title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=745 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: A new Amazonian species of Allobates Zimmermann & Zimmermann, 1988 (Aromobatidae) with a trilled advertisement call link: https://peerj.com/articles/13026 last-modified: 2022-03-07 description: BackgroundCurrently, 58 species are assigned to the genus Allobates, with 70% of its diversity described just in the last two decades, with many additional species likely unnamed. The continuous description of these new species represents a fundamental step for resolving the taxonomy and ensuring the future conservation of the genus.MethodsUsing molecular, acoustic, and morphological evidences, we describe a new species of Allobates from Teles Pires River region, southern Amazonia, and provide accounts on the population of A. tapajos found sympatrically with the new species.ResultsThe new species is distinguished from its congeners by the coloration of thighs, venter, dorsum, and dark lateral stripe. It has four types of calls, with advertisement calls formed by relatively long trills with a mean duration of 2.29 s ± 0.65, mean of 39.93 notes ± 11.18 emitted at a mean rate of 17.49 ± 0.68 notes per second, and mean dominant frequency of 5,717 Hz ± 220.81. The genetic distance between the new species and its congeners in a fragment of the 16S mitochondrial fragment ranged between 13.2% (A. carajas) to 21.3% (A. niputidea). The sympatric Allobates population fits its morphology and acoustic with the nominal A. tapajos, but presents a relatively high genetic distance of nearly 6.5%, raising questions on the current taxonomy of this species. creator: Leandro A. Silva creator: Ricardo Marques creator: Henrique Folly creator: Diego J. Santana uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13026 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Silva et al. title: Perception, knowledge, and attitude of medical doctors in Saudi Arabia about the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation: a cross-sectional survey link: https://peerj.com/articles/13035 last-modified: 2022-03-07 description: ObjectivesThere is compelling scientific evidence about the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation. However, patients with vestibular-associated dizziness and balance disturbances are seldom referred to physiotherapists in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aims to achieve insight into perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and referral practices among Saudi Arabian medical doctors relating to the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation.MethodsA sample of 381 medical doctors practicing in Saudi Arabia participated in this nationwide cross-sectional study. The sample was obtained from 226 hospitals across 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia by stratified sampling method. The 23-item questionnaire developed by a team of experts was emailed to medical doctors practicing in various hospitals across Saudi Arabia.ResultsOut of 1,231 medical doctors invited, 381 medical doctors responded, giving a response rate of 30.9%. One hundred ninety-three (50.6%) medical doctors reported managing patients with vestibular rehabilitation. The most preferred specialist for managing patients with vestibular disorders was an Ear Nose Throat (ENT) specialist (n = 173, 89.6%). Related Sample Cochran’s Q test showed statistically significant difference between preferred specialist for managing patients with vestibular disorders (ENT specialists, physiotherapists, nurses, occupational therapists and audiologists) (χ2(4) = 482.476, p = 0.001). Out of 193 medical doctors, 153 (79.2%) reported no role of the physiotherapist in vestibular rehabilitation. One hundred forty-five (75.1%) of medical doctors reported that they were not aware of the role of physiotherapists in vestibular rehabilitation. Only 27 (15.5%) medical doctors reported referring patients with vestibular disorders to physiotherapists.ConclusionThe study reports that physiotherapy services are underutilized in vestibular rehabilitation due to limited referral from Saudi Arabian medical doctors. Therefore, there is a need to increase the awareness among Saudi Arabian doctors about the physiotherapist’s role in vestibular rehabilitation. creator: Danah Alyahya creator: Faizan Z. Kashoo uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13035 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2022 Alyahya and Kashoo title: Loss of gut microbial diversity in the cultured, agastric fish, Mexican pike silverside (Chirostoma estor: Atherinopsidae) link: https://peerj.com/articles/13052 last-modified: 2022-03-07 description: Teleost fish are the most diverse group of extant vertebrates and have varied digestive anatomical structures and strategies, suggesting they also possess an array of different host-microbiota interactions. Differences in fish gut microbiota have been shown to affect host development, the process of gut colonization, and the outcomes of gene-environment or immune system-microbiota interactions. There is generally a lack of studies on the digestive mechanisms and microbiota of agastric short-intestine fish however, meaning that we do not understand how changes in gut microbial diversity might influence the health of these types of fish. To help fill these gaps in knowledge, we decided to study the Mexican pike silverside (Chirostoma estor) which has a simplified alimentary canal (agastric, short-intestine, 0.7 gut relative length) to observe the diversity and metabolic potential of its intestinal microbiota. We characterized gut microbial populations using high-throughput sequencing of the V3 region in bacterial 16S rRNA genes while searching for population shifts resulting associated with fish development in different environments and cultivation methods. Microbiota samples were taken from the digesta, anterior and posterior intestine (the three different intestinal components) of fish that grew wild in a lake, that were cultivated in indoor tanks, or that were raised in outdoor ponds. Gut microbial diversity was significantly higher in wild fish than in cultivated fish, suggesting a loss of diversity when fish are raised in controlled environments. The most abundant phyla observed in these experiments were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, particularly of the genera Mycoplasma, Staphylococcus, Spiroplasma, and Aeromonas. Of the 14,161 OTUs observed in this experiment, 133 were found in all groups, and 17 of these, belonging to Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, and Spiroplasma genera, were found in all samples suggesting the existence of a core C. estor microbiome. Functional metagenomic prediction of bacterial ecological functions using PICRUSt2 suggested that different intestinal components select for functionally distinct microbial populations with variation in pathways related to the metabolism of amino acids, vitamins, cofactors, and energy. Our results provide, for the first time, information on the bacterial populations present in an agastric, short-gut teleost with commercial potential and show that controlled cultivation of this fish reduces the diversity of its intestinal microbiota. creator: Jesús Mateo Amillano-Cisneros creator: Perla T. Hernández-Rosas creator: Bruno Gomez-Gil creator: Pamela Navarrete-Ramírez creator: María Gisela Ríos-Durán creator: Carlos Cristian Martínez-Chávez creator: David Johnston-Monje creator: Carlos Antonio Martínez-Palacios creator: Luciana Raggi uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13052 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2022 Amillano-Cisneros et al. title: Hydrogen sulphide alleviates Fusarium Head Blight in wheat seedlings link: https://peerj.com/articles/13078 last-modified: 2022-03-07 description: Hydrogen sulphide (H2S), a crucial gas signal molecule, has been reported to be involved in various processes related to development and adversity responses in plants. However, the effects and regulatory mechanism of H2S in controlling Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat have not been clarified. In this study, we first reported that H2S released by low concentrations of sodium hydrosulphide (NaHS) could significantly alleviate the FHB symptoms caused by Fusarium graminearum (F. graminearum) in wheat. We also used coleoptile inoculation to investigate the related physiological and molecular mechanism. The results revealed that FHB resistance was strongly enhanced by the H2S released by NaHS, and 0.3 mM was confirmed as the optimal concentration. H2S treatment dramatically reduced the levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) while enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Meanwhile, the relative expressions levels of defence-related genes, including PR1.1, PR2, PR3, and PR4, were all dramatically upregulated. Our results also showed that H2S was toxic to F. graminearum by inhibiting mycelial growth and spore germination. Taken together, the findings demonstrated the potential value of H2S in mitigating the adverse effects induced by F. graminearum and advanced the current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms in wheat. creator: Yuanyuan Yao creator: Wenjie Kan creator: Pengfei Su creator: Yan Zhu creator: Wenling Zhong creator: Jinfeng Xi creator: Dacheng Wang creator: Caiguo Tang creator: Lifang Wu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13078 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2022 Yao et al. title: Growth regulators promote soybean productivity: a review link: https://peerj.com/articles/12556 last-modified: 2022-03-04 description: Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] is a predominant edible plant and a major supply of plant protein worldwide. Global demand for soybean keeps increasing as its seeds provide essential proteins, oil, and nutraceuticals. In a quest to meet heightened demands for soybean, it has become essential to introduce agro-technical methods that promote adaptability to complex environments, improve soybean resistance to abiotic stress , and increase productivity. Plant growth regulators are mainly exploited to achieve this due to their crucial roles in plant growth and development. Increasing research suggests the influence of plant growth regulators on soybean growth and development, yield, quality, and abiotic stress responses. In an attempt to expatiate on the topic, current knowledge, and possible applications of plant growth regulators that improve growth and yield have been reviewed and discussed. Notably, the application of plant growth regulators in their appropriate concentrations at suitable growth periods relieves abiotic stress thereby increasing the yield and yield components of soybean. Moreover, the regulation effects of different growth regulators on the morphology, physiology, and yield quality of soybean are discoursed in detail. creator: Hanna Amoanimaa-Dede creator: Chuntao Su creator: Akwasi Yeboah creator: Hang Zhou creator: Dianfeng Zheng creator: Hongbo Zhu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12556 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2022 Amoanimaa-Dede et al. title: A combined association of serum uric acid, alanine aminotransferase and waist circumference with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a community-based study link: https://peerj.com/articles/13022 last-modified: 2022-03-04 description: BackgroundIncreasing evidence has supported that serum uric acid (SUA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and waist circumference (WC) are associated with the occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the combined role of these factors in early screening of NAFLD has not been investigated. We aimed to de lineate this role in a community-based population.MethodsBinary logistic regression was used to explore the correlations of SUA, ALT and WC with NAFLD risk. The goodness of fit and discriminative ability of the model were evaluated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), respectively.ResultsLogistic regression analysis indicated that elevated SUA (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.76–3.38]), ALT (adjusted OR = 4.98, 95% CI [3.41–7.27]) and WC (adjusted OR = 3.22, 95% CI [2.01–5.16]) were facilitating factors for incident NAFLD after fully adjusted for related confounders. In addition, the risk of NAFLD followed linear trend s with increasing levels of these three indicators (all Ptrend < 0.001). The risk assessment model consisting of SUA, ALT, WC and demographics showed useful discrimination by AUROC being 0.825 (95% CI [0.811–0.838]) and good performance of calibration (P = 0.561).ConclusionsSUA, ALT and WC were all associated with NAFLD, independent of known risk factors. The simple model composed of these indicators showed good performance in the Chinese population, which may be applicable for appraisal of NAFLD risk in primary healthcare. creator: Min Wang creator: Minxian Wang creator: Ru Zhang creator: Liuxin Zhang creator: Yajie Ding creator: Zongzhe Tang creator: Haozhi Fan creator: Hongliang Wang creator: Wei Zhang creator: Yue Chen creator: Jie Wang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13022 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Wang et al. title: Morphological description and molecular identification of Myxobolus dajiangensis n. sp. (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae) from the gill of Cyprinus carpio in southwest China link: https://peerj.com/articles/13023 last-modified: 2022-03-04 description: BackgroundMyxosporean diversity is a hot topic since they are difficult to accurately identify and classify. Many Myxobolus parasites have been named as Myxobolus koi because of their similar morphological features with the species originally reported. However, the distinctions in fine morphological features, host specificity, and molecular data have given rise to the attention of researchers.MethodsThe classical morphometric and histological methods were used to describe the Myxobolus dajiangensis n. sp. in morphology. The common techniques in modern molecular biology and the methods of phylogenetic analyses were combined to identify the species.ResultsPlasmodia of interlamellar-vascular type were found in the vascular network of gill lamellae. Mature myxospores of M. dajiangensis n. sp. were elongated and pyriform from the frontal view. The myxospores were 14.8 ± 0.4 (13.9–15.6) µm in length, 8.0 ± 0.5 (7.2–9.1) µm in width, and 5.5 µm in thickness. The two polar capsules were pyriform and slightly different in length. The length of the larger polar capsules was 8.0 ± 0.4 (7.1–8.8) µm, and it was 7.4 ± 0.4 (6.1–8.0) µm for the smaller ones. The width of both polar capsules was 2.5 ± 0.2 (2.0–3.2) µm. The polar filaments within the polar capsules were each coiled nine to 11 turns. Comparative analysis of both the morphological and molecular data between the present speices and other similar species revealed that the present species is a novel species, Myxobolus dajiangensis n. sp. Also, M. koi (FJ710800) was misidentified and the congener with M. dajiangensis n. sp., depending on the secondary structures of SSU rRNA and phylogenetic analysis. Moreover, the cryptic species existed in the M. koi parasites. creator: Miao-miao Wang creator: Jin-ye Zhang creator: Yuan-jun Zhao uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13023 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2022 Wang et al. title: Lung–brain ‘cross-talk’: systemic propagation of cytokines in the ARDS via the bloodstream using a blood transfusion model does not influence cerebral inflammatory response in pigs link: https://peerj.com/articles/13024 last-modified: 2022-03-04 description: BackgroundInterorgan cross-talk describes the phenomenon in which a primarily injured organ causes secondary damage to a distant organ. This cross-talk is well known between the lung and brain. One theory suggests that the release and systemic distribution of cytokines via the bloodstream from the primarily affected organ sets in motion proinflammatory cascades in distant organs. In this study, we analysed the role of the systemic distribution of cytokines via the bloodstream in a porcine ARDS model for organ cross-talk and possible inflammatory changes in the brain.MethodsAfter approval of the State and Institutional Animal Care Committee, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induction with oleic acid injection was performed in seven animals. Eight hours after ARDS induction, blood (35–40 ml kg–1) was taken from these seven ‘ARDS donor’ pigs. The collected ‘ARDS donor’ blood was transfused into seven healthy ‘ARDS-recipient’ pigs. Three animals served as a control group, and blood from these animals was transfused into three healthy pigs after an appropriate ventilation period. All animals were monitored for 8 h using advanced cardiorespiratory monitoring. Postmortem assessment included cerebral (hippocampal and cortex) mediators of early inflammatory response (IL-6, TNF-alpha, iNOS, sLCN-2), wet-to-dry ratio and lung histology. TNF-alpha serum concentration was measured in all groups.ResultsARDS was successfully induced in the ‘ARDS donor’ group, and serum TNF-alpha levels were elevated compared with the ‘ARDS-recipient’ group. In the ‘ARDS-recipient’ group, neither significant ARDS alterations nor upregulation of inflammatory mediators in the brain tissue were detected after high-volume random allogenic ‘ARDS-blood’ transfusion. The role of the systemic distribution of inflammatory cytokines from one affected organ to another could not be confirmed in this study. creator: René Rissel creator: Moritz Schaefer creator: Jens Kamuf creator: Robert Ruemmler creator: Julian Riedel creator: Katja Mohnke creator: Miriam Renz creator: Erik K. Hartmann creator: Alexander Ziebart uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13024 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Rissel et al. title: A comparative study of life skills, lifestyle habits and academic performance in health promoting and non-health promoting schools in the Autonomous Community of Aragon, Spain link: https://peerj.com/articles/13041 last-modified: 2022-03-04 description: BackgroundThere is insufficient evidence about the impact of health promoting schools on the student’s health and academic performance. The aim of this study was to compare the life skills, lifestyle habits and academic performance of 7th and 8th grade students registered in health promoting and non-health promoting schools in the Autonomous Community of Aragon.MethodsAn observational, descriptive, comparative study of the life skills, lifestyle habits and academic performance of 7th and 8th grade students registered in 43 randomly selected health promoting and non-health promoting schools was carried out. We used an adapted tool, which was validated through the expert panel technique, to evaluate the students’ life skills (self-efficacy, social skills and affect balance), lifestyle habits (diet, sleep, physical exercise, use of screen and substance abuse) and academic performance.ResultsThe socioeconomic level of the mothers and fathers of the students who attended non-health promoting schools was significantly higher than that of the parents of the adolescents who attended health promoting schools (p < 0.001). The students who attended non-health promoting schools had better self-efficacy, led a healthier life generally and achieved better academic results (p = 0.03).ConclusionsAs opposed to previous studies, which found a positive association between health promoting schools and life skills, lifestyle habits and academic performance, our findings suggest that the impact of these health programs on the students’ health and academic performance is limited. We recommend that the degree of implementation of health promotion programs in health promoting schools is systematically evaluated, and the health promoting school accreditation process and requirements reviewed, in order to ensure that the health of school children and adolescents is safeguarded and promoted in the short, medium and long term. creator: Beatriz Sánchez-Hernando creator: Ángel Gasch-Gallén creator: Isabel Antón-Solanas creator: Vicente Gea-Caballero creator: Raúl Juárez-Vela creator: Javier Gállego-Diéguez creator: María Inmaculada Carboneres-Tafaner creator: Emmanuel Echániz-Serrano creator: Laura Lasso-Olayo creator: Ivan Santolalla-Arnedo uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13041 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 Sánchez-Hernando et al. title: Analyzing the relationship between self-efficacy and impulsivity in amateur soccer referees link: https://peerj.com/articles/13058 last-modified: 2022-03-04 description: Soccer referees (SRs) are exposed to stressful situations during the competition that can affect decision-making, could be affected by impulsivity during the competition and therefore, require optimal psychological skills. The objective of this study was to ascertain and analyze the relationship between levels of impulsivity and self-efficacy of amateur SRs in the senior category. A total of 21 Spanish SRs participated in this study (age 23.57 ± 2.40 years and 7.81 ± 2.58 seasons of experience). Self-efficacy data were collected with the REFS questionnaire between 48 and 72 h before the competition. The impulsivity data were collected using the UPPS-P questionnaire 60 min before the start the competition. The results indicate that SRs with higher self-efficacy have lower levels of impulsivity, specifically in the dimensions of negative urgency (p < 0.01), positive urgency (p < 0.05), lack of premeditation (p < 0.001), and lack of perseverance (p < 0.001), as well as lower global impulsivity (p < 0.01). However, the SRs with the highest self-efficacy also obtained higher levels in the sensation seeking dimension (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the main finding of this study showed that self-efficacy is influenced by SR impulsivity prior to competition. These novel facts allow us to discover aspects related to decision-making in refereeing that can be trained to reach optimal levels. creator: José López-Aguilar creator: Rafael Burgueño creator: Alfonso Castillo-Rodriguez creator: Wanesa Onetti-Onetti uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13058 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2022 López-Aguilar et al.