PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: covid19.Explorer: a web application and R package to explore United States COVID-19 data
items: Alterations in brain structure and function in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a multimodal MRI study
items: A molecular phylogeny of the Chinese Sinopoda spiders (Sparassidae, Heteropodinae): implications for taxonomy
items: Measurement error using a SeeMaLab structured light 3D scanner against a Microscribe 3D digitizer
items: Reeling them in: taxonomy of marine annelids used as bait by anglers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa
items: Association of serum fetuin-B with insulin resistance and pre-diabetes in young Chinese women: evidence from a cross-sectional study and effect of liraglutide
items: Where is my arm? Investigating the link between complex regional pain syndrome and poor localisation of the affected limb
items: Association between C-Maf-inducing protein gene rs2287112 polymorphism and schizophrenia
items: Phylogeography of high Andean killifishes Orestias (Teleostei: Cyprinodontidae) in Caquena and Lauca sub-basins of the Altiplano (Chile): mitochondrial and nuclear analysis of an endangered fish
items: A possible brachiosaurid (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the mid-Cretaceous of northeastern China

covid19.Explorer: a web application and R package to explore United States COVID-19 data
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Appearing at the end of 2019, a novel virus (later identified as SARS-CoV-2) was characterized in the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province, China. As of the time of writing, the disease caused by this virus (known as COVID-19) has already resulted in over three million deaths worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 infections and deaths, however, have been highly unevenly distributed among age groups, sexes, countries, and jurisdictions over the course of the pandemic. Herein, I present a tool (the covid19.Explorer R package and web application) that has been designed to explore and analyze publicly available United States COVID-19 infection and death data from the 2020/21 U.S. SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The analyses and visualizations that this R package and web application facilitate can help users better comprehend the geographic progress of the pandemic, the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (such as lockdowns and other measures, which have varied widely among U.S. states), and the relative risks posed by COVID-19 to different age groups within the U.S. population. The end result is an interactive tool that will help its users develop an improved understanding of the temporal and geographic dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, accessible to lay people and scientists alike.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Liam J. Revell
subject: Bioinformatics
subject: Computational Biology
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Public Health
subject: Data Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.11489
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2021 Revell
abstract: Appearing at the end of 2019, a novel virus (later identified as SARS-CoV-2) was characterized in the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province, China. As of the time of writing, the disease caused by this virus (known as COVID-19) has already resulted in over three million deaths worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 infections and deaths, however, have been highly unevenly distributed among age groups, sexes, countries, and jurisdictions over the course of the pandemic. Herein, I present a tool (the covid19.Explorer R package and web application) that has been designed to explore and analyze publicly available United States COVID-19 infection and death data from the 2020/21 U.S. SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The analyses and visualizations that this R package and web application facilitate can help users better comprehend the geographic progress of the pandemic, the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (such as lockdowns and other measures, which have varied widely among U.S. states), and the relative risks posed by COVID-19 to different age groups within the U.S. population. The end result is an interactive tool that will help its users develop an improved understanding of the temporal and geographic dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, accessible to lay people and scientists alike.
bibliographic citation: Revell (2021) covid19.Explorer: a web application and R package to explore United States COVID-19 data. PeerJ 9:e11489 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11489
date submitted: 2021-02-16
date accepted: 2021-04-27
issued: 2021-08-20
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Revell
  given name: Liam J.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.11489
volume: 9
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2021-08-20
copyright: © 2021 Revell
attribution name: Revell

Alterations in brain structure and function in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a multimodal MRI study
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Pain, a major symptom of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), is a complex sensory and emotional experience that presents therapeutic challenges. Pain can cause neuroplastic changes at the cortical level, leading to central sensitization and difficulties with curative treatments; however, whether changes in structural and functional plasticity occur in patients with ONFH remains unclear. Methods A total of 23 ONFH inpatients who did not undergo surgery (14 males, nine females; aged 55.61 ± 13.79 years) and 20 controls (12 males, eight females; aged 47.25 ± 19.35 years) were enrolled. Functional indices of the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and a structural index of tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were calculated for each participant. The probability distribution of fiber direction was determined according to the ALFF results. Results ONFH patients demonstrated increased ALFF in the bilateral dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, right medial superior frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, and right supplementary motor area. In contrast, ONFH patients showed decreased ReHo in the left superior parietal gyrus and right inferior temporal gyrus. There were no significant differences in TBSS or probabilistic tractography. Conclusion These results indicate cerebral pain processing in ONFH patients. It is advantageous to use functional magnetic resonance imaging to better understand pain pathogenesis and identify new therapeutic targets in ONFH patients.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Jie Ma
creator: Jia-Jia Wu
creator: Xu-Yun Hua
creator: Mou-Xiong Zheng
creator: Bei-Bei Huo
creator: Xiang-Xin Xing
creator: Sheng-Yi Feng
creator: Bo Li
creator: Jianguang Xu
subject: Anesthesiology and Pain Management
subject: Neurology
subject: Orthopedics
subject: Radiology and Medical Imaging
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.11759
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2021 Ma et al.
abstract: Background Pain, a major symptom of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), is a complex sensory and emotional experience that presents therapeutic challenges. Pain can cause neuroplastic changes at the cortical level, leading to central sensitization and difficulties with curative treatments; however, whether changes in structural and functional plasticity occur in patients with ONFH remains unclear. Methods A total of 23 ONFH inpatients who did not undergo surgery (14 males, nine females; aged 55.61 ± 13.79 years) and 20 controls (12 males, eight females; aged 47.25 ± 19.35 years) were enrolled. Functional indices of the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and a structural index of tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were calculated for each participant. The probability distribution of fiber direction was determined according to the ALFF results. Results ONFH patients demonstrated increased ALFF in the bilateral dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, right medial superior frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, and right supplementary motor area. In contrast, ONFH patients showed decreased ReHo in the left superior parietal gyrus and right inferior temporal gyrus. There were no significant differences in TBSS or probabilistic tractography. Conclusion These results indicate cerebral pain processing in ONFH patients. It is advantageous to use functional magnetic resonance imaging to better understand pain pathogenesis and identify new therapeutic targets in ONFH patients.
bibliographic citation: Ma et al. (2021) Alterations in brain structure and function in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a multimodal MRI study. PeerJ 9:e11759 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11759
date submitted: 2020-12-17
date accepted: 2021-06-21
issued: 2021-08-20
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Ma
  given name: Jie
author list: Agent
  family name: Wu
  given name: Jia-Jia
author list: Agent
  family name: Hua
  given name: Xu-Yun
author list: Agent
  family name: Zheng
  given name: Mou-Xiong
author list: Agent
  family name: Huo
  given name: Bei-Bei
author list: Agent
  family name: Xing
  given name: Xiang-Xin
author list: Agent
  family name: Feng
  given name: Sheng-Yi
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Bo
author list: Agent
  family name: Xu
  given name: Jianguang
doi: 10.7717/peerj.11759
volume: 9
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2021-08-20
copyright: ©2021 Ma et al.
attribution name: Ma et al.

A molecular phylogeny of the Chinese Sinopoda spiders (Sparassidae, Heteropodinae): implications for taxonomy
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Sinopoda spiders are a diverse group with limited dispersal ability. They are remarkably sympatric among related species, which often results in misidentification and incorrect matching of sexes. In order to understand the evolutionary relationships and revise the taxonomy problems in this genus, we offer the first molecular phylogeny of Sinopoda. Our results strongly support the monophyly of Sinopoda and its sister relationship with Spariolenus and reject the monophyly of the S. okinawana species group. We establish three new species groups based on both molecular and morphological data. Our phylogeny also illuminates some taxonomic issues and clarifies some species limits: (1) Supporting the newly revised matching of sexes in S. longiducta and S. yaanensis by Zhong et al. (2019). (2) The original description of S. campanacea was based on mismatched sexes. S. changde is proposed as a junior synonymy of S. campanacea, while the original female ‘S. campanacea’ is here described as a new species: S. papilionaceous Liu sp. nov. (3) The type series of S. serpentembolus contains mismatched sexes. The female is considered as S. campanacea, while we here report the correctly matched females of S. serpentembolus. (4) We describe one additional new species: S. wuyiensis Liu sp. nov. Our first molecular phylogeny of Sinopoda provides a tool for comparative analyses and a solid base for the future biodiversity and taxonomic work on the genus.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: He Zhang
creator: Yang Zhong
creator: Yang Zhu
creator: Ingi Agnarsson
creator: Jie Liu
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Taxonomy
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.11775
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2021 Zhang et al.
abstract: Sinopoda spiders are a diverse group with limited dispersal ability. They are remarkably sympatric among related species, which often results in misidentification and incorrect matching of sexes. In order to understand the evolutionary relationships and revise the taxonomy problems in this genus, we offer the first molecular phylogeny of Sinopoda. Our results strongly support the monophyly of Sinopoda and its sister relationship with Spariolenus and reject the monophyly of the S. okinawana species group. We establish three new species groups based on both molecular and morphological data. Our phylogeny also illuminates some taxonomic issues and clarifies some species limits: (1) Supporting the newly revised matching of sexes in S. longiducta and S. yaanensis by Zhong et al. (2019). (2) The original description of S. campanacea was based on mismatched sexes. S. changde is proposed as a junior synonymy of S. campanacea, while the original female ‘S. campanacea’ is here described as a new species: S. papilionaceous Liu sp. nov. (3) The type series of S. serpentembolus contains mismatched sexes. The female is considered as S. campanacea, while we here report the correctly matched females of S. serpentembolus. (4) We describe one additional new species: S. wuyiensis Liu sp. nov. Our first molecular phylogeny of Sinopoda provides a tool for comparative analyses and a solid base for the future biodiversity and taxonomic work on the genus.
bibliographic citation: Zhang et al. (2021) A molecular phylogeny of the Chinese Sinopoda spiders (Sparassidae, Heteropodinae): implications for taxonomy. PeerJ 9:e11775 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11775
date submitted: 2021-03-01
date accepted: 2021-06-23
issued: 2021-08-20
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: He
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhong
  given name: Yang
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhu
  given name: Yang
author list: Agent
  family name: Agnarsson
  given name: Ingi
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Jie
doi: 10.7717/peerj.11775
volume: 9
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2021-08-20
copyright: ©2021 Zhang et al.
attribution name: Zhang et al.

Measurement error using a SeeMaLab structured light 3D scanner against a Microscribe 3D digitizer
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Geometric morphometrics is a powerful approach to capture and quantify morphological shape variation. Both 3D digitizer arms and structured light surface scanners are portable, easy to use, and relatively cheap, which makes these two capturing devices obvious choices for geometric morphometrics. While digitizer arms have been the “gold standard”, benefits of having full 3D models are manifold. We assessed the measurement error and investigate bias associated with the use of an open-source, high-resolution structured light scanner called SeeMaLab against the popular Microscribe 3D digitizer arm. Methodology The analyses were based on 22 grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) skulls. 31 fixed anatomical landmarks were annotated both directly using a Microscribe 3D digitizer and on reconstructed 3D digital models created from structured light surface scans. Each skull was scanned twice. Two operators annotated the landmarks, each twice on all the skulls and 3D models, allowing for the investigation of multiple sources of measurement error. We performed multiple Procrustes ANOVAs to compare the two devices in terms of within- and between-operator error, to quantify the measurement error induced by device, to compare between-device error with other sources of variation, and to assess the level of scanning-related error. We investigated the presence of general shape bias due to device and operator. Results Similar precision was obtained with both devices. If landmarks that were identified as less clearly defined and thus harder to place were omitted, the scanner pipeline would achieve higher precision than the digitizer. Between-operator error was biased and seemed to be smaller when using the scanner pipeline. There were systematic differences between devices, which was mainly driven by landmarks less clearly defined. The factors device, operator and landmark replica were all statistically significant and of similar size, but were minor sources of total shape variatio…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Dolores Messer
creator: Michelle S. Svendsen
creator: Anders Galatius
creator: Morten T. Olsen
creator: Vedrana A. Dahl
creator: Knut Conradsen
creator: Anders B. Dahl
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Zoology
subject: Data Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.11804
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2021 Messer et al.
abstract: Background Geometric morphometrics is a powerful approach to capture and quantify morphological shape variation. Both 3D digitizer arms and structured light surface scanners are portable, easy to use, and relatively cheap, which makes these two capturing devices obvious choices for geometric morphometrics. While digitizer arms have been the “gold standard”, benefits of having full 3D models are manifold. We assessed the measurement error and investigate bias associated with the use of an open-source, high-resolution structured light scanner called SeeMaLab against the popular Microscribe 3D digitizer arm. Methodology The analyses were based on 22 grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) skulls. 31 fixed anatomical landmarks were annotated both directly using a Microscribe 3D digitizer and on reconstructed 3D digital models created from structured light surface scans. Each skull was scanned twice. Two operators annotated the landmarks, each twice on all the skulls and 3D models, allowing for the investigation of multiple sources of measurement error. We performed multiple Procrustes ANOVAs to compare the two devices in terms of within- and between-operator error, to quantify the measurement error induced by device, to compare between-device error with other sources of variation, and to assess the level of scanning-related error. We investigated the presence of general shape bias due to device and operator. Results Similar precision was obtained with both devices. If landmarks that were identified as less clearly defined and thus harder to place were omitted, the scanner pipeline would achieve higher precision than the digitizer. Between-operator error was biased and seemed to be smaller when using the scanner pipeline. There were systematic differences between devices, which was mainly driven by landmarks less clearly defined. The factors device, operator and landmark replica were all statistically significant and of similar size, but were minor sources of total shape variatio…
bibliographic citation: Messer et al. (2021) Measurement error using a SeeMaLab structured light 3D scanner against a Microscribe 3D digitizer. PeerJ 9:e11804 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11804
date submitted: 2021-04-08
date accepted: 2021-06-27
issued: 2021-08-20
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Messer
  given name: Dolores
author list: Agent
  family name: Svendsen
  given name: Michelle S.
author list: Agent
  family name: Galatius
  given name: Anders
author list: Agent
  family name: Olsen
  given name: Morten T.
author list: Agent
  family name: Dahl
  given name: Vedrana A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Conradsen
  given name: Knut
author list: Agent
  family name: Dahl
  given name: Anders B.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.11804
volume: 9
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2021-08-20
copyright: ©2021 Messer et al.
attribution name: Messer et al.

Reeling them in: taxonomy of marine annelids used as bait by anglers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Common names are frequently used inconsistently for marine annelid species used as bait in the peer-reviewed literature, field guides and legislative material. The taxonomy of many such species based on morphology only also ignores cryptic divergences not yet detected. Such inconsistencies hamper effective management of marine annelids, especially as fishing for recreation and subsistence is increasing. This study investigates the scale of the problem by studying the use and names of bait marine annelids in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Methods Fifteen recreational and six subsistence fishers at 12 popular fishing sites in the Western Cape Province donated 194 worms which they identified by common name. Worms were assigned scientific names according to a standard identification key for polychaetes from South Africa, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) amplified and sequenced. Results This study identified 11 nominal species known by 10 common names, in the families Siphonosomatidae, Arenicolidae, Sabellaridae, Lumbrineridae, Eunicidae, Onuphidae and Nereididae. Cryptic diversity was investigated through employing mitochondrial COI sequences and these data will facilitate future identifications among widely distributed species. Several species (Siphonosoma dayi, Abarenicola gilchristi, Scoletoma species, Marphysa corallina, Lysidice natalensis, Heptaceras quinquedens, Perinereis latipalpa) are reported as bait for the first time, and while the names blood- and moonshineworms were consistently applied to members of Arenicolidae and Onuphidae, respectively, coralworm was applied to members of Sabellaridae and Nereididae. Analysis of COI sequences supported morphological investigations that revealed the presence of two taxonomic units each for specimens initially identified as Gunnarea gaimardi and Scoletoma tetraura according to identification keys. Similarly, sequences for Scoletoma species and Lysidice natalensis generated in this stu…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Carol Simon
creator: Jyothi Kara
creator: Alheit du Toit
creator: Hendré van Rensburg
creator: Caveshlin Naidoo
creator: Conrad A. Matthee
subject: Aquaculture, Fisheries and Fish Science
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Taxonomy
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.11847
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2021 Simon et al.
abstract: Background Common names are frequently used inconsistently for marine annelid species used as bait in the peer-reviewed literature, field guides and legislative material. The taxonomy of many such species based on morphology only also ignores cryptic divergences not yet detected. Such inconsistencies hamper effective management of marine annelids, especially as fishing for recreation and subsistence is increasing. This study investigates the scale of the problem by studying the use and names of bait marine annelids in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Methods Fifteen recreational and six subsistence fishers at 12 popular fishing sites in the Western Cape Province donated 194 worms which they identified by common name. Worms were assigned scientific names according to a standard identification key for polychaetes from South Africa, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) amplified and sequenced. Results This study identified 11 nominal species known by 10 common names, in the families Siphonosomatidae, Arenicolidae, Sabellaridae, Lumbrineridae, Eunicidae, Onuphidae and Nereididae. Cryptic diversity was investigated through employing mitochondrial COI sequences and these data will facilitate future identifications among widely distributed species. Several species (Siphonosoma dayi, Abarenicola gilchristi, Scoletoma species, Marphysa corallina, Lysidice natalensis, Heptaceras quinquedens, Perinereis latipalpa) are reported as bait for the first time, and while the names blood- and moonshineworms were consistently applied to members of Arenicolidae and Onuphidae, respectively, coralworm was applied to members of Sabellaridae and Nereididae. Analysis of COI sequences supported morphological investigations that revealed the presence of two taxonomic units each for specimens initially identified as Gunnarea gaimardi and Scoletoma tetraura according to identification keys. Similarly, sequences for Scoletoma species and Lysidice natalensis generated in this stu…
bibliographic citation: Simon et al. (2021) Reeling them in: taxonomy of marine annelids used as bait by anglers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. PeerJ 9:e11847 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11847
date submitted: 2021-04-09
date accepted: 2021-07-01
issued: 2021-08-20
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Simon
  given name: Carol
author list: Agent
  family name: Kara
  given name: Jyothi
author list: Agent
  family name: du Toit
  given name: Alheit
author list: Agent
  family name: van Rensburg
  given name: Hendré
author list: Agent
  family name: Naidoo
  given name: Caveshlin
author list: Agent
  family name: Matthee
  given name: Conrad A.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.11847
volume: 9
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2021-08-20
copyright: © 2021 Simon et al.
attribution name: Simon et al.

Association of serum fetuin-B with insulin resistance and pre-diabetes in young Chinese women: evidence from a cross-sectional study and effect of liraglutide
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background and Aims Fetuin-B has been reported to be involved in glucose and lipid metabolism and associated with the occurrence of diabetes. The main purpose of this study is to explore the changes of circulating fetuin-B in young women with pre-diabetes and to analyze the relationship between fetuin-B and the occurrence and development of IR. Methods A total of 304 women were enrolled in this study and subjected to both OGTT and EHC. A subgroup of 26 overweight/obese womenwas treated with Lira for 24 weeks. serum fetuin-B concentrations were measured by ELISA. Results In IGT and IR-NG groups, serum fetuin-B levels were higher than those in the NGT group. The serum fetuin-B levels in the IGT group were higher than those in the IR-NG group. serum fetuin-B was positively correlated with BMI, WHR, 2h-BG, FIns, HbA1c, and HOMA2-IR, but negatively correlated with the M-value in all study populations. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that the M-value was independently and inversely associated with serum fetuin-B. Logistic regression analysis showed that serum fetuin-B was independently associated with IGT and significantly increased the risk of IGT. During the OGTT, serum fetuin-B increased significantly in the NGT group, but there were no significant changes in other groups. During the EHC, serum fetuin-B increased in the IGT group, but there was no change in other groups. After Lira intervention, serum fetuin-B decreased significantly in IGT women. Conclusions serum fetuin-B levels are elevated in young women with IR or IGT and may be associated with IR.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Xuyun Xia
creator: Shiyao Xue
creator: Gangyi Yang
creator: Yu Li
creator: Hua Liu
creator: Chen Chen
creator: Ling Li
subject: Clinical Trials
subject: Diabetes and Endocrinology
subject: Internal Medicine
subject: Women’s Health
subject: Metabolic Sciences
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.11869
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2021 Xia et al.
abstract: Background and Aims Fetuin-B has been reported to be involved in glucose and lipid metabolism and associated with the occurrence of diabetes. The main purpose of this study is to explore the changes of circulating fetuin-B in young women with pre-diabetes and to analyze the relationship between fetuin-B and the occurrence and development of IR. Methods A total of 304 women were enrolled in this study and subjected to both OGTT and EHC. A subgroup of 26 overweight/obese womenwas treated with Lira for 24 weeks. serum fetuin-B concentrations were measured by ELISA. Results In IGT and IR-NG groups, serum fetuin-B levels were higher than those in the NGT group. The serum fetuin-B levels in the IGT group were higher than those in the IR-NG group. serum fetuin-B was positively correlated with BMI, WHR, 2h-BG, FIns, HbA1c, and HOMA2-IR, but negatively correlated with the M-value in all study populations. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that the M-value was independently and inversely associated with serum fetuin-B. Logistic regression analysis showed that serum fetuin-B was independently associated with IGT and significantly increased the risk of IGT. During the OGTT, serum fetuin-B increased significantly in the NGT group, but there were no significant changes in other groups. During the EHC, serum fetuin-B increased in the IGT group, but there was no change in other groups. After Lira intervention, serum fetuin-B decreased significantly in IGT women. Conclusions serum fetuin-B levels are elevated in young women with IR or IGT and may be associated with IR.
bibliographic citation: Xia et al. (2021) Association of serum fetuin-B with insulin resistance and pre-diabetes in young Chinese women: evidence from a cross-sectional study and effect of liraglutide. PeerJ 9:e11869 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11869
date submitted: 2020-12-26
date accepted: 2021-07-05
issued: 2021-08-20
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Xia
  given name: Xuyun
author list: Agent
  family name: Xue
  given name: Shiyao
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Gangyi
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Yu
author list: Agent
  family name: Liu
  given name: Hua
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Chen
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Ling
doi: 10.7717/peerj.11869
volume: 9
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2021-08-20
copyright: ©2021 Xia et al.
attribution name: Xia et al.

Where is my arm? Investigating the link between complex regional pain syndrome and poor localisation of the affected limb
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Anecdotally, people living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) often report difficulties in localising their own affected limb when it is out of view. Experimental attempts to investigate this report have used explicit tasks and yielded varied results. Methods Here we used a limb localisation task that interrogates implicit mechanisms because we first induce a compelling illusion called the Disappearing Hand Trick (DHT). In the DHT, participants judge their hands to be close together when, in fact, they are far apart. Sixteen volunteers with unilateral upper limb CRPS (mean age 39 ± 12 years, four males), 15 volunteers with non-CRPS persistent hand pain (‘pain controls’; mean age 58 ± 13 years, two males) and 29 pain-free volunteers (‘pain-free controls’; mean age 36 ± 19 years, 10 males) performed a hand-localisation task after each of three conditions: the DHT illusion and two control conditions in which no illusion was performed. The conditions were repeated twice (one for each hand). We hypothesised that (1) participants with CRPS would perform worse at hand self-localisation than both the control samples; (2) participants with non-CRPS persistent hand pain would perform worse than pain-free controls; (3) participants in both persistent pain groups would perform worse with their affected hand than with their unaffected hand. Results Our first two hypotheses were not supported. Our third hypothesis was supported —when visually and proprioceptively encoded positions of the hands were incongruent (i.e. after the DHT), relocalisation performance was worse with the affected hand than it was with the unaffected hand. The similar results in hand localisation in the control and pain groups might suggest that, when implicit processes are required, people with CRPS’ ability to localise their limb is preserved.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Valeria Bellan
creator: Felicity A. Braithwaite
creator: Erica M. Wilkinson
creator: Tasha R. Stanton
creator: G. Lorimer Moseley
subject: Anesthesiology and Pain Management
subject: Evidence Based Medicine
subject: Global Health
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.11882
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2021 Bellan et al.
abstract: Background Anecdotally, people living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) often report difficulties in localising their own affected limb when it is out of view. Experimental attempts to investigate this report have used explicit tasks and yielded varied results. Methods Here we used a limb localisation task that interrogates implicit mechanisms because we first induce a compelling illusion called the Disappearing Hand Trick (DHT). In the DHT, participants judge their hands to be close together when, in fact, they are far apart. Sixteen volunteers with unilateral upper limb CRPS (mean age 39 ± 12 years, four males), 15 volunteers with non-CRPS persistent hand pain (‘pain controls’; mean age 58 ± 13 years, two males) and 29 pain-free volunteers (‘pain-free controls’; mean age 36 ± 19 years, 10 males) performed a hand-localisation task after each of three conditions: the DHT illusion and two control conditions in which no illusion was performed. The conditions were repeated twice (one for each hand). We hypothesised that (1) participants with CRPS would perform worse at hand self-localisation than both the control samples; (2) participants with non-CRPS persistent hand pain would perform worse than pain-free controls; (3) participants in both persistent pain groups would perform worse with their affected hand than with their unaffected hand. Results Our first two hypotheses were not supported. Our third hypothesis was supported —when visually and proprioceptively encoded positions of the hands were incongruent (i.e. after the DHT), relocalisation performance was worse with the affected hand than it was with the unaffected hand. The similar results in hand localisation in the control and pain groups might suggest that, when implicit processes are required, people with CRPS’ ability to localise their limb is preserved.
bibliographic citation: Bellan et al. (2021) Where is my arm? Investigating the link between complex regional pain syndrome and poor localisation of the affected limb. PeerJ 9:e11882 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11882
date submitted: 2020-11-26
date accepted: 2021-07-08
issued: 2021-08-20
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Bellan
  given name: Valeria
author list: Agent
  family name: Braithwaite
  given name: Felicity A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Wilkinson
  given name: Erica M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Stanton
  given name: Tasha R.
author list: Agent
  family name: Moseley
  given name: G. Lorimer
doi: 10.7717/peerj.11882
volume: 9
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2021-08-20
copyright: © 2021 Bellan et al.
attribution name: Bellan et al.

Association between C-Maf-inducing protein gene rs2287112 polymorphism and schizophrenia
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Schizophrenia is a severely multifactorial neuropsychiatric disorder, and the majority of cases are due to genetic variations. In this study, we evaluated the genetic association between the C-Maf-inducing protein (CMIP) gene and schizophrenia in the Han Chinese population. Methods In this case-control study, 761 schizophrenia patients and 775 healthy controls were recruited. Tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs12925980, rs2287112, rs3751859 and rs77700579) from the CMIP gene were genotyped via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. We used logistic regression to estimate the associations between the genotypes/alleles of each SNP and schizophrenia in males and females, respectively. The in-depth link between CMIP and schizophrenia was explored through linkage disequilibrium (LD) and further haplotype analyses. False discovery rate correction was utilized to control for Type I errors caused by multiple comparisons. Results There was a significant difference in rs287112 allele frequencies between female schizophrenia patients and healthy controls after adjusting for multiple comparisons (χ2 = 12.296, Padj = 0.008). Females carrying minor allele G had 4.445 times higher risk of schizophrenia compared with people who carried the T allele (OR = 4.445, 95% CI [1.788–11.046]). Linkage-disequilibrium was not observed in the subjects, and people with haplotype TTGT of rs12925980–rs2287112–rs3751859–rs77700579 had a lower risk of schizophrenia (OR = 0.42, 95% CI [0.19–0.94]) when compared with CTGA haplotypes. However, the association did not survive false discovery rate correction. Conclusion This study identified a potential CMIP variant that may confer schizophrenia risk in the female Han Chinese population.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Yingli Fu
creator: Xiaojun Ren
creator: Wei Bai
creator: Qiong Yu
creator: Yaoyao Sun
creator: Yaqin Yu
creator: Na Zhou
subject: Cognitive Disorders
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Public Health
subject: Women’s Health
subject: Medical Genetics
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.11907
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2021 Fu et al.
abstract: Background Schizophrenia is a severely multifactorial neuropsychiatric disorder, and the majority of cases are due to genetic variations. In this study, we evaluated the genetic association between the C-Maf-inducing protein (CMIP) gene and schizophrenia in the Han Chinese population. Methods In this case-control study, 761 schizophrenia patients and 775 healthy controls were recruited. Tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs12925980, rs2287112, rs3751859 and rs77700579) from the CMIP gene were genotyped via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. We used logistic regression to estimate the associations between the genotypes/alleles of each SNP and schizophrenia in males and females, respectively. The in-depth link between CMIP and schizophrenia was explored through linkage disequilibrium (LD) and further haplotype analyses. False discovery rate correction was utilized to control for Type I errors caused by multiple comparisons. Results There was a significant difference in rs287112 allele frequencies between female schizophrenia patients and healthy controls after adjusting for multiple comparisons (χ2 = 12.296, Padj = 0.008). Females carrying minor allele G had 4.445 times higher risk of schizophrenia compared with people who carried the T allele (OR = 4.445, 95% CI [1.788–11.046]). Linkage-disequilibrium was not observed in the subjects, and people with haplotype TTGT of rs12925980–rs2287112–rs3751859–rs77700579 had a lower risk of schizophrenia (OR = 0.42, 95% CI [0.19–0.94]) when compared with CTGA haplotypes. However, the association did not survive false discovery rate correction. Conclusion This study identified a potential CMIP variant that may confer schizophrenia risk in the female Han Chinese population.
bibliographic citation: Fu et al. (2021) Association between C-Maf-inducing protein gene rs2287112 polymorphism and schizophrenia. PeerJ 9:e11907 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11907
date submitted: 2021-02-22
date accepted: 2021-07-14
issued: 2021-08-20
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Fu
  given name: Yingli
author list: Agent
  family name: Ren
  given name: Xiaojun
author list: Agent
  family name: Bai
  given name: Wei
author list: Agent
  family name: Yu
  given name: Qiong
author list: Agent
  family name: Sun
  given name: Yaoyao
author list: Agent
  family name: Yu
  given name: Yaqin
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhou
  given name: Na
doi: 10.7717/peerj.11907
volume: 9
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2021-08-20
copyright: © 2021 Fu et al.
attribution name: Fu et al.

Phylogeography of high Andean killifishes Orestias (Teleostei: Cyprinodontidae) in Caquena and Lauca sub-basins of the Altiplano (Chile): mitochondrial and nuclear analysis of an endangered fish
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: From the early Miocene, the uplift of the Andes Mountains, intense volcanic activity and the occurrence of successive periods of dryness and humidity would have differentially influenced the modification of Altiplano watersheds, and consequently the evolutionary history of the taxa that live there. We analyzed Orestias populations from the Caquena and Lauca Altiplanic sub-basins of northern Chile to determine their genetic differentiation and relationship to their geographical distribution using mitochondrial (D-loop) and nuclear (microsatellite) molecular markers and to reconstruct its biogeographic history on these sub-basins. The results allowed reconstructing and reevaluating the evolutionary history of the genus in the area; genic diversity and differentiation together with different founding genetic groups suggest that Orestias have been spread homogeneously in the study area and would have experienced local disturbances that promoted isolation and diversification in restricted zones of their distribution.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Violeta Cárcamo-Tejer
creator: Irma Vila
creator: Francisco Llanquín-Rosas
creator: Alberto Sáez-Arteaga
creator: Claudia Guerrero-Jiménez
subject: Biogeography
subject: Genetics
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Zoology
subject: Freshwater Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.11917
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2021 Cárcamo-Tejer et al.
abstract: From the early Miocene, the uplift of the Andes Mountains, intense volcanic activity and the occurrence of successive periods of dryness and humidity would have differentially influenced the modification of Altiplano watersheds, and consequently the evolutionary history of the taxa that live there. We analyzed Orestias populations from the Caquena and Lauca Altiplanic sub-basins of northern Chile to determine their genetic differentiation and relationship to their geographical distribution using mitochondrial (D-loop) and nuclear (microsatellite) molecular markers and to reconstruct its biogeographic history on these sub-basins. The results allowed reconstructing and reevaluating the evolutionary history of the genus in the area; genic diversity and differentiation together with different founding genetic groups suggest that Orestias have been spread homogeneously in the study area and would have experienced local disturbances that promoted isolation and diversification in restricted zones of their distribution.
bibliographic citation: Cárcamo-Tejer et al. (2021) Phylogeography of high Andean killifishes Orestias (Teleostei: Cyprinodontidae) in Caquena and Lauca sub-basins of the Altiplano (Chile): mitochondrial and nuclear analysis of an endangered fish. PeerJ 9:e11917 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11917
date submitted: 2020-10-30
date accepted: 2021-07-15
issued: 2021-08-20
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativeco\relax \special {t4ht= }mMons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Cárcamo-Tejer
  given name: Violeta
author list: Agent
  family name: Vila
  given name: Irma
author list: Agent
  family name: Llanquín-Rosas
  given name: Francisco
author list: Agent
  family name: Sáez-Arteaga
  given name: Alberto
author list: Agent
  family name: Guerrero-Jiménez
  given name: Claudia
doi: 10.7717/peerj.11917
volume: 9
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2021-08-20
copyright: ©2021 Cárcamo-Tejer et al.
attribution name: Cárcamo-Tejer et al.

A possible brachiosaurid (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the mid-Cretaceous of northeastern China
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Brachiosauridae is a lineage of titanosauriform sauropods that includes some of the most iconic non-avian dinosaurs. Undisputed brachiosaurid fossils are known from the Late Jurassic through the Early Cretaceous of North America, Africa, and Europe, but proposed occurrences outside this range have proven controversial. Despite occasional suggestions that brachiosaurids dispersed into Asia, to date no fossils have provided convincing evidence for a pan-Laurasian distribution for the clade, and the failure to discover brachiosaurid fossils in the well-sampled sauropod-bearing horizons of the Early Cretaceous of Asia has been taken to evidence their genuine absence from the continent. Here we report on an isolated sauropod maxilla from the middle Cretaceous (Albian–Cenomanian) Longjing Formation of the Yanji basin of northeast China. Although the specimen preserves limited morphological information, it exhibits axially twisted dentition, a shared derived trait otherwise known only in brachiosaurids. Referral of the specimen to the Brachiosauridae receives support from phylogenetic analysis under both equal and implied weights parsimony, providing the most convincing evidence to date that brachiosaurids dispersed into Asia at some point in their evolutionary history. Inclusion in our phylogenetic analyses of an isolated sauropod dentary from the same site, for which an association with the maxilla is possible but uncertain, does not substantively alter these results. We consider several paleobiogeographic scenarios that could account for the occurrence of a middle Cretaceous Asian brachiosaurid, including dispersal from either North America or Europe during the Early Cretaceous. The identification of a brachiosaurid in the Longshan fauna, and the paleobiogeographic histories that could account for its presence there, are hypotheses that can be tested with continued study and excavation of fossils from the Longjing Formation.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Chun-Chi Liao
creator: Andrew Moore
creator: Changzhu Jin
creator: Tzu-Ruei Yang
creator: Masateru Shibata
creator: Feng Jin
creator: Bing Wang
creator: Dongchun Jin
creator: Yu Guo
creator: Xing Xu
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Paleontology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.11957
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2021 Liao et al.
abstract: Brachiosauridae is a lineage of titanosauriform sauropods that includes some of the most iconic non-avian dinosaurs. Undisputed brachiosaurid fossils are known from the Late Jurassic through the Early Cretaceous of North America, Africa, and Europe, but proposed occurrences outside this range have proven controversial. Despite occasional suggestions that brachiosaurids dispersed into Asia, to date no fossils have provided convincing evidence for a pan-Laurasian distribution for the clade, and the failure to discover brachiosaurid fossils in the well-sampled sauropod-bearing horizons of the Early Cretaceous of Asia has been taken to evidence their genuine absence from the continent. Here we report on an isolated sauropod maxilla from the middle Cretaceous (Albian–Cenomanian) Longjing Formation of the Yanji basin of northeast China. Although the specimen preserves limited morphological information, it exhibits axially twisted dentition, a shared derived trait otherwise known only in brachiosaurids. Referral of the specimen to the Brachiosauridae receives support from phylogenetic analysis under both equal and implied weights parsimony, providing the most convincing evidence to date that brachiosaurids dispersed into Asia at some point in their evolutionary history. Inclusion in our phylogenetic analyses of an isolated sauropod dentary from the same site, for which an association with the maxilla is possible but uncertain, does not substantively alter these results. We consider several paleobiogeographic scenarios that could account for the occurrence of a middle Cretaceous Asian brachiosaurid, including dispersal from either North America or Europe during the Early Cretaceous. The identification of a brachiosaurid in the Longshan fauna, and the paleobiogeographic histories that could account for its presence there, are hypotheses that can be tested with continued study and excavation of fossils from the Longjing Formation.
bibliographic citation: Liao et al. (2021) A possible brachiosaurid (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the mid-Cretaceous of northeastern China. PeerJ 9:e11957 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11957
date submitted: 2021-05-14
date accepted: 2021-07-21
issued: 2021-08-20
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Liao
  given name: Chun-Chi
author list: Agent
  family name: Moore
  given name: Andrew
author list: Agent
  family name: Jin
  given name: Changzhu
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Tzu-Ruei
author list: Agent
  family name: Shibata
  given name: Masateru
author list: Agent
  family name: Jin
  given name: Feng
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Bing
author list: Agent
  family name: Jin
  given name: Dongchun
author list: Agent
  family name: Guo
  given name: Yu
author list: Agent
  family name: Xu
  given name: Xing
doi: 10.7717/peerj.11957
volume: 9
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2021-08-20
copyright: © 2021 Liao et al.
attribution name: Liao et al.

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