title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=548 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: Treatment outcome of class II malocclusion therapy including extraction of maxillary first molars: a cephalometric comparison between normodivergent and hyperdivergent facial types link: https://peerj.com/articles/14537 last-modified: 2022-12-12 description: BackgroundThe dentoalveolar component of a Class II division 1 malocclusion can be orthodontically treated either with extractions or by distalization of the molars. This study aimed to compare skeletal, dentoalveolar and profile changes in normodivergent and hyperdivergent Class II Division I growing patients orthodontically treated with fixed appliances including maxillary first molar extraction.MethodsSixty-four patients treated orthodontically with full fixed appliances including maxillary first molar extractions were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into a normodivergent group (Group N; 30° ≤ SN^GoGn < 36°) consisting of 38 patients (17M, 21F; mean age 13.2 ± 1.3 years) and a hyperdivergent (Group H; SN^GoGn ≥ 36°) including 26 patients (12M, 14F; mean age 13.7 ± 1.1 years). Lateral cephalograms were available before (T0) and after treatment (T1) and cephalometric changes were calculated for 10 linear and 13 angular variables. The Shapiro–Wilk test confirmed a normal distribution of data, hence parametric tests were employed. The Student t-test was used to compare groups at baseline. The paired t-test was used to analyze intragroup changes between timepoints, and the Student t-test for intergroup comparisons. The level of significance was set at 0.05.ResultsThe Class II division 1 malocclusion was successfully corrected, and the facial profile improved both in normodivergent and hyperdivergent patients. Divergency increased by 0.76 ± 1.99° in Group N (p = 0.02) while it decreased −0.23 ± 2.25° (p = 0.60); These changes were not significant between groups after treatment (p = 0.680). Most dentoskeletal measurements changed significantly within groups but none of them showed statistically significant differences between groups after treatment. Dental and soft tissue changes were in accordance with the biomechanics used for this Class II orthodontic therapy.DiscussionThe effect of orthodontic treatment of Class II division 1 malocclusion including extraction of the maxillary first molars in growing patients can be considered clinically equivalent in normodivergent and hyperdivergent patients. For this reason, this orthodontic treatment can be considered a viable option in the armamentarium of the Class II Division I therapy for both facial types. creator: Johan Willem Booij creator: Marta Fontana creator: Marco Serafin creator: Rosamaria Fastuca creator: Anne Marie Kuijpers-Jagtman creator: Alberto Caprioglio uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14537 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Booij et al. title: Association between type 2 diabetes and 5-year overall survival in early-stage pancreatic cancer: a retrospective cohort study link: https://peerj.com/articles/14538 last-modified: 2022-12-12 description: BackgroundThis study examined the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 5-year overall survival (OS) in patients with pancreatic cancer (PC).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with stage I/II PC at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from January 2012 to December 2017. All patients had pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma or its subtypes. The outcome was the 5-year OS rate based on data from the patient charts. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0ResultsA total of 238 patients were included: 72 with T2DM and 166 without T2DM. There were significant differences in blood glucose levels and OS between the two groups (all P < 0.05). The median OS was 11.4 (95% confidence interval CI [8.49–14.31]) months in the T2DM group and 16.3 (95% CI [12.44–20.16], P = 0.023) months in the non-T2DM group. After adjustment for confounders, T2DM was an independent factor affecting 5-year OS (P = 0.010). Compared with non-T2DM patients, T2DM patients had a higher risk of death (HR = 1.475, 95% CI [1.096–1.985]).ConclusionsT2DM is associated with 5-year OS in patients with PC. creator: Zhiyin Tang creator: Wanfeng Xu creator: Mingming Zhang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14538 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Tang et al. title: Using solar radiation data in soil moisture diagnostic equation for estimating root-zone soil moisture link: https://peerj.com/articles/14561 last-modified: 2022-12-12 description: The soil moisture daily diagnostic equation (SMDE) evaluates the relationship between the loss function coefficient and the summation of the weighted average of precipitation. The loss function coefficient uses the day of the year (DOY) to approximate the seasonal changes in soil moisture loss for a given location. Solar radiation is the source of the energy that drives the complex and intricates of the earth-atmospheric processes and biogeochemical cycles in the environment. Previous research assumed DOY is the approximation of other environmental factors (e.g., temperature, wind speed, solar radiation). In this article, two solar radiation parameters were introduced, i.e., the actual solar radiation and the clear sky solar radiation and were incorporated into the loss function coefficient to improve its estimation. This was applied to 2 years of continuous rainfall, soil moisture data from USDA soil climate network (SCAN) sites AL2053, GA2027 MS2025, and TN2076. It was observed that the correlation coefficient between the observed soil moisture and B values (which is the cumulated average of rainfall to soil moisture loss) increased on average by 2.3% and the root mean square errors (RMSEs) for estimating volumetric soil moisture at columns 0–5, 0–10, 0–20, 0–50, 0–100 cm reduced on average by 8.6% for all the study sites. The study has confirmed that using actual solar radiation data in the soil moisture daily diagnostic equation can improve its accuracy. creator: Olumide Omotere creator: Feifei Pan creator: Lei Wang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14561 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Omotere et al. title: Autumnal migration patterns of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae): interannual variability in timing and sex ratio link: https://peerj.com/articles/14393 last-modified: 2022-12-09 description: BackgroundThe migration of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) is a well-known phenomenon, with growing interest due to the ecosystem services provided by migrants. However, we still lack fundamental data on species composition, timing of migration, or sex ratio of migrants. To address this gap, we focused on the southward autumnal migration of hoverflies through central Europe.MethodsTo recognize migrating individuals from resident ones, we used a pair of one-side-blocked Malaise traps, exposed in a mountain pass in the Jeseníky mountains, Czech Republic, where a mass migration of hoverflies takes place annually. Traps were set for 4 years, from August to October.ResultsIn total, we recorded 31 species of migrating hoverflies. The timing of migration differed between the years, taking place from the beginning of September to the end of October. Differences in phenology were observed in the four most common migrant species, where larger species seemed to migrate earlier or at the same time compared to the smaller ones. The sex ratio was strongly asymmetrical in most common species Episyrphus balteatus, Eupeodes corollae, and Sphaerophoria scripta, and varied between years for each species. Weather conditions strongly influenced the migration intensity at ground-level: hoverflies migrate mainly during days with south wind, high temperature, high atmospheric pressure, and low precipitation. creator: Antonín Hlaváček creator: Radek K. Lučan creator: Jiří Hadrava uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14393 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Hlaváček et al. title: Anti-Acanthamoeba activity of a semi-synthetic mangostin derivative and its ability in removal of Acanthamoeba triangularis WU19001 on contact lens link: https://peerj.com/articles/14468 last-modified: 2022-12-09 description: Garcinia mangostana L., also known as the mangosteen tree, is a native medicinal plant in Southeast Asia having a wide variety of pharmacologically active compounds, including xanthonoid mangostin. In this study, we examined the pharmacological activities of the selected semi-synthetic mangostin derivative, namely, amoebicidal activity, encystation inhibition, excystation activity, and removal capacity of adhesive Acanthamoeba from the surface of contact lens (CL). Among the three derivatives, C1 exhibited promising anti-Acanthamoeba activity against Acanthamoeba triangularis WU19001 trophozoites and cysts. SEM images displayed morphological changes in Acanthamoeba trophozoites, including the loss of acanthopodia, pore formation in the cell membrane, and membrane damage. In addition, the treated cyst was shrunken and adopted an irregular flat cyst shape. Under a fluorescence microscope, acridine orange and propidium iodide (AO/PI) staining revealed C1 induced condensation of cytoplasm and chromatin with the loss of cell volume in the treated trophozoites, while calcofluor white staining demonstrated the leakage of cell wall in treated cysts, leading to cell death. Interestingly, at the concentration ranges in which C1 showed the anti-Acanthamoeba effects (IC50 values ranging from 0.035–0.056 mg/mL), they were not toxic to Vero cells. C1 displayed the highest inhibitory effect on A. triangularis encystation at 1/16×MIC value (0.004 mg/mL). While C1 demonstrated the excystation activity at 1/128×MIC value with a high rate of 89.47%. Furthermore, C1 exhibited the removal capacity of adhesive Acanthamoeba from the surface of CL comparable with commercial multipurpose solutions (MPSs). Based on the results obtained, C1 may be a promising lead agent to develop a therapeutic for the treatment of Acanthamoeba infections and disinfectant solutions for CL. creator: Julalak Chuprom creator: Suthinee Sangkanu creator: Watcharapong Mitsuwan creator: Rachasak Boonhok creator: Wilawan Mahabusarakam creator: L. Ravithej Singh creator: Ekachai Dumkliang creator: Kritamorn Jitrangsri creator: Alok K. Paul creator: Sirirat Surinkaew creator: Polrat Wilairatana creator: Maria de Lourdes Pereira creator: Mohammed Rahmatullah creator: Christophe Wiart creator: Sonia Marlene Rodrigues Oliveira creator: Veeranoot Nissapatorn uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14468 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Chuprom et al. title: Analysis of influencing factors of serum total protein and serum calcium content in plasma donors link: https://peerj.com/articles/14474 last-modified: 2022-12-09 description: Background and objectivesThe adverse effects of plasma donation on the body has lowered the odds of donation. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of abnormal serum calcium and total serum protein related to plasma donation, identify the influencing factors, and come up with suggestions to make plasma donation safer.MethodsDonors from 10 plasmapheresis centers in five provinces of China participated in this study. Serum samples were collected before donation. Serum calcium was measured by arsenazo III colorimetry, and the biuret method was used for total serum protein assay. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to conduct serum calcium and total serum protein tests.ResultsThe mean serum calcium was 2.3 ± 0.15 mmol/L and total serum protein was 67.75 ± 6.02 g/L. The proportions of plasma donors whose serum calcium and total serum protein were lower than normal were 20.55% (815/3,966) and 27.99% (1,111/3,969), respectively. There were significant differences in mean serum calcium and total serum protein of plasma donors with different plasma donation frequencies, gender, age, regions, and body mass index (BMI), (all p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that donation frequencies, age, BMI and regions were significantly associated with a higher risk of low serum calcium level, and donation frequencies, gender, age and regions were significant determinants factors of odds of abnormal total serum protein.ConclusionsDonation frequencies, gender, age, regions, and BMI showed different effects on serum calcium and total serum protein. More attention should be paid to the age, donation frequency and region of plasma donors to reduce the probability of low serum calcium and low total serum protein. creator: Bin Liu creator: Demei Dong creator: Zongkui Wang creator: Yang Gao creator: Ding Yu creator: Shengliang Ye creator: Xi Du creator: Li Ma creator: Haijun Cao creator: Fengjuan Liu creator: Rong Zhang creator: Changqing Li uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14474 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2022 Liu et al. title: The influence of parenting style and coping behavior on nonsuicidal self-injury behavior in different genders based on path analysis link: https://peerj.com/articles/14507 last-modified: 2022-12-09 description: BackgroundNonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors—an important factor that profoundly affects the physical and mental health of young people—are induced by complex and diverse factors, while showing significant differences at the gender level. We examined mediating behaviors among parenting styles, students’ coping styles, and endogenous and exogenous influencing variables of adolescents’ NSSI behaviors.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, Secondary school students in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China (n = 2,689; F/M:1532/1157) were surveyed for basic attributes, parenting styles, coping styles, and NSSI behaviors. After the initial screening of the sample data, several external derivatives were screened based on the single factor analysis method. On this basis, the construction of path analysis models under multivariate multiple elicitations was carried out.ResultsThe overall prevalence of NSSI was 15.16%, and the incidence of NSSI in boys was lower than that in girls (OR = 0.334, 95% CI [0.235–0.474]). The path analysis model data fit well; the indicators of female and male part are: CFI = 0.913/0.923, GFI = 0.964/0.977, SRMR = 0.055/0.047, RMSEA = 0.097/0.069 with 90% confidence interval (CI) [0.084–0.111]/[0.054–0.084]. For female, when negative coping style and extreme education affect NSSI respectively, the standardized path coefficient values are 0.478 (z = 20.636, P = 0.000 < 0.01) and 0.151 (z = 6.524, P = 0.000 < 0.01) respectively, while for male, the corresponding values become 0.225 (z = 7.057, P < 0.001) and 0.104 (z = 3.262, P < 0.001).ConclusionIn particular, we investigated the mediating effects of gender-specific NSSI influences and found that NSSI behaviors were strongly associated with environmental variables and individual factors, especially family parenting style and adolescent coping style, which influenced NSSI in a gender-specific manner. The results showed that males were the target of both positive and negative parenting styles, whereas females were more likely to choose negative coping styles directed towards emotions in response to external stimuli, and instead showed a more significant predisposition towards NSSI behaviors. This phenomenon seems to be influenced by multilevel factors such as sociocultural, individual value identity, and physiological structure differences. In the path analysis model with the introduction of mediating effects, the influence of gender differences on NSSI behavior becomes more pronounced under the interaction of multiple factors: women seem to be more significantly influenced by the external derivatives in the internal derivatives than male subjects, and are more likely to trigger NSSI behavior under the interaction of multiple factors. These findings effectively reveal the significant role of different end-influencing factors in NSSI behaviors at the level of gender differences, which can provide effective theoretical support to prevent and treat NSSI behaviors in adolescents. creator: Fang Cheng creator: Changzhou Hu creator: Wenwu Zhang creator: Huabing Xie creator: Liangliang Shen creator: Beini Wang creator: Zhenyu Hu creator: Yucheng Wang creator: Haihang Yu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14507 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Cheng et al. title: Biomechanical analyses of pterygotid sea scorpion chelicerae uncover predatory specialisation within eurypterids link: https://peerj.com/articles/14515 last-modified: 2022-12-09 description: Eurypterids (sea scorpions) are extinct aquatic chelicerates. Within this group, members of Pterygotidae represent some of the largest known marine arthropods. Representatives of this family all have hypertrophied, anteriorly-directed chelicerae and are commonly considered Silurian and Devonian apex predators. Despite a long history of research interest in these appendages, pterygotids have been subject to limited biomechanical investigation. Here, we present finite element analysis (FEA) models of four different pterygotid chelicerae—those of Acutiramus bohemicus, Erettopterus bilobus, Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, and Pterygotus anglicus—informed through muscle data and finite element models (FEMs) of chelae from 16 extant scorpion taxa. We find that Er. bilobus and Pt. anglicus have comparable stress patterns to modern scorpions, suggesting a generalised diet that probably included other eurypterids and, in the Devonian species, armoured fishes, as indicated by co-occurring fauna. Acutiramus bohemicus is markedly different, with the stress being concentrated in the proximal free ramus and the serrated denticles. This indicates a morphology better suited for targeting softer prey. Jaekelopterus rhenaniae exhibits much lower stress across the entire model. This, combined with an extremely large body size, suggests that the species likely fed on larger and harder prey, including heavily armoured fishes. The range of cheliceral morphologies and stress patterns within Pterygotidae demonstrate that members of this family had variable diets, with only the most derived species likely to feed on armoured prey, such as placoderms. Indeed, increased sizes of these forms throughout the mid-Palaeozoic may represent an ‘arms race’ between eurypterids and armoured fishes, with Devonian pterygotids adapting to the rapid diversification of placoderms. creator: Russell D. C. Bicknell creator: Yuri Simone creator: Arie van der Meijden creator: Stephen Wroe creator: Gregory D. Edgecombe creator: John R. Paterson uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14515 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Bicknell et al. title: Generation of raptor diversity in Europe: linking speciation with climate changes and the ability to migrate link: https://peerj.com/articles/14505 last-modified: 2022-12-08 description: Europe holds a rich community of diurnal birds of prey, and the highest proportion of transcontinental migratory raptorial species of any landmass. This study will test the hypotheses that the high diversification of the raptor assemblage in Europe is a recent event, that closely related species sharing the same trophic niches can only coexist in sympatry during the breeding period, when food availability is higher, and finally that migration is a function of size, with the smaller species in every trophic group moving further. A consensus molecular phylogeny for the 38 regular breeding species of raptors in Europe was obtained from BirdTree (www.birdtree.org). For the same species, a trophic niche cluster dendrogram was constructed. Size and migratory strategy were introduced in the resulting phylogeny, where trophic groups were also identified. Multispecific trophic groups tended to be composed of reciprocal sister species of different sizes, while monospecific groups (n = 3) were composed of highly specialized species. Many speciation events took place recently, during the glacial cycles of the Quaternary, and size divergence among competing species may be due to character displacement. Nowadays, the smaller species in every trophic group migrate to sub-Saharan Africa. This investigation illustrates how the rich assemblage of diurnal birds of prey in Europe, more diverse and more migratory than, for instance, the North American assemblage at equivalent latitudes, has emerged recently due to the multiplication of look-alike species with similar trophic ecologies, possibly in climate refugia during cold periods. creator: Juan J. Negro creator: Eduardo J. Rodríguez-Rodríguez creator: Airam Rodríguez creator: Keith Bildstein uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14505 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Negro et al. title: Metagenomics analysis of the effects of Agaricus bisporus mycelia on microbial diversity and CAZymes in compost link: https://peerj.com/articles/14426 last-modified: 2022-12-07 description: Agaricus bisporus growth alters the lignocellulosic composition and structure of compost. However, it is difficult to differentiate the enzyme activities of A. bisporus mycelia from the wider microbial community owing to the complication of completely speareting the mycelia from compost cultures. Macrogenomics analysis was employed in this study to examine the fermentation substrate of A. bisporus before and after mycelial growth, and the molecular mechanism of substrate utilization by A. bisporus mycelia was elucidated from the perspective of microbial communities and CAZymes in the substrate. The results showed that the relative abundance of A. bisporus mycelia increased by 77.57-fold after mycelial colonization, the laccase content was significantly increased and the lignin content was significantly decreased. Analysis of the CAZymes showed that AA10 family was extremely differentiated. Laccase-producing strains associated with AA10 family were mostly bacteria belonging to Thermobifida and Thermostaphylospora, suggesting that these bacteria may play a synergistic role in lignin decomposition along with A. bisporus mycelia. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the molecular mechanism of compost utilization by A. bisporus mycelia and offer a reference for the development and utilization of strains related to lignocellulose degradation. creator: Wanqiu Chang creator: Weilin Feng creator: Yang Yang creator: Yingyue Shen creator: Tingting Song creator: Yu Li creator: Weiming Cai uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14426 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2022 Chang et al.