, ES = 3.0), no differences were found for V̇O2max and maximum blood lactate concentration during the running tests (p > 0.05). While significant increases in flight time and stride length and frequency (p < 0.001, 0.52 ≤ ${\eta }_{p}^{2}$ η p 2 ≤ 0.8) were observed throughout the tests, decreases in contact time (p < 0.001, ${\eta }_{p}^{2}=0.9$ η p 2 = 0 . 9 ) were reported. Runners displayed a greater %CV (p = 0.015) in stride length than non-runners. We conclude that middle- and long-distance runners can achieve a faster MAS compared to non-running endurance athletes despite exhibiting a similar V̇O2max. This superior performance may be associated to a greater mechanical efficiency. Overall, runners displayed a greater ability to modify stride length to achieve fast speeds, which may be related to a more mechanically efficient pattern of spatiotemporal parameters than non-runners.
Casado et al. (2022) Maximum aerobic speed, maximum oxygen consumption, and running spatiotemporal parameters during an incremental test among middle- and long-distance runners and endurance non-running athletes. PeerJ 10:e14035 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14035