title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=723 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: Knowledge of acute stroke management and the predictors among Malaysian healthcare professionals link: https://peerj.com/articles/13310 last-modified: 2022-04-20 description: BackgroundDespite rapid advances in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) management, many healthcare professionals (HCPs) might not be aware of the latest recommended management of AIS patients. Therefore, we aimed to determine the level and factors associated with AIS management knowledge among Malaysian HCPs.MethodsThis cross-sectional online questionnaire study was conducted nationwide among 627 HCPs in Malaysia using the Acute Stroke Management Questionnaire (ASMaQ). Multiple logistic regression was used to predict the relationship between the independent variables (age, gender, years of service, profession, work setting, work sector, seeing stroke patients in daily practice, and working with specialists) and the outcome variable (good vs poor knowledge).ResultsApproximately 76% (95% CI [73–79%]) of HCPs had good overall knowledge of stroke. The highest proportion of HCPs with good knowledge was noted for General Stroke Knowledge (GSK) [88.5% (95% CI [86–91%])], followed by Advanced Stroke Management (ASM) [61.2% (95% CI [57–65%])] and Hyperacute Stroke Management (HSM) [58.1% (95% CI [54–62%])]. The odds of having poor knowledge of stroke were significantly higher among non-doctor HCPs [adjusted OR = 3.46 (95% CI [1.49–8.03]), P = 0.004]; among those not seeing stroke patients in daily practice [adjusted OR = 2.67 (95% CI [1.73–4.10]), P < 0.001]; and among those working without specialists [adjusted OR = 2.41 (95% CI [1.38–4.18]), P = 0.002].ConclusionsStroke education should be prioritised for HCPs with limited experience and guidance. All HCPs need to be up-to-date on the latest AIS management and be able to make a prompt referral to an appropriate facility. Therefore, more stroke patients will benefit from advanced stroke care. creator: Stephenie Ann Albart creator: Abdul Hanif Khan Yusof Khan creator: Aneesa Abdul Rashid creator: Wan Asyraf Wan Zaidi creator: Mohammad Zulkarnain Bidin creator: Irene Looi creator: Fan Kee Hoo uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13310 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Albart et al. title: The fecal microbiota of Thai school-aged children associated with demographic factors and diet link: https://peerj.com/articles/13325 last-modified: 2022-04-20 description: BackgroundBirth delivery method and breastfeeding practices contribute to microbiota colonization. Other factors including diet and demographic factors structure the gut microbiome assembly and diversity through childhood development. The exploration of these factors, especially in Southeast Asian children, remains limited.MethodsWe investigated the fecal microbiota of 127 school-aged children in Thailand using quantitative PCR (qPCR) to assess the influence of diet and demographic factors on the gut microbiota. Multivariate analysis (multiple factor analysis (MFA) and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA)) were used to link particular gut microbes to diet and demographic factors.ResultsDiet and demographic factors were associated with variation among gut microbiota. The abundance of Gammaproteobacteria increased in children with infrequent intake of high fat foods. Obese children possessed a lower level of Firmicutes and Ruminococcus. Bifidobacterium was enriched in pre-teen aged children and detected at lower levels among formula-fed children. Prevotella was more abundant in children who were delivered vaginally. While ethnicity explained a small amount of variation in the gut microbiota, it nonetheless was found to be significantly associated with microbiome composition.ConclusionsExogenous and demographic factors associate with, and possibly drive, the assembly of the gut microbiome of an understudied population of school-aged children in Thailand. creator: Lucsame Gruneck creator: Eleni Gentekaki creator: Kongkiat Kespechara creator: Justin Denny creator: Thomas J. Sharpton creator: Lisa K. Marriott creator: Jackilen Shannon creator: Siam Popluechai uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13325 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2022 Gruneck et al. title: Analysis of serum and gene expression profile of cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β1) in chronic hepatitis C virus infection link: https://peerj.com/articles/13330 last-modified: 2022-04-20 description: BackgroundChronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the major causes of liver cirrhosis and liver carcinoma. Studies have indicated that an imbalance of cytokine activities could contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic HCV infection. This study aimed to investigate serum levels and gene expression of cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β1) in chronic HCV infection among Malay male subjects.MethodsThirty-nine subjects were enrolled from various health clinics in Kelantan, Malaysia, and divided into two groups: patients with chronic HCV infection (HP) and healthy control (HS). The serum cytokines IL-6, TNF-a—were measured using Luminex assay, and serum TGF-β1 was measured by ELISA. The mRNA gene expression for IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β1 was measured by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).ResultsThere were statistically significant differences in the mean serum levels of IL-6, and TGF-β1 in HP compared to HS group (p = 0.0180 and p = 0.0005, respectively). There was no significant difference in the mean serum level of TNF-α in HP compared to HS group. The gene expression for the studied cytokines showed no significant differences in HP compared to HS group.ConclusionSerum IL-6 was significantly associated with chronic HCV infection. creator: Ismail Che Noh creator: Richard Avoi creator: Asma Abdullah Nurul creator: Imran Ahmad creator: Ruzilawati Abu Bakar uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13330 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Che Noh et al. title: Genetic relatedness and morphology as drivers of interspecific dominance hierarchy in hummingbirds link: https://peerj.com/articles/13331 last-modified: 2022-04-20 description: A dominance hierarchy is the set of ranks occupied by species within an assemblage. Species with a high position within the dominance hierarchy tend to dominate subordinate species in contests for access to resources. In hummingbirds, greater weight and wing disc loading have been associated with highest ranks within the dominance hierarchy. Nevertheless, the limit to which the difference between the weight of contending species represents a competitive advantage has not yet been determined. Here, we determined the dominance hierarchy of a hummingbird assemblage exploiting the most abundant floral resource (Palicourea padifolia, Rubiaceae) in a cloud forest of central Veracruz, Mexico. Specifically, we tested whether species weight and wing disc loading influence the dominance hierarchy. Additionally, we tested whether the flowers visited per foraging bout increases with species weight and dominance. We further tested whether weight, wing disc loading, and the genetic relatedness between contenders influenced the dominance relationships in species-pair interactions. Our results indicate that the hierarchy is positively influenced by weight. Hummingbirds visited similar number of flowers regardless their weight or their dominance. Nevertheless, the probability that the heaviest contender won contests was positively associated with the differences of weight and genetic relatedness between contenders. Contrarily, the probability that the contender with greatest wing disc loading won contests was positively associated with differences of weight and negatively associated with the relatedness between contenders. However, these models only explained between 22% and 34% of the variation, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the weight was the major contributor to high dominance values. However, future studies should include (1) the temporal variability of the weight and (2) experimental predictor variables such the burst power of the hummingbirds to evaluate its effects on the dynamics of dominance hierarchies in hummingbird assemblages. All the hummingbird species present in the studied assemblage have developed wide behavioral mechanisms that compensate their morphological differences, which allow them to coexist, even when they compete for the access to the same resource. creator: Ubaldo Márquez-Luna creator: Carlos Lara creator: Pablo Corcuera creator: Pedro Luis Valverde uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13331 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2022 Márquez-Luna et al. title: Serum expression of Vascular Endothelial-Cadherin, CD44, Human High mobility group B1, Kallikrein 6 proteins in different stages of laryngeal intraepithelial lesions and early glottis cancer link: https://peerj.com/articles/13104 last-modified: 2022-04-19 description: BackgroundThe study was designed to evaluate the potential validity and utility of selected molecular markers in serum samples from patients with specific stages of laryngeal intraepithelial lesions that could serve as diagnostic tools in differentiation of benign and dysplastic lesions from invasive pathologies.MethodsProspective study included 80 consecutive patients with vocal fold lesions treated at the single otorhinolaryngology centre. All participants had surgical resection of the lesion. Blood samples were collected from each patient before the surgery. Final diagnosis was confirmed on histopathological examination and included 39 (48.75%) non-dysplastic lesions, eight (10%) low-grade dysplasia, six (7.5%) high-grade dysplasia and 27 (33.75%) invasive cancers. The ELISA procedures were performed according to the manufacturer’s instruction. Individual serum concentration of selected proteins was reported in ng/ml: Vascular Endothelial-Cadherin Complex (VE-cad), CD44, Human High mobility group protein B1(HMGB1), Kallikrein 6.ResultsThe highest mean levels of HMGB1, KLK6 and VE-cad were detected in sera of patients with low-grade dysplasia (81.14, 24.33, 14.17 respectively). Soluble CD44 was the most elevated in patients with non-dysplastic lesions (2.49). The HMGB1, KLK6 and VE-cad serum levels were increasing from non-dysplastic to low-grade dysplasia and followed by the decrease for high-grade dysplasia and invasive cancer, however the differences were not significant (p-values 0.897, 0.354, 0.1 respectively). Patients’ serum had the highest CD44 concentration in non-dysplastic and low-grade dysplasia with the following decrease through high-grade dysplasia and invasive cancer. GERD symptomatic patients had higher levels of KLK6 and CD44 than other patients (p-value 0.06 and 0.084 respectively). There were no significant differences of biomarkers levels related to patients’ gender (p-value from 0.243 to 1) or smoking status (p-value from 0.22 to 0.706).ConclusionsVE-cad, HMGB1, CD44 and KLK6 did not prove to be reliable biomarkers implicating malignant potential within vocal fold hypertrophic intraepithelial lesions. creator: Michał Żurek creator: Anna Rzepakowska creator: Iwona Kotuła creator: Urszula Demkow creator: Kazimierz Niemczyk uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13104 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Żurek et al. title: Morphological, functional, and phylogenetic aspects of the head capsule of the cockroach Ergaula capucina (Insecta/Blattodea) link: https://peerj.com/articles/12470 last-modified: 2022-04-19 description: BackgroundCockroaches are usually typical omnivorous detritivores and their cephalic morphology is considered to be ancestral in various aspects. Thus, several studies addressed the morphology and function of the blattodean head, and the cockroach usually serves as a model for standard mouthparts in text books. However, so far only two of the three major lineages of Blattodea have been studied and no detailed information for the head of any Corydioidea was available. The present study closes this gap by providing a detailed morphological description of the head of Ergaula capucina, studying some important functional parameters of the mandible and discussing it in a phylogenetic framework.MethodsThe cephalic morphology of Ergaula studied in detail using a broad set of different techniques including digital microscopy, µ-computed tomography, and 3-dimensional reconstructions. Concerning the functional morphology of the mandible, we compared the volume and effective cross sections of the eight compartments of the primary mandibular adductor muscle for Ergaula, Blattella germanica, and Salganea rossi and measured the mechanical advantage, i.e., the force transmission ratio for all teeth of the mandible of Ergaula.ResultsThe head capsule of Ergaula is characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism and typical orthopteran mouthparts. It resembles the head capsule of other roaches in several respects and confirms oesotendons, the reduction of the mesal occelus, and bipartite M. verticopharyngealis and M. hypopharyngosalivaris as blattodean apomorphies. But it also shows some unique adaptations. It is the first described cockroach that lacks the dorsal tentorial arms which has various consequences for the cephalic musculature. On the maxillary lacinia, Ergaula is the first described blattodean to show strong and blunt setae instead of a lacinula, which might be homologues to the dentisetae of dragonflies and mayflies. Like other corydiid roaches that inhabit xeric areas, Ergaula has an atmospheric water-vapor absorption mechanism that includes a gland and a ductus on the epipharnyx and bladders on the hypopharynx. The mandibular adductor is in cockroaches asymmetric, a pattern not found in termites, mantids, or other closely related insects. creator: Benjamin Wipfler creator: Felix Triesch creator: Dominic Evangelista creator: Tom Weihmann uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12470 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Wipfler et al. title: The management success of the invasive late goldenrod (Solidago gigantea Aiton.) in a nature conservation area is strongly related to site, control measures and environmental factors link: https://peerj.com/articles/13161 last-modified: 2022-04-19 description: The late goldenrod (Soldiago gigantea Aiton; Asteraceae) is one of the most abundant invasive species in various types of habitats. Its long-creeping plagiotropic rhizomes enable the plant to build up dense, monospecific stands within a short time. Particularly in nature conservation areas, the invasion of goldenrod can cause severe disruptions in the naturally occuring mutualims between plants, insects and higher trophic levels, subsequently impeding the achievement of nature conservation goals. As management options of goldenrod in nature conservation areas are limited, this three-year study aimed to test the effectiveness of three management treatments (two-time mowing, triticale cultivation, and reverse rotary cutting) on four different sites in the Austrian Donau-Auen National Park. The number and height of goldenrod shoots were recorded three times a year on twelve permanent trial plots on each site to test for the effectiveness of the treatments. In addition, vegetation surveys were performed to observe the recovery potential of native plant species. Even though the three-years mowing and the triticale cultivation reduced goldenrod by 95.6% and 97.2% resp., we could find no relation between the effectiveness of the treatment and the intensity of disturbance created by the control option. On the contrary, with a reduction of only 5.4% in goldenrod density the most intensive treatment, the rotary cutting, showed the lowest efficiency. The highest positive effect on the re-establishment of native plant species was recorded with two mowing events per year. Even though the study revealed that certain management options have the potential to effectively reduce goldenrod and to simultaneously increase the establishment success of native species, results can only be seen as so-called snapshots. For example, as shown on site EJW one unforeseeable wild boar digging event transformed a 84.5% reduction into a 4.7% increase in goldenrod density. Therefore, a proper and regular monitoring is essential to be able to react to the effects of unpredictable events that can have severe impact on vegetation dynamics. creator: Rea Maria Hall creator: Bernhard Urban creator: Hans-Peter Kaul uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13161 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2022 Hall et al. title: Microplastic ingestion by commercial marine fish from the seawater of Northwest Peninsular Malaysia link: https://peerj.com/articles/13181 last-modified: 2022-04-19 description: Over the past decade, concerns over microplastic pollution in the marine ecosystem has increasingly gained more attention, but research investigating the ingestion of microplastics by marine fish in Malaysia is still regrettably lacking. This study investigated the microplastic presence, abundance, and morphological types within the guts of four species of commercial marine fish (Atule mate, Crenimugil seheli, Sardinella fimbriata and Rastrelliger brachysoma) caught in seawater off the coast of Malaysia’s Northwest Peninsular. A total of 72 individual commercial marine fish guts from four species (fish per species n = 18) were examined. Remarkably, this study found that 100% of the samples contained microplastics. A total number of 432 microplastics (size < 5 mm) from the four species were found in the excised marine fish guts. The most common type of microplastic discovered was fragment, which accounted for 49.5% of all microplastics present. The gut microplastic content differed between species. Sardinella fimbriata recorded the greatest amount of microplastic ingestion, with an average microplastic count of 6.5 (±4.3) items per individual fish. However, there were no statistically significant differences found when comparing study species and different locations. SEM-EDX analysis confirmed the presence of microplastic particles by identifying the chemical elements found in the samples. Since the four studied species of commercial marine fish are popular protein sources in Malaysians’ daily diet, this study suggests potential microplastic exposure to humans via contaminated fish consumption in Malaysia, which was previously unknown. Based on previous scientific evidence, this study also demonstrates the high probability of microplastic ingestion in marine fish in the Malaysian seawater, which could have an adverse effect on fish health as well as marine biota. creator: Yuen Hwei Foo creator: Sharnietha Ratnam creator: Er Vin Lim creator: Masthurah Abdullah creator: Vincent J. Molenaar creator: Aileen Tan Shau Hwai creator: Shoufeng Zhang creator: Hongjun Li creator: Norlaila Binti Mohd Zanuri uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13181 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2022 Foo et al. title: Unlocking Andean sigmodontine diversity: five new species of Chilomys (Rodentia: Cricetidae) from the montane forests of Ecuador link: https://peerj.com/articles/13211 last-modified: 2022-04-19 description: The Andean cloud forests of Ecuador are home to several endemic mammals. Members of the Thomasomyini rodents are well represented in the Andes, with Thomasomys being the largest genus (47 species) of the subfamily Sigmodontinae. Within this tribe, however, there are genera that have escaped a taxonomic revision, and Chilomys Thomas, 1897, constitutes a paradigmatic example of these “forgotten” Andean cricetids. Described more than a century ago, current knowledge of this externally unmistakable montane rodent is very limited, and doubts persist as to whether or not it is monotypic. After several years of field efforts in Ecuador, a considerable quantity of specimens of Chilomys were collected from various localities representing both Andean chains. Based on an extensive genetic survey of the obtained material, we can demonstrate that what is currently treated as C. instans in Ecuador is a complex comprising at least five new species which are described in this paper. In addition, based on these noteworthy new evidence, we amend the generic diagnosis in detail, adding several key craniodental traits such as incisor procumbency and microdonty. These results indicate that Chilomys probably has a hidden additional diversity in large parts of the Colombian and Peruvian territories, inviting a necessary revision of the entire genus. creator: Jorge Brito creator: Nicolás Tinoco creator: C. Miguel Pinto creator: Rubí García creator: Claudia Koch creator: Vincent Fernandez creator: Santiago Burneo creator: Ulyses F. J. Pardiñas uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13211 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Brito et al. title: Genome-wide identification, molecular characterization, and gene expression analyses of honeysuckle NHX antiporters suggest their involvement in salt stress adaptation link: https://peerj.com/articles/13214 last-modified: 2022-04-19 description: BackgroundIon homeostasis is an essential process for the survival of plants under salt stress. Na+/H+ antiporters (NHXs) are secondary ion transporters that regulate Na+ compartmentalization or efflux reduce Na+ toxicity and play a critical role during plant development and stress responses.Methods and ResultsTo gain insight into the functional divergence of NHX genes in honeysuckle, a total of seven LjNHX genes were identified on the whole genome level and were renamed according to their chromosomal positions. All LjNHXs possessed the Na+/H+ exchanger domain and the amiloride-binding site was presented in all NHX proteins except LjNHX4. The phylogenetic analysis divided the seven NHX genes into Vac-clade (LjNHX1/2/3/4/5/7) and PM-clade (LjNHX6) based on their subcellular localization and validated by the distribution of conserved protein motifs and exon/intron organization analysis. The protein-protein interaction network showed that LjNHX4/5/6/7 shared the same putatively interactive proteins, including SOS2, SOS3, HKT1, and AVP1. Cis-acting elements and gene ontology (GO) analysis suggested that most LjNHXs involve in the response to salt stress through ion transmembrane transport. The expression profile analysis revealed that the expression levels of LjNHX3/7 were remarkably affected by salinity. These results suggested that LjNHXs play significant roles in honeysuckle development and response to salt stresses.ConclusionsThe theoretical foundation was established in the present study for the further functional characterization of the NHX gene family in honeysuckle. creator: Luyao Huang creator: Zhuangzhuang Li creator: Chunyong Sun creator: Shijie Yin creator: Bin Wang creator: Tongyao Duan creator: Yang Liu creator: Jia Li creator: Gaobin Pu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13214 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Huang et al.