title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=387 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: Five new malformed trilobites from Cambrian and Ordovician deposits from the Natural History Museum link: https://peerj.com/articles/16326 last-modified: 2023-10-26 description: Injured trilobites present insight into how a completely extinct group of arthropods responded to traumatic experiences, such as failed predation and moulting complications. These specimens are therefore important for more thoroughly understanding the Paleozoic predator-prey systems that involved trilobites. To expand the record of injured trilobites, we present new examples of injured Ogygopsis klotzi and Olenoides serratus from the Campsite Cliff Shale Member of the Burgess Shale Formation (Cambrian, Miaolingian, Wuliuan), Paradoxides (Paradoxides) paradoxissimus gracilis from the Jince Formation (Cambrian, Miaolingian, Drumian), Ogygiocarella angustissima from the Llanfawr Mudstones Formation (Middle–Late Ordovician, Darriwilian–Sandbian), and Ogygiocarella debuchii from the Meadowtown Formation, (Middle–Late Ordovician, Darriwilian–Sandbian). We consider the possible origins of these malformations and conclude that most injuries reflect failed predation. Within this framework, possible predators are presented, and we uncover a marked shift in the diversity of animals that targeted trilobites in the Ordovician. We also collate other records of injured Ogygo. klotzi and Ol. serratus, and Ogygi. debuchii, highlighting that these species are targets for further understanding patterns and records of trilobite injuries. creator: Russell D.C. Bicknell creator: Patrick M. Smith uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16326 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Bicknell et al. title: A bibliometric analysis of research trends and hotspots in alpine grassland degradation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau link: https://peerj.com/articles/16210 last-modified: 2023-10-25 description: A bibliometric analysis of current research, hotspots, and development trends was used to develop an overall framework of mechanisms of alpine grassland degradation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This investigation includes data from 1,330 articles on alpine grassland degradation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, acquired from the Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD) and Web of Science Core Collection (WOS). Research was divided into three themes: spatial scope and management of typical grassland degradation problems, dynamic mechanisms of grassland degradation and effects of ecological engineering, and grassland degradation risk based on remote sensing technology. The results of the analysis showed that the research can be summarized into three aspects: typical grassland degradation identification, dynamic mechanism analysis of grassland degradation, and grassland ecosystem stability strategy. The main findings can summarized, as follows: (1) Ecological analyses using the river source as a typical region defined the formation of “black soil beach” type degraded grasslands in the region, and promoted the ecological environment management and protection of the alpine grassland by discussing the causes of regional ecological environment changes; (2) Dynamic mechanism analyses of climate change and characteristics analyses of grassland vegetation-soil degradation revealed that alpine grassland degradation is the result of multiple main factors; and (3) Risk prediction methods for grassland degradation, methods of grassland management and sustainable countermeasures for agriculture and animal husbandry development, and the development of a comprehensive index of influencing factors on grassland degradation all indicate that selecting the right grassland restoration measures is the key to grassland restoration. Remote sensing monitoring and high-throughput sequencing technology should be used in future research on grassland ecosystems. In addition, multiscale, multidimensional, and multidisciplinary systematic research methods and long-term series data mining could help identify the characteristics and causes of alpine grassland system degradation. These findings can help identify a more effective coordination of landscape, water, lake, field, forest, grass, and sand management for the prevention of alpine grassland degradation. creator: Zhe Xu creator: Xian Li creator: Lu Zhang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16210 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Xu et al. title: Exploring the roles of ZmARM gene family in maize development and abiotic stress response link: https://peerj.com/articles/16254 last-modified: 2023-10-25 description: Armadillo (ARM) was a gene family important to plants, with crucial roles in regulating plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, the properties and functions of ARM family members in maize had received limited attention. Therefore, this study employed bioinformatics methods to analyze the structure and evolution of ARM-repeat protein family members in maize. The maize (Zea mays L.) genome contains 56 ARM genes distributed over 10 chromosomes, and collinearity analysis indicated 12 pairs of linkage between them. Analysis of the physicochemical properties of ARM proteins showed that most of these proteins were acidic and hydrophilic. According to the number and evolutionary analysis of the ARM genes, the ARM genes in maize can be divided into eight subgroups, and the gene structure and conserved motifs showed similar compositions in each group. The findings shed light on the significant roles of 56 ZmARM domain genes in development and abiotic stress, particularly drought stress. RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR analysis revealed that drought stress exerts an influence on specific members of the ZmARM family, such as ZmARM4, ZmARM12, ZmARM34 and ZmARM36. The comprehensive profiling of these genes in the whole genome, combined with expression analysis, establishes a foundation for further exploration of plant gene function in the context of abiotic stress and reproductive development. creator: Zhijia Yu creator: Xiaopeng Sun creator: Ziqi Chen creator: Qi Wang creator: Chuang Zhang creator: Xiangguo Liu creator: Weilin Wu creator: Yuejia Yin uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16254 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2023 Yu et al. title: Prevalence of permethrin-resistant kdr mutation in head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) from elementary school students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia link: https://peerj.com/articles/16273 last-modified: 2023-10-25 description: Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are a major global concern, and there is growing evidence of an increase in head lice prevalence among Saudi schoolchildren. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of an insecticidal resistance mutation in head lice collected from schoolchildren. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify a segment of the voltage-gated sodium channel gene subunit to assess the prevalence and distribution of the kdr T917I mutation in head lice. Subsequently, the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns revealed two genotypic forms: homozygous-susceptible (SS) and homozygous-resistant (RR). The results showed that 17 (37.80%) of the 45 samples were SS, whereas 28 (62.2%) were RR and T917I and L920F point mutations were found in the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of RR. Compared to other nations, the frequency of permethrin resistance mutation in the head louse population in Saudi Arabia was low. This study provides the first evidence of permethrin resistance mutation in human head lice in Saudi Arabia. The findings of this study will highlight the rising incidence of the kdr mutation in head lice in Saudi Arabia. creator: Isra M. Alsaady creator: Sarah Altwaim creator: Hattan S. Gattan creator: Maimonah Alghanmi creator: Ayat Zawawi creator: Hanadi Ahmedah creator: Majed H. Wakid creator: Esam I. Azhar uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16273 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Alsaady et al. title: Using sentinel nodes to evaluate changing connectivity in a protected area network link: https://peerj.com/articles/16333 last-modified: 2023-10-25 description: It has been recognized that well-connected networks of protected areas are needed to halt the continued loss of global biodiversity. The recently signed Kunming-Montreal biodiversity agreement commits countries to protecting 30% of terrestrial lands in well-connected networks of protected areas by 2030. To meet these ambitious targets, land-use planners and conservation practitioners will require tools to identify areas important for connectivity and track future changes. In this study we present methods using circuit theoretic models with a subset of sentinel park nodes to evaluate connectivity for a protected areas network. We assigned a lower cost to natural areas within protected areas, under the assumption that animal movement within parks should be less costly given the regulation of activities. We found that by using mean pairwise effective resistance (MPER) as an indicator of overall network connectivity, we were able to detect changes in a parks network in response to simulated land-use changes. As expected, MPER increased with the addition of high-cost developments and decreased with the addition of new, low-cost protected areas. We tested our sentinel node method by evaluating connectivity for the protected area network in the province of Ontario, Canada. We also calculated a node isolation index, which highlighted differences in protected area connectivity between the north and the south of the province. Our method can help provide protected areas ecologists and planners with baseline estimates of connectivity for a given protected area network and an indicator that can be used to track changes in connectivity in the future. creator: Paul O’Brien creator: Natasha Carr creator: Jeff Bowman uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16333 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2023 O’Brien et al. title: Patterns of change in coral reef communities of a remote Maldivian atoll revisited after eleven years link: https://peerj.com/articles/16071 last-modified: 2023-10-24 description: Coral reefs are exposed worldwide to several global and local human pressures including climate change and coastal development. Assessing the effects of such pressures on coral reef communities and the changes they undergo over time is mandatory to understand their possible future trends. Nonetheless, some coral reefs receive no or little scientific attention, as in the case of Huvadhoo Atoll that is an under-studied region in the southernmost area of the Maldives (Indian Ocean). This study analyzes the changes occurring over time in eight coral reefs (four inner reefs within the atoll lagoon and four outer reefs on the ocean side) at Huvadhoo Atoll, firstly surveyed in 2009 and revisited in 2020 using the same field methods. The cover of 23 morphological benthic descriptors (including different growth forms of Acropora) was taken into account and then grouped into three categories (i.e., hard coral, other benthic taxa and abiotic descriptors) to analyze the change in the composition of the coral reef community. Significant changes (e.g., increase in hard coral cover and decrease in abiotic descriptors) were observed in the inner reefs as compared to the outer reefs, which showed less variability. A significant decrease in tabular Acropora cover was observed in both inner and outer reefs, with possible negative effects on reef complexity and functioning. By comparing two time periods and two reef types, this study provides novel information on the change over time in the community composition of Maldivian coral reefs. creator: Greta Zampa creator: Annalisa Azzola creator: Carlo Nike Bianchi creator: Carla Morri creator: Alice Oprandi creator: Monica Montefalcone uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16071 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Zampa et al. title: Proposed mechanisms of action of herbal drugs and their biologically active constituents in the treatment of coughs: an overview link: https://peerj.com/articles/16096 last-modified: 2023-10-24 description: Various medicinal plants find their use in cough treatment, based on traditions and long-term experience. Pharmacological principles of their action, however, are much less known. Herbal drugs usually contain a mixture of potentially active compounds, which can manifest diverse effects. Expectorant or antitussive effects, which can be accompanied by others, such as anti-inflammatory or antibacterial, are probably the most important in the treatment of coughs. The aim of this review is to summarize the current state of knowledge of the effects of medicinal plants or their constituents on cough, based on reliable pharmacological studies. First, a comprehensive description of each effect is provided in order to explain the possible mechanism of action in detail. Next, the results related to individual plants and substances are summarized and critically discussed based on pharmacological in vivo and in vitro investigation. creator: Jana Pourova creator: Patricia Dias creator: Milan Pour creator: Silvia Bittner Fialová creator: Szilvia Czigle creator: Milan Nagy creator: Jaroslav Tóth creator: Viktória Lilla Balázs creator: Adrienn Horváth creator: Eszter Csikós creator: Ágnes Farkas creator: Györgyi Horváth creator: Přemysl Mladěnka uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16096 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2023 Pourova et al. title: Attitudes towards Italian Mafias Scale (AIMS): development and validation link: https://peerj.com/articles/16120 last-modified: 2023-10-24 description: In two studies we aimed at developing the Attitude towards Italian Mafias Scale (AIMS). In study 1 (N = 292) we used an Exploratory Factor Analysis to reduce the number of the items and explore their latent constructs. In study 2 (N = 393) we performed a Confirmatory Factor Analysis on the resulting 18-item questionnaire, whose latent structure was best identified by a general factor Mafia Attitude and three specific factors related to Behaviors, Cognitions and Emotions-Cognitions towards mafias. Moreover, we showed that the AIMS has (i) discriminant validity compared to a measure of attitudes towards crime, (ii) predictive validity of donation behavior to an association against mafias, (iii) internal consistency, and (iv) invariance for people of the five deep-rooted mafia regions of Southern Italy and those from the rest of Italy. Finally, we observed a difference between the participants from the five deep-rooted mafia regions (i.e., Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Sicily) and the rest of Italy, with the former having surprisingly more negative attitudes towards mafias compared to the latter. The AIMS might help to reliably survey people’s sentiment towards Italian mafias and promote targeted and effective law-related education interventions. creator: Michael Schepisi creator: Marco Tullio Liuzza creator: Althea Frisanco creator: Anna Maria Giannini creator: Salvatore Maria Aglioti uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16120 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Schepisi et al. title: Predicting the risk of acute respiratory failure among asthma patients—the A2-BEST2 risk score: a retrospective study link: https://peerj.com/articles/16211 last-modified: 2023-10-24 description: ObjectivesAcute respiratory failure (ARF) is a common complication of bronchial asthma (BA). ARF onset increases the risk of patient death. This study aims to develop a predictive model for ARF in BA patients during hospitalization.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study carried out at two large tertiary hospitals. Three models were developed using three different ways: (1) the statistics-driven model, (2) the clinical knowledge-driven model, and (3) the decision tree model. The simplest and most efficient model was obtained by comparing their predictive power, stability, and practicability.ResultsThis study included 398 patients, with 298 constituting the modeling group and 100 constituting the validation group. Models A, B, and C yielded seven, seven, and eleven predictors, respectively. Finally, we chose the clinical knowledge-driven model, whose C-statistics and Brier scores were 0.862 (0.820–0.904) and 0.1320, respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test revealed that this model had good calibration. The clinical knowledge-driven model demonstrated satisfactory C-statistics during external and internal validation, with values of 0.890 (0.815–0.965) and 0.854 (0.820–0.900), respectively. A risk score for ARF incidence was created: The A2-BEST2 Risk Score (A2 (area of pulmonary infection, albumin), BMI, Economic condition, Smoking, and T2(hormone initiation Time and long-term regular medication Treatment)). ARF incidence increased gradually from 1.37% (The A2-BEST2 Risk Score ≤ 4) to 90.32% (A2-BEST2 Risk Score ≥ 11.5).ConclusionWe constructed a predictive model of seven predictors to predict ARF in BA patients. This predictor’s model is simple, practical, and supported by existing clinical knowledge. creator: Yanhong Qi creator: Jing Zhang creator: Jiaying Lin creator: Jingwen Yang creator: Jiangan Guan creator: Keying Li creator: Jie Weng creator: Zhiyi Wang creator: Chan Chen creator: Hui Xu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16211 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 rights: ©2023 Qi et al. title: Trunk variability and local dynamic stability during gait after generalized fatigue induced by incremental exercise test in young women in different phases of the menstrual cycle link: https://peerj.com/articles/16223 last-modified: 2023-10-24 description: PurposeThe purpose of this study was to identify how generalized fatigue along with hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle affects trunk variability and local dynamic stability during gait.MethodsGeneral fatigue was induced by an incremental test on a treadmill, and the menstrual cycle was divided into three phases: follicular, ovulatory, and luteal. Twenty-six healthy, young volunteers (aged 18 to 28 years) who did not use oral contraceptives or other hormonal drugs with a regular menstrual cycle participated in the study. They walked on the treadmill for 4 min at the preferred speed, before the incremental test, followed by four sets of 4 min alternating between walking, also at preferred speed, and resting. From trunk kinematic data, the following were extracted: the mean of the standard deviation along strides, as a measure of variability, and the maximum Lyapunov exponent, as a measure of local dynamic stability (LDS).ResultsAfter the incremental test, variability increased, and LDS decreased. However, they showed a tendency to return to the initial value faster in women compared to previous results for men. In the follicular phase, which has less hormonal release, the volunteers had an almost complete recovery in LDS soon after the first rest interval, suggesting that female hormones can interfere with fatigue recovery. Nevertheless, concerning the LDS, it was significantly lower in the luteal phase than in the follicular phase.ConclusionWomen that are not taking oral contraceptives should be aware that they are susceptible to increased gait instabilities in the pre-menstrual phase after strenuous activities. creator: Ludmila Dos Anjos creator: Fábio Rodrigues creator: Sofia Scataglini creator: Rafael Reimann Baptista creator: Paula Lobo da Costa creator: Marcus Fraga Vieira uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16223 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2023 Dos Anjos et al.