PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Increased level of FAM19A5 is associated with cerebral small vessel disease and leads to a better outcome
items: Response of soil microbial community to plant composition changes in broad-leaved forests of the karst area in Mid-Subtropical China
items: Growth, maturity, and diet of the pearl whipray (Fontitrygon margaritella) from the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau
items: Sea urchin harvest inside marine protected areas: an opportunity to investigate the effects of exploitation where trophic upgrading is achieved
items: A new Amazonian species of Allobates Zimmermann & Zimmermann, 1988 (Aromobatidae) with a trilled advertisement call
items: Perception, knowledge, and attitude of medical doctors in Saudi Arabia about the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation: a cross-sectional survey
items: Loss of gut microbial diversity in the cultured, agastric fish, Mexican pike silverside (Chirostoma estor: Atherinopsidae)
items: Hydrogen sulphide alleviates Fusarium Head Blight in wheat seedlings
items: Growth regulators promote soybean productivity: a review
items: A combined association of serum uric acid, alanine aminotransferase and waist circumference with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a community-based study

Increased level of FAM19A5 is associated with cerebral small vessel disease and leads to a better outcome
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Objective FAM19A5 plays an essential role in the development and acute or chronic inflammation of the central nervous system. The present study aimed to explore the association between FAM19A5 and cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD). Methods A total of 344 recent small subcortical infarct (RSSI) patients and 265 healthy controls were included in this study. The difference in the FAM19A5 level between the two groups was compared and the correlation between FAM19A5 and cerebral infarction volume was analyzed. Also, the association between FAM19A5 and the total magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) burden with its imaging characteristics was explored. Moreover, the correspondence of FAM19A5 with the outcome was assessed via Δ National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) and the percentage of NIHSS improvement. Results FAM19A5 was highly expressed in the RSSI group (P = 0.023), showing a positive correlation with cerebral infarction volume (P < 0.01). It was positively correlated with total MRI cSVD burden (P < 0.001) and reflected the severity of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) (P < 0.01) and enlarged perivascular space (EPVS) (P < 0.01), but did not show any association with cerebral microbleed (CMB) and lacune. Moreover, FAM19A5 suggested a larger Δ NIHSS (P = 0.021) and NIHSS improvement percentage (P = 0.007). Conclusion Serum FAM19A5 was increased in RSSI and positively correlated with the infarct volume. It also reflects the total MRI burden of cSVD, of which the imaging characteristics are positively correlated with WMH and EPVS. In addition, higher FAM19A5 levels reflect better outcomes in RSSI patients.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Zhongnan Hao
creator: Shaonan Yang
creator: Ruihua Yin
creator: Jin Wei
creator: Yuan Wang
creator: Xudong Pan
creator: Aijun Ma
subject: Cardiology
subject: Neurology
subject: Medical Genetics
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13101
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Hao et al.
abstract: Objective FAM19A5 plays an essential role in the development and acute or chronic inflammation of the central nervous system. The present study aimed to explore the association between FAM19A5 and cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD). Methods A total of 344 recent small subcortical infarct (RSSI) patients and 265 healthy controls were included in this study. The difference in the FAM19A5 level between the two groups was compared and the correlation between FAM19A5 and cerebral infarction volume was analyzed. Also, the association between FAM19A5 and the total magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) burden with its imaging characteristics was explored. Moreover, the correspondence of FAM19A5 with the outcome was assessed via Δ National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) and the percentage of NIHSS improvement. Results FAM19A5 was highly expressed in the RSSI group (P = 0.023), showing a positive correlation with cerebral infarction volume (P < 0.01). It was positively correlated with total MRI cSVD burden (P < 0.001) and reflected the severity of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) (P < 0.01) and enlarged perivascular space (EPVS) (P < 0.01), but did not show any association with cerebral microbleed (CMB) and lacune. Moreover, FAM19A5 suggested a larger Δ NIHSS (P = 0.021) and NIHSS improvement percentage (P = 0.007). Conclusion Serum FAM19A5 was increased in RSSI and positively correlated with the infarct volume. It also reflects the total MRI burden of cSVD, of which the imaging characteristics are positively correlated with WMH and EPVS. In addition, higher FAM19A5 levels reflect better outcomes in RSSI patients.
bibliographic citation: Hao et al. (2022) Increased level of FAM19A5 is associated with cerebral small vessel disease and leads to a better outcome. PeerJ 10:e13101 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13101
date submitted: 2022-01-13
date accepted: 2022-02-21
issued: 2022-03-08
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Hao
  given name: Zhongnan
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Shaonan
author list: Agent
  family name: Yin
  given name: Ruihua
author list: Agent
  family name: Wei
  given name: Jin
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Yuan
author list: Agent
  family name: Pan
  given name: Xudong
author list: Agent
  family name: Ma
  given name: Aijun
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13101
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-03-08
copyright: ©2022 Hao et al.
attribution name: Hao et al.

Response of soil microbial community to plant composition changes in broad-leaved forests of the karst area in Mid-Subtropical China
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The rapid growth and expansion ofCryptomeria japonica (Thunb. ex L. f.) D. Don in karst area strongly affects plant composition of native deciduous broad-leaved forest, which seriously threat ecosystem function and service. Given the importance of soil microorganisms in regulating nutrients cycling and plant species coexistence, understanding soil microbial attributes and their relationships with soil and vegetation features in forests harboring different C. japonica abundance will help understanding the drivers of ecosystem function changes. Here we examined the diversity and composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities and their correlations with plant diversity as well as soil physicochemical properties in karst broad-leaved forests with different relative abundances of C. japonica (i.e., a high, moderate, low and no proportion level with a stem density of 1,487, 538, 156 and 0 plant/hm2, respectively) in Mid-Subtropical China. We found that soil pH decreased while soil water content (SWC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total potassium (TK) tended to increase with the increase in C. japonica abundance. In contrast, soil available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) content declined by 26.1%∼49.3% under the high level of C. japonica abundance. A gradual decrease in relative abundance of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi while a pronounced increase in relative abundance of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were observed with increase of C. japonica abundance. Alternations in bacterial composition were closely related to changes in AP and AK, while the change of fungal structure was mainly related to SWC, soil organic carbon (SOC) and pH, indicating that bacterial community was sensitive to declines in soil available nutrients and fungal structure was sensitive to changes in soil physicochemical properties (i.e., pH and SWC) and organic carbon resource. Understory plants had the highest α-diversity in forest containi…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Liling Liu
creator: Ninghua Zhu
creator: Guangyi Zhou
creator: Peng Dang
creator: Xiaowei Yang
creator: Liqiong Qiu
creator: Muyi Huang
creator: Yingyun Gong
creator: Suya Zhao
creator: Jie Chen
subject: Ecology
subject: Microbiology
subject: Plant Science
subject: Soil Science
subject: Forestry
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.12739
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Liu et al.
abstract: The rapid growth and expansion ofCryptomeria japonica (Thunb. ex L. f.) D. Don in karst area strongly affects plant composition of native deciduous broad-leaved forest, which seriously threat ecosystem function and service. Given the importance of soil microorganisms in regulating nutrients cycling and plant species coexistence, understanding soil microbial attributes and their relationships with soil and vegetation features in forests harboring different C. japonica abundance will help understanding the drivers of ecosystem function changes. Here we examined the diversity and composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities and their correlations with plant diversity as well as soil physicochemical properties in karst broad-leaved forests with different relative abundances of C. japonica (i.e., a high, moderate, low and no proportion level with a stem density of 1,487, 538, 156 and 0 plant/hm2, respectively) in Mid-Subtropical China. We found that soil pH decreased while soil water content (SWC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total potassium (TK) tended to increase with the increase in C. japonica abundance. In contrast, soil available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) content declined by 26.1%∼49.3% under the high level of C. japonica abundance. A gradual decrease in relative abundance of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi while a pronounced increase in relative abundance of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were observed with increase of C. japonica abundance. Alternations in bacterial composition were closely related to changes in AP and AK, while the change of fungal structure was mainly related to SWC, soil organic carbon (SOC) and pH, indicating that bacterial community was sensitive to declines in soil available nutrients and fungal structure was sensitive to changes in soil physicochemical properties (i.e., pH and SWC) and organic carbon resource. Understory plants had the highest α-diversity in forest containi…
bibliographic citation: Liu et al. (2022) Response of soil microbial community to plant composition changes in broad-leaved forests of the karst area in Mid-Subtropical China. PeerJ 10:e12739 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12739
date submitted: 2021-07-23
date accepted: 2021-12-13
issued: 2022-03-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Liling
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhu
  given name: Ninghua
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Guangyi
author list: Agent
  family name: Dang
  given name: Peng
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Xiaowei
author list: Agent
  family name: Qiu
  given name: Liqiong
author list: Agent
  family name: Huang
  given name: Muyi
author list: Agent
  family name: Gong
  given name: Yingyun
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhao
  given name: Suya
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Jie
doi: 10.7717/peerj.12739
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-03-07
copyright: ©2022 Liu et al.
attribution name: Liu et al.

Growth, maturity, and diet of the pearl whipray (Fontitrygon margaritella) from the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The pearl whipray Fontitrygon margaritella (Compagno & Roberts, 1984) is a common elasmobranch in coastal western African waters. However, knowledge on their life-history and trophic ecology remains limited. Therefore, we aimed to determine the growth, maturity and diet of F. margaritella from the Bijagós Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau. Growth was modelled with: von Bertalanffy, Gompertz and logistic functions. Model selection revealed no model significantly outperformed another. The sampled age ranged from less than 1 to 7 years (1.8 ± 1.9 cm, mean ± standard deviation) and size (disc width) ranged from 12.2 to 30.6 cm (18.7 ± 5.2 cm). Size-at-maturity was estimated at 20.3 cm (95% CI [18.8–21.8 cm]) for males and 24.3 cm for females (95% CI [21.9–26.5 cm]), corresponding ages of 2.2 and 3.9 years. The diet differed significantly among young-of-the-year (YOY), juveniles and adults (p = 0.001). Diet of all life stages consisted mainly of crustaceans (27.4%, 28.5%, 33.3%) and polychaetes (12.5%, 26.7%, 20.3%), for YOY, juveniles and adults respectively. This study shows that F. margaritella is relatively fast-growing, matures early and experiences ontogenetic diet shifts. These results contribute to status assessments and conservation efforts of F. margaritella and closely related species.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Owen N. Clements
creator: Guido Leurs
creator: Rob Witbaard
creator: Ido Pen
creator: Yvonne I. Verkuil
creator: Laura L. Govers
subject: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Fish Science
subject: Ecology
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.12894
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Clements et al.
abstract: The pearl whipray Fontitrygon margaritella (Compagno & Roberts, 1984) is a common elasmobranch in coastal western African waters. However, knowledge on their life-history and trophic ecology remains limited. Therefore, we aimed to determine the growth, maturity and diet of F. margaritella from the Bijagós Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau. Growth was modelled with: von Bertalanffy, Gompertz and logistic functions. Model selection revealed no model significantly outperformed another. The sampled age ranged from less than 1 to 7 years (1.8 ± 1.9 cm, mean ± standard deviation) and size (disc width) ranged from 12.2 to 30.6 cm (18.7 ± 5.2 cm). Size-at-maturity was estimated at 20.3 cm (95% CI [18.8–21.8 cm]) for males and 24.3 cm for females (95% CI [21.9–26.5 cm]), corresponding ages of 2.2 and 3.9 years. The diet differed significantly among young-of-the-year (YOY), juveniles and adults (p = 0.001). Diet of all life stages consisted mainly of crustaceans (27.4%, 28.5%, 33.3%) and polychaetes (12.5%, 26.7%, 20.3%), for YOY, juveniles and adults respectively. This study shows that F. margaritella is relatively fast-growing, matures early and experiences ontogenetic diet shifts. These results contribute to status assessments and conservation efforts of F. margaritella and closely related species.
bibliographic citation: Clements et al. (2022) Growth, maturity, and diet of the pearl whipray (Fontitrygon margaritella) from the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau. PeerJ 10:e12894 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12894
date submitted: 2021-09-27
date accepted: 2022-01-16
issued: 2022-03-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Clements
  given name: Owen N.
author list: Agent
  family name: Leurs
  given name: Guido
author list: Agent
  family name: Witbaard
  given name: Rob
author list: Agent
  family name: Pen
  given name: Ido
author list: Agent
  family name: Verkuil
  given name: Yvonne I.
author list: Agent
  family name: Govers
  given name: Laura L.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.12894
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-03-07
copyright: © 2022 Clements et al.
attribution name: Clements et al.

Sea urchin harvest inside marine protected areas: an opportunity to investigate the effects of exploitation where trophic upgrading is achieved
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Marine protected areas (MPAs) usually have both positive effects of protection for the fisheries’ target species and indirect negative effects for sea urchins. Moreover, often in MPAs sea urchin human harvest is restricted, but allowed. This study is aimed at estimating the effect of human harvest of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus within MPAs, where fish exploitation is restricted and its density is already controlled by a higher natural predation risk. The prediction we formulated was that the lowest densities of commercial sea urchins would be found where human harvest is allowed and where the harvest is restricted, compared to where the harvest is forbidden. Methods At this aim, a collaborative database gained across five MPAs in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean, Italy) and areas outside was gathered collecting sea urchin abundance and size data in a total of 106 sites at different degrees of sea urchin exploitation: no, restricted and unrestricted harvest sites (NH, RH and UH, respectively). Furthermore, as estimates made in past monitoring efforts (since 2005) were available for 75 of the sampled sites, for each of the different levels of exploitation, the rate of variation in the total sea urchin density was also estimated. Results Results have highlighted that the lowest sea urchin total and commercial density was found in RH sites, likely for the cumulative effects of human harvest and natural predation. The overall rate of change in sea urchin density over time indicates that only NH conditions promoted the increase of sea urchin abundance and that current local management of the MPAs has driven towards an important regression of populations, by allowing the harvest. Overall, results suggest that complex mechanisms, including synergistic effects between natural biotic interactions and human pressures, may occur on sea urchin populations and the assessment of MPA effects on P. lividus populations would be crucial to guide management decisions…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Giulia Ceccherelli
creator: Piero Addis
creator: Fabrizio Atzori
creator: Nicoletta Cadoni
creator: Marco Casu
creator: Stefania Coppa
creator: Mario De Luca
creator: Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia
creator: Simone Farina
creator: Nicola Fois
creator: Francesca Frau
creator: Vittorio Gazale
creator: Daniele Grech
creator: Ivan Guala
creator: Mariano Mariani
creator: Massimo SG Marras
creator: Augusto Navone
creator: Arianna Pansini
creator: Pieraugusto Panzalis
creator: Federico Pinna
creator: Alberto Ruiu
creator: Fabio Scarpa
creator: Luigi Piazzi
subject: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Fish Science
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Zoology
subject: Natural Resource Management
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.12971
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Ceccherelli et al.
abstract: Background Marine protected areas (MPAs) usually have both positive effects of protection for the fisheries’ target species and indirect negative effects for sea urchins. Moreover, often in MPAs sea urchin human harvest is restricted, but allowed. This study is aimed at estimating the effect of human harvest of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus within MPAs, where fish exploitation is restricted and its density is already controlled by a higher natural predation risk. The prediction we formulated was that the lowest densities of commercial sea urchins would be found where human harvest is allowed and where the harvest is restricted, compared to where the harvest is forbidden. Methods At this aim, a collaborative database gained across five MPAs in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean, Italy) and areas outside was gathered collecting sea urchin abundance and size data in a total of 106 sites at different degrees of sea urchin exploitation: no, restricted and unrestricted harvest sites (NH, RH and UH, respectively). Furthermore, as estimates made in past monitoring efforts (since 2005) were available for 75 of the sampled sites, for each of the different levels of exploitation, the rate of variation in the total sea urchin density was also estimated. Results Results have highlighted that the lowest sea urchin total and commercial density was found in RH sites, likely for the cumulative effects of human harvest and natural predation. The overall rate of change in sea urchin density over time indicates that only NH conditions promoted the increase of sea urchin abundance and that current local management of the MPAs has driven towards an important regression of populations, by allowing the harvest. Overall, results suggest that complex mechanisms, including synergistic effects between natural biotic interactions and human pressures, may occur on sea urchin populations and the assessment of MPA effects on P. lividus populations would be crucial to guide management decisions…
bibliographic citation: Ceccherelli et al. (2022) Sea urchin harvest inside marine protected areas: an opportunity to investigate the effects of exploitation where trophic upgrading is achieved. PeerJ 10:e12971 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12971
date submitted: 2021-07-15
date accepted: 2022-01-30
issued: 2022-03-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Ceccherelli
  given name: Giulia
author list: Agent
  family name: Addis
  given name: Piero
author list: Agent
  family name: Atzori
  given name: Fabrizio
author list: Agent
  family name: Cadoni
  given name: Nicoletta
author list: Agent
  family name: Casu
  given name: Marco
author list: Agent
  family name: Coppa
  given name: Stefania
author list: Agent
  family name: De Luca
  given name: Mario
author list: Agent
  family name: de Lucia
  given name: Giuseppe Andrea
author list: Agent
  family name: Farina
  given name: Simone
author list: Agent
  family name: Fois
  given name: Nicola
author list: Agent
  family name: Frau
  given name: Francesca
author list: Agent
  family name: Gazale
  given name: Vittorio
author list: Agent
  family name: Grech
  given name: Daniele
author list: Agent
  family name: Guala
  given name: Ivan
author list: Agent
  family name: Mariani
  given name: Mariano
author list: Agent
  family name: Marras
  given name: Massimo SG
author list: Agent
  family name: Navone
  given name: Augusto
author list: Agent
  family name: Pansini
  given name: Arianna
author list: Agent
  family name: Panzalis
  given name: Pieraugusto
author list: Agent
  family name: Pinna
  given name: Federico
author list: Agent
  family name: Ruiu
  given name: Alberto
author list: Agent
  family name: Scarpa
  given name: Fabio
author list: Agent
  family name: Piazzi
  given name: Luigi
doi: 10.7717/peerj.12971
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-03-07
copyright: ©2022 Ceccherelli et al.
attribution name: Ceccherelli et al.

A new Amazonian species of Allobates Zimmermann & Zimmermann, 1988 (Aromobatidae) with a trilled advertisement call
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Currently, 58 species are assigned to the genus Allobates, with 70% of its diversity described just in the last two decades, with many additional species likely unnamed. The continuous description of these new species represents a fundamental step for resolving the taxonomy and ensuring the future conservation of the genus. Methods Using molecular, acoustic, and morphological evidences, we describe a new species of Allobates from Teles Pires River region, southern Amazonia, and provide accounts on the population of A. tapajos found sympatrically with the new species. Results The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the coloration of thighs, venter, dorsum, and dark lateral stripe. It has four types of calls, with advertisement calls formed by relatively long trills with a mean duration of 2.29 s ± 0.65, mean of 39.93 notes ± 11.18 emitted at a mean rate of 17.49 ± 0.68 notes per second, and mean dominant frequency of 5,717 Hz ± 220.81. The genetic distance between the new species and its congeners in a fragment of the 16S mitochondrial fragment ranged between 13.2% (A. carajas) to 21.3% (A. niputidea). The sympatric Allobates population fits its morphology and acoustic with the nominal A. tapajos, but presents a relatively high genetic distance of nearly 6.5%, raising questions on the current taxonomy of this species.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Leandro A. Silva
creator: Ricardo Marques
creator: Henrique Folly
creator: Diego J. Santana
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Genetics
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Taxonomy
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13026
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Silva et al.
abstract: Background Currently, 58 species are assigned to the genus Allobates, with 70% of its diversity described just in the last two decades, with many additional species likely unnamed. The continuous description of these new species represents a fundamental step for resolving the taxonomy and ensuring the future conservation of the genus. Methods Using molecular, acoustic, and morphological evidences, we describe a new species of Allobates from Teles Pires River region, southern Amazonia, and provide accounts on the population of A. tapajos found sympatrically with the new species. Results The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the coloration of thighs, venter, dorsum, and dark lateral stripe. It has four types of calls, with advertisement calls formed by relatively long trills with a mean duration of 2.29 s ± 0.65, mean of 39.93 notes ± 11.18 emitted at a mean rate of 17.49 ± 0.68 notes per second, and mean dominant frequency of 5,717 Hz ± 220.81. The genetic distance between the new species and its congeners in a fragment of the 16S mitochondrial fragment ranged between 13.2% (A. carajas) to 21.3% (A. niputidea). The sympatric Allobates population fits its morphology and acoustic with the nominal A. tapajos, but presents a relatively high genetic distance of nearly 6.5%, raising questions on the current taxonomy of this species.
bibliographic citation: Silva et al. (2022) A new Amazonian species of Allobates Zimmermann & Zimmermann, 1988 (Aromobatidae) with a trilled advertisement call. PeerJ 10:e13026 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13026
date submitted: 2021-08-04
date accepted: 2022-02-07
issued: 2022-03-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Silva
  given name: Leandro A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Marques
  given name: Ricardo
author list: Agent
  family name: Folly
  given name: Henrique
author list: Agent
  family name: Santana
  given name: Diego J.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13026
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-03-07
copyright: © 2022 Silva et al.
attribution name: Silva et al.

Perception, knowledge, and attitude of medical doctors in Saudi Arabia about the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation: a cross-sectional survey
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Objectives There is compelling scientific evidence about the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation. However, patients with vestibular-associated dizziness and balance disturbances are seldom referred to physiotherapists in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aims to achieve insight into perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and referral practices among Saudi Arabian medical doctors relating to the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation. Methods A sample of 381 medical doctors practicing in Saudi Arabia participated in this nationwide cross-sectional study. The sample was obtained from 226 hospitals across 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia by stratified sampling method. The 23-item questionnaire developed by a team of experts was emailed to medical doctors practicing in various hospitals across Saudi Arabia. Results Out of 1,231 medical doctors invited, 381 medical doctors responded, giving a response rate of 30.9%. One hundred ninety-three (50.6%) medical doctors reported managing patients with vestibular rehabilitation. The most preferred specialist for managing patients with vestibular disorders was an Ear Nose Throat (ENT) specialist (n = 173, 89.6%). Related Sample Cochran’s Q test showed statistically significant difference between preferred specialist for managing patients with vestibular disorders (ENT specialists, physiotherapists, nurses, occupational therapists and audiologists) (χ2(4) = 482.476, p = 0.001). Out of 193 medical doctors, 153 (79.2%) reported no role of the physiotherapist in vestibular rehabilitation. One hundred forty-five (75.1%) of medical doctors reported that they were not aware of the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation. Only 27 (15.5%) medical doctors reported referring patients with vestibular disorders to physiotherapists. Conclusion The study reports that physiotherapy services are underutilized in vestibular rehabilitation due to limited referral from Saudi Arabian medical doctors. Therefor…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Danah Alyahya
creator: Faizan Z. Kashoo
subject: Otorhinolaryngology
subject: Healthcare Services
subject: Sports Injury
subject: Rehabilitation
subject: Sports Medicine
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13035
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Alyahya and Kashoo
abstract: Objectives There is compelling scientific evidence about the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation. However, patients with vestibular-associated dizziness and balance disturbances are seldom referred to physiotherapists in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aims to achieve insight into perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and referral practices among Saudi Arabian medical doctors relating to the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation. Methods A sample of 381 medical doctors practicing in Saudi Arabia participated in this nationwide cross-sectional study. The sample was obtained from 226 hospitals across 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia by stratified sampling method. The 23-item questionnaire developed by a team of experts was emailed to medical doctors practicing in various hospitals across Saudi Arabia. Results Out of 1,231 medical doctors invited, 381 medical doctors responded, giving a response rate of 30.9%. One hundred ninety-three (50.6%) medical doctors reported managing patients with vestibular rehabilitation. The most preferred specialist for managing patients with vestibular disorders was an Ear Nose Throat (ENT) specialist (n = 173, 89.6%). Related Sample Cochran’s Q test showed statistically significant difference between preferred specialist for managing patients with vestibular disorders (ENT specialists, physiotherapists, nurses, occupational therapists and audiologists) (χ2(4) = 482.476, p = 0.001). Out of 193 medical doctors, 153 (79.2%) reported no role of the physiotherapist in vestibular rehabilitation. One hundred forty-five (75.1%) of medical doctors reported that they were not aware of the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation. Only 27 (15.5%) medical doctors reported referring patients with vestibular disorders to physiotherapists. Conclusion The study reports that physiotherapy services are underutilized in vestibular rehabilitation due to limited referral from Saudi Arabian medical doctors. Therefor…
bibliographic citation: Alyahya et al. (2022) Perception, knowledge, and attitude of medical doctors in Saudi Arabia about the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation: a cross-sectional survey. PeerJ 10:e13035 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13035
date submitted: 2021-10-18
date accepted: 2022-02-08
issued: 2022-03-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Alyahya
  given name: Danah
author list: Agent
  family name: Kashoo
  given name: Faizan Z.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13035
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-03-07
copyright: ©2022 Alyahya and Kashoo
attribution name: Alyahya and Kashoo

Loss of gut microbial diversity in the cultured, agastric fish, Mexican pike silverside (Chirostoma estor: Atherinopsidae)
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Teleost fish are the most diverse group of extant vertebrates and have varied digestive anatomical structures and strategies, suggesting they also possess an array of different host-microbiota interactions. Differences in fish gut microbiota have been shown to affect host development, the process of gut colonization, and the outcomes of gene-environment or immune system-microbiota interactions. There is generally a lack of studies on the digestive mechanisms and microbiota of agastric short-intestine fish however, meaning that we do not understand how changes in gut microbial diversity might influence the health of these types of fish. To help fill these gaps in knowledge, we decided to study the Mexican pike silverside (Chirostoma estor) which has a simplified alimentary canal (agastric, short-intestine, 0.7 gut relative length) to observe the diversity and metabolic potential of its intestinal microbiota. We characterized gut microbial populations using high-throughput sequencing of the V3 region in bacterial 16S rRNA genes while searching for population shifts resulting associated with fish development in different environments and cultivation methods. Microbiota samples were taken from the digesta, anterior and posterior intestine (the three different intestinal components) of fish that grew wild in a lake, that were cultivated in indoor tanks, or that were raised in outdoor ponds. Gut microbial diversity was significantly higher in wild fish than in cultivated fish, suggesting a loss of diversity when fish are raised in controlled environments. The most abundant phyla observed in these experiments were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, particularly of the genera Mycoplasma, Staphylococcus, Spiroplasma, and Aeromonas. Of the 14,161 OTUs observed in this experiment, 133 were found in all groups, and 17 of these, belonging to Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, and Spiroplasma genera, were found in all samples suggesting the existence of a core C. estor microbiome…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Jesús Mateo Amillano-Cisneros
creator: Perla T. Hernández-Rosas
creator: Bruno Gomez-Gil
creator: Pamela Navarrete-Ramírez
creator: María Gisela Ríos-Durán
creator: Carlos Cristian Martínez-Chávez
creator: David Johnston-Monje
creator: Carlos Antonio Martínez-Palacios
creator: Luciana Raggi
subject: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Fish Science
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Ecology
subject: Microbiology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13052
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Amillano-Cisneros et al.
abstract: Teleost fish are the most diverse group of extant vertebrates and have varied digestive anatomical structures and strategies, suggesting they also possess an array of different host-microbiota interactions. Differences in fish gut microbiota have been shown to affect host development, the process of gut colonization, and the outcomes of gene-environment or immune system-microbiota interactions. There is generally a lack of studies on the digestive mechanisms and microbiota of agastric short-intestine fish however, meaning that we do not understand how changes in gut microbial diversity might influence the health of these types of fish. To help fill these gaps in knowledge, we decided to study the Mexican pike silverside (Chirostoma estor) which has a simplified alimentary canal (agastric, short-intestine, 0.7 gut relative length) to observe the diversity and metabolic potential of its intestinal microbiota. We characterized gut microbial populations using high-throughput sequencing of the V3 region in bacterial 16S rRNA genes while searching for population shifts resulting associated with fish development in different environments and cultivation methods. Microbiota samples were taken from the digesta, anterior and posterior intestine (the three different intestinal components) of fish that grew wild in a lake, that were cultivated in indoor tanks, or that were raised in outdoor ponds. Gut microbial diversity was significantly higher in wild fish than in cultivated fish, suggesting a loss of diversity when fish are raised in controlled environments. The most abundant phyla observed in these experiments were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, particularly of the genera Mycoplasma, Staphylococcus, Spiroplasma, and Aeromonas. Of the 14,161 OTUs observed in this experiment, 133 were found in all groups, and 17 of these, belonging to Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, and Spiroplasma genera, were found in all samples suggesting the existence of a core C. estor microbiome…
bibliographic citation: Amillano-Cisneros et al. (2022) Loss of gut microbial diversity in the cultured, agastric fish, Mexican pike silverside (Chirostoma estor: Atherinopsidae). PeerJ 10:e13052 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13052
date submitted: 2021-09-28
date accepted: 2022-02-12
issued: 2022-03-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Amillano-Cisneros
  given name: Jesús Mateo
author list: Agent
  family name: Hernández-Rosas
  given name: Perla T.
author list: Agent
  family name: Gomez-Gil
  given name: Bruno
author list: Agent
  family name: Navarrete-Ramírez
  given name: Pamela
author list: Agent
  family name: Ríos-Durán
  given name: María Gisela
author list: Agent
  family name: Martínez-Chávez
  given name: Carlos Cristian
author list: Agent
  family name: Johnston-Monje
  given name: David
author list: Agent
  family name: Martínez-Palacios
  given name: Carlos Antonio
author list: Agent
  family name: Raggi
  given name: Luciana
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13052
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-03-07
copyright: ©2022 Amillano-Cisneros et al.
attribution name: Amillano-Cisneros et al.

Hydrogen sulphide alleviates Fusarium Head Blight in wheat seedlings
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Hydrogen sulphide (H2S), a crucial gas signal molecule, has been reported to be involved in various processes related to development and adversity responses in plants. However, the effects and regulatory mechanism of H2S in controlling Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat have not been clarified. In this study, we first reported that H2S released by low concentrations of sodium hydrosulphide (NaHS) could significantly alleviate the FHB symptoms caused by Fusarium graminearum (F. graminearum) in wheat. We also used coleoptile inoculation to investigate the related physiological and molecular mechanism. The results revealed that FHB resistance was strongly enhanced by the H2S released by NaHS, and 0.3 mM was confirmed as the optimal concentration. H2S treatment dramatically reduced the levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) while enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Meanwhile, the relative expressions levels of defence-related genes, including PR1.1, PR2, PR3, and PR4, were all dramatically upregulated. Our results also showed that H2S was toxic to F. graminearum by inhibiting mycelial growth and spore germination. Taken together, the findings demonstrated the potential value of H2S in mitigating the adverse effects induced by F. graminearum and advanced the current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms in wheat.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yuanyuan Yao
creator: Wenjie Kan
creator: Pengfei Su
creator: Yan Zhu
creator: Wenling Zhong
creator: Jinfeng Xi
creator: Dacheng Wang
creator: Caiguo Tang
creator: Lifang Wu
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Plant Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13078
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Yao et al.
abstract: Hydrogen sulphide (H2S), a crucial gas signal molecule, has been reported to be involved in various processes related to development and adversity responses in plants. However, the effects and regulatory mechanism of H2S in controlling Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat have not been clarified. In this study, we first reported that H2S released by low concentrations of sodium hydrosulphide (NaHS) could significantly alleviate the FHB symptoms caused by Fusarium graminearum (F. graminearum) in wheat. We also used coleoptile inoculation to investigate the related physiological and molecular mechanism. The results revealed that FHB resistance was strongly enhanced by the H2S released by NaHS, and 0.3 mM was confirmed as the optimal concentration. H2S treatment dramatically reduced the levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) while enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Meanwhile, the relative expressions levels of defence-related genes, including PR1.1, PR2, PR3, and PR4, were all dramatically upregulated. Our results also showed that H2S was toxic to F. graminearum by inhibiting mycelial growth and spore germination. Taken together, the findings demonstrated the potential value of H2S in mitigating the adverse effects induced by F. graminearum and advanced the current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms in wheat.
bibliographic citation: Yao et al. (2022) Hydrogen sulphide alleviates Fusarium Head Blight in wheat seedlings. PeerJ 10:e13078 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13078
date submitted: 2021-12-13
date accepted: 2022-02-16
issued: 2022-03-07
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Yao
  given name: Yuanyuan
author list: Agent
  family name: Kan
  given name: Wenjie
author list: Agent
  family name: Su
  given name: Pengfei
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhu
  given name: Yan
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhong
  given name: Wenling
author list: Agent
  family name: Xi
  given name: Jinfeng
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Dacheng
author list: Agent
  family name: Tang
  given name: Caiguo
author list: Agent
  family name: Wu
  given name: Lifang
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13078
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-03-07
copyright: ©2022 Yao et al.
attribution name: Yao et al.

Growth regulators promote soybean productivity: a review
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] is a predominant edible plant and a major supply of plant protein worldwide. Global demand for soybean keeps increasing as its seeds provide essential proteins, oil, and nutraceuticals. In a quest to meet heightened demands for soybean, it has become essential to introduce agro-technical methods that promote adaptability to complex environments, improve soybean resistance to abiotic stress , and increase productivity. Plant growth regulators are mainly exploited to achieve this due to their crucial roles in plant growth and development. Increasing research suggests the influence of plant growth regulators on soybean growth and development, yield, quality, and abiotic stress responses. In an attempt to expatiate on the topic, current knowledge, and possible applications of plant growth regulators that improve growth and yield have been reviewed and discussed. Notably, the application of plant growth regulators in their appropriate concentrations at suitable growth periods relieves abiotic stress thereby increasing the yield and yield components of soybean. Moreover, the regulation effects of different growth regulators on the morphology, physiology, and yield quality of soybean are discoursed in detail.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Hanna Amoanimaa-Dede
creator: Chuntao Su
creator: Akwasi Yeboah
creator: Hang Zhou
creator: Dianfeng Zheng
creator: Hongbo Zhu
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Plant Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.12556
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Amoanimaa-Dede et al.
abstract: Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] is a predominant edible plant and a major supply of plant protein worldwide. Global demand for soybean keeps increasing as its seeds provide essential proteins, oil, and nutraceuticals. In a quest to meet heightened demands for soybean, it has become essential to introduce agro-technical methods that promote adaptability to complex environments, improve soybean resistance to abiotic stress , and increase productivity. Plant growth regulators are mainly exploited to achieve this due to their crucial roles in plant growth and development. Increasing research suggests the influence of plant growth regulators on soybean growth and development, yield, quality, and abiotic stress responses. In an attempt to expatiate on the topic, current knowledge, and possible applications of plant growth regulators that improve growth and yield have been reviewed and discussed. Notably, the application of plant growth regulators in their appropriate concentrations at suitable growth periods relieves abiotic stress thereby increasing the yield and yield components of soybean. Moreover, the regulation effects of different growth regulators on the morphology, physiology, and yield quality of soybean are discoursed in detail.
bibliographic citation: Amoanimaa-Dede et al. (2022) Growth regulators promote soybean productivity: a review. PeerJ 10:e12556 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12556
date submitted: 2021-03-12
date accepted: 2021-11-05
issued: 2022-03-04
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Amoanimaa-Dede
  given name: Hanna
author list: Agent
  family name: Su
  given name: Chuntao
author list: Agent
  family name: Yeboah
  given name: Akwasi
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Hang
author list: Agent
  family name: Zheng
  given name: Dianfeng
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhu
  given name: Hongbo
doi: 10.7717/peerj.12556
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-03-04
copyright: ©2022 Amoanimaa-Dede et al.
attribution name: Amoanimaa-Dede et al.

A combined association of serum uric acid, alanine aminotransferase and waist circumference with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a community-based study
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Increasing evidence has supported that serum uric acid (SUA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and waist circumference (WC) are associated with the occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the combined role of these factors in early screening of NAFLD has not been investigated. We aimed to de lineate this role in a community-based population. Methods Binary logistic regression was used to explore the correlations of SUA, ALT and WC with NAFLD risk. The goodness of fit and discriminative ability of the model were evaluated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), respectively. Results Logistic regression analysis indicated that elevated SUA (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.76–3.38]), ALT (adjusted OR = 4.98, 95% CI [3.41–7.27]) and WC (adjusted OR = 3.22, 95% CI [2.01–5.16]) were facilitating factors for incident NAFLD after fully adjusted for related confounders. In addition, the risk of NAFLD followed linear trend s with increasing levels of these three indicators (all Ptrend < 0.001). The risk assessment model consisting of SUA, ALT, WC and demographics showed useful discrimination by AUROC being 0.825 (95% CI [0.811–0.838]) and good performance of calibration (P = 0.561). Conclusions SUA, ALT and WC were all associated with NAFLD, independent of known risk factors. The simple model composed of these indicators showed good performance in the Chinese population, which may be applicable for appraisal of NAFLD risk in primary healthcare.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Min Wang
creator: Minxian Wang
creator: Ru Zhang
creator: Liuxin Zhang
creator: Yajie Ding
creator: Zongzhe Tang
creator: Haozhi Fan
creator: Hongliang Wang
creator: Wei Zhang
creator: Yue Chen
creator: Jie Wang
subject: Diabetes and Endocrinology
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Gastroenterology and Hepatology
subject: Metabolic Sciences
subject: Obesity
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.13022
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2022 Wang et al.
abstract: Background Increasing evidence has supported that serum uric acid (SUA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and waist circumference (WC) are associated with the occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the combined role of these factors in early screening of NAFLD has not been investigated. We aimed to de lineate this role in a community-based population. Methods Binary logistic regression was used to explore the correlations of SUA, ALT and WC with NAFLD risk. The goodness of fit and discriminative ability of the model were evaluated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), respectively. Results Logistic regression analysis indicated that elevated SUA (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.76–3.38]), ALT (adjusted OR = 4.98, 95% CI [3.41–7.27]) and WC (adjusted OR = 3.22, 95% CI [2.01–5.16]) were facilitating factors for incident NAFLD after fully adjusted for related confounders. In addition, the risk of NAFLD followed linear trend s with increasing levels of these three indicators (all Ptrend < 0.001). The risk assessment model consisting of SUA, ALT, WC and demographics showed useful discrimination by AUROC being 0.825 (95% CI [0.811–0.838]) and good performance of calibration (P = 0.561). Conclusions SUA, ALT and WC were all associated with NAFLD, independent of known risk factors. The simple model composed of these indicators showed good performance in the Chinese population, which may be applicable for appraisal of NAFLD risk in primary healthcare.
bibliographic citation: Wang et al. (2022) A combined association of serum uric acid, alanine aminotransferase and waist circumference with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a community-based study. PeerJ 10:e13022 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13022
date submitted: 2021-11-15
date accepted: 2022-02-07
issued: 2022-03-04
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Min
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Minxian
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Ru
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Liuxin
author list: Agent
  family name: Ding
  given name: Yajie
author list: Agent
  family name: Tang
  given name: Zongzhe
author list: Agent
  family name: Fan
  given name: Haozhi
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Hongliang
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Wei
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Yue
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Jie
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13022
volume: 10
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2022-03-04
copyright: © 2022 Wang et al.
attribution name: Wang et al.

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